Time for a summer playlist

[dave]

You're right, Kit. I don't know how we forgot that one. I chose the following version because all of the musicians in suits is more nostalgic than Troy and Sandra. To my thinking. Remember when people dressed up?

[dave]

I often wondered who Percy Faith was, so I went to Wiki. He was Canadian and you can read up on him at:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Faith

Here's another one of my favorites by his orchestra. It's not a summer song, but has a beautiful melody. The Song from Moulin Rouge.

[clarencebunsen]

While listening to a bunch of oldies stations from NY to Chicago today, I realized that I hadn't included anything by the group I always considered synonymous with summer music.

[clarencebunsen]

Well, Dave, it looks as if we chose the same version.

[dave]

We're just a couple of wild and crazy, button-down, narrow-tie, 15 pound wing tips kind of guys.

[clarencebunsen]

Wing tips & cargo shorts, that's me.

[dave]

The Things We Did Last Summer. I probably should have chosen the Letterman's recording, but I can never resist Miss Nancy. Especially when she brings along George Shearing.

[kit]

Here's another summertime image many of us remember...

Short, 70 year old man.
A beach in Florida.
Floppy wide-brim hat.
Tropical short-sleeve shirt.
Bermuda shorts.
Black dress shoes with knee-high black socks.

(Oh, and a lawn chair and transistor radio)

[dave]

"Short, 70 year old man. A beach in Florida. Floppy wide-brim hat. Tropical short-sleeve shirt. Bermuda shorts. Black dress shoes with knee-high black socks. (Oh, and a lawn chair and transistor radio)"

... as close as I got with a quick search.

[Clipper]

This isn't the fashion any more? Just the other day I saw an elderly gentleman with a freshly starched, short sleeve white dress shirt, green plaid bermudas, forest green knee socks, and oxblood penny loafers, and I was thinking he looked pretty "spiffy." LOL

Hmm. Come to think of it, I used to dress somewhat similar in summer. I would wear a plaid madras shirt instead of the white dress shirt, and would not wear any socks with my penny loafers or low cut tennis shoes. I had a transistor radio back in that was the size of a large lunch box, it was powered by 6 of the D cell batteries, and I used to have to carry six more of the old Rayovac batteries if I wanted to use the radio for more than an hour or two. Beer can beach at Hinckley Lake, radio tuned to WTLB, stretched out on a big towel looking cool in my boxer style trunks and a pair of shades. If I ventured into the lake, the hair cream in my duck's ass haircut most likely left an oil slick. Now? No old man lounging on the beach act for me. As I aged, I got so I don't care for the hot sun or extreme heat. We WALK on the beach, and maybe take a quick dip, but with the skin cancer thing, we don't linger there for long.

Do you frequent the beach much Dave? I envy your proximity to the ocean. I would be enjoying early morning or evening walks on the beach, more than I would be into laying in the sun, baking like a biscuit. I could REALLY get hooked on surf fishing in the evenings.

[dave]

I make it a habit to go sit on the beach at least once each week, sometimes twice. I promised myself I'd get to the beach 4 or 5 times each week when I first came down here, but you know how that goes. Life and/or lethargy take over.

I don't tan, as you may remember, so I go early in the morning, 7 or so, and in the evening about an hour before sundown. I could go when the sun is higher and take an umbrella as my wife sometimes does, but I'm too lazy. Carrying the fold-up beach chair is enough, I figure.
Except for the pretty girls, I prefer the beach unpopulated. Well ... not completely so, but certainly not crowded.

www.windsweptpress.com/golden.pdf
www.windsweptpress.com/golden.doc

One of my favorite times is just before full sun-up in February. A couple of guys and myself get coffee and often meet and sit for a while on the shore and then go for breakfast. I wear a polo shirt, two pairs sweat pants, sweat shirt, 2 felt jackets and a down coat. Plus a watch cap. They wear somewhat less, but are always cold.

I do not understand why they don't take my advice and observe the old astronomer's axiom of dressing for 20 degrees colder temps when you're just standing or sitting around. I sit there warm and toasty while they sit there shivering and making comments about me dressed up like an Eskimo. One guy described me as a coat tree at an office Christmas party. But his teeth were chattering when he said it.

Early mornings in February here can be in the 40's. Just this year I started thinking of myself as old enough to give it up when it occasionally gets into the thirties overnight. I don't need to catch pneumonia.

[clarencebunsen]

I have not previously run across that astronomers' axiom but it makes sense. It's a relief to have reached a stage which allows me to normally dress for comfort rather than to impress, attract or meet someone's expectations. My kids accept that I can be a public embarrassment and I can usually live up to (or down to?) achieving that.

Of course later today I'll be wearing a tux to a meeting. I'll pretend that's my normal weekend attire.

[dave]

Or you could wear a T-shirt that says, "My Tux Is At The Cleaners."
You wouldn't have to be this dramatic.

[clarencebunsen]

Why is it that a clip from the Blues Brothers (or Cheech & Chong) still bring a smile or a chuckle after so many years and repetitions while other things which seemed funny at the time now fall flat? Humor is hard to analyze.

At our meeting one of my friends commented that he had to leave promptly and go straight to a graduation party and had shorts and a casual shirt to change into. He then realized he would have to wear them with dress shoes and black socks.