I got a new CD. The second release of the Mixtape Xchange was sent out and received.

I love getting music from other people. When I buy music, I know what I'm going to get. I may not know what purchase I'll make when I walk into the store, but I rarely (if ever) buy music from a band I haven't heard of, so there are few surprises. However, when I get music from other people, it's usually from artists I don't know about or haven't heard, which is great -- and what the Mixtape Xchange is all about.

I just got Kelly's mix and it's really good. She titled it Afro-Asiatic Invasion, and included a lot of ethnic sounds and instruments including great percussion and a healthy serving of the sitar (pic).

The opening track, Spirit of the Forest by Baka Beyond, really sets the tone for this collection of tracks. While most of the artists can problably be found shelved under "world" at the record store (couldn't all artists be on that shelf? another story perhaps), it would be tough to narrow them down any further. Baka Beyond's site describes them as "the original African-Celtic crossover band." Crossover. That pretty much sums up all the tracks. Whether it's blending two cultural styles, or melding traditional with modern (or both), the range of artists and styles is awesome.

Tracklist (*= standout track):

1. Spirit of the Forest, Baka Beyond*
2. Breathing Light, Nitin Sawhney*
3. Instinct, Karsh Kale
4. Butterfly, Talvin Singh
5. Aquired Dreams, Nitin Sawhney
6. Mbe, Baka Beyond
7. West Naima, Hossam Ramzy*
8. Bhangra Fever, MIDIval PunditZ
9. Mundian To Bach Ke, Panjabi MC
10. Jim I Nim, Moroccan Spirit
11. Eclipse, Talvin Singh
12. Jogi, Panjabi MC
13. Leily, Dania
14. Homelands Nitin Sawhney
15. Ashes, Karsh Kale*

The UPS man cometh.

I received my first order from IKEA today (high five!). I've now covered a few square feet of floor space with a TV stand (no TV yet) and coffee table.

As you can see from the picture (click to enlarge), there is still a ways to go -- I still don't have a place to sit down and eat, for example -- but the recent additions are an encouraging step toward a more comfortable future.

After sleeping on an air mattress for five months, I am now the proud owner of one brand-new queen-size pillow-top mattress. Having never purchased a mattress before, I didn't really know what to expect when I walked into the store.

There are a lot of mattresses. It's overwhelming at first because there are so many, and they all look very similar. The salesman was very helpful in helping me find the right mattress. He asked a few questions as soon as I arrived about different mattress options, and I had no idea what to tell him. I hadn't given it much thought: Any mattress would be a step up from the air mattress*.

Fortunately, I had at least one important criteria to help narrow down the options: price. The salesman led me to an area of the store where several mattresses were standing against the wall. He pulled one down and I tried it out. It was OK. Then he pulled another one down, which was much better, but a little over my budget. The third one was just right!

The second obstacle was getting it to my home. This was no problem since they provide same-day delivery (same day!) for $50. Not a bad deal considering how much it would cost me to rent a vehicle and find someone to help me move a mattress on my own. It is now the most significant piece of furniture in my empty apartment.

*Note: As much as I've maligned the air mattress, it was much better than a bare hardwood floor, and I owe many thanks to my parents for lending it to me.