Another Random Thought Thursday

I miss Gilda Radner.

Now, mind you, I never even MET Gilda Radner. I read her book (Ironically, I finished it just hours before it was announced that she had died). I read a really touching book by Alan Zweibel, titled BUNNY BUNNY, which made me feel like I knew them both; and I really wanted to know them.

Now, with the recent release of the first season of SNL, and the imminent arrival of SNL season 2, and with a digitally remastered version of the soundtrack of GILDA LIVE, I find I miss her a lot. Her comedy came from a kind of innocence, I think. She was funniest when she was playing characters like Emily Littela, or the hyper little girl who created shows in her bedroom.

Of course, she could be crude, as well.....if you consider Roseanne Roseannadanna crude. It was the only character I couldn't abide, but I watched it anyway.

I can remember her last appearance on television: it was on IT'S GARY SHANDLING'S SHOW, which was wonderful it it's own right, but there was an episode when there was a knock at his door, and in comes Gilda. "Hey, everybody, it's Gilda!"

The audience fell apart. Standing, cheering. And every time Shandling turned his back, she encouraged the cheering.

Magic.

Other thoughts:

It's very cold here in North Dakota today. It's been cold all week. It's not so much the cold as it is the wind. Frigid wind from Alberta.

Damned Canadian wind.

And yet, there are people this morning out on their roofs, putting up Christmas decorations.

You ain't gonna pry me out of my comfy chair today, thankyaverramuch.
OOOOOH. Another CRIMINAL INTENT marathon.

Other other thoughts:

I do my best to keep up with old friends, either on their facebook pages, their myspace pages, or their blogs. Strange things happen when you do this. In the past week, I've gotten messages from two ex-girlfriends (nice to hear from them, but oh, BOY those echoes from the past can make you crazy), one former crush from waaaaay back in the early eighties (your humble scribe was far too insecure to ever try to make it more than a crush), and I have been following the travails of two old friends from my children's theatre tour days.

We had a rallying cry back then. Within our circle, we could rag on each other, but if anybody else did it, there was a-gonna be a war, and when that happened, we would draw our imaginary swords and cry "Freeeeeeeeedoooooooom!" And then, we would fall on the floor laughing.

All these years later, all the miles betwixt and between, and I still keep the sword ready, just for them.

Let's enjoy it while we can...
Won't you help me share my load?
From the dark end of the street
To the bright side of the road.........