Saturday Night Live

Still Crazy After All These Years

November 20, 2018

When this TV show hit the airwaves in October 1975, it was considered edgy and pushing the boundaries of societal good taste. For teenagers and twenty-something’s it became ‘must see’ TV. We are, of course, talking about Saturday Night Live which is now in its 44^th season.

140207_2721464_Paul_Simon_s_Monologue_Worries_anvver_4

Paul Simon – Still Crazy After All These Years – in the turkey costumer on SNL.

No doubt I watched the November 20, 1976, episode live when singer/songwriter Paul Simon hosted the show and donned a turkey costume for one of the sketches. In the sketch he sings the first five lines of the song:

I met my old lover
On the street last night
She seemed so glad to see me
I just smiled
And we talked about some old times
And we drank ourselves some beers
Still crazy after all these years
Still crazy after all these…

From there he complains about how stupid he feels being dressed up as a turkey, eventually leaves the stage, and has a backstage conversation with Lorne Michaels – SNL’s producer – before the bit is over.

It was things like this which propelled SNL into the pop culture of the 1970’s and soon had young people repeating lines like:

“We’re just two wild and crazy guys!” and “Never mind” and my personal favorite, “Jane, you ignorant sl*t.”

All three of these were repeated multiple times in multiple episodes, as were another dozen characters who said memorable things.

Two Wild and Crazy guys! – Dan Akroyd and Steve Martin

The first featured Steve Martin and Dan Akroyd who took on the persona of two socially awkward Czechoslovakian brothers, Yortuk and Georg Festrunk, who continually tried to pick up American women. But always failed.

“Never mind” was from the genius of Gilda Radner whose character Emily Litella would pontificate on some subject. From the Infallible Wikipedia:

“Emily Litella is an elderly woman with a hearing problem who appeared 26 times on SNL’s Weekend Update op-ed segment in the late 1970s. Attired in a frumpy dress, sweater and Lisa Loopner glasses, Litella was introduced with professional dignity by the news anchors, who could sometimes be seen cringing slightly in anticipation of the malapropisms they knew would follow. These sketches were, in part, a parody of the Fairness Doctrine, which at the time required broadcasters in the United States to present opposing viewpoints on public issues.

Litella would peer through her bifocal glasses and, in the character’s high-pitched, warbly voice, would read a prepared statement in opposition to an editorial that the TV station had supposedly broadcast. Litella would become increasingly agitated as her statement progressed. Midway in her commentary, it became apparent to the anchor, and the audience, that Litella had misheard or misunderstood the subject of the editorial to which she was responding. A typical example:

‘What is all this fuss I hear about the Supreme Court decision on a ‘deaf’ penalty? It’s terrible! Deaf people have enough problems as it is!’

The news anchor would interrupt Litella to point out her error, along the lines, ‘That’s death penalty, Ms. Litella, not deaf … death.’ Litella would wrinkle her nose, say something like, ‘Oh, that’s very different,’ then meekly turn to the camera and say, smiling, ‘Never mind!’”

Of course the last one was completely over the top in the 1970’s as saying the word ‘slut’ on TV was just not done. But that’s exactly what Dan Akroyd – in the role of a news anchor – would deadpan to his co-anchor, Jane Curtin, during a segment titled “Point/Counterpoint”. And the audience loved it.

Point/Counterpoint with Curtin and Akroyd

It was society altering humor which has influenced several generations. I was 18 when it first hit the airwaves. Although I watched at my home in Yakima the first two years I have a distinct memory of hurrying into the TV room at the Alpha Phi house at the University of Puget Sound to watch it while in college from 1977 through 1979. There was always a fairly large group to view it with me.

Nowadays, when I see the program, I find myself shaking my head as what the current generation finds funny no longer resonates with me. Alas, we are all products of our time. I will forever think of Dan Akroyd, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Bill Murray, Garret Morris, and Laraine Newman as the REAL SNL cast!

SNL cast member 1976 to 1979, left to right, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, John Belushi, Laraine Newman, Dan Akroyd, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray

As I have been known to do with my kids is to provide them with the cultural reference – usually in the form of a video – whenever my husband or I quote something from SNL. A roll of the eyes lets me know that they’re not interested to which I respond “Never mind.”

As always, a few links:
https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/paul-simons-monologue-worries/n8639

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurring_Saturday_Night_Live_characters_and_sketches_introduced_1977%E2%80%931978

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Litella

Sadie Hawkins Day

Nov13

November 13, 2108

Catch and Release?

sadietitle The origin of Sadie Hawkins Day is, no doubt, an anachronism to the young people of today who would be simultaneously surprised and offended by it. But on November 13, 1937, the event was introduced in a popular comic strip and soon, in the vernacular of today, went viral.

For those who have never heard the term, it was cartoonist Al Capp who, in his syndicated comic Lil’ Abner, wrote it as a plot-line device.

According to the Infallible Wikipedia:

“In Li’l Abner, Sadie Hawkins was the daughter of one of Dogpatch’s earliest settlers, Hekzebiah Hawkins. The ‘homeliest gal in all them hills,’ she grew frantic waiting for suitors. When she reached the age of 35, still a spinster, her father was worried about Sadie living at home for the rest of her life. In desperation, he called together all the unmarried men of Dogpatch and declared it ‘Sadie Hawkins Day’. A foot race was decreed, with Sadie pursuing the town’s eligible bachelors. She was specifically interested in a handsome boy named Adam who was already in a courtship with a cute girl, Theresa, whose father was the area’s largest potato farmer, Bill Richmand, and, unlike Sadie, had a number of courtship offers. Adam was invited to the race because Miss Theresa and Adam weren’t actually engaged. With matrimony as the consequence of losing the foot race, the bachelors of the town were running for their freedom. Adam scored fourth place out of 10, leaving John Jonston as Sadie’s prize. It is possible that the concept’s origins are in an inversion of the myth of Atalanta, who, reluctant to marry, agreed to wed whoever could outrun her in a footrace.

‘When ah fires [my gun], all o’ yo’ kin start a-runnin! When ah fires agin—- after givin’ yo’ a fair start—- Sadie starts a runnin’. Th’ one she ketches’ll be her husbin.’

The town spinsters decided that this was a good idea, so they made Sadie Hawkins Day a mandatory yearly event, much to the chagrin of Dogpatch’s bachelors. If a woman caught a bachelor and dragged him, kicking and screaming, across the finish line before sundown, by law he had to marry her.”

The 1937 cartoon which started it all.

The idea caught on and, just two years later, an article in Time magazine claimed over 200 Sadie Hawkins dances were being held that year at colleges throughout the United States. By 1952 it was estimated that the annual November event was celebrated in 40,000 venues!

Some late 1940’s Sadie Hawkins costumes

Even today, Sadie Hawkins festivities remain popular in the mid-west and south and women – perhaps still shy about asking a boy out – can feel free to pursue the guy of their dreams on November 13.

When I was a teenager, Tolo was our high school version of Sadie Hawkins Day. Apparently a Tolo Dance is unique to the Pacific Northwest. It was started at the University of Washington by Mortar Board, an all women’s honorary society, known there as the Tolo Club. The first dance held by the Tolo Club was conceived as a fundraiser. Like a Sadie Hawkins Day dance, it was the girls who asked the boys.

But back to high school. There was something frightening about the concept of asking a guy to go out. What if he said ‘no’? What if he told his friends and laughed about you behind your back? What if, what if, what if…

And yet somehow I screwed up the courage to ask one my junior year. His name was Mel, he was a senior, and he was an assistant editor on the yearbook staff. We had worked together on the annual since the beginning of school. I thought he was cute, had a good sense of humor, and would be fun to ask to Tolo.

In those days people didn’t do crazy things to ask someone, you just waited until the person was alone and then swoop in. Perhaps I asked him during class one day. I’m pretty sure I’ve tried to block the incident from my memory because I don’t recall exactly how or when I asked him. All I know is that I did and that he said he would.

When the day of the big event arrived I was a wreck, obsessing over what I had chosen to wear (Don’t judge – all I can say is that double knit was a thing in 1973). And obsessing over what we would talk about all evening and if he really wanted to even go with me.

So we went to Tolo, danced, hung out with Mort (editor of the annual that year) and his date a bit, made small talk, and then Mel took me home. The evening ended with a polite ‘thanks for asking me, I had a good time’ verbal handshake and then he left.

Afterwards I was determined to not let the less than stellar date affect our friendship in class and things went back to normal. Mel’s most famous moment in high school occurred a few months later in the spring of 1974 when he became the one and only student at Eisenhower High School to – at an after school track meet – participate in the nationwide phenomenon of … streaking! He graduated that June – in cap and gown – and I have never seen him again.

The next year there was no way I going to put myself through another awkward evening. I stayed on the sidelines and have never regretted that decision.

What the experience of asking Mel to Tolo did for me was two things:

First, it made me totally appreciate the challenge for men – at least in my day – of having to read the tea leaves of a woman’s interest levels. It’s darn intimidating to figure out if she’ll say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
Second, from experiences such as that, I gained valuable insight which has made it easier to penetrate the heads of the fictional characters I write. If I can conjure up the way I felt when I asked someone out or endured an awkward date, then I can imagine a character – male or female – having similar trepidation’s.

Some Sadie Hawkins girls participating in catch and release.

So here’s to Sadie Hawkins day… hope you ladies out there looking to ask that perfect guy out on a date find a keeper. Otherwise, there’s always catch and release.

A couple of links for you:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadie_Hawkins_Day

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadie_Hawkins_dance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capp

Oktoberfest

Oct2

October 2, 2018

Bavarian Beer Bacchanalia

In the category of ‘Any Excuse For A Party’ – Oktoberfest is one of the biggies.

It began in 1810 as a celebration of the wedding of Kronprinz Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen of Bavaria. According to the Infallible Wikipedia:

munich-oktoberfest-2013-dancing — *Traditional Bavarian dancers celebrate Oktoberfest*

“The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the royal event. The fields were named Theresienwiese (‘Theresa’s Meadow’) in honour of the Crown Princess, and have kept that name ever since, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to the ‘Wiesn’. Horse races, in the tradition of the 15th-century Scharlachrennen (Scarlet Race at Karlstor), were held on 18 October to honor the newlyweds.”

Apparently the citizens of Munich had such a good time that everyone thought it was a splendid idea to do it again the next year… and the next… and pretty much every year for the next 208 years. Also from the Infallible Wikipedia:

“Oktoberfest is the world’s largest Volksfest (beer festival and travelling funfair). Held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, it is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid or late September to the first weekend in October, with more than six million people from around the world attending the event every year. (snip) The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are modeled after the original Munich event.”

For many years the festival was held during the first half of October but was moved to the last two weeks of September and culminates the first weekend of October. But there is one caveat: if the first weekend ends on either the first or second, then the festival runs until the third.

The beer served at the Munich festival must conform to a standard known as Reinheitsgebot, and it must be brewed within the city limits of Munich in order to be served at the Munich Oktoberfest. The only breweries which can participate are:

Augustiner-Bräu
Hacker-Pschorr-Bräu
Löwenbräu
Paulaner
Spatenbräu
Staatliches Hofbräu-München

For more information and minutiae than you could ever hope to know, be sure to visit the Wikipedia page linked below.

This past weekend, while in Reno visiting our daughter and her boyfriend, the hubby and I agreed to attend a Lake Tahoe version of Oktoberfest. Held in Tahoe City, the event featured beer, of course, as well as food and entertainment. There were about a half dozen breweries present. Since I’m not a beer drinker, I was happy to see Barefoot Wines have a booth. We enjoyed a lovely day along the shores of the lake although it was windy.

There was a live band – the Beer Gardeners – who played 60’s and 70’s music. There were also contests including a wiener toss. The game was exactly like a raw egg toss where partners stand across from each other and toss eggs to each other until the egg drops and breaks and the pair is eliminated from the game.

20180929_134425 — *The competition was fierce at Tahoe City Oktoberfest celebration.*

But instead of eggs, they toss their wiener back and forth. About 12 pairs of wiener tossers participated and each time a wiener was successfully caught, the participants would take a step further apart. The game was won when only one pair was left who hadn’t dropped their wiener. Yes, I’ve just used the word wiener five times. Yes I took photos.

But the main reason for the event was to drink beer. As the internet might tell you “Beer Is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Contrary to popular belief Ben Franklin never said that. It was probably just a marketing ploy for Oktoberfest and another excuse to have a beer.

20180929_145139 — *No beer for the author… but the wine and giant pretzel were delicious!*

Such a fun time!

A Trusty Steed

Sep11

The Ford Pinto

September 11, 2018

By the late 1960’s no doubt those who study demographics had advised US car makers that there was a huge market for smaller, less expensive cars. In the mid 1960’s the first of the Baby Boomers arrived in droves to get their driver’s licenses. Between 1966 and 1975 over 40 million American teens became drivers.

b_1975 Ford Pinto (Cdn)-06-07 Ford Motor Company’s response to this demographic phenomenon was the introduction of the Pinto, marketed as “The Little Carefree Car” on September 11, 1970. From the Infallible Wikipedia:

“Initial planning for the Pinto began in the summer of 1967, was recommended by Ford’s Product Planning Committee in December 1968, and was approved by Ford’s Board of Directors in January 1969. Ford President Lee Iacocca wanted a 1971 model that weighed under 2,000 pounds and that would be priced at less than $2,000.”

Over the course of the car’s production lifetime, from 1970 through 1980, there were 3,173,491 Pinto’s built and sold.

The Pinto was not without challenges and a design flaw which could result in an explosion and fire during a rear end collision resulted in very bad publicity for the company based on two very high profile legal cases. Also from the Infallible Wikipedia:

Sports Car Graphic 1970-09.jpg “In April 1974, the Center for Auto Safety petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to recall Ford Pintos to address fuel system design defects after reports from attorneys of three deaths and four serious injuries in rear-end collisions at moderate speeds. The NHTSA found there was not enough evidence to warrant a defect investigation. In August 1977, Dowie’s ‘Pinto Madness’ article was published a series of accusations against Ford, the Pinto and the NHTSA. These included that Ford knew the Pinto was a ‘firetrap,’ and said that Ford did not implement design changes because Ford’s cost-benefit analysis document showed that paying out millions in damages in lawsuits was more profitable than the design changes. The day after the article’s release consumer advocate Ralph Nader and the author of the Mother Jones article held a news conference in Washington DC on the alleged dangers of the Pinto’s design. On the same day, Nader and the Center for Auto Safety re-submitted their petition to the NHTSA.”

In 1978 there was a nationwide recall of the car which required a polyethylene shield to be installed between the rear end and the gas tank as well as additional work to improve fuel lines and seals.

Despite the efforts of Ford and Chevrolet to stave off the invasion of foreign cars beginning in the late 1960’s, both the Pinto and – Chevy’s answer – the gutless Vega, were abandoned by 1980 as US car makers struggled to compete.

In 1975 Pinto’s, Vega’s and other small cars filled the streets as they were inexpensive options for teens and young adults whose wages from part time work allowed them to own a car. I was such an individual.

How Valley Ford looked in 1970. I worked in an office just to the left of the door you see in the summer of 1976 when I bought the car.

My first job was as a file clerk for Valley Ford in Yakima where I started working part time in the fall of 1975, earning an amazing $2.10 an hour. I suppose my parents tired of me always having one of their cars (the Mustang!) so when the new car sales manager advocated on my behalf the following summer for a car which they’d gotten at auction, I became the proud owner – and with a monthly payment! – of my very first car: a 1974 Pinto Runabout, dark blue with a white top and sunroof.

As I thought about this article I contemplated what story I would share about my experiences as a Pinto owner for five years. How I killed the engine at every intersection the day I drove it home since I didn’t know how to drive a stick shift? Dragging Yakima Avenue with my friend Daphne and meeting two guys who, if their life depended on it, could not guess what her last name was (It was ‘Guess’)? Or how the car took me all over the state for several years?

Finally, I understood that my Pinto was the one constant during that five year period from teenager to adult. Snippets of memories flood back and I see myself as a barely 20 year old driving to a Rainbow Girls’ camp on Hood Canal singing along with Billy Joel’s ‘She’s Always A Woman To Me’, the freedom of the moment and an open road palpable.

My Pinto parked in the driveway at my parents’ house in Yakima. I had never noticed yet another Pinto across the street.

It was with me when I arrived on the campus of the University of Puget Sound in late August that same year and provided more than a few runs for me and my sorority sisters to Piggly Wiggly for study snacks or out for pizza. I can see it in the parking lot at the Alpha Phi house the Tuesday before Thanksgiving covered by a blanket of snow. A few hours later I had my roommate, a girl I knew from Yakima who also attended UPS, then picked up my ex-boyfriend in Seattle before dropping my roommate off in Kirkland then navigating over Snoqualmie Pass in a snowstorm.

But my favorite memory involving the Pinto occurred May 5, 1979. It was the Saturday before finals week and the campus was going crazy with parties and people letting off steam. I had decided to attend a Rainbow Girls’ reception for a friend of mine over in Gig Harbor. It was about a half hour drive from UPS to Peninsula High School so I took off around 6:15, needing to arrive by 7:00 pm. I made it across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge with no problem but when I got to Gig Harbor I was lost. This was long before the days of GPS; all I had was a paper map and it didn’t provide good detail. Up and down several streets I went and my frustration grew. Finally, I pulled the Pinto to the side of the road, consulted the map, and determined I was hopelessly lost and, best case scenario, even if I could find the high school, I would be late.

Resigned to these facts I decided to forgo the event and return to campus. I pulled back on to the road. Just as I came to the crest of the hill, there’s a full rainbow arched before me. I sigh and think “It’s going to be alright.” Now calm, I descend down to the waterfront of Gig Harbor then turn left when I get to the bottom of the hill. I’m thinking this will put me back on the highway but, when I get to the top of the road, I am literally at the front door of the school. Then the next miracle occurs. There is a car leaving from a parking space right in front of the entrance. I park the Pinto and hurry in, barely getting into the gymnasium before things begin. I see a couple of girls I know and ask if I can sit with them. No room on the bleachers where they sit, they say, but there is a spot on the one below. I find myself sitting next to a guy who I know is dating another of my friends – but she’s a mucky muck and is sitting with a different group of people.

As the meeting goes on I find myself spending more time talking to this guy than paying attention to the meeting. I accidentally knock his coat and camera on the floor. We keep talking. Nearly three hours later, the reception over, I go to visit with a couple other friends and there’s the same guy also talking to one particular gal. My friend – the girl that is – asks me what my phone number is so she can call me. I give it to her but say “I’ll only be there another couple weeks as I’m graduating and going back to Yakima.”

Then I leave. By then it’s about 10 pm and it’s a beautiful night as the earlier showers and clouds have cleared. I walk down the steps towards my Pinto when I hear a voice behind me say “Barb, wait up.”

I turn. It’s the fellow who I’d been sitting next to.

“Did you want me to remember your number?” He asks.

“Do you want to remember my number?” I respond.

“Only if you want me to,” he says.

I repeat the number and say – again – that I’m only there for a short time as well as it being a long distance call for him. He replies that it’s in his budget to make the call and says he will. I get into the Pinto and drive back to campus.

***

The Pinto remained with me through graduation and then when I moved to Eatonville for my first post-college job. It was reconstructed after I hit a deer in the fall of 1979. It moved with me to West Seattle in August 1980 when I got married and ferried me to interviews and then a new job that fall. Then in early 1981, the hubby and I sold it to raise money for the down payment on our first house. And the guy from the reception in Gig Harbor? We celebrated our 38^th Wedding Anniversary in August.

Scan_20180909 (4).jpg It took some digging but I finally found a few photos. I’m particularly amused by this one of ‘my’ guy giving us a little beefcake with the Pinto in the background. Belatedly, I give thanks for that car and how important it was to me at the time. For five years it was my trusty steed, there for me every step of the way.

As always, a link!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto

1965 Ford Mustang

Apr17

April 17, 2018

Where Were You In ’62?

Ford Thunderbird. Chevy Corvette. Volkswagen Beetle. Ford Mustang.

Just saying the name of each of these particular cars evokes instant pictures in the brains of people who grew up in the 1960’s and 70’s in the United States. One could claim each of these cars is iconic and hearkens back to a time when turning 16 and getting to drive your first car were rites of passage.

American Graffiti Thunderbird The line “Where were you in ’62?” is in reference to the movie American Graffiti where then unknown actor Richard Dreyfuss becomes obsessed with finding the blonde who is driving the white Thunderbird. He never does but the already iconic Thunderbird is cemented in legend and, for his character, is what defines his final teenage experience.

The Ford Mustang was that car for me. Introduced mid-year 1964 – it’s initial release is known as the 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang – it sold over 120,000 cars in its first six months and an additional 600,000 in 1965 catapulting the vehicle to fame. It was introduced on April 17, 1964 and was Ford’s most successful car launch since the Model A.

From the infallible Wikipedia:

“The Ford Mustang was brought out five months before the normal start of the 1965 production year. The early production versions are often referred to as ‘1964½ models’ but all Mustangs were advertised, VIN coded and titled by Ford as 1965 models, though minor design updates for fall 1965 contribute to tracking 1964½ production data separately from 1965 data (see data below). with production beginning in Dearborn, Michigan, on March 9, 1964; the new car was introduced to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New York World’s Fair.

Executive stylist John Najjar, who was a fan of the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane, is credited by Ford to have suggested the name. Najjar co-designed the first prototype of the Ford Mustang known as Ford Mustang I in 1961, working jointly with fellow Ford stylist Philip T. Clark. The Mustang I made its formal debut at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York, on October 7, 1962, where test driver and contemporary Formula One race driver Dan Gurney lapped the track in a demonstration using the second “race” prototype. His lap times were only slightly off the pace of the F1 race cars.”

In thinking about the Mustang, memories from a four year span – from age 14 to 18 – seem to have that car as a part of them.

ford mustang First, a description of the car. It’s a 1964 1/2. White with a black convertible rag top. Red leather seats. Pretty much every teenager’s dream as the coolest car. I know it was mine.

One memory is particularly strong. I had just gotten my driver’s license earlier in the day, my 16th birthday. It’s August and it’s hot. Around 8 p.m. I find some reason why I absolutely need to borrow the car and go someplace. The store? Who knows. What I do know is that when you are 16 and have the freedom of a car for the first time in your life there’s a heady moment when you feel the world belongs to you. That was my moment.

I drove the car to the appointed place and did my errand. After that I did the ONE thing my parents told me I was NOT to do. I headed to downtown Yakima to cruise the “Ave.” Yakima Avenue was, for years, the go to spot for teens looking to see and be seen, as American Graffiti-like as Modesto California in the early 1960’s. It was there that guys and girls would talk from car window to car window and, if there was mutual interest, meet in the parking lot of Shultz Furniture, and get to know one another. Yakima Avenue cruises.jpg

Another thing about Yakima Avenue is that the street lighting was really, really good. So good, in fact, that one might not notice that they had failed to illuminate their headlights.

In my 16 year old brain I think ‘what harm can come from one run on the Ave?’ I drive east without incident and then head back west. So far so good. My parents’ warning resonates in my head and I don’t stop or talk to anyone but dutifully head for home. police car lights Then, behind me, blue and red lights come on. My heart pounds. Oh crap.

I’ve had my license less than 24 hours and I’m about to get my first ticket. My hand shakes as I hand the officer my license. He asks if I know why he pulled me over. I say no.

“You’re driving without your lights on.”

He goes back to his patrol car and I wait, on the verge of tears, for the bad news.

A minute later he hands me back a paper – a warning – and my license.

“We just want you to be safe. Keep your lights on,” he says.

I make it home, the car intact and me without a ticket and never did tell my parents about it. Some secrets are best kept to oneself for forty some years.

The next day I purchased a keychain with a little plastic light bulb and kept my set of car keys on it for several years, a reminder to turn my lights on at night. I’ve never once forgotten since that incident.

There are other memories associated with the Mustang including being taught to drive by my dad and, during the very first lesson, accidentally driving up and over a snow bank on our street… My first kiss while riding in the back seat. My sister was at the wheel that night and we were giving my boyfriend a ride to his house… New Year’s Eve the winter before I graduate college and it’s 15 below zero and I vow to never again live in a place where it can get that cold… The top down and sitting up on the edge of the back seat to wave at people while riding in the Sunfair parade. Yes, all of them American Graffiti type moments never to be re-lived.

It was a sad day when I learned my dad had sold that car (Washington license plate number EEE 161) and an important piece of my teen years.

american Graffiti poster.jpg For more information, here’s the Wikipedia link to the Mustang and, for those who have never seen American Graffiti, it’s a classic movie worth the time it takes to watch.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amer ican_Graffiti

The Safety Pin

Apr10

April 10, 2018

From Practical to Ridiculous

It was patented on April 10, 1849, as a way for the inventor to pay off a $15 debt. Today, this device is a ubiquitous part of everyday life. What is it? The safety pin. Original safety pin design

Although we take its clever design for granted, the safety pin is truly ingenious and, for those of us who used cloth diapers on our children or who ever has had a torn hem or a loose fitting garment, it’s been the one thing that’s saved us.

From the infallible Wikipedia:

“American mechanic Walter Hunt is regarded as the inventor of the safety pin that bears resemblance to those used today. The safety pin included a clasp that covered the point and kept it from opening, and a circular twist at the bend to act as a spring and hold it in place. Charles Rowley (Birmingham, England) independently patented a similar safety pin in October 1849, although the company no longer makes these.

Hunt invented the device in order to pay off a $15 debt to a friend. He used a piece of brass wire that was about 8 inches long and made a coil in the center of the wire so it would open up when released. The clasp at one end was devised in order to shield the sharp edge from the user.

After being issued U.S. patent #6,281 on April 10, 1849, Hunt sold the patent to W. R. Grace and Company for $400 (roughly $10,000 in 2008 dollars). Using that money, Hunt then paid the $15 owed to a friend and kept the remaining amount of $385 for himself. What Hunt failed to realize is that in the years to follow, W.R. Grace and Company would make millions of dollars in profits from his invention.”

vintage diaper pins The safety pin was an especially great invention for mothers everywhere to keep the baby’s diaper pinned without stabbing the child. Making a large pin with a cute animal as the protective head has been a popular adaptation for decades.

It never occurred to me, however, that a safety pin would be used for anything other than, well, holding together fabric in some fashion. Boy was I wrong. Today safety pins are routinely used as jewelry and to, ahem, enhance one’s body art. insane face piercing When Punk Rock became a thing in the late 70’s and early 80’s the practice of using a safety pin as a decorative piercing became popular with the musicians and their followers.

Tattoos and piercings – any numbers of which are safety pins – are a common fashion in the 21st century. Additionally, safety pins have been incorporated into impressive jewelry designs.

Along with a G-2 pen and paperclips, safety pins are – in my opinion – an indispensable item one should carry with them at all times! So hooray for Walter Hunt and the invention of this invaluable item.

And, of course, a link to Wikipedia to whet your appetite for knowledge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_pin

Happy Birthday Barbie

Mar20

I’m a Barbie Girl

March 20, 2018

If you are planning to write a novel set in 2018 then you might consider Michael and Jessica as the names of your main characters. That is if your characters are in their 20’s or 30’s and you want to have their names sound authentic for someone born in the 1980’s or 1990’s.

Last week we discovered that Barbie and Ken were both introduced in the month of March. Barbie in 1959 and Ken in 1961.

Happy 59th Birthday Barbie The name Barbara was, at the time, a very popular name. It first hit the top ten names list in 1927 and remained there until 1958, a whopping 31 years. If you expand a bit, the name was a top 20 name for a total of 38 years. Whether one can blame Barbara’s free fall from popularity on the Barbie Doll is debatable. Having the most famous fashion doll in the world bear that name no doubt made more than a few parents reconsider it as a good choice for their daughter. After all, who would want to name their child after a doll? Another factor is that names, particularly girl’s names, tend to be popular for a period of time then are not used for decades.

Ken – or Kenneth – was a solid boy’s name from 1924 until 1964 ranking in the top 20 every year. Because both names are ranked individually, the popularity of the name is artificially reduced. But again, names which are strongly associated with certain people or characters tend to lose popularity. It is possible Ken and Kenneth were the victims of this. Ken birthday with Barbie Harem

What about our heroine of today, Jessica? She first entered the top 10 in 1976 and remained there until the year 2000. It was the first or second most popular girls name from 1981 until 1997! No wonder everyone probably knows someone named Jessica.

Of course Michael may be the most popular guy’s name ever. It was in 1944 when the name broke into the top 10 and… it’s never left. It occupied the number one spot for an unprecedented 41 years! It’s been so popular that I recall back in the 1980’s you could even buy a black and white generic card which had printed on it “Happy Birthday Mike.” ( I knew this as one of my brothers is named Michael!) It may have run its course, however, since in 2016 it was only the 8^th most popular name for boys and may soon exit the top ten.

Now, if you are expecting a baby in the next year and don’t want your child to have the same name as every other Tom, Dick, and, er, Harry, then cross the following names off your list immediately:

1	Noah	Emma
2	Liam	Olivia
3	William	Ava
4	Mason	Sophia
5	James	Isabella

These names were the most popular names for babies born in 2016.

For this week’s article I did not plumb the depths of the infallible Wikipedia! But here’s the link to the Social Security Name Index where you can, like me, waste hours of your time ‘research’ what to name your characters.

https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi

Update: March 2022

Five years later and the list has changed dramatically! Here are the top five names for boys and girls from 2021:

Boys Girls

Oliver Charlotte
Declan Aurora
Theodore Violet
Jasper Hazel
Silas Luna

Happy Birthday Ken!

Mar13

A case of Kenvy

March 13, 2018

Her introduction in March 1959 sent shockwaves through the toy world and resulted in a nearly complete abandonment of a name which had been in the top 10 for popularity for four decades. The Barbie Doll truly had that impact.

Ken doll Little girls everywhere loved Barbie. What wasn’t to like? She was pretty, had a great wardrobe, and was the perfect size for small hands. But there was something missing. That something arrived in mid-March 1961: Ken.

Now Barbie had a boyfriend! Ken was every parent’s dream guy for their daughter. He was clean cut, handsome, had hands and arms which were stiff and straight, and a head which could only turn left and right, and was missing guy parts. Then, in 1977, Ken got a celebrity makeover. Gone was the military haircut and the square-jawed face. His new look featured longer hair, dimpled chin, bent arms, a head that swiveled, jewelry and – the most important thing of all – permanent underwear.

He and Barbie were a ‘couple’ until 2004 when Mattel announced their breakup. From the infallible Wikipedia:

“In February, 2004, Mattel announced a split for Ken and Barbie, with Russell Arons, vice president of marketing at Mattel, saying that Barbie and Ken ‘feel it’s time to spend some quality time – apart…Like other celebrity couples, their Hollywood romance has come to an end’, though Arons indicated that the duo would ‘remain friends’. He also hinted that the separation might be partially due to Ken’s reluctance to getting married. In February, 2006 however, a revamped version of the Ken doll was launched, though it was stated that their relationship is still purely platonic. In 2011, Mattel launched a massive campaign for Ken to win Barbie’s affections back. The pair officially reunited in Valentine’s Day 2011.”

Barbie solo in the spotlight.jpg I got my first Barbie Doll for Christmas 1961. Her wardrobe consisted of a bathing suit, a short gold dress, a black evening gown (Solo in the Spotlight!) and a wedding dress. Based on how those clothes ‘survived’ the years I must have played with that doll a lot. The wedding dress, particularly, is mostly a rag but I still have it.

Yet, I never got the one thing I really wanted for my Barbie which was a Ken.

Three houses down the street from me lived a little girl named Martha. As the youngest – by nearly 10 years – of three girls, it seemed as if Martha had everything. Her Barbie wore the best clothes, relaxed in really cute wicker furniture and, most important, she had a Ken. I liked going to Martha’s house – despite the fact she was three years younger than me – because of her great Barbie collection.

But I was never allowed to play with her Ken. He was sacrosanct. And I had Kenvy.

Queen of the Prom game.jpg The closest I ever got to having a Ken was when I played the game “Barbie, Queen of the Prom.” In that game you had to navigate the board to collect a prom dress, appropriate accessories and, most important, a date. There were four choices: Ken, Allan, Tom and Poindexter. No one ever wanted Poindexter. Probably because he looked like he was about twelve. By the time I was playing that game, it was the mid-1960’s and Ken’s military crew cut was going out of style. No, the desirable date for Queen of the Prom was Allan, a freckled face red head with a winning smile. Queen of the Prom dates

Eventually I got over my Kenvy. Probably when I had a daughter of my own who also LOVED her Barbie dolls (she had dozens, I only ever had two) and who also had a couple of Ken dolls. She played with her dolls for hours but I was most amused by the Ken and Barbie interaction. Whichever Barbie was the favored doll got the Ken. It was that simple. The pair would go on dates and, often, I would see them ‘kissing’ each other as my daughter’s imagination created romantic scenarios. On occasion I would sit on the floor and play Barbie’s with her. But I was never allowed to play with the Ken’s. Some things never change. Okay, so maybe I still have Kenvy.

For more information about Ken click on this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_(doll)

Because there was so much to talk about JUST with Ken, I will be discussing name etymology next week and the cultural impact Barbie and Ken have had over the past 58 years.

Iditarod Race, Alaska

Mar6

Just Short of Magic

March 6, 2018

iditarod It’s one of the most grueling races in the world and participants encounter blizzards, white out conditions and temperatures, with wind chills as low as -131 degrees.

Held in early March each year the Iditarod has come to symbolize the heartiness and determination of Alaskans.

A few race details from the infallible Wikipedia:

“The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March from Willow to Nome, entirely within the US state of Alaska. Mushers and a team of 16 dogs, of which at least 5 must be on the towline at the finish line, cover the distance in 8–15 days or more. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams but evolved into today’s highly competitive race. Then a record, the second fastest winning time was recorded in 2016 by Dallas Seavey with a time of 8 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes, and 16 seconds.”

In 2017 the race began on March 6^th. A few weeks later I experienced a tiny sliver of what that adventure is like when I got to ride on a dog sled just outside of Fairbanks, Alaska.

view of the back end of the dogs just short of magic What I determined in the five days I spent there with my two best friends from high school, Cindy and Daphne, were the following:

It takes a very sturdy person to live in the Alaskan interior. I would not do well there.
Minus 26 degrees is really, really cold.
Riding on a dog sled is a rush of an experience

I am forever grateful to my two friends for the once in a lifetime event. It was, as the name of the business stated, Just Short of Magic. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the temperature was 10 degrees.

In addition to the ride, we were instructed on how to harness the dogs to the sled and each got a turn driving the sled. As Daphne pointed out “it’s a good core workout!”

I also learned that the dogs are not all Siberian Huskies. In fact, most of their dogs were not Huskies. The dogs, however, must possess certain traits as follows:

Thick paw pads
Hearty appetite
Want to pull 85 percent of the time
Dense fur

If a dog does not have these four traits then Alaskans have a name for those dogs: pets.

Snide and Daphne Just short of magic Although the adventure was only a couple of hours it was, as their business name proclaimed, just short of magic. I relished the rush of cold air, the way the sled flew over the snow, the cacophony of the barking dogs, and the sparkle of the white snow.

And if you happen to find yourself in Alaska when the snow is still on the ground and the temperature is below freezing, this is my number one recommended thing to do!

For more information about the Iditarod, Wikipedia tells all: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod_Trail_Sled_Dog_Race

And to book a dog sled experience: https://justshortofmagic.com/dog-sled-tours/

Just short of magic me and Daphne

Update: People have been curious as to the origins of the Iditarod. Also from the infallible Wikipedia:

“The most famous event in the history of Alaskan mushing is the 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the “Great Race of Mercy.” It occurred when a large diphtheria epidemic threatened Nome. Because Nome’s supply of antitoxin had expired, Dr. Curtis Welch refused to use it and instead sent out telegrams seeking a fresh supply of antitoxin. The nearest antitoxin was found to be in Anchorage, nearly one thousand miles away. The only way to get the antitoxin to Nome was by sled dog as planes could not be used and ships would be too slow. Governor Scott Bone approved a safe route and the 20-pound (9.1 kg) cylinder of serum was sent by train 298 miles (480 km) from the southern port of Seward to Nenana, where it was passed just before midnight on January 27 to the first of twenty mushers and more than 100 dogs who relayed the package 674 miles (1,085 km) from Nenana to Nome. The dogs ran in relays, with no dog running over 100 miles (160 km).”

You May Already Be a Winner!

Feb27

February 27, 2018

God shows himself in mysterious ways…

the-voice-mail-boxyou-may-already-be-a-winner-jack-ziegle A good editor is the key to making sure whatever is written reads right and, well, doesn’t make ridiculous mistakes. In late February 1997 an American Family Publisher’s Sweepstakes entry was received by the Bushnell Assembly of God Church. It began thus:

“God, we’ve been searching for you”

Apparently when dealing with the topic of God the Infallible Wikipedia is silent. Therefore, I share this brief clip from the Spokesman Review:

“If God were to win, the letter stated, ‘What an incredible fortune there would be for God! Could you imagine the looks you’d get from your neighbors? But don’t just sit there, God.’

Sweepstakes officials did not return several telephone calls for comment Thursday.

(Pastor Bill) Brack said his 140-person congregation is considering whether to mail in the entry. The church could use the money.

And if American Family chooses a different winner?

‘God would be disappointed,’ Brack joked.”

This story reminded me of something similar which I experienced a couple of years ago. I make frequent trips from Seattle to Yakima to help with my 94 year old father. I have a 10 year old Garmin GPS which I like to turn on and use to give me approximate arrival times, elevation, etc.

One day as I was headed back home I stopped at the westbound Indian John rest area and, since I hadn’t yet sent my husband an update as to my estimated arrival time (ETA) I tapped out a quick text message as I was about to continue west. It wasn’t until I received his reply that I realized autocorrect on my phone had done this:

“God says I’ll be home at 4:30”

Apparently the terminology “GPS” didn’t exist in my phone and switched it to the word “God” instead.

I believe I got back a reply something to the effect of “its good God knows when you’re getting home.”

Ever since then when I send messages about my ETA I type in “God” and refer to the GPS as “God.” I do get strange looks from time to time. The way I see it is that it’s good to have God giving me travel advice.

GPS goes crazy If I had any doubt that my GPS truly was God my disbelief was dispelled about a year and half ago. I was on my way back from Yakima and was driving up I-82 towards Ellensburg. I glanced over at the GPS but what I saw left no doubt that some higher power was in charge. Instead of an elevation of about 2700 feet as expected “God” let me know I was at over… 50,000 feet! As Doc Brown says in Back To The Future “Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need… roads!” Although the photo I snapped was a bit fuzzy, you can clearly see the elevation and God’s instruction that I am to continue to the alley. What alley, I never did find out. This craziness continued until Thorp when, apparently, I was no longer flying and once again on solid pavement.

To read the entire article on God perhaps winning the sweepstakes, here’s the link: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/feb/28/god-you-may-have-won-11-million-sweepstakes/

And, of course, the original movie trailer from the 1977 George Burns and John Denver flick “Oh, God.”

From weekly blogger to published author, I share my musings on life, love, and the stories which inspire me.

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