Monday, April 04, 2011

TAPPING OUR TOES WITH THE 'GOLDEN OLDIES:))'

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TAPPING OUR TOES TODAY TO THE 'ROCKING OLDIES' (ALL OF TODAY'S PHOTOS WERE TAKEN WITH MY CANON POINT & SHOOT)

Well, it’s Monday morning & the start of a new week.  Raining but a bit milder at 45F.  Time to pick up the routines of where we left off last November.  First order of business was to head off to the town of Mitchell to visit my Uncle Harry.  He’s doing well & will be turning 95 next month.
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UNCLE HARRY & KELLY GROOVING TO THE TUNES

While in Harry’s room the loudspeaker announced the 'Rocking Oldies,' a Senior’s Band from Ingersoll Ontario was playing in the entertainment room at 2 p.m.  Harry expressed an interest in hearing them so off we went.
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THIS FELLOW DID A GREAT JOB ON HENRY MANCINI'S 'MOON RIVER'

Being a musically oriented person I always enjoy live music.  I am always amazed how a number of people each possessing talented instrumental skills can come together to create harmonious sounds.  I like to watch each of the musicians & see how they play their instruments & I listen for the sounds of those individual instruments as well.  Also listen to voices & try to pick out the harmonies & tones.     
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THESE LADIES DID FINE ON SOME HARMONIES

The folks in today’s group were all Seniors & as I watched the drummer I wondered about his past & what groups he may have played in years ago.  What was his story, who was he as a young man.  Another older fellow did a bang up job on his harmonica playing Henry Mancini’s ‘Moon River.’  They finished up their gig today with a rousing rendition of Hank William’s, ‘I Saw The Light.’  Keep in mind these people were Senior Citizens & never took a break in the whole hour they played.  Good stuff you guys.......Seniors rock:))
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NOT EXACTLY TORONTO'S BIG CNE STADIUM.......BUT WE CAN PRETEND CAN'T WE:))

While Kelly, Harry & I sat in the front row I couldn’t help but think back to the days when Kelly I hit a few other live bands in the early 90’s.  We would would drive into Toronto’s east end & hop a ‘Go Train’ to downtown Toronto heading for the old CNE Stadium.  We rock & rolled to the likes of Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles & Neil Young in that Stadium.  Another time we drove downtown to Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens & boogied the night away to ZZ Top & George Thorogood.    I was reminded of those days as we watched the Senior’s group this afternoon & I saw the parallels.  Was that Don Henley on those drums, was that Keith Richards on guitar at the far end & was that Neil Young we saw playing harmonica so well.  Maybe eh:))
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We visited with Harry for awhile after the concert & then it was time to go.  We had to drop off our Income Tax forms in a small town on the way back so off we went in the pouring rain.  The ownership for our Jeep had gone missing so we had to stop into a license bureau & get that all straightened out as well.  Following that we made our way home to find happy barking dogs & wagging tails waiting for us at the door.  Turned the television on just in time to hear the weatherman telling us to expect snow tomorrow!!!!
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By the look of this morning’s weather across the mid west I’m glad we made it home last week with relatively good driving conditions.  Only fly in the ointment was a bit of rain & hail in Arkansas.  Speaking of hail it looks like RETIRED ROD got clobbered pretty good last night in Kansas City.  He will be out checking for damage to his vehicles plus Motor Home this morning.  JOHN & JUDY are somewhere on I-40 well east of Tucumcari New Mexico eventually heading home with what looks like some nasty weather ahead of them.  Odel from SEMI TRUE TALES went in for knee surgery this morning in Tucson but hopes to be on his feet shortly running with Forrest Gump.  JERRY nearly had to go in through his rig’s passenger side window when he locked the keys in the Motor Home while JEAN & SKIP have been keeping an eye on the HORNBY ISLAND EAGLES via a web cam feed.  And it looks like Doug over at LIVING OUR DREAM probably spent a frustrating 5 hours in a Sierra Vista garage waiting for a diagnosis on their truck problem....which never came!!
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I think it was Russ over at TRAVELS IN THERAPY who asked awhile back about the night sky in our area as compared to the Southwest.  Arizona is known to have some of the darkest skies in the U.S. & especially the southeast area where we have been spending some time in the winter.  It is so great at night to see zillions of stars stretching from horizon to horizon.  It’s just too bad those nights are so darn cold during the winter in Arizona.  I have to say that our Bayfield area also has a very dark night sky for viewing stars but unfortunately we live in a pine forest with a very limited view of the sky.  It has certainly curtailed my nightly stargazing since moving to our present location nearly 8 years ago.  Also looks like my nightly walks with Max over the years have come to an end as well.  He just can’t walk too far anymore:((  I have always tried to encourage Checkers to come out but she has never liked the dark.

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And a FINAL word on the Saturday 'Pulled Post' thing.  Received a second comment from one of the 'Anonymous' commenter's this morning which I had at first planned on responding to here in the blog but have since changed my mind on that.  I will be handling any further personal affronts on my character differently than I have been.  I will no longer publish rude or sarcastic comments which I have done a few times in the past & I will no longer make any mention of negative comments or use them as subject matter in my posts.  Nor will I stoop to the level of becoming involved in a flame war here in Blog Land with either 'Anonymous' commenter's or a fellow blogger.  For all I know maybe they are one & the same.  I have read all the comments & emails reader's have sent in the past few days & am taking everyone's advice on this matter.  I may be a bit of an old dog but I'm not that old that I can't learn a few new tricks......Thanks folks, I have heard what you all have said:))

GROANER'S CORNER:)) 

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR OIL

Women:

  1. Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 since the last oil change.
  2. Drink a cup of coffee.
  3. 15 minutes later, write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.
    Men:
  1. Go to O'Reilly auto parts and write a check for 50 dollars for oil, filter, oil lift (AKA kitty litter), hand cleaner and scented tree.
  2. Discover that the used oil container is full. Instead of taking it back to O'Reilly to recycle, dump in hole in back yard.
  3. Open a beer and drink it.
  4. Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
  5. Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
  6. In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
  7. Place drain pan under engine.
  8. Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
  9. Give up and use crescent wrench.
  10. Unscrew drain plug.
  11. Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil; get hot oil on you in process.
  12. Clean up.
  13. Have another beer while oil is draining.
  14. Look for oil filter wrench.
  15. Give up; poke oil filter with Phillips screwdriver and twist it off.
  16. Beer.
  17. Buddy shows up; finish case with him. Finish oil change tomorrow.
  18. Next day, drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car.
  19. Throw oil lift (AKA kitty litter) on oil spilled during step 18.
  20. Beer. No, drank it all yesterday.
  21. Walk to 7-11; buy beer.
  22. Install new oil filter making sure to apply thin coat of clean oil to gasket first.
  23. Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
  24. Remember drain plug from step 11.
  25. Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
  26. Hurry to replace drain plug before the whole quart of fresh oil drains onto floor.
  27. Slip with wrench and bang knuckles on frame.
  28. Bang head on floor board in reaction.
  29. Begin cussing fit.
  30. Throw wrench.
  31. Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench hit Miss December(1992) in the left boob.
  32. Clean up; apply Band-Aid to knuckle & scotch tape to Miss Decembers boob.
  33. Beer.
  34. Beer.
  35. Dump in additional 4 quarts of oil.
  36. Beer.
  37. Lower car from jack stands.
  38. Accidentally crush one of the jack stands.
  39. Move car back to apply more oil lift (AKA kitty litter) to fresh oil spilled during step 23.
  40. Drive car.

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The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

17 comments:

  1. I love looking at stars, something so calming and peaceful about them. I even bought SD a telescope this year. He's into the sky more than I am!

    Glad to see Uncle harry doing well. Are you sure that wasn't Neal Pert on the drums?

    Cheers!!!

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  2. Loved the old time photos, Al. Your concert comments really brought back some memories. My husband and I traveled to Seattle to see Pink Floyd at the Kingdom and then went to Vancouver to see them again the very next day! The best, although the Who at the Kingdom was pretty mind boggling as well. My husband (now deceased), grew up going to the Fillmore in the 70's. What great stories of those good ole days of RockNRoll I got from him.

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  3. It's great to see Uncle Harry looking so well..pretty darn good for 95!!!..would have loved to have heard those 'rocking seniors'..what a lovely way to spend the afternoon!!

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  4. There will always be those commenters who remain anonymous. They must get a weird kick out of trying to agitate. I don't have it set up so that I must approve comments, but I hope I can pull one if I seriously don't like it. I don't think those people should have the satisfaction of reaching the hundreds of people who read your blog every day.

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  5. I know you guys read Big Dawg and Freeway cause I've seen your comments--she had her first nasty anonymous comment and had a great comeback--I loved it! I HATE anonymous comments or even ones with no contact info--totally spineless people!

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  6. Would you Uncle Harry like to meet my Aunt Happy? She's going to be 98 this year and loves to listen to all the music that comes to their senior living place.

    Max is going to miss those walks as much as you do. It's so hard to see our special furry friends get old. But they bring us such joy and happiness and love, love, love.

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  7. What a nice way to spend your day - Uncle Harry looks great! We've gone to many a concert thru the years - my favs - Steve Perry with Journey and the Eagles! Anonymous remarks deserve File 13 - and that's that!

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  8. Being from the Midwest...I was a big fan of the group Chicago and Styx....As for now...I have all of Rod Stewart's Great American Songbook....
    Uncle Harry must be drinking from the same fountain of youth as Uncle Jr. and Aunt Jeanette!!

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  9. Looks like Uncle Harry is still holding his own!

    My favorite concerts were seeing and hearing Peter, Paul, and Mary and John Denver. :)

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  10. Your Uncle Harry looks great.95 years..what a lot of changes he's seen in his life time. I have never been to a concert, too many people for me.

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  11. Your groaner explains why I never change my own oil any more.

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  12. Your uncle must have been so happy to have you two back in the area and that was so neat to have the 'oldies' group performing the 'oldies' the day you visited him!!

    Good to read your FINAL words on the negativity of some readers Al. Here's another area that having a blog with history can come in very handy. If/when you receive such comments in the future -- if those comments 'get you down' again -- just please go back to the recent postive comments as a reminder of all us folks who really want to hear what you have to say!

    I had a wonderful 'belly' laugh - complete with tears in my eyes this morning reading your 'oil change' funny. I'll bet that's a true story, huh?!!

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  13. Frank and I were camping in the beautiful Arizona desert so I missed the Saturday post. Although I can't comment on the content of that specific post, it is YOUR blog, with your ideas, thoughts, musings, etc. Please, please don't stop being Al!!
    Peggy Edgar

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  14. I'm with the women who pull up to a Jiffy Lube.

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  15. As you know from reading our blog, I often use wal mart for the oil change, instead of jiffy lube, but the results are about the same. But wal marts workers are more in tune with the rest of the instruction list, LOL.

    I have never had someone post an attacking comment on my blog. Some don't agree with me, but never attack my character. Perhaps I would turn back on the comment editor if that should start, but for now, I just delete stuff when I find it. For the most part the comment filter puts the spam in the spam folder, but sometimes likes to put JB's comments in there too. I never did decide why, but perhaps because his name is just JB. enjoy your snow and be glad it isn't frozen balls of Ice!!

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  16. Love those oldies tunes. Looks like Uncle Harry enjoyed himself.

    No dark skies for us tonight. Parked under a security light in a parking lot next door to Walmart - our first boon docking experience! Figured a security light would make us feel more...secure!

    So glad to hear you have taken to heart all the POSITIVE comments you received. We sure enjoy reading your posts.

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  17. Al, thanks for the explanation regarding the night skies. I've always enjoyed seeing the many stars and planets that are visible. Do you see the same constellations in Bayfield as in Arizona?

    Sorry that Max is not up to the night walks any longer. Now, you will just have to convince Kelly to go out there in the cold!

    Appreciated your comments regarding our initial boon docking experience. I do a total walk around, checking everything visually. So far, so good.

    Your right on in your approach to comments. As far as I'm concerned, if a person wants to make a comment on any blog, they should have the guts to use a real profile, and not anonymous posts! You should never let anonymous comments even register with your brain, delete them upon receipt!!

    Take care, and thanks again for sharing. Really appreciate your view on things.

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