SIRPAUL Says Hello to You!

Saturday night, I hit the town to see SIRPAUL in concert, along with my niece Mandy, and friend and blogger Rickey Yaneza. The show was outrageously good, and I will get to that in another post very soon. But in the meanwhile, here are some pictures and video Rickey graciously took after the show.



Yes, that is you he is talking to, dear readers. I will have more on the show of this talented, sweet, and handsome man soon, I promise. Such a great night!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Howard

Having asked nicely if she could guest blog, I of course said "yes!" So here is my niece, Mandy.


Left to right: Me, Tom Goss & Mandy

I get to guest Blog, I hope I live up to the S2MD Standards!

My earliest music memories are marked by the presence of my Uncle Howard. My first tape I ever got was a mix of “happy” Cure, Howard Jones, and the Communards. I loved that tape and still consider it one of the best presents I have ever gotten. In one cassette tape a whole new world of music was open to me. In that 120 minute cassette, I was held captive by melodies and lyrics that I can still recite today. To this day if I hear Love Cats or Fire in Cairo, I cannot help to sing along and remember those agonizing moments when I listened over and over to learn all the words.



From that Christmas forward, I looked forward to my mix tape gifts. The next tape contained a mix of Crowded House, Some more Cure, and the Housemartins. Once again I listened to that tape until I knew every word. I couldn’t get enough of the music. More mixes followed, and my love for music grew. The bond that was forged during those formative music years between Uncle Howard, Aunt Kim, and myself is something I carry with me to this day. I can remember them teaching me to dance and keeping me in the loop with great music. INXS, Billy Bragg, U2, Fun Boy Three, Tears for Fears, I could go on and on. I couldn’t get enough of the music, of conversations, and being included. I love those childhood memories.



Although the years have passed and my music taste has diversified, I still love talking music with my Uncle Howard. Take any given day when we hang out and listen to music. Once again I am a 10-year-old girl, listening with a fresh ear to the latest music Uncle H has found. I still get the same little kid excitement when he gives me a new CD he put together for me. He has introduced me to some many new voices, including Eric Himan, Tom Goss, and Aiden James. In the past few years he brought it back old school and made a birthday CD for me. It was filled with all sorts of wonderful songs and it’s always in rotation on my iPod. You cannot believe how excited I was over that CD!



Uncle H and I have become quite the live music buffs. Whether we are going to a small venue to see Eric, Aiden, or Tom or large concerts like Staind. My all time favorite Concert moment was seeing The Cure live, and being there with Uncle Howard. It was like one of my childhood dreams come true! I cannot think of a better person to go to a live show with than him.

In fact, Uncle Howard is such a big supporter of local artists and arts, he “voluntarily” takes photos of my dance studio’s annual show. Although I think some of those photos are for him to embarrass me with! But, the love he has for music and dance is evident in the wonderful photos he takes and shares with the dancers. I am truly lucky to have had such a positive influence in my life who instilled in me the love for music and all the arts.


The many dances of Mandy.

This love is what keeps me coming back to all the great music of my childhood and looking forward to the next great thing. So I may be rocking out to the latest Deftones or singing along with Chris Dallman, but it’s all one love.

Smooches!- Mandy

Happy Birthday Mandy

Top: Mandy & Eric Himan Middle: Mandy & Tom Bottom: Mandy with another niece, Lynn, outside the World Cafe in Philadelphia.

My niece has accompanied me to many a show, enjoying with me the shows of Tom Goss, Aiden James and Eric Himan. We've also made it to see The Cure, Staind, and others. Perhaps it all started when she was young, like 10 or so, and I would make her cassette tapes, like a good uncle should. She would get them with The Cure, Howard Jones, Communards, Ultravox, and other 80s bands. So, like my listening to the music of my sister, Kathy, there is the chance that listening to my music, I helped her daughter form her own taste early on.




So that was one of the first songs I put on a tape for Mandy, Love Cats. Hey, she was pre-teen, needed to keep it light! Later, we moved on to songs like Disintegration.



Below is a shot I took of Mandy while we were at the Wilmington Flower Show to see Aiden James perform. It was great fun, and I really like the shot.

REPOST: A Busy Fortnight

As part of a year-end review, I will be putting up an occasional repost of the first 6 months of Soundtrack to my Day this week.

From Blogger Pictures

My last 14 days have been rather like a whirlwind. Two weeks ago, my dear sweet cat, Timon, had to be put down. He has been with me since he was a few months old, for the last 14 years. For the last few years, he has been living with Feline Diabetes, following a special diet. At first I was told he had about 6 months to live, but that was 3 ½ years ago. Oddly, when I took him to the vet, it was not the FD that got him. He had tumors and was failing. So in the end, he had beaten the diabetes.

From Blogger Pictures

Needless to say, I was a bit of a mess. Timon was my cranky teenaged son, and had been with me in moves to Rhode Island, Vermont and back to Delaware. Every night, he jumped up in bed with me, to get some scratching before going to sleep. He would have conversations with me, although I would often think he was rolling his eyes at me. When I called, he came to me. When he called to me, I would always give him a pet. I played ‘Back To Love’ by Tom Goss, and it helped a bit. It reminded me to remember the good times, and there certainly were many.

That weekend, I was already scheduled to go on a trip to NYC to see friends, both old and new. I had a good time, but have to admit I was still a bit numb. But I got in on Friday, saw David, and met lots of new friends. We talked and drank, but I know I wasn’t really at my best form, more like riding at 80%. The weekend was a good one, and certainly the distraction I was looking for, only with the benefit of being a distraction with great people.

I came home, only to find myself still expecting to see Timon waiting. He wasn’t. But I had much on the schedule – my niece had a dance recital, and she had asked me to take pictures during the dress rehearsals, so Wednesday and Thursday nights were booked.

From Blogger Pictures

And there was the wedding reception of another niece on Saturday, and the baptism/birthday party for my nephew’s son. I enjoyed myself, but still was feeling a bit outside myself.

Since Timon left me, I have not been sleeping so well. I lay awake in bed, not getting to sleep. I know I am waiting for him to jump up on the bed and get his scratches, but it isn’t going to happen. I keep hoping it will get better. Perhaps it has – I haven’t really noticed yet.

A Busy Fortnight

From Blogger Pictures

My last 14 days have been rather like a whirlwind. Two weeks ago, my dear sweet cat, Timon, had to be put down. He has been with me since he was a few months old, for the last 14 years. For the last few years, he has been living with Feline Diabetes, following a special diet. At first I was told he had about 6 months to live, but that was 3 ½ years ago. Oddly, when I took him to the vet, it was not the FD that got him. He had tumors and was failing. So in the end, he had beaten the diabetes.

From Blogger Pictures

Needless to say, I was a bit of a mess. Timon was my cranky teenaged son, and had been with me in moves to Rhode Island, Vermont and back to Delaware. Every night, he jumped up in bed with me, to get some scratching before going to sleep. He would have conversations with me, although I would often think he was rolling his eyes at me. When I called, he came to me. When he called to me, I would always give him a pet. I played ‘Back To Love’ by Tom Goss, and it helped a bit. It reminded me to remember the good times, and there certainly were many.

That weekend, I was already scheduled to go on a trip to NYC to see friends, both old and new. I had a good time, but have to admit I was still a bit numb. But I got in on Friday, saw David, and met lots of new friends. We talked and drank, but I know I wasn’t really at my best form, more like riding at 80%. The weekend was a good one, and certainly the distraction I was looking for, only with the benefit of being a distraction with great people.

I came home, only to find myself still expecting to see Timon waiting. He wasn’t. But I had much on the schedule – my niece had a dance recital, and she had asked me to take pictures during the dress rehearsals, so Wednesday and Thursday nights were booked.



And there was the wedding reception of another niece on Saturday, and the baptism/birthday party for my nephew’s son. I enjoyed myself, but still was feeling a bit outside myself.

Since Timon left me, I have not been sleeping so well. I lay awake in bed, not getting to sleep. I know I am waiting for him to jump up on the bed and get his scratches, but it isn’t going to happen. I keep hoping it will get better. Perhaps it has – I haven’t really noticed yet.