Saturday, January 16, 2010

"Bonanza' helps make the time go by

This morning I found myself humming the theme from "Bonanza."

For a minute I couldn't remember why. Then it hit me:

On Friday I had to take my Subaru in for a recall having to do with the catalytic converter. The building was new, and the waiting room spacious and clean. I settled in happily, opening my bag, which was filled with the enough newspapers to get me through a day at Dana-Farber. The large-screen TV caught my eye. It was tuned to TV Land, which was running an old Western. There was a pretty woman in danger. There were also a bunch of handsome cowboys, some good, some bad. There was a fight in a bar. It was all so silly, yet so easy to watch. It looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on the name.

Oh, most culturally illiterate baby boomer am I!

"It's 'Bonanza,'" said the man sitting next to me. "It was a popular show from the '60s," he said. (To be exact, Sept. 12, 1959-Jan 16, 1973.) "It stars Michael Landon, who was later on 'Little House on the Prairie.' He's dead now."

Maybe he thought I was an alien. Truth is, I didn't watch much "Bonanza." I was bigger on "Father Knows Best," "The Donna Reed Show," "The Dick van Dyke Show," "Supermarket Sweep," "Let's Make a Deal" and "Gilligan's Island." I faithfully watched "I Love Lucy," but it made me squirm kind of like "Curb Your Enthusiasm" does today. You just know that Lucy or Larry is about to do something terribly embarrassing, and you sit there shouting at the TV, "No, Lucy, don't do it!" and no to Larry too.

Anyway, I put my newspapers away and became glued to "Bonanza," thinking I should have watched it more. Two women came into the waiting room, glanced up at the TV, and, looking at the handsome young Landon, sighed, "Oh, Little Joe." By that time it was coming back to me. I was kind of sorry when my car was done.

Earlier in the day, I had gone down the street to do some strength-training with my friend Jo, who is a personal trainer. I used to run with her, and once took one of her exercise classes, and I was afraid that I would be so weak that I would embarrass myself. Actually I did better than I thought. When I fell into her while trying to balance, I launched into one of my, "I used to be able to do this" complaints, and she reminded me that I had already come a very long way, even from the time just months ago when I said I had tried walking with our friend Susan and my feet felt so heavy I could barely lift them up.

Tomorrow I have a so-called haircut and then coffee with my friend Diane. Later, I'll drive Katie to one friend's house where they will get ready for cotillion, the winter version of prom, and then to another friend's house for pictures.

From then I'm on my own.

Maybe I'll find an episode of "Bonanza" on TV Land.

Did I just confess to my Saturday night activity?'

Well, it's better than being in the hospital, which I was this time last year.

2 comments:

susiegb said...

oh gawd - I have to admit to watching Bonanza as a child in the 60s! I'd completely forgotten about that, and Little Joe ... :) There were so many Westerns in those days - though I have absolutely no interest in them nowadays!

Mind you, we only got TV when I was a teenager, and was only allowed to watch it for about an hour in the evening. (And we never ate in front of it - my father would have complained about 'slipping standards' if we even suggested that!!

And hey - your hair looks nice in that photo of you and Diane Ronni! Slowly slowly you (we) make the transition from 'patient' back to to 'normal' person!!

PJ said...

I didn't watch much tv as a kid but I watched a lot of I Love Lucy. Good comparison to Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Sounds like you've had a productive few days. Keep churning out those cells and working with the trainer.