Today I must stop my semi-sarcastic rantings and ravings to pay a serious and special tribute to a good friend. Her name was June Meyers and she passed away on January 21, 2012. She was 88.
I first met this wonderful woman in 1994 when I started attending Sonoma State University. She was the grandmother of my(then) new friend Scott Catania. Over the course of several years, Scott and I had a regular habit of going to June's house to do laundry on Sunday afternoons. During football season Scott would be glued to the TV watching the 49ers and I'd be working on some crossword while the laundry was going. June would sit there enjoying our company. Her other grandson Aaron lived there for a bit, but he got married soon after and moved out, so June was pretty lonely. Toward dinnertime, we'd order out for Chinese or steaks or even Mexican food sometimes. It was a wonderful tradition.
As time went on, Scott and I were given a sweet deal. In exchange for a rent-free existence, we would be June's drivers when she'd need to go on errands. During this period from 1998 to 2001, since Scott worked full time and I substitute taught or worked temp jobs, I was more often than not the driver, and it was fine with me. June was wonderful company and Santa Rosa was a pleasant town to drive around in.
We had another fringe benefit to this arrangement. June and her friend Alice were patrons of the local entertainment venue The Luther Burbank Center, and we were frequently their drivers or male escorts. All sorts of acts came through there. We saw Bill Cosby twice, as well as Loretta Lynn and Bob Newhart. Newhart was special because we all got to go backstage and get our pictures taken with the man. That picture remains in a frame in my home, and whenever we watch The Bob Newhart Show, I can proudly say I met him.
Unfortunately, years of living alone without daily human contact had an effect on June. We'd often find her talking to herself or claiming that people were trying to break into her house. At first we took it seriously, but soon figured it in was all in June's imagination. As I was not a relative, it was a bit easier for me to cater to what June needed or thought she needed. She was not really that demanding and, as I said, she was pleasant company.
In 2001, she was trying to shoo away a neighbor cat from her garage and fell off the steps, shattering her arm. It was decided she couldn't safely live by herself anymore, and after some recuperation time in a hospital, she went into a small assisted care house. She was still nearby for us to visit and take her to lunch often. Meanwhile Scott and I took turns spending some nights in the house to keep it looking occupied. A month later, we just moved into the house. We'd gone through the house before this and found stockpiles of old bills, money, meds, and other items. Her room had been a virtual fortress for years. Now it was Scott's room. I took another bedroom and when I left almost a year later for Las Vegas, I took the bed with me.
In the years after I moved, June's mental capabilities diminished until she recognized nobody in her family anymore. I'd visited her once or twice when I came into town but eventually those visits went away since she wouldn't recognize me either. The woman I'd known as June was gone. She was still a living, breathing body, but the wonderfully quirky personality was gone forever.
June, if you have Internet in heaven, I hope you are in happiness and peace. I also hope you are having a good reunion with the love of your life Lew, as well as your long-in-Heaven son Bob and your wonderful daughter-in-law Del. We have missed you for a long time and hope in some way you'll drop us a few signs that you're happy up there. Rest in peace, my friend.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Coming soon...watch out! Part 2
The past few days have been fairly good. Christmas is coming closer, the cool weather feels good, and I have not seen one inch of Catherine Heigl on TV. This is not to say she is a horrible person. Goodness gracious, I think the name Heigl could have been used on every episode of Hogan's Heroes! Alas, she, and other actors and movies out there nowadays, just don't do it for me like they used to. I began a list of movies I actually looked forward to seeing at the theater, based on the draw of previews and TV ads...and perhaps visions in my head. Last I saw we'd completed 1986. Now, this list of movies does NOT include films I was dragged to by my parents because I was a dateless nerd (was? my wife muses regarding the nerd part). No, I was DRAWN to these movies somehow....and some of them were indeed mutant magnetic attractions that died soon after the films started. So...on to 1987!
1987- I am ashamed of none of these!
Dragnet- I still love this one! Dan Aykroyd as the new generation of Sgt. Friday is classic. Tom Hanks was, well, Tom Hanks and we liked him that way then...I kind of wish he'd revert now and then.
Three Men and a Baby- Still a cute movie, and its not too dated.
Stakeout- Emilio Estevez in a mustache 2 years after "Breakfast Club...nuff said
The Untouchables- Still a classic! Sean Connery made this movie work.
1988
Beaches...NOT! NEVER! Just checking alertness
Biloxi Blues- Still like this one, kind of like I still love An Officer and a Gentleman and Stripes, basic training movies, comedy or drama, always engage me. Matthew Broderick in basic training is, well, different.
Coming to America- Still funny, but less so 23 years later.
The Great Outdoors- once again, classic Candy. I didn't enjoy this one as much as others like Summer Rental, but its still good cable fare.
Scrooged- Still a favorite! Carol Kane beating up Bill Murray is still fun to watch.
Twins- Less funny now given Schwarzeneggar's political years and latest scandal, but still amusing.
Working Girl- Saw this with a childhood friend even though we were under 17.....to this day I think Melanie Griffith is hotter than Sigourney Weaver
Actually, 1988 was fairly lame in terms of movies I wanted to see.....so let's move to the end of the Reagan era with
1989
Batman- Still a favorite! The only good one of that particular series, in fact. One of Nicholson's best.
The Burbs- Disappointment! Tom Hanks should be ashamed of this one, but since his track record was pretty good to this point, I can forgive him.
Disorganized Crime- Still good! Fred Gwynne tried for years to shed Herman Munster, and was beginning to succeed with this.
Ghostbusters 2- I don't like it much now, but it was funny then. Too much time had passed from the first one and the magic was just gone.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade- Sean Connery and Harrison Ford.....you couldn't pair up 2 bigger names and come up with a classic like this! Still a fave to watch!
Lethal Weapon 2- Still good! Can't say much else.
Look Who's Talking- Still funny, but Travolta playing lovable but dumb New York punk at 35 is a stretch.
Major League- Funny funny funny! Still watch it when its uncut and unedited. Great baseball flick!
Star Trek 5 The Final Frontier- Thankfully it wasn't the final one for the original crew because they wouldn't want to go out on this one! Bad script and Shatner's bad directing made this one ripe for Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Tango and Cash- Cheesy, bad, tasteless.....but I bought it for $5 anyway.....all movie collections need a balance
1989 was a MUCH better year for must-see flicks apparently.
Coming soon, 1990-95
1987- I am ashamed of none of these!
Dragnet- I still love this one! Dan Aykroyd as the new generation of Sgt. Friday is classic. Tom Hanks was, well, Tom Hanks and we liked him that way then...I kind of wish he'd revert now and then.
Three Men and a Baby- Still a cute movie, and its not too dated.
Stakeout- Emilio Estevez in a mustache 2 years after "Breakfast Club...nuff said
The Untouchables- Still a classic! Sean Connery made this movie work.
1988
Beaches...NOT! NEVER! Just checking alertness
Biloxi Blues- Still like this one, kind of like I still love An Officer and a Gentleman and Stripes, basic training movies, comedy or drama, always engage me. Matthew Broderick in basic training is, well, different.
Coming to America- Still funny, but less so 23 years later.
The Great Outdoors- once again, classic Candy. I didn't enjoy this one as much as others like Summer Rental, but its still good cable fare.
Scrooged- Still a favorite! Carol Kane beating up Bill Murray is still fun to watch.
Twins- Less funny now given Schwarzeneggar's political years and latest scandal, but still amusing.
Working Girl- Saw this with a childhood friend even though we were under 17.....to this day I think Melanie Griffith is hotter than Sigourney Weaver
Actually, 1988 was fairly lame in terms of movies I wanted to see.....so let's move to the end of the Reagan era with
1989
Batman- Still a favorite! The only good one of that particular series, in fact. One of Nicholson's best.
The Burbs- Disappointment! Tom Hanks should be ashamed of this one, but since his track record was pretty good to this point, I can forgive him.
Disorganized Crime- Still good! Fred Gwynne tried for years to shed Herman Munster, and was beginning to succeed with this.
Ghostbusters 2- I don't like it much now, but it was funny then. Too much time had passed from the first one and the magic was just gone.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade- Sean Connery and Harrison Ford.....you couldn't pair up 2 bigger names and come up with a classic like this! Still a fave to watch!
Lethal Weapon 2- Still good! Can't say much else.
Look Who's Talking- Still funny, but Travolta playing lovable but dumb New York punk at 35 is a stretch.
Major League- Funny funny funny! Still watch it when its uncut and unedited. Great baseball flick!
Star Trek 5 The Final Frontier- Thankfully it wasn't the final one for the original crew because they wouldn't want to go out on this one! Bad script and Shatner's bad directing made this one ripe for Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Tango and Cash- Cheesy, bad, tasteless.....but I bought it for $5 anyway.....all movie collections need a balance
1989 was a MUCH better year for must-see flicks apparently.
Coming soon, 1990-95
Monday, December 5, 2011
Coming soon....look out!
Last Saturday, my wife and I went to a movie for the first time in several months...and it may be a longer time, based on what we were forced to see before our movie even started! If it were not for 2 free movie passes we got last Christmas (am I allowed to say that without being assaulted for sensitivities violations?), we would have stayed at home to battle ants. And that plotline sounds better than the ones in the previews we were "honored" with. Let's see, another goofball comedy about CIA agents battling over a girl, I'm pretty sure there was a romantic comedy there somewhere, and some travesty with Catherine Heigl (the only fun thing about her is making new pronunciations of Heigl with a Nazi salute). I am afraid that, with rising popcorn and soda costs, we will be using on-demand more often in the next several months. What I want to know is....WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DAYS OF CRAP WE COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE???
Seriously, from my childhood through the early 2000s, a range of about 35 years, there was almost always what they called a "blockbuster" summer, where they poured steaming hot crap onto celluloid that looked pretty good! At least one movie every year came to mind, and many were good and rewatched today. So, I've compiled a list going back to 1983, and ending in 2002, of movies I looked forward to seeing (and more often than not, did) at the theater.
Note- This list is only movies I looked forward to seeing from previews and TV ads. Movies my parents dragged me to see and I ended up liking anyway don't count. Some of these were worth it...and others were, well, forgettable at best.
1983
1. Return of the Jedi- Hands down, a disappointing conclusion, but I waited 3 years to see it...the green lightsaber rocked! Ewoks just an inch from being gremlins.
2. Superman 3- Mixing Christopher Reeve and Richard Pryor was a disaster, but the Good vs Evil Superman scene was pretty good.
3. Wargames- Computers starting World War 3....gave me fantasies about rigging my Atari 2600! Incidentally, saw this one at the long-defunct Shillington one-room theater.
1984
1. Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock- The Wrath of Khan made this one a necessity, and I still like it. Christopher Lloyd as a Klingon (shortly after Taxi!) is priceless!
2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom- If it weren't for Kate Capshaw's 2-hour scream, this movie may have been redeeming.
3. Splash- Was a favorite then, a favorite now
4. Ghostbusters- Same as Splash in terms of being a favorite. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is always a classic!
5. Johnny Dangerously-I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but it looked funny...note: I have it on DVD, meaning I value it above today's Heigl crap
1985
1. Back to the Future- It still rocks to this day...goes to show that retro rules no matter what decade you're in!
2. Fletch- Loved it, then read the books. I still like it, but now feel Chevy Chase wasn't what the author had in mind.
3. Explorers- Pure, total crap! River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke still had promising careers despite this.
4. Summer Rental- good, average John Candy flick, which is a good thing, may he Rest in Peace
5. European Vacation- The Griswold's were stale here, but redeemed themselves years later for the holidays
1986- a fairly fruitful year
1. Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home- a fun movie my wife and I like to watch from time to time
2. Karate Kid 2- Daniel-San beating that Okinawan bully's face with his fists is still a favorite climax!
3. Ruthless People- looked stupid, was stupid...and it's funny nonetheless!
4. Every Time We Say Goodbye- Just kidding! Tom Hanks wasn't ready for his Oscar drama years just yet.
5. The Mosquito Coast- I love Harrison Ford, but this was a downer at the end, and no 13 year old wants a downer...haven't seen it since!
6. The Fly- yes, a horror flick with Jeff Goldblum. One might argue that all of his films are, but this was a nice remake of a classic (as remakes go!)
1987-1990 coming soon
Seriously, from my childhood through the early 2000s, a range of about 35 years, there was almost always what they called a "blockbuster" summer, where they poured steaming hot crap onto celluloid that looked pretty good! At least one movie every year came to mind, and many were good and rewatched today. So, I've compiled a list going back to 1983, and ending in 2002, of movies I looked forward to seeing (and more often than not, did) at the theater.
Note- This list is only movies I looked forward to seeing from previews and TV ads. Movies my parents dragged me to see and I ended up liking anyway don't count. Some of these were worth it...and others were, well, forgettable at best.
1983
1. Return of the Jedi- Hands down, a disappointing conclusion, but I waited 3 years to see it...the green lightsaber rocked! Ewoks just an inch from being gremlins.
2. Superman 3- Mixing Christopher Reeve and Richard Pryor was a disaster, but the Good vs Evil Superman scene was pretty good.
3. Wargames- Computers starting World War 3....gave me fantasies about rigging my Atari 2600! Incidentally, saw this one at the long-defunct Shillington one-room theater.
1984
1. Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock- The Wrath of Khan made this one a necessity, and I still like it. Christopher Lloyd as a Klingon (shortly after Taxi!) is priceless!
2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom- If it weren't for Kate Capshaw's 2-hour scream, this movie may have been redeeming.
3. Splash- Was a favorite then, a favorite now
4. Ghostbusters- Same as Splash in terms of being a favorite. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is always a classic!
5. Johnny Dangerously-I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but it looked funny...note: I have it on DVD, meaning I value it above today's Heigl crap
1985
1. Back to the Future- It still rocks to this day...goes to show that retro rules no matter what decade you're in!
2. Fletch- Loved it, then read the books. I still like it, but now feel Chevy Chase wasn't what the author had in mind.
3. Explorers- Pure, total crap! River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke still had promising careers despite this.
4. Summer Rental- good, average John Candy flick, which is a good thing, may he Rest in Peace
5. European Vacation- The Griswold's were stale here, but redeemed themselves years later for the holidays
1986- a fairly fruitful year
1. Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home- a fun movie my wife and I like to watch from time to time
2. Karate Kid 2- Daniel-San beating that Okinawan bully's face with his fists is still a favorite climax!
3. Ruthless People- looked stupid, was stupid...and it's funny nonetheless!
4. Every Time We Say Goodbye- Just kidding! Tom Hanks wasn't ready for his Oscar drama years just yet.
5. The Mosquito Coast- I love Harrison Ford, but this was a downer at the end, and no 13 year old wants a downer...haven't seen it since!
6. The Fly- yes, a horror flick with Jeff Goldblum. One might argue that all of his films are, but this was a nice remake of a classic (as remakes go!)
1987-1990 coming soon
Friday, August 19, 2011
We'll be right back, hopefully!
I am sitting with my wife on the couch watching "Golden Girls". It's not one of my favorite shows from the past, but with all the junk that's on anymore, I will watch an oldie, ANY oldie. And a show about 4 oldies just seemed appropriate.Did I enjoy watching it? HECK NO! Don't get me wrong, I had no problem with the program, at least WHEN THEY SHOWED IT! I swear, every five minutes there was a commercial break that lasted almost as long as the show segment that preceded it. If Golden Girls was originally a half-hour program that had a runtime of about 22 minutes, we did NOT see 22 minutes of this show, it felt like 10-15!
Of course, this all depends on the TV channel one happens to be watching. If I turn to Hub to see "Batman" (and I mean classic Adam West here), little to none of the show is cut! I actually enjoy watching that as opposed to when the show was on FX, Family Channel, and TVLand. Those channels put cuts in the show to make time for ads. I do understand when a buck has to be made, but why the heck does the viewer have to suffer? I guess my question is, bottom line, why air the show at all?
Here's another example: one of my favorite shows growing up was "WKRP in Cincinnati." It was funny and had Loni Anderson, what more can a growing boy ask for? The reruns in syndication were not cut. After they took it off for a VERY long time, one cable channel brought it back. I watched it and still liked it, but something was very different....they used to have rock riffs playing in the background and scene segues...and they were now replaced with elevator music pieces! They tried to sell the first season of the show in that state, but it must not have sold well because no other seasons were on sale!
Here is one more example: Warner Bros. cartoons! Growing up, I was subjected to a lot of horrible, non-PC cartoons from this studio, and I was psychologically damaged as a result! Well, at least the powers that be believe so. Personally, I thought I was watching a lot of funny stuff that I could relate to with friends. The truth is, I WAS NOT DAMAGED! We watch Warner Bros. cartoons at home, and while some of the shorts are good, Cartoon Network consistently airs a lot of the same LAME ones. They haven't even shown any Pepe LePew! Is that because the lovable skunk is regarded as anti-French? Well, many of us are anyway, what's one cartoon character going to damage?
So, I guess in this not-so- brand -new century, we have not moved so forward as we thought we would. Back in the day (I'm nearly 40, I can say back in the day!) we thought there'd be smellevision, video games would be mind-controlled, there'd be colonies on the moon AND Mars, two guys named Jeff Probst and Ryan Seacrest would be career dishwashers, and nothing would be cut on TV for "sensitivities."
OK, commercial break is over....I'll be back in 3 minutes.
Of course, this all depends on the TV channel one happens to be watching. If I turn to Hub to see "Batman" (and I mean classic Adam West here), little to none of the show is cut! I actually enjoy watching that as opposed to when the show was on FX, Family Channel, and TVLand. Those channels put cuts in the show to make time for ads. I do understand when a buck has to be made, but why the heck does the viewer have to suffer? I guess my question is, bottom line, why air the show at all?
Here's another example: one of my favorite shows growing up was "WKRP in Cincinnati." It was funny and had Loni Anderson, what more can a growing boy ask for? The reruns in syndication were not cut. After they took it off for a VERY long time, one cable channel brought it back. I watched it and still liked it, but something was very different....they used to have rock riffs playing in the background and scene segues...and they were now replaced with elevator music pieces! They tried to sell the first season of the show in that state, but it must not have sold well because no other seasons were on sale!
Here is one more example: Warner Bros. cartoons! Growing up, I was subjected to a lot of horrible, non-PC cartoons from this studio, and I was psychologically damaged as a result! Well, at least the powers that be believe so. Personally, I thought I was watching a lot of funny stuff that I could relate to with friends. The truth is, I WAS NOT DAMAGED! We watch Warner Bros. cartoons at home, and while some of the shorts are good, Cartoon Network consistently airs a lot of the same LAME ones. They haven't even shown any Pepe LePew! Is that because the lovable skunk is regarded as anti-French? Well, many of us are anyway, what's one cartoon character going to damage?
So, I guess in this not-so- brand -new century, we have not moved so forward as we thought we would. Back in the day (I'm nearly 40, I can say back in the day!) we thought there'd be smellevision, video games would be mind-controlled, there'd be colonies on the moon AND Mars, two guys named Jeff Probst and Ryan Seacrest would be career dishwashers, and nothing would be cut on TV for "sensitivities."
OK, commercial break is over....I'll be back in 3 minutes.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Happy anniversary!
This year, my wife and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary. I have loved Vickie for about 9 months longer than that. When it comes to deciding how to celebrate it this year, we are not sure what we will do yet. However, we will make sure it is fun for us, and hopefully include our little girl. In other words, it will be a truly happy occasion.
On the other hand, there will be a 10th anniversary of a different nature this year, and I am dreading it. I think a lot of other people are as well...yes, the 10th anniversary of the 4th season of "Charmed" is upon us! No, seriously, I am of course referring to the day that has shaped government policy and spending, not to mention the impact on American people's lives, loss of privacy and, for many out there a fear that the enemy was on our soil. There is no sense in denying that September 11, 2001 was a crippling day for our nation. My question is, why relive it?
Now, I am only 38, and therefore I have seen what I consider to be a small amount of historical experiences when compared to the experiences of others older than myself. In my lifetime, I have seen a President shot, a near-World War 3 panic when a Korean airliner was shot down by the Soviets, my favorite weatherman Jim O'Brien killed in a parachuting accident (my PA friends should remember that time!), the shuttel Challenger exploding, the Iran-Contra hearings that interrupted my game shows in 1987, the Berlin Wall coming down and later the fall of the Soviet Union, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait that ended decent gasoline prices forever, the retirement of Johnny Carson, the cancellation of the Tempestt Bledsoe talk show and, in 2001, the destruction of the twin towers in New York City as well as a secondary crash into the Pentagon. I later got to enjoy the capture of Saddam Hussein and death of Osama Bin Laden.
OK, I guess I've seen a lot after all, and will experience more events that shape our world. If I really wanted to be smarmy, I'd claim that I saw Watergate unravel before my eyes, but since I was an infant and toddler at the time, I don't recall, and that's what my lawyer told me to say! No, actually, my world view began around the time Reagan was elected and the hostages in Iran were released.
This September, I am sure there will be dedications, speeches, new walls erected, and other memorial efforts to make sure we do not forget 9/11. How can we forget? Ask anyone about to fly on a commercial jet if they forget 9/11 as they are being strip-searched because a nail clipper was found in their carry-on bag. Chances are, they have a good recollection. Ask our beloved soldiers (and I do mean that sincerely) if they have forgotten that day.
Let me be clear right now: I know that loved ones were lost in that tragedy (and to call it a tragedy is a severe understatement), and I will never demean their memories. If we lost our daughter, it would be a permanent hole in our hearts that could never be healed. It has occurred to me, however, especially when the smoke cleared, that there were probably some people who lost their lives that were not good people. This was Wall Street, after all. It is quite possible that some dishonest traders lost their lives prior to losing clients' life savings. It does not make the deaths justified, but I bet that never dawned on anyone but maybe a dozen or so people besides me (I always fall into that minority!).
I guess the real question on 9/11/11, in my mind anyway, will be this: have we moved on as a nation? Have we banded together as a whole to conquer the evil that struck us and emerge victorious? Sadly, the answer is no. People are going crazy out there. Lost jobs, home foreclosures, military families separated from their loved ones, and an endless barrage of Federal fighting amongst themselves in D.C. are turning people against their neighbors and sometimes loved ones. I'm scared, to be honest! I could go to the store tomorrow and get broadsided by a car driven by a person who just lost their home.
So, I'll stay home and watch some "Gunsmoke", or maybe "All in the Family" (I do stick to classics). Whatever tragedies happen on these shows, they are usually resolved and rarely if ever spoken of again. To throw another ball from left field, look at Japan. We nuked them twice in 1945. I wonder if they memorialized those bombings every year or ten years? I suspect they didn't. I listen for their stories on my Japanese-made stereo or watch for them on my Japanese-made TV. I think, somehow, they moved on economically and spiritually.
To conclude, let 9/11/11 be a day where we can vow as a nation to move to the future together instead of looking back in rage just to have an excuse to be angry. Happy Anniversary! I mean it!
On the other hand, there will be a 10th anniversary of a different nature this year, and I am dreading it. I think a lot of other people are as well...yes, the 10th anniversary of the 4th season of "Charmed" is upon us! No, seriously, I am of course referring to the day that has shaped government policy and spending, not to mention the impact on American people's lives, loss of privacy and, for many out there a fear that the enemy was on our soil. There is no sense in denying that September 11, 2001 was a crippling day for our nation. My question is, why relive it?
Now, I am only 38, and therefore I have seen what I consider to be a small amount of historical experiences when compared to the experiences of others older than myself. In my lifetime, I have seen a President shot, a near-World War 3 panic when a Korean airliner was shot down by the Soviets, my favorite weatherman Jim O'Brien killed in a parachuting accident (my PA friends should remember that time!), the shuttel Challenger exploding, the Iran-Contra hearings that interrupted my game shows in 1987, the Berlin Wall coming down and later the fall of the Soviet Union, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait that ended decent gasoline prices forever, the retirement of Johnny Carson, the cancellation of the Tempestt Bledsoe talk show and, in 2001, the destruction of the twin towers in New York City as well as a secondary crash into the Pentagon. I later got to enjoy the capture of Saddam Hussein and death of Osama Bin Laden.
OK, I guess I've seen a lot after all, and will experience more events that shape our world. If I really wanted to be smarmy, I'd claim that I saw Watergate unravel before my eyes, but since I was an infant and toddler at the time, I don't recall, and that's what my lawyer told me to say! No, actually, my world view began around the time Reagan was elected and the hostages in Iran were released.
This September, I am sure there will be dedications, speeches, new walls erected, and other memorial efforts to make sure we do not forget 9/11. How can we forget? Ask anyone about to fly on a commercial jet if they forget 9/11 as they are being strip-searched because a nail clipper was found in their carry-on bag. Chances are, they have a good recollection. Ask our beloved soldiers (and I do mean that sincerely) if they have forgotten that day.
Let me be clear right now: I know that loved ones were lost in that tragedy (and to call it a tragedy is a severe understatement), and I will never demean their memories. If we lost our daughter, it would be a permanent hole in our hearts that could never be healed. It has occurred to me, however, especially when the smoke cleared, that there were probably some people who lost their lives that were not good people. This was Wall Street, after all. It is quite possible that some dishonest traders lost their lives prior to losing clients' life savings. It does not make the deaths justified, but I bet that never dawned on anyone but maybe a dozen or so people besides me (I always fall into that minority!).
I guess the real question on 9/11/11, in my mind anyway, will be this: have we moved on as a nation? Have we banded together as a whole to conquer the evil that struck us and emerge victorious? Sadly, the answer is no. People are going crazy out there. Lost jobs, home foreclosures, military families separated from their loved ones, and an endless barrage of Federal fighting amongst themselves in D.C. are turning people against their neighbors and sometimes loved ones. I'm scared, to be honest! I could go to the store tomorrow and get broadsided by a car driven by a person who just lost their home.
So, I'll stay home and watch some "Gunsmoke", or maybe "All in the Family" (I do stick to classics). Whatever tragedies happen on these shows, they are usually resolved and rarely if ever spoken of again. To throw another ball from left field, look at Japan. We nuked them twice in 1945. I wonder if they memorialized those bombings every year or ten years? I suspect they didn't. I listen for their stories on my Japanese-made stereo or watch for them on my Japanese-made TV. I think, somehow, they moved on economically and spiritually.
To conclude, let 9/11/11 be a day where we can vow as a nation to move to the future together instead of looking back in rage just to have an excuse to be angry. Happy Anniversary! I mean it!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Yosemite...in less than a day!
Is it possible? Can what is possibly the greatest national park in, well, our nation, be done in a day? It sure can! All you need is a guide to the park's best activities or attractions, pick 2, and stick with them. It also helps to have flight reservations at either Reno or San Francisco airports for the next day to motivate your speed!
Did I put my own family through this? Absolutely not! However, my dad did a long time ago. Around the mid-80s, my father's engineering firm in Reading, Pennsylvania was running out of work for him in the office, so they sent him on out-of-town assignments that went for weeks or even months. In the summer, he would make up lost time to my sister and me by taking us to the towns where he was working, stick us in a motel room together for the day, then take us to dinner and show us the sights.
He had the best intentions in the world. However, there was one fact he forgot: my sister and I made for the worst roommate combo in the history of the earth (well, not exactly, there was one year in the college dorms I will discuss at another time). Putting it simply, keeping us cooped in one room for a day was like keeping a Lions fan and a Bears fan in a cage together...not a pretty picture!
The first year my dad tried this experiment was in Homosassa Springs, Florida (it's as pretty as it sounds!), about 50 miles north of Tampa. I'd say the best part of this trip was seeing Back to the Future at the local theater. Apart from that, it was less than satisfactory. Florida in the summer is a practice in patience for any traveler.
The second experiment was a year later, but in Berkeley, California. At least we got to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Sausalito, and other Bay Area attractions. Apart from the hotel room confinement, I had a much better time than in Florida. However, my dad had a surprise for us at the end. After wrapping up his work in the morning, he took us in the rental car, a state-of-the-crap Chevette, out to the Central Valley (akin to taking a pet for a "drive to the country") and into the Sierra Nevada Mountains for a little taste of Yosemite National Park.
As reservations inside the park are made decades in advance, we were lucky to find shelter at the Yosemite View Inn, just outside the park entrance. It was actually just right for the 3 of us. The next day, my dad had a plan: pick 2 activities in the park, do them, and leave for the Bay Area where we had flight reservations for the next day. All-righty then! We first rented some bikes and rode around the valley for about an hour. Then, we did some rafting on the Merced River. This was where I ran into some conflict with my dad. I wasn't an experienced rafter, much less rower. Yet, he wanted me to row a strong and as fast as I could, as though we were rowing to the airport!
Somehow, we made it to the end of the course, hopped into the Chevettemobile, and took the windy way back to the Bay Area. The next day, my sister flew down to San Diego to continue her vacation while Dad and I flew home. What made up for that wacky experience was that the whole family went to Yosemite the next year and spent about a week there. Luckily for us, the Yosemite View Inn held our reservations for a whole year! I think they were anticipating their closure at the time just to humor us, but they were indeed open the following summer.
What also makes up for that experience is that, like many other family memories that weren't quite so fun at the time, it is truly laughed about today! I hear the horn, so I'd better go. My Chevette doesn't like to be kept waiting!
Did I put my own family through this? Absolutely not! However, my dad did a long time ago. Around the mid-80s, my father's engineering firm in Reading, Pennsylvania was running out of work for him in the office, so they sent him on out-of-town assignments that went for weeks or even months. In the summer, he would make up lost time to my sister and me by taking us to the towns where he was working, stick us in a motel room together for the day, then take us to dinner and show us the sights.
He had the best intentions in the world. However, there was one fact he forgot: my sister and I made for the worst roommate combo in the history of the earth (well, not exactly, there was one year in the college dorms I will discuss at another time). Putting it simply, keeping us cooped in one room for a day was like keeping a Lions fan and a Bears fan in a cage together...not a pretty picture!
The first year my dad tried this experiment was in Homosassa Springs, Florida (it's as pretty as it sounds!), about 50 miles north of Tampa. I'd say the best part of this trip was seeing Back to the Future at the local theater. Apart from that, it was less than satisfactory. Florida in the summer is a practice in patience for any traveler.
The second experiment was a year later, but in Berkeley, California. At least we got to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Sausalito, and other Bay Area attractions. Apart from the hotel room confinement, I had a much better time than in Florida. However, my dad had a surprise for us at the end. After wrapping up his work in the morning, he took us in the rental car, a state-of-the-crap Chevette, out to the Central Valley (akin to taking a pet for a "drive to the country") and into the Sierra Nevada Mountains for a little taste of Yosemite National Park.
As reservations inside the park are made decades in advance, we were lucky to find shelter at the Yosemite View Inn, just outside the park entrance. It was actually just right for the 3 of us. The next day, my dad had a plan: pick 2 activities in the park, do them, and leave for the Bay Area where we had flight reservations for the next day. All-righty then! We first rented some bikes and rode around the valley for about an hour. Then, we did some rafting on the Merced River. This was where I ran into some conflict with my dad. I wasn't an experienced rafter, much less rower. Yet, he wanted me to row a strong and as fast as I could, as though we were rowing to the airport!
Somehow, we made it to the end of the course, hopped into the Chevettemobile, and took the windy way back to the Bay Area. The next day, my sister flew down to San Diego to continue her vacation while Dad and I flew home. What made up for that wacky experience was that the whole family went to Yosemite the next year and spent about a week there. Luckily for us, the Yosemite View Inn held our reservations for a whole year! I think they were anticipating their closure at the time just to humor us, but they were indeed open the following summer.
What also makes up for that experience is that, like many other family memories that weren't quite so fun at the time, it is truly laughed about today! I hear the horn, so I'd better go. My Chevette doesn't like to be kept waiting!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Road Trip Part 2...more grievances than reminisces
Last week my family and I took a few days away from hot, blazing Las Vegas to see some friends in sunny but cooler Santa Rosa, California. Along this trip, I encountered a sad truth in today's society: small children tend to be discriminated against even now. So do desert drivers.
We got started on a Thursday afternoon (since we were not on a time crunch, we could leave at our leisure). It always seems like leaving Las Vegas is an impossibility in itself. If you look at the travel brochures, there are excellent airfare and hotel offers for people to come to Vegas, and the "black hole" does suck in many people to further suck out their money. I'd say, let the local Chamber of Commerce be honest, and instead of putting the pictures of showgirls on the signs and brochures, put Dracula, an aardvark, or a leech on the signs so long as they are all diamond-studded (we do have an image to keep here). For Vegas locals, the escape is not easy. Traveling from Vegas to another city usually takes more expensive airfare, and leaving by car is not easy, either, at least for us. Our daughter Natalie is the gravitational force holding us here. Even though California is just 50 miles away, her diaper and juice needs require sudden pull-offs from Interstate 15. Only after we get past Primm (motto: "Last chance to be sucked in") does she quiet down in dignified defeat.
Having lived in Nevada for nine years, I have done a lot of driving on desert highways, and I have to say now that it is truly for the birds...particularly vultures and buzzards! Seriously! Services are sparse and generally more expensive once one leaves the relatively cheaper confines of the Vegas Valley.
This is sadly true in the small village of Baker, California, a town seemingly designated to be no more than just a stop. It grants access to Death Valley, which is over 110 miles away via a 2-lane state highway. The gasoline prices are high in the center of town (about 70 to 80c per gallon higher than Vegas), though tend to lower as you drive west to meet up with I-15 once more. Restaurant prices are slightly higher at some places, also. Baker does boast the "World's Biggest Thermometer", one I hope is not used on me if I'm sick! There also used to be the presence of the Bun Boy restaurant and motel, which were advertised miles before town in either direction. Sadly, hard times forced the sale of the restaurant to Big Boy. I am not sure if the motel still functions, but I suspect the lack of cars in the lot on any given day indicates the negative view.
However, Baker does provide a stop for weary travelers. Driving through the desert is a drudgery (how's that for alliteration?) that only a good stock of beverages, snacks, and appropriate music can take care of. There are mountains, sure, but they tend to be just there without the majesty of other mountain chains. There are long straight stretches of road in the desert, and there is danger in that. Highway rest stops are needed for those who simply want to pull off and rest for a spell. Interstate 15 in California needs more stops like this. Currently there are only 2, and they are both within a half hour of Baker! Another stop in that first 100 miles would be good, as well as one between Barstow and Victorville! If one looks at I-15 in Utah, there tends to be a rest stop every 20-30 miles, aided by signs for the weary traveler to stop if they are indeed tired. That's what I call care for the traveler.
Let's see, we've passed Baker, with a poor choice of snack at a non-air-conditioned Dairy Queen, we've reached Barstow...ah, we are now on California route 58. This road makes my wife nervous because there are several 2-lane stretches for the first 40 miles, and it is indeed more desert to contend with for 70 miles. Once we pass Mojave, things change for the better drastically. 58 climbs gently into the southern foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, thereby blocking the sunlight in the evening. As we leave the Sierras 40 miles later, we are graced by a beautiful orange-tinted sun ready to set. Natalie thought it was the moon, but how can one argue with a 23-month old? We do not get this orange beauty in Vegas. I am guessing that the higher humidity levels in Bakersfield, coupled by the smoggy air quality, dim the harsh light. I do not know how many people find Bakersfield to be a place of beauty, and I certainly do not, but at that time of night, it was.
Unfortunately, our awe of natural wonders segued into a long nightmare. We had reserved a motel room at a national chain which I can't even rhyme an alias to but can give a subtle hint about (EoL), and expressed the need for a crib for Natalie. Well, we got there and there were none left! Apparently Bakersfield is such a happenin' place that one family decided to stay an extra night. Being the intelligent people with a backup plan that Vickie and I were, we decided to...see if Natalie would sleep in a bed. Unfortunately, our little girl was not going to be that accommodating (moreso than the motel, however), and refused to lay down. We ended up leaving EoL with them keeping our money at 4:00a.m!
In Fresno 105 miles later, a motel rhyming with Lambada was extremely accommodating with a very basic crib that Nattie could sleep in. We even stayed at a Lambada on the way home and got the same great treatment. My point here is that hotel cribs seem fairly cheap to invest in, and changing stations easy to install. If these national businesses want to present themselves as family-friendly, they need to include all family members, especially the ones wearing diapers. I hate it when people give you a sour or disapproving look when you change your child's diaper at the booth or table in the restaurant. I already have back problems from changing her in the car at times, so these disapproving old biddies need to write to Congress to make a law so that I don't disrupt their meal because their wandering eyes just can't help but look!
Ok, ok, the shower gel is back on the shelf. With a huge lack of sleep, we trudged the next day to Santa Rosa. After a few days of watching toddlers play and talking old times, we headed back. The return trip was fairly uneventful, and my wife even let me play my iPod for part of the way home. The Lambada Inn in Bakersfield was good, we got home the next day safe and sound, and life was good, and we got Nattie to the changing station, er table on time.
We got started on a Thursday afternoon (since we were not on a time crunch, we could leave at our leisure). It always seems like leaving Las Vegas is an impossibility in itself. If you look at the travel brochures, there are excellent airfare and hotel offers for people to come to Vegas, and the "black hole" does suck in many people to further suck out their money. I'd say, let the local Chamber of Commerce be honest, and instead of putting the pictures of showgirls on the signs and brochures, put Dracula, an aardvark, or a leech on the signs so long as they are all diamond-studded (we do have an image to keep here). For Vegas locals, the escape is not easy. Traveling from Vegas to another city usually takes more expensive airfare, and leaving by car is not easy, either, at least for us. Our daughter Natalie is the gravitational force holding us here. Even though California is just 50 miles away, her diaper and juice needs require sudden pull-offs from Interstate 15. Only after we get past Primm (motto: "Last chance to be sucked in") does she quiet down in dignified defeat.
Having lived in Nevada for nine years, I have done a lot of driving on desert highways, and I have to say now that it is truly for the birds...particularly vultures and buzzards! Seriously! Services are sparse and generally more expensive once one leaves the relatively cheaper confines of the Vegas Valley.
This is sadly true in the small village of Baker, California, a town seemingly designated to be no more than just a stop. It grants access to Death Valley, which is over 110 miles away via a 2-lane state highway. The gasoline prices are high in the center of town (about 70 to 80c per gallon higher than Vegas), though tend to lower as you drive west to meet up with I-15 once more. Restaurant prices are slightly higher at some places, also. Baker does boast the "World's Biggest Thermometer", one I hope is not used on me if I'm sick! There also used to be the presence of the Bun Boy restaurant and motel, which were advertised miles before town in either direction. Sadly, hard times forced the sale of the restaurant to Big Boy. I am not sure if the motel still functions, but I suspect the lack of cars in the lot on any given day indicates the negative view.
However, Baker does provide a stop for weary travelers. Driving through the desert is a drudgery (how's that for alliteration?) that only a good stock of beverages, snacks, and appropriate music can take care of. There are mountains, sure, but they tend to be just there without the majesty of other mountain chains. There are long straight stretches of road in the desert, and there is danger in that. Highway rest stops are needed for those who simply want to pull off and rest for a spell. Interstate 15 in California needs more stops like this. Currently there are only 2, and they are both within a half hour of Baker! Another stop in that first 100 miles would be good, as well as one between Barstow and Victorville! If one looks at I-15 in Utah, there tends to be a rest stop every 20-30 miles, aided by signs for the weary traveler to stop if they are indeed tired. That's what I call care for the traveler.
Let's see, we've passed Baker, with a poor choice of snack at a non-air-conditioned Dairy Queen, we've reached Barstow...ah, we are now on California route 58. This road makes my wife nervous because there are several 2-lane stretches for the first 40 miles, and it is indeed more desert to contend with for 70 miles. Once we pass Mojave, things change for the better drastically. 58 climbs gently into the southern foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, thereby blocking the sunlight in the evening. As we leave the Sierras 40 miles later, we are graced by a beautiful orange-tinted sun ready to set. Natalie thought it was the moon, but how can one argue with a 23-month old? We do not get this orange beauty in Vegas. I am guessing that the higher humidity levels in Bakersfield, coupled by the smoggy air quality, dim the harsh light. I do not know how many people find Bakersfield to be a place of beauty, and I certainly do not, but at that time of night, it was.
Unfortunately, our awe of natural wonders segued into a long nightmare. We had reserved a motel room at a national chain which I can't even rhyme an alias to but can give a subtle hint about (EoL), and expressed the need for a crib for Natalie. Well, we got there and there were none left! Apparently Bakersfield is such a happenin' place that one family decided to stay an extra night. Being the intelligent people with a backup plan that Vickie and I were, we decided to...see if Natalie would sleep in a bed. Unfortunately, our little girl was not going to be that accommodating (moreso than the motel, however), and refused to lay down. We ended up leaving EoL with them keeping our money at 4:00a.m!
In Fresno 105 miles later, a motel rhyming with Lambada was extremely accommodating with a very basic crib that Nattie could sleep in. We even stayed at a Lambada on the way home and got the same great treatment. My point here is that hotel cribs seem fairly cheap to invest in, and changing stations easy to install. If these national businesses want to present themselves as family-friendly, they need to include all family members, especially the ones wearing diapers. I hate it when people give you a sour or disapproving look when you change your child's diaper at the booth or table in the restaurant. I already have back problems from changing her in the car at times, so these disapproving old biddies need to write to Congress to make a law so that I don't disrupt their meal because their wandering eyes just can't help but look!
Ok, ok, the shower gel is back on the shelf. With a huge lack of sleep, we trudged the next day to Santa Rosa. After a few days of watching toddlers play and talking old times, we headed back. The return trip was fairly uneventful, and my wife even let me play my iPod for part of the way home. The Lambada Inn in Bakersfield was good, we got home the next day safe and sound, and life was good, and we got Nattie to the changing station, er table on time.
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