At Ease

It was 2:30 in the morning and my best friend and I were lying on the bed with my laptop open going through my i-Tunes library, drinking the last of the Pinot Grigio.

Ooooh, Sad Lisa.  I love this song.

Yeah, it's pretty.  It's got lots of minor keys.  Makes it sort of sad.

Cat Stevens reminds me of my dad.  Karen and I used to play Cat Stevens twenty four hours and day and my dad could never understand why.

Why don't guys like Cat Stevens?

I don't know.  They're threatened by his sensitivity!  They're jealous that women looooove him.

Ha.  That must be it.  Plus, he's so sexy.  Or used to be, anyway.  I miss your dad.  I think about him a lot.  Thinking about him and remembering what a good person he was makes me think that that's what it truly means to live a successful life.  Don't you think?  It's a cliche, I know.  But, just as long as you're thought of and remembered in a good way after you're gone.  Right?  And remembered often.

Yeah.  Yeah, he was a good guy.  He made friends wherever he went.  He was easy to connect with.  He didn't have much right before he died.  But, he had a ton of friends who loved him.  Hey.  Have you ever heard this one song by Amos Lee?  I can't remember the name.  It's soooooo great.

I've never heard of Amos Lee.

Ooooh.  You'd love him.  He's got a great voice.  It's such a good song.  It'll get into your soul.  You've got to hear it!  You'll love it.  Can we buy it on your computer?

Well, I'm not connected to the Internets.

Damn!

Wait!  I know what we can do!  Let's go down to the Business Center!  It's right off the lobby!

All right!  Do we have to get dressed?  Can we just go in our pajamas?

Yeah!  Who cares!  It's almost three in the morning.  Who's gonna see us?  C'mon.

Wait.  Let me finish my wine. 

Hurry!

Ok, let's go.

We stuck our heads out the door.  The coast was clear, so we ran to the elevator, took it down to the lobby, stuck our heads out of the door, no one around but the hotel employees at the front desk.  We dashed through the lobby, me with my laptop under one arm and then ran into the Business Center.

It's cozy in here.

Ok, let me set this up.  Wonder if we could get some more wine down here?

I'll go check!

Good idea!  I'll set up the computer.

Thirty seconds later...

Where's the wine?

The guy looked at me like I was nuts and said it's three o'clock in the morning!  The bar's closed!

Oh.  Guess we should've thought of that!  Spoiled sport!  How funny!  You out there in your pajamas asking for wine!

Did you find the song?

No.  What is it again?

Amos Lee.

Ok, let me search.

Yeah, yeah!  There it is!  How do we buy it?

See that little "buy it" button.  All you have to do is click on it.  It's a very dangerous thing.  You can do it a zillion times a day.

Listen.

Oooh.  This is pretty. 

Listen to the words.

Yeah, I love it.  Oooh.  I want you to read something.  Read this.  This guy's such a great writer.  You'd love him.  He and his wife have this blog and he's got a new book out.  His friend just passed away.  Read this.

Mmmmm.  How sad.  ...I absorbed her lessons and became richer...

Yeah.  ...She was also a strong and committed listener...  I try to be a good listener.  It's hard.

...We are all the richer for Deborah’s enthusiasm and intellect ... Laughter. Music. Poems. Friends. Daily practice.

Yeah.  Daily practice.  It's a beautiful tribute, isn't it?  Isn't he a great writer?  A special person, too.  You can tell.  Now read this one poem of hers.  Read this one, Initiation ... Didn't I mean to make simple songs?

Mmmm.

What?

That part there.  The dealt deck.  The finality.  The cards have been dealt.

Yeah.  I love that part up there ... you walked me through ditches, taught me opaque languages, naked in plein-air made me kiss every mouth I met.

Yeah, it's great.  Are these your blogger friends?

Yeah.  You should read them.  I'll email you their links when I get home.  I'm lucky I connected with them.  They're great.  Just great.  I've learned so much from them.

Me, too.  Would never have known about Deborah Tall.

Yeah, it's neat.  All the connections.  And I'll always remember us doing this and now she's a part of that, too.  Success, huh?

Yeah.

Let's listen to the song one more time before we go up.

Ok.

Isn't it great?

Yeah, it does get into your soul  ... When she wakes me, she takes me back home ...

... Back home.

Comments

[DuWayne]

For the record, I am a guy (at least I was the last time I checked) and I love Cat Stevens.

[jenny]

love it, love it, love it...it gives me pause to remember that my 16yr.old daughter's (17 yesterday)boyfriend gave her that song, "Arms of a Woman" specifically marked on the CD "from boyfriend." Also, it was Karen's dad who couldn't "get" Cat Stevens. You remember, my dad, the "sensitive one." Of course my husband, the Cooler, is threatened by Cat... Oh real deep, "I feel the power growing in my hair." Of course my response to that is "I think you may be exhibiting signs of jealousy over the hair since you have none."

BG, we DO just have TOO much fun, I love you!!

Jenny

[blue girl]

DuWayne, Good for you! You're a Cool Cat!

Jenny, The Skimmer also doesn't *get* Cat. Shame, shame, shame. The Cooler and The Skimmer need to get in touch with their inner Cat, like DuWayne!

...Are you listening, Neddie Jingo?

:)

[barking up trees]

make it pinot *noir* and i'm there, baby... ! :)

[blue girl]

barking up trees,

Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Pinot Pinot -- we're not picky!

Any kind will do except Pinot In A Box.

Left that behind in the dust long ago!

:)

[Jennifer]

Nice post, BG.

[blue girl]

Thanks, Jennifer.

[Claire]

Loved the post, BG.

Also, I just heard a single from Cat (or Yusef, whatever) and enjoyed it... thought of you.

[The Phantom Viscount]

I really like "Wild World" and "Father & Son." Couldn't deal with "Morning has Broken" except for the fact that that is Rick Wakeman on the Piano.

The yusef mustachea factor is too hard for me to take, especially when he agreed with the Fatwa against Rushdie. I can't fathom why someone would convert to any religion. We can't stop our parents from indoctrinating us into some ancient idiocy, but to choose it as an adult?

[Michael Bains]

Cat'sef was always much easier to read than to hear, for me anyhow. Nice rhythms to his powerful words.

The music's just too bland and kids' songish for large doses, eh. Not that there's anything wrong with that... ;)

[Michael Bains]

And, yeah, what TPV said at the end there. D'oh!

[Connie]

Oh my. BG, I don't know if it's the Cabernet I'm drinking or this post, or perhaps the combination of the two...

...this tribute to Deborah; your warm, wonderful words about Steve; the musical link... I, well, excuse me please - I think I have something in my eye - both of them actually. I'll be back and I'll be bringing Steve with me. Lovely post. Thank you.

[Adorable Girlfriend]

Annieangel was hating on Cat Stevens today.

[BOSSY]

Now that's what Bossy calls a Pajama Party!

[Chuck Champion]

Thought I'd traveled far from Cleveland -- only to find I'm drawn back in by BlueGirl in a no-longer quite-so-RedState.

Thanks for the pointers to Amos Lee, Stephen K., and Deborah Tall. Thanks for the poetry of the daily, the call to 'daily practice', the celebration of this short moment. And to think, I thought I'd traveled so far ...

[almost Canadian]

Why does Natalie Merchant say "Tain" instead of "Train" when she sings Cat's "Peace Train"?

I'm not that into Yusef. I had a bad 8-track accident when I was a kid. Tea for the Tillarman damn near killed me.

[Jennifer]

"Why does Natalie Merchant say "Tain" instead of "Train" when she sings Cat's "Peace Train"?"

I like her cover of that song, but that has always bugged me! I figured she was smiling too wide to get the r in there or had on too much lipstick and her mouth got stuck.

[Jennifer]

BG- I forgot- I meant to mention that they were playing Amos Lee all day yesterday (he was playing in Chicago last night) on the station I sometimes listen to. Every time I heard him I thought of you guys running around in your jammies.