2002-01-05 - 2:07 a.m.

Wrote a very good song with the Girlfriend. It's been a while, maybe six months or more, since I last wrote a song with her.

She's an excellent songwriting partner.

I just read a very good overview of the Beatles' work, and the reviewer noted several times that Lennon really needed McCartney, and vice versa. I am pretty proud of my "solo work" (for lack of a better term, of course). I also think that much of my stuff could be a little better if I had a partner. Someone to shake their head at stupid lines before they become permanent. I can pretty much handle the music part on my own. It would be nice to have a lyric partner, though.

Writing a song with the Girlfriend tonight reminded me of why I love and hate writing with her.

We have different writing styles, lyrically. She's a far better lyric writer. The one thing I'm better at is being more direct. Like our diarys. I can't stand to re-read some of my former entries. They're boring laundry lists. The Girlfriend writes languid, floral entries that are at the same time elegant and to the point. Envy.

I'm very happy when I can coax her into a music playing mode. Getting her to play music is like getting myself to get out of bed and into the shower. I delay it for nine minute intervals until the monotony finally persuades me. I putz around a while, freezing cold, and eventually turn the water on. I wait for the water to get warm. Suddenly, I'm comfortable, and the hot water becomes a liquid blanket. I want to be there forever.

Whatever. I'm ready to go to bed, but I gotta fetch some more smokes. I'd promise to finish this later, but I'm smart enough to know that I won't. There's a documentary on fast food chains on TV, and it's far more interesting than anything I can come up with right now.