Right before I left work Steve called from Nashville. We had a nice chat, and got caught up.
Leaving work, I had a voice mail message from Irene. She was in distress, unfortunately from 9 o’clock this morning. I rang her back, but she was at school, and couldn’t talk. She said she’d call me back later.
There was a nasty accident in the center lane of I-40 just East of the Miami Blvd exit. It was a zoo getting onto I-40 from that exit, but once you got past that accident, it was wide open all the way to Raleigh.
I got a good parking spot — in the lot right across the street from Thompkins. Sitting in the hall before class, I was listening to the instructor in the class next door to ours:
“Okay, absences. You need to be here when class starts. Not 5 seconds, 8 seconds or 10 seconds after. If you’re even 1 second late, that will count as a half an absence.
“You need to stay awake in class. If I see your eyes closed, that’s a half an absence. If I have to say your name, that’s a full absence. This subject is boring, I know that. I can only do so much to make it interesting. Do what you have to do to stay awake.
“As you see, we have computers on each desk. No games, no AIMing, no surfing. If I see you doing any of those things, it’s points off your participation.”
She went on and on and on with her list of rules. My god. I have to believe that the list of what they could do was shorter. I hope that’s an undergraduate class.
A lot of the “usual suspects” are in this class: ENG 508 Usability Studies for Technical Communication. Amelia, Lars, Heather, Courtney, Rick, Megan, Tanya, Will, and I probably have missed someone. When Lars came up to say hello, he actually kissed me on the cheek. I love when straight men are that comfortable with their sexuality to do that. It looks like his 3-week vacation in Hawaii really suited him. He is totally tanned. The day before he left, he went on a first date with a woman that he fell head over heels for, and he even flew back NYE to spend with her. He was just glowing talking about her. I hope it works out.
Class was okay — your typical somewhat clunky, “Who I Am and Why I’m Here,” going over the syllabus, and a short lecture. Class ended about 15 minutes early. I checked my emails from there, then walked over to El Rodeo and had dinner — a Taco Salad.
I had some short AIM convos with Steve, Joe, and Tanya. Irene called back, and we caught up. I’m off to bed in a minute.
Oh, here’s the songs on the CDs I ordered over the weekend:
Disc 1
1 Sexual Healing Marvin Gaye 4:03
2 Power of Love/Love Power Luther Vandross 6:44
3 Turn Off the Lights Teddy Pendergrass 5:55
4 Shining Star The Manhattans 4:41
5 After the Love Has Gone Earth, Wind and Fire 4:30
6 Baby Come to Me Regina Belle 4:12
7 Don’t Say Goodnight (It’s Time for Love) (Parts 1 & 2) The Isley Brothers 5:47
8 Juicy Fruit Mtume 4:33
9 Shake You Down Gregory Abbott 4:07
10 Me and Mrs. Jones Billy Paul 4:49
11 How ‘Bout Us Champaign 4:37
12 Always and Forever Heatwave 6:16
13 Betcha by Golly, Wow The Stylistics 3:18
14 Shower Me with Your Love Surface 4:56
15 If You Don’t Know Me by Now Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes 3:28
Disc 2
1 Reasons Earth, Wind and Fire 5:00
2 Lean on Me Bill Withers 4:20
3 You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine Lou Rawls 3:34
4 Can You Stop the Rain Peabo Bryson 5:04
5 Here and Now Luther Vandross 5:24
6 Make It Like It Was Regina Belle 4:02
7 Kiss and Say Goodbye The Manhattans 3:33
8 Best of My Love The Emotions 3:42
9 Have You Seen Her The Chi-Lites 5:09
10 Caravan of Love Isley, Jasper, Isley 5:43
11 Woman to Woman Shirley Brown 3:55
12 Cowboys to Girls The Intruders 2:36
13 Close Your Eyes Peaches and Herb 2:36
14 Let Me Make Love to You The O’Jays 3:40
15 When Will I See You Again The Three Degrees 3:00
Disc 3
1 Let’s Get It On Marvin Gaye 4:53
2 Cruisin’ Smokey Robinson 5:54
3 It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me Barry White 6:56
4 Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) The Temptations 3:50
5 Three Times a Lady Commodores 3:39
6 You Make Me Feel Brand New The Stylistics 4:46
7 You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song) Jeffrey Osborne 4:27
8 I’ll Make Love to You Boyz II Men 3:57
9 Save the Best for Last Vanessa Williams 3:42
10 On My Own Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald 4:49
11 Love You Down Ready for the World 6:29
12 Get Here Oleta Adams 4:36
13 Joanna Kool and the Gang 4:23
14 I Feel Good All Over Stephanie Mills 5:01
15 Ooo Baby Baby The Miracles 2:44
Disc 4
1 Being with You Smokey Robinson 4:06
2 Playing Your Game, Baby Barry White 3:37
3 Distant Lover Marvin Gaye 4:15
4 If Only You Knew Patti LaBelle 4:47
5 I Believe in You and Me The Four Tops 4:00
6 I’ll Be Good to You The Brothers Johnson 4:43
7 Just to Be Close to You Commodores 6:23
8 Special Lady Ray, Goodman and Brown 4:16
9 Love Ballad L.T.D. 4:35
10 Sweet Thing Rufus featuring Chaka Khan 3:21
11 Float On The Floaters 4:14
12 Stay in My Corner The Dells 6:11
13 In the Rain The Dramatics 5:07
14 Hey There Lonely Girl Eddie Holman 3:35
15 The Bells The Originals 3:01
Disc 5
1 I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) Otis Redding 2:58
2 Oh Girl The Chi-Lites 3:31
3 Something He Can Feel Aretha Franklin 6:19
4 I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) Michael McDonald 3:41
5 Through the Fire Chaka Khan 4:47
6 Miss You Like Crazy Natalie Cole 3:54
7 Let’s Do It Again The Staple Singers 3:29
8 Always Atlantic Starr 4:02
9 What You Won’t Do for Love Bobby Caldwell 4:47
10 Giving You the Best That I Got Anita Baker 4:16
11 If Ever You’re in My Arms Again Peabo Bryson 4:12
12 I’ll Be Around The Spinners 3:13
13 Sideshow Blue Magic 4:14
14 Nite and Day Al B. Sure! 4:00
15 Love Won’t Let Me Wait Major Harris 5:33
Disc 6
1 Close the Door Teddy Pendergrass 5:29
2 Just the Two of Us Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers 7:24
3 Rainy Night in Georgia Brook Benton 3:52
4 Sweet Love Anita Baker 4:25
5 One in a Million You Larry Graham 4:11
6 Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do) Aretha Franklin 3:27
7 Thin Line Between Love and Hate The Persuaders 3:24
8 Baby, I’m Yours Barbara Lewis 2:31
9 (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right Luther Ingram 3:34
10 Love on a Two-Way Street The Moments 3:46
11 Pillow Talk Sylvia 4:06
12 Hypnotized Linda Jones 2:37
13 Baby, Come to Me Patti Austin and James Ingram 3:37
14 Natural High Bloodstone 4:07
15 When a Man Loves a Woman Percy Sledge 2:51
Disc 7
1 Midnight Train to Georgia Gladys Knight and the Pips 4:40
2 Any Love Luther Vandross 5:01
3 La La Means I Love You The Delfonics 3:21
4 I Like the Way (The Kissing Game) Hi-Five 5:45
5 I’ll Never Love This Way Again Dionne Warwick 3:29
6 Groove Me King Floyd 3:01
7 You Are My Starship Norman Connors 4:32
8 Everybody Plays the Fool The Main Ingredient 3:21
9 Going in Circles The Friends of Distinction 4:14
10 Do What You Do Jermaine Jackson 4:27
11 I Do Love You GQ 4:47
12 Dream Merchant The New Birth 4:27
13 Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me Gladys Knight and the Pips 3:46
14 I’m Your Puppet James and Bobby Purify 3:02
15 Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) The Delfonics 3:24
Disc 8
1 Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) Freddie Jackson 7:13
2 Let’s Stay Together Al Green 3:41
3 Misty Blue Dorothy Moore 3:37
4 Come Go with Me Teddy Pendergrass 5:50
5 I’ve Got Love on My Mind Natalie Cole 4:21
6 She’s Gone Tavares 3:41
7 Tell It Like It Is Aaron Neville 2:41
8 Lady The Whispers 5:05
9 Lovin’ You Minnie Riperton 3:25
10 That’s the Way I Feel About ‘Cha Bobby Womack 5:11
11 It’s You That I Need Enchantment 6:03
12 I’m So into You Peabo Bryson 5:50
13 You Are My Lady Freddie Jackson 4:43
14 L-O-V-E (Love) Al Green 3:03
15 Sukiyaki A Taste of Honey 3:43
Disc 9 (Duets)
1 Put It On Paper Ann Nesby featuring Al Green 05:07
2 Don’t Look Any Further Dennis Edwards featuring Siedah Garrett 04:06
3 Hope That We Can Be Together Soon Sharon Paige and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes 03:43
4 Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell 02:16
5 I’m Gonna Make You Love Me Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations 03:10
6 Ain’t Understanding Mellow Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager 04:24
7 Endless Love Diana Ross and Lionel Richie 04:31
8 You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show) Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. 03:54
9 Reunited Peaches and Herb 04:02
10 Solid Ashford and Simpson 03:47
11 Tonight, I Celebrate My Love Peabo Bryson with Robera Flack 03:33
12 Two Hearts Stephanie Mills featuring Teddy Pendergrass 04:42
Disc 10 (Duets)
1 It Takes Two Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston 02:59
2 Love Power Dionne Warwick and Jeffrey Osborne 04:36
3 A Little Bit More Melba Moore (Duet with Freddie Jackson) 04:57
4 Never Knew Love Like This Alexander O’Neal featuring Cherrelle 05:12
5 If This World Were Mine Cheryl Lynn with Luther Vandross 05:25
6 The Last Time I Made Love Jeffrey Osborne featuring Joyce Kennedy 03:08
7 Your Smile Rene and Angela 04:03
8 How Do You Keep The Music Playing James Ingram and Patti Austin 04:19
9 I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) Aretha Franklin and George Michael 04:03
10 Fire And Desire Rick James and Teena Marie 07:21
11 Where Do We Go From Here Stacy Lattisaw with Johnny Gill 04:19
12 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell 02:29