Natalie

My Beloved Wife

Being a huge Natalie Merchant fan I was probably aware of her song “Beloved Wife” from her solo debut album, Tigerlily, but I didn’t really connect with it until a couple years ago when the confluence of Donna’s ALS, our fast approaching 50th wedding anniversary and Radio Paradise added it to their rotation brought it to the forefront.

If I was going to have an actual service for Donna this would have been the only song that I would have had played at it. Of course, Donna died a few days short of our 48th wedding anniversary, but this tune would still be a perfect fit because we knew each other a couple of years before we tied the knot.

On a side note, there was another song that was an attention getter for me in Radio Paradise’s mellow mix rotation for the last year or so called Harmony Hall by the group Vampire Weekend. Probably wouldn’t have played it at any service, but there is a line in there that gets repeated about a half a dozen times and it was a little too on point for me, “I don’t wanna live like this, but I don’t wanna die.”

Fourth Favorite Natalie

For the last 4 or 5 years we worked at the Valve Store™ we had a an HR Manager named Natalie Zeitoun. And like every other HR Manager that worked there after the guy who did it before Emerson Electric bought ASCO, she was a young up and coming Emerson hot shot on their way up the corporate ladder (not that there is anything wrong with that.)

One day she visited my department area to, you know, seem friendly and concerned with the happiness of the “associates.” When she passed by my cubicle she asked, “How’s my favorite manufacturing engineering draftsman?” I’m the only one that fits that job title. I replied, “I’m great, but I hate to tell you this, but your only number 4 on my list of favorite Natalies.” “Oh, who are the first three?”, she asked. “Well, lets see, at number one is of course, Natalie Merchant. And while I love everything Natalie Merchant does, this recent concert were she does several songs in duets with Abena Koomson-Davis are really outstanding.

Number Two is Natalie Hurley who was a character in the Aaron Sorkin TV show Sports Night which folded after 2 years:

And coming in at Number 3 is Natalie Portman, AKA Miss Elizabeth Swan in TDPM1:

My 4th favorite Natalie took it in stride, and retorted with I was actually only her second favorite Brian here at ASCO, she likes Brian Howell, a Quality Engineer, a lot better.

17 miles to the Running Y Ranch for a tandem ride.
Times Miata Driven since 01/01/22: 34