Category: History

Saturday Night Retro

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 13, 2009

TODAY – the 13TH of June – marks my 14TH anniversary of living right here in my current home in South Central Homestead Florida 33034. At 168 months this is by far the longest tenure for me in any home in my entire life. This surpasses the 69 months that I lived in Lanham Maryland (1975-1980), the 55 months that I lived in McLean Virginia (1980-1985), and the 57 months that I lived on the original Homestead Air Force Base (1987-1992).

It’s hard to believe that when I first moved here in my current home (from my previous home in nearby Naranja) the rest of my family was still living up in McLean Virginia for the 15TH year (out of 16). Since then my Mom and Dad and Brother have moved nearly a dozen times combined – halfway across the U.S.A. !

Back in 1993 after I got out of the Active Duty USAF (and before I started working back with the USAF again as a Civilian) I lived in a tiny studio efficiency of a couple hundred square feet in what could best be described as ‘a rundown apartment complex in a rough neighbourhood in the heart of Melbourne Florida’. I paid less than $200 per month in rent for that place, and that was pretty much what it was worth back then. Although I made some good friends there it was the closest that I’ve ever come to living in a crack den. 😯

Here’s a jam that was totally HOT on the radio and on the dance floors 16 years ago in 1993 while I was unemployed and trying hard to stay out of trouble in that rough ‘hood of Melbourne. It’s the U.S. # 1 platinum smash from Snow – and it’s all about that “Informer”. I present it to you for your ‘Saturday Night Retro’ review:

History Life Music Television

Saturday Night Retro

That’s me and my little brother standing outside our McLean Virginia house exactly 24 years ago today on the 06TH of June in 1985. It’s the date of my high school graduation, and it was just one day after my 18TH birthday. My high school graduation was held at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. There were about 500 in my graduating ‘Class Of 1985’.

6 days after this momentous event I left home and proceeded to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas for Air Force Basic Military Training. (I had no real Summer that year.)

And now my friends – a real treat. I present to you for your ‘Saturday Night Retro’ review this long lost gem. It’s legendary jazz and blues singer and guitarist Leon Redbone performing the full-length opening theme song of one of the greatest prime time network television sitcoms of the mid-1980s – “Mr. Belvedere”. ENJOY !

Food Health History Life Movies Shopping

My 42ND Birthday

So TODAY I am officially 42-years-old even though I’ve been stating my age as 42 since pretty much the latter portion of 2008. Tomorrow I technically begin my 43RD year, but I won’t be ready to tell people that I’m 43 until perhaps Thanksgiving or Christmas. 42 just seems like a nice cool even number age. It’s the year that Elvis Presley died.

THANK YOU to all of my good friends (and my cool little brother) who sent me cell phone text message greetings, blog comment greetings, and E-Mail greetings today. Every year I try hard to keep my birthday a secret, yet word somehow seems to get out to the world. It never fails.

I spent about 5 hours at The Falls today (in addition to the 3 hours that I was there last night). I had my annual eye exam. While my pupils were COLOSSAL I ate an ENORMOUS Lunch at T-G-I-Fridays, and then I saw “Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian” at the Regal Cinemas there.

Here’s an interesting tidbit of useless trivia. I saw the original “Night At The Museum” movie on New Year’s Eve in 2006. It was the last movie that I saw at the Flagship Cinemas in Homestead before I attended Life Pointe Church for the very first time at that movie theatre exactly 3 Sundays later.

As far as my eye exam was concerned my longtime nearsightedness continues to slowly improve with age (that’s apparently normal), but my relatively new farsightedness (reading vision) continues to slowly worsen. I had to get all-new glasses to reflect the change in my vision. It’s a sign of old age maturity. 😯

It’s hard to believe that 24 years ago tomorrow – the 06TH of June – I graduated from high school. I thought that I would never make it. TOMORROW on the ‘Retro’ I’ll share a picture of me dressed up in my high school graduation cap and gown.

But until then check this out from 42 years ago tonight:

: Chris At Birth – Selma Alabama – June 05TH 1967

Birth ID

History Music Travel

Saturday Night Retro

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date May 30, 2009

As I begin this post it’s barely after 7 AM on a Saturday morning, but I’m ready to go all ‘Retro’ on you right now ! The fact of the matter is that I’m leaving for the Florida Keys with a buddy in a couple of hours, and we may head all the way down to the end of the road – Mile Marker Zero – in the heart of Key West. If we reach the end then we probably won’t be back until late tonight, so I wanted to get this posted now in that event.

About 21 years ago during the Spring of 1988 my Mom, Dad, and Brother visited me here in America’s Riviera for the first time ever. We actually stayed at a popular hotel resort in Key Largo (bayside), and we drove all the way down to Key West in our rental car. (I didn’t even own a car at the time.) I think it was the very first visit for all of us into the Florida Keys.

I’ve actually visited Key West via cruise ship more so than via automobile. In fact I’ll be there again on the Tuesday after Labor Day in September as part of another short Carnival cruise that I’ll be on. Key West is a fun town. It’s a nice place to visit every now and then. It seems so far away from Homestead and points north – besides its geographic location. It’s like a whole different world down there.

21 years ago in 1988 when we were discovering the Florida Keys for the first time this tropical song was emerging as a megasmash on the radio. As it turns out it became the biggest-selling (platinum) and longest-running single of their long historic careers. I’m talking of course of the legendary Beach Boys. Here’s their ENORMOUS 1988 smash “Kokomo”.