here lie the records that she scratched

today i had some errands to run on my way to work, which were not at all in close proximity to the record store, but naturally, that's where i ended up.  record stores rank right up there with used book stores for me.  all that history, emotion.  holding an album that undoubtedly molded someone's personality and ultimately, their life, in some way.  i rarely know what i'm looking for, i just pilfer the shelves and rows until i find something that i cannot live without.  today was different.  with the upcoming elvis costello show, i was in need of a fix.  i enjoy a great deal of music on my daily commute, so something in cd format was in order.   i settled on a "best of".  but i was unable to resist grabbing a vinyl while in the neighborhood, so i ended up with a used copy of spike.  probably not a great idea, since i had to suffer through the rest of my workday before racing home to give it a spin.  ah...veronica.  sigh...tramp the dirt down.  let him dangle.  and so on...and so on.

on books

i enjoy reading nonfiction.  autobiographical, biographical.  political, sociological.  satire, comedy.  volumes of assorted essays.  memoirs.

is reading still escapism when what you're reading is true?

i adore library books, but don't like to give them back.  whenever i can find a library binding it's a win.   i only buy used.  something about the history of the book.  finding notes in the margins, old bookmarks.  it's like treasure.
ordinarily i keep them hidden in my room, closet.  under the bed.  on the nightstand.  next to the nightstand.  today i decided i would move them out to the built in bookshelves in the living room...as someone must have intended.  i stood back after i straightened them, surveying my work.  i wonder what someone's book collection says about them.  if you can analyse a personality through handwriting, surely you can get a good glimpse by what they read...and hang on to.

it was at this point i noted the amount of self improvement books that i own.

maybe they don't all belong in the living room.  surely some are better suited to the closet, night stand, under the bed.