Mid-to-late June is my favorite time of summer. It’s usually not too hot yet, or if it roasts for a day or two the heat will eventually break and you’ll have a stretch of pleasant days mixed in. The rhythms of the summer are still developing and the season holds seeming endless promise. At least that’s what it felt like to me as a kid, and I’ve never really lost that sensation.
It’s been a few weeks since we’ve had a proper playlist. The new music has dried up just a hair and I haven’t had much time to devote to what is available over the past couple weeks. I’ve hacked together something to keep you occupied for a half hour or so, including two amazing videos. open.spotify.com/playlist/… “Evergreen” - Bendigo Fletcher There is a lot going on in this song, veering through several different sources of inspiration.
Chart Week: May 12, 1979 Song: “In the Navy” - The Village People Chart Position: #5, 9th week on the chart. Peaked at #3 for two weeks. I wasn’t old enough to “get” the Village People when they were at the height of their powers. I was 6–7 years old during their brief moment at the top of the pop culture pyramid. All I knew was that they were goofy and funny and sang catchy disco songs.
Before I get to our next Reaching for the Stars entry, I realized that I first need to share some disturbing news in the AT40 world that has radically changed my life. The local station that played American Top 40 on Sundays for at least 12 years has stopped airing the show. A week after we returned from spring break I turned on the radio and heard some random song from the ‘90s.
My reading pace slacked off significantly over the past month. I only finished three books in May, and none of them should have taken more than a couple of days. Because of that, the first two books in this entry don’t get very good recaps as it has been too long since I finished them to write anything terribly coherent about them. I also had my first abandoned book of the year.
Just a couple videos this week. After a rather cool, rainy week summer weather is finally here. So, first, a summer classic. youtu.be/MsW8rXPcn… Next, something I stumbled across yesterday which absolutely requires ten minutes of your undivided attention. youtu.be/M-0Z_2j1a… You’re welcome.
Movies and Shows Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Hard to believe this movie came out in 2002. And that I’ve managed to not see it in those 19 years! Based on the “autobiography” of game show creator and host Chuck Barris, it details both his efforts to make it in the TV biz and his - likely - fictional life as a CIA hitman. Reading things written about the movie upon its release, there were real questions about how much of the movie was true.
One of our more laid back Memorial Day holiday weekends is now in the books. Unlike most of the past decade, when we would either go to the lake or host a pool party, we had no major plans this year. We did have some friends over for dinner Friday, but it was cold and rainy that night so the adults stayed inside while the girls got into the pool for just a bit after I cranked the heater up.
May 2021 Middle Kids - 39 Manchester Orchestra - 25 Pearl Jam - 18 Dumptruck - 17 Paw - 16 Complete stats available at my Last.fm page.
A special music post for this Memorial Day. It has nothing to do with the holiday, but this seemed like a good day to squeeze it in. Music writer Sean Ross tracks what he calls Lost Hits. Based on his self-created Lost Factor, he looks at old songs and sees how often they get played today. Songs that were popular years ago but rarely, if ever, get played these days become his Lost Hits.
Drums please… youtu.be/Kr0tTbTbm… Summer is here! So why is the high only going to be 60 tomorrow? Remind me of this when the heat index is 115 in two months. youtu.be/F8V8_sIFL… Happy race weekend to my Indy peeps.
Today marks two weeks in as an Audi owner. I owe you faithful readers of this series some thoughts. The honeymoon is not over; I still love, love, love my Q5. It is pretty much everything I was looking for in a replacement for my Big Chevys.[1] Nimble, quick, comfortable. It has just enough sportiness to make it fun while remaining just big enough to have use as a family utility vehicle.
We had great weather all weekend, and a ton of activities (L and I went to watch Indy 500 qualifying, C had her birthday dinner out with friends, and we hosted a nephew birthday party), so I did not sit and watch endless hours of coverage of the PGA Championship. I saw enough to get the vibe of the tournament, though, including roughly the last hour of Phil Mickelson’s win.
We have reached the final week of the 2020–21 academic year. It’s kind of hard to believe the year was as “normal” as it was. To be very clear, it was not normal. There were all kinds of mandates and limits and headaches compared to what our girls had done every year before Covid hit. There were lots of bumps along with way, especially with C’s grade at St P’s. As we are almost done I won’t get into the details of those, but it’s the first time we’ve had any serious problems with school administrators.
open.spotify.com/playlist/… “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head” - TORRES Mackenzie Scott has been making critically acclaimed, ground-breaking music for going on a decade now. This might be my favorite thing she’s ever done. “Heavy Glow” - The Glow I always think it’s kind of cool when bands have song titles that include their name. Like it’s some kind of cheesy wink to the audience. Anyway, this song is a heavier take on traditional dream pop, and I like it.
Remember the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can? Leonardo DiCaprio starred as Frank W. Abagnale Jr., a man who fooled people into thinking he was an airline pilot, among other things, to live a jet-setting, check-forging, stewardess-banging life. The movie was wonderful, as I recall. It had just the right breezy tone to fit the times it was set in and dispensed with looking too deeply into the truth of Abagnale’s story in favor of a couple hours of enjoyable entertainment.
Some thoughts on the latest goings on with University of Kansas athletics. KU football I mostly sat out the search for the latest KU football coach. I was aware of the biggest names that were getting thrown around - Buffalo’s Lance Leipold and Army’s Jeff Monken - but I refused to invest much time or emotional energy into following the process. I assumed whoever KU hired, it would be the wrong choice.
If you’ve read my blog entries over the years, you know I can often be a little wordy with the background before I get to my point. I believe context is important and want to fully inform my readers. However, sometimes it is best to cut to the chase. So… Yep, I am now the proud lessee of a 2021 Audi Q5. It’s pretty fucking sweet. We picked it up Thursday, so it is still early days.
After six weeks of action, we are done with spring sports. At least at the middle school level. We had a little scare before the week’s events began. L had knee issues last fall and winter, a combination of growing pains and Osgood-Schlatter disease. They largely went away after the winter basketball season ended and never popped up again this spring. Until Monday, when she could barely walk. We got her a crash physical therapy course (thanks to a pediatrician she knows well and some Googling), a heavy regimen of Ibuprofen, and a lot of Icy-Hot before activity.
Happy Friday! The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and the mini-chill that has dominated the first half of May seems to be moving out. Please enjoy this hand-crafted playlist. open.spotify.com/playlist/… “Misandrist to Most” - Lady Dan We’ve been trying to teach our girls since they were born to be strong and independent. Tyler Dozier, aka Lady Dan, has provided this fine anthem for independent women of all ages.