Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windshield.

(Photo credit: Shannon Leigh Dolan photo of Lisa Rabaglia, Katie O'Connor Arts High 1995)

A few months back by boss had changed her IM message to say that she was listening to Owl City and loving it. I hadn't heard of this Owl City before and looked it up to find out it was a fella from Owatana, MN who was in fact very popular. After reading the following expert on Wikipedia I thought I would have a listen.

Owl City's third album Ocean Eyes was released on iTunes July 14, 2009, with the physical release following on July 28, 2009. The album debuted at #27 on the Billboard 200. Owl City has released four singles, "Hello Seattle", "Hot Air Balloon", "Strawberry Avalanche", and "Fireflies".^[7] "Fireflies" topped the US and Canadian charts and became the most-downloaded song on iTunes in the US. Ocean Eyes reached the top ten on the US album charts and topped the US electronic charts and also reached Amazon MP3's top 10 most downloaded album list. By December 2009, it was certified Gold in the United States. On 17 January 2010, Owl City reached the number 2 spot in the UK Top 40 Singles chart with "Fireflies".

His music reminded me the Postal Service, but not as good and I dismissed it. It sounded like the kind of music a 15 year old angsty teen trapped in the suburbs of Apple Valley would love. It dawned on me that I was much too old for lyrics like this:

The stars lean down to kiss you,

And I lie awake I miss you,

Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere.

Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly,

But I'll miss your arms around me

I'll send a postcard to you dear,

Cause I wish you were here.

So I forgot all about Owl City. Until Tuesday when I was watching the telly and the video for Fireflies came on. What a cute little video it was. You've got Adam Young playing the keyboard and singing in a bedroom full of cool retro toys. The next day at work I looked up the song on Spotify and became hooked on it.

The song and the video remind me of being an angsty teen at the Arts High and I am a sucker for nostalgia. If only I still had my retro lunch box, baby t's and bib overalls. It also reminds me of summers in Windom, Minnesota and going to the Dairy Queen for fresh raspberry milkshakes and those were good days.