Salutations, my fellow travelers on this space ship called Earth. Shipday is Sunday, October 17, 2021. Sunrise in my ship sector took place at 7:26 AM this morning. They had the area thermostat set on fall chilly, with an overnight low of 42 F. Showers are planned for this area, limiting the high temperature to 56 degrees F in accordance with ship seasonal doctrine. Sector sunset will take place at 6:26 PM. You will note that they continue to reduce the hours of sunlight in our sector and the sun’s warmth level here. They have scrubbed the air. The AQI remains a healthy 13.
Several days ago, some deviant neuron started playing Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is A Highway” from 1991 in the mental music stream. Although the song is popular with the neurons, many did not want it repetitively played and shut it down. Enough neurons wanted it that the song kept being resurrected. It’s overwhelmingly strong in this morning’s mental music stream today. I think the only way the neurons are going to let go of this is if I release it to the net. So, here you go.
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as necessary, and get the vax, if, when, you can. The neurons inform me that it’s coffee time. I will acquiesce to their demands. Enjoy the music. Cheers
Hear ye, hear ye, Saturday, October 16, 2021, is underway. Let the games begin.
Sunrise spanked us at 7:25 this morning in the valley. Warmer air dominates today. It’s already 56 and we expect a high of 79 degrees F. Should be a glorious autumn day before sunset takes place at 6:28 PM. Our air quality is stellar at a clear and fresh 10 as rain and cooler air helps us in the fight against wildfires. Containment is increasing. We take a breath of relief that another season has been survived. It has its costs, though, as wildfires destruction in 2021 in the U.S. is expected to cost between 70 and 90 billion dollars, along with lives lost.
I found myself walking around in circles this AM. Catering to cats, you know. Fickle felines. Want in, want out, want that food, this food, no, pet me, pet me, pet me, let’s go play! I did the feeding, a little ear and chin scratching, and then attempted to deal with my essentials — food and coffee. When all settled down I chuckled at hearing a song by Soul Coughing called “Circles” circling the morning mental music stream. The song was released in 1998. I probably wouldn’t be familiar with it but I had a friend and co-worker, Saba, who knew it. She’d already introduced me to the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Violent Femmes. Now, on a lunch run where she was driving, she called up “Circles” and introduced me to Coughing Soul.
So, here’s to Saba and her wonderful influence. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get a vax if you can. Enjoy the music while I ensure the dark deliciousness served as coffee. Cheers
Good morning, fellow pumpkin spice heads. C’est moi, coming at you undead from Ashland, Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Today is Friday, October 15, 2021. Please set that to memory; you may be called upon to tell another later. Of course, being of retired military mind, the fifteenth was the middle-of-the-month payday during my working military life, when we, the enlisted, could rush out and buy groceries, gas up the car, and pay bills.
Sunrise was another glorious, steady rise of golden light, like a veil being pulled off night, that came at 7:23 AM. Temperature was a fur-chilling 40 F at that point. I know because the ginger boi, aka Meep, aka Papi, came in and told me, “Chilly out. Feel my fur.” Which I did, telling him, “Oh, your fur is cold.” He replied, “Meep, purr.” I assume that meant, I know. Sunset will come at, oh, 6:29 PM, according to the old farmer’s google. Temperatures will rise to the mid-fifties again, before falling into the high thirties after we’ve rotated away from the sun’s assistance. Such small windows of comfort, innit?
Today’s offering in my morning mental music stream comes from theMoody Blues and 1971. Yes, there is a line of lyrics involved. At some point yesterday, while in the snug discussing something, another something — a noise — from where? — who knows? — popped into our awareness. A what’s that, I don’t know, convo followed as we half-heartedly pursued the answer to this sound mystery. I mentioned at one point, “Listen. It sounds like it’s slowly turning.” After I’d walked away from that major, earth-shaking interruption to our routine, when I was in the kitchen, the song’s line, “Listen to the tide slowly turning,” whispered in my ears. The song then came on in full.
Of course, the progressive fusion of classical, folk, and rock that is “The Story in Your Eyes” aligns with my optimism. I often believe the tide is slowly turning. We’re slowly becoming less warlike. We’d probably make better progress in that were it not for the global defense industry and the need to make profits but killing others in the name of peace and security. Likewise, I’m always sure that the tide of justice, freedom, and equality is slowly turning, too. Someday, we’ll also unite to address climate change, right? Probably not until most of the lower ranks of people are standing up to their armpits in water, but I’m hopeful it’ll come before then.
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, get the vax, sing a song, dance a little, laugh a lot, and have some fun. Here’s the music. Enjoy the photos of the band in their youth. My hot, black coffee is also here. Must drink it before it grows too cold. Cheers
Hey, all you sons and daughter, mothers and fathers out in cyberland, how is your world?
Today is Thursday, October 14, 2021. It’s the third Thursday of the month, out of five. Likewise, we have five Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in October. Must make Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday feel lame, to have less than the others.
Sunrise is at 7:22 AM. It’s a good one, exuding a strong sun presence – you know, light and heat. Really brings out the reds, gods, greens, yellows, and oranges in our valley, a large change from yesterday morning, which looked like a set for Wuthering Heights. Our temperature ranges from 39 to 56F today with a stop at 44, where we now sit. Sunset will come at 6:30 PM.
I have a PC computer, and use Microsoft Windows. Which means it was time for another security update yesterday. Which makes things different. It’s humorous and odd. On WordPress, for example, I have a different default font this morning. I made no changes; the computer powers did this for me. The spacing and size are different, too. I’ll just go with the flow on this because it’s workable. Nonetheless, it’s a shade annoying when these things are changed for me.
Which brings me to the music. “Heartless” by Heart — ironic? — is playing in the morning mental music stream. The clue for why is in the lyrics. “Never never out of control.” Because I’m not in control. Not of my ‘puter. You see? The mind just played with those ideas and up bubbled the 1978 song by Heart. Well, it’s a good throwback sound, a little hard rock with some pop nuance.
Stay positive, test negative, wear thy mask as need be, get thee the vax when and if you can. I know it’s not all simple on the vax front. Underlying conditions and meds can be game changers in the vax world. My sympathies if you can’t get it for those reasons. The world must be a terrifying place, to have COVID-19 out there raging, a vax available, and you not able to get it because of your health.
Here’s the music. Listen while I go for coffee. I think there is also one last pumpkin spice muffin in there. I call dibs!
Good morning, peeps. Today is Wednesday, October 13, 2021 in our slice of the valley. Rain is descending. Began last night and just was having so much fun, it kept going. Not heavy rain. Sporadic. Sprinkles to light, you know?
Temperatures are hovering in the mid-forties right now. Expect to flutter toward the mid-fifties before winding down to a cold 34 F for the night. With those brooding, swollen clouds out there, don’t expect much sun relief. Sunrise petered in at 7:21 AM. Sunset comes at 6:32 PM.
Heavy dream play for me last night. Vignettes that danced with memories, leaving me with fading thoughts about things that happened before and questions about what happened to different childhood friends. One of them was John. Haven’t seen him since I was sixteen. He and I hung out all the time between the ages of twelve and fifteen. Then just moved away from one another like a magnet’s polar opposites.
But he’s responsible for today’s morning mental music stream. He brought my attention to a song called “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las. The song came out in 1964 but John and I were probably talking about it a few years after that. He didn’t care for the song. No; he said, “That sucked.” What John liked was the motorcycle sounds imbued in the music. Early signs were emerging that he was destined to be a motorhead. I later heard through friends and family that he’d moved to North Carolina and opened up a garage. Get the picture?
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax. Let’s be safe out there. Now. Need to see a machine about a cup of coffee. Here’s the music. Enjoy.
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. Today is Tuesday, October 12, 2021. The big local topic is trick or treating. It’s coming up, you know. Large bags of fun-size candies leaped into local stores back in September. Right on their heels came the early Christmas offerings of decorations and lawn ornaments.
The T or T question came up because everyone wanted to know, what’s the plan? Should offerings be purchased to give out to children? Well, we usually don’t. They don’t come up our street. It’s steep. Not many street lights, making it dark. Houses are spaced apart. I don’t know. These are my guesses. But we’ve purchased in the past and then ended up eating that stuff. So, no more. Sorry, kids, but our light will be off.
Sunrise struck bold and beautiful at 7:20 AM. Steam rose off the ground as the icy and frosty grounds warmed up. Pretty in its own way. We were supposed to drop to 27, 28 F last night. When I went to bed at 1:30 AM, we were still at 36 F and it was that temperature when I got up just after sunrise. Sunset will occur at 6:34 PM. We’ll hit a high of about sixty-five between those hours, a bit warmer than yesterday.
We have a gas fireplace in the living room. We turn it off during the summer. With temperatures often sniffing around one hundred degrees, we feel having the fireplace pilot light going is just adding to the heat and we don’t want that. We’re trying to chill out. But now, we’re down into the range where having the fireplace available to turn on is beneficial.
I got down and went through the steps to light the fireplace pilot. Songs and cats accompanied me. The cats were helpful as I looked into the workings, asking, “What are you doing? What’s in there? Can I go in there?” After I told them, “No, move back,” they started giving me big eyes and telling me how mean I am.
The songs included The Doors with “Light My Fire” and then Jose Feliciano’s cover of the same song. Then, as the pilot wouldn’t lit, my mental Alexa fired up Billy Joel with “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. But the pilot came on, the fireplace was lit, and all was well. After that, as I gazed at the fire, The Bangles played “Eternal Flame” from 1989. That’s the song which started squatting in the morning mental music stream. I offer it to thee to displace it.
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax. Here’s the music. Now, where’s my coffee? I had it just a minute ago…
Hooray! Hurrah! Hoozah! It’s Monday, October 11, 2021. Indigenous People’s Day. Federal holiday in the U.S., for those keeping score at home. Was once upon a time called Columbus Day. But his truth caught up to his myth.
Drizzle and fog blanket the autumn colors outside. Winter’s sharp air is already cutting in on fall’s dance. 49 F right now. Just one short of the predicted high. Low will be 28 F. Freeze warnings are out there. We bedded down the garden for the season yesterday. Watched football, read books, ate soup, drank coffee and hot chocolate. Separately.
Sunrise pricked our gray world with feeble rays this AM at 7:19 AM. Sunset cometh at 6:39 PM. Our daylight period continues its shrinking ways.
Finished Ferrante’s “Lying Lives of Adults” yesterday. I enjoy her writing style. But I was dubious of some of the thinking and self-awareness assigned to a fourteen/fifteen year old female teenager. I guess I compared her to me and people I knew at that age, prompting my dubious reaction. The book invited cogitation about humans and relationships, though, and life in general. You could read much between scenes and characters, understand underlying extensions of what’s going on because so much of the situations are familiar to most of us: affairs. Confusion about sex. Crushes and love. Struggling to understand our bodies and relationships. A good read.
Have The Clash with “Train in Vain” (1980) in my morning mental music stream. Can’t ascribe a reason why. It’s just pulled into the head and took up residence.
Well, stay positive and test negative. Wear a mask as needed by the situation. Get vaccinated. Sip some coffee, as Ima gonna do. Enjoy life, if you can. Here’s the music. Cheers
A foggy autumn day. Reds, golds, and greens shimmer faintly in the wet air. Sunshine is diluted and gray as dirty dish water.
This is Sunday, October 10, 2021. Sunrise was at 7:18 AM. Sunset: 6:37 PM. Temperature: 51. Forecast high: 55. The AQI is 13.
Early morning was dependent on minimalism. Basic elements. Breathe. Stand. Walk. Left foot, right foot. (Cue The Simpons.) This way. Feed the cats. They were urging me, faster, faster, me-now. Okay. That got done with little incident (although a lot of feline drama.) Now. Coffee. Nothing else matters. Not yet. Ah, there. A pulse.
But. My mental Alexa (my own private Alexa) had picked up on ‘nothing else matters’. Played the Metallica 1992 tune by that name for me. It’s looping through the morning mental musical stream. My pre-coffee voice sounded like Hetfield’s low, guttural growl employed throughout the song. I pass it on to you.
Stay positive. Test negative. Wear a mask as needed. Get the vax. Here’s the music. Coffee is getting cold. See ya.
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
Friday’s sunrise at 7:15 AM was like riding in a Yugo: a limp journey. The Yugo sun seemed gray on this Friday of October 10, 2021, gray as his thoughts. Alexa informed him that the area humidity was ninety-one percent but that no rain was expected. Cloudy gloominess was just the valley’s mood. It suited him. He was gloomy because the cats had indulged in intense floofgames. The games had disrupted his sleep. He didn’t feel rested. Maybe the sky was like that — unrested and tired.
Sunset is expected at 6:41 PM. With a temperature perking up from 39 to 48 on his way to a weak 60 degrees F, he wasn’t expecting much of the day. Maybe coffee would help. Couldn’t hurt.
An old Paul Simon song occupied his morning mental music stream. Using ‘old’ amused him. What is old to one because it’s very familiar is fresh and new to another. That’s how ‘old’ music kept acquiring new fans.
This song was called “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”. Came out in 1975. Yeah, he remembered that. First year in the military. Year his spouse graduated high school. She’d been in his dreams. So had the cats. They were a confused miasma. Also involved looking for clothes. Recurring tropes.
As he thought about the dreams, clumping about in a sullen manner, the cats sang for their food. Simon’s song morphed into “50 Ways to Feed Your Kitty”. Just open a can, Sam. Give ’em a treat, um…Meat. Pour out kibble, Sybil. Just give ’em some food.
Stay positive, he told himself, mentally snorting with mental derision. Test negative — yeah, fingers crossed, always. Wear a mask. Uh-huh. And get the vax. Well, he’d done that. Waiting on word for the booster.
The coffee had arrived. He sat back to listen to the music and stare at the cloud. Where is the sun, he wondered. Where is the sun?
