I am becoming holiday music. That’s what happens when I prepare a holiday show. Here’s a sneak peek, there will be music by RUNA, The Sea the Sea, Barnaby Bright, and the cast of Hadestown. That’s how far I got writing yesterday. What happened? I looked at my playlist to see what musicians I should mention and got involved in editing the playlist. The list is 93 minutes long. I have to cut it to about half that and I’m hoping to add some songs that I don’t have the files for. I’ve transforming from dreading writing artists for music to enjoying it. My goal is for that to feel routine. It helps that I’m starting by asking people that I know. I get the added pleasure of catching up with friends. I’m listening to the list on shuffle as I write. I keep hoping to find one that makes me say, “That’s not great it can go.” It’s not happening. I’ll probably end up jettisoning most of the old music and concentrate on the new recordings. The one old album that’s sure to remain is The Roches‘ We Three Kings. It is not Christmas without the Roches.
What’s the stupidest day to go to the supermarket? The day before a snowstorm. What did I do yesterday? I went to Aldi. I knew I needed to go. I was running out of essentials, yet I kept putting it off. I finished the milk yesterday, had no bread, and my meat supply was low. When I got the store, I found a long line to get in. It was like the early days of the lockdown. What was worse is that they had no shopping carts. This Aldi is terrible about that. You used to have to make a quarter deposit to get a cart. They stopped doing that and I suspect most of the carts were stolen. I walked through the parking lot looking for one to no avail. I ended up putting everything into my small wheeled thermal container I brought with me. It couldn’t all fit. To make things worse I forgot to bring shopping bags. I ended up putting things either directly into my cooler or my backpack. After I left I realized that I forget pork tenderloin and boneless ribs.
Rita Houston died yesterday; she was the programming director at WFUV. I’ve been volunteering since 1991, she came in 1994 or 1995, I think of her as the new kid. She fairly soon took over as the music director and one of my prime sources of new music. She hosted and curated Required Listening a series of shows at the Bottom line. Each show featured four up and coming artists. You could stay for the second show for free. Every sixth show was free, you were given a card that was stamped. Some of the artists I saw introduced were Eddie from Ohio, The Kennedys, Happy Rhodes, Slaid Cleaves, and Moxy Fruvous. She’s the one that talked me into going to Falcon Ridge. She married Laura the station’s New Media Director. I feel guilty because most of the time I write Laura it’s to report a problem with the website. They were a great couple to be around. You enjoyed watching them enjoy each other. A few years ago, they came caroling with me in Washington Square Park.
There’s been an outpouring of emotion on everything WFUV related. People are posting their pictures of her and telling stories. Rita is dominating my Facebook Newsfeed. I called Jim last night to talk to him about Rita. He started volunteering not long after she started at the station. We knew we had to do something on behalf of the volunteers, they needed an outlet. What we came up with is asking them to offer their condolences and share their thoughts about Rita on our Facebook Group. I’m meeting Jim this weekend; we’re going to buy a condolence card and include a printout of everyone’s thoughts and send it to Laura. Rita left the world a better place than she found it.
Wise Madness 