Bugs, Beach & Bob's Big Boy

AH, THE SWEET reminiscent sound of my neighbor's teenage son's 1970's Volkswagen Bug rolling in at 2 am to bring back memories of my own sweet years as a curfew push'n girl. It is fantastic how a simple sound, smell or sight can immediately transport you back to a time remembered. The sound of the VW Bug takes me back to happy times of careless (but never reckless) abandon of a teenager. The smell of the beach takes me back to memories of bonfires, boogie boarding, football in the sand, first kisses, last kisses, barefoot walks along the water with rolled up Sergio Valente's, Hawaiian Tropic Suntan Oil - I sometimes now put it on my hands just to carry the smell with me throughout the day! As for a sight, I recall my last visit back to my hometown & seeing a Bob's Big Boy sticker & wow the memories that came rushing back. I was the oldest of six kids & on a modest middle-class income, our family rarely went out to eat at a restaurant. When we did, we knew it was a real treat & it was always to Bob's Big Boy. It had these really cool stainless steel tall ice cream cups & long ice cream spoons. I can still taste that chocolate milkshake today & hear that metal clanking down to the last spoonful. I can remember the restaurant layout...brown pleather waiting area benches & backless swivel counter stools, in front a super cool glass case which had super cool Bob's Big Boy comic books -fun times! I love that a simple sound, smell or sight can bring back such a rush of emotion. The smell of lavender makes me think of my son & his nightly baby baths followed by lavender baby lotion. The sound of "California Girls" makes me think of family roadtrips singing along with my dad to Beach Boys Greatest Hits. The sight of Chapstick "original" in the black tube brings back special memories of my grandpa (passed) who always had one in his pocket.  I can smell that distinct "original" smell even now! I hope my senses are always acute enough to be able to take a trip back in time every now & then.

Share with me what sounds, smells, sights transport you back to a favorite memory.

Pictured: 1970 Volkswagen Bug

Please Don't Stop the Music, Music Music...

I CAN'T GET the Rihanna song "Don't Stop the Music" out of my head & I don't even mind it being stuck there! Music simply is my soul's fuel. I cannot even imagine a day without music & frankly, my iPod changed my life by making it easier to get a "fill-up". I am grateful every day that I have a lifestyle that afforded me the opportunity to purchase an iPod (pricey at $300) & subsequently an iPhone (pricier still at $400) & both worth EVERY hard-earned cent! Not only do they provide great portability of a mass of tunes in a tiny pocket-sized wonder, a mini jukebox really, but they have taken accessibility to a whole new level. I was thrilled when in 1992 I was able to upgrade from a single CD stereo player to a 5 CD disc changer stereo. I thought, wow! Amazing! I will listen to so much more music now with the 5 CD option. Honestly, I rarely changed those 5 CD's & so there on the shelves sat 300 CD albums wanting desperately to be heard. When I purchased my iPod, I immediately downloaded all of my CD's (spent all Christmas vacation doing so) & then put the CD's away in sleeved binders for posterity - maybe they will be a collector's item someday. I now listen on my iPod through a growing list of over 7,000 songs, both ripped from my old CD's & newly acquired through iTunes & Amazon.com & this never would have been feasible on a CD player. I bow down to Apple (no, I'm not a Microsoft hater, but come on - Apple deserves props) for elevating music enjoyment to what could only have been imagined on an episode of the Jetsons 30 years ago. iPod, you sing me to sleep.  You're my alarm clock when time to wake.  You make my dreaded daily bus commute bearable & even now, at this very moment as I blog, you are in the background energizing me. You are ageless. You are a common language between me & my 16 year old stepson (we swap favs with each other) as well as my 7 year old son who is as obsessed with music as his mom. Forever a fan.

"I wanna take you away. Let's escape into
the music. DJ let it play. I just can't refuse it.
Like the way you do this. Keep on rockin' to it.
Please don't stop the, please don't stop the music".