Project 3867: Off Alpine

 

Beer beef stew? Yes, please!

Looking around at what is happening in downtown CP, maybe you embrace the dining culture that is being created and offer up your own twist on the experience. Even saying "off Alpine" creates a vision, and I'm inspired to find a niche and go Belgian - beer, food, decor. 

Menu: Beer beef stew was the first thing that popped up. For Belgian fries, the key is to fry them twice. Meatballs and noodles. Ham and potatoes au gratin. Waffles for dinner. Endive and apple salad. 

Offer a lounge experience with couches and soft chairs instead of hard bar stools. 

It's already feeling cozy. 

Give me a lambic and tell me I'm pretty

Maybe I just want a place where I can indulge in all the Lindemann's Lambics on tap without judgment.

Create a bar/pub crawl experience with neighbors at Mill Creek Tavern, Nick Fink's, and Vitale's. 

What’s Right in the World: Finding the Right Statement

Those sleeves!

I was invited by a friend to join him for Pridefest, but I I admitted I didn’t have anything to wear. 

So I hemmed.

I hawed.

I put no less than five shirts in my Amazon basket, then deleted them all. I didn’t want to be obnoxious, ambiguous, confrontational, or dismissive. I also didn’t want to wear black. 

(This is nothing new - if you recall from a previous post, I overthought an Ally shirt I found at the thrift, only to discover it didn’t fit.)

I gave it a day, and the topic came up again, and I browsed one more time.

Then I found it.

I loved the sleeves, and what’s better, if I clicked the coupon box, it would be 25% off with free shipping.

I squealed and hit the Buy Now button.

To thine own self be true - be it your choice of partner or hunting for a bargain. 

The Cereal Project: Free Song

Free Bobby Sherman record! 

He was an almost-pick as a Fifth Monkee since he appeared as a teen idol in the show

Cereal boxes in the 70s featured a flimsy, plastic 45 blown inside the box and secured with glue dots. In the 00s there was a code to download a song via Zune or iTunes. In theory, I can go retro in appearance, but the code will be a QR in the box to download the prize. 

But what's the song? 

Cam was a little emo, and I feel like his kid could be an angsty singer/songwriter, quietly trying things out.  Gord is anxious because her band, which she had only been goofing around with, surprised her by securing a slot in a "battle of the bands" competition on spring break, but they have to cut school early to get to Florida in time. She's also been filling notebooks with songs and poetry, and in a case of performance anxiety and impostor syndrome, she's terrified that her stuff may not be any good. The other conflict is that neither parent knew about this, and her mom is pushing college tours instead of spring break with her friends. 

Guess I need to write a song for this. It's gotta be catchy. I'm representing the state that brought Aretha, Eminem, and The Stooges. I want to lean into a genre I've discovered recently, bubblegum punk, a.k.a. trash pop. 

Free Song, by The Free Stickers 

You think you know, know the way,

But can't give me the time of day,

This love's too casual for you,

You're happy when I am feelin', feelin' blue.

You knew it all along, 

I bare it all in this song.

You mean it all, all to me,

But what I give you take for free.

The path for us it twists and turns,

Your cutting tone gives me the burns.

Why do I give you my heart, 

It feels over before it starts.

You knew it all along, 

I bare it all in this song.

You meant it all, all to me,

But what I give you take for free.

Your valentine ruins the day, all I do is sit and pray, what's in your heart I have no SAY!

[angry guitar, then drum solo]

I kind of knew all along,

As I sing, sing this song,

You were once it all, all for me,

But I finally broke, broke it free. 

Why Art Matters: Jim Miller-Melberg, Sculptures for Play

Tree Form, I mistakenly called it DNA swirls when I was a kid. 

Saddle Slide, I don't remember there being one of these at Cascades. 

Castle, we called them adobe huts. 

We took the long way to Chicago this weekend, hoping to catch a garage sale or two, find some roadside honey sellers. Driving through South Haven, I was startled by a call back to my childhood and made Dave turn around. 

There they were - the play sculptures of my youth. I had to learn more. 

An internet search for playground sculptures, I discovered the artist, Jim Miller-Melberg. A true Michigander, he was born in Detroit, went to Cranbrook, then Wayne State and the University of Michigan.  He founded a company, Form, Inc., and designed playgrounds nationwide. 

In addition to the designs above, his outdoor sculptures included benches, game tables, picnic tables, basketball hoops, water fountains, animals (dophins and turtles are favorites among us GenXers), play walls (also called Swiss cheese due to the holes), and, of course, the iconic moon house. Link to the catalog here. 

I posted the photos on Facebook, which brought friends out of the woodwork to share their love for the play sculptures. I also found a fan page devoted to finding where his playground pieces still exist, and I was able to add my find. Now I have a reference in case I want to rediscover the play wall or a moon house. 

Thank you, Jim, for a fantastic childhood memory. 

Lipstick on the Mic: Indigo Girls

It's only life, after all

Closer to Fine has a soft spot in my heart and it's got to be on my list of best songs ever. It will always be on my personal jukebox. 

The Indigo Girls are Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, friends who met in elementary school and formed the band while still in high school. First, they were known as The B Band, then Saliers and Ray, before settling on the name Indigo Girls at Emory University, choosing the word from the dictionary.

They released the album Strange Fire in 1987, but it was their second, the self-titled Indigo Girls, which became their first big hit in 1989, winning them a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 1990. The song Closer to Fine was also released as one of the first cassette singles in the US, shortened to cassingle because we Americans can't be bothered to say the whole damn thing. 

This song has been described as the always poignant search for "the meaning of life," as the singer discovers "There's more than one answer to these questions, pointing me in a crooked line.
And the less I seek my source for some definitive, closer I am to fine." Saliers said she felt that the song advised making life a little better by seeking small pieces of knowledge from a wide variety of sources, instead of looking for a universal truth in one place.

That is beautiful, and I think it's one of the photo montage songs I want played at my funeral... far into the future. 

This was the drunken belter that the roommates and I would play in college, and we sang at the top of our lungs at Jill's wedding. 

It's considered one of the best songs of 1989 and of the 80s. 

It's considered an LGBTQ anthem. 

It's considered a road trip song. 

It was featured in the Barbie movie. 

Even Jim and Andy sang a cappella to it, bonding in an episode of The Office. 

What a long and loving history, which, by researching the band, encapsulates their story. 

The Fifth (and Sixth) Monkees, Goffin and King

"Creature comfort goals, they only numb my soul and make it hard for me to see." 

Carole and Gerry knew every love story doesn't have a happy ending.

Gerry Goffin and Carole King were a married couple working under Don Kirshner at the Aldon Music Company as lyricists. The duo were responsible for The Monkees hit Pleasant Valley Sunday. 

But what a career they had together and separately! Together, they wrote One Fine Day, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, and Going Down. John Lennon had hoped he and Paul McCartney would become England's answer to Goffin and King. 

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. 

Separately, Gerry Goffin won an Academy Award for Mohagany and wrote hit singles such as Saving All My Love for You. 

Carole King... I mean, I could begin and end this one with the album Tapestry alone! Her career has spanned recordings, television, movies, and musical theatre, with awards and nominations that include Golden Globes, Grammys, and Emmys. Beautiful is the jukebox musical of her life, a stunning piece of art that was a surprise for us on Valentine's Day a few years back. 

Carole said upon Gerry's death he was the love of her life. She should know since she wrote the 60s soundtrack to young love. 

Project 3867: My First Car Lot

My first car, only no white leather roof, it was all red

We are back to cars. While Will is driving the convertible, I'm watching available used cars that may be more winter-friendly. I'm experiencing a little sticker shock, noting the first car my dad bought for me to drive was a $200 1976 Century Buick. 

As a new driver, insurance is very expensive, older cars with scratches and dents are to be expected. And you know what - a 16-year-old doesn't need to be driving something he can't afford. 

Ah, memories - the first thing I did was invest in a cheap car stereo

Thus, My First Car Lot, the new driver and poor man's friend. No sticker is more than $9,999. 

With Dave's background in finance, we can use the opportunity to educate new drivers on financial literacy, tax, insurance, building their credit score, safe driving, and making smart choices. 

When this was Mill Creek Motors, there were never more than 10 cars in this lot, but with affordable prices, you could expect lots of turnover. 

Promotional tie-in is to recreate Used Car Night at the Whitecaps, and give away a new-to-you car. Some of the wins were nothing but a broken-down minivan; but I remember being insanely jealous over someone winning a candy colored Geo Tracker convertible. 

I visualized using a primary color palette and juvenile fonts (but no Comic Sans), Little Tykes car on the marquee, and advertising. Fun keychains, too. 

The Cereal Project: The Prizes

One of my favorite cereal box prizes was a miniature microscope. Not that I could really see anything, I just pretended to be a scientist.

The cereal: Xs and Ohs

The audience: GenX

The promotional tie-in: Cameron Frye's Day Off

Next: THE PRIZES! 

There were a variety of prizes to be had in 70s cereals. I'll pick six retro-inspired prizes, and I can "create" one each for the next six months.

June: a record/song

July: stickers

August: puzzle book

September: something to wear, like a button

October: glow-in-the-dark pen

November: character figurine

December: bring it back to the cereal, which is why we are here in the first place

Let the fun begin!

Typing Out Loud: RBR 2025, the Participation Medal

The pre-race haul, going back to 2011. 

I was plowing through my April to-do list, and it's shocking at everything I have been doing, between work, baseball, marching band, skating, and family stuff.  I was surprised two weeks out that the race was coming up quickly, while running through the Philadelphia airport from Gate F37 to B13 so I wouldn't miss my connecting flight to Pittsburgh. 

I honestly kinda forgot to train.

Sure, there were lame attempts on the elliptical, but by the time I got home from photographing one of Will's games as designated administrator of the CP JV BB FB page, or hitting a desperate deadline at work, I felt I had already run a marathon. So got my freebies from the expo, put on my Air Nikes, and hoped for the best. 

A true participation medal - but I'm not sad

I felt the burn and shame of not properly training in the first mile, my shins screaming at me for being very stupid. I saw my friend Brandon, who was encouraging some of his clients along the route, and he waved me up to join him. My body protested, and I took on a power walking stance and waved him on. 

I did what every good Polish Catholic girl would do and beat myself up for the next mile. I grumbled that I should start over at the start line for the 5k walk, as that would be more honest. But then I mugged for the cameramen at various checkpoints, pretending to run for a stretch so the photos would be good. I relied on my old artistic perspective of finding things along the route that I wouldn't have otherwise seen if I were in my car, such as the ice sculpture building with its zipper illusion, getting "atta girl!" cheers from the homeless guys chain-smoking by the railroad tracks, enjoying the beautiful spring morning and flowering trees, and of course the Beatles channel. 

Approaching the finish line, I didn't hot dog it - I didn't want any additional cheers or display any fake bravado. I was pleased to find that I finished better than I had the last two times I did the race when I was injured, so I have some redemption. I also found out I finished dead ass last in my age group, and felt I deserved that. 

And yet, it felt good, somehow. Again, quitting was never an option. 

I whipped out my Tieks blue bag from my thigh pocket, helped myself to the finish line goodies, and went inside for my celebratory beer. I sat with stranger Ben, who admitted he has slowed in his middle age and only does this race once a year, cajoled into doing it with his healthier friends for the chance to celebrate their finishes with more beer and burgers when they finished their 10K and 25K races. 

So what do I want out of these races anymore? I've never claimed to be a runner, and yet I have 14 medals from this event alone, one of which is my second-best in age group from 2020. I want to make it to the 50th anniversary of the race in 2027, then retire to volunteer; I'm looking forward to the end. My boot box is full, but I think there's space for a couple more medals, and room on the lid for a couple more songs. For this year, I need to add Paul McCartney and Wings "Rock Show."

Lipstick on the Mic: Martha and the Vandellas

 Calling out around the world, are you ready for these evening gowns?

I feel compelled to add this one in May since it is the anniversary of being a Vandella for 10 minutes at a First Ladies luncheon for the Betty Ford Foundation. 

The group formed in 1957 in Detroit and was part of Motown’s Hitsville USA powerhouse of the 60s. Their string of hits include Heatwave, Nowhere to Run, Jimmy Mack, Quicksand, and Dancing in the Streets. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

So how did I happen to make Ms Reeves' acquaintance? A vendor invited me to the above-mentioned luncheon. Reeves, now a political activist, was in attendance and said the prayer. 

No singing?

After wrapping up our meal, she returned to the stage and said she needed some backup singers and dancers. I was already halfway out of my chair as Jen and I quickly made our way up to the stage to do an extended version of Heatwave and Dancing in the Streets. She even taught us how to be proper backup singers and dancers - with a pump pump left, pump pump right, twirl with my hands in the air, wave-wave left, wave-wave right, and twirl. 

I earned the right to a disco ball cocktail dress. 

I'm Just a Cat

A boy and his buddy

Sad news to report, Ace went on his final adventure yesterday, dying at the age of 9, which in cat years is more like 63. I had just come home from a skating competition in Pittsburgh, and Will's friend Ben found him on the sidewalk as he was leaving to grab a bite to eat. He was still warm, so I shouted for the family, and we were with him in his final moments. Our thought to take him to the emergency vet was quickly vetoed as we noted the light had gone out of his eyes. 

Will found him at the Humane Society after Christmas in 2017. He was rescued from a pet hoarder. He quickly made himself at home by drinking out of the toilet. 

He was a great and loving pet, but oh so messy. To hear him sneeze was pretty hilarious, not so much when he would cough up a hairball. He was a mainstay at meetings, perched on the back of my chair. He loved when the front door was open so he could peek out and chatter at birds, rabbits, squirrels, whatever was in the front yard. 

He was a jumper, usually on top of the grandfather clock, the bathroom vanity, back of the couch, anywhere he could take a better look. 

Will's going to miss playing tag, I'm going to miss my morning cuddles, and Dave is going to miss scratching the brains of the being that liked to curl up on his belly. 

Oh he's is going to be missed. 

The Fifth (and Sixth) Monkee, Rose Marie and Ruth Buzzi

Jeez Millie, have a heart. 

I've always had a soft spot for Rose Marie, who appeared as Millie in one of my favorite episodes, Monkee Mother. But she actually appeared as a guest star twice, showing up as the wife of a mobster who was bumped off, "so now I'm the Big Man!"

Rose Marie was born in 1923 and started her career in vaudeville as Baby Rose Marie at the age of three. Throughout her 90-year career, she did stage, small screen, large screen, radio, and animated voice-overs, which is amazing considering she started her career in the silent movie era. She died in 2017 at the age of 93; her last acting credit was in the cartoon series Garfield and Friends in 2015. 

Hello sweet boys

Edited to include some love for Ruth Buzzi, who passed May 2 at the age of 88. She got her start after high school in an off-Broadway revue, and her repertoire expanded quickly to include movies, television, and sketch comedy. She won a Clio for television commercials?! Her stardom rose in the 60s with appearances on The Monkees, That Girl, and in the sketch comedy show Laugh In. 

The next generation got to know her in Baggy Pants and the Nitwits, You Can't Do That on Television, Alice, and as a voice actor for numerous Saturday morning cartoons. By the 90s, she appeared on Sesame Street, making cameos in music videos for Weird Al and the B-52s, given story arcs on soap operas, and was Screech Powers' Elvis-loving mother on Saved By the Bell. 

A kind and creative person, she donated time and money to numerous charities, was an oil painting hobbyist, and was an avid car collector. 

She made a living as the old dingbat, but I never saw her as that. Her beautiful smile revealed she was in on the joke. What a life. Goodspeed. 

Project 3867: Eat at Joe's - Home of the BIG Napkin!

Iconic

Every eatery has to have a specialty and a hook. Vitale's across the street has spicy meat pizza, Mad Dogz has the Chilimacaloco, and Mill Creek has those dammmnn good nachos. 

Every cartoon I grew up on featured a greasy spoon diner called Joe's.

What's a joe in the food world? Sloppy Joes! There apparently is already a sloppy joe restaurant, sloppyjoes.com but it doesn't go all in on this concept. 

The menu will feature nothing but a variation of a sloppy joe sandwich. Serve up some classics: 

• Manwich
• Barbeque
• Iowa loose meat

Add some protein variety, such as pot roast, pulled pork, and something a local called sloppy chicken, which may be similar to Russ' creamed turkey sandwich (shredded chicken plus gravy).

For juxtaposition, offer a rotating "neat meat" sandwich of the day, like fried spam or a plain burger.

Bun variety: regular, poppyseed, pretzel, onion, everything, Hawaiian. 

Ordering made easy: "Pick your bread, pick your meat, then by God, pick your seat." 

A dress-up station, where people can add condiments like pickles, jalapenos, onions, au jus, mustard, ketchup, and BBQ sauce. 

Go local and serve fountain Faygo - OMG, fresh red pop! - and Better Made chips in classic but also quirky flavors. 

Yeah, a NAPKIN

The signature look: blue and white checks, with oversized blue-checked paper napkins with tabs so you can also tie it as a bib. Be known as the Home of the BIG Napkin. 

The Cereal Project Sidebar: Cameron Frye's Day Off Movie Synopsis

Frye Reprise: Cameron as a wise, chill dad in his office. 

To create the cereal prizes to tie-in to the movie promotion, we need a brief synopsis of what Cameron Frye's Day Off is about. Can't just make a Detroit Red Wings sweater eraser and call it good. 

What's fun is Alan Ruck has already reprised Cameron in a commercial for home security, where the scene is set that he has a family and a nice corporate job downtown. In those 30 seconds, he has established he's a much more mellow character than he was as a teen - we can thank Ferris' influence for that. And he is wise to his son and his friend's shenanigans. 

And rich. He owns the killer house and the roadster. 

So WHY would Cameron Frye have the day off? 

    A - He's been downsized;

    B - Ferris has roped him into a caper; or 

    C - His family needs him for something, and it's dad to the rescue.

I don't want this to become a downer, as this will be an escapist, nostalgia trip that exists purely for fun, so A is out. As a tie back to the first movie, where he hated his dad for working and ignoring his family, Cameron seems like the kind of dad who would be there for his kids. 

And Ferris is an icon.

Let's combine B and C! 

But what would his kid or kids need him for? The commercial has established he has a Ferris-like son. But what about a fun exploration of the father-daughter dynamic? 

I picture a daughter who is a little too much like the Cameron of old, and her dad wants her to live a little. What if she's showing signs of busting out of her shell and needs dad and Uncle Ferris to help her? 

Antagonists would be the older brother from the commercial as a reprise of Ferris and Jeanie's sibling rivalry; mom, who doesn't want her to become a screwup like her brother (a cautionary tale); and life itself, with college, and perhaps untapped talent on the line.

Ferris is on board, a professional cybersecurity expert putting those early computer skills to good use. 

Hilarity ensues. 

The original Ferris Bueller's Day Off was a love letter to Chicago between the Cubs game, the parade, the Sears Tower, and, of course, "The Sausage King of Chicago." Cam's love for cars and the Detroit Red Wings sees him relocating to the Detroit area, so we can bring our affection to the Motor City and have him working for Ford, capitalizing on the Motor City Renaissance.

Musical montage at Hitsville USA. 

A stop at Comerica, where a day game is happening. Cam and Ferris lament missing the game and still manage to catch a ball, perhaps a home run out by GVSU's Detroit offices. 

To make the breakfast food connection, daughter Gord (naturally) has to be a cereal freak. 

Before readers complain (crickets), this isn't the Great American Novel; this is an escapist-nostalgia comedy created to fictitiously sell cereal. 

And a fun fantasy start. 

Lipstick on the Mic: Bananarama

They were really saying something with that wardrobe

Sara, Siobhan, and Keren have always had a special place in my heart from those early 80s MTV days - the quirky videos, catchy lyrics, and the street punk fashion easy to pull off in Soho, not so much middle America while hanging out in the Westwood Mall. 

History: the three were friends at fashion college, in need of a place to live and some way to earn money. A friend offered them an apartment that happened to be above the Sex Pistols rehearsal room. They acted as backup singers for performers such as The Jam and Iggy Pop and recorded their first demo Aie a Mwana in Swahili. It became a club hit which led to a record deal. 

They traded guest vocals with Fun Boy Three and did It Ain’t What You Do for them and FB3 returned the favor with Really Saying Something. (I was cleaning carpets of cat barf and hairballs when the music video came on and damned if I didn’t do the choreography nearly 40 years after the fact.)

Their star continued to rise with Cruel Summer and Robert DeNiro’s Waiting and a guest spot on the charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas? 

The ultimate in hot coolness came in ‘86 with their remake of Venus, going number one everywhere. 

Know what they say about reaching the top? There’s only one way to go, and that’s down. They had a couple more mid-level hits like I Heard a Rumor and Love in the First Degree, then Siobhan left to create Shakespear’s Sister and the creepy song Stay with Me. They recruited another girl to the trio but the magic wasn't there and Bananarama quietly left the limelight.  

But like any good 80s band, the reunion tour siren called, and Siobhan rejoined Sara and Keren in the teens to tour Europe to relive the good times. 

The Fifth Monkee, Frank Zappa

Banal and insipid?

How appropriate on April Fools Day...

Not all the kids watching were ready for Zappa, but I'm sure there were a few who were. 

Zappa earns his entry as the fifth Monkee for appearing in the series and the movie Head. Both appearances were batshit crazy in the best way. 

His first appearance was as Mike Nesmith - and Mike as Frank - in an interview to open the episode Monkees Lose Their Minds. Frank, a fan of Dadaism and an expert on sound experimentation, got to rip into popular music while playing a car. This was Frank's performance art, finding music on anything - he had demonstrated this trick on the Steve Allen Show years before, when he played a bicycle. If that's odd to you, remember putting baseball cards in the spokes of your bike just to hear the rhythmic "th-th-th-th" that became a whirr the faster you went. That's what he was doing. 

He showed up as The Critic, walking a cow in the movie Head, calling Davy Jones "pretty white" in response to his Daddy's Song routine, and encouraging the band to work on their music because "the youth of America depends on you to show them the way." 

Even I had to say WTF to that. 

I could go on about the bizarre but admittedly uneven brilliance of the man. He found melody in discordance. His performance art extended to movies and television. He celebrated things while mocking them like the 80s hit Valley Girl, a collaboration with daughter Moon Unit. We knew we were being mocked, and we enjoyed it anyway. Besides, you can't claim to be a true Val when you're repping the Mitten State in discounted jam shorts from Jean Nicole. 

And my kid loves St. Alphonse Pancake Breakfast. I expect no less from the kid whose favorite Beatles song is Revolution #9. 

Project 3867: The Electric Company

Apparently, these types of stations are available in Abu Dabi

I don't know how long it was Mill Creek Motors, it was there for at least 15 years before the property went vacant. 

So why mess with a good idea? Except to improve on it. 

Electric vehicles are becoming more and more prominent on the road. And I know nothing about them. My friend Tami has one and loves it. It's still a vehicle though, and as such, I'm sure it needs regular maintenance to keep it in good working order. 

Get some trained technicians, add a couple of charging stations, add a lounge while people wait for their cars to charge, polish this up to a gleam, and become an electric car service station. 

The Cereal Project: The Tie-in

Wound tight. 

Serious glow-up.

Now that we have a product and a consumer, how will we promote it? 

Let's talk about the promotional tie-in. 

Tie-ins can focus on an event, a movie, or an idea. 

I'm circling in on the idea of a GenX movie sequel, since Marlene and Duck from 16 Candles have shown up as a happily married couple in a few commercials. The cast of The Breakfast Club is set to reunite at a comic-con in April, fueling rumors of a new movie. 

The characters in John Hughes movies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Weird Science are beloved for a reason. 

What about Cameron Frye, Ferris' sidekick as a middle-aged man taking the day off from work? GenX would love to see who Alan Ruck's character became, on top of the fact Alan Ruck has become a silver fox. 

The cameos could be insane.

There you go - our promotional tie-in will be for the fictitious movie sequel: Cameron Frye's Day Off. 

Lipstick on the Mic: Christine Lavin

Kind of looking like Grace Slick

She's the darling of the folk music scene, the voice of an angel but a sense of humor that garners a double take. Christine Lavin has been writing and performing for 50 years, since she was discovered at an open mike night while waitressing in Saratoga Springs. The guy who found her, Dave Van Ronk, is a legend in his own right: House of the Rising Sun? He arranged that. 

What sets her apart is her sassy songwriting that could be touching in one song, and bawdy the next. 

What a thrill to spend an afternoon with her. 

I first saw her at the Women's Literary Club in Grand Rapids 30 years ago. She was riding high on an indie hit single, The Kind of Love You Never Recover From, and getting a couple of songs on some movie soundtracks. My roommate Kathy met her in the bathroom, and helped her with her hair. 

Flash forward, I happened upon a social media post that she would be playing a Lutheran church in East Lansing in February. It was a rare Sunday that I had nothing going on, and she would be playing in daylight instead of some dim, smoky nightclub. I had to go. 

In another astonishing bit of luck, she welcomed fans to a meet and greet before the show to knit and converse. She had prizes for people! Not a knitter, I grabbed a figure skating dress to stone while listening to stories. 

She gave away a CD to the person with the biggest project, a huge knitted afghan. Then another for the newest project, which went to the person who had just started a project with a grand total of eight stitches completed. The last prize went to the person who had worked on their project the longest, an eight-year project that had been started and stopped many times. 

While looking for the glue and stones for my skating dress, I happened to have found an old USFSA keychain for the premiere of the documentary Rise, about the 1961 World team plane crash. Christine is a huge figure skating fan, so I impulsively brought it along if I had the chance to talk to her. 

After she gave her CDs away, I said "Wait, I have a gift for you." I wanted to give her something as a thank you for writing the song As Close to Flying, which she had dedicated to the lost World team. She gasped, immediately added it to her keychain, and said I have to give you something for this. I weakly refused, saying that was not my intention to gift grub. She gifted me The Subway Series CD, and told the assembled that I was a figure skater, and how she had written three songs about skating. 

Oh my gosh, to connect with her like that! 

On with the show about Jeopardy, bad boyfriends, crackerjack vendors, and new-aged guys

She started her set at 3pm, a story about how her parents met on the subway ("put down your phones"), and proceeded to entertain us with stories, anecdotes, songs, and plenty of audience interaction. Highlights for me were The Kind of Love You Never Recover From (RIP to the inspiration, a man who passed away in 2013, noting she had dreamt about him the night prior), the revenge story against the New York Yankees and the unfortunate incident of the crackerjack vendor, and the group singalong Sensitive New Aged Guys. She ended the show with a gentle singalong, accompanied by vocals recorded by a folk artist who recently passed, performing the song "(All I Have to Do) Is Dream" by the Everly Brothers.

But a Lavin show can't end until she trots out her batons, which she did with a flourish. 

After the show, she approached ME and asked if I'd like her to sign the CD she gave me. Well, I bought another one! She paused, and said, "Wait! I have something else for you!" and disappeared into her private room. The ladies gathering for autographs looked at me wide-eyed. She came out with a small ball of yarn, unraveled it, cut a yard, gave it to me, and asked if I would add a few sequins from her to my skating dress so she was out there with me. 

Of course I will!

Cool chick, and as Jeff Daniels says "What an original!"

The Fifth Monkee, Henry Corden

The landlord is unamused. 

On a television show featuring four young musicians, someone had to play the heavy, a grown-up authority figure. Henry Corden, as landlord Mr. Babbit, fit the bill. He was always chasing the rent while the boys chased gigs, and he even chased Micky in drag, in an attempt to woo the drummer masquerading as a chaperone so the boys could invite Davy's young girlfriend to a party. 

Corden had a long career on television, getting his start in Danny Kaye's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - a personal favorite short story of mine - to being the voice of Fred Flintstone. Reviewing his entry on IMDb, his early career was a fascinating trip through history: Abbott and Costello. The Ten Commandments. Perry Mason. Dragnet. Bonanza. Gunsmoke. I Dream of Jeannie - he was Jeannie's dad! The latter part of his career was focused on voiceovers and children's programming.

Corden passed in 2005, but, according to a quote on IMDb, of all his roles, being a husband and a father was his favorite. 

Typing Out Loud: Finding Community

Daisy Buchanan has nothing on me. 

The fundraiser for our school district's athletic teams was held this past weekend. Our contribution to the festivities was donating a popcorn basket with a family fun 4-pack courtesy of the Whitecaps and a $50 gift card to the shop on behalf of boys' baseball.  

It's a new event and a new crowd, so I experienced a little social anxiety over being strangers in a room of people who have known each other for decades. 

Instead, we were welcomed warmly. 

The theme for the party was Roaring 20s, but since it was cold and breezy, I did not dress for the occasion. One of the gals at our table remedied this by gifting me a headband to match my outfit. And always convinced I was not welcome or invisible, instead, I was greeted with smiles and people who said, "I've seen you around!"

It was a welcome change. 

Project 3867: The Milk & Bread Store

Just the basics ma'am

When I was a kid, there was a drive-thru party store in Michigan Center. It was a novelty to drive in, point to what you wanted, and have the clerk hand you a candy bar and a pop. Moms and dads would pop the trunk and the beer would go right in. 

Drive-thru party stores are still big in Ohio, and Dave goes to one whenever he can. 

So why not here? The closest grocery stores are on Alpine - Walmart, Aldi, and Meijer - and frankly, it's a pain in the ass that you can't just do a quick run-in to get essentials. The gas stations charge outrageous prices for those quick convenience items. Cap 'n' Cork, the liquor store over by Mad Dogz, doesn't carry much outside of booze, snacks, and smoking paraphernalia. 

With those two bays, I could close one and open the other as a drive-thru to pick up the stuff you forgot you needed before going home. With a relatively small store, keep in stock maybe the top 25 convenience store items such as milk, bread, cereal, eggs, baby formula, and butter; grab-and-go snacks like chips and candy; and random stuff you always forget while shopping like batteries. Opting to not have liquor since CnC is across the street. Keep it clean and efficient. Add order ahead like doordash to have things ready for pickup. 

Not sure if this is the best business model; it's based more on nostalgia, novelty, and laziness on my part. But with the bay and the back parking lot available to create a drive-thru, the space is conducive to this idea. And you can phase out what doesn't sell and phase in what is requested. 

The Cereal Project: Product

"It's got to be healthy!" 

::Adds candied fruit::

Now that we've established the audience as GenXers - consumers between the ages of 45 and 60 - what product would appeal to them/us?

Has to be healthy yet sweet without extra added sugar. 

It's got to be colorful - we grew up on neon Trix and bright marshmallow Lucky Charms. 

It's got to be flavorful. 

It's got to be versatile. We learned to eat on the go, so the cereal has to be good in a bowl, by the handful, as a breakfast bar, or mixed in with yogurt.

How about puffed rice in the shape of an X, a multi-grain O, dried mixed fruit like banana chips, strawberries, and blueberries, slivered almonds, and mini chocolate chips?

We'll call it Xs and Ohs! 

Next up: the tie-in. 

Typing Out Loud: Thoughts on the Super Bowl Halftime Show

She's gorgeous

This is a true typing out loud: This entry is messy and disjointed. I'm not sure I'm making any of the right points, but maybe I'm getting there. 

My New Year's resolution for 2025 has been to keep a diary of daily occurrences when I have learned something new. I'm keeping it in a purple notebook covered in stickers and the way I'm filling it, I will need a new notebook by the end of April. My 2/10/25 entry is timely and going in all sorts of directions; I need to type it out to figure it out. 

White middle-aged lady alert! It started with me learning what a crip walk is. 

A crip walk, known as the c-walk is a dance move created in the 70s by first-generation gang members. It was intended to be a method of communication among members, but as it has gone worldwide, it's lost the linguistic aspects. 

The dance involves the movement of the feet to spell C-R-I-P to show gang affiliation. To date, the only reference I have is tennis star Serena Williams doing it twice - first at the Olympic Games after winning her gold 12 years back, and again at the Super Bowl. 

People are outraged at her because one of her sisters was murdered by a crip and also for bringing "ghetto" to a general audience. 

I don't know, by doing this, maybe Serena is reclaiming her sister's dignity, kind of how the black community reclaimed the n-word as a term of affection? It is often noted the word is offensive from white mouths, not black. I get it. 

Also, it appears the rapper Drake's popularity is a sore point in the black community and Kendrick Lamar used the greatest tennis player ever - she is also Drake's ex-gf - to publicly dismiss him. 

Many in the black community are saying whites don't get it and that's the point. They are tired of being sanitized entertainment, palatable for our society. They don't want to stay in their lane. With Kamala, they were ready to take the reins. They will call out injustice and wrong-doing, even if it's one of their own in Drake. 

I'm still trying to unpack everything about the halftime show, but I feel like it was also a message that the black community is calling out those who voted for Trump - it's time for the revolution, but you picked the wrong guy. 

There is also Kendrick Lamar's pleas to "turn off the TV." Don't fill your head with other's notions, and if I have to use a GenX reference for connection, as En Vogue said, "free your mind." 

I'm still thinking about this days later. I'm turning the performance around in my head like a large crystal to see all the facets. 

So who is the white people Drake? Justin Timberlake. His crimes against society? 

Slut-shaming Britney Spears. Result? She got a conservatorship, he got a solo record deal and collaborated with Madonna. 

Exposed Janet Jackson on live TV at yet another Super Bowl, 20 years ago. She suffered the consequences in her career; he got movie deals. 

He abandoned his band N'Sync and appropriated R&B sound. He got a #1 album. 

He got a DUI and canceled his world tour. He's planning his redemption tour. 

The public forgave him.

I should have seen Trump's re-election a mile away - the general public loves a mediocre white bad boy. 

In the court of public opinion, Kendrick Lamar - thug, worst halftime show ever. Trump - cowboy, a rebel! 

Mind blown. 

This led to me musing about the consistent outrage over Kanye lately. He is currently being lambasted for his online web store this week, which sold one thing and one thing only - a white t-shirt with a swastika. 

He is also under fire for parading his white wife in public wearing see-through clothing. 

He is being called a misogynist, racist, and worse. 

Is he those things or is this one big performance piece? Is Kayne calling out white America, who can get away with our systematic racism with a wink, but when a black man does it, he is vilified? By parading his white wife around in this manner of undress, is he saying our emperor has no clothes? 

Whoa. 

Lipstick on the Mic: Girlschool

They deserved more from us

I discovered Girlschool back in those early MTV days where the station would play any clip they could get their hands on. The two they played to my rapturous attention were Race With the Devil and Hit and Run. 

The band formed in 1978, originally called Painted Lady and their sound was a mix of punk, hard rock, and metal. They reformed under the name Girlschool, inspired by the B side of Paul McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre single. Their big break came when Lemmy from Motörhead heard the song Take It All Away and asked the band to be the opening act on tour in 1979.

The band became part of the British metal movement in the early 80s, which included Judas Priest, Saxon, and Def Leppard, which led to tours with Black Sabbath and Rush in the UK and Canada. 

But what about America?

In the mid-80s, their label pushed the band to be more like Heart, AOR pop rock with more feminine, fantastical outfits to appeal to us stateside.  Cute but tough Kelly Johnson, already exhausted from four years of nonstop touring and image polishing, thought enough was enough and quit. 

Girlschool never really achieved widespread success in the US after their initial splash. Johnson died of cancer in the early 2000s. Yet, the band presses on as a festival favorite in Europe while maintaining their musical integrity, as Creem noted in 1982: “They don’t pimp their gender” by relying on sex appeal as a gimmick.

Cute story early in our relationship: I had been searching for the album Hit and Run for years. Dave, eager to show off his musical prowess, assured me he would find it. 

I dared to doubt him. 

He brought me to Grand Rapids on a road trip date, and we went to Vinyl Solution, where he found a British import copy for $3. If he had asked me to marry him on the spot, I would have. Instead, I allowed him to buy it for me, then we went to Classic Stereo. This particular date is so him.

The Fifth Monkee, Neil Diamond

Cracklin’ Rose get on board 

We were a multi-generational Neil Diamond family. My parents played Neil's albums constantly back in the 70s, and his movie The Jazz Singer was a must-see event, on repeat in those early days when HBO was Home Box Office and would only show one movie a day. 

Neil, in his blue sequinned glory, was the first show to open the Van Andel Arena and I was there having won free tickets from a print vendor. And yes, there were elderly women throwing panties in the late 90s. 

He was kind of a dish, even in his later years. 

He was among the many talented scribes who wrote hit singles for The Monkees such as I'm a Believer, A Little Bit Me a Little Bit You, and Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow. I'm a Believer is an iconic pop single, a hit not only for the Monkees but also for Anne Murray in the 70s and Smashmouth in the early 2000s, appearing on the soundtrack to the movie Shrek. That's three generations!

Neil had a long string of hits starting with Solitary Man in the '60s. His contributions to pop culture as a singer/songwriter can be heard daily at baseball parks across the country, Sweet Caroline serving as a "feel-so-good so good! so good!" singalong during the 7th inning stretch. 

Not bad for a kid from Brooklyn who learned to write poetry because he was too shy to talk to girls. 

Dick Button, USA's figure skating GOAT

Legendary figure skater Dick Button died on January 30, 2025, at the age of 95. He would have said he looked "spiffy" in this photo from the 40s, but I'm here to say he's kind of a babe. 

He was a two-time Olympic champion, five-time World champion, seven-time National champion, and the only non-European man to win the European title. 

I got a hug as well as a lively lecture, details back in 2014. 

He introduced "North American style" athleticism to figure skating, bringing the sport forward after World War II. He was the first skater to do a double axel in competition, the first triple - a loop - in competition, and created the Button Camel, which is now known as the flying camel. 

After a stint touring in ice shows and graduating from Harvard Law School, he became a broadcaster debuting with coverage of the 1960 Olympic Games. He was the voice of figure skating in the United States until 2010 - that's 50 years! While some found his commentary abrasive, he educated many in the terminology and nuances of the sport, finding great delight in the athletic, the unusual, the unique, and, in his words, the superb. 

In addition, he was a television producer and entrepreneur, creating many television specials and skating production companies. 

There is no shortage of mourners this morning; others may offer better stories and a more complete CV of what he brought to skating. Obituaries say he was preceded in death by his former wife Slavka, and is survived by his two children and partner, Dennis Grimaldi. 

It's been a tough couple of days for the US Figure Skating community. 

We can't end it like that; he delighted in high art as well as pop art. Here he is in 2D glory, a cameo on The Animaniacs, narrating Jakko singing every word in the English language. 

5342

A new year, a new loss. 

Last week on social media, while watching the Novice level competitions during the 834 hours of figure skating coverage of the US Figure Skating National Championships, I commented that I had skating dresses older than some of those young athletes. 

A total of 28* skaters, coaches, and parents perished yesterday in the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342. They were headed home after Development Camp, a special training space for those who have been earmarked as the future of our sport. It's a devastating loss of life for those so young, who were only looking to their future. 

There will be a shadow over the 2025 Worlds and the 2030 Olympics for talent not realized. 

I recognized some of the names listed on social media. Maybe I judged one of them during an intermediate skate. Or perhaps I watched them on Peacock during my lunch break last week. I know I saw several of the boys post tiktok videos after having landed triple axels for the first time while at the camp.

I used the above meme because I wasn't sure what to type; I'm still unsure I have it right, even now. Here's my not-so-super-secret to being an official: I love all the skaters on the ice, whether you are bringing me your Disney princesses, your interpretation of Squid Games, or making me see Firebird in a different light. It's why I do this in my free time, I like having the best seat in the house to witness you doing what you love.

Oh, you will be missed. 

*Initial reports stated 14 were lost, but once families were notified and the missing confirmed, the number climbed; 28 of the 67 who died in the crash were associated with US Figure Skating. Memorials are slated the week of 2/4/25 at rinks across the country for those who were lost. 

Project 3867: The Morning Edition

There's been some activity lately as if someone is cleaning it up.

There is a vacant storefront property in Comstock Park, what used to be Mill Creek Motors. When in operation, it was a used car lot/auto repair shop. I don't want to say they are out of business, perhaps relocated, but there hasn't been any activity there for some time. Right now, it's most useful purpose has been as an overflow lot for Vitale's, the pizza restaurant across the street. 

As a property, it has ample parking, a building with two automotive bays, space behind the building, a marquee, a billboard, no greenery whatsoever, and chain link fencing that has seen better days. 

So that got me to thinking - what could go there? 

It's got... potential. 

If there's one thing lacking in CP it's a breakfast place. Dokl's butcher shop offers breakfast and lunch, but it's not in the heart of downtown CP and is closed on Sundays, which is prime breakfast day. Other than that, there's McDonald's and Wendy's drive-thru. 

Back in the early days of our marriage, Dave and I mused over what mom-and-pop we would open, and we settled on a breakfast place, called The Morning Edition. 

It would have a newspaper theme, and we'd have all the best morning editions of the newspaper available to patrons to read while having their meal. 

Specialties would include corned beef hash, the Garland pancake breakfast (pancakes, fried eggs, peanut butter, and bacon), breakfast casseroles, and easy to grab-and-go sandwich + drink combos. All are served on blue plates. 

Edited to add: Mill Creek Tavern, also across the street, saw the gap and started serving breakfast. They are now open at 7am with a short menu to start. Very expensive. It will be a litmus test to see if CP can support a breakfast joint.