March 2024 - Page 2 of 7 - Ramblin' with Roger

Lydster: something substantial

clarinet

My daughter has commanded that I write something substantial about her for her significant birthday. But it’s TWO hard! How can I encapsulate her TWO decades in one post? I know – I’ll write TWO posts over TWO months! My blog, my rules.

Let’s start before the beginning. My wife had asked, more than once, if I was ready to have a child. My response, of course, was: how the heck do I know? I had said I was amenable to trying, but when you’re five decades old, you don’t know if it would happen.

Then it did. My wife and I remember when we first knew she was pregnant, but no one else, save for folks in the doctor’s office, did. We were returning from a small party when we saw our friend Fred. He was out with his one-week-old named Carol. Indeed, Fred has mentioned this encounter in the past year, so it was significant to him, too, especially after he heard about our secret.

We developed a birth plan, and when we realized the ob/gyn was not on board, my wife changed doctors at eight months pregnant, which I thought was great. Scary, but bold.

Eureka!

The child was born. She didn’t sleep well for a few days, so neither did we. But things got better eventually. Someone had told us that the way one gets a child to sleep is to drive them around. This was SO not the case for her! On trips to see her maternal grandparents in Oneonta, NY, she’d cry -OK, wail – for ten minutes before falling asleep for an hour. She’d wake up and start wailing again UNLESS her father got into the back seat with her and sang to her constantly: e.g., OldMcDonaldHadAFarmEIEIOAndOnThatFarm… This generally worked.

My workmates had gotten us a red carriage, and I loved to ride her around the neighborhood. The school district has razed the 99-year-old School 19 and then built Pine Hills Elementary School on the same site. I appreciated that they built a new structure just for my daughter, or so I chose to believe.

After my wife returned to work, she dropped our daughter off at a private daycare for the first year. It was during that time that I SHOULD have been recording all of her milestones: when she started to crawl then walk – the former was earlier than the norm, the latter, slightly later. She crawled up the stairs, much to the horror of her mother.

As a result of NOT tracking her progress in the book, I’ve been writing about her EVERY month on the 26th since May 2005. I might have written about her on other days, but this is at least the 227th piece. Now, I could wade through this blog and pick out highlights in her life. But, with few exceptions, I will wing it instead.

Daycare

Around that time, I took her to Mercy Cares for Kids, right on the bus line. We were happy about the diverse population of the children. I loved dropping her off, and it was our little time together. Then I’d take another bus to work.

Only one time that she got there but refused to stay, and it was a morning that, for some reason, we got there about a half hour late. She did NOT like to go in when all of the other kids were already there. So I brought her home and took off the day from work. Even then, she had rules.

When she started school, she attended Watervliet Elementary for kindergarten since her mother taught there. Then, she went to Pine Hills Elementary for grades 1-6. She met her bestie, Kay, there.

Her sense of fashion was evident early on. After she outgrew the hand-me-downs my wife’s friend Alison gave us, my daughter largely specified her wardrobe. Early on, it was pink and purple, but she quickly developed her own style. She also started taking care of her hair, in part because her parents were fairly hapless. Eventually, she also got into makeup. Her process is tied to her sense of art, which is very strong.

Popular culture

We watched a lot of television together, such as Little Bear and Franklin. Wonder Pets was a favorite; her mom was Linny, the guinea pig, I was Turtle Tuck, and she was Ming-Ming Duckling. Later, she watched some Disney shows, some of which were not awful.

The first compact disc I bought her was the Beatles #1s. When we saw Paul McCartney in 2014, she knew most of the band’s songs but was less versed in solo Macca and Wings. I also tried to let her know about 1960s and 1970s Motown. Ultimately, she found her taste, listening to Pentatonix, then BTS, but ultimately 1990’s soul, especially Blaque. She owns a 3-LP set of

My daughter was involved in various ballet, soccer, and other activities. It’s all a learning process, and we never prodded her to continue. She WAS pretty good at the clarinet, though, and we still have the instrument in case she ever wants to return to it.

That’s enough for this month, except to wish her a wonderful birthday!

Yes, it snows in Albany in March

Reading in the dark

Some folks became distraught when the forecast suggested a four-letter word starting with S on Saturday. But it snows in Albany in March, even after the vernal equinox. We got maybe three or four inches, c. 8 cm. It wasn’t a big deal because we had received less than two feet all season. OR SO I THOUGHT.

Some folks north of Albany, and especially in Vermont, got hammered with from a foot to close to three feet. THEY can complain!

My initial annoyance was that there was virtually no snow, just rain. Because of an error in construction, our sidewalk puddles greatly. Walking past our house, one needed waders. Did you ever try to shovel rain?

Fortunately, the precipitation turned to snow, and I was able to shovel the heavy mess. I am very good at removing snow; I do not create a shovelwidth-wide path.

That’s the night the lights went out in Albany

More inconvenient was that the power went out shortly after 5 pm. I discovered that my bedroom is the best place to read before dark. Not only does it have a western exposure, but the backyard is sufficiently large.

So I did what I do too infrequently: I finished the last 30 pages of one book and read the first 30 pages of another.

Several years ago, I purchased Eco-I-Lite, a “rechargeable & ready emergency flashlight… for when the power goes out.” For some reason, someone had unplugged it, and the parts—the plug and flashlight—disappeared into two different boxes. Fortunately, I found both sections in late February and plugged them into the wall. It was handy.

Kellogg’s CEO recently opined that poor families should eat cold cereal for dinner. This comment rightly received a lot of pushback, as “cereal prices have risen 28% over the last four years.” That night, I DID have cereal for dinner, but it was the combo of General Mills and Post cereals. My wife chose cold pizza instead. Dinner by candlelight; how romantic.

The power returned at 9:26 p.m. I know this because the DVR started recording the figure skating my wife wanted to watch.

And then

The next day, the sidewalk was akin to an ice rink as the temperature plummeted overnight. I had to use rock salt, or whatever it is that they make for this purpose. Scraping off my wife’s car was onerous. Then she noticed this:

The severed part of the tree, fortunately, fell onto another tree rather than the house behind it, or our car, which was parked under the tree. The temperature was 20F.

After church, we checked out the arboreal destruction in Washington Park, which was extensive. Along State Street, we saw this minor example:

I theorize that the rapid temperature changes caused the water to freeze on the trees, making them vulnerable, especially the evergreens.

Now it was 35F, above freezing. As my wife drove us home, the ice that had adhered to our car roof was dislodged and rushed onto our front windshield. At the next red light, I jumped out of the car and cleared the icebergs.

The other unfortunate outcome of the weather variations was a sudden plethora of potholes in places that were not problems two days earlier. Some of them were pretty large.

So, even a four-inch snowstorm CAN be a PITA.

Sunday Stealing: after the vernal equinox

Asking Superman

The first Sunday Stealing after the vernal equinox is another WTIT: The Blog presentation.

1. If you could witness any event from history, what would it be?

The end of World War II in 1945. I’ve seen/read enough science fiction to want to make sure I don’t muck up history.

2. What do you think about conspiracy theories?

Most of them have no basis, and some are utterly absurd. So those that I consider plausible, such as JFK’s assassination, make me really uncomfortable.

3. Do you like cartoons? Do you have /had a favorite one?

I have always loved cartoons. Popeye got to eat spinach. When I was five and a half, I remember having a bloody nose so severe that I was admitted to the hospital; it was great because I got to see the Hanna-Barbera cartoons such as Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear. Later, I watched The Flinstones and the Jetsons, then the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner stable. For a few years, I watched The Simpsons. If I had to pick one, it’d be Rocky and Bullwinkle. And this doesn’t even touch on print cartoons such as Doonesbury, Nancy, and many more.

4. What did you most dislike in school times?

In grade school, the teachers checked our fingernails to ensure they were clean. Mine were rarely clean. They might have been when I left the house, but not by the time they were checked. At the time, I thought it was stupid. In retrospect, it was stupid.

Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream

5. What sounds are, in your opinion, relaxing? The sound of the sea? Traffic? Vacuum cleaner? Combine harvester on the field? Some kind of music? Birds singing?

White noise, vacuum cleaner.

6. What was the last thing you read?

Today’s newspaper.

7. What is one thing that has stumped you so hard you won’t ever forget it?

When I was eleven, give or take, I was walking down the street when something cracked the lens of my glasses. What WAS that? Nothing hit me, such as a pellet from a BB gun. My eye was unharmed.

8. What are you interested in that most people aren’t?

The US Secretaries of State who became President: Jefferson was Secretary of State under Washington, Madison under Jefferson, Monroe under Madison, JQ Adams under Monroe, Van Buren under Jackson, Buchanan under Polk, and H. Clinton under Obama—wait, that last one didn’t happen.

9. What’s something you really resent paying for?

I think the American method of tipping is weird, and I wish the workers were better paid. I’d rather pay more for the service.

10. If you could choose a different time period and place to be born, when and where would it be?

I have no magical “better time” in mind. I think of technological and medical advances that I appreciate.

Man of Steel

11. What’s one question you would ask Superman?

Why don’t you end the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, et al?

12. What’s your favorite smell? What’s your least favorite smell?

I love lilacs. I hate rotten eggs.

13. How do you feel about cars becoming fully autonomous and having no steering wheel, breaks, or accelerators?

I’m in favor of the idea. The technology is not there yet.

14. What are your favorite books and authors?

I have a whole bunch of Marvel Masterworks, many from the 1960s. So Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Stan Lee. (I’ve answered this question a few times, and I’m trying to give a new response.)

15. Have you had a reading or palm reading done?

Probably, but it was not anything I put any stock into.

The obscure Supremes albums

inroads

I started thinking about the obscure Supremes albums partly because Diana Ross is turning 80 on March 26, and the late Mary Wilson would have turned 80 on March 6.

By obscure, I mean the albums that didn’t contain the hits. These recordings, at least early on, were designed to showcase the broad commercial range of the group. Yet some of the LPs did well.

I used to own many of them before they were stolen from my grandmother’s house c. 1972.

Meet The Supremes (1962) – this was obscure because they weren’t that popular yet. I didn’t buy it until after the reissue cover was used in 1965. Your Heart Belongs To Me. Did not chart pop or RB.

Where Did Our Love Go (1964) – NOT obscure, as it had three #1 hits. #2 for four weeks pop, #1 RB.

A Bit of Liverpool (1964) – It contains five Lennon-McCartney songs. You Can’t Do That is probably the best. #21 pop, #5 RB.

The Supremes Sing Country, Western, and Pop (1965) I rather liked this one. It starts with Willie Nelson’s Funny How Time Slips Away. #79 pop.

We Remember Sam Cooke (1965) – It’s one of the better-themed albums. (Ain’t That) Good News, with the late Florence Ballard on lead vocals.#75 pop, #5 RB.

More Hits by The Supremes (1965) – with two #1 hits, not obscure. #6 pop, ##2 for six weeks RB.

Merry Christmas (1965) – I never owned this album, but tracks appeared on Motown compilation albums. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Me. #6 Xmas

Live!

The Supremes at the Copa (1965) – a live album. “Playing the club was seen by Motown CEO Berry Gordy as an in-roads into the conservative white middle-America market.” It wasn’t my cuppa. Put on a Happy Face. #11 pop, #2 RB.

I Hear a Symphony (1966) – While a hit-laden album, it also contained standards such as Stranger In Paradise.

The Supremes A’ Go-Go (1966) – the album went to #1 pop for two weeks, the first album by an all-female group to reach number one on the Billboard 200 album charts. #1 for four weeks RB.

The Supremes Sing Holland–Dozier–Holland (1967). – a silly title in that they sang a lot of H-D-H at the time. It contains two of my favorite non-hit tracks by the group, Remove This Doubt and Going Down For The Third Time. #6 pop, #1 for three weeks RB

The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart (1967) – When my albums were stolen, this one survived. Perhaps it was dropped. I learned to appreciate the composers’ work and its import because I initially heard those songs here. Mountain Greenery.#20 pop, #3 RB.

Diana Ross and the…

At this point, Florence Ballard left the group, Cindy Birdsong joined, and Diana Ross got top billing.

Reflections (1968). #18 pop, #3 RB.

Diana Ross & the Supremes Sing and Perform “Funny Girl” (1968). This album, which I never owned, was a commercial failure.#150 pop, #45 RB.

Live at London’s Talk of the Town (1968) – released the same day as Funny Girl, with a combination of standards and Supremes hits. This is not THE recording of You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You, but it has elements. #57 pop, #22 RB.

Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations (1968) – this worked, with a #2 hit. The first song is Try It, Baby, a Berry Gordy song originally performed by Marvin Gaye. #2 pop, #1 for four weeks RB.

Love Child (1968) Increasingly, Mary and Cindy were supplanted by Motown session singers The Andantes. #14 pop, #3 RB.

Let the Sunshine In (1969) – the commercial and artistic decline. #24 pop, #7 RB.

Together (with The Temptations) (1969) – I own the LP, but nothing sticks out in my mind. #28 pop, #6 RB.

Cream of the Crop (1969) – didn’t buy. #33 pop, #3 RB

G.I.T. on Broadway (1969) – a TV special with Temptation. Eh. #38 pop, #4 RB.

Farewell (1970) – the live farewell at a Las Vegas club, where Jean Terrell was introduced as Diana’s replacement as DR went solo. It’s a good place to stop. #46 pop, #31 RB.

Why do we remember some things but not others?

Photographs and memories

My friend asked a question on Facebook that was very interesting to me:

Why do we remember some things but not others? I often pull up memories of my growing up but not memories of my life as an adult. It’s not as though I don’t remember things about my adulthood at all. It’s just that my memories of growing up seem more colorful and formative and stand out more. What do you think? I am looking for your insight. How is it for you?

I had this photo album when I was a kid. It was red. I would put pictures of my family and friends in it. It’s why I “remember” going to the Catskill Game Farm when I was three and a half. In truth, I don’t recall it at all, but I remember the picture.

I was in Cub Scouts when I was about eight. Photos remind me that Bill D. and David D. were in my group. I remember that Ray was there, but that was easy because his mom was our den mother.

But that red book is long gone. I have few pictures of my classmates and me in elementary school, except for a handful my old friends have shared.

JFK

Do I remember November 22, 1963, because it was so traumatizing or because my friends and I reminded each other with stories? I misremembered that my friend Karen was in that classroom, maybe because she was almost ALWAYS there.

My sister Leslie and I were involved in an altercation when I was 11, and she was 10, give or take two years. But she misremembered that it was between her and our baby sister Marcia, who was five years younger than I. She held on to this belief until a couple of years ago.

I remember high school better than elementary school, partly because of high school yearbook photos. I was also student government president, so there were a few memorable events.

As indicated in this blog, 1972 was a memorable year for me. So were 1974, 1977 (living in four different cities) and 1978. The same is true of later years. The year 1990, when I quit Empire Blue Cross, worked the Census, and started library school, is embossed in my mind.

In 1998, I took a vacation and appeared on JEOPARDY, among other highlights. I got married in 1999, and our daughter was born in 2004. Those things and events around it, I remember.

The blog as a memory aid

What’s helped me since 2005 is this here blog. Writing it down has helped in a manner that tweeting or a quick Facebook post does not. It’s not that I always remember stuff; after about seven thousand posts, I’ve noticed that I can even forget that I blogged about something. (This is why I usually write about people on their 70th birthday instead of their 58th so that I won’t replicate my efforts.)

In general, I remember things that I attach to numbers. I know I went to the Lucy-Desi Museum, the Pro Football, and the Rock and Roll Halls of Fame in 2016 because the international Olin family reunions have been in years ending in 1 and 6.

Conversely, something that seems ephemeral dashes right out of my head. I remember three items I needed at the grocery store but not four. This is why Allah created the shopping list.

Like many people, keeping track of dates has been mucked up by COVID-19. Things are before COVID or after COVID.

What do you tend to remember, and what will you forget?