… Reading: I started out the month reading Evelyn Waugh’s Decline and Fall, which I liked but not nearly as much as Vile Bodies which I liked enormously much. Then I tried to read Henry James The Bostonians because they didn’t have the more popular The Europeans at Strand. That lasted about ten pages. I’ll try later. When the alternative is watching paint dry. When Stuart got here, I started reading his Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island which I enjoyed to pieces because Bryson is so funny he’s actually embarassing to read on public transportation because you laugh out loud and everyone looks at you. Now, continuing to read Stuart’s books, I’ve started both Terry Pratchett’s Pyramids and Evelyn Waugh’s The Loved One*.
… Watching: Absolutely no TV whatsoever. Well, last night we caught the Charlie Brown Halloween Special on ABC, just so I could see Snoopy do that happy dance he does where his head is thrown back and his arms are outstretched and he’s radiating joy into my very living soul. But we’ve been loving Netflix lately. So far we’ve watched Finding Nemo, Lavender Hill Mob, Groundhog Day, and The Ladykillers. Up next: Nightmare Before Christmas (for Sunday night!), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Father Ted Series 1**.
… Listening to: Okay, this is where it seems like I’m an indie tool*** but please believe that for every cool edgy band I mention, there are at least eight times that I dance around the living room to Al Green or get a little weepy listening to “When I’m 64″ or “For the Longest Time”. I’m mentioning the following bands because they happen to be new aquisitions in my musical lexicon, entire albums of stuff I’m digging these days. Anyway, thanks to the kate, I’m really loving The Decemberists now – both Castaways and Cutouts, and Her Majesty the Decemberists. I took Stuart, as a birthday present, to their CMJ show at the Bowery, where the French Kicks did a somewhat disappointing opening act (which is a pity because I used to really love the Kicks when Nick played drums but now he just sings and looks drunk and arty) but then The Decemberists came on and they were absolutely stunning and they did Legionnaire’s Lament AND Cautionary Song which are my two favourites off Castaways and Cutouts.
I’m also just getting really into The Divine Comedy, which apparently everyone loves and adores, but Stuart played me their Secret History album on our road trip up north and I haven’t been able to get National Express or Gin-Soaked Boy out of my head since, plus, any band that fuses Noel Coward songs with an early-nineties club-thumpy bit has got to be pretty darn hot, no?
But yeah. What I said about crying over “When I’m 64″, too.
*Actually, by “started” The Loved One, i mean, Stuart is this SUPERHERO of a human being and can READ ALOUD WHILE DRIVING (which pretty much means I’ve hit the Husband Jackpot) so I’ve “heard” the first 20 pages.
**Father Ted is, apparently, this hilarious British TV comedy that our relationship will not survive my ignorance thereof. This is a general theme on our Netflix queue … “wait, you haven’t seen-” “-no, you totally HAVE to watch..” “NETFLIX.”
*** I cannot stress this enough. I am not an indie tool. I am not an indie tool. I AM NOT AN INDIE TOOL. You know why? Because I don’t spend half an hour putting my ATTITUDE on every morning. And also, I like puppies.
In October I’ve Been…
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Indie tool.
man, i could barely light a cigarette while driving, forget read a book OUT LOUD!
You’re going to love The Loved One! I read it years ago and I remember that it was very odd and very good. Try Joyce’s The Dubliners!
I LOVE FATHER TED. Love. LOVE. Also love Bill Murray and Groundhog Day despite wanting to kill Andy McDowall or whatever the face her name is in the ear.
i have so much hatred for her. “it’s raining? i hadn’t noticed” is possibly the WORST MOMENT IN ACTING since a caveman accidentally forgot to say “ugh” in his school play.
take eternal sunshine off your netflix queue and borrow my copy. good luck convincing people you aren’t an indie tool because i tried it and i’m pretty sure no one bought it.
Heh, now I feel cool because I had a post that was negative about the whole indie thing. But wait, being cool makes me an indie tool. Dammit.
Hey, this is a comment completely unrelated to the current topic. Because it’s important.
This is about boots.
I remember you saying something about your Frye bargain boots, and how they’re so beat up that your mother would like to beat THEM up, but they look too tough so she just complains and does nothing. As a fellow fan of Frye boots, I thought I’d let you know that there are some on sale for $75 at Sierra Trading Post.
This isn’t even one of those horrible auto-ads. I’m just seriously dorky enough to advertise for a company that doesn’t pay me.
Also, I dig your site. I’m off to the UK in six weeks and I’ll send Stuart’s regards over England. Have a good week!
The Divine Comedy rock!
Stuart could probably have predicted that I’d post this
But, they really really do. Great tunes, fantastic lyrics. And I’m off to see them at The Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday. Now *I’m* doing the happy dance!
oh em gee, i heart the decemberists.
also, congratulations on your marriage!
YOU CAN GET FATHER TED ON NETFLIX???
Father Ted is, quite possibly, the funniest show ever. When I was in Ireland I became addicted to it and Men Behaving Badly (the British version, which was about a kajillion times better than the short lived American version, which was crap.) I think he actually passed away several years ago, sniff.
I won’t mention that I also became addicted to Neighbours and East Enders. Shhh.