Thunderbolt

It's been awhile since I posted a chapter of the book. Readership of the blog has had a bit of an uptick, so for those of you who are curious about the content of Basement Songs, here is the chapter I wrote about my son, Jacob. I hope you enjoy it.  Aloha. THE BEATLES "HERE COMES THE SUN"   The phone rang sometime in the middle of the day.   I was at my desk prepping materials for an upcoming record session at the animation company where I worked.   It was busywork to keep my mind occupied while I awaited this call from Julie.   She had taken our son, Jacob, then under a month old, to see the pediatrician. Jacob’s failure to thrive had been a cause for concern, and the doctor wanted to rule out the disease cystic fibrosis as the cause of his lack of growth.   It was early December 2001. When I answered, I could hear it in Julie’s voice that she was fighting back tears.   What we had feared was confirmed… Jacob did indeed have cystic fibrosis. Cystic f...

Riding my bike home from the train station tonight, I listened to ELO's Greatest Hits , the 1978 compilation from Electric Light Orchestra. Together with a Sha Na Na live album that I bought with spare change from the Record Theater store in the Great Northern strip (natives of North Olmsted know what I'm talking about), ELO's Greatest Hits was my first "rock" album. In '78 the band was at their peak, and this album doesn't have a bad track on it. "Mr. Blue Sky" has been used regularly in commercials and films, as have "Livin Thing" (in Boogie Nights ) and "Showdown" (appearing in that classic comedy, Kingpin ). My favorite track is "Turn to Stone," which has a driving beat and a great mix of vocals and strings. It doesn't get as much airplay as the other songs from ELO's catalog. One of my best friends during the late 70s was a boy named Pat L. He was one of the coolest kids in the school and was influentia...

Today was this guy's birthday: In honor of Jacob's birthday, here is one of his songs. Enjoy!