The Lynnster Zone

babbling since february 1997

Archive for the ‘books’ Category

Love is a Mix Tape

Posted by Lynnster on October 18, 2007

This is another one of those long-delayed posts, much like the one about my trip to Los Angeles in March. Coincidentally, it was on the plane trip back from L.A. that I finished this book. I wasn’t long into reading when I realized this should not have been an airplane read and I should have read it at home in a weekend or something… mainly because it was a tremendous struggle to keep from weeping buckets uncontrollably on the plane.

I’m not sure I can truly do this work any justice with my words, so I’m not going to even attempt to make this out to be a big review of sorts. I just need to write about how awesome it is.

The novel I am talking about is Rolling Stone editor/writer Rob Sheffield’s Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time, now soon releasing in paperback in December. The book was brought to my attention last winter by Mike over at Chez Bez, who wrote about it here and here and brilliantly so, and I was just immediately, like, oh yeah!!!… I HAVE to read this! So I ordered it, then it took a while to get around to starting it as I’ve just gotten so lazy about reading anything that’s not on a computer monitor screen these days, and then I opened it, finally… and was immediately hooked.

It’s the story of Rob and his wife Renee, who had little in common except a grand love of music. He was a shy, geeky Irish Catholic boy from Boston when he met her, a loud and extroverted Southern girl (borrowing those astute adjectives from an excellent Amazon review, well put!), and they bonded over their rather extreme connection with the music thing – a dynamic I have not been unfamiliar with in both past and more recent years myself. They married during the Nirvana/Pearl Jam/and/all/that grunge age of the Nineties, and were happily so until Renee’s sudden and untimely death from a pulmonary embolism in 1997, dying in Rob’s arms in their kitchen and at a distressingly young age.

It is quite simply the most wonderful, and most gut-wrenchingly sad and heartbreaking, story I have ever read, I think… but it’s probably so to me because it hits awfully close to home – same age, same time, similar circumstances, and almost the same places. I cried not only when she died, but pretty much through the whole thing; I think I wept reading the first or second page, in fact.

I believe the only other book I have even come close to weeping so much over was Doug Coupland’s Girlfriend in a Coma, and that experience just doesn’t even compare – while heart-wrenching, the story itself is a fantasy. Sheffield’s tale is achingly real and almost unbearably so, but wonderful and beautiful all the same.

This book is probably not for everyone, but if you’re a total music geek like me – and especially if you are in your late thirties or early forties and were around and in the indie music scene wherever you were at the time – and even more especially, if you ever spent hours making countless mix tapes on those ancient antiques called cassette tapes, back in the days before the computer age – yeah, you really need to read it. And have a box of tissue handy – seriously.

Posted in * top serious babble, blogfolks, books, endorsements, favorite things, music, music junkie stuff, thumbs up | 4 Comments »

What’s Up?

Posted by Lynnster on October 13, 2000

So I found out in the course of my extended absence from here that (A) somebody besides the whiny KC/Greg/Duncan/Jo/etc contingent and Stef actually reads this thing, and (B) people I don’t even know, or at least don’t think I have ever met, actually read this thing, and regularly… so upon finding all this interesting info out I am once again motivated to rant and rave at will, at least until and unless I get pissed off again, so, in that case… hi!!

Really tho I’ve just been staying so busy constantly with eBay junk, i.e., my second just about dang near full time job, as well as some private buying, just haven’t had time to be here… vintage Barbie has been berry berry good to yours truly this summer, anyhow. But, I have waded thru and sifted out all the junk mail, expired stuff and other such clutter in my mailbox, answered a few, and am getting around to the rest, I think I still have mail from 1997 in there but I am slowly but surely getting around to everything, including maybe even updating the website some, in fact, I have to now because someone finally solved the Monarchs Riddle, yay!

I’ve also been pretty tied up trying to get my latest cat family addition, who’s now undergone $300 worth of surgery and basically had himself a facelift, to stop hating all his new brothers and sisters and, since he’s not playing nice, spending quality time with him in what’s become his room and he is most assuredly getting way too spoiled rotten.

What else have I done or has gone on… well, let’s see, our Stef in Boston got married in the interim so congrats all around there… I learned that I have, unknowingly, not had any health insurance coverage this entire year and have instructed my family that if something happens to me they are to sue my employer’s you-know-whats off… I got the new STP CD and man, is it awesome… been to funerals, missed funerals, found out about funerals three weeks too late… Chuckie & Jan have a beautiful new baby girl named Maggie…

Went to see The Watcher, now that was a cool movie, and James Spader and Keanu Reeves in one sitting is about more than a gal should be expected to have to withstand, but I must say here, it was REALLY weird seeing Keanu play a bad guy for a change, and every once in a while I felt like I was watching Bill & Ted’s Excellent Serial Killing Adventure… I continue to harbor reasonable grudges against 22% of my ex-boyfriends…

The Hoodoo Gurus played a one-off reunion gig in Sydney during the Olympics and I wasn’t there, but bless Robbo, Sven, and the always pleasant Andy Kelly for making me feel like I almost was…

Cole & Donna came down with the kids one day and yet another reason why I don’t have kids occurred to me after spending maybe an hour walking around the mall at Wolfchase looking for Halloween costumes (John Stephen is to be Bugs Bunny this year) and came home as exhausted as if I’d been walking around there for twenty hours instead of one…

KC experienced a fit of genuine and selfless generosity and I waited for the sky to fall in for a couple of days, but amazingly it never happened… for the first time ever in nearly eleven years I am thinking about changing jobs… it got cold… there was an unbelievably huge wreck right out in front of my house one night, the aftermath of which turned into kinda a neighborhood block party…

Our man in Sydney, Jimm, was here in the States for weeks and I didn’t get to see him this time around, but thanks to the power of USPS Priority Mail I made sure he went home with stacks of Goo Goo Clusters and chocolate Moon Pies… I also recently saw the movie Hillary and Jackie and it was truly incredible, I had no idea… the annual girls’ slumber party time is coming up again, and can you believe we’ve been doing this for ten years now…

Gorman Bechard’s (out of print but you can usually find it on Half.com) book The Second Greatest Story Ever Told is about the second most hilarious novel I’ve read in my entire life (the first being the oft-mentioned Tommy Womack book) and has many Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson references for any Replacements fan to die for… and I don’t know, that’s probably about it.

Spending Christmas in Chattanooga this year, so expect an ice storm to befall the entire Southeast again just before, just like it did last time I was driving to Chattanooga for Christmas and nearly stranded me by myself in Memphis for the holiday… just thought I’d warn y’all in advance.

So I like just about fell over in shock when I opened up my Commercial Appeal one morning a few weeks ago to find ’80s Nashville power pop party boys the White Animals as the front page story and photo in the Appeal section… my god, talk about one’s gloriously misspent youth staring one in the face! After getting over the shock, I was absolutely thrilled to learn that not only are they doing some shows here and there (including New Year’s Eve in Birmingham) but have put out a new compilation CD, which means I can finally have all, or almost all, of the Ecstasy album back again!! That poor pitiful cassette tape I had from 1986 literally died from overuse ages and ages ago, and definitely has been leaving a great big hole in my Nashville Underground music collection ever since. I need to update and revise the entire Links section again, but if you want a copy of the new compilation CD for yourself you can go to the Links section and go check it out, look at old and new photos, all kinds of stuff. Now if someone would just re-release that 1986 or ‘87 Jet Black Factory album, The Movement’s self-titled one, the entire Government Cheese catalog and the City Without a Subway compilation on CD…

Anyway, I must go for now but will probably think of things I forgot later… goodnight Evan D. wherever you are, and talk to the rest of y’all later…

Posted in aussie music, books, cats, film fiend stuff, friends are good, government cheese, holidays, hoodoo gurus, lynnster's zoo, music, music junkie stuff, nashville '80s music, the internet is..., the monarchs, updates to the zone, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

You Talk Too Much

Posted by Lynnster on April 3, 2000

My horoscope today actually had the audacity to tell me to ramble on at will tonight, can you believe that? That’s a shame, ‘cos I really don’t have much to report at the moment. The weather is soooo yucky, it’s been raining for days and I swear we’ve gotten more rain so far this year than we did all last year. I have so much clover growing in the front yard it’s taking over, and really need to mow, but you can’t mow the yard when it’s been pouring down rain for days, nope! I am distressed to find not only CD rack as well as my movie rack (both of which are huge) are just about full… what am I gonna do now.

Speaking of movies, I started watching one of my faves, Benny & Joon, after That ’70s Show was over, but I’d come in like when it (the movie) had already been on for a half hour, and it’s been so long since I’d seen it so I was going to go back and watch the first part since I’d forgotten…. and there are many who just won’t believe this, can you believe I do not have that movie on tape??? Unreal, I must have a couple of thousand at this point and that’s one I don’t have!! So that’s a must-get, I just love that movie…. and speaking even more of movies, we (speaking in the, yes, collective we) are all really annoyed about this whole movie version of Nick Hornby’s fabulous book, High Fidelity, a copy of which was given to me as a present last year and I have passed around the throng… anyone who knows me knows I love John Cusack and John Cusack movies, but my god, they moved the tale for the movie to America and that is just not right. I don’t think I can stand to see it, John Cusack or no, it’s ruined already for me. I did, however, catch Cusack’s Pushing Tin not long ago and that is funny, funny, funny. Anyhow, back to movie gripes, the next thing I know my other fave actor, Matthew Modine, is going to turn up in something I hate… caught him in the new TV movie of Flowers For Algernon when I was required to be out of town most of February, and that was yet another great performance.

Well, that’s about all I’ve got to say for today so I guess this wasn’t a good day for my horoscope, it said you would all be fascinated by my ramblings tonight but I just don’t really have any fascinating news, so sorry. Must get a few projects done as well as do my darn taxes so maybe after mid-month I will actually have some real, honest to god, free time. See ya soon…

Posted in about the weather, books, film fiend stuff, john cusack, television | Leave a Comment »

I’ve Seen You Down

Posted by Lynnster on May 31, 1999

Just got back in town a little bit ago and felt like scribbling a little end of month Graffiti while waiting for my hair to dry… and, speaking of my hair, it’s time for a hair update, I’ll have everybody know, I just noticed this by accident really since I don’t usually see that side of me – my hair has now grown so long it’s to the middle of my back! I have been grumbling for twenty years about it never growing much longer than past my shoulders and now it’s like, wow… for me this is a big accomplishment. I’m still trying to figure out just what on earth I’ve been doing differently the last few years that my hair and nails (which I never had before either) have been growing like mad.

I saw Greg and Beck for a little while last week and Greg proclaimed me The Blonde Tanned Goddess of Summer… for someone who hates summer as much as I do, I guess I really shouldn’t hate it so since it’s kinda when I’m really in my element, or something.

So, anyway, I took a short trip over the weekend and had a pretty good time, my brother-in-law and I picked on each other (always a favorite pastime), I had catfish for the first time in ages, and I must say it’s pretty doggone lucky when you get pulled over while driving on Memorial Day weekend and the cop that pulls you over is one of your best friend’s little brothers that you used to babysit when he was like, ten years old, whew. I really wasn’t speeding excessively thru my old stomping grounds, but it was still somewhat a relief to find out exactly who had pulled me over and I took my lecture happily with a smile and got a hug to boot.

Next on the agenda… I read an awesome book this week! It’s really not all that often I will give the ultimate recommendation to a book, or even to music, but anyone around my age needs to read Douglas (Generation X) Coupland’s most recent outing, Girlfriend in a Coma – it’s simply great, one of a rare few books that got me surprisingly all weepy several times, kinda tatters out at the end a bit but up until then I absolutely could not put it down, read it thru straight from top to finish in one night. Seems too I’m not the only writer in the world that’s having some kinda wild sci-fi’ish weirdness to the muse, tho Coupland’s doesn’t involve James Spader at all… anyway, yes, rush out to your local Bookstar or whatever (or better yet, go to my front page and click on the Amazon.com link and make me a little $$) and get it and dig it and then spend the rest of your life wondering just what the **** went wrong with our generation…

Next… I have kinda been overdosing on the new Dig CD Life Like (but still not sick of it after thousands of listens, which is an amazing feat) and have been listening to 1993’s Dig when not that, so I swapped it for some other Dig for my drive and listened to the Runt and Defenders of the Universe CDs for the first time in a long time and you know what, “We Don’t Care” on the first and “Song for Liars” and “Opus” on the other, as well as a couple of others, are as awesome as anything on Dig and Life Like. I really should listen to all my CDs more often but when you have this many it’s a little difficult sometimes. Anyway, yay, more cool stuff rediscovered to listen to… I remember the first time I heard “Opus” and I looked at it and thought it said “Oops”, which I think would have been a more excellent name for that song (and promptly said so, of course).

Also, I found out that song on my mix tape where the lead singer sounded too eerily like Paul Westerberg is actually the band Nada Surf and the song is called “Stalemate” (Thanks Bill!). Very good tune. That’s the great thing about music, even if something’s old, if you’ve never heard it, it’s still new, so there’s always something new to be discovered.

Well, that’s about it for me now as my hair’s dry and I’m tired and going to bed indefinitely, and happily, as I just found my other Quadrophenia button (I have two, and it’s a long story)…

So goodnight, good holiday, and remember, the three most dangerous words in the world are “I will” and “You will” (yeah I know it looks like four words but count ‘em, there’s just three)… more philosophies regarding that later sometime. Happy holiday Monday and peace wherever and however you are…

Posted in a family thing, about the weather, books, dig, friends are good, fun with food, holidays, music, music junkie stuff, other obsessions, travelin', west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

My Brain is Hanging Upside Down

Posted by Lynnster on May 5, 1999

The only non-yuck thing to report today is that my eBay feedback rating is about to hit 200, woohoo! For all the horror stories I’ve heard from other eBay sellers and buyers (and have had a couple of deadbeat bidders myself – beware the Rock & Roll Memorabilia category, sigh), I have to say the folks who are into Barbie stuff are the most terrific buyers and sellers on eBay!

Now, I have some bad news for the Zone (and for bored people with laptops) for the rest of the week as everything here will be on temporary hold yet again, thru sometime probably after the weekend. My mom broke her wrist while on a business trip to Miami (where she still is at press time) and is going to have minor surgery back home tomorrow morning – unfortunately (and talk about Murphy’s Law in action!!) this was one of the few times she flew out of Nashville instead of Memphis, so your favorite blonde will be leaving to drive to Nashville after work tonight, driving back to Paris, and not only dealing with the surgery stuff but also trying to figure out how to get Mom’s car out of Nashville and back to Paris, and possibly making a Paris to Memphis back to Paris and back to Memphis trip in the interim, sooo… yup, it’s a week alright. (sigh)

And I have folks arriving in town here in Memphis Friday, tho I won’t be here ’til later, but after getting back to Memphis that’ll probably tie me up thru the early part of next week, so, in any case, consider yourself forewarned that there will be no updating around here until late in the weekend at the very earliest. Sorry laptop dude!

In any case I can maybe finally get some reading done (not only have I only listened to the new Westerberg album once, believe it or not after all my dying for it to hurry up and come out, I still haven’t read Anne Rice’s Armand yet and she’s even got a new vampire book out now!), plus I’m gonna take my dirty dishes to Paris and do ‘em up there so I can procrastinate the plumbing repair a little longer, hehehe.

ANYWAY – gotta go ‘cos it’s going to be a loooong day, and I’ll only have half as much time to get ready to split town tonight. I did update the Lyrics Zone with some stuff I forgot I’d already done and hadn’t put up yet, even tho nobody ever reads any of it anyway, the Scott Hackwith Hall of Fame now resides in the Lyrics Zone… some definite clues as to why I dig (pun much intended!) this band so much. Buy the album, buy the album!!! (giggle) (Feeling pressured? Call… OK, never mind, enough of the puns for now.) (snicker) OK, with that, I am officially offline until, maybe earlier, but probably Tuesday or so – sayonara…

Posted in a bit accident prone, a family thing, books, dig, music, music junkie stuff, paul westerberg, travelin', updates to the zone | Leave a Comment »

C’mon Back to Bowling Green and Marry Me

Posted by Lynnster on April 1, 1999

Hello, I know things have been a bit quiet again lately… I’ve been working late a lot and falling asleep a lot, basically, so, sorry. Well, Happy April Fool’s Day I guess, I don’t really celebrate April Fool’s Day since April 1st is also KC’s birthday, who is about the biggest April Fool I know, so, happy (insert incredibly huge number of years here)th birthday, you slug. It’s also the birthday of somebody I like as opposed to birthdays of slimeballs, so, happy birthday to Toni too!

Anyway… I managed to get the worst of the wreckage of my e-mail box out of the way last week, hopefully I will get to the rest of it before the week is out and before things get revved up next week getting ready for the convergence of many many folks on Memphis and my house for the Stones concert next week at The Pyramid. In any case, I am slowly, but surely, actually making some progress for a change as far as the pitiful state of my mailbox.

Notes from the My Life Just Gets Weirder and Weirder, But In A Nice Way department… by way of my mostly-lifelong Hoodoo Gurus fetish and a very strange P.J. Proby occurrence as yet unidentified, I’d like to welcome my new and witty good pal and regular visitor to the Zone, Mr. Johnny Spampinato of NRBQ, to the ol’ Zone. A brilliant conversationalist, all around good and funny guy, and my new partner in crime, we are feeling all Scotland Yard-like lately. (giggle)

Well, I wish I had more news but I don’t, so (commercial break for our sponsors, heh) go out and buy a copy of Dig’s new CD Life Like, some NRBQ CDs, and go buy multiple copies of Tommy Womack’s Positively Na Na CD and Cheese Chronicles book to help pay his recent large auto repair bill so he will be able to tour some more, or else I’ll come beat all of you up. (snicker) Oh, like any of you have anything better to do with your money… ’til later…

Posted in books, concerts & shows, dig, friends are evil, government cheese, happy birthday, holidays, memphis, music, music junkie stuff, nashville '80s music, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

We’re Gonna Have a TV Party Tonight

Posted by Lynnster on March 15, 1999

Hullo, just thought I’d check in for a minute, sorry for the delay, going out of town this weekend kind of had me tied up for most of the last week, among other things.

First off, I saw snow yesterday! I don’t suppose it snowed in Memphis (don’t know) but I saw snow where I was, so that was cool. It’s doggone freezing in Memphis tho, at the moment I am kinda a LynnsterSicle so I’m not going to type much tonight, too cold, plus too late.

There’s not much news anyway, at least nothing much I’m allowed to spout publicly… it would seem every three or four years or so I get slapped with a gag order again (giggle). We are all so proud of one of our tribe tho… enough folks stop by here that have known me & KC & the rest of the usual cast of clowns enough years that they know of whom I speak. I spent part of the weekend doing music with some other fellas, and you know, there’s something to be said for my thus far having had no real career in music… at least you won’t find me going ballistic and whining on the phone about some music reviewer saying I had “exaggerated vocal mannerisms” like some people I know. (giggle) Well, anyway, that’s that and we’re all just so proud we could spit. (giggle)

Anyhow, speaking of music and stuff, did I mention that my tremendously talented musician friend Tommy Womack apparently ran into some auto probs while doing some recent gigs and cranked up what sounds like a whopping repair bill, so, I demand that all of my musically-inclined friends, acquaintances, foes and whatnot go right out and buy copies of the Positively Na Na CD and his book, Cheese Chronicles, immediately (easily found at CDnow and Amazon.com, respectively, as well as probably your local CD and book stores)!! I did my part, I just gave copies of both as presents in the last week, plus, Cheese Chronicles is like an excellent gift for your musically-addicted friends and/or family members (or foes, if you give gifts to people you hate, or whatever…). I had to miss Tommy’s show Saturday night here in Memphis, hope he’ll be back soon.

Let’s see, what else… well, nothing really, and I’m freezing and need some sleep. I guess while I’m plugging cool music and whatnot I should note that my #1, which won’t be defeated, album of the year, the best alt-rock/indie/power pop/whatever release of 1999 is Dig’s Life Like, and the #1 single is their “Live In Sound”… buy it now, it’s awesome!!! (And yeah, I did it anyway…snicker.)

Oh yeah, one more thing, I might be on Australian TV or something, for about a half sec, spreading Lynnsterness and joy around the globe… isn’t that a total kick?! More on that later (and more when I know). Gotta go, ‘night, uh, ‘morning rather, stay warm!

Posted in about the weather, aussie music, books, dig, friends are good, government cheese, memphis, music, music junkie stuff, television, travelin', west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

I’m Frustrated, My Brains Are Fried

Posted by Lynnster on January 14, 1999

Okay, very quick since I’m just waiting for all this hair to dry so I can get two lousy hours of sleep… first, I hate computers, wish I’d never learned anything ever about hardware, I’m about thisclose to taking an ax to every piece of technogeek equipment in my household. The new modem – fine, no probs. The new hard drive? I’ve spent about nine hours on the #%$& thing tonight and it’s still not running, and almost crashed the working hard drive in the process. I haven’t even started on the computer I’m actually getting paid to build because I’ve been knee-deep in my own tonight, er, today. I used to think it was an advantage that I knew how to build stuff to my own specifications and thus avoid quite a good bit of extra $$ on all this geek junk, but you know, now I’m not so sure. And when is someone going to make a motherboard that a person can actually get their hands into to install stuff? I mean, ask anyone, I have tiny hands and I have to practically kill myself just to hook up a drive cable. Yeah, I know, whine whine whine, but if you’d just spent an entire night and most of the morning messing with this stuff and getting your hands and fingers all cut up and being tired to begin with and now looking forward to a lovely day’s work on two hours’ sleep, you’d be bitching too.

Well, in any case, I have decided not to touch the thing again until I get some of my other responsibilities out of the way this week and I’ll just have to live with the fact that what works is lying around all over the place. Grrrrrrr. And my apologies for my stats counter screwing up a lot and making pages disappear lately – I discovered the problem before y’all did, much to my dismay – you can see the News page for more but in any case I’m assuming they’re working on correcting the problem pronto, they’re pretty good folks.

Let’s see, what else, it looks like I might have a letter to the editor published in our local rag this week RE my war with the cable company, so you locals can watch for that. Lots of others have been expressing their disgust with Time Warner’s most recent batch of misdeeds, after they removed one of my channels *and* raised my bill over $10, which I found out after the first time I’d inquired about whether they were gonna lower my bill since I no longer had what I signed up for, I just thought I’d put my two cents in too. Yep, it’s a good week for griping…

And how about my pals at Northwest, putting up bunches of flights this weekend out of Memphis just when I put out most of my spare change on an investment of sorts… I hate them too.

And, in closing, someone asked me how I liked the new Anne Rice book since I was all excited about it coming out last October, well, guess what – it’s still sitting here and I still haven’t read it yet, no time. I need to clone myself about ten times over lately it seems.

Anyway, must get some worthless sleep so I can work all day and come home and get mad at technology again – ’til later…

Posted in blah, books, i never sleep, memphis, pissed off, techgeekchick stuff, television, updates to the zone | Leave a Comment »

She’s a Goddess

Posted by Lynnster on October 6, 1998

Well, nothing much, it’s rainy and nasty in Memphis and still kinda hot and just kinda blah today. I was unable to tear myself away from slumber this morning and wound up going into work about 11 a.m., which served to remind me that no matter what all annoys me about my job situation, the fact that I pretty much have the freedom to do as I please is maybe worth some of the other headaches.

I’m on the verge of reading Rebecca Wells’ Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, which being about a group of rather off-the-wall Southern women seemed to pretty much have my name on it, and when I get a little time later I’m finally going to hit Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches books, I think I’ll save them for a little later on this winter when I’ll have more spare time and can devour them all in less than a week, another habit.

I must be no longer unshockable… a Lynnster Award of some sort should go to Phil Arnold for sending me the only URL that’s ever made me literally sick, ugh (and no, I don’t remember what/where it was). The guys I’ve been hanging with here in Memphis for years, better known as the Gripers, have oft passed around all manner of disgusting GIFs and URLs and all such stuff, I have pretty much seen it all and rarely batted an eyelash, but this took the cake. And no, this doesn’t mean send me more…

Well, that’s about it for now from here, much to do and little time to do it in, other than to say kudos to moi for winning a bet against the unbelieving masses… one small expression of wondering expressed by one of the old West End bunch regarding one of our number whom no one’s heard or seen from in at least eleven years led to a bunch of disbelief and (mostly male, big surprise) posturing via e-mail that I couldn’t do what I said I would do, which was to find this guy. We have this sorta circular e-mail going around between 20 or so of us – i.e., one person writes their junk and sends it along to the next, who sends it to the next and so on and so on – because all the separate e-mailing going on was just getting out of hand, well, this came up and every single (and male) soul kept blabbing that it couldn’t be done, I couldn’t do it, blah blah blah. Bless my little puppy Greg B.’s heart, the only true believer, who said, and I quote, “Lynnster doesn’t miss a (expletive deleted) thing on the ‘net, she’ll rule.” Ding ding ding, 48 hours later I’ve not only located the target but am $75 richer for it thanks to a bunch of non-believers who, surprisingly, put their money where their big fat mouths were, for once. (snicker) I am the Goddess of All Things Web. Gotta go for now, see ya…

Posted in about the weather, books, friends are evil, friends are good, memphis, memphis gripers, the internet is..., west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

Wasting Away Again

Posted by Lynnster on July 21, 1998

Well, number one, the Breits’ going-away party has been postponed, it’s a long story, call or e-mail for details if you were planning to come down. But now I have company coming this weekend anyway and not nearly enough time to get things done like I should, oh well.

Here’s some news, check this out… it would seem my more-or-less sister and I are going to be in a book about Parrotheads that will be coming out in the near future! Pretty wild and kinda scary, huh? And tremendously ironic since I’m about the biggest non-Parrothead on the planet (okay, okay, I admit now having been dragged to four Buffett concerts I do know the words to most of the songs and stuff like that now).

Well, as many know, my mother and godmother, AKA the Crazy Parrot Women, are two of the biggest Jimmy Buffett fans in SEC territory, and so’s my pseudosister, even tho she lives in nasty cold Ohio. Last year we all went up to Knoxville for a concert and our hotel was full of Parrotheads, and there was this writer guy (that’s what everyone calls him, The Writer Guy) there who was traveling around following the Parrotheads, writing a Parrothead trivia book. Well, it seems he took all the other pictures, stories and stuff he had and wound up writing another book, which will be out sometime, and one of the photos selected for the book is of Andra and me. I can’t remember what the title’s to be, The Parrothead Mystique or something like that, heh. Anyway, more on that later whenever it comes out, I’ll let you all know… I just think it’s hugely funny, hehehe. Moi, the anti-Parrothead, in a Parrothead book. (giggle) Yeah, my life is strange, I just live in it… ’til later, boys & girls…

Posted in a family thing, books, friends are good, giggles, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

Feeling Pressured? Call Lovelines

Posted by Lynnster on July 7, 1998

Heads up to all Replacements fans ‘n folk who frequent these here parts – yesterday I heard from writer Michael Azerrad, who’s been writing for Rolling Stone & SPIN for over a decade and is the author of Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana (Doubleday, 1993). He is writing a book about the American indie rock scene 1981-1991, and is looking for photocopies of magazine articles about The Replacements, circa 1981-1985. I know many of us ‘Mats fans have been the proverbial packrats about that sort of thing (unfortunately, while I have had a tendency to be a packrat about lots of other ‘Mats & Gurus stuff, magazine articles has never been one of them). So, if I haven’t contacted you already and if you have any articles (national media, local ‘zines, whatever) from that time frame stashed somewhere, please e-mail me and I’ll put you in touch with him. That’s all for now folks…

Posted in books, music, music junkie stuff, paul westerberg, the replacements | Leave a Comment »

Tommy, Can You Hear Me

Posted by Lynnster on June 26, 1998

OK, here’s how hot it is… I went out to dinner last night (Mexican, natch) and later went to Baskin-Robbins for a little ice cream. It has now been so hot for so long in Memphis that B-R can’t keep their ice cream cold enough and you can’t get a cone ‘cos the ice cream’s too soft for cones! The weather is just plain horrible, and I am dreading my next utility bill something awful. God only knows what the dreaded August in Memphis is going to be like. I want to be somewhere where it’s 70, or even 80, degrees!

Anyway… I heard that Tommy Womack’s new single got played on the air up on the East Coast yesterday, cool! Tommy,Cheese Chronicles author and former Government Cheese leader, has got a new album out, Positively Na-Na, and you can order a copy by clicking here. Or you can visit Tommy’s website by clicking here, which is where you can also buy your very own copy of Cheese Chronicles. Also, you can catch Tommy playing at one of two record release parties coming up: 07/03/98 at 12th & Porter in Nashville, or 07/10/98 at Baker St. Cafe in Bowling Green.

So anyway, well, I haven’t much else to say except to bitch about the weather or gripe because the city still hasn’t brought me a new trash container after taking off with my old one Monday, and I’m getting a little ill on both counts.

Oh yeah, but there is more good news… congrats to my buddy Greg Breit, who wrote a little story about someone very near & dear to my heart that’s being published in some literary rag outta New Orleans… and now I can’t remember the name of it. (groan) Spanish Moss something or Weeping Willow something or I don’t know. But anyway, that’s cool. Many moons ago when about oh, ten or twelve of us were still in college (high school in Greg’s case), we made this somewhat drunken pact over a table full of various alcoholic beverages in a long-closed club near Vanderbilt that if and when one of us made our first batch of megabucks, whoever it was would fund this somewhat drunkenly proposed musicians/writers/artists colony for everyone to hang out in and be creative in (and, well, drink in) and that was the plan, slightly pickled tho it was. Now, one person out of the group has kinda made megabucks but he’s stingy, and claims he didn’t agree to it at the time, due to quite shady circumstances, so he refuses to put any of his dinero in the pot (hmpfh).

Oh, I tease of course, except now I’m counting on Greg Breit to make us all independently wealthy. (snicker) Anyway, congrats dear boy & you deserve the accolades, ’specially since you picked such a way cool subject to write about. (ahem)

That’s pretty much the news and I’m outta here ’til whenever.

Posted in about the weather, blah, books, friends are good, government cheese, memphis, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

Catch Catch the Horror Taxi

Posted by Lynnster on May 21, 1998

(NOTE: Some May 1998 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in big chunks for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

05/21/98: Hmmm… there’s ‘Mats rarities and outtakes CDs galore available now, three in fact, I think I’m succumbing to temptation… sigh. Watch in awe as Lynnster drops umpteen amount of $$ on stuff… well, frankly, I just can’t help myself, I don’t think. In a perfect world, I would have a job that paid immensely for me to do nothing but listen to music for hours and hours. I guess the best I can do is just do that anyway and not get paid for it? I wish some of my more reasonable (ahem) cohorts would give me a reason not to drop this wad of cash on this stuff… tho I’m sure they all know it’s probably useless and futile to try. Oh well. You know what? Life’s too short and you can’t take it (meaning, $ and everything) with you, to heck with it. Boy, was that an easy decision. Well, ciao, I’m sure you’ll all hear about the treasure trove at some point in the near future. Let’s see, what else… I’m so glad to see some updates and new stuff going up on some folks’ pages lately, I’ve been spending most of my Web time lately thumbing thru catalogs of stuff I can’t afford to buy or reading ghost stories and am getting kinda bored with it, so I’m happy to have some new stuff to look at lately (looking pointedly at John D. and tapping fingernails on the desk). Well, it’s just that it seems like every time I find a new personal page I like to visit, it’s like the kiss of death for it, it never gets updated or has anything new. Anyway, good Thursday to all, week’s almost over, yay.

05/22/98: A misguided attempt at thinking I could change the world last night (so to speak) has led me to be just about too sleepy to do any updating, but I suppose a little Graffiti can’t hurt while I’m waiting for the hair to dry. Here’s something weird… Dobie’s near-doppelganger lives in Texas! Saw a picture and just couldn’t believe it… a few differences (and she’s a girl) but yup, looks eerily like my clown dog. I was amazed… of course the even more ironic thing about it is, I found out about this pup because her owner asked me if I knew what Dobie’s parentage was as he had no clue to his dog’s lineage (chuckle)… of course I know all too well what his maternal side is as her Doberman self is sitting next to me as I type, but it’s always been anybody’s guess what on earth weird kind of dog Dobie’s father must have been. So that’s been pretty interesting… washed my car yesterday, no thanks to JJ (you *owe* me), of course I did it the easy way and went thru the car wash. While there, a rather horrifying incident occurred… um, who let The Wallflowers butcher a cover of my favorite Bowie song? I’m sitting there with the stereo on 96X, watching the car get sudsed, and that comes on the radio (didn’t know who it was ’til it was over) and I just about died. It’s on the Godzilla soundtrack, and it’s just awful and I’m kind of bummed about it (it’s “Heroes”). Not only is it a cover of the version that appears on the latter-day ChangesBowie CD rather than a cover of the (much, much better) original version, but it’s just terribly, I don’t know, mediocre and missing what the whole draw of Bowie’s versions are… Mick Ronson’s lead guitar part. I mean, it’s there somewhat, but it’s pretty butchered comparatively. Don’t get me wrong, I like The Wallflowers just fine… “Sixth Avenue Heartache” was our favorite of some of the new stuff the boys & I picked up this year… but this really just kind of totally bummed me out, I’d have hoped it’d have been better. Oh well. Folks can cover all the “Video Killed the Radio Star” and “Baker Street” all they want, when they start messing with some of my favorite all-time tunes and wreck ‘em… ugh. Well, anyway, as for everything else, my life’s getting weirder by the minute, hope all of you are happy & well, ‘night…

05/23/98: I want to move someplace where it’s cold most of the time!!! It is just awful down here and those of you who are Mid-South expatriates ought to be glad you’re elsewhere. It’s so Augusty-hot and humid you could about cut the air with a butter knife, no breeze, it’s just gross, I am hating it. And they keep telling us it’s hazy here because of those fires in Mexico, the pollution level’s been at danger zone all this week, it’s just plain yucky. Going out to the airport yesterday, you looked around and it was just like, blah. And in what little time I was actually outside while out and about – in the time it takes to go from the car to the door of wherever, and back, a few times – I felt like I needed a shower again. I hate this (grumble grumble grumble). Even if KC & Scotty were here we still wouldn’t be going downtown at the river because it’s just too #$%&@! hot. But that’s OK I guess… it’s not like I have any plans this nice long three-day weekend (more grumbles). What a waste of opportune time, but then again, don’t we all… well, I think I will go back to bed where it’s nice and cool and maybe I’ll wake up with a whole new & improved attitude… or maybe not. Hello to KC & Ian and y’all can just cool it with the weather reports from over there (grrr).

05/24/98: I guess I’m over the heat for the moment… the trick is, don’t get out in it (or at least only as much as one has to taking dogs out or going from the car door to another door). But all efforts aside, I am having a rotten, (many expletives deleted), holiday weekend and I’ll make no bones about that little item, nope, not me. I spoke with KC very briefly late last night and asked him to name two things I hate most, and no surprise, he named the exact two I was thinking of… (A) “People telling you they’ll do something and then they don’t do it”… and (B) “Wasting time”. OK, they’re both pretty subjective, especially the latter, and that’s sort of an oxymoron because I pretty much waste time somehow someway just about every day… but I’m not talking, like, goofing off playing computer games when I should be answering e-mail and stuff like that, I’m talking real, possibly exceptional, so to speak quality time… and this is getting into more (another expletive deleted) than I want to get into here (nor does anyone want me to, probably) so I’ll just stop here and suffice it to say that this weekend has been one gigantic, humongous waste of time, not for lack of trying… I suppose my nose (you know, the one I hate) will get un-bent out of shape eventually, maybe sometime in the next century. So, if you had/are having a good holiday weekend, I hate you for it. No, I’m just kidding… maybe. Anyway, there’s no news (like there’d be any news in a void) or anything devastatingly interesting so I’ll split in a second… one thing tho, if you’re reading this and your ISP is voyager.net or voyagernet.net or something like that, if you don’t mind too much would you drop me a note? I’m just curious about something. ’til later, if I ever wake up today (i.e., don’t call me!!), maybe I’ll wake up on the right side of the bed this time… except I’ve decided there is no right side of the bed in my house. Figures. Ciao & all that.

05/25/98: No, my attitude hasn’t really improved but it probably will a bit after I go the airport and go somewhere and eat something besides popcorn, which is pretty much all I’ve had all weekend… as some of you know, sometimes I just forget to eat. (shrug) The weather remains gross, I hope all of June (which is normally one of my favorite months along with May) isn’t going to be like this. Um… has everyone seen the David Spade: Take the Hit special on HBO yet? My god, it’s hilarious, he cracks me up. Watch your local listings and catch it if you can. I have another new CD to listen to, Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac, which I picked up on the recommendation of Nick in NC… which is sort of pathetic because I still haven’t found time (which is also ironically pathetic) to listen to the whole Semisonic CD yet, but oh well. All of my Yankee-type pals should check out this week’s Link of the Week by the way, there is some real funny stuff on that site… and I guess that’s it for now. Bye bye…

05/26/98: I was having music-type discussion with some people today and I’m finding it incredibly amazing that the sad passing of one individual has left Memphis with almost no big-ticket concerts this summer (something I’ve sort of covered elsewhere on the site, but anyway). It’s kind of weird, tho a real tribute to the late Bob Kelley of Mid-South Concerts that the major part of the Memphis music scene has unusually died for the summer. Mud Island is usually jam-packed with dates from May thru October, not to mention the odd show here and there at The Pyramid and the Coliseum, and there’s just nothing. Three major shows – Jethro Tull, James Taylor, and Alan Parsons and Yes – and that’s it. Someone in the know tells me this isn’t a really good year for tours anyway and that ticket sales are down everywhere, but only two dates at Mud Island? That’s just incredible. Oh well, it’s not like I ever go anywhere but the Daisy anyway. New stuff that rocks that I’m getting into… Ben Folds Five (I know someone who badly needs to get into this CD), Whatever & Ever Amen; and Semisonic, Feeling Strangely Fine… stuff that still rocks, the Gurus’ “The Real Deal”, one of the new cuts off their Electric Chair/Armchair Gurus compilation; and only 20 years too late of course, I’ve recently discovered Todd Rundgren. BTW, speaking of music, MuchMusic is currently offering a $10 off coupon for CDNow, good thru 05/31, check here to head to the MuchMusic site and pick yours up… plus right now CDNow’s running a $1,000,000 giveaway with lots of other prizes right now too, I won a 6-minute phone card when I ordered Whiskeytown from them last week. Gee, who can I call… Thanks to Dave Marsteller for the heads up on the $10 off coupon, I’m replacing an old double CD by The Damned that I’ve been too cheap to pay over $20 for (another excellent CD that rocks, The Light at the End of the Tunnel). Word up to the West End bunch, our favorite producer friend will be here in town next weekend and anyone who’d like to come and hang out, feel free to give a shout… between me and Stevie Kane and the hotel room I think we’ve got enough room for at least 10 or 15 people, the more the merrier. Not much else, I decided (once I got my blood sugar back up and became a little less morose) to turn a blind eye to crappy stuff and laugh at it all like usual… you know me, I can make a joke out of anything, right? Right. Things are just getting really weird, daily, and I’m a little off balance from the sheer weirdness of it all, lately can’t hardly wait to see what the next day brings. (shaking head) Life’s funny. To borrow a line from a favorite song, “I’ll not admit a thing ’til you do…” And a quick word to those who are fretting entirely too much like mother hens – I tried, I failed, I suck. You people are totally the most wonderful, but you’re just going to have to deal with the facts and get over it, well-meaning and wonderful tho you are and I luv you all. Oh well… it’s getting late & the holiday weekend’s over, so to borrow another line from another fave tune… “the words I thought I brought I left behind, so never mind…”

05/27/98: Just when I think things can’t possibly get any weirder… oh yes, they can. Listen, I ran into someone I thought was dead today… no kidding! I knew someone’d told me a while ago this person died, and in fact called ‘em later and said “Didn’t you tell me (so-and-so) died?” and was told yes, so super shock to us both (and no, I’m not seeing ghosts). So that was really, really weird… I kept wanting to say something really intelligent like, “I heard you were dead”, but, really, how do you go about saying something like that to somebody? (shudder)… my life’s turning into The Twilight Zone more and more daily, god knows what will happen tomorrow or the next day. Cool things… thanks 103 for playing my fave Stones tune off Let It Bleed on the drive home today… coolest thing in the world when whatever radio station plays something you just love on that my-god-I’m-glad-this-day-is-over drive home, usually I’m fighting to find anything listenable… more strange & eerie coincidences tho, they played the Police’s “Driven to Tears” and “When the World…” right after that; not strange to a lot of people, but weird to me for a reason… anyway (shiver). Um… it rained and stormed today, finally (much to Dobie’s dismay) and cooled things off a bit to the point where I had to turn the AC off, yay. Oh, and more cool things… congrats to my buddy Stef in Boston, who had been planning on getting a kitten and naming it Molly (excellent name!) and instead wound up getting a bit older cat whose named just happened to already be Molly (more weird stuff!), and upon hours of bringing Molly home got a big surprise… baby kittens! Heh, I love it. Animals… I have a frog apparently wanting to come live with me, great big frog hanging around my house for about a month now… I don’t think he understands that if he comes inside he’s more liable to be dinner than pet. And hey, I found Tommy Womack’s website, he of the excellent read Cheese Chronicles (available here in ‘da Bookstore), I’ll be putting a link up to it shortly, it’s great and hilarious. I also just remembered I have tons of film I haven’t developed yet, so maybe some new pics up on the site soon (seeing as how I killed my quickcam, sigh). What else, well, nothing, just interested in how much weirder things are going to get in the near future… tell you the truth tho, most of it’s been kinda a crackup, as in funny. Ciao ’til whenever…

05/27/98 (later): Hello again. Quote of the decade today, by someone I just recently met: “Lynn, you really don’t mince words, do you?” Uh, no. (evil giggle) I’m having a great day, spreading my one-chick comedy routine wherever I go… only thing wrong is, why do I always have a good hair day on days I don’t see anybody ?? (Well, anybody that matters.) Another one of those mysteries of life… I’m fighting so hard not to cut my hair because it’s gotten sooo long, finally, for me anyway, and with Josie gone I’ve been lazy and it’s becoming a rather strange color of blonde, tho an interesting one… long, kinda messy, good thing there’s rubber bands and scrunchies ‘cos it’s not very, ahem, professional, like I care… oh well, figured it’d been a while since I’d posted a real hair update, so there ya go. Speaking of people who love to make fun of my hair, KC’s being a baby because he lost a very important bet and it kills him to admit I’m right, woe is him. That’s okay, tho, because, as usual, because he’s a big baby, he picked then to inform me he has my, what’re now gotta be almost antique, black and red Wayfarers that I thought I lost ten years ago, and he thinks this annoys me, especially since they’re on the other side of the Atlantic right now… but here’s the catch, darlin’ one, I waited ’til now, here on the Wall so you can read it and really get all bent out of shape, to tell you what really happened to your beloved Notre Dame sweatshirt you’ve been accusing Greg for years of stealing on the Buffalo float trip… guess whose closet it’s in! Bwahahaha. Ah, it’s a game that never gets old, we’ve been creatively misplacing each other’s stuff for as long as I can remember and every couple of years there’s some big revelation, usually on the heels of him getting his nose out of joint. Whoever dies first’ll finally get all their stuff back, so I hope it’s him. Anyhow, I just put up some new Links to Cheese Chronicles author Tommy Womack’s home page and some other Government Cheese links, you Nashville and ‘Boro expatriates should enjoy those as well as all my music-digging buds… and that’s about it. Ciao, giggles, ‘n stuff.

05/28/98: Is this the week for quotes or what… there’s a repairman in my office today, I’m on the phone with Greg Breit, said repairman points at dead equipment being repaired and goes, “Uh, miss, where’s your turn-off switch?”, said slimeball buddy on the phone busts into giggles hearing this and screams, “Tell him we’ve all been trying to figure that out for years!!!!” I’m soooo glad so many people have such extreme fun at my expense… matter of fact I just got called “everyone’s favorite peroxide Scarlett O’Hara” a little bit ago… (yes, you slay me too, dear). Proud to be such entertainment for the masss, that’s moi, I am your (collective your) servant. Well, anyway, not much else to report today… like I said before, not much news in a void. Tho I did finally catch up with the infamous Kelli after several months of telephone tag, which was great… two and a half hours of catching up that if it was taped, we’d be dead, but nothing better than hanging with your best girlfriend since you were kids. Solved some mysteries, hatched some plans (we oh so missed our calling to be private investigators), tried to figure out what to do about my “I tried, I failed, I suck”-ness, and a host of other stunningly important issues. BTW, I got Kelli good… my neighbor and I sent her a secret, unsigned, typed Valentine in February as a joke and for three months she’s been thinking either her weird landscaping guy or the equally weird single Pentecostal preacher at the church across the street sent it… bwahahahaha, now I slay me. What else… not much, weird with more Police tunes on my drive home, that’s a strange deal, like what’s that about? Rock 103, All Zenyatta Mondatta, All the Time? Strange. Greg & I might do an acoustic thang in Oxford this weekend, I’ll e-mail all who need to know if we do… guess that’s all, other than to say Paul W. was right, I am serving forever, sigh… ciao, for now, from the Void…

05/30/98: I got my Damned CD in from CDNow, I had the tape forever, guess I wasn’t paying attention… didn’t know that Nick Lowe produced the first Damned LP (with “Neat Neat Neat”, “New Rose”, etc.). Cool. Anyway, I’m happy about this, there is so much cool on this CD… “Anything”, “Stranger on the Town”, “Thanks for the Night” (as seen on The Young Ones), Bryan Maclean’s “Alone Again Or”… ah, music, no matter what else is wrong and sucks, still have all my music. Things might be a little quiet here for a little while, I generally prefer not to foist my bad moods on the masses… or they might not, you know you never know about me. Thanks P. for the cheer-up this week… see the rest of y’all later.

05/30/98 (later): Oops, my bad, it was The Damned’s “Nasty” and not “Thanks for the Night” that was on The Young Ones… except I think the latter was on there once too, but yeah, “Nasty” was definitely the featured musical guest appearance in one episode (had to have been “Oil” or “Flood”, I’m too lazy to look it up). Thanks to our fave expatriate in the U.K. for the correction (tho I still think I’m right about the other too). How’s the weekend thus far? Here’s a hint – The Story of The Clash Vol. I, disc 1, track 8. Ciao…

05/30/98 (yet again): I stand corrected again… the Young Ones episode was “Nasty” that The Damned appeared in with “Nasty”… thank you Schuyler Hauser for the tipoff. Is it any wonder everyone I know knows the details of every Young Ones episode, heh.. We now return you back to our regularly scheduled silent grousing grumbly sniffy bad-mood programming…

Posted in about the weather, aussie music, books, dobie is a dog, dogs, friends are evil, friends are good, government cheese, hoodoo gurus, lynnster's zoo, memphis, music, music junkie stuff, pissed off, television, the replacements, updates to the zone, weird wild & whoa!, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

Working Too Hard

Posted by Lynnster on May 4, 1998

Exceptionally sucky weekend, but at least the weather was pretty and I finally got some things done. Excuse me for repeating myself as per the What’s New page, but I’ve done so much work on this thing the last few weeks and stayed up so late tonight I’ll just announce it again… one of these days I will learn not to start on humongous web projects on Sunday nights. In any case, there is now a new Bookstore associated with Amazon.com open on the Zone for your perusal. Just kinda a cool way I can share some of my favorite books with you guys, and you can order them yourself by clicking right from the Zone if you like, and you can search from the Zone for whatever else you’re looking for book-wise.

Please be forewarned – I have been up extremely late and have been doing a whole lot of something I hate to do, which is type a whole bunch of numbers. There may very well be some mistakes and wrongly-linked links in the Bookstore, and if you come across one, please let me know and I’ll fix it ASAP, promise. Then you can place your order from here and we’ll both be happy. I won’t be making much off this, a little, consider any order a donation to keep The Lynnster Zone alive and well, as I keep watching my AOL bill skyrocket the more time I spend working on this site lately, heh. Anyway, browse to your heart’s content, and if you don’t like my favorites I’ve put up, you can use the Search function to seek whatever you’re into. Click here (sorry, link removed) to check the Bookstore out.

Sigh, the one good thing about finishing big time-consuming web pages is you don’t have to do so much work once they’re up… it’s just taken forever to get them up. Anyway, there’s also a new Link of the Week up now for those who need something to waste a bunch time goofing off with.

Finally… well, I have not much else to say, it’s been an extreme bummer of a weekend – messed up plans and other misadventures, tho to heck with it, I’m not trashing my relative good cheer – and I’m happy to have some of this web busywork finished, and now it’s Monday and I gotta go to work in a few hours… sigh, cool stuff just doesn’t last, does it? ‘Night, or I guess it’s probably morning in your world, or afternoon, or… I should just go to bed. Ciao…

Posted in about the weather, blah, books, i never sleep, updates to the zone | Leave a Comment »

Another Girl, Another Planet

Posted by Lynnster on April 1, 1998

(NOTE: April 1998 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in big chunks for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

04/01/98: Another month, another Graffiti Wall. In the words of the ever-lauded Cheap Trick, speak now or forever hold your peace… no, I’m not on drugs. Happy Birthday today to the only bane of my existence I’m happy to have be so and the biggest April Fool I know, my compadre, Mr. Kevin “KC” Callicott. A-Wow will be doing a plugged gig late in April, provided we find a drummer to suck up to, planning on doing about 75% of the last batch of set lists plus The Who’s “I Can’t Explain”, woohoo, and an acoustic gig the weekend of the 10th at Dave’s in Oxford. I’m glad March is over, I hate everything, especially a particular airline that appears hell-bent on personally making my psyche miserable, in many more ways than one… a possible 25+ flights come July, where’s my %#*@!! fare??? Grrrrrr. Speaking of air travelers, thanks Misty for sending me the great postcard from France, tres bien! Thanks again to Mark C. for my awesome Gurus & Brad Shepherd photos, the next best thing to having been in Coogee in November I guess, sigh. Counting days that turn into weeks that turn into months. Nothing much else fit for public consumption at this time… and I suppose your guess is more or less as bad as mine. Later…

04/02/98: My pal Becky Blenkush, who runs the official Perfect and Tommy Stinson website, Yap Yap, just put up a terrific interview with Perfect guitarist Marc Solomon, who’s one of the nicest and sweetest guys in the music scene today… also includes some new, never seen before pix of the guys and more while the band was recording their upcoming new album at Ardent Studios here in Memphis last winter. Click here (sorry, link now gone) to go see.

04/10/98: Okay, okay, okay… y’all can cool it with the “hate” mail, the guestbook entries, and the phone calls, some of y’all anyway, jeez, I have rarely heard so much sniping, badgering, and displaced freaked-out-ness in my life. A girl can’t be quiet for a week without half the world going berserk about it, even people I talk to in one medium or another every single day are nudging me about this stupid page, so here, you can all be happy now. Man. I am fine, everything’s fine, everybody’s fine, nothing’s happened, cool your jets. No, I’m not griping, I just found it unreal and amusing that, along with others that I don’t, the two people I talk to every day without fail both said something about me not updating anything the past week. Sheesh, if you find me that interesting, we should be dating!!! All females (no offense, but…) and KC excepted, of course. OK, I kid, but anyway… well, there’s nothing much to report, again, that’s passable for public consumption anyway. One of the ex-Memphians, and now I don’t recall who, sorry, asked about the weather and it’s off and on great, some days the usual fabulous Mid-South springs and some just darn cold and nasty… as for the latter, the weathermen are all blaming everything on El Nino, and I’m like, “OK, I’ve lived here pretty much all my life and you people expect us all to believe all these tornadoes and such are unusual for spring in the Mid-South?”… puh-leeze. So there’s your weather report, but the azaleas and all the trees are out and it’s basically just gorgeous if you don’t pay any attention to the occasional yucko day. Regular visitors should check out Channel 5’s Midtown and Riverfront cam links on the front page from time to time, it’s just been totally beautiful most days and there have been some especially cool sunsets I’ve caught on the Riverfront cam lately as well as in person, gotta love this town in the springtime. Anyway, I really am trudging thru my e-mail box, all I can ask is you bear with me a little longer & hold no grudge, it has just been darn near impossible lately, I have been either really tied up or really exhausted, but other than that and having tremendous problems with the new Netscape (including accidentally killing two years’ worth of bookmarks), everything’s peachy as possible under the circumstances, I suppose. My weekend has been pretty much hosed, even tho it’s nice to be off for four days, so I suspect most of you who are waiting for the latest buzz’ll be hearing from me shortly. As it is, I have been up for quite a bit over 24 hours now, so more later maybe if I ever wake up this weekend. OK, that’s enough self-indulgence for one evening – er, morning – good night god bless and kiss goodbye to the earth.

04/11/98: Whoever left the message on my answering machine Friday (what, you coerced someone else to call so I wouldn’t recognize the voice?), ’twasn’t terribly funny, not to mention thanks for waking me up when it was obvious I was probably sleeping… I have my suspicions and, don’t forget, after all, I was the one who, once when one of KC’s girlfriends who I loathe called over here, told her he was down at the Health Department getting an HIV test… be afraid, be very afraid. I haven’t gone totally humorless (yet) but that answering machine prank just wasn’t that funny so, like, bite me. Whoever you are. OK, now that that’s out of the way… apologies to several folks for not calling/writing back about the hockey playoffs & I’ll be talking to you soon, I just plain was tired all week and forgot. Can’t decide whether I’m narcoleptic or insomniac, can one be a mixture of the two? My sleeping habits have definitely reverted back to their usual messed-upness, much to my dismay. Anyway… I guess I’ve been a little gripey the last day or two, tho not intentionally so, I guess it’s okay, I channel Pollyanna enough that I guess a little negativity kinda balances things out, eh? Hah. Other stuff I’ve been doing lately, besides waiting ’til too late to return phone calls (I’m sorry, sorry, sorry), being too tired to answer most e-mail (sorry again) or sleeping too much or not sleeping enough… well, I’ve been listening to ‘Mats and Gurus for hours loud ’til my eardrums practically explode, which is always cool… reading some old classics (Fitzgerald, O’Connor, et al) and the new Anne Rice book… and other junk. Everything’s peachy and if you were expecting to hear back from me lately and haven’t, rest assured I’m on everyone else’s poop list at present too (I’m sorry, sorry, sorry… again). I’ve got a million things to catch up on and need about four more hours in each day… and now the Latimers & Coles are headed to Memphis this coming week so maybe I’ll have some interesting details to report to the hometown crowd after that. Not much else here that belongs in public, so… So, well, there are a few newish things here on the site at present, like my chosen Link of the Week, a cool new Replacements link on the Links section, another stab at the Replacements Song of the Day in a much easier (for me) format, and some other general reformatting of stuff… I really kinda dislike the latest version of Netscape and will probably be making a lot of changes around here in the near future the more disgusted I get with it. Oh well, I really still didn’t wanna update this page, I only did it so Stef, who was nice & didn’t say a word unlike some people, would have something to read, to heck with all you complainers earlier this week. Left to my own devices I would have put this page on hiatus for months, but oh well. I either talk too much or don’t say enough, can’t please everyone and can’t win for losing. Leave you with today’s quote, that of a wise songwriter I know… “you ain’t got nothin’ going on but tick and tock, how much time you gonna waste?” OK, must try to re-regulate my sleep patterns for now, so, ’til later… she opens her mouth to speak and…

04/11/98 (again): Hola! Just popped in again to express many many many profuse public thanks to Craig C., as I just today received what has got to the be the ultimate collection of Replacements and Westerberg video! Well, I can think of a few other things I want, but this is pretty sweet. And it also (I am hugely excited about this) contains the ‘Mats 1986 Saturday Night Live appearance! On that night in January 1986 I was down at the High Banks near Eva Beach getting , well, kinda toasted, and I left the get-together early specifically so I could get home in time to watch SNL and tape the ‘Mats spots. Unfortunately I, like an idiot, forgot to label the videotape later, and a little while after that my mother taped over it. I was not happy & have been sad ever since about it. So this is really cool, I have my “BOY”/”Kiss Me on the Bus” back again on video, and more, and I’m ecstatic! Gonna spend the rest of this weekend steeped in ‘Mats/Paul video & interviews! Thanks again, Craig, you ‘da man! Two hours’ worth of stuff, is that not the coolest??! Whistling a happy tune…

04/12/98: Not much, just some more thanks here… especially now that I’ve watched it, thanks again to Craig C. for the ultimate ‘Mats video… the music segments are of course fab, the interview segments are priceless, and watching the look on Paul’s face when Tabitha Soren asked him (in 1991, during the All Shook Down tour) if there would ever be another Replacements record just sent chills down my spine! Anyway, let’s see… thanks to my dear brother-in-law for letting me haggle the price down on the 32 meg of RAM I was drooling over, I am really digging it (and don’t forget who gives you the coolest Xmas and birthday presents anyway). And that’s about it. Happy Easter, I suppose.

04/13/98: Well, I guess I knew this was going to happen… it’s all springy here, nay, nearly summery, and my favorite warm weather pastime – hanging downtown – is, yea, fairly ruined. Some otherworldly entity somewhere is scribbling little notes, for a year or so now, gleefully saying things like, “Oh, she likes this? Well, let’s just totally mess that up for her too!” Sigh, yup, self-pity, I’m allowed, been grousing all yesterday because it was just glorious out and I have no one to hang down on the cobblestones with this summer, to heck with those of you responsible. Ah, everyone’s got fabulous new lives ‘cept Lynnster, oh well. Surely nothing else can get screwed up. So anyway, for those of you in the know, today’s the first of the two big D-Days, so keep your fingers crossed for me, sigh. Later…

04/14/98: Well, yesterday, very surprisingly, still sucked but turned out to not be as bad as I thought it would, so all is kinda cool here now, let’s just say the absolute worst is over. Thanks everyone who’s been really great and supportive thru what has not been an easy time, you know who you are and I haven’t got time to list each one of you, but that makes you no less terrific. Now it’s time to do I don’t know what with my life, but I’m sure I’ll think of something, usually do. Well, anyway, not much worth talking about outside of e-mail, other than the fact that it’s storming again. I’ve lost one ace USR modem to the lightning gods, if I make it thru this stormier than usual season without losing another, I’ll be worshiping the god of thunder… stopped by the Pig today and ran into Flyboy and Kevin T. The Pig’s still there, and FB and Kevin are still, well, themselves. That’s the news, and I’m outta here…

04/15/98: Happy Tax Day, everybody… SSI and the IRS finally got their act together and I’m no longer a year older in the eyes of the government than I really am, so I managed to get my already-paid-for return in before the crunch. I have news for Camden folk but I’m not allowed to tell it ’til May so pfffft… trust me, I hate it as much as you do. What else… ever get a song or songs stuck in your head and can’t get rid of it, happens to everyone doesn’t it? This week I’m being harassed by a Dead Milkmen song, the chorus of which I unfortunately can’t print here (thanks AOL) tho it’s darn funny… and one of my own, anyone who’s ever heard the chorus of “Nothing What Am I” knows how annoying that can be…. pfffft again, she grouses. Um, what else… spring flowers in Memphis are gorgeous as always and I’m kind of enjoying that. Otherwise just pretty much watching clocks tick by and tremendously interesting stuff like that. I usually kind of wake up come spring and come out of hibernation after a figurative long winter’s nap, much like the proverbial bear, but this time around… ehhhh. (makes waving hand motions that really mean nothing) In the midst of serious withdrawal from each other’s in-person terrorization symptoms, KC and I are having a little contest to see who can find the most virtual stuff on the ‘Net to surprise each other with every morning… AOL regulations again unfortunately prevent me from sharing some of the more disgusting stuff that’s crossed my morning e-mail, but make no mistake, the boy is sick… sick I tell you. We’re also in the middle of some online one-upmanship (is that how you spell that?… I really honestly don’t know, sigh) regarding who has virtually no life (I win) and who’s the Most Defective (I win again). He was disqualified anyway!… seeing as how he’s in a foreign country and I’m, well, here. Hah. What else am I doing, well… watching the Ghost Watcher entirely too much (click here), that basement exit is really creepy tho… attempting to retrieve some semblance of my attention span (yes, Josie, I’ve got that disorder again) long enough to finish reading Anne Rice’s new one, Pandora… making tentative summer travel plans, tho I think I’ve misjudged just how many cities and folks I can visit this year, some of you generous beings may just have to catch me in 1999 I guess, I think I promised everyone I know I’d come to DC/Minneapolis/NYC/Chicago/Boston/(insert most any other city name here) this year and, well, you know, there’s only so many weekends in a year, oops… watching folks select counter fonts for their web pages… forcing everyone I know to set up Internet Phone… breaking guitar strings, it’s a talent GB!… and oh, speaking of Josie, congratulations to her on the big move back to the N-town, for those who don’t know, and congratulations on the sweet and well-deserved deal she got to go back home. When you see those pretty little made-up country music faces, you can probably bet our Jo’s responsible for those chicks looking a heck of a lot better than they did when they got out of bed that morning. My free hairdoing loss is Nashvegas’ gain, but I’m proud of her! Even if it does mean I am the sole soul (sole soul?) left here, grouse. OK, I guess that’s it, too bad this is an AOL site, you miss a lot of Lynnsterisms this way come to think of it, but TOS is TOS. Anyway, other than the recent news of the ‘Mats Twin/Tone vault being opened soon – which is neat news – I’m just counting up stuff to look forward to & be ecstatic about, yup. At least I finally got mostly caught up, sigh. Sarcastic as always, nay, defective, and just so darn happy I could spit, I bid you bon soir ’til whenever…

04/16/98: Oops, I screwed up, didn’t I… making references to non-existent links on this page, well, I fixed it… totally involuntary sleep deprivation (read into that what you will, dearest ones) is definitely affecting my alertness (hmm, is that a word?… where’s my thesaurus when I need it), probably affecting everything else too. Between displaced concerns and wrong assumptions, my e-mail box is getting rather amusing, so one blanket statement to take care of the lot of you for now: I’ve always been able to laugh at myself, haven’t I? Which is, in a way, kinda what this page has always been about, heh. You guys just crack me up. And Greg B., I’ll use the word “spit” as many times as I wanna, because I can. (snicker) You can’t revoke my Southern Belle license ‘cos I was born that way. Ciao for now, and spit (laugh)…

Posted in a family thing, about the weather, ancient history, aussie music, blah, books, friends are evil, friends are good, happy birthday, holidays, hoodoo gurus, in my head, memphis, memphis music, music, music junkie stuff, my luck sucks, my so-called life, natural disasters, paul westerberg, techgeekchick stuff, the ex files, the internet is..., the replacements, travelin', updates to the zone, wasted, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

February Stars

Posted by Lynnster on February 1, 1998

(NOTE: February 1998 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in one big chunk for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

02/01/98: Mmm, let’s see, what’s on the agenda for February… (the Graffiti Wall’s one year anniversary, woohoo!). First off Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens (in town this weekend) good; The Presidents of the United States of America (no, not Clinton, people) bad. What have I got against this now-breaking-up, or so I heard, band? Well, I’ll tell ya, they have released a remake of The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” – the answer to the “What was the first video ever played on MTV?” trivia question – and it’s driving me up a wall every time I hear it. It’s sans electronics, mainly, just guitars ‘n drums ‘n stuff (hmmm, sounds like a couple of mostly-cover bands I know), and actually it’s not bad, per se. Maybe it’s the obvious faked British accents (”…we cahn’t rewind, we’ve gone too far…”) coming from a very American band, or something, I don’t know, it’s just bugging me bigtime. Maybe there are just some things that shouldn’t be messed with and remade… like, what if Bush covered The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”. Or No Doubt doing Clapton’s “Layla”. Or Van Halen with The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” (oh, wait that’s already happened, snicker… no, I am not coming down on Van Halen! Sheesh, you people don’t know me too well…). I realize “Video…” is a relatively silly ’80s New Wave hit that wasn’t even really that much of a hit, but hey, this is my youth we’re talking about here… you don’t see anyone messing with “Great Balls of Fire” or “Jailhouse Rock” or “A Hard Day’s Night”, now, do you? Well, I’m painting myself into a corner here, and there have been some very good covers of some very famous tunes, yes, but my point is, if you’re going to cover a well-known song, make it your own. If you’re American, don’t go around singing “cahn’t” just because you’re covering a song by a bunch of Brits. Yes, I’m getting really annoyed by very piddly little things but I’m a female, I can do that. So, anyway, not much other news for now. Keeping busy, busy, busy, and very, very happy. Special (public!!!!) hugs ‘n thanks for everything ‘n smooches ‘n stuff to Scott, who’s kept me sane and entertained… third time’s a charm (ya think?) and distance is a four-letter word. And now it’s not really a secret anymore, is it? (I guess it depends on how you look at it…) Oh, who cares, pfffft on secrets. Toodleoo ’til next time, problem children…

02/02/98: Headaches galore for a Sunday yesterday but I’m still here. The Hyperactive Berserk Kitten Twins trashed one of my favorite breakables yesterday, they’re still here too but treading on way thin ice. Sigh. Happy late birthday to my Other Mom, I’m a little late on everything so far in 1998. And hope you’re happy now, Scott, the only reason I’m still up at five in the morning is so you’ll have something new to read today, hehehe. Ahhhhhh, I’m not complaining (like I would have gone to bed early anyway… yeahsureright). Good night everyone – for a coupla hours anyway…

02/06/98: “The sole deed I find truly unforgivable is being humiliated by those I ever trust not to do so. Be it public or private, it matters not.” (from Letters Of Lord Byron) And here’s another, a repeat from last month: “Your exile and your hell is self-imposed and lives only in your head/’t will be too late morrow and for all you know you may be dead/I choose to live and laugh today instead.” Hmmm, words to live by. – L., who’s mad, bad, and dangerous to know.

02/07/98: Well, I’ve spent a good bit of this week inadvertently killing computer equipment and then repairing/replacing the damage… those of you who have known me a very long time will remember the blue-paint-all-over-the-keyboard episode several years ago, well, this was worse (but at least I didn’t kill my keyboard this time). Suffice it to say, a new Trackman Marble and a new power center later, the home of The Lynnster Zone was back in action by midweek. (And here’s a plug for Logitech… I wouldn’t own any other trackball, even if I did have to drive all over town, from here on the edge of Midtown all the way out to Hickory Hill, up to Cordova, and finally to Raleigh, to find one… you computer stores in this city suck, and thank goodness for Sam’s or I would have really been raging.) I sorta touched on this on the Music page already, but anyhow, I have been dogging new alternative pretty bad lately, but I have to hand it to Third Eye Blind for their new single, “How’s It Going to Be” (you know, “How’s it going to be when you don’t know me anymore…”). This one’s a must for any hopeless romantic who’s had to say goodbye to someone they care about, even if someone new’s come along to be happy about, so you should all give this one a listen. Let’s see, what else… well, the snow missed us here in Memphis and I guess I’m glad about it, except it might have been a nice change of scenery, then again until I put a few more years on my present car I’m not going to be too excited about ice on the streets. I guess that’s about it for now. Thank you’s for this week to Becky for the package that the US Postal Service ate that never came, it was the thought that counted, girl… my mom for always being the coolest… and Scott for being the one that came along. Catch y’all later…

02/14/98: Happy VD… I mean, Valentine’s Day (heh) to everyone. Not much to report this week. Another Byron quote in honor of VD, I mean, Valentine’s Day…. “I would have waited forever, you refused to ask”. I’ve got to get my butt in gear to get out of town this afternoon, just sending quick VD, I mean, Valentine’s Day wishes to everyone, especially the one responsible (that would be you, S.) for making sure I had a nice one for a change… only the second Valentine’s Day in my life that was ever any good, usually they all suck. Catch y’all after the weekend…

02/17/98 (revised): Nice weekend out of town, needed it. Here’s a surprise (sarcasm intended) – I changed my hair again. Yep, got tired of the blonde-blonde, needed a change, gone to the dark side again… well, not all that dark, not as dark (nor as red, thank god) as a year and a half or so ago, but not Malibu Barbie blonde anymore either (hey, it’s called Sand, you get the idea). Might even get darker if I can stand it (i.e., Sandalwood). We’ll see come summertime. Now, aren’t you glad you dropped by the Graffiti Wall today? (snicker) Well, if you’ve been hanging out here very long, you know hair is a very important issue around here anyway. Other than kittens breaking more breakables around the house, not much newsworthy news. So, while driving back to Memphis this weekend, I decided to make some Valentine’s Day resolutions since I usually don’t get around to making New Year’s resolutions (as too many of you know, I’m always late regarding most anything pretty much). I haven’t made very many yet, but here’s a few… #1, catch up on the 200+ e-mails sitting in my box (yes, I know I’m a lazy slug). #2, never write e-mail that takes fifteen (non-consecutive) hours – yes, you heard me right, fifteen hours – to finish again… talk about a day wasted, that’s an understatement. (And no wonder I have 200+ e-mails sitting in my mailbox.) #3, don’t date any blonde guys. (Okay, I know that’s pretty biased coming from moi, but hey, it’s just this thing…) #4… um, I can’t think of a fourth. I’m sure there were more, maybe they’ll come back to me later. Okay, so I’m busy doing various little projects I’ve been meaning to do for months, and right now I’m watching the 10-volume The History of Rock ‘N Roll, and am at this moment on the Guitar Heroes tape of it… Alice Cooper, KISS, Townshend, the Allman Brothers Band, all kinds of cool stuff. Next up will be the Punk volume, featuring some vintage Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, the Ramones, more cool stuff. Wait, I think there’s another volume between the two, another Seventies volume or something… oh well. Again, aren’t you sooo glad you dropped by the Graffiti Wall today? (snicker again) Yes, I could be catching up on e-mail right now, but I’d rather do something mindless like screw up my website and besides, everyone knows I have the attention span of a flea. So, hi all you folks I owe e-mail to. (giggle) So… um… did I mention lately how much I love my new HP deskjet? I had the best time making valentines one night last week. And hey, hiya Scott. OK, I’m being silly now and I guess I’ve covered most of my bases for today and Steven Tyler and Todd Rundgren are speaking on my TV screen, so I shall split for now. Hasta – Lynnster the not-as-venomous…

02/17/98 (again): Oh, I forgot a few things. Couple of you former Tennesseans asked me to let you know about available jobs in the area, but guess what, one of you changed your address (write me Greg B.) and I lost the other one, so, FYI, number one, the Gibson Guitar plant has finally broken ground in downtown Memphis off Beale Street, and if I’m not mistaken they’re taking applications now… I haven’t checked, but I suspect you can contact them via the Gibson website for more info. Second (and this is especially for you GB), my ISP, iXL Memphis, has some new job openings posted on their website: (1) Unix System Administrator/Application Developer; (2) Web Programmer/Database Developer; and (3) Customer Service Technician. They had the Web Programmer/Database Developer job posted last week with a $50K salary, so some of you broke people (GB) might want to look into it. Also – some of you people who are planning to come to Memphis really need to get in touch with me or KC, specifically Greg, Caro & Walker Breit, and Rockin’ Robin Roberts. Time’s a-runnin’ out and you’re going to be on your own if we don’t hear from ya. OK, I’m outta here – Lynsey the B.

02/18/98 (revised): So I’m driving home listening to the radio… “Here is the money that I owe you/So you can pay the bills/I will give you more when I get paid again…” and I’m thinking, “What? My ex-boyfriends are writing songs now?” (well, with the exception of the one who does write songs for a living…) Oh, I guess I probably shouldn’t say that, only one owes me money, anyway, thanks Everclear for a good laugh with their new song, “I Will Buy You A New Life”. Hyperactive Feline Kitten Twin Update: Maggie, who I thought was my wild one (and has been breaking all kinds of breakables lately, maybe she’s just a klutz) is actually being good (she’s a very happy girl)… it’s Molly, my sweet quiet kitty who’s turned into the devil herself. So far she’s learned to open three out of eight drawers in a big chest of drawers in my bedroom; she’s been hanging from the ceiling; she’s just gone nuts. By the way, for you Memphians that don’t know, there’s a South Park gathering every Wednesday night at one of the sports bars (now I can’t remember which one) to watch the show… I’m so busy taping it every time there’s a new show I haven’t been yet, but maybe soon. So anyway, I think it’s about time for me to hit the Memphis Music Hall of Fame for a fourth time, matter of fact. Anyone wanna go with? Call me, we’ll like, do lunch, preferably ribs across the street, says she who has been ribless for a couple of months now. I hereby leave you with the words of Memphis’ own Alex Chilton, when with The Box Tops… “Gimme a ticket for an airplane…” – preferably to L.A. Later – L. the De-Fanged.

02/18/98 (yet again): Telephone quote from KC, the man, the myth: “In the face of being bitchy, The Lynnster always backs down eventually.” (chuckle) ‘night, problem children.

02/19/98 (revised): Ever in search of something interesting to do, I think Josie & I have settled on a movie and another trip down to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame on Second across from The Peabody again this weekend, if certain Nashvillians wish to join us, please do (Saturday, I think). It’ll be my fourth trip there since last August, but let me tell you, there are few better ways to spend a day… tons of vintage blues video & audio, tons of Stax & soul video & audio (Sam & Dave, Otis, Booker T. & the MGs, Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes, oh, my heart just pounds), as well as a fair representation of Sun offspring and The Box Tops and, well, it’s just the coolest, and more guitars and all kinds of stuff to look at than you can shake a stick at. (And then there’s the vintage guitar shop next door, but that’s a whole ‘nother story, sigh…) Anyway, I think that’s a good plan. They tell us today that out of 17 days in February here in Memphis, we’ve had all of two sunny days, that probably explains many things right there, we’re all sun-deprived. Now, I love rainy days with an extreme passion, but man, there’s a limit. Next, I have just two very important words to say on the subject of ’80s music: The Cult. God bless Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, I rest my case. Anyway, must be off for now… With a ‘night and a (smirk)…

02/21/98: “I’m looking through you, where did you go? I thought I knew you, what did I know? You don’t look different but you have changed… I’m looking through you, you’re not the same.” (Lennon/McCartney) Rubber Soul, my fave Beatles album second only to the White Album…

02/23/98: Finally got out this weekend to see Titanic and all I can say is, maaaaaaaan. What an absolutely fabulous flick. The last hour of the movie is simply incredible, and the whole thing is just amazing. Do yourself a favor and go see it while it’s still on the big screen (which will surely be a while with all the Academy Awards it’s garnered), this is really a must-see. Anyway, I’m also hoping to catch Great Expectations this week or next weekend too, thinking this will be another good one, certainly won’t top Titanic tho. Well, let’s see, what else, got semi-suckered into another cat… that would be me, tell me tales of kitty woe and I’m toast. Poor little baby (I say “little” facetiously, he is a big big boy!) is declawed and has been out on the streets for who knows how long getting beat up, but that’s OK, now he’s safe. No name yet, if you have any (reasonable) ideas feel free to e-mail me with them. You know, someday I may very well have no pets (interesting…) but I think they’re worth more to me than much of anything else in life, and I do mean anything. They love you unconditionally, they never complain (well, except about baths and such, or Dobie complaining because I won’t let him in the bedroom), and they never turn their backs on you. Truly a great thing in life. Anyhow, let’s see, not much more to report at present… former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson’s band Perfect is putting on some Monday night shows in March and early April in L.A., and Tommy himself is doing some more solo acoustic sets: Thursday, 02/26 at The Uptown Bar in Minneapolis; Thursday, 03/05 at Coney Island High in New York City; Saturday, 03/07 Upstairs at Nick’s in Philadelphia; Sunday, 03/08 at The Iota in Arlington, VA; and Tuesday, 03/10 at T.T. the Bears in Cambridge, MA. You can click here to go to my pal Becky’s official Perfect website, Yap Yap, for more info and details. I am seriously considering hitting one or more of the East Coast shows so look for my little blonde head if you are in attendance, don’t know that I will be, but you never know about me. That’s about it for now, problem children, I’m still pretty psyched up on Titanic and not feeling like hitting the sack, but since it’s Monday, I guess I’d better. Ciao and tra-la-la and all that.

02/24/98: I will kinda be glad when this month is over, February and Valentine’s Day usually have rather adverse effects on my psyche, probably ‘cos I always had such sucky Valentine’s Days almost every year, seems like most of my relationships since adulthood usually fall apart right before the dreaded Black 14th… and what relationships don’t disintegrate around the dreadful VD usually crash and burn right before Christmas. I guess the good thing about that is, whatever wonderful Christmas presents I’ve bought for whichever intended, I get to keep myself (and they’re always cool, being that I’m such a cool present-buyer). Well, anyway, I’m glad Valentine’s month is close to over and looking forward to that Most Important of All Months, you know the one – March! (giggle) So I don’t have much news since all I’ve done since the last time I made an entry is sleep and work. I am reading a really terrific book right now tho… it’s called Cheese Chronicles, by Tommy Womack (Eggman Publishing, 1995), hence the new quote on the main page. I picked up this book practically by accident at Bookstar one day last summer and was just flipping thru it, and practically fell over on the spot when I started noticing names and places I knew, because the book is the story of the never-quite-off-the-ground career of one of my favorite bands from college days in Middle Tennessee, Government Cheese, of which Womack was a member. The subtitle of the book, appropriately, is The True Story of a Rock ‘N Roll Band You Never Heard Of, and one of my other favorite Nashville Underground artists, Bill Lloyd, has this to say about it on the cover: “Tommy’s funny, poignant account makes you realize how universal this story is. If you’re a musician or just a rock ‘n roll fan, there’s plenty here to identify with. One of the best-written, most entertaining rock ‘n roll diaries I’ve ever read.” Now, of course, I am really biased about it because I was around there and then (the band was actually from Bowling Green, KY, but were hometown boys of the Nashville circuit) but this is just a great read. Any of you music types who grew up in the Seventies and Eighties will just love it (and probably spot yourself somewhat painfully in it, heh). You can probably find or order it from your local Bookstar or Barnes & Noble store, or you can order it direct from Eggman Publishing at 2909 Poston Avenue, Suite 203, Nashville, TN 37203 or calling 1-800-409-7277. This is simply a terrific read. Next on my reading agenda is plans to re-read The Great Gatsby and also Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, possibly my favorite book ever. Other than that, not much to report, lots of news soon tho. Keep hanging on my every word and don’t touch that dial…

02/26/98 (revised): Kind of inundated at the moment but I’ll be back on a normal chattery slide in due time. Dreadful rain here tonight, bah humbug. Good thing this month’s Graffiti Wall is soon erased, this has been Lynnster on, oh, 4 or 5, I guess, I’d hate to see Lynnster on 10. (smirk) Bye-bye, all you problem children near and far…

02/27/98: Beeeeeeyootiful week in Memphis this week, for the most part, and today was the best – dogwoods a-bloomin’, buttercups all over the city, and I’ve contracted the biggest case of spring fever on the planet. Unfortunately if those who are in the know know, we’re due for more cold weather and rain come tomorrow, but that’s okay, this week was worth it all. In other news, it was nearly a day to mark down in history as I had an all-too-close brush with a lunchtime accident that has left me with a nice-sized laceration where my tonsils used to be (sorry to disappoint, KC, but I can still talk, heh). Unfortunately this rather icky brush with the emergency room comes on the eve of a gig and another after that and I’m not quite sure how I’m going to handle this, but for the moment Chloraseptic is working wonders. A quick public congratulations to John & Jen Cosper on the birth of their son, Jonathon. Finally, a not-that-great night’s sleep and sleeping on (whatever) does some strange things to one’s perceptions, and in the light of day on this fair Friday, all I can really do is (shrug), tho with a smile, of course. Things are weird all over but I reckon we’re all going to be okay, folks. By the way, everyone, New Kitty still doesn’t have a name, I’m open to suggestions. More to come later…

02/28/98: The month is over, this Wall has been much revised and partially erased, and I’m decidedly happy to see February go, good days aside. I’ve, unscientifically, concluded that a majority of us, myself included, have a case of winter cabin fever and sun-deprivation that’s making us all, myself included again, flip out or something. Onto March, this Wall hath ended.

Posted in BBQ, a bit accident prone, a family thing, about the weather, books, cats, concerts & shows, friends are good, government cheese, holidays, i never sleep, lynnster's zoo, memphis, memphis gripers, memphis music, music, music junkie stuff, other obsessions, techgeekchick stuff, the ex files, the replacements, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

An April Without End

Posted by Lynnster on April 8, 1997

(NOTE: April 1997 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in one big chunk for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

04/08/97: Happy birthday to my favorite brother-in-law (my only brother-in-law, but still my favorite), that wacky Wiegante who runs that mucho scary site, home of Pestilence, Cat of the Apocalypse. And Troy, please let me know what bad 80’s CD I can give you for your birthday this year. Happy happy – your favorite sister-in-law.

04/15/97: Well, sorry to all you people who are glued to my Graffiti page for the latest happenings. I have been tied up, heh heh. First things first – Ultimate Blondeness has finally been achieved! Special thanks to Josie, my partner in peroxide crime. This happened entirely by accident and I could now not be blonder if I tried. Six months in the making and we finally did it. This is EXCELLENT news.

04/15/97 (later): Next item – the KISS show April 6th at the absolutely cool-looking Nashville Arena. This was an unbelievably, once-in-a-lifetime, awesome event. Special thanks to Kev for giving up the good seat and sitting with the G-man so Kelli could sit with me in the good seats and we could get lots of attention and souvenirs from Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley. It must have been my newly really blonde hair. No thanks to KC who did manage to pop the person two seats down from me in the head while trying to aim for me from the nosebleeds. Anyway, the show was absolutely awesome and I intend to post a way detailed linked report off my KISS page soon, so look for it. This was possibly THE coolest night of my life. Kelli & I are also looking desperately for Tim from Birmingham, age 29, sat in the second row at the show and met Kelli & I after the show. If you’re Tim or you know Tim or you even think you know Tim, please email me so Kelli will quit moaning “WHY didn’t I get his phone number??”

04/15/97 (later): Next on the agenda – congratulations to the Memphis RiverKings, CHL Eastern Division Champions as of 04/12/97!!! The Gripe Gang got together at Phil’s house Friday night to listen to the slaughter on the radio from Huntsville, and things looked pretty grim for getting thru the playoffs … but no, my boys made a turnaround Saturday night here at the Coliseum and voila, our first division championship, with the Gripers in attendance, relatively buzzed and cheering loudly as always. Now it’s off to another round of playoff games against the little guys in the red devil suits, and the Gripers are considering a road trip to Ft. Worth for opening night. Ft. Worth Fire, your butts are ours … luv, The Hockey Wench.

04/15/97 (later): And finally … a trek is being made to Saturday night at the Beale Street Music Festival (first weekend of May) to see Son Volt and ZZ Top, among others. The Wallflowers are coming but Sunday only so I think I’m going to pass on that evening. Victims so far for Saturday besides me are Cole, Donna, and Johnny. I am considering renting a suite downtown so we don’t have to mess with traffic/staying sober/whatnot. Anybody that wants to join us, yell. KC, you are not invited, but Scott is. (snicker) In other news, the hair is not only really blonde but getting really long and I am now ready for summer & swimsuit weather and reading Memnoch the Devil again since I’m getting tired of waiting for a new one. I have a brand-spanking-new Gurus video in my possession but not enough money to go to Australia so anyone that wants to donate $1000 or so feel free. My undying gratitude should be worth whatever. Anybody I owe email to just hang on to your hat, I’m working my way thru my email box this week.

04/15/97 (later): Congratulations to Jimbo & Pierre for finally moving up into the wonderful world of the Internet. Now that virtually every cool sysop in Net 123 has an ISP account, we can leave Fido to the jerks that want it, hehe. Hugs but y’all better cool it with the closet comments…

04/15/97 (later): Inside Jokes and Big Public Thanks time for mid-April … Scott, thanks for the present! (smooch!) You have the class that KC & Jay can only hope to ever have … Linda Dee, thanks for the card that made me boo-hoo and you’ll be getting email soon I promise … ML, thanks for the way cool rare Gurus stuff, you are just too much baby! … Michael McMartin, I bow before your greatness, way cool and much admired man … and Kelli & Way Cool Amanda Mitchell, who I will be forever indebted to for the rest of my life, MEGA thanks and I have four words for you two: “Can you say … trashy?” Hugs for everyone all around except those who have been writing me to tell me how much they love KC’s pages, write his sorry butt instead of me and (of course), bite me.

04/16/97: Congratulations to my Central Hockey League pals Wendy from Memphis and Dennis from Oklahoma City on their engagement! Special thanks to Wendy too as well as Caren, two more way cool chicks I will be forever indebted to besides Kel & Amanda. And as for you, KC, dear bane of my existence … in the words of Josie, “Who needs a boyfriend when you can just have dates … you don’t have to still like that date six months later!!!” Life’s an adventure, just do it…

04/20/97: Dear KC – At least *I* can spell anorexic (she says as she falls out of her chair laughing …). Dear Everyone Else – there is no news, and no news is good news … in some cases. In others, not. The keyword for today, kids, is BAILED. (No, not as in bailed from jail. Puhleeze.) If you understood that, then you were supposed to. Lynnsters may be little, but like elephants, they never forget. End of story, doors closed and locked. And to quote my favorite Jules … when you see armadillos walking around at night, they frequently bump into trees. Nothing else so before the puns get any worse, I ‘ll stop for now. Bring me a shrubbery!!

04/25/97: I owe so many people email I should be shot. Bear with me folks, I’m catching up little by little! I have been really really really tied up, um, busy. Life is good, great, wonderful, I am not complaining one bit. Amazing what a little eye-opening and some really fabulous spring weather can do, the trees in Memphis are at their most awesome right now and I have a terrible case of spring fever. Memphis will be freaking rocking in barely a week, I’m psyched and I’m happy. Will be hollering at those of you who are worthy soon. Life is good and I wish I was in New Mexico (giggle)…

04/30/97: Click here to read about the KISS show 04/06/97 (sorry, link now gone). And welp, three days and counting ’til the 1997 Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival. We had winter weather in Mempho yesterday, summer today, go figure. Lots of stuff’s been going on, nothing I wish to publicly report at present (snicker). I sang w/ JJ & company three nights in a row two weeks ago and now I have on-again, off-again laryngitis (don’t you say *one* word, KC). And stuff’s good. Finally. See ya in May, people…

Posted in a family thing, aussie music, books, cats, concerts & shows, film fiend stuff, friends are evil, friends are good, happy birthday, hoodoo gurus, memphis, memphis gripers, memphis music, music, music junkie stuff, other obsessions, techgeekchick stuff, terminal smartass, the internet is..., west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »