Betsy's Blog

Do you find the lazy days of summer to be on the wild side this year? I do! Let me tell you what happened on the cross-country trip that gave us a taste of Americana with a twist. My husband and I drove from Nevada for our Michigan 50th High School Reunion. We drove off the beaten road, ate in local cafes, and spoke with people in small towns and campgrounds along the way. In the cornfields of Kansas, we had an interesting evening in a small town in the middle of nowhere. There were long, windy roads lined with farmhouses like in the Wizard of Oz. There was only one restaurant open in this little town, Pizza Hut which was empty. The small kitchen crew was busy making pizzas for delivery. We were the only ones to place an order from the bored waitress. She told us about men pinching and making suggestive remarks to her last night. She said her manager told her to tell him the next time and he’ll kick them out. We couldn’t even finish the large pizza and took the rest of it ba...

            Why am I signing up to substitute teach when I just retired? Guess I'm bored, missing students, or want to earn extra money. Probably a combination of all three. I find myself looking at back-to-school news and school supply sales ads online. So I just signed up to substitute for the upcoming school year. Even though I tested positive for Covid after school ended, I am ready to put on my facemask and teach again. On my last day of school in May, my husband and I had avocado toast at a local Vegas Casino. Then my husband put a coin in a slot machine and won $1.67. Lucky start to the day! I was the first teacher at school at 7am. There was nothing for me to do but wait for for the Principal to stop by and check me out. So I sat at my classroom desk and reflected on my school career in 11 countries and 7 states. The Principal finally came and signed my sheet. Then I walked out the school door with two gifts from my students, a red teddy bear ...

Did you know “The Turtles” and six groups are touring 15 cities this summer on a “Happy Together Tour”? I was fortunate to see them perform in Las Vegas last week. Not only did the concert include The Turtles, but they had six other popular groups from the 1960s too. It was upbeat, energetic, and fun. I was surprised that I remembered most of the words along with the crowd around me. The audience was singing and wanted to dance, but then the others couldn't see the stage. The crowd stood up and rocked out to the grand finale of timeless hits. It was a fun trip back in time, and the music brought back memories of friends, school, politics, and fashion. All of the bands were missing original musicians. I wonder how many of them are still alive or if they can even remember their touring days. One of the star singers needed guidance to walk offstage and his long hair covered his face so who knows if he was singing. The musical groups are still having fun performing and spreading that g...

“Do you think I’m sexy?” is one of Rod’s famous songs and he is still asking his fans that question at age 77! Last night, I was lucky enough to see Rod dance around a Vegas stage and it is true that he is forever young. Rod wore his neon gold sneakers and a red sequin suit coat with spikey blond hair that completed my picture of him over 50 years ago. That’s when I took his album “Never a Dull Moment” to college and felt like a cool student. I was lucky to see him perform his 107th concert in the elegant Colosseum Theater in Ceaser’s Palace. His medley of hits took me back to high school and brought tears to my eyes. He is a born performer and he had a crowd of over 4000 fans on their feet dancing. Rod was surrounded on stage by an all-female cast of high-heeled blond dancers and blond violinists. One of the dancers was a former Broadway star who injured herself tripping over the ironing board in her hotel room according to Rod. She had to sing her songs swaying onstage to the music. ...

         Who says that anyone can play the piano? I took lessons, practiced some, and can only play one song from memory. Now let’s take a closer look at a 72-year-old who is still playing the piano to stadium-size audiences. Yes, I am talking about the original piano man, Billy Joel. He hails from New Jersey and still sings with all the swag of his past. Not only that, but he is selling out stadium concerts by merely sitting on stage behind a white, grand piano. His recent concert in Las Vegas began and ended with a solo spotlight shining on Billy playing the keys. He mixed it up with rock, jazz, and some blues. Then he gradually added some musicians playing electric guitar, a bass, and a lot of fancy lights. Welcome to this amazing concert that I attended in the new Las Vegas Allegiant Stadium built for football games with the local Raiders team. It is transformed into a concert venue with chairs on the football field and a large stage surrounded by white scre...

Omicron is raging! I am sick and tired of Covid. Fourteen days ago, it arrived in my household and it is not over yet. My son is still sick as a dog. He tried to return to his job, but blacked out and almost fainted. His boss sent him home saying he doesn’t want sick employees showing up. However, it was Human Resources who called him up and told him it was time for him to return to work. New Year was a spreader event around the world. As a result, Covid has also affected my public school teaching job. Due to my exposure to a family member living in my home, I had to quarantine for five days. During this time, I was required to get two negative Covid tests with the results sent to my Principal. Then, my school district decided to take a five-day “pause” for staff and students. The concept was to give time for teachers and students to heal while the school germs disappeared. However, it has been thwarted by the new variant, Omicron. So we will see what happens when school resumes....

       “Would you like a face mask?” I asked this question over a hundred times as a volunteer usher at “The Christmas Carol” performance in Las Vegas. I shivered in my winter coat handing out black face masks to the patrons. Recently, the CDC announced that cloth face masks are useless, so I bought black KN95 masks. Two paid ushers stood with me checking vaccination cards as the patrons of the arts arrived. It was surprising how many forgot their driver's license or vaccination card as proof of ID. Then they had to call home to ask a family member to email them their vaccinations. The ‘Tiny Tim’ actor arrived with his mom at the backstage Smith Center entrance. Newly vaccinated children proudly showed their immunization cards with a smile. They were all dressed up in red and green. In the lobby, there were expensive shirts for sale with holiday cheer, ‘Bah Humbug’ and ‘Scrooge & Marley.’  The theater is a blast to the past with marble floors and private r...