We both had a deep love for the Beatles and we shared our teen years….and all of the angst….as best buds would. We would spend hours in her room taping ourselves singing Beatles songs.  Randi lived across the field of a little school house which backed to my parents house.  I could see her bedroom window from mine.  Mid-seventies….we spent hours in our windows talking on the phone.  Randi also had a collie named Prince who was blind.  Prince looked like Lassie ansd he knew his barriers….he would run out in the yard and stop right at the boundary.  In the house, he knew his way around everything.

One night, I was at Randi’s and we were recording ourselves singing Beatles songs in her room.  Her mom called her for dinner.  I had just eaten at home.  Randi went to eat.  OK…first of all….I shut her door when Prince was in the room.  Moments later…face crash into the door.  (By the way…Prince was toothless for this very reason).  I let him out and proceeded to tape myself singing  “Help”.

Randi came back. She realized that I had taped over her conversation with Roman Gabriel…an Eagles football player that she worshiped.    He had been in the hospital and she had called to wish him well.  And taped it. I taped over it in 1977.

We got past this but she never forgot.

Years later…we had lost touch and one year ….in Fall….she called me.  She had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Fast forward to 2003.  It was June and she had asked that I come visit at her sister’s house.  She was set up in a room with a hospital bed….bald, under drugs and bloated.  She was in her last days.  I visited and we talked about favorite memories.  Later…she leaned over and said “Bern, I need to tell you something.”  She proceeded to tell me that she would never forgive me for messing up her Roman Gabriel tape.  I said “Rand….really?  At this point you need to say this?  Let’s remember our good times.”

She said “No…I will never forget.  I will not forgive.”  She laughed…I joined her.  It was a great ending to a wonderful friendship.  I will always remember and love Randi.  And…someday….Roman Gabriel and I will meet her in Heaven…and I will be redeemed.  ha.

Because their birthdays were at the end of January….they always fell on Superbowl weekend.  Each boy would pick a Superbowl team and we would decorate accordingly and then get cakes to go with their theme.  We would celebrate the boys’ birthdays on Saturday and watch the game on Sunday.

Denny was always happy with his birthday celebration.  He was good about his little brother’s birthday being at the same time.  Denny loved all of the birthday ceremonies….the cake, the candles, the gifts, the song sung to him.

Contrarily, Lee did not like a big show.  He liked the gifts but not to open them in front of the crowd.  He loved the cake but didn’t want a ceremony to eat it.  He never liked the Birthday song.

Years later…we have this tradition.  We still celebrate their birthdays together.  We have food, family, & friends over.  I cook whatever the boys want.  We have a cake and sing for Denny.  And then….it’s Lee’s turn.  Because he hates the song and feels awkward…we have a brief moment of silence for Lee’s birthday.  It is always quite funny and sets the mood.

I love my boys and live my life for them.  But they do have weird idiosyncrasies.  Which makes my life even more fun.

I love to celebrate their birthdays because they were the two most important days in my life.  The days I met my life long loves.

Happy Birthday to you, Denny.  And Lee….”silence”.  Moe loves you.

We moved to North Carolina where, by the way, Kindergarten is not mandatory.  The first day I attended school….we were doing work and the teacher asked us to draw a picture of something (don’t quite remember what it was).  As I was doing my artwork…which I was always proud of….,the little boy next to me reached over with his crayon and scribbled across my paper.  I was horrified.  Right then, the teacher said she was collecting our work and took my paper from in front of me.  It was the end of class and I was in tears as I left the classroom.  My mom picked me up and I told her why I was so upset.

I do not quite remember how it happened but I did not return to Kindergarten.  My next day of school was the first day of  first grade.

When I was heading into fifth grade we moved to Nevada.  The school thought I was so much ahead of their curriculum that they put me in the sixth grade.  I was smart enough but not mature enough.  I felt out of place and ended up going back to fifth grade.

All in all….I could have skipped 2 years of school.  But I did not.  I always loved school and was an excellent student.  I never attended college because I got married young and had my first son at a young age.  I often wonder what would have become of me had I gone on to college and chosen a field.  But…I really do not miss it because I have two wonderful sons…they are my entire world and no degree or job would be better than my boys.  They were the best education any girl could have.

School and work is not everything, family and love are.

On this particular night….I was “not there”.  After we closed up the bar….Re and I followed each other home.  As we drove our normal route….we came upon a railroad track that was in use….lights flashing and the train was coming fast.  I was at the tracks and Rosemarie was behind me…as the lights flashed….we sat at the tracks waiting for the train.

As we waited for the train to come, I noticed a car coming the other way….it was not slowing down.  As it approached the tracks…the train came in.  The train hit the car and was dragging it along the railroad tracks.

I jumped out of the car and ran back to tell Re.  She had no idea what was going on and said “Just make a left….go!”  I tried to tell her about the train thing but instead ran back to my car and made a left.

The next day, I called her to tell her about the car that was hit by the train.  Her husband listened in and realized that I had been with Re….so he was upset.  Rosemarie had not realized the train hit a car…she was surprised.  It was a crazy night…we found out later the driver was not hurt.  But that was a night we will never forget.  Crazy train wreck night.

One morning, I am at work and Lee calls me.  I answered and hear a muffled voice say “Moe…I’m a Lee taco”.  I asked what he meant.  Lee had gone to bed on his air mattress and when he awoke, it had sprung a leak.  With the sheets and blankets wrapping around him…and the airbed deflating….Lee had become the filling for an airbed taco.  I was cracking up at his airbed misfortune and the visual of my son as a taco.

And in honor of the Lee taco…I give you a taco recipe.

Tacos con Tilapia

Soft corn taco shells (10 inch) – warmed in the oven so they are soft

Tilapia – pan seared with salt, pepper, lime, and garlic..in butter

slivers of onion

shredded lettuce

chopped tomatoes

Have all of your ingredients ready across your counter and allow people to construct their own tacos.  So tasty…add a squirt of hot sauce to give it a bite.  Enjoy the Lee Fish Taco.

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER

- 8 chicken thighs, skin off – browned (but not cooked through)

- one package hot Italian sausage – cut into bite sized pieces and browned (but not cooked through)

-6 russet potatoes – washed and cut into four

- two large carrots – peeled and cut on the oblong

- 1/2 large onion…sliced thin

- 5 garlic cloves…chopped

- 1 can small white beans….rinsed

- 1 teaspoon dried thyme

- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed

- generous salt & pepper

- 1 teaspoon dried parsley

- scrapings from the frying pan you browned the meat in

- 1 can cut green beans…..rinsed

- 3 cans water …use the cans from the veggies

Add all ingredients to Crock Pot.  Cook on high for 3.5 hours or low 7 hours.

Serve as a stew in low, wide bowls.  This dish is peppery and savory.  Would be especially good in fall & winter…add a hot, crusty buttered bread.  Enjoy!!

One summer, I took my youngest son and his best friend to the Jersey shore.  My eldest son was at the age where he no longer wanted to go on the family vacations (which usually consisted of the three of us).  As a practice, we would go to the shore, check into our hotel and get settled….then the boys and I would take our cash and lay it on the bed.  We would bring an envelope for each day of our vacation.  We would split up the money evenly for each day; this was how I taught them about budgeting.  We’d have a certain amount of money for each day and they would decide what to do each day depending on our spending.  Meals were put on a credit card.  If we had any cash left over…it went towards the next day.  We always saved money for the day we went home to buy fudge, souveniors, gas, lunch, etc. 

On this trip, my son and I, with his buddy…left the shore after several days of fun.  We drove up the highway towards home.  Halfway home, we stopped at the Malaga diner for lunch (a favorite eaterie for me).  We went in and ordered lunch.  Lee ordered a turkey club.   As we ate lunch, Lee was playing with his food.  I said “Lee, eat your pickle.”  He said “I can’t.”  I asked him why.  He told me that it tasted like Lacey.  I smelled the pickle and he was right…it smelled like a wet dog. 

When we went home, we told the family about the Lacey Pickle.  After a while…we called the dog Pickle….and she answered to it.  That winter…it was Christmas time.  We went to Target to get some decorations.  In the ornament section…I found a glass pickle ornament with sparkly snow on it.  I know that it is an ethnic practice to hang a pickle on the tree for good luck.   I said to Lee…”Look…the Lacey Pickle!”  We bought it. 

And now, every Christmas, we decorate the tree.  When we are done…Lee ceremoniously hangs the Lacey Pickle.  It’s become a family tradition. 

And now, a pickle recipe to go with my story:

RELISH CHEESE

This is a great spread to have for a party on crackers.  When I was little, Kraft made a version.  I can never find it now so I make it myself.

- one small jar sweet pickle relish

-one box cream cheese

soften cream cheese and mix thoroughly.  Spread on crackers and enjoy.

When I was a little girl in first grade, we moved from North Carolina to Texas.  The day my dad told me we were going, I was scared.  My dad and I had always watched old western movies together and they always had a quicksand scene.  I pictured Texas as cowboy land with no cars, horses and quicksand.  When we went to Fort Worth, I was surprised that it was a regular busy city and suburbs.  There were cars and horses.  And, as I found out later….real quicksand.  We lived there when I was in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade.  I loved Texas.  It was probably my favorite place we ever lived. We lived at Carswell AFB and our neighbors were the Hogues.  They had a daughter …Kathleen…who became my best friend.  Kathy’s older brother Danny became very ill years later but it ended up well…another story I will tell you sometime.

In the summer between 4th and 5th grade…we moved to Las Vegas, Nevada.  The next Spring…my parents took me to Shreveport, Louisiana where the Hogues had moved to.  It was Easter.  It was a great trip…we had so much fun.  One night…we went to a carnival and rode the rides, played games, etc.  A great night.  We went back to the Hogues and Kathy and I…with her brothers…went into the front yard.  It was a cool…beautiful night.  Their yard was a hill….we all laid down at the top of the hill and looked at the sky.  It was so clear and cool….it was an awesome night.  We had a radio outside and were listening to Led Zeppelin.  Then….Starry Starry Night came on.  It fit the evening perfectly.  A beautiful, magical night with my old friends.  A clear sky.  The smell of clean grass and Spring flowers in the air.  It was the perfect 1972 evening.  I was so young, so innocent.  I will always remember it.  And I will always love that song.

]]> http://gomoe.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/starry-starry-night-easter-in-louisiana/feed/ 1 gomoe http://gomoe.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/joe-meets-bob-bern-meets-beet/ http://gomoe.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/joe-meets-bob-bern-meets-beet/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:17:52 +0000 gomoe http://gomoe.wordpress.com/?p=94 ]]> My boyfriend and I knew each other as work associates for several years before we got together.  His name is Joe….he is the sweetest, most attentive man I have ever known.  He is everything to me.  When we started seeing each other, it was because we were both huge Howard Stern fans and our conversations about that brought us together.

The first summer we were together…we got tickets to a comedy show with Bob Levy and Beetlejuice from the Stern show.  The show was at the Jersey shore in Wildwood at a small comedy club.  We went down to see the show.  When we walked into the club…there were our Stern show friends at the bar.  We hung out with them for a bit and then went in to see the show.  The show was hysterical.

During the show..we kind of hung out with the comedians and got to know them a bit.

After wards…we walked to a local Marguerita bar to sit on the patio and relax.  As we sat there….we noticed that the people from the show were one block down at a pizzeria waiting on the sidewalk for food.  I walked over and invited them to join us for a drink.  They came over.  It was Bob Levy, Beetlejuice, another comedian…and a transexual from a local Philly radio show.  We ended up hanging for about 3-4 hours with them and had a great time.

Beetlejuice…a little midget who is on the Stern show…had bought a meatball sandwich at the pizzeria.  I told him to go ahead and eat it on the patio but he wanted to save it for his hotel room. I walked inside to the bar and asked for their awesome chips and salsa.  They said the kitchen was closed, but when they saw who was with us….they brought some out.   And so we hung out….so much fun.  Hanging out with people that we had listened to on the radio for years.  Joe spent a small fortune that night on drinks for everyone.  But it was so much fun….we were so happy.  This was the first of several nights with our favorite comedians.  They now actually recognize us when we show up.  And I love that this is mine and Joe’s….our personal fun thing that we share together.  At then end of the night…as they all left, Beet said he wanted to stay with us.  Bob said he had to go…which was true.  What a fun night.  xxoo

As we settled in and had a few drinks….we noticed an older man across the bar.  He was haggard looking and staring into his beer.  He looked sad, drunk, and despondent.  As people went up to sing…we had a few drinks and reviewed the song list.  My friend Steve, a tall, bald, black man….sang a Motown song.  My friends Laurie and Keith did a duet of “I’ve got friends in low places”…..the furthest thing from their real life world.   My buddy Tad was sitting at the bar deciding if he wanted to sing.  I went up and did a Stevie Nicks song.  We all laughed at our daring feats.  And then….

Merle Haggard guy got up to sing….which was a feat in itself….because he looked wrecked.  And then he sang “He stopped loving her today.”  One of the most amazing performances we had ever seen.  He was done…and sat back down like a weak, pensive drunk.

My friend Tad is a tall, handsome, Metro guy.  So we are at the bar and Merle slurs…”you are in my seat.”

Tad says…”Oh, I am sorry ….you want to sit here?”  Steve says “you mean this is your seat?”  The man says yes.  Chad gets off of the bar stool and Steve carries it over to the guy.  The man then declares that he meant his spot…not his seat.  “Steve says “oh, you said he had your seat….so I thought you meant the actual chair?”  The older man scowled.  As they kept talking….we found that Merle was a construction worker who actually worked in Steve’s development.  All ended well and we had a great time.

So it just goes to show….you can’t tell a karaoke guy by his scowl!!!