LAAAYYYDEEEEEE!!!

There were a few times, long ago, when I would challenge myself to stay awake through the entire Labor Day weekend. I actually did it once...ONCE! Not only that, but I would actually force myself to sit through the entire telethon. Of course, that was back when we only had a couple dozen channels. Plus I had a deck of cards with which to play solitaire during the boring parts, which was of course everything but the 2 or 3 acts that actually interested me and the freaky segments where Jerry was obviously tweaking on Perc.

I thought about staying up through the telethon this year, but what with DVR time-shifting, there's just no appeal. Also, I can't afford the DVR space, and I have other shows to record anyway. And with Jerry (presumably) sober and the rest of the Rat Pack dead, there's not much to pique my interest. Now I probably couldn't stay awake through 21 seconds of it, let alone 21 hours. I trust that when Jerry finally kicks, the powers that be will reassess the entire telethon format.

Mind you, it was a big deal during my childhood. For a few years I'd walk the 3 miles to the Channel 24 studios on Byrne Road, going door-to-door the whole way collecting change in a Pringles can. This was followed by a couple years when my older brothers would intercept me towards the end of the trip and make me split the take with them. (I'm sure I'm safe admitting that, statute of limitations-wise.) Later when I got too old to look innocent and people became (justifiably) untrusting, I went into the staying awake challenge phase.

By my early 20s, they moved it to Channel 13 and the fishbowl moved around between malls, and the main objective was to get on camera. In 1986, I got about 2 seconds of face time in front of Diane Larson with a "Kilroy Wuz Heer" sign at Southwyck. I still have the videotape around here somewhere. If I had the means I'd put it on YouTube but I don't.

Yeah, that's another thing I thought about doing tomorrow, but I'm too lazy. Maybe one of these years though...you might spot me at the fishbowl, in drag or otherwise looking bizarre.

As for the telethon itself, I doubt I'll miss anything. I'm sure if Jerry does something stupid like the "fag" comment of last year, I'll see it online.

PS: You're right, looking back over this post even I can see that it's all about me, when it should really be about the 'kids' and whatnot, and I'm a bastard for ignoring that. But at least I admit it. Sure, those first few years I was just a dumb kid and when my parents sent me out the door with the Pringles can I was all excited to be doing a good deed. Then came my brothers making me split the money with them, and as I recall I spent most if not all of my share on junk food. And now I'm a food addict and I weigh over 300 pounds and that sucks. So I got mine.

Current Duck Pond temperature:
25.9 C / 78.6 F