#46 on RS’s list of “Women Who Rock”. Actually the album is meant to be “Hot, Cool and Vicious” but Spotify doesn’t have it available. Instead I listened to this, which appears to be a Greatest Hits compilation. I wasn’t a huge hip-hop fan in high school, but I did like SNP. (I remember vastly preferring them to the annoying TLC, who many girls in my class liked.) I had the CD singles for “Shoop” and “Whatta Man” pretty much memorised. I liked their sense of humour and their politics. “Let’s Talk About Sex” is just such a perfect bit of early 90’s music and activism, isn’t it?

#45 on RS’s list of “Women Who Rock.” While I’m sure there are those rolling their eyes, I really like Taylor Swift. She’s a pretty, pretty princess, she plays the guitar, and she writes catchy songs about liking boys. There’s nothing wrong with that!

#44 on RS’s list of “Women Who Rock.” I don’t think I had ever heard any of these songs before. It’s not really my thing, but I like the rhythms. The “Christine” song freaked me out when I heard my own name being repeated.

Butternut Squash Soup with Star Anise and Ginger Prawns.

#49 on RS’s list of Greatest Albums from “Women Who Rock.” I discovered the Breeders when I happened to catch the video for “Cannonball” late one night on MTV (maybe “120 Minutes”?) in high school, and I was hooked. I bought the tape and I still know all the words 19 years later. I remember being amused at “Drivin’ On 9”, because I actually had to drive to high school along State Road 9. I also bought a Breeders T-shirt that I have carried with me across several continents, and that I only just reluctantly stopped wearing (because it’s full of holes – don’t worry; I’m making it into a quilt). The Breeders are also the only artists on the list who I’ve actually MET. The day Kim and Kelley Deal wandered into my knitting shop on Sydney was seriously one of the coolest days in my whole time there. Rock on, Deal sisters.

#48 on RS’s list of “Women Who Rock”. My only experience with Bonnie’s discography was her later Top 40 stuff, so this early blues was a revelation. She sounds so young! It’s definitely not what I expected, with some of the songs having a Dixieland feel to them. (Snook: “How can it be ‘rock’ when it was a clarinet solo?!”) The album inspired me to read up on Bonnie, where I learned how respected she is as a slide guitarist. The Snook informs me that there’s even a Unix utility named after her. (Me: “What does it do?” Him: “Identify bottlenecks.” Me: “Heh.”)

#47 from RS’s “Women Who Rock” list. I’d heard of Lucinda Williams but never really listened to her. After going through this album a couple times, I’m kicking myself. I need to listen to it about 50 more times until these songs become a part of me. So good.

Paper Dolls (Jacket) blocking. Might need to stretch the yoke even more…

Scrubbed all the baseboards. Washed and ironed the curtains. Cleaned the windows. Bought a screen door at Bunnings. 21 days til Mom’s visit!