Those Gidget Movies

 Hi there

When I was a young teen I saw the movie "Gidget".  It starred Sandra Dee in the title role.  She fell in love with surfer Moondoggie.  I fell in love with Moondoggie too.  He was played by James Darren.  Oh, didn't my heart beat happily over the guy?

above: Sandra Dee and James Darren in "Gidget"        Stock photo

I so wanted to be Gidget.  Not just because she was cute, pretty, and tiny, but mainly because she was lucky enough to be loved by Moondoggie.

About thirty years later when I was a typist-in-charge in the government, there was a typist in the pool named Gidget.  I wondered why her parents had decided to call her that name?  I've now met several other Gidgets and I'm still wondering.

In the movie, 'Gidget' was a made-up name for our tiny heroine.  It was short for Girl- Midget. ... G-midget...  Gidget.    I would never call a child by that name.  Maybe the parents of these Gidgets never realised what a millstone it might be around the necks of their daughters?   Especially if they grew to be tall.

About ten years ago I met James Darren when I was in Las Vegas.  He'd stuck to his singing skills (surely original fans have never forgotten "Goodbye Cruel World"") and, now, had turned into a bit of a Vegas crooner.  Because of his crooner skills, he'd had a big role in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" as a lounge singer hologram.  I sighed all over again when he started warbling.  James Darren certainly stood up to my expectations!

 

James Darren passed away recently.  

Seniors in tv advertisements

 Hi there

I have a senior friend who, a few years back, was the main 'star' in an NZ tv commercial for a retirement village.  She didn't live in the village.  She's an actor.

My friend - let's call her 'Lola - arrived all spiffed up, ready for her day's work.

"Oh, no," the boss of the advert shoot tut-tutted.  "Your jacket won't do.  It's the wrong colour."

"Um..."  Lola asked,  "What colour should I be in?"

"Pink!" 

"Pink?"

With a flourish the boss brought out a pink hoodie.  "Here you are.  Seniors love to wear pink.  Oh, and you can keep it."

Lola was extremely happy to have a new (free) hoodie.  And when the advertisement finally came out, she looked wonderful.  She's a pretty good actor.

But I can't stop thinking about this pink thing.  I don't know any seniors who wear pink. I have seen a few cruise ship passengers arriving in the capital wearing pink.  American cruise ship passengers especially love to wear pastels, pale colours.   It's how we spot these women travellers walking down Lambton Quay: crisply pressed white trousers, linen blouses, designer hoodies, often pink.  With a Coach bag under an arm.

Maybe Lola will start a trend amongst kiwi oldies, making pink The New Thing.  She could be a trend-starter...

PS: I spotted a new retirement village advert on tv the other day.  The woman in it is wearing pink......

I'm Back from a week at Lake Wanaka, South Island

 Hi there

I was so excited anticipating my week in Wanaka.  You may remember that in February 2024, I was going to do all sorts of wonderful things when I went down south, but a couple of days before leaving I pulled a muscle in my leg, though I still insisted on going.  It was to my detriment.  I could hardly hobble a metre, let alone go ziplining which I wanted definitely to do.

So this year, I was determined to, at least, do some of my 'wants' that I hadnt been able to do last year.  For the whole year I was most looking forward to those eight Glenorchy Paradise Ziplines that were just out of Queenstown. But the night before I left Wellington, I got an email to say it was a no-go because of the now lack of the to and fro transport Queenstown/Glenorchy.  I was staying in Wanaka, about two and a half hours away from Glenorchy, and I just couldnt get the new times to fit...  So disappointed.

I did manage to fulfil my wish of kayaking on Lake Wanaka.  However, it was windy and a bit of a chore using the paddle, seeing I had a painful wrist -

Wait, what - ?  A painful wrist, you ask?

Well ....... 

 (promise not to laugh?)

On one day, I went over to Lake Hawea, my favourite swimming lake.  I had a gorgeous swim, then got into the driving seat of my rental car.  I leaned sideways to grope under the front passenger seat for my wallet... with my left hand.

My left hand got STUCK between two iron bars!!  

above photos.  Of course, you already know what a brilliant photographer I am.  As a photographer/influencer I am surely number 1.....  Yeah, Right.  

And ...hey, didn't You promise not to laugh?  Shame on you..   Tee-hee.

You can see one iron bar in the photos of the under-seat.  The other iron bar was enclosed in felt.

Anyway....

I was petrified.  What-to-do?-What-to-do?  I was sitting in a shut-in car with a 30c temperature outside-

I'm gong to end up like those dogs-in-cars-on-hot-days.  They die.

I managed to open my door.  "Help," I called out. the beach was down a short slope in front of my car. "Help!" I bellowed.  All the beach-goers were enjoying themselves doing beachy things, they werent on the alert for shouts of anguish.

 I yelled some more.  Louder. My phone was in the car boot (trunk, if you're American) so that was of no help.  My wrist was at a weird angle under the seat and I couldnt budge it no matter how hard I tried.

With my right hand, I beeped the car horn ever so delicately.

There...  That should do it.  Everyone down there on the beach will come running...

Nobody so much as dawdled up the slope to answer my summons, let alone come running.

I beeped the horn a little bit louder.  Then a bit louder again.  I was so stressed out and in so much pain, I wanted to just give up...

Oh, to heck with it...

I beeped that horn non-stop.

Goodness,, what was that?  A woman?  A woman in her twenties had stood up and was looking toward my car-

I waved my free hand, yelled, and beeped the horn frantically.  "Over here.  Please help me!  Help-help-HELP!"

She leaned into the car - "I thought it was children playing with the car horn".  But she understood almost instantly what was wrong and said, "I'll get you free."  She hurried over to the passenger door, threw it open and crouched down in the gravel,

"Can you slide over to the passenger seat?"

No, the movement would break my wrist.

"Can we slide the seat back?"

No, the movement would break my wrist.

"Perhaps you could lubricate my hand with sunblock to make it easier to slide free?" I offered.  "Or call the fire brigade."  I believed the fire brigade were well-trained in getting children to pull their heads out from between fence railings.  Or was that just an urban myth?

"I can do it."  My angel was puffing though her efforts.  My watch was so hampering those efforts.

The woman's cousin arrived on the scene.  They both got down to work on my (by now) extremely painful wrist. And shoulder.  The angle of my arm was causing the problem.

"Bingo!"  The woman had somehow managed to unlock my swimming watch from my wrist. The watch had been impeding the rescue.  I  had no idea how she got the watch catch to open just by feel as it usually took me a while under normal circumstances to work out how to undo the complicated catch.

But five minutes later, with a lot of pulling and twisting from her and her cousin, my hand came free....Whooppee!!!!

My shoulder felt better immediately.  Not so, my wrist.  I nursed it.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you".  I didn't have enough thank-yous in my body to express how grateful I was to my two rescuers....

above:  Lake Hawea.  there is a slope that drops down to the water that's out of view in this picture.  Down the bottom of the slope is where people sunbathe and picnic.  Photo was taken as I was standing by my car.  Lake Hawea is a 20 minute drive from Wanaka.

above:  Me sitting on edge of Lake Wanaka.

above:  Hotel Edgewater Cafe, Wanaka  I discovered this wonderful place as I was walking along the track on the far left side of the lake.  It's only about ten minutes' pleasant amble after you pass the dozens of tourists photographing the famous 'tree growing in the lake' - a magnificent stunt originally created by Wanaka public relations people to get tourists to see who can come up with the best photo of the tree and put it on a Wanaka website.

Wanaka is always crowded, so difficult to get into restaurants and cafes, but at the Edgewater Cafe, it was peaceful and quiet, with a great view.  It was nice to walk there, but a car would only take a few minutes from the township.  I would love to stay in the hotel, but there didnt appear to be a swimming beach out front. 

PS: 3 March: a friend has just returned from Wanaka this week where - surprise! " she stayed at Edgewater Resort.  And she did swim in the lake right opposite the hotel.

British designer, the late Vivienne Westwood. Exhibition at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand

 Hi there

I went to see the Vivienne Westwood Exhibition at Te Papa this week.  Jewellery and fashion. She came to fame from about the 1970s, in the punk era.  

Her papier mâché tiara.  Stock photo

I am a friend of Te Papa, so I chose to listen to the curator's talk.  I was surprised to discover that 80% of the accessories on display were only worn on the runway, and never for sale.  They were put together probably at last minute out of papier mâché, and any other sort of stuff that was on hand, like elastic, buttons, paint, glass, sequins ...   Up close it was noticeable that some of the accessories were made hurriedly, but it would have been spectacular watching models sashaying down a runway, wearing the  Westwood makeshift jewellery

We saw a papier mâché tiara that Vivienne appropriated for herself after it had been worn on the runway.  She was invited to a posh affair where titled people were wearing genuine tiaras.  She proudly wore this fake tiara to the do.  It did look tacky at Te Papa.

above:  That's a picture of Westwood in the background

above:  Westwood originally tried making bustiers as seen in old masterpieces, but customers complained they were too tight.  She solved the problem by being the first designer of bustiers to put in elastic sides.

.

Westwood strongly believed that designers should look to the past for ideas.  She haunted art galleries searching for designs that she could change to a more modern concept.

This time, it's Scorching Bay

 Hi there

I decided I'd go over the Seatoun Hill to Scorching Bay today (Saturday).  It was a beautiful warm day. So many people turned up at the beach.  Even the lifeguards were present and I haven't seen them there in a long time.

above:  inter-island ferry in background, passing Scorching Bay, making for Cook Strait to cross to the South Island

You can see the ferry approaching Scorching Bay from around the point.  

Shows I've seen over last few months

 Hi there

Last week I went to see Jack and Michael Whitehall - The Whitehalls Live - in Wellington.  These two are father and son from the series "Travels with my Father" on Netflix.  Jack is a stand-up comedian and you can see him on many You Tube clips and, of course, Netflix, with his full-length comedy shows.  I adore his type of comedy.  It's very theatrical and quite physical.  He has a posh background, calls his father "Daddy" and went to boarding school with Robert Pattinson (his arch nemesis).  

Jack  bounces around a lot on stage. His full explanation about the hotel conveyer belt toaster has me always in giggles.  You Tube clips of this tend to cut off the toaster skit just before the finish. 

Michael is the droll father.  At the show, there were people in the audience with "Michael Whitehall Appreciation" tote bags. 

Jack talked about his new-born baby and how we never see first photos of babies immediately they're born.  Because the image is so horrendous...  The babies' first pix always show them cleaned up and spiffy-looking.

She wasnt advertised as being in the show, but everybody knew that Michael's wife and Jack's mother would make an appearance.  Hilary came on stage replicating Australian Raygun's Olympic breakdance performance, Aussie uniform and all.

But ... Australia?  She did realise she was in New Zealand?  I guess Australia had the majority of stops included in their Southern Hemisphere tour. 

The second half of the show was where the three Whitehalls sat on a sofa and talked through hilarious back stories.

There was an absolutely full house ..

Last November I saw the live show "Kingdom of Bling", a satire musical written by "Rocky Horror Show" writer, Richard O'brien, who was the narrator in this 'bling' musical. The show also starred half-a-dozen well-known kiwi actors and comedians.  It was treated as a radio show with each person coming up to a microphone.

The plot was about a couple of kids discovering a magic land that was run roughly along the lines of the USA elections with an evil Trump-like overlord.  

Richard O'Brien wrote brilliant rhyming to this musical.  So nice to see Richard in person.  He has retired back to New Zealand.  

You know I'm a terrible photographer?  Here's Richard O'Brien taking his bow.

Underwear, Lingerie

 Hi there

When I was a kid, about ten years old, my mother told me that only Ladies Of The Evening wore black underwear (and also bracelets around their ankles!  Oh, and tattoos). 

All underwear that mattered was white in those days.  When we went into McKenzies store in Palmerston North, Mum rushed me past the underwear counter, lest I lay eyes upon the black unmentionables.

And then - horror!  Red underwear came into shops, and Mum was beside herself.  What was the world coming to: red and black!  I do remember thinking that, heavens, prostitutes had really interesting taste. Even at a young age, white knickers to me were soooo boring.

If she suddenly came to 2025, via a time machine, my Mum would be stunned by all the patterns and colours of ladies' underwear.

Do you, my four readers, remember when your mothers used to tell you to always wear good, clean, matching underwear in case you got run over by a bus?  Goodness, just imagine the mean chatter at the hospital if it was discovered that your bra, petticoat, knickers and roll-ons were ripped, or grubby, and - tut-tut - not even saintly white.

I'm a little bit fuzzy over the memory but didn't perhaps Monty Python or The Goodies do a skit where a guy was about to be run down by a bus when he suddenly realised he wasn't wearing good underwear?  He stopped the bus, raced home, changed his underwear, then laid down in the road in front of the bus, and signalled the driver to go ahead and run him over?

above: a Bendon advert.  Tut-tut, red underwear.

Hataitai Beach on Wellington Anniversary Day, Monday Holiday

 Hi there

What a nice day today.  Too warm, actually.  After about only ten minutes at the beach, I felt the sun piercing right through my skin to my bones.  I had to cover up.  At least the crummy so-called summer weather appears to be changing for the best, and the sea has warmed up, somewhat.  Tomorow is going to be hotter, just when the last Christmas/New Year stragglers will be back to work....

above:  Hataitai Beach.  Wellington Anniversary Day Yacht Race

***

PS.    I got sunburnt.  So much for sunblock!

Shop Assistants and street hustlers smooching up to me (again)

 Hi there

You know by now that I adore it when shop assistants go into raptures about something I'm wearing.  They learn to do it in shop assistant school, I'm sure of it.  Find something to admire on a customer and you could make a sale - 

Remember my favourite?  It was the street hustler trying to sell me a raffle ticket :  "I like your ..."   There was a long pause while he frantically looked me over.  "I like your ... TAN!" he shouted triumphantly.

I'm not ashamed in the least that shop assistants and street hustlers take quite a while to find something about me that they like.  The whole experience for me is fun.

Last week I had two cute occasions.  One young shop assistant in a boutique came up to me -

"I like your watch strap," she said.  "It's red."

Like, I didn't know that...

The next day, a street hustler called out at me from way over the other side of the pavement.  He was selling raffle tickets.  "I like your pendant", he shouted. 

My pendant was of a tiny silver cow jumping over a crescent moon.

I hid it with my hand.  "What's on my pendant?" I asked.

He didn't have a clue....

I love the little Asian dragon on my watch.  and the gold bars, with sparkles, top and bottom. The red strap is not too bad either...

Hataitai Beach roadworks

 Hi there

There's building works going on and beside Hataitai Beach.  The road is reduced to stop-go one lane for traffic.  And it's going to last for up to 6 months.  And note that this has all started during the summer school holidays.  Getting to the beach is like working your way through a maze, whether on foot or driving.  The first day of the works I had to park down at the marina's main entrance (south) or up by the French cafe (north), long ways from the beach. 

The second day of the works (yesterday) I took the bus to the beach.  I didnt think the Hataitai Beach bus stop would be operating, seeing it's right in the middle of that stop-go one-way sole traffic lane.  But it was operating.  And sorry I couldnt say the same thing about the bus stop for my going back to Miramar.  It was blocked by road cones.  The bus driver had to signal me to run behind and catch up with him as he stopped further south.  And note that before my bus journey I had rung both the council and the bus company to check on the stops.

They are building a sea wall (south), and we presume north end may be a cycle lane, either to share with a wider footpath or a lane reaching out into the road. Plus more sea wall. Car parks will be reduced.  Many beach people sent in submissions re the reduction of carparks but, of course, nothing came of it.  You would think the council would have taken notice after they'd cut out the street carparks at Balaena Bay; beach-goers stopped going there and came to Hataitai Beach instead.

above: sea wall being built.  Photo taken from what was supposed to be the southern bus stop but because of the road cones and one way lane the bus couldn't stop there.

I hate Vacuuming

 Hi there

I hate vacuuming.  Or should I say that I used to hate vacuuming.  But I think I've found a way to make it more enjoyable.  

I listen to Kindle audio books while I am vacuuming.   

I toss my Amazon Fire (Kindle) tablet into a small backpack, put in my earbuds, tell Alexa to raise the volume, and I turn into a Cleaning Diva.

Last week, I finished the vacuuming but the crime book I was listening to was at such an exciting point - my heart was thumping and my brain racing with possibilities for how the two heroes could possibly  escape the clutches of a whole band of baddies shooting at them - that I moved on to mopping the kitchen and bathroom, another chore I detest.  Just to listen to the story.

My heroes escaped the baddies - bravo! - but oh-my-goodness, there was another crisis.

 I whipped out a damp rag and cleaned the venetian blinds.  Four blinds down, and one hero had been kidnapped.  I moved over to the bookcase, shaking out every book and dusting the pages.  Would his detective partner rescue the guy before that bomb exploded?

Phew, yes, hoo-ray.  Another crisis averted.  But wait, there was more to the story...

I stood on a stool and dusted the top of the fridge.  

And all the curtains.

Then ...?

I gave in.   I plonked myself down on the sofa and finished listening to the book.  Two hours later, I looked around me.  Wow, my house was the cleanest I'd ever seen it...

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My Amazon Fire tablet has internet, emails, e-books, audio books. I one-finger typed this add-on message to this blog.  One-fingering an entire blog on my Amazon Fire is more than a bit nerve-inducing; I have a bigger laptop for my longer blogs.