The Future

For many years now, Jeff and I have had numerous conversations about "The Future." The chats are always positive and inspirational, often bordering on the phenomenal. We come up with very dreamy ideas of "what could be" for our little family, get really excited, make grande statements and then resume life, as usual, after the excitement of radical change wears off.

Yet there has been one consistent vision that we have quite diligently stuck to: take a year off with our girls and travel the world while home-schooling them along the way. We started saving for this after reading about a family from our neighbourhood that did something similar several years back. The goal is to leave once Sophia enters grade seven, and Olivia hits grade six. The intent is to drag them around with us before the indifference and profound dislike for their parents sets in (though there are already indications that we might be too late).

Is this insanely ambitious? Yes. Do I really have it in me to teach my daughters integers while in Vietnam? Probably not. But even detached reality checks can't dispel the impulse to try it anyway.

We have divided the year up into quarters, and our first leg will be North America. What a travesty that we really haven't seen our own country, so we intend to buy a used RV, pack our choco-lab Ruthie, and head east. After we cross the country and finish in the Maritimes, we will head south to the eastern US and visit Civil War sites, and most importantly, Mount Rushmore.

I have developed some kind of unhealthy fixation on this monument after seeing "North by NorthWest." I had never paid much attention to the monument before that, and then last August when I took the girls to New York, we were passing through US customs where on the wall was a large mural of those four, giant Presidential faces. To my horror, I could only name three of the Presidents. I kept saying aloud, "Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson...but who is the third?? Hamilton??" The girls didn't know, either. I was completely perplexed by the fact that I couldn't remember.

Once we were settled in our hotel, and on our way to a friend's apartment, I decided to stop in a liquor store and buy some Prosecco to take along. There were two people working in the store, and I said, "Who is on Mount Rushmore? I remember Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson, but for the life of me, I can't remember the fourth President!" They both looked at me and shrugged. They couldn't even hazard a guess. I said, rather smugly, "It's really terrible that you don't know this. You live here! I'm Canadian and I know three of them!" Again the shrug.

But, the very next morning, the girls and I were walking across the street from the liquor store heading to the subway when the door burst open, and out ran one of the guys from the night before. He stops and cups his hands across his mouth and yells, "THEODORE ROOSEVELT!"

Maybe I'll be a good home-schooler after all.

Music to bring in the New Year

Don't worry, I recognize that it's nearly March, but I had to begin this blog with something topical, and I think this list fulfills the goal.

Every year we go to our friend Ella & Mark's place for New Years Day. It begins at 11:00am, and includes different types of pancakes, every version of herring that you can imagine, and a lot of champagne and vodka. The most important part of the day, though, is the "Georgian Toast." Every person comes prepared with a story from the past year, and must conclude with some profound statement that doesn't necessary follow logically from the narrative. You can imagine how this must unfold: if you don't go first, your chances of delivering an articulate version of your story, following eight to ten glasses of straight vodka with some champagne in between, is practically impossible. For instance, last year I just cried and babbled, and fortunately, some others in similar condition joined me.

But this year, I came prepared with the following list. I decided that I wanted to highlight some of the songs that obsessed me throughout 2009. They are not songs only released in 2009, but songs I insisted on playing repeatedly in the car, in my kitchen and whilst drinking too much rye.

I welcome feedback, and challenge others to create similar lists.

1. BARBRA STREISAND Papa Can You Hear Me?

I picked this song as the first one because I still remember the moment I heard it this year. The stereo was full blast, and the opening of the song stopped me completely. I think Barbra’s voice is perfect, and despite the true fromage-like nature of the lyrics, her music makes me feel rather religious, and it also cures stomach-flu.

2. BAT FOR LASHES Horse and I

I read about this band in a feminist magazine and bought the album without hearing any of it in advance. I was immediately drawn to this song by its intense harpsichord fugue-inspired opening, completely juxtaposed by the breathy lyrics. I also really like marching drum beats.

3. THE BEATLES Julia

This song has haunted me for years; probably six or more. I always had the tune in my head, but no idea which album it was from. When I found out it was off “The White Album,” I was surprised and disappointed because I had somehow convinced myself that I hated that album. I was wrong. “Julia” is John Lennon’s song to his mother about Yoko, and if I recall correctly, it’s the only song on any Beatles album that he does completely alone.

4. THE BEATLES Happiness is a Warm Gun

I absolutely had to include this song, even though it is another Beatle’s tune. I am truly enamored by it, and its absurd title. I looked it up and found that Lennon saw the title as a headline on a Gun Magazine and got a kick out of it. I also get a kick out of it, but the song is much bigger than any kick and really proves the brilliance of these guys. It’s also McCartney’s favourite song of all time, which really surprised me.

5. DAVID BOWIE Heroes

David Bowie, his eyeliner, his spandex, his moist, lip-glossed lips and terrible teeth really do it for me. I have always admired him from my earliest music memories, but I would have to pick this song as his best ever. I only ever thought it mediocre until I watched a rare video of Bowie singing it live on a Bing Crosby Special. It’s on youtube; watch it and be amazed. When he says, “And you/you will be Queen,” I mentally scream “I ACCEPT!”

6. ELVIS PRESLEY Don’t

I am normally not a Presley fan, other than recognizing his place in the family of musical things. But this song takes me to a place that is hard to articulate. It captures something that is lost; something that I am trying to capture again, to no avail. Yet I can’t name it. But I want it. Worse, I think that it’s impossible to conjure, because I’ve never experienced it. And for this, I am sad.

7. EMILY HAINES Reading in Bed

This song is relevant to a very specific point in time, when I was reading the biography of Sylvia Plath. The lines with all the luck you’ve had/why are your songs so sad/you sing from a book/you were reading in bed and took to heart really made an impression on me. I read that biography in bed every night, and I really took this book to heart. Haines’ song became a bit of an anthem I would sing in my head on a regular basis.

8. FEIST The Water

Feist’s second album is really a small masterpiece. “The Water” has such a lonely sound and I absolutely love her voice and the definitive wailing in minor keys. Another highlight is the gentle trumpet playing and repetitive scales. I also feel it could be an anthem for Alberta.

9. STEVIE NICKS Gold Dust Woman

Stevie Nicks has been in my life since birth. My father was a huge Fleetwood Mac fan, and I sometimes think I was actually named after her, though no one will admit it. I think this song is remarkable for its absolute rawness and authenticity.

10. NEIL DIAMOND Another Day (That Time Forgot)

The only Neil Diamond song I was familiar with before this recent album was “Solitary Man,” a cover that Chris Isaak recorded in 1992. I really thought the song was incredible, but never explored Diamond further, until this most recent release. I love Neil’s voice, and I think the songs are thoughtful and so intricately exhibited.

11. NEKO CASE The Pharaohs

After seeing Neko play at this year’s folk festival, I viewed her latest album in a completely different light. I already loved it, and overplayed quite seriously. This song had been my favourite one from the first listen, and remains my favourite today. Before playing the song live, Neko gave a bit of background, consisting of “this is a song about an imaginary boyfriend,” which brought the whole song together for me. I actually bought a white leather jacket in Paris because of this song. It is easily my favourite of 2009 because it moves me.

12. PATTI SMITH Elegy

I have always had a bit of a crush on Patti Smith because she wears androgyny like nobody else. I loved the cover of “Horses,” but didn’t give it much of a chance beyond the aesthetics. Then I heard “Elegy,” and finally understood why she is seen as a musical pioneer. Smith’s singing style is so “fuck you” and not at all contrived. I think her image is contrived, but not her art.

13. SARAH SLEAN No Place At All

“The Baroness” is Slean’s second album, and is truly excellent. I listen to this song a lot because it’s beautiful. I think it should be in a musical; a sad musical, of course.

14. SHUYLER JANSEN Hell Hounds

I am including one of my brother’s songs on this list because his most recent album, “Today’s Remains,” will be the tour de force of his musical career. Every time I listen to this tune, I feel it should be included on a Clint Eastwood movie soundtrack. A couple of years ago, Shuyler was in Edmonton and opened his show with a fifteen-minute version of this song, and it completely blew me away. It’s a remarkable, profound, lyrical work of art.

15. AMY WINEHOUSE Wake Up Alone

I love Amy Winehouse. I dig her look and her amazing voice. I hope she never stops drinking too much or doing copious amounts of drugs because then songs like this won’t get written.

16. MICHAEL JACKSON She’s Out of My Life

It was imperative that I include a Jackson song on this list because he died. This is not my favourite song by Michael, but I think it is one of the truest and most sincere in his whole body of work. It’s from “Off the Wall” and sticks out glaringly compared to the other disco tunes. It’s the perfect contrast and takes you by surprise when you listen to the album from start to finish. This is the song that you remember.

17. FAITH HILL O Holy Night

OK – something happened to me this December, whereby I became totally preoccupied with finding the best version of this Christmas standard. Up to this point, I had never actually listened to this song, and really heard it this year. And cried. A lot. The strangest part is that I don’t even care about the baby Jesus all that much. But if I were to seriously consider accepting the Saviour, it would be because of this hymn.