Take a walk on the wild side
It’s like the traffic signals where the synapses cross are out of order
Another week, another visit with you…this time on Thursday, which can only mean one thing—thoughts. It came quicker than usual too—those three day weekends and short weeks are enjoyable but disorienting.
As it seems to be the case every five weeks when I have a Thursday edition on the schedule, I’m grateful for the opportunity to get it all out there and move on from some of it. Lucky me. “Lucky” you.
So, let’s just bring it, shall we? Rip off the Band-Aid brand adhesive bandage and get to work on repairing those traffic lights upstairs, as it were…
In no particular order, other than how the thoughts occur to me as I type:
Last week I headed to a local brewery to pick up a couple of 4-packs of a much-hyped beer that was on my radar screen, Headroom from Trillium. The beer did not disappoint, and as I sat out back on Friday night, enjoying it with a soundtrack of nature noises and some random playlist I picked, I noticed a QR code on the can. “Scan for 🎵” it suggested so I followed the suggestion and ended up getting some cool new tunes that took my enjoyment vibes up a few notches. Which is unexpected given that my enjoyment was already pretty high. Great beer. Friday night. Sitting out back. Chill tunes. What’s not to love? Friendly reminder—pay attention to the details and heed the signs!
Speaking of playlists, last week I asked if any of you had good musical recommendations to send ’em my way, and one of you (you know who you are—thanks, friend!) sent me a playlist which was, no surprise, just what I needed. Music is the cure for whatever ails you. And if you haven’t listened to “Find the River” by REM in a while, do. It hit me, hard. Also, please cue up some World Party. How did I forget about them?
Speaking of great songs and bands, could you make a definitive list of your Top 100 songs? I could, but only if I were allowed to put 1,000 songs on it.
Speaking of music, noise canceling headphones plus some classical (yesterday I gave Spotify the reins after starting with the song featured prominently in the book Mad Honey, “Duet for Cello and Oboe” by Eugène Bozza) really slows my central nervous system down. And sometimes I really need that.
While we’re at it, talking music, might as well take a few sentences (paragraphs?) (more?) and share my thoughts in the wake of Jimmy Buffett’s death. In 1984 (it July 3rd per the Internet, and I bet the ticket stub that would verify it is in an album somewhere in the attic), I saw Jimmy Buffett in the series of summer music events known as “Concerts on the Common.” If you can believe it, they actually erected a fence around one of the grassy area put in a stage, some seating, and some bleachers, which gave us something fun to do (occasionally without our parents having to be involved) for a few months. Anyhow in 1984 I didn’t know who Jimmy Buffet even was, but my friend’s “cool” (really just college-aged and in hindsight not particularly cool 🤣) sister and boyfriend did, so they brought us along. Back then, I’m not even sure being a parrot head was a thing yet, and if it was all it meant was you actually knew who he was. I think the only songs he sang that night that I knew were covers of Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl” and CSN’s “Southern Cross”. It was well before Hawaiian shirts and fin hats were everywhere, but it wasn’t long before I had a small collection of Buffett albums in my milk crate—Son of a Son of a Sailor, Volcano, and Songs You Know by Heart. I added a new CD in the early 2000s, License to Chill, because he covered one of my fave Dead songs, Scarlet Begonias, on it. I never saw him in concert again, because it wasn’t long after that July 1984 concert that the guy’s career blew up bigger and faster than the inflatable pools that were one of the hallmarks of the rabid new breed of overzealous parking-lot party fully costumed fans, and that kind of fandom has never been my thing. (For the most part, until this year anyway, because if you know me you know how I feel about T.Swizzle and my great fortune of having attended the Eras Tour in June. That’s a whole other kind of rabid fandom.) Anyway, when I woke up today to the news that he had died, I immediately went back to that evening on the Common, to how much fun we had, to how grateful I am to still be friends with that friend to this day, and to thinking about some of his greatest songs are ones most people are least likely to know, because who listens to whole albums anymore? And how many so-called parrot heads were in it for the music and artistry vs being in it for the frivolity and fanfare? Anyhow, I hope Jimmy is in a town called Margaritaville somewhere on the coast of Marseille, fins to the left, fins to the right, an inactive volcano in the background…I hope that he finds that lost shaker of salt, is eating a cheeseburger in (literal) paradise, and is washing it all down with boat drinks, because it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.
Speaking of T.Swizzle, let me know when that Eras concert tour movie is streaming. I’ll host a watch party.
And while Tay-tay is on my fingertips, it was more bourbon than wine that I was sipping, but in any case my August was sipped away like a bottle of something.
Speaking of drinks, it recently came to my attention that my lovely colleague Marshall has a chai tea business as a side hustle, and it’s rumored to be great. So if that is your jam, check his online store out and maybe place an order. He’s an awesome guy; you can read about him and his wife on the “About” page.
Looping back to recent celebrity deaths, Bob Barker died at 99. Did St. Peter ask him to “come on up” or did Satan call him to “come on down”? And why are people acting so surprised about it? He was 99. It’s ok, really. Don’t forget to spay and neuter your pets.
And while I’m at it, can we not say “lost” or “passed away”? Can we just keep it simple and stick with “died”? Please?
Sticking with death, Monday marked nine years since my dad died. I rarely think about him dying, I often think about him living, and I always feel his absence. But I know he’d be so happy about how everyone’s life has progressed these last nine years, he’d be so proud of his grandkids, and I know he’s kicking himself not to be here. Don’t forget to schedule your outstanding appointments / tests / scans / scopes / screenings, ok?
Speaking of my dad…my mom. Yesterday she said she really appreciates my morning call to check in on her to make sure she’s ok. I replied that every morning I wake up to a text with her daily Wordle score (usually one lower than I will get), so me FaceTiming her is kind of redundant...but I am happy if she is happy.
And speaking of Monday, this past Monday I was on duty to help get one of my nieces moved in for her second year at Northeastern. We really put the labor in Labor Day. It was a shit-ton of work but I love being part of these milestone events, I love knowing she’s set up for success, and I love knowing she’s nearby, at least until the end of April. I drove them crazy with my safety checks but safety checks save lives. Big things if you have kids going off to college or moving into new accommodations are making sure there are working smoke and CO alarms, confirming they have and know of (at least) two ways out, taking steps not to over-extend outlets or misuse extension cords, and making sure they know to keep chargers off of bedding and in case of emergency to get out first (and right away) then call 911…I’m sure there are more but those are the ones I was drilling my niece with.
If you’re a parent who just dropped your kid off at school or you’re a parent who is experiencing their first day of no first day in a long while, I’m here for you. That said, I can’t picture my parents being anything but giddy with getting rid of me. Also…please give them the fire safety talk!
And speaking of back to school, social has been flooded with back-to-school pics, which I love seeing. But you know what I don’t love? All the comments about how handsome or pretty the kids look. Why are we obsessed with looks? They look happy, they look ready, hope it’s a great year. Plenty of options. Why focus on looks? Especially when there are some cases where the kids look neither handsome nor pretty. Sorry, not sorry. 😂
I can’t be on a college campus without having some reflection on my own college experience. I think about those years, and the decades since, and all I have to say is that regret is a very complicated and complex emotion. I don’t regret anything on a macro level but wouldn’t I love about a million do-overs…but only if I knew they’d lead me to the same important life anchors that make this one so great for me.
Speaking of life anchors that make mine great, does anyone have a spouse/partner who is actually good at loading a dishwasher?
Change of subject, how is it that selling Narcan over the counter will help end the opioid crisis? Yesterday the Globe had this front-page article, “Narcan may be a game-changer for opioid crisis, and you can help” and states “Narcan, the opioid overdose-reversal drug, is expected to be available for over-the-counter purchase as early as this week — a move public health experts say is crucial to ending the opioid crisis.” I feel like it might stop opioid-related deaths but not the crisis itself. What am I missing? And lots of insurers covering unlimited quantities of the $45 product. But where are we with epipens for example? There should be a stash of those at every restaurant, no? Our priorities are out of whack.
Those pandas that came to the National Zoo 23 years ago, in a 10-year agreement that was extended multiple times, are going back to China. If that doesn’t tell you all you need to know about the state of global affairs, I don’t know what will. And if that doesn’t scare you shitless, I also don’t know what will.
While I’m on the subject of the state of the country, that Clarence Thomas is a real hypocritical dirtbag. He can’t keep his own financial records in order so he can keep his grubby mitts off my medical records. Why didn’t we listen to Anita Hill when we had the chance?
Speaking of the US, the US Open has been a fun watch…nice to see the home country with a new generation of contenders. When serves fly at 140 mph, that’s some exciting stuff. And it was some funny stuff when Madison Keys was asked about getting coaching during last night’s match and she said “To be honest I couldn’t hear shit out there tonight” after which the interviewer essentially warned her to watch it because she couldn’t be bleeped. Go America. Go tennis.
Also speaking of the US, that crybaby Proud Boy should have thought about prison before he thought inciting a riot and overthrowing government was a cute idea.
Speaking of patriotism in a backhanded way, a big flag flying from the trailer hitch of a growling pickup truck in desperate need of an appointment at Eco Muffler makes me cringe a little about being American. But random and unexpected displays like this restore my faith and make my heart fill with hope if not quite pride:
Well, to make it an even two dozen, “dozen” reminds me of donuts and we got some from Donut King on Sunday because my sis and niece were here. And you wanna know something? Every now and then you need a good donut. Life’s too short…don’t be too good for donuts.
Thanks for sticking with me this morning and every week. I appreciate it, and you, so very much. Happy Friday Eve.
Love you too.
Lauren is going to love your Jimmy Buffet story. Me, I'm relieved that do-overs aren't a thing.
Nothing beats Donut King! Now I am hungry! :) Happy Thursday!