Sunday, April 27, 2008

Happy Thoughts

To keep myself from writing a scathing, bitter post about the mind boggling incompetence of US Airways and American Airlines I have decided instead to find my happy place by sharing some of the simple things that made me happy as a child.  

Casper the Friendly Ghost


Curious George


Felix the Cat


Underdog


Books

There I am beginning to feel a little better. Bright, colorful, shiny images always work to cheer me up and distract my sometimes hummingbird like attention span from lingering in those negative places. I have a few adult distractions as well but perhaps those are better suited to another blog.

What were the iconic images from your childhood that still bring a smile to your face?

13 comments:

J. David Zacko-Smith said...

Bad travel experience, handsome one? Flying can be such a curse. Anyhoo, I LOVED Underdog as a kid (I watched him and Sweet Polly Purebread EVERY morning before leaving for school, and I even dressed up as Underdog TWO Halloweens in a row). I never got into Casper, but I did like Curious George. *HUGS*

Ladrón de Basura (a.k.a. Junk Thief) said...

U.S. Scareways. Jet Blue in the Face. Southworst. American't Airlines. Untied Airlines. None of them have monopolies on incompetence.

Casper was a favorite too. I always knew that "friendly" was a code word.

Mona said...

Ah! I feel better too with those images, specially Casper :)

So many posts here that I haven't gone through Gary! It has been a hectic time for me with my Pneumonia & my husband's surgery!

Hope you are doing good! Love the photograph & the video below! :)

Joy Keaton said...

umm... I gotta say I think your adult distractions are actually the same as these. Mr. "I just found a NEW Curious George today!" ;)

For me: Mr. Rogers. Always and forever. oh... and the movie Horror Hotel, natch.

Dumdad said...

I loved (and still do) Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry...

Gary said...

Dumdad- Oh yes, Bugs. I was just doing the bit with him and the monster (Gossamer) "So I says to my girlfriend, Monsters have the most interesting hairdos" etc. What a riot. And of course, "badda binga binga bunga."

Joy - LOL. You got me there for sure! Put me in the children's book section of any book store and I am in heaven. As for Mr. Rogers...how can I get a gig like that. I would be perfect, although I am a tad more hyper than Mr. Rogers. I could be Mr. Rogers on speed with an eccentric point of view. Can you just imagine my children's show? I think you can.

Mona- It seems that you have been truly going through some trying times. Sorry about that. I am happy that Casper brought a short reprieve to the drama you have been suffering as of late. Thanks for the kind words on the photo and video. :)

JT - You understand I see. I love the names you have invented for these airlines. The thing that REALLY bothered me was not so much the canceled flight or the lost luggage, it was the total lack of anyone giving a shit. "Too bad for you" they seemed to say. No, "I'm Sorry" just a general feeling that I was bothering them because they decided to cancel and then delay and reroute my flight. A little human compassion and a bit of positive customer relations goes a long way in quelling a stressful situation.

J.DZ-S - First of all, anyone who types 'anyhoo' gets a star in my book. That just cracks me up for some odd reason. Anyhoo, I did the same thing with Underdog - meaning I watched him before school everyday. I didn't dress up like him for Halloween however, that running honor (at least three consecutive years) was reserved for Casper - and one year as Hot Stuff in a costume that also doubled as pajamas.

Bobby D. said...

All of these brought a smile to my face when I was a kid-- I really adored Casper's friend, Wendy the witch too... I still have an underdog doll. And for awhile I collected Curious George dolls. Ilove a lot of Jim Henson's muppets, too. Do you have the US postal service Curious george?

Bobby D. said...

OH all of the Warner Bros. characters!!! that's a lot !

Gary said...

Ched - All of Casper's crew rocked my world including Wendy and his horse Nightmare. The postal Curious George is one that I do now own as of this moment. I have had him in my hands many times and thought "Do I really need ANOTHER stuffed George?" I have quite a few of them but keep buying them. I am sure Postal George will find his way into my collection one of these days.

"That's All Folks!"

Anonymous said...

I've always admired your positive attitude. You've always been our happy baby! Never change; you are perfect. Miss you! Love, Mama xo

Mona said...

Laura Ingalls Wilder series is really popular out there I see :)

mouse (aka kimy) said...

good redirection gary.... much better to visit with old friends than get your panties in a bunch over the who airline stuff (oh right like I never get my panties in a bunch!!!)

felix is one of my all time heros from childhood....

I was also quite fond of mighty mouse, tom and jerry, and the road runner.

then of course there were all the musical icons that I loved!! like julie andrews (sound of music), doris day, mary martin (in peter pan).... and the books of childhood (esp the secret garden and stuart little)

this was fun. thanks for the flash to the past.

WAT said...

Flying nowadays sounds like an utter chore and migraine! You poor man you! Thank God I don't have to fly often, but when the time comes that I have to I almost cringe at the notion.

I used to watch Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons when I was a kid too! And Looney Tunes, Inspector Gadget, He-Man, Tom & Jerry, and yes, I always was a bibliophile from the time I was a child.

This post reminds me of my beloved ex and I, who to this day still like kids' books and children's movies just for the sake of escaping the adult world and being just simple pipsqueaks without a care in the world once again.

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