I Love Sitcoms From the 80's & 90's

So, for the past month, I have been addicted to my friend Andy's blog. Our friendship is circa 2002 when I was preparing to head off to college.

I didn't intend on telling the story of how I met Andy, but I think I'm going to go with it. I believe it all started when a mutual friend, Chris, called me regarding my interest in the choir. We exchanged AOL IM screen names and began chatting online (remember when it was all about the IM and no one had even heard of "social networking sites?" Oh, thems were the days). Soon enough, Chris gave me Andy's screen name and said that he thought we would be great friends. Andy and Chris were best friends at the time, but this is still something I don't understand. Even though he denied it for years (maybe just one), Chris had an uber crush on me right from the get-go. Why ever would he connect me with Andy "Man-Whore" Shaw? (no offence, Andy, but that's how you were known at the time.)

Anyway, Andy and I started a pretty intense conversation regarding my vow to remain single until I found "the one." Unfortunately, I started dating the worst excuse for a human being that summer and totally went back on my vow (something I still regret to this day).

I met both Andy and Chris at Matriculation for the freshman class and Andy spent the whole afternoon with me and my parents. It was great fun. We continued to spend a lot of time together those first weeks of college and I was fairly angry at myself for not being single and available, but c'est la vie. We settled into a great friendship and since Andy and I were both Communication majors and both in choir and theater, we spent a good amount of time together throughout college.

He's always been a funny guy and I have heartily enjoyed reading his incredibly witty blogs over the past month. Which brings to the original reason for this posting. He recently posted something to the extent that The Hills was scripted or some other crap, to which I responded in the negatory. This inspired him to launch into the top ten greatest shows when we were growing up. His inspiration, of course, inspired me to continue his list with a few that he left out. I'm also going to be responding to some of his top ten in the same order he listed them, so make sure you've had your coffee for the morning first.

Read his entry first. Don't worry, I won't be mad, just make sure you come back here when you're done :)

1. The Mickey Mouse Club. Andy listed Full House first, as well he should. Not only have I seen every single episode, but I've probably seen every single episode at least 10 times...and can quote them...and can call it every time they cue the sappy music, "Pam was my sister and I loved her very much..." Oh Uncle Jesse, what would pre-teen girls do without you? So, while Full House is worthy to be number one, I am making the case that the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club should take precedence. Where else can you see pre-pubescent Britney Spears sing and dance to I'm Gonna Get You? And yes, I definitely used to record the episodes and watch them over and over again until I learned the dances. Besides Britney Spears, we also see Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and JC Chavez start their stardom careers on the Mickey Mouse Club. What more could you ask for? A made-for-teens soap opera type drama? Oh, we have that, too in Emerald Shores. It's a complete package people, a complete package. Now I'm going to write to Disney and request, nay demand, that they put the episodes on a box set. And on that note, we'll MMC ya later!
   
2. Andy mentions Seinfeld as his number two, but I have to go with another Disney Channel classic: Kid's Incorporated. That's right, Looks like we've made it, we're Kid's Incorporated *K. I. D. S!* Yet again, we see the start of a modern pop star's career on this show. That's right, kids, Fergie used to be Stacie on the show. There was some great talent and some great morals on this show. Like that one time when the two girls decided to both write a song and they wrote the same exact song without even collaborating. Is that even possible? Thank you for teaching me not to plagiarize, Kid's Incorporated!
   
3. Hey Dude. This was just classic TV and I loved it for several reasons:
   a) I wanted to Marry Ted
   b) I thought Christine Taylor was related to my friend Spangle Taylor
   c) I still get a little scared thinking of that episode when Ted tried to scare everyone for Halloween and he ended up being the one scared in the end.
   d) I still know the entire theme song...It's a little wild and a little strange, when you make your home out on the range...
   e) Sarah Lindholm and I had some great moments watching it in her parents bedroom, eating peanut butter and fluff sandwiches off the TV trays.
   
4. 90210. Does anyone else think that it's a total and complete farce that they're coming out with a new 90210? Seriously, how can you improve perfection? Knowing me, I'm probably going to become seriously addicted to it, just as I was seriously addicted to the original. However, I was never as addicted as my sister, Angelina. In fact, when we were mere children, we created a scheme, a scheme that would change the world as we knew it. As every true 80's/90's child knows, 90210 aired on Wednesday nights after Married With Children (another show I used to watch, but not quite worthy of the top ten list). Wednesday night was also, conveniently, my parents Bible study night. That's right, you know where this is going and I know where I'm going...straight to hell. Angelina and I, to convince my parents that we were old and mature enough to be left alone for the evening, told them that we loved Wednesday nights because it was "Sister's night." They were under the impression that Ange and I would play games and have a generally all-around bonding night while they were studying about our sweet Lord Jesus. Instead, we were blatantly lying and using it as an excuse to watch dirty television sitcoms we were in no way allowed to watch. Unfortunately, my parents came home early one night and caught us red-handed. I never really knew what happened after season 4. Did Brenda ever get back together with Dillon???
5. Who's the Boss. Granted, this can in no way compete with Andy's number 5 choice of the Fresh Prince (In West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days....do you really need me to continue??). However, Who's the Boss is another show that I watched every single episode 10 times and can rival Full House for my loyalty. Because in all honesty, who can compete with an Italian male housekeeper who's catch phrase is "eh oh, oh eh?" This is another show I wasn't initially allowed to watch. Yeah, what was up with that mom and dad? I think it might've been because of Angela's mother, Mona. She was pretty quick on the sexual innuendo draw. Yup, that's the kind of grandmother I want to be for sure. Another reason why I love this show...Muska and I have a deep love for Tony Danza's hair....don't ask.
6. Punky Brewster. Yet again, Andy's choice of Saved by the Bell totally trumps Punky Brewster. And for the record, I loved Slater, wanted to be Kelly, and hated Tori with her damn leather jacket that she wore all the time. But, Punky does get a strong vote here too. Does she even need any words of acclamation? Let's just say she was the reason why young girls everywhere wore different colored socks. She was also the reason why one of my favorite outfits in the second grade was a black turtleneck with a purple cardigan over it, black stirrup pants, purple socks, black shoes and purple and black scrunchy rockin' out the side ponytail. I will never ever post the pictures on here.
7. The Cosby Show. Dr. Huxtable, you were the epitome of fatherhood. This show made me want to be apart of this family...and be black. Even though, technically, Vanessa looked like she was white, I still wanted to be black like her. Damn you non-black genes! By the way, Andy's number 7 choice of Boy Meets World makes me smile. Randomly, everyone thought I looked like Topanga when I was in high school, does this strike anyone else as completely out in left field??
   
8. Family Ties. Even though this was just slightly before my time, I still remember that warm, tender feeling it gave me every time I watched it. Also, Jennifer gave new meaning to classic bad 80's hair.
9. Wonder Years. Andy mentioned this on his list of shows that did not make his top ten list. But, it makes my top ten list because, yet again, this was another show I wasn't allowed to watch. Big surprise. So, in that there was a lot of mystery surrounding this show and hushed conversations about how sexy Winnie was. Plus, as I've watched it in later years, it's just a timeless show about growing up in our generation. Hmmm, I just found the entire 6-season box set for only $50. Excuse me while I shuffle around in my purse for my debit card...
10. Mork and Mindy. Ok, granted, this was a much older show, but come on, it's got frikken Robin Williams saying nanoo nanoo. And he lives in an egg!! How much better can it possibly get??

Ok, so that's it folks. The Christina Top Ten Best Sitcoms of the 1980's and '90's. I might even be so cool as to call the "I Love The 80's & 90's Sitcoms Part Deux" VH1 style. Oh yeah, I'm totally busting that one out.

I'm sure I won't get nearly as many comments on this as Andy got on his (unless he links my blog and all his readers come over here *hint hint*), but let me know what you think anyway. Ok, MMC ya later!

The Hatred and The Hospital

I can't stand airports. In fact, I'm pretty close to hating them. The only reason why I abstain from hating them is because, let's face it, hate is an extremely strong emotion. Which is why I save that emotion for the newest object of my loathing: hospitals.

I. Hate. Hospitals.

I never thought I could dislike a building more than airports, but hospitals take the cake (side note: what does that phrase even mean? Take the cake? Who thought that one up and why don't I have any cake now that I'm thinking of it so much??). If you think about it, at least airports have carpeted floors; there's nothing comforting about the cold, tile floors in hospitals. As many renovations and calming colors the Cape Cod Hospital utilizes to make their patients feel at ease, there is nothing easing about seeing a loved one with tubes attached all over their bodies and the steady beeping and compressing of various machines.

My Mama went through major surgery on Monday and as I sat at her bedside between jobs on Monday afternoon, no amount of telling myself that she would be fine could quell the foreboding in my spirit. She is fine. But, what if someday she's not? Sitting there, holding her hand, watching her fade in and out of cognizance, scared me. I remember having nightmares as a child of my parents dying and becoming an orphan and I used to tell my mom that I never wanted her to die. But, what child hasn't gone through the trauma of this fear, unfounded though it may be? It seems as though it is human nature to automatically assume the worst case scenario. However, now that I'm getting older and, consequentially, my parents are getting older as well, will the experience of keeping vigil by a sick bed become more and more common?

My parents aren't that old. I used to think anyone over 50 was ancient, but the older I get, the more middle aged 50 becomes. Still, when the realization hits you that your parents can't do half the things they used to be able to do 10 years ago, it's a sobering experience.

One thing is for sure, any disagreements or failures to see eye-to-eye with my mother all seems so unimportant now.

Take me out of Funky Town

I'm in a funk. I'm pretty sure it's because I hate my job. No, hate isn't the right word...maybe bored? Unfulfilled. That's the one. Completely unfulfilled and frustrated that there are no newspaper jobs on the Cape! Oh, that's easy, says the me from former days, just move to where the jobs are. As appealing as that may be and as ridiculous as this next statement is, I can't. Why? Because God told me not to. Why do I have to be such a good lil' Christian girl? I mean, don't get me wrong, I've tried to move off Cape, I've come really close to it a couple of times. But for whatever reason, the door is closed before I can cross the Sagamore Bridge.

The rub lies, however, in the fact that at this point, I'm not sure if I really want to leave Cape Cod (unless it's for the grasslands of Africa that is). With my complete immersion into the youth culture at my church, I feel like I'm fulfilling a greater purpose than being able to weild my words at a reputable newspaper. As much as I crave the deadlines and the copy editing and the words, words, words, I crave being where God wants me to be more. And for some reason that I can't fathom now, He wants me here. On Cape Cod. I've said it before, there are worst places to be.

But, back to the original topic: I. Am. In. A. Funk. Not just any old funk. A funk of giant proportions. A funk that makes me want to do nothing on my specifically requested vacation day except for sit on my futon (soon to be replaced by an amazing love seat which will be delivered as of Saturday), eat all sorts of junk food, and trading off between drooling on the accent pillow during re-runs of Saved by the Bell and crying out of self-pity. Man, I'm in tough shape.

It's not so much that I'm depressed. I just work so much that I don't know what to do with myself when I actually have free time. See, my brain doesn't even recognize that phrase as proper English. What is this strange thing you speak of called free time? And if we want to be technical about it, there really is no such thing as free time. The past two days I had off were two days of precious vacation time of which I only receive two weeks of per year. Way to go me, I just wasted at least one day of vacation time being a glutonous slob and the other...well, spending $90 on clothes...but I look damn hot in them, so I'm not sorry! I won't be sorry, dammit!

It is nice to have money, but at what cost? I never have any time. Let me repeat that: I Never Have Any Time. I slept over my parents house on Sunday night and half of Monday I spent lounging around in my pj's watching TV and talking with my Mama. It felt good. It felt really good. Because really, what's the point of living 5 minutes down the road from my parents if I never see them? It seems that there's no win/win combination in your 20's...it's either work too much to make ends meet, or not work enough and starve more often than not because you can't afford to go grocery shopping.

Where's the balace? And where, for pete's sake, are all the newspaper jobs on Cape Cod???