Little m Long a

I started this a few days ago (the meme of six) but never quite got around to actually answering any of the questions.  Somehow I ended up posting a riveting video of me walking through a broomstick.  My very own version of a stupid human trick.  Though It may have appeared relatively simple, it actually takes a bit of practice–just ask Imperceptible.  (Sorry about the drywall.)

So back to the meme part of this little exercise.  I think we can easily discern what the first item should be.

#1 I’m easily distracted.

Some time ago, I had in my mind that I was going to be a runner. I ran the mile and the two mile races my freshman year in high school but switched to hurdles my sophomore year because I was afraid of the extremely rigorous training regime of the varsity track coach. He expected more than the leisurely trot of a pace I had so become comfortable with during my freshman year. NO—I never won a race. Imagine that! Anyway, I switched to high hurdles my sophomore year and left distance running behind.

NO—I was not very good at high hurdles. In high school I stood approximately 5’7”, weighed about a buck thirty and had a forty yard dash time somewhere under a minute. As a side, the most hurdles I knocked down in a single race—13. Yeah, 13.  All ten of mine plus three in another lane. I was not good.

However in our high school it was understood that all seniors, having completed at least two years of team sports regardless of ability would receive a varsity letter. That was the only thing that kept me banging my knees on those hurdles year after year. I knew that at the spring sports banquet I would finally be getting my letter.  Well, comes time for the sports banquet and coach somehow forgot to order my letter.

Yeah, three years and a blown left knee all for my stinking patch and he forgot to order it. He never did order it. Oh, I got a letter though.  I got my track letter from one of my buddies who had lettered in track for three years and had an extra. He gave me one of his—thanks Ron.

#2 I’m a passive-aggressive non-conformist.

One of the questions often asked (I’m not sure anyone has ever asked but I like to appear to be helpful and compliant) is “You’ve got five kids, all with Z names. (That part is not a question—I know). So, why Zoë’s Dad? How did you settle on that as a name for your blog?”

Good question and thanks for asking. When the time came for naming this blather, Zoë’s Dad was the first thing that popped into my head. I wrote it down. I liked it. I kind of figured that Zoë was my first, I am her dad, it fit.  And at the time I felt that she was surely mature enough to handle all of the fame an notoriety that accompanies having your name on a blog read by tens of people.

Lately, I’ve toyed with changing the name to something a little less singular but Zoë Zane Zia Zella and Zander’s Dad Rusty’s Owner and Caretaker to Ariel and Little Gray Kitty/ Fledgling Recycler seems a bit wordy.  Couple that with having to go through the painstaking process of registering a new domain, changing e-mail, changing the blog template and pictures, sidebars—it’s just too much effort right now.

I’ve got light bulbs to change, and diaper pails to empty.  Important stuff.

#3  It’s Zoë’s Dad because that’s who I am.

Now I know that is only three things and the game called for six but as Kami pointed out, I have a problem following the rules.

It was bound to happen, I think the word is inevitable. Sooner or later it was going to happen. Seems it happened sooner, I’m just responding later—much later. I’ve never really been good a schoolyard games. I was that punk kid that decided when it was his turn to be it that we should change games or play something else. Or I’d just quit altogether forcing those who still wanted to play to continue on without me.

I got tagged. Twice. I thought they would forget but I guess not. Seems that Karen MEG of A Day in the Life…One Glass at a Time wants to know a group of six things about me. She wanted to know a long time ago (June 26). And more recently Piper of Bliss in Bloom wanted a similar rendition of six things explained about me.

OK. So Maybe I can work the two together to answer the burning questions ergo satisfying the terms of my being it.

I have to ask, though. Why six? Why not three or seven? Isn’t seven supposed to be the perfect number? Three is usually the end of the counting chain. Pick up any children’s book. A…B…C…One..Two..Three. That’s it. And how high do you count before taking a big leap? Three. Right! One, Two, Three…Jump.

Well, I guess in the truest sense that would be four because it’s three then jump. Unless of course, you jump on three. Then it’s just three and it’s all good. Depending on where you may be jumping. Then it may not be so good. From a diving board into the cool refreshing pool below……good. From a tall building into the crowded concrete streets below…..not so good.

Wow. Where did that come from? OK. It seems I have seriously lost my way. OH!! I’ve got to tell you this, though. Yesterday, I got an award. Was it an award or just recognition? I can’t remember. It looks like this…..

Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin’ Time was handing these out yesterday. Who knew. I love her stipulation to passing on the award. You have to take a picture of yourself doing something stupid. Mrs was very impressive. Just take a look for yourself.

So, although I’m probably not going to play along and pass on the award—I know, I suck. Really, I feel that if you have ever made it through one of my posts—any of my posts—you deserve an award. Please feel free to take the award and own it. Tell everyone that I gave it to you. In the strictest sense, I suppose I did.

Anyway, I loved the stupid human trick photo idea. I laughed so hard at Mrs. 4444′s that I may have piddled. I really wasn’t expecting it. Well, it was difficult to capture the essence of my stupid human trick with a single photo so I filmed it.

Oh, and I’m not quite sure I answered any of the memes.  I’ll try them again later.

Inspiration comes.  Sometimes it doesn’t.  When it doesn’t, I have found a nifty little trick is to steal from those in the blogging community.  OK.  stealing is bad.  I’m borrowing, drawing inspiration, building upon the foundations that have been laid before me.  I got this from Mr. Big Dubya who apparently got it from Jason who got it from a website he appreciates.  You see, it’s not really theft if the original dudes all get their due credit, right?  Kind of like it ain’t plagiarism if I put a footnote.

Anyway, the rules of this little exercise are pretty simple: pick your favorite album (or what would have been your favorite, had you been of age) from every year of your life.  I fudged this just a tad.  Although I would like to think of myself as someone with a very eclectic taste in music (no rap–no country–a guy has to have boundaries), my wife would argue that my tastes are pretty mainstream and ho-hum at best.   Try as I may to argue with her–she’s got a  point.  I am the musical equivalent of illiterate.  So I picked many of what were or would have been my favorite albums and quite a few of what should have been my favorite albums.  As you will see, I still need help.  I welcome your suggestions.  I must remind you though, no rap–no country.

This would have been much easier had I started this say–ten or fifteen years ago.  But I didn’t.  I waited until now so I’ve got to track down forty three albums that count or would count as my favorite of the year.  I was going to break this up into at least two posts but by the time I got finished I’d  be trying to select well over fifty some odd albums (I tend to procrastinate.) and would have definitely lost all interest–as you no doubt will have by the time you reach the end of this post–if you haven’t already.

Here goes.  A year in the life–Album Style.

1965   A Charlie Brown Christmas                  Vince Guaraldi Trio  (To this very day one of my all time favorites.  In fact, my cd alarm clock is set to wake me to Linus and Lucy every morning.)
1966   Sounds of Silence                                 Simon and Garfunkel
1967   Are You Experienced                           Jimi Hendrix (still makes it into the weekly playlist)
1968   The Beatles (White Album)                  The Beatles
1969   Led Zeppelin                                          Led Zeppelin
1970   Moondance                                             Van Morrison
1971   Sticky Fingers                                        The Rolling Stones
1972   Talking Book                                           Stevie Wonder
1973   Dixie Chicken                                          Little Feet (just try to listen and not tap your toes.  I don’t think it’s possible.)
1974   The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway         Genesis
1975   Wish You Were Here                             Pink Floyd (We’re just two lost souls living in a fish bowl, year after year….one of my favorite all time lines in a song.)
1976   Chicago X                                                Chicago (My wife thinks I’m a dork but I’ve always liked Peter Cetera’s voice.)
1977   The Clash                                                The Clash
1978   Van Halen                                                Van Halen
1979   Toto                                                         Toto
1980   The Pretenders                                       The Pretenders
1981   Face Value                                                Phil Collins (In the Air Tonight–you know you play that drum line–you know you do!)
1982   1999                                                         Prince
1983   Synchronicity                                           The Police
1984   Purple Rain                                               Prince and the Revolution
1985   No Jacket Required                                Phil Collins
1986   Graceland                                                Paul Simon
1987   The Joshua Tree                                     U2
1988   Vivid
Living Colour
1989   Mother’s Milk                                          Red Hot Chili Peppers
1990   Shake Your Money Maker                       The Black Crowes
1991   Achtung Baby                                            U2
1992   Us                                                             Peter Gabriel
1993   Are You Gonna Go My Way                      Lenny Kravitz
1994   Dookie                                                      Green Day
1995   (What’s the story) Morning Glory          Oasis
1996   Crash                                                        Dave Mathews Band
1997   Secret Samadhi                                        Live  (It was a toss up with the Foo Fighters second album this year–I went with Live)
1998   Car Wheels on a Gravel Road                   Lucinda Williams
1999   Supernatural                                            Santana
2000   Parachutes                                               Coldplay
2001   Rockin the Suburbs                                  Ben Folds
2002   Up                                                             Peter Gabriel
2003   Unclassified                                             Robert Randolph and the Family Band
2004   Hot Fuss                                                  The Killers
2005   From Under the Cork Tree                     Fall Out Boy
2006   Continuum                                                 John Mayer
2007    Raising Sand                                            Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
2008   Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace          Foo Fighters

Of the artists listed here I’ve only seen eight in concert.  Bonus points for anyone that can correctly guess all eight.

I’m not sure what I dislike more, the total feeling of helplessness I feel when I am consumed by the inability to articulate the thoughts in my head or memes.  Somehow they both tend to fester in the recesses of my mind rotting there until released from their stagnating pools of decaying gray matter.  Either way, what eventually emerges is usually babble and not nearly worth the time I have invested in them.  I suppose it’s a process, a learning process and I should appreciate the lessons.  Like Castor Oil, it’s good for me, and though I can’t immediately see that, I shouldn’t be dismissive. 

No, I haven’t been tagged as they say.  I did , however, read a very interesting meme by Darren over at Clare’s Dad the other day and it kind of stuck in my head.  It basically uses the songs on your iPod to answer a series of questions.  I had no intentions of completing the meme but the very first question gave me a very cool answer and before long I found my self deep into it.  Oddly, many of the answers my iPod gave were appropriate, some eerily so.

So here are the instructions:

1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question.
4. NO CHEATING.  (This may have been interpreted as more of a guideline than a rule for a couple of my answers.)

So here is the meme and how my iPod answered the questions for me.

Q: What does next year have in store for you?
A: It’s Good to be King by Tom Petty  Wildflowers  (All hail King Ed!  I just may be able to live with that.)

Q: What does your love life look like next year?
A: Shame, Shame, Shame by Kenny Wayne Shepherd   Ledbetter Heights  (I feel I should comment here if only to debunk this crappy little exercise in humility yet by saying anything I fear it would only confirm the harsh realities of life that are being revealed by my ruthless electronics.)

Q: What do you say when life gets hard?
A: Fall Out  by The Police  The Police Live (disc 1)  (Not so sure it’s a statement or my little way of dealing with adversity.  I’m like one of those fainting sheep.)

Q: Song that reminds you of good times?
A: Remembering J.P. by Larry Carlton  Larry Carlton Collection Volume II

Q: What do you think when you get up in the morning?
A: Little Miss Muffet by Countdown Kids  30 Toddler Songs  (Where’s your mind?  I’ve got kids!)

Q: What song will you dance to at your wedding?
A: Desperately Wanting by Better Than Ezra  Friction Baby  (We actually had a zydeco band.  This was pretty cool though.)

Q: Song that reminds you of your first kiss?
A: Emily by Earl Klugh  Solo Guitar  (I do not know Emily, nor have we ever been intimate.)

Q: Your favorite saying?
A: Who Stole My Monkey  by Boozoo Chavis  Who Stole My Monkey  (I do spend quite a sizable portion of each day searching for misplaced items.  Not so sure I lost my monkey, though.  I may have to incorporate the saying.)

Q: Favorite place?
A: Empty Spaces by Pink Floyd  The Wall (Disc 1)  (Oh, for a few hours of solitude.)

Q: Most Missed Memory?
A: Ocean Size by Jane’s Addiction  Kettle Whistle  (This thing is a little fun.  I love the ocean and have very fond memories of family vacations to Florida in my youth.)

Q: What song describes your best friend?
A: Take Time by Lenny Kravitz  5  (I’ll buy that.)

Q: What song describes your ex?
A: Sell, Sell, Sell  by Barenaked Ladies  Maroon  (No comment.)

Q: Where would you go on a first date?
A: Pull by Better Than Ezra  How Does Your Garden Grow?  (I swear this is the song that showed up.  I immediately had flashbacks to that movie, There’s Something About Mary.)

Q: Drug of choice?
A: Weed Whacker by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones  The Hidden Land  (You can’t make this stuff up!)

Q: What song describes yourself?
A: Twenty Four Hours A Day by Billie Holiday  Quintessential:  Volume 1, 1933-1935  (I am often tired.  Hmm.)

Q: What is the thing you like doing most?
A: Goodbye by Patty Griffin  A Kiss in Time

Q: The song that best describes the president?
A: Louisiana Rain by Anders Osborne  Live at Tipitina’s  (I swear, I did not cheat.  This is the song that came up.  I suppose it could have just as easily been  Machine Gun by Jimi Hendrix or Death Machine by Fiction Plane.  Oh, I don’t know.  Pick a song about something remotely gone wrong in the last eight years and I’m sure it could just as easily apply.)

Q: Where will you be in 10 years?
A: Don’t Get Around Much Anymore   by Harry Connick Jr   It Had To Be You  (I don’t get around much now.  My God, if this thing is true it’s going to suck.  I’ll never get out of the house.  Oh, wait.  See #1.  I won’t need to leave–the castle!)

Q: Your love life right now?
A: Dream a Little Dream of Me by Louis Armstrong  The Best of Louis Armstrong  (See #2)

le=”FONT-FAMILY: Comic Sans MS”>Q: What is your state of mind like at the moment?
A: Tears, Tears and More Tears by Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint  The River in Reverse  (That’s not true!  I am happy!  These are tears of joy!  I’m smiling on the inside!…. Don’t look at me.  I’m hideous!!!)

Q: How will you die?
A: Take That by Lee Rittenour and Larry Carlton  Larry and Lee  (So there you have it.  I’m King of the World one day and the next it’s all over because of some flippant act of retribution by a couple of jazz guitarists.  Great.)


And that’s that.  Babble.  But it was interesting and fun to do.  Try it.  You’ll see.

….Me!!!

That’s right blog fan (no, I did not forget to pluralize that) I am a headliner.  A good friend of mine…..umm, a buddy of mine…..no, wait…a  guy I met in a bar….actually, he’s one of the blogs I read regularly and has begun a series of interviews of at-home-dads.  For some strange reason, he chose to interview me.  You can read all about it at Quirkee.com, an award-winning humor and entertainment online publication (Issue #74:  November 8, 2007).  You owe it to yourself to check it out.  I mean, check me out. Then stick around and check out more of Quirkee or head over to James’ blog, Daddyshack.  All time well spent, I assure you.  Then come back and let me know what you think.