Short Engagements: What do I have in common with Mrs. Garrett and Jo?

According to wedding website The Knot, the average engagement is fourteen months. Tootie was likely engaged for something like that. She got engaged in episode 9-7 and was still engaged, planning her wedding, when the series ended. Victor and I were engaged for two months. There's no right or wrong, of course, but you know which other engagements were short? The other ones on Facts! Casual viewers may not remember that besides Tootie's engagement, there were three weddings planned (and two executed) in the course of the series: two for Mrs. Garrett (one that took) and one for Jo. And then there was mine.

Also starring: the corresponding spouses.

I know. Them's some white-ass muthafuckas.

Couple number one: Edna Garrett and Ted Metcalfe. Wedding scheduled for episode 6-17 "Two Guys from Appleton."

Couple number two: Edna Garrett and Bruce Gaines. Wedding scheduled for episode 8-1 "Out of Peekskill."

Couple number three: Jo Polniaczek and Rick Bonner. Wedding scheduled for episode 9-19 "Till Marriage Do Us Part."

Couple number four: Vikki and Victor. Wedding scheduled for December 31, 2015.

Before I continue, please note that photos from my wedding are courtesy of Elizabeth Livingston and Cindy McElhiney, dear friends who photographed the event.

Background

Edna and Ted

Edna and Ted were high school sweethearts. They had dated for a year and a half when Ted gave Edna his pin and they enjoyed their first kiss. Two and a half years later, they were supposed to go to a dance together. Ted was late because he got held up working at his father's hardware store. (NB:When George Clooney appeared in season eight he also worked at his father's hardware store. This comes from Charlotte Rae's memories of her father's own hardware store.) While she was waiting for Ted to pick her up, a vacuum cleaner salesman came by the door, and she was smitten. So she dumped Ted's ring on his doorstep and never talked to him again.

David Bowie's Wontons - A note of thanks

"David Bowie has died."

Silence. Then my husband: "Did you hear that?"

I'd heard it, but I hadn't understood. I'd just opened my eyes; the alarm had gone off at 7:45 and those were literally (and I do mean literally) the first words I heard. Was it real? It couldn't be. But he'd heard it too, and NPR isn't given to broadcasting hoaxes.

We lay in the bed for a few minutes not saying anything. I heard my phone signal a text.

"David Bowie may he rest in peace. Died last night of cancer. Sorry. Love, Mom."

We had an appointment in town at 9:00 so after I made breakfast I got dressed in black pants, a black long-sleeved shirt and a black Bowie tank top. Life without Bowie had begun.

There are so many things to say about Bowie, and so many reasons he was such an important part of my life. I've spent much of this week thinking about that.

"I feel like a member of your family died. So I'm sending condolences. Sorry man. I cannot think of David Bowie without thinking of you!" -Melissa, friend since 1987

Rest In Peace, Charlie Polniaczek

I am in the process of getting another recap up, I promise.

But I have just learned that Alex Rocco, who played Jo's father, Charlie Polniaczek, died on Saturday.

He was 79; he had a good life, but still, it's sad to lose one of our own.

RIP, Alex. :(

Activism in The Facts of Life (inspired by Federal court)

Some of you may have noticed that I've been posting much more regularly in 2015. Indeed, I intended to have a weekly post, and the way my schedule works out, it's on Thursdays. I have quite intentionally reserved my Thursday  mornings to work on Cousin Geri, so I can get new posts up by Thursday afternoon.

on Wednesday night, however, I learned that there were oral arguments in federal court this morning for United States v. Johnson a case regarding the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. As an animal rights activist, I find the AETA to be completely overbroad, antithetical to the purposes of the First Amendment, and the product of big agri-business money going after unpopular activist groups, but this isn't a political blog.

The point is, since I went to the oral arguments in this case yesterday morning, I've been delayed. But only temporarily. I've also been inspired.

Welcome to our discussion of activism in The Facts of Life.

Kim Fields: Mainstream Mommy

I was at my stylist recently, flipping through the celebrity trash rags, and I found this in the July 28, 2014 issue of US Weekly:

As I noted toward the end of this blog post, I learned while researching another issue that Kim Fields had a baby last year. Here they are, with their very own photo in a mainstream celebrity trash rag. No has-beens here!

Blair and Tootie plan weddings: "For Better or for Worse" recap through tweets

I've been grossly remiss in posting since Saturday night's viewing extravaganza of For Better or for Worse on the Hallmark channel. Life and work and whatnot have been happening. I did experiment with tweeting while watching it on DVR, but I'm not popular enough for it to matter. However since time does not permit a full recap at this very moment, I will reproduce my tweets below so you can get an idea of the mindset in progress. In case you were wondering, yep, the movie is as dreadfully clichéd as you expected.

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!

Just a quick post to remind y'all that there is a Facts of Life reunion of sorts tonight, as Lisa Welchel and Kim Fields take on a cheesy Hallmark movie at 9 p.m. EDT.

For Better or For Worse Indeed.

I'm sure it's going to be horrible, but I'm going to watch it anyway. My devotion knows no bounds.