Category: Life

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 2004

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 13, 2019

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 10, 15, 20, or 30 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 15 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday December 12TH 2004:

“Welcome To My Life” – Simple Plan
“I Don’t Want To Be” – Gavin DeGraw
“Lady” – Lenny Kravitz
“Dare You To Move” – Switchfoot
“On The Way Down” – Ryan Cabrera

15 years ago this weekend my favorite French-Canadian pop-punk band at the time – Simple Plan – scored their 2ND # 1 smash in a row. “Welcome To My Life” was the follow-up to “Perfect” – their debut smash on my chart. They would score with one more hit after that – “Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me ?”). Simple Plan have been recording, performing, and touring for the past 20 years.

The mid-2000s were not a particularly happy period of time for me personally or professionally. It was my midlife crisis. I was miserable at the workplace, and I pretty much had no friends at the time. I came home each day to my lovable feline. He was my best friend. #Boots

Everything began to change a little more than 20 months later. You’ll see how this story develops over the next 20 months every 2ND Friday of the month. #Salvation

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 2004, Simple Plan

1980s Career Food Health History Life Military Travel

Chanute AFB Illinois

I’m coming up on the 34TH Anniversary of my graduation from USAF BMT. That stands for United States Air Force Basic Military Training. I was stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio Texas from June 13TH 1985 (early in the morning – like right after Midnight) to July 29TH 1985 (at dawn). It was the roughest and toughest 46 days / 6½ weeks of my life at that point. (I had just turned 18.)

On July 29TH 1985 (a Monday) I boarded a plane (with others) from San Antonio Texas to Champaign County Illinois. I got food poisoning on the plane. That was when full hot meals were still served on airplanes. After landing we were transported from the airport to Chanute Air Force Base (near Rantoul Illinois). Everyone else was taken to their respective squadrons for in-processing. I was taken to the Base Hospital where I spent a couple of days and nights recuperating.

On the 3RD day I rose again – out of my hospital bed fully recovered, and I was released to my squadron. I moved-in to my dormitory room – my home for the next 3 months. School started soon for me. I would soon learn how to be an Aircraft Maintenance Systems Analyst (think “Statistician”). I was in a class of 4.

Today – 34 years later – I am an Analyst / Statistician, and I work for the United States Air Force.

Career Home Life

Moving

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 18, 2019

I’m not moving (for now). I’m not a fan of moving. I’ve lived in the same home for over 24 years. I moved in here when I was in my late-20s, and now I’m in my early-50s. When I do move away (in about 4 or 5 years) I’ll continue to own this home, but I’ll also own another home about 3 hours north of here up in South Central Florida. This home is all paid off. It was all paid off over 6 years ago.

During my first 28 years of life I moved no less than 14 times. I’ve stayed put ever since.

The worst move ever occurred in November 1980 when – 2 months into my 8TH grade – my family moved from Lanham Maryland to McLean Virginia (opposite sides of the Washington D.C. area). It was a radical change of culture for a 13½-year-old. I was plunged into a completely different environment that I was not prepared for, and I never got used to. I had friends in Maryland. I knew nobody in Virginia. I was a “normal” kid in Maryland. I was a “poor” kid in Virginia that nobody really wanted to associate with. I had very few friends in Virginia – and nobody that I hung out with after school. I did poorly in school, as the school system in Virginia was actually at a much higher academic level than the one that I came from in Maryland. I was essentially a “C” and “D” student through my 11TH grade. That wasn’t good enough for college, and everyone around me was definitely going to college in 1985. I eventually made the honor roll during my Senior year in high school – making all “A”s and “B”s. But it was too late. I ended up joining the military – where my now 34-year career continues.

Had it not been for that move from Maryland to Virginia towards the end of 1980 I’m thinking that my life may have been completely different than it turned out to be. Maybe I would have gone with my friends from elementary and junior and senior high school to the University Of Maryland (where my Dad went 25 years earlier). Maybe I would’ve become a Meteorologist, or gone into Radio or Television Broadcasting (my dream jobs as a teen). Maybe I would’ve met the woman of my dreams, gotten married, and started a family. Maybe I would’ve had the perfect life. Maybe I would’ve never known God. Maybe I would’ve never created this blog 12 years ago to journal this journey.

Be careful when you make decisions. Think about the possible consequences of your decisions before you go through with them. Some decisions that you make can be far bigger than you can ever imagine at the time. One decision today could change your life – or a family member’s life – or a loved one’s life – forever – for better or for worse.

Animals Career Driving History Life Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 2004

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 12, 2019

Every Friday night I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 10, 15, 20, or 30 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 15 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday July 11TH 2004:

“Ocean Avenue” – Yellowcard
“Meant To Live” – Switchfoot
“The Reason” – Hoobastank
“Hey Mama” – The Black Eyed Peas
“Pieces Of Me” – Ashlee Simpson

15 years ago this weekend seems so long ago. I had recently flipped away from electronic dance music and returned to my roots in calmer pop music. I actually don’t remember much about 2004, and I really choose to not remember much about that year. It was a forgettable year. I wasn’t happy at work, and I wasn’t particularly happy at home either. I came home to my cat every afternoon, and he adored me. He was my best friend at the time. I still miss him over 12 years after his passing. #Boots

It’s interesting what I discover when I review old E-Mails. 15 years ago TODAY – the 12TH of July of 2004 (a Monday) I drove about 650 miles from a hotel very near Walt Disney World (like a mile away) to a suburb south of New Orleans. I was TDY (military term = temporary duty) at NAS JRB New Orleans during that week. According to my extensive records I filled-up with gas twice that day during my drive westward, and I paid $1.959 and $1.919 per gallon for gas.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday afternoon and Monday night with two more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 2004