Regular listeners already know about GamerDude's love for music, and for TV, when he was growing up. In this episode, he talks about - and plays - 15 of the most memorable TV theme songs that he grew up with.  This is by no means the most definitive or complete list. The songs featured in this episode run the gamut from Saturday morning cartoons to late night television and everything in between. This is just the first in what GamerDude anticipates will be a continuing series of TV Theme Song episodes.

Rather than tell you about the titles of the songs here, you can play a little "name that tune" as you listen to the episode, and reminisce about (or discover for the first time) some of the classic television theme songs from the past.

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

GamerDude talks about why he started running when he was young.  He touches on his days as "the fat kid" and how that initially inspired him, and then talks about what became his "bible" of running, an old book called "The Beginning Runner's Guide." He tells the story about how he was paired up with one of the track team members in high school during gym class (before he lost the weight), and how crushing it was to see that runner finish a lap before GamerDude was half-way around the track. He talks about his first real running shoes, and how he leared that running slowly still counts as "running." He remembers running the track after he graduated high school, and timing himself in the mile.  He talks about training himself for distance running, and how he coached himself to be able to run a six-mile route. And he explains how a six-mile run on a hot July day caused him to remove the six-mile distance from his schedule.  Finally, GamerDude talks about the importance of finding "your thing," and doing it, not only for the physical benefits, but for the mental benefits as well.

In this episode, GamerDude has compiled a number of short stories about various memories he has from growing up, about a wide variety of topics.  He talks about the one time he went sailing in an old school sailboat.  The story about sailing reminded him of the one cruise he and his family went on, and he explains how "fun" the cruise experience was.

GamerDude also talks about a couple random driving tips about driving on the road with tractor trailers that he learned from his dad on a road trip to Ohio. He also talks about discovering the "motorcyclist's salute" when he finally bought a motorcycle.

GamerDude also talks about weddings, and how one of the best weddings he went to was his college roommate's wedding at a church in Ohio.  He compares the simplicity of that wedding to the "destination weddings" and the "catering hall weddings" he has attended or heard about in recent years, and wonders whether one of those over-the-top weddings is actually worth it.

Finally, GamerDude talks about his distaste of critters in the house, from cave crickets to mice, and describes his prowess at using mouse traps.

In these days where many people are doing more cooking and baking, GamerDude re-visits his grandmother's kitchen and talks about some of the things we used to do in the kitchen - like actually cook - and talks about how these are things we can start doing again.  He talks about simple things, like baking your own bread, grating your own cheese, and making coffee with a percolator, and more complicated things, like making your own preserves.  He talks about making sour dough bread, and passing on "sour dough starter" from generation to generation.

He also talks about cookbooks, and how he inherited a collection of old recipes from his mother. He talks about some of the old recipes he found, like the ones for Apple Puffs and Prune Whip Cake, and shares a recipe for Lemon Sponge Pudding.  It's a recipe that he's never actually tried, but he gives you the ingredients and explains how to make this "mystery recipe" from his mother's collection.

GamerDude tells the stories about his fascination with Star Trek: The Original Series. He shares his views on the optimisitic future embodied by The Original Series, and why it resonated with him when he watched the show in syndication when he was young. He talks about his admiration for Captain Kirk and the fact that he was a man of action who nevertheless took responsibility for his actions. He explains why a hopeful view of humanity, with all races, religions, creeds and colors working together was so inspiring to him when he was young, and why he still turns to Star Trek as a basis for his continued belief that humanity can better itself, and make the world a better place.

GamerDude celebrates Episode 100 of the podcast with some stories about Thanksgiving. He talks about the family gatherings he had during the holidays, and talks about his first family political battle: trying to graduate from the "kids table" at his grandmother's house. He talks about his grandmother's famous rice ring, her infamous undercooked turkey, and the tasty appetizer she always served (orange sherbet in cranberry juice).

He then spends some time talking about the journey to 100 episodes of Storytime, and how grateful he is for all those who listen around the world. He talks about how thankful he is that so many people take so much time to listen to the podcast, and talks about how interesting it is to see which episodes get the biggest reactions.

He then shares a non-secular Thanksgiving prayer, giving thanks for the important things in life: heat, faces, and eating, before closing with Thanksgiving wishes for everyone.

On "A Very Special Episode" of StoryTime, GamerDude gets very personal about his early life. He shares stories about what it was like to grow up as "the fat kid" in school. He shares stories about how he grew to be that "fat kid," what is was like in school, how it affected him, and how that "fat kid" experience stays with you. He shares the story about how he decided to make the change in his life that allowed him to lose the weight and change his outlook, and he also shares the story of how knowing we're not alone in our struggles makes those struggles easier to handle.

This week's episode is all about TV. In the first part, GamerDude talks about several TV plots that have been re-used and recycled over the years in the various TV series he's watched.  He talks about several different plot points, including how tired he is of the "Falsely Accused" plot, and the "Is Our Hero Dead?" plot. Unless it's a series finale, GamerDude is quite certain that the hero is not dead as a result of the freak explosion, the car crash, or the missing plane.GamerDude also talks about "Mistaken Identities" and "Evil Twins," as well as several others.

In the second part of the episode, GamerDude takes a musical trip through TV, sharing some of his favorite themes from shows in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.  Okay, maybe they're not all "favorite" songs, but all of the themes are quite memorable, quite catchy, and a few are actually quite iconic.  No spoilers! You'll have to listen to hear which 15 theme songs are featured this time!

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

As you can tell from this podcast, GamerDude loves to tell stories. In this episode, he talks about shaggy dog stories, what they are and what they're supposed to do. Basically, a shaggy dog story is a story that has a long build up and eventually goes nowhere. GamerDude explains how shaggy dog stories are told purely for entertainment and amusement; sometimes, the entertainment is for the audience, and sometimes it's just for the storyteller.

GamerDude also explains why shaggy dog stories are called shaggy dog stories.  He tells what many believe to be the archetypical shaggy dog story, which is about - what else? -  a shaggy dog. He also shares examples of several other kinds of shaggy dog stories. He tells the pirate story, the story about the subway trip, the story about Artie the hitman, and the story about the eccentric general.

As GamerDude has mentioned numerous times, the way society viewed things, and the way things were when he grew up, was very different than it is now. In this episode, GamerDude talks about how embarrassing it was to have to go into a store and buy "prophylactics," which is what condoms were called when he was a kid. He talks about how he felt guilty and embarrassed about the whole "condom buying experience," and how that was a function of society attaching "shame" to the concept of anything related to sex.

He also remembers finding his dad's cache of "girlie magazines."  Playboy was every young man's fantasy when he was a kid, but just like buying condoms, there was guilt and shame attached to the idea that teenage boys would want to look at naked women.  He talks about how, just like condoms, the adult magazines were kept behind a counter so that you had to ask for them, which by itself, attached a level of embarrassment to the process. He talks about how Playboy tried to legitimize itself with its famous "Interviews," and how various popular authors also wrote articles for it as well. He also talks about other adult magazines, including Penthouse, Cavalier, and several others, and explains how these were one of the few avenoues available for guys who wanted to see nude women.  He also talks about how Stephen King's earliest short stories were published in the men's magazine Cavalier.

GamerDude also talks about going to his first X-rated movie: Debbie Does Dallas. He also talks about how adult movies eventually moved to cable TV, and how you had to watch through the scrambled signal if you couldn't get your parents to pay the additional cost for those adult channels.

As regular listeners of Storytime know, GamerDude is a huge fan of the movies. In this "Best Of" episode, GamerDude has compiled many of the movie tropes he loves to hate.  From the "always present parking space" that's always there for the protagonist, to the "easily exploding car" that so many action movies seem to have, to someone always running upstairs, or onto the roof, to escape pursuit, to the arch-villain's "this is why I'm doing it" speech at the end of the film, GamerDude talks about all of the tropes you can find over and over again in the movies these days.

As regular listeners know, GamerDude has always enjoyed stories, whether reading them or having them read to him.  Some of the earliest stories that he remembers from his childhood were Aesop's fables.  Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller who was probably one of the earliest "people-watchers."  He watched people, saw how they acted, and crafted stories about people and their behavior from his observations.  He would use animals in his stories to portray the characteristics he observed, and each of his stories - some of them quite short - would convey a moral, or lesson, that could be learned from the behaviors.

These fables were a big part of GamerDude's childhood.  He remembers his mother reading them to him, and he remembers reading them himself, and the lessons he learned from those stories helped shape the kind of person he is.

GamerDude shares some of the fables he remembers.  He tells the tales of The Fox and The Grapes, and The Oak and The Reeds, and The Sparrow and The Crow, and The Ass In The Lion's Skin, among others. He also shares his favorite: The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and explains how these stories influence his decisions in life, and his personality.

GamerDude's love for amusement parks was not shared by his parents when he was growing up, so it wasn't until he was on his own that he was able to plan a trip to Disney World. In this episode, he talks about planning his first trip to Disney World. He explains how he spent time in the library, and reading guide books, learning about Disney World, and planning his first "grown up" vacation to Florida. He talks about researching the best way to get there, and the best time to go, and planning the trip accordingly.

He remembers what it was like when he first got to Florida, and how exciting it was to see palm trees all around for the first time. He then recalls what it was like the first time he got to Disney World, and how huge the place is. He talks about the ferry ride across the lagoon to the Magic Kingdom, and seeing the monorail for the first time, and the Contemporary Hotel. He talks about the various rides he remembers at The Magic Kingdom, from the Jungle Cruise to Space Mountain. He remembers riding the Pirates of the Carribean long before Jack Sparrow ever existed, and how different the original ride was from how it is today. 

He also discusses the two parts of Epcot, and how interesting it was.  He talks about the pavilions in the World Showcase and how it felt like taking a walking tour of the world as you wandered from country to country. And he remembers how the nerd in him loved taking the time to explore the various Lands in Epcot, from The Living Seas to The World of Motion, all long before Test Track and Mission to Mars ever existed. And, he remembers how big Michael Jackson's Captain Eo movie (which was exclusive to Epcot) was at the time.

He concludes by talking about how expensive Disney World is now, compared to what it used to be, and how unfortunate it is that so many people are being priced out of a wonderful experience.

GamerDude's love for music is no secret to regular listeners. In this episode, he talks about how his mom tried to teach him piano at an early age. He remembers learning the basics - FACE for the spaces on the music staff, and "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge" for the lines, and he remembers becoming fairly adequate playing notes with his right hand. It was when he had to incorporate his left hand into his piano playing that his keyboard career was cut short. He also talks about his mom's piano playing, and the various sheet music and song books she collected over the years.

GamerDude then shares his list of Top 15 Piano/Keyboard Intros for the rock songs he grew up with.  No spoilers here; you'll have to listen to the episode to get the list (and excerpts from the songs), but the list includes songs from the 1960s to the 2000s and artists who are simply legendary.

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

GamerDude has always loved breakfast. When he was a kid, he ate mostly cereal, and he loved the different kinds of sugary cereals all kids love, even though his mom didn't buy them very often. He craved the Sugar Smacks, Sugar Corn Pops, and Sugar Frosted Flakes, but usually had to settle for Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, and the various Chex cereals. He also enjoyed Shredded Wheat, especially after his dad taught him how to make warm shredded wheat. He also liked hot cereal, from oatmeal, to Cream of Wheat, and once again, his dad taught him a way to eat oatmeal that made it delicious. GamerDude also talks about his love of Grape Nuts cereal, and how it actually helped transition him to a love of granola.

He also talks about his mom's famous recipe for "Eggs on Toast," which was nothing more than scrambled eggs on toast, and how she introduced him to scrambled egg sandwiches. Because she usually made those for lunch, it was normal to GamerDude to eat eggs and toast at pretty much any time. He also talks about his grandmother's bacon, and how nothing compared with it.

GamerDude explains how he was introduced to all of the other breakfast foods, like waffles, French toast, pancakes, and sausage, when he went away to college. One of the cafeterias on campus had a special restaurant called The Strawberry Patch, which specialized in different breakfast foods. It was there that GamerDude expanded his horizons when it came to breakfast; in addition to everything else, he discovered the delights of hashbrowns and home fries.

GamerDude also shares his quick and simple recipes for French toast. He explains how it can be as simple, or as fancy, as you'd like it to be.

GamerDude shares some stories about how he kept busy after school each day.  The "after school routine" included snacks in front of the television, where he discovered Bugs Bunny, Lost in Space, and The Brady Bunch, playing outside with friends, and playing inside when the weather required.  He also learned how to cook, and how to bake, and discovered the unmatched joy of fresh, homemade chocolate chip cookie dough. (Yes, it may be bad for you, but it was SO good!)

GamerDude tells some stories about the memories he has of his grandparents. He remembers his grandfathers Mac and Sam, his grandmothers Iva and Pearl, and he shares his memories of visiting with them.  He talks about how spotty his memories are because he never realized at the time how many stories about life they could have shared, and he explains how this missing family history helped inspire the stories he tells in Storytime.

When he was a kid, GamerDude loved winter.  He talks about how hard it was to go through the long days of school from January 2 through mid-February, and how he longed for the occasional snow day. He remembers riding the bus to school in the snow, and the clank of the snow chains on the road, which made getting to school so much easier than it is now. He talks about the snowball fights they used to have in his neighborhood, and explains why he never took to skiing.  He talks about the winter activities he did enjoy, from skating to sledding, and he talks about riding flying saucers, Flexible Flyers and toboggans down the hills near his home.  And he talks about the snow ramp he and his friends built at the bottom of a hill, and his attempts to photograph the result.

In this episode, GamerDude talks about growing up as someone who worried about every single thing. He worried about what clothes he wore, what kids were going to bully him, which kids were going to mock his lunch box, whether he was going to fail a class, whether he was going to get into trouble, whether he was ever going to college.  He talks about how his mother tried to convince him that it didn't matter what other kids thought, and how hard it is for a kid to accept that.  He then returns to The Bookhouse, the story book series from which his mother read to him as a child, and shares the story of The Three Sillies, by Joseph Jacobs, which is all about unnecessarily worrying about silly things. He then talks about overcoming his tendency to worry, and about how his father's philosophy of never dwelling on "woulda, coulda, shoulda" helped him learn not to worry about things he couldn't control. GamerDude concludes with a little life advice on how to keep your unnecessary worrying to a minimum.

GamerDude developed his sense of humor at a young age as he listened to comedians and comedy albums on his record player as far back as he can remember. He learned the secret of comedy (timing), and learned how to tell a good story, and tell it in a funny way, by listening to some of the old school masters of the craft. He talks about listening to Bill Cosby, who, long before he was convicted of some pretty horrible abuses, was nevertheless a master story teller.  He talks about some of his other favorites, from the rapid-fire one-liners of Henny Youngman and Rodney Dangerfield to the carefully crafted and perfectly timed stories of Bob Newhart and Shelley Berman. He also talks about George Carlin and his evolution from the days of the Hippy Dippy Weatherman to the comic who did the routine about the Seven Words You Can't Say On Television. GamerDude also remembers one of his favorite comedy albums by Albert Brooks - Comedy Minus One. He describes the unique comedy sketch built into the album by Albert Brooks, where the listener would actually perform the sketch with Albert Brooks, and how he spent hours rehearsing the sketch to perform it for his parents.  GamerDude didn't care that it was classic corniness; he just liked the opportunity to "perform" the sketch. (The script for the sketch - and the sketch from the album itself - are available here; you can judge the corniness factor for yourself.)

Regular listeners know that GamerDude loves his TV shows.  This week, he talks about some of the sillier shows that he grew up with, like I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. He also talks about some of the fairly ridiculous plot points he found in some of the shows he loved as a kid, like Starsky's "girlfriend of the week" who always seems to wind up dying.

GamerDude also shares some more of his favorite theme songs, this time from some of the lesser known shows from the 60s, 70s and 80s. He includes some iconic themes that are easily recognizable, and some that might be familiar but you can't quite place them.  No spoilers! You'll have to listen to the episode to find out which themes are in the episode!

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

This week, GamerDude is celebrating President-Elect Biden's win! He talks about the relief he felt after the election was called, and how he didn't realize how much stress he'd been carrying around for the past four years until the results finally came in on Saturday, November 7, 2020.  He talks about his happiness and spends some time chair-dancing!

GamerDude also talks about how he has always voted, and what politics and "the system" have meant to him.  He talks about how the political parties have evolved and changed over the past few decades, and how the Republican party has changed from a party about fiscal conservativism and free trade to a party about selfishness, unbridled spending, anti-immigration policies and suppression of peoples' rights.  He also asks the unswerable question: how do we heal such a divided country, when there is so much tribalism, so much selfishness, so much of a comic-book villain mentality, where there must be a winner and there must be a loser, and the other side must not only be defeated but destroyed.  He talks about holding grudges, and extending olive branches, and recognizing that if an olive branch is rejected, it's okay to shrug and move on.  And GamerDude also confirms: punching Nazis is always acceptable.

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

GamerDude has shared a LOT of stories over the three seasons of Storytime and sometimes, a story may not make it into the final episode. In this week's Storytime, GamerDude has compiled six stories from a variety of different episodes over the yeears that didn't make the final cut of their episode, whether due to time constraints, or focus, or topic, or whatever.  GamerDude has stories about grilling, and about how to use your barbecue grill to slow cook your meat. He also has another cooking story about using a griddle, and keeping things warm when cooking for multiple people.

From his episodes about forgotten things, and things we don't remember anymore, GamerDude has stories about "flour sack clothes" and where they came from, what becoming a "blood brother" meant when he was a kid, and how cool his old Schwinn Chopper bicycle was when he was growing up. Finally, he has a story about the fact that there's no "a-ha!" moment when you realize that you're finally "an adult."

For Halloween, GamerDude talks about scary stories and authors he's read over the years, from Stephen King to Peter Straub to Edgar Allan Poe. He talks about why he finds scary books and stories even more terrifying than movies - because your imagination can make things so much worse than a movie can depict.

GamerDude then takes us back to "the Halloween Room" to read Poe's classic tale, The Tell-Tale Heart, where it gets "the Halloween Room treatment." He also talks about how Poe's stories are much darker and more disturbing than people may realize, and how they reflect how people have been fascinated with the macabre and the terrifying for far longer than many realize.

With Halloween just around the corner, it's the perfect time to talk about horror movies. This week, GamerDude talks about the various genres of horror movies, from the disturbing gore-fests and psycho killers, to the paranormal and psychological thrillers, to the ever-popular monster movies.  He explains why he doesn't watch the gore-fests like Saw and Hostel, why home-invasion movies bother him, and why he doesn't like psycho killers.  He also talks about how he doesn't mind haunted house and other paranormal movies, like The Amityville Horror and Carrie, and how he grew up with the classic monster movies, like Frankenstain, Dracula, and The Night of the Living Dead.

He also talks about the overused horror movie tropes that are the backbone of so many scary movies. He explains how, far too often, a horror movie is an "idiot plot" movie - if everyone in the movie wasn't an idiot, there'd be no plot. He talks about people going to the "abandoned place" even though they should know better.  He talks about the "know-it-all" in every group, and how every group of survivors is inevitably split up. He discusses the jump scares that you always encounter in the kitchen and the bathroom. GamerDude also walks through the final sequence of far too many horror movies, from the shy girl being the last one alive, to the lost car keys, to the car that won't start, to the killer that won't die, to that final jump scare at the end.

In this week's "Best Of" episode, GamerDude revisits some stories from Season 1.  He talks about some superstitions that he actually believes (and some that he doesn't).  He shares a story about one of his favorite words - balderdash.  He talks about wasting energy worrying about things that are beyond your control.  And he shares one of his favorite Halloween stories, about his exploits on "mischief night" and why he always worries about the "family jewels" on Halloween.

Eating out was always a rare treat when GamerDude was growing up.  In this week's episode, he talks about the various - and different - options for eating out that he grew up with.  There were lunch counters in the back of Woolworths, and restaurants in the local Macy's department stores.  He talks about how those eating places gave way to food courts as stores left downtown areas to take up residence in the local malls.

GamerDude also talks about how menus used to be simple, with very few choices and very limited options.  This simplicity existed in diners, in restaurants, and even on the McDonald's menu, which - at first - was basically burgers, fries, and drinks.

He also remembers how restaurants changed over the years.  He talks about how the waitstaff took all orders by hand and how "giving you the check" at the end of the meal was a regular ritual.  He talks about how smoking was standard in restaurants, and air conditioning was not, and he remembers the old "cafeteria style" restaurants that are all but gone these days.  He also shares some of his favorite restaurant-related "dad jokes."

GamerDude's recent first viewing of the classic movie Taxi Driver prompted this episode about making the "good guy" choices. He talks about how society in general, and he in particular, used to focus on the good guy - Superman - as the hero in films, stories and life, and how the world has evolved to the point where now, the Joker is the hero. He talks about how Taxi Driver, one of the first anti-hero movies, and The Godfather, one of the first movies where gangsters were not shown as purely villainous, helped change society's views on "good guys" and "doing the right thing."

He talks about being brought up to "do right," and revisits the story of how he found a $10 bill on the street as a kid, and turned it into the police, because it was the right thing to do. He talks about how the default of most people when he was growing up was to do the "right thing," but over time, a selfishness has replaced the willingness to do the right thing in favor of a "what's in it for me?" attitude. He talks about how doing the right thing is not always convenient, but the overall benefit generally outweighs any minor inconvenience.  He talks about how this selfishness has changed society in personal, business and political settings, and how "getting away with something" is more important to some people than doing the right thing.  GamerDude also talks about the satisfaction he gets simply by doing the right thing, and can't understand people who make the choice to hurt, betray or cheat others.

Long-time listeners know about GamerDude's love of language. In this episode, GamerDude talks about words that he grew up hearing, and using, that we no longer use in everyday conversation.  He talks about old expressions, like "fiddlesticks" and "whippersnapper" and where they came from.  He talks about words that had short but significant lifespans, like "groovy" and "phat."

GamerDude also talks about words for clothes that we no longer use, from slacks and frock to dungarees and galoshes. He also talks about relationships, and how courting and necking no longer seem to exist, and "going steady" is a thing of the past. He also talks about how using words for women like "gal" and "broad" have largely fallen into disuse, and how calling a woman "honey," "darling," or "cupcake" is something that you simply shouldn't do.

Long-time listeners are aware of GamerDude's love of travel.  In this week's episode, he talks about how travel used to be when he was growing up, and how things that used to the norm simply no longer exist. He talks about the difference between hotels and motels, and how he used to stay in little mom-and-pop motels, both as a kid and as a broke, hungry college student. He talks about his first "continental breakfast" at the Bald Eagle Motel and how exciting it was to get "free food," even if it was just a Danish and coffee.

GamerDude also talks about the things that used to be common place in motels that no longer exist. He talks about room keys, and key fobs, and the key cubbie behind the desk clerk. He remembers the guest register, and carrying pockets full of change for the pay phone. He also remembers the "magic fingers" that some motels had for the beds.

GamerDude also talks about other fixtures of travel that we no longer have, do, or need to do.  He remembers getting road maps for the destinations you were heading to, and purchasing postcards for friends when you got there. He remembers taking his "friends and family" list on vacation, both for sending postcards and "just in case." And he remembers trying to figure out how much film to buy for the camera, and because pictures were limited by how much film you had, trying to decide what was "picture worthy" on a trip.

GamerDude talks about the very simple issue that first sparked his interest in "political activism." In his middle school, he witnessed how the students, who were interested in change, were able to effect a modification of the dress code to allow the boys to wear jeans and the girls to wear pants to school. He talks about how the archaic dress code was part of the mind-set of making sure "girls acted like girls." He also discusses other laws that were in place in the 1960s and 1970s that were also designed to "keep women in their place," from banks denying single women credit cards to women being ineligible to serve on juries.

GamerDude also talks about race, and how he became aware of racial prejudice. It wasn't until he left his hometown and discovered that people not only had differing views about race, but treated people differently because of their race.  He talks about the history of racism in this country, and how racism has been baked into society by the way laws were passed and enforced after the Civil War. He discusses how the concept of "separate but equal" came into play, and how that concept is actually the antithesis of equality. He talks about the passage of the Civil Right Act, and how the Constitution - despite the fact that it was written by a bunch of old white guys - was intended to apply to every person in the United States. He also discusses how equality for all should be the basic premise for all of the laws in the United States, and failure to understand that is nothing more than a failure to understand what the US is supposed to be about.

We, and our families, all collect "stuff" over the years. From Grandma's vintage wedding dress, to Uncle Joe's favorite couch, to Aunt Selma's Hummel collection, to your collection of vintage Beanie Babies, we all have "stuff" that we accumulate. Eventually, we all have to come to terms with what to do with that stuff. This week, GamerDude talks about having to deal with the stuff his parents accumulated over the years before they died, and how he went through and got rid of most of it, but how some of it is still stuff he finds difficult to part with. He talks about the mentality of "holding onto things because you never know when you'll need it" that he was brought up with, and talks about the "depression ere mentality" that his parents instilled in him - at least to some extent.

GamerDude also talks about some of the specific collectible things that people accumulate over the years. He talks about "big furniture," like the old couch, dining room set, or china cabinet.  He also talks about the collectibles, like souvenier spoons, and thimbles, and shot glasses, as well as things like cookie jars and salt-and-pepper shakers. He also mentions Hummels, and Beanie Babies, and Precious Moments figurines, and talks about how it's okay to get rid of things that you don't want, or need, or have any use for.  He closes by talking about preserving collections of more personal things, like your grandparents' love letters, as a permanent reminder of where you came from.

In this week's "Best of" episode, GamerDude goes back to Season One and brings back stories about summer vacation time.  He talks about how, when he was growing up, family vacations focused on what Dad wanted, not how to entertain the kids. He talks about the family's first trips to Chincoteague, Virginia, and what a "beach day" was for his family.  He also brings back the story about the joys of summer as a kid, and his travels by bike to Hacklebarney State Park.  And, he talks about back-to-school shopping for a lunch box!

This musical episode features some of GamerDude's favorite songs from the 1970s. He talks about how not all music from the 70s was disco, or hard rock.  He discusses the "adult contemprorary/folk rock/easy listening" genre that developed, and why (in his opinion) it came to exist at all.  He talks about the singer-songwriters of the era, whose songs had memorable messages, and staying power beyond the few months the songs were "on the charts."

GamerDude also plays some selections from some of his favorite and most memorable songs of the era, in the familiar "Name That Tune" format he's used in other musical episodes.  No spoilers here; you'll have to listen to the episode to hear who's on it.  But fans of "adult contemporary" and "folk rock" songs will likely recognize all of the songs on the list, and it will open up new musical horizons to those who haven't heard them before.

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

As GamerDude points out in this episode, growing older is inevitable but how you "grow up" is completely up to you. Relying on Jimmy Buffett's philosophy, GamerDude talks about the choice we all have in our attitudes about growing older and about choosing between keeping youthful attitudes as we grow older or becoming the "get off my lawn guy."

GamerDude talks about when he realized that growing older changes your outlook on life, and your physical abilities, but doesn't have to change the way you feel about yourself. He talks about playing in an adult basketball league in his late thirties, and how he realized that there was a difference between "young adults" and "adults." He talks about how dealing with that realization has a direct impact on how happy you will be with your life.

He also talks about things that he has learned from growing older, and the freedom you get when you understand that growing older frees you to make choices that are good for you. He talks about coming to the understanding that it's important to make choices, and surround yourself with people, that are good for you, and that make you happy. He talks about making the most out of your life with the people who mean the most to you. He also talks about the importance of taking pictures of your every day life so that, down the road, you remember the little things that were important to you then, and remind you of where you've come from.

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

This week, GamerDude returns to the topic of relationships, and what makes a good one.  He first talks about the difference between love and infatuation and tells the story about how his mother explained it to him when he was young.  He talks about reading Dear Abby's column in the newspaper and finding an article about the difference, and he explains what distinguishes infatuation from love, and why the distinction is important.

GemerDude also shares more advice and tips on how to build and maintain a good, loving relationship.  He talks about the importance of sharing time together, and being there for each other, while at the same time recognizing the importance for separate interests as well.  He talks about remembering to be romantic, not necessarily in a "flowers-and-candy" kind of way, but in the way that leaves the kitchen all cleaned up in the morning and your dirty jocky shorts in the hamper.  He talks about the importance of communicating, and that the communication doesn't have to be therapuetic but can be as simple as "I don't feel like pizza tonight."  He also talks about how communication and honesty work together to create trust, and how all three work together to form the basis for a good relationship.

This week is all about forgotten knowledge, whether it's things that once had a use we've long forgotten about, or things what we used to see every day that have all but disappeared from our lives. In this episode, GamerDude talks about that little "extra" pocket on your jeans, what the loop on the back of your dress shirt is for, why there is a glove compartment in your car, what those ridges on the "F" and "J" keys are for on your keyboard, and several other forgotten uses.

GamerDude also talks about a few everyday items that used to be everywhere but are now all but forgotten.  He talks about L'Eggs pantyhose and Hai Karate aftershave.  He also explains what the Columbia House record club was all about, and what S&H Green Stamps were used for.

Storytime has always been primarily about GamerDude's memories from growing up. This week, he talks about the value of keeping those memories, and preserving what's happening to you today so that you'll be able to remember it down the road.  He also talks about some of the random little memories that have come up over the years of doing this podcast.  He talks about the olfactory memory of his grandfather's shed.  He remembers the scents of old grass clippings and motor oil, and how that musty smell still triggers memories of that shed.  He talks about the odor around his grandmother's evergreen trees, and how he's taken back there every time he catches a whiff of that scent.  He also remembers the green smell of the infield at Yankee Stadium.

GamerDude also talks about the memories he acquired working in a garage as a kid.  He talks about learning how to do tune-ups, and oil changes, and brake jobs, and he tells the story about how he learned to replace the front end on his old VW bug.

GamerDude returns to one of his favorite topics: words and phrases. This week, he digs into some of the "old sayings" that he grew up with that aren't used quite as much as they used to be, and explains what they mean, and where they came from.  He talks about the phrase that inspired this episode: "built like a brick shit house." (Spoiler: it's actually supposed to be complimentary, to a certain extent anyway.)  He also talks about opening up a can of worms, cruisin' for a bruisin', putting in your two-cents worth, and several idioms we used to use, all involving salt.  He also talks about "bells and whistles" and when getting "close" is "close enough."  He also talks about when it's "time to pay the piper," and tells the origin story of that phrase.  No spoilers: you'll have to listen to the whole episode for that tale!

This week, GamerDude talks about things that used to be "every day items" featured in television shows that either don't make sense these days, or are not around anymore.  He talks about phone booths and pay phones, which used to literally be everywhere, and used to be featured in many TV shows. He also talks about answering machines and pagers/beepers, and how they worked, and how they were used on television. He also talks about the change in how bathrooms were talked about (or not talked about) in early television shows, and why married couples never shared the same bed.

GamerDude then shares 10 more memorable theme songs that he grew up with.  He features theme songs from news shows, from police dramas, and from some of the sitcoms he grew up with. No spoilers - you'll have to listen to the episode to hear the songs. (They start at about the 17 minute mark.)

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*