Gohawksgo

Memories, what memories I have. It seems so long ago I think it was 1999 or so that we bought a new computer for my daughter. For some reason I started playing around with the Chatroom button and saw a chatroom devoted to Oldies Music. Within days I was hooked. I had always considered myself an expert at the music I grew up with, which to me was the American Bandstand years 1957-1964. Those were the years that AB as it was called was on daily in Chicago from 330pm to 5pm. I would rush home from school and never miss a day.

Of course I also had my little transistor radio thatI I kept under my pillow at night when trying to go to sleep. I listened to WLS and WCFL in Chicago and to DJ’s like Dick Biondi and Art Roberts. For some reason as I grew older I could never find people who had shared my interest in oldies. Then I found the chatroom. WOW, so many incredible funny people who actually grew up in the same era as I but in different parts of the country, sharing their remembrances of the music they loved. There were names like REMO, PROSPECTMANOR, RYDELLSANS, LELU, SWEETSHAR, SXTYSLVER, ECHOBRIDGE, YUMMEYTOES, SUZIEQ, DANNYKOOL, LWHITEDOVE, ZSHOTT, SUZANROSE55 AND REDHED to name just a few. I have to admit it became addicting to me to come home from work and talk to my new friends. Not only were these people knowledgeable about the oldies but they were funny and caring and just a pleasure to know.

As I related in the opening preface to this project I had suffered a heart attack in March of 2001 and 2 months later was able to attend HUGYFEST2001. I was only there for 1 day (Sunday) but it is a day that will always be among the greatest moments for me in Chatroom History. I was actually able to meet so many of the people I had chatted with over the previous 2 years and it was like one big happy family.

The time before and right after that weekend for me seemed like the pinnacle. There were days and nights that I laughed so hard that my insides would burn. I would go to work the next day and break out in laughter at the thought of something that had happened the previous evening. We were so silly but we were having the time of our lives or so it seemed. Sure their were little episodes between certain roomies but I just accepted It as something inevitable when you throw so many different people from so many cultures into the mix.

One of my favorite things was when we would sing song lyrics and put a new word in the title. We got so silly but it was so much fun. We were acting like teenagers again. We would have birthday parties for roomies, Some would change their screen names in tribute to the honoree. We had the Diamond Stylus Awards thanks to MOBILDJ50. I asked everybody to vote on their favorite songs of all-time and we did and it was wonderful. We voted for our Chatroom Hall of Fame. Sorry HUGY and RVB the Beatles got in on the 1st ballot.

Along the way we picked up new roomies and lost some dear ones. As what happens with anything in life there is change and sometimes people move on. We miss them dearly but we make up for it with the new names and the new faces, who become just as important to us as the original names and faces. The whole process is an evolution and in today’s chat world we stay strong due to continued festivals like HUGYFEST and ROCSBBQ.

We have new festivals like the very successful TEXFEST and we have many roomies who travel around the country or who live in the same geographical area as others who meet for dinner or just to spend time with the new friends they have made. We have TJBEATLEFAN who has a wonderful Internet radio show based on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame every Thursday evening.

In 2005 I was able to fly to California and attend my 2nd Chatroom fest, ROCSBBQ2005. What an incredible host Steve was. I was able to meet up with a few of the roomies I had met in 2001 at HUGYFEST. To see people like PUPPERPIE, STEELWORKER, SUPERBIRD and LYLELADY after 4 long years was so nice. And then to finally meet after all these years, FLEETWOOD GIRL, RICKLAMESA, BOOTSCOOTLARRY, LOUISE, RACE, ANGIE, SET, HIPPIEMAMALU, MARGY, BRIT, ERIC, JAN, CHEV and EDNA. WOW. Of course ROCN60’S, STEVE whose Labor Day fest in his home town of Long Beach, California holds special praise in the history of all that has transpired in Chat land.

And that leaves 3 more guests at that party, REVOLVER1266, Darlene. What can I say? This is one heck of a special lady to go so much out of her way to show me and quite a few others the town she loves and the hotspots only a old Rock N Roller like I would appreciate. And 60SSHOP and CHERRICAT. They surprised us and showed up at the Friday night dinner. I for one am so grateful for the work that is done by this wonderful couple in promoting and keeping the basis of our chatroom going by the incredible EMAILS they send out keeping our minds on the music that brought us together in the first place. Thanks guys.

And one more treat. On the Sunday after the party I met up with 2 of my all-time favorites LWHITEDOVE and YUMMEYTOES for lunch. I had met DOVEY at HUGY’S. I don’t think it has been a secret that she has been like the sister I have never had since we first met in Chat land way back when. As for YUMM what can I say? What a pleasure to finally meet one of the 3 original Cal Gals. That was a name I put on DOVEY, YUMM and SPNNRN way back in the early days.

So many roomies and so many memories. Here’s a few to share with everyone, SONNIEBUGS, I can’t tell you how much I look forward to seeing her pop into the room. Having Sonnie in the room is a guaranteed laugh-fest. One night that will live in chatroom Infamy is the night I mentioned that Brenda Lee was being inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame that evening except I made a typo and oops I said that she was being Infucted. Well that’s all I had to do. I think it took the room a half hour to stop laughing that night. On the good nights Sonnie would sometimes say to the room I’m so gonna marry GO when I grow up. Well let me tell of you, that comment always made me feel so good to know that I could make another person I had never met have a smile on her face. Thanks Sonnie.

MOBIL’S Diamond Stylus Award Evenings.
I have to tell you that some of the funniest evenings were the nights that MOB held his award ceremonies. We would have to go to 3 rooms with co-hosts because we had so many people who wanted to attend.
Those evenings were among the funniest nights I have ever spent in the room. The categories and the idea of the awards were just so easy to make fun of in a light hearted way and I would just sit there and say whatever popped into my mind and usually it was so off the wall that the room was exploding with laughter. What made it so special is that everyone was on the same page as me and we had some really great comedians who kept us all in stitches. They would jump on whatever I said and I would jump on whatever they said. It didn’t get any better than that.

A few months ago I was listening to TJBEATLEFAN’s wonderful Thursday evening Cyberstation radio show as I usually do and having fun with all the regulars when Tim’s show ended. Lots of roomies stay in the room after the show for a certain period as we listen to the next show that comes on. All of a sudden I hear More, More, More by the Andre True Connection. I have to admit it’s a song I like a lot and I start singing the lyrics in the room. All of a sudden FLWRCHILD68, Doreen is singing along with me and we are really getting into it if you know what I mean. LOL. We can’t stop laughing and presto, another magical Chatroom moment is here. Ever since it’s almost accepted that when I greet Doreen in the room I will say More More More. It’s our little inside joke.

A year or so ago I am in the room and LDYBUG is in the room. I go to greet her and I say Hi Rithie instead of Hi Ruthie. So what does she do? She starts calling me Mirk. Soon I am calling MSDEBBY, Dibby and before long BRIT has a special name for me and so on and so on. Its just so typical Chatroom humor to take something and run with It.

Soon after HUGYFEST2001, I make plans to go to Lunch with my 2 very good Chicago Oldies room buddies, ROCKABOB and SUPERBIRD66BBL. I am going to show them all the pictures I took at HUGYS. We are leafing through the pics when Frank says to me Gee that’s me in the background. I look at him and say “You were there “. Here is my chatroom buddy Frank and I didn’t even know he was at HUGYS.

Which brings me to HUGYFEST2001.Where do I start LOL. I drive up with the family terrified at meeting all of these Screen Names and the 1st thing I notice is that every roomie is wearing a badge saying GOHAWKSGO. Thanks LYLE,LMAO. I look up and everybody is coming at me. After meeting about 20 or so roomies AIDY comes up to me and says , Do you know who I am? I look at her and say no. Well to this day she won’t let me forget. Before long I make my way downstairs to the Rec room and as I like to say I am kidnapped by DOVEY and SPNNRN LOL. Well I certainly didn’t try to leave.

Before long the DELROOMIOS are singing a song to GWITH, (Nancy) and before long we are all singing the top 25 songs that we voted on and CARPENTER is throwing ring dings around the room and before long it’s over. Probably the best 9 hours I had ever spent socializing in my life.

And that brings me to ROCSBBQ2005. What a time I had meeting and chatting with that cast of characters which brings me to another of those magic moments. MARGY are you listening ? The Poker game LMAO. It’s the day after ROCSBBQ and a group of us are over at Steve’s house wondering what to do to unwind from a memorable weekend. I think it was RICKLAMESA who says lets play poker. So we all head back to the hotel and before long we are playing cards. I think it was RICK, CHEV, MARGY, LYLE, CARP, Myself to be sure and I know that DONNA, JAN and STEVE were watching. Some of the others including PUPP, RICHARD, EDNA, RACE, ANGIE, ERIC and TNA had gone to Disneyland and were not there. Well Carp starts it with this thing about , Do you have ESP ? I have ESP and MARGY cant stop laughing and then we are playing poker and having fun with It. I mean its a small game with not too much money you can lose, but I seem to be winning every pot and poor MARGY, she cant do a thing and we are laughing and just in a zone so to speak. So I i say to MARGY, why don’t you deal BlackJack ? I figure, heck the dealer has the advantage and maybe she can win a little, so she deals and as luck would have it, everybody is pulling hands like never happens in Vegas. LMAO. And then to top it off MARGY busts.OMG she is screaming at me and we are all laughing so hard. To be sure a magical moment for many of us.

I want to relate another thought here while I am thinking of it and while it doesn’t classify as one special memory its kinda like the fabric that binds this room together. You cant explain it to others but you have all just shared in something very special.

As so often happens in the chatroom a screenname will pop up from somebody who is just trying to cause trouble. It could be a snert or it could be a kid home from school. The other day I see a screen name that is totally repulsive and borderline obscene, OK obscene, LOL. I know that there is a joke in there somewhere but I am afraid to say anything because my roomies will think I am as sick as this person. Now, I am sure that almost everyone else in the room is thinking like me. Nobody wants to be the 1st to even acknowledge this Idiot right? But once we do its like the air is taken out and we can all say something cause somebody opened the door 1st. How often does this happen?

Its moments like this that are way too many to mention but are at the core of what makes this place so wonderful and special.

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