Funiculi, Funicula!

Happy start to the weekend. Spring is definitely underway. Sunshine, shorts weather, clocks fast-forwarded, and Tornadoes.

Thoughts with the many in the middle part of our State who got blasted by some nasty storms and Tornadoes.

We were warned repeatedly during Thursday’s Radio and TV newscasts. Waking up yesterday morning I heard that locally several hundred people were without power. It seems that I am the only one who never heard the Thunderstorm and Lightning storm which blew through our area shortly after 1:00am.

Luckily our power stayed on, and Mr. Coffee had no issues yesterday and even a bit ago.

Redlegs – Yesterday, March 15, in the year 1869 something brand new startup became a brand-new enterprise. The nation’s favorite pastime was introduced to its very first Professional Baseball team, the Cincinnati Redlegs.

This town goes bonkers with most media hyping the start of a new Reds baseball season weeks before opening day. Plus, on the morning of opening day there is a 2+hour long parade weaving from Findley Market to end near the stadium.

Let me assure you – the fun is well underway:

Paul Simon – Do you, like me, love the music created by Paul Simon? Last Sunday I went to a jazz performance featuring many of Simon’s works. Each carefully re-arranged for a jazz performance. It was wonderful!

Simon came out of the ‘Folksinger’ mold where Lyrics come front and center. Hence, we were told that to put each piece into a jazz styling took some serious work and each had to be carefully selected. They did a great job; pieces such as these: America, Mrs. Robinson, So long – Frank Lloyd Wright (a favorite of mine), Love Me Like a Rock, Cecilia, and Scarborough Fair, to name but a few. As I said earlier, wonderful!

During the performance they were next going to play Simon’s “50-ways to Leave Your Lover.” Now, it so happens that the chorus of that piece is one people love to sing along. As the musicians were preparing one of them stressed; “NO singing, remember we are serious jazz musicians.” At the same time, he was handing out sheets printed with the words to the chorus. Guess what happened and it was a blast.

Funicula – While I was enjoying outdoor springtime and my jazz concert, Adrianne, Tevita, and the kids were at a baptism in Pittsburgh. While there they took advantage and rode one of the very few remaining Feniculas – otherwise known as an “incline railways” – two counterbalanced rail cars made these system work.

Cincinnati and the hills surrounding the city core had 5 of these ‘inclines’ between the years of 1870 and 1948. The last of these going up Mt. Adams stopped operation in 1948. The Mt. Adams incline rail was 945’ long and carried streetcars and automobiles.

The reason I am relating all of this is because of an occurrence going back several decades. I had business in Pittsburgh. It was a day with two short stops and a perfect opportunity to take our three ‘kiddos’ with me. And, as you might guess, I decided to give them a ride on the Pittsburgh Funicula (incline). Got tickets, the two older ones bounded aboard. This left me and the youngest, Adrianne. She got super scared, panicked, and wouldn’t budge.

Now, as a parent with two already aboard and one protesting frantically, what do you do? Long story short, I did not get arrested. I have little recollection of how exactly I managed to get her aboard, but all four of rode the contraption. Now 30+ years later, she rode it again! I suspect that this time she rode the incline without fuss. And yes, her kids, Vai and Vili, loved the ride – no fuss.

Chaos & Mayhem — Is our corner filled with creative ways to provide views beating anything on Radio and TV. Earlier in the week Marcia was on the phone with her sister. During that one conversation, in a space of about 5-minutes, five marked cruisers, sirens wailing, blew through the corner – thus keeping alive  our censorial corner affectionally known as Chaos & Mayhem.

The screaming cruiser business was not pictorial, so here was another moment, a bit more quiet.

And, on my walk yesterday I came across the fact that Easter is almost upon us:

A Lighter Note: Did you hear about the fellow who fell into a re-upholstery machine?

Not to worry, he’s OK, he’s completely recovered.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day – “Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit!”

May Peace prevail! Shalom and Sláinte

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:
Tomorrow we’ll all be Irish. To prove just how Irish, how would you say “Yes” in Gaelic?

1) Sí ?
2) Ja ?
3) Oui ?
4) Tak ?
5) Tá ?
6) ‘Io ?