Tunesday : Total Eclipse of the Heart

Total Eclipse of the Heart

(Steinman, S) Performed by Bonnie Tyler

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit lonely
And you're never coming round

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by

(Turn around)
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your eyes

(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then I fall apart
(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then
I fall apart

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit restless
And I dream of something wild

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit helpless
And I'm lying like a child in your arms

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit angry
And I know I've got to get out and cry

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I get a little bit terrified
But then I see the look in your eyes

(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then
I fall apart
Turn around, bright eyes
Every now and then
I fall apart

And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
'Cause we'll never be wrong

Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)

I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks

I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
(Forever's gonna start tonight)

Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart

Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart

(Turn around, bright eyes)
(Turn around, bright eyes)

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I know you'll never be the boy
You always wanted to be

(Turn around)
But every now and then
I know you'll always be the only boy
Who wanted me the way that I am

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I know there's no one in the universe
As magical and wondrous as you

(Turn around)
Every now and then
I know there's nothing any better
There's nothing that I just wouldn't do

(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then I fall apart
(Turn around, bright eyes)
Every now and then I fall apart

And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
'Cause we'll never be wrong

Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)

I don't know what to do
I'm always in the dark
Living in a powder keg and giving off sparks

I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
(Forever's gonna start tonight)

Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart

Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart

A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart

(Turn around, bright eyes)
(Turn around, bright eyes)
(Turn around)

So, yeah, this is a totally unoriginal song choice for the day after a solar eclipse - and especially since it was only at 70% from where we live, and it can be argued, didn't affect me much - but sometimes the unoriginal choice feels like the only choice; and especially when I've felt so uninspired lately. I couldn't be bothered to write a Tunesday post for the past two weeks, and I've noticed over the past couple of summers that I'm less interested in picking up my life story in the summers; maybe it's a leftover from my school days; I must resist "homework" outside of the normal school calendar. So, I'm just going to use this week as a summer recap.

I already wrote about Kennedy's graduation from university, but her celebration included the first pool party of the year, and with everyone from her Granny to her Uncle Ken and Aunt Lolo jumping in the water with her, this felt like the beginning of summer to me (who watched from the gazebo, like the dry and cosy spoilsport I am).

Despite it being Canada's 150th, this year's Canada Day celebrations were the same for us as ever: watching the world's largest Canada Day parade make its way down King Street, heading to Riverside Park in the evening for fireworks. Although it rained in between both events, we remained happy and dry; made our usual quick exit from the park and beat the traffic (oh, the things that please me: I want to be a part of things, but with zero inconvenience).

The day after my second cataract surgery, we made our way up to Sauble Beach, as has become tradition. With both girls only able to come for a few days because of work and other commitments, Dave and I headed up first; enjoyed some local craft beer on a patio across from the beach. We would spend several evenings on this patio over the course of the week, enjoying the fact that both girls are now old enough to join in.

This high ropes course was new at Sauble Beach this year, and although Dave, Kennedy, and I thought it looked like way too much work to be fun, Mallory and Sarah were excited to try. They spent an hour or so challenging themselves on what looked to be impossible obstacles, and opted to do the jump at the end instead of walking down the three flights of stairs from the top on their exhausted, quivering legs. 

We brought Peaches with us (we only "rescued" her last September, so this was her first opportunity to come along) and it was fun to watch her swim in circles at the end of her leash (even if most of the beach is technically dog-free and she had to spend her days in the cottage; I'm thinking, as an indoors-dog, she preferred it that way). Sarah has been a fixture in our family for most of her life and she said during this photo that every time she's out with us she imagines that other families are looking at us and saying, "Isn't adoption great?" Smart aleck.

I had encouraged Mallory back in June to write an essay for a scholarship contest through my work, and I received an email while we were at Sauble saying that she was one of the five nationwide winners this year. It was cool to return to work after a month off (because of the cataract surgeries) to see her essay framed on the staff room table and a notice of congratulations tacked up on the bulletin board. Kennedy turned twenty-two last week, but despite having made her  the cherry chip cake that she requests every year, I didn't take a picture of her blowing out her candles - at the time it didn't feel necessary for a twenty-two year old's birthday, but now I regret it; she's special every year. We have been going to London every weekend to ready the inlaws' house for sale (the need for which I have written about), and between that and work and trying to read my stack of books, the summer is winding down fast.


Which brings us to yesterday and the eclipse.

 

Working at the bookstore, I was lucky enough to realise when people were starting to buy up the books and magazines we had in stock that had eclipse glasses in them, and get some for us, too, before they sold out. Also lucky enough to have been home during the day with both girls and experience the whole thing together. We sat out on the deck, looking up at the sun through the viewer every few minutes, and while the day only eventually became slightly dimmer than a usual summer's day, through the viewer we could clearly see the moon shadowing over the curve of the sun. In between our monitoring of the eclipse, Mal selected a playlist for our listening pleasure - and her first song was, indeed, Total Eclipse of the Heart, followed by Bad Moon on the Rise, and the theme song from Little Shop of Horrors (great choices!); eventually just reverting to her Halloween playlist with The Monster Mash and Love Potion #9 (less great choices!) Then Mal read us a bunch of bad eclipse jokes - and I thought the "No, son" joke was so terrible/corny/good and reminded me of the Rick-Grimes-Dad-Joke-Meme that I had to make that image up there to put on my facebook (despite both girls warning me that "that meme is dead". I got my likes anyway.) Mallory also read us info on what the ancients thought was happening during an eclipse, so when our experience was at its projected height, Mal ran inside to grab pots and wooden spoons "in order to chase away the dragon that is eating the sun" like the early Chinese people would do. The neighbours can thank us later.

Dave was asking me last night if I remember the eclipse of 1979 - and I do, but not in much detail. I have an overall memory of it being more or less total; that I was eleven and it happened on a school day; that we made those pin hole boxes in class to watch it through. I think one or both of my brothers had brought welding goggles from home to watch it with. But other than in pictures, I didn't remember seeing what it actually looks like when the moon is blocking out the curve of the sun; it didn't make that big of an impression on me. Which is weird, because it's a big, communal, historically devastating event; I found it weird that so many people could have shrugged about the eclipse this year as though it's ordinary and mundane. It's good and proper that it doesn't cause fear or superstition anymore, but it's still a pretty cool phenomenon that we short-lived humans will only see a few times if we're lucky; maybe experience a total eclipse once or twice. I don't know how you shrug that off - which I kind of did when I was a kid. Which leaves me pleased that the girls and I had made a small event out of it yesterday.

And that's the summer that was.