Chosen Carefully

To make someone a music mix is like writing that person a letter. These mishmashes, while seeming simple, can drudge up old memories, reflect a state of mind or personal taste, or speak volumes about one's feelings for another human being. Made for an individual in mind, there's very careful consideration when it comes to choosing a playlist of songs that will convey that certain emotion or message. Before CDs, the interwebz, and iTunes, MixTapes were a much more tedious labor--which is exactly why I have always considered the gift of a plastic cassette--played, rewound, fast forwarded thousands of times over--and hand scrawled note, a bit of a more romantic gesture.
I spoke of this once, in 140 characters or less, on Twitter, several months ago.
Phil remembered.



The 17 track cassette is named "Chosen Carefully", for the lyrics of last track, “Sure As Shit” by Kathleen Edwards. Phil also burned me a copy of the playlist on CD, just in case I couldn't access the proper technology.

Phil spoiled me during my birthday. He gave me the first of many gifts weeks ago, a pair of knee high black Chuck Taylor All Stars that I once mentioned in passing that I would "one day" by myself a pair because of how different they were, unlike anything most would buy, and how I knew I'd wear them proudly. Saturday he and my sister threw me a surprise birthday party. Unfortunately, more than one person spoiled the surprise, but I kept this information to myself. I didn't want it to seem their hard work was not appreciated. It made me really happy. We drank rum and cider, ate vegan dips and cake made by Phil's parents special for me, watched horror movies and I got to visit with some people I haven't seen in a really long time.

My birthday itself was relaxing: I slept in, spent the day with Phil, rediscovered the old mansion site in Stony Creek (that I've been looking for since July), enjoyed the fall weather and saw "Zombieland." When I came home, by dad had a bouquet of roses for me and a 22-year-old bottle of Apple Boones Farm that he said he bought around the time I was born. It's nice and aged (haha), but it's a screw off lid (and sugar), just like modern Boones, which I'm pretty sure means it isn't safe to drink.



My friend from study abroad, Chia Ling sent me a really impressive package from Taiwan. The box arrived on my birthday and was full of snacks, cookies, tea, a white out gun (an inside joke from her to me-- I was always stealing hers in class) and a very special bottle of alcohol that she said is drank only on very special occasions such as Chinese New Year.



All of this, combined with Facebook greetings and birthday cards made me feel very special, like a fairy princess on my birthday this year. Thanks!