On a Personal Note

I'd like to take a brief moment just to tell the world that scratchy, dusty old vinyl LPs are so much better than compact discs it's not even funny.

My husband and I went record shopping in a thrift store this week, and came away with armloads of dusty, slightly scratched treasures. I love all of them. I love the way Patsy Cline's voice sounds even more plaintive through the pops and fuzz of the old Decca Records 45 we bought, not to mention the sound of the seriously dusty Gold Dust Woman. I love the copy of The Velvet Underground's Andy Warhol with the bright orange disc. I love the poster we found in Sgt. Pepper. I love the four-disc box set of Die Zauberflote from 1941 that I found for 2.99.

But most of all, I love the way Mom-Cat stared in amazement at the spinning records in the player, moving her head around in tight little circles.

I encourage everyone to go to their nearest Goodwill and buy a beat-up old record player and a stack of dusty old records. Make sure the covers have that giant circle scuffed onto them that old record covers get. You'll thank me.