Drew Engman Occasional Journal

Drew Engman here. I am a 50-something late bloomer baby boomer. Grew up in Burbank, weekended in Pinon Hills, moved up here to the south western Mojave desert in late late 1979/early 1980. Been up here ever since. I played guitar & sang for a living '80-91, worked, went to school, & now I'm a teacher. Life is good!

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Location: Pinon Hills, CA 92372, United States

Hi, I'm Drew. I was born in Burbank, the youngest child of an acclaimed Disney animator. I collected comic books as a kid, grew into SF and Fantasy in my early teens. I played guitar and sang for a living from 1980 to 2000, then became a teacher. I've been living here in Pinon Hills for 24+ years, married to Vicki the whole time. Life is an incredible adventure.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Buying a Vehicle - Comsumer Reports

I am getting ready to purchase the first new car in my 50-tear life so far: a Toyota Tacoma 4X4 truck, with the TRD package, larger off-road wheels and tires, longer truck bed, standard suspension. I love exploring the Mojave desert and its' surrounding mountains and hills, and this truck will be able to do all that, and get me back and forth to work and school every day.

The smartest thing I did (at the suggestion of my brilliant wife, Vicki) was to order the Consumer Reports Car Price Service Report. It details everything I needed to know about how to get the best deal reasonably possible. For $14 bucks it will probably save me well over $1,000.

I love Consumer Reports (website), and highly recommend it to everyone who wants to get the best products for their money. They test everything themselves, are unbiased, and give a rating on every product in the world. The subscription for the website is $26 dollars a year, I think. I subscribed this year, and it has paid off when having to buy a microwave, my new truck in the next couple weeks, and probably a refrigerator next. Ours is 24 years old, ans starting to have a couple minor problems.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

1970s One Hit Wonders

1970’s Hits and Near Misses
The pop, the rock, the cool, the dorky, the heavy, and the hilarious

http://rhaplinks.real.com/rhaplink?rhapid=6048326&type=playlist&title=Playlist&from=verizon

Being a kid was so cool 'back in the day.'

1. Venus - Shocking Blue
2. Me And You And A Dog Named Boo - Lobo
3. Reflections Of My Life - Marmalade
4. Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image
5. Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed Truth
6. In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
7. Ooh Child - The Five Stairsteps
8. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse
9. Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight
10. Bonus Track: Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues * - Danny O'Keefe
11. Suavecito - Malo
12. One Toke Over The Line - Brewer & Shipley
13. Funky Nassau, Part 1 - The Beginning Of The End
14. Hold Your Head Up - Argent
15. (I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson
16. Hot Rod Lincoln - Commander Cody
17. Vehicle - Ides of March
18. Bang A Gong (Get It On) - T. Rex
19. Why Can't We Live Together - Timmy Thomas
20. Motorcycle Mama - Sailcat
21. Baby Take Me In Your Arms - Jefferson
22. The Rapper - The Jaggerz
23. Ma Belle Amie - The Tee Set
24. Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg With Marshall Brickman
25. Dead Skunk - Loudon Wainwright III
26. Brother Louie - The Stories
27. Smokin' In The Boy's Room - Brownsville Station
28. Woman To Woman - Shirley Brown
29. Midnight At The Oasis - Maria Muldaur
30. T.S.O.P. (The Sound Of Philadelphia) - M.F.S.B.
31. Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
32. I Can Help - Billy Swan
33. The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
34. Lovin' You - Minnie Riperton
35. Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield
36. Come And Get It - Elton John
37. Hello It’s Me - Todd Rundgren
38. So In To You - Atlanta Rhythm Section
39. Jackie Blue - Ozark Mountain Daredevils
40. Magic - Pilot
41. Nice To Be With You - Gallery
42. Lonely Boy - Andrew Gold
43. Get Ready - Rare Earth
44. Magnet And Steel - Walter Eagan
45. Kiss You All Over - Exile
46. (Hey, Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song - B.J. Thomas
47. Band Of Gold - Freda Payne
48. Indian Reservation - Paul Revere & the Raiders
49. I Am Woman - Helen Reddy
50. Don’t Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
51. Day After Day - Badfinger
52. Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale
53. A Horse With No Name - America
54. On And On - Stephen Bishop
55. The Groove Line - Heatwave
56. Come & Get Your Love - Redbone
57. The Rapper - The Jaggerz
58. Sooner Or Later - Grass Roots
59. One Toke Over The Line - Brewer & Shipley
60. Baby Blue - Badfinger
61. The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
62. Disco Inferno - The Trammps
63. Car Wash - Rose Royce
64. More More More - Andrea True Connection
65. War - Edwin Starr
66. Crazy Love - Poco
67. I Just Want To Celebrate - Rare Earth
68. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Grows) - Edison Lighthouse
69. Still The One - Orleans
70. Don’t Pull Your Love - Joe Frank & Reynolds Hamilton
71. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer
72. Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
73. Tears Of A Clown - The Miracles
74. I Just Want To Celebrate - Rare Earth
75. Evil Ways - Santana
76. Little Willy - Sweet (
77. Hello It's Me - Todd Rundgren
78. Angie Baby - Helen Reddy
79. Always & Forever - Heatwave
80. Thank You For Being A Friend - Andrew Gold
81. No Matter What - Badfinger
82. Spooky - Atlanta Rhythm Section
83. Close The Door - Teddy Pendergrass
84. United We Stand - Tony Burrows
85. One Toke Over The Line - Brewer & Shipley
86. Have You Seen Her - The Chi-Lites
87. Baby Blue - Badfinger
88. Delta Dawn - Helen Reddy
89. Sooner Or Later - Grass Roots
90. I'm A Women - Maria Muldaur
91. I Know I'm Losing You - Rare Earth
92. Ballroom Blitz - Sweet (
93. Rock And Roll Lullaby - B.J. Thomas
94. Wake Up Everybody - Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes
95. Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) - The Delfonics
96. Rock n' Roll Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer
97. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
98. The Groove Line - Heatwave
99. Two Divided By Love - Grass Roots
100. You And Me Against The World - Helen Reddy
101. Action - Sweet (
102. I Just Can't Help Believin' - B.J. Thomas
103. The Love I Lost - Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes
104. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer
105. I Only Wanna Be With You - Bay City Rollers
106. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse
107. The Rapper - The Jaggerz
108. Come And Get Your Love - Redbone