Thursday, March 25, 2010

Flattery will get you everywhere, Ms. Brown.

I popped into a Kayak Coffee just to see how decent coffee chains are is in the midwest (not bad, BTW). While waiting for my order, an eccentrically dressed older lady chats me up, and tells me I look like Sylvester Stallone. She asks if I'm Greek or Italian (I've had this conversation a few times before), and I point her in the right direction. She goes on giving complements, we speak a bit in spanish, and my order comes up. I mention I'm in town on a business trip, and I'm about to end the conversation and leave. She pounces (metaphorically) and tries to hock her CD, which I totally overlooked. 

She wants $15 for a burned CD with the title and artist scribbled with a sharpie? Pleeeeease. The CD labels her as a Jazz, Gospel, and "Chanter". I'm curious, so I pull out a twenty and hand it to her, expecting a five in exchange. Instead, her face lights up, and she exclaims her thanks, and announces that she can now have dinner tonight. Now I know I've been swindled. I trudge out to the car with my honey latte, and pop the CD into the dash of my rental. It has one looooooong track. She sings acapella throughout this solitary track. It is obviously the voice of the woman I spoke to in the coffee shop, Ms. Barbara Brown. She has a strong, clear singing voice, though it is the voice of an amateur, perhaps a lifelong church-goer and choir singer. The quality of the recording is surprisingly good. 

After listening to a few minutes of the CD, I'm not sure whether she's a bit crazy or not. She sings in the same key throughout, but there are no real lyrics. She simply repeats the same, chanting, melodic exercise, using a variety of religious words in different languages. She may be equal parts crazy, and skilled swindler.

Maybe the kids will like it. Perhaps I can upload it if anyone wants to hear what I got myself into. You leave me with odd mementos, St. Louis.

<SIGH> Back to work.

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Friday, March 19, 2010

Checking bags in Cleveland

I tried to take my larger bag through security, intending to check it
at the gate (and therefore not paying the fee). They looked at the bag
and started shaking their heads. "They let me check it at the gate in
Knoxville", I said, a bit defensive. They laughed and said, "we follow
the RULES here" before sending me back to the airline counters to
check my bag and pay my $30.

True story.

Posted via email from Adrian's posterous