Why Herb, why?

They say Los Angeles is a city of shattered dreams.

Exhibit A. -- The New Roads School on Olympic Blvd.

Correction -- The New Roads School, Herb Alpert Campus on Olympic Blvd.

For those of you too young to remember, Herb Alpert was a band leader in the 60's and 70's. He and his famed Tijuana Brass brought the sassy, salsa music of Mexico to mainstream America.

It was the kind of music the women in Mad Men would Cha-Cha-Cha too. My mother happened to be a huge Herb Alpert fan. But because my father didn't dance, she chose to vacuum to his music. The minute I heard those trumpets blaring I knew to lift my feet, lest they get mowed down by the 2.5 horsepower Electrolux.

Because she loved Herb Alpert so much, we had every one of his albums.

Including this one:

And that's where the dream shattering comes in.

You see, I can't and I won't, tie Herb Alpert together with the image of educating young children. It ruins the dreamy recollections of my first girlfriend.

If memory serves, this album cover and I went steady for a good six months.