Top five uses for a time machine...

Give me a minute to get to the point.

Since New Year's I have been trying out something called an elimination diet. This is a very restrictive diet to see if you have food allergies or are sensitive to certain foods. You start out eating a very limited diet. You keep a diary of what you eat and how you feel, and after two weeks you add things one at a time and record any negative reaction. So far, I have added eggs to the okay list. I have lost 11 pounds so far, which is good, which brings me to my point...I started thinking: if I had a time machine, at what point in my life would I want to go and regain my physical appearance? At 19 I was able to play college basketball in that body, but I was skinny as hell and sick all the time. At 25 I was working in a stoneyard, riding my bike all over Seattle, and living next to a gym that I worked out at 6 days a week (I was also in an unfortunate living situation, but we are talking about physical body not mind). At 27 when I met Sarah I was working my ass off as a laborer for a stone masonry company and running marathons. Now I am ashamed of my pictures from the polar bear swim, but as Willie asked me, "How many sit-ups do you do?" Well played Eseltine.

Here is my point. If I had a time machine I wouldn't worry about my abs. I would go back about ten years and buy a couple of footlong cold cut combos from Subway and sit around talking with my Dad, the original Wuj (back east they spelled it Wuge. Think of a Philly accent saying "huge"). We could talk about sports, music, his growing up, what he did in the service, and we would have plenty to talk about. We would not talk about body fat, and thinking about this makes me feel very shallow for worrying about my pictures from the polar bear. I did not notice that I am surrounded by my wife, sister, brother-in-law, and niece, and we are all smiling, laughing, and healthy. Things are pretty good right now, and I am not sure why that is so easy to ignore.

I honestly only planned to use this blog for top fives. In response to Housman, here are my top five "contemporary" bands:

1. Built to Spill
2. The White Stripes
3. Deathcab for Cutie
4. The Shins
5. My Morning Jacket

Do any of these count? I realize that the top 3 have been around a while. I was proud of myself for not putting Pearl Jam on the list, because that is one of the more current bands I listen to regularly, and their first album came out when I was a senior in high school. How about top 5 Seattle(area- Aberdeen is not Seattle) Groups:

1. Soundgarden
2. Alice in Chains
3. Pearl Jam
4. Nirvana
5. Mother Love Bone

Street Corner Wuj

Today I am home because the icy roads in the Seattle area have shut down many school districts, including the one I work for. It gives me a chance to practice harmonica without bothering Sarah. Listening to someone try and figure out a song on the harmonica ain't no trip to Cleveland. Today I am working on "My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)".

One of the things I would like to do in my life is take my guitar and harmonica down to Pike Place Market and put on a little show for money. Now, I am not expecting big dollars, but enough to buy a Subway for lunch. Not a fancy subway, just a Cold Cut Combo or a Meatball. Foot long, not 6".

This is my street corner set list. I would of course take requests, but would probably not know any of them unless they are on this list...

Wish You Were Here
Only Living Boy in New York
Needle and the Damage Done*
Going to California
Time
Razor Love*
Down By the River*
Cortez (duo with Willie)*
Heart of Gold*
Old Man*
The Promised Land
Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Jane Says
An Alice in Chains acoustic medley
Pocahontas*
My My Hey Hey (by the end of today I will have it)*

All songs with * will be sung with Willie Eseltine, and his beautiful falsetto.