"I write, therefore I am."

I AM A DREAMER. I WILL NOT SETTLE, I WILL NOT LEAD A NORMAL LIFE, I WILL NOT FIND SOME STUPID JOB THAT I HATE AND JUST BE MISERABLE. I'M SORRY IF THAT'S UPSETTING OR OFFENSIVE, BUT I WON'T. I AM A DREAM CHASER. And I will fight every day to have them. And I will never stop until I draw my last breath. Thank you to all those who believed in me before I believed in myself. I owe so much to you. And thank you to all those who continue to believe in me and buoy me up as I continue fighting every day to make them reality. I am so, so blessed. "Roots Before Branches" [Rachel:] So many things To do and say But I can't seem To find my way But I wanna know how I know I'm meant For something else But first I gotta find myself But I don't know how [Rachel with Finn harmonizing:] Oh, why do I reach for the stars When I don't have wings To carry me that far? [Rachel with Finn:] I gotta have Roots before branches To know who I...

So here we are again, except this year I'm posting this in October. So 2010 clearly wins . And you've all been good and read the Best of 2011... , right? You better! Also, can I just say - part of the reason I think I procrastinate posts like this (and the Best of's) is because they take SO LONG! I can't just gush and his "publish." These posts take work, editing, setup, comparison, etc. This post took me like 4 hours to completely write. The numbers are pretty interesting this go-round, and I'd say they have definitely been affected by Pandora. Because I could listen to that at work, but not my iPod/iTunes. So my #4 from last year comes in just under the #1 for this year, but then I have 9 songs this year that received less plays than the #25 last year. So there's alot more disparity in numbers in 2011. I went on a shopping spree right at the end of 2010, so alot of new music, plus further buys in 2011 based on my Pandora loves. There's almos...

Hey! Look! It's not even February yet and I'm getting to the Tops of 2010! Go me! I'm doing so much better than 2010 . You already read the Best of 2010 , right? If not, go there first, silly. There's no confusion this year about my play counts, but they are significantly lower than 2009. I dunno if that's because all I listen to is Pandora now, or what. But way lower. The #1 of 2010 is just over half of the plays #25 had in 2009. LOL So let's get to business, shall we? WOW, it's quite the SHAKE-UP! Only THREE songs returning this year from last. All the rest have been ousted from the list. Some have returned from 2008 though! 25. Dirty Little Secret by The All-American Rejects (86), a newcomer! Yay! I don't know that I actually love this song... it's just that it's the first on my playlists, so if I just hit play this one comes on. So maybe it's here by default? 22. Fighting by Yellowcard (87), I don't think I owned these until the ver...

Yes I know. It's pretty much 2011, and I'm still talking about 2009. Honestly, sometimes I get so far behind I feel like quitting and never writing another blog. Ever. But sigh. Let's forget about the fact that we are in month 5 of 12, and pretend it's still January. I mean, the weather outside TOTALLY reflects the "still-January" mindset. Why shouldn't my blog? (Other than the fact that I'm so sick of snow I might die). So in 2008, I joined the masses in the world of iTunes. One year (and 5 months we are erasing) later, I still abhor iTunes. But kind of love my ipod. Like alot. So I guess it's a love/hate relationship. Anyway, I already did my Tops of 2009 , except MUSIC. So let's get on with it shall we? First off, I must say that the play counts are all kinds of skewed. I had iTunes only for a limited time in 08, so the difference in clear. The #1 song of 2008 had 122 plays, whereas the #25 song in 2009 had 260, more than double, lol. 25. Li...

Best Movie I saw for the 1st time in '08: Kingdom of Heaven . Best Book I read for the first time in '08: Cormac McCarthy's The Road . (to be reviewed in an upcoming Travelogue Edition). And with the induction of iTunes (which I still secretly hates in the depths of my heart) into my life, here are my Top 25 Most Played Songs: 25. Right Now by SR-71 (61) 24. Be Like That by 3 Doors Down (63) 21. What Have You Done Now (Extended) by Within Temptation (71) 21. Daylight in the City by Strata (71) 21. Storm by Lifehouse (71) 15. Say (All I Need) by OneRepublic (72) 15. Hanging By a Moment by Lifehouse (72) 15. You and Me by Lifehouse (72) 15. Time of Your Life by Green Day (72) 15. Salt in the Snow by The Classic Crime (72) 15. Adam's Song by Blink-182 (72) 13. This is Our Town by Broken Image (73) 13. Do It For Me Now by Angels and Airwaves (73) 12. Forgiven by Within Temptation (80) 11. Lifeline by Angels and Airwaves (82) 9. Apologize (Non-Timbaland version) by OneRepubl...