Spoken Memories

Madeline read by John

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Wed, 2 Apr 2014 09:54:00 -0700

Hello world! Here's a Brendan Lake poem read by John! Not a memory. Actually I'm testing something. FUN!

The Fastest Kid in 3rd Grade

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Tue, 1 Apr 2014 22:07:00 -0700

The Fastest Kid in 3rd Grade

A story about defending your title as the fastest and breaking your skull in the processes.

Calzone Pt II, Janice chimes in, Bill adds details

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Sat, 14 May 2011 02:39:00 -0700

These last two posts have a bigger back story than I've given. It's about my maternal grandparents and the best calzone ever.

When I first heard this story, I think G&G (my grandparents) were visiting me in Spokane for my high school graduation. They bought pizza and calzone's from Bennedito's in Spokane, and Gradpa immediately launched into a story. Bill told about the best calzone he ever ate and how he could never find another one like it no matter where he looked. On top of that, he knew it was in Portland, but he didn't know the name of the calzone joint. Janice, who was there all those years ago when Bill had that blessed meal, replied to his reminiscing by dismissing... "Oh Bill you were just really hungry that day, it couldn't have been that good."

A few years later, I told this hilarious story to my friend Thomas Boltz, and he loved it so much that he started us on a quest to find the best calzone. Oregano's' was pretty darn good, (even a day later after sitting out in the sun with fruit flies!). Benneditos is a little too chewy for my tastes. Oooh, Otto's in Tempe was darn good, but was it the best?? I can't remember any of the other ones we tried, and since then I have seriously cut back on cheese (haha, except for post marathon meals, Las Vegas, and Fat Tuesday!).

Well, Thomas and I got the scoop from Bill and Janice. This recording was at Sizzler after I ran the Eugen Marathon in 2011. Janice wasn't so feisty while remembering the story this time, but she did point out that she and Bill have always pronounced calzone differently. (I can hear my dad right now saying "calt-szo-nee"... he studied in Florence.) Bill also made it known that was his first calzone; was he saying that was a factor in why he liked it so much?

We didn't ever resolve any of our questions. Who makes the best calzone in the world? What matters more in matters of taste, hunger, novelty, or quality? How hungry was Bill on that fateful day in Portland? Enjoy the audio, and let me know if you have any great secret calzone joints! (hmm, I'm sure that some excuse to eat cheese is right around the corner...)

Click the title to download, or stream belowowowowow.

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Bill Morrisette and the Best Calzone Ever

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Sat, 14 May 2011 01:49:00 -0700

Hello Again!

I once told my friend Thomas a story about my gradpa that he loved so much it inspired him to try ever calzone he could get his hands on. Years later, Thomas and I visited my grandparents together and heard the story again from my grandpa. Look for Part II soon with more details and some input from Grandma Janice!

Click the title to download, or stream below......

(Link)

My Cousin Seth Palmer tells about Family Reunions

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Wed, 9 Feb 2011 19:06:00 -0800

My cousin Seth Palmer narrates an account of the Morrisette family reunions that happen every two years in the summer on the Oregon Coast. These reunions are some of my most cherished times!

Seth made this in a class a few years ago, and his mother emailed it to the family, and I'll go ahead and call this file the reason I started podcasting!

download

Morrisette Gazette

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Mon, 7 Feb 2011 23:24:00 -0800

I'm so happy. Sam interviewed Erin and sent me the recording. The Spoken Memories podcast is taking submissions! Please record an interesting or touching story from your loved ones and send it my way!

Well, in this file, Erin tells about the family newspaper. For all the Morrisettes listening and reading, get your articles written; this year's deadline is coming up fast!

Click the title to download, or download hereherehere, or stream here, or babbling brook below......

National Day of Listening

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 17:21:00 -0800

Hello!

Today is the National Day of Listening, declared so by Story Corps. You can celebrate it by interviewing your loved ones, which goes perfectly with today's other holiday! Click the title of the post to hear Sean Lennon interview Yoko Ono.

Story Corps...what is it?? Well, their website says

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to our weekly broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition and on our Listen pages.

They are a major inspiration of mine in creating this blog, and I greatly look up to them! You can hear them on NPR, (I think usually on Friday Morning Edition). Their model is loved ones interviewing each other, rather than the first person narratives I've posted here. Their interviews are quite charming and heartwarming, and I'm going to interview my sisters Emily and Erin (Mary, why are you far away??) after Thanksgiving dinner. As much as I love hearing gross and shocking stories about unpleasant facts of life, I really want to start interviewing my relatives, especially my older ones. My dad often tells me stories about his family, the priest who's buried in Zambia, the honkey tonk piano player on trans-Atlantic ocean liners, the brothers competing with each other to start construction businesses, the 12 year old athletic trainer whipping his two fat twin brothers into shape, and I'd love to preserve these talks. (..Imagine if I had recordings of my great great great grand relatives talking about their lives!! How cool would that be?!)

They've a DIY guide on the Story Corps websitew and I urge all of you to participate! They give advice about recording equipment (we have so many gadgets that can record), where to record, and they have a long list of questions divided into categories like work, relationships, parenthood, growing up. Ooh, they also recommend the hosting sites box.net and entertonement.com. Three of my posts haven't quite worked as podcasts, and maybe the problem is with my host, Open Drive. Maybe I'll try those other sites!!

In closing, here's Story Corps "favorite questions" list. Please, go interview someone, even if you just write their answers on pen and paper!
• What are some of the most important lessons you have learned in life?
• What are you most proud of?
• What was the happiest moment of your life? The saddest?
• Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did they teach you?
• How would you like to be remembered?

Stevie Weller Eats a Bad Carrot

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:07:00 -0800

Well, back in the summer of 2006, Stevie got real sick, well, ok, maybe not real sick, but kinda sick. Ahhh, pretty sick. He couldn't eat for an entire 24 hours! There's lots of pukes in this story.

Click the title to download, stream by clicking stream, or just push the bluegray arrow..-.-a-,.-a,.-p

Ria Hodgson and the Biggest Grasshopper Ever

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 01:54:00 -0800

If you see a giant bug, leave it alone! Ria Hodgson tells this story in October of 2010.

Click the title to download, stream it here, or play it below.

Pantera Shredley

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 09:59:00 -0800

A Break From Stories

Do you like Pantera? Do you like Pantera guitar solos??? Well, Jake Padilla does. He spliced his favorites together to make a 27 minute shredley. Dimebag. Heck. Yes.

Click the title to download, or stream it here.

John Opens Pandora's Sneeze

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 07:55:00 -0800

Back in the two thousand aughts, John was playfully flirting with his girlfriend while shopping at Sunflower Market. Nature struck both of them with a disgusting fury, as one harmless act set off a chain of involuntary bodily functions. Told in September of 2010 in the 909 Backgammon Room.

Stream here, click the title to download, or listen with... that weird player (below). Is there something wrong with ... that weird player? Exqueeze me?? AVEC!!

Vomit Contest: Matt Smith

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 07:49:00 -0800

Matt Smith tells of a boat ride with upset stomaches that turned into a contest to see who could puke the most! Told in the backgammon room of 909 in September of 2010. (I posted this before I set up my feedburner, and it never loaded on iTunes for me, so I'm reposting it. Arrg, it's still not working! Computer, I will not give in.)

Stream here, or click the title to download.

Haha, or use this cool thingey! ↓ ↓ ↓

Annissa Race Face Wall Bash

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 10:02:00 -0800

In the third grade, Annissa Olsen was faster than everyone at her school. She constantly had to defend this title, and here's a story of a painful mishap from one of her harrier battles. Told on A Mountain under September 2010's full moon.

Click the post title to download, or stream

Kate Bivona's Belly Flop

wafflewednesday@gmail.com (Stevie Weller) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:13:00 -0800

Kate Bivona tells about a massive and painful belly flop. This story was also told in the backgammon room at 909 in September.

stream or download ... or this gadgety button box ↯ ↯