June 4, 2009
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The Daily News1 Randy Johnson must be top priority today.
2 Sorry David Carradine, but the Big Unit won number 300 yesterday, and it worked in every way.
3 We’ll get back to you, guy.
4 Thank goodness for the rain delay both nights. First, the rain delay the other night which went to almost midnight meant that HAD they said the game would be played, there would have been a baseball game beginning almost at midnight. Had Johnson pitched and won that one, it woulda been history beyond history. History will show that.
5 As it was, he did fine until he began talking about some of the baseball greats we’ve all seen: Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, and Cy Young. More importantly was Johnson’s interview which got interrupted by the second ball game yesterday. CSN knocked him outta the box so they could bring in Kruk and Kuip for the second game.
6 The rain delay enabled us to watch the entire Randy Johnson interview, and while repetitive at times, his references to his time with “Nolan” worked for me. I was a huge Nolan Ryan fan when I used to vend beer and peanuts and stuff. Any time that guy was on the mound, I’d get myself behind home plate and watch to see if I could see the ball and maybe hit it. Naturally, I would have been a .350 hitter against the venerable Ryan.
7 And Carlton would certainly have been shakin’ in his socks if he faced me, and I was the only person on the planet privy to that information.
8 Ah, ya gotta love it.
9 But what made it all excellent was when Randy Johnson talked of his dad, who passed away years ago.
10 I understood, certainly.
11 Soul.
12 Well it IS Dead Week at the high schools, so I’m listening to “Deal” by the immortal Grateful Dead, contemplating bringing this iPod to my American Lit kids tomorrow.
13 Yeesh.
14 There’s so much more.
15 I mean, David Carradine walked right into a bar yesterday, but also fell into a cosmic Heidi trip.
16 I got myself into the school’s theater yesterday to show Taming of the Shrew for my English 1 and 1A students, who lapped it up and loved it.
17 But yesterday at the end of the first class, a couple of students approached me and said, “Mr. H, the Theater became really cold right in the middle of the movie. We think Heidi was here today!”
18 You read yesterday’s DN. I wrote about my old ybdrama.com website, which had the Heidi Chronz on it, and yes, I DID look at them on said night.
19 I actually loved it.
20 Dead Week.
21 I had already heard of David Carradine’s walk into a Buddhist bar. so I was cool with that.
22 What I didn’t expect was when my American Lit classes came in.
23 Since they were Am Lit, I had to bring something, well, American.
24 I brought the John Ford film version of Grape of Wrath.
25 Which was WAY cool, as is any film of the immortal Ford.
26 But what I forgot was that the preacher in the film was played by John Carradine, the FATHER of David Carradine!
27 Suddenly he was up in the air acting his heart out in that film.
28 I had a wireless mic to incorporate colour commentary on the films, and I brought up the passing of David Carradine.
29 The film continued to a scene where the character of Connie, the husband of Rose of Sharon, had a guitar and began strumming.
30 The song he strummed and sang was immediately recognizable as Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad, a Grateful Dead staple.
31 Tell me.
32 After exiting, I got it.
33 Message complete, thank you very much.
34 Leaving Barnes and Noble, I felt that I was being absolutely attacked by Heidi trips: I saw The Scarlet Letter, something by Fitzgerald, and then one last glance to a book that jumped out at me: Steinbeck’s East of Eden.
35 My main reason for even BEING there was that we needed a pound of coffee, and I needed the CD of Pomp and Circumstance for Foothill HS’s graduation, which takes place in our Theater.
36 Anyway, I saw East of Eden and KNEW it was on with Heidi.
37 I finally made my way to the Starbuck’s section of Barnes and Noble, and looked at the coffee. I immediately tripped on what they had predominantly on display.
38 Caffe’ Verona.
39 Gawd’s Truth.
40 The second name I have had for my room. The Cafe’ Verona is now officially the Caffe Verona, with two “F’s”.
41 Furthermore, my barista said that I was entitled to a free cuppa coffee because I had purchased a pound.
42 Heidi. I sweah to Gawd.
43 Tell me.
44 Have a beautiful weekend, and listen to a little Grateful Dead for me.
45 And Randy, you the man. Proud to have a real Giant on the Giants.
45 Peace.
~H~
