or a woman if you are one

i spent the weekend with my brother and family out in rapid city, and i had a great time talking with my brother and playing games with my niece (she's four - we played cards, memory, and hide and seek, along with watching a couple movies, reading books, and playing with dollies).

the highlight of today was eating blackberries - i couldn't believe how good they tasted (a long day of thinking about my thesis, and unfortunately not quite enough writing accomplished). and i made good french toast (with real maple syrup) and ate some chili that a housemate made. my chest has continued to hurt (has for almost a week now) - i'm guessing it is some sort of anxiety. i need to get my thesis done and written so i can get rid of some of the strain.

i had a lot of rememberances this weekend - my brother was working on writing his history, reflecting on his memories, which helped me reflect on my own. and it made me realize that assignments like that one are quite amazing for what they can create not only for the person doing them, but within the group of people the person converses, often a family, sometimes close friends i suppose.

one of my housemates has started dating a girl who works for a publishing company. i asked her what she recently published, and she said a book on the natural history of chickens. so i started asking her about chickens, a subject that i'm quite conversant in, and i think she was quite taken aback by my knowledge. i know about cochins and other breeds, and their uniquenesses. it made me wonder what sorts of things i know about that i never talk about, that no one would ever realize about me - that i raised chickens for a few years, that i was a church council member in high school, that i played in alternative/indie rock-type bands most of my life since seventh grade, that i read fantasy books and grew up admiring people in the society for creative anachronism because they were good at hitting each other with duct-tape covered baseball bats. a lot of people don't even know how many brothers i have, and sometimes they don't realize that i grew up in a town in south dakota, a place i still go back to as often as i can.

the highlight of yesterday was a conversation with my best friend, someone that inspires, comforts, and pushes me just by her very existence and intermittent conversations. it was great to talk with her, and i like chai tea.

this is the current list of songs i'm working with as my upcoming december playlist (basically an audio cd's worth for to go in my car). there is a good combination of styles (all within my subpop tastes), of old and new, of vocalists male and female, of fame and still working at it. a couple of the tracks are just called tracks because i haven't bothered typing in the song names.

Beautiful World by Colin Hay
Fake Palindromes by Andrew Bird
Asleep at the Wheel by The New Amsterdams
Come On! Let's Boogie to the Elf Dance by Sufjan Stevens
The Bagman's Gambit by The Decemberists
Emotional (Until Crickets Guide You Back) by Rilo Kiley
Apple Bed by Sparklehorse
Lua by Bright Eyes
Weird Divide by The Shins
Moon And Stars by Laura Jean Binkley
Track 04 by Red Veda
Pale Horse by John Vanderslice
Call Me On Your Way Back Home by Ryan Adams
You by Vast
Fever Dream by Iron and Wine
Track 02 by The Glad Version
Poison Oak by Bright Eyes
Michigan Christmas by Nate and Becca
Goodnight Elizabeth by Counting Crows
The Past and Pending by The Shins

the following song, my brother played for me this last weekend, and i think it's just plain amazing. there's no song i'd rather listen to than this one right now, and i'm sure you'll agree after hearing it.

beautiful world by colin hay

My my my it’s a beautiful world
I like swimming in the sea
I like to go out beyond the white breakers
Where a man can still be free (or a woman if you are one)
I like swimming in the sea.

My my my it’s a beautiful world
I like drinking Irish tea
With a little bit of lapsang souchong
I like making my own tea.

My my my it’s a beautiful world
I like driving in my car
Roll the top down sometimes I travel quite far
Drive to the ocean stare up at the stars
I like driving in my car

All around is anger automatic guns
It’s death in large numbers no respect for women or our little ones
I tried talking to Jesus but He just put me on hold
Said He’d been swamped by calls this week
And He couldn’t shake His cold

And still this emptiness persists
Perhaps this is as good as it gets
When you’ve given up the drink and those nasty cigarettes
Now I leave the party early at least with no regrets
I watch the sun as it comes up I watch it as it sets
Yeah this is as good as it gets.

My my my it’s a beautiful world
I like sleeping with Marie
She is one sexy girl full of mystery
She says she doesn’t love me but she likes my company
For now that’s good enough for me