Day 164

Richard and I have completely different tastes in music. He likes metal and hard rock, so he listens to the Octane station on Sirius XM. I love Southern rock, oldies, indie music, and pop music. Where our tastes overlap, however, is in the sweet spot of early 2000s rap and hip-hop.

We were both teenagers in the early 2000s, so we came of age going to school dances that played the same catchy rap and hip-hop songs that we'd bump in our cars as 16 year-olds riding around town with our friends and celebrating the independence and freedom that comes with a driver's license. (Well, that's what I'd play when I wasn't listening to Death Cab for Cutie or the Decemberists.)

One of our favorite rituals as a couple is to cook dinner while listening to Salt Shaker Radio (you're welcome for that link), although we haven't done that since I started school,  and I'm not sure we've done it since we moved to Baton Rouge. Still, Salt Shaker Radio is one of my favorite Pandora stations because it gets me pumped up and brings back some good memories. Beyond that, however, Salt Shaker Radio has introduced me to the fact that there is an extended remix of "Salt Shaker" by the Ying Yang Twins that is 8.5 minutes long. I love it because "Salt Shaker" is one of my favorite throwback tunes, but what makes it even better is that Richard almost always gets "punk'd" by the remix...we'll be jamming to it together, then he'll realize that the song has been going on for four or five minutes and isn't ending. (The original version is four minutes long.) He's always distressed when he realizes and exclaims, "This is that extended remix, isn't it?" and when I say that it is, he exhales as loudly as possible and sometimes does a pouty dance. Knowing that I want to hear all 8.5 minutes, he realizes his options are (a) change the song and make me sad or (b) endure the entire extended remix. In true dreamy fashion, he always picks option b because he wants me to be happy.

Photo from YouTube

Tonight, I'm up finishing my portion of a group project. I have Salt Shaker Radio going, and just as I was trying to figure out what to blog about, the Salt Shaker Extended Remix came on. Naturally, I had to dedicate some blog space to it (although now I'm having strange deja vu and thinking I might've written about Salt Shaker Radio or the song before). So, here's a nod of appreciation to the Salt Shaker Extended Remix that has gotten me through some tough days at work. Nothing like a little rump shakin' to change a bad mood or power through a tough task.

Something that made today great: Higher Education Administration mix-and-mingle lunch. So much fun!
Time I woke up: 9:00 am