Instead of making lists of music to buy, I now just add it to my iTunes shopping cart. I used to do everything on my palm-handspring visor thing. In college it really came in handy cuz I kept bouncing my checking account and wanted to stop doing that. Once I got that under control I used it to keep up with homework and tests and playing tetris during chapel. After graduating it only really proved useful when making lists of things I wanted but couldn’t buy yet.

Now my music buying goes like this - I read about an album, go to iTunes and listen to samples. If I am pleased enough by the thirty-second snippets, I will graciously and judiciously vote for the artist’s life and will click on the ‘add album to cart’ button, expressing that their thirty-second selections were found pleasing to me. (This button used to not exist. Our iTunes account was set up as ‘buy now’ but we accidentally bought the wrong thing once. We then changed the button)

Most of the stuff I add isn’t all that great, and when I revisit the cart I’ll give stuff a fresh listen and decide if I still like it. If I feel like my listening schedule is stale, I’ll peruse the cart, tweak a bit, then write down the albums that are worth buying on an index card. Then I’ll go to the record store.

I used to buy music off iTunes itself, and I guess I still will if I absolutely can’t find a physical copy of it, but I like going to record stores and sifting through the plastic. (btw I will use the phrase ‘record store’ even though there are no records for sale, and I’m sorry if you have a problem with this) I used to go to CD World on Greenville, but they kept not having what I was looking for everytime I went, and I got fed up. (My tastes are just THAT eclectic and THAT awesome…you may berate my pretentiousness in the comments if you wish) Now I go to the 1/2 price CD Source…on Greenville. I do this because I like having the jewel case with the artwork and having a real looking disc of music.

I’m not opposed to burning music or downloading music be it legal or less than. I just like the whole record store process - walking in, rummaging through stacks, consulting my index card and feeling embarassed while trying to hide that I have a list, final decision making then leading to final purchase. Then when I’m in the car I get to decide which one to listen to first, after I get that stupid plastic wrapper off.

Most of my listening schedule takes place on 635, with a dash of 75 and a touch of Skillman (and sometimes it’s tollway-NW highway day). I don’t have an iPod setup in my car. I’ve thought about it but don’t care enough. I like having my cd booklet and flipping through it everytime it’s time to go somewhere. (Heather probably has a different perspective on this) If I’m going to be flipping I’d rather look at real cds as opposed to my awful sharpee penmanship scrawling out the name of an album that only I can read. Sometimes this takes upwards of four minutes if I just can’t find what I’m in the mood for that particular 20-30 minute window of my life. The wrong choice may steer me to sports talk radio. I try to keep the cd booklet fresh by changing out cds every month or so, but sometimes it’s just time for some new stuff.

That happened this past weekend. Usually I go overboard and buy too much. This time I was on my way out the door to ostensibly buy groceries when I decided to be honest.

Saturdays is when i usually will go to the cd store if I go. I will go on some type of errand like picking up some takeout food or buying some groceries (the errand will almost always involve food of some type, because we are hungry and don’t have a pantry). Before I leave I will decide that first I am going to the record store. Then I’ll consult my cart, make a list and set out. I’ll buy maybe three to six cds, go complete the ‘primary’ errand, and then come home. On the way home I will receive a phone call.

Heather knows how long it takes to go do something and come back. Once the clock expires, something in her brain triggers. I don’t know how she does it so uncannily, but almost invariably I will get the call on the way home. Sometimes when home is within sight and I am pulling in.

“Hey, why are you out so long?”
“Oh, nothing, Albertson’s was just really busy…”
“(pause)…Are you out buying cds?”
“(pause)”
“How many?”

Sometimes we just cut to the chase and the second query will lead off and become the first.

But this weekend, after my list had been made and the back door already shut, I decided to be honest. I opened the door again and went to the bedroom and let it be known that I was going to be purchasing cds on this little errand - no more than two (with the disclaimer “probably none really”, as if that had any truth in it).

And honestly I don’t think Heather cares about me buying cds (within sane limits), she just wants me to be more upfront with it instead of going behind her back for no real reason.

I bought Rain Dogs by Tom Waits and Skeleton by Figurines. They are both great.