I hate when you arrive at your destination just when one of your favorite songs that you haven’t heard in years and practically forgot existed comes on the radio. Do you 1) sit in the car and listen to the whole song, which is hardly as enjoyable (for some reason) as hearing it while your wheels are in motion, or 2) drive around the block, which feels forced, or 3) turn off the radio before the song is over because you’re late for work?

I had to choose number 3 today, when an old Chicago song came on, not one from the Peter Cetera era but from Chicago 18, with that replacement lead singer with the long curly hair. “Will you still love me for the rest of my life? I gotta lotta love that I don’t wanna let go.” I don’t know if I will still love you, because you’re not Peter, and because I have to turn you off now.

The only thing worse is when you flip to a new radio station only to find one of your favorite songs that you haven’t heard in years and practically forgot existed…come to an end.

Of course none of this should make a difference now that we all have iTunes and iPods and other iThings that allow us to hear all of those long forgotten songs at the click of a wheel…but there’s nothing like randomly stumbling onto a song you forgot existed. It’s like the difference between keeping a bowl of candy at your desk, candy you never touch because it’s always there and you can have it anytime, and finding a bowl of your favorite Hershey’s Miniatures (Krackels, if you have good taste) at your neighbor’s desk, where they’re like golden treasure and cause you to find excuses to talk to your neighbor six more times that afternoon.

Because I am not a celebrity (except sometimes in my own mind) and iTunes has refused to feature me on its Celebrity Playlists, I will offer my own version here, in my own writing space, where I call the shots.  Listening to this playlist at the gym this morning while sprinting my Christmas-cookie-stuffed heart out made me all happy and motivated and New Year’s fresh-feeling.  Lots of Glee and sunshine on this list.

“I Need a Silent Night” Amy Grant (because I do)

“Somebody to Love” (Glee Cast Version) (because it’s Gleeful)

“Sic ‘Em On a Chicken” Zac Brown Band (there’s a fast fiddle part in the middle that makes you want to sprint off the treadmill with energy)

“Proud Mary” (um, Glee Cast Version again)

“Jingle Bells” Amy Grant (not the version you’re thinking of; emphasis on the syncopation here)

“Lean On Me” (Er, Glee Cast Version)

“Waking Up in Vegas” Katy Perry (I just like the melody, okay?)

“Don’t Stop Believin’” (Proud to admit it, Glee Cast Version)

“Raining Sunshine” Miranda Cosgrove (sunshine!)

“Lemonade” Phil Vassar (Still trying to figure out all the lyrics, but I think they go: “Sometimes you’re the king, sometimes you rule; sometimes you’re the joker man playin’ the fool.  Sometimes you fit in, sometimes you’re just out of place.  Sometimes you fall, fall all the way down, sometimes you shoot over” — ? — “before you hit the ground, but you gotta play the game, so why play it safe?  Life’s about changes, lemons into lemonade.”) 

 “American Honey” Lady Antebellum (talks about summer a lot…mmmmm…and honey a lot…mmmmm)

“How You Live (Turn Up the Music)” Point Of Grace (got this one free on a CMA Music Fest promo card; nice message)

“Dancing In Circles” Love and Theft (my favorite new song and the perfect cooldown with eyes closed)

Downloaded Miranda Cosgrove’s “Raining Sunshine” from “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” this morning. I figured I could stand to catch a few drops of sunshine on my tongue today in between sneezes.

“Knock Three Times” by Tony Orlando & Dawn while jumping rope during Day 14 of Shape magazine’s boot camp.