Persistence and punishment

I bet you thought I was over this blog, but I don't give up, I just had other things to do. Like replace the floor in my dining/craft room and assemble new shelves for our records. AND that certainly doesn't mean I didn't listen to a lot of records in the interim.

First, I had this concept of an odd ABCs blog, and I got to M. We file by first names, don't ask, it's too late to change it now.

• Alan Parson's Project's Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Edgar Allan Poe concept album, very neat)

• B52s - Wild Planet (love this album, nostalgic but I don't know it that well, so it's surprising and fun)

• Cranberries - Dreams Collection (not that weird, but interesting and delightful)

• Duran Duran - Seven and the Ragged Tiger (Really not that good)

• Elton Montello - Victim of Time - featuring the 7 minute version of Jet Boy Jet Girl, which explores the pronouns of receiving head (He, she, you - this was before "they' was the oft preferred pronoun under these circumstances). Yikes! I didn't bother to flip the record.

• The Fixx - Reach the Beach (I don't know this album that well, but I enjoyed it)

• Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle (I know Replicas better, but this is great too)

• Howard Jones - Dream into Action (not that weird, but I didn't have it as a kid)

• Icicle Works - Self Titled. They were a one hit wonder with Whisper to a Scream, and the rest of the album was forgettable - however, I did buy it so I had something for I, because I didn't want to listen to Isaac Hayes, my only option. I wanted INXS Kick, but they didn't have it. Or Incubus - Morning View, which is not really record appropriate, but I really like that album).

• Joe Jackson - Look Sharp (Not the album we listened too as much, and I don't know all the songs, and he explores so many styles in his music)

• Kate Bush - The Hounds of Love/The Ninth Wave (We had this on CD, so we tended to listen to Running up that Hill and not much else. I will definitely spend more time with this record, it is excellent

• Led Zeppelin - III. (I bought I, II and III, but I know III the least. They were really revolutionary for their time - Kind of a one trick pony in terms of song lyric themes, but such cool sounds

• Marianne Faithful - Broken English (I know A Child's Adventure very well, the imagery of her lyrics enchanted me as a kid, but I don't know this album. I really like it)

At his point I got very involved in my model too much to experiment - I wanted to listen to what inspired me and I listened to a lot of records in the 50 hours I spent building it. I won't list anymore! But it was healthy for me to have to get up and flip/change the record every 20 or so minutes. 

Which brings me to art, sort of - Carl's Fruit store, which is my latest accomplishment. It's not that it is exactly creative, I mean it's a model and I followed it exactly (except I cut up the wall paper by accident, and chose nicer paper instead rather than piecing it together). It is more about doing something challenging from start to finish - something that tests your skills - patience, fine motor, following instructions ... and I am very proud that I was able to complete it. It's one of those things it is so easy to lose interest when it becomes tedious or frustrating.

There is a little more to the story. Kyle had a New Year's gig at the Empress and Victoria. We went a couple days early for a little getaway, and spent some time walking around Victoria. We ended up in Chinatown, and walked down Fan Tan Alley. It is as narrow as 35 inches in places. It was a bit much for my agoraphobic tendencies. Then we went in a shop, and the incense was so strong, I was repulsed and instantly nauseated (I've never liked the smell), and immediately went to wait outside. Next we went into a record shop, normally my thing, and it was so narrow and busy my heart started racing. I stepped outside to wait again. We left and I was overwhelmed, but I don't like Kyle to know that I'm losing it. It is embarrassing and makes me feel like I am weak and pathetic. However, when we emerged from the alley I had to stop to breathe before I started hyperventilating, so despite wanting hide it, obviously he saw me starting to freak out. He felt that a trip to my favourite shops was a good solution to help me calm down. We went to a shop in the Marketplace that has all kinds of weird stuff - formaldehyde jars with snakes, odd taxidermy. (Surprisingly not busy - lol). There is obviously other stuff, but I don't ever remember it. There was a glass snowman that was holding his head, and in its place was a taxidermy rat. It was amazing. I still regret not buying it. I was feeling a bit better though. Then we went into another fun shop I remembered next door, and Kyle convinced me that I needed Carl's Fruit Shop and The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World. Which is amazing! He always helps me keep things in perspective and calm down. Thank you Kyle, I love you.