On Friday, P and I managed to open up a long-stuck drawer on this old sideboard I have. In the process, we ended up breaking a piece of wood off of the bottom, but I didn't care; inside was my collection of cassette tapes, which I hadn't heard in three years! I have a tape player in my car, and have been listening to the same twelve tapes over and over (I usually end up listening to the radio). So on my drive to and from Brooklyn I got to listen to some new-old music. I had a mix-tape from my sister made during a summer in college, a mix-tape from my friend Av, and several I made for myself. Those I know by heart. One of them (named Mix-O-Rama) never fails to drown me in nostalgia. I made it in the spring or summer of 1991; I can date it due to the inclusion of a Neil Young song and a Led Zepplin song, pointing to my crush I had around that time on a guy-friend who liked them. I listened to this tape throughout a summer spent in New Jersey, home from college and living at my parentsÕ house to save money. IÕd drive from the suburbs into the semi-rural area, down a two-mile-long road called Canal Street that was a slightly curvy tunnel of lush, cool greenery, an oasis from the humid Jersey weather, and I'd belt out these songs, my heart filled with late-teenage angst and emotion. Here's the track listing. Note in advance: I was/am not cool, and my song choices are kind of embarrassing. I give my reasons for including each one.

Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young (see above)
Love Rears its Ugly Head - Living Colour (about fighting falling in love; failing)
Still Crazy After All These Years Ð Paul Simon (nostalgic vibe)
Kodachrome Ð Paul Simon (ÒWhen I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, itÕs a wonder I can think at allÓ)
The Rain Song Ð Led Zepplin (see above; very pretty song)
CouldnÕt Call it Unexpected #2 Ð Elvis Costello (Elvis is my man. These three were my favorites off of his current release)
Playboy to a Man Ð Elvis Costello
Sweet Pear Ð Elvis Costello

(Side B)
SheÕs Always a Woman Ð Billy Joel (I donÕt know what I was thinking. I fast-forwarded through this one every time)
Like Cockatoos Ð The Cure (breakup song)
Summertime Rolls Ð JaneÕs Addiction (lazy hot summer theme. I also saw them at the first Lollapalooza)
Just Like Heaven Ð The Cure (high school nostalgia (already) )
DŽjˆ vu Ð Crosby Stills Nash and Young (due to recently discovering them at my hippie college)
Everyday Sunshine Ð Fishbone (I had seen them in concert recently Ð still in my top five shows of all time. Even the security guards were dancing. But not that great a song; was struggling to fill up the tape at this point)
So Like Candy Ð Elvis Costello (I guess my fourth-favorite song from ECÕs newest; again trying to fill up the rest of the tape)

So there you have it. Begin psychoanalysis É now!