HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL MY DOLLS

Happy Monday Morning Guys and Dolls:

Everyone should be happy today for today is “VALENTINE’S DAY” that day of love and affection celebrated between lovers. The day is named after an early Christian martyr named St. Valentine. Traditionally a day which lovers express their feelings of love by presenting gifts, namely flowers, candy and greeting cards. Times have changed many engagements to be married are done on this day, many couples get married on this day and a lot of restaurants make a good buck today. No matter if you buy a gift, go out to dinner or do nothing at all, just tell your Doll “I LOVE YOU.”

Another big event occurred this date back in 1929, better known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Members of the Al Capone gang gunned down the boys belonging to the “Bugs” Moran’s gang in a North Side garage on Clark St. in Chicago. It is considered to be one of the most horrible gang type massacres of all times. There is a great movie about it called “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” starring Jason Robards, if you have a chance catch it on the tube or rent the video.

I thought I would just keep it short today hoping all you lovers have a great day and enjoy the evening together. I would like to wish a very Happy St. Valentine’s Day to the ladies in my life; I love you all and am very grateful to have you as a part of my life. Sometimes I don’t show the affection as I should but I love you all very much. All my love goes to Roe, Elizabeth, Sam and my little Valentine Sweetie Nina. Enjoy the day girls. To my sons you have the best Dolls in the World along with me. I leave you with a little Valentine song "HEART AND SOUL."

WEEKEND WISHES ALL WE ARE HAVING A WHITE SALE

Happy Friday Speakies:

Our favorite work day of the week is here. Today we celebrate “White T-Shirt Day” you remember those some were plain and some had a pocket. I remember wearing t-shirts under dress shirts growing up and in the service at times. Now forget it I just put on the shirt I don’t want to mess around tucking all that stuff inside my pants. During the summer I like wearing the athletic t-shirts or as they call them back home Italian t-shirts. I think we should bring back a Dress Down Friday wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and black high top ked sneakers.

I always like to keep it short on Friday so I bid you “HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.” By the way no songs about white t-shirts, so I picked out this one "A White Sportcoat and a Pink Carnation", enjoy.

FILL YOUR GREY MATTER TODAY AND ENJOY THE MUSIC

Hello Guys and Dolls:

The day before Friday is here, me with coffee and a donut wondering what to write about today. I think we will start off with some birthdays, than who bit the bullet and finish off with stuff that happened today. In other words a little history lesson and knowledge to pass along to the little ones to fill that grey matter.

Happy Birthday today to:

Alan Hale – great character actor who starred in many movies with Errol Flynn.
Jimmy Durante – that comedian with the hat and nose always closing his show with “Goodnight Mrs. Calabash.”
Lon Chaney Jr. – that horror actor.
Donovan – singer of “Mellow Yellow.” Hated that song.
Sharon Stone – that sexy long legs doll from Basic Instinct.
Lenny Dykstra – baseball player for the Mets and Phillies, now broke.

Bit the Old Bullet Today:

Iggy Krzyzanowski – Polish composer.
Laura Ingalls Wilder – that Little House on the Prairie girl.
Alex Haley – that Roots guy.
Buddy the Wonder Dog –starred in Air Bud.

Stuff:

Nude Anabaptists run through the streets of Amsterdam – start of the Red Light District.
YWCA is founded in NYC.
Pennsylvania RR begins passenger service on the new electric trains.
Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” hits number 1 on the music charts.
Elvis records “Heartbreak Hotel.”
USSR swaps US spy Francis Gary Powers for Ruskie spy Rudolph Abel. That’s enough stuff for the little minds to absorb.

Today we also have a holiday to celebrate and we are doing it here in Florida. Today is “UMBRELLA DAY.” It will be raining most of the day and of course I left mine in the car once again. So if it is raining where you live grab that umbrella and do a little Gene Kelly’s “Dancing in the Rain.” Have a great day Guys and Dolls and I leave you with a little Glenn Miller to enjoy.

CRUMMY ACTS, TOOTHACHES AND HOME REMEDIES

Happy Hump Day Speakies:

I did some reading today on the Super Bowl Commercials concerning viewer favorites. I personally liked the Darth Vader one, the space ship picking up the car and the grandfather who came back from the ashes. The game was good not the best I’ve seen but good. The entertainment please, Christine Aguilera screwing up the National Anthem was a fair screw up but she did not top Roseanne singing it at San Diego Padres games years ago. The Black Eyed Peas performance reminded me of the Lambda Lambda Nerds performance in the Revenge of the Nerds Movie doing that techno thing. With all those other stars popping up, I was waiting for Snoop Doggy Doggy to make an appearance.

We have a strange holiday to celebrate today it is “NATIONAL TOOTHACHE DAY”, so if you are suffering from tooth pain this is your kind of holiday. My grandmother had a temporary cure for a tooth that started acting up. Take a shot glass of whiskey, take a big sip and hold it on the tooth for as long as you could stand the burning sensation. The tooth got numb and sometimes you did too. Those home remedies how could you ever forget them? I’m trying to remember some other granny remedies let see, there was one with Vicks Vapor Rub on your throat and then wrapping your throat with a white flannel cloth. I guess it was great for chest congestion. My favorite was the one for the flu or a bad cold coming on. Granny would brew some hot tea, with honey, a little sugar and a strong shot of whiskey, you drank that, went right to bed and I’m telling you in an hour you would be sweating out the flu. Now in the winter granny had those homemade down comforters and when you covered yourself with those you could not move but you were warm. I had one for many years and finally all the silky covering started to give way and that was the end of Mr. Comfort for me.

Now that football season is over, baseball is just around the corner. If you are a fan and visiting Florida, there are many cities that are home to spring training games so enjoy one if you can. That’s about it for today Speakies, have a wonderful day and evening, be careful and hug those family members when you get home tonight.

SMARTIES HERE YOU GO

Good Morning Speakies:

Hope you all had a nice weekend and for you sports fans I do hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl plus all those goodies your loving Dolls provided for your nutrition and that of your beer drinking buddies. Give them a big Hug and Kiss. Roe and I had a wonderful time at my son’s house with homemade chili, pizza rolls, salad, chips and a couple of drinks. Thanks Joe and Elizabeth we had a great time.

Monday mornings are usually tough for me to get started and to put my thoughts in writing is sometimes questionable on the subjects I want to write about. Guess what I took off Monday and today is Tuesday and thanks to my daughter-in-law Elizabeth, JoeyZ is going to provide you with some interesting facts, so I say to you, “Thought You Knew Everything?” Bet you didn’t know:

Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.

Lollipop is the longest word typed with your right hand.

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth; our noses and ears never stop growing. My ears and nose looks the same for years now.

The words racecar, kayak and level are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left.

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: “abstemious and facetious.” I heard you saying out loud a e i o u.

A jiffy is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

A snail can sleep for three years, sounds good to me at times.

An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain. Most village idiots are the same.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors. This guy takes credit for everything.

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated. Have to try this one.

Now you know some fact you can pass along to the little tykes and really impress them. Hope you all have a great day and please be careful out there.

TOOK THE DAY OFF

Sorry Speakies:

Took the day off to enjoy it with my wife and do a few things together, like lunch, some household purchases and the never ending pick up the prescriptions from the pharmacy. I'll be back tomorrow for sure. I had a reader from High Springs, Florida check in coming from a blog on Kalina Kielbasa. Welcome Kielbasa lover Speakie, if you are originally from Trenton, say where and if you find Kalina Kielbasa let JoeyZ know. See you Guys and Dolls in the a.m.

IT'S SUPER BOWL WEEKEND

Happy Friday Guys and Dolls:

For all you football fans it’s the big weekend for the “BIG GAME.” Remember to get out early pick up all that football grub and snacks to enjoy. Just be careful with the drinking and if you had too much let someone else drive you home. The weather in Texas is not going to be pretty but at least the game is inside. I hope those people who had tickets from up north can make their flights into the Dallas-Ft. Worth area good luck to them. JoeyZ is picking the Packers in this one. I guess we will never see a Super Bowl played outdoors like they played the old NFL Championship games in the 60’s. Seeing the Packers and Eagles play in the freezing cold, the snow covered and muddy field, that was football at its finest. All I can say is enjoy the game have fun and may your team win.

Thanks to my daughter-in-law Elizabeth on Monday I will be presenting you with some facts you may or may not have known. “Thought You Knew Everything”, is on its way. As usual nice and short, have a great weekend.

IF YOU HAVE SPEAKERS; LISTEN TO THE MUSIC

Good Morning Speakies:

I hope the snow and ice are clearing up for you guys up north, just take it easy with all that shoveling stuff. A sad day in history day occurred on February 3, 1959, three American Rock and Roll musicians were killed in a plane crash outside Clear Lake, Iowa. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson better known as the “Big Bopper” died along with the pilot Roger Peterson. The day was made famous by singer Don McLean in his song “American Pie.” I was only 8-years old at the time but remember seeing all 3 singers on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand from Philadelphia. There were several good movies made about Holly and Valens and if you have a chance catch one on the tube. The internet site Wikipedia has a great article about the Day the Music Died for your reading pleasure.

I would also like to extend my wishes to my Chinese Speakies on a very Happy New Year today. Today begins the year of the “Rabbit.” So I say to you in Mandarin “XIN NIAN KUAI LE!” which of course translated means Happy New Year.

Let say Happy Birthday to some famous people today:

Norman Rockwell – that great American artist famous for those Saturday Evening Post covers.
Gangster “Pretty Boy” Floyd – he uttered those famous words I think “Don’t Shoot Me G-Man.”
James Michener – author
Comic Joey Bishop – member of Sinatra’s Rat Pack.
Actress Morgan Fairchild – Hubba Hubba.
And a sad farewell to Miss Jane Hathaway of the Beverly Hillbillies actress Nancy Kulp who died this date.

And a little history lesson today to honor four brave chaplains who gave up their lifejackets to shipmates on board the troopship S.S. Dorchester that was torpedoed by a German sub this date in 1943. Congress voted to mark this date as “Four Chaplains Day.” The four brave men were: Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed), Rev. George Lansing Fox (Methodist), Father John Washington (Catholic Priest) and Alexander David Goode (Jewish Rabbi).

I leave you with a little music from Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. Have a great day.

GROUNDHOGS AND GHERKINS

Happy Ground Hog Day Speakies:

NEWS FLASH MR. AND MRS. AMERICA FROM PUNXSUTAWNEY, PA:

DID THE FAMED GROUND HOG PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL SEE HIS SHADOW? THE ANSWER IS:

NO – SPRING WILL BE HERE SHORTLY FOR YOU SPEAKIES IN THE COLD COUNTRY. I THINK YOU’LL BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

Now for a little history lesson regarding Groundhog Day which is celebrated on February 2 in the US and in Canada. According to local folklore, if it is cloudy when the groundhog emerges from its burrow it means that winter will soon end. If it is sunny and the groundhog sees its shadow winter will continue for another six weeks. Enough for groundhogs today we have a week to enjoy another holiday celebration.

The first week of February is “PICKLE WEEK.” Those cucumbers that are transformed into those delicious treats we enjoy in a jar. I love pickles but Roe says no dice to our little Gherkin friends. If I open a pickle jar in the house the smell flies to her like the scent of a rabbit to a hound dog. I guess that’s why I don’t usually keep pickles in the house but I enjoy them dining out with a burger. There was this Jewish deli by my parent’s house called Lisook’s a little store, they carried groceries, fresh breads, rolls, lunch meats and they had that big pickle barrel with those fat Kosher Dills bobbing up like apples on Halloween. The smell of the garlic filled the store ah the smell and memories of pickles it brings to my taste buds. This celebration also includes peppers one can’t leave peppers out they go with pickles. Some of my favorite pickles and peppers are:

Gherkins – those little whole sweet pickles.
Kosher Dills – whole or sliced it doesn’t matter to me just put them on the dish.
Bread and Butter Pickles – good anytime for a treat usually of the side with a burger or dog.
Peppers – I love Pepperoncini those Greek peppers, sweet bell peppers green, yellow or red and those narrow sweet peppers, just split them open take out the seeds and start eating. I better stop, I might need a pickle fix shortly.

Have a wonderful day Guys and Dolls and thanks for stopping by JoeyZ’s Speakeasy where you are always welcome to make your comments known.

THEM GRAND OLD SPUNKY BROADS

Happy Tuesday Speakies:

Hoping to find all of you in grand spirits this morning. Go ahead grab that cup of coffee and that big donut and enjoy the beginning of a brand new day. I was thinking of some more of the food I dislike and thought I would bring you up on those palate displeasures:

Cauliflower – that white looking broccoli thing people throw in with those vegetable trays and say oh it’s great with Ranch dressing, bull.
Plain Yogurt – I’ve come to try fruit flavored yogurt and can put a few down at times but don’t push me.
All Bran cereal – reminds me of cat food.
Frozen pizzas – I use to like them but lately they have no taste, cardboard flavor I’m giving them the hall pass.
Squash – there’s an interesting word “What are you eating?” “SQUASH” sounds like something you stepped in.
Cornbread Stuffing – I want my stuffing nice and moist made with sausage, celery, onions and all those good ingredients. There you go Speakies just to name a few more dislikes of mine.

We have an important holiday to celebrate today: “SPUNKY OLD BROADS DAY.” This day honors them spunky old broads who are positive thinkers, fun to be around and butt stomping mature women over the age of 50 who want the most out of life and refuse to grow old and just sit there. THIS DAY I DEDICATE TO MY WIFE ROE, SHE IS ONE OF THEM ALL THE WAY. To all the spunky old broads enjoy the day dedicated to you and may you have many more to celebrate. Have a wonderful day Guys and Dolls.

*******NEWS FLASH – TOMORROW IS GROUND HOG DAY – A FULL REPORT TO FOLLOW IN THE A.M.******************