Tag: theme music

Tuesday’s Theme Music

Blades of sunshine broke over the mountain a while before the sun broke cover at 7:07 AM. We had rain last night — hurray! Not heavy stuff in our area. With the temperature sitting at 37 F, I checked the surrounding mountains for snow. They said we’d get three to six inches about 5000 feet of elevation. And there it was, a creamy white layer topping the northern mountain ridge. Not much but nice to have it, as it’s been too dry this year. Fingers crossed that more will arrive, especially after reading an article that posits the idea that the U.S. West is in a megadrought. Joy.

Feathered clouds streak the sky with cotton candy pink and blue. We expect a high of 47 today, and no more rain around us, alas. Sunset is expected at 5:43 PM on this Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Note to self: February is over half gone.

Today’s song comes out of walking and eyeing the clouds through a cold rain as I took a walk yesterday and from watching the movie CODA the other night. One featured song in the film was “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell. Released back in 1969, it didn’t make a great impression on this thirteen-year-old American male. It wasn’t until later that I appreciated the song’s nuances and insights about change and perspective.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you’re able. Here’s the music. Guess what I’m doing now? If you guessed I’m going for coffee, you’re wrong. I already have it. I’m drinking my coffee. Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music

The expansion of the daylight hours continues and, um, expands! Yes, I know it happens every year. Still excites me to see our area gain light and emerge from gloominess. The sun’s arc over our region started at 7:09 AM and will stay until 5:42 PM. Temperatures now are 46 F. We saw 66 on the home weather station yesterday, below the seventies which forecasters proclaimed. Clouds have flocked to the sky, shielding us from the blue and sunshine. Today’s high is expected to be 54 F, and there is a call for rain! Yes, there’s a seventy percent chance at ten AM. We’re expecting 0.18 inches.

Now that the Super Bowl is over, we can discuss the halftime show (I read that MAGAts disliked it because it didn’t feature anything about faith), TV commercials (ah, nostalgia and stars — how much old music did you hear?) and start the countdown to the NFL season. Also, the holiday season is on the way. Also, the mid-term elections. Also, the Olympics. Also, time to do taxes. It’s a busy month! Oh, yeah, and today is Saint V’s Day, or as a friend called it, Single Awareness Day (SAD).

Of the Super Bowl commercials, my favorites were the Amazon one (about Alexa reading our minds), and the one for the NFL, where tiny NFL stars broke out of a TV for a game at some children’s home. But I’m a Eugene Levy fan, so top spot goes to the Nissan commercial. It was a send up of so many action movie tropes.

It might surprise some that the Ray Charles from the start of the Nissan commercial stayed in my morning mental music stream. But come on, it’s a cool song. Lit. Here’s “What’d I Say” from 1959.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Here we go. Take it, Ray, while I get my coffee. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

Last night was clear. Ample star and moonshine lit the way into today, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. Sunlight kicked in at 7:10 this morning. NIght comes on shift at 5:41 PM, when sunset begins. We hit 72 F yesterday, according to the home weather station, and will see 72 again today. It’s 46 right now. Nice to have such pleasant weather. Why, it’s spring, really, with trees unfurling leaves and birds bustling about. But we roll through daily ambivalence, contemplating what this dry streak and warm weather is doing to our growing season, fire season, and snowpack and reservoir.

Man, we are so out of cat food in this end of the valley. Only have four grocery stores plus three convenience stores and one drug store; all show almost completely bare shelves where wet cat food should be. I’ve ordered from online, dealing with inflated prices. Forget stockpiling toilet paper. I’m more worried about the cat food. We’ll see what another day, week, and month brings.

Musically, a wide range of songs have been flashing through the morning’s mental music stream. Some, inspired by the moonlight, began last night. A few were about sunrises (and our lack of a tequila sunrise). Then, there was the Monkees’ theme song, a few John Denver tunes, AC/DC, and Tame Impala. Like my neurons are going through the mental drawers and shelves, pulling things out to see what they are.

It all settled down to “Panic Switch” by Silversun Pickups from 2009. I have not heard this song in sooo long. Came up into the theme via a chuckle over telling my cat, “Don’t panic, I’m going to feed you now.” The neurons went, “Can you fall asleep with a panic switch.” Another mind part responded, “Huh?” With the speed of a blazing snail, the bass and rhythm found home in my head, followed weakly by half-remembered lyrics until it all arrived with a shout.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, when needed, and get the vax and boosters as and when you can and need. Coffee is up; I’m off. Cheers

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Friday’s Theme Music

The wheel keeps on turning, and the day is Friday again. February 11, 2022. It’s another stunner of a sunny day out there, already up to 55 degrees F, according to my office weather station. The earth turned us into the sun at 7:13 this morning and will turn us away at 5:38 PM. They tell us it’ll hit 76 in the valley today, which would be a new record. Maybe, but my part of the valley didn’t see the 75 they claimed yesterday. We’re now into a historic stretch of dry weather, a sad promise that the drought will probably continue and deepen this year.

I have a strange one in the morning mental music stream: “The William Tell Overture”. I’m speculating that it’s because of the horses in a dream I had. Though they were tiny horses — smaller than a cat — they triggered a memory of “The Lone Ranger”. That was a television show that played on Saturday mornings in my youth, alongside “Sky King”, “Looney Tunes” (featuring Bugs Bunny and the gang), “Mighty Mouse”, “Tom and Jerry”, “Deputy Dawg”, and “Top Cat”. What glorious morning television! Then, eat fast, dress fast, and bang, out the door, often on my bike, unless the snow was too deep. In every season except winter, my baseball mitt hung on my handlebar, so I was ready and available for any pickup baseball or softball game that I came across.

“The William Tell Overture” is associated with “The Lone Ranger” because it was used as the theme music. A teacher took note of this and used it as a teaching moment, introducing us to classical music. From “The William Tell Overture”, we ended up exploring “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, “Peter and the Wolf”, and many others. She’s the same teacher who prodded me into reading more and expanding my reading interests. I owe her a huge debt.

So, let’s return to those thrilling days of yesteryear. It’s a rousing, heroic melody, ideal for your weekend beginning, weekend, whatever. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, when needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Here’s the music. Hi-Yo, Silver, I’m galloping off for some coffee. Cheers

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Thursday’s Theme Music

It’s crazy Thursday, where anything can happen to anyone at any time. In this regard, it’s very similar to crazy Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s also February 10, 2022, the only day it’ll ever be this day.

Sunrise was another sunshine-filled production. The mountains keep us fairly dark until the sun heaves itself over their edge, then it’s a fairly sudden illumination, a blazing concoction of light and heat. This officially came about at 7:14 this morning. Sunfall — or set, as many label it, for when the sun falls below the horizon as the Earth rotates — is due at 5:27 PM. Yesterday’s high saw us at 64 degrees F. They claim we’ll hit 75 today, about 23 degrees above our normal average high for this time of month and year. If we do hit that number, it’ll beat the record of 72, set back in 1992. What we’d really like is a bit of snow and rain. Our waters are steadily dropping, painting a despairing portrait of what the summer will be. Many growers are already lamenting that their produce will not grow again this year. Not enough water. Of course, that sends prices up locally, regionally, and nationally. It’s one big cluster growing.

Had beer with friends for a few hours yesterday evening. Six of us sat and toasted, recalled, lamented, and celebrated with a few pints at a favorite local brewery and restaurant, Caldera. We were outside, far from others. All six of us have been vaxxed and boosted, wear masks, isolate, and socially distant. None of had COVID, although two have tested themselves several times as colds and allergies kicked them in the nards.

Today has a 1975 Pink Floyd composition percolating in the morning mental music stream. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” was dedicated to a former band member, Syd Barrett. They’d terminated his relationship with the band amid his increasing health issues and inability to perform. I don’t understand why this song is playing today, but I have no problem with it; it’s a song that I enjoy and haven’t heard in a while. Of course, I’m only offering up part of it today. It’s a lengthy tune. I do recommend that you listen to the whole of it sometime.

Since someone mentioned percolating, I guess I’ll go get coffee. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters. Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

Wednesday has bloomed, fresh as a middle-of-the-week day can be. The sun popped over the mountains and turned on its blaze at about 7:15 AM, immediately registering as a positive on the sky’s light and warmth levels, taking us up off our 38 degrees F low. It’s already 58 outside. Fingers crossed that we’ll reach 67 F as they forecast. Friends and I are going to sit outside at a local brewery and toss back one or three before the sun drops out, taking its heat and light with it, at 5:36 PM.

A dream I remember from last night called today’s theme music into the morning mental music stream. “In the Navy” was a 1979 hit for the Village People. It was one of those songs that suddenly arose to be played everywhere, it seemed. Of course, its simple lyrics and strong beat made it memorable, and the general goofiness to it — I mean, you couldn’t take it seriously — made it a popular dance and party song for a while. Like many eras and their memes, you really had to be there to understand.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and booster when you can. Now off to the kitchen, where I’ll sing, “In the kitchen, you can make a cup of tea,” to the tune of “In the Navy”. Cheers.

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

Tuesday’s sun is full of light and makes the day unseemly bright. Daylight kicked in at oh seven sixteen, sending night fleeing like misbehaving children. Temperatures were coldish, 35 at dawn, but has kicked up to 41 and will go on up to the mid-sixties again before sunlight flees just as the night did, at seventeen thirty-four.

Today’s song is out of a feline interaction. One floof habitually sleeps by my head at night. A second came a-calling in the pre-dawn minutes, snugging himself against my legs. I reached down and scratched his head, receiving purrs in the return. As this transpired, I asked him if he’d gotten cold in the dark, which brought up the Billy Squier song, “In the Dark” from 1981. Friends were huge Squier fans. His music seemed to play whenever I rode with them in the car later in the eighties when we lived in Germany. This song, “The Stroke”, and “Everybody Wants You” were frequent members of my friends’ playlists, so I came to know the songs well. I haven’t seen those folks since 1999 but I see and hear them as soon as one of those three songs play. The power of music, yeah?

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when possible. Here’s the music. I’m off for coffee. Don’t wait for me. Just play the song. I’ve already heard it. Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music

Monday has popped in. Only plans to stay for a day.

Sunrise on this Feb. 7, 2022, came at 7:18 this morning. It was another fine exercise in bright sunshine and mountain blue sky. The impressive color values and clarity could have been featured in a beer commercial. Was 35 degrees F at sunrise but it’s 43 now and we’re under the impression that it will reach 65 before sunset at 5:33 PM. Of course, we were promised 70 yesterday. Only 64 was achieved, so don’t get yer hopes too high.

Today’s music comes from my wife’s exercise class. Conducted by Zoom by her friend operating from the local Family Y, she sets up her laptop on the dining room table and exercises in that room. The dining room is part of the ‘great room’ and that portion affords her the space to move freely about. This morning’s exercise music was a medley of Beatles covers. Well, I was in the adjacent kitchen, making breakfast when “Eleanor Rigby” came on. The morning mental music stream sucked the 1966 song right into its environments. Soon I was singing it as I fed the cats (with some mods to the lyrics for the activity at hand).

I fondly remember the song. It came out when I was ten and my elementary school music teacher had my class singing it as well as discussing its aspects of weddings and loneliness. Some schoolmates’ parents were appalled because *gasp* death and a funeral are mentioned in the song. *What kind of song is that for children?*

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, get the vax and jabs when you can, and have a cuppa coffee with me. Mine is black and fresh. Here’s the music. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

It’s a gorgeous Sunday out there, pure blue sky and sunshine, the sort of day, in my working past, when we would leap up and say, “It’s a gorgeous day. Where should we go? What shall we do?” But today, we’re on our computers, in our books, in our chairs, in our office, reading, eating, communicating, writing.

The sun burst over the mountains at 7:19 AM and we’ll lose the sunshine at 5:32 late this afternoon. It only dropped to 38 degrees F last night and quickly reach fifty today, promising to, um, 70 degrees F. What? Can the weather service be right? Is this really mid-winter in Ashland, Oregon? Well, the record high, in 1992, was 72.

Today’s song trickled in as I thought about the landslide dream this morning. “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac was written by Stevie Nicks and released in 1975. Although covered well by The Smashing Pumpkins and the Dixie Chicks, I have connections to that original song. In ’75, I was nineteen, married, serving in the military without my wife in the Philippines. So when you’re sitting in your room after work at night, getting your uniform ready for work the next day, sipping some alcohol, listening to music, connections are created.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax and booster when you can. Time for a coffee break. Cheers

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Saturday’s Theme Music

Night drew back its filmy, star-studded sheet, slowly revealing day. The time was 7:20 AM and the day was Saturday, February 5, 2022. Night had waited eons for this encounter, surmounting fears and doubts to finally look at day. He’d been chasing her for centuries. She didn’t know why. Their movement had evolved into obsession. She wanted to know who it was chasing her. Ironic, but she had originally been the chaser, pursuing another on the other end. He’d been fleeting and fast, always just ahead, beyond the horizon. This one, though, was coming toward. If she could just wait and see…

But the forces that kept her moving, moved her on again.

Our low was 30 degrees F when night attempted to find who chased her. No clouds mar the sky blue crowning the valley. It’ll be 60 here in the dead of winter, twelve degrees above our average high, before night comes around after the sunsets at 5:31 PM.

I have a song from 1966 by The Outsiders, “Time Won’t Let Me”, blasting in the morning mental music stream. Yeah, it’s an oldie but so am I. Listen to that driving rhythm, though, that brass, that rising tension and soft counter-tension. Ah, classic rock.

Why this song today? Don’t know. Maybe it’s something I ate or drank. Perhaps a dream inspired it. Could be modern frustration or nostalgia that called it up. The neurons that could shed light have gone AWOL. Maybe they’re pranking me. I can imagine those neurons giggling and snickering, calling up a song and then scattering, laughing at the mischief they’ve done. Oh, those cheeky neurons!

But, as with any song that’s stuck, it must be shared to get it out of my head, so here it is. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get yer vaxxes and boosts when you can. Coffee is in hand. I know what I’m gonna do. Cheers

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