Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Clynetoberfest. Here’s to Life.
In which Good Ol’ Schmoe wakes up in a good mood and realizes that he will be getting his Peacemaker on in five days.
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. Look them up. azpeacemakers.com. iTunes. Facebook. Ask me for a CD or some digital music. Listen. Enjoy. Take in the hardest working rock and roll band around. Treat yourself. Close your eyes and be transported not only to a borderland full of life, but to a state of mind full of joy.
I just realized RCPM semi-annual visit to my native land (Southeast Michigan) is this Sunday. THIS! {wait for it} SUNDAY!
I was wondering why the female voice coming from the SYNC application in my new Ford Fusion seems a bit annoyed to constantly parrot my command of “Play artist Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers” lately. I thought of teaching the SYNC chick “RCPM”, but I like saying it longhand. Makes me smile. I knew the show was forthcoming, but life’s stresses were clouding my vision. Reality was getting in the way of, well, reality. I need a break for my sanity. I need a margarita for my attitude. I need friends for my demeanor. I need music for my ears. I need a tequila toast for my sincerity. I need to enjoy stories of RCPM concerts past for the memory of my fallen friend Greg.
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers provide.
So, join me with what is certain to be good vibes this Sunday, October 4, 2009 at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, Michigan. Salud to searing rock and roll. Soak in the feeling with your fellow happy and important people. Close your eyes, sway back and forth, and travel to that little bit of Mexico goodness right here in the Motor City. You will never really come back.
Stay together now,
Good Ol’ Schmoe.
~Early on a Tuesday morning before leaving for work while sipping coffee sweetened with some agave nectar.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Greg Galdes Memorial Golf Outing 2009
In which Good Ol’ Schmoe puts down in writing both what he said aloud and what he wishes he said aloud when he stood up with a microphone in front of the roster of participants at the inaugural Greg Galdes Memorial Golf Outing on September 13, 2009; the message is more refined, but it is essentially the same, especially the tone.
As most of you know, I played golf with Greg countless times in our lives, especially as golf partners for the past 18 years in our golf league. We played together in many an outing like this one today. Often times, we played in different groups of the same outing. We would spread the love. I have many memories of these outings that we played separately and I am sure the players that played with him have. One repeated memory was what I saw as we got to the clubhouse after the round. It was then that I would see the other three people from Greg’s scramble team. I believe that – always – they would have a smile on their face. They also may have been shaking their head, looking down a bit, and mumbling to themselves a little at what they had just witnessed for the past four hours plus – but they were smiling. Greg made them smile. Maybe it was some small talk he had said that had become a running conversation for the round. Maybe it was the way he had completely whiffed on the tee box earlier, which was a staple of Greg’s game. Maybe it was the 20 foot putt he hit 30 feet past or barely three feet at all (take your pick). Maybe it was a great shot that had come out of nowhere or a long putt sunk and caused his teammates’ jaws to hit the ground before they got around to saying, “Great shot! Way to go!” Maybe it was his golf swing, which featured a unique unorthodox hip dance before hitting the ball. Or maybe their smiles were a result of listening to the many golf tips Greg loved to dispense when he had absolutely no business dispensing. All of these things were what made a round of golf with Greg enjoyable. I even remember his team winning on one occasion. I like to think that he helped that day not necessarily by using his golf skills but by providing the atmosphere of fun, which was, I can attest, the best part of Greg’s golf game. The result of which was smiles on the faces of all those who played golf with him.
So as all of you came into the clubhouse today after your round and handed me your cards, I noticed the smiles. Most of you had some remark to make. Some of the remarks boasted sarcastically of your performance. Some remarks exuded a little pride and confidence. Some remarks were just self-deprecating period. One group even refused to surrender their scorecard, explaining that it really was not needed. But it seemed that remarks or not, the scorecards were delivered with a smile. I prefer to believe that at least one corner of each mouth that was smiling today is attributable to Greg’s Spirit shining through. I’d like to thank you for that. Thank you for your smiles today.
Thank you for coming today and supporting the memory of Greg as well. Hope you all had as much fun as your smiles indicate. It could not have been done without all of you. Especially, it could not have been done without the hard work and dedication of Greg’s family and friends. Especially “The Sisters”, as I refer to them: Greg’s sisters Cheryl, Cindy, Carol, and Cathy. In addition to The Sisters, special thanks must be extended to Greg’s work colleague and friend Dan Mularski. Greg’s parents were instrumental in supporting this outing as well as the rest of Greg’s extended family, wife Cathy’s family, and Greg’s extended golf league family, the FSGL. Thanks to all. I mean it. I have received many thanks for getting this outing up and running, and I accept that thanks wholeheartedly. But I also must point out that I simply put the players in this together. I threw a bunch of dots on the board and the aforementioned worked hard to connect them all while I watched. I am not being overly humble, I am being completely honest. Good work everyone. Thank you.
Here’s to Greg. May you keep your feet on the ground at all times.
P.S. Thanks to the famous Jim for the very generous and impromptu introduction at the outing banquet. It was unexpectedly meaningful to me. Appreciated.
Friday, September 11, 2009
A Message For My Football Friends in Section 37
In which Good Ol’ Schmoe writes a message to print and distribute at the Michigan - Notre Dame football game on September 12, 2009 in Michigan Stadium and does so.
Dear My Friends and Football Fans in Section 37,
Last week I arrived at my seats in Section 37, Row 21, Seat 9-12 with unfortunate and sad news. We had lost a friend, a family member, a University of Michigan graduate, and a fellow long time football season ticket holder for 27 years and all around UM sports nut.
Greg Galdes died on Sunday, July 26 2009. He leaves behind wife Cathy, daughters Yvonne (14) and Bethany (11), mother Virginia and father Charles. He is also survived by siblings Gary, Cheryl (Carlton Engstrom), Cynthia (Stefan Majlinger), Caroline (Chris Theodorovich) and Catherine (Chris Melody).
You may know Greg and my partner in crime all these years (20 of them in Section 37) as my little plastic horn blowing partner when UM scored. You may remember him as my “Cheaters!” cheer backup man. You may remember him as my Halloween Mask Game “twin” in our UM-ugly-football-player-face-masks every home game before Halloween. You may simply remember him as a fellow Michigan Football Fan. You may also remember him as the guy I may be found hugging with anxious trepidation and fear for many a late Michigan field goal attempt. I remember him as a lifelong friend from Little League days through college days and onto the later days of growing older but not up.
Through it all, we went to UM Football games together.
I want to thank all of you, who had to find out so suddenly and cruelly last week as a new season of happiness dawned for us, for offering your condolences. I also want to extend my condolences to you, for Greg was part of each every one of our Football Saturdays. In this we share memories and, along with his brother Gary in the seat next to me, will continue to honor them each and every Michigan Football Saturday.
You may want to visit the website www.nothingbutmonkeys.com to view a slideshow video produced by Greg’s lifelong friends.
Meanwhile, let me also offer ways to follow any other information about Greg and humanize him some more. Greg was also my golf partner for 18 years in our league, the Fore Skins Golf League. Together, we designed the logo, the Fore Skin Cup, and the framework of scoring and camaraderie that the league mandates today. Please feel free to visit www.fsgl.net and enjoy our logo here (it is just a men’s golf league, no disrespect intended).
Greg was also an integral part of the only Jimmy Buffett podcast in the world: Wastin’ Away on the North Coast. We are available on iTunes and at our website www.wastinaway.net. Greg’s voice can be heard before his untimely death. Needless to say, the Jimmy Buffett halftime by our very own Michigan Marching Band was emotional for Greg’s friends that were here that day.
Thank you for your time…and…GO BLUE!
Joe “Schmoe” Taschler
Dearborn, Michigan on September 11, 2009
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Facebook: facebook.com/Schmoe
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Goofy is not a dog
Goofy is a donkey.