I Ate It Up and Spit It Out

This is my mom in 1956. I think she was at Machu Pichu in the Andes in South America.

Well, kids. Only one more day to vote. It looks like I'll be doing it at the last minute tomorrow evening. But don't you fret, I haven't missed an election since the first year I could vote in 1984. Not that my vote did all that much good back then, but at least I tried.

Tonight I ran and then went over to my friend James' house to watch the Steelers play on Monday Night Football. My friend K. and her boyfriend showed up with homemade wings and James had some really good apple cider, so it was perfect. It didn't hurt that The Steelers won after a slow start either.

So, tonight I think I'll post that playlist of swank music that I made for my co-worker. The one I talked about last night. It definitely won't be for everyone, but I like a little crooning and early, early, rhythm and blues now and again. Tonight, you need to dress up a little. You know, wear some cufflinks or gloves if you're a woman, and take a seat in the way-back machine.

My mom is way to the right in this photo. She's with some of her friends from art school in the 50's.

1.) "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin. My co-worker said she loved Aretha, so I made sure she was first.

2.) "Fever" - Peggy Lee. I love this song.

3.) "Beyond the Sea" - Bobby Darrin. In the late 90's I worked with this guy who was in his early twenties who loved Bobby Darrin and helped me appreciate his music more.

4.) "Are You Having Any Fun?" - Count Basie and Tony Bennett. The only other Tony Bennett song I really know is "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". I may need to check out more of his music.

5.) "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" - Dean Martin. I've been meaning to write a blog post about The Dean Martin Show, and then forgetting. I'll have to try to get it done in the next week or two.

6.) "My Way" - Frank Sinatra. I have a version of this by Darby Crash of The Germs, but I have an idea my co-worker wouldn't really appreciate it as much as I do.

7.) "I'll be Seeing You" - Billie Holiday.

8.) "Jump, Jive an' Wail" - Louis Prima. I've heard some covers of this song, but this is my favorite version.

9.) "Forty Second Street" - Mel Torme'. I can't think about Mel Torme' anymore without remembering the show Night Court.

10.) "L-O-V-E" - Nat King Cole.

11.) "My Baby Just Cares for Me" - Nina Simone.

12.) "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles. She loves Ray Charles, so I had to get at least one of his songs on here.

13.) "Be-Bop Beguine" - Sammy Davis Jr. When I was a kid, Sammy Davis Jr,'s "Candy Man" was really big. I remember going to school and telling all the Mormon kids that the song was really about drugs and how horrified they were. I'm not sure if it really was, but it was always fun to get a reaction from the Mormon kids.

14.) "One Mint Julep" - Sarah Vaughan. If you haven't heard this one, you should. This song seriously kicks ass.

15.) "Tequila" - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra. When I was in junior high, my uncle had an 8-track player in our Chevy Suburban and about 5 tapes that he would listen to over and over and over and over. One of them was The Best of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Band, which had a version of "Tequila" on it. The others he had were, Elvis Presley's Greatest Hits and John Denver's Windsong, and I can't remember if there were others that I've forgotten. Anyway, it's taken me many years to be able to listen to those songs again.

16.) "La Dolce Vita" - Xaviar Cugat and his Orchestra.

17.) "The Look of Love" - Dusty Springfield and Burt Bacharach. Burt Bacharach is probably the king of cheese. Which means that Coadster loves him and this song.

18.) "Come On-A My House" - Rosemary Clooney. George's aunt.

19.) "The Way You Look Tonight" - Frank Sinatra. I love this song. I never said I wasn't a big cheeseball.

20.) "Heart" - Peggy Lee.

21.) "Kansas City" - Wilbert Harrison. I think the world needs more rock stars named Wilbert.

I'm pretty sure that's just enough cheese for one night. Now, who's job was it to bring the wine?