Eh? Speak Up, Sonny!

I officially became an old fogey today. No, it's not my birthday or anything. It's just that I took the plunge and added KABL to my radio pre-set lineup. My mornings are so pleasant now! No longer do I have to suffer through the mindless blathering and juvenile pranks of other "morning zoo" style radio shows . . . instead I groove along to the smooth, vintage song stylings of Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, Tony Bennett, Dusty Springfield, and Nat King Cole, interrupted only by the occasional earnest comment from the trio of kindly grandfathers who make up the "Lange Gang."

If that isn't bad enough, I recently paid Diablo Stereo in Pleasant Hill over $300 to completely refurbish an antique Motorola console phonograph that I inherited from my aunt and uncle when they moved into a retirement home. After sitting dormant for many years, all of the inner workings need to be cleaned and lubricated, and the old-fashioned crystal radio needs new vacuum tubes. I can't wait to get it back from the shop so I can lug all my boxes of LP's in from the garage and introduce my kids to the wonders of classic Styx, Joni Mitchell, and Rod Stewart - and of course, to lovingly revisit my complete set of Donny Osmond albums.

I was hoping to nab my uncle's record collection as well, but it was snapped up (rightfully so) by one of his daughters. I am sure there are a lot of rare and one-of-a-kind artifacts among the set. According to family lore, back in the 1960's my cousins begged and pleaded for a Beatles album, but their parents considered the Fab Four a little too edgy. Finally they agreed to a compromise. For Hanukkah that year, they presented their daughters with a brand-new copy of "Pat Boone Sings the Beatles."

I would kill to have that album! Sigh.