Cloud Catalog #77.

Discography made in lonely heaven.

Cloud Catalog #76.

Open Your Heart is The Men's followup to last year's smashing Leave Home. If you haven't listened yet to any albums released this year, start with this. There is sweetness in it that is absent from Leave Home, but for some reason its predecessor pounds harder.

Also, a new Spiritualized record! The album art is rather laughable, though.

Cloud Catalog #75.

From "You've Done It Again, Virginia." My mother's name is Virginia, so I couldn't help but think of her every time this song plays.

Cloud Catalog #74.

Interviewer: Which living artist would you sacrifice to bring back a dead one?

Will Butler: That's harsh, man. We're too nice to answer that question. But for Sam Cooke I think I could sacrifice Bryce Dessner from The National.

*

I love you, Bryce! I won't sacrifice you!!

Cloud Catalog #73.

Dear self,

I thought all we gotta do is be brave and be kind? Why at 1 A.M. I suddenly wake up itching to die?

Cloud Catalog #72.

FINALLY!!! I'M CRYING!!!!
 THE NATIONAL AT GLASTON-FUCKING-BURYYYY!!!!

Cloud Catalog #71.

Inside our refrigerator are these nerdy and rather sinister bottles.

Cloud Catalog #70.

It's almost 3 A.M. and I'm finishing off some episodes of Modern Family season two after having a quick post-midnight snack and a few rounds of teasing with my sister. Also, waiting for this freaking concert download to complete. Seeders, wake up!!!

I cry over the comfort brought about by this loooong weekeeend! I'll miss this!!! I wish every day and night is like this!!! Arghhhhh!!

Cloud Catalog #69.

We really need to move out of this house. Soon.

Cloud Catalog #68.

I'm on a good mixture, I don't want to waste it

Vacation started two days ago and I haven't really done anything worthy to write about, not that I need to, but my days were just wasted on watching replays of television shows and my nights on browsing the Internet and reading and playing music in my room. I usually sleep at around 4 A.M. and wake up past lunchtime, and it's the best feeling in the world. My sisters would be awake by then, and I'd happily lie on the couch and grab whatever's on the dining table. 

When my mother died I think my siblings and I have gotten closer, and I'm happy that I'm spending more time with them than with anyone else. As I type this, it's 11 P.M. and my father just arrived, desperately drunk, staggering as he's being carried by my brother. My eldest sister is reminding him not to piss again anywhere inside our house, because he's an irresponsible man who pisses everywhere when he's drunk, even at a basket of clean clothes. So now you know why I don't have any sympathy for alcoholics. Anyway, we're more tempered now with regard to his drinking than before. But I still hate him for not having any concern at all with his health. 

I promised to listen to new music during the holidays, having received some downloads from Ali, but aside from One Direction (sorry!!!!) my iPod's fixated on The National again, especially on Alligator. I believe listening to The Black Sessions has rekindled this, and all feelings considered, I can safely say now that this is my most favorite record of theirs. Man, "Friend of Mine," "Looking for Astronauts," "Lit Up," "All the Wine," City Middle," "The Geese of Beverly Road," and god, "Baby We'll Be Fine"--every track is so freaking beautiful. I wish I also saw them when they toured for Alligator, so I'd be able to hear all these songs live. I'm dying to see them again, as in dying dying dying. They're a billion times better live! What I'd give just to watch them again in concert. Huhu.

Cloud Catalog #67.

The best and finest and most beautiful and saddest and most adorable and vulnerable singer in the whole world -- Matt Berninger -- to whom love is never enough, but even the pain that comes along with it. Thank you and your band for being with me through these toughest motherless times.

Cloud Catalog #66.

(What a crappy lo-res camera phone photo!)

As promised, I decided to start reading novels again to occupy my time, so I picked up Jonathan Coe's What A Carve Up!. It's engaging to say the least, especially after finishing the 40-page prologue. Coe has been a personal favorite of mine for quite so long. His prose is wondrous, and his humor is gold. By the way, is there any chance that someone could give me a copy of Pat Jackson's film No Place Like Homicide (What A Carve Up! in the UK), which the book makes use of?

Cloud Catalog #65.

This fucking essay project is the death of me. I want to do this ^ every day at work.

Cloud Catalog #64.

Thank you, Lord?

Cloud Catalog #63.

I love you, Matt! You crazy person!

Cloud Catalog #62.

"I always felt that the great high privilege, relief, and comfort of friendship was that one had to explain nothing." - Katherine Mansfield

Cloud Catalog #62.

>> I think I can say with finality that I hate my boss, and it's hard to stay in a company where you're pushing and pulling at the same time, so I thought if I chose not to do anything I'd be left alone, but some unfortunate things would happen and tension would rise and I'd be back to saying that I hate my boss again with finality and blog about it.

>> To be fair, I gave him the attitude - inspired by Ebony from America's Next Top Model British Invasion - so that was that.

Cloud Catalog #61.

It's a few minutes before 3 A.M. and I have to go to work later but here I am watching some of The National videos recorded at their Singapore concert and I couldn't express how thankful I am for Youtube and this exhilaration of reliving that feeling again amazes me so much I don't want to sleep again or else I'd dream a beautiful dream and might not be able to wake up again.

I love you, The National. No one can ever taint my beautiful memories of you and your music. No one.

Cloud Catalog #60.

Very very useful in the days to come.

Cloud Catalog #59.

GORDO AND LIZZIE FOREVER ♥♥♥