Today's "Song of the Day" is another one from David Guetta. This one's the title track to his most recent album and it features the wonderful Estelle on vocals. It's a great dance track and I hope you'll enjoy "One Love":
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Song of the Day - One Love - David Guetta feat. Estelle
Today's "Song of the Day" is another one from David Guetta. This one's the title track to his most recent album and it features the wonderful Estelle on vocals. It's a great dance track and I hope you'll enjoy "One Love":
Saturday, February 26, 2011
February 26, 2011 - The latest from my so-called life
Happy Saturday morning! Well, we’ve dried out a bit from yesterday’s rain and it looks like it’s going to be a nice day out today. As usual, I’ve saved all of my school work for the weekend before heading back to work, so it looks like I’ll be a busy boy for the next 48 hours or so. Here’s some of what’s been going on in my so called life:
I’m a One Car Man
Well, it finally happened! After of almost a full 4 months of owning two cars, I finally sold my Nissan Sentra yesterday. Though I didn’t get nearly what I originally wanted for it, at least I’m now able to save money on having to insure two cars instead of one. Big smiles!
My Nissan
YCN and Examiner
I haven’t done nearly as much writing this week as I would have liked. I penned one piece on YCN called Keys to Life – Key #1 – Live in the Present. It’s the first in a series revisiting, one at a time, an earlier piece I wrote called simply Keys to Life. It’s pretty good, I think. Check it out by clicking the link.
I also penned a piece on Examiner called Weekend Events in Long Island’s Wine Country. I work on the North Fork of Long Island, which is home to more than 30 world-class wineries. It’s always a lot of fun to visit them, as there are special events going on all the time and wine tasting can always be great fun. Here’s an earlier piece on Long Island’s Wine Country if you’re ever interested in visiting.
A Better Place
Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity for me from morning til night. I started off with several appointments for people to take a look at my car and once I found a buyer, it was off to the bank and the DMV to get it all done. Once I got home I thought I’d relax and take a nap so I’d be raring to go out last night, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
As soon as I got home from the DMV I saw that I had a message on my answering machine. It was from Joe. I had forgotten that he had mentioned he might stop by on Friday and that was precisely why he called. Luckily it had only been about twenty minutes since he had called, so when I called him back he was still in my area.
For the first time in a long, long time he and I had a great visit. It was the kind of visit I had always envisioned with him: a nice, normal visit between genuine friends. I know that being friends with Joe has always been a precarious thing, and things have gotten more complicated since he’s been in a relationship (He actually turned me down for the MJB concert back in October because he didn’t want to upset Brett (not his real name!), his other half. Brett was okay with him going, he said, but he still felt a little weird about it, and I totally understand.).
We discussed Brett, among many other things, and I told Joe that I would love to meet him. After all, from everything I’ve heard about him, he seems like a really great person. Joe tells me he told Brett about my visit the other day and he told Joe that he understood…after 20 years together, how could he and I not still have some sort of a connection? I couldn’t agree more and I’m truly happy that Joe’s found happiness with him.
I told him about my relationship woes and like a true friend, he listened and offered encouragement. We spoke about music, one of our favorite common interests. I gave him a whole bunch of CD’s he’d been missing, as I’ve moved on to digital music only these days. I also gave him a whole mess of his old memorabilia, cards and such that I had had here in shoeboxes. He had asked me about them a long time ago and I spent one night going through them all. Talk about emotion! That was a rough one, reading some of the many cards he used to give me when we were first going together. That was a long time ago!
All in all, I am happy with the state of our relationship. I did spend 20 years of my life with him and he’ll always have a special place in my heart. Though I’m happy that we’ve both moved on, I’m also happy that we can remain in one another’s lives in some capacity, and I genuinely hope to meet Brett one day. I think we’ll get along splendidly.
The Rest of the Evening
Even though once Joe had gone I had still planned on going out, my phone kept ringing and that would eventually tucker me out. I spoke with my mom and Rebecca, my student teacher from the fall who wanted some advice on a job she’s been offered, and my old student Max. Max was one of my very first students. He’s a Russian national who moved here from Kazakhstan (Yes, where Borat was from!).
Max and I have had a very special relationship over the years and in the past year or so we’ve stayed in contact. His parents moved from the town where I teach and whenever he’s out here he looks me up mostly because he doesn’t know too many people where they’re living now. Though it can be a bit much at times, it feels nice to have someone who still looks up to me and actually thinks I’m cool enough to hang out with.
Max came by for a little while and though he didn’t stay long, I was tired when he left. I decided to save some money and stay home. I never had the chance to take a nap like I had wanted to, so I went to sleep early for a Friday night, but I guess I needed it. I saw on Facebook that the singer Charo was at Splash last night giving a performance, which would have been cool to see. Oh well, that would’ve been cool, but…
Getting Better
As for my state of mind, I’m following my own advice and taking it one day at a time…living in the present. Selling my car yesterday was a big boost, and so were my visits with Joe and Max and the phone calls, as well. My life isn’t so bad, after all! I’ve got to learn more to appreciate what I have and not muddle in what I don’t. Of course, he lingers on in my mind, but I think I’ve become more accepting of the situation.
I think like before, anger has replaced sadness and I’m feeling like maybe I wasn’t so crazy through this after all. I’m mature and intelligent, and my perceptions and feelings were valid enough that they deserved more consideration than they got. For a little while, I was still hoping for some sort of reconciliation, but I see now that that’s improbable. I feel like I’ve been completely erased and that’s probably better for me in the long run. As always, I have to keep on keeping on…
As always, thanks for listening…
I’m a One Car Man
Well, it finally happened! After of almost a full 4 months of owning two cars, I finally sold my Nissan Sentra yesterday. Though I didn’t get nearly what I originally wanted for it, at least I’m now able to save money on having to insure two cars instead of one. Big smiles!
My Nissan
YCN and Examiner
I haven’t done nearly as much writing this week as I would have liked. I penned one piece on YCN called Keys to Life – Key #1 – Live in the Present. It’s the first in a series revisiting, one at a time, an earlier piece I wrote called simply Keys to Life. It’s pretty good, I think. Check it out by clicking the link.
I also penned a piece on Examiner called Weekend Events in Long Island’s Wine Country. I work on the North Fork of Long Island, which is home to more than 30 world-class wineries. It’s always a lot of fun to visit them, as there are special events going on all the time and wine tasting can always be great fun. Here’s an earlier piece on Long Island’s Wine Country if you’re ever interested in visiting.
A Better Place
Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity for me from morning til night. I started off with several appointments for people to take a look at my car and once I found a buyer, it was off to the bank and the DMV to get it all done. Once I got home I thought I’d relax and take a nap so I’d be raring to go out last night, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
As soon as I got home from the DMV I saw that I had a message on my answering machine. It was from Joe. I had forgotten that he had mentioned he might stop by on Friday and that was precisely why he called. Luckily it had only been about twenty minutes since he had called, so when I called him back he was still in my area.
For the first time in a long, long time he and I had a great visit. It was the kind of visit I had always envisioned with him: a nice, normal visit between genuine friends. I know that being friends with Joe has always been a precarious thing, and things have gotten more complicated since he’s been in a relationship (He actually turned me down for the MJB concert back in October because he didn’t want to upset Brett (not his real name!), his other half. Brett was okay with him going, he said, but he still felt a little weird about it, and I totally understand.).
We discussed Brett, among many other things, and I told Joe that I would love to meet him. After all, from everything I’ve heard about him, he seems like a really great person. Joe tells me he told Brett about my visit the other day and he told Joe that he understood…after 20 years together, how could he and I not still have some sort of a connection? I couldn’t agree more and I’m truly happy that Joe’s found happiness with him.
I told him about my relationship woes and like a true friend, he listened and offered encouragement. We spoke about music, one of our favorite common interests. I gave him a whole bunch of CD’s he’d been missing, as I’ve moved on to digital music only these days. I also gave him a whole mess of his old memorabilia, cards and such that I had had here in shoeboxes. He had asked me about them a long time ago and I spent one night going through them all. Talk about emotion! That was a rough one, reading some of the many cards he used to give me when we were first going together. That was a long time ago!
All in all, I am happy with the state of our relationship. I did spend 20 years of my life with him and he’ll always have a special place in my heart. Though I’m happy that we’ve both moved on, I’m also happy that we can remain in one another’s lives in some capacity, and I genuinely hope to meet Brett one day. I think we’ll get along splendidly.
The Rest of the Evening
Even though once Joe had gone I had still planned on going out, my phone kept ringing and that would eventually tucker me out. I spoke with my mom and Rebecca, my student teacher from the fall who wanted some advice on a job she’s been offered, and my old student Max. Max was one of my very first students. He’s a Russian national who moved here from Kazakhstan (Yes, where Borat was from!).
Max and I have had a very special relationship over the years and in the past year or so we’ve stayed in contact. His parents moved from the town where I teach and whenever he’s out here he looks me up mostly because he doesn’t know too many people where they’re living now. Though it can be a bit much at times, it feels nice to have someone who still looks up to me and actually thinks I’m cool enough to hang out with.
Max came by for a little while and though he didn’t stay long, I was tired when he left. I decided to save some money and stay home. I never had the chance to take a nap like I had wanted to, so I went to sleep early for a Friday night, but I guess I needed it. I saw on Facebook that the singer Charo was at Splash last night giving a performance, which would have been cool to see. Oh well, that would’ve been cool, but…
Getting Better
As for my state of mind, I’m following my own advice and taking it one day at a time…living in the present. Selling my car yesterday was a big boost, and so were my visits with Joe and Max and the phone calls, as well. My life isn’t so bad, after all! I’ve got to learn more to appreciate what I have and not muddle in what I don’t. Of course, he lingers on in my mind, but I think I’ve become more accepting of the situation.
I think like before, anger has replaced sadness and I’m feeling like maybe I wasn’t so crazy through this after all. I’m mature and intelligent, and my perceptions and feelings were valid enough that they deserved more consideration than they got. For a little while, I was still hoping for some sort of reconciliation, but I see now that that’s improbable. I feel like I’ve been completely erased and that’s probably better for me in the long run. As always, I have to keep on keeping on…
As always, thanks for listening…
Song of the Day - Missing You by Diana Ross
Yesterday, Diana Ross made an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. It was the first time in a long time that she's been in public and of course I had to DVR it. Diana Ross was my first "diva" and she was there through those crucial times in my life when I was discovering who I was.
Back in 1980, I bought her "diana" album, which contained the then current hits "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out." I remember spending hours upon hours listening to it in my room. I credit the album for making me dance for the first time in my life, an activity that you all know is one of my favorite things to do to this day.
Throughout the years, thee have been many fond memories associated with Diana's music. One of my first loves, Kevin, was a huge Diana Ross fan and we shared many hours together listening to even her most obscure stuff. When I first met Joe, he and I had already had tickets to see Diana at Jones Beach a couple of weeks later, and though we didn't go together, we did get to see each other at the concert. Of course, over the years we'd see her a few times, once even with Kevin!
Alas, in recent years Ms. Ross has faded from public view and even to me she's faded into the past. Every once in awhile though, like now, she makes an appearance and I find myself once again reliving memories through her music. Since she's made such an impact on my life I'd like to pay homage to her with a "Song of the Day" nod.
Though her vast catalog of music spans five decades now, much of her greatest stuff was created before the video age and so there aren't many songs to choose from. Yes there are videos of live performances, but having been a Diana Ross fan since the late 70's, I've seen her many times and I've always been disappointed in many of those performnces because she often changes the melodies around somewhat. As I searched through the "Diana Ross" playlist in my iTunes library, I came across one of my favorites: "Missing You."
The song was recorded in 1984 for Diana's "Swept Away" album and was written by Lionel Ritchie in tribute to the recently slain Marvin Gaye. Diana and Marvin were close friends, having both started out with Motown during the 60's. They recorded a lot of music together, including one of my favorites, "You Are Everything." This one reached #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Charts in early 1985 and is beautifully written and performed. Though the song was written or a specific purpose, I believe most anyone who's ever lost someone in their lives can relate to it. So, enjoy the beautiful and tender "Missing You," by my 1st Diva, Ms. Diana Ross:
Missing You
Since you've been away
I've been down and lonely
Since you've been away
I've been thinking of you
Trying to understand
The reason you left me
What were you going through?
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
Ooh ooh
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
As I look around
I see things that remind me
Just to see you smile
Made my heart fill with joy
I'll still recall
All those dreams we shared together
Where did you run to, boy?
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
Ooh ooh
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
Sometimes I've wondered
I didn't understand
Just where you were trying to go
Only you knew the plan
And I tried to be there
But you wouldn't let me in
But now you've gone away boy
I feel so broken hearted
I knew the day we started
That we were meant to be
If only you'd let me!
I've cried so many tears
Gotta face now all my fears
We let time slip away
I need you boy
Here today!
There was so much you gave me
To my heart
To my soul
There was so much of your dreams
That were never told
You had so much hope
For a brighter day
Why were you my flower
Plucked away
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
Ooh ooh
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
Friday, February 25, 2011
February 25, 2011 - getting out; Splash; a crisis alleviated?
Good morning! Today is Friday and the last official day off from work. I have to say up front that even though it wasn’t a great week, it was much better than Christmas break. I’m trying to make the best use of my last day to get some stuff done, like selling my car. I’ve got a couple of people coming to look at it and it would absolutely make my day if I could finally be rid of it and all the extra expense it’s cost me. Keep your fingers crossed.
Last night I had dinner with a good friend of mine. Although I’ve pretty much kept to myself lately, I knew I needed to get out there and have some kind of interaction with somebody and the experience helped! Thanks Nancy Lou!
Dancing Machine!
Well, last night marked the 4th time I’ve gone out since vacation started and I have to say that I’ve been having lots of fun, although the drive into the city is starting to wear on me a bit. It never ceases to amaze me how packed Splash gets any night of the week. I guess I’m lucky that I work because I’d be one tired person if I didn’t.
I actually met someone last night. As usual, it started on the dance floor. I was dancing around as I always do and suddenly I’m face to face with this dude who was absolutely gorgeous. He kind of reminded me of Colby from Survivor. We danced for a couple of hours and had a great time together, and we almost left the bar together…almost! Two more nights and I’m done for a week, at least!
Colby - Survivor
Crisis Alleviated?
I got a very unusual message in my inbox at YCN this morning. It was from a fellow writer who I’ve known for a very long time. I’m not going to share her name here for privacy’s sake, but she had a terrible tragedy strike last night and she was at a loss and reached out to me. Late last night, her younger sister died from a drug overdose. It was the third of her four siblings to die an early death and apparently it was not pretty. She’d been up all night and had nowhere to turn so she sent me the message.
I didn’t know how to answer her. After a lot of thinking, I finally responded and gave her my number if she needed to talk. We’d never met before in person, so the whole thing was a little strange. Sure enough, within twenty minutes or so my phone rang. The conversation was a little weird because we spoke as if we’d spoken before…not like I ever envisioned a first conversation with a fellow writing buddy, but under the circumstances I guess it was alright. I only hope I helped!
There’ll be more to come later, I’m sure! Once again, thanks for reading!
Last night I had dinner with a good friend of mine. Although I’ve pretty much kept to myself lately, I knew I needed to get out there and have some kind of interaction with somebody and the experience helped! Thanks Nancy Lou!
Dancing Machine!
Well, last night marked the 4th time I’ve gone out since vacation started and I have to say that I’ve been having lots of fun, although the drive into the city is starting to wear on me a bit. It never ceases to amaze me how packed Splash gets any night of the week. I guess I’m lucky that I work because I’d be one tired person if I didn’t.
I actually met someone last night. As usual, it started on the dance floor. I was dancing around as I always do and suddenly I’m face to face with this dude who was absolutely gorgeous. He kind of reminded me of Colby from Survivor. We danced for a couple of hours and had a great time together, and we almost left the bar together…almost! Two more nights and I’m done for a week, at least!
Colby - Survivor
Crisis Alleviated?
I got a very unusual message in my inbox at YCN this morning. It was from a fellow writer who I’ve known for a very long time. I’m not going to share her name here for privacy’s sake, but she had a terrible tragedy strike last night and she was at a loss and reached out to me. Late last night, her younger sister died from a drug overdose. It was the third of her four siblings to die an early death and apparently it was not pretty. She’d been up all night and had nowhere to turn so she sent me the message.
I didn’t know how to answer her. After a lot of thinking, I finally responded and gave her my number if she needed to talk. We’d never met before in person, so the whole thing was a little strange. Sure enough, within twenty minutes or so my phone rang. The conversation was a little weird because we spoke as if we’d spoken before…not like I ever envisioned a first conversation with a fellow writing buddy, but under the circumstances I guess it was alright. I only hope I helped!
There’ll be more to come later, I’m sure! Once again, thanks for reading!
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