Funny related story is after the poem.
Star Gazin'
Forty-three years ...and it's been quite a run. In a roller-coaster way we've had lots of fun. We've toured the land both near and far. Like Martin and Candy; planes, trains and a car.
It all started way back when, at the now-gone Met Center We huddled and cheered as the Stars began to enter. There was Cesare, Muzzy and JP Parise, Gump, with no mask, sure made it look easy.
Coach Wren wasn't one whose feathers would ruffle, When Golden Number Eight introduced his new "Shuffle". The North Stars were nothing like 'Sugar n' Spice', But after a New Year's Eve game they let even us on the ice.
Fasten your seat belt, we'll be bouncin' around. There's jocks, masters of stage, screen and sound. There's writers, composers, and that's not even the half, We've cheered dozens of comics who sure made us laugh.
There's Leno and Letterman and 'Here's Johnny' in person. We saw the real thing, they weren't just rehearsin'. Norm MacDonald was a guest and joked with band leader Paul. We saw Doc and Ed McMahon. They were having a ball.
Some who we glimpsed in person were Tonight Show guests. Here's just a few we thought were among the best. Davids Brenner and Steinberg; and Judy Tenuta, a really weird dame. We even caught Steve Landesberg, of Barney Miller fame.
No respect from Rodney, but melon-smashing Gallagher was fantastic. Good we were huddled down in front beneath the plastic. Seeing Steve Martin before he 'got small' was a special birthday treat. After the show at Macalester we got to follow him down the street.
Louie CK and the chainsaw-juggling Flying Karamazov Brothers
Had us in stitches, but wait there's others.
Wild Bill Bower, RIP, knew how to laugh and shout
And Jeff Gerbino, the true profession even when the lights went out. ,
Last Comic standing's Josh Blue slayed us even with his affliction, And this year's Ian Bagg's genius showed perfect comedic diction. It's not just the guys who have the corner on humor, There's none funnier funnier than Silverman and Schumer.
We toured Sin City and gave the Strip its whirl While Neil Sedaka walked us through his 'Calendar Girl' Red Foxx wasn't really red, but he was really, really blue. And Jerry Lee, The Killer, was really an asshole. Who knew?
Wall Street's Louis Rukeyser, B.J. Novack, and Garrison from Prairie Home Were very big thinkers, a lot smarter than some. This last rhyme sucked, and for that I am sorry, While were talking smart let's not overlook Aziz Ansari.
If you're tuned to any country radio station You're gonna get your twangers; a full down-home ration. We've two-stepped to Garth, Willie, Kris Kristofferson and Merle, And the Possum, George Jones, moaned about his long lost girl.
James Otto, The Stones, Joss Stone and Bobby Zimmerman too, Prince, Sheila E, Jonny Lang. I liked 'em all. How 'bout you? There was Smokey, and Tina who 'left a good job in the city'. And the way she rock-n-roll did it - it was no ordinary ditty.
Joe Cocker and Donny Osmond are an odd couple for certain. Here's a few more when they pulled back the curtain. Steve 0, of Jackass, and Seigfried and Roy before the Tiger bit. We even saw God of Carnage, the Big Broadway hit.
Its stars were Marci Gay Harden, Hope Davis, with Jeff Daniels too. I think James Gandolfini, Kingpin Tony Soprano, took a liking to you. We checked out Jane Fonda and Susan Sarandon on the Great White Way Steven Sondheim of West Side Story had plenty to say.
We star-gazed way more then our share, I think you get the gist. For the sake of time and space, here's a somewhat alpha list. Henry Aaron in Atlanta, and Barry Bonds, the asterisk homerun king. Banjo Bela Fleck and Chuck Berry who did his rockin' duck-walk thing.
Barack Obarna and Jimmy Carter, both our county's presidents, We didn't see them at the White House, but near our own residence. Way back when we heard Emily Lou Harris play. She came on first, she opened for Jimmy Buffett.
The Oak Ridge Boys, Elton, Shelby and Amelia from the news. We heard Jesse, after he shocked the world, spew his crackpot views. We both saw Michael Jordan, but at different times and places, And Chief Crazy Horse was one of those Dakota Great Faces.
There was Harmon; we named our pooch after the guy, And Tony 0 launched his rockets deep in the sky. Frank Viola, Rodney and your fave, Roy Smalley. I can't remember, did ever see Robert Goulet?
We met Mickey and Minnie, and saw Donnie and Marie, James Wedgwood, his lips never moved, as much as we could see. We saw Pete Rose, in my opinion he's a big jerk. But the Saints Mike Veeck is all about having fun at work.
We caught Warren Zevon doing Werewolves of London, ...'and it was perfect'. And with Earl we saw the Last Space Shuttle, Atlantis, ...`and it was perfect'. We've seen lots of stars, but we missed a few, Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Mitch Hedberg, too soon their candle blew.
I've enjoyed the forty plus years of star gazin' we've done In Jimmy Buffett's words, "Twenty degrees and a hockey game's on..." In yester years we cheered on the Stars, but we don't have to look back,
A coupla decades ago, my folks sat 14 year old me and my 10 year old sister down and explained that they were going to be ending their relationship. Dad moved out - I followed him a few months later. He and I did not really speak to my mother for years.
About ten years ago or so, the family started hanging out more as a group again, and we have done family dinners most Sundays (mom, dad, sister and her hubby and kids, myself and my wife and kids, and my only aunt). Also, dad and mom have raised eyebrows a few times by going to shows, and later taking a few vacations together. They never showed affection towards each other and never acted like more than civilized divorced people.
So when I saw the poem, I was a bit perplexed because it was a bit cheesy for a guy to send to his ex (ex from 20 years ago, no less). So dad just casually said to me "yeah for our 45th anniversary I thought I would do a poem".
I said "anniversary?!? You guys aren't divorced?!?!"
They looked at me like I was speaking chinese and said no and laughed at my misunderstanding. It was kind of a hilarious moment, a "christmas miracle", my folks are not divorced after all!! Like seriously, for the past 20 plus years, I have incorrectly thought my parents were divorced. But nope, they just needed some time apart and cannot live together.