x-tra special gifts
Don't you just love it when holiday wishes come true?
If my aunt reads this blog entry, she'll learn that I tore open the box of Christmas gifts she sent as soon as I received it. You know, instead of putting them under our retro aluminum tree and waiting for Dec. 25. I could make excuses, say something like, "But my naughty cat, Frances, would have eaten the tissue paper out of the bag," or something, but in truth I just couldn't wait to see what awesome stuff she'd sent. So -- I'm sorry, Aunt Sher, but I have the patience of a 3-year-old. A really-excited-about-presents 3-year-old.
And on Thursday, when I picked up a wrapped gift that felt like a DVD, I squealed. I started to tear the paper off, and my love said, "Oh man, is that -- "
It was. Aunt Sher had sent just what I'd hoped for: "All I Want," a documentary on Rufus Wainwright, my absolute all-time favorite musical artist. I'd suspected she might get us this for Christmas, since she was the one who introduced the two of us to his music not long after we moved to the Berkshires. "Just give him a chance," she said. "At first I wasn't sure about his voice, but now I HAVE to listen to him every single day." She was right. She always is.
Anyway, it was noon, and I tried to convince myself to call in sick -- so I could spend the afternoon watching the DVD -- but, alas, I'm too conscientious, so we had to postpone the screening until after I got out of work at midnight.
But it's all I want, heh, in a music DVD: feature-length documentary, separate live performances, bonus interviews, music videos ... whew! We had to split it into Thursday-night and Friday-night viewings. It's highly recommended.
It really was all I wanted for Christmas. The one specific material thing I'd really hoped would end up under the tree (even if it didn't make it there after all). Everything else I might get on Monday is a bonus. And none of it really compares to spending time with family. Because that's what all of it -- even my obsession with television -- is all about.
PS: To make this entry even more TV-related -- hey, you watch DVDs on your TV, so it counts, right? -- the Rufus song that finally and forever sealed his fate as my favorite musician was his simply gorgeous cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," which I first heard on the Season One soundtrack for "The L Word."