Happy Thursday night. A new weekend has arrived, and I’m looking forward to it. Tomorrow (Friday) night I’ll go #Retro with my Top 5 hits from exactly 20 years ago on Sunday July 12TH 1998. Then on Sunday I’ll share Scripture with you, and finally on Monday it’s my brand new Top 10 personal hit music chart.
But as for tonight it’s something simple – just a goofy photo of me and a bear – from inside a souvenir store on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls Ontario Canada.
WELCOME to the historic 20TH edition of my ‘Weekend Blast-Off’ – sponsoured by the state of Texas. Everything’s BIGGER in Texas !
WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
Yesterday afternoon I flew the friendly skies of 30,000 feet above sea level via American Airlines from MIA to DFW. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to get on the airplane early (as in Group 1) since (for whatever reason) I always seem to be part of the unfortunate last Group to board. I’ve learned that the various Group numbers have absolutely nothing to do with where you are seated within the aircraft. When I checked in at MIA I had the chance to pay an extra $9 to be upgraded to Group 1. I mulled it over for a short little while, and then I decided to do it. That $9 upgrade essentially got me on the airplane and in my assigned seat a good 10 minutes earlier than I would have without the upgrade. Was $9 worth 10 minutes ? I think so. One of the most annoying things for me (besides the inevitable sick person behind me that coughs and sneezes all throughout the flight) is the long wait to get to my assigned seat on the airplane as 75% to 90% of the rest of the passengers watch on from their assigned seat. I always think to myself, ‘Must be nice to be sitting down as I wait standing in this aisle as people try to squeeze their oversized suitcases into the limited-space overhead compartments.’ There are certain things that I won’t pay for inflight. I won’t pay $5 for a couple of cookies or a ‘snack pack’. I won’t pay $90 for an upgrade to First Class. Well maybe I’d think about it, but is it really worth an extra $90 for some snacks, unlimited drinks, and a few extra inches of elbow room ? I probably will pay the extra $9 for the upgrade to Group 1 in the future just to avoid the long line that stretches from the coach section of the airplane clear back into the terminal waiting area. Pet Peeve Eliminated.
BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD:
My final pit stop before leaving Homestead on Thursday morning was at the Longhorn Steakhouse – my Lunch home away from home. My favourite greeter was there. My favourite waittress was there. My favourite table was there. My usual meal was there, but this time I also enjoyed a complimentary salad to go along with it. It was surprisingly delicious with blue cheese dressing on it. It was one of the better salads that I’ve enjoyed in quite some time.
THE FORTUNE COOKIE MESSAGE OF THE WEEK CLUB:
– People rise to your expectations.
– Prosperity belongs to those who can learn new things the fastest.
BROTHER & NIECE PHOTO OPP. OF THE MONTH CLUB:
Here’s my brother and 7-month-old niece at our Mom’s house in Fairview TX. See if you can spot the plumber in the background fixing the kitchen sink.
THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:
BLATANT PROMOTION:
TOMORROW on my ‘Saturday Night Retro’ I’m flashing back over 30 years ago back to the late-1970s. Then on Sunday morning it’s a fresh new Texas edition of ‘The Major’s Walk-A-Thon’. TONIGHT for Dinner The Day Family is eating out – Italian-style – at a joint called Patrizio. We’re goin’ grocery shopping on Saturday morning, and we’ll be selecting our Butterball Turkey. Don’t forget that you can follow me on Twitter online anytime @majorhitwaves. Have a wonderful weekend my friends. Make it special. Make it memorable.
WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
November has arrived. Winter has arrived here in South Florida. The cool and dry weather is finally here. It will actually be a cold Saturday with wind chills starting out near 40°F at sunrise. We’ll be stuck in the 60s all day long with wind chills in the 50s at times. This brief cold snap will stick around until about 12 noon on Monday, and then a rapid warm-up begins. 80°F temperatures return on Tuesday afternoon. This is also the weekend in which we ‘fall back’ an hour, as we say ‘good-bye’, ‘so long’, ‘adios’, and ‘get out of here’ to Daylight Saving Time. It’s done and over with at 2 AM on Sunday morning as we return to Standard Time. That’s my favourite time of the year – the real time zone. Everything just seems right when the Sun rises before 7 AM and sets before 6 PM. That’s just the way it’s supposed to be. I wish we stayed on Standard Time all year long. In a perfect world Daylight Saving Time would be abolished !
BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD:
This past Wednesday I enjoyed Lunch at Red Lobster, and it was all over after that. I was cheerfully greeted at the front door by my regular greeter, and I was enthusiastically served at my regular table by my regular waitress. It’s like a home away from home for me. I belong. The food was hot and delicious as usual. I enjoyed a Caesar salad, the Crunch-Fried Fish, the Fried Bay Scallops, and a couple of melt-in-my-mouth Cheddar Bay Biscuits. I’ll be back for more sometime next week !
PUMPKIN DAY PHOTO OPPORTUNITY OF THE MONTH CLUB:
This picture was taken this afternoon by my brother in Fairview Texas.
THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:
BLATANT PROMOTION:
25 years ago this weekend I flew from Northern Virginia to London England to begin 2 years of my young life in a foreign country. Tomorrow on my ‘Saturday Night Retro’ I’ll look back at that first month of living in the U.K., and I’ll feature the music video of one of my favourite rock songs of that month (and year). During the day tomorrow (Saturday) I’ll be out and about on Miami Beach enjoying the South Florida International Auto Show. I’m also planning to spend some quality time with the animals over at Jungle Island. It’s gonna be a great weekend here in South Florida to take advantage of the great outdoors, so let’s get to it. Be safe. Be smart. Love all.
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