Branching out

Today I decided to trim a couple of cedars around the side of the house. You see, the city will be sending crews around our neighbourhood this week to pick up brush. Why haul it myself when the city will do it for free? My tax dollar$ at work. The trimming turned to cutting, the cutting turned to piling, then there was sawing, hauling, and more piling. Before I knew it, I had a twenty foot-long, three foot-high pile of shrubbery out at the road.

It reminded me of that episode of M*A*S*H* in which Hotlips tells Frank that she saves all his love letters. Worried about these being used as blackmail as he's somewhat unhappily married, Frank decides to take a quick look in Hotlips' tent to find them. Well, the looking turns to digging through every last corner of her tent. Hotlips returns, to find Frank asleep under a pile of items, including a ripped-apart pillow quickly losing its stuffing.

It all started out so simply.

Shelter halves

Today it rained. Umbrellas sprouted. Another umbrella user passed me and said, "Bloody rain".

Reminded me of that episode in which Hawkeye describes what being in a war is like, thrown together in an unlikely and unpleasant situation, yet managing to make do. "It's like when it starts to rain and people rush in to a doorway just to stay dry."

It was raining cats and dogs. I know, because I stepped in a poodle. It was so wet, I saw two ducks hitch-hiking.

Go ahead Mako My Day

Another vintage TV show, Hawaii Five-O is making a comeback. Remember the credits, Kam Fong as Chin Ho?

On M*A*S*H*, an enemy medical officer was played by one-name actor Mako. The Japanese actor played at least three other characters on the series, plus the movie Pearl Harbor and many other film roles.

Mako also played bit parts in the original Hawaii Five-O series.

Got coffee?

This is enough to drive one to drink. Watching TV shows that show their characters "acting" out a scene holding a styrofoam coffee cup. They move their arms around, gesticulating, spinning around, with each movement emphasizing the point they're trying to make. It also emphasizes the fact that there is nothing in that styrofoam coffee cup. Worst offenders are soap operas and the Global series Rookie Blue. McNally on the radio, "Central, I'm reporting a 2-11 in progress...committing a crime by acting while holding an empty cup."
This reminds me of many episodes of M*A*S*H*. When Hawkeye, Trapper, Hunnicutt or anyone else visiting the Swamp sampled the homebrew, at least they held a martini glass in which it was obvious there was a drink. It added movement to the scene. You could see it. You could almost taste it. It was real and honest, not phoney and distracting. Is there some legalistic rider in today's contracts that states these actors can't hold onto hot coffee in case they burn themselves?

I'll drink to that.

Famous Las Vegas Writers' School

Radar wants to spice up his life at the 4077th, so he joins a writers' school by mail. Whoever the famous writer is in Las Vegas sends him some information and Radar starts writing. Predictably, his overly flowerly and adjective-laden writing sounds like he swallowed a thesaurus. (What's another word for thesaurus? I can't think of one right now.)

Hawkeye tells Radar: Just be yourself. Write about life on the farm and your parents back in Ottumwa, Iowa.

So often tempted by pretension and one-upmanship, we think that tarting events in our daily lives up a bit will make us something we're not. We're probably right. We become less than we are. Just be yourself.

Attention all personnel

M*A*S*H* was an award-winning television show. Its unique combination of drama and comedy made it compelling comedic viewing. Juxtaposing war, medicine, politics, and exploring the human condition at its extremes, it was set during the Korean Conflict but reflected real-time attitudes during America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

I've watched each episode too many times, both live and in syndication. The madcap antics and dramedic situations have weaved and wormed their way into my subconscious. Hence the blog. I find myself in daily situations saying "This reminds me of an episode of M*A*S*H*." When this happens, you'll read about it here in MOREMASH. Say, this reminds me of the episode in which Radar becomes the erstwhile editor of the camp newspaper.....