paisleypiper's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- happy birthday to me Happy Birthday to Me! Last night NN�s family made a little birthday for me and the great eleven-year-old FunnyBoy. An incredible sport and all-round zanny young guy, FunnyBoy got a pie in his face for his birthday. That, and a bunch of contributions towards his new Nintendo 2, or some such gaming thing. I think the best way to sum up this great kid is a comment his uncle made �I�ve never been in public with FunnyBoy where he hasn�t �taken a fall.�� This does not mean that FunnyBoy is a geeky clutz. He likes to stage falls, and he is getting a reputation. Sometimes he goes and falls on the sidewalk in front of his house just when cars go by. He falls in restaurants on the way to tables. He falls in his house during family events. He is the kind of kid that I just know has a good shot of becoming �the next ______________.� The evening was extremely fun � we all got a big laugh out of how much we dislike riding horses and telling stories of strange horse-torture from out youths. I think in the Midwest, too many kids are just plopped on horses and off to some wild and somewhat scary adventure on untrained horses. We noticed in our group that those who had a �a proper introduction� to the equestrian life, like horseback riding. Those of us, otherwise introduced, had a big aversion to the four-legged creatures. I got presents. Really great presents. NN�s family gave me some songbooks for the guitar. Already this morning I�ve been working on �Hurricane� by Neil Young. In my opinion this is an incredisong. I love music, and generally find I like all sorts of music. But then there are incredisongs which stand out � the songs that carry strong associations, stand out as a soundtrack to a particular time in my life. And have a way of transporting me back to that time, sometimes, when I hear them. Here are some of my incredisongs: My Father, This Mortal Coil Another Day, (all versions I�ve heard � Kate Bush/Peter Gabriel or This Mortal Coil, in particular) Don�t Fade Away, Dead Can Dance As Tears Go By, Marianne Faithful Crazy, Patsy Cline Loosing My Religion, R.E.M. Let Me Go, Heaven 17 Soldier and the Queen, Suzanne Vega Forever Young, Alphaville Julia, Eurythmics Vienna, Ultravox The Long and Winding Road, The Beatles Wild Horses, The Rolling Stones Dancing Barefoot, Patti Smith Kayliegh/Lavender, Marillion The Day Before You Came, BlancMange House at Pooh Corner, Loggins and Messina Persephone, Cocteau Twins Fire and Rain, James Taylor This is not an exhaustive list�. I have an on-going compilation series that I have been making each year since 1984 of incredisongs and this list of songs are on my mind at this moment. But, I probably left some off, too, that should I ever look back, I�d be tempted to add. Because that is how the mind works. Presents. Quinn gave me my presents this morning� a �cordless� keyboard and mouse, which will revolutionize my desk set-up! (a much needed gift, because currently I am perched awkwardly, but also a gift that is supportive of my writing.) I also got a beautiful and mysterious green suede pouch embossed with a pattern of leaves. It has really excellent energy, somethings just do, and it seems like the just the item. For what I don�t know� it needs to hold a secret, I think, or at the very least a mystery. And the recent New Order CD. Because I have not kept up with my New Order and wish that I had. She knows these things. And that�s nice. I�ve been getting calls and well-wishes all day. It is fun to have a day when somehow I stand out. Usually I am the observer, but today, I have a little turn at being the center of attention. Tomorrow I will readily go back to my role as observer. To me, that is the way to learn about life. My grandfather called me. I have not seen him since 1992. He drinks, chronically, and my mother is not close to him. But he took a notion to give me a call. Upon hearing his voice I could immediately smell the Kool cigarettes that he smokes. And see him in a short sleeve, oxford shirt. Those cigarettes handy in his pocket. I remember staying with him on quite a few Saturdays one year when Mother and Major decided to get season tickets to MU football. We drove down to Columbia, they went to the game, and I was left with Grandpa. Here�s the cool thing�. He has a garage stacked full of �45�s. Because, before he �retired� he owned a jukebox company. That is what brought this branch of my family from Connecticut. 45�s. What do you do with a girl all day? Let her play in the records in the garage, yes. I would load up the old the jukeboxes and learn all sorts of funny old songs from the 40�s, 50�s and 60�s. Sometimes, after a few drinks themselves, he and his new wife would join me and they would tell me about the old swinging days and being hipsters. The man has a past. And that aspect intrigues me. But I am conflicted, because he has hurt many people. So I do not initiate anything with him � I already have enough bizarre familial relationships�but the shadow of pain, the past, the mistakes, all of the things that I do not know about how he hurt lots of people, these I can sense. They cover him like a blanket, restrain him like a jacket that is too tight� keep him apart from the family. So it is a birthday. I�ve got more calls to take�.. Happy 4th of July. Don�t say the pledge of allegiance. 1:23 p.m. - 2002-07-04 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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