Category: Animals

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Animals Driving History Home Life Music Radio Television Travel

Saturday Night Retro

On this 92ND edition of my ‘Saturday Night Retro’ I’m looking back at the Spring of 1985 – just a few months before I turned 18-years-old, graduated from high school, left home, and joined the Air Force – all within a single week !

At home I enjoyed hangin’ out with my 10-year-old brother Danny and our young Manx cat Fluffy. We watched Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and “Saturday Night Live” that I taped overnight on our Betamax videocassette recorder downstairs in our family room. I also enjoyed driving around Langley, McLean, and Tysons Corner Virginia in my beige 1980 Chevy Citation (my first car). It was equipped with a high-quality AM radio !

Back at home (where I actually had an FM stereo) I listened to the Washington D.C. area’s two big Top 40 radio stations – ‘All-Hit-105-WAVA’ and ‘Q-107’. One of the big smash hits during this memorable time of my life as I approached adulthood was this electronic dance smash. It was HUGE all around the world, and I think that they played it at my high school prom. I really don’t know for sure because I never attended my high school prom because I was such an outcast at the time. I was the original ‘All-American Reject’ !

Here’s Animotion – as I kick-off 6 fun-filled weeks of ‘The Awesome ’80s In August International Dance Party’. It’s my “Obsession”:

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Animals Blogging Career Food Home Internet Life Money Music Travel Weather

The Major’s Weekend Blast-Off

WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
The weekend has arrived, and for me it arrived 24 hours early this week due to Tropical Storm Bonnie. Looking ahead yesterday afternoon I had a feeling that this would be an unscheduled day off once the air base (where I work) drifted into panic mode. We always prepare for a worst case scenario on base, so if a Tropical Depression or a weak Tropical Storm is approaching our general region of the world then we prepare for a Category 1 Hurricane. If it’s a strong Tropical Storm then we react as if it’s a Category 2 Hurricane – and so forth – and so on. It may seem like overreacting – and it generally is – but we do so in a sincere effort to protect millions of dollars of military and government equipment and resources. We have an urgent responsibility to minimize any damage that Mother Nature could throw at us, and I think that we do a very good job at it.

BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD:
Sometimes it’s not about the food. It’s about the company. This week my good friend Travis invited me out to Lunch at Chili’s, and I gladly accepted. We talked about a wide variety of great topics of interest big and small. I like hanging out with Trav. I also enjoyed my messy meal which consisted of – Bottomless Tostada Chips Served With House-Made Salsa, Shiner Bock BBQ Big Mouth Burger, Hot Homestyle Fries, Sprite. I dig.

15 WEEKEND MINI THOUGHTS:
– I’m really looking forward to this weekend safe and sound in my home.
– I hope to get a lot of work done – like filing piles of paperwork and such.
– I’m well known for my organizational skills, so I need to get there.
– Last weekend I was hidden in the woods and hills of Northwest Florida.
– I had to walk to the top of a hill just to get a hint of a data signal to my phone.
– I’m happy to be here at home where ‘3G’ and lightning fast wireless rules.
– It’s been a long time since I’ve been vacation-free in a single month.
– I have no plans to go anywhere exotic or otherwise during the month of Aug.
– 7 weeks – 49 days in a row of home life began last Sunday night.
– Last night I paid the first of my two annual home insurance premiums.
– It’s the one that covers everything except for wind.
– It went up 16% (outrageous) over the previous year.
– My other premium that covers everything for wind went up 4.4% (reasonable).
– Collectively I’ll be paying an average of $5.15 per day to insure my home.
– When I look at it that way it doesn’t look so bad at all.

THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:

BLATANT PROMOTION:
It’s a full weekend of blogging for me. I’m kicking-off a former tradition from the massivesmash.com years this weekend on the ‘Saturday Night Retro’. That’s right – it’s ‘The Awesome ’80s In August International Dance Party’, and it all starts with an electronic dance smash that was the absolute biz while I was a Senior in High School in 1985. Then on Sunday join me as I share my Life with you on ‘My Fantastic Journey: It’s In The Lyrics’. In the meantime enjoy your weekend, and play it safe my friends. Love one another.

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Animals Blogging Driving Food History Home Internet Life Money Shopping Travel Weather

The Major’s Weekend Blast-Off

WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
Another weekend has arrived, and I’m so looking forward to this one. I haven’t had a normal weekend since the middle of June. Two weekends ago I worked all day on a Saturday, and then last weekend I was on vacation over in the Dallas Texas area. I’ll also be on vacation next weekend, so this is like the bit-in-the-middle. It’s my time to relax and do normal things at home – like blog – and prepare for my Sunday morning hosting duty at Life Pointe Church – and go grocery shopping at Publix – and do laundry. I live for the mundane. It’s truly great to be right here in my home sweet Homestead !

BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD:
Longhorn Steakhouse – Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Seasoned French Fries, Mashed Potatoes, Bread, Coke. I dig.

15 WEEKEND MINI THOUGHTS:
– It’s still hot, humid, and dry here in South Florida while Texas is drenched.
– In a normal year it’s the other way around – a dry Texas and a wet Florida.
– Does everyone remember our record-shattering frigid cold winter season ?
– I just received the first of my two home insurance premiums.
– This one covers everything except for damage caused by wind.
– The premium for 12 months of coverage increased by over 16% from last year.
– That seems a bit steep for an annual increase, but it could be much worse.
– Next Thursday I embark on yet another vacation.
– I’ll be driving 600 miles in a single shot until I arrive at my destination.
– I’ll be at an undisclosed location in the northwest part of Florida.
– It’s very peaceful and quiet there.
– Internet connectivity will be extremely limited.
– There will be no new blog posts from me next weekend.
– I’ll be lucky to get out an occasional tweet.
– When I return from this short trip I have no plans to go anywhere until Sept.

THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:

BLATANT PROMOTION:
Tomorrow on the ‘Retro’ I’m going back deep into my early childhood – all the way back to when I was 4-years-old during the Summer of 1971. Then on Sunday it’s a fresh new ‘My Fantastic Journey: It’s In The Lyrics’. Be sure to check out those two new blog posts during this weekend. During the week when I’m not blogging I’m tweeting, so follow me if you wish at majorhitwaves. Have a great weekend my friends. Make it memorable. Be safe.

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Animals Blogging Driving Food Holidays Humor Travel Weather

The Major’s Weekend Blast-Off

WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
It’s Friday July 02ND, and it’s the long extended 4TH Of July holiday weekend here in the U.S.A. Go out and make it an enjoyable one, but always play it safe in everything that you do. I’m 1,400+ miles away from home within the vast northeastern suburbia of Dallas Texas. I’m here visiting my little brother, his lovely wife, their adorable 10-week-old daughter (my niece), their old dog, our parents, and later on this weekend our favourite Aunt and Uncle who I haven’t seen in about 7 years. It’s my 2ND visit here in exactly 7 weeks. When I return back home again I’ll be less than 10 days away from my next big weekend vacation getaway. I’ll have more on that next weekend on the ‘Blast-Off”.

BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD:
Longhorn Steakhouse – 12-ounce (NOT 12-inch) Renegade Top Sirloin, Loaded Baked Potato, Bread, Coke.

15 WEEKEND MINI THOUGHTS:
– My American Airlines flight from Miami to Dallas was rather uneventful.
– Due to severe weather in Central FL we took an unusual route out of Miami.
– We traced the entire Florida Keys from Key Biscayne to past Key West !
– We essentially flew directly over the Homestead area.
– I waved down at all of my friends back home and on Key Largo and Tavernier.
– I even saw Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson from way up there.
– We crossed right over the middle of the Gulf Of Mexico into Louisiana.
– The entire trek from north of the Keys into Texas was above layers of clouds.
– It was the leftover counter-clockwise circulation of former Hurricane Alex.
– This afternoon the remnant moisture of Alex has turned Texas into the tropics.
– We’re getting occasional showers this afternoon here in Northeast Texas.
– Everything is lush and green here, as it’s been a rather wet month here.
– Meanwhile the grass is dying and becoming crunchy back home in Homestead.
– Today for Lunch we picked up fast food from Sonic.
– It was pretty good, and maybe by Christmas our Homestead Sonic will be open.

THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:

BLATANT PROMOTION:
TOMORROW on the blog we’ll celebrate America’s Birthday with a classic jam that’s all about “America”. It’s from an American music legend who is still gettin’ it done today. Catch it right here on my ‘Saturday Night Retro’. Then on Sunday on an all-new ‘My Fantastic Journey’ I’ll tell you what freedom means to me on this 4TH Of July. It’s all right here this weekend. Go forth and enjoy your weekend, and check back here later on. You won’t regret it pal.