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iPod branches out

I generally leave the iPod on shuffle throughout the day. You’d think this would mean I’d hear a wide variety of music, considering that I have something like 2,000 songs on it. But that’s not the case. The iPod plays favorites, which means that there are a lot of songs that never get airtime. Add to that the fact that we have an emusic subscription, and the result is that there are quite a few songs on my iPod that I’ve never actually heard.

1. Come Together, The Beatles. This song has always creeped me out a little.

2. Summertime Rolls, Jane’s Addiction. This is one of the few non-kid songs that Poppy has requested “again! One more time!”

3. Dam, Kasey Chambers. This may be the first time I’ve listened to this song. I like her voice, and I hope the iPod plays the song more often.

4. My Little Town, Paul Simon. “Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town.” Sounds charming. And quaint. Paul should write for his little town’s tourism bureau.

5. I Fought Piranhas, The White Stripes. Piranhas are a very tricky species. The intro sounds very Wild West to me.

6. Where Will You Go? The Minus 5. This is the other one I don’t think I’ve heard before.

7. I Saw Three Ships, Sufjan Stevens. Nothing like a little Christmas music on an 80-degree day in the middle of May.

8. Devil’s Haircut, Beck. This song always makes me think of my high school friend Scott Crawford, and I’m not really sure why. It’s been years since I last saw him. I hope life is treating him well.

9. She Cries Your Name, Beth Orton.

10. Clap Your Hands, They Might Be Giants. It’s a very catchy kid song.

11. Keys, Golden Smog. I’ve heard this song a time or two, but I don’t love it.

12. You Don’t Know How It Feels, Tom Petty. The iPod has been feeling very Tom Petty lately.

13. 16 Days, Whiskeytown.

. . . edited to add . . .

16. Dilemma, Nelly. How’d that get on there? Oh, right, it had something to do with Lionel Richie.

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It was a blur

We made a very quick trip up to DC this weekend to visit Rockford’s grandmother (or “Busia,” as her great-grandchildren call her) and to go to our friend Amanda’s graduation from Georgetown. We also got to meet Amanda’s fiancee, Drew, who was also graduating.

We arrived on Friday morning, walked all over Georgetown on Friday afternoon and drove back today. We had a great visit, and Poppy had lots of fun playing with Busia. On the way home, she requested “Busia again!” I’m hoping we can stay longer the next time we visit.


Created with Paul’s flickrSLiDR.

Flotsam / Jetsam

My one-and-only VIP experience

Way back in June 2002, Ben Folds was doing a concert in Kansas City, and we went with our friends Chris and Sinead. It was roughly 8,000 degrees outside, and there were 900 million people there. The venue was a big, paved-over place that normally served as a farmers market. That being the case, it wasn’t graded stadium-style or anything. It was a big, flat, sun-baked expanse.

As you may know, I am short and Rockford is tall. Sinead is a little bit taller than me. Chris isn’t as tall as Rockford, but he’s tall enough that he was able to see over many of the heads in front of us. This is a very important part of the story.

There we were, amid a sea of sweaty youngsters, listening to but not actually seeing Ben Folds. So Sinead and I decided we would head toward the back of the crowd, where we’d get to breathe perspiration-free air and we’d still be able to hear the concert. When we got to the back, we noticed that there weren’t very many people at all to the side of the stage, where the VIP tent was. So we headed that way.

We had a decent view there, next to the tent, but we were still broiling. So we stared longingly at the shady space beneath the tent. And at the chairs! Because even at a concert, I’m lazy. My laziness giving me a sudden and unexpected burst of confidence, I asked the VIP tent bouncer what one had to do to get into the VIP tent. He said something about being invited by someone with the beer company sponsoring the show. My confidence evaporated, and I wandered back to my spot.

And then! A few minutes later! The bouncer waved us over and asked if we’d gotten our over-21 bracelets on the way in. I had, but Sinead hadn’t. She dashed back to the entrance, showed them her ID and dashed back. And we were in the tent! Sitting in chairs! About 15 feet from the side of the stage!

Several times — at least twice — as we lounged in the shade with our feet propped up and Ben Folds’ adorable, curly-haired little twins frolicking in front of us, we thought about Rockford and Chris. We thought, “Boy, it’s a shame they’re so tall.” But we knew that the bouncer wouldn’t have let us in if we’d had boys with us. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t feel as bad for them as I probably should have. They were less than thrilled to hear our awesome story.

And that is the Ben Folds story.