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"A day without laughter is
a day wasted." ~~ Charlie Chaplin |
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Hi all,
So here we are celebrating another made-up birthday! :-) While I know we all love John's performance as Andrew, many of us also have a soft spot for Charles Rocket's Adam so we celebrate his (observed) birthday on October 10th. Once again, this newsletter is about them both. It's short, hopefully kinda sweet, and sent from your shivering co-founder. I do love the fall but... brrr!
God bless,
Jenni
So here we are celebrating another made-up birthday! :-) While I know we all love John's performance as Andrew, many of us also have a soft spot for Charles Rocket's Adam so we celebrate his (observed) birthday on October 10th. Once again, this newsletter is about them both. It's short, hopefully kinda sweet, and sent from your shivering co-founder. I do love the fall but... brrr!
God bless,
Jenni
Top Ten Ways the AODs Celebrate Adam's Birthday
10. Using their special angelic mode of travel
to restaurant-hop and collect all the free birthday
desserts worldwide. This leads to...
9. Staying up until 3 in the morning due to sugar highs and prank calling all their former supervisors.
8. Hanging out in one of their kitchens experimenting to see what else, other than ginger ale, goes well with freshly squeezed orange juice. Cause that can't get scary... Hide the vodka! Screwdrivers belong in their tool belts only.
7. They will allow Adam to play the piano as loudly and as long as he wishes and clap after each and every tune. And Tess is just gonna have to deal with it... or else. She ain't the only one who can give a mean stink eye.
6. Playing Whack-a-Reaper. Surely one of their friends has enough tech savvy to put together an arcade game that will allow Adam and Co. to release all that pent up frustration over the popularity of the Grim Reaper. Who doesn't want to spend their birthday bopping ghouls with mallets???
5. Getting matching tattoos of cow bells in honor of their fondness for the song "Don't Fear the Reaper."
4. Visiting amusement parks and playing those games where the park employee has to guess your age within 5 years and, if wrong, you win a prize. As no one
will be likely to guess that Adam's at least
5,000 years old, they'll amass quite the collection of plush
carnival toys. They will then hand these out to
children. Park employees will be forced to scrape
swooned AOD admirers off the pavement.
3. Joining in on the "80s Party" craze and throwing Adam's party accordingly. However, their human friends won't realize until it's too late that the AODs meant the actual 80s, not the 1980s. Andrew, Adam, and Henry will spend the evening sauntering around in robes and sandals amid women with giant shoulder pads and neon leg warmers. Weirdest party photos ever! Joan Jett meets Jesus!
2. Adam will finally be allowed to indulge his inner dairyman and perform the entire role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, not just a couple bars from "Sunrise, Sunset." It will be the only production of Fiddler ever in which "Tzeitel" has a complete meltdown during the wedding scene and refuses to marry "Motel" because "Tevye" is just plain too awesome to be left behind.
1. Picking up chicks. Literally. I could totally see Andrew volunteering to go with the birthday boy to some turkey rescue place to adopt some baby turkeys. I could also see their female friends tagging along because, really, what could be more adorable than two handsome dudes cuddling baby turkeys? Not much!
And then I realized I was running out of time and only had a half-done newsletter so this happened...
9. Staying up until 3 in the morning due to sugar highs and prank calling all their former supervisors.
8. Hanging out in one of their kitchens experimenting to see what else, other than ginger ale, goes well with freshly squeezed orange juice. Cause that can't get scary... Hide the vodka! Screwdrivers belong in their tool belts only.
7. They will allow Adam to play the piano as loudly and as long as he wishes and clap after each and every tune. And Tess is just gonna have to deal with it... or else. She ain't the only one who can give a mean stink eye.
6. Playing Whack-a-Reaper. Surely one of their friends has enough tech savvy to put together an arcade game that will allow Adam and Co. to release all that pent up frustration over the popularity of the Grim Reaper. Who doesn't want to spend their birthday bopping ghouls with mallets???
5. Getting matching tattoos of cow bells in honor of their fondness for the song "Don't Fear the Reaper."
4. Visiting amusement parks and playing those games where the park employee has to guess your age within 5 years and, if wrong, you win a prize. As no one
will be likely to guess that Adam's at least
5,000 years old, they'll amass quite the collection of plush
carnival toys. They will then hand these out to
children. Park employees will be forced to scrape
swooned AOD admirers off the pavement.3. Joining in on the "80s Party" craze and throwing Adam's party accordingly. However, their human friends won't realize until it's too late that the AODs meant the actual 80s, not the 1980s. Andrew, Adam, and Henry will spend the evening sauntering around in robes and sandals amid women with giant shoulder pads and neon leg warmers. Weirdest party photos ever! Joan Jett meets Jesus!
2. Adam will finally be allowed to indulge his inner dairyman and perform the entire role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, not just a couple bars from "Sunrise, Sunset." It will be the only production of Fiddler ever in which "Tzeitel" has a complete meltdown during the wedding scene and refuses to marry "Motel" because "Tevye" is just plain too awesome to be left behind.
1. Picking up chicks. Literally. I could totally see Andrew volunteering to go with the birthday boy to some turkey rescue place to adopt some baby turkeys. I could also see their female friends tagging along because, really, what could be more adorable than two handsome dudes cuddling baby turkeys? Not much!
And then I realized I was running out of time and only had a half-done newsletter so this happened...
An Ode to the AODs
It was 1994 and I was twelve, a not-so-fun age
to be.
With homework done I was bored so turned on the TV.
That angel show was airing so I decided to see
what this evening's assignment would be:
Broken cars, Thanksgiving, and adultery hid.
Not exactly relatable when you're just a kid.
Yet I'm glad that I sat there and watched as I did.
When I think about what may have happened if not... God forbid.
Adam made me laugh and forget the trouble of being pre-teen.
I admired how he stood up to Tess when she was being so mean.
He defended his friend and kept Alexander from being cuisine.
In coveralls and suits, I was sure he was the best angel I'd ever seen.
I cried when Adam talked to sweet Serena and held her so gently.
When Christmas was past, Adam was gone and soon came Henry.
He didn't stay long but his smile so kind was lovely to see.
Then he went away and Monica was left to play AOD.
A new year began and the date was now 1996.
The new guy came... I wished for the power to nix.
Shoes truly awful... cocky... flirty... a terrible fix.
No AOD was better than this guy getting into the mix.
And yet... he was cute.
He had good hair to boot.
And so wearing that beige suit...
Oh no... I had a crush most acute.
Eighteen years have passed since that fateful night
when I turned on the TV and watched 3 angels alight.
The AODs changed over the years but each was just right.
If I could go back there's not a moment I would rewrite.
I thank Charles as Adam for all of the joy and glee
and the reminder to have respect for the humble turkey.
I thank our Andrew, dearest John, so loved and lovely.
Without him I really don't know where I'd be.
And so this I've learned since the year 1994:
Vampires are in and "reality" rules the ratings score.
But my heart and favor remain with those AODs of yore.
I'll hold onto their messages of hope, faith, and more
and remember that death is never truly the end.
It only means going Home with an angelic friend.
In our hearts and our memories this message they send:
God's love is a love that will every grief mend.
With homework done I was bored so turned on the TV.
That angel show was airing so I decided to see
what this evening's assignment would be:
Broken cars, Thanksgiving, and adultery hid.
Not exactly relatable when you're just a kid.
Yet I'm glad that I sat there and watched as I did.
When I think about what may have happened if not... God forbid.
Adam made me laugh and forget the trouble of being pre-teen.
I admired how he stood up to Tess when she was being so mean.
He defended his friend and kept Alexander from being cuisine.
In coveralls and suits, I was sure he was the best angel I'd ever seen.
I cried when Adam talked to sweet Serena and held her so gently.
When Christmas was past, Adam was gone and soon came Henry.
He didn't stay long but his smile so kind was lovely to see.
Then he went away and Monica was left to play AOD.
A new year began and the date was now 1996.
The new guy came... I wished for the power to nix.
Shoes truly awful... cocky... flirty... a terrible fix.
No AOD was better than this guy getting into the mix.
And yet... he was cute.
He had good hair to boot.
And so wearing that beige suit...
Oh no... I had a crush most acute.
Eighteen years have passed since that fateful night
when I turned on the TV and watched 3 angels alight.
The AODs changed over the years but each was just right.
If I could go back there's not a moment I would rewrite.
I thank Charles as Adam for all of the joy and glee
and the reminder to have respect for the humble turkey.
I thank our Andrew, dearest John, so loved and lovely.
Without him I really don't know where I'd be.
And so this I've learned since the year 1994:
Vampires are in and "reality" rules the ratings score.
But my heart and favor remain with those AODs of yore.
I'll hold onto their messages of hope, faith, and more
and remember that death is never truly the end.
It only means going Home with an angelic friend.
In our hearts and our memories this message they send:
God's love is a love that will every grief mend.
So that ode was *extremely* thrown together
but it got me thinking. The truth is that if
either John Dye or Charles Rocket were still here
and starring in some show about a convenience store
clerk who hunts zombies, I would watch it. But
I'm very glad that the show they shared was Touched
by an Angel. The messages the show held
out were and are affirming, comforting, and
challenging. It was not mindless TV, it was
not filled with gratuitous violence and... thank
God... we did not have to sit around pondering which
character was going to sleep with whichever other
character next (Hello, ER... and gobs of
other shows!). I am so grateful to them both
for being such important and beloved parts of Touched.
In portraying angels of death, they held out an
image of beings far lovelier and sweeter and let's
admit it... vastly more attractive... than any
death-type character I have seen before or
since. So... this newsletter is dedicated to
two men who completely schooled the Grim
Reaper. :-)
JABB TOC
JABB 367
(Photo Credits: The photographs used on this page are from "Touched by an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions. They are not being used to seek profit.)
JABB TOC
JABB 367
(Photo Credits: The photographs used on this page are from "Touched by an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions. They are not being used to seek profit.)