V66: Chris points out that Genesis also reunites

As Chris Marobellacromeloft points out in the Squeeze post below:

Speaking of geezer reunions, Genesis is reuniting this summer. Well, ’80s Genesis anyway: Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks. Sadly, no Peter Gabriel, which was what made Genesis truly great. BTW, I choose to remember Genesis as the band that existed up to and including the 1982 “Mama” album. After that they are dead to me. Dead! You hear me?!

Yeah. I hear you, although Gabriel left in 1975. Genesis performed last week on the VH1 Rock Honors and as you can hear below, Phil had to take down “Turn It On Again” quite a few keys so he could hit the high notes. Nonetheless, I’m a confirmed art rocker, and I got two tickets. (Who wants to come?) Turn it on. Turn it on, turn it on again.

V66: Squeeze reunites. Again.

What a summer! First, the Police reunite. Then Crowded House gets back together. Now – Squeeze. My favorite ’80s band (I’ve seen them live more than any other band) broke up in 1982, reunited in 1985, broke up in 1999, and now they’re back. Kinda. At least – Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook are back and calling the band “Squeeze,” which was usually the case. (Sadly, no Jools Holland this reunion.) They’re playing the Cape Cod Melody Tent on July 31 and the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston on August 1. Take it to the bridge, throw it overboard, see if it can swim back up to the shore…

Sally’s Archives: Holding Hands is Gross

More fun stuff I unearthed recently. Here’s a page from my Camp Sargent Journal that I thought I’d share. Apologies to Mark Allara and David Looney! -Sally

Sally’s Archives: Talbot Me Banana

Hello all, Over the long weekend I had a chance to read through all the stuff posted up here (y’all are very silly), and I came up with a few nuggets of my own! Those Senior Show posters that Gary posted look *exactly* like my handwriting, but I sure don’t remember penning the whole ’silence backstage or death’ bit. I ain’t claiming responsibility for those. Here is a 5th grade photo from the archives. Evidently I didn’t think much of Mr. Talbot at the time! -Sally

Stats Class: WAE visits last 30 days

We’ve been leveling off a bit of late as Brad noticed, and we’re averaging about 100 – 150 pageviews a day. Not bad, all things considered. The more posts there are, the more views – so keep posting when you can.

An airport assignation with Ashley

It seems you can’t go anywhere these days without running into Ashley Welch. Reunions. Fundraisers. Storyland. And now Logan Airport. Going down one of the moving sidewalks between terminals A and E recently, I saw Ash moving in the opposite direction, talking on her cellphone. I rudely interrupted and yelled her name. She gave me that “Wait – I know that dude” look at first, and then asked where I was going. As we drifted further and further apart, I told her I was on my way to New York. Where was she going? “Switzerland!” was the last word I heard, as she moved toward the international terminal. Nice. Ashley was polite not to point out the obvious: I had gone to the wrong terminal. There was no reason for me to be going from terminal E to terminal A other than the fact that I had simply gone to the wrong terminal to begin with. It was very unlikely I was switching flights in Boston…

V66: Kate Nash

Wow, it’s been quiet here. Is everyone on vacation or just tired about all things Wayland? What’s that saying? “When you tire of Wayland, you tire of life.” So true! It was what, six months ago? The reunion? Maybe it’s time for another one.

In an effort to keep things moving let’s bring back some music: Kate Nash.

What’s up with the Brits? They have so much good music there. I wonder if I was raised there I would be posting about Wilco and Jack Johnson.

I heard this tune and dug it. So talented. She can really paint a picture. It’s a bit of a sad one. I do listen to upbeat music. Swear.

CSI Wayland: From the Files of Police Squad

Tuesday, April 3:

10:49 a.m. An Old Sudbury Road resident walked into the station to report a case of identity theft.

“And you are?”

Monday, April 9:

8:10 a.m. A caller reported the bunkers on the Nike site left open after construction work.

Upon further inspection, it turned out we had nuked Framingham.

2:15 p.m. Alarm, Whispering Lane.

An alarm. On Whispering Lane. The joke writes itself.

Wednesday, April 11

2:05 p.m. A Commonwealth Road caller reported finding a license plate.

“And there’s one on the back of my car, too!”

Monday, April 16

12:01 a.m. A Lincoln Road caller reported a large dead fish left on their doorstep.

I can’t write anything funnier than that.

Saturday, April 21

11:05 a.m. Police arrested Richard Harlow-Powell, 23, of 13 Silver St., Salem, on charges of possession of a class D drug (marijuana) and failure to wear a seatbelt.

“Dude – we were totally cool with the pot. But no seatbelt? Get in the cruiser.”

Saturday, May 19

11:49 p.m. A Barney Hill Road caller reported a large amount of youths exiting her home as she came home.

Given the hour, I’m gonna guess the caller was a mom who was supposed to be gone until Sunday, May 20.

Happy Hollow’s New Principal: Ray Romano

From the Crier: Wayland – Self-described as open-minded and willing to take on new challenges, Wayland’s new Happy Hollow principal James Lee said his interests in learning and teaching have been lifelong.

Re: Our Crappy Cars

Okay, people. The car of my youth, so recently lauded in song, was a carbon copy of this bad boy. Well, except for the wings…and the rocket.

If ever someone was begging to be thrown out of the gene pool it was this guy. (and I could have told him a Continental had the aerodynamic profile of a meat locker.)

Back in Vegas, reflecting on poetry

Yep, I’m back in this wonderful and charming town of Las Vegas. What can I say? Its timeless allure has called me home. Flying in over the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead, I couldn’t help but recall Walt Whitman’s ode to Las Vegas, after his trip to the Terribly Serious Poets Convention (TSPC-CON) of 1854:

Oh Flat Plain! My Flat Plain! Our trip to Hoover Dam is done;

The Strip has blackjack’d every deck, the prize we sought is won;

The buffet is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While quarters to the slots ente’er, and waitresses bring beerings.

Walt Freakin’ Whitman. Love that man.

In which Kristin Murray, Mr. Unpronounceable and I drink wine…

Well, really, it was only a couple bottles of really nice  wine. And a fab dinner. But I digress.

 Kristin, as some of you know, works for a Major Drug Company. And, as some of you also know, I work for The Portion of the Federal Government That Approves (or Rejects) Applications From Major Drug Companies. A quick consult with the ethics chiefs resulted in the conclusion that Kristin could, in fact, buy me dinner and put it on the expense account, as we have a prior relationship (handy, that). But to avoid “the appearance of impropriety” we did what any normal person would do–we skipped out on the bill.

Pshaw, you know I wouldn’t do that. Or at least, I wouldn’t be telling you, right? Nah, we made Mr. Unpronounceable’s company pay for it. And then we ordered another bottle of wine, and made Mr. U drive us home.

For all the parents…

My friend Joel e-mailed me the following transcript of a conversation between him and his four year old son, Coby:

I’ll spare you the details, but yesterday I took away the bottle cap Coby had been playing with, as punishment for a bottle-cap-related offense.

Coby: When can I have it back?

Daddy: You can’t.

Coby [getting upset]: I never get it back?

Daddy: That’s right.

Coby [angry]: Well I WILL get it back because you’re going to die before I die, so I’ll get it back then!

Daddy [trying not to laugh]: Okay, fine. You can get it back when I die.

Embrace your crappy cars

In the news today: DaimlerChrysler sells off Chrysler for about a third of what it paid for it. (Take that, Germany!) So today’s pop quiz: what hunk of junk did you drive in high school? Or – if your folks ponied up – you have to admit that too and write about the fairly nice car you received. I had a 1978 lime green Chevy Impala station wagon. Voted “ugliest car” at Rivers, it didn’t stop people from asking me for rides all the frickin’ time…

Here’s to the moms.

You’re still stunned you’re one. And being a mother’s a bigger pain than you thought. You’re all still in the “jeez – we’re still pretty much the same kids we ever were, only with bills” mode. You thought you’d never say the things you say, and you’d always be into the same music your kids would be into. When you got punished you thought “I’ll never do this to my kids when I grow up.” Wrong. And you laugh your asses off when we Dads complain about how hard our day was. But you’re still cool, you’re still mindful of the lessons you learned from your folks and you’re totally hot. So, a virtual toast on Mothers Day to all of you. And to all our Moms as well, who – let’s face it – put up with some seriously bad attitudes in the 1980s. And possibly still. Cheers and, in the words of toastmaster Gary – Enjoy……… S.