Wow. I've been tagged.

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer?

Currently, my iTunes at work holds 5353 songs (23.36 GB), but that's a fluid number. I try to listen a bit each day and weed out some of the tracks that I really don't want on there. When I discovered the program on the computer, I immediately brought in my entire collection of Springsteen, Cowboy Junkies, Barenaked Ladies and Lyle Lovett -- for starters -- and filled in various other holes as the months went by. But when the computer startedslowing down and freezing, I decidedit was time to try to clear some space. I made a note on my desktop that, as of Dec. 31, 2003, I had 5336 files. Clearly, I'm going in the wrong direction here.

2. The last CD you bought is:

Patti Scalfia's 23rd Street Lullaby because it was like eight bucks on BMG. (Yes, I actually still have an account. I quit it when I went to college, but then they begged me back with a sweet deal, and now I never get anything without some sort of discount attached. Like buy one, get two free; unlimited 60 percent off; etc. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have that.) Anyway, Patti's got some good tunes on there, though half of them would be better off with a different lead singer.

3. What is the song you last listened to before this message?

Well, there are three conditional answers. The actual last song I heard was the theme to Happy Days, which was played on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike In The Morning," which I had on the TV at home. The last non-television-theme song was the track played over the closing scenes of Wednesday night's The West Wing, but as I mentioned in the previous post, I can't figure out what song that is or who sings it. The last thing I heard on iTunes yesterday (which would be like citing the last song I heard on the radio, if I listened to the radio with any regularity anymore) was "Where Will I Be" off of Emmylou Harris' 1995 effort, Wrecking Ball.

4. Write down five songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.

This is an extremely fluctuating list. It's like when they say a single is getting "heavy rotation" or whatever it is they say when a single is hot. But that can change in a week. As can my list. I could do five lists of five songs, each list with its own category. So I'll go with five songs that, no matter where I am, immediately transport me somewhere else, put me in a different frame of mind. I can remember smells, sounds, feelings, the warmth of the sun (even on a cold day), where that applies. In no particular order, they are: "Babylon" by David Gray, "Backstreets" by Bruce Springsteen, "#41" by Dave Matthews Band, "My Little Corner of the World" by Yo La Tengo and "Another Mystery" by Dar Williams.

I will add one other song. Heather mentioned "The Gambler," citing it as the first song to which she knew all the words. Mine was "I Know What I Know" off Paul Simon's Graceland because I picked it. I remember wanting to know all the words to a song, and because my parents had the tape and the liner notes included all the lyrics to the songs, I chose that album. Why I chose that song, I'm not sure. Maybe because it wasn't "Call Me Al" or the title track, and I thought it would be cooler if I knew every word to one of the more obscure songs. There was also a time in high school when my friend Walker and I walked to my house from our friend Dave's, a journey of maybe a mile-and-a-half or two miles. It was a pleasant spring day. To pass the time (and to see if we could do it), we sang "American Pie" in its entirety. I don't think I could get through that one without prompting now. I blame Madonna.

5. Who are you gonna pass this stick to (three persons and why)?
I don't think I have three people left to pass it to. Everyone I know in person has answered it, and beyond that the only other diarist with whom I've conversed, either via e-mail or repeated guestbook
signings, is Jen at Sideways Rain. So it's yours if you want it.