MORE ON FAMOUS PEOPLE

Last week I was watching CNN when Piers Morgan was interviewing Ted Turner, the originator of the 24 hour news channel.

I’d not thought of Ted in many years, but it brought to mind the few times we met and spoke with Ted at various events around the city of Atlanta.

 My husband started his new job Director of Marketing with The National Bank of Georgia in October 1997 and was at the OMNI the night where everyone awaited the presidential election returns. The president of the bank was Jimmy Carter’s best friend, campaign manager and later head of the OMB in Washington DC., so my husband was working with very well-known people until the bank was sold four years later.

On June 1, 1998, Ted Turner officially started the Cable News Network. (CNN) The affair was out of doors and open to the public, but even though we were invited, we chose not to go because it was very, very hot and no one was sure a 24 hour news network would even last.

We attended many large events where Ted showed up. I specifically remember when three of us were talking to him at a cocktail party and although we were in a conversation, his eyes were darting elsewhere to see who else was in the room. I was talking to a judge later and told him about Ted’s being able to carry on a conversation while scanning the room. The judge told me the only other person he’d seen able to do that was Teddy Kennedy.

One night we were seated at a cabaret show and a very nice woman joined us. Her boss hadn’t been able to attend so he gave her the ticket. That’s right, her boss was Ted Turner and she was his executive assistant. The job required her to be always by his side. She got the job through a fluke, she had accompanied her friend who was interviewing for the position when Ted called her in too, talked for a few minutes and told her to start the next day. He never asked if she wanted the job. When we saw him on the national news at the Newport Yacht Races, the cameras constantly followed him and we saw her walking right beside him taking notes.

More about life in Atlanta later.

MORE ON GUNS

I really believe that after Obama is re-elected that the gun lobby will lose the power they have over elections. More and more Americans will finally take to the streets to say no to the monstrous amount of guns sold in the United States, which now makes it possible for all the nuts in this country to attack and kill innocent people.

After the shootings in Colorado, one of the locals remarked that if any in the audience had been armed the amount of people shot would have been much less. That’s another of those intelligent people who probably carry guns to weddings, baptism’s and funerals at church and the movies.

ANOTHER LONG AND WONDERFUL WEEKEND

Our family never does anything halfway. Our latest long weekend started on Thursday when our number two daughter flew in from up north. We met for dinner that evening with our number three daughter and the four of us had a fun filled time with our waiter, the beverage person and finally the man in charge of food services. We were there early so there were not many customers at that time, so the waiters kept coming back to trade jokes with us. (Chris always manages to get things going) There was a great deal of laughter from everyone and they’ll surely remember us.

On Friday, Lynn started to work on the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that I had laid out on the dining room table.

On Saturday our number one daughter came for brunch before we met with the rest of the family in the afternoon. This was the real reason for all the merriment. Chris’s daughter, our oldest grandchild is having a baby in August, our first great-grandchild, and the little girl is to be named Juliet, called Jules. Jules received many presents and well wishes from our family as well as her step-mother and step-sisters.

Our grandson, whom we hadn’t seen since Christmas and his best friend Joey were also there. Joey is considered family. We met Jeff’s girlfriend and her daughter, almost two year-old Emily. After the half of the party left, there was much dancing in Chris’s office with the middle school, high school and college cousins entertaining Emily and the rest of us.

When we returned home, Melissa and Lynn started to do more work on the puzzle. Melissa left at mid-night, intent on leaving all the white and the red and green pieces for me to finish. I spent the evening reading.

Sunday we met with all the family for lunch before Lynn went to the airport in her rental car. After eating, it was decided to stop at Steve and Jennifer’s (J’s our baby daughter) new office which would open on Monday, so the twelve of us went there to check it out before Lynn left. The office is lovely and so is their web-site.

Before lunch, Lynn had filled in all the white pieces of the big puzzle and left me with about fifty red and green pieces for the big finish. On Monday, I worked on those red and green pieces. They were all identical and it took me two days to finally complete it.

We all congratulated Chris on the lovely shower for Jessica and her baby. We’re all looking forward to meeting the baby when she is born. I hope Chris will have the same happy memories I had when Jessica was born. I had put her in a stroller and knocked on every door of our street so my neighbors could meet my beautiful baby granddaughter. A happy time!

COULD TWO PLUS TWO EQUAL FOUR?

Last week I accidently came across Condoleezza Rice conversing with Bill O'Reilly. Can you imagine this? When asked about weapons of mass destruction supposedly held by Saddam Hussein in Iraq, she stated that of course he had weapons of mass destruction, had used them before which everyone knew, they were just NOT STOCKPILED! Could this be a new Republican strategy for redemption?

Around about the same time Condoleezza was redeeming her part of the Iraq War, Mrs. Willard Mitt Romney was making a statement that maybe Willard Mitt was going to pick a female vice-presidential candidate. Could she mean Sarah P. or Michelle B. or could she be speaking of the former Secretary of State? You know the one who came before Hillary who will surely be our first female president.

Those Republicans are ahead of everyone aren’t they?

TRUE STORY

When I woke up this morning at 7:30, my husband had already left for the golf course. I thought I’d try to go back to sleep which I did until 10:15 am. I was so disappointed when I woke up because I was having a wonderful dream.

My dream: My husband and I had gone to the Hard Rock Casino and I put a quarter in the poker machine. All these bells go off and I realize I have hit a jackpot. We pick up a basket next to the machine to put all the chips in and they bring us a pallet holding one million dollars in cash which we have to take to the office. We turn over all the money and chips to be counted. I explain to my husband who never goes with me to the casino that we will have to pay the tax immediately and will probably get a large check for the rest. We are escorted to a back room and left there waiting for the outcome. I tell him I figure there is at least $20,000 or more in chips as well as the million in dollars.

We keep awaiting the outcome and are introduced to the head person doing the counting but she has other duties to perform before we are able to leave. As we’re sitting there, we think of calling the kids, but it’s better to wait until we know the final amount and will do so when we get home. I thought what I would do with all that money. Here was my plan: $10,000 to each of the five, which would be tax free. For ourselves, I would do things to the kitchen and buy a new car. The rest would be put aside.

Before the final tally, I awoke extremely disappointed,  then it dawned on me that what I had planned in my dream is exactly what I’ve always thought I’d do if I actually did win the lottery.

(For those who don’t know, I go with a group every other month to the casino by bus. We pay $15.00 for the bus ride and receive in $25.00 in free play coupons and $5.00 towards food. All in all a good deal and I sometimes win a few dollars. Last month I lost $10.00. All slot machines are now automated and no chips are used, so my dream is not what would have happened if had come true. I now know how I’d feel if I ever did win the casino jackpot or the lottery.)

FINDING MY WAY

We had just moved to S.C. when a local theater group announced a cast had been chosen for “Oliver”. The music for the show had been a family favorite and we played it constantly, along with other cast recordings of Broadway shows. This was part of a large collection which we listened to for years.

Being familiar with the show, I volunteered to work backstage to handle props and also work with the set designer, a paid employee. The two of us painted, smoked and became great friends. I worked on every show with him. He was also employed by SCETV. (Educational TV) I still cringe when I remember being on top of a very high a-frame ladder while painting leaves on a fake tree for a play the following year, which featured an enormous tree house.  

One day the female director of “Oliver” approached me and asked if I would take over a role played by a man whose acting skills were lacking. It was a small but pivotal part and could be played by a woman and she knew of my acting experience. This was the first time I played an old woman, which I later became known for.

The show was such a success that every performance was sold out for a month and held over for several weeks. Because another play was already scheduled to use the theater, they decided to bring "Oliver" back for several weeks in the summer. I was the only one in the large cast not returning, we had a family vacation planned. The director was not pleased, but the woman who worked backstage with me on props got to play the role.

About our theater: It was an L-shaped  building with a brick patio where opening night parties were held and everyone congregated at intermission for wine or soft drinks. It also featured a large rehearsal room and costume storage area in the upstairs. There was a large area back stage for building and painting sets. I hope sometime to return for a visit, but this part of my life was almost thirty years ago, things change although the theater is still in existence.