Sunday, April 9, 2023

Three Beautiful Things 04-08-2023: Bluetooth Blowout, Breakfast Nook and Costco and Bob Dylan, The Lounge and a Cocktail Concert at Home

1. I had myself a satisfying Bluetooth day today. I paired my new cell phone with the sound system in the Camry and now I can listen to podcasts and audiobooks I've downloaded on my phone. At Costco, I bought a pair of Bluetooth earbuds and paired them with my phone and my MacBook Air. Now I can listen to downloaded podcasts and audiobooks when I go for walks. I also paired my phone with our Bose wireless speaker. 

2. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Costco. When I arrived in CdA, I blasted over to the Breakfast Nook, sat at the counter, and enjoyed eggs, hash browns, and an English muffin and enjoyed the Breakfast Nook's casual and unpretentious environment and the superb service of those who waited on me. At Costco, I bought a hunk of salmon for Paul and Carol to either bake in the oven or fix on the grill for our Easter family dinner. In addition, a most helpful Costco employee explained the ins and outs of the Bluetooth earbuds I decided to purchase. 

Both going to Coeur D' Alene and coming back to Kellogg, I listened to Bob Dylan and a host of actors read Dylan's astonishing book, The Philosophy of Modern Song. I've listened to the entire book once already and am enjoying it even more this second time around, relishing Dylan's expansive and encyclopedic verbal riffs on each song and his free wheelin' commentaries, full of sage insights, unvarnished opinions, provocative statements on social matters and music, and hilarious fabrications. Sometimes I think I can tell when Dylan is committed to what he says and other times I have to believe he's being a trickster, for comic effect and to outrage his audience. 

3. Back in Kellogg, I bolted up to The Lounge and met Ed and Darren for some yakkin' and enjoyed a couple margaritas. Before I headed uptown, I decided to sign up for Spotify. A Spotify subscriber created a playlist of all sixty-one songs that Dylan writes about in his book. I decided I wanted those songs on hand, largely because many of the songs Dylan riffs on are ones I've never heard before.

Debbie had dinner this evening with Diane and when she returned home I gave my new Spotify subscription and our wireless Bose speaker a workout. Debbie and I sipped on cocktails and I played songs for us, songs by Stan Rogers, Guy Clark, Sandy Denny, June Tabor, Judy Collins, Richard Thompson,  Paul Simon, Jerry Douglas, Old & In the Way, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, The Highwaymen, Stephen Sondheim, Seldom Scene with Jonathan Edwards, Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, Debbie Diedrich ("The List" is available on Spotify!), TR Kelley, Laura Kemp, Doc Watson, and more.

We hadn't had a cocktail concert in the evening for quite a while and listening to all these songs inspired great conversation, triggered sweet memories, and moved us to marvel at all this profound songwriting and performing. I never knew what I was going to play next and it was a fun evening of surprises, mild euphoria, and emotional satisfaction. 

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