It's Bike to Work week! So naturally, I rode my bike to work this morning. I also rode yesterday. I didn't ride Monday because on Monday nights we shoot video for Project M, which means I could be in the office until 11pm or later. I didn't want to ride home at 11pm or later. I guess if I was really hard-core, I would have rode home at 11pm or later. I'm not that hard-core.
But I have given myself a little bit of a challenge for Bike to Work Week. Starting on Tuesday - it's "Car Free" week for Pat and possibly for the entire Gallagher household. Yesterday was the first of our car-free days, me by bike and Laura by bus and walking.
So far the challenges haven't been that great - Laura regularly busses to work and I ride to work on a fairly regular basis. For exercise Laura walks/runs the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and for exercise I ride, run and/or swim, all of which can be done without having to get in the car.
I did have to run a couple errands over the past couple days - dropping off some donations at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society office on my way to work yesterday, adding a mile or so onto my morning commute and dropping off the mortgage on the way in today, adding a couple miles to the commute.
Tonight I'm meeting my friends Matt & Julie to ride the ironman loop, which would normally mean driving out to Verona with the bike in the back of the car, riding the loop and then driving back home. There was a bit more logistics to consider this time out - with no car (ironic - it's easier to train on my bicycle if I have access to a car??). I will ride to Verona, where I'll meet Matt & Julie, then I'll ride the loop with them until I hit Cross Plains, when I'll split with them and ride home (no way would I have time to ride back to Verona with them and then ride home after). But before I made that the plan for the evening, I had to make sure they were BOTH going to be able to ride - not wanting to leave one of them to ride the last 1/3 of the loop alone - not that they couldn't handle it, it just seems kinda rude.
So, with that figured out, it's day 2 of the car-free week in the Gallagher household. Not sure if we can go the whole week, I've got an out-of-town meeting tomorrow afternoon and I have to be back in town for an early evening event, so I'll have to beg a ride from someone (hey - it still counts, I'm carpooling and not starting my car), and I know we can't make it through the weekend car free - we're headed to Green Bay to run the Green Bay Marathon with Team in Training. While I could ride to Green Bay, it would take a couple days & I don't think I would want to run a marathon and then ride back to Madison again.
For a limited time, you can stream John Mayer's new album Born and Raised free in the itunes store.
From some of the lyrics on John Mayer's new album, Born and Raised, you would think the one-time bad boy is trying to get you to like him.
But what he's really doing is learning to like himself. Like he says in the lyrics of "Shadow Days," he's a "good man, with a good heart."
A couple of years ago, Mayer was getting some bad press. He made some relationship mistakes, and said some really stupid, hurtful things in the media. Then he disappeared.
What he did was move to Bozeman, Montana, and like he told Ellen DeGeneres the other day, he did some growing up. He wanted to learn how to be 33 and 34 instead of 28 for a couple more years.
You can tell from the lyrics that this was an introspective time for Mayer. For some artists, that becomes self-indulgent, but in this instance, it works.
The tender melodies and fine finger picking guitar mix well with his message. In "Walt Grace's Submarie Test, 1967" we get the idea that solitude is something that Mayer was learning to enjoy. On "If I Ever Get Around to Living," he sings, "If I ever get around to living, it's gonna be just like I dreamed, I'm gonna take the love I'm giving, and set it free."
If I were living in the mountains of Montana, sitting out on a deck with a nice dog and a lemonade, this would be the perfect album to fit the mood.
The bottom line: If you're looking for Mayer to do some intense shredding on his Stratocaster, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a mellow, comfortable groove, this album is perfect.
Born and Raised will be available for purchase May 22nd.
Here in Wisconsin, there are a few things we hold dear. The Packers, cheese, and beer. While none of these need defending, you may be excited to hear at least one of them can offer some great health benefits. Beer! If could be saving your life.
Drinking a moderate amount of beer has been found to lower the risk of disease, much like wine has been found to do. Beer can also reduce the rick of heart attack and cardiovascular disease.
Cholesterol isn't always a bad thing. Beer has been found to increase one's levels of HDL, the good cholesterol that prevent clogged arteries.
Beer can reduce the risk of stroke by preventing blood clots.
Preliminary research found that a compound found in hops, a main ingredient in many beers, many help inhibit enzymes that trigger cancer.
Beer drinkers have 30 percent more vitamin B6 than non-beer drinkers. B6 is essential for brain function, energy, and fighting disease.
Older individuals who regularly drink beer have been found to have higher bone density.
One beer a day can prevent cognitive deterioration in older women by 20 percent.
Beer has plenty of antioxidants that can reverse cell damage.
These findings are based on one serving a day for women, and two for men. Obviously, over consumption has its own problems. But by being responsible, you can enjoy some delicious beer without guilt!
A different kind of challenge this week, as we don't have to write a song. You'd think that would make it easier, but it really opened up a whole world of possibilities. The judges have commented that they want bands to be bringing something different to each week's song, and we are going to embrace that challenge. We are thinking outside the box for this one, and we have tossed around doing this march in surf rock style, as a lounge act, a pop song, and a samba. So we'll spin the wheel and see where it lands - but we promise you this, you will hear something from us that you haven't heard before.
Although he's from Sweden, Kristian Matsson, who also goes by The Tallest Man On Earth, has a serious American folk side to him. Drawing comparisons to Bob Dylan in both songwriting style and sound, Matsson draws inspiration from American artists such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. His new album, There's No Leaving Now, is set to be release sometime this year, but you can hear a great track off the album already. Click here to download The Tallest Man On Earth's "1904". You can also check him out at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on Sunday, August 5!
Summer months can be a hard time for those who love to cook. Standing over a stove as hot as the air outside can take it's toll. Taking some simple steps can alleviate this problem and also reduce the amount of energy needed to cook or cool your house.
Be ready to cook. Have everything prepared when you preheat your oven so you can get it in as soon as possible.
Cook multiple dishes at once, if possible, to reduce the amount of time your appliances are on and hot.
Toaster oven! They aren't just for bread and bagels. Toaster ovens can cook as well as ovens while using less energy and producing less heat.
Keep a door between your kitchen and the rest of your home to contain excess heat.
Unless you're using air conditioning, open your windows to allow hot air out and cool air in.
Keep the oven closed. Opening an oven door looses 25 to 50 degrees of heat. More energy is required to reheat the oven and that extra heat fills your home!
Safe it for cooler times. Do your baking in the morning or afternoon when it is a bit less hot outside.
Not only will these tips keep you from burning up in the kitchen, they can also reduce how much energy you use in the process. Don't let the summer heat keep your from enjoy delicious food!
For this week we were challenged with the task of rewriting a famous song in our own style, while still having it be recognizable as the original. "On Wisconsin" is such a historic song, that when we were first trying to accomplish our task, it seemed very daunting. We experimented with a variety of styles, tunings, and genres in order to come up with something that we are both proud of, and that people will want to hear.
Our first session ended with a feeling of anxiety that we would not be able to complete this task to satisfaction. Our guitar player Adam, and his counterpart Lyndsay, really came up with some great ideas after giving it a day to settle in. When we had our 2nd practice, we really had an epiphany when "On Wisconsin" started to sound like Sexy Ester. We wanted the song to be true to the school as well as to our style. All in all it was a difficult week, and I hope you all enjoy the result. I appreciate the way the challenges make us better as a band, and take our abilities to new heights.
Ben Folds will become Ben Folds Five once again. The trio that spawned the 90s classic "Brick" is working on a reunion album, and today's free download is a taste of what to expect. It's called "Do It Anyway," and you can snag it for free here. What do you think of it? The new album will be out in August. I consider BFF's 1997 album Whatever And Ever Amen to be a 90s staple, so it'll be interesting to see how the comeback compares. You can catch them live during their headlining tour in September and October, or when they perform at Bonnaroo in June.
On Wisconsin! Fight on for her fame! That's the attitude we took to create our own take on the classic Wisconsin fight song. We will have to admit that this was one of the most difficult challenges due to the expectations people already have in their heads for their favorite team song. We had to find a way to take the essence of the song and make it truly our own. The sound we found for this wound up matching perfectly, giving a great groove with a chilled out feel, and those lyrics which are all Wisconsin. We even switched up the instrumentation again for you all. So if you love beer, cheese and brats, we're hoping you'll love Willow Lane's On Wisconsin.
It's Bike to Work week! So naturally, I rode my bike to work this morning. I also rode yesterday. I didn't ride Monday because on Monday nights we shoot video for Project M, which means I could be in the office until 11pm or later. I...
For a limited time, you can stream John Mayer's new album Born and Raised free in the itunes store.
From some of the lyrics on John Mayer's new album, Born and Raised, you would think the one-time bad boy is trying to get you to like...
Here in Wisconsin, there are a few things we hold dear. The Packers, cheese, and beer. While none of these need defending, you may be excited to hear at least one of them can offer some great health benefits. Beer! If could be saving your...
Can you believe that May is more than halfway over? Time sure flies, as do birds, which leads us to this week's photo.
Please give me your best caption for this photo! The winner gets PRIZES!!!! Everyone likes prizes, and this week, Talking...
A different kind of challenge this week, as we don't have to write a song. You'd think that would make it easier, but it really opened up a whole world of possibilities. The judges have commented that they want bands to be bringing something...
Although he's from Sweden, Kristian Matsson, who also goes by The Tallest Man On Earth, has a serious American folk side to him. Drawing comparisons to Bob Dylan in both songwriting style and sound, Matsson draws inspiration from American artists...
Summer months can be a hard time for those who love to cook. Standing over a stove as hot as the air outside can take it's toll. Taking some simple steps can alleviate this problem and also reduce the amount of energy needed to cook or cool your...
For this week we were challenged with the task of rewriting a famous song in our own style, while still having it be recognizable as the original. "On Wisconsin" is such a historic song, that when we were first trying to accomplish our task, it...
Jonathan & Kitty
Here in Wisconsin, there are a few things we hold dear. The Packers, cheese, and beer. While none of these need defending, you may be excited to hear at least one of them can offer some great health benefits. Beer! If could be saving your life.
Have fun, be creative and, as always, play nice!
Although he's from Sweden, Kristian Matsson, who also goes by The Tallest Man On Earth, has a serious American folk side to him. Drawing comparisons to Bob Dylan in both songwriting style and sound, Matsson draws inspiration from American artists such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. His new album, There's No Leaving Now, is set to be release sometime this year, but you can hear a great track off the album already. Click 
Summer months can be a hard time for those who love to cook. Standing over a stove as hot as the air outside can take it's toll. Taking some simple steps can alleviate this problem and also reduce the amount of energy needed to cook or cool your house.
