Tuesday’s Theme Music

Good morning. Today is Tuesday, August 24, 2021. We’re into August’s last legs. September begins next week. Autum will take over in a few weeks. 2022 is hurtling toward us with comet speed.

Sunrise and sunset are 6:28 AM and 8:08 PM, respectively. Temps are lower. Just 60 F now. Expect mid-80s by the mid-afternoon.

We’re back to reality. Back home. In Ashland. Spent a week on the Oregon coast. Drove home yesterday. Coming south/east, smoke took over as the dominate feature, rendering trees and mountains into sketchy outlines, killing breathability, locking out blue sky and sunshine. Oregon, 2021: another year of smoke.

Yardwork needs tending. I’ll put on a mask and do it, though philosophical reservations pummel me. Is having a pretty yard really so critical when attaining it means risking your health. Hell, no, of course not. But, property values, the marketing forces reply. Image and impressions. Some suggest, hire someone. Sure, take advantage of another’s weak financial security and force them to sacrifice their health. Makes sense. Ah, but their choice, right? And they need the money. And there is capitalism’s doom loom in its essence.

The boys — Tucker, Boo, and Papi — are happy to have us back. Lot of love time spent with each yesterday. Heads were scratched. Purrs were issued. Comforting was done.

Had the Animals song, “It’s My Life”, in my mental music stream this morning. “Comedown” by Bush. Then Duran Duran replaced those with “Ordinary World”. Somehow, Lost Frequencies came through from 2015 with “Reality”. Just a matter of words with this light tune, really:

Decisions as I go to anywhere I flow
Sometimes I believe, at times I’m rational
I can fly high, I can go low
Today I got a million, tomorrow I don’t know

Stop claiming what you own, don’t think about the show
We’re all playing the same game, waiting on our loan
We’re unknown and known, special and a clone
Hate will make you cautious, love will make you glow

Make me feel the warmth, make me feel the cold
It’s written in our stories, it’s written on the walls
This is our call, we rise and we fall
Dancing in the moonlight, don’t we have it all?

h/t AZLyrics.com

Yes, I’m all over the map this AM. Happy to be home. Sad to be away from the ocean. Relieved my fur friends and home are okay. Appalled by the state of the air, the extended drought, the multitude of wildfires. Depressed by the break in routine, the inability to saunter to a coffee shop to write (see Air Quality, COVID-19 restrictions), humble that I have a life where I can make such choices.

Reality can be great. It can also suck. At the same time.

Stay positive. Test negative. Wear a mask as needed. Get the vax. Have some coffee. Or tea. Wine. Whatever. Enjoy the music. Cheers

August 24, 2021 2

Floofdumb

Floofdumb (floofinition) – 1. A person who is ignorant about animals and their needs and behaviors.

In use: “His major requirement for a new relationship (well, honestly, one of many major requirements) was a person who wasn’t floofdumb. Whoever he was with had to love animals as much as him. Yeah, that was a dealbreaker, he decided.”

2. Conduct, action, behavior or sound that leaves people speechless or amazed.

In use: “The cat darted pass and leaped into the air so high that witnesses were left floofdumb.”

August 23, 2021 0

Monday’s Theme Music

The daily cycle has commenced again. The beat goes on. Monday, Monday. Sunrise, sunset. Here we go again.

Hello! Welcome to Monday, August 23, 2021. Sunrise in Florence, Oregon, was at 6:29 AM in a clear pale blue sky, a sunrise of hope and optimism. Sunset will come at 8:08 PM. It’s 52 in Florence now but it will be 72 later today. Should be beautiful. But we’ll be on the road. Heading home. Ashland. Current temp there is 58. High is forecast to be 85. Air quality has improved, but it’s poor — 69. Still, it’s home for all that it implies, with its failing and securities, comforts and frustrations. Home. Such a four-letter word.

Unimaginatively, many home songs scale my brain. Home, sweet home, I’m on my way. Just set me free. Home, sweet home. And road songs. On the road again. Just can’t wait to get on the road again. But I’m also thinking, ain’t that a shame? Ain’t that a shame that I must leave this lovely place and ain’t that a shame that more people can’t live better lives? That we can’t find and sustain a better balance between nature and humanity’s endeavors? So I’m playing “Ain’t That A Shame” by Cheap Trick in the morning mental stream. I know Fats Domino was first with it. Great version. But I’m rocking today.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax. Here’s the music. Cheers

August 23, 2021 0

August 22, 2021 0

Sunday’s Theme Music

Sunday. August 22, 2021. My final full day on the coast. Clouds from sea to mountains. Will probably burn off. Cool breeze. Will probably grow stronger. About 58 F now, will probably top out in the upper sixties. That seems like the pattern in Florence, Oregon. Sunrise came at 6:28 AM. Sunset, which have been clear and beautiful out over the Pacific, will be at 8:10 PM.

It’s been a good vacation. Pleasant break from heat, routines, smoke. But I miss my writing routines. And I miss my beasts, Boo, Tucker, and Papi. Worry about them. Hope they’re doing fine. Probably are. Were almost always asleep when I was home. I imagine that hasn’t changed much with our housesitter.

Today’s song came via a sequence of events. First, read of a conservative talk radio vax denier who died of COVID-19 this year. Phil Valentine. Urged people not to vaccinate. Here’s a little from Rolling Stone magazine covering it.

“Valentine, whose nationally syndicated Phil Valentine Show aired on 100 stations from 2007 to 2019, had questioned the vaccines on his current show on Nashville’s SuperTalk 99.7 WTN and online, mocking the U.S.’s inoculation campaign in the song “Vaxman,” a parody of the Beatles’ “Taxman.” “I certainly am not getting the vax now,” he replied to a commenter on Facebook on July 14th. “I have full immunity.”

“Valentine died Saturday from complications related to Covid-19, according to a tweet from his station. He was 61.”

From denier to death in a few months. Not a new record. Nor is fresh and original. But after reading that, I walked through town to a coffee shop (River Roasting, which has superb coffee and a good vibe) assessing the weather. Inside the coffee shop, all were masked save for two. One was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties. Her tee shirt said, “Unmask our children”, white block letters on black. Wondered, is she vaccinated. If she gets COVID-19, will she beg us to vaccinate her children as she dies, as so many others have?

Long story. Not a happy one. Brought to mind the Supergrass song, “Alright”, 1995 (yes, I looked it up).

We are young,we run green
Keep our teeth nice and clean
See our friends, see the sights
And feel alright

[Verse 2]
We wake up, we go out
Smoke a fag, put it out
See our friends, see the sights
And feel alright

[Chorus]
Are we like you?
I can’t be sure
Of the scene as she turns
We are strange in our worlds

[Verse 3]
But we are young,we get by
Can’t go mad, ain’t got time
Sleep around if we like
But we’re alright

h/t to Lyrics.com

Song always struck me as a vacuous response to life. Yes, like most of us as youths experience. We run around, have fun, feeling invincible. Then shit happens.

Stay positive. Test negative, wear a mask as needed. Get the vax. Don’t wait until you’re dying on your bed to ask for it.

Here’s the music. Cheers

August 22, 2021 3

The Three Cats Dream

I was in a field behind apartments or buildings, not sure which. I looked across and saw a small cat. The cat seemed about six months old. Mostly white, it had a black tail, black spots on its head, and black. It was watching me. I thought it homeless. A stray. So, I moved toward it to help it. See if it was alright. As I did, I saw a second one. Identical markings and pose. It was toward my left. There’s two, I thought, then saw a third further left. They were situated like they sat at first, second, and third base on a ball field. I thought, how odd, and, they seemed healthy. But, I wanted to pet them and ensure they were okay. I didn’t see a mother cat. I also wondered why they were on this field.

While dealing with the cats, which didn’t avoid me but nor did they hurry to me, I ended up by a parking lot. Men with cars were there. One, young, white, with a black beard, began chatting with me. I decided to forestall where the conversation was going. I told him, “I don’t have employment for you. I’m sorry. I feel for you. I appreciate your situation. I don’t know the particulars but I know that you want to work. I know you’re eager to work but you can’t find work. And I’m sorry, but I don’t have any work for you.”

He told me that he appreciated my honesty but wanted to know how I’d made it. I told him I was lucky. Entered the military, stayed with it twenty years, and had some success with a combination of intelligence, work, and luck. I thought most of it was luck. But what did I do after that? Again, I was lucky. Joined startups, was promoted, ended up with IBM, kept on for fifteen years. Some hard work but a a lot of luck. Wasn’t trying to humbrag or nothing; trying to be straight with them. So, my advice, he wanted to know? “Find a toehold. Work hard. Hope to create separation from others but stay kind. Friendly. Positive. And just keep at it. Keep your fingers crossed that you’ll be lucky.”

Then, one of the cats came to me. I picked it up.

Dream end.

August 21, 2021 0

August 21, 2021 0

Flooficane

Flooficane (floofinition) – An animal that makes a huge mess.

In use: “Little Max was a BIG flooficane — a category one beast — who left things overturned, destroyed, and broken on his floofpages through the house.

August 21, 2021 2

August 21, 2021 0

Saturday’s Theme Music

Good afternoon, duckies! Today is Saturday, August 21, 2021. I remain on the Oregon coast on vacation. Tis why this post is so late coming out of my head. I arose first at 7 AM. That’s after sunrise, which came at 6:27. I was up to admire low tide. Cool then, in the middle fifties. Light rain wet everything. Thickening fog kept it all wet. Returned to bed for another hour. Then, shower, shave, and coffee, please. Took a walk. But — suddenly all were atwitter. Where are we going? What are we doing? We’re on vacation, fill the time, hurry, hurry, lest we don’t do things and enjoy this time on the coast. So we dashed out to check schedules. Assess weather. Make plans. Buy tickets. Then, we needed to kill time. Let us walk around and kill time while waiting to go on this thing for which we purchased tickets.

The fog burned off. We’re left with another lovely coast day. Upper sixties. Light breeze. Plentiful sunshine. Sunset will arrive at 8:11 PM.

So, with the vacation strings being pulled so hard today — we’re running out of time! Vacation is almost over! — vacation music blew into my head. Lindsay Buckingham’s 1983 song, “Holiday Road”, ended up drowning out the others.

I found out long ago
It's a long way down the holiday road
Holiday road
Holiday road

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Take a ride on the West Coast kick
Holiday road

H/t to Lyrics.com

Stay positive. Or try, you know? Yes, it can be a challenge, can’t it. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax. Enjoy the music, please. Cheers