Friday's Musical Choices

No one cares, but here's what I listened to today at work (there were only 3 of us, and our offices/cubicles are spread out, so I could listen with abandon for a change):

1. fIREHOSE, Fromohio
2. Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac
3. Weezer, Pinkerton
4. Gang of Four, Entertainment!
5. The Police, Outlandos d'Amour
6. Pixies, Doolittle
7. Pixies, Bossanova
8. Wilco, The Whole Love

F-f-f foolin'

I heard Def Leppard's song "Foolin'" in the car this morning, and it was a perfect example of a song I've basically been singing along to my whole life, but all the wrong lyrics.

I won't give any examples now, but let's just say that way I sing it, the song makes no sense.

I looked it up, and holy cow, that's a love song.

Jason Isbell - Southeastern

There's something about this guy, who has a totally different songwriting and storytelling style, that makes me feel the same way George Harrison makes me feel. It might be the guitar sound, but there's definitely something Harrison-y there. It's also a little bit like the way some Jackson Browne songs make me feel. George does it with his spirituality, Jackson with the aching love songs (though, I guess they're really the same thing). This guy has something a little different in tone but the effect is the same. I know I'm not really telling you anything that makes any sense if you're not in my head, but I'm still feeling pretty raw from my first listen of "Southeastern" this morning. And I never professed to be good at this writing stuff.

I listened to the first eight songs on this album on the way to work, and I didn't stop sniffling until I got to "Songs That She Sang," which was the point when I told myself I had to get pulled together so my co-workers wouldn't call 9-1-1 when I got there. Just so you know, the 5 freeway through the City of Commerce on a June Gloom morning is pretty depressing. I'm not saying he made me sad; the three and a half hours of sleep I got last night probably account for that feeling: I'm just saying these are heartbreakingly beautiful songs. Remember the first time I heard "Sky Blue and Black"? I just want to be heading off on a road trip with him and that voice.

Wikipedia calls his sound "progressive country," and I don't know what that means, exactly, because though there are some voices in the country (alt country, whatever) genre that I really like, I'm not exactly a fan of that style of music. I'd probably freak out (in a good way) if this guy put that voice (his voice is killer! It's so emotional and broken and gorgeous) to a Fleetwood Mac song, or rocked it out (I haven't heard him enough to know if that's something he does). Oh, my goodness, imagine him singing Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Done"! Obviously I have some more listening to do.

Anyway, I'm here at work, drinking my coffee, and no one seems alarmed at my emotional state, so even though it sounds as if Mr. Isbell wrecked me, it was in a good way. Anyway, I think that was his plan. Otherwise why make music in the first place?

Update on me reading the Sleeping Beauty books by Anne Rice

I forgot to mention:

I started re-reading book one, and got about three quarters of the way through before... all the beatings got to me. Maybe I just have zero understanding of erotica and what people are looking for (no maybes about it, I really don't know anything about erotica), but people getting jacked up is not sexy to me. It seems a little too violent and psychologically questionable, and I just can't do it. I mean, are you supposed to imagine that nobody's actually getting hurt? I don't get it.

So? I'm out. Anybody interested in these books is welcome to them. Contact me with your mailing address and I'll send them to you, free of charge. The first one might have a little minor water damage (water glass mishap). Maybe you'll get more enjoyment out of them.

I've got ants in my coffee maker. Call 9-1-1! Do something!

My little family has been struggling with a particularly annoying infestation of ants this year.

I thought it was because the Littlest of us is the King of Crumbs, but Patrick has informed me that no, these ants are looking for water. The crumbs are just Extra Fun for them. Anyway, I guess it's true, because the other day I found one of JP's water cups under the couch, half full of water and a quarter full of dead ants.

They're also in the bathroom (I know, gross), and of course the kitchen, where the target seems to be the kittys' water bowl. They mostly avoid the cat food.

We found a guy on Angie's List who was well-recommended and reasonably priced, and he came out a couple of weeks ago to spray with some "safe for kids and pets" ant spray. He went under the house and hit the yard, as well, but last week, the ants came back.

(By the way, I love Angie's List. We got our landscape designer, the dudes who implemented the landscape design, our plumber, the people who installed our windows, the people who re-did our stucco, the new maid service, and the painters through there and they were all super-excellent. I recommend it.)

Yesterday morning I discovered my little ant friends in our Fancy Coffee Maker. Which, as you know, before it grinds the coffee beans and brews the coffee, is full of water.

Patrick had time to rinse the thing out and make another pot of coffee, but this morning, they were back, and we didn't have time. And then we discovered that the little door that covers the water reservoir won't close. No big deal, I think the thing will work without that being closed, but dude. Coffee maker down. NOT GOOD.

Luckily for me, over the weekend, I purchased some Starbucks "K Cups" for the Keurig coffee maker we have at work. This is my "just in case" stash (just in case I forget to bring mine from home, just in case I need another cup in the afternoon, etc.) because I'm not a fan of Starbucks coffee... but I was at Target, and of the other choices they had, Starbucks seemed the best. I got the Pike Place Roast, which I had read was smoother than the others, and I'm drinking it now (after having my coworker show me how the damn Keurig thing works). It seems fine, but it is no Groundworks "Black Gold." It's not as bitter as I remembered Starbucks coffee to be, but that might just be because the Keurig blends a milder cup than you get in an actual Starbucks store. I have no idea. My coworker good naturedly called me a coffee snob, and "spoiled," to which I replied, YES I AM, at least with the coffee if nothing else. You can drink that Kirkland crap if you want to, lady, but it's only the "good" stuff for me.

Anyway, it's almost gone, and I might make another cup. I need to steel my nerves for the possibility that our Fancy Coffee Maker might be out of commission for awhile.

The ant guy is coming back on Friday.