You Win a Prize For That...

For Telling Lies Like That,
So Well That I Belived It...
And I Never Felt Cheated...

Friday Night Video

Let's watch some commercials. These happen to be of toys that I owned when I was little.

First off we have  "Creepy Crawlers". This is not the newer "safe" version of a few years ago. This is the original, fun version- with the highly toxic "Goop" that you cooked in a mold over a 500 degree hotplate. My brother had this before I did. He cooked up lizards and bugs which he stuck to the ceiling and hid under pillows. One time, on April Fool's Day, he pinned them to my Dad's hat before Dad left for work. Dad played along.



Next up is some Zero M spy gear, also from Mattel. I got the radio/ rifle along with a camera/pistol for one of my birthdays. I loved them. I loved them to the point where one of the neighbor girls suggested I give it a rest and knock it off. Naturally, I took if for the sign of jealousy that it was, and continued to rub it in.

I also remember testing how powerful the barrel of the rifle would snap into position by holding it against my bedroom window and flicking the switch. Flash forward to me and Dad at the hardware store getting my broken window replaced.



This next one is one of my all time favorites: Major Matt Mason. I was in fifth grade when these came out. I remember telling Mom that I wanted one for my birthday. Mom wasn't too familiar with them and looked for them at the store. When she came back, she asked me if I meant one of "those dolls". Uncool. The term "action figure" hadn't been invented yet, so I didn't know exactly what to call them, but I knew what they weren't, and they weren't dolls.

The first "figures" I had came with the moon walker and a jet pack and a radiation suit. Later, I got the ultimate component, the space station. Very cool.



Last but not least is a toy my sister Sandy had: "Chatty Cathy". This thing registers about an eleven on the creep-out scale. I don't know which came first, this abomination or the Twilight Zone's "Talky Tina". Either way, they are definitely a product of the same inbred family. See for yourself:

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:


With that, until next time, goodnight.

Field Trip

What better way to spend a 90 degree plus day than to visit Jake at the greenhouses. The water may look cool in this picture... until you realize that approximately 60 percent of it is actually Jake's sweat.

Friday Night Video

Let's do a double header tonight. The following two shows made up the equivalent of TGIF for me in my childhood, at least for a little while.

The first show, The Green Hornet, played during the Batman era of my youth. It only lasted one brief season, which I could never understand. This show played it straight. Well, perhaps "serious" is a better way to put it.

There was a lot that appealed to me about this show- a main character that was rich, being driven around in a car that was built like a tank that, like a tank, carried lots of fire power. And you had Kato. Unlike Robin, who could be a bit of a yacker, Kato kept pretty quiet.



The Green Hornet was followed by The Time Tunnel. This lasted a bit longer- two or two and a half seasons, I think. I'm having some trouble finding a complete episode, but here's an interesting documentary that covers the basics:



I have the complete series of The Time Tunnel on DVD. One of these days I'll get around to watching them.

Father's Day Re-Cap

Every so often you have the kind of day that makes everything worthwhile. Yesterday was that kind of day. After losing Dad over twelve years ago, Father’s Day can still carry a touch of melancholy for me- not devastating, but it’s there. And over the years, I’ve come to look at his loss from a different perspective, a perspective that I keep thinking I’ll write about here someday. But, not today.

Yesterday was wonderful. I had gifts from everyone that were thoughtful, and in many ways, for what they represent, irreplaceable really. Wind chimes from Sam and an iris bulb and garden "frog" from Jake and an antique book of George Washington speeches wrapped in hand crafted from Rachael, and a very lovely and warm photo album from Helaina along with a chair she spent a lot of time and effort beautifully restoring for me. All of these things represent connections between the kids and myself that are invaluable to me.

The weather held off long enough for us to have a picnic together at Skinner State Park. We hadn’t been there as a family since before Sam was born. We ate near the same spot we had close to twenty years ago.

From there we went to visit Dad’s grave, as I have every Father’s Day. Every year I think his loss won’t bother me as much as it had the year before. And every year I’m wrong. Touching his cold headstone is a poor substitute for a warm hug, but you take what you get when there are no other options. I know that Dad lives on through me and in each one of my kids and that's more than most people get. But I would love to be able to hear his voice just one more time.

We spent the rest of the day running a few errands and later, Helaina, Rachael, and Jake took me to a movie in the evening. I can’t remember that last time the four of us went to a movie together, but it’s been a while. It used to be something we did a couple of times a year- back in the “old days”, but it’s one of the many things that gets harder as people develop their own lives and interests. It was nice to share the car ride to and from the movie, and it was nice to share the time sitting in the theater as we waited for the show to begin… and the movie was pretty good too.

Afterwards, we brought Jake back to his place- loaded up with food that I had cooked over the weekend. I don’t quite know how he feels about having so much food, but it makes me feel better.

I got back home way past my bedtime- close to 10:30. And after taking care of a few minor things in preparation for work the next day, I went upstairs and tried to go to sleep.

I tell anyone that will listen (and most people are probably sick of hearing it), but I wonder if I tell my kids enough- that I’m extremely lucky to have them- not for the gifts they gave me yesterday, though those were great, but for the gifts they give me every day.

Father's Day

I think I posted this last Father's Day, maybe even the one before that. I'll probably post it again next year...

What Does it Mean?

I dreamt that a former coworker was outside my window with a weed whacker. He wasn't looking too hot.

Friday Night Video

Ok, last night's post was too depressing, even for me. I've re-edited it. Now, only Mike remains...




Thanks for listening...and have a good night.

Another Lightning Deal

Wow! Amazon's current Lightning Deal, offered at an astounding 27% discount, is "Dove Mens Plus Care, Face Regimen Kit" and it has completely sold out!

I'm a little bothered by the word, "Regime". This implies something that is going to take a lot of work to get things looking right or back to "normal".

This also makes me uncomfortable in other ways. Why would something like this sell out? Either there are a great many men out there who are so vain that they have scooped up this "bargain" in a vain attempt to cling on to the rapidly receding vestiges of  their youth. Or, being so close to Father's Day, there are many kids who feel that this is something that their Dads could really, really use.

I hope I'm not seeing any boxes from Amazon showing up in the coming week.

Sunday

Spent Sunday morning with the entire family at the flea market. Perfect weather and we left at the right time.

Unfortunately, Rachael and Helaina have both gone off to visit friends and Jake is back at the estate.

Reality has reared it's ugly head.

Friday Night Video

Wow, Friday already. I can't believe I've had a full week of fun since I posted my last video! Well, in honor of tonight's rainy weather (and my once again flooding basement), let's watch a clip form another old favorite, "The Bad Seed".

I first saw this movie on one of those late afternoon move shows, "Ed Miller's Dialing For Dollars" or "Boston Movie Time" or one of those kinds of shows. I was about seven years old. It left a lasting impression on me, particularly at night time when I was trying to get to sleep.

This movie was made in 1956, a great year in the history of America. Heck, a great year in the history of the world! It's in glorious black and white (of course) and tells the tale of poor little Rhoda Penmark. Little Rhoda seems to have the worst luck. Well, actually, anyone who associates with her seem to be the ones with the bad luck.

First, there was her classmate, Claude Daigle, who had the great misfortune to win a penmanship award that rightfully belonged to Rhoda. Let's just say that Claude's triumph was short lived. He ended up under water, much like my aforementioned basement. Unlike my basement, Claude's face was mysteriously covered with bang marks from someone's shoes.

And then there's the handyman, Leroy. In this clip, Leroy taunts our little heroine, shortly before he meets his, shall we say, "maker", in, get this- the basement! Watch the clip below and you decide who is good... and who is evil...



As an added bonus- for tonight only, here's a too short, forty second clip taken near the end of the movie. This is when Rhoda decides to go for a stroll in the rain- just like the rain that is currently flooding my basement. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we are spared witnessing the dramatic climax where *Spoiler Alert* Rhoda meets her untimely end.



Right now, Amazon has this movie on sale for the bargain price of $5.97 and it's worth every penny (even though Amazon refuses to share their profits with me despite the free plug). So, set the moths free from your wallet and invest in some pure family fun. It's the perfect way to spend a rainy night together.

Deal Alerts

I like to check out the "Lighting Deals" on Amazon's website. These deals, for people who don't know, are items that Amazon offers at a discount, in a limited quantity, for a limited time throughout the day. They usually don't tell you exactly what the item is ahead of time, but they have a description, along with a countdown timer that tells you either how much time is left on the current offer or how much time until the next offer begins.

When it's something I really want, I'm usually too late. However, in thirty short minutes, I can  buy the following (assuming I get in on time):
   "Save over 25% on the top selling dog DNA test Kit!"

Finally, I can test my dog to see if  he is who he claims to be. This would be especially handy if I had a dog.

Meanwhile, over at Barnes and Nobel, their "NOOK Daily Find" which they define as: "Today's Great Book at a Great Price" is the weighty tome "The Real Housewives Tell It Like It Is". Apparently, two Einsteins have rated this study of personality disorders at five stars each. Being the sheep that I am, I'm inclined to get several copies in order to more fully enrich my life.