April 27, 2016- The Band Perry and More-Part 2

   If my memory is correct, I could hear nearly all of the Duran Duran interview last September. That group was on my mind too much during the 6 hours that I was in the city. I was wishing that I hadn’t deleted their performance on this show. I didn’t even think to set the DVR up today for The Band Perry.

   I did take a lot of pictures this morning. I don’t think as many as I did for Duran Duran though. I looked through them this afternoon and a lot of them are crappy, esp. from during the sound check. I did get a few good shots of the 3 of them together. I was hoping to upload them today but my brother didn’t go to his therapy group so I couldn’t. This is going to have to wait until Monday afternoon.

   I had promised Janet to email her a shot that I took of George Hamilton. We had been sticking around the studio for a little while hoping to see the band coming out of it. They left for a bit to put something in their car which is when that actor was going inside the studio. I thought that it was him but wasn’t entirely sure until I overheard 2 guys talking about him.

   I am mentally and physically exhausted from this adventure. I hadn’t even intended on talking much to anyone there but wound up doing so with Janet eventually.

   I was about in an 8^th row during the concert. There was just a little space between the stage and the crowd. There was a little stage in front of the main one so the group was closer to us then. I couldn’t help trying to guesstimate if the distance will be similar when I am at the Duran Duran show in July. That would be pretty good if so. It all depends on the size of the pit area.

   Kimberly and Reid did get closer to me when they went over to a little area that was probably the VIP section after the show. They chatted with people there and some in the regular area for a bit. I took photos. One of Reid would have been nice if I hadn’t accidentally zoomed in so much. Most of the shots of her came out good, of course.

   Once again, DD was on my brain. I was wishing that one or more of the guys from that group had done something similar. I feel like I have some sort of sickness- Duranitis. I am really sounding like a truly devoted fan now. Naturally, Amy and Sharon would say that there is nothing wrong with that.

   I actually wasn’t that ashamed to admit to Janet that I had been to their mini-concert on the Plaza last October. I had told her that I had been to two others that seemed to have more people at them than this one. It might have been around the same amount for Lady A.

   I ate my granola bar in the store; I was starving and couldn’t wait until afterwards to do so. I hadn’t eaten since about 3:30 a.m., nearly 7 hours earlier. I had my sandwich in the food court area downstairs afterwards.

   I made it back to Penn Station just in time for the 12:01 train. I had forgotten to buy the ticket so I had to quickly do that. Traffic on the way home was bad. It used to be okay between like the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. but it’s not that way anymore, unfortunately. I really hate driving.

   I wish that I could afford to go to a real The Band Perry concert this year. I think that they are at the Westbury Theater in Long Island. No more concerts can be in my budget for a while because of all of the DD ones that I have been to these past 8 months.

   I heard DD’s Paper Gods CD this afternoon because my brother had it on when I was in the living room. He listens to it much more than I do!

Kimberly

George Hamilton

Kathie Lee

Ryan Lochte

April 27, 2016- The Band Perry and More

I am glad that I didn’t wimp out of going to see the “Today” show mini concert of The Band Perry on the Plaza this morning. I had to take my brother’s Metro card though because I didn’t have time to add to mine then. I must have just missed the subway. I had to wait 15 minutes for the next one. I got to the studio by 5:40.

   They did a sound check of 3 songs but only performed 2 of them during the show. “Live Forever” was one. I don’t know why they didn’t do the 3^rd song. I am just happy that we did get to see this even though it was just in sound check. I am so upset that I can’t remember if it was “Done” or “Better Dig Two” that got left out. I hate my poor memory.

   It might have been the former, the one that I like more. Whatever. It was a good performance that I really enjoyed. I didn’t even know the first names of the Perry siblings in this group until I looked them up tonight. They are Kimberly, Neil and Reid.  I had been meaning to do so for a long time. Janet, the lady who was hanging out with, didn’t know either which made me feel less stupid.

   Janet had her 12 year old daughter with her. They are from New Jersey too; down the shore at exit 98. I told her that I am right next to exit 136. The three of us went over to the NBC Experience store afterwards to take part in the “Who Knew?” segment of the 10:00 hour of the show. Kathie Lee was there asking the questions that had an Olympic theme.

   Janet got picked as one of the 7 who got to answer these. Three got them right and received $100.00 each. Janet and the 3 others who didn’t won a signed copy of Kathie Lee’s CD.

   I heard a bit of DD’s song “Rio” being played before the trivia segment on the monitor. I hadn’t even thought about this song in regards to the Olympic site. I might have on some other occasion. Mike later told me that Natalie picked this one as her song of the day during the 9:00 “Today’s Take” hour.

   We stayed at the store to do a meet and greet/photo op with 2 female Olympic athletes who I have forgotten the names of. They left before I was done. I can’t help thinking that they might have thought that I was a little weird and wanted to get away from me.

   Just a small part of me is upset about this. I can’t believe that I actually asked them if I could tag along with them to the store in the first place. That is not normally something that I would do.

   They had a lot of Olympic athletes there because it is the 100 day countdown to that event in Rio. I haven’t really been interested in the Olympics for a long time, maybe like 1992. I always preferred the winter games. It was kind of cool seeing them though.

   The Paralympic athletes were over on our side a few times. The one had a companion doggie with her. I had never seen a standard poodle being used as one of those. I should have taken a picture of it. I shouldn’t have listened to the side of me that said that this wasn’t necessary.

   I got to see Hoda too. She came outside when The Band Perry was being interviewed. I was taking photos of her then. I should have mostly paid attention to the interview. I don’t even remember if it was audible or not. Maybe just some of it was. Perhaps if I hadn’t been focusing too much on Hoda I would know for sure. That was pretty foolish of me.

Hoda

 

Dreamtime-

December 23, 2014- Autographs

I was at an autograph signing show with Mike and Dad. It was being held in a warehouse type building. The inside of it was nice. The guest list would be a surprise to me because I wasn’t in this holodeck program until we got there. They had run out of the booklets that contained this info and my brother really wasn’t talking about it.

   We saw Johnny Crawford from “The Rifleman”; my brother likes that show a lot. He said that he would get his autograph later. Dad went off on his own. Mike said that he would meet up with me in the other room in about 10 minutes. I wasn’t sure where he was going.

   That room had 4 stars from “CHiPs”- Randi Oakes, the actress who played Sindy, Erik Estrada, and Larry Wilcox. I was wishing that Robert Pine and Michael Dorn were there too. The latter probably would be at this event more for his role in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” though.

   I summoned up enough courage to talk to Estrada and Wilcox. Mike returned and was happy to see Randi. He got her autograph. I needed more cash so I went to an ATM. Estrada’s was $35.00, $5.00 more than Wilcox’s.

   Mike helped me pick out the photos. He was chatting with them, including telling them that we have been watching “CHiPs” on MeTV lately. He also got their autographs.

   “NCIS” star Cote de Pablo was also in this room. Mike wanted her autograph but needed more cash. As I was waiting for him, I suddenly felt very tired and weak. I was surprised when Erik noticed this and got a chair for me to sit in. I thanked him.

   I was getting a little annoyed that it was taking my brother so long to return. Maybe he and Dad were talking. Or he might have run into Tony who had told us that he might be there.

   I was glad when he did finally get back. He talked to Cote for about 5 minutes. I had overheard a guy saying that Mark Harmon was in the big room. As if either or both “NCIS” stars would show up at such an event. I did wonder why they weren’t in the same room.

   Mike and I went to the big room next. I saw Huey Lewis sitting at one of the tables. I found out that he and The News (where were they now?) would be performing there later. This room had a stage in it.

   I didn’t really want anyone else’s autograph. I went with my brother to meet Johnny Crawford. As he was talking to him, the scene began to fade. My time at this show was over. It was interesting that I got to see these and other stars at it.

   I actually did see Erik Estrada at a Chiller Theater one in 2008 but wasn’t interested in getting his autograph. I wish that I hadn’t been afraid to go with Mike and Dad to the show that Michael Dorn was at. Mike said that he had told him “My sister remembers you being on “CHiPs”. 

Mark Harmon

 

Note- the bottom photo is from the internet.

 

April 25, 2016- Chiller Theatre Show

We were at this event longer than I thought that we would be, partly because Tony was doing a lot of talking with people. Also, he and Mike spent like 20 minutes picking out DVDs that they are going to try to resell at the flea market. They got a deal of only .50 each. 

   I guess that I am glad that I went. At the beginning of the day, I was sort of wishing that I could just stay home and watch the tennis and Mets game. We did see Kerber win the Stuttgart tournament before leaving then watched part of the rebroadcast of the Barcelona tournament final which Nadal won.

   Mike actually got the same two autographs that I did which was a bit surprising but I was glad that he did so. First, we went to Robert Pine. He seemed nice. Mike and he were chatting about westerns which Mr. Pine was a guest star in a lot of. We found out that he is buddies with Robert Fuller, who is in another favorite show of ours,” Emergency”.

   Mike got to shake his hand which I am a little jealous about. I hadn’t even thought to stick out my hand to try to do so when I was saying “Nice to meet you”, probably because I am not usually a touchy-feely person.

   We returned to that living room area later on to get Larry Wilcox’s autograph. I had been debating on doing so when walking around and observing the stars. I figured why not since I have one of them. Neither of us were interested in getting that of Erik Estrada. He was charging $20.00 more than the other two.

   I don’t know why, but Mr. Wilcox shook my hand twice. He did say that my hand is cold. I said something dumb in reply to that- they are always cold. I should have said often and not always.

   While we were waiting on that line, I saw this boy of about 7 or 8 years old getting excited about meeting Robert Pine. That was so funny and cute. That it about how old my brother and I were when we started watching “CHiPs”.

   We forgot to go back to the outside area to see the salvage truck from “Sanford and Son”.  We did see the Monkees car earlier but that wasn’t there yet. It was cool seeing Demond Wilson who played Lamont in this show that our family used to enjoy watching.

   It was interesting seeing Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules”), Ernest Thomas and Danielle Spencer (“What’s Happening”), Bernie Kopell (“The Love Boat”), George Wendt (“Cheers”), Marc Price (“Family Ties”), Nana Visitor (“Deep Space Nine”) and Max Baer (“The Beverly Hillbillies”).

   A few of the Rocky Horror Picture Show stars, including Barry Bostwick, were also there. Tony had thought about getting their autographs but didn’t. He had been on line for Rob Schneider’s but after an hour gave up on that. He said that he must have been running late on the photo op session upstairs.

   We saw some music stars- Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork from the Monkees, Weird Al Yankovic (the song parody guy), and Martha Davis from the Motels. Tony was disappointed that Meatloaf and Alice Cooper weren’t there. They were the other 2 days.

   I was talking to a lady who had an adorable pug puppy named Winston while waiting for my brother to get done in the restroom. I felt less nervous talking to her than I did to the stars, probably because a doggie was the major part of our conversation.

   I wish that I hadn’t been afraid to ask if I could buy the nice “CHiPs” cast shot that was on Mr. Wilcox’s table. Even Michael Dorn was in that shot. Mike was lucky that he got to meet him. If I hadn’t been afraid to go to these shows with him and Tony in the past, I would have to.

   Mike said that maybe I could find this for sale online. I hope so. I would have paid $5.00 for it but not $10.00 which he said he bets that would be what they would have charged if they agreed to sell it to me.

 

 

April 9, 2016- Duran Duran Casino Shows- Part 3

    It is so bad that I couldn’t even remember if Nile was on stage with them during “Pressure Off”. I read the review of this show today and it mentioned that he was. Of course he would be- he did this song with them.

   He performed with them during “Notorious” also. I wish that I hadn’t been afraid to go out in the aisle during that one, if only for a little while.

   I had to look in between the two people in front of me off and on during the show. It was so annoying when they got closer to one another to talk for a bit during songs. I had either go out into the aisle or get closer to Carrie then.

   Carrie had tried going up to the stage to take a photo of her Nick 3 times but was stopped by a security guard. The first time she had said that I should go with her to try to get closer to John. I was too afraid and embarrassed to even make such an attempt.

   After the show, she bought me water, soda, and a yogurt. That was very kind of her. The yogurt really didn’t agree with my stomach, unfortunately.

  I don’t really remember what Simon was wearing at this concert. Or what type of button down shirt that John had on with the smile t-shirt. Was he wearing the same pants as at the PA show? Sure, I can look at photos of both events online, but it is upsetting that these images are not in my memory.

   Carrie had wished that they would perform “Careless Memories” or “Friends of Mine”. I told her about the Port Chester encore incident and how I had missed out on the former song and “Girls on Film”. She and the 1^st time DD concert guy agreed that they would have thought that the show was over like I had then.

   We heard “The Reflex” when we were on the elevator going up to her room. While I was waiting in the bus lobby area in the morning, I heard “Rio” and Hungry Like the Wolf”.

   Throughout that day, I had been worrying that I might find a ticket on my car when I got back to Linden station. I left a note on the dashboard explaining that I had tried paying the full meter amount but it didn’t accept my second $5.00 bill. Luckily, they didn’t ticket me.

   If I had just not been afraid to call for a cab to take me to the station, I wouldn’t have even had such a worry on my mind.

 

 

Both photos are from the internet

 

April 9, 2016- 2 Duran Duran Casino Shows-Part 2

    Despite being tired the next morning, I took my brother to the bank. He found out that I had been at the Bethlehem show because Jenny tagged me in a Facebook photo of her ticket from it. I made up a cover story that her mother had to cancel out so she said that I could use her ticket.

   My story for Thursday was that I had won tickets to an Alan Jackson concert at the Mohegan Sun. He would be very critical of me if he knew that I went to 2 DD shows in one week. The obsessed word would definitely be used. I really don’t need to hear such negative comments.

   That casino is huge; it’s a real gambler’s paradise. It seemed almost maze-like to me. I mostly sat around journaling and doing a couple of circle-a-word puzzles. I daydreamed and observed people. I did some DD fan spotting too.

   I overheard the salesperson in the Farmer’s Almanac Store asking a couple of them what their favorite DD song is but I couldn’t hear their responses. I saw 4 people with DD t-shirts on before 4:00.

   My seat turned out to be even better than I imagined. I was on the floor level, second section. The row was E and the seat #1. I eventually moved up to the one in front of me to be next to Carrie, the girl who started talking to me. Luckily, I was able to stay there during the show.

   She mentioned that she had just gotten the ticket for this show four hours earlier at the box office. I had thought about going there to see if I could do an upgrade if they had a seat in that front section. They probably didn’t.

    If I had been able to get such a ticket, I would have never met Carrie. Part of me is thinking this would not have mattered for being closer to the stage is much more important. That is so mean.

   She was so nice. When I told her that my bus wasn’t until like 9 a.m. she actually invited me to stay in her hotel room. I gladly accepted.  Prior to this day, I had had this hope that something like this would happen so it was pretty strange that it did.

   This was her 14^th DD concert. I have lost track of my number but I think that it is the same. Hopefully I will be able to add 2 more to that by the end of July. The guy next to her was at his first ever show of theirs. He’s been a fan since the early 80s. I was so pleased to see that he was enjoying himself thoroughly.

   Carrie seemed a bit surprised that I only got into DD in 1992. She has been a fan since the beginning. I forget what her response to my revelation was. I cringed on the inside when she asked me who my favorite is. After saying John, I mentioned my shame about this. Her guy is Nick.

   Once again, my bossy idiot side took control and made me dance around even more than I did at the PA show. I look like such a silly fool doing so, almost as bad as Elaine on “Seinfeld”.  I was singing a bit too.

   I had wanted to move out into the aisle to get a better view during parts of the first 3 songs but fear and shame kept me from doing so. I was afraid that I might get in trouble with the security guard if I did this. I did notice that other people were there and weren’t being told not to be but was still afraid that this might happen.

    Shamir, who had been the opening act at the PA show, was for this one too. We got Chic featuring Nile Rodgers also. This was so cool. I totally enjoyed their performance. It brought me back to my childhood and disco dancing in the basement with my brother and friends Cindy and Jessica.

   They did cover versions of 2 songs each of Diana Ross and Sister Sledge; Nile was the producer of these like he was for Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” which they also performed.

   DD did a Bowie song too- “Space Oddity”- right after “Planet Earth”. They did 3 more songs than at the PA show- “Too Much Information”, “Danceophobia”, and “Girls on Film”.

   Carrie didn’t like “Danceophobia”. I am not really that crazy about it either. Not too many people in the crowd seemed enthused about it. John was doing some dorky dance moves during it.

   She doesn’t know any of the songs off of the new album. I don’t think that she is familiar with their last 3 albums.

 

 

Note- The 3 concert photos are from the internet,

April 9 2016- 2 Duran Duran Casino shows-Part 1

I am still feeling a bit tired from my 2 DD adventures this week. It also feels like I am coming down with a cold, probably from the craziness of this schedule. I devoted so many hours towards this group for these shows, most of it travel (12 hours via buses and rail) and waiting time.

   The bus arrived at the Sands in Bethlehem by 2:00 p.m. I hadn’t been able to use my NJT discount card on the ticket. I didn’t even realize that I would be getting a $45.00 card to use at the casino; that is $10.00 additional to the ticket price.

   I don’t normally gamble but Jenny told me that I should use it. I am glad that I followed her suggestion; I won $205.00. This is the first time that I really gambled at a casino. I don’t count the 50 cents that I put in one machine at AC in 1992. I don’t plan on doing so ever again.

   I would have probably won more if I had just gone to the simple machine (with the cherries, bars, and such) to begin with. Before this, I was on a couple that were too confusing to me. I only won like $3.00 for the $12.00 that I bet on these.

    The show was great. Of course, we both wished that we could be closer to the stage. I was wondering aloud how many rows were the more expensive ticket. The lady behind me said only the first 4. I had thought it would be at least 1-10.

   I had looked in the outlet shops there to kill time before the show. They have Puma, The Farmer’s Almanac Old Time General Store, Tommy Hilfiger, Chico’s, Guess, Corelle and Corningware, Charming Charlies (a lot of nice jewelry), and others.

    I went over to the concert venue area at about 5:30. I wasn’t in the mood to hang around the other fans so I sat on the floor at a distance. I did hear one mention a past concert experience and John’s name was a part of this but I don’t remember what she said.

   Another reason that I didn’t want to be over there was because if I had been at this event on my own and had the GA ticket, I surely would have been like within the first 3 or 4 rows. A girl was selling an extra one for $25.00 and asked me if I wanted to buy it. I felt sad when this happened.

   I was surprised that they opened the doors at 6 p.m. Jenny didn’t arrive until about an hour later. We looked at the souvenir area. She saw a nice shirt but it didn’t come in women’s sizes. I got the tour book which was thick for the $30.00 price. Jenny and I looked through it before the concert. I saw a shot of them on the “Today” show.

   The two girls sitting next to me had been talking about Tony Orlando; one had been to his concert there. I told her that I like his song “Knock Three Times”.

   Jenny mentioned that her friend had ordered 2 tickets to the Camden show and asked her to go with her. She wants to but it is on the day of her husband’s birthday. She is going to try to go though. I hope that she is able to so we can meet up at yet another DD event.

   Those tickets are in row D which is 2 ahead of mine. I am a little jealous. Of course, with the pit area, this will make us further back. I can’t remember how big that area was from when I was there for the 2 Luke Bryan and the Tim McGraw shows. Maybe about 5 rows.

   I wonder which section these are in- probably to the left which is where I wish that I could be. I bet that my seat is all the way over to the right of that middle section.

   I told her that I was looking into getting a ticket on Stub Hub. I was afraid to tell her that I actually got one during the presale. I didn’t want her possibly being mad at me for keeping this from her.

   I should be including details of the concert but I don’t remember that much about it, unfortunately. I wish that I had not danced around during it. I had told myself beforehand not to do this and to just focus on the performance. I see doing both as multi-tasking, something that my brain is not good at. I hate that I wasn’t able to listen to my smart side.

   I have this general memory that I had a pretty good time despite our crappy seats.  Was I thinking about how shitty they were during the show? Maybe a few times. I definitely was beforehand and am now.

   They did 15 songs, I think. It was only about a 95 minute show. I didn’t care for John’s outfit. I can’t recall what Simon was wearing- I think that ugly, scary mouth t-shirt. I didn’t really look much at Roger and Nick which I feel a bit bad about.

 

 

John Taylor and Dom Brown

 

March 20, 2016- My Brother’s Memories

When we were watching a commercial for a violent video game, Mike mentioned how the ones that we played as kids were never this way. He told me that Cindy and Jessica had given him a game called Gopher. I hadn’t even remembered that it even existed.

   He has been strolling down memory lane lately. He hadn’t really been doing so that much before this. Of course, he seems to bring up the bad ones more than the good, like incidents in which his classmates picked on him. I knew about some of them but not others.

   He said that he was punched on the shoulder once. Another time, kids dared him to beat up another classmate but he didn’t do so. He told me about additional incidents that I can’t really recall right now. It is terrible that kids can be so cruel to one another.

   Mike was also a member of the CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) in grade school. I hadn’t remembered this until he recently mentioned that they went to a Yankees vs. Red Sox game and also a NJ Nets one.

   He said that we celebrated New Year’s Eve at the Bailey’s (our family friends) house in the 1970s. He mentioned that we popped balloons then. This definitely is not in my memory bank. I wish that I had more such happy times in there. The unpleasant things seem more abundant and vivid, unfortunately.

   One of these that he reminded of me was a 4^th of July incident. We were at our friend’s house for the traditional celebration when Mom’s migraine headache was so bad that Dad had to take her to the ER. After they returned, Mom had to take a nap. She was so out of it from the shot that they gave her. This was very upsetting.

     When I tell him about some of my childhood memories, he says that he can’t remember those. I guess that even though we shared experiences, there will be some that we can’t recall or we will recollect different aspects about them.

   Maybe in the afterlife, our spirits will be able to revisit our past and witness these moments. That is just a part of my somewhat crazy afterlife fantasy. I don’t talk to my brother about such things because he might think that this is foolish. I share them with Sharon who always says that she likes them and hopes that they will be a reality then.

March 13, 2016- Additional Childhood Memories- Part 2

Later

Mike was doing more of his jealousy routine- Cindy this time. But then we were reminiscing about our friendship with her and Jessica for a couple of minutes. We feel bad that we never went to Jessica’s high school graduation party. I had forgotten that we had even been invited to it until I found a thank you card from her in my memento tote a couple of years ago. We had sent her a card with money in it.

   That was in 1990, so at the time I am almost certain that I was living with my Aunt Ann. Things between Mom and Dad weren’t good as they were going through the divorce. This must have been part of the reason why we didn’t attend her party.

   He was doing impressions of Cindy and Jessica’s grandparents a couple of times today. One was Mr. K saying “How about those Yankees?” He also reminded me of the time that Mrs. K was trying to teach me how to sweep the sidewalk properly and efficiently. Even after that I still wasn’t able to do that good of a job; it’s like my brain can’t learn even simple stuff sometimes. I’m sure that Amy would say something like “Don’t put yourself down”.

   Mike has been doing many of impersonations today. It’s better than hearing him complain, that’s for sure. He did an Uncle Joe one earlier then we talked a little about him. We were trying to remember what year that he built that big addition onto their ranch style home- 1986 or 1987?  It’s hard to believe that it’s been 23 years since he died from cancer.

   Of course, he was then also expressing his jealousies about our Cousin Donna and her husband.   Donna has her doctorate (library science) now. I haven’t seen her since Uncle Joe’s funeral. Mom and Mike last saw her at Missy’s wedding which I didn’t go to in 1999.

   Afterwards, he moved onto some about Rob, who is actually our second cousin (Missy’s son) but Aunt Ann adopted him. He’s a welder and does some farming as well. He plays the guitar too. I haven’t seen him in about 11 years.

   Mike is talking a lot but I’m not that bothered by it today because I’m doing so too- not nearly as much as he is though. He’s like Grandma Next-Door’s one motor mouth friend Gladys. I still remember being upset one Sunday night because she was interrupting my enjoyment of “The Wonderful World of Disney” when I was a little girl.

   He mentioned “The Honeymooners”. I can’t believe that I forgot that this is also one of Dad’s favorite shows. He thought that he was the “King of the Castle” just like Ralph Kramden did. I’m pretty sure that this is one that character’s lines. We would watch it with him sometimes, Mike more so than me.

The Honeymooners

Note- both photos are from the internet.

 

March 13, 2016- Additional Childhood Memories

Yesterday, Mike did do some of his jealousy routine about Kathy. He mentioned how the fortune teller at the Wildwood boardwalk predicted that she would have a successful career in the scientific field which she has- at a research lab. I don’t even remember what that lady told me but I don’t really believe in such nonsense for the most part.

   Kathy and her mom had a fortune telling party at their house. Her friends Dana and Ginny were there. A couple of times we used an Ouija board which I also don’t believe in. I think that both Kathy and Dana had one of those.

   The 4 of them were over at our house when Uncle Joe, Aunt Ann and Cousin Missy were visiting. Mike, Missy, Kathy, Ginny, and I were down in my room listening to Dana tell a scary story in the dark. She also told us that the spirit of my grandfather was in our house which is a load of rubbish.

   Missy said something strange about cat people after this. That night we took a walk and saw a sign with Tanya’s birthday party and an arrow on it that we moved which was kind of mean.

   Mike recently reminded me that Kathy, Gina, and Dana came with us to a dance at our high school. I had totally forgotten about this. I try not to think much about that place; too many bad memories.

   I definitely have better ones of grade school. I was thinking about a library book that my brother took out in either Kindergarten or first grade which he never did return. I’m pretty sure that it was called Kobo the Koala.

   He did his imitation of Grandma Next- door this afternoon.  I sometimes do this too. He said “Eh, it’s almost over” as she did on holidays when it was only 3 or 4:00 in the afternoon. Her sister, Aunt Rachel, used to say “And how” a lot which we like using too. Mike seems to enjoy quoting Dad frequently. The scary thing is that he sounds exactly like him.

   Does God think that we are making fun of certain people when we are doing so? We mainly mean it as a tribute. My brother tends to go overboard with it though, esp. with certain people like pop and a former family friend, Ron.

 

Note- both photos are from the internet

 

March 13, 2016- Easter

Easter is early this year, just 2 weeks away. Hopefully, our cousins Tony and Debbie will be coming over then. They have been doing so for the past couple of years.

   I remember that it snowed a little on this holiday one time in the early 80s. Mom made a hen and it’s chicks in ceramics. We still have this and most of the other decorations, including 2 bunnies made by Cindy and Jessica’s mother.

   We celebrated it at Grandma Next- Door’s house. She liked giving us gifts like bunny banks and stuffed animals, like the Bunny family – Mr. and Mrs., Peter and CT (Cotton Tail). We got the first 2 one year and the other the next. I wish that I still had them.

   My brother and I would usually pick candy as the item that we would give up for Lent, the 40 days before Easter. We were pretty good at sticking to this. We were so glad when we could start eating it again.

   We did the no meat on Fridays thing then too. I forget when we stopped doing that; maybe 1984. Mom made us meals like noodles with cottage cheese or breaded flounder. We would usually have tuna fish or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.

    My brother and I liked getting the Gertrude Hawk candy. I preferred the dark chocolate. The peanut butter Smidgens were so good. We sometimes got the white chocolate crosses. My favorite jelly beans were the pink and purple ones. Mom liked the Russell Stover Maple Cream eggs.

   Our meal was always ham, kielbasa, Farmers Cheese, dyed hard boiled eggs, babka (bread), beets with horseradish, potato salad and coleslaw.

   We’d use the Paas egg dye kit most of the time. We dyed eggs with Cindy and Jessica at their grandparent’s house once.  Mike reminded me about this. I think that we have a picture of us doing so. It was fun looking for the hidden eggs. I would always try to find more than my brother.

    Dad would always go back into the church for extra palms on Palm Sunday. We had some of the palms in our nativity set.

   I know that we used to watch the Peanuts special but I can’t really remember it. I should watch it next Easter. There were a couple of other specials too; I think that one was called “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” which is also a song.

 

 

1975

1985

Mr. Bunny

Mrs. Bunny

Bunny Bank

Babka

 

Kielbasa with horseradish and beets

 

Note- These photos are from the internet- bunny bank, Here Comes Peter Cottontail VHS, Babka, and other food after that.

 

March 12, 2016

Favorite Dog Breeds

-Cocker Spaniels- our adorable Buffy

-Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

-English Springer Spaniel

-All other spaniels

-Golden Retrievers

-Labrador Retrievers- Wrangler!

-Irish Setters

-All other Setters

-Beagles

-Dachshunds

-Shetland Sheepdog- our Rusty

-Border Collies

-Collies

-Miniature Schnauzers

-Mutts – like my Ginger who resembled Benji, the famous doggie.

-Siberian Huskies

-Finnish Spitz

-Samoyed

-Lhasa Apso- our Mookie was part this and terrier

-Maltese

-Yorkshire Terriers

-Various other Terriers- like Scottish, West Highland, Soft-Coated Wheaton, and Wirehaired Fox (Asta from the Thin Man movies)

-Corgis

-Miniature Poodle

-Other Cute Dogs- Dalmatians, Pomeranians, Bichon Frise, Alaskan Malamute, Polish Lowland Sheepdog,  and more. There are so many breeds. I used to like watching Westminster Dog Show sometimes but didn’t start doing this until the 1990s.