LIVE OWL NEST BOX CAM!

Watching this makes me feel like my ADD diagnosis is way off, because I could stare at this for hours. The first owlet pipped this morning!

In other news, the comments section is super entertaining. You have the usual suspects: trolls, spammers, grammar nazis, owl enthusiasts...

Live video by Ustream

Feeling like a hundred bucks, exchanging good lucks face to face.

R.I.P., Alex Chilton.

Read, laugh, laugh.

I am pretty sure every human being on the planet has read this book, or at least knows someone that has:

Am I right? My mom sent it to me a year ago and I have honestly tried, I have...but I just can't seem to get through it. I always cringe just a little bit when someone asks me if I have read it, because ten times out of ten a person that is asking that question is poised to discuss how wonderful it is, etc. etc. I think I will give it one more go, if not only to be able to finish the damn thing and put it in my "to sell" pile that will be carted to the Bookworm at some point.

The other day I was in Barnes and Noble and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this book:

Wow......just......wow. I laughed so hard. I picked it up and started reading it, and soon two other people had done the same thing I just did. I ended up buying it because there is a whole section on the author's travels through Ireland, a place that I have a plane ticket to in a month's time.

I can't wait to read it. I'll tell you how it is. Maybe I will show up at a book club with this one instead of Eat, Pray, Love....and feign ignorance just to mess with people. Hmmm..

You'll See the World Like a Bird

Around the last few weeks of December I decided that 2009 was going to be a good year. I didn't decide that in hopes that wishing it might make it true. I wasn't waxing all Eckhart Tolle or anything remotely New Agey. Things just lined up in a certain way and I realized that there was much to look forward to. One thing that solidified this belief of future awesomeness was learning that a new Neko Case album was imminent. I have been in such a huge Neko Case phase this past year in particular, the timing couldn't be more perfect. 

It's going to be so so so great....but wait! There's more.......

Neko Case has announced that for every blog that posts her new single, she will make a donation to the Best Friends Animal Society. Wow, I guess she could get even more awesome than she already was. This is especially auspicious to me because my wonderful sister got me the Best Gift Ever for my B-day....a trip to Best Friends to work as a volunteer. Stay tuned for more details..

Anyway, here is the single. Enjoy....and mark your calendar for March 3 so that you can march straight out to your nearest independent record store and purchase what is sure to be an unforgettable album. It's called Middle Cyclone...after you listen to the single below, be sure to watch this video, then go forth in awe.

People Got A Lotta Nerve - Neko Case

Best of 2008

When I started this blog my intention was to write about music, mostly. My other intention was to write every single day......

The music thing got waylaid because there is just so much other stuff to write about.  The daily posting didn't happen because I am very, very lazy, and also, I discovered Facebook. Still, despite my laziness, there are things from 2008 that I experienced that deserve a mention, and I can't see the end of December with just one post, so here is a list of my best of 2008.

Best Live Shows:

1) Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds at the Ogden: September 26, 2008

We stood so close to the stage we could see the pupils of his eyes. He came to the edge of the stage during "Night of the Lotus Eaters" and stared us down for the longest and best twenty seconds of my recent life. He played the best show I have seen in years and years, with a sexual and creative energy that still leaves a hot spot on my neck and tingles up and down my spine. Warren Ellis, with his long wild hair and a beard to match was  hunched over like a wild animal as he played his tiny guitar and his seething violin with an almost violent compulsion. Warren Ellis is a man possessed, there is no doubt about it, and you can't look away. It was Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds but all I remember is Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

Nick Cave pranced and sauntered around the stage like Mick Jagger crossed with Satan himself...(or at least Daniel Day Lewis).He made intense eye contact with the audience and took it all in like some sort of lion that was deciding which of the adoring and hypnotized sheep to eat up in one big gulp.

One of my favorite moments was during a song, he looked at a woman who was up against the stage. She was dressed in a leather vest and a leather motorcycle cap, many many piercings, short spiky hair and some super thick black eye makeup, and he pulled the microphone away from his mouth and said to her "you're a fucking bull dyke, aren't you?" and she looked at him and laughed and said "yes sir" and he laughed and she laughed and I was almost in tears from laughing myself. Don't misunderstand...the man is not a homophobe. He just likes to mess with people.

A lot of people, including myself, like Nick Cave's beautiful ballads. The piano is his instrument and he has performed lectures about the Love Song. He played only one ballad that night, which is a good thing, because any more would have been too incongruous with the energy of the show. 

Anyways, here is the set list:

1. Night of the Lotus Eaters 2008

2. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! 2008

3. Tupelo 1985

4. Today’s Lesson 2008

5. Weeping Song 1990

6. Red Right Hand 1994

7. Midnight Man 2008

8. Love Letter 2001

9. Hold On To Yourself 2008

10. The Mercy Seat 1988

11. Deanna 1988

12. Moonland 2008

13. Hard On for Love 1986

14. We Call Upon The Author to Explain 2008

15. Encore 1: Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry 1992

16. Wanted Man (Bob Dylan cover) 1985

17. The Lyre of Orpheus 2004

18. Encore 2: Stagger Lee 1996

I won't forget this show for as long as I live. 

2) The Handsome Family/ Calexico @ the Sunshine Theatre in Albuquerque: November 25, 2008

My friend Joe introduced me to the Handsome Family about ten years back, and I have never gotten the chance to see them live. I had a business trip to Albuquerque coming up and when I saw that they were opening for Calexico I arranged the trip around this show and bought tickets right away. The day of the show I met up with a woman I work with and told her I was going to see them, and she asked me what kind of music they play. I think I said something like, "You know, executioner's songs, murder ballads, love songs about dragging your beloved wife out into the woods and clubbing her to death while she cries for mercy, that kind of thing". We were sitting in a starbucks and the woman literally looked at me and said, "okay! well, I have to get going, I am going to pick up my son at day care. Nice seeing you!" 

She all but ran out of there. I was all thinking "what?"...

I laugh when I imagine the satanic ritual she probably thought I was attending, because Brett and Rennie Sparks (The husband and wife that are the Handsome Family) strike me as some of the nicest people in the world. They just happen to tell stories that are dark and disturbing and explore the most hopeless and insidious sides of humanity. She writes all the lyrics and he writes the music and it is incredible, what they do. They played my favorite song, "So Much Wine", halfway through their set, which was just amazing. I was able to talk to Rennie at the merch table and I just wanted to say, "won't you please be my new best friend?". Instead I stammered out a "that was awesome" or something like that. I get a little tongue tied to say the least.

The best part of that night was this: I was going to leave after the Handsome Family because I didn't really know Calexico and at the time, didn't really care. I stayed, though, and they..were...unbelievable. Ennio Moriccone meets traditional music of Mexico. All the guys in the band were these incredible musicians, but the two that stand out the most were the two trumpet players. Both were multi-instrumentalists, switching from trumpets to keyboards to accordions to percussion , all the while singing backup and harmonies that were spot on. Their music was so good, it made me feel as though if I closed my eyes and opened them  I would be standing outside with a dry hot breeze enveloping me as I gazed out over red sands because I would be either in a Sergio Leone movie or a Cormac Macarthy book. It was such a good show.

Oh, and a great thing happened. I was close to the front, but up against the wall, when a guy taps me on the shoulder and asks me how tall I am. I tell him, and he says to me, "you don't have to stand all the way back here, you know. You should be able to go way up front too!" I swear I wanted to lean down ( he was a tiny little guy) and plant one on him in thanks, because it seems at every show I go to someone has to make a comment about hating standing behind me. I want to send thanks that little man, wherever he is. He made my night with that comment.

Here is Calexico's Myspace page. Check it out. I love "Two Silver Trees":

http://www.myspace.com/casadecalexico

Here is a Handsome Family video that I love. Check it out:

3) The Gutter Twins @ the Fox Theatre in Boulder: March 29th, 2008

Mark Lanegan......I would marry him in a second. Sure, he was a heroin addict for many years and sure, he probably isn't exactly the "faithful" type, but if a man can write and sing like he does, who gives a crap? Mark Lanegan is one of my top five favorite musicians of all time, so I was excited to get to see the Gutter Twins this year. We stood in the very front against the stage, and I was right there in front of Mark Lanegan and his giant size 14 feet, staring up at him like I was staring at a giant pillar of rock at Yosemite National Park, craning my neck to take it all in. 

Lanegan makes no eye contact with the audience but just stands there and channels this beautiful whiskey soaked baritone, It made me a little bit afraid and a little bit turned on all at the same time. Greg Duhli, the other half of the Gutter Twins, is well known for his band The Afghan Whigs. His energy is the complete opposite of Mark Lanegan. He flies around the stage and interacts with the audience that gives the impression of one who maybe has done a little too much of the nose candy in his life, or possibly right before the show. He was dressed in a suit that looked a bit like a used copier salesman with a gambling problem. Still, he was awesome and it was a good complement to the not-moving-but could-explode-with-creative-anger- at-any-moment energy of Mark my future husband Lanegan. 

Best Music Heard:

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford OST

Unbelievably beautiful and perfect score to a great movie. Scratchy and unpretentious violin and heartbreaking piano melodies. 

Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell: Sunday at Devil Dirt

Imagine Tinker Bell and a (hot) Frankenstein pairing up for a duet whose sound is often compared to Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood. It took forever for this to get released, but we are going to be okay, because it is here now. I wouldn't recommend Isobel Campbell's solo stuff, though. It's really kind of annoying. Luckily she has Mark Lanegan's coat tails to ride on, because they make beautiful music together. 

Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago

The kind of indie music that I love, love, love. Specifically, the un-precious kind. Which is kind of an oxymoron, I know. I think you just have to hear it to know what I mean. It's an incredible record....written and recorded while Justin Vernon (the real name of Bon Iver) sequestered himself in a cabin in remote Wisconsin. You can almost hear the mosquitos, although they are heavily overdubbed....

Oh, and it's too awesome to hear the holier than thou hipsters pronouncing it "Bon Eye-ver". 

(Bon Iver is pronounced like the French term for "good winter": Bon Hiver...or,"bohn eevair").

I am not exactly the pronunciation queen, but there is some joy in an opportunity to correct the "Suffocatingly Uncorrectable"....ahem.

Liz Durrett: Outside Our Gates:

Liz Durrett is constantly compared to Cat Power. You know what though? She is BETTER. She has a smoky voice and sings ghosty southern gothic songs. Her voice reminds me of a creepy but beautiful instrument that is on it's last legs and you can barely get a note out of it. Liz Durrett is far from being on her last legs, though. She has the constant guidance of her uncle, Vic Chesnutt, though it's very apparent that she would do just fine without him. Here she is on Myspace ( I love "The Sea is Dream" demo..):

http://www.myspace.com/lizdurrett

There was so much more music: the Handsome Family, M. Ward, Calexico, Neko Case, Beirut, the National...Gillian Welch, Floyd Tillman, Hank Snow, Dwight Yoakam. None of these artists released anything in 2008 but they were all on heavy rotation this year. 

Only Shallow: Favorite Television Shows watched in 2008

Fine. Whatever. You don't have a TV and you are so much better than me. Oh, wait, guess what? I don't have a television either, but I do have a Macbook, a DVD drive, and a SERIOUS addiction to my "stories". The following proved to be the most addicting this year, in five words or less:

Mad Men: Don Draper. Advertising. 1960! AWESOME.

True Blood: Vampires, sex, TOTAL SHAMELESS CHEESE.

Deadwood: Cocksucker, Swearengen, motherfucking bangety bang.

Weeds: apparently it is addicting....

The Mighty Boosh: Original and hilarious comedy duo.

Flight of the Conchords: Original and hilarious comedy duo.

That's all I am going to write about, although so much more happened this year. I could write a whole entry on the accordion, which I took up in February and have been in love with ever since. I've met some incredible new friends and seen and done a lot of great stuff. I just have this feeling about 2009, though....it's going to be a good one. If it's not, well, at least there will always be books and movies and music. What would we do without them?

Here is a great quote from the M. Ward song "To Go Home":

"God, it's great to be alive..takes the skin right off my hide to think i'll have to give it all up someday"

G'bye, 2008. I won't miss you, but I do thank you for all that you provided.

Hello 2009....what will your best of be??

Ode to a Family Friend

The Erwins have been family friends since well before I was born. Jim, Marg and their kids Eric and Lisa have been in our lives always. When I was in my early twenties I ran into some trouble and Jim made it a point to help me out and guide me in the right direction, providing me with a shoulder to lean on that my parents just couldn't provide, simply because, well...they were my parents. They were just too close to me to be able to see what I needed, though they did everything they could and more. Jim stepped in and offered to help and I will never, ever forget that. 

Jim Erwin died this morning after a year and half long battle with brain cancer. I was able to visit him in October one last time. I knew it would be the last time, because I could tell that HE knew it would be the last time. As we rose from our chairs to say goodbye I lingered behind a bit so I could squeeze his hand as he lay in his hospital bed. He looked at me tearily and said, "I love you, Emilie". I squeezed his hand hard and told him that I loved him, too. There is no doubt in my mind; we both knew that was our final goodbye.

When Jim was first diagnosed, he was given a prognosis of 6 months to live. He lived for a year and half past that day. When I think about Jim and his life, I can say for sure that I know why he outlasted his projected remaining time for a full year. 

For one thing, I have never met such a close knit and loving family in my entire life. He and his wife Marg were like a couple of peas in a pod. Always laughing, always discovering new things. Still totally in love with each other after fifty years of marriage. The relationship of Jim, Marg, and their kids Lisa and Eric was.. IS like a family of best friends that cherish every second together. That always made an impression on me. The other thing that stands out is that Jim had an incredible sense of humor and sort of bottomless creativity that he expressed in many ways. 

The following are some cartoons and drawings that he made over the years:

Here is a little card he made for my parent's anniversary:

I LOVE this one: it was for my mom's birthday. (My dad was a christmas tree farmer):

Here is a birthday card he made for me: at the time I played all of the instruments pictured, and I do believe this is an accurate depiction of my family's reaction to my "music" :

Oh, and one more thing: the Erwins would annually play a practical joke on my parents on April Fool's day, and vice versa. Once time they took my parents out to lunch and bribed the waiter to bring out these ridiculous joke meals in place of what they actually ordered. I think one year my parents covered their lawn with plastic flamingos..there were pranks every year.

The moral of the story: life can be cruel and it is definitely short. To be full of life, humor, positivity, and surrounded by family and friends is the best way that a person can live. 

Goodnight, dear Jim. We all love you very much.

Purr your request

Today is a FINE day. Please, dear reader(s?), ignore my whiny tone in any previous posts, because life is good. Would you like to know why? 

For one thing, I found this bag at a local shoppette:

The birdies are both shades of my favorite color of blue:

The best part is that the bag is not leather, it is PVC, which the girl behind the counter assured me was endangered. Death to all the Naugas and PVC that still insist on walking the earth!!!

I haven't bought anything for myself in quite some time (well, a few weeks...but that would be like a heroin addict not touching smack for a day or two, so I think I have come leaps and bounds), and yes, I bought it. I deserve it, and it makes me happy. 

Know what else makes me super f*cking happy? The fact that another day passes and my babies are all safe and sound. Here is a picture from about two minutes ago, where they are all settled in to their "spot":

Ninja Kitty Wells and her 22 digits:

 

Monsignor Earl, avec sa moustache:

...and Miss Lily. The best part about this is that she is relaxed...and happy. She has horrible allergies so any moment that she isn't itchy and suffering I breathe a sigh of relief for her. Observe, she sleeps. Ahhhhhh......

Next up? My HOUSE. Usually I have an office day on Mondays, and much of this day I do my workin' from home. However, my house is usually in such a state of disarray and messiness that one would think a rabid leafblowing machine got loose in said apartment, wreaking havoc on all that is inside. Unfortunately, it is just a manifestation of my psyche, which happens to usually have "clothes all over its floor" so to speak. You can imagine the effect this has on my workaday productivity.

Yesterday I woke up with the will to clean like I hadn't had in a long time. We are talking, move the furniture around (I'm talking to you, piano), get down on the hands and knees with the Pet Hair Magnet* to clean the entire carpet, and just generally "do it up". 

*because the vacuum bit the dust, and not in its intended way, many moons ago.

Before:

After:

I only have the pics of half the house for now, but as soon as the fed ex guy leaves I am going to take pictures of the rest. Oh my, I've said too much.

Also I can't leave this out....I have another episode of True Blood to watch, PLUS I have the first two books in the series WITH THEIR ORIGINAL COVERS.

I get so pissed off when a movie or a series gets made that is based on a book, then some contractual b*llshit causes the covers to change forever to some stupid movie poster scene. 

I mean, that would be like, taking a great album cover and changing it based on whatever douchebag decided to play the songs. Can you imagine? Can you imagine if that poop fiend Kenny G had total creative license to change the album cover to say, "What a Wonderful World"?

Ugh....that'll replace the whale in me nightmares, to quote the sea captain.

These are choppy waters that I tread though, because in making this comparison one might think I do not approve of the television series, which of course, I do...

I just don't approve of HBO's cheesy promo poster for it.

It's funny that I wouldn't like the cheesy promo poster because the show itself is really...just so cheesy. However, I maintain that it's cheese is appealing because of the campy and self-mocking nature that it upholds. Plus, the vampire/human sex is steeeeeeamy! You can't have watched Episode Ten without telling me that you fantasized about someone crawling out of the ground and having their way with you. You just can't. Not even you, mom....just kidding. My mom doesn't get HBO.

Alright, that'll do it for now. It's off to watch that episode then spend about ten hours on Facebook. Then it's off to the eye doctor, where they just might have to call the authorities when they see the telltale signs of internet addiction.....will YOU come visit me in rehab?