The Get Away That Got Away

Hey everyone. Thanks for taking the time to come by and read my first blog post since before a microscopic pathogen changed everything.

The limited contact with other people over the last 4 months has caused me to distance myself from social media, a bit(with the exception of helping my wife with her Facebook Live videos for her business). But lately, there has been quite a few things I wish I could share with others I know would be interested in them too.

If this means I'm going to be posting again is yet to be seen.

I've returned today because I need a forum for a lament. Now the tone I want to convey here is not one of a whiner but someone who just wants to be heard. This post is about the "loss" of something that meant a lot to me.

Back in February, Paula and I made plans for a new and different type of getaway. A 4-day trip to Las Vegas that was both business and pleasure.

The "business" part was the main reason for the trip. Paula was going to attend the Color Street national convention. It would have been 2 1/2 days of training and socializing with other Color Street stylists.We also, planned on spending a day or two visiting Vegas after the convention.

We love to travel as a couple and we are good at it. The idea of going somewhere new was exciting.

Most people who think of Las Vegas think of the strip, casinos, exclusive shows and unique entertainment. To me "Vegas" means one thing: Disneyland is just a 4-hour car ride away.

Now, this may seem a bit odd, as a fan of Disney theme parks, I have never been all that interested in going to visit Disneyland. But the Disney based podcasts I listen to has changed my mind. In order to fully appreciate Disney theme park history, I have to visit "Walt's Park."

 Attending the 2020 Color Street conference was a goal almost from the moment we turned onto International Drive as we were leaving Orlando after the 2019 event. The date and location were announced at the last session of that conference.

But the preliminary planning, projection of cost and logistics, weren't necessary until early February when the conference registration opened. Because the spots fill up very quickly Paula had to reserve her place as soon as possible. We had to know if we could afford it. 

I put my obsessive/compulsive tendencies to work figuring out how much the side trip to both "sin city" and the "happiest place on earth" might cost.

When all the numbers were worked out it was determined, in order to save the most and utilize time most efficiently, I would make an over night trip to Anaheim, solo, as an early 60th birthday present.

I would leave early in the morning, make the trek across the desert, spend the day at the park, rent a hotel room, go back to the park for half a day, the next day, and then head back to my wife in Vegas. 

I was very excited and immediately started preparing for our trip by buying the "Unofficial Guidebook" to both Las Vegas and Disneyland. But then came then the previously mentioned pathogen made its presence known in mid March. 

Soon those plans got nixed because Covid-19 made traveling anywhere in an airplane dangerous, and caused everything in the US to be cancelled, including the Color Street Conference. And in an unprecedented move, Disney closed its parks world wide.

So that brings me to today, July 9. This was the day that we were supposed to board our United Airlines flight and head off on our new and exciting adventure. 

I am sitting at my laptop in my living room writing this post instead of on a jet looking down through the clouds at "flyover country" on my way to Vegas. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not pouting or venting out loud to Paula. I'm doing my best to keep it to myself, at least vocally. And I know this is really a "first world problem". I am not so selfish that I don't realize that other people have had more important life events cancelled and, sadly, suffered much greater losses because of Covid-19. I mean it was only a vacation. 

But everything is relative. Missing out on this trip if very disappointing to me. It was going to be THE event of my 60th year. But as it turns out it was the get away that got taken away. 

But right now Disneyland still isn't open. So even if we had gone to Vegas I wouldn't have been able to go on my Disney excursion. 

So there you have it. My little rant that I just wanted someone to witness. I'm done now. Life, or life as we know it now, goes on. 

No one really knows what the future of going on vacation or any travel will be like in the months or years to come. But my hope is that the opportunity to visit "Walt's Park" comes around again in the near future. 

Finally, I want you to know that, I am not ungrateful. I appreciate the fact that me and my family have been able to stay relatively healthy through this whole pandemic thing. I am also blessed to have a wife who loves me and handles things as they come along better than I do. There are lots of other blessings I appreciate but I'm not going to take the time to mention them all. I just wanted y'all to know that I do have an attitude of gratitude. 

Thanks again for taking the time to read this blog. Now if you will excuse me, my wife and I are going to go into Bowling Green to find a new stove. We've needed one for a year. And thankfully, because we didn't have to buy an airline ticket or pay for a hotel, we have a little extra in the bank to cover it. 

Stay safe and God Bless.   

A Birthday Card: Part 2

Welcome back to the 2nd part of this birthday card for my cousin, Gary, who turned 60 yesterday. 

In part 1 I listed 31 out of 60 songs in two categories. 
For part 2 I'm going to give you 3 different lists. One with songs the two of us liked to sing together; even without the record. Also there will be a list of songs that have a bit of a story that goes with them. 

This next group are songs that we identified with as teenage boys trying to make our way through the minefield of relationships, with the girls. I'm not going to go into the specific details as to why we identified with these songs. Just want to put them on the list. 

First are those that meant the most to Gary. 
32. Jackie Blue-Ozark Mountain Daredevils
33. Poor Side of Town-Johnny Rivers
34. Rainy Night In Georgia-Brook Benton
35. Runaway-Jefferson Starship

There were "Lost Love" and "unrequited love" songs that meant the most to me. 
36. Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend-Lobo
37. It Was Almost Like A Song-Ronnie Milsap

This last group of love songs, applied to both of us. 
38. Cherish-The Association
39. When I Loved Her-Bill Anderson
40. Worst That Could Happen-Brooklyn Bridge
41. You've Never Been This Far Before-Conway Twitty

Next are the songs Gary & I liked to sing together. Our parents sang to us a lot. My dad and Gary's mom, who were brother and sister, both sang to their kids all the time. So it was only natural that their children would carry on that singing tradition. Gary and I did. 

Here are some of the songs that we used to sing whenever we were together. Most of the time it was acapella without the record. We did our best to harmonize and I remember at times we actually did. We were a pretty compatible musical duo. I'm going to list them in order of what I remember as our favorites. 
42. Silhouettes-The Rays
This was the song that was ahead of the song by Timmie Rogers mentioned in part 1. It was by far our favorite. We sang it hundreds of times.  

43. But For Love-Eddy Arnold
44. Cathy's Clown-Everly Brothers
Another pair of songs that called for harmonies. They were so much fun to sing. 

45. Restless-Bill Anderson
This was the first song on side 2 of  Anderson's "Still" Album
It was a favorite because it was a reminder of Gary's journey as a runaway teenager. He made it all the way to California. 

46.Then You Can Tell Me Good-bye-Eddy Arnold
47. Last Kiss-J. Frank Wilson & The Caviliers
48. Come A little Bit Closer-Jay & The Americans

These last dozen songs all have stories I want to tell you. I'll do my best to convey their significance but it may not come through to anyone but my cousin. But then that's who this series is for. So here I go. 

49. She'll Be Comin Round The Mountain-Traditional
This is one of the first songs I remember making up jokes about. I think we were about 7 or 8. We supplemented the verses with exaggerated cartoon like gestures that fit the lyrics. Once we had our "act" down we presented it in front of all the adults who were in the kitchen playing cards. It was one of our first "shows" we created. 

50. The Counting Song-Children's Church Song
I can almost guarantee you that other than my cousin and I, nobody knows this song. But let me share the story anyway.  
It was the summer of 1971. Gary & I were ages 10 and 11 respectively. Thanks to some generous church members we got to go to our church denomination's sleep away camp for a week. 
It was my first time away from home other than staying at a relative's house. Using a puppet I took along for some familiarity and comfort (gimme a break I was only 10) Gary & I created a musical comedy act for the talent show. We got a lot of laughs and won 2nd place. I still have the red ribbon we were awarded. 

51. Wonder Of Wonders-Northeast Bible Institute Chorale
This is a gospel song that provided a unique and memorable live concert experience for Gary and me, It happened when we attended a youth rally at a local church in the mid to late 70s. The best way I can explain it is that the performance sounded as close to what I imagine a choir of angels would sound like as I've ever heard. Even decades later it is a very strong memory for the two of us. 

52. Why Can't I Touch You-Ronnie Dyson
The story connected to this song happened when we were preteens. In the eyes of most adults we were still a few years away from knowing about much less understand the "birds & the bees". 
We were in our family car on a Sunday night, taking Gary home after he spent the weekend at our house. Dad was driving and mom, as always, was next to him in the front seat. This song came on the radio. The singer sang "If you let me make love to you then why can't I touch you?". Not aware that the two boys in the backseat were listening, my dad commented to my mom about the lyrics.  "I don't understand how that would be possible." Before my mom could answer From the darkness of the backseat Gary spoke up . "I don't either", he chimed in. Both of my parents quickly looked back at us with stunned looks on their faces. The two of us just kind of shrunk down into our seats and looked away. The silence was deafening. Nothing else was said. Later the two of us laughed and laughed at how surprised my parents were by Gary's contribution to a rather adult conversation. 

53. Mr. Jaws-Dickie Goodman
This song served as inspiration for a couple of teenage boys who loved making up their own "drop in" skits. Although I don't have any of those we made ourselves they were inspired by this song which sparked the creativity in us as a young comedy team. 

54. In The City-Joe Walsh
In 1979 Gary and I along with a couple of other buddies went to the movies to see a film called "The Warriors". It was an "us against the world" film about a gang being chased around New York City. All 4 of us, who were in our late teens or early 20s at the time, loved this movie. 
A few months later, the day that my high school girlfriend broke up with me, Gary and I made a spontaneous and very funny parody of "The Warriors" on my tape recorder at his house. The sketch was probably the best therapy I could have gotten at that point. I wish I still had that tape but I don't. Fortunately I have this song to bring back that memory. 

55. Travelin Band-Creedence Clearwater Revival
In the mid 1990s Gary and I discovered karaoke. The opportunity to get up and sing in public was a dream come true for us. It became a very popular activity in the Easton/Phillipsburg area where we lived at the time. We went out to local bars and restaurants to sing as often as we could. Sometimes it was 2 or 3 times a week until 1 or 2 AM.
There even was a short time when Gary actually was a Karaoke host. I helped him once during what was a disastrous night at a party in a Catholic high school. 
Each of us had a "go to" song. Mine was "Mack The Knife" and this song was Gary's. So this one is really a representation of the block of songs we sang both solo and together during those many many nights at Karaoke. 

56. Molly-Bill Anderson
57. Looks Like We Made It-Barry Manilow
Whenever I hear either of these two songs, I listen to the songwriter's lyrics but in my mind are the words that we made up to them. They became our parodies, "Moley" and "Oh, No You're Pregnant."  

58. Keep On Lovin You-REO Speedwagon
As I mentioned when writing about the Beatles in my last post, in our early 20s Gary and I spent a lot of time playing ping pong in his basement. If there wasn't a Lennon McCartney composition playing on the boom box, the tape with this song on it was. But this song reminds me not just of that basement but all the things that happened while my cousin lived on the ground floor of that apartment building. And that's all I have to say about that. 

I am down to the last 2 in my list of 60 songs. If I was only given the choice of two songs connected to my favorite memories out of the life long friendship I've had with my cousin, these would be the two. 
  
59. Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life-Monty Python
In the summer of 1979, I was enrolled in a nationally famous radio school. I was trying to get my aspiring radio career off the ground without the expense of college. The school's office was located in Willow Grove, PA, an hour south of where we lived. On a Friday night in August, I drove there to take attend a class. Gary went with me. On the way there we passed a movie theater. It was one of the biggest multiplex theaters (6 screens) we'd ever seen. We saw that the newest Monty Python movie was playing. On the way back we decided to stop and see "Life Of Brian." We loved this movie. We laughed all the way through it the first time and still do to this day.  This song was a key element in the conclusion of the picture. The song has since become associated with the Broadway musical, "Spamalot". But that day left us with one of the best memories of our friendship as young adults.

60. The Rain, The Park, And Other Things-Cowsils
Without a doubt this is my top "Ron & Gary" memory. I really like sharing this story. 
In the summer of 67, this song was #1 on our local Top 40 radio station, WEEX. The two of us loved this song. We got excited and sang along every time we heard it. As much as two young boys could, we found it romantic. 
Back in those days music wasn't so readily available as it is today. You had to turn on the radio and hope you were lucky enough to be listening when your favorite came up on the station's "hot rotation". 
That summer in August, I was spending a weekend with Gary. Since it was so extremely hot in his attic bedroom, we convinced my aunt to let us sleep in sleeping bags on their front porch. 
This may seem a strange thing for kids so young to do these days but back then it was a much safer world than today. 
To help us fall asleep we took a portable radio out on the porch with us. We turned on WEEX with the volume turned down low but we could still hear it. 
Once we settled in for the night, we talked for a few minutes, eventually drifting off. 
Sometime during the night this Cowsils song came on. Almost as if it was a siren's song calling us, Gary and I both woke up to listen. "Ronnie," my cousin said in effort to wake me up, "listen."  I was already awake and responded with "Yeah, I hear it." We laid there just listening to the sound of our favorite song pierce the silence of the night. In our half awake/half asleep dream state the song took on an even more romantic feel to it. 
Once the song was over and the graveyard shift DJ's voice began to talk over the intro of the next song, we drifted off back to dreamland. 
The next morning we talked about what happened as a way of confirming that we had shared a magical radio moment together. To this day we are certain that we did. 


And that brings to an end my list of the top 60 music memories of my friendship with my cousin, Gary. Now my partner in all of these recollections may remember these stories a little differently but that's what time and the fading memories of 2 old codgers does with yesterday. Like juice squeezed out of an orange, we get out of it what we can.  
     
Once again, "Happy Birthday" Cuz. Welcome to the other side of 60. I'll be joining you in a few months. Thanks again for all the good times discovering, listening, singing and laughing with all kinds of music as we were growing up.  

To all the rest of my readers, thanks for allowing me this very long and detailed walk down memory lane. I hope you got something out of this series as well. 

I'll see you again soon here on the Yankee Near Nashville blog. 

A Birthday Card:Pt.1

Today's post is the first of a two parter. Its going to be different than any of my other series. It's being written specifically for one person. I hope anyone who is reading this gets something out of it, but it is written for my cousin, Gary, who is turning 60 today, March 2nd. 

Born 6 months and 7 days before me, Gary and I spent a lot of time together as we were growing up. Although we've only seen each other a few times since I moved to Kentucky, we still remain lifelong friends. We are the two middle sons in each of our families, which included a dozen kids. So naturally, we hung out with each other. 

One of the things we had in common was that we loved listening to music and singing. I can't tell you the hundreds of hours we spent listening to the radio, playing records and singing our favorite songs together. It started when we were in grade school during our frequent family get-togethers and continued into our 30s, at Karaoke nights. 

I consider Gary one of the three biggest influences in my life when it comes to my taste in music. The other two being my dad and my sister, Peggy. 

The wonderful thing about songs you hear on the radio throughout your life is that they serve as mental bookmarks. Hear one of them and it immediately reminds you of a person, place, or event. 

There are a hundreds of songs that remind me of times I shared with my cousin. When I hear them, the first thought that comes to me is, "This is a Gary song." 

So in honor of his birthday, although there are a lot more, I'm going to list 60 songs I think would be included on the soundtrack of our friendship. 

I will break them down into lists that fit into several categories. Some require details. Others will be explained simply by the name of the category. 

This post series is not only to remember the songs but the bonds and memories of a life long friendship. And it is by no means a complete list. 

I know each song I mention will bring back a memory for the "birthday boy". He will more than likely remember the reason I've included each and every one of them. After all he was there too. The details I share are for those reading this who weren't. I sure hope at least some of them evoke some personal memories for you as well. I've got along list to get through so here we go. 

But First The Albums

This first list is not included in the "Top 60" but are still just as important. These are entire albums from groups or singers we liked so much that we just dropped the record player needle onto song 1 side 1 or pressed the "play" button on the tape player and enjoyed. 

Sesame Street Original Cast Album: While this album was intended for preschoolers, (my parents got it for my 5 year old sister) this album had an impact on a couple of 9 year old boys. We were both fans of the show, especially the puppets, Ernie & Burt. They were our favorite comedy team. Did I mention we were 9?

One of my favorite stories that has to do with Sesame Street  is about the day when Gary and I went to a store near his house and saw an "Ernie" puppet in the toy department. On the way home, Gary found a $5 bill. He went back to the store and bought the puppet. I was so excited and jealous at the same time. I eventually got an "Ernie" of my own that Christmas. 

Best of The Bee Gees: This was before the whole disco part of their career; when they made really good records. It included songs like: "New York Mining Disaster", "To Love Somebody", and "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?". 

Four Seasons Greatest Hits: We loved singing along with "Marlena", "Rag Doll" and all the songs on this album.

The Beach Boys Endless Summer: This was one of our favorite albums to listen to in our teens. By the time we found this one, we had gone from records to cassette tapes. 

The Beatles Greatest Hits 67-70: This one of from when we in our Early 20s. Gary was married and his first son, Gary Jr., had just been born. In the basement of his apartment he had a ping pong table. We spent hours and hours down there just volleying with each other. He always seemed to beat me by the same score, 21-12. On the boom box in that basement was this double cassette. 

There you have the groups and their albums that will always be connected to my cousin. 

Gary's Favorites

This inital list of songs are those that I associate with Gary because he really liked them. They weren't necessarily my favorites but he sure did. They always make me think of him. I am listing them in chronological order of their release date. The numbers are just to show that there are part of the 60 in my overall list. 

1. Let's Lock The Door-Jay & The Americans

2. Castles In The Air-Don McLean

3. Gypsy Woman-Brian Hyland

4. Easy Lovin-Freddie Hart

5. Betcha By Golly Wow-Stylistics

6. Behind Closed Doors-Charlie Rich

7. Sad Sweet Dreamer-Sweet Sensation

Songs We Both Liked

As kids, Gary and I spent a lot of time at each other's houses. Sometimes it was when our families visited, at weekend sleep overs, or for a week over summer vacation. A lot of that time was spent listening to the radio, or playing records. These are a few of the songs that both of us liked. We always sang along. 

  8. Back To School- Timmy Rogers

This 1957 hit was the 2nd song on a 6 song 45 that Gary owned. A song I'll mention later was the 1st. The time between the songs was less than a second. So as soon as song # 1 was finished, almost immediately the first line of this one began. It was so familiar to us that we even sang the start of this one as if it was a continuation of the first. It always made us laugh. 

  9. Hello Muddah Hello Faddah-Alan Sherman 

10. Monster Mash-Bobby Pickett

11. Wonderful Summer-Robin Ward

12. White On White-Danny Williams

13. Laurie-Dickey Lee

14. Dandy-Herman's Hermits

15. The Summer Wind-Eddy Arnolds

16. I'll Be With You Always-Jonathan Frid

A spoken word song by the actor who played Barnabas Collins on the Gothic TV soap opera, Dark Shaows. 

17. It Hurts Me-Elvis Presley

The live recording from his 69 comeback special

18. Angel Sunday-Jim Ed Brown

19. Where Evil Grows-The Poppy Family

20. If You Could Read My Mind-Gordon Lightfoot

21. Clair-Gilbert O'Sullivan

22. Ever Gentle Ever Sweet-Bill Gaither Trio

23. Daddy What If-Bobby Bare

24. Ride'em Cowboy-Paul Davis

25. Summer The First Time-Bobby Goldsboro
26. Swamp Witch-Jim Stafford

27. Come Monday-Jimmy Buffett

28. You Ain't Seen Nothin Yet-Bachman Turner Overdrive

29. Seasons In The Sun-Terry Jacks

30. I Go Crazy-Paul Davis

31. Is This Heaven-Moody Blues

There you have the first half of my 60 song list. Yet to come are songs about romance, those we sang together, and then some that require a bit of a story. 

All of those will be coming up in part 2 of my special 60th birthday card to my cousin and best friend.  See you again next time. 

Bits & Pieces

Hey everyone. Seems that my "twice-a-week" postings have been cut in half lately. I could give you a long drawn out explanation for this. But I hope you'll appreciate my brevity when I simple say, life happens and sometimes gets in the way. 

This has been yet another busy week for me; a combination of everyday tasks and, believe it or not, yet more health related issues. I won't bore you with the details. Instead, I'll try to write for you something, that hopefully you'll find somewhat entertaining.   

I'm going to share some random thoughts or stories that individually wouldn't warrant an entire post by themselves. 

Valentine's Day weekend, Paula and I watched the first season of The Mandalorian on Disney+. I didn't realize that "The Child" (referred by most as "Baby Yoda") was such an integral part throughout the entire season. I thought it came in near the end; but not so. 

While we are not what you would call big Star Wars fans, over all, we enjoyed it. 

As many before me have said, it is a return to the universe of the STAR WARS we remember seeing for the first time when we were teenagers. We will be sure to watch season 2, when it comes out this fall. 

************

We also watched a couple of movies on Disney+:  "Togo" & "Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made". 

"Togo" was very good and shared a little known aspect of a compelling historic event. 

"Timmy Failure" was both funny and unsettling at the same time. Seeing things from the perspective of children (especially Timmy) was at times hilarious. However, the way the mother, teachers, and other adults dealt with the boy detective's behavior and obvious mental (paranoia, hallucinations for example) and emotional issues was unsettling. 

 ************

What happened to the world I knew? While I was a kid, parents, teachers, and all other adults with any authority warned us. Do not to get into a vehicle with a stranger; even if they offered you candy. Nowadays we actually call strangers to come and get us. It's called "taking an Uber."

************

I don't know about you but you couldn't pay me enough to get on an airplane or a cruise ship right now. 

I sure hope things improve enough to make air travel a little less risky by summer. We'd like to be able to fly to Vegas. 

************

Back in early January, while I was stuck in the house staying off of my broken foot, I spent a lot of time putting together Lego sets. Among them was the Brick Headz version of Mickey & Minnie Mouse. 

I really liked them and put them up on my display shelf in my office for everyone to see. But by themselves, this version of Disney's most iconic couple seemed incomplete.

At the beginning of February, Lego released a couple more Disney Brick Headz that resolved this issue.  

Presenting the Lego Brick Headz Disney Fab Five. 

************

The final thing I want to share with you is some pictures from Paula's first Color Street vendor event for 2020. It was a bridal expo held yesterday at a local convention center. 

Looking to connect with some of the future brides who attended and joined her VIP group, Paula created something special.  

The rings and bow were my idea but with the help of her "crafty" friend, Jenny, my wife worked hard to make this very impressive coupon. a reality.  

Also new for this event was a display board with the expo exclusive specials. 

This is what her booth looked like. 

The main focus for this event was not sales (although she did sell some sets). It was getting the nail strips on the engaged young ladies looking for ways to make themselves look beautiful on their upcoming special day.

Once again, Paula did what she does best at these events; demonstrating how easy having beautiful Color Street nails can be. 

 I so enjoy sitting back and watching the faces of those gathered around my wife as their expressions go from "doubter" to "believer". It's awesome. 

So that does it for this "bits & pieces" post. Hope you enjoyed reading it. I will do my best to be back again on Friday. See you then. 

  









  





Finally, I want honor the memory of actress Kellye Nakahara, who passed away on February 16 at the age of 70. . 

She played a nurse on my all-time favorite TV comedy series, M*A*S*H. 
Over the 11 years the show was on the air she was Nurse Kellye. She started as a background character. But over the seasons that role expanded to a supporting role. Nurse Kellye was even the focus of an entire episode in the series final season. She may be gone but will live on in reruns for many years to come.  









where in the world am I? What's going on? Where did the world I grew up in go?

Buying Tickets Online

Hockey Night In Nashville

Hey everyone. Happy Presidents' Day.
I hope y'all had an decent week. Valentine's Day and the weekend, was spent as "us time" with my wife. That's why there was no post last Friday.

But this post is about a day I had been looking forward to for a couple of months.This past Thursday I went to a hockey game in Nashville.

Early that morning, I bought a ticket to that evening's Predators hockey game against the Islanders.

While I have been a Predators fan since 2016, I have also been a fan of the New York Islanders since the late 70s.

Over the last couple of years, whenever they come to Nashville, I try my best to go to the game.

Its the one game in the hockey season that I can enjoy no matter which team wins.

I left Kentucky around 12:30 and headed down I-65. I wanted to avoid the afternoon rush hour traffic so left early. I also wanted to make sure I was close to Bridgestone Arena within a certain time frame. If I got to the parking garage early enough to get an open handicapped spot it would be free; otherwise it would cost me $25 to park.

When I got to exit 90B on 65, which to me means I'm "officially" in Music City, it was 1:45. I had some time to fill so I figured I'd go to one of my favorite Nashville places, the Opry Mills Mall.

Most of my recent visit to this mall have been solo. Typically I make a stop at the Lego store, get some pizza at the food court, then walk around to see what other interesting things I can find.

But my reason for this stop was to catch a movie at the Regal theater.

Because of construction delays, I didn't get to the box office in time to see the feature I wanted to. I had to decide on another one. I chose "The Gentlemen", Guy Ritchie's lates film starring Matthew McConaughey with Collin Farrell, and Hugh Grant.

My son, Michael, had recommended it to me a few weeks ago so I thought I'd take a chance. Turns out, I really enjoyed it.

I guess I went into the theater already in a good mood because this afternoon at the movies was that it didn't cost me a dime.

I used a Regal gift card I'd gotten for Christmas and redeemed some of my Regal Club points. This took care of my ticket, soda, and popcorn.

I hadn't seen any of McConaughey's on screen performances in a theater since The Lincoln Lawyer back in 2011. (This doesn't count his voice acting role as the theater owning kola bear Buster Moon in one of my animated favorites,"Sing", back in 2016)

His latest as, Mickey Pearson, the head of a marijuana empire in London, reminded me of a more corrupt, version of the character he played in Lincoln Lawyer.

One day in the near future, I will make an effort to watch both of these films as a rainy day double feature.

After the movie it was time to head to the hockey game. I drove down Briley Parkway exiting onto Lebanon Pike which took me toward center city.

In about 25 minutes I made the left turn onto Broadway. This was my view, with the Bridgestone Arena tower a couple blocks up on the left.

My plan to get a free parking spot worked. By 5:45 I was parked on the garage's 3rd level just steps from the arena door.

Once through the safety check I was given a special premium: a Ryan Johansen bobblehead doll.

It will make a great addition to my Predators collectibles including the autographed Johansen puck Paula bought for me when we went to a Preds game on the same date (Feb 13) 2 years ago.

Over the last 4 hockey seasons I have developed a personal "routine" when going to hockey games solo. This my first game of the 19-20 season was no exception.

I always like getting to the game early because it gives me time to walk around the concourse, which included a stop by to the team store. I like just watching all the other fans make their way through their pre-game as well.

I stopped an took a picture for a father and son who were at their first game together. I was just taking in the experience of being there.

Since when I decided to go, I thought this might be the only game I'll go to this season, the seat I got was a little closer to the ice and cost more than I what I usually buy.

Once I found it, I was surprised at just how good it was. The view was almost perfect.

As always, when I first sit down at a Preds game, there was a spark of excitement about being there. This arena is has become a very comfortable place for me. I just sat there for a few taking it all in.

I asked the usher in my section to take a picture of me to mark occasion.

Next, was another element in my personal game routine. I went and got a hot dog and a "bottomless" cup of soda. I would refill it during each of the 2 intermissions. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the concessions now offered diet Dr. Pepper. Yes, filler up please! I went back to my seat and enjoyed my snack.  

There were several technology additions to the arena this season. The first one was a giant drone floating around the arena. It's sponsor is the company my son, James works for. 

It has a camera on it and was taking still shots and video as it traveled around the arena throughout the night. Some of them showed up on social media.

Above the ice was a much larger video display board.

Another addition was video projections onto the ice surface. This is done as part of the pregame elements.

I didn't get any video of the introductions that night but here's a link to the start of a game against the San Jose Sharks earlier in the season. It's a pretty good show. Predators Pregame Intro

Country singer and American Idol, Luke Bryan, sang the national anthem. 

At this point, the only thing left was for the ref to drop the puck at center ice and it would be "game on". 

Now, let me push the "pause" button for just a minute to explain my mindset about attending this game.

As someone who has gone to between 2 and 4 Preds game a season over the last few years, there was a reason this was my first for 2019-20. 

The team was not playing well at all. They were terribly inconsistent over the first 2 months of the season, especially at home. So much so that the coach was fired at the start of January. (A move I predicted in December by the way).

While I really like going to their home games, I wasn't going to pay money to see them play unless they got better and had a chance to win. 

But as I always do I circled the Islanders visit to Bridgestone on my calendar for reasons I've already explained. 

Of course, the atmosphere in the arena would be better if the Preds played well, so that's what I was hoping for. But what happened in the game was beyond my expectations. 

The Predators played what a lot are calling their "best game of the year". 

35 seconds into the game, Craig Smith, scored the first goal. A little over 16 minutes later he scored the 2nd. By the end of the 1st period, it was 3-0. 

In the middle period the Preds extended their lead. With 11:43 gone in the 2nd Craig Smith scored again, completing his first ever NHL hat trick. (that's when a player scores 3 goals in one game). 

Seeing a Predator accomplish this in person was a first for me. What followed the goal was an NHL tradition; fans covering the ice with hats. 

The shower of headgear came from everywhere in the arena. Fans sitting in the upper level behind me threw their hats but came up way short of the ice.

Fans in the lower sections where those hats had landed, picked them up and relayed them to their destination. It was a fun thing to see. 

Smith's goal was the Predators' 5th and closed out the scoring for the game. 

Preds goalie, Juuse Saros, was as perfect as he could be; stopping 31 Islander shots and getting his 2nd shutout of the season. 

It was one of the best Predators games I've seen and I enjoyed it all. 

When the game was over and after the 3 stars of the game were announced, it was time to head home. 

I stopped once more at the team store to get a hat because they were on sale in honor of Smith's hat trick. I got one for just $15. Along with the bobblehead, it will be a reminder of the best hockey games I've ever seen in person. 

By the time I got back to my car the traffic had cleared out of the garage and I easily found my way down Broadway and onto I-24, heading home. 

This was such a fun time that if the team keeps playing the way they did in this game, I may consider going to another before the season is over. 

As a fan, I am hoping this game will be a turning point in the Preds' season. It just might be. Since this game they have swept a home and home two game series with the defending Stanley cup champion, St. Louis Blues.

  

But even if they don't turn things around and miss the playoffs, I will always have the memories of the Predators win over the Islanders on my one hockey night in Nashville in February 2020.