Sonny

He was a high school kid that evening when he first walked into the lobby of the TV station and asked the receptionist if there if there was anyone who could "give him a tour" of the place.

That's exactly what I did that day in 1953 while visiting the Nation's Capitol. And a kind announcer by the name of John Trimble introduced me to the inner workings of a big TV station... WTOP TV ...where 10 years later...I would be employed.

So. I volunteered to show him around. He was a nice kid, but obviously physically disadvantaged...and at first glance, perhaps mentally as well.

But looks are deceiving.  That was certainly the case with "Sonny." After talking with him for no more than 5 minutes, I realized that hiding behind that blank expression....was a pretty  sharp  mind.

But the Lord had not blessed Sonny physically....with either appearance or coordination.

I showed him the studios and explained the workings of the place as best I could....and sent him on his way..

Normally, the story would end there.

But not with Sonny.

He came back...many times. Kinda got to be a nuisance....nevertheless I remained patient ...and answered all his questions.  A few of the engineers got used to his hanging around ....and most were patient and generous with their time as well.

Long story short....Sonny graduated from high school, enrolled in a engineering course....10 years later....with the help of  a substantial inheritance, he opened his own recording studio in Washington.

Meanwhile, hardly a week went by when I didn't get a phone call from him,

I was very happy for his success and even arranged for several recording projects I was involved in to be produced at his studio.

He sold his business at just about the right time...and took a less stressful job with one of the big hotels in DC....installing and operating their public address system.

As far as I know, the system he installed is still in operation....as it was the state of the art in the 80/s. But installing a complicated PA system....and operating it....are two different things.

It's a shame the hotel didn't discover that in spite of Sonny's mental agility....his physical agility was almost non existant. For example, back in those days, we recorded on reels of audio tape.  When editing, you would go to the word you wanted to remove...rewind the tape an inch of so...then take a razor blade and cut out the "offending" word...and make your "splice."

Well, Sonny was not agile enough to reverse the tape....a few inches....he would always rewind it all the way back to the beginning of the reel. It was a huge waste of time.

Also, when operating a PA  (Public Address) system....to activate a mic...he always did it backwards.....which produced a shockingly loud "feedback" noise. He made this same mistake for 40 years.

It was no big deal.

Until that evening in 1984, when President Ronald Reagan was attending an event in the ballroom of the hotel....and the lights dimmed....and the opening act was to begin..... and Sonny got his cue to open the speakers mic and.....

"WHAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM".......

Sonny's trademark "feedback"..........had struck again!

It was so loud and shocking.....that ...to Reagan's Secret Service Agents it sounded like an attack of some kind....so they piled on top of the President to protect him from ....whatever it was.

It was just Sonny....turning on a mc.

The picture made the next morning's Washington Post.

-Ed

Friends in High Places

"Well  Ed"......my friend said..."if wasting time on a website dedicated to keeping up with your old high school friends...is what "floats your boat," then go for it.  But personally, I don't think that's what normal...well adjusted 80 year olds do."

Maybe not. But then, perhaps those 80 year olds he's talking about didn't grow up and go to school with kids nearly as special...as we did.

Unlike today, nobody ever told us we were special.  I think we just knew it.

For example, one of the medical issues I've been dealing with is glaucoma...which. if left untreated, will take away your vision.  There are "drops" which will prevent this (which I have been taking for years)  But recently, I became allergic to them and had to stop.  

Three eye specialists later.....there was still no solution. 

With a red tipped cane in my future, I remembered that my old CHS friend, Linsy Farris just might have the solution!

And......HE DID!  

My doctor took his advice, and here I am, very thankful for my old CHS friend, Linsy! 

Thank you, Linsy;

-Ed

Dr. Linsy Farris is an expert in dry eye management, a result of his National Eye Institute and Research to Prevent Blindness sponsored research in the corneal effects of contact lens wear and tears.

In addition to his position as Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Columbia, Dr. Farris is Director of Ophthalmology at Harlem Hospital and a past President of the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists. He presently serves on the board of the Educational Research Fund of CLAO.

Due To Technical Difficulties....

Back in my TV days, whenever the station was having transmission problems, we would put up a slide saying something like...."Due to technical difficulties...etc., etc."

That kind of explained everything, even if the "technical difficulties" were caused by the laziness or plain stupidity of the station's own engineer on duty.

You probably have noticed that this very website is acting funny.....sometimes the "font" is normal size....then, for no reason ...that I can figure out.....it changes size...suddenly gets smaller...very small indeed.

I have no idea why this happens....and am much to old and cranky to give a Damm.

So, please bear with me.....too much positive stuff is happening around us...to worry about the small stuff.

Ed

Beelzebub and friends visit the Nation's Capitol

Our house is only a few miles from where the nation's crazies gathered over the weekend and did their damnedest to destroy downtown DC.  They didn't succeed, but they did do a lot of damage; breaking store windows, knocking over statues, etc.....

I've always thought that the number one benefit of being "elderly," ..of which we are.....is WISDOM.

Rioters at Inauguration

Unfortunately, I must not have been home when the angel of knowledge came by my house to deliver it, because I have absolutely no earthly idea why these gangs of thugs did what they did to 

However, Beelzebub has been around a long time and young people of our generation didn't do anything like that.

Can you imagine anyone destroying property....say, in the Halls of good old Central High back in the 1950's?

Of course not. Something like that was simply unthinkable!

Oh, wait a minute.  I forgot..........That DID happen!

It occurred in broad daylight.... out In the first floor hall......Right in front of John Otts' office! If you had a class that day on the first or second floor....you probably heard the explosion.

It wasn't really an explosion....it was a loud THUMP......like a very large slab of marble falling and shattering. The sound sent chills up my spine! I still remember it to this day.....because I was there when it happened.

In fact, I did it.

Not intentionally...with malice in my heart...but nevertheless...I caused it.

It was during my "study period"....and I decided to take the opportunity to post a few "posters" around the school because I was running for some kind of student council office that was coming up.

I posted a few in the cafeteria...one in the music room....and finally decided to post one on the first floor...high enough for everyone to see as they entered the front door every morning. Not having access to a ladder.....I decided I'd pull out that marble bench leaning against the wall and stand on it...to tape my poster high enough to be seen as our classmates entered the front door each morning.

"The Bench"

I had no idea that the legs of the bench were not attached to the flat top......it was like no bench I had ever seen.....the legs were NOT attached to the long marble slab on top.....but it was simply 3 slabs of marble.

So, when I began to pull the "bench" out from the wall.........BOOM!

John Otts came running out of his office to investigate the noise.....and ......there I was...with the shattered evidence scattered around me.

He stood there.....looking at the broken marble......looking at me....
and finally.....said,   "Well........there goes fifty dollars"

And he went back in his office.be

To this day, I still feel guilty about it. I've often thought that If our old school was still around, I'd gladly buy them a new marble bench.

However, I just looked up "marble benches" on the Internet...and today that $50 bench costs $500!

On second thought, nobody ever sat on it....and besides....who would ever buy a bench without the legs attached?  And, it was kinda ugly.............besides......$500 ?

I think I'll just keep on feeling guilty......

-Ed

Guess Who Came to Dinner?

...all the way from UTAH?

Maxcyne Motte

It wasn't a happy occasion, it was for her sister Shirley's funeral in Boone later in the week.  Meanwhile she and her husband Ray spent the weekend  in Charlotte with Maxcyne's other sister Joyce.

Maxyne and Obie

She and Ray arranged to meet with Obie Sunday evening for dinner. Obie reports "..... that it was one of those times...we all have experienced....that you just want time to stand still."

I know exactly what he means; it's the same feeling I had at our 50th Reunion!

-Ed

"Take out you pencils and paper"

Those awful words!  They still ring in my ears. We all knew what was coming.........

The dreaded POP QUIZ!

"Oh the humanity!"

Hope yaw'll are still out there.

I'm still here, although not as often as I once was.

Reason:  Computer problems, mostly, but old age definitely plays a part....you know the drill....aches and pains, doctors appointments, etc....

But mostly....computer problems...of BOTH kinds.  By that, I men the Bill Gates kind....AND the one in my head.....that's getting "funker and funker."  In the past year it's gone from 'Why did I walk into this room....to "....did I take my medications five minutes ago?"

So, the solution is........write everything down!

"Now where did I put my pen?"

OK.......Like they say, "Old age ain't for sissies."

Most experts recommend positive thoughts;  they do wonders for those of us "long in tooth."

I'll start off with the first few suggestions that come to my mind. I hope yaw'll will add some.....if any of you are still out there.....I welcome your input.  

shephard@gmail.com


THINGS I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT ANYMORE:

pop quizzes
acne
homework
does she like me?
Do I look OK?

...........
Would love to hear from you

Ed

LDL JANUARY EVENT

Here's a picture of the attendees at the January LDL lunch at Jimmies of Mint Hill.
I don't have a list of all the people in the picture......

But, you won't have any trouble identifying them.....because the look exactly the same as the did in 1953.

-Ed

"It's Like Old Times"

Listening to the radio back in the 50's involved a lot of "imagining." and wondering what the performers actually looked like.

I came across this picture of the Arthur Godfrey show....which confirmed to me....that it pretty much looked  like I imagined it.

Not rocket science....but mildly interesting.

-Ed

("It's Like Old Times"....was Arthur Godfrey's them song.)

First LDL of 2017

By Jerry Gaudet 

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Can you believe we have yet another year.

This month's "LDL" (Let's do lunch) will be held on

Tuesday, January 10, 2017, 11:30 AM

at "Jimmies" Restaurant in Mint Hill.

Help us spread the word! 

Buddy Trexler's Brother Passes

By Jerry Gaudet


Sympathies to Buddy Trexler as we received this email on the passing of his brother.

Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:37:48 +0000

My brother, J.W. (Jay) Trexler, passed away December 30, 2016. He was seventy-nine. He fought cancer for six months and finally succumbed to the disease yesterday at 5:22 PM. He was in the Central High School graduation class of 1955. He leaves behind his wife Anne and his daughter Nicole. He resided in Frisco, TX.

.

Buddy Trexler