RandomCha

I know a thing or two about hot cider.

I haven’t shared any tracks for awhile so here ya go:

In its entire history, Blue Note Records signed only one singer to an exclusive contract: Dodo Greene. And she only cut one album for Blue Note. I was lucky enough to snag a vinyl copy. Dodo had a really tough, earthy voice; she sort of sounds like Dinah Washington’s older, saltier sister.

She’s backed by my recent tenor fave Ike Quebec on sax and Grant Green on guitar. It’s wintertime, but this’ll melt you in a hurry.

DODO GREENE: My Hour of Need

Look what he did!

Yes: he sorted, processed, organized, catalogued and described the whole darn collection. The finding aid, as it’s called, gives a wonderful glimpse into what Andy’s brain would look like if he had total control over everything. And I don’t mean that mockingly, I mean that admiringly. My own brain probably looks something like my office at home. A room which confuses people.

I like to brag about him.

A beautiful moment which occurs once or twice a week:

It’s late afternoon. I’m sitting on the couch, reading or listening to music. It’s nearly dark outside and I have the lights on in the apartment. It’s quiet, still; even if I’m listening to music. I’m alone in the apartment. I listen for outside noises: a bus going by on the street below, the outer door of the building opening, footsteps coming up the front stairs. I listen for a long time, but all is still. There’s only anticipation. I go back to reading or to paying attention to the music, which seems to fill the entire apartment. But at the slightest sound coming from the outside world, my concentration shifts. Then I hear the following: the door of the building opening and then slamming shut, the inner door opening and closing, a measured tread climbing the stairs, a pause, keys going into the lock on the door of the apartment (and for the first time, those outside sounds becoming inner sounds, coming into this inner space where moments ago I was completely alone), the lock turning, the door opening. It is at that moment that I put down my book, perhaps, stop paying attention to the music, and I get up off the couch. And I see Andy standing in the hallway.

That would be me. I could’ve gone in today had it been absolutely necessary, but the closer we get to the holidays the slower it becomes at work. Plus, I figured that people would not appreciate me sharing my germs.

At least I didn’t get sick over the weekend, or sometime next week. So I’m taking it easy at home and also doing some writing, some holiday stuff, and drinking plenty of OJ. I should be up and around by tomorrow.

The Renegade Craft Fair over the weekend went better than I could’ve dreamed. I ended up selling 41 copies, basically as many as I was physically capable of making! I could’ve sold at least five more, but I just didn’t have them. The response was thrilling.

Now of course this morning here at “work” I’m grumpy, tired and generally touchy. I’d rather be writing and working on books than dealing with toner cartridges today.

It was one of those nights where I randomly wake up at 2 o’clock and think to myself, “Wow. It’s really late. I ought to be asleep.”

Yup. I’ll be lugging around copies of 100 Spinning Plates this weekend. Pssst! They make great Xmas gifts!

The Renegade Craft Fair/Winter Edition
in Wicker Park
@ The Pulaski Park Auditorium, 1419 W. Blackhawk
Saturday + Sunday, December 9 + 10, 12-5PM.

Well now. It was subzero outside all day. The thermometer didn’t crack 20 degrees.

We went for breakfast at Stella’s. Then we went to the lot next door and picked out our Christmas tree. It looked smaller outside. It’s actually about 6’1. But beautiful, Feathery needles, luscious, not sticky. It’s the first floor-standing tree Andy and I have ever gotten.

Christmas CD #1 in the player was Dave Brubeck’s solo piano album. Simple and moving. After putting the tree in its stand we let it rest for awhile and went to get Xmas cards. We’re now fully stocked. Plus of course we stopped by Reckless and I bought the Charlie Brown Xmas CD and a Sinatra Xmas CD. As I said, we’re now fully stocked. We put up the lights, decked the tree, and went through our archive of Xmas cards from the past six years. And some of them are from people I don’t even remember. Heh, that’s the net for you.

I have so inarticulate all weekend long. Which is terrible since I’ve already had to write several things. All came out like mush.