1 Degree Above Normal

Theo’s in the back seat reading Plastic Man. Henry is up front with me. I’m driving them to school early. It’s Friday. I’m just back from NY and trying to get back into the flow of breakfasts, lunches and carpools. Henry’s angry because he doesn’t understand why we wont let him buy an iPod “WITH MY OWN MONEY”  before Christmas. We say there are many reasons; we just bought him a new phone which he proceeded racked up 14oo text messages in 3 weeks, we’d rather him play an instrument right now instead of just listen to music, and finally in trying to make things fair in our house this would be considered a major act of  ”UNFAIR!”

Henry turns on the car radio to his favorite station, 98.7- “Rock Nation Radio.” It’s usually tolerable. I can sometimes identify the names of a few of the bands. Actually, as a joke I always ask Henry if this is Green Day, Coldplay, Phoenix, or Munford and Sons. I’m usually be right about 98.7% of the time. Playing this morning is a song I’ve heard a million times about kids with pumped up kicks. It’s pretty catchy– a song that gets stuck in your head. Henry says it’s by Foster the People. He says it’s one of  the 1st alternative songs to go really big on the radio.

I turn on KXLU. It’s Loyola College’s station and it’s been around forever playing what I consider alternative music. I tell Henry that the DJs are students. He listens to a  song which we both like. The DJ comes on, There’s lots of dead air, giggling and early morning yawning on the air.

As we get closer to school Henry turns on my favorite station 100.3, “The Sound”. They play what’s know as “Deep Album Rock.” Creedence is on. Everyone’s happy. We pull up the drop off area and as they jump out of the car I wonder if the lyrics to “Up Around the Bend” will be playing throughout the day in my boy’s heads. Creedence stays on as I drive home, There’s a place up ahead and I’m goin’, come along, come along with me. Yeah!”