Summer, Surf, and Keith Harkin

Each of us has a summer album. One that calls to mind long days, balmy nights and the sun, sea and surf. For me, Keith Harkin’s self-titled debut album sums up all of these.

For those who may not have heard of him (or heard me rave about him), Keith is a 28 year old native of Derry City, Ireland who has been touring with the popular group Celtic Thunder since its inception in 2007. Not only does he have a beautiful voice that will make you melt, he’s also a talented guitarist and songwriter as well, which is evident on the album Keith Harkin.

The album, which was released last year, is made up of classic covers and Keith’s own songs. The album is a lovely blend of soft pop, country and a bit of Irish flair on certain covers such as “The End of Innocence” and “Tears of Hercules”. Keith’s angelic voice gives a new life to these classics, as well as “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?” (sung with Colbie Caillat!) His cover of “Here Comes the Sun” is, I think, even more amazing than the original (and I am a HUGE Beatles fan, so that’s saying a lot!) with some beautiful and intricate acoustic guitar.

Keith’s own songs are just as captivating as the cover songs. “Daisy Fields” is a whimsical song about a first love, complete with Irish flutes and whistles. “Nothing But You and I” is hauntingly beautiful (makes me tear up every time I hear it) and “Orange Moon” has a country flavor and great slide guitar. “Don’t Forget About Me” was inspired by Keith’s own boat trips and passion for surfing, which comes out in the lyrics about escaping to the tropics. 

Unlike many artists who write top hits, Keith writes from personal experiences: heartbreak, traveling on tour, and surfing. I was lucky enough to meet Keith at a concert in Philadelphia last Christmas, and he’s a lovely and very funny guy with a boy-next-door personality. He also has a very genuine sense of humor and related several funny anecdotes, like the reason his right hand was bandaged was from a skateboard spill while wearing a onesie, and the advice his dad gave him when it came to girls: “When you think you’re right, you’re wrong; and when you think you’re wrong, you’re really, really wrong.” (I remind my brother of this constantly. He doesn't appreciate it.) 

Keith’s friendly demeanor seeps into his music and gives it a touch of happiness that makes each listen truly a pleasure. So go ahead and add Keith Harkin to your list of summer music. I can promise you’ll love it. It may even become your favorite summer album, too.

What's your summer album? Comment below!

The Temperaments...Beatles' Style

Growing up I had a really hard time remembering what each temperament referred to (melancholic was the only one I remembered, because it summed up my introverted personality). I really didn't pay much attention to the importance of the temperaments until I discovered Beatleology tucked away in the popular music section in Books A Million.

Beatleology is essentially a book on the four temperaments with each temperament correlating to one of the four Beatles (John, choleric; Paul, sanguine; George, melancholic; Ringo, phlegmatic). I'm usually skeptical of anything compared to the Beatles (and Beatleology does go overboard sometimes, like referring to the "Beatleverse" and how the Beatles are the ultimate answer to the theory of the human personality) but most of the book is pretty much spot on.

One thing I love that Beatleology brings up is the existence of "minor signs": basically, very few of us are one sole temperament (aka Beatle); the minor sign is a secondary temperament which exists along with our main temperament.  So, you can have a fiery temper (John) and still be laid back and lazy (Ringo). Or in my case, my introverted, quiet personality (George) is lifted up by enthusiasm and popularity (Paul... not my favorite, but you don't choose your Beatle per se).

In many ways this minor sign is a good thing. I'm naturally introverted but in the right environment I can be outgoing. Pauls are generally tactless and demanding (this is coming from the book, not me) but Georges tend to think before they speak and bite their tongue when they really want to rip into someone and point out everything they did wrong.

Sounds like a good mix, right? Well, not really.

Beatleology doesn't just stop at your own major and minor Beatles. It goes into how these combinations affect your relationships with your boss, your kids, and your love life. Yeah, the love life section. It states that each temperament combined with another temperament will result in a very different relationship which can either be fantastic or disastrous. Here's where everything kind of fell apart for me. Each temperament is aligned with another of the four and the section goes on about the dynamics, the pros, the cons... Except for one combination: the Paul and the George. This one is summed up in three words: Resentful, Unaffectionate, Short-lived.

Uh-oh.

Okay, so it's not like I'm a Paul dating a George or vice versa, it's just that I'm a Paul and George combined. So...what does that mean? I have to stay away from anyone who might share half of my temperament combination? (Actually a friend and I have joked about this before: "Oh, you're a Paul? Sorry, this isn't going to work.") But seriously, it's a problem. But there's an even bigger problem: I have two temperaments which according to this extremely helpful book don't get along. Ever.

Anyone who knows me really well can probably see how this makes sense. Sometimes I'm confident and have my whole life planned out but I often doubt my own abilities and feel like I'm messed up everything I've ever done. Sometimes it even happens at the same time, actually it does more often than not. I hate making on the spot decisions for this reason; I basically have to let the two sides of me argue it out until I can sort through all the pros and cons.

Which, maybe isn't such a bad thing.

People often tell me I'm level-headed, which probably has to do with taking days to make a simple decision or responding with an indirect answer, just to get a feel of how the other person feels or where this conversation is going. It doesn't happen all the time - I make a ton of mistakes and my mom is constantly calling me "spontaneous" - but overall it's okay. I might have to avoid guys who share both my major and minor temperaments but a Paul/George combination doesn't necessarily mean the disaster Beatleology predicts. I mean, I'm still alive, so it can't be too bad.

If you're curious about your own temperament according to the Beatles I've attached a link below (the major sign is the main outcome, but if you come up as say 5 John and 4 Paul, your minor is a Paul). Share your results below, in the comments on Facebook, or causally mention it to me the next time I see you :) Best of luck!

Which Beatle are you?

Exhausted and Still Packing

Moving sucks.

You would think for all the times I’ve gone through moving (four in the past fifteen years and the annual back and forth from Mary Washington) I’d be used to this. Au contraire. My usual experience usually goes like this.

The parents announce we’re moving and it’s time to pack up all our stuff (which accumulates to an awful lot after their twenty-five year marriage). Pack all personal belongings in the first day. Live out of my suitcase for three days or so. Clothes end up all over the floor. Realize that digging to the bottom of said suitcase for a shirt is ridiculous and move them back into drawers. Do the same with books after realizing I can no longer take out library books because I’ll lose them in the move. Then I find out that we’re moving in the next couple days, so I re-pack everything. And still have to dig through tons of clothes for my PJs before the move is complete.

Unpacking in the new house is almost as bad. Having the space to rearrange and place all my things is nice, but it seems like something always gets lost. Sometimes I’ll find things months later in a box that was mismarked. Sometimes they’ll never show up, like my Victoria’s Secret robe. (My mom keeps saying that we’ll find it in the attic. But after two moves I kind of doubt it.)

Meanwhile, there’s a whole house to pack up, and being the eldest I’m naturally expected to do the majority of the packing/reminding younger siblings to pack their own stuff. Usually that means making sure my teenage brother isn’t playing online games when he’s supposed to be clearing the attic and breaking up any fights (which is inevitable; there are at least two or three outbreaks per day). AND take care of the menagerie that we refer to as our pets: McTamney (the border collie), Clementine (aka Sméagol the Beagle), Cindy, Sylvester, Francie, Alex and Polly (all lazy cats that seem to think the kitchen counter is their personal domain).

Yep, it gets pretty hectic.

Most days it’s not too bad; I can delegate chores and as long as my little sister doesn’t get any sugar things run pretty smoothly. Until this past week. Enter allergies. All the responsibilities seem to triple and of course it would be the week that both parents are tied up between work and getting last minute things for the move. It hasn’t been fun, let me tell you.

Someday I’ll probably look back and realize this has been a great training experience. I’ll be a boss at packing a house. Everything will be neatly organized. My kids will quietly pack their stuffed animals and the pets will sleep or at least stay out of the way.

Until then, please keep your distance and if you say anything to me make sure it’s confirmation of a pizza delivery. It’s for your own safety.