Saturday, September 28 2019

Dear Journal,

Good morning everyone! Happy Saturday. Hope you're taking it slow this morning. The entry is a little late because I slept in, and I also decided that making French toast was a bigger priority. Now that breakfast is out of the way, and Rodney is content watching Blue's Clues on the couch, I'm free to write.

I also had to catch up on chores this morning - wiping down the counters, starting another load of dishes, and cleaning up after Friday night pizza. All things that I normally do on Friday night, but last night I got sucked into all the hype and drama leading up to a new Kanye Album. For the last few weeks, there have been rumors floating around that he's getting ready to release a gospel album called Jesus Is King. He even tweeted a picture of the track list and a date - 9/27. I've been following Kanye for a while now, and I've learned that only about half the albums that he announces actually get released, and the name of the album usually changes a few times too. So last night I was counting on his release date falling through. Then, while browsing reddit, I noticed people freaking out about a listening party in Detroit. Despite the concert being very closely monitored, a few leaks got out and once I heard them, I knew it was the real deal. Before I knew it, I was falling down the rabbit hole, studying every piece of gossip that rolled out of Detroit's Fox theater. First, it was rumored to be released at 8PM… then 9PM (8PM Chicago time)… then 11PM. Soon, Kim announced on her Instagram that the album was being pushed to Sunday.

So mission accomplished, Kanye West. You've whipped me into a frenzy over a fake release date, and now you have my close attention. Hey, at least the next alleged release date is on, of all days, my golden birthday. That's pretty cool. And even if the album still doesn't drop, how many people that you know can say "Kanye West ruined my golden birthday"? Not many I imagine.

Defeated and albumless, I packed up the pizza leftovers and joined Marissa on the back porch. We quietly listened to some Kanye and chatted, talking about his past albums and where we thought this next album was going to take him. It actually got a little heated - Kanye is one of those artists that digs into your personal life. His albums get wrapped up with your memories, and the music is almost seasoned with what you were going through at that time in your life. If you're not careful, telling another Kanye fan "I disagree with how you feel about that album" almost comes across as a personal jab. That's the mark of a good artist, right?

Marissa and I headed inside to watch a movie. It was my pick, and I went with the very under-appreciated gem Be Kind Rewind. I first saw this movie in high school while spending the night at a friends house. The marketing made it look like yet another silly Jack Black movie, but it's actually a pretty thoughtful & touching flick about a town trying to protect their legacy. And if it helps, the movie is only about 30% Jack Black. Mos Def and Danny Glover are also a cool touch. We had about a third left of the movie before we decided to turn in for the night.

This morning, Rod and I are holding down the fort while Marissa and the dogs head to Milwaukee for another agility trial. She just left a minute ago. Beforehand, we snapped a few pictures of some very large, beautiful paintings she's about to ship off. I always imagine how weird it must be seeing me, unshowered and greasy from cooking breakfast, standing in the front yard taking pictures of a very put together Marissa in front of her beautiful work. It's probably quite the contrast. Anyway, she just took off, now it's just me and the Rod man. After journaling, I'm going to put his laundry away, then we're going to shower up and walk to the grocery store, picking up lunch along the way. There's a bar in Atwood that allows dogs, and today might be a good day to scope it out and pick up a bite to eat. After we get home, I'll probably put him down for a nap, get ready for dinner, and then stay on this Kanye gossip.

Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday.