The Tangeman Family Blog

Friday, January 05, 2024

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Stories from Rick

Rick graduated from North Muskegon High School in 1964. Started college at a community college in 1965. His car of choice, at the time was a '55 Chevy.  There is a great framed 8" x 10" of him and the car that his brother Dave took around '65.  The other cool framed photo Rick has is of his Dad's Grand Haven intramural basketball team in 1935.  His Dad is seated on the bottom left in the photo.  He bought the car used and fairly souped up!  He was drafted in the Summer of  '66 after he dropped a class in college and was no longer considered a full-time student.  He put the Chevy in storage when he went to Vietnam and his Dad sold it for him while he was oversees.  Did ~6 months of basic training in Kentucky before heading to Denver for a ~6 month stint. Then sent to Vietnam as part of the military police and served there from Summer of '67 until Summer of '68.  He was 22 when he was in Vietnam.  Barb's brother Bob was only 18 when he was there.  Was excited we he received notice he was to come home early (about 5 weeks early) because there happened to be space on a return flight. Flew into Traverse Air Force Base in Northern California. Hung out with his cousin in San Francisco (even visited Haight-Ashbury district) before his Mom insisted he come back to Michigan. One of his most-remembered songs from the era was "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)". The song was produced and released in May 1967. The song became one of the best-selling singles of the 1960s in the world, reaching the fourth position on the U.S. charts and the number one spot on the U.K. charts.

The other cool framed photo Rick has is of his Dad's Grand Haven intramural basketball team in 1935.  His Dad is seated on the bottom left in the photo.

Rick recalled the time he want to visit his grandparents in Grand Haven – they made him a grilled cheese sandwich with cheddar cheese, rye bread and real butter…. Instead of oleo and fake cheese which was the norm in his household.   He thought he had died and gone to heaven.


To this day, one of the most vivid memories in Rick's life was the morning he was woken up by a clerk and told he was going home - the orders had just arrived.  It was a nice surprise as they were about 8 days early.  The song has been called "the unofficial anthem of the counterculture movement of the 1960s, including the Hippie, Anti-Vietnam War and Flower power movements." Ironically, Rick said the summer had a double meaning to soldiers in Vietnam because if you were going to San Francisco it typically meant you were going home.

When he arrived home and walked up to his house his dog Oswald heard him approaching the door and started barking.  Rick told him "no barking" from the other side of the door and upon hearing his voice he started whimpering in excitement.

Upon arriving back in Michigan one of the first things he did was buy a '68 SS Chevelle 396 for ~$3050. It was matador red with a white racing stripe and a black top. That Fall he enjoyed going to visit his sister Sandy at Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. He recalled it being like "candy land" with lots of girls his sister introduced him to.

He met Barb in a bar called Gomely's in Norton Shores. Barb got he her friends to go tell him she wanted to dance with him. Got engaged on November 14, 1969.  Rick popped the question in the house of one of Barb's friends but delivered the ring a bit later in a Burger Chef restaurant.



That morning was the kick-off of deer-hunting season and he went with his Dad and a friend at 5:30. This, after getting home from a night out with Barb 'til ~4:30! They tied the knot on June 12, 1970 at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church.

In 1979 Rick and Barb bought a '79 Pontiac Grand Prix in Glacier Blue.  It was mainly Barb's car and they kept it for quite a while.  In fact, Jennifer learned on it when she was learning to drive and to Rick's dismay she had the bumper off within 2 weeks.  The family car was like the below.


Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Counting Crows in St. Augustine

We got to see the Counting Crows in St. Augustine earlier this Summer (August 8) and it was an excellent show.   They included their latest EP Butter Miracle, Suite One in its entirety.  Hard Candy and St. Robinson were excellent tunes to kick it off with.

Tuesday, August 01, 2023

Concerts I've Been To...

Lots of updates from summer concerts :)   Big lull in 2020 and 2021.... Thanks COVID

ROBERT'S LIST
____________________
Garth Brooks - Show 2 of 6 in Sacramento '15)
Journey (Salt Lake City '15)
Information Society (Sacramento '15)
Book of Love (Sacramento '15)
Men Without Hats (Sacramento '13)
Berlin (Sacramento '13)
Andy Bell / Erasure (Sacramento '13)
Jessie Cook (Folsom '13)
Branford Marsalis (Folsom, '13)
Elton John - April 19, 2012 at Caesar's Palace
Eels
Smoosh - they opened for the Eels, lots of critical acclaim. We were not impressed - 1/10
The Cure (x2)
The Eagles (x2) - once in Lake Tahoe with full moon rising, April 21, 2012 at MGM/Vegas
Nitzer Ebb - Opened for DM
Depeche Mode - Atlanta, June 4, 1990
New Found Glory
The Go-Gos
The B-52s
Blink 182
Magnapop
Ingram Hill
Rick Springfield
Simple Minds
The Beach Boys (multiple times)
Jesus and Mary Chain
R.E.M.
Fleetwood Mac
U2
Gwen Stefani
James Taylor x 2
Howard Jones x 2 (once in Detroit in '98, once in Sacramento in '13)
Culture Club
Human League
Don Henley
Gin Blossoms x 2 (Reno and Folsom in October '14)
Cheap Trick
John Mayer
Counting Crows x 2
Third Eye Blind
Rob Thomas
Anna Nalick
The Goo Goo Dolls x 2
Eric Bibb
Etta James
Buck 65
Gomez
Sammy Hagar
REO Speedwagon
Train
The Rolling Stones
Dave Matthews Band
Bad Company
Daughtry
Madonna
Steven Tyler
Fall Out Boy
Rebelution - June 2, 2022 in St. Augustine - first post-COVID Show
Steel Pulse - opened for Rebelution
Counting Crows - August 8, 2023
Dashboard Confessional - opener for Counting Crows

BILL'S LIST
_________________
Don Henley
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Beach Boys
The Cure
The Indigo Girls
Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Vince Neil (of Motley Crue)
Van Halen (Sammy Hagar Days)
Cheap Trick
Def Leapord
James Taylor
Tracy Chapman
The Cranberrys
Pinback
Garth Brooks
Marty Stewart
The Gin Blossoms
Urge Overkill
Pearl Jam
Bonnie Raite
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Huey Lewis and The News
Matchbox 20
Fountains of Wayne
Britney Spears
Kelis (opened for Britney...sung that awful "Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard" song)
Jim Brickman
Willie Nelson
Eric Bibb
Etta James
Buck 65
Gomez
Sammy Hagar
Stone Temple Pilots
New Kids on The Block - Mix Tape Tour with Below 3 in 2022
En Vogue
Rick Astley
Salt 'n Peppa

DAD'S LIST
__________
Don Henley
Linda Ronstadt
Cheap Trick
Rod Stewart
Bob Dylan
Philadelphia Orchestra (w/Ormandy)
Femme Fatale (Cheap Trick warmup)
Hank Snow
Donovan

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Ian Stays South! Hoping for Even Better Fortunes This Year

 

While many in South Florida weren't as fortunate, we dodged a bullet with Ian last year.  Hopefully this year, the entire state will dodge these named storms!

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Jack's Name! Celebrating the 16 year Anniversary.

 We made the final decision on Jack's name after a visit to Michigan during the Summer of '07.  Rick was continuing to subtly push for Bart but it just didn't seem right.  On July 16, 2007 we decided that Jack was it!

Upon hearing our decision, Grandpa Tangeman, expressed excitement through an email.  "Jack is a really good name. Is it John-based like Jack Kennedy or pure Jack?

With Jack now nearly 16 will still agree.  Jack is a really good name!

Saturday, July 01, 2023

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Maple Pancake Snaps - Reviewed!

Trader Joe's Maple Pancake Snaps are pretty darn good.  Sure enough, their flavoring nails the maple syrup pancake flavor.  You only need one or two though!   Overall rating 8/10!

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