Cloud Catalog #56.

It's been raining on and off since this morning, and I wish the weather will just make up its mind. My poor shoes have holes, I need a new bag and a pair of eyeglasses, I am dying for a yearlong rest, and god knows stuff I want to accomplish if only I were not this lazy and stressed and tired and down and out. Yes, rain, you're not helping.

Work is becoming unbearable, and adding insult to injury, we'll be given four essays every day to proofread starting next week. God, torture. Just the thought of it is making me want to plank on the sidewalk.

What made me happy today, considering that our office network blocks everything I like including lyrics sites, is that I was able to download some bootlegs from The National gigs, particularly The Black Sessions and The White Sessions, recorded sometime in 2007. The former is heavy on Alligator material while the latter is on Boxer. Loved them both. I told Ali that The National concert I attended last year is one of the most life-affirming moments I ever had. It's true. To quote Vonnegut, everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. What would I give to see them again and have the chance to hear "Looking for Astronauts," "City Middle," "Driver, Surprise Me," or "The Geese of Beverly Road."

I once created a list of my top five songs by The National and it was hell difficult. The only thing I'm certain about it is that it will change every time. For instance, I am confident now saying that "Baby We'll Be Fine" is my all-time favorite The National song. Seriously. It hits me so hard I sometimes avoid listening to it. The live performance above is inferior to the studio version, but that bit at the end is nothing short of amazing. Enjoy, as I bury my face into these revisions, wanting to slash my wrists. I hate work!