24 years

Today is the 24th anniversary of my dad's death. I'll never forget being awakened from a sound sleep by the ringing of the phone that morning 24 years ago. Mom called from the hospital with the news. I remember being in total shock. I knew dad was sick, but in my naiveté I never thought dad would actually die. Up to that point everybody that I knew that had died was old. My dad was not old and in my flawed logic dad was not going to die. God had a different plan. 24 years later I know many people even younger than dad who have passed away.

I always think about dad on August 31st. I sure do miss him.

Baldy!

I've heard through the grapevine that my son (in his infinite wisdom) decided to shave his head yesterday. I've not seen photographic proof, but seeing such a photo is on my "to do" list today. He said he did it because he was bored and curious. Might I suggest if he is bored and curious that he consider studying, cleaning his condo or washing his car? I've also heard his girlfriend doesn't like his complete lack of hair either (go figure!). My son the genius better watch out or he may find himself bored and curious wondering where his girlfriend went (probably kicking and screaming in the opposite direction).

Baldy Meyer doesn't have a very nice ring to it, does it? Smooth move, Kojak! (This is all said in fun of course).
BTW, Michael... You probably don't know who Kojak is. Google him.

On the bright side he has cut down on the money he would spend on shampoo. If he loses his comb or brush it won't be a problem. He can now emulate some awesome role models like Britney Spears and Sinead O'Connor (Just kidding).

Who knows, maybe his new hair style will grow on all of us (pun intended).

The Stick

Abby has been making good progress learning to drive her stick shift. More progress than her old man for sure. She has been getting a lot of practice and I'm guessing it won't be long before she is able to drive the car to school. I knew her fresh, young mind would grasp the concept of driving a stick very quickly. You go, Abby!

Ribs on the river

I found out yesterday that some friends blessed us with a wonderful offer of free tickets to watch the WEBN Fireworks from the Montgomery Inn Boathouse on Sunday. This isn't just some big party on the river. It's actually a charity benefit and the tickets are $250 apiece. The tickets include a ribs buffet with all the sides, cocktails and a front row seat to the biggest fireworks show in the city. Another major perk is a guaranteed parking space in the restaurant parking lot. This on a day when every parking space for miles around will be occupied.

This incredible offer came through Tami's sister, Terri and her husband, Dale. Also Dale's sister Pam and her husband, Tom. These are the same people who made it possible for me to sit in the prestigious Diamond Seats at the Reds game last month. These Reds seats and Montgomery Inn fireworks tickets are not things I would normally purchase for myself. Tami and I are truly blessed to be able to do all these fancy things. Thank you Terri, Dale, Pam and Tom for letting us join you for the fun.

There is a very good chance it will rain Sunday night. Normally this would bother me, but knowing I can seek shelter with a beverage and a slab of ribs, I don't care if it rains cats and dogs.

Love is blind

They say love is blind, but marriage is a real eye opener.

You all know I am a big fan of marriage humor. I think it's because the availability of comedic material is endless. People have been getting married and have been driving each other crazy since Adam and Eve. I also think this is why TV shows like "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The King of Queens" have been so successful. Even shows as far back as "I Love Lucy" capitalized on the infinite possibilities for humor that marriage offers.

In the immortal words of Henny Youngman, "Take my wife. Please!"

And who could forget Red Skelton's views on marriage?

Two times a week we go to a nice restaurant, have a
little beverage, good food and companionship.
She goes on Tuesdays, I go on Fridays.

We also sleep in separate beds.
Hers is in California and mine is in Texas.

I take my wife everywhere.....
but she keeps finding her way back.

We always hold hands.
If I let go, she shops.

She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric
bread maker.
She said "There are too many gadgets and no place
to sit down!" .. So I bought her an electric chair.

My wife told me the car wasn't running well because
there was water in the carburetor.
I asked where the car was; she told me "In the lake."

She got a mud pack and looked great for two days.
Then the mud fell off.

She ran after the garbage truck, yelling "Am I too late
for the garbage?" .... The driver said "No, jump in!"

Remember: Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.

I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her
first name was Always.

I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months.
I don't like to interrupt her.

This is just good, clean fun. No 4 letter words or potty humor. Today's television shows should take a cue from these comedians of the past.

Sweet Ride Photo

Here's Abby's pride and joy. Note the ding in the front end (passenger side near the headlight). Obviously this wasn't a deal breaker. I viewed this minor damage as mostly cosmetic. It's not enough to affect the operation of the car.

Abby's Hot Rod!

Abby's Sweet Ride!

Abby has been working (part-time) since she was 14 years old. In that time she has saved a significant chunk of money. She never wasted her money because she always had the dream of saving up to buy a car. Last week that dream came true for her. Abby is now the proud new owner of a black 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer. At first I only went to kick the tires. I never really had the intention of actually buying the car. As it turns out, the deal was too good to pass up. $3000 and only 59,000 miles. Finding a used car with such low mileage is practically unheard of. Given this information, I was leaning toward buying the car. However, there was one big obstacle... this car has a 5 speed manual transmission. That's right folks, a good 'ol stick shift. I expressed my concerns about a stick -vs- an automatic, but Abby was insistent that she could learn to drive a stick. Realizing deals like this don't come along every day, I gave my consent and Abby bought the car.

Full disclosure here... I'm embarrassed to admit that I never learned to drive a stick. I'm ashamed to tell you I could not even test drive the car for my daughter. My eldest daughter is proficient at driving a stick and was nice enough to come down and test drive it for me.

In the 8 days since getting the car, Abby has been given three lessons in driving a 5 speed. Her teachers (daughter and son-in-law) say she has picked it up amazingly fast. Being highly motivated to drive her OWN car, and not her parents' cars must have urged her into being a quick study. In fact, she has done so well that she now drives the car on short jaunts (to work or the gas station etc...). She's not quite ready for longer trips, but with more practice, it won't be long before she'll be driving the thing all over God's creation

This is a really nice starter car. Much nicer than my first car... A Pinto wagon with woodgrain panels on the side (ick!). It has a beautiful interior, a really good Kenwood stereo (not factory of course), and it's just an all around sweet ride for Abby. I'm really happy for her.

I will post photos at another time.

A sad commentary

I read a story on Fox News yesterday that said more representatives from the White House attended the funeral of Michael Brown (The black teen shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri) than the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. I think it's so sad that more government officials would attend the funeral of a common citizen than a former world leader. The Iron Lady deserved more from the United States of America.

Don't get me wrong. My heart goes out to any parent that loses a child (no matter what the circumstances). This has nothing to do with the controversial death of Michael Brown. This has everything to do with the priorities of the current administration in the White House.

You don't know what you got

You don't know what you got... 'til it's gone. Specifically I'm talking about electricity. We experienced a 5 hour power outage last night and it prevented me from posting to the blog. I'm not sure how many people read this page daily, but if you missed me yesterday, I had a really good reason for not posting. No power=No internet=No Blog.

During a power outage (especially when it's dark outside), you get a lot of time to think. My first thoughts were about how I wouldn't have lights, computer, television and especially air conditioning. I didn't think about that stuff very long before my thoughts turned to how spoiled we are as a nation. In most cases we have the ultimate in comfort when it comes to all those things I mentioned. I also thought about people in other countries (or our military personnel serving in places where the conditions are brutal). Millions of people around the world don't enjoy the blessing of comfort as I do. Who am I to complain about a short power outage? Surely I can survive one night without air conditioning and the other luxuries than run on electricity that I take for granted every day.

Sometimes the Lord knows I need to be jolted back into reality and turns the power off for a while to remind me of how blessed I am. Let's face it... I sometimes forget those blessings when the power is on and I have every luxury that I want. It's not until you are sitting in the dark with nothing to do but think that you fully grasp what you have. I may not always think it or say so, but I am truly grateful for the Lord's provision of my every need.

Soli' Deo Gloria!

Marriage Humor

I'm still a big fan of marriage humor. Here's some more.

Her husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months yet she stayed by his bedside every single day. When he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he said, "You know what? You have been with me through all the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you gave me support. When my health started failing, you were still by my side. When I think about it now. ....I think you bring me bad luck!"

Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is a husband.

My wife and I always compromise; I admit I'm wrong and she agrees with me.

First Guy (proudly): "My wife's an angel!" Second Guy: "You're lucky, mine's still alive."

Marriage is grand -- and divorce is at least 100 grand.

A woman rushed home from work and exclaimed to her husband, "Pack your bags, I've won the lottery!"
The husband excitedly asks, "Should I pack clothes for cold or warm weather?"
She says, "Pack 'em all, you're leaving!"

A couple came upon a wishing well. The wife leaned over, made a wish and threw in a penny. The husband decided to make a wish, too, but he leaned over too much, fell into the well, and drowned. The wife was stunned for a moment, but then smiled and said, "It really works!

Marriages are made in heaven. But so again, are thunder and lightning.

First Guy: "I got new golf clubs for my wife." Second Guy: "That's a pretty good trade!"

Crisis Averted

I returned the Mustang to its rightful owner today. My imaginary mid-life crisis has been averted. It will be good to drive my normal, boring, little Honda Civic again.

On another note, I participated in my second ALS ice bucket challenge today. My principal challenged all the teachers to participate and I decided to accept that challenge. About a dozen other teachers joined me. I have to say having a bucket of ice water dumped on my head was completely welcome today. My school is sweltering in this late summer heat and my classroom is like a sauna. By the end of the school day I was so hot that the ice water brought nothing but sweet, cold relief. Challenge accepted and mission accomplished!

Mid-life crisis

I'm not real familiar with the concept of the mid-life crisis. I've never known anyone who went through one and I'm certainly not going through one myself. However, due to some recent, unrelated circumstances, my teacher friends think I'm experiencing a mid-life crisis.

Michael's car broke down last week and he is temporarily borrowing Tami's car. Abby has been driving my car to school which leaves me without a vehicle to drive to work. Thankfully my in-laws have been gracious enough to loan me one of their cars. And it's not just ANY car... It's a black Mustang! Now, I've never been a guy who desired fancy sports cars (and I'm still not), but I must admit I look pretty snazzy driving down the highway in a 'stang! In the faculty parking lot full of Toyota Camrys, Honda Accords, and Mommy Minivans, the Mustang sticks out like a sore thumb. It's for this reason I'm being accused of going through a mid-life crisis. When I explained to my accusers that the car is a loaner, they were convinced (if not a little disappointed) that I am indeed not going through such a crisis. We've all gotten a good laugh out of it.

The only drawback to this whole situation is all the women who have been honking and waving at me as I whizz by them. I hold up the hand with my wedding band to let them know I am happily married, but that doesn't seem to deter them. (okay, so I made this last part up :-) I'm just kidding.

First Day

It has been a very busy day and today's post will be extremely brief.

I had my new students for the first time today. As expected it is going to be a challenging year, but not nearly as challenging as it was last year. I'm sure I will be giving you more details than you want to hear.

The ALS ice bucket challenge

I'm not much for fads or conforming to pop culture, but I'm willing to make an exception for a worthy cause. Abby and I were recently nominated to take the ALS ice bucket challenge. ALS is also known as Lou Gherig's disease. Here's the video proof of us taking the challenge. Notice Abby found it necessary to bonk me in the head with the bucket before she poured ice water over my head.

And away we go!

I spent the day in teacher meetings and working in my classroom. Tomorrow, whether I'm ready or not, 50 sixth graders will pour through the school doors and will be eagerly awaiting me to fill them with knowledge. Actually it will be more like 50 sixth graders waiting to see what I'm going to do to keep them from being bored stiff. With this being my 25th year in education, I pretty much have this gig figured out. I don't get nervous on the first day of school any more. I'm just ready to get the show on the road! Pray for me as I begin yet another year. May God be glorified in everything I do. Soli' Deo Gloria!

A sick feeling

I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I go back to work tomorrow after my wonderful summer vacation. I'm not really whining because the vacation was plenty long enough. It's just tough going back after having so much fun this summer.

It's difficult to believe, but this is my 25th year of teaching.

The Fight- Part 2

Many of these "and that's when the fight started..." jokes are just old and recycled Red Skelton material. It's okay with me if these jokes are not new. They are still funny.

When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace Expensive... So, I took her to a gas station.
And that's when the fight started...

A man and his wife and were sitting at a table at his high school reunion, and he
kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.
The wife asked, "Do you know her?"
"Yes," the man sighed, "She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to
drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she
hasn't been sober since."
"My Goodness!", says the wife, "who would think a person could go on
celebrating that long?"
And that's when the fight started...

I asked my wife, "Where do you want to go for our anniversary?"
It warmed my heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation.
"Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said.
So I suggested, "How about the kitchen?"
And that's when the fight started....

My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels.
She asked, "What's on TV?"
I said, "Dust."
And that's when the fight started...

And that's when the fight started

A woman is standing in front of the mirror and her husband is nearby. As she looks in the mirror, she laments the cellulite in her thighs, her chubby body, the wrinkles in her face and sagging in places that didn't used to sag. Feeling down and having a very low opinion of herself, the woman says, "Honey, I feel fat and old. I really need you to pay me a compliment right now". Without missing a beat, the husband says, "Well, your eyesight is darn near perfect..."

And that's when the fight started.

There are dozens of these little "And that's when the fight started" jokes, but most of them are not appropriate for this family friendly blog.

My son is a goofball!

My son is a total and complete goofball. He posted this zinger on Facebook today.

What time does Sean Connery arrive at Wimbledon?

(Answer in Scottish accent) About Ten-ish.

15 item limit

I try not to let the little things bother me. If everybody followed the rules and didn't think they were for everybody EXCEPT them, the world would be a much better place. However, it is my opinion the vast majority of people are for themselves and don't give a hoot about anyone else. Everything nowadays is me me me!

Look no further than any supermarket in America. In order to expedite the check out process,for many years stores have had express lanes for people with 15 items or less (or is that 15 items or fewer?). Anyway, when people follow the rules it's a beautiful system. It keeps somebody with 3 or 4 items from waiting behind a mother of 6 with two overflowing carts. The problems arise when some knucklehead who thinks he's too important to wait in line enters the express lane with a cart full of groceries. I don't expect some teenage cashier to tell Mr. Knucklehead to put all the items back in his cart and go through one of the regular lines. Ain't gonna happen... The whole system goes into the tank when people like this mess it up. EVERYBODY ends up waiting longer all because Mr. Knucklehead believes his time is more valuable than yours.

For the record, I have gone through the express lane with more than 15 items. But only because I was invited by a cashier or manager to do so because there was nobody else waiting. That's a whole different matter.

I'm sure it's for reasons like these grocery stores have been forced to put up signs like the one below. It's just plain sad.

Baby's first haircut

Tami and I babysat the grandkids for a few hours today and as an added bonus were able to witness Elliott's first haircut. He sat on his Mommy's lap and then had a cape draped over him. Things didn't start out too badly, but quickly went downhill when Elliott decided he did not like what was going on. As conditions deteriorated, Elliott began to scream louder and began to struggle mightily to escape the situation. In the end his mommy had him in a headlock and his daddy was holding other parts of his body that were attempting to squirm free. When all was said and done Elliott had his first haircut and the rest of us were happy it was over, but not NEARLY as happy as Elliott.

Eat your veggies!

Ladies and gentlemen, here are your federal tax dollars at work. The Obama administration is spending $750,000 to develop a video game to help teach parents how to get their kids to eat their vegetables. I'm not kidding. You can't make this stuff up.

Look, I realize in the big picture of our national budget that 3/4 of a million dollars is barely a drop in the bucket. This is not about the money. It's about a small part of a much, much larger problem. The wasting of billions (if not trillions) of Joe Taxpayer's money. I work hard for my money and the federal government takes a sizable chunk every week. A sizable chunk for what? To teach lazy parents how to get their kids to eat vegetables... using a VIDEO GAME no less?! Here's a novel thought...

Michael: Dad, I don't want to eat my green beans.

Me: Ok, but you may not have dessert, play video games or watch TV until you do.

Michael: But dad, I don't wanna...

Me: It's your choice. I'll wait.

There. Problem solved. And it didn't cost me $750,000 to learn how to do it. Parenting is hard work, but it's not difficult if you use common sense.

Television

I wasn't around when television was first invented. I can only imagine how incredible it must have been to those who were. A wooden box that showed moving pictures and sound... AMAZING! In the years since, our culture seems to have been completely consumed with television. However, I do remember a time when television wasn't completely pervasive in our lives. Don't get me wrong. I like television... in small doses. I'm not a couch potato who can watch anything and everything for hours on end, but I do enjoy watching a 30 minute, mindless sit-com or a sporting event from time time to time. This post is not about the total filth and garbage that is on TV today (that's a post for another day). This post is about the amount of time we spend watching TV today versus decades past and the availability of what is on TV now versus then.

Think back with me. Remember when there were only five channels (at the most)? You had 5, 9, 12, 19 and 48. Not only were there only five channels, but these channels signed off for the night too. In other words, TV wasn't a 24 hour/day affair. Also, remember when kids watched TV in the 60's and 70's? Saturday morning cartoons, Sunday night (The Wonderful World of Disney) and occasionally an after school special. That's it. Other than those times, kids weren't wasting away in front of the TV. Obviously the limited number of channels limited the availability of programming for kids, so this is a factor in the point I'm making. I remember the days of waking up on Saturday morning, pouring a bowl of cereal and plopping down on the floor in front of the TV to watch cartoons. After several hours the cartoons were over and they gave way to some made for television movie (BORING!). Mom would then gently encourage us kids (sarcasm here) to go outside and play. In actuality it was more like, "Turn off the TV and get your butts outside!". We also watched The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights. This was usually a one hour program done in the typical Disney style of the day. The aforementioned after school specials usually came on at 4:00 (not every week) and had a cheesy movie trying to teach kids some life lesson. I was never a big fan of these specials and usually chose to go out and play baseball or something.

Fast forward to today. The dawn of cable and satellite television changed everything. Now there are literally hundreds of channels to choose from and they are on 24 hours a day. There is no concept of a channel signing off for the night. Whatever you want to watch is only a remote control click away... anytime you want it. Kids today have no concept of a time when there is nothing available to watch. There is always something to watch... (enter Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, TV Land, The Cartoon Network, Boomerang, ABC Family, and countless other networks created solely for kids). Add to that the birth of the VCR, DVD players, computers, Netflix, the internet, Smartphones, iPhones and video games... I firmly believe this is why you rarely see kids playing outside anymore. There is so much instantly gratifying, stimulating entertainment available through these outlets there is really no reason for kids to go outside to seek stimulation or entertainment. When the world is at your fingertips inside, there is no reason to go looking for anything outside.

And speaking of TV from the old days... remember when you actually had to walk over to the television to change the channel? Remote controls were not even a thought or possibility. And when remote controls did enter American households, they were called "Space Age Technology". I remember as a child being called by my dad from the next room. I would dutifully answer dad's call only to see him on the couch, pointing to the television and hearing the following command, "Change the channel". In essence I was dad's remote control.

My how times have changed!

Restaurants of old

I'm not sure why I've been feeling so nostalgic lately. I've spent a lot of time this summer thinking about my youth and I'm really not THAT old. Maybe the realization that I'm now married to a 50 year old woman stirred something in me. She's a very young looking and acting 50 year old I might add. Maybe knowing my youngest child is a senior and will be off to college before I can blink has triggered this trip into the past. Whatever it is, I have enjoyed this stroll down memory lane.

Here's more:

Today I remember some restaurants in the bustling cities of North College Hill and Mt. Healthy. When I was a child my grandparents lived in Mt. Healthy. They would often take me to dinner in NCH and Mt. Healthy when I would visit. Their favorite place was Frisch's on Galbraith Rd. Obviously Frisch's is still in business, so this post is not about Big Boy. However, next to the old Frisch's building was Roy Rogers. Roy Rogers was a roast beef place much like Arby's (only much, much better). In addition to the good food, I also remember being a member of the Buckaroo Birthday Club. I have no idea what I got for being in that special club (probably a free kid's meal or something), but I do remember looking forward to going to Roy Rogers when my birthday rolled around each year. Who wouldn't want to be a Roy Rogers Buckaroo?

When I got a little older we stepped up a bit. My favorite restaurant was Mark Pi's China Gate. It was near the intersection of Hamilton Ave. and Goodman Ave. This place had the best Chinese food in the city. I am not kidding. Even as a teenager I knew good food and Mark Pi's had it. I always ordered the same dish. The Triple Delicacy was simply incredible. To this day it's the best thing I ever ate. I loved Mark Pi's China Gate and I am so sorry they went out of business many years ago.

Here's a place that's kind of obscure. Unless you lived in the immediate area, you probably didn't know about Sanker's (aka The Coach Light Inn). Sanker's was on Hamilton Ave. smack dab in the middle of Mt. Healthy. Sanker's was a bar/restaurant. Grandma liked it because she could order a Manhattan (yeah, Grandma liked to drink a little). Grandpa got a beer and I always ordered a Kiddie Cocktail (also known as a Shirley Temple). Aside from the cocktail party I had with my grandparents, I remember a few other things. First was the food. The food was typical for a place like this... (Double Deckers, sandwiches etc...). The second thing was the bowling alley in the back. In the rear of the restaurant was a door that led to an adjoining bowling alley. After we'd ordered our food, I always passed the time by going to watch people bowl.

Grandma and Grandpa went out to eat every Friday night. It was usually one of those four places. Usually it was Frisch's, but on special occasions it was one of the other three.

Oh, the memories!

Here's an old Frisch's sign with a modern advertisement. I don't think they had wraps back in the 70's.

This sign really takes me back!

Ah, Mark Pi's

And finally, Sanker's!

Home!

After all this talk about our record player and vinyl albums, the following little plaque seemed appropriate. We have thoroughly enjoyed listening to our records the last few days. We have listened to everything from classical, to Glenn Miller, to country, to light rock to 70's rock and roll... pretty much everything but hip hop. There are two things that won't ever be played on our record player. Hip Hop and Bruce Springsteen. Contrary to popular belief, Bruce Springsteen is NOT the boss.

More Record Player News

A stack of vinyl albums is so much better than this. Just sayin'...

Also, during our trip to the record store, we saw albums from the Record Theatre, Gold Circle, Rinks, Swallens and Peaches. Remember Peaches record store?

All this talk about record players makes me want to run out to "Sight and Sound" or "Hemsath Sound Center". Oh wait... those places are gone. Remember them?

For the Record

Yesterday I mentioned that Tami bought a record player. I wish I could say WE bought a record player, but it was all her idea and I can take no credit for it. Anyway, most of you are probably thinking,…

“What in the world do you need a record player for?”
“What happened, Mick? Did you lose your iPod?”
“Haven’t you ever heard of CD’s?”
“You mean record players still EXIST?”

I know, I know. It seems crazy to buy a record player when there are literally millions of songs at your fingertips by way of iTunes. Record albums are so cumbersome while iPods no larger than a postage stamp can hold thousands of songs. It seems nuts to listen to scratchy records when digitally mastered music is so clear and almost flawless (I would argue TOO flawless). There is no mistaking that today’s digital music is of high quality, but I must say the sound of a record player and vinyl albums is better. Why better? Well, I’ve been trying to come up with an apt description of the sound of a phonograph needle on a vinyl record and the word that keeps coming to mind is “rich”. Listening to albums on a record player has a richness that is lost on today’s digital music. A phonograph has faint pops and cracks as it plays, but that’s part of the character and mystique. Vinyl albums also have a raw sound that can’t be duplicated with the almost sterile perfection of digital music. I hope I’m making sense here. It’s just a different sound. A sound you would recognize if you grew up listening to records instead of downloading every song you want.

We picked up the record player yesterday (bought it off Craigslist from an old lady in Mason who said she was glad it was going to a good home). This record player/stereo/console is more than just a piece of audio equipment. It’s a piece of furniture and in a way it’s a piece of history. Let me tell you, this thing is HEAVY. My brother-in-law helped me carry it and it took all we had to get it in the house. Once the record player was in the house we just had to try it out. This spawned a trip to a record store (Yes, they still have them). We went to “Everybody’s Records” in Pleasant Ridge and spent about three hours browsing through crate after crate of used record albums. In the end we ended up with about 30 albums for about 45 bucks (so just over a buck apiece). We also took a trip to Goodwill. They sell albums for 50 cents. We picked up another 20 there. All told we have about 50 new (used) vinyl albums and spent a grand total of $55. Basically for the price of a nice dinner at a restaurant, we now have hours of listening enjoyment and reminiscing. We’ve been listening to record albums all weekend and it has been a real blast from the past.

On a funny note--- Abby peered into the cabinet as a record was playing and the look on her face was priceless. You could tell she had no idea what she was looking at. She admitted she had never seen anything like it. As we loaded albums onto the turntable and put records back into their dust jackets, my 23 year old niece flatly exclaimed, “That looks like too much work!”. Ha! Work indeed! She has no idea what she’s missing.

So there you have it. The Meyers are on the cutting edge of not-so-modern technology and WE. ARE. LOVING. EVERY. MINUTE!

Here's the record player, stereo and cabinet. State of the art for the early 70's

The turntable

Some of our new (used) albums

Note the old "Record Theatre" sticker

Humor and nostalgia

I was talking to a guy at church today and he was telling me how much he enjoys husband and wife humor. He reeled off a few marriage jokes and we got a good chuckle. Think Henny Youngman (Take my wife... Please!) or Red Skelton (Honey, what's on the television? I think it's dust.) Or even this one... (Sir, you just passed gas before my wife. Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was her turn). I think this will be good fodder for a separate post in the near future.

On a different note, look for a post tomorrow about a nostalgic purchase Tami made yesterday. This is not a guessing game, so I will tell you she bought a record player in a big console cabinet. Before you think we've gone off our rockers, keep an open mind about using this medium to listen to music. As they say in the music biz... stay tuned.

Until tomorrow, here's a funny little bit of marriage humor.

Google is dead

I would never say this about my wife and I would definitely never wear this shirt, but I do think it's kind of funny...

More Photos

More Photos... Only because I'm too lazy to post anything else this morning.

Goppa and his toothless girl

Michael's Grandpa Mick would have been proud. Not sure about making the girlfriend row the boat though...

Just Because

Just because it's Friday and I feel like posting these...