Jim Says:”It was a banner year at the ol’ Bender house!”
Jim Says:”The hero we need, and more than the hero we deserve.”
Many years ago, King Clyde Glunk faced a dilemma. His kingdom was about to come under siege by the Romans as they advanced through Europe. The King stepped onto his balcony and addressed his people..
“My citizens, we have a grave decision to make. The Roman army is approaching and we are badly outnumbered with no chance of victory. If we fight, we will most likely be overrun with very few survivors left to tell our tale. However, if we abandon our small kingdom to flee and hide throughout Europe, our culture will be lost and forgotten in the sands of time. I will not order you to fight. Instead, I leave the decision to you, good people. Shall we face the oncoming onslaught and fight to defend our way of life, or shall we run? I shall return in the morning for your answer.”
The next day, King Clyde Glunk, weary from a sleepless night, made his way to the balcony to once again address his people.
“Good people, I ask you. Do we run and hide? Or do we head onward into battle?”
There was silence as a lone representative from the crowd made his way to the front. He stopped, and looked up at his King. He removed his hat and began to speak…
“Your Majesty,” he said, “as your loyal subjects, we have discussed this long into the night. We have weighed every option, and have come to a solid conclusion.”
“What say you?” asked the King.
“We shall not run and hide. We shall… MARCH FORTH!”
And that’s how we came to celebrate this holiday. May you and yours have a glorius March 4th.
Jim Says:”In honor of Sam.”
Growing up, I would watch reruns of the Monkess most days after school. I enjoyed the music, but was really in it for the comedy. Songs like “What am I doing hanging round?” and “Last Train to Clarksville” are still favorites. I credit Mickey Dolenz as one of my inspirations in crafting a stage personality as a dummer. His over the top slapstick really struck a chord with me ::rimshot:: The subdued farce of Peter Tork always made me laugh. But, Michael Nesmith had this calm, quite, cynicism that spoke to me on a level that I’m still trying to fully understand.
Years after the reruns stopped, I rediscovered Micheal Nesmith via “Elephant Parts.” I still watch my DVD copy on a regular basis. If you ever get the chance, make an effort to watch. It’s a wonderful mix of original music, and comedy sketches. “Wrong Apartment Bogart” is a personal favorite. But make sure to seek out “Neighborhood Nuclear Superiority,” “Tonite,” and always practice the “Pirate Alphabet.”
https://youtu.be/UKOugqKTKr0
This also got me into his solo work. “Rio” and “Cruising'”are two of my favorite songs and both have found their way into regular rotation in my playlists.
https://youtu.be/WnpcTsy10dE
https://youtu.be/Mi0b8tcCQSE
Needless to say, I was very sad to learn of his passing on Friday. We lost a great musician, a brilliant comedian, and, from all I’ve ever heard, and all around great guy. It is really worth your time to listen to his interview on Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazon Colossal Podcast. There are stories there that I could not do justice to if I recited them word for word, and I guarantee you will get a great laugh or three from that epsidode.
For now, I say we raise a glass to Lucy, and Ramona, and Sunset Sam in memory of Mr. Nesmith.
Jim Says:”Go easy, Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma.”
I’ve been taking advantage of the lockdown and being laid off to do as much as I can to get the Chevelle I inherited from my father back on the road. The full story will be coming soon.
I’ve been learning quite a bit, as well as re-learning a few things that I had done before. (I used to be able to rebuild a set of drum brakes in 30 minutes with a lot less swearing. Not so in 2021.)
By the way, if you have never had 30 year old gasoline spill all over your crotch, it’s quite the experience! From what I understand, that costs extra at certain Nevada establishments.
I don’t have a firm date as to when it will be completed. Then again, no project car is ever “finished.” But I’m keeping this one all stock, numbers matching. The only changes from stock are the headers and dual exhaust I put on in 1985, and the front disc brake conversion that is going on before I put it back on the road. Everything else is as it was from the factory. Even the AM radio in the dash. I’ve removed the stereo that I installed in high school and will be setting a bluetooth party speaker in the back seat that I can stash in the trunk at car shows. More to follow.
Jim Says: “Restoring a car is 20% know-how, 20% PB Blaster, and 60% curse words.”
