Which Happens Sometimes...

When I was in my early 20’s I wrote a song called “Which Happens Sometimes”, a blatant rip-off of the style of The Pursuit of Happiness with a killer hook bass line. As some of you know, the song was inspired by a day of apartment hunting, which dissembled from the silly to the outright laughable until we (me and my friend Max) found the right place. One apartment building we stopped at had a beautiful living room with a balcony, and sprinklers that lined that wall. When I pointed out to Max the safety feature the man giving us the tour of the apartment said, “Oh no, that’s in case the building next door catches fire – which happens sometimes.”

I burst out laughing and Max made another joke after that which I no longer remember that had me balled up on the floor, trying to keep my lungs from exploding out of my body. I wrote the song over the next couple of days and yes, it references that incident.

I bring this up because my younger daughter lives in an apartment of her own, attending college in her third year (gawd I’m old). She’s visiting us on winter break and we’re glad to have her. It’s been a rough year – last spring she had to evacuate from campus thanks to the Camp Fire, which was a pretty frightening time. On New Year’s day the warehouse next to the apartment complex where she lives burned to the ground. Reports from the one roommate who stayed is tat the parking lot if full of propane and water, and they’re trying to figure out how to drain it.

This is complicated by the fact that as of January 1^st her apartment building has a new owner. I have o clue how this is going to play out, but they haven’t asked for rent yet and the building appears habitable, although smoking isn’t recommended. Heh.

So today I’ve been listening to the new album by Phil Broikos, called “a day in music: 12:00am”. It’s part one of a truly ambitions concept album cycle, and each of the 12 songs are exactly 5 minutes long. There are plans for 23 more albums. I seething with jealousy that I didn’t think of this. It’s good stuff. If you’re into Spotify or any other such sites you can find it easily enough. A tip of the blogging hat to my bud Chris Trapper for telling me about it.

And are you aware that a man who won a Golden Globe won for portraying a man who also won a Golden Globe last night?

And finally, there is still simple good in the world, despite everything. I had to walk four city blocks to the post office today just to get a friggin’ stamp. And they no longer have the vending machines. So I’m in line to use the self-service station, where a mother who is sending several parcels overseas is using the machine to teach her daughter how to spell.  It’s a long walk from Embarcadero 4 to Embarcadero 1 when you have a torn meniscus and I’m getting ready to let off some steam in the most polite way possible (so as not to frighten the child) when the woman in line behind me remembers she has stamps in her purse. She gave me one, and I mailed my letter.

I have to pay it forward now, so I’m looking for my moment. Until then…

Cheap Shots. It’s Monday, so RUM it is!!!

If it weren’t for the impending loss of life, this would be hilarious. (I’m so glad there are no Trump Properties where I live).

He might have been a bad man, but he wasn’t part of 9/11.

If you’re into nostalgia, try this: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/61GwgCDCVnBRtAglpgyBn8 You should random-play it.

I don’t really care about the Golden Globes, the drunken ramblings of the Joker or the nice things said by the nicest man in Hollywood. But Michelle Williams’ acceptance speech was golden.

In all fairness, I probably would get the picture of Gabbard right either, although I think that’s Patricia Arquette that they used.

Required Reading.

As high as a… cat?

Punta Ventana is gone.

If you feel yourself in need of assistance, try Morse Code:

Ingredients:
1.5oz Bacardi Superior Rum
.5oz Plantation Pineapple Rum
.1oz Lime
2 bar spoons sugar or .75oz simple syrup
1 muddled strawberry
Glass: Nick & Nora
Garnish: A strawberry

Instructions:
Shake and double strain

And because I love you, The Motels and my favorite song of theirs.