Suburban Island Is Trying to Relax

Sometimes it's hard to really relax on Suburban Island. I know that sounds strange but it's true. There's something about this island that isn't very island-y sometimes. Where is my lei? Where is my mai-tai? Where is my beach chair and paperback novel?  Why are the only ocean waves I hear coming from the sound machine that I got at Brookstone?

And perhaps more to the point... Why am I working late every night? Why is the dryer making those dire clanking sounds? Why does my husband keep calling my name from other floors of the house? Why is there a mostly-empty styrofoam box of carryout food in the bathroom trash can?  Why are there more glasses upstairs in the bedrooms than downstairs in the cabinets?

I could go on but you get the idea.

I have to find a few ways to relax once in awhile so I can continue working too hard, using the loud dryer, shouting back up the steps to any and all who care to bellow my name, retrieving the styrofoam boxes and the glasses from where they nestle in fear of being washing or tossed, and other sundry chores as they present themselves. It's only fair since there are no beach chairs, mai-tais, leis, and so on to be found around here. How I am doing it right now is by dosing myself with Jane Austen and shoe-gazing tracks from i-Tunes.

I know. It's weird, isn't it? But it works. Who am I to argue with a winning formula.

Give me a playlist filled with some drony, swirl-y guitars and float-on-the-air vocals such as can be found in the music of My Bloody Valentine, Fleeting Joys, The Daysleepers, Stella Luna, Amusement Parks on Fire, Highsphire, Lilys, Airiel, and the like and I'm immediately chilling. My playlist is called GAZE ME. I've been listening to it a lot lately.

And then there is Jane. If you check out my reading list on the sidebar you will see I am on a Jane Austen bender. I love Jane Austen. Reading anything by her or derivative of her works relaxes me. Thank Heaven there is a boatload of Jane Austen derived fiction out there to sink into after a stressful day because I have already read all her original stuff and am still hungry for more.

Last winter, I read Pride and Prejudice once again, but this time with my iPod playlist set to maximum Collide. If you haven't heard Collide, go listen. A lot of their music has that that drift-away feeling to it that I love and the vocals are beautiful. Since Collide has a bunch of remixes of some of their songs that I like best such as Euphoria and Tempted, it's easy to build a remix playlist that allows you to get into a kind of reading groove with their music. Other songs like Collide's Frozen and Dreamsleep found their way onto my JUST FLOAT playlist along with Ultrashiver (you'll recognize the voice from Collide), Autumn's Grey Solace, a smattering of what tends to be called World Music, and just for fun, some Nicole Conte. I believe music does sooth the savage beast and the weary suburbanite.

So, my prescription for relaxation is simple and has an edge of elegance derived from its Austen component. It is: read Jane Austen whenever you can and pump up the music while you are at it.

And if you can find a Mai Tai, it wouldn't hurt.

Comments

[Blue Opal]

I'm not particularly a fan of Jane Austin, though I might go for a Mai-tai. Except I'm allergic to pineapple, so guess I'd better stick to a nice glass of wine. And the music. I can definitely handle some understated music.

[Spritopias]

I play cards or dominoes to relax. I read Jane Austin to help me sleep.

[Margaret]

I love Jane Austen too! I just finished Persuasion for my Book club. What are some authors that are like her? I would love their names. I read some Regency romance authors, but many of them are pretty cheesy.

[mzbee (BoXx)]

I'm reading, *The Power of Now* by Eckhart Tolle and enjoying it very much.

[West Coast Diva]

I found you again!! Yahoo!!!! xooxoxooxox

I cook to relax:) And listen to music, and play games:) (Hidden Object Ones)