At Least They're Committed

GDA is leaning over my right shoulder and watching as I type this. I’ve been working hard on the magazine all day and darnit it’s Valentines Day and he and Raphael were kind enough to stop by and so GDA and I thought it might be a good spot of fun to create our combined V-Day music playlist! But I’m not going to blip any  songs, sorry, I only use that for professional purposes.

Raphael is sitting on my filthy living room couch. If it weren’t filthy he’d insist on sitting on the floor so it’s better this way. He’s wearing a weathered camo jacket, torn jeans, matted black hair, two weeks of beard and brown eyes. He’s flipping through the news channels on my outdated big-screen TV without using the remote, but the volume is low so we don’t protest. GDA, well, he’s beautiful and he looks like GDA and his eyes are violet today.

“Should you spell my name out?” he asks as he watches me type.  I shrug it off, then so does he and he starts rattling off suggestions:

“Hotel California by the Eagles!” he spouts. “A must for our Valentine’s Day Playlist!”

“Most certainly!” I say and quickly type it on there. “Perfect! And for me, let’s do Possum Kingdom by Toadies!”

“Good one, good one!” GDA is leaning on his right hand and pats my back with his left. Raphael passes us a backwards glance. He doesn’t stop by here much. Most times he’s out on the streets.

“OK,” GDA pulls up his left hand and taps his chin. “Elton John’s Tower of Babel!?”

“Ooooooh! Yes, yes yes!” says I. “A stellar moment indeed!! My turn! Cry Little Sister by Gerard McMann!”

GDA growls excitedly, “Oh, yes. Hell yes! Good, good. OK, put me down for John Cougar Mellencamp’s Crumblin’ Down,” he snickers.

“I’m sensing a theme here!” I exclaim and Raphael’s head drops and he sighs and points at the TV and it goes black as he rises. “I’m going for Blood, Sweat and Tears’ When I Die!” I cry out.

“Ya think?” says GDA and he mumbles the words softly, pondering. “I’m not scared of dying and Iiiii, don’t really care. If it’s peace  . . . Yeah, yeah, yeah. I see it. I’m with you!” GDA rejoices. “And give me Pumpkins’ Bullet with Butterfly Wings!”

“Oooooh,” says I. “My second favorite song of all time after Stabbing Westward’s Save Yourself!”

Raphael moves to my right, leaning his left hand on the kitchen table and putting his right around my shoulder. He purveys what I’ve written here so far. He smells funny. He always does but I like it: musty and unwashed. GDA never notices. It’s just nice when Rafe comes inside. “Um . . . you guys realize what Valentines Day is about right?” Raphael says. “Being in love? Devotion? Passion?”

I look up at Raphael’s craggy, handsome face and GDA looks across at him as if there were some child-like recollection we’ve grown beyond and we blink and blink and finally GDA’s lip curls. “What???? No comprehende compadre!!”says GDA and looks back down at my screen and so do I. “Of course, put me down for Beast and the Harlot from Avenged Sevenfold!”

“Yet another magnificent moment!!!” I squeal and Raphael rolls his eyes and sighs and GDA and I think and think and let Rafe reflect a moment. “All right, all right,” Raphael says. “Put me down for Sixth Avenue Heartache by the Wallflowers.” GDA high-fives him and I giggle as I type this.

Raphael sings out, “Aaaaand She Talks to Angels by Black Crowes!” he is gaining enthusiasm and GDA slaps me again on the back and we call out “YESSSS!!!!” in unison. And Raphael screams, “and Beautiful Loser by your Cousin Bob Seger . . . !!!”

The three of us are bouncing and laughing and clapping with glee . . . and so it goes and so maybe let’s make that “Tripping Raul and GDA and Raphael’s Infinite Valentine’s Day Playlist.” Wicked fun!!!