Jay to the World February 2022
Happy February everybody!! Well, except all of our Chiefs fans out there…man, what a painful way to end the season for our favorite team to the south. Is it just me or did the Chiefs get a little too fancy for their own good at the end of the first half?? I mean seriously, to come away with no points in that situation was just an example of a team getting greedy…and let’s face it, getting at least 3 points there would have made quite a difference in the ball game. But hey, don’t get too down in the dumps Chiefs fans, because you’ll have about 15 more chances to get to the Super Bowl as long as you-know-who sticks around…
Let’s start off with some very good local news: Malvern is getting its grocery store back! Yes, Tom Mulholland announced a couple weeks ago that he has every intention of rebuilding Mulholland Grocery and maintaining the decades-long tradition of a family-owned grocery store in Malvern. We are so lucky to have someone who not only understands the vital role that a grocery plays in small towns, but also someone who understands the importance of leaving a legacy behind when it would have been much easier to just walk away and let others figure it out. So, thank you Tom for setting the example of what small-town leadership is all about. Can’t wait to see the new store!
So, here’s a little rock ‘n’ roll trivia for you: Anybody know what happened 40 years ago last month in, of all places, Des Moines?? Here’s a hint: Up until a couple years ago, it was probably one of the most famous stories ever involving a bat. Give up?? Well put down that piece of chicken, because on January 20th, 1982 heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off of a live bat during a concert at Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines. It’s weird, because obviously back in those days there was no internet so when you heard a story like that it literally would take a life of its own. Did that really happen?? There’s no way that really happened!! Did he eat it?? To this day Ozzy claims that he thought it was a rubber bat, but regardless, that one incident cemented his legacy as the crazy man of hard rock and made him even more famous than even he could have imagined. I’m sure the rabies shots were totally worth it…
Staying on the rock ‘n’ roll train, as I’m sure most of you know by now, Meat Loaf died last month (the person, not the food). As I told you when Jim Steinman passed away last year, ‘Bat Out of Hell’ came out when I was 13 years-old and to this day not a month goes by where I don’t listen to it from start to finish at least once. My favorite song on the album has always been “For Crying Out Loud”, but I can still remember asking my sister what the heck “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” had to do with baseball. Man, those were the best days ever.
I was watching an old ‘Cheers’ episode a few weeks ago…it was the one where Norm walked in the bar and Sam says “what are you up to Norm??” and Norm replies “my ideal weight if I were 11-feet tall”. I laugh every time because my dad had a very similar line…after a visit to the doctor he’d walk in the bank and exclaim “Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the doctor said that I’m not overweight. The bad news is that he did tell me I’m 5 feet too short”. Oh, Big Al…always good for a laugh or two…
So, have you ever watched all of the jets that fly over our area and wonder where in the heck they’re all going?? Well, I’ve been wondering for years, so last month I downloaded an app called Flight Tracker that shows me the airline, the flight number, where the flight originated, where it’s going, and the airplane’s speed and altitude as it flies overhead. Warning: It’s very addictive. For instance, I was eating lunch at my desk today and looked up and I knew it was a Southwest jet because of the bright colors, and sure enough it was headed from Denver to New York (LaGuardia) at an altitude of 35,000 feet and a speed of 425 knots (489 mph). Although I hate flying, I love watching airplanes and I’m thinking this little hobby should easily get me through my 60’s and 70’s…
This Month is Trucker Sarcasm: I’m one of those people who ALWAYS flash my lights to let truckers know that they are safe to change lanes because it’s very satisfying when they flash their lights back as a thank you. Well, a few weeks ago I was texting (yes, I know, not smart) and missed an opportunity to flash my lights and the driver of the truck flashed back at me anyway in a total passive aggressive move that I totally deserved. Ouch.
And finally, Taco Bell is selling a monthly taco subscription for $10. The program, called Taco Lovers Pass, will get each subscriber one taco for 30 consecutive days. Not to be outdone, McDonald’s is coming out with their own monthly subscription program. Yep, for $10 each subscriber will receive one large order of fries per day and 100 bonus Frequent Frier miles.
Until Next Time…don’t forget that I’ll be taking March off, so be on the lookout for Katelin George’s first monthly newsletter next month. In the meantime, Happy Valentine’s Day!!
Jay