Show #130 VALENTINE'S SPECIAL February 14, 2015

The Valentine's Special is dedicated to Valentina... along with the cast and crew of Carrie:  The Musical!

Valentina- Jack Green Humanesque 
Heart- Rockpile Seconds Of Pleasure
Valentine's Day- Three Hour Tour Three Hour Tour - 1969 
Valentine's Day- David Bowie The Next Day 
Valentine's Day- The Dollyrots Valentine's Day 
Heartbeat- The Knack Get the Knack 
Heartbeat- Allo Darlin' We Come from the Same Place 
Heartbeat- Jim Freeman and the Golden Gate Jumpers Romantic 
Heartbeat- The Outlets I Remember 
Valentine- Fools Face Tell America 
Valentine- Get Up Kids Something to Write Home About 
Valentine- The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me 
Valentine- Old 97's Fight Songs 
I Found Her- Boys Life Boys Life 
Lonelyhearts- The Atlantics DIY: Mass. Ave. The Boston Scene (1979-83) 
Lonely Hearts- Candy Whatever Happened To Fun 
Lonely Heart- Dirty Angels Dirty Angels 
Valentine- Bobby Bare Jr's Young Criminals Starvation League From The End Of Your Leash
Valentine- The School All I Wanna Do 
Valentine- Smoking Popes The Party's Over 
Valentine- The Wombats Jump Into the Fog 
Young Hearts- Free Energy Stuck On Nothing 
Young Hearts- The Cute Lepers Smart Accessories 
Young Reckless Hearts- Warm Soda Young Reckless Hearts 
Heartache- The Dictators Manifest Destiny 
Heartache- Protex I Can Only Dream 7'' 
Heart Songs- Weezer Weezer (Red Album) 

I hadn't done a Valentine's Day show in a few years so when February 14 fell on a Saturday this year I figured it was time.  Mrs. Love's birthday is February 7th so if I've done right by her (and I always do) I'm off the hook a week later when Valentine's Day comes around.  This year is I even convinced Jaime to come in and co-host the first hour of the show- a first for All Kindsa Girls!

It was all Carrie:  The Musical all the time this January and February.  I've been acting in plays for years but this was my first time as Production Manager and man is it a lot of work!  Securing rights, getting music tracks (unfortunately a live band is just too expensive these days), finding rehearsal space, hiring a director, musical director, choreographer, stage manager, lighting, set, sound, graphic design, front of house and concessions people, working with the venue on ticket sales and tech week, getting the poster made (above) and programs made, searching for costumes and props- it never ends.  That said, it was a lot of fun too.  We had an amazing cast and the production team was first rate.  

In this show cell phone usage is....mandatory!

Director Libby Oberlin did a fantastic job and was very open to other people's ideas.  Stephen King's 1974 novel Carrie and the original 1988 Broadway production pre-date smart phones.  Even in the 2012 revival there's only one passing mention: "Norma's already posted it."  Talking about the show last winter we decided that phones had to be a major part of the show.  Libby even used my idea for the opening number "In."  It opened in complete darkness until you see the kids faces illuminated by their phones.  VERY cool! 

High Schoolers and ISIS...compare and contrast

Libby created an open, positive and safe space from the first rehearsal- very important so the kids could be the horrible, abusive monsters the script calls for.  They were having such a good time she had to keep giving them notes about not smiling or looking happy while they were saying and/or doing heinous things to each other.  Every rehearsal began with cast members checking-in on how they're feeling and ended with them sharing, in one word, something they wanted to reinforce.
 
Moira, our Stage Manager, is always great to work with and came through with some amazing set pieces including a bank of lockers, commercial sewing machine and not one but two antique prayer kneelers.  Seriously- where do you find prayer kneelers in 2015?!?  I had a hard time picturing them when she first described the kneelers but now I can't imagine doing the show without them.

Every home should have a prayer kneeler!

Carrie's self discovery begins...

Sue asks Do Me A Favor?  DON'T DO IT TOMMY!!

From the start one of the things I was most looking forward to in Carrie: The Musical was doing a show with my daughter Nica.  We've watched each other in shows for years but this is the first one we've done together.  She was "good girl" narrator Sue Snell and I was teacher Mr. Stephens and it was every bit as fun as I thought it would be.  Nica didn't ask for any special treatment

NOT a "teachable moment"

and for the most part we related to each other like cast members- which was awesome.  I got to see her as the other cast members do- talented, professional and composed but still a lot of fun backstage. 


When you tell people you're doing a production of Carrie:  The Musical the first question you get is "what?  they did a musical of Carrie...really?" followed by "how are you going to do the blood?"  It's funny, but that was also Topic #1 at our first production meeting last fall.  At that and subsequent meetings we spent hours talking about the blood- it was my #1 "awake at 3am staring at the ceiling" anxiety.  Rules of stagecraft forbid me from giving anything away but I can

Promocalypse Now!

safely say our blood drop was FANTASTIC!!!  Tony our set designer did an amazing job- it looked very cool and was 100% safe. What's more, Mike our sound guy found this deep rumble for the scene that just about shook the fillings out of your teeth.  (The only thing I can compare it to is the old "Sensurround" films like Earthquake and Midway.)  Finally, Mikey the choreographer came up with a bunch of moves- that I dubbed "flooreo" (get it?!?)- for when Carrie is torturing us that I'm told looked very cool.

Once You See You Can't Unsee

I'm very proud of our production.  I haven't talked about how well written Carrie:  The Musical is, how it explores so many relevant themes, how it resonated with the audience and the kids in the cast.  I'll just let the lyrics to the show's Epilogue do that for me:  

SUE: No doubts. No more fears. I see you shine and the dark disappears.
TOMMY: One day you finally see her
BOYS: One day you finally see her
GIRLS: One day you finally see her
TOMMY: Finally see her
EVERYONE: Finally see her
SUE and TOMMY: For years, you look
EVERYONE: You look at someone passing by
GIRLS: And then one day you see her
BOYS: And then one day you see her
EVERYONE: One day you finally see her. Now
SUE: How can I not see?
EVERYONE: Me? Am I so blind?
GIRLS: I could say, say
BOYS: I could say
EVERYONE: Thank God that's not me. But what does it cost to be kind?
BOYS: Blinded. And silent, too scared to be
EVERYONE: And to finally see. And to finally see. 
SUE: I felt as though this girl revealed her self to me.  And now, I know
BOYS: I Fin'lly see
GIRLS: I Fin'lly see
SUE: That once you see, you can't unsee.

 

 

Show #129 January 24, 2015

For Cecile... but really for
Jaime on our 23rd Wedding Anniversary!

Cecile- The Marshalls Wicked Good Music! 
Color Eyes- L.A. Burgers L.A. Burgers 
Navigation By the Stars- The Successful Failures Captains of Industry, Captains of War 
Don't Think About It- The Vertebrats A Thousand Day Dream 
Superstar- The Merrymakers Bubblegun 
Got A Hold On Me- The Britannicas High Tea 
When You're Not Around- Chino Mala Leche 
Sometimes- The Stranglers Rattus Norvegicus 
^Starry Eyes- The Records DIY: UK Pop II (1978-79) Starry Eyes 
Modern Pests- The Cute Lepers Can't Stand Modern Music 
Everything But Love- Dogs Legendary Lovers 
Jacob's Ladder- The Monochrome Set The Lost Weekend 
Call Yourself A Man- The Heats Have An Idea 
One Last Night- The Atlantics Big City Rock 
*Big Brown Eyes- The dB's Stands for Decibels 
*Eyes Of Green- Joey Ramone ...Ya Know? 
*Red Eyes- Helmet Boy Helmet Boy 
*Hazel Eyes- Redd Kross Researching The Blues 
*Pale Blue Eyes- The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground 
*Brown Eyes- Gary Charlson Titan: It's All Pop! 
Yesterday's Love- Any Trouble Where Are All the Nice Girls? 
The Sky Is Falling- The Semantics Powerbill 
Popular Girl- The Strand Seconds Waiting 
Run Mascara Run- The Rubinoos 45 
Things Have Changed Now- Blue Ash Front Page News 
Is There Anybody In My World?- Little Murders Stop Plus Singles 1978-1986 
>Brown Eyed Handsome Man- Chuck Berry The Anthology  
Can I Crash Here- The Flys See For Miles (1978-1980) 
Postcards- Warm Soda Young Reckless Hearts 
Cemetery Gates- The Smiths The Sound Of The Smiths 
Bright Eyes Darkened- Slobberbone Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today 

^Power Pop Prototype:  #56 Billboard Hot 100 9/29/79

*SacroSet:  Color Eye Songs

>Power Pop Prototype:  1956

Today is my wedding anniversary- Jaime and I have been married for 23 years!  If you ask either of us the secret of our longevity the answer might surprise you.  Yes, there's love, trust, and  communication- the bread and butter of therapists, writers and all those who make their living in the marriage support industry.  Yet for Jaime and I the answer is much simpler:  Couch Time.  Every night of the week we are both home we spend at least an hour sitting beside each other on the couch watching something on TV.  Would it be better if we held each other's chins and gazed longingly into each other's eyes for that hour?  Maybe but- c'mon we're talkin' 23 years people!  The key to Couch Time is that it is a shared experience, something we both want to do.  So let, me explain the rules of Couch Time:

1. We both watch the same thing (which is not as easy as it sounds- see below);
2. No laptops, no cell phones, etc. (I'd add our kids to this list of annoying distractions to be avoided, but Jaime has this 24/7 concept of parenting that I often find tedious);
3. The consuming of snacks (both of us), martinis (Jaime) and Diet Coke (me) does not commence until the chosen program has begun;
4. No talking during the program (this is my rule- in 23 years Jaime has not kept it once, but that's why they invented the pause button). 

No doubt #1 on this list is the greatest challenge- finding something we both want to watch.  The issue is that for me, words on a movie poster like "harrowing," "bleak," "a seething vortex of mendacity," "violence that would make ISIS blush" and "in Sinhalese with English subtitles" are not deal breakers.  Truth be told, if the Rotten Tomatoes score is high enough, I will actively seek out films with these attributes.  Jaime not so much- especially when it comes to violence.  Back in the day though, she was on board.  In 1994 we went to see Once Were Warriors at the Lumiere Theater on California Street in San Francisco.  Scenes from that film are seared onto my brain- it is a difficult to watch and beautifully made film.  To this day it informs my thoughts about women who live with violent men and how our modern world chews up and spits out indigenous cultures.  Jaime would no doubt agree with the "relentless sledgehammer of a film" assessment above, but she was as moved by Once Were Warriors as I was.

Mallory will see you now....

Jaime liked Natural Born Killers even more than me- the violence, the sex, the violence, the media satire, the violence, the social commentary- she was down with all of it.  What's more, while I hope no one "likes" the James Gandolfini/Patricia Arquette scene in True Romance- easily one of the most brutal ever in a Hollywood movie- Jaime and I both thought it was a great film.  I imagine about now you're thinking two

Tony Soprano is a choir boy next to this guy!

things.  First, "Tarantino wrote some amazing films before he started making cartoons like Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained."  And second, "what changed Jaime's taste- why won't she watch violent movies with Rick anymore?"  

My theory is that having children changed my wife on a cellular level.  She has always been a very sympathetic person- this is trait I believe she and I share.  When I'm watching well written, acted and directed movies I have an unguarded sympathy for the people up on the screen.  Truth be told, I cry a lot more in movies than I do in real life.  When Jaime had our children, I think her internal switch clicked permanently from "sympathy" over to "empathy."  Instead of feeling FOR the people on the screen, she is feeling WITH them- every punch, stab, shot, etc.  Once I made this connection, it was easy to see why Jaime could literally no longer stomach violence in

movies and TV shows.  When she sees me watching something like Sons of Anarchy or John Wick (both of which I wholeheartedly love) she'll ask "why do you want to put that into your body?"  The question makes it seems like these are products I'm physically consuming- which for her they are.  She would probably throw up during even the most tame Sons of Anarchy episode- especially this last season.

Jaime recently pointed out that in the last few years she had seen very few of the movies and TV show on my annual Top 5 Lists.   This is not solely due to my interest in (my wife would say "obsession with") violence, but it's a major factor.  There certainly are a lot of movies like Snowpiercer and Spring Breakers joining TV shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead on each year's list.  In my defense I can site several non-violent movies like Boyhood and The Spectacular Now on past lists, yet when I try to apply the same standard to TV, well that's not so easy.  You have to go back to Happy Endings in 2011 to find a Top 5 TV show of mine that did not include a murder.  Ouch!  We need another season of Louie up on Netflix stat!

When I was growing up I loved James Bond movies and TV shows like S.W.A.T.- I've been watching people shoot at each other my whole life.  Not everything I watch is violent of course- we are in a golden age of TV comedy with Black-ish, Veep, Key and Peele, Silicon Valley, etc.  I haven't seen The Affair or Masters of Sex yet, but it's easy to see that they've substituted sex for violence to hold your interest- which I have absolutely no problem with, mind you.  As for sex and violence free dramas, those are harder to come by.  Jaime and I like Rectify and The Good Wife but those seem to be exceptions.  I really liked the first season of Downton Abbey but in Season 2 they jumped the shark trying to amp up the drama.  (Could the horribly burned soldier be the lost heir of Downton?  For one episode he could!)  That's the thing- the essence of drama is conflict and it is tough to sustain without creating the life and death situations you encounter in most violent TV shows.  

Jaime gets mad when I tease her about her distaste for screen

violence; "c'mon babe, Hugh Grant can only make so many movies, give the guy a break!"  Yet to be fair, she loved Broadchurch, True Detective and Orphan Black- all of which include some pretty dark stuff.  Yes there have been speed bumps- she didn't speak to me for a day after we watched the "White Bear" episode of Black Mirror (she didn't even finish it, I watched the last 25 minutes on my laptop in the proverbial doghouse).   At the same time, we are halfway through Fargo, which is downright nasty, and she's enjoying it as much as I am.  Jaime doesn't like the violence, but there is enough story there to make it tolerable.  I'm thankful for this because it makes for some high quality Couch Time!  Happy Anniversary Darlin'!

Link to this show is below (click to stream or to download, right click and "Save Link As")
ALL KINDSA GIRLS #129

SHOW #128 THE 2014 YEAR-END DEDICATION SPECIAL January 10, 2015

As always the YEAR-END DEDICATION SPECIAL is itself dedicated to ALL KINDSA GIRLS!

All Kindsa Girls- The Real Kids Real Kids
Rosemarie- Superchunk Majesty Shredding
We Only Come Out At Night- Sugar Stems Only Come Out At Night
Carol- Hello Keeps Us Off The Streets
Judy- The Late Show Portable Pop
I've Had It Up To Here- Weezer Everything Will Be Alright In The End
Raylene- Bonnie Hayes With The Wild Combo Good Clean Fun
Only Girl- Paul Collins Feel The Noise
^Black Betty- Ramjam Ramjam
Desiree- Hoodoo Gurus Kinky
Waterfall- Ex Hex Rips
*13 (Under A Bad Sign- Sloan Commonwealth
*Discotheque- The CRY! Dangerous Game
*Party Insurance- The Rubinoos 45
*Brill Bruisers- The New Pornographers Brill Bruisers
*Bottom Of The Class- Silver Sun A Lick And A Promise
Jennette- Darlington Classics 2
Her Name Was Audre- Maxïmo Park Too Much Information
Lookin' For Clues- Jenny Dee and The Deelinquents Electric Candyland
On With The Business- The Hold Steady Teeth Dreams
Lucy- The Boys The Complete Boys Punk Singles Collection
Paint By Numbers- The Muffs Whoop Dee Doo
#My Dark Places- Stiff Little Fingers No Going Back
#My Phantom Limb- Bracket Hold Your Applause
#People are Strange Machines- Buzzcocks The Way
#Nemeses Are Laughing- Bob Mould Beauty and Ruin
>Rainy Jane- Davy Jones Rainy Jane
Melinda- The Connection Let It Rock
Jill- Mod Lang Yellow Pills Vol 4 The Best of American Pop!
She Don't Take It- The Real Kids Shake...Outta Control

^Power Pop Peak:  #18 Billboard Hot 100 6/11/77

*SacroSet#1:  Top 5 Records of 2014
#SacroSet#2:  2014 Punk Rock Veteran Releases

>Power Pop Prototype:  1971

Wow, another year has passed- let me wish you a belated but heartfelt HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I can't say I'm sorry to see 2014 go, it was a challenging year.  That said, I was lucky to be cast in two musicals, The Full Monty and The Who's Tommy- both amazing experiences.  My radio show ALL KINDSA GIRLS is going strong into its seventh year.  Most importantly, Jaime and the kids are doing great and we are happily greeting 2015.  Challenging or not, every year of my life has been enriched by the movies, TV shows, music and books I saw, heard and read.  In an effort to share this wealth with all of you, a tradition started in 1999 (16 years ago!), I humbly submit my 2014 Top 5's:
 
TOP 5 MOVIES  
Whiplash (what price perfection?)  
Boyhood (this boy's life)  
Snowpiercer (all aboard!)
The Babadook (you can't get rid of him)  
Birdman (metatastic!)
 
TOP 5 DVD'S/WEB STREAMS  
We Are The Best! (punk rock lives!)
Short Term 12 (fostering care)  
Oculus (mirror mirror)  
Alan Partridge (radio gravy)   
Fill The Void (sisters lover)
 
TOP 5 ALBUMS
Sloan- Commonwealth (the pride of Halifax, NS)
The Cry!- Dangerous Game (Rose City rock and roll)  
The Rubinoos- 45 (proud power pop purveyors)  
The New Pornographers- Brill Bruisers (more catchy Canadians)  
Silver Sun- A Lick And A Promise (harmony heaven)
 
TOP 5 BOOKS  
Skippy Dies- Paul Murray (spoiler alert!)  
The Shipping News- Annie Proulx (long live the Quoyles)  
The Dinner- Herman Koch (NOT a foodie book) Swamplandia!- Karen Russell (what happens in the swamp...)
Painted Ladies- Robert B. Parker (the penultimate Spenser)
 
TOP 5 TV/CABLE/WEB SHOWS  
True Detective Season 1 (antinatal noir) 
Broadchurch Season 1 (subtitled for the non-Scottish) 
Game Of Thrones Seasons 3 and 4 (winter came)  
The Walking Dead Season 4 (most hardcore TV show ever)
Orphan Black Season 2 (a performance(s) for the ages)
 
Please feel free to respond with your own favorites from 2014 and maybe you'll see them on next year's list.  I can never get enough quality viewing, listening and reading material.  If you're curious about my past lists, you can find them all at the blog Rick's Top 5 Lists.  Here's hoping we all enjoy a happy and prosperous 2015!!!

Links for the YEAR-END DEDICATION SPECIAL are below (to download, right click and "Save Link As")
Hour 1
Hour 2

Show #127 THE SANTA CELEBRATION December 6, 2014

The Santa Celebration is dedicated to Gloria!

Gloria (in Excelsis Deo)- The Tryfles A Midnight Christmas Mess
Christmas Time Is Here- Jeffrey Foskett Christmas At The Beach
It's Christmas Time Again- Chris Klondike Masuak Rockin' Bethlehem
Merry Christmas All- The Grip Weeds Under The Influence Of Christmas
A Christmas Toast- The Wellingtons Wellingtons Christmas Cheer
I Must Have Been So Good- Vibeke Saugestad ...From All Of Me
It's That Time of Year- Jeremy Hi-Fi Christmas Party Vol. 2
All These Winter Nights- The Higher Elevations Swedesplease Christmas Mix
Merry Christmas- XTC Holiday Greetings From Geffen Records
^Santa Claus Is Coming To Town- The Revillos Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Teenage Christmas- Eux Autres Another Christmas At Home
Here Come the Good Times- A House Wide Eyed And Ignorant
 I Want An Alien For Christmas- Fountains Of Wayne I Want An Alien For Christmas
The Twelve Days Of Christmas- Bill Lloyd The Day After Christmas
All Winter Long- The Doleful Lions Motel Swim
*Santa Claus- Chris Von Sneidern Santa Claus
*Santa's On His Way- The New Royalty Spend Christmas With Me
*Santa Don't Go- Farrah Christmas Present
*Santa Came In Stripes- The Finkers Planet of the Popboomerang
*Santa Needs A Holiday- Strawberry Whiplash The Matinée Holiday Soirée
California Christmas- Sketch Middle California Christmas
Christmas Time- The Boss Martians Santa's Got A GTO Rodney On The Roq's Fav X-Mas Songs
Maybe This Christmas- Ron Sexsmith Music From The OC: Mix 3 - Have A Very Merry Chrismukkah
Christmas Bells Are Ringing- The Connection A Christmas Gift For 
Son, You Should Come Home For Christmas- Ben Smith WXPN Local 12 Days of Christmas 2012
Tiny Tree Christmas- Guster The Christmas Gig
>Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy- Buck Owens Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy
Christmas Countdown- Broken Promise Keeper Christmas Countdown
Christmasonic- Dom Mariani Hi-Fi Christmas Party
Christmas Lights- The Hi-Risers Christmas Lights 7"
Christmastime With You- The Cheepskates A Midnight Christmas Mess
Snowman Song- The Icicles Cwistmas Twee
The Christmas Wish- Kermit The Frog A Christmas Together
Faster Santa Claus Ho! Ho! Ho!- Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet It Came From Canada Vol. 4

^Power Pop Peak:  Original version from 1934

*SacroSet: Santa Songs

>Power Pop Prototype:  1965

Every year my wife Jaime writes the Love Family Christmas Letter (now an e-mail) and she always does a fantastic job.  So fantastic in fact that I want to share it with all of you.  I asked her if it was okay and she said yes, so take it away Jaime!

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What’s YOUR favorite holiday memory??  The one where you got everything you wanted, all your relatives refrained from passive aggression and you didn’t gain five pounds? My guess is NO. 
 
Ever notice how some of your fondest memories didn’t start out that way?  Time has a way of improving the past.  Like the year we discovered Santa’s hiding spot:  the spooky unused laundry chute off the powder room.  Or the Christmas my Mom must have thought I was too old for toys and I found an itchy maroon dickie and a SLIP under the  tree, instead of more clothes for my dolls Skipper and Midge.  These memories make me chuckle now, but I remember a few tears back then.
 
And then there are the memories that are great from the get go:  Jackson smiling his first official smile at 5 weeks.  I was decorating the tree and he was just to the left of me, in his “blue thing” (bouncy seat), arms and legs going like a wind up doll. He made a loud cooing sound and I looked down, ornament in hand, just in time to see the corners of his mouth turn upward.  That moment is locked in my memory, twinkling ornament, twinkling lights, twinkling smile.  Or the year we saved their biggest gift for last….they had wanted a Wii so bad and, in the throes of Waldorf inspired parental restraint, we were the only house on the block without a video game system.  Our poor deprived children!  Just when they thought Christmas was over, we nonchalantly said “oh you missed one” and pulled out a nondescript package from Gramma Gigi in back of the tree.  The look of incredulity on their faces was priceless.  To this day, they say it was their biggest Christmas surprise.
 
How could I ever forget Nica’s joy over her least expensive gift- a cash register with paper money and “groceries”-she must have played “store” with Gigi all day that year.  Or seeing her one Christmas morning, in a hat from the costume box, arm around dear pal Anne, cruising down the street in her motorized pink Corvette at seven years old.  Rick was right; we did NEED to buy her that.  You should have seen him in Toys ‘R Us, grilling the pimply teen sales clerk about which car was the best, which got the best battery mileage….  Then there was the year all the boys on the street got Green Machines (think fancy big wheels) and we parents met on the street in our bathrobes and coffee watching the guys race down Cooper Street.   One year my parents were on hand to witness the joy over their gift for the kids, tucked inside mouse ears were keys to  Disneyland.  Thank you Grinna and Papadaddy!
 
This year we got them good.  As the kids have gotten older, we like to give experiences instead of more “crap” for their bedroom floors.  Weeks ahead of time they were told “we’re all flying to Boston, dropping you off with Gigi, then mom and dad are going to NYC for three days.”  They were not pleased as they love NYC almost as much as we do.  The night before our trip we had an early Christmas dinner, Jack’s girlfriend Genesis joining us, and presented a few gifts that were “too big to take to Boston.”  We got to talking about Christmas memories, and Jackson told his girlfriend: “the sound of the electric train always means Christmas to me and Nica.”  Rick and I shared a look and a laugh over that one.  I brought this cheap little electric train at Rite Aid eons ago and each year we debate whether to drag it out and set it up around the base of the tree, the train sound summoning them to open presents Christmas morning.  It’s a pain to put together but usually I win… and Rick gets down the box!  So, anyway after dinner this year we asked them to look under the tree.  They found three big gift bags:  one with a card showing the letter “I,” another with a heart symbol and a third with the letters “N,” “Y, “ and “C.”  Nica said “Jack, l think we’re going somewhere, last time they made us spell it turned out to be a CRUISE!!”  Watching them get the letters into the right order and realizing they were going to New York was priceless!
 
DECEMBER 22:  After a full year of tennis and softball (sophomore Nica), baseball (senior Jack) and theater (The Who’s Tommy, The Full Monty- Rick; Rent- Nica; the original musical revue Defying Gravity Gals in We Can Do It!- Jaime) we are currently pretending to be New Yorkers!  In the last three days we’ve lugged five suitcases up to my nephew’s four flight walk-up in Chelsea (built in 1840- thanks Garth and Francesca!), seen Broadway shows Sideshow and Constellations (where Jack met star Jake Gyllenhaal!) walked a gazillion miles, tried to bribe Nica to sing at Restaurant Row piano bar Don’t Tell Mama and nearly missed our train to Boston because Rick HAD to visit Dylan’s Candy Bar.  You should have seen him, flagging a taxi like a pro, whisking us up to 59th and 3rd to rub elbows with the upper east side crowd buying $30 artisanal
chocolate covered pretzels.  After we left I found out I could have been UPSTAIRS at Dylan’s with the moms and nannies drinking chocolate martinis- now THAT’S my kind of candy store!  It would have fortified me as we endured the slowest cab driver in NYC to get us back to Chelsea to grab our luggage and then to Penn Station within minutes of our train’s departure.  It felt like an adventure on one of those reality shows.
 
When we find ourselves in crappy situations, Rick loves to rub it in, sarcastically singing the old Carly Simon song “it’s the stuff that dreams are made of ….it’s the reason we are alive.”  And ya know, he’s right.  As I sit on the train to Boston, I’m already turning the white knuckle afternoon fiasco to make our train on time into an anecdote.  AND we’re going to make him walk the length of the train to the dining car to buy us food, so it all works out.
 
DECEMBER 30:  Sitting in Chicago, waiting for our flight to SF, delayed, delayed, delayed due to high winds. Nica and Rick watching Netflix, Jackson reading a COOKBOOK (whoever would guess my son wants to be a CHEF) and I’m finishing up this letter to you. Great Christmas with our East Coast family firmly tucked away in our minds, we even managed to call the kids down to the presents with electric train sounds, albeit emanating from a youtube video on Rick’s computer!
 
Christmas isn’t always perfect, but it’s usually memorable! We hope YOU made some memories this season. 
 
Love the Loves, Rick, Jaime, Jackson and Veronica …and Sheena and Lacey too
 
PS:  They just bumped us up to first class!  It’s gonna be a good year….

Jack and Nica in Times Square

Jaime and Jack at Orsi in NYC

Washington Square Park

Jaime and Jack return to her Alma Mater

Jack and his buddy Jake

 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
See, I told you she did a good job.  Links for the Santa Celebration are below (to download right click and "Save Link As"):
Hour 1
Hour 2

Show #126 November 8, 2014

 
Tonight we rock for fair Kate!

Kate- Slaters The Big Black Bug Bled Black Blood 
Lets Go To The Pictures- Wreckless Eric Big Smash 
Sun Rise, Sea Change- Sugar Stems Only Come Out At Night 
From A to Z- Boys Life Boys Life 
The Only Thing- The Hold Steady Teeth Dreams 
Dangerous Game- The CRY! Dangerous Game 
Tell Me More- Tenpole Tudor Wunderbar - The Best Of Tenpole Tudor 
Coming Up Roses- Owsley Owsley 
^Horror Movie- Skyhooks Horror Movie 
Girls Who Play Tricks On You- Cinecyde I Left My Heart in Detroit City 
The Ballad- The Nads Unreleased Tracks And Demos 
She's Got Everything- The Real Kids Shake...Outta Control 
You- Swag Catchall 
Young Reckless Hearts- Warm Soda Young Reckless Hearts 
*Movies- Swingers Resort Rockets And Rose 7"
*At The Movies- The Scruffs Teenage Gurls 
*White Screen Movies- Bizarros Bizarros 
*Life's A Movie Too- Secret Affair Glory Boys/Behind Closed Doors 
*TV Movie- Slowguns Shake Some Action Vol 1 (UK) 
Lay Down- The Muffs Whoop Dee Doo 
Time in a Day- Big Kid You Must Be Kidding 
My Bloody Mind- Maxïmo Park Too Much Information 
Keep on Believing- Buzzcocks The Way 
Definitive Gaze- Magazine Real Life 
Awkward Situation- Farrah Cut Out And Keep 
>Groovy Movies- The Kinks The Great Lost Kinks Album
Science Fiction Double Feature- The Rocky Horror Picture Show The Rocky Horror Picture Show

^Power Pop Peak:

*SacroSet:  Movie Songs

>Power Pop Prototype:  1973

When I was a kid I didn't think there would ever be anything I loved as much as music.  I liked movies, but aside from my aforementioned affinity for James Bond, they didn't inspire nearly as much passion.  Nowadays movies and music are about even and I have my father to thank for nurturing my love of film.  Along with James Bond, he showed me my first kaiju movie:  1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla.  

"Come over here and say that!"

It wasn't an easy sell either.  First, Dad was watching the movie on our portable 12" black and white TV.  A 12" screen!  That's five inches smaller than the laptop I'm using to write this post.  Another issue is that like a lot of those old Toho Studios films, the first 45 minutes is mostly talk.  I gave it about 15 minutes and bailed but my dad stuck with it.  Sometime later I walked back into the room and saw something I would never forget- a giant lizard fighting a giant ape! Godzilla looks awesome as usual though I'll grant this King Kong leaves something to be desired.  Then again, this particular King Kong can eat electricity and shoot it through his fingers!  How awesome is that!!

A few months later I saw the original "classic" 1933 King Kong on TV and pronounced it inferior.  Swatting at planes from the top of the Empire State Building?  Why not just eat some electricity and shock them out of the sky!  As for Godzilla, he may have become a "good guy" in subsequent Toho films but I will always see him as a bad ass because of King Kong vs. Godzilla.  (Thinking about it now, I bet Godzilla fired his agent after losing top billing to a giant saggy ape.)  Also, I have to say I don't recall this obviously passionate kiss between the film's stars- you'd think I would remember something like that.  I'm sure I would have found it pretty confusing (as I do now).

WTF!?!

Needless to say, King Kong vs. Godzilla blew my young mind- my dad said "I told you!"  After that I ALWAYS listened when he recommended a movie. For my birthday that year, he took Timmy Kelleher and I to the Westgate Mall Cinema in Brockton, Mass to see Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster (in Japan it's called Godzilla vs. Hedorah).  Man- what a difference from that 12" black and white TV!!!  GvSM is the "psychedelic" Godzilla movie with the strong message about pollution.  An Indian shedding a lone tear by the side of the highway has got nothing on Godzilla fighting a gigantic heap of toxic waste!  The steaming runny pile of goo even had the height and reach advantage!

What is it?  It's what you have done to our planet!

The movie even has a chase scene, where Godzilla flies using his patented "tuck" move (this is not to be confused with the far more disturbing "tuck" move in Silence Of The Lambs.)  

"Hey cesspool- just where do you think you're going!?!"

According to Wikipedia this is "the only occurrence of Godzilla flying under his own power. He uses his atomic ray as jet propulsion."  So, it is historic as well as awesome!

A few years later, I saw the film again on Boston TV Channel 56's legendary Creature Double Feature and I have to say it really held up.  (The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant?  Not so much.)  In fact when the station re-launched this beloved program in June 2006 after a 23 year hiatus, guess what they started with?  You guessed it- local car dealer Ernie Boch, Jr. was on-camera host "The Ghoul" presenting Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster and The Giant Gila Monster.

While several other movies are signposts on my lifelong journey of film appreciation, few had the mind blowing impact of Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster and King Kong vs. Godzilla.  Thanks Dad!
 
I'll conclude this post with a favorite photo I turned up in my research.  It shows a Shinto priest purifying the set of King Kong vs. Godzilla prior to filming.  Don't laugh- it went on to be the most profitable film in the early series!

Godzilla (2nd from left), King Kong (3rd from right)

Click the link below to stream this show or to download, right click and "Save Link As"
ALL KINDSA GIRLS #126