sketches & ghosts

(I have a couple of catch ups to do but both of them are going to be tl;dr and so today I'm just doing today's. Sorry if yours is late!)

What's one song/album/band you absolutely could not live without and why?
This question is very, very hard to answer because there are SO. MANY. But if I'm going to narrow it down to one single one, the answer is Stop Making Sense by the Talking Heads.

Now, if you haven't heard it, you absolutely need to. Listen to it, or watch it if you can -- because Stop Making Sense is the album of a concert film, which can be found streaming in all of these places.

My parents went to see it when it first came out, as both were huge Talking Heads fans and they raised me to be as well. Stop Making Sense was the second album I ever loved, but had the most profound impact. We have family stories about several of the songs -- I won't tell them all here, but at least the Psycho Killer bus anecdote is worth bringing up later, I'm just still virus-y and gross and scattered because of course it is December -- and it was always played end to end on the long drives from NYC to suburban Detroit which we did twice a year until I was sixteen or so.

It has an extremely special place in my heart and I also always continue to love listening to it. Enough of the songs are super upbeat that I play it on filing days at work when we have a team of people working to sort, organize and insert into folders as many things as possible as fast as possible and then label all the folders. It's draining and requires catchy music, and we have employees from 29 to 69, so Stop Making Sense is often something I can get everyone to like!

This update is happening not even from having my computer fully booted up; it has the Linux-based HP Quickweb, and that's all I have time for (I still need to get on my dad's computer to get my Dirty Life stories to function and to do some research on some medical stuff that won't load on a netbook either) but I really just needed to post stuff so I had a record of it. Especially one thing, which is not the first thing.

1. American Idiot! It was spectacular, as were our seats, and I was really impressed at how they even made the two Green Day songs I do not like (Wake Me Up When September Ends & Good Riddance, both of which I liked and then got annoyed by) a wonderful experience to listen to. The end really made me sadder than I expected, because I was prepared for it, but as I hadn't known the words to "Whatsername" in advance ... Also, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" in acoustic is really beautiful. And, uh. "When It's Time." Just. Yeah.

2. Successfully got presents for: chimbleysweep, my dad. Completely failed to get anything for: distractionary, zarhooie, nehi and/or her daughter, and ourselves. But if Scout's birthday gifts are three months late, I suppose it's fitting everyone else's might be too? Except Brady still has a chance for an on-time present. (Actually, we found the perfect present for Brady until we discovered it cost $180.40.)

3. What was my third thing. I'm so tired I forgot my third thing. I know I ended up with a 2nd Avenue Deli hat! I missed it there. At least its current address is just as easy to remember, even if it isn't, you know, anywhere near 2nd Avenue.

4. And while we were there, we met this guy who asked us if we were from out of town (answer: no, he seemed pleased) and then pointed to a poster on the wall and asked us if we thought he looked like that guy. Mom and I both said yes. I said, "Is that you?" He said, "Yep." Who was he? Sid Bernstein. Normally I would operate on the assumption that everyone knows who Sid Bernstein is, but since my dad didn't even remember, here is an obligatory wiki link.

He was a little unsteady on his feet, and ended up reaching out -- instinctively, operating in Nurse Mode, out went my arm, and I helped him take a few steps. He thanked me and gave me a card for his latest act, said he'd be big someday. I hope so, because David Ippolito seems sweet and I'm sure I've seen him play a couple times. He's quite talented. Has to be to get Sid Bernstein's attention.

5. I'm sure there were other things, but the only thing I can still remember is that I lost a set of my pills, had to buy a new one (thankfully had a scrip) and the insurance decided not to cover it. Being out $300 makes it hard to pay the apartment complex their due rent in three days. So I have to call the insurance company and beg them to reimburse. I hate phones and I hate asking people for things and this is just going to be awful.

Right so I really have to go okay good talk to you all later.