Happy New Year! Whatcha doing?

I'm off work tonight at 11:00 and go back in tomorrow morning at 8:00.

How will I celebrate? I'll be watching Radiohead's free webcast concert when I get home. [Ugh. I just read that the show starts at midnight U.K. time. And I am guessing that this is not the same U.K. that is playing in Nashville's Music City Bowl.]

I may also stop by here to watch the happenings of New York's Times Square. My young son and I always enjoy watching the streaming webcams of that site and have fun counting the buses and yellow taxis moving about the big city.

How are you guys spending the hours surrounding midnight tonight?

"You gotta keep the devil way down in the hole."

Season 1 of The Wire used The Blind Boys of Alabama's interpretation of "Way Down In The Hole" as its theme song. Season 2, in keeping with its grittier theme, the show used Tom Waits' original version of the song.

I just read that Steve Earle, who plays Waylon in the series, has recorded a version of it himself for the final season.

Speaking of Southside Johnny...

Southside Johnny joined Jon Bon Jovi on stage for the Hope Concert III in Jersey last Friday night. Finally a concert where both my wife and I would be in awe simultaneously. They sang "Broke Down Piece of Man" together.

Southside Johnny's Grapefruit Moon

A friend of Southside Johnny Lyon told me about this over a year ago. It appears likely that it will finally be released in early '08.

Grapefruit Moon is the name of Southside's collection of Tom Waits songs presented with the big band treatment. I await, I await.

Now what's the latest with that Tom Waits covers record by Scarlett Johansson that I've all but forgotten about?

I love to feel that Fernandina Beach sand between my toes.

Well, I didn't take my shoes off this time, but my beautiful wife and I did at least make time for a nice walk on the beach.

It was kind of the whirlwind trip this year. We couldn't afford to go and so I didn't ask for any time off from work. That was a major downer for us. She was sad to miss Christmas with her family and I was sad because I knew how much she really wanted to be there. Thankfully, her mom sent us a check and I happened to have the 24th, 25th, and 26th off. I clocked out from a ten hour driving shift at work at midnight on the 23rd, got into our van thirty minutes later, and we made the drive to Florida for the next 9+ hours. (By "we," I mean "her" since she prefers her driving to mine. I follow in my father's footsteps and drive a bit too slowly for many people's tastes.)

We pulled into her mom's apartment complex at around ten o'clock Monday morning and zombied our way through the day while visiting with so many of my wonderful in-laws. (One zombie pictured below.)


Christmas was as beautiful as any Christmas should be. The kiddos had a blast and happiness and joy were in abundance. Pictures of said kiddos are on display at Paige's blog.

Thankfully, a friend worked my Thursday shift for me and we didn't have to drive home as early as Wednesday after all, so Paige and I got a little of that beach-walking time in that is always so important to a Tennessee landlubber like me.

More later maybe. I've gotta get back to the grind.

(Here's a nice piece on Amelia Island in Louisville's Courier-Journal.)

Mark Johnson talks to Webbspun Ideas about selecting great wines for the holidays.

Wines for the holidays with Mark Johnson

And visit Corey and the good people at Threadventures for all of your embroidery needs.

But enough about ugh for a minute.

I just received an early Christmas present. And it just may be the best present ever.

Big thanks to a brother, a sister, a mom, a dad, and a wife for pitching in for this 80 GB iPod classic. 80 GB? Are you serious? I've had a 4 GB mini for a year or so. It in itself is pretty awesome, but now I can fit all of my music and fave podcasts on here and never have to take anything off to make room for other things.

Phone calls of thanks are about to be made.

The continuing saga of ugh.

And now my car's battery seems to be dead.

But it's cool. I dropped a buck on a lottery ticket today. It's just a matter of time, right?

There goes my dream of a Maynard G. Krebs lifestyle.

I'm looking for a part-time job. Over the span of a mere twenty minutes, I've applied online to three different places. I've perused craigslist and found a plethora of possibilities, many of which look to be not much more than ye good ole pyramid schemes.

The bottom line is this: The current job provides healthcare that is unlikely to be outdone most anywhere else. I'm keeping it as my main gig. They get me from 2-11 any day they want me, without fail. To supplement my income, I'm open to anything that starts hopefully no earlier than eight or nine in the morning and ends no later than one or so. Another possibility is to work somewhere on the other side of the clock. Midnight to four? Something like that.

Hopefully, something will be found that adds dollars to my day and doesn't invade my sleep too much. I'm open to suggestions.

They did manage to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.

The kid can't take a compliment.

I came home last night to see my little Ari sitting on the couch with a single tear resting just below her right eye. Or as she called it, her "eye drip."

Also, Joshua tends to antagonize her so often that he can't even say something sweet to her without her assuming he's being mean. "Ari, you're a cute little dish," he said to her yesterday.

"Momma, Joshua called me a cute little dish," she tattled.

"Don't worry, Ari," her mother reassured. "It's a nice thing he said to you."

"But Momma," said Ari defiantly. "I am NOT a plate!"

So the answer is 8?

Pitt says they'll have "between 7 and 9" kids.

Enjoy Every Sandwich

First, a joke:

Descartes walks into a bar.
The bartender walks up to him and says, “Would you care for a drink?”
Descartes replied, “I think not” and disappeared.

This boy's birthday is tomorrow. December 18. I'll be thirty-eight years old. Now more than ever, I'm curious about topics like existentialism. There is purpose to all of these atoms of mine crashing into the atoms of others, right? Nakedness and touch, intimacy and trust - they bring to me a higher sense of being.

A year older and a year wiser? Maybe. If nothing else, I'm comfortable in my own skin. While I may be my own worst critic in many areas - as a father, as a husband, as an wage earner, I could be so much better - the best truth is that I am at peace with me. I love the music in my life that I am able to embrace and the pleasure I get from reading a good book knows no bounds. When I write, the words might not come together in the way that they would if I was better taught, but the words I choose are always honest. They serve their own purpose.

Half of my years ago, I was nineteen. I was young, but not too young to remember "the Queen of Soul." Becker and Fagen weren't writing about me. People my age tend to ruminate and say things like "where have all of the years gone?" Maybe I'll ask that question on another birthday, but it all seems played out quite fairly for now. I really do feel as if I've lived nineteen years twice. If the first nineteen were all about growing up and going to school, then what were the following nineteen about?

I've certainly put in a lot of work hours. I've delivered your pizzas, sold you your CDs and cassette tapes at the record store, "up sold" you your luggage and briefcases at the luggage store in the mall, and now I carry your bags when you check-in at your hotel. In romance, I've loved from afar and I've loved with abandon. I've loved some of the wrong people and some people were wrong to have fallen in love with me. Both experiences have brought me tears. Both have taught me life lessons.

Now that I have a family, the struggles mean so much more, but the rewards are so much richer. I'm just a good job away from the seemingly perfect life. It could happen. My yearnings seem so overwhelming sometimes. I'd like to understand the great philosophers well enough to formulate my own profound philosophy. I would like for my wife to not have to work and be able to stay at home with the kiddos while I'm doing great things and bringing home big money. I'd like to write of my love for her on the beautiful (and published!) level that Adam Gopnik writes of his, or that Calvin Trillin (About Alice) or Rob Sheffield (Love Is A Mixtape) write of theirs.

I share a birthday with Keith Richards (on how he keeps fit, "Passing the vodka bottle. And playing the guitar.") and with Steven Spielberg ("I dream for a living."). The very funny and very missed Chris Farley died on Dec. 18, 1997 ("Basically, I only play one character; I just play him at different volumes.") Life is beautiful, but it can also be way too fleeting.

As the late Warren Zevon said, "Enjoy every sandwich." Maybe it really is that simple.

Lucky Bastard, That S/FJ

If there is anything about being a professional music writer that sucks, I would like to know what that something is. Sasha-Frere Jones (professional music writer) starts his latest blog entry thusly:

"While at the Led Zeppelin reunion concert..."

See what I mean? Read the rest ... In The Days Of My Youth

And read his wonderfully, wonderfully written review ... Stairway to Here

STS9 - Frame that Red Rocks show and put it on your wall.

Beautiful music for your ears, STS9.

STS9, live at Red Rocks, as photographed by Tobin Poppenberg (click and scroll a bit to see).

I'm falling, falling, falling for this band.

"Breathe In" from that wonderful Red Rocks show (featured on this podcast) will take me home across the dam tonight. Listen and love.