Tuesday, September 05, 2006
YOU CAN'T GO HOME
Ten years ago I'd have been able to, but in the age of security, alas, it's damn hard.
I grew up at West Point. Today it's not so easy to visit home. This past weekend, Belabor Day Weekend, The Legal Diva and I drove Sally (Mustang) up to my old stompin' grounds. We got a room at The Hudson House in Cold Spring, a quaintish river town on the Hudson across the river from West Point.
We enjoyed Cold Spring and it's many restaurants and shops.
My plan for visiting West Point on Saturday fell apart when I left my I.D. in my other pants back in Cold Spring. The Legal Diva had to settle for a drive around the perimeter and a stop at Vasily's souvenirs.
It was good to see Vasily at least.
We shopped instead. Cold Spring has a record store. We bought (on vinyl, of course):
Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come (it's not just Jimmy - Desmond Dekker, The Slickers, The Maytals......)
Badfinger - Straight Up (brilliant debut record)
New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon (their underrated second LP)
Graham Parsons - Grievous Angel (on 180 gram vinyl)
Big Star - #1 Record (so good it's confounding)
The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo (I figured I needed to see what the fuss was about)
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World (I already have it, but this has the original artwork)
Nina Simone - Black Is the Color (a two record set)
Otis Redding and Jimmy Hendrix - At Monterey Pop
Loverboy - Get Lucky (for Fatsacca)
Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunrillow - (solo from 76 - Yes did it before Kiss)
Iron Butterfly - In A Gadda Da Vida (I can't wait to rock that shit)
Rush - Hemispheres (I most likely have this, it was in the dollar bin)
Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law - (I have the white cover, now I have the blue)
Miles - The Complete Birth of Cool ( the title really says it all)
Ella Fitzgerald - The Cole Porter Songbook (okay, I think the Legal Diva will listen to this more often than me, but it's good to have)
Marvin Gaye - I Want You (I don't know this record at all, very curious)
Sting - Nothing Like the Sun (.....uh........)
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever (first solo LP, Free Fallin and whatnot)
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly (what's a Fugee?)
Diana Ross - 20 Golden Greats (hey, they are made of gold, right)
Ramones - Leave Home (2nd record)
We had a great weekend. We listened to live Bowie and Bob Marley in the car.
We're home now. Back to work.
Ten years ago I'd have been able to, but in the age of security, alas, it's damn hard.
I grew up at West Point. Today it's not so easy to visit home. This past weekend, Belabor Day Weekend, The Legal Diva and I drove Sally (Mustang) up to my old stompin' grounds. We got a room at The Hudson House in Cold Spring, a quaintish river town on the Hudson across the river from West Point.
We enjoyed Cold Spring and it's many restaurants and shops.
My plan for visiting West Point on Saturday fell apart when I left my I.D. in my other pants back in Cold Spring. The Legal Diva had to settle for a drive around the perimeter and a stop at Vasily's souvenirs.
It was good to see Vasily at least.
We shopped instead. Cold Spring has a record store. We bought (on vinyl, of course):
Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come (it's not just Jimmy - Desmond Dekker, The Slickers, The Maytals......)
Badfinger - Straight Up (brilliant debut record)
New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon (their underrated second LP)
Graham Parsons - Grievous Angel (on 180 gram vinyl)
Big Star - #1 Record (so good it's confounding)
The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo (I figured I needed to see what the fuss was about)
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World (I already have it, but this has the original artwork)
Nina Simone - Black Is the Color (a two record set)
Otis Redding and Jimmy Hendrix - At Monterey Pop
Loverboy - Get Lucky (for Fatsacca)
Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunrillow - (solo from 76 - Yes did it before Kiss)
Iron Butterfly - In A Gadda Da Vida (I can't wait to rock that shit)
Rush - Hemispheres (I most likely have this, it was in the dollar bin)
Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law - (I have the white cover, now I have the blue)
Miles - The Complete Birth of Cool ( the title really says it all)
Ella Fitzgerald - The Cole Porter Songbook (okay, I think the Legal Diva will listen to this more often than me, but it's good to have)
Marvin Gaye - I Want You (I don't know this record at all, very curious)
Sting - Nothing Like the Sun (.....uh........)
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever (first solo LP, Free Fallin and whatnot)
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly (what's a Fugee?)
Diana Ross - 20 Golden Greats (hey, they are made of gold, right)
Ramones - Leave Home (2nd record)
We had a great weekend. We listened to live Bowie and Bob Marley in the car.
We're home now. Back to work.
Comments:
You found some real gems there! The Otis/Hendrix was a staple of many bong sessions in the Commandant's basement (that should be the title of a song). The Jon Anderson record has to be worthy of mockage. Let me know what it sounds like.
We'll make a proper trip to WP VERY soon with the Legal Diva in tow. I look forward to it!
We'll make a proper trip to WP VERY soon with the Legal Diva in tow. I look forward to it!
Please say that you only bought S#&*G (can't bring my self to type it) to keep the children of West Point safe!
# posted by 
: 12:09 PM
: 12:09 PM
Fatsacca,
True story... During Cadet graduation one year in which Ronald Reagan gave the commencement address (4 months after Hinkley shot him), your pal Chris Lagasse and I took seats in Michie Stadium and hatched a plan to jump over the security detail that circled the football field which included Cadet lower classman and Secret Service guys in order to collect hats and sell them to tourists (very lucrative trade as you may recall). Reagan handed out a few diplomas, boarded Marine 1, and left. 45 minutes later, the cadet 1st Captain gave the "Class dismissed..." order to the usual flurry of white hats being tossed into the air at which time Chris and I took one step towards the stadium half wall and were completely tackled by SS and MP's who seemed to come out of nowhere. They had us both in full nelson headlocks while we hurled a long string of vile curse words at them in between attempts to tell them "We only wanted the fucking hats!". After about three minutes, they let us get on our way.
Now, what would happen if a couple of 16 year old guys tried to do that today?
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True story... During Cadet graduation one year in which Ronald Reagan gave the commencement address (4 months after Hinkley shot him), your pal Chris Lagasse and I took seats in Michie Stadium and hatched a plan to jump over the security detail that circled the football field which included Cadet lower classman and Secret Service guys in order to collect hats and sell them to tourists (very lucrative trade as you may recall). Reagan handed out a few diplomas, boarded Marine 1, and left. 45 minutes later, the cadet 1st Captain gave the "Class dismissed..." order to the usual flurry of white hats being tossed into the air at which time Chris and I took one step towards the stadium half wall and were completely tackled by SS and MP's who seemed to come out of nowhere. They had us both in full nelson headlocks while we hurled a long string of vile curse words at them in between attempts to tell them "We only wanted the fucking hats!". After about three minutes, they let us get on our way.
Now, what would happen if a couple of 16 year old guys tried to do that today?
