I Really Do Throw My Hands Up In The Air Sometimes

Last night I spoke to two of my oldest friends. It's amazing, because I hate talking on the phone and avoid calling anyone unless there's some specific information to exchange, but BAM! two in one night. Of course after we talk, I'm always thinking, why don't I do this more? It's a pretty stupid cycle. The point is, it was great to talk to two of these ladies, one who has known me since kindergarten and called out of the blue, and the other, who I met in second grade, and who I spoke to by appointment because we're both so busy. We talked about hard things and happy things, you know, life and junk. And I was exhausted after, but in a valuable way. I'm pretty good about not taking my family for granted, but I tend to do that with my friends and I need to be better about that. Working on that is atop my priority list.

Now is it just me, or are we experiencing a resurgence in the quality of pop radio? It's probably me. Go on, judge away, I'm confident in my opinions. Not that I ever really cared what people thought of me, but something about being a parent gives you the freedom to really enjoy being lame. Anyway, it just seems like mainstream pop has left me cold since, oh, the 1980s. And while I'm not saying that we're in a comparable golden age of radio by any means, I'm finding a lot to like lately as I scan the stations. I just went on a little iTunes spree based on my favorites. Some purchases:

-"DJ's Got Us Fallin' In Love" by Usher. This is so good! It reminds me of Chris Brown's "Forever", but you don't have to feel conflicted about liking it. Usher may be a cheater, but he's not an abuser as far as I know.

-"Dynamite" by Taio Cruz - This has been out forever, and I didn't think I liked it at first but it's infectious.

-"Fuck You" by Cee-Lo Green - this is sort of cheating, because I don't like to listen to the censored radio version. But my love for Cee-Lo extends back to his Goodie Mob days, and I'm thrilled that he's a huge star now.

-"Tighten Up" by The Black Keys. Is this pop? Maybe, maybe not, but they play it on WFNX so I'm counting it. Oh man they are so rad, music for people who like the White Stripes but are burned out on them. This is a stellar composition.

-"Raise Your Glass" by Pink. It was just a matter of time.

-"Club Can't Handle Me" by Flo Rida. I'm very nearly embarrassed by this one, but that doesn't mean it's not my personal anthem.

There's plenty that annoys me about radio, (beginning and ending with Kesha), but that's for another entry.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear what you're listening to, be it popular or obscure.