Tough, this past work week was. Some long hours -- in at 7 am, out at 9 pm on Tuesday -- and a flurry of "immediate-now" to-do's meant that by Wednesday, my brain was dreaming of counting more sheep, my taste buds craving an exotic drink like a frothy pina colada or a tropical tiki concoction with a bright paper umbrella.
OK, maybe I'm exaggerating. Just a tad...
But come Wednesday during my after-work commute on Olympic Boulevard, I was listening to 89.9
KCRW (a given, I know) when
DJ Garth Trinidad played a duo of songs back-to-back that shook me out of head-down mode.
The first song was an airy, gospel rendition of Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" by
The Brothers & Sisters that seemingly floated from the hallowed confines of Sunday church in the '60s South. Listen
here, to be uplifted.
After being transported to Sunday church, sun-drenched visions of an island jam session suddenly swayed into view -- courtesy of
this irresistible reggae roots song called "A Message to You Rudie" by Grant Phabao, The Lone Ranger & Carlton Livingston. If there's any true justice in the world, this ditty better be playing this very minute at a toes-in-the-sand happy hour in a place far, far away. Its zippy beat dances with pure joy!
My spirit soared as I jammed in my car to these two songs, time zones and terrains away from the concrete jungle of Olympic Boulevard in West L.A. And it's these songs that played on repeat in my head as I hopped into bed, eager for tomorrow's adventures following a dreamy night's sleep.
