Music of the Week

My homework was done, or at least enough I could complete it at school the next day.  I had pulled myself from my room at my Mom's all of dinner.  We all sat the the table, the giant wok of stir fry between us on a hot pad.  My brother, my Mom and Dad and I looked up when the prayer finished.  Suddenly, my Dad hopped up like he had forgotten something.

I looked at his vacant seat.  His large glass of ice tea was there.  The salt was near his plate.  Perhaps it was one of those last minute additions he loves so much, you know horseradish or Worcestershire sauce or exotic brown mustard.  Nope, the fridge didn't open, then it occurs to me, no music.

Before I go any further, let me explain.  My Dad has what may be the most exotic collection of music of anyone I know.  Back in those days it was mostly vinyl, he refused to give into the racket of this new technology of cassette tapes.  Those were for the car.  At home it was giant EP records.  It was not just the medium, but the artists that made it unusual.  It is strangely devoid of the major bands that had come and gone during the years my Dad had been collecting, you were not going to find the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, in fact even the popular one he liked, he tended toward the less known songs.  So, the music in our house would be of Stuart Hamblen, who you might know from his song "Mush", or Ray Stevens or a variety of Civil War Ballads.

This week was bagpipe week.  This might have been have of his conversion pieces, one that he had on cassette.  You know so you can play it in the car.  You never know when bagpipes are going to make a road trip go smoother.  As a note, these instruments of war, which I think derive their power by sounding like you are slowly compressing a cat under each arm in such a manner to make one shaken with irritation to the very core, never make a road trip go smoother.

One other thing they don't do well is put someone, perhaps a high school aged someone, in a good mood when they are used to waken that person by playing them loudly just outside their room.  I will tell you, once you realize that the bagpipe laden marching you are dreaming about, with confusion, gives way to the reality that that noise exists in your life.  Your real life.  In fact, it exist in your house.  Right now.  You are ready to either flee or punch someone.  I'm pretty certain it is against the law to wake someone up that way.

As soon as I heard the drone.  I knew.  Today would not be the day of change.  My Dad returned to the table, mouthing like he was playing a bagpipe.  The rest of us ate our stir fried chicken and vegetables quickly and hid until it was over.