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Saturday Night Retro

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:

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God Music Radio

My Fantastic Journey: It’s In The Lyrics

Virtually all of the music that I listen to today on the radio is from artists that I had never heard of prior to the start of this 1,000+ day journey during the Summer of 2006. In fact they are all from a music genre that I didn’t really know existed until my Rebirthing. It’s the Christian Rock genre, and it’s hit music produced, written, and performed by followers of Jesus Christ. Their music can be louder, harder, and rougher than that of their secular counterparts, but this is music with a positive message – a Godly message. Even in music – it is all about Him.

Here’s one such hard rocker. It’s one of my all-time favourite songs of my fantastic journey thus far. It’s “Fading Away” from Demon Hunter, and it’s in the lyrics:

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Saturday Night Retro

My old (and well-preserved) checkbook registers reveal a lot about the storied history of my life.

19 years ago in May of 1990 my take-home pay from the base was less than one-fifth of what it is today. Things were much cheaper back then !

Back then I drank Coca Cola Classic and I used Plax and Act in conjunction with brushing my teeth. I also washed my clothes with Tide. I know this because I wrote these items down within the ‘description’ lines of the checkbook register. Some things just never change !

My cable bill was $40.12 and my long distance carrier was MCI. It cost $20.60 to register my vehicle for another year. That’s almost exactly half of what it just cost me to do it again this past month.

One last thing. I was buying cat food at the HAFB Commissary. I didn’t ‘own’ a cat at the time. Oh yeah – there was however that mangy yellowish cat that essentially lived underneath my car in the parking lot of my dormitory on base for a few years. I suppose that it picked my car as its ‘roof’ because it (allegedly) continued to find miscellaneous food laying there.

Back in May of 1990 this was one of the hottest songs in the entire free nation. It’s the U.S. TOP 10 megasmash “I Remember You” from heavy metal glam rock band Skid Row (featuring then lead singer Sebastian Bach). It’s from their self-titled multi-platinum debut album, and it was one of the top high school prom songs in the nation in May of 1990. So all you 37-year-olds out there from the ‘Class Of 1990’ – this one is for you !

That’s my long distance dedication from Chris in Homestead to the entire ‘Class Of 1990’. Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for God. Oh yeah – and keep your web browser tuned – right where it is !

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Blogging History Music People Radio

Friday Night Blogroll Review

Believe it or not some of my friends actually still blog:

Alex is in Chi-Town.

Kelly’s proud of her graduate. * MAJOR BLOGGIE AWARD WINNER *

Luci and her family went to Sea World Orlando.

Phil works bankers’ hours.

Tammy wishes to go up, up, and away – my beautiful, my beautiful balloon

Venus wants you to sign-up for her Singles Life Group. I’ve heard that it’s a lot of fun !  Bring food with you.

And now Ladies and Gentlemen – inspired by Tammy‘s next adventure – I present to you a ‘Saturday Night Retro’ special on a Friday night. It’s the 1967 Grammy Award Winner for Record Of The Year (and 5 other Grammy awards). It’s The 5TH Dimension with their U.S. TOP 10 megasmash “Up – Up And Away”. It entered the legendary Billboard HOT 100 a mere two days before I was born in June of 1967.