Am I over my Xmas Music malaise? It’s only been going on since approximately 1999 so it’s about time. I assumed it would be fatal, yet…not so much.

So, the other day I was driving around and one of Gene’s Richard Cheese songs came on the iPod. Let’s agree that it was his lounge lizard version of Baby Got Back (which is a pretty good version, until you get it in your head and your’e at work and instead of payroll, all you can think about is “Skinny in the middle but got much baaack!”).

Anyway, so the song is playing and I am thinking, “Who the hell got the idea to totally change up a song when they cover it?” I have actually suggested to Gene that we put together a playlist on the iPod called “Horrifying Covers” that includes all of the Richard Cheese oeuvre as well as the blueglass covers of Gin and Juice and Centerfold (bahh, banjos…).

Eventually I get bored and turn off the iPod and turn on the radio. And the next song on the station is Eric Clapton’s MTV Unplugged acoustic version of “Layla” (you know, the version that, instead of going “LAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYLLLAAAAAA! You got me on my knees!”, goes “Laaaaaayyyyla, you got me on my zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz :: snort :: whaaa? Where am I?”). I listen to it for a little while (it’s kind of in my DNA) and realize, Oh. Eric Clapton, you have a lot to answer for!

(I mean, c’mon…if he’d recorded that version first, Pattie Boyd wouldn’t have been convinced to change her socks let alone husbands…)!

So, I’m reading this book. It says “Lindsey Lohan Sucks” on the side, but inside it’s “Twilight.” I started it when I was sick last week. Last week, I read “Lace II”, “Zoya” and “Mini-Shopaholic.” Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of pages. Granted, I started “Twilight” late in the sickness, but this book is awful. Literally, the best written part of this book is “Lindsey Lohan Sucks”. (Frankly, I didn’t realize that the typical 15 year old girl cared about Lindsey anymore, but whatevs). I own no less than 2 V.C. Andrews series and I vividly remember many of the Sweet Valley High books so it’s not like I don’t have a reference point for “terrible”. I’m less than 200 pages into it but I’m still hoping to muscle through it as I have the rest of the series.

(Let me saw “THANK YOU Bookmooch.com!” because at least I didn’t pay for any of the “Twilight” books).

(And thanks Stefanie Meyer for proving that it can’t be THAT difficult to get published…).

Step into Christmas
Let’s join together
We can watch the snow fall forever and ever
Eat, drink and be merry
Come along with me
Step into Christmas
The admission’s free

But of course, back at the Old Job, I heard that song 2 or more times a day pretty regularly. And it reminded me that Every. Single. Time. I thought Elton was singing “Be emissions freeee!” and of course, Every. Single. Time I would then think, “WTF? Did they even know what emissions were back then?”

Before the concert, we went to dinner at the restaurant attached to Market Square Arena. They had the windows covered so we couldn’t see the stage, but we did get to hear the roadies check all the instruments.

The concert was magical and wonderful and awesome. The iteration of Fleetwood Mac playing that night was the band after Lindsey Buckingham left but before he rejoined, but it was still 1000000% awesome. Music means so much to me. I walked out of there with a t-shirt that I adored so much that I never wore it so it would never get worn out.

Sidebar: Apparently we bought dad a tshirt at that show. He unearthed it sometime early this year and sent it with Mom when she came down for my birthday this year. I should wear that shirt today! (My shirt from that show would never, ever fit me now…might be too snug on Betty the corgle!)

Congratulate me – I made it to 9:15 before making a face about the annoying music. (The song was “Hey Santa” by the Wilson Sisters).

Only 19 days to go!

In other news, yes, I *DID* sing along to Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” when that came on. I’m not a total grinch

Leonard is in his mid-70s. He is not a young man. And, well, I’ve tortured most of you with listening to my Leonard Cohen CDs with me, so you may recall that even the early stuff from the ’60s had a froggy voice. So.

He played last night for 3 freaking hours. OMFG. I wish I could put into words the three hours of joy we experienced. All the great songs (that no one but me cares about ) – Suzanne, So Long Marianne, Bird on the Wire, Hallelujah. My beloved Eagles can suck it, by the way, with their 3 encores topped off with Desperado. Leonard left the stage and – surprise! – came back for an encore that lasted at least 5 songs and 30 minutes. The last song was Closing Time (from his 1991 album The Future – and my first Leonard Cohen exposure).

But wait! It wasn’t the last song – although with that title, it was apropos. The last song:  I Tried To Leave You (from one of the older albums).

The night blew my mind – I went into the venue with exactly zero expectations. I didn’t read the fan forums (YES there is one ) to check out the set list or anything. If the witty asides, jokes and cartwheels (from the backup singers – YES, female backup singers, love it!) were part of every show (like when Glen Frey calls “Take it to the Limit” the ‘credit card song’), I do not know. Or care.

Basically, he could have walked out, performed the current Top 40 or his favorite Lady GaGa song and I would have been totally cool with it. But that’s not what he did. He sang, he recited a little spoken word poetry (just a tiny bit), he let his band shine (did I mention they all wore hats?? YES, hats!).

In the end, it was the realization of an almost 20 year dream. Been there, have the t-shirt. (Two, actually. A tour t-shirt and one that just says “Beautiful Losers”).

(And I take back what I said about the ticket prices – apparently we got a crazy bargain because identical tickets for the show later this week would have been $534 for two…WOW).

Did Lindsey Buckingham lose a bet or something?