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Being “Coldplayed” is a term that was born this past summer.  We all remember the mid-July viral video clip of a man and woman seen at a Coldplay concert. This cozy couple was spotted in a luxury suite by the kiss-cam snug in each other’s arms.  A full stadium of fans witnessed the pair as their image was shown on the jumbotron. 

As soon as the couple realized they were on full display the woman put her hands over her face and turned her back from the crowd and the camera.  The man   dropped himself low to the floor and out of sight.  The odd reaction prompted Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin to say from the stage, “Oh, look at these two. All right, c’mon, you’re okay.” 

Bashful?   Nope.  Just a married couple, only married to other people.  Oops!  Busted, popped, nailed, caught and yes, “Coldplayed.”

More consequences than red faces ensued.  The man was a CEO for a big company and his skybox cuddle girl was a co-worker.  Jobs were left, families were thrown into upheaval and well, you know the rest.

THE COZY COUPLE BEFORE AND AFTER THEY GOT “COLD-PLAYED.”

This whole scene and its fall-out reminded me of a concert I attended back in the fall of 1992.  It was an invitation only TV taping at the WTTW Channel 11 studios to see legendary rocker Neil Young perform a solo acoustic concert.  Young was promoting his recently released “Harvest Moon” album but he played tracks from his entire career, even opening the night with a slow and steady reading of “Mr. Soul” from his days with Buffalo Springfield.”

Here’s how the “Coldplay Incident” comes into this story.  There were only about 100 people or so at this special show and chances were good that folks in the audience would be shown on camera during the taping which would eventually be broadcast nationwide.

So, before Neil Young came out, as we all were seated in the studio, an emcee came out to explain the whole “You might be seen on camera during this show” situation.  Then the guy said something to the effect of, ‘So if you’re here with someone you should NOT be seen with you might want one of you to move to a different seat AWAY FROM YOUR DATE.’  Everyone kind of chuckled at this warning that cheating couples could inadvertently be busted. They could end up being “Coldplayed,” over 30 years before that term ever became part of the American lexicon.

NEIL YOUNG PlAYING AN ACOUSTIC SET AT THE WTTW STUDIOS.

I have no idea why this emcee’s warning was given; maybe in the past, some folks at Channel 11 show tapings got busted, so it was a fair and safe heads up.

One thing I know for sure, in 2025, cheating couples should be careful where they go and how they behave in public.  The whole world is wired with cameras, kiss cams, security cams, cell-phones that record video, etc.   You all have been warned. Act accordingly. Don’t get “Cold-Played.”

NEXT BLOG- Radio bits from the past.

The summer is just about over…

With the sun setting on this current season, here’s how I spent my summer. 

I taught ESY (Extended School Year) from June 2^nd thru Monday June 30.^th Once we got sprung for our break, my days were spent at East End with my “Summer Family” of friends.  Early morning lap swims were done, then home to rest & write and then back for the mid—day water walking with a group of great folks. Our conversations ran from good places to shop and eat to TV shows, movies, sports, local goings on and anything else under the summer sun.  That sun left me well tanned as I used up two tubes of Banana Boat Sunscreen SPF 30.  My hours spent at the pool were the very best part of my summer.

One downside. Every year I invite a select group of friends to join me at East End Pool at their convenience as my guest via freebie passes that we get. Several said they were up for this but none took me up on that offer.  Oh well, maybe next year.  Then again, probably not.

Lap swimming at East End Pool was a daily thing for me, once I was on my 6 week break.

 I read two very good books.  “Mixed Blessings” written by William Christopher (he was Father Mulcahy on M*A*S*H) and his wife. The book was their history of raising an adopted son with Autism. This was many years ago, before much was known about Autism diagnosis and treatment.

My second book read was “When the Night Comes Falling” by Howard Blum.  This excellent true crime story covers almost everything tied to the murders of the four college students in Idaho.  Chilling and heartbreaking material from page one to the end. That book then got passed on to several of my swim pals.

Speaking of those young murder victims, the four part “One Night in Idaho” documentary series on Amazon Prime was equally gripping.  It was hard to watch, but I felt awful for those bright young murder victims. Their heartbroken families and friends deserved to be heard and yes, mourned.

A tragic real life story told so well.

I drifted into watching the raunchy eight-part series “The Hunting Wives” on Netflix along with “Trainwreck” documentaries “The Poop Cruise” and “The Balloon Boy.” “Amy Bradley is Missing” was another interesting documentary. CNN’s four-episode docuseries on the 40^th anniversary of “Live Aid: was well done and HBO’s two-part documentary on Billy Joel was so detailed and well told.  If you get the chance, check out “Billy Joel: And So it Goes” you’ll learn more about the Piano Man than was ever shared before.

Of course I watched loads of baseball. Mostly the Cubs and some White Sox contests along with a fun homerun derby and the mid—season All—Star Game. Somehow, I let a swim friend get me interested in “The Bachelor in Paradise” series.  Lots of lost dignity among the men and women on that show not to mention shamed viewers like me. 

Call it junk food for my brain, I will never get sucked into watching this cringeworthy series again.

The movie scene was weak.   I’m so done with sequels, re-makes, spin-offs and super hero movies.  There doesn’t seem to be any original ideas coming out of Hollywood.  I prefer films that are not made by computers and in front of green screens.  I did see a premiere of the popular movie “Weapons” which had a great premise but the film nose-dived into a slasher horror movie.

Cuisine wise, I enjoyed the new Steak—Burrito Mexican restaurant in Elmhurst a few times.  Fair prices and generous portions there.  I also made it to the new Yorky’s restaurant on St. Charles Road in Elmhurst and had a couple of great take-outs there including my first Yorky’s gyro in years which was incredible. Bad for the heart but good for the soul.

Thanks to talk-ups by my swim pals, I got reacquainted with two good stops in Villa Park; Kuppie’s Bakery and Mike’s Meat Market.  More tasty stuff from both places, reminded me to go there more often.

The late July reunion of us WLS AM 890 staffers was fantastic!  It was for those of us who worked there from 1960 thru 1985.  Great old stories, memories and reflections were on tap for the gathering.  Any of us who worked at the Rock of Chicago in its music heyday enjoyed a very rare privilege back then and at the reunion. 

Catching up with former co-worker John Records Landecker was just one highlight of being at the WLS reunion. Great fun for sure!

I did some tweaks to my media memoir “Raised on the Radio” and hope to self-publish that book next spring. (But you’ve heard that song before, so who the hell knows?) 

The summer time off goes too fast but this year it REALLY zipped by. There were things around the house I wanted to do but didn’t. There were changes in my personal habits that started to take place and then I quickly backslid and did not bounce back.

There’s an old saying that says teachers aren’t on summer break, they are in recovery.  I never believed that phrase but for me, this idea of just “recovering” from a very tough 24-25 school year was true!  Between my health issues (Detached retina, COVID, kidney stone) and a year that saw nine different students of mine get bounced from our school due to awful behaviors, recovery was as good as I could expect.  

Being a mainstay at East End Pool during the summer is a habit I’ll never break.

Overall, I’d great my whole summer as a ‘C+’. As I write this blog, there are 101 days left in 2025. I hope to make the best of them with better choices and possibly a good springboard into 2026.  And maybe next summer will be a better one for me.  We’ll see.

Mick Out

NEXT BLOG- When I know, you’ll know.

Whenever folks argue which band was better, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, I always answer The Who.  While I liked the Fab Four and Stones just fine, since middle school, the foursome from the Shepherd’s Bush section of London, England were my favorites.    

Fast forward to the fall of 1979 and The Who announced a U.S. concert tour.  For the Chicago date, 12/8/79, there was no sleeping out all night to line up for tickets as fans had to send in money orders and hope to be one of those who scored seats.  Those not selected in this lottery got their money orders sent back.  My friend Frank Bombino and I put in our money for a pair of tickets, followed the mailing directions and landed seats on the lower level of the Amphitheatre, twelve rows to the side of the stage.  I was pumped.  Earlier that summer, I saw “The Kids Are Alright” movie which showed lots of Who concert footage dating from the early 60’s through 1978 but now I was going to see the band live.  I could not wait for Saturday December 8^th.

Besides the mail-in lottery for tickets, this Chicago Who concert had an extra twist.  After the show easily sold out, plans were put in place for closed circuit simulcasts of the show in selected movie theatres in Chicago and the outlying suburbs. This was pretty much ‘pay per view’ before pay per view became a home TV operation.  After the concert-cast from the Amphitheatre, those who went to theatres were also shown the movie “Tommy.” 

ACTUAL PHOTO FROM THAT CONCERT ON 12/8/79. 

Five days before the Chicago concert, the tragedy in Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum made national news. Eleven Who fans died and twenty-eight others were injured in what was a stampede of people rushing to get into the arena before the concert. Cincinnati’s show featured festival seating or a ‘first come, first serve’ situation and when not enough doors were opened to accommodate the crowd, tragic consequences took place.  Concern for the same thing happening in Chicago was alleviated by the fact that every one of the twelve thousand seats was reserved.  Still, the night of the show officials made sure every possible gate and door for entry was opened to prevent any crowd problems. 

 That night Frank and I took our seats in the raised part of the lower level which had a perfect side view of the stage about forty feet from the band.  We could also see part of the backstage area where a large video screen was set up to show folks hanging there what was being broadcast to the movie theatres.  This was a major event and years later I read it was one of Who manager Bill Curbishly’s proudest moments.  A chance to play one show but get it out to more than just the twelve thousand fans in the arena.  WLUP FM 97.9, or “The Loop” was the rock station presenting this show and well known air personality Mitch Michaels was the emcee for the night.

There was no opening act (no need for these guys) and as the house lights went dark you could hear thousands of fans screaming “Whooo!””Whooo!.”   From our vantage point, Frank and I could see the foursome make their way up the stage stairs before most others did and they got in position to kick the night off.  Lead singer Roger Daltrey stood in his center spot, leaned his torso back and waited for Pete Townshend to open with the chords to “Substitute” and the concert was up and running.  Daltrey swung his microphone hard and fast as “Substitute” segued into “Can’t Explain” and as that song ended Roger introduced the next by yelling “Out Here in the Fields!” With that they launched into an angry stomp of “Baba O’Riley.”  Name me any band that can match those three songs to start a show.  And good luck with that.

For the first time on a tour, The Who featured a keyboard player, John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick and playing on “Baba” was where we first heard and saw him. Townsend started up his trademark windmill swipes at his Fender telecaster and the place went bananas.  Entwistle’s bass thundered and Kenny Jones slammed away at his drums.  A couple of songs later Pete introduced a three piece brass section (saxophone, trombone and trumpet) which helped the group play more songs from “Quadrophenia” like “5:15” and a strong version of “Music Must Change” from “Who Are You.”  We also heard other classics like “Behind Blue Eyes”, “My Wife”, “My Generation”, “I Can See for Miles” and “Long Live Rock” to name a few. Keith Moon was gone and people argue that Kenny Jones wasn’t a great replacement for him but I thought the group as a whole was in great form. 

 During breaks between songs, band members took time to say hi to the fans watching the show in the movie theatres.  Daltrey, Townsend and Entwistle would give a shout out to a couple of locales each but they did a good job of focusing on the crowd in the Amphitheatre while camera operators kept positioning themselves to get the best views of the band in action.  At one point I saw Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen standing behind a stack of amps and handing Townsend one guitar while taking one that Pete handed to him.  Pete did a little in between song clowning acting as if the closed circuit was broadcast to the world and saying hi to family and friends back in England, including an uncle whom was “having his balls operated on.”  

 “Won’t get Fooled Again” closed the band’s set which included a large flash stage explosion as Daltrey belted out his last scream of that classic. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” live is one of those chaotic blow-outs with all players going full bore crazy.  The foursome came out for an extended encore with highlights being the brass backed “The Real Me” and a killer cover of Martha and the Vandellas “Dancing in the Street”.  Then Townsend led a medley of snippets that included “Dance it Away”, “Young Man Blues”, “I’m a Man” and a yet to be released “How Can You Do It Alone.”  The Who rocked out a total of twenty eight songs and as the four members stood together at the front of the stage to wave goodbye Roger Daltrey told the crowd, “We had a great time tonight, we REALLY did!”  I’m sure he often says this to fans but these guys really looked like they were having a blast doing this show.  I’ve seen The Who many times since but this virgin experience remains my favorite. 

The good news is because of the simulcast into movie theaterss, someone was smart enough to tap into that video feed and record the entire concert.  It’s one of the easiest to find video ‘bootlegs’ and I believe the whole night can still be watched on You Tube.  Trust me, fans of The Who will love seeing the whole group looking so young and vibrant as they played these classic songs with strong passion.  It’s great to watch on video but for a few lucky fans like me, there was nothing like seeing it in person.  Long live rock!  

  Next Blog- My Summer Review.

On Monday June 30^th at 2:45 p.m. our summer school session will be over.  The staff at Parkland Preparatory Academy will flee for their cars as if we’re trying to catch the last chopper out of Saigon in 1975.   It’s been a very rough year but we’re almost to the finish line.  Whew!

To ensure my time off is as restful as possible, I’ve spent the last two weeks taking care of things around the house.  I put together a list of tasks and titled it, “Getting Shit Done.”  Doing these things now will help free up my time off.  Here’s what I’ve been ‘getting done.’

Got the good people at Jim Dhamer plumbing in to fix a slow running drain in my shower.  I hired a handyman to post up new address numbers on my house and fit one of my gutters with a new downspout.   My car’s oil got a changing at Jiffy Lube and I swept out the leaves and litter in my garage.  My PC got its annual clean-up from my computer expert Luis Corrado.  (Great guy, by the way) Add to this I finished my 40 GCN modules for school.  It’s an annual thing we school staffers have to endure and while not due until the end of September, it feels great to have that stuff done.

Another thing I did was re-new my membership to AARP because I want some assistance into looking for the right Medicare plan for me when I turn 65 on January 20^th 2026.  There was also a check sent to cover my admission into a WLS reunion event that I’ll be attending in July.  One appointment I still need to make in July is to have a new sleep study done.

My ‘To Do’ list was fully loaded and most tasks are done.

But wait, there’s more. Instead of calling a maid service (which I do a couple times a year) I did the top to bottom dusting, vacuuming and overall scrubbing of my house.  It’s best to start the vacation with a house smelling of Pine Sol.

I got my landscaper to do some weed whacking of growths by my garage, which he’s been missing and I clipped three garbage cans worth of shrub growth and weeds with a little more to go.  The wet spring and lack of cut maintenance had things grow a bit out of control.  

My front steps got a good scrubbing and new water sealing and I’ll get to the back steps in the next few days.  My driveway is about to get a new coat of sealant by a local business but first I need to cover over some cracks with this really effective tar-like tape. The only other job I have left is to do is scrape and paint the front trim on my garage. 

Actress Hilary Duff relaxing in her pool. She’s always welcome to be one of my guests at East End.

After that, it’s nothing but early morning lap swims at East End Pool, breakfast then writing and resting followed by mid-day swims with my ‘Summer Family’ at the pool and just taking it easy.  As I’ve often said, the best part of our time off is I am not on a clock.  I can do what I want, when I want.   And that’s exactly what I plan to do.

From the Elmhurst Park District Facebook page, some but not all of my summer family.

NEXT BLOG- Remembering the Great Chicago Heatwave of 1995 and the band I saw that wilted during their set.

This coming week will mark 50 years since the birth of the summer blockbuster movie arrived via the classic film “Jaws.” The thriller opened on June 20^th, 1975.   Before the release of “Jaws”, movie companies never gave much thought as to who would be seeing their celluloid products and when.  Me and my mom and dad saw the movie that first weekend, on a Sunday at the Yorktown Cinema.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s rewind back to a Sunday in late April of that year.  After church, my mother and I stopped at Dominick’s for a grocery load up.  While mom moved her cart around the store, I checked out the books and magazines stand.  I saw this paperback with a cool looking cover and the word “Jaws” splashed across the front.  I had not heard of this book when it was introduced in hardcover but after reading the synopsis on the back, I asked my mom to buy the book for me.  She agreed and ponied up the cash for it.

Who could blame me for wanting to read this book?

When we got home, I went to my bedroom to dive into this book.   Like Captain Quint hunting the great white shark, I was hooked on this tale and read half the story that day.  I was so into “Jaws” that the next morning I asked my parents if I could stay home from school to read the rest of this wild and tense book.  They let me do it.

Fast forward two months and while there was very little hype about “Jaws,” I heard a radio report saying folks were standing in line to see the premiere of the film.  They noted the sex side story that was in the book was not in the finished movie, so they could land the PG rating.  I urged my mom and dad to do a Sunday outing that weekend to see “Jaws” at the Yorktown Cinema and they were up for it.

That Sunday, I convinced my parents to get us to the theater an hour before the first showing.  They thought I was nuts but rolled with my request. After buying our tickets, we sat on a bench in the theater lobby while mom kept asking why we showed up so early for the movie.  I insisted a crowd was coming and twenty minutes later the whole lobby was filled with filmgoers.  Then mom stopped whining.  Ha!

This was the daily scene during the summer of ’75. Folks lined up to see “Jaws.”

The movie sold out, we got to our seats and for the next two hours were wrapped up in the tale of a great white shark terrorizing the resort town of Amity, Long Island, New York.  The hunt for the shark was a thrill and so was the tension between Rober Shaw as Captain Quint, Richard Dreyfus as shark expert Matt Hooper and water phobic Amity police chief Martin Brody played by Roy Scheider. 

For the rest of the summer of 1975, the American movie going public was caught up in the “Jaws” phenomenon.  Anything shark related was big news on TV and there was no stopping this crazy juggernaut.  Anytime we’d drive by the Yorktown theater all I saw were long lines of folks trying to get into every sold -out showing of the first ever summer blockbuster.  I didn’t end up seeing the movie for a second time until that fall when the York Theater finally got to show “Jaws” for a few weeks.  My dad wanted to see it again and we loved it as much as the first time we caught it back in June.

Chief Brody was about to get a peek at the hunted great white shark. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

As the years passed, we learned more about the making of this movie. Its director Stephen Spielberg made a major name for himself in Hollywood.  One irony to the “Jaws” explosion.  Actor Richard Dreyfus thought the movie was going to be a bomb and the end of his acting career.  Well, “Jaws” remains a classic film that made untold millions and Dreyfus did O.K. for himself. He only went on to star in films like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and win a Best Actor Oscar for “The Goodbye Girl.”

This all went down fifty years ago.  Yet my memories of Jaws-mania remain as clear as if they just happened yesterday. 

Next Blog: When I know, you’ll know. 

It’s weird that we lost two music icons who were incredible innovators in the same week. Sly Stone passed away a few days ago at age 82 and now Beach Boy genius Brian Wilson has passed, also at age 82.

I never saw Sly and the Family Stone in concert, (wish I had) but I remember one night back in the early 90’s when a Sly song rocked a crowd at a Chicago bar. I was out with my Q-101 morning show co-workers including Robert Murphy, our star and host for a night of bar hopping. So we end up at Weeds on Weed Street, late in the night. An unknown band was wrapping up their set onstage and they launched into Sly’s “Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself Again.” The whole club just lit into that fun tune of funkiness and after a long jam we were all left sweaty and hoarse from screaming along to that classic tune.

The following week a delivery guy dropped some items off at the Q-101 offices as Murf and I were leaving for the day. The delivery guy ended up being the lead singer of that unknown band we saw at Weeds! Murf and I said hey to the fella and he remembered us for being at his band’s set.

Any rocking funk musician who came after Sly Stone was no doubt influenced by his genius. From Prince to Bootsy Collins to George Clinton and hundreds of others. Sly, you made your mark!

Sly Stone, you done damn good. R.I.P.

Brian Wilson was a tortured musical genius with a family history of abuse and other nightmares. Yet, the joy he brought millions with his songs eclipses his own difficult life. Back in August of 1998 I attended an exclusive concert at a St. Charles high school auditorium that featured Brian and hot country star Deana Carter. Wilson played his hits and looked and sounded great. Deana did her set separately but was also well received. Innovators like Brian Wilson are rare these days but we still have his music to enjoy.

Brian Wilson enjoying a much deserved award.

For me, the summer song of 2025 comes from red hot country star Zach Top. His first hit “I Never Lie” brings country music back to a much pined for traditional sound. He IS the real deal. This summer song, “Good Times and Tan Lines” will remind you of Alan Jackson’s 1993 hit “Chattahoochee” but it’s fresh and new. Alan Jackson himself has anointed his approval of Zach’s music and Zach acknowledges A.J.’s influence on his songs.

My pick for THE summer song of 2025.

Back in my US*99 days, I was aware of Rascal Flatts’ but wasn’t a major fan of their tunes. With two exceptions, their wedding ballad “God Bless the Broken Road” and “Fast Cars and Freedom.” Recently I discovered a semi-remake of “Fast Cars” featuring Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts’ lead singer Gary Le Vox. These two guys breathe new and fresh life into a song from years ago. Well done guys!

Top notch re-do of a Rascal Flatts classic.

Summer Stuff. I still have a couple weeks of summer school to teach but sure am enjoying the weekend days at East End Pool. Full time swimming for the summer isn’t far away. With that said, call me crazy, but I’m not a fan of women sporting tiny bikinis and thongs. Those get-ups look too desperate. To catch my interest, give me a women in a well fitted one piece swimsuit.

Women in One Piece Swim Suits. Sounds like a good title for a song.

NEXT BLOG: Remembering the first ever Summer Blockbuster movie.

East End Pool is back open for the summer! Sadly, opening it was delayed a week due to the 60’s temperatures during Memorial Day weekend.  The maintenance staff needed to get the heated pool to a warmer temperature than 70 degrees and it wasn’t happening. But that’s in the past now.

Walking up to the East End entrance is always a pleasure!

Friday May 30^th, I got up early (5:30 a.m.) and swam at East End Pool, doing 40 laps in just over 30 minutes.  To be back in those waters felt so good as the sun came up over I-294. Then it was back home to clean up and be at school for parent-teacher conferences.  Not having kids in the building energized me to swim like that.

 East End looks great.  The pool’s bottom got a fresh patch up and a coat of powder blue paint, the lap lanes were re-striped. All depth markers have been re-posted and the steps leading to the water got new striped paint as well. This year there are also some Emergency Exits posted with new gates set up on the perimeter just in case the whole crowd of swimmers needs to scram ASAP.  The Elmhurst Park District does a fine job with landscaping around the facility and the guards are up in their chairs ready to monitor us pool goers.  

Saturday May 31^st The air temp barely got to 70 degrees but I still jumped in and knocked out a quick 44 laps along with some back floating and leg kicks in the  water before leaving.  Very few people braved the weather but I don’t want to waste a single day.

Sunday June 1^st Still cooler air temps but I still jumped in to do my laps.  Most of my fellow regulars (my summer family, if you will) were not on hand but I’ll catch up with them when the weather warms and we’re back as a group. I got in 50 laps and am starting to watch the time it takes to get my laps in. Today it only took me forty minutes which keeps me at a decent pace.

As luck would have it, air temps are expected to be in the high 80’s the next two days but I’ll be back in the classroom all week. Our required summer school session runs 5 days a week with the last day being June 30th. While I’d love to get in some water time after school, the only day that’s really feasible would be at the end of the week on Fridays.

But my limited time in the pool is O.K. in less than a month we’ll be on our break. Once on break, I plan to get my laps back up to 72 which is a mile and I’ll do all that in the morning, then do water walking and lounging in the sun in the afternoons. It’s not far away and I can wait it out doing weekend swim time until school is out.

Bottom line, it’s just good to be back in East End Pool!

NEXT BLOG- Remembering the first ever Summer blockbuster movie.

For the past few weeks, I could not turn on the TV or go online without seeing photos, videos and postings of high school prom happenings.  Proud parents sharing pics of their kiddos in fancy suits, tuxedos, gowns and the like.   There are many clever prom proposals staged and other coverage that celebrates the teen’s dress up nights.  Museums in Chicago and even the Navy Pier Ballroom are popular locales for the dances.  The whole prom culture is a big deal.  It reminds me of my proms when I was 17 and 18.

Oh wait.  I didn’t go to my proms.  Full disclosure, I was as smitten by my female classmates at York High School as any other guy at our school was.  However, like many of my buddies, I was a bit gun shy to ask any young ladies to be my prom date.  To quote Bob Seger’s “Night Moves”, we young dudes were “working on mysteries without any clues.”  

Some prom headed kids about to have a fun time.

Still, I was out and about on prom night back in my junior and senior years.   In 1978, I went to a small party held by a classmate.  It was a gathering for those who wanted to have a few beers and commiserate with others who were NOT at prom.  The only problem was everywhere I turned there were teen girls hugging and comforting each other while crying because nobody asked them to the big dance. It was a dark and sad time and by midnight I got the hell out of there.

In 1979, my senior year, I went to a raging beer bash held by my good friend Gordie Carlson.  Again, this was a gathering for the non-prom people.  I could only stay there til 10:30 because I was scheduled to work the 11pm til 7 am graveyard shift at White Castle.  I had two or three beers but had to cut myself off so I could make it to my job. 

Full disclosure- Senior year, there WAS a girl a year younger than I who was on my dating radar. Through mutual friends I knew she was interested in me as well but I waited too long to make a move and some other guy zoomed in and began going with her.  Doh!  In the early evening of that prom night in ‘79 I drove by that girl’s house in time to catch her and this guy walking to his car, all dressed up and headed to the prom. Ugh.  I felt ridiculous pangs of regret.

But that wasn’t my lowest point of the night.  That happened at about five a.m. at White Castle when four prom going couples I recognized from York came rolling into the store’s dining room to munch on some sliders.   Still decked in their tuxes and gowns, these peers were having a blast and here I was sweeping and mopping the dining area floors.  Mick, welcome to Loserville, population: you!

Working the graveyard shift on prom night = loser!

The good news is like all my friends I did eventually get over my reticence to ask girls out on dates.  Yes, I’ve had my share of women.  But my share seems so little.  Hey now!  

A few years later I did D.J. and co-host several dances at York that were more casual. They were called MORP which was PROM spelled backwards.  Those dances were packed and my college radio pal Jim Turano and I had a blast being the life of those record rocking parties.

Fast forward a couple more years and Jim and I played DJ stars for Fenton High School.  We were hired to do the record spinning for their prom two years in a row. So FINALLY, I made it to a couple prom events.  And they paid very well!

Hosting and DJ-ing proms was a blast…And profitable.

Looking back on my high school years, I only had two regrets. One, was never learning to play the guitar. I sort of noodle on a chord or two now but I should’ve taken lessons in my teen years. 

My second regret was not asking out more of my female high school classmates. Years ago, the great Wayne Gretzky said a famous quote that fit my situation to a T.  “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”  Wayne, why didn’t you say that quote while I was still in high school?  Damn you, Gretzky!

To all the prom goers, I hope you had great fun at your springtime events.  And to the teen guys who are like I was, a bit hesitant to ask girls out, take a shot.  If you get turned down, so what?  But give it a go, chances are, you’ll score.  Right Wayne?

Speaking of Prom, here’s one of my favorite music video parodies Al Flash and I have done.

Who besides me loves to see dogs enjoying their car rides?

Anytime when driving, if I see someone with a dog in their car I break out in a big smile.  In the years that we had dogs as pets they ALL lived for car rides and could not get enough of a ride-along.  Coach, a part German Shepard mixed breed and our first pooch used to stick his head out the passenger window and snap a playful bite at every car going past us in the opposite direction.  Molly, our first sweet Boston Terrier loved to jump on the top of the driver’s seat and perch herself on my shoulders like she was a parrot and I was a pirate.  What a character she was!

The dogs I see riding with their owners all seem to be so happy and having the time of their lives, so I’ve tried to figure out what’s so special about canines and cars. 

Here’s my theory.

When someone owns a dog, chances are that critter wants to spend as much time as possible with their humans.  Unlike cats, who are often aloof and happy to be on their own and alone, dogs are very social animals.

Since most dog owners can’t take their Fidos and Fi Fis everywhere, there’s lots of, “See you later sweetie, I gotta go” said to the dogs. The humans load up in their cars and drive off.  Every single day, dogs hear car engines start up and see their masters drive off to work, school, the grocery store, bank, dry cleaners, friends’ houses and all other locales. The car drives off and the poor pooches are left at home.  Home alone.

So, when the humans of the house invite those dogs to go for a ride with them, the furry family member is thinking, “Really?  I get to go WITH you?  I am so in, let’s go!”  This inclusion makes each dog’s day and they’re thrilled to be taken for a ride.  Maybe that cruise will include a stop at McDonald’s for a few bites of a burger, or better yet, a hit at Starbuck’s for a much beloved pup cup.  Seeing video clips of pup cups being savored by dogs is hilarious. Many drive-thru windows at banks keep dog biscuits on hand so when they see a furry face riding in a car, they can hand out a treat or two.

Grab a Pup Cup to go!

Even when I drove my dogs to the veterinarian, they were fine with that.  It was all about the old pop song “I only wanna be with you!”  Although bringing my Min Pin ‘Daisy’ to the groomer was one stop she did not like.  The reason being I’d leave her at that shop for a shampoo and nail clipping and go home without her.  An hour later I’d get the call to pick her up and Daisy was beyond grateful to see me and go for a ride home.

I think it was F. Scott Fitzgerald who once wrote that when you tell a dog you’ll be back, they don’t believe you.  That may be one of the reasons why most dog owners get such an enthusiastic greeting from their dogs when they come home from work or school.

Anyway, that’s my theory on dogs and cars.  They love their humans and hope to spend as much time as possible with them.  So, if you’re a dog owner, keep that in mind and load your furry family member up for a cruise anytime you can.

 Next blog: My Prom Memories.

While this memory goes back forty-six years, it was and remains one to never forget. It was Easter weekend, Easter Eve, actually if there is such a thing. Lots went on so here we go. 

That Saturday night, I had five of my high school varsity baseball teammates over to the house for a poker party at our dining room table.  Some guys brought snacks and we had the kitchen refrigerator filled with beer.  This wasn’t high stakes gambling, just quarter ante and nobody walked away losing or winning more than twenty bucks or so. There were lots of laughs, inappropriate jokes and fun which were as much a part of the night as the card game was.

As the beers were downed, one teammate went to our phone and decided to prank call our varsity coach, Mr. Ellingsen at ten at night. When Ellingsen answered, my ball playing teammate just yelled loud into the phone then hung up.  This was in the days before caller I.D. and other ways to detect anyone who prank called you. We all laughed and stopped with any more goofy calls.

Not me and my teammates, no this is Tom Cruise playing poker with pals in “Risky Business.”

Around 11:30 that night,  my mom and sister came home from their middle shift at the hospital where they worked so it was time to break up the poker game.  We decided to swing out to White Castle for some late night eats. The last of the beers were pulled from the fridge and off we went.

I got back home an hour later only to discover our gray tabby cat “Squeaks” caught a baby bunny rabbit outside and left it on the back porch for me to see, the bunny was decapitated.  I scolded Squeaks,  reported the murder to my parents then scooped up the remains and dumped it in the garbage outside.  

It was time for bed and I woke up Easter Sunday to a new surprise.  There was no Easter basket left for me in my bedroom!  No solid chocolate bunny, no small chocolate eggs, jelly beans or even a plastic egg with a twenty dollar bill stuffed in it.    

No Easter basket for me? WTH?!

Scrambling downstairs, I figured my basket might’ve been left in the living room or the dining room.  Nope.  No basket, anywhere.  My mom and dad woke up to the sound of me asking about not getting an Easter basket.  First time ever! I was more surprised than hurt. My parents were shocked that at age 18 I still expected a basket of sweets.  I told them there’s no age limit or shutdown on getting such a treat. My mom had the best answer to the ‘no basket’ issue. She said, “Sorry Mick, last night Squeaks ate the  Easter Bunny!”

We had another surprise coming for us.  My mother was set to prepare the Easter lunch/early dinner we’d be having that day.  Only one problem. The  large canned ham she stored in our kitchen refrigerator was gone!  She checked the freezer below it and even our spare fridge in the basement. No ham, nowhere!  What the heck?  How?  Who?  When?

Who stole my mom’s canned ham?

Apparently, one of my beer guzzling, poker playing baseball teammates stole our Easter ham the night before!  It no doubt happened as they  emptied the fridge of our remaining beers before we went to White Castle. I had no idea who it could’ve been and mom, dad and I just stared at each other trying to figure out what to do now.  Mom wasn’t even that mad, just puzzled that our main course was gone for good.

My sister Marianne was sleeping in but the three of us were hungry and decided to make the best of things and go out to eat.  We didn’t get to a local restaurant for one of those Easter buffet specials.  No, instead we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus by going to our favorite out of town eatery, Stein’s Jewish Deli in nearby Lyons.  

My parents favored pastrami sandwiches with sides of potato salad and such but I was a little more unconventional.  My favorite offering from Stein’s was their jumbo fried shrimp.  I swear each piece in the serving was almost the size of my fist.  I downed my meal with French fries and a couple of cokes.

Stein’s Deli is no more but that was a great place to eat!

So, to re-cap:   Beers, laughs, poker playing and a prank call to our coach. Followed by chowing down at White Castle, a dead bunny rabbit, getting shut out from a treats filled basket, a stolen ham and giant shrimp from a Jewish deli for my Easter feast.  Kind of an interesting twenty-four hours, for sure.

Oh, and later that afternoon, my parents delivered to me a full blown Easter basket loaded with all the treats. The squeaky wheel might get the grease but the whiny teenager gets the Easter basket. 

POSTSCRIPT: A few weeks later, I hosted my baseball buddies for a Sunday afternoon backyard barbecue.  One of my teammates worked at Mc Donald’s and he liberated a full box of frozen quarter pounder beef patties from his workplace. Others brought buns and chips and I had plenty of condiments for this outing. We cooked those burgers on a Weber grill and washed them down with cold brew.  And this time there was no thievery from our kitchen refrigerator.  

And no, I never did find out who stole our Easter ham!

NEXT BLOG- Doggie On Board!