Songs That Got Me to Kentucky

I can’t imagine life without music. My earliest memories include music, and I find it difficult to get through a day without music of some kind. One of my favorite times with music is when I’m driving on a trip by myself, and I can play music as loud as I can stand it and sing-yell along with it while I bash the steering wheel and commit a number of moving violations. But in music, as in all things, I’m picky. So the songs have to fit with what’s happening or where I’m going. Here are the main songs that kept me singing on my way to the KenLake Spiritual Life Retreat:

Across 110^th Street – Bobby Womack: Got hooked on this song from the movie “Jackie Brown.” The movie wasn’t my favorite, but it grew on me. Say what you will about Tarantino, but his use of music in film is a gift.

Africa – Toto: When this song came on, I realized my iPhone was not on shuffle (these are the first two songs I have). This song is awesome. It makes no sense, but I love singing it as loudly as I can. One of the best lines of any song ever – “I know that I must do what’s right (as) sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti.”

Float On – Modest Mouse: Such a fun but complex song. Great to sing with a crowd. One of the best album names ever – “Good News for People Who Love Bad News.”

You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon: Sheer genius both as a song and as a music video. Best bass solo ever.

Into The Great Wide Open – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: I think I first became obsessed with this song through the music video on MTV (which if you’re 15 or younger you have no idea about). It’s a gorgeous song about a pretty ugly situation. I had a Tom Petty renaissance a couple years ago when my brother got me the DVD anthology “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” It was a great gift and made me realize how many of these songs I love – much to the dismay of my friend Mark.

Wavin’ Flag – Young Artists for Haiti: For the most part a wretched song, and yet one that always makes me happy because of where I first heard it. Good times at AC.

El Scorcho – Weezer: Makes me think of some of my closest friends - first meeting Mark, Randall, and Troy, getting to know David and Mandy, and playing in ACE with Eli at Davis-Kidd. Hilarious song. “I’ll bring home the turkey if you’ll bring home the bacon!”

“The Trio” (Rolling in the Deep, Rumour Has It, Set Fire to the Rain) – Adele: I am borderline OCD. This is lived out in music by becoming obsessed with a certain artist or usually song and playing it over and over and over. I’m newly obsessed with these three songs. “Rolling in the Deep” is just unbelievable in its ability to captivate me. I become like my dog when she sees a squirrel. The other two are pretty close in their power. These songs are the essence of music.

A Loveable Lou-ser

Just when you think you've seen it all as a Cubs fan, turns out not. I didn't think the Cubs would be in contention this season. But I had no idea things would go off the rails like this. Guess I should have had a better imagination.

I wasn't all that shocked to hear about Lou retiring at the end of the season. That seemed to be coming one way or another. But then the weird stuff started happening. We trade Derrek Lee to the Braves and then start playing the Braves. One day Lee plays for the Cubs; the next for the Braves - at Wrigley - against the Cubs. It's just too much to adjust to all at once.

And now today, Lou announces his retirement will start after the game - today. There's no arguing with his reason. His mother is apparently in failing health, and he has been on leave several times. Certainly he needs to be with her and put family first. I just hope he is really being allowed to do what he needs and isn't being forced out. At this point, he could coach the team from Tampa over Skype and it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. But if he's being elbowed out, that's pretty scummy, even for Chicago politics.

typical

so i got the swine flu the other day. well, i'm getting ahead of myself. i was told it couldn't be 100% confirmed absent a test from the CDC (which i didn't want to pay for), but it was a type a (like my personality) strand, so chances are better than not. we caught it early, so i got some good meds (100 bucks worth to be exact - about half of which was, from my medical opinion, totally useless), and i'm all better now.

now comes the question: will i start getting the flu shot? here's the thing, as far as i know i've never had the flu before. i get lots of sinus things which may also be related to allergies. who knows anything really? but, the one time i actually did get the flu shot, i got sick as a dog. it was awful. so yeah, maybe i'll just take my chances. i'm a strong believer in prevention but when that prevention makes you sick and you might not get sick anyway, not so much.

but yeah, me a total hypochondriac getting the swine flu. classic.

sorry coco

so i'll be watching conan's final "the tonight show" tonight in sort of a perplexed daze at all that has transpired. i guess nothing in the hollywood world should ever surprise me/us anymore, but after what took place years ago when leno took over (robbed) the show from carson (GRHS), i simply thought the circus had left town. oh no.

i don't want to be completely one-sided. i used to have no use for jay at all. but over the years he has gotten funnier to me. i think he's usually pretty self-deprecating, and he was great in "comedian." but i've always been more of a letterman guy, just more zany, loopy, and ridiculous all around. that being said, i like conan more than them all. i make no bones about it, it's because of his work on "the simpsons." he's hilarious and brilliant and to hear people he worked with on "the simpsons" talk about him...well it's kinda like hearing nuns talk about Jesus. and it rings true. i don't know if anyone in hollywoodland has any sincerity or much integrity, but conan seems to me to come closest. so far no ridiculous affairs or insanity about his life, i guess until now.

i feel pretty sad that i haven't really watched "the tonight show" until tonight. not sure i would have made much of a diference. but i'm sad that he worked so hard and is so talented and is being shown the door simply because it's easier to do what is easy than it is to do what is right.

house musings

so i bought a house a couple months ago. most things have been wonderful. but, of course, i have to keep with the spirit of this blog and whine about the things that have not been so great. the main thing is that i have yet to receive a single service at the house (cable, internet, etc) that did not start with an incorrect bill. i was, of course, always overcharged. today i tried to pay the internet bill, which the lady i spoke with last week assured me would be corrected online, and it was still wrong. i called and they told me that the bill had been fixed in their records, but they wouldn't correct it online or send me another one. so i payed the amount they said, but i know this will come back to bite me because i've done this dance before. next month it will be wrong again and/or i'll be charged for the amount of the incorrect bill i didn't pay. i know it's not a big deal maybe, and there are surely things that could be going wrong that would be tons worse. but it is annoying, and dare i say preposterous that NO ONE can seem to get this stuff right the first time around.

i'm an adult - please treat me like a child

i try really hard to support local establishments - especially restaurants. i didn't used to care all that much, but now it's more of a big deal to me. but a couple of major restaurants in town are not helping me help them. in both places i have been barred from ordering off of the kids' menu. sometimes i'm hungry, and sometimes i also have money. in those cases i'm more than willing to pay for a full entree. but sometimes i just want a burger or i don't wanna spend so much money. and in the case of the restaurant last night, the burger was ONLY on the kids' menu (along with chicken strips - which i also love). what gives? isn't this somehow unconstitutional? i promise i'm an adult, and if i want to order off of the kids' menu you should let me. i have the money - i will decide what food i want. how can you deny me food based on my age? that's totally discrimination. i see a sit-in on the horizon. watch out dixie castle and catfish cabin!

pastor dave's parenting advice

maybe this is too broad a generalization to support, but i'm gonna go ahead and say that if you are walking around wal-mart with a screaming infant at eight past midnight you probably don't need to save room on your mantle for that "parent of the year" award. i mean really people, what's going on? i know i'm not a parent, but then again, perhaps you aren't either. common sense - not so common after all.