Funkidivagirl.com » Kickin’ It Old School

Kickin’ It Old School with Sesame Street: “A Loaf of Bread”

funkidivagirl — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:14:11 +0000

Do you remember the rest of the line? On Twitter last night my husband challenged me to remember. Apparently a friend challenged him and he didn’t remember. (I didn’t ask why 2 grown men were discussing Sesame Street episodes.) My husband knows that there is very little about old school Sesame Street that I forget.

Of course I remember. It’s “a loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter.” I loved that clip and remember it vividly. Maybe it was because of the little girl’s afro or her big yellow bow, but I think was because of the adorable way she said “a stick of butter.”

Kickin’ It Old School: Going Back To Cali by LL Cool J

funkidivagirl — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:05:34 +0000

When I was a junior at ASU, I lived in the sorority dorm with several of my sorority sisters. I had just pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at the end of my sophomore year, so I was a neophyte and “geeked,” as we used to say, to be Greek. Almost every Friday night one of the the black fraternities or sororities threw a party in the student union to raise money and before that party we had our own party on our AKA floor while we were getting dressed. Inevitably we would all be wearing some outfit comprised of pink and green, our sororities colors. Even sorors who didn’t live in the dorm would come over early to get ready with us and get hyped to go out.

Music blasting from someone’s room, we would form a line down the hallway practicing one of our sorority’s “party strolls.” If you haven’t seen it, it’s kind of hard to explain, but each sorority or fraternity has a routine (or few) that they do at parties while moving in a line around the room. Usually it involves dance steps, hand movements, stepping and party chats. One of our favorite songs to stroll to was Going Back to Cali. Whenever I hear that song, I’m transported back to Palo Verde Main’s dorm floor with my sorority sisters partying down the hall and yelling “Skee-Wee!” Those were the best of times!

(click image to play music)

Kickin’ It Old School: Yo Momma

funkidivagirl — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:28:48 +0000

This actually happened almost a year ago, but it still cracks me up whenever I think about it.

We were at the W Hotel in Buckhead having a fancy dinner with our kids to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. In the course of normal dinner conversation my husband picked up his wine glass, smelled it, and decided that it smelled too dusty for him and asked for another glass. Now, I had been married to this man for 15 years at that point and had never seen him smell a glass before, but apparently he says that he does it all the time because dusty glasses are a pet peeve of his. I started making fun of him because I really think my husband is going to be a crazy old man; I mean some of his current behaviors point in that direction. I had the kids cracking up by painting a verbal picture of their dad sitting in a corner rocking chair smelling glasses, rocking madly and mumbling to himself.

My husband was not amused and just said, “Yo momma.”

Actually he frequently using this comeback to me when he can’t think of anything else to say and even says it to my son. My son responds with, “You know, you’re talking about your wife and she’s standing right there.”

Well, that night I had a comeback of my own. Out of the depths of my memory bank I pulled out a little ditty that I hadn’t said since I was about 9 years old living on the South Side of Chicago and recited it to my husband with requisite finger wagging and facial attitude.

Yo Momma,

Yo Daddy,

Yo greasy Granny,

Got a hole in her panties,

Got a big behind like Frankenstein,

Going beep-beep-beep down Sesame Street!

And then I started laughing uncontrollably.

My kids stared at me in shock and my husband tried to quiet me down, concerned about the other diners, but it took a long time for me to settle back into a Buckhead-like decorum. It was fun to throw my playground swagger around….I still got it!

Kickin’ It Old School: “Firecracker”

funkidivagirl — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:35:05 +0000

I heard this song the other day and it brought back memories. I honestly don’t remember any other songs by Mass Production, but “Firecracker” was the jam! I still know all the words, as I am gifted like that, but this particular song is burned in my memory for a reason.

I was in 7th grade when I decided to try out for the pom-pom squad; this was a big deal because most of the girls on the squad were 8th graders. Pom-pom and cheerleading wasn’t really even my thing, but you know, this was 7th grade and I wanted to be a part of something and be popular in Jr. High. Fortunately, I had 8th grade neighborhood friends who let me be a part of their try-out team. They were a cool bunch, hip on all the latest music and dance moves; they chose “Firecracker” as our performance song. For weeks we rehearsed our routine after school until it was flawless. Finally the day came for try-outs….and I woke up terribly sick. Not a fake I-don’t-want-to-go-to-school Ferris Buller kind of sick, but an Oh-God-no-this-can’t-be-happening-to-me kind of sick. I had to stay home from school and missed the pom-pom try-outs. But do you want to know what made it really bad? The “ain’t that a blip” about the whole thing? EVERYONE ON MY TEAM WHO TRIED OUT MADE THE POM-POM SQUAD.

And that’s why I will never forget “Firecracker.” But despite my tragic adolescence recollection, it’s still a jam. Take a listen ♬:

Kickin’ It Old School: Monchhichis

funkidivagirl — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:06:40 +0000

During our vacation to Disney World, I was so stoked to see Monchhichis in our favorite Epcot Japanese store! Both my husband and I started singing the commercial:

My daughter instantly fell in love and had to have one. Lucky for her that Daddy is indulgent because I wouldn’t have paid $26 for a Monchhichi myself. When did nostalgia cost so much?

It is really cute though.

Kickin’ It Old School: Jump Rope Memories

funkidivagirl — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:49:52 +0000

My daughter learned how to jump rope this summer and she brought back so many memories of my childhood. All I needed was my Keds, a jump rope and my girls and I was good to go. Like my daughter now, I jumped rope during recess at school–that is, when I wasn’t knocking out kids at 4 Square.

Here she is learning how to jump rope. At first she didn’t quite have it, but she was a quick study and had it down in no time.

I had completely forgotten that song that she is singing! That made me think of the songs that I used to sing while jumping rope. During my jump-roping years I lived in Chicago and the South suburbs of Chicago, but I also spent summers with my grandparents in Alabama; jumping rope in both places, I realized that jump rope rhymes are regional. Some of the songs were the same, with minor changes and some of them were completely different. These are the songs that I remember, although I’m not quite sure where I learned them.

Mable Mable

Mable Mable set the table

Just as fast as you are able

And don’t forget the

Red hot peas!

(On “peas” jump as fast as you can until you miss.)

Down in The Valley

Down in the valley where the green grass grows,

There sat Sherrelle as sweet as a rose.

She sang, she sang, she sang so sweet,

Along came James and kissed her on the cheek.

How many kisses did she get?

(Count until the jumper misses.)

Stepped in the Water

Stepped in the water, boom ba

The water was cold, boom ba

Chilled my body, boom ba

But not my soul, boom ba

Hopping on 1, boom ba

Hopping on 2, boom ba

(…..etc. Counting until the jumper misses.)

Jack Be Nimble

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,

Jack jumped over the freedom stick.

You gotta do those pop-ups 10-1

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Old King Mamba (?)

Old King Mamba, reading the news

Brought himself a new pair of shoes.

And when those shoes begin to wear,

Old King Mamba said “I declare!”

I can do the mumble, mumble, mumble

I can do the splits, splits, splits

I can do the sizzler, sizzler, sizzler

I can do the kicks, kicks, kicks

(The jumper performs the above motions while jumping.)

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, that will do

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, climb the stairs

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the light

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good night!

Last Night

Not last night, but the night before

24 robbers at my door.

I jumped up when they got in,

Hit them on the head with a rolling pin.

And of course there was Double Dutch jumping in both Chicago and Alabama. Although guys jumped too, mostly it was girls doing Double Dutch in my day. The way the boys talked trashed on the basketball court?–It was the same way with Double Dutch. You had to have GAME to jump in some neighborhoods! My cousins lived on the South Side of Chicago and I wouldn’t even think of trying to do Double Dutch in their neighborhood, as I was admittedly game-less. I was the person on the side “digging her mashed potatoes” (for those who don’t know, this meant standing on the side, bobbing back and forth, taking forever to jump in). And I couldn’t turn around or do tricks or anything while jumping; I was just happy to get in and stay in without messing up!

Despite my inepdtness at Double Dutch, I love watching people jump. To me, it is both a sport and an art form. Check out this video from The New York Times shot at the Double Dutch Holiday Classic at The Apollo Theater in Harlem:

While my daughter now loves to jump rope, I don’t think that she will be jumping Double Dutch anytime soon. Mommy doesn’t have enough skill to pass it on and she doesn’t go to school, live in or visit neighborhoods where Double Dutch is played regularly. I was really pleased when The Disney Channel made the movie Jump In, starring Corbin Bleu and Keke Palmer. If you haven’t seen it, you and your kids will love it, if just for the final competition scene.

Although we’ve seen it many times on The Disney Channel, I think that I will buy it. Maybe my daughter and I can watch it together and slow-mo the moves. She can learn and I can get better.

What are your fondest jump rope memories? Do you remember any jumping songs? Are you a Double Dutch legend in your old neighborhood? Please share!

Kickin’ It Old School: The Krofft Supershow

funkidivagirl — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:29:37 +0000

The Krofft Supershow on Saturday mornings–there’s a flashback into the late 70′s! The show was only on for two seasons and I was really small, but my favorite segment on there was Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. Electra Woman was played by Deidra Hall, today most notably known for her career on Days of Our Lives. I loved Electra Woman; I used to play her with my cousins all the time. I was so thrilled when I found this doll at a Spencer’s gift store some years back. She sits on my filing cabinet along with my other toys. The boots are hot!

Of course they were an obvious female Batman & Robin-type duo and I’m sure that’s why I liked them so much; girl power! That would explain my fascination despite the awfulness of the show. I found this clip of an episode of Electra Woman and Dyna Girl and it is pretty bad and tripped out!

And let’s not forget Wonder Bug, also on The Krofft Supershow! I loved the theme song and can still sing it by heart (there goes my “gift” again). Check out that groovy yellow jumpsuit!

My doll of Electra Woman is on a stand that says “Krofft Superstars” but really this is inaccurate as she was part of the Supershow, not the Superstars. It sounds like they are similar, but they are not! Although both shows were produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, The Supershow was on Saturday mornings and The Superstars came on in the afternoon. Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, H. R. Pufnstuf (with the evil Witchie-Poo), and The Land of the Lost (“lost, lost, lost”) were my favorite shows to watch on The Krofft Superstars.

If you remember these shows, I bet there are some photos of you somewhere wearing bell-bottoms and a fringed vest. Wait!–all those things came back in style! ;) Could The Krofft Supershow be revived too?

Kickin’ It Old School: Luke & Laura

funkidivagirl — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:56:34 +0000

I spent this past week on the sofa with a very bad cold. It takes a lot to make me stay put, so you know that I was really sick. I put my regular life on hold and instead from my perch on the sofa I twittered (which kept me from feeling isolated; Twitter is the bomb-diggy), wrote some blog posts and planned a family vacation. With the fire going and a cup of tea by my side, I made the best of being inside all day. The one thing that I did that I never, EVER do is watch daytime television. I rarely watch any TV, but this in particular is a hard rule for me–I never turn on the TV during the day. First of all I am too busy; my kids are away from 8:30 – 2:30 and that is not a whole lot of time to do all that I have to do, and most importantly, I refuse to be THAT stereotypical stay-at-home mom. I don’t judge people who do it, but it is a slippery slope that I don’t want to even start. But this week I broke my rule and watched Regis & Kelly every morning, The View and then All My Children. I haven’t watched All My Children or any soap in 20 years. And this is why: in just a couple of days I am already back up to speed (Jesse is back! And has a daughter that Angie didn’t know about!) and curious to see what will happen next. That’s how they hook you. After today the television is off for good!

But, back in the day I did watch soaps as did everyone I knew (even the guys; my husband remembers more than I do). I know some people were fans of The Young & The Restless, but I never got into that show until our good friend Shemar Moore got that gig, and then I just watched to support him, I didn’t really know what was going on. Nope, the ABC soaps–All My Children, One Live to Live, General Hospital–those were my shows. When did I ever have so much time to watch TV?

So, in honor of my week on the sofa, here’s a backwards look into one of Port Charles’ most famous events:

Luke and Laura’s wedding on General Hospital was watched by 30 million viewers and still remains the highest rated hour in soap opera history. If you have forgotten Luke and Laura’s exciting life and long history together, take a read here. I swear that you will be dizzy by the end. Whew! You gotta hand it to the writers of these shows, they are some very creative people.

Kickin’ It Old School: A Jam by Switch

funkidivagirl — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:36:45 +0000

How many of you remember this song? Oooooh, I love me some Switch! This song was made in 1978 and I was just a little tyke, but it has stood the test of time; the vocals are on point and just listen to that guitar solo. Those were some smooth brothers. Here I am singing this song about 15 years ago at one of our frequent house parties. It’s 3:00 in the morning and those are my neighbors and good friends, Dawn & Chris, singing with me. “There’ll Never Be” is one of those songs that makes you think that you can sang.

Take a listen, grab your hairbrush and sing along:

Kickin’ It Old School: Gordon Gartrelle

funkidivagirl — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:27:42 +0000

There is no doubt that The Cosby Show was one of the best television shows ever made and I never missed an episode (in the pre-Tivo days this was a big deal). I have many favorite Cosby Show episodes, but the Gordon Gartrelle episode is just so great because I remember designer shirts like that! Way back when we first met, my husband used to wear Gordon Gartrelle-like shirts. Hair laid and faded, pager in his pocket, boy you couldn’t tell him anything–he was The Man! Like Theo, he really shouldn’t have been spending so much money on clothes (he was a college student!), but also like Theo, he was dressing to impress the girls (Me!). Enjoy this episode for it’s comedic genius and to relive 80′s “designer” fashions. Hilarious!

Kickin’ It Old School: Candy Memories

funkidivagirl — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:49:11 +0000

Some of my fondest childhood memories are associated with candy. I used to visit my grandmother every summer in Alabama and went to church on Sundays. During the break between sunday school and church I would take my offering and walk to to MIss Sue’s candy store. Miss Sue was OLD–she had to be at least 90. She didn’t move behind her counter, but trusted you to get the candy on your own and then pay her from her spot on the stool. I don’t think anyone ever cheated her; she looked like she might take you out if you did. Not that you needed to steal; back then a kid could get a bag full of candy for not a lot of money.

And then there was the Candy Lady. Every urban city has a few and Chicago was no different. This was an enterprising neighborhood woman who sold candy to the neighborhood kids from a small room off her back porch. She was always a stop on my walk home from school. My Candy Lady also sold french fries in a brown paper bag for $1. Sugar and grease…wholesome afterschool snacks!

Here’s a partial list of some of the old school candy that I remember. Most of these are still available at Dylan’s Candy Bar in NYC or online at websites like Nostalgic Candy.com.

From my recent trip to Dylan’s Candy Bar. Yum!

Dots – I love these! Truthfully they taste like plastic and sit in my stomach like a rock, but they are one of my favorites. Except for the yellow and green ones; I try to give those away.

Hot Tamales - I still eat these and they are hotter than ever.

Mike & Ike’s – The fruity cousins to Hot Tamales.

B B Bats Taffy Pops – The strawberry ones are the best. Make sure you still have all your teeth after eating one of these!

Candy Button Strips – My dad used to bring these home to me after work. I could never eat them without eating the paper also.

Boston Baked Beans - I did not care for these at all.

Charleston Chew – I don’t remember if I actually liked the candy, but I remember the commercial clearly: ”Charleson, Charleston, is chocolately nougart….that’s why they call it the biggie.”

Fun Dip – So fun and tasty! But really unsanitary…licking and dipping…licking and dipping again.

Mary Janes – Another teeth-breaker. Of course now I can’t eat this candy without thinking of Rick James. And I don’t necessarily want to do that.

Bit-O-Honey - Was there a secret alliance between the candy companies and dentists?

Chick-O-Stick – Admit it!–They tasted like wood.

Red Hot Dollars – Not really hot, but sticky, gummy goodness!

Bottle Caps – I choked on one of these and never ate them again.

Pixy Sticks – There was an art to eating these; if you put your mouth on the paper, it was all over.

Necco Wafers – One word: yuck.

Lemonheads – I’m not a big fan of hard candy, but I liked these little babies.

Chuckles – They remind me of waiting room vending machines.

Pop Rocks – Besides Fun Dip, Pop Rocks were the most fun candy to eat. Do you remember the urban legend that the kid from the Life commercial died mixing Pop Rocks with soda? That pretty much killed the brand for a long time.

So, what’s YOUR favorite old school candy?

Kickin’ It Old School: Speed Racer

funkidivagirl — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:00:46 +0000

“Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer, he’s a demon on wheels…” I LOVED watching Speed Racer as a child! Well, I loved watching the re-runs as it had been off the air for a long time; I’m not that old people! The big eyes, the race car action, the Racer X drama, the funny antics of Spritle and Chim-Chim, well, that made for some great afternoons in front of the TV. My kids knew the words to the theme song long before they ever saw an episode because I used to sing it all the time. I was excited when the new movie came out and it was okay; the action was exciting and I like the way Speed’s family was portrayed, but I found it very confusing. The best part was when Speed jumped out of his car at the end of a race and did his trademark pose from the cartoon. Smoooooth! Have you seen the new animated Speed Racer television show???? I haven’t either, but the opening song is so bad that I have NO desire whatsoever to watch it. Sacrilege!

Here is the best and one and only Speed Racer Song:

As you know from my Barack Obama action figure post, I like to display action figures and dolls in my office; not really as a collection, but for my own amusement and joy. My kids have stopped asking if they can play with them, because the answer is always NO. Wait until I die, I say. Look at this bobblehead I found of Speed & Racer X at Retroplanet.com. And I found these Speed & Trixie dolls too from Mattel. I was sleeping on these! I got get them now!

Go Speed Racer, go Speed Racer, go Speed Racer, Gooooooo!

Kickin’ It Old School: Sesame Street Classics & Richard Pryor

funkidivagirl — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:05:12 +0000

I am a HUGE fan of classic Sesame Street! Back in the day we didn’t have Nick or The Disney Channel, so PBS was as good as it got for kids. At the time of it’s inception, there was nothing like Sesame Street on television that combined learning with entertainment. I’m sure that I learned many things from Sesame Street, but what I remember best are the skits and songs (see my profile for my “gift”). One of my dreams is to be a Sesame Street guest–I’m not kidding. I was at a dinner party recently and someone who had worked at PBS back in the day was telling stories about the cast….some of stories were not so flattering. I wanted to put my fingers in my ears and chat “lalalalalalalala” like a 4 year old because she was messing up my memories! I don’t want to know the real people on the show; I want to see them as Susan, Gordan, Luis, David and Maria–residents of Sesame Street and lovers of children and muppets.

Here’s a classic Sesame Street song:

Now, this next clip I don’t actually remember seeing on Sesame Street, but I just had to include it. Richard Pryor, may he rest in peace, was a funny man. This clip is classic Pryor and funny, but I don’t know if I would want my kids learning the alphabet this way! He sounds like someone’s drunk uncle. Although, since every family has one of those, I’m sure kids could relate.

And finally, any child of the seventies would know this Sesame Street clip. I think they still show this:

I hope you enjoyed this video walk down memory lane as much as I have!