Anyone who knows me, knows that I love music. Anyone who knows my music knows that I have an offbeat taste and seem to gravitate towards obscure songs and artists. As I was looking at my current playlist, I noticed a mix of new and old, obscure and known, cool and embarrassing. So what better way to use my blog than to let all of you capture a glimpse of what my favorite songs are right at this moment in time. You could call this Jeff's Time Capsule of Music. You could, but I'm calling it Jeff's Jukebox. Here are my current faves, in no particular order:
1. Flying On the Ground Is Wrong-Buffalo Springfield
2. Sister Golden Hair-West Coast All-Stars
3. One Reason-Chynna & Vaughn
4. Runaway Heart-Alathea
5. Angel Band-The Monkees
6. Where the Streets Have No Name-Chris Tomlin
7. Fallin’ For You-Colbie Caillat
8. Counting On God-Phillips, Craig & Dean
9. I Don’t Want to Hear Anymore-Paul Carrack
10. Couldn’t I Just Tell You-Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet
11. Safe-Phil Wickham & Bart Millard
12. I Wish-Cindy Morgan
13. My Heart’s Cryin’ Tonight-Richie Furay w/Timothy B. Schmit
14. The Other Side of the Rain-the Rubinoos
15. Alright-Rynn
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
I Was A Teen-Age Balloon Boy
With all the media attention about the so-called Balloon Boy over the past couple of days I felt compelled to come clean. It is time to spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag and throw myself on the mercy of the court of public opinion. I am guilty. Guilty of more than using a bunch of tired clichés. I am guilty of being a Teenage Balloon boy. To be more precise, I was an accomplice of a Teenage Balloon Boy.
For a short period of time in the 70’s you could purchase small cans of helium at toy stores. They were the size of a can of Wizard Air Freshener and contained only enough helium for about a dozen balloons. That was all that was needed for our Great Balloon Hoax.
My cousin received a couple of cans of Helium for his Birthday. You would have thought it would have been for the balloons for his party, but no, they were for him to have fun with. This was the days 1970’s years before Xbox, Wii and Guitar Hero. Boys had to have something to do. After the party, his plan was revealed. He would fill several balloons with helium and let them go in hopes of ascertaining how far they could go. How could he track them in the days before sophisticated equipment you may ask. Well that is where the hoax comes.
Each balloon contained a note that promised the finder a cash prize by calling the number enclosed. As we watched each latex sphere ascend into the air, our excitement increased. We never really thought about what would happen when or if someone actually found one of the balloons or it’s remnants. After a few days we found out. A woman called my cousin asking for the award that was promised to the finder of a balloon. When my Aunt discovered the hoax she was not happy. She had to apologize to the disappointed balloon recipient. The hoax did accomplish the desired result as we did discovered how far the balloons would travel. The balloon that the lady found traveled only a few miles.
It feels good to get that off my chest. Of course, all I did was watch the balloons take off. That and laugh when my cousin got into trouble. It’s not as funny now. Actually, helium is not a good thing for kids to play with. It was a much simpler time and we were just simple enough to get a thrill of watching balloons float into the sky.
For a short period of time in the 70’s you could purchase small cans of helium at toy stores. They were the size of a can of Wizard Air Freshener and contained only enough helium for about a dozen balloons. That was all that was needed for our Great Balloon Hoax.
My cousin received a couple of cans of Helium for his Birthday. You would have thought it would have been for the balloons for his party, but no, they were for him to have fun with. This was the days 1970’s years before Xbox, Wii and Guitar Hero. Boys had to have something to do. After the party, his plan was revealed. He would fill several balloons with helium and let them go in hopes of ascertaining how far they could go. How could he track them in the days before sophisticated equipment you may ask. Well that is where the hoax comes.
Each balloon contained a note that promised the finder a cash prize by calling the number enclosed. As we watched each latex sphere ascend into the air, our excitement increased. We never really thought about what would happen when or if someone actually found one of the balloons or it’s remnants. After a few days we found out. A woman called my cousin asking for the award that was promised to the finder of a balloon. When my Aunt discovered the hoax she was not happy. She had to apologize to the disappointed balloon recipient. The hoax did accomplish the desired result as we did discovered how far the balloons would travel. The balloon that the lady found traveled only a few miles.
It feels good to get that off my chest. Of course, all I did was watch the balloons take off. That and laugh when my cousin got into trouble. It’s not as funny now. Actually, helium is not a good thing for kids to play with. It was a much simpler time and we were just simple enough to get a thrill of watching balloons float into the sky.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Lost & Found
Have you ever had a weird moment. A moment where you experienced something odd that you could not fully understand. I had such a moment on Friday.
My family and I had just enjoyed a showing of the Toy Story 3D Double Feature Event at the Long Beach Towne Center. My son and I were entering the restroom when I noticed that my cell phone was not attached to my pants. I furiously checked my pockets to no avail. I alerted my son of the situation and we quickly headed back to Theater 14. On the way, I remembered leaving the theater to take a call. However, I was sure I had secured it back into it’s holder upon completion of the call.
Just as the theater came into view, I was stopped by a tall burly man. He asked me if I had found a jacket. I assumed he mistook the Pillar sweatshirt I was holding as the jacket he was looking for. I informed him that I did not find a coat and showed him what I was carrying. As I started to head towards Theater 14 to renew my quest, the sight of a cell phone and holder that looked a lot like mine was in this guy’s hand. Not knowing what to say, I just blurted out “I did lose my phone…”, as my eyes were focused on the phone in his hand. He held it up and asked, “Is this your phone?” I began to reach for it but before I could take possession he said, “Monkees, right?”. I then knew that this stranger has either opened my phone and saw the Monkees wallpaper or took a call and heard my Monkees ringtone. I uttered an affirmation and grabbed my phone. He said that he was on his way to turn it in. I thanked the man and he walked away.
From the moment he stopped me and I saw my phone I thought it was peculiar. I was coming in the opposite direction of the theater that he found the phone in. Why did he pick me out to ask about his jacket. It seems like such an odd coincidence that he would stop the person that had lost the phone he found. Both of my kids thought it all made perfect sense. Chris thinks he was angel. I don’t know what to think.
What do you think?
My family and I had just enjoyed a showing of the Toy Story 3D Double Feature Event at the Long Beach Towne Center. My son and I were entering the restroom when I noticed that my cell phone was not attached to my pants. I furiously checked my pockets to no avail. I alerted my son of the situation and we quickly headed back to Theater 14. On the way, I remembered leaving the theater to take a call. However, I was sure I had secured it back into it’s holder upon completion of the call.
Just as the theater came into view, I was stopped by a tall burly man. He asked me if I had found a jacket. I assumed he mistook the Pillar sweatshirt I was holding as the jacket he was looking for. I informed him that I did not find a coat and showed him what I was carrying. As I started to head towards Theater 14 to renew my quest, the sight of a cell phone and holder that looked a lot like mine was in this guy’s hand. Not knowing what to say, I just blurted out “I did lose my phone…”, as my eyes were focused on the phone in his hand. He held it up and asked, “Is this your phone?” I began to reach for it but before I could take possession he said, “Monkees, right?”. I then knew that this stranger has either opened my phone and saw the Monkees wallpaper or took a call and heard my Monkees ringtone. I uttered an affirmation and grabbed my phone. He said that he was on his way to turn it in. I thanked the man and he walked away.
From the moment he stopped me and I saw my phone I thought it was peculiar. I was coming in the opposite direction of the theater that he found the phone in. Why did he pick me out to ask about his jacket. It seems like such an odd coincidence that he would stop the person that had lost the phone he found. Both of my kids thought it all made perfect sense. Chris thinks he was angel. I don’t know what to think.
What do you think?
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Endless Possibilties
When I was about ten years old, I discovered the joy of opening a fresh sketch pad. Nothing felt better than holding 50 blank pages with endless possibilities. By applying a pencil and my imagination, from nothing I could create something. I could create anything. Fred Flintstone, Archie & Jughead, Dodger players all appeared in my sketch book. I eventually came up with my own characters. When I was finishing up a pad, all I could think of was getting a new one to dive into.
A few years later, fresh legal pads brought be that same feeling. Writing song lyrics was my passion. I was never intimated at staring at a blank page because I knew that there was always a chance that something special could emerge. Even if the result was mediocre at least something would appear. I learned that rewriting afforded the opportunity to improve the result. Rewriting became as important as the writing. A second chance. A do-over. The song wasn’t final until it was on vinyl.
As I have grown older, I have begun to see each day like the blank canvases with endless possibilities that excited me in the past. With each morning, I get a fresh opportunity to create a day of significance. I can try to meet challenges with a touch of grace. I can be a blessing to the people that I come in contact with. Depending on intent, word choice and tone, each interaction has the potential to be something exceptional or it can end disastrous or somewhere in between. Even though today does not allow for erasing, rewrites or do-overs, tomorrow presents a fresh chance to do something meaningful. As I despised wasting my blank pages, I dislike wasting moments and I hate wasting days.
I am not as successful at all of this as I would like but I am trying. I’ve only just recently perfected my Fred Flintstone drawings, so some things take time.
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