In July 1982 the “Coinens” (so named by the Fordes), 17 suitcases, new Asian furniture, and a new Honda Accord were headed back to their Reston home from Guam on a not-so-efficient series of flights through Hawaii and Los Angeles: they traveled with three predominate thoughts in mind: 1) Guam really is not Maui; 2) when we get home to Reston, we planned on driving to Vermont to pick up our whippet Skipper who had been under the care and feeding of Barrie’s mom Ruth for two years; and 3) as soon as wheels were down at Dulles, we were headed tthe nearest Roy Rogers Restaurant for a long awaited Double Bar Burger.

After a very emotional and heartwarming reunion with Skipper (and Ruth), it was back to our Reston Tanbark Drive home, Greg off to the University of Alabama, Lindsey to South Lakes High School, and Bill back to an Administrative Law position in the Office of the Judge Advocate General, still then located in Alexandria, Virginia. After two more years practicing Administrative Law, Bill received orders to be the Legislative Director in the Navy’’s Office of Legislative Affairs, managing an office of Navy lawyers (JAGCs), civilian lawyers, and administrative support, involved in Navy’s “lobbying” efforts on Capitol Hill. Exciting times for Bill, working with and alongside some of the most senior naval officers and senior civilian officials in the Department of the Navy, including the Chief of Naval Operations, the Secretary of the Navy, and Congress. So many stories, but none that I can or should probably tell; well, maybe one story because there was some publicity at the time for those who dared read the fine print of The Washington Post). Senator Barry Goldwater (Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee) sent a letter to Caspar Weinberger (Secretary of Defense) complaining of issues involving one each Captain Bill Cohen. Let me merely say that nothing further came of Senator Goldwater’s concern. The letter was passed without comment from Secretary Weinberger to Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) John Lehman. The letter stayed with SECNAV Lehman forever and eventually forgotten. It was clear that Lehman had Bill’s back when he supported Bill’s move to the position of Deputy Chief of Legislative Affairs, a position never previously to have been filled by a JAGC officer.

While Bill was trying keep himself out of trouble, whenever and wherever, Barrie began a new adventure, an official with the Navy Wives Club of Washington, D. C., a huge and very prestigious organization. As her position and responsibilities grew, she was working (playing) with the spouses of the most senior naval officers in the greater DC area. She hosted on different occasions, the Chief of Naval Operations ADM Jim Watkins; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; an Acting Secretary of Defense; Justice Sandra Day O,Connor; and clothiers (of course). Bill was able to wiggle himself in the room as an “add” on some of Barrie’s adventures. Exciting days for the “Coinens” in the DC area from 1984 through 1987. In 1987, Bill moved from the Pentagon down the road to Crystal City for his last active-duty assignment as Special Counsel to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Shipbuilding and Logistics), The Honorable Everett Pyatt. In July of 1989, Bill retired from the Navy as a Captain, and headed for the “Coinens” next adventure, Vermont (Barrie had to remain back in Reston until our Tanbark home sold).

Enough of B & B, once again, How about some Olympics You Tube clips? Clip on “Olympics” at the top of this page and pick and choose what you might want to see (or see again)

Per usual, my apologies for any crass advertising,

In July 1980, Barrie, Greg, Lindsey, 17 suitcases, and I arrived at Dulles Airport transportation provided by our long term Reston neighbors and friends, Don and Linda Schuler. And, surprise, surprise, our friends mentioned a number of times in previous Posts, George and Kitty Williams, attended our send off, they traveling from upstate NY for the event. “Wings up” in an absolutely packed 747 headed ultimately to Manila, The Philippines, we had a stopover/California visit first, then a weeklong Pearl Harbor (Honolulu/Diamond Head/Hale Koa Military Resort) visit where Bill attended Guam in-briefings and we all played with Navy JAGC friends then currently stationed in Hawaii. All-in all, a nice kick start to our soon-to-be Guam adventure, with our 17 suitcases.

I need to state upfront what is known as the “obvious” to anyone stationed on Guam, Navy or Air Force – Guam is not exactly Maui. Within a few hours after his anointment as Commanding Officer, Naval Legal Service Command, Guam (NLSO Guam), Bill was notified that one of his Legalmen, Tony, had been murdered on one of the ship piers at Naval Station, Guam. Not the start that was anticipated. The start of the tour did not set the tone of the tour, however. Bill’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Don Hill, the number 2 person in the command, took charge of the murder investigation and, after time and tons of work, secured murder convictions against two “bad guy” sailors from a ship that had put into Guam for refueling. On the professional side of the Guam tour, it was always busy and bustling. Lots of energy and excellence expended by the entire crew and civilians doing what NLSO Guam was supposed to do.

Although busy, Guam provided us opportunities as a family to help move the time along. Lindsey, then a fifth grader, became an excellent swimmer, graduating to swim meets and the challenging Saipon Ocean Swim event. Greg, arriving as an 11th grader at George Washington High School (the Warriors) took his soccer and football skills intra-island highschool sports.

Bill became a scuba diver under the (more or less constant) tutelage of Don Hill, and played tennis frequently with neighbor Duane Forde, who commanded the Navy Commissary on Guam. See the new Page entitled “Miscellaneous Guam Stuff” for more on the tennis team story of Duane and Bill. Golfed a little when time was available.

Barrie was involved with the Navy Wives Shop on Guam from the git-go, you know, shopping. But it wasn’t just shopping – she became the Co-Chair and later Chair of the organization which required, demanded, that she travel on occasions to the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong, to buy for the “store”, leaving poor Bill at home to babysit. It was a terrific experience for her.

As a family, we traveled as well with Greg and Lindsey aboard the military hops we were provided, twice, catching Japan and Korea.

Socially we were always busy, whether it was Guam functions (e.g. pig roasts), Navy functions (command parties and outings), or just plain getting out with other folks, There was formed a focal group, however, in Don and Barb Hill and Duane and Pam Forde. And it carried out well beyond Guam resulting in strong relationships with the Hills and the Fordes to this day. In 2000, some 18 years after the six of us had left Guam, we had what we called a Guam Summit in Sedona a neutral site for all). Other Guam Summits were held in 2002 (Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks of North Carolina – our stomping grounds at the time); 2004 (Boise – the Fordes home at the time); and 2006 (the Hills home in Coronado at that time). And then there was a followup to the SanDiego area in 2008 when the six of us joined the celebration of the marriage of Jen Hill on the Baja Peninsula. More on the Summits (plus some photos on the Summits page that will soon be added as a separate Page to this Blog.

One more thing (as they say on The Five on Fox News), something that tied my at -sea Navy days to the Navy life I had on Guam, then a Commander in rank, and a Commanding Officer Ashore. Two months before we left Guam I received a call from the Office of the Chief of Staff (COS) for Commander Naval Forces Marianas to come to his office to talk. My first thought was, of course, what bad has happened now? He recollected that I had duty served on board USS Rogers during Vietnam. I affirmed and he told me that Rogers (then purchased and sailed by the Republic of Korea as ROKS Chin Joo #925 would be as passing through Guam the next day for refueling. I of course visited the ship and to the extent that my Korean language skills permitted (nada)I joined a small tour through spaces still so familiar to me – unfortunately (perhaps gratuitously) “Baby Light My Fire” by the Doors was not blasting out of my old stateroom. And speaking of the late Jim Morrison of the Doors, did you know that his daddy was Commander, Naval Forces Marianas, a few tour before our stint on Guam,

Once again, enough about me, us. Let’s get some You Tube going.

Music – Ed Sheeran – who doesn’t like his brand of music. I never heard of him until Barrie and I saw him in a cameo performance in the movie Rocketman, the Elton John tribute. Then I saw the clip below that is somewhat famous, trying out his song “Perfect” at the House of Bocelli. I liked it, and I have followed his performances, including full throated “concerts”, on You Tube primarily. I recommend that you explore some of his other work.

With respect to the song “Perfect”, follow up with the next clip featuring an appearance by Andreas Bocelli on a TV talk show concerning the music and talent of Ed Sheeran.

For you golfers (active or inactive), who can forget the following Tiger Woods shot:

For those of you who cannot take themselves away from tinkering with their cars, watch the right way and the wrong way to use Car Play in your new-fangled vehicles:

Finally, I apologize once again for stray advertising and leave with a few more “Signs of the Times”.

OK – One More YT and One More Bocelli – Olympics Torch Ceremony, Bocelli performing the acclaimed Nessun Dorma (Puccini). Lots better than Curling, me thinks, unless you are a Curler.

Right after the New Year’s celebrations completed1976, we were headed north to Washington DC for our next adventures. Actually, the destination was Reston, VA, the infant new planned community way out there west near Dulles Airport. Neighbors of ours in Tidewater convinced us that this new place to live was “the place to live”, quaint amid the hustle and bustle of the Washington mega area (known politely as WASHDC) even though the commute to the Navy Annex in Arlington, just up the hill from the Pentagon, was going to be rough. In the final analysis, quaint Reston (it didn’t stay quaint very long if anyone has traveled the area well knows) was a neat place to live, the commute was long and bad, we initially were in a neat townhome, but it really didn’t matter because my soon-to-be-new boss, about to become the next Judge Advocate General of the Navy, the late Rear Admiral William “Dusty” O. Miller (more on Dusty later in this Post) just happened to live around the corner in Reston. There it was, a commuter with the boss – his hours on the job were my hours as well. Eventually we had two other JAGC officers in a vehicle, and the commute became easier with the ability to utilize what was known then as the Dulles Toll Road.

Before spouting off on my job as EA, let me digress to mention that shortly after we settled into Reston living, Barrie enrolled in a real estate curriculum. Upon graduation she moved in with a Reston firm where her business was great. Her firm was brokered by Thelma Fleming, and was frequented socially by some Washington Redskins players, ex-players, and their family members, including Mark Moseley and Calvin Hill, to mention just two of the frequent Redskin visitors. Real fun for Barrie; real jealousy for Bill. Oh well! (Sorry, but the Redskins, not Commanders, are still alive and well in our household).

Bill’s job was exciting and awesome, being involved in matters that only in WASHDC are generally discussed. For instance, on his third day on the job, he was advised by his secretary that the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO, “the Navy honcho”) was on the phone, and with absence of both the JAG and DJAG from the office, the CNO wanted to speak with the EA. That would be me! The CNO wanted some information on the legendary Admiral Rickover, information to which I was not privy way above my paygrade. I would have the JAG call him. Big Help? Actually, however, from a professional level it was a great JAGC duty assignment and quick learning process (over three years). Socially, it was terrific as well with Barrie and I participating in much of that they call “social”, like the admiral(s) is coming, lets invite the horse-holder and his wife. The most memorable social events (other than JAGC ceremonies, of course) were the invitations (along with those for scores of others) to join the Secretary of the Navy and his entourage for the annual Army-Navy football game, taking the train from WASHDC to Philadelphia and return. As promised, back to Dusty Miller. The first time we did Army-Navy, Dusty was the JAG. He was accompanied his wife, Jane, and by Barrie and me. As per usual, most of the uniformed Navy ditched their uniforms for “civvies” for the adventure, and that was true for Dusty as well. The train pulled in Philadelphia in front of the stadium. All of a sudden, some men swooped into our train and carted Dusty off the train and into what appeared to be a government vehicle; Jane asked, “what is going on?”. As a “horse-holder“, I felt a need to protect my boss, but I was only able to ask “what’s going on” (clearly I was not the prototypical “Harm” from the TV series JAG). No answers, so we left the train and walked our way up to the stadium. There was Dusty, waiting for us. Seems that special people (Secret Service) had mistaken Dusty for former VP Nelson Rockefeller who was also on the train. I admit, Dusty looked a lot like the former VP.

When my tour as EA ended 1979, I moved just down the hallway to the Administrative Law Division of JAG HQ. We also moved to a house with a garage about a mile away (our Tanbark House). Later that same year, the HQ was moved from the Navy Annex to the Hoffman Building in Alexandria, and I was there until 1980 when I received orders to report as the next Commanding Officer, Naval Legal Service Office, Guam.

Whats Next? You Tube!

Tear Jerker: Beware Those Words. I find stories occasionally that are in fact “tear jerker” stories. Nice, good endings, but generally long in the teeth (kind of like finding the next honeypot cure for whatever malady afflicts you have – toenails, for instance) in internet advertisements.

“The Diner” fits the definition tear jerker and is almost 40 minutes in length,

.

Aging – Trust me, none of my Blog readers are depicted below.

An Extended Clip from the movie “Song Sung Blue”:

More Signs of the Times:

Bye once again. I am in between two sessions of tooth extractions, so I’ll be when I can. Apologizes once again for any stray advertising.

We left Schenectady in July 1973, law school graduation in our rear view mirror, but with the results of Bill’s NYS Bar Exam not to be released until December of the year. We cozied into a rental in Norfolk awaiting completion of a new home being built for us in Virginia Beach. Ah, a VB address even though the new “homestead” was about as far away as one could be from any “beach” near us. Bill, a newly promoted Lieutenant Commander, quickly was accommodated into the routine in Norfolk at what was then the largest law center in the Navy. And, it had to be the largest as the Tidewater area of SE Virginia became the next stop for many of the “bad” Navy and Marine Corps returnees from the Vietnam Theater of Operations. Bill was elevated to the position of Head, Military Justice, leading large teams of prosecutors and defense counsel to the take on the disciplinary process required. It was a rodeo, and got so bad at one time that the Under Secretary of the Navy paid a visit to the office to make sure progress was indeed, progress. Finally, in December (on his birthday, December 23), with the caseload somewhat manageable, Bill received word that he had passed the NYS Bar Exam, and he changed from loiterer to lawyer. The military justice issues continued into 1974 and 1975, but by mid-1975, the caseload was quite manageable. And with hard work completed, Bill received word that in January 1976 he would be appointed to the position of Executive Assistant and Military Aide (some would say, “horseholder”) to the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, the top uniformed lawyer in the Navy, in Washington, DC. Big, big deal. Icing on the cake for Bill while still in Norfolk was his pleasure to accompany Justice Blackmun (think Roe v. Wade) from Washington to Norfolk and return for the Justice’s Law Day speech at the Norfolk Naval Base.

Time again to switch from B & B to something more interesting, like YT or something similar:

For instance: More signs of the times (20 minutes):

Also, for instance, some Sports clips from the past, when Sportsmen and Sportswomen were “sports”, not thugs (my word) and the words “sports crowd” did not have a negative connotation, like:

Mickey Mantle’s 500th HR

And like:

Steffi Graf and Martina Navrotoli 1991 Wimbleton Semi-Final Match (34 minutes)

Or Like:

Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi H & W

https://people.com/all-about-andre-agassi-steffi-graf-marriage-family-life-7969093

Or Like: My All Time Favorite – The Hall of Fame Speech by Baseball Great American Bob Uecker

Finally, at least for this Post and because I have been spouting off Sports, two more Sports Clips, both involving baseball HOF star Carl Yaztremski. Some of you may already know this story, but one of my college fraternity roommates, the late Tony Tiska, was the Long Island neighbor, buddy, and fellow high school baseball teammate of Carl Yaztremski. Tony went to Union College, Carl to Notre Dame but did not stay long there – he was (as they say) destined for the big leagues. After Yaz (as he was known) was in Boston as a “star”, some of “frat guys” were invited by Tony join him on road trips to Fenway (and other places now remembered) to meet and play with the soon famous Yaz. We all cameback from those road trips with great stories for our friends and neighbors.

Two clips on Yaz:

HR #400

Yaz’s last game:

Bye, Bye!

The holidays are now in the rear-view mirror, the sun is shining (or at least it is here in southwest FL), so it’s time to get back to the Blog. A New Year to enjoy to its fullest. Before getting to what was going on in the lives of B & B from post-Vietnam to law school, a couple of thoughts.

First, those who know me also know that I enjoy music, and in particular the past music of Neil Diamond (Barrie and I were fortunate enough last year to see “A Beautiful Noise”, the Broadway and subsequent touring musical chronicling Neil Diamond’s life of song). Recently we attended the movie “Song Sung Blue” depicting the real-life story of Neil Diamond interpreters “Lightning and Thunder”, starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as Mike and Claire Sardina. We enjoyed it immensely.

Second: My Rant of the Day: Having spent more time than usual watching college football this past season, I am sick and tired of this NIL stuff taking over what used to be loyalty “rah rah” football. Good clear fun. “Cheers” is closed forever – nobody knows your name, and if they did, Cliff and Norm would care less. There, I feel better for having said it.

Now on the B & B as they leave the West Coast in their dust and move to Rochester, NY, for Bill’s Navy duty as an Assistant Professor of Naval Science at the Navy ROTC Unit, University of Rochester. A reward for a good tour on Rogers. Those days, however, at U of R and many other institutions of (higher?) learning, were marked with Vietnam “war” anxiety, i.e., protests. Shortly after our arrival on campus, returning from a Navy awards ceremony at U of R where Bill was one of the honorees, some students showed their “appreciation” by visibly taunting our 4-year old Greg for his dad’s criminal war behavior. Oh well! Otherwise, the tour was pretty much non-descriptive, teaching and being home at night. There were summer assignments for Bill accompanying NROTC and USNA Midshipmen on summer cruise assignments. The two years at Rochester gave us the opportunity to renew and rekindle family and friendships in Vermont (including that with the aforementioned George and Kitty who were in Niskayuna where George began a long career with GE). The best thing that happened during the NROTC tour, however, was 1) daughter Lindsey being born in 1969, and 2) learning about a new Navy program looking for Navy officers from the “fleet” to become JAGC officers for the Navy. Sounded good to Bill. He applied to Albany Law School having the audacity to state in his application a “reminder” that his dad graduated #1 in his class, and twin brother Larry graduated #2 in his class; hence, Bill was confident that he would finish well (Law Review and top 20% bore that out).

So, a move from Rochester to Schenectady occurred in the fall of 1970, to a home literally around the corner from Bill’s former home and the home of his Dad. Three more years of being home at night and”playing” with old and new friends. Bill took the NYS Bar Exam in July of 1973, and B & B moved from Schenectady to Virginia Beach for Bill’s next assignment as a JAGC officer at the Naval Legal Service Office, Norfolk, Virginia. To Be Continued Post 5.

Enough about B & B, for now. I really like digging for what I believe to be “gems” floating around on You Tube, and I have a couple of those gems for you today. There was a small celebration shortly ago in Florida celebrating the 30th Birthday for the city of ?. One of the attendees for the bash was Billy Joel whose prominent career has been overtaken by health issues. But, look what happens:

Because I opened this Post with mention of “Song Sung Blue”, let me close with the official Trailer for the production. See you next Post with our first adventure in the Tidewater area of Virginia, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

i

Prologue: For those of you who are permitting us to intrude on your morning coffee, thank you for your indulgence. There is no good rationale for this Blog other than it keeps Bill busy and maybe out of trouble. We do not do crosswords or Soduku at the breakfast table, but filling the world with fairly useless (but innocuous) information has been the path to our expertise in Cryptocurrency and Artificial Intelligence. Go to our Home Page concerning a little more on the direction of the Blog.

This Post 3 of a series. Posts 1 and 2 (and all following Posts) can be found by pressing on the Blog Alley button on this site’s Home Page. Also, the Home Page has a button entitled “Oooops” when post-publication corrections have been made to Posts. I am still working on a work-around to eliminate any advertising contained in the You Tube clips.

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Wow! Lots of moving parts going on in and around the “Home” with the visit of the Greg and Annie, and Lindsey. Great visit and great Thanksgiving. First time we have all together since February. Of 2020; Bill was still in the ICU post-heart-surgery and remembers nada of the 2020 gathering.

Now, on to the boring next phase of the Blog; the Navy, the ”Coinens” (as we were occasionally called), San Diego, and the Western Pacific (Westpac). In September 1966, Bill reported to USS Rogers (DD 876), a former WWII destroyer which had gone through FRAM, Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization, and which had just returned from a Westpac (think Vietnam Theater of Operations) rotation. Coming back to San Diego (SDIEGO) was the reward, but merely meant Rogers was starting operations locally to get ready to return to Westpac. Local operations were many and prolonged, so it was a busy time for its brand new Operations Officer (that would be LT Bill). We had pmoved to a small home north and east of the destroyer base in SDIEGO, close by new construction of a stadium for the-then San Diego Chargers. We were able to attend the first ever game in the stadium, the Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams.

Rogers deployed to Westpac in late September 1967 for what was scheduled to be a 6-month deployment. Most operations (e.g., gunfire support, interdiction, and search/rescue) were conducted within the South China Sea, adjacent to Vietnam, although there were forays to the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, and just a few days R & R in Hong Kong. The time we spent in support of the United States and its allies in the Vietnam Theater of Operations were arduous, never fun, some times scary, and long in the tooth. We were anxiously awaiting our exit orders in the sixth month of deployment when, oops, the USS Pueblo was attacked in the Sea of Japan by North Korea, captured, and towed to North Korea. All of a sudden, Rogers was important for world security, and we spent three extra months in and around the Sea of Japan as part of an operation regarding Pueblo (which, thankfully, was more or less a “nothingburger” event). But the delay was not good news for shipmates and their loved ones at home. There was also something neat with this predicament, however; Rogers arrived back in San Diego on April 6, 1968 – our 5th anniversary – giving Bill the opportunity present Barrie with her engagement ring, albeit 5 years after our marriage. And, disregard any stories that may have been generated my sister Jane or her late husband Alan about Bill colliding Rogers into the pier upon docking; it was a mere “brushing” , as was and is, recommended. It didn’t matter – home again with a set of Orders for Bill to report to the Naval Reserve Officers Training Center, University of Rochester, as an Assistant Professor of Naval Science. In a few months, we were enroute to Rochester, with our brand new Ford Country Squire and our pretty old Plymouth Valiant convertible, riding through the Rockies in tandem.

Now, on to “stuff” about things other than B & B. Goodbye B & B, hello You Tube. The next clip highlights (lowlights?) the following “Signs of the Times”, a statement (one of many found on You Tube) of the overall good, bad and ugly of signage adorning us wherever we are.

The Big Finish: My favorites from Les Miserables by a wonderful flashmob rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus. B & B wish you and your’s a very joyful Holi season.

The Last Big Finish: Meet our neighbors, Dr. Richard and Michele Keown live on the fifth floor of our “tower”, directly above our place on the second floor. We ate “roofmates”. Back in 2018 when we moved to Fort Myers, we moved into a two-unit condo where the Keowns were our condo “roofmates”. “Roofmates forever”. We cannot thank them enough for the aid and assistance they gave to Barrie when Bill was hospitalized in February 2020 for heart surgery, and again in October 2023 when Bill was hospitalized with a severely broken ankle.

So, in January 1964, Bill drove to VT in our very small MGA convertible, and Barrie and I headed for our first Navy tour together, Newport, RI. We landed in a third floor walk up just off Bellevue Avenue (around the corner from the Newport Tennis Hall of Fame) – OK for me but not the best place for very pregnant Barrie.

1 Red Cross Avenue, Newport RI

I reported to USS Keppler (DD 765) as communication officer.

Keppler was an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) destroyer and ASW was the ongoing theater of operational naval activities in the Atlantic at the time, so Keppler and other ships in Destroyer Squadron 24 a lot of time at sea (a/k/a “underway”) during the two years that I was aboard, chasing submarines (we always believed) or ghosts from Newport to the Mediterranean Sea to the Arctic Ocean. We were engaged in local operations when on January 28, 1964, I received a communication from a kind soul indicating that our son was born in the Naval Base Hospital Newport. During my tour, and with the assistance of known or unknown angels, we believe, in 1965 we were able to transfer to Navy housing at old Fort Adams, right on the Newport Bay with million-dollar views most of Newport, a top of the line seat for watching Americas Cup Racing, and an occasional stroll down a path to visit with Macaroni, Jackie Kennedy’s pony, at Hammersmith Farm. Pretty neat stuff.

Bill has no (self-deprecating) stories from his Keppler tour. It was arduous duty, but we were rewarded by his selection to attend “Destroyer School”, big deal in it’s day for those who wanted to stay in the Navy and looking for opportune Navy jobs in the future. That reward brought with it a “respite” from sea duty to the joy of coming home at night.

Bill spent his six months at DESTECH (as it was known), finished in the top 10 of his class, and the received a set of orders that he dreamed of, Operations Officer on a San Diego based destroyer, USS Rogers (DD 876).

The best memories in Newport (other than the lobsters at Christie’s), were having playmates in Newport, the aforementioned George and Kitty Williams, and across Narragansett Bay, Chi Psi buddies Bob and Judy Lebel. After all Navy was done, Virginia was in our rear windows, Newport remains our most favored tour for duty and play.

Now, on to the better stuff, starting with Talent – a mix of auditions at different venues (10 Auditions That Will Go Down in History) – including the famous introduction of Susan Boyle to the world:

Next, hallejulah to Hallejulah. Many years ago, Barrie and I traveled to Dayton, OH, to watch granddaughter Dani and her high school teammates participate in the national high school Color Guard Championships (think of them as an indoor drill team performance). Bill’s sister Jane and grandniece Melissa joined us for the event. Dani was the star of her group and her performance was outstanding. I was stricken, however, by my first hearing of the music “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. After the event I asked Melissa “what was that music, it was haunting”! She told me and I became a Hallelujah fan, corralling clips on You Tube of individuals and groups who have performed Hallelujah. Check out the following renditions of Hallelujah:

• Lucy Thomas – https://youtu.be/4hjgkvuKES8?si=uW6BRGpVHQlH0lIP
• Josh Groban in France – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPcuZieBAeE&list=PL9xO7K6ky7ww-fXNWJTbGiTygHILvvZ3b&index=2&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB
• Leonard Cohen – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q&list=PL9xO7K6ky7ww-fXNWJTbGiTygHILvvZ3b&index=3&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB
• Josh Groban and Lucia Micarelli – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOgsE1FLSKs&pp=ygUQZ3JvYmFuIG1pY2FyZWxsaQ%3D%3D
• K D Lang – The Classic – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcOQSk_cMO0&pp=ygUsaGFsbGVsdWphaCBrZCBsYW5nIG9seW1waWNzIG9wZW5pbmcgY2VyZW1vbnnSBwkJCwoBhyohjO8%3D
• Cassanda Star and Sister – Easter Lyrics – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaMNDpNqQ2s

Groban Duets – Click on the following to see some Groban duet specials:

• Josh Groban and Helene Fischer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOre5B_KbJU&list=PL9xO7K6ky7wzlcRP5EOwXJ0pjH8THzsOa&index=1&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB
• Groban and Clarkson – https://youtu.be/SE1T0lS_Zzo?si=zHts_DiLpHsKPGPU
• Groban and Celine Dion – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a54KFXK5vdQ&list=PL9xO7K6ky7wzlcRP5EOwXJ0pjH8THzsOa&index=3&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB
• Groban  and Jen Malenke – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lca0wYLFmtg&list=PL9xO7K6ky7wzlcRP5EOwXJ0pjH8THzsOa&index=4&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB
• Groban and H. E. R. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8K6rDCZVdI&list=PL9xO7K6ky7wzlcRP5EOwXJ0pjH8THzsOa&index=5&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB

Lindsey, Greg, and Annie arrive beginning today for Thanksgiving, so see you at Post 3, whenever.