Scenes from a McDonald's

Cap tip to a delicious website..."Freaks of Fast Food."

Note to patron: black is more slimming.

Some people won't be denied their Big Macs.

New menu item:  Cialis.

No wonder there's nobody on line behind them.

Obviously not chowing down on one of those salads.

Should I wear jeans?  Should I wear shorts?  Maybe I should wear both.

The ultimate drive-through window.  By the way, dig that Burger King knock-off logo.

Not the perfect place for a Happy Meal.

Super size me.

Super size me, too.

Dinner last night:  Back in LA---a large salad.

My New Tendon-cy

Somewhere in this diagram is my new problem.  An injury that is almost perfectly ironic.  Those of you who check in here regularly know that I have begun this year an exercise regimen with a great personal training team.  The goal was to significantly strengthen my arthritic right knee and stave off the inevitable joint replacement surgery for at least a decade. 

It has worked.  My right knee has never felt stronger.

And, in the process, I totally fucked up my left ankle.

Only I could pull this off.

Most of my training sessions conclude with about ten minutes of being professionally stretched.  As opposed to those of you who really enjoy being unprofessionally stretched.  One Friday in July, I felt a twinge in my ankle during the calf muscle stretch.  Oh, well.  I ascribed to the theory that pains like that are only good pains.

The very next day, a friend from New York City was visiting and we trooped down to Venice Beach for a meal and what turned out to be a long walk down a long pier. 

Twinge, twinge.  Left ankle, yes, I know you are there. 

That evening was a Hollywood Bowl event and the simple act of getting there is akin to military maneuvers.  Up the long hill at a 30 degree angle.  Down the long hill at a 30 degree angle.  Steep stairs inside.

That subtle ache on my left ankle suddenly turned to raging pain.

In a move that is rare to somebody who usually is pretty quick to seek medical advice, I did nothing.

Except forego calf muscle stretching with my personal trainers.  I had suddenly adopted my father's attitude about aches and pains.

"If you ignore it, it will go away."

Yeah, right, Dad.

More treks to the Hollywood Bowl interspersed with the usual Dodger Stadium excursions.  More denial that perhaps I had screwed myself royally.  I rationalize with the notion that I was leaning more on my right leg which was getting even more stronger as a result.

Yeah, right, Len.

My personal trainers finally convinced me to get it looked at by my podiatrist.  He deemed it a common injury for a runner.

"Yeah, but I wasn't running..."

Not an issue.  He decided I had a really angry ankle tendon.  Since I had totally swept the warning symptoms under the rug, the anger had morphed from a small spat to a full-on war.  The doctor wrapped it in some support hose which looked like what my grandmother used to wear for stockings.  Plus I had some anti-inflammatory cream that needed to be applied three times a day.  This should do the trick.

Yeah, right, Doc.

Two weeks later, I was still walking around like Pegleg Bates and was fully expecting to be called into action by the new producers of the Jerry Lewis Telethon.  My follow-up visit to the podiatrist was not exactly relevatory.

"This hasn't improved."

Ya think?

Given the distinct lack of improvement, my doctor began to think that I had torn or partially torn one of those ankle tendons that comes with one of those suitably long names.  He got me one of those lace-up braces/boots that you wear under your shoe.  I asked if they came in different colors so I could always coordinate with my socks.  He also prescribed a visit to my friendly local MRI emporium.  I made the usual joke about MRI.

MRI equals "Maybe Really Injured."

Shockingly, my doctor had never heard that one.  All those degrees on your wall and you're not up on the local podiatrist humor?

I made the appointment with one of those imaging places and then got challenged all over again.

"You made an appointment for one MRI and it appears your doctor prescribed two."

Huh? 

Apparently, he wanted souvenir photos of both my ankle and the bottom of my foot.  Yes, the pain was migrating.  I told the attendant that this was no problem.  Simply do both MRIs.  Conveniently, my ankle was attached to my foot and I had both in the office that day.

"Oh, no.  You're only scheduled for forty-five minutes and it would take ninety minutes to do both."

Welcome to the world of health care.

So, I had to come back twice to get the full picture.  I was starring in "MRI - the Miniseries."  Two glorious opportunities to lay on a slab and listen to the noisiest MRI machine this side of Marcus Welby.  I resisted the urge to post them as mobile uploads on my Facebook page.

The good news, besides the stiff neck and back that resulted from my new frequent MRI status, was that there were no tendon tears in my ankle.  I simply had a severe case of tendonitis.

Wait.  I had only heard about that in the past as an arm ailment.  Didn't Whitey Ford and Sandy Koufax get that?  And how did it happen to me?  I had not attempted to throw a curve ball with my foot.

My doctor had a simple answer.

"These things happen."

After hitting the iceberg, had the captain of the Titanic uttered the same thing?  Nevertheless, my doctor told me to continue wearing the boot and applying the cream.  Done and done.  But his next words have stayed with me.

"These things take forever to heal."

As opposed to the Titanic which sunk in a matter of hours.

I've kept up with my personal training and focused on exercises and stretches that can be done while seated or lying down.  Mercifully, the Hollywood Bowl season is over so the weekly ascents up Mount LA Philharmonic are in the past.  And, over the past two weeks, the pain is subsiding.

Until I went to the last Dodger home game of the season.  For some mystical reason, the tendon was angry again.  Mad in a way that reminded me of Ricky Ricardo after Lucy bought that new hat.

I laid in bed that night.  I could almost hear the throbbing in my left ankle.  And the laughter coming from my right knee.  As if it was heckling my other leg.

"Now you know what I've been going through all these years."

Dinner last night:  Rib eye steak sandwich at Neighborhood Services in Dallas.

This Date in History - October 5

And the password, Allen Ludden is....Happy Birthday.  No, wait, that's two words.

610:  CORONATION OF BYZANTINE EMPEROR HERACLIUS.

Here-a Clius, there-a clius.

869:  THE FOURTH COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE IS CONVENED TO DECIDE ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT PATRIARCH PHOTIUS.

I don't know what he did, but lynching is always good.

1550:  THE FOUNDATION OF CONCEPCION, A CITY IN CHILE.

A very clean city.  Indeed, it's the Immaculate Concepcion.

1582:  BECAUSE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR, THIS DAY DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS YEAR IN ITALY, POLAND, PORTUGAL, AND SPAIN.

Makes it tougher to schedule a cleaning lady.

1789:  DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, WOMEN OF PARIS MARCH TO VERSAILLES TO CONFRONT LOUIS XVI ABOUT HIS REFUSAL TO PROMULGATE THE DECREES ON THE ABOLITION OF FEUDALISM, DEMAND BREAD, AND HAVE THE KING AND HIS COURT MOVED TO PARIS.

And, oh, yeah, Louie, how about a little deodorant, please?

1793:  DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, CHRISTIANITY IS DISESTABLISHED IN FRANCE.

So much for those chicks marching to Versailles.

1813:  SHAWNEE LEADER TECUMSEH DIES.

One little Indian...

1829:  PRESIDENT CHESTER A. ARTHUR IS BORN.

As far as I know, he didn't break a thing.  Might be the last President we could say that about.

1857:  THE CITY OF ANAHEIM IS FOUNDED.

Oh, goodie.  Now we have someplace to put Disneyland.

1864:  THE INDIAN CITY OF CALCUTTA IS ALMOST TOTALLY DESTROYED BY A CYCLONE.

Call centers will be down for an hour, sorry.

1895:  THE FIRST INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL FOR RACING CYCLISTS IS HELD ON A 50-MILE COURSE NORTH OF LONDON.

If you couldn't get your Chinese food delivered on this day, you now know why.

1902:  STOOGE LARRY FINE IS BORN.

Why I oughta!!!!

1902:  FAST FOOD KING RAY KROC IS BORN.

He lived for 82 years.  This means he never once ate in his own restaurants.

1905:  ACTRESS HARRIET MACGIBBON IS BORN.

Mrs. Drysdale from the Beverly Hillbillies!!!!

1905:  WILBUR WRIGHT PILOTS WRIGHT FLYER III IN A FLIGHT OF 24 MILES IN 39 MINUTES, A WORLD RECORD THAT STOOD UNTIL 1908.

On the 405 Freeway at rush hour, you can't go 2.4 miles in 39 minutes.

1917:  GAME SHOW HOST ALLEN LUDDEN IS BORN.

And what happened to that Password judge, Dr. Reason A. Goodman?

1921:  THE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES IS BROADCAST ON RADIO FOR THE FIRST TIME.

And, gee whiz, I bet you could listen to it in the afternoon, too.

1924:  COMEDIAN BILL DANA IS BORN.

My name...Jose Jimenez.

1944:  SUFFRAGE IS EXTENDED TO WOMEN IN FRANCE.

Finally.  After marching to Versailles 155 years to the day.

1945:  A SIX-MONTH STRIKE BY HOLLYWOOD SET DECORATORS TURNS INTO A BLOODY RIOT AT THE GATES OF THE WARNER BROTHERS STUDIOS.

Set decorators?  Gee, how tough could they be?

1947:  THE FIRST TELEVISED WHITE HOUSE ADDRESS IS GIVEN BY PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN.

And it essentially pre-empted....nothing.

1949:  BASEBALL WRITER/STAT WHIZ BILL JAMES IS BORN.

And, despite what he might tell you, baseball did exist prior to 1949.

1950:  ACTOR JEFF CONAWAY IS BORN.

And now he's dead.  Taxi!

1953:  THE FIRST DOCUMENTED RECOVERY MEETING OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS IS HELD.

Looking for folks who were there.  Oh, wait, sorry, you're anonymous.

1962:  THE FIRST JAMES BOND FILM, DR. NO, IS RELEASED.

And the franchise really doesn't get going until Goldfinger in 1964.

1969:  THE FIRST EPISODE OF MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS AIRS ON BBC.

And it will show up in America as soon as....

1970:  THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE IS FOUNDED.

How soon before we get the first pledge drive?

1981:  ACTRESS GLORIA GRAHAME DIES.

And that's the way the cracker crumbles.

1982:  JOHNSON AND JOHNSON INSTITUTES A NATIONWIDE RECALL OF TYLENOL AFTER SEVERAL BOTTLES IN CHICAGO ARE LACED WITH CYANIDE.

Oh, come on.  It was just a couple of disgruntled Cub fans who wanted to ease their pain after another losing season.

1986:  FILM PRODUCER HAL B. WALLIS DIES.

Hal b dead.

2001:  SENATOR MIKE MANSFIELD DIES.

He had a horrible comb over, but I don't think that's what killed him.

2001:  ROBERT STEVENS BECOMES THE FIRST VICTIM IN THE 2001 ANTHRAX ATTACKS.

And obviously Mansfield didn't die from anthrax either.

2004:  COMEDIAN RODNEY DANGERFIELD DIES.

There's really no respect now.

Dinner last night:  Baby back ribs at Champs in Dallas.

Oh, Rob....

Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da..zip..boom.

Go ahead and sound it out in your own head.  That's the theme song of one of the best situation comedies in television history.  And, yesterday was the 50th anniversary of its premiere. 

Yes, the "Dick Van Dyke Show" is now one half-century old.  And who isn't?

Clearly, watching this classic sitcom in reruns was a master class in learning how to be funny on paper.  This show, along with "I Love Lucy" and "Mary Tyler Moore" did more to shape me as a creative human being than any class or workshop.  They helped to make me what I am today.  And, depending upon what day of the week it is, that's either good or bad.  Please hold your comments until the end of this blog entry.

When I heard that the American Cinematheque, of which I am a proud member, was going to hold a gala tribute in honor of the DVD show's birthday at the legendary Egyptian Theater, I jumped over my ottoman quickly to buy tickets.  So did about 600 other people, many of whom had worked for or with the production 50 years ago.  Not only was this a fan lovefest, but it apparently served as a workplace reunion.  Lots of the crew is still alive, which must mean they had a lot of healthy snacks at the craft services table five decades back.

Now, regular readers of this daily nonsense will recall that I had a brief dalliance several months ago with DVD creator Carl Reiner in the bathroom of the TV Academy after a "Hot in Cleveland" forum.  Well, before last Saturday's event, I made a urinal pitstop to beat the crowds that were gathering.

Yep, you guessed it.  Who walked in right behind me?  Carl Reiner.  What are the odds?  Or perhaps maybe it's time for me to speed up my annual visit to the urologist.  Apparently my bathroom habits are totally in sync with those of an 89-year-old.

With his bladder empty, Reiner addressed the crowd and told tales of how the show was created.  Three episodes were screamed and one was my favorite of the series---the one where Laura accidentally tells the world that Alan Brady is bald.  This script alone might be one of the top 10 best written sitcom episodes in television history.

Reiner, Van Dyke, and other special guests wound up in the front row to watch the episodes.  As the lights dimmed to darkness and the first show started, there was a lone voice from the black around us.  It was Carl Reiner.

"I just want everybody to know that we have the worst seats in the house."

Following the screening, some self-appointed DVD expert, whose big claim to fame is a trivia book he wrote about the show, introduced some of the other folks in the audience.  And if you were even remotely connected to the DVD show in some fashion, you got your name mentioned for the requisite hand clapping.

"Remember the episode where there was an ice cream salesman who had two lines with Buddy and Sally, well, here he is..."

"This guy swept up the floor on the sound stage for Seasons 3 and 4..."

"The woman who ran the mimeograph machine in the writers room.  Well, she has passed on, but her granddaughter is here..."

It went on and on and on.

Of the regular cast, Morey Amsterdam has, of course, gotten to that great one-liner in the sky.  Ann Morgan Guilbert, who played Millie Halper, was reportedly under the weather but she sent about twenty people in her stead.

Surprisingly, Rose Marie, no longer a "baby" at 88, was there in the audience with the legendary bow in her hair.  Previously used as an adornment, that bow might actually be what's holding her together these days.

At last, the in-audience salutations were complete and we could get to the long awaited forum with Dick Van Dyke and Carl Reiner.  Former DVD writer Garry Marshall was along to shepherd the conversation and literally stole the show with his very first comment.

"I'm here to introduce the seven people here who didn't get introduced yet."

Marshall is the Bronx personified and was absolutely hilarious as he solicited questions from the audience.  One came from Rose Marie who wondered where the bathroom was.

To be honest, I didn't learn anything new about the show than I knew before.  But, still, to sit there and just be in the same room with the folks responsible for so much entertainment that was important to me...well, that was reward enough.  An ideal way to salute the best of the best.

When I got home, a friend who belongs to the TV Academy invited me to that organization's salute to Carl Reiner next week.  I'm prepping for the event by drinking lots and lots of water.

Let's face it.  How many people can say they've peed alongside Carl Reiner not once, not twice, but three times in their life?

Dinner last night:  Grilled chicken sausage and salad.

Monday Morning Video Laugh - October 3, 2011

Saluting the 50th anniversary of the premiere of the Dick Van Dyke Show with one of the funniest scenes of the entire series.  Rob thinks that the hospital gave them the wrong baby...


Dinner last night: Hunan beef from First Szechwan Wok.

The Sunday Memory Drawer - More TV From Days Gone By

Let's take one more week to wrap up some TV tidbits---morsels of memories---from decades past.  Wherever you were seated in front of the Philco tube, maybe some of these will jog your memory.  As for me, I am likely sitting in my grandmother's living room and staring at the black and white images dancing in front of me.

Until, of course, the screen cut to a slide similar to the one the adorns the top of today's entry.  Usually, there would be an announcer who intoned those words that annoyed you to no end.

"We are experiencing technical difficulties.  Please stand by."

As you waited for what seemed to be an eternity, you were regaled with some little-known Ray Conniff cover song.  And you hated every single musical note that came out of the box.  Meanwhile, I'm missing what happened to Abbott and Costello in the haunted house.

My grandmother would go one better.  She'd get up and hit the side of the television. 

"Come on, you stupids."

As if the force of her hand could be felt all the way down at Metromedia Channel 5 in New York.  She actually might have thought she could move those tech guys any faster.

Dr. Kildare:  For a brief period of time, medical dramas were all the rage.  They were so popular that kids (like me) actually wore intern shirts to school.  There were two such shows on and, from what I remembered, you watched one or the other but not both.  It was almost like a battle of the titans.  Dr. Kildare vs. Ben Casey.  To be clear, you had to pick one as your favorite.  I went with Richard Chamberlain and Raymond Massey.  Why?  Ben Casey was on at 10PM Monday nights and this was at least an hour after my bedtime.

That Girl:  Truth be told, I don't think I watched a single complete episode of this Marlo Thomas sitcom.  But, I certainly wouldn't miss the opening credits to see the convoluted way in which the writers got to the moment where somebody exclaimed "That Girl!"  The opening credits were always terrific.  The show itself?  No clue.


When Marlo Thomas changed her hair in the later seasons, I would always find it fascinating that the style would magically switch out during the credits. 

To this day, I can't walk amongst the fountains at Lincoln Center without humming the theme song.

The Munsters:  In a battle similar to the Kildare vs. Casey match-up, there were two "monster" sitcoms on at one point.  Once again, you didn't or maybe couldn't be a fan of both.  You were either a fan of "The Munsters" or "The Addams Family."  You virtually had to pick sides.  My grandmother was partial to Fred Gwynne and company, so that made my decision a no-brainer.  Once my grandmother saw the Addams' "Thing" come out of the box...

"Stupid.  They are trying to make the people crazy."

Done.

This time around, kids didn't necessarily dress like ghouls to go to school.  But, there were other toys associated with the show.  I remember using my allowance to buy a Herman Munster doll.  It had real, well, acrylic hair.  And I promptly tried to shampoo it.  Suddenly, Herman Munster looked a lot more like Phyllis Diller.

Charlie Chan Theater:  Well, this wasn't a prime time show, but certainly a Saturday afternoon treat with Grandma.  At 3PM every week, Metromedia Channel 5 in New York would flash a slide opening this week's Chan movie.  The graphics were undoubtedly offensive to Asians.  As for me and my grandmother, we loved it.  We were always partial to the first Chan played by Warner Oland and his #1 son as portrayed by Keye Luke. 

But, another wonderful flashback for me goes back to my chosen snack for Charlie Chan Theater each and every Saturday.  I've written previously...

A Slim Jim.

Actually, two. Back then, they weren't that long. Probably six inches in length. I figured this was my protein requirement for the week. Because it was meat, right? Right????

I savored my two Slim Jims so much that I would eat them slowly. Craving every nitrate, morsel by morsel, as it slid down to whatever part of my stomach would try to process it. Every week, I'd run to Charlie's, get my Slim Jims, and then plop down in front of Grandma's TV to watch Charlie Chan Mystery Theater on Channel 5, Metromedia in New York. And I would slowly ease the "meat" out of the Slim Jims. I could make the two of them last for the entire show.

Password:  My grandmother couldn't read.  As a result, she couldn't enjoy those television game shows that involved the flashing of clues, words, etc..  But, she really liked Password as hosted by Allen Ludden.  Why?  Because the announcer always told her what she couldn't read...

"And the password is........"

77 Sunset Strip:  Back when I watched this with Grandma, I thought longingly of how cool it must be to cruise along Sunset Strip.  Having now made many trips across it, I can say "not so much."  Still, this detective yarn gave me a glorious image of Hollywood.

My more vivid memory of this show had nothing to do with me or my grandmother.  I had a female cousin who is older and was in her teens at the time.  She was totally over the moon for actor Roger Smith.  He was all she could talk about.  I was a kid and hormones were yet to be found in my bloodwork.  I'd look at my cousin and wonder what all the fuss was about.  How can you get this worked up over some guy on television.

Well, I would soon find out...

Bracken's World:  Well, heck, as I got older, I didn't watch everything with my grandmother.  Nope, this was my first "adult" show.  Watched in the privacy of my own room.  You'll know why shortly.  I've written about this show and its place in Len history previously when it came it at #21 on the list of My Top 25 Favorite TV Shows of All Time.  As we flashback...

I would expect very few of you will remember "Bracken's World." It aired for just 41 episodes on Fridays at 10PM on NBC from September 19, 1969 through December 25, 1970. The drama had marginal ratings in its first season and pretty much tanked during its second year, which was cut short at mid-season.

And, in the truest sense of being forgotten, it is dreadfully hard to even find anything about it anywhere. No one reruns it. There are a few truncated episode guides on the internet. There are no clips on YouTube, except for a photo gallery about Leslie Nielsen (he joined the cast for the second year) set to the second season theme song which was done by the Lettermen. Some joker on eBay is actually selling VHS dubs of selected episodes. The first season theme song (which I still hum to this day) is on a TV Theme Songs website, but I can't figure out how to load the musical link to this link. Nevertheless, largely, the show is long gone and even longer forgotten.

But not by me.

"Bracken's World" was my first foray into Appointment Television. Oh, sure, there were a bunch of shows from my childhood that were never missed. But, this program was indeed exclusively my own. Nobody else in my house watched it. Not my parents. Not my grandmother. I had one good friend in the neighborhood who was equally addicted, but she and I were essentially the smallest fan club possible.

I didn't give a shit. I loved it!

There was a lot going on for me in the fall of 1969. Those months would provide for me the most golden memories of my childhood. The New York Mets went from last place to first place and wound up their most amazing season with a World Series win over the Baltimore Orioles. Given that most of my friends "up the block" were Yankee fans, this, too, was a feat and an enjoyment exclusive only to me. I suddenly felt validated as a sports fan.

And "Bracken's World" gave me credence as my first hour-long "adult" drama that I was watching all on my own. It was mine. Only mine.

"Bracken's World" was just what the title said. A world run by movie mogul John Bracken. It was the story of Century Studios and, given that it was shot on the 2oth Century Fox lot, they really didn't need to modify too much signage. Ironically, my current LA apartment is probably on part of the Fox backlot that was sold off by Darryl Zanuck to cover some huge debts. Somehow, I'd like to think that I am living right now on part of what was "Bracken's World."

Century Studios was a throwback to the way that movie studios like MGM or Paramount used to be. Big communities with lots of people in residence. The house director. The studio head's executive assistant. The acting coach. The stunt man. The Marlon Brando wannabe. A family in a work environment. It made me decide right then and there that I wanted to be in the entertainment business. Up until I ran into "Bracken's World," I always thought I was going to wind up as a veterinarian. This show changed that all for me. Permanently.

And then there were the three resident starlets on the show. One Marilyn Monroe type, one Grace Kelly type, and one Loretta Young type. There was something for everybody's tastes.

And those three beauties, played by Karen Jensen, Laraine Stephens, and Linda Harrison, made me move toward adulthood in a completely different way. Perhaps that's another reason why I was watching this all by myself.

Another great thing about "Bracken's World" was they dragged in tons of cameos and guest stars. People who were just walking through the studio. Debbie Reynolds. Ricardo Montalban. Edward G. Robinson. Janet Leigh. Ida Lupino. A who's who of Hollywood back numbers. Hell, during a bulk of the first season, Bracken's assistant was played by the legendary Eleanor Parker, and she has pretty much disappeared ever since. Great stuff for a starstruck kid who suddenly realized that there was a lot more to life than a Jerry Koosman victory.

Sadly, "Bracken's World" never really caught on. I have some theories why, especially in light that it did have an okay-sized audience its first season. During that initial year, Bracken was never seen a la the disenfranchised voice they used on "Charlie's Angels." He was always on a conference call from New York or Cannes or some other place where you normally find studio moguls.

The producers, in an effort to spice up the show in its second season, elected to show us all John Bracken and the role was played by Leslie Nielsen. With all due respect to the actor who shares my birthday, this move did not work. The Bracken character was much more imposing and powerful when you were removed from him. It changed the series and not for the better.

The other second season turn-off was the direct result of a poor choice of plotlines. In the second episode that year, they decided to kill off the alcoholic wife of house director Kevin Grant, played by Peter Haskell. They did so in a story very reminiscent of what happened to Sharon Tate at the hands of Charles Manson. The only problem is that this aired only about a year after the real event and it certainly was way too fresh in the minds of the viewer. A major disconnect.

My Three Sons:  A good friend mentioned that this was one of his favorites after last Sunday's blog and I agree.  How could I forget it?  This was my first Lawrence Welk liberation show.  It was on the same time as every other TV in my house was tuned to the Lennon Sisters and company.  But, I had finally scored my own portable television so I could savor the goings on with Fred MacMurray and the boys.

Oddly enough, I didn't watch this show until several seasons in.  As a result, I missed a whole son.  The oldest had departed already and Barry Livingston came in as Ernie.  Why wasn't this updated to read "My Four Sons?"  This always confused me.

It was fun watching a houseful of siblings.  This show might have been the envy of all us only children.

But, then again, none of us kids were ever completely alone.  We always had that wonderful machine in the living room.  Illuminating our face with its picture tube.   And taking us to places near and far. 

Dinner last night:  Turkey burger at Pig N' Whistle.

Classic TV Commercial of the Month - October 2011

We're all Peppers...

Dinner last night:  Steak (with homemade steak sauce) and sweet potato fritters.