Another holy grail attained!

Ah yes, I previously wrote how I received the biggest of my grails about two years ago during Record Store Day (so appropriate it hurts) and that I had a few more of these big catches lined up. I managed to find another later that year in Buckingham Nicks, which I did not write about. I probably should have, but that's beside the point.

And now, I managed to find a surprise one in late November!

A year or so ago, I read a Talking Heads book (God help me if I can remember which one) and saw a passage about a side project that Jerry Harrison did sometime in the early eighties. He teamed up with Busta Jones and some more folks, including Dolette McDonald, and made an EP under the moniker "Escalators" (dumbass me thought it was "Elevators", so probably why I wasn't successful in finding anything until now). I hunted in vain for any evidence of the record's existence. The book I read (har har) made it sound like the EP was never released or if it was, it was super limited. I figured I would never find it and left that possibility in the dust.

Cut to about late last month. I'm faffing about on the Internet and am going through Discogs, a much excellent website. I was doing some research on Harrison's solo career, primarily on the singles he released in 1988. I talked about finding two variations of "Rev It Up" in San Francisco, which led me to learn more about variations of the "Man With a Gun" release. Blah, blah; I was doing that and under the heading of other bands he was in, I saw "Escalators". Clicked it and... boom. The EP not only existed, but it could be purchased (only on vinyl, though)! I immediately went to eBay and found one for a reasonable price. From the prices, its scarcity wasn't as serious as I thought.

And here we are now, me as the proud owner of the Escalators EP!

Worst selfie ever.

And after all that, what is the verdict? It sounds like a lost Tom Tom Club album, which is hilarious since none of the Escalators had anything to do with that album. It also sounds like the band was having a lot of fun making it, which is always great to notice in a recording. Oh and favorite track? "Here Comes That Girl Again". Hell yes. Saxophone and synth for the f***ing win.

Overall, it was totally worth it.

Har-har-har.

P.S.: This is a slightly older post, written around the time I got the LP.

*meme does not belong to me*

Thoughts on Christmas

It has been a very rough retail season for me so far. It has been very hard to show some semblance of joy when the ratio of customers to booksellers is 7:1. People keep interrupting me when I'm helping another customer for something that honestly, they could've waited another minute on. Yes, I know you're busy. No, I don't care how busy you are, I really don't. Stop telling me who it's for or why you're buying it, I didn't ask you. Do not get mad when I don't have a certain item, I have no sympathy for someone who waits until the day before to go get something.

That doesn't mean I should be expressing all that in any form or fashion. It doesn't help the situation. I have been really bad about it. They don't care about how I feel and why should I expect them to care? And my co-workers feel the same way, so why bother bringing it up? It's preaching to the converted.

For the last five years, retail has made me hate Christmas. I used to enjoy it, the togetherness and sharing of grand feasts. The gifts were a bonus. I love giving and receiving gifts. The thing is, I enjoy it when I have the freedom to do it, i.e. doing it on my own volition. With that attitude, I enjoy giving more and feel that the gifts have more love put into them. That's why I love giving random gifts to my sister. That's why I enjoy Secret Santa (which is voluntary). I don't like being forced because... well, because it's Christmas, deal with it.

Of course, people are not shopping with all that in mind. It becomes pressure, that drive to make sure that everyone you know (including the distant cousin you only met once at the family reunion down at the coast) gets something. No gift cards, that is considered thoughtless! These days, people do appreciate "free" money to use at their favorite store. And to be honest, I always hated that "gift cards are thoughtless" business.

Growing up, my parents wanted to instill within me and my little sister a sense of gratitude. They encouraged relatives to buy us only two gifts per kid, just so we could enjoy each gift (unless it honestly sucked. Nana, I'll never forget those McDonald's gift certificates. Especially after Papa got me a Barbie doll bed and my sister a remote-controlled fire engine the same year). Of course, my parents were looked upon as freaks. Over time, the gifts evolved into just money, which is fine.

"But Frustrated Lady Writer", you say to the screen, "why are you letting all this get to you? Eff those who are rushing around and partaking in greed, don't let it all get to you." I know, I know. But it still does. I'm hyper-sensitive by nature, always been. I can easily become overwhelmed by large crowds and cacophonies of noise. I have avoided malls and most shopping centers during Christmas for this reason. I have since been able to attend concerts, but it can still be overwhelming.

Either way, this year, I'm spending Christmas with my best friend and her family. My folks are out of town for Christmas camping (an annual tradition). I'm perfectly fine with this. It all will change as I move away and go to graduate school, but always with things to do on my mind.

Whatever you have going on during these holidays, may you be warm, well-fed, and loved.