I spent a bunch of the day with them and we ran some errands. Once we got done with the errands, I realized I was really close to one of those record stores I’ve been jonesing to visit... Mile Long Records.

While searching for the address for Mile Long, I discovered there was another so-called record store even closer to my location called Cheap Kiss Records. 

I went to both. 

Cheap Kiss was basically the front 10% of a used book store. Some guys rent the space from the woman who runs the bookstore and she processes purchases for them. They only had eight tapes of which I was interested in four but only bought one... Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. $3. I can do that.

Next up was Mile Long. Damn was that place a disappointment. It’s a record store that had zero cassette stock. Thousands of pieces of wax and several hundred CDs, but no tapes. I left dejected. And this was the place I’d been looking forward to visiting.  

I was so pissed that I decided not to go home and instead hit an out-of-the-way Half-Price Books in Bloomingdale. I used to go to this place when Katie would go to a manicurist around the corner. But it’s been years since she’s gone there and hence... so I went tonight. Decent haul of five tapes there. Each just 50 cents. 

Clockwise from top left: Dixie Dregs Bring ‘Em Back Alive, Living Coloür Time’s Up, The Rocky Story (soundtrack songs from the first four films), Robert Palmer Heavy Nova, and Midnight Oil Diesel and Dust.

They also had a brand new (still sealed) copy of Angelo Badalamente’s soundtrack for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. But it was $20. A bargain, truly, but I’d only do it if it was the original series soundtrack. I passed. 

Then I hit up two Goodwill stores I’ve never been to. I have yet to find a used tape at Goodwill but so many people on the Cassette Culture subreddit y’all about what they find at their local stores that I’m loathe to overlook them entirely. I keep trying, and failing. 

Overall, six tapes, $5.50. Not bad.

So now I’m at home sitting in the garage talking to the neighbors, drinking beer, and listening to tapes on the boom box. And they sound really good.

I miss Katie and Nathan, but this isn’t so bad. The boys have invited me over to their party for kabobs and tequila shots. There’s still time. Maybe I will. 

Tomorrow morning before they get home, maybe I’ll go play disc golf, weather dependent.

Note: Yeah, I know Taped posts are typically saved for Tu(n)esdays but I started telling a story that wound up morphing into a semi-Taped post so, well, it is what it is. 

I may start a new category for Taped. Do you think it’s worth doing that for what currently amounts to 10 posts? I guess if I’m going to post on odd days like this, it might be.