MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 31 - Just Another Day

And so another birthday month concludes.

I thank you for following along with me during this month.

I know that as I go through the songs on my iPod,

I'm able to reflect on the music that has been so much a part of my life,

which allows me to also reflect on my life so far.

"Just Another Day" is one of my favorite Oingo Boingo songs.

The lyrics talk of craziness and paranoia, but I think there's some hope

to be found somewhere within the song because

the fears are something we face every day

and they're a part of everyday life.

This month, though, I had a lot of 

extra-ordinary days.

Days when I fulfilled goals of travel,

goals of adventure,

goals of achievement.

We all have to experience days like these.

And, remember that creating experiences 

and fulfilling dreams

help to make sure that

every day is not

just another day.

Until next year, this shuffle is done!

Let's see how many more songs I can add

before the next time round....!

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 30 - Ray of Light

 

I can't think of a time I didn't like Madonna.

From "Lucky Star" and "Borderline"

to "Music" and "Jump" I have enjoyed her music.

 

She was out there, controversial,

ever-changing, but solidly musical.

 

"Ray of Light" was released in 1998.

About the time I was going into medical school.

It kept me energized.  And, I hope it does the same for you...

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 29 - Weapon of Choice

Today is Dillon's second birthday, so today I am presenting his birthday video... As the "second child" he gets overshadowed sometimes by Dixie, so today it's all about him...!

 

 

If you haven't seen the original video for FatBoy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" you should check it out as well... It's a known fact that Christopher Walken actually studied formal dance, and there's any number of videos showing his dance moves in several of his movies... enjoy!

 



MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 28 - Come Home

This is my faithful Jeep Cherokee

that carried us over the last 8 days

over 3000 miles.

What a trip!

And, this is the final bridge that we cross

which is only about 5 miles away from home...

It's always good to be home...

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 27 - Good to Be Alive

This song by Jason Gray about sums up the last week.

If you've been following my blog, you know that we've been

having a whirlwind trip through the National Parks of the

Pacific Northwest and had a several day stay in Big Sky, Montana.

Today we traveled through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

I think I am on natural beauty overload.

I have seen so many things that are just so amazing

that they have brought tears to my eyes just at the sight.

I can't believe how lucky I have been to have

the opportunity to not only travel so far,

but to have done it safely with my husband and my dogs...

We've been very blessed this last week.

After we get home I'll put together a video of 

the over 1000 photos and videos we took...

That should be fun...

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 26 - Lucky

Today I accomplished one of those bucket list items:

Fly fishing in Montana.

And so, I cheated on my shuffle because I picked the song

"Lucky" by Jason Mraz because I was lucky and caught 2 fish...

This is the first one:

And this is the "one that got away..."

Yeah, he's out there somewhere as he

flipped right off the line just as my guide was

about to scoop him up in the net.

And, he was a biggin'

I kept my Uncle Ruben in my thoughts throughout the day.

Two years ago during my birthday shuffle

I wrote about him and how we used to

go fishing together...

He would have loved today,

and I would have loved to have had him

with me...

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 25 - We're All Alone

 

I wrote yesterday about my love affair with love songs which started about the time I was transitioning from 8th grade to high school.  Although this song was first released in 1977, I don't remember it before this time.  What I do remember most are the haunting lyrics: 

"Close the window calm the light
And it will be all right
No need to bother now
Let it out let it all begin
All's forgotten now
We're all alone.. all alone"

I think one of my first short stories came after I heard this song.  Remember, I was in 8th grade when I wrote it.  It was about a girl who falls in love with a boy after coming out to visit her uncle in California.  She's on the beach walking his dog, and she meets the boy on the beach.  But, it's a summer love and soon she has to leave to go back to the East Coast where she is from.  This is the song that is playing as they take a final drive along PCH in Malibu at sunset just before she leaves.  

I don't know that I ever finished that story, but I might have.  I have to go see if I can find it in one of the boxes of writing notebooks I got from my mom's house.  Maybe a few more days here in Montana, and I'll be inspired to complete it...!

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 24 - Key Largo

It's funny to be writing about Florida when I'm

vacationing here in Montana.

But, that's the song that came up today in the shuffle.

"Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins

came out in 1981.

It was a one-hit wonder for Higgins,

but I mostly remember it as a love song

which hit just about the time I was starting high school.

I didn't have a boyfriend at that point,

but my attachment to love songs

started about that time.

Besides, who doesn't love a song

which references two great Bogart movies?

"Casablanca" and "Key Largo."

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 23 - Heaven

It's my blog, and I'll cheat if I want to.

We drove through Glacier National Park, and if you've never been

you must go at some point in your life.

The vistas are amazing, and the drive is aptly named

Going to the Sun Road.

I really felt that if there was a Heaven on earth, it's

located at Glacier.

So I picked the song Heaven by Depeche Mode.

I've loved their music since college, and

my favorite song by them hasn't come out yet

in the shuffles, maybe its time is coming....

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 22 - Fly Like an Eagle

I cheated a little again today.

"Fly Like an Eagle" originally came out in 1976

and was played by the Steve Miller Band.

I have the Neville Brothers 1996 version which I downloaded

specifically for this video of my husband hang gliding:

I have a number of songs like this.
Just needed the right song, and I didn't have it
so I downloaded it.
I don't mind when it comes around.

I thought of it today because I saw two bald eagles
on our trip through Idaho and into Montana.
I couldn't get any pics of them because it was from the road,
but I did get this pic of one of the sculptures in
Libby, Montana.

You know, when you take the road less traveled,
sometimes you see the most amazing things...

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 21 - Walking on the Sun

We're in Washington!

"Walking on the Sun" by Smashmouth

has got to be one of my all-time favorites.

It's got the beat.

It's got the great lyrics.

It's the total package.

I tried to find the video I remember most

which was of one episode of "ER"

"Carter's Choice" I think,

where Carter walks into the hospital

with this song playing as he walks.

Couldn't find it, so here's the original video...

Enjoy....!

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 20 - Blue Monday

I love this song for many reasons, one of which it reminds me of drunken nights with my best friend from college dancing in Rosarito to this one of several New Order songs that were popular at that time.  We rocked out to this song and danced our way around the dance floor letting the beverages fill our souls and the music pour through our veins.

I cheated a little bit today, by pulling out Blue Monday because even though it isn't Monday, we're traveling through Oregon and stopped at Crater Lake National Park.

This photo doesn't even begin to do justice to how blue this water is.  It was so blue and so beautiful that tears came to my eyes at how amazingly beautiful this lake is.  I couldn't even begin to believe that I had been blessed with the ability to be standing in this environment and be able to see such a miracle of creation.  Seriously, it's that pretty.

Cheers from the road!

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 19 - (EID)I Do It for You

Great song, bad movie.

Who remembers the Kevin Costner "Robin Hood?"

I do.  And, for me, he wasn't the most memorable part.

I enjoyed Morgan Freeman as the Moor and his being asked

by a young child if he was "painted."

I loved Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham

fresh off his bad-guyness in "Die Hard."

And I liked this song.

Not so much that I play it very often,

but when I do I think of new romance

just starting with a fervor.

Of course, this is my favorite "Robin Hood" movie,

which was made as a spoof of the Kevin Costner one;

especially the line at the end of the trailer...

"Unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent..."

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 18 - She Bangs

I have a whole collection of Latin dance music on my iPod.  I think most people will remember this song not because of Ricky Martin, but because of William Hung who got his 15 minutes of fame after using the song for his "American Idol" audition.

Either way, it's a fun, rockin' in your seat kinda song... enjoy...!

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 17 - The Power

"I've got the power...!"

1990

Graduated from college

Started working at a newspaper

Living the adult dream

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 16 - Beast of Burden

Just one of those songs I like for the beat.

Slow, smooth.

Easy rock listening...

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 15 - (You Want to) Make A Memory

From time to time, I think everyone hears a song on the radio 

which makes you stop and think about "what might have been."

This song does that for me.

Two friends getting together for whatever reason.

Obviously comfortable with each other.

Some would say being with an ex after a long time.

I've never had an ex.  Funny, huh...?

I had a lot of relationships, but no exes.

Seems I just moved on from one relationship

to the next.

Sure I had a first love, and those unrequited loves

I've written about before.

But, no exes.  

No stalker who calls friends to see where I am.

No worrying about where I went out to because I 

"didn't want to run into him and his new girlfriend."

No awkward meeting with his family members.

Anyway.

Although  I am happily married,

I do think about some of the people I dated

or almost dated

or wish I would have dated.... 

And this song reminds me of them,

and what might have been....

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 14 - Let's Get It On

Yeah, um, damn sexy, baby....!

Another song I remember from the "Austin Powers" movie...

Love it!

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 13 - Something About You

"Now, how can it be That a love carved out of caring 

Fashioned by fate could suffer so hard 

From the games played once too often 

But making mistakes is a part of life's imperfection 

Born of the years Is it so wrong to be human after all?"

There are SO many things I can say about this song.

The song came out in 1985.

High school graduation and starting college.

Meeting UL 2 (unrequited love) who would later cause a lot of heartache

and hardship over the next three years.

This was the first of many I consider "his songs."

And, this one is so fitting because there were a LOT

of games played, and a LOT of mistakes made

on both sides.  I really wish I could go back and tell

18 year old me not to do it.

Don't fall in love.

But I did, and years later this song

still reminds me of a time in my life when I

thought I could have anything I wanted...

Boy, was I wrong.

I thought I would share this version of the song as well.

It came out in an episode of "Grey's Anatomy" and

I downloaded it to my iPod.

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 12 - Alive and Kicking

Another year, another squirrel...!

When I look at my iPod list, "Alive and Kicking"

by Simple Minds is my #1 played song.

It's my go-to song for everything...

Leaving on a trip

Trying to start a new writing project

Hanging around the house

Going snowboarding (when I used to go)

Trying to get inspired

There's that ethereal opening with the steady beat.

Then the bold first line, "You turn me on."

Then the challenges:

"What you gonna do when things go wrong?

What you gonna do when it all cracks up?

What you gonna do when the Love burns down?

What you gonna do when the flames go up?

Who's gonna come and turn the tide?

What's it gonna take to make a dream survive?

Who's got the touch to calm the storm inside?

Who's gonna save you?

Alive and Kicking"

Love, love, love this song.

Just like Ally McBeal, I might just have my "soundtrack."

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 11 - Don't Forget Me

One of the things on my bucket list is to write a musical.

I posted a few months ago that I think I even had a topic.

But, I digress.  I have a lot of music that comes from musicals.

This is one of those songs.  "Smash" was a short-lived TV show

about bringing a musical to Broadway.

This is one of the songs from that show...

Now that's what I call an ending...!

Here's Ivy's version:

And here's the Karen version...


You'd understand if you had watched the show.

Ok, so, I've got to learn how to write a musical...

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 10 - El Pescador

I'm cheating a little bit today, because today we 

said goodbye to my Aunt Dolores.

She married my uncle Ruben whom I've written about before.

He was the father figure in my life, and I was

devastated when he died at the end of my intern year

May of 2004.

"Tia Lola" had been his savior both literally and figuratively.

She was a perfect match for a kidney living donor, and 

gave it to him without pause or reservation.

Her gentle grace and calm could easily tame this 

sometimes gruff and surly bear of a man,

and I saw him change for the better because of her.

She died somewhat suddenly a week ago, and

it was a shock to us all.

But I spoke to her son, and he told me

she died with all of the bravery and reserve

that her undying faith in God gave to her.

She was beautiful inside and out,

and an example to us all.

The song "El Pescador" is a Spanish religious standard.

It tells the story of the calling of the disciples by Christ.

The singer tells how he has nothing but his talents to share,

but if God wants he will join him to be a "fisher of men."

This is a bit of a cheat because I don't actually have this song

on my iPod, but it's because I have yet to hear

the perfect recorded performance of this song...

Still, it's a beautiful song, and I dedicate

to my Tia Lola today.

"Señor, me has mirado a los ojos,
sonriendo has dicho mi nombre.
En la arena he dejado mi barca:
junto a Ti buscaré otro mar."

"Lord, You have looked in my eyes,

smiling, You have said my name.

In the sand I have left my boat:

next to You I will look for another ocean."

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 9 - Put It in a Love Song

One of my summer pleasures is watching a TV show called "So You Think You Can Dance."  Aside from the dancing, which always amazes me, I like the show because I get to hear new music.  I can't tell you how many songs I've added to my iPod because of the show.  "Put It in a Love Song" is one of those.  I liked the beat.  I liked the lyrics.  I liked the song.  And the dancing.

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 8 - I Want You to Want Me

Some songs are just fun and this is one of them.  Fast paced and energetic.  I have it on my "Songs to run to" playlist.

I'll always remember it from high school dances as one of the songs the bands always covered.

And I'll always remember this scene from one of my all-time favorite TV shows which I've talked about on here before... "Scrubs"

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 7 - You Needed Me

"You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me"

What song could be more about unconditional love than this one?

I always think about my mom when I hear this song.

To say we had a tumultuous relationship during my

teen years would be an understatement.

I really hated her at times.

The somewhere around my second year of college

things started to change.  I was facing some real

struggles in my life for the first time and 

suddenly it seemed I had someone to talk to who

really supported me and everything I did.

I think that was the start of turning our relationship around

to the point that now I can't imagine my life without

my mother around to talk to, to get advise from,

to boost me up when I am down,

and to just be there...

I have the original Anne Murray version on my iPod, but I like this

version as well... enjoy!

And give your Momma a call or a hug or a prayer today...

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 6 - Norwegian Wood

All I can say about this song is who doesn't like the Beatles?
I think it's the sitar and the melody that first attracted me to this song.
Released in 1966, it's supposed to be about an affair Lennon
had and "Norwegian wood" refers to a cheap material that was used to decorate
rooms in houses that was considered cheap.

And, I think that's all I have to say about that...

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 5 - Kiss the Rain

My husband and I had a long distance relationship for many years.

This song came out in 1997 and we met about a year later.  As you can imagine, initially there

were a lot of insecurities at the start.  This song perfectly captured those early months

of our relationship, and I liked to remember that

"we're under the same skies, and the nights are 

as empty for me as for you."

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 4 - Someday

This song has always reminding me of my friend Melinda and snowboarding.

It's about friendship and the people that are there for you.

The song came out in 1999.  I was just starting medical school,

and I really relied on my support system from home being

so far away and stressed in the MidWest.

I still have the photo in my mind of Melinda and I standing

with our boards on the side of Bear Mountain.

It's early spring so there's just a small amount of snow

on the ground.  We're wearing sweatshirts and jeans.

It's bright, it's sunny, and we're smiling.

Friends having fun.

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 3 - American Woman

I love, love, loved the Austin Powers' movies.  So much so, that my friends and I in med school went to the opening night midnight screening of the last one just to be the first to see it.  C and I drove his partner crazy just before leaving the house as we watched, and word for word quoted the prior two just to get in the mood.  We then laughed and applauded during the opening sequence of the new one, it was so awesome...



This song first came out in 1970 by the Guess Who, but became popular again in 1999 when Lenny Kravitz did his version.  I like the original and have it on my iPod.  Here's the song as I first heard it while watching "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me."

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 2 - Fire

"Fire" was actually written in 1977 by Bruce Springsteen who hoped that Elvis would one day sing it.  However, it was picked up by the Pointer Sister who recorded it and released their version in 1978.  This is the version most people are familiar with:



I actually first heard the song on the Doctor Demento Radio Show.  Anyone remember that?  Here's that version:



Of course, the version I later found and have on my iPod is the original live version by Bruce himself.  It's just so slow and sultry and perfect for thoughts of warm summer nights and boozy lust.  Enjoy!

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 1 - Cherish

For the last three years (2011, 2012, 2013), I have been doing an iPod shuffle through the songs on my birthday month.  One, because it's fun to go through all the songs that I've collected which leads to Two, because it's fun to think about the memories associated with those songs.  And, as birthdays for me are a time of reflection, I like to think about where I've been and where I'm going.  And, what better way to do that than through music.  As usual, I try not to repeat any songs that I've already posted on here... and given that I have about 1300 songs, you'd think it would be pretty easy... funny how it isn't.

So, here it goes:

The number one song on the day I was born was "Windy" by the Association.  Since I don't have that one on my iPod, I will share the one song I do have on there "Cherish."

I first remember this song in high school.  Thinking about UL1.  Oh yeah.... Daydreaming days of youth when you can imagine that anything can happen... The words said all the things I wanted to say but couldn't.

Of course, most people will remember it in this context:

I really like this movie on a lot of levels.  It has some flaws, but I think there's something we can all relate to in it.  That and the fact that we've all had a "Duckie" in our lives at some point.