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Monday, March 30, 2015

Of Note: “If Your Let Me Go” by Salt Ashes


Of Note: “If Your Let Me Go” by Salt Ashes

What a name!  Of course it’s not her original – that would be Veiga Sanchez - but I do like it.  And that sound!  If Kate Bush and Pat Benatar had a baby girl it would be Salt Ashes, who mixes in the sounds  of all sorts of synth giants from the past, like Depeche Mode and Men Without Hats.  She hails from Brighton, UK, came on the scene in 2011, and is currently making her way up the Dance Club Play chart in the states with the evocative, sensual, arty “If You Let Me Go”.


Her voice is all a shimmer on this one; her upper range striking helium-induced status. 

I love it, of course, so do forgive me if I gush.  That damning, loping, deep pulse, those pouty, ethereal, treated vocals.  I’m now super-charged to discover what else she’s put out into the universe: “Edge of the Heart” (hard to find, I hear), “Little Dove” and “Somebody”. 


So excited!  

Where Salt Ashes is concerned, all I can say is… more, please.







Friday, March 27, 2015

Re-Post - My Valentine: 2010

Another re-post about my Dad, who passed away last week.  Many thanks for all your kind words.  Things here at Wonderland Burlesque will resume as normal, soon.  

Until then - enjoy.

My Valentine: 2010


On Valentine’s Day, I met my folks for breakfast at our usual Sunday spot. Near the end of the meal my Mom asked me if I would mind taking Dad off her hands for a few hours while she ran some errands. I said, sure, no problem. I didn’t really have anything planned for the day, other than spending time with my dogs, so a few hours with my Dad wouldn’t be displacing any activity of value.

My dad is 75 years old and has Alzheimer’s. He’s a shadow of his former self; and something of a stranger to me now. I know that I’m a stranger to him. He frequently has no idea who I am. My Mom fairs a bit better on the recognition front, though on occasion he tells me she is “just that nice lady that takes care of me”. It breaks her heart to hear it. This disease has a tendency to do that – break hearts.

Though a handful at times - my Dad is fairly easy to manage. It’s important that he remain in somewhat familiar surroundings. We have to make sure that when eating there is not too much noise and that the table is cleared of extraneous items. Clutter, along with patterns on the table cloth or place mat or more than three items of food on his plate can cause him to become distracted. He fails to comprehend that the patterns are part of the cloth. He thinks he can physically pick them up, and would spend hours trying to do so if we did not intercede. Too many food choices cause him to freeze up; unable to decide what to eat first; he would end up eating nothing. There was a time when television held his attention – especially Westerns. But now the only thing he seems to enjoy is Tom and Jerry cartoons. Coloring was also a favorite activity, but that has gone by the wayside as well, though he still likes collecting and arranging the crayons.

In fact, collecting things seems to be one of his favorite activities, especially at stores and other people’s houses. He’s become a bit of a shoplifter, so when we do venture into a store with him we have to be on guard constantly. That’s why I suggest that we go to the Dollar Store. It’s one of the safest places to take him. He can choose anything he wants and it only cost a buck. “Dollar Store?” he echoes back, like a wizened owl. “We can buy candy there.” I explain. That registers. His sweet tooth is always an active presence, a promise to satisfy it a great motivator. I also have an ulterior motive: it’s Valentine’s Day and this will give him an opportunity to pick out a card for my Mom along with some snacks.

After having spent a good two hours at the restaurant (it takes my Dad a long time to eat these days – even with us cutting up his food for him), we make our way to my car. The snow banks are quite high and there is no way for me to safely guide my Dad to the passenger side of the vehicle, so I place him in the backseat. “You can pretend you’re taking a Taxi.” No response. He dutifully sits where I tell him. On the way to the store I talk to him over my shoulder. He wants to know where we’re going. He is also worried about where “Mom” is. I do my best to ease his mind. These are questions and answers that will be repeated many times during the few hours.

We arrive at that store and the little kid in my Dad kicks in. This is reminiscent of the first time I noticed that there was something ‘wrong’ with my Dad. We were at a Walgreens. It was during the horrible winter of 1996 – my first since returning to Minnesota from California. That winter, trips to Walgreens became something I did with my parents. As we waited for prescriptions to be filled, we would each take a flyer from the front of the store and search the store’s aisles for coupon items. I remember that my Dad had this weird, uncharacteristic excitement in his voice as we shopped and that he kept moving along aside me, standing far too close for my comfort. It was like shopping with an awkward adolescent whose social skills are not fully developed. I kept looking at him with disbelief, my dismay not registering at all.

Several years later, when the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s was handed down, my mind crept back to that time, along with a litany of other odd occurrences: minor car accidents, an inability to follow even a short list of spoken directions, etc., and it began to make sense Though a whole year would pass before I began to accept the diagnosis as correct and know that my Dad wasn’t just pulling the wool over our eyes. By that time his behavior had simply become too inexplicable for it to be anything else. For example, he would put on layers and layers and layers of clothing before going for a walk outside on the hottest days of summer. It was his version of running away from home, I guess. On time he went missing and ended up at the woman’s prison in Shakopee. A guard there was kind enough to call the police, who escorted him home. The police, having been notified earlier by my Mom, escorted him home. My Mom said that he arrived home acting as if a police escort was a totally normal occurrence, just another day in the neighborhood.

Such incidents are the reason that when the house across the street from me came up for sale in 2008 I decided it was the perfect home for my parents. It took some convincing, but finally my Mom agreed. My Dad was becoming too much for her to look after by herself. She realized she needed help. I spent the latter half of that winter and most of the spring rehabbing it with the help of others. We spent the summer emptying my parents’ house in Shakopee. Years and years of ‘collecting’ made it a pretty overwhelming task. It was a very emotional time for my Mom, having to let go of so much, but she managed admirably. The move went pretty smoothly, though for many months after my Dad would ask anyone within earshot when was it he got to go home. He would also talk about a house up north he owned and a farm he needed to get to. My parent’s did have a cabin on a lake at the time, but the farm he was speaking of was that of his childhood. It no longer existed, hadn’t for years – except in memory and in his mind.

I do my best to spend time with my parents. Yes, I have siblings, but they many live too far away to be a weekly presence in my parents’ lives. Two of my sisters manage to visit once a month and an older brother manages to so once a year. My other sister is too involved in her own trials and has no interest in being involved. She has not seen my parents for three and a half years. If she showed up today my Dad wouldn’t have any idea who she is. It’s a strange turn of events. For years and years I was the black sheep of the family; funny how things change. Now, my folks come over to my house for dinner at least once a week. When it comes time to leave, my Dad will head out my front gate looking for his car, though he hasn’t driven for years. He still doesn’t get that he lives across the street. We don’t push it, except to reassure him.

We have to watch him constantly. Shortly after moving into their new house, with its fenced in yard and locked gates, my Dad got out via the garage door. My Mom called me, frantic, as she and a friend of mine searched the neighborhood. A half hour later, my Mom received a phone call from their new next door neighbor. He had discovered my Dad sitting at his kitchen table. My Dad had walked in, hung up his cap and coat and sat down. When the neighbor asked what he was doing, my Dad just replied, “Waiting.” We’re more careful now. He has a key to the house, but that is all. He had to give up his driving privileges a few years back and he has never had keys to the garage or the locked gates. Sometimes I look across the street and catch him standing at the front gate fishing through his pockets for keys and, not finding any that fit, taking the lock and yanking on it furiously. He hates those locks.

But he loves the Dollar Store. And riding in the car – which I decide will be our next activity, after he chooses a card.

I steer him over to a rack of Valentine’s Day cards, explaining who it is he needs to get a card for. I pick up a card and he says, “Yep, that one.” Fortunately it’s a very nice card with a verse about thanking the loved one for all the things they do for them. “Okay, let’s find some candy to go with it.” This eats up the next half hour, as the merits of various snack cakes, candies and chips are considered and debated. In the end he chooses 14 different items, though I suspect very few of them will be of interest to my Mom. We pay for our purchases and leave the store, but not before Dad begins to pick up loose price tags and other debris that litters the sales floor. He views such items as found treasures and it frequently takes a good deal to convince him otherwise. So usually we just let him put the stuff in his shirt pockets where it will reside until bedtime when my Mom undresses him and removes the items – tissues, napkins, pencils, pens, paper clips, price tags, ketchup and sugar packets and the like. I’ve told my Mom that she should start a website called “_________’s Pockets”, featuring a digital photo of the things she finds in his pockets on a nightly basis. Due to his proclivity for collecting things, I have to watch him closely when he comes to my house. I have a small collection of Buddhas and another of small glass frogs. Many times my Mom will call me once they are home to let me know that one or several of the items in these collections has made its way across the street. We also have to be careful with dog treats. Several times I’ve caught my Dad nonchalantly munching on something that wasn’t intended for human consumption. Sometimes I catch him in time, but you can’t win them all.

In the car, after we’ve paid for our stuff, I try to get my Dad to actually sign the card. Easier said then done. He still recognizes words, but he rarely makes sense of them or relates them to their meaning. Even his own name is a stranger to him now. I have to slowly spell it out, letter by letter. He still writes cursively, but none of the letters connect, each one suspended at a different angle as they float haphazardly near the bottom of the card. I write my Mom’s name at the top of the card and on the outside of the envelope and call it a day. I do this, not because I think she’ll believe for a second that he did it on his own, but because it will brighten her day just a bit. I also know that when she asks if he picked out the card himself, I will lie and say “yes”. In a way he did. And such a tiny white lie isn’t going to hurt anyone. My Mom deserves a valentine from her husband.

Having taken care of our shopping, we make our way along Wirth Parkway. Ejecting the dance music CD that has been playing in my car all week, I opt for NPR and some nice relaxing classical sounds. It’s not my Dad’s taste in music (he prefers classic country), but he doesn’t complain. It makes for a rather poignant soundtrack. It’s a beautiful, sunny day with lots of people out cross country skiing, tubing and such. I point out the people, dogs and the lakes as we move slowly along the winding road, but Dad seems interested only in his hands which lie lifelessly in his lap. For some reason this moves me; he seems so small, so shrunken in that passenger seat. All I want to do is make him feel safe. With my right hand I cover both of his in a gesture of comfort. It’s a tender moment. And not one that I think I would ever had with my Dad, if it were not for his condition; small consolation, but consolation none the less. True in more ways than one.

For now, all we can do is take things a day at a time. I try not to look too far into the future. Neither does my Mom. We’ve both done the research; we know what’s to come. For now, trips to the Dollar Store, rides in the car, meals out – they’re all still possible, so we take advantage of them. These small events link us back to life as it once was, before the heavy shadow of Alzheimer’s overtook the light in my father’s eyes.

He’s a good man; worked hard all his life. Provided the best he could. We will make what remains as comfortable for him for as long as we are able. I worry about my Mom: caring for one so dependent is a daunting task, but she claims she’s coping. That’s why I’m here: to offer a little relief from time to time.

After another 40 minutes have passed I steer the car toward home. “Ready to go home?” I ask. “Home?” he echoes, the word not having any connotation.

Yes, home. That safe place. Who knows? Maybe Tom and Jerry’s on.


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Waving 'Good-bye'...

My Dad passed away last week.  

I took off work the week before he passed, and then took the week after, as well.   

I will miss him. His laughter (he laughed like Popeye), and his abundant kindness.

He loved me. 

I'm glad I was there for him.  And I have no regrets.


--- ---

I might post something later in the week.  Until then, here is a re-post, to tide you over. 



Waving 'Hello', Waving 'Good-bye'...

My dad is back in hospice.

This will be the third time.

His Alzheimer’s has progressed to the point where his brain has stopped sending signals to various parts of his body.  He now spends entire days in a kind of infant-like sleep where we are barely able to keep him awake long enough to eat a little something.

My mom has been his primary care-giver for the past five years, with a lot of help from me and my ex.  In the past year, she finally agreed to contract people to come in and bathe him.  And a year ago, a hospital bed was purchased and placed in the living room.  This bed, his wheelchair, and his assisted lift chair are where he spends the bulk of his current existence.

The nurse in charge has made it clear to my mom that there will soon come a day when my dad will be confined to his bed and eating will no longer be a priority.  The hospice staff is there to make sure he is comfortable and pain-free.

I visit once a day and stay for at least an hour and a half.  Typically, when I arrive and give him a hug, my dad will wake long enough to stare at me blankly before drifting off once more.  Then I make myself a cup of coffee and visit with my mom, checking to see if she needs anything. I check the house to make sure things are being maintained.  I mow the lawn.  But the purpose of my visits is primarily to break up the monotony of my mom’s day. 

Caregiving is difficult.  In this case, it is relentless and it is exhausting. 

Sometimes, my ex will visit at the same time.  He’s a talker, so he keeps my mom thoroughly entertained.   Frequently, the animated conversations will jar my dad awake.  I’m always on the lookout for these moments.

I will wave and talk to him, doing my best to elicit a smile or some kind of reaction.

Yesterday, during such a moment, it occurred to me that these days…

…I don’t know if I’m waving ‘hello’, or waving ‘good-bye’.

I want him to know I’m there.

Even though it’s hard for me.  Even though it’s emotionally exhausting.  Even though it pains me to see him fade away.

I want to be there.  And I know I need to be there…

…waving ‘hello’…

…and waving ‘good-bye’.



Friday, March 06, 2015

Friday Fun: Strapped and Trapped


Friday Fun: Strapped and Trapped

One can’t help but stare.

It’s the way the straps frame his sweet ass.  Pretty as a picture.

But then he turns around to reveal that magnificent rounded pouch and you…

…are completely blown away.

Your mouth literally waters. 

It’s so perfect.  Like a delicious peach.  It’s all you can do not to reach out and give it a squeeze.

But you can’t.

You’re at the gym.

And you don’t even know this man.

Yet.

But you know how to change that.

You stand still.  Waiting. 

Finally, he senses you and his eyes meet yours.

And that closes the deal.

Yep… this dude?

He’s strapped and trapped.

--- ---

Wishing you a great weekend

from uptonking at Wonderland Burlesque











  
  




















Wednesday, March 04, 2015

Of Note: A Couple of Head Scratchers


Of Note: 
A Couple of Head Scratchers

Every once in a while a pop song will come along that immediately captures my attention, making it a must have.  The hook is undeniable, or the vocals dead on, or the production shines and is of its time – something about it makes me jump on board like a circuit boy at a gay pride parade. 

That’s why, when said single fails to catch fire, is ignored by radio and lacks significant sales – it leaves me wondering WTF?  It also has me questioning my taste in music. 

Such is the case with today’s selection of singles that failed to break big.


Sledgehammer
Fifth Harmony

I was rather lukewarm about Fifth Harmony’s first single, ‘BO$$’ and sort of wrote them off as yet another reality show girl group with little staying power.  However, my assessment has since changed, solely based on the outrageous pop chops on display in ‘Sledgehammer’. 

The first time I heard this song, it was blasting from the radio as I was scraping snow off my car.  Oddly enough, it was the lyrics that caught my attention.  It sounded like something from 1994.  Yes, I came for the lyrics, but I stayed for the production and performance. It has wiggled its way into my brain, where it has stayed for several months.  I love this song.  So why did it only peak for a single week at #40 on Billboard’s Hot 100?  It should have been massive.


Stuck On A Feeling
Prince Royce feat. Snoop Dogg

Prince (the purple one) / Marvin Gaye retreads have been hitting the pop charts a lot lately.  So, if Robin Thicke can score with ‘Blurred Lines’, and Jason Derulo can hit with ‘Talk Dirty’, then why has there been no love for Prince Royce’s ‘Stuck On A Feeling’.  A song that has the same subtle rhythmic pulse that made Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me A River’ break huge?  Not even the presence of Snoop Dogg can make me turn away – I like the song so much, I actually find his rap rather charming. 

So what is it?  Played out?  Too much of an undercurrent?  What?


Dangerous
David Guetta feat. Sam Martin

Not a fan of Guetta.  Typically, I find his lyrics horribly forced and simplistic, his production rather rote and lacking personality.  That is NOT true of ‘Dangerous’ – a true pop gem that sparkles and pops with an urgency that I find super stimulating.  Yet, while spending weeks in the lower half of the Hot 100 and getting a bit of airplay, it has yet to crack the Top 40 – a situation that has me scratching my head. 

Is it me?


Burnin’ Up
Jessie J feat. 2 Chainz

If ‘Bang Bang’ worked for pop radio, then why not Jessie J’s follow-up, ‘Burnin’ Up’?  This track sizzles.  In my head, I keep picturing the pedal step that propels her across the stage during the breathy little breaks.  Super sexy.  And she is.

So what gives?  This is an artist that deserves to break much bigger than she has, yet Jessie solo can’t seem to catch a break. 

Well, there they are, in all their slick, gleaming potential.  So, please leave a comment if you agree or disagree.  Is it me?  Am I out of step with the times?  I find each of these songs exhilarating – not original, by any means, but a whole lot of fun.

So, what gives?