Bathroom Acoustics

I haven't posted any of the daily play-lists lately.

I started the day with mellow. A little Eldridge and Dizzy jazz to start, followed with Bebel Gilberto, followed by Ustad Zakir Hussain, and repeated over and over again with Louis Armstrong's Definitive thrown in.

It stayed that way all day. Some folks bitched because it was rainy and they thought I should have more upbeat tunes playing... but if I was home (which by all rights, at 2pm, I should have been... but my help was sick and so I opened the day.... and then closed it, too).... but if I was home, I'd have played those same tunes, maybe tidied up my house and then taken a bath with a glass of wine. Music playing and rain hitting the windows. Lovely.

But I was here and that was the play-list.

Then 5pm came and it was time to close. I still had tons to do and the single shot americano wasn't quite cutting it. So I changed the play-list. I started with some Del McCorry bluegrass, followed with some Old Crow Medicane Show bluegrass and finished with some classic Grateful Dead.

I was just about done with all the little details and as I was pulling the floor mats from the bathroom hallway back to behind the counter, I decided to stop and take a quick wizz before I locked up that section of the cafe.

While I was in the bathroom, Ripple started to play.

' If my words did glow
with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played
on the harp unstrung,
Would you hear my voice come thru the music,
Would you hold it near as it were your own?'

When I was pregnant with Ella... and pretty much fresh off of Dead tour.... I used to sing this song to her while she lay...curled up in inside my belly. I'd find big rocks to sit on and sing. I'd sing by ponds or sing while I washed dishes. It became our lullaby.

'Its a hand-me-down,
the thoughts are broken,
Perhaps they're better left unsung.
I don't know,
don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air.'

I tend to sing under my breath alot while I'm working. Just kind of carry the song a little bit as I move from sandwich to latte to register. Sometimes I just mouth the words to keep me company and sometimes, if it's a really good song, I find myself dancing a little as I work. Thank god for music.

'Reach out your hand
if your cup be empty,
If your cup is full
may it be again,
Let it be known there is a fountain,
That was not made by the hands of men.'

I found myself standing there in the bathroom, eyes closed, singing all over again.

'Ripple in still water,
When there is no pebble tossed,
Nor wind to blow.'

And I realized a really great thing.

The bathroom has incredible acoustics!

'There is a road, no simple highway,
Between the dawn and the dark of night,
And if you go
no one may follow,
That path is for your steps alone.'

I don't know if it's because the bathroom is no bigger than your average Job Johnny but I can't carry a tune if it's in a bucket and I didn't sound half bad in there! Thanks for all the practice, Bean. Maybe tonight, when I get home, after we read a chapter of Harry Potter, I'll try it back on for old time's sake.

'Ripple in still water,
When there is no pebble tossed,
Nor wind to blow.

But if you fall
you fall alone,
If you should stand
then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home.'