My parents had a quirky sense of humor. One of the comics they came across was the brilliant Tom Lehrer. In the late 1950s when there were so few choices for home entertainment (only 3 TV channels and no internet), many a night we listened to the plinking piano tunes of Tom Lehrer from our stereo.

To this day I chuckle every time I think about songs like “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,” “The Vatican Rag,” “The Elements,” and “Oedipus Rex.” And my favorite line from all the songs “soon we’ll be sliding down the razor blade of life” which was the refrain in “Bright College Days.”

Listening to these songs over and over in my early teens is probably why I have such a warped sense of humor today. Listening to these songs while putting together this blog post is a wonderful way to remember so fondly the evenings with my parents, Harry and Marge Walter.