WTIT: The Blog

Unfamiliar with this week’s tune? Hear it here.

1) This is the theme from a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of boxing. Sam admits she’s not crazy about boxing. What about you? Do you enjoy boxing, martial arts or wrestling? When I was young there were fights on network television on Fridays and I’d watch with my dad. It wasn’t until Mohammed Ali that I became a big fan. But, as an adult, my attitude changed. Mike Tyson did me in. I think it’s as doomed sport, like leveling the QB in football or soon the elimination of fighting in hockey.

2) If you went to a dance club on a Saturday night in 1979 or 1980, you might well have danced to this. What are your plans for this Saturday night? I’ll be dancing naked in my front yard. It’s really cold which brings out the challenge of this plan. Or I’ll watch TV with the Mrs. It’s a tough call.

3) Gilda Radner was one of the original Saturday Night Live performers and in 1979, she parlayed her TV popularity into her own one-woman show on Broadway. Who is your all time favorite SNL cast member? John Belushi.

4) Sally Little and Nancy Lopez were at the top of the LPGA in 1979. Do you golf? I hit a ball and chased it for 18 holes in the 80s. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would watch me then and say “He’s a good player”. I gave it up in the early 90s because of back problems.

5) The movie The Main Event co-starred Ryan O’Neal. He is better known for Love Story, and saying the line, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” When did you last apologize? First a word from John Lennon. I saw Lennon on Carson say how stupid that line “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” was. He said that in his opinion “Love means saying you’re sorry a million times a day.” To the question: I had a customer who was annoyed with me yesterday and sent me a harsh email. I called him up and asked, “Other than that, how am I doing?” He cracked up. Then I apologized. Problem over.

6) O’Neal got his big break on the nighttime soap opera, Peyton Place. He played Rodney Harrington, the handsome golden boy that all the girls dreamed of dating. Tell us about your big high school crush. I had a lot of girlfriends in high school. But when I refer to “My high school girlfriend” it’s a girl called Sally. She broke up with me because “God told her to.” She was “born again” and I was an agnostic. When she got locked up in a psych hospital a couple of years later I got a call from her mom. She said that I was wise beyond my years and she’d like me to visit Sally. My current girlfriend (who would become my first wife) was a nursing student and encouraged me to see Sally. So when Sally was released my girlfriend insisted that I still visited Sally. That was not a bright idea. But, it was fun until I had my tonsils out. Sally was visiting me and sitting on my bed holding my hand when my girlfriend walked into the room. That was the end of my girlfriend’s “understanding”.

7) In researching this week’s Saturday 9, Sam discovered that The Main Event is a popular name for sports bars all across the country. Do you enjoy sitting at the bar or do you look for a booth or table? When I was single I’d sit at the bar. Now, particularly because of my back, a booth is my choice.

8) The Mane Event was the salon Sam went to for years. She switched when it got too hard to get Saturday appointments. As a consumer, what’s more important to you — convenience or price? Convenience.

9) More than 50 years after her first million-selling album, Streisand recently had a #1 hit with her current CD, Partners. What’s the last song you bought/downloaded? Paul McCartney’s new tribute album, “The Art of McCartney”. Paul oversaw the choices of songs and artists. Unfortunately, he kept the songs way to close to the originals. A lot of it sounds like karaoke. Alice Cooper on “Eleanor Rigby” is a great example.

I saw my dad yesterday. He really can’t stay awake anymore. He did wake u for a second and smiled at me. He said, “Hi, Bud!” with a grin. I read him the sports section about UConn. He was the captain of the team in 1946. We grew up with it. I’m glad he lived long enough to see their 4 national championships. Unfortunately, he never saw the Cubs win a World Series. Hospice has been called in. He seems to be in more pain than his meds help. They should straighten that out. They are switching him to morphine. When I left, UConn had just started a game in Puerto Rico. I listened as I drove on the Mass Pike. I got home in time to watch the second half. My brother brought in an iPad after I left to watch the game with my dad. He was only able to keep him awake a minute or to, but I thought it was a great idea.

My day and I in 2010 a my sister Amy’s wedding.

We were told he had three weeks or so two weeks ago. It’s weird not to know if I will see him again. As my brother and I discussed this week, he had a great life. And he did it “his way”.

Last weekend we had our last WTIT recording session for the year. We record every other month on a Friday night. We didn’t record any comedy, but updated our lives and played some great music. Johnnie Walker told the group that he was planning to move back to Colorado. His ex-wife (who left him to marry her high school boyfriend – nice move, but it gets weirder) had two of their three kids (All are grown) move there. The third, lives with Johnnie. His daughter married her mother’s husband’s son. Yes, that was the weird part. His daughter married her step-brother. They have a child now and have moved to California. The child, therefore, is a full grandchild to both her mother and the new husband. Johnnie lived in Colorado after college for a few years and still has a ton of friends there. He’s the only guy who has recorded with me since the beginning. He had already told me, or should I say “asked me”. He said if I was really bummed he’d rethink it. I told to go, be happy and record when he visits here.

End of my rambling. Have a sparkling day. We will see you here again. Same time. Same blog. Peace & love.

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