And many times I've listened

Jeff and I got a brand-new flat screen television on Black Friday.

This came after (literally) years of begging from Jeff. We've lived together for almost four years and have never bought a new TV. Our old TVs had been lugged from New York > Boston > San Diego (and two apartments there) > New York > Massachusetts (and two apartments there.) They were worse for the wear. One hummed really loudly if you turned the volume up too high. The other had a giant scratch on it from our trip across country and a precariously-placed bedframe (which also left a nasty gash in my dashboard.)

They were also small (insert size matters joke here). For people who watch as much TV and sports as we do, it was almost silly how crappy our TVs were. But we always seemed to have wiser places to spend our money, and that didn't change, but the time seemed right. We scouted Black Friday deals and found a great one which basically amounted to about $500 off. Jeff got in line at 2:15 a.m. They offered only two in store under this deal, and Jeff got it. Success!

Anyways, TV watching has been significantly better these days.

The only thing is... I'm actually watching less of it now. Jeff can't believe when he comes home after work, flips it on, and sees that it's on the same channel it was the night before.

"Did you really not watch any TV today?"

I think everyone who reads this blog knows I work from home. For the past 18 months I've watched a variety of daytime TV, which as you all know, sucks hard core. I've watched Maury, I've watched hours and hours of women giving birth, I've watched more Jon + Kate and 18 Kids and Counting than I'd like to admit. I wish I'd watched more Oprah, but I always forget that it's on. Oh, and roughly 1.673 million hours of SportsCenter.

Just somewhere along the line I got sick of it. I got back into music. You'll be surprised, or bored, to learn that this long lead-in was about me listening to music again.

My relationship with music in my life has never been clearly defined. I didn't own a CD until ninth grade. Before then my music tastes included, by default and time-period, some greats: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston... the Grease soundtrack? Oh, and Queen's Greatest Hits. (My family also used to listen to Monty Python skits on tape as well, so that earns me some cred, right?)

My first CD I bought was Sublime/Sublime. We used to play it on band trips (I was in marching band, yes. And I did go to band camp! Is that joke not old yet?? And how about that Sanjaya?) While I'll still defend that CD as I know every word and still would list Sublime amongst my favorite bands of all time, I can't much defend the CDs I owned immediately after that: Limp Bizkit, Eminem, and of course, N*Sync. (I owned two of this Justin Timberlake poster. Ohhh yeahhh...)

Then junior year of high school, I had a boyfriend who was into classic rock. Where would I have been if we hadn't dated? I shudder to think. Anyways he got me into the Beatles, and Led Zeppelin, and loads of other great bands. I started listening to a lot of John Lennon and Tom Petty.

Now I was never a music snob, and I loathe music snobs. I don't particularly like Dylan. I didn't start liking the Rolling Stones until recently. I stopped listening to the radio ages ago (May 2006 and still counting...) so I have no idea who's "cool" now. I know that Ting Tings "That's not my name" song came out a while ago, but it's all I can listen to now. If ever a song makes you want to shake your head side to side and do a 90s-style skip/kick dance it's that one, am I right?

Anyways, considering that I've pretty much been from the depths of bad music, to the height of good music, and that I've been listening to music 8 hours a day for two months or so now, I thought I'd list 10 of my favorite songs of all time. And I'd LOVE to hear yours in the comments. Top singles. Desert Island songs. Here's my crack, in no particular order.

* Everlong, The Foo Fighters: Right now this is listed as my most played song in iTunes, with 30 listens. This song belongs in that same category as the Ting Tings song and what it makes me want to do when I hear it. Also: amazing lyrics. This isn't exactly an original pick, I know lots of people love this song as well.

* Over the Hills and Far Away, Led Zeppelin: I think I feel safe saying the opening bars to this song are the best opening instrumentals of any song ever. Yeah, that's right. When this song starts, I immediately feel happier. It's very soothing at the start, and then just transforms from there. Like a story. How's that analogy!? I'm a writer, yo.

* For No One, The Beatles: This is probably my favorite Beatles song of all time. Do I need to say more? (Let It Be/Happiness is a Warm Gun (surprise) also up there. OK, I guess I did need to say more.)

* The Wind Cries Mary, Jimi Hendrix: My desert island songs are pretty mellow. I wouldn't even say I'm a true or huge JH fan. But I do love this song.

* A Dustland Fairytale, The Killers: I guess I find myself picking one song per favorite artist here, and even though this is off their recent (and not best album) this is my favorite Killers song of all time (* for now).

* Hallelujah, Rufus Wainwright: I know, this song is way played out. But I don't want to hear about your "original" or "better" versions. This is the only version for me.

* Angel Dream No. 2, Tom Petty: You probably haven't heard this one. You probably should.

* Sweetest Thing, U2: OK this is a new addition to the list. I'm not sure I feel comfortable having it here. I reserve the right to ditch it.

* I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You, Colin Hay: Ditto previous song.

* Only You, Yaz: Well, come on, my wedding song had to be on here right? First song Jeff ever said made him think of me.

Honorable Mentions: Wise Up, Aimee Mann; All My Days, Alexi Murdoch; Stay Together for the Kids, Blink-182; Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen; Round Here, Counting Crows; Lost Cause, Beck; Save the Last Dance for Me, the Drifters; Bad Rabbits and Some People Live Between Holidays, Gavin Castleton; Just a Thought, Gnarls Barkley; Patience, Guns N Roses; Lots of Killers songs; Going to California and What is and What Should Never Be, Led Zeppelin; Will You Be There, Michael Jackson; Hey Ya! Outkast; 3 Libras, A Perfect Circle; Ruby Tuesday, Rolling Stones; Lots of Tom Petty songs (Crawling Back to You); Lots of Queen songs; Into the Mystic, Van Morrison; Say It Ain't So, Weezer; Suite Judy Blue Eyes: Crosby, Stills and Nash; The Scientist, Coldplay...

... and tons more I'm sure I'm forgetting. I definitely do, and probably always will, skew classic rock. What about you, what songs am I missing from this list? I'd love to hear them!! New and old commenters alike!

There's just no magic in the midnight sun

The Killers perform my favorite song (also their new single) on Letterman last night with a full orchestra. I love how Letterman introduces them as a "popular rock band." Also, I wish Brandon Flowers was my drum major in high school. /I'll stop now.

Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs.

For wedding favors, Jeff and I decided to give away CDs. My cousin Lisa did this at her wedding, and I thought it was such a cute, fun, youthful idea. I've found some creative packaging and think the CDs could double as escort cards; I'm all about the two-in-one.

I've mostly left the imaging and production up to Jeff as one of his few responsibilities for our big day, but of course I had to have my say. At first, we were going to do a "Bride's CD" and "Groom's CD" but in the end ... well, let's be real, it was too much work.

But now we must come to a consensus. We've got about 44 songs we need whittle at least in half. Here are 16 which are definites for me, with some notes. Please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments!

We decided to go a mix of old-school, new-school, classics and some under-the-radar tunes. I didn't want to be pretentious, or load it with a bunch of obscure songs to prove how cool/emo I am. Because I'm not. Most of these songs just remind me of Jeff when I hear them, that's why I want them. (Click on song titles for best videos of the songs I could find.)

1. Queen -- You're My Best Friend: Queen is one of my favorite bands of all time, in the top-10 if not the top-5. Queen didn't actually write this song, but the writer did pen it for his wife. Jeff is absolutely my best friend. 

Favorite lyric: "You've stood by me girl/I'm happy, happy at home/You're my best friend."

2. Barry Louis Polisar -- All I Want is You: You probably know this song from Juno. It's a fun little diddy that makes me smile when I hear it. It's a little bit country without being obnoxious. 

Favorite Lyric: "If you were a wink, I'd be a nod/If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod./If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug/And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug."

3. The Arctic Monkeys -- Baby I'm Yours: The Arctic Monkeys are one of our favorite bands. Jeff first put this cover on a CD for me a few years ago and it was sort of a no-brainer for this list.

Favorite lyric: "Baby, I'm yours/And I'll be yours until the sun no longer shines/Yours until the poets run out of rhyme/In other words, until the end of time."

4. Frank Sinatra -- The Way you Look Tonight: Jeff is from New York. So that means: Jeff likes the Yankees. Jeff likes pizza. And of course, Jeff likes Sinatra. It's a classic, and might stop the old folk from throwing this CD away.

Favorite lyric: "Lovely ... Don't you ever change/Keep that breathless charm/Won't you please arrange it?/Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight."

5. Al Green -- Let's Stay Together: Jeff and I have been known to feel the funk. And just like couples all around the country embarrass their kids by doing weird slow dance movements to this song, Jeff and I hope to do the same in 20 years.

Favorite lyric: "I'm so in love with you/Whatever you want to do/Is alright with me/'Cause you make me feel, so brand new/And I want to spend my life with you."

6. Alicia Keys -- No One: Jumping ahead a few decades, here's a cookie cutter song that, I can't help it, I love. I sing it in the car as loud as possible and hit at least 35% of the notes. Probably our most current selection.

Favorite Lyric: "I just want you close/Where you can stay forever/You can be sure/That it will only get better."

7. Colin Hay -- I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You: Jeff went on a business trip earlier this year. When he came home, the first thing he did was tell me that he had been listening to a song the whole time he was there, and it made him think of me. He put it on and we had a welcome home slow dance in the living room. ::Insert gagging noises here::

Favorite lyric:  "I don't want you thinking I'm unhappy/What is closer to the truth/That if I lived till I was 102/I just don't think I'll ever get over you."

8. The Beatles -- Here, There, Everywhere: Jeff and I are huge Beatles fans, and this won't be the only Beatles song on this CD. This one's off Revolver.

Favorite Lyric: "But to love her is to need her everywhere/Knowing that love is to share/Each one believing that love never dies/Watching her eyes and hoping I'm always there."

9. Joshua Radin -- Only You: This is our first dance song, so of course it had to be on here. It's a cover of a Yaz song from the 80s, which was also featured on the British version of The Office in the moment that Tim and Dawn finally get together. There's a version of this cover on the City of Angels soundtrack, but this is the acoustic cover that was released as an iTunes single of the week. On top of all that, it was the first song Jeff ever said made him think of me :) I can't wait to dance to it!

Favorite lyric: "All I needed was the love you gave/All I needed for another day/And all I ever knew/Only you."

10. Bob Dylan -- I Want You: Jeff insisted on a Dylan song, even though I'm not much of a fan. He gave me a few choices, and this is the one I went with.

Favorite lyric: "I wasnt born to lose you/I want you, I want you/I want you so bad/Honey, I want you."

11. U2 -- Can't Help Falling in Love: When I first saw this on the preliminary list Jeff gave me, I was skeptical. I don't really love U2, and the original of this song is so good, why mess with it? Well, I gave it a chance and listened to it, and it's really beautiful, even if it's been overly Bono-fied.

Favorite lyric: "Take my hand/Take my whole life too/'Cause I can't help/Falling in love with you."

12. Me My Head (Formerly The Moths) -- Wildbirds: I'm not really sure how or where Jeff picked up on this band, but this is probably our most obscure tune. This band is really fantastic and I fully expect them to blow up. This may stick out a bit on the list, but I don't care!

Favorite lyric: "They labeled us doomed and romantic/But they never had a love to match it."

13. Old 97s -- Question: Jeff told me he's "over" this song, but I'm not! It's so romantic and reminds me of the night we got engaged when I hear it. (Side note: finding video of this song was hard and it sounds like the lead singer can't really sing this song. Yikes.)

Favorite lyric: "Someday, somebody's gonna ask you/A question that you should say yes to/Once in your life."

14. The Beatles -- Something: Another classic. Do I really need to say anything?

Favorite lyric: "You're asking me will my love grow/I don't know, I don't know/Stick around, and it may show."

15. Billy Bragg -- The Price I Pay (This will take you to the Rhapsody page, but you can listen to the full song there): Jeff went through a Billy Bragg phase a few months ago, and I'm embarrassed to say, I sometimes meet Jeff's frequent phases with scorn. But I chilled out, started actually listening to Bragg, who ain't bad. This song is not really a love song as much as a "I like a girl who treats me bad" but I think you'd have to listen hard to hear that.

Favorite lyric: "Girl I love you so much, that sometime's it's such /I'd walk a mile with a stone in my shoe/And that's the price I pay for loving you the way that I do."

16. Kenny Rogers -- Through The Years: My grandparents were married over 50 years. On their 50th anniversary, when I was maybe six or seven, we had a party for them. A family friend videotaped the event and at the end of the tape, he put a photo montage of my grandparents, their children and grandchildren. And he set it to this song. I hadn't thought about the song in a long time until at my friend Meg's wedding it was played during the anniversary dance (Where married couples dance, and are 'removed' from the floor in ascending order of years they've been married, leaving the longest married on the floor at the end). I started to cry! This song makes me tear up every time I hear it. I love, love it.

Favorite lyric: "I swear you've taught me everything I know/Can't imagine needing someone so/But through the years it seems to me/I need you more and more."

Thoughts? Suggestions?

We couldn't wait to get outside the world

I got an iTunes card for my birthday from Jeff's parents, and I started thinking about what songs I wanted to download (of course this is a serious decision.) I had a ton of music on my first college computer, when Napster was still 'legal' and you could download as much music as you wanted. There are so many songs I used to listen to on repeat that I lost when that computer died. It seems with every computer I've gotten since then I've lost more and more music.

I wanted to reminisce a little here, to songs that meant a lot to me when I was younger, enduring puppy love, battles with friends (I couldn't figure out fast enough that friends that fight with you aren't friends worth keeping. I get it now), when I thought I was a bit cooler than I was and was often too angsty for my own good. I downloaded 10 songs (I want to save a bit of the card for later!).

Songs in order of the period of my life, from youngest to oldest.

Artist: Sublime

Song: April 29, 1992

Comment: The first CD I ever bought was Sublime, Sublime. I used listen to this thing over and over and over and over. I think I still know every word on the album by heart. For some reason, this was my favorite song. (Side note: Has anyone been watching Celebrity Rehab? Seeing Rodney King on there is so surreal and sad. He was such a victim of circumstance and he hasn't really been able to get his life back together since. Sort of unfair.)

Favorite lyric:

"But if you look at the streets it wasn't about Rodney King,
It's bout this [expletive] up situation and these [expletive] up police.
It's about coming up and staying on top
and screamin' 187 on a [expletive] cop.
It's not written on the paper it's on the wall.
National guard
Smoke from all around"

Ok sorry for the explicitness there. I'm not embarrassed to say I loved this song, but I do want to make it clear I wasn't attempting to be 'gangster' or similar to the people who lived through the LA Riots. But maybe I was rallying against the man... just a little. Hey, I was 15!

Artist: Notorious BIG

Song: Juicy

Comment: OK remember what I said before about not trying to be gangster? Well, maybe I was a little. I *think* this was the first rap song I ever heard, or registered. I specifically remember listening to it on a cassette tape. I still know all the lyrics.

Favorite lyric: "If you don't know, now you know" Yeah, that's right. Oh man, what a punk I was.

Artist: John Lennon

Song: Working Class Hero

Comment: Oh, I went through a hard-core John Lennon phase. I'm not sure it's over yet. I definitely felt 'cool' knowing and listening to this song. (Side note: If you're a Beatles/John Lennon fan and you don't own the book 'All we are saying' which is basically a novel of his final interview ... go out and get it now or ask for it for Christmas.)

Favorite lyric: There's so many good ones here, it's hard to choose!

"When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear"

Obviously, John Lennon wasn't much of a proponent of the public school system, and while I'm not as cynical as he was (Hey, I have friends that work for public schools) I see what he's driving at here.

Artist: A Perfect Circle

Song: Three Libras

Comment: I loved this song mostly for the vocals, I thought they were so smooth, though I'm a little embarrassed to put this one on the list -- but I loved it and I still do!!

Favorite lyric: "Here I am expecting just a little too much from the wounded." How's that for angsty lyrics! Haha oh man. I wish I could go back to my high school/early college self and slap myself in the face and yell, "GET OVER IT!"

Artist: Blink-182

Song: Stay Together for the Kids

Comment: I used to joke that this was the divorced kids anthem. Not every line rings true, but the message is really strong and I related to it.

Favorite lyric: "If a stupid poem, could fix this home, I'd read it every day." I absolutely love that line and still do. Not because I had any specific relation to it, but I was growing up in the age where people coddled you in these situations. I was always looking to have real feelings in real situations, I didn't need anyone to pander to me.

Artist: Pearl Jam

Song: Jeremy

Comment: Oh man, I listened to this song at least 10 times a day when I was a freshman in college. This was another great vocal performance. I would channel my inner Eddie Vedder and belt it out.

Favorite lyric: "And the boy was something that mommy wouldn't wear." Again, I couldn't relate to this line or anything (not trying to send any messages here!) I just thought it was smart and sharp.

Artist: Blink-182

Song: Adam's song

Comment: Another Blink-182 song! I wasn't a huge fan or anything, but did they write really powerful teenage anthems or was it just me?

Favorite lyric: "Please tell mom this is not her fault." Obviously, this is a song about suicide. I was never suicidal as a teenager, but I had some people close to me that I worried about sometimes. It would break my heart listening to this song and that line would hit me every time.

Artist: Tom Petty

Song: Crawling Back to You

Comment: This song was all about me feeling sorry for myself. I love Tom Petty more than most people I think. I always thought this would be a perfect movie song for the scene where someone is driving along the road, sad. Lame!

Favorite lyric: "I'm so tired of being tired. Sure as night will follow day, most things that I worry about, never happen anyway." I still love this line without the sadness attached to it. It's true.

Artist: The Killers

Song: Mr. Brightside

Comment: I'm just barely slipping this in as a "teenage song." It was released in September 2003, which would have been a month before my 20th birthday. Coming off a harsh break-up and entering a new relationship, I would rock out to this song regularly.

Favorite lyric: "I just can't look, it's killing me. And taking control." Wah, wah, wah. This is definitely another, 'Emily get over yourself' song memory.

Artist: Gavin Castle ton

Song: Bad Rabbits

Comment: Oh guys, remember our Gavin Castle ton phase? I know at least three of you reading this went through it. I used to think this guy was God's gift to music. I abruptly STOPPED listening to him when he tried to screw over Andrew and the band. Not cool dude. But I just spent 99 cents on your song, all's forgiven?

Favorite lyric: "Don't look at me like that. I want your old face back." I'm pretty sure Jeff got sick of this song pretty fast :P

-- Well, that's it! Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane :P I might add some songs later, maybe one at a time, because it was hard to remember some of the ones I wanted. And of course, I listened to stuff like Nysnc and all sorts of pop music when I was a kid, of course I did. But we're talking about songs I actually wanted to download now. Oh, and I also owned an Eminem CD and a Limp Bizkit CD. I'm not sure who of those three groups is the most embarrassing.

I could be sort of a sad person growing up, and I think I put that all behind me when I graduated college. All I know is that I definitely feel like a different person than I was when I listened to these songs. But I can still enjoy them in a different perspective.

Weekend in Review: Hard-core fans ruining my life

Well, this weekend in review will be kind of boring, considering I worked all weekend. Saturday, I worked 10-6, officially, but was called back on for an 'emergency' involving the live blogging on the Hall of Fame ceremony. The online fates of literally tens of Redskins fans hung in the balance. Thankfully, I was there to add the requisite pictures of Art Monk and his likeness in bronze to the tool. 

Unfortunately, this sort of wreaked havoc on my Saturday night ... I had just returned with some ice cream and two movies for my darling, when I was called back on. I told Jeff to pop in a movie -- he fell asleep 1/2 hour in. Between posts, I was able to catch most of the movie -- Lars and the Real Girl -- and I really loved it. Not knowing much about the movie going in, other than it was about a man who has a blow-up doll as a girlfriend and that Ryan Gosling supposedly got rave reviews -- I thought it was really fantastic. Despite that one-line synopsis I gave you, it's not a movie about a pervert and sex isn't even a topic, really, in the movie. It's a really touching film. Two Werchadlos up.

Sunday morning I didn't have to work until 3 p.m., so Jeff and I went out to lunch and then took a walk to a flower stand up the road. That is literally the only thing we can walk to together in a reasonable distance. It's kinda depressing sometimes, especially considering how things were in Boston. They're building a mini-plaza a mile up the road to go along with this mansion-development. It has a bank already, but I am praying for a cafe, or a deli, or a bookstore, or SOMETHING. Somewhere I can go and resurrect my daily routine of some lunch and the sports section. (In San Diego, my coworkers would make fun of me for my lunch-time routine. A local fastish-food place -- Panera, Chipolte, Daphnes -- and the U-T Sports Section and the NC Times Sports section. It was my 'unwind' time and sometimes they'd ask, "Is it ok if we go with you to lunch today, we know you like to be alone.") So here's hoping.

Then it was work... and work... and work. I got off at 12:45 a.m. Yay. 

Jeff made me another mix, and popped this song, 'Returning to the Fold' from The Thermals on it. I've listened to it non-stop. For all I know, this song was popular 6 months ago, but since I don't listen to the radio, I wouldn't know. The video is cheesy but I love the song.

Some things I'm laughing at while I should be working

Jeff has just recently gotten into collecting full-length records. Considering how this has gone so far, you may see our home on an episode of 'Clean House' sometime soon. He has close to 300 records already, helped in part to his mother, his life-long enabler. Anyway, she found a listing on craigslist for "free records" the only stipulation that they "find a good home." I don't know if we qualify for a good home, or even a home for that matter, but regardless, she picked them up. Now they're sitting in a pile in our second bedroom.

Jeff has also been scavenging yard sales for records. He's not looking for pristine condition, in fact most of them are not.

He's got some classic stuff in there, but then he's got his pile of ones he plans to give away or sell. Um... anyone interested?

First off, we have the "Edgar Winter Group" offering "They only come out at night." To my surprise, Edgar Winter has an extensive wikipedia entry. Unfortunately, the second item is "Relationship with the Church of Scientology," which includes this nugget:

Edgar is a Scientologist. He has appeared in at least seven issues of the Church of Scientology magazine 'Celebrity' between 1995 and 2005, which list the Scientology courses that he has completed.[1]
Edgar also produced, arranged, and performed on the album Mission Earth (1986). This album's words and music were written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. L. Ron Hubbard supposedly left detailed instructions and audio tapes for the musicians and producers to follow when making the album.[2] Edgar described Mission Earth as "both a return to rock’s primal roots and yet highly experimental".

L. Rob Hubbard rock god? You decide.

Then we have Millie Jackson's "Feelin' Bitchy." Turns out, Millie also has an extensive wikipedia page which tells me that, "In 2007, 1977 album Feelin' Bitchy was reissued with positive reviews." Maybe these albums will be top sellers. Any takers?

Lastly, this video I cam across (ironically) on a wedding message board. Either you find wedding message boards useful, or stupid, or a little bit of both.  Either way, this is funny -- and true.

I sort of love this band

They're called "Me My Head" but they used to be called "The Moths." Jeff found them and put some songs on a CD for me. They're unsigned and have like 2,000 friends on Myspace, and I'm never into random bands like this, but I think they're awesome. Also check out "Valentine."

Gym Shorts

Last night, for the first time in a while, I decided to bring my iPod to the gym. When Jeff and I joined this gym at the beginning of May, I made an amazing discovery: cardio machines with TVs. The greatest thing since Jet Blue. (Where else can we get TVs? School desks? Church? Let's reach for the stars people!) 

So for the past two and a half months, I've been dazed and drooling in the TV (mostly Sox games) while I'm at the gym. I called it "A fitness revolution" but that phrase didn't really catch on. 

But I wanted last night to be different. After a rough day at work (I didn't get yelled at or anything, it was technology issues at the WWL) I wanted to drift off to some tunes on my vintage iPod Mini. (Original line, bought February 2004, still working!)

It's been F-O-R-E-V-E-R since I listened to music at the gym. Back in Cali, I got hooked on listening to podcasts at the gym -- specifically one podcast.

****BIG ASIDE*****

If I can impart one piece of wisdom, if you listen to any of my advice in this space, any recommendations on music, tv, movies, book (er... maybe) or anything, please listen to me here: Download the Ricky Gervais Show podcast. You can buy the entire thing for $20 bucks and that's something like 30 hours of show. (If you want a free sneak preview, their most recent show is up for free, but I suggest you start from the beginning.)

If you like any of the following things, you will like the Ricky Gervais Show: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, The Office, Extras, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, chimpanzees, British slang for 'penis', cobblers, people laughing loudly in your ears or oranges. Seriously. Please. I will reimburse you your funds if you don't like it.

*****END OF ASIDE****

But last night it was all about the music. Considering I had only plugged in my iPod for 45 minutes after months of dormancy, I'm surprised I got so many songs out of the thing before it died. 

I had one of those nice musical interludes where songs bring you back to a time in your life. When we moved to California, I stopped listening to the radio. Listening to the radio in Cali is infuriating -- no station stays clear for more than 2 miles, except for the Spanish stations, who apparently have twice the budget as other channels. Meanwhile, Jeff was working at a job that not only let you listen to music during the day, but allowed you to share music through a big iTunes system, exposing him to a huge variety of music he had never experienced before.

He shared this excitement with me, by making me a new mix CD every few weeks. This is all I listened to in the entire time I was in California. And these were the songs I listened to last night. 

It made me think about how far we've come. And no, I don't mean that sentimentally, rather, I'm thinking how far Jeff's come in terms of musical taste. When we first started dating (back in the fall of '03) his favorite band was Disturbed.

I wish I was joking.

His musical tastes were turrrrible back then. Now they've gotten much better, a long journey that culminated, for me, with him asking Justin to pass on some Reggae last weekend when we were at his house. We've come a long way, love.

Here was the Schaible created track-list from last night:

Till the end of time -- Michael DeVotcka

Ring of Fire -- Social Distortion

Dirty Water -- The Standells

Gold Lion -- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

When the Lights Go Down -- The Arctic Monkeys

Tessie -- The Dropkick Murphys

Angeles -- Elliot Smith

My boyfriend -- Her Space Holiday

Boys of Summer -- The Ataris

Glycerine -- Bush

Soul Meets Body -- Death Cab for Cutie

Wrap Your Love Around Me -- The Village Green

Free Time -- Kenna