My Brother's Birthday: A Captain Zoom Kind of a Birthday

Today is my brother's birthday, and it seems entirely appropriate both to acknowledge that here.

One old tradition that both my brother and I had way back in the day were these flimsy LP's that my grandmother got us to help celebrate our birthdays, and to make each one a little more special. It was corny, sure, but it was the 80's, after all. So, for the second straight year, I am going to post this video of Captain Zoom and his famous (or perhaps not so famous) birthday song. We know about this because our grandparents (more specifically, my grandmother) got us these little records when we were just young kids. These were "personalized" for each individual name, and although I do not believe that I still have a real version (not dubbed) with either my brother's or my own name, this version, which honors "Big Guy," seems to be very appropriate.

More recently, we had another song that served as a wonderful birthday memory. However, this one did not fall on either my own, nor even on my brother's birthday. Rather, it was on Ringo Starr's birthday, and when he celebrated at a concert in Radio City Music Hall in New York City, we were both there. It was a wonderful memory that we got to share, and it was very special, because this is likely as close to seeing the Beatles as we are surely going to get. Paul McCartney on base ad singing like a man at least thirty years younger, and Ringo Starr on drums. What a night, what an experience, and what a memory! Entirely fitting, I think, to share these memories of this song on my brother's own birthday now! 

”˜˜”*°•.¸☆ ★ ☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆

 ╔╗╔╦══╦═╦═╦╗╔╗ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

       ║╚╝║══║═║═║╚╝║ ☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆

         ║╔╗║╔╗║╔╣╔╩╗╔╝ ★ BIRTHDAY ★
                        ╚╝╚╩╝╚╩╝╚╝═╚╝ ♥￥☆★☆★☆￥♥ ★☆]
[̲̅̅w̲̅][̲̅̅I̲̅][̲̅̅S̲̅][̲̅̅H̲̅] [̲̅̅Y̲̅][̲̅̅O̲̅][̲̅̅U̲̅] [̲̅̅A̲̅][̲̅̅L̲̅][̲̅̅L̲̅] [̲̅̅T̲̅][̲̅̅H̲̅][̲̅̅E̲̅] [̲̅̅B̲̅][̲̅̅E̲̅][̲̅̅S̲̅][̲̅̅T̲̅]
*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆ ★ ☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆
☻/
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In addition, here are some photos that he would appreciate:

Sullivan's Was More Than a Store by Barry Lewis for The Times Herald-Record, January 25, 2001 (updated December 15, 2010):

http://www.recordonline.com/article/20010125/news/301259980

My brother and my son in front of the famous wrought iron fence at Stephen King's house in Bangor, Maine, 2014. 

With our old neighbors from way back in the late 1970's, in our old neighborhood of Bois d'Arcy, in Les Yvelines during our return visit, summer of 1998.

Some park the les banlieues of Paris. Forgot exactly where this park was, or what it was called. As I recall, it was one of the few breaks that we had as a place of real quiet away from the relentless activity and noise of the city during that summer of 1998. Still, there were people drumming loudly somewhere in the park before too long, and it reverberated all around this lake.  

My brother Dave, when we visited the Place des Vosges in Ville de Paris. Summer of 1998.

My brother showing his support for L'équipe de France. This was taken on the night that we saw the thrilling semifinal between France and Croatia. It was tied at nil through the first half, but Croatia drew first blood with a goal in the second. France's defender, Lilian Thuram who had allowed that goal by Croatia's star, Davor Šuker, then responded by scoring for France less than a minute later and, a little later in the game, he would score yet again, more than making up for his earlier error, and greatly assisting France to their first ever World Cup Final Match! 

Liberty, New York and Environs

Tree

It

This was the old logo for the Sullivan's Department Store. There was one in Liberty, New York, that served as a local landmark. There was also one in a mall in Middletown, about half an hour or so away. Both are long gone now. Still, I was a kid back then, and had pleasant memories for the old, overpriced store! And so, I put the logo here, and honor the memory of it now in so doing. 

SUNY Sullivan, which is not technically in Liberty, but so near to where our house is, that it is within walking distance. We visited it, and I was, frankly, amazed at how small it was. It felt like a slightly oversized high school. It might be a bit big for a high school, but small for a college. Yet, it has dorms, and is an actual college campus! And one way or the other, it was pleasant to visit it, and to actually go inside, which was only the second time that I think I've actually been inside the place.

Liberty Elementary School, which used to be Liberty High School for the first two years that my mom attended high school. The banners read: "LIBERTY PRIDE", and "Home of the Indians"

The "Great American" grocery store in town. There used to be two of them, and the other was next to Sullivan's. But it closed a long time ago, although this one remains, surprisingly. My grandmother used to shop there frequently.