Dateline: Day 8, infirmary

The truth is, this remains a very sick household. Haley is on Day 8 and still has a fever and hacking cough but she's definitely nearly well. I'm right behind her (day 6) with a few more symptoms but definitely encouraged that the end is near. Lindsay and Anna still have alarming fevers and all the major symptoms; feeling quite badly on day 5. Rob has bottomed out (day 3) as is the usual pattern and we are watching him closely because you can just tell by looking at him that he's having a LOT of trouble breathing. I really want him to see our doctor to help out but so far he's not budging. But I'm very persuasive and I've not given up.

Personally, I'm at the stage where sick people get into trouble. Because I'm BORED to tears and I want to go do something. But by now I know that if I do, I will sap all my progress and be worse off for a bit---one step forward, two steps back. Instead, I've been sitting at my computer and listening to music and very likely annoying a lot of people. I guess I'm sorry about that but what's a girl to do?

New Music
Lying around is good for really listening and I've done some of that. I just received this:

I love me some Herbie; he's a guy who just refuses to limit his horizons. I'm not sure I won't get stuff thrown at me for saying this next bit which is that I'm really not so much into Joni Mitchell although she definitely has a handful of tunes that are among the songs in the whole world; I mostly just kind of don't get her. There's a lot of buzz around this cd, notably because its good, but because its a rare "straight jazz" Grammy nominee for Album (or is it Record, I have a hard time with those distinctions) of the Year. Looking over the reviews, I found that the critics say its much less "pop" than Possibilities (which I love but I don't need another one...), that it digs deep into Joni's catalog and Herbie's band includes some impressive personnel: Wayne Shorter and Dave Holland just off hand.... I disregarded the fact that the tracks with vocals made me a bit weary of the pop-potential: Corinne Bailey Rae, Norah Jones, Tina Turner, many others. Not that I don't like those folks, just that I'm not looking for another of those "whoddathunkit duo" albums.

It is a beautiful album. Its quite down tempo so I put it on as I wound down last night to sleep... I found myself just lying still (with two dogs and two kids sleeping in the bed) listening, staring at the iPod in its dock as that amazing music came out of it. The guest vocalists all perform better than you would expect but they're not the magic. Its all Herbie; he is incredible on this and what he does with the Joni tracks that I recognize is genius. Shorter is a bit over the top for me on some tracks but mostly he and Holland just sit way back and do their jobs---very well.

I don't know that its incendiary but you know, I don't expect that of every book I read. I just expect a good story, told well and sometimes even to find something surprising and new. I think of cd's that way these days. And that's what this is. Its like finding a really good book you want all of your friends to read.

Additionally, I put this on again yesterday:

Also getting some Grammy nods in the jazz field this year, this one kills. But I still think the tunes need more form. But its nice dreamy music and in all, a really moving meditation.