ALLIGATOR JACKSON

Been awhile since I have written a column of the wild random thoughts that run through this gator’s mind. Had a lot of down time lately trying to heal, so here is what a Gator thinks about when he isn’t working.

The beautiful new Jack Cook Stadium, The Tri-State Coalcats, and the re-energizing of the Cincinnati Reds have rekindled my fascination with baseball. Baseball was my first love….well outside of Batman, but we grew apart the last 20 years. Baseball and hot dogs been on my mind lately.

Does my heart ……and stomach well to see the foods that mom and grandma made like meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, and pot roast pop up on lunch specials in different restaurants. But where’s the respect for liver and onions. Only have run across it at Shonet’s in Milton. Even Frisch’s took it off the menu. Guess I’m headed to Milton soon.

The possibility of Kroger’s strike has made me sad because I realized that Save A Lot is the only other store in city limits. I remember going to B&B and Tradewell with my parents. Working at Big Bear and Cub and going into Foodland, Food Fair and Thornburgs. Grocery stores are vanishing. It’s all about big these days.

Listening to The Wolfman Jack Show on The River really makes me want to host a classic radio show. I miss the days of yapping djs, old time rock and roll, and when everyone tuned into radio.

Budget Records in Charleston closing after 52 years makes me more grateful for Now Hear This and Orbit’s. Used to be every town had a nice mom and pop record store. Not so anymore….we are lucky to have two good ones.

Excited for warmer weather but disappointed we are still3 months away from free Summer music in Downtown Huntington. Talking to Of The Dell and hearing new music from Corduroy Brown has me primed and ready for some local sounds.

Love to hear my old favorites AC/DC and Saxon are back on the road. First bought their albums over 40 years ago. Some of these rockers are in their 70s, I guess rock and roll will never die. Especially with holograms becoming a reality.

Heard a podcast with Peter Frampton and had to Spotify Frampton Comes Alive. Brought back fond memories of The Summer of 76.

The Wendy’s gaffe about charging higher prices at different times had them rushing to say they weren’t going to do it and it was a misunderstanding. It was definitely a public relations mess up that that lame idea got out. Makes you wonder why these big execs make the big bucks.

Everyone needs to make at least one trip to Hillbilly Hot Dogs. I love the way West Virginians can laugh at the stereotypes of their culture. Sadly some people think we still live that way. I love that place….truly one of a kind.

Felt so home at Oscar’s… the food, atmosphere, and staff. How am I just now eating at some of these places for the first time?  There’s really a lot of unique eateries in out area.

Buc-ees is really something to see. Probably wouldn’t shop there a lot if we had one, but it’s such a great example of master marketing you have to see it. It’s like an amusement park in a convenient store.

The hard thing about getting in shape in the Spring is Easter Candy. Over the years, jelly beans have ruined more of my diets than anything.

It’s been cool seeing a new Hank’s and the return of The Light House and The Paddock opening soon. I guess it’s truly true that the more things change the more they stay the same. Next we need a new DeSoto’s.

Photo shopped fake products online like Broccoli and Cheese Coke or Mayonnaise Doroitos make me laugh and take me back to the early days of Saturday Night Live when their fake commercials made me belly laugh.

Nobody is really talking about the May primaries but people will be griping in two years when they don’t get the results that they didn’t vote for.

Thanks for reading, feel free to share your thoughts on my thoughts.

RANDOM GATOR THOUGHTS 
These are some of the thoughts that leaped into my mind at various times this week.

Feeling guilty about being a fair weather fan. Yes…I am. If the Cincinnati Reds were winning, I’d be right there cheering them on. But another long season looms ahead and I’m not excited about it. Is that wrong?  Is it wrong to expect your favorite organization to put out a competitive product?

If Bezo’s buys the Washington Commanders, will he improve the product or at least try?….of course he will.

When I was buying albums by teenage band Def Leppard in the early 80’s, I never realized I’d still be enjoying them over 40 years later on radio. The Brew plays them all day long and I love it. The band has survived the test of time.

My love of radio still lives today. Still recall those days in Cumberland, Md listening to WTBO with my brother Gary, trying to win 2 liters of Pepsi. Fifty years later I still listen to my local radio stations. These big satellite radio companies are wasting their time sending me letters and emails and calling me. Faithful to my local DJs Big John and JB Miller on local Kindred and still love The Brew on I Heart. Support local radio.  They support local businesses and bring us entertainment into town. Mike Kirtner of Kindred provides 9 th Street Live and DAWG days and I Heart keeps Pullman Square rocking.

My heart still beats with “mom and pop” grocery stores. They are few and far between. A friend told me she saw Charlie Gadd and he is doing well at 87. Charlie owned Charlie’s Market for years on Route 7 in Proctorville. As kids, we rode our bikes down to get pop and baseball cards. His deli rocked. The service was like dealing with family. Years later,I sold to little stores in the country for Goldsmith Sydnor. That job was great, going in and hanging out with good hardworking people.

The same feeling hit me when I went into Nancy’s Market in Altizer last week. Good quality homemade food and fresh meat along with good conversation. I miss that in today’s hustle and bustle in a Sheetz and Starbuck’s dominated world. Today, I’m going to Morrison’s Market. I’ve heard great things. Very excited, I love mom and pop stores.

Riding a bicycle like I did in the good old days is still a dream of mine. I just don’t the stress of it getting stolen every time I park it for a few minutes.  

My new prayer is that Hal Greer doesn’t turn into 64. If you don’t get what I mean….thing orange cones and years of traffic delays.

Little Debbie and I are no longer on speaking terms but I can’t help wondering what ever happened to Suzy Q. Hadn’t seen the Hostess cake for a couple of years now…..Not that I would eat one now…..lol

Great memories of this time 50 years ago……breaking out the ole baseball glove and hunting for the first pack of Topps Baseball cards of the Spring. That first pack actucally had fresh pink gum. By May the gum was stale.  But come on, who really bought cards for the gum?

Have a great weekend. Chomp on!

RANDOM GATOR THOUGHTS 
Several thoughts popped up in my mind this week.

Raquel Welch was the first woman that ever made me notice the opposite sex. As a young kid, her as a roller derby queen I Kansas City Bombers and in that small outfit in that prehistoric movie…..she was simply stunning. A true glamorous star.

Zero is the most underrated candy bar ever. It is also sad that it is hard to find Fifth Avenue candy bars anymore.

It is hard picturing Bruce Willis with dementia. He was funny in movies and Moonlighting and was heroic in Die Hard. He could do it all. He even had a couple of hit records.

Would really love to see Warren Zevon make The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. He is so much more than Werewolves of London. He wrote some classics like Poor Poor Pitiful Me and Lawyers, Guns, and Money. He was one of music’s funniest writers and performers.

Feeling like there will be some blockbuster trades in the NFL this year. Old QBs in new cities….Lamar Jackson in Atlanta?  Aaron Rodgers in Las Vegas?

Noticed a new player in the c-store game on the road last week. Love’s, Pilot, and Flying J’s have been the biggest player but new kid,Huck’s, has been making a move. Sheetz is spreading into Ohio.

Chris Stapleton’s version of The Star Spangled Banner is the best version I’ve heard since Whitney Houston’s version.

This year’s halftime show at The Super Bowl was the most divided reaction ever. Half-lives it…half hated it. I fell asleep before it came on.

It saddens me to see the once mighty Cincinnati Reds franchise be one of the worst in the league. Not much to look forward to for that team this year.

With two big railroad derailments in the news, it makes remember the early 70s when I lived in Cumberland, Md. My dad was a master mechanic for The Chessie System. I remember every time there was a big derailment, he would be called out on the road and be gone for days.  

No matter how many times I see The Arch in St. Louis, it still amazes me. So simple but so breathtaking.

Air the social media buzz about our local landmark, The Pink Elephant, has me contemplating a new book. A man wakes up after drinking in the parking lot where the pink elephant is. The elephant starts talking to him about his life. He keeps going back and talking to him. He is the only one the elephant talks to.

So how many UFOs will we shoot down until we hit a space ship from another galaxy. Been worried about WW3 and we may end up in a war with the Klingons. 
Have a great weekend

RANDOM GATOR THOUGHTS

There has been lots of random thoughts bouncing around my head. This is my fourth week of this column. Yesterday, I was back on the road for first time in years. I am in a hotel room in Fairview Heights, Illinois  

Stuckey’s….every year when we would travel to Illinoisto visit my grandparents, we would stop at Stuckey’s. I saw none yesterday. It made me sad. No pecan rolls, no moccasins… A part of my past gone. Plenty of Love’s. Pilot’s, and Flying J’s.  No Stuckey’s…….just not the same.

Can Halen’s album is 45 years old. That debut record was a game changer. A new energy and a new style of guitar playing was born. Still an incredible record today.

I remember my first year in the early 2000s hanging posters in WalMart for Trends International in their poster racks. I was all over Columbus hanging posters of a young basketball player who grew up in the area. He was a rookie but they said he was going to be the next Michael Jordan. Well, it does look like he grew up to be a legend. Lebrun James has certainly been one of the best ever to play basketball.

Every time I come to St Louis, I always think of the legendary Cardinal players I watched on TV as a kid here and saw at Busch Memorial Stadium one summer. Lou Brock, SteveCarlton, Ted Simmons, Mark McGuire, Joe Torre, Ozzy Smith, Bob Gibson…..legends.

Pat Benetar’s 70th birthday was yesterday. Unbelievable.  I can not believe it. She was every young boy’s dream when I was in high school. Another reminder that I am old.

I have been in the St. Louis area including St. Louis almost 24 hours and have not seen the Arch yet. It doesn’t seem possible

The first thing I did when I pulled into St Louis area was grab some White Castle sliders. I guess you have to be old to truly understand but for a moment, I was a little skinny boy in the back of an old Chrysler Newport asking my mom if there was anymore left. Every year we traveled to East St Louis, every year we would get a big white bag of sliders.

Tee Higgins isn’t leaving Cincinnati. Joe Burrow is smart enough to know he needs his weapons. Some players will leave, it is the price of winning in the NFL. But new players will jump at the opportunity to play with Joe. It is the circle of life in the NFL.

If in doubt, this Tuesday….buy the flowers….buy the candy. Be thankful you have someone to buy them for.  Be thankful that you have someone who loves you enough to buy them for you.

McDonald’s Triple Cheesburger.  I heard that on the radio coming in. Why does that sound so scary to me?

I really don’t care about The Super Bowl. But last year…yes…. last year…….There is nothing like the feeling of your team making The Super Bowl.

In the last 24 hours I have been on roads in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and Indiana……trust me….West Virginia doesn’t have a monopoly on pot holes.

Have a great Saturday. I hope your team wins the Super Bowl. 
P.S. ……don’t forget to tell someone how much they mean to you on Valentines Day……..what the heck….do it today too.

RANDOM GATOR THOUGHTS  

These are thoughts that popped in my head this week.  

Only Taco Bell could take a Veggie Burrito and it have 1000mgof sodium.  

Rainbow and Triumph are two of the most underrated classic rock bands ever.  

I totally get Joe Burrow’s comments that NFL players trash talk for fun, but it think it’s classless when player’s wives do it. Ain’t that right Mrs Mahomes. I don’t think she will be drinking any champagne after The Super Bowl game.  

Meanacing charges were dropped against Bengals Joe Mixon for allegedly threatening a woman with a gun. The DA said they could bring them back up at anytime. Bengals need to unload some salary cap to give Burrow around $50 million. Distancing themselves from Mixon if the charges come back up might work out. Mixon has a fat contract and his production has been down. The Bengals have another good back and there are some good young backs available in the draft. Watch your back Mixon! 

Every time I meet someone from Ceredo, the name Evaroni’s always comes up in the conversation.  

When I was a boy at this time of year, I had my eyes peeled for the first pack of Topp’s baseball cards of the year.  

With the high price of eggs, maybe people will hide Reese eggs instead….then Ithink I’ll be out there.  

I know guilty pleasures are songs that are you are supposed to be embarrassed that you like, but lately mine has been Christopher Cross’s Arthur’s Theme…that’s far worse than most peoples guilty pleasures of Bee Gees or John Denver.  

If you want young people to give you a funny look… tell them you remember when candy bars were a nickel. That was actually 1969 I believe.  

I’m heading to East St. Louis/ Belleville next week. We went there every year as a kid. If I see a Stuckey’s or a Dog N Suds. I’m stopping. We always stoped in the old days. If I don’t see one, I may break my diet at White Castle. I know where everyone on the way is.  

I can’t wait for this Summer for all of the free events Downtown. This year since I have a car, I will keep a cooler full of water in the trunk for emergencies.  

By the way, whatever happened to The Ramp News?  Haven’t seen anything from them?  Did their writers finally move out of their mom’s basement and get real jobs? 

Have a safe weekend!

RANDOM GATOR THOUGHTS 

This is the second week reviewing wild random thoughts that shoot through my mind through the week.  

Austin’s At The Market has amazing ice cream but they only put out one sugar free flavor. Now, it’s Butter Pecan. I keep going back hoping someone has eaten it and they’ve put out a new flavor…but it’s still there. Would a diabetic please take one for the team and go eat that butter pecan or should several of us diabetics organize a peaceful March through The Market protesting only 1 sugar free selection. I haven’t been this upset since Little Debbie did away with 2 for $1 cakes.   

Remember “Super Size Me”…..the 2004 documentary from Beckley’s Morgan Spurlock which he ate McDonald’s for 30 days. Image a local sequel…. “Shrink Me” in which someone ate nothing but Fuel Counter for 30 days. I volunteer….for free food of course. I’d no doubt emerge healthier and happier. I think I could live off of it.  

The Pink Elephant Facebook Page is hilarious but it is scary what to think would actually happened if the statue was moved from  Barboursville to Pullman Square.  

I’m already excited wondering who Huntington Comic Con will bring in this year. I’m already regretting not getting my picture with Chuck Norris last year. Bring Back Chuck! 

I’m already excited for Dickie’s Barbeque Pit coming to Pullman even though it means the end to my low sodium and low sugar diet.  

To fill the void left by Kustom Kreams leaving, Arvin needs to open a Peach Cobbler Factory down by Downtown and Marshall. A little banana pudding every now and then won’t hurt me.  

I’m really wanting to join Planet Fitness but I have to wait for my next echo test.  

A Bengal-49er Super Bowl would rock. Some obvious story lines for their third meeting. How about first QB picked against last one picked….Burrow vs Purdy? 

Don’t ask my why but an upcoming album of Dolly Parton covering rock classics sounds cool.  

Am I the only one who digs listening to radio again? 

I was listening to Marshall basketball and wondering whatever happened to Ken Labonaski. He was awesome. I love that name though I probably spelled it wrong.  

That’s this weeks random thoughts. I can hardly wait to see what random thoughts clog my mind this week.

RANDOM GATOR THOUGHTS 

A few random thoughts that shot around through my mind this week as I brainstormed for writing topics.  

AJ Dawg and I were walking inside The Market to get a protein shake from Butter It Up when Molly Hatchet’s Flirting With Disaster popped on the intercom music system. I immediately thought of my first concert across the street. Molly Hatchet and Bantucket at the old Huntington Civic Center. 79 I think it was.  I was still in high school and was with my old friends Jeff Westlake and Tim Watts. I got hit in the head with a bag of bag lol and caught a Nantucket guitar pick.  

Anyone remember LaVerne Evans? II loved watching him play for The Herd. Remember when he helped Marshall beat Tennessee Chattanooga in double overtime to win the Southern Conference. He made the game look fun.  

I miss hearing Lynyrd Skynyrd on The Radio. I remember when it seemed like every other song 105 played was from Skynyrd.  I hear more AC/DC than anything else on 106.3…..but that isn’t a bad thing.  

I love watching Joe Burrow play football more than any QB since Ken Stabler. Now The Snake made the game fun.  

I miss there not being a gym Downtown. Remember Gold’s Gym and The Gym Down Under?  I worked out at Gym Down Under for years.  

Remember going to the Camelot or Keith Albee to see a movie and then hitting The Downtown Burger King?  It had two levels!   

I’m already excited about The Return of Cruise Avenue this Summer. The trial run last year was good enough to bring it back this year.  

It was hard watching Kustom Kremes rolled ice cream pack up. That just means I’ll be making more trips to The West End this summer to get some of that banana pudding from The Cobbler Factory.  

Anyone else remember when Stroh’s Beer was a premium beer? The bars in the early 80s had Bud, Miller, or Stroh’s. Stroh’s sponsored the Red’s games on WGNT. There even was a giant billboard hovering above The West 16th Street Bridge.  

Just a few of the things shooting randomly through my mind this week.