Well, as I feared — snow day today. And likely tomorrow, too. Perfect. I chase the bright, elusive butterfly of rehearsal time. No matter, though. It’s actually one of the reasons I do a 10-week rehearsal frame instead of an 8-week. Still, I fret……………

Anyway, some RNFs for today.

The Oprah/Jay/Dave Super Bowl commercial. I guess I’m a humorless crone. It wasn’t funny. Poorly acted by Oprah, confusingly short in length, and just … juvenile. I dunno. I know the Oprah/Dave history, but this was just dumb. It’s being hailed as the “funniest 15 seconds in Super Bowl history.” Whaaa? Three bad actors on a sofa, eating chips, with Oprah, channelling the prim & proper granny, quietly shushing the spoiled-brat whining? Wow. My sides. Please.

OK, enough snark. I’m nice now.

Cruel irony. The midwest is getting pounded, and Vancouver can’t buy a snowflake.

A worthy cause. Thumbs up, Michelle.

Cancer cure? Could it be the “three wise men” were onto something?

I am going to get work done today, I promise. I wanted to go in to school before the snow accumulation got too bad, but I fear the Finkmobile’s stick-to-the-road ability. Or lack thereof. Hmmm. I think I’ll just stay in.

Peace.

Why do people live in this area December through February? YEOW I can’t feel my hands. Just went out to start the Finkmobile. Iss cold.

And there’s another winter storm on the way. Delightful.

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In school, I was nailed for it — a lot.

While searching for a phrase in the archives this morning (after 673 posts, coming up with original titles becomes a bit of an ongoing challenge), I found a post about Barry Manilow from November 2008. Then I got to thinking about all the stuff I miss about the past, and how important nostalgia really is.

Do you connect certain memories with songs, TV shows, people? There are even times when I look at the sky, or the smell the outside air on a fantastic autumn night, or see Christmas lights in the quiet morning when there’s snow everywhere — and I think of past events in my life with an absolute, yet wistfully pleasant, melancholy. Wishing I could go back there, to that family gathering, or that school day, or to those friends. You ever do that? Yearn for a simpler time? I’m sure my fellow crusties do, occasionally. I think it’s healthy; care and feeding for one’s overall perspective.

For instance, sometimes I miss:

• Christmases as a kid in our house in Waukegan, Illinois
• Saturday mornings when my boys were little, and they’d climb in bed with me and we’d lie there and talk about silly things for a half hour before getting up
• Certain times from my childhood, the memories of which are usually brought on by hearing a song or seeing a certain TV show from the 60s or 70s
• The feeling of being carefree

The memories are so vivid, it seems like I’m there and experiencing it. Is that too weird for a Sunday morning for you? Sorry.

The other day, I had one of these intense flashbacks on the way to school, when the Sirius radio station (70s on 7) played “Tighter“ by Alive ‘N’ Kickin’ from 1970. Wow, what memories. Hanging out with Missy, Peggy, Julie and Mavis at the Brown Deer Pond, crushes on the life guards, working on our tans, talking about boys — because those were the only things we had to think about in life when we weren’t in school. Our childhoods were consumed with being kids. No competition for scholarships, no worries that our clothes wouldn’t pass muster; no worries at all, actually. Great stuff.

All right, time to get my head out of the clouds and get some work done. Feeling better today, but tired. Good reason to shelve the work and take the day off, eh? Hmmm.

Fink out (rooting for the Saints today because they’re not supposed to win).

Yeah, well, everything fell to krap yesterday.

Even with Seamus’s awesomely awesome snow vehicle, I didn’t get to drive to Sandusky for Bando’s show last night. For reasons too long to go into here, it was decided that I should not drive the hour north, but come home instead. Truth be told, I’m glad I did, as the fever and sore throat have now set in. Things seem to be going south at a rabbit’s pace. But hey — I made it home last night with no problems (4WD really is a dandy thing), and I hear Bando’s show was a hit, so all is well.

Thought I’d post some photos for BoomR and Paul, both of whom used to live here, but later chose warmer climates (BoomR is in TX; Paul in CA). Remember these days, guys?

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Fink, to the sofa with the electric blanket