Tag: 1977

Thursday’s Theme Music

Doors ajar, windows open, cool morning air flows through the house. It’s 64 F out but will strike the upper nineties today. We’re bracing for the weekend when triple digit are expected for the first time this year for us.

Meanwhile, we’ll enjoy this day, because it’s here, and we are, too. It’s Thursday, June 23, 2022. Sunrise came as expected, just after dark thirty this AM. Sunshine will rule until sunset, just before 9 PM this evening.

I have “Barracuda” by Heart from 1977 in the morning mental music stream. I remember that one friend at the time of the song’s release hated this song, just hated it, always complaining because everyone thought Heart was Nancy and Ann, and that enraged him. I realized that he didn’t hate the song, but the group. Around then, I noticed him veering sharply toward racism and sexism and curtailed associating with him.

The neurons brought “Barracuda” forward because of a quote I’d one read from one of the Wilson sisters about “Barracuda” being based on another group’s song. She said, paraphrasing, you steal or borrow what you love and make it your own. I’ve observed it countless times in rock music and novels. I’m doing it my novel, because that’s how it works. I don’t call it stealing or borrowing: I call it inspiration.

Stay positive and test negative. Papi just came in and reminded me that it’s time for coffee. He’s right. Such a smart cat. Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

Basking in some weak sunshine on a chilly morning. 50 F out but you can’t prove that by me. The cats agree, it’s meh outside.

Today is Wednesday, 18 May 2022. Lethargic today. I need coffee to get up and get my coffee. I exercise almost every morning. Five out of seven is the weekly average. Early errands usually forestall the other days’ exercising. This morning, I did one and thought, should I do more? I did, later.

While it’s 50 now, we expect 75 before sunset is struck at 8:28 PM. The sunrise, a lightening of the gray, was at 5:47 this morning. I wasn’t there for it.

I don’t know where the song in my morning mental music stream came from. Originating in the 1970s by the glam rock band, the Tubes, “White Punks on Dope”. The song reminds me of songs that were played in “This is Spinal Tap”, the mockrockumentary. Don’t know why the neurons dragged the song up out of the subconscious basement. It seems like a strange twist even for them.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as or when needed, and so on. And vote. Vote for some positive change this year. Also vote to have someone bring me a cuppa coffee so I can become a white punk on caffeine. No?

Guess I’ll do it myself.

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Sunday’s Theme Music

This is Sunday. We’ve awoken to that fact. Other information filters in. May 15, 2022. Almost half of May numbered as the past. Almost half of 2022 joining the historic ranks. Sunrise, 5:50 AM, was bright and strong. There to see it, because Papi stayed up and outside to see it, and called me to come see it. Temperature is 56 F. Anticipated high is around 77 F. Sunset: 8:25 PM.

The neurons floated multiple songs through the morning mental music stream, creating, for a while, a morning mental music stream medley. Yeah, I went there. Most of these songs were from the late 1970s. Putting it together, I think they go well with the age I was in a dream and put it all down to wishful thinking about when, where, and was.

The medley eventually thinned. Linda Ronstadt rose with “Blue Bayou” from 1977 and took over the MMMS. I once won a small wager with this song. About ten years after it’d been a hit for Linda, a young guy was talking about the song. I realized that he attributed it to her as the original artist and told him that Roy Orbison had it as a hit when I was a child. He was flabbergasted. We went through several other songs that night, including, “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”, which he ascribed to Guns ‘n Roses, and “A Hazy Shade of Winter” ‘by’ the Bangles.

I love that one line from the song, “If I could only see that familiar sunrise through sleepy eyes, how happy I’d be.”

Okay, coffee time. Stay positive and test negative. Be on guard, but chill. Here’s the music. Cheers

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Friday’s Theme Music

Let us turn the page. Turning a calendar page has a waning crowd. It’s like spending a dime. Dropping the penny. Looking a gift horse in the mouth or having a pig in a poke.

Today is April 1, 2022, Friday. Sun’s first light was peeping into the valley well before our official kickoff at 6:51 this morning. Clouds have faded into high pale shadows of themselves, trickles of white braced against a hazy blue field. Temperatures dropped to 33 F last night, driving the cats back in — well, just the one really, as the other is older and has decided he prefers indoor life and firm sunshine over the cold dark. We’re now up to 44, though, and expect the mercury to reach 66 as our high. Do young people understand temperature and our links to mercury references?

Which delivers me to the morning mental music stream. A friend referred to “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac from 1977 the other night. Inspired by being outside last night, listening to the wind blow as shadows and darkness took over after sunset, the neurons began playing the song for me. They have yet to stop. Oh, those crazy neurons.

Here’s the song. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, etc. We’re on the hunt for a second booster. We were originally J&Jers and my wife is immunocompromised. Every small edge is pursued and appreciated. It’s not ready to be delivered yet, as no one in the valley has it available, except Walgreen’s in Medford. We’ll keep looking, calling, searching, etc.

Speaking of appreciation, I think I’ll go get my coffee. The neurons will appreciate it.

Cheers

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Thursday’s Theme Music

7:20 and 7:20 is when the sun will rise and set. We’ve achieved an equal number of hours on either side of sunrise and sunset. Guess it’s the vernal equinox in our valley, though the calendar says that today is Thursday, March 17, 2022. Spring doesn’t ‘arrive’ until this Sunday. But here we are, 44 F, with a projected high of 60, everything coming up green, blossomy, and flowery.

It was a dreamorama night but I awoke with Jerry Orbach singing “Try to Remember” in the morning mental music stream. That only lasted for about ten minutes before the neurons got up and changed the music to Billy Joel and “Only the Good Die Young” from 1977.

“Why’d you put that on?” I asked the neurons.

They shrugged.

“What’s that mean?” I asked.

They shrugged again. “I don’t know.”

Guess I’d run into some teenaged neurons.

Anyway, that’s the theme music. I believe my convo with sick cat inspired the neurons. Cancer is turning his demise into the long goodbye. Many folks say, end his misery, but he comes to me for purrs, demands food and gamely eats, sleeps against my leg, and generally gets around with too much life in the tank for me to drain it. He’s probably in pain but I don’t think he’s ready to go. I think he’ll let me know when he’s done.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, if needed, when needed, and get the shots. I’m getting the coffee. I would offer to get you some but you’re on the other side of this screen. Have a better one.

Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music

February’s final day to make an impression on us has arrived. Yes, today is it, Monday, the work week’s beginning, is February 28, 2022, the last day of Feb. Despite that drama (or non-drama, really — just a mental shift for me, don’t know about you), the sun rose at 6:48 AM and will set at 6 PM. It’s a warmish, cloudyish day, with rain offers in its gray gaze. Current temp. is 55 F, and 67 is on the plate as a high.

“You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)” by Rod Stewart (1977) is in the morning mental music stream. The neurons brought it up during a conversation with sick cat, but it stands well with news out of Ukraine. They’re in many people’s hearts as they stand against Putin’s aggression and Russia’s savagery. Lot of stories of bravery have emerged from Ukrainians fighting for their nation and rights. Shouldn’t be a surprise, as they’ve fought for their rights before.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Here is the music. I’m off on a quest to find a cuppa hot coffee. Not much of a quest, really; it’s right there in the kitchen. Lucky me.

Cheers

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Thursday’s Theme Music

Mornin’, fellow fogheads. If you’re in my valley, you’re probably a foghead, that is one walking in fog. For it is Thursday, December 2, 2021, and it’s a languid foggy AM. Sunshine is trying to breach the fog wall. It did successfully do so in yesterday’s mid-afternoon. Kind of entrancing right now, with glimmers of sunlight eking through the fog’s western perimeter, above the pine and fir clad mountainside, and a train whistle blowing as a locomotive and its cargo stops traffic on its way north. Temperatures are rolling up through the low forties right now on their way to an expected high in the mid-fifties. All this stagnant, foggy air is expected to last until next week when a new Pacific storm slides in. These temperatures are higher than average, piling more worries up about the mountain snowpacks that feed our water supply throughout the year. Sunrise was at 7:21 AM. Sunset will occur at 4:40 PM. However, we’re in the mountains’ shadow, so it feels like the sun pulls down the night on us earlier than that.

Dreams are also foggy and, prosaic of what I remember of them. All that improbably leads to Boston playing “Peace of Mind” from 1977. I always like those lyrics that demand, “Take a look ahead,” followed by exhortations, “Look ahead,” repeated a few times. Regardless of my frequency of posting about the past or sharing memories, I’m a person who prefers to look ahead. It’s a good theme song as we begin closing down 2021 and start prepping for 2022.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and booster when you’re able. Carpe diem. I’ll start by carpe coffee. Here’s the music. It’s an interesting video of Boston doing the song live in 1979. RIFP, Brad Delp, who committed suicide in 2007, when he was 56. That’s home on vocals, giving his all.

Cheers

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

Today is 327, by the Julian calendar. Pretty straightforward, innit, ‘stead of all that Tuesday, November 11, 2021 stuff, but not as poetic and evocative. You give a day, say, Tuesday, and you think of things. Birthdays, work, anniversaries, songs. 327, I pretty much think of a Chevy engine, Corvettes and Camaros. I also think, 3+2+7 = 12 = 1 + 2 = 3.

Sunrise split the gauzy cloud layers at 7:11 AM. The sun will conduct business in our realm until 4:43 PM. No appointment necessary. Temperatures will be warmer for the lows (39) and colder for the highs (45) than yesterday. Rain showers are possible with no great accumulation.

I have the Boomtown Rats playing from 1977 in the morning mental music stream. I ascribe its presence to the holiday shopping season bearing down on us. While it’s supposed to be a season of giving, watching people on the television going nuts buying things really causes me to doubt the purpose behind it all. The car commercials and their enormous sales, about people spending gobs of money to buy a car to make this ‘a season to remember’ doesn’t help at all. The song is all about selfishness, and that’s what I see as the final manifestation of much of the buying going on. It’s a gimme gimme gimme time of year.

Well, stay positive — yeah, sure you’re feeling pos after my minor screedette — test negative for COVID-19, get the vax and booster when you can, and wear a mask as needed. Speaking of needed, I have a need for coffee. Catch you on the flip side. Cheers

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Saturday’s Theme Music

Sun nuzzled us through thinning clouds at 7:17 AM, inviting us to ogle a deep blue sky. Temperatures were hovering in the low forties. Will get up to the mid sixties. But the air is clear and fresh. Leaves are turning colors more rapidly, dropping from trees with alacrity, affecting trees with empty branch syndrome. Sunset on this Saturday, October 9, 2021, will be at 6:39 PM.

I found myself with David Bowie’s song, “Sound and Vision” (1977) in the mental morning music stream. All because of the blinds. The blinds were closed, as we do every night. Renders the house tres dark. Seeing it, I thought, “Pale blinds drawn all day, nothing to read, nothing to say.” Which is a line from the song. Realizing that some song line had randomly dropped into my head, I had to drop a dime to the gods of recall. Success came as more song sputtered in, followed at last by the salient details of artist and year. Had to verify the year, though, via Wikipedia. Was tenuous to me.

First time I ever heard the song, it made me impatient. Like, this is boring. When will he start singing? But I think, retrospectively, that’s what it’s all about. Waiting. Killing time. Especially, if, I imagine, you’ve just gone through some issues, as Bowie had before writing this song. Not my favorite Bowie song — like most music, it depends on my mood — but it still interests me. Plus I like his voice. Cool voice. Much better than the gruff sound that emanates from my coffee hole.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax, yeah? Here’s my coffee. Here’s the music. Enjoy. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

Slipped out at midnight to see what it was like. It had cooled, a surprise. The smoke had retreated from around my house so I stayed out there for a few minutes until the smoke began sneaking up on me again.

The smoke is still out there today. Red sky dawn as the particles bloodied the sun on its 6:18 AM arrival. Temperatures are expected to be lower today, mid to low nineties. Air quality still hovers between unhealthy and extremely unhealthy. No blue sky out there again; just a yellow white slate. Visibility is still low. Drove in to town on a library run yesterday. Visibility was about half a mile on the road. Where we could usually see the yellow Ashland Springs Hotel about two miles away — our tallest building — on the straight run into two, yesterday we saw little of anything. As you an imagine, there wasn’t much traffic. No one out running, walking, or biking. Plenty of parking available. Businesses were closed, events canceled. A bleak day. Daylight will end at 8:12. It’ll cool but not clear after that. It’s rumored Monday could bring a change. Maybe movement by the heat dome. Or wind. Maybe rain.

Out of dream land comes today’s theme music. Not certain how it all links up but when I awoke and contemplated dreams while still abed, a stinky cat by my side (he has butt issues, among other things, like fur and hygiene issues and arthritis), Crystal Gayle’s “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” (1977) to mind. I’m not country nor western oriented but I grew up in an area where such music was popular. Plus, this was a huge hit for her. No wonder; she has a lovely voice and it’s put into good effect in this song. I never considered it to sound particularly C&W. It always struck me as something from the smooth jazz milieu. Anyway, that’s my music choice and I’m sticking with it.

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

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