The Day the Music Died

Back in July, as Todd and I packed up our car for our road trip East, we realized just how much crap we had that we erroneously thought we could fit in the car. We dumped some stuff in our apartment lobby (like little-used camping gear) with a sign that said "Free" and let some lucky schmuck -- most likely our pack rat neighbor -- have it. We were feeling a little crazed, I think, by all the packing and cleaning (fumes from the Pine Sol?), and we also decided that we didn't have room in our car for all of our CDs, a few books, and a couple of shirts. Looking back, we realize that we definitely had room for these few items. Of course we did! We had an entire car! We're thinking more clearly now.

But at the time, we packed up a box: Some CDs, a few books Todd brought home from work, and a sweater and a couple of T-shirts that I didn't immediately need. The CoHos graciously offered to mail it to us when we got to our destination. Kjerste put the box in the mail in September, and it hasn't been seen since. It appears that the postal service has lost our stuff. This probably means that a mailman somewhere is listening to our CDs and wearing my sweater (that I got for $10 on sale at the Gap).

Now that I've given up hope of ever seeing that box again, I realize how sad I am about losing those CDs. Luckily, we had some of our most prized ones in the car with us, but every once in a while, I'll have a pang when I think about some music that I lost. Like almost my entire Ani Difranco collection (oh, it pains me to even type it), most of which was lovingly burned onto CDs by a friend of mine. Ani: I guess I drove a little too far out of range. And Led Zeppelin: Yes, it has been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. And Frank Sinatra: I guess you did fly to the moon. And what about Ella Fitzgerald? She was right all along, you know: It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. And Soul Coughing, and the Butchies, and Bratmobile, and Cake: I miss you all terribly.

I suppose this means that it's time for me to get some more CDs.