Little Chores I enjoy

I was going to reminisce about growing up and having to wear hand-me-downs until I was 11 but I changed my mind. It's not hard to do that. It is a small, inconsequential thing that just rattles about in my cranium anyway. And it's easily distracted by Bright Shiny Things and odd noises.

Instead, I want to explain one of the things I do for Jack, my brother-in-law. Jack is married to my least favorite, and only, sister. He's not a bad guy for a retired Army colonel who won't let anyone forget it and still barks orders like we are all his subordinates. In spite of that, and because I am a Nice Guy, I do him favors.

We both happen to like the real Oldies. Not simply the 50's Doo-Wop and such but the swing era and before. And Jack is less stingy than I so he buys CDs of this music. The thing is, he doesn't know anything about computers and he hates shuffling CDs around. When I showed him how many songs you can put on one CD if you convert them to MP3 format and he bought a car with a stereo that would play MP3 CDs, I became his source of music CDs. He buys the CDs, I rip them into MP3 format and burn CDs with lots and lots of songs on them. On occasion, he will buy a few blanks for me to fill. Otherwise, I just provide them.

This works out very well. I get more stuff added to my already extensive music library and he gets CDs to listen to in his car.

It's all probably illegal.

Some of the things he likes, I don't. He's a big fan of Matt Munro, for instance. An artist I think of as someone to fall asleep to if you are suffering from insomnia. And yet I like Perry Como... go figure.

I am not sure why I like the Big Band Era sounds and singers such as Sinatra, the Lamplighters, the Four Freshmen, etc. Every time I think about it I am reminded of the scene in The Jerk where Steve Martin first hears that form of Easy Listening music ("Crazy Rhythm", to be specific) and his feet start moving on their own.

I grew up with it. My father loved it. It was the music of his youth and he controlled the record player in our house for most of my early years. I had forgotten about it until after first Disco and then RAP became popular.

I am, of course, an Old Fart.