A Bit Of Phildadelphia Kids' History
I found some more information on three of the Philadephia children's shows I mentioned a few years in this TV Party article:
http://www.tvparty.com/lostphilly.html
If nothing else, it explains why that computer the boy in "Starstuff" used was so out of date - the show and "Candy Apple News" were both from the EARLY 80s and re-run later in the decade. I must have seen the mid-80s re-runs. I'm just glad to see someone else remembers them, because my sisters don't and most of my friends look at me like I'm completely off my nut when I bring them up.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Moving On Up...And Other Pressing Stories
Ok, first and foremost, I DID finally move. I wasn't kidding when I wrote in October that I was sick and tired of Wildwood. I now live in Oaklyn, NJ, just outside of Philadephia. The location is mostly ideal, as Oaklyn is the kind of nice little town I've always wanted to live in, with a nice little historic main street and library and even trains going by, all situated on a lovely river. I originally looked at the apartment in 2003 but opted not to take it, and I always regretted that. My Uncle Ken, biological father Bruce, and adopted sister Jessa live down the street, and Rose is about five minutes away in the next town over, Audubon. The apartment is gorgeous, too, with a huge living room, a porch the size of my old apartment, a big back storage room, two big closets, and an amazing view of a park and the river...all for only 50 more than my old place (less if you factor in my not paying utilities here). My landlady is a kindly older woman named Eleanor who brought up a real printed lease the second day I was here and fixed the heat right away when it was broken.
I've had more problems with the Acme. I was originally supposed to move on February 1st, but Bruce said he could only get help on the 29th. I had to tell work I was leaving earlier, and then I found out I would be making less money, since I was hired at the shore. I called the Union (and even THEY said Acme treats its employees badly). Long story short ("too late"), due to a number of factors, it took three weeks for my transfer to go through. I didn't start working again until about two weeks ago. I'm making pretty much what I was in North Cape May, though the Union couldn't do anything about my senority, meaning my hours have been terrible.
On the other hand, the folks in the Audubon Acme are nice and far more sensible and laid-back than the strict staff at NCM, and the store is the largest Acme (and one of the best grocery stores) in the area. It's in a brand-new shopping center complex that also includes a FYE, a Staples, a Fashion Bug, an International House of Pancakes, an Applebee's, a Deb Shop, a Quizno's, a Eckards', and a Wal-Mart. And it's within biking distance of my apartment; no more having to take a bus to work everyday. (No more having to take a bus at all unless I want to go to the Cherry Hill Mall or job hunting in Center City Philly.) If the weather is nasty, I work late, or the bike is broken (like it is now - more on that later), I can just call Uncle Ken, Bruce, or (if she's avalible) Rose to pick me up.
I love it here. This is a beautiful area, filled with trees, parks, rivers, and history. People don't VISIT here. They LIVE here. They live in houses built in every era of the 20th century, from stately Edwardian two-family duplexes to small, 50s-and-60s era family homes with an apartment in the back like Miss Eleanor's house. They live over 30s-era shops on the White Horse Pike and in 70s-era apartment buildings. Trains chug past the VFW across from the house; airplanes fly overhead. Children walk to and from school on West Clinton Avenue. The VFW, the churches, and the old restored Ritz Theater are the center of community events. Collingswood has a well-restored historic downtown shopping area so remincisent of Cape May and Ocean City I feel at home there; Westmont is the home of the Super Fresh, Blockbuster, a library, and a couple of really cool dollar stores; Haddonfield has stunning parks that are fun to ride around in.
I am still having problems finding a job and meeting people. I've slightly improved on the latter front; one of Uncle Ken's friends manages a thrift shop in the Collingswood Historic District and I offered to volunteer there whenever I can, as I love thrift shops. Erica is a very sweet and helpful woman, and I've really enjoyed helping her orgainize clothes and price items and dress manniquins and set up displays. What I enjoy most, however, is the customers. They're always so happy and seem to be having so much fun, or are regulars who come to the shop often. I'm glad to see people actually enjoying shopping. I often forget, listening to grumpy customers at the Acme, that people go shopping sometimes just for the pleasure of seeing new merchandise (or new-to-them merchandise) and being around other people.
The lack of job opportunities has been more frustrating. I went to two of the three local libraries my first week here. The Camden County Library System apparently has a hiring freeze until 2007; the Oaklyn Library isn't hiring, either. Staples isn't hiring, FYE isn't hiring, I know nothing about clothes, Blockbuster isn't hiring, the dollar stores are family operations, and I have no desire to work at Wal-Mart, given what I've heard they do to their employees. (Not to mention they aren't that far removed from a grocery store.) This is such a big area, I didn't think I'd have any problems finding a better job than the Acme. I can't believe there isn't a nice, normal little non-fianancial, non-medical office that needs a copy clerk or a secretary or a receptionist. I'm going to start making trips into Philly to look around there once the weather and my bank account improve; I'd also like to take my first ride on the Speedline trains. The only train I've ever ridden on was the subway to Queens and back during my June 2001 trip to New York City.
This week's been up-and-down. I finally got my W-2s and my back paychecks from the North Cape May Acme, got some money in the bank, got my taxes and bills out, and got an idea for what to buy for Mom's 50th birthday next week. Oh, and the weather suddenly turned from a normal-for-March-in-New-Jersey mid-40s to a very spring-like lower 70s. However, on the way back from a quick trip to deposit the back paychecks in the bank, the pedal on my bike broke off, and I ended up on the street in tears. I'm fine. My left elbow is scraped-up and sore to the point where it hurts when I put my arm straight or lean on it, and I have a purple bruise the size of a salad plate on my right thigh, but nothing was broken. I didn't even put a hole in my sweater (thank goodness - I LOVE that sweater; it must have gotten pushed up when I fell on my elbow).
The bike...is not in as good a condition. The metal that connects the pedal to the bike snapped clean off. I called Uncle Ken after it happened and he took it to one of his numerous friends to be fixed, hopefully by tomorrow. I NEED that bike; I can't get far quickly without it. Walking is fine if I'm just running to the store for some milk, but it takes too long to go everywhere that way, and I certainly can't grocery shop like that. (Trust me, I tried in Wildwood.)
The CD player on my stereo also died. It just got stuck one day and wouldn't unstuck, no matter how much I shook it or pushed buttons or turned it on and off or unplugged it. Uncle Ken did what he could to get one CD out, but the others are still jammed. Bruce knows more about electronics; he might know what to do when he gets back later this week or know someone who would know. I don't even really care about the CD player (they aren't that expensive to replace). I just want the CDs, three of my most costly, back. Thank goodness I found a great oldies station the second day I moved here that almost makes up for only being able to play my CDs on my computer.
Oooh, and I owe Uncle Ken and his son Mark big-time for their homecoming-present. There's only one phone line in the entire house and it's in the bedroom, so they got me a wireless phone instead of trying to add a second wire through the storage room into the living room. Owe Rose for her homecoming present, too - the computer chair I'm sitting in as I type this. It's a good, simple, tough model from Wal-Mart. The chair I used at the old house for the computer is now in the living room (where it really belongs), and I sat on the floor when I used the computer for the first week I lived here. I don't recommend doing that often; not the most comfortable way to surf the 'Net.
Coming up - Mom's big 50th birthday dinner with all of her and Dad's side of the family on Saturday, Rose's birthday, my 27th birthday, Easter (including an Easter egg hunt at the VFW), getting the bike back on the road, getting a new stereo, and updating my online resumes with my volunteering experience and a new reference.
Ok, first and foremost, I DID finally move. I wasn't kidding when I wrote in October that I was sick and tired of Wildwood. I now live in Oaklyn, NJ, just outside of Philadephia. The location is mostly ideal, as Oaklyn is the kind of nice little town I've always wanted to live in, with a nice little historic main street and library and even trains going by, all situated on a lovely river. I originally looked at the apartment in 2003 but opted not to take it, and I always regretted that. My Uncle Ken, biological father Bruce, and adopted sister Jessa live down the street, and Rose is about five minutes away in the next town over, Audubon. The apartment is gorgeous, too, with a huge living room, a porch the size of my old apartment, a big back storage room, two big closets, and an amazing view of a park and the river...all for only 50 more than my old place (less if you factor in my not paying utilities here). My landlady is a kindly older woman named Eleanor who brought up a real printed lease the second day I was here and fixed the heat right away when it was broken.
I've had more problems with the Acme. I was originally supposed to move on February 1st, but Bruce said he could only get help on the 29th. I had to tell work I was leaving earlier, and then I found out I would be making less money, since I was hired at the shore. I called the Union (and even THEY said Acme treats its employees badly). Long story short ("too late"), due to a number of factors, it took three weeks for my transfer to go through. I didn't start working again until about two weeks ago. I'm making pretty much what I was in North Cape May, though the Union couldn't do anything about my senority, meaning my hours have been terrible.
On the other hand, the folks in the Audubon Acme are nice and far more sensible and laid-back than the strict staff at NCM, and the store is the largest Acme (and one of the best grocery stores) in the area. It's in a brand-new shopping center complex that also includes a FYE, a Staples, a Fashion Bug, an International House of Pancakes, an Applebee's, a Deb Shop, a Quizno's, a Eckards', and a Wal-Mart. And it's within biking distance of my apartment; no more having to take a bus to work everyday. (No more having to take a bus at all unless I want to go to the Cherry Hill Mall or job hunting in Center City Philly.) If the weather is nasty, I work late, or the bike is broken (like it is now - more on that later), I can just call Uncle Ken, Bruce, or (if she's avalible) Rose to pick me up.
I love it here. This is a beautiful area, filled with trees, parks, rivers, and history. People don't VISIT here. They LIVE here. They live in houses built in every era of the 20th century, from stately Edwardian two-family duplexes to small, 50s-and-60s era family homes with an apartment in the back like Miss Eleanor's house. They live over 30s-era shops on the White Horse Pike and in 70s-era apartment buildings. Trains chug past the VFW across from the house; airplanes fly overhead. Children walk to and from school on West Clinton Avenue. The VFW, the churches, and the old restored Ritz Theater are the center of community events. Collingswood has a well-restored historic downtown shopping area so remincisent of Cape May and Ocean City I feel at home there; Westmont is the home of the Super Fresh, Blockbuster, a library, and a couple of really cool dollar stores; Haddonfield has stunning parks that are fun to ride around in.
I am still having problems finding a job and meeting people. I've slightly improved on the latter front; one of Uncle Ken's friends manages a thrift shop in the Collingswood Historic District and I offered to volunteer there whenever I can, as I love thrift shops. Erica is a very sweet and helpful woman, and I've really enjoyed helping her orgainize clothes and price items and dress manniquins and set up displays. What I enjoy most, however, is the customers. They're always so happy and seem to be having so much fun, or are regulars who come to the shop often. I'm glad to see people actually enjoying shopping. I often forget, listening to grumpy customers at the Acme, that people go shopping sometimes just for the pleasure of seeing new merchandise (or new-to-them merchandise) and being around other people.
The lack of job opportunities has been more frustrating. I went to two of the three local libraries my first week here. The Camden County Library System apparently has a hiring freeze until 2007; the Oaklyn Library isn't hiring, either. Staples isn't hiring, FYE isn't hiring, I know nothing about clothes, Blockbuster isn't hiring, the dollar stores are family operations, and I have no desire to work at Wal-Mart, given what I've heard they do to their employees. (Not to mention they aren't that far removed from a grocery store.) This is such a big area, I didn't think I'd have any problems finding a better job than the Acme. I can't believe there isn't a nice, normal little non-fianancial, non-medical office that needs a copy clerk or a secretary or a receptionist. I'm going to start making trips into Philly to look around there once the weather and my bank account improve; I'd also like to take my first ride on the Speedline trains. The only train I've ever ridden on was the subway to Queens and back during my June 2001 trip to New York City.
This week's been up-and-down. I finally got my W-2s and my back paychecks from the North Cape May Acme, got some money in the bank, got my taxes and bills out, and got an idea for what to buy for Mom's 50th birthday next week. Oh, and the weather suddenly turned from a normal-for-March-in-New-Jersey mid-40s to a very spring-like lower 70s. However, on the way back from a quick trip to deposit the back paychecks in the bank, the pedal on my bike broke off, and I ended up on the street in tears. I'm fine. My left elbow is scraped-up and sore to the point where it hurts when I put my arm straight or lean on it, and I have a purple bruise the size of a salad plate on my right thigh, but nothing was broken. I didn't even put a hole in my sweater (thank goodness - I LOVE that sweater; it must have gotten pushed up when I fell on my elbow).
The bike...is not in as good a condition. The metal that connects the pedal to the bike snapped clean off. I called Uncle Ken after it happened and he took it to one of his numerous friends to be fixed, hopefully by tomorrow. I NEED that bike; I can't get far quickly without it. Walking is fine if I'm just running to the store for some milk, but it takes too long to go everywhere that way, and I certainly can't grocery shop like that. (Trust me, I tried in Wildwood.)
The CD player on my stereo also died. It just got stuck one day and wouldn't unstuck, no matter how much I shook it or pushed buttons or turned it on and off or unplugged it. Uncle Ken did what he could to get one CD out, but the others are still jammed. Bruce knows more about electronics; he might know what to do when he gets back later this week or know someone who would know. I don't even really care about the CD player (they aren't that expensive to replace). I just want the CDs, three of my most costly, back. Thank goodness I found a great oldies station the second day I moved here that almost makes up for only being able to play my CDs on my computer.
Oooh, and I owe Uncle Ken and his son Mark big-time for their homecoming-present. There's only one phone line in the entire house and it's in the bedroom, so they got me a wireless phone instead of trying to add a second wire through the storage room into the living room. Owe Rose for her homecoming present, too - the computer chair I'm sitting in as I type this. It's a good, simple, tough model from Wal-Mart. The chair I used at the old house for the computer is now in the living room (where it really belongs), and I sat on the floor when I used the computer for the first week I lived here. I don't recommend doing that often; not the most comfortable way to surf the 'Net.
Coming up - Mom's big 50th birthday dinner with all of her and Dad's side of the family on Saturday, Rose's birthday, my 27th birthday, Easter (including an Easter egg hunt at the VFW), getting the bike back on the road, getting a new stereo, and updating my online resumes with my volunteering experience and a new reference.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Courage
I'm scared.
I (and a couple of other people) were transfered to the North Cape May Acme about two weeks ago. I hate it. My co-workers are still very nice people and have been good about my taking the bus, but I hate having to arrive early (or late) and leave early because of the damn bus. No, I can't afford a car, and I don't really want one, anyway.
I haven't seen my new head boss, but he's supposedly...well, not very nice. I had 20 hours this week and probably fewer this week. That's nothing. That won't pay my rent or my bills, but this guy doesn't sound like he'll be very understanding. Rumor has it he'll be cutting back hours even further.
I know. "You should be happy you have a job at all, and union, too!" Right now, I'd give up unions and huge corporations for a nice, normal little receptionist job with the same 40 hours year-round, and only ten or twenty people to handle a day instead of fifty to five hundred in the summer. I want office parties and carpools and once-a-year-a-day picnics and people who don't look at me like I'm a freak or "that Acme girl." I don't want to be "that Acme girl" anymore. I get depressed just going to work. :p
What's it like to live in or near a city? I know that's the best place for opportunities, but cities cost a bundle to live in, and they're dirty, smelly, crime-ridden, and I don't want to be raped, mugged, or bombed to hell. Where's the best place for a painfully shy writer who isn't good at meeting people and is scared of everything to live?
Every time I even think of selling my own stuff, I panic. How can I get a literary agent? WHERE can I get a literary agent? Who's gonna buy my stuff, anyway? I have a few short stories, and I could write articles for small-press magazines and journals. I don't care about making millions. All I want is to make enough money to live and for people to read and enjoy my stories.
I keep panicing. I keep panicing at work, and whenever I go through all the books on writing. So many markets, so many options. Where should I start? Should I post things online? Should I send queries to local presses and newspapers?
Mom suggested taking business courses at a local college to get a leg up on secretarial jobs, but I don't really want to spend the money. Where can I find cheap, legitmate business courses?
And how do I drum up enough courage to do anything? I want to move away from Wildwood. I have to. There's no place here for me. Where do I go now, though?
Is there anyone out there who has answers...or knows where to find them? :(
I'm scared.
I (and a couple of other people) were transfered to the North Cape May Acme about two weeks ago. I hate it. My co-workers are still very nice people and have been good about my taking the bus, but I hate having to arrive early (or late) and leave early because of the damn bus. No, I can't afford a car, and I don't really want one, anyway.
I haven't seen my new head boss, but he's supposedly...well, not very nice. I had 20 hours this week and probably fewer this week. That's nothing. That won't pay my rent or my bills, but this guy doesn't sound like he'll be very understanding. Rumor has it he'll be cutting back hours even further.
I know. "You should be happy you have a job at all, and union, too!" Right now, I'd give up unions and huge corporations for a nice, normal little receptionist job with the same 40 hours year-round, and only ten or twenty people to handle a day instead of fifty to five hundred in the summer. I want office parties and carpools and once-a-year-a-day picnics and people who don't look at me like I'm a freak or "that Acme girl." I don't want to be "that Acme girl" anymore. I get depressed just going to work. :p
What's it like to live in or near a city? I know that's the best place for opportunities, but cities cost a bundle to live in, and they're dirty, smelly, crime-ridden, and I don't want to be raped, mugged, or bombed to hell. Where's the best place for a painfully shy writer who isn't good at meeting people and is scared of everything to live?
Every time I even think of selling my own stuff, I panic. How can I get a literary agent? WHERE can I get a literary agent? Who's gonna buy my stuff, anyway? I have a few short stories, and I could write articles for small-press magazines and journals. I don't care about making millions. All I want is to make enough money to live and for people to read and enjoy my stories.
I keep panicing. I keep panicing at work, and whenever I go through all the books on writing. So many markets, so many options. Where should I start? Should I post things online? Should I send queries to local presses and newspapers?
Mom suggested taking business courses at a local college to get a leg up on secretarial jobs, but I don't really want to spend the money. Where can I find cheap, legitmate business courses?
And how do I drum up enough courage to do anything? I want to move away from Wildwood. I have to. There's no place here for me. Where do I go now, though?
Is there anyone out there who has answers...or knows where to find them? :(
Saturday, September 17, 2005
New Computer; Old Problem
In good news, I was finally able to afford a computer upgrade. I just bought a nice, simple Compaq; I don't need anything fancy. The D drive on my old one was going, and it didn't have CD burning capabilities. I don't know the specifics, since I don't know much about computers other than how to turn them on, type on them, and surf the 'Net, but it seems to be working fine, it downloads twice as fast as the old one, and Mom, Windows XP IS a big improvement on Windows '98. :D
In bad news, the Wildwood Acme is finally closing to be torn down and rebuilt. They MAY be finished sometime in May or June; I'm not holding my breath. It's just going to be a pain in the rear. Everyone's thrilled now...but they won't be happy when they have to slog through the Feburary snow and ice storms to get to Super Fresh in North Wildwood or Shop Rite in Rio Grande. :p
Actually, what I want is to move out of Cape May County all together. I'm sick of Wildwood. I'm tired of working 20 hours in January and 40 in June. I'm tired of ignorant locals and spoiled, snotty tourists. I'm tired of feeling like my 4 1/2 years of college were nothing but a big waste of time. Everyone rants and raves about how wonderful having a college degree is, but if it is so wonderful, why am I working in a grocery store that's falling apart? Why aren't I writing somewhere, or at least working as a clerk or a receptionist?
I want to live in a town where people LIVE, not visit. I want to have time to write AND make money. I want to do a job I actually like doing, one where I don't handle more than 10 or 20 people a day at the absolute most...summer OR winter. I want a job where the only reason the seasons matter is to plan the Christmas or Halloween or Valentine's party. I want the same hours year round and the same co-workers. I want full-time raises and benefits without having to handle customers and not being able to plan around my spotty schedule.
I can't understand why I'm having a hard time finding this. I'm so confused and depressed. I want out of retail...but now what? Where do I go now? How can I get an entry-level writing job? Where's a good place for someone shy like me to sell their work? If I'm so smart, why won't any of the local newspapers hire me, even the ones from Philly? Where are the good opportunities for creative writers here? Where do they have career counceling here? How can I get "in" with the government workers, most of whom have worked the same jobs for decades and are wary of hiring anyone new? How can I convince people that I'm competant and necessary? How do I convince MYSELF that I'm competant and necessary?
In good news, I was finally able to afford a computer upgrade. I just bought a nice, simple Compaq; I don't need anything fancy. The D drive on my old one was going, and it didn't have CD burning capabilities. I don't know the specifics, since I don't know much about computers other than how to turn them on, type on them, and surf the 'Net, but it seems to be working fine, it downloads twice as fast as the old one, and Mom, Windows XP IS a big improvement on Windows '98. :D
In bad news, the Wildwood Acme is finally closing to be torn down and rebuilt. They MAY be finished sometime in May or June; I'm not holding my breath. It's just going to be a pain in the rear. Everyone's thrilled now...but they won't be happy when they have to slog through the Feburary snow and ice storms to get to Super Fresh in North Wildwood or Shop Rite in Rio Grande. :p
Actually, what I want is to move out of Cape May County all together. I'm sick of Wildwood. I'm tired of working 20 hours in January and 40 in June. I'm tired of ignorant locals and spoiled, snotty tourists. I'm tired of feeling like my 4 1/2 years of college were nothing but a big waste of time. Everyone rants and raves about how wonderful having a college degree is, but if it is so wonderful, why am I working in a grocery store that's falling apart? Why aren't I writing somewhere, or at least working as a clerk or a receptionist?
I want to live in a town where people LIVE, not visit. I want to have time to write AND make money. I want to do a job I actually like doing, one where I don't handle more than 10 or 20 people a day at the absolute most...summer OR winter. I want a job where the only reason the seasons matter is to plan the Christmas or Halloween or Valentine's party. I want the same hours year round and the same co-workers. I want full-time raises and benefits without having to handle customers and not being able to plan around my spotty schedule.
I can't understand why I'm having a hard time finding this. I'm so confused and depressed. I want out of retail...but now what? Where do I go now? How can I get an entry-level writing job? Where's a good place for someone shy like me to sell their work? If I'm so smart, why won't any of the local newspapers hire me, even the ones from Philly? Where are the good opportunities for creative writers here? Where do they have career counceling here? How can I get "in" with the government workers, most of whom have worked the same jobs for decades and are wary of hiring anyone new? How can I convince people that I'm competant and necessary? How do I convince MYSELF that I'm competant and necessary?
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Survey Says....
Well, Linda, here it is! ; 0 )
1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Emma Kathleen Redmer
2. WHAT COLOR PANTS ARE YOU WEARING? Khaki ("uniform" pants)
3. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? South Jersey radio station WCZT, currently playing Faith Hill's "This Kiss."
4. WHAT'S THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Peaches and cream instant oatmeal
5. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? Yes
6. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Red orange
7. HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW? Haven't been outside; all I can tell is that it's sunny and cold (the heater in my apartment just went on)
8. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My mother
9. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT YOU THIS? Yes.
10. HOW OLD ARE YOU TODAY? 25
11. FAVORITE DRINK? Orange Juice
12. FAVORITE SPORT? To watch? Football. (Philadelphia Eagles fan. Comes with the territory. ; 0 ) To play? Field hockey.
13. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Glasses. My sisters both wear contacts and they seem to be more trouble than they're worth.
14. SIBLINGS? Three, two younger sisters and a much younger brother.
15. FAVORITE MONTH? September. The weather is still nice enough for the beach, but not sticky-hot. The tourists are here, but only on weekends. The kids are in school, but not so dedicated to it yet they don't have time for fun. Almost everything but the most summer-oriented buisnesses is still open.
16. FAVORITE FOOD? Anything Italian; cranberry bread
17. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? "Head" (Strange but fun Monkees flick. Great music! Check out the soundtrack if you can dig it up. )
18. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? Christmas!
19. WHAT DO YOU DO TO VENT ANGER? If I'm at home, rant and throw something. (I broke my DVD player's remote control by throwing it at a wall when I got mad one afternoon. I know, not smart, but I wasn't thinking. : 0 p) If I'm at work, clentch my teeth and try to smile. I HATE having to do that.
20. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? Oh, lord, I don't know! My gray plastic typewriter, I guess...
21. SUMMER OR WINTER? Neither. Fall. Summer's too hot and busy and winter's too cold and quiet!
22. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs; they make you feel warmer
23. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? Both, and in great quantanties. ; 0 )
24. DO YOU WANT YOUR FRIENDS TO WRITE/E-MAIL BACK? Yes
25. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Well, I don't have a comments category, and Linda already commented....
26. WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? n/a
27. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS? 1-bedroom apartment
28. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? When I was feeling lonely the other day...
29. WHAT IS UNDER YOUR BED? Two pieces of luggage, a box of doll clothes, my field hockey stick, a bag of (cleaned) beach toys, my (no longer necessary, as it died two years ago) laptop bag.
30. WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT? Came home and hung around online looking for information on an old favorite 80s toyline/cartoon/book series, Rose Petal Place.
31. FAVORITE SMELLS? The Wildwood boardwalk in the summer and early fall - cotton candy, classic car exaust, fresh roasted nuts, seafood, pizza, salty sea air, musty sand, chlorine from the water parks, greasy diner food, fudge
33. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? Fire, death, and causing harm
34. NUMBER OF KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING? One, and three store card tags (Acme, Super Fresh, CVS)
35. IF YOU COULD BUILD A SECOND HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE? Maine - I've always wanted to see a coastline that isn't flat
36. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? My huge, comfortable red knit Land's End sweater
37. THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT? Sheryl Crow, "The Very Best of Sheryl Crow"
38. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE? Gas stove
39. IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Piano
40. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV? Neither. I don't drive. : 0 p
41. DO YOU BELIEVE IN AFTER LIFE? We gotta go SOMEWHERE when we...go...
42. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK? Charlotte's Web by EB White
43. WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR? Nothing - no car. Can't afford one, can't drive, don't WANT to drive. Too nerve-wracking.
44.WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER? Hamburger, or maybe a nice chicken cheesesteak.
45. FAVORITE DESSERT? Pillsbury Cranberry Bread
46. WHAT IS GOD'S GREATEST GIFT TO YOU? Being able to write
Well, Linda, here it is! ; 0 )
1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Emma Kathleen Redmer
2. WHAT COLOR PANTS ARE YOU WEARING? Khaki ("uniform" pants)
3. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? South Jersey radio station WCZT, currently playing Faith Hill's "This Kiss."
4. WHAT'S THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Peaches and cream instant oatmeal
5. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? Yes
6. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Red orange
7. HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW? Haven't been outside; all I can tell is that it's sunny and cold (the heater in my apartment just went on)
8. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My mother
9. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT YOU THIS? Yes.
10. HOW OLD ARE YOU TODAY? 25
11. FAVORITE DRINK? Orange Juice
12. FAVORITE SPORT? To watch? Football. (Philadelphia Eagles fan. Comes with the territory. ; 0 ) To play? Field hockey.
13. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Glasses. My sisters both wear contacts and they seem to be more trouble than they're worth.
14. SIBLINGS? Three, two younger sisters and a much younger brother.
15. FAVORITE MONTH? September. The weather is still nice enough for the beach, but not sticky-hot. The tourists are here, but only on weekends. The kids are in school, but not so dedicated to it yet they don't have time for fun. Almost everything but the most summer-oriented buisnesses is still open.
16. FAVORITE FOOD? Anything Italian; cranberry bread
17. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? "Head" (Strange but fun Monkees flick. Great music! Check out the soundtrack if you can dig it up. )
18. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? Christmas!
19. WHAT DO YOU DO TO VENT ANGER? If I'm at home, rant and throw something. (I broke my DVD player's remote control by throwing it at a wall when I got mad one afternoon. I know, not smart, but I wasn't thinking. : 0 p) If I'm at work, clentch my teeth and try to smile. I HATE having to do that.
20. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? Oh, lord, I don't know! My gray plastic typewriter, I guess...
21. SUMMER OR WINTER? Neither. Fall. Summer's too hot and busy and winter's too cold and quiet!
22. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs; they make you feel warmer
23. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? Both, and in great quantanties. ; 0 )
24. DO YOU WANT YOUR FRIENDS TO WRITE/E-MAIL BACK? Yes
25. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Well, I don't have a comments category, and Linda already commented....
26. WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? n/a
27. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS? 1-bedroom apartment
28. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? When I was feeling lonely the other day...
29. WHAT IS UNDER YOUR BED? Two pieces of luggage, a box of doll clothes, my field hockey stick, a bag of (cleaned) beach toys, my (no longer necessary, as it died two years ago) laptop bag.
30. WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT? Came home and hung around online looking for information on an old favorite 80s toyline/cartoon/book series, Rose Petal Place.
31. FAVORITE SMELLS? The Wildwood boardwalk in the summer and early fall - cotton candy, classic car exaust, fresh roasted nuts, seafood, pizza, salty sea air, musty sand, chlorine from the water parks, greasy diner food, fudge
33. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? Fire, death, and causing harm
34. NUMBER OF KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING? One, and three store card tags (Acme, Super Fresh, CVS)
35. IF YOU COULD BUILD A SECOND HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE? Maine - I've always wanted to see a coastline that isn't flat
36. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? My huge, comfortable red knit Land's End sweater
37. THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT? Sheryl Crow, "The Very Best of Sheryl Crow"
38. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE? Gas stove
39. IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Piano
40. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV? Neither. I don't drive. : 0 p
41. DO YOU BELIEVE IN AFTER LIFE? We gotta go SOMEWHERE when we...go...
42. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK? Charlotte's Web by EB White
43. WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR? Nothing - no car. Can't afford one, can't drive, don't WANT to drive. Too nerve-wracking.
44.WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER? Hamburger, or maybe a nice chicken cheesesteak.
45. FAVORITE DESSERT? Pillsbury Cranberry Bread
46. WHAT IS GOD'S GREATEST GIFT TO YOU? Being able to write
Monday, February 28, 2005
A Few of My Favorite Things
MUSIC:
Monkees Song: "Daydream Believer" (the Anne Murray version is great, too!)
Beatles Song: "With a Little Help From My Friends"
Carpenters Song: "Merry Christmas, Darling"
Frank Sinatra Song: "Summer Wind"
Moody Blues Song: "Once Upon A Time (In Your Wildest Dreams)"
U2 Song: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
Bing Crosby Song: "Moonlight Becomes You"
Bruce Springsteen song: "Born to Run"
ABBA Song: "Fernando"
Eagles Song: "Desperado"
Smash Mouth Song: "All Star"
Norah Jones Song: "Sunrise"
John Mayer song: "No Such Thing"
Train song: "Drops of Jupiter"
Bangles Song: "Manic Monday"
Aerosmith Song: "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" (and I HATE the movie "Armegeddon" : 0 p )
Madonna song: "This Used to Be My Playground" (I DO like "A League of Their Own" ; 0 ) )
Nat King Cole Song: "Avalon"
Supremes Song: "Someday We'll Be Together"
No Doubt/Gwen Stefani Song: "On Sunday Morning"
Louis Armstrong Song: "I Was Doin' All Right"
Ella Fitzgerold Song: "I've Got a Crush On You"
Rolling Stones Song: "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
Rosemary Clooney Song: "Hey There"
Song released within the last year: "Accidentally in Love," Counting Crows
Song written for a live-action film musical: "Singin' In the Rain," "Hollywood Revue of 1929"
Song written for a Disney musical: "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Cinderella"
Song written for a non-musical film: "Boardwalk Angel," "Eddie and the Cruisers"
Little-known movie soundtrack: "Eddie and the Cruisers"
20s Movie Musical: "The Broadway Melody"
30s Movie Musical: Tie - "Naughty Marietta" and "Top Hat"
40s Movie Musical: "The Harvey Girls"
50s Movie Musical: Tie - "Singin' In the Rain"; "The Band Wagon"; "Oklahoma!"
60s Movie Musical: Tie - "The Music Man" and "Thorougly Modern Millie"
70s Movie Musical: Tie - "Grease" and "The Muppet Movie"
80s Movie Musical: "The Muppets Take Manhattan"
90s Movie Musical: "Newsies"
00s Movie Musical: Tie - "Chicago" and "Moulin Rouge"
MOVIES:
Action Movie Series: "Indiana Jones" (Honorable mention - "James Bond")
Sci-Fi Movie Series: "Star Wars" (Honorable Mention - "Men In Black")
Comedy Movie Series: "The Road To..." (Honorable Mention - "The Marx Brothers")
Mystery/Suspense Movie Series: "The Thin Man"
Comic Book Superhero Movie Series: "Superman" (Honorable Mention - "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles")
Little-Known Comedy: "Office Space" (Honorable Mention - "Brain Donors" and "Show People")
Little Known Science Fiction: "The Last Starfighter" (Honorable Mention - 80s "Flash Gordon")
Little Known Drama: 1937 Janet Gaynor version of "A Star Is Born" (Honorable Mention - "Love Me Or Leave Me")
Little Known Musical: "The Pirate Movie" (Honorable Mentions - "Head" and "The Pirates of Penzance")
Little-Known Western: "Tall In the Saddle"
Little Known Mystery/Suspense - "Out of the Past" (Honorable Mention: 1919 serial "The Woman in Gray")
ANIMATION:
Anime: "Sailor Moon"
Loony Tunes Characters: Pepe Le Pew, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Prissy
Classic Disney Characters: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, The Nephews, Goofy
Cartoon Network Show: "The Powerpuff Girls"
Care Bears: Tenderheart and Good Luck
Strawberry Shortcake: Huckleberry Pie and Miss Strawberry herself ; 0 )
Rainbow Brite "Color Kid": Red Butler (notice a theme with the red colors here? ; 0 ) )
Winnie the Pooh Character: Pooh
Nickelodeon Cartoons: "Rugrats," "The Wild Thornberries," "Hey Arnold!", "As Told By Ginger," "Rocket Power"
Other Favorites from the Theatrical Short Era: Woody Woodpecker, Chilly Willy, Betty Boop, Superman (the 40s cartoons), Popeye, Tom and Jerry, the Tex Avery spoof travelogues
Other Childhood Favorites Not Yet Mentioned: Thundercats, Voltron, The Wuzzles, He-Man, She-Ra, Jem and the Holograms, Pac Man, Richie Rich, Raggedy Ann and Andy, Garfield, Duck Tailes, Tale Spin, Dungeons and Dragons, Tiny Toon Adventures, Inspector Gadget, Pirates of Dark Water, Care Bears Family, A Pup Named Scooby Doo, The Real Ghostbusters
Other Hanna Barbara Favorites: Hong Kong Phooey, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, All-Star Laugh-A-Lympics, most variations on "Scooby Doo," The Jetsons, The Flinstones
Oldest Favorite Animated Character: Felix the Cat (Debuted in silent cartoons in 1924 and still pops up today - how about THAT for nine lives? ; 0 )
Most Recent Favorite Animated Character: Disney's "Kim Possible"
Favorite Disney Traditionally Animated Film: "The Rescuers" (Honorable Mentions: "Cinderella," "Beauty and the Beast," "Tarzan," "Hercules," "Sleeping Beauty," "Alice In Wonderland," "Brother Bear")
Favorite Disney/Pixar Flick: "Toy Story 2" (Honorable Mentions - "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc")
Other Favorite Animated Films: "Cats Don't Dance," "Charlotte's Web," "Chicken Run," all of the Care Bears movies, "An American Tale: Fivel Goes West," "Anastasia"
TV (LIVE ACTION)
Pure Sitcom: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (Honorable Mentions: "Perfect Strangers," "Bewitched," "I Love Lucy," "Cheers," "Night Court," "Get Smart," "Fraiser")
Musical/Variety/Comedy: "The Monkees" (They weren't QUITE a normal sitcom...I don't really know where else to categorize them) (Honorable Mention: "Laugh In" and the early "Saturday Night Live" eps)
Drama: "Law and Order" (Original)
Hybrid/"Dramady": "Remember WENN" (Not quite a normal sitcom, either...) (Honorable Mention: "Moonlighting")
Action: "MacGyver" (Honorable Mentions: "Magnum PI" and "The Dukes of Hazard"
TOYS:
Strawberry Shortcake Rag Doll (early 80s)
Lady LovelyLocks Dolls (mid/late 80s)
Original My Little Ponies (throughout 80s and into early 90s)
Roger Rabbit doll (late 80s)
Jem Dolls and cassettes (mid 80s)
Happy Birthday Barbie (mine was early 80s)
Barbie Dream House (early 80s with yellow trim)
Gray plastic typewriter (mid 80s)
Huge Paddington Bear (early 80s)
She-Ra action figures (mid/late 80s)
He Man action figures (early/mid 80s)
Cabbage Patch Doll (mid 80s)
Sweet Roses Barbie and PJ (early 80s)
Pound Puppy (mid-80s - I named him "Buster")
Barbie doll in fancy heart-trimmed dress (Don't remember actual name, but the dress was awesome - early/mid 80s)
Barbie Ice Cream Shoppe/Ice Cream Maker (once again, not actual name) (Late 80s)
BOOKS:
Favorite Mystery Series:
Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters
"Cat Who" series by Lillian Jackson Braun
Kinsey Milhone series by Sue Grafton
Phillip Marlowe series by Raymond Chandler
Thomas and Charlotte Pitt and William Monk series by Anne Perry
Daisy Daryrumple series by Carola Dunn
Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Brown
Regan O'Reilly series by Carol Higgins Clark
Goldy Bear Schultz series by Diane Mott Davidson
Maggody series by Joan Hess
Amanda Pepper series by Gillian Roberts
Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie
Most of Dashiell Hammett's novels, especially "The Thin Man"
I'm sure I'll remember more after I finish here...maybe another time. : 0 D
MUSIC:
Monkees Song: "Daydream Believer" (the Anne Murray version is great, too!)
Beatles Song: "With a Little Help From My Friends"
Carpenters Song: "Merry Christmas, Darling"
Frank Sinatra Song: "Summer Wind"
Moody Blues Song: "Once Upon A Time (In Your Wildest Dreams)"
U2 Song: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
Bing Crosby Song: "Moonlight Becomes You"
Bruce Springsteen song: "Born to Run"
ABBA Song: "Fernando"
Eagles Song: "Desperado"
Smash Mouth Song: "All Star"
Norah Jones Song: "Sunrise"
John Mayer song: "No Such Thing"
Train song: "Drops of Jupiter"
Bangles Song: "Manic Monday"
Aerosmith Song: "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" (and I HATE the movie "Armegeddon" : 0 p )
Madonna song: "This Used to Be My Playground" (I DO like "A League of Their Own" ; 0 ) )
Nat King Cole Song: "Avalon"
Supremes Song: "Someday We'll Be Together"
No Doubt/Gwen Stefani Song: "On Sunday Morning"
Louis Armstrong Song: "I Was Doin' All Right"
Ella Fitzgerold Song: "I've Got a Crush On You"
Rolling Stones Song: "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
Rosemary Clooney Song: "Hey There"
Song released within the last year: "Accidentally in Love," Counting Crows
Song written for a live-action film musical: "Singin' In the Rain," "Hollywood Revue of 1929"
Song written for a Disney musical: "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Cinderella"
Song written for a non-musical film: "Boardwalk Angel," "Eddie and the Cruisers"
Little-known movie soundtrack: "Eddie and the Cruisers"
20s Movie Musical: "The Broadway Melody"
30s Movie Musical: Tie - "Naughty Marietta" and "Top Hat"
40s Movie Musical: "The Harvey Girls"
50s Movie Musical: Tie - "Singin' In the Rain"; "The Band Wagon"; "Oklahoma!"
60s Movie Musical: Tie - "The Music Man" and "Thorougly Modern Millie"
70s Movie Musical: Tie - "Grease" and "The Muppet Movie"
80s Movie Musical: "The Muppets Take Manhattan"
90s Movie Musical: "Newsies"
00s Movie Musical: Tie - "Chicago" and "Moulin Rouge"
MOVIES:
Action Movie Series: "Indiana Jones" (Honorable mention - "James Bond")
Sci-Fi Movie Series: "Star Wars" (Honorable Mention - "Men In Black")
Comedy Movie Series: "The Road To..." (Honorable Mention - "The Marx Brothers")
Mystery/Suspense Movie Series: "The Thin Man"
Comic Book Superhero Movie Series: "Superman" (Honorable Mention - "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles")
Little-Known Comedy: "Office Space" (Honorable Mention - "Brain Donors" and "Show People")
Little Known Science Fiction: "The Last Starfighter" (Honorable Mention - 80s "Flash Gordon")
Little Known Drama: 1937 Janet Gaynor version of "A Star Is Born" (Honorable Mention - "Love Me Or Leave Me")
Little Known Musical: "The Pirate Movie" (Honorable Mentions - "Head" and "The Pirates of Penzance")
Little-Known Western: "Tall In the Saddle"
Little Known Mystery/Suspense - "Out of the Past" (Honorable Mention: 1919 serial "The Woman in Gray")
ANIMATION:
Anime: "Sailor Moon"
Loony Tunes Characters: Pepe Le Pew, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Prissy
Classic Disney Characters: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, The Nephews, Goofy
Cartoon Network Show: "The Powerpuff Girls"
Care Bears: Tenderheart and Good Luck
Strawberry Shortcake: Huckleberry Pie and Miss Strawberry herself ; 0 )
Rainbow Brite "Color Kid": Red Butler (notice a theme with the red colors here? ; 0 ) )
Winnie the Pooh Character: Pooh
Nickelodeon Cartoons: "Rugrats," "The Wild Thornberries," "Hey Arnold!", "As Told By Ginger," "Rocket Power"
Other Favorites from the Theatrical Short Era: Woody Woodpecker, Chilly Willy, Betty Boop, Superman (the 40s cartoons), Popeye, Tom and Jerry, the Tex Avery spoof travelogues
Other Childhood Favorites Not Yet Mentioned: Thundercats, Voltron, The Wuzzles, He-Man, She-Ra, Jem and the Holograms, Pac Man, Richie Rich, Raggedy Ann and Andy, Garfield, Duck Tailes, Tale Spin, Dungeons and Dragons, Tiny Toon Adventures, Inspector Gadget, Pirates of Dark Water, Care Bears Family, A Pup Named Scooby Doo, The Real Ghostbusters
Other Hanna Barbara Favorites: Hong Kong Phooey, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, All-Star Laugh-A-Lympics, most variations on "Scooby Doo," The Jetsons, The Flinstones
Oldest Favorite Animated Character: Felix the Cat (Debuted in silent cartoons in 1924 and still pops up today - how about THAT for nine lives? ; 0 )
Most Recent Favorite Animated Character: Disney's "Kim Possible"
Favorite Disney Traditionally Animated Film: "The Rescuers" (Honorable Mentions: "Cinderella," "Beauty and the Beast," "Tarzan," "Hercules," "Sleeping Beauty," "Alice In Wonderland," "Brother Bear")
Favorite Disney/Pixar Flick: "Toy Story 2" (Honorable Mentions - "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc")
Other Favorite Animated Films: "Cats Don't Dance," "Charlotte's Web," "Chicken Run," all of the Care Bears movies, "An American Tale: Fivel Goes West," "Anastasia"
TV (LIVE ACTION)
Pure Sitcom: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (Honorable Mentions: "Perfect Strangers," "Bewitched," "I Love Lucy," "Cheers," "Night Court," "Get Smart," "Fraiser")
Musical/Variety/Comedy: "The Monkees" (They weren't QUITE a normal sitcom...I don't really know where else to categorize them) (Honorable Mention: "Laugh In" and the early "Saturday Night Live" eps)
Drama: "Law and Order" (Original)
Hybrid/"Dramady": "Remember WENN" (Not quite a normal sitcom, either...) (Honorable Mention: "Moonlighting")
Action: "MacGyver" (Honorable Mentions: "Magnum PI" and "The Dukes of Hazard"
TOYS:
Strawberry Shortcake Rag Doll (early 80s)
Lady LovelyLocks Dolls (mid/late 80s)
Original My Little Ponies (throughout 80s and into early 90s)
Roger Rabbit doll (late 80s)
Jem Dolls and cassettes (mid 80s)
Happy Birthday Barbie (mine was early 80s)
Barbie Dream House (early 80s with yellow trim)
Gray plastic typewriter (mid 80s)
Huge Paddington Bear (early 80s)
She-Ra action figures (mid/late 80s)
He Man action figures (early/mid 80s)
Cabbage Patch Doll (mid 80s)
Sweet Roses Barbie and PJ (early 80s)
Pound Puppy (mid-80s - I named him "Buster")
Barbie doll in fancy heart-trimmed dress (Don't remember actual name, but the dress was awesome - early/mid 80s)
Barbie Ice Cream Shoppe/Ice Cream Maker (once again, not actual name) (Late 80s)
BOOKS:
Favorite Mystery Series:
Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters
"Cat Who" series by Lillian Jackson Braun
Kinsey Milhone series by Sue Grafton
Phillip Marlowe series by Raymond Chandler
Thomas and Charlotte Pitt and William Monk series by Anne Perry
Daisy Daryrumple series by Carola Dunn
Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Brown
Regan O'Reilly series by Carol Higgins Clark
Goldy Bear Schultz series by Diane Mott Davidson
Maggody series by Joan Hess
Amanda Pepper series by Gillian Roberts
Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie
Most of Dashiell Hammett's novels, especially "The Thin Man"
I'm sure I'll remember more after I finish here...maybe another time. : 0 D
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Material Girls
If you were a girl who grew up between 1980 and 1992, do you remember...
The Rainbow Brite specials?
The My Little Pony specials and "My Little Pony and Friends?"
The Yum-Yums? (Stuffed animals with glittering, candy-scented stomachs)
The annual Strawberry Shortcake specials?
Rose Petal Place?
Lady LovelyLocks?
Maple Town?
Jem and the Holograms, and the dolls and their awesome wardrobes?
The original Care Bear Family cartoon?
Plastic chain-link charm bracelets?
Slap bracelets (before adults decided they were dangerous)?
Neon shoelaces?
Your first scooter or bike...in pink or purple, of course?
Having your own Debbie Gibson hat that you wore everywhere, no matter what the occasion?
Working out with your own "Get in Shape, Girl!" equipment?
Getting dressed up in a frilly, high-necked, almost Victorian-style outfit, complete with shiny leather shoes, to go out to dinner with your family or for a special occasion at school?
Wearing dress-ups (maybe Mom or Big Sis's 60s and 70s hand-me downs) to dance along with Madonna, the Bangles, the Go-Gos, Tiffany, Pat Benetar, Olivia Newton-John, Heart, Joan Jett, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Wilson Phillips (on your own tape player or record player, of course...or, if your folks had some money, CD player)?
Watching "Full House" because you thought John Stamos was really hot?
Reading "Sweet Valley High," "The Babysitters Club," the American Girls books, Christopher Pike horror novels, "The Nancy Drew Files," or various short-lived "Sweet Valley" imitations like "Hart and Soul?"
Grabbing the newest "Choose Your Own Adventure" story the moment it hit the library?
Playing "Mall Madness" and "Girl Talk" at slumber parties, then watching a video of "Who's that Girl?" or "Sixteen Candles"...and gossiping when Mom said "lights out?"
Talking about boys and life and dreams long into the night with friends or siblings?
If you were a girl who grew up between 1980 and 1992, do you remember...
The Rainbow Brite specials?
The My Little Pony specials and "My Little Pony and Friends?"
The Yum-Yums? (Stuffed animals with glittering, candy-scented stomachs)
The annual Strawberry Shortcake specials?
Rose Petal Place?
Lady LovelyLocks?
Maple Town?
Jem and the Holograms, and the dolls and their awesome wardrobes?
The original Care Bear Family cartoon?
Plastic chain-link charm bracelets?
Slap bracelets (before adults decided they were dangerous)?
Neon shoelaces?
Your first scooter or bike...in pink or purple, of course?
Having your own Debbie Gibson hat that you wore everywhere, no matter what the occasion?
Working out with your own "Get in Shape, Girl!" equipment?
Getting dressed up in a frilly, high-necked, almost Victorian-style outfit, complete with shiny leather shoes, to go out to dinner with your family or for a special occasion at school?
Wearing dress-ups (maybe Mom or Big Sis's 60s and 70s hand-me downs) to dance along with Madonna, the Bangles, the Go-Gos, Tiffany, Pat Benetar, Olivia Newton-John, Heart, Joan Jett, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Wilson Phillips (on your own tape player or record player, of course...or, if your folks had some money, CD player)?
Watching "Full House" because you thought John Stamos was really hot?
Reading "Sweet Valley High," "The Babysitters Club," the American Girls books, Christopher Pike horror novels, "The Nancy Drew Files," or various short-lived "Sweet Valley" imitations like "Hart and Soul?"
Grabbing the newest "Choose Your Own Adventure" story the moment it hit the library?
Playing "Mall Madness" and "Girl Talk" at slumber parties, then watching a video of "Who's that Girl?" or "Sixteen Candles"...and gossiping when Mom said "lights out?"
Talking about boys and life and dreams long into the night with friends or siblings?
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Memories of the Tube
Reading my friend Linda Young's TV site and wandering through K-Mart's DVD section reminded me of some childhood tube recollections of my own. Yes, I liked live-action TV shows, too. We've had cable since the early 80s, thanks to Dad's couch-potato habits, making our viewing choices wider than many kids at that time. Some of these shows are better in hindsight than they are now (case in point - Full House), but they were the ones I loved then...and that still retain some fascination now.
21 Jump Street - One of my first "grown up" shows, I really only watched this because I had crushes on Richard Grieco and Johnny Depp in the late 80s. It was also the first and only Fox show I was ever a fan of before my family's cable was turned off in March 1992. I enjoyed the tough storylines and even tougher characters. It was also my first foray into violent TV shows that wasn't handled with the light touch of earlier favorites like Magnum PI.
Battlestar Galaxia and Buck Rogers - My sister Rose and I adored the re-runs of both these popular sci-fi series. Galaxia's Starbuck was one of my very first TV crushes, and we envied the tough, smart Wilma on Buck Rogers. Twiki, as voiced by Mel Blanc, was fun, too. The best parts of both shows, however, were the wonderfully outlandish storylines and the fine special effects and wonderful casts who took us to "galaxies far, far away"...without leaving our living room.
Three's Company - It's considered silly and innoccous now, and it was hardly cutting-edge then, but Three's and it's spin-off The Ropers have long been some of my favorite just-plain-silly shows. My sisters and I, of course, didn't understand the sexual underpinings then, and we often didn't get what the fuss was about (though we laughed anyway). We saw Jack Tripper as the ultimate older brother. After all, he was cute, funny, and cooked like a dream. John Ritter never had a better vehicle - he's still sorely missed.
Laverne and Shirley - More underrated sitcom fun from my early childhood. The girls and I related so much to this sitcom about a pair of dissimilar best friends who share a room in Milwaulkee in the late 50s and early 60s. We even used to play "Laverne and Shirley" (I was always Laverne ^_^). What we really loved, though, were Lenny and Squiggy, two more awesome big-brother figures. They may have driven the girls crazy most of the time, but they were really nice guys at heart who usually just wanted to help out...and the fact that they were cute helped some, too. ^_~
Alice - Another favorite we related to, as Mom was still dating Dad when it was on the air in the early 80s - like Alice's son, we lived with a single mom and knew how it felt. We were also familiar with the diner setting, thanks to the many in Cape May County. (There's even a tiny but very popular place in the Villas called "Mel's Diner.") Mel, Flo, and Alice acted so much like the women and men who worked (and still work) in every tiny dive we'd ever been in that this was one show that felt very much like home.
It's a Living - This syndicated show was, in some ways, a more glamourous version of Alice, following the lives and loves of the staff of an upscale resort hotel. As residents of a real-life resort, we were familiar with waitresses, smarmy lounge singers like Sonny, and cool hostesses like Nancy.
The Jeffersons - I picked this one up from Daddy, who watched it all the time in re-runs in the early-mid 80s. Daddy loved outspoken George Jefferson, probably because he related to many of his worldviews. I prefered Florence, the equally outspoken maid, and sweet Louise "Weezy" Jefferson, who almost never had an unkind word to say to anyone, black or white. I was very sad when I heard Isobel Sanford, who played Louise, passed away last year. She will forever be of my favorite mothers ever on television, if only for being able to handle her husband. ^_^
Bewitched - I watched this one faithfully in reruns throughout my childhood. Samantha was not only a witch, but also a very smart woman at a time when most women on TV were either cute ditzes (like Jeanie, another female TV magic-maker) or battle-axes. Even when her magic caused trouble for her, her perpetually henpecked husband Darren, and later her children Tabitha and Adam, she usually managed to get herself and Darren out by the end of the show, either by her magic or by her wits. Even more fun than Samantha's magical abilites were the members of her wacky family. Who could forget Agnes Moorehead as Endorra, the ultimate nasty mother-in-law who would occasionally drop by to make life harder for Darren, whom she hated, than it already was? Or soft-spoken, very timid Aunt Clara?
(Incidentally, this is the only TV show adaptation I'm looking forward to this year. I've read a little about it, and not only do they seem to have the right idea with the script, but I think Shirley MacClaine would make a fabulous Endorra. ^_^)
Perfect Strangers - My sisters and I are about as different from each other as sisters can be...hense the reason we loved this long-running favorite. Balki and Larry were cousins, but they were quite the set of opposites. Balki was a laid-back immigrant; Larry was very much the American schemer (especially in later episodes). Balki was sweet and goofy. Larry could be sweet and goofy in his own way, but he was more than often tense and jittery. The slapstick comedy that resulted from this clash of cultures included inspired uses of such time-worn plots as dragging a piano up a flight of stairs, getting stuck in a snowstorm with the opposite sex, and putting in plumbing when you have no idea of what you're doing.
Moonlighting - Dad had a crush on Cybil Sheopard. Mom had a crush on Bruce Willis. Despite their insistance, the excellent reviews, and hearing the wonderful theme song all the time on the radio, I didn't get around to this screwball comedy/drama/mystery until late in it's original run. Even though the show's glory days had passed by the time my interest was piqued, I still enjoyed what was left, including the first dramatic show I ever saw make light of a writer's strike.
MacGyver - Another show I still regret not getting interested in until late in it's original run. MacGyver is my kind of guy - smart, savvy, insistant on using his brains and wits instead of his fists. I only saw the last season, but as with Moonlighting, that was enough to make me a fan.
Full House - Unlike most of the shows on my list, this family sitcom really hasn't stood the test of time. I, too, lived in a "full house" at the time and related to the adventures of the Tanner sisters (and envied the fact that one of their uncles was John Stamos, whom I had a big crush on, and the other was Dave Coulier, who did a lot of great cartoon voices in the 80s and 90s). Unfortuantly, I discovered when I revisted it on TBS around 2001 that what had seemed cute and fun in the late 80s now appeared overly treacly and contrieved. The attempts at "issue" episodes come off as too cutesy, and the overexposure of the Olsen twins is no help. The show is at its best when it handles simple family issues with the older girls or the uncles and father Bob Saget.
Magnum PI - Tom Selleck was another one of Mom's 80s crushes, and she turned me on to this Hawaii-set mystery series. Magnum reminded me a great deal of my equally rugged stepfather, a commercial fisherman who even had a similar mustache (which probably explains Mom's interest). Magnum was the ultimate in 80s cool. He hung around with fun friends like Rick and the butler and his dogs, drove a great car, and lived in exotic Hawaii, handling comic mysteries with a touch of topical drama (Magnum was a Vietnam war vet, a subject that was just being explored in the early 80s).
Get Smart - I owe the emergence of Nick-at-Nite in the late 80s for my discoveries of this hilarous comedy-action show and Laugh-In. Maxwell Smart was, despite his name, not a very smart agent. His girlfriend and fellow agent (and later, wife) 99 was often the real force behind the cases. We loved watching Max blunder through another crazy caper, often with the help of 99, the ever-frustrated Chief, and later Hymie the Robot. I've always liked satire, and Get Smart was satire at its silliest and most delightful (it's kind of obvious Mel Brooks worked on this show).
Charles In Charge and Who's the Boss? - The cool dad/big brother figures were what attracted me to these popular sitcoms. What kept me were the fun supporting characters on both shows. I far prefer the second cast of Charles to the first - the kids were more memorable, and Grandpa and Charles' mother were great additions. Mona was my favorite character on Boss - her wisecracks cut the sugar level and added glamor to a show about an ex-ballplayer, a neurotic ad executive, and their kids.
The Monkees - The CDs Lauren sent me last year revived my interest in this wild late 60s comedy. It ran for Nickelodeon for years, and my sisters and I always looked forward to seeing what crazy adventures Davy, Mike, Micky, and Peter would get into next...and what enjoyable classic rock music we'd be hearing this week. For many kids of the mid-late 80s, this show's MTV and Nickelodeon runs were their introduction to classic pop and rock...and loony 60s psychodelia. I think this show and Get Smart mined more stories out my parents than any others.
Reading my friend Linda Young's TV site and wandering through K-Mart's DVD section reminded me of some childhood tube recollections of my own. Yes, I liked live-action TV shows, too. We've had cable since the early 80s, thanks to Dad's couch-potato habits, making our viewing choices wider than many kids at that time. Some of these shows are better in hindsight than they are now (case in point - Full House), but they were the ones I loved then...and that still retain some fascination now.
21 Jump Street - One of my first "grown up" shows, I really only watched this because I had crushes on Richard Grieco and Johnny Depp in the late 80s. It was also the first and only Fox show I was ever a fan of before my family's cable was turned off in March 1992. I enjoyed the tough storylines and even tougher characters. It was also my first foray into violent TV shows that wasn't handled with the light touch of earlier favorites like Magnum PI.
Battlestar Galaxia and Buck Rogers - My sister Rose and I adored the re-runs of both these popular sci-fi series. Galaxia's Starbuck was one of my very first TV crushes, and we envied the tough, smart Wilma on Buck Rogers. Twiki, as voiced by Mel Blanc, was fun, too. The best parts of both shows, however, were the wonderfully outlandish storylines and the fine special effects and wonderful casts who took us to "galaxies far, far away"...without leaving our living room.
Three's Company - It's considered silly and innoccous now, and it was hardly cutting-edge then, but Three's and it's spin-off The Ropers have long been some of my favorite just-plain-silly shows. My sisters and I, of course, didn't understand the sexual underpinings then, and we often didn't get what the fuss was about (though we laughed anyway). We saw Jack Tripper as the ultimate older brother. After all, he was cute, funny, and cooked like a dream. John Ritter never had a better vehicle - he's still sorely missed.
Laverne and Shirley - More underrated sitcom fun from my early childhood. The girls and I related so much to this sitcom about a pair of dissimilar best friends who share a room in Milwaulkee in the late 50s and early 60s. We even used to play "Laverne and Shirley" (I was always Laverne ^_^). What we really loved, though, were Lenny and Squiggy, two more awesome big-brother figures. They may have driven the girls crazy most of the time, but they were really nice guys at heart who usually just wanted to help out...and the fact that they were cute helped some, too. ^_~
Alice - Another favorite we related to, as Mom was still dating Dad when it was on the air in the early 80s - like Alice's son, we lived with a single mom and knew how it felt. We were also familiar with the diner setting, thanks to the many in Cape May County. (There's even a tiny but very popular place in the Villas called "Mel's Diner.") Mel, Flo, and Alice acted so much like the women and men who worked (and still work) in every tiny dive we'd ever been in that this was one show that felt very much like home.
It's a Living - This syndicated show was, in some ways, a more glamourous version of Alice, following the lives and loves of the staff of an upscale resort hotel. As residents of a real-life resort, we were familiar with waitresses, smarmy lounge singers like Sonny, and cool hostesses like Nancy.
The Jeffersons - I picked this one up from Daddy, who watched it all the time in re-runs in the early-mid 80s. Daddy loved outspoken George Jefferson, probably because he related to many of his worldviews. I prefered Florence, the equally outspoken maid, and sweet Louise "Weezy" Jefferson, who almost never had an unkind word to say to anyone, black or white. I was very sad when I heard Isobel Sanford, who played Louise, passed away last year. She will forever be of my favorite mothers ever on television, if only for being able to handle her husband. ^_^
Bewitched - I watched this one faithfully in reruns throughout my childhood. Samantha was not only a witch, but also a very smart woman at a time when most women on TV were either cute ditzes (like Jeanie, another female TV magic-maker) or battle-axes. Even when her magic caused trouble for her, her perpetually henpecked husband Darren, and later her children Tabitha and Adam, she usually managed to get herself and Darren out by the end of the show, either by her magic or by her wits. Even more fun than Samantha's magical abilites were the members of her wacky family. Who could forget Agnes Moorehead as Endorra, the ultimate nasty mother-in-law who would occasionally drop by to make life harder for Darren, whom she hated, than it already was? Or soft-spoken, very timid Aunt Clara?
(Incidentally, this is the only TV show adaptation I'm looking forward to this year. I've read a little about it, and not only do they seem to have the right idea with the script, but I think Shirley MacClaine would make a fabulous Endorra. ^_^)
Perfect Strangers - My sisters and I are about as different from each other as sisters can be...hense the reason we loved this long-running favorite. Balki and Larry were cousins, but they were quite the set of opposites. Balki was a laid-back immigrant; Larry was very much the American schemer (especially in later episodes). Balki was sweet and goofy. Larry could be sweet and goofy in his own way, but he was more than often tense and jittery. The slapstick comedy that resulted from this clash of cultures included inspired uses of such time-worn plots as dragging a piano up a flight of stairs, getting stuck in a snowstorm with the opposite sex, and putting in plumbing when you have no idea of what you're doing.
Moonlighting - Dad had a crush on Cybil Sheopard. Mom had a crush on Bruce Willis. Despite their insistance, the excellent reviews, and hearing the wonderful theme song all the time on the radio, I didn't get around to this screwball comedy/drama/mystery until late in it's original run. Even though the show's glory days had passed by the time my interest was piqued, I still enjoyed what was left, including the first dramatic show I ever saw make light of a writer's strike.
MacGyver - Another show I still regret not getting interested in until late in it's original run. MacGyver is my kind of guy - smart, savvy, insistant on using his brains and wits instead of his fists. I only saw the last season, but as with Moonlighting, that was enough to make me a fan.
Full House - Unlike most of the shows on my list, this family sitcom really hasn't stood the test of time. I, too, lived in a "full house" at the time and related to the adventures of the Tanner sisters (and envied the fact that one of their uncles was John Stamos, whom I had a big crush on, and the other was Dave Coulier, who did a lot of great cartoon voices in the 80s and 90s). Unfortuantly, I discovered when I revisted it on TBS around 2001 that what had seemed cute and fun in the late 80s now appeared overly treacly and contrieved. The attempts at "issue" episodes come off as too cutesy, and the overexposure of the Olsen twins is no help. The show is at its best when it handles simple family issues with the older girls or the uncles and father Bob Saget.
Magnum PI - Tom Selleck was another one of Mom's 80s crushes, and she turned me on to this Hawaii-set mystery series. Magnum reminded me a great deal of my equally rugged stepfather, a commercial fisherman who even had a similar mustache (which probably explains Mom's interest). Magnum was the ultimate in 80s cool. He hung around with fun friends like Rick and the butler and his dogs, drove a great car, and lived in exotic Hawaii, handling comic mysteries with a touch of topical drama (Magnum was a Vietnam war vet, a subject that was just being explored in the early 80s).
Get Smart - I owe the emergence of Nick-at-Nite in the late 80s for my discoveries of this hilarous comedy-action show and Laugh-In. Maxwell Smart was, despite his name, not a very smart agent. His girlfriend and fellow agent (and later, wife) 99 was often the real force behind the cases. We loved watching Max blunder through another crazy caper, often with the help of 99, the ever-frustrated Chief, and later Hymie the Robot. I've always liked satire, and Get Smart was satire at its silliest and most delightful (it's kind of obvious Mel Brooks worked on this show).
Charles In Charge and Who's the Boss? - The cool dad/big brother figures were what attracted me to these popular sitcoms. What kept me were the fun supporting characters on both shows. I far prefer the second cast of Charles to the first - the kids were more memorable, and Grandpa and Charles' mother were great additions. Mona was my favorite character on Boss - her wisecracks cut the sugar level and added glamor to a show about an ex-ballplayer, a neurotic ad executive, and their kids.
The Monkees - The CDs Lauren sent me last year revived my interest in this wild late 60s comedy. It ran for Nickelodeon for years, and my sisters and I always looked forward to seeing what crazy adventures Davy, Mike, Micky, and Peter would get into next...and what enjoyable classic rock music we'd be hearing this week. For many kids of the mid-late 80s, this show's MTV and Nickelodeon runs were their introduction to classic pop and rock...and loony 60s psychodelia. I think this show and Get Smart mined more stories out my parents than any others.
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Monkee-Ing Around...and the Arrival of a New Family Member
First of all, I would like to announce to one and all....I AM AN AUNT! My sister Anny Jackman had her son, Skylar Mikah, at 5:54 PM on Saturday, July 31st, 2004. He's a tiny, adorable thing, weighing in at 5 pounds, 10 ounces. He's long, too - he's gonna be a tall boy. He already has a head full of hair and his mother's nose. : 0 ) Mom and Dad have asked to be called Nana and Pop Pop. Mom says she has enough people calling her "Mom," and Dad does NOT want to hear "Grandpa." ; 0 ) They've spent the summer re-doing Keefe's old room for Anny and the baby and putting Keefe downstairs, as well as getting new furniture for their bedroom, and I think it all looks fabulous - I love the orange and soft green colors used for the walls. : 0 D
Second, you may wonder why I haven't posted since April. Where have I been? Well, quite literally, nowhere...and everywhere. My friend Lauren and I started a little Monkees role-play story between the two of us in our daily e-mails sometime in late April, just to goof off and practice the guys' dialogue (those Texas and British accents can be quite a handful....) for our fanfics. By early May, it had grown out of the e-mails and onto the IM, where we concocted two stories, one a fantasy, the other revolving around the complicated but fun Yahoo Monkees fanfic group we both belong to, Long-Title.
We had so much fun IMimg the "Dream World" story, we decided to do another IM role-play after the Memorial Day crowds came and went from the Wildwood area....and we enjoyed THAT one so much, we decided to just keep going and do one role-play story per month, usually at the beginning. The format is two stories, one "just for fun" two-to-three part pure sitcom-esque tale meant as a warm-up, and one longer, more action/drama-oriented story. The running gag in our stories is that the six of us - Lauren, me, and the four Monkees (Mike the tall hatted or sunglassed one, Micky the curly-haired nut, Peter the sweet blonde, and Davy the short girl-chaser) use the power of our imaginations (represented by a soft, blue light) to "dream" ourselves into any scenario or place we choose, from the Wildwood Boardwalk to the woods to the Wild West to a sinister factory in Davy's hometown of Manchester, England. We're probably going to tone down this somewhat after our next few stories, which will take us into Peter's imagination (a reprise of the famous second season Monkees episode "Fairy Tale") and Micky's (Lauren is planning something with gangsters and the beach...).
Other ideas planned for upcoming role-plays include another go-around with the infamous Mr. Zero from the second season Monkees episode "The Devil and Mr. Tork," spying on a record company that may be defrauding the public, and exploring the origins of the guys' clumsy alter egos from the first and early second seasons of the show, the Monkeemen. We'll also be writing short connecting vignette-style tales between the role-plays, and we also have plans to eventually turn the longer stories into full-blown fanfic, starting with "Dream World."
Oh, yes, and there is some romance here. In our stories, Lauren has married Micky, and I'm going in an on-again, off-again romance with the eternally stubborn Mike. ; 0 )
Want to see what we've done so far? Here's Lauren's Monkees site, where all of our current stories are posted.
The role-play and Anny's new son have occupied much of my mind, but not all of it. I know I've said this, but I REAAAAAAALLLY need to get out of the Acme. It's been driving me crazy this summer. They hired way too many people to cashier, so I haven't been getting the hours I should. The new people are a pain in the rear end. They're mostly nice, but they either come from foreign climes or larger stores where they have people to do everything for them. In the tiny Wildwood store, cashiers are expected to do more than just stand behind a register - we clean, gather baskets and return them to the front of the store, put things away, you name it. Few of the newcomers understand this. They either think they're too good to dirty their hands or are just used to larger, less self-sufficent stores. One of the girls asked me the other day how I could clean the bathrooms, since I was a cashier. I asked her how I couldn't. It's not like the bathrooms are huge, they need to be done (and done RIGHT), and I get away from the registers and have a chance to think.
And because we have so many new people, I've been getting far fewer hours than usual for this time in the summer. By the height of the summer in mid-late July, I'm usually clearing 40 hours a week easily. This summer, I think I've made 38 twice. Mostly, it's been 32-35, which is not only insulting to a cashier of my experience (I've only been working at the Acme on and off for six years), but isn't helping me pay the rent. I've tried to explain this a billion times. I live ALONE. No one is helping me pay the rent or my bills. This is my only job - I'm not a waitress or a game barker at night. I can barely handle this job sometimes.
My sister and my mom suggested a temp agency, and I may look into that. No newspaper has any interest in hiring anyone besides sales people, and I'm tired of 2,000 people a day in my face. I want normal hours that don't change in the summer, a body of co-workers that doesn't fluxuate wildly with the seasons, a building that's in GOOD shape, and a place where I don't have to face a bunch of cranky, rude idiots and snobs for four to eight hours. : 0 p
First of all, I would like to announce to one and all....I AM AN AUNT! My sister Anny Jackman had her son, Skylar Mikah, at 5:54 PM on Saturday, July 31st, 2004. He's a tiny, adorable thing, weighing in at 5 pounds, 10 ounces. He's long, too - he's gonna be a tall boy. He already has a head full of hair and his mother's nose. : 0 ) Mom and Dad have asked to be called Nana and Pop Pop. Mom says she has enough people calling her "Mom," and Dad does NOT want to hear "Grandpa." ; 0 ) They've spent the summer re-doing Keefe's old room for Anny and the baby and putting Keefe downstairs, as well as getting new furniture for their bedroom, and I think it all looks fabulous - I love the orange and soft green colors used for the walls. : 0 D
Second, you may wonder why I haven't posted since April. Where have I been? Well, quite literally, nowhere...and everywhere. My friend Lauren and I started a little Monkees role-play story between the two of us in our daily e-mails sometime in late April, just to goof off and practice the guys' dialogue (those Texas and British accents can be quite a handful....) for our fanfics. By early May, it had grown out of the e-mails and onto the IM, where we concocted two stories, one a fantasy, the other revolving around the complicated but fun Yahoo Monkees fanfic group we both belong to, Long-Title.
We had so much fun IMimg the "Dream World" story, we decided to do another IM role-play after the Memorial Day crowds came and went from the Wildwood area....and we enjoyed THAT one so much, we decided to just keep going and do one role-play story per month, usually at the beginning. The format is two stories, one "just for fun" two-to-three part pure sitcom-esque tale meant as a warm-up, and one longer, more action/drama-oriented story. The running gag in our stories is that the six of us - Lauren, me, and the four Monkees (Mike the tall hatted or sunglassed one, Micky the curly-haired nut, Peter the sweet blonde, and Davy the short girl-chaser) use the power of our imaginations (represented by a soft, blue light) to "dream" ourselves into any scenario or place we choose, from the Wildwood Boardwalk to the woods to the Wild West to a sinister factory in Davy's hometown of Manchester, England. We're probably going to tone down this somewhat after our next few stories, which will take us into Peter's imagination (a reprise of the famous second season Monkees episode "Fairy Tale") and Micky's (Lauren is planning something with gangsters and the beach...).
Other ideas planned for upcoming role-plays include another go-around with the infamous Mr. Zero from the second season Monkees episode "The Devil and Mr. Tork," spying on a record company that may be defrauding the public, and exploring the origins of the guys' clumsy alter egos from the first and early second seasons of the show, the Monkeemen. We'll also be writing short connecting vignette-style tales between the role-plays, and we also have plans to eventually turn the longer stories into full-blown fanfic, starting with "Dream World."
Oh, yes, and there is some romance here. In our stories, Lauren has married Micky, and I'm going in an on-again, off-again romance with the eternally stubborn Mike. ; 0 )
Want to see what we've done so far? Here's Lauren's Monkees site, where all of our current stories are posted.
The role-play and Anny's new son have occupied much of my mind, but not all of it. I know I've said this, but I REAAAAAAALLLY need to get out of the Acme. It's been driving me crazy this summer. They hired way too many people to cashier, so I haven't been getting the hours I should. The new people are a pain in the rear end. They're mostly nice, but they either come from foreign climes or larger stores where they have people to do everything for them. In the tiny Wildwood store, cashiers are expected to do more than just stand behind a register - we clean, gather baskets and return them to the front of the store, put things away, you name it. Few of the newcomers understand this. They either think they're too good to dirty their hands or are just used to larger, less self-sufficent stores. One of the girls asked me the other day how I could clean the bathrooms, since I was a cashier. I asked her how I couldn't. It's not like the bathrooms are huge, they need to be done (and done RIGHT), and I get away from the registers and have a chance to think.
And because we have so many new people, I've been getting far fewer hours than usual for this time in the summer. By the height of the summer in mid-late July, I'm usually clearing 40 hours a week easily. This summer, I think I've made 38 twice. Mostly, it's been 32-35, which is not only insulting to a cashier of my experience (I've only been working at the Acme on and off for six years), but isn't helping me pay the rent. I've tried to explain this a billion times. I live ALONE. No one is helping me pay the rent or my bills. This is my only job - I'm not a waitress or a game barker at night. I can barely handle this job sometimes.
My sister and my mom suggested a temp agency, and I may look into that. No newspaper has any interest in hiring anyone besides sales people, and I'm tired of 2,000 people a day in my face. I want normal hours that don't change in the summer, a body of co-workers that doesn't fluxuate wildly with the seasons, a building that's in GOOD shape, and a place where I don't have to face a bunch of cranky, rude idiots and snobs for four to eight hours. : 0 p
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