monday november 5 2001    |    7:22 p.m.

i've decided: my favorite album for fall is dark old days. the mix is less than stellar, so don't expect glistening tracks and obvious production. it's gritty as hell. this is the scenario in my head when i close my eyes and listen: the first columbus snowfall, running from the slushy streets into someone's old wood-planked house, huddling in the basement-cum-makeshift-studio with blankets and beers, listening to the band practice.

the band in question is bigfoot, and if you're lucky enough to live within driving distance of columbus, it looks like they're playing shows again, so do yourself a favor and go see them. they're a little bit country, a little bit hoarse rock, a lot cold day in columbus. (and if you check out the album on amazon, don't download the sample tracks. or download "hey nadine" if you absolutely must. those two songs in particular don't even approach bigfoot brilliance. just so you know.)

there's something about columbus. i've fallen hard and fast for three columbus boys (two in particular), unlike any others, and, also unlike any others, with each i've crashed and burned messily. and still these entanglements have been the most satisfying. who knows.

anyway.

today was my first day of training at work, hurricane and all. (luckily she only breezed by.)

who knew there was a corporate art to bookselling?

we have these workbooks we have to fill out. (did you have to do those, too? they are so silly.) and i was actually asked if i knew what an anthology was. (!) and i was taught proper alphabetical order. (!!) and there is a quota of reader's advantage subscriptions per bookseller. yee-ikes. i'm workin' for the man, kids.

but i think i'm actually going to like it. the people seem to be really cool, and the whole work atmosphere very relaxed (at least behind the scenes). and we get mad discounts. and we get to borrow books. and take home outdated magazines gratis. of course i might think differently about all the perks and whatnot once i actually start working the clientele, but at least i can enjoy this first week of training. i go back tomorrow for round two.

there are these two brothers who work there (one of them trained with me today), and i swear they're both clones of dan j______ from my fiction writing workshop. (becky, you would lurve them i think.) i'm talking idiosyncratic dead ringers. it's freaky.

well. i apologize in advance for selling out. i might regret it later. but right now i feel damn accomplished. and productive. and i'm relishing the check that'll come at week's end, or the week after that. and the fact that with it i'll be able to take my mom out to a much-deserved dinner. and buy myself a ticket to the trans am / of montreal show in december. that's what matters.

that said, let's both go listen to bigfoot. i swear i'm not getting a commission.

:]