16 years ago today, the Detroit Lions made history. Believe me, it is nothing to be proud of. It is a day that fans would rather forget. As a matter of fact, it is an entire season we’d like to forget. On December 28, 2008 the Lions lost to the Green Bay Packers to go 0-16 on the season. This made them the first team in NFL history to do so.
On the team roster that year was a young fella by the name of Dan Campbell.
One can only imagine what the members of the team felt after each game and after the season was over. Utter defeat? Shame? Embarrassment? A combination of all of those? It is hard to say. I would imagine that it is something they never will forget. I know that when I think back to certain things in my life, I get sick to my stomach remembering them. Maybe they do, too?
What I do know is that young man would return to Detroit in 2021 as the new head coach of the Lions. He knew all too well what this town longed for. He had a vision to take the Lions and turn them around. He has certainly done that. He has a way of motivating this team to go out and win. There is a whole new fight to this team and I am loving every minute of it!
In 2008, the Lions made history for going 0-16. The Lions have made history in 2024 in many other ways:
13 wins (to date) – the most in franchise history.
493 points scored this season (to date) – a franchise record
Amon-Ra St. Brown – first player in franchise history to record 100+ receptions and 10+ receiving touchdowns in consecutive seasons
Jared Goff – first QB in NFL history to complete at least 5 passes to 6 different receivers in a game
Jared Goff – first player in NFL history with 275+ passing yards, 2 TD passes, and a passer rating of 135+ in 5 games within a single season
What an amazing year! I am sure that there are plenty other stats I could post, too.
Keep up the great work, team! We are rooting for you! Go Lions!
I’m not sure if I’ve ever posted this photo with me and Santa. According to my dad’s caption, I’m about 2 years old here.
There are a couple bonuses here. First, I am not crying. I do look terrified, but after all, it is Santa. I am also not wearing loud paisley print pants. I’m not sure corduroy is any better, but I’m told it was “in.”
All I see when I look at myself is big ears and big eyebrows. Lol.
I picked this picture because when my boys were over Christmas Eve, it came up as a Facebook memory. My middle boy was like “Who is that?!”. He couldn’t believe it was me!!
He kept staring at it. I told him to look at the eyebrows – those haven’t changed in years!!
He’s still not sure….
I’m sad we didn’t get to take the kids to get their picture with Santa this year. Things were just so busy.
I truly hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday! I’m a bit late getting my update written, so please forgive me. It has been a busy, yet relaxing few days.
On Monday, we got quite a wintery mix of weather. The day started with rain and freezing rain. It eventually changed to snow. As the temperatures dropped, the accidents were piling up. All throughout the day, there were messages on social media and on the news about the roads being icy.
Sam had to work Monday, so I was worried about her driving. She promised that if the roads were too bad, that she would turn around and call in. The weather wasn’t a surprise, and the main roads were salted pretty good, so her drive was not too bad. The drive home was a bit trickier, but she made it home ok.
Christmas Eve morning I knew I had to get out and clear the driveway. My sons were planning on coming over and I wanted to be sure it was clean. Ella and Andrew, who have been in the house TOO long, wanted to go outside with me. They ran around the yard, made some snow angels, played tag, and enjoyed the snow. Despite me telling them that it was not “scooter weather,” they played with them anyway!
The boys arrived about noon. They brought pizza and we all had lunch together. When they walked in, each of the two little ones ran to one of the older ones and hugged them. My second oldest was caught off guard by this. All I could say was, “They miss you, obviously.”
It was a nice time catching up. Phone calls between us are often cut short, possibly because of “listening ears.” Texting is hit or miss, so to have them with me and in conversation was very nice. My oldest and I talked about his job and his girlfriend. He also told me of his plans to move in with a friend from work. My second oldest told me that he had a girlfriend, too. He showed me a picture of them from when they went to the homecoming dance. My ex’s family had their holiday get together the previous weekend. Both boys were allowed to invite their girlfriends to the party. They both seem genuinely happy. This makes me happy.
They were able to stay for a couple hours, but my second oldest had to work that night. He works at a movie theater, and the holidays are always a busy time for them. I was glad that they were able to come over and spend time with me and their siblings. Of course, I am THAT dad who has to get a picture of all four of them together. You’re guess is as good as mine as to how many photos were snapped before getting one with all of them looking at me.
The little ones and I hung out for a bit as we waited for Sam to get up. We watched some Christmas cartoons and snuggled on the couch. Sam joined us in the living room and told us that her folks were coming by. They were going to drop off the kid’s Christmas gifts on their way to church.
I had to laugh because when they arrived, I went out to help bring stuff in. There were three boxes. I brought the first one in and set it on the floor. Ella was like, “Is this mine? Can I open it now? I wanna see what it is?” Sam’s folks weren’t even in the house yet and she was ready to rip off the paper!
Once every thing and everyone was inside, Ella was allowed to open her gift. It was a table top vanity. It came with fake cosmetics, but we didn’t know that. Sam bought some cheap – real – make up to go with it. This led to her giving everyone a makeover!
It was not exactly my shade of lipstick ….
She really loves it. I hope it is just a phase. She’s too young for makeup.
Andrew got something called Squigs. I guess they are toys that he uses at Physical/Occupational Therapy. He loves them. They have suction cups on them, and he can so all sorts of things with them
Nana and Pa couldn’t stay too long, because they had to get to church. Thankfully, they both made it out with out a makeover.
About 5:30, we grabbed out coats and hopped in the car. It was time for our yearly Christmas Eve tradition. We drove over to the county park where it was totally lit up for Christmas. For $10 a car, they have it set up so that you can drive through and see the lights. (During the holidays, they have a Christmas Train ride that we like to go on, but didn’t get the chance this year.) As you drive through the town, Christmas music plays and it is really beautiful.
They really do a nice job here. The old houses are even decorated in period decorations.
This tree always amazes me. The detail is brought out so well with these lights.
They have things like this at the Detroit Zoo, too. I wish we had been able to come up for the train ride and village walk. That way we could have gotten a picture in that ornament bulb.
By the time we got home, it was time to get ready for bed. The kids knew that their Elf on the Shelf was leaving with Santa that night. They loved seeing the craziness that she’d do every morning. They wanted a picture of her with them before bed. After hugs and kisses, they thanked Twinkles and told her they’d see her next year.
Andrew fell asleep pretty quickly. Ella, on the other hand, was talkative. Typical “night before Christmas” stuff. She is so sweet, though. As she turned over to close her eyes, she stopped and looked at me. She said, “Daddy, I really hope that Bubby (Andrew) doesn’t get coal from Santa. He doesn’t mean to be bad all the time.” I told her that he would probably be just fine. I made sure she was aware that Santa knew that he was good “most of the time.”
When the kids were asleep, Santa got to work. There were a few toys to put together, but nothing too complicated. I think the house was asleep by 11:00pm. That is always good, because you know how early so Christmas mornings can be!
Lucky for us, it was just after 8am when Ella burst into the bedroom and said, “It’s Christmas!!! Time to get up!!” If we hadn’t stopped her, she probably would have been out the door, into the living room and had all the presents unwrapped before we could put on our slippers! Andrew was still asleep, but once we told him that it was Christmas, he shot up and was ready to go.
They each got a Santa gift. Ella got a balance beam that she can practice on. Andrew got a Paw Patrol Big Wheel!
Andrew got new books, an explorer kit, Bluey toys, and a set of construction vehicles that you can put together and take apart.
Ella got some things for he Gabby’s Dollhouse, a Barbie changing room, Pocahontas pajamas, and a Tiana cookbook.
They had just the right amount of things to open. It wasn’t overly elaborate. There were not hundreds of gifts stuffed under the tree. It was simple and they were happy with everything!
Someone posted this on a Facebook page and I completely agree:
“I understand now. The Christmas magic I experienced as a child wasn’t about the decorations, the food or the gifts. It came from my parents and the effort they put in throughout the year to make the holiday special for me. I’ll always be grateful for that. Now, I have the privilege of sharing that same joy and magic with my own children.”
When everything was opened and the playing commenced, Sam was off to make her homemade cinnamon rolls. I made a pot of coffee, and called my brother. As we sat and enjoyed breakfast, I chuckled as Bitsy, our kitten, looked at the piles of wrapping paper and boxes. She would eventually make the boxes her new toys.
There were plenty of wonderful memories made this year. I will look back on them fondly. I’m already looking forward to next Christmas!
Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life. In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.
This particular year is posting on Christmas Day. I wasn’t sure about skipping it or moving it to another day, so here it is. That being said, Merry Christmas to you and yours!
In 2002, I turned 32 years old. I also became a father for the first time. It was a year of change to be sure. I was also a year of struggle, as I would be let go from my radio job shortly after my son was born. I was able to find another radio job, but the rate of pay was so much lower that I would have been better off on unemployment.
Music has always been a way for me to get through tough times. Here are my favorites from 2002:
In February of 2002, the world was introduced to the amazing Norah Jones. The album was Come Away With Me and it was something that really stood out amongst the rest of what was going on musically at the time.
According to Songfacts.com, Norah started performing this song with Jesse Harris (the write of the song) after moving to New York City. Harris “thought it was a good fit for a female voice. Jones changed the key to fit her voice, added a drum beat, then recorded a demo of the song with Harris in October 2000. That demo got the attention of the jazz label Blue Note, which signed Jones and sent her to the studio to record with a group of session musicians. The results were too convoluted, so Jones was assigned to a different producer, Arif Mardin, who had worked with many famous artists, including Aretha Franklin. He was brought in to capture Jones’ distinctive sound, which he did by keeping the original demo take and adding some guitar and a vocal harmony, making Jones harmonize with herself.”
Jesse Harris played guitar on the original demo, which ended up being used on the final recording. He almost stopped the take because he didn’t like the mix in his headphones. He kept going and was glad he did, since that was the keeper. Jones and her band were willing to do another take, but the engineer, Jay Newland, thought it was perfect and wouldn’t let them.
Songfacts says, “Grammy voters were enamored with Jones, nominating her in five categories, with “Don’t Know Why” up for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. After the nominations were announced, the album went to #1 in America, claiming the top spot on January 25, 2003, 11 months after it was released.
Jones cleaned up at the Grammys, winning all five awards she was nominated for, with Come Away With Me earning Album of the Year. Jones also won Best New Artist and performed “Don’t Know Why” on the show.”
It wasn’t long after this that I was watching Sesame Street with my son. Norah sang this with altered lyrics about the letter “Y.”
I Don’t Know Why
The Come Away With Me album is a rare massive seller with no big hits. The only song to land in the Hot 100 was “Don’t Know Why,” which made #30. “Come Away with Me” was the third single, released in December 2002 after the album had been out for nine months. By this time, it has already sold millions of copies, but many were just discovering it.
I love that these two songs really show off the unique voice of Norah Jones.
Come Away With Me
I don’t recall the first time I heard A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. It is entirely possible that it was years after it was released. I probably heard it for the first time when I was at the Adult Contemporary station I was working for.
I just know that I really liked it. I loved the melody and her voice. I had never seen the video before I watched it to post here.
Vanessa wrote the lyrics after coming up with the song’s piano riff in the summer of 1998 at her parents’ house in Philadelphia. She revealed in a documentary for Vice that she penned the words about a Juilliard student she had a crush on while studying at the School of American Ballet. However, her love was unrequited. “I would never talk to this person,” Carlton said. “I was very shy. I was like, ‘There’s just no way on God’s creation that this would ever happen.'”
She refused to reveal the subject’s name to Vice because he’s a “famous actor” now, apparently.
The song was used in the Shawn and Marlon Wayans movie “White Chicks.” When asked about the song being in the movie, Vanessa said, “I thought it was hilarious. Those guys are really nice, too. I ran into them backstage or something, and they asked me if they could use it. They’re like fans, they’re so cute. But the scene that was in was hilarious.”
A Thousand Miles
Brad Paisley was just coming on the scene when our station brought him to town for a show. He was friendly and a bit shy. When he hit the stage, he was a marvel to watch. I’d watched a lot of people play guitar, but I was in awe of his playing!
His second album, Part II, was released in 2001. One of the songs from it showcases Brad’s playful lyrics and sense of humor. I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishing Song) is about a wife who gives her man an ultimatum. He needs to pick between fishing and her. I would imagine this could be re-written as The Golf Song or The Hunting Song, too.
The video is something that takes the song up a notch. Songfacts, quotes Brad:
“I’ve always written with a little humor. Even my saddest songs have a little smile to them,” Paisley recalled in his spotlight interview during the 2018 Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. “So for the [‘I’m Gonna Miss Her’] music video, I pitched this whole idea: I said, ‘I’m gonna do a video that’s gonna take the song to whole other places.’ I was going to get Dan Patrick, who was at ESPN at the time, and have him officiate a fishing tournament. And then Jimmy Dickens was gonna be my fishing buddy. Then, we were going to end up on The Jerry Springer Show. The wives were going to be upset with us, throwing chairs and stuff. [The guy from the label] said, ‘Can you really make this happen?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely.'”
“I walked out of that meeting,” Paisley added, “called my agent and said, ‘I really, really need Dan Patrick’s number.'”
His real life wife, Kimberly Williams, also appears in the video.
I’m Gonna Miss Her
The next song is one that I can relate to quite well. I have been very lucky to still have friends from elementary school (as well as middle and high school). Those elementary school friendships that last are treasures. I have written here many times about my best friend, Jeff, who I have known since second grade.
“We’re Going To Be Friends” by the White Stripes was released on the band’s third album, White Blood Cells. At that time, they were little known outside of their Detroit stomping grounds and in the UK, where they got a lot of love from the music press. But thanks to a surprise hit movie, they gained lots of recognition and fans.
This song plays at the beginning of the 2004 movie Napoleon Dynamite, where it’s used under a clever opening sequence where the credits appear on various everyday objects (lip balm, bag lunch). The film, of course, was a surprise hit and earned a great deal of exposure for the song. The main character, Napoleon, is a strong-willed, talented, quirky type with big ideas. Kinda like the White Stripes frontman, Jack White.
The movie was my first exposure to the song. It led me to dig deeper into their musical catalog.
We’re Going To Be Friends
I have always loved a song that has a Spanish feel to it. There is something about the sound of a Spanish guitar that I really dig. When I first heard My Heart is Lost to You by Brooks and Dunn, I was impressed on many levels. The thing that stuck out most was just how good Ronnie Dunn’s voice fit this type of song.
It only went to #5 on the country charts, and faded away afterward. You rarely hear it on the radio today. It is one of the songs that really got me through a rough patch. It always made me feel good when I heard it.
My Heart Is Lost To You
The 9/11 attacks were still very fresh in our minds in 2002. Patriotism was still on the rise, too. The next song became a sort of anthem for the country, but almost was not released.
Toby Keith wrote Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue shortly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. He said he wrote the song based on what he thought his father’s thoughts on the terrorist attacks would have been. Keith’s father was a veteran and a patriot.
He told the CBS show 60 Minutes that he wrote this song in just 20 minutes, a week after 9/11. His intention was to play it for troops on USO tours, but not to be part of a commercial release. However, after playing it for Pentagon brass in Washington, the Marine Corps commandant said, according to Keith: “You have to release it. You can serve your country in other ways besides suiting up in combat.”
This was one of many country songs that were written and released after 9/11.
Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue
Elvis Presley had been dead 25 years in 2002, yet, here he is on my list!
Songfacts explains: Mac Davis and Billy Strange wrote A Little Less Conversation for the 1968 Elvis movie Live A Little, Love A Little, which was one of Presley’s last. Davis wrote the original version for Aretha Franklin, but when Billy Strange, who was handling music for the film, approached Davis about contributing a song, he realized that “A Little Less Conversation” fit the scene perfectly, so he reworked it with Strange and Elvis sang it for the film.
This was a fairly obscure Elvis song, peaking at a very un-Kingly #69 in America when it was released in 1968. But when it was remixed and released as a single in 2002, this new version went to #1 in the UK, giving Elvis 18 #1 hits there, the most of any artist. Previously, he was tied with The Beatles at 17. The remix topped the charts in several other countries as well, but only reached #50 in the US.
I do remember the first time I heard this. I was blown away. I thought it sounded modern and fresh. It was great to hear his vocals preserved and this take on the song. I was surprised when high school kids were asking for it at dances, too. They loved it and so did I.
A Little Less Conversation
The band Weezer has made some fantastic and memorable music videos. The next one is no exception.
Maladroit was Weezer’s fourth album. Keep Fishin’ was the second song released from the album. It received some high praise from critics. The AV Club stated: “It’s the kind of infectious, impeccably crafted power-pop rocker Cuomo can probably bang out in his sleep”.
The video is just a joy to watch, especially for folks like me who grew up watching The Muppet Show. The music video features Weezer as guests on The Muppet Show as drummer Patrick Wilson is held captive by none other than Miss Piggy. As noted in the Weezer Video Capture Device DVD, it marks the acting debut for the band members in a music video.
The video premiered on July 14, 2002, on MTV2. It was accompanied by a half-hour special showcasing behind-the-scenes footage from the video’s shoot.
Despite the Muppet Show wrapping in 1979 after five seasons on the air, I can see them having more fun with Weezer and other artists if it were still airing. (The new version from a few years ago took it to a more adult level with themes that I felt were not “Muppet-ish”)
Keep Fishing
Speaking of growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, the next song was like a time capsule. It tossed in many things that I remembered, and many others did, too. It was a crossover hit for Mark Wills called 19 Something.
The song begins with singer’s reminiscence of his formative years, the 1970s and 1980s. In the first verse and chorus, various 1970s-related bits of pop culture are referenced, such as Farrah Fawcett, eight track tapes, and Stretch Armstrong. The first verse also mentions the videogame Pac-man (“I had the Pac-Man pattern memorized.”). The first chorus begins with the line “It was 1970-somethin’ / In the world that I grew up in.” Verse two, similarly, references 1980s pop culture, such as the Rubik’s Cube, a black Pontiac Trans Am, and MTV. The second chorus likewise begins with “It was 1980-somethin’.” In the song’s bridge, the singer then expresses his desire to escape to his childhood years: “Now I’ve got a mortgage and an SUV / All this responsibility makes me wish sometimes / That it was 1980-somethin’.“
It was released as a single from Mark Wills’ Greatest Hits CD. It went to number one on the Country Charts and peaked at number twenty-three on the Hot 100 charts.
19 Something
The final song on my list is a cover of a Joni Mitchell song, Big Yellow Taxi. The song was a hit for her in 1970. She said in an interview: “I wrote ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart… this blight on paradise. That’s when I sat down and wrote the song.”
The Counting Crows covered the song as an afterthought and originally for a hidden track on their 2002 album Hard Candy. It was only released as a single after Vanessa Carlton’s back-up vocals were added for a new version that featured on the soundtrack to the 2003 movie Two Weeks Notice. Their version became the band’s only Top 20 single in the UK, peaking at #13. In the US it reached #42.
If I had to choose between the original and the cover version, I’d choose the original. I don’t think this is a bad cover, but many did. It appears on a few “worst cover song” lists.
I think the song itself is why it is on my list, I love the song. This version doesn’t touch the original, but it did introduce younger folks to the song.
Big Yellow Taxi
Did I leave off one of your favorites from 2002? If so, mention it in the comments.
Next week, we kick off the New Year with 2003. Next to my list for ’03, I wrote “difficult year.” Whether that means that it was hard to narrow my list down to 10 songs or that it was hard to find 10 songs, I don’t remember. I can tell you it features a couple covers songs, a song every parent can relate to, and we learn what beverage equestrians give to their horses.
I wanted to take a moment to wish each and every reader a very Merry Christmas. I hope that the day has been filled with happiness and blessings.
I sincerely hope that you know how much it means to me to have you here. I appreciate your comments and our interactions. I appreciate the invites to participate in your blog and those who accept invites to participate in mine.
I cannot tell you how much your support and words of encouragement mean to my family and me. There have been times where I vent about the craziness and feel like I’m done. Then I will see a comment or words of praise from you and I feel better. Thank you for that.
At Christmas, we tend to become better people without even trying. We are naturally kinder, more generous, and loving. We smile more, we are more polite, and friendlier. May you and I do our best to keep that “Christmas state of mind” throughout the whole year.
From my family to yours, may this year be the Merriest Christmas yet! May blessings abound for you today and well into the New Year.
I hope that your day (and the entire holiday season) is filled with memories you will look back on fondly.
Merry Christmas Eve! It was on this day 206 years ago that one of the most beloved Christmas songs was performed for the first time.
In the little town of Oberndorf, Austria, the St. Nicholas church was plagued by a broken organ. It seemed it would be a silent night… But out of that silence rang a song, collaborated from the hearts of two men, that would change the world forever…
The lyrics for Silent Night were written by Joseph Mohan in 1816. It was Franz Xavier Gruber who added the melody. On Christmas Eve, 1818, Mohr brought the words to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for that night’s mass, after river flooding had damaged the church organ.
The church was eventually destroyed by further flooding. The Silent Night Chapel was built on the former site of the church, as a sort of memorial to where the song was first performed.
A replica of this chapel is located down the road from me in Frankenmuth, MI. You can visit it for free at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland.
I have a few versions to share with you. First, the Austrian version.
This was the song soldiers sang in the famous World War I Christmas Truce.
The version I was most familiar with was by Bing Crosby. I heard this often growing up and it is one of the better versions.
The group Pentatonix recorded Silent Night a couple of times. Their “Yule Log” version is said to be one of the most beautiful arrangements.
Finally, Dean Martin recorded Silent Night for his Reprise Christmas album in 1966. However, that isn’t what I want to feature.
I had picked up an album that featured various Christmas songs by Rat Pack members because it included some cuts I did not have. One of those cuts is Peace On Earth/Silent Night.
My first listen blew me away. I loved the interplay between the two songs Melodies. What really struck me was that I was aware that Silent Night is written in 3/4 time. Peace on Earth is in 4/4 time. When the two songs blend, it sounds magical. Give it a listen.
After waiting quite a while, today’s recommendation finally became available last week. Benjamin Stevenson’s “Holiday Special” is a short mystery featuring his character Ernest Cunningham.
I read the first book in this series, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone a while back. I loved the honesty of the narrator. He is always sure to give the reader all the clues needed to solve the mystery. I loved it.
The follow-up, Everyone On This Train Is a Suspect, was just as good. So when I saw that there was a short mystery being released before the next novel, I had to read it.
I was glad it became available before Christmas, and while it is a theme, it is a book that can be read outside of the holiday season, too. That being said, here is the Goodreads synopsis:
Benjamin Stevenson returns with a Christmas addition to his bestselling, Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Unwrap all the Christmas staples: presents, family, an impossible murder or two, and a deadly advent calendar of clues. If Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club kissed under the mistletoe.
My name’s Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.
So here I am, backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection.
THE MAGICIAN
THE ASSISTANT
THE EXECUTIVE
THE HYPNOTIST
THE IDENTICAL TWIN
THE COUNSELLOR
THE TECH
My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it’s Christmas.
If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it.
After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn’t it?
This was a book I read in two days. It was really good. I had many guesses throughout and changed my mind on who I thought did it a few times.
I love the writing, the insights and hints given by the narrator, and the characters in general. I found it to be a satisfying mystery worth the read.
The first sequel to National Lampoon’s vacation was a disappointment. National Lampoon’s European Vacation lacked a lot of what the first movie had. Honestly, it is hard to believe that a second sequel was given the green light. Thankfully, it was.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation opened in theaters on December 1, 1989. It opened at #2 at the box office (behind Back To the Future Part II). At the time of the film’s release, the film received mixed reviews. Over time, many have deemed it a Christmas classic.
The movie is based on John Hughes’ short story, “Christmas ’59”, published in National Lampoon. It tells the story of Clark Griswold’s efforts to have a good old-fashioned family Christmas. As with almost anything that happens to the Griswold’s, they take a hilarious turn for the worse. The movie was panned by critics when it was released, but over time it has reached Christmas “Classic” status.
Despite several popular songs being present in the film, no official soundtrack album was released. The musical Score for National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was composed by Angelo Badalamenti. It is the only installment of the Vacation film series not to include Lindsey Buckingham’s “Holiday Road.” In its place is a song entitled “Christmas Vacation.”
The title song and opening credits are accompanied by an animated Santa Claus having various issues. This foreshadows the insanity that is part of the movie itself. The song’s music was written by Barry Mann (of Who Put the Bomp fame). The lyrics were written by Cynthia Weil. The song is performed by Mavis Staples, the last surviving member of the Staple Singers.
I asked some friends and asked them about Christmas Vacation. Each of them agreed that they would love to hear it on the radio. I couldn’t agree more. In the latest addition of Turntable Talk, there were a few songs picked that were never played on the radio. Each of those songs could easily be in a rotation. Maybe terrestrial radio would have issues, but it would work on many Sirius XM holiday channels.
Personally, I love it. It sounds festive and happy. I love Mavis’ vocal and the “Jing a ling” background singers. It is one of two songs from the movie I want to feature.
The other song that I love from the movie dates back to 1950. It is used in the scene where Clark is staring out the kitchen window daydreaming. He is envisioning all of the fun that will happen when he puts in a swimming pool.
The song, is Mele Kalikimaka by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. It was written in 1949 by R. Alex Anderson. Anderson recalled the inspiration for writing the song:
“Well, I’ll tell ya, a stenographer in our office, this was just before Christmas, and we are all leaving (5 o’clock), and she was next to me and she said, “Mr. Anderson, how come there’s no Hawaiian Christmas songs?” She said, “they take all the hymns and they put Hawaiian words to the hymns, but there’s no original melody.” Well, that spurred me right away – I thought, “what a good idea!” I thought this over, and over a period of a few days this came into my head, put it down on paper, and I’ve been singing it ever since.”
Bing Crosby was a frequent visitor and golf partner of Anderson. Anderson played the song for Crosby, who liked it so much that he surprised him with the 1950 recording.
I noticed something over the past few weeks. Many of the “reader” bloggers that I follow spend the weeks leading up to Christmas reading holiday themed books. I had added some of those books to my “To Read” list and actually got to read some of them.
Not too long ago, I saw that there would be a “holiday” novella about Molly the Maid out this year. I enjoyed the first two books in the series, so I added it to my list. I actually just finished reading it.
This is a book that can be enjoyed whether or not you are familiar with the rest of the series. Knowledge of the series and Molly’s idiosyncrasies helps you understand her thinking a bit more.
Anyway, before I go into my thoughts, here is the Goodreads Synopsis:
Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.
Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s most joyful yet.
But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?
A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mystery reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.
I was left a bit disappointed with this one. Don’t misunderstand me, I enjoyed the story. It was a perfect holiday read. My disappointment stems from my expectations.
In each of the two books in the series, there was a murder. Molly is the one who takes all of the clues and puzzle pieces and puts things together to discover who committed the crime. I went into this expecting a murder and there was none. So, my expectations left me disappointed.
I admit, the story doesn’t need a murder. The “mystery” is more of a soap opera type mystery than say a Perry Mason mystery. That being said, it became obvious to me how the book would end and I figured it out (and you will, too) before Molly does.
If you want a holiday story that will leave you saying, “Awwwwww…” and with warm fuzzies, this is it.
With 4 days left until Christmas, I thought I would share a little update.
Despite the many Christmas posts, I am not really feeling “Christmassy” this year. It seems like our family is focused on one event and once that is done, we’re on to the next one. Point A to Point B, then on to Point C. We haven’t had two minutes to really appreciate the season, even though we are decked out and have done some holiday activities.
Once Ella’s dance recital was over, the focus shifted to her surgery. She had an ear tube that was stuck. She also was set to have tonsils and adenoids taken out, if they needed to be. The surgery was on Thursday and she did really well! The tonsils got to stay, but the adenoids came out.
If you do “Elf on the Shelf,” you know the kids are not supposed to touch the elf. If they do, it loses its magic and cannot fly back to the North Pole. The morning of her surgery, there was a note from “Santa’ that said that he gave Twinkles (the elf) special powers for that day. She could hold her and take her to the hospital with her. She was thrilled!!
We arrived at 6am and were on our way home by 9:30! It’s crazy how they shove you out of there after surgery! When we got home, we all took a nap, and there was a special surprise that awaited.
You may remember this from last year. One of our neighbors puts out a mailbox for kids in the neighborhood to mail letters to Santa. Each child receives a response. The kids love to go there and drop the letter in the mailbox.
The neighbor messaged me on Facebook and asked if there was a good time to drop off a letter. I told her about the surgery and she said she would drop it off then. After our nap, we woke up and I told the kids, “You will never guess who just texted me!”
They asked who it was and I said “I’m not sure, but it says it is a North Pole number!” I said that there were photos attached. So I opened them in front of them.
Santa himself delivered their letter!!! When they saw the pictures, they both ran to the front door. I opened it and we looked around. He must have got back in the sleigh and went home! They wanted me to look in the mailbox and sure enough, there was his letter. Talk about two giddy kids!!
It looks like they both made the nice list and will be getting what they asked for this year. Thanks, Santa!!
Christmas Rock
This was too cool not to share. In Flint, MI, there is a big square rock. It has been there as long as I have lived in mid-Michigan. I’ve seen a lot of things on it. People have spray painted memorials to loved ones who have passed away. Sometimes it is in honor of the anniversary of their passing. There have been marriage proposals in it. There have been patriotic tributes for events like 9/11. There have been funny paintings and sad paintings.
For Christmas, a local mural artist named Johnny Fletcher did his part to get folks in the Christmas season. The first mural, which was featured on many websites, featured the mean one – the Grinch.
This mural became the talk of the town. A week or so later, he did yet another one. This time it was of a couple of misfits!
The quality of his work is truly amazing. It didn’t take long for folks to ask if they could buy a print of these. I hear he was selling them through his Facebook and personal site. Those would look pretty cool on a wall. However, they look downright amazing on this HUGE rock.
The countdown to Christmas continues … Have a great weekend.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 