Lots of things are more interesting than working

Here are some things I’ve thought were loads more fun than being at work in the past week:

1. Halloween. It has always been my favorite holiday, from the time I was little and my mom used to make me whatever costume I asked for.

Farrell and I have enjoyed many a zany Halloween holiday, and I have photos to prove that. Somewhere. Halloween has become a bit tamer in recent years as parents.  The past few weeks William has been obsessed with everything having to do with firemen, firetrucks, sirens, ladders, and firehouses. I am not convinced that he had any idea that he was sporting a fireman costume complete with suspenders, reflective tape and hat, but we had a lot of fun wandering through our neighborhood with friends taking candy from strangers and almost getting hit by cars.

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2. Music. Thanks to Farrell’s perpetual music downloading jihad, there is always something good to listen to around here. I am especially fond of Fugiya and Mijagi’s new release Transparent Things. They channel the 70s krautrock pioneers Can, especially those albums featuring vocalist Damo Suzuki. Ege Bamyasi is easily one of my favorite albums of all time. This new record has a similar sound, also with strong Neu! influences.

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Lambchop’s new album Damaged makes me want to cry it’s so pretty. Reminds me a lot of the Tindersticks this time.

Peter Bjorn and John’s recent release Writer’s Block is good evening music.

I am a sucker for the vibe of Mark Linkous’ Sparklehorse, and Dream for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain satisfies my craving for his dgfev online casino music. There’s nothing too new sounding here, but it is solid and sounds good to my ears.

And there is a track on Erlend Oye’s 2004 DJ kicks that is a remix of Phoenix’s “If I ever feel better” that I recently rediscovered. Now I want to dance to it at least once a day. Anyone who visits us this winter will surely hear it at least once. But don’t wait until then.

3. Movies. A couple weeks ago, I had an unexpected afternoon off from work and snuck away to see Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep. I thought Gael Garcia Bernal did an admirable job with his role, and I found it very compelling visually. I don’t know if my appreciation was unfairly augmented by the fact that I was seeing a movie by myself in the middle of the day instead of working, but I did enjoy it a lot.

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4. Books. I went to Manhattan alone last week for an art opening. I walked from Chinatown up towards SoHo, and stopped in at McNally Robinson booksellers on Prince street in Nolita. It is my new favorite bookstore. I can’t believe I had never known of it it before (it’s been there since 2004) and I am jealous that Bryan and Steph will soon be living so close to it. I could have spent all day there. I was only there for 20 minutes, but picked up a copy of Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies. It is lovely, and although I have only read a couple of stories, I strongly recommend it to anyone out there who hasn’t already enjoyed it. I guess those Pulitzer Prize folks know what they are talking about.

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Sometime I will finish my post about my career trajectory. These days I am much more interested in my life outside of work.

What else have people been liking lately?

14 responses to “Lots of things are more interesting than working”

  1. Tim Wager says:

    Love Can and Neu!, myself. Will check out the F & M. You may like Electrelane, if you’re into the motorik. They’re 4 hip rocker chicks from Brighton, Eng., with the coolest haircuts you can imagine. The first record, “Rockit To the Moon,” is the best, but the others have much to recommend them.

    Also currently digging Espers’ first record. They’re from Philly, so you might have a good chance to check them out. They’re sorta like Low crossed with Fairport Convention, on the neo-hippy freak folk front. Saw them recently, and they rocked the folky slowcore.

  2. Stephanie Wells says:

    Ah yes, Electrelane . . . Tim and I saw them play on the Queen Mary of all places! a couple years ago. Totally not my normal thing (since there’s no lyrics), which makes my endorsement of them even stronger because I thought they were great. I’m dying to see The Science of Sleep as soon as I can make an inroad through all these student essays (i.e., after the semester is over, I guess).

    Trix, as always, such a sweet and real voice in your post. and thanx so much for the love yesterday! Unlike my email from the Hater, it is returned, and doubled!!

  3. Rachel says:

    Nice post, Trix.

    This reminds me of the weekly Top 20/Bottom 10 lists we used to make in college (most readers Of A Certain Age will remember them well). They provide a handy snapshots of one’s enthusiams at any given point, and although they may seem cringe-worthy later, usually it’s fun to remember what got us excited way back when.

    If I were to make a list right now, it would include honeycrisp apples (written up in the NYT, even!), new shoes from Camper, Borat, Coltrane, leaked tracks from the Shins’ new album, TiVo’ed Arrested Development reruns, foliage, hot photos of friends in Amsterdam (or is that photos of hot friends? either absence makes the heart grow fonder, or those kids are superfine), weekend getaways, RJD2, and anticipating the new Darren Aronofsky film.

    So what are other people digging?
    p.s. mother and son are adorable

  4. andrea says:

    I am so glad you like the stories. I love that book. She has a new one too, I believe.
    Love to you as usual, Trixie.

  5. ssw says:

    “I don’t know if my appreciation was unfairly augmented by the fact that I was seeing a movie by myself in the middle of the day instead of working, but I did enjoy it a lot.”

    I thought to myself, what do I have to do that’s so important? i’m going to go the movies too! Gael Garcia. so hot *and* creative–what a combo…i love people confident enough to do the risky stuff. The movie was nice and right-brained, what a respite/diversion from working. it makes me want to find some time to snap some photos, do a little karaoke/dancing, pick up the guitar–whatever it takes to get the creative juices flowing…it’s hard to come by in the midst of parenting. speaking of creativity, i just got some great photos jeremy took–i think we’re going to frame one they’re so interesting, colorful and well-done. i just marvel at how talented the people i know are. anyway, thanks for the inspiration today trixie girl

  6. Dave says:

    Fireman Wilhelm is the cutest Wilhelm ever!

  7. trixie says:

    i forgot to shout out to andrea for leading me to interpreter of maladies. thanks honey!
    tim and steph, i am with you on electrelane. we haven’t seen them live though, sadly. and farrell thinks that espers recently located to brooklyn (like clap your hands say yeah, and like bad brains, who stopped admitting they were from dc after they moved to nyc and got too cool for dc.)
    rachel, which campers are you digging? there are two pairs on my wish list at zappos right now. both boots, and both about $200 more than we can afford at the moment.
    dave, you are so right. he is the cutest he has ever been. we can’t get enough of him these days. wait until he sings you one of his songs with the made-up lyrics. anyway, you’ll see for yourself soon, at thanksgiving.
    we wanted to share a video that we are loving recently also. jens lekman is loved here at the honeycups/fawcett home.
    and steph, i loved that you snuck out to see that movie today. good for you.
    love and kisses,
    trixie

  8. peter bjorn and john says:

    thanks for the shout out. here’s a link to out new video. kind of scooby doo inspired. love your blog.

  9. bryan says:

    my favorite electrelane song will always be “the valleys,” from the power out. love that high school chorus thing going on there.

    thanks for getting stephanie to go watch that movie without me while i’m out of town, trix. thanks a lot. it means i will never see it. ever.

    current digs: whatever those big fat oysters were i ate tonight in that raw bar in the french quarter. fatties. and so delicious i almost hated to eat them, but they would have died anyway, the little bottom feeders.

  10. bryan says:

    p.s. this one’s a shout out to nikki., but it has to do with halloween so i’ll post it here. i thought you’d appreciate it that anna went as jem.

    molly was a fantastic vampiress. tribeca will never be the same.

  11. andrea says:

    i go to movies by myself in the daytime and YES it can color your vision but who cares?

    all the more secret pleasure of a pasttime.

  12. ssw says:

    andrea, i totally agree. i find it particularly pleasurable when the lights go up at the end of the movie, and i realize that i was the only person there. it’s so pleasing, like the movie played just for me (um, it did).

  13. Adriana says:

    I loved seeing new William pictures! His fireman costume is so much more authentic looking for all your efforts, too. I’m going to second honeycrisp apples. I love them so much I can’t seem to buy any other kind. And I also loved “Interpreter of Maladies.” Her novel, “The Namesake” is also good, but she’s stronger with the short stories. Hope she comes out with something new soon (maybe a 2nd attempt at a novel). I’m liking coriander seeds lately and the gorgeous fall foliage against bright blue skies.

  14. trixie says:

    thanks adriana!
    yeah the autumn is lovely this year, no? i will probably read “the namesake” but the thing that i really like is short stories cause of my problem with attention span issues…
    xo
    trix