Friday Follies

My post is late today. I stayed up late distracted by politics and baseball. The SF Giants have been playing exciting ball. Since the All Star Break, they've had the best record in the Majors, and their games have that Playoff Atmosphere, and it's only August...good times.

Summer is trying to make an appearance here in the Inland Valley, but isn't exactly roaring back.

I always see the sunny side of these things...it's cooler working in the garden for instance...once I get out there.

Death snuck into my world again this week. A friend's Mom passed away Saturday, and Richie Hayward, drummer and co-founder of Little Feat lost his battle with liver cancer. Richie joins Little Feat co-founder Lowell George in Heaven's Awesome House Band...those guys really cooked!

Little Feat are one of my favorite funky rock n' roll bands of all time. Hands down my favorite Ski Tune is their "Day at the Dog Races" from their 1977 "Time Loves a Hero" album. It's a studio recording of an instrumental that sound like it was recorded live in one take. I used to have the track on my Original Sony Walkman and used it as soundtrack when making a few "Morning Speed Runs" off the top of my mountain...let me clarify...those speed runs were on skis, not in my snowcat...good times.

Fingers' Mom was the first "Cool Mom" I ever knew. I guess they're everywhere today, but for me, Fingers' Mom was the first. Her Memorial Get Together is this afternoon. I always miss these things. I realized this morning why...I manage my life for Sunny Outcomes. I sent Fingers a Remembrance to read as requested:

"Here you go, Fingers...something for your Mom:

Fingers' Mom was the first "Cool Mom" I ever met. They're ubiquitous today, but for me she was the prototype.

Fingers' Mom's easy ways helped us all along our journey into adulthood...not exactly an easy thing to do in those "Turbulent 60's.

Sunday dinners at Fingers' Mom's Downtown apartment were elemental in my journey to become who I am today.

I took home two "Lessons to Live By" thanks to her Sunday dinners. These have served me well to this day. These lessons are part of my DNA now.

One: Always grind your own coffee beans.

Two: Find a different cocktail than the Mai Tai."

Reading that again, I realized I left out the fact that four decades of fine living were made finer by those two lessons...good times.