Christmas Wishes DO come True (Merry Christmas #8)

Well, God Willing, it seems like I have passed my kidney stone, just about 10 pm Christmas night. The past 72 hours have been absolute hell, and every muscle in my body is pained and exhausted. The little F#CKER was about the size of a "Nerd" candy and predominantly black.

I don't have much music here with me while in Baltimore (other than the awesome new stuff I got and am still sifting through), so for a late Christmas Night gift, I am posting a collection of all the Pearl Jam Christmas Fan Club Singles from every year released (up until this year, of course!)

A great collection of fantastic rarities (Angel, Driftin', etc) and bizzare ramblings and b-sides (ramblings 1 and 2, Olympic Platinum) and some awesome covers (Ramones, Dead Boys, Split Enz, Elvis, etc), these Vynl 45's come every year* to a member of the Fan Club, and these are every one of them from 1991 - 2007.

Merry Chrismas. I will sleep like the Baby Jesus in the manger tonight.

Tracklist Includes:

1991
-Let Me Sleep (Unreleased)
-Ramblings I (Unreleased)

1992
-Sonic Reducer (Dead Boys cover)
-Ramblings II (Unreleased)

1993
-Angel (Unreleased)
-Ramblings III (live in Indio, CA 11/5/93)

1995
-History Never Repeats (Split Enz cover, live with Neil & Tim Finn)
-Sonic Reducer (Dead Boys cover, live with Joey Ramone)
-Swallow My Pride (Green River cover, live)
-My Way (Elvis cover with Elvis' cousin Terry, live)

1996
-Olympic Platinum (Unreleased)
-Smile (live in Barcelona, 11/21/96)

1997 (joint effort with R.E.M.)
-Happy When I'm Crying (Unreleased)
-Live For Today - R.E.M.

1998
-Soldier of Love (cover by Arthur Alexander)
-Last Kiss (cover by J. Frank Wilson)

1999
-Strangest Tribe (Unreleased)
-Driftin' (Unreleased)

2000
-Crown of Thorns (Mother Love Bone cover, live)
-Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis cover)

2001
-Last Soldier (live)
-Indifference (with Ben Harper, live)
-Gimme Some Truth (Lennon cover, live)
-I Just Want To Have Something To Do (Ramones cover)

2002
-Don't Believe In Christmas (Sonics cover, live)
-Sleepless Nights (Everly Brothers cover, live with Beck)

2003
-Reach Down (live, with Chris Cornell)
-I Believe In Miracles (Ramones cover, live)

2004
-Someday At Christmas (Jackson 5ive cover)
-Betterman (w/ Walmer High School choir from South Africa)

2005
-Little Sister (with Robert Plant, live)
-Gone (demo)

2006
- Love Reign O'er Me (The Who cover)
- Rockin' In The Free World (N. Young cover w/ Bono and The Edge-U2)

2007
- Santa God (Unreleased)
- Jingle Bells (James Pierpont cover)

Download: Pearl Jam: Fan Club Christmas Singles 1992-2007 (zipped)

* 1994 was the only year they didn't send one, but 1995's made up for it with a double vynl version with 2 albums sent...

You Shall NOT PASS!

This exact scene is happening in my Kidney and Urinary tract right now.

The stone is still there, frolicking around, knocking me out for about 30-40 minutes every 4 hours or so. today has been better, but YESTERDAY was a nightmare. I had to excuse myself from Alicia's family's dinner to go upstairs on their sofa and shiver and teeth-chatter in utter misery. I fell sound asleep, then woke up feeling fine, came down for them to open presents, then we were off to Bob's house to exchange presents there. On the way in the car, I was hit with round 2, and I was down for the F'ing count. I seriously thought I was going to pass out in the car, and by the time we arrived at the house I was delusional and frantic, and I walked straight in, and straight upstairs immediately and fell asleep there for about a half hour or so. Again, I woke up feeling fine, and I came downstairs for presents and holiday merriment. Coming home I was rough, and I just collapsed in bed and fell sound asleep. Got a good night's sleep, and this am we got up early and went over to Grandmom Smiths, then off to Dayna's house in the evening.

6:30, and we are back in the hotel, and I am in for the night. Mild pain, but NOTHING like yesterday (yet).

Christmas presents have been fantastic though, I can't wait to share some of the new music, probably not until I return to NY though...

Tomorow we visit with Grandmom Luh in the hospital, then Mom and Amanda and Chris for early evening and dinner. All in all the pressure has been very low, and the visits have been very pleasant. With the economic downturn, we (along with most of the country, I suspect) just really all seemed to appreciate getting together, eating, drinking and being merry. ChristmasCrazyFest has been kept to a dull roar, and maybe it's just my majorly drugged up percoset outlook, but I sure do like it this year!

Merry Christmas to all. And to ME a good night (hopefully)

Q: When are 2mm more painful than 35mm?

A. When It's a Kidney Stone.

Yesterday evening Alicia and I had dinner with my Mom and Amanda, and during dinner (possibly before) I started getting a weird, dull ache in the lower portion of my back. I assumed it was from carrying presents for the past few days, especially the TV we got for Alicia's Mom and Dad for Christmas, which I was carrying all by myself. Although Back pain is not really a problem I usually have an issue with, I thought " Oh well, I guess I'm getting older..."

After dinner we did a touch more shopping, finishing off the complete list, but the back ache was a bit worse. I laid on the floor, and Alicia showed me some back stretching and relaxation excercises, which DID feel good, but nothing seemed to work.

I went to use the restroom, and while there, became CONSUMED with a ferocious pain now in my front and abdomen. I got a terrible chill, teeth chatering and most of my muscles spasming and contracting involuntarily.

I really wasn't that scared, because at this point I pretty much knew exactly what it was.

11 Years ago, at the ripe old age of 21, I had my first kidney stone. I took an ambulance to the ER in Brooklyn (a. I didn't have a car. b. seriously thought I was dying). Once I passed that one, the doctor told me that if I was 21 and havng a stone, then my body just is going to keep making them, and he could pretty much gurantee that I would have them for the rest of my life.

11 years go by with no incident, but the loaded gun has been pointed at the back of my head the entire time.

I came out of the bathroom last night, and told Alicia with nearly 100% certainty that I had a stone, and needed to go to the ER right now. (it was now 11:30 at night, David Letterman had just come on the tv) She drove us to St. Joseph's er, mercifully only a 5 minute ride (have I mentioned that the Holiday Inn we stay at is in just about the most convenient location in the world?)

Checked in to the ER, was in triage about 15 minutes later (15 looooong minutes of agony, as well as a TV in the waiting room blaring Mike Huckabee on False News) and they weeled me into a room where I proceeded to die and ressurect, not unlike the Phoenix.

4:00am the worst appeared over, so they sent us home with a doping of morphine, a prescription for Percoset, and a bunch of paper strainers to pee into until it passes.

Got a few hours of sleep, awoke for 2 x conference calls for work, and I am officially taking it easy today (not that my body would allow me to do anything differently, anyway!

And to my ever anxious parents, Congrats, you are now Grandparents for the second time! This new baby's name is "Calcie" and she is 2 mm...

let's hope I get 11 more years of peace after this one...

Merry Christmas to me.