Durf's Weekly Workout # 31: April 22nd, 2022

Well that didn't take long.  Second week back, and life just got real hectic.  The good news is that I managed to get the music blurbs done, so all you're missing out on is this part up here where I ramble on.  But you're here for the music anyway, so it's all good.  On to the tunes!

Durf's Weekly Workout # 30: April 15th, 2022

Well, that was a much larger break than I was anticipating!  When the Durfette and I moved our family to Tennessee last October, I thought I'd step away from this column for a couple of weeks, maybe through the end of the year.  So much for that.  The learning curve of my new job coupled with figuring out life with two kids under three in a new state absolutely torpedoed any chance I had of keeping up with Durf's Weekly Workouts, and while there were a couple of weeks in there where I probably could have made something happen, enough time had already gone by that I didn't really want to pick it back up unless I thought I could realistically keep it going every week.  And since you're reading this now, that means I think I'm at that point!  Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend of DWW being a much more common Friday occurrence around these parts, but I suppose time will tell.

Best of 2021 Playlist on Spotify

How much of a bummer is it that our first post of 2022 is still about 2021?  We swear we're working on it. Anyways, here's the boilerplate message about our 2021 Spotify playlist:

Still catching up on the unholy goodness that 2021 had to offer? We're here to help. If you have yet to view any of our year-end lists, and have no intention of doing so, we've compiled our favorite tracks from each of the albums that made the cut onto a Spotify playlist.

You can get to that playlist using this link.

If you want to know the playlist but for some reason don't want to follow that link above, then read on after the break!

Durf's Töp 15 Albums of 2021

Yeesh, what a year.  Yeah, I know, I say that pretty much every year, but this year I mean it.  In the span of really ten short months, the Durfette and I welcomed the Durfling 2, I got a promotion at work, the Durfette got a new job, we both decided we wanted to get the fuck out of Idaho, I got a new job, we sold our house, bought a new house, moved to Tennessee, and that's just off the top of my head.  It's been a year.  Not to mention that until shit got real bonkers around August/September, I managed to actually write something nearly every week for this her blog, which was a lot of fun.  I'd love to be able to tell you that Durf's Weekly Workout will make a triumphant return sometime soon, but I can't commit to that, and I just can't lie to you terrific folks.  The new job takes a lot of my time and energy, and I'm still trying to figure out how to make sure my family doesn't get shortchanged, and until I do, I need to do other things than tell you how wicked lifting to Suffering Hour is (it's pretty fuckin' wicked though).  But hopefully it will be back at some point.  But for now, let's talk about sixteen albums from this year that were phenomenal.  I listened to more music this year than potentially any year previous, so you know these sixteen are the choicest of choice cuts.  As always, the amount written about any album does not speak to my thoughts or feelings about it; that's what the numbers are for.

All We Love, We Leave Behind : The Töp's Monthly Playlist, September 2021

It's been a fairly quiet month around here at the Töp, at least in terms of blog activity. Durf has been navigating a cross-country move while Mick and Tom have been all to busy sulking over the horrid starts to their Chicago Bears and New York Giants' seasons. With no energy left to give, there were no squabbles about stolen tracks this time around. Hopefully, October will see them being more at each other's throats once again.

As a reminder of what this post is all about : Affectionately named after the Converge album, this monthly post will feature a collaborative playlist pinpointing tracks from this year that have been in heavy rotation for us. You may see some end up on our year-end lists. Some you won't. But rest assured they'll make for some eclectic listening. We'll try to keep the tracks as recent as possible, but you can at least bank on them being from this current year. Each of us will present 6 tracks because three 6s = well... you know.

Durf's Weekly Workout # 29: September 17th, 2021

Well, today's the day.  As you're reading this, the Casa de Durf is officially on the market to be sold.  This was obviously the plan as soon as the Durfette and I decided to move, and we have been working hard on getting things cleaned and ready for showings, as well as decluttering, donating and getting rid of things we don't want to take with us, and generally just condensing as much of our life into cardboard boxes as we can.  It has been more than a little stressful, slightly more challenging than I anticipated, and, sometimes, just a slight bit of fun, too (mainly because of the power washer.  If you ever - EVER - have the opportunity to power wash anything, fucking do it).  But now the house is on the market, and hopefully it will be sold before too long, and then we'll move away and in all realistic likelihood never see it again.  And the other day, as I was mowing the lawn for perhaps the last time, I got a little nostalgic.

Durf's Weekly Workout # 28: September 10, 2021

Well shit, that was a larger break than I anticipated.  A whole bunch of THINGS HAPPENING converged around my life over the past month, culminating in my taking an extended hiatus from lifting, and then from writing about said lifting.  Which is ok, because as much as I love working out, and the centering effects it has, sometimes you just gotta sleep after a crazy day/week/month.  Basically, the Durfette and I made the decision a couple months ago that we were going to leave Idaho, and that we should do it sooner than later. 

All We Love, We Leave Behind : The Töp's Monthly Playlist, August 2021

I can already hear the masses asking "what track did the Töp fight over for their August playlist?!" Well, this month did not disappoint as there were TWO track disputes. Durf and Tom duked it out over Hooded Menace with Durf emerging the victor while Mick snuck in to claim Møl, leaving Durf a bit salty (despite him already having a Deafheaven track!). We all see the common thread here, right? Durf came out swinging this month. That figure of speech about having your cake and eating it too comes to mind.

As a reminder of what this post is all about : Affectionately named after the Converge album, this monthly post will feature a collaborative playlist pinpointing tracks from this year that have been in heavy rotation for us. You may see some end up on our year-end lists. Some you won't. But rest assured they'll make for some eclectic listening. We'll try to keep the tracks as recent as possible, but you can at least bank on them being from this current year. Each of us will present 6 tracks because three 6s = well... you know.

Durf's Weekly Workout # 27: August 6th, 2021

I teased this a couple weeks ago, and at the time, my choice to extol the virtues of the greatest pop song ever written was absolutely the correct one.  But now, my friends, the time has come, as this is obstensibly a blog about music and working out, which means we can't ignore or avoid it anymore.  It's time to talk about stretching.

Durf's Weekly Workout # 26: July 30th, 2021

A sixty hour work week, late (for me) nights, 2am workout wake ups, 100 degree temperatures, smokey skies, both Durflings out of nowhere deciding that sleep is for suckers, yard work, consults with professionals about additional yard work, and quite honestly a little bit of poor time management all conspired together to make this blog post an exercise in persistence to just finish.  Which is probably a good lesson about perseverance, but I'm probably grasping there.  Either way, this is probably the shortest Durf's Weekly Workout yet, and I deeply, deeply apologize to the amazing bands below who deserve so much more than I was able to give them this week.

All We Love, We Leave Behind : The Töp's Monthly Playlist, July 2021

AWLWLB has made it to its second iteration. Huzzah! However, not all is well in paradise. As you'll learn from the description of the first track, having three cooks in the kitchen is not without its consequences. As Durf put it in a group chat of ours : "I love the acrimony these posts produce." Perversely, this may be the fuel that keeps the fire of this monthly post going.

As a reminder of what this post is all about : Affectionately named after the Converge album, this monthly post will feature a collaborative playlist pinpointing tracks from this year that have been in heavy rotation for us. You may see some end up on our year-end lists. Some you won't. But rest assured they'll make for some eclectic listening. We'll try to keep the tracks as recent as possible, but you can at least bank on them being from this current year. Each of us will present 6 tracks because three 6s = well... you know.

Durf's Weekly Workout # 25: July 23, 2021

You'd think I'd start a list of topics for these intro blurbs, instead of just waiting for some half-assed (and occasionally whole ass) inspiration to fire a shot across my bow.  But no, if I think of something fun to write about while I'm at work or driving, I follow that thought up with one about how if it's good, I'll remember it later.  So now I'm sitting here trying to write something entertaining, and it's all just non-starters.  I've really become enamored with golfing lately? Who cares; everyone has hobbies.  The Durfette went to a Happy Hour with some work friends the other night, and I managed to put BOTH Durflings to bed successfully? I mean, that's one hell of a flex, so it sort of fits the whole "workout" theme of these posts, but nobody really wants to hear about me singing "Ten Little Dinosaurs" until my throat bleeds, so that's out.  Even these two ideas are just feints, my futile attempts at drumming up something interesting to talk about, clearly to no avail.  So, I dunno, you guys wanna talk about stretching routines, or how "Dragula" is pretty much the greatest pop song in written history?

Durf's Weekly Workout # 24: July 16th, 2021

Well, last week was insane, for a few reasons, all of them pretty fun.  I had a friend come in for the Fourth of July weekend, which was spent swimming, grilling, and watching the first two-thirds of Independence Day (that movie is loooong, and after entertaining a toddler in 100 degree heat all day, you're spent).  Then, after he left Tuesday morning, the Durfette and I immediately had to start preparing for a trip to Deer Lodge, Montana to visit her mom and her mom's husband.  We left Friday morning at 3am, because it's a 7.5 hour drive, and we wanted to have as much time there as possible before we left Sunday morning to come back.  Due to my buddy being in town through Tuesday, and the rapid-pace nature of our trip the following weekend, I decided it was the perfect time to throw down on a vitally important, but often overlooked component of a fitness routine: the rest week.

Durf's Weekly Workout # 23: July 2nd, 2021

Well holy cow, it's July already!  This year is going by much, much quicker than last year, which is a huge relief.  If you've been with us for a bit, you know that for my first post in April I did a baseball-themed sort of quarterly recap, and I said then that you should expect similar posts in July and October.  Well, as we've established, it's July, so I think you know what lies ahead.  So without further ado, play ball! 

All We Love, We Leave Behind: The Töp's Monthly Playlist, June 2021

Durf's Weekly Workout has been a shot in the arm for us here at the Töp. On the one hand, it's been a fantastically entertaining article to look forward to every week. But at the same time, when have we ever been known to put out content on a consistent schedule? While it's been an identity crisis that has no doubt worked to our favor, it's also been a call to arms for Tom and I to at least try and carry some of our weight. So without further ado, we present "All We Love, We Leave Behind." Affectionately named after the Converge album, this monthly post will feature a collaborative playlist pinpointing tracks from this year that have been in heavy rotation for us. You may see some end up on our year-end lists. Some you won't. But rest assured they'll make for some eclectic listening. We'll try to keep the tracks as recent as possible, but you can at least bank on them being from this current year. Each of us will present 6 tracks because three 6s = well... you know.

Durf's Weekly Workout # 22: June 25th, 2021

It is getting hot here in Idaho.  Like real hot.  Like hot enough that my work is considering having us come in super early next week in order to avoid the 108 degree highs in the afternoon.  Which on the one hand, is real nice, because super fuck that noise.  On the other, going in to work early means either waking up even earlier to work out OR working out after work in that insane heat.  Which is just as appealing as working in it.  So I'm not sure how next week is going to go, so I'm using this week's intro blurb to prepare you for the fact that there might not be a post next week.  Got it?

Durf's Weekly Workout # 21: June 18th, 2021

Obviously, when a lot of people think about working out, they think about it in physical terms.  Wanting to lose weight or build muscle.  Trying to be healthy.  Things like that.  And it makes sense to think about it this way, since it's a physical act.  But there is a mental/emotional component to working out too.  Pride in your accomplishments in the gym, confidence from looking and feeling your best are two big mental aspects; I know that I personally feel off all day if I skip a workout during the week.  I've been able to get around that feeling on weekends, which is great, but if I don't lift before work, it takes a whole lot of mental energy to stay on top of the workday with a good attitude.  I've had coworkers say to me "No workout today?" because it's that pronounced; I'd like to say I'm getting better at it and maturing to the point where I don't let it affect me like that... but I'm not, and it's a whole lot easier for me to just not skip a workout than it is to skip one and then deal with the fallout.  But there's another emotion that I routinely find driving my workouts, and it can definitely seem strange: Fear.

Durf's Weekly Workout # 20: June 11th, 2021

Things are finally, slowly starting to open back up after fifteen months of pandemic (I know, it feels like fifteen years).  The Durfette and I went golfing with her dad and his girlfriend when they were in town, and then we went to a local restaurant, sat on the patio, and had a glass of wine.  I went into the coffee shop that I stop in after grocery shopping, and didn't wear a mask as I picked up my americano to go.  We had friends over - in person - for a barbecue.  Major league sports are operating with full crowds, which may not be the best example, because they would have done that all last year if local governments hadn't forced them to put safety above profit.  We still have a ways to go (and it would certainly help if everyone got on board), but for now things are certainly trending back toward normalcy.  And the icing on that long-delayed cake has been trickling out of the baker's bag for the past couple of weeks: real, in-person, honest to Dio concert announcements.

Durf's Weekly Workout # 19: June 4th, 2021

Last week was one of those weeks where every second seemed to be packed to the gills with stuff to do.  My job was working ten hour days in the hopes of getting Friday off to make it a four day Memorial Day weekend (we succeeded).  The Durfette saw her job kick into overdrive in her second week back from maternity leave, and one or both of the Durflings decided it would be fun to bring a little head cold home from daycare.  Additionally, the Durfette's dad and his girlfriend came in for the weekend, so there was a lot of work to be done to get the house ready to host people who aren't used to living in the squalor that is two children under three.  So yeah, that's why you didn't get a Durf's Weekly Workout last week; honestly I'm amazed I had the energy to wake up and lift.  But after a terrific Memorial Day Weekend, I'm feeling well-rested (which will last about an hour, I imagine) and ready to go, so now we're back and hopefully better than ever.  Of course, I'm still writing this at the last minute, and then I spent too much time writing about a very surprising album, so some of these entries may be a little short.  Don't let that deter you.  Onward!

Durf's Weekly Workout # 18: May 21st, 2021

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I've been dealing with another Crohn's flare up recently.  I wrote about my Crohn's disease in more detail a few years ago, and since that post nothing and everything has changed regarding my disease and my approach to treating it.  However, after getting out of the hospital eight weeks ago, I felt like I wasn't quite healing as fast as I had in the past, despite a pretty high dose of prednisone (and also tramadol, which I felt was highly unnecessary, and didn't really take).  So I thought about it, and did some research, and kept thinking, and kept reading, and then took some pretty drastic steps, all in the name of health.