MY LAST SUMMER in Kamia Residence Hall (1993) was spent in a basement room. Last, because the maximum dorm residency was 4 years (and I was about to overshoot that by a semester, being a shiftee); basement room because the dorm admin closed the other wings for summer and opened just the basement, for easy maintenance.

At first I felt claustrophobic; the room was smaller, less airy and was darker than my room at the second floor (which was at the corner, affording me not only lots of air and sunlight, but a state of the art paging system -- my friends only had to either throw small stones at the window or holler "Anne" to contact me). But then, having no choice, I settled. :)

ANYHOW, I had one of my best summers there, being roommates with Dione (hi, Doc) and another girl whose name escapes me at the moment, but whose face I vividly remember (I never forget a face) and whose collection of senti songs kept me company all those study nights. She was the one who introduced me to Clair Marlo ("Till They Take My Heart Away," and the lesser known, and whose-MP3-still-eludes-me "Lonely Nights") and Celine Dion.

Celine was an unknown then but I was struck by her musicality for one, and the -- you should have expected this -- sentimentality of the lyrics of her songs. One of my favorites from that tape (yes, CASETTE TAPE) is "If I Were You," whose MP3 I was able to download just the other night (thanks to LimeWire), after many years of searching. I'm listening to it right now (for the nth time since the download). If you want the MP3, drop me a note and I'd email you a copy. Here are the lyrics:
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IF I WERE YOU

She can feel you
Drifting far away
But she can't see through
What you do not say
Take a step back
Don't lose your ground
Remember how you felt before
And if you care about her
Show her that you're sure

If I were you
My prized possessions
Would be the ones I'd hold so close
'Cause when you lose your love
You lose what means the most

If I were you
I'd hold affection
Higher than any star in sight
Take this to heart
And you'll never part
These are the things that I would do
If I were you

Simple pleasures
The hardest to be found
Can't be measured
'Till they're not around

Maybe she'll go
Maybe she'll stay
But she'd rather go than fade away
Sometimes the sweetest sorrow
Is the saddest fate

If I were youI'd hold affection
Higher than any star in sight
Take this to heart
And you'll never part
These are the things that I would do
If I were you

Take a step back
Don't lose your ground
Remember how you felt before
And if you care about her
Show her that you're sure!

If I were youI'd hold affection
Higher than any star in sight
Take this to heart
And you'll never part
These are the things that I would do
If I were you

Take this to heart
You'll never part
These are the things that I would do
If I were you...