Sunday, May 30, 2010

IEM Training Update- Vol. 14; Issue 1

May 30 status:

WEIGHT
: 178.4 lbs. I have been semi-fasting all week so I could meet my monthly Weight Watchers "Lifetime" goal. I weighed-in this morning and made the goal with 2.6 lbs. to spare- just in time for Memorial Day barbecues. If I weigh less than 190 on Tuesday, it will be a miracle.

CONSUMED ON 5/29:
All I ate yesterday was a 40 oz. Coke Slurpee and a standard-size Baby Ruth. This is what a diet looks like.

DEFECATION
(what my turd looked like):
  1. A "Prince." Named for IEM donor, Guy Prince, "The Prince" is a single jumbo loaf with a 30% taper. A thing of beauty.
  2. Overcooked Chicken with mole complete with sesame seeds.

EXERCISE:
I ran around the neighborhood for 30 minutes. I covered a little over 3 miles, I reckon. Later, I walked from the apartment to the wife's salon in the Berkeley Gourmet Ghetto- 6.8 miles according to Google Maps. Other than a blister on the sole of my left foot and some crotch chafing , I felt fine afterwards.

LISTENING:
Gene and Debbe- "Playboy"/"I'll Come Running" 45-
(1968) $2.00


I debated whether I should get this 45, as the vinyl looked a little rough in the store. Plus, $2.00 is twice what I like to pay for a 45 in this (or any) economy. The record plays passably, though, so I'm very happy I chose to buy it. I heard "I'll Come Running" for the first time a few months ago on an awesome comp that Jason Morgan had burned. Instantly, it became one of my favorite songs ever- top 25 of all time. Really. I have no idea why this song isn't a household fixture. It should be all over oldies radio. The melody is instantly memorable, the boy-girl vocals are gorgeous, and the groove is insane. I'm not sure whether this song was marketed as a country song (Gene Thomas had cut some solo country records earlier in the 60's) or a pop song. There is some twang here, as both vocalists are Texans, but it sounds a lot more Memphis than Nashville to me and there is no steel guitar to be found. Gene's voice sort of reminds me of a Box Tops-era Alex Chilton (more "Soul Deep" than "The Letter"), while Debbe's girlish vocals would fit Brill Bldg. material perfectly. I cannot imagine ever getting tired of this song. This song needs to be played at weddings.

The flip (I'm actually not sure which is the A-side), "Playboy," isn't as powerful, but it is still pretty great. While Gene and Debbe sing together throughout "I'll Come Running", on "Playboy" they take turns, coming together on the choruses. This song is less groove-laden than the flip and is more sophisticated and adult-sounding, so maybe it was meant to appeal to squares as well as teens. It has a somewhat "exotic" feel, opening with swelling organ and a Hawaiian-esque guitar lead. The whole approach of the song puts me in the mind of a Broadway musical soundtrack, which makes me love it more than I probably would have otherwise.


DONOR UPDATE:
I got $10 (Man, You're Awesome donation level) from Rebecca Grunewald. Thanks so much.

Please continue sending donations via PayPal at: alincolnlevy@yahoo.com