Journey's End-Looking Back At 2012

And so here we are, we finally have made it to last days of 2012.  This may have been the most bizarre year for me.   I've lost a few friends along the way, musicians that I like and actors and actresses have checked out as well, too many to mention but their scattered about all through the archives of this year.  And here I am trying to remember the highlights of this year.

Last winter was the best winter for me weatherwise, we didn't get a major snowfall til January to which I spent many a time out on the trails on Matsell's or Indian Creek Nature Center.  And for the first time in the spring, we didn't get the severe weather and monsoons and heavy rains that usually flooded things around here.  The lack of rain this year put the state into drought conditions and The Red Cedar, Wapsi and Mississippi River had record low levels.  But wait a couple years and things will be turned around and we'll be flooded out again.  This year Cedar Rapids has rebounded and revived itself with the opening of the New Bo Market in September and the Paramount Theater opened up in November.  The Paramount looks great, let's hope it stays that way a while before the Red Cedar makes another unwanted appearance.

For all the advertisement you see about Sonic, they're not doing all that great. All the Sonics here closed down early in the year and basically the old buildings are still around.  For our reward, Zio Johnos put up a new place where the old Bar B Q was at on C Ave SW.   Just what we need another crappy imitation Italian place where their spaghetti sauce sucks so bad, you buy the noodles and then go to Hy Vee for a can of Ragu for sauce. Yuck.
 
February we lost Whitney Houston and Davy Jones but Van Halen came roaring back with Diamond Dave back in the vocal chair with their best album in years A Different Kind Of Truth.  They proved to the world that they still have it.

 

In March we went to recently opened Books A Million in Davenport which is where the old Borders used to be.  They kinda remind me of Borders in a way but their cd selection is non existent at the Dubuque location wheres the Davenport location reminded me of the CD section Borders left behind. Not much although BAM is a step up from Barnes & Noble in a way. Thank our lucky stars we have Half Priced Books in our neighborhood.

April came around, more notables left, Levon Helm, Dick Clark.  Chloe the wonder dog too. The Chicago Cubs were dead on arrival all year and it was the first of 3 bargain hunts in Madison, finding many dollar CDs at Pawn America, including two Pink Floyd CDs that weren't scratched up including Wish You Were Here to which I had a copy at home but it disappeared and may have been donated by accident.  It got up to 90 degrees in April too. Global warming blamed.

May was a low point, Boone Novy suffered a heart attack while mowing the yard the first week, Junior Seau killed himself and MCA from the Beasties checked out too.  Did a quick trip through Ann Arbor at Encore and discovered Ragged Records in Davenport a couple weeks later.  And The Source Bookstore in Downtown Davenport too. My perception of that town changed overnight.

In June I went to see Los Lobos at the Iowa City Artfest and managed to meet the guys later striking a nice conversation with Bugs Gonzalez the new drummer and Steve Berlin.  Bugs used to drum for Gloria Trevi, bet he some wonderful stories to tell about her.  And got to dance with a hippie chick on La Bamba. Also discovered the up and coming Samantha Fish at this time. Bob Welch decided to end his life on this month too.  Found a whole bunch of 45s at the Iowa City Salvation Army during the day of Los Lobos concert.

July highlights was seeing The Kentucky Headhunters tearing it up in Shell Rock and got to meet Doug Phelps and shook his hand as he came off stage.  Before the show, Fred Young, the drummer was hanging out watching the opening act while people didn't pay much attention to him.  The New Bo Market wasn't opened yet but they had Woodyfest going on with some acoustic and bluegrass folk playing to a sparse crowd, across the river the reopening of the Czech Museum had Caravan Of Thieves putting on a great show.  Another Madison bargain hunt trip which bought home more 45s but also a wild bicycle trip that almost had me running head on into another biker.  And then The Great Bike Ride Across Iowa came outside my back door to which we had plenty of bikers strolling through our neighborhood and some blues players jamming outside the old Viola School yard.  First time in years they managed to make that place look good.





August. Momma Schminkey passed away, she was the band's adopted mother.  Bob Dorr decided he was too good for me on Facebook so took all his music and donated them to charity.  And then got called out by Bob Lefsetz on a free app for a smart phone, of course his Direct Message to me on that proved that I messed that one up.  Still like to read Bob Lefsetz' blog and I thank him for not blocking me like Mr. Dorr did on Facebook.  Bob also gets credit for the Best Remark of 2012: Time Poverty. As in so much music but so little time to get through it all.   Mark Prindle, our favorite critic of music decided to hang it up but he did managed to find himself a great woman and became a Dad in August to a son Nicholas.  And still follows me on Facebook unlike you know who.  And of course more 45s found at another trip to Ragged Records again.

September came around, the summer went by fast didn't it?  New Bo Market opened, and another trip to Arizona and Vegas.  I may have scared myself off ever going to the strip again by the big fat black dude at Walgreens trying to scam money but I had to see the Pawnshop made famous on History.  Sad to say Rick wasn't there, the Old Man wasn't there nor was Chumlee but the girl who was fired for being part of the Suicide Girls website was there although at the time I didn't know that.  Fremont Street was much better, had a much better time, nobody hit me up for any money and got to see some cool things along the way too.  But for the most part the best part of Arizona trip was the two days hanging at Kingman Motel 6 Room 220 watching many a train past through town.  And of course buying about 60 CDs and 50 45s from various Half Priced Bookstores, Hastings, FYE and Zia's location along the way.

October, The Cubs season ended, The Orioles did well enough to make the playoffs, only to lose to the Yankees so we turn our attention to football.  The Iowa Hawkeyes turned out to be duds, they stumbled out the gate and even though they did beat Minnesota and Michigan State, they stunk up the tube most of the season.  The Arizona State Sun Devils started out strong, and kinda faded but won enough to make a bowl game.  Then beat Navy 62-28 in the Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco And then we lost Alex Karras that month.

November, the last of the Madison bargain hunts and last time going to the Exclusive Company, they're closing the State Street store, the third time wasn't the charm as most of what we found simply wasn't that great and got redonated back to charity.  Concluded that with a nice Schlitz Tall Boy watching the Hawks take the lead on Indiana in football only to leave because I knew they were going to blow the game (they did).   The next weekend saw 70 degree temps on the mighty Mississippi in Davenport for one more visit to Ragged Records and the Co Op Records in Moline to which I was the sole shopper on a Saturday Night.  My sixth grade teacher Marjorie Reynolds at age 85 goes into the Great Beyond and so did our  longtime neighbor Winnie Bulicek at age 99.

The first of December was 55 degrees as I went up to Dubuque to hang at the Casino and watch the fog rise above the mighty Mississippi and exchanged pleasantries with a dude on a third floor window at the casino/motel.  One more trip to Moondog Music and CD's 4 Change before the snow came and it came on December 20th.  We got our White Christmas.  Dave Brubeck passes away one day before his 92nd birthday and Ray Collins, the MOI vocalist extraordinaire also says goodbye for the last time.  But on a positive note: this Christmas was the first time in years was pretty good.  Papa commented Mom on a great dinner.  And I broke past 3,000 views for the first time ever.



So as we wind down this year.  It makes me look forward toward a new year and hopefully 13 will be lucky number unlike this year.  Oh, I can't complain when it comes to finding music, all along this year for 45s was the best in a era to which 45s are no longer made in abundance but I found plenty of them, including the holy grail of them all, Chuck Murphy's One Beer in excellent condition.  And John Mayall's Chicago Line on CD, Never thought I'd find another one under 30 bucks again.  As for those who inquired and have waited long this far into the year, you will be happy to know that I will return for more fun and top ten high jinx for next year.

What will next year bring for us I can't tell.  I have recording projects to come up, as well as maintaining the top ten of the week.  This past month there was enough interest to keep this blog site going and thanks to the efforts of Tad, Drew and of course Sassy Brat's contributions, I think we have finally stumbled upon something special here.  There will be bargains to find and I'm sure there will be trips to make and maybe we'll find something that the masses will enjoy to read.  Even I'm surprised that I have stuck with this for the past ten years.  Guess you can say that this is a hard habit to break.
 
So with this I'll leave you where I would love to be at once again, on the main street in Iowa City, dancing with a hippie chick I never seen before to Los Lobos La Bamba.  It does bring a good feeling to me when I think about it.   As for yourself, may your dreams become reality, even if it is a music blog that documents the sign of the times as they happen.