breathing life into my blog

i thought i'd try and breathe a little life into my blog once more ... i am planning to post songs, photos, and poetry if and when it happens. we'll see how that goes.

the last couple of months haven't been too great. i was once again diagnosed with (mild) burnout, i had anxiety/panic and depression issues once again, particularly during the second half of november, when i was off work for a full two weeks, and then again around christmas. the doctor wanted to get me back on the meds, but i refused to. i am just not prepared to go through the side effects again, so i decided to see how life goes without medication, though if a certain line is crossed, i might have no choice but to go back on the sertralin. i had a few panic attacks, once had to take half a xanor, and i am very grateful for having heinz by my side, who's been super-supportive.

i haven't talked about my issues as much as i used to, at the beginning it was because i felt pretty much like a total loser and i withdrew. now that the holidays are over and my friends are back in vienna - and i am feeling better - i am sure it'll be easier to talk about it. funny though - i opened up to two people who i don't know that well (a former student, and an old friend who's reappeared in my life) - and both of them rewarded my openness with opening up themselves: and both of them have burnout and anxiety and depression issues as well! it just shows me, once again, that i am not alone, and that more people than we imagine have to deal with these things. i have been seeing my therapist more regularly, and i hope to come to terms with a couple of problems/issues.

it certainly hasn't helped that things at work have been changing quite a lot, and not particularly for the better. i am not sure what happens when my contract finishes on 18 february - there is a possibility that i will then only get a contract for 21 hours of teaching (instead of 37), which might be healthier, but would also mean that i'd have too little money to live on, which is a bit of a down side. so i have been worrying a lot, and we all know i am very good at that.

for christmas, i got what i wanted, only not quite the way i'd imagined it: i said i'd actually prefer to be left alone and not see people etc. so as soon as we arrived at heinz's family's in styria, i was down with the flu. the fever knocked me out for a few days, but the virus affected my respiratory tracts quite badly, and i am just now getting rid of the cold completely.

so my long christmas break was very different from what i'd planned it to be - i didn't get to see my family, i didn't take all those long walks i'd meant to take, i didn't take many photographs, i didn't read as much as i'd planned, i didn't meet many friends, i still haven't done my photography homework. instead i really looked after myself in terms of getting over that flu bug completely, i stayed in bed and slept more than i actually thought i could sleep. i did a lot of filing and putting things in order, i finally finished editing the istanbul pictures taken on our trip there in september, and heinz and i cleaned the kitchen top to bottom and inside out. i've been tinkering with older unfinished poems and scribbled down a few new ideas, and i even wrote a complete poem. and now that i have become used to sleep-ins and doing what i felt like doing, it's one weekend between me and the stressful world of work!

i've spent a lot of time with leonard cohen lately - his music, his lyrics, his poems, a documentary, his biography. i have so much admiration and respect for his talent, for the man, and though i have been a fan for a long time, i feel that my admiration has never been quite what it is now. whatever music comes and goes, i am sure leonard is here to stay in my life.

but of course, i have discovered singers and bands over the past year that were either new or not very well-known to me. there's the highly talented lisa lindal, the gorgeous and funny sia, brilliant singer sissel, the incredibly swinging ditty bops, norman palm, jill barber, melody gardot, wendy bucklew, the fabulous eilen jewell, the trishas, amelia curran, the adorable kate rusby, chris garneau, emily rodgers, the fleet foxes, the handsome family, and very recently swedish sister act first aid kit. lots of ladies on this list!

i've spent some time (re)reading poetry collections by arlene ang, kelli russell agodon, jayne pupek (who passed away much too soon last august), ros barber, john siddique, carolyn guinzio, valerie fox. 2010 was more successful in terms of poetry than 2009 and 2008, though that was not exactly such a challenge. i managed to write some poems, and i sent out a handful of submissions, all of which resulted in publications. that was encouraging - especially because several of the published poems were brand-new. looks as if i still have it in me! i also did a reading with sylvia petter, which she'd invited me to. i worked hard to prepare for the reading, and it paid off. i loved every minute of it, and though the audience was small, the people were incredibly disciplined and very appreciative. i definitely want to do another reading this year, we shall see what opportunities come up.

i finally went and enrolled for photography classes last september. it's a ten-month course, and it is very interesting, demanding, time-consuming, and fun. i have learned a lot, i've been experimenting, and i look forward to learning more.











and here's my song not only of today, but the last few days - such sadness, such beautiful lyrics, such a wonderful video, and the voices of stuart staples and the beautiful lhasa, who died so young early last year:



song of the day: that leaving feeling by stuart staples & lhasa de sela.

smitten

remember the singer/songwriter i mentioned last time i blogged? lisa lindal. well - i was fortunate enough to see/hear her live on thursday. after a very, very weird estonian movie - the temptation of st tony - that opened the nordic film festival at urania, there was a reception sponsored by the estonian embassy, and the delightful miss lindal flew in from sweden especially for the occasion. both heinz and i had enjoyed some of her songs on the internet, and lisa's performance certainly did not disappoint.

i'd dropped her a note on facebook, and she'd written back and added me as a friend, and i bumped into her a few minutes after the movie, and i said hello. i was surprised at how small she is! petite. but so full of energy - she seemed taller once she was playing the piano and singing.

she opened with moon river, went on to sing a few other classics and cover versions (somewhere over the rainbow - very, very beautiful! - as well as a tom waits song and the terrific cover version of crazy) as well as her own songs (among them my current favourites light in the tunnel and boyfriends make you lazy). unfortunately, as it was a reception in one large room, there was a lot of talking, and i wished people would pay more attention. many of those standing or sitting near the front, however, were drawn in more and more as the performance went on.

the gig confirmed that the girl really can sing. and she can write lovely songs. some of her lyrics are wonderfully quirky. i'd love to talk to her about her influences and the creative process some day. maybe, maybe.

heinz and i had a chance to talk to her after the performance, which was nice. we contemplated going to bratislava for her gig yesterday evening, but it would have been rather stressful for heinz, and we might not have made it on time, so we didn't go after all. lisa seems to be stuck in vienna now, what with the volcano coughing up ash in faraway iceland, so who knows, she might give some spontaneous concerts. ;)

if you haven't done so yet, do check her out. she is well worth it. her album's due out in autumn.


apart from this my latest obsession: i am enjoying time with my current english students, they are fun, motivated, interested. we had almost a week of rain, which pissed most people off, but meant pollen relief for people like me. iceland's been sending volcanic greetings to much of europe, thanks. i feel like writing much of the time, but can't seem to be able to string three lines together - aargh. i received the very beautiful and enjoyable press 1 anthology The Red Room - one of my poems, equinox, is in very good company there. thanks to arlene ang, valerie fox and jordan schilling for their great work at press 1!


song of the day: the light in the tunnel by lisa lindal.

music and more music

heinz and i went to see the delightful holly cole at konzerthaus in march. i'd never seen her live, but had heard people raving about her performances. it was an evening of almost exclusively tom waits songs - and if i can't have tom waits performing tom waits, then i'll very happily listen to holly performing his work. she is good on recordings, but she is simply amazing live. she just makes each song totally unique, and her band's a perfect match for her. the highlight was perhaps a children's song that her father used to sing to his kids: holly and the percussionist sat down on the floor, using heels, hands, chairs as instruments. all the more charming and touching because her father was in the audience. she's also charming, funny, and chatty, which i love. great night out in a beautiful concert hall - and for half the money they charge for most pop concerts these days.

very recently i discovered swedish singer lisa lindal. i came across her by coincidence, read that she would be performing live on the opening night of the scandinavian film festival here in vienna on 15 april and had to check her out online. absolutely worth it. visit youtube for videos of her performing a terrific cover version of gnarls barkley's "crazy" (accompanied by piano and violin!) and a few of her songs, stop by her myspace page or her website, where you can listen to several of her songs. (and yes, there are similarities between her and tori amos, but they're certainly not identical twins.) she rocks. and you heard it from me. ;)


song of the day: boyfriends make you lazy by lisa lindal.

the lady of the poems

it occurred to me today that my poetic life over the past 3-4 years kind of fits the lord of the rings trilogy:

I - the fellowship of ITWS: my poem-a-day times at inside the writer's studio poetry board
II - the two lost years: as good as nothing happening between end of 2007 and end of 2009
III - the return of the muse: looks like "it" is back - whatever "it" is that makes me want to write, that makes me find the words, that channels my ideas. i am beginning to trust this/myself again, which is, well: terrific! :)


other news:

autralian open: justine henin lost her comeback grand slam to serena williams - no fairy tale ending there, but many flashes of brilliance. good to have her back. roger federer did it again ... andy murray just was no match for him.

i was unfaithful to my hairdresser. so far, no regrets.

i'm not surprised that my students seem to have given me some bug - i found out 2 hours ago that i have a temperature. this does not make me particularly happy.

i'm hooked on sarah blasko, it seems (song of the day - brilliant, brilliant cover version of a 1980s cold chisel song). and checking out clare & the reasons.


song of the day: flame trees by sarah blasko.

sunday girl

i'm really proud of myself because i managed not to work all day yesterday. i allowed myself some reading time, some girly book, not sophisticated at all. :) it was chilly outside, stormy, and anything from blue skies to blizzards, and it was nice to be curled up in bed (on the couch, actually, which has become my bed these past weeks) with a nice cup of cocoa & chili tea.

today, i slept "late" - or what has become "late" - ie nearly 9 o'clock, and i have been fooling around on facebook, playing some scrabble moves, on the phone to gudrun, and listening to the wonderful kitchenwitch mix cd that the lovely theresa boyar sent me. just the kind of music a girl needs. next in line: nicole's equally great mixes!

now my to do list is only about 25 entries long - easy peasy for a wonderwoman like yours truly, eh?

song of the day: sunday girl by blondie.

i spoke to david bowie last night.

he was in my classroom. working on a song, apparently. you'll be happy to hear that he was very nice.

a few nights ago i dreamed that i had written a poem. of course i could not remember anything, so still no new poetry from this blocked poet.

i dream about my students a lot, and about things that go totally wrong, usually in very weird ways.

in the real world, the foo fighters really have such funny videos (long road to ruin), adele has a great voice, i really cannot stand rihanna, and they are finally playing band of horses on austrian stations. i enjoyed a couple of brit pop hours yesterday evening, some good old blur, edwyn collins, saint etienne, oasis, supergrass and such. gotta-dance-tunes. :)

still, the song of the day is not by any of them.

song of the day: waving flags by british sea power.

another book and one more cd ...

... arrived in the mail yesterday: mike dockins sent me his full-length collection slouching in the path of a comet in exchange for my two chapbooks. and he threw in fame for zoe, his band clop's debut cd which i am enjoying a lot. go check clop out on myspace!

i went to the open mic yesterday evening but did not read - i just wasn't in the mood. next time. it was nice to see my poet friends again, especially since i had missed the january open mic.

i also had my hair cut yesterday - and for the first time in many years, it's not veryvery short. and why? as the zurich commercial puts it - "because change happens". :)

my weekend will be: working, dying my hair, working, tidying up a bit, some scrabble moves, working, and working some more.




my eye looks brownish green here - weird.

song of the day: an hour at lloyd's by clop.

late to the party ...

the new year is almost a week old, and i am finally getting around to writing my end-of-2007 post. how pathetic is that. and even though i have had more time to think about it, i still find myself sitting here wondering what to say. now THAT is even more pathetic. *g*

we already know it was not a good year: my divorce from sepp, the financial disaster caused by venetia, all the heartache that came with my affair with nathan, the panic attacks and depression, falling out with my mother, the computer breakdown, the stolen purse and other, smaller troubles.

but of course it was not all bad.

the best thing was that so many people showed me they care. and how. my friends in vienna provided the best support a girl could wish for. my friends abroad sent me good vibes, virtual hugs and messages that occasionally made me wonder whether they were still talking about me. people i barely knew shared their experiences with me and became new friends. i don't even want to begin to imagine what i would have done without all that. so thank you. you know who you are.

of course there was something good in that love affair, though at the moment i am finding it a bit hard to see that. and that's okay, too. i still know many good poems were inspired by it, some of the music will stay with me as well, and one day i will be able to look back on the lovely days without bitterness or anger.

poetry:
45 poems were published in 2007, a handful were accepted for publication in 2008; in addition to that, the 24 secret meanings of greek letters poems in my chapbox. and of course alex's and my collaboration was accepted in the summer. one of my fibs placed second in the flashquake competition, and john vick awarded me a gift certificate. the elements series is about halfway done. i did not write nearly as much as in 2006, and i have been totally blocked since late september when the panic attacks began. but i am quite happy with some of my work.

the year also saw the publication of some photographs - the first one in lily, then in the fray published four. i really hope to place some more this year.

books:
i read a lot of poetry, particularly enjoyed galway kinnell's collection, thomas tranströmer's collection, the digerati anthology, teresa white's full-length collection and most of the chapbooks that i swapped / bought (among them, kelli russell agodon, ryan murphy, arlene ang). as for novels: jasper fforde still rules. so does terry pratchett.

music:
like almost any other year, i have made quite a few musical discoveries and been to some terrific concerts.

among the year's new favourites are regina spektor, bat for lashes, devendra banhart, pink martini, cat power, the yeah yeah yeahs, james morrison, beirut, deine lakaien, the editors, the pipettes, kristin hersh (re-discovered), scott walker (re-discovered), laura veirs.

i got to see tori amos again, loved the arcade fire and rufus wainwright concerts.

not sure what i listened to most this year, but certainly a lot of arcade fire, nellie mckay, rufus wainwright, martha wainwright, tom waits, feist, walkabouts, abba, georg danzer, muse, amy winehouse, attwenger, decemberists, belle & sebastian, billy joel, jenny lewis, kaiser chiefs, richard hawley, jarvis cocker, o brother where art thou soundtrack.

among my songs of the year (not necessarily new songs) - for all sorts of reasons:

chasing cars (snow patrol) ~ down boy (the yeah yeah yeahs) ~ trophy (bat for lashes) ~ fidelity (regina spektor) ~ the blower's daughter (damien rice) ~ your ghost (kristin hersh & michael stipe) ~ dis quand reviendras-tu (martha wainwright) ~ hey there delilah (the plain white t's) ~ diferente (gotan project) ~ santa maria da feira (devendra banhart) ~ this side of the blue (joanna newsom) ~ going to a town (rufus wainwright) ~ back to black (amy winehouse) ~ revival (the soulsavers with mark lanegan) ~ tell it to me (tom waits) ~ i see a darkness (bonnie prince billy) ~ velvet revolution (tori amos) ~ landed (ben folds) ~ 36 grad (2raumwohnung) ~ beyond the sea (robbie williams) ~ antichrist television blues (arcade fire) ~ paths of victory (cat power) ~ green fields (the good the bad & the queen) ~ majesty (madrugada) ~ please baby don't (sergio mendes feat john legend) ~ louis, louis (teitur) ~ troy (sinead o'connor) ~ tonight i have to leave it (shout oud louds) ~ young folks (peter bjorn & john with victoria bergsman).

favourite memories of 2007 include arlene's visit, hiking with my dad in the mountains near my hometown, a thunderstorm on the flight from chicago to l.a., my walks at central cemetery, holding gudrun's new baby boy for the first time, reading Open Letter to A Poet at café kafka, holding my new chapbox in my hands, meeting sarah.

i did not go to the cinema very often this year, but loved the queen, notes on a scandal, scott walker - 30th century man and savage grace. and it was great to see the third man again in the summer.

new addictions: facebook, scrabulous (very recent), grey's anatomy, nellie mckay, progressive muscle relaxation.
old addictions: gilmore girls, chocolate, photography.

and so, where am i now? this whole end-of-year-beginning-of-new-year business did not really do me good. for days around new year's, i felt like crying most of the time, especially when i was on my own. i want to believe that this year will be better, but i can't, not really. not yet, maybe. and i realised that at the age of 36 i am, for the first time in my life, scared of falling in love.

song of the day: young folks by peter bjorn & john with victoria bergsman.

prep work queen

*phew* sometimes i wonder how i am going to handle the workload in january - i will seriously have to cut down on being-creative-&-wanting-to-do-everything-myself, prep-work-wise. i've just finished everything that needed to be done for my christmas lessons tomorrow and on friday - thank goodness i had some old material, but i added lots of new stuff as well, mainly songs plus worksheets: from silent night (gorgeous version by mahalia jackson!) to fairy tale of new york (check this out - thanks to chris for sending the link) via grandma got run over by a reindeer (the irish rovers) and christmas card from a hooker in minneapolis (tom waits). *g* diversity rules!

i am not, however, feeling any more christmas-y after going through tons of songs and lyrics and other christmas- related stuff. but then, why would things be different this year?

i have time off over the holidays - friday is the last day for this year, classes begin again on the 2nd. wow. 2008. those 2000-something dates still seem rather odd to me, somehow unreal. i'll be off to my hometown on saturday to be with my folks for a few days.

everyone was really tired today, including me; i have so gotten used to the after-work chat with nathan that i really missed it today - i guess he only pretended not to be there, when really he doesn't want to talk to me anymore after my acceptance note from qarrtsiluni; i had a rejection note from mimesis (*sob*) but with some very nice notes and an invitation to send more work; the company i worked for in amstetten are finally paying me (about bloody time too!); saw the doctor yesterday - still on the same medication (me, not him), though i have a feeling he has considered / is considering increased dosage yet again.

off to bed now, leaving you my favourite christmas tune:



song of the day: fairy tale of new york by the pogues feat kirsty maccoll.

it's snowing again

but this post is not about snow. except maybe to say that the funny little styrofoam-like snow"flakes" yesterday after work looked rather cute on my new red coat and the black scarf.

bob hewis put on one of his many personas on thursday evening, got out his guitar and played johnny cash songs to a mostly appreciative audience (yes i am talking about YOU two guys and one girl in the corner who would not shut up even during the quieter songs!) at verein08 in vienna. i was especially pleased to hear a song originally written by will oldham (aka bonnie prince billy) called i see a darkness, hurt, and when the man comes around. and yes, bob, you are right: there *is* something sexy about tennessee stud. ;)

i had an hour to catch up on things with birgit on monday, i did not make it to one of the many christmas markets with a couple of friends on tuesday evening because i had a killer headache, i had some lovely girl talk with ms hillary keel on thursday afternoon, i missed my friend bo's emails as well as chatting with gudrun this week, i have become addicted to grey's anatomy, i looooooove my new red coat, and i enjoy the winding-down-after-work sessions with nathan.

i dragged myself to the company christmas party yesterday evening, after having fallen asleep during my PMR exercises, but it was actually quite nice - especially seeing my ex-colleagues from the good old floridsdorf days. the food was lovely as usual, and all i drank was still water.

a long chapter was closed last night when i followed my instincts and made a phone call. the story was one of love and lies, promises and passion, hope and disappointments, happiness and hurting, hellos and goodbyes, longing and loss, and i was one of the three main characters - alongside another woman and a man - and nobody won in the end. i was actually pleasantly surprised by the conversation and felt strangely relieved after the phone call, and calmer than i had in a long time.

song of the day: i see a darkness by bonnie prince billy. even though everything is not bleak today. but it is a beautiful song.

do you know what bob hewis said tonight?

"it's all suck and no blow in this job."

of course he was talking about a song he performed, and the harmonica he was playing. what were YOU thinking? *rolling eyes*

i am glad i went to see bob - an open mic acquaintance - play "dustbowl ballads" (songs by woodie guthrie & friends) despite being quite tired. among the songs: stagger lee, john henry, goodnight irene, the ghost of tom joad, hobo's lullabye, tom joad.

if you are in vienna on 13 december, bob is playing johnny cash that night.


song of the day: stagger lee as performed by bob hewis.

gotta love this woman!

if you are familiar with nellie mckay, you'll know why. if you are not, don't miss out, check her out.



here are the lyrics.

song of the day: mother of pearl by nellie mckay.

"Sleeping is giving in / no matter what the time is"

what an excellent concert! the arcade fire really are a brilliant live band, and i am glad i decided to treat myself to a concert ticket the moment i heard they'd be playing in vienna.

the funeral was such a great album, and neon bible is at least as good - so there was not a song over the course of nearly two hours that was only so-so, and that the audience did not love. i have been to quite a few concerts over the last years, and viennese crowds can be a bit lame sometimes, or hard to get going. that certainly was not a problem tonight.

the band members really put their heart and soul into their music. that might be most obvious in lead singer/songwriter win and multi-instrumentalist/singer régine (who sings and plays and dances with an intensity that makes everything seem to be a matter of life and death), but i am sure it is equally true for the rest of the band.

i haven't found the set list yet, but i'll edit this post when i have it. the only song that i waited for in vain, was crown of love. maybe next time.




a p.s. - two things i always marvel at when i go to concerts:

a) if people want to discuss their lives, and bitch about everyone they ever knew, why don't they stay at home and put the cd on instead of babbling throughout a concert?

b) man has flown to the moon. man has invented the internet. man has conquered illnesses. but nobody seems to have been able to figure out a functioning system for cloakrooms. anyone up for the challenge?


song of the day: rebellion (lies) by the arcade fire.

panics & poetics

the panic continues. sometimes i have almost normal days (or maybe i have just gotten used to somehow expecting the next attack to happen), but other days, it can get quite bad, like last thursday, and saturday. fortunately i was not alone. thursday during that attack i felt dizzier than ever, and for the first time, my hands went a bit numb for a while. very scary, that. i have begun to feel somewhat claustrophobic on crowded trains and in busy places. i sleep really badly, and often i wake up with a start, finding myself sitting upright in bed. i could also do with a few massages. i've done quite a bit of research, and talked to many people about anxiety/panic attacks.

i want to thank everyone who left comments on the blog and/or back-channelled me about this. i've had the loveliest emails from friends near and far, and of course ongoing support (phone, emails, in person) from my viennese friends - you all make me feel loved, and i really don't know what i would do without you.

i am not doing particularly well tonight, because despite promises, the company hasn't paid yet. things are pretty bad. some colleagues really don't know how to go on anymore, they have to support their families, and not just themselves, and i have heard of people who are owed over $23,000 by the company. my not-quite $9,000 sound like peanuts compared to that.

i have an appointment next week, at a free centre/clinic. i've had some replies to a query i sent out to all doctors, therapists, and psychologists registered at a very useful website called besthelp.at - some helpful tips, and maybe i will check out one or two of the therapists, arrangements may be possible where i don't have to pay the full price for their services. i'll keep you posted.

* * * * * * *

poetry-wise, i finished my round of 10:10 yesterday.

titles:

06 Open Letter to A Poet
07 dyspnea
08 glossolalia
09 Copper (Cu) - The day I fell in love with a mirror
10 panikos


the new issue of pebble lake review is out, and i cannot wait to get my hands on my copy! my poem you've been flirting again cannot be read online, but some of the contributors read their poetry on the PLR website.

i have two octoberish poems and four photos in a magazine called in the fray, which you should check it out. nice thing is that they also pay me $20 for my work. :)

Still Life with Mellifluous Strings, a collaborative poem written with nathan mcclain about a year ago, can now be read in the latest issue of eclectica.

hiss quarterly has accepted one of my poems, after the fever, for their themed november issue ("slip out the back, jack").

and stone table review should be out any day now ...

and of course, kristy is busy working on my greek letters baby ... i am sure that one will be a beauty!

* * * * * * *

i guess one lesson i have learned lately is not to make too many of *my* songs *our* (as in, his&mine) songs. (though tough to do for a music junkie like me who loves to share.) there are so many tunes i find i cannot listen to these days. lines, meanings, memories ...

here's a heartbreaker that i *can* stand listening to, but just. just.

I know, you will not see me, but I know you have a daughter
And I hear she has my eyes
They say she calls him "father", and he's proud of her
And even believes all of your lies
But for all your faithless beauty, I'd give all my tomorrows
And if you're still thinking of me
Louise, Louise, if it's true
Tell it to me

ah the world cannot be all bad as long as there's a tom waits in it.

song of the day: tell it to me by tom waits.

amid the grumpdom and blahness ...

... that seems to have taken possession of me yesterday (headache, pms, temperature, impending divorce, temporarily disappeared and undelivered passport, muggy city, and suchlike), some good news:

one of my favourite magazines, pebble lake review, has accepted one of my poems (you've been flirting again)! it'll be published in their summer issue, and i was so thrilled, i was grinning at the computer screen for at least 15 minutes.

i came across some terrific music today, by kristin hersh, cat power, pink martini, wilco, laura veirs, and others.

and - i owe a few smiles, chuckles and even hearty laughs to the master de-grumpy-fier; thank you again. (he knows who he is. as for everyone else - i'll ask whether you can book him. *g*)

here's a little "oinkment" - for sarah. ;)



song of the day: lilly by pink martini.

trim & slim

i was surprised to find TRIM, the mannequin envy anthology, in my mailbox yesterday; that was fast. i've read about one third of the poems, and i've got to say that jennifer van buren (editor) did an excellent job.

i went and bought myself a new mp3 player yesterday - my old one has been acting up, and i wanted more GB as well. this is my new toy:


slim & stylish, the samsung k3, isn't it? i spent ages uploading songs (and a few pictures), and the first song i listened to was regina spektor's fidelity. today, on shuffle, it was heather nova's let's not talk about love, followed by roy orbison & friends - dream baby. a few other songs it chose: heldenzeit by wir sind helden, i just don't know what to do with myself by the white stripes, bruce sringsteen's born to run, billy joel's if i only had the words and coldplay's acoustic version of yellow.

vienna's still hot. mannequin envy seem to have lost my latest submission. i wrote a poem called blue yesterday, and one tentatively called after the rift today. and you?

song of the day: dream baby by roy orbison & friends.