You never know what you are gonna find in your work e-mail. I have a fine example of that for you.
An e-mail came out informing us that there was a “Snoopy” coloring book in our break room. Crayons were provided (in packages of 4 – Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow) and we were asked to each color a picture for a chance at a prize.
Before the e-mail came out, I saw the coloring book and someone had made the comment that coloring relieves stress. Me, being the jokester that I am, ripped out a page and colored it. I then posted it on the bulletin board in our tech room.
Of course, I signed it like a 4 year old!
When our day tech came in, she chuckled and said she liked my work. Next thing I know, the e-mail comes out about coloring a page. What I didn’t know was that the above picture was then taken from our tech room and hung in the staff kitchen with all of the other pages (which were colored very nicely).
I would think that the folks I work with know that I was being silly. If not, my argument is this: They say to “think outside the box” and I say “Sometimes, you gotta color outside the lines!”
This blog’s title is the only way I can think of describing what I have to say is the funniest thing I have watched in a VERY long time! Before I go on, I need to acknowledge and thank Lisa at Boondock Ramblings and Erin at Cracker Crumb Life for leading me to discovering what I am about to write about.
Both of these bloggers are doing a weekly series entitled “Tis the Season Cinema. Each week they are reviewing a holiday movie or special. As a fan of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, when I saw they were reviewing “A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong” I had to read about it.
The 2017 production is done by the Mischief Theatre, a comedy troupe I have never heard of. They had a show on the BBC called The Goes Wrong Show in which the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society puts on a weekly play. As the play is presented in front of a live audience, whatever can go wrong – does! It is sheer silliness and I laughed like I haven’t laughed in a long time!
I watched this before I went and watched episodes of the show. It is something you can watch and not worry about having seen anything prior. One source describes the episode this way:
Blacklisted by the BBC after ruining Peter Pan, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society do not take their ban lying down and force themselves back on the BBC by hijacking the jewel of the Christmas schedule, a live production of A Christmas Carol, staged by a professional cast. As the Cornley gang try to make the show work on television, they soon realize they are completely out of their depth, with no idea how to direct a live studio or handle the special effects. Worse still, their internal rivalries are revealed on television, while an angry professional cast tries to get back into the studio.
You can watch A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong on YouTube for Free (with ads) here:
After watching this, I had to see more. I believe Lisa from Boondock Ramblings mentioned that they did a series called The Goes Wrong Show and I searched for it on YouTube. I was able to watch the entire first season (like 6 or 7 episodes) for free. I again found myself laughing hysterically. It had all the silly situations from Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the fantastic site gags and dialogue from Airplane.
The cast is simply amazing. The fact that they can keep a straight face amid all the chaos is truly something worth seeing. I can’t recommend this highly enough. Do yourself a favor – check this gang out – and enjoy some laughs!
After Thoughts
My brother watches a lot of British shows. So I asked him if he had ever seen it before. He replied that he had and that he loved it. He also stated that he has watched the shows more than once. Shame on him for not telling me about this sooner!
Johnny Molson, a buddy of mine from radio, often appears in plays in the Springfield, Illinois area. He recently performed in The Play That Goes Wrong. He promoted it on his Facebook page and I remember thinking how cool it would be to see him in the play. I had NO idea that this play was actually written by some of the cast members of The Goes Wrong Show! It was a HUGE hit in London. From Wikipedia:
The Play That Goes Wrong is a 2012 play by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre Company. It won Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards. As of September 2021, the show has been running since 2012 in London; since 2014, the play has undertaken five tours of the UK.
This only makes me wish I had been able to see Johnny in this play even more.
Perhaps it will make the rounds again somewhere close by. Until then, I will watch what I can on the internet or streaming. There is a Peter Pan episode I have yet to see. Maybe I will review that for you at a later date.
It’s time for another Friday Photo Flashback. Once again, today’s installment was prompted by something I noticed on Facebook.
Many of my friends are posting their child’s Senior pictures. Back in the day, you went to a studio and they took your yearbook headshot and a few other forced poses. Today, many opt to go to professional photo studios and have them done outside of the studio. I’ve seen some amazing photos of seniors in a variety of places. Some were on a baseball field, others in the bowling alley, and many outside with fall colors as a background. Then there were others that were taken outside old buildings that had graffiti on the walls, or next to classic cars. There is certainly more variety today!!
Today, you get a few photos. First, the one that I found recently of my mom. This was her high school Senior picture.
This would have been 1966, if I remember correctly. She looks absolutely beautiful in this photo. Before her cancer and all that chemo and radiation, she has such beautiful hair. She always had it done up in some way. Her smile is so subtle in the picture. The thing that gets me, though, are her eyes. Those eyes – there is so much love in them.
Giving equal time to my day, I was able to find one of his Senior picture.
I love that he is in his cap and gown here. He had completed all the requirements for graduation and opted to graduate in January of 1964 instead of waiting and graduating in June with the rest of his class. The photo is in black and white, but I can’t help but wonder what the school colors were. I wonder about it because of the mortarboard. That dark band at the bottom could have been black or blue and the rest of the cap grey or light blue. I don’t know. How can you not dig the skinny tie?
One thing is for sure, I got two things from dad: dark eyes and big eyebrows! You can see that in my Senior picture.
Urgh! The 80’s!! HUGE glasses, thick ties, sideburns, and an awful 70’s porn stache! You’ll have to take my word on the big eye brows, the big glasses are in the way in this picture. One thing I did like was the amount of hair I had back then. I am pretty sure the beginnings of the bald spot were visible at this time from the back, but thankfully not in this picture.
As an added bonus, I will add my baby brother’s Senior picture. Just three years later and he’s rocking one of my ties!
I’m not sure who wore the stache better, him or me. That tie, if I remember right was a real silk tie that my grandmother had bought for me one Christmas. I loved that tie, but one holiday I wound up dripping gravy or salad dressing on it – ruining it for good.
Upon closer examination, it looks like big eyebrows run in my family ….
We’ve had a few snow flurries in the area over the past few weeks, but nothing that actually stuck to the ground. I snapped the above picture along I-75 on my way home from work yesterday morning. I absolutely love when the snow coats the branches of the trees. It is just so beautiful.
When Ella woke up this morning, she looked out her window and saw the snow on the ground and immediately wanted to go outside and play! She loves to be outside! However, she had to wait a bit because Andrew had an appointment. I got the kids breakfast and packed up the diaper bag so that when Sam finished getting ready, they could get right out and on the road.
I was asleep when they got home, but before naptime the kids did get to go outside.
You wouldn’t know that Ella didn’t want to put her snow pants on by looking at this picture! She would have been more than happy to just go out with no coat on.
Andrew was still newborn last year, so he really didn’t get to go outside to play in the snow at all. This year, it’s a whole new experience for him. The snow made us aware that we need to get him some boots! He was fine running around in his shoes. Look at that smile!
I can only imagine how much fun we are going to have in the snow when there is more on the ground! You can see his hat didn’t last long.
I foresee lots of snow angels in the months ahead! I need to stop and get a new sled for us. I used to love when my dad would pull us around on the sled. There is a small hill close to our house that I want to take them to this year.
I suppose I’ll need to stock up on hot chocolate to warm up with after our Frosty Fun Play Days!
There is a thing that circulates on Facebook every so often that says, “Every thing I learned about Classical Music, I learned from Looney Tunes.” In a way, that is true for me (and a lot of people). Here is a link to an article from Classic FM:
I bring this up for a silly reason today. I was playing that crazy racing game Forza Horizon 5 the other day. In the game, there are different radio stations you can listen to. I usually have the classical music station on as I play the game. I think there are like 10 songs that rotate. Every time this one song would come on, I’d laugh because I’d think of cartoon trapeze artists. I bet without even hearing it, you know what song I am talking about!
In my 52 years, I never knew the name of it or who composed it. I know know. Forza Horizon 5 is set in Mexico, so it is only appropriate that the song was written by a Mexican composer by the name of Juventino Rosas. The waltz (in 3/4 time) is called Sobre las Olas or “Over the Waves.” It was first published in 1888!
The song has been recorded by Chet Atkins, The Beach Boys, Pete Fountain and Willie Nelson! It appeared in the 1943 Warner Brothers cartoon “An Itch in Time” and the 1950 Warner Brothers cartoon Canary Row. It appears with English lyrics (entitled “The Loveliest Night of the Year”) in the 1951 film “The Great Caruso.” It remains Rosas’ most popular piece of music.
Give it a listen here (the melody you will recognize begins 41 seconds into the song):
Please understand that this song by itself doesn’t make me laugh. I actually enjoy it. The reason it makes me laugh in the game is that it is usually playing while I am driving and crashing into mailboxes, running over gates, rear ending cars in my way, or watching my car go off a cliff or something.
Imagine that song playing while you are casually ripping up the roads at 307 miles per hour!!! Or even passing someone doing 131 miles per hour….
I’m not sure why this makes me chuckle but it does. Now, take Gustov Holst’s piece from The Planets – Mars, The Bringer of War. This piece fits into those scenarios a bit better. There is a sense of urgency and suspense involved. In some racing events, it is a perfect background piece. Even better, there is one race that you are driving up a mountain to where there is a live volcano – talk about a perfect song!
As much of a stress reliever the game is for me, I love the fact that there is some great classical music in it to accompany the various races and tasks.
So let me change what I said earlier … “Every thing I learned about Classical Music, I learned from band class, Looney Tunes … and a video racing game!”
Those who have toddlers understand. I posted this on my Facebook page and thought it was funny enough to share here.
Ella is quite smart. She is in the terrible two stage right now. This means there is a whole lot of “I want it NOW!” and “No!”
That being said, bedtime, which used to be quite easy, has become more of a process. What follows is a rough estimate of what happened at bedtime last night.
From My Facebook Page:
(5:00pm) Sam puts Teletubbies on Netflix as a joke. Little did she know that both kids would LOVE it! (Urgh!!)
(5:30pm) Ella is hugging Sam before she leaves for work. “I’m tired. I wanna go sleepy”
(6:30pm) Kids are in pajamas and await video call from Mommy.
(6:55pm) Video chat with mommy. Both kids are fighting over who gets to hold the phone.
(7:15pm) Routine diaper check/change.
(7:30pm) I ask who/what Ella is taking to bed with her. (Usually it’s her princesses or books) “Nothing!” I ask if she is sure. “Yep. Nothing.”
(7:45pm) I tell her after we watch one more Teletubbies, it’s bedtime. “I’m not ready for bed, Daddy.”
(8:00pm) I say it’s time to brush teeth. “One more Teletubbies, Daddy. Then we brush teeth”
(8:15pm) Final diaper check/change. Time to brush teeth. I turn TV off and both kids rush to the bathroom. Teeth are brushed and we head to her room. I ask again if she is bringing anything to bed. “Nope. Just my blanket and Nini (pacifier).”
(8:17pm) We begin to say bedtime prayers, she interrupts. “Daddy, I need Rapunzel, Belle, and Cinderella! (Her Little People Princesses)
(8:18pm) We find the princesses she requested and head back to the bedroom. After getting under her blanket she says, “I need book Belle!” (The Belle from Little People is holding a book. Different from the Belle holding a flower!)
(8:19pm-8:20pm) Andrew and I walk out to the living room and look for “Book Belle” who was buried in a pile of toys.
(8:21pm) We return to Ella’s room. “You found her!”. We say prayers. “Say them again, Daddy.” I ad-lib a version of what I just said. “Amen.” She begs for me to say them again. I tell her God heard us the first two times and that it is time for bed.
(8:25 pm) I turn out the light and say goodnight. “Daddy, where is Tiana?” I ask if she wants the big Tiana (a stuffy) or the small Tiana (plastic bath toy). “Big Tiana”
(8:29pm) I return after a search of the living room with Tiana. “Oh thank you, Daddy!”
(8:31pm) After kissing her goodnight, I turn out the light and start to walk out. “Daddy, I need the white blankie on my pillow.”
(8:35pm) After adding the blankie to the top of her pillow and cover her back up. “Daddy, I want the Paw Patrol Blanket on, too.”
(8:37pm) Paw Patrol Blanket is now on. I say goodnight and close her bedroom door.
(8:45pm) Andrew falls asleep and I put him in his crib. I begin to write this post.
(8:50pm) Ella begins crying. I go in to see what’s wrong. “I need you to sing me a song, Daddy.”
(8:51pm) I sing “You Are My Sunshine” a couple times.
(8:53pm) “Sing me another song, Daddy.”. I sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. “Sing the ABC song, Daddy.”. I do.
(8:56pm) “Sing me one more song, Daddy.”. I choose Vieni Su, a Dean Martin song I used to sing to her as a baby. She obviously doesn’t remember it. I tell her I used to sing it to her. “I believe you, Daddy.
(9:01pm) One more kiss goodnight and I head back to my room to finish typing this! Whew!!
I saw a thing on Facebook that made me laugh. It said, “It only snows in November because people decorate early for Christmas.” Blame me if you wish, but we needed to brighten things up over this way!
There has been a lot going on in my life, some of which I have shared and some I have kept to myself. We’re all processing a variety of emotions. With the passing of my sister-in-law, there is an extra bit of sadness. Like the song says, “We need a little Christmas!” So we decided to put up the Christmas tree this weekend.
The older the kids get, the more fun this becomes. Andrew was just a couple months old last year, so he was especially excited to see the tree and the lights. He and Ella both “helped” handing me lights. They were both extra giddy.
I had the lights plugged in as I walked around the tree with them. That way I could make sure they were placed evenly and all areas has the proper amount of lights.
Andrew, as you know, is everywhere. He gets into everything! So we debated waiting until closer to Christmas to put ornaments on the tree. We also debated not putting any on at all. We did decide to put the tree topper on, and Andrew was the perfect helper!
My dad commented on a picture of the tree on Facebook. He said he was taking bets on who was going to know the tree down – Ella, Andrew, or the cat! For the record, the cat has yet to get near the tree, which is really odd.
We brought up the baby gate and set it around the tree. It’s the “look, but don’t touch” gate. The kids can still touch it, but the probability of the tree coming down is a lot less.
I decided that certain ornaments had to go up on the tree. As ridiculous as it looks, all the ornaments are on the tree from about a foot higher than the top of the baby gate and up to the top. In total, there are maybe 12-20 ornaments on there.
Every year, we got to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth to get an ornament that represents a big even from the year. We got one for our engagement, or marriage, the birth of both kids, etc. We went early this year and at the time, didn’t really have an “event” to get an ornament for. We opted instead for a plaque for the door with a snowman family on it.
When my sister-in-law, Grace, passed away I decided I was going to get Sam and her folks a memorial ornament for the tree. I had seen a few designs in the Bronner’s catalog, and chose this one.
I had hoped to save it until closer to Christmas to give it to Sam, but I can’t control my face. Let me explain.
I took the kids with me to Bronner’s on a day Sam was home sleeping. I kept the ornaments in my car so she wouldn’t see them. Then a day or two later, she was getting ready for work and said, “I was thinking about getting a Christmas ornament with Grace’s name on it for my mom.”
I must have stood there dumbfounded. My face obviously giving away that I had already done it. Instead of just saying, “That’s a great idea. We should do that.” I knew that she would just go and do it. So I walked out to the car and brought inside.
I’m glad it’s inside and I’m glad it is on the tree. Grace already has a special place in our hearts, and now she will have a special place on our tree every year.
If my tree being up brings snow your way, I’m sorry. We needed something help brighten the season, even if it is early.
Another thing I saw on Facebook this week said, “Don’t you just love it when the Christmas tree is the only light in the room?”
Yesterday was Veteran’s Day. Facebook will filled with photos and stories of men and women in uniform yesterday. It made me proud to know so many friends who served in the armed forced. At the same time, I was saddened to see photos of those who lost their lives while serving our country – grandfathers, fathers, uncles, brothers, and other relatives.
Yesterday was also Remembrance Day. I had forgotten that Remembrance Day also falls on November 11. It is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honor armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.
I was reminded of a musical story. It is sort of a “behind the music” sort of story and I hope it is ok to post this a day late.
This man is Frederick Joseph Ricketts. He wrote music under the name Kenneth J. Alford. (He wrote under this name because he was serving in the military and it was frowned upon to have a side job writing music!) He was considered by many to be the “British March King.” So, he was the John Phillip Sousa of Britain if you will. He was Bandmaster in the British Army and the Director of Music for the Royal Marines.
Admittedly, his most famous piece is the Colonel Bogey March. You may not know it by name, but I assure you that you will recognize the melody. Give it a listen:
Wikipedia says, “While there are several speculations of how the march was begun, the most accepted is probably from a note written by Ricketts’ widow to the publishers in 1958:
“While playing golf on the Fort George course, one of the members whistled the first two notes (B flat and G) instead of calling ‘Fore!’, and with impish spontaneity was answered by my husband with the next few notes. There was little sauntering—Moray Firth’s stiff breezes encouraged a good crisp stride. These little scraps of whistling appeared to ‘catch on’ with the golfers, and from that beginning the Quick March was built up”. Was the original whistler the colonel? We’ll probably never know for certain, but the title Colonel Bogey gives us a clue.
During World War 1, he wrote several marches which he dedicated to the fighting forces. Those marches included The Great Little Army, On the Quarter Deck, The Voice of the Guns, and a song that I remember playing in while in high school – The Vanished Army.
I remember before we began rehearsing this song, our band director (Tom Shaner) read us a story about the song. During the first few months of the war, the British Army saw the loss of 100,000 soldiers in combat. This was obviously quite a shock to them and the British public at the time. Ricketts wrote the song and dedicated it “to the first 100,000.” The song’s subtitle was “They Never Die.”
The song is a somber march, which is odd. Many marches are uptempo and bright. The Vanished Army is a march to remember those who lost their lives. The muted trumpet throughout was a very prominent thing. I don’t recall exactly what Mr. Shaner said, but he eluded to the fact that it represented the echoes of the troops that had vanished and represented their bravery and heroism.
Almost every video I found on YouTube of the song was done a little faster than “march tempo” or about 120 beats a minute. I recall playing it just a tad slower, which made it sound a bit more poignant and stately. The following version is about as close to the tempo we played it. While somber, there are still many “march” qualities to the song.
Frederick Ricketts joined the military in 1895. He became well-known and well-liked as leader of the Band of the Royal Marines. He retired from the Royal Marines on June 1, 1944 because of ill health and died at his home in Reigate, Surrey, on May 15, 1945. He had given almost 50 years of distinguished service to the Crown.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 