Christine, I love you!

Yeah, right, she's listening. But you guys, I love her! She is my queen, my surrogate mother, my support when I'm alone and sad, my buddy when I'm silly giggly. Since I was a kid, she's been there when I needed her, whether for comic relief or life lessons. And now I play her for my kids.

I know my daughter will take away the strength of her example, as I did, and maybe things I never even saw. I can't wait to see her influence on my son. I'm so grateful to have such an opinonated, funny, intelligent and warm woman to share with him. I guess that's enough accolades -- but it's true, it's all true!

And of course, the CD is fabulous; did we expect less? Um, comment though, on "Prince Charles," no, tell me you did not have a crush on him, Christine! Girl, no way. Talk about a "what was I thinking" moment?! ("What Was I Thinking" is another song on the CD, regrettably with no reference to the Prince Charles crush, but funny anyway.)

"The Dakota" is, in my opinion, the only good John Lennon tribute song. I don't remember him alive, I only know him from his words, long after he was gone. Hearing this at 13 (on Future Fossils) made me realize what a great loss that was, and I still cry when I hear it.

"Regretting What I Said," a musical apology, must be the funniest thing I've ever heard, even if I'd never have the guts to say those things myself. And maybe she didn't really, either. But don't we all wish we could! Of course, we don't want our wayward lovers "arrested, beaten up and thrown in jail," not really, but oh, don't they deserve it sometimes!

"Shopping Cart of Love" is a "play," in which a woman comes home after being fired from her job, among several other mishaps, to find her lover has run off with her shampoo-thieving roomate and, oh, they've also taken her car. I swear, I've had this day. But why do I never meet my true love afterwards in the grocery store?! Well, it's a long life, there's always hope.

Of course, I like "Katy Says This is the Best Day of My Whole Entire Life," if only for the fact that it has my name in it. But songs about little kids (Katy is Christine's 4-year-old niece) are just cute by nature.

This is a live CD, as several of Christine's are. As always, her interaction with the crowd is as much a part of the fun as the music. She jokes and teases the audience, letting out her trademark girly giggle.

It's just a great CD, all of it. It's got happy, it's got sad, it's got inflatable dresses (on "Doris & Edwin") -- in short, it's got the stuff I've always relied on Christine to provide. She never fails.

- Rambles
written by Katie Knapp
published 18 January 2003