1) Gidget was a sitcom that ran only one season. Have you ever seen it? I love(d) Gidget. Especially her hair and wardrobe. She was the epitome of 1960s teen chic!
2) Gidget is a high school student who is more interested in surfing and boys than in the books. When you were Gidget's age, was your top priority getting good grades? Or were you more involved in the social side of student life? Social, I suppose. But those years were difficult ones for me, I didn't feel like I was particularly good at anything.
3) Gidget's father was nearly always unflappable when it came to his daughter's high-spirited shenanigans. Who is the coolest, calmest person you know? My friend Joanna springs to mind. She has faced a lot -- divorce, loss of loved ones, bankruptcy, Hurricane Katrina (!) -- and consequently is confident we can each endure whatever comes our way.
4) Gidget spends as much time as she can at the beach, hanging out with her best friend Larue. Fair-skinned Larue doesn't share Gidget's passion for surfing and prefers to stay on the beach blanket, wearing a floppy hat that protects her from the sun. Are you a sun worshipper? Or, like Larue, are you careful about your exposure to the sun? I'm Team Larue. I used to get such painful sunburns that I don't even go swimming at the beach anymore.
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| Larue (right) has the right idea. |
5) Gidget, the quintessential California girl, was created by Freidrich Kohner, an Austrian-born screenwriter. Can you think of another Austrian import? The Von Trapp Family Singers.
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| Eternally awesome Julie Andrews as Maria Von Trapp |
6) Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller wrote this week's Gidget theme. They also wrote the 1960 hit song, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool." When is the last time you felt foolish? Last month, I literally walked into a glass wall. I was high on pain killers (I really shouldn't have gone into the office at all) and ... well ... I missed the doorway. Let's not speak of it again.
7) This is the show that introduced Sally Field. She went on to win two Oscars and four Emmy Awards. When you think of Sally, what role comes to mind? She completely rocked it as Mary Lincoln in Lincoln. I find First Ladies fascinating, and I've read a great deal about Mary. Biographers and filmmakers are not always kind. Sally Field and Steven Spielberg gave her the dignity she deserved.
8) Today Gidget is a grandmother. Sally reports that her grandchildren especially enjoy "sleepovers at Granny's." Where were you the last time you spent the night away from home? Last month, I went to Springfield, IL, with my friend John to see the Lincoln sites. There is an exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum devoted to the Spielberg movie, and Sally's costumes were there. My friend John found Sally's portrayal of the TV teen so memorable that he referred to her Mary Lincoln as "Gidget in a hoop skirt." A funny line, but so unfair!
9) Random question -- Describe your perfect lazy afternoon. Not having grocery shopping or laundry hanging over my head. Not checking my watch and worrying about missing this doctor's appointment or that hair appointment. Just doing what I want. Watching a good movie, curling up with a good book.
