MOMIX: February 10th, 2018

I woke up this morning to some potential bad news.

My first instinct was to turn to music... She's fine, I reassured myself, but it didn't stop the worry.

Here are the tunes that fueled these feelings and helped them flow through. It's a mix of emotions - as are all of my mixes (my best friend kay can attest to that!) - but it felt so good letting loose to the second one, and I admit there was a little bit of headbanging...

1. ALT-J   something good

2. ARCTIC MONKEYS   you look good on the dancefloor

3. ALT-J   fitzpleasure

4. ALT-J   intro

5. GLASS ANIMALS   cocoa hooves

6. FLUME   holdin on

7. HALF MOON RUN   full circle

8. DAUGHTER   smother

9. THE xx   vcr

10. CHET FAKER   no advice 

- xomo

Weekend One... Alcohol Free

Coming in to the weekend, I was like... "I got this, it won't be too difficult... I'll just fill up on delicious drinks sans alcohol"...

... which I did.

I even re-discovered how delicious fruit juice is, especially when mixed with Sprite or Ginger Ale... I've had about 12 of them since Friday.

So yes, I survived the weekend.

It was anything but easy.

My "I got this" optimism was premature, because while Friday night dinner with friends was a success (thank you fruit juice and virgin, extra-spicy caesars), the rest of the weekend wasn't as easy. The cravings were there, but food, fruit juice and cappuccinos did the trick. Also, keeping busy by kicking my husband's ass at darts (for once) kept my mind occupied and the cravings at bay. (Things that also helped occupy my time? Writing this post while choking down water, finishing up some personal projects, actually doing the dishes instead of "leaving them for later", and sleeping in.)

It's only been a week though, and I imagine it getting harder. I'll keep you posted... but only because this might help keep me accountable.

- xomo

It's a sure thing...

No, it isn't.

Nothing is a sure thing. Not your job, not the economy, not your life.

Everything could be whisked away in an instant and you would have never seen it coming. The only thing we can do is enjoy and make the most out of every second... not letting any moment go to waste.

So, am I sure? No. I'm unsure. I don't know where life will take me, but I do know where I don't want it to take me. So with that, I am going to (attempt to) quit drinking. I say attempt because I don't believe I can do it fully... those vacation beers are just too good.

Over the past couple of years, I have found myself drinking more and more on an increasingly steady basis... to the point of not being able to stop. As a result, I have many forgotten memories and even more regrets. I'm a different person when I drink and I don't like it. And if everything ended for me tomorrow, I would feel I lived an unfulfilled life. I would die with regret...

Regret for not living the best I can... for my family, for my friends, and for myself. I don't want to forget things anymore. I want to remember, and cherish, every single second. Life is too damn short.

- xomo

MOMIX: December 14th, 2017

Music can be an escape... or a reminder.

A reminder of who you are at the core, at your roots... because as we grow we develop, we change, we go in different directions... and it's very easy to get lost in the maze of branches.

Music brings us home.

A single song, note, or melody can trigger an "oh yeah, I remember this!" moment where we are brought (so vividly I might add) back to a point in time where you can visualize every little detail crystal clear.

It can also influence your mood... For instance, I listen to music - even just one song - whenever I'm irritated or angry. I find that it builds my confidence back up after a fall and as a result I feel re-empowered.

Here's what I'm listening to right now:

1. COLDPLAY    the scientist

2. ODESZA    it's only

3. TWO FEET   love is a bitch

4. DELERIUM   innocente

5. JOHN LEGEND   ordinary people

6. LANA DEL REY   young and beautiful

7. PURITY RING   obedear

8. LANDON PIGG   falling in love at a coffee shop

9. LEMONGRASS   sunrise on fujiyama

10. TWO FEET   her life

Enjoy!

- xomo

MOMIX: December 3rd, 2017

I could never live without music.

Music is important to me... incredibly. I grew up listening to classical composers such as Felix Mendelssohn, the bluesy chops of B.B. King and the jazzy licks of John Coltrane.

Music is life, baby.

My mother introduced me to Jethro Tull... and to this day we continue to blare it on roadtrips while she tells me about the "real" concert experience. My father is the most incredible musician I've ever known, and others would agree. An original member of The Moody Blues, he can tickle those ivories let me tell you.

I have the best memories of going to the auditorium after school because that's where my parents would be... My mum working with the actors blocking and directing the latest musical for the school we lived at, and my father hammering the hell out of the baby grand at the same time. He would move at an incredible pace... standing up... his entire body into the music... head swinging to the beat... all the while playing from memory. With his buddies next to him on drums and guitar, and my mother simultaneously directing each scene, it was amazing to watch them in their element. Although I didn't know what that meant at the time, (this was just what my parents "did" in my mind). Now, as an adult, I wish I could transport back to those days, just to experience it one more time... live.

Music has the ability to strengthen, motivate and inspire us. We listen to music to boost our confidence before going into an interview, to put us "in the mood" for a romantic evening, or even to help push ourselves to the limit so we can crush our personal best in the gym. It colours us a different shade with each and every note, key change and progression... At least, it does for me.

Here's what I'm listening to right now:

1. MOBY    whispering wind

2. RADIO CITIZEN   the hop

3. PHANTOGRAM   when I'm small

4. MASSIVE ATTACK   angel

5. THOM YORKE   harrowdown hill

6. MÚM   the ghosts you draw on my back

7. WIM MERTENS   struggle for pleasure

8. JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON   a game of croquet

9. ROUGGE   fragment 48

10. JAZZANOVA   bohemian sunset

Enjoy!

- xomo