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Pat Walsh
Pat's Peeps Podcast
Ep. 170 Today's Peep Embarks on a Mall Adventure, Breaks in Fancy Boots, "Wrapped" in Spotify 2024, Indulges in See's Candy Delights, and Spins a Rare New Wave Vinyl Classic!
Ever wondered how a trip to the mall can turn into an epic holiday adventure? Join me as I recount my escapades at the Arden Mall, where I set out to pay my Macy’s bill and break in my extravagant $500 waffle stomper boots. Along the way, I embark on a quest for Dodgers championship gear, only to be met by the void left by stores like Sears. The holiday hustle and bustle, paired with my indulgence in See's Candy toffee, makes for a nostalgic journey filled with personal reflections and festive cheer.
Ready for some holiday laughs? Marvel at the amusing fashion trends like the bold return of plaid shorts and my quirky interactions with eccentric mall Santa Clauses. Through playful dialogues with a fictional Santa, I relive the whimsical wishes of my childhood Christmas lists. My musical exploits take center stage as I share my love for Dean Martin and Blue Oyster Cult, while reminiscing about donating toys to spread joy. As a special treat, I reveal a rare gem from my vinyl collection: "I Ran" by A Flock of Seagulls, a nod to the catchy tunes of the New Wave era. Join me for a holiday experience that blends music, memories, and merriment!
All right, pat's Peeps 170. Today's, december the 4th, I'm not staring out my studio window, but if I were staring out my studio window in the beautiful foothills of Northern California I would tell you it's a beautiful day. But today, on Pat's Pitch 170, I'm in the mall. I'm in the Arden Mall Not necessarily to go Christmas shopping just yet, but to sort of get it kick-started. And so I'm looking around.
Speaker 1:I came in basically for a couple of reasons. One well, pay my Macy's bill. The other is I have these waffle stoppers that are like $500 boots that have been too tight for me ever since I purchased them, and so I had them stretched at this little shop in Roseville, or in Roseville at Douglas Boulevard, right near Roseville Numismatics, and they stretched the boots. They've been stretches like my last ditch effort to get these things stretched big enough for me to wear. I just couldn't find the exact right size. Well, by God, I think they've done it. So I'm walking through the mall testing out these boots and so far, so good. They are comfy. Oh, look at this. I'm looking in a men's clothing store. Believe me, the last thing in the world I need is clothes. My God, I have more clothes than any dude should wear. And yet here I come in. Look, another thing I was coming in for is. So I wanted to see if the waffle stompers would be comfortable after I got them stretched, which they are passing the test. I'm so happy, it's just making my day. And then I wanted to see if they had Dodgers championship world series gear, which they told me that, yes, here in northern california. Despite that, they have been sold out for a while now. I thought I'd let things settle down on that front, or maybe thought it might take him a little bit of time to get that gear in, but apparently, at least in this store and I haven't checked all the other ones, but in this store, uh, they were sold out quickly. Now there used to be another sports store here, but it's weird, it's, uh, it was over by jc pennies which, quite frankly, I'm surprised they haven't gone the same way as sears, although I'm thankful for that. But there used to be another sports store by JCPenney's and I noticed that's gone. So, you know, and this being a Wednesday afternoon, at about I don't know three o'clock, it's, you know, not bad. This traffic's not bad for an afternoon, a middle of the week.
Speaker 1:You know, let's go up the escalator here. You know what I did? Oh my gosh, I bought myself a Christmas present. I shouldn't have done that. I don't usually do.
Speaker 1:Well, one thing I always say I'm not a big sweets guy. But one thing I cannot resist is when, around Christmas time, see's, see's Candy, has their big block of toffee in the milk chocolate and the almonds. Oh Lord, okay, just came up the escalator to the second floor of Arden Mall. I'm at the Arden Mall, and so I go into See's and sure enough, they got that big block of toffee. And that is one sweet that I cannot resist. God, it's so expensive 30 bucks for a block of toffee. But you know what? Again, everything in moderation. I don't eat a lot of sweets and so therefore and I'm I spend what you know 30 bucks in a year on candy. Essentially, a lot of people spend that in a week on candy bars and various sweets and things. So I don't feel too guilty, but I kind of do, but I'm going to gorge this. It's going to be all to myself.
Speaker 1:Well, okay, maybe I'll share, but I did so. I went and did that. Now the other thing I did, and I posted this video on Facebook as well. The other thing that I did is walk down to the end of the mall, really sad to see Sears no longer is there. You know Sears used to be the anchor, one of the anchors, along with Macy's, of this Arden Mall and so many other malls. And to go to look into that and there's this big screen roll down like metal screen. It covers the big entrance that used to be right there and you know, unfortunately, to see that screen there and to look through it, to peer through there and see nothing.
Speaker 1:In a big old space where I used to go in and shop, you know guys would go in there. I can just imagine them on a weekend working on a project. Where do you go to get your tools? You need a new tool, you need a socket set or whatever. You know you would go to Sears and they'd have the craftsman tools and you could always rely on that. They'd take it back. Exchange policy was awesome. It was a great place to go get your skill saws and all your tools, man and tires and all of that stuff. Flannel shirt, type of guys going in there wearing. Type of guys going in there and getting their tools and working. I mean that's what I mean. I just and I used to go in there and get long johns and work pants and all of that stuff that Sears stood for, but now you look in there, it's just a big empty room, so that was kind of sad.
Speaker 1:I'm looking right now from the second floor of the mall Stop for a second on one of these little bridges as people walk below me, and it's just good to see people out and about. Remember, just a few years ago we couldn't even do this. I hated 2020. But I'm looking over the bridge here and I'm seeing, like, like, where Santa Claus I guess Santa Claus is going to be there. I don't see Santa Claus, but you know the kids area, where it's very Christmassy and they've got the big Christmas tree and they have these little houses, like little elf houses, I guess, set up, where you can peer through the windows and you can see the little elves and the little things moving around in there, the little characters and you know, just standing up here and I was down there walking by those a minute ago and you know, and as adults we might walk by and if you have any sense of Christmas spirit or whatever, you might say oh, those are really nice. Look at those. Look at that. Those are pretty cool.
Speaker 1:But the enchantment in a child's eyes. I saw this mother or grandmother whatever it might be aunt saying to this little child, this little child who had to be maybe two, maybe three years old oh, look into there, look at the little elves or whatever she said. The look in the child's eyes are so incredibly fascinating Because they're so fascinated. Just that little display to them is like magical. I love seeing the looks in their eyes. You don't see that from adults. Normally. I don't think, oh, look what's right in front of me.
Speaker 1:I go from talking about the enchantment in the children's eyes and looking with a sense of awe to me, the enchantment in my eyes and looking with a sense of awe as I'm standing in front of Victoria's Secret. I'm just saying, man, as a man who adores women, my goodness, now those are some good looking outfits. All right, I'm telling you right now. I'm telling you right now. I'm telling you right now. I swear to you, I swear to you, this dude is walking by me right now. I want to say something so bad. This skinny puke, this little scummy dude. He has got the most extreme mullet you could imagine. And the guy's walking down the freaking mall with his hands. This is the second time I've seen this in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1:I was at Susie's Burgers last week and saw someone. Is this a new trend? Please, god, tell me it's not. I mean it's bad enough. I'm seeing people here at the mall wearing pajamas. Boy. This took an ugly turn all of a sudden for me, enchanting kids' eyes to ugly pajamas, but this dude with his hand in his freaking crotch as he's walking down the mall.
Speaker 1:I ask you, come on, am I gone crazy? Are you kidding me? You skinny little twist, don't they just turn around. He's got his hands in his freaking front of his pants, which aren't even pants, they're like pajamas. Oh, dude, dear God, what has happened? Restore some freaking class and dignity man. Someone like that cannot represent our culture. Are you joking? Can you imagine? Can you imagine who would have ever thought? Would your dad or grandfather, any of your uncles, your aunts, you know, your grandma, can you imagine you know them seeing that? Or can you imagine your pops, you know, walking down the mall? He's got his hands just down in his trousers, playing with his joint. Are you serious?
Speaker 1:Anyhow, that took a turn for the worse on patch peeps 170. Listen, as sean moody's once said pat, you know what you live life and then you talk about life, and that's what we're doing. So, yeah, I do need to get the christmas gift shopping. Yeah, I do need to get the Christmas gift shopping going here very soon. I do plan, so I'm kind of taking a little sneak preview see what's around, get some ideas and then in a couple of days, come in, get it done.
Speaker 1:I try not to make it seem like it's a chore. I try to make it fun and, in the spirit of the holidays in which it was intended, have fun. Let me stop in front of this door and make this comment I hope that those shorts plaid shorts for girls, for women, become popular. I'm just saying I'm all leaving it at that. Damn Victoria's Secret. Those are very nice though. I mean I'm just saying I'll leave it at that. Damn Victoria's Secret. Those are very nice though. I mean I'm just complimenting. I want to compliment the designer, you know, and the mannequin.
Speaker 1:Anyhow, there's Abercrombie Fitch. Don't they sell clothing that say Abercrombie Fitch, like if you go to kenneth cole, doesn't it say, doesn't it say kenneth cole on the clothing? Maybe not, I don't know. I just can't buy a gear that has. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 1:I need to report on this now. I need to report on this. I'm at, I am at. What is the name of this place? I don't even, I can't read it. Uh, body, what is it? Oh, body, jewels, okay, okay, listen to each their own, to each their own, whatever. I'm not here to judge. There's a dude in there that's as skinny as a rail, okay, whatever, in a dress with a full beard. That's just an observation I'm making. It's an extremely malnourished man with long flowing women's hair in a dress with a black beard. So to me, my observation on that is I don't see that every day, but again, in the spirit of the holidays, you know, to each his own, whatever floats your boat, whatever. That is all right. So I guess my little tour of the upstairs is done. I think I'll head back down the escalator and we shall continue on On the adventure. That is Pat's Pete's, number 170. Meanwhile, at the other end of the mall, a visit with Santa Claus on Pat's Peeps 170.
Speaker 2:Mr Santa for Christmas, could I please have a busy Brenda mystery action vacuum cleaner doll no honey, sorry. Could I have um a battery-operated dog family?
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:Could I have Flexi the pocket monkey? No, you may not have Flexi the pocket monkey, Mr Santa, could I have? I have a Ready Ranger mobile field hat. Oh, I'd have to go all the way out to Corvettes to get that. Forget it. What else Could I get? Just a little tiny Nerf ball. No, no, nerf ball. Could I get a Vic Hadfield hockey game? Oh, a Vic Hadfield hockey game. Oh, the Catfield hockey game. Yeah, well, no, ha, what else? Fluffy, fluffy.
Speaker 1:Fluffy. You want a Fluffy?
Speaker 2:No the answer is no, you can't have it. Ha, you want a trapdoor? Whoa, ah, mr Santa, that's one of Santa's little tricks. Tell me, mr Santa, that's the price you pay for getting on Santa's lap. You give you the trapdoor, mr.
Speaker 1:Santa.
Speaker 2:Barbie was going to go to.
Speaker 1:Malibu Are you sure about Malibu?
Speaker 2:She needs a tan. Oh, like I'm tan from the sun. Yeah, yeah, well, my name is Santa from Trapdoor, Wisconsin. Oh, there you go on the floor again. Come on up, santa.
Speaker 1:It's the old trapdoor bit baby the one in the book. You fell for it.
Speaker 2:Can I get a sad sack pearl doll? Oh, a sad sack pearl doll, isn't that precious? No, you may not Ha. What else don't you want or want to have and can't have? Mr Santa, for Christmas I was hoping I would get some Play-Doh. Play-doh Is that what you want, kitten Play-Doh? I want enough to build my parents a house in the country. Enough to build your parents a house in the country. Yes, yes. Well, I'll tell you what. Since that is an awful lot of Play-Doh, I'll just say no Ha-ha. Oh, no, mr Santa, could I? No, you got it. You can't have the Play-Doh, mr Santa, please, I want.
Speaker 2:When are you going to quit Shh, Mr Santa, I don't have much time. Santa's getting riled.
Speaker 1:Don't push the Santa he gets ugly.
Speaker 2:Mr Santa, I would like to get a magic slate. A magic slate, yes, oh, so you could do magic with it. So you draw on it and then erase it right away. Right, right. So then there's nothing left. Well, tell you what we'll eliminate the middleman and I'll give you nothing. Ha, I was hoping that maybe you were hoping. What else were you hoping for?
Speaker 1:brainless brat.
Speaker 2:To get the art masterpieces. Stick it in your ear. No art masterpieces for you Christmas time. I won't be getting that. Nope, don't bother looking at stocking because it ain't going to be there. But, mr Santa, what about a set of Pez Pez? Yeah Well, that seems like a rather small request, just to you know. It only doesn't cost very much A piece of Pez Heck. You can get them free lots of times, well could.
Speaker 1:I you want Pez.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can't have it. Ha, I love it. You're not getting it, and that's wacky old Santa at it again. Ha, don't go to Markham's department store. The Santa is a fraud. A Markham's department store, the Santa is a fraud, a fraud. Realistic is a little bit more like it, thank you.
Speaker 1:At the end of the year. I got this thing from Spotify. If you're on Spotify and you're listening to music, it does a little thing where it wraps up your listening for the year and they very cleverly call it wrapped and so in December they send this out and it tells you what you've been listening to. Now I listen to a variety of things. I listen to radio, I listen to radio, I listen to Spotify, I listen to Sirius XM. I listen to just a variety of things, like many people do Radio, always in the mix, podcasts, audio books, and so Spotify is one of these things and it's the one that sends out this rap. So, in other words, it encapsulates the year, summarizes the year that you've done, whatever you've been listening to. So this came out yesterday and for the second year in a row, my number one listened to artist is the same as it was. It was the same this year as it was last year.
Speaker 1:Spotify Wrapped oh. So who is this right here? See, I listen a lot to this song. That was a sacrifice by Steve Miller. So this is all music. So it tells how long I've listened Over 21,000 minutes. This is all the music, I guess.
Speaker 2:I played 3,680 songs.
Speaker 1:My top song of the year. Then came the last days of May Blue Oyster Cone and the other guy turned and spilled Three boys blood and they know a trap had been laid my number one listen to song in 2024. By the way, last year Blue Oyster Cult, I Love the Night was my top listen to song. Jim Croce this song here. Walking Back to Georgia, one of my top listen to songs this year.
Speaker 1:Let's see. I've changed and my listening has changed. So we'll look at the evolution of 2024 in December, let's see. So we'll go in February of last year. February, my mood always changes depending on the month. Seriously, february was my 1920s old school country honky-tonk phase Del Reeves, ernest Tubbs, leon Redbone. April was let's see, here, that's Steve Miller, right there, my witchy permanent wave season Zeppelin, steve Miller Band, neil Young. So in April and May, oh, that's Little Feet, oh, roller Me. Oh, I love this Psychedelic Jam Band, southern Rock moment, chris Robinson, brotherhood, the Black Crows, little Feet this is my most listened to artist of the year for the second year in a row. Dean Martin, number one, my top artist. Two years in a row. My longest listening streak to D artist. Two years in a row. My longest listening streak to Dino three days in a row.
Speaker 2:I'm in the 0.5% fan club for Dino.
Speaker 1:Let's see. This is the other stuff I listen to See. I remember listening to Dean this is Sing All of this stuff when listen to See. I remember listening to Dean this is Sting All of this stuff when I was in Italy, ireland. Dean Martin Sting, grateful Dead, merle Haggard and Frank Sinatra my top artists Talk about eclectic. Let's see. Oh, yeah, oh my gosh. Isley Brothers, yeah, so that wrapped up my 2024 listening. Two years in a row, dean Martin at the top of my list in terms of the artist I listen to the most Top song second year in a row went to Blue Oyster Cult.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine, from Dean Martin to Blue Oyster Cult, I don't know what it is Like. If it rains, I listen to like a lot of really acoustic Jethro Tull, or I'll listen to some Floyd. If it's really hot out in the middle of summer, I might be listening to some really gritty Stones, black Crows, things like that, some Southern rock. It just really depends on my mood. I don't know about you, but my mood changes throughout the year. In terms of music Also, again, I just watched Rudolph again last night.
Speaker 1:Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. Oh, put the penny in there, never mind. So now, I've watched frosty like three times, I've watched santa claus is coming to town like three times and rudolph. That seems a little obsessive, quite frankly, I think I'm gonna burn myself out on that. But but I don't know, I'm just again, I'm trying to get into the Christmassy spirit and yeah. So watching a lot of it, I just love it. I mean, it's just so. It just reminds me so much of my childhood. I'm sure it does. You know yours as well, I'm sure it does for you as well, if you've been around a while.
Speaker 1:Let's see here. I picked out a record from my shelf today for here, pat's peeps number 170, pat's peeps 170, just pulled it off the shelf from my rare 45 collection and let's take a look at this. Hold on, let's take a look at this. By the way, I'm gonna. You know, on pat's peep 169, I talked about this toy box, was going through all these toys and vincent, hi, vincent, how you doing? Man vincent called my radio show and he said pat, you know, on the past, piece 169, you talked about all those toys. Would you be willing to give those toys, donate it, because he wants to, I guess, dress like Santa or whatever, and go surprise some kids for Christmas and he could use these toys. And so I said, certainly, absolutely, you could do that. So I'm going to give these toys to Vincent so that he can take these to let the kids enjoy them. So I picked out this record.
Speaker 1:This is an interesting record. I love the record label. First time I pulled this one out, it's a blue label on Jive Records. I love that Jive Records Blue label. No stickers on this thing anywhere from the radio station, and it has two different songs on it, different song on each side instead of the same song on both sides on this one. I imagine. This one is one you've heard before. Always reminds an 80s tune, always takes me back to a certain time and place.
Speaker 1:A song by an English band, a new wave band, released in 82 and it was their third single. It was the, the second single from their self-titled debut album, and it topped the charts in Australia. It reached number seven in New Zealand and number nine in the United States. It was always getting played on the radio. Uh, it was not successful, by the way, in Europe and only really only reached number 31 in Germany, in the band's home country. In the UK reached number 43. However, the song was certified silver by the BPI. So in an article for Rolling Stone titled Anglomania the Second British Invasion, there was an article written by Park Putabal, who wrote of the impact of the song's music video the music video in particular, on its US chart success. Why? Because it was fronted by a singer, synth player and this should give it away With a haircut stranger, he said, than anything you'd likely to encounter in a month of poodle shows. This band, he said, struck gold on the first try.
Speaker 1:The lead vocalist, mike Score, said that there were two main sources of inspiration for this song. The members of the band regularly visited Eric's Club in Liverpool, where one of the bands had a song called I Ran Not the country, but as in I ran, but as in I ran. Score noted that because this group would rehearse right after returning from Eric's, the song titled Chorus Mea got stuck in his head. Another idea came from a poster at a zoo records office where the band had gone with the intent of securing a recording contract, but wanted to use the poster, which featured a man and a woman running away from a flying saucer, as a cover for their first album, which was named A Flock of Seagulls and the song, of course, is Iran 1982.
Speaker 1:Thank you, I walk along the avenue. I never thought I'd meet a girl like you, meet a girl like you, meet a girl like you With open hair and tawny eyes, the kind of eyes that hypnotize me through, hypnotize me through, and I ran. But I'm so far away. I just ran. I ran all night and day. I couldn't get away With the abbreviated title and the beginning of the chorus matching how some Americans pronounce Iran. The song was heard by Americans as Iran, iran At a time when Iran was making headlines around the world around the clock. I just ran out and I'm all. Night and day. I couldn't get away.
Speaker 1:According to comedian Maz Jobrani, the release of the song was a quote disaster for Iranian-American children like himself. He was 10 years old at the time. As he said, they were cruelly teased by other American children with the song's misheard chorus. Old at the time, as he said, they were cruelly teased by other American children were the song's misheard chorus. I Ran, I Ran, so Far Away. They toured, by the way, the United States heavily promoting this. They supported Squeeze on their 82 tour.
Speaker 1:By the way, the single was promoted by a distinctive music video in which the band members performed in a room covered in an aluminum foil and mirrors. If you watch the video, the cameras used to film the video are clearly visible in many of the background reflections. But what's on the other side? There is something on the other side of this record, so let's check that out as I flip it over. This song is called All right, I'm not sure if I've ever heard it, so this is Flock of Seagulls, the B-side of Iran. This is called Pick Me Up. That's a little Devo influence to me. That's a pretty good B-side. I like it. I need her. Pick me up, pick me up, I need her pick me up, pick me up, I need her pick me up, pick me up.
Speaker 1:I need her pick me up, pick me up. I saw her friend in Phils the other day.
Speaker 2:But she just turned away.
Speaker 1:I never thought that you would understand it just got out of hand, don't have the rights to this music. Just trying to educate, I need a pick-me-up, pick-me-up. I need a pick-me-up, pick-me-up. I need a pick-me-up, pick-me-up. I need a pick-me-up. Critiquing and educating. That's all I'm doing and entertaining. Hopefully I'm entertained by it. Pats Beats 170. Thank you, Thank you, man. Hope you're having a great Christmas time. Thank you for listening. See you on the radio as well. The Pat Walsh Show Heard everywhere on your free iHeart app KPK in Sacramento. Of course, pats Beeps on all your streaming platforms. See you next time for 171.
