Hello Winter.

April 13, 2022

Here we are in third winter.

And we made the mistake of taking the winter tires off of the car last week, during fool's spring. So I guess this one can be blamed on us, we really should have known better.

I have lived in this city for most of my life and somehow I am still not prepared for the weather curveballs that get thrown at us. I have looked up why we get our share of uneven weather, and it would seem like living this close to mountains might have a lot to do with the swings that we get.

Which also leads to the migraines that a lot of us suffer from. I usually get mine as the pressure is changing right before the weather does. Sometimes it is immense pressure in my sinuses that make my eyes feel like they are going to pop out of my skull. Then there is the ever-popular ice pick through the top of my head. Sometimes they come with a black spot in one eye, other times lights have super trippy jagged rainbow-colored auras, other times it's all of the above.

What I am trying to say is that they are a gosh-darned treat.

There are great things about our proximity to the mountains though. We get chinooks, where the snow melts (and they bring spectacular winds and migraines). It warms us up for a bit and gives us the hope that winter isn't going to last forever. Skiing is nearby, as is camping near the mountain lakes and rivers. Plus, they just look really good.

It has taken me a while to get to the point of just being prepared for any weather that comes my way, and since I really have no control over what comes our way, I try not to whine about it too much.

The only thing that really gets to me is when I have to put my real shoe toe prisons back on after finally getting back into my Birkenstocks. And long pants, my legs want to breathe.

This year's winter really has its hold on us, it doesn't want to let go. I know it will though. And soon it will be stupid hot. Then I will long for cooler days, as long as I get to keep my Birks.

Music Corner

This choice is a no-brainer considering the above blog. River Deep, Mountain High was first written and performed by Ike and Tina Turner in 1966. The version I have here is almost blasphemous. It's the version from the TV show "Glee". I just like this version more, no judgment, please.

The original was written and produced by Phil Spector (among others). The song itself was inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped Rock N' Roll. It was also inducted into the Grammy hall of fame in 1999.

Spector had seen the Ike and Tina Turner revue and decided that he must work with them. Ike Turner was ok with it, as long as they (The Turner's got the credit for the song). Their record company was not as cool with it and demanded that Phil Spector buy out their contract. He did, and they went on to join his record label.

Due to Spector's perfectionism, it took Tina Turner two different days to record the song, and she later claimed that she had probably sung it "500 000 times" before Spector was satisfied. Brian Wilson was present for the second day and sat transfixed as she recorded it over and over.

Shopping Corner

I, Tina