Wednesday, May 21, 2025

I AM MISSING PHEEBS AND OUR MORNING DRIVES

It was 10:07 on a cloudy, cold, and rainy morning that I rolled out of the Park eastbound for Stratford, Ontario.  I followed my intermittent windshield wipers all the way there and all the way back again.  My destination was Dr. Bukala's office on Huron Street, where I had some paperwork to fill out.  My total time there was about 7 minutes, and I was soon on my way back to Bayfield with a Tim Hortons coffee and muffin in hand.  Nice drive to Stratford and back through the picturesque rural countryside.  Home again, and feeling tired, (Oh Gee, what else is new) I spent the rest of the day in my living room recliner.  I again didn't take any pictures today.  I just haven't been in photo mode lately.  I am missing Pheebs and our morning drives.  My morning inspiration is in tatters............

Al's Music Box:)) When The Lights Go On Again sung by Vera Lynn is a popular song composed during World War II. It was written by Bennie Benjamin, Sol Marcus, and Eddie Seiler.  The first recording, by Vaughn Monroe, reached number one on the charts in 1943.  The song expresses the hopes for an end to the war. The title is from the refrain found throughout the song as is found in the first verse: 'When the lights go on again all over the world.  And the boys are home again all over the world.  And rain or snow is all that may fall from the skies above.' 'A kiss won't mean "Goodbye" but "Hello to love".  The reference to "lights going on again" alludes to the remark "The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our life-time", attributed to British statesman Sir Edward Grey on the eve of the First World War. The title of the song may also refer to the longed-for end to the blackout restrictions imposed in London and elsewhere during the Second World War.  Music was a large part of culture during World War II. During the war, music served as a uniting factor among people around the world; “When the Lights Go On Again” was one of the songs that helped keep up the spirits of those who were struggling. Famous singer Vera Lynn was best known for her music during the war, including popular songs such as “Lili Marlene and "Yours."  She “will always be remembered by all who endured the Hell of Hitler’s Blitz, she will always be remembered by the troops.”  Music has long been used to fight conflict and to help further the resolution of conflicts, as well as to fuel the fires of anger in some situations.  In the case of “When the Lights Go On Again,” the song was written to give people a sense of hope and calm. Most agree that the lyrics were inspired heavily by the London blackout, which were imposed to combat the bombing raids by the Germans, called the Blitz, which lasted from September 1940 to May 1941. The blackouts lasted through to the end of the war.  It was a bleak time for Londoners and the rest of the British people, as it wasn’t only London that fell under attack during the Blitz. Any city in Britain could be bombed at any time, resulting in a general sense of fear throughout the nation. It was an incredibly anxious time, as Osbert Lancaster says in his book All Done from Memory: “During the “blitz” so long as I remained indoors I was ceaselessly assaulted by what psychiatrists so unfeelingly describe as “irrational fears,” but on escape into the wide open spaces they were promptly transformed by the patter of shrapnel into anxieties to which my reason accorded every justification.”  This war was called “The People’s War” for a reason – it was brought directly to the people of Britain, forcing them to flee the city or face a city of fear.  Because of all the anxiety and fear caused during this time, the people needed an outlet, and that outlet came often in the form of hopeful songs. “When the Lights Go On Again” speaks of what the world will be like after the war, something that would seem far away at the time to people who were undergoing the stresses of being under attack.  "When the lights go on again all over the world.  And the boys are home again all over the world.  And rain or snow is all that may fall from the skies above.  A kiss won't mean "goodbye" but "hello to love."  When the lights go on again all over the world.  And the ships will sail again all over the world.  Then we'll have time for things like wedding rings and free hearts will sing.  When the lights go on again all over the world."  These were intended to paint a picture in the minds of listeners about how the world would begin again with the conclusion of the war.  

Groaner's Corner:(( It was graduation night at Cox High School, and they were about halfway through the ceremony when the principal said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a problem. Bubba is a few credits short and won't be able to graduate tonight."  Well now, Bubba was the starting right guard for Cox's football team, and when the student body heard that he wasn't going to graduate, they all jumped up and started to chant, "Give Bubba another chance, give Bubba another chance!"  Pat Dye and the principal had a quick conference and afterward, the principal announced that they have decided to give Bubba another chance. Bubba is told that he will be given a "One Question" math test and if he passes, he can graduate.  The question is, "What is 2 plus 3?" Bubba thinks for about 20 minutes and finally says, "I have it! The answer is 5!"  There is complete silence in the auditorium for a couple of seconds and then the entire Cox High School football team jumps up and begins to chant, "Give Bubba one more chance. Give Bubba one more Chance!"

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- In a relationship, one person is always right and the other person is a male.

- I might have kids someday. I don’t know.
Right now, I dont have time to come home and let them out.”

- Sometimes I wake up grumpy…But other times I let her sleep in!

- Bruce Lee had a vegan brother.  Broco Lee.

- I have been teaching my dog to fetch tools from my workshop…He's not perfect, but he knows the drill!
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An older man, not in the best physical condition, asked the trainer in the gym, "I want to impress that beautiful girl. Which machine should I use?"  The trainer replied..."Use the ATM machine outside the gym!"
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The child comes home from his first day at school.  His Mother asks, "Well, what did you learn today?"  The kid replies, "Not enough. They want me to come back tomorrow."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly & Pheeb's Corner

 IN THIS DESERT 'HAPPY HOUR' PHOTO, KELLY IS THIRD FROM THE RIGHT
AT THE BAKERY IN YARNELL, ARIZONA

 PHEEBS MOVING FAST ALONG A DUSTY DESERT ROAD
Al's Art Gallery











Tuesday, May 20, 2025

I MIGHT HAVE. OR NOT.

 I'VE TAKEN VERY FEW PHOTOS OVER THE YEARS THAT I REALLY LIKED, BUT THIS ONE TAKEN ON OCTOBER 6TH, 2022 NEAR FLESHERTON, ONTARIO IS ONE OF MY FAVS
Another bonus sunny day, but oh my, the night went down to only 4 degrees above freezing.   It has been a cold Spring, and it looks like it is going to continue that way.  Lorraine/Woodsy and I headed off to Goderich this morning with stops at McDonalds for coffee to go, St. Vincent de Paul to drop off another load of house stuff, and the Dynacare Lab where I had blood drawn for my annual PSA test.  Another stop at H&R Block regarding income tax, the Scotia Bank, A&W for a double Buddy burger and fries, Walmart for groceries, and finally a quick stop at Canadian Tire where Lorraine picked up a plant for a friend.  From there we headed home and I was tired, tired, tired..... My Nurse Practitioner phoned today, and I was able to bring her up to speed on what's been happening with my health.  She told me the name of the infection I had, but of course, I've forgotten the name.  Dr. Bukala's office called, and I have to head to Stratford in the morning to go over paperwork and stuff before returning to Stratford on June 2nd, when Dr. Bukala will then have me in the operating room again, where he will attempt to get all those kidney stones out of me.  I'm hoping there will be no complications due to this lingering kidney infection, I suspect I might still have.  Or not.

Al's Music Box:)) Do You Really Want To Hurt Me is a song written and performed by English new wave band Culture Club. Released as a single in September 1982 from the group's platinum-selling debut album, Kissing to Be Clever (1982), this ballad was the band's first major hit and first UK No. 1 hit. In the United States, the single was released in November 1982 and also became a hit, reaching No. 2 for three weeks.  "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" was the third single released in Europe by Culture Club and their debut release in the United States and Canada. The song became a UK No. 1 single for three weeks in October 1982. It entered the American Pop chart the week ending 4 December 1982, hit No. 1 in Cash Box magazine, and held at No. 2 for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March and April 1983. The single hit No. 1 in Canada. It was also number one in Australia. In the UK, it was the fifth best-selling single of 1982, selling 88,244 copies.  This was Culture Club's first major success, after their first two releases at the Virgin Records label, "White Boy" and "I'm Afraid of Me", charted lower in the UK at No. 114 and No. 100 respectively. Producer Steve Levine later said: "We felt very strongly that we had a great track with 'Do You Really Want to Hurt Me' and Virgin agreed."  Within a few days of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" being released, David Hamilton on BBC Radio 2 played the song as his record of the week. The song rose rapidly in the UK charts after the group's first appearance on Top of the Pop, which resulted in Boy George's androgynous style of dress and sexual ambiguity making newspaper headlines. The group were only asked to appear on Top of the Pops the night before the show, after 'Shakin' Stevens pulled out.  In a retrospective review, Allmusic described "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" as "a simple masterpiece, resonating with an ache that harked back to the classic torch songs of yesteryear." In 2007, Boy George said that the song was "not just about Culture Club's drummer Jon Moss, my boyfriend at the time. It was about all the guys I dated at that time in my life." The B-side was a dub version featuring Pappa Weasel in many countries and "You Know I'm Not Crazy" on the US release. On the 12" version of the record, the track "Love Is Cold (You Were Never No Good)" was also included.  

Groaner's Corner:((  One day a preacher goes to visit an elderly lady. As he is sitting there talking with her, he notices a bowl of peanuts sitting on the table in front of him.  'Do you mind if I have a few peanuts?' he asks the lady.  'Help yourself,' she replies.  After about an hour and a half visit, he gets up to leave and notices that he has eaten almost all of the peanuts in the bowl.  'I apologize,' he says to the elderly lady. 'I only meant to eat a few.'  'That's okay,' says the lady, 'Since I've lost my teeth, all I've been able to do is suck the chocolate off of them.'

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Two attorneys went into a diner and ordered two drinks. Then they produced sandwiches from their briefcases and started to eat. The owner became quite concerned and marched over and told them, "You can't eat your own sandwiches in here!"  The attorneys looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and then exchanged sandwiches.
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A man and his wife were sitting in the living room discussing a Living Will.  "Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."  His wife got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all the beer.

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An Australian was in Ireland. On his way to Belfast, he stopped at a bar and asked one of the locals, "What's the quickest way
to Belfast?" The Irishmen asked, "Are you walking or driving?"  The Australian replied, "I'm driving!" The Irishman said, "Aye,
that'd be the quickest way!"

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly & Pheeb's Corner

Al's Art Gallery