Feeling pretty/purchasing power/Stop breathing

This Sunday is Halloween of course, and while in the past that meant putting on my Flavor Flav costume and getting drunk on state street, this year I have to go to a hospital sponsored Halloween party. Worse yet, all costumes have to follow the theme of “broadway musicals,” which is the worst theme possible. So not only do I have to meet a million new people, but I’ll have to do it dressed as Maria from West Side Story. Actually, I guess my domestic partner and I are dressing as trees, which I guess has something or other to do with a musical I’ve never heard of. So that means brown pants, green shirt, and a lot of explaining. At least it’s an open bar, and I’ve been told I have permission to drink as much as I want. So that’s something.

Tomorrow we’re going to Milwaukee, staying over at her Dad’s, and I think going to another Halloween-themed party at night, thrown by med school people. I don’t know how that’s going to go.

Tonite I’m on my own, M is on call. I’m thinking about going to see a Fahrenheit 9/11 screening somewhere on the U of C campus, hopefully it won’t rain tonight. And hopefully I won’t be stabbed on the way home or anything. Actually, I’m not too worried, I won’t be out too late, and it’s not too far. Plus, I have my impeccable street smarts.

Today I exercised again, and now just got back from grocery shopping. The co-op is only about 3 blocks away, so I got all I could carry. Prices are eye-popping from what I’m used to, but today I realized something important. I absolutely rule at grocery shopping. It’s true. I know it’s not the number one thing on my list to brag about, but I just have to say it. I can spot a sale an aisle away. I know what’s needed and what’s frivolous. My primal hunter/gatherer instincts were at their peak.

Yesterday I tried to sell some CDs, but the ‘indie-rock specialist’ (read: white guy) hadn’t shown up for work. My pavement CD wasn’t there either, but I ended up getting it at stupid Borders anyway. I finished going through the paper for jobs and updated my resume on my computer, but haven’t sent anything out yet. I’ll worry about it Wednesday when DSL is here. In the meantime I’m kinda enjoying my week off. Today is warm but humid, I’ll take another walk this afternoon when the sun’s supposed to come out.

So, speaking of music, Pavement was a band that released 5 albums, not counting early EP’s and singles, and all of it was excellent to very good. All 37 bonus tracks on the new reissue certainly aren’t essential, and many aren’t even very good songs, but it’s nice to have a remastered version and fancy packaging, I must admit. As I wrote a while ago, I haven’t bought much new music of late, but was downloading a fair amount and reading up on things when I had the chance. But this year marks a momentous occasion for me because I’ve decided I’m not going to buy the new R.E.M. album. Now, if you don’t know, R.E.M. was my favorite band in high school, by far. Since the tail end of sophomore year, I was pretty obsessed, and this lasted into the first couple years of college even. My email address is the name of one of their songs, for Christ’s sake. And how could I not be obsessed? When I started listening to them they had been around for 13 years, and had all these songs and records I didn’t even know about. And, to make matters more interesting, their oldest albums were the best, despite the fact that I’d never knew of their existence. They were the band that got me into other music, Pavement and the Velvet Underground, Big Star and anything else that I could find in a magazine or online that sounded interesting. Before R.E.M. music was just something that played on the radio, filled in silences while driving. Now it became something active and involving. But, like the three bands listed above, it’s always better (though sadder) to burn out than fade away. R.E.M.’s last great record came out in 1996, and their best record is still the one from 1983. The new one I’ve heard the single from a bunch of times, and did download the record and listened to maybe once. I’m sure if I forced myself I could grow to like it, become convinced that it is a secret masterpiece. But I can tell it’s not. And sounded awful the first time around. I’d much rather buy a band’s first album in 2004, a band like Rogue Wave or the Arcade Fire, than a bands 13th (or 14th) just because I used to love them. So, I’m sorry R.E.M., but I’m just going to remember blaring “Monster” out of my car speakers in the high school parking lot, and getting Murmur for Christmas 1995. Those were some good times, man.