Music Monday - "End of the World" by Skeeter Davis

You know, a few months ago, I made a terrible mistake. I realized something, and instead of crushing the thought the moment it came I... I let it hang on, and now I know it to be true. And I'm afraid it's stuck in my head forever. These are the best days of our lives. It's a terrible thing to know, but I know it. 

- The Count, Pirate Radio

Rest in peace Philip Seymore Hoffman.

Poem for Aurora

On two occasions I have been in the presence of death.
I have watched air escape lungs.
And at no point did I feel anything but



Love




I sit here after the recent tragedies at the Aurora Movie Shootings
And wish

that I could have done something
Changed it


But I can't
And I feel
And I cry


I have plenty to say
But the words escape my fingertips

On the news

Texas Sheriff pulls over a truck with a busted tail light, going a little slow on a country road. He approaches the vehicle and an octogenarian woman has her hands on the ten and two.

"Ma'am, license and registration, please."

She hands over her drivers license and her concealed handgun permit.

"Ma'am, do you have weapons on your person or within your vehicle?"

"Yes Officer, I do. One in my glove box. One in my purse. One in the driver door compartment and one under the seat."

The Sheriff is surprised and asks the woman "Ma'am, I have to ask. What are you afraid of?"

She replies... "Nothing."

Music Monday - What else could I choose?

I was sad to hear that Amy Winehouse had died this weekend. I cannot say that I am surprised, but it's a shame she wasn't able to make a triumphant comeback after a very public downfall. Should you not care to watch this video, might I suggest the three following songs, one of which would have been today's proper selection.

1) Get Higher, Paper Tongues
2) Santuary, by Gareth Emery
3) It's Real, Real Estate

Music Monday, something similar although wholly unlike Angry Birds

Birds. Perhaps I’m only noticing them more than usual due to the book I’m reading, (Divergent by Veronica Roth – pretty flippin sweet read, check it out*,) but it feels like my avionic friends are everywhere right now. I’ve got a couple of finch families living above my water lilies, there’s a blue jay who hangs out in the backyard, bunch of those black ones with weird fan tails that hunt through my grass for worms… and Barry, the suicidal bird.

Barry lives in the oak tree in front of my house (the one across from Sammy the squirrel - who is doing great by the way.) I’m not sure what kind of bird he is, there’s nothing distinctive about his coloring or size, he’s just a bird. What makes Barry so interesting is that he is completely suicidal. I mean it, 100% manic-depressive, put him in a white jacket and padded cell, this bird is cuckoo (pun intended.)

The moment you start your car he flies down and lands in front of your tires, then waddles around for a little bit and once you start to move he’ll barely make it out of the way before you run him over. I’ve been in my kitchen looking out at the street and seen him swoop down and try to get run over by the recycling truck. I’m serious, he’s got some serious thrill issues.

Therefore, I cannot help myself but to make this song my Music Monday pick. I double dog dare you to try and get this awesomeness out of your head.


* In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

Operatic Death

Just got our seat assignments from Amici for the performance of Romeo & Juliet. Pretty great place to watch them kill each themselves.

still trucking

When Jim died, we read Psalms and he passed quickly and peacefully. With John, I'm afraid that it will be something a little less calm. I'm sitting next to him as he breathes an albuterol treatment, 2 ml of morphine, and copius pills. Yet he still smokes. Watching death take its course... I'm very slowly losing my mind. So, dear reader, if I should have any, I don't know what else to say. Death and taxes.

and when it is my turn...

I will have a headstone that reads "So long. And thanks for all the fish."

Another Story

So, my Dad died in 2004. I think around April 11. Hard to remember the exact day, but I remember the 3am phone call from my brother. I remember driving up the 15 to my Mom's house in the dark. Most of all, I remember that Blink 182's song "Miss You" was playing on the radio. Those guys went to my high school. I actually have a great Tom story (that I won't share.) And because of this moment, the band, the song, everything was ruined for me. I can't even listen to them anymore - because my Dad died.
It took me three days to cry; we were sitting around a round table for dinner (Mom, Brother, Husband, Me) and something got us laughing pretty hard, the next thing I know, it turned to tears. It's been almost seven years now. I wish I could remember what got us laughing in the first place.

Death and All His Friends

Since we're on Death Watch, might as well post a few dark and twisty things about me + my Death relationship. (I'll start off small.)

When I was in fourth grade, my mom took me out of school for a week; we travelled to her hometown of Mulhall, Oklahoma for it's centenial celebration. I had to create a presentation for the class upon my return, to show that I learned something in my absence, so I created a slide show of pictures and played the overture of Rogers & Hamerstein's 'Oklahoma!' throughout the 5 minute shindig… wheat fields and progressing into photos from the town… then into the parade day itself. Now here's where it gets a little dark & twisty. The town recreated an old-fashioned shoot-out and then proceeded to have a fake hanging. I kid you not. So the hanging became the focus of my presentation. Three whole minutes of play by play pictures of this fake outlaw death, body twisting in the breeze and all. I'm sure my teacher was mortified, but she didn't stop it, maybe I upset some of the kids? To me, it was facsinating.