My Music Journal 2025: February 20, 2025

 

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Time: 8:15 AM
Song: Basic Being Basic
Artist: Djo
Mode of Consumption: Listening Spotify playlist called “The New Alt”

Link to song: https://open.spotify.com/track/03zWQa4ZQEMofug2Gmh6io?si=a53e48079c1645b3

Thursday morning is breakfast morning at ASE. Our secretary, Rosemary, hands out menus from a local restaurant – we recently made the change from “Town and Country” to the new place in town “Mom’s Diner” – and then she calls the order and picks it up.

The first year that I worked here, I struggled with a new job, new coworkers and an ultimate change of lifestyle on all fronts. Breakfast morning was a highlight.

I guess that might be sad. Something so simple. Something so basic. It’s just breakfast. Most weeks either an omelet or skillet (which I’ve determined are basically the same thing just arranged differently), occasionally a pancake. Heck, I even got excited about the toast on the side. Toast, can you believe it. Two slabs of bread, buttered, and then I would add a layer of grape jelly.  

I think it’s one of those things you either get or you don’t.

Today I went with the 2X2X2 selection, which is two pancakes, two eggs (scrambled for me), and two sausage links (you can pick bacon). I listened to this playlist, and you know what? Spotify was one of the other things that helped my transition to this job. I have spent hours listening to tunes as I learned this line of work. I continue to listen, even though my responsibilities have increased, and I have adjusted to the workplace.

The other thing that helped me was writing. For the first time since college, I wasn’t writing all the time for my job (I write a little, but nothing too demanding or creative). The paper tended to drain my creativity. So, I jumped two feet into independent writing, including this blog.

Maybe I’m a basic guy. But it was the little things that helped me, and I am at a better place now than I was when breakfast day was the weekly highlight. Not to say I still don’t find it to be one of the perks of the gig.