I tried

I tried to like Badly Drawn Boy, but I just don't. Meanwhile, I'm listening to streaming KEXP and the Mountain Goats are on and John Darniel is not singing about driving to anywhere, nor of any colors or weather.

There should be more songs about weather.

This week has been unusually busy. I am starting to feel more and more pressure from my new responsibilities at work. Yesterday I was sitting at my desk typing, typing, typing and I stopped for a moment and realized that I had my shoulders hunched up for who knows how long. Relaxing them sent this horrible, dull pain through my upper body and I couldn't quite shake if for the rest of the night. Especially not since right after work, I was carrying a heavy guitar around my neck for about two hours. I need a body massage.


Badly.

And then

Today is the 5th anniversary of us. Hooray us!

Catching up

Catching up with an old friend of mine last night. Laughing, being comfortable, crying. I should never stay away too long anymore.

It's nice talking to someone you've known for so long that driving directions like this makes perfect sense.

"The roads are slicker than greased owl shit. I'll come to your place. So, when I get to the credit union, I make a Becky and another Becky at the stop sign, go to Jenny Lind and make a Niki. From there I just look for the record with you on the cover?"

"Yes, exactly."

You have a bean skin on your tooth

I have an office now. Not a cube, an office. With a door and plants!!! I like it, but I feel so removed from my other co-workers. It'll take some adjusting to because I've never had my own office before. I sort of feel like I'm playing office all day. "Look daddy! I'm playing office!"

I am crazy.

Something strange is happening in my head that's causing me to have some trouble with my verbal ability. This past week, everytime I go to answer the phone on my desk, this happens:

Phone: Brrrrinnnng!
Me: [Thinking: "Don't say Microsoft"] Marketing, this is Niki. [Thinking: "Phew! I'm glad I didn't say Microsoft, this is Niki!"]

A list of names that I've almost said in place of "marketing."

1. Microsoft
2. Morgan
3. Matthew

And more I can't even remember. I've also almost called myself Nancy.

I don't know what's happening. A vitamin deficiency? I have no clue. And just now I heard someone playing a CD of television show themes and the M*A*S*H* theme played.
"Oh," I said. "This song wants me to cry!" I may be going crazy, or the verbal part of my brain is on vacation.

What's more.....

A list of words I couldn't think of today at lunch with some suits:

1. crusades
2. require
3. cookie

Maybe it's only happened a few times for real and now I'm just self-concious about it.

All I want right now

Three things that would make my life a hell of a lot easier right now:

1. A real insurance card to replace the temporary, Mickey Mouse style one I have right now that doesn't even have the name of the carrier on it or the PCS group number on it. It's no wonder that Rite Aid wouldn't accept it. I don't know how I'm expected to receive benefits with this thing.

2. A new bank. I need a bank with a sense of humor, so I'm going to switch to Washington Mutual within the next 3 months. Hopefully.

3. To receive satisfactory customer service somewhere. Anywhere!

Really, that's all I need right now.

I review some CDs on my desk because I'm bored.

For no reason other than my own entertainment and to possibly impart
my impressions of some new music, I've reviewed some CDs that were
sitting on my desk, because I'm bored and I like run-on sentances.

Caia "The Magic Dragon" (Guidence Recordings)
I admittedly know nothing about electronic music, but this is what I
would describe as what I think is downtempo electronica. Mellow
music that builds and swells. If I were to assign this record as a
soundtrack to a portion of my life as a movie, it would go in the
scene where I am flat broke on a Saturday making a collage on the
kitchen table while it's sprikling outside. Translation: Nothing's
really happening, but it's got a pleasant feel. I will probably
never desire to hear this CD again.

Various Artists "Breakin' Bossa: The American Chapter Volume Two"
(Instinct)
Despite being named "The American Chapter..." this CD sounds very
British. Thick, rich, mid tempo electronic melodies with bossa nova
inspired beats. If this music could carry a handbag, it would.
Interesting sometimes, but I'll never listen to this again. It
reminds me of something that would be played in an expensive boutique
in North Beach that I can't afford to shop in.

The Start "Death Via Satellite EP" (Nitro)
I didn't like this at all, yet I braved all 6 songs AND the video.
How can I put this? Poo. It's like a punk Britney Spears backed by
a generic '80s inspired cast of Hot Topic employees. No musical
redemption whatsoever. Formulaic, predictable, by the book. Their
ambitious video for their single was obviously made to "set the tone"
for what this band is supposed to be about. They play to a living
room full of old dudes and nighty-wearing hot chicks. At the end of
the song, whoa! The dudes are major label execs and they want to
sign the band, but the band mocks disgust and walks out with the
'tude flag flying higher than their collective inflated egos. What's
funny to me is that their distribution company is owned in part by a
major, major label. This CD goes in the trash.

Phantom Planet "Phantom Planet" (Epic)
This is the band that Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) used to drum in.
He's on at least a few if not all of these tracks, but he had to
leave the band so he could persue the acting thing. Now, I'm not
sure if Phantom Planet should be ashamed or proud of this record.
Because I can't figure out if they essentially made a Strokes record
here or if they made the record that the Strokes should have made
instead of "Room On Fire." It's a real mystery and I have to think
about this some more.

Andrew W.K. "The Wolf" (Island)
This is my first listen to Andrew W.K. Is he Canadian? Because
something seems amiss. I feel the need to liken this music to soy cheese.
It's so ambitious, and yet it can't even come close to what it achieves to be.
At any rate, this CD is the modern rock version of Manheim Steamroller.
I don't think I like it and I'll never listen to this again on my own accord.

Making headway

More wedding anxiety dreams about bridesmaid dresses and photographers kicked me into action this week.

1. Nagged Leon about securing a photographer.
2. Set up two appointments to view and try on bridesmaid dresses with Mariah.
3. Locked down invitation components. I'll be handing them off to the designer complete with fonts, copy and pantone colors tomorrow.

I still don't know what to do about decorations.

It's true.

I admit I am a music snob in some ways. For instance: I don't like the Postal Service because I don't like what I think is the type of audience they draw. And I know that this is so, so wrong. So now, I've put the CD in again and I'll not think about early to mid-twenties girls and boys, in University Ofs, staying up late, drinking ten dollar wine, having profound conversations about life and love, wrapping and rewrapping hand-knitted scarves around their necks, fingering copies of The Nation laying on the kitchen table and the envelopes containing rent checks signed by parents while a tea kettle just starts to whistle in the drafty kitchen of an old 1930's craftsman four square.

Because that's just unfair of me.