Sunny Hours

I’ve only got the sunny hours, brightest hours of day
I never count the gloomy hours, I let them slip away

I promised you all a bonus gangster rap song, but after much looking and soul searching (and let’s be honest—laughing my ass off at some of the lyrics) I decided to go a bit more mellow and use something that really “spoke” to me.

My parents were married 46 years when my dad passed away from colon cancer.  That was eight years ago and my mom still lives in the house they bought in Seal Beach back in 1969.  That would make me 40-ish.  More “ish” than 40, but that’s cool.  I’m good with that.  I’m the hippest, raddest daddy at Drama Queen’s middle school and I’m all the way cool with that.   Fo shizzle.

If you look at a map, when you head south from Los Angeles, Long Beach is the last city in L.A. County and Seal Beach is the first city in The O.C.  That makes them neighbors and also means that I spent many of my younger years kickin it in The LBC.  “The LBC” wasn’t a term used when I was a youth, it’s a term coined by Snoop D-Oh-Double Gee many years later.  I enjoy using the term “The LBC” because the reality is that I have a bit of the Crackah Gangstah in me.  I’m proud of that.  If you don’t like it, you know where the back button is.

I loved Sublime when they were around and after Sublime I became a fan of the Long Beach Dub All Stars (LBDAS).  Bud Gaugh was the drummer for both Sublime and LBDAS and for a period of time his mother dated a close friend of mine, The Carpenter, and as such I was invited to a few BBQs, birthday parties and what not.

Sunny Hours is a big fav not only for the beat, but also for the message.  Like everyone else in the world, I’ve had some ups and downs.  It’s part of the deal of being alive.  You go through good times.  You go through bad times.  You deal with both the best you can.

Over the years I’ve learned not to judge people by the way they look.  Check out the people in the video.  The natural reaction of many would be to call them, thugs, gang bangers or losers.  Not necessarily the case.  The Carpenter’s kids fit this mold as do the majority of their friends.  I’ve known The Carpenter since his kids were 10-12 years old and they are all in their late 20s and early 30s and all are amongst the coolest and closest friends I’ve ever had.  They would give you their last dollar if it would help you out and never once ask when they were getting it back!

My favorite memories are of hanging out with them in either Carpenter’s back yard or the backyard of his daughter Hot Mama and her husband Bone (don’t ask about that name…) the last Christmas morning Drama Queen and I spent in Long Beach before moving to Toronto was spent at Hot Mama and Bones place.  Around 9 AM about 25 of their friends gathered in their garage for pancakes, mimosas and a bit of potluck.

I love my mom, my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and my new niece that I’ve never seen in person, but the reality is that Carpenter, his three kids, Bone and their friends are as much my family as my real family.   Our nights sitting around a bonfire at Bolsa Chica or grabbing the big booth which seats eight (ten if you squeeze) at the Harbor House Café are some of my best California memories.

Sunny Hours totally is the anthem of how I try and look at things.  I totally believe the phrase “shit happens”, but I also believe that its how we deal with that shit that makes us who we are.  I believe that if I try and find the good in situations that I’ll be happier and that I’ll be a better person.

In a recent blog post I alluded to the fact that a few years ago I went through some fairly serious health problems.  There were periods of time when I needed a lot of help with simple things and this “family” of mine was there to help whenever I needed it.  I know they would do anything to help me and they know that I would do the same in return.  We’re good like that.

I know that I’m sarcastic, crass, rude, obnoxious and lots of other colorful terms.  You may be surprised to see that this is how I look at life; if that’s the case then I apologize, because maybe I’m not portraying myself properly.

In the past I’ve said I’m a part-time douchebag.  Totally true.

My Twitter profile says “I’m like ice cream ‘cuz I’m cool and sweet”.  Also true.

The other day I mentioned to someone that I was like an M & M—hard on the outside, but sweet on the inside.  Completely true!

When I decided I wanted to do a Music Week theme I thought it would be a lot of fun, and it’s been a blast!  I had no clue that I would be sharing so much of who I really am.  That’s cool, though.  I have no problem with all of you seeing the real J.R.  I can cuss with the best of them and mock the shit out of people who deserve it, but I can also be the best friend you’ve ever had.

When I came home from work tonight I thought I had a song picked out.  It was by Snoop & Dre (DO NOT click on the link if you are offended by, well, pretty much anything) and even by my standards it was filthy and borderline offensive.  Seriously!  I emailed The Blogger Hottie to ask her “will I burn in hell for this?”  She checked out the song and asked me if that was what I wanted my blog to be about.  If it was, then go for it.  This is what I sent back to her:

“I already had my answer.  I needed you to confirm it.  I love you”

Well I’ve strolled across some dance floors filled with girls all dressed in red
Pulled my foot from my mouth answered back to things I’ve said
Wandered through the valley of the shadow of the dead
Stumbled round this old sundial, there these words I read
I’ve only got the sunny hours, brightest hours of day
I never count the gloomy hours, I let them slip away

J.R.

P.S.  Yes.  That is Will I. Am from Black Eyed Peas singing on the track.  The pool in the video is from the Bud’s mom’s backyard, where we had a couple of those off-the-hook BBQs. It’s about a 5 minute walk from where Drama Queen and I lived for seven years.