Photo challenge: I want

I pondered today's challenge for a while, and I have to say, what I really want is for people to knock it the hell off and start getting along with each other.

But there is no way to picture out, unless you google "60's Love-In," so I'll just make the statement, that that is what I would really like.

As far as something material, there is something I had when I was a barefoot boy with cheek of tan that I would like to have another of...a suede fringed jacket.

Colossal.  I would love to have another one, especially if it had that candy-striped lining like Seinfeld had, in case I run into Lawrence Tierney.  And that hasn't been possible since 2002.

Hmm.  Now I think I want a fedora like the one Tierney is wearing.

Photo challenge: I bought this

Among the several thousand records, tapes and CDs I have bought (or otherwise acquired) over the years, there are a few that I have in just about every format.  Cheap Trick at Budokan came out as an album in 1979 and I just about wore the grooves off my copy, so I was glad when the music industry switched to cassettes for two weeks before CDs came along.  I bought the cassette and of course I bought the CD, and then they came along with this version in 1997, a recording that included songs left off the initial releases.  For a fan of the guitar work of Rick Nielsen, the bass of Tom Petersson, the vocal of Robin Zander and the drums of the man I rank right up with Keith Moon as #1 of all time, Bun E. Carlos, this is something that can be enjoyed time and again.

Here's a song from the concert that shows the band at their best. It's the old Fats Domino number, "Ain't That A Shame." Play it now and it will be stuck in your head all day.  And there are worse ways to go around than that!

Photo challenge: Family photo

This photo must look like what you get if you google "family photo."  Left to right, it's Kathy (Laura's mother), Peggy, yours truly, Jamie (Jay's wife), Russell (Laura's father), Laura (it was her birthday), her husband Drew (my nephew), Robin (my sister), Jay (my other nephew) and John, my brother-in-law.

Of course, there are kids not shown, and my mom is no condition to be making the party circuit, but this is the current lineup of people over 7 and under 87.

8 x 10 reprints are available in the lobby as you exit.

Photo challenge: everyday jewelry

It is very simple to get a good photo of all the everyday jewelry I wear every day.  There are but two items:  my wedding ring and a watch.

My wedding ring has been in place since 12/8/73 and that little band of gold represents everything that's good in my life.

The watches have come and gone, but trust me on this, I would sooner have a dozen Timex Ironman watches scattered around than one Rolex or whatever.  Sure, those high-class watches are nice to look at, and people will admire the man who can afford to wear one.  But they can't ask him much more than what time it is and what's the date, while we Timexers can, with the push of a button or two, time an event with a stopwatch, set a timer to wake ourselves from a nap, be reminded of important dates and occasions, have as many as three daily or weekly alarms set to remind us to do this or that, and see what time it is in another whole time zone.

All for less than 60 semolians, while you can spend $39, 250 for the men's Diamond ROLEX Oyster Watch Perpetual Day-Date model.  Just go see your local Rolex dealer!  They've already seen you coming!

Photo challenge: Best friend

I adore my wife Peggy in ways that I can't even think of enough words to describe.  I'm writing these blogs in advance because of going to the hospital for knee replacement replacement, and Peggy is going with me.

But she is taking care of every little detail and planning everything just so.  Of course, I'm not paying a bit of attention when the hospital people tell me what kind of socks to wear and when to shave and what meds not to take, because Peggy is there and she gets all that stuff right, allowing me to concentrate on packing New Yorker magazines and my various doodads for the three-day stay.

Every hour of every day since June 21, 1973, the beautiful woman pictured above has loved me completely, perfectly, and much more than I deserve.  Of course she's my best friend.  Even if I didn't love her, she'd still be someone I'd want to talk to every day.

Photo challenge: Someone I miss

I miss a lot of people.  But I have to say that my maternal grandfather, E. Joseph Schissler, is at the top of the list or very close to it.

Here he is, way back in the day.  He had a sense of humor a lot like mine, so I guess you can say he helped form mine, for better or for worse.  It was under his tutelage that I was to learn all I know about how to bend the Land o' Lakes butter package (google images of "land o lakes girl trick") and how to turn a pack of Pep Boys matches into something much more fun.  He had me saying, "Don't go away mad, just go away!" long before Mötley Crüe had me singing it, and he knew just about every old vaudeville joke that there was.

He also had a garage full of the most amazing junk and stuff.  In fact, he should have opened a business in the mall called Junk 'n' Stuff. Old magazines, threaded pipes, scrap wood: all were things he had in abundance.  

Along with a lot of love and joy.  So that's why I miss him.

Photo Challenge: Mother

This is my mother, as pictured on Christmas 2009.  She is, sad to say, nowhere near this hale and hearty anymore.  Today is Mother's Day and my sister and brother-in-law are going to bring her around so Peggy and I can see her, since I'm still not ambulatory quite yet.

Happy Mother's Day to you and yours!