In the month before 2008 ended, I found an old journal and knew, right away, when I’d kept it. After 18 years and many moves, it survived managing to literally STINK of fall 1990, the only “Freedom Autumn” - the lone autumn where I had neither school nor significant other nor children.



Safely graduated from college and already deep into heady times (interviewing rock folks and seeing bands every night and laying out a magazine at Kinko’s in Uptown Minneapolis alongside other magazines), I drank many beers and Jager shots and smoked many cigarettes and had this poster hanging in my room in the apartment I shared with the magazine’s editor:







[Sonic Youth, yo. It’s the poster that came with the Daydream Nation DLP, and was also the back cover art on the CD longbox (remember those?)]



I dashed this off quick:



The fact remains I cannot pay my bills or my rent. I’m writing, though, and I’m around music all the time and I’m making a lot of new friends… enjoying THAT immensely…



This, too:



A gorgeous sunny day, freshly snowed upon, a myriad of possibilities everywhere I look. I am most looking forward to this evening, for everyone will be there, including the most important person.



How about this?



I’m not really sure and and I don’t really WANT to be sure because every time I’m sure…



Most of what I wrote isn’t for public consumption, so that’s what you get. Sorry.



I also know, from reading, that the week of my birthday in 1990 I:



- worked a lot at Cheapo and Dunn Bros.; - had dinner with my brother and parents at Lucia’s; - went to the Soul Asylum show at the U of M; - with Grad Student Diane took Mike Watt shopping for a pea coat and an amp and then wrote an article about it; - went to the fIREHOSE show; - saw Dustdevils, Unrest, and Galaxie 500 at the 7th Street Entry, with friends and crushes to cap off the week.



I know there are more journals, but they’re out in the garage and none of them will smell the same. I’m not going to look, not right now.



Yuppie guys in stylin’ ties in Dunn Bros., staring at my boots.

Cody got the above shot of us + confetti just after midnight.

I echo these sentiments, written by my daughter just before midnight last night and emailed to friends and family:

Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone achieves their goals for 2009! Do great! Live great! BE great! 2009 is coming, and we’re going to meet it head-on! Good luck everyone!

Happy New Year!!

Love, Lilly