Easterly

03/23/08 09:35 AM | Up Chucks

Here I am on an Easter Morning. One of the earliest Easters I can remember. Not hunting for multi-colored eggs, or believing in a bunny who might deliver them. Not pulling artificial grass in many odd colors out of a basket full of trinkets and plasto-crap. Not really understanding the whole commercialization process of the holiday at all. What I am doing is listening to the album Easter by Patti Smith and Simple Minds, "East at Easter" from the album Sparkle in the Rain, then "Easterly" by Ultravox which was just a B-side of one of the many Ultravox 12" vinyl records Jenni and I had (still

have) before the beautiful daughter was born. Ultravox is a now defunct band that most of you may not remember or realize you have ever heard. They were around before, and when MTV just played music, and did news about music. On April 1st 1993 (10 days before Easter) Jenni, Brian Shull and I were in Chicago at the Aragon Ballroom to see Ultravox perform live. Last night I found Ultravox's rare tracks on 2 Albums in the iTunes store; on Rare1 there was exactly 1 song that we didn't have on 7" or 12 " singles and rarities. I bought them all anyway, Rare 2 had three songs I didn't have. I bought those and two others from that one. "Easterly" was one

of the tracks that I had on vinyl but bought again in a digital presentation. I still have all those vinyl recordings, but since Meredith's irresponsible friend Chris once borrowed my turntable and kept it for two years and trashed the needle and the drive belt, I have no way to import them into my iTunes and digitize them.
Back to Easter: Easter has fallen on my birthday three times since my entry into this earthly realm. 1963, I don't remember this one (being only three at the time). 1968, this one was a bummer, we lived in Swayzee and had all my cousins in from Marion for an egg hunt and a big day partying, it wasn't all about the guy who just turned 8, it was about cousins. I needed to be the center of attention, yet I was almost an afterthought or so it seemed. 1974, what do 8th graders care of Easter? I don't remember this one either.
UvoxARAGON

Oh no!, Jenni just brought out a bag of Robin's Eggs (whoppers in tiny egg shapes) and a plastic egg full of Reese's miniatures. At least there is no chartreuse or magenta plastigrass. I forgive her and hope I don't get a belly ache from eating half the booty as I sit here quibbling and nibbling.
Speaking of birthdays and Easter I know someone else who has had b-days fall on her special "all about me" day too. DeAnne Roth, shared her special day with her family the rest of the world in '78 and '89. I doubt she remembers the first one any more than I did mine. Well I have exhausted my hunt for eggs to drop in your virtual baskets and so I head to the mid-day mark and the garage to look at the Blue Bimmer in from another side (underneath).