I have a confession to make. I am hardcore obsessed with The Northeast Kingdom by Cheri Knight. I listen to it even more than I listen to Richard Buckner's Bloomed. It is fabulous. Cheri Knight is the Liz Phair of country. Plus, she farms flowers in Massachusetts. Gotta love country singers who are also farmers. And her lyrics are terrific!

I'd like you to think that I'm just hanging on
to every word you say
I'd like you to think that I'm broken in two
or just pining away
I'm having my fun with the one who betrayed me
What's the worst I can do?
Tell you lies on the plane
while I sit back and savor the truth.

Try singing that flirtatiously to a brazen, swingy country backdrop with lots of yummy slide guitar... it makes my day. Which is why I do it so often.

And then there are her quieter songs... lots of them featuring Emmylou Harris on backing vocals. Check this out:

And I'm crawling
with my heart in my hands
I'd be a fool not to crawl back to you
and you'd send me away
Tell me something
Have you always been so cruel?
I know I've gotta do something 'bout you
But nothing is all I can do.

My journal should be underwritten. Today's microserf entry is being brought to you in part by Cheri Knight and her 1998 album, The Northeast Kingdom. For lyricism, musicality, and addiction potential, it's The Northeast Kingdom, featuring Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Ryan, Steve Earle and more. For more information on this E-Squared Records release: www.e2records.com.

I think in radio terms too much.

Will finally called me. There was a message on my machine when I got home from having brunch with Julia and Jeff and Nathaniel this afternoon. I'm supposed to call him at work (he works at Wine Warehouse, which kind of freaks me out) and tell him whether I want to go out for a drink with him tonight. I do, of course. I am wondering, however, whether his entire life revolves around alcohol. I am also wondering how to reconcile going out for a drink with Will and attending the party at which my housemates' country band, the Alternators, is playing. I'm also nervous, a little, about calling him at work. He sounded nervous on my answering machine. I guess if we both are it's less embarrassing.

Also, we have to go somewhere where they'll let me drink, because I'm still underage.

But I'm doing something with my Saturday night, which is exciting. And right now I'm listening to Cheri Knight and that's really good. Why do I have 800 CDs or however many I have when, really, I could be happy with fifty or so? Because I got bitten by the collector bug. Becoming a collector tends to lead to becoming very poor, at least in my experience. I'm trying to kick the habit.

I need to go do something. I don't know what, but I require motion of some sort.