Wednesday, August 31, 2005

"What?" Me explain


Got to love 80's television. Man do I love television. When I was a kid television was one of my favorite pasttimes.

Did I read books? yes. Did I read Comic books? Yes. Did I play outside? Hell yes all the time. But I always loved to come back to my first love, Television. Sweet sweet cathode ray tube of the gods.

One of my favorite things to look forward to was Friday. When friday arrived I would get to go to Grandma's house for the weekend. No more school for the next two days and I would get to hang with the Grandma and Grandaddy.

We'd watch shows that were in syndication like, Alice and Gomer Pyle and to tell you the truth I watched so much TV that it's all a blur what year so and so came on and what was in syndication and what wasn't but I enjoyed all of it.

At night I would watch Dallas with them but i'd have to be extra quiet. Then I'd stay up real late with my cousin Candy and watch 'Friday night videos' they actually showed videos back then. That show really went to hell in the 90's. We'd even sometimes hold a tape recorder up to the tv to record certain songs. I still remember the time that I couldn't shut the Recorder off when a Huey Lewis video 'Heart of Rock and Roll' came on. My cousin saying "Turn it off! turn it off!" "I can't!" "It won't trun off!" ah good times.

Saturday morning cartoons were a staple of weekend greatness! From the 'Mr. T' cartoon to 'Superfriends' and even short lived cartoons like 'Galaxy high' and the 'Drac pack' and 'Mighty Orbots' I loved every minute of Saturday morning. Fuckin' A.

Every Saturday in my memory was filled with going to the mall with grandma and my sisters and cousins in different combinations from time to time. It was our weekend routine. Grandma would give us a clue what was for dinner and i'd get excited for the next meal. Grandma fed us well, Cereal of all kinds, Hot dogs, and an endless stream of Kool Aid! "Oh Yeah!" Grandma made sure we weren't hungry that's for sure. We'd watch Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life and other bad sitcoms and for the life of me I can't remember there ever being much fighting to change the channel.

My whole childhood I watched Saturday night live with my Grandma. I may have not gotten all of the jokes but I enjoyed it so much every saturday that by the time it was looming close to midnight I would get sad.

Sundays weren't ruined by anything like church for me but I did have my own church. That is the church of Davey and Goliath! Hell yeah loved those little clay dudes! Goliath the dog would always let Davey know why Bitch slapping some old bag for her food stamps was bad news in the eyes of the lord while I would laugh at their playdough goodness while chowing down on one of the many fine cereals available in my grandma's kitchen. Grandma would keep each kind of cereal in it's own tupperware container. Quite a site to behold. Thinking back to her well organized kitchen and a container for everything with tupperware as far as they eye could see I realize my Grandma must be suffering from OCD. Hehe. We'd also watch an early morning sunday show called 'The Children's Hour' where some guy who's name I can't remember would have local school children on the show to read the funny papers. I remember in the 4th grade one such girl in my school was on the show and everyone hated her after that. Wow kids suck. I didn't I wanted to ask her about it but alas never did since i was painfully shy in school.

Grandma's house was home more than any home i've ever lived in. When it was time to go home on Sunday evening I would be sad for it was another week of the hell that was school and home life in our shit house or apartment we were living in at the time. But I had something to look forward to. Next Friday at Grandma's!

4 comments:

D said...

whatever happened to decent sat. morning cartoons?

Anonymous said...

ahhh saturday mornings. bugs bunny was it for me. and the guy on the childrens hour first name was bill i don't remember the last. weekday cartoons weren't bad either. slam bang theater ahhh good times.
streeter

The Jastrom said...

Yes I do remember Kapt Kangaroo. My favorite as a wee tot was Mr. Rogers. I remeber watching WGN with Bozo the clown in the morning and as soon as he said,"Gooood Mooooorning!" it was time to walk to the bus stop.

I crack fun at Davey and Goliath but that's because I that show so much. I would love to have a DVD compilation to watch with my daughter.

Thanks for your kind words Motherdear.

Some Random Girl said...

thanks for the super memories...Alice was one of my faves...I also loved D. STrokes and the facts...you take the good and take the bad you take em both and there ya have the Facts of Life... I remember how I couldn't wait to grow up and NOW, I'd give anything to be so carefree....