Note:  Caveat Reader!  Let the Reader beware!  I feel a rambling post coming on.  This topic has too many tentacles to my past for me not to get wrapped up in a number of them.  Hopefully it will be an enjoyable read.  It's a story I love to tell, especially on this day - the anniversary of the event - but I've never written it down before.  When I tell it, I feed off the comments of others to make it more entertaining, usually in a self-deprecating way.  But none of you are here as I write, so I'll have to draw on past experiences of telling the tale.  My good friend Ed is the one I like to tell it around most.  He shares my appreciation for one of the items involved, and he has the keen ability to make me laugh hard at my moronic behavior.  I also like to remember my mom in this pose.  It's how I picture her uttering her "lines", and it makes me feel warm inside

See, lots of tentacles, and I haven't even started.  Don't say I didn't warn you...

It was the summer of 1977 and I discovered the drug culture.  No, not like that.  In the safest way you can - by comedy.  One afternoon, a guy 3 years my senior played his Cheech & Chong album collection for his brothers, his cousin (my neighbor), and me.  And we were addicted.  We began listening to them over and over, trying not only to memorize each line, but to emulate the voices of Pedro and Man, Ralph and Herbie, Sister Mary Elephant, Sgt Stedenko, Cheborneck, Basketball Jones, and of course, Dave.  To this day, if anyone asks for a "Dave", my mind immediately repeats "Daves not here."  Sometimes it comes out of my mouth.  I find that I have to explain the bit more and more as the years pass.  Thankfully Tommy Chong has made appearances in "That 70's Show" that make it easier to relate to the younger crowd (yes, I'm talking about you, Rudiger).

But meeting in the guy's house became old - and we worried that parents would listen to the records and ban them for their promotion of drugs, sex, and rock 'n roll.  So we devised a plan to record the albums on cassette tapes that we could take anywhere.  Unfortunately none of us had a stereo system, much less one that played LPs AND recorded stuff directly to tape.  We weren't rich, you know.  But I had a record player, similar to the one shown here, and access to a microphone and a Panasonic tape recorder via my dad's work.  I could do the recording and bring the player out to the street corner of an evening so that we could listen and learn.

Now I had to find a good time to record.  The room/house had to be relatively quiet and free from parental involvement.  Mornings were out - too many good game shows on (Card Sharks, The Price is Right, High Rollers, etc.).  Evenings wouldn't work - either I'd be outside hangin' out with the kids in the neighborhood, or I'd be watching great 70s TV, in all of it's 3 network + PBS glory.  Afternoons would work best.  Dad would be on the road, and Mom would be locked in on her soap operas, sitting in her favorite chair usually bundled up with an afgan my sister made for me when I was about 10.  "All My Children" was on from 11am-12pm, "As The World Turns" from 1:130am-12:30pm (yeah, I know they overlap, but she'd usually choose "World" over "Children" - she could always catch up tomorrow on one or the other), and "Guiding Light" from 2-3pm.  She used the 12:30-2pm time period to do chores around the house - especially the vacuuming.  So really 2-3pm was prime time for recording.  And before I'd begin, I'd tell her what I was doing so that she might make less noise.

So one August day - this day - I was setting up to record.  Can't remember if it was Big Bamboo or Sleeping Beauty.  Doesn't really matter - they're all good.  I had the record player and tape recorder on the floor with the mic sitting next to the speaker.  I limited my walking so as not to cause it to skip.  If one occurred, I'd have to start again and I'd lose valuable time.

At about 2:20pm, I hear Mom's voice yelling for me from the living room.  Now, you have to know my mom to know that you couldn't ignore her call.  It was high pitched with a little lilt to it.  She somehow managed to add a second syllable to "Chris" that drove me nuts as a kid.  Often when I'd be outside playing at a friend's house on another block I could here her cry as clear as if she were standing right next to me.  Uncanny. 

But I was in the middle of a "session".  Do I answer her and risk ruining the recording and losing time?  Do I ignore her and hope she quits after 2-3 calls, thinking I may be outside or asleep?  I couldn't get up to go to her because I'd risk skippage.  What if, after failing to hear from me, she comes to investigate?  What if she hears one of the routines?  She'd already made me take down my Farrah Fawcett poster.  What would she do with these tapes?  As all this was running thru my head, I make the call to answer her in as short and quiet response as I knew how.

"Yeah?"  I answered in the shortest, pimply-est voice I had at the time (maybe still do?), deflecting the sound away from the record player.  My hope now was that it was some instruction rather than a question that I might have to give a long response to.  She came back with one sentence I can still here to this day.

"Elvis Presley died."

At 13 I was not a big Elvis fan.  Sure, I had a healthy respect for who he was and what he represented but I really knew him from the movies Channel 3 would show on "Dialing for Dollars" at 3pm - "Spinout", "Roustabout", "Blue Hawaii", etc.  The music was fun, the girls were hot, and the settings were usually cool.  Far from the rock icon he really should have been.  But Mom knew this was a big moment in the entertainment world, and she thought I should know.

But I was recording Cheech and Chong!  "Dave" wasn't there!  Billy was about to get turned in to Sgt Stedenko!  The stuff he gave Pedro "couldn't get a fly high".  It was hilarious!  And I didn't want to miss any of it!  So I answered her.

"Okay."

That seemed to satisfy her, as I didn't hear anything more...

I would listen to the tape later and here the following exchange over top of the jocularity:

"Chri-is" (muffled but audible)

"Yeah?"

"........." (not as clear, but I knew what she said)

"Okay."

A few days after his death, Mom and I were traveling to Decatur for an orthodontist appointment.  The radio was still buzzing about the death of the King.  It was then I started to grip what the loss meant - to an industry, to a generation, and to a nation.

When I listened to the tape I thought of that day.  Sometime in high school I lost track of the tape, but never the memory.  I'd tell the story whenever Elvis was brought up in conversation.  A few years ago, when Ed and I returned to our Cheech and Chong roots and bought all their stuff still in print, I remembered the tape with each track played.  So imagine my surprise when I found this buried in the rubble that was my room:

I couldn't wait to get in my car that night and play it tape deck!  To hear my mom yell again.  To hear my stupid responses.  To reconnect.

I wish I had a happy ending to this find.  The tape had been reused.  Gone were the voices.  Worse yet, they were replaced by a episode of Mork and Mindy (what was I thinking???)  My only hope is that this isn't the tape I'm looking for.  Maybe its out there, still in a box I have yet to unpack.  Maybe its in the box of "college stuff" I have in my basement.  Wherever it is - if it still "is" - it will now be my "holy grail".  Or should I call it my own "Zapruder film".  One day it will surface.  And when it does, I'll laugh like a pimply 13 year old and think of Mom...

So tell me: where were you when Elvis died?

The only thing missing is "Null and..."

What's ironic is that I got this stamp to allow me back into the fair...

In less than an hour, the family and I will be heading to Prudence's parents home in Colon, MI.  Her sister and family will be there as well, so I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to tell as we celebrate our nation's independence.  We're also making a trip to Dearborn, MI to the Henry Ford Museum late in the week.  I won't have access to the internet until Sunday at the earliest.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th!  See you next week!

While not my favorite version of the song,
it's probably the most entertaining one.
But John Belushi doing Joe Cocker doing the Beatles is best!

• My friend Caffeinated Librarian runs a feature called "Tour de Blog" each Friday.  TDB for those in the know.  She helps us catch up on nuggets of bloggy goodness she finds on the 'net.  But here's one of MY favorites from her site - one she's entitled "Dumbledore"
• The Future Dr Cara is a first year med student.  She has a number of funny posts dealing with her studies, but one of my favorite entries was a very real entry "Of Medical Students and Butterflies".
• Christy is a friend of Dr Cara.  She's a mom of 5 that is throwing out the positive energy vibe and has aspirations of being a fairy godmother.  But my favorite post from her is an ode to a jackass.  Have a good week this week, Christy  :)
• Aynde is a friend of Dr Cara and Christy.  She's a Wyoming gal, mother of 2, and a Bollywood lover headed to Texas.  Her recent post on The Talk, and her husband's play-by-play had me in stitches!
• It seems that everyone knows Cheryl.  And everywhere I go I see her there.  And I'm not stalking, or else I'd probably see her "tracks" more!  Her space was one of the first ones I followed regularly.  I'm not sure there's anything she can't do.  But one of my favorite things to read about is how much she cares for people.  Lately she's been visiting her neighbors and sharing what's going on in her world.  Something I need to do more of...
• Beth is the lady my mom would be if she were on the internet.  Her husband Jim is facing some health problems (here and here), but she still manages to post some humor and a nice song or two.  And she's an Illini and Cardinal fan!
• Not sure I can pick out a favorite Eric @ Random post.  He's doing something I can only dream of.  He's gone back to school for computer animation!  Here's a view of one of his projects!  You'll soon be seeing him listed among the worker bees at Pixar or Disney!
• Bluegrass Man is a friend of mine from work with a lot of stories to tell.  But he's struggling with how much he shares as his son is reading his blogs.  Follow that issue here and help give him some guidance.  In the meantime, check out the story of how he met his wife.
• KWEEI is the space name for my friend Pik referenced in several stories in my blog.  This guy'ss a genius when it comes to woodwork and stirring mixed drinks in a garbage can with his leg.  He doesn't write much because words and him don't really get along.  But he was the first among my friends to actually post entries to his blog!  Check out his short story of a feathered visitor to his home.
• One of my newest friends is Sue.  She's a KU Jayhawk fan and music freak who's struggling with some very serious family and losses (here and here).  Hard to call these "favorites", but I hope you'll stop by and give her and her family some love and support.
• InTheFastLane8 is the real life Mrs Incredible!  Her latest post about being fruitful and multiplying has me thinking differently about sewing grass seed!
• Up North Cindy lives...well...up north!  Specifically in Wisconsin - God's country.  She has a mix of humor and tales from her travels and work.  One of my favorite pictures she posted recently was this one!  And be sure to wish her and her husband a happy 31st anniversary!
• Someday Quilter is new to the blogging game, but I'm sure she'll win some friends with tales of her adventures in the Great Northwest.  I'm a dog lover, but having more than one around when your digging can be maddening. 
• What can I say about Bob and his Top 5 Lists?  His site is like the movie "Snakes on a Plane" - speaks for itself.  One of my favorite entries was a controversial one about his brother's hunting trips.  Pro or con, you have to like the exchange of ideas from Earnest Hemmingway and Marlin Perkins from the grave.  I only wish I had cut and pasted the comments posted on dorkmama's site before she deleted them.  They were priceless!  Also the Office Space -esk reflection of corporate life.
• I end my list with one of my best friends both on and off line, WHW.  While it's hard to pick just one story as a favorite of mine, this one ranks right up there: in a BK stall without a square to spare.  WHW, you're the master potty storyteller!  And just WHEN will you reveal to the world what your first name is?

Thanks again for stoppin' by!  Swing by again if you have the time!  And have a terrific week!

• An Indiana Jones type rescue of snack food
• Rules I live by
• Some of my fondest memories about Guinness - the record book, not the beer
• Something I can't believe I said.  Well actually, I can.  I'm that stupid
• And, a story from our dinner table

Be sure to check out the other featured spaces as well.  I don’t think I’ve visited any of them before, but they’re sure to be great!  And make sure to visit my blog friends listed at the right.  They're really to blame for the minute or so you've spent reading this - time, unfortunately, you'll never get back.

Blog at ya later!

So how did this book get "pinged?"  I work in an area of my company where we build small intranet applications for business partners.  One of the applications I'm currently enhancing requires the user to enter descriptive information about people.  If I told you any more, I'd have to kill you.  But one of the items the application asks for is height.  In order to reduce the number of errors from users, I was implementing a drop down list box that gives the users all the possible responses they would need.  When I thought about valid ranges, I came up with 1-7 for feet and 0-11 for inches.  But then I thought, why not include 8 in the feet range, because 8' 11+" is the height of the worlds tallest man, Robert Wadlow of Alton, IL.  The number will never be used (or will it?), but it would mean something to me to have it in there as my own personal joke.  Then later I checked my email and found a note from my good friend WHW informing me that we missed "Pi Day "yesterday.  Click here to view the article about the celebration at Harvard University where one student recited 866 digits of Pi.  Of course the article references the world record of digits memorized at 83,431, which again made me think of this book.

So here are some of my favorite Guinness Book of World Records from 1975 (as indicated by the amount of wear on the pages):

• Tallest Man
  Robert Wadlow of Alton IL reached the unbelievable height of 8' 11.1" at age 22.  His hands measured 12 3/4" from the base of his palm to the tip of his middle finger.  If he decided to flip you off, you'd better run!

  

   
• Fattest Twins
  Bill and Ben McCreary weighed 660 and 640 lbs respectively in this picture taken in 1970.  Does anyone else find it ironic that their last name was McC-rear-y?  And notice that the butt cracks are edited out.  Maybe they thought they'd compete with "largest canyon."  My wife just looked at this picture and said "lovely."  About says it all.
  
  
  
• Smallest Waist
  Ethel Granger of England had a 13" waist - the smallest on a normal sized person.  What always struck me odd about this picture is that she had her back to the camera.  Did she think she'd remain anonymous that way?
  
  
  
• Longest Fingernails
  Murari Mohan Aditya of Calcutta, India had nails that measured a total of 55 1/2".  How did/does this guy sleep.  One things for sure, he'll never be accused of picking his nose.  He'd give himself a lobotomy!  The statement that gets me is "he has given each nail a separate name."  Glad George Foreman didn't do this.  All the nails would have been named "George."
  
  
  
• Largest Number of Coins Snatched
  Chris Redford of England caught 39 coins from his elbow.  This record inspired me and many others at my school to try and break the record.  My max may have been 12-15.  There's no telling how many other pennies ended up under couches, chairs, refrigerators, etc.
  
  

So what's your favorite record?  Did you have any that you thought you could break?  And did you succeed?  I'd love to hear about 'em...unless it's trying to beat the twins.  Keep that one to yourself! :)

What would you have bought from this page with your allowance?

• Thanks for all the prayers for Michele!  I've talked with her dad a few times since the surgery and everything has gone better than anyone expected!  Only 2 of her vertebrae had to be fused (instead of 3 like they initially planned) and only slight movement was needed to align the vertebrae at her pelvis!  The surgery lasted around 5 hours, and by Saturday she had already begun some therapy.  Oh, there was lots of screaming and tears to be be sure (from both patient and parents), but she's showing everyone at the hospital what a trooper she is.  Today she was walking, and tomorrow she will be coming home.  God is good!!!
  
• Groundhogs day was my birthday.  Went to lunch at Chevy's Fresh Mex with some of the guys from work.  Rudiger ask the crew there do the birthday routine (stupid song, lots of clapping).  Not only did I get a free ice cream dessert, I also received a fee sombrero - mine to keep!  Alright, guys, cut/paste/edit to your heart's content (see below)...
  
• MN and I had a great time at Winter Jam!  The weather was just a little chilly while wating in line (1.5 hours).  Doors opened at 5:50pm.  The first act, Krystal Meyers, started playing at 6:15.  A 16 year old with a lot of talent.  Her stuff sounded like some of the Disney Channel acts with more of an edge.  Pretty good.  Then came Hawk Nelson.  Boy version of Krystal Meyers.  Very "poppy" with lots of energy.  ZOEGirl followed.  This was the group MN was most excited to see.  Their music doesn't appeal to me as much - a lot like a chick flick.  But MN loved it.  She took my camera phone closer to the stage to try to get some pix.  Unfortunately, it's a crappy phone and the pictures look like the nighttime sky.  So we went to their booth later in the concert and MN had the girls sign a 8x10 we had purchased.  What a treasure for her!  Then came Newsong, the hosts for the jam.  The energy in the place was raised to another level.  I loved it when they melded some famous guitar licks from the classic rock world to introduce some new lyrics.  Totally lost on MN.  After a testimony from David Nassur, tobyMac came out to unglue the place.  I hate hiphop, but really got into how the crowd responded to the "music."  And plenty of guys running crazy on stage, jumping and flipping all over the place.  Newsboys closed out the evening.  Christian rock's answer to U2, which was awesome!  And finally, this band did what all good bands do in concert:  introduce the band members and feature the drummer in a great solo on a stage that rose, spun and went perpendicular!  Great ending to a fantastic night!  If this tour comes to your area, I'd strongly encourage you to attend.  It's unbelievable how far Christian Rock has come in the last 15-20 years.  All I had to look forward to was Sandi Patty...

Not sure how a Spaces Anonymous meeting should end, but maybe a chorus of Kum-Ba-Ya would be fitting.  Until next time...