We Want the Funk

4:30 in the afternoon is the time of day when I am fighting the urge to text Dave with "WHAT TIME WILL YOU BE HOME" (I know that he will text back "5:30" just like every other weekday), and to put Ellen in front of a Thomas the Train episode, put Cecilia in her jumper, and put a little Bailey's in my fourth cup of coffee. 

I fight those urges with my iPod.  Music is a great way to make time go by, since you can always make it through "one more song."  Your painfully slow post-nap (or - horror - napless) afternoon can be measured and tolerated in delightful three or four minute increments.  After singing along to several songs you can look at the minute-hand's new position, mutter a satisfied "yesss" while doing an inconspicuous fist-pump, and then sing some more.  And if you get a nice long one in the mix like "Stairway to Heaven" or "Layla" (Derek and the Dominos, NOT Clapton Unplugged) or Frampton's live "Do You Feel Like I Do" then the updated minute-hand position might be so satisfying as to justify a dance around the room to some Bee Gees and Jackson 5.  The girls and I have enjoyed such revelry on many occasions.

But you gotta watch what's in your music library.   

I usually choose a safe playlist like "Ellen's Faves" for these afternoon parties.  But the other day I decided that for fun I'd do a shuffle.  We started with a few nice suprises which we hadn't heard in a while, such as Tiffany's cover of "I Think We're Alone Now" (shout-out sixth grade), Pure Prairie League's "Amie" and "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg.

After that: the title track from Red Hot Chili Pepper's album Blood Sugar Sex Magik.    

I wasn't able to get over to the iPod before it caught Ellen's ear because she said, "ooh, what's this one called?"  I decided to give her an abridged title.  "It's called Magik" [with a k], I told her.  She didn't believe me.  "It's not called Magik...what is it?"  "Yes it is," I said, "it's called Magik.  Let's go to another one.  Should we JUMP?" [with Van Halen].  "No, don't turn it off, don't turn it off!" she squealed as I got closer to the speaker.  She started dancing around.  "Do you like this one?" I asked.  "YES," she said as she wiggled around with her hands in the air.  "Does it have a cool guitar riff?" I asked.  "It DOES," she said.

Well, she's right.  I let it go.  We danced into her room and during the chorus I chatted her up about her stuffed animals and which she'll bring to pajama day at preschool next week.  For the rest of the song, Tony Kiedis is in a vocal fry and really doesn't have any inappropriate vocab for a three-year old.  Maybe some explicit ideas...but they'll go over her head.  Yes?