I really SHOULD be "working"

but our top client just made me super angry by coming back and wanting changes to ads she had already given the final approval on. And our contact over there got fired. Today. And she has to leave. Today. Very weird. We'd be excited about it (because she's truly one of the worst people experiences I've ever had to endure) if we didn't know that her assistant is now "in charge" over there and she's worse than her predecessor ever THOUGHT of being!

So I promised not to be a tease: Tree Sound Studios, the public library, affirming phone calls and emails, and finding CDs that I forgot I owned.

1. Tree Sound Studios is a world-famous recording studio and I happen to live down the street from them. I randomly emailed their office manager asking some questions the other day and she responded back saying she's really glad I got in touch with her. I will keep you abreast of fun things there.

2. The public library. I went to one of those Tuesday night to pick up a book I had reserved. Public libraries are the new sideshow circus acts in town. Seriously. Kids running around. People on phones. A woman weeping for no apparent reason. Kids watching wrestling on YouTube that I could tell what it was even though their screen was covered with one of those privacy black-out screen things that are the new rage in the federal government. It's one of those self-serve libraries, you have to check out your own books, find your own book reservations, you can't find a damn thing, if there's a card catalog I couldn't find it, there wasn't a "find what you're looking for in our library" computer apparent, and no one around to ask where I could find some modern classics like On the Road by Kerouac (I've never read it, I know, shocking) and I wanted to check out some Jane Austen. I've never even touched a Jane Austen tome. I was prompted to by the Harwell's babysitter/friend a couple of weeks ago. Now, I know you can reserve all of these books online and they will be held at the local branch of your choice. But there's no fun in that and there's definitely a time delay of at least a couple of days. I wandered around between the teen girls eating fruit roll-ups and talking and laughing loudly, the kids that needed their diapers changed, people not speaking English debating over something, audio books, self-help books, reference books you can't check out, cookbooks and then bodice-ripping romance novels. Where are the Austen's? The James Joyce's? The anything relevant to a literate adult's life's? I was disillusioned. I even sat at the computer to use their internet to blog about it. Then my phone rang (that's why I couldn't call you back Jason!) and the caller and I seriously needed to talk, so I left the circus and don't think I'll be going back any time soon.

3. Affirming phone calls and emails: I have gladly received them this week. I am the Lay Director of a girls' spiritual retreat this fall and I got a really nice email from a lady whom I respect GREATLY this week just telling me that she knew God had special things planned just for me to bring on this weekend and other such encouragements. I'm often the encourager, so it was nice to be treated to the same this week. I also had a wonderful phone conversation with a friend whom I don't keep in close enough contact and we just had a nice time catching up and giggling and she endured listening about Paulo.

I can tell you this, kids--if Paulo is like any of my other crushes of late, this should die out in a couple of weeks. I get crushes. A lot. And they generally peter out just as quickly as they come on (a la Episcopal tattoo guy). I've only had two crushes in my entire life that didn't give out quickly. One lasted for six years and it at the end was no longer a crush, it was something altogether different and consuming and I'm glad to be out of its grip now. The other had to do with the CFA manager I mentioned yesterday and that's only because he kept popping up in unexpected places and doing things that would keep that spark of mystery there. So, hang on my friends! The light is (probably) at the end of the tunnel on this one!

4. I found an entire case (probably like 50+ discs) of CDs that I had not loaded into my iTunes. So that's what I did yesterday. I loaded them all and have enjoyed listening to music I thought was lost to me! Included in said lost greats:

The Cranberries: Wake Up And Smell The Coffee
David Gray: The EPs 92-94
Tap: ID
Elton John: One Night Only: The Greatest Hits Live (where he and Mary J. Blige sing I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues!)
The Waiting, Garbage, some old Live (the band) discs, a disc from a trio of girls I met while in Ireland and they are pretty horrible sounding--but their lyrics are STRONG and hit me square in the chest. The Wrights, Lindsay Mac, Jennifer Knapp, some OLD Shane and Shane, Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama (yes!), some old REM and Mars Volta and the best:

Jason Harwell's first solo album. Amazing. It includes some gems: Bad Student, I Miss My Dog, and The Nickel Song. You've certainly come a long way from Building a Better Me, friend!

And also Jason's college band Copper John. However in iTunes it's listed as John Copper. Which I find amusing. Either way, it's been a trip down memory lane that I've thoroughly enjoyed.