I had a funny moment yesterday I thought I would share from Saturday, while I was out for a walk. Follow along below the jump if you are so inclined!
As I think I have mentioned, I have vowed that I am going to be in the best shape of my life by the end of the year. (More on that will be forthcoming.) This, then, was part of that ongoing effort.
It was nearing dusk, and while it had been relatively warm earlier, the temperature was beginning to plunge as darkness encroached. I was about 2/3 of the way through my walk - which is a nice way of saying I was somewhat, er... disheveled. lol
(As I have been told, this means that I was not, in fact, sweaty; rather, I was glowing. Excessively. Exuberantly, one might even say, chilly temperatures notwithstanding. But I digress.)
My hair is at that annoying in-between stage now. It's grown quite a bit the past few months, but is just now beginning to change from growing out (it's wavy, after all) to growing down.
All of which is another way of saying that my hair kept: a) escaping its ponytail (such as it was), and b) flopping into my eyes - typically as I was trying to cross a street with a car barreling towards me.
I had just given up trying to corral my hair into anything resembling a neat ponytail, and not strangling myself with the cord from my headphones (don't mock me - I openly admit I am a klutz!!!), when the moment I alluded to above happened.
I was walking along a busy street that contains a mixture of small businesses and private residences. I glanced up just as a gentleman I would guess was about my age came bounding the stairs from his house. Our eyes met as he reached the bottom steps.
As I passed him, he smiled, said something I could not decipher - remember, I was wearing headphones - and then extended his hand.
Not in a threatening way, but... well, actually, I didn't know what kind of way, quite honestly. I was baffled.
I stopped, pulled off my headphones, and turned around as he was walking away.
"I'm sorry," I said apologetically. "I didn't catch what you were saying just now."
He turned back, still smiling.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I was trying to give you a high-five!"
"Oh," I said, wondering what I had done to merit one. "Sorry. I was sort of zoned out."
"I could tell. You were walking really fast. You mean business, huh?"
"Well, once I get a head of steam going I get in a groove, I suppose," I mused.
"That's good," he said, still smiling as he turned away, keys jingling in his hand. "Enjoy the rest of your walk, OK?"
"Thanks," I said, pushing aside a stray curl hanging in my eyes. Then I added, "I'll try to be ready the next time someone wants to give me a high-five!"
"Fair enough," he said with a laugh as he got into his car.
Having managed to get my headphones on without ripping out an earring, I was fumbling with my iPod a moment later when a car horn beeped.
I looked up just in time to see the same gentleman I had been chatting with a moment ago drive by.
"Redheads rock!" he called out with a smile, giving me a thumbs up as he drove away.
0_0
That, I can assure you, was a first! lol
***
As I said, I would have forgotten all about this had I not stumbled across an article online about R.E.M., one of my favorite bands, listing their best songs in the post-Bill Berry era.
(For non-fans, Bill Berry was the original drummer of the band, who left in 1997 after suffering a near-fatal aneurism while they were touring in Switzerland. He recovered fully, but decided he had had enough, and retired to tend to his farm - which he still does to this day.)
While the albums they put out following his departure cannot compare to the run of amazing albums that preceded it, they still contained some exceptional work. In particular, Up, released in 1998 - the first album without Berry - was a dark, moody, experimental album that is a more than worthy addition to their legacy.
The next two albums were spotty (2001's Reveal) and, well, not even that (2004's dispiriting Into The Sun), but they rebounded strongly with what turned out to be their final albums. 2008's Accelerate and 2011's Collapse Into Now were a fitting, worthy end to a wonderful career.
The article I mentioned touched on a number of songs from this era, most of which I recognized instantly - and one I had forgotten about. While I am a huge R.E.M. fan, I hope you can forgive me for this particular song slipping my mind, as it was a b-side to their "Supernatural Superserious" single off Accelerate.
And what is this mysterious track, you ask, and how does it relate to this post?
It's called "Redhead Walking." :D And check out the great video!
Note: This is in NO way what I looked like on my walk. lol Think more like this:
Just imagine me even more bedraggled, (and far less cheerful-looking), and then you should get the idea. ;c)
And here are a few other late-era gems I love. First, 1998's gorgeous "Daysleeper":
Also from 1998, their Beach Boys homage, "At My Most Beautiful":
From 2001, "All The Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)":
I've always had a soft spot for this song, because you can see how much fun they had filming the video! :D
And finally, a great song (and cool video) from their 2011 farewell, "Mine Smell Like Honey":
Have a great week, everyone! :c)
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