On The Sly

My friend Sal sent me an e-mail not long ago with a list of items from the good ol' days that seem to have disappeared. The entire list brought back some great memories. I think if we found some of the following items lying around our attic, the kids of today might have a difficult time figuring out what they are.

Remember those little colorful plastic discs that we had to insert into the center of a 45rpm record so that we could play it on an old record player? Kids today might think they are some kind of mini-frisbees. I'm sure they'd find a way to make some kind of game out of them. I had a whole bag of those at one time. They hung around just long enough until RCA Victor came out with record players with the bigger center. And then those 45rpm discs were useless.

My Mom used to collect S&H Green Stamps. Oh, my, the hours she would spend sitting at our kitchen table sticking those stamps into those little booklets. I don't remember what you could get for trading in those full books. I think the whole neighborhood collected those stamps. I remember Mrs. Tellstone and Mrs. Prentice and my grandmother sitting around the kitchen table all excited about what free things they were going to get from the S&H Green Stamp catalog.

Take a look inside your freezer. Does anyone still use those metal ice cube trays? I have five ice cube trays in my freezer and they are all plastic. But I remember that our family had two silver metal ice cube trays with a pull-up handle to loosen up the ice. What ever happened to those things?

I was never much for rollerskating, but my sister was. And she had these metal adjustable rollerskates and a key to tighten them once they were on your feet. Kids today would laugh about those antiques. Does anyone have a pair of old rollerskates like that? That reminds me of Melanie's hit song "Brand New Key."

"I got a brand new pair of rollerskates, You got a brand new key. I think that we should get together and try them out, you see." Some deep thinkers in the Sixties thought those lyrics were sexual. I never did.

In the back of one of my storage closets is a Realistic 999 reel-to-reel tape recorder. Just like the professionals used. My Dad bought it at Radio Shack, his favorite hangout in the Sixties.

My Dad was also an amateur photographer and he had all kinds of cameras and photo equipment. Remember those big round flash bulbs? When you took a picture it was like a bolt of lightning. Then you pushed a button on the back of the flash attachment on your camera and the hot bulb would pop out and burn a hole in your carpet.

Ah, the good ol' days!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

I am back from a wonderful interesting weekend in the tri-city area of Albany, Troy and Cohoes. Even though I kept hours more suited for a 23-year-old than a 60-year-old, I managed to squeek in enough sleep in between the visiting, shopping and night life.

The highlight was getting to see my grandson Ethan, who is now almost seven months old. Holding him, talking to him, laughing with him are all treats that I never realized would be so rewarding.

On Saturday he was wearing a tee shirt with the message "Grandpa Is My Hero." I never knew that such a little thing could bring such pride and joy. This "Grandpa Fox" role is pretty nice.

The visit to Cohoes also gave me an opportunity to hug my son Erik on his 30th birthday. I can still remember the moment of 3am on August 22, 1978, so well that you have to wonder how thirty years could fly by so quickly. My son is a man, a father, and a great friend.

The weekend trip also afforded me the opportunity for Erik and his wife Sarah to meet a certain someone who accompanied me down the Northway. They were happy to finally meet my best friend after having heard so much about her for three years.

Albany is a fun city with many great restaurants, lots to do and enough shopping areas to make any woman happy. However, the most interesting part of the trip, aside from family gatherings, was having breakfast at Denny's at four in the morning.

There's a whole other world out there at four in the morning. That's what night life in Troy can do to you, I guess. But if you visit Denny's at four in the morning you can count on at least one police cruiser parked by the front door and at least two on-duty police officers inside to greet you.

In fact, while waiting to be seated, I know I was given the hairy-eyeball treatment by the officers, wondering what this old guy in a ponytail is doing with this beautiful girl at four in the morning.

I felt the urge to pass them my "On the Sly" business card, complete with website address, to let them know that this is all legit, and that I was working undercover for my blog about the police at Denny's at four in the morning.

As I sat and looked around I quickly realized that we were far from the strangest-looking couple in the place. There were girls with pink hair, purple hair, no hair. There were guys with face piercings, forehead tattoos and dangling earrings. My little ponytail was the least of the cops' worries.

This scene at Denny's, a nice affordable family restaurant, just seemed so remote from what I am used to in Plattsburgh. Can you imagine going to Friendly's or Appleby's and being greeting by a police patrol car at the front door? Can you imagine heading into Wendy's for a late-night burger, only to be eyed by a pair of state police officers?

Maybe I'm out of touch with night life in Plattsburgh, because I have to admit that here in the North Country when it reaches four in the morning I'm a lot closer to waking up than going to bed.

I guess once in a while you have visit the other side, just to see what you're missing. Now I know.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

I'll try to be delicate about all this, but the last 48 hours have not been fun. This morning I was scheduled for a medical procedure at the CVPH Ambulatory Services. There is nothing really wrong or threatening, but it was one of those now-that-you're-sixty-you-should-do-this procedures.

So, in preparation, on Tuesday at 4pm I took two little pills. I mean, these were the smallest pills I have ever seen, slightly larger than two grains of salt. It amazes me how such a little pill can cause such havoc.

So, dutifully, I spent all of Tuesday night at home with all my household facilities within easy reach. It was also my last chance to eat. I snacked throughout the evening, hoping to store up some extra energy to get me through the medical procedure on Thursday. At 11:30pm I enjoyed a soda and some chips and dip.

That would be my last solid food until the completion of the medical procedure. It is amazing how good food looks when you can't eat it. No matter where I drove on Wednesday, I saw signs "Serving Breakfast All Day" or "Michigans 99 cents" or "Bucket of Chicken Value Meal."

How can someone go all day without eating? I called a certain someone on her cell phone, hoping to find some sympathy. "Where are you?" I asked.

"At Mickey D's ordering food," she replied. I hung up.

And then waited for Wednesday at 4pm when I would start drinking something called TryLite. You add water to this gallon jug which contains crystals. It very much resembled Epsom salts, which my Mom used to make me soak my feet in when I had blisters.

I think Epsom salts would have tasted better as well. This Trylite, even though it was ice cold, tasted like Alka-Seltzer or maybe swamp water. I had to drink six ounces every fifteen minutes until the gallon jug was finished.

Do you know how long it takes to drink a gallon of that concoction? From 4pm until 11pm I faithfully downed the prescribed amount. At the completion of each cup I uttered an obscenity and waited for another fifteen minutes to pass.

It didn't take long for this Trylite to work its magic. My house turned into the reality show "Fox on the Run," if you know what I mean. For seven hours I thought I was on the verge of death. There must be an easier way to prepare for this medical procedure. We can send huge vehicles to the moon. But we can't find a way to make this medical procedure easier for Foxy Gagnon and thousands of other poor souls who know what I'm blogging about.

Many were the times I considered calling the doctor and telling him I couldn't go through with this because I had twisted my ankle scoring the winning run in softball or that I'd cracked my head open racing my cat up the stairs.

But, hey, I've been in the Army, so I could withstand this.

A good night's sleep brought me to Thursday morning and my ride to CVPH for the medical procedure. When I entered I saw a bunch of smiling faces. Obviously these people hadn't been fasting since Tuesday night. These people obviously all had nice breakfasts and wouldn't be undergoing the medical procedure that was my fate.

The staff at CVPH was very organized and professional. They knew what I would be going through. The last I recall I was in the capable hands of a doctor and his technical assistant. A nurse administered IV to put me to sleep.

When I awoke more than two hours later, I had cramps. And I was thirsty. But, surprisingly, I wasn't hungry. According to the reports, all is well inside Foxy Gagnon. I spent today sleeping and, only moments ago, around 8pm did I partake in some food - a grilled cheese sandwich and cup of tomato soup.

I think I'm going to be fine. The nearly two days without solid food had a positive effect. I lost four pounds in two days. I'll gain that back this weekend, no doubt.

I'm feeling great now, but there must be an easier way!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 8:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

While I'm on the subject of baseball, there is probably no bigger surprise, to me at least, than the season-long success of the Tampa Bay Rays. Since getting the "Devil" out of their name, they have played like the Angels, baseball's best team.

The Rays -- sounds like a rock group from the Fifties -- have great young pitching and excellent hitting. Their roster is full of names that the casual baseball fan wouldn't recognize. Names like Evan Longoria, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson, Carlos Pena and James Shields.

And who can name their manager? His name starts with Joe. No, it's not Joe Torre. No, it's not Joe Girardi. It's not Joe Giroux, Joe Proctor or Joe Staves. It's Joe Maddon. Surprised?

Another surprise of the 2008 season is that the Steinbrenners, take your pick, George or Hank or any other, haven't had a knee-jerk reaction and canned Brian Cashman, the Yankees' general manager. The general manager is basically the wheeler-dealer and mover-and-shaker of a baseball team, and he is the one who has shaped the roster the Yankees now have.

It's the highest-salaried team in baseball, yet their #3 starter is Sidney Ponson, who they grabbed off the scrap heap. Their fourth and fifth starters in the rotation have changed from week to week.

And, furthermore, all the Joba Rules in baseball didn't stop Joba Chamberlain from getting a sore arm. All the months of counting pitches and counting days of rest and all the headlines about "Joba Rules" didn't prevent the "future Hall of Famer" from going on the disabled list.

Isn't it amazing how guys like Robin Roberts and Warren Spahn pitched over 20 complete games a year and never complained about a sore arm? Nobody knew from game to game what Spahn's pitch count was. It didn't matter. There was no pitching coach in the dugout with a ticker snitching to the manager that Spahnie was up to 140 pitches.

Furthermore ... have you noticed how the slugging numbers are down from the past many years? As of this writing, Carlos Quentin, another nice surprise in 2008, of the White Sox leads the majors with 34 home runs. He may finish with 40+ home runs, a far cry from the list of guys who were hitting 50 and 60 home runs over the past decade. I wonder why!

Finally, although I could see it coming, I am surprised and disappointed at the death of the radio/tv talk show "Mike and the Mad Dog." For 19 years they entertained sports fans with their chatter. They knew how to stir things up and they didn't always agree. I was a Johnny-come-lately to the show. But it became a part of my afternoon, especially during times when things in the Yankee camp were in turmoil.

The final weeks of the season will be interesting. A lot of prizes are up for grabs. Only a few teams are sure-things for post-season play. I'm sure the Yankees will find a way to make post-season play. After all, they have A-Rod and now I-Rod and Captain Jeter and Andy and Moose and, of course, the greatest relief pitcher in the history of baseball, Mariano Rivera.

It doesn't matter that the average age of these stars is 36 years. Or that the baseball season is long and grueling. They would have to cancel post-season play if the Yankees fall short.

You can bet they will be there in October. Or I'm not a 25-year-old blogger for the Press-Republican.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

With the 2008 baseball season headed into the home stretch there are many interesting things going on. Perhaps the biggest recent event was the trade of one of baseball's best hitters, Manny Ramirez, to my Los Angeles Dodgers.

I received several e-mails upon the completion of that transaction and took a lot of good-natured kidding from several friends. Oh, my, what would Tommy Lasorda have done if he were the manager? The Dodgers have been one of the neatest-looking teams in baseball. Their haircut policy has been in effect for years, and now along comes Manny to test all that.

No doubt about it, Manny can hit the baseball -- when he feels up to it. But the Steve Garvey look just doesn't fit Manny's idea of a fashion statement. It took Manny time to cut some of those dreadlocks, but he finally relented yesterday.

But his hair still goes down to his shoulders. Not exactly what Walter O'Malley and Walter Alston had in mind years ago. I guess for the rest of August and all of September, and, okay, into the World Series the Dodgers will just have to let Manny be Manny, as everyone seems to say.

What worries me, though, is that with the snipped dreadlocks, Manny went 0-for-3 last night. Is there some Samsonesque connection that we Dodger fans now have to worry about?

Perhaps a sixty-year-old male blogger with a ponytail has no right to talk about or worry about Manny's hair. After all, I'm just Foxy being Foxy.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

What with a great group of Blogoteers out there ready to defend our fair city and this fair blogger, I figure this might be as good a time as any to clear the air on a few items that have been stuck in the back of my head for years.

I'm talking about some items that have come across my day and made me wonder -- is that really true?

Such as the other day when my friend was looking to buy a used car. She has been searching the classifieds each day for a car in the two thousand dollar range, hoping for the right second vehicle to make family life easier for one and all. She found one: a 1997 Dodge Avenger, souped-up, all the extras, and the color red.

She told me that she didn't really want a red vehicle because that would increase the insurance rates dramatically. I said, "What? The color of the car affects the insurance?"

She was certain, and I certainly disagreed. I have never owned a red car. I've owned a couple of brown vehicles, a silver one, even a couple of greeen ones and a blue one. But never a red one. Is this true? Is my friend correct? Is there some reason that owning a red vehicle would increase the insurance premium?

Maybe there's a Blogoteer out there who knows about insurance and can set the record straight on this one.

And there are a few things about food that I observed through my years on Johnson Avenue living with Vi Gagnon. She always said that when you shop you shouldn't buy a can of vegetables that had a dent in it.

I automatically took this as truth. After all, it was spoken by my mother, and in the 1950s what mothers said was gospel. I mean, I watched "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Leave it to Beaver" and "Father Knows Best" and never did a mom say an untruth.

Supposedly, the vegetables could be spoiled if the can is dented. My mother always felt the car in its entirety before putting it into her IGA or A&P grocery basket. I've done the same during my forty years of adulthood. Is there some kind of poisonous food issue lingering inside a dented can of green beans? Is that true?

Wherever my mom would prepare a salad I noticed that she would cut off the end of the fresh cucumber and rub the dismembered part onto the end of the whole cucumber. My mother explained that this process was extracting the bitterness out of the cucumber. In robot-like fashion, I've done the same whenever I slice a cucumber. Is there a food expert out in the blogosphere who can set the record straight? Is this true?

My mother had plenty of ideas about food that have become assumed truths in the Gagnon family. We all know that eating bananas anywhere near bedtime can give you cramps during the night. And that eating Chinese food near bedtime can give you nightmares.

A friend once told me that if you really want to make ice cubes quickly in your freezer all you have to do is use hot water in the ice tray instead of cold water. I wondered about this one. This seems to defy scientific principle. I asked a science teacher. He said, "That seems to defy scientific principle, Foxy." That's what I'd been thinking.

I've never questioned these statements issued over on Fox Hill during the 1950s ... until now! Before I go to my deathbed, I'll like to set the record straight. I can take it like a man if I've been wrong all these years. I'd just like to know.

And there must be more "myths" or "truths" floating around out there in our wonderful city. Now's a good time to let the experts speak out.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

We've had our fair share of rain this summer, great for the farmers and not-so-great for the beach-goers. It's been a long time since I've been a beach-goer. Oh, back in my vacationing days in Maine I enjoyed donning a bathing suit (is that what it's called today?) and romping in the ocean, diving over waves and getting salt water on my lips.

But I don't even bother to hit our family swimming pool these days. Even back in the Sixties when the city beach was jammed packed I seldom went in the water. If I went to the beach at all, it was to check out the girls. I wonder if guys still stroll the boardwalk (is that what it's called today?) just to look at girls in their bikinis.

As shy as I was as a teen, I still managed to meet a Canadian girl or two at the beach, exchange addresses and correspond until the girl no longer answered my lengthy letters about her beauty and my life in Plattsburgh.

All that those countless hours at the beach reaped for me was a stolen kiss here and there and shoe box full of letters which I destroyed in 1969 when I got married. Times have changed since those days. No more riding your bicycle past the smoky city dump on your way to the beach. No more crowded parking lot with most cars tagged with Quebec license plates. No more A&W root beer on the way home right by Scomotion Creek.

This summer has meant the Fourth of July and Mayor's Cup celebrations. I miss the old Mayor's Cup and I trust that many others do as well. Not that alcohol should be the focus of such celebrations, but I miss being able to stroll City Hall Place with a beer in my hand and dance at the Bridge Street stage. I miss the afternoon kareoke in Trinity Park and four o'clock music from local bands.

Around Plattsburgh these days have you noticed anything different at some of our busy intersections? I didn't notice them right away. Then a friend asked me about them and, sure enough, it looks as though there are video cameras or monitors at certain intersections around town, such as the North Catherine-South Catherine-Broad streets intersection.

Who authorized this equipment? Who is paying for this equipment? What is it to be used for? Is it simply a traffic monitoring system or a way to ticket traffic violaters? I'm always on my best behavior when it comes to speed and traffic lights in the city, so I'm not worried. I'm just curious. As my friend noted, "Is this another step in 'Big Brother is Watching You'?"

And, finally, that Target store at Champlain Centre mall looks like it's almost ready to go. My son has been working at Target in Clifton Park for several years and I've been in his store many times. I'm looking forward to Target's opening in Plattsburgh.

The word is that employees from WalMart are already knocking on the Target door looking for work. Will the Target store steal customers from WalMart? Unlike WalMart, Target is not open 24 hours a day. On a few rare occasions I've been in WalMart at three in the morning, and I've been amazed at how many people, including families with little kids, are shopping at that hour.

Just a look at bits and pieces of Plattsburgh in early August.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

The Beatles never even had one reunion. Fleetwood Mac had one. It was met with mediocre success. No rock band has even dared to try two reunions. 'Cept for the Stowaways. And they've done it in back-to-back years.

The Stowaways Second Reunion Concert on Saturday night at Olive Ridley's in downtown Plattsburgh was a rousing success. The five guys have never lost the touch. Lead singer Mike O'Connell told me a few hours before taking the stage that he was nervous. I said, "It's like riding a bicycle."

Mike never rode a bike that much as a kid, because he was too busy listening to music and learning the words to songs. But Mike knew what I meant. He smiled. We nodded. He and his mates went out and rocked the place for over three hours.

With Mike on vocals and tambourine, Jim Wells on lefthanded guitar and vocals, Geoff Jones on drums, Spencer Bosworth on bass guitar and Kenny Phillips on keyboard, the Stowaways were all transformed into 19-year-olds for the night. No matter the song, the jampacked room was rocking.

The occasion was the Plattsburgh High School Class of 1968 Reunion and the Hornet grads had a fun weekend of activities. But what a way to top it off. We all found it pretty hard to sit still and some of us who haven't danced in years were pretending we were candidates for a Saturday Night Fever sequel. Thanks to my dance partner, Sue!

Have forty-something years really passed since we were all in high school? Since we spent Saturday nights at the YMCA dances? Since we sat at the Pizza Corner hanging out with friends? Since we went to the pep rally bonfire at school? Since Coach Kimball donned a wig and a dress just to make us laugh?

Only the Stowaways know how much money, time and sweat they invested in this second reunion. The band sounded great. And Mike can still belt out a song like nobody else. And take a look at these guys. I think they were all wearing the same size pants that they wore back in the Sixties.

I've not only kept my school boy figure, I've doubled it! I guess the Stowaways can credit clean living through the years for maintaining their school boy profiles and musical talents.

The opening act on Saturday night was comprised of some of the North Country's finest musicians ever. The band Last Licks included John Champagne (Montereys, Carousel, AC Apple and the Triads) on guitar, Joe Gebo (Montereys, Inmates and Friends) on lead vocals, John Kains (Persuaders, Falcons, Hickory) on bass guitar, Fred Passino (Falcons, Franklin Brothers, Demolition and Speed of Sound) on keyboards and about five other instruments and Rob Moseley (prominent Canadian musician, including the band Sweeney Todd) on drums and vocals.

During their one-hour set they magically turned Olive Ridley's into Brodi's. If you looked carefully, you could see Bea Brodi standing near the door and Mike Brodi tending bar.

And listening to the Stowaways brought back such great memories of bands who played at the Saxony, the College Inn, the Pavilion, the Egg & Machine Shop and so many other spots around the North Country.

Gene Palmer of the local band Just Us was the sound man, using the soundboard put together by Geoff Jones. Gene worked tirelessly to keep every piece of equipment at max performance. I don't think he took a break the entire show.

The Stowaways were nice enough to invite me back as their emcee and I had a ball. Since I didn't have to worry about videotape responsibilities, I could talk with old friends and enjoy a few more beverages than I had had time for last year.

And the band even let me make my rock and roll debut, playing the tambourine and, later, air guitar for a few songs. I even got to sing backup vocals. "I'm a Man, Yes, I Am and I Can't Help But Love You So!" I wonder if any girl was listening?

Did you see my cousin Susie Laundrie there? Did you see Georgianna Ryan? And Marilyn Manor?

The entire concert was videotaped by Tiffer Productions, owned by Mark Tiffer, a 2002 PHS graduate. His assistants were Jacqueline Harding of Northern Adirondack Central and Miquel Maldonado, PHS Class of 2003 and the school's single-season football rushing record holder with over 1000 yards in 2002.

The staff at Olive Ridley's was extremely cooperative. It isn't easy trying to accommodate hundreds of thirsty people and a production company and a pesky emcee. Thanks to Deb and Jungle, managers for the evening, as well as Erin, Megan, Tiffany, Jessica and Kevin. And a tip of a Hornets cap to owner Matt Spiegel.

The final news is that the Stowaways have been invited back by the Class of 1969 for one more reunion. I'm counting the days already!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)