Last, First, Harder, Sadder

Alan and I were always sharing videos with each other in person or on Facebook. The last one he showed me was of a parody of Daft Punk. Hit the CC button for English subtitles.

 Of course, this was spoofing Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.

Alan really liked Daft Punk. On the same drive from Chicago to Madison where I played Fratres to him, he played one of their older works, Around the World for me. He was anxiously awaiting their new album.

When we were driving to Sioux City for Christmas last year, we stopped in Cedar Falls on the way and had Indian food for lunch. We were taking turns driving, and the passenger would play music. Alan was getting sleepy, but all my music was either weird or too calm to keep him up. He told me I had to hear this track, so we played it.

Because that's not weird.

I'm reminiscing about "the last ___ with Alan." It can be hard; would I have done something different if I knew it was the last time? What I'm really dreading is "the first ___ without Alan." All the little things -- the first long drive, the first grocery shopping excursion, the first time passing the place where I picked him up downtown -- those are hard enough. What about the first Thanksgiving? The first December 11 (his birthday)? The first Christmas?