Thursday, June 05, 2008

Memory Lane


Theo and I ended up watching Tootsie last night. I found it on Netflix's Instant Watch choices. I've always loved Dustin Hoffman; but I was born 20 years too late to be the love of his life. So in this movie, he's just the right age for me. Good lord, he is something, isn't he? I mean, just look at him! If I had secret boyfriends the way mrs. g does, Dustin would be first on my list. What's not to like?

And the movie is still funny, even 26 years later. So go! Rent it! Download it! What are you waiting for?

I think we'll see Diner next. No, wait, Dustin Hoffman isn't in it. How about The Graduate?

Today I had the fun of finishing up my root canal. I'm feeling okay, thanks; but I think I'll help myself to that codeine anyway. I deserve something for those three shots of Novocaine I had to endure. By the time the endodontist was done, my eye felt numb. And then I came home and the kids and I all hung out in the basement. Because our area (which is most definitely not in tornado country) was under a tornado watch and there were wild thunderstorms and trees whipping around in the wind and all sorts of fun things. We couldn't convince Brian to come out of the basement bathroom, even when the worst had passed. He figured it was an interior room with no windows and he wanted to optimize his chances of survival. And when we finally emerged from hiding, we found the tops of trees snapped off all along our road for about half a mile.

So maybe Brian was right.

What was interesting was what everyone chose to bring with them into the basement. As in, if you can only save one thing, what would it be? Anna brought her flute; Benjamin his comic book (to read while sitting in the bathroom); I wanted to bring the computer, but I knew I couldn't disconnect it in time. I would have taken the flash drive (is that the right term?) that holds all my backed-up documents, if I had had any idea where it was. The whole scene reminded me of the Mary Tyler Moore episode when her apartment building is on fire and she grabs the big letter "M" hanging on the wall as she runs out the door.

What? You don't remember that? Mary Tyler Moore was a popular sitcom that people my age used to watch; it was groundbreaking, in fact, as it featured a career woman who wasn't married and didn't even have a regular boyfriend. People would stay home on Saturday nights just to watch this show, along with All In The Family and Bob Newhart. You see, kiddies, we didn't have messing around with our cellphones as a way to waste time, way back in the technological dark ages of the 70's. We had to watch TV, instead.

No one carried a cellphone in Tootsie, by the way; and people were using typewriters. That is, when they weren't talking on telephones with big, bulky cords. Jessica Lange's character had an apartment decorated in shades of blue and mauve. Remember that? Even McDonald's in the 80's were those colors.

I'm rambling. You want your money refunded, or what?


33 comments:

  1. Dustin was a hawty for sure. I’m not a fan of that huddled waiting for a tornado to strike time. Being from California, where we have earthquakes that just leap up and shake you by surprise….the anticipation of the tornado watch…will it come?…won’t it?….just let me wait here in the dark basement hiding in a corner…it’s too much.

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  2. I loved Tootsie, too, and MTM and I thought All in the Family was great.
    Never liked Bob Newhart too well, though. Now my kids love The Office and Lost. I like time to myself--whatever that is.

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  3. Watch Diner anyway. I loved that one--especially the part where he quizzes her on his favorite sports team. Was it the Colts? The movie was set in Baltimore, right, and they were still there then? I'm going to have to see if I can find it so I can watch it again. I AM thinking of the right movie, yes?

    I'm glad only the trees were damaged. Whew! Hanging out with six kids in the basement, worrying about tornadoes--not easy.

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  4. I remember when the redid all the McDonald's restaurants in blue and mauve. That didn't last long, did it? I think they figured out pretty quickly that yellow and red make people think of french fries and ketchup, while blue and mauve make them think of how much they'd really rather be somewhere with a better color scheme.

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  5. BTW I agree with Mary Alice. I grew up with California earthquakes, the biggest one I was in was an 8.1, and it really wasn't a big deal. Then we moved to FL and the hurricanes were terrible. We never even ended up getting hit by one, but every time one formed it meant a full week of not being able to sleep at night, of empty groceries stores and boarded up gas stations. Give me a nasty earthquake over a hurricane that doesn't even show any day!

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  6. memarie lane - okay, okay, I choose earthquakes, too. You and mary alice have convinced me.

    mary alice - was? was? He still is, my dear...

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  7. Well we're kind of in tornado country now. Thunderstorms were about as rough as the weather got where I grew up. Thunderstorms and you know, 10 feet of snow in the winter. But I've always thought that if I lived in CA I would just be in a constant state of anxiety (see Mary Alice's will it come?...won't it? comment)living my whole life worried the big one will strike with no warning whatsoever. Nah, I'll take the things I can be warned about, if I must take something at all.

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  8. LOL I hope you are liking Dustin BEFORE he got all DOLLED up in tootsie

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  9. Thanks for the reminder....I should back up my hard drive today. I would rip my portable hard drive right out of the comuter and run....well, if a tornado was imminent. I suppose I could just calmly disconnect it and take it with me. Flash drive too. I know where mine is : )

    I'm gonna ask my dd when she gets home what one thing she would take. She is going to ask me if it counts if she wears it....we got her an Indiana Jones hat that she wears everywhere and that will be at the top of her list, I bet.

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  10. AnonymousJune 05, 2008

    Seriously? Dustin Hoffman? Sorry, but EWW! I think it might be his voice that yucks me out.

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  11. Being a lifelong SoCal resident, I'm solildly with Mary Alice and Memarie Lane. Earthquakes over tornados.

    We have had to do the "What will you bring?" due to wildfire evacuations--you should see how fast we can pack up a house.

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  12. AnonymousJune 05, 2008

    I loved Tootsie--a FABULOUS movie. And MTM and Newhart defined TV for me in the early years. I wanted to be Mary and live below a Rhoda--and work for a guy just like Lou.

    I'd pay extra for this post because it made me happy-nostalgic.

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  13. no... Richard Dryfuss in "The Goodbye Girl"! Same vintage but cuddlier. (I burst into tears every time I see her standing out on the balcony in the rain, hugging his guitar and bawling her eyes out!)

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  14. I find it sad to find actors and actresses that I enjoyed so much aging so terribly. They can't be that old! That would mean I am that much older too, since I remember them. I refuse to acknowledge it.
    We had a huge tornado here in Utah a few years ago, Weird!

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  15. This has nothing to do with anything, really, but... how come all your post times are 6 AM? Didn't you used to be a post at night person? I'm not sure why this is worrying at me, but for some reason it is. Also? I like that Anna brought in her flute! It's very intellectual - unless when she plays it it sounds more like a recorder, of course, in which case it's a pain in the neck, lol!

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  16. I'm on a blogging break, so I shouldn't even be commenting. But I decided to take ten minutes to do something for myself, and I can't resist telling you that Mr. G. looks very much like a cross between Dustin and Al Pacino-and he does a great DH impression. So I guess I just really came by to brag. Isn't that just like me?

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  17. AnonymousJune 05, 2008

    I love the movie Diner. Worth it even without Dustin.

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  18. I will add Tootsie to the "flicks my Daughter (and son) must see." We've recently done Casablanca, Footloose, Animal House, Dirty Dancin' and Forest Gump. (I LOVE NETFLIX!) And I think Dustin is a hotty, still...but Harrison ford is even better. sigh...

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  19. Hurricanes, earthquakes...they really get to me. I'm afraid I'd be fighting with Brian over prime cover in the bathroom.

    Glad no one got hurt except a few trees.

    Heidi

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  20. oh I dislike root canals. Tornadoes are scary.

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  21. I LOVE Tootsie and it does still up all these years later. And Mary, God did I love that show.

    FYI, we live here in earthquake country so a lot of us have grab and go survival kits. Mine is just a big cheap, albeit gold metallic as it is in season, handbag. In it is my backup hard drive, all papers pertaining to utilities to prove last place of residence, all banking info, insurance info, my passport (that sucker is too expensive to replace)a good flashlight, batteries for same, and all the charge cords for camera, cell phone etc and a small radio plus all my passwords. It's in the front closet and all I have to do is grab it and my purse and I'm golden. Unless I am killed by the earthquake first and then never mind.

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  22. LOVE the Graduate! And the codeine! Great combo. :)

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  23. suzy - That would be a good idea, wouldn't it? I wish I even knew where all that stuff is, so I could put it all in one place. I used to be so organized, I have no idea what's happened to me...

    mrs. g - That's right, you shouldn't even be commenting, if you are just going to be tantalizing me with your delicious-sounding husband. Is he short, too?

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  24. My personal fave is Alan Bates in "An Unmarried Woman." I love when he picks up Jill Clayburgh and spins her around and says "When will you ever spend a whole entire night with me here in this apartment?" or words to that effect; and also when he throws the pickled herring at the wall. Best MTM: When she gets caught writing fake obituaries. We had a lot of fun in college playing "Shots with Bob" while watching Bob Newhart reruns. Give me Emily over Joanna any day. My 11-year-old son is terrified of tornadoes and has our whole survival kit worked out in our basement. It's nice to have one worry wort in the house to take care of things.

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  25. That is so funny! Tootsie is on my list of movies to revisit. LOVE that movie, and The Fabulous Baker Boys -- and Fearless. But we're all going to watch Tootsie unless my memory is tricking me and this is wildly inappropriate for children?

    Get to spend some quality time with the dentist myself, tomorrow.

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  26. What no cell phones?! So you just had to use blackberries to text each other?

    I just love seeing a "sexy" picture of Dustin (sorry ladies, he just doesn't do it for me).

    Oh, and I'd SO be taking my laptop into the basement with me.

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  27. Tootsie is the best.

    And the graduate. love it.

    Does he act anymore?

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  28. That Mrs. G and her bragging...

    That's a lot of excitement in one post. Dustin Hoffman, a root canal, and wild weather.

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  29. jennifer h - The fun never stops around here!

    mamabird - I don't know. He's actually older than I realized - he was born in 1937, which means he was already 30 or 31 when he did The Graduate, and 45 when he did Tootsie. He looks younger there. So, now he is - gasp! - 71?!? Can that be?

    I need to go lie down.

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  30. Just watched Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium...not sexy, but sweet...
    and "G" rated!!!
    Don't want to get into the "bed hopping/ break-up parts of Tootsie, but I did enjoy it years ago.
    The joke was that when they made The Graduate, Anne Bancroft was only 35, playing 45 and Dustin Hofman was 30-ish,
    playing 20-something!
    Sorry, but he doesn't really do it for me...Send me Jim Caviezel any day! Have you seen his version of The Count of Monte Cristo?
    WOO HOO!!!
    Oh, and I'll watch The Rookie with Dennis Quaid anytime too (also "G")
    Blessings, EJT

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  31. Dustin. Oh, my...YES, Dustin.

    Tornado watch sounds scary. Good that you have a basement. Tops of trees snapped off? That sounds like tornado country!

    And I watched all those shows. I remember the Saturday night line up!

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  32. I so love Tootsie and Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart and All in the Family, and they are way more entertaining than cell phones. I loved the thing about what they took to the basement. I have a friend who for fun once, back when we were young college students, set off the smoke alarm in her house in the middle of the night to see what her family would do. Her dad came running down the stairs yelling, save the piano, we have to get the piano out! And they didn't even have a piano.

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