CD Swap

It is time for the Summer CD Swap.  Everyone summer I organize this illegal activity among a group of friends, who live in various locations across this fair land.  Many of these people (but not all) are friends from high school (so we’re talking 30+ years ago), and this is a unique way for us to stay in touch—with music!  Every person in the swap creates their own unique mix of music, burns a CD for everyone in the swap, and mails them out.  I have found the ideal number of swappers is about 7 or 8.  So, over the course of the summer, you receive 6 or 7 CDs filled with a musical surprise.  Every CD is bound to hold at least a song or two that you have never heard and a couple of tunes that bring back memories, fond or other wise.  The CD Swap for which I am the Commissioner has a few other rules:

1. There is a theme, and you have to have at least one song on the CD that relates to that theme (most swappers have more than 1 song, and often every song related to the theme).  


2. You can’t have more than 2 songs by the same artist.  This just keeps it interesting.  As much as I and some of my friends love the Grateful Dead, I prefer to expand my musical horizons during the swap. You can always send a 2nd  CD along, if you’re in the mood to rip and burn!  


3. There is a deadline, but no overdue fines.


4. If you accept the challenge and fail to mail out the CDs, nobody gets too bent out of shape, but you probably won’t be asked to join the next swap.  

A friend of mine IMed me this morning that she was ripping a stack of CDs that fell into her lap like manna from a VW Passat.  Her car is being serviced and she picked up a loaner from the guy who owns the dealership.  In it was a huge stack of his CDs.  She was very excited and reminded me that it is time for the swap!  My iPod awaits.