Jason Mraz

My wife, Ronni, is a huge fan of Jason Mraz.  She hauled me to SunFest last year to see him, and then got royally pissed when I insisted we leave early to avoid the exiting crowd.  (She missed  her favorite Mraz song:  “Butterfly" which, it turns out, we could hear in the distance as we were headed to our car.) 

So when I saw Jason was coming to the Coral Sky Amphitheatre in suburban West Palm Beach, I knew I had to get tickets to appease her for my previous indiscretion AND I had to stay until the very end of the concert to be sure Ronni got a FULL dose of Jason.

Turns out… It was worth it!!  Jason sang for more than two hours and put on a terrific show. 

But there was one song that stood out… even more so when I listened to his CD later on.  It’s called “Living in the Moment” and it has had a profound effect on me!  So I have included it here.  I chose this version because you can read the lyrics.  I hope it has the same positive outlook on your psyche as it has had on mine.

I Made It!

 

If you have been following my blog, then you know that I turned 68 yesterday (August 11, 2012).  It’s a milestone for many reasons… i.e. I can’t believe I am this frigging old… yet I don’t FEEL old (my mind is stuck in my hippie years when I was under 30.)

But my age is also a milestone because I have overcome the curse that plagued BOTH my fathers. 

My birth father, Louis Prima died in 1978 at the age of 67.  AND my adopted father died only four months earlier in 1978 at the same age!  What are the odds?

So, for the past several months, I have been thinking about my upcoming birthday and thinking about how I will have outlived both my fathers.

I don’t ascribe any special meaning to this turn of events.  But I am certainly glad I made it to 68.

Alice

 

My new car is a convertible I have named "Alice."  It's a 2007 Toyota Solara... jet black with a tan top and tan interior.  Alice is fun to drive with the top up or down.

It was apparently owned by Florida "snow birds" who kept it garaged in the Sunshine State even when they went north for the summer.  Alice is 5 years old, but she only has 30,000 miles on her.  She is also pristine inside and out.  When my mechanic lifted the hood to check her out, he remarked that the engine looked like it was brand-new!

I have developed the "five-minute rule" for Alice.  If I am planning to drive LESS than five minutes, the top stays up.  BUT if I will be driving MORE than 5 minutes, the top must be down.  And that's as it should be.

I admit, though, that the severe summer temperatures keep the top up… and the A.C. on a lot more than they have over the past few months.

So why do I call my car "Alice"?  If you are old enough to remember Arlo Guthrie's song "Alice's Restaurant", then you know that "you can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant... excepting Alice."  And now, I have her.  Thanks, Arlo.