That's It, Just One Line - Burning For You

"Time everlasting, time to play B sides."

Happy birthday to my love, who always takes time for B sides, and whose love is everlasting.

#700: The Beatles, Ranked! The NAs

Er, not quite

Post #700 if I'm counting correctly! 

As posted previously, I dialed down my ambition to rank all the Beatles songs, deciding on a top, a bottom, and this, the mysterious unranked. Why? Because The Beatles Bible and I are kinda murky on how to define them. The songs exist, but some are technically not Beatles tracks, some barely exist, starting life as a Beatles song but ending up with others, and then....? 

Yellow Submarine soundtrack: The symphony tracks are credited to George Martin for scenes from the cartoon, such as Sea of Holes, Pepperland, and March of the Meanies. Part of the lore, but not Beatles tracks. 

Written by and/or performed by others: Lennon and McCartney song credits for Cilla Black, Billy J. Cramer, Peter and Gordon, and of course, band performances backing Tony Sheridan. 

Nonsensical jams: There's just not enough to judge these one-minute or less musical interludes that barely pass as songs. 

Mystery songs: All for Love, a song by McCartney/Harrison; Catswalk and September in the Rain, songs Stu wanted to perform at auditions that never made it to tape; and the holy grail of mysterious recordings, Carnival of Light.  

Secret Life of Objects, Famous Artist Finger Puppet Theatre

What capers can be dreamed up for this Fab Four?

So I got Andy well over 15 years ago as a Christmas present from my sister-in-law Denise, who popped it in a Keith Haring coffee mug. I loved him.

Fast forward to 2017, when I was at a conference in Florida, and Jen and I took a day to wander the Dali museum, and Salvador joined Andy on the corkboard. 

Well, I spotted Pablo at the Art Institute over Christmas and suddenly, there were three. 

Frida sat in my Amazon cart until I was warned there were less than 7 left and I'd better order soon. 

I'm delighted by their personalities and think they will serve as a welcome distraction on days that are short on brain power and ambition. 

Perhaps Famous Artists Finger Puppet Theatre will become a new feature, a series of one-act plays…

Rethinking Brown

I am a sucker for a brown leather bag

Brown is...

Taste: chocolate

Touch: aged, pebbled leather

Smell: a hot pretzel

Hear: soft folk on an acoustic guitar on open mike night

Best Meal I Ever Ate, Sushi

My lunch getaway in Olivette

When I worked in the Central West End in Saint Louis, I was kind of lonely at lunchtime as outside of the occasional meeting or getaway, everyone I worked with did their own thing. The Al-Anon building next door always had stellar burgers and chips for $3. I do remember fondly walking the neighborhood and taking in a few choice spots like the Chase Park Plaza with Judith or hitting the Indian buffet with Prashant, my print vendor.

But I was also the only one at Catholic Charities with a hankering for sushi in a hot, humid climate. 

I can't remember how I found I Love Mr Sushi since it was a hole-in-the-wall in an area I didn't drive through, but Yoshi made it a destination for lunch. "Hello, hello!" he would greet me, gesturing to an open spot at the bar, and feeding me a bite of whatever roll he was experimenting with. 

My favorite item to order there was one of three $10 lunch specials that always included green tea, ginger salad, and miso soup. The extra I always ordered was the salmon skin hand roll - a cone of rice, cucumber, radish greens, spicy sauce, and toasty salmon skin. I wish I knew what made them so incredible, and I haven't had better since. 

This is also where I first experienced vegetable tempura, white tuna, and caviar. 

I'd roll back into the office, full and satisfied but not stuffed. 

It's been almost 20 years since I last ate there. Yoshi moved on to open a restaurant in the western suburbs then he closed up shop without explanation. People still mourn his disappearance. Checking online, the lunch specials at Mr. Sushi are still the same, they're just $15 now. Maybe if I make it back there during the week someday...