Maydaied!

Erect the Maypole!
Dance around in your skivvies!
Uh oh! The police!


Well, we've made it to May. In most parts of the northern hemisphere, today marks the end of cold weather and the start of sunny days, thunderstormy nights, and an ever-rising humidity that will cause us to question life come late July. In parks around the country, parades will take place to signal the arrival of happy, warmer times. Families will start making their summer vacation plans today as their minds all turn towards the lazy months that lie ahead.
Luckily, here in Minnesota, we still have snow possible in the coming weekend's forecast. Snow. I really need to move.
Anywho, it's hard not to enjoy the arrival of May. The temps stay over 60 degrees consistantly, the windows are open, the furnace is turned off, and people walk outside wearing things ridiculous articles of clothing, such as man-capris and off-the-shoulder t-shirts.
Meanwhile, my closet transitions from long-sleeve button-down shirts to short-sleeve button down shirts. I'll start developing that lovely lower-arm tan any day now. I can't wait.

The larger change that May brings happens in my CD player. For the past few weekends, I've taken out the brooding albums that have inhabited my stereo systems for the past half-year and placed in poppier, more sing-alongable recordings. Early Ramones, some New Pornographers, a little bit of Stevie Wonder - all of this has become immensely popular to me. Mid-term Beatles also does a heck of a job fitting in to this temperate climate. Baby, you can certainly drive my car! Let's go nowhere, man!
However, I pose to you this: what am I missing? What song, album or artist is essential to the longer days of spring time? I need to know, either to add to my collection or to quietly judge you, depending on whether Mariah Carey is included in your response or not.

Anywho, I should be off. The lawn needs attention before it's dusted with snow again. Before I depart, here's Today's Joke:
Pittsburgh named nation's sootiest city, but LA remains the most polluted
A city outside California has for the first time been named the sootiest in the nation, one of the categories the American Lung Association uses to determine the most polluted cities in the country.
Pittsburgh overtook Los Angeles in the category that measures short-term particle pollution or soot. Los Angeles, the country's longtime soot and smog leader, has enacted aggressive measures to tackle sources of pollution, resulting in a substantial drop in particle pollution levels, said Janice Nolen, the association's assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy.
Meanwhile, according to Nolen, Pittsburgh has been shooting metric tons of soot into the air above the city.
"It's like (the city of Pittsburgh) just wanted to win an award," said Nolan.
The mayor of Pittsburgh has scheduled a mid-day parade from PNC Park to Alleheny General Hospital in celebration of Pittsburgh's new status as "national soot leader."

Yay!


Tomorrow!