Obama's Playlist

CBC Radio is running great programming right now. They are having a contest to choose the 49 songs to put on an ipod to give to Obama on his inaugeration.

They started with 100 songs- pop, classical, Quebecois and had the listeners vote on line. It is so much fun. These are the songs that have lodged themselves in the corners of my memories. The soundtrack of my life. We have lots of these pieces in our very ecclectic CD collection. Surprisingly, some of the good ones aren't there.

It got me thinking to what music I have invested in. I have not been to too many concerts. It's a bit of a drive into the city and I don't really like big crowds and the stadium scene. "Live" loses something when there is a quarter of a mile and several stories between you and the band.

I do like going to the Orpheum which is an old theatre.

My first concert was John Denver in about 1976. My sister Pat spent all her money on the tickets because I was (am) such a fan. I still sing his stuff with my guitar.

Then D took me to Burton Cummings at the PNE in 1980 and to Billy Joel (Glass Houses) in 1981.

At university in Calgary, we had quite a few bands come to the student union. Don't even remember much. I did go to Steve Winwood on a first date.

D and I went to Gordon Lightfoot in one of the summers between highschool and dating again at the end of nursing school. He is a great musician and we had our first waltz to his "Beautiful".

As an adult, I went to k.d.lang three times. We saw the 3 tenors at BC Place on New Year Eve 1994 (?). My MIL bought me tickets to Jann Arden when she opened the hockey rink in Chilliwack a few years ago. I think she's great.

As a family, we have been going to the Vancouver Jazz Festival for the past few years and enjoyed Winton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr (!!!) and Dave Brubeck. I wonder what's on for this year?
They unveil the 49 songs for the 49th parallel on Tuesday. I'm really excited. It's so hard to vote for just one song. My charity knitting has begun with Elizabeth Zimmerman's February baby sweater. I know it's only January. This is a great recipe. I'm rewriting it in my own words so I can just knit it next time without interpreting. I don't know how many times I've knit this. I still enjoy it. But I really appreciate the work that went into adapting it for the February Lady Sweater. I must contact her and let her know how much I appreciate the work she did.

This is the big UFO in the room. I may have to take this shawl to Mexico with me. I took it to the Caribbean and to Texas as well. See how nicely it fits in a bag? It's just the thistle pattern from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury. But it has quite a few rows of repeat. I blew up the pattern and cut out each row onto a card. Easy peasy. Just not what I want to knit "right now" for about 5 years.

What is your monkey on your shoulder?