Mix Tape Memories

So I was watching The Family Guy last week and saw the episode where Stewie gives his babysitter a mixtape letting her know that the songs on it express how he feels about her, etc. Can I just admit right here and right now how much I used to love making and getting mix tapes. I know that this probably qualifies me as uber-dork of the year, but what the hell do I care? If you're even reading this, then you probably love to geek out and play video games, watch foreign films, read books about teenage wizards, or listen to songs that are have nonsensical lyrics, but a great downbeat. Am I right?

I remember this one mix tape I got from a guy in High School who later went on to break the heart of a best friend of mine. The first song on it totally puzzled me, it was The Police's "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic". I was like, "OMG, does he like me or something?" and being totally baffled that he would pick that song because the rest of the songs were really cool, but not at all sentimental or meaningful. There was a terrific mix that I lost or, I suspect was more likely stolen from me that was made by my first ever serious High School boyfriend Cody. It had some of the following song:

Six Month in a Leaky Boat by Split Endz
Emma by Sisters of Mercy
Eye of Fatima by Camper Van Beethovan
Wave of Mutilation by The Pixies
Joey by Concrete Blonde
Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Connor
Rise by P.I.L.
Sheriff Fatman by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
Dream Kitchen (or something like that by who knows the band...if anyone remembers a song with the lyrics "It's just that there was I, pretending I was tied to the kitchen sink, and I though. This stuff so kind to my hands, I'm never gonna change to a different brand." let me know.)

Not too romantic I know, but memorable nonetheless because the guy is long gone, but the music memories still remain. In fact, after we broke up over I even went and saw Sisters of Mercy in concert in London with my cousin after college.

For my birthday one year, I asked all my friends to create CDs for me of either A. music that reminded them of me or B. music that they loved and wanted to share. It was a fantastic selection of gifts that year because my friends are extremely creative, not to mention esoteric. There were all out 80s mixes that were so sentimental it would've made John Wayne cry, then there were laugh out loud eclectic collections featuring such classics like the "Gang Bang Song" and "I Hate Birds".

Now-and-days my nephew just e-mails MP3 files to his friends and it won't be too far off before phones are capable of doing the same thing. However, the old cassette will be a sweet memory with it's handwritten label and lovingly created mix. *SIGH*