An unexpectedly long weekend. And not just because of the time change. Flu Both M and C got the flu and stayed home Thursday and Friday. They tested negative for Covid and had all the classic flu symptoms. I don’t think either has ever had the true flu before, and were a little overwhelmed by how it kicks your ass. They were still dragging a bit on Sunday but trending back towards normal.
A few links have stacked up, and I have a few posts lined up for the coming week, so might as well share them on a Sunday. Most of these are music-related, which seems ideal for a weekend. Tennessee’s win over Alabama was spectacular.[1] The images of the orange-clad Volunteer fans taking over the field after the winning field goal sailed through the uprights will be one of the lasting images of this college football season.
open.spotify.com/playlist/… “How Far We’ve Come” - The Big Pink This big, positive track is a good thing to listen to in the heart of the political season. There’s a lot going wrong in the world, and I tend to think we’re heading a very bad direction in so many different aspects of life. But in other ways, we’ve really come a long way. Silver linings and whatnot… “The Politics of Dancing” - Re-Flex I heard this on the way to school this morning and it also seemed appropriate.
Your defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks play their first exhibition game tonight. Seems like some hoop thoughts are in order. KU and the NCAA The saga continues its glacial slide towards a resolution. Wednesday KU announced that it was imposing various penalties, ranging from Bill Self and Kurtis Townsend being suspended for four games (reflecting an NCAA mandate for being found guilty of a Level 1 violation), to recruiting limitations, to reducing scholarships.
A light month thanks to reading The Stand and being out-of-town for a week. Movies, Series, Shows Halloween Baking Championship I have two episodes left, so no final grade yet. Interesting that the baker that seemed to be clearly the best took herself out of the competition early by taking an unnecessary risk. Incomplete The Patient I watched the first two episodes of this one night and then never got back to it.
I had a really good week in Washington, D.C. with L and her classmates. It wasn’t all great, but we avoided the major issues that often plague these trips. We did A LOT. I took some notes along the way, but I think the best way to share the experience is just to list everywhere we went and add a thought or two as necessary. Monday: Flew into Baltimore and drove directly to Arlington National Cemetery.
October 2022 Alvvays - 81 The Beatles - 48 The War on Drugs - 41 The Big Pink - 18 Stevie Wonder - 18 Complete stats available at my Last.fm page.
Friday L had the day off after our DC trip (more to come on that tomorrow), although I still had to get up and take C to school. Why did I have to take her? M was on her senior retreat Tuesday through Friday. Friday evening was the welcome home ceremony for the seniors. That was interesting, as all the kids (40-some) had to stand up and say something about their experience.
youtu.be/_ul7X5js1… “Superstition” live on Sesame Street - Stevie Wonder L and I arrived at our house, tired but happy, around 1:00 this morning following a long, jam-packed, and mostly excellent trip to Washington, D.C. with her classmates. I’ll get to all of that next week. In the meantime, Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book album had its 50th anniversary this week. Pop culture writer Jeremy Gordon contributed to this New York Times feature about it, and tweeted out a link to this most excellent video for one of the album’s most famous songs.
Monday playlist? WHAT?!?! That’s right, a very special playlist to kick off the week. By the time you read this I will likely be in the air, on my way to Washington, D.C. as a chaperone for L’s 8th grade class trip. We have an action-packed week ahead of us, from the moment we land until we depart late Thursday. Gotta keep these little heathens on the move and out of trouble!
Fall Break A pretty boring break for us, as we have trips ahead of us. M went up to Ball State to hang out with a friend of hers. Apparently they went to a few parties Friday night, but I tried not to hear too much about that. Normally we get our flu shots over fall break but I couldn’t wrangle all the girls together at the same time to knock that out efficiently.
Slow week here at blog headquarters. Or actually a busy one in terms of commitments outside the home which has meant for limited posting opportunities. Expect the same next week, but more on that later… Here is this week’s selection of music. open.spotify.com/playlist/… “See” - Hooveriii Hoover three, get it? The latest track to pop up recently that has at least a hint of psychedelic funk to it. Might we be in the midst of a boomlet?
The Stand - Stephen King I mentioned in my last entry I was working through a very big book. Nearly 30 years after reading the original version, I decided to read the “completed and uncut edition” of The Stand. Released in 1990, this version included over 400 pages cut from the original 1979 manuscript, and checks in at over 1100 pages. I read the original version in the summer of 1993, my first-ever experience with a King novel.
FNL For the ninth-straight year Cathedral ended their regular season schedule against Center Grove. They are almost always great games, although CG had a 6–2 advantage coming into this year’s game. Two years ago the game came down to Cathedral being unable to get less than a yard on fourth down. This year the game also came down to one team coming up one yard short. Kind of. Center Grove (No.
Back to the (mostly) newer music this week. open.spotify.com/playlist/… “Lucky One” - The Big Pink I like the heavy, almost ominous feel of this track. “Literary Mind” - Sprints I’m a long-time sucker for songs that capture the feeling of being young and in love, and this sure does that. I especially like how, as the song builds, the band’s Dublin accents come out more-and-more. “Wolf” - Yeah Yeah Yeahs I finally got around to giving the new YYY album a listen on Tuesday or Wednesday.
I’ve been focused on my book this week, so not a lot percolating in the ol’ noggin’ worthy of writing about. Thus, some links for your enjoyment. Become 007 With Pelorus’ Bond-Worthy Travel Experience I wonder if the girls will be upset when I tell them that their college accounts have been drained so that I can do this instead. A breakdown of every James Bond actor’s favourite car “Favourite.
I am deep into the longest book I’ve read in years. My Kindle tells me I’m 54% through it after more than a week of work. Figured I better get to the books I read before I started it so I don’t totally forget what they were about. Italian Ways - Tim Parks Hmmm, a book about taking trains in Italy. That is interesting. Because, you see, we will be riding on trains in Italy in about six weeks.
A quick run through a busy weekend. FNL It was Cathedral’s homecoming week. They pounded their Jesuit brothers pretty easily, winning 42–21 with two of those scores against coming late in the game. I went for the first half but it was chilly, C’s back was bothering her (she’s been seeing a chiropractor), so we left after we watched one of M’s best friends since kindergarten win homecoming queen. Next week is the big season finale: at Center Grove, who have lost one game - by one point in overtime to a team from Kentucky - in the past three seasons.
I did not do a lot of new music listening this week. So, to switch things up, I’m just going to play my Spotify Liked Songs on shuffle and see what it throws out for this week’s list. I’ll also make it extra-long, hopefully a good soundtrack as you wrap up your week. open.spotify.com/playlist/… “1234” - Feist Remember when iPod commercials took songs that were niche hits and turned them into songs everyone knew?
A quick kid hoops update, as L’s St P’s team has hit their (stupid) fall break-break. First, a refresher about the dumbness of the CYO girls basketball schedule. Girls hoops has always been a fall CYO sport, so that the gyms are cleared out for boys basketball and boys/girls volleyball in the winter. Never mind that girls volleyball should be a fall sport, to mirror high school and avoid the core travel season.