September 11, 2001 seemed like a pretty ordinary day at 105.5 Triple M in Madison. I was trying to get over a cold, Jonathan was back from a week long vacation and the 4th annual Madison Blues Festival had just happened a week earlier.
But quickly it was apparent that this day was like no other for me, Jonathan, or anybody else.
We had just finished the news and sports around 7:50 when we got a call on the M line. It was Triple M listener and Madison singer Lynette who called to tell us she just saw on TV that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.
"What?" I dashed into the newsroom down the hall to check out the Associated Press wire, and at that point there was only a one-line story that had come across. It wasn't even an "urgent" story much less a bulletin. It read, "Plane crashes into World Trade Center, according to television reports." I went on the air with it, and didn't think much of it. (Read the Associated Press timeline here).
Then came news of the second explosion, and I remember saying on the air that I hesitated to consider this a terrorist act.
But as the news kept coming in it became more and more obvious that it indeed was the work of terrorists. Regular programming was suspended on Triple M, and there was little any one could do but watch in horror. We only had one tiny little TV in the radio station. It was in the newsroom and staff members kept coming in to get the latest news.
I called my friend whose husband worked for American Airlines and found out he wasn't working that day, felt relief.
I couldn't leave the radio station...there was really nothing I could do to report on this huge story, but I didn't want to be alone.
When I did leave work, the gravity of the situation really hit home when I turned on my TV and found coverage on every station..even MTV! What in the hell? I know this seems ridiculous, but when I saw it on MTV, the situation became surreal. I remember just sitting alone in my apartment in silence.
Later that night when I knew my family members would be home, I called them to touch base. None of them lived in New York, but I just needed to reach out. Hear a familiar voice. Something that I knew was real, and could hold onto..even it if was just over the telephone.
So on this tenth anniversary, I'm reminded how important family and friends are. Hold them close. You never know when you won't be able to.
This is something I promise to make a bigger priority from now on.
MTV is turning 30 years old this August, so I thought I'd dip back into my memory banks to the early days of the music TV network..back when they actually played videos!
Not every city had MTV right away, but Stevens Point was, amazingly, an early adapter and Jones Intercable or whatever cable company we had back then got on the MTV train only a week or two after it premiered.
I wasn't a huge fan, but did watch it when there wasn't anything else on, or I was hanging out with friends and needed some background music while we chatted and drank!
These are my TOP FIVE MTV videos that for some reason have been imbedded in my brain for all these years (in no particular order).
1. "Land of Confusion" by Genesis. Reaction then: "Wow, they're getting so political! Awesome." Reaction now: "Puppets are creepy."
2. "Cry" by Godley and Creme. Reaction then: "Amazing visual effects, so trippy!" Reaction now: "Um, I guess that was kinda cool."
3. "Freeze Frame" by the J. Geils Band. Reaction then: "Peter Wolf looks a little like Gilligan." Reaction now: "I want that Danelectro guitar."
4. "Take On Me" by A-ha. Reaction then: "Cool pencil animation, lame song." Reaction now: "Cool pencil animation, lame song."
5. "In Your Letter" by REO Speedwagon. Reaction then: "I'm thinking REO might not be all that cool after all." Reaction now: "Kevin Cronin needs to eat a sandwich."
During my childhood in Stevens Point, hot days were often spent at the city's municipal swimming pool, which everyone called The Munici-pool.
It was spartan by today's standards. No water slides, or wave machines. Just a pool, with a deep end and a couple of diving boards (one a high dive).
I don't ever remember adults being involved in any way with our trips to the pool. It was usually a group of kids from the neighborhood walking there or riding our bikes. I bet the oldest kid was sometimes no more than 10 years old. But things were different then and we were all free range kids.
Admission to the pool was 10 cents. That's right. One thin dime. And that got you a wire basket to put your clothes and towel in. In exchange you were given a pin with a basket number that you attached to your swimsuit.
You weren't allowed to bring a towel into the pool area..towels were strictly for drying off afterwards. No toys either..no frisbees, water goggles, no water wiggles. If you were a real renegade you snuck in an extra dime to go diving for.
At 3:00 it was break time and the lifeguards got to go in for a 15 minute swim. Every one else had to take a rest, sunning ourselves while lying down on the hot cement. There were no deck chairs at the Munici-pool. There was also no suntain oil allowed. We didn't call it sunscreen back then..it was supposed to make you tan faster, not protect you from anything.
I had a lot of great times at the Munici-pool, even though I was a terrible swimmer. I almost drowned there once, but I think I'll save that story for another time.
On July 4, 1991, Triple signed on the air for the very first time, on the frequency of 105.5 on the FM dial. A little less than a year later, I started working there, doing afternoon news and writing commercials. It was a lot of fun, albeit low-paid. I was glad to be back in radio, a career which accepted me as I am, quirky, outspoken, and a little bit weird. I promise to share more photos of days gone by ( I have a scanner), but here's a staff photo from probably around 1993. Absent on picture day would be Sybil McGuire. And there's one guy that I could not identify if my life depended on it.
I'm smack dab in the middle, right below and to the left of Pat Gallagher and his mullet!
So why am I so dressed up?
UPDATE:
Okay..by popular demand..here are the names, as I remember them.
Seated: Leslie Gavin and Nate Cohen.
Middle row: Tammy (Turbo) Terwelp, Mike McCoy, Kitty Dunn, Annie Brewer.
Back row: Greg Reisch, ?, Pat Gallagher, Ed Johnson, Kevin Fulk, John Urban.
Triple M's 20th birthday is on the 4th of July. That's got some of us waxing nostalgic around here.
I've been at Triple M for a little over 19 of those years, and I've got pictures to prove it. Here are a few.
1. I had just started working at Triple M when I got a crazy idea for a promotion before the Genesis show at Camp Randall. I had this friend that people said looked a lot like Phil Collins..so we brought him in and he played the part to the hilt. Free photos with "Bill Collins." The photographer in this photo is my future co-host, John Urban. They guy in the wacky shorts is Ralph Cohen.
2. John Urban in the old Triple M studio on Odana Road. He put up with me from 1993-1998.
3. With Jonathan at the second annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, March 1999. That other dude is Radio Free Madison's Rick Murphy. And yeah, I'm the one in the funny hat.
4. Live From London (Wisconsin). Our first photo shoot with roadkill.
5. At a Madison Blues Festival..with Westside Andy. Awww, shucks.
Sarah Palin's been getting some flack for her reinvention of the Paul Revere story. So I thought I'd present evidence of my advanced knowledge of United States history, even at a very early age.
I believe I wrote this fine little essay when I was around 8 years old, because I was bored. I have no idea why I saved it; I found it among a bunch of childhood drawings that my mom had saved.I thought I'd share it with you in honor of the nation's upcoming birthday on July 4th. (Looks like it got cut off a bit on the right margin).
I don't know, but I'm pretty sure the 8 year old Kitty could give Ms. Palin a run for her money on U.S. history.
Pip pip, cheerio!
Cheerios Cereal turns 70 this year, so they're getting some free birthday publicity. I figure I might as well add to that.
I wasn't real surprised when I learned that one out of every 8 cereal boxes sold contains Cheerios, because there are just so many different flavors of Cheerios to choose from these days. I was never a fan of the original Cheerios, because they didn't have nearly enough sugar. But now I'm a fan..especially of the chocolate, fruity, multi-grain, and apple cinnamon varieties.
Some of the old Cheerios commercials were great. One that sticks in my mind had a jingle that went like this:
"Gonna start the day the bright way, the bold way, the get up and go way, gotta get a bowl of them oats. Get a pow, pow, powerful good, good feelin' with with Cheer-cheer-cheerios."
I was hoping to find that commercial on youtube so I could share it with you, but to no avail. But I did find this one which is humorous, although before my time. Enjoy.
Summer was a different when I was a kid.
I wasn't shuttled from one organized activity to the next. I wasn't imprisoned in some kind of certified summer program that promised me enrichment in any way.
I did take a few classes..the random art program, guitar lesson, or swimming lesson. But for the most part the kids in my neighborhood were allowed to go where we pleased, just as long as we checked in for meals and came home when the street lights came on.
We were allowed to walk to the pool (called the Munici-pool) in Stevens Point, with no adults present. Sometimes there would be a group of 6 or 7 of us, with the oldest kid probably no older than 11 or 12.
A couple of times a week we'd wander over to a nearby grade school for what we called "Playground School" run by the local recreation department, where college age kids taught us crafts or organized a game of Duck Duck Goose or Monkey in the Middle. There was no signing up for playground school. No fees, no permission slips, no forms indicating emergency contact numbers. That' s where I learned to play Nok-Hockey and Caroms. It was a blast!
Sometimes my friends and I would just ride our bikes somewhere far away (okay a mile or two) like the "underpass," and we'd eat a lunch we packed on Reserve Street, under Highway 51.
I understand that it's a different world these days and that kids can't just roam free. But that makes me sad.
Summer is here and the time is right..for special summer only commercials.
I listened to a lot of radio when I was a kid, and even though I should have been spending all my time outside, I did sit in front of the TV quite often.
That means I have some memories about commercials that only rain the summer, like the ads for Bain Du Soleil suntan oil. I always thought the jingle went like this.."Bain Du Soleil for the Central Bay tan." Apparently it's St. Tropez..where's that again?
And does anybody remember QT? The stuff that turned your skin a peculiar shade of orange? Good thing you can't see that on the black and white commercial..
I've lived in Madison since 1989, and have experienced some pretty amazing concerts. I've been fortunate enough to have seen the Rolling Stones at Camp Randall twice, attended all the Madison blues festivals, and have seen some pretty amazing acts in small clubs. But some experiences stand out more than others, and for reasons you might not expect.
MOST TICKED OFF LEAD SINGER
I wasn't in the audience when Ryan Adams flipped out at the Barrymore because some one yelled out "Summer of '69," the title of a Bryan Adams hit. But I was at the Club De Wash when Peter Himmelman couldn't stand the loud bass thumping coming from the gay bar below. He did the entire solo show standing on the bar, his boots just a precarious foot away from my cocktail.
SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS
When you attend a concert and you yell for an encore, you usually give up when the house lights come on. But some very determined Barenaked Ladies fans really wanted to hear Be My Yoko Ono as a 1995 show concluded at the Barrymore. When the lights came on, I headed for the exit..only to hear the band return to the stage to fulfill the crowd's demands. Yeah, that was pretty cool.
UNEXPECTED VENUES
I've seen Sonia Dada play at Rose Records, a shop that used to be on State Street. I didn't plan on going to their show later that night at the Crystal Corner Bar, but Paris wooed me with his super low bass voice. I still get chills. I also saw Dave Mason at Best Buy on Madison's west side last year, and I'm still kicking myself I didn't get to see R.E.O. Speedwagon when they played at Walmart a few years ago. (And no, I'm not making that up..ask Jonathan..he was there.)
INTIMATE SHOW THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SO INTIMATE
When legendary Kinks frontman Ray Davies came to Madison on his Storytellers Tour, for some reason the show just didn't sell, and the Barrymore Theatre was almost empty. The show was fantastic not only because the songs are so great..but the stories he told were hilarious! You'd think he would have been ticked off about the low turnout..but he wasn't, and signed autographs afterward. I was so nervous that every one else would get a signature except me, all I could do was say "me, me, me" while holding my paper toward him. (I was successful and now have that autograph proudly framed.)
I've been known to lament the fact that I was born too late to be a hippie during the 1960's and early 1970's. I liked flashing the peace sign, protesting wars, and keeping the man off my back.
Too bad nobody really pays attention to you when you're 10.
I'm trying to show off my hippie mystique in this photograph, with a vest crocheted by my mom. Check out those fringes! And I was trying so hard to be cool with that bottle of beer in my hand and cigarette in my mouth.
It was hard enough to look hip with those snazzy plaid pants..and then my brother John jumps in with a photo bomb!
And no matter how much I would have liked it, the family dining room was no Haight Ashbury.
Back in the day, my dad and I used to enjoy going out for fish fries when I'd head up to Stevens Point for a visit.
Now my love for fish, folded up slices of buttered rye bread, french fries and coleslaw was so great that I put aside the potential embarrassment of going out to a business establishment with a dad who liked to tell it like it is, and also liked to shamelessly flirt with the waitresses.
One Good Friday we headed out to the Moose lodge for a cheap tasty dinner. What's this? Entertainment? At no extra charge? It was a little old lady playing Easter songs on a Wurlitzer organ.
Now keep in mind, there really aren't a lot of Easter songs. How many can you think of?
That's okay. I'll wait.
Okay..there's Easter Parade, and Here Comes Peter Cottontail. Yup. Those are the only two songs this lady knew. And she played them over and over.
So that's the backdrop of the really amusing part of this. There was another elderly lady walking around selling chances on an Easter basket full of goodies. And she couldn't seem to remember which people she'd asked and which she hadn't. So that meant she kept coming back around.
"Would you like to buy a raffle ticket for this wonderful Easter basket?"Â We'd politely say "no thank you."
Probably the fourth or fifth time around my dad couldn't take it any more.
"I'M DIABETIC!" he screamed at the woman.
She remembered him the next time she passed by her table.
When Al Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, he was called "one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music," and I can definitely agree with that.
It's hard to believe he's a senior citizen. The Rev. Al Green turns 65 today. While he became an ordained minister in 1976, he made a return to his R & B roots in the late 80's. At one of the last Madison Blues Festivals I had a chance to see him live. And even though it was a Sunday night and I had been outside all weekend meeting Triple M listeners and enjoying music and beverages...I stayed until the very end. (Many of my Triple M colleagues left early..their mistake!)
I remember his voice sounded as smooth as ever and he looked smokin' hot in an all white suit.
While I don't have any video of that to share with you, here he is rockin' a different kind of suit in the early 70's. Enjoy!
Twelve years ago today the radio experience known as Jonathan & Kitty in the Morning hit the airwaves. Wow, it seems like it was much longer than that.
Aah..the memories...
A lot of things have come and gone since March 15, 1999.
We rang in 2000 with no predicted worldwide computer malady. Learned of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center.
Enjoyed some great music and camaraderie at the Madison Blues Festival and Luther's Blues.
Cruised around in a golf cart during the Willie Street Fair parade.
Got scorched..and soaked..at the Triple M stage at Rhythm and Booms.
Delivered lots of pizza during the Flower Power Lunch. Played hundreds of Dream CD's. Brought back some horrendous musical memories on the World's Worst I-pod.
Took the show on the road to exotic places like Belleville, Stoughton, and London (Wisconsin).
And hopefully we made you smile at least once. Thanks for the opportunity.
With crank phone calls in the news this week, I've been reflecting on some of the excellent calls I made back in my younger days.
Most kids resort to calling and asking for Prince Albert in a can..or come up with something worn out like "is your refrigerator running?"
Mine may have been even more stupid.
"Excuse me, but what kind of peanut butter do you use?" (The response was "the same kind the Dunns use." My friend dialed his own house and his sister answered the phone and recognized my voice.)
Another time a friend and I called a house where we knew a bunch of the children. When a boy answered we sang "we'll have a blue Christmas without you."
And we even called a really old guy named Henry Winkler whose name we found in the phone book... and imitated the Fonz.
I guess we weren't really ready to be political commandos.
With the circus coming to town this weekend, I thought I'd do a little searching of my memory banks to determine when I started getting creeped out by clowns.
On a 1-10 scale of clown aversion (10 being an all-out panic attack with possible fainting), I'd say I fall at around a 3.
When I was young, I actually thought clowns were a different race of people that were born that way. I got this idea from a children's book that featured all kinds of clowns..including babies and children. So I wasn't afraid of them then.
I also liked to watch Bozo's Circus, and was a big fan of Bozo and his friend Cooky.
I don't think it was until that dreaded Poltergeist movie that I started getting the heebie jeebies from them..and I think that's also around the time the pop culture world starting talking more and more about the fear of clowns.
I'm also afraid of new housing developments that are built on top of cemeteries, but maybe that's just me.
For some reason, most people can name at least one celebrity they share a birthday with, and they take pride in that.
Like they must also share some characteristics with that person by virtue of the day they were born.
For example, my boyfriend Mike shares a birthday with Thomas Jefferson. He was pretty cool aside from all that slavery stuff. Another friend shares a birthday with Duane Allman. Now that's impressive.
If you were born today, you share a birthday with Sheryl Crow, which is kinda neat. But you probably don't want any one to know you also share a birthday with Jeb Bush.
My birthday is Sunday. I've always felt a little ripped off in the shared birthday department. I've got Peter Gabriel (okay, he's not so bad), and another Peter--Peter Tork of the Monkees.
But do I share my birthday with any one that's not named Peter? So I did a little online research.
I also share a birthday with Chuck Yeager and football bad boy Randy Moss. (Oh no!)
What's this? I share a birthday with Tennessee Ernie Ford? That's awesome! I think that means I should get 16 Tons of birthday cake....
For some people, becoming a Packer fan is a choice. But for most of us, it's just part of who we are.
Some people come from families where their second toe is longer than their big toe. Others have a genetic predisposition toward freckles, or bushy eyebrows.
And then there's the Packer gene. For those of us born within certain latitude and longitudes, the love of the Packers has always just been there.
It may even go deeper than religion. You hear of lapsed Catholics, but never a lapsed Packer fan.
My earliest memories are of the Packers in the glory years, but for some reason I don't remember the glory part so much. I remember the yelling... because despite their talent, their were always plays that didn't turn out quite right.
There are stories of one neighbor throwing an ottoman through a window to show his disgust.
More ingrained in my memory are the not-so-glory years. The Dan Devine years (feeling fine with Devine? Not so much). The Bart Starr years. A great player, a great Rawhide Boys Ranch pitchman, but not so great a coach.
Remember the bumper stickers that read "The Pack Is Back"? They were more wishful thinking than anything else.
Then there were the Favre years. Sweet sweet memories. I choose not to think about how that tale ended. At least not right now.
And now, it's another chance for glory. My fingers are crossed, and the ottomans have been tied down for safety purposes.
Today's the birthday of actor Charles Nelson Reilly--who most of you probably remember as a panelist on Match Game. But he also starred in the trip-trip trippiest Saturday morning program of all time, Lidsville.
Reilly was born in 1931 and died a couple years ago. He's probably glad that most of the obituaries did not mention this particular program.
He starred as a crazy wizard named Horatio Hoodoo, who hung out in a land entirely inhabited by hat people. Not people who wear hats, but people who are hats. And there's a little boy who accidentally stumbles into this world when he falls into a giant magicians hat. He's played by Butch Patrick, aka Eddie Munster.
When I was a kid, the drug references were lost on me. I didn't know that "lid" could refer to a certain amount of marijuana..and I wasn't familiar with the effects of LSD...but I think the writers of this show certainly were!
Today's Veterans Day..so I add my name to the list of those saying "thanks." Veterans did what a lot of others were afraid to do, and stood up for their country. For far too many that's included putting themselves in harm's way, when others would not.
I think it's great that restaurants like Applebees and even Hooters (!) are giving vets free meals today..and while most of us don't have that opportunity, we all can reach out and say thanks. If that means giving grandpa a call..or writing a check to an organization like Disabled American Veterans or other vets organization, we can all do our part.
And I say thanks to my family members who have served, including my Grandpa Andy who served in World War I, my dad who served in World War II and my brother Tim who served in Vietnam. Thanks guys!
Here's a pic of my dad and his bomber crew from World War II. He served in England and actually flew two missions on D-Day. He's the guy in the front row on the far right.
A lot of people, including me, are disappointed in the way the election turned out last night. A lot of people are angry. How will we possibly get through this?
Like the hippies used to say...just keep on keepin' on.
This is certainly not the first time I've been disappointed in the outcome of an election, and it won't be the last. I grew up in a very political family. My dad was a big grass roots campaigner. We always had yard signs all over our front yard. My dad would even put a car top sign on the top of his van. I'm surprised he didn't also have a loudspeaker to play rabble rousing songs and implore people to vote for his current favorite..be it Mo Udall or Marty Schreiber or Ed Garvey.
My dad always picked the ones who rooted for the little guy. And his candidates almost always lost.
So I lived through the disappointment of the re-election of Richard Nixon and the trouncing of George McGovern. I used old Marty Schreiber stationery for scratch paper. I screamed and shouted when Ronald Reagan was elected president (and found out later my dad marched through downtown Stevens Point yelling "Reagan sucks" with a bunch of drunk college students). I nearly threw up when Newt Gingrich became speaker of the house.
In fact, I never voted for a winning president until Bill Clinton. And I wasn't too thrilled every time my candidate lost to Tommy Thompson.
But I got through it. Yes, there was eye rolling and indignation. But the world didn't stop spinning. And I think it will take more than a few hundred idiots in Washington (or the state capitol) to bring about the ruin of modern civilization. At least that's what my last two optimistic molecules are hoping.
This Saturday (October 9th) is John Lennon's 70th birthday...and since I'm probably Triple M's biggest Beatle/John Lennon fan, I get to play an hour of my favorite songs to pay tribute to him on Saturday night. Listen at 7:00 right before Little Steven's Underground Garage.
In 1988, I went to New York to visit my younger brother John, who was living in Manhattan at the time. We went to the Empire State Building, shopped in SoHo, and one day we took a bus ride and he wouldn't tell me where we were going. Turns out he was testing me, and I passed. When we got off the bus I realized immediately that we were in front of the Dakota Hotel, where John and Yoko had lived, and where John's life tragically came to an end. Yoko in fact still lived there, but was out of town at the time.
I took a couple pictures of the hotel, even though it was creepy to think about what had happened there eight years before.
Then we walked over the Central Park to Strawberry Fields, a section of the park that had been rededicated in John's honor a couple years before. Yoko kicked in a million dollars to make the area a beautiful, reflective space.
The countdown to Farm Aid continues! Last week I found a classic video of Neil Young performing "Heart of Gold." Today--I present a Bodeans flashback!
I think it's really cool that the Bodeans are playing Farm Aid...but it's not the first time they've gotten to play a really big stage with some heavy hitters. When the Bodeans broke back in the late 1980's, they got to open for U2. Yeah, that's pretty cool.
The Bodeans got a lot of great publicity back then from publications like Rolling Stone, and even Time Magazine..and I have to admit I took a lot of personal pride in that (after all they were from the same state!), even though I really had nothing to do with their success whatsoever.
I was searching youtube for a cool retro video of Sammy and Kurt..and found something even better. A feature on the band from the Today Show.
Put on your seat belt folks, we're getting into the Way Back Machine.
On today's date in 1975, a new TV show called Saturday Night Live debuted on ABC. It was a variety show hosted by Howard Cosell.
What? Saturday Night Live was on NBC..and the host changed every week!
You're right, and you're wrong. A couple of weeks before the real Saturday Night Live debuted (just titled Saturday Night back then), Howard Cosell hosted a variety show called Saturday Night Live. It only lasted 18 weeks..and I don't remember it at all. And that's probably a good thing.
The first episode had three guests--the Bay City Rollers, Billy Crystal, and Frank Sinatra. With Howard Cosell thrown in? How could that not be entertainment gold?
I did a little research..and found out another episode featured Chita Rivera and Ted Kennedy. How awesome is that?
The director of the show Don Mischer called it "one of the greatest disasters in the history of television." And get this..he was offered a chance to work on the other Saturday Night show on NBC..and thought the Howard Cosell show had more of a chance! Oops...
I searched and searched youtube to try and find a clip to share with you..but all the tapes have probably been burned and buried under Giants Stadium.
*One more notable fact--the current SNL was just called Saturday Night until 1977 when it changed its name to Saturday Night Live.
Having been home on medical leave for around a month, I watched a lot of afternoon TV. In case you haven't had that luxury--here's what you're missing: lots and lots of judge shows, talk shows, infomercials, and a handful of soap operas.
Even though we had fewer channels when I was a kid, it seemed like we had better variety. Yeah, we still had soap operas (and more of them), but we also had quite a few game shows.
Before I started getting hooked on soaps (the first two for me were Guiding Light and Days of Our Lives), I watched a lot of game shows.
Some would seem familiar to you--like The Price Is Right. I remember when that show first came on..it was just a half hour! Later it was expanded to an hour. I liked Bob Barker because I remembered him from Truth or Consequences.
There was also The Gong Show..a talent competition not very different from today's America's Got Talent. Okay..it was quite a bit different..because most of the acts were horrible.
I watched Match Game (star-studded big money Match Game '73!) and also liked another celebrity show...Tattle Tales, even though it was actually kind of stupid.
Here's a fun clip of that show, featuring Betty White with the love of her life, Alan Ludden. Enjoy.
On today's date in 1965, two classic TV shows premiered...Lost in Space and Green Acres. I started quite a lively argument about which show was better on Facebook...and thanks to that I found out about an episode of Lost In Space that I was suddenly dying to see.
Thanks to my sister-in-law Donna for turning me on to The Carrot Episode. Enjoy these clips and then go make yourself a delicious salad.
When I think of the song "Brandy" by the New Jersey band Looking Glass, I don't think of the barmaid who longs for a sailor who's first love is the sea.
I think of a dog. A golden retriever named Brandy, more specifically. There was a sweet little old lady in my neighborhood in Stevens Point who liked to take her dog Brandy for walks. She'd always approach our gang of kids hanging out at the playground and would say "Brandy just loves children."Â I think she did too!
Funny, because of the song Brandy that was out during the summer of 1972, I will always remember that dog's name, but I have no idea what the lovely little old lady's name was!
I did little research on the song Brandy..and found it went to Number One in August of 1972...and following its release, the name Brandy went up in popularity. In 1971 it was the 353rd most popular name..and by 1973 it was the 82nd most popular name for girls in the United States. (Not sure how popular it was for dogs).
Were you one of the kids who ran home from school each day to watch Dark Shadows? Then you might be interested in the news that a screenwriter has finally been picked to write a big screen version of the story of Barnabas (the vampire), Quentin (the werewolf), and other ghoulish characters in that gothic soap opera from the 1960's.
Johnny Depp will play Barnabas, and the movie will be directed by Tim Burton. So either it will be really really cool or it will suck. It's going to be written by Seth Grahame-Smith, the guy who wrote books including Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies..so at least it's some one who understands the material.
I was pretty young when the Dark Shadows big bit (pun intended), but I do recall dashing home from first grade to watch the show with my older brother and his high school buddies. (They all came over to our house to smoke cigarettes and drink Cokes).
The only Dark Shadows memorabilia I got during the time the show was on was a View-master reel..which I still have...but unfortunately not the the picture sleeve.
I have made an attempt though to create the collection I didn't have as a kid...here are a couple of my Dark Shadows items.
(photos by Mike O'Connor..thanks for getting rid of the glare!)
When I was a kid I listened to the radio a lot...especially during the summer. It seems wherever I went, there was a radio..whether it was my friend Joan's purple radio that she'd attach to the back rack on her bike...or my little gray GE radio I earned selling magazine subscriptions.
When I hear certain songs now, it takes me right back to those blissfully ignorant years of my youth.
One of those songs is "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder, which was number one on the charts early in the summer of 1977. I don't think I even knew it was about Duke Ellington back then. I just knew I liked it.
I just looked it up...the number one song right before it was "When I Need You" by Leo Sayer.
I like this song a lot more. It just makes me feel good.
It seems crazy to me that it's been 20 years since the movie Ghost came out. It seems like it was...well...only 15 years ago.
I used to go to movies all the time by myself..and remember going to see Ghost and driving home from the Eastgate Cinema. I was crying my eyes out because I'd lost a few family members in the years previous, and it brought out all kinds of emotions.
So I was bawling my eyes out while driving on East Washington Avenue, and when I got to the intersection of East Wash and Highway 51 all the stoplights were on flash. So I remember I stopped crying and took my best shot and made it through the intersection safely! Whew.
I don't know if there's any kind of lesson to be learned from that story, but I just thought I'd share.
I've always liked the movie..even if the ghostly images at the end now seem kind of low tech and cheesy.
Since Father's Day is coming up on Sunday..I thought I'd share some of the more poignant lessons I learned from my dad over the years.
Okay, maybe they're not poignant, but these are things he was known to say over, and over, and over again. And then once again for good measure in case you didn't hear it the first 73 times.
1. "If it's in the paper, it must be true." Now when I say that, I'm being sarcastic. But when my dad said it, I think he really believed it.
2. "Plenty of water in the tap." This is the automatic response you'd get if you requested an icy cold beverage like a Coke or Kool-Aid. (Last year when I wrote about this topic I forgot that one..so thank you, Donna!)3. "This house is lit up like a Polish cathedral!" I'm sure this was said with nothing but love for all our Stevens Point neighbors, as he showed concern for our carbon footprint when too many lights were left on in the house.
4. "What are you, a cop?"This was the usual response when I asked him where he was going. I'm sure he loved it when I used that phrase on him back in my teenager days.
5. "For free take, for pay ask questions." Unfortunately I think I took this a bit too literally. If you don't believe me, come take a look at my house. (No, I'm not quite ready for hoarders.)
Who remembers the Seven Up Candy Bar? That old chocolate treat popped into my head for some reason, as I was remembering how much candy I used to eat as a kid.
I didn't think I had seen a Seven Up bar for a long time, so I did some research. (I googled it). I found out that it was discontinued back in the 1970's, after the 7-Up soda company bought the brand and killed it, so there could be no consumer confusion on the issue.
Now what was cool about this particular candy bar is that it was 7 different candy bars in one! There were seven distinct flavors-- orange jelly, maple, caramel, Brazil Nut, fudge, coconut, and cherry.
Now right off the bat, two of those flavors seem HORRIBLE (maple and coconut..yecchh). So I probably didn't really even like this particular candy bar that much..because I probably ended up giving the offensive sections away (likely to my mom).
I probably just miss it because I can't have one. Speaking of that, has any one seen Zero or Milk Shake bars recently? I'm in the mood for a snack.
It seems kids these days have a lot less free time than back in the days when I was roaming around Stevens Point, virtually unsupervised.
I wonder if the children of today find joy in some of the ridiculous stuff we used to do to occupy our time.
Here are some of my random memories:
1) Pick weird little berries off bushes in the backyard (and neighbors' yards), mush them up into a strange concoction with water and twigs and pretend to eat them. Or let it sit in the sun awhile and proclaim it the best parfum since Chanel No. 5.
2)Write and perform a play in a basement "theatre." Ours was called "Curse of the Two Twins." It closed after two performances.
3)Hold a backyard carnival with prizes consisting of stuff you found around the house. Most prizes came free inside cereal boxes. Now all you get in cereal is cereal, which I think is highly over-rated.
4)Make up new games. One of ours was played on the church steps and was called "Red-White-Blue-I-Love-You-Yes-No-Water." I don't recall the rules.
5)Find dead birds or other critters and bury them in the backyard, but not before holding an elaborate funeral for them. I also did this with my Wizard of Oz puppets, but that's a story for another time.
Finally, a national holiday I can believe in. Today is National Donut Day, and lest you surmise that it's just a holiday made up by the Donut Syndicate and those who profit from filling us with lard and sugar, it actually has rather noble origins.
The first Doughnut Day was back in 1938 to honor the women who served the tasty treat to soldiers back in World War I. It was also a fundraiser for the Salvation Army.
And in honor of all that, Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme are giving away free donuts today. A lot of good that does me, as Madison has no Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme shops. The closest Dunkin Donuts is in Janesville, and while I do love free things, and donuts, that's a little far too drive.
Now all of this donut talk has me thinking about the long gone Point Bakery in Stevens Point that served the most delicious donuts of all time. I probably had my first Point Bakery donut before the age of 2 and ate a heckuva lot more over time.
Growing up, my dad got us a big bag of donuts every Saturday morning and they were the perfect accompaniment to Saturday morning cartoons. I loved the chocolate ones with white cream filling..and have never found another that tasted quite the same. (Although the ones at Copps are pretty close.)
I also loved the eclairs (even though they were more expensive), the French style donuts and the ponzckas (but the ones with jelly, not prunes.)
You know just thinking about this is likely to put me into a sugar coma.
I'm not sure...but I know he's a heckuva banjo picker! Some folks were probably a little bummed when they heard Steve Martin is coming to Overture Hall, not with his stand-up comedy routine...but with a blue grass band called the Steep Canyon Rangers.
This lineup recently played in Milwaukee, and I read a review which said he peppered the performance with plenty of one-liners and glib comments, so I'm sure they'll be a giggle or two or seven at this show as well.
When I was in high school, Steve Martin as the Wild and Crazy Guy was hotter than hot..and his song King Tut (Funky Tut) was being played constantly on the radio. A group of girls that I sat with at lunch were making plans to go see him at the Coliseum, and I told them to get me a ticket because I'd love to go too. They said "sure!" and never followed up. Summer vacation came and went as did the concert and they never called me and I was really disappointed.
I'd say I'm bitter...but how can I be when I'm not even sure what group of girls it was! Maybe I should let it go.
Meanwhile..check out Mr. Martin's fast movin' fingers..and make plans to go see him July 27th at Overture Hall.
I was sad to learn of the death of Lena Horne over the weekend at age 92. The gorgeous songstress was one of the first black singers with an all-white band, and one of the first to have a Hollywood contract.
She was also one of my mom's favorite singers, so I got to hear a lot of Lena Horne around the house growing up...and have to admit she had a helluva voice.
Back in the 1970's, Lena Horne and Tony Bennett came to Stevens Point to play a free concert. Sentry Insurance, which has its world headquarters in Point, was sponsoring the show to thank the city for all of its support through the years. My mom was extremely excited! But how's this for bad luck..she was a telephone operator and the phone company would not let her have the night off. I recall I did a drive-by on my bike but couldn't get anywhere near the stage so I didn't have much to report when my mom came home from work.
My mom did get to go see Lena Horne years later in Milwaukee or Minneapolis (I'm not sure), so she wasn't completely ripped off..and that makes for a nicer end to this blog.
Here she is, singing her signature song from back in the day. The orchestra sounds a little cheesy..but Lena was still cool.
Back in my day, we didn't have computers. We couldn't create cool art with computer programs or mess around with pictures in Photoshop.
We did have our fun though, didn't we? Who could forget the Magic Slate? It usually cost around 39 cents and you'd convince your mom to get you one on that spinning rack of crappy toys at the grocery store. By Tuesday you'd lose the little plastic pencil or rip the flimsy film that you drew on.
Etch-A-Sketch seems pretty lame now compared to a computer...but I did find a computerized Etch-A-Sketch that you can try to use on a computer. Guess what? It's just as hard as the real thing! I always tried to write my name and ended up just wanted to smash the thing so I could get that silvery powder all over everything. (Click here for a virtual etch-a-sketch!)
Spiro-graph seemed more impressive on TV than it did in reality. We never seemed to have the right size pens to fit in the little holes on the reels, and the paper would always slip. Does any one remember Spiro-tot for littler kids?
Lite Brite also seemed very cool at the time..I never had one, but was jealous of all the kids who did.
I know you're looking at this blog on the computer (how very advanced of you!)...but hope you enjoyed this little head trip into my childhood.
When I was in Home Ec. in junior high, I learned to cook and bake some basic items. I remember there was something called "Crazy Cake" which was mixed and baked in the same 8 inch pan.
For some reason I was recently thinking about the first time I actually cooked a meal for my family, and I can't for the life of me figure out why they didn't tease me about it. It's not that I messed it up, it's just that it was so bland, and quite frankly, ridiculous.
When my mom was cooking something like chili or a hamburger hot dish, I always loved to snitch a piece of the freshly browned hamburger...before anything else was added. Maybe a little salt or pepper, but that was it.
I also loved hot buttered noodles.
So that's what I made. Browned hamburger, with buttered noodles on the side. And my family ate it, with no commentary. That included my younger brother, my mom, and my dad, who sometimes had less than kind reviews of my mom's cooking.
I know why my mom didn't say anything--she was just so gosh darned glad to have some one else cook. My brother probably thought it was weird but less objectionable than something strange and crazy with onions in it. But even my dad just ate it! All these years later, I still don't get it.
Unless of course there's an untapped market for browned hamburger and hot buttered noodles. Who wants to invest in my new restaurant?
Did you hear the story about the 12 year old girl from New York who saved her friends life--with skills she learned on Spongebob Squarepants? (Read it here).
I have also learned things from cartoons, but nothing quite as remarkable as the Heimlich Maneuver.
Here are just a few:
1)From the Flintstones: Shoes are over-rated.
2)From Scooby-Doo: If you think a house is haunted, it's probably just some old crazy guy trying to scare you to keep you away from his criminal activity. And he would have gotten away with it too..if it weren't those darn kids.
3)From Bugs Bunny: It's always a good idea to take that left turn at Albuquerque.
4)From Road Runner: The company ACME offers a wide variety of products, but the quality of its dynamite is hit or miss.
5)From Rocky & Bullwinkle: The intricacies of the Cold War, as seen through the adventures of Moose and Squirrel (and Boris and Natasha).
I was 8 years old on the very first Earth Day, and while I don't remember if we did anything special in my 3rd grade class that day, I do know that the whole ecology movement (as we called it back then) was at the forefront of my kid-conscienceness..
I remember being very moved by that public service announcement with the "Crying Indian," Iron Eyes Cody. And I was a firm believer in not throwing trash on the ground. "Ever Litter Bit Hurts," as the saying went.
For some reason, I was convinced that old people were the problem, and that they were ruining our planet because they didn't care about the future of kids like me. I recall writing a letter to the old man who lived across the street from us, warning him to stop his wicked polluting ways! It's not that I'd ever actually seen him littering or anything, he was just the only old person who lived close enough for me to do my little personal "literature drop" on my own. (I wasn't allowed to cross busy streets by myself.)
Ever since then I wondered what he thought of my unsigned letter, which I had placed on the edge of his sidewalk, and secured with a rock. I sure hope it didn't blow away. I'd hate to think it ended up as just another piece of litter!
Watch this old public service announcement. Maybe you'll be inspired to start your own ecology movement!
The other day I was doing some browsing at a Goodwill store, when I spotted a couple of used typewriters for sale. One of them was the kind I've used at many a radio job..I think an IBM Selectric. The price tag? $2.99. Yes, two dollars and 99 cents.
Are there still companies making typewriters? Surprisingly, yes. Royal still makes them, and the website www.typewriters.com sells lots of different models. That's what I found with a quick internet search. I was pretty surprised!
When was the last time you used a typewriter? No..a computer keyboard doesn't count. We still used them up until around a decade ago here at Triple M..for labels that we stuck on commercial carts, which kind of looked like old 8-track tapes (speaking of obsolete technology).
When I was in 9th grade, I took typing class, and half the class had electric typewriters and the other half had manual typewriters. We'd switch off every other week. We had to memorize the names of the parts of the typewriter. I think there was something called a platten, and another thing called a carriage. Not really useful information in this information age, is it?
A year or so ago I realized how out-of-date typewriters were when I asked a young colleague where I could find some typing paper. She said "what's that?"Â So I had to explain--"you know..the kind you put in the copier?"
She showed me where to find some paper..and I resisted the temptation to tell her about the way it used to be..and where to find the platten and the carriage.
It was on today's date back in 1973 that the band Dr. Hook got their wish, and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine, the accomplishment they hoped for in the song "Cover of the Rolling Stone." Â
My most profound memory dealing with this song is that it was one of the songs I learned in guitar lessons during the summer between 5th and 6th grade. It was a group lesson, with a bunch of little girls strumming and singing along to a variety of songs (which also included "Billy Don't Be a Hero" and "Never Been to Spain.")
Some of the lyrics may have been considered kind of questionable for 10-year-olds, like "I got a freaky old lady name of Cocaine Katie who embroiders on my jeans." And then there was the line that said "Got a genuine Indian guru, teachin' me a better way." Except our guitar teacher didn't transcribe the lyrics just right, and wrote "genuine Indian burro." Changes the meaning of the song entirely!
I'm not a huge fan of that Dr. Hook song, which was actually written by Shel Silverstein, but I do like it more than a few of their other hits including "Sylvia's Mother" and that heartfelt ditty "When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman (it's hard)."
I couldn't find a video of Dr. Hook doing the Rolling Stone song live...but did find one that includes the song's audio along with a whole bunch of different covers of the magazine. It's actually an interesting little trip down Memory Lane. And if the song gets stuck in your head...hey..at least it's not "Sylvia's Mother!"
It seems America is obsessed with shows featuring celebrities out of their element, like Dancing With the Stars, or The Celebrity Apprentice.
This is not a new concept. Of course, game shows have always featured celebrities, on shows like $25,000 Pyramid, or Password. But that's not what I'm talking about.
Do you remember a fascinating TV series from the 1970's called "Battle of the Network Stars"? This was a fascinatingly bad program that featured celebrities competing in athletic events, like running, swimming..even obstacle courses and the tug of war. I liked it because it often featured teenage stars, who were still agile enough to compete in these types of events. I was checking youtube for some clips, and found some interesting ones--many featuring female stars who could have used better sports bras. And with none other than Howard Cosell doing the announcing..classic TV history was made.
This one featured two child stars who should have kept up their running skills, especially when running from the law.
Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss! That guy who wrote so many classic kids' books would have been 106 today, and kids all over the country celebrate by wearing tall red and white hats and exploring the fun of reading.
I was a big fan of Dr. Seuss books when I was young...mostly the "I Can Read It By Myself" books, which included One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and of course Green Eggs and Ham. And if it weren't for Dr. Seuss's alphabet book, I never would have been introduced to that handsome pink and white checked creature known as the Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz!
At the Charles M. White Library in Stevens Point, the Seuss books were so popular they were filed under his real name Theodore Geisel, which you discovered when you asked a librarian for help. Otherwise they would have been checked out all the time.
I do have something negative to say about his books. A lot of them are really too long to read to kids, not because of the children's attention spans..but because grown-ups have other things to do than sit there and read for 45 minutes!
I know a lot of great parodies of Dr. Seuss have been done over the years. I'm not sure this is one of them, but it was the first one that came up on youtube. Caution--it's kind of offensive.
I hope I don't go to hell for posting this during Lent.
Yesterday I told you about my 5 favorite Madison concerts of the decade. This new list includes shows that involved a bit of a road trip.
1. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, April 2000. I believe this was the first show in their"Y2K" tour. All four of them were in high spirits..and genuinely seemed to enjoy being around each other! At one point, Graham Nash put on a Cheesehead..and Neil called him shameless. The show ended with a rip it up version of "Rockin' in the Free World." Neil broke ALL the strings on his guitar!
2. Jeff Beck at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, March 2001. This was the second time I saw Jeff Beck, and was of course accompanied by my guitar player boyfriend, Mike, who was watching with binoculars to make sure he didn't miss anything. We were in the 6th row. This is the first time I saw Jeff play his version of the Beatles "A Day in the Life," which is nominated for a Grammy this year!
3)Paul McCartney at the United Center in Chicago, April 2002. Yeah, he's cheesy, yeah, he's over the top cute, but HE'S A BEATLE! Some idiot behind me was trying to ruin everything by talking through the whole thing, but I eventually got over that and let the music take over. I saw the same show a few months later in Milwaukee and it seemd kinda lame the second time...but I was in full-on Beatlemania in Chicago.
4)Sonny Landreth at the Monroe Blues Festival in Monroe, WI, September, 2007. I've seen Sonny a bunch of times, but this was by far the best.  I was standing right up front for a great view of his slide guitar wizardry.
5)Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, November 2009. Now I know what all the hype is about! When he was body-passed through the crowd to the stage on the 3rd song, I knew something special was about to happen. And he played "Kitty's Back," especially for me. This might be the best show I've ever seen.
Here's Jeff Beck playing "A Day in the Life" at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007...a concert I should have attended.
What were the best concerts in Madison in the last decade? I flipped through my album of ticket stubs to try and jog my memory...and came up with quite a few. Here are my Top Five..in no particular order.
1) Al Green at the Madison Blues Fest at Olin Park, August, 2003. He was the headliner at the second night of the festival, and I was exhausted. My boyfriend Mike and I agreed we'd just watch a song or two and head home..but we stayed until the end. He looked good in that white suit, and captivated the entire audience. His voice was still as silky smooth and seductive as it had always been.
2) Eagles at the Kohl Center, October 2003. Yeah...I had to endure some solo Don Henley stuff, but it was a thrill to hear live versions of songs I practically grew up with. (I wore out my vinyl copy of Hotel California). Joe Walsh added a sense of humor to the show with his "Helmet Cam," giving us a new perspective of the concert! (See video below).
3) Los Lonely Boys with opener John Eddie at Luther's Blues, February 2004. I've seen both bands numerous times since then, but the first was likely the best. John Eddie may be a quiet singer songwriter on that album "Who The Hell is John Eddie," but on stage he's a wild man..getting the audience involved on an emotional level. And I've never seen Los Lonely Boys go as far to entertain..including some crazy tricks with the guitar and bass I don't think I've seen them do since. This was also the loudest show I've ever seen..but were were standing right in front of the stage!
4)Brian Wilson at Overture Hall, October 2004. Fans who'd been waiting for the "Smile" album no doubt thought it was worth the wait! Brian, much maligned for "not being all there," certainly was the leader of the huge band that played the whole rediscovered Smile album..and other familiar Beach Boys hits. (And before this I wasn't even that big of a Beach Boys fan).
5) Ray Davies at the Barrymore Theatre, March 2006. Ray had just released a new album called "Other People's Lives," and this was the first stop on the tour. Ray was definitely having fun sharing the new material..even donning a weird old jacket and hat for a song about a stand-up comic. And he played a bunch of classic Kinks songs too. I had seen him before on his Storyteller tour..but this was the first time I saw him with a full band. The musicianship was fantastic..and led me to keep my fingers crossed that the Kinks will reunite. (I'm still waiting).
Tomorrow, I'll share with you my top five concerts that happened outside of Madison.
By the way..it appears Joe Walsh is still doing the Helmet Cam thing. It kicks in at around 3:25 in this video from 2008.
It's only natural that we take time to reflect, as we reach the end of the decade. In the last ten years, we pretty much said goodbye to the cathode ray tube TV, the cassette tape, lickable stamps, and the Rolodex. Those were a few of the items on a list compiled by New York Magazine.
That got me thinking about what's disappeared in Madison since the year 2000.
O'Cayz Corral: Every one from Nirvana to the White Stripes played this bar on East Wilson Street. It burned down New Year's Day, 2001. There's still an empty lot where the bar, and its neighbor, The Comic Strip once stood. I'm kinda bummed that I never saw a show there.
Luther's Blues: I saw a lot of bands at this bar that closed a couple of years ago, on University Avenue. The loudest show I ever saw in my life was at Luther's. It was Los Lonely Boys, opening for John Eddie. Great show, but really, really LOUD.
The Madison Blues Festival: It was a great chance to see legendary artists, from B.B. King to Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck to Little Richard. Some excellent performers graced the Triple M Stage too--including Sue Foley, and Jackie Greene, among others. So what if all the artists weren't technically blues artists. I really miss this event.
The Oscar Mayer Theatre at the Madison Civic Center: I know part of the theatre survives inside the Overture Center, but it's just not the same. Some of the artists I've seen at the Oscar Mayer Theatre included the Indigo Girls, Dave Brubeck, the Bodeans, John Prine, Melissa Etheridge, and Hootie and the Blowfish. (Yeah....I saw Hootie. I'm not ashamed).
Also disappearing in the last decade from Madison--the daily print edition of the Capital Times, Madison K-Marts, and smoky bars. I can't really say I miss the last two items on that list.
When I was a kid, I always enjoyed putting together my Christmas wish list. I'd go through the Montgomery Wards catalog and circle anything that looked moderately interesting (can't believe my parents never bought me that kid sized tube you can crawl through).
I also would write out a list to help members of my family find me the perfect gift. I remember one year I wrote, "NO CANDLES" on my list. So imagine my irritation when I got a giant box, filled with shredded paper. There was a string taped to the side of the box, which said "follow me." So I followed the string along until I got to a used birthday candle. Ha ha, very funny. What WAS funny was the record album that was taped to the inside of the box...every one could see it but me! Eventually I caught on.  Thanks John, by the way.
When I was a bit younger (around 8 or 9), one item on my list caused some confusion for my dad. I remember him calling me from Shopko. He asked, "this list says Don't Cook Your Goose. Is that something you want, or do you just not want me to spend too much on presents?"
What? Spend too much on presents? That concept wasn't familiar to me.
Actually it was a game, which involved balancing little goose shape pieces on a pan....
I did get that for Christmas..and oh the joy! Hours of entertainment!
I don't believe this game is made any more..but you can get the gist of it here.
With President Obama in Madison today to speak at Wright Middle School, I got to thinking about the one time I got to see a sitting president in person. I was a senior in high school, so not much older than the middle schoolers that are hanging with Barack today.
Jimmy Carter flew into Wausau to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dave Obey getting into Congress. He gave a speech at Wausau Newman High School, and since my dad was a big Obey supporter, he and I got to sit in the front row, in folding chairs at the front of the gym. (Each family could only get 2 tickets, and my mom gave me hers because she knew it would mean a lot to me--thanks Mom!)
Riding in the car from Stevens Point to Wausau, we noticed State Patrol or Sheriff's Department cars on every overpass..with (I swear this is true)...sharpshooters standing outside ready to shoot at any potential terrorists or would-be assassin. (We were taking the same route the president would take from the fantastic Mosinee airport).
I remember what a huge thrill it was to hear the band play "Hail to the Chief", and to see the actual president of the United States walk in to a formal announcement. My heart was racing, and I remember thinking..."this is a moment I will never forget."
I have no recollection of what President Carter talked about. I do remember trying to distract the Secret Service agents lined up in front of him, by smiling and batting my eyelashes. I just wanted to exchange a quick smile..but alas they were serious about protecting the leader of the free world and didn't succumb to my charms.
When we got home, I was very excited to see what the news coverage of his visit would feature---the national news media did accompany him on his trip. The only thing they talked about was that President Carter had switched the way he parted his hair. (Which brought to mind the lyrics to that Who song.."the parting on the left is now parting on the right..")
I'm hoping there will be more newsy goodness from today's visit. Because Obama doesn't part his hair at all.
It's back to the 1980's again for a trip down Halloween memory lane. This time I got my best  friend Gale in on the fun..with cool space age costumes created out of garbage bags. We had a great time hitting the bars in Stevens Point..although one person did say "Gee I wish I could have a costume made out of a Hefty bag," in a not-so-complimentary voice.
You may have wondered where I got the inspiration for these high fashion costumes. Did you guess A Flock of Seagulls? Watch this video and prepare to be amazed! (I can't say for sure where I got the idea for the alien make-up...but you can tell I was more into it than Gale!)
It's fire prevention week! That probably doesn't mean much to you if you're A) not a firefighter, or B)don't hang out in schools much anymore.
So the first thing I'd like all of you to do is conduct a fire drill. Right now. When you get back, I'll share with you my Top5 Fire Prevention Week Memories.
1. When I was in 2nd grade, Smokey Bear came to my grade school on a fire truck to teach us all about not starting forest fires. One kindergartener went into absolute hysterics when he saw that iconic bear. For some reason I still remember his name. Donald Davis. Wonder whatever happened to him.
2. In high school, I singed my bangs lighting a cigarette on a gas stove. I'm not sure if this happened during Fire Prevention Week, but I think it did.
3. I hate it when people called Smokey Bear "Smokey THE Bear." There's no "the." Really. You could look it up.
4. Should you do Chinese fire drills during Fire Prevention Week? No, probably not. Besides, it's politically incorrect.
5. Don't play with matches.
As you may know, I've had a long love affair with Kevin Cronin, lead singer of R.E.O. Speedwagon, who turns 58 today.
It's not really cool to love R.E.O. any more..but they were the big deal in my home town of Stevens Point when I was a teenager. I loved the album "You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish." I played my copy of R.E.O. "Live You Get What You Play For" more than I'd care to admit. ("Ladies and gentlemen..please welcome, Epic recording artists..R.E.O. Speedwagon!"Â )
When they played County Stadium in 1981, I was damn sure I was going to be there, because I was certain they'd soon be too big too tour. (You know, like the Beatles after 1966). Yeah...even I think that's embarassing now.
And you know..I even secretly hoped that my ticket to meeting Kevin would come from a central Wisconsin connection. His brother used to do the weather on a TV station in Wausau. (Sadly, my path has never crossed Kevin's. I was even out of town when he played the west side Walmart a few years ago.)
Here's a video from back in R.E.O's heyday. Feel free to sing a long.
It's a big day for celebration at my house, because at long last we finally got our new dishwasher, and it's installed and ready for dirty dishes.
Yeah!!!!!
This saga started around a month ago when our old dishwasher just stopped. In the middle of a cycle. Apparently it decided that 17 years of service was long enough and it just stopped working (with a bunch of grayish dishwater in the bottom).
Thus began the search for a new dishwasher, followed by some delivery scheduling trauma, a defective machine being installed..and hopefully now..success.
This is a big deal because I HATE WASHING DISHES. I still remember when I told my mom I was ready to upgrade from the job of just clearing the table and sweeping the floor, and that I wanted to wash the dishes. Big mistake. I hated it, and there was no going back. Here are a few more moments in my dishwashing history.
*hid from my family, inside my house, to avoid helping with Thanksgiving dinner dishes (I won't tell you how old I was..it's kind of embarassing).
*broke a glass pitcher after it fell from a Jenga like pile of dirty dishes. It was no fun picking up the shattered pieces that were coated with sticky lemonade remnants
*helped a boyfriend throw away a box-full of his room-mate's dishes that were beginning to fossilize in the sink
*have been known to say I'd prefer a dishwasher to an engagement ring any day
Don't go getting any ideas now. I'm not engaged. I'm holding out for a new refrigerator. With ice and water in the door.
Remembering my days as a safety cadet
In the Madison area, the responsibility of helping kids get safely across the street seems to be entrusted mostly to grown-ups. When I was growing up in Stevens Point, we relied on other tiny, young, distracted kids to do the job. At least if you look at the example I set.
When I was in 4th grade, I signed up to be a safety cadet, otherwise known as a crossing guard. I got to wear a groovy day-glo orange belt, with a shiny badge attached. And one week out of every four, I had to get up early to get to my post before most of the kids walking to school.
My favorite part of this assignment was yelling "On duty" really loud to start my shift, and then getting to yell "Off duty" when I was finished.
But most of the job entailed looking both ways and telling kids when it was safe to cross the street. I was also allowed to "report" kids that were doing something wrong, like riding their bikes on the sidewalk, running, or jaywalking.
But it turns out my authority was mostly in my head. Case in point: when one bully decided to ride his bike up close to me and spit right at me. I told him he was "on report," and then followed through. I told the safety cadet supervisor about the transgression, and she said "What am I supposed to do about it?"
"Maybe draw and quarter him, or behead him and display his head on the end of a stick?"
 That's what I wish I would have said. Instead I just stood there in disbelief, and abandoned all dreams of a future career in law enforcement.
The passing of Senator Edward Kennedy yesterday got me to thinking.
Where's my Kennedy?
Growing up in a VERY Democratic, liberal household, I was always searching for a political candidate who inspired in me the kind of hope and confidence that John Kennedy and later Bobby Kennedy inspired in members of my family. I know my parents went to a rally for JFK and my mom got to shake hands with Jackie. I'm pretty sure my older brothers and sister thought Bobby Kennedy was pretty cool.
But they were gone long before I started forming my own opinions about politics.
So in 1980, when Jimmy Carter was running for re-election, I put my support behind Ted Kennedy in the Democratic party. Finally it was my chance! A Kennedy to call my very own! And I was old enough to vote (barely).
I even rode my bike over to UW-Stevens Point to listen to him speak at a rally. Sadly, the main thing I remember about that day is that he was a couple of hours time. This was my first experience with politician time..which is usually a time zone or two later than the one you're in.
I didn't get that tingly feeling so many people described after listening to either of Ted's older brothers. But he definitely had some cool ideas..his long list of legislative accomplishments includes the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Americans with Disabilities Act and creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Okay, I guess I'm feeling a little tingly.
The other day we were talking about the dangerous stuff we used to do as kids, that nobody would allow their kids to do these days. I found out a lot of you did stuff that was way more risky than what I did to wile away the hours as a kid back in Stevens Point.
We did not play soccer with flaming tennis balls, throw knives at each other, or play tag with a hive full of angry bees.
I guess my childhood was more idyllic. We played a charades type game called Lemonade, Kick The Can, Red Light Green Light, and wiffle ball.
But some of our games were more unusual than others. Take the game we called "I'm Going Out to Smoke My Pipe." Now I have written about this before, but some people missed the rules the last time around. So here they are again, folks. Print and save for your records.
You need at least five or six kids for this game to work well. One child is the dad, another is a witch, another is the babysitter and the rest are all kids, named after the days of the week.
Before the game starts, the witch goes over to the side of the house, while the rest (except the "dad") sit on the front steps of whatever house you're playing at.
Then this gripping dialog happens:
Dad: I'm going out to smoke my pipe, and I won't be back until Saturday night.
Babysitter: See you...have a good time (or something like that).
The dad goes behind a tree or off to the side..and then the Witch shows up.
Witch: May I borrow some bread and butter?
Babysitter: Sure!
Then the witch grabs a kid, takes him or her to the side of the house and turns him/her into a pie. The kid gets to choose what kind of pie to be. This is important because it comes up later.
Then the dad comes back.
Dad: Where's Wednesday? (or whichever kid disappeared)
Babysitter: She took a walk around the block (obviously not wanting to admit a kid was missing.)
Dad: Oh, okay. I'm going out to smoke my pipe and won't be back until Saturday night.
Then the scenario with the witch repeats, but she probably asks for something else, like a cup of suger. Another kid disappears and turns into a pie.
Finally when all the kids have been turned into pies, the witch takes off with the babysitter too, and she is also turned into a pie.
So when the dad comes back from smoking his pipe, he realizes no one is there...so he goes over to the bakery (on the side of the house) to buy a pie. (That's what I'd do if my whole family disappeared, wouldn't you?)
The witch (who the dad thinks is a mild mannered baker) asks the dad what kind of pie he wants. He keeps guessing until he guesses the name of one of the pies that one of the kids had chosen. (I usually chose something out of the ordinary like rhubarb or mincemeat to prevent being chosen).
Then he chases the kid around the block and gives him/her a whack for running away.
Then he comes back and tries to guess another pie, and the game continues that way until all the pies have been guessed, and all the kids have been slapped.
I told you it was convoluted. And I guess kind of cruel.
And we played this game a lot in our neighborhood. How else could I have remembered the intricate rules?
I have never met another person (other than the awesomely creative kids from my neighborhood) who has ever played this game. Or at least they wouldn't admit it!
Maybe some day we'll have a neighborhood reunion and try to relive old times. But I think we'd have to have a few cocktails first.
Happy birthday to the Cute Beatle, SIr Paul McCartney! He turns 71 today.
One of the rules for Beatles fans is that you must memorize tidbits of Beatle trivia to try and impress other Beatle fans. This is not that easy to do....as things like...
In 1968, Jeannie C. Riley topped both the pop and country charts with "Harper Valley PTA". She was the first female singer to accomplish that feat and it wasn't repeated until Dolly Parton did it in 1981 with the song "9 to 5". The song was...
This week we're doing story songs on the World's Worst iPod. We start with the story of Billy who really wanted to be a hero. He was a hero, but didn't live to see it and his girlfriend was pretty angry. The song was originally done by...
This week' s Gabby's Pick is another track from emerging artist ZZ Ward's debut album , called "365 Days."
In addition to all the radio airplay " Put The Gun Down" has received, you may also have heard her music on several television...
Apparently Oreo flavored Oreos are not sufficient.
Nabisco is continuing its trend of introducing special limited edition flavors for its Oreo cookies. Last year, the internet was all abuzz about candy corn Oreos, which supposedly didn't really...
One small detail I like about Bonnaroo ... the security people's shirts say "Safety" and "Here to help". They seem well-trained and they do the things security folk do ... but I like the emphasis on safety and that they're doing these things...
Happy birthday to the Cute Beatle, SIr Paul McCartney! He turns 71 today.
One of the rules for Beatles fans is that you must memorize tidbits of Beatle trivia to try and impress other Beatle fans. This is not that easy to do....as things like...
In 1968, Jeannie C. Riley topped both the pop and country charts with "Harper Valley PTA". She was the first female singer to accomplish that feat and it wasn't repeated until Dolly Parton did it in 1981 with the song "9 to 5". The song was...
This week we're doing story songs on the World's Worst iPod. We start with the story of Billy who really wanted to be a hero. He was a hero, but didn't live to see it and his girlfriend was pretty angry. The song was originally done by...
This week' s Gabby's Pick is another track from emerging artist ZZ Ward's debut album , called "365 Days."
In addition to all the radio airplay " Put The Gun Down" has received, you may also have heard her music on several television...
Apparently Oreo flavored Oreos are not sufficient.
Nabisco is continuing its trend of introducing special limited edition flavors for its Oreo cookies. Last year, the internet was all abuzz about candy corn Oreos, which supposedly didn't really...
One small detail I like about Bonnaroo ... the security people's shirts say "Safety" and "Here to help". They seem well-trained and they do the things security folk do ... but I like the emphasis on safety and that they're doing these things...
Yesterday I told you about my 5 favorite Madison concerts of the decade. This new list includes shows that involved a bit of a road trip.
1. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, April 2000. I believe this was the first show in their"Y2K" tour. All four of them were in high spirits..and genuinely seemed to enjoy being around each other! At one point, Graham Nash put on a Cheesehead..and Neil called him shameless. The show ended with a rip it up version of "Rockin' in the Free World." Neil broke ALL the strings on his guitar!
2. Jeff Beck at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, March 2001. This was the second time I saw Jeff Beck, and was of course accompanied by my guitar player boyfriend, Mike, who was watching with binoculars to make sure he didn't miss anything. We were in the 6th row. This is the first time I saw Jeff play his version of the Beatles "A Day in the Life," which is nominated for a Grammy this year!
3)Paul McCartney at the United Center in Chicago, April 2002. Yeah, he's cheesy, yeah, he's over the top cute, but HE'S A BEATLE! Some idiot behind me was trying to ruin everything by talking through the whole thing, but I eventually got over that and let the music take over. I saw the same show a few months later in Milwaukee and it seemd kinda lame the second time...but I was in full-on Beatlemania in Chicago.
4)Sonny Landreth at the Monroe Blues Festival in Monroe, WI, September, 2007. I've seen Sonny a bunch of times, but this was by far the best.  I was standing right up front for a great view of his slide guitar wizardry.
5)Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, November 2009. Now I know what all the hype is about! When he was body-passed through the crowd to the stage on the 3rd song, I knew something special was about to happen. And he played "Kitty's Back," especially for me. This might be the best show I've ever seen.
Here's Jeff Beck playing "A Day in the Life" at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007...a concert I should have attended.
What were the best concerts in Madison in the last decade? I flipped through my album of ticket stubs to try and jog my memory...and came up with quite a few. Here are my Top Five..in no particular order.
1) Al Green at the Madison Blues Fest at Olin Park, August, 2003. He was the headliner at the second night of the festival, and I was exhausted. My boyfriend Mike and I agreed we'd just watch a song or two and head home..but we stayed until the end. He looked good in that white suit, and captivated the entire audience. His voice was still as silky smooth and seductive as it had always been.
2) Eagles at the Kohl Center, October 2003. Yeah...I had to endure some solo Don Henley stuff, but it was a thrill to hear live versions of songs I practically grew up with. (I wore out my vinyl copy of Hotel California). Joe Walsh added a sense of humor to the show with his "Helmet Cam," giving us a new perspective of the concert! (See video below).
3) Los Lonely Boys with opener John Eddie at Luther's Blues, February 2004. I've seen both bands numerous times since then, but the first was likely the best. John Eddie may be a quiet singer songwriter on that album "Who The Hell is John Eddie," but on stage he's a wild man..getting the audience involved on an emotional level. And I've never seen Los Lonely Boys go as far to entertain..including some crazy tricks with the guitar and bass I don't think I've seen them do since. This was also the loudest show I've ever seen..but were were standing right in front of the stage!
4)Brian Wilson at Overture Hall, October 2004. Fans who'd been waiting for the "Smile" album no doubt thought it was worth the wait! Brian, much maligned for "not being all there," certainly was the leader of the huge band that played the whole rediscovered Smile album..and other familiar Beach Boys hits. (And before this I wasn't even that big of a Beach Boys fan).
5) Ray Davies at the Barrymore Theatre, March 2006. Ray had just released a new album called "Other People's Lives," and this was the first stop on the tour. Ray was definitely having fun sharing the new material..even donning a weird old jacket and hat for a song about a stand-up comic. And he played a bunch of classic Kinks songs too. I had seen him before on his Storyteller tour..but this was the first time I saw him with a full band. The musicianship was fantastic..and led me to keep my fingers crossed that the Kinks will reunite. (I'm still waiting).
Tomorrow, I'll share with you my top five concerts that happened outside of Madison.
By the way..it appears Joe Walsh is still doing the Helmet Cam thing. It kicks in at around 3:25 in this video from 2008.
It's only natural that we take time to reflect, as we reach the end of the decade. In the last ten years, we pretty much said goodbye to the cathode ray tube TV, the cassette tape, lickable stamps, and the Rolodex. Those were a few of the items on a list compiled by 
When I was a kid, I always enjoyed putting together my Christmas wish list. I'd go through the Montgomery Wards catalog and circle anything that looked moderately interesting (can't believe my parents never bought me that kid sized tube you can crawl through).
I also would write out a list to help members of my family find me the perfect gift. I remember one year I wrote, "NO CANDLES" on my list. So imagine my irritation when I got a giant box, filled with shredded paper. There was a string taped to the side of the box, which said "follow me." So I followed the string along until I got to a used birthday candle. Ha ha, very funny. What WAS funny was the record album that was taped to the inside of the box...every one could see it but me! Eventually I caught on.  Thanks John, by the way.
When I was a bit younger (around 8 or 9), one item on my list caused some confusion for my dad. I remember him calling me from Shopko. He asked, "this list says Don't Cook Your Goose. Is that something you want, or do you just not want me to spend too much on presents?"
What? Spend too much on presents? That concept wasn't familiar to me.
Actually it was a game, which involved balancing little goose shape pieces on a pan....
I did get that for Christmas..and oh the joy! Hours of entertainment!
I don't believe this game is made any more..but you can get the gist of it here.
With President Obama in Madison today to speak at Wright Middle School, I got to thinking about the one time I got to see a sitting president in person. I was a senior in high school, so not much older than the middle schoolers that are hanging with Barack today.
Jimmy Carter flew into Wausau to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dave Obey getting into Congress. He gave a speech at Wausau Newman High School, and since my dad was a big Obey supporter, he and I got to sit in the front row, in folding chairs at the front of the gym. (Each family could only get 2 tickets, and my mom gave me hers because she knew it would mean a lot to me--thanks Mom!)
Riding in the car from Stevens Point to Wausau, we noticed State Patrol or Sheriff's Department cars on every overpass..with (I swear this is true)...sharpshooters standing outside ready to shoot at any potential terrorists or would-be assassin. (We were taking the same route the president would take from the fantastic Mosinee airport).
I remember what a huge thrill it was to hear the band play "Hail to the Chief", and to see the actual president of the United States walk in to a formal announcement. My heart was racing, and I remember thinking..."this is a moment I will never forget."
I have no recollection of what President Carter talked about. I do remember trying to distract the Secret Service agents lined up in front of him, by smiling and batting my eyelashes. I just wanted to exchange a quick smile..but alas they were serious about protecting the leader of the free world and didn't succumb to my charms.
When we got home, I was very excited to see what the news coverage of his visit would feature---the national news media did accompany him on his trip. The only thing they talked about was that President Carter had switched the way he parted his hair. (Which brought to mind the lyrics to that Who song.."the parting on the left is now parting on the right..")
I'm hoping there will be more newsy goodness from today's visit. Because Obama doesn't part his hair at all.
It's back to the 1980's again for a trip down Halloween memory lane. This time I got my best  friend Gale in on the fun..with cool space age costumes created out of garbage bags. We had a great time hitting the bars in Stevens Point..although one person did say "Gee I wish I could have a costume made out of a Hefty bag," in a not-so-complimentary voice.
You may have wondered where I got the inspiration for these high fashion costumes. Did you guess A Flock of Seagulls? Watch this video and prepare to be amazed! (I can't say for sure where I got the idea for the alien make-up...but you can tell I was more into it than Gale!)
It's fire prevention week! That probably doesn't mean much to you if you're A) not a firefighter, or B)don't hang out in schools much anymore.
So the first thing I'd like all of you to do is conduct a fire drill. Right now. When you get back, I'll share with you my Top 5 Fire Prevention Week Memories.
1. When I was in 2nd grade, Smokey Bear came to my grade school on a fire truck to teach us all about not starting forest fires. One kindergartener went into absolute hysterics when he saw that iconic bear. For some reason I still remember his name. Donald Davis. Wonder whatever happened to him.
2. In high school, I singed my bangs lighting a cigarette on a gas stove. I'm not sure if this happened during Fire Prevention Week, but I think it did.
3. I hate it when people called Smokey Bear "Smokey THE Bear." There's no "the." Really. You could look it up.
4. Should you do Chinese fire drills during Fire Prevention Week? No, probably not. Besides, it's politically incorrect.
5. Don't play with matches.
It's a big day for celebration at my house, because at long last we finally got our new dishwasher, and it's installed and ready for dirty dishes.
Yeah!!!!!
This saga started around a month ago when our old dishwasher just stopped. In the middle of a cycle. Apparently it decided that 17 years of service was long enough and it just stopped working (with a bunch of grayish dishwater in the bottom).
Thus began the search for a new dishwasher, followed by some delivery scheduling trauma, a defective machine being installed..and hopefully now..success.
This is a big deal because I HATE WASHING DISHES. I still remember when I told my mom I was ready to upgrade from the job of just clearing the table and sweeping the floor, and that I wanted to wash the dishes. Big mistake. I hated it, and there was no going back. Here are a few more moments in my dishwashing history.
*hid from my family, inside my house, to avoid helping with Thanksgiving dinner dishes (I won't tell you how old I was..it's kind of embarassing).
*broke a glass pitcher after it fell from a Jenga like pile of dirty dishes. It was no fun picking up the shattered pieces that were coated with sticky lemonade remnants
*helped a boyfriend throw away a box-full of his room-mate's dishes that were beginning to fossilize in the sink
*have been known to say I'd prefer a dishwasher to an engagement ring any day
Don't go getting any ideas now. I'm not engaged. I'm holding out for a new refrigerator. With ice and water in the door.
Remembering my days as a safety cadet
In the Madison area, the responsibility of helping kids get safely across the street seems to be entrusted mostly to grown-ups. When I was growing up in Stevens Point, we relied on other tiny, young, distracted kids to do the job. At least if you look at the example I set.
When I was in 4th grade, I signed up to be a safety cadet, otherwise known as a crossing guard. I got to wear a groovy day-glo orange belt, with a shiny badge attached. And one week out of every four, I had to get up early to get to my post before most of the kids walking to school.
My favorite part of this assignment was yelling "On duty" really loud to start my shift, and then getting to yell "Off duty" when I was finished.
But most of the job entailed looking both ways and telling kids when it was safe to cross the street. I was also allowed to "report" kids that were doing something wrong, like riding their bikes on the sidewalk, running, or jaywalking.
But it turns out my authority was mostly in my head. Case in point: when one bully decided to ride his bike up close to me and spit right at me. I told him he was "on report," and then followed through. I told the safety cadet supervisor about the transgression, and she said "What am I supposed to do about it?"
"Maybe draw and quarter him, or behead him and display his head on the end of a stick?"
 That's what I wish I would have said. Instead I just stood there in disbelief, and abandoned all dreams of a future career in law enforcement.
The passing of Senator Edward Kennedy yesterday got me to thinking.
Where's my Kennedy?
Growing up in a VERY Democratic, liberal household, I was always searching for a political candidate who inspired in me the kind of hope and confidence that John Kennedy and later Bobby Kennedy inspired in members of my family. I know my parents went to a rally for JFK and my mom got to shake hands with Jackie. I'm pretty sure my older brothers and sister thought Bobby Kennedy was pretty cool.
But they were gone long before I started forming my own opinions about politics.
So in 1980, when Jimmy Carter was running for re-election, I put my support behind Ted Kennedy in the Democratic party. Finally it was my chance! A Kennedy to call my very own! And I was old enough to vote (barely).
I even rode my bike over to UW-Stevens Point to listen to him speak at a rally. Sadly, the main thing I remember about that day is that he was a couple of hours time. This was my first experience with politician time..which is usually a time zone or two later than the one you're in.
I didn't get that tingly feeling so many people described after listening to either of Ted's older brothers. But he definitely had some cool ideas..his long list of legislative accomplishments includes the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Americans with Disabilities Act and creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Okay, I guess I'm feeling a little tingly.
The other day we were talking about the dangerous stuff we used to do as kids, that nobody would allow their kids to do these days. I found out a lot of you did stuff that was way more risky than what I did to wile away the hours as a kid back in Stevens Point.
We did not play soccer with flaming tennis balls, throw knives at each other, or play tag with a hive full of angry bees.
I guess my childhood was more idyllic. We played a charades type game called Lemonade, Kick The Can, Red Light Green Light, and wiffle ball.
But some of our games were more unusual than others. Take the game we called "I'm Going Out to Smoke My Pipe." Now I have written about this before, but some people missed the rules the last time around. So here they are again, folks. Print and save for your records.
You need at least five or six kids for this game to work well. One child is the dad, another is a witch, another is the babysitter and the rest are all kids, named after the days of the week.
Before the game starts, the witch goes over to the side of the house, while the rest (except the "dad") sit on the front steps of whatever house you're playing at.
Then this gripping dialog happens:
Dad: I'm going out to smoke my pipe, and I won't be back until Saturday night.
Babysitter: See you...have a good time (or something like that).
The dad goes behind a tree or off to the side..and then the Witch shows up.
Witch: May I borrow some bread and butter?
Babysitter: Sure!
Then the witch grabs a kid, takes him or her to the side of the house and turns him/her into a pie. The kid gets to choose what kind of pie to be. This is important because it comes up later.
Then the dad comes back.
Dad: Where's Wednesday? (or whichever kid disappeared)
Babysitter: She took a walk around the block (obviously not wanting to admit a kid was missing.)
Dad: Oh, okay. I'm going out to smoke my pipe and won't be back until Saturday night.
Then the scenario with the witch repeats, but she probably asks for something else, like a cup of suger. Another kid disappears and turns into a pie.
Finally when all the kids have been turned into pies, the witch takes off with the babysitter too, and she is also turned into a pie.
So when the dad comes back from smoking his pipe, he realizes no one is there...so he goes over to the bakery (on the side of the house) to buy a pie. (That's what I'd do if my whole family disappeared, wouldn't you?)
The witch (who the dad thinks is a mild mannered baker) asks the dad what kind of pie he wants. He keeps guessing until he guesses the name of one of the pies that one of the kids had chosen. (I usually chose something out of the ordinary like rhubarb or mincemeat to prevent being chosen).
Then he chases the kid around the block and gives him/her a whack for running away.
Then he comes back and tries to guess another pie, and the game continues that way until all the pies have been guessed, and all the kids have been slapped.
I told you it was convoluted. And I guess kind of cruel.
And we played this game a lot in our neighborhood. How else could I have remembered the intricate rules?
I have never met another person (other than the awesomely creative kids from my neighborhood) who has ever played this game. Or at least they wouldn't admit it!
Maybe some day we'll have a neighborhood reunion and try to relive old times. But I think we'd have to have a few cocktails first.
