The last couple of weeks have been heavy, stressful, and murky for me. I’ve really been running on empty, trying so hard to keep it together and didn’t realize how stressed I was until my family’s arrival from overseas on Sunday evening. We truly experienced a miracle late that evening in the ICU when my grandmother survived being taken off intubation and the machines after three weeks. Her recovery is far from over and its impossible to tell with each minute which way things will turn, but she is a truly fighter. She has gone through unfathomable discomfort throughout this ordeal. Our lives have been greatly blessed by Smither.
The discovery of this site, chachacharming.com, really brightened my day today! Sheila B. is a very clever writer and she knows her stuff. Ye-ye, international girl group, Swinging Chick devotees, this is your new crash pad! Fantastique!
Speaking of devotees, I don’t understand this massive Reagan pilgrimage. Good grief! The National Mall has been like the Ganges since yesterday. And we got the heat and the garbage too. I thought Nancy was going to self-immolate last night in the Rotunda. The good thing is that we got released from work early yesterday because of the procession and have tomorrow off so we can mourn nationally. More time I can spend with my grandmother at the hospital.
The Concrete’s “Can’t Hurry Love” video makes me so happy. (scroll down to bottom of Guardian feature). Lovely art direction, animation.
Still digesting the new PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her. I’ve always seen her more as an artist, like a sculptor, and my brain is a bit too dulled over these days to be challenged. Full attention to the album will have to wait. But so far I like what I hear.
Hey kids, if you haven’t been properly introdued to The Fall, this new compilation, 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats, is essential! To put the band into context, Franz Ferdinand often cite The Fall as a huge influence. The Fall have been a particularly prolific band and this is a good primer, bringing together many of their important singles and liner notes. And at S13.99 it’s a steal! So glad Mark E. Smith is still at it (he looked pretty beat in 24 Hour Party People). And Brix is apparently back in the Fall fold. I kinda dug her side project, The Adult Net. Well, the California/British/Paisley psychedelia spirit of it at least. I pulled many an over-nighter listening to The Fall as an art student. This compilation is great because most of my Fall is on gesso-smeared, dusty cassettes or worn-out vinyl. Skunkeye is old that way.
Glad to hear that your grandmother is making progress -- hope it continues. All this Reagan crap is bad enough from 10,000 miles away, it must be unbearable in Washington. Yes, that Fall compilation sounds indispensable, I haven't heard "totally wired" for a long, long time. Hope your grandmother's recovery continues. Yours from the election without end (over one month of counting and no result in sight!).
Posted by: torn and frayed | June 10, 2004 at 08:35 PM