I woke up at 12:47 with the anxiety of worrying about getting Betty started so I can get to work on Tuesday. The Oldman was screaming down from heaven at me, “This too shall pass! Quit worrying and go back to sleep!”
I didn’t go back to sleep. For some reason I started thinking about an old television series on Channel 11 back in the late 1980’s that lasted into the mid 1990’s. The show was called “Wild Chicago” and the host wore a pith helmet and safari outfit. He went to weird places all around Chicagoland.
By now it’s 1:25 and I’m not going back to sleep. So I did the Google thing and found old footage from this legendary television show.
The first clip I watched would make any Dear Old Oak Parker feel sentimental. It was filmed in the old Val’s Halla record store when it was on South Boulevard. Val, her dog and the Elvis tribute room were featured.
It was probably filmed around 1990 and by that time I ditched Val and record albums for compact discs. I bought all my Rolling Stones albums at Val’s. I bought dozens of Chicago Blues albums and a few Wyndham Hill albums there as well.
I’m embarrassed to say the last record album that I bought from Val was The Outfield album that had that Josie vacation song on it.
Val’s introduced me to The Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Violent Femmes and The Clash.
…. And I end up with a one hit wonder from Spring Break of 1986!
I watched a couple more segments from “Wild Chicago” and decided by 2:25 that this day has begun.
I have the day off and I need to put a new battery in Betty the Green Blazer. I also have to decide if I’m going to let George take the train into the city to take pictures. Chicago is in the middle of a polar vortex and Ansel Adams wants to snap pictures of the CTA.
This too shall pass and the next cycle of anxiety will bring a new wave of uncertainty.
Like a dumb ass, I looked ahead to see when warmer temperatures arrive in the area….. next Tuesday!
Like in a week from tomorrow.
Like in see you next Tuesday.
During this whole Chalkboard I forgot that today we pay tribute to Doctor King.
Back to another Val’s Halla story…. Val sold me an album in the early 1980’s by a group called UB40. It was their debut album and it was very hard to find. It was called “Signing Off” and it featured a haunting song called “King.”
In a way that album changed my musical taste. I went from AC/DC, Foreigner and Bob Seger to Bob Marley, The Cure and The English Beat.
I close out the Monday Morning Chalkboard with lyrics from “King” by UB40.
“King, where are your people now?
Chained and pacified,
Tried in vain to show them how And for that you died.
You had a dream of a promised land.
People of all nations walking hand in hand,
But they're not ready to accept that dream situation, yet.”
