Mixed Tapes

Do the kids still make mixes for their friends? I know they don't make tapes anymore, duh. But CDs? With the nutty RIAA folks running around roughing up those trying to share purchased music, what do the kids do these days?

I'm thinking about this because I'm making a CD mix for a friend this morning, which can be such a nostalgic activity. As I scroll through all my music on my computer (all my CD's are now in my iTunes library), I see other mixes people have made for me in the past. Friends and ex-boyfriends have turned me on to SO much music. One of my favorites is from Paul, a friend from school who gave me a New Orleans mix that is so much fun (he also introduced me to the the classic Byrds 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo', which if it was vinyl, would be totally worn out by now); and there's Henry, who routinely gave me music from his zine business bounty, and then there's the girl I used to work with who was from Austin and made copies of all her KGSR Christmas CD's.

Music mixes are not only an art (does 'Sweet Home Alabama' really work next to Curtis Mayfield?) but because music is so personal, they are like a little piece of us, shared with our friends. This is music that's meaningful.

God, how sappy. Can you tell I'm missing my friends?

*****

It was sooo beautiful here yesterday. B and I went for a bike ride in Forest Park, the largest urban forest reserve in the country. We rode the Leif Erikson trail up and up and up for 7 miles or so, and then back down and down and down. Up was tough, but it wasn't nearly as bouncy as down, which is no fun if you don't have shocks on your bike. So afterwards I felt so rattled and jangled that my teeth were numb, but it was still loads of fun. And it was a good workout, which I've been missing for several weeks, due to annoying cold that is finally clearing up, which means... I can RUN again! We saw tons of runners on the trail yesterday, so time to dust off those trail shoes, say goodbye to the pavement, and hello dirt! But it may be a few weeks before I'm ready for all that uphill. Right now I can just barely manage 2 miles of flat. I hate starting over again.

*****

If you've got critters, the FDA list of tainted pet foods has been updated, so make sure you're not feeding poison to your pets. I got lucky, but so many were not.