Excuse me for one minute while I get this out of the way.

AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Whew. Had to do that, thanks for listening.

I have to say that recently, I have been, well, unexcited. Unexcited about writing in this blog (as you can probably tell), unexcited about music (except for the new Wilco which I basically have been playing non-stop because I’m too disinterested to take anything out of it’s case), unexcited about work, life, etc. Something has been missing; a spark, an obsession, also (and this is really starting to get to me a little here at the beach) the sun.

Now though, everything has changed. THE NEW SPOON RECORD HAS BEEN LEAKED. Before you get on my case for listening to it six weeks before it’s release, let me just tell you that a) me NOT listening to it is akin to going off wine for a couple of months (in other words, impossible) and b) I went to the Spoon store and preordered a copy of the CD as well as a T-Shirt and a Hoodie to the tune of eighty bucks. Guilt assuaged.

So I’ve got it now, way early, and here is what I think: No Joke, This is an Awesome Record. And I am not just saying that because of my Britt Daniel obsession and insane love of this band.

On my first listen I had a sort of anticipation that almost put me over the top. I’ve been reading Lolita for the gazillionth time and I can only guess that it’s the same sort of anticipation that Humbert Humbert felt on that first night alone with Lolita… kind of a weird comparison I guess, but I feel, well, alive again.

Wanna hear it? Then go here. Gratitude.

Yeah, it’s called “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.” I forgive them. Have a nice weekend, all.

It was only a matter of time; I’ve always known that Britt Daniel will eventually be a very famous rock star.

Now he’s on the cover of Spin. It’s started. Actually, he is not really On The Cover; unless you fold it out. The company he is keeping there is pretty impressive.

Well, (heavy sigh), life changes. I knew it would happen and I guess in the future I won’t get to see Britt at smallish clubs like Canes anymore. I’ll be forced to go to SOMA and wait on the friggen’ pavement of a strip mall for four hours and then I won’t even be able to pee all the wine I consume without fear of not getting back on the floor. Or I’ll be sitting in row H at the Greek Theatre in Hollywood. I’m not so sure I like this chain of events. It really sucks, for me!

But it is good for Britt Daniel so I suppose I should be happy for him. Sniff.

Speaking of change, yesterday I took a long walk around my own neighborhood. I don’t usually get much past the Vine, but yesterday I had a special hankering for fried seafood or some other kind of pub grub. I had heard about a new Irish pub on Newport called Gallagher’s, but they don’t seem to be open for business yet – though they look to be almost there. So I kept walking around the corner to Tower Two – a sort of fish taco/breakfast/cheap wine and good beer sort of place. Unfortunately for me, the three server chicks completely ignored me for about twenty minutes despite my meaningful glances. Guess it was a mistake to sit inside by the door (huh?) So finally I got up and left. Yesterday I did not have the energy to scream out “YO CAN I GET A PINOT GRIGIO AND A FISH TACO IN THIS PLACE OR WHAT?” Oh well. On my way out, I looked up and noticed that the OB location of Nick’s at the Beach, after what seems like two years of getting it together, is about to open. Those chicks at Tower Two had better get their shit together.

Finally in a sort of I’ve Got to Eat Now or I Will Pass Out state of being, I wandered over to what used to be Ortegas but is now the Blue Parrot Cafe. I hadn’t been back there since I got an extremely violent case of food poisoning there about a year ago, and it was with major trepidation that I ate my cheese enchilada. But I seem to be OK today (though the food wasn’t so good.)

People were out in force, though it was not exactly warm, and everything was packed. I don’t like Newport Street on the weekend so much. I definitely prefer it on my morning walks when there is hardly anyone out and when I sometimes see three or four people I know, because we actually live here.

Anyway. The Vine might be opening for lunch soon and then I won’t have to bother with these other places at all. Now that is one change for the good!

You might be wondering where I have been. Well, I was traveling, and then I got home and I have been haunted these past few days by dreams and imaginations of bad, bad things. It hasn’t been a good week what with the worries and the cold sweats. I will not bore you with details… after all I have a reputation to protect.

BUT…. big news and that news is, a new season of Top Chef is starting June 6. I think the REAL season actually starts June 13, but there is some stand-off episode between the winners of seasons one and two on the 6th. (I think.)

At any rate the contestants of next season are up on bravotv.com and in the very near future I will give you my run-down on all of them. I didn’t do so good on my last season’s preshow predictions; I did, however, do quite excellently on my predictions after the first episode.

Of course, I did not predict how I would end up rooting for Marcel in the end. By the time that came around, the show was so boring I didn’t even write about it anymore. Let’s hope they handle it all a little better this time.

What with all the concerts coming up – Arcade Fire, Raveonettes and THEN Spoon (whoo hoo!) AND Interpol in the first ten days of June alone, it’s already looking like a crazy summer. So, it would be in my best interest to not think about identity theft or pole shift for a while. There are better things to obsess about.

I am back and promise to post more soon. In the meantime ya’all have a look at my beautiful nephew.