Saturday the 17th

Okay, Mag, let's see: having been tagged to name 5 songs I'm particularly digging at this moment in time. Well at this very moment in time I'm quite bouncy along to "I Feel Fine," but we're going for a more general moment in time, like, this week, and in that case, let's see:

1. A song that I don't know what it's called, and I got on here to find that music list site just so I could look for something that might jog my memory and tell me what it's called, but it's a seventies light-rock sort of thing that I heard on Wish 99.7 yesterday morning because for some reason we were listening to that as we set up for work, and I said, "Wow, I haven't heard this song in a long time and I really dig it," and it's been in my head ever since, and the refrain goes: "Lady, let me take a look at you now/ you're there on the dance floor making me want you somehow./Oh, lady, I think it's only fair I should say to you,/Don't be thinking that I don't want you 'cause maybe I do." And it's really pathetic that I know all the words to the WHOLE THING but have no idea who sings it or what it's called, but I do tend to absorb lyrics pretty unconsciously anyway. Anybody know what this song is, by the way?
2. Oh, this isn't a currently-digging thing, but it just came on my computer and is so awesome that I can't think of anything else, and that's one of my all-time favorites, "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison. I am sad when the only Van Morrison song people know is "Brown Eyed Girl," which is, no offense to Maggie who's had the song sung at her since she was a baby, really quite a boring song. Everybody needs to get the Moondance album and just mellow out to it. that's my orders.
3. "Hello Goodbye," which I've decided is a totally underrated Beatles song. I fear it's been brushed off as "just pop" in comparison to some of their other stuff, but it's recently occurred to me that it's SO INTERESTING, really, all the different twists and turns throughout it, absolutely incredible psychedelic pop. I mean, seriously, REALLY LISTEN to it sometime.
4. Speaking of interesting psychedelic pop, "Journey to the Center of the Mind" by the Amboy Dukes. For one thing, it passes the test of coming on immediately after "See Emily Play" on my random psychedelia car mix and STILL SOUNDING MIND-BLOWINGLY AWESOME. Just the way it starts, with just two drumstick clicks and then WHAM, just explodes, and you have to listen to it in stereo because they've got some weird stereo effects going on too, and man, it just so rocks.
5. Refraining from saying "Wish You Were Here" just because it's on right now and I'm having an "Into the Mystic" reaction again. I mean, this song makes my list of favorite songs just on the strength of the line "We're just two lost souls swimmin' in a fish bowl/ year after year," not to mention the duet between the live guitar and the guitar on the radio in the beginning.... But for the sake of this thing which CLEARLY asked me to name the CURRENTLY DIGGED songs, not just my FAVORITE songs, I will name THREE MORE SONGS, and not say anything about them, just to counteract my rambling: "Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls are Coming to the Canyon)" by the Mamas and the Papas; "In the Land of the Few" by Love Sculpture; and the new Audioslave song that I can't think of the title of at the moment.

I tag... let's see, who has interesting taste in music: um, all of you; I don't nearly have enough friends to be particular.

Okay, in other news, Jason's birthday is next Saturday, he will be THIRTY-ONE, the old freak. Unfortunately all he wants for his birthday is this three-hundred dollar reloading press. I said, maybe on LAST year's salary.... And I can't think of anything else to get him. I thought of loads of stuff last year. But maybe it's just because I'm cheap this year. It automatically censors my mind to brush everything off as "totally not necessary for the price," although obviously a BIRTHDAY present doesn't HAVE to be NECESSARY. Funny, the stereotypical married couples are supposed to argue about money because the shallow selfish female wants to spend it on shoes and clothes. Whatever. Instead I'm the cheapskate and he's the one with the expensive hobby. Although theoretically, it is true, the reloading press will SAVE money because it's less he "has" to spend on ammo, but that's still 300 dollars we don't have UP FRONT AT THE PRESENT TIME ESPECIALLY SINCE WE JUST BOUGHT A PRINTER AND THE RETAINING WALL OUT FRONT MAY FALL DOWN ANY MINUTE AND WINTER IS COMING AND OUR GAS BILL WILL BE INSANE. BUt that's just me. So... what should we do for Jason's birthday? Maggie you're invited over if you like. So's everyone else, if they'd truly like. Mom Weir suggested everyone come over and insulate the attic for us for his birthday. That sounds like a very good plan to me, being incredibly cost-efficient and much more likely to save us money than a reloading press, but I don't know if she was joking or not. "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" is totally another song that rocks my world and I am digging at this very moment and everyone obviously needs to go out and get the Wish You Were Here album as well and space out to it... but anyhoo. Luckily because it is a 15 minute song I probably won't interrupt you with music comments again.

Guess that's it. Just wanted to tell you about Jason's birthday.

"Remember when you were young/ shined like the sun..."

Sorry, it's so good I have to share the whole thing, even without the music

( Pink Floyd Rocks My World )

Twenty answers

Soooo... IF the directions of the List of 20 thing that Liz did truly were "List 20 facts about yourself," then I can do that. Here you are:

Twenty facts about me:
1. I talk much more in writing than I do in person.

2. I have been writing stories since I learned how to write. Some of those stories I’ve been WRITING SINCE I’ve learned how to write.

3. My current three novels in progress are thus: Emily’s Book, in which eight kids have an adventure and become better friends; working title Somewhereorother, in which two young people have an adventure and become better friends; and working title Ian Schafer, in which four teenagers have an adventure and become better friends. No, really, they have other things about them, too.

4. When I was 15 I fell in love with Paul McCartney and have never been the same since. Well, actually, the biggest difference is that you would’ve been hearing me ramble on about the history and awesomeness of Broadway Musicals instead of Rock Music, that’s all.

5. I like to make random statements that I believe are true but nobody else can understand, such as “Jeff Lynne is a Genius.”

6. I chew cinnamon gum to avoid suddenly deciding that I should go get a snack.

7. I adore psychedelia in both musical and visual art forms, but I have never done drugs, though personally, I think I’m chemically screwed up enough as it is to not need them. What would most likely happen is I would have a nasty psychotic reaction involving at the least severe paranoia and at the most the horrifying sense of being attacked by demons, because I border on that close enough as it is without them.

8. I am trying to learn to be a Storyteller. If I ever get the courage to launch into a story sometime without benefit of a prop like a book or something.

9. I am a Christian, as in, a follower of Jesus the Christ, not as in a fundamentalist. But, come on, He’s just AWESOME—even if you don’t believe He’s an avatar of God or the Messiah sent by God or anything spiritual about Him like that, just purely the way He was as a MAN is enough to make me want to follow Him. AND… he was a Storyteller!

10. I was raised Catholic and am comfortable with that although I am not a gung-ho Catholic. If I wasn’t a Catholic I’d be an Episcopalian, and I know this is all Madeleine L’Engle’s fault, but so what. If I wasn’t a Christian I’d be a Hindu, and that is probably all George Harrison’s fault, but also so what. Anyway, I don’t think I could NOT be a Christian. I’d have to be a Hindu for Jesus.

11. Madeleine L’Engle and George Harrison are also the only two famous people I’ve ever written fan mail to, as they were both the two people who wrote my two favorite things; but I never figured out where to send the latter one. And of course, who then is the first to DIE before I DO figure it out? No, NOT the 85-year-old woman. BUT Madeleine L’Engle DID write back to me and her letter is framed on my wall right here in front of me.

12. I am married and my husband is my best friend even though he is a dork. I think having siblings helped me develop a good personality for marriage. Helps you be adaptable with living with screwed up people whom you love anyway. Actually, I am extremely indescribably in love with Jason even though I live with him and he doesn’t eat his vegetables!

13. I miss having a piano. I have a clarinet and a guitar but I don’t find them nearly as much fun to play. I do have a thing for the piano, anyway.

14. When I was a kid I was afraid of Everything In and Out of the World. Seriously. Name a thing, and I was probably afraid of it.

15. I was also a total dork as a kid. BESIDES being afraid of everything, I was also a cry-baby and a know-it-all when I was not being shy. I like my childhood self, now that I don’t have to BE her anymore. She’s awfully funny to look back at.

16. I have Long Long Long Long hair. It’s my one vanity. I have no interest in clothes or makeup or plucking my eyebrows or any other insane time-consuming money draining pointless thing (because obviously it’s pointless, I’ve got a guy who thinks I’m breathtakingly gorgeous WITHOUT all that, so why bother?), but I shan’t cut off my Rapunzel hair. Completely. Would you believe I’ve cut enough off to donate for Locks for Love TWICE? See, it just WANTS to grow this long!

17. Oh but I also love flowy flowy dresses. And flowers and stuff. I’m girly, just not in the way of the Modern Girl.

18. I am very very very myopic. I’ve been wearing my glasses more than my contacts lately because they are fun and less of a hassle, unless it is hot out. Without corrective lenses I’m basically useless.

19. I have journals stretching back to 7th grade which can be quite amusing and which could also be used for blackmailing people.

20. I always get the sense that I think more about other people than they ever remember me, mostly because I spend so much time watching and listening and taking notes so everyone else gets noticed by me, but I am just invisible in the corner. I’m getting better at not being invisible, though.