A Very Gorey Birthday

It was my natal day last Sunday but I was a little too whacked from my six-day work week to do any posting ... coherant posting that is, Gate.

After the Bachannal of Thursday, the day itself was decidedly low key. That was okeh with me, Gate, as I was feeling more exhausted than festive. In fact I pretty much packed the day in around seven in the p.m.

My friend William sent me a great set of rubberstamps based on the designs of Charles and Ray Eames and a stack of CDs all of which are great, but the Siesta comp The Music of Beautiful Spain is getting the most air play, both at home and at work.

My parents gave me several Edward Gorey first editions:

The Sinking Spell ~ 1964, Ivan Obelonsky
The Broken Spoke ~ 1976, Dodd, Mead

and ...

The Partisan Review #2 which features the first publication of Gorey's The Deranged Cousins.

Earlier in the week another Gorey first arrived: The Betrayed Confidence ~ 1992, Parnassus

So, Gate, it was a very Gorey birthday.

My friend Val asked me what it was like being 40. The low down on that score Gate is that it very much like being 39, but I have noticed some differences. For one thing, I find children rather nifty. I used to think children were little snot monsters ... and who would want one of those! Now, well, children aren't so bad.

As type this post-o-roonie, Gate, I am listening to what must be the oddest CD in my collection. My CD collection is rather large, so my saying this is the oddest disc of the lot says volumes. What am I listening to? Tiny Tim? Current 93? Diamanda Galas? Tom Waits? The Archies? No. I'm listening to Coccinelle: Star du Carrousel de Paris, Chercher la Femme. Surprisingly, the music is pretty darn good ... the arrangements remind me a bit of Bobby Darin ... swingy and punchy ... and Coccinelle's vocals are ... well, imagine a slightly nasal, throaty Bardot and you've got a pretty good idea. Some of the songs are covers of standards such as The Lady is a Tramp and Lullaby of Birdland. Lengthy liner notes all in Francais, so it's all Greek to me, Gate. Definitely different.

Plant you now, dig you later, Gate.