Yeah, I was able to hear the interview! How fun and funny :)

come back, colbert!

And now my comment is part of the interview? I'm linking and I don't think I should be....whatever I'll enjoy the madness.

Oh man! I was born in 1981 and can remember watching the Fresh Prince! Your friend must be super young. I have a Very Young Friend also, who has no clue what tapes are. And vaguely remembers buying CDs.

Thats' one very young person you were talking with - I'm surprised they're allowed out with you....

or perhaps I am just old, and think everyone born after 1970 still needs some schoolin'.

Bob is adorable.

Oh wait. YOU were born after 1970, right? Shoot.

Make that 1980, because obviously you know your stuff. Plus which, anyone born after 1980 could easily be my child, and so I reserve the right to be all sniffy about their worldliness....

And Bob is a still really cute.

I loved your book - it really hit home since I have also walked the divorce road.
Wish you had come to Atlanta. I know you like Patons SWS yarn, well this Sunday, Nov.11 Michaels is having a big yarn event. 5 hours of demos and fun - giveaways every hour - plus yarn 25% - 50% off! I work at at Michaels and I am hosting the one at our store. Iam always telling customers about your blog. I am starting a morning sit & stitch, hoping to draw a crowd - alot of seniors have been wating something like this - I should learn alot - plus we will work on Warm up America blankets. Keep us laughing - got to go have a glass of wing in your honor!

Yeah, these young folks, I tell ya. I was getting my eyebrows waxed at a salon the other day and Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" song was playing in the background. The Young Waxer Chick said "ooh, I don't know this song but I like it.". And I'm all "really?......you've never heard Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' before?" and she's all "who?". Sigh. Seriously, Billy Joel .... how can she not know Billy Joel! GAH!

My boyfriend is only a year and half younger than me, but add to that he's from upstate NY and I'm from the South and it's like we're from different planets...

He is, however, aware of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. And he was born in 1982. For that matter, so is my little brother, born in 1985.. what are you doing, Laurie??? :)

Um, and for the record, until this post, I NEVER understood what the second part of that line was. Totally remember the song, just couldn't understand the words. Probably because I'm going deaf in my old age.....

Damn you CAP ... now I've got that Miami song stuck in my head. ARGHHHHHHHHH!

boy did i mess my comment i meant have a glass of wine in your honor not wing - bet everyone thought i had been honoring you already, the dog jumped up in my lap and totally thru me off - guess i should get a cat

You sound just like I imagined you would! Yay! (What happened to the Fresh Prince conversation?)?

Heh. I remember the Fresh Prince. Oh yeah.
Hope you have a fabulous time in Miami!

Cheesey. Hokey. Bob. Whatever! It is all fabulous. Y'all have a great time in Miami. :-)

My 13 year-old loves rap, so the "car compromise" music is stuff by Tone Loc, Will Smith, and the Beastie Boys. Throw in some "Gin and Juice" for good measure, and the youngster is appropriately retro and well-educated in the rap-ology of the late 80s/early 90s.

And he LOVES "Parents Just Don't Understand!"

does it help that not only do i know of everything of which you speak, but can also hear perfectly the sultry latina voice that sings the "bienvenidos a miami" part?

"will smith made a song." i would have slapped somebody. seriously. and not because something tasted good, either. ;P`

well, if it helps, your friend must be getting old, because diddy can't go by diddy anymore, at least not in europe. he got sued for it by some other diddy. =]

heeeeeeeeee hee hee hee!

i'm cracking up at your fresh prince conversation. and i so think of that song every time i hear the word miami, too.

Fresh Prince is still in syndication, I think. How can she not have seen it? I think your next mission should be to find out whether she knows about Saved By The Bell. Sure she has heard of that at least!

Have fun in Miami! Which reminds me that a woman I know in college thought the words were "Welcome to Miami. Bienvenidos ah-me, ah-me."

If it makes you feel any better, I think that it was just your friend and not you being old[er] as I was born in '91 and I and ALL of my friends totally know the Fresh Prince!

I loved listening to the interview while I just did my packing and shipping. You were great! And Cheetos with chopsticks - priceless!

I had no idea that "Bienvenidos a Miami" was the second part to that! What I actually thought it was embarrasses me now. hmm.

And both my brother (1990) and I (1988) are huge fans of Fresh Prince. I think it's just your friend's lack of random television knowledge, not your supposed "old-ness."

Sigh. I hate it when I reminisce about something, and the person I'm talking wasn't born when it happened. And I'm the same age you are Laurie. Next time your with your friend, bring up Wall of Voodoo instead of the Fresh Prince. You'll feel even older ;)

I worked in a lab in northern Arizona (WAY northern) about 10 years ago now (crap) with a girl in highschool. During the lunch hour the local radio station played "oldies": Billy Joel, Elton John (and not early Elton either), the Police. Besides this making me feel old (oldies? I was born in freaking '76) this girl did not know who The Police were. THE POLICE!?!?!?!? How can you not know The Police? An even larger crime than not knowing about The Fresh Prince (and just for the record, I had that tape - the one with Parents Just Don't Understand!!!)

PS Thanks - the Miami song will be stuck in my head forever. :P

you totally got that song stuck in my head. and for the record, not EVERYONE from the 80's is a fool:-)

Oh, Bob is so cute!

Dang, I can't listen to it here at the office, I'll have to do that at home.

Bob, oh Bob, you're so cute and funny! Even if your slave calls you a himbo!

I guess I'm old, too, because now I have Summertime stuck in my head. Thanks a lot, Laurie!

Oh and have fun in Miami, home of my in-laws.

"I'm on a Mexican Radio. I'm on a Mexican, woah, Radio..." Jack fm listeners of the world unite! Next you need to sing "88 Lines About 44 Women" by the Nails.

Ok, people born in 198* were practically Will Smith's target audience at the time of the Miami song. He's just one of those ridiculous people that don't understand that a healthy pop culture knowledge is a major part of a well-rounded person. Or at least that's what I tell myself.

Was the 22 minutes an in joke? 'Cause yanno, one of our (canada's) funniest tv shows is called "This hour has 22 minutes'
:P

My best friend and I used to drive around listening to Billy Joel & the Fresh Prince of Bel Air TAPES. I can't believe that young kids don't know either one of them... yeesh...

HEH

I got the fresh prince tape for my 15th birthday and was sooo excited because it was 'extra long' it had like an extra 20 min on it than other cassette tapes AND not only did it have the parents don't understand song on it it had that Friday the song with Jason on it!

sheesh!

I've been finally gotten around to transfering my cds to the computer and WOW I've got some stuff here. I did NOT transfer the MC Hammer but now I just might. ;-)

Love and Laughter,
Amy

PS at the end of the Jimmy Neutron Movie Super Spy some hip youngster sings the 'parents just don't understand' song so I still get to hear it like once a week when my kids watch...

Oh yeah, ummm do you think maybe before you leave for Miami we could see the cats in sweaters? Please... pretty please.. with chocolate sauce on top... you don't have to even make a decision we could VOTE ! or not but i'm dying with curiosity and giggles. kthnxbye

I was born in the decade starting with 7. I still use the lyrics "ok here's the situation, my parents went away on a week's vacation" in conversation.

Sigh. I teach high school and discovered last week that my students have NO IDEA what Smurfs are. Can you imagine? I have become one of those teachers I always thought was weird, constantly saying stuff like "well, of course you're all too YOUNG to remember this" - like it's their fault!! I know it's not, but I'm still mad that they make me feel so OLD. I'm only 28 for god's sake!

cats and the comics...........what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Can't listen to it now, I'm at work... Bob McCheesepants is adorable. The other day I was making a list of breakup songs and found myself including one by Bob Dylan. Please tell me you know who he is, even though you're one pig down from me.

OMG, I went back to school a few years ago (at age 34) and I would make references to the 80s and before... only the teacher (who is a year older than I) got it! Sigh... the travails of the aging process.

Bob is simply bobalicious!

I can't hear the word "Philadelphia" without hearing Will Smith in my head singing the theme: "In West Philadelphia, born and raised, the playground was where I spent most of my days...."

Oh! You're going to Miami???? Have you ever had Cuban Coffee? It's like espresso on steriods! Frank has this little stovetop espresso maker, and even though he doesn't like coffee, he makes me Cuban coffee all the time. (I can drink 3 espresso-size shots of the stuff at 9 p.m. and sleep like a baby. I am a mutant.)

I would love to try the Cuban coffee in Miami!

Altho I hear the Armenian coffee here in LA is thick enough to chew and very, very potent stuff!

Bob is adorable. You should submit some of your pix to the Workman Publishing 365 Cats a Year calendar folks. I just got my 2008 one, because they're running my cat, Ganache. Again. Same pix they used in 2006, but if it gets me a free calendar and they finally get Ganache's name spelled right, who cares?

Yeah, hangin' with the 20 somethings can be somewhat amusing at times. Last one I hung out with watched Star Wars with me and I was able to point out the new scenes. He kept asking me if I was SURE those scenes were added to the original movies?

I have a friend who was also born in 198* and we had a similar conversation about the Janet Jackson song/lyric (can't remember now) "Miss Jackson if You're Nasty". My husband was involved in this convo and is now nicknamed "grandpa" by this friend. Jeez young un's!!

Please tell me you're kidding. I still WATCH the Fresh Prince reruns on tv. Ok, when I'm at my parents, because we don't watch tv. My fiance and I know the whole beginning, too!

And kids who don't know what SMURFS are? Or tapes? How about He-Man? I was at a book sale not long ago and a little kid (5 or 6 maybe?) asked his mom, is that one of those record player things? It was exactly like the one my teacher had in kindergarten...

Here's another one for you though. Last week I was talking to a friend and said 'be kind, rewind'... and she says, 'Huh? You don't rewind DVDs silly!'

I want to crawl in a hole now, I'm only 26! These are not difficult concepts!

close knit.
you are funny.

Bob is very cute!

Oh, and there is something a weensy bit wonky going on with the end of your post...I can see the part about Miami in my google reader, but not here... Just lettin' you know. :)

Oh, and thankyouverymuch, I now have that Mexican Radio song stuck firmly in my head on an endless loop.

Laurie,

Can't wait to c u in Miami!!! YAY!!!!

I used to live in West Philadelphia, and I couldn't drive to my apartment without singing (do it with me now) "IN West Philadelphia, born and raised..."

Now I live in Canada. Good interview! I highly recommend moving to here, if you're still inclined.

Bob is just too cute in his little hidey hole... And I so would have said small knit. I embrace my cheese.

In defense of those born in the 80s. I was born in 1980 and completely remember the Fresh Prince, his TV show. and his songs, including parents just don't Understand, Summertime (which IMHO is a summer listening classic), and Miami.

ok, I think I fixed it. There was an errant bracket... yikes.

Bwahahaaaa! That interview was hilarious (good way)! What you said about cats, so true! It does make dating interesting. One time I was in a bar and a fella was chatting me up. Asked if I'd ever been married. I said over the loud music "No, never married, but I have five cats." When he recovered from his shock he said "that's great, uh... how do you afford them?" He thought I'd said "five KIDS". Funny. I thought he'd be relieved to find out I'd said CATS but judging by how fast he got up to leave...

Wee Monkey Gurl and friends think they invented "We Are Family", but have no idea what "disco" is. I made her watch the Peter Frampton version of Sgt. Peppers (which she LOVED), but had a hard time explaining who the BeeGees were. Last nite I made a crack about having running water and electricity when I was a kid.

I've become my parents. {{shudder}}

Simply adorable.

~ Jillie

I remember when tv was only black and white... *heavy sigh*...
.

It's a good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I read that conversation because it would have come out my nose. Thanks for the good laugh. And now you're going to make me dig out my cassette of "Parents Just Don't Understand" when I get home.

Sheesh! I was born in 82 and not only do I remember the Fresh Prince, but I loooooved him. I was obsessed with that show, and I still have one of his cassettes somewhere. I still remember the song "Nightmare on My Street".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wj1gwNy3bQ

Laurie,

Just finished listening to the interview - - LOVED it! You both sounded like you were having so much fun!

Those Bob pics are SOOOO cute . . . he's just adorable!

HAVE FUN IN MIAMI!

Awwww, your interview was so sweet! I really loved it and just wondering again ... when are you touring Canada, like Toronto??

There is more than one recent college grad who doesn't know about Fresh Prince and "Parents Just Don't Understand" -- my boyfriend and his coworker got the blankest look from one last summer when they made reference to it and both started singing it. I mean come on it was practically the 90s when they won the Grammy for it...

Thank you for the entertainment today, Laurie!

My kids, ages 12 and 14 LOVE LOVE LOVE the Fresh Prince. They watch it all the time and laugh hysterically. What up with that?

Ugh! I remember racing home from school to catch the latest videos on MTV (I usually had to be in bed before they debuted at night).

What good is cable TeeVee and Syndication, I wonder? I know!! With the writers' strike and all maybe these young turks can take the chance and watch re-runs and brush up on their 80's cultural history! (Did I just say 80's and "history" in relation to each other?? Oh my!)

don't you know my partner just put "parents just don't understand" on a mix for me and not only do i remember all the words but i also remember all my super-sly dance moves/motions to the song. i rock! and so do you for fighting the youth!

Jesus, what year was this friend born in? I was born in '85 and I used to watch Fresh Prince and listen to 'parents just don't understand'. I owned a copy (or two) of Big Willie Style. (...I got jiggy wit it, oh God, I never thought I'd admit to that.)

I was also a fan of Blossom, remember Blossom? WHOA!

Man, even if your friend was born in 1989, she should at least know that Miami song. That came out in, what, 1998? 1999? She's giving all our 198* people a bad name.

At least you hear the Fresh Prince.

You said Miami, I immediately thought of (and remembered!) the song that the Golden Girls wrote to win some kind of contest.

Miami!
Miami!
You've got style
Blue skies, sunshine, white sand by the mile

Oh lawd, I need to be sedated. That's stuck in my head now.

Well, I just wanted to say, as a neighbor to the North, right back atcha babe. I don't listen to CJAD (is that right?) but I will be clicking to hear your dulcet tones.
PS: I tried the lint roller on my bi-polar tabby shorthair, Flash. She likes it!!! She loves being brushed and this actually works way better. You are genius. I will stick to brushes and combs for the luxuriantly coated Miss Kitty though. I have a vision of the roller getting caught up in all that fur and a yowling screeching calico running for the hills while attached to a lint roller. That would be bad. Funny as Hell, but bad.

Yeah, I feel your pain. One of my students was asking recently about my foreign travels. When I revealed that I first went overseas in 1987, he whistled and said, "Wow! That's the year I was born." {sigh}

Love the white Bob mitts. And does he ever look anything but !surprised!?

I wish I was in ti-juana, eating bar-b-qued i-guana

i love your blog! reading about your friend just cracked me up for about 10 minutes and then i started to feel very very old....

Bob is a himbo? I KNEW he reminded me of someone...Sam Champion from GMA!

My kids were born in 1991 and 1993 and they know that Will Smith is/was a singer?? Doesn't your young friend ever get jiggy with it??

Have fun in Miami!! Tell Don Johnson I said hi!! (oh come on! Miami Vice, people??)

aw, I love The Bob. I love how he's always got that half panicked look on his face. And yeah, say hi to Crockett and Tubbs from all of us!

Um..."friend"? Hello! No, there's no mentioning of a cute "friend" and then refusing to give details. In the words of the immortal George Costanza: "Now you listen to me. I want details and I want them right now. I don't have a job, I have no place to go. You're not in the mood? Well you get in the mood!"

"an errant bracket"
I've been called a lot of things but never "an errant bracket".

And even my boys know and LUFF the Freshness!

Now this is the story all about how,
My life got flipped, turned upside down,
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there,
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air.

In West Philadelphia I was born and raised
On the playground is where I spent most of my days.
Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin all cool,
And all shootin' some b-ball outside of the school.

When a couple of guys who were up to no good,
Started makin' trouble in my neighborhood.
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared,
And said "You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in bel Air."

I whistled for a cab, and when it came near,
The license plate said "fresh" and it had dice in the mirror.
If anything I could say that this cat was rare,
But I thought "Nah forget it, Yo home to Bel Air."

I pulled up to the house about seven or eight,
and I yelled to the cabby "Yo homes, smell ya later."
Looked at my kingdom, I was finally there,
To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air.

True story. A former coworker who was born in the 80's asked me if we had videos when I was a kid. *sigh* I told her no, we did not. She then asked what we did when a movie came out that we missed. I tried to explain that there weren't as many movies being released back then AND that's why people went to see Star Wars 25 times.

Your interview was charming! Thanks for posting it here!

oh yes, I remember have a record albumn of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. I remember Salt n Peppa back in the day too... "Salt n Peppa's back and we came to out rap you so get out my face before I slap you. Ho, don't you know, can't you understand, if you mess with me I'll take your man." hehehe

I was a bad little white girl. *snort*

This means I'm going to get ANOTHER hysterical call from my daughter to tell me that you posted AGAIN, and STILL haven't announced the winners of the cat sweater contest.

Followed by a refrain of "I REALLY want to win that contest!" Repeated ad nauseum.

The DC Stitch 'n Bitch is all impressed with her because she got a sweater on a cat without the cat going bannannas. Dot (the cat) was even happy to pose for pictures with her.

I only entered the sweepstakes, and I'm beginning to get interested in how it comes out, too.

If you can't decide, you could put photos of the entrants up and let us make comments to help you decide.

I live in Miami! You'll have a great time here. I'm assuming you'll be at the book fair...it's fabulous. Holy crap. I might come and say hello if I get a study break (medical student....they never give us a rest).

Where are you staying in Miami? Hope they give you a sweet hotel on the beach. The weather this week is GORGEOUS....sunny, highs of 80-85, lows in the 60s. It's been the first "cold" snap of the "winter" here and we are all loooooving it.

Love your blog and your stories and your life!

Well *MY* children know The Fresh Prince verrry well thanks to my requirement that they turn off cartoons at a certain hour. They LOVE it!!! And, he even homeschools his kids too! Wonder whatever happened to DJ Jazzy Jeff(was that his sidekick?).

Molly

ps, Miami?? You know, I have a brother, single/divorced from a psycho, 37, in great shape(just hiked the Appalachian Trail)....

Funny experience riding in my car: In my basement, found a massive box of cassette tapes that I owned a hundred years ago and, by some strange coincidence, happen to have a cassette deck in my car, along with a CD player. No, the car isn't that old, just apparently had a sentimental previous owner.

Anyway, I was listening to a cassette tape in my car, and it got to the end of the tape. You know how, on cassette tapes, one side usually had more stuff on it, so the other side had a big blank space? Well, the side that I had just finished playing was the side with the blank space.

So there was silence.

And some more silence.

And a bit more.

Then (AUTO-REVERSE, BABY!) it clicks over to the other side, and music starts, an event which caused my daughter, who was riding with me, to practically jump out of her seat.

"What the heck?"

I spent the entire drive to school explaining the concept of cassette tapes to a 12-year-old. Interesting ride. She wasn't sold on the idea.

I can't even talk about "albums"...

Having said all of that, I will say that the girl watches the Fresh Prince, thankyouverymuch...

Hi there!
I just finished your book today. And yes, I always read it with a glass of wine by my side...just seemed right! I loved it! And just felt so proud of you and your transformation through a very painful journey.

I was so sorry to have missed you when you came to Seattle on the 17th. I hope our city welcomed you with open arms. And, lots of hugs!!

Nancy, I LOLed at your comment about people going to see Star Wars 25 times.

My soon-to-be-ex boyfriend tooks DOZENS of people [one at a time] to see Jaws with him because he laughed at them every time the shark came up out of the water ["We're gonna need a bigger boat."] and they would 'jump' in their seats.

Look at Jaws now... sheesh, not so scary anymore.

Oh, how many kids don't know what a typewriter is anymore? I kept mine for years and had a sign on it that said COMPUTER BACKUP.

My daughter got a kick out of that.
.

I loved hearing your radio interview! Also, I was born in 1987 and I know who Fresh Prince is and I used to know all the words to Will Smith's songs...when they were on ALBUMS! :) You are not old, you are amazing!

I remember when Will Smith first started Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and I wondered why some rapper was getting a tv show. I loved the video for Parents Just Don't Understand with all the grafitti on the walls. I'm amazed your friend didn't know he sings since at least one of his songs is on each of his movie soundtracks. MIB! C'mon!

Oh, and I named my old cat "Mia Feral" because she was a feral kitten. I started calling her just Mia at the vet when the vet techs became too young to know who Mia Farrow was.

I've reached the age where the only cute young guys who flirt with me preface by asking what I think of younger men. Hello! I'm Ms. Robinson! Pleased to meetcha!

Ok, i was born in 1981 and I know who the Fresh Prince is! Heck, i teach high school and my students (born in 1991 (they make me feel old)) know who the Fresh Prince is. They even told me that Jazzy Jeff lives about three neighborhoods away from me. Delaware is too small for it's own good. Don't feel old. Your younger friend is rediculously sheltered. You're a woman about the world, sophisticated and all.

I just finished the book, it was fantastic! And the ribbed brim hat is the easiest and best hat ever. I love it!

Wishing you much success and feelings of youth!

Natalie

I was born in a 198* year as well and I not only know the words to the Miami song BUT I also name the rest of the characters from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

I think your friend is missing out. Culturally speaking. And you, as a good culturally aware person should then subject him/her to as many Will Smith albums as you can sit through. I suggest you start with the Getting Jiggy song, that was like, HUGE. (Just so you know, I'm totally a white girl who grew up in Alaska, which just in case you didn't know is totally a state that should be in the South, and I STILL know who Will Smith the singer is.)

OK, there is a difference between being young and lacking in basic pieces of cultural literacy, and I think your friend is the latter. No offense to him, of course, since you say he is cute.

OK. cough it up. i'm having a VERY bad week. you have a friend, and he's young, and he's cute.

Why do you torture us so? Why do you write about these things and then not cough up the details? why do you want to hurt us, your loyal readers and/or non-stalkery internet best friends?

Obviously he has a lot to learn if he hasn't heard of Fresh Prince. He may need to be taught some things. You should feel free to discuss this with your best friends on the blog, you know. We know things. We could tell you answers.

Really. Who are *we* going to tell? :)

I had that moment last week when a co-worker went to see Van Halen (yeah, their big album came out the year he was born) so I am talking about Eddie Van Halen and his ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli and he was like Who? Ya know from "One Day at a Time". Huh?

So sad, how can they live without the knowlege of Schneider?

OH NO!
But...but...Will Smith JUST RELEASED a new album like...ok maybe last year, but it had that whole wicked song "Switch" on it...does she live in a cave??

It was released the same time as the movie "Hitch" and there's a song on it inspired by the whole can't dance thing...

Oh nevermind.

I'm going to go watch reruns of Fresh Prince.

I'm glad you like your neighbours to the North- we sure like you! Your "young friend" can't be much younger than me, I was born in '85, and I can sing the entire Fresh Prince song! There's got to be something wrong...did they grow up under a rock or something?

So my 17 year old son was watching one of those entertainment news shows tonight which was reporting the passing of Donny and Marie Osmond's father.

And my darling son (who is actually quite bright), says "Who are Donny and Marie?"

Yes, he is my youngest and I am very OLD.

Hurrah for the young uns. They might not know about the old days but they make up for it in the good ways. ;)

LOVE the interview!! You were great!!!

I am horrified I was born in 87 I grew up watching the fresh prince of bel aire. I know the song not only that but that song was on was really popular back in oh about 2000. I am shocked and dismayed you must force her to listen to his music and watch the show.

I knew who they all are/were, but just didn't watch the show. I am a dork.
Referring to the person about a zillion comments ago who thought the lyrics were different, check out www.Kissthisguy.com the archive of misheard song lyrics. Hysterical!

Your Will Smith exchange is like the modern equivalent of a '70s teenager referring to the Beatles as "that group Paul McCartney was in before Wings" -- I swear my baby boomer colleagues at a music-industry business were still telling that classic anectdote (sp?) in the late '90s. Next, the young'uns will dispute the fact that Justin Timberlake ever had poofy hair ...

I work in a church, and this summer we had a crop of YOUNG Bible College interns. When Billy Graham's wife died earlier this year, it was the topic of conversation around the coffee table, and all three of 'em went "Who's Billy Graham??"

The rest of us ancient crones were speechless.

And one day I mentioned something about Miami Vice (the tv show), and again all three hadn't a clue. I found out they were all born in the LATE 80S. Wahhh, I miss my own generation ... ;p

BTW, love your blog. Promising to get the book as prezzie to myself for Xmas. And we Canadians are great knitters! VERY close-knit! I wouldn't needle you ... Have a good one, eh!?

— Bonz

Born in 1984, and I know about DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (had at least one cassette tape and a couple of ringtones on my current phone), AND I love the series, AND I know the song Miami.

And I think the Carlton is just about the best dance EVER.

Just had to say I listened to your interview and you sound so cute! Like the blonde from CSI Miami. Also you are so funny, I'm impressed with your interviewing skills. (I hope I haven't offended you by comparing your accent to the CSI one, I'm from the UK and not great at differentiating between the US accents- but I love yours!) Also I was born in 1981 and loved the Fresh Prince, now I have that theme tune in my head.

Aww I wouldn't worry - I was born in '86 and I loved the Fresh Prince! Boom Boom, Shake the Room is still an awesome song. I even know the dance moves. That's how cool I am.

Oh and I totally have "Yo are y'all ready for me yet? PUMP IT UP PRINCE" going round in my head now because of this entry. Not the same song, I know - but the same Fresh Prince.

let me just say, "you ROCK!". i found your blog via neil kramer's 'citizen of the month' blog, and i can't quite figure out if this is a blog comment or a fan letter ;0). i went back and read your first post just to see what the phenom is all about, and you had me at newcastle. your cheekiness will be a good kick-me-in-the-butt pick-me-up as i go through the same stuff (minus the book deal).. looking forward to reading more.

mck.

My favorite interview moment -

Host: What kind of wine goes with cheetos?
CAP: All of them!

You're voice is not what I expected (in a good way - I expected deeper). You have a fun mix of Valley girl intonation and Southern phonology. I enjoyed listening to your radio interview, and I can see how you've charmed the nation. Congratulations.

I finally made it to the Opry Mills Barnes and Noble in Nashville this week (I live about 2 1/2 hours away). And I saw your book! Autographed! And I stroked the cover, much to DH's consternation! And I wanted it so bad, but we are on a tight budget right now.

Just wanted to say that I got there (late) and saw it, and that your and your blog brighten my day!

Oh my gosh girl you are so funny! I so wish we could get together with our cat stories and and knitting and a nice Shiraz or 6 and a big bag o' Cheetos. sigh. You are my hero of the funny.
And what is up with buddy not liking cats? My husband made friends with my cat when we met(actually I was cat sitting but I so loved Ebony the cat). That man who I later married went out on a shed roof to fetch it back into the apartment the night of our first real date! Thats a keeper I tell you what!!
When Ebony went back to her owner, our lives were so empty we went to the SPCA and got a joint custody cat I named Eliot after TS Eliot. We'd been a couple for 3 months at that point. We still miss Eliot who has been gone for 9 years. My husband especially.
"..Don't you think that patina of cat hair is a little sexy?" ROFLMAO Hell yeah baby!!

My 11 year old says "Mom, G bought his iPod to school. We were listening to the coolest classical music his mom put on it for him." "Oh yeah? Mozart?" " No, Bob Seager!" "That's rock music, honey, not classical" "But it's really old like classical."

Yeah, whatever.

Well, I was born in '88 and can still sing the entire fresh prince theme song... Quality shows like that never die, they are reborn in endless reruns.

Yeah, I think your young friend must be hiding under a rock or something. My *6* year old even knows who Fresh Prince is from watching the reruns on Nick at Night! (Well, he watched them when we were on vacation, and loved it!). He knows about stuff like that, and yeah, he's only 6! Did I mention that? Tell her to start watching some more TV. Everything you mentioned is pretty common knowledge (but then again, I was born at the end of the 60s, so what would I know? I'm only the same age as THE Will Smith. Oh well. Just tell her she has to get jiggy wid it. ;-P)

I'm laughing so hard, I'm crying...too funny. Yup. We're old. But just to make you feel better, my daughter, who's 21, *does* remember Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jef. And it isn't your fault Diddy keeps changing his name. I guess when your name sounds rediculous and childish, you have to change it to something a little less rediculous and childish, (though still r&c, imho) Maybe he'll eventually just call himself Sean, his real name. Sheesh!

I occasionally make references at work to old shows/movies and get blank looks from my early-20s co-workers. I feel ANCIENT. For example. They NEVER saw the original Dukes of Hazzard? What a SHAME (John Schneider with no shirt? You really want to miss that??). And really? You've NEVER seen Princess Bride? Good god.......

Oh come on! I was born in the 80s and know all about Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. This is not an age thing, it's an ignorance thing. The fact that I was born at the start of the 80s has nothing whatsoever to do with it. I refuse to believe I'm old already, you hear?

Oh I know what it's like to have young friends. Recently a college friend of mine (male, OK we actually dated a little) came to visit. We were hanging out with some people, one girl said she was born in 1987. My friend and I looked at each other as this was around the time we were hanging out together. I said, 'Hey, if we'd ever hooked up she could be our daughter!' and we both kind of turned white. Talk about feeling old.
And I love Fresh Prince, but I don't think I know that Miami song so I guess I don't know them all!
Off to go listen to the interview! I saw you on Showcase Minnesota and you were wonderful and adorable. So happy for you!

Bob is so cute. I love to see the pictures of your kitties.

We're not old. People who don't know Will Smith as Fresh Prince are just uninformed. :)

Have a Fun Safe Trip to Miami.

That radio interview was broadcast on the Montreal station as well as CFRB in Toronto, which is a big talk radio station.

It was lovely to hear you, you sound like you write! Thanks for sharing this.

Join the club. I'm at that age where almost all of my pop cultural references in conversation are very dated. I'm starting to become more aware of it as the blank looks I get in response increase. My husband and I try picking up new phrases in a pathetic attempt at hipness, but it becomes hysterically funny when we seriously intone, "That's how we roll".

When was your CJAD interview on in Montreal? Was it live? I'm downloading it now to listen - I'm a Montrealer and didn't realize you were on the radio here, how cool!

Hey, Bob! See ya in the funny papers!

198..what? Good grief, I was born in 83, and I totally know DJ Jazzy Jeff and remember the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. And by remember I mean, can still sing the theme song and will every time I see it on TV. (West Philadelphia born and raised.....er, never mind.)

You should ask if he remembers Men in Black, and the theme song Will Smith did for that--which, um, my best friend and I may or may not have memorized not just the words to, but also the dance from the music video. Oh yes, the good guys dress in black remember that....