Danny Donuts

The Motivational Cowboy Johnny D. interviewed me for his Outstanding Life Podcast! He asked some outstanding questions which led to some outstanding stories about adventures with Steve Alvarado, Mark Myers and Hsiung Marler, my cross-country trip to see Nicole Worden, family adventures with Jaime Cunningham and adventures that went along with my jobs at J&J Auto in Ottawa, Ridgeland Common Ice Arena in Oak Park, Mac Wood's Dune Rides in Silver Lake, Michigan and the Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Bus Company and the common denominator (besides me) is all these stories revolve around vehicles- and don’t get me started talking about… too late, Johnny already did!

More Than a Ride With Danny Donuts Podcast Episode · Outstanding Life with the Motivational Cowboy · 07/21/2025 · 53m

See y'all this evening from 5 (or earlier) to 10pm. Sgt. Sauerkraut's Polka Band gets to open for our heroes. The Polkaholics® at St. Al's Oktoberfest in Chicago. Details on the website (you can find that at the top of their picture) ARE YOU READY TO POLKA?

We took this one at The Fest For Beatles Fans.... just getting around to posting it now.

The Friday Night Pierogi Fest Parade is such a blast. Sgt. Sauerkraut's Polka Band has performed in every parade since 2019. And Steve Hurd and I have been in every one since 2010... parading with The Yellow SubMorons and The SubManiacs until 2018. Steve joins us on bass and vocals for the parade and runs our sound. We had several first-timers join us and it was great to welcome back Frankie and Joyce Wolfe who had to spectate last year but got to ride in style last year. A huge thanks to Hasse Construction Company, for giving us a ride!
This pic of me flinging my washbitar around my neck was on the official Pierogi Fest page and we got 3 pics in the Valpo.Life Photo Gallery... Cassidy and Pricilla carrying The Inflatable Peace Sign, Cheyenne and Sandy in The Eddie Korosa Accordion and Michael and I performing on the truck. They can be seen here: https://valpo.life/photo/city-of-whiting-pierogi-fest-2024/

Today we said goodbye to our bandmate, friend, teacher, human encyclopedia, cheerleader.... JIm Marlowe passed away last month and his funeral was today. It's still so surreal. I met Jim in late '89-early 1990, but it wasn't until 1994 when Jim brought his guitar to my first wedding that we started to bond. (Before that he was just that weird health food guy). In 1997 my life forever changed when he invited me to play harmonica in his band at Beatlefest in Chicago. He believed in my harmonica skills more than I believed in them and that changed my life. I'm glad I didn't always listen to him because he tried to talk me out of performing a Beatles comedy parody (because Beatles fans would throw tomatoes at me for messing with a Beatles song) so not listening to Jim also changed my life. He probably influenced me more than any other human being. I fact, if you met me after 1997, we probably have Jim to thank for that. He was the ONLY person who was at both of my weddings and shortly after our 2011 wedding, he invited me to be in a real band with him (after 14 years of him backing me up off and on at Beatlefest, Pierogi Fest, school assemblies, on music comedy recordings that got radio airplay, folk music and comedy clubs and more random performances) This picture is our promo picture of our band Rainstorm Remedy with drummer Tony Giangreco. I played harmonica and a little bit of keyboards. Jim played guitar and wrote and sang most of our songs. Without our active musical projects we drifted apart, both leading our busy lives, but we knew where to find each other and had some great conversations in our post-performing years. I think the last time we played together was Pierogi Fest 2017. A few weeks ago I heard back-to-back Jim songs on the radio, Bus Stop by The Hollies and One After 909 by The Beatles. I imagined the jam session in heaven with my other musician friends who all graced the stage at our wedding and who all went way too soon. Jim, Nicole Nigh Hondros, Scott Carlson and Crystal Welch-McCauley. And I knew, even though we miss them terribly, they're all having the time of their eternal lives and it's up to us to carry on with our journeys down here.