This is Where I’ve Been

  Week Thirty-nine: Behind Blue Eyes …and if I swallow anything evil put your finger down my throat and if I shiver, please give me a blanket keep me warm, let me wear your coat —The Who, Behind Blue Eyes, from the album Who’s Next? On a warm Saturday in July I sat with our dog Leon on a bench provided for old guys or old guys with dogs while our granddaughter, her mother, and Gwaz searched the various buildings of the craft village we were visiting. From my vantage point I could see the tourists coming and going from one building to the other and between them to the petting zoo stocked mostly with goats. Strategically located near the entrance to the goat enclosures was a vending machine swallowing quarters in exchange for a handful of  goat munchies. It was popular to say the least. I couldn’t help but notice one particular grandma who seemed to have an endless supply of quarters, of which she was more than willing to part. She called to her granddaughter who was intent on rushing pa

  Week Thirty-eight: Roy Rogers Sometimes you dream, sometimes it seems There’s nothing there at all You just seem older than yesterday And you’re waiting for someone to call You draw the curtains and one thing’s for certain You’re cozy in your little room The carpet’s all paid for, God bless the TV Let’s shoot a hole in the moon Oh, Roy Rogers is riding tonight Returning to our silver screens Comic book characters never grow old Evergreen heroes whose stories were told Oh the great sequin cowboy who sings of the plains Of roundups and rustlers and home on the range Turn on the TV, shut out the lights Roy Rogers is riding tonight   —Elton John, Roy Rogers , from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road I heard Roy Rogers a while ago and coincidentally just after a discussion I had with our eldest granddaughter about my opinion of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road . My opinion, of course, is that GYBR is Elton John’s masterpiece. Along with lyricist Bernie Taupin, they created start-to-finish, a singular mu

  Week Thirty-seven: I’ve Seen That Movie Too So keep your auditions for somebody Who hasn’t got so much to lose ‘Cause you can tell by the lines I’m reciting That I’ve seen that movie too — Elton John, I’ve Seen That Movie Too, from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Whenever I hear a lyric that I might want to use, I compose a draft, which might eventually become an entry. Entries are put at the end of the queue, which means they are prepared weeks ahead of when they are used. With this particular post, I heard Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne and it seemed perfect. I then heard Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider. The line Lunatic fringe I know you’re out there seemed even better based on what I’m about to tell you. But eventually I heard Elton John sing a song I’ve heard many, many times, and I decided that the line I’ve seen that movie too was too good to ignore. The five most common reasons for road rage are… Driving at dangerously high speeds. Following another driver too closely (tailgating) Hon