Category: memories

Friday’s Theme Music

It’s Friday, March — no, FEBRUARY* — 25, 2022, another year marked by another war. Sunrise struck at 6:53 AM. The rays’ kisses lifted us from 23 degrees F to our present 33. We reached the upper forties yesterday and expect to see mid-fifties today before we turn our back to the sun again at 5:56 PM. Although the streak of pleasant weather in January and early Feb. were enjoyable, we’re all feeling more relieved to have this wintry weather and normal temperatures, and more snow on the mountains. Maybe, we think, fingers crossing, we won’t have such a hot and dry summer. Maybe food will grow properly, and the skies won’t be dark with smoke blocking the sun. Maybe…

War is on my mind, of course. Images coming from Ukraine show the low value and utter contempt the invading Russians display for human life, all for what? Some friends and relations hope that the images will bring an end to war or at least tarnish its image as a glorious pursuit. But world leaders like Putin have rarely been to war. “Forward, he cried, from the rear, and the front ranks died.” Pink Floyd nailed that didn’t they?

Songs in the morning mental music stream range from “Peace Train” by Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens), to “Warchild” by Jethro Tull, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2, “Imagine” by John Lennon. But Edwin Starr’s powerful 1970 song. “War” says it well. It came to mind when the US was in Vietnam, and all the subsequent invasions and ‘military actions’ — such a polite expression — since. “War. Good God, y’all, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again.”

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, get the vax and boosters, hold your breath and say your prayers for Ukraine and its people.

*Apparently the cats got on the kb and changed the date on me when I turned my back to drink some coffee. Thanks to the Huntress for pointing it out.

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Thursday’s Theme Music

Clouds and suns are clashing on this Thursday, Feb 24, 2022 morning. Winds are relatively calm, most snow have slipped into being as small residual mounds hazed brown and black, and the temperature is up to 29 degrees F. Like yesterday, we expect a high of 44 in our valley. Sunset will be at 5:55 PM, eleven hours and one minute after sunrise. In news, Russia has attacked Ukraine, as expected. Because, yeah, the world always needs another war, and more refugees. Yes, that was snark. Russia’s intentions had been transparent for some time. Also as expected, Trump praised the aggressor and told some lies in relation to the event. sigh

Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble inhabit the morning mental music stream. I have three younger sisters. I regularly check on them on Facebook. All are mothers, two are grandmothers, two are tremendously fit, and two are very successful. All are a treasure to me. Anyway, my Facebook scanning prompted my neurons to fire up “Look at Little Sister” from 1985. The original was from the Soul to Soul album. I listened to it frequently; my wife listened to it more. Weirdly, she didn’t start doing that until after his passing from a helicopter crash in 1990. I enjoy this live version from Austin City Limits and the guitar swap toward the song’s end due to a broken string.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when ye can. Here’s the tune. I need to step into the kitchen to help a cup of coffee with finding its destiny. Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

We’ve begun another Wednesday, the eighth one of 2022. Today is Feb 23, 2022. The night began retreating a few hours before the sun’s appearance at 6:56 AM. The sun’s arrival over the mountains hastened the change.

Did raise temperatures some. Was at 18 F and now it’s 33 F. We’ll get to 44 F before the sun leaves our sky at 5:53 PM and night rushes in again. Patches of snow remain on the ground.

‘Conversations’ with friends via email are about Russia and the Ukraine, COVID-19 and its variants, masks, restrictions, vaccinations, and history. Fill in the blanks. I imagine the same conversations going on around the world.

I have “Long Tall Sally” rattling around the morning mental music stream this morning. A friend is laid up after shoulder surgery replacement. His family is away. He’s jonesing for company and invited our beer group over. We’re all double-vaxxed and have followed precautions so it’s a plan. We’ll pick up beer and meet at his house. I have the Beatles’ version of LTS in the mental stream. I heard it most frequently as a child although I have familiarity of several versions I enjoy, including Little Richard’s original offering. I mean, the others are basically imitating Little Richard. The connection with seeing friends and having a beer with them is the refrain, “We’re gonna have some fun tonight.”

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosts when you can. I’m off for coffee. Cheers

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

The snow made it! Woo-hoo!

Shortly after posting yesterday’s theme music, light snow showers began. A few degrees were sliced off and we ping-ponged between sleet and snow for several hours. As the temperature shimmied down to 33 F, fat flakes faithfully fell, lining the world with white. Then the temperature shimmied back up, the snow stopped, and the sidewalks and streets cleared but remained on everything else. Then heavier snow began and continued through the night. We only achieved one to three inches locally, which, great. It’s up in the Sierras and Cascades where we need it. Reports are that it fell heavy there.

A little sigh of relief.

Today is Tuesday, 2/22/2022. Our temperature is now 31. Thin snow flurries fall in the front of the house; sunshine peeks through waning clouds on the house’s backside. The high temperature is expected to be 43 with lows dipping to 12 to 23 degrees, depending on where you are. My house will likely experience twenty-five. Sunrise was at 6:57 this morning and sunset will be at 5:52 this evening.

The snow affected the royal clowder. Sick cat chilled on his space and Tucker assumed his position beside me per usual. Papi, the ginger wonder, usually likes being the squeeze box, going in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out. Not so last night. Three times in and out, then done. I had a great night of rest.

I have a 1976 Gordon Lightfoot song in the morning mental music stream, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. Wrecks and accidents fascinate me, mostly because I’m intrigued by the backstories, not the mayhem. While researching the Soviet space program yesterday (I’m reading “The Apollo Murders”), I became sidetracked on an accident website. Out of that, my neurons began humming the Lightfoot song. So, here we are.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. BTW, the clouds have broken and scattered. It’s now blue skies and sunshine out the front window, and the temperature is up to — wait a sec, please.

“What’s that, coffee? You want me to come and drink you? Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Gotta go. Here’s the music. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

Sunday exploded upon the town without warning. Cries rose as people realized with horror that, OMG, it’s Sunday and tomorrow is Monday, and the end of February is growing nigh.

More closely related to reality, the sun rose pretty much as it always does, at 7 AM, and will set at 5:50 PM. It’s 46 degrees F under a sky that looks indecisive about what the weather will be. Maybe there will be rain, or perhaps those clouds will break apart and let the sun in. The quasi-omnipresent weather folks don’t think it’s going to get much warmer than this. Fifty will be a stretch.

Alexa informed us that there’s a weather advisory for Ashland. She gave start and stop times. “What’s the weather advisory for?” we asked her. She said something like, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Really, what’s the point of telling us one is out there if you can’t tell us what it’s for? We had to go all the way to the other room, maybe twenty-two steps as the Fitbit counts ’em, and look it up on the computer. “Barbaric,” I mumbled to my wife. “Truly,” she agreed. I think she may have rolled her eyes.

By the way, today is February 20, 2022. 02022022. Means something in binary. Means too that I need to do our income taxes. Usually have them done by now and submitted. I’m being a sluggard this year.

The morning mental music stream is heavy with sound today. Most of it is CSN&Y, Alice Cooper, and show tunes. I’m going with a video I saw on FB yesterday of CSN&Y with Tom Jones performing “Long Time Gone” on Tom Jones’ TV show in 1968. For one, I remember watching this show as a child. More, I was taken by the intensity of the performance. These guys were having a good time, and that’s always fun to see.

Here’s the music. Hope you enjoy it. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boost when you can. I’m getting coffee now. Second cup. Yeah, you heard me. Cheers

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Friday’s Theme Music

Boom, Friday. Feels like just yesterday was Thursday.

Today is February 18, 2022. Sunrise moved forward a few minutes more to 7:03 AM and sunset slipped back to 5:47 PM. Temperatures sometimes feel like spring and fall. We rarely feel like winter this year. Today we’ll hit the sixties F again, though it is clear and chilly this morning. Hovering now at 53, they say it feels like 41. I agree, although, when you’re in that sun, its impact is superfine. It’s a blinding sun. No clouds in its way today.

Out walking yesterday, my mind channeled “Kansas City”, a song that I learned as a child. Its beat always worked for a good walking song, and I’ve long used it for that purpose, along with “The Wanderer” by Dion, and “I’m Walking” by Fats Domino. The list has always grown, with later additions being “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas, “I Will Walk 500 Miles” by The Proclaimers, and “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man. Although I’m familiar with several versions of “Kansas City”, I went with this one just because of the number of rockers on stage. (Funny, but they’re mostly Brits playing this American song.) Hope you enjoy it. It’s not the version generally heard in my head; I’ve never found that cover and don’t know who does it. I will continue my search, though.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Locally, we’re moving toward moving mask restrictions. Cases are way down; our zip codes shows 82 percent of us are vaccinated, and deaths are declining. It’ll be a cross-your-fingers, hold-your-breath period, though. Other variants remain out there, and a new one could always develop.

Now, going to the kitchen, to the kitchen here I come, got some hot fresh coffee there, and I’m gonna get me some. Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

Tattered clouds hang over us, letting us glimpse blue sky and sunshine through the rips and tears. Today is Wednesday, I remind myself after a moment, the mid-week for anyone concerned, February 16, 2022. Happy birthday to someone, somewhere. And happy anniversary to someone out there. Congratulations to your new job or promotion, to someone else — well done! For those of you mourning a loss, I feel you, and words loss traction, going nowhere, as I try to express my condolences.

The sun came around the mountains at 7:06 AM and will turn away at 5:45 PM. Feels chilly today, endured and welcomed, because it’s closer to normal and averages. It’s 41 F now — feels like 35 — close to the forecasted high of 47 F. The clouds are fragmenting into large white ships on a calm blue sea.

Today’s music arrived in mental music stream during a walk yesterday afternoon. It was about 4:30 PM. I was thinking, it’s chilly. No sunshine glowed where I walked on the valley’s southern side. Clouds and sun conspired to create a narrow golden band on the valley’s opposite side. I thought about how nice it would be to be over in that sunshine. From there, the neurons said, “Out in the sunshine. The sun is mine.” With that, Soundgarden was playing “Burden in My Hand” from 1996. I share it with you. See if it jogs your memory, where you can say, “Oh, yeah, I remember being with so-and-so and this song played.” Or something like that. That’s always music’s magic for me. With this song, I remember being with John in a club, drinking a beer and singing the song with him, and smiling. He was getting ready to retire, and it was a sweet night. His girlfriend was the DJ.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Here is the song. Time to refill the coffee cup. Cheers

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

Blades of sunshine broke over the mountain a while before the sun broke cover at 7:07 AM. We had rain last night — hurray! Not heavy stuff in our area. With the temperature sitting at 37 F, I checked the surrounding mountains for snow. They said we’d get three to six inches about 5000 feet of elevation. And there it was, a creamy white layer topping the northern mountain ridge. Not much but nice to have it, as it’s been too dry this year. Fingers crossed that more will arrive, especially after reading an article that posits the idea that the U.S. West is in a megadrought. Joy.

Feathered clouds streak the sky with cotton candy pink and blue. We expect a high of 47 today, and no more rain around us, alas. Sunset is expected at 5:43 PM on this Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Note to self: February is over half gone.

Today’s song comes out of walking and eyeing the clouds through a cold rain as I took a walk yesterday and from watching the movie CODA the other night. One featured song in the film was “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell. Released back in 1969, it didn’t make a great impression on this thirteen-year-old American male. It wasn’t until later that I appreciated the song’s nuances and insights about change and perspective.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you’re able. Here’s the music. Guess what I’m doing now? If you guessed I’m going for coffee, you’re wrong. I already have it. I’m drinking my coffee. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

Last night was clear. Ample star and moonshine lit the way into today, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. Sunlight kicked in at 7:10 this morning. NIght comes on shift at 5:41 PM, when sunset begins. We hit 72 F yesterday, according to the home weather station, and will see 72 again today. It’s 46 right now. Nice to have such pleasant weather. Why, it’s spring, really, with trees unfurling leaves and birds bustling about. But we roll through daily ambivalence, contemplating what this dry streak and warm weather is doing to our growing season, fire season, and snowpack and reservoir.

Man, we are so out of cat food in this end of the valley. Only have four grocery stores plus three convenience stores and one drug store; all show almost completely bare shelves where wet cat food should be. I’ve ordered from online, dealing with inflated prices. Forget stockpiling toilet paper. I’m more worried about the cat food. We’ll see what another day, week, and month brings.

Musically, a wide range of songs have been flashing through the morning’s mental music stream. Some, inspired by the moonlight, began last night. A few were about sunrises (and our lack of a tequila sunrise). Then, there was the Monkees’ theme song, a few John Denver tunes, AC/DC, and Tame Impala. Like my neurons are going through the mental drawers and shelves, pulling things out to see what they are.

It all settled down to “Panic Switch” by Silversun Pickups from 2009. I have not heard this song in sooo long. Came up into the theme via a chuckle over telling my cat, “Don’t panic, I’m going to feed you now.” The neurons went, “Can you fall asleep with a panic switch.” Another mind part responded, “Huh?” With the speed of a blazing snail, the bass and rhythm found home in my head, followed weakly by half-remembered lyrics until it all arrived with a shout.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, when needed, and get the vax and boosters as and when you can and need. Coffee is up; I’m off. Cheers

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Friday’s Theme Music

The wheel keeps on turning, and the day is Friday again. February 11, 2022. It’s another stunner of a sunny day out there, already up to 55 degrees F, according to my office weather station. The earth turned us into the sun at 7:13 this morning and will turn us away at 5:38 PM. They tell us it’ll hit 76 in the valley today, which would be a new record. Maybe, but my part of the valley didn’t see the 75 they claimed yesterday. We’re now into a historic stretch of dry weather, a sad promise that the drought will probably continue and deepen this year.

I have a strange one in the morning mental music stream: “The William Tell Overture”. I’m speculating that it’s because of the horses in a dream I had. Though they were tiny horses — smaller than a cat — they triggered a memory of “The Lone Ranger”. That was a television show that played on Saturday mornings in my youth, alongside “Sky King”, “Looney Tunes” (featuring Bugs Bunny and the gang), “Mighty Mouse”, “Tom and Jerry”, “Deputy Dawg”, and “Top Cat”. What glorious morning television! Then, eat fast, dress fast, and bang, out the door, often on my bike, unless the snow was too deep. In every season except winter, my baseball mitt hung on my handlebar, so I was ready and available for any pickup baseball or softball game that I came across.

“The William Tell Overture” is associated with “The Lone Ranger” because it was used as the theme music. A teacher took note of this and used it as a teaching moment, introducing us to classical music. From “The William Tell Overture”, we ended up exploring “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, “Peter and the Wolf”, and many others. She’s the same teacher who prodded me into reading more and expanding my reading interests. I owe her a huge debt.

So, let’s return to those thrilling days of yesteryear. It’s a rousing, heroic melody, ideal for your weekend beginning, weekend, whatever. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, when needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Here’s the music. Hi-Yo, Silver, I’m galloping off for some coffee. Cheers

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