Sunday, February 21, 2010

Still Winter...

It's only February. The shortest month of the year and yet it drags on and on. I walk the streets with my hood up. I forget my lip balm at home. The sun is bright and low on the horizon and squints my eyes as I look at the frozen surroundings. I wish I had my camera. Maybe I will take it with me next time and post what I see (the picture attached is from last time I was in Vermont).

It's only February. March will be worse. The days are short and the nights bite like rabid animals. Wind in my hair and my face is cracked. My scarf smells musty and I need another wash. I've practically lost the ability to do my own laundry. Do star-crossed lovers ever meet at laundromats? What about grocery stores? Do you talk about apples? I need to start cooking more again. I used to cook at home all the time but lately I've slowed down
. I like myself more when I prepare my own food. Every little thing is an accomplishment.

I drank too much and stayed up too late the past 2 weekends. At least I'm active during the day. But the winter can be tough and right now it's 1 o'clock and I haven't left the house yet. It's not that great in here. The music's good but I've heard it all before. I need a vacation. I want to go somewhere new. I want to consolidate my post-it notes, they're getting out of control. Do I really plan on doing tha
t much?

On the floor, dusting, cleaning the hair out of the bathroom, thinking, planning, panicking. I want to get plants for my apartment. But first I need hanging baskets. I am trying to decide what to do with all my cd's. I have hundreds of them and I don't want to look at them anymore, but I don't want to throw them away either. I'd also like new bookshelves. I'm sick of the old ikea ones. I'm going to walk across the bridge to long island city tonight. I like the way people in long island city don't count it as Queens. When they write out their address there is no mention of Quee
ns.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Elvis in NOLA!

When I was in college, I co-formed an Elvis-tribute band called Velvet Elvis. That's when I first heard this number. Crawfish was one of the strangest and most soulful songs the king ever did. To most it's considered a throw-away track, but my band and I thought it was pure gold. It was recorded for the New Orleans inspired film, King Creole, his last before he was drafted into the army. I never saw the film, and I'm sure it's pretty bad, but this song is amazing.

The backing vocals are by Kitty White, a jazz vocalist from LA who had sung in a few hollywood films before her brief stint with Elvis. That's actually her in the film riding in the carriage. Too bad her role in the song is so marginalized, because her voice could've added so much more to this swampy, soulful number.

It's coming on Mardi-Gras time and although I'm no football fan, I'll dedicate this post to the Saints who just made their first Superbowl.