Tag: memories

Wednesday’s Theme Music

The rumor of a breeze circulated at ten o’clock last night. The temperature had plummeted to 91 F by then, still a little warm for opening the doors and windows to cool the house. Although we have central A/C, I dislike its effects on my sinuses, environment, and energy bill, and avoid using it as much as possible. I really wanted to open the doors and such, and it was hard to hear the insects and bugs’ tiny rapping and requests to come in and escape the heat. I eventually yielded at eleven, when it was 81 outside and 86 in the house. The air, still warm, barely stirred.

A few clouds and haze mar the sky’s true color today. This Wednesday, the final of July, 2022, the 27, for those seeking more, will reach 104 they say. We officially reached only 100 in Ashland yesterday, although my house said it was 103.5 as the high experienced. Sunset will be at 8:36 PM. Sunrise today was at 5:59 AM. It might be the last time for a sunrise before six in the morning, unless it happens again when we ‘fall back’ with the clock later this year.

“Janie’s Got A Gun” by Aerosmith (1989) inhabits the morning mental music stream. The song is about parents and others raping, abusing, and molesting children and Janie getting a gun to stop it. Rape was removed from the radio version. And yeah, it came up as a song as I read more sickening news of the world. Not going into it any further. Many people frequently promote an idea for using a gun to shoot and kill people with state permission as soon as their crime is discovered. I’m not for that for many reasons, among them being an orderly and intelligent system of justice. I know it fails often but throwing it out isn’t a solution; its shortcomings need to be addressed and fixed. That’s difficult in today’s political environment but I stand by the belief.

Stay positive and test negative. Wear masks and get vaxes as needed. Good luck and stay safe. Coffee? Why, thank you, I think I will.

Cheers

1

Tuesday’s Theme Music

The dice have been tossed. Rolling to a stop, they come up Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

106 F is today’s magic number for our valley. We hit 103.5 F yesterday. Only cooled to 22 C overnight. Already 24 C this morning.

The sun peeled back the night at 5:58 AM. Night will reclaim the valley upon the sun’s setting at 8:37 PM. Them’s the rules.

All this warm weather has the cats in an interesting zone. During the day, they staked out cool shade and slept. One took up the front door and the other guarded the back. This morning’s cool air turned the house into a grand prix circuit as the cats exercised some zoomies, accelerating down hallways, blasting around corners, obliterating toy mice and throw rugs encountered along the way. The FIA should check out it as a new race venue: the Clay Street Grand Prix. Seating will be limited so they’ll need to turn to television to keep their lofty revenues up.

Today’s music came from eavesdropping on two young women. I’d bet on them being twenty-somethings. One was encouraging the other in some enterprise and told her, “Your day will come.”

Well, The Neurons leaped right on that, popping “Our Day Will Come” into the mental music stream where it remained this morning. The original hit that I knew, from a year I couldn’t remember, was by Ruby and the Romantics. A 45’s label is burned into memory as it was loaded on a pink and gray little portable record machine. Where, who, when are blanks. Covers and other variations of the song were encountered throughout my life but I always enjoyed the one with the organ solo in the middle.

BTW, I just love that expression, “eavesdropping”. Hearing it conjures a person hanging upside down from eaves outside people’s windows.

Well, here we go. Stay safe, test negative, exercise some critical thinking, and remain positive. Coffee time now, before the heat becomes oppressive.

Here’s the music. Cheers

0

Sunday’s Theme Music

It’s supposed to reach 99 F today. They’re telling us, tomorrow, it’s gonna get hot.

Today is Sunday, the 24th day of July in the common era year of 2022.

Our thermometers hover at 12 C right now, which is not bad. We’ll surge over 100 F tomorrow, and hang around that territory for the week, where much of the U.S. is already residing this July. Clouds have been peeled away, leaving a blue veneer that inspires paintings. Sunrise kicked off the daylight hours at 5:56 this morning. Night will commence after sunset at 8:38 PM.

“Tired of Toein’ the Line” by Rocky Burnett from 1980 is in the morning mental music stream. The Neurons put it there after a conversation with the cats. They seemed to be telling me that they’re tired of toeing the line, breaking out in zoomies and galloping in and out of the house, their response to me telling them that it’s gonna be hot so they need to take care of themselves and toe the line some to stay safe and healthy. Their demo ended when Papi raced in and threw himself down across from me. Fixing a steady amber gaze on me, he seemed to be saying, “That’s what I think of your line.”

Well, they were acting out but I’m sure they got the message. They’re not stupid, just independent and a bit mocking. Tucker is less so, being older.

While I heard the song, I had no clues about its year or performer nor even the title. I guessed at the last and suspected that it was related to 1980. I’d been thinking about that year. Living in San Antonio, it was the first time that my wife and I expected consecutive days over 100 F, and we went through twelve of them that summer. Had to search the net to bring it all together.

Okay, stay positive and test negative, keep cool and take precautions as needed to protect thyself and others. Gonna get hot coffee before it gets too hot out to enjoy, right? Here’s the tune. Do you know it?

Peace out.

0

Friday’s Theme Music

We’ve cooled some more here in southern Oregon. Hope the rest of the world can cool off. Today’s temperature finds us at 17 C now with a high of 88 F being bandied around. No clouds on my horizons now. Faint clouds were in the midnight skies. But what a night sky it otherwise was, rich with diamonds – galaxies, planets, stars, and satellites, prodding my mind to beg for details about how this all works together.

It’s Friday, July 22, 2022. Sunset and sunrise are 8:40 PM and 5:54 AM.

The Neurons are playing “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” by Judas Priest. Are you familiar with this 1982 song? It’s a heavy metal rocker. I’m more of a progressive rock fan with my intro to heavy metal coming via a co-worker, Bob. He made me a mixed tape of heavy songs that he thought I needed to know, and here we are. This would’ve been in 1986 at a little place called Shaw AFB in South Carolina, my stop in the U.S. between Japan and Germany. In reflection, I left the U.S. in 1981, came back in 1985, left in 1986, and returned in 1991.

Stay positive and test negative, etc. Coffee has touched down in the kitchen. One small sip for mankind. Cheers

2

Monday’s Theme Music

The thermometer crushed 90 F yesterday, beating expectations. Clouds never bothered turning up. I often amuse myself, crediting the sun for the heat. Yeah, while the sun is our primary heat source, weather systems, highs and lows, and humidity, allied with seasons and the axis tilt and all that, affect the local temperature. Not informing you, just reminding myself.

The Earth’s established rotation returned my valley into sunshine at 5:45 this morning. I check each day to ensure it comes up in the west per usual. But honestly, if reality flipped on me and it rose in the east instead, would I be able to comprehend the diff? I suspect not. That’s how reality works. It messes with your head and expectations.

We sit at a comfortable 17 C right now. Change to that is expected as we’ll see temperatures pop up to 99 F. Sunset will come at 8:48 PM. This is the weather for Monday, July 11, 2022.

The Neurons have three songs circulating in the morning mental music stream. The first is a beat called “Wildwood Weed” by Jim Stafford. The 1974 song was a dryly humorous story about farmer brothers discovering marijuana on their land, their growing fondness of the weed, and the government coming in and digging it up and burning it.

Second up was Willie Nelson’s 1982 cover of “You Were Always On My Mind”. The heartfelt ballad has been recorded by hundreds of groups and individuals. Elvis Presley had a memorable hit with it. But I like Willie’s softly reflective version. Guess that’s why The Neurons tucked it into the stream.

Last was a recent theme song selection, one that’s been done a few times, “Weapon of Choice” by Fatboy Slim. I enjoy Walken’s dancing in the video. That almost made me remember the song as much as its melody and its lyrics. Almost. I often find myself mentally singing, “You can go this way, you can go that way.” Then I hear that bass line.

As the second song wasn’t featured as my theme music at any time in the past, I thought I’d keep it loaded in the mental music stream and make it the day’s choice. As for why any of them are in the stream to begin, The Neurons take the fifth.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and, you know, protect yourself and those around you, yeah? Okay. Speaking of protection, I’m going for coffee now. It protects me from all kinds of imaginable ills. Here’s the tune. Cheers

0

Saturday’s Theme Music

The page was flipped from night to day at 5:43 AM in the valley. Hello. Today is Saturday, July 9, 2022. Your top stories are pretty standard fare so we’ll go right to the weather. It’s currently 19 C as chilly mountain air clings to the idea that it’s spring. The sun might have other ideas today. With no clouds to challenge it, temperatures will again pump up into the upper eighties, probably peaking at 86 to 88 F in this locale. Night takes over when the sun leaves out stage at 8:49 PM.

I have a personal favorite playing in my morning mental music stream, “25 or 6 to 4” by Chicago, who went by another name when the song was released back in 1970. (pause for dramatic effect) That was fifty-two years ago. Yes, over half a frigging century. Time sure flies when you’re living.

The song came into my mind as I was noodle about what to do, what to do, readying plans, asking myself, “Should I try to do some more?” That is, of course, all it took. The Neurons recognized that as a line from the song and unleashed the music.

That’s okay. It’s a sentimental favorite. Coming onto the scene as I tripped into being fourteen years old, the song embodied the guitar sound and exuberance I liked in my rock at that age. It’s a good song for air-guitar work.

Stay positive and test negative. COVID is hettin’ up here as the July 4th parade proved to be a superspreader event. Five more friends, all vaxxed and posted have mild symptoms and tested positive. One tested positive after having coffee with my wife, so she’s isolating at home. She has no symptoms and hasn’t tested yet. Fingers crossed, right? Yeah.

I’ll take some coffee now. You enjoy the tune. Here it is. Cheers

1

Tuesday’s Theme Music

The rain is crushing it this July, 2022. With rain today, it’s been a rainy start, with showers and storms every day except the first. I’m liking it.

This is Tuesday the fifth. Our overnight low sank to 55 F but the temperature pulled itself up by its bootstraps, to use a worn and inappropriate expression, and now sits at 20 C again. The high will be about 75 to 77 F. Maybe 76, which is twelve degrees below average for the day and twenty-six below the record high. The sun’s initial appearance was at 5:41 AM. Sunset will be: yes 8:50 PM. Again.

While listening to the rain with the window open in the office, I smelled smoke. I mentioned it to my wife. She said it smelled like a bonfire. I looked out for signs of smoke from fires, whereupon The Neurons lit up “Smoke From A Distant Fire” in the mental music stream. I didn’t know who did it or when it was released. I asked The Neurons and they were all like, “Song? Song? What song?” I thought the song might have been released sometime in the 1970s but had to research it to learn it was 1977 and the Sanford-Townsend Band. I felt sorry for them that I knew their song but not them. Still, they’d tried and had temporarily broken onto pop’s big stage and had a moment, right?

Stay positive, etc. This feels like a good coffee day. Excuse me while I get some. Here’s the music. Know the song? Cheers

3

Monday’s Theme Music

The sun kicked the door in on Monday, July 4, 2022, and announced it was going back to bed.

It’s a cool day in the valley. Showers are anticipated, the third day in a row in July, a treat for us. It’s but 18C outside now but we’re expecting a high of 76 F, no lie; on the nation’s celebration of 1776 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it’ll be 76. Must be an omen of some kind in there. I’ll look for it after I’ve had my coffee.

Sunrise was at 5:39 AM. The traveling sun show will cease it Monday ops today at (drumroll), yes, 8:50 PM. Again.

Today’s music was brought to us by the wonderful Minnie Riperton. She had a stunning voice but died of cancer when she was 31. Maya Rudolph is her daughter, an actor and comedian who I richly enjoy, so Minnie gave us her singing and her daughter. Her best-known song by the masses is probably “Lovin’ You” from 1975, a song created to distract her daughter when the girl was little and being cranky. I heard it on the radio yesterday and had to pause to listen, one more time. Thank you, technology. Thank you, Minnie.

Stay positive, test negative, and whatever needs done to survive, endure, and thrive. Coffee is one of those things that help me survive, endure, and thrive. At least that caffeine kick and seductive flavor urges me to believe and try, try again.

There go the jets on their flyover. The parade downtown has commenced. Obviously, I’m not there this year. Obviously.

Now where’s that coffee? Here’s the music. Cheers

Wait — another flyover. Right over our house. They must have smelled my coffee.

2

Monday’s Theme Music

Dropping down to 97 F today, a cooling trend for the week. By Sunday, it’ll be down to 73 F, they say, as they expect the heat dome to slide on across North America.

Today is June 27, 2022, the month’s final Monday for this year. We’ll be pushing on into July next week. Time is racing by in my life. Don’t know about yers. Sunrise kicked off at 5:36. It’s slowly sliding back toward six AM. Sunset is holding steady at 8:51 PM.

Today’s theme song was a sudden apparition from the memory mines. Don’t know what The Neurons were thinking. I suspect they played a game of randomly pushing buttons, giggling and telling themselves, “Let’s see what happens when we push these buttons.” Well, those buttons took me to an entertaining time of life on an island called Okinawa on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. Yes, there’s a lot of water around it. This song, “Be Good Johnny” was part of that scene. Maybe, more rational neurons suggest, it was thinking about heat and mugginess. Okinawa was a muggy place. No A/C in the apartment we lived in for the first coupla years. Dripping with sweat was the day’s norm. If you weren’t sweating, people were liable to ask, “Are you okay? You’re not sweating.”

Here is “Be Good Johnny” by Men At Work from 1982. I enjoy Colin Hay’s vocal work in the song. Hope you to do. Coffee? Let’s go. Stay positive and test negative.

Cheers

2

Wednesday’s Theme Music

A sunny flourish and a burst of heat and the calendar was made redundant, useless. We knew summer was here. The weather announced it via blazing sun, clear skies, and a sharply scaling thermometer.

Tis Wednesday, June 22, 2015. Tis summer. Nonetheless, the sunrise was at 5:35 AM and sunset will be at 8:51 PM, about the same as the day before summer began. It’s 67 F right now, with a wonderfully friendly and sweet cool breeze tempering the sun’s attitude. The cats love it. I went with the two into the backyard. After some washing (I didn’t participate), they rolled around on the patio. A scrub jay arrived. They abandoned their domestic posturing and proclaimed they’re mighty hunters, so beware.

Somewhere in all of this, the neurons introduced CCR, aka Creedence Clearwater Revival, and their song from 1970, “Up Around the Bend”. It’s pretty straightforward rock and roll. I first heard it when I was fourteen, and the song still entertains me. Hope it entertains you as well.

Stay positive, and hopeful, even optimistic. Test negative. Wear a mask as needed, and take other precautions. Act like you care about your friends and family and be responsible. I try to, with mixed results, then I try again. Now the neurons are singing the coffee song. Here’s CCR. Oh, it’s lifted from Youtube and a show called American Bandstand. They’re having a dance contest. I love this look at 1970s era pop culture – TV, music, fashion, hair, dancing, all rolled into one scene. The music doesn’t start until about 3:42, but you might want to see what it was like, at least for some, for a moment, back in the day. In reflection, I guess today’s theme is nostalgia. Cheers

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑