Home Jeeves

You're sunburned. Your hair would give the Unibomber a run for his money. You're sick of pineapple and you've seriously considered BBQing your dream castaway. Your crossword puzzles are mere threads because you've erased and refilled them so many times you've lost count. Your book has long since gone, since it was used as kindling for you to roast your nightly dinner of coconut and seaweed. You've finally resigned yourself to a life of tattered rags (where are Ginger and Lovie when you need them?) and salt water. Then suddenly, you spot it. Your rescue ship.

Before you can say "I vote MYSELF off the island!" you are standing on the edge of the beach, frantically waving it in. Your significant other, children, parents, etc. are all practically diving over the edge to come to your rescue. As they pull in, you and your dream castaway start to climb on board when suddenly, you are struck with a pang of sentimentality.

But only a pang. You're not crazy... you know it's time to go. As your family is smothering you with hugs and kisses, you manage to get away long enough to hear the captain ask "Where to?"

You take a deep breath and tell him where you want to go. Other than home, where would this dream destination be?

Whistle While You Work

The pages of your book are frayed and soon to become kindling for your nightly fire. It's time for another hobby, but what else does your deserted island have to offer?

There are no Hut Building 101 workshops, and it seems like you just missed the last Beach Bod workout session. That means it's up to you and you alone to find something to pass your time.

Just when you think you'll drive yourself crazy from trying to figure out how to while away the hours, a magical package drops down from the sky! Although you're really starting to wonder where these things are coming from and when the rescue plane is going to arrive, you saunter over to see the newest addition to your little slice of heaven.

What do you find there? What object would be waiting for you, ready to bring endless hours of entertainment?

East of Eden

Blah blahh. Blah blahhh. Blah blahblahblah. Blah.

Okay, so maybe your dream castaway turned out to be a bit of a flake. Who won't shut up. And yammers on all day long about...well...you're not quite sure. You tuned him/her out 3 days ago.

So fine. We'll allow you a distraction -- something to help you escape from your misery. Something to stimulate your mind but that, mercifully, does NOT TALK BACK.

As you're strolling along one day (on the other side of the island, of course), you suddenly trip. What's this? A book! You've covered every inch of the island and have never found this before! A book a book a book! Hallelujah!

You just may stay sane another day.

Which book do you hope to discover on your walk?

Just Sit Right Back

Holy shipwreck, Gilligan. You're stranded.

We've all heard it before. The question is nothing new, but the answers always change. And rather than dive into an ocean of deepness after a long holiday weekend, let's relax in the sunshine of simplicity with an old favorite. So, there you are - stuck on your deserted island. What to do? Scream for help? Enjoy the peace? Make like Jack Shepard and search for the secret hatch while hoping to God the others don't get you?

At any rate, you know this is no three hour tour. You're going to be there a while, so you may as well make it enjoyable. Ahh yes... now this little jaunt becomes your fantasy trip to a desert island. (That's fantasy trip - not Fantasy Island. No Ricardo Montalban or Tattoo on this ride.) You've landed in paradise, my friend. Sun, sand, surf and solitude.

But wait! Among the palm trees swaying in the wind, there's someone walking toward you. A gorgeous stranger? Your childhood best friend? Tom Hanks and Wilson? It's up to you.

So, if you had to choose any person to greet you when you arrived at your island of isolation, who would it be?

And oh yeah... no spouses or significant others allowed. Too obvious, thank you very much. Silly, serious or sinful... who would you really want to meet there?

Thank You for the Music

Without a song or a dance, what are we?

This has been a great trip down memory lane this week! It's been so much fun to relive some of the memories that have been created over the years. I have such amazing friends and family and for that, I am blessed. And I am so thankful for the friends, loves and music of my past that have made me who I am today.

But never fear, today will not be a sappy "What are you most thankful for?" question. No, no. Yes, I know, today is about giving thanks. But it's also about the food, man. It's all about the food. Since we do need to tie it in to music somehow, here goes.

In the immortal words of Adam Sandler, "Gobble gobble goo and gobble gobble gickle. I wish turkey only cost a nickel."

What Thanksgiving food do you love so much that you would write a song about it?

More Than Words

The sounds of young love. Nothing expresses those three little words louder than the perfect song. Admit it. You have a few mix tapes hiding among the skeletons in your love closet, complete with the songs that defined your first forays into romance. With the first few chords, you're transported back to the butterflies of young love and the memories of the first person that you wished could be your special someone, as well as the first person who really was .

They're the songs that still stir a reaction inside you when you hear them. You press play and hear the slow, awkward warblings that remind you of that unforgettable first crush. The person that made you sit up and take notice... and then run to the radio and desperately press record every time you heard the song that captured the essence of your (sometimes unrequited) love. The chorus rings out and you're transported right back to the awkwardness of your first journey down that rocky relationship road. Maybe your dream guy or gal doesn't look so dreamy in retrospect, but the songs stay the same.

Fast forward a bit, and you arrive at the songs that take you back to your first taste of true love. Crush, no more... this is the real deal. These are the melodies with meaning that, despite your best attempts, still tug at your heart strings with each note. Sure, the tape may close with a bittersweet song of love gone bad, but this isn't a tale of heartbreak. You're young and in love once again, staring wide-eyed in wonder at the first person who ever made you feel like you were part of something amazing. Even years later, a little part of you reawakens with the opening chords of these songs and you remember, if only for a brief moment, the innocent bliss of your first love.

Yes, we all have them. The songs that define the highs and lows, happiness and heartbreak of our first crushes and first loves. Make a mix tape of these memorable first experiences all over again. What's on it?

The Glory of Love

There you are. Lined up against that giant pad that hung on the wall underneath the basketball hoop. The lights are dimmed, streamers are crookedly twisted wherever the decorators could find places for them, balloons bob around the floor, and the smell of last hour PE still lingers in the air. You're standing there with a group of your friends, look up and see Him. (Or Her, as the case may be.) Panic starts to set in. This is it. Your first slow dance.

Dumbstruck, you make your way out to the middle of the gym and join the ranks of equally uncomfortable couples. Your arms are stuck straight ahead and locked at the elbows, you are rocking back and forth from foot to foot to something that might quite possibly resemble the beat, and staring anywhere but in your partner's face. Your mind races for something to say. You wish you were anywhere but here, yet pray that the song never ends.

When the song is finally over, you give your partner a nervous laugh ("Heh heh!"), say thanks ("Thanks... see you around!"), and race back to your friends.

Phew. You survived. Your first dance.

What was the first song you ever slow danced to, and who was it with?

Hit Me Baby One More Time

Girl, you know it's true. You rock out to Manilow when no one is looking and tear up every time you hear Eternal Flame. You haven't felt the same about Open Arms since your first slow dance in the seventh grade. And a time or two you've even asked your friends to tell you what they want, what they really really want.

Ahh yes. They're the songs you truly cherish but wouldn't ever admit to knowing, let alone loving. They hold a special place in your iPod under "Guilty Pleasures" and should anyone find them, you'll swear they were put there by accident... until you're busted belting out I Will Survive like the disco fan you really are.

So, go ahead, 'fess up. You owe it to yourself, not to mention Hanson, Britney, Bolton and all those other guilty pleasure providers out there. What are those songs you hear that should make you cringe but instead make you turn up the volume a little louder and get down with your bad, guilty self?

I've Got the Music in Me

Growing up, I guess my family was pretty music-oriented. My mom was the church organist, my sister and I both played the piano and were in various choruses, choirs and bands, and my dad ... well... okay, he couldn't play or sing, but he did like to listen to music. It is because of him that I love Dick Biondi. The man has a talent. I mean, he can Name That Tune in 3 notes, tell you who sang it, what year it was popular and where he was the first time he heard it. It should come as no surprise to me, then, that music has been so intertwined in my life. I can be driving along, hear a song on the radio and instantly be transported to another time or place.

I know there are songs that remind you of certain people, places or things. But I am talking -- you hear the first few notes and you are immediately there. All of the sounds, smells and feelings come rushing back and you. Are. There.

What songs transport you, and where do they take you?