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.

My Husband, the Dare Devil

I love to sail, and for a while in residency, I crewed on a J-24 during the summer

races on Lake Erie just off Buffalo, NY.  Almost falling into the drink as we made an

emergency tack to avoid a collision is about as exciting as I want my sports to be...

Unless you count snowboarding, which I did do for several seasons,

the longest being during our stay in Boston from 2004 to 2005.

Nothing like going down a mountain in 30 degree weather

and hoping you don't hit a tree... or fall off the ski lift

in spectacular fashion in front of everyone...

No, I like my sporting life to be tame.

And, then there's my husband.

When I first met him, he was a windsurfer.

Soon, I was learning the language of windsurfers,

and when we finally moved together to Minnesota,

I learned about the windsurfer widow's life:

trips to places to windsurf

hooking up the equipment

tearing down the equipment

etc.

I tried it once.

Fell into the water multiple times.

Decided I'd rather be a spectator.

Then he decided to kick it up a notch.

Kite boarding.

Snow kiting in the winter.

Kite surfing in the summer.

A lot more speed and excitement for him

with less equipment to have to haul around.

And trips like our honeymoon meant kite surfing for him

and white sandy beaches for me.

A win-win.

Then we moved to California,

and he found the next thrill...

hang gliding...

I can honestly say, that there was a lump in my throat

on the first day I saw him voluntarily launch himself off a cliff

and into the air.

I'm a medical doctor.

An ER physician.

I've seen people on their worst days,

so I know what can happen.

Until that moment, I didn't think about it 

happening to him.

And, now, three years and many many flights later,

the lump isn't so bad.

I still hold my breath as he takes off,

and say a silent prayer to the God who protects

drunks and small children that my husband has a good flight

and comes back to the ground in one piece.

Getting my ham radio license has made it a bit easier. (KK6FZZ, btw)

I can now provide ground support with weather reports

and instant communication while he's up in the air.

But still, having taken care of three of his fellow pilots

in the ED while on duty, I know there's always a risk.

Of course, there's a risk getting out of the bathtub,

or crossing the street, or sitting in a parked car.

But, those aren't as fun as flying along with jet planes

and eagles...

or so he tells me....

Here's a link to his first blog post:

Jerry's Lite Air Adventure Blog

which, after I read it made my lump in my throat come back...

along with the video I created from our

Memorial Day Weekend trip to, where..?

Oh, yeah, go hang gliding...

All That Remains...

We have goats no more...

The fence is open and empty...

After all of the adventures and misadventures

over the past couple of years,

I gave the goats to a young woman

who is getting into Four H

and has the time to work with them.

It was a difficult decision because I really did like having goats...

but not when they were naughty...

and, they gave me a little parting gift

to remind me that goats are goats...

Those were blueberry bushes and my lemon tree.

Funny, they didn't eat the potatoes in the bottom picture.

Now this is all that remains...

I will miss the goats,

but I look forward to new critters and

new adventures...

Post-Challenge Recovery

Photo by C.B.

There's always a bit of recovery period needed after the April A to Z Challenge.  It's a little stressful coming up daily with something new to write about.  And, then there's a little bit of a letdown when your page count drops back down to pre-Challenge levels.

So what do you do to recover...?

You got to Talladega!!

And, you eat lots of fried Southern food...

and blow your calorie count out the window...

Fried Catfish with Hush Puppies

Moonshine Punch

Fried Chicken with cheesy Grits

Of course, we sat high up in the stands,

so climbing all those stairs helped burn them off...

a little...

And there was excellent fruit wine to enjoy

at home afterward...

How did you recover...?