Turkey Day

Thanksgiving came and went. First time in 60 plus years I had it alone. Do not feel bad for me. I enjoyed it. Me and the Dogs had Chinese take out.  Chicken fried rice and sweet and sour chicken and the cats also shared in the feast. The turtles they are more into goldfish. In 2007 I was in Oahu on vacation with the wife and friends. We were doing the tourist thing going to the 7 or sacred falls (Tiffany you might know that one better than me), then a little wine tasting and a tour of the back Island. Carla and Louis were with us and we were leaving the falls area. Carla was in front Jennifer was behind her both were wearing white pants on this fine morning. Louis was behind the girls when it happened. I had just stopped filming the falls when I heard Carla scream, as I turned to see what was happening. Carla started to slip. Jennifer tried to grab her and Louis he started to grab them both and realized he would be in the same situation so he let go and down went Carla and Jennifer covered in mud and water.  I started to laugh so hard I was crying. It looked like something from a cartoon show only in slow motion. Both Carla and Jennifer had a look of this really did not happen as water and mud was all over their hair, face and clothes. For the remainder of the tour, the bus driver kept asking how long have you been married? Carla and Jennifer could not believe I would laugh this hard. The people on the tour could not help but laugh because I could not stop. And the looks Jennifer and Carla would give me made me laugh even more. After a few hours they were laughing about it. To this day Carla says Ay Condie.

What will I write on this piece of paper?

I have written about music. I have written about the class. I have written about me. What is next? How about my Kids? I have 4 grown up kids. The eldest is Kristin lives  in Idaho married with one son. She got her Bachelors degree from San Diego State in Business. First one in the family to do that. Very proud of her accomplishments. Kristin works for Red Fin Real Estate and has been the number one sales person in the state. The Eldest son is in Kansas just got his Bachelors degree in History this year. He is now working towards his Masters starting next semester in the same field. He wants to be a historian in the museums. He works full time at Krogers in Kansas.Very proud of his accomplishments. The middle son just got out of the Marines after 4 years. Jonathan is living in Oregon. He is working full time and is working on school for IT classes. Very proud of his duty to our country and his accomplishments to date. Last but not least is the youngest Joseph or Joey as we call him. He lives with his girlfriend in San Diego. We rarely see eye to eye. Down inside he is the person who will give you the shirt off his back if he knows it will make a difference for you. He and I had many adventures when he was young and hopefully he will remember them. The one that comes to mind is when he was about 13 he was all over me about teaching him to drive. We lived in Shelter Valley in California. At the time his mom was real sick and recovering. So I decided it was early afternoon beautiful cool day let's take the dogs and go driving out in the desert hills. We went in the Suburban not a 4WD and Joey was having a great time so were the dogs. We were about 5 miles off the main road and we had been out for almost 3.5 hours I said lets start back. So I told Joey pull up ahead and I will take over and turn us around so we could head back. Joey stopped up ahead and we switched seats and I started to turn the vehicle to turn around. What I did not know across from us was very soft sand and the weight of the suburban would cause us issues. When I turned the vehicle all of a sudden the passenger side went down into the sand well above the wheel and axle. Joseph asked Dad what are we going to do? We were at least 5 miles in and daylight was fading as we were in fall. I said Joey we cant hike out it is going to get dark quickly and too many dogs and I only brought a couple of leashes. When it gets dark someone will come looking for us. The way the vehicle was sitting we were against a mountain so when I would flash my lights no one could see us. We would let the dogs go to the bathroom every couple of hours but we had coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions everywhere. We would often see mountain lions and bobcats and the coyotes they were not afraid of us. The cell phones were no help no signal. About 9pm a storm came in with rain and wind and everything else doing us no good for the vehicle I was kinda hoping for a flash flood as that might free us from the sand. All this time I could see the road from where we were they could not see us because of the hills, but we could see search vehicles and CHP vehicles go up the different trails. It was 11:45 pm almost 12 hours later from the start of this adventure that a CHP officer pulled up behind me and said your wife sends you her greetings. He said lets get you out of here and we will worry about the vehicle tomorrow. I said no can you please use your winch to pull me out. He said it will rip your bumper right off I told him I was willing to take that chance and would not hold him responsible. He agreed so in the rain we hooked it up and he said whatever you do not stop or slow down. Well, long story short we got home around 2 in the morning and my wife was like what in the heck happened? We told her and she just laughed. What an adventure.  Joey said mom it was dads fault if he had let me turn the vehicle around this would not have happened. Go figure.

4th Quarter Dash

For most of us, this upcoming time of the year is the most Wonderful Time Of The Year (no pun intended). For me I ran stores for over 30+ years. September - December was the 4th quarter and I was the quarterback and we would always score and win.  Most years the holidays were spent at the store while the kids and wife would do most of the shopping and I would be working. It was not till mid 2000's  that I really got a break from it and started my own businesses and had normal holiday celebrations. Notice I don't say Thanksgiving or Christmas because in retail we had to be wary about what everyone celebrated. Especially employees. For those of you that do not know in the 80's cabbage patch dolls were the rage and saw people push people to the ground or fight someone to get the last doll. Since my store was right next to Los Angeles International Airport I would get stars or sports figures who would call or come to the store to see if I could get them a doll or iPod. it was crazy! I can honestly tell you I don't miss the black Friday sales or the after Holiday's sales I have seen it all. What I can say is it is fun for me to watch people and see the smiles on the kids.  Families laughing and having a good time. I can also take pleasure in walking into a store and seeing that some other poor fool is in his/her fourth quarter and they are trying to score. That puts a smile on my face.

Lyrics Are Powerful

This is the time of the year that I reflect on my past good or bad.  As most of you know music is my forte. Play it, listen to it, maybe work on something new. I heard a song today on my Ipod which has over 5000 songs on it. I never listen to the radio. Had not heard this song in some time and it made me think about life. Why I like the song is the reflection the person has of the past. If anyone has a song that fits your life share it. I have plenty of others that are more cheerful dare I say. This was recorded in the late 60's early 70's by Roy Clark. Many Artist have recorded the song over the years l like this version the best.  Keep in mind I played hard rock music Kiss style, Prince style and this is what I relax to. Go figure. 

Seems the love I've known has always been
The most destructive kind
Yes, that's why now I feel so old
Before my time.

Yesterday when I was young
The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue.
I teased at life as if it were a foolish game,
The way the evening breeze may tease a candle flame.
The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned
I'd always built to last on weak and shifting sand.
I lived by night and shunned the naked light of the day
And only now I see how the years ran away.

Yesterday when I was young
So many happy songs were waiting to be sung,
So many wild pleasures lay in store for me
And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see.
I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out,
I never stopped to think what life was all about
And every conversation I can now recall
Concerned itself with me and nothing else at all.

--- Instrumental ---

Yesterday the moon was blue
And every crazy day brought something new to do.
I used my magic age as if it were a wand
And never saw the waste and emptiness beyond.
The game of love I played with arrogance and pride
And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died.
The friends I made all seemed somehow to drift away
And only I am left on stage to end the play.

There are so many songs in me that won't be sung,
I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue.
The time has come for me to pay for
Yesterday when I was young...