Leaving Los Angeles
So Chuck is sitting in front of the living room window, the only place in the apartment not covered by a box or a huge nugget of dust, and that perma-worry wrinkle on his forehead has grown the size of the continental divide, and he's like, what the fuck are you people doing? And I've tried to explain things to him, that things change and that the fact that things change is what makes life interesting. And he just looks at me like he doesn't understand English.
The movers will be here in about an hour, and the only thing left to pack are the computers, the cds and everything in the storage unit downstairs, which just so happens to be the same storage unit to which we can't find the key, which at first seemed like a total disaster, because in a situation like this, when you need to get into that storage unit more than any other time you've needed to get into that storage unit, it could be a total disaster. But when you think about the larger scheme of life, like getting to drive up the coast to Seattle to spend Thanksgiving with your brother and his 5-yr old daughter who likes to take Mr. Potato Head and put the body parts into all the wrong places because "that's what Picasso would do," and then drive to Utah, arriving triumphantly with liquor cabinet in tow and the funniest dog in the world who will unsuspectingly get to experience cold weather for the first time, who cares about the damn key to the storage unit.
So, I've made a mix cd for the road full of songs that played a huge part of my Los Angeles experience, a soundtrack of sorts. These are all the songs that I have put on repeat in the past four years, and not just a couple repeats, but days and days of repeats, so many agonizing repeats that I've had coworkers threaten me with baseball bats, only to hear me plead, I'm sorry, I promise this is the last time, one more time, I need to hear it one more time, but I played it two more times.
Charlatans UK, Forever
Death Cab for Cutie, 405
Elliot Smith, Everything Reminds Me of Her
Modest Mouse, All Night Diner
Destiny's Child, Bootylicious
Clem Snide, I Love the Unknown
Ryan Adams, Come Pick Me Up
Mason Jennings, Darkness Between the Fireflies
Jai Agnish, How You Dream
New Pornographers, Mass Romantic
Folk Implosion, Mechanical Man
REM, I've Been High
Kingsbury Manx, Pageant Square
David Holmes, 69 Police
Bauer, Western Trail
Third Eye Foundation, What is it with You?
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FM Living
Sarah B. said:
I cannot think of a better song to drive to a new life to than I Love the Unknown. Bon voyage, sweet Armstrongs!
11.21.02 - 04:44 AM / 1Fox said:
I've never had to be pleased about the Charlatans, Modest Mouse, The New Pornographers, and Bootylicious all at once before. My mind feels strange.
11.21.02 - 04:52 AM / 2ex-liontamer said:
Drive safely.
11.21.02 - 04:53 AM / 3ALLISONIC said:
Happy Thanksgiving.
See ya on the other side.
11.21.02 - 04:57 AM / 4GLiddy said:
I am in disbelief that the Dooce is a fan of Death Cab for Cutie. I don't know anyone else who is a fan of Death Cab. What a perfect song for leaving LA.
11.21.02 - 05:15 AM / 5Lisa said:
Thank you.
11.21.02 - 05:17 AM / 6ismat said:
Delicious.
Enjoy the ride!
11.21.02 - 05:22 AM / 7Michelle said:
For putting I Love the Unknown and I've Been High on the same mix CD you have my eternal love and devotion.
11.21.02 - 05:37 AM / 8Drunkn Otter said:
Thanks, and have a safe trip.
11.21.02 - 05:43 AM / 9Zeek said:
Dear excited stranger: you have magnificent taste in music.
Remember - keep duct tape and safety pins in the glove box and extra rope on the floor.
Happy holidays, and best of luck!
11.21.02 - 05:44 AM / 10Bastherself said:
Be careful. Drive safe. Wear your seatbelts and make sure Chuck has one to wear too. They're available at most petstores.
11.21.02 - 05:54 AM / 11jennifer said:
Happy Thanksgiving, happy road trip and happy listening. I look forward to your next update from Not-LA. :-)
11.21.02 - 06:05 AM / 12Mrs. Kennedy said:
What an awesome thing to post. You're about as mean as a dried apricot.
11.21.02 - 06:13 AM / 13Evan said:
Damn! David Holmes, New Pornographers *and* Death Cab on the same list! I'm, like, drooling right now.
11.21.02 - 06:16 AM / 14Kevin from Seattle said:
I like that dried apricot notion: a little tart, a little sweet, a little chewy, nutritious & just enough nitrates & preservatives to keep things interesting. As Slim Whitman would say, Vaya con Dios, m'darlings and we'll all be waiting to hear from you in beehive country. (You should enjoy yr stop in Seattle, it's unseasonably warm. Foggy as a mutha this AM though.)
11.21.02 - 06:26 AM / 15christa said:
good luck!
11.21.02 - 06:27 AM / 16April said:
May your move be smooth and easy!
11.21.02 - 06:31 AM / 17Paul Gutman said:
Rock those kooky Mormons' collective world, and be sure you don't find Potato Head eyes in the holiday stuffing--that's frightening.
11.21.02 - 06:38 AM / 18Edsmonkey said:
Bon Voyage!
From another recent cross country transplant (San Fran to Colorado Springs). OUr road trip consisted of two addults, two kids (10 & 15) and two dawgs in a subaru forrester.
My fav musical moment on the road was starting the second leg of the trip outta Winnemucca listening to a best of Violent Femmes cd. I some how seemed appropriate. Hope you settle in quickly and don't run outta hooch too soon!
11.21.02 - 06:45 AM / 19colleen said:
Wanna hear something sad? I actually LIVE with a newly-converted Mormon. He says he would've converted anyway, but we all know he did it for this girl he's supposed to be marrying. This girl is the most annoying, strange creature to ever cross my path and I've encountered many annoying, strange creatures in my time.
Anyway, I'm happy Chuck will get to play in snow. There's nothing cuter than the first time a dog sees snow.
Have a safe trip.
11.21.02 - 06:46 AM / 20Bill said:
Have you heard the Bootylicious/Smells Like Teen Spirit mix by Soulwax? "Smells Like Booty" - really. And good GOD, it kicks ass.
11.21.02 - 06:47 AM / 21ismat said:
OK, I'm back to say that I've been listening to this compilation all morning. It's making me want to road-trip. Thanks for bringing these songs together.
11.21.02 - 06:51 AM / 22corey said:
now, wouldn't DCC's "why would anyone want to live here?" just make perfect sense?
11.21.02 - 06:56 AM / 23antisocial diva said:
safe trip! we have snow booties for our dog. maybe chuck would benefit from a pair?
11.21.02 - 06:59 AM / 24kate said:
Godspeed.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
11.21.02 - 07:03 AM / 25Mike said:
I'm torn. I want to do nothing but wish you and your family the very best on your move, but I also want to make sure that you know what you've done today. I'm sure it wasn't intentional ... but "mover's"? Oh ... oh, how could you?
Seriously - best of luck!
11.21.02 - 07:05 AM / 26Naaman said:
I had to read that second paragraph about three times before I realized you were saying the 5yr old daughter "likes", not "looks like" Mr. Potato Head.
BTW, you're extremely dedicated. An hour before the movers arrive, I'm cramming every little bit of crap into a box or couch cushion that I can, not blogging.
11.21.02 - 07:14 AM / 27Keith said:
My own personal "Dooce & DJ Blurb Are Leaving L.A." mix includes such hits as "Leaving Town" by Dexter Freebish and "The Only Way (Is the Wrong Way)" by Filter. And Bill's right, the "Smells Like Booty" remix kicks ass, I have a copy of it, as does Freelance Hellraiser's "A Stroke of Genius," which remixes the vocals of "Genie in a Bottle" to the backing track of "Hard to Explain." Either way, I digress. Safe drive to y'all (including the ex-Congressman) and much luck establishing your new lives in Utah.
11.21.02 - 07:15 AM / 28Kyle said:
Good luck, drive safe, thanks for the tunes...
I suspect Utah is going to provide much fodder for this place, and I look forward to witnessing your decline into insanity ;)
11.21.02 - 07:39 AM / 29sx70 said:
She had to leave - Los Angeles
She found it hard to say goodbye
to her own best friend
she bought a clock on Hollywood Blvd.
the day she left
It felt sad, it felt sad, it felt sad
She had to get out, get out
get out, get out, get out, get out
11.21.02 - 07:52 AM / 30