Gwynn Oak Park - Final Days

Oh yeah.......I am going way back.........reflecting, that is.

Anyone remember Gwynn Oak amusement park in Baltimore?

Kudos to the creator of this video!

TV's Lorenzo The Tramp

More Lorenzo............and you can hear good ole Jerry Turner too.

Lorenzo's Cartoon Festival

While most people reflect on the past year as the New Year approaches, it appears that reflection of the past decade is the bigger deal this New Year's. For me........well I say why not reflect way back to the better days......back when you were a kid......back when I was a kid.....back when you could turn on the tv and see Lorenzo do the Lorenzo Stomp. Remember the Lorenzo Stomp?

Baltimore was special then.........oh the memories.

Christmas

The most important thing to do on Christmas Eve......is to be with family. Nothing else matters to me..........nothing. My daughter and son in-law, as they have for the past several years, did a great job hosting the Christmas Eve get-together in their home, the Annie Mansion.

Princess Fartknocker was beside herself........anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus.

There was an ample food supply and tons of treats........everything tasted great.

Christmas is all about the kids though.............my kids have grown up and now its all about the grandkids.

Princess Fartknocker danced with her Uncle "Dexter".

Ever seen one of these?

As I said before.......more than enough food.

We all gathered together to do a gift exchange. My daughter Noodle, who lives near Austin, Texas......was there too!.........by way of webcam. That's her on the laptop. We set the laptop so that she could see what we were doing and we could see and speak to her. Imagine that!

There were no sad faces to be had........everyone was happy........happy.....happy.

As the night passed by all too quickly, Princess Fartknocker put her pajamas on and set out the milk and cookies for Santa. By the look on her face, she was in heaven already.............and off she went to bed.

I am sure that Santa did not forget her or her brother, Joe Flacco.........hehehe.

Scrooge (Alastair Sim) Christmas Morning Part 1

Scrooge (Alastair Sim) Christmas Morning Part 2

This was the real deal and to me, the very best version of the Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol". This also happens to be my favorite part of the movie and brings a tear to my eye each and every time I see it. The story is loaded with messages and lessons to be learned. Pay particular attention to the soundtrack and you will hear the song "Barbra Allen", which, while not particularly a Christmas tune, has become a Christmas song because of its inclusion in the film. Whenever I hear that song, I immediately think of these two parts of the film.

God Bless Us Everyone!
Merry Christmas!

"Oh Holy Night" performed by David Phelps

Everybody has heard O Holy Night many times, but not everybody has heard it sung like this. This just may be the best I have heard, David Phelps has an unbelievable voice. Don't judge this one by only listening to a few bars.......stick with it......trust me......and when you finally reach the final notes of the song.....you will have heard a finale so emotional that it will leave you in awe. Truly a fantastic voice.

I hope you enjoy this.

Merry Christmas!

Edyta Gorniak- Let It Snow [Live'08]

I found this Christmas video by Edyta Gorniak singing in English.

I happen to like it and I hope you like it too.

Stay tuned.......more serious Christmas video coming up later.

Jerry Lewis Batman tribute to David Bowie and Bing Crosby

This video is good for a laugh or two.

Why can't Baltimore tv news stations offer these things every once in a while.............or at least bring back Bowling For Dollars or Pinbusters.

Do You Hear What I Hear? by the Bowen Beer Bottle Band

Yet another Christmas video that I saw on Boortz.com.

You should always check Boortz.com and Neals Nuze every day........as I do.........because you really want to read a website that makes sense and yet is humorous...........after all.......you ARE here aren't you?

Christmas Prank On Louie

I saw this video on Boortz.com and had to put it here on the blog for you to see............this is over the top.

Too much time on somebody's hands......hehehe.

Perry Como - It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas - 1958

Somehow, you gotta be thinkin'........."Ole Signtopia is longing for the Christmases of the past"..........well............yes indeed!

Here is another blast from the past..........Signtopia was only three years old..........oh, to be a kid again at Christmas............

Enjoy!

DEAN MARTIN - White Christmas

You didn't think I was gonna forget to have a Dean Martin Christmas song on this blog.......now did you?

Here is White Christmas from the late Dean Martin's tv show..........now just when will the tv networks, or at least some cable channels, start realizing that there is a decent portion of the population that longs for the great shows of yesteryear and cease shoving bilge into our homes via the tv.

Hmmmm........imagine that.......a variety show.......hosted by a distinguished and talented star........oh......wait........I forgot.......there are no distinguished and talented stars anymore................ahhhhh..........so that explains why they need to rebroadcast the historical Dean Martin Show. Maybe one day.

Enjoy!

It's Gonna Be A White Christmas

It was quite a weekend............there is nothing like a blizzard on the last weekend before Christmas.

In Baltimore, everybody panics when they are told that snow is coming........even if the forecast is only for a flurry. It's just a Baltimore tradition, I suppose. Hearing the word "snow" on the weather report triggers insanity, mayhem, and downright ridiculousness in Baltimoreans. Immediately, everybody heads to the grocery store and they buy up all of the bread, milk, and toilet paper.............yep......toilet paper! Hmmm........I have to wonder about that..........maybe snow causes people to poop more.........nahhhh......people might be afraid of snow but they can't possibly be scared poopless.

This time the weather people were spot on........usually whenever they say we might get a dusting it often ends up at least six inches of snow. Other times they will tell us that we will get dumped on and we end up with only an inch of snow. Following this kind of forecasting, we should have gotten about five feet of snow.........but as it was, we ended up with about an average of twenty inches of that frozen fluff. All one can do is watch it come down from the sky and stay tuned to every local television station........because every local station dropped all tv programming for "live, late-breaking, as it happening, alerts."

Yeah......I really need to see WBAL, WJZ, and WMAR reporters stand in the snow and tell us all exactly how much snow has landed in the parking lot of the Safeway in Canton........or those live reports from a 7-11 in White Marsh.......gee......how else would we know that it is very cold outside when it is snowing?......or how else would we find out that they actually put gas into the snow plows and trucks?

This stuff ain't going away any time real soon...............so it looks like it's gonna be a white Christmas.............excellent!

Bóg się rodzi ~ Franciszek Karpiński, 1792

Okay, so you may be wondering what is this "Bog sie rodzi"..........well......it is the name of one of the most beloved Polish Christmas carols and in translation it means "God is being born".

The reason I chose to put this up on my blog is that not only is it a wonderful song, this video is unusual. I recommend that you watch the entire video and see just how pitifully small we are here on earth..........it is a stunning perspective and one that I had not ever seen before.

If you want to hear some samples of more Polish Christmas carols (koledy) check out my list of favorites. You can view the list and listen to samples right here on this page.

Merry Christmas!

Amazing Grace - Christmas Lights (Suppressed in MD)

Hang in there with this one, it gets better as it goes.

I wonder how these lights look with 20 inches of snow on top.

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Popeye's Mistletoe, from 1955 . (great Christmas)

I figured this video would be interesting and fun for the holidays..........also this Popeye episode was from 1955, the year that I was born.

They just don't make cartoons like this anymore.

Ho....Ho....Ho!

Leon Redbone And Dr John - Frosty The Snowman (HQ available)

I am trying to get in the holiday mood. Here is a good start with a little Leon Redbone. If this doesn't do the trick, I am sure I can dig up some other stuff to get the job done.

Enjoy!

Signtopia Had Another Birthday

Well..........yes.......add another year..........who would have imagined 54 years?

Thanks to everyone that sent gifts and flowers, I really appreciated it.........even though it just wasn't necessary. My daughter, Princess Fartknocker's Mommy, and her gang presented me with a gift..............a USB turntable! Now THAT will be coming in handy.

Needless to say, I had a very happy birthday and we celebrated on Thanksgiving Day.


Now that THAT is out of the way..........Christmas is almost here........arrrggghhh!

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Edyta Górniak - Mizerna Cicha

Interesting version of this Polish Christmas carol.

Enjoy!

Edyta Górniak - Nie proszę o więcej

Without a doubt, Edyta Gorniak should be the biggest star on the planet,

Enjoy.

Riviera Maya Vacation - Part Twelve

There you have it, folks..............could I have written more about the Grand Palladium Resort?..........well, sure..........but I think I covered the more important stuff. Finally, I can wrap this report up and start blogging about other stuff such as Christmas. Would I come back here to this resort?......... absolutely.

Whenever you read up about a travel destination, you never seem to find anything about the trip to and from the airport...........what is it like?........how long did it take?...........what will you see along the way?..............what are the roads like?................not that it is all that important because you want paradise and you don't really care what surrounds the place since you might not be planning to venture off of the resort property. How can I describe the Mexico that I saw between the Cancun airport and the Grand Palladium Resort?..............I saw no indication of a middle class portion of society. I got the impression that there are only the haves and the have-nots. The main highway appears to flow well and is fairly well maintained. On the other hand, as I would look from our transport van...........the side roads were a display of blight and squalor. Yet mishmashed amongst that are car dealerships and world class resorts.

There is one thing that they do in Mexico that should be done here in the USA..........or at least in Baltimore. Speed bumps........or as they call them "topes"..........without a doubt the most effective method of traffic control.......guaranteed to slow down the traffic between point A and point B. I wouldn't necessarily use them on the Beltway, but this is exactly what should be used in school zones instead of the money-grabbing speed cameras that were recently approved of and installed.

Every single vehicle slows down for these.

As I said, the main highway appears to be well maintained and a smooth ride.........except for those "topes".........hehehe.


Playa Del Carmen is the largest town between the Grand Palladium Resort and Cancun. We just cruised on past without stopping, except for the traffic lights.

It is a growing area and eventually I can imagine the area looking like Daytona. Still..........I could see quite a bit of rubble and squalor.


Poor infrastructure..............okay, we had some heavy rains........but they just don't have the sewer and drainage systems that we enjoy in the States.

You pass by many assorted resort properties...............and they look impressive.............and you can count on them to be well taken care of as well as being well planned with good infrastructure.

The "collectivo"...........it's not a cab........it's not a bus...........but it is how alot of people get to work.

It took us about just over an hour to get to the resort and just as long to get back to the airport. We had direct transportation..........non-stop. Other vacationers, who do not do their "homework", end up on a huge bus that will stop at just about every resort between the airport and their particular vacation spot...........and that could take up to two and a half to three hours each way..........not to mention a higher price for the ride. If you plan on a trip to the Grand Palladium Resort, make sure that you visit the Palladium Addicts website and read everything.

As you ride along, you are reminded that "paradise" isn't really "paradise".

The resort should be thought of as a diamond in the rough.

As you approach the airport..........suddenly everything is similar to being at home.

There are those "topes" again.........well..........that's about it.

The trip was great, I thoroughly enjoyed it.........Supernurse enjoyed it............and we felt appreciated for being there. I look forward to returning........maybe even next year.

If you have any questions about the resort, feel free to put your question in the comments.

I may have a thing or two that I will mention here on the blog about our trip that, for some reason, I may have overlooked.

Now lets get Christmas out of the way..........next trip : The Bellagio in Las Vegas!........in January.

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Riviera Maya Vacation - Part Eleven

Yeah..........I will miss this place.........I am missing it right now as I write this. None of the pains of Baltimore here..........no Mayor Sheila Dixon trial..........no thugs roaming around..........no pestering phone calls............no places to have to be...........no stress............hmmmm........well.........maybe a little bit (I will explain later).

This sure beats dodging old ladies and their grocery cart steering skills at the supermarket.

So I sat there............and looked around.........lots to look at..........

I looked to the north...........in the distant, there is an "abandoned" resort just past the flags.......I might just want to go have a closer look.............but I am not much for being able to walk long distances.......especially walking on sand.

It was time again for water aerobics.......they did this every day.

What they do is bring out a large speaker and hook it up to a cd player.......plug it in to an extension cord and pump some thumping exercise music out towards the water.........unfortunately, they set it up right behind our lounge chairs. It wouldn't have been so bad except that one of the staff had to keep running back and forth from the water to "fix" the bad speaker connection. I got tired of hearing it sputter and quit........so I got up and "fixed" it myself so the guy didn't have to run back and forth. I actually got cheers from people.....hehehe.

I got tired of that..........so I decided that I would try to walk past the flags and see the "abandoned" resort. Supernurse stayed in the lounge chair as I walked.

I kept thinking to myself..........I must be crazy to even attempt this.........what if I drop?........Then what? I stopped frequently and paused because of the extreme pain in my upper thigh/hip. On this day it was the hottest it had been and I felt like a steamed crab on Labor Day.

But I trudged along..........it ain't easy walking in sand..........but I made it. The beach front here is somewhat natural.........and a bit unkept. I could see the turtle nesting areas.......concave dips in the sand. I didn't get to see the turtles.......they do their thing at night.

The reason that this resort is "abandoned" is that the government of Mexico stepped in and declared it off limits in order to protect the turtles.

This was the beach bar...............I rested by sitting on the rope that separated it from the beach.

I decided that I had walked far enough already and that I just might survive the walk back to Supernurse.

Here is another turtle nesting spot.Each spot had a small sign which read "No Mover"........huh? I guess that means "Do Not Disturb".

When your leg hurts like hell and you look in front of you and see just how far down the beach you have yet to walk........well..............it just adds to the pain and stress.........ahhhhh.........I told you that I would mention the stress. There would not have been any stress at all except for the fact that I was participating in what you might call a "natural cardio stress test". If I survive this without dropping......my heart must be doing fairly well.

At this point I was beginning to sweat like it was no tomorrow..........uh oh........and I had nothing to drink with me. So, determined as I was.........I kept on walking and walking.......and it hurt even worse.....I honestly did not know if I would make it. I remember thinking that if I collapsed right here and kicked the bucket, I could not ask for a better place to drop.......it was beautiful............but I also remember thinking what a hardship it would be for Supernurse...........okay........this means I have to make it the entire way. Well.......I made it.........I got back to my lounge chair and plopped down next to Supernurse. I could hardly breathe and was sweating profusely. Supernurse and I walked over to the beach bar and got some drinks and sat down in the shade. There was about fifteen or so minutes there when I was wondering if I was gonna make it..........I felt really ill. After drinking down some cold soft drinks I started feeling better. I never had any chest pains but I did get dehydrated. I suppose that this is what it feels like when you suffer from real exhaustion. I then got up and went back to the beach.........I was 100% better.

Life is full of challenges and sometimes you.........even foolishly.........create your own challenges. That long walk up the beach was one of those personal challenges.........and yes......perhaps a foolish one at that..........but I did it and in the process, overcame the fear and apprehension of doing such a thing. I kind of did the same thing when I was in Aruba and went snorkeling for the first time..........I cannot swim and I had to jump off a boat in deep water.............yeah.......talk about overcoming fear and apprehension...........but I did it. You know the old saying "Nothing ventured, Nothing gained."...................also........"No Pain......No Gain".

Stay tuned..............I will be wrapping this up next.