Sunday’s Theme Music

Sunday, Feb. 27, 2023, has chugged into the calendar station with all the screeching, hisses, and sighs of an old steam locomotive coming to a halt. It’s February’s final Sunday for 2023. One sixth of the year’s months have passed us. Or we passed them.

The gray light seeping through filtering clouds must pass for daylight. That started at 6:50 AM. The daylight hours will end shortly after the sunset at 5:58 this evening. Meanwhile, the valley is seeing a warmer today. Never dropped below 49 degrees F during the night. Now at 52, we expect a high of 60 F. Rain showers may fall.

Had songs from Little Shop of Horrors in the midnight mental music stream. Rocky Horror Picture Show songs followed. They’re gone from the morning mental music stream, which is instead featuring U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday”. “How long must we sing this song? How long?” The song was released in 1983. U2 members say that it’s about the cycle of violence and doesn’t stand for any specific incidents. Thats what we’re seeing in Ukraine, isn’t it? The cycle of violence. Using war under political cover to kill others, steal, and pervert civilization. We’ve been doing it a long time. How much longer will it happen?

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. I’m off for the morning ration of coffee. Here’s the tune, from Live Aid in 1985. Cheers

February 27, 2022 3

Saturday’s Theme Music

“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.” Sometimes they say that Mark Twain said this but that’s disputed. Watching Russia attack and invade Ukraine as Putin talks about going after Finland and Sweden sure does echo with past historic performances in Europe.

Today is Saturday, Mar — no, wait — February 26, 2022. I’ve been doing some time traveling and screwed up the date in yesterday’s post. Or, the cats were angry that I hadn’t provided them with sufficient treats and attention and changed it. Or, I simply made a mistake. I think it’s one of the first two. Surely, it’s not the third. And some reading that will say, “Don’t call me Shirley.” The sun delivered its gift on schedule at 6:51 this morning and is scheduled to perform all day in this area, packing it up at 5:57 this evening. Temperatures weren’t as cold last night, dropping to

The latest war, started by Putin in Russia, attacking Ukraine, pretending he’s doing it for the good of the Ukraine (which I’m sure something the dead agree with) has been going on for a few days. As it takes place, it has the feel and flavor of something that might expand to engulf the world. Not needed, know what I’m saying?

Two songs are competing for attention in the morning’s mental music stream. One is a disco song released in 1976 by one of the great singers and performers of any era. The other is a prog rock song that came out in 2001. “Drops of Jupiter” by Train is the second song. It came to head because of yesterday. The sun was giving us a gift of warm sunshine. My wife and I went down to Lithia Park to walk around and share in some of the treasure. Afterward, she wanted to visit a new store, called Drops of Jupiter. That’s what prompted the neurons to begin the piano notes, vocals, and strings that open the song. But I’ve used that song twice before as the theme music, so it gets voted out of the head.

The second offering is “Love Hangover” by Diana Ross from 1976. Disco raged across the world during that time. I don’t know why the neurons brought it up today. I’m more of a classic rocker with a leaning toward blues but being in a car or out and about meant that you were probably going to be exposed back in the 1970s, which is fine. It’s not rock, but disco has many admirable elements. It’s not the music I’d put on to relax or party, but then, my mother was always shaking her head and telling me that my music was not music. So, different tastes.

Here’s the music. Stay postive. Test negative. Wear a mask as needed. Get the vax and boosters. Hope the war ends soon but I have my doubts. Besides, it’s too late for too many already, and the ramifications for other matters, like the world’s wheat supply, are already rising. I’m going to go get coffee to reflect on it. Cheers

February 26, 2022 2

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.

February 25, 2022 6

February 24, 2022 2

Finished

Finished editing and revising The Constant. Final results: 391 pages, 106,291 words. Speculative science fiction mash up. I’ve worked on it throughout the coronavirus pandemic, beginning it around the time in March of 2020 when wearing masks, social distancing, isolation, and watching the daily case numbers became the new norms of the age. I’d been forced into a change of my writing practices. I liked walking to get into the writing rhythm, writing in my head as I did, then settling into a coffee shop, comforted and buffeted by the business activities around me, lowering my head and writing for a few hours. That was all forced aside under COVID-19 rules. Staying at home, shifting into the writing rhythm without the associated rituals was an exhausting, frustrating shift.

Satisfying feeling to finish the novel. I often think of James Caan as author Paul Sheldon in the movie version of the Stephen King version, Misery, when I finish a novel. He had a ritual for when he finished his. He writes ‘The End’ on the final page in pencil. Stacks and tidies the manuscript. Puts it into an attaché. Pours a glass of champagne. Regards a cigarette. Puts it in his mouth, lights the match and then the cigarette. Takes a drag. We learn later, when he’s under Annie Wilke’s care (the nurse and fan played by Kathy Bates) that this was his ritual created when he finished his first successful novel. It’s an engaging film. Was released in 1990. Wow, thirty-two years ago. You should watch it if you haven’t seen it. Also a good book to read. Misery, by Stephen King.

I don’t have any rituals. As others noted after I posted about wrestling with a chapter called Thelma & Louise, it feels good to finish a challenging task. Writing a novel is a challenging task. Finishing it is rewarding. Too, I feel the loss of being done, something felt when I changed duty stations in the military or advanced from one grade to another in school as a child. You’ve done something, and you’re moving forward; yet, to do that, some things must be left behind. What is left behind is part of my fabric of daily activities and focus. Finishing the writing of a novel is about change that I’ve forced on myself.

It’s a change I accept. I’ve done it before. I’ll do it again. The process and finishing are a comforting buffer against the war videos emerging coming out of Europe as Russia attacks Ukraine.

February 24, 2022 5

February 22, 2022 0

February 21, 2022 4

January 12, 2022 0

Saturday’s Theme Music

“It’s gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day.” Already is. H/t to Johnny Nash for those words and the song they’re from, “I Can See Clearly Now”, from 1972. That’s my theme music today.

Today is Saturday, January 8, 2022. Man, the year is flying by. As this is the late Elvis Presley’s birthday, let’s pause for a moment to imagine an 86-year-old Elvis.

39 degrees F right now but we expect a high of 49 degrees and a low of 32. Not bad for a winter day in our valley.

On happy news, our zip code, 97520, has reached the 80% vaccination rate for our eligible people. Yea, us. On a less happy note, the zip codes around us are mostly mired around fifty to sixty percent, including the large city nearby, Medford. Of course, the Omicron variant has cases zooming to record levels.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and booster when ye’ can. Hope you have a bright sunshiny day. I’m gonna go get a hot, hot, black cuppa coffee. Cheers

January 8, 2022 0

Thursday’s Theme Music

The results have been collected and tabulated. I am pleased to announce that today is Thursday, January 6, 2022. The sun came up in the east at 0740 and will set in the west at 1654. Our outside temperature by my home is 51 degrees F under partly cloudy skies and bright sunshine. Our expected high is 53 F. It’s a heat wave. One cat is out there loving it, washing himself in the backyard sunshine. The other two have gone back to bed.

To quote a friend about COVID-19:

“The Covid data by Zip Code is, unfortunately what you might expect from Omicron.

Locals seem to be tired of following guidelines. Hopefully this is primarily due to the unvaxed.

Ashland (Zip 97520) averaged 26/ week fir the first 4 weeks of December; last week it was 52; and this week thru 1/5 it is 125.

Mark’s estimate of peaking in 4 to 6 weeks may be correct; but how high will the peak be?”

Yes, the numbers are stunning. My wife and I went shopping this morning, in the store at 8 AM. Wearing N95 masks, we stopped at two stores. All were masked at the first although one woman wore her mask below her nose. (Really, WTF?) All were masked at the second initially but there was an unmasked jackass at the end. Which summarizes things in hard focus: while you do what you can, there will be jackasses screwing up the best of plans.

Listening to a 1975 Earth, Wind, and Fire song, “That’s the Way Of The World”, in my morning mental music stream. Song’s presence is directly attributable to a late afternoon walk yesterday. Sunset’s last vain rose was touching on the mountain’s white tops across the valley. A little drizzle had been falling but it was pleasant trekking in the 50 degree day. The ingredients spilled peace of mind into me. From there came this mellow song:

You will find (you will find)
Peace of mind (yeah, ha)
If you look way down
In your heart and soul
Ahh, don’t hesitate
‘Cause the world seems cold
Stay young at heart
Ahh, ’cause you’re never
Never old at heart (never, never, never, never, never, never)
Oh, yeah… yeah, ha

h/t to Genius.com

Stay positive, test negative, defend yourself against jackasses by wearing a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Here’s the music. Time for another cuppa coffee. Cheers

Earth, Wind & Fire (8/11) – Thats the way of the world – YouTube