The "Getting Ready For The Final Sprint" Friday Random Ten

For being on vacation, I've been insanely busy, both at home and work. I'm still trying to finish off some big projects here, and the restaurant seems to be reflecting the general upturn in the economy; it's been good and busy, easing some of my money worries.

I found out on Wednesday that David, who, along with his wife Kathy, was one of my favorite regulars, passed away on December 22nd. He was someone who was an absolute delight. He was retired, and would come in, despite a bad hip and congestive heart failure, and take the bus to meet his wife, who was a teacher, at the restaurant. He drank his vodka rocks with a splash of diet Coke, and was witty and warm. Kathy came and had dinner with her sister on Wednesday and told me that David had finally lost his struggle with his health problems. I was sad, but told Kathy that David was a guy who didn't waste a day of the life he was given. I will miss him. I kept thinking of the Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute to their late guitarist, Hillal Slovak on the bloodsugarsexmagic album, "My Lovely Man." I hope I'm wrong about my atheism, and that I'm good enough to get to where he's at.

"I'll see you later, my lovely man, If I can..."



In happier news, my friend and co-worker Leslie, who was the person who talked me into going to nursing school instead of Pharmacy school, found out yesterday that she passed her state nursing boards. I'm hoping that I can repeat that. I've ordered my book for my first rotation, Pediatrics, and plan to get ahead of the reading next week before classes resume (a week from Tuesday), and to get to the nursing computer lab to take some practice NCLEX (nursing board) tests.

1. Quinto Regimento- Jamie O'Reilly and Michael Smith
2. Holly Holy- Neil Diamond
3. All Tomorrow's Parties- The Velvet Undergroung
4. Absolutely Sweet Marie- Bob Dylan
5. Flowers On the Wall- The Statler Brothers
6. Cyprus Avenue- Van Morrison
7. The Living Years- Mike and the Mechanics
8. One Piece At A Time- Johnny Cash
9. Roll Over Beethoven- Chuck Berry
10. Itchycoo Park- The Small Faces

Notes:
1. From "Pasiones," a play about the Lincoln Brigade. Michael Smith also wrote "The Dutchman," which Steve Goodman covered.
2. Neil Diamond's music has grown on me over the years.
3. I remember John Cale saying something to the effect that the reason Nico got to sing in the Velvet Underground was that it was your basic "the guitar player's girlfriend gets to sing" situation.
4. From the fabulous "Blonde On Blonde" album.
5. Looked the Statler Brothers up a while back and discovered that they weren't actually brothers. Kurt Vonnegut cited this song as his favorite in an interview I read in the Rolling Stone years ago.
6. Every once in a while, I'll discover a Van Morrison song that I somehow missed. This was one of those.
7. From Genesis alum Mike Rutherford.
8. Johnny Cash in a comical turn.
9. Two good covers of this song-- by the Beatles and by, of all bands, ELO.
10. A big hunk of psychedelia from the mid sixties.