Tag: 2020

Monday’s Theme Music

I was out helping my wife with the Food and Friends Project. She’s the official volunteer. Once a week, the takes her place in the rotation to deliver meals to shut-in seniors. The list has become reduced to one page, just eight clients for her route, since the pandemic has set in. We know a few passed away to non-COVID-19-related issues. We wonder about the rest. I’m just the driver, helping her so it goes quicker for her, and it gets me out of the house, doing something else.

While out, I saw so many people walking alone. Of course, I generally walk alone; I plan to walk today. It’s sunny, temperatures in the high thirties, but dry (and that damn wind has stopped for a day). Perfect to do two to three miles of hills.

Among those walking alone were people who seemed like me. Out on errands or walking for the satisfaction of it. Some, though, you question their circumstances. Anyway, it prompted me to begin thinking about all of that, about who we are, who (and what) we were, and who/what we become. So much is beyond our control as circumstances and/or tragedy strikes and/or our bodies and minds betray us. Who we become often becomes dependent on who we have around us.

All these thoughts snaked around to a 2005 Audioslave song, “Be Yourself”. The song is about trying to find salvation (is it inside you or elsewhere) and also what you hide and what you reveal, and what you are inside.

Someone tries to hide himself, down inside himself he prays
Someone swears his true love until the end of time, another runs away
Separate or united, healthy or insane

h/t to Genius.com

2020 is closing up shop. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get vaccinated. 2021 is about to begin. Bring it on.

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Sunday’s Theme Music

This one started after having a dream, then was recalled and reinforced when dealing with the cats.

“Gimme Little Sign” was a 1967 hit for Brenton Wood. (Yeah, I had to look that up; didn’t recall the name at all.) I was eleven when it came out. Discovering girls and trying to understand them in my subsequent teen years, the song made sense. “Just gimme some kind of sign, girl,” you know? Do you like me or what? Want to go to the movies? Wanna go steady?

A dream about a game kicked it up out of the subconscious basement. In the dream, as the game started and I faltered, I said in exasperation, “Give me some kind of sign about what I’m supposed to be doing.” Then, watching others, I suddenly grasped the mechanics and rules, and was all, “Oh, yeah. Now I get it.”

Later, as I was up and processing the dailies and the cats and I interacted, they seemed to be all over about what they wanted. Impatience gaining traction, I asked Boo, “Can you give me some kind of sign about what it is you want?” Which then rekindled memories of the dream and the song.

It’s like a personal game of six degrees.

Here’s the music. It is a redux, as I posted it in 2017, but it’s a classic from that era, so I hope you enjoy it. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get vaccinated. Cheers

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Saturday’s Theme Music

Called Mom yesterday to exchange holiday greetings. She lives in a suburb east of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania where they’re more or less snowed in. Four to six inches were on the ground and the snow was still falling. The roads had been plowed and salted, and appeared outside her window. But snow still fell and temperatures were low. Those are treacherous conditions. If you don’t need to go out, you don’t.

So she and her fiancée spent Christmas at home alone. They seemed fine with that. Stocked with plenty of food, they know how to entertain themselves and one another. She conveyed to me the news that the governor had announced that Allegheny county, where she resides, had received the Pfizer COVID-19. Residents seventy years old plus would be the first vaccinated. Mom is awaiting word on the schedule and details.

Conversation ended up including food — of course (Mom and my sisters love holiday meal planning, and endless discussions, texts, and emails ensue to make it all happen — which it didn’t, this COVID year) — relatives, and then music. Mom relayed to me that her two favorite songs are “Blue Christmas” covered by Elvis Presley (1957) and “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey (1994). “Blue Christmas” has been around a while. In cassette days, one sister always bought her a new cassette for the holiday. Mom would pop it into her Walkman and wear it out as she listened and went about activities.

The Carey song stuck in my head. So, thanks to Mom, your after-Christmas theme music is “All I Want for Christmas Is You”. Whenever I think of this song, it’s lifted from the movie, Love Actually (2003). Enjoy the music, stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vaccine. Happy holiday!

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Thursday’s Theme Music

I awoke with “Silent Running” by Mike + The Mechanics (1985) streaming in my head. When it ended, the next track from that CD began. I decided “All I Need Is a Miracle” (1986) would be today’s theme music. It’s possibly a redux; I didna look. It’s an upbeat song and fits my upbeat mood.

Stay pos, test neggy, and wear a mask. Cheers

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

Up and out early, I caught the sun’s first flush spreading over the snowy mountains on the valley’s other side as the sky gained blues and lost its darkness. Every night has its dawn, went through my head, which brought on Bret Michaels of Poison singing, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (1988). It’s a mellow song for a metal band, but a nice sound for contemplating winter, 2020.

Stay positive. Test negative. Wear a mask.

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Monday’s Theme Music

Miserable night for sky watching yester-evening. Clouds forever. But I was out there with my star finder anyway. I was looking for Jupiter-Saturn but was certain that I was out at the wrong time and that it was below the horizon. I mean, I’ve been tracking it for weeks going on months. Also, I spotted it the other morning while we were out on an early morning shopping mission for baking supplies, so I had a strong sense of its pattern. I was pleased to see it that morning. It was so wonderfully sharp and bright.

Anyway, I was enjoying last night’s nine PM silence. With lockdown, there’s little road traffic. The Depeche Mode song, “Enjoy the Silence” rose to mind. “Words are very unnecessary.” Yeah, I like the silence but I need the words in my head. Writing can be a challenge. Seeing a scene, hearing dialogue, even hearing thoughts and feeling emotions, you know what is to happen. The whole package is there. But the words must be presented to share it with a reader on paper. Those words that I put down are sometimes so banal and awkward, it makes for a teeth-grinding experience.

But the 1990 Depeche Mode song can work for today’s music. For one, Donald Trump has been quiet and out of sight, sulking, grieving his election loss, abandoning his duties in general. He’d never taken them seriously, anyway, always blustering about his greatness while his minions ran wild, de-regulating all that they could and milking opportunities to further empower the wealthy.

Ugh, don’t want to go down that road this early. Enjoy the music. Stay positive (yeah, like that’s so easy), test negative, wear a mask, and get vaccinated. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

Sipping coffee, looking out the window, I was thinking of the season. I’d just asked Alexa about the time for sunrise and sunset today. I’m getting ready for the solstice. I’m not a fan of the shortened period of daylight. I like Ms Sun. She and I go waaayyy back. To me, ocean and sun with a little beach is la perfect combo.

There’s no snow out there this morning but calendar thoughts took me to the notion that Christmas is next week. Kwanza and Chanukah are already in session. Queuing up behind this week is New Year’s, then Biden is inaugurated. The vaccine is being distributed. Did I dare dream that change is coming?

These thoughts ’bout what’s comin’ led me to Three Dog Night’s cover of “Eli’s Coming” from 1969. Took three shakes of a neuron to do a thought mash up, combining Christmas is coming with “Eli’s Coming”. Such an adaptation could be a perfect holiday song.

Everywhere I go, though

Chanukah’s a-comin’ (She walked, but she’ll never get away)
Kwanza’s a-comin’ (She walked, but she’ll never get away)
Christmas a-comin’ (She walked, but she’ll never get away)

Sorry, it was BC, that horrible period of the morning before coffee has reassured my brain. Happy holidays to you. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, get a vaccine, and stay sane. Cheers

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

Today’s song comes as a reflection on 2020 and its events. As I cogitated about what was and wasn’t, and what might be, I thought of how mojo rises and falls. What will the mojo be like in 2021?

All that thinking led me to a Cat Stevens song, “Wild World” (1970). I was fourteen when I heard the song. His singing tone spoke to me as it did a significant swath of my generation.

“But if you want to leave, take good care. I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear. But then a lot of nice turns bad out there.”

Yeah, you never know how things will turn. You can predict and plan, expect, hope, and pray. It often turns without warning, spurred by a sudden wind, a sharp word, a surprise pain, a shy glance, a quick smile, a brief hug. For want of a nail…

Have a good day. Stay positive, test negative, and wear a mask, please.

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Friday’s Theme Music

Feels like I’m in a rut. Feels like either dreams, cats, politics, or news (or some Satanic mashup of these influences) push my theme music choices. Today, the wheel turned, and stopped on politics.

This is driven by the Texas lawsuit to throw out the election results in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. There’s no evidence of fraud, mind you, (Trump and his supporters have lost over fifty cases regarding election irregularities, winning one) or that the law was broken, but law, order, and justice means less and less to the GOP these days.

And this is driven by GOP governors and U.S. Representatives joining in this farce. It’s driven by another absurd declaration by Pat Robertson and God’s will. Driving it, too, is the terrorism that Trump supporters are employing to overturn the election results, showing up armed at the Michigan’s Secretary of State’s home to threaten her. Very classy. Very democratic.

Reading summaries and stories on these matters this AM had me shaking my head with growing irritation, culminating in the growl, “One of these days.” You know, as in, one of these days, karma will react and strike all those people down. One of these days, these people will come to their senses or rejoin reality (but can they ever be trusted again?). One of these days…

Well, I don’t need to hammer that nail any more, do I? The gist is driven home.

This led my mind to invite a Foo Fighters 2012 song, “These Days”, into the active stream. “These Days” is not political but is more about love karma, you know? But it works for my purposes. So here’s “These Days”. Remember, stay positive (unlike me…you know?), test negative, and wear a mask, please.

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

I ended up with a political spin on a love song today. The song, from 1997, is “If You Could Only See” by Tonic. It came to me as I read some interview with another Republican insisting that the election is a fraud and everything must be tossed out. They don’t want a do-over, mind you: they just want Trump declared the winner. Never mind any facts that say anything about the election’s validity. Some nefarious, shadowy and powerful individual allowed Trump to be elected four years ago, let him run the country, but now said, “Oh, but enough. We will rig the election so he loses.”

Such bizarre reasoning always prompts wonder in me. Why do they so love Trump? Why do they put so much faith in unproven conspiracies? Why do they believe statements shown to be lies and fabrication?

Yeah, we have theories about it all. It brought some lines from Tonic’s song into my mental stream this AM.

Well you got your reasons.
And you got your lies.
And you got your manipulations.

That sums it up for me. Strange reasoning, reinforced by lies and manipulation. Truly, this song from 1997 is proper for this era in 2020. Stay positive, test negative, and mask up. Cheers

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