In 1980, singer Eddie Rabbitt had quite a few country cross-over hits. One of them was Drivin’ My Life Away. One of my favorite lines in that song is:
“Those windshield wipers slappin’ out a tempo, Keepin’ perfect rhythm with the song on the radio, But I got to keep rollin’“
In all the years I have been driving, I’ve never really experienced such a phenomena. I spend a lot of time on the road. Weather conditions often require the windshield wipers to be on during my drive. Sure, every now and then the tempo of a song and the wipers have been close – but never in synch with each other. If it had, I never really noticed. Finally, tonight it happened!
The drive in was absolutely awful. Temperatures were in the upper 20’s. North of us, they were getting hit with snow. Near me, it was freezing rain and drizzle. The roads were icy and I knew I’d have to leave earlier than normal. As I headed out, those icy conditions were very apparent.
The freezing rain, drizzle, and rain continued all the way to work. I had to have the heat blowing on the windshield the entire way in because if I didn’t it was freezing to it. I also had to bump the wiper speed from “intermittent” to “low” to keep a clear view. Because of this, everything fell “in synch.”
I had finished listening to a book on tape, and switched over to Sirius XM Symphony Hall in hopes that some classical music would keep me calm and focused on the drive in. They were playing a symphony or a sonata from Joseph Haydn. I don’t know that I ever heard it before. I can’t recall the name of it. It was either in 6/8 or 3/4 time. It was almost “waltz” sounding.
As I listened to the wipers slapping back and forth against the ice and rain, I noticed it had a “1-2-3, 1-2-3” feel to it. The first beat as the wiper raised, the second as it reached the top, and the third as it rested back at the bottom. It then became very clear as I listened to the wipers that the Haydn piece was totally in synch with them. It is the silliest thing, but I actually got excited and even more into the piece! Immediately, the words of Eddie Rabbitt came to mind.
I drove and listened to the remainder of this song in perfect time with my windshield wipers and the whole time I was giddy as a kid in a candy store. Ridiculous, right? Maybe, but sometimes you need something so silly and so simple to put you in a good mood.
Today’s blog stems from a Daily Writing Prompt and something my oldest son told me over the weekend. My sons and my ex are moving into a new place. It has a basement and my son was excited because he and his brother were told that they could make it into their very own man cave. The prompt that was in my email today reads, “If money were not an object, and you could build your own man cave, what would it contain?”
Oh, The Possibilities!
As I contemplated this, my first thought was, “I’m gonna need a big space!” I’ve read articles on the internet about “Great Man Caves” and also seen some of those home improvement shows where the builders give the guy a man cave. I admit some of my ideas are stolen from those, but many are just things that I would love to have.
A Good Sound System
This is a MUST! It would be something that I where could incorporate audio and video. I’d want to be able to play vinyl records, CD’s, cassettes, reel to real and digital audio through it. With the video aspect, I’d want to be able to watch stuff on live TV, streaming, and of course DVD/Blue Ray.
I love the idea of a home theater with comfy chairs, maybe recliners, and stadium-type seating.
While I don’t do a whole lot of drinking anymore, the above photo suggests that a bar with bar stools would certainly look cool.
I’ve always loved playing pool, even though I was never very good at it. I think a nice pool table would have to be a part of the design. One photo I stumbled on also had a golf simulator in it! This would be excellent! I don’t get out on the course enough, and during the Michigan winters, I could just tee off in the man cave!
Speaking of golf, the only golfing I am doing lately is on the Xbox. I usually shoot a round before I turn in for the night. That being said, having a gaming area would be neat to have. If money was not an object, I could buy every system and people could play whatever system they wanted to.
I’d also like a way to be able to switch whatever system I am playing onto the main TV and sound through the sound system!
If I had my own man cave, I’d have to invite the gang over to play pinochle or poker. I’d want to have a good card table to do that.
I’d have to have something on the walls – maybe some framed Detroit sports jerseys?
Or some movie posters?
Or maybe a display of various action figures?
Pinball games or arcade games are also a possibility
Now that I think about it, if I have the space, having a bowling alley in my man cave would be pretty cool too!
Speaking of bowling, there was something else we used to do at the bowling alley. After we were done for the day, we would all head into the bar area and play shuffle board. I was never any good at it, but it was certainly a lot of fun to play. A shuffle board game would also be great to add.
The above picture has another cool idea – a train that runs above the space! That Railroad Crossing sign is pretty sweet, too!
Somewhere in the man cave, I would like to have three private areas – first a restroom. It’s important to have one of those readily available. I’m sure it would have a theme – classic movies, classic comedy, or just something “manly”
Second, I would like an office area. It could be somewhere I could work, read or just relax.
Finally, I would love to have a private recording studio. With it I could do voice over work. I’d still love to do commercials, or maybe narrate an audio book, do a podcast, and it has always been a dream to have a home studio.
A personal space – a man cave – is nice to think about. Perhaps one day ….
I’m finally getting back into a normal routine again. Last week I had a couple nights off work for Ella’s birthday and all the days have been running together. Here are a few things I neglected to post about over the past couple days.
PAP for the Little Man
Last Wednesday, Andrew was back at the sleep lab. He has apnea and he was back to try CPAP. I can tell you it is difficult to get some adults to use CPAP, let alone a 15 month old child. My wife and I expected a night of hell! At first, it looked like that was going to be the way it was going to go. There aren’t many pediatric CPAP masks, and the one he started with seemed to really be bugging him. We collectively decided to try the only other mask we knew of, and it worked like a charm. He went right to sleep with the new mask and slept through the night.
We got the call today that his machine and mask will be ready on Friday. The doctors hope that he will only have to wear it for a few months. Fingers crossed.
Fruity Call
My best friend Jeff came over the other day. Sam and Andrew were both sleeping. Ella gets excited whenever folks come over. So she’s running around, hopping and hollering. Sam woke up for work and comes out and joins the conversation.
As we are talking, Ella grabs this toy banana, puts it to her ear and begins yelling, “Hello!? Hello?! I can’t hear you! I’ve got a banana in my ear!”
She repeats this over and over and each time she laughs harder at her joke!
No idea whether she heard this somewhere or she made it up, but it made us all chuckle!! She’s my little comedian!!
What Football Game!?
It’s funny. For years I always had a Super Bowl party to go to. Over the past couple years, I just watched it from home. Over the past few days, anyone I have talked to asked if I watched the game on Sunday. “No.” I had to reply. You see, when you have a three year old, you basically watch what she wants or you suffer with a melt down.
No. I did not see the game. However, I did get a couple hours getting to know Gabby and her dollhouse!
It’s time for another edition of Turntable Talk with Dave from A Sound Day. He continues to come up with interesting musical topics for his circle of “melodic” blogger friends. When he emailed each of us, he mentioned reading a book about a cafe’ where you could time travel (with restrictions). That got him to thinking about “how it would be cool to go back and see some historic concerts. So the next topic is … A Really Big Show ! If you could safely go back in time and move about for one day, what one concert or live performance would you choose to go to?“
There are so many great concerts I could choose from. I thought about the Beatles at Shea Stadium, Buddy Holly’s last concert, Elvis’ Aloha From Hawaii, Woodstock, Queen at Live Aid, just to name a few. I decided to go with a concert I have heard, but would have loved to experience it live.
November 26, 1962. Villa Venice, Chicago. Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr.
A friend of mine knew that I was a Dean Martin fan and worked at a record store. He called me and told me he had an amazing CD set for me. At that time, I had heard plenty of Dean Martin recordings, but never a live one (and certainly not one with Frank and Sammy, too)! I can’t even begin to tell you what a thrill it was to hear the Rat Pack in their prime having a blast on stage together!
The concert itself starts with Dean warbling, “Drink to me only … that’s all I axe ….(correcting himself) ask. And I will drink to you.” The band begins to vamp an intro over and over. My first listen I wondered what was going on. What’s with the vamping? Then Dean says in all seriousness (and in character), “How long I been on?” Hilarious. After his first number (a parody medley of When You’re Smiling and The Lady is a Tramp), he does 5 minutes of comedy and I was belly laughing.
After Dean’s set, Frank comes on and does his set. He comes out swinging and sings a few tunes, then does a brief comedy set and wraps with more songs. Sammy comes out last and while he is on stage Dean and Frank are heckling him from back stage. It was evident just how much they loved hanging out together and how much fun they were having.
At some point in Sammy’s set, Dean and Frank come out and the three of them joke and sing and laugh. I know that for the most part the show is scripted, but as you listen, it sounds completely spontaneous and you are left to wonder what was ad-libbed and what was written.
The show is an absolute joy to listen to! The Chicago Tribune said Frank, Dean and Sammy, “croon, carol, caper and clown to the biggest cabaret audiences this town has seen in years.” I doubt they could get away with some of the stuff said on stage today, but it is a wonderful piece of entertainment history.
What I didn’t know was the circumstances of the show itself. The Villa Venice was an ailing nightclub where mafioso Sam Giancana had a piece of the action. The Villa Venice had been tricked out in a style imported from Las Vegas. Giancana reportedly spent upward of $250,000 to restore it and its canals plied by gondolas. The showroom seated 800, was furnished with satin ceilings, tapestries, and statuesque, lightly clothed showgirls. Nearby was the ultimate accouterment of a Vegas-like operation: a gambling casino in a Quonset hut a few blocks from the Villa. High rollers were whisked between the supper club and the dice and roulette tables in a shuttle.
The Chicago Tribune said, “Shortly before the Sinatra show closed, the casino shut down under belated pressure from law enforcement authorities who told the Tribune that the gambling operation had grossed $200,000 in two weeks. That threw a monkey wrench into Giancana’s business plan, which depended on recouping his investment by attracting gamblers with a parade of big-name acts. But how could he hope to book stars like Sinatra and his buddies into a scarcely known venue in the hinterlands of Chicago? What kind of money did he dangle in front of them? Wondering if there might have been a nonmonetary enticement, the FBI interviewed the Rat Pack during their engagement. Perhaps the feds took a clue from Dean Martin’s rewording of the old standard “The Lady is a Tramp“:
I love Chicago, it’s carefree and gay
I’d even work here without any pay.“
The Rat Pack’s Villa Venice appearances were wildly successful, as the Tribune reported: “It is now estimated that the total Villa loot for the seven-day Sinatra-Martin-Davis run will hit $275,000 to $300,000, a new night club record.”
Apparently, the Villa Venice never again hosted big-name stars after the Rat Pack shows. It continued operating thereafter as a catering hall, with a new management taking over in 1965. Two years later, it was destroyed by a spectacular, and mysterious, fire. The spot is now a Hilton hotel.
I have seen plenty of footage of Dean, Frank, and Sammy performing on various TV shows and in documentaries. I can only imagine just how amazing it would be to see their show live and in person. Each one of them was a talent in their own right and their solo shows would be a must see, but to have them all together on one stage – wow!
The CD’s of the show are available online if you search for them and are worth the money!
Thanks again to Dave for allowing me to take part in this feature. I cannot wait to see what the other participants are going to write about. I’m already looking forward to the next topic!
Di over at Share Your World posted some questions today that I thought were fun. A few bloggers I follow answered these, too. Here are my answers:
If you could rename yourself, what name would you choose and why?
I’ve always been fascinated with a good name. Even more so with a funny name. One time, my morning show partner pranked some guy saying his name was “Michael McClingling.” That still cracks me up.
I’m pretty happy with my name, but if I had to come up with something, I’d probably steal something from the kid’s show Bluey. In it, Bandit pretends to be “Romeo McFlourish!” I love that!
If you were tasked with naming a new star, what would you name it and why?
I always wondered how folks were always able to be creative with naming stars or street signs. There are just so many. Obviously, many stars remain unnamed because they have those commercials for naming stars after yourself or a loved one.
My first thought would be to name it something silly, like something out of Monty Python. You know, like, “Tarquin Fin-Tim-Lim-Bim-Lim-Bin-Bim-Bus Stop F’tang F’tang Ole Biscuit Barrel.”. Then I just decided on “Joe Crawley.” (Those who know, know why.)
If you were a story/comic book hero, what would your name be and why?
Do I get super powers? I mean, that would play into the name, wouldn’t it? Electro-dude, Speed Demon, etc…
I don’t know, how about The Italian Falcon? Why? It flows off the tongue…
If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?
Based on experience, probably cats. I mean, really, they can be jerks!
I recently finished The Nazi Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch. It is the third “conspiracy” book that they have written together. The first was The First Conspiracy (about a plot to kill George Washington) and the second was The Lincoln Conspiracy (about a plot to kill Abraham Lincoln – long before he was assassinated).
The book is a must read for anyone who is into history, especially World War 2. Did you know there was a plot to kill FDR, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin when they all met together for their well known conference? I didn’t. It is a fascinating read.
Meltzer and Mensch do a great job in presenting the events that led up to the “Big Three” getting together. I’ve read a lot about WWII, but there was a lot I was unaware of. I had no idea just how many casualties that Russia suffered. I didn’t realize just how much we helped them with weapons and tanks.
You really get a fantastic pictures of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. You sense the tensions and the urgencies. You also feel the frustration and caution each men felt toward one another.
You will read about many of the familiar names associated with the war, but there are plenty of names and people you don’t know. Their roles and their work were key to bother the Allies and the enemy.
Can you imagine what could have happened if the Germans were able to assassinate one or all three of the Ally leaders? I’d rather not think of it.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historic non-fiction. Have you read it? If so, I’d love your thoughts.
Yesterday, Ella celebrated her 3rd birthday. It was a pretty busy day!
She woke up and had a breakfast picnic. Her choice of breakfast food? A grilled cheese sandwich!
After I got home from a dentist appointment (that I should have cancelled), we piled in the car and we took a trip up to the Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum in Saginaw. We have a membership there and the kids always have a blast!
They have a water area like the Sloan Museum, but its a bit smaller. The kids still love to play there. They also have slides, a fake doctor and dentist office, a barn, lots of fake cars, and other neat science-type stuff.
The thing behind Ella is a wall of marbles. Both kids love it.
Not sure Andrew knew what this mirror was all about.
One of many cars the kids can play on. One of them sits next to a bank drive thru teller!
These floating balls are always fun to watch.
We went home and Ella got to pick what she wanted for lunch. We got dinosaur chicken nuggets and French fries and again, had a picnic before nap time. I think she was too excited about her birthday to nap, so her and I played out in the living room.
She is all about Disney Princesses, so we decorated in that theme.
She even had a princess cake!
Big brother Dante’ came over to have dinner (Pizza) and cake with us. Dimitri was not feeling well, so he stayed home. We all sang “Happy Birthday” and she made her wish and blew out the candles.
One of her presents was nail polish. Each bottle had a different Disney princess on it. The color of the polish matched the dress color of the princess. Well, we just HAD to have a spa day …
Mommy got her nails painted all one color. Daddy, on the other hand, got a different color for each nail!!
Dante’ left before he had to sit in the chair!
It was certainly a fun day for her and for us!
You may recall that we had some 3rd birthday pictures done. They came out so good! Beth, our photographer, always seems to catch the best pictures, even when the subject (Ella) won’t sit still!
This is the dress that Ella picked out for her pictures. This is one of my favorites!
She wanted a picture in her “Belle” dress, which is the dress that she wore for Halloween when her and Andrew went out as Beauty and the Beast. She also had to have her Tiana stuffy that my brother sent her in the picture.
She LOVES these rain boots, and they really do go well with this dress. I love the look on her face in this picture. Probably our favorite picture from the session is just amazing. Beth asked Ella to jump up and down like she was splashing in puddles with her boots ….
This is PURE Ella! What a capture!!
While I still cannot believe she is three years old, I am glad to have a platform like this blog to write things down so that she can look back at them and read them in the future. She has provided us with three years of amazing memories!!
When I started my blog, I never really thought about having a contact email. People can send me a message through the form on the contact page. I rarely check that, as there is usually spam.
I know you can pay for a WordPress email, but I really didn’t want to do that. I have been using my personal email for a few close blogger friends, and they can continue to use that. I decided to create an email for those who might want to reach out to me.
For those who may want to converse with me outside of the comment sections of my blogs – feel free to reach out to my Yahoo email address:
nostalgicitalian@yahoo.com
Now I just gotta figure out how to get this on my Contact page … Lol
My sweet baby girl is 3 today. I am overwhelmed with emotions as I try to wrap my head around it.
Ella – you will never be able to comprehend the love that daddy feels for you. You fill my days with purpose, laughter, and love. Watching you grow up has been such fun.
You have gone from babbling to elaborate sentences and stories. Your beauty has only become more beautiful. Those giggles have grown into big belly laughs. Your tiny voice has become a loud and marvelous musical instrument.
I love when you want a “Daddy/Ella Day!” Your snuggles will forever warm my heart. I will never tire of you asking me to sing you a song. I love when we get to sit together and “play princesses!” I always look forward to neighborhood walks and visits to Louie and Melody (our puppy friends). And even when you want me to read a book “again” (which sometimes means 12 times), I will gladly sit and read with you.
You have taken your role as big sister and been awesome. Your compassion and kindness to your brother melts my heart. I know that even though you both may get on each other’s nerves a lot, you will have a special and wonderful relationship.
When I look at your face, I see such a tender soul. I see beauty. I see your mommy. You are such an amazing little girl! You are so smart and I will forever shout, “Look out world, here comes Ella!” Because I know you are going to do extraordinary things!!!
You are so special to mommy and me. I love you today, more tomorrow and you will always be daddy’s little girl.
Every once in a while, I just have to share a story in my blog so that I can go back and read it later and laugh.
Ella LOVES to sing. She has quite the catalog of songs that she knows. It is not rare for her to lay down for bed at naptime or bedtime and just bellow out songs at the top of her lungs.
So this evening before work, Sam told me to run to McDonald’s to grab dinner for the kids. Ella and Andrew were in the back of the car as we are driving home, Ella starts singing “Old MacDonald.” I decided to join in – sort of.
Ella (singing): Old MacDonald had a farm. E-I-E-I-O. And on his farm he had a cow. E-I-E-
Me (interrupting) “Moo!”
Ella: Daddy! Don’t make cow sounds!
Me: Oh. Sorry.
Ella (singing): Old MacDonald had a farm. E-I-E-I-O. And on his farm he had a cow. E-I-E-
Me (interrupting, again) “Moo!”
Ella: Daddy! Stop making cow sounds!
Me: “Baa!”
Ella: Daddy. There’s a cow – not a sheep. Please don’t make sheep sounds.
Me: “Moo! Baa! Bawk!”
Ella (half giggling): Daddy. Don’t make cow sounds. Don’t make sheep sounds. Don’t make ANY animal sounds!
Me: Old MacDonald had a farm ….
Ella: Daddy!
Me: (SILENCE)
Ella: Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun …..
I swear, She cracks me up so much!!!
We got a little sneak peak at her Third Birthday Photo shoot today, as the photographer posted one on Facebook. She sure is “Pretty in Pink”
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 