di Storytime with GamerDude
When GamerDude was a kid, the family vacation was all about where Dad wanted to go, and it was up to the kids to find ways to amuse themselves. GamerDude tells stories about the many things he and his siblings had to do for entertainment in the days before cell phones and portable DVD players. He talks about license plate bingo and the game of "Horse." He remembers the constant fight for the middle seat, first in the trusty family station wagon (this is the actual make and color!) and then in the family VW Van. He tells stories about the memorable moments from the vacations he took with his parents, from Niagra Falls to Lake Champlain to Washington D.C. to New Hampshire, and speculates as to why his dad never took the family to the Jersey Shore, even though they lived in New Jersey!
For GamerDude, summertime was always the best time to be a kid. No school, no responsibilities; you got to do pretty much what you wanted to do. In this episode, GamerDude takes the podcast outside, just like his teachers used to take class outside during the last few days of June. He tells stories about the day-trips he and his friends took - by themselves - to Hacklebarney State Park, and the side trip to the local dairy farm for ice cream. He talks about using his lawn-mowing chores to give him an advantage in the neighborhood games of tag, and the various "swimming holes" he had as a kid, from Hemmings Pond, to Camp Washington, to the local community pool. He talks about the difference between hanging out in the summer when he was a kid, and how it is now, and how his generation of "helicopter parents" has changed summer for kids, and not necessarily for the better.
Father's Day is coming up, and GamerDude's stories in this episode celebrate his father. He tells stories about his dad, "GamerDad," and how his dad would have never appreciated that nickname. GamerDude talks about his dad's skills at haggling at garage sales, how GamerDude learned to haggle, and about GamerDad's auction techniques. He tells the story about the family trip to gather tulip bulbs, and the annual "horse manure ritual." And he recalls the story about his dad returning from a business trip and, in order to transport some plants he had found while traveling, posed as a botanist. And these stories barely scratch the surface of the Adventures of GamerDad!
GamerDude always fancied himself as an athlete as a kid - even though, as the fat kid growing up, he was anything but athletic. But he learned about and played baseball, softball, football and basketball with the kids in his neighborhood, and his stories today cover homerun territory over the creek in left field, and the basketball hoop on the telephone pole (because there was no such thing as a portable basketball rim back in the day). He talks about reading all the books he could get his hands on about football, and baseball, and about throwing a ball against the house to practice catching fly balls. He tells stories about his days after college, when he played in a corporate softball league, and his days on the basketball court, playing pickup ball. He also tells the story of his greatest athletic moment as a weekend warrior - the only buzzer beater of his life to win a game for the WRNJ All-Star basketball team. It's moments like that that make sports worth it.
When GamerDude heard about the movie coming out called Action Point, and discovered it was inspired by the real-life amusement park called Action Park, which he'd survived in the 1980s and 1990s, he knew he had to share his stories about that crazy place. If you've never heard of Action Park, here's one of the commercials for it from the 1980s. It was like no other park, before or since, because of the freedom - and the danger! GamerDude's stories today cover the Alpine Slide, the Tarzan Swing, the underground water slide, and the Cannonball Loop. He talks about the cliff diving and the wave pool, as well as the speed boats and the Indy cars. Once you hear these stories, you'll want to go there too!
GamerDude's love for food is no secret, and in this episode of Storytime, he talks about how learning to bake a cake with his father was an important bonding experience with him, and also opened up the roadway to bigger and better things - like homemade chocolate chip cookie dough!. He talks about learning how to frost a cake, and bake cookies, and then moves on to the "regular" food you had to eat before you got to dessert. He talks about his father's aversion to seasoning of any kind, the only condiments allowed in the house, and the one spice his dad approved of: salt. He talks about his mother's ability to stretch the meal budget with fillers for burgers, and pasta sauce that would last for days. GamerDude then gives you his recipe for a basic meat sauce for pasta, which you can make yourself and have homemade sauce in less than an hour. You're welcome!
As Jimmy Buffet said, "Relationships! We all got 'em! We all want 'em! What do we do with 'em?" In this episode of Storytime, GamerDude talks about some of his early relationships, including the story of (as his mother called it) his "on again, off again, in again, Finnegan" relationship that went on for three years. He talks about how he learned how the little things - like being willing to dance - make a difference and passes on some of the tips he's learned over the years regarding relationships. He talks about not losing yourself in a relationship, how to compromise and not sacrifice in a relationship, and the difference between a fight and a discussion. He talks about how a relationship is about two people who are working together, and how communication is so important to a successful relationship. The bottom line of any relationship is being with someone who's interested in you as much as you're interested in them, for who they are, not who you want them to be.
For Mother's Day, GamerDude tells some stories about his mom. He talks about her girls' trip to California before she got married and settled down, and her early teaching career. He talks about all of her creative skills, from the art work, to the writing, to the music, all the way to her tap dancing lessons and recital in her 60s. He talks about how everyone has a different relationship with their mom, and how, despite the ups and downs in the relationship with his, he still loves his mom.
GamerDude's mother taught English and theater and, as a result, was a bit of a "language snob." For as long as he can remember, GamerDude's mom drilled correct pronunciations and correct usage of words into his head, and she passed her "snobbery" on to him. Today's stories involve GamerDude getting in trouble for mis-using the word "nausesous" when refusing to apologize to his sister, and his mother going crazy about the non-word "irregardless" and the mis-pronunciation of "nuclear." She didn't understand why people would say something "needs cleaned" if it "needed to be cleaned." GamerDude explains what is was like to practice phrases like "rubber baby buggy bumpers" and how his mom made sure he didn't develop a New Jersey accent. He then shares some of the words and phrases that, thanks to his mother, drive him crazy when not used properly. "Supposedly," "niche," "irony," and "for all intents and purposes" are all on his list of pet language peeves, as well as far too many others. '
GamerDude tells the story about his first real date in eighth grade, which confirms that dating has always been a difficult process for almost everyone. GamerDude tells stories about the "rules" for dating he grew up with, and how they impacted that first tense phone call with the "girl of his dreams - 8th grade edition." GamerDude lays out the rules, which included the boy asking the girl out and giving her at least a week's notice. There were eating rules (don't order food you have to eat with your fingers), manners rules (hold open the doors and always pull out the date's chair for her) and paying rules (the boy ALWAYS picks up the check). He also talks about how important conversation is on a date, and how being a good listener is as important as being a good talker. GamerDude also passes on the rules that he grew up with that he believes might be helpful to a successful dating life in today's world.