Yacht Rock

Well, apparently, I've been living under a rock, or more appropriately, a yacht, when it comes to music. 

Last night, for the first time, I was introduced to a genre of music I didn't know existed- Yacht Rock. Well, actually, I was familiar with it, but only under its original name, soft rock. 

If you were born in the 1900s ( as the kids like to say), you probably remember the music of the mid-seventies into the mid-eighties. 

I learned there is an actual channel, 311, on Sirius radio that plays Yacht Rock. 

Probably one of the best examples of this style of music is Christopher Cross, one of my all-time favorites.  Remembering actual albums I owned, Little River Band and even Dan Fogelberg are included on the list. 

Artists like Steely Dan, Hall & Oats, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Seals & Croft, and Toto are also considered Yacht Rock. 

The term Yacht Rock was coined in 2005 by comedian J.D. Ryznar in a “mockumentary” about the soft rock of the previous era. The term was a play on the Southern California music industry and the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

It looks like I was only twenty years behind when it comes to the term, but I’ve got my radio preset on 311! 

Emergency Coke Float

Well, a real crisis was averted on Wednesday afternoon. Due to circumstances beyond our control, my youngest grandson and I could not go to Dairy Queen for his weekly treat. (His brothers were competing in UIL and we weren’t sure exactly when they would need to be picked up.)

So Mimi to the rescue. Taking inventory of the available resources, I proposed making a Coke float. The little one agreed, since it’s one of his DQ favorites, along with the vanilla shake. 

We scanned the garage refrigerator for Coke and found a lone Holiday Creamy Vanilla Coke hiding behind two Sprites. (I was to learn later why it was hiding.) 

I knew there were ice cream sandwiches in the kitchen fridge. Using the skill of a surgeon, I carefully cut off the outer chocolate cookie, leaving the pure vanilla goodness for the float.

To make it even more special, the pièce de résistance, was a fancy glass from his mother’s collection. Dropping the ice cream in the glass, followed by the creamy Coke made the perfect dessert. Adding a spoon and a straw and the boy was in sugary heaven. 

Later when I texted my daughter a picture of the masterpiece, she responded, “That’s not my last Creamy Vanilla Coke, is it?” 

Guilty as charged. She responded, “Good thing, I love that kid!”

Me too, me too!