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Former major league pitcher Ken Holtzman has died at age 78.  Apparently, he’d been dealing with heart issues and was hospitalized for the past three weeks. Good ole number 30 remains the winningest Jewish pitcher with 174 wins.  He was and will always be my very favorite Chicago Cub player.

Watching him in person hurl for the fabled 1969 Chicago Cubs was an early sports memory for me.  He threw lefthanded as did I. It was Ken’s success that made me want to become a pitcher which I was in Little League, high school and American Legion ball.  Then my arm gave out.   

Ken Holtzman hurling for the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

August 19^th, 1969.  I swear on the lives of all my family members that this next story is 100% true.  I was at home one afternoon watching the Cubs-Atlanta Braves game at Wrigley Field. The game was four innings old and Holtzman had a no-hitter going.  I had to leave watching the ballgame to go with my mom to Sears in Oak Brook to get some back-to-school clothes.  Before turning off our black and white TV and getting in the car, I said a little prayer out loud.  I asked for God to help Kenny get a no hitter on this day. I told my mom about this prayer and she hoped it would come true.

So, my mom and I shopped at Sears for over an hour and before heading home we went to their little cafeteria to get a snack.  Probably got some pie and a soft drink.  We’re eating our treat when I saw two Sears salesguys sitting at the table next to us.  A third co-worker walked up to them and asked, “Did you hear about Holtzman’s no hitter?”  I was stunned!  I said “Mom!  He did it!  I prayed for it and Kenny got his no hitter.”  Mom was equally thrilled and watching the sports coverage on the news that night was never sweeter.

Trade Winds. Holtzman eventually asked to be traded and went on to pitch for the Oakland A’s and it was great to see him win three World Series with Charlie Finley’s mustached ballplayers.  The swinging A’s were colorful guys and awesome ballplayers.  After that, there was a short stint with Baltimore then the Yankees then back to the Cubs in 1978.

Holtzman won three World Series Championships with the swinging Oakland A’s.

Sparky Lyle’s book “The Bronx Zoo” wrote how smart Ken Holtzman was when doing crossword puzzles and playing Password and various card games in the clubhouse.  Lyle also shared when Yankees owner George Steinbrenner wanted to trade his lefty pitcher because he’d been relegated to the bullpen and was costing the owner valuable dollars. Steinbrenner pitched a trade plan to his hurler and Holtzman, being a 10 year league veteran had the final say.  Ken Holtzman heard Steinbrenner’s proposal then looked him right in the eye and said, “Veto.” The Yankees boss was steamed.  He basically told Holtzman, ‘Fine, you sit in the bullpen and rot away and I’ll be here in my owner’s box and we can wave to each other during every home game.’    Ken Holtzman eventually made it back to the Cubs for his last two seasons.

One last Ken Holtzman anecdote.  In the Ron Santo biography movie “This Old Cub” they show when Santo waited for a call hoping to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  The call did not bring good news.  The next scene showed Santo reading a beautifully worded letter telling him how his day would come and how number ten deserved to be in Cooperstown.  It Turned out that letter was from Ronnie’s former teammate, Ken Holtzman!  Still classy, years later.

So long number 30, you’ll always be number 1 in my book and my favorite Cub!  God bless you.

NEXT BLOG- Some things that are on my mind.

Learning of the death of O.J. Simpson, I thought it best to crank up the personal memories I have of the infamy he attained back in 1994.

Monday June 13^th 1994.  I was producing the JD and The Katman Show on US*99. During the show, John Katman Katzbeck and I were writing in our tiny morning show office just outside the air studio.  A newswire machine in the room rang its bells which meant a big story was coming across.  That’s when we learned O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman were found murdered outside her townhome in Brentwood.   At this point O.J. was not a suspect but it was still a big story.  Then later that same morning came newswire information that Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg was retiring, effective immediately!  Katman and I talked about what a crazy news day it was becoming.

As circus-like as the whole O.J. trial was, at the heart of it was the brutal murder of two innocent people. This pic is one of the less graphic ones of the death scene outside Nicole Brown Simpson’s townhome.

The slow speed Bronco chase. Four days later, O.J. Simpson was a runaway murder suspect who had not turned himself in to authorities as his lawyer Robert Shapiro promised he would.  Police cars were in a line behind the Bronco and network TV covered every mile up to the point they made it back to O.J.’s house to turn himself in.  Many people remember where they were during this chase.  I was with my US*99 co-workers, sitting in a luxury skybox at Comiskey Park watching the White Sox play.  We had one eye on the ballgame and one on the skybox TVs as the chase continued.

The infamous slow speed Bronco chase. Most folks remember where they were when this insanity happened.

The trial of the century.  January 24^th, 1995 is when the trial began and CNN had gavel to gavel coverage every weekday from L.A.  Most days I’d get home from work around 11 a.m. so the trial was what I watched most of the day.  Like me, my mom was totally glued to everything that happened with Judge Lance Ito and the whole legal procedure.

A few weeks after the trial started, I was at an Eagles concert at the United Center.  As the band launched into the haunting dirge start of Don Henley’s solo hit “Dirty Laundry,” Henley asked the crowd, “Are you sick of this trial yet?”  The whole crowd roared its approval.  That was February of 1995 and the trial didn’t wrap up until eight months later in early October!

The Jury.  I remember the O.J. jury got the instructions and the case to debate late in the day on the last Friday in September.  (The 29^th) Throughout the trial, they were sequestered in a hotel but had the weekend off from formal deliberations.

Monday October 2^nd.  I was taking a nap after work and woke to find my mom standing at my bedroom doorway with a sick look on her face.  I asked what was wrong and she said, “They already have a verdict.”  “Who has a verdict?” I asked. My mom replied “The O.J. jury!”  I was stunned.  Everyone figured all the months of evidence meant the jury would be out for a week or two and make a carefully reasoned decision.   This kind of quick verdict meant only one thing.  O.J. would be found not guilty. That’s how most murder trials roll.  While the country may have been divided on Simpson’s guilt or innocence, me, my mom and most folks I know felt he was guilty of those brutal murders. 

Tuesday October 3^rd.  The verdict in L.A. was to be announced around 1 p.m. Chicago time.  Security measures in all major cities across the country were put in place.  Race played a massive part in this story and depending on how the verdict turned out, things could get crazy.  O.J. of course was found not guilty. 

After the verdict was read, one of the legal experts on CNN was asked what was next.  The answer was, “O.J. Simpson gets released right away and is a free man.”  As the TV crews in helicopters tracked O.J. being driven back to his home at 360 Rockingham, I remember sitting on my bed feeling so helpless and in total shock.  I had no doubt a miscarriage of justice had happened thanks to race issues and a piss poor prosecution team that made idiotic strategies. 

O.J. and his legal dream team react to the news that he was found not guilty…Verdict notwithstanding, rational people know he did it.

Yes, not long after the criminal trial, O.J. was found liable for the murders in a civil case but that meant no jail time and barely any of the awarded money ever went to the families of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman.  Many years later Simpson did do 9 years jail time for armed robbery charges as he tried to steal back some of his old memorabilia but real justice for him was still missing.

Now O.J. Simpson is dead.  And now he’s faced the ultimate judgment from his maker.  Enough said.

NEXT BLOG: Lots of things on my mind.

I don’t subscribe to Sirius/XM satellite so I never hear the Howard Stern show when it’s on.  However, there are times when Stern’s best celebrity interviews end up on YouTube and then I catch plenty of material and details I would never have heard otherwise.  It’s always good stuff and Howard gets the fun stories and revelations out of everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Paul McCartney to Pamela Anderson with ex-hubby Tommy Lee and even Dolly Parton.

One of the other highlights from Stern’s shows is when pop, rock and country music stars perform their best known songs and even cover tunes in Howard’s studio.  Here are some of my favorite performances that have taken place in recent years on Stern’s show.

Sammy Hagar & the Circle doing “Finish What You Started.”  Sammy and his players do this Van Halen classic up well but there’s also a fun story about the writing of that track.

Don Henley doing “The Boys of Summer.  Henley did an extensive visit with Howard and then played “Desperado”, “Please Come Home for Christmas” and the 1984 gem “The Boys of Summer.”  As Don said, this is a more thoughtful version of that hit song.

Brandi Carlile covering the Elton John classic “Madman Across the Water.”  The country music singer-songwriter shares with Howard her Elton fandom then does a fine read on this Elton oldie.  Brandi reminds me of Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl in that she is a major musicologist and advocate of songs and artists who were on the scene many years before she was.

The Highwomen playing Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.”  This supergroup is made up of Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires. Four years ago, they put out their own record with great songs like “Redesigning Women” and “Crowded Table.”  On Stern’s show they did up “The Chain” and did it damn well, captivating for sure.

Bruce Springsteen going solo on “Tougher Than the Rest.”  ‘Tougher’ is in my top 5 of favorite Springsteen songs.  In this clip, Bruce plays the song on the piano but also does a detailed explanation of how he wrote the track and what it means.  So damn good!

So, there’s 5 cuts to enjoy. I look forward to sharing more of the best of music that comes from Howard Stern’s shows.

NEXT BLOG: A Few things on my mind.

No Daytona Beach or Ft. Lauderdale wildness for me this year. (That ship has sailed!)

My ten-day Spring Break is over.  Time to get back in the classroom which is fine by me.  The best part about being off like this is I had no agenda or schedule to follow.  No ‘have to be here by this time and do this’, it was just a go with the flow deal.  Still, I did get a few things done while off and here goes the list.

**I paid for and picked up my new season swim pass from the Elmhurst Park District.  Since I spend so many days at East End Pool the price of $75 is more than worth it.  It comes out to less than a dollar a day.  Also, this year all season pass owners get 4 free passes to take guests to the pool.  This was one of the suggestions I’ve issued to the Park District the last two years and now they’re rolling with it!  The EPD has also come through with other changes I and others advocated for so it pays to make your voice be heard!  Opening day is May 25^th.

We’re less than 2 months away from the opening of another swim season at East End Pool.

**I renegotiated my Comcast cable bill and landed more channels and a 28 dollar cut in monthly fees.

**My snowblower (which I only used a couple times this winter) got its gas blown out and that beast is in dry dock until December.

**Months ago, the DMV sent me fresh new license plates and I finally switched them out with the old ones.  This took about an hour because after 13 years of being mounted on my car, the screws that held the plates in were pretty rusted and messed up. Still, mission accomplished.

**I had my PC cleaned out of junk and scored updated spyware thanks to my good friend Luis of Alchemy Tech.  Luis does all this remotely and it’s well worth the annual cost I pay to keep things running well.

**My garage needs a new side door and I met up with a local carpenter to get that plan into action.  BTW, even the simplest new door isn’t cheap.  Damn materials cost more than ever.

Al Flash finished up a new parody video to a tune I wrote for Channel 9 Morning Show weather ace Paul Konrad and it turned out well.  We’re emailing it in for Paul’s birthday this week.

The TV Watch-

**I caught plenty of men’s and women’s NCAA March Madness games plus regular baseball with games that count started.  I see the Cubs struggling to get to the play-offs and sorry but the White Sox are going to lose at least 100 games.

**The remake of “Roadhouse” starring Jake Gyllenhall stepping into the late Patrick Swayze’s iconic role should’ve been titled “Road Apple.”  C- grade at best.

**I DID enjoy the nine part “American Rust” series which starred Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney.  It came out on Showtime 3 years earlier to dismal reviews but I liked it to a grade of a ‘B.’

Mediocre reviews of this 9 part mini-series baffled me. I found “American Rust” to be well done.

**Comedian Dave Attell’s new Netflix special “Hot Cross Buns” was another good watch.  That guy often goes rude and wrong and there’s nothing better.

**Musically, I know Beyonce’s “Carter Country” release is the big story in Nashville right now but I rolled with some jams from “Hixtape Vol. 3.”  This is a collection of hits from the late great Joe Diffie that are re-worked with Joe swapping verses with singers like Clint Black, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Brooks & Dunn, Tracey Lawrence, the late Toby Keith and even Post Malone. Joe D passed away from complications of COVID 4 years ago but his influence on so many singers remain.

Clint Black & Larry Fleet get to join in on vocals with the late Joe Diffie as part of this Hixtape release.

So now we wrap up eight more weeks of regular school and then four weeks of Summer School and then on to our Summer break.  Yes, I am counting the days!

NEXT BLOG- Great performances on the Howard Stern Show.

I sometimes share my love for established songs being covered by other artists.  Well done or not so well done, it’s always interesting to hear a different singer or band’s take on a song we know so well by the originator.  Here are a few more of my favorite covers.

“Driver 8” by REM and covered by Jason Isbell.  This train song is my very favorite by the quartet from Athens, Georgia.  Jason Isbell is a major REM fan and it shows in his take of this track which was originally issued on 1985’s “Fables of the Reconstruction” album.

“Drive” by REM and covered by Eddie Vedder.  While I was lukewarm to most of 1992’s “Automatic for the People” record, this haunting track is one I never get tired of hearing. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder does a solid job interpreting this cut adding his on the verge of a breakdown tone to it that I actually like better than the way Michael Stipe sang it.

“Shine”, originally recorded by Collective Soul and covered by Dolly Parton.  “Better Now” will always be my favorite Collective Soul song but this one is well repped by Dolly from her 2001 record “Little Sparrow.”  Dolly is finely backed up by country bluegrass group Nickel Creek as they countryfy and bluegrass this cut.

“Lost Highway” originally written and recorded by Leon Payne then made popular by Hank Williams Sr. and years later covered by Tom Petty.  Outside of nursery rhymes, the first music I ever listened to was Hank Williams because that’s who my mom and dad loved and played on their stereo.  Many years later, on a whim, the late great Tom Petty laid down this track with his players and it’s excellent.  When the song ends, listen to Tom and his bandmates discuss the merits of “Lost Highway.”  ‘Just fucking great.’

“Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” by Elton John and covered by The Who.  This was The Who’s contribution to the “Two Rooms” Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute record from 1991.  One of the best lines Taupin ever wrote was “Get about as oiled as a diesel train” and Roger Daltrey belts it out just fine.  I also like how Pete Townsend tossed in a segment of Elton’s oldie “Take Me to the Pilot” in the midst of this cover.  Well done mates!

NEXT BLOG ON 4/1/24- How I Spent my Spring Break…

The current line-up of the Eagles comes to the United Center this week for two concerts.  I won’t be at either show but I saw them live back in 1995.  And a couple years before that I had a couple of meet-ups with Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey.  Here’s an excerpt from those encounters with Glenn which will be found in my media memoir “Raised on the Radio” whenever it comes out.

Glenn Frey came to Q-101 when in town to play in a charity golf outing and promote his “Strange Weather” album. I grew up on Eagles music and was cautiously eager to meet him. I knew of all the strife within the band before they stopped working together in 1980 and wasn’t sure how he would be with us. In the past, all members of the Eagles were very leery of, and hesitant to talk to the media. It turned out Glenn was an excellent guest with us; maybe no longer being in the band and butting heads with the Don Henley and the rest of the guys put him in a good mood.  He took calls and one listener even asked about the intestinal health struggles Frey dealt with for years with, and he openly talked about those problems. 

One thing I noticed was the cadence in which Glenn Frey spoke during his interview with Robert Murphy. He was clear and deliberate in his conversation but with an engaging style. I tend to talk in a similar manner so I identified with and liked the former Eagle from the start.

 When it came time to record a couple of promos for the Murphy show, Frey carefully looked over my typed lines in the production room. I asked if there were any problems and was told no, it was good copy.  He was just measuring everything out to make sure he gave good reads.   So yes, I’ve recorded in a studio with an Eagle.

Glenn Frey and yours truly after his visit with the Murphy in the Morning Show at Q-101. (We coordinated our blue jeans and gym shoes look)

Months after visiting us at Q-101, I saw Glenn play a concert at the Vic Theater. He did his solo hits and Eagles classics. Backstage after the show, again he was a pleasure to spend a few minutes with. I also made points with my date as he gladly took pictures and signed an autograph for her. 

The intestinal problems Glenn Frey was so open to discuss with Murphy listeners ended up being part of what ended his life in January of 2016. Those issues along with rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonia did him in at the way too young age of sixty-seven.  A number of celebrities I met over the years have since died, but Glenn’s passing was a tough one to take in. He was great with me in 1992 and I was thrilled to have seen the re-united Eagles in concert a couple years later. 

I also admired Frey’s solo music. From the Chuck Berry styled rock and roll of “Party Town” (a song that never got its proper due) to the sax and horns Memphis sound of “The One You Love” and “True Love.” The acting he did in “Wiseguy” and “Miami Vice” along with soundtrack work for those shows was good, as was his role as the tough-negotiating Arizona Cardinals general manager in “Jerry Maguire.” 

Backstage at the Vic Theater- Left to right- Record rep David Pearl, my date the lovely Joann, Glenn Frey and me with a concert t-shirt draped over my shoulder.

Over the years the Eagles have had their share of detractors; many citing Frey and Don Henley for being difficult and greedy rock stars. I choose to look past those stories and appreciate the music they brought us. Glenn’s hassles within the band be damned, he was first rate in my book and always will be. Rest in peace, Glenn Lewis Frey.

Next Blog- Some more fun cover songs.

No Losing My Lunch- Early February marked a special anniversary for me.  It was around February 5^th or 6^th of 1991 when I last vomited.  I remember this because I producing the Murphy in the Morning Show at Q-101 at the time and it was a little over a week before our Valentine’s Day boudoir photo promotion. As the show started at 5:30 a.m., I had to run to the bathroom to get sick.  After cleaning up, I thought I could make it until the show’s end.  But half an hour later I made another dash to the men’s room and got sick again. This stomach flu  sent me home for the rest of the show and the whole next day.  In 20 years in radio, it was the only time I ever had to leave my post due to illness.  So now my puke-free streak is at 33 years.  Let’s see if I can do another 33 years.

Unlike Flounder in “Animal House”, I’ve remained puke free for over 33 years now.

Eyes Closed Shut- Whenever I get a haircut, I keep my eyes closed throughout the trimming.  I think this goes back to the days when I had longer hair with bangs and a haircut would leave strands of cut hair falling in my face. Nowadays, I don’t open my lamps until the cutting is done and we’re ready for final approval from me to Brittany, my stylist at Sport Clips in Elmhurst.

Sweet Treats & More– If I’m ever going to shape up physically, I need to stop rolling thru the drive-thru at Stan’s for their red velvet doughnuts.  Those sweets are like chewable heroin!

Stopped Up. My kitchen sink’s pipes need a cleaning out so I called the good people at Dhamer Plumbing for service. I grew up with Jim and Jerry Dhamer as their family’s house was right behind ours. Jerry was senselessly murdered back in 2006 and that crime has yet to be solved. However, the family business continues to thrive and is celebrating 50 years of plumbing services.  For the past year or so I’ve been clearing my clogs by boiling a huge vat of water and dumping that in my sink.  It DOES clear the drain but I get clogs starting up two weeks later.

Time for some pipe cleaning in my kitchen sink.

Watch out for that hole. Whenever I get my oil changed at Jiffy Lube, I always let the workers there roll my car into the service area.  I have this unexplainable fear of driving into the open spot on the floor where they do their work.  Also, I’m not real crazy about getting my wheels in the right groove when going through car washes.

Pool It. We’re less than three months away from the opening of East End Pool and the summer swim season and I can’t wait to see my ‘summer family’ again.  East End Pool is a family friendly place and everyone dresses appropriately for the warm sun and refreshing water. 

With that said, I wish that famous models and actresses would lose the wearing of thong bikini bottoms that are shown all over the show-biz websites. We get it, you have a cellulite and pimple free turd-cutter, now stop. 

Look, I’m as much a woman watcher and admirer as ever, but that butt floss look just smacks of desperation or as the kids would say, “Looking too thirsty.”  We can blame this decades long booty fetish on Jennifer Lopez and those godawful Kardashians but haven’t we seen enough of bare ass cheeks?  As I’ve said before, that string up the crack looks so uncomfortable and worst of all, unsanitary.

I could not voice enough support for this fashion sign.

Finally, two weeks ago I pre-sold my writing about the late great Glenn Frey.  With the Eagles coming to town next week, I’ll post up the blog that shares the couple of times I got to fly in the same orbit with the Eagles co-founder.

Honestly speaking, here we go.

So far, the new season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has been weak.  Three episodes in, about 40 minutes per show and all I’m seeing and hearing are pointless confrontations that are not funny and LOTS of yelling.  This smacks of desperation on the part of Larry David and his cast.  This 12^th season is the show’s last one and to be honest, even season 11 was just so-so. David should’ve closed out with season 10 when he opened his own coffee shop to spite a rival. 

The late great Carl Reiner once said sitcoms should run no longer than 5 seasons.  After that, the originality and the comedy run dry. In most cases, I totally agree.  As much as I was a fan of the “Seinfeld” show from the get-go, the last season of the series was awful. I reviewed the plots of that final season and out of 24 episodes, only 5 were good in my opinion. There were many plots where Jerry and the gang had turned into the Lucy show with slapstick situations that barely got a chuckle from me.  Many a sitcom has run out of laughs but have still gone on.  M*A*S*H, “Friends” and “Big Bang Theory” are prime examples of shows that stayed around too long because they were so popular but no longer entertaining. Forget about ‘jumping the shark’, sitcoms have a limited shelf life and after that time has elapsed, that shark is dead in the water.

So far the first 3 episodes of the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” have been pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty bad.

On the subject of TV, I’ve heard all good things about the latest season of HBO’s “True Detective” which just wrapped up.   I need to catch up on this one and hope all the positive reviews are true.

Two TV stars delivering great stuff right now are Jon Stewart and John Oliver.  Stewart has returned to doing “The Daily Show” on Mondays only and his first two appearances have been stellar.   His on target skewering the ages and feeble minds of both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump was aces work.  Wickedly funny and smart, Jon Stewart makes me look forward to Monday nights.

This past Sunday, John Oliver returned from hiatus to his “Last Week” show and was hilarious as ever.  Oliver caught up to subjects like the trials of Donald Trump, the Republicans who ran and left the race for President and a special mention and mocking of Chicago’s infamous “Rat Hole.”  Then John did a thought provoking and accurate ripping of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.  Oliver has put out a sincere offer to pay Thomas 1 million dollars a year for the rest of his life IF he retires from the bench in the next 30 days.  There was more to this takedown of Thomas and if you get a chance to catch it on reruns this week, by all means do so!

I can’t make up my mind on the attractiveness of “Euphoria” actress Sydney Sweeney who is now seen in movies and even the Rolling Stones video for their song “Angry.”  (Like she cares what I think.)  Ms. Sweeney does have a smoking hot body (can I still say things like that?) but her face often shows odd expressions that are less than appealing.  Hey no matter.  She is all over red carpets, commercials and happens to be the most in demand blonde bombshell next to Margot Robbie.

Blonde bombshell Sydney Sweeney wowed the folks at the People’s Choice Awards.

Speaking of Margot Robbie, who’s acting and producing talents I admire, I tried three different times to watch the “Barbie” movie and only made it thru the first ten to twenty minutes before giving up.  I’m not saying “Barbie” is a bad film, it’s just not for me.

Movie wise, until the Oscars happen on March 10^th, there’s not much in the way of new films to look forward to.  One of the recent bombs released last week was “Madame Web.”  How bad is this flick?  Since Valentine’s Day, its box office totals are only at 15 million dollars.  To make things worse, “Madame Web’s” star Dakota Johnson admitted to not even seeing the finished product on screen.  Here’s a tip to the folks at Marvel and DC Comics, the super hero movie genre is dead as Dillinger.  Time to come up with something new and original.

Terrible reviews and anemic box office numbers spell doom for Madame Web and probably the whole superhero movie genre. Time to give that a rest.

Next blog- Some Personal Truths.

Got a few things on my mind so let’s get to it.

This past Saturday I attended an emotional memorial service for my dear friend Tom Hassler. It was two months to the day since he left us.  Ever the smart and practical one, Tom’s wife Linda let the holidays and the post-holiday time in January run through before having this mass.  As I’ve noted before, Tommy sure married the right woman. The service was beautiful and it was so good to see Tom’s family including his brother Pete and many friends as we honored his life.  It was a relief to comfort each other and reflect on our buddy. Tom and Pete were the first two best friends I ever had and nothing will ever change that.  I love them both and always will.

R.I.P. Tom Hassler. A great guy gone too soon.

On to brighter news.  The recent Super Bowl saw me winning one of my two bets, so breaking even is better than losing.  Villa Park’s Crazy Pour Sports Bar is where I place my legal wagers.  Still, I don’t bet often. To quote the late great Bears linebacker Doug Buffone, “He who gambles lives in shambles.”

Crazy Pour is where I go to place my legal bets.

Netflix has an excellent new documentary that true crime fans will love.  It’s called, “Lover, Stalker, Killer.” Its twists and turns are pretty wild!

Music Notes– Two months ago, I got clued into Texas native Sarah Jarosz thanks to her appearance on CBS Saturday Morning.  Sarah’s folk style/Americana music reminds me of Mary Chapin Carpenter’s works from the early 90’s.  Still, Jarosz has her own originality with the just released “Polaroid Lovers” album bringing us songs like “Jealous Moon” (I love that song title) and “Runaway Train.” Check out these tracks and notice Sarah plays an eight string guitar which is a little unusual.

On March 29^th, three days after he turns 55, Kenny Chesney is releasing the “Born” album. It’s his first set of new songs in four years and a major stadium concert tour will follow starting in April.  The first single, “Take Her Home” is a winner, ditto for the video.

One of Kenny Chesney’s good pals and former concert mates Tim McGraw is set to start his own road run next month.  The “Standing Room Only” tour matches him up with Carly Pearce and will play in arenas across the country including a May 31st show here at the United Center.  Recently, McGraw issued clips of him doing an acoustic set in New York with one of the highlights being a new take on his early 90’s hit “Don’t Take the Girl.”  This version is even more tender and heartfelt than the original release. 

NEXT BLOG- Remembering Glenn Frey.

Got some different happenings and thoughts rolling around in my coconut so here we go.

One more time I want to share that the music documentary “Immediate Family” is an excellent watch.  Catch it for 8 bucks on Amazon Prime or see if your local library has it on DVD to check out.  Musicians Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel and Leland Sklar have played on more major hit songs from the 1970’s to the present than anyone can count.  They’ve recorded and toured with stars like James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Phil Collins, Stevie Nicks and many others.  The film shares details of each of their remarkable music careers.  This group has recorded their own music and my current favorite of those cuts is “Skin in the Game” which offers excellent advice to aspiring musicians and to anyone starting out in any profession.

Another good watch is the six-part Netflix series “Griselda” which covers the rise and fall of infamous cocaine drug lord Griselda Blanco.  Sofia Vergara plays Griselda (and is much more attractive than the real Griselda) Much of each episode is in Spanish so you read subtitles. There’s loads of action, sex, money and oh yes, drug use.  They note a quote from known drug kingpin Pablo Escobar who said he was never scared of any man in the drug business but he DID fear Griselda.

I GOT A WEAK BACK. I GOT IT ABOUT A WEEK BACK. Just as we transitioned from out of the snowy sub-zero weather and to the rainy thaw that followed, I came down with the worst lower back pain of my life!  I braved it out on 1/24 but had to call in sick the next day.  I’d never been so hobbled in my life but was able to score an early morning doctor appointment on that sick day. My doctor ordered muscle relaxers and a prescription strength pain reliever.  Within a couple of hours after taking my first doses, I was doing better and made it back to the classroom on Friday.  Being totally pain free since Saturday night, I’m off both meds.  These pills are opioids and people get addicted to that classification of drugs because they continue taking them even when they’re not in pain.  The prescriptions are now in my medicine cabinet and will only be used when if and when it’s absolutely necessary.

Gotta be careful with taking opioids for pain. Nobody wants to end up a pill dependent mess like Elvis.

POOL IT! Season passes for the Elmhurst public pools go on sale February 1st.  The renewal price has gone up again, but considering I spend much of my summer at East End Pool, it comes down to paying less than a dollar a day for pool privileges.  Once I re-up my pass online this week, I’ll take a drive to the now empty pool and look around a bit.  All the time I’ll be thinking, “It won’t be long until I’m in the water and hanging with my summer family.”

Won’t be long before we’re back in the water. Katy Perry is cordially invited to be my guest at East End Pool.

STOLEN PHONE STORY. Speaking of the pool, two summers ago my dinky little flip phone was stolen out of my car while I swam.  I was pissed off and had to cancel my cell service and order a new dinky flip phone.  Well, this past weekend I was vacuuming my car and when jostling around under the passenger seat, guess what I found?  My old ‘stolen’ flip phone!  In July of 2022 it must’ve slipped off my console to under that seat and I assumed it was ripped off.  Looking at my sad little phone I realized it’s time to upgrade to a better communication device, not an I-Phone but some kind of decent android piece.

LOST & FOUND, MY DINKY FLIP-PHONE.

THE SUPER BOWL IS SET. So it’s the 49ers vs. the champion Chiefs for Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas. Last year’s big game saw me win over $100 bucks in wagers and I’m still pondering what money and bets to play. I’m leaning towards the Chiefs winning over the 49ers and betting on the ‘over’ of 47 and a half points.

BROCK PURDY & PATRICK MAHOMES. I’M GONNA ROLL WITH #15 AND HIS CHIEFS.

NEXT BLOG- When I know, you’ll know.