Temptations "My Girl"

When you think of a mad-as-hell-and-not-gonna-take-it-anymore George Banks having a meltdown in the hotdog bun aisle at the grocery store, you immediately think of the 1991 movie Father of the Bride. Upon first watching this heartwarming movie in 1992, I was 15 years old and immediately connected with the character of George Banks: he loves his family, doesn't like letting go or major life changes, and holds in his anger until it inevitably explodes over something silly (like hotdog buns). Plus, the beloved Steve Martin stars as George Banks in the remake of the 1950 classic. What 15 year-old boy can watch a movie like Father of the Bride and immediately connect with a middle-aged character who's struggling to let go of his first-born daughter? Me, that's who.

When you meet someone with a shared love of family, baseball, radio, and the movie Father of the Bride, you're pretty lucky. When that same person also happens to have a heart of gold, laughs at all your stupid jokes and impressions and stares at you in a way no others have, you're pretty damn lucky. Add in stunning good looks and you feel like Brian McKenzie upon meeting Annie Banks.

This weekend, I'm celebrating Stephani's birthday by flying her favorite airline into her beloved Sky Harbor Airport followed by a tour of her former Phoenix haunts: Oreganos, Fossil Creek, and her old stomping grounds of ASU (where they apparently wore bathing suits to class). Throw in a visit to Comerica Theater to see the messiah himself (Rob Thomas), and you have yourself one heck of a birthday weekend. If we're lucky, maybe we'll even watch Father of the Bride on the plane...

Happy birthday, Stephani!
xo 

Sonny & Cher "I Got You Babe"

Harold Ramis asked Chicago radio legend Steve Dahl to play the role of the radio disc jockey in Groundhog Day, but he passed. Instead voiceover artist Richard Henzel played the iconic role. As far as casting goes, Ramis also considered Tom Hanks and Steve Martin for the role that ultimately went to his friend Bill Murray. Unfortunately, Ramis and Murray's friendship took a dump after filming the movie. At the time, Murray was going through a divorce and seemed to bring that pain onto the set each day by being hostile and habitually late. Things got so bad, the pair didn't speak for nearly 20 years after the film wrapped. Murray finally buried the hatchet when Ramis was on his deathbed in 2014.

Paul Young - "Everytime You Go Away"

Today's Adult Contemporary song comes from the request line and is for a shower curtain ring salesman named Dell Griffin.  What Thanksgiving would be complete without the John Hughes classic Planes, Trains & Automobiles?  This 1987 flick featured the song "Everytime You Go Away" as the credits rolled.  The movie used a version from a group named Blue Room whereas Paul Young made the song a hit in 1985.  To add further confusion, Hall & Oates actually first recorded the song for their Voices album in 1980.  Happy Thanksgiving!