Friday’s Theme Music

It’s another day in Ashland, a Friday, March 26, 2021. Slanted sunshine spilled over the horizon at 0704. The sun will make its sky exit at 1930. Starting at cold — 32 degrees F at 0546 when the cats chatted about leaving the building, it’s now 40 and we expect to crunch up against 60. Not bad.

An old Cream song climbed into the mental music crease yesterday. Trudging up a hill, I turned to admire the valley view. ‘Our’ side, on the south, was deep into afternoon mountain shadows while sun stroked every hill on the opposite side, illuminating patches of snow in higher mountain valleys and the peak known as Grizzly. While I was in a residential neighborhood, the typical sounds were opposite. No crows cawed and other birds didn’t sing. Vehicle sounds were unheard. Just me, the pavement, the view. Into that arrived the 1966 song, “I Feel Free”.

I can walk down the street, there’s no one there
Though the pavements are one huge crowd
I can drive down the road; my eyes don’t see
Though my mind wants to cry out loud

I, I, I, I feel free
I feel free
I feel free

h/t to Genius.com

A pause to consider that phrase: ‘an old Cream song’. Is there any other kind when the group existed for two years in the late 1960s? Yes, they did get together two more times, but that was decades later.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax.

Cheers

Thursday’s Theme Music

Thursday salutations. This is March 25, 2021. Welcome to Hard Coffee.

Sorry, have coffee on my mind. Haven’t had it yet today, and the beans are whispering my name in the other room. What is Hard Coffee? I imagine it as a movie in which people must survive without coffee for several hours. Initially hostile or indifferent to one another, they learn that they can get to coffee in a building on the next block, if they work together. A tough ex-Marine who fought at Fallujah, a female with an artificial leg, becomes the de facto leader.

Sol’s first appearance on this cloudy, still, rainy day was at 7:06 AM. The thermometer claims it’s 40 degrees F. outside. Sol will fade out over the horizon at 7:29 PM.

Music choice is driven by a dream in which I was driving a car. “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car” is a 1988 song by Billy Ocean. No one was in my car in my dream but me; the later lyrics, “I’ll do the driving, I’ll take the wheel,” is what spirited the song into the thinking stream. Yeah, it was a silly chuckle morning. I hadn’t had any coffee yet. Still haven’t actually. Must soon rectify that. You wouldn’t believe how hard typing is. I keep back spacing to correct words. Woof.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax. Cheers

Tuesday Theme Music

Wearing a black arm band…again. Another mass shooting in the United States took place in Boulder, Colorado, where a 21-year-old man killed ten people at a grocery store.

Here comes the cycle. We’ll hear about hearts and prayers. Then people will say, “Now is not the time to talk about gun control.” The NRA will launch a publicity campaign. We’ll hear that Biden (again) is coming for your guns. Gun and ammo sales will rise. Arguments will rage about whether automatic weapons should be readily available to anyone and the meaning of the Second Amendment. Then, finally, something will happen: there will be another shooting. The cycle will begin again.

Today is Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Doesn’t look much different in the sky, where pearlescent white clouds flirt with bright blue and sunshine soaks us.

Sol appeared at 7:09 AM over the Ashland sky, and will depart at 7:23 PM.

Dreams again dictate my music preference for the day’s theme music. I dreamed about a wedding, so Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” leaped into the morning’s mental musical mash up. But I’ve done that song a few times. I instead convinced myself to feature “Eyes Without A Face” from 1984. It’ll do.

Try staying positive. COVID-19 news is mostly good in the United States. Some hotspots remain. We’re in danger of new spikes because of complacency and carelessness, but vaccinations are progressing, despite some people fearing it because they’re anti-vaxxers, or because they believe something like Bill Gates is using the vaccines to chip and follow them, or that COVID-19 is overblown or a hoax, and that millions around the world haven’t died or aren’t hospitalized. Try staying positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax.

Here’s the music. Cheers

Monday’s Theme Music

Guten Morgen. Welcome to another edition of another day in another month in another year, aka, March 22, 2021. Bruising clouds and wet surfaces attest to a rainy persona this morn, even though the planet rotated around per usual and presented our star at 7:11 AM. The rotation should hide the sun at 7:25 PM in these parts for twelve plus solid hours of daylight

Dreams are affecting my song choices again today. After contemplating dreams and muddling through some confusion, the 1982 song by The Police, “Spirits in the Material World”. The song just seemed to fit the general mood, the sense that I’m dealing with multitudes of spirits in one world before returning to the material world (here).

I don’t know. Give me some coffee and let me think about it. Think positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax. Have some fun, too. Cheers

Sunday’s Theme Music

Welcome to Sunday, so named for that star that dominates the Earth sky and our lives. The star cranked over the Oregon horizon on this 21 of March, 2021, at 7:13 AM and will remain with us until 7:23 PM. Chilly air and rain are prevalent with a temperature of 40 degrees F. Yesterday turned out okay though, presenting us a rain, sun, and mist blend and a comfortable low fifties temp. I hope today will do the same.

Little heavy-hearted today. Another friend went into hospice. Not COVID-19 related; just life. A good person, with a satisfying joie de vivre, I haven’t seen him in a year. My sadness is for him, enduring pain and realizing his end is approaching, and his family. My sadness is also that I won’t be able to enjoy his company in the future, and that will leave a hole. His body has been slowly giving up on him, a matter that’s accelerated since the turn of the year. We hope to do at least one Zoom call with him before his final breaths.

Meanwhile, my wife and I slipped out to the store yesterday. We did this in the afternoon, in broad daylight (love that expression). This is unusual for us; we typically scurry in and our either very early or very late, when fewer people are about. But, yes, we’re growing weary, perhaps jaded about COVID-19. Plus, we’re optimistic. Cases have been trending down in our state, county, and town, since about January’s middle. More folks are vaccinated. We’re still wearing masks. Well, in grocery stores we are, which is where we were yestiday.

You might think we’re crazy. Getting a little wild. None of that is true. Yeah, you knew that. But laughing with my wife, joking about being such ‘risk-takers’, brought the 1984 Cars song, “You Might Think” out of my mind’s dusty crevices and up into the musical crease. Thought it would be a fine Sunday theme song. You might think I’m wrong. That’s your right.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax. Cheers

Saturday’s Theme Music

Supposedly, there’s a star heating the world out there beyond the misty rain veils, and we know that we’ve rotated around and we’re pointing at it because daylight has arrived. This all happened at about 7:14 AM in Ashland. However, I’d like a stronger sol presence. It’s expected to exert some influence. The temperature is now 41 degrees F but we expect it to reach ten degrees more before sol sneaks back out of sight at 7:23 PM. Call me Ishmael; no, call me dubious. Ishmael sounds better, though. As Dubious, I would undoubtedly process life being known as Doob. “Hey, where’s Doob today? Has anyone seen Doob?” It’d be a dubious honor.

Dreams again influenced my theme music selection. I was in a dream where I’m off stage, in the wings, watching a ceremony. I was envious of the recipient. I was like, “How does he do it? What do I need to do? Why can’t I succeed?” As I’m standing there, watching this guy receive accolades and adoration, music plays for him. It’s Roy Orbison with the 1989 song, “You Got It”. They were specifically playing this line for this guy:

Anything you want, you got it
Anything you need, you got it
Anything at all, you got it
Baby

h/t to Genius.com

In my dream, I was reacting, yes, anything he wants, he got it. Grrr.

Past the dream, I like the song. Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne wrote the song with Roy. The Jeff Lynne influence is heavy, especially in the bridging, but that works out. I don’t hear as much of Tom’s input. Fun to consider these three talented friends working together to write, develop, and record this song.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax. You know who you are.

Cheers

Update: clouds have broken up. Sunshine has crashed through. Come on, sunshine!

Friday’s Theme Music

Welcome to Friday, March 19, 2021. The shiny sky thingy popped over the horizon at 7:16 AM this morning and will do the setting thing at 7:22 PM. The shining sky master has been drenching us in sunshine since its arrival this AM, but a few high clouds have drifted in like they’re going to put a stop to that. We’ll see. The numbers on the wall claim it’s 37 degrees F but it feels warmer. Maybe it’s the sun effect prompting me to think it’s warmer than truth.

Today’s music is a disco throwback. Released in 1977 by Yvonne Elliman, “If I Can’t Have You” was strong on the charts in the U.S., France, Belgium, Canada, and Australia. I admit, I had to look up the artist’s name. I knew the song thoroughly, but not the artist, which may be an indictment to how the music is often presented without the artist’s name being mentioned. The song was written by Barry Gibbs of Bee Gees fame. If you saw Saturday Night Fever, you heard the song.

Why this song today? Don’t know. It emerged as part of the dreamscape. Maybe I was in some romantic encounter in a dream forgotten except for the feeling and song. It’s stuck in my head, though, and I need to get it out.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax. Also, carpe diem, yeah?

Cheers

Thursday’s Theme Music

The rain is calling, the coffee is shining, and the sun is falling.

Wait; redo.

Rain falling – sun shining – coffee calling. Okay.

We’ve landed on Thursday, March 18, 2021, for those who are scoring at home. Sol’s appearance was at 7:18 AM while his exit is expected at 7:21 PM here in southern Oregon. Showers are falling, the sun is shining, and the temperature is 43 degrees F according to the thingy hanging on my house.

Having to do with dreams, a 1970 song by Van Morrison called “Domino”. The song’s opening lyrics came at me after I muddled through dream thoughts.

Don’t wannna discuss it
Think it’s time for a change
You may get disgusted
Start thinkin’ that I’m strange

In that case I’ll go underground
Get some heavy rest
Never have to worry
About what is worst or what is best

h/t to AZLyrics.com

In the short space required to write this, clouds and rain have overcome the sunshine, tempering hopes for a warm, pleasant spring day. Good writing, reading, drinking coffee day, though, if you have the protection and the means.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax.

Cheers

Wednesday’s Theme Music

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Welcome to Wednesday, March 17, 2021, where we’re donning green clothing, eating green food, and drinking green beer somewhere. I am wearing a green shirt, a conscious decision to celebrate. ‘Bout all I’ll do in honor of the holiday.

The sun showed itself at 7:20 AM this morning and is expected to disappear for the night at 7:20 PM. Brighter, sunnier, and calmer today, we’ve already crept into the low forties, and we’re expected to hit the mid sixties. This kid will be going for an afternoon walk.

Thinking of Saint Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d go with an Irish rock band. Many of them have plumbed commercial and critical success and achieved international fame and fortune. But when I started thinking of this, I recalled Horslips singing “Trouble With A Capital T”. I know this song and band because when I was stationed in Japan in the early eighties, a co-worker was heavy into them and would sing this song to himself. Hearing him sing it, I asked what it was. I ended up in his dorm room having a beer listening to the Horslips, who he knew through an Irish cousin. He’d gone to stay with them in Ireland one year before joining the military and had seen the band live. After some struggle with memory about the band’s name and the song and some net searching, I found this video.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax. Here is Horslips with “Trouble With A Capital T”.

Tuesday’s Theme Music

Buongiorno. We have arrived at Tuesday, March 16, 2016. The skyball came over the horizon at 7:21 AM and will hide beyond the horizon at 7:18 PM in Ashland, giving us a solid twelve of daylight. Times may vary where you live.

Winter continues its comeback campaign, with temperatures freezing us at 29 degrees F last night. While it’s 32 right now, we expect it to get up to 52 later on. Hope that’s a warmer 52 than than the 54 yesterday. Fronted by a stiff wind, fortified by a dour gray sky, that 54 would’ve put some frostbite on a brass monkey. Hope holds today because blue sky, sunshine, and optimism.

Van Halen’s 1983 song, “Jump”, commandeered the mental music stream this AM. Why for, don’t know; might be dream related, where anything goes. The song was released when I was still living and serving in Okinawa, Japan, with the U.S. Air Force. It entered our party rotation but suffered in comparison with the offerings from ZZ Top, Toto, Boston, Yes, etc., that our group preferred, music befitting three aging white men hanging on to their final pieces of youth.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vax.

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