30 for 30

I'm 30!

In celebration of this milestone and for digital posterity's sake, I have decided to post here even though I haven't in a long long time, and I doubt any of my friends and family read this any more what with facebook and all to keep us digitally connected. Nevertheless, another 30 years from now when we have moon colonies and flying cars to zip us over all the melted ice cap water or whatever, I have a feeling it'll be easier to print this whole thing out as a diary of sorts and re-read. Facebook information just falls into that giant bucket of data they call a timeline. Of course, printing something might be completely archaic by then but I'll still do it anyway. .

At the moment, wonderful Joe is cooking us breakfast. Bacon and eggs, Hawaiian coffee (of course) and Honolulu Cookie Company cookies. We had a nice night yesterday at the Cal Academy of Sciences with a wonderful cross section of friends from all the various eras of my three decades. Today, no concrete plans until dinner at Roy's and a ferry trip to Alameda and our favorite tiki bar.

We're listening to a very enjoyable playlist I've made for myself. 30 for 30. 30 pop songs (+ one to grow on) from each year I've been on this earth. Not necessarily my favorite songs now, but as best I can remember, my favorite song from when I was that age. And once again, for digital posterity's sake, I'm posting the playlist here with a video - and an explanation of what the song meant to me as early as I can remember.

Here we go!

1982 - Gloria


I remember loving this song as a kid, because they sang it in Kids Incorporated. And, of course, it shares a name with the woman who brought me into this world on the very same year. So it's a no brainer!

1983 - Mickey


Once again, Kids Incorporated. I seem to remember a dance-off in the streets over this song. And I thought they were saying "Nicky" so I liked it even more as a kid.

1984- For the Longest Time


I LOVED this song. I still love this song. I think this song started my love affair with musical styles of early rock and roll from the 1950/60s.

1985 - Express Yourself


Really wish I could put Material Girl here because I loved it as a kid and thought Madonna looked so pretty. But that came out in 1984 and I can't kick out For the Longest Time. But early-80s Madonna needs to drop in somewhere and 1985's Express Yourself is one of my favorites now.

1986 - Livin' on a Prayer


Just an awesome song. Joe and I fist pumped while listening to it over breakfast and he agrees, it would win his 1986 slot too.

1987 - La Bamba (Los Lobos)


No brainer! Totally remember this video, this movie, this song! It's in my blood! And one of the most important people in my life, my little brother, adored this song as a little guy. He was the "Bamba baby" and would toddle around with a guitar singing bambabambambabamba. The first song that really got me in touch with my Latino roots.

1988 - Kokomo


Hehehe. My parents loved having the Beach Boys on the radio again with another hit song, so it got a lot of play in our family. I distinctly remember going on my first camping trip with my Uncle George and cousin Tiffany, and being nervous. Then this song came on the radio as we pulled out of thee driveway and I think it eased my tension. And look at that video! John Stamos! I remember that too :)

1989 - Love Shack


My dad would take me and Chris to the old Round Table Pizza on El Camino in Los Altos. We'd order or pizza and go to the juke box and this song (and Yakety Yak) were always our top choices. So I was really surprised in school when we were required to create our own record cover to decorate the school's sock hop. (Which I never went to.) Teacher said to pick a song we liked and depict it on the cover. I innocently picked "Love Shack" and drew a teenager girl and boy on the porch of a small house holding hands with hearts erupting above their heads. Teacher did not approve! How did I know about this song? How could your father let you listen to it!? Draw something else! I'm surprised with you Nick! Ohhhhhh Catholic school. I drew a cover for "Hound Dog" by Elvis instead. Hehe.

1990 - Escapade


Loved me some Janet. Still do today.

1991 - Paula Abdul


This song is here because the late 1980s and early 1990s = Paula Abdul. Opposites Attract from 1989 would have to be my favorite song of hers as a kid, because the video was very cool-to-me in its Roger Rabbit mix of animation and live action :)

1992 - Saved the Best for Last


"Sometimes the snow comes down in June, Sometimes the sun goes round the moon." Hehe. 10 year old Nick thought these lyrics were very, very, deep.

1993 - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)


There were many family sing-a-longs to this song in the mini-van as we blasted it on a cassette tape featuring a compilation of songs from movies, purchased at Blockbuster Video. Mini-van. Cassette Tape. Blockbuster. Hah! I'm old ;)

1994 - All I Wanna Do


One of the first albums I purchased was a cassette by Sheryl Crow. Loved this song. Kinda marks the beginning of seeking out music I liked versus just liking songs my family listened to.

1995 - Roll to Me


The video sucks. But this short little piece of audio candy held the title of "my favorite song" for many years. I remember first hearing it on the TV commercial for the movie Flipper with Elijah Wood. Before the internet it was a lot of hard work to figure out who the song was by, and where I could purchase it! So when it came on the radio, it was that much more exciting. I don't think I owned a copy til many years later during the Wild West days of music downloads in high school/college.

1996 - It's All Coming Back to Me Now


Oh the drama! Celine Dion in the mid 1990s was just so awesome to me. I had no shame until high school when people started judging you by what was in your CD collection - and felt like hiding my Celine Dion CDs to fit in with the other guys. But now as a proud gay man, I can happily proclaim my enjoyment for her over-the-top music from that era.

1997 - Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)


Just a brilliant song that is so closely tied to this era. 1997 was a memorable year, filled with highs and lows for 8th-grade me.

1998 - Closing Time


"Every new beginning comes from some other new beginnings end."

1999 - Primavera


The Latin-rock explosion of the late 1990s was a BIG deal to my family. Suddenly our culture was blasting on to the main stream, and Santana, whose music has always been a constant presence in my life, was on the forefront. The song "Primavera" is my favorite from the album Supernatural. I love putting it on at the beginning of Spring - it's such a hopeful song.

2000 - All the Small Things


Totally remember cruising around Mountain View in my friends' cars blasting this song during high school on our way to school dances at the gym. I was happy to find rock n' roll music that I actually liked. The punk rock era was just not my thing. Blink 182 was probably one of the first alt-rock bands I remember enjoying.

2001 - Hanging by a Moment


My high school senior ball's song. I can't say it's one of my favorites as a song, but it just fits for this year and reminds me of that awesome summer between high school and college when I solidified friendships with some of my dearest and closest amigos.

2002 - Praise Chorus


No doubt about it. This song is the anthem of my 20s. It helped me through some rough times and its lyrics pushed me to make the changes I needed to embrace life and live it to the fullest. Jimmy Eat World, especially, defines my college years starting from Freshman year when Erik would play Bleed American on loop in our dorm room. I loved Jimmy then, and still love them today.

2003 - Powerless


Another anthem. Perhaps not just of my 20s, but of my life. Força! Nelly's pride inspired me to get in touch with my Portuguese heritage.

2004 - You and I Both


Such a sweet little song. The classic musical style of this video put it over the top with me - I can't believe I've been singing this one in the shower for 8 years now!

2005 - Jump


Conveniently, Madonna burst back onto the musical scene with her awesome dance album in the exact same year I finally stepped fully out of the closet. This song epitomizes that era for me - the excitement of driving into the City with new friends made in grad school, heading to the Castro and dancing the night a way. Not being ashamed of who I am, or the poppy dance music I always secretly loved. I was definitely ready to Jump.

2006 - Look on the Floor


Young, gay, and dancing, dancing, dancing. This song.

2007 - I Know Where I've Been


Oh this song. First of all it's from an awesome musical. And the novelty of admitting how much I liked musicals was still new. And Queen Latifah. And the lyrics. And hearing it sung after Prop 8 on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. And thinking about it when Barack Obama was elected in 2008. Tears fill my eyes half the time I hear this song. "There's a dream in the future. There's a struggle that we have yet to win. Use that pride, in our hearts, to lift us up til tomorrow - because just to sit still would be a sin. I know where I'm going, and lord knows, I know where I've been!"

2008 - At Last


This song, and this moment captured in this video. Burnt into my memory. On the year Joe and I began our relationship to boot. Perfect.

2009 - My Life Would Suck Without You


Miss Clarkson had to make it on here somewhere - and this song is just so much fun.

2010 - Only the Ocean


Only once I made the mental link between Jack Johnson and lazy days in Hawaii did I truly appreciate this brand of music. Putting it here to represent all the happy memories made on those wonderful islands with Joe :)

2011 - Every Teardrop is a Waterfall


As the songs get newer on this list, it's more difficult to figure out what they'll mean to me in the long run. All I know is love this song.

2012 - Carry On


Who knows how long Fun.'s 15 minutes will last - but this is a great song for this year. A hopeful anthem to embark on a new decade!

Snickers

It's time to say goodbye to this old childhood friend of mine, my dog Snickers.

Time to say goodbye to the little puppy who ran up and stuck his paw in my hand at Andy's Pet Shop in San Jose when my parents were thinking of letting me get a dog back in 1996. The same pup who to my surprise and happiness, was one of the two left in his liter a few days later when we decided to go back to the store and take him home with us.

I remember holding him in my arms and paying for him with my own cash. Promises made to pick up his poop and feed him...that over these past 14 years my Dad has let me slide on to the point where Snickers is really his dog more than mine. But I don't think anyone is too surprised by that.

Snickers have given us so many happy, silly moments over the course of his life. And thinking about him brings back memories of people and times that I'm so thankful to have. Like the day we first brought him home and recorded him bouncing like a bunny rabbit all over the front yard. Even when he was big enough to fit into my hands cupped together, the pup had hops. Or memories of when he was still dumb enough to chase the light cast by a flashlight around the kitchen. That didn't last long. Or the night when we first brought him home I heard him crying allllll night long in the kitchen, went into his pen to comfort him, and then discovered a worm crawling up my pajamas. A trip to the vet fixed that problem....

Then there were the multitude of amazing tricks my Dad taught Snick - turning him into the WONDER dog. Jumping through hoops, weaving through legs, spinning, sitting, and SNEEZING on command. All for a slice of American cheese. We were always so proud to show off the Wonder Dog to our friends whenever we'd bring them over for a visit - friends from high school, college, grad school and beyond.

I can't think about Snickers without also thinking of my Grandpa and his love hate relationship with our dog. The old Sias family mutt Rocky would have very little to do with puppy Snickers. But once Rocky was gone Grandpa came around to the new dog in the yard. I can remember how he'd call him "Sneakers" with his slight Mexican-accent, and how after screaming our lungs out at the dog to do our bidding when he was being disobedient, a stern "NO!" from my Grandpa would do the trick. I later learned to impersonate that voice and it was somewhat effective.

My mind also goes back to some quiet times spent on the back porch during my most uncertain teenage years. Just me and my dog. Someone I could talk to and play with when I felt pretty alone in the world. Snickers was never a lap dog, but he was a good companion.

It's really hard to say goodbye to him, it feels like I'm saying goodbye to a part of my childhood, but I know it's the right thing to do, and I'll cherish these and many other memories that include this spunky lil guy. But for now, for this moment, it's just me and him in the front yard. Enjoying one last summer afternoon in Mountain View together.

Hello

A thought I thought was blog-worthy (the first in a long time?)

Sometimes I feel like my job consists of applying teeny tiny band-aids to a City with a gushing wound.

Guess you gotta start somewhere.

Moon over Michigan

I can now happily tuck away star gazing and watching the moon rise over Manistique Lake as a happy little memory I'll always treasure. :)