December 28, 2007
That’s what I thought when I finally got around to listening to the second two Sleater-Kinney albums after my friend gave them to me. I had the exact same response when I heard Rose Tattoo. The friend who played them for me said “They’re like AC/DC, only tougher and awesomer,” not a claim one would make lightly. For instance, Assault and Battery.
Blogging under the influence.
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http://www.mediafire.com/?5sgdd5my0jm
Happy new year Nate!
Comment by MJ — December 31, 2007 @ 6:20 pm
Thanks MJ. You too.
This reminds me, my wife just wrote the following end of the year thing:
So, I didn’t write one of these things last year because I felt like there was nothing to report: no change of address, no change of job, nothing. Again, this year, nothing to report, and I thought, hey, that’s something to report. 2007 marks the first year in our grown up lives (since moving out of our parent’s houses) that we haven’t moved. This year we built up no further friendship debt toward the folks who haul our crap up three flights of stairs or drive across town ad nauseum, their pick-up truck loaded to the brim. This year I failed to weed out the excess of light blue tank tops, fancy party dresses, and sneakers which have accumulated in my closet and drawers. This year we got to love all our books for their beautiful content instead of hating them for their weight.
Even thought we haven’t hauled them up and down flights of stairs this year, our books still take up a large proportion of space in our one bedroom apartment. I’ve devised a system to limit the accumulation of books: I write down every book I read. I find myself keeping books merely for the reminder, for the pride of having read them. So I simply write the titles down in this slim notebook, which I realize, depressingly, will take me my entire life to fill. I have fallen slightly short of the arbitrary goal of filling up a full page (front and back) this year–unless I somehow manage to read five books in the next nine hours. (Mind, were I counting picture books, I would have surpassed my goal before the end of last winter.) Still, gotta say, fifty-five books in a year for someone who works full time ain’t bloody bad.
That full time work remains the same–that is, I’ve worked with the same family for two years. The job itself, of course, changes every day with the growth of the kids. Evan, eight months when I started taking care of him, is now two and a half. Just starting to cruise and babble two years ago, he now runs, gallops, and somersaults, and initiates discussions of mechanics, linguistics, and the nature of love (”where does the water in the toilet go?” “Why do you say ‘Wednesday?’” “Why do you love me?”). He also tells elaborate stories, of which, if my hands are not otherwise engaged, I take dictation. My hands, however, frequently are engaged with the care of Evan’s brother, Nicholas. I’ve watched Nicholas develop from that fragile bundle of flesh that cried when I first held him (at one day old, November 16, 2006) to a kid who can walk half a block, easily scale a flight of stairs, point to a duck and say “qua,” and paint with his fingers and brushes (though he still must examine the paints with his mouth). His scream–when I clean the fingerpaints off his hands, or when I don’t immediately read him the book he’s chosen and thrust in my direction with a grunt (because, for example, I’m still reading Evan a book)–makes me cringe, but his smiles and laughter–when we play peek-a-boo, when I pull him around on a sheet inside or a sled in a snow, when we sing a hand-clapping song–make me feel like I need nothing else to justify my existence.
While Nate, of course, remains at the University of Minnesota (we’re not here ‘cause we just adore the sting in our lungs when we step outside in to subzero temperature), Nate’s work has shifted focus this year. Taking classes for a history minor, he found himself much more interested in researching the experiences of women workers in industrial laundries in the early 20th century than discussing, say, his American colleagues’ views of obscure French philosophers’ views of obscure French novels.
I finished a third draft of a novel, and so, actually rather pleased with the results, have done nothing with it since May. I instead of have started work on a sequel, which holds the motivating factor of suspense: I don’t know what’s going to happen in it yet, so it’s relatively easy each week to get myself to sit down and keep writing.
Our cat Shakey turned twenty-one in September. She went blind last month, which, given that she was already mostly deaf, made her very disoriented. It’s horribly sad to see her get stuck in a corner or under a kitchen chair, unable to find a direction where her whiskers don’t bump something. But, at this point, her mere existence is a tremendous accomplishment. I think I’ve spent more of my life with her than any person. We recently read about a cat in Duluth who’s owner claims he is thirty-seven. Given that Shakey can howl loud enough to be heard fifty meters down the hall of our building and remains strong enough to drag a Christmas tree five feet, maybe I still be reporting on her health when I’m in my forties.
Today is supposed to be our last warm day for a while–eighteen degrees, NPR says! We’re supposed to be single digits for the rest of the week, so I’d best get myself outside and stock up on some vitamin D.
I know I’m terrible about writing, calling, everything. When you move so much, the prospect of trying to keep in touch with all the people you care about and don’t see becomes kinda overwhelming. But still, love you all. Happy new year.
hugs,
Ang
Comment by Nate — December 31, 2007 @ 6:56 pm
it was great to read that. does ang has some sort of bloggery, too?
Comment by Jim — January 3, 2008 @ 12:53 am
Nah she doesn’t anymore, that was an email she sent out, I’m not sure who she sent it to.
Great to see you in Chicago. I’ve got to find some time to come to PDX ASAP.
xox,
Nate
Comment by Nate — January 3, 2008 @ 9:58 am
Nate,
Happy New Year.
Sorry it took you so long to discover SK; makes me think that I should spend more time randomly spouting out my opinions on music. Oh yeah, I guess that is what a blog is for.
Comment by Unemployed negativity — January 4, 2008 @ 8:29 pm
UN -
you too, thanks! and nice to hear from you. I wasn’t clear in the post. It did take me a long time to get into SK, but I got into them sometime between 1998 and 2000. I still don’t have their newest, though. Rose Tattoo is the more recent find for me. They’re fantastic!
take care,
Nate
Comment by Nate — January 4, 2008 @ 11:50 pm