October 24, 2012-More JT Book Signing Stuff

I really wish that Mike could have come with me into the city last week. I would have been much less tense and things would’ve worked out better, I’m sure. He seriously was planning on doing so until his dislocated shoulder injury occurred but even then it seemed like he was going to schedule his therapy appointment around JT Day. There’s no sense in dwelling on what could have been though.

   I told Sharon that I have a perfect picture of me and Regis Philbin from the mid-1980s but a not-so- great one of me with Mr. Taylor. Why can’t this be the opposite? I didn’t even want my picture taken with Regis; Dad is the one that made me do so which is majorly embarrassing.

   Maybe if I had moved a little closer to bassist guy then the picture would be fine despite my forgetting to take it off of zoom. Sharon said that camera guy should have known to do so and not to blame myself.

   Yikes, I was afraid to get any nearer to Mr. Taylor. Other people did; I saw those pics on DD’s FB page. I already felt like I was invading his personal space even where I was standing.

   Mike and Mom don’t seem to respect my personal space which is very irritating as is the fact that they always make it seem like I’m the weird one for wanting this. Sometimes she claims that she isn’t even close to me when she actually is- her spatial perception has been awful for years now.

    Either green sweater girl or her friend said that it looks okay and just to get it in TruPrint  which I usually do anyhow but even the Walgreens site has messed up some of my photos, like one of Anna at the 2008 Wellmont show and a few of Brad Paisley.

   I should be a thoughtful person and send Lori and Lana my JT pictures. They seem like nice girls. If I were normal I would probably like to have friends like these.

   I haven’t even touched my 2 JT books; they are still in the bags and on top of my tote. I want to just keep them in the bags even when I store them inside of one of these but part of me is wondering if doing so will mess them up somehow; I sure hope not. I’m too embarrassed to ask Amy or Sharon about this.

   I am pretty sure that green sweater girl said that Simon is her favorite. She told me that Kenny Rogers had also been at this bookstore but that he couldn’t do a signing because he has Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which I already knew about. Mom and her friend Pat saw him in concert in the mid-1980s. I was a little jealous of them, especially because Dolly Parton was there performing “Islands in a Stream” with him.

    I just remembered something else about that day in Ridgewood. A couple of the girls had gone to a nearby deli for takeout lunch and must have mentioned this event to the employees. One of them came over to the line and was taking people’s orders then delivering them.

  Mike is going to the Chiller Theatre Event next weekend. He will get to meet his Samantha Fox there. You have to pay extra to get your picture taken with the stars at that which I’m sure that he will do in this case. I bet that it will come out perfectly unlike the one of me and JT. I definitely will be jealous and beating myself up even more about that.

   He actually asked me what he should say to Samantha. You are asking the wrong person, brother. I did a very poor job of talking to bassist guy.

   I didn’t even ask him how he was doing; how rude of me. He was nice enough to ask me this at the NYC signing. And I really should have said “Enjoy the rest of your day” too. I’m so sorry, Mr. Taylor.

   I had that feeling of not belonging there amongst those diehard fans. Maybe many of them would have thought that I was kind of weird for not following them in the 80s. Wait; does this make it sound like they are part of a DD cult?

   One girl said that her husband used that cult reference a few times to her – this was either at the DD Megabash that I still can’t believe that I actually went to or one of the concerts; probably the former.

   A part of me does want to join that DD fan site again, not the more expensive membership though. But I never truly felt like I was a part of this “club” those 2 years when I was in it, just like when I was a Girl Scout, but it did feel a little good to be a member of both.

Ridgewood

NYC

1986

Samantha Fox- 1980s

Internet photo- Samantha Fox, from an article in the Guardian.

 

 

Regis and Kathie Lee – 1980s

The first time that we went to this show Ann Abernathy was the co-host. It was called The “Morning Show “and was 90 minutes long then.  Regis was not there that day though; Ira Joe Fisher was filling in for him. There was a cooking segment, some sort of chocolate dessert. I really hadn’t remembered who the guests were; Mike told me that Gary Coleman was one of them. Dad was with the 3 of us as he was for the next time that we went.

   I don’t even remember any of the guests from the 2nd time, one might have been a girl from the US Olympic luge team or perhaps that was the first. Mike might know for sure so maybe I’ll ask him sometime soon.

   We stood outside the “All My Children” studios which were across the street for a little while afterwards. We saw some of its stars – the 2 who played Myra and Sloane, Julia Barr, Michael E. Knight who I had a little crush on and Peter Bergman who jogged right past us. Mike saw the actor who played Travis getting into his limo and actually went up to him and got his autograph.

   We both got Regis and Kathie Lee’s autographs. Dad talked me into doing so and he also took a picture of Regis and I together which was embarrassing. We did get Ira Joe’s and Ann’s autographs previously too.

   The third time Kathy and Helen came with the 3 of us. Mike told me that Dom DeLouise was the guest and that Kathy had said that she wished that it had been his son Peter that was there instead. She was a 21 Jump Street fan and might’ve had a crush on him.

   I have this vivid memory of the producer Gelman making us move over 1 seat. Before that I had been in the one that had the number of the winner of the contest prize winner on it. I was pretty mad about this. I think that the prize was dinner for 2 at a nice restaurant.

   We walked all the way back to Penn Station – that’s like 32 blocks. It was kind of cold out that day. I’m pretty sure that I had set up the videotape for this show. I never did watch it though; I wonder if we still have it and if we are shown when the camera was on the audience.

   My brother did not want to take the day off from school so the fourth time just mom and I went. We found out while waiting on the line that Phil Collins was going to be a guest. I hadn’t read the TV Guide or watched the show the day before to find out who would be there

 A couple of girls had driven all the way from Ohio just to see him and they didn’t even have tickets. They were asking people if they had any extras; we gave them our 2 which they were extremely grateful about.

   Mom had no idea who Phil Collins was. He didn’t even perform a song; all he did was a bit of the drum part from “In The Air Tonight”. Mom did take pictures of him and the other guests. I think that one of them was a sports commentator – Curt Gowdy?  Two celebrity impersonators were there – Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.

   Mom was in the hospital so she couldn’t go the next time with Mike and I. Petula Clark was the guest. The audience had to sing part of her hit,” Downtown”. There would have been a 6^th time too but Mom was in the hospital yet again and Mike didn’t want to take the day off from school. I was too afraid to go into the city alone. I wish that I hadn’t been; mom’s favourite girl singer, Rosemary Clooney, was the guest. It’s a shame that she had to miss out on her.

   One day when Mike and I were talking about our experiences regarding this show he mentioned that the actor who played Freddie Kruger in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies was taping a segment either before or afterwards which I hadn’t remembered until we were talking about this.  We always did have such a good time and kind of wish that we had gotten tickets to see it more.

Regis and Me-1986

Kathie Lee 1988

Phil Collins

 

Regis Philbin

I watched the news yesterday and saw the report about Regis Philbin retiring sometime later this year and was thinking about the 5 times during the 1980s that I went to see his show in New York City. The first time it was still called The Morning Show and was 90 minutes long. Dad came with Mark, Mom and I. We had called at least 5 months earlier to get these tickets. Regis was not there that day however and Ira Joe Fisher was filling in as cohost to Ann Abernathy. We got both of their autographs. I only remember that there was a cooking segment. My brother's memory about this is better - he said that Gary Coleman was one of the guests. I don't know if that was 1983 or 1984. Afterwards we went across the street and waited outside the All My Children studios. We saw some of the soap stars - Michael E. Knight, who I had a little crush on, Julia Barr, Peter Bergman, the 2 actors who played Myra and Sloan. Mark got the autograph of the actor who played Travis.

The second time that the 4 of us went it was now the Live with Regis and Kathie Lee show. Dad made us get both of their autographs and even took my picture with Regis. I was really not wanting to do so and felt really anxious. I wish that I had kept a journal back then. I would have written who the guest stars were at these shows. Mark said that the guy who played Freddie Kruger in Nightmare on Elm Street was there but that they were just filming a segment.

I remember the 3rd time a little more clearly. Our friends Stacey and her mom Barbara were with Mom, Mark and I. The producer Gelman made me move over a seat. When they called out the seat number for a prize it was the one that I had previously been in. I was mad about that. I think that the prize had been dinner at a nice restraunt. Mark said that Dom DeLouise was the guest and that Stacey had wished that it had been his son Peter because she like 21 Jump Street.

Mom and I went the fourth time. Mark didn't want to take the day off from school. When we were waiting in line a couple of girls asked if anyone had extra tickets. They had driven really far just to hopefully get the chance to see Phil Collins. Mom didn't even know who he was. We gave them our extra 2 tickets which they were happy about. Mom took pictures during the show and got a few of him. He only did a bit of the drumming part from In The Air Tonight. I was hoping that he'd sing one of his hits. There was also Elvis and Marilyn impersonators there that day.

Mom couldn't come with us the next time because she was in the hospital. Petula Clark was one of the guests. The audience sang part of Downtown. There would have been a 6th time of going to this show only mom was in the hospital again and Mark wouldn't take the day off from school. I was too afraid to go alone. Rosemary Clooney, one of mom's favourite singers, was the guest star. It's a shame that we had to miss out on this.

By the early 1990s we weren't really watching Regis much anymore. I am glad that we had the opportuites to go to this show. It will seem strange with no Regis on morning TV. They said that the show will go on though. I wonder who they will get to replace him?