“Looks Like Somebody’s Got a Case of the Mondays!”

Just once- couldn't we come back from a weekend, skip Monday, and just go on directly to Tuesday?(Wait a minute- actually, with Labor Day next week, we will be doing that- kind of...)I guess we'll just have to wait for that...meanwhile, here are some bits and pieces I've gathered in my head since our last blog... Significant passings: of course, Neil Armstrong- a man who walked on the moon-the FIRST man to walk on the moon. From all reports, a modest man who never sought to capitalize on his historic "one small step"- and,in many ways, the man who melded our science fiction dreams with reality when he actually set foot on the mysterious moon. I recall being with a group of high school friends the night it happened, watching it on TV, and then,as we wandered outside to stroll down our suburban street, seeing the moon up in the sky and feeling a real sense of amazement that there was now a person standing up there.He had gone where no man had gone before-for real. We started to speculate what this would be the beginning of- and now, years later- are still speculating. We also should acknowledge Jerry Nelson- a Muppeteer who voiced Count Von Count on "Sesame Street", among other Muppet characters. It kind of makes you sad to think how he and Jim Henson are gone- and hope the remaining mainstays of the main group behind these fantastic characters will still be with us for a while... My friend and co-worker George Blaise clued me in to a pretty cool website for movie fans- it's www.archive.org , a digital library site with lots of free downloadable stuff, including books, audio, and, yes- public domain movies. I especially like the list of film noir 40s and 50s flicks! Yes, they have horror films- you can see "Night of the Living Dead", "Zontar: the Thing from Venus","Dementia 13" and more- and just download them to enjoy!There's plenty of fun stuff to enjoy...check it out. "Jersey Shore" player Snooki had her child- a baby boy! No reports if he has "666" on his forehead (no, that's not their New Jersey area code...)Will he be nicknamed "A Minor Situation"?(I know, that isn't his dad...but I liked the joke...) I've heard from people who were so happy to have been at Bill Jacobs in Joliet for my appearance Saturday- and some who are unhappy they couldn't make it (don't worry- as I said before, it looks like our annual Halloween season tour, which will start later in September, will have plenty of stops at which you can visit with me!) If you'd like to, you can hit Facebook and search for their Bill Jacobs auto page-and check out the photos they took with the various guests-I know they were planning on posting them (and- that there were a LOT of them!) Personally, I liked the rain that fell yesterday (and, am glad it DIDN'T fall during our event Saturday-tent or not!) I doubt that it helped my lawn much, but-it was nice to see. There was a blurb in yesterday's paper- about how a hiker in Anchorage , Alaska was in Denali National Park, and spent at least eight minutes taking photographs of a grizzly bear- before the bear attacked him and killed him!You have to wonder how much common sense the poor hiker showed-I haven't seen further details about this incident, the first fatal bear attack in the park's history- but-well, I just wonder. Today is the birthday of Paul Reubens-he turns 60 years old.Does it bother you to think that Pee Wee Herman is 60? (I know you are, but what am I? Also 60, I guess)- do you think that's giving HIM a "case of the Mondays"?!