So, I'm off to Oregon, just a few miles north of the border along the coast for a weekend of drinking, playing rummikub, walking on the beach, chatting, bickering, and eating. I hope someone brought the bacon crisper this time, lord knows last year it turned into quite an ordeal. So, the place we're going to has no phone (which means no updates here), which also means that the MP3 of the week won't be up until sometime monday night. Shucks, I've done my best. I'd say I could find an internet cafe somewhere, but that would be both difficult and slightly pathetic. Say hello while I'm gone so I have something to read when I return.

I have the entire day off, yet I still woke up at the exact same time I would have if I were working today. At least I have a few minutes at home to get things done, like type up the labels for a For Stars MD I made.

Last night was a little depressing, I had to go down to my old band's practice space and clear everything out that was left. I hadn't been down there in a month, and in between then and now, they jacked the rent up 200 bucks, figured we weren't going to pay it, and promptly evicted us leaving all the stuff in our space. However, I had no idea this happened 'cause nobody ever called me to tell me about it. The other band we shared the space with left without a phone call, and the owner had my old phone number. So, I went down and collected a few things, some posters off the walls, all our old flyers, a couple of chairs. I had so many good times in that room over two years, made so much good music, and probably cursed up a storm. So long.

Where have I been? Mostly walking around the city at night trying to find food, well, that is, *after* band practice. It's like cramming for an exam: three rehersals three nights in a row in preparation for our show next week. I'm done now, phew. It was, well, just like work except with more beer.

Things should be getting back to normal. We're leaving tomorrow for Oregon, our third weekend vacation in a row. Should be fun, and very rainy. I can't wait.

Took the train into the city last night for the first of three nightly rehersals with my new band. It was cold last night, I could feel the air eating through my gloves to get at the warmth of my fingers. It seemed very determined. I waited outside of the flat for a good 30 minutes, I could see the lights on inside, candles flickering in the window, but there was no answer at the door. Fumbled with my minidisc player for awhile, turned down the Catherine Wheel in case some urchin tried to sneak up behind me (can't be too safe.) Motion detector light went off, so I cracked open a Lucky Lager and drank it in the cold corner of the porch.

Finally got inside, the rehersal went well, if not coldly. We pushed the mattress up against the window for some soundproofing. Played for a couple hours and drank the champagne of beer in the frigid room.

Walked up the street later to find food, got a burrito and sat in the back of the restaurant. There was rice all over the floor and bitter drunks yelling for sour cream at the cooks who only glared at them across the barrier of plexi-glass. I started reading Graham Greene's "Brighton Rock" at the table, huddled there against the wall and my bag. I could see my breath fog up the outside of the glass bottle on the table. Twenty bucks says it was the coldest night of the year.

Got back from the trip up north earlier today. It was nice to be back, it felt good to see city people doing city-people things everywhere. I never seem to notice just how big metropolitan areas are until after I return from leaving them. We had a wonderful time, and are only glad to be back in the because all our stuff is here, and we like to keep an eye on it.

Before we left I ran a few errands, vacuumed the car out, bought a couple loaves of fresh bread at the wonderful bakery down the street, and went back to the grocery store and bought every single case of Lucky Lager they had. This was only two cases, but I've convinced msyelf that they don't make this beer any longer, and that this was my one and only chance to stock up on it. The stuff is $6 for a 12 pack. That's fifty cents a beer for all the non-math-minded folks. How can you beat that? I also adore the bottle, and the box, and, and and...

Walked up to the book and record stores tonight. I got a couple new items, which I'll actually post on my new arrivals list. I've decided to leave all the stuff I minidisced this weekend of the list. I think the total came to 15 MDs full of crap, but none of it is really new or worth reviewing. I did get the new Green Day album, so maybe I'll review that as sort of a flashback to my high-school days of singing "Christie Road" at the top of my lungs in the car.

This MP3 of the week is a special gem by Low, a kind of celebration of their absolutely wonderful new record, Things We Lost In The Fire. (As a sidenote, I think the vinyl version is out already, but the CD is not. The vinyl version, like most Low albums, has two bonus tracks, but these two are also the B-sides to the Dinosaur Act single.) "Tired" is off the Summershine E.P. they released in Australia back in 1995 or 1996 that paired two songs off "I Could Live In Hope" and two songs from "Long Division" along with this bonus. One of my favorite Low songs. Enjoy.

Ah, nothing like Mark Eitzel singing a Carpenter's song to make the morning right. Sitting here with a latte, a cat who keeps clawing my leg, and the sun peeking through the clouds just enough to make everything nice and fluffy.

So we took a 20 minute drive still further north and ate breakfast at the truly rural Flakey Creme Coffee Shop & Donuts. I swear, that's not a typo, the "e" in flakey was really there. At a couple huge pancakes with bacon and read the entertainment section of the paper. The locals eyed us a little mysteriously, but we were no worse for the wear on our departure, donut in hand walking down the street looking for a latte.

I think my CD-Minidisc spree is over. I'm starting to dub stuff like Depeche Mode. This is where I draw the line.