Learn to croon….

Those of you over the age of about 45 or so may remember “The Little Rascals,” and in particular, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer. Alfalfa was a freckle-faced, tall, skinny boy with black hair parted in the center, and an impossible cowlick on his crown that always stood up straight. When he wasn’t pursuing Darla, Alfalfa was singing, if you could call it that. Alfalfa’s singing voice was always on the verge of puberty – he rarely came close to hitting the note, and his voice would crack and squeak. The joke was that everyone thought Alfalfa was the next Bing Crosby, and he even once beat out his frenemy Butch, despite Butch’s virtuoso violin playing. My favorite Alfalfa songs were “Learn to Croon,” “There’s an echo (yoohoo!)” and “I’m in the Mood for Love.”

One month after my thyroidectomy, I’m back to all normal activities, including biking. I’m feeling good, and am getting used to Armour Thyroid (which we’ll talk about separately). The only thing not to come back, so far, is my voice; my surgeon informed me last week that my right vocal cord is weak, and may take months to recover. I can speak, but if I go above a certain area of my voice, I crack and squeak. My once-excellent singing voice (he said, modestly) sounds suspiciously like Alfalfa’s. I can now sing just like the old boy without bothering to do an impression. I thought I’d post a before and after video comparison:

Before:

After:

Advertisement