What I'm Listening To

This week, I put together a compilation of a dozen or so new (or new-to-me) songs, and it came together pretty quickly. Listening to through it again this evening, I stopped to reflect on why each one was appealing and why I likely included it; here are a few thoughts:

1. Valentino, Diane Birch. Its quirky and upbeat arrangement contrasts with its lyrics of longing.
2. You are the Best Thing, Ray LaMontagne. Oh, those opening horns! 'Nuff said.
3. Good Enough, Girlyman. The group's harmonies are always stunning, but a few lines of this song always give me goosebumps: "No one makes the rules you see/ You are in charge of destiny" and later "Here's my existence / Put it on a shelf". Powerful.
4. Little Plastic Castle, Ani Difranco. I can entirely relate to this line..."They say goldfish have no memory / I think their lives are much like mine / And the little plastic castle is a surprise every time." The surprise of constantly (re-)discovering a mundane fixture in one's existence is somehow appealing.
5. Sky, Joshua Radin. One of my newer finds, artist-wise, and I'm really digging him. I'm still processing the overall storyline of this song's lyrics, but this particular couplet appeals to me "This is the way I need to wake / I wake to you." I love the intimacy of this image.

Perhaps I'll dive into the remaining songs later...

All for now.
~A

Spreading Joy

The traffic on Route 3 North this evening was slow enough that I could crack the window open enough for Jake to stick his head out. He stood up on the arm rest, leaned against the still-showing part of the window pane, his ears laid back against his head, his eyes squinty, and his nose going a mile a minute. It was obvious it provided him joy.

And tonight, the joy was contagious. I noticed three separate drivers pass by, look at Jake, and drive by with smiles. I smiled to see them smile, and perhaps that little spark of joy was carried forward in other ways.

First Ride

Today, I took my first good, long ride on my bike for this season. I'd been out a time or two prior, but those rides brief and intended to feel out adjustments.

This ride started and ended at Breakneck Hill Farm, and wound past Hopkinton State Park and included a quick stop at Baypath Humane Society. All told, I logged about 10 miles in the saddle today -- not bad for a first ride! The bike felt pretty good; the one exception being the bars, which began to make my shoulder blades ache in the last two miles or so.

As I've reflected on the experience today, I've realized I missed probably 80% of the scenery through which I was riding. But I have keen memories of working through the mechanics of the bike and my body -- shifting, balancing, spinning, breathing, and pushing through muscle burn. With time, practice, and repetition, I expect that experience to flip-flop.

It helped, too, to have a companion on the ride. J knew the route, and coached me through what was coming next, talked me through how to attack a certain hill, and just plain encouraged me by being there by my side.

I look forward to the next ride and the next adventure. But it might need to be in a few days -- I have some aching muscles that need to recover before I think I can hop back on the bike and enjoy it as much as I did today...