mAdBen took this from the roof of his Ogilvy office building.
Four O’Clock Rock
Every afternoon at 4:00, after school, we’d go over to cousin Terri’s house. She and her friend Florida would have American Bandstand in black and white on the tube. They were cool teenagers who taught us kids the latest dances. The Pony. Wah-oh wah-tusi. Mashed Potatoes. They’d worry if Carmen wasn’t dancing with Dino that day. Did they break up? Philly teens of every color twisted together across the floor. The first reality television. Singers and the beat of the music mere background to the drama of the ‘regulars’ every afternoon.
Dick Clark created a world where color disappeared as Frankie Avalon and Freddie Cannon shared the stage with Little Richard and Little Eva. Final salute. Good show.
See comments for Hair Die update at dentist.
Hair Die
Several recent articles about young people suffering from reaction to hair dye. Caught my eye. Upon further research, found a few more stories about women in comas and even dying from the same symptoms that scared me into a two-year anxiety attack. After 25+ years of covering my gray, one day I ballooned up like Harry Potter’s Aunt. Quick antihistamines and Dr.Husband saved me.
You don’t read about these cases in the U.S. media. Hmmm. Wonder why?! Most articles are in UK publications, where the level of PPD allowed is much less. It’s the chemical that adheres colorant to hair follicles in all products and absorbs into scalp. Yikes. Now hair straightening products have deadly chemicals, too. Somebody needs to sound the alarm. Ring Ring Ring.
SpringField
Springfield, Massachusetts is not ‘the’ Simpson’s city. It’s the one in Oregon. Geez. My aunt Marge Simpson was from ‘our’ Springfield, so thought it was us for sure. No Uncle Homer, doh. Springfield, Mass., does have Dr. Suess’ house on Mulberry Street, he grew up here. So is the Basketball Hall of Fame, where Naismith invented the peach-basket game. Joseph’s Clothiers was founded in 1918 on Ferry & Main.
We have the Connecticut River with its fertile farms and tobacco barns. Four famous colleges are just up the road. Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire. So there, Bart! Herrell’s ice cream is better.
Happy EastOver!
Happy Easter. Passover. Cashews unite! Seder at Sue’s. Egg hunt in Pound Ridge with Ari Fleischer. Whaddya gonna do? Red buds blooming. Weeping cherry, too.
Will Sergio win his first major? I’m still betting on Rory. Tiger self-destructing, can he turn it around? Then there’s always Phil. Go, Freddie, still a kid at 52.
Alton Brown’s sweet potato waffles, Easter menus. recipedetours.com
Tea Trekkers
32,000 Side Trekkers. Reading ‘tea leaves’ theme of the week. “When will things get back to normal?” MadMan Roger’s plaintive query. 1966.
So… 2012. Sarah will beat Katie in the ratings. Lame stream media loses either way. Cheeleaders, murders. But, hey I’m watching. Sad. Valerie Jarrett and the current Obama team needs to be replaced. Speaking of weak. Oh no! Now Beverly Hills housewives, desperation on GMA. Done. Back to Mika & Joe.
Kentucky beats Kansas. Yawwwn. Got my pink hat out. Will IBM’s CEO Ginni Rometty wear a green jacket? I say not. Can’t wait for the Masters and the return of Spring weather. A little iced English breakfast tea, please. recipedetours.com
Side Treks
Back roads thoughts. Hipster branding. Logo re-treads.Can you have a funeral for a house? Do dwellings have souls? Next door neighbors moved to Boston yesterday. Home is empty after five now-grown kids were raised there. Do memories reside in the walls, or…
First day of Summer today? No. Despite 80-degree week. Vernal Equinox. Spring. James Beard finalists. La Grenouille-NY and Boulevard-SF endure. Peyton supplanting Tebow. Is there a god?
Waldorf Salad
Should have kept our Apple stock. Dr.Husband got his iPad3. Between that and Siri, I’m a couple manzanas short. An apple a day keeps… you get the point.
Congrats to GemQueen on being honored at the Waldorf in New York on Friday for her work at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. No one is more deserving of Astorical accolades. Eileen Gould’s Bridges newsletter and popular new Art Expressions program for cancer survivors and their families, highlight her stellar contributions. A-Man and MazeHome were there to cheer her on.
Sightings…JeanJean treating BlogisQueen to a sumptuous Louisiana lunch at Big Mamou. Thank you. Savage Stacey Richman in the real Page Six…Mackenzie’s off to Boston. Happy St. Paddy’s Day to all who care about green beer and Irish fare.
Clock Spring
31,000 SideTrekkers. Tightly wound waking up to daylight. An hour late. What does it say that we finally succumbed to buy HBO for Game Change? Julianne Moore was transcendent. Juxtaposed with Tina Fey, more the real Sarah. Woody Harrelson as Schmidt great. Ed Harris’ McCain the true traitor. Country Last.
SNL back to stretching unfunny sketches too long. Jonah Hill was clearly reading cue cards. mAdBen got to hear Herbie Hancock play his classics including ‘Watermelon Man‘ at LincolnCenter Jazz. Speaking of ads, Cartier is gorgeous. Can Tiger turn his flashes of the old brilliance into a consistent tournament? And… Jessica Sanchez. Wow. Remember that name.
Happy To Me
Best birthday in many many full moons. Spent with my favorite people. In my favorite place. Wining. Dining. Zero whining. Now, that’s a perfect birthday.
Springtime in New York. Crocuses up. Italian marketing at Eataly after a 70-degree afternoon stroll with Dr.H through Madison Park. He fêted me with a wonderful dinner at ParkAvenueWinter: PithyV, Original MadMan, mAdBen, Joey3Sticks, Alicat. Joy and laughter. And lots of Sancerre. Lots.
GemQueen and BlogisQueen enjoyed the mid-day sun apres dejeuner at ABC Kitchen with Meryl Streep and hubby just a couple tables down. My lobster was a succulent, sweet treat. Best part was being there with BFF. Then, Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, superb Southwest supper with Ben. And…DimSum lunch at Hurricane Club with Betsey fun across from fab Giraffe.
Plus great gifts. A Victorian glass dish, handmade fan, valise with ducks!
Side Trek . NYC 