Goodbye, dear collectables…

Recently, I was told by a friend that iReport (of which I was previously unaware) is currently looking for stories of people who are parting with their collectables due to the economy. Anyone who has read my blog before, or knows me in person, will know that while I’m not a huge collector, I do have my vices, them being, in order of importance, “Titanic” (1997), “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) (and other works affiliated) and “I Dream of Jeannie.” In none of these areas are my collections vast.

With regards to “Oz,” I have a fair number of snow globe/ music boxes from the San Francisco Music Box Company, a number of books about the film, a signed (and personalized) photograph of Jerry Maren (the munchkin who gave Judy Garland the lollipop), a copy of the screenplay, and a small collection of books about Judy Garland one of which, Judy Garland: World’s Greatest Entertainer, I was lucky enough to have signed by Judy’s daughter Lorna Luft when I had the chance to meet her around five years ago.

“Titanic” I was fanatical about as soon as it was released, having a preexisting interest in the disaster. Over the years, I have been able to procure a signed photo from nearly the entire cast (including Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, James Cameron, Kathy Bates, among others), the J. Peterman copy of Rose’s “Heart of the Ocean” necklace, a copy of her butterfly comb, a first class dining place (also by Peterman), a rare film cell, a music box, a small collection of books, the Franklin Mint “Rose” doll, and a copy of the screenplay. This entire collection, except the Rose doll and screenplay, I have recently placed on eBay as “Titanic Heart of the Ocean, Cast Signed Photo, + MORE!”,

here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110357233275

I also have a small, but growing, collection of memorabilia from “I Dream of Jeannie” a show I have adored ever since I can remember. In my small collection I have: two copies of Jeannie’s bottle, one from the 1st season (the golden vines design) with a replica Old Grand Dad crystal stopper, and a second season (purple) bottle, which I was recently lucky enough to have signed by Barbara Eden (Jeannie), the “Jeannie” Barbie from 2000, and a special edition set of the mini Jeannie and her bottle sculptures, in black and white. As I said, this collection is easily my smallest, but, especially after meeting Barbara, it is the dearest to me, especially my signed bottle.

But, given the state of the economy, and my possible admittance to graduate school in the U.K., I have decided to part with the lion’s share of my collection, and if my eBay auction for much of my Titanic collection is successful, I have determined to auction off the whole of my “Wizard of Oz” collection as a set on eBay as well. My Jeannie collection is far too dear to me to ever consider parting with, so it will be staying with me for a good long time to come!

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I Dreamt of Jeannie… and now I met Barbara Eden!

14 February 2009 – Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Today, I met Barbara Eden, “Jeannie” of “I Dream of Jeannie.”

Much of the following account will not mean much unless you are an ardent fan of “I Dream of Jeannie” and/or Barbara Eden. However, I am posting it to record all my thoughts and impressions at this moment, while all the details are fresh, for those members of IDreamofJeannieFans.Net who were unable to attend with us.

This account is, obviously, biased toward my own recollections and does not include the details of what other people’s interactions may have been with Barbara this afternoon. This is in no way a slight against what they experienced, but simply I was likely taking photographs or looking at Barbara and everything else, at moments, was blur so I simply don’t remember those details.

Waking at 4am, (well, I woke, James stayed up all night working on a drawing) and headed up around 6am to Delphos, Ohio, to meet up with  Brian Fetzer, Jeannie bottle artist and the owner and administrator of IDreamofJeannieFans.net at his home, so that he could touch up a small scrap I made in the paint on the lip of my bottle when putting the stopper in the bottle just after I had received it in July, 2008.

While I was there, I was able to see his room where he paints his bottles. While he touched up my bottle, I looked around the room, finding a few 1956 Old Grand Dad bottles and a first season bottle catching my attention.

Once touching up my bottle, we drove to a Flying J truck stop and had breakfast with Brian and his wife Mandy.  Afterward, Brian played a claw machine at the truck stop, winning three teddy bears, one of which, an I Love Lucy bear, he gave to Nikki.
Leaving there, we drove up, via my parents’ GPS navigator, to the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, where we again met up with Brian and Mandy, and later Nikki, her mom, Candy, and her husband.

After some chatting, we all headed into the theater, James and me finding our seats in the first row behind the orchestra pit.

The play, “Love Letters,” has a simple set up, two people, sit at a desk and, alternating, read letters they have written between themselves over their lifetimes.

When the play began, Barbara was seated on our side of the stage, in a glittering red dress by Bob Mackie, a large red bow in her hair. Don’t ask me what Hal Linden, her partner, was wearing; I hardly even looked at him. I think his tie was purple stripped, and his suit grey. I remember little else. As they exchanged letters, as Barbara, listening to the letter as it was read to her, would react to the letters as if reading them for the first time. I was amazingly comic, and heartbreakingly sad, as the play continued. When the play returned for the second half, Barbara’s hair was placed in an elaborate up-do, with a diamond necklace and earrings. Throughout the play, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Her character, Melissa, is not “Jeannie,” obviously, but looking at her, divorced by 40 years, I couldn’t help but see “Jeannie.”

At the close of the play, Barbara and Hal came to the front of the stage, bowed, and, with a “blink,” the stage went dark, and they were gone.

Our small group congregated in the orchestra pit, and, since Brian was never able to find Barbara’s agent, who we suspect was not present at the event, we were told we would not be able to go backstage, as the usher, a mousy brown headed woman on a power trip, told us only Candy, a member of Barbara’s fan club, would be allowed to go back and meet Barbara. However, Candy told the woman to convey that she was in a group of 10 people, two of which flew over from Germany to see Barbara. I was honestly convinced we wouldn’t be allowed to go backstage, and started shaking and crying. Thankfully, I was wrong. After the message was conveyed, we were told we would all be allowed to come backstage and meet Barbara.
We were brought into the green room, where we found a few couches, a few recliners, and a dining table and chairs. Before we could all take our coats off and get out our cameras and what we would like to have signed, in walked Barbara Eden, sweet and demure as one could imagine, her hair in a simple up-do, in a pink cable knit sweater and dark blue jeans. She smelt like roses, and I mean that truly; she smelt of pink roses.

Things here are blurry. Brian was snapping photos with his new camera, James was snapping photos, I took a turn at snapping photos for Brian as Barbara signed his bottle case, and his grape-purple Jeannie bottle.

Nikki had a red glass bottle signed by Barbara, she remarked she “likes these colored glass bottles,” along with a glamor shot from the 50’s when Barbara, she said, was 18 at Fox.

Candy had Barbara sign her 2nd Season bottle from David Matson, and, I believe, a new 2nd Season bottle from Brian as well, along with a photograph taken ten years ago when she met Barbara once before.

I was either second or third in my turn with Barbara, I really don’t remember. I walked over to her with my bottle and my small poster from the pilot episode. Introducing myself, I told her I’d been a fan as long as I could remember, since I was 5, and I began to get chocked up, and lost the words I wanted to say, as she stared me right in the face, listening intently. Handing her my bottle, she signed it around the throat “Barbara Eden ‘Jeannie’.” I then asked her to sign my poster, and she asked if I would like it written to me, which I affirmed, and she spelt out my name before she wrote it. The poster reads: “To Austin! Love, Barbara Eden ‘Jeannie.’”

Thanking her, I asked for a photo, and James, Brian, and Candy all took photos, while Mandy videoed the entire thing.

Later, after Candy had her bottles signed, James had both a blank 1964 Jim Beam Decanter, the “Jeannie” bottle, signed in gold. Barbara asked if he wanted it inscribed to him, and since it’s my bottle, he looked to me for approval, which I quickly assented. The bottle reads: “To James, Barbara Eden ‘Jeannie’ ” along with his playbill, with the same inscription in black.

Brian gave Barbara a photo collage of her God niece, and showed her the new Jeannie bottle cases,which she very much recognized, telling her a bottle case will be sent to her at her home. She signed the case, in black, on the interior leather, and on his bottle as well.

The German couple (I unfortunately don’t remember their names) had a photo for her to sign, and she also signed a photo for their friend Timo, who’s met Barbara a few times in the past. They also gave Baraba a VERY large photo book of her old publicity shots.

After it was made sure everyone got all the photos they wanted, including one of Barbara, James, and I, and a few as a group, Brian asked Barbara to do a short “shout out” for the fan site, especially since Larry Hagmen has already made one.

Brian couldn’t remember the words he had written yesterday for Barbara to say, but I did, since he told me last night on the phone, so I told Barbara, the lines, “If you want to make your dreams come true, then just blink on over to “I Dream of Jeannie Fans.Net.”

So, she said the line for the camera, but messed up and we ran through it again, with her cheering, cutely, when she got it right the second time. We all thanked Barbara again for taking the time to meet with us, and she left, ushered out by her tour manager, who honestly tried to rush her through the whole meeting, although she seemed to do her best to ignore him.

Afterward, we took a few pictures of our bottles all together in the lobby before heading to dinner at Outback Steakhouse, where we exchanged impressions, and looked at each others photos. Thankfully, in reviewing the photos, I have one fantastic photo of Barbara and I, which I found while enroute to the resturant and made me burst out crying. I was so scared I wouldn’t have a good photo with Barbara, but it was just fantastic! I called my mother balling on the phone, I was SO happy!

That photo will soon become my avatar everywhere, just as soon as I can upload it, along with a few good ones of James and Barbara, among many other great photos!

Suffice to say, this Valentine’s Day… was one of the best days of my life, and for that, I have a lot of people to thank. First, to James for driving us up to Michigan, and further for putting up with my insane love of “Jeannie” on a daily basis!

To Brian for trying his damnedest to get us backstage, for contacting Barbara’s agent and setting up the entire meet and greet, and for touching up my bottle this morning so I didn’t have to show a, slightly, damaged bottle to “Jeannie” herself. To Mandy for videoing the whole thing and putting up with our collective insanity.

To Candace for insisting the 10 of us should be allowed to go backstage and not just herself as a member of Barbara’s fan club.

To Nikki… for just being you. You rock girl!

You all, together, made this one of the best, if not THE best day of my life. Thank you all SOOO much! I will never forget ANY of it!

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25 Things You Didn’t Know You Didn’t Know…

There is currently a “fad” of a sort going around the Facebook world to post a list of 25 random things (as personal or not as you wish) about yourself. After reading a few friends post their lists, I felt I might as well do the same, so here it is:

1. At one time I was a pre-med major for a semester. I wanted to be a doctor; I wanted to be respected and admired, with the security of knowing I’d have money and success. Those are things, obviously, everyone wants but in reality I was trying to please my father, not myself. I’ll be a doctor one day, and maybe part of that desire is still to make my father proud, even if he makes it quite clear he is regardless, but when I am, I’ll be a very different type.

2. In high school I HATED William Shakespeare. You can blame my freshmen English teacher for teaching “Romeo and Juliet” through film without one glance at the actual text. In high school the text was something elusive, to which only the most intelligent teachers and professors had the key. Shakespeare’s plays were the literary equivalent of the German enigma machine. The keys were there, but opening the locks was nearly impossible, not to be attempted for the uneducated. So, I shied away from the bard; I never tried to jimmy the locks on my own, and sophomore year Hamlet and senior year Macbeth were each, in turn, exercises in looking at symbols on a page; accompanied by an oral synopsis. A connection between the two was never fostered. I came to college the English literature student who hated Shakespeare. I realize the near contradiction embodied in that sentence. Thankfully; in college something clicked. Perhaps it was instruction; perhaps it was maturation. Whatever it was, now I can’t get enough.

3. I have visited three countries in one day… 3 times. (USA-> Netherlands -> Portugal; Portugal -> U.K.-> Germany; Netherlands -> France -> U.S.A) I have never more intimately understood the meaning of jetlag, and yet never had more fun in my life. Even as I found I wasn’t that fond of Amsterdam, I fell down a staircase at 5:00 am in Lisbon, I lost a hat (which I had just purchased) in Germany, I was on a delayed flight getting out of Germany and subsequently trapped in the Netherlands while I should have been in Chicago seeing “Wicked” (for the zillionth time),  after seeing Samantha Brown (from the Travel Channel) in Paris during a two-hour layover, during which I was so sick I spent a great deal of it in the bathroom. Oh what a trip! But, for all it’s inconveniences, and there are several, there is nothing better than seeing more of the world!

4. I was accepted to culinary school, but turned it down to study literature. I gave up the certainty of a steady living and an education from one of America’s premier culinary universities for the uncertain world of academia. Lets just say I’ve had some really good teachers who had impressed upon me the joy to be found between the covers of a book and I find few greater joys than discussing the thoughts, impressions, questions, and understandings the simple act of reading creates.

5. In high school I once didn’t eat for almost two weeks. I was anorexic. In the midst of this, I took my S.A.T.s. Don’t ask how I passed; I still don’t know. Sometimes I still look back at that person and cringe.

6. I hate Extra mint gum; the thought of it makes me gag.

7. I realize it’s a liberal borrowing from “Nature Boy,” but I really do believe “the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” Call it youthful optimism, but I’m convinced, you can have money, success, power, prestige, and education, but none of it matters if you’re alone and unloved…People wonder why I’m always terrified of losing that. Because, simply put, it means EVERYTHING to me; I’m also convinced that you can only TRULY love one person in your life, and I’m still waiting for him.

8. I’ve never fully read the Bible, and I feel ashamed of it, even if I don’t believe in God. It seems to be the seed of most great literature, even if most of it is fairly badly written. I’ve sat down and made it through most of Genesis at least five times, but getting past it just proves impossible. I’ve read various snippets of different books in classes, but I full Biblical education I horribly lack. Yet I easily ate up the twelve books of Milton’s Paradise Lost. I realize these seem contradictory. Lets just say Milton is good literature, and leave it at that.

9. I greatly enjoy spontaneity, but it scares the shit out of me! I like structure; I depend on it. I’m a planner, but it can lead me to a bit of a Hamlet complex. I need to work on that.

10. I can tolerate no sound less than that of a child crying/ screaming/ complaining, etc. Not that I really care what’s wrong. I just want them to shut up. Children both irritate and scare me, and I have no talent for relating to them, unfortunately. It really is a shame as I remember being eight and thinking people didn’t give me enough credit for what I did understand, and now I’m turning around and not giving the children I come into contract with their due. Yet another item I really should work on.

11. I’m too easily emotional, and I know it. I recently was told to “Man up.” Granted, I think, it was said in jest, and yet I find that I cry at the drop of a hat sometimes.

12. I hate watching A&E Biography of deceased people. They always die in the end, and I end up in a funk crying about it… especially those of Judy Garland and Audrey Hepburn.

13. In high school I worked for Pizza King for two weeks. I’m glad they fired me; I couldn’t ethically spread the sauce correctly. Somewhat recently I was there and upon checking out my former boss recognized me; I denied I was myself.

14. Growing up I was a very confused and lonely person through much of middle and high school; I spent most nights secluded in my room reading and listening to music. I largely feel like I missed out on the natural maturation process. Today, while I’m still at heart a very emotionally sensitive introvert, I can fake being extraverted and talkative when I need to be, probably to the point that most people in my classes hate me for talking so much. I genuinely believe that most of my professors secretly hate me for talking so much. But I can also say, as much as I may talk, I find listening far more interesting. I love private tête-à-tête, truly getting to know someone on a genuine level. I love the connection; I think those connections are much the reason we have friends, and only work to enrich our lives.

15. I’ve had several major surgeries in my life, the first of which occurred when I was 14 days old. Excluding, of course, ritualistic male mutilation. Don’t get me started on that purely American ridiculousness.

16. I was due between June 10th (Judy Garland) and June 19th (my grandma); I got April 20th (Adolf Hilter, Colombine, 4/20…) instead. I feel gypped.

17. I once dreamed of working at Walt Disney World; I still honestly wouldn’t exactly mind it. I love Walt Disney World more than any 22 year old really should admit. If it were possible for me to live there, I’d honestly consider it.

18. I started learning French only because of Céline Dion. I am now conversational in a language I have, effectively, never used and did so for a woman I will likely never have the pleasure to properly meet. Although, I’ve come close once, it’s one of my deepest (not so secretly held) goals in life to properly meet Céline and tell her all that she means to me (dans le Français, si je peux.)

19. When my high school had an “Air Jam” lip-syncing concert contest for homecoming I entered, and nearly won, as Céline Dion… twice. For those who graduated with me, you’ll find a photo of that grand achievement somewhere in the mix. While my classmates must have thought I was insane, I’ve rarely had that much fun!

20. I’m utterly terrified of driving on the interstate, yet I have no problem flying to the opposite side of the world unaccompanied if I have a good enough reason. (Apparently seeing Idina Menzel in “Wicked” in London was a good enough reason…) The, less than, 48 hours I spent in London was one of the most exasperating (especially after the airline lost my luggage), yet rewarding, experiences of my life. I don’t regret a moment of it. Except that I didn’t have my camera to get a photo with Idina, that I really do regret; thank you very much for that American Airlines!

21. I have a great inequity complex. I honestly believe that I’m an idiot, a sham as a student and as a human being; I’m just waiting for everyone else to find out. I have moments when I believe that everyone truly detests me, particularly those I love or respect the most.

22. When I was in second grade I wanted to grow up to be the President. No thanks on that one, now that I see what the job does to its occupants.

23. I fear a lot of things: loss of love, loss of respect, etc, but I have a particular issue with getting older. Not that the number really matters but the idea of one day being old and grey I do not find at all attractive. I look at pictures of me at 16 and I already get angry and remorseful. This does not bode well.

24. I have a small collection of theatre/ television / film memorabilia. It’s my small way of keeping tangible memories of my childhood. In my small collection I have Rose’s butterfly comb and a First Class dining plate from Titanic, Elphaba’s witch’s hat from “Wicked,” and two copies of Jeannie’s bottle from “I Dream of Jeannie” one of the first season “gold vines” design, and another of the traditional 2nd- 5th purple “Jeannie” bottle. I once had a copy of Rose’s pink coat from Titanic, but I sold it and paid for a vacation. I regret letting it go immensely.

25. I can easily share too much sometimes; lets hope now doesn’t turn into one of those times!

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Taking in the play before the play…

Last evening, in the matter of an hour, I read A.R. Gurney’s play “Love Letters.” Being the same play I will be seeing with Barbara Eden on Valentine’s Day, I felt a matter of responsibility in gaining some degree of familiarity with the work, as to make its viewing more straightforward and less quizzical. That is, live theater, often, will lose me if I don’t have at least a basic knowledge of plot. I will, almost always, read a work’s source material before a viewing. Films are different, with films, I can usually follow along fairly easily, but with live theater, I’m always paranoid I’ll miss a line, or a cue, and be left bewildered. In high school I went to see Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and couldn’t have been more confused! Granted, that’s Shakespeare, and Shakespeare is, well, Shakespeare. But I had the same thing occur when I saw a local production of “Cats.” Don’t misunderstand, I quite enjoyed the music, particularly “Memory”, of course. But, the plot is still a complete mystery. Verbatim can be said of “Aida.” I get enchanted with the costumes and the lights, and forget to figure out the plot!

Other works, of course, society itself prepares you to see, among them: “Les Miserables,” “Wicked,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Mary Poppins,” etc. All of these, I’ve seen in London, although, me being me, I will admit I did read “Phantom of the Opera,” translated from the French, long before seeing the musical, and I’ve tried, on a few occasions, to approach “Les Miserables,” but I’ve yet to venture far into the novel.

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More Literature… More French… and Barbara Eden

This coming term, along with the general GRE, and the GRE Subject test, I’ll have quite a bit also going on, much of it leaving me both excited and quite nervous. Some may be confused as, a few month ago, I already took the generalized GRE exam. However, recently I received my scores and while they were more than permissible, I, being an ardent perfectionist, was far from pleased with them and I find it pressing on myself to take the test again, if only with the belief that having taken the test previously it should make a second attempt all the more successful.

Also, this coming Valentine’s Day James and I will have a quite fun little weekend adventure, as we are going to go to Detroit to see Barbara Eden in “Love Letters” a play she occasionally performs around the country. We will be meeting up with a few people from a “I Dream of Jeannie” fan site of which I am a member to see the show, so it should be quite enjoyable. After the show James and I are going to go to Canada for the evening. Despite being to Europe three times already, I have never before been to Canada, so I’m very much looking forward to it!

This will also be my final regular term at Ball State, with my final three literature courses and a final French composition course. I will also be staying at the university through the summer to finish my degree with my final science and PE requirements. As enjoyable as the college experiance has been, I’m quite ready to move on to graduate school!

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Childhood…

Lately I’ve been wondering if we’re all forever, really, in all honesty, children at heart just playing a “grown-up” game. Personally, I think growing up is bull crap; I think we can all still tap into the feeling of being a child again, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Almost two years ago, at 20, I went to Walt Disney World for spring break, and it seriously was one of the most fun trips I’ve had. Granted, I think I was one of the few people over 12 not pushing around a stroller (seriously, if you need a stroller for your kid, they most likely won’t remember the trip… wait a few years and save my shins) and yet I still found Space Mountain as awesome as when I was 7! My favorite ride has always been The Hollywood Tower Hotel: Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in Disney’s Hollywood Studies. (It will always be Disney MGM Studios to me even if the naming rights expired!)

Even today I find myself, very often, sitting with James watching old episodes of I Dream of Jeannie on DVD and The Golden Girls on YouTube both of which I’ve loved since childhood. Not to mention the hand painted 1964 Jim Bean Christmas Decanter, better known as simply “Jeannie’s bottle,” that sits on our bookshelf in the living room.

(If I’m interested in something, I can become a tad obsessed. Leave me alone, it’s just the way I am!)

When I’m alone, sometimes I still sit in my pajamas and watch The Wizard of Oz or Beauty and the Beast on DVD and all is right with the world and, yes, I sing along too!

This is not to say I’m infantile or anything like that, it’s just, I like the ability to regress for a bit, clear my head, and just be silly for a bit. If you find anything wrong with that, well, grab the next plan flight to Florida and go take a ride with Dumbo!

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