The Big Green House

Friday, December 05, 2003

 

No one can save us but Kim the waitress

About six feet from my desk, there is an Xmas tree that's probably a good fifteen feet tall. It's very pretty, I guess, but it's a preternatural shade of green, due to the fire retardant it was dipped in/sprayed with. Everybody that walks past tells me how wonderful it smells. And it does smell nice, if you're just walking past. If you're sitting next to it the whole night, it smells like a refinery fire. I don't know that it caused my headache tonight, but I can tell you that I felt fine before I came to work.

Part of that fine-before-work feeling was due to hearing the new version of "Kim the Waitress" on the radio as I was driving over here. Apparently The Green Pajamas have a greatest hits album out, called Through Glass Colored Roses, and they decided to re-record the song for it. I prefer the version on Indian Winter, but that may or may not be out of print. (I get conflicting answers. I guess I should just attempt to order it & see what happens.)

If you�re unfamiliar with Green Pajamas (and let's face it - unless you live in Seattle, you probably are, since even if you do live here there's a real good chance you've never heard them), they're kinda poppy, kinda psychedelic. Right up my alley, most of the time. I keep hearing comparisons to Revolver era Beatles; it's been several thousand years since I've heard that album, but that doesn't sound inaccurate. I first heard of them through All Clues Lead to Megan's Bed, which got heavy airplay on KCMU* when it came out. It's a damn fine CD, and you should run out right now and buy yourself one.

Anyway. "Kim the Waitress". If you've ever developed a crush on someone in the food or beverage service industry, this song is for you. It encapsulates that feeling you get when you know that it's bad form to hit on your server but you almost can't help yourself. (By the way, it is very bad form indeed to hit on your server. They're being nice to you because A) it's their job and B) they want a nice tip. The only time it would be appropriate to approach a waitress/waiter, bartender, etc. in that way is if they have already made their intentions towards you very clear - giving you their phone number, say, or, I dunno, grabbing you someplace that's usually only touched by you or your doctor. But I digress.) It's a great tune, and, as I just discovered this evening, one covered by the always wonderful Material Issue.

And, just to show the circular nature of the universe: I ordered the Green PJ's Xmas album, The Caroler's Song, tonight.

'Cause, see, I started out talking about the stinky Xmas tree?

Oh, forget it.

*KCMU is what KEXP used to be before Paul Allen gave them a buttload of money.

bmarkey 12/05/2003 10:20:00 PM