A Yawn & A Twinkle

X-mas morning and I've been up since 4:30am (ish). Feeling quite awake I decided to log onto YouTube and look for cartoon intros from when I was a kid. So many shows that I had to be awake for on Saturday mornings. I remember the intense sadness I would feel if I slept in too late and missed the early shows. Gradually...the Saturday mornings became less about cartoons and more about enjoying sleep. That kind of morning excitement is hard to come by these days. It happens every once in a while.

While searching for a really obscure cartoon called, "Bionic 6" I came across episodes of The Bionic Woman and I've been watching a 3-part mini saga of episodes called "Kill Oscar." These were the episodes where the Fembots were introduced. Tom House and I used to recreate the bionic sounds and movements. Watching the show growing up you were a gay boy who wanted to be Jaime Sommers because of her awesome power or you were a straight boy who wanted to "do" Jaime Summers. (Who ever had a teacher that hot?) I'm sure Lee Majors (Six Million Dollar Man) had his share of admirers from both sexes as well.

Today doesn't feel like "Christmas" to me, but I think as the years pass by this day feels less and less like something special. Perhaps it's that I no longer tie it to religious beliefs or practices; perhaps it is the lack of celebration with family & extended family where a warmth was created just by being together. I'm not sad. I've been enjoying my time with friends. I laugh so much. On Saturday, Justin & I drove to Santa Barbara to have dinner with Marthalee & Mark. Three hours later we turned around and came home. The drive up was one of those road trip moments where clouds in sky & setting sun married to make colors floating above the ocean and shoreline cliffs.

On Saturday I also finished my end of the year CD projects and began burning them yesterday. I think I'll post it here so that I will have a copy to remember some years from now. (When I've forgotten details, like the joy that cartoons once brought me.)
===
===
===

JAN Carina Round - January Heart
FEB Dar Williams - February
MAR Iron Maiden - Ides Of March
APR 3 Dog Night - Pieces Of April
MAY Jade Warrior - May Queen
JUN BT - Flaming June
JUL Bomb The Bass - Winter In July
AUG Ottmar Liebert - August Moon
SEP Earth, Wind & Fire - September
OCT Waking Ashland - October Skies
NOV Morrissey - November Spawned A Monster
DEC Collective Soul - December
Cast of “Toys” - The Closing of the Year
__________________________________________________________
2006 X-Mas Is Over

Sandra Bernhard - Christmas
Thomas Newman - Angels In America (Main Title)
Alvin & The Chipmunks - The Christmas Song
Fleetwood Mac - As Long As You Follow
Pat Benatar - Please Come Home For Xmas
The Twilight Singers - I Wish I Was
Sandi Thom - I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker
Julie Andrews - My Favorite Things
Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On
Martina McBride - What Child Is This?
Nina Simone - I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl
Vienna Boys Choir - Silent Night, Holy Night
Quindon Tarver - Everybody’s Free
Loreena McKennitt - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Tomandandy - Carol Of The Bells
Julie London - Cry Me A River
Holly Cole - The Christmas Song
Enigma - Return To Innocence
__________________________________________________________


Hugs,
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. Blink. That’s another year in our lives. (And here we go again) Laughter & tears. Hopefully some tears of laughter from moments so hilarious that you were out of breath. Remember that in each day there’s something simple and beautiful and timeless. I hope you continue to capture many such moments in your memories.

At times, music communicates much more than my attempts with words can ever do, so please enjoy the selections in this 2CD set that you won’t find in any stores. =) The old 45 record appearance is matched with CD quality continuing with my underlying life theme and eternal hope of bringing all people together.

I’ve noticed that those of you who send out your end of the year notes, x-mas letters, etc. touch upon some main topics: Families, Children (Or Pets), Health, Careers, Vacations. Seemingly everything is positive. I think the unfortunate occurrences are as important to acknowledge. Let’s see if I can follow the prescribed format. (Doubtful)

I have no pets to tell you about. To know me is to know my saying, "I love animals, I hate pets." Animals and I usually get along very well. It's probably primal. Cute animal stories I suppose are worth writing about……. Aren’t bunnies cute? Well, I ran over two this year. They frolic all over the roads here in the housing tracts of Irvine. No one really picks up the carcasses either. They just sort of stay in the road getting flatter and flatter by each car driving over them until the elements have dispersed the once furry things back to the earth. (Wow…that could be a metaphor for some lives I know.)

I have no children to share about their first "this" or how cute it was when they said, "...." Well, I have children, but not in the sense that you may think. Whether I call them my children or little brothers & sisters, they're part of that younger generation who directly or indirectly find guidance from me and I soak in all the giddy care-freeness of their unfolding lessons. It ->>IS<<- cute to see them experiencing their own firsts, it's tender holding them for those first hurts and it's amazing watching joy exude from them. Those moments are worth writing about……..like the young ones who learned how to pray at the round porcelain alter finding out that they’re light weights. How about driving a stick shift a whole block without stalling? Sadly, I’ve also had to endure the pain of knowing there is nothing a parent can do to protect a child from all that is in the world—disease included.

As for my health? Just a few weeks ago I turned thirty-two. It's not that remarkable. You all turned some age this year too. Yay! The full physical exam in March revealed that my many years of staying out late, burning the candle at both ends, consistently eating Jack-In-The-Box and avoiding a gym of any kind has inexplicably contributed to my perfect health. ;-) Haha. I’ve got to credit genetics. I still haven’t bought into the whole gym culture, but I think keeping mentally active and never really feeling like I’ve aged or succumbed to the stresses of life have helped. Unlike most adults, I let my inner child have a lot of play time. Summer Sundays were spent treading water in the ocean for hours. 2006 was a great Summer spending time on West Beach in Laguna. Dropped the iPod into the boom box and played a compilation of tunes while bathing in sunlight. The Filipino blood kept me from peeling; the Euro DNA has started a smattering of freckles on my shoulders. I think they’re cute. (And worth writing about)

I was in San Francisco in June. I walked places. I saw stuff. It was a road trip with friends. The drive up was a good exercise in letting the inner child out. The 5FWY has two lanes in each direction. The left, a PASSING lane, and the right, the DRIVING lane. When a vehicle (usually an SUV) would not obey the rules of the road and insisted on blocking the passing lane by driving in it and creating a line of cars behind it, I took great pleasure in practicing my Indy 500 skills and squeezing by the bumpers of nearby cars so that I could pull in front of said SUV and at 90mph spray the windshield wiper fluid. Oh, good times. They sure move to the “right” lane pretty quickly after that. (The fluid was gone by the time we reached our destination)

Keep taking your pictures. (Even if you don't like being in them) A wise man once told me that when you're older you'll want to remember what you looked like. You know, when you had hair or when it wasn't so gray; when you smiled and someone caught that; when the scene that is frozen on flat parchment tells its thousand word story. (Perhaps a story only you know and understand)

I read about your lives and it's really sweet that you take the time to share, but sometimes it’s like reading about strangers in some annual newsletter from an organization I belong to but am not that involved. There's no fault here. As grown-ups are so fond of telling children, "That's life." (I'm glad I don't have children to lie to like that) Life is so much more than an annual drop in the bucket of remembrances to feel somewhat connected to each other. I'm sorry I haven't made more of an effort. When all is said and done, I’m sure that many of the things I focused time on this last year might better have been spent reconnecting with those of you who are family or close enough to be considered such. Perhaps this next year will be an improvement in this area.
Until soon…
Love ALL-ways,
j.r.me
http://earthjeremy.blogspot.com/

2006 is over. Did you get the memo?