Shopping

Fun day today. My sister and I went out and about, shopping a bit. I splurged on a few things (got some CD’s, the third season of West Wing, and a Stephen King book).

As far as music goes, I got an album by Jim Croce (mainly because I wanted a particular song that I might end up posting on the blog). And I also got Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips.

My friend Kent and Christine are big fans (at least, I’m pretty sure Kent is). I don’t really know them all that much, and figured I’d give this album a go.

Sidenotes: I’ve been exposed to the Flaming Lips a bit, over my time in Chicago. First time: Zaireeka, at Stu’s place. Second time: caught them in concert for Jim’s birthday.

As most of you know, I’m a huge fan of the West Wing, and can’t wait until I get home to binge out on this thing. It’s not going to be pretty.

And the Stephen King? Well, I really dig his science fiction (more than his horror). The book I picked up was the fifth volume of The Dark Tower series. Having gone to a formal MFA program for writing, I know I’m not supposed to like him, but I do. I enjoy hearing his voice, and I think he’s a good writer.

I haven’t read a lot of his stuff, but I’ve read enough to know that I prefer his fantasy/sci-fi to the horror.

Here’s a bit of trivia about my fondness for The Dark Tower. A while back, when I was an undergrad in college, I drove up to Muncie to visit my friend Kevin at Ball State. There, I hung out at his place and had several firsts.

He gave me my first ever Sam Adams beer. And I pulled on a Graphix (sp?) water bong for the first time. And I cracked open a copy of “The Dark Tower” and read the first lines over and over for probably a good half-hour. That sentence was: “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.“

So it started there, way back when I was a younger man. In Muncie, Indiana. A little giddy off of a beer, and a lot giddy off of a water bong. And now it’s some ten years later, and I’m just really curious how this story ends.