Out of Touch

While waiting to pick up 90 days worth of medications, I found myself making faces at the "music" being played in the pharmacy.  The pharmacist turned around and caught me in mid-grimace, while rolling my eyes.  He paused for a moment, and I apologized, saying the face was made at the singer, not at him.  He asked me if I didn't appreciate - and he named someone - it was a name I vaguely connect with today's music, but have no further knowledge of.  I had to admit that I didn't appreciate what was being broadcast throughout the shop.  John, the pharmacist, laughed, and let it slide.  I paid for my prescriptions and came home.
   While I was checking the "Headline News," a few minutes later, I realized that, other than politicians, I recognized only about 5 percent of the names in the news.  I recognized the name of a deceased singer-songwriter, the name of an actor, and the name of a now-infamous sports player.  Other than those three, I was totally clueless.  I think that the explosion of social media, as well as the easy access to the internet, has dulled my senses.  I have to admit that my enjoyment of music is fairly eclectic - I enjoy a wide range of music, from classical to jazz to "old" rock and roll to country to bluegrass to folk to zydeco.  But I don't consider  a lot of what is played on the air-waves today as true music... One can't hear and understand the specific words, or, if one can, the words are ones that I was raised to not say in public.  I freely realize and admit that I'm getting older, and more set in my ways, but really... I fear for our society when a person's end-all and be-all and only topic of conversation is Dancing With the Stars, Survivor, or The Bachelor.
  I freely admit that I watch action and drama series with relish.  The so-called comedy shows of today are so contrived and so dreadfully not funny, that I don't watch any of them.  My list of watchable TV shows include The Good Wife, Battle Creek, Gotham, NCIS, Person of Interest, The Blacklist, Vikings, Hawaii Five-O, and Blue Bloods.  Action, adventure, and drama.  A lot of shows available on television are boring, to me, or are much too violent for my taste, or are so clearly contrived and arranged (like the reality shows) that they are just laughable.   I guess I'm out of touch.
  I'd much rather read than sit in front of a television, watching mindless idiocy.  I'd rather do research about items that pique my interest than go sit in a cinema and watch a film.  And I also freely admit that I live now, and have access to the internet to do my research; but I am not completely attached to my electronics.  In fact, I use my cell phone and telephone as little as possible - and my cell phone is sometimes turned off for weeks at a time (which is heavenly).  I keep seeing the people of today constantly engaged with an electronic device - not with other people, not with animals, not with nature.  I never want to become a person like that.  I'd much rather be considered out of touch and an old fuddy-duddy....
  Here are some of the headlines that I read, and then say to myself, "Who the heck even cares?"
"Start Killing Russians": Outrageous Outburst by Fox News Military Analyst
Where Do the Patriots Look For Hope After Revis?
Study Confirms Sugar Industry Helps to Reduce Cavities
Jeff Bezos Relies on Lowly Grunts Like Me
Pregnant Model Sarah Stage's Tiny Belly Causes Social Media Uproar
Who Will The Bachelor Choose?

What about the state of the US economy?  What about global warning?  What is the US Congress doing? What is happening on the world stage and how will it affect us?  Sometimes I'm just embarrassed by what passes as the human "social conscious".....

Am I Old? A Curmudgeon? A Fuddy-Duddy?

First things first.  I am fifty-seven and a half years old, and grew up in a poor-middle class family.  My father's father, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great grandfather were farmers with large families. On my mother's side of the family, my forebears were fishermen, watermen, and farmers on Chincoteague Island, Virginia and in Denmark and Sweden.  Dad retired after 21 years in the US Navy on my fifth birthday, and we moved to north-central Florida.  We had a black and white television set until 1966, and were able to receive CBS, NBC, and the local WUFT , which turned into PBS.  We lived at the edge of the suburbs, the nest-to-last house on the end of a street, where the dirt run ran almost seamlessly into pin oak and pine woods.  We played a lot of memory games and read aloud, we played board games and cards, and we listened to the radio.  We watched the "local" (Jacksonville) news and national news, and then one or two national televised programs each night.  There was a set of encyclopedias from 1956, two dictionaries, and a family health book for reference and lots of other books that we owned, or were from the public library, for our edification.
  Now, skip to the present day.  I have a satellite television connection that gives me a choice of almost 800 channels; I have my desk top personal computer with an internet connection; I have a land-line telephone; and, reluctantly, I now have a cell phone that is only turned on when I am caring for animals away from my home, or when I'm on vacation.  I use the cell phone for emergency communications only, to or from owners; or for use on vacation when I'm mobile.  I have a CD/cassette player that also has an AM/FM radio; and I have what I call my "film viewer" that will play either a VHS video tape, or a DVD.  And I have books - lots and lots of books.   I walk between 5 and 20 miles each day, unless I'm ill; I do not own a car or truck.  There are three different grocery stores within a five block radius of my apartment, three shopping malls within that area, eleven movie theaters within that radius.  I can walk to the public library or to the library at the University of Colorado within 15 minutes.
  I have not watched more than 3 to 5 minutes of any reality show on television - and only that when I cannot escape the room gracefully.  I watch the local and national news;  I watch college and professional football; I watch any program that has to do with horses - training, showing, racing, jumping, Three Day Eventing.  Other than the game show, Jeopardy!, which I try to watch every week night, I have six televised shows that I watch weekly - or try to, anyway.  They are:  Almost Human, Sleepy Hollow, The Blacklist, NCIS, Person of Interest, and Blue Bloods.  Other than that, unless I have the Western Channel on for background noise, the television is off.  I play specific CDs and old cassette tapes for music.  If I listen to the radio, it is usually NPR, a classical station, or an Oldie Goldie Rock station.  I grew up listening to classical music, country and folk music, jazz, swing, the blues, and early rock-n-roll.  I appreciate a song that tells a story, or music that I find emotionally or physically moving.  I don't like "music" that is extremely loud, has offensive (either hate words or lots of profanity) language, or is degrading to anyone or anything.  I can listen to the new, "smooth" jazz, but I prefer the old, crisp songs.  I visit the movie theater once or twice a year - I don't like most of the films made, or re-made, today.  I'd much rather watch an old B Western  movie than one of today's dramas.
   I don't recognize most of the so-called stars or celebrities these days - I just saw an advertisement on the TV for the Grammy Awards, and while I recognized the names of most of the people, I could only identify Stevie Wonder, LL Cool J (because of NCIS: Los Angeles), Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.  I have the top ten "Entertainment" news headlines pop up on my screen, and I'm lucky if I recognize a single name.  I recognize the name of "Honey Boo Boo" but can't tell you what it looks like - the same for the Kardashians, or any other television celebrities.  Who the heck are they?  Why should I be interested in anything (much less every thing) that they do?
   I know the world changes every second, with every decision that any person makes.  I realize that a lot of people grasp every bit of technology they can, and there are those who avoid it at all costs.  I like the technology that I have and use.  But I'm not a tech geek.  I like using my PC to seek information quickly and easily; I use the telephone as a tool - it is not attached to me, nor I to it.  I like music that I can hear clearly and understand.  I am not enamored with explosions and profanity.  I enjoy going out for a hike in the woods or mountains without hearing someone else shouting on a cell phone.
   I was just notified that my high school class is having a meeting this Saturday, in Gainesville, at the downtown public library (at 1 p.m. EDT), to set up our 40th graduation reunion.  Am I old?  Am I a curmudgeon?  Am I a fuddy-duddy?  An old hag?   -  I don't care how others view me, in actuality.  I love my cats, I loved my husband, and I like who I am.  Period.

Christmas Revels

It was 18 degrees this morning, and there was about 1/2 inch of snow left from last night's fall...  Flurries started a little after 1 p.m., but there was no build-up until after 5 p.m.  At that point in time, we were being seated at The Cheesecake Factory, and I pointed out the heavier snowfall to Kathy, Jim, and Anne.  The Christmas Revels was totally awesome, as it has been for the past five years - fantastic music, singing and dancing, Morris dancing, traditional wassailing songs, a traditional Mummer's play, and six songs that the audience was included in singing.
   Jim, as usual, wore a pine green sweater and his red Santa hat trimmed with white "fur."  Several smaller children stopped and waved at Jim, but we ended up with one of the trumpet players, from the Flagstaff Brass Quintet, chatting with us before the performance, during the intermission, and then at The Cheesecake Factory.  The man's name is Leonard Fahrni, he's a mathematics instructor, and a fan of Shakespeare's. He'll be heading for Prague this spring to see a Czech presentation of Troilus and Cressida, and then a production of Dvorjak's "Rusalka."  After the Revels, we were waiting for our table in the restaurant, and there he was again; and, once we had eaten and were leaving, we spoke yet again.  It was like we were being thrown together for a reason...
  In any event, we stuffed ourselves at supper, and we all had enough to take home for another meal.  The food and service was excellent, as always.  I came back home, grabbed a good book, and read until I fell asleep.
  It's sunny and clear out, and almost all of last night's snow has melted - and I'm writing this during the Broncos' half-time break.  Go Broncos!

The Day the Music Died

I guess the weather people knew what they were talking about....  even though it started to snow a little after 7 p.m. last night, and not earlier.  There is currently 10 inches of snow in my back yard, and it's continuing to fall.  They now say Boulder will end up with 17 to 20 inches of snow by the time this storm moves on or falls apart.  The snow is above both Nedi and Lovey's backs - but their tails still appear above the white stuff.  I'm glad I stocked up on the basics yesterday.  A little to our northwest, Jamestown has already received 24.5 inches of snow....
   Fifty-three years ago, there was a plane crash in Iowa.  Several singers and musicians were killed.  The most well-known names of those lost were: Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J P Richardson, also known as "the Big Bopper."  Waylon Jennings was supposed to have been on the plane, but wasn't.  If you have a collection of old songs, I'd suggest you play several in tribute to these lost pioneers.  First, Don McLean's American Pie, a tribute to those who lost their lives; then your favorite Buddy Holly and the Crickets song; then Richie Valens' Oh, Donna or La Bomba; Chantilly Lace by the Big Bopper; and, finally, any one of your favorite Waylon Jennings songs.....   Waylon moved from rock and rock-a-billy to pure country.  I wonder what paths the other three would have followed, had they lived....

Friday Potpourri

Well, I've already slipped and fallen on the ice twice this morning, so I cancelled walking Rosie and Remy again. I'm kind of stiff, and I cut my right knee, but other than that I'm fine. I'll just spend another day reading and researching. The kits ran out this morning, but they both came right back inside; and Gimpy's nuts are still nicely piled by the door. The snow has compacted down to about 18 inches high, and I'm certain that Lovey will paint me with mud later this afternoon. It's currently grey and foggy/misty/cloudy outside - it's already 32 degrees out, and it's supposed to be 53 and sunny tomorrow (which will make for a very muddy Homecoming football game for CU). I shared a table with a gentleman from Leeds, Yorkshire this morning - I was having hot chocolate, while he had a latte. He's in Boulder to give a sales presentation, and is staying at the Millennium Harvest House. We had a nice conversation about the differences of our languages and the beauty of the Rockies and the dales of Yorkshire.

The first day of Breeders Cup races begins a week from today. All races on the slate for next Friday are for fillies and mares - except the last one. It's the Breeders Cup Marathon, run at a mile and a half on the turf course. There currently are 11 starters, including Cloudy's Knight, the 9 year old son of Lord Avie. I'll be rooting for the big chestnut gelding. .... One of our local folk-bluegrass bands does something different for Halloween: they change their name, put on make-up and costumes, and sing anti-love songs as The Widows Bane. They are a group of 19th century zombies who play the banjo, guitar, fiddle, bass, washboard and accordion. (I have heard them play in a contemporary setting, and I highly recommend them!) If you're interested in this group, please visit: www.dailycamera.com/entertainment/ci_13662744 (even if it's just to see them in costume in a cemetery) .... I haven't been able to decide on a type of music to listen to today - I've been on the Golden Oldies Country station, the smooth jazz station, the classical station, and the Golden Oldies Rock station... guess I need to put on some John Hartford, Marty Robbins, and Mason Williams CDs to keep me happy. But, then again, maybe I'll try the Big Band and Swing station before I break out the CDs. Have a good Friday!

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!

An absolutely beautiful morning greeted me when I arose and went out walking earlier. The town is, even now, dead quiet, having celebrated loud and long for the CU Buff upset victory over the Kansas Jayhawks last night. The sunrise was gorgeous, and looking to the west, one can easily see snow-capped peaks and ridges just behind the foothills. It's in the 40s and we're expecting a high near 80 this afternoon... The kits are outside in the backyard - I'm sure that they are exploring all the interesting trash left behind by the folks attending the football game last evening. Soon after the Gator game ended yesterday, I heard a squirrel giving something "what for" at the top of it's lungs. What surprised me was that it was inside the house; and the kits know that they are not supposed to touch anything wild inside... It was Gimpy, in the patio doorway, telling off a younger squirrel, who had the temerity to take a couple of Gimpy's almonds.

After writing my blog yesterday, I started thinking about how much I love music; how much I appreciated Dad for introducing us to all kinds of music; and how much I enjoyed being in the chorus at my elementary school and performing in musicals. Those thoughts brought to mind Mister Jack Carter. He became my music teacher at Lake Forest after the term had started when I was in the fourth grade - having just graduated from college, and having no family in the immediate area, my parents adopted Jack into our family - so Jack was a friend away from school, but "Mr. Carter" on the school grounds. Poor Jack used to listen to all my troubles and grumbles and complaints until I was well into my 30s... He always had me look at what was happening from all angles, to try to understand others' points of view. He was the best "big brother" a depressed girl - or anyone - could have. With these thoughts tumbling in my mind, I looked in the White Pages on-line and found Jack. He is still living at his old address, still has cats, and still sounds the same. I called him, you see. It was a marvelous sensation to hear his voice again, to joke about old times, and to talk about family and pets. I ended up smiling all of yesterday, just thinking of our conversation - and remembering times past. Thank you, Jack, for all I know that you did - and for things that I'm sure you did without my knowledge, to help smooth the pathway of my early years!!

The Mighty Ram Band

I spent yesterday morning in a reverie of old memories. I knew that today the Homecoming football game for the UF Gators would take place, and so I returned to my childhood remembrances of the Friday before Homecoming. Why? Because it was a holiday - no school! And, the main reason was the University of Florida Homecoming Parade - a two to three-hour long event with marching bands from universities and high schools all over Florida, as well as a few from Georgia and Alabama, too. There were floats and dignitaries and politicians, actors and comedians, horses, clowns, the Shriners' Car Clubs from all points in Florida, gymnasts, and just about everything a child could desire in a parade, including wrapped candies and necklaces being thrown to the crowds. I have very good memories of the parade. I remember Buddy Ebsen participating one year as a surprise guest - most people remember him for his role of Jed Clampett in the TV series The Beverly Hillbillies, but I always remember him dancing on the staircase with Shirley Temple. Then I grew pensive. When I was in high school, our band, the Eastside High School Marching Ram Band, usually had 90 to 110 members - and we were frequently mistaken for the Florida A & M Marching band. The band had soul. We could swing, we could rock, and we were among the first Florida high school bands to incorporate "dance" into the marching unit. Here it is, 35 years after graduation from high school, and I can still hear our band playing at football games, parades, concerts, DisneyWorld, and at the inaugurations of Governors. I grew pensive because my high school no longer has a marching band, or any type of band at all. It has AP classes, and students who get wonderful scholarships to fantastic colleges and universities; but, in my heart and mind, since the school no longer has a band (of any kind) the school lacks a heart and soul. Mister Richard Parker was the most wonderful band director a newly created school could ever have had. He welded together a conglomerate of kids, both white and black, who had been in segregated schools all their lives, and created magic - Ram band music magic. Students who were sports fanatics loved our band. Students who were academics loved our band. Students who were marking time loved the band. And the public loved our band as well. It is a very sad experience to look at my high school now and realize that they have NO music or band program. Everyone enjoys music of some kind; everyone deserves to have a band they can be proud of at their school. Come on, state of Florida, and get music back into the schools!

Loud music in Niwot

It was loud at Spike's last night. One neighbor started playing Roy Orbison and Jimmy Buffett at 5 p.m., the one on the other side of the house cranked up their choice - acid rock that I didn't recognize; I turned up the volume on the TV to be able to hear it between the two stereos, and then the band on the square had it's amplifiers turned up so loud, I had to turn up the volume again. (I could follow the action of the Gator game - after all, I did stats for my high school team - but I wanted to hear names and the info the announcers decided to share about the players...) This weekend was good to the college teams I support - they all won.

The kits are happy to have me home again for a bit. Actually, when I walked in this morning, Banichi ran in the opposite direction - I was wearing my sneakers; I don't know what his previous owners did to him, but if I'm wearing sneakers, he doesn't trust me. I quickly kicked the sneakers off and loved both of my kits; gave them breakfast, cleaned the litter boxes, fed the birds and let the kits outside to explore the strange scents left from the tail-gaters from the CU game. It got up to 68 yesterday; expecting mid-70s today, but another cold front is coming through tonight and tomorrow is expected to be rainy and cool like Friday.

I realized last night, as I was driving back to Niwot after putting Suki & Boo to bed, that I have no idea where my sister and brother-in-law are this weekend. For once, they left me no contact numbers, nor even the name of the town they went to. I'm comfortable with it, but I usually have some idea of where my clients are and how to contact them when I'm in charge of their critters. Kathy and Jim are due back this evening, so I'll be leaving their truck in their drive and hopping the bus out to Niwot, as usual. It's felt strange to have the truck and to be traveling in a triangle - Spike's, Suki & Boo's, and my place.

Also while driving last night, I had a Twilight Zone moment, when I suddenly realized that I was driving on automatic pilot - there were no other vehicles in sight, there were lights in houses about a mile off the road in either direction, and I had no idea where I was. I must have been thinking very hard about something! I finally saw a fire-truck warning sign up ahead and recognized my position... I'm currently reading about voodoo and obeah and some of the beliefs on the Islands - maybe I thought I was cursed?!? In any event, I was not off course and made it back to Spike's with no problem. It will be nice not to have to worry about three households after this evening.

For those of you who had a scare with Gustav, and Hanna, I feel with you. Those bracing to see what Ike (and possibly Josephine) will do - I feel for you, too. I wish all of you could have the information and support that those who watch George Winterling on WJXT get. George is the very best of all weather people/meteorologists!!!