in the mind of the pops archives 2005
1-16-05 Happy belated birthday to my sister Diane, Who turned 50 yesrerday....Siss lives in North Carolina and happily married....And I spoke to her on the phone before midnight(cut it closely) and she finally appears to be happy with the life she is living...Her rainbow was over due, and arrived in the form of a nice nan to settle down with named Bill...I am glad for her beyond words
1-17-05 I guess we are not alone as Buffalo Bills fans to heart ache after watching the New York fall to The Pittsburgh Steelers in Bills play-off fashion... BTW I`m still insearch of my master tape for my first ever totaly solo CD that has been missing for over a week...Oh, My short term memory...'Can`t remember what happened to it
1-18-05 Here we go again, As the insomniec in me has up and at em' AGAIN..... It`s very cold in Western New York, with temps' in the single digits, and the wind-chill un-Godly....I can`t stress enough to bundle up those kids before you send them off to school..That is if the schools are even open....If it open, I`m concidering keeping mine home anyway....and as always in conditions like this beware of slippery roads and walks.....Now that I have that off my chest.....Birthday wishes going out to my niece Emma and my nephew Noah, who are a couple of cool little twerps (Even without the bone chillin' temps').......People, If you live in these parts, Stay indoors if at all possible
1-19-05 Could it be? Man, I can`t stand getting my hopes up, But The National Hockey Leauge`s players and owners are meeting today (minus the comminioners) with the hopes of hammering out a deal and pissibly salvaging what`s left of the season...But realisticly, I beleive they are working on next year....Should there be a salary cap? I say YES, expecially in a leauge that`s going bankrupt....I remember a little news item on Buffalo Sabres forward Adam Mair, who is one of those guys not known for lighting up the leauge in scoring, but he always gives his all and helps out in ways that don`t show up on the score sheets...I`m talking NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE every night.. Last season some of Adam`s team-mates were getting on him for making slightly more than the leauge mininmum, telling him he should making a lot more money.....Mr. Mair`s reply was to the effect of; It`s been a life long dream to play in the NHL, and I`m not hurting for cash..Don`t worry about it...Players like Adam Mair don`t come a dime a dozen these days......BTW Another deep freeze is forcasted for Western New York tomorrow
1-21-05 Yesterday was a long day of running around, tightening up family stuff..Trip to the Doc, shopping, paying bills, picking up my oldest daughter from dance class....She had some good news for me (not a Geico connercial)...Leanna was given "The Citizen of the Month" award at school, for her fine work and conduct in class...BTW Leanna was just in our local paper about a month ago for winning a reading contest, and in all likelyhood will make the paper for her latest award....Also BTW, This is her fourth time winning "Citizen of the Month" as she keeps on doing her thing the right way...Leanna is also in band class playing clarinet, and the "Middle School Chorus" and on top of that, She got a couple of girls together from chorus to do a musical side project..Doin' the three peice vocal thing..Leanna Rocks!!!! Once again, It`s the wee hours (what else is new?) come wake up time, We`re looking at sub zero wind chills here in Western New York...'Makes me wish sometimes like I don`t want to leave the house, But tomorrow being Saturday, I can be found behind the bar at "Griffin`s Pub" from High Noon till 5pm or so... I also have lots of music homework in preperation for "The Stretch Limo Ride" reunion party at Griffin`s come late February...I have songs to finish writing, songs to learn, and songs to re-learn as well....Everyone in the band is syked for this event, as we all look forward to finaly performing together live again, seeing some old faces, and newbies alike
1-23-05 Another cold day in Western New York...'Just got in from shoveling again.. So The Empire Sports Network is history...Along with jobs ect....I have a lot of great memories watching that station....From what I gather The MSG Network will be picking up Sabres games (whenever that is)....I think it stinks...No more "Hockey Hotline", and all the other talk shows...Is this a result of the NHL going belly up this season? At least Howard Simon is on WGR Sports Radio 55`s morning slot...It aint Fan TV, but I guess it will work... AFC and NFC confrence championships are on today, and to be frank...I could care less who wins....I still have to find that missing master tape of my music...Yikes
1-24-05 Man, I hate to make the "Stretch Zone" a place of mourning, but we lost another great in Johnny Carson... Carson was the real deal...I can remember back in the 80s when the comedy writers were on strike, and Johnny wrote his own material for The Tonight Show, and those shows were just as funny (if not funnier) than the many others that I watched....Mr. Carson was 79...Rest in Peace
1-25-05 Yesterday was quite the tiring day for me....I was little if any sleep, when I saw the kids off on the bus to school, Afterwords I stopped at the bank, and ran for the bus, but I was too slow...Luckely a friend noticed me as I was preparing myself to catch the next bus to The McKinley Mall....I wanted to pick up my "Hot Tuna" tickets...I arrived at Kauffman`s at around 9:30 am, However the store didn`t open till 10 0'clock, so I took a little tour of the premesis, and I arrived back right on schedule for Kauffman`s to open, only to find out that Ticketmaster (in the store) didn`t open till 11 0'clock.... With another hour to kill, I walked accross the parking lot to "Media Play" where I baught some used CDs, and The Goo Goo Dolls DVD recorded outside "Buffalo`s City Hall" July 4th 2004...The second concert that my family witnessed together....So it then became time for "Ticketmaster" to open..So I payed for my stuff and it was back accross the lot again...As it turned out the computer network for "Ticketmaster" was DOWN...The lady behind the counter told me to call back in a few hours...I just shook my had and went to the bus stop... A few minutes later an Abbott Road bus arrived, headed downtown, So not to be denied, I got on that bus and road it downtown and went to "The Tralf" ticket office, and it was there that I purchased my tickets, caught the bus home...It was then that I remembered that I needed pet supplies, and I had to stop at Tops (about half way home) and pick up those badly needed supplies...Keep in mind that it was zero weather, and I had barely slept the night before...I had a half hour to kill, so I visited my friends at DJ Appliences and kept warm there till the next bus home arrived...I arrived home in time to get meal ready for the kids arrival home from school...I dozed off in the evening for a few hours and I was up all night again.....But I`ve got my Tuna tickets, and the Cats and the bunny are sqrared away....Hot Tuna will be at Buffalo`s Tralf Thursday evening....Jorma Kaukonen Rules!!!!!
1-27-05 An old Grateful Dead song is called "I Need a Miracle"...Which ended up becoming a theme for those in the parking lot without tickets before a sold out show.... I`m sure am attending the Hot Tuna show tonight, but the miracle struck for Friday nights` performance of the sold out Gregg Allman -n- Friends show.....I received the invitation via Ma Bell to sit in the second row for Fridays' Gregg -n- Friends show at The Seneca Niagara Casino....I got my miracle and I`m a happy man, But first things first...Tuna Tonight
1-29-05 Needless to say; It`s been quite the passsed couple of days and nights....What can I say? I love music, and I`ll give my reviews for BOTH "Hot Tuna" and "Gregg Allman -n- Friends" within' the next couple of days or so....'Working "Griffin`s Pub" today..Behind the bar from High Noon till 5pm or so...Man, I could go for a nice cup of coffee
1-30-05 Good Sunday All..Yesterday I was kidnapped by Chet Kaczynski -n- Mike Lasek Jr. of "The Stretch Limo Ride" they snagged me up at work and we did the basement acoustic jam thing at Chet`s... Me, I was very tired, and Mike is getting over the flu', but never-the-less, It was a neat little session, and our song list has been updated with back dated material LOL...But most of all it was fun
2-1-05 'Got some new neibors moving in upstairs from us here at "Fort Stretch".....I hope and pray after moving here in October that they are cool, and if they`re not cool, I hope they keep to themselves....I know that I shouldn`t be so pesemistic, But passed experience prevales....But for the record, We love this appartment and we are just about settled in and comfortable with the over-all picture and we don`t need any BS nor will I stand for any
2-2-05 It appears that I may have over-reacted about the new neibor thing....'Seems like a nice guy living up there... He`s happy to have found a nice appartment where dogs are allowed... Meanwhile, Wifie and I had a "BLEEP" of a time getting our new bed together...Thanks to our friend Jim Germain who came by the house and slapped it together like it was yesterdays` news...No more sleeping on an air mattress.... Also, As we`ve been multi-tasking again...We had a game cube hooked up to our living room TV, and needless to say, The children wern`t very happy when Mommy and Daddy wanted to watch some early evening tube...So we hooked up a TV in Sonny Boy`s room...We were concerned that the TV would need a remote to switch modes for the game cube...But much to my surprize, while changing channels I discovered an "AUXIALARY MODE"....The game cube is functioning fine without a TV remote needed....Thank God for the 20th centry
2-3-05 'Plenty of homework for "The Stretch Lomo Ride" reunion on the 26th of this month at Griffins Pub in South Buffalo....I can`t help but get the feeling that a vert special night is brewing... Also a BIG TIME Happy 40th Birthday to our good friend Walt Glab...Welcome to the club!!!! Walt`s contributions to the musical cause have come up large on many a sittuation...Walt has kept my music gear in tip top shape for a number of years now...I`ll have to gift rap a bottle of Geritol for his next visit LOL
2-5-05 The Wee Hours...I already went wee' for anyone who cares, but here I am again after taking one of those late evening naps, 'Taking a break from burnin' CDs, as I hear the rumbling of our laundry spinning through the floor...Perhaps another nap, before I head out to work at Griffins`Pub, starting at NOON today till 5 or 6pm.....Oh yeah, 'Gotta switch the laundry
2-6-05 Well, Many of you have heard of "Jimmy The Greek"....I`m "Stretch The Pole'"....And today is Superbowl Sunday!!! Look for the Philadelphia Eagles to come out firing on all cylinders in the first half, and build up maybe a two touchdown lead...The New England Patriots are going to come out cocky in the early going and make some costly errors in that first half... New England has been a second half team all season long and if The Eagles can play a disipline defensive game, and get to Brady and ring his bell with a few sacks, and play some second half ball control offense...I see the under-dog Philadelphia Eagles to win the game 27-13...But the Eagles must be on guard for flea flickers (trick plays) because Coach Billy B. ALLWAYS has many tricks up his sleeve
2-7-05 As usual I was wrong in my Super Bowl prediction...But Man oh Man, The half time air was sweet perfume, as Paul McCartney and his band took the stage and performed a great but way too short set of music..They should have postponed the second half for a couple of hours and let them play...It was nice to hear something real during a Superbowl Halftime for a change....Beleive me when I tell you that Paul was NOT lip synching....The people behind the Superbowl couldn`t have made a wiser choice to use Paul for the half time thing, after blunders of previous half time sherades...Paul is not dead!!! Remembering back to 1967 or so, when that rumor of a Paul being dead were circulating...It was a great publicity stunt at the time
2-8-05 The flu bug hit Kevin Junior and I pretty hard yesterday, though I think that it`s been lurking about our systems for a few days now....I kept Kev home from school yesterday and we pretty much slept the day away...Now we are both feeling lots` better and I`m going to send him today....As for me I still have homework for "The Stretch Limo Ride"...I must confess to being a bit of a slacker of late, but I`ll use the flu bug as an excuse for that...Today, It`s back to rock -n- roll grind