Appleknocker Fun

 

I leave the girl with Ross five minutes (well, maybe it was two, OK, three hours) and this happens.  And I’m curious how much he helped when it was time for getting the stuff out of her hair.

But to his credit, he was the one taking pictures of my kids having big fun when my hands were full of balloon animals, free bags of books (thanks to Karen and company), lemon shake-up, and taco in a bag. 

And did I mention, Caroline’s 100 yard dash ribbon?!  Yea, girl!  Sam stayed on the sideline, last-minute deciding to eat his mini-box of Frosted Flakes instead of running.  Gary and I ran, too, that morning, but it was a 5,456 yard dash/crawl for us, respectively.

There were pony/horse rides

and *fascinating* Native American dancer impersonators. 

(Hello, Ross? Where’re those pictures?!!  What if I forget how unappealing tighty blackies look on slow-moving geeky white guy thighs?!  Thanks.  No, seriously!, thanks.)  

So anywho, Caroline says, Thanks, Ross! and better get outta my way!

MusicMonday—Least Wanted List

Over this past weekend, we had our 25th year high school class reunion.  What a great time to see old friends, and let me tell you, some of these friends go way back. 

I was four years old when I first became friends with some of them, us together in kindergarten at Xenia Grade School in, get this!, 1972, so I’d say I have known some classmates practically all my life. 

It was an excellent time getting together and I just really enjoy catching up with everybody, and each reunion so far, I find myself hanging out with someone that wasn’t really previously considered a friend, someone that I didn’t really ever know or talk to.  Reunions are great! 

Yes, they are, Gary. Stop arguing. 

So, one of my oldest friends was there and that is Susan.  We were cheerleaders together in grade school and also for our Senior year in high school, the year we finally had gained enough confidence to try out in high school.  And we made it! 

It was a great experience as we had great sports teams to cheer on at FHS and it was really fun. But it did start something, kinda a negative vibe for me.  And I am not a fan of the negative in life but, hey, I guess it happens. 

Not everything can make everybody smiley.

Here’s the background.  It was Summer 1984 and the varsity squad of us six high school girls went to Vincennes University for cheerleading camp where we learned a few happening routines.  We brought those moves back home with us, and to prepare for upcoming game half-time performances, we practiced and practiced.  That would include in cheerleading captain Dorlisa M’s yard (which to this day I distinctly remember walking in the deep, lush, perfect grass in her yard!  Grass out in the country just did not grow like that and it just amazed me how perfect her lawn was).  

So here we were one particular afternoon getting our dance routine down pat, and I will say, in a good way, Dorlisa was a… stickler for an impressive performance.  We were not going to have any sloppy arms or off-beat steps on this squad.  So we practiced and practiced and practiced.  And practiced and practiced and practiced some more. 

Apparently we were so focused that I didn’t even see the two squirrelly guys (that we’ll just call Harry and Cale, you know, to protect their identity) who kept driving by to watch the girls.  The drive-bys were actually confessed/confirmed while sitting around a table at the reunion by “Harry and Cale” themselves Saturday night.

That routine, done over and over, was to a song called Let’s Never Hear It Again Hear It for the Boy.  That one is now is firmly ranked in my:

Top 5 Least Want to Ever Hear Again in my Entire Life song list.  They’re probably not in the true order of least wanted, but I didn’t want to have to think it through farther or actually listen to them to rank them accurately. 

So here it is….. 

 

5.  Let’s Hear it for the Boy by Deniece Williams, from the Footloose soundtrack if I remember correctly.  I seriously try to forget.  That was a big song Summer 1984.  Unfortunately.

4.  any George Thorogood song, like Bad to the Bone, and One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer. I want to rename it One Gun, One Bullet, Let’s Hear it for No More George Thorogood.

3.  Keep Your Hands to Yourself by The Kentucky Headhunters Georgia Satellites (oops, apparently two other bands I confuse, like this time).  That song comes on the radio and my radio is off immediately.  Jing-a-ling-a-ling.

2.  any Bonnie Tyler song.  Yikes:  Total Eclipse of the Heart (part of the problem is that annoying “Turn around”), Holding Out for a Hero, It’s a Heartache (clear your throat, sister). Bad, bad, bad in my book.

1.  Mr. Roboto by Styx. “Secret, secret, I’ve got a secret.”  [Me whispering:]  Mr. Roboto (?!!?), you are a lame five and half minutes. 

------------------------------------------

Addendum:

Gary knew I was going to make this my MusicMonday post for this week.  As he was backing out of the driveway going to work today, he told me he had one to add that he’s been hearing on the radio and as soon as it starts, he turns it off.  I’d never heard it in my life, but it’s on his Top 5 Least Wanted apparently.

See what you think.

Nature’s Way by Spirit from 1970.

Any comments? 

Tell me:  What’s on your Least Wanted?

MusicMonday—Rockers Aging

Yes, I know I need to watch a movie every once in awhile so I can get out of the music rut, but movies are much less “convenient” for me.

So this week, we’re talking music again and I will just ramble on with some of my goofy thoughts. 

I watched a Cure concert this weekend on TV.  I was into The Cure back when lots of college kids across the US were into The Cure, when they were rolling out hits in 1987-89 like Lovesong,

Just Like Heaven (my favorite Cure song),

Why Can’t I Be You,

Fascination Street,

and Friday I’m in Love (which actually was the one I was least in love with).

I was dancing to them in college and still listen to some Cure tunes even now, so I was intrigued to get a chance to watch them in concert, modern day.

Oh boy, I was not prepared.

This is The Cure’s front man and only ongoing original member, Robert Smith, back in the 80’s as I knew him:

Yes, he had some crazy hair and ghoulish makeup, but that was just expected once you saw The Cure.  Misery was like their vibe and this was his look. 

This is as I saw him in this recently televised concert:

Yikes, quite chubby and still trying to do the crazy hair and makeup and it was just weird seeing it. 

I got to wondering just what age he is these days since he seemed kinda old, and I discovered he first started out his career in 1976, so if he looks a bit pudgy and older, well, shoot, he should!  And would it be a Cure concert without the hair and makeup?  No.  So I say: You just rock on, Robert.

Now in contrast, here’s a rocker that has just gone with it, this aging thing.  He cut off his hair.  It’s natural gray and definitely receded.  He was even wearing his round metal frame glasses last performance I saw of him.  And I respect that.

Peter Frampton then, around 1976:

Peter Frampton now, at 60: 

 

And then this girl….I have been listening to Chrissie Hynde lately and just really admire her, such the cool hot rocker chick that she was and still so totally is.

Chrissie Hynde then:

Chrissie Hynde now wowwowwow:

She’s soon 60 years old and still sounds heavenly and looks gorgeous.  If this aging, I choose the Chrissie kind. 

Revelation

You know, there’re some days when something just hits you and you finally realize something you just never put together before.  And then you have to wonder just how you didn’t get it all that time before. 

Here’s my most recent.  There is was, right there before my eyes, something I grab on a daily basis, and I didn’t see it all these years ….until now. 

The white animal on the Dawn is not a poodle.

Scenes from Home

Gary enjoying his coffee, morning deck, and the animals.  I told him he should switch his shoes like the little kids look when they have their shoes on the wrong feet.  He wouldn’t.  I think it went against his relaxation. 

Ms. Fashion Plate is still coming up with daily ensembles like this everyday.  Today’s was the scarf into a shawl/jacket. 

Check this one out.  She does not get this from me, folks.  I could only wish to be so happening.

Now Sam is even getting jiggy wit it, sporting this new look.  Variation:  ears on the outside of the cap, you know, the bent-forward ears look.

Our kitchen is full of son and sun in the morning.

And our picnic table is still full of love. 

Sam is Six

Hey, did you hear?

  

Sam turned six last week!  This is him the morning of his 2,190th day of life. 

[Yeah, sorry for the up-close; I think he has a mouthful of oatmeal here.  And impetigo in his nose. 

We went to the doctor.  It’s better now.]

 

So, to celebrate his turning six, Mama put together an impromptu birthday party for Sam….with one day notice.  We’ll just say his birthday kinda crept up.  Luckily, his friends were not already booked for a wild Wednesday night out.

Poor 4th born.  It was his first “friends” party, ever.  He had to wait six years for it.

His requests were simple.  He wanted to invite specific friends to play and have hot dogs and ice cream cake.  His cake from DQ was a not-too-badly drawn SpongeBob SquarePants yelling in green icing,

“Happy Birthday Sam!” 

Here is good buddy Sauce/Josh with Sam and, yes, they had been drinking:  

Strawberry Kiwi V8 Splash,

another one of Sam’s specifications. 

   

Things got a little crazy, so of course they all had fun.

Sam was happy to have his first party.  

 

And now I realize it’s been a week since I got around to sharing it with you. 

Poor 4th born. 

MusicMonday--Coincidence

Yesterday we went to the air show at Scott Air Force Base.  It was an absolutely perfect day of clear blue skies and sunshine, not too hot, not too cool.  The air show was thrilling and we had great time together as a family.

As we were walking to get an upclose look at the unbelievably huge cargo planes sitting on the airfield, the song Beautiful Day by U2 (2000) came on over the air show’s speaker system.  I told the kids and Gary, “Hey this is one of my running songs on my iPod!”  A great song and so fitting for the day.

That song concluded and the next song began.  It was Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, the next song on my iPod playlist!

YES WAY!

How cool was that?

So today, I give you two of my favorite songs….

2:45 is just like we felt like yesterday!

@ 3:53 you can actually see Gary and I in the hangar.

Followed by one of our favorite family songs, the one introduced to us by music hipster Joe, back when Miss Caroline was just a babe in 2003….

Have a beautiful day!

A Tuba Lives Here Now

 

Grant’s dream from early childhood was to be a tuba player.  I could totally see it.  He had the tuba build, the tuba demeanor.  The kid looked to me like he was meant to be a tuba player from Day 1.

Sadly, the tuba dream came crashing down at the end of third grade when he met with the band director to sign up for band.  He wanted the tuba.  His mouth was too small.  He settled for the trumpet.  His mouth was adequate for that. He inherited Jack’s beginner trumpet.  He did great learning to play the instrument.  But it was no tuba. 

Happily, the tuba dream was rekindled once again this year at his new school.  The band director met with the band members.  The school was desperately in need of something and the director sought help from anyone that would consider it.  This new school had no tuba player.  A band doesn’t sound like much of a band without the low brass.  It was a time of need for sure. 

Grant raised his hand and volunteered to play tuba.  But could he?!  Would the small mouth again disqualify him from living his dream?  He tried it out, and thanks to thousands of dollars and years of mouth reshaping via retainers and braces just to get all of his teeth to fit in, this time his mouth apparently fit the bill. 

The kid can play the tuba!

It is heavier than I ever expected.  This is one we are renting and I don’t know but I think it is from the 50’s maybe, given its total loss of shiny finish.  It kinda looks like one big ding, but let me tell you, the boy is proud. 

 

This is the actual everyday storage spot for the tuba.  If company comes I don’t know what we will do.  Company will sit on the stairs, I guess.  Where else would you put a tuba in this cracker box house?!

MusicMonday—Mixed Up Memories

Yesterday I thought I had the perfect inspiration for today’s MusicMonday. It’d be on-time and easy to write. 

Remind me: When “perfect” enters my mind, I should be concerned.

Early in the morning yesterday, Gary and I heard I Want You to Want Me, a cool tune from the late 70’s, on the radio.  It sparked a vivid memory I enthusiastically had to share with him of how I got the 45 of that song, back in the day, for free!  All I had to do was save Snickers and/or Mars bars wrappers and then mail them in to get my free record of a choice of four.  But I was sketchy on how many wrappers it was… maybe five, could have been ten?  And I couldn’t remember all four record choices. 

Then as the day went on, it popped in my brain that maybe that vivid memory wasn’t so vivid.  Maybe it wasn’t I Want You to Want Me after all, but was the song Take the Long Way Home? 

I needed something to solidify the sketchy memory, so later in the day I googled Long Way Home Cheap Trick.  Ack!  I wasn’t coming up with anything helpful to jog my memory; in fact, I wasn’t finding anything about Take the Long Way Home by Cheap Trick at all.

Oh, but there’s all this stuff saying Long Way Home Supertramp?!

I told Gary about my confusion, expecting to get a little ribbing about mistaking two different bands so drastically in my “very vivid” memory and he said,

“I do that, too, with Cheap Trick and Supertramp.”

 

Who knew?!  Folks, that’s the fun of marriage, discovering these little unknowns even after 29 years of talking and hanging out (not that we have been married for 29 years but we could have if we married when we met at 13 years old.  Possible.  Very possible.  Very Loretta Lynn).

So, so much for a simple concise posting about my free 45 in 1979 that now I can’t even tell speak of with any confidence as to what song or who by. 

Anywho, here are the two songs of mix up and I don’t even understand how/why: 

And doncha know, there’s no video of  Supertramp doing Take The Long Way Home on YouTube.  ??  This will suffice.

I know I had the 45 of this Live from Budokan version.  Great song! 

And I am also 100% sure about it being wrappers from Snickers/Mars bars.  I can still see the remains of the chocolate on the wrappers’ interior as I folded them nicely to fit into the envelope.

And now that I think about it, I bet both of these songs were choices of the free 45’s and betcha I had no problem coming up with enough candybar wrappers to get both if not all four records. 

Maybe that explains the confusion for me?  Don’t know how to explain it for Gary, but I do think it’s cool that he’s got it, too.

Living on a Horse Farm

 

 

 

is more fun when you actually have horses.

Taken at the neighbors’.