In the Fixx

It's a balmy afternoon in Chicago. I'm in a well-furnished coffee shops with free WiFi and depressing music (Iron and Wine, I think). Nope... just Googled the lyrics. It's Band of Horses. If it was 20 degrees colder and I was ten years younger, I might like them more.

My rental car has Sirius satellite radio. There's an all-Bruce Springsteen channel (E Street radio) and an another channel dedicated to the Jimmy Buffet lifestyle (Margaritaville). Somehow, Buffet is playing better songs today.

You should read The Thumbprint.

I had a request for my year-end lists. They're coming. For the music lists, none of the artists mentioned in this entry stands a chance. It was a tough year.

I'm enjoying my trip to the Midwest. Though I miss my apartment and those cool new framed photos on my bookcase.

Jens Lekman Is Playing At My House

I have too many sofas and not enough chairs.

I have too much cereal and not enough milk.

I have too much floor and not enough table.

I found myself in a WalMart at 1:00 in the morning the other night. It was an accident.

I'm sitting by my window, for the first time ever.

Two nights ago, I dreamed of a crowded police press conference. In front of the spokespeople were bottles of water. Aquafina. In the dream, a group of kids touring the building (I believe it was City Hall) stopped to watch the police talk. One boy broke the silence: "Cops and water, water and cops." I have no idea what this means.

I won a raffle at my office holiday party. I like winning.

And you know me... I'm not too overly sentimental. I've been called "sarcastic" and "emotionally distant." I've been evaulated as "difficult to read" and "stoic." Whatever.... Anyway, I usually don't link to impossible feel-good stories but it's the holidays and I heard this on the radio last night and it's pretty amazing.

These Are The Real People In The World: 10 Reasons Boogie Nights Is My Favorite Movie

(in honor of the film's recent 10 year anniversary)

(not in any order)

1. The way Jack says "We're all familiar with your biography, Floyd" when Floyd is listing his credentials. Burt Reynolds plays a perfect disinterested interested person.



2. After Little Bill gets the gun from his car to kill his wife (and himself) at the New Years party, he LOCKS the car door. Manual.

3. "High fidelity. You know what that means... the highest quality fidelity."



4. "I love you. You love me. Going down the sugar tree." ...... "I write songs too."

5. The enthusiasm mixed with sadness in Reed's voice after he hears that Becky and Jerome are moving to Bakersfield: "We're losing these two. Big promotion."

6. The way the recording studio guy doesn't really explain what a "Catch-22" is.... because he really doesn't know.



7. "You're officially out of limes Jack."

8. Amber crying outside of the courthouse.

9. This scene:



10. "VIOLENCE is something that PLAGUES us as a SOCIETY."

Marbles, Bakersfield

Yes I haven't written much lately. The last few weeks have been a blur.

My legendary game show appearance will finally air... in 107 days (i.e., March 26, 2008). I'll provide reminders and instructions as we get closer.

Juno is a great film. The screenwriter's blog (i.e., The Pussy Ranch) is cool too.

Don't forget the fine photography and writing here.

And the New York Times Magazine's annual Ideas issue is always great.

Coming soon: leather, long drives, longer flights, holidays, Dexter finale.

Question for the world (may be discussed in the comments): Has Tom Petty ever written a bad song?

Question #2: Can anyone figure out the meaning of today's blog title?

The War Is Over

The text message told me that someone else loved that song. Yes, it's a sad song... a song about the impossible and the dismantled. But sometimes something has to give and a song is written.

That was an amazing almond croissant I had this morning. In the pointy part of Silverlake, on a chair high and backless. Coffee was good too.

The cold spell is over. The temperature had fallen to 40. Breath was visible. Car engines had to "warm up." Coats were worn. Glad that's over.

The last song on the album kills me too. "All the living are dead. The dead are all living."

Tonight will be a good night. I will sit on my lame duck couch with my dinner granola, my olive bread, and my vitamin water. I will watch my favorite basketball team play my local team. I will watch my current employer's college team play the second best team in the country. Seymour the cat will sit next to me, like a loaf of sourdough on a pillow of clouds.

Bristol Farms sells an olive sourdough. For like seven bucks. Too expensive.

Evening Out

Good things that have happened to me today:

Someone held the door open for me as I exited a coffee shop with my hands full.
For the first time since being awarded my Ph.D., I got to do a real logistic regression. The results were as expected.
I got a phone call about an opportunity.
Dinner will be good Thai food.

Not-so-good things that have happened to me today:

I arrived at my appointment and no one was there.
An email kept bouncing back.
The people up in Ventura County kept bothering me.
Lunch was a blueberry bagel.
I forgot to listen to music.