With Reckless Abandon

1) This was my first week without a formal job in a while. I'm still working at school, so that counts. I was anticipating having more time to sleep in and get work done. Didn't get caught up as much as I'd like, but I don't feel so far behind. Sandy is in NYC this weekend, and it works out well, because this is the first weekend all semester where I have a decent amount of work to get done.

2) Both last semester and this semester I've had a class on Thursday night from 5:45-8:35. I'm always drained by Thursday night, and by the time I get home around 9 I usually just want to eat and watch the Office. Which leads into 30 Rock. I think this is a very funny show, but I can't seem to believe all the hype that surrounds it.

Then E.R. comes on. I used to watch this show with my dad when I was in high school, but haven't really kept up in the last 7-8 years. It is still able to draw me in really easily. My favorite character was Dr. Carter, and I think him being on the show the last few weeks has made me more apt to watch it.

3) I've slowly but surely been making my way through the Phish shows from Hampton. I'm trying not to rush it. So far I'm a fan of what I'm hearing. But Trey is still playing wrong notes in the compositional pieces. In his solo projects, less emphasis is placed on him, with more instruments being able to carry the melody. I'm hopeful that this will improve with time.

I also think that for Phish to really get back into the band/entity that they were/can be they are going to have to play more than these small batches of shows and call them a tour. Some songs take tours to develop. Not to say that great playing can't come out a 3-4 night run, but there is added pressure to get everything right. With a longer tour, there is a rhythm that forms that can't when the tour is short.

The best two times I saw Phish post-hiatus were IT and SPAC. I'd also be willing to put the SPAC shows up against anything post-hiatus. But that's not here nor there. The main point is that when I saw them play these shows, it was on longer "tours". Regardless of everything I've just written, I'm pumped to see them in 3 months.

4) Last Sunday we went to the U Albany basketball game. They played real well but fell short. It is great being part of a crowd though. I know this isn't as good as seeing a Big 10 football game. But overall it's something that I never had in undergrad. And feeling the momentum in the crowd is very exciting. I've become a lot more attracted to watching sports the last year or two. I think I enjoy watching in person or with other people though. By myself gets boring.