I've written about winter songs before here and here inexplicably leaving out "A Hazy Shade of Winter" by Paul Simon. I've also mentioned one spring and some summer songs here.
I've been thinking about some summer songs myself and then goggled summer songs--and reviewed lists.
I guess my favorite is Sly and the Family Stone's "Hot Fun in the Summertime."
"Summer in the City" by the Lovin' Spoonful brings back memories of my father. When he heard the bridge with traffic and street noises, he thought something was wrong with the car.
Speaking of my father--he used to have an album of Roger Miller's greatest hits--I can't forget Roger's "In the Summertime." How can you resist this version with the Muppets. Then there's Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind." That song also reminds me of my father.
I won't list all the summer songs here. Or even all the summer songs that I like. I would be constantly updating this list. Think of: "Summer of Love" by the B-52's, "A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy, "Suddenly Last Summer" by the Motels, "Those Lazy, Hazy Crazy Days of Summer" by Nat King Cole.
This post offers just a taste of summer.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Music Memory
Generally, smell is the sense most connected with memory.
But music, a part of the sense of hearing, triggers many memories.
The other day while riding to Ridgefield, I was listening to the True Oldies Channel on the radio when I heard the Herb Alpert song, "Rise." Immediately I was back to the summer of 1980 of General Hospital when Luke raped Laura.
The weird thing was that I wasn't even watching General Hospital at the time. But my roommate Pam was watching and we started watching each other's soaps.
Another weird thing was that my favorite character on GH was Luke, the rapist. Maybe because I didn't actually see the rape scene. Probably, it was because Anthony Geary as Luke was compelling.
We didn't realize at the time that we were witnessing the dawn of a cultural phenomenon that culminated in Luke and Laura's wedding in November 1981. Although many discussions of Luke and Laura focus on that event, it would have just been another soap wedding had it not been for the 1980 summer storyline. Love on the run: trying to decipher the little black book, uncovering the mystery of the left-handed boy, evading Hutch the hit man (who later grew a heart of gold), dancing in the fantasy department store sequence, posing as newlyweds Lloyd and Lucy, erecting their own version of the walls of Jericho each night.
Yes, the falling in love with your rapist storyline was grossly offensive. Yes, some of Luke and Laura's adventures were outlandish. But they were intensely watchable; Geary and Francis had chemistry.
That summer Pam and I were studying for the New York bar exam, staying on in our dorm room at NYU. I took the morning bar review course; Pam took the evening course. In between classes, we found it relaxing to spend our afternoons watching the ABC soaps: All My Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital and The Edge of Night. The stress of studying for the bar paled next to being on the run from the mob, amnesia and the like. We must have done something right because we both passed and I can remember that summer fondly.
But music, a part of the sense of hearing, triggers many memories.
The other day while riding to Ridgefield, I was listening to the True Oldies Channel on the radio when I heard the Herb Alpert song, "Rise." Immediately I was back to the summer of 1980 of General Hospital when Luke raped Laura.
The weird thing was that I wasn't even watching General Hospital at the time. But my roommate Pam was watching and we started watching each other's soaps.
Another weird thing was that my favorite character on GH was Luke, the rapist. Maybe because I didn't actually see the rape scene. Probably, it was because Anthony Geary as Luke was compelling.
We didn't realize at the time that we were witnessing the dawn of a cultural phenomenon that culminated in Luke and Laura's wedding in November 1981. Although many discussions of Luke and Laura focus on that event, it would have just been another soap wedding had it not been for the 1980 summer storyline. Love on the run: trying to decipher the little black book, uncovering the mystery of the left-handed boy, evading Hutch the hit man (who later grew a heart of gold), dancing in the fantasy department store sequence, posing as newlyweds Lloyd and Lucy, erecting their own version of the walls of Jericho each night.
Yes, the falling in love with your rapist storyline was grossly offensive. Yes, some of Luke and Laura's adventures were outlandish. But they were intensely watchable; Geary and Francis had chemistry.
That summer Pam and I were studying for the New York bar exam, staying on in our dorm room at NYU. I took the morning bar review course; Pam took the evening course. In between classes, we found it relaxing to spend our afternoons watching the ABC soaps: All My Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital and The Edge of Night. The stress of studying for the bar paled next to being on the run from the mob, amnesia and the like. We must have done something right because we both passed and I can remember that summer fondly.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Packing
Tomorrow Jeff and I are headed up to Ridgefield to pet-sit for a week. We did the same thing a few weeks ago. It amazes me how much we packed for a week.
Last month we packed one large suitcase and a duffel bag with clothes, accessories and toiletries. We had a bag with fresh vegetables and fruit, a bag with Spike's food and bowls, Spike's bed, our laptops, my SAT books and files.
I've always over packed. I don't want to spend my vacation doing laundry or running out to buy band-aids or aspirin, etc. I like to be prepared. That's what I told the TSA agent who told me I had too many things. Context: we arrived early for a flight to Jacksonville, FL in December 2001. The agent carefully examined every item of my make-up bag. Then he realized that I had a separate bag of toiletries. He apparently didn't want to examine it as carefully as he did my make-up bag. Hence his comment.
Some of my over packing is strategic. I always take extra pairs of underwear, socks or pantyhose, and tee-shirts. They don't take up much room.
I've also gotten better at over packing--i.e. I don't over pack as much. I color-coordinate my clothes and shoes. I think about my options to do laundry or to purchase needed items.
This week I have access to a washer and dryer, various stores plus our home (we're only 45 minutes away.) But I'm still over packing. We're also taking some strategically selected dirty laundry.
Last month we packed one large suitcase and a duffel bag with clothes, accessories and toiletries. We had a bag with fresh vegetables and fruit, a bag with Spike's food and bowls, Spike's bed, our laptops, my SAT books and files.
I've always over packed. I don't want to spend my vacation doing laundry or running out to buy band-aids or aspirin, etc. I like to be prepared. That's what I told the TSA agent who told me I had too many things. Context: we arrived early for a flight to Jacksonville, FL in December 2001. The agent carefully examined every item of my make-up bag. Then he realized that I had a separate bag of toiletries. He apparently didn't want to examine it as carefully as he did my make-up bag. Hence his comment.
Some of my over packing is strategic. I always take extra pairs of underwear, socks or pantyhose, and tee-shirts. They don't take up much room.
I've also gotten better at over packing--i.e. I don't over pack as much. I color-coordinate my clothes and shoes. I think about my options to do laundry or to purchase needed items.
This week I have access to a washer and dryer, various stores plus our home (we're only 45 minutes away.) But I'm still over packing. We're also taking some strategically selected dirty laundry.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Seen
On Route 84 East, between Danbury and Newtown, CT:
"I'm straight but not narrow."
Awesome.
I only wish I was close enough to read the other bumper stickers.
"I'm straight but not narrow."
Awesome.
I only wish I was close enough to read the other bumper stickers.
Pet Sitting: Return Engagement
For a week in July, Jeff and I (along with Spike of course) were pet sitting for Lolly, a beautiful, loving golden retriever who has been going through some health problems. Jeff's sister Melissa trusted only us to take care of her. It makes sense because she knows us and we love her.
The week was when our nephew Kurt was in an AAU basketball tournament in Orlando. As (bad) luck would have it, it was the worst week for me to be in Ridgefield. I was scheduled to teach two classes in Darien (about an hour commute) and I had some tutoring students. (By way of disclosure, one of my students was in Newtown; starting in Ridgefield effectively cut my commute in half.)
Although one of my classes was canceled (the college essay class which I really wanted to teach--d'oh) I still found myself commuting for one hour most weekdays. The one hour commute was a real hour driving--I didn't sit in traffic at all. It reinforced our decision--24 years ago--to live in Norwalk. We hate long commutes, sitting in traffic.
It was also a hot, humid week. We couldn't take advantage of the beautiful decks outdoors (at least not for long.)
We're heading back up to Ridgefield on Saturday. I won't have as many days commuting for an hour and I hope the beautiful weather predicted for Sunday will continue.
The week was when our nephew Kurt was in an AAU basketball tournament in Orlando. As (bad) luck would have it, it was the worst week for me to be in Ridgefield. I was scheduled to teach two classes in Darien (about an hour commute) and I had some tutoring students. (By way of disclosure, one of my students was in Newtown; starting in Ridgefield effectively cut my commute in half.)
Although one of my classes was canceled (the college essay class which I really wanted to teach--d'oh) I still found myself commuting for one hour most weekdays. The one hour commute was a real hour driving--I didn't sit in traffic at all. It reinforced our decision--24 years ago--to live in Norwalk. We hate long commutes, sitting in traffic.
It was also a hot, humid week. We couldn't take advantage of the beautiful decks outdoors (at least not for long.)
We're heading back up to Ridgefield on Saturday. I won't have as many days commuting for an hour and I hope the beautiful weather predicted for Sunday will continue.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Seen
When Spike and I headed out on our walk on Wednesday morning, I saw a bird chase a small squirrel across Maple Street.
I imagine the squirrel was the equivalent of a teenager who ventured too close to a nest of eggs or young birds and paid the price.
I imagine the squirrel was the equivalent of a teenager who ventured too close to a nest of eggs or young birds and paid the price.
Emergency Sub
I got a call around 4:30 today asking if I could sub for a Small Group Instruction session tonight from 6 to 9.
I didn't want to work tonight; I've just finished a relatively busy two weeks and was doing lots of household stuff today. I had planned to cook salmon for dinner and watch the Olympics and the Mets. But there was some kind of scheduling problem, I was available and wanted to show that I would help out when needed. I hope people in the office will remember me when the next good tutorial comes up.
As I was driving to the office, I started wondering--why would anyone schedule a class on a Friday night? In August? After all, the next SAT is not until October.
I guess the students felt the same way. Four were expected; only two showed. One was a student I tutored for a few hours in the spring. They didn't want to be there and I commiserated but they knew the job was dangerous when they took it.
I didn't want to work tonight; I've just finished a relatively busy two weeks and was doing lots of household stuff today. I had planned to cook salmon for dinner and watch the Olympics and the Mets. But there was some kind of scheduling problem, I was available and wanted to show that I would help out when needed. I hope people in the office will remember me when the next good tutorial comes up.
As I was driving to the office, I started wondering--why would anyone schedule a class on a Friday night? In August? After all, the next SAT is not until October.
I guess the students felt the same way. Four were expected; only two showed. One was a student I tutored for a few hours in the spring. They didn't want to be there and I commiserated but they knew the job was dangerous when they took it.
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