On My Way Home

Time for a "Memory Monday" post ... which will also double as my last Caribbean Cruise-related post.  That's right, today we're on the way back to Colorado Springs, CO from the eastern coast of Florida.

On My Way Home ... by Enya

The "memory" here is from my missionary days in Los Angeles, CA (all the way on the other coast of the United States).  This song had come out just before I went on my mission (late 1995) and I knew it would be one of my theme songs for the last month or so of that two-year mission.  Indeed, I listened to it almost every night that last month, as I prepared to return "to the world" from my spiritual sabbatical.

I like the lyrics "On my way home, I'll remember ... all the best days."  I have reflected on those words many times in my life, especially when I have been away from "home" for a few days or more.  Travelling is fun and provides great memories and experiences, but coming home is great in its own way too.

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Glory Of Love

This song is a two-fer because it's both "from a movie" and "linked to a memory" for me personally.

Glory Of Love ... by Peter Cetera

If you don't remember Karate Kid then you must not have lived in the 80's!  Ralph Macchio was "it" at the time and this song was from the second movie, where he falls in love with an asian girl ... and then fights to defend her honor and show his love for her, etc.


The "memory" for me on this one actually comes from years later at a church dance.  There was a girl I really liked (at the time) and she didn't even know I existed (or so I thought).  I had never asked her to dance but finally worked up the courage to do so when this song began to play.  She said yes and we danced ... and that's about the end of the story.  :)  I wasn't even 16 yet so we didn't "date" or anything, but that moment still sticks out in my memory whenever I hear this song.  Weird.

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What A Fool Believes

Most music from the 1970's (and some disco-related stuff from the early 80's) is on my "I can't stand that song" list.  But as the years went on, the Doobie Brothers' sound morphed more into that 80's sound which I like.  This is useful because I can tell people, like my older brother Jeremy, that I like similar groups as them, even if I only like a few of the groups' later songs.  :)

What A Fool Believes ... by The Doobie Brothers

I picked this song for today because I was a "fool" to "believe" that we would be able to get everything done today that we intended to do.  Mondays are my "other" weekend day off (I work Tuesday through Saturday) and we always have a list of things to do that are a mile long.

But ... this song also brings back memories of my youth, when my family lived in Orem, Utah.  For some reason, every time I hear this tune I am taken back to the living room of that house and I can see the Edwards' (our neighbors at the time) big tree in their front yard, with cars driving by on the road between our houses.  The sun is shining.  Our parakeet is chirping in the background.  And my mom is dancing in the kitchen while making lunch.  Good times!  :)

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Six Pack: Katy Perry

It's time for another "Saturday Six Pack"  Today's focal point will be the reasonably talented but wildly popular Katy Perry.  I say "reasonably talented" because she is not an over-powering singer, but she is very good.  The "wildly popular" thing is pretty self-explanatory.

Herewith are my (to this point in her career) favorite (ranked in order) KP songs:

#6.  Waking Up In Vegas
When it first came out I thought the sound of coins coming out of a slot machine in the intro was the coolest thing I'd heard on the radio in a long time. Then it got overplayed (like many other KP songs) and so I didn't quite love it as much. But it's still fun to sing along with.

#5.  Firework
This song is an inspirational call to anyone trying to overcome shyness or feelings of inadequacy ... at least that's what it means to me.  It will also always remind me of the mostly unsuccessful Flash Mob we did at work in 2011.  Not an "epic fail" ... but in the "fail" category for sure.

#4.  California Girlz
I specifically chose the non-official video for some obvious reasons (if you've never seen that version, I do not recommend it with children around).  Still a fun beat and always makes me think about the times I have spent in California in my life.

#3.  Teenage Dream 
I saw KP perform this on SNL, which actually made me like the song a little less. As far as the message of the song, I very much disagree with the lyrics (drinking, "going all the way with no regrets," etc.) but the tune, especially the chorus, is just ... catchy!

#2.  ET
The words themselves could just be about the song "hypnotizing," "magic," "take me, ta-ta-take me."  Not that her overall look hadn't already drawn geeky fanboys, but this song just seems like a comic-con "geek" fantasy and most certainly cemented her adulation among that group of fans.

#1.  The One That Got Away
It could be that this is my favorite KP song because it hasn't been overplayed (yet), but I am a sucker for "lost love" songs and this one is just perfect!  "In another life, I would make you stay, so I don't have to say you were the one that got away."  The vocal hook of "wuh-uh-uh-uh-uh-one" had me the first time I heard it and it's still my favorite part of the song.  I also like the lyrics "it'd be us against the world" which makes me think about my relationship with my awesome wife of almost 14 years!

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