The Devil Hates Kung Fu

I wanted to use February as a Month for Gratitude and talk about all the things that I was grateful for and try to mentally trip myself out of the January doldrums.  I had this master plan last week that I would start on February 1st and even had a subject that I wanted to start with. Two days ago it was February 1st and at the end of the day, the only thing I was grateful for was to be able to go home in one piece.  Yesterday was the annual Wish It Was Spring By Trusting a Rodent Festival  (Groundhogs Day) and despite the prophesies  of an early spring, it didn't put a spring into my step. It isn't that I am not grateful, I have a lot to be grateful for, but when you are seeing colors in a dreary light it is hard to see colors.

One of the things I do when I need to work stuff out in my head is reorganize the space around me, and then hope that by the time that I am done my brain will be in a better spot.  I was reorganizing the library last week since it had become a black hole of clutter and half finished projects.  In the middle of moving a cabinet I discovered a bunch of old year books and compact discs.   One of the discs that caught my eye was the one my husband made for me when we first started dating.

Before I was with my husband I had a very specific music taste. I am not saying it was good music taste or bad music taste, but it was pretty much whatever came on the radio.  I had never been super obsessive over music, but on the other hand I could listen to the same CD for weeks without taking a breather, because it just jived with me at the time.  I will admit that I get in a rut with my music.  I get in a rut in a lot of things and I don't even know it most of the time.

My husband is a constant evolution of music and has introduced me to a lot of bands that I would never have discovered on my own.  Looking back at the first mixed tape made me so grateful that he didn't call it quits when I told him that his favorite band had nasally grating voice that I couldn't stand.  If you hear him tell it, I was a hairs breathe from getting the axe, because I inadvertently insulted the band that spoke his soul.  I am grateful that he could accept our differences and move forward and give me time to change my music tastes at my own pace and not instant expect me to love everything he loves.  My husband and I are almost a dozen years out from our first date, and I still don't love all the music that he does, but thats okay.  He certainly doesn't love all the music that I do, but when I showed him that first compact disc he made, he marveled at his good taste and I was able to laugh with him over some of the songs.  Looking back and enjoying the past is one step closer to getting out of the rut.

Below is the play list for those that are interested.

The Devil Hates Kung Fu

1. The King of Carrot Flower by Neutral Milk Hotel
2. King's Dominion By Black Eyes
3. Pull My Strings- Dead Kennedys
4. Target by Fugazi
5. The Kids are Alright by Gold Finger
6. Call the Doctor by Sleater Kinney
7. Bloody Murder by Cursive
8. DatSkat by The Roots
9. Goneja by Skinny Puppy
10. Circus by Tom Waits
11. Caroline by Jawbreakers
12. Magical Colors (31 Flavors) by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
13. The Lost World by Jello Biafra and Mojo Nixon
14. Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)  by Digable Planets
15. Futile Bread Machine by Meshuggah
16. Watergate by Ohgr
17. Kill All the White Man by NoFx
18. Snow Shoe BBQ by Atom and His Package
19. Turn Around by They Might be Giants
20. Can God Fill Teeth by Lard
21. Kabuki Girl by The Decendents
22. White Kids Love Hip Hop by MC Chris
23. Exploding Brains by Tenacious D
24. Hotel Yorba by The White Stripes
25. United States of Whatever by Liam Lynch