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Friday, January 07, 2005

Some Gentle Ego-Stroking

Tonight after work, with some Christmas money and a 10% off coupon burning a hole in my wallet, I made a stop at Best Buy. I went in with a list of about 10 cd's in my head to look for. Best Buy used to be a really good place to go for slightly offbeat stuff: industrial, indie, experimental jazz, classical, whatever. But now the selection is pared down so much I could only find two things off my mental list. The jazz section alone was cut down to about 1/4 of what it was. I guess it's ok, since I really have no business buying that many albums at once anyway.

So I ended up buying buying Nick Cave's Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus and Godspeed You Black Emperor's f#a# and a pair of much needed headphones. Unless my ego's just out of control, the cashier started flirting with me. They had some special to get 10 free weeks of Entertainment Weekly or Sports Illustrated.

I picked Entertainment Weekly, and she said, "Good choice. That's what I would have picked."

She started scanning my music, and said, "Good choices. I like a guy who doesn't just buy the latest WHFS hits." She asked about Nick Cave, and tried to descrribe him in a sentence or two. When she got to the headphones she said, "Oh, these are great. I got the same ones for Christmas. I use them everyday when I'm studying for class." She then said, "Hope to see you again soon," and touched my arm. In a casual context this would have meant nothing, it just seemed like a really odd exchange in a cashier line.

Anyway, it was probably nothing. I may be wrong. I'm probably wrong. She was cute, in her early 20's and it felt nice despite the awkwardness of the situation. I don't get hit on that often anymore (although to be truthful when I did get hit on it was usually by women 20 years older than me or men looking for a pet to take home).

After Best Buy I continued my buying frenzy in Borders, where I bought Mike Watt's The Secondman's Middle Stand and Kelly Link's collection Stranger Things Happen. I wasn't expecting to find Link's book, but there it was on the shelf. It's been on my to-get list for awhile, so I was happy to see it. Other things caught my eye like The Outlaw Bible of Literature, The Best Horror and Fantasy of 2004 and the graphic novel Blankets, but I restrained myself.

After that, my birthday festivities really began. My friend Jim-bob Boy took me to Tiffany's Tavern in Old Town Alexandria. It's a fun little bar there on King Street, and features live Blue Grass every night. I'm not a huge bluegrass person, but it's fun from time to time. The band last night was pretty tight, and featured a great singer who's a dead ringer for Hank Williams, sr.

Excelsior.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excuse me, but you completely neglected to mention that you have been hit on by a gal 8 and 1/2 years YOUNGER than you, and 3 and 1/2 years later, she is still your adoring, lovely, trophy girlfriend. Happy Birthday, dork.

-L

Hebdomeros said...

well i did say usually. and you still hit one me? do you need to still hit on me?

Hebdomeros said...

and you are sitting right next to me. perhaps we can discuss this is person :P

Anonymous said...

Do you not want me to hit on you?

-L

Hebdomeros said...

you're avoiding the question.

Anonymous said...

Actually, I posted my comment before I saw your comment. So, now I'm avoiding talking to you irl, but I wasn't before. Hehehe

-L

LadyLitBlitzin said...

Okay, you two are too funny! I love couples who like, sit on IM on computers sitting right next to each other I'll be IM'ing with one and ask something and they'll go, "Lemme ask, s/he's sitting right here."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I think your shopping excursion sounds too cool. I only just started listening to Nick Cave within the last year or two, and I have to say I have loved everything I have heard. And I have that Godspeed You Black Emperor album. It's good background -- another interesting aside, Danny Boyle used one of the songs in "28 Days Later." Too cool. Also, the fact that you found that Kelly Link book... I was just looking for it in my local Borders a month or two ago and they didn't have it! Jealous, jealous!

A little innocent flirting is always so lovely for the ego. I am usually very excited to get it. Doesn't happen to much these days and it's usually guys way too young for me, like guys in Starbucks working behind the counter (and then I always think, cynically, they just want their tips!) Ah well. :) What a great day you had!

Hebdomeros said...

The only other Cave album I have is The Good Son. I've always meant to get more (especially the albums that feature Blixa from Neubauten on guitar) but never got around to it. This new album has gotten such raves, I figured it worth a shot. And it is really, really good. Some of the best songwriting I've heard in awhile. I once read part of a novel of his, too, in an issue of Gargoyle and really liked that as well.

I thought parts of the Godspeed album sounded familiar! Thanks, it was driving me crazy! The Mke Watt album is a little bit of a letdown, but maybe I just need to get used to his new band.

I lucked out on the Link book. I even said going into Borders, I'll only buy something if they have Kelly Link's book. And there it was. It's moved into the next-book position, depending on what I get to review this month.

LadyLitBlitzin said...

Per Cave, I really, really like the album "Let Love In," I believe it's called. I also have "Murder Ballads" and liked it, though not so much. There's a song out there -- I think it's called "The Mercy Seat" -- that's really cool, so if you run across what album it's on, please let me know. :)

Okay, I am going to try that mantra next time I go into a bookstore: "I will only buy something here if Kelly Link's book is here." :)