Reading is FUNdamental
I wore my new “Reading is Sexy” t-shirt today in order to exude just the right amount of youth and hipness requested by Company. (I won’t go into the details here, but Company was visited today by a small crew from a Sunday morning news show, and Company wanted a certain image to be conveyed.) It’s only the third time I’ve worn the t-shirt; I’ve noticed a few more eyes lingering over my chest, but most of the comments I’ve gotten have been along the lines of, “Ohmigod! I love your shirt! Where’d you get it?”
Today after work, I ran an errand and then hopped on the El to head back to the Metra. I got off at an unfamiliar stop because I was promised by the generic male voice over the PA system that I could transfer to the Metra. Note to Chicago Transit Authority: the word “transfer” DOES NOT imply three blocks of walking, and for the love of God, HANG SOME FUCKING SIGNS.
Thirty minutes of wandering the streets–saved only by utilizing my recent, life-changing revelation that the street numbers get smaller as you head east, toward the lake–and I had to stop in a Walgreen’s to get a bottle of water. I’m not the friendliest person even on my best day, and by this point, I was too cranky to muster anything beyond gruff politeness. The male clerk looks at me and says, “you think I’m sexy if I’m reading?”. I laughed uncomfortably–more like grunted, really–and paid for my water. As I left, he told me “You keep on readin’, you hear?”
* * *
current book: nearly done with The Antelope Wife, although I didn’t get any further into it this evening. I took the 6 bus home, which was standing room only and stank of b.o. and cheap beer.
current music: I meant to write a follow-up post to the beginnings of my justification for downloading Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” but the energy I might have used was instead expended here and here. My next musical project will be to make John C. a mix CD of country music. I’ve been song-bombing myself all day as I think of all the possibilities: George Strait, of course, probably my old favorite, “Ocean Front Property,” but also some really cheesy mid-80s stuff like the Mandrell Forester Sisters’ “I Fell in Love Again Last Night,” the Dan Seals/Marie Osmond duet “Meet Me in Montana,” and Kathy Mattea’s “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses.” And there’ll be plenty of mid-90s classics from Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, and Patty Loveless. Just blame it on your lyin’, cheatin’, cold, dead-beatin’, two-timin’, double-dealin’, mean, mistreatin’, lovin’ heart.
current socks: a flattened map with storm clouds and weather patterns, with the words “wet and windy” across the ankle. I got these years ago from the Sock Shop in London and guard them carefully, only wearing them on days that are indeed wet and windy. I don’t know what I’ll do if I ever wear a hole in them.
Posted 24 August 2006
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Your Walgreen’s clerk t-shirt comment sounds like my Deloitte consultant staple remover incident!
What is it with people?! You do something simple, like wear a t-shirt or loan someone a staple remover and the next thing you know, they are ALL OVER you.
I’m about to go live on my island with restricted access. No fools allowed.
you just blew my mind
with the song quote
(lyin’, cheatin’,
cold, dead-beatin’,
two-timin’, double-dealin’,
mean, mistreatin’, l
ovin’ heart).
whose song is that?
did you ever see
that river phoenix movie
the thing called love?
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108327/)
lovelovelove that movie
& that song kinda rocks.
oh how i love
that you are
a little bit country
& a little bit rock ‘n’ roll.
“Blame It on Your Heart” is by Patty Loveless. I haven’t seen the River Phoenix movie, but I did know the song was in it–only because I distinctly remember my friend L.E. showing up for carpool one morning in high school saying, “I like country music now!” and playing that song from the soundtrack. I think maybe she just had a crush on River Phoenix, but that song is seriously one of the best country songs ever.
Oh, someone’s gonna do you like you done me honey. And when she does you like she’ll do you, it ain’t funny. You’ll need some sympathy; well, don’t be callin’ me….
Your country list isn’t complete without some of Juice Newton’s greatest hits. In case you needed unsolicited music suggestions, that is.
Namely…Queen of Hearts
“Playing with the queen of hearts
knowing it ain’t really smart
‘Cause the joker ain’t the only foooool
Who’ll do anything for you.
Laying out another lie
Thinking ’bout a life of crime
That’s what I’ll have to dooooo
To keep me away from you.”
Ah, Juice Newton. I used to stand up on the hearth with my dad’s guitar and belt out “Queen of Hearts” and the Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton duet “Islands in the Stream.” And as long as I’m making embarrassing confessions, I also watched Hee Haw regularly and would come running whenever Reba McEntire guest-starred. And then there was the time when I found an old dress, a wide-brimmed hat, and a tea bag at my grandma’s house and I fashioned a whole Minnie Pearl outfit out of it…
Yup, I was one cool kid …
heehaw kinda rocked.
Hee, Julie — Deloitte guy totally licked that staple remover. B, at least Walgreens guy didn’t lick your shirt.
I used to freebase Hee Haw when I was a kid, especially the bit where they all popped up out of the cornfield one by one and told stupid jokes. While you were dressing up like Minnie Pearl, I was dressing up like the “Whar oh whar are you tonite, why didja leave me here all alone, I searched the world over and thought I found true love, you found another and pfft you were gawwwwne” girl. I even blacked out my teeth with my mother’s eye pencil. I was gonna be a star.
you’re headed for a heartache (oh yeahhh)
gonna get a bad break (ohh yeahhhh)
made a bad mistake (oh, yeahhh)
well, you’re never gonna find another love like miiine…
There is footage of a very drunk Kelly singing this at my birthday karaoke night last year. Oh, yes.
And given your show choir experience, I’m sure your drunken version included lots of jazz hands. Is that footage available anywhere?
heehaw, sigh…
was flipping last week
with my mother-in-common-law
& heehaw was on cmt
& i stopped – OF COURSE – for loretta lynn
singing one of the best songs & movies ever made:
coal miner’s daughter
diane watched for a couple seconds,
then just looked over at me
like, “uh are you really stopping here?”