The Return and One More Holiday Music Entry

We made it!

Only to be caught in yet another round of the same. Groundhog Day is a movie that I have seen a handful of times. It's the usual Bill Murray fare, where he plays most of the movie as a narcissistic madcap and the other actors just try to keep up. 

Instead of waking up every morning to "I got you babe" though we are waking up to the same government stern warnings, sometimes with the finger waggles, sometimes with stern eyebrows. Still plying the do as I say, not as I do message. Those who aren't vaccinated still aren't vaccinated, those who won't wear masks still won't. The only difference now is it seems that we are all sharing the same facing the same levels of depression and despair. 

I traveled over Christmas to a place that has approached this pandemic in a very different way.  For the most part, people don't wear masks, or socially distance, or avoid gathering in large groups. They have picked up and just gotten on with it. To be honest, they have some of the worst numbers in their country but no one pays attention to the numbers and they are left to their own devices to figure out a way through. We wore masks everywhere, and for the most part, were left alone, most people didn't care. We went to stores when they weren't busy and would avoid going into tight spaces when there were other people there. We hand sanitized a lot and washed our hands frequently. 

Their leader was also missing while we were there, so it was refreshing to see that we aren't the only place with a leader who shows up when it is convenient. One thing they do that we need to get to is the availability of testing. I was able to purchase rapid tests easily and the PCR test we needed to get home was free and easy to access, it was even drive-through! 

It doesn't seem like we are going to get to the other side of this anytime soon, and at some point, we all need to get back to living our lives. I am not saying that we should throw all the rules by the wayside and live in a way that makes us uncomfortable. I am saying though that we can't live under a rock forever, and soon we will all be like Brooks in The Shawshank Redemption. 

Ultimately though it is up to you to live your life in a way that you can live with. And as the Merry-go-round continues, I am willing to venture further while still staying safe. I hope you are, too. 

I have also decided that I liked writing about music, so I guess until I get bored of it, I am going to pick a song every day and talk about it. Because I fell off the face of the earth over the break I didn't get a chance to write about what is probably my favourite Christmas time tune. Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby and more importantly, David Bowie. The song was a part of Bing Crosby's 1977 Christmas special. This came at a time when Bowie was trying to (for some reason) appeal more to the masses. He is dressed simply in a collared shirt and blazer. Bing and Bowie make some small talk and launch into song. 

The mash-up before mash-ups were a thing came because Bowie really didn't care for The Little Drummer Boy, so they came up with something else, and the stars had it down in under an hour. While initially shocked by Bowie's appearance (he had shown up in a full-length mink coat, and full makeup) Bing warmed up as he heard Bowie sing. The song would be one of Bing's last performances as he passed after a day of golf not long after. 

If you'd like, you can watch the video here: Bing and Bowie