Oblivions

My friend, comedian Matt Harbert, and I tried to unpack and make sense of "Feels Like Summer" on my podcast. If you don't have time to listen, my one-line review is "It sounds like a Maroon 5 song written for a baseball video game."
http://www.surfacenoisepod.com/episode-11

I realize it's not a great setup by any stretch  but my SO and I just moved to a new apartment and I'm really happy to have it all set up again. Please ignore the fact that our collection is around 500 records and we still have an AT-LP60.  We will be upgrading soon. 

Just keep living your life, keep your head up, choose options that come your way as they come. IF she decides that she's ready for a relationship again and IF she wants to reach out to you and IF you are still interested in pursuing a relationship with her at that time, you'll want to be in a healthy, productive place where you can accept that offer as your best self and in your best mindset. Give yourself enough credit as a person/human to consider that you deserve and can find someone else who is available and a match and at the right point in their life to be with you. And give her enough credit to take her at her word as a smart, capable person/human and avoid entertaining any exciting imaginary scenarios about her secretly wanting you to change her mind/win her back or her secretly having another lover, etc etc. It's too easy to waste 6 months fantasizing about the past instead of actually building yourself up and living your life.

Although I really like both, I think Everything Will Be Alright in the End is more interesting than White.
It showed that there was a new way for Weezer to write good/fun songs that weren't attempts to 'sound like old Weezer'. At the time, I thought that EWBAITE would be the first LP in a new Weezer renaissance that was marked by Rivers writing whatever songs he wants and genres he wants but with smarter, practical choices and less cringe-worthy moments.
The album ended up being the first LP in a new Weezer renaissance but it's a less interesting one than I originally thought it would be. Based on the White album and some of it's b-sides, he is still writing really bad/cringe-worthy songs while trying to recreate the mid-90s magic but he's being more discriminate with track selection. That means we've gotten two pretty solid records but, because the songwriting process seems to be the same as it was during the dark times, there is still a realistic chance that he drops another Raditude if/when they lose focus.

We all remember the day we sold a stranger our 4th copy of a record at cost only for them to flip it themselves hours later. We remember it because it was the last day we trusted another person. Never again.

We all remember the day we sold a stranger our 4th copy of a record at cost only for them to flip it themselves hours later. We remember it because it was the last day we trusted another person. Never again.

I stopped trusting people the day I gave a kid at school my last Hi-C Ecto Cooler for the promise of a Pacific Cooler Capri Sun the next day. 
 
Damn you little Timmy Henderson. Damn you to hell. 

I was able to hear an early download last month and I think it's excellent. It’s more sincere than anything Yoni has done before as Why? and, in my opinion, it’s his best work as a composer/songwriter. The clever wordplay and funny references are mostly gone and the pace is much slower but it does an incredible job of building tension, crafting a cohesive theme and mood, and bursting the tension at the right time. Some moments feel cinematic, like the score from an indie dramedy movie or show. I was a bit confused for the first 2-3 listens but then it clicked once I understood that this isn’t a witty Why? album with quirky beats/percussion. It’s a solid piece of sincere music.

I really liked those Bob's Buskers videos when they were posted online but this set isn't quite a fit for me.
Poking my head in though to say that if you can afford this and want to buy it, please do it and enjoy it. My natural state is 'snarky and judgmental' so I get the instinct to want to harp on other people who buy collectables that you don't quite understand or enjoy but, in the end, it's a mis-use of energy and doesn't reflect well on one's self to indulge that instinct. IMO, not giving in to your own penchant for negativity and choosing to be better than that is what makes someone an adult.

It would be super exciting/dramatic if this was part of some elaborate swindle on behalf of the buyer and every potential decision you make could swing the outcome drastically...but, in reality, it's pretty simple. Just approve the return, accept the package back, and move on. PayPal lets customers file a return request for something like 180 days, so, although it is kind of dumb/annoying, you could receive a valid return request 5.9 months after the customer receives the record.
In the super rare event that something insane happens, like they send you an old Adidas sneaker instead of your record, just pick up the phone and call PayPal and describe the buffoonery that has taken place. When really weird stuff happens, it might take 3-10 phone calls before you reach someone who speaks your language and understands your situation fully but they offer unlimited appeals, so just keep calling even if they initially are unhelpful or decide against you in the case.
What I've seen often which is really unhelpful is that people will have the case closed against them and immediately give up and spend the rest of their life complaining about PayPal online...but all they needed to do was spend 1/4th of that energy in calling PayPal until they correctly adjust the decision. I hope that helps!

It would be super exciting/dramatic if this was part of some elaborate swindle on behalf of the buyer and every potential decision you make could swing the outcome drastically...but, in reality, it's pretty simple. Just approve the return, accept the package back, and move on. PayPal lets customers file a return request for something like 180 days, so, although it is kind of dumb/annoying, you could receive a valid return request 5.9 months after the customer receives the record.
In the super rare event that something insane happens, like they send you an old Adidas sneaker instead of your record, just pick up the phone and call PayPal and describe the buffoonery that has taken place. When really weird stuff happens, it might take 3-10 phone calls before you reach someone who speaks your language and understands your situation fully but they offer unlimited appeals, so just keep calling even if they initially are unhelpful or decide against you in the case.
What I've seen often which is really unhelpful is that people will have the case closed against them and immediately give up and spend the rest of their life complaining about PayPal online...but all they needed to do was spend 1/4th of that energy in calling PayPal until they correctly adjust the decision. I hope that helps!

^ No sweat! At the end of the day, I'm good with any color/variant of a new Cayetana LP.

Been here a few days now and I've eaten maybe 12 tacos so far. Hit up End of an Ear yesterday; was a great shop with fair prices. Ended up picking up the Frank Ocean Endless boot.
 

 
As far as food goes, its been amazing. We hit Pueblo Viejo for Pastor tacos after landing, went for a hike up the Green Belt and then ate Taco Deli for breakfast, Home Slice pizza for dinner, and then Veracruz for lunch today (Migas tacos were so good). Hitting up JuiceLand each morning has been solid too. Hoping to get in a few more restaurants before leaving tomorrow and maybe another 5-6 tacos
 

Vinyl PO 3/17
http://www.bullmoose.com/p/24686221/dr-dog-abandoned-mansion

Huh, I guess I always assumed you were like 15 or something.  I don't mean that in a mean way, just an observation.
 
The opposite side of that is my experience.  My wife and I got engaged when we were 21 and in our junior year at college.  I thought it was cool that we got to grow together a bit before our personalities and interests became a bit more cemented, which studies show happens in your later 20s.  So there's that.
 
We were also broken up when I proposed.  Our 3rd breakup over the course of about a year.  It was the first serious relationship for either of us.  And then we were only engaged for about 6 weeks before the wedding... Im realizing right now that I might not be the best person to give people relationship advice.

I found the Fucko LP at a local shop! Excited to spin it later this week.

We've got those two LPs for sale outside of the mystery bundles. 

Maybe try the advice from the post above your post. Relationships that swing so far in each extreme are often treacherous waters, so having a friend you trust beside you to offer insight and support might help.
In general though, a partner should make you feel affirmed and confident in yourself, not like a mushy puddle of sad water with no limbs or ability to make decisions. If you feel that way, either you're in an unhealthy partnership or you, yourself, aren't in a head/heart space to be one half of a partnership. See if involving a friend helps add perspective and strength to your follow up decisions.

One thing I've learned from a relationship is to let my friends reeeeally get a good look and feel on this person. They see a great perspective and I've known most of them for 23 years plus. Male and female, I encourage them to tell me what they see and how my body language is and if I ever 'not seem myself'. No gauge is more accurate or trusted. 

You're describing some pretty relatable and normal feelings. If you have health insurance and aren't already in therapy, I would suggest looking into seeing a therapist. It helps to have a structured time and place to talk about stuff like this with someone who is trained to listen and support. Your depressed and bummed feelings are going to come out, whether you express them verbally or just carry it in your bones, and you'll want to let it out with your therapist rather than your next date. If you are already in therapy, maybe shift your discussions towards this stuff more and make it a point to talk out what you have been feeling/thinking; see if those thoughts/feelings still hold the same power over you after you've spoken them out loud with another person.
 
If you find yourself especially down, it can help to view yourself as if you were another person and show some compassion towards yourself the way you'd show compassion toward a friend who was down. Let yourself be bummed, acknowledge that it's OK to be bummed, and do something nice for yourself while feeling bummed. Go for a walk, put on your favorite band shirt, window shop at a record store/comic book shop, make some tea. Sometimes remembering that you are just a normal person who deserves compassion and some support can spark that same feeling you get when you are motivated to help someone else and that can help you muster the energy to do a dumb small favor for yourself.

I really like that last part Rich - i'm gonna put on my favorite outfit tonight, thats for sure.  My friends aren't giving me the comfort I desire, so I guess I could do it for myself haha.  I haven't tried therapy yet but I don't know anyone who says it hasn't been incredibly helpful for them, so i will look into it for sure.

You're describing some pretty relatable and normal feelings. If you have health insurance and aren't already in therapy, I would suggest looking into seeing a therapist. It helps to have a structured time and place to talk about stuff like this with someone who is trained to listen and support. Your depressed and bummed feelings are going to come out, whether you express them verbally or just carry it in your bones, and you'll want to let it out with your therapist rather than your next date. If you are already in therapy, maybe shift your discussions towards this stuff more and make it a point to talk out what you have been feeling/thinking; see if those thoughts/feelings still hold the same power over you after you've spoken them out loud with another person.
 
If you find yourself especially down, it can help to view yourself as if you were another person and show some compassion towards yourself the way you'd show compassion toward a friend who was down. Let yourself be bummed, acknowledge that it's OK to be bummed, and do something nice for yourself while feeling bummed. Go for a walk, put on your favorite band shirt, window shop at a record store/comic book shop, make some tea. Sometimes remembering that you are just a normal person who deserves compassion and some support can spark that same feeling you get when you are motivated to help someone else and that can help you muster the energy to do a dumb small favor for yourself.

You're describing some pretty relatable and normal feelings. If you have health insurance and aren't already in therapy, I would suggest looking into seeing a therapist. It helps to have a structured time and place to talk about stuff like this with someone who is trained to listen and support. Your depressed and bummed feelings are going to come out, whether you express them verbally or just carry it in your bones, and you'll want to let it out with your therapist rather than your next date. If you are already in therapy, maybe shift your discussions towards this stuff more and make it a point to talk out what you have been feeling/thinking; see if those thoughts/feelings still hold the same power over you after you've spoken them out loud with another person.
 
If you find yourself especially down, it can help to view yourself as if you were another person and show some compassion towards yourself the way you'd show compassion toward a friend who was down. Let yourself be bummed, acknowledge that it's OK to be bummed, and do something nice for yourself while feeling bummed. Go for a walk, put on your favorite band shirt, window shop at a record store/comic book shop, make some tea. Sometimes remembering that you are just a normal person who deserves compassion and some support can spark that same feeling you get when you are motivated to help someone else and that can help you muster the energy to do a dumb small favor for yourself.

I'll be in Austin 2/18-2/22. Looking forward to hitting up all these places mentioned above

Thanks all who offered suggestions. That was a huge help.
I ended up in Austin for 3 days but most of that was work, so I only had brief pockets of time to do fun stuff. I visited 3 different record stores and I also got to hang out at Austin City Limits and eat free food, watch live music, and browse their photo gallery upstairs.
  The first place I went was Waterloo Records!     I loved this shop. It was right in the heart of the action in town, big, well organized, and there were a lot of sale bins and used new arrivals. I picked up a shirt and two records here:      Defiance, Ohio - Great Depression LP used for $8 Busman's Holiday - A Long Goodbye LP (VIP version) only $10 brand new   I didn't notice the inflated prices like mentioned earlier but I was mostly looking in their used and sale sections. I did notice that there were a ton of teen kids there looking for records and it was pretty packed in general.   I also went to End of an Ear.     It's in a less busy part of town by the highway. I loved this shop too. Lots of records and many good prices. If I lived in Austin, this would be my go to place. Less busy than Waterloo. I got two shirts and two records:     Damien Jurado - Maraqopa LP new, it was only $13 so I grabbed it Talking Heads - Little Creatures LP used for $8, not my favorite record by them but I dig it and have been meaning to pick up a cheap used copy   I also went to Encore Records but, to be honest, I didn't like it very much. It was located in a sketchy abandoned part of town (this was around 8-9pm at night on a Saturday). I didn't find anything I would want to pick up. A lot of the used records were shredded dollar bin style LPs (mixed in there was better used stock). Some of the prices I saw were average to high. If I dropped the ball on Encore, let me know and I'd be glad to check it out again if I find myself back in Austin.   Great trip overall. Food wise, we went to Lamberts one night for dinner. Their short rib was awesome. We went to Juan in a Million for breakfast and it was alright. I think I'm already spoiled with Mexican food as a half-Mexican person who lives in Los Angeles. The capitol building was fun to walk around. Cool city.