"STOP ME IF YOU THINK THAT YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE"

Morrissey was wonderful, as always. He did a delightfully weird yoga bridge pose dance, he whipped the mic cord, he ripped off his shirt, he sang his little heart out, he smiled graciously to all parties involved when a burgundy shirt-clad fellow hopped up on stage and got pounced on by security, he sang all the songs I hoped he would, he generally, fucking rocked.

I gave business cards to the two men sitting in front of me, as I was able to see them both sneaking fantastic photos the whole show. I gave an honest plea for an emailed photo or two. If they email, I'll share if it's okay with them. Let's hope. C'mon, guys. I'll blog about your band/book/office/whatever and send you as many customers/sales as I can. Pleasepleaseplease. Hook a Morrissey-lovin' sister up.

Anyway, the show was wonderful. He played "You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side", which I was thrilled to hear. I, yet again, nearly cried during "Everyday Is Like Sunday".

I'm only in Indy for the night, then I'm heading back to Chicago in the morning and hitting the ground running with a very busy day. If you're nearby, come say hello on Tuesday night as I read from Three Fallen Women at The Fixx with Timothy Schaffert as he reads from his new release, Devils In The Sugar Shop at 7:30pm.

"HAVE THE PLEASURE OF MEANING WHAT YOU SING"

So, here's a little happy note. Canasta is a local band I am happy to have found. Why? Well, not only are they a great band, but they also did a great cover of Peter Shilling's Major Tom, which I wrote about right here, just before the end of the year. Well, look closely! It is my lucky day, because Canasta found me and came and said hello, if you will humor me and look in the comments section. I just love it when I think something is great and someone who made it great stops by and says thanks.

I've been sewing and keeping a low profile today. The funeral was this morning back in NYC and my mind is there. It's sad news, but I think I'm thinking more about long lives lived out so well. There's an art to this shit, that's for sure.

"MIXED UP 13"

Good morning! Welcome to the thirteenth edition of "If It Could Only Still Be Socially Acceptable To Make A Mix Tape, This Is What I Would Put On One This Week" Saturday...

1. Clean/Depeche Mode
2. Full Moon/The Kinks
3. Alpha Beta Parking Lot/Cake
4. Breakfast In America/Supertramp
5. Fake Palindromes/Andrew Bird
6. Fight The Power/Public Enemy
7. Red Wine, Success!/Cold War Kids
8. Astro/White Stripes
9. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here/Weezer
10. Femme Fatale/Velvet Underground
11. The Man Who Ruled The World/Nirvana
12. I'm Too Sexy/Right Said Fred (I heard this so many times this week. Oy.)
13. Mister Sister/The Tender Box
14. Nice Dream/Radiohead
15. Such A Little Things Makes Such A Big Difference/Morrissey

"HOW SOON IS NOW?"

Back from lockdown. Is there anything better than the minutes just after meeting a deadline? Nope. It's just about the most satisfying feeling ever. It's stressful and tense and then, suddenly, the weight of the world is lifted and you can friggin' focus on your life again. It also means that I can end my temporary pants boycott. (I have this thing about writing or editing with fabric on my legs, especially my knees. It doesn't matter how cold it might be-- if I'm working, I have to be wearing shorts. Such a weird hang-up.) And, it also means that I am now free to indulge my urge to clean and polish and organize everything to start 2007 off on the right foot.

Ah, but... What I find very hilarious today is that the second, I mean the absolute second, I emailed everything over to my editor minutes ago, I got my period. Like "send" aaaand cue cramps. Just like that. A little early, but, eh, I'll take it. The period I can handle, its the week before that I'm easily teary, hateful, aggressive and convinced everyone hates me. Ha.

So, yesterday, despite being under the gun, I had to go out to run a couple of quick errands. First I heard and listened to (in its entirety) Tesla's Lovesong. What a piece of crap that one was, but oh how loved it was, no? Then, I heard a Peter Schilling cover done by Canasta that I loved. Loved. That's a good song to start with, but look what this great band did with it. And, they're local! Fabulous! So, I was flitting around town, very proud of my Canasta discovery when suddenly, I saw these two things a block apart:

1. A blow up, life-size Santa in a tiny NASCAR vehicle in a front yard with a bumper sticker (?) saying "Shalom" on it. Oookay.

2. A red Ford Mustang with "Limited Jesus Edition" painted across the back.

I'll give anyone out there in the blogosphere a dollar and my unending adoration if you give your car a religious identity and email me a picture of how you accomplished such a task. Um, okay, how about just my unending adoration? C'mon. It'll be fun.