When I got back from my weekend over the mountains, I was too tired to do much of anything. It was a long drive after a packed weekend, and there was nothing I wanted to do more than eat dinner and go to bed.

So I did that. But the next morning I remembered that I hadn't checked my mail since before I left, walked out to the mailbox and was greeted by a package. And when I opened it? There was this very cool mug featuring the spine of Depeche Mode cassette tapes from over the years...

I'm guessing that this is a birthday gift, but there was no note inside and the label didn't have a name I recognized.

So thank you, kind person... whomever you are! I love it! It makes me want to look up to see if there's a version for other 80's bands I love (like Pet Shop Boys!).

And for anybody not knowing much about Depeche Mode, I ran across this video a few weeks ago...

I have more favorite tracks from the band than I can count, but Mercy in You is probably at the top of my list. Mostly because of the live version, which cemented them as one of my favorite live acts on the planet...

Their earliest tracks hold up shockingly well. Which is probably why they are still belting them out at their shows. I think the song Everything Counts has been in the setlist of every concert I've ever been to...

The band occasionally gets heat from Conservative Christians over an early track called Blasphemous Rumours, which is actually a fascinating track that has a lot to say...

The song most people know them for is either Personal Jesus or People are People, with the latter being the song that got me hooked on the band once I heard it...

Their entire catalog remains some of my most-played and most-loved music.

And now that I'm appreciating it all over again, I'll be playing it on repeat for a while.