Buy, Read, Watch

I read Elizabeth Gilbert's soul-searching travelogue Eat, Pray, Love two years ago.  Although it occasionally meanders into preciousness, I found her to be a very endearing and thought-provoking narrator. 

Gilbert is almost unbearably honest about her crushing divorce and subsequent depression, but also, often surprisingly funny.  Her book has been turned into a movie starring Julia Roberts, making one of her increasingly rare leading role appearances.  The trailer is here.  (I tried embedding but it cuts the video in half.)

Incidentally, the song they're using is Dog Days Are Over by Florence & the Machine, which seems to be having a moment.  It popped up on last week's Gossip Girl, too.

After four days in a car...

Got back today from a road trip from Berekely, CA, across Nevada on highway 50 ("the loneliest road in America"), through Utah, to Boulder, CO by way of Denver. Phew! It was an amazing trip made in the company of an incredible friend, who's starting all kinds of new adventures. She's awesome and I think awesome things are happening for her.

She provided the music on the trip and I DJ'd, and here are some of the songs I liked most: Where Does the Good Go, Come Talk to Me, I Believe (When I Fall in Love), Flake, and One More Time.

Fun fact! Stevie Wonder recorded "Fingertips" in my hometown of York, PA back when he still performed as Little Stevie. At least my dad says this is true; Wikipedia disagrees.

New music Monday

I just got back from a great weekend in Philadelphia, during which I met my friends' new son for the first time, learned my cousin gave birth to her first child, and was introduced to the joys of Quizzo. I'm still annoyed that we missed the Jabberwocky question.

Thanks to some unused Thank You points from CitiBank, I was able to order some free new music last week, and the box from Amazon was waiting when I got home today. I look forward to listening to London Calling by The Clash and Conditions by the Temper Trap. I also replaced my lost copies of Funeral by the Arcade Fire and Give Up by the Postal Service. Except I accidentally ordered that last one on vinyl, and don't own a record player, so back it goes.