A night off!

So exciting! I didn't have to do any Day Job work at home tonight. I should have used the time to do something productive but, uh, not so much.

I have many important things to tell you! Here they are, in no particular order:

1. The newest Mercy Thompson book is out today!!



I absolutely LOVE this series and cannot wait to get my hands on Bone Crossed. When I realized today was the release day, I emailed and threatened to quit my job so I could stay home and read it (along with Pride and Unfallen Dead and...). I came to my senses, however, and decided I could wait for the weekend.

2. The Fray released their new (self titled) album today. I love their first album, How to Save a Life, and have been obsessed with their new single, You Found Me, since its release. I was dying for the new album - bought it on Amazon before 7 this morning, in fact. I had it on death loop (as says) all day at work and again all night tonight. I LOVE IT. It's really, really, reallyreallyreallyreally good. You should go buy it right now. Amazon has the MP3 album for $9.99 (10 tracks). iTunes has a Deluxe version including several additional tracks and three music videos for $16.99. I'll skip my rant about the Deluxe version and how I don't need music videos and how iTunes is holding most of the extra tracks hostage as album only. Oops. Some of the rant leaked out. But anyway! It's so freaking great.

3. More Fray goodness. If you want to sample the new album for longer than the few second previews the music stores offer, check out their 5 track performance on AOL Sessions. The performance is excellent and showcases several of my favorite cuts from the album.

4. Still more Fray pimpage. If I haven't sold you on them yet, here are the lyrics to one of my favorite tracks, courtesy of Dan and posted here because they move me and because I think certain persons on my f-list need to read them right now:

Happiness
By Isaac Slade/The Fray

Happiness is just outside my window
Would it crash blowing 80-miles an hour?
Or is happiness a little more like knocking
On your door, and you just let it in?

Happiness feels a lot like sorrow
Let it be, you can’t make it come or go
But you are gone- not for good but for now
Gone for now feels a lot like gone for good

Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard
Happiness was never mine to hold
Careful child, light the fuse and get away
‘Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks

Happiness damn near destroys you
Breaks your faith to pieces on the floor
So you tell yourself, that’s probably enough for now
Happiness has a violent roar

Happiness is like the old man told me
Look for it, but you’ll never find it all
But let it go, live your life and leave it
Then one day, wake up and she’ll be home
Home

I get very obsessive passionate about music. It's so inspiring and moving and I just want everyone to benefit from it like I do. :)

5. While watching the AOL Sessions, I noticed that New Kids on the Block had recorded as Sessions performance. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I was going to marry Donnie Wahlberg back when they really were the new kids on the block. Because he was the bad boy of the bunch. ;) I haven't heard any of their new stuff, so I thought I'd check it out. ... ... ... Wow. Can you say trainwreck? And don't even get me started on the dancing. I can't even keep a straight face just thinking about it. Yikes.

Okay. I've rambled for long enough. Don't forget to keep your eye on the paragraph critiques over at Ilona Andrews' LJ . She's still posting one each day and they're all chock-full of great writing advice.