"Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don’t plan it, don’t wait for it, just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair or two cups of good hot black coffee."
"A present. Like Christmas!"
The daily coffee "present" is a given. I dropped the low-brand stuff a while back and only drink good quality coffee, because... well, life is short and you should never cheap out when it comes to coffee, cheese or toilet paper.
I also tend to have ice cream or milkshakes regularly, because if there's anything that can brighten any day, it'd be ice cream!
But, I'd say every other week, as soon as I'm finished with my weekly workload, usually around mid-day Thursday, I go record/movie shopping. I don't really have a wishlist. For me, I love the spontaneity of it all. I like the idea of leaving my apartment one afternoon, and having no idea what goodies I might possibly come home with later. The thrill of the hunt!
Another ritual I partake in while I'm out in the wild & skimming fast and furiously through record bins, is to text back and forth with my brother from another mother, and overall soundtrack expert/fellow enthusiast Tony Giles. For those of you that don't know him, he's the co-host (along with Scott Johannsson) of The Damn Fine Cast, one of my favorite podcasts on the web that specifically covers soundtrack releases on vinyl. And over the last few years, not only have we repeatedly guested on each other's shows, but we've become good buddies! So, I like vicariously taking Tony record shopping with me.
This week, I hit my usually Burbank spot Atomic Records and immediately stumbled upon this vinyl edition of VERTIGO. I had never seen this particular cover, and I couldn't tell if it was the original score or a performance of it, so I texted this photo to Tony for spiritual and financial guidance. Is this worth $15 bucks to me? Should I go for it?
Before he texted me back with the facts, I had already decided to put it back. Sometimes you just know. "It's a Dutch import reissue of the original version." You know.... if it were PSYCHO, I'd buy it because I buy anything PSYCHO related, but for now, this particular VERTIGO was going to be a pass.
Now, it's not an easy thing to put a record back anymore. I had the lovely opportunity to interview Henry Rollins last year for a documentary project I'm working on (and have vaguely alluded to repeatedly in this blog.... but DETAILS SOON, I SWEAR!), and there was one quote that has stuck with me ever since. He said (and I'm paraphrasing), "you never regret the records you buy, you only regret the records you don't buy." So, ever since he put that damned notion in my head, I've been inclined to act on instinct and just buy it! But alas, I did show some self control this time. So, no VERTIGO!
I mean, you never know what you're going to find on any given record store stop. For example, if you want to own a record from a total douchebag, Scott Baio's "The Boys Are Out Tonight" (no doubt about him and Trump) is available for a mere $3.99!
Nah, pass.
But then there's the random finds you just can't pass on. THE BANGLES "Hazy Shade Of Winter" on 12" caught the corner of my eye. Wait, what?! Multiple remixes? 4 versions of that same song? For $3.99? SOLD! Also, one of the few Scream Factory titles I neglected to pick up when it initially came out, RAVENOUS for $7.99.
I was just about ready to call it quits when I briefly thumbed through one more aisle and spotted this. "Spin The Wheel" by HI-TEK3 from the 1990 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES movie. For $2.99! This is most certainly a nostalgic buy. I already have the original motion picture soundtrack for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES on vinyl, as well as the 12" single for "Turtle Power" by Partners In Krime. So, this seemed like a no brainer.
My final tally, which also included Jack Johnson's second album "On and On" came to $30 bucks total with tax. Not bad. For that amount, I came home with several records and a movie I didn't anticipate I'd want or need to own, and yet here they are. (RE: Jack Johnson, I actually love his first 2 albums and didn't realize they were on vinyl, so had to snag it!)
The thrill of the hunt.
A present to myself.
At least that's how it feels to me.
Go out and try it for yourself.
You've earned it!
