I’ve never been a tequila man, but the picture fit the blog. This week the Nostalgic Italian reached 1800 posts! 1800 posts about music, television, movies, books, my wife and kids, and ME. I’m grateful that you find the things I post interesting enough to come back for more. Thank you.
My blog doesn’t have 20,000 followers or get mentioned much by other blogs, and I am ok with that. I have come to know you through your posts and I consider you a friend. I again thank you for making this site a “reading stop” every so often.
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Over the weekend, I got to spend some time with the kids. On Sunday we went to the park, but they were the only kids at the playground. They played for a bit, but when no other kids came, they decided to take a walk on the trail that runs through the park.
It was a beautiful day with sunshine and nice temperatures. We walked down the trail looking for caterpillars, squirrels, birds, trees and flowers. Every once in a while, they’d walk ahead of me just talking about things. I love when they get along and treat each other good. Every once in a while, they get to a place that is perfect for a picture.
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Andrew started his Pre-K class this week. I feel bad for those teachers. There are 9 students and 6 of them are boys! I wasn’t sure how he would do with us leaving, but he actually has done really well. Many of the kids were all grabbing onto their parents screaming and crying. It was worse on the second day, which surprised me. Andrew, however, gave me a hug and said, “See ya later, Dad!” and walked right in.
All summer long he talked about not wanting to go to school. When my wife went to pick him up, he said he wanted to stay longer. Go figure.
One funny story: On the first day of school I was helping to get the kids dressed. I asked my wife if I should put Andrew in a collar shirt. He heard me and said, “A collar! I’m not a dog, Dad!”
Smart kid!
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I came across this on one of the social media pages this week. It is such an outlandish scenario that I truly wish that someone had made it happen! Ok, picture it with me:
It was on this day in 1989 that Michael Keaton hit the big screen as Batman. Jack Nicholson was chosen to play the Joker.
Growing up, my only knowledge of Batman was from cartoons and the 1966 series. When the previews came out for this, I was very apprehensive. It was darker than any previous incarnation of the character I had seen.
I remember being one of the “hold outs” who didn’t really want to see the movie. My girlfriend at the time wanted to see it, so I eventually caved (pun intended) and went to see it
I truly loved the movie. Keaton was actually pretty good as the title character. Nicholson was, of course, fantastic as the Joker. He kind of stole the show, as they say.
The opening theme from Danny Elfman perfectly fits the movie. His music throughout the film seemed to enhance the scenes they accompanied. Then there was the “other” soundtrack.
From Songfacts.com:
Because of the abundance of music available for the movie (Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo created the instrumental score), there were two soundtrack albums: Elfman’s and Prince’s. Everything that Prince composed for the movie, whether it was used in the film or not, went onto his album, including “Batdance.”
Director Tim Burton asked Prince to contribute songs for his Batman movie (at the time, he was using “1999” and “Baby I’m a Star” on a temporary soundtrack). Prince accepted while watching a rough cut of the movie and noticed four places in the film that would be “natural” locations for his songs.
Prince canceled a scheduled Paris vacation to write and produce songs for the movie. A month after the meeting with Burton, he played the director eight songs, all of them synchronized to the film. Burton rejected some of them (including “Rave the Joy Fantastic,” and “200 Balloons”), but liked most of what he heard and asked for two additional songs. “Trust” and “Partyman” were quickly offered by the Purple One.In the end, six Prince songs were used in the film.
“Batdance” was not used in the movie, and Prince never offered it up. Comprised of bits Prince pieced together overnight from music, sounds and dialogue from the movie, it served as a companion piece for the film and was essentially promotional vehicle for Batman.
Batdance was Prince’s first #1 hit since “Kiss” in early 1986. It seemed to be on every radio station around this time and did help boost the popularity of the movie. Personally, it didn’t do much for me.
Elfman’s theme, however, was a cut that I just loved! That entire build up until the opening chord (:40 seconds in) builds so much suspense. When that chord ceases and the theme continues it foreshadows the action that the film will present. It’s so good.
The amazing Neal Hefti was born today in 1922. Neal may not be a name that you recognize, but I bet that you recognize at least one of the songs that he has composed.
He was a jazz trumpet player, arranger, and composer. He began arranging songs in his teens and went on to arrange songs for Woody Herman and his band, including the famous Woodchopper’s Ball. After leaving Herman’s band he did freelance work for Buddy Rich, Billy Butterfield and Harry James.
In 1950, he began to arrange charts for Count Basie. He was a key factor in the “Basie sound.” Basie liked his stuff so much, Basie had him arrange some charts for Basie and Frank Sinatra. When Frank and Basie recorded together, they recorded standard songs that Frank had recorded before, however, Hefti’s arrangements were done so that the band complimented Sinatra’s singing.
Hefti led his own band in the 50’s and did so until moving back to California in 1960. When he returned, he began to do work for the film industry. He enjoyed a lot of success writing movie and television music. His film music included songs for The Odd Couple, Sex and the Single Girl, and Barefoot in the Park.
The music for the Odd Couple movie led to him writing music for the television series. He wrote the theme song and background music for the Odd Couple and a little super hero show that took the nation by storm in 1966 – Batman.
He received three Grammy nominations for his television work and received one award for his Batman television score. The Batman Theme was “a simple cyclic twelve-bar blues-based theme” that became a Top 10 single for The Marketts (and also for himself).
My brother and I watched Batman in syndication and we love the campiness of it to this day. The them is iconic (and easy to sing along with). Happy 102nd Birthday, Mr. Hefti!
Superheroes were big when I was growing up. I watched the Batman 1966 TV show, on Saturday morning my brother and I would watch the Superfriends cartoon, and on the Electric Company, there used to be a segment with a live action Spiderman.
Hollywood is forever recycling ideas and it is no surprise that Superhero movies have been very prominent over the past couple decades. I saw the first Toby McGuire Spiderman movie and thought it was ok. It did well at the box office, so naturally Hollywood had to make a sequel.
I didn’t see any of the sequels. I’m not sure why, other than they trailers didn’t peak my interest. This was probably at a time where Superhero movies were saturating the box office.
In 2004, my iPod was fairly new to me and I was adding music from iTunes regularly. When you opened it up, there were always “new” songs on the home page. One of them caught my eye.
At first, I wasn’t sure what to think when I saw “Theme From Spiderman” by Michael Buble’. You could listen to a thirty second preview before you bought a song, and that’s all it took for me to love it!
I don’t recall if the 1967 Spiderman cartoon was something I watched on Saturday mornings or if it was something that came on after school. What I do remember was just how cool it was! That, and it had one of the coolest theme songs!!
According to Wikipedia, the theme song was written by Paul Francis Webster and Bob Harris. The original song was recorded at RCA Studios in Toronto (where the cartoon was produced) featuring 12 CBC vocalists who added to the musical backing track supplied by RCA Studios, New York.
The vocalists were members of the Bobby Van Singers, and Laurie Bower Singers. The singers were paid only for the session and have had no residuals from its use since then.
The theme song contains one of my favorite lines: “Is he strong? Listen, bud, he’s got radioactive blood!”. Isn’t that awesome?!
The 1967 version was featured at the end of the first Spiderman movie in 2002. The Michael Buble’ version appears at the end of the 2004 sequel.
Let’s listen to both, just because!!
Here’s Michael’s swinging take on the theme. His band is so good!!!
Spiderman Theme
Spider-Man, Spider-Man Does whatever a spider can Spins a web, any size Catches thieves just like flies Look out Here comes the Spider-Man
Is he strong? Listen bud He’s got radioactive blood Can he swing from a thread? Take a look overhead Hey, there There goes the Spider-Man
In the chill of night At the scene of a crime Like a streak of light He arrives just in time
Spider-Man, Spider-Man Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Wealth and fame He’s ignored Action is his reward Look out Here comes the Spider-Man
Spider-Man, Spider-Man Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Wealth and fame He’s ignored Action is his reward Look out Here comes the Spider-Man
In the chill of night At the scene of a crime Like a streak of light He arrives just in time
Spider-Man, Spider-Man Does whatever a spider can Spins a web, any size Catches thieves just like flies Look out Here comes the Spider-Man
Spider-Man, Spider-Man Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Wealth and fame He’s ignored Action is his reward Look out Here comes the Spider-Man
A couple years ago, the kids got a Tonie Box. If you look at the picture above, you can see the character sits on top of it and it plays a story or music. You can read my original blog about it here:
We bought a small container to keep all of the characters in, and at some point, Ella decided that the characters were fun to play with. So when they are not listening to them, they are playing with them. Today, she asked me to come and play with her. She told me I could be Batman.
I always try to make her laugh and usually it doesn’t take much. Today, Wonder Woman and Elsa asked Batman to dance. I made a gruff voice and said, “I’m Batman. I don’t dance.” She asked me why and I ad-libbed, “My cape trips me up” and made him fall. I told her, “I have to go fight crime! The Penguin is out robbing banks.” She dug into the Tonie container and said, “No he’s not! He’s right here!”
I’m adapting this post from a few years ago because of a couple recent articles on MSN about TV theme songs. I clicked on one about the Top 30 best TV Theme songs, and that lead to MSN offering up many other “TV theme song” articles and lists, naturally. At any rate, back when this blog was in its infancy, I wrote a blog about them and I thought maybe it was time to revisit since I have many new followers.
Today, many shows don’t even bother with a theme song. You see the credits scroll on the screen while the show is in progress. This is sad. To me, a TV theme song kind of sets the mood for the show. Usually, it will be a song with catchy lyrics or a melody that you can hum along with. Using that as my criteria, lets go back and look at some of my favorite theme songs from TV’s past. When we’re done – tell me your favorites that I may have missed.
The 50’s
Two of the earliest themes on my list come from shows considered classics. First, The Andy Griffith Show. This catchy tune is one that you can whistle along with. Even without looking at a screen, whistling it makes you picture Andy and Opie walking with their fishing poles to the lake.
Second, The Dick Van Dyke Show. What’s not to like about this one? You only have to wonder whether or not he’s gonna trip over the ottoman when he walks in the house.
Then there is the Twilight Zone. The haunting guitar part that plays those same four notes over and over is scary as hell! As a kid, I remember freaking out when it was on. Today, as I listen to it, it is perfect for the show. It was the perfect music to play while Rod Serling explained that we were entering another dimension. I can’t tell you how many times something obscure happens and I start humming the theme song!
One of the great 50’s themes is also one of the most recognizable is from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He is known for his movies, naturally, but his TV work was right up there with the aforementioned Twilight Zone.
Another one of my favorites was the theme to Perry Mason. It was written by Fred Steiner who said he wanted to capture Perry’s sophistication and toughness. The song is actually called Park Avenue Beat and it is a bluesy “piece of symphonic R&B”. The song was re-recorded for the Perry Mason TV movies and was used by the Blues Brothers band while out touring.
Another theme song that I absolutely love, has a Blues Brothers tie in, too. Peter Gunn is a private eye. The initial base line accompanied by low brass instruments screams sleazy private eye. It’s a great piece. The song actually plays in the first Blues Brothers movie as the brothers are driving through Illinois. They do a fine cover of it.
The 60’s
The shows of the 60’s and 70’s had some of the best theme songs!
The theme to Mission: Impossible is instantly recognizable. It was composed by the great Lalo Schifrin. What’s neat about the song is that it is in 5/4 time. From the opening note – you can see the fuse light up and begin to burn. It’s such a cool piece of music. I was glad that they used it in the movies with Tom Cruise (even though I disliked them).
Wanna sing along with the theme to Batman? You only need to sing the word “Batman” and you got it! Neil Hefti, who was a composer and arranger, composed the theme with it’s simple guitar lick and vocal. It was a hit for Hefti, The Ventures, and the The Marketts.
William Dozier, creator of Batman, also created the Green Hornet. Even though the show didn’t last long, the theme song is memorable for a few reasons. First, it is based on the classical piece, The Flight of the Bumblebee. Second, playing the trumpet on the song is the great Al Hirt! Classic! One that you will hum for days.
Who can forget the theme to the Monkees? “Here we come, walking down the street. We get the funniest looks from, everyone we meet….” Hey! Hey! They’re the Monkees! For this show, they gathered 4 guys with little or no musical experience and made them a band. The show appealed to kids and adults alike. It was fast paced with quick jokes and 4 lovable characters who featured many of their hit songs on the show.
In the 60’s the guitar played a big part in theme songs. Think about this, The Munsters theme had such a catchy lick that was sampled for the song Uma Thurman by Fall Out Boy. It was cool enough to sample for one of today’s hit songs.
One of those great guitar theme songs was to Get Smart. The opening sequence changed a little from season to season, but it always included Don Adams walking through a corridor with sets of doors one right after another until he finally makes it to the payphone that gets him into CONTROL headquarters. Love this song and it never fails, if I am ever walking down a long hallway – I will almost always start to hum this song.
I mentioned the Ventures earlier, and they have one of the coolest theme songs – Hawaii 5-0. It was a huge instrumental hit for the band. It’s a great balance of guitar and horns. The use of the tympani drum and the pyramid effect by the horns in this song is masterful! It’s one of those theme songs you instantly crank up.
Maybe it’s the marching band guy in me, but I always loved a good march. That’s what you get as the theme song for Hogan’s Heroes. We played this in our alumni band one year.
The 70’s
Disco was in and some theme songs were just “funky”. Two examples of this are Barney Miller and it’s spin-off, Fish. The funky bass in the two theme songs is prominent and sets the tone for the them. The guitar melodies blend in and make them two themes that you could listen to over and over. The horns in Barney Miller continue to crescendo to the end of the song itself. It started slow and funky and ends in such a way that when it’s over you are disappointed cause you want more. The Twin Towers stand proudly in the opening scene as well.
It’s funny to listen to the Fish theme song again, because I realize how much it sounds like the theme from Night Court.
Norman Lear was a staple of 70’s TV. He created All In The Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Good Times, and the list of his credits goes on and on. I have featured the Sanford and Son theme as a separate blog before, because it is one of my favorites. Here it is again, just because.
The Jeffersons was a spin-off of All In The Family. George Jefferson is “moving on up” to a bigger and better life and that’s where the theme song sets you up. It tells you the story. The theme song was written by Ja’net Dubois (of Good Times) and Jeff Berry and sung by Dubois and a gospel choir. Her vocal is amazing and so is the song.
How do I describe the theme song from What’s Happening!!? As the show opens, the main characters are running down a sidewalk bouncing a ball. The music kinda sounds like a ball is bouncing and then the soprano sax jumps in. It’s odd, but it’s catchy. It’s also written and composed by one of the most respected men in music – Henry Mancini!
The 70’s introduced us to the superhero Wonder Woman. I do not know a boy alive who did not have a crush on Lynda Carter. Much like the Batman theme, this theme repeats the character’s name a few times, but then expands on how wonderful she is. There is a funky little bass line that drives the song and I can’t really remember much more because I was watching Lynda Carter run ….
Welcome Back, Kotter was the show that introduced us to John Travolta. It was a comedy about a guy (Gabe Kaplan) who goes back to his old neighborhood to teach. The show was originally going to be called Kotter. The title was changed, however, because of the theme song. It was written and recorded by former lead singer of the Lovin’ Spoonful, John Sebastian. The song hit the charts and went all the way up to #1. This song give you the feel of the “folksy” 70’s.
Ok, I have to include the theme from a show that I watched faithfully every week as a kid. I was introduced to many stars and a lot of songs by watching this show. How can I not include The Muppet Show
The 80’s
There are so many great theme songs from the 80’s! Let’s start with Night Court. Night Court’s theme song throws me back to the 70’s because of that funky bass open – even more so now that I have listened to the Fish theme! You also have that soprano sax melody. It’s not a long theme, and when it’s done, you wish that you could find somewhere an “extended club mix”.
I just wrote about this next show for a Blogathon and did an entire blog on it as well. Police Squad only produced 6 episodes and it was cancelled. It starred Leslie Nielson as Lt. Frank Drebin. At the time, the network didn’t think that a show like Police Squad would be something an audience would want to watch (so they could catch all the jokes – remember, this was done by the guys who gave us the movie Airplane!). The theme song was accompanied by a voice over announcer reading the credits. He would also announce tonight’s guest star (who would always die during the credits) and give the name of the episode (which never matched with the title read on the screen). Thankfully, when the Naked Gun movies were made, the kept the theme song.
In 1980, Urban Cowboy hit theaters and country music was all the rage. It only made sense that we’d have a country comedy show on TV. That show was the Dukes of Hazzard. Talk about big name singers – Waylon Jennings sings the theme song, and he was also the show’s narrator. The song was released as a single in August of 1980, and it went to #1 on the Billboard Country Charts! Yee-haw!
The 90’s
It is here that we begin to see the decline in the use of the TV theme song. As a matter of fact, it became a habit to edit them down to 10-30 seconds from the already short 60 seconds. There are some that stand out for me though from this decade.
Tim Allen’s Home Improvement was a show based on his comedy act. His grunts and vocalizations intermingle through the theme song, almost as if they are a part of the musical score. The theme song almost sounds like a “work” song, both in sound and in tempo.
Seinfeld was one of those shows who used a theme song for a while, and used it at the end of the show, but often times especially in the show’s later seasons, it was shortened. The bubbly, poppy, twangy bass, and silly feel will forever be associated with the show about nothing and it’s silly characters.
From the opening guitar of “I’ll Be There for You” by the Rembrandts, you are in New York with Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe and Monica. The theme to the show Friends was an international hit. It was a song that was requested on radio and used at wedding receptions to introduce bridal parties. The song is heavily influenced by the Beatles (I Feel Fine) and the Monkees (Pleasant Valley Sunday). It was originally just one minute long, but the band went in an recorded an extended version, which became a radio hit.
Who could forget It’s Garry Shandling’s Show? The show, in itself, was silly. Garry interacts with the cast, but often will interact with the studio audience as well. It was just so weird. The theme song is just as weird. It’s a bouncy song that basically references itself (this is the theme to Garry’s show) and tells you how it came to be (Garry called me up and asked if I would write his theme song) and then asks how you like it (we’re almost halfway finished how do you like it so far?). The melody is so catchy, you can’t help but want to sing (or whistle) along with it.
One that I loved singing along to was the theme to That 70’s Show. The first season’s version was done by Todd Griffin, but from season 2 onward the group Cheap Trick sang the theme song. It rocked a bit more that season one.
2000-2010
There were only a few shows that I really enjoyed watching by this time. One that made me laugh out loud all the time was Arrested Development. This ridiculous silly theme song seemed so out of place, but I loved it
I really loved the show House MD. The theme song is actually a song that has a vocal called “Teardrop” by the group Massive Attack. If you hear the vocal version, you wonder how or why anyone would think to use this as the theme to a medical show…
The medical comedy Scrubs was a very good show which reminded me a lot of MASH. The theme on the show is only like 20 seconds long. However, I found the full version by Lazlo Bane called, “Superman.”
Another really short theme which I loved came from another show that made me laugh. 30 Rock. This cast was so good and the theme conveys the craziness that the characters experience while trying to put on their show. There is a couple full versions of the theme which can be found on the official soundtrack, but here is the TV version.
Wrapping up
I know I’m going to go back over this and think about many others I forgot to mention, but for now, I will stop here. So think about this for a minute:
With the TV theme song becoming more and more absent from TV…what are your thoughts? Which ones did you love growing up? Which ones do you still sing? Which ones did you hate?
Now it’s your turn – I look forward to seeing your comments.
Today is National Superhero Day! I think every child grows up exposed to superheroes. I know as I look back on my childhood there were plenty of them.
My brother and I would wake up on Saturday mornings and watch The Superfriends!
Batman and Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman were always there. Sometimes the Wonder Twins were part of the team with their ridiculous monkey and sometimes, it was the even more annoying Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog.
My brother and I were introduced to Batman long before this. We always loved the 1966 TV show.
We were also familiar with Wonder Woman. Lynda Carter was one of my first childhood crushes!
I had other superhero cartoon characters I loved just as much –
My love of rhyme may have stemmed from episodes of Underdog!
Underdog had a pretty amazing theme song, which seemed to be common with cartoon superheroes. Case in point:
I loved watching your friendly neighborhood Spiderman – and singing along with the theme song. Another example:
The number one super guy – Hong Kong Phooey! Scatman Crothers provided the perfect personality and voice for this bumbling character.
Speaking of bumbling superheroes, many won’t remember these guys –
Strong Man, Tornado Man, Rope Man, Diaper Man, and Cuckoo Man were about as crazy as they came. It was always a treat to catch them on TV.
I used to love Blue Falcon, because the great Gary Owens provided his voice!
I guess I still love superheroes even as an adult. One particular family is a favorite
I won’t lie – I hope there is a third Incredibles movie!
Today, I salute these heroes and the many real life super heroes!
I believe the saying goes “A stranger is a friend you haven’t met yet!” Thanks to this blog and social media, I have been able to connect with some friends who I have never met face to face. One of those friends is Mr. Puppet.
A few days ago, I posted a blog about random acts of kindness. Today, I need to thank Mr. Puppet for an act of kindness that I was the recipient of. Before I tell you about that, let me tell you about him.
Mr. Puppet is Bob Abdou. He is a ventriloquist and puppet master who has been entertaining folks for many years. As I sat here trying to recall just how I connected with him, I realized that it could have been quite a few ways (all of them on Facebook). For example, it could have been because we are both Beatles fans. I belong to a few Beatles group pages and I may have met Bob on one of those. Is Bob a big fan? Well, he has “a few” Beatles collectibles.
….and a few more ….
… and a few more
….and remember the famous Abbey Road album cover?? Yeah, his Beatles puppets actually walked Abbey Road!!
It could have been through a Beatles page I became acquainted with him. It also could have been one of the Batman pages I follow. He’s a fan of the Caped Crusader, too!
Of course, maybe it was through a love for Spiderman or Marvel comic characters…?
Or maybe it was on a site about collectible Lunch Boxes or Classic Movies or TV Shows?
A better guess might be through a Three Stooges page …
In all honesty, however, I think we met through a mutual love of the legendary Soupy Sales.
He even has an original White Fang puppet in his collection!
Before going on, I think it is apparent from the above photos (all stolen from his Facebook page), that Bob is quite a collector. While I have never been to his home, I understand that it is not an odd thing for people to stay overnight at his place. I would imagine from all of the many photos that I have seen, his house is more like a museum. This incredible collection is simply amazing!
He has amazing stuff from Happy Days that even Henry Winkler would find fascinating!
And I can honestly say, no one I know – except Bob – has a Welcome Back, Kotter collection!!
Back to Soupy and how we met. Bob can correct me if I am wrong, but on one of the Soupy pages on Facebook he posted that Soupy Sales attended his wedding! I couldn’t even imagine how cool that would be! He posted a picture of Soupy with him and his wife, June.
Bob actually remembers the first words Soupy spoke to him at the Friars Club. He has them hanging in his home.
You can learn more about Bob, his shows, and more by surfing to his website:
On January 8th, I posted a small blurb on Facebook about it being Soupy’s Birthday. I included a couple links to past Soupy related blogs that I had written. I later discovered that I had received a private message from Bob:
“Hey Keith. Send me your home address. I have an item to send you soon. Thxs bob“
Keep in mind, Bob and I have never met face to face. I know him through Facebook, we have chatted on occasion and we share a love for many of the same things (The Godfather, The Muppets, Dean Martin, Red Skelton, Hanna Barbera cartoons, and of course the other things I mentioned above). If it had been anyone else asking, I just would have ignored the message. But it was Bob, so why wouldn’t I send him my address? A few blogger friends have my address and have sent me books, Christmas cards, etc… So I sent it to him.
Today, I received the “item” he sent me. I was speechless. Truly. Included in the box was a note that reads, “Since we are both Soupy fans, I want you to have this special toy plaque.”
I have never seen this before. It is so cool! It is obviously Soupy doing his dance “The Mouse,” which was a number one song in New York City and a fan favorite.
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU, Bob! I will be sure to take good care of it! Your kindness speaks volumes of your character. I am so grateful to have connected with you. I hope to one day get to meet you in person, shake your hand, and compare White Fang impersonations. What a blessing it is to call you my friend! Thank you again!
Bob included his phone number with the package, and I plan on giving him a call in a few days to thank him personally, but for now, his generosity was something that I felt needed a place on the internet. (I also wanted to make sure I gave his website a plug!)
I also wanted to say that it feels good to be the person who performs random acts of kindness. However, when you are the recipient of one of those random acts, it really does feel extra special.
I know very few adults who wake up and jump out of bed with a ton of energy. Personally, I get up and need a cup of coffee in order to get the day going. My daughter, however, always seems to be up and ready for the day as soon as she gets out of bed. She’ll run out to the front room, go to her toy box and say, “Daddy/Mommy, do you wanna sit on floor with me and play Little People!?”
Back in January, I recounted my almost injury with Little People. You can refresh your memory here:
She will always ask to play when she first gets up, and while she will always ask to play with the “Little People,” any toy comes into play. This morning was no exception. My brother sent Ella a “Frozen” bath toy set and despite the fact that they are like 3 or 4 times bigger than the little people, they all interact with each other.
As this picture uploaded, I laughed out loud. At the bottom of the picture – Olaf, Elsa, Anna, and Sven from Frozen. Above that, you have Batman and Robin Little People mixed in with Little People from Little Mermaid, Rainforest Animals, and Barnyard mixed together with various toys from Happy Meals and random Disney characters.
You can only imagine the conversations that happen between the various characters. These conversations get finnier depending on who is playing each character. Today, Ella grabbed the big Anna from Frozen and said, “Do you want to build a snowman?” (a song from the movie) and Batman (me) replied, “I’d love to but the Joker is on the loose in Gotham City!” Ella usually looks at me dumbfounded and eventually tells me what I need to say!
Look again at the picture. You see the Bath Toy Olaf (snowman) and the Little People Olaf? Yeah, that’s what Ella calls “Mommy Olaf and Baby Olaf!” It doesn’t matter that Olaf is a snowMAN, it’s a mommy and baby! As a dad, I just roll with it and often find that this play time brings me tons of laughs.
Sometimes I think that adults should have their own toy box loaded with action figures, Matchbox cars, and things like that. Every day, for an hour or so, adults should get lost in pretend play and forget the troubles of the world. How would this be different that imagining that you are relaxing in a hammock on a tropical island somewhere?
Maybe I’m crazy, but I’d be the first to vote for the politician who mandated play time for adults! Bring on Go Carts, Dodge Ball, Mini Golf, and Laser tag!! The world needs a whole lot more fun.
There was a Katy Perry song that I used to play when I was doing radio part time called Hot N Cold. I often wonder if she spent time at my workplace and found the inspiration for that song here! It’s insane!
Our tech room is a rectangle. At both ends of the tech room there are doors that lead to opposite hallways. They just installed this huge heating/cooling unit at one end of the tech room. There is still a thermostat on the wall and a remote that controls the big unit up above.
You can walk in one door and feel like you are freezing and walk through the other door and feel warm and toasty. There is literally no rhyme or reason for this. All night long I feel like I’m either in an igloo or in the tropics. I bring a zip up sweatshirt to work and it goes on and off throughout the night. It’s crazy.
When I try to explain it to people, the one thing that comes to mind is the old Batman episode from the 1960’s with George Sanders as Mr. Freeze. In the show he can make where he is standing cold and where others are warm. It’s hard to explain, so maybe the picture will help.
Batman in the warm area – Mr. Freeze in the cold area.
In all honesty, I’m not sure whether the thermostat or that big thing on the wall is responsible for the temperature anymore. Last night it was reading 75 degrees on the big unit and 72 on the wall thermostat, but I was in my sweatshirt and wrapped in a blanket.
It’s quite comical because depending on where you are in the tech room, you are either on Team Heat Miser or Team Snow Miser!
Whether it is hot or cold, you have those who are uncomfortable or those who are comfortable. We must all be taking our Vitamin C, because I would think that going back and forth between temperatures would eventually get somebody sick.
One thing is for sure, you never know what you are walking into each night …
Someone asked me why my winter coat was still in my car recently. If they only knew. What they don’t know is that I’ll be packing my bathing suit for when I am in the tropical area of our work space. It was hard to find a suit that matched the color of my scrubs …
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 