Everything I ever learned about US history I learned from Schoolhouse Rock. I also learned (and retained) important grammar and multiplication information, but the America Rock segments had the most impact because Schoolhouse Rock took what I found to be a very boring subject and made it something fun.   I looked forward to seeing Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings as much as my favorite cartoons.  I’m Just a Bill and No More Kings are great episodes from the America Rock series that I’m sure everyone remembers, but two other Schoolhouse Rock episodes deserve the spotlight today.  

In light of this election and the ensuing discussions about women’s rights, Sufferin’ Til Suffrage is a great history lesson:

This election was so historic and important on so many levels; to many people it really proved that the words of the US Constitution are true for all people.  The fact that I can recite every single word of the Preamble of the US Constitution is directly credited to Schoolhouse Rock.  

Thanks Schoolhouse Rock for giving me a foundation in US history.  

And thanks America for making me so proud to be an American today.

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?

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.

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: 

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!