Holy cow, is that a random stock photo or a picture of your library? It looks like a good place to hang about for a few years. :) And I absolutely love your response, "I’m a happy old man, F.P., and if it has some effect, I’m glad for it." Your happiness is indeed contagious, thank you for spreading it around.
It's a stock photo. My library got much smaller when we left the big house and moved to an apartment. My old high school got a couple thousand beautiful books and I can't think of a better place for them.
(This is meant to get to the Guy Noire post from the weekend): It was then there came a knock on my door; "Yah? Come on in, the door's unlocked." She was tall and willowy, and one of the few platinum blondes I'd ever seen. Her eyes were nearly Liz Taylor violet in the shadow from the doorway, but changed to a luminous hazel as she came closer. I could smell her perfume, 'Wild Hyacinth'. "Mr. Noyer...?"she breathed.
So pleased to read "my telling of Unitarian jokes is far far behind me," I used to take umbrage even though I'm only a Unitarian sympathizer and not a card-carrier. (And you're right, they're admirably self-effacing.) The Southern Baptism of my childhood didn't take, thank goodness. Unitarians are Humanists, as you surely are at heart. Episcopalian converts often are. The heart of PHC sure struck me as humanistic, focused on this life and the good we can do while we have it. Your good cheer does seem genuine, and rooted in a humane sympathy for the foibles and fallibilities of our kind.
Reference John Taylor (the trombone player from Pendleton, OR) and his lament for the poor pseudo-sackbut instrumentalist, I myself have played the 'slushpump' (yeah, I know 'em all...) for 50 of my 75 years and I sympathise with him! Back in HS days (San Joaquin Valley, CA), I had a brilliantly unconventional (read: 'hip') band director named Bob Bangs, who was an inspiration to all us long-suffering brass players. It was he who introduced us to the famous 'Hungry Five' German village band style of rendering fin d'siecle traditional tunes in the most wretchedly appealing manner possible and he is also responsible for rekindling my appreciations for San Francisco's famed 'Guckenheimer Sour Kraut Band' of the 50s, somewhat later as an adult. Contrary to what most may think, it takes genuine musical mastery to play notes out-of-key and asynchronously to a high degree of whimsical perfection! The Guckenheimers remain one of my all-time favorites today and I often wonder why no one else has ever revived their brilliantly amusing approach to moosic (sic).
PS: When I went to Saudi Arabia to do medical contracts for the Saudi Government in the 80s, I ended up at Al Hada Hospital in Taif (the Saudi Summer Capital) and was aghast to find that my new flat-mate was none other than one Andre Hockett, who played trombone next to me in First Chair status in my college band! GAAK! Life, it seems, is endless amusing, if you just think to keep looking under the right piles of doggy doodoo for nuggets of pure gold!
Great Lakes! Now, there's an idea - as long as we can work out the COVID-19 situation with all ports of call. Perhaps, if we had an "All-Vaccinated" status, that might work! We could cruise by the cave where you and your brother almost got lost(?). And, I was mesmerized by the movie "Somewhere in Time" with Christopher Reeve. It was filmed at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island - that could be worth a tour! There are lots of other spots, too, like Presque Isle on Lake Erie, where an American fleet was built in the wilderness for the War of 1812. I'm sure lots of other shore tours could be arranged! I remember, on a cross-country train ride in my youth, a friend and I got off in Chicago to get some famous candy from Marshall Field's department store. We hadn't realized that the trains on the loop all ran in one direction! We ended up running eight city blocks, panting up to the last car on the train, and having a distressed conductor profoundly grateful to see that the "Lost Girls" had made it back!
Above all, though, it would be Great to just be Cruisin' Again with APHC! Being on board is like a Breath of Heaven for all us lonesome Democrats who have to put up with our majority Republican neighbors at home! It's so wonderful to be "among friends", even if the time is "Never Enough!" I know I'll lay my head down tonight and dream of Cruisin' with APHC!"
A revised paperback memoir! That's something to look forward to! I think we're all in the "I shoulda, woulda, coulda" frame of mind at one time or another! I hope there's an advanced advertising note that lets us know it's worth buying for our GK bookshelves in addition to the hardcopy! And, even if some portions are repetitious, if other folks' memories are like mine, it could be that we may read it as "All New!" Sounds great!
Holy cow, is that a random stock photo or a picture of your library? It looks like a good place to hang about for a few years. :) And I absolutely love your response, "I’m a happy old man, F.P., and if it has some effect, I’m glad for it." Your happiness is indeed contagious, thank you for spreading it around.
It's a stock photo. My library got much smaller when we left the big house and moved to an apartment. My old high school got a couple thousand beautiful books and I can't think of a better place for them.
(This is meant to get to the Guy Noire post from the weekend): It was then there came a knock on my door; "Yah? Come on in, the door's unlocked." She was tall and willowy, and one of the few platinum blondes I'd ever seen. Her eyes were nearly Liz Taylor violet in the shadow from the doorway, but changed to a luminous hazel as she came closer. I could smell her perfume, 'Wild Hyacinth'. "Mr. Noyer...?"she breathed.
So pleased to read "my telling of Unitarian jokes is far far behind me," I used to take umbrage even though I'm only a Unitarian sympathizer and not a card-carrier. (And you're right, they're admirably self-effacing.) The Southern Baptism of my childhood didn't take, thank goodness. Unitarians are Humanists, as you surely are at heart. Episcopalian converts often are. The heart of PHC sure struck me as humanistic, focused on this life and the good we can do while we have it. Your good cheer does seem genuine, and rooted in a humane sympathy for the foibles and fallibilities of our kind.
Reference John Taylor (the trombone player from Pendleton, OR) and his lament for the poor pseudo-sackbut instrumentalist, I myself have played the 'slushpump' (yeah, I know 'em all...) for 50 of my 75 years and I sympathise with him! Back in HS days (San Joaquin Valley, CA), I had a brilliantly unconventional (read: 'hip') band director named Bob Bangs, who was an inspiration to all us long-suffering brass players. It was he who introduced us to the famous 'Hungry Five' German village band style of rendering fin d'siecle traditional tunes in the most wretchedly appealing manner possible and he is also responsible for rekindling my appreciations for San Francisco's famed 'Guckenheimer Sour Kraut Band' of the 50s, somewhat later as an adult. Contrary to what most may think, it takes genuine musical mastery to play notes out-of-key and asynchronously to a high degree of whimsical perfection! The Guckenheimers remain one of my all-time favorites today and I often wonder why no one else has ever revived their brilliantly amusing approach to moosic (sic).
PS: When I went to Saudi Arabia to do medical contracts for the Saudi Government in the 80s, I ended up at Al Hada Hospital in Taif (the Saudi Summer Capital) and was aghast to find that my new flat-mate was none other than one Andre Hockett, who played trombone next to me in First Chair status in my college band! GAAK! Life, it seems, is endless amusing, if you just think to keep looking under the right piles of doggy doodoo for nuggets of pure gold!
Cheers, Kalikiano Kalei
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webpage: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B074VR26XF
My girls and I have enjoyed wonderful cruises with you! They are some of our best memories! Please have another one to Norway or the Great Lakes!
Great Lakes! Now, there's an idea - as long as we can work out the COVID-19 situation with all ports of call. Perhaps, if we had an "All-Vaccinated" status, that might work! We could cruise by the cave where you and your brother almost got lost(?). And, I was mesmerized by the movie "Somewhere in Time" with Christopher Reeve. It was filmed at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island - that could be worth a tour! There are lots of other spots, too, like Presque Isle on Lake Erie, where an American fleet was built in the wilderness for the War of 1812. I'm sure lots of other shore tours could be arranged! I remember, on a cross-country train ride in my youth, a friend and I got off in Chicago to get some famous candy from Marshall Field's department store. We hadn't realized that the trains on the loop all ran in one direction! We ended up running eight city blocks, panting up to the last car on the train, and having a distressed conductor profoundly grateful to see that the "Lost Girls" had made it back!
Above all, though, it would be Great to just be Cruisin' Again with APHC! Being on board is like a Breath of Heaven for all us lonesome Democrats who have to put up with our majority Republican neighbors at home! It's so wonderful to be "among friends", even if the time is "Never Enough!" I know I'll lay my head down tonight and dream of Cruisin' with APHC!"
I second whoever wanted cruises to start up. Definitely back to Norway! That was amazing!
A revised paperback memoir! That's something to look forward to! I think we're all in the "I shoulda, woulda, coulda" frame of mind at one time or another! I hope there's an advanced advertising note that lets us know it's worth buying for our GK bookshelves in addition to the hardcopy! And, even if some portions are repetitious, if other folks' memories are like mine, it could be that we may read it as "All New!" Sounds great!