Friday Music Blog

Today's topic requests your all-time cringe-worthy bubblegum pop songs. These are the songs that make teen sensations famous instantly and/or are formulaic and syrupy sweet but have an undeniable beat and catch that make you tap your foot and sing along. Each generation can claim numerous bubblegum pop hits and, like them or lump them, those types of songs are here to stay. So leave your selections of the teeny bopper, sickly sweet, danceable tunes below.

Thank you to all of my readers, commenters, lurkers, and friends who continuously support my efforts here. The end of seven weeks of daily blogs have left me invigorated and motivated to continue this odyssey. I hope you will all stay along for the ride! My goal for the upcoming weeks is to get more audience involvement in the form of interactive blogs like this one. Your ideas, opinions, and stories matter to me, too. I will continue to write from the heart, candidly, and appreciate you all who come back each day to read my ramblings.

Wishing you a fabulous weekend, a very Happy Halloween, a Happy, Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband who I love passionately, and a invitation to return here on Monday to start the week with me.

Best,
Chief 187

P.S. Don't forget to leave those selections below and, for an epic topic for the FMB, log on to http://rowdy.com.

Halloween Hoopla!

Halloween is an extremely big deal in our family. Not only do we have children who adore the cute side of the holiday - decorating, dressing up, and Trick-or-Treating - my husband has a birthday to celebrate! It is quite a festive time in our home and we try to play it up to the nines! With most holidays we observe traditions and Halloween is no exception.
Our Halloween traditions would not be complete without the aforementioned decorations, all "cute" because my children are young and can only stomach low intensity Halloween motifs. We read Halloween stories, again, mild, child-friendly stories with adored characters. And, without a doubt, we watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown several times during the season because we own it on DVD and we are hardcore Peanuts fans! Attending the Cub Scout's Pack Meeting Halloween party is also a yearly activity we attend. Watching our oldest son in his Halloween parade at school has been a joyous tradition, but this is the last year for us to enjoy that as he moves to another school and will be deemed too old. A day or two before Halloween we carve faces into our pumpkins and make Jack O' Lanterns and I roast the pumpkin seeds to perfection. Seriously, I do. They are like crack to my husband! Finally, we always get together with our dear friends and Trick-or-Treat in their neighborhood and end at their home for a celebratory dinner and birthday cake. These events are tame but they are dear to us and will certainly morph once our children start to grow up. Until then I am holding on to the innocent wide-eyed, anticipatory excitement that is like electricity in our home!
This year our traditions have grown to include listening to "The Monster Mash" ad nauseam and watching the video of the same name on Youtube performed by Lego minifigures! It is hilarious and inspires Halloween creativity in my children.
What are your Halloween traditions? Is it an annual event to throw a costume together the night before the big day? Is buying the candy, eating it long before October 31st and having to go out and forage for more a tradition? Do you run movie marathons of the scariest movies you can tolerate in an effort to get your adrenaline pumping? Do you go on a haunted hay ride each year? Do you have an eery playlist you delight? Do you find the creepiest Haunted House to visit? What makes your Halloween fun, special, and memorable. Surely we cannot be the only family who revels in this holiday that Americans have raised to epic proportions! Looking forward to reading your responses - ALL responses!
Happy Halloween!

Child #2 as Batman

Child #1 as Batman

Lobster and Clarified Butter 

The Batmen

The 187 Family

This year I went as a Lobster (notice the green T I wore to replicate the green 'gunk' inside the lobster!) and my daughter was "clarified butter". It's funny, trust me!! The "witch" is my good friend and co-Den Leader in Scouts.

NASCAR

I came to blogging through the NASCAR world. Many of my friends who knew me before 1990 would never guess I was a NASCAR fan and many who have known me since 2007 would never guess I wasn't one! Sports were never a must-see for me on television; I preferred family situation comedies, one hour dramas, and, eventually, watching live home shopping television (QVC). Growing up I distinctly remember my father watching The Wide World of Sports on Saturday afternoons as he waited to get ready for his evening out with my mother for their weekly date nights. Although he watched whatever they broadcast he would become adamant about not leaving while a racing segment was aired. I also remember the Daytona 500 was on each February and my father had himself glued to the set for the entire event. If made no difference in my life except I couldn't watch my programs at those times and I always knew who Richard Petty was.
My father, an avid car enthusiast and race fan, was also a race car driver. In the Vintage Sports Car Club of America (VSCCA), the same club my husband currently drives, my father has raced for over thirty years with myriad vintage cars that delight him. From Lime Rock, Connecticut to the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix he has showcased his cars, run the good race, and brought home the admiration and love of the crowds. Never wanting or portending to be the fastest, my father motors around and races well, puts on a great show, and grapples good-naturedly with his 'competition' on the course.
When Days of Thunder premiered the summer before I moved to Virginia with my husband, my father took me. He was thrilled a racing movie was out and he was not going to miss it! Not knowing anything about NASCAR I was tickled to be asked to attend, but ignorant to the topic. From the opening of the movie to the final sequences I was captivated by the world exposed in the movie. Only later would I come to find out what a "Hollywoodized" version of NASCAR and its season I was shown, but I loved it all the same. Once living in Virginia my husband decided that if he was going to live smack dab in the middle of NASCAR Nation he was going to check the sport out. Tuning in to the last race of the season ender for the 1990 Championship we listened to the commentator explain that driver Mark Martin was the current points leader. A driver named Dale Earnhardt had to lead the most laps and win the race to win the Winston Cup (that's what it was called back then). Loving an underdog to root for my husband and I cheered Dale Earnhardt to victory! We were elated when Dale found himself not only in Victory Lane but also hoisting the Winston Cup over his head. From that point on we were hooked. In the off season my husband learned everything he could about NASCAR. When the 1991 Daytona 500 aired he was a much more knowledgeable and sophisticated fan. I was most interested in the pre and post race interviews.
NASCAR is a sport. NASCAR is entertainment. NASCAR is racing. NASCAR if family. What NASCAR has that other sports do not is a face. Yes, it is a team sport, but the drivers, crew chiefs, car owners, and families all have a face in the sport. Family means a great deal in NASCAR and that is brought to light immediately.
First, there are several generations represented in NASCAR. Knowing Richard Petty's name I was excited to see that his son, Kyle, was also in the field, and at that time winning races. We cheered Kyle Petty and were relieved when he chose to stay the course in NASCAR instead of switch careers and become a Country singer! We mourned when the Petty's lost Kyle's son, Adam, as did the rest of NASCAR. We mourned, too, when the sport lost Neil Bonnet, Clifford Allison, Davey Allison, Alan Kulwicki, and Dale Earnhardt. We watched a tight-knit family encircle and collectively mourn; competitors on the race course were hugging, openly crying, and finding comfort in one another. This was a small group of people who live their lives in much the same way; whose jobs revolve around racing and entertaining the masses. They live to serve us, the fans. And the NASCAR fans are the most loyal, vocal, and dedicated.
NASCAR charities, The Victory Junction Gang, the Kyle Busch Foundation, and myriad others raise money for children, the ill, and and community improvements. Each driver seems to have his own foundation and they all seem active in other nationally recognized organizations like the Make-a-Wish Foundation. NASCAR fans are exposed to the marriages, births, divorces, and deaths of their NASCAR idols. In football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc. a few key players may get singled out and the media exposes their personal business, but in NASCAR everyone is accessible. Again, the fan feels a kinship to his/her favorite driver(s).
After the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001, I found it nearly impossible to continue watching the sport I had once enjoyed. My husband was still a huge fan and had taken to root for most of the field as he admired them all for their racing prowess. We started to grow apart in this area, which is huge because NASCAR's season is inordinately long.
Around 2005 my husband bought himself a Christmas present on Ebay, an iPod. He downloaded his enormous compact disc collection onto it (it took days) and began to research subscribing to podcasts. In addition to the news podcasts he wanted, my husband looked for NASCAR podcasts to feed his lust for daily NASCAR information. This is when Rowdy came into his life. Rowdy is a NASCAR podcast dedicated to reporting the NASCAR news of the day from the perspective of NASCAR fans. The podcast was informative but also extremely funny and entertaining. By the end of 2006 I would listen to parts of the program.
In 2007 after the airing of the Daytona 500 I noticed my husband had been taking notes on a yellow legal pad. After the race he logged on to his computer and started typing. "What are you doing?" I inquired. "Blogging" was his reply. What?! I was the writer! He explained that his favorite NASCAR podcast was launching a social networking fan site and they had asked their listenership to post blogs about the races. Being a stalwart my husband, known from that point on as Racer 187, heeded the call and began blogging about races, racing, and a lot of technical information I still don't understand. Within a few months, after watching him gain a readership (mostly attractive women), I had developed a relationship with NASCAR again. Commenting about incidents in the Coca Cola 600 from Charlotte post race my husband said, "Alright, that's it, don't just tell me, blog it on Rowdy!". He set me up an account that minute and my life as a blogger, and as Chief 187, the name my husband created for me, began.
Since that night I have posted over 450 blogs at Rowdy. Many of them are about NASCAR and that world, but I found my voice and began blogging about other topics as well. Those topics netted me a loyal readership and led me to this site today.
Without NASCAR there would be no Chief 187. Without NASCAR my husband and I may have drifted so far apart we would have lost each other forever. Without NASCAR there would be no Rowdy, my first online home. Without NASCAR I wouldn't have the amazing online and offline friends that I've made. Without NASCAR there would be no Chief 187 Chatter. Thank God for NASCAR!

Perseverance

"When at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

Like Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise I do not believe in the no-win scenario. I may not excel at all the things I try, - let's face it, who does? - but if it is important to me I never give up. I play to win! And although my life is littered with the sports, activities, and pursuits I did abandon, it has a strong foundation built on the successes I achieved.
My biggest success, the one hardest fought and most revered, is my relationship with my husband. From the moment we knew ours was a true love as young teenagers we had to combat the prejudices of others who felt it could not be; it must be "puppy love". We were not taken seriously in our commitment to one another but stayed devoted to one another and, with time, were able to start our lives together at a very young age. Over the years our tenacity was tested, our relationship was put through the wringer, and our mettle was questioned. There were times each of us felt harangued, frustrated, lost, and depleted, yet the one thing we knew we had was a deep love for one another. We both fought hard to save the relationship, and still do. Marriage is work. When the two people stop working it is not destined to survive. We are over-achievers in this category.
Other areas in my life required perseverance as well. My heart was set on attending college at the same school as my husband. I fought hard to attend, graduated a year early to follow him, and even had a glowing letter of recommendation from an alumni who was a financial contributor to the school. My grades were great and my S.A.T scores were okay. Well, the school felt that my lack of fourth year courses at the high school level and my mediocre S.A.T numbers were enough to keep me OUT of their hallowed hallways. I was devastated. But, with the guidance of my mother, I found a school near that other one and applied. They took me gladly and offered me money to attend to boot! In perseverance learning when to take an alternate route is also important. That school was a better fit for my chosen career path and my personality and tender age.
As a teacher it took me a time to find regular contractual employment. I was getting a lot of work, but most of it was as a substitute, long-term sub, or in part-time positions. But I never gave up and, when one door closed in a school, I began working in another. Eventually I was awarded a contract, a full time schedule, benefits, and a career. It was ideal; I adored teaching, and I excelled at it. But then the next struggle came my way.
In the summer of 2001 my husband and I decided that after 8 1/2 years of marriage we were ready to start having a family. Once a couple makes this decision they usually are impatient to wait for it to happen; they want to get pregnant 'yesterday'! After a couple months of trying and failing September 11th occurred and life went tilt. We mourned with the country and prayed for relief. Our messages were clear from all in charge - live your life with normalcy. With renewed vigor and some helpful advice we resumed our quest, and within a couple of months was rewarded with a "positive" read on the pregnancy test! The following summer I finished the last school year I'd teach and started my path on the finest vocation I've ever had, motherhood.
Now I am at a crossroads again. I've written of my involvement with Karate. I have been on a self-imposed hiatus due to my daughter, trying to put her needs ahead of mine. I tried to return too early last spring and found the entire process undesirable and thus stopped again. But now she is older, not as dependent on me. This is the time to make my next move on the path to wellness, health, and self-esteem; Karate has afforded me this in the past and is ripe to deliver the same if I put the time and effort. Tonight I suit up and re-enter the dojo as a student-in-training. It is unbelievably difficult to wrest myself away from my home life in the evening. But I know I must do this for me and to show my children that quitting nor failing is an option. Karate is a lifelong journey, but one that you have to participate to reap the rewards.
In all parts of life decisions are made that affect the whole. They may be life altering or they may be minor, but keeping true to oneself and putting the good fight forth is the only way to preserver. Life is not just about surviving, it's about getting through the hurdles a stronger more knowledgeable person.  I'm trying to teach my children: adopt a "can do" attitude and behold all that can be accomplished!

Wish me luck!

Grandpa

With all of the blessings in my life there was one thing I was missing as a child, a grandpa. Both of my grandfathers passed before I was old enough to have any memories of them. Growing up I was usually quite weary of older men as I had no point of reference in my own life of what role a grandfather played. Even the Santa Claus at the mall scared me much into my older childhood because I could not readily identify with a nice old grandfatherly type of character they (at the mall) were trying to present. But that all changed when I met my husband. When we met I was fourteen and still an impressionable child in many ways. With my husband came a family compete with a set of granparents - Grandma and Granpa. I met them at Christmas the first year I knew my husband and instantly liked the two of them. And for the first time my idea of what a grandfather should be was brought to life in the best of ways.
Over the first years of dating my husband and I had lovely opportunities to get to know his grandparents even though they lived in Iowa and we in New Jersey. Theirs was a tight knit family who made sure to see each other on most holidays and other times throughout the year. Whenever the grandparents came to New Jersey I was around to see them and, by the time I graduated high school, I was included to join the family on a visit back to Iowa! I was in awe of the relationship I witnessed in these two mid-westerners; respectful and pleasant, united and loving, supportive and kind to one another and the true heads of the family. And I always felt I was a welcomed addition to their family despite my age or background.
My husband and I married at young ages for our generation and his grandparents travelled to Virginia where we were living to witness the event. They were overjoyed to see their oldest grandchild marry and were equally thrilled to know it was to me he chose as his bride. They were generous in spirit and in material gifts. We continued to see these wonderful people throughout the years for many occasions just like my husband did while he was growing up. We even packed up our children, then just our two sons, my husband, and a pregnant me to head back to Iowa last summer to celebrate Grandma's 90th birthday celebration. Our visit was heralded as it had been far too many years since we had been back to their home. The party was fantastic and we were so glad we went. Within three months Grandma fell ill and died, two weeks after our daughter was born.
Grandpa was devastated. We were all saddened and affected. But Grandpa lost his wife, his partner, his teammate. In the nearly twenty-three years I had known this couple I saw the deepest most cherished connection two people can share. Grandpa never saw any flaws in his wife; she was as near a perfect a human as they came in his opinion. She sat on the pedestal that he worshipped. She was the sun rising and setting. When Grandma passed part of Grandpa went with her. That is not to say that Grandpa gave up his will to live, quite the contrary. On the heels of her passing Grandpa, a wise man with enormous business acumen and a unshakable work ethic, took on the Herculean task of settling his wife's estate. With the help of his two daughters, their only children, he tirelessly set into motion the necessary tasks associated with the passing of one's spouse. He also steadfastly refused to move from their home in Iowa. Within six weeks Grandpa journeyed to New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving with us and his newest great-grandchild, our daughter, just as he had planned to do with his bride. At times he displayed the raw emotions of his loss, but was also able to laugh with unbridled joy when his three grandchildren inspired the levity. In the spring we all gathered in Florida where Grandma and Grandpa had rented for many years a condo to enjoy a few weeks of warmth at the end of a long Iowa winter. We celebrated Grandpa's 90th birthday with a smaller more intimate party. He was grateful but still quick to cry; he was always a man who wore his heart on his sleeve and unashamed to show true emotions, something his wife used to gently mock him. His tears that week were a combination of grief for his lost wife and an overwhelmed appreciation for all of the gifts God bestowed upon him with two daughters, three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and another grand on the way. He spoke of being lonely but also wanting to spend more quality time with his family. Grandpa was not going to stop living; he was alive and glad to be so!
This week is the first anniversary of the passing of Grandma. Grandpa is facing huge change; he's trying to sell his home, some other properties, and tie up loose ends in Iowa. He has decided that eventually moving into an assisted living environment closer to his daughters is the right choice for him. He is in no great rush, but he is taking the necessary steps to begin the process of moving. During the past year Grandpa has travelled several times to visit his extended family. He is soaking in the energies of his great-grandchildren. I am anxiously awaiting his return this year for Christmas. His addition to our celebration will bring depth and joy to our family reunion.

When I married my husband I married into his family. I added a second set of parents, a little brother, an aunt, uncle, and cousin, and a built-in set of grandparents. I was honored with observing the grandparents' marriage in all of its glory. She was strong, opinionated, domineering, and still loving and supportive. He was always kind, loving, interested, and ever-present. They held hands, laughed at the same things, gushed over their grandchildren and eventually great-grandchildren in the same way. What I remember about Grandpa is he is very slow to anger and quick to resolution. He does not carry a grudge nor does he stew. He holds secrets to life that I am anxious to learn as he has so much to teach. When I married my husband I gained a Grandpa and I got the very best example of what a Grandpa can be in this world. I love you Grandpa and am so proud to be a member of your family. My children adore Great-Grandpa and my oldest has stated that when he grows up he is going to live in "this house with my best friend Thomas and my Great-Grandpa!" Is there any higher compliment? I hope they'll let me live there, too!

Friday Music Blog

I've experienced an influx of readers this week in large part due to the Reunion blogs I posted. Thank you to all who read and commented this week, especially those who didn't attend high school with me, and those of you who read some archived blogs. If you are new to this format Friday is a great day to hang around. Friday Music Blogs (FMB) are interactive and are reliant on reader responses. I throw out a musical topic and the reader responds with his/her favorite music, songs, albums, artists, or pieces to fit the topic. There are no right or wrong answers so please leave your selections below!

Today's topic centers around the five (or ten or twenty, etc.) pieces of music that solidified you as a music fan. These works can range from your earliest memories of children's music to your first experience with rock, country, metal, show tunes, or classical music. The music can be spread out over your lifetime, but list each and every song that has a grip on you and made you the music lover you are today.

If you find yourself addicted to the FMB I post a second completely different topic at my other home, http://www.Rowdy.com. It is a NASCAR social networking site and it is a raucous place to hang out. You need not be a NASCAR fan to join, it is free, and I showcase more of my writing, and my FMB, there. Check it out. But don't forget to make this site part of your weekday rituals.

Have a great weekend everybody and thank you so much for your continued support!

Never Too Early

We are still more than a week away from Halloween and Christmas decorations are creeping into the stores. Some find this a total outrage and grump that the seasons are being rushed. I must admit, I am not one of them. I adore the Christmas season and, like Charles Dickens urged us in his novella A Christmas Carol, I keep Christmas in my heart the whole year through. I know that my local WalMart is not interested in the 'true meaning of Christmas', they are trying to squeeze money out of my tight change purse in this god-forsaken economy, but I choose to find goodness where I can. And, strangely enough, seeing a Santa Claus figure, jewel-toned ornaments, and a fuzzy stocking just makes me feel warm and peaceful all over.
Here's some insight. When I was a child the Christmas tree went up approximately a week after Thanksgiving. There was an excitement surrounding the treasures unboxed from the basement. Precious baubles that adorned our tree each year were unearthed from newspaper and paper towels. A glass rendition of a snowman with felt hat, scarf, and mittens was placed lovingly on the table in the family room. A knitted Santa Claus was laid gingerly on the sofa. The stockings were seriously hung by the chimney with care. And, when it was all done and the lights were plugged in I sat in front of the spectacular tree and marveled. I had never seen anything more beautiful! Each day I'd run home from school and plop myself down on the floor in front of the tree to become mesmerized by its glow. By New Year's Day the tree and all of its majestic glory were reboxed and sent back into storage, along with a little piece of my joy.
When I moved in to an apartment with my husband I was excited by the life we were about to embark. We could start traditions and control the whens and wheres. When our first October was shared in our home we decided we needed a tree (yes folks, I am the artificial tree type). With little money and high hopes we went to our local WalMart in 1990 in Salem, Virginia and were pleased to find an aisle of Christmas trees and decorations. We set to filling our cart, modestly. Back then a dollar bought a lot more so we were able to buy a lovely assortment of adornments for our new tree. We arrived home agreeing to set up our purchases "just to take our first picture Christmas cards" for that year. We assembled the tree, positioned the limbs, strung the lights, and hung the ornaments just so. We dressed in Christmas finery, set up the tripod, took a roll of film (no digital cameras back then), and felt satisfied we'd have a perfect Christmas card. Then my husband said, "Okay, let's take this all down." I wanted to agree. I tried to, but I just couldn't. I felt a lump in my throat, a tear sting my eye, and a piercing of my heart. I just couldn't put the tree down - it made me too happy. So, two weeks before my husband's Halloween birthday in 1990 we had our tree up for Christmas. Being the good sport he is my husband relented and even enjoyed our own private Christmas scene. That was the only year we ever decorated so early - or kept the tree up as long (it didn't get taken down until late January and even that left me an emotional mess). My husband calmly put in the request to not put our tree up until at least after his birthday. I agreed whole-heartedly. For the next few years we did the decorating before Thanksgiving, but I finally came to my senses and chose Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, for our traditional day of decorating for Christmas. And that tradition still holds today.
As a Hallmark Keepsake Ornament collector, something I've been since 1994, I revel in the Premiere weekend in July. Again, there are those who grumble that it is far too early to see Christmas in the malls, but I counter that collectors need to buy a little at a time to secure their treasures for the year. These ornaments are expensive, but they are also so well made! I cannot tell you what toys my children received last year, or any year for that matter, but I can tell you that they get so excited to see those ornaments come out of storage each year. They each have their own and those ornaments showcase milestones, divulge their interests from that year, and show their individual personalities. We have some with lights and sound and others that play familiar music like "Linus and Lucy" from the Charlie Brown specials. The children all respond to these fanciful delights that hang on our tree and are proud of their collections!

I don't condone rushing the seasons. I enjoy each and every day I am blessed. But, in the every day bustle of life, when nerves get frayed, people disappoint, and rudeness runs rampant, I like to see Christmas out of the blue to remind me that I can show good will towards Man. I try to remember all of the lessons Scrooge was taught on that one fateful Christmas Eve. Maybe I'm too corny. Maybe I'm not entirely in touch with reality. But I know that I still get that warm, peaceful, and serene feeling when I see a lit Christmas tree. I know that when I'm alone in the car in September I blast the Christmas Favorites playlist on my iPod because it makes me happy and joyful! I look forward to the rest of the world to catch Christmas fever like when the local radio stations turn all Christmas music, but I can fill the gaps in the meantime. I say long live Christmas the whole year through. I say become a Santa Claus throughout the year and give secret gifts to those who need more than you in months other than December.
Where do you fall in this debate? Is Christmas Season only the day after Thanksgiving until New Year's Day? Do you cringe when the Christmas trees pop up in the mall before Halloween? Are you incensed when you hear Christmas music on the radio before Turkey Day? Or, like me, do you welcome each and every sign that Christmas is state of mind, not a season? Please share your thoughts about this!