Shari Belafonte-Harper: Staying up late to watch “Hotel”

Shari Belafonte in the opening credits of the television drama "Hotel" in the '80s.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/

(May be subject to copyright)

Her hair is whiter now, but other than that Shari Belafonte-Harper looked pretty much exactly the same when I saw her recently on “The Morning Show”, as she did when she was reception manager Julie Gilette at the St. Gregory in San Francisco in “Hotel” back in the 1980s.

The end credits revealed that gone was the Harper in her last name and she is back to Shari Belafonte, but it was definitely her and, 40 years after playing her signature role in the 1980s ensemble drama, Shari Belafonte is still acting.

Dawn of the decade
She initially was known as the daughter of the legend Harry Belafonte, until she broke out first as a fashion model then an actor. She had guest starring roles in “The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo”; “Trapper John, M.D.”; and “Diff’rent Strokes”.

She made her big screen debut in a 1982 Canadian movie called “If You Could See What I Hear”. It starred Canadian actor Marc Singer as Tom Sullivan, a man who battled blindness to become a national wrestling champion, singer, song-writer, author and speaker.

Interestingly, I never saw the movie, although I saw it advertised on Channel 13, but I have read the book, which is inspiring.

Checking in at the St. Gregory Hotel
Belafonte had caught the eye of producer Aaron Spelling where he considered her for the role of Julie Rogers on “Charlie’s Angels”, before casting Tanya Roberts. He also cast her for a pilot he produced called “Velvet”, which did not go far.

Then he cast her in the show that not only brought her into living rooms across Canada and the United States, but would be the role she is best known for.

She played Julie Gilette for the entire run of “Hotel” from 1983 to 1988, spanning a total of 115 episodes.

While she was on “Hotel”, she continued to take guest-starring in roles in shows such as “The Love Boat”; “Matt Houston”; “Battle of the Network Stars”; and a Perry Mason TV movie called, “The Case of the All-Star Assasin”.

“Hotel” finished in 1988. That was the same year as her first marriage ended, and she lost the hyphenated Harper at the end of her name.

The years after
Besides “The Morning Show”, I recall seeing Shari Belafonte in an episode of “911”. In reality, she has continued acting since the end of “Hotel” in a variety of roles such as “Beyond Reality”; “Sonic the Hedgehog”; “The Heidi Chronicles”; “Babylon 5: Thirdspace”; “The District”; “Nip/Tuck”; “General Hospital”; “Station 19” and more.

Parting thoughts
Shari Belafonte, I still have trouble dropping the Harper, was never Harry Belafonte’s daughter to me. Instead she will always be Julie Gilette, working behind a desk at the St. Gregory Hotel, wearing a stylish red vest. She was a calming influence at a place that was often full of drama.

When “Hotel” debuted on peasant vision in the fall of 1983, I was in Grade 9. Channel 13 aired it at 10 p.m. on a school night, Tuesday or Wednesday. I had a TV in my room and, when I wanted to watch something late, which was after 10 p.m., I had to keep the volume low and crowd in close to the TV, while I sat on my water bed.

“Hotel” was one of numerous shows I used to stay up late to watch.

Seeing Shari Belafonte reminds me of that time, when 10 p.m. was late, the TV had no remote control, and if you didn’t watch the show live, you may never get another chance to see it.

Supertramp: A “Good Rockin’ Tonite” introduction

The cover of Supertramp's album "Breakfast in America".

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/

(May be subject to copyright)

There is this image of a cave man seemingly angry, looking around on the top of a truck. That was my introduction to the band Supertramp.

The image is from the music video for their 1985 single “Cannonball” from the album “Brother Where You Band”.

All of this, and much more, I learned one Friday night when I was watching “Good Rockin’ Tonite”, hosted by Terry David Mulligan, on Channel 9 on the peasant vision dial.

History lesson
That episode of “Good Rockin’ Tonite” was my entry into the life and times of Supertramp. They interviewed two band members, but the only one I can recall is Rick Davies. “Brother Where You Bound” was Supertramp’s first album without Roger Hodgson, their long-time lead singer.

I thought, I had heard of Roger Hodgson but as a solo performer. In fact, he had a song on the radio around that time called “Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy)”.

Just as I was thinking that, they played a clip of Hodgson performing with Supertramp. The tune was “The Logical Song”, the first time I had ever heard that as well.

They talked about their previous albums, including “Breakfast in America” and “Crime of the Century”, which came in handy a bit later.

All of this was new to me.

Album cover art
Later I discovered that I, in fact, had seen “Breakfast in America” before. The album had a picture of a waitress on the cover with a city line behind her made up of dishes. My sister had that album because I remember being fascinated looking at that skyline.

When she went to college in Calgary, we would go visit her regularly. Like most music lovers of that period, she had all her records stacked horizontally leaning up against a wall in her apartment. The album at the front was “Breakfast in America”, so I saw that smiling waitress every time I went to visit my sister

Skill testing question
There was a quiz at the end of “Good Rockin’ Tonite” asking for the names of two previous Supertramp albums.

That was the first time I ever entered a contest on TV. I clearly remembered the names “Breakfast in America” and “Crime of the Century”, so I wrote them on a piece of paper, and got an envelope and a stamp from my Mom. Every Saturday, we went to town to go shopping, stopping first in Coaldale to check our mail, then off to Lethbridge for the actual shopping.

So, I dropped my entry in the mail and waited, and watched “Good Rockin’ Tonite” every week.

I didn’t win.

The cover of Supertramp's album "Brother Where You Bound".

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/

(May be subject to copyright)

Brother Where You Bound
The cave man motif was also on the cover of the album, which had pictures of man evolving from cave man to musician.

“Cannonball” was the first single released from “Brother Where You Bound” in April of 1985. It peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in July of 1985. It would be Supertramp’s last top 40 hit to date. The album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart as well.

My strongest memory was that "Cannonball" was like eight minutes long, which didn’t do it any favours on the radio. Deejays and listeners didn’t really like songs that long.

I don’t recall hearing anything new from Supertramp, but I heard a lot of other stuff.

Prolific band
As I listened to more and more music, and delved deeper into it, I discovered I was actually quite familiar with Supertramp. I suspect I heard various songs coming from the bedrooms of my brother and sister, and on the radio.

Those songs included the aforementioned “Logical Song”; as well as “Goodbye Stranger”; “Take the Long Way Home”; “Dreamer”; “Give a Little Bit”; “Bloody Well Right”; and “It’s Raining Again”.

Pretty much all of them were top 20 hits with “The Logical Song” going to number six on the Billboard Hot 100; “Goodbye Stranger” peaking at number 15; “Take the Long Way Home” going to number 10; “Dreamer” peaking at number 15; “Give a Little Bit” going to number 15; and “It’s Raining Again” going to number 11.

“Bloody Well Right” peaked at number 35

Better louder
In the fall of 1987, I moved into student residence at the University of Alberta, and lived with a bunch of great guys in my wing. One guy, named Avi, kept talking about music. His dad was an electrical engineer in Vancouver who had the contract for the Pacific Coliseum. That gave Av a lot of backstage access. The thing I remember most was a poster he had hanging in his room autographed personally for him by Ann and Nancy Wilson from heart. He esaid Nancy even gave him a peck on the cheek. But he didn’t have a stereo.

Then one day, I come home from class and “Dreamer” is blasting in my wing. Av’s sister had sent him his stereo and he was trying it out for speed – and volume.

Parting thoughts
I am fond of saying that I learned how to play a lot of sports from television. It wasn’t coaches or teachers who taught me, but announcers and colour commentators who did.

The same is true of music. I learned a lot about music from the people who hosted “Entertainment Tonight”; “Solid Gold”; “Video Hits”; “Switchback”; and “Good Rockin’ Tonite”.

Supertramp may have been on the decline when I met them on “Good Rockin’ Tonite” in 1985, but I would never have been introduced if it wasn’t for Terry David Mulligan.

Not only did I get to hear the music, but I got see the artists behind it and hear their stories.

That’s a musical education.

Mike Vernon: Hall of Fame goaltender

Mike Vernon starred as the Calgary Flames' goaltender in the last half of the '80s, helping them win the 1989 Stanley Cup.

Source: https://www.hhof.com/induction/induction2023/mikevernon.html

(May be subject to copyright)

Sometimes you don’t know greatness when it is right in front of you.

My first reaction to Mike Vernon was disdain, bordering on hatred. After all, he was the goaltender for the Calgary Wranglers, the much-hated rivals of my beloved Lethbridge Broncos in the early 1980s.

That hatred was just intensified in 1983 when Vernon spurned the Broncos to play for the Portland Winter Hawks in the Memorial Cup.

Yet, all that would change when Vernon joined the Calgary Flames and immediately shored up their goaltending for the better part of a decade. He backstopped them to a Stanley Cup championship and another appearance in the finals, then pretty much did the same thing in the mid-90s with the Detroit Red Wings.

The Hockey Hall of Fame recently announced its class of 2023, and Mike Vernon is part of it.

His induction is well deserved.

Junior sensation
Mike Vernon joined the Calgary Wranglers for the 1980-1981 season where he led the Wranglers to the Western Hockey League final before losing to the Victoria Cougars.

He was then selected by his hometown Calgary Flames in the third round of the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.

Vernon was back with the Wranglers for the 1981-1982 season where he was named a WHL all-star, the league’s top goaltender, and the league’s most valuable player. After the Wranglers were eliminated from the playoffs, the league champion Portland Winter Hawks could add a goaltender, so they picked up Vernon, who appeared in all three Portland games, winning one and losing two.

He played a third season with Calgary in 1982-1983, which was an eventful one. The Calgary Flames had injuries in net, so Vernon was called up and made his NHL debut, a loss to the Detroit Red Wings. He played one more game with the Flames, before going back to the Wranglers. He once again was named the WHL’s top goaltender and most valuable player. He also suited up for Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, helping Canada win bronze.

After the Wranglers were eliminated from he playoffs, by rights the league champion Lethbridge Broncos chose Vernon to join them for the Memorial Cup. However, that was the first year the host team also qualified for the Memorial Cup. That was Portland, so they claimed they could pick up a goalie too. The rules were unclear because this was the first time two teams from the same league went to the Memorial Cup. Vernon refused to go to the Broncos because he didn’t want to play for their coach John Chapman. Instead he joined the Winter Hawks, and helped them become the first American team to win the Memorial Cup. He was also named the top goaltender in the Memorial Cup.

That still bugs me.

Turning pro
Vernon turned pro for the 1983-1984 season where he played for the Colorado Flames of the Central Hockey League, then appeared in one game for the Calgary Flames. He spent the entire 1984-1985 season in the minors with the Moncton Golden Flames of the American Hockey League.

The 1985-1986 season looked to be more of the same. He played 10 games for the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the International Hockey League then six with Moncton.

Then, everything would change.

Upset special
The Flames were mired in a slump. They called Vernon up to rest starting goaltender Rejean Lemelin and injured back-up Marc D’Amour, after losing their 11th straight game.

He got his first regular season start on January 9, 1986. He beat the Vancouver Canucks in overtime, earning his first NHL win. He would also earn his first shut out, blanking the Canucks, and went on a run where he did not lose a start for two months.

The Flames made the playoffs where they would face the Winnipeg Jets, a team Vernon had beaten three times that season.

With just 21 games of NHL experience coach Bob Johnson named Vernon the Flames starting goaltender for the playoffs. He made the right choice.

Vernon led the Flames to a three-game sweep of the Jets. He followed that by backstopping Calgary to a shocking upset over the heavily-favoured Edmonton Oilers in seven games, then helped the Flames beat the St. Louis Blues in seven games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

The clock struck midnight for the Cinderella Flames, as they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

But the Flames had their guy in net.

Settling in
Vernon became the Flames’ number one goalie for the 1986-1987 season, recording 30 wins, although the Flames lost to the Jets in the first round of the playoffs.

The following year, the 1987-1988 season, Vernon was second in the league in wins with 39, trailing only Grant Fuhr of the Edmonton Oilers. Vernon helped the Flames win the President’s Trophy as the league’s top team in the regular season, and appeared in his first of four straight all-star games. The Flames would face the Oilers in the second round of the playoffs, after Calgary dispatched Los Angeles, only to have the Oilers sweep the Flames in four straight games.

The next year would be Vernon’s best of the decade, and one of the best of his career.

Champion
Vernon led the league in wins with 37 in the 1988-1989 season, and was second with a goals against average of 2.65. The Flames again had the best record in the league and he appeared in his second straight all-star game. He also finished second in voting for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie, which went to Montreal’s Patrick Roy.

The Flames opened the playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks. They gave Calgary all they could handle, taking them to overtime in Game 7 and the brink of elimination, before Calgary defeated the Canucks. Vernon made perhaps the greatest save of his career in that overtime when he stopped Stan Smyl on a breakaway. Joel Otto would later score the overtime winner and Calgary never looked back.

They beat the Los Angeles Kings and Wayne Gretzky in the second round, Chicago in the third round, and got their revenge on the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup final, beating them in Montreal.

Mike Vernon was a Stanley Cup champion.

The years after
Mike Vernon remained with the Flames until the summer of 1994 when he was traded to Detroit. He was intended to be a mentor to Chris Osgood who would be the Red Wings’ goalie of the future. He backed Osgood up for the better part of three seasons.

Then, with Osgood struggling at the end of the 1996-1997 regular season, coach Scotty Bowman tapped Vernon on the shoulder to start in the playoffs. Vernon did not disappoint. He led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup championship and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.

He was traded to San Jose after the season, played 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 with them before being traded to Florida on Dec. 30 of 1999. He was claimed by Minnesota in the 2000 expansion draft then immediately traded back to the Flames.

He played two seasons in Calgary, then retired on Sept. 13, 2002, the Flames’ leader in virtually every category.

His #30 jersey was retired in 2007, and he was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.

This year, he was named to the Hockey Hall Of Fame.

Parting thoughts
Looking back to the 1980s, it always seemed Mike Vernon was destined for greatness in Calgary. It was no surprise he was drafted by the Flames, and we all thought it was just a matter of time until he joined them.

When he did in 1986, it was like he was the saviour of the team, it just seemed destined. We just knew he was going to help them win – and he did.

And he kept on winning, even when he was cast aside, he kept on winning.

Quite frankly, it’s about time he went into the Hockey Hall Of Fame, because he has been a hall-of-fame goaltender for some time.

Emotional roller coaster: Remembering “Drive” by the Cars

Whenever we heard “Drive” by the Cars coming out of Dean’s room, booming on auto play as he slept the night away, it only meant one thing.

Dean had crashed and burned on another date.

Even now, almost 40 years later, I still think about that time in 1988 when a bunch of young university boys entered the mine field of dating, had little success, but got some good stories out of the deal.

The song
Unlike virtually every other hit by the Cars, “Drive” was sung by Benjamin Orr, not lead singer Ric Ocasek. It was released July 23, 1984, the third single off “Heartbeat City”, the Cars’ fifth album, and went all the way to Number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

Heartfelt moments
The song caught a second wind in 1985. Not only did Benjamin Orr perform it at Live Aid in Philadelphia in the summer, but the song was part of a very touching video.

The creators were Canadian, the CBC in fact, and they cut together footage of a starving, emaciated child struggling to get to its feet. It was part of a report by journalisrt Brian Stewart. Bob Geldof, the driving force behind Live Aid, wrote in his book “Is That It?” that when that video first aired on British TV during the broadcast of Live Aid, the announcer was speechless and almost moved to tears. In fact, that video was played on the big screen at Wembley Stadium in London, and only so because David Bowie volunteered to drop a song in his set for Live Aid, so the video could be shown.

That song really can touch the soul.

Thirties wing
Now, on a much lighter note.

We lived on the Fifth floor of Kelsey Hall, in the Thirties Wing to be exact. It was called that because every room number, except mine oddly, was in the 30s.

As we got to know each other, one of the things we used to commiserate about was the girls we liked, the anxiety around asking them out, and the utter fear of rejection we all shared.

At one point, we even had on the wall, in smelly marker on a roll of newsprint, what we called the “Crash and Burn” list. Each entry had our name, the name of the girl, and the reason we crashed. Some of the reasons I recall included, “Talked too much” and “Too freaking stupid”.

The funniest thing happened at one point. Miss Teen Lethbridge had moved into res that year. She happened to be good friends with the girlfriend of one of the guys on our floor. However, he lived in the other men’s wing on our floor, the Teens wing.

Miss Teen Lethbridge
So, most of the guys in our wing tried to go out with her, except me because I was still way too chicken. One by one, the guys tried – and one by one they all crashed and burned.

The funniest part of this, for me anyway, was that ironically it was a guy from the Teens Wing who went out with her.

Oh, and we all knew when Dean crashed and burned because Benjamin Orr was asking us “Who’s gonna drive ya home, tonight?”

On auto play. All night. At max volume.

A small consolation
There was another point in time when a number of us liked this girl. This time, one of the guys asked her out and she accepted. We were all stoked.

He came home that night looking dejected.

“Oh no,” I thought. I was getting the smelly markers ready and starting to make my way to the wall with the newsprint.

Then he said the words I will never forget.

“She was the most beautiful girl in the world – until I met her.”

I laughed so hard. She had crashed and burned.

I even mused we should add her name to the list.

Parting thoughts
That time only lasted a couple months before we all spread our wings and found new and different friends, as happens at university.

Ironically, “Drive” resonates in so many ways. It asks us to reflect on our lives.

That was the case with our burgeoning dating lives, as well as the famine going on in Africa.

Afrer all, “You can’t go on, thinking, nothing’s wrong”.

Andrew McCarthy: Pretty in Pink and more

Andrew McCarthy as Blane in "Pretty in Pink".

Source: https://www.moviestore.com/

(May be subject to copyright)

When I was in a Wal-mart in Nanaimo, checking out the books, I noticed Andrew McCarthy had written a book about a journey he had taken with his son.

I immediately put his name in my phone because even hearing the name Andrew McCarthy conjures up memories of one of the best teen actors of the 1980s.

St. Elmo’s Fire
It seems Andrew McCarthy followed me right through the decade. After appearing in “Class” in 1983 opposite Rob Lowe and Jacqueline Bisset; “The Beniker Gang” in 1984; and “Heaven Help Us” in 1985, he broke through with a role in the teen angst film “St. Elmo’s Fire”.

Unlike the John Hughes movies, which focused on teens battling the challenges of high school life, “St. Elmo’s Fire” focuses on a group of friends who are trying to cope with life after university.

McCarthy plays Kevin, a reporter with “The Washington Post”, who Wikipedia describes as having a sullen streak.

I have only seen “St. Elmo’s Fire” one time in its entirety. Me and Chris Vining, my best friend of the time, rented it from the Red Rooster in Coaldale and watched one Friday night after we worked a shift at Gergeley’s Greenhouse. I have to admit, I was expecting it to be like my hero John Hughes’ movies, but it was not. It had many of the same actors from that 1980s group of actors called the “Brat Pack”, but my issue is with the writing. “St. Elmo’s Fire” does not have the soul the John Hughes films do.

Yet, I did like Andrew McCarthy, who was soft-spoken which meant he was either shy and vulnerable, or arrogant.

I wondered the same thing in his next movie, when he actually did work with John Hughes.

Pretty in Pink
Now this is a movie that has a soul, and Andrew McCarthy is a big part of it. Molly Ringwald plays Andie, the lead, a high school senior who dances to the beat of her own drum. She lives with her dad who is raising her by himself, and she hangs out with her friends. One is her older boss, played by Annie Potts, who owns the record store Andie works in. The other is the unforgettable “Duckman” played by Jon Cryer, who we discover has a crush on her. She is harassed by Benny, played by Canadian Kate Vernon, and her boyfriend Steff, played by a very young and blow-dried James Spader.

They are in Grade 12, and looking forward to their prom. Enter into the picture, Blane, a preppy played by Andrew McCarthy who is Steff’s best friend and takes a shine to Andie.

Battling the disapproval of his friends, Blane asks Andie to the prom, and the drama ensues.

My overriding memory of Andrrew McCarthy in “Pretty in Pink” is that he was likeable and believable as the rich, preppy kid who looked beyond the cliques and drama of high school to go out with someone genuine and real.

“Pretty in Pink”, along with “Sixteen Candles”, “The Breakfast Club”, and “Some Kind of Wonderful” remain my favourite teen angst movies. To be hones, at the time, I thought “Pretty in Pink” would be the last one, but John Hughes had one more ace up his sleeve.

Mannequin
The next year, 1987, Andrew McCarthy was back, starring in “Mannequin” opposite a very young Kim Cattrall. The Canadian actress plays a mannequin who comes to life but only for Andrew McCarthy, the window dresser who created her. The comedy and drama goes from there.

I am not sure I ever saw “Mannequin” in its entirety, but I do recall the soundtrack and the hit, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”, by Starship, which went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Less Than Zero
That same year, 1987, McCarthy got real, taking a role that departed vastly from his teen angst persona. In “Less Than Zero”, his character is friends with a woman, played by Jami Gertz, and a man, played by a young Robert Downey Junior who is on a self-destructive path to oblivion.

McCarthy is excellent as the friend who is at times supportive, concerned, and ultimately helpless as his friend rides a cocktail of drugs and alcohol straight into hell.

That performance showed that Andrew McCarthy was a lot more than just a light weight, comedic lead or preppy good guy.

Then came his next role.

Weekend at Bernie’s
After turns in “Kansas” and “Fresh Horses”, both in 1988, McCarthy was back in 1989 with “Weekend at Bernie’s”.

From the moment I heard about “Weekend at Bernie’s”, it sounded stupid to me. Two guys, one played by Andrew McCarthy, have a friend die on them and have to pretend he is alive for a whole weekend.

So I hear, because I have never seen the movie.

Interestingly, it came out in the summer of 1989, when I was going to movies pretty much every week with my friends Larry and Bruce. I went home one week and, when I returned, they told me they went to see a movie when I was gone.

I was sad I missed out. Then I asked what they saw.

“Weekend at Bernie’s”.

I wasn’t so sad after that.

The years after
Andrew McCarthy kept on acting in movies including “Weekend at Bernie’s II” in 1993; “The Joy Luck Club” in 1994; “Mulholland Falls” in 1996; and so much more.

He also took his skills to television, appearing in shows such as “Law and Order”; “The Twilight Zone”; “Monk”; “Kingdom Hospital”; “Gossip Girl”; “Orange is the New Black”; “The Blacklist”; “New Amsterdam”; and most recently “The Resident”.

Parting thoughts
It is no surprise Andrew McCarthy was ranked number 40 on VH1’s greatest teen stars of all-time list. He built quite a resumé of roles in the 1980s, that propelled him on to a career that continues to this day.

For me though, he will always be Blane in “Pretty in Pink”. In a movie where it is the girl who is the “loser” and the boy who is popular, he proves the girl can get the boy in the end.

Wok the Heck: Remembering “Wok with Yan”

Stephen Yan and his show "Wok with Yan" was a staple of summer television viewing on CBC Channel 9 in the '80s.

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/arts

(May be subject to copyright)

One of the highlights of summer daytime TV in the early 1980s came every week day at 1 p.m.

Whether I was by myself, with cousins visiting our farm, or visiting them, we’d turn the TV dial to Channel 9 on peasant vision for the big reveal.

“Wok with Yan” was on and host Stephen Yan would come on set, introduce himself, then pick up his apron, which always had a new pun stencilled on it using the word wok.

The first one I recall was “Wok the Heck”.

The show
“Wok with Yan” was first produced in Vancouver by a CTV affiliate in the late 1970s before moving to CBC in 1980, according to Wikipedia.

“Wok with Yan” ran on CBC until 1982, before moving into syndication where it ran until 1995.

In addition to his cooking, the show also featured Yan showing some footage of him on vacation somewhere exotic; inviting someone from the audience to eat with him at the end; and reading a fortune cookie in English and Cantonese before they ate.

I don’t have too many memories of the show, because I was not as interested in cooking as I was in the aprons.

I was developing a taste for puns more than Chinese cuisine – which I already loved.

However, my Mom did take note, and eventually did buy a wok, which became more mainstream and known after that. At least in the circle I lived and moved in.

Mom also bought one of the “Wok with Yan” cookbooks and I do recall her having it open while she was making her own Chinese food – in her new wok.

In fact, we have a walk in our house right now. Well, actually it is a combination wok and pan.

The aprons
Wikipedia also lists a number of the puns that appeared on Stephen Yan’s aprons:

• Wok and roll

• Wokking my baby back home

• Danger, Yan at wok

• Wok around the clock

• You are wok you eat

• Wok goes up must come down

• Wok’s new, pussycat?

• Wokkey night in Canada.

• Stuck between a wok and a hard place

• Raiders of the lost wok

• Eat your wok out.

• Moon wok

• Wok your butts off

• Jailhouse wok

• Superior wokmanship

• Wok-a-doodle-do

• Wok before you run

• Wok up little Susie

• Wok don’t run

• Don’t wok the boat

• 101 ways to wok the dog

And of course, Wok the heck.

Two Yans are better than one
Around that same time, another cooking show ran on Channel 7, which at the time was part of a loose association of independent TV stations loosely affiliated with Global TV.

It was produced in Calgary, and I distinctly remember it being called “Yan Can”, hosted by Martin Yan who was no relation to Stephen Yan.

My online research only refers to a show called “Yan Can Cook”, seemingly based in the United States. Some deeper digging revealed Martin Yan began his career with a cooking show shot in the Calgary Channel 2&7 studios.

I will have to go looking in old newspapers to find out if I am remembering correctly.

Parting thoughts
Some things are just meant to be. I started writing this entry in June, but really got into it on July 8. I had planned to work on this post that day anyway, when something interesting happened. My spouse and I travelled to a place near Okotoks where I often buy used books. On that day, as I entered the book section, staring me in the face was “Wok with Yan”. I just had to put down my $1.25 and buy it.

It is from 1983, the third edition of the “Wok With Yan Television Cookbook”.

The book describes Stephen Yan as the president of Yan’s Variety Company Limited, which manufactures Chinese cookware and condiments supplying hundreds of outlets throughout Canada. He is the owner of Yan’s Gourmet Chinese Restaurant in Burnaby, B.C.; host and producer of “Wok With Yan”, shown week days on the CBC, cable networks in the U.S. and internationally; host of “Yan’s Wokking” on the British Columbia Television Broadcasting System; and author of five best seller Chinese cookbooks.

Yan has been in North America since 1963. The book has 160 receipes with full colour photographic illustrations. He said the purpose of this book is to support Yan’s lifetime ambition to share delicious Chinese cooking with all his friends. He calls it a tasteful way to bridge the two great cultures to a better understanding and friendship.

His conclusion sums up the show.

“It is my sincere hope to inspire each reader to promote good cooking and bring the enjoyment back to home life to be shared between family and friends. I feel good cooking can be an attractive nucleus to bring people together as we have done in our television shows. As said in China:

‘A country exists with people, and people live on food.”

For me, “Wok With Yan” represents a simpler time, spent with family and friends, not a care in the world, and tuning in to see another great pun.

Birthdays with my sister: Remembering “Flashdance…What a Feeling” by Irene Cara

Some of my fondest birthday memories growing up are going out to the movies with my sister. Every time I hear “Flashdance…What a Feeling”, I am reminded of one particular birthday.

Celebration time
My sister had moved back to Southern Alberta in the early 1980s, and pretty much immediately went to work at the hospital in Lethbridge. She would come home to the farm every Sunday for dinner, which was at noon in our house, and visit.

She was nine years older than me, so I kind of looked up to her.

We regularly would go to movies, where she would pick me up on the farm and go to one of the theatres in Lethbridge, be it the Paramount; College Cinema, in the Woolco Mall; or Lethbridge Centre, in the Woodwards Mall.

Some of the movies I recall seeing with her were “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”; “Star Wars”; “Empire Strikes Back”; “Return of the Jedi”; “Romancing the Stone”; “Ladyhawke”; “The Karate Kid”; “Uncommon Valor”; “The Killing Fields” and many more.

On a few occasions, we piled into her silver 1980 Ford Mustang for my birthday and went to a movie then pizza afterwards.

What a feeling
One year, I am guessing 1983, so my 13th birthday, we went to Top’s Pizza after the movie. As always, we had a long conversation about the movie we just saw, then about books, TV, other movies, our family and whatever else came up.

That night, playing in the background seemingly on auto replay was “Flashdance…What a Feeling” by Irene Cara.

It must have played at least 20 times, like it was the only song on the juke box, or tape, or whatever was providing music.

The song, which is still one of my favourites to this day, was just imprinted on my brain.

The song
“Flashdance…What a Feeling” was recorded by Irena Cara in 1983 for the motion picture “Flashdance”. It starred Jennifer Beals as a woman working in the steel mills in Pittsburgh by day, and as an exotic dancer at night with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer.

The song went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 28, stayed there for six weeks and spent 14 weeks in the top 10. It won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song, and Cara won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

The movie
As much as I loved the song, I did not see the movie until the summer of 1996, after I had left the University of Alberta, was taking some time off, and catching up on a lot of movies I had missed.

Back in the 1980s, it was not as easy as pressing a few buttons to see an old movie. You either had to rent it from a video store, or see it rerun on TV or pay TV. That was not that easy living on a farm and rarely getting to town.

Later on, maybe seven or eight years ago, I read this article in the “Calgary Herald” about “Flashdance: The Musical” making its way across the country. I discovered it was actually a Canadian story.

I thought that was pretty cool.

Parting thoughts
“Flashdance…What a Feeling” is another rock anthem that can stir emotion and inspire. It is a combination of Irene Cara’s vocals and strong music.

More than that, it will forever be linked to a time in my life that was simple, when one of my favourite things was spending time with my big sister.

What a feeling that is.

Ted McGinley: From "Happy Days" to "Shrinking and everything in between

Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips on "Happy Days".

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0596229/

(May be subject to copyright)

He had a tough act to follow, essentially replacing Ron Howard’s Richie Cunningham on “Happy Days”, but Ted McGinley would carve out a solid, prolific career in the 1980s and beyond.

These happy days
“Happy Days" had become a popular sitcom, Tuesday nights on CBC Channel 9. It was all the talk on the school bus the morning after every new episode aired.

Then things changed when Ron Howard left the show. He, along with Henry Winkler’s character Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli, had been the stars of the show.

No one could really replace Richie Cunningham, because he had a special bond with “The Fonz”, and no one ever really did.

However, the producers introduced a new character. He had been a high school and college basketball star who got a rude awakening when he tried out for the Los Angeles Lakers and went up against the likes of Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.

Now, he was in Milwaukee, teaching school, coaching basketball and living with his aunt and uncle Marion and Howard Cunningham.

It was only a matter of time he would run into “The Fonz”, and of course friction ensued, but they would become friends.

Ted McGinley played that character, Roger Phillips, and he stayed with “Happy Days” until it went off the air in 1984

But he was not unemployed for long.

Shooting the stars
McGinley landed a role on “The Love Boat”, an hour-long comedy set on a cruise ship. Each episode featured three story lines running concurrently. He would play Ashley “Ace” Covington Evans, the ship’s photographer. He would remain with the show until it went off the air in 1986.

Oddly, a few days ago I was seeing what was on my on-demand service and saw “The Love Boat”. I was trying to scroll through some episodes, but inadvertently started playing one. I stayed long enough to watch the opening credits where I saw Ted McGinley as the ship’s photographer.

It was the first time I saw him on “The Love Boat” because two things had happened. One, I kind of stopped watching the show, because I was in high school and life just got busier. The other was that Channel 13 stopped airing the show on peasant vision. I could only see it if I knew someone who had cable TV.

Dynasty days
After “The Love Boat” ended, Ted McGinley joined the cast of the nighttime soap opera “Dynasty”. He appeared in 31 episodes in the 1986-1987 season, before he was written out of the show.

I had watched “Dynasty” religiously until a season before that. I could tell I stopped after the 1984-1985 season because it ended with this big massacre in a fictitious country. I never watched another episode, although my Mom filled me in on who survived that cliff-hanger. By the 1985-1986 season, I was in Grade 11, and hanging out more with my friends, talking to them on the phone, and mooning over girls. I had much less time for TV, and less interest.

Next door neighbour
McGinley has been in a lot of Apple-TV productions lately, where he has played supporting characters who are funny, kind of cartoon-like, and can be just a bit creepy or inappropriate.

This part of his career really got started when the FOX network launched a sitcom like none other in 1987, that would leave its mark on television. It was called “Married, with Children” and focused on the Bundy family – dad Al, mom Peggy, son Bud, and daughter Kelly.

McGinley would join the cast in 1987, playing “Jefferson D’Arcy”, the second husband of the Bundys’ neighbour Marcy. Wikipedia describes D’Arcy as a white-collar criminal who became her trophy husband and lead character Al Bundy’s sidekick.

The years after
Ted Mcginley also played in the movies “Young Doctors in Love” in 1982; “Revenge of the Nerds” in 1984; and “Troop Beverly Hills” in 1989. His movie career continued on in the years after.

He has appeared in dozens of movies including “Wayne’s World 2”; “Major League: Back to the Minors”; and “Pearl Harbor”.

The same went for his TV career where, in the years after, he had a recurring role in “Hope and Faith”, and guest spots in everything from “Evening Shade”; Baby Talk” and “The John Larroquette Show” to “Sports Night”; “The West Wing”: “The Practice”; “Family Guy”; “’Til Death”; “Psych”; “The Mentalist”; “Mad Men”; and “Castle”.

Parting thoughts
It seems like Ted McGinley is hitting his stride now, as a middle-aged supporting actor playing roles that are over the top, funny and, at times, just a bit creepy.

What inspired me to reflect on the career of Ted McGinley was seeing him in the popular Apple-TV production “Shrinking”. What drove the point home was in the midst of the two-week percolation of this post, he appeared again, this time as a cartoon-like restaurant tycoon named Johnny Rev in the Seth Rogen Apple-TV comedy “Platonic”.

Yet, what set the stage for all these great roles was that basketball coach in Milwaukee and nephew of Howard and Marion Cunningham.

Name that Tune with Lee Yule

Entertainer Lee Yule about the time I met him in the '80s.

Source: Facebook/Lee Yule

(May be subject to copyright)

You ever had that feeling walking into a bar and every single eye is on you? That has happened to me a few times. One time in particular sticks out because I was with a bunch of friends in a community I had never been to, or even heard of for that matter, getting ready to play “Name That Tune”.

“Name That Tune” was hosted that night by Lee Yule, an entertainer from Edmonton and a buddy of one of my friends. Incredibly, that would not be the last time I experienced the musical stylings of Lee Yule.

In fact, in a nine-month period in 1989-1990, Lee provided the sound track for a couple interesting adventures.

The summer of ‘89
After the 1988-1989 school year ended, I decided to stay in Edmonton, live in res, and go to summer school. I also had a nominal, part-time job with the University of Alberta, doing the mail for the few students living in res, and a few other duties.

Life was not that interesting until my friend Bruce Freadrich, who I had worked with that school year, finished up his job and also enrolled in summer school. About that time, another co-worker, Larry Irla, also started hanging out and the three of us were virtually inseparable.

Every week we either went to a movie, Margarita Monday or Wing Wednesday at Campus Earl’s, or hung out together.

It was Larry Irla who introduced us to Lee Yule.

Where is New Sarepta?
Larry had talked about his friend Lee, and said he was doing a show at the New Sarepta bar. I wasn’t sure where that was, and neither was anyone else.

Bruce, who would be driving us in his white Toyota Tercel, dug out a map and figured it was maybe an hour from Edmonton, but not a huge distance.

So, we were set for Saturday night.

We would also be joined by Chris and Kari Jesswein, siblings who were friends of mine, and who went to high school with Bruce.

Name that Tune
We got to New Sarepta not too much before the show started, enough time for Larry to introduce us to Lee Yule.

As we walked in the bar, one thing was apparent – we were the only out-of-towners besides Lee. When we walked in the door, it seemed everyone in the place followed us with their eyes. Nothing went beyond that, except that we all shared jokes and laughed as the night went on.

The night opened up well for me.

Bruce had high hopes for me and my musical knowledge in trying to win “Name That Tune”.

The first song Lee played drew a blank from everyone else but, I knew that song. Suddenly it came to me, but I blurted out the first few words, not the name. Then I quickly corrected course.

“My Own Way to Rock,” by Burton Cummings.

Lee seemed suitably impressed.

That was the only song I guessed right all night.

It was a great night with great friends, and I really liked Lee Yule.

I never thought I would see him again.

But I did.

Teacher convention
The third year of university was when life began to get serious at university. First semester was the same schedule of content courses in history, geography and computer science. Second semester was our second professional term, where we went out student teaching at an actual school. My first professional term was in my first year when I mostly observed four weeks at a elementary school and four weeks at a junior high. This would be four weeks at a high school.

During that time Chris and Kari’s parents, who were both teachers, came to Edmonton for teacher convention. It was in a hotel, and they invited us down for the evening entertainment.

It was Lee Yule.

This time, there was no “Name That Tune”, just straight up songs on this incredible machine that sounded like a dozen different instruments.

He was so good, not just at playing music, but reading the crowd.

It was another great night.

Unbeknownst to any of us, the “Edmonton Journal” was there.

A few days later, I opened the paper and was caught by surprise by the front of the City or Life section.

It was a picture of Lee Yule in mid-song.

However, in the background you could see Chris and me in the corner. He was wearing his red and grey winter jacket, while I was wearing my 5K black and pink rugby shirt.

There was no doubt about it. It was us.

There would be no more surprises after that. I never saw Lee Yule again.

Parting thoughts
I actually Googled Lee Yule and found him on Facebook. It looks like he is a realtor now in St. Albert, and bears little resemblance to his persona of the 1980s. Yet, he still has that smile and, coincidentally, someone posted a photo of him from the 1980s. It was unmistakably the same guy. It is embedded above.

So Lee Yule, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, thanks for the memories.

Remembering West Edmonton Mall

West Edmonton Mall from the sky in the '80s. An aerial view such as this shows just how massive the mall is.

Source: Facebook

(May be subject to copyright)

For a long time, it was the world’s largest shopping mall, and the place you could get, or do, just about everything.

Today, we were in Edmonton and went clothes shopping at West Edmonton Mall.

It brought back another odd mix of memories of going to movies, eating at food courts, and hanging out with friends.

In the beginning
The first time I ever went to West Edmonton Mall was the spring of 1987. I had been accepted into the University of Alberta in Edmonton, yet I had never been north of Calgary in my whole life.

My cousin Nina was finishing up her final year at the U of A. She said if I ever wanted a tour of Edmonton and the University of Alberta campus, just say the word.

So my Mom got in touch with her sister, Nina’s mom, and arranged for us to go up to Edmonton for the weekend.

Part of that trip was a stop at West Edmonton Mall. I have no memories of any store or shop.

All I remember was thinking, “This is really big.”

When I moved up to Edmonton that September, I don’t really recall the first time I went to the Mall. For some reason, I think it was to get our phone. That was back in the days before the phone companies came to the campus to sign people up.

I do recall, over time, developing a like for the Chinese food at one of the two food courts. I think it was the food court by the theatres.

New friend
By second semester, I had begun to branch out and meet new people. My high school friend Randy Skiba lived on another floor in another tower, Sixth Mackenzie Hall, so I got to know some of the people on his floor.

With a couple months left in the school year, I befriended Glen. We had a lot in common and started to hang out. He had ripped the sleeve on his jacket, and heard there was a tailor at the Mall. He asked if I wanted to go with him.

I was in.

We took the bus to the Mall, wound our way through it and, at the end of an isolated side hallway found the tailor. Glen dropped his jacket off and they said it would be about an hour.

So we decided to find something to eat. We wandered the Mall, and found ourselves on Bourbon Street, which was patterned on a vintage New Orleans neighbourhood, complete with street lamps and benches. It also had more upscale restaurants, and no fast food places.

That’s when we discoveried Zembelli’s, where we had the most amazing pizza. I can still picture how thick the toppings were and how nicely browned the cheese was, We talked about religion, and I learned Glen was Jewish.

I recall afterwards, we went to pick up his jacket from the seamstress who fixed the rip on his sleeve, but he was not happy with the job. Instead of stitching it up neatly, they stitched a little box around the rip, drawing even more attention to it. I can still picture that too.

Birthday bash
That same year, I celebrated my 18th birthday. I had these two friends on my floor, Kim McDonald and Caroline Pounder, and they offered to take me out for supper and a movie, but it had to be after my birthday, because they couldn’t do it on the actual day.

It was months later, but we all finally set a date. Kim showed up and we both wondered where Caroline was. By then, coincidentally, Caroline had started dating Glen, so Kim went over to 6 Mac and found her.

We rode the bus to West Edmonton Mall, and they treated me to Chinese food at that food court and we went to see a movie I really wanted to see,

It was called “DOA” and starred Dennis Quaid, who I really liked as an actor, and a relatively unknown co-star named – Meg Ryan. She was best known as Goose’s wife on “Top Gun”, but that would soon change.

DOA stood for dead on arrival and was about a man who was given a lethal dose of poison. He was going to die, but had a few hours to live, enough time to find out who killed him.

Sadly, I was so tired at that point in my life, I dozed through parts of the movie and never got the full effect.

I really should watch it again.

That was also the last time I ever hung out together with Kim and Caroiline.

Love Shop baaaaaby
Whenever I hear “The Love Shop”, the tune from “Love Shack” by the B-52s runs through my mind. The first time I ever went was in my second year of university, in the fall of 1988, with my good friend CJ.

He had just started dating this girl and they were getting, shall we say, adventurous in the bedroom. They were using toys, and lotions and all sorts of erotic aids. It was all new to me. Hey, I was a farm kid from Coaldale.

CJ wanted to go to “The Love Shop” to pick something up. When we walked in, I did not even recognize most of the merchandise, beyond the girlie magazines. CJ picked up this toy, turned on, and it started to whir in this rhythm. I couldn’t stop giggling.

At that point the staff emerged from the back room.

She said, and I kid you not, “Oh hello CJ, how are you?”

My giggling just got worse.

“How did that last thing you bought here work out for you?” she continued.

He just nodded nonchalantly. It was just fine.

I was about to explode.

Beer with Teddy
That year I was a floor coordinator and sat on a joint council with 30 other coordinators. That is where I met Steve Thomas, whose nickname was Teddy. He was a coordinator on Second Mac. We hit it off and always said we should go for some beers.

Out of the blue one Saturday morning, Steve phoned me. He had a couple things to do at the Mall and asked me if I wanted to go with him. I did, so we hopped the bus at the main terminal which, at the time was in front of St. Jospeh’s College, and headed to the mall. As an aside, we sat behind this guy named Leslie who I had rode the school bus with growing up. That was the only time I ever saw him before or since.

Steve and I did our errands and he suggested we go for a beer. That was the really cool thing about taking the bus. No one had to worry about drinking and driving.

Still fairly new to West Edmonton Mall, Steve suggested a place – the Elephant and Castle. That started along and storied relationship I would have with that pub.

It was so cool. We talked about our families and girls, joint council and school, his summer job tree planting and much more.

It was one of the best afternoons I had that year.

Broken glasses
At the end of that 1988-1989 year, I was elected hall vice-president. One of the traditions of our student association was to be sworn in at what was called the “Changeover Meeting”.

Of course, there was a changeover party afterwards. It was held in the Heritage Room or, “The Henday Party Room” as we called it, because it was in the bottom of Henday Hall. The floor was tiled, and got really slick when it was wet.

Well, As the party progressed, more drinks got spilled and, at one point, I lost my balance. I went face first into a puddle of something and hit my head, basically folding my glasses in half.

I was able to unbend them so I could get around, but it was only a temporary fix.

One of the girls at the party, Karen Marshall, came by my room the next day, offering to take me to West Edmonton Mall where there were a few places to get them fixed.

Just like when Steve called, this was out of the blue, and so nice.

We hopped the bus, chatted the whole way about her growing up in Quesnel, B.C., what she studied, and so much more. She led me to a place I got my glasses fixed and we went back to res.

I never really chatted with her again too much after that and I don’t know why.

It was so cool, and another highlight from that year.

Parting thoughts
By the end of the 1980s, I had become much more familiar with West Edmonton Mall, and would have some great highlights, and a few lowlights there.

None of my memories are about the shops or stores, or even the places I went.

The memories have always been made by the people I was with.

That’s not something you can buy in any store or shop.