Grundoon59

Mine goes back almost that far - I remember hearing his wonderful voice on the cast albums of Fantasticks and Carnival but the first time I got to see him live was in the original run of Chicago. Mother Grundoon and I were in NYC because she had a conference to attend. I got to pick the shows (based on my high school age reading of The New Yorker reviews). The night we went to Chicago, Gwen Verdon had an understudy and Mom asked if I wanted to cancel. I said no - Jerry Orbach was going to be in the show. Mom said okay without really knowing who he was. He was amazing and remained a favorite of hers for the rest of her life. She was known to just start singing Razzle Dazzle as a tribute to him with very little prompting.

I utterly agree @Prevailing Wind. Years ago Mother Grundoon and I were on a cruise where Broadway/West End Musicals were the theme and we ended up interacting with a number of the lecturers a great deal (my inner Musical Theater geek was in heaven). Someone else mentioned that they had been on a prior cruise with Jerry Orbach who Mother Grundoon and I both adored. I immediately said "don't tell me anything bad". Happily they didn't - all good stories from both the cruise guest and the lecturers who had dealt with him.

@j5cochran - thanks for sharing that - I have always enjoyed his acting (he is always good and most recently I enjoyed seeing him as one of the priests in the The Kids are All Right.) Several of the favorite Breaking Away quotes I referenced were his. But it is always good to know what he is like as a person.

@Toothbrush - bumpy cake is amazing! Sanders was a long time Detroit institution for all sorts of confections - Mother Grundoon remembered it fondly as a place to go for lunch also - you had to line up behind people seated at the counter to wait for a place but it was worth the wait. I remember cream puffs, all kinds of candy and of course bumpy cake. Now the name is owned by another company who does good ice cream toppings, some chocolate candy and a variety of cakes (chocolate bumpy is the best) @Mindthinkr - thank you so much for the offer of a cake - anything chocolate will be wonderful!

THANK YOU everyone for the Birthday wishes and especially the Pogo Cartoon. I had a very nice day and, better than a worm, my work mates got me a chocolate Sanders Bumpy Cake which is a delicious Detroit tradition (look it up if you have never heard of or had one). As I have said repeatedly in this forum, you all have helped me through some hard times these past 18 months or so and I appreciate being part of this community.

One of the things I like so much about this show is the new ghosts they come up with (although the core house group will always be my favorites). For this episode, I liked the newsboy ghost cheerfully recounting how he died and the Lenape woman reacting to the messages - full marks to the casting people of this show. For the core group, I am okay with different ghosts having different amounts to time in various episodes and even okay with some not appearing at all (as long as they will pop up again soon because I do like all of them). Flower/Susan may not be my favorite character but good golly I do like how the actress commits to the role - her reactions are wonderful and she spaces out mid-scene in such a marvelous way.

One of my favorite movies (which also happens to be a Dennis Quaid movie) is Breaking Away. All the young men in it were good and the entire Grundoon family watched it many times and threw out random quotes from it that very few other people got (but we all laughed).

4/5 - on a roll till Friday stopped me dead in my tracks after a tiring week at work - by the time the clue percolated through my brain, I didn't have time to formulate an answer. Hunchback was a somewhat lucky guess - it just sort of seemed to fit. High School French and College German classes helped me out with the sister cities clue even though I had never really thought about it being an actual organization. Canberra was an Instaget - I spent about a week there years ago visiting a friend who was on an exchange librarianship and while she was at work, I toured just about every public building available and heard a lot of the history of the city. Custer I got from Bismarck and the dates (and probably from Deadwood referencing the event in I think it's first episode - which again helped fix the timing in my brain). Food-wise I am finishing leftovers and eating take out but I'd like to claim a slice of the cake @Mindthinkr is preparing for @saber5055 since today is my birthday which also is why I had not doing a lot of cooking this week - a present to myself :-). I can contribute a lovely Michigan Dried Cherry Salad that I picked up over the weekend - lots of greens, dried cherries, some blue cheese and slivered almonds with a vinaigrette dressing. It is quite good and makes me feel virtuous with all the other caloric eating of the holiday period.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY @saber5055 from another Sagittarius! Glad for the update - we miss you!

This episode made me laugh and made me cry. Hard to ask for anything better from a show. Watching Pete get the arrow while trying to continue to lead his troop started me giggling and I continued through Thor and Sasappis watching television together and separately plus Pete's initial reactions to his wife's revelations. But tears starting welling up as he forgave her and then flowed with the daughter and grandson emerging from the car. Now this show has really got its hooks (or arrow) into me and I will not only watch it but will start telling other people about it. And I will send up prayers to the television gods that it avoids the usual fate of shows I get invested in so that it gets to run for quite a while. It sure seems like there are possible stories aplenty.

I really enjoyed this episode partly from the ghosts interacting in smaller groups - Alberta, Pete and Trevor watching a "talkie" together while the others went on watch for the enemy in the gazebo and then the movie group figuring out the lie about the fire so quickly. I loved Thor being so tough but then folding like a wet noodle to implicate the others when he was going to get in trouble for the fire. Also loved all the ghosts reacting like kids when the no tv punishment was imposed. I am almost afraid to like this show as much as I do for fear of jinxing it but I hope it goes on for several seasons.

I recognized Mark-Linn Baker immediately - been a fan since My Favorite Year. I found the ghosts trading off helping Sam out with conversational gambits very funny especially since she had been trying to ignore them (and agree that Thor listening when Alberta talks was a lovely moment). I am so glad I found this show. I am trying to savor each episode while waiting for the next new one but will probably just end up binging and re-watching before the year is done.

I am a late comer to watching this show but have really been enjoying it. I have heard about the British version before but hadn't gotten around to watching it. I understand fans of the British one not warming to this (I loved the British Office and took forever to get with the American version) and I do still plan to watch British Ghosts. However I am finding these characters intriguing and appreciate that different ghosts take the lead at different times. I already find myself rewatching episodes to look for little moments of dialogue and visuals. In this episode, Thor getting struck by lightening and watching the ship leave were great to see and the "other Ivar" line made me laugh out loud.

Episode 15.11 - The Night Before Christmas Like everyone else who has posted so far, I really enjoyed this episode. It was a delightful holiday treat. I suspected the servants (or at least one was involved) but since I missed part of the exposition related to the timeline of the house given while they were in the sleigh, I didn't really peg them in their exact role until the reveal. I loved Effie and George working together, Thomas trying to place the accent, Margaret taking charge of the dinner and the pairings that ended up giving chase. I even chuckled at the tableau. I especially loved the Watts/Mrs. Hart story line since I was bummed that they were not on the trip (it was actually my first thought when I saw the preview last week). I liked Mrs. Hart prodding Watts to action after loosening him up with drink plus kids and a puppy - cute but not cutesy. The only bummer is the wait till January for another new episode. Guess I will have to binge past seasons which is not a hardship at all.

3/5 with one *. I got Harding just in time (he is one of those Presidents that I have trouble remembering much about although he did have a lot of scandals in his life/death. I do remember his middle name because it won me a trivia contest in a college history class). Ottawa popped in my brain - have heard for years about the winter events there and was researching a stop there for the last trip Mother Grundoon and I were planning but didn't get to take. Didn't get the Royal Society - Copley left me stuck in Boston and didn't make it back to England and not sure I would have gotten the Royal Society in any case. I did get the "don't trust..." quote in time but did not make it anywhere near Watership Down. I will blame my Thanksgiving haze for not having any good food ideas for the T43 but I will offer mulled cider (spiked and unspiked) as a beverage. Loved the Scotch egg comments from my post last week - if anyone would like the name of the Scottish bakery I referenced which does mail order and periodically has Scotch eggs, send me a message. Always glad to help a local favorite business.

@Dcalley - hello from another Barrett dweller although my room on the first floor (late 70s) apparently got swallowed by a renovation of the lounge next door for computer/more lounge space - it wasn't a bad place to stay and had a great back porch. Not really surprised by the nicknames although I was unaware of them.

@auchic - I saw a couple of wistful glances toward the butcher shop so I don't think he is over Jack (also got that feeling from his conversation with Brackenreid) but you can see him visibly lighten around Milo. I too just want him to be happy.

Season 15, Episode 10 - Drawn In Blood Another enjoyable episode for me with a novel weapon. Early on, I was pretty sure who the killer was but enjoyed the twists and turns to find out the motive. As I said previously, I am liking Miss Cherry far more this season than previously and I thought she handled her elevated role in this episode well. Her face as she emptied out her satchel was marvelous - I kind of love her "the world will provide a pen" philosophy. George's reactions were the icing on the cake (I was so close to writing cherry on the sundae). I also enjoyed the continuing Milo-Watts relationship and am a little bit worried about Mrs. Hart with the woman seeking her out (again not sure I would have cared about Mrs. Hart as much in prior seasons - well done show!) @laredhead - I have not heard anything about when episodes will be available in the U.S. but am interested since I wasn't able to watch some of the early ones this season on CBC when they aired. Anyone else have any info?

@DXD526 - I love that answer even if it is not correct - one of my early childhood favorite musicals and just today I stumbled upon the Hash episode of Barney Miller where Jack Soo bursts into "Almost Like Being In Love" so I am having a Brigadoon day. 5/5 somehow this week. I can credit watching a lot of Britbox non fiction television recently with Monday being a instaget (also another childhood favorite musical). Tuesday I first went the "shaken, not stirred" route but switched to the correct answer in time. For Wednesday, I was pretty sure it had to be NYC somewhere and thanks to a long ago boat tour around Manhattan, I went with that. Thursday I was lucky that the Carthaginian wars was acceptable and that I wasn't required to spell it but again Britbox and other Amazon Prime history/archeology program viewing of late came in handy. For Friday, I give full credit to the movie "Capote" for firmly fixing their friendship in my mind. For food, I am in my anything but poultry until Thursday phase so will offer some Scottish sausage rolls and baked treats from a wonderful Scottish bakery nearby (which I am grateful survived the pandemic by turning to pick up and mail order although I miss going into their great little store). See I have Brigadoon on the brain.

I got to attend a few live shows of WWDTM back in the day and they were such fun. As with Jeopardy, I know I will probably not ever be a contestant but would feel like I had missed something by not getting Carl Kasell's voice on my home answering machine (much like never getting to meet Alex).

Season 15, Episode 9 - The Lady Vanishes I kind of agree with you @Trey about the Newsomes but I did like everyone else's reactions to them and particularly Murdoch's face every time he talked about "Mimico". I figured out some of the plot points in advance but that did not take away from my enjoyment while viewing. This season I find myself liking Mrs. Hart and Miss Cherry far more than in previous seasons and I appreciate how the show is working them into more story lines - it looks like next week will be featuring Miss Cherry. Ruthie is also growing on me - some of her reactions last night while remarking about what kidnappers do and prison life were priceless. I feel fortunate that I get to watch this season live while knowing I will enjoy it again when it becomes available for streaming. Still enjoying it immensely while mourning for Frankie Drake.

Right there with you @Prevailing Wind - practically had the entire cast album playing in my head all night.

I am at the 3/5 table with 1* - would have been 1/5 if not for a couple of lucky guesses. Stoppard was the only one I was absolutely sure on - fell into my theater loving wheelhouse. I guessed on Langston Hughes and Hope Diamond which I know was an instaget for many. I think I would have been quicker to it on a different day - work this week was a long slog on a special project which may have gotten wrapped up Friday but I suspect will be back to visit me this week. For Tuesday, I got stuck on Scaramouche and doing the fandango while not making the Europop connection - although Bohemian Rhapsody remained in my brain all day Wednesday which I will blame for not getting to Indonesia in time even though I am sure I knew the answer. @j5cochran - the onion soup sounds yummy especially as the snow falls (luckily it is not sticking). I will bring a chocolate caramel torte for dessert (not home made but from a lovely area shop called The French Lady who makes the most wonderful melt in the mouth quiche I have ever had).

@Browncoat - I lived in the basement and on the 3rd floor of Jefferson. The parental Grundoons visited the Burg during their spring vacation (I was in grad school and couldn't join in) soon after the fire. Mother Grundoon got very distraught looking through what would have been "my" window on the third floor and seeing straight through to the sky and it took Father Grundoon plus several passing W&M staff and students to calm her down and assure her everyone got out safely. Her pictures looked scary as heck to me - I mean we had fire drills but I wouldn't have wanted to try to remember all the rules while evacuating in a real life situation. I recall the Sunken Garden so fondly - a great place to hang out, study and enjoy life. I have a very clear memory of crossing back through it from the old post office which I think was in the first floor of Old Dominion with the envelope giving me my grad school test scores. I didn't want to open in at my dorm in case they were horrible so Sunken Garden to the rescue. I ran back to the dorm to call my parents on the hall pay phone to let them know I was applying to grad school.

@Browncoat - oh, we just missed each other. I was always old campus - Barrett, Dawson then two years in Jefferson. My favorite tourist on campus memory was in the Wren Building during spring finals in I think my junior year. For some reason, we were taking an American Lit final on the second floor instead of the usual third when a tour group made a wrong turn and suddenly we were on display - it did break some tension.