Quirky.

Explanation.

Them: So what did you do this weekend?

Me: As scantily clad slave boys served me (non-alcoholic) drinks, I watched as naked men and women danced with fire coming out of their mouths. Then I drank wheat grass.

Them: If you didn’t want to say what you did, you just had to say so.

Me: Okay.

When I Hear Music.

One thing that I have noticed over the past couple of weeks is that I am undergoing a definite change in my taste in music. Whereas I have always been a fan of 80s stuff and anything new that is danceable (house and trance music), especially being DJ SuperCub and all, these days I am being drawn to tracks from the mid 60s to the mid 70s. For example, as I plonk this blog entry on my iPhone keyboard, I have listened to:

“Help Me” by Joni Mitchell
“Crystal Blue Persuasion” by Tommy James and the Shondells
“Feelins” by The Grass Roots

I am loving the honest musicianship in these tracks. There is very little in the way of electronic augmentation. Well, the technology on the track is used for effect, not complete replacement of a need of musicianship. The electronic stuff doesn’t attempt to cover up a deficiency, it enhances a natural talent.

This is all a complete 180 from cranking up a deep trance track and engaging in an E-like experience. I’m
curious as to the cause of my change in attitude with music but I must admit I’m enjoying the trip of what I’ve been
listening to.

Now I’m listening to “One Of These Nights” by The Eagles. It always used to remind me of being a kid in the back seat of my Dad’s muscle car. Now it reminds me of a certain warm Nebraska night when Earl and I were in search of a hotel. I just remmbered the town in Nebraska: Scottsbluff. That has been bothering me for weeks.

Perhaps I’m ramping up for the nicer weather.

Efficiency.

In today’s world it’s all about the green, green, green. Whether you’re talking about money or the environment, it’s all green, though today we are talking about the environment.

I am in the process of setting up a business trip to Oklahoma City. The cheapest fare thus far is $414. The trip out there, for $414 is as follows:

Syracuse -> Chicago -> Los Angeles -> Dallas/Ft. Worth -> Oklahoma City

The total flight time would be 17 1/2 hours.

A whirlwind tour of the clouds above the United States all for $414!

Actually, there is a side of me that is really intrigued by that flight and would actually enjoy the experience. However, because this is a business trip time is of the essence.

After reading about this route I was too tired to see how they were going to get me home, but I suspect it had something to do with Anchorage, Boston and Miami.

okcflight.png

Ear Bug.

So I have a song stuck in my head tonight. I learned how to play the marimba part in college.

Once Upon A Time.

Even back in 1968 I was the life of the party. Last night my uncle showed me the Christmas card my parents sent out for Christmas 1968.

christmas1968.jpg

Zing.

You can’t help but laugh along with the inimitable Phyllis Diller.

Inhibition, or lack there of.

There are two traits that I admire in people. Actually, that’s not quite accurate; I admire many things in people but there are two primary traits that I truly enjoy. One of them is charisma, which I consider to be a natural extension of self confidence. Not all self confident people are charismatic but most charismatic people are self confident. Let’s face it, some people are over confident. I don’t mind a touch of cocky (and we all know that I don’t mind a dash of arrogance) but I don’t care for self absorption or assholishness. Charisma though, that makes me swoon.

The other trait that I admire in a person is a lack of inhibition. I enjoy people that feel the freedom to do their own thing without reservation. It’s a trait I wish I had but in the back of my mind there’s something, though I can’t identify what it is, always holding me back even if it’s just a little bit. My throttle is usually at 3/4 power, sometimes I ramp up to 7/8 but I rarely cruise at full speed.

I don’t know why I have this touch of inhibition residing in my makeup. I’ve analysed it six ways from Sunday for the past 40 years but have never figured out where it comes from. I guess that’s not entirely accurate either, there are certain events in my past that hit home: in grade six I was described as “weird” by a couple of classmates. They said that after I performed in a school production of Battlestar Galactica. I guess I took “alien” too close to heart or something. I don’t know why that bothers me, I am odd. Today I celebrate that. But once in a while I have that little barrier I put up to keep my psyche safe.

I have a friend who used to perform in various talent shows in the area. Her singing voice is good; she can carry a note, she can stay within the key of the song and she has a good sense of rhythm. Would she make it on a Broadway stage? No. But when she gets up there and does her thing she puts every single drop of effort she has into her performance. I admire that. I always hold off just a bit. “What if they don’t like me?” Perhaps I’m afraid of failing and reliving that moment when I sang my heart out for a recital in college and I was told that I would never make it as a singer. I think my performance inhibition comes from that battle scar. I should strive to move beyond that.

Tonight I found myself singing Abba tunes as we left the theatre at the end of “Mamma Mia”. I started singing softly and slowly but surely I sang loud enough for the large group of elderly women to hear me. I didn’t want to intrude in anyway, I wanted to express my joy from the movie through song. And so I sang. No one said a word, good or bad.

I took that as a compliment.

Twice In A Weekend.

I’ve been tagged again! What’s up with that? Perhaps I haven’t divulged enough about myself lately. Jeff at Esoteric Diversions tagged me this time, so away we go.

Here are the rules of the meme:

  • Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
  • Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
  • Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
      I will violate this rule
  • Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
      Violating this rule too, I’m such a rebel

Seven facts about myself, some random, some weird:

  1. I was born at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday the 13th of July, 1968
  2. I had a crush on a male teacher while I was in elementary school. Even though it’s been nearly 30 years, as recently as last week I Googled his name hoping to find a picture. I was unsuccessful.
  3. My first sexual encounter that went all the way to home base was in March 1987.
  4. I can recite the New York State Thruway interchanges and service areas in order in either direction. I can do the same for Interstate 81 in New York. This talent makes me the life of many parties.
  5. I’ve kissed Ruth Buzzi. She didn’t slip me the tongue or anything.
  6. I can be alarmingly candid about somewhat taboo subjects in relatively appropriate settings. This does not include the yearly family reunion.
  7. Of all the jobs I’ve had over the years, one of the more recent groups of people I worked with were my favorite. I didn’t dig the job, but for the most part I loved the group. This kept me in the job longer than I probably should have been.

I’m not much of a tagger, so I’m going to let whomever wants to pick this up do it under their own free will.

Blink.

I found one of my favorite scenes from the “I Dream of Jeannie” series. Enjoy Jeannie’s sister singing “Electric Nights”.

Larry Hagman’s comedic timing in this clip is fabulous.