And now the rest of the '70s, in random order....

....my "eventual" completion of a look back at my first 40 years continues; looking now past sports of the 1970's and to the other events that scream "70's" in my ear.

--When I was five, six, seven---I thought Richard Nixon was always President. He was the only one I ever saw on TV, he must be President forever.

--I remember where I was and what I was wearing the night I saw Nixon resign on TV. I was seven. That's sad. :)

--If you live in Virginia and remember politics here in the 70s, you'll remember these two words:

Henry Howell.

--If you live in the Richmond area and remember politics here in the 70s, you'll remember these two words:

Howard Carwile.

Then there was Governors Holton, Godwin the Republican (having previously served in the 60s by the stage name "Godwin the Democrat" and Dalton; the final years of the "Byrd Machine" as Senator Harry F. Byrd headed toward retirement.

Then two deaths within the Virginia Republican ranks changed the course of Virginia politics; one in 1978, the other in 1986.

--Richard Obenshain, the Republican Nominee for U.S. Senate in 1978, who died in a plane crash in early August. John Warner was picked to succeed him as nominee and still is a U.S. Senator today. Some say Obenshain's death was not "an accident".

--Gov. John Dalton, who won the '77 election, was considered a shoo-in to run for U.S. Senate during the 80s, but was diagnosed with lung cancer after leaving office and died three years later.

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The headlines of the decade I remember:

--Watergate hearings pre-empt soap operas! Housewives of the nation unite!

--Sam Ervin, John Dean, and 74 other people (or so it seemed) became household names.

--Agnew resigns; Gerald Ford appointed Veep.

--Ten months later, Ford becomes President when Nixon resigned.

--Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam. I remember seeing footage of the fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975, and the frantic attempts of people trying to leave via the last helicopters.

--America's Bicentennial in 1976. "The Bicentennial Minute" feature in prime time on CBS. Bicentennial quarters! I still like hanging on to a few of them.

--Jimmy Who?

--Jimmy wins; walks to the White House in Inaugural Parade, which I watched from home, sick, so not at school.

--I'm watching Charlie's Angels with my brother one July, 1977 night when suddenly, it went off the air. So did CBS. So did NBC. It was the New York Blackout.

--Legionnaire's Disease in Philadelphia.

--Generalissmo Francisco Franco is near death.
--Generalissmo Francisco Franco is dead.
--Generalissmo Francisco Franco is still dead.

--Detente (is this facial cream used by Brezhnev?)

--Son of Sam.
--Jim Jones and Guyana.
--Sadat talks to Walter who talks to Begin who talks to Sadat who then talks with Begin with Walter; plus Walters talks to Begin and Sadat who agree to meet, and, eventually...

--The Israeli/Egyptian peace accord, with the handshake on the White House Lawn. Was it me, or did it look like 25 people's hands were in on it, it looked so big?

--ABC's World News Tonight; July 10, 1978.
--Tropical Storm Agnes, 1972; floods our basement on my 5th birthday.

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The TV entertainment I remember includes:

--The FBI.....but only the "Epilogue". We'd get home from church each Sunday night in time to see the final scene. A glass of strawberry milk was awaiting me (the Sunday night treat). Whoo hoo!!

--Gilligans Island
--Get Smart (the Cone of Silence!!)
--The Gong Show (yes, The Gong Show--I LOVED it!)
--Match Game '7...whichever year it was....
--The Flintstones!!!
--and of course, The Jetsons!
--Saturday morning consisted of Bugs Bunny and the Pink Panther.
--Throw Shazam and Isis in there during their runs...
--the evening news.
--the local news.
--election nights.
--MLB Game of the Week, Saturday afternoons.
--Monday Night Baseball
--Monday Night Football
--Sunday football on CBS and NBC (I preferred the NFC on CBS, unless the Raiders were on!!)
--The Dating Game
--The Newlywed Game
--Gomer Pyle, USMC
--The Captain & Tennille (their variety show, I had a HUGE crush on Toni Tennille at age 9)

I'm sure there are others. Feeble minds begin to forget. :)

Music (cue the 45!)

--Record your favorite songs with a Panasonic Portable off WRVA-AM. Yes, kids...AM.

--Love Will Keep Us Together
--Philadelphia Freedom
--Mr. Jaws
--Never Can Say Goodbye
--Some 30 or 40 Eagles songs (take your pick)
--The Beatles' "Rock n' Roll Music" Double LP, 1976
--Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits (one of the first albums I bought; listened to it every night going to sleep.)
--Blues Brothers (Rubber Biscuit!!)
--The Sultans of Swing

--The Spirit of America, 1480, WLEE, Richmond.

--"Daniel" (on the radio while on 301 South going through Wilson, NC; heading toward Four Oaks, and a thunderstorm.

--"Rumours" from Fleetwood Mac.
--"Been to Canaan" from Carole King; if my sister sang it once in her room, she sang it 5,000 times.

--Boston's debut album. One of the five best LP's of all time.

--One word: disco.

--"Knock on Wood" from Amie Stewart was a great disco song.

--I liked more disco music than I wanted to admit then. And now. :)

--August, 1979: "My Sharona".

--Abba. Backwards, spelled Abba.

MORE FROM THE 45 RPM COLLECTION (mostly bought at Woolco or Woolworth at 86 cents apiece thanks to Dad's weekly Thursday trips to Azalea Mall armed with a weekly list from my brother and I. Thanks, Dee, for all the help at Woolworth!!)

--"Convoy"
--"Get Up And Boogie"
--"Why Can't We Be Friends"
--"One Piece at a Time"
--"Shop Around"
--"Moonlight Feels Right"
--"Afternoon Delight" (like I knew what THAT meant at age 9.5)
--"Theme From SWAT" (yes....SWAT)
--"Rubberband Man"
--"Best of My Love" (Eagles and the Emotions)
--"Le Freak!!"
--"Car Wash"
--"Whatcha Gonna Do"
--"Undercover Angel"

and lots more, I'm sure.


Ah, yes, the 70s. Started them in potty training, ended them at age 12, 7th grade, having no idea what the 1980's would bring.

Four TV Channels, AM Radio, 45 Records, Panasonic Tape Recorders, Leisure Suits, Disco, lots of golf and football and baseball in the back yard, "Five-Second Ball" against the front of the house. And so much more.

Thanks for your indulgence. :):)