Monday’s 5:35 AM sunrise was sharpish, white light and warmth. The cats were first to say hello before launching into their good morning sunshine song. Our June — this is June 6, 2022 — continues spring’s cool, wet trend. It’s now 51 F. Will likely reach 71 they say, with lots of clouds AND sun. They daylight portion of the day will see its finale with an 8:44 PM sunset.
My neurons, of their own volition — they’re like wild mustangs galloping through my head — began singing snippets of “Life on Mars” by David Bowie from back in the last century, 1973. I enjoyed their snippets and decided I wanted to hear the song in its fullness. Choices were to find it on the net or go to the music collection. The first choice was easiest because I was already on the computer. I found this live version, which brought youthful chords back into the moment. It’s a mood maker, a song where you chew upon the words and let the music take you over, under, and up. Lot of Bowie’s music was so.
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and, etc. The coffee is at hand; the moment is near. Here is the music. Have a good day on Earth. Cheers
Here we are, at the top of June, 2022, and the winds are roaring in like it’s March. Yes, strong winds today, along with strong sunshine, after a day of rain and clouds yesterday. Sunshine blazed in at 5:43 AM, turning the lines of gray clouds into neon gold. It’s 60 F now and feels balmy. 73 F is possible before sunlight calls it a day at 8:43 F.
The dream parade continued last night and this morning. I came away from it with a Tom Petty song called “Room at the Top”. I hadn’t heard it in a long time and used Wikipedia to refresh myself on its details. After confirming it was released in 1999 and was off the album Echo, I read that Petty considered it depressing and intensely personal and refused playing it in concert once the Echo tour ended. Well, maybe that’s why I’d not heard it much. My neurons were just riffing off thinking about seeing things, per a dream, which is why they brought the song up into the morning mental music stream. I always like Petty’s declarative statements that he uses in songs. In this case, he sings, “I ain’t. Coming. Down.”
Stay positive, test negative, and so on, as needed. Here is the music. Hope you don’t find it depressing. I’m going to find coffee. Cheers
I’m sitting on Friday, June 3, 2022. Also, sitting on my ass, and on a chair. at
First Friday of June. That means art walks around here. Wine tastings. The OSF Green Show on the Bricks.
Mild day for it. 70 is the expected high. 52 F now. Sixty percent chance of rain, and thunderstorms might come around. Sunrise was at 5:36 AM — a minute earlier — while sunset is at 8:42 PM, a minute later.
The cats are loving this weather. I opened the pet door, and they slip in and out. Eating, checking to ensure we’re not breaking any floof rules, and ensuring we’re still capable of opening cans and dispensing treats. They’re mostly sleeping outside. Papi had claimed the Boo spot and made it his own. But Tucker noticed. Guess who is now in the Boo spot? Yes, Tucker.
Today’s music was brought on by an overheard conversation. Someone said, “It happened right before my eyes.” They said this three times, using the same inflection and nuances each time. I wanted to know, “What happened before your eyes?” They never said in my hearing. Like they were deliberately withholding the info as a prank.
Hearing it, though, the neurons started humming, “Baby, What a Big Surprise” by Chicago from 1975. Within seconds, it went from a hum to the full-on song. It was still residing in my morning mental music stream.
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax as needed. Stay alert and aware. Have some coffee. I know I will. Here’s the music. Cheers
I wonder what it is about a day that things feel like they’ve come together, and the day seems wealthy with promise? This Thursday, June 2, 2022, is one of those days. Nothing extraordinary in its appearance. Sunshine crept in, gentle and friendly, at 5:37 AM — same as yesterday — and the air temp is 64 F. Though cloudy, with a chance of rain, we expect a high in the upper 70s to low 80s before sunset at 8:41 PM. The felines are loving it, happy with washing and slumbering in shaded spots in the yard. I’m cool with it, too.
The neurons continue their music games, inserting “Tempted” by Squeeze (1981) into the morning mental music stream, a song which was featured just two and a half years ago. I think it might be related to a dream. As I’ve been going through the morning, a dream segment was flash like sunshine on a wave, and then is gone. It is interesting that several songs that my neurons are loading are from the 1980s, n’est pas?
Stay positive, test negative, have a wonder-filled day, or at least a satisfying or successful one. Maybe you’ll hit the trifecta and enjoy all three. Coffee time. Cheers
June has arrived with the soft sound of muted sunshine. Yes, it’s Day 1 of the thirty that make up June, 2022, different this year; in previous years, June had 31 days.
Just kidding. June hasn’t had thirty-one days since the late sixteenth century when the Calendar Makers convened to settle how many days each month should hold. June had seventy days until that time, and July wasn’t yet a month. Although February was, it had poor representation, and ended up with a short month and an iffy situation. According to the records, this was because February was a very cold month that year at the convention site, and the attendees wanted to keep that cold to a minimum. Such was the thinking that went on back then.
Sunrise was an underwhelming event at 5:37 AM, as clouds were present in force, dictating coverage. One salient aspect to bring out is that today’s sunrise is earlier than yesterday’s sunrise. Changes have already begun. Even though sunset is one minute later than yesterday, we still have the same amount of daylight.
Our temps were top out at about 80 F and hold to 61 now with a mild wind singing through the leaves.
Now, for some reason, the naughty neurons loaded Juice Newton’s cover of “Queen of Hearts” from the early 1980s. “Why?” I asked the neurons. Shrugging with sluggish indifference, they replied, “Why not?”
I think I need to give them some coffee. Let’s be safe out there, and test negative. Cheers
This is it, May’s last day. It will not be extended.
Yes, welcome to Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Back to work if you were off for the Memorial Day in the U.S.
We’ve returned to cloudy and warm weather today. Woke up to 59 F after the sun kicked in its light at 5:38 AM. The flip end of the sun’s presence comes at 8:40 PM today. Before then, we expect to see temperatures of 77 F. Yardwork has kept us busy as the rains encouraged everything to “grow, grow, grow”, leaving us with an unkempt landscape. Great seeing the bees abuzzing around the backyard’s weeds. It’s a weed zone, where we let weeds proliferate. The bees love it.
Today’s song emerged from conversations with friends and relatives about the state of the world and the state of the nation, and where we’re going. Thinking about that and change and direction, the neurons pulled up Roxy Music from 1982 and a song called “More Than This”.
I could feel at the time There was no way of knowing Fallen leaves in the night Who can say where they’re blowing As free as the wind And hopefully learning Why the sea on the tide Has no way of turning More than this – there is nothing More than this – tell me one thing More than this – there is nothing It was fun for a while There was no way of knowing Like a dream in the night Who can say where we’re going
Yes, who can say where we’re going? There’s always some indications but then shifts arrive. Something dramatic is pulled off. A galvanizing speech is made. A moderating influence is found, a new hope delivered. Who can say? History is full of downs and ups. Fingers crossed that we find something that pulls us from the brink and takes us into a new direction.
Stay positive, test negative, etc. I know, it’s a difficult challenge in the current news cycle. Still…try. And now, I will drink the magic elixir, coffee, and draw new hope and energy from it. Here’s the music. Cheers
It’s Memorial Day in the U.S., a holiday to respect and honor the military who died defending the nation’s honor, principles, freedom, and democracy. This is often done through parades, barbecues or grilling out, concerts, and sporting events such as baseball games and auto-racing. Oh, yes, there will also be car and furniture sales to celebrate the day.
Today’s weather fetches memories of other morning skies. Clouds with abstract shapes and ominous dark tones only permit brief snatches of blue skies and sunshine. It’s used to be more overcast in other places in the morning. In Mountain View, CA, and Sunnyvale, by this time of year, those clouds would all burn off by ten in the morning, a light breeze would begin its dance, and the temperatures would drift into low, pleasant seventies. Half Moon Bay was wholly different, with fog and overcast skies arriving, remaining until mid-afternoon. A break would be permitted then, tantalizing you with amazing ocean views before the clouds shouted, “Enough,” and shut back down. Temperatures would hover in the low sixties.
Back east, in western Pennsylvania, southern WV, and Ohio, the days were all over the place. Cloudy and chilly mornings weren’t unusual in this time of year. Nor was rain. But the temperatures would generally break out and climb into the seventies, and sometimes into the low eighties. Down in Florida, it’d be humid and sunny, much like the Philippines and Okinawa. Central Germany was more often like Half Moon Bay, featuring brooding overcast skies that didn’t really let the sun in or the air to get too warm.
Here, today, it’s 47 F. Rain is expected, along with a high in the low to mid-sixties. The sun began its warming attempts at 5:38 this morning and will close out its time in our valley at 8:38, granting us a full fifteen hours of daylight.
Today is Sunday, May 30, 2022.
I have a bit of music that the neurons snagged yesterday while I was out walking. A car pulled up to a red light where I waited to cross. The small SUV’s passenger window was partially down, and music was wafting out. As the car pulled away, I decided that the song being heard was “Carry On/Questions” from 1970 by Crosby, Stills & Nash, from the terrific album, Déjà Vu. Whether I correctly identified the song, the neurons started playing it in my head, along with other songs from the album. I humbly offer “Carry On/Questions” up to you as our theme music.
Coffee time. Stay positive, test negative, etc., and enjoy your day and your week. Cheers
Was supposed to be rainy again today but the weather changed overnight. It’s damp and chilly, with sunshine sprinting out between the clouds while the clouds hurry to stop the sun. Winds gust and fuss about the trees and bushes, sending the cats back in for cover. It’s 44 F now and we’re looking at a high of 56 F.
Hi. This is Sunday, May 29, 2022. Sunrise was at 5:39 AM and sunset will be here almost fifteen hours later, at 8:38 PM.
I have a song called “How Can I Be Sure” in my morning mental music stream. The neurons put it there. I was skating through Facebook last night to see what my family is up to — they’re always up to something, as this is birthday season for several young nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews — when I saw a post by a friend. She’s approaching her fiftieth and was a David Cassidy fan, so she’d shared his version of “How Can I Be Sure” on her FB page. My neurons remembered the Young Rascals rendition, because my older sister had and played on her record player, so here we are. The neurons have it on a loop, giggling as it plays in the background to everything that I’m doing. I must share it to release it to the ROW and save my sanity.
Stay positive, test negative, etc. I find that drinking coffee often helps me reach a positive state, and recommend it. Here’s the song. Cheers
Finally, some sunlight. It’s been a few hours since sunrise at 5:39 AM. It’s faded already, ducking shyly behind clouds, despite my exhortations, come out from behind the curtains and shine. We are expecting rain to continue today. Do admit, it was lovely being outside when the air was awash with petrichor yesterday. Felt relaxing and comforting.
Today is Saturday, May 28, 2022, part of the Memorial Day three-day extravaganza in the U.S. We’re not expecting warm temps here; 48 now, it should rise to 66 before the sun takes it sunshine elsewhere at 8:37 PM.
I have Depeche Mode’s song, “People Are People” from 1984 in the morning mental music stream. This is due to reading of Andy Fletcher’s death the other day after he passed on May 26 of this year. Fletcher was DM’s keyboardist. I saw him in an interview once. He was funny and self-deprecating, but intelligent, and I thought, that’s an interesting person. He was 60 when he died. The mind conducted a little ceremony, trying to remember actors, writers, musicians who were alive and dead, more a reflection of thanks for everything they did that made life more bearable for so many of us.
Anyway, the neurons paraded Depeche Mode songs through my head for the last few days, alternating them with Rolling Stone tunes. “People Are People” struck the neurons as a song that speaks to the political division in the U.S. and the world’s general aggro state, so they went with it. I concurred.
Stay positive, test negative, etc. It’s coffee time, the neurons tell me. Here’s the music. Cheers
Yeah, it is a Friday. May’s final Friday for 2022.
It’s a chilly one, rain and clouds moving in, asserting their influences, sending the sun under cover. Sunrise was before I rose, 5:40 AM. Sunset is due at 8:36 this evening. Our temp now is 52 F and we only expect 67 while undergoing showers throughout the day. BYOL: bring your own loofah.
The neurons have Journey singing “Any Way You Want It” from 19 what playing in the morning mental music stream. This is a response to the felines and their food demands and petulance. I was just giving in, like, “If that’s the way you need it,” etc, and the neurons jumped all over it. The video is a kick to watch, with its throwback to a mechanical jukebox sliding vinyl in to be heard. Then there’s the boys in the band, long hair and skinny bods, sneers and smirks, rocking away.
Coffee needed. And brekkie. Stomach is telling the neurons stop with the typing thing and feed me, Seymour. Stay positive and test neggy. Wear masks as needed, when needed, etc. Here’s the music. I’m off to answer other needs. Cheers
Michael Seidel, writer 