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nothing comes between me and my ipod

[Still working on the album cover thing. Soon]

We had a threesome last night. Me, Justin, Matilda. These things never turn out good; someone always gets hurt and in this case, it was me.

I took Matilda into our home. I named her, gave her life and power and shared with her, through song, my deepest emotions. Oh, I knew Justin would want her. I knew he couldn't resist her shine, her sleek curves or the way she could light up a dark room. He was awed by her capacity to take in so much and from the moment he first touched her, I knew it would be a battle to keep her as my own.

Eventually, I gave in. I realized that Matilda was able to satisfy the both of us in so many ways and that sharing her presented an opportunity for Justin and I to spend more time together. Even if it meant that time was with Matilda between us, that was ok.

So Justin shot her full of his own juices - a few GB worth added onto what I had already given her. Matilda was ready to offer us a shared experience. We could learn from each other and learn appreciate what the other has to offer.

Except Matilda had other ideas. And my jealousy reared its ugly, green head.

We took Matilda to bed with us last night. Snuggled up in the near-dark, Matilda's backlight casting a faint glow on us, we decided to play a little game with her. Oh, nothing like that. Just a little Name That Tune. With a couple thousand songs on the playlist, we could spend hours scrolling through the list, trying to guess which song is playing from the first few notes. So Justin hit shuffle and we started the game.

Not only did Matilda betray me by constantly playing songs that Justin had loaded into her, but I started to feel violated as well. Matilda was supposed to be mine. I was doing the nice thing by sharing her, but I would recoil in horror at some of the selections. How dare my husband put Use Your Illusion II on my iPod?

My personal space violated, I shuffled past Don't Cry and Matilda offered me Duran Duran. Now, I know I didn't put Duran Duran on the iPod. Justin? I stared at him, feeling like I didn't know my own husband. What else would I find out about him? And then blood froze when I realized that he could just as well find out horrible things about me! Sure enough, Matilda chose to play Dashboard Confessional next. Justin eyed me suspiciously.

I knew what was going on. Matilda was trying to tear us apart so she could have Justin all to herself. She'd play five Mindless Self Indulgence songs in a row - not that I mind a little MSI, but those are Justin's songs, not mine, and Matilda knows this. She was reeling my husband in by constantly playing his selections. I'm not good at playing Name That Tune when all the tunes were some experiment in noise terror, and I think Matilda was trying to get Justin to think less of me when I went on an 0-10 streak. Then just when he was feeling exasperated with me, Matilda would play four or more of Justin's songs in a row, topped off with something of mine like Taking Back Sunday, which made my husband scornfully call me an emo girl trapped in the body of a grown woman.

I could not let this happen. Sure, the easy thing to do would be to throw Matilda out of our bed and out of our lives. Like hell. She may be a cruel bitch who uses her shuffle mode in attempt to destroy my marriage, but damn it, I love her.

I grabbed Matilda out of Justin's hands. I caressed her shiny back and fingered her delicate wheel. I whispered sweet nothings to her. I admired her backlight. And then I hit the next button. Oh, sweet, sweet Matilda. She was playing Nick Cave, a song the husband and I both love. We laid in bed and sang, sang our little hearts out, he with the left headphone and me with the right and we didn't care that the window was slightly open and our neighbors could probably hear us. After Nick Cave, Matilda gave us Faith No More doing This Guy's in Love With You, which we sang together, and then NIN's Sanctified, which I did solo. We culminated our shared music frenzy with Fear Factory's Demanufacture, using our best metal voices - I've. Got. No. More. God. Damn. Re. Spect! until one of the kids banged on the wall to let us know we were being a bit to raucous.

Maybe I should be singing "I've got no more self respect." I lost it when I decided to suck up to Matilda. Instead of doing the right thing by taking her away from my husband, deleting all his songs and hiding her in the closet under lock and key, I gave in and joined their little love fest. I'll still cringe every time Sade comes up on the playlist, but at least Matilda and I have a better relationship now. She's learned that I can live with five MSI songs in a row as long as she follows it up with some angsty melodrama. And Justin and I have learned how to share Matilda in a way that leaves everyone satisfied at the end of the night.

Except the kids, who looked somewhat embarrassed when we all met in the hallway this morning. But it's my job to embarrass them and if I get to use Fear Factory via Matilda to do that, all the better.

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Michele's a mean, mean woman... she's nice enough to share her iPod with Justin but it's still not nice to tease about having one. A Small Victory - nothing comes between me and my ipod I took Matilda into our... [Read More]

Comments

I am SO far beyond the ipod! Currently I have my entire CD collection, all my digital photos and about 30 movies stored on my Archos personal video player. And there's room for more on the 80 gig harddrive. I carry it in a pouch on my belt and when I get into a situation where I have to wait, I simply watch a video or listen to music or show off family pics to bored co-workers. Down the road a bit, I'm going to buy an accessory that will allow me to take digital pics and videos. I will then be King of the World.

I never want to get to that point in my life where I feel the need to carry movies around with me.

Thumb twiddling is an art that went out with my dad's generation. I need cerebral input when I'm stuck in traffic or waiting in a long line. And if people reach the point where they carry music around with them, why not carry movies around?

You're gross, Michele.

Bruce, I'm just jealous.

Stacy - I know, but I make no apologies for it.

What a night! Good Story. Tittilating and wistful at the same time.

Welcome to my world. Oddly enough, when my wife and I wed in 1987, we merged record collections. That's when you know you're really MARRIED. At first it feels weird to have Klaatu right next to Billy Joel, but after a while it's kind of neat. It makes for great party games.

My wife and I BOTH have eclectic tastes, so we have complete virtual record stores in our digital collection. Like you, we view music as a soundtrack for life. Being slightly mentally ill, our moods vary wildly. No one genre of music can fit them all.

When I'm writing, I like to play James Horner's Preparations for Battle from the Glory Sountrack, or Alan Silvestri's Forest Gump Suite. A drive through the beautiful TN countryside demands Alison Krauss or Rhonda Vincent. A bad day at work brings out Fear, or Kiss Alive II (2nd record), or Rick Springfield (believe it or not). There's also proper times for oldies, bubble gum pop, Aerosmith, Warren Zevon, Weird Al Yankovick, southern gospel, "black" gospel, Dead Kennedys, ZZ Topp, Quiet Riot,Rush, Flatt & Scruggs, Sam & Dave, Bay City Rollers, Heart.

And of course, when I play Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On, my wife knows what time it is.

Damn, I wish I had an iPod.

That was supposed to be MY iPod, dammit! :(

Got the Girlfriend a IPOD for our Anniversary. I added the Bose speakers that are made for the IPOD to it as well. It sounds verry verry nice. I may have to get one.

Great story, Michele.
You're pretty good at this.
;-)

Ah, sweet release!

Oops. Sorry.