HD is a creature of habit

Well, don't say I didn't warn you. Its been really tough to get back to writing this blog just as much as I thought it would be. As I mentioned in that post, HD is a disease that causes some of us to become creatures of habits, both old and new.

Baby David is now waking up in the middle of the night. He's generally still a content child. With me as his father, I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked!

Casablanca's Gambling Scene

All joking aside, I never thought I'd feel the way I do toward my own child. As I've written about many times I never expected to have my own biological child. After seeing what HD did to my mother I couldn't bring a child into this world that ran a risk of getting this terrible disease.  It was only during the testing process when Jane brought it out that there is technology now so that our child will not suffer from the illness that will take his father that I even considered it. Even then, I thought Jane would be the one and only caregiver.  I never expected to attach to our baby as terrible as that sounds. I just didn't see it happening. 

This next song describes how I thought Jane and David would think.

Helen Reddy-"You and Me Against the World (Lou Rawls Show)

Not that I didn't think I'd be attached to David, just not even close to this extent.

Me attached to my biological child? Concerned how seeing HD effect his father? No, not Paul Ware. That must be another man.

Joni Mitchell-"The Circle Game (Live 1967) 

Can you tell by my choices in music today that my sister's positive test result is still on my mind? She loves late 60's and early 70's music even though she's my baby sister. God, its even hard to write what you tested positive for Sis. I'm sorry you tested positive for Huntington's. I know you want me to be able to say it. I just did. 

So for you, one of your favourite artists singing a song that is about as non-HD as you can get. 

I love you.

Gordon Lightfoot live on the American tely show Midnight Special  -"Sundown (1974)"

Back to David, that's not to say I thought I'd be a lousy Cat's the Cradle type of Dad, just that never saw myself wanting to cradle him, him, feed him, and hold him on my chest much less feel lousy I can't change him.

Harry Chapin-"Cat's in The Cradle"

I saw on Twitter on Tuesday on October 23rd that Depeche Mode will be having a press conference. Most likely this is what the band referred to earlier this year. That's basically the announcement of their tour. 

I only hope they will be playing the Santa Barbara County Bowl again. Since I've given up driving for the most part, concerts out of town are a real pain in the butt. Also the last time I saw them a special thing happened that is just so County Bowl (for those that don't know, its a small, non-arena venue. They play here because Martin Gore lives in town).

Depeche Mode-"Walking in My Shoes turned into Enjoy the Silence"

At least they can laugh at themselves, which is more than I can say for Jane. This was the one and only concert of theirs she's gone to. Thankfully, I have a friend that will drive me down and another to meet us  if its out of town. I don't see him as often as I'd like lately, but he'll be coming up if they play the bowl as well so I'd rather have the intimate atmosphere.

Recently I had the chance to see Elvis Costello in concert. He played for over two and a half hours here without a break. I've always really liked his 80s music, Veronica was just the topping on the cake.

Elvis Costello - "Veronica" 

 For some random reason I've found myself listening to a lot of Queen lately and thinking of Trish Dainton and her husband Steve. They were giant Queen fans. She lost him a bit over a year ago to Huntington's Disease. She also is a poet and wrote a wonderful book on HD Curse in Verse and Much More Worse. (Yes Trish, I'm still pushing your book, its that good).

So when I came across this wonderful video of Queen interpreted in American Sign Language (the translation is here at the link) Trish was the first person I thought of.

Queen-"Bohemian Rhapsody" (Stephen Moore in ASL)

 On that note, its time to close up.

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An Experiment, Disneyland Ghosts, White Lipps and a real live pier!

I'm going to be starting an experiment this week. Actually, I will be starting now. My post last night from Trish's book gave me the idea. I'm going to start scoring my moods before and after listening to music. For example, my mood was a four when I first woke up. Less then ten minutes later it jumped to a six and a half simply by listening to some Bee Gees, even before I washed my face.

This probably doesn't seem much to you, but when I'm not even able to get enjoyment out of reading a book I know there's a problem. As you might remember, I used to work in a library. I love books. Outside of Trish's book, I've almost completely stopped reading. There is no pay-off. Outside of sport scores, I don't pick up a newspaper.

 Martin Rushent's  production of Pete Shelley's catchy tune "Homosapien"

Sh*t  She's white! 

I saw this incarnation of the Dapper Dans at Disneyland several times.

 It was worth the money simply to hear them sing in harmony.

A real talent rarely heard these days. My opinion - If you're local get an annual passport so you can leave Disney's California Adventure park when you get bored. If you aren't from the area, buy the multi-day pass and spend all the time in Disneyland Park Proper unless you like thrill rides. Stay at the nearby Super 8 and take the money saved on your hotel to spend an additional day at the park. I've never had problems with loud guests there and its about fifty dollar plus tax.

I read at the time this song was influenced by Primal Scream Therapy. All I know is when I want to shout in anger this video goes to the top of the pile:

along with this one...

influenced by Carl Jung's theory of "Synchronicity"

"Sometimes we'd just sit there and she wouldn't say anything and I wouldn't say anything and you could try to work out what was going on in her head but I think its something we don't understand. Not yet, anyway."

The wonderful thing in this video is its not afraid to tackle the issue of of family and patient head on. Its shown as a good thing, not a relationship to run away from. I had the chance to run this by Penny W's daughter @meekodev this morning. Her mother was a first Generation Huntington's Disease patient (genetic mutation) so they missed the diagnosis until the very end.  Penny, like her daughter, had worked in a library for many years (That's where I met Meeks in fact). Anyway I asked her if I was the only one seeing this video as a positive message and she actually agreed with me. She told me it captured their relationship the last few months when her Mum reverted to the delusion her good friend and roommate was her own dead mother, Meeks grandmother. 

In the end we both agreed this video should get wider release as an educational tool for families to show them how important these memories are to both the parents/grandparents/siblings as well as their survivors.

Now that my mind is on Penny, this was the song she sang to her daughter, her daughter played back to her on her last day and it was also sung at her Celebration of Life by an opera singer. She gave it a flavor that could be any relationship whether it be friend, child or lover. That, I'll never forget hearing.

One more for the road, mainly because although I am not a big fan of the song the story behind the video is hilarious and I need hilarious. 

This is The Human League in 1984 on Dick Clark's show here in the States. As you'll see he had the late Laura Branigan introduce THL. The reasons I find this video so utterly funny is

• Branigan mentions this is their first appearance on American Television . Notice that not a word was said about any past bookings. That's because they literally walked off the Soul Train set two years before. Their manager Bob Fast had said they didn't need or want dancers as they had "the girls" but he wasn't heeded. Since they always do live rehearsals they noticed the dancers on the floor immediately. 
• Jo Anne's Sunglasses (stage right)
• The wind is blowing their voice back in their faces. Oops. 
• They are dancing on a piece of wood. Don't ask me why I find its funny but I do.
• Phil's perm
• The clothes are too small. Its more obvious in one of the other songs where the lead singer is wearing a girl's one quarter length armed t-shirt. Also in the other video his sunglasses keep falling down. It was another post on YouTube asking to see this piece of "history" that alerted me to it in fact.

I swear, You can't get this from Central Casting. I just hope they didn't market this to the Clark show as California Hip.

I've been to this area on a number of occasions. I'd love to know the bill for Clark's security, and I'm not talking about protecting the band but their equipment if you get my drift.

Okay, waking up the other side of the room with my laughter so I really need to finish this up!

I'd say this experiment worked today, don't you? Mood = 7.5/10

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