Friday Shuffle - Baby's First Shuffle Edition

I've named him Fletcher.



For my birthday on Monday my wonderful husband has presented me with an red iPod nano and I feel pretty good about my decision to go with a nano instead of an iPod classic.

I thought at first that I'd pick the classic for the storage space and to use for data transfer but I know that I'd end up not really using it to its full capacity. I'd probably not use it to half capacity. We have already a 250 gig external hard drive and are likely going to buy another so that's what we use for backing up files and for data transfer. And while being able to carry around my whole iTunes library might be nice, I don't really want to do that. I don't watch video on my iPod, I don't tote around photos on my iPod and I simply don't want to carry around the complete works of Mozart on my iPod. Mozart can keep his ass at home.

The 16 gig nano seems to be more of what I want to use an iPod for. When I'm at home I listen to music straight from my computer. My iPod is for when I'm out shopping or on the streetcar or for when I'm exercising or when I'm in the kitchen. Sixteen gigs is more than enough space for me to load up a tremendous amount of songs and a few podcasts. And the size is just right. Slim and compact, he'll fit into just about any pocket. I'm not fond of lugging around with me a lot of stuff when I'm out so a portable size is just what I want.

And the cute factor. Did you see him? He's red! While it was very tempting to get the pink or purple nano (even the blue was quite tempting), I couldn't pass by the red. It's like red lipstick. Classic and beautiful and sure to be noticed.

Last night while watching There Will Be Blood I whipped out an iSock for Fletcher the iPod. I have so much scrap yarn I may be making a new one for him for each day of the month.





The screen on my old nano was so dinky that cover art wasn't of any real importance to me but with the larger screen and better resolution on Fletcher I knew I'd have to work on getting cover art for all the songs I have that are ripped from CDs. Lots I could get from iTunes but for more obscure things that weren't available I found the cover art from other sources and imported them to my iTunes. I can see having the correct cover art becoming an obsession with me.

So now that Fletcher the iPod has been tattooed (my husband had something engraved on Fletcher's back), received, loaded, cozied and now introduced to you, it's time for his most important function.

Time to shuffle.

1. Long Cool Woman - The Hollies
2. Since You Broke My Heart - The Everly Brothers
3. Miniature Sun - XTC
4. Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin
5. How Did We Get From Saying I Love You... - Great Big Sea
6. Waiting Just For You - Blackmore's Night
7. Let's Be Friends (Skin To Skin) - Bruce Springsteen
8. Just A Memory - The Mavericks
9. Beautiful Dream - Adam Ant
10. Twist And Shout - The Beatles

He's new at the job but Fletcher already has the skill to shuffle up some of my all-time favorite musicians. I think he and I are going to get along beautifully for a long time to come.

Ugly Building, Beautiful Sentiment

So what's on your agenda for the weekend? I've got to finish knitting a sock, do a bit of housework, bake a cake for my birthday on Monday and I'll be participating in a march against fascists. A convenient one too as the march will literally pass by my flat.

The view from my balcony isn't the best, mostly because across the street there's a truly hideous abandoned building. It was a once an office building for the city's school system but now it serves its function as being an eyesore. This building is the finest in East German boring, we're-interested-in-function-only design but right now I think it looks terrific.



In the windows are photographs of ordinary citizens of the city and the sign above them says Magdeburg zeigt Gesicht gegen Nazis! (Magdeburg shows its face against Nazis!). Below the photographs are the corporate sponsors of this project. Often times words like "Neo-Nazi" or "right wing extremists" are used to describe fascists but in this case there's no mincing of words. They mean Nazis and they're going to call them by their rightful name.

It's not a secret that the former East Germany has become a gathering point for fascists. High unemployment and disaffected young people make for easy pickings for those pushing their extremist agendas and while they're a minority, they still shout pretty loudly. They like to use the of the January 16th, 1945 anniversary bombing of Magdeburg, not as a way to remember those lost that night or speak of the horrors of war but to march and spread their message of intolerance and blame the ills of the world on those who aren't like them.

This year the city has planned for January 17th a day for all those who are tired of these shrill extremist voices. To protest their message of hate and and intolerance. There will be a pro-democracy march through the city in which all will be encouraged to participate. Afterward there will be all sorts of events - musical performances, skits, speeches, even vendors. The message is that Magdeburg is our city and we're not going to be frightened indoors by those who want to take us back in time seventy years. It's a bit of a mix between a civil protest and a carnival but the idea is to make supporting democracy and freedom a happy event.

This won't the first anti-Nazi protest in which I've participated. I've been to other counter demonstrations and shouted Nazis raus! (Nazis get out!) until I could no longer speak. I was glad for my participation but this time I feel more positive about taking part. This time there's the feeling that the city and its citizens and businesses are joining together for a common cause and banding together to stop hate.

Just Happy

Someone who is very generous and very kind and very, very sweet has sent me a great big ol' box of yarn. Not plain Jane stuff. Really gorgeous, luxurious and interesting yarns. Yarns for socks, scarves, wraps and blankets. I am so overwhelmed by her generosity that I can hardly describe how special she's made me feel and how grateful that I am.

And I cannot leave this box of yarn alone. It's getting ridiculous. I keep looking at it and petting it and reading online about the qualities of each kind she sent me. I look up projects made with this yarn and think about what I want to knit with it.

What's worst of all is that I want to knit it all. Right now. All at the same time. I can't decide on what yarn to grab first and cast on. I can't make up my mind which project I want to tackle now and which ones can wait a month or two.

But what I think about most is how lovely people are to me. How sweet and thoughtful they are. The lady who sent me this wonderful gift wished to make me happy but I'm not sure if she knows how deeply her kindness has touched me. But it did. And I just had to brag on her (and, I'll admit, show off about the fabulous additions to my yarn stash) and once again affirm that there is a lot more right with people than there is wrong. There is a lot more generosity than selfishness. There is much more joy taken in the happiness of others than joy taken at the misfortune others experience. The world may make us feel more cynical but I'm convinced that in the end we're better to one another than we give ourselves credit for and that's most reassuring.

Human Right

I wouldn't want to live in a world where tomato sandwiches didn't exist. Life just wouldn't be as good.

Serendipity

Serendipity is defined as the finding of valuable or agreeable things not sought for.

I was sitting here online, ordering a French butter dish because it makes me crazy to have hard-as-a-rock-when-it's-refrigerated butter and even crazier to have damn-it's-gone-sour-on-me butter, when I heard a tremendous BOOM! outside. It was the unmistakable call of Look! Fireworks!

I am a fireworks junkie. Now the noise scares the hell out me - I don't do well with sudden or very loud noises - and the can-get-you-killed aspect of fireworks worries me some but I am still crazy about watching skyrockets and anything else that's sparkly and flashy. Home fireworks on the 4th of July or New Year's Eve are okay but those big community displays? Irresistible. Give me a set of earplugs and I could watch them for hours.

Since I live in the old town section of the city were most celebrations and events take place I get to see my fair share of fireworks. Lots can be rather wimpy displays but on occasion when there's some big event there's a fireworks display that's worthy of the big event. Regardless of the size of the display, I'm drawn to finding where they're coming from and either watching from my windows or balcony or running out to where the display is taking place if my view is otherwise obscured. When I heard the first boom I up out of my seat and off to the direction of the sound.

The kitchen window is where I had the best view of the festivities. I figured it would be one of those simple displays since I couldn't think of any big event going on today but I was absolutely wrong. It was fantastic! And it went on and on and on. Hands down the best fireworks display I've seen since moving to Germany and I've watched fireworks competitions held here. I had a terrific view of everything and was far enough away that the sound was just right. Loud enough to give me that little lump in my throat but far enough away that it didn't scare the crap out of me.

And still I don't know why there were fireworks tonight. I can't think of any big event that took place in Magdeburg on June 5th. I don't recall seeing any posters for some event tonight (but I see so many that I could be wrong). And judging by the direction from where they came and the distance I was from them, it seems to me they were coming from the area of the train station - not at all a typical place...usually fireworks shows are along the river, at one of the local parks or at the Medieval fortress near the university. The train station has had some big renovations going on but I wasn't aware that they were finished nor were the renovations some sort of event to be celebrated by a fireworks show.

Maybe someone with a lot of money and some pull with the mayor just wanted a fireworks display tonight. Maybe they like Thursdays. Or June. Or late spring nights.

Or maybe someone just wanted to surprise and impress me and make me wonderfully happy. I hope that was the reason because if it was, it worked.

My Two Boyfriends

Franck Ribéry and Luca Toni. They're competing to be the sole owner of my heart and so they made this video for me.

Tell me that's not love.

Found Today in my Mailbox

Well. Do you?

Genuine is Always Best

Darling Mollie's Christmas present to me arrived the other morning.

By the way, I believe this past week should be referred to as the Darling Mollie Marathon.

Anyway, it arrived and when I told her that it did she told me that I could open it. Very unusual for Mollie as she's a strict adherer to the "Christmas morning only" school of gift unwrapping. She also asked me to call her as I unwrapped it so she could be fully in the moment with me.

I could see that the German customs agents had already opened the box as I cut the tape used to reseal it. First was luggage tag that had on one side "I'm pretty sure this isn't your bag.", which is exactly what Mollie's luggage would say if it could talk. I then saw a tiny envelope with my name on it.

"Mollie, did you close this envelope and then slit it back open again?"

"No."

"Well evidently Hans-Dieter in customs at the Frankfurt airport did. And I know why. They're searching for the plastic vagina."

Let us pause here to consider the plastic vagina. A mutual buddy began a discussion of why in a gay oriented sex shop would there be plastic vaginas for sale. Gay men wouldn't want one (and he would know this) and lesbian women wouldn't need it. The discussion went on - too long to recount here - but at one point the buddy said he'd considered sending it to me for a giggle. Mollie got a laugh out of the conversation and in the next two packages she sent me there was a reference in the notes enclosed that she was not including a plastic vagina in the shipment.

"I told you they are on the lookout for you to send me a plastic vagina! Or they're simply into plastic vagina talk!"

Nope, no girly parts, real or plastic, was in the box. The beribboned, clever box with the pull tab and the tissue paper that was practically like origami and the sweet little cloth dust cover inside. Instead, there was this:



Yikes! I was not expecting that. I was not expecting a Louis Vuitton key and change holder. I would have sooner expected a plastic vagina than that!

I love it when friends really know you and know what you'd love to have. You see, I have this love/hate thing with purses. I love purses. I love cute purses and classic purses. Beaded bags and leather messenger bags. I love clutches and backpacks and doctor's bags. I just hate to carry them. In my world I like to buy great purses, pack them all neat and tidy (because while I may be a slob in my home at times, my wallets and purses are always ultra organized) and then let them sit where I can admire their wonderfulness. I will carry a handbag but if I can avoid it, I will and most of the time if I'm not driving then I just want to carry my keys and a bit of money with me. I got started with that habit when I was in college. Once, while in a bar, some guy threw up on a brand new Coach bag of mine and afterwards I would do my best to only carry some money and my ID and keys and a lipstick on me. I've had other key and change holders in my time but this will be my last one. I dare say this one will likely last me forever.

And holding true to my tradition, I have named my adorable little key and change holder Franck. Double points to you if you know from where I took his name. The name of my iPod should be a clue.

All A-Twitter Here

I'm so, so excited! Look at what I got in the mail yesterday!



And now you're saying "My goodness, Dixie...you sure are easy to please! A blessing to gift givers the world over! No diamonds or furs for you! Not when you get so fired up over two rubber caps with a piece of elastic strung between them!"

Ahhhh...but they're not just any ol' bits of rubber and elastic. These bits of rubber and plastic can do this:



I can take a sock in progress and when I'm not working on it tuck the ends of the double pointed needles into each of the rubber caps and it's all held taut by by the elastic band. Do you know what this means? Do you have any idea what this means?

It means I can tuck my sock project into my pocket and carry it with me without the stitches falling off...and more importantly my leg won't be repeatedly pierced by the ends of the needles. I've been stabbed so many times by double pointed needles that I was considering wearing thigh pads under my clothes but my thighs look big enough already.