This is the second post in my series, Aquarius & Jones. Feel free to go HERE and start from the beginning or click on the Monkees’ guitar.

Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong decade. I’m a fan of all things 60s and 70s, like the Brady Bunch for example. In the mid 90s Maureen McCormick (better known as Marcia Brady) was touring with a gynecologist to promote safe sex or bring awareness to STDs or who knows what. She came to Arizona State University to give a seminar and at the end of it the doctor and Maureen McCormick took questions. One guy stood up and directed his question to her: “I have this bash to go to tonight and I was wondering… {I thought he was going to ask about the best spur-of-the-moment birth control to use. Awk-WARD!} …would you go with me? Would you be my date?” It took a lot of guts for him to risk her public rejection, and reject him she did. “Can my husband come too?” she snapped. I thought she could have handled that better. At least that guy, and just about everyone else in attendance, walked away with an autographed picture. I remember wishing I had the guts to ask Maureen McCormick a question: “What was it like to be kissed by Davy Jones?!?”

Occasionally I meet other Davy Jones fans. I made an appointment with a highly recommended optometrist and we had a pleasant conversation during the eye exam. When it came time to pay I whipped out my checkbook and he took one look at the cover and asked, “Is that Davy Jones?” I said, “I knew I liked you! Yes, it is.” I’d gotten it off Ebay, the best thing to happen to collectors ever.

On other occasions I’ve run into less-than-enthusiastic Monkees fans. Several years ago I had trouble with my cell phone and had to call the company. My account was setup with a few security questions to verify my identity when I called. This tech support guy said, “I’m going to ask you a potentially embarrassing question.” That sounded creepy. Then he asked, “What’s your favorite band?” Oh. I proudly gave him my answer. By the time we got off the phone about a half an hour later I think I had him converted to a fan.

Regardless of what people might think, it’s always good to let them know you really dig something. Over the years people have generously gifted me some Monkees memorabilia, like this tin from my buddy, Russ.

Or this 1987 concert poster.

People also let me know where to find memorabilia when they see it, like a Davy Jones bobblehead from Spencer’s and a Monkee mobile at Target.

One year for my birthday the gals who worked in my department had a cake made with a picture of the Monkees on it. They were surprised when I let them eat it. “Of course!” I said. “It’s not like I can save it. Just make sure I get the piece with Davy on it.” Then instead of singing “Happy Birthday” they offered to sing the Monkees’ theme song. Yeah, best work birthday ever.

At that same job I had a few fellow Monkee Junkee friends. One was also a 2nd generation fan, ironically named Mary. Whenever she would get up from her desk to go anywhere I’d always say, “Mary, Mary, where you goin’ to?” Another friend, Mark, was an original fan from the 60s. I’m jealous. I wish I was there for the Monkees’ heyday.

I wonder if my daughter, Madison, will ever feel she belongs in a different era. She was weened on the oldies, so accustomed to hearing Elvis on the radio that she cried when I callously mentioned that he was dead. Oh yeah. How could she have known that? Elvis’ music had even been in Lilo & Stitch.

Lots of times when Madison was little, instead of watching cartoons, we’d curl up on the couch and watch A Shot in the Dark. Of course we watched all the Monkees reruns too. The Monkees Get Out More Dirt was her favorite episode. (Julie Newmar was in that one. You know, Catwoman from the original Batman series.) Sometimes when she wouldn’t want to go to bed she would give me these big, sad eyes and say, “Can’t we cuddle and watch a little of the Monkees movie?” I’d like to say that I did the responsible thing and enforced bedtime but, well, you know how it is.

I even made up a game to play with Madison and her friends called Mummies! It was based on the way Mike Nesmith scared the other Monkees in a few episodes by coming up behind them and screaming, “Mummies!” The game was sort of like hide and seek. The seekers had to find the hider, but instead of the hiders trying to make it to “base” undetected they would pop out and yell “Mummies!” If the seekers got scared then they were “it” again.

For awhile I think Madison was every bit as big a Monkees fan as myself. We both bounced off the walls when one night, as I was just casually thumbing through the paper, I saw the infamous red guitar. The ad said Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz were coming in concert to Phoenix, which meant Madison’s first concert would get to be the Monkees, just like mine had been.

I had to call my work buddy, Mark, right away. “Hello?” he answered. I could tell he was groggy and that I’d woken him up.

I shouted into the phone, “The Monkees are coming! I’m buying tickets. Are you in!?!”

Stay tuned. You don’t want to miss what’s next. I’m just getting to the good part. Coming soon – Cuddly Toy: The first time I met and kissed Davy Jones!