Saturday, April 3, 2010

Is it cool, or is it cool?

Well, the Brothers Johnson might not have to arbitrate this, but I had a little fun recently by merely kicking back and thinking about some of the really nifty shit I've done during my 45.8 years on this here planet.  My list is by no means all-inclusive, and I highly encourage you to compile your own list.  Keep in mind that it doesn't matter how big or small your items/events are, so long as they are important to YOU!  Meantime, here's my list (in no particular order).

Since my arrival on this sphere we call Earth on 6/11/64, yours turly...
  • Attended the first regular season game ever played at Royals (now Kauffman) Stadium (1973)
  • Met The Who's John Entwistle/Got his autograph (1998)
  • Walked on the parquet floor at Boston Garden (1994)
  • Stood at the top of Pike's Peak (1993)
  • Attended 16 Kiss concerts (1979-Present)
  • Talked on the radio—a lot! (1987-89)
  • Swiped-tagged Ace Frehley of Kiss on the arm (1994)
  • Could recite all 50 U.S. state capitals and point them out on a map by the time he was five (1969)
  • Witnessed two championship sporting events in person (Kansas City Attack indoor soccer team, 1993/1997)
  • Walked on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (2008)
  • Saw Hank Aaron hit a home run in person (at Royals Stadium as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, June 11, 1976—my 12th birthday)
  • Met George Carlin/got his autograph (1987)
  • Chanted "Yankees suck! Yankees suck!" along with the assembled multitude in Crown Center the night the Royals beat New York in the ALCS (1980)
  • Got within ten feet of/almost got to shake hands with President Gerald R. Ford in Independence, MO (1975)
  • Was the last voice ever heard on a radio station (at KKJC, "The Mighty 1030" in Blue Springs--January 31, 1988 @ 9:59 P.M.)
  • Spoke into the same microphone as Wolfman Jack once did (also at KKJC, 1987)
  • Kissed a beautiful woman at the top of the Stratosphere tower in Las Vegas (1999)
  • Partied at the Country Club Plaza/Westport when the Royals won the World Series (1985)
  • Visited the famed Motown recording studio Detroit (2006)
  • Met/chatted with Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & The Raiders/got his autograph (2001)
  • Experienced "The Roar" at Chicago Stadium (1990/1994)
  • Attended 108 concerts (1979-Present)
  • Got kicked out of Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto for buying a stolen season ticket (1994)
  • Toured the studios of KMOX-AM, St. Louis [the Mercedes-Benz of radio stations]/Touched Jack Buck's mail slot (1990)
  • Saw Elton John blow Starlight Theater apart with an outstanding concert (1982)
  • Saw Wayne Gretzky play in person/Get stoned by the goalie on a breakaway (1990)
  • Attended George Brett's final home game as a Kansas City Royal (1993)
  • Visited the gravesites of Harry S. Truman, Johnny Cash, Curly Howard and Jimi Hendrix
  • Spoke to Hank Stram on the phone (1994)
  • Drove through the ghettos of Chicago (at night in a 1982 Cadillac) and lived to tell about it (1985)
  • Attended Game 3 of the 1985 ALCS at Royals Stadium when G. Brett hit two home runs and beat them Toronto Blue Jays (1985)
  • Witnessed the Kansas City Comets FINALLY beat the St. Louis Steamers in a playoff series (1985)
  • Rode to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis (numerous times, 1971-Present)
  • Saw Mario Lemieux score a goal in person (1994)
  • Almost met Harry Caray in St. Louis (1988)
  • Edited box scores for The Kansas City Star (1995-98)
  • Visited the hallowed Sun Records recording studio in Memphis/touched the same microphone Elvis Presley, Bono, Carl Perkins, et al, once sang into (2007)

3 comments:

dr sardonicus said...

I think you should bookmark this post and refer to it every time life gets you down.

Just wanted to check in and say hi. Hope things are going better with you. Your tribute to your father was excellent, BTW.

Now let's see if I can still remember my login...

Brian Holland said...

Thank you, sir, on both counts.

Jenn said...

This is really a fantastic post, wish Doc had shared it was up! I don't make the time to blog anymore or read my fellow bloggers! Except for Fermi, Love her cat blogging! I miss it often and I guess the point I was trying to make was one that flew over the coo-coo's nest!

I think I will copile my own list, although it won't be as flat out awesome as yours.

I also agree with Doc, bookmark this and refer to it when life gets you down. ESP the Swip Tag of (er we referred to him as) Ace fuckiing Frehly... lolol. I'd have loved to do that!