Friday Flicks: Marathon Man

I first saw this movie on VHS back in the early 1980s when I started running. At the time I was studying WWII history as a hobby, particularly the Third Reich. This movie knocked my sweaty running socks off! After I saw the movie, I read the novel by William Goldman. I was impressed with this fascinating story of a former Nazi hiding out in South America, then getting mixed up with a Jewish grad student who is writing his dissertation on the McCarthy era when his black-listed father committed suicide.

Terrific performances by Dustin Hoffman and Lawrence Olivier.

The theme of the movie is best expressed in Olivier's famous line to Hoffman: "Is it safe?"

Tuesday Tunes: Tomorrow Never Knows

So I'm watching Mad Men last night and Megan Draper tells Don to listen to the newly released Beatles Album, "Revolver." As she walks out the door, she says "Play the last song." Don puts the record on and sits in a chair with his bourbon as the tune fills the room. The song continues to play as we cut to Peggy who is working late at the office and smoking a joint. Cut to Peter in his car watching the woman with whom he had an affair, getting in the car with her husband.

Revolver is one of my favorite Beatles albums. And it goes without saying that the artwork is amazing. This album was a turning point in their musical journey from pop/rock to psychedelic.

Ryan Rocks!

So I found out something cool about my co-worker Ryan. Not only does he look like Tom Hanks, he is also an amazing guitar player! And not just any guitar player, he rocks with the best  -  Led Zeppelin, Cream, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Rock on, Ryan!

Ryan jamming with a local group Mo Diggin.

Just a few questions . . .

If you could write a personal slogan that you live by, what would it be?
Be passionate about all that you do.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"Are you kidding me?"

What is your secret dream?
Playing Norma in "Plaza Suite."

Who or what always makes you laugh?
Bob Hope.

What is always at your bedside?
A book.

What do you collect?
Hats, puppets and book marks.

What is your obsession?
Going to the movies and Starbucks.

What book or movie can you read or watch a million times without ever getting tired of it?
Movie: You've Got Mail. Book: Watership Down

What is always in your refrigerator?
Moldy cucumber.

Which song is the soundtrack for your life?
Help by the Beatles.

What about you?

Z is for Zbornak

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Dorothy Zbornak - "Golden Girls"

THE STORY: Blanche Devereaux, Rose Nylund and Dorothy Zbornak, along with her mother Sophia Petrillo, share a home in Miami.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Born in Brooklyn, New York to Italian immigrants, Dorothy is a substitute teacher. She was married to Stanley Zbornak for 38 years and then he left her for a flight attendant. Dorothy is practical and takes no guff from anyone. She has the patience of a saint and deals with the shenanigans of her room mates with grace and dignity.

How do you feel about shoulder pads?

Y is for Yang

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Cristina Yang - "Grey's Anatomy"

THE STORY: "Grey's Anatomy" follows the personal and professional lives of interns and residents at Grace Hospital in Seattle.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Christina Yang has an impressive resume: B.A. from Smith College; Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkley; and M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine. Because of a traumatic childhood experience (at age nine she watched her father bleed to death after a car accident), she is emotionally detached. An excellent surgeon, Yang will stop at nothing to scrub in on an exciting surgery. Her best friend is fellow intern Meredith Grey. And despite her lack of emotion, Yang falls in love and gets married. Love makes the world go 'round.

Have you ever had surgery?

X is for Xtra (Wild Card)

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Melissa Steadman - "thirtysomething"

THE STORY: A group of yuppie "thirtysomethings" live and work in Philadelphia. Michael is married to Hope; Elliot is married to Nancy. Gary is Michael's best friend from college, Ellyn is Hope's best friend from college, and Melissa is Michael's cousin.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Melissa is a successful photographer. Some of her most impressive work includes covers for Vanity Fair and a record album cover for Carly Simon. Melissa is Jewish, insecure and desperately seeks love. Her signature style is wearing one earring.

What is your signature style?

W is for Wednesday Addams

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Wednesday Addams - "The Addams Family"

THE STORY: 

They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They're altogether ooky,
The Addams Family.

Their house is a museum.
When people come to see 'em
They really are a screa-um.
The Addams Family.

So get a witch's shawl on.
A broomstick you can crawl on.
We're gonna pay a call on
The Addams Family.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Wednesday Friday Addams is the daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams who live at 0001 Cemetery Lane. She has a brother named Pugsley who is a mad scientist in training. She was named after the phrase "Wednesday's child is full of woe."  She has pet spiders and gets her Goth on by wearing black. Her favorite toy is her Marie Antoinette doll that Pugsley had beheaded. Yes, Wednesday is just a typical American girl. 

What was your favorite toy?

V is for Vanessa Huxtable

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Vanessa Huxtable - "The Cosby Show"

THE STORY: Cliff and Clair Huxtable live in Brooklyn, New York, with their five children -Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy. Cliff is an obstetrician and Clair is a lawyer. They are the perfect parents -  even better than Mike and Carol Brady. They rule the roost with love, discipline and humor. Who wouldn't want Bill Cosby as their father? Bedtime story = Chicken Heart.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Vanessa is the quintessential "middle" child and had to find her own way to distinguish herself from her siblings. Thus she excelled in school and became a star student..A brainiac, she graduated from high school early and went to college before her peers. Vanessa is a smart cookie!  But she can be sneaky and tends to stick her nose where it doesn't belong. Her knowledge of brother Theo's shenanigans gives her the upper hand.

Are you a middle child?

U is for Uhura

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Uhura - "Star Trek"

THE STORY: The crew of the Starship Enterprise under the auspices of the United Federation of Planets is on a five-year mission to explore new worlds and to go where no man has gone before. Or in Lieutenant Nyota Uhura's case, where no woman has gone before.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Lt. Uhura is a communications officer under the command of Captain James T. Kirk.  When she isn't intercepting alien communications, she entertains the crew with her beautiful singing voice accompanied by Spock on the Vulcan harp. She also had a crush on Spock, but as a Vulcan, he is ruled by logic and shows no emotion. She was interested romantically in Scotty but the relationship never got off the ground (pun intended). Even in space I guess it's true what they say - men are from Mars and women are from Venus.

T is for Tabitha Stephens

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Tabitha Stephens - "Bewitched"

THE STORY: Samantha, a beautiful witch, marries a mortal, forsaking her magical powers to live an ordinary life as a suburban housewife. The perfect family is complete when Sam and Darrin have a cute little girl named Tabitha. She doesn't have her powers under control yet, which causes problems for Mom and Dad.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Tabitha was born into a loving family and she seems content to be half witch, half human. Only time will tell which side will dominate. She's been known to use her powers at school to handle bullies and get good grades. Tabitha can also pick up a toy or storybook without leaving the bed and turn the channel on the TV without getting off the couch. A human remote control!

How would you use magic powers in your day to day life?

S is for Sally Rogers

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Sally Rogers - "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

THE STORY: Sally Rogers is part of a comedy writing team for "The Alan Brady Show." She works with Rob Petrie and Buddy Sorrell. Rob is married to Laura and they have a son named Richie. Buddy is married to Pickles. Sally is single and on the lookout for a husband. 

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: It's the 1960s and most women are married and taking care of their children. Not Sally. She's a career woman who writes for a successful TV show! How cool is that? But Sally doesn't see it that way. Her goal in life is to be married. She has trouble meeting eligible men because they are turned off by her assertive personality. They want a vaporous, feminine creature, not someone with a brain and a sharp wit. Chin up, Sally. You're gonna make it after all!

How would you like to be a comedy writer for a TV show? What show?

R is for Rhoda Morgenstern

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Rhoda Morgenstern - "Rhoda"

THE STORY: When Rhoda lived in Minneapolis, she became best friends with Mary Richards. Two single ladies having the time of their lives. But a few years later, Rhoda moves to New York City where she works as a window dresser and eventually starts her own business. She falls in love with Joe Gerard and gets married. Happy ending? Not quite. The couple get divorced and Rhoda must find her place in the world. 

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Rhoda was born to a Jewish family in the Bronx. She always puts herself down and is blind to her good qualities - smart, funny, creative and beautiful. The only person who is less secure than Rhoda is her younger sister Brenda. Both women have a problem standing up to their mother who spreads around the guilt like peanut butter on bread.


What's the worst date you've ever had?

Q is for Queen

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

The Queen - "Once Upon a Time"

THE STORY: The world of fairy tales and modern life exist in parallel universes in the town of Storybrooke, Maine. Meet Mr. Gold (Rumpelstiltskin), the owner of a curiosity shop; Mary Margaret Blanchard (Snow White), a school teacher; Ruby (Red Riding Hood), a waitress at Granny's; and David Nolan (Prince Charming), a firefighter. And of course, Regina Mills (the Queen), Mayor of Storybrooke.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: The Queen will stop at nothing to get what she wants. And she wants Snow White dead. The only one who can stop her is Emma Swan, Sheriff of Storybrooke, aka Snow White's daughter.


What's your favorite fairy tale? 

P is for Peggy Hill

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Peggy Hill - "King of the Hill"

THE STORY: Peggy Hill lives in a ranch style house in Arlen, Texas, with her husband Hank and 13-year-old son Bobby. The Hills are a patriotic, middle-class Methodist family. Hank works at Strickland Propane and sells propane and propane accessories. Bobby aspires to become a prop comic.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Margaret J. "Peggy" Platter Hill is a substitute Spanish teacher, a freelance columnist, a real estate agent, a notary public and Boggle champion. Peggy is a real Renaissance woman and is extremely confident in all her achievements. Her only area of insecurity is her large feet (shoe size 16 and a half). Although Peggy is an opinionated know-it-all, she's a good wife and mother - and she makes a mean Brown Betty.


Do you have any Texas memories?

O is for Olivia Walton

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Olivia Walton - "The Waltons"

THE STORY: It's the Great Depression and the Walton's are one big happy family living in Walton's Mountain, Virginia. Olivia Walton is married to John Walton and is the mother of seven: John Boy, Mary Ellen, Jason, Erin, Ben, Jim Bob and Elizabeth.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Olivia is a kind, loving Christian woman. She makes sure that the children have warm clothes and that there's always a hot meal on the table. As every stay-at-home mom knows, taking care of kids is a full-time job. Multiply that by seven and it's a logistical nightmare, but Olivia's faith in God gives her strength. Goodnight, John Boy.


Do you have any personal stories of your family during the Great Depression? 

N is for Ninety-Nine

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Ninety-Nine - "Get Smart"

THE STORY: Maxwell Smart (aka Agent 86) and his partner Agent 99 are spies for CONTROL, a secret government counter-intelligence agency. Their nemesis is KAOS, an international organization of evil.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Agent 99 is never mentioned by name. For all we know, her mother named her 99 when she was born. It was only a matter of time before Max and 99 would fall in love and get married. The perfect couple. He's the goofball, she's the practical one. Opposites attract. 

Why do spies wear a trench coats? 

Spoon River Anthology

This weekend I was in a staged reading of the play, Spoon River Anthology, presented by the Cheyenne Little Theatre Players. I had a great time, even though I was sick with the flu all week during rehearsals.

From left to right:
Rodger, Scott, Luana, Joe, Julee, Dave, Shawn and Steve.

Good times!

M is for Mary Richards

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Mary Richards - "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"

THE STORY: Mary Richards is an associate producer at a TV station in Minneapolis. She's a beautiful single woman with a nice apartment, lots of friends and an active social life. She pretty much has it made in the shade.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: It may appear that Mary has everything going for her but she does have issues. She can't say "no" and gets taken advantage of by more assertive personalities. She stutters when she gets flustered, and she has trouble making decisions when under pressure. With so many problems how in the world does she cope?


Say something nice about one of your coworkers.

L is for Lucy Ricardo

Welcome to the A to Z Blogging Challenge where I will post on a word
featuring a different letter of the alphabet each day of the month of April.
My theme for this challenge is Female TV Characters.

Lucy Ricardo - "I Love Lucy"

THE STORY: Lucy is married to night club singer Ricky Ricardo. They live in an apartment in New York City and their landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz, are their best friends.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Lucy isn't content to be "just a housewife." She wants to be in show business. She's always begging Ricky to let her be in one of his shows at the Club Tropicana. Never mind that she can't sing and she can't act. Despite her delusions of grandeur, she wants to be a good wife so she schemes to save money by sewing clothes, perming her own hair and baking bread, with disastrous results.


What's your favorite Lucy episode?