Haines His Way

Speaking of oy and double vey, a mere day later many new sound files are loaded to my Samples page, including some nice ones of the divine Ms. M(ars), not to mention several other luminaries of the upper west coast theatrical scene.  So as you are watching flames shoot out of your floor and/or learn what the correct Dewey decimal for "plotz" is, you can listen.  

Ben what year is the radio from?  It is wonderful.  Is there a story that goes with it?

I don't know the exact year but it's from the 1930s. It was my father's radio. We both loved the medium, even though I was not old enough to really remember the programs he listened to as a kid. When he died (in 1993) it was the only thing I wanted. He died from lung cancer and we knew it was terminal (he lived for six months) so he decided to get his affairs in order and he wrote a will in pen on a piece of notebook paper. We had spoken a week or so before he did this and I remember when we spoke he asked if there was anything I wanted (he was in Minnesota with the rest of the family and I was in NY). I said that the only thing I wanted was the radio. I didn't know this at the time but my younger brother had also asked for the radio (he's 10 years younger than me). My sister, who was his primary caretaker during the illness, told me this about 10 years after he died. He spoke with Leslie (my sister) and told her that even though John asked first that he was giving me the radio, not because I was the older one but because by that time I had lived in NY for 13 years but even before that, after I had moved out I was the only one who didn't come to him for money or help. I was determined to survive (especially in NY) on my own and I never would have thought to ask for financial help. I guess it impressed him because he left me the radio. I didn't get it to NY until 1997. I looked into shipping it but because it's so fragile (it's still got tubes and those puppies are hard to find) it became a very expensive prospect. In '97 Anthony and I decided to drive to Minnesota that summer (it was the first time Anthony met my six brothers and sisters) so we could get the radio back to NY. It was quite a trip. He met my crazy relatives and passed inspection (I think they like him more than they like me) and we have the radio. It still works mostly, but I don't listen to it often. The Short and Medium Wave doesn't work but the AM and what is now FM do work. Sometimes on a Saturday night I will turn it on, have a cup of coffee and listen to Garrison Keillior and Prairie Home Companion. Brings back memories.

And that, dear Jane, is the story behind the radio.

Places please, beginners.  Places for Act One.....

Good Evening!

We had a wonderful audience tonight.  It sounded like they got each and every joke in the show!

...And we're now entering the home stretch of the run... We passed the halfway point this past Sunday.

But I am looking forward to a good run tomorrow.  It's supposed to be in the low 60's - perfect for a good run - and I'm gonna go ahead and drive down to the Tidal Basin and run around it.  According to some maps and guides I found online, it's about a two and a half mile route - which should be a good, safe distance for me.

And I'm sort of amazed that I'm looking forward to going for a run... Ah, progress, progress, progress.

DR Ben - Thanks for your radio story.

Watched the last half hour of SCRUBS from last night. The four episodes I've seen this season have been silly rather than some of the deliriously funny ones I remember from seasons past, but since the show gets almost surreal sometimes, one never knows what to expect.

RE: Lost

We finally got to see the monster. We learned Mr. Eko's fascinating backstory. We learned some secrets and the spark of a potential new romance.

As always, fascinating episode.

I recorded a show about digital televisions off one of the local PBS-HD channels last night and watched it today. It was done some years ago obviously since both Julia Child and Fred Rogers took part in the half hour explanation of how digital television differs from analog TV.

It was done without a lot of confusing jargon but was basically a primer for those who know almost nothing about DTV.

Many years ago - in 1989 - the Phoenix Theatre was doing a production of The Cemetery Club and I was the Stage Manager.  It was a fun show and the actresses were great.  The set was problematic, since it involved trucks that had to be secured with hooks and eyes in the dark, and a house on a pivot...but anyway.

Then the management decided that a New Year's Eve performance would be followed by a party with dancing and that the cast and crew would be in charge of the crowd....getting them worked up and keeping them dancing and helping serve the champagne, etc.

At the time I had a 1984 Ford Escort.  My friend Sabian (who was the light person) and I were driving down the street toward the theatre on New Year's Eve Day.  There on the street to be picked up by the trash men was a RADIO....a RADIO....  We looked at each other, drove around the block, and picked it up and put it into the back of my Escort.  It doesn't work, but it looks great, and I rigged some Christmas lights so that it lights up if need be....some of the knobs are missing and I had to wire the front door shut.

The story isn't as lovely as DR BEN's....but when I look at it, I always remember The Cemetery Club and four fine actresses and Sabian....

Looking at that photo reminds me of the floor model radio my grandmother had in her "parlor," as she called it.

Well, I think I must head toward the bedroom.

Good evening, everyone!

I am back. I called the emergency number. He said that flames coming out of the floor was not a good thing. I agreed. I will have someone come out tomorrow and look at it and tell me what I don't want to hear...that I need a new oil furnace  

In the meantime I am most grateful that:

A. the flames decided to shoot out while I was at home.

B. that it isn't terrible cold. It has been in the 40s or so this week so an extra blanket should do the trick.

Are you renting or do you own your home?  If you're renting, shouldn't the owner/manager do something??

I am afraid I own this problem DR George.

DR JRand--a Petticoat Junction lunchbox!  How cool!