That's a very snappy outfit

My mom, sister and I all live in different parts of the state.  Yesterday, we all met up for a day of shopping. When I arrived, I was shocked to discover that my mom and I were wearing the exact same sweater. Don't get me wrong, my mom is hip and all, but it's just a little embarrassing to be walking around dressed in matching mommy/daughter outfits. (I believe we did actually have matching sailor dresses in the 80s). 


This reminded me of an episode of Full House called "Back to School Blues". DJ is starting middle school - that time in life when what you wear and who you hang out with is as important as breathing. The day does not go well. DJ is harassed by a clique of "cool" girls and is horrified to see that she is wearing the same outfit as a teacher. Then she eats lunch in a phone booth. Poor DJ! You would have thought that someone in the house or even Kimmy Gibbler would have warned her against those pleated pants and the floral vest! Not that I should talk, I think I wore a similar outfit in middle school, plus I had huge glasses and braces, and would have done anything to have big bangs like DJ. 

"That's a very snappy outfit!"

Here is a clip of DJ's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad first day of school.


Lucky for me, gone are the days of being embarrassed of my parents, so I got over being twins with my mom pretty quickly. Next time, I will just have to call ahead to make sure we don't show up matchy-matchy.


Friends Forever,


AC Slater


*Murder Mystery Party Update! Make sure to check out the original post for an update on the party.

Coasters

Last weekend was "girls weekend", spent at the cottage of my friend "Tori's" in-laws. It was so generous of them to let us relax there for the weekend and we had a great time. While we gathered around the table for meals and games, Tori kept kindly reminding us to use a coaster under our cool beverages. Apparently, mother in law is not too keen on water rings on her table and is very quick to notice when new ones appear. I can't blame her, I have been known to be anal about lesser things. It kind of became a game of who could catch someone else not using a coaster and bust them. I was loving it, because I knew I could finally write about one of my all time favorite Danny Tanner moments. 


One of the best Full House episodes ever is Jesse and Rebecca's wedding. Growing up we had this two-parter on VHS (taped off of TV) and watched it all the time. Who can resist when Jesse sings "Forever" to Rebecca, the montage of them growing up, and the choir joining in? I could cry just thinking about it! Then Rebecca joins in at the end...ahhh it's just so magical.  Also, can Rebecca's veil be any bigger?





The reception is held in the Tanner living room. Danny stands up on the staircase to make his toast. In classic Danny style, he says,


"You know, as I look at all you happy, smiling people with your glasses raised, I can't help but think there are so many of you and so few coasters to go around...."


Oh Danny! So hilarious. So know you see how excited I was to hear about Tori's MIL loving the coaster usage. I hope she's reading this! :)


Friends Forever,
AC Slater

Just Like Old Times

I was channel surfing tonight and paused on Dancing with the Stars just as they were introducing the musical guest. Much to my delight, the guest performer was The Beach Boys featuring their longtime friend, John Stamos, aka Uncle Jesse! Holla!

If you don't remember, The Beach Boys made a few cameos in Full House, due to their close, personal relationship with Mr. Stamos.

The Beach Boys pay a visit to the Tanners.

It felt just like old times seeing them perform together again. It's just heart-warming really.

So, thank you, DWTS. I still won't watch the show, but at least I know you have good taste in musical guests.

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

Still Alice

I just completed an excellent book for my book club. The book is called Still Alice by Lisa Genova and follows the journey of a woman who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. This book is incredibly moving and I would highly recommend reading it.

How does this relate to the Buddy Bands blog? Easy. Remember the Full House episode when DJ volunteers at the retirement home? The episode is aptly named "The Volunteer". DJ befriends a kind old man named Eddie, who has Alzheimer's disease. She invites him back to Chez Tanner where he gets confused and calls DJ "Gloria", which is his daughter's name. (Side note: I once had a roommate named Gloria and had to bite my tongue every time I saw her because all I wanted to do was bust out singing songs with her name in them. Especially this one:

I don't think she was the type of person who would appreciate that, so I refrained.) Anyway, Eddie's actions confuse and sadden DJ leading to a "music moment" when Danny explains Eddie's situation to DJ and encourages her to continue to be his friend. Another life lesson courtesy of Danny Tanner. When I have kids, my parenting method will be to sit the rug rats in front of the TV and continually play Full House seasons one through eight. Good idea??

You can watch a clip of the conclusion of this episode below. Listen for Eddie's Harry Carey-like voice...Hey! If you were a hot dog, would you eat yourself?

Stephanie also boasts a hot to trot outfit in this episode:

Please note that in no way am I making light of this serious disease. Especially after reading Still Alice, I can't image what it would be like to have a loved one go through this, let alone go through it yourself. To learn more about Alzheimer's Disease, visit the website for the Alzheimer's Association.

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

Wrong 'R' You

As a gift to my mom, I have been going through our childhood home videos to organize and label them. I became very aware of what a lucky (read: spoiled) kid I was at Christmastime. I received many more gifts than necessary, and while I got excited about every gift (in a video I recently watched, I was ecstatic over the 64 pack of Crayola crayons - who wouldn't be?) and always said an enthusiastic "thank you", I can't help but think of how I thought this amount of gifts was normal when I was a kid. This got me thinking about a Christmas episode of Full House called "A Very Tanner Christmas".

Stephanie and Michelle are especially present-crazed this year. Uncle Jesse decides to open their eyes and takes them to serve at a soup kitchen to show them how lucky they are. Here is my favorite exchange:

Danny: Uncle Jesse has something really special planned for you.

Stephanie: All right, we're going to Toys R Us!

Jesse: Wrong R You.

I love it.

Of course, after serving at the soup kitchen, the girls have a change of heart and a life lesson is learned.

This episode is great in so many other ways as well, Uncle Jesse brings in fake snow for Rebecca, Steve and DJ fight because he is going to college 3000 miles away (she tries to get him to stay by buying him and expensive gift), and Vicki surprises Danny by coming home for the holidays. I recommend adding it to your list of holiday must-sees. You can find it by searching "A Very Tanner Christmas" on YouTube.

Cue sappy music. So, this Christmas, let us all take a moment to realize how lucky we all are. The 90s sitcoms gave us so many great Christmas memories that will last a lifetime. What more could we ask for?

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

PS. Don't forget the real reason for the season is the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Who's Leon?

At the request of my cousin at our Thanksgiving shenanigans, I am going to include the show Home Improvement to the blog topics. The time period is a little later, but it's still a great show that always makes me laugh and it's my blog so I am including it.

One episode that my sister and I quote every holiday season recently came to mind. We were taking a pre-feast power walk on T-giving morning, and saw a neighbor had displayed five foot tall letters reading "NOEL". We immediately said to each other, "Who's Leon?"

Let me explain.

There is a terrific Christmas episode of Home Improvement. Mark dresses up as the letter 'N' in the church choir, spelling the word Noel. This interaction occurs between Al and Tim:

Al: I saw Mark in his costume. I always wanted to be the letter N.
Tim: That's impossible, Al. The song specifically says No Al.
[singing to the tune of Noel]
Tim: No Al, No Al, No Al, No Al.

Ha! Gets me every time.

When the boys line up in front of the church, they are backwards, spelling Leon. Al asks, "Who's Leon?" It doesn't sound as funny when I am writing it, but trust me, it is! You might also notice that the "L" in Noel also has appeared in episodes of Full House as Michelle's musical friend, Derek. More connections!

But my favorite part of all is when Tim tells his oldest son Brad, who would rather hang out with his friends on Christmas, "Christmas isn't about being with people you like, it's about being with family!"

You can see a clip of this episode, with all of the great stuff mentioned above here (there is a short intro before it starts).

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving approaches, I can't help but give thanks for the beautiful and poignant 90s sitcoms that kept me entertained as a little AC, and that still keep me entertained today -- providing the subject matter for this blog.

If you don't remember, there was a Thanksgiving themed SBTB episode, but it was of the College Years variety. Saved by the Bell: The College Years was a single season series with the Saved gang sans Jessie and Lisa. It never really made sense to me why they all ended up at the same college (Cal U) when it was clear in the High School episodes that Zack was going to Yale, Slater to Iowa, Kelly to Community College....it's kind of like the whole Tori Paradox. Anyways, I digress.

In the episode called "A Thanksgiving Story" (1993), the gang puts on a Thanksgiving dinner for inner-city kids. After the meal preparations go haywire (Screech's doing, no doubt), a line of 90s B-List celebrities show up to donate food. The list goes as follows:

Brian Austin Green (David Silver from Beverly Hills, 90210) Coincidentally, Kelly freaks out upon seeing him. Little did she know she would soon be cast alongside him as the girl you loved to hate, Valerie on 90210.

Jenna von Oy (Six from Blossom) Remember those hats??

Jonathan Brandis (90s heart-throb of seaQuest, Ladybugs and many other cameo appearances,

including DJ's first bf on Full House. Check out a clip here. I was immediately brought back to fifth grade awkwardness watching this. In real life he also dated Ashley Banks from Fresh Prince of Bel Aire. So many connections! On a sad note, Jonathan committed suicide in 2003. RIP)

Even Mr. Belding shows up for the festivities!

In the end, everything turned out great and I am sure it was the best Thanksgiving those poor inner-city kids ever had!

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

More where are they now

News on our favorite 90s sitcom cast members keeps popping up!

Tiffani-Amber Theissen (Kelly Kapowski) has got her first bun in the oven! Kelly wanted to have lots of children and a little white picket fence, so Tiff better get a move on. Unrelated: do you think that her close friends call her Tiffani-Amber, or just plain Tiffani?

John Stamos (Uncle Jesse Katsopolis) is being honored with his own star in the Hollywood walk of fame! This is a well deserved award for John, in my opinion. Besides his rivoting performances in Full House, including Elvis impersonations, musical performances, and all around great hair, Mr. Stamos has played with the Beach Boys, acted in a tv drama (ER) and performed on Broadway. Have mercy!

Don't you just love these old school pictures?

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

In case you missed it...

Jodie Sweetin was on the Today Show this week discussing her new book. Here is a link to the video in case you missed it.

Thanks to K at in my shoes for texting me out of bed to watch this and S for emailing me the link later in the day! You all know me too well.

Stay tuned for examples of how the flu epidemic relates to 90s tv...so many parallels!

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

Where are they now?

In the past week, I have randomly come upon information on the goings on of a few of our favorite child stars.

First, you probably heard that Dustin Diamond (Screech) wrote a tell-all book about the behind the scenes drama on the set of Saved by the Bell. I read about his book, titled Behind the Bell in US Weekly (10/5 edition). Apparently in the book, Diamond shares vague details about drug use and off-screen hookups. Even if these allegations are true, who cares? I know I like to think that the SBTB characters are real people, they are actors, so why does it matter what they did in their spare time? This is just Diamond's lame attempt at making money since his career went nowhere fast. Before this he tried standup comedy, released an adult tape, went bankrupt, and appeared on several seasons of Celebrity Fit Club. Dustin, if you are reading this, Screech was a loser and so are you!

It seems that everyone has a book these days. Jodie Sweetin (she played my fav character Stephanie Judith Tanner on Full House), just released her autobiography called unSweetined. Cute little Jodie couldn't hack the grown up life of a child star -- she has an addiction to Crystal Meth, then lied all about her rehab. Some of the excerpts I have read are quite shocking - she apparently drove while under the influence with her child in the car! As Stephanie would say, how rude! Jodie, if you are reading this, get your life in order, I am routing for you!

(I will for sure be reading both of these gems)

In other news, Elizabeth Berkley (Jesse Spano), has launched a new website and initiative - www.ask-elizabeth.com. Finally, someone doing something worthwhile! Elizabeth is all about inspiring teenage girls to be themselves, etc., etc., etc. It's nice to see her trying to do something helpful and taking some of Jessie Spano's characteristics into her own life. Hopefully none of these girls have seen her in Striptease! Yikes!

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

Baby corn

I feel like I have been talking about Full House a lot, but I never realized how much life really relates to it!

Recently, my friends gathered for dinner to celebrate a birthday. One friend, we'll call her Sally, gave the birthday girl a card and said to read it and pass it around because she wanted everyone to read it. After bday girl read it, a huge grin came over her face and tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged Sally. We all knew what the card said without having to read it. Obviously, it was signed, "Sally, Joe, and baby". Sally does not currently have a baby so the card was explaining that she was pregnant! Yay! Squealing and hugging ensued. Congrats Sally!

This got me thinking of the creative ways people announce their pregnancy. Remember how Rebecca told Jesse that she was pregnant? I do. And it still cracks me up. In the episode called "Rock the Cradle" (1991), Rebecca plans a romantic, themed meal of baby corn, baby shrimp, and baby back ribs. She asks Jesse to guess what the theme is. His guess is finger foods, which is also true, but not the creative theme Rebecca had planned. She doesn't end up telling him the news at dinner, because Jesse is too excited about his new band gig. The episode just gets funnier when Rebecca tries to reveal the news through a family game of pictionary. She draws a hunk of cheese, a 1/2 symbol, an ink well, and a baby. This translates to "She's having a baby". They don't make comedy like this anymore, folks!

Anyone have a creative way that they shared exciting news?

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

The serious stuff

My friend was telling me about a funny (maybe not funny haha) thing that happened in her kickboxing class. Apparently there was a very thin looking woman in the class that my friend immediately pegged as obsessive about working out - almost to the point of being a problem. It became comical though when the woman began doing every move in the class double time and then during the water break, started running laps around the room instead of replenishing her fluids like everyone else. Just picturing this made me chuckle, but also sad for this woman who might need help.

This reminded me of a Full House episode entitled "Shape Up". The quirky neighbor girl and DJ's bff, Kimmy Gibler, is throwing herself a surprise pool party (and it's a boy/girl party!) DJ is horrified at the thought of wearing a swimsuit in front of her peers. She decides to crash diet. She tapes magazine cutouts of models on the fridge and eats ice Popsicles as treats. Then the whole Tanner clan decides to take a trip to the gym. DJ gets on a machine and starts sweating it out. (In the meantime, the guys go to an aerobic class - too funny. Watch this episode for some great 90s leotards. PS - why did women wear thong leotards with tights underneath - comfortable? Very doubtful). Back to DJ. She passes out on the eliptical because she hasn't been eating. Cue sappy music, it's time for a life lesson. Aunt Becky teaches her that losing weight and feeling good about yourself doesn't mean starving. The episode ends with the signature hug.

You can watch a clip of this heartfelt episode here.

Why don't we have shows with lessons anymore? Is there a current show that seriously ends each episode with the background music and the lesson learned? The only one I can think of is the reality show "Run's House" on MTV. Reverand Run (Joseph Simmons of Run DMC) sits in a bubble bath and types up/narrates his life lesson on his Blackberry at the end of each episode. Is the Simmons family the modern day Tanners?

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

We have lasers!

I stumbled across this blog and I cannot stop laughing about it! Do you remember how for school pictures, Josten's would let you choose a background? I would always beg to get one, but I can't remember if I ever did. I will have to check with my mom. This site is an ode to the "laser" background -- school pics that people submit with said background.

I am sure that DJ and Stephanie Tanner had their picture taken with this background.

I am so submitting mine if I find one. You should too! For now, enjoy the site!

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

The milkman, the paperboy, the evening tv....

I am heading to San Fransisco tomorrow for a friend's wedding. I really, really want to see the house they showed on every Full House episode! Do you think the locals get sick of people asking them where it is? What do you do when you get there? Here's what I would do.

1. Moment of silence

2. Sing the theme song

3. Ponder the thought, "whatever happened to predictability?"

4. Look around for a face of somebody who needs me

5. Take several pictures

6. Tell everyone I know that I saw the Full House house

7. Cross another one off the life list!

These guys found it, why can't I?

While I'm in San Fran I hope to catch an episode of Wake Up San Fransisco too!

Friends forever,

AC Slater