“Mad Men” and “The Good Guys”

The other night I watched “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson on AMC. That movie was a good one, but extremely weird and creepy. Timberline Lodge was used for exterior shots for the film. I will never forget the little boy riding his tiny little trike up and down the halls of the lodge when he was scared which was all the time. And Jack Nicholson breaking his way into his room with an ax, and shouting “Here’s Johnny!” Quite a movie. But every few minutes, especially toward the end of the movie when there was time to kill before the premiere of “Mad Men” started, they would interject ads for “Mad Men” – so many of them that by the time it actually started, I was sick of the whole thing!

I was looking forward to “Mad Men” and it didn’t disappoint me. A few years had elapsed, but the people are still the same. Betty Draper is still her cold, self-absorbed self. She was always so strange with her kids . . . not like a real mother. She has a new husband since she divorced Don, and from the looks of it, she’s doing the same things that brought on her estrangement from Don in the past. However, Don Draper was no catch. He fooled around so much it was hard to keep track. Don is now dealing with questions about his past, and Peggy’s taking control of her life in a big way. Joan is back just as busty as ever, thus making all the men happy, especially Roger Sterling. Don’s started a new company with most of the same people, and things are sort of in a state of flux. He was trying to convince a swimsuit company, Jantzen, to come to his Ad Company and show more skin on the models – bikini-wise. But Jantzen is a wholesome, family-type company and wouldn’t give in. We’ll see what happens to that one.

I just watched “The Good Guys” which is a Fox show. I wrote about it before, and I liked it then and still do. It’s completely different from “Mad Men” in that it operates in completely different circles. “Mad Men” people are sophisticated, or supposed to be, and wine and dine in up-scale establishments and mix with other sophisticated people. Of course there are some losers in every family, but they aren’t playing the big roles. In “The Good Guys” there’s Bradley Whitford, an older policeman, who is sometimes drunk or on the way and doesn’t want to exert himself. He talks about the gold old days and about his old partner, Frank. He says, “Frank and me did this, and Frank and me did that . . .” His new partner is Colin Hanks, who looks about 12, but is a very earnest, hardworking officer. The two of them are continually getting into some kind of trouble without even trying. I laugh during this show all the time. I have never seen Bradley Whitford play this sort of role and I love it! I like it when I can laugh during a show. It makes me feel good. So I hope Fox will keep this one on.

“Soup Nazi” reopens his store, July 20, 2010

Ali Yeganeh reopened his soup shop, “The Original Soup Man,” at 259-A West 55th street in Manhattan after being closed for 6 years. He was the inspiration for the “Soup Nazi” character in a 1985 episode of the sitcom “Seinfeld.” Yeganeh was born in Iran and then moved to the US. He opened his store in 1984 and never gave up the lease after he closed. He states he was extremely offended by his portrayal as the soupmaker and especially being called the “Soup Nazi” in the “Seinfeld” sitcom. He says he was strict in the way he waited on people so as to keep the line moving efficiently. That is why he was portrayed the way he was. He had a set of rules for ordering his soup which are still printed on the wall above the counter in ten languages. They are: Pick the soup you want; have your money ready; move to the extreme left after ordering. If you don’t stick to the rules: NO SOUP FOR YOU!!

Yeganeh doesn’t allow any “Soup Nazi” talk or mention of “Seinfeld” in his shop. I guess you would be denied any soup if you didn’t follow his rules. Larry Thomas played him in the sitcom and was hilarious! Those were some of the best episodes in the “Seinfeld” history, and there were several of them, so Yeganeh had plenty about which to be offended. Apparently Jerry Seinfeld and some of his crew stopped in one day for lunch weeks after “The Soup Nazi” aired. Yeganeh began using profanity and yelled that the show had ruined his business and demanded an apology. Actually, the show had helped his business! Jerry apologized in his manner which was sarcastic as usual. Yeganeh then yelled “No soup for you!” and kicked them out!

I watched this morning on the “Today” show when they opened the “Soup Man” shop. Meredith Vieira was there as was Reggie Jackson of the Yankees who did the honors by chopping a zucchini in half with a cleaver for the groundbreaking. Peter Alexander, NBC correspondent, was also there and went in to order some soup. He followed the rules exactly and was so cute as he stiffly moved down the line exactly as he should. After he was served, he hesitated a second as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t and just backed out. Maybe he thought someone would yell at him to keep moving! Later he was sitting between a young couple from Norway who were talking and he was responding not having the faintest idea what they were saying! People from all over were there: Norway, Egypt, New Jersey, etc. A very big day. However, Al Yeganeh did not show up and apparently won’t ever be working at the shop except for guest appearances.

I watched an episode of “Seinfeld” this morning that I had taped last night. I laughed all the way through it. I haven’t watched the reruns lately as I’ve seen them all many, many times. But they still can make me laugh. And I still ask myself before making important life decisions: What would Jerry do?

Why don’t people read more?

I just finished reading “Game Change” by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. Both men are very well known, and the build-up to the book’s publication was tremendous. When it did come out, it was a hit! It’s about the last presidential campaign and it covers Obama, the Clintons, McCain and Palin. It goes into their campaigns and what went on behind the scenes. There were many surprises, and I found it very hard to put down. Reading this book made me realize how little people actually know about what goes on behind closed doors when people are running for office. They can start out being nice and gradually get down and dirty as time goes on. The entire read was fascinating, and I think everyone should read it. But no one does what I say, so why even say it?

I don’t think people read as much as they used to. I know I don’t as I watch a lot of television when I could be reading. But I have loved to read all my life, and I think I passed that on to my daughters. I know for sure one thing I passed on which involved reading. I loved all the gossip and movie magazines and still do. I used to buy some when the girls were little, and they learned to love them also! I hang over grocery check-out counters trying to read as much as I can of the tabloids. I don’t buy them anymore – who can afford to these days? But I did read good books to my girls when they were little. I loved doing that and I think they enjoyed it. I read to my grandsons and even have a picture on one of my blogs of my reading to Harry when he was about 2 months old. I was with Teri, Mark and Harry in Mexico and was babysitting for them one afternoon. So I read “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” to Harry. The book was about a real woman, Roseanne Quinn, who had moved to New York City. She was a sexually repressed school teacher (aren’t they all?) who went to bars after school to seek out men and find out about life. She really got into it until she met Richard Gere . . . not actually Richard. He just played him in the movie. Anyway, he didn’t come up to her standards in bed which made Richard crazy mad, and he stabbed her to death. So that was the end of the bar-hopping . . . and of her. Harry seemed to like it, even thought he didn’t comment and his eyes were closed. I told him when he was old enough I would take him to see the movie with Richard Gere and Diane Keaton. I don’t think he heard me as he must have fallen asleep a long time ago.

The above picture is of my mom reading to Cindy who was about 4 months old and Teri who was 4 ½ years old. I’m sure she was reading an age-appropriate book, not one like “Looking for Mr. Goodbar.” She wouldn’t have had anything to do with a book like that. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I were adopted! You can see that Cindy is awake and Teri is listening intently. At least they stayed awake whereas Harry slept through my story. I love the picture and think it’s very sweet, and I’m so glad I have it. I would love to go back in time and have my mom read to me and my girls again. I miss those times a lot.

Squirrel Underpants – what a novel idea!

Cindy sent me some squirrel underpants from her “Brownie Morrison” shop in Tacoma. She carries wild and crazy things in her shop, but I think she ordered these especially for me . . . I mean, for Charley. She had to order a certain number from the company, and has already sold several others! They are on a thick poster covered with plastic, but the underpants are real jockey shorts out of cotton as you can see in the picture. I shouldn’t be getting presents for Charley as I really don’t like him. He’s aggressive, messy and he bugs me. He managed to get into the bird feeder I put up just before I went to New York and clean out all the food, so I had to take it down. Now I have the same old place where I feed the birds and Charley climbs into it as I’ve shown in another blog and eats up the food. I still run out every time I catch him there and scream and yell and wave a broom at him. I shriek “Get out!” and he runs off. Sometimes I throw an empty gallon milk carton at the door on the deck which startles him. I would never have thought I’d be doing this at this time of my life! Another thing I don’t like is he poops all over the ledge, especially in one certain place like it fills in for a litter box. And his poop is big! I’ve really had it with him.

Someone asked how I would get the pants on Charley . . . as if I would even try. On the back of the poster is written: “A portion of the profits from this product will be donated to the ‘Small Animal Decency Fund’ which seeks to rid our neighborhoods of any potentially offensive naturally occurring indecent exposures.” I find that very commendable. They also include a quote from a worried mother: “The poor little things don’t even know that they are naked! We’ve got to educate the animals and protect our children.” So I have the underpants on display in my living room. Where else would I put them?

“Squirrel Underpants” has a website I checked, and it’s hilarious. It ends with the work they are trying to do for all animals, and I think elephant underpants are in the near future. I won’t order those . . . unless I spot an elephant in my bird feeder!

Teri and Mark are having a wedding anniversary!

Their wedding anniversary is today, and several days ago I started looking for a suitable card. My idea of “suitable” may not be everyone’s, but I couldn’t even find one that everyone would deem suitable. No cards at all. I found birthday, sympathy, graduation, friendship, Mother’s Day which was long gone, Father’s Day, engagement, wedding, divorce and many more. I got tired of hunting so decided I’d do my own. Maybe people these days don’t stay married long enough for the greeting card companies to make any money off cards celebrating the wonderful act of staying together . . . for at least a year. So then I remembered a photo I took of the two of them when they were first living in New York City.

I believe it was taken in Greenwich Village where they were living at the time. They both looked so cute and the background was unique. I love the New York graffiti and all the ads they slap up on the walls. We had been out sightseeing and I bought Teri and Cindy each one of those caps which we thought were designed beautifully. I think it was at that time Mark convinced me to try tiramisu. Mark knows I’m leery of eating something I didn’t learn to eat back on the farm, and we certainly didn’t have tiramisu when I was a kid! But I tried it and absolutely loved it! On my recent trip to New York, we all went out with some friends for lunch and I ordered French fries and tiramisu. Delicious lunch!

I don’t know what to say to you except that I hope you keep on loving each other and stay together forever! I love you both so much and want you to be happy. And you know it wouldn’t be nice to upset mom.

So Happy Anniversary, kids, and may there be many more in the future.