Mix tapes, Burned CD's, and Playlists

The idea of compiling various songs to express one's love and friendship is not new. The medium has change over the years. However, the desire to express our feeling to the ones we care about has not. That is exactly why I am writing this cheesy post. To let the one I care for know how much I love her this Valentines day. So if your gag reflex is suppressed and you have a box of tissues at hand, please read on.

The thing that was so great about mix tapes was the amount of effort it took to create them. You knew that the person really liked you because it was such a pain in the butt to create a mix tape. I personally never made one for a girl, but I remember trying to make my own mix tapes. I would sit by the radio waiting for a certain song to play just so I could hit record button just in time only to have some annoy DJ talk over the intro.

Then came along the CD mixes. It was a lot easier to drag and drop some mp3's that I downloaded off Napster and burn a CD.  I will admit that I have made a few CD mixes for different girls over the years and handed to them with my hands behind my back looking towards the ground slowly kicking at something that wasn't there shyly saying, "Hey I burnt you CD, I hope you like it."

Now we have iPods and playlists to express our infatuation for the opposite sex. To be honest I don't even know how this works or if people even do this. Do you give them a jump drive with the songs on it?  Or do you email Facebook them the list of songs? Maybe you take their iPod and add the playlist to it. I don't know.

So I am at a loss. I don't have the time for a mix tape nor do I have the equipment to produce one. Not that my beautiful wife doesn't deserve something that takes the same amount of time and effort as it does to crank out a mix tape. I don't think a burnt CD will do my love for her justice either. I'm not even sure that the CD player is even hooked up in our car. A burnt CD just won't do Sylvia much good. I am confused as to how the playlist thing even works, so guess I will create my own thingy.

Following the progression of radio to MTV and music videos. I thought I would try out the whole song compilation to express my love thingy with music videos from YouTube in a blog post (well some aren't actually music videos but its the thought that counts right?). I just hope next year the music videos in my post don't turn into pointless TV shows that have nothing to do with music and make people dumber if they watch them.

Here it is:

I still remember exactly where I was when this song was playing in my truck. It was at the roundabout by the Branbury Appartments in Provo.  I was singing along with Sylvia in the passenger side. We had only been dating for a few short weeks. When it came to the chorus of the song that says, "Hey little girl oh I love you" I remember thinking to myself, "Hey I think I really do love this little girl sitting next to me."

Unwritten Law- Cailin


We were driving home from my parents property in Paris, Idaho. I leaned over to change my iPod to this song and took my eyes off the road.  While doing so I drifted off the road and took out a mail box on the side of the road. The mail box smashed the rear view mirror into the passenger side window where my little girl friend (Sylvia) was sitting. Pieces of glass flew all over her which cut her up a little bit and scared the crap out of her. I felt so bad. She was so good about the whole thing. She hardly complained at all and almost immediately forgave me for being so stupid. Being so quick to forgive is one of my favorite qualities she possesses.

The Cure - Just Like Heaven

We had been dating for couple months or so when Sylvia told me that she had lost a Mason Jennings CD that she really like. So I decided to surprise her one morning at work. I bought the before mentioned CD and put in my bumpin' stereo system in my black and red 65 mustang fastback. I pulled around back of the dry cleaner where she worked and turn her favorite song up as loud as it would go and waited until she came out.

Mason Jennings - Keepin It Real



It was Sylvia 21st birthday and I really wanted to impress her with an over the top day that was perfect and memorable. Among the activities were watching a movie in the mountains on my laptop, serenading her with my guitar and vocals, long boarding down the canyon, dinner and shopping at Walmart. Like most of the other activities that day, my rendition didn't go that well. I forgot the lyrics and mess up the chords.

Rise Against - Swing Life Away


I almost forgot but I actually did make a mix CD for Sylvia. I made one to play as background music while I proposed to her. The setting was the most romantic place on earth... Joe Morley's BBQ. My brother-in-law Nate set us up in the banquet room. I had a full spread of flowers and ribs. This is the song that was playing after I popped the question. Luckily Sylvia said yes and we slow dance to Tim McGraw. I don't think that I have ever told Sylvia this, but still to this day get a little teary eyed (just a little because I'm a manly man) when I hear this song and think of her.

Tim McGraw- She's My Kind of Rain


Happy Valentine's Day Baby Cakes! I love you.
Xox0xX