The bad news: The Hesperia Star did not win any of the Best of Freedom Awards this year. So no repeat.

The good news: El Mojave, the Hesperia Star’s smaller Latina sister, did win, for a story we can only call Un piano, rosas y un gran amor, since that’s its name.

¡Felicitaciones!

Well, my big bonus from the Daily Press is almost gone at last, blown on such fripperies as six tires for two cars, a new vacuum cleaner, a new television set to replace one that no longer recognized commands from any remote control and had a whimsical mind of its own about volume levels, a new keyboard that is actually built for man-sized hands (and is heavy enough to take a 110 words per minute beating without sliding all over the table) (and glows) and, if I can find the father of a former Hesperia Star office manager, a much-needed detailing for my car.

I also bought some toys. And by toys, I mean books. But I also picked up a lot of music I’ve been wanting for a while. To make it last, I’ve been burning one CD a week and putting them on the old iPod. I currently have the Arctic Monkeys’ “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,” Sons & Daughters’ “Repulsion Box” and now Death Cab for Cutie’s “Plans” on the iPod, with Rilo Kiley, the Postal Service and the Desperate Housewives soundtrack (for the new Liz Phair track) waiting in the dugout.

Combined with the recent bumper crop of freebie music from iTunes, it’s been a heady time for me and my trusty monochrome iPod. The Arctic Monkeys rock just as hard as their hype says they do (I already listened to “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor” enough last year to get the single into the top 100 of songs I listened to last year), Sons & Daughters’ rocking guitars are a great match for nearly impenetrable Scottish accents and the beautiful, romantic melancholy (which sounds Goth, but isn’t) of Death Cab for Cutie is just astonishingly good. (And yes, both bands had singles that made it into my top 100 of last year. I’ve been waiting a while to pick up their full albums.)

I’m not sure why I’m addicted to the relentless chase after new music, instead of retreating into the womb of music that I listened to in college, as most of my peers have seemed happy to do. I blame KCRW.