Yellow #AtoZchallenge

I could not think of anything for Y and suddenly “yellow” popped into my head and stuck there for the last 8 hours. I finally have a few minutes to do my second-to-last in the A to Z Challenge.

Here’s Yellow; stream of consciousness style — thought I did look up a few things around the Kenny Rogers stuff.

The Beatles are a great band, but, like all bands there are duds. As the greatest hits album from Primus so well states: They Can’t All Be Zingers (favorite song title on there: Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver). Beatles gave us Hey, Jude; When I’m 64 (which I argued for as our wedding song, but lost out to I’m Yours by Jason Mraz); Let It Be; and pick an awesome song. Then there’s Yellow Submarine. WTF. Like a Sesame Street reject song. It’s forever matched in my mind with “I wanna hold your hand” because at the Calcasieu Parish Fair in 1981(ish), I saw both songs back-to-back accompanied by some bad octopus puppetry.

It was as bad as that sounds. I think that might have been the same year I puked on the Ferris Wheel. I don’t do circle rides well at all.

I do like America’s Sister Golden Hair Surprise, almost as much as I like “Horse With No Name.” It feels good to get out of the rain.

Yellow also reminds me of Kenny Roger’s “Coward of the County.” Which reminds me, have any other singers turned two songs into movies? Coward of the County, of course, and I think The Gambler (I haven’t heard that song in a good 3 years, but I could probably still sing, ok, “sing”, it nearly verbatim). Holy crap; there were FOUR Gambler movies. I was thinking Six Pack was also based on a song, but it was just the song from the movie that was a hit, “Love Will Turn You Around.” Favorite Dolly Parton joke: What happens when Dolly Parton lies down in the bathtub?* Love Kenny Rogers’ music. Hate what he’s done to his face. Still remember how shocked I was when my Dad knew about “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” from First Edition on The Big Lebowski soundtrack.

And why is yellow associated with cowardice? Need to look that up when I get a chance. Earlier, I had thought about going down this rabbit hole, but I’m just too damn tired tonight.

Growing up, we had a Yellow Lab named King. Quite possibly the dumbest dog ever, though extremely sweet. He ate my Mama’s Nativity Set one year – I think a cow, sheep, and Jesus in the manger escaped destruction. He chewed through our air conditioner cable and somehow didn’t electrocute himself. We were shooting bottle rockets and he’d chase them and they’d pop in his mouth. The first few were accidental, I “may” have shot a few into the yard as well. Maybe.

That reminds of my cousin and I with our bows. So, we had bows and arrows. Which was awesome. They were green. Not very powerful, but, they’d put a hole in something. So my cousin and I got tired of walking back and forth and forth and back retrieving our three arrows each. Fuck that. We decided it was a much better idea and we’d get more shooting in, if we’d just stand at opposite ends of the yard and shoot in each others’ direction. Less walkng that way. We were NOT shooting “at” each other, but were in the generally vicinity of the arrows. Neither of us came even close to getting hit with our high-tech warning system of “dude, look out!”

My Mom was . . . not pleased when she witnessed what I still contend was a workable solution inspired by laziness.

She took our bows and arrows away.

We did get them back later though – with promises all around to “never do that again.”

Ha. That reminds me of the lawn dart incident too. Similar, except there was dodging involved in this game. C’mon. They were slow and we were never in any danger. Except maybe Kirk, who was about 3 or 4 at the time. He was as agile as me and Randall, our cousin.

Why are the dangerous things kinda fun?

Where was I? Yellow.

My cousin and I were definitely yellow about the dark. We used go camping at Toledo Bend with Meme and Pawpan and me and Lee would sleep in the tent while they were in the nice, ACed camper. We loved that. We’d stay up burning a fire until time to turn in. The only problem was the bathroom was a good few hundred yards away. And there weren’t any lights other than the one at the door. Having watched too many horror movies, this was an issue.

Now, usually, not an issue. We’re boys. It’s late. There’s no lights. And so long as you step a few feet and aim away from the tent — all is good. However, after too many cheetos and grape Kool-Aids, sometimes more was required.

After working up our courage — and, we were both on the point of desperation — we equipped ourselves with our trusty hatchets and braved the night.

I’m not sure I’ve ever run so quickly through a dark area — in both directions — as I did that night. That also reminds me of my favorite child-hood photo: me, Lee, Kirk, and Jeremy (10, 11, 6, and 5 years old) all around an old tractor tire that was about 20 yards off the beach in the water. We’d chase the Brim around it. Dive off of it. Swim through it. For hours. I need to find that now.

Yellow ribbons around trees during the Iranian hostage crises. Didn’t quite know what that was about other than there were some Americans somewhere being kidnapped by some dude called the Ayatollah. And Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round that Old Oak Tree – crikey what an awful song.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. One of John Ford and John Wayne’s Westerns. Though can’t see the yellow in the ribbon since the movie is black and white. Wonder if she wore a tan one or something just to mess with everyone.

Mello Yello. Man, that’s like poor man’s Mountain Dew, without the caffeine. And there’s no reason to drink that yellow crap without the caffeine. Though I will admit that if I can get my hands on the reissued cans with the real sugar, I do love me one of those Mountain Dews.

“They call me Mellow Yellow.” What the hell is that song about?

“Watch out where the huskies go and don’t you eat that yellow snow.” Frank Zappa. Genius. Joe’s Garage is one of my all-time favorite albums. Stick it out. Catholic girls (with a tiny little mustache). Why does it hurt when I pee. Ah, college. Good times, good times.

*Islands in the Stream