Music…

Night in That Land

Shadow of Time

Nightnoise
and Words

[Instrumental]


I spent my early childhood on the sunny island of Puerto Rico.  My dad ran a restaurant which he literally built with his own hands.  It was both our home and our business.  You could walk directly from the street into our dining room, where my mom would seat you in any one of a modest number of tables.  A cigarette vending machine sat to one side, where you could buy packs of cigarettes unsupervised.  Upon entering the coins, you would pull on these long handles as the mechanism loudly dropped the cigarettes onto a bin at the bottom.

A large ice cream machine occupied much of the storefront.  It also served as a counter to greet customers.  It housed large stainless steel cylindrical bins of prepared ice cream and kept them cold and firm.  On the left sat the ice cream maker, with huge oddly shaped metal instruments that looked like medieval torture devices.

Continue reading “A sunny tranquility”

Music…

Radar Love

Moontan

Golden Earring
and Words

I’ve been driving all night, my hands wet on the wheel
There’s a voice in my head that drives my heel
It’s my baby calling, says “I need you here”
And it’s a half past four and I’m shifting gear

When she is lonely and the longing gets too much
She sends a cable coming in from above
Don’t need no phone at all

Lyric excerpts from Musixmatch.


Tom shows up in my team one day, decades ago.  He is funny, and we get along fabulously.  He moved from the Chicago area.  Tom and his family are apart on that first Thanksgiving while they wrap up the year, and I invite him to my home for dinner.  This started an enduring friendship.

Once I met his family, I observed his dedication to his wife and sons.  He adored and admired his wife.  He respected and advocated for his kids.  Tom once asked if I would mentor his son.  I would have happily mentored him but ultimately found him a better mentor.  He was the prototypical family man.

Continue reading “Tom is my copilot”