The Wise Wife of West Akron has forbidden me to write about what I was going to write about. So I’m telling you right up front that today’s blog is Topic B.
Saturday started early, at 7:30, with WWWA and me walking the dogs on the golf course. They love it. Especially when it’s covered with fluffy snow like it was Saturday. They’re like a couple of wild wolves.
When we got home I felt surprisingly ambitious. I got out my tools and replaced the dimmer switch in the dining room. I’d been promising to do it for two years now. Now when you turn on the dining room chandelier, it doesn’t blink like we’re having a séance, raising the ghost of Harry Houdini to find out what life is like on the other side.
That job only took ten minutes, so I tackled another long-put-off electrical project – reversing the light switches I’d put in the kitchen a couple of years ago. You see, I put new switches and plugs in the kitchen after I’d painted the walls. But I’d stupidly revered the switches, so when you turn on the breakfast nook light, the main kitchen light comes on, and visa versa.
I figured I could just take off the faceplate and reverse the switches without turning off the electricity. So I gave myself a dandy little shock. Bssssssssst!
WWWA and I had lunch with my son-in-law, Brian. My daughter Kary had to work so she couldn’t come. So we went to the place she hates – Larry’s Pub. It’s a great little pace. Like a neighborhood English pub. Great burgers and stuff. I had their newest menu offering , a ruben. It came with a million fries.
WWWA left for Target to buy cleaning supplies and a new pair of mittens. Our darling Nellie chewed the others to shreds. Brian and I went to Caribou Coffee. I had hot chocolate and a chocolate muffin. He had green tea and a chocolate muffin.
Later in the afternoon I went grocery shopping. When I got home there was a message on the answering machine. But I can’t tell you about that. Except to say that it’s what I was going to write about this morning had not WWWA intervened.
So I took a nap and , after come crackers and cheese for dinner, settled in for a restful evening of TV. I found myself watching a PBS special on the Lawrence Welk Show. I have always hated Lawrence Welk. His musical style was essentially to take good songs and rip the spunk right out of them.
But when I was little, I watched Lawrence Welk every Saturday night with my brother and mother. My dad was a weekend musician. So we’d stay home and watch TV. Here was the routine: My mother would get a big bag of potato chips from the Sparkle Market (probably 49 cents back then) and some Pepsi-Cola. We’d each get a glass of Pepsi and as many chips as we wanted.
We’d watch Lawrence Welk and then Gunsmoke. The old black-and-white half-hour ones with Chester. I also remember watching Your Hit Parade with her. I’m sure Judy and Jeff don’t remember Your Hit Parade, but it was a very cool show. They had a regular troupe of singers who would perform the top ten hits of the week. My fondest memory of that show is Gisèle MacKenzie singing “How Much Is That Doggy In The Window.” Your Hit Parade was a big show until rock and roll took over the charts and the singers really sounded stupid doing rock and roll songs. Even the hip male singer on the show, Snooky Lanson, sounded goofy singing rock and roll.
I loved the old pop songs of the fifties, even when Lawrence Welk ruined them. My favorite as a little boy was “Bimbo” by Gene Autry. My mother used to sing it to me. The chorus went like this:
“Bimbo Bimbo where you gonna go-i-o?
Bimbo Bimbo what ya gonna do-i-o?
Bimbo Bimbo does your mommy know?
That you’re goin’ down the road, To see your little girl-i-o?”
(Sunday afternoon when we visited her I made her sing it to me. She thought I was nuts.)
So that’s Topic B blog folks. A walk down memory lane. But if WWWA would let me, I’d tell you about the call on my answering machine. It was way more shocking than that bssssst I got switching my switches.
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How shocking that someone named Snooky Lanson couldn’t sing rock n’ roll.
Now time for 20 questions…was the phone call from a political candidate?
by Judy
on February 25th, 2008 at 7:23 am
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WWWA and I have been getting a lot of calls from Hillary, but, no, that’s not it.
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 7:32 am
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Sorry CR, even I don’t remember Your Hit Parade.
Z
by Zorro
on February 25th, 2008 at 7:45 am
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I agree on your assessment of Lawrence…take it away boys…Welk. However, sax man Johnny Hodges, clarinetists Pete Fountain and Henry Questa, and trumpeter Dick Cathcart all got their start with Mr. Welk. He did surround himself with some pretty good musicians.
by Don
on February 25th, 2008 at 7:59 am
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LW was bad. But a big hit with the grandparents and sort of with the mother and fater.
So you liked LW, CR? WOW!
Maybe that message was from old LW himself, just for you.
Z
by Zorro
on February 25th, 2008 at 8:05 am
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Well, CR, I can see why you’re such a good mystery writer. You certainly know how to build suspense.
OK, Judy’s question was if the call was from a political candidate, you said no.
Question #2: was the call from a business? (i.e., bank, credit card company)?
We’ll get to the bottom of this yet!
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 8:41 am
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Z, I never said I liked LW. I said I’ve always hated his music. But I did watch him with my mother when I was little and have fond memories of that.
And, no, it wasn’t Mr. Welk on my answering machine. Two guesses down, 18 to go.
And you’re right, Don. He did have some incredible musicians. But the charts! And the production numbers! Ychhhhhh!
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 8:41 am
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No, Casey, it wasn’t from a business, at least as you described it.
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 8:43 am
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Oh, I think that’s a clue. It wasn’t from a business the way I described it, and I asked if it was a bank or a credit card company.
That means it was a busines other than a bank or a credit card company, right, CR?
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 9:06 am
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Yes, the call was from someone who is in business.
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 9:16 am
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CR is a closet LW groupie.
Z
by Zorro
on February 25th, 2008 at 9:43 am
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Soemthing to do with the book business?
by Don
on February 25th, 2008 at 10:01 am
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Someone claiming to own the topcoat you got for Christmas and is accusing your wife of stealing it? Uh?
by Don
on February 25th, 2008 at 10:02 am
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Now the coppers are after ya…..oh no, a jailed closet LW groupie!
z
by Zorro
on February 25th, 2008 at 10:19 am
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Business . . .
Profit?
Or not-for-profit?
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 10:41 am
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Don is getting there — and not with the topcoat.
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 11:32 am
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Don made two guesses, so . . .
is it the one about the book business?
Or the one about your wife stealing something? She doesn’t seem the type.
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 11:39 am
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Don is the M-A-N!
Coppers and drama are about to break loose for CR, the closet LW groupie.
Hey, does the Wise Wife of West Akron (WWWA) know of your LW thing???
Z
by Zorro
on February 25th, 2008 at 11:48 am
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And why all the letters and stuff….is this groupie code talk?
z
by Zorro
on February 25th, 2008 at 11:50 am
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Strange as it may seem, it is about the book buisness.
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 11:54 am
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OK, we have another major clue. The phone call was about the book business. And it made enough of an impression on CR that he wanted to blog about it today. Only WWWA wouldn’t let him. Which means there’s something else going on.
Let’s see…more questions are in order…
CR, was the call about a personal appearance?
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
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No — but I do have one tonight at Parma South Library.
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
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Then was the call about a book offer? Movie rights? An award nomination? (None of that seems like anything WWWA would want you to keep secret.)
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
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W3A would if fit wasn’t a done deal yet.
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
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So it was about one of those things! A movie offer???? You can’t keep that a secret…we must know more!
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
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If it were a movie offer, what we in the biz call an option,I wouldn’t be able to tell you about it, inasmuch as W3A might find out and clobber me.
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
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So not a movie offer…
an award nomination?
Agatha?
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
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w3a…more code.
I think…..CR is a LW groupie super spy working under the witness protection plan…..but this LW thing has more to it.
I know!!!!LW has a new life, anna one anna two…..its CR with his drums doing the intro to the new millenium LW show, starring CR!
Z
by Zorro
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
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Casey, you haven’t read my last comment carefully. I didn’t say it wasn’t a movie ofer, I only said that if it were I wouldn’t be able to talk about it.
And don’t call me Agatha
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
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Now I’m more curious than ever!
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
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Perhaps I can say something less criptic next Monday.
(Private note to Casey: Your husband is insane.)
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
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I always thought that MM would make a good TV series. How about that?
by Don
on February 25th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
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It would make a good TV series, wouldn’t it?
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
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Now THAT’S exciting! Even though it’s not official. And you never breathed a word about it.
by Casey
on February 25th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
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What is with you people? I did not say I have a deal for Morgue Mama. I merely agreed with Don that it would make a good series.
by C.R.
on February 25th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
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Stay focused bloggers….CR is the new millenium LW.
Z
by Zorro
on February 25th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
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Probably the final report here…Area law enforcement has advised (since Casey’s dad was a big time copper…a courtesy call for a fellow blogger) that CR has been detained, cuffed, but left to stew in his own juices in his big old office with all that cool furniture and material gains….the belief is that old LW fans are slowly making their way to CR and will start addressing his LW issues….Hmmmm. Do we need to help out CR?
Or will he fess up to this big secret of his?
Z
by Zorro
on February 25th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
