Sunday Drive: Sleep Walk

Sixty years ago in 1959, this dreamy melody was a number-one hit for Brooklyn brothers Santo and Johnny Farina:

Waitin' for the Weekend

Hold the Roses

A guest post by my truckbuddy Tim from England, now resident in Spain:

Hold the Roses

Introduction

Captain Chris Redfield decides celebrating Valentine’s Day in the traditional way is not for him. His second-in-command on the battlefield, and his partner at home, Lieutenant Piers Nivans, comes up with an alternative celebration; but Alpha Team have other ideas for their two commanding officers.

You and I (Nivanfield) by the talented tuzkiyoushi, at deviantart. My thanks.

Chris Redfield’s house, the 'Old Cave', as his partner Piers Nivans called it, was now sold. And their new home, given the military codename the 'Deuce of Hearts', had the builders in. Barely three months after having left, they found themselves back in Chris's suite on the top floor of the Officers’ Mess.

It had quickly become obvious to both of them that it would be impossible to do all the work on the Deuce of Hearts on their own, much as they had wanted to. So with their renovation plans drawn up and approved, they had reluctantly turned the work over to a local construction company in Williamsport. Chris had simply said, "Make it so" to the project manager as he showed the man the detailed plans. He left it to Piers to make the detailed caveats.

"I shall be watching, closely." the young Lieutenant had said in the cold, clipped voice he usually reserved for his training classes. "I'm a trained sniper." The man laughed, nervously.

"Of course Mr Nivans, as you wish."

There was a lot of Piers in the internal changes. As he and Chris had agreed, their new home would be 'old' outside and 'new' within. And naturally, they both wanted the work to be completed as soon as possible.

Chris smiled at the man. "Don't worry about Piers. He's a bit OCD, as well as being our best shot. Ha! What he means is stick to the plan, it's always the best advice." Chris grinned amiably as he patted the project manager on the back with a large paw. The poor man staggered under the blows. And he could have sworn he heard the Lieutenant growl . . . .

"That went well." said Piers cheerfully after they'd left the builder's office.

"Yeh, bad cop, bad cop, never fails." Chris chuckled.

"Hmm, I thought you were meant to be the good cop?"

"Ha! You don't know how hard I patted him."

Continued below the jump . . .

Sunday Drive: My Funny Valentine

Ella sings the Rodgers and Hart standard:

Waitin' for the Weekend

Bygones: The Bed-In-A-Car

Nash Motors Company was a spunky little contender in the automaking field from 1916 until it merged with Hudson to form American Motors in 1954.  In 1936, Nash introduced the "bed car," a convenience for tourists and campers, which was a thing for a while.

Cover of 1937 Nash brochure

Nash's top-of-the-line Ambassador Eight, 1937

Specs for all Nash models, 1937

Popular Science article, May 1936

It's that new Nash, 1939

Newspaper ad, March 1941

Worldwide map of Nash dealerships, 1937

Wait, what did you say?  "Big enough to sleep two six-footers."  Hmm.

Sunday Drive: Azul

A poignant flamenco piece by acclaimed Canadian guitarist Jesse Cook:

Waitin' for the Weekend

Forty Years of Sunday Morning

The celebrated TV newsmagazine CBS News Sunday Morning first aired on January 28, 1979, so Wikipedia tells me.  My, how time flies; seems to me as if it's just been around forever.  I can't say I've been a devoted fan of the program - even in 1979, when I was still struggling and starving my way through college, I was rarely up early enough on Sundays to watch it. I'm afraid that age has not improved my aversion to early rising, and now that I am retired, I rise or sleep at all hours, quite impartially, according to mere whimsy.

But when I have caught the show, here and there through the years, I have nearly always enjoyed it: a kinder, gentler news program, with a light, thoughtful touch that is sorely needed in the frantic, ranting world of today. Here are a few short clips to remind us of what television has been, and still can be.









And be it said to the show's renown, Sunday Morning has been the last, the very last refuge of the spirit of Poesie - a dead, despised, and forgotten art. For many years, the inimitable Charles Osgood valiantly led the arrière-garde; and now the distinguished Ted Koppel takes up the faded banner:

Sunday Drive: Waldteufel, The Skaters Waltz

I think we can all use a bit of midwinter drollery about now, as provided by Andre Rieu and his orchestra, playing an old familiar tune:




By the way, does anyone besides me recall the wonderful story of Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates? I loved it when I saw it as a kid on the Walt Disney program.

Waitin' for the Weekend