So yeah, my 60th birthday was two days ago. There wasn’t much of a fuss planned. I even went to work as whether to go on one’s birthday is usually a tossup each year. Since we had taken a lot of time off recently to travel to Ohio and get my in-law’s living situation sorted out, and nothing astounding was planned, I just went to work as usual. That evening, we went out for dessert fondue [white chocolate for me] with some friends since the restaurant I wanted to eat my special event dinner at was closed on Tuesdays. The same couple had already joined us at Asheville’s finest vegan dining on Saturday evening for the pre-birthday dinner at Plant.

So last night was just broccoli/quinoa burritos and nothing special, I thought! There were two late arriving presents that were waiting with dinner. My good friend Mr. Ware and I always exchange, and his prize arrived yesterday. A bespoke CD of his high-end cover band The Pragmatix having a late in the game version2.0 regrouping; this time with his son drumming. And the last of the China Crisis DLX RMs from their Virgin Records period for the best sort of measure. I had been twitchy about missing this bus I never see it for sale and lately the buying has plummeted to almost nothing.

Then there was a second gift bag from my loved one. The day prior I had received a selection of the finest white chocolate from the Grand Dame of Asheville’s artisinal chocolate scene, so this was a shocker. None so much as when I pulled the well-packed 7″ single from within the many layers of cardboard that had protected it in its flight to my Record Cell. Against all odds, my loved one had secured me a copy of a record so scarce and sought after that I had put owning it right out of my mind for the last 32 years. I’ll say this much for my wife: she sure knows how to pick ’em!

The Associates: Boys Keep Swinging – UK – 7″ [1979]

1. Boys Keep Swinging 3:39
2. Mona Property Girl [remix] 3:22

This is not the first time she’s secured a release that I had written off due to the cost of acquisition. My self-denial streak is well-known, so it really means a lot to me that she will endeavor to obtain this signed John Foxx limited edition, or that holy grail Post-Punk debut single where the three figures required sends me running in retreat.

The songs in question have supposedly appeared on various Associates DLX RM CDs, but the nagging rumor of a remix of “Mona Property Girl” that was only on this MCA reissue of the band’s self-released debut single [currently $250-500] has resisted my ability to investigate and to and sort them out. Owing to the absence of this record. Well, no longer. Now all I need is the free time to do some careful listening.

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