Roommate Bonding

Jake and I had our first Out-of-the-Apartment Bonding Experience this weekend. We've gone out before for drinks or dinner but his girlfriend also came, so they were more Third Wheel Experiences.

We went to the Brewers/Cardinals game. I won the contest for who would spot the first mullet so Jake bought me a beer. It was a good game but extremely long. The hot dog race was at 9:30!

Jake drove and on the way home, he had the difficult job of selecting music. Remember, we've only known each other less than a month so we're still figuring out where each other stands. It's way too early to bring out the Bananarama music or the Beauty & the Beast soundtrack. (Just kidding, Ray, it's never too early to reveal to your freshman year roommate that you can sing Belle's opening number in its entirety, yet you still can't distinguish between the Beatles and U2.) So far Jake and I have been playing it safe at home. We stick to pretty neutral stuff, macho but not insulting. Jake has been playing his classic rock - the Boss, Mellencamp, maybe some Elton. I've been sticking with current cool music - Maroon 5, White Stripes, Johnny Cash. (Notice neither of us are playing women. I waited till he left today to pop in my Dixie Chicks CD.) At home, selecting one CD out of 30 is safe. It's not saying "no" to 29, but saying "yes" to a specific choice.

However, choosing music in the car is a different story. Songs come on the radio randomly and, in a moment, one must decide if it's good or bad. Are the oldies considered goodies? Is rap crap? What about Rod Stewart - cool or tool? Cory almost moved our of our apartment Junior year when he heard me playing a James Taylor album; I didn't make that mistake twice.

On our ride home, Jake was doing fine until he stopped at a station playing Wham's "Wake me Up Before you Go-Go." I was sure this was going to be nixed, but he didn't change the station. In fact, he said, "I don't care. I like this song. We'll keep it on." I was so surprised that I didn't stop to think before I said the first thing in my head: "Choose Life." I didn't think he'd get the reference but he did, and we talked about the music video and where "the other guy" is now.

As "Go-Go" was winding down I asked, "How are they going to top that off?"

"They'll come up with something."

And as the opening beats of "Come On, Eileen" were thumping, we knew the station certainly had. Poor old Johnny Rae...


On my way to the gym the next morning I tried that station again and heard Kenny Loggins's "Footloose." I car-danced the whole way to the swimming pool.