Autumn Descends...

Autumn. My favorite time of year...

The last few autumns have been symbolized in feeling by a mix I made for Erin's birthday of '03. I introduced her to guys like Nick Drake, M. Ward, John Vanderslice, Sufjan Stevens, Mazarin, The Byrds, M83, The Angels of Light, and Belle & Sebastian that autumn... "And A Nightengale Sang" rehersals went on all throughout that season... It was the first autumn I spent in my Toyota, in college, travelling northwest rather than east most days...

Seasons have a funny way of sticking in your mind with memories as your mind's catalyst. Mine usually have to do with mixes I've made over the years...

Happy Birthday 1 & 2 remind me of the fall and winter of '01 and all the hours we spent laying in her bed together.
11 Month Interval conjurs up images of taking the shuttle bus down Foster to baseball practice @ LaBagh Woods in the spring of '02.
"Source Tags and Codes" by ...And They Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead reminds me of the end of that summer and how it was the first album I ever played in a car that I drove.
Birthday 3 & 4 reminds me of when I started to use my '92 Caravan as a means of getting to friends' homes rather than just school as well as "Midsummer" rehersal.
Dance With You reminds me of early morning baseball practices, walking through an empty, foggy Northside parking lot.
Moving Electricity reminds me of our last summer together and my first "real" job @ the DMV.
Happy December & XMas 4 put memories of serene walks around my neighborhood covered in snow @ 2 a.m. in the early weeks of '04.
Standing on Your Lawn screams depression of '04.
35 Month Interval is working @ Old Navy with the thought that I wouldn't be there long (as in NOT 2 years).
Birthday 7 & 8 remind me of "American Daughter" and Ingrid and how awkward it was to have feelings for someone who wasn't Erin.
Its Spring, Its Your Life is "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and the hope of getting on with my life finally.

There are a few of these (namely the first two Birthdays) that hold an even more significant place in my heart for some reason, though. These are the ones that go beyond conjuring up memories of the approximate time of the mix and ascend into what I can only describe to myself as a "feeling." Those few mixes and certain songs on them just feel like a moment still fresh in my mind...

Anyway, as I was saying... Autumn has come upon Chicago.

And it is glorious...

Now Playing: Nick Drake - "From the Morning"

New Purchases...

Heyall. Indulged in some music pleasure today. KC, Matt, and I went down to Reckless Records after my class and some lunch and I picked up these three (so far) awesome discs:

Beth Orton - "Central Reservation"
Amon Tobin - "Permutation"
&
Eleventh Dream Day - "Ursa Major"

Pretty good stuff, all.

Tomorrow is Molly's Birthday!!! I feel like I should make her something... But a mix just isn't really the thing for her, I don't think. Maybe a photo montage? Oh right. We only have the one picture together with grapes in our upper lips making it look like we're retarted.

Now Playing: Beth Orton - "Tangent"

"Ack II" (Among Other Things...)

August 2003 - (Now) September 2005.

A barren wasteland...

So we (being the Old Navy Crew and myself) took Lani out for her birthday to Denny's and it was great. After my "reverse strip tease" for Lani, in which I add more clothes on as provocatively as I can, I gave Monica her Six Organs of Admittance CD and now I'm here.

Before the reverse stripping @ Denny's, Molly and I saw "The Exorcism of Emily Rose."

...

Good. God. Pretty intense flick. IMDB says that the fact that it was a courtroom drama made it boring... I think that saved the movie. Frankly, if I wanted to see a purely supernatural thriller about demonic possession, I'd rent "The Exorcist" for the 9quabillienth time. No. The court scenes saved the horror part of this movie. They provided a break in the action and made the actual horrific (which they were) scenes seem that much more... Horrific.

Let's just say this about the visuals... I'll never be able to seizure in peace again.

Now Playing: Caribou - "Yeti"

Hello, Again!

Look who I found today... Well, more accurately, she found me. Sonja! She called me just now and we talked for over an hour... Oh. She just called again.

*Note to self: See "Proof" when it comes out*

Anyway, it was good! I told her that Verizon only gave me so many Bug Sonja Minutes this month, so she had to call me this weekend. I'm just still embarrased because I called her so much this summer and nothing ever really materialized as far as making plans and shit... Soooo, anyway yeah she brought up "turning on the light" and I told her that her tactics obviously helped because 2005 has already been leaps and bounds better than crappy 2004.

IN OTHER NEWS...

I'm not going to be spending much on books this semester... WHICH IS GOOoooOOOD.

Now Playing: Four Tet - "Sun Drums and Soil"

It's Hard to Say...

So classes began for me last Tuesday. Its been good so far. I'm a little slow getting used to being around mostly your stereotypical "film student" type, but I kinda figured I'd have to deal with that. I thought there would be more people like me who love films and filmmaking, but didn't scream "ARTIST" with everything they do and say. I'm not complaining, really. Just stating the fact that I wasn't prepared I guess. I was prepared for a culture shock from Oakton to Columbia, but I was more prepared for the curriculum than I was for the people...

Going to school downtown is something that I want to pinch myself everyday and wake up from; a sentiment that I'm sure a lot of people share, but like me, love to walk around as if they could care less. Chicago is MY city and I have lived here all my life. Why should I feel in awe?

Because it's so fucking cool, that's why...

In other news, I took Molly with me on my weekend trip to Lake Geneva and we had a blast exploring the treacherous, empty, dark golf courses on the golf cart that Matt fell off of last year. Everything hilarious (which was pretty much everything) went on a list that I'm sure I'll post on here soon.

Erin left for Spain on Thursday. It's funny how different her leaving for Spain is from her leaving for Carleton. She'll be back at the same time, but it's that she's half-way across the globe... It's strange. She's in Spain. Lynn is in Scotland. I'm just starting college... Once again, I'm one step behind... But I don't feel as lost and hopeless as I did before. I don't feel as though I'm being left behind. Lemme tell you, this is a good feeling not to have...

Now Playing: Belle & Sebastian - "Piazza, New York Catcher"

Even at Once Inch Tall, I Still Want Her...

The Tori concert was amazing. Despite the fact I would have gladly gone myself anyway, I'm immensely glad Erin came along. She seemed to enjoy it more than I figured she would. I mean, we were at the first ever pop-concert @ Pritzker Pavillion... AND IT WAS TORI!

omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg... So awesome!

She was just frickin' fantastic. She ended the night with a medley of that was a bunch of songs sandwiched inbetween parts of "Black Dove." One of the song was "Bells for Her!" I was so happy. ^_^

Anyway, I also went to the stupid Cubs stupid game as they lost horribly. But I had fun with Molly trying to throw peanuts and foil onto a weird middle-aged couple. The guy was kind of stroking her arm over a seat in between them but he seemed as if he was trying to do it without her knowning... Yeah. It was weird. What we were doing sounds a whole lot worse than what it actually was, though.

Now Playing: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - "Sunshine and Clouds and Everything Proud"