There are so many professions that I admire – doctors, lawyers, teachers and first responders, to name a few. I’m also in awe of creative types. I’ve spent most of my life in an analytical career and have always admired those who use their creative energies everyday. Above all, though, the question for me is … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Manic Monday – The Bangles
I’ve always wanted to roast coffee and own a coffee house. I’ve spent a lot of time in coffee houses and like the idea of owning a place where the community could congregate and find a little respite from their busy lives. That’s the reason I frequented coffee houses and they provided me just what … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Closer to Fine – The Indigo Girls
I was listening to a podcast not too long ago and they were discussing RBF. I had no idea what that was, so I googled it. The first thing I found was “rat bite fever”. Uh, no. This couldn’t possibly be it. Needless to say, there is treatment for this if you ever get it. … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Tears of a Clown – The English Beat
Numbers. Everyday numbers. I’ve spent over 25 years knee deep in them. Cost analysis, financial projections, charts and graphs. Funny, because my favorite subject in high school was never math, my interest tended to gravitate towards english and writing. In college, I studied business, it seemed to stick and the rest is history. But I’ve … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Changes – David Bowie
In an alternate universe, I’d like to have a few “super powers” that I definitely lack today. Let’s see. I’d love to be able to sing karaoke in front of a room full of strangers. I wouldn’t have two left feet and would be able to cut a rug with the best of them. My … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Whip It – Devo
I was fortunate to attend business school at a private university. I grew up middle class and had to take out student loans, apply for scholarships/grants and work part-time while going to school. I drove a ten year old Honda, but it got me from point A to point B and I was happy. This … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Ain’t This the Life – Oingo Boingo
Finding an uninteresting news story isn’t as easy as it sounds. How do you even start the search? I thought about googling “uninteresting stories”, but decided to scratch that idea. Instead, I started looking in small town newspapers. There had to be something inconsequential in Small Town USA. I found a story about a buggy … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Ordinary World – Duran Duran
Here is my list, in no particular order: There are a lot of happy songs that come to mind. However, it’s one thing to be a song about happiness, it’s another to feel “the happy” from the get go and continue to rise from there. The vibe from Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping definitely gives them the nod. … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
I used to work 50 to 70 hours per week and it was not unusual for me to put in time on the weekends. That pace was a grind, but I was young and had the energy and stamina to put in the hours and still recover on a day’s rest. As I got older, … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Time – Hootie & the Blowfish
I love YouTube. There is so much great content out there. I’ve relied on it to help fix my washer dryer, figure out how to use electronics and seal the grout in my shower. It’s been a life saver. I’ve re-watched favorite sporting moments, got up to date world news and researched easy recipes for … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: The Ghost in You – The Psychedelic Furs
I got a job working in downtown Los Angeles early in my career. I eventually tired of the hour commute and decided to move to downtown to get a few hours of my life back. My move was right on the cusp before downtown was gentrifying and was still a mix of a lot of … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Even Flow – Pearl Jam
So, I had to do a double take. Didn’t we just describe ourselves the other day? OK, it’s a slight variation, but the feelings are the same. You see, I don’t really enjoy talking about myself or seek the spotlight – I’m happy to avoid both if I can. That is not to say that … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Jukebox Hero – Foreigner
I’ve always thought of myself as a traditional kind of guy. So I was a little hurt when my wife made the decision to keep her maiden name. Why wouldn’t she take my name? “How would you feel if you had to change your name?” she replied. Oh. If you put it that way, yeah, … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: I Got a Name – Jim Croce
I love coffee. Coffee has always been my guilty pleasure. So when I decided to give up coffee, it was a pretty devastating loss. During a routine health checkup, they found an irregular heart beat and wanted to run additional tests. For years, I drank about four or five cups in the morning and I … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Black Coffee in Bed – Squeeze
Deep down, I lean towards being an introvert. I’ve always been comfortable spending time with myself, but at the same time, would often float outside those walls as well. I guess you could call me an “extroverted-introvert”, straddling both sides of the line. COVID reset the landscape of normal daily life. It’s hard to believe … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Circle – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
Dinosaurs. They have not been on my radar for at least 40 years. I’m going to have to reach way back into my childhood to answer this one with a little bit of googling peppered in. I remember liking the T-Rex and pterodactyl when I was a child. I googled a bit and learned a … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Rock Lobster – The B-52’s
Two tickets to Spain, please. Years ago, I discovered the movie The Way by Emilio Estevez. It’s a moving story about a father (Martin Sheen) who travels overseas to recover the remains of his estranged son (Emilio Estevez) who was killed in the Pyrenees while walking the Camino de Santiago. Instead of returning home, he … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Loving Strangers – Russian Red
In college, I didn’t keep standard hours and was up at all hours of the night. Either studying, hanging out or having beers with friends, late nights tended to be the norm. But the body eventually needs it’s sleep and I had this gift of being able to fall asleep anytime anywhere when it all … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day
I’ve recently placed more effort in managing my mental health. In the past, I used to power through stress and accepted it as part of my daily life. Eventually, this led to an explosion when the water in the kettle built up too much steam and pressure. It’s not easy managing my sanity at times, … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: My Ever Changing Moods – The Style Council
Every year we go back to Hawaii to visit family. I love the aloha spirit, the beauty of the island, the people and the food. We are fortunate that we stay with my in-laws when we visit. Our time with them is precious as they get older and it’s important that we spend as much … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
I watch the news every evening and, quite frankly, it can be pretty depressing sometimes. It seems like respect and civility have gone out the window. I’m fine with differing views, in fact, that’s what makes this country great. I wish that differing views led to open discussions rather than threats and violence. This prompt … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
I typically have Pandora playing in the background when I’m working. I like the variety and I get to listen to artists that I may not typically listen to. That’s how I was introduced to Brandi Carlile. I remember the first time hearing The Story – she blew me away. I think what first got … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: The Story – Brandi Carlile
Growing up, my mom would make her beef stew. It was chock full of beef, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes and potatoes. The stew would slowly simmer and thicken over the stove. The flavors from the ingredients would take their time mingling and getting to know each other and the scents would permeate throughout the house. … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
I grew up in a relatively large family with two brothers and a sister. We are all close in age and when we were young, we often played together. The great thing about having many siblings is that there are more players for card games. I remember playing fun games such as go fish, war, … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Shape of My Heart – Sting
I love pastries with a fresh hot cup of coffee. Trader Joes used to have an EASY blueberry scone mix. When I say easy, this is not an exaggeration – just add water and bake for 15 minutes. Nothing fancy, but easy and delicious. I’d separate the dough into evenly sized portions and bake them … Continue reading My Gen X Playlist: Verdi Cries – 10,000 Maniacs
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