Greg Budell

LIST-O-MANIA

"A true story from the Greg files"

I like lists.

They’re fun and make for easy early morning radio jibber-jabber. A recent sampling of lists includes-

The Top 10 Household Chores We Hate the Most (ironing #1)! Personally, mine is laundry. I can get the dirty stuff into the washer. What I need is a machine that vomits the clean clothes directly into the dryer, and a dryer that spares the back by spitting the clothes onto the floor.

The Top 10 Best Foods on a First Date (pizza #1). Almost any food is a first date time bomb of embarrassment. Pizza works if you cut it on a plate and consume it by the forkful. If things go well after the first date, you can eat it on all fours from a plate on the floor because who cares?

The Top 10 Ways We Make Ourselves Feel Better (eating sweets #10). Obviously, there are other possibilities here but it’s a family column. Bring me a peanut butter cup!

The Top 10 Ways We Treat Our Pets Like Kids (sharing our food was #1). Forget sharing. I grill 100% USDA chicken tenders every Sunday, which I chop into tiny pieces for the week. My boys love it. On workdays they get breakfast in bed. It’s only natural. My dog’s ancestor’s had to hunt their food and I doubt they discovered a bag of Science Diet in the wild. PS- no red meat per the vet.

The Top 10 ‘First World’ Problems During the Pandemic (glasses fogging because of wearing a mask was #1). As studies reveal how ineffective mask mandates were, perhaps a future top 10 list might be “things you’d like to say to Anthony Fauci.” Again, it’s a family column. 6. Dreamcatchers. A lot of people had them as kids and hung onto them. I have no idea what these are.

A list BOOMers can have fun with? The Top 10 Things You Shouldn’t Have In Your Home AFTER Age 30. Here they are:

1. Inflatable furniture. Bean bags were not mentioned. 7. Paper floor lamps. They're great in college, or even in your late 20s.

8. Anything spacethemed, like sheets or blankets with moon-andstar patterns. And those glow-in-the-dark stars that stick on your ceiling should go. I suppose that means I should retire my Captain Video helmet?

9. Cork boards. At least not a cheap one if you want your place to look grown-up. (I hope cork makes a comeback. It’s better for reminders than my dry-erase board in the kitchen).

10. Shot glasses as décor. You can keep them around to USE them. Just store them in a cupboard with your other glasses. No one cares that you went to Cancun for spring break 14 years ago. I don’t have any shot glasses on display, but I do have a set of Spalding Hole-InOne glasses, some I earned at age 14. If you had a hole in one, you’d have yours out too.

2. Stuffed animals on your bed. Or anywhere, Greg still proudly displays his "Dundee" Award unless you have kids. (Dog toys are OK too. I hope. We have about 5000 around the house)

3. Plastic cups, plates, and silverware. It's time to level up and get something nicer. (My first real dinner set was a collection. I had real plates for 6, none of which matched).

4. Old trophies. If you want to display them, your mom would still LOVE to. Years ago, I won a trophy for most home runs in the Ashburn Baptist softball league. I still have it somewhere. My daughter gave me a “Dundee” (The Office, a show we love) as a birthday gift and that is proudly on display!

5. A super-old mattress. 10 years is the max. I failed this. Same mattress, but I need to rotate it every 10 years. Another intriguing list was the Top 10 Moments in Music You Wish You’d Seen Live- 1. Whitney Houston singing “The StarSpangled Banner” at Super Bowl 25 in 1991.

READ IT - LOVE IT - SHARE IT

BOOM! starts conversations and shares stories. Share your business with BOOM! readers. For more information call/text 334.324.3472 or visit www.riverregionboom.com

2. Elton John’s performance of “Candle in the Wind” at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.

3. The Beatles' rooftop (and final) concert in 1969.

4. The Rolling Stones performing in Hyde Park in 1969.

5. Prince's rainy halftime show at Super Bowl 41 in 2007. Woodstock didn’t rate higher. Rain, mud, sewage and lousy sound. Great lineup, lousy production.

Greg's best live music event, Chuck Negron singing "Eli" like never before, while using oxygen tubes for COPD

6. Shakira and Jennifer Lopez's halftime show at Super Bowl 54 in 2020.

7. James Brown’s performance at The Apollo in 1963.

8. Lady Gaga's halftime show at Super Bowl 51 in 2017.

9. The Spice Girls reuniting at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

10. Woodstock 1969.

I thought it was a good list. Whitney and Elton gave us goose bumps right through our televisions. I’m not surprised The most amazing musical moment I’ve ever seen live happened at the Montgomery Performing Arts Center. The “Happy Together” tour was in town, and among the performers was Chuck Negron, who possesses one of the alltime iconic voices in music (as one of the three in 3 Dog Night).

Chuck came out- at age 75- and knocked 5 songs out of the park. His finale was “Eli’s Coming” and his performance had the crowd on its feet. When he finished Eli, Chuck took a well-earned breather. As he spoke to an appreciative crowd, he lifted what looked like a wire. The auditorium went silent as he announced the tube was connected to an oxygen tank! We were dumbstruck. There’s Chuck, 75 years old, battling COPD but belting out a song with the energy of a man 50 years younger. I’ve never seen anything more impressive than Chuck Negron that night at MPAC.

He may have needed oxygen, but he left us breathless.

That’s my #1. What’s yours, BOOMER?

(If you have a comment on this column, email me at gregbudell@ aol.com. It's still fun to hear from new people!)

Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his wife,Roz, Stepson, Sho, and dogs Hershey and Briscoe. He’s been in radio since 1970, and has marked 16 years in the River Region. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas, Jay Scott & Jessie Lynn, 6-9 AM Monday-Friday. He returns weekday afternoons from 3-6 PM for Happy Hour with sidekick Rosie Brock. Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com.

BOOM! Business Partner: Health Wise Foods

10%

Off Your Purchase

Please present coupon or mention you saw it in the BOOM! Digital Issue.

Offer Expires 7/31/2021

Receive an additional 10% off if you are a Senior Citizen, Military or 1st Responder. 334.277.9925 O 5147 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery

Financing as low as $75 per month with approved credit Take an Additional 5% Off

Splash Into Summer Sales Event $100 VISA Gift Card*

*With a minimum purchase of $5,000, Offer Expires 7/31/2021

Walk-In-Tubs - Fits in the same space as your existing bathtub or shower, Safety, Security, and Independence, Very low maintenance. Bath Remodeling - Tub to Shower Conversions, Stylish Update Options

15%

Off Any Session

Use Coupon Code: Boom15-107

Offer Expires 7/31/2021

Get 2 FREE

Additional Attendees When You Book a Party for 8 or More

Offer Expires 7/31/2021 BOOM! Business Partner: Bath Innovations

FREE CONSULTATION

(334) 271-2723 O bathinnovations.com

BOOM! Business Partner: Wine and Design

Date Night I Virtual Party I Private Events I Children Art Buzz I Team Building I D.I.Y. I Mobile Party (334) 245-3387 O wineanddesign.com

Tell Your Friends

BOOM! Available Here and 200 other locations!

Renfroe's Market_Adams Drugs_Sommer's Place_Fresh Market_Whole Foods Tomatino's_MCA Fitness_Vintage Cafe_Derk's_UPS Stores_Steak Out_Steaks & Wine The Vintage Olive_Capital City-Ace Hardware_Orange Therapy_Down the Street Chappy's Deli_Health Wise Foods_Eastbrook Flea Market_John Lee Paints Home Care Assistance_Doug's 2_Baumhower’s Restaurant_Jan's Beach House San Marcos_Chris' Hot Dogs_Lek's_SaZas_Mexico Tipico_La Zona Rosa Read the digital version from your phone, tablet, ipad or computer, www.RiverRegionBoom.com

READ IT - LOVE IT - SHARE IT

BOOM! starts conversations and shares stories. Share your business with BOOM! readers. For more information call/text 334.324.3472 or visit www.riverregionboom.com