And Then There's One: the Passing of a Golden Girl

What does it say about me that the news of Blanche Devereaux's (Rue McClanahan) death has depressed me way more than the Blackhawks' OT loss last night? A co-worker told me about it this morning and it has put me in a funk all day. By coincidence, I was watching the show just last night in between periods of the Hawks game - it was a great way to lower my stress levels and have a few laughs.

Saturday Nights were a routine for me as a kid: take the L downtown for my ballet lesson in the Fine Arts Building from 3:15-4:15. My parents would order either pizza (half bacon/half mushroom) or Chinese (pork chop suey) for dinner. Facts of Life on NBC at 7pm. Some other show (I remember 227 for awhile there) at 7:30. The Golden Girls at 8pm. I loved the Golden Girls even though I was only 9 when the show started. Several times a year my brother and I would spend Saturday nights over at my Grandma's house so my parents could enjoy a night out. I would always clamor for her to put the Golden Girls on. "That show is not for children!" she would state, but then end up putting it on for me anyway. I really couldn't understand what she meant - I thought it was hilarious. It wasn't until many years later, when the reruns were always on Lifetime that I realized what she meant. I was innocent enough then that all that innuendo went completely over my head. It's amazing to me now how much they got away with.

In memory of Blanche, here's a few of my favorite clips:



The laughter by Rue and Bea is genuine - Betty White had them both in stitches while she deadpanned. 



"Lesbian. Lesbian. LESBIAN." That line makes me LOL Every. Damn. Time.



Finally...the Best of Blanche.

I'd like to think that somewhere, Blanche, Dorothy and Sophia are at the kitchen table sharing a cheesecake, chatting away until it's time for Rose to join them (which I hope isn't for a long, LONG time - I heart Betty White!). God, this makes me sad. Wherever you are Rue, Godspeed! You will be missed!

Post 100: Back in Time When the Floor Shook

To my amazement, this post marks the 100th entry on my blog since I started it at the beginning of the year. I'm shocked to an extent that I've maintained it for this long, as I've never kept anything like this running for more than a couple of weeks. This has evolved into a hockey/sports blog, which wasn't really my intention. No worries, as soon as the NHL playoffs end, I'm sure this blog will become more of my original vision - a home for my snark, random links and stuff I find interesting. I bet you can't wait!

In "celebration" of this occasion, I got the new scanner humming and present you with the following - pictures I took of the Chicago Stadium - the home of the Blackhawks, Bulls, circus, ice capades and random bad concerts prior to the United Center. I don't remember exactly when I took these photographs - it was somewhere between 1988 - 1990 as I did a history fair project on the Wirtz family. Don't ask me why - I guess it was a little more respectable than just a project on the Blackhawks. Of course I no longer have the actual report I wrote as it was done on a typewriter. In any case, one day my dad drove me down to the Stadium to take pictures for the posterboard. I just remember my dad attempting to nervously rush me as back in those days the neighborhood was pretty bad and there was CHA housing close by. Looking back, it's rather comical to think someone was going to shoot us as we took a few pictures, but my dad was being parental I suppose.

Seeing these photographs again bring back so many memories: the anticipation of seeing a Hawks game, feeling the floor shake when the crowd roared, the way your feet would stick to the floor, the swear words I learned at a young age. There will never be another place like it. Le sigh.

A post about the shitstorm that was Game One of the SCF later - I'm going to run across the street now and see if I can still get breakfast at McDonald's!

"Don't Accept Plastic Imitations!"

Just a bit of Saturday night (or is it Sunday morning?) silliness:



I don't know what's worse: the name "Disco Body Shaper" or the jump suits. And who the hell wears a belt when working out?

I got this off the Museum of Classic Chicago Television - a site I have wasted countless hours on. If you're looking for the old Empire commercials, Son of Svengoolie or any other TV staples from the 70s and 80s, make a visit!

Game 78: Hawks 4, Flames 1 - Mel regales you with tales of yore!

Congrats to your 2010 Central Division Champion Blackhawks! The above newspaper title is one I saved when the Hawks still played in the old Norris Division - which incidentally is what the division was still called when the Hawks last won in 1992-93. The newspaper clipping is actually from the 1989-90 season, but more about that later.

Blast From the Past: the Apples of My Eye

I just got my computer back from the shop (I have a Mac Mini) where I finally got more memory installed. Thank Jebus because attempting to run Firefox, iTunes and iPhoto simultaneously was slowing it down so badly I could walk around the block before all the programs would load. Which means I might be able to write a blog post in under a half hour now. Whee!

This got me to thinking about the computers I've had. For the record I have only owned Macs my entire life. If that makes me an art snob so be it, but I hate Windoze - it's bad enough I have to use it at work. My earliest computer memories are of the Apple IIe in grammar school. With that, anyone of a certain age should enjoy this:

Blast From the Past: Blades of Steel

In order to go to bed with happier thoughts:



My brother and I played the crap out of this game back in the day. That and Tecmo Bowl. I have Tecmo Bowl on my Wii Virtual Console - it's not the same though as they took off all of the players' names during the game - I'm sure at the NFL's request. Maybe I'll download BoS for the Console this week.

I wonder if the fools who unceasingly whistle during games got it from this. Sure sounds like it.