Original Song: Long Enough to Hear the Song that God Made

I wrote this awhile ago. Just recorded it today. Frankly I can't remember the last chord--I had a really beautiful one and now I can't figure out what it was. I don't know how I feel about this song, but want to post it just in the interest of keeping the pipeline flowing.

Here are the lyrics, copyright (c) Alexandra Weber Morales 2009

All I want is to be loved
To float on a tropic wave
For you to stop yelling at me
Long enough to let me hear the song that God made

And when the song pours through me
Will you finally love me
My insatiable need to be free
Please don't be angry
What do you gain when you disdain me

My heart beats wild, my back is weary
Where on earth are we going
There is no map, there is no fucking plan
Bivouacking for years on end
Contemplating the weakness of man

All I want is to be true
To sleep under open sky
For you to stop blocking my view
Long enough to let me see the light of God's eye

I gave myself away like a fool
Danger drew me to you
Imprisoned by your hazy traditions
Your phony signs and your hieroglyphics
Who have you smuggled inside you?

We found an ancient vessel
Breathed new life into the clay
Suckling, scrubbing, never sleeping
Your spears scarring, carving me deeply
Now all that's left are shards and figurines

All I want is to be loved
To float on a tropic wave
For you to stop yelling at me
Long enough to let me swim the sea that God made
Long enough to let me see the light in God's eye
Long enough to let me hear the song that God wrote
For me

Alexa's Homemade Halloween Decoration Ideas, Part 2

In part 2 of homemade Halloween decorations, we cover homemade gravestones, accidentally-grown pumpkins and a head and a hand in a jar.

If you like the video please rate and comment with your favorite homemade Halloween tips!

Alexa's Homemade Halloween Decoration Ideas, Part 1

This year we are not spending a cent on Halloween -- well, maybe buying candy, though I wish we could hand out cookies instead. To my amazement I realized we had come up with a lot of homemade projects, including Mr. Bottlebones (which I found on another website). If you like the video please rate and comment with your favorite homemade Halloween tips!

In Search of Halloween Inspiration, We Remember the Ventriloquist Mummy Costume

Digging into our Halloween archives for inspiration, we revisited this gem. The best costume yet. Today my son (who is now 9) said, "How about Elvis, Mommy?" I started getting excited about the possibilities of both of my boys as Elvis, and went on for about 5 minutes until my son interrupted me: "Who is Elvis, anyway?"

Tema Original de Salsa: Catastrofe de Amor

This is a song I've been writing and re-writing over the past few weeks. It's not completely done or arranged of course but I'd love your opinion and ratings! Agradezco sus comentarios!

Catastrofe de Amor
Letra y musica por Alexa Weber Morales
http://www.alexajazz.com
Derecho de autor (c) 2009 por Alexa Weber Morales
Todos derechos de autor reservados mundialmente

Trato de huir, pongo velocidad pero la noche no me ayuda
Quemando llanta doy la media vuelta
Soñando toco tu puerta
Los fantasmas me abren camino
Sin querer pizo corazones
Luego tus labios descubren cincuenta mil razones
Por las cuales estoy compartiendo mis pasiones

Es imposible que este amor oscuro triunfe
No sé porque te he dejado tratarme así
Sembramos vientos, recogemos tempestades
Porque somos dos desastres precipitándose a la catástrofe

Ámame pues, no aguanto mi soledad siempre me entrego aunque no debo
Si eres tan terrible porque tus latidos
me llaman desde tu pecho
O será que escucho los mios
me enciego a tus pecados
Grítame más, mi ternura calma tu despecho
Sollozos transformados en dos cuerpos entrelazados

Es imposible que este amor oscuro triunfe
No sé porque te he dejado tratarme así
Sembramos vientos, recogemos tempestades
Porque somos dos desastres precipitándose a la catástrofe

Melody Gardot - Official Video

This is quite beautiful.

October Gigs So Far

This weekend was a triple-header for Andy y Su Orquesta Callao, and it culminated in a wonderful show at that very San Franciscan institution, the outdoor stage at El Rio, where we enjoyed stellar sound engineering by Frank, rapturous dancers and a genuine rapport on stage. Gone was the in-fighting, the gun-pointing, the hair-pulling and the cat-scratching, replaced by the harmonious energy of a dedicated posse of underpaid primadonnas! Wait, maybe that was the most recent episode of Desperate Housewives. The point is, we felt great and we'd love to see more of you!

With that in mind, I thought I'd let you know where I'll be during this very busy week! Please see below for some dates that might interest you...

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Salsa en San Francisco - 10:00pm
The Glas Kat

520 4th St
San Francisco, CA 94107-1609
(415) 495-6620

With Andy y Su Orquesta Callao... This club consistently has GREAT dancers and great salsa bands... definitely a place to go to learn to dance salsa as well as watch the pros do it! We'll be celebrating musical director Ivan Lino-Montes' birthday, so please come and raise a glass to him!

Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Jazz 'n Cocktails 'n Entrees - 7:00pm
Cafe Claude

7 Claude Lane (near Kearny & Sutter)
San Francisco, CA 94108
415.392.3505

Alexa's jazz trio enhances the lovely French cuisine and soothes the beautiful people who all appear to be gainfully employed.

Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Salsa en Concord - 10:30pm
Club Sazon

2765 Clayton Rd
Concord, CA 94519-2725
(925) 686-1950

With Andy y Su Orquesta Callao!

Friday, October 9th, 2009
Salsa en Albany! - 10:00pm
Montero's

1106 Solano Avenue
Albany, CA 94706
510-524-1270

With Andy y Su Orquesta Callao!

Friday, October 16th, 2009 10:00 PM
Salsa in San Francisco!
Roccapulco
3140 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110-4504
(415) 648-6611
http://www.roccapulco.com
Price: $15

With Andy y Su Orquesta Callao!

Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Salsa en Concord - 10:00pm
Club Sazon

2765 Clayton Road
Concord, CA 94519
(925) 686-1950

With Andy y Su Orquesta Callao!

Men Are Raccoons

Last night at 3:00 AM I arrived home after the gig and surprised a family of raccoons. It got me thinking how men are like raccoons. Allow me to explain.

Being a woman I focus on perfecting the face and hair, but I know that's not what men notice. My outfit last night consisted of a flared, strapless minidress and silver stilettos. The gams on display were key to my popularity.

The gig was great, and I sang well and felt increasingly confident about the arrangements of all the songs. But the higher-than-normal level of male attention was yet another example of how men can be totally manipulated with hair, makeup and clothes.

I know this because I can just as easily make myself completely invisible to men.

Granted, confidence is the best outfit-enhancer there is. If I'm pleased with how my costume -- that's how I think of it -- looks, that radiates outward.

But men, like raccoons, are attracted to shiny things. I have a tank top that is covered in sequins. It is loose-fitting, not revealing at all, and forgiving if I've just eaten an enormous pot of pozole. Throw that sucker on and the men come running. What is it about this gold tank top that renders them helpless to resist? I've decided it's simply because it has hundreds of sparkling disks attached to it.

That's not the only way in which men are raccoons. There's also the fact that men have opposable digits and they love to unfasten things, or stick their hands somewhere they don't belong. Once they've got hold of whatever it is they were reaching for, they're so curious they won't let go. Not even if they're in imminent danger.

Men are raccoons because they're all bluster and swagger, but shine a headlamp in their beady eyes and they lope unevenly back into the storm drains decorated with bottle caps and lingerie ads they proudly call home.

Men are raccoons because while they're out carousing they seem unattached and debonair, but if you make the mistake of following them as they scurry into the sewer, surprise! The wife and six kids pop their adorable little heads out to see what's going on.

Men are raccoons because by day they are docile, progressive and logy. By night they paw through every trash bin on the block. The more rarified the stench, the more exotic the garbage, the more intoxicatingly irresistible it is to them.

Men, like raccoons, are next to impossible to trap. When cornered they can be quite dangerous. Poisoning them is not advisable. They are frequently parasitized by lice, ticks, fleas and various types of worms, and have been known to have rabies, tuberculosis, distemper and, most often, bad temper.

I love men, I do. But for months now mama's been out clubbing multiple times per week singing in bands, thanks to the recession, and now she sees the truth. It's a little depressing. Raccoons are cute, and I'd never harm one. But they sure are filthy scavengers. Damn it.