RandomCha

Since today is a National Day of Mourning for Ford, the vast majority of our customers (i.e. Federal and State of IL employees) have the day off. Whereas here I am, bright and early at the office. Ugh. What a slow day it shall be.

Using my day-timer, I was able to create a tally of all the movies I watched in 2006.

I watched 164.

mevthem

 requested I post the entire Dodo Greene album, so here ya go.

DODO GREENE: My Hour of Need

As I previously wrote, it’s very very hard to find now (unless you’re willing to shell out $55 on eBay) but pretty amazing. It’s soul, it’s jazz, it’s earth, it’s out of this world. Her voice, like Jimmy Scott’s, is so intense that it’s sometimes a challenge to listen to her for a long time at one sitting. But she just tears it up. Sidemen on this 1962 recording include Ike Quebec on sax (he would die later in the year) and Grant Green on guitar. Great stuff.

In a short while, Andy and I will be going over to Joey’s in order to get properly sauced and bid farewell to 2006. I was meaning to write something about 2006 a lot earlier today, but (lazy me) I procrastinated.

Here are my three resolutions for 2007:

1. Find another job, i.e. quit working at LL.
2. Get some publishers or agents or representatives to at least read my manuscript of Tiny Apocalypse; do another polish.
3. Take a Nice, Big Trip to Somewhere Cool.

I don’t want to aim too high. Low expectations encourage happy surprises.

2006 has been odd for me in a lot of ways. In general I could sum it up by saying that never before have I felt so conscious of being an adult. That includes job/money issues, the fact that I’ve been with Andy for six years now, and the slow disintegration of my memory. And what I mean by the last thing is this: I’ve begun to realize that my brain is just not capable of storing all the events of my life any more. For every new thing there is to remember it feels like something older grows ever sofuzzier. Gradually, but surely. The things slipping away from memory are being replaced (sometimes unconsciously) by bits of imagination. Filling in the blanks.

Overall, I liked 2006, at least my own life’s part of it. As far as what’s going on in the rest of the world … I sort of feel like we’re all doomed.

Seriously, last night I had my first-ever dream involving Barack Obama. I believe I was at his campaign headquarters; only, he hadn’t yet announced he was running yet. Some staffers from Hillary Clinton’s campaign showed up, taunting him with the latest poll which showed Hillary neck-and-neck with Obama. I took one of the staffers aside and said, “Wait, Obama hasn’t even announced that he’s running and he’s running neck-and-neck with Hillary and you’re telling us that’s good news for you?” 

I remember being very star-struck in his presence. And yet he talked very openly and comfortably with me, sketching out his plans or something. I don’t remember much of the substance of what he said.

Andy gets back from Indy tonight. Last night I decided to stay home alone and just chill out. My aunt bought me Dumbo on DVD for Xmas and I couldn’t resist the urge to watch it. And, once again, it made me cry. Wow. Every frame of that movie is beautiful. And there’s not a wasted moment. No flab. And think about it: two characters (one of whom is just a child) get drunk on champagne and start hallucinating. When was the last time you saw that in a recent Disney cartoon? 

I know what I will be doing on the evening of Saturday, January 27th.

I will be watching INLAND EMPIRE.

!!!

JING-A-LING

1 1/2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. bourbon
3/4 oz. red vermouth
3/4 oz. cranberry juice

Stir in a cocktail shaker with ice until cold, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime twist.

Well, we’re on our way to Indy! I’ll be back Tuesday evening.

Happy Festivus everyone!

The new Dengue Fever album is awesome! I got it at Tower Records on Wabash, on their 3rd-to-last day before closing their doors forever. It cost me $1.40.

Slooooow day at work. I’m all caught up with my posts for Chicagoist until after Xmas. Andy & I hop a bus to Indy on Saturday morning. Tonight I’m having fondue over at Steven’s place. I’m shipping the remainder of my BEST OF 2006 mix CDs before Saturday, for those of you who asked for them. I received two boxes of presents from my Mom. Andy took one look at everything and said, “It looks like our Christmas tree exploded.” The Holiday Party at the Newberry last night was fun. Andy finally won a prize from the raffle: two tickets to Second City. Neither of us have ever been. We’re very bad Chicagoans.