For me it’s impossible to name my top all time favorite songs, so taking an idea from Nick Hornby's book “31 Songs” I hope to put into writing why I like select songs for various moods.

As Daughter prepared to leave this summer for the Midwest to pursue an education that will lead to a successful career in law, I burned a CD for her to play for the drive out there and to provide encouragement when the stress gets turned up.

When our conversations are over and it is just Daughter putting forth the effort alone, I wanted her to feel that sense of love and support whenever she feels the need.

Daughter’s encouragement and songs of love from pop (this list is dedicated to my nephew too who is also very bright and has a tremendous future):

• “Stop Your Sobbing” by the Pretenders
• “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by The Hit Crew
• “You Can Do It” by No Doubt
• “If” by Joni Mitchell
• “I Believe” by Frank Sinatra
• “High Hopes” by Frank Sinatra
• “Your Life is Now” by John Mellencamp
• “You’re Gonna Hear from Me” by Frank Sinatra
• “Come Blow Your Horn” by Frank Sinatra
• “Pick Yourself Up” by Dianne Reeves
• “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John
• “I am a Rock” by Simon & Garfunkel
• “Gonna Fly Now” (theme from “Rocky” by Bill Conti)
• “Razzle Dazzle” by Richard Gere & Cast from the movie “Chicago”
• “Nothing But the Best” by Frank Sinatra
• “Who Needs Sleep?” Barenaked Ladies
• “Father and Daughter” by Paul Simon
• “Lord Protect My Child” by Susan Tedeschi
• “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan & The Band
  
• “Better Things” by The Kinks
• “Don’t Forget to Dance” by The Kinks
• “Laugh and Be Happy” by Randy Newman

Every man who possibly can should force himself to a holiday of a full month in a year, whether he feels like taking it or not.
William James (1842–1910), psychologist

The time is flying by. I still have another week, but it seems as though it will be here just as I settle into a routine. Finished two books (I’m a slow reader) “Out Stealing Horses” by Per Petterson and “Bangkok Haunt” by John Burdett, both were enjoyable.

Saw Bob Dylan in concert. Visited brother, sister-in-law and nephew in Tucson, enjoyed the summer storms. However, I have been out misanthroped by my nephew. He is beyond misanthropic. A misanthrope at least has some passion, even if it is a dislike of people. My nephew is so cool that his personality is frozen, but over time he thaws out to the lovable tot I once knew. Before I left, I gave him a number of burned CDs; I’ll have to ask his father if he liked them.

We picked up Nephew on the way to the concert, he came down the stairs from his new apartment and I sat in the back sit waving to him I finally get a slight head nod. I gave him grief about that for two days. At the concert, he and I were saving a table, when a mother and daughter were sharing their excitement about the upcoming concert. They turned to nephew and asked what his favorite Dylan songs were. “I don’t know,” he said, conversation over.

I asked him after they left if he had any Dylan CDs. “Oh yeah,” he told me, “I’ve down loaded all of them.”

“Do you have a favorite?”

“I like ‘It’s alright, Ma’ (I’m Only Bleeding.)’”

“Why didn’t you tell the mom and daughter that?”

“I don’t like chitchat.”

During the concert, I was bopping around in my sit to the music (daughter and I would have been up dancing), nephew sat there not even tapping his foot. The next day, a very nice couple came over for an evening barbeque and the man said about my nephew, he has cold water running through his veins.

“It’s more like embalming fluid,” I said.

He is a good kid. He recently turned 21, has his business degree, and is working in accounting.

A few days later, I golfed at a private club in Camarillo with On The Mark. What a luxury to play a fabulous course with no one behind us, no keeping score except to track birds, bogeys, and double bogeys. On The Mark, sunk at least a 40-foot putt for a bird, a very nice shot.

Vacation is wonderful!!