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Tag - Marci Carlin

A Christmas Story

December 25, 2012
683 Views
A Christmas Story

It really isn’t Christmas without the annual watching of the movie, A Christmas Story, by Jean Shepherd.

I will never forget the first year I was introduced to this movie.

It was the mid-80’s, in LA, and my friends and I (who didn’t have local family obligations) were planning a Holiday get-together. My friend Marci Carlin asked if we were planning on watching A Christmas Story that day? I had no idea what she was talking about, thinking it was some old Bing Crosby movie, or something like that. Marci laughed and said she would take care of getting a copy of the movie.

The story of this movie is centered around Ralphie, a young boy who wants to get a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas, but the stories behind the story are filled with stereotypical family situations that everyone can relate to. The movie is narrated by Jean Shepherd (as the adult Ralphie) and the narrative commentary, about the character’s situations and emotions is what is so hilarious.

Of course, if you know Marci, you know that she has this infectious cackle (more than a laugh) and we spent the entire movie listening to Marci cackle over every one-liner, which made it even funnier. This movie is forever ingrained in my memories because I got to experience watching it, for the first time, with Marci!

Some of my favorite lines from the movie are: “Randy lay there like a slug…it was his only defense” and “Fra-Gee-Lay – That must be Italian!”

TBS runs this movie over and over on Christmas Day, so if you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, I Double-Dog-Dare-You, to watch it today!

A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd

A Shuttle Launch

July 8, 2011
713 Views

Speaking of Shuttle launches….

Today was the last Shuttle launch and it reminded me of another Shuttle launch, that I shared with my College Gal Pals from Cal State Fullerton.

A Shuttle Launch - Marci Carlin, Lezlie Beer, Tamara Lanham, Mj Wilson

Marci, Tammy & Lezlie waiting for the Shuttle Launch in Downtown Tampa!

Tammy, Lezlie and Marci came to Florida one year, to visit with us briefly, and I think because Marci had some business to handle at Epcot Center. They all ended up at my house in Tampa, and one day, they wanted to drive all the way to Cape Canaveral (which is on the other coast), to watch a Shuttle launch.

Being the great hostess that I am, I told them that it would be stupid, to drive all the way across the State, when we could watch the Shuttle launch, from any tall building in Tampa! No matter what they said, I put my foot down, and told them they would just end up being disappointed, if the Shuttle didn’t launch for some reason, and we would have driven all those hours and miles, and dealt with all the crowds for nothing. I told them I would take a photo of them, with the Shuttle in the background, on top of the building in Tampa, and it would be just a great day, all around!

A Shuttle Launch - Marci Carlin, Lezlie Beer, Tamara Lanham, Mj Wilson

Lezlie showing “how” the Shuttle launched and Marci “pointing” to it!

I have no idea why they listened to me, because Tammy and Lezlie usually overruled anything I wanted to do.

So, I found the “tallest” building in Tampa, and we sat there and waited for the Shuttle to take off…we (I) forgot to take into account that it was an overcast day, and because of that, we couldn’t see all the way across the State!

Marci is one of the funniest people I know. You only have to meet her once, to remember her crazy laugh! She will start out asking a question, in a normal voice, and by the end of the sentence, she has cracked up in this really loud cackle! So, when the radio report tells us that the Shuttle had already taken off, and we missed it, Marci turned to me and asked seriously: “M – how were you going to get a photo of us, with the Shuttle in the background, if we can’t see the Shuttle?!” She is then laughing so hard, and we are all laughing hard and we are trying to figure out how to “document” this momentous day.

My brilliant idea was that they could just pose “indicating” that they were watching the Shuttle and that would be ok!  The photo would then give the illusion that they had seen the Shuttle launch. Hence the photo above!

Marci Carlin and Tamara Lanham

Marci “visibly” upset over missing the shuttle launch

Marci then decides to “one-up” the emotion and pretends to start crying! I don’t remember if she was supposed to be crying because she saw the Shuttle or because she missed seeing the Shuttle launch?! In any case, it is a hilarious photo!

Who were we kidding anyway? Our main goal that day was drinks on the Beach, not a Shuttle launch, so we set off for our true destination which was the Tiki Bar at the Adams Mark Hotel, on Clearwater Beach.

Marci might have missed out on a Shuttle launch but she got a Sunset by the Beach instead! Priceless!