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
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
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
Monday, April 12, 2004
Hey Hey, They're the Monkees!
More nostaligia via my online girlfriend Lauren. Lauren's crazy about those four wacky musicians from the late 60s and sent me 3 CDs of their greatest hits...including my two favorite Monkees songs, "Daydream Believer" and "Star Collector," for my birthday. The songs renewed my interest in the wild, silly sitcom I first saw as a seven-year-old on Nickelodeon.
My sisters and I used to look forward to seeing what new adventures sweet David, silly Mickey, gentle Peter, and smart Mike would get into every week. Mike was the group leader (or fancied himself as such) and head guitarist. Mickey was the comic drummer who did impressions. Dave was the British drummer/maracca-playing hottie who tended to attract every woman within a five mile radius. Peter was the compassionate but immature second guitarist. The episodes tended to revolve around the boys trying to make it big, escape some female chasing Dave (often in a foreign or unusual place), or being conned by someone stronger or smarter than them. For all the wildness and generally weird stuff (this was the 60s, after all), the guys were just four good-natured and rather naive fellas out to have a good time, play music, and show off their talents.
It didn't matter to my sisters and I that we all knew it wasn't the Monkees playing their instruments on the screen then. We knew they were funny and colorful and we liked the music, and that was all that mattered. We all had our favorite Monkee - mine was Mickey. I've always liked men who can make me laugh.
Even now, the show comes off something like an American "Monty Python goes Beatles by Way Of The Bowery Boys" - jump cuts, animation, spoofs of everything from westerns to fairy tales to Star Trek-esque sci-fi to swashbucklers and yes, some of TV's first music videos. I may buy the DVD sets of the full two season if and when I get around to buying a DVD player. Hell, I'd get them for the swashbuckling spoofs alone.
The episodes I recall best include the one where poor Dave landed in a sword fight over some girls' honor (not surprisingly, given how many tended to chase him), the one where Mickey is mistaken for a gangster, and where the guys did their own fairy tale, with Peter as the hero and Mike as the damsel-in-distress (don't ask, it was a you-had-to-be-there thing).
More nostaligia via my online girlfriend Lauren. Lauren's crazy about those four wacky musicians from the late 60s and sent me 3 CDs of their greatest hits...including my two favorite Monkees songs, "Daydream Believer" and "Star Collector," for my birthday. The songs renewed my interest in the wild, silly sitcom I first saw as a seven-year-old on Nickelodeon.
My sisters and I used to look forward to seeing what new adventures sweet David, silly Mickey, gentle Peter, and smart Mike would get into every week. Mike was the group leader (or fancied himself as such) and head guitarist. Mickey was the comic drummer who did impressions. Dave was the British drummer/maracca-playing hottie who tended to attract every woman within a five mile radius. Peter was the compassionate but immature second guitarist. The episodes tended to revolve around the boys trying to make it big, escape some female chasing Dave (often in a foreign or unusual place), or being conned by someone stronger or smarter than them. For all the wildness and generally weird stuff (this was the 60s, after all), the guys were just four good-natured and rather naive fellas out to have a good time, play music, and show off their talents.
It didn't matter to my sisters and I that we all knew it wasn't the Monkees playing their instruments on the screen then. We knew they were funny and colorful and we liked the music, and that was all that mattered. We all had our favorite Monkee - mine was Mickey. I've always liked men who can make me laugh.
Even now, the show comes off something like an American "Monty Python goes Beatles by Way Of The Bowery Boys" - jump cuts, animation, spoofs of everything from westerns to fairy tales to Star Trek-esque sci-fi to swashbucklers and yes, some of TV's first music videos. I may buy the DVD sets of the full two season if and when I get around to buying a DVD player. Hell, I'd get them for the swashbuckling spoofs alone.
The episodes I recall best include the one where poor Dave landed in a sword fight over some girls' honor (not surprisingly, given how many tended to chase him), the one where Mickey is mistaken for a gangster, and where the guys did their own fairy tale, with Peter as the hero and Mike as the damsel-in-distress (don't ask, it was a you-had-to-be-there thing).
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
My Firsts and Lasts
Saw this at Linda's Blog and thought I'd give it a try....
FIRSTS
First job: Probably babysitting my siblings. First job with an actual paycheck? McDonald's, one of the worst mistakes I ever made in my entire life. Ugh. I hate the lady who owns the North Cape May MickeyD's, and I still haven't figured out to this day why I was "let go" (i.e, fired).
First screen name: starwenn, which I still use (The star is from "Star Wars," my favorite movies series. The wenn is from my favorite TV show "Remember WENN.")
First self purchased CD: I don't remember. Mom bought my copies of the "Can-Can" original cast album and "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Um...the cast album for "My Fair Lady," or maybe the soundtrack for the first movie version of "Annie?"
Vinyl Album: By the time I was old enough to be buying my own music, vinyl was on the way out. And now, all the cassettes I have, some dating back to the mid-80s, are going out, too...
First piercing/tattoo: One in each ear when I was nine, and that's it. I can't handle pain enough to get anything anywhere else.
First true love: Have I ever been in love? Maybe Josh Kingston, although I don't know if he'd agree....
First enemy: Most of the boys in elementary school.
LASTS
Last big car ride: To northern Virginia for my sister's college graduation in from American University in Washington, DC.
Last kiss: From someone other than a reletive? More than a year ago.
Last library book checked out: Bethlehem Road by Anne Perry. One of the best of the Inspector Pitt/Charlotte Pitt books I've read, very evocative and thoughtful.
Last movie seen: Disney's Sleeping Beauty, which is also a first for me - the first movie anyone bought me on video : 0 ).
Last beverage drank: Skim milk.
Last food consumed: Browned Butter cake.
Last phone call: To my family. I was bored and ended up over their house to get out of Wildwood.
Last CD played: Wicked Original Broadway Cast. Wonderful when concentrating on the two leading ladies, less successful when concentrating on the politics of Oz.
Last annoyance: Trying to get around the mess in Rio Grande people around here vaguely call "Road Construction." : 0 p
Last pop drank: Um....I don't drink soda that much...the root beer I had at my parents' house on Monday night?
Last ice cream eaten: Turkey Hill's Peanut Butter Cup, also at my parents' house. I don't often buy ice cream, either. It's so expensive, even in small amounts, and I hardly need it.
Last time scolded: Mom's worried about my weight, and I have been gaining again, but I can't help it. I get hungry, and I like baking.
Last shirt worn: Light green-yellow knit with three-quarter length sleeves for St. Patrick's Day. : 0 )
I....
I AM: afraid I'll never really fall in love.
I WANT: a decent job that gives me 40 hours a week in the winter and where I don't have to handle 500 obnoxious people a day and can actually use what I learned in college.
I HAVE: lots of stuffed animals, which are my babies. : 0 )
I WISH: someone down here needed a writer or an editor or an organized person.
I HATE: writing rain checks.
I FEAR: being declared insane...losing my independance, my income, and my home...being made fun of...being hurt...fighting....
I HEAR: Chita Rivera and the original cast of "Chicago" belting "All That Jazz" ("Wicked' just finished).
I SEARCH: for a good movie to watch during dinner to cheer me up after a hard day of work.
I WONDER: If I'll ever find someone who'll move in with me or find a place with me who isn't going back to school, can afford to move, and is ready to leave their family.
I REGRET: keeping my mouth shut at some of the bigoted comments I've heard both customers and co-workers make at the Acme recently.
I LOVE: my family and friends.
I ALWAYS: do my grocery shopping on Fridays (which also happens to be when I get my paycheck).
I AM NOT: bold or witty.
I DANCE: in front of the mirror, imitating Fred Astaire or Eleanor Powell.
I SING: often, especially in the shower, when I do dishes, and at work.
I CRY: when I'm angry, upset, or very sad. I've cried a lot lately over my financial problems.
YES or NO:
YOU KEEP A DIARY: Yes. I just wrote in my offline journal the other day, and I have this blog.
YOU LIKE TO COOK: I live alone, so I either cook or eat out every day. I don't have the money to eat out every day, so I cook. : 0 )
YOU HAVE A SECRET YOU HAVE NOT SHARED WITH ANYONE: Many, but I'm not sharing them here. They wouldn't be secret if I did! ; 0 )
DO YOU...?
HAVE A CRUSH: Do my crushes on Ben Stiller and Ewan MacGregor count? ; 0 )
WANT TO GET MARRIED: Not at the moment. I broke up with my boyfriend of three years not long before Christmas 2002, and I'm not in the hurry to get another one. Most of the guys my age in Cape May County are idiots.
GET MOTION SICKNESS: Nope.
THINK YOU'RE A HEALTH FREAK: See my reply to the last food I consumed. ; 0 )
CURRENT HAIR COLOR: Brown
EYE COLOR: Gray, like Anne Shirley's
BIRTHPLACE: Broward County Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
FAVORITES
NUMBER: 14
COLOR: Fire Engine Red
DAY: Sunday
MONTH: September
SONG(S): more than I can mention here
SEASON: autumn
DRINK: Don't drink alcholic beverages. Orange juice.
PREFERENCES
CUDDLE OR MAKE OUT: Cuddle. It's safer.
CHOCOLATE MILK, OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Neither. Crystal Lite Iced Tea and Lipton Orange Tea.
MILK, DARK OR WHITE CHOCOLATE: All of the above, in great quantaties. ; 0 )
VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE: Chocolate.
IN THE LAST 24 HRS, HAVE YOU...
CRIED? Yeah, but it was a good cry. I laughed so hard at one of Matt at X-Entertainment'srecent blog entries, I cried. : 0 )
HELPED SOMEONE? Today, no.
BOUGHT SOMETHING? A dish pan and birthday cards from Dollar Tree, a renewal for my non-driver's ID from Department of Motor Vehicles, and a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's (in Wildwood). I couldn't resist the latter. I hate beer of any color, so I had to celebrate with some kind of green food today! ; 0 )
GOTTEN SICK? No.
GONE TO THE MOVIES? No.
SAID 'i love you'?: No
WRITTEN A REAL LETTER: No.
TALKED TO AN EX?: He hasn't written me in a while.
MISSED AN EX?: Sigh, yes.
WRITTEN IN A JOURNAL?: Just in this blog. I only write in both every once and a while.
HAD A SERIOUS TALK?: With whom? I live alone.
MISSED SOMEONE? Yes.
HUGGED SOMEONE? Yes. My stuffed animals count. ; 0 )
MADE A GUY MOAN? No
Saw this at Linda's Blog and thought I'd give it a try....
FIRSTS
First job: Probably babysitting my siblings. First job with an actual paycheck? McDonald's, one of the worst mistakes I ever made in my entire life. Ugh. I hate the lady who owns the North Cape May MickeyD's, and I still haven't figured out to this day why I was "let go" (i.e, fired).
First screen name: starwenn, which I still use (The star is from "Star Wars," my favorite movies series. The wenn is from my favorite TV show "Remember WENN.")
First self purchased CD: I don't remember. Mom bought my copies of the "Can-Can" original cast album and "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Um...the cast album for "My Fair Lady," or maybe the soundtrack for the first movie version of "Annie?"
Vinyl Album: By the time I was old enough to be buying my own music, vinyl was on the way out. And now, all the cassettes I have, some dating back to the mid-80s, are going out, too...
First piercing/tattoo: One in each ear when I was nine, and that's it. I can't handle pain enough to get anything anywhere else.
First true love: Have I ever been in love? Maybe Josh Kingston, although I don't know if he'd agree....
First enemy: Most of the boys in elementary school.
LASTS
Last big car ride: To northern Virginia for my sister's college graduation in from American University in Washington, DC.
Last kiss: From someone other than a reletive? More than a year ago.
Last library book checked out: Bethlehem Road by Anne Perry. One of the best of the Inspector Pitt/Charlotte Pitt books I've read, very evocative and thoughtful.
Last movie seen: Disney's Sleeping Beauty, which is also a first for me - the first movie anyone bought me on video : 0 ).
Last beverage drank: Skim milk.
Last food consumed: Browned Butter cake.
Last phone call: To my family. I was bored and ended up over their house to get out of Wildwood.
Last CD played: Wicked Original Broadway Cast. Wonderful when concentrating on the two leading ladies, less successful when concentrating on the politics of Oz.
Last annoyance: Trying to get around the mess in Rio Grande people around here vaguely call "Road Construction." : 0 p
Last pop drank: Um....I don't drink soda that much...the root beer I had at my parents' house on Monday night?
Last ice cream eaten: Turkey Hill's Peanut Butter Cup, also at my parents' house. I don't often buy ice cream, either. It's so expensive, even in small amounts, and I hardly need it.
Last time scolded: Mom's worried about my weight, and I have been gaining again, but I can't help it. I get hungry, and I like baking.
Last shirt worn: Light green-yellow knit with three-quarter length sleeves for St. Patrick's Day. : 0 )
I....
I AM: afraid I'll never really fall in love.
I WANT: a decent job that gives me 40 hours a week in the winter and where I don't have to handle 500 obnoxious people a day and can actually use what I learned in college.
I HAVE: lots of stuffed animals, which are my babies. : 0 )
I WISH: someone down here needed a writer or an editor or an organized person.
I HATE: writing rain checks.
I FEAR: being declared insane...losing my independance, my income, and my home...being made fun of...being hurt...fighting....
I HEAR: Chita Rivera and the original cast of "Chicago" belting "All That Jazz" ("Wicked' just finished).
I SEARCH: for a good movie to watch during dinner to cheer me up after a hard day of work.
I WONDER: If I'll ever find someone who'll move in with me or find a place with me who isn't going back to school, can afford to move, and is ready to leave their family.
I REGRET: keeping my mouth shut at some of the bigoted comments I've heard both customers and co-workers make at the Acme recently.
I LOVE: my family and friends.
I ALWAYS: do my grocery shopping on Fridays (which also happens to be when I get my paycheck).
I AM NOT: bold or witty.
I DANCE: in front of the mirror, imitating Fred Astaire or Eleanor Powell.
I SING: often, especially in the shower, when I do dishes, and at work.
I CRY: when I'm angry, upset, or very sad. I've cried a lot lately over my financial problems.
YES or NO:
YOU KEEP A DIARY: Yes. I just wrote in my offline journal the other day, and I have this blog.
YOU LIKE TO COOK: I live alone, so I either cook or eat out every day. I don't have the money to eat out every day, so I cook. : 0 )
YOU HAVE A SECRET YOU HAVE NOT SHARED WITH ANYONE: Many, but I'm not sharing them here. They wouldn't be secret if I did! ; 0 )
DO YOU...?
HAVE A CRUSH: Do my crushes on Ben Stiller and Ewan MacGregor count? ; 0 )
WANT TO GET MARRIED: Not at the moment. I broke up with my boyfriend of three years not long before Christmas 2002, and I'm not in the hurry to get another one. Most of the guys my age in Cape May County are idiots.
GET MOTION SICKNESS: Nope.
THINK YOU'RE A HEALTH FREAK: See my reply to the last food I consumed. ; 0 )
CURRENT HAIR COLOR: Brown
EYE COLOR: Gray, like Anne Shirley's
BIRTHPLACE: Broward County Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
FAVORITES
NUMBER: 14
COLOR: Fire Engine Red
DAY: Sunday
MONTH: September
SONG(S): more than I can mention here
SEASON: autumn
DRINK: Don't drink alcholic beverages. Orange juice.
PREFERENCES
CUDDLE OR MAKE OUT: Cuddle. It's safer.
CHOCOLATE MILK, OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Neither. Crystal Lite Iced Tea and Lipton Orange Tea.
MILK, DARK OR WHITE CHOCOLATE: All of the above, in great quantaties. ; 0 )
VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE: Chocolate.
IN THE LAST 24 HRS, HAVE YOU...
CRIED? Yeah, but it was a good cry. I laughed so hard at one of Matt at X-Entertainment'srecent blog entries, I cried. : 0 )
HELPED SOMEONE? Today, no.
BOUGHT SOMETHING? A dish pan and birthday cards from Dollar Tree, a renewal for my non-driver's ID from Department of Motor Vehicles, and a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's (in Wildwood). I couldn't resist the latter. I hate beer of any color, so I had to celebrate with some kind of green food today! ; 0 )
GOTTEN SICK? No.
GONE TO THE MOVIES? No.
SAID 'i love you'?: No
WRITTEN A REAL LETTER: No.
TALKED TO AN EX?: He hasn't written me in a while.
MISSED AN EX?: Sigh, yes.
WRITTEN IN A JOURNAL?: Just in this blog. I only write in both every once and a while.
HAD A SERIOUS TALK?: With whom? I live alone.
MISSED SOMEONE? Yes.
HUGGED SOMEONE? Yes. My stuffed animals count. ; 0 )
MADE A GUY MOAN? No
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
Saturday Morning Fever
I have fond memories of Saturday mornings. I the morning person was always up first, sometimes before the channels were. I remember watching the test patterns on Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel before they went 24 hours. Yeah, that's how much of a couch potato I was when I was a kid - I watched test patterns. ; 0 )
When the channels did start, I'd watch "Mousercise" on The Disney Channel or "Lassie" on Nick before switching over to the networks for one of the joys that, unfortuantly, can no longer be relished - cheap early-morning kids' programming. Our shows were "Captain Noah" (a "Captain Kangaroo" variant) on ABC and "Starstuff," "The Candy Apple News Team," and "Dr. Fad" on CBS. (I totally don't remember what was on early on NBC or if Fox ever did any early morning shows.) "Candy Apple News" was the most charming - a kind of "WKRP In Cincinatti" for kids, with puppets and humans trying to keep a struggling radio station afloat. Ironically, since I still consider it to be the best of the lot, it was the first of these shows to vanish. The news team was gone by the mid-80s.
"Starstuff" was....well, let's just say it was unique. It was another puppet/human show, only they didn't interact in this one. It had something of a plot - a boy in Philadelphia contacted a girl in space using his huge computer. The puppets' segment was a very, very weird parody of "Flash Gordon"-style space operas that always began with this odd, thumping music and orangy-pink flashing blobs on the screen and had nothing whatever to do with the kids or the compuer. The rest of the show was given over to "Sesame Street"-style short educational segments and, yes, silent "Laurel and Hardy" shorts. The boy was a big fan of Laurel and Hardy and popped in a video of the boys whenever the dialogue ran short (which, as you can imagine, it frequently did). My love of old movies began with "Starstuff" and Laurel and Hardy.
"Starstuff" will forever be my definition of "so bad it's good." Except for Ollie and Stan, it was really terrible - the puppets were just odd, the computer was years out of date, the dialogue was stiffer than a board, and the kids couldn't act. Even so, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, and it must have had its fans, because it outlasted "Candy Apple News Team." I believe I last saw it around 1988-1989.
"Dr. Fad" was the only one of the three I remember that didn't involve puppets. The good Dr. was a hilarious, energetic Japanese-American fellow who hosted a show on fads and inventions. The fads spotlighted ranged from the Twist (performed by Chubby Checker himself, or a really, REALLY good Chubby Checker imitator) to Gumby to Slinky to Barbie. There were segments where kids created their own inventions and silly skits about inventions that supposedly didn't make it. "Dr. Fad" started in the late 80s and was still running in 1992 when we had our cable turned off.
My sisters rarely joined me for the early morning stuff. I occasionally got Rose up for "Starstuff" and "Dr. Fad," but the girls and my parents usually slept until 8, when it was time for the main attractions. CBS was our most-watched station - Saturday morning allumni from Columbia Broadcasting include "TMNT," "Muppet Babies," "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures," "Galaxy High School," "CBS Storybreak," "Teen Wolf," "Pee Wee's Playhouse," "Garfield and Friends," "Dungeons and Dragons," "Back To the Future," "Super Friends," "The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy," "The Wuzzles," "Pac Man," and a short-lived favorite of Rose's, "Wildfire."
NBC was our second most watched Saturday station with "The Smurfs," "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "The Snorks," "Kidd Video" (which also ran on CBS for a time), "The Amazing Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk," "Punky Brewster," and later "Captain N: The Game Master."
ABC ran a distant third with "The Real Ghostbusters," "A Pup Named Scooby Doo" (and many other Scooby Doo variants, including re-runs), "Beetlejuice" (a favorite of Anny's - she also loved the movie) and various incarnations of "The Bugs Bunny Show."
And then, we had Nick, who ran oddball foreign cartoons like "The Mysterious Cities of Gold" and "Arcadia of My Youth," syndicated cartoons like "Inspector Gadget," "Loony Tunes" in prime-time, and the three-some-hour "Pinwheel." There was also The Disney Channel, which specialized in it's delightful puppet kid revues "Welcome to Pooh Corner" and "Dumbo's Circus," along with one of the earliest "kids do wild stunts" game shows, "Contraption," and the live-action Canadian action programs "The Edison Twins" and "Danger Bay."
When Rose and I were really young, Mom and Dad let us sleep together on the couch bed in the living room on Friday nights, so we'd have the TV all to ourselves in the morning. We'd make a "tent" with the couch pillows while Mom made breakfast. Later, we'd let our folks sleep in and grab a bowl of cereal or toast. I don't remember there being that much arguing, odd as it may seem. I was usually the last one left before Mom would tell me to go out and play, or go in my room and play if the weather was bad, or let Dad have the TV if he was home.
I have fond memories of Saturday mornings. I the morning person was always up first, sometimes before the channels were. I remember watching the test patterns on Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel before they went 24 hours. Yeah, that's how much of a couch potato I was when I was a kid - I watched test patterns. ; 0 )
When the channels did start, I'd watch "Mousercise" on The Disney Channel or "Lassie" on Nick before switching over to the networks for one of the joys that, unfortuantly, can no longer be relished - cheap early-morning kids' programming. Our shows were "Captain Noah" (a "Captain Kangaroo" variant) on ABC and "Starstuff," "The Candy Apple News Team," and "Dr. Fad" on CBS. (I totally don't remember what was on early on NBC or if Fox ever did any early morning shows.) "Candy Apple News" was the most charming - a kind of "WKRP In Cincinatti" for kids, with puppets and humans trying to keep a struggling radio station afloat. Ironically, since I still consider it to be the best of the lot, it was the first of these shows to vanish. The news team was gone by the mid-80s.
"Starstuff" was....well, let's just say it was unique. It was another puppet/human show, only they didn't interact in this one. It had something of a plot - a boy in Philadelphia contacted a girl in space using his huge computer. The puppets' segment was a very, very weird parody of "Flash Gordon"-style space operas that always began with this odd, thumping music and orangy-pink flashing blobs on the screen and had nothing whatever to do with the kids or the compuer. The rest of the show was given over to "Sesame Street"-style short educational segments and, yes, silent "Laurel and Hardy" shorts. The boy was a big fan of Laurel and Hardy and popped in a video of the boys whenever the dialogue ran short (which, as you can imagine, it frequently did). My love of old movies began with "Starstuff" and Laurel and Hardy.
"Starstuff" will forever be my definition of "so bad it's good." Except for Ollie and Stan, it was really terrible - the puppets were just odd, the computer was years out of date, the dialogue was stiffer than a board, and the kids couldn't act. Even so, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, and it must have had its fans, because it outlasted "Candy Apple News Team." I believe I last saw it around 1988-1989.
"Dr. Fad" was the only one of the three I remember that didn't involve puppets. The good Dr. was a hilarious, energetic Japanese-American fellow who hosted a show on fads and inventions. The fads spotlighted ranged from the Twist (performed by Chubby Checker himself, or a really, REALLY good Chubby Checker imitator) to Gumby to Slinky to Barbie. There were segments where kids created their own inventions and silly skits about inventions that supposedly didn't make it. "Dr. Fad" started in the late 80s and was still running in 1992 when we had our cable turned off.
My sisters rarely joined me for the early morning stuff. I occasionally got Rose up for "Starstuff" and "Dr. Fad," but the girls and my parents usually slept until 8, when it was time for the main attractions. CBS was our most-watched station - Saturday morning allumni from Columbia Broadcasting include "TMNT," "Muppet Babies," "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures," "Galaxy High School," "CBS Storybreak," "Teen Wolf," "Pee Wee's Playhouse," "Garfield and Friends," "Dungeons and Dragons," "Back To the Future," "Super Friends," "The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy," "The Wuzzles," "Pac Man," and a short-lived favorite of Rose's, "Wildfire."
NBC was our second most watched Saturday station with "The Smurfs," "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "The Snorks," "Kidd Video" (which also ran on CBS for a time), "The Amazing Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk," "Punky Brewster," and later "Captain N: The Game Master."
ABC ran a distant third with "The Real Ghostbusters," "A Pup Named Scooby Doo" (and many other Scooby Doo variants, including re-runs), "Beetlejuice" (a favorite of Anny's - she also loved the movie) and various incarnations of "The Bugs Bunny Show."
And then, we had Nick, who ran oddball foreign cartoons like "The Mysterious Cities of Gold" and "Arcadia of My Youth," syndicated cartoons like "Inspector Gadget," "Loony Tunes" in prime-time, and the three-some-hour "Pinwheel." There was also The Disney Channel, which specialized in it's delightful puppet kid revues "Welcome to Pooh Corner" and "Dumbo's Circus," along with one of the earliest "kids do wild stunts" game shows, "Contraption," and the live-action Canadian action programs "The Edison Twins" and "Danger Bay."
When Rose and I were really young, Mom and Dad let us sleep together on the couch bed in the living room on Friday nights, so we'd have the TV all to ourselves in the morning. We'd make a "tent" with the couch pillows while Mom made breakfast. Later, we'd let our folks sleep in and grab a bowl of cereal or toast. I don't remember there being that much arguing, odd as it may seem. I was usually the last one left before Mom would tell me to go out and play, or go in my room and play if the weather was bad, or let Dad have the TV if he was home.
Saturday, December 20, 2003
Holly Jolly Christmas Specials
I watched Christmas specials while baking cookies today. I don't have cable, so the specials were all video copies, some recorded as far back as 1987. Since many were among my very favorites and they're still fresh in my mind, I thought this would be a great time to list my all-time favorite Christmas specials. Not Christmas movies (we'll do them later this week) - Christmas specials, usually no longer than 90 minutes.
Those of you who recall 50s and 60s specials will find some, but not all of them here - I grew up in the 80s, and many of the shows I recall could only have come from that decadant decade.
In no particular order...
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: I missed this two years in a row when I was in college, after which I broke down and bought my own copy. It's too cute to miss. Like most of the Rankin-Bass specials, it's a tad dated ("We have to get the women back to Christmastown") but a lot of fun, with a delightful score that includes the subject line song. Recent restoration (including a song and the "peppermint mines" sequence) was a big help.
Trivia: Burl Ives would narrate a second, traditionally-animated Rankin-Bass holiday special, "The First Easter Rabbit," in the 1970s. I don't know if it's on video, but I do know it ran on cable in the early 90s, as my parents have it on tape somewhere.
A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown: Of course, I couldn't leave off the classic 1966 tale of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, jazz, and that little tree. It's probably the most famous animated Christmas special ever filmed (and usually the first the networks run during December). Linus gets my vote for the best line, but not from his famous sermon. When Lucy threatens her younger brother in order to get him to memorize his lines for the pageant, Linus nervously observes "Christmas is not only getting too commercial, it's getting too dangerous." ; 0 )
You may be surprised to see the second Peanuts Christmas special on this list, since it's usually not regarded as well as the original. I don't think that's quite fair. The Media Center where I worked at Richard Stockton College in New Jersey, for some reason, had a copy that I watched every Christmas I worked there. It's more fragmented than its predecessor and starts slow, but the Christmas pageant finale with Marcie, Peppermint Patty (who missed the first special), and Sally is hilarious. "Hockey Stick!"
Trivia: According to my mother, the pink alumnium Christmas trees Lucy and Violet mention weren't merely a creation of the writers. Apparently, metallic trees in odd colors were the "in thing" in the early-mid 60s.
A Garfield Christmas Special: I have no idea why the networks have ceased running the hilarious Garfield specials, including this classic tale. Jon drags an initially reluctant Garfield and Odie to his parents' farm, where we meet his younger (and only) brother Doc Boy and his awesome, rockin', down-to-earth Grandma. Granny is the savior of this special - her wisecracks keep it from getting too sugary, and her lonliness for her husband provides a touching subplot.
Trivia: David Lander, the voice of Doc Boy, was Squiggy on the 70s-80s sitcom "Laverne and Shirley."
Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas: The first Muppet Christmas outing to not use the Muppet characters (except for narrator Kermit the Frog) has my vote for best music from any holiday special, including the catchy "Barbecue" and the gorgeous folk ballad "When the River Meets the Sea." (Jim Henson Workshops, if you're reading, you've GOT to put the soundtracks for this and your other Christmas specials on CD!) This is a simple but sweet tale not far removed from "The Gift of the Magi" - a mother otter and her son sacrifice what means most to them when they enter a talent contest in a near-by town. Ma sings another showstopping ballad, "In Our World" - her son organizes the titular band.
Trivia: The special is based after the children's book of the same title by Lillian Hoban.
The Christmas Toy: Here's the other Muppet special I recall, from 1986 (though I taped it off of Nickelodeon about five years ago). It's something of an early take on "Toy Story." Rugby the egotistcal tiger cub thinks he'll be his little girl's Christmas present again this year, just like he was the year before. It takes meeting a Buzz Lightyear-like female action figure and the near-loss of his friend Mew the Cat Toy to make him realize that friendship - human and otherwise - is the most important part of the season. The music doesn't quite match the earlier special, with the exception of the bouncy "Try the Impossible" and Rugby's song to the (supposedly) lost Mew, "Old Friends, Dear Friends."
Trivia: "The Christmas Toy" and "Emmett Otter" were filmed for cable. "Emmett Otter" was made for (and run for many years on) HBO.
The Year Without a Santa Claus: I watched this one a lot on Fox (now ABC) Family Channel when I was in college and fell in love with it. I'm going to get around to buying the video one of these days. Most people watch this one just for those battling siblings of the seasons, the Heat Meister and the Snow Meister. As much as I like those two, I'm here for the whole package. Shirley Booth (one of my favorite comediannes!) is a wonderful Mrs. Claus. This one loses points for a pedestrian music score - only a nice rendition of "Blue Christmas" in the finale holds up.
Trivia: I believe this was the first Rankin-Bass holiday special to be narrated by a woman.
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol: New to my favorites list. Some of my older friends recommended this version of the famous Charles Dickens novella for its delightful music. I bought a copy last year and wasn't disapointed, even though I'm not a fan of Mr. Magoo. Magoo's antics fit surprisingly well with a scaled-down, musical version of the tale of the redemption of that arch miser, Ebeneezer Scrooge. The animation is limited, but the script sticks surprisingly well to the original story and the much-talked-about music is as fantastic as my friends claimed. I was particuarly charmed by the lovely, meloncholy ballad "Winter Was Warm" and the rousing "We'll Have the Brightest Christmas." No wonder, as it was written by real-life Broadway songwriters Jule Styne and Robert Merrill, fresh off of "Funny Girl." Jim Backus (the long-time voice artist for Magoo) has able support from June Foray, Morey Amsterdam, and then-Broadway juvenile Jack Cassidy.
And what the heck is "razzleberry dressing?"
Trivia: This was the very first network Christmas special, released in 1963.
Mickey's Christmas Carol: Not a musical (though I do wish Disney would commercially release the beautiful opening song, "Oh What a Merry Christmas Day," on CD), but just as delightful as Mr. Magoo's rendition. It matches the Bill Murray "Scrooged" as the funniest Christmas Carol on record. The counter-casting of Goofy as Jacob Marley works surprisingly well, and Ferdie (one of Mickey's nephews) is too adorable as Tiny Tim! Mickey makes a beguilling Bob Cratchet as well...but, as a Donald Duck fan, I would liked to have seen more of his nephew Fred!
Trivia: Alan Young started doing the voice of Uncle Scrooge in this special, released theatrically in 1983. He also does the voice of Scrooge McDuck in the early 90s Disney cartoon "Duck Tales" and the more recent "Mickey Mouse Works" and "Mickey's House of Mouse."
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: I've never seen the Jim Carrey version of Dr. Seuss' timeless tale of an oddball burglary gone wrong, and I have no desire to. I'm afraid the animated version is too heavily implanted in my subconcious for even Jim Carrey in a green fuzzy suit to make much of an impression. One of the first specials I looked forward to seeing every year. The grouchy, noise-hating Grinch tries to remove all of his neighbors the Whos' holiday decorations, only to learn there's a lot more about the spirit of the holiday than trees, toys, and roast beast. This bitter story that turns sweet is ably assisted by the late Chuck Jones' expressive characters (especially Max the dog!) and the ghoulishly gentle narration of Boris Karloff.
Trivia: I swear I heard a version for a couple of years where Walter Matthau dubbed over the narration (if you run into it, run away from it - I like Matthau, but it can't hold a candle to the original). Thurl Ravenscroft, who sings "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," is the voice of Kelogg's Tony the Tiger.
And let's not forget nods to my two favorite TV series "special holiday episodes." American Movie Classic's (AMC) Remember WENN and ABC's Perfect Strangers may be two very different examples of the sitcom formula at its finest, but they do have one thing in common - excellent Christmas episodes. Strangers was around long enough to get two in, "A Christmas Story" from 1986 and "The Gift of the Mypiot" from 1988. "Mypiot" was cute, but I love "Christmas Story." It was actually somewhat reminicent of Charlie Brown - Larry Appleton is terribly upset when he can't get home for Christmas, so his immigrant cousin Balki Bartokomous does his best to remind his cousin of the Christmas spirit. The finale, with just the two cousins, a special gift, and a tree as forlorn as Chuck's, is one of the quietest and sweetest moments of the entire series.
Trivia: Actress Belita Moreno can be seen as two different characters in both episodes (she's Edwina Twinkicetti in "A Christmas Story" and Lydia Markham in "Gift of the Mypiot").
The 1996-1998 cult dramady Remember WENN also sported a memorable holiday episode, 1996's "Christmas in the Airwaves." It's Christmas 1940, and perpetually struggling radio station WENN is ready to celebrate - if their grieving owner and her nasty accountant will allow them to. The witty, warm script, wonderful music ("You Make It Christmas" was nominated for an Emmy in 1996), and fun cast make this one of the best WENN episodes ever.
Trivia: AMC released this and three first-season episodes on video. The set hasn't been sold in years, but there may be copies avalible on eBay.
I watched Christmas specials while baking cookies today. I don't have cable, so the specials were all video copies, some recorded as far back as 1987. Since many were among my very favorites and they're still fresh in my mind, I thought this would be a great time to list my all-time favorite Christmas specials. Not Christmas movies (we'll do them later this week) - Christmas specials, usually no longer than 90 minutes.
Those of you who recall 50s and 60s specials will find some, but not all of them here - I grew up in the 80s, and many of the shows I recall could only have come from that decadant decade.
In no particular order...
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: I missed this two years in a row when I was in college, after which I broke down and bought my own copy. It's too cute to miss. Like most of the Rankin-Bass specials, it's a tad dated ("We have to get the women back to Christmastown") but a lot of fun, with a delightful score that includes the subject line song. Recent restoration (including a song and the "peppermint mines" sequence) was a big help.
Trivia: Burl Ives would narrate a second, traditionally-animated Rankin-Bass holiday special, "The First Easter Rabbit," in the 1970s. I don't know if it's on video, but I do know it ran on cable in the early 90s, as my parents have it on tape somewhere.
A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown: Of course, I couldn't leave off the classic 1966 tale of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, jazz, and that little tree. It's probably the most famous animated Christmas special ever filmed (and usually the first the networks run during December). Linus gets my vote for the best line, but not from his famous sermon. When Lucy threatens her younger brother in order to get him to memorize his lines for the pageant, Linus nervously observes "Christmas is not only getting too commercial, it's getting too dangerous." ; 0 )
You may be surprised to see the second Peanuts Christmas special on this list, since it's usually not regarded as well as the original. I don't think that's quite fair. The Media Center where I worked at Richard Stockton College in New Jersey, for some reason, had a copy that I watched every Christmas I worked there. It's more fragmented than its predecessor and starts slow, but the Christmas pageant finale with Marcie, Peppermint Patty (who missed the first special), and Sally is hilarious. "Hockey Stick!"
Trivia: According to my mother, the pink alumnium Christmas trees Lucy and Violet mention weren't merely a creation of the writers. Apparently, metallic trees in odd colors were the "in thing" in the early-mid 60s.
A Garfield Christmas Special: I have no idea why the networks have ceased running the hilarious Garfield specials, including this classic tale. Jon drags an initially reluctant Garfield and Odie to his parents' farm, where we meet his younger (and only) brother Doc Boy and his awesome, rockin', down-to-earth Grandma. Granny is the savior of this special - her wisecracks keep it from getting too sugary, and her lonliness for her husband provides a touching subplot.
Trivia: David Lander, the voice of Doc Boy, was Squiggy on the 70s-80s sitcom "Laverne and Shirley."
Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas: The first Muppet Christmas outing to not use the Muppet characters (except for narrator Kermit the Frog) has my vote for best music from any holiday special, including the catchy "Barbecue" and the gorgeous folk ballad "When the River Meets the Sea." (Jim Henson Workshops, if you're reading, you've GOT to put the soundtracks for this and your other Christmas specials on CD!) This is a simple but sweet tale not far removed from "The Gift of the Magi" - a mother otter and her son sacrifice what means most to them when they enter a talent contest in a near-by town. Ma sings another showstopping ballad, "In Our World" - her son organizes the titular band.
Trivia: The special is based after the children's book of the same title by Lillian Hoban.
The Christmas Toy: Here's the other Muppet special I recall, from 1986 (though I taped it off of Nickelodeon about five years ago). It's something of an early take on "Toy Story." Rugby the egotistcal tiger cub thinks he'll be his little girl's Christmas present again this year, just like he was the year before. It takes meeting a Buzz Lightyear-like female action figure and the near-loss of his friend Mew the Cat Toy to make him realize that friendship - human and otherwise - is the most important part of the season. The music doesn't quite match the earlier special, with the exception of the bouncy "Try the Impossible" and Rugby's song to the (supposedly) lost Mew, "Old Friends, Dear Friends."
Trivia: "The Christmas Toy" and "Emmett Otter" were filmed for cable. "Emmett Otter" was made for (and run for many years on) HBO.
The Year Without a Santa Claus: I watched this one a lot on Fox (now ABC) Family Channel when I was in college and fell in love with it. I'm going to get around to buying the video one of these days. Most people watch this one just for those battling siblings of the seasons, the Heat Meister and the Snow Meister. As much as I like those two, I'm here for the whole package. Shirley Booth (one of my favorite comediannes!) is a wonderful Mrs. Claus. This one loses points for a pedestrian music score - only a nice rendition of "Blue Christmas" in the finale holds up.
Trivia: I believe this was the first Rankin-Bass holiday special to be narrated by a woman.
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol: New to my favorites list. Some of my older friends recommended this version of the famous Charles Dickens novella for its delightful music. I bought a copy last year and wasn't disapointed, even though I'm not a fan of Mr. Magoo. Magoo's antics fit surprisingly well with a scaled-down, musical version of the tale of the redemption of that arch miser, Ebeneezer Scrooge. The animation is limited, but the script sticks surprisingly well to the original story and the much-talked-about music is as fantastic as my friends claimed. I was particuarly charmed by the lovely, meloncholy ballad "Winter Was Warm" and the rousing "We'll Have the Brightest Christmas." No wonder, as it was written by real-life Broadway songwriters Jule Styne and Robert Merrill, fresh off of "Funny Girl." Jim Backus (the long-time voice artist for Magoo) has able support from June Foray, Morey Amsterdam, and then-Broadway juvenile Jack Cassidy.
And what the heck is "razzleberry dressing?"
Trivia: This was the very first network Christmas special, released in 1963.
Mickey's Christmas Carol: Not a musical (though I do wish Disney would commercially release the beautiful opening song, "Oh What a Merry Christmas Day," on CD), but just as delightful as Mr. Magoo's rendition. It matches the Bill Murray "Scrooged" as the funniest Christmas Carol on record. The counter-casting of Goofy as Jacob Marley works surprisingly well, and Ferdie (one of Mickey's nephews) is too adorable as Tiny Tim! Mickey makes a beguilling Bob Cratchet as well...but, as a Donald Duck fan, I would liked to have seen more of his nephew Fred!
Trivia: Alan Young started doing the voice of Uncle Scrooge in this special, released theatrically in 1983. He also does the voice of Scrooge McDuck in the early 90s Disney cartoon "Duck Tales" and the more recent "Mickey Mouse Works" and "Mickey's House of Mouse."
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: I've never seen the Jim Carrey version of Dr. Seuss' timeless tale of an oddball burglary gone wrong, and I have no desire to. I'm afraid the animated version is too heavily implanted in my subconcious for even Jim Carrey in a green fuzzy suit to make much of an impression. One of the first specials I looked forward to seeing every year. The grouchy, noise-hating Grinch tries to remove all of his neighbors the Whos' holiday decorations, only to learn there's a lot more about the spirit of the holiday than trees, toys, and roast beast. This bitter story that turns sweet is ably assisted by the late Chuck Jones' expressive characters (especially Max the dog!) and the ghoulishly gentle narration of Boris Karloff.
Trivia: I swear I heard a version for a couple of years where Walter Matthau dubbed over the narration (if you run into it, run away from it - I like Matthau, but it can't hold a candle to the original). Thurl Ravenscroft, who sings "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," is the voice of Kelogg's Tony the Tiger.
And let's not forget nods to my two favorite TV series "special holiday episodes." American Movie Classic's (AMC) Remember WENN and ABC's Perfect Strangers may be two very different examples of the sitcom formula at its finest, but they do have one thing in common - excellent Christmas episodes. Strangers was around long enough to get two in, "A Christmas Story" from 1986 and "The Gift of the Mypiot" from 1988. "Mypiot" was cute, but I love "Christmas Story." It was actually somewhat reminicent of Charlie Brown - Larry Appleton is terribly upset when he can't get home for Christmas, so his immigrant cousin Balki Bartokomous does his best to remind his cousin of the Christmas spirit. The finale, with just the two cousins, a special gift, and a tree as forlorn as Chuck's, is one of the quietest and sweetest moments of the entire series.
Trivia: Actress Belita Moreno can be seen as two different characters in both episodes (she's Edwina Twinkicetti in "A Christmas Story" and Lydia Markham in "Gift of the Mypiot").
The 1996-1998 cult dramady Remember WENN also sported a memorable holiday episode, 1996's "Christmas in the Airwaves." It's Christmas 1940, and perpetually struggling radio station WENN is ready to celebrate - if their grieving owner and her nasty accountant will allow them to. The witty, warm script, wonderful music ("You Make It Christmas" was nominated for an Emmy in 1996), and fun cast make this one of the best WENN episodes ever.
Trivia: AMC released this and three first-season episodes on video. The set hasn't been sold in years, but there may be copies avalible on eBay.
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