I was in the car, had just grabbed my youngest kids from school, and we’re jammin’ out to “Scenario” by A Tribe Called Quest, when it hit me. How far back can I go with music before they lose interest? It happens with movies all the time, even from as recent as 20 years ago, they’re almost too slow to keep the kids’ attention.

I still love listening to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. I think of my grandparents’ music with fondness for them and the memories of the old days. But will my kids ever consider that era of music? I grew up hearing my stepdad blasting the Beach Boys through the house. Or my bio dad loudly (and out of tune) singing along to the Temptations. My mother and her Carley Simon! 🤦🏻‍♂️ 🤣 My wife will tell you about her Father’s love of famous Mexican singer Pedro Infante which has been passed on to her. But will those songs keep going?

My 16 year old definitely appreciates Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album. But it’s not like he has a library of 60’s and 70’s Rock.

So, how far back can any generation reach before the music just becomes unrecognizable? For popular music, you hit the wall about the year 1900. But realistically it’s probably not that far back.

Frank Sinatra still shows up at Christmas and Yankee Stadium — but is that the same as me sitting down to listen to Beethoven? Is there a shelf life? And does music actually skip a generation? Does it cycle now that we’ve covered so many genres? Are there are original genres left to create? That’s a fun discussion we should continue someday.

In the meantime, I built something.

Type in your birth year and see what comes up — the music that defined your generation, your parents' generation, and how far back your kids might realistically go before it all sounds like ancient history.

It's not scientific. It's just fun.

👉 Play the Generational Music Quiz

Episode 2 of “901 Bagby: Inside The Mayor’s Office” is live. This episode, recorded in late-march, breaks down Houston's $314 million in federal recovery funding, the new Emancipation facility opening in June that could make Houston the national model for addressing homelessness, the historic unveiling of Charlotte Baldwin Allen's statue honoring the city's founding mother, and how the city is gearing up for seven World Cup events — each one bigger than a Super Bowl! Have a listen:

Cockroaches are the toughest negotiators. It’s always on their terms. You should read the lease they asked me to sign. In my own house! 🤣

I hate cockroaches. Especially the way they sneak up on me. I’m working late, got the music going, and my peripheral vision catches something. Bam. There he is. Just standing there. Antennae swingin’ in the air. I make a move for my shoe and it’s off to the races.

The one that really used to get me was the cockroach hiding in the shower at 3 a.m. when I was getting ready for the news. Talk about waking up fast. I used to hit ’em with the hot water instead of trying to smash them and risk waking up the house.

The only amusing thing is when the cats get ahold of one. They’ll flip a roach on its back, watch it struggle to flip over, and the second it does — boom — flip it again. Over and over. Like a little game.

If you live in Houston, you don’t have a cockroach problem. You have a cockroach relationship.

We’ll save mosquitoes for later.

Pro Tip: Diatomaceous earth seems to work roaches, bed bugs, fleas, and all other kinds of crawling critters. 👉 Click Here for more info.

Sometimes I feel like I go through paper towels like I own the Brawny company. And then I think of my chef friends and their towel service at work. How nice must it be to have towel service?! My wife likes these Swedish dish cloths. (Try saying that five times fast.)

I assumed they weren't actually Swedish. I figured it had to be marketing. But, nope! Turns out a Swedish engineer invented them in 1949 by putting a sponge through a meat grinder. Only two factories in the world make them. 🤓

I do think an interesting business would be a residential kitchen towel delivery and cleaning service. A local dry cleaner could add this one easily! Come on, there's a delivery person for everything else these days, why not kitchen towels? You get a fresh crate every week. Clean up red wine, blueberries... what else stains big time in the kitchen? Anyway, just a thought as I run out to the garage for yet another roll of paper towels. Maybe in a future segment I'll compare the cost of paper versus cloth. But for now, I have a mess to clean up. 🤦🏻‍♂️ 😂

This week's money move: Swedish Dish Cloths on Amazon — one cloth replaces 17 rolls of paper towels. Do the math. *link is not sponsored*

I come from women who take care of their mothers. Growing up, my dad’s mom took care of his Nonna. My mom’s mom took care of my great-grandmother into her hundreds. And now I see my mother doing the same, as my only living grandparent approaches 103 this year. This isn’t a “be patient with your parents” lecture or a “time is precious” speech. This is for the caretakers.

I don’t have experience being a caretaker myself, so I won’t pretend to know what it’s like from the inside. But I see my mother navigating an aging parent, an aging spouse, and an aging self. And it’s a lot. Even with help, it’s a lot. So I write this to my mother — and to all of you in a similar situation:

“You’re amazing. The love and patience you show is incredible. Not everyone can do it, for many reasons. But you can. And you do. And it’s beautiful. But please don’t forget about yourself. Don’t forget to give yourself the same love and attention. The better you care for yourself, the better you can care for others. They need you to be the best version of yourself. And you deserve it.”

It occurred to me during a recent talk with my mother that this is yet another stage of life where we face the challenge of balancing our own needs with the needs of others. Spouse or parent — kids are exempt because we’d literally die for our kids — you don’t want to resent the time you gave because you ignored yourself. Because then you’re just old and angry.

I think my mother feels proud of the decisions she’s made with my grandmother. “Are you doing your best?” I asked on the way to the airport. “If my grandfather were still alive and knew all that you were doing, would he be proud of the effort? Are you doing at least as much for your mom as she did for hers?”

Yes, yes, and yes.

Then that’s beautiful.

Take a second and be proud of that.

If you’re in a similar situation and can honestly say the same, that’s wonderful. Not every family situation is the same, and not everyone’s barriers are the same. But for those carrying this weight right now, you’re not alone in it. And if you need some guidance or support, check out the links below.

Link: Houston Health Department Area Agency on Aging

Link: Texas Caregivers Support and Resources

Looking ahead to Fleet Week because the most fun you’ll have may be spread out! This particular event got my attention. In two Sundays (4/19), The Navy is bringing an LCAC hovercraft ashore right on the beach (yes, one of those massive air-cushion landing craft), the Coast Guard is running search-and-rescue demos over the water, and there'll be military working dog demonstrations. Cute puppies! 🐶 😂 But also, live music from the U.S. Navy Band.

They’ll have a bunch of military equipment on display. It's free, it's open to the public. More than a thousand sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen will be in town. This is the first time a Texas city has ever hosted Navy Fleet Week, and La Porte is going all out for it. Worth the drive.

Click below 👇

Sylvan Beach Event Info | General Fleet Week Houston 2026 Info