Pretty Sure I'm Dead

MORE POSTSCRIPT TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

     Four years later, October 3, 2023, I'm still in paradise and have discovered even more clues. A couple of Christmases ago, we went to a crafts fair on the California side of the lake at a place called Valhalla, another afterlife reference. I can't remember if I mentioned that I live just above the Kingsbury grade. So, I'm not buried as deep as the kings who lie between me, and the valley known as heavenly.

Perhaps this is because I am in dog heaven. The conclusive evidence for this is the way my dog is treated. Everywhere we go people recognize and greet my dog. Even people I don't recognize. I believe my current dog is an incarnation of all my former dogs. Whereas all my former dogs were very obedient and always deferred to me, this current incarnation clearly thinks she is in charge. All the attention she gets provides little evidence to dispute this. After all, this is dog heaven, and I would not be here if it weren't for her.

Aside from all the place names and preferential treatment of dogs, the final clue this was heaven came earlier this year when I heard the voice of an angel singing in heavenly village at Basecamp Pizza. Her name is Nicole and despite what I was to learn later was a very hard life, she has the looks, smile, demeanor, and voice of an angel.

My wife and I frequented Basecamp even before we moved here five years ago because of the live music and great pizza. We now go every Tuesday, because ever since Covid, Casey's is closed on Tuesday. 

We only met Nicole earlier this year. Ironically, the first time I heard her sing, a group of rowdy tourists had requested a song she was not familiar with, but being the trooper she is, she tried it anyway. It was awful. She was focused on trying to read unfamiliar guitar chords on her cell phone and her singing was affected.

Much to my delight, everything she sang after that was quite lovely. After we got to know her, we learned that she was classically trained and was making the transition to folk and rock which required her to actually degrade her voice adding gravel and the less than pure tones people expect from those genres.

Hearing this I had to ask her if she was familiar with my favorite classical/pop song made famous by Andre Bocelli and Sarah Brightman "Time to Say Goodbye." Nicole not only knew it, but she had sung it with full orchestra and male accompaniment before a large audience. She gave me a brief sample and then broke my heart saying it really needed more accompaniment than just a guitar. She could tell I was disappointed; so, she said she'd try to find a karaoke accompaniment on her phone. She did and then she explained to the audience that although she'd rather not give less than a perfect rendition, she was going to try this for her biggest fan.  So, with her phone to the microphone, she sang the entire song. 

I got goose bumps. Even with the makeshift accompaniment, it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. When she finished, everyone stopped eating and stood up at their tables applauding and yelling, "bravo!" Even people just walking by stopped to listen and applaud. Despite all that she hasn't done it again, until...

This past Tuesday, we were sitting at the back of the outside eating area quite a way from the stage. At the next table was a lovely couple from Ohio who were equally as appreciative of Nicole as we were. We spoke briefly and as they were about to leave, I told them, "You should really hear her sing 'Time to Say Goodbye,' it will blow you away." The wife said that since they were about to leave, she'd request it. I said, "don't tell her I put you up to it."

The wife went up to the stage and said something to Nicole and Nicole gave me a dirty look and announced, "You've been talking to Joe." Her husband and my wife both shouted back that I'd had nothing to do with it. Then Nicole sang a shortened version with only guitar accompaniment. I was disappointed, but it was still beautiful. I wish we had filmed it so I could share it here. Instead, I've inserted the Bocelli/Brightman version which is almost as good. I listened to it again, trust me Nicole's voice is much better. If I could hear her sing it live with Bocelli and full orchestra, I'd know I'd graduated from dog heaven to the paradise reserved for the gods!  

President Biden vacationed here two months ago proof that this paradise is still just for dogs. Oh well at least we have beautiful scenery and Nicole. Thankfully, most of the tourists are like the couple from Ohio. Hopefully Biden doesn't come back. Most politicians end up in the other place. :-)

By popular demand I captured a video of Nicole.  I apologize that my recording doesn't do her voice justice and the pizza boxes are hardly the ideal backdrop and toward the end our server Lela crosses in front because she thought my wife wanted more wine.  The price you pay for live music, but it is worth it to hear the music in person.  I just wish I could have done a better job of capturing the experience for all of you.