Daily Dirt: From ‘When Harry Met Sally’ to the ‘Walrus of Love,’ it’s a season of celebration

Fall is truly a wonderful time of the year. The first of today’s three thoughts explains one of the reasons why in Vol. 105 of the Daily Dirt.

1. We’re entering the heart of autumn. The leaves are (finally) starting to turn. The air has that familiar October chill in the mornings and evenings, and the yard mowing is about to come to an end until next spring.

This time of the year also features earlier and earlier sunsets. It is perfect for curling up on the couch — covered by a blanket, of course — and enjoying a good movie with the Little Woman. But not just any movie. It has to be a perfect “fall” flick. In our house that would mean one or more of the following:

• “When Harry Met Sally” (1989): One of, and possibly the greatest rom-coms of all-time. This Meg Ryan-Billy Crystal effort is perfect for a fall viewing. Not only is it a tremendous movie, but much of it is engulfed by falling leaves and autumnal clothing and colors. This is what one critic once wrote: “It always gets me in the mood for fall because the feeling of best friends turned into lovers over a course of time is effortless … It’s beautiful and the humor is perfect.” This movie was at the height of Meg Ryan’s career. It was well before she opted for the unneeded plastic surgery ruining her looks (and career).
• “Remember the Titans” (2000): Hey, it’s fall and what says autumn more than football? This film also is incredibly heartwarming. Kathy and I first saw this in the theater shortly after it had been released. Both of us wanted to stand up and cheer at the end. Remember the Titans. Always, remember the Titans. If you have seen this marvelous film, I’m sure you understand those sentiments. And for the record, this is my favorite Denzel Washington film ever.
• “You’ve Got Mail” (1998): Another Ryan-in-the-fall classic, this one with Tom Hanks. The movie was one of (and possibly the first) to use email as an important element. The perfect backdrop of the film was provided by New York’s upper west side — in the fall.
• “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993): And yet another Ryan fall film, and another with Hanks. Throw out “Remember the Titans” from this list, and you have the perfect Meg troika. You really can’t go wrong with any of the three, but I would suggest watching them in chronological order, which is the way they appear here. 

2. The late great Barry White was known as “The Walrus of Love.” A rather large individual — actually, there was no “rather” about, Barry was gigantic — White produced some of the most iconic sounds of the ’70s before a series of health issues (for starters, he smoked an average of 150 cigarettes a day) took him from us at age 58 in 2003.
White was born 77 years ago in the early fall of 1944, so let’s take a minute and remember some of the Walrus of Love’s best-known contributions to music:

• “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” (You cannot help but feel good after this classic.)
• “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” (Let’s sing it together … “My darling, I … can’t get enough of your love, babe …”)
• “I’m Gonna Love Your Just A Little More Baby” (Turn down the lights and snuggle close to the one you’re with … )
• “What Am I Gonna Do With You” (The Walrus could moan like no other singer …)_
• “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me” (SIng it, Barry. Sing it …)
• “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up” (I hear you, Barry. I hear you …)
• “I’ve Got So Much to Give” (I’m worn out just reading these song titles …)

White had five No. 1 songs. For the better part of a decade, he was THE romantic artist when it came to song styling.

Sing on, Walrus of Love. Sing on.

3. Let’s top off today’s offering with a few “Found on Facebook” treasures:

• “I thought growing old would take longer.” (That makes two of us!)
• “Here’s to the old days, when we could make fun of each other without everyone getting their panties in a bunch.” (No kidding …)
• “I’ve started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It’s called raisin awareness.” (Not bat, not bad at all …)
• “You know how they throw the ball into the crowd after they win a game? That’s not allowed in bowling. I know that now.” (Raise your hand if you just imagined a bowling ball flying into a group of people …)
• “In the fall, my family likes to play a little game. It’s called, ‘How long can we freeze before turning on the heat for the first time?'” (As I am writing this, it is 62 degrees in the mancave. My wife thinks it is hot.)

Steve Fact O’ The Day
Steve has been outside the United States once in his life. In 1969, he visited Canada. “That’s why we have the Travel Channel,” he once said. “There’s really no reason to leave home any more.”