Win some / Lose some

Did you know that there is a holiday called "Sweetest Day"? I don't. I never heard of it before I moved to the midwest. I don't have a Hallmark store nearby that pushes the idea into my periforal guilt cortex. I don't feel that Valentine's Day is only half of the semianual celebration of romance. I mean... if you include a couple's anniversay and birthdays- that would make 5 love holidays a year... and comon folks... isn't every day a love holiday?

So I confess that in this duo- I am the schlepp who totally - without even a twinkle of recognition- misses this moment to dump a fivespot on a card. My husband, never defeated, persistently reminds me of the holiday with sweet, caring tender gifts and cards. This year, he bought me four very expensive tires for my truck... and then for the little box that makes every woman's heart race... there was an iPod nano. (which came free with the tires)

oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. STOP/EJECT REWIND ....

Last week I stumbled across a box of cassette tapes. It was a mix of tapes which belonged to John and I in the years before we were married to each other. Most home made tapes from friends, and due to our unusual musical tastes- some very underground stuff... Hoist from Philadelphia, Bucking Strap from Cincinnati, Theater of Hate from a show in Sweden, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, CCM of Pisa, Joan Jett live... lots of unmarked tapes too. I'd been recently lamenting the loss of music to my life, when it used to play a pretty big part. While the hip music scene has evolved to mp3 downloads, I'd been left behind. I dusted off this box of tapes and resolved to listen to them, and either mark or toss them...

Then, before I got to start on that project- I got the new iPod. I went to my mom's house to use her high speed connection to do some downloads. In the mean time, John came home to a cold empty house and was feeling under the weather. He lit a fire in the woodstove and went out to the garage to do a little work. When he came back in, he found the fire roaring and the CD/Cassette player and box of tapes beginning to melt to the top of the stove....

Did I say how much I LOVE my iPOd!?

If you have any suggestions of music you love to listen to on your iPod- for working out or just working ... I'm all ears! I have been enjoying KT Tunstall, Muse, No Doubt, Nickleback, Emmy Lou Harris... it's all over- try me!