Here's a good one...did it really used to be this simple?
As I type this, a slew of thoughts are swirling about my head...much like my early morning Thanksgiving post
http://pompatusofpete.blogspot.com/2011/11/rise-and-shine-sleepyhead.html
...so here's some of the things I'm thinking of....
remember....random.
The Wizard of Oz. I sat down, put my laptop in my lap (if I'm anything, it's a stickler for the obvious), and turned on the television set. Lo and behold here was the Wizard of Oz, towards the end, just before Dorothy and her crew get the directive to fetch the witches broom..and I thought, "jeez, I wish I had turned this on earlier (by the way, this is me thinking to myself) I missed the parts where she meets her travel companions and they all sing their individual songs about their inadequacies and such." Or something along those lines....I think you know what I mean.
Wouldn't you know, it was replaying immediately following, so guess what I'm watching the second time around? Speaking of second, this is actually the second time I've posted a Wizard of Oz song on a blog...back aways I included a clip of Elvis Costello doing"If I Only Had a Brain" (you can dig for that on your own if you wish, I think one link back to a prior blog is enough self promoting).
I've never done the experiment where you simultaneously time the playing of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon with the Wizard of Oz. But then again, I no longer do the "kinds of things" that would have made that some sort of priority in my life...but maybe I should do it anyway...but probably without "those kinds of things".
Speaking of music and movies...I once told a group of coworkers (during one of those "icebreaker" exercises, that helps you "get to know your coworkers better") that I knew every word to every song in Grease.
I actually do.
But neither of those are my favorite movie. My favorite movie is Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock. Now that, my friends, is quality movie making. When I was in high school (which, by the way, was the early eighties) there was sort of a Hitchcock revival taking place...a lot of his films were re-released...I went to quite a few of them, but it was Rear Window that I repeatedly dragged a few of my friends to (does anyone remember that?) If you have never seen it, first...shame on you, and second...what are you waiting for? I will not give any of the plot away, but I will say it is the smartest, best directed, most cleverly filmed movie ever made. ...and even though this isn't one of my DEFINITIVE lists...there will be no disputing this.
Oh and Grace Kelly. C'mon.
ok....random, remember?.....
This time of the year reminds me of my favorite memory of my Nana . Nana was my Mom's mother. My Mother is now Nana...and has been for quite a long time. But I'm talking about my Nana and my favorite memory of her. My parents would go out every New Years Eve (a tradition I have not upheld), I don't remember where, or with who...although I can think of a few who's and possibly, quite possibly, it may have involved the Men's Club. The Men's Club! How audacious is that? But, at the time I thought nothing of it...anyway, I digress. That whole era is for another blog, maybe. Back to Nana.
On New Year's Eve, Nana used to let me stay up to watch the ball drop with her..and it always had to be Guy Lombardo (Google that one you youngsters!).
Let's figure I'm sawing logs by 12:30...so Nana's in bed by what, maybe 1:00?
Here's the memory...back when I was young we always had an artificial tree (again, an opportunity to link to a prior blog, but I'll resist) which we would leave up through the New Year. By the time I would wake up on January 1 she would have that damned tree undecorated, lights off and bundled, taken apart, boxed up ( and this box was literally big enough to put an elephant in), dragged down into the basement, and stored away for another year.
That's my favorite memory of my Nana.
Oh, her name was Maggie. I like that.
Loved her.
Speaking of trees, this year I turned into my Father for the annual ritual of decorating said tree. Actually I became Papa, since it involved my two daughters. Even though I pointed it out at one point when I realized I had metamorphosed into Papa..I continued to do even after I had realized it. I couldn't help it. Everyone got a good laugh out of it. This is how it went.
The Scene: My two daughters picking through the decorations to put on the tree. Mom participating too. Me sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.
The Plot. My daughters trying to decorate the tree despite the random and vague but frequent directions from me (Papa) put forth from the corner of the room.
The scene goes something like this.
My Daughter(s), holding up a decoration,"Do you like this one Daddy?"
Me (Daddy). "Yeah that one's great".
Daughter(s) turns to the tree, looks for the perfect spot and hangs the decoration.
Me, whilst gesturing by extending my left arm and pointing, "Move that one over a little bit"
Daughter(s), "Here?"
Me (now Papa), "No, to the left and up"
Daughter(s), "Here?"
Papa, "Over. Over some more. That branch right there. No, not that one. One down. Over. Over. Up. Nope, next one. That one. Perfect."
Repeat 12 times.
Ain't getting old a kick in the pants?
Second showing of the Wizard is almost done, so I shall follow suit and be almost done as well.
I'll leave you with this...
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne.
...whatever the hell that means....
