Saturday Night Retro

30 Jan 2010 1 Comment

by Chris M. Day in Blogging, Driving, History, Home, Life, Music, People, Radio, Travel Tags: , , , ,

37 years ago at the end of 1972 I was a 5-year-old Kindergarten student at Magnolia Elementary School in Lanham Maryland.

Magnolia Elementary School, Lanham Maryland

The school was located about a mile away from my grandparents’ house. On most school half-days my Granddad would drop me off at school just after 12 noon and then pick me back up again 3 hours later. That was back in the days when you could attend any school that you wanted to no matter where you lived. I actually lived about 20 to 30 minutes away in Bowie Maryland. Later in the afternoon after getting off of work in NW Washington D.C. my Dad would pick me up from his parents’ house in this car:

Late in the afternoon as we drove southeastward from Lanham to Bowie along U.S. Route 50 (John Hanson Highway) we’d listen to WWDC AM-1260 as the TOP 40 hits were cranked out one after another. This was one of the top hits at the time at the end of 1972. It’s legendary British singer-songwriter Albert Hammond. He’s currently celebrating his 50TH anniversary in music, but back then he was enjoying a successful career as an International performance artist. Here’s “It Never Rains In Southern California” – his biggest hit as a singer ever – and one of the greatest pop radio tunes of my early childhood !

That’s ‘Saturday Night Retro’ for this week, and we’ll go back in time again – from the late-1990s – next Saturday night.

This concludes an awesome week of blogging. I’m taking Sundays and Mondays off from now on, so be sure to check back here on Tuesday night as we kick-off an all-new week of all of your favourite blog series. See ya then !

The Major’s Friday Night Disco Party

29 Jan 2010 Comments Off on The Major’s Friday Night Disco Party

by Chris M. Day in History, Music, People, Radio Tags: ,

What can I say about one of the most prolific disco acts of the era – K.C. & The Sunshine Band. Led by Miami born and bred Harry Wayne ‘K.C.’ Casey he and his ‘Sunshine Band’ cranked out numerous Disco hits over a 4-year time-span starting in 1975. If you’re my age or older then you probably remember dancing to “Get Down Tonight”, “That’s The Way”, “Shake Your Booty”, “I’m Your Boogie Man”, “Keep It Comin’ Love”, and “Boogie Shoes”. They are bonafide certified Disco smash hits that surely defined the era that was.

In honor of his 59TH birthday this Sunday here’s K.C. and his Florida Sunshine Band with one of their # 1 Disco smash hits:

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

28 Jan 2010 Comments Off on Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

by Chris M. Day in Blogging, Driving, God, History, Music, People, Television Tags:

– Let’s get spontaneous.
– Can we talk here ?
– For the past week I’ve been riding around in a nice new shiny red Mustang !
– If I had a dream car then that would be it – aside from the color.
– I drove around Homestead in a red car for 8 years from 1989 to 1997.
– It went from shiny red to faded red during those 8 years.
– The Ford Mustang was actually the rental car of my best friend.
– He’s turning it back in tomorrow morning.
– I’ll never see it again.
– I guess that I’ll just have to buy my very own Ford Mustang.
– But it won’t be a shiny red one.
– Maybe a bluish-silver one.
– That seems like it would be a cool color to ride around in.
– I should visit my local Ford dealership one of these days and look around.
– I’m watching Jay Leno on Oprah right now.
– I’m with ‘Team Jay’.
– I’ve been watching him ever since he took over for Johnny Carson in 1992.
– There are a lot of Jay Leno haters lurking all over the Internet.
– I never ‘got’ Conan O’Brien, but I’m not a hater.
– I’ll be returning to “The Tonight Show” to see Jay back where he belongs.
– Yesterday’s edition of ‘My Fantastic Journey’ was quite emotional for me.
– It was inspired by a praise report that I recently received via E-Mail.
– If my blog saves a life and brings someone to God then it’s all worth it.
– I believe that my blog has saved at least 4 lives – probably more.
– The fact that my written words led someone to God brings me tears of joy.
– I’m not a very good speaker, but I’m working on that issue.
– My skill has always been in my writing.
– God wants us to use our skills to change the world and make it better.
– I can only hope that my blogging ministry here impresses God.
– I have come to a decision regarding my future blogging schedule.
– For the first time since 2007 I will no longer do a new blog every day.
– I’m reducing down to a 5-day-a-week schedule effective immediately.
– It’ll be a Tuesday through Saturday blogging schedule.
– I will produce no new blog entries on Sundays and Mondays.
– That will free up some time to concentrate on some other projects.
– All of the popular Tuesday through Saturday blog entries will continue on.
– That means a full slate of ‘Retro’ every Saturday night.
– This Saturday night it’s a moldie-oldie from 1972.
– It’s a song that boldly declares that “It Never Rains In Southern California”.
– But before that get ready to dance to K.C. & The Sunshine Band.
– That’s tomorrow night on my ‘Disco Party’.
– Be sure to be there for the fun that just won’t stop until we reach the top !
– You won’t regret it pal.

My Fantastic Journey: It’s In The Lyrics

27 Jan 2010 Comments Off on My Fantastic Journey: It’s In The Lyrics

by Chris M. Day in God, Music

This week on ‘My Fantastic Journey’ it’s the latest rock hit from Switchfoot. It’s about a dude who finally acknowledges and admits the fact that he’s made a mess of himself, and he’s got nobody to blame but himself.

CHORUS:
I made a mess of me – I wanna get back the rest of me
I’ve made a mess of me – I wanna spend the rest of my life alive
I’ve made a mess of me – I wanna reverse this tragedy
I’ve made a mess of me – I wanna spend the rest of my life alive
The rest of my life alive !

Sometimes you’ve got to hit rock bottom before you finally realize that you can’t live this life all by yourself. When the world around you fails you, and isn’t there for you to pick you up from the throes of evil and darkness let it be known that there is One Supreme Being that is there for you always and forever. He’s God, and He will always have His arms wide open for you. You’ve just got to reach out to Him and grab a hold of Him. You’ve got to believe in Him, trust in Him, and follow Him. He is the only solution to your mess – your tragedy. He is the only One who can restore you to the beautiful creation that He created. Go forth. Go to God. Be alive with Him. Your life depends on Him.

It’s in the lyrics:

Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

26 Jan 2010 1 Comment

by Chris M. Day in Sports, Television, Travel, Weather Tags: ,

I.  So we’ve got the Indianapolis Colts versus the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV in just XII days on the VII day of February. Have you ever wondered why the Super Bowl is identified in Roman numerals ?  Has anyone noticed that – new for 2010 – all of the ‘Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts’ are Roman numeral numbered ?  Anyway back to the big game. It’s at Sun Life Stadium up near the Miami-Dade / Broward County line. You may remember Sun Life Stadium from one of these former names since 1987 – Land Shark Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Pro Player Stadium, Pro Player Park, and the original name – Joe Robbie Stadium. Oh by the way – Let’s Go Saints !

II.  Crystal clear deep blue skies, cooler temperatures, lower humidity, and a nice subtle breeze out of the north – what more could you possibly ask for on the final week of January here in America’s Riviera ?  I forecasted a minimum early-morning low temperature of 52°F with wind chills in the upper-40s. We actually dropped down to 49°F (officially at the air base) at 7 AM with wind chills in the mid-40s. So I was a little bit off there. It appears as if it could be a couple of degrees colder tomorrow morning, so I’m going with 47°F at 7 AM with wind chills in the mid-40s. Wear layers.

III.  I am now less than 18 days away from embarking on my next big Carnival cruise vacation. It’s an 8-day cruise that I booked last September just a little more than a week following the conclusion of my last big Carnival cruise vacation. I imagine that I’ll probably plan yet another Carnival cruise vacation for later this year once I return back to reality following this upcoming cruise. Nothing beats that overwhelming feeling that I get when I’m out at sea – free from radio, television, computers, the Internet, telephones (especially so), and all of the other daily routines of life. It’s really cool to be able to look in every single direction and see nothing but water all the way to the horizon and know that there are no crimes being committed out there. It’s surely a different world, and I like to visit it a couple of times per year. I couldn’t live out there all year long, as that would get old real fast. It’s just fun to be able to go out and experience it and know that it will always be there – even when I’m not.

Have a great Tuesday night my friends. Make it a memorable one !

Monday Night Funnies

25 Jan 2010 1 Comment

by Chris M. Day in Humor, Life, Philosophy

10 TWISTED THEORIES:

– Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.

– The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tire.

– It’s always darkest before dawn, so if you’re going to steal your neighbor’s newspaper then that’s the time to do it.

– Always remember that you’re unique – just like everyone else.

– Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

– Before you criticize someone you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them you’re a mile away, and you have their shoes.

– If at first you don’t succeed then skydiving is probably not for you.

– Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

– Generally speaking you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.

– Never under any circumstances take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

The Major’s Walk-A-Thon: Special On-Location Edition – Everglades National Park

24 Jan 2010 1 Comment

by Chris M. Day in Astronomy, Bugs, Nature, Travel, Weather Tags:

YESTERDAY I visited Everglades National Park to spend the day outside with nature. Here are my takeaways in 15 words or less:

– Me and a buddy arrived out there shortly after 9 AM while it was still foggy.
– I knew that it would eventually be a sunny and hot day – and it was.
– We took a cool 1 hour and 45 minute tour of the former Nike Missile Site.
– It’s a small abandoned military base that was active from 1964 to 1979.
– It’s remnants are now owned and operated by The National Park Service.
– They started giving (limited) guided tours of it just last year.
– Our tour guide – Ryan – was thorough and knowledgeable.
– Check out this article for more information on the site.
– After the tour and a quick Lunch in the car we went hiking on some trails.
– We took on a couple of easy trails at first – less than a mile combined.
– And then we went for the gusto.
– We went on a 6.0-mile hike through muck and mosquitoes.
– We walked the entire 2.6-mile length of the Rowdy Bend trail eastbound.
– Then we took the Snake Bight trail 0.3-miles south to Florida Bay.
– Then we walked the entire 3.0-miles all the way back to our car.
– I smothered myself with Off / Deet before the hike, but it wasn’t enough.
– The trails were totally infested with swarming and biting mosquitoes.
– They were drinking the Off / Deet, and biting through my shirt !
– In addition to the hundreds of mosquito bites I also got a facial sunburn.
– If I go out into the woods without sunscreen then I might just be a redneck.
– I was totally shocked as to the abundance of mosquitoes on the trails.
– They froze to death during the recent freeze, but then new ones took over.
– It’s been a very wet dry season, so it didn’t take long for new skeeters to be.
– They are totally hungry and thirsty for human blood, and so we were Lunch.
– After the 6.0-mile hike we ventured down to Flamingo on the Bay.
– We took a really nice 1 hour and 45 minute boat tour of Florida Bay.
– We went westward adjacent to the south coast and towards the sunset.
– The sun set at precisely 5:59 PM, as that’s when the disc touched the horizon.
– The sun hit the horizon and then took a mere 3 minutes to drop below it.
– It was one of the most perfect sunsets I have seen in my entire Life !
– There were no clouds in the way obscuring it in any way.
– As our sun was setting it was rising simultaneously in Shanghai China.
– It was a nice tour of the bay, and quite refreshing after a hot and sweaty day.
– Water temperatures on the bay have slowly recovered back to the upper-60s.
– It was recently much colder than that, and thousands of fish died.
– It didn’t smell very nice at the shore with all of the dead fish floating.
– It may take a couple of years for a normal fish population to return.
– I really enjoyed my day out with nature despite the bites and burns.
– I hope to do it again sometime before the end of the current dry season.
– Thank You God for all of your Glorious Creations !

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