42-05-xx Trip to Carberry

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN, BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Sade gets word from her sister Bess that Euncie is having a piano recital in Carberry; she going to play The Aurora Borealis Elegy and Gallop (which was composed by San Francisco.)

It's not easy, but Sade finally pins down all the men in her life to go to Carberry. However, there seems to be a last-minute change of plans...

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Uncle Fletcher once again complicates matters; if nothing else, you get a sense that over the last 6 or 7 episodes that Sade - though she loves him - is frustrated by him.

The episode is a tour-de-force of interesting Uncle Fletcher stories.

Trivia:

+ Putting 2 and 2 together, we can assume the unnamed gas station mentioned in an earlier episode is actually Miller's Gasoline station, which was mentioned by name for the first time. Uncle Fletcher likes to hang out down there and "work."

+ Uncle Fletcher added another friendly reminder to anyone who would listen that a train conductor enjoys any snack that you may care to give him. He basically said the same thing is a previous episode.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Tracy Flankers from Belvidere. Had a secret hiding place for his money up against the roof of his mouth; it had a leather strap close to his tonsils and a wire hooked to his wisdom teeth. It would baffle any burglar in the country.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells of H.D. Glack from Belvidere who moved to San Fancisco, just to spite his father-in-law. He married either Ivy Stover or Opel Spunk. Crowley Soft married whichever girl that Glack didn't. Uncle Fletcher never liked Glack, Ivy or Opel.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Arch Van Geekrock who traveled from Yellow Jump, North Dakota to Dismal Seepage, Ohio by train. He wanted to get on the good side of the train conductor that he gave him a silver watch, a derby hat, #2 in cash and introduced him to his 22 year-old niece. The conductor put on the watcher, slammed the hat on his head, bought candy and cigars with the two dollars and married the niece. Vangeekrock claimed it was the most pleasant train trip he ever took in his life.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Otto Heepler from Sycamore who used to be pretty good on the piano. He made a piano out of corn cob, bailing wire and horse hair. When he was 40, he married a woman who was 36.

+ Euncie backed out of the recital due to an injury to her wrist; she sprained it scraping her finger along the white keys of the piano.

Uncle Fletcher says he bet that Euncie broke a toe stomping on the white keys as he keeps confusing the "stomping of the loud pedal" with "stomping on the keys."

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42-05-15 Mentioned in Dispatches

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

The family have stories to tell but instead of being polite about it, they are rather impolite to each other, each anxious to tell their own anecdotes.

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A very poor-sounding episode with only the last half of the episode remaining.

Trivia:

+ Sade tells the story of Ruthie Stembottom telling off Mis' Appelrot [again] in the underwear department of Kleeburger's [again.] This same event transpired the day Mr. Ruebush dropped Vic off to grab some papers at the Gook house and Sade delayed Vic with her story. Sade says Ruthie got upset when Mis' Appelrot called her, 'Mis' Stembopper.'

+ Rush says Nicer Scott got pasted one upside the snoot by Mildred Tisdel! He had given her a bad grade when grading her paper and later made a casual remark about it near the 2nd floor water fountain.

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42-04-06 Scrap Drive

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

After being inspired by an auditorium talk by Mr. Chinbunny, Rush, Blue Tooth Johnson, Vernon Peggles and even Nicer Scott team up to form the Virginia Avenue Area Sons of Patriotism Salvage Indemnity: boys who collects scrap metals and paper for the U.S. Government during World War II.

Nicer and Rush have called a truce to their bickering for the duration of the war but Rush is keeping a little black book and putting down marks in it everytime Nicer does something that makes him mad. After the war (presumably) Rush will give Nicer "a paste upside the snoot" for every mark in the book.

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The VASoPSI and friends - hard at work (imagined)

I can't prove it but this sounds very much like war propaganda and one of the few times that Paul Rhymer wrote one of these types of shows. The family doesn't quite sound the same here - especially Sade (Bernadine Flynn) who acts way too nicey-nice - almost as though she is giving the regular listening audience a clue that she doesn't like the fact that the government is pressuring Rhymer to write a certain way. However, that's only speculation on my part.

The fact though remains that Flynn seems to be overacting and saying things totally out her character, such as, "It really is a good thing (about the scrap drive.)"

Sade normally poo-poos anything to do with the government and most things in general.

Trivia:

+ This is the first time in surviving episodes that the war has been mentioned or alluded to.

+ Rush mentioned that he had spent 20 minutes with Nicer this day and had already made nine marks in his little black book. He even gave Nicer a mark in the book for tying his shoe.

+ Rush speculates that a story of Nicer Scott's Uncle Ralph might be untrue: the man was so insane about a woman in Ohio that he said he'd disown his own grandfather for her - and he did, in a ceremony held in Hoffman City, Oklahoma. His grandfather died of grief 20 minutes later.

+ Nicer Scott also claims that his Uncle Harry was very patriotic. He owned the Central Indiana Mid-Western railroad but with a pick and a shovel he went out and removed all the rails and gave them to the U.S.government. He also gave the government all of his tools. In addition, he gave the government 10,000 miles worth of tracks, 46 locomotives and 19 switch engines.

The one drawback to all of this is that it left the city of Indianapolis cut off from civilization.

+ Vic mocks Rush and lists off a bunch of the names of his friends. One of those names was "Harry Phapp," which hasn't been mentioned before. He has mentioned a "L. Wiley Phapp" who works with Gus Fuss at Plant #17 in Dubuque, Iowa - I'm going to assume that they are the same person and going to characterize Wiley Phapp as being sometimes referred to as "Harry."

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42-03-xx Mis' Applerot's Petition

{{{HEAR}}} STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Mis' Appelrot works up a petition to close down the Bright Kentucky Hotel. Reminding the Thimble Club members that the hotel was condemned years ago, she calls the building "ugly" and a "firetrap."

Mis Appelrot then nominates Sade to take the petition around town - only Sade could care less about the project or the hotel.

Meanwhile, the hotel is the residence of many people who interact in the lives of Rush and Vic and neither - especially Rush - want to see the hotel tampered with.

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Sade insinuates that the Thimble Club should stay out of social matters and politics and stick to sewing and gossiping.

Trivia:

+ The Thimble Club meeting took place at Mis' Trogle's house.

+ While Mis' Appelrot brought up the petition, Sade stated that Mis' Brighton was also in cahoots. This makes the 3rd or 4th time Sade has stated the two together as being troublemaking partners.

+ Ruthie Stembottom quit the Thimble Club in episode 41-01-24 Mr. Ruebush Has to Wait and until this episode it was not known if she had rejoined. There is evidence in this episode that she did indeed rejoin the club.

+ Sade calls her gavel a "gravel" - this will be a major piece of information in a future episode.

+ This episode contains one of the funniest stories in the whole series. Sade tells the story of Martin Jordle and how his wife (Alvira Eggsock-Jordle) signed a document that eventually got him arrested and sent to prison. (The end of the story is the best part!) {{{HEAR}}}

+ The Bright Kentucky Hotel was condemned in 1922!

+ Dottie Brainfeeble (who will become very instrumental in future episodes) was mentioned again. She must have been pretty good friends with Martin Jordle as she sent him fudge while he was in prison.

+ The petition is one that Rush won't sign (edited): {{{HEAR}}}

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42-03-12 Little Tiny Petite Pheasant Feather Tea Shoppy

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Vic has been invited to dine for lunch with some muckity-muck business associates at the Little Tiny Petite Pheasant Feather Tea Shoppy but unfortunately, the small restaurant only has 3 tables.  A scheduled party makes is necessary to scoot the table with Vic's associates against the side of the restaurant, making one spot unavailable to sit in.

Never fear; one of the dinner guests (Gus Fuss) comes up with the brilliant idea to shove the table against the window rather than the wall and seat Vic (the odd man out) perched outside against the window on a ladder.  This way, Vic can be a part of the dining experience.

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Vic has a positive attitude from the start and is more than willing to partake of his dinner on a ladder. Even when a cold March rain begins to fall, Vic carries on with a courageous and uplifted attitude.

To me, this will always remain one of the more clever episodes written by Paul Rhymer.  It seems possible that when he was writing this episode that he thought of sticking Vic beneath the table (Rush suggests that may be where Vic is sitting.)  But sticking him outside by the window on a ladder in the rain is just plain funny - and clever.

Trivia:

+ The other business associates that will be dining "with" Vic are Mr. Buller, Gus Fuss and Mr. Ruebush.

+ Vic says Mr. Buller has been to the Little Tiny Petite Pheasant Feather Tea Shoppy in the past and has been impressed both with the portions and Mrs. Idler Grice's home-cooking skills.

+ In this episode, Vic refers to himself as a "cog in the wheel of big business."

+ In a story that is probably somehow connected to a missing episode, Rush tells Sade that Rain Brain Woofer, a chum in Rush's gym class and who shares a nearby locker, claims to be related to Sade's friend, Edith, from Raliegh, Kentucky.

+ We find out that Sade has a "rule" that the boys should always enter the house by the back kitchen door rather than the front door.

+ This episode provides ample proof of how much Clarence Hartzell's portrayal of Uncle Fletcher has help mold and influence all three Gook players. Listen carefully how they say, "Fine!"

+ I can't prove it but I will bet you almost anything that writer Paul Rhymer set up the Little Tiny Petite Pheasant Feather Tea Shoppy in the earlier episode (where Hank Gutstop gets the job as a hostess) just to set up the premise for this episode.

+ Though it can be seen many places all over the internet as the Tiny Petite Pheasant Feather Tea Shoppe, the fact of the matter is that in this episode and a previous episode where the restaurant was mentioned, Vic mentions that the title of the restaurant is the Little Tiny Petite Pheasant Feather Tea Shoppy.  "Shoppy" is spelled this way instead of the traditional "shoppe" in OTR logs.

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42-03-09 Uncle Fletcher's Unopened Letter

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN, BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Sade gets a postal card from her sister Bess which she tries to read but Uncle Fletcher keeps butting in to the extent that Sade finally gives up. Uncle Fletcher mentions he has a letter from Bess in his pocket that's remained unopened since he got it, exactly one month prior!

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While not being rude, Uncle Fletcher is socially impossible with his bad hearing and wondering mind.

The unopened letter from Bess will remind the avid Vic and Sade fan of the episode 40-12-23 Bess' Letter from 1937, where Vic had accidentally put away a letter from Bess in his checkered suit and Sade found it more than 3 years later (and also recall that in that particular episode, Walter had done the same thing with a letter from Sade.) This episode makes the whole "forgotten letter" thing something of a phenomenon.

Another of the very hard-to-understand episodes because of bad sound.

Trivia:

+ When Sade asks Uncle Fletcher if he wants to hear the postal card from Bess, Uncle Fletcher tells her, "No."

+ According to the postal card from Bess, her daughter Euncie has learned to cross over with her hands and to use the loud pedal in her piano practicing.

+ We find out that Walter and Bess have the last name of Helfer.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Arnie Hunkerman from Belvidere, who made all of his wife's clothes. He left Belvidere in 1913 and moved to Farmington, Minnesota and went into the ? ? business and later died.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Luke Backer from Belvidere. He married a woman 15 years old, moved to Texas and went into the chocolate-flavored Band-aid(?) business.

+ Uncle Fletcher again tells a story, this one of Oaf Beverly, who married a woman 34 years old, paid the expenses of having all of her teeth extracted, moved to Wash River, Kentucky. Then went into the corduroy looking glass business and later died.

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42-03-06 Tornado Gook

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Vic is excited because there is a write-up about him in the new Kitchenware Quarterly magazine. However, his excitement is quickly subdued when he finds the editors have again botched his picture. And while his biographical sketch starts out promising, it soon descends into a pit of embarrassment.

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Poor Vic! Anytime a biographical sketch is involved, he winds up getting the short end of the stick.

Another horrible-sounding episode.

Trivia:

+ The photo of Vic in the Kitchenware Quarterly is actually of a bald man holding up a sign that says #786. The family debates whether or not the man is a convict.

+ Beneath the photo it says, "MEET A STRAIGHT SHOOTER FROM PLANT 14."  Below that is says, "They grow them big, rough, tough and honest out there in the Middle West."

+ The article about Vic is read. It goes something like this:

Extend your hand to the printed page, friend, and press the hand of Victor R. Gook, the most competent and all-around good fellow as you'll meet in the whole confounded organization.

He's no namby pamby milk [unintelligible] momma's boy, this customer; around Plant 14 the lads call him "Tornado."

Don't stand too close to the guy wire folks or you might get burnt.

He plays the game hard but he plays it fair. A man's man, old Tornado Gook.

Although standing only 4' 11" tall, Vic Gook is quite an athlete specializing in the broad jump and the hammer throw.

He was born in Fort Washington, Wisconsin on December the 12th...

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42-03-04 Room Warming

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Uncle Fletcher's room is finally finished being fixed up and to celebrate, he's having a men-only room-warming party (similar to a house-warming party.)

Vic and Rush are invited.

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Another episode with sound so bad you're not likely to sit through it.  Though Uncle Fletcher is talked about a lot, he's not in this episode.

Trivia:

+ Sade says that for refreshments, Uncle Fletcher is going to serve cold brickmush, dyed in exotic colors. The colors mentioned are midnight blue, off-apricot, burnt silver, graveyard grey, green dawn, bruised maroon and daffodil black!

+ Although the brickmush will be colored, Sade claims the taste will remain the same.

+ We find out that the Gooks are generally finished with their evening meal at 5:45 pm or so.

+ There appears to be a conflict with Uncle Fletcher's party and a lodge meeting. Lodge meetings begin at 6:30 pm.

+ Rush also encounters a conflict as he had made plans to go to the YMCA and watch the fat men play handball.

+ Uncle Fletcher calls and asks the men to bring their easy slippers because of the mud situation outside; Mis' Keller doesn't want her house tracked up with mud.

+ It appears as though Alf Musherton, Y.I.I.Y. Skeeber, Stacey Yopp and Mr. Gumpox have also been invited to the party.

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42-03-03 Accounting for Spondulicks

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Rush goes shopping with Sade and Ruthie Stembottom for the sole purpose of keeping track of their monies; the left-hand pants pocket for Sade and the right-hand pocket for Ruthie.

However, like the ladies, Rush gets the money confused, much to the delight of Sade, who keeps pestering him to come up with the correct amount.

Vic, an innocent bystander in the whole mess, is chastised by Sade as well for previous comments about keeping track of monies.

SADE OFFENDED... AND RETREATS

Getting frustrated with being grilled by Rush for details, Sade is offended when she feels that she’s being belittled. Going into her realm of her strongest trait, Sade retires to the kitchen to make supper.  - Keith @ Retro Radio Podcast

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This would be a terrific episode - maybe in the Top 10 best - if not for the absolutely horrible sound we encounter all the way through this. Listening to this episode is a tedious task to be sure.

Trivia:

+ Spondulicks (sometimes spelled, "spondulix") is another name for money; used frequently by (guess who) Mark Twain and O. Henry (according to the Etymology Dictionary). Vic and Sade writer Paul Rhymer has been compared to them both. I have often seen a correlation between Rhymer and O. Henry and have made note of this in the past.

+ Ruthie bought a collar pin for her husband Fred for a dollar at Kleeburger's. She also got weighed (which cost a penny) at the Ten Cent store. Sade bought a pair of brown shoe laces at Emson's shoe store. You wonder if maybe she didn't buy them for Uncle Fletcher, in case he got a knot they'd have to cut.

RUSH CALLS RUTHIE, "RUTHIE"

Rush is always calling adults by their first names. Not such a tragedy by today’s standards. He is a teenager, on the fast track for adulthood, but especially in the era of the early 20th century, it was proper for married women to be called Misses., and in even more formal settings to be called by their husbands name as in, "Mrs. Fred Stembottom." Her identity was lost in her marriage, and that’s the way society preferred it.  For a woman to be known by her first name meant you were a family member, or a very close friend. Etiquette dictated that single women weren’t even called by their first name. You knew a girl was sweet on you if she offered you the use of calling her by her first name. 

So, you can tell why Sade was always scandalized by Rush’s casual nature with her friends. - Keith @ Retro Radio Podcast

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42-02-26 Putting Up the Porch Swing

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN, BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

It's the end of February and Uncle Fletcher suggests to Rush that they go down to the basement and haul up the porch swing and put it up, thereby making them the first folks in the neighborhood to put up their porch swing.

When Sade and Vic find out what's going on, they consider it an asinine idea. Even though Uncle Fletcher is to blame, Rush gets the literal blame for it.

During the process of putting up the porch swing, Uncle Fletcher gets something in his tooth (and thinks everyone else does too) and he tells a series of stories.

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This episode is basically an excuse for Uncle Fletcher to tell some stories.

While this episode doesn't sound very good at least it's understandable, something many of the previous episodes of the last couple of weeks have failed to be.

Trivia:

+ When I first heard this episode and heard Sade mention her "watermelon pickles," I assumed this was something made up. But lo and behold, I found several recipes for it, including here, here and several more here, plus a video on how to make them.

Sold commercially

Also known as "pickled watermelon rind", it's a recipe based on pickling the rind of a watermelon. Doesn't sound too good to me, but apparently, someone likes it.  In China, the product is often used as a vegetable and can be found in stir fry and other dishes.

Rush and Uncle Fletcher broke a jar of watermelon pickles and also a jar of peaches while retrieving the porch swing.

+ According to Rush, porch swings are usually put up in June. As previously stated, this episode takes place at the end of February.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Elbow Rodgers, who was from Belvidere. He died while putting up a porch swing. He was lazy and his wife (he married her when she was 16) kept telling him to put up the swing. He kept putting it off. Finally, he made plans to put it up on a Tuesday-  but he was so worried about the prospect of having to put up the swing that he died.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Howie Meebler, also from Belvidere. He married a woman 42 years old. He moved to Los Angeles, Coloarda then to Indianapolis, Ohio and then to Kansas City, Oklahoma. He later died.

+ Another story is told, this one of Vernon Scruffles, from Sycamore. He went into the powdered rabbit business and moved to San Francisco, Oregon.

Again, I figured "powdered rabbit" was a made up product but I was totally surprised to find that there is such a thing; it's used primarily as a "glue" to coat a painter's canvas because some paints will actually destroy a canvas, especially most linseed oil-based paints, which contain (or perhaps, used to contain) acid enough to eat through an untreated canvas.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Bert Yakey from Sterling. He used to wear short knickerbocker pants and a straw hat with roses in it. He married a woman 19 years old, moved to Minneapolis, Michigan and went into the evaporated vinegar business. He learned how to do after-dinner tricks with a lighted cigar. He shot his brother's big toe off by mistake and later died.

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42-02-24 Rawhide Shoestrings

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN, BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Uncle Fletcher: Don't forget... you're dealing with rawhide!

Uncle Fletcher is still visiting the Gooks and is ready to go to bed...but once upstairs, he realizes his new rawhide shoestrings are each in a terrible knot and he can't get his shoes off.

The family is tired but can't retire for the evening until they help Uncle Fletcher remove his shoes and he objects to cutting the laces.

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It's really hard to understand Uncle Fletcher and Vic in this episode. This is an episode that only the very diehard fan will even attempt to listen to as the sound is horrible and it's not even the most horrible sound found in a Vic and Sade episode.

Trivia:

+ At the beginning of the episode, Vic is away playing indoor horseshoes.

+ Rush is reading from a Third Lieutenant Stanley novel; the plot seems to revolve around counterfeiting voice teachers!

+ The rawhide shoestrings that Uncle Fletcher has in his shoes cost him 15 cents for the pair.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Hobie Rankers from Sycamore Creek who went into the copper-plated mattress business and then disappeared in the state of Oklahoma for 11 years. He invented iron shoestrings and provided every customer a hammer and an anvil. He estimated it would take the average person an hour and a quarter to lace up their iron shoestrings.

+ Uncle Fletcher also tells the story of Atterberry Hippins from Belvidere who went into the salted house paint business. Moved to Fargo (South Dakota!) and married Melvarina Adkins, who was 16 years old. She wore a size 2 shoe on her left foot and a size 6 ½ on the other foot. She would always have to buy 2 pair of shoes and throw away a left-footed shoe and a right-footed shoe.

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42-02-19 Uncle Fletcher Comes to Visit

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN, BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Joe Liefers, the "slow poke"

Uncle Fletcher's room at Mis' Keller's boarding house is being painted and so he asks if he can shack up with the Gooks for a few days.

This is no problem for the Gooks but they soon might worry about this as Uncle Fletcher practically pushes them out of the house so that he may have the davenport all to himself.

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Not a lot is going on in this episode. Uncle Fletcher is not full of stories and nothing crazy happens. Uncle Fletcher does seem to want everyone to leave though as he gives Rush money for the Bijou (Rush has already seen the film) and practically pushes Vic and Sade out to the Stembottom house for a game of "500."

Uncle Fletcher tells the Gooks he has plans of taking off his shoes and stretching out on the davenport with the newspaper, something Vic earlier said he had plans to do!

Trivia:

+ Joe Liefers is mentioned for the first time. He's the painter that is painting Uncle Fletcher's room. He's referred to as a "slow poke, lame brain."

+ Vic had been at the Purple Room of the Butler House Hotel with Mr. Buller. Recall they took in a meal there together at least once before.

+ Arnie Hokum from Belvidere was mentioned for the first time. The story behind him is cryptic, at best: At the barbershop, getting a haircut, Arnie had the feeling something was missing...

+ In the past, Uncle Fletcher has moments where he has been confusing Rush with Sade. In this episode, there is a time he confuses Sade for Rush.

+ Though he's sleeping over the Gooks for a few days, he insists on eating his meals at Mis' Keller's rooming house.

+ Uncle Fletcher gets up at 5:30 each morning.

+ We find out that is costs 15 cents for Rush to get into the Bijou. It may cost more for adults.

+ Fred and Ruthie Stembottom were referred to as "Ted and Gertie" by Uncle Fletcher.

+ Sound is very bad the first two and half minutes then, whatever it is, disappears, making the last 7 minutes or so, quite listenable.

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42-02-18 Edith Suggins' Visit

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

An imagined photo of Rollie and Edith

Edith (maiden name is Suggins) and her husband Rollie have just been by to visit Sade. Edith was a friend from Dixon.

Edith might have been confused as she kept referring to Vic as "Hector." She also thought he had lost a leg and a was in the hay and grain business.

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Vic recalls Edith as being fat but Sade says she is slim now; perhaps as bodies can change, so can memories.

Trivia:

+ Since Edith is married to Rollie, her last name is no longer 'Suggins;' however, Sade didn't remember the new last name. As a matter of fact, Rush says that Sade almost completely ignored Rollie.

+ Not only did Vic remember Edith as being fat but also recalled her chewing a whole pack of gum at one time. Sade also recalled that she used to have gold teeth up front but now they are white.

Joliet, Michigan City and the surrounding area

+ Edith and Rollie are from Kentucky and are eventually en route to Michigan City, Indiana; they are also going to Joliet, Illinois and that's why they were able to give Sade a visit.

+ Rush heard the two gabbing women tell a story about Alton Fishum, a fellow from Dixon; seems his mother made him a pair of corduroy pants and he wouldn't wear them. His father tried to make him wear them but Alton was so upset that he ran away from home as he figured he was 44 years old and had a mind of his own. But they caught him in Des Moines, Iowa and he's now wearing corduroy pants and liking it.

+ Rush tells Vic that Edith never shut up the whole time she was there.

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42-02-17 Hank Gutstop, Hostess

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Vic comes home and invites Sade and Rush out to eat at the town's new restaurant, the Little Tiny Petite Pheasant Feather Tea Shoppy. Hank Gutstop has gotten a job there as a hostess!

Before the family can leave, Hank predictably calls up and informs Vic that he's already been fired because he ate six meals his first day before 5 o'clock!

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Another fun episode, probably in the top 15 best, although hampered again by horrible sound that cannot be fixed.

Trivia:

+ The film playing at the Bijou is Gloria Golden and Four-Fisted Frank Fuddleman in Take This Dropping Heart Of Mine, Assistant Straw Boss Williamson.
 
+ This is the first mention of the Little Tiny Petite Pheasant Feather Tea Shoppy, which is notorious in Vic and Sade.

The restaurant is located at Monroe and Madison Streets.

+ The restaurant is owned by Idler Grice, who also is the cook. This is the first time she has been mentioned.

+ The restaurant has just 3 tables.

+ Hank does not get a salary, instead he is to be paid in meals.

+ Sade says Hank is sometimes seen sleeping on the courthouse lawn, something that was not previously known.

+ Sade has blue eyes, according to Rush.

+ The meals at the restaurant are just 35 cents. The basic meal includes: soup, salad, meat, potatoes, two vegetables, dessert and a beverage.

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42-02-13 Prize Clock

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN, BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Mis' Rogers has won a clock in a giveaway and Rush has agreed to carry the clock over to her house for 25 cents.

But before he can go, Vic sees the clock and immediately begins fiddling with it and notices a bunch of things that need "fixing."

Rush is forced to tell on Vic so that Sade can control the situation as Vic is like a child around candy when it comes to clocks.

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A very fine episode is all aspects - except the sound is bad at the beginning and gets progressively worse.

This episode has all the elements of a classic. Near the end, Rush is yelling for his mother as if he were six years old... classic comedy at it's best. I only hope you can understand the words as the sound is THAT bad.

Trivia:

+ This is the first time Mis' Rogers has been mentioned. She lives at 712 and a half West Locust Street. This is also the first time Locust Street has been mentioned.

+ Mis' Trogle probably has a daughter or perhaps a sister named Margaret.

+ The grocery boy is named, "Clarence" but Rush says everyone calls him, "Flea Bite."

+ Smelly Clark's real first name is "Albert."

+ Vic refers to Mis' Rogers as a 'widow' seven different times in this episode despite both Sade and Rush telling him each time that she is not a widow.

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42-02-11 Fred Will Budget for Vic

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Ruthie Stembottom calls up Sade and tells her that she and her husband Fred are coming over; not to play "500" - but to show Vic and Sade how to budget their money. Fred is even bringing his blackboard with him.

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Why doesn't Sade protest this? Doesn't she realize Vic is an accountant?

When she finally realizes the foolhardiness of the whole ordeal, she is embarrassed at herself and tries to make up for it by telling Ruthie (who calls back twice) that Vic wants flavors of ice cream that have been previously off-limits due to the fact that it's well-known that Fred hates those flavors.

Meanwhile, Vic is livid. Fred is not his favorite person.  As a matter of fact, Fred is probably the person on the show who Vic likes the least.

Trivia:

+ The avid Vic and Sade listener will find the "What flavor ice cream do you want?" exchange to be very funny in this episode. To make up for hurting Vic's feelings, Sade suggests tutti frutti and butterscotch flavors.  Those flavors are completely out-of-bounds on the normal occasion.  In the normal episode, Sade would say, "Fred hates that flavor" if they were even brought up.  In this episode, however, it is Rush who has to play 'flavor referee' as Sade is trying to placate Vic.  Finally, Sade tells Ruthie that Vic wants caramel flavor, another flavor which Sade knows perfectly well is a flavor that Fred detests.

Little bits of writing like this by Paul Rhymer is one of the reasons this show is so well-loved by so many people. 

+ We find out that the drug store sells peanut butter sandwiches along with milk shakes.

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42-02-01 Donahue's Doorbell

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Mis' Donahue calls Sade to ask for help: her doorbell is stuck and is constantly ringing. Sade suggests clogging the bell with cotton.

When Vic gets involved, he tells Mis' Donahue not to panic (she wasn't in a panic to begin with) and he'll be right over. He puts on his overalls, has Rush fetch a screwdriver, a hammer, a monkey wrench and other tools and is about to set out next door when Mis' Donahue calls back to say she pulled the wire out.

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Vic, who is forever wanting to fiddle with things of which he knows nothing about (see clocks) would have probably destroyed Mis' Donahue's doorbell or worse.

This might be one of the 10 or so best episodes but the sound is so bad, most people aren't even going to attempt to listen to it. I did what I could but I'm in a stretch of 25 or so really bad sounding episodes.

Trivia:

+ We find out that Mis' Elders (who is over at Mis' Donahue's house) is an hysterical-type person.

+ The Stembottoms are on their way over to play "500."

+ Vic asks Rush to fetch the following tools for the repair job: screwdriver, hammer, monkey wrench and (I think) nose pliers.

+ Vic expresses that fixing the doorbells "might be an all-night job."

+ Sade remembers the time Fred Stembottom's car horn got stuck and "kept tootin'."

+ The show is missing the opening and beginning few seconds.

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41-xx-xx Icebergs in Illlinois

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Sade excitedly tells about a special speaker heard at the Thimble Club, who claimed there were icebergs making their way across the plains of Illinois 40 to 400 years prior.

MIS' CROWE SAYS:
Sade tells about a lecture on prehistory she heard at the Thimble Club, but a few details may have been lost in translation.

There are two possibilities here:

1. Sade heard a legitimate speech about the Ice Age and is misremembering some of the details. 
2. Dr. Seabury* is a crackpot. 

There is certainly precedent that makes scenario #1 possible — Sade was not well educated and, while she is enthusiastic about learning, she lacks essential critical thinking skills. But I think scenario #2 is far more likely. There’s probably a reason the Thimble Club got Dr. Seabury to address them for free. There’s a reason he’s defensive enough about his iceberg theory to speak like a charismatic preacher instead of a professor. And the incident on the train doesn’t do any favors for Dr. Seabury’s reputation either. 

"Sade says dumb stuff" episodes aren’t my favorites because there’s something a little uncomfortable about using someone’s poor education as a joke, but at least Vic and Rush aren’t too mean to her in this one. They seem to have learned that when she’s this excited about something, it’s best to let her speak and not argue with her too much. As far as crackpot pseudoscientists go, Dr. Seabury is fairly harmless, and Sade’s misconceptions about icebergs aren’t hurting anyone.

The audio is pretty bad here, so my transcription’s probably imprecise, and there were some places where I couldn’t understand what was being said at all. As challenging as it was, though, it was nice to finally sit down and transcribe this one since the bad audio makes it hard to listen to it attentively. Dr. Seabury is quite a character.

Here I go, messing with Jimbo’s characters page again! He’s listed as Dr. Seaver, but I swear I hear another little vowel there at the end of his name, so I went with Seabury. The audio quality is so bad, though, it’s tough to tell for sure.

SEE THE SCRIPT (transcribed by Lydia Crowe)

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Vic and especially Rush give Sade a hard time about the lecturer.

Trivia:

+ Dr. Seaver is mentioned as the name of the lecturer. The week prior, he had been in Somerset, Kentucky lecturing.

+ This is just half an episode or so, with only 5:00 or so of the play remaining and the sound is pretty rotten.

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42-08-xx Washrag Collection

STARRING: BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Uncle Fletcher brings over a sampling of his landlady Mis' Keller's washrag collection to show Sade. But Sade's over visiting Mis' Donahue, so Uncle Fletcher goes through the very odd collection with Rush.

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One of the better episodes with some memorable stories; most all of the ridiculous stories however revolve around washrags rather than people.

art by Dave Duckert

Trivia:

+ Rush is reading from a Third Lieutenant Stanley book but doesn't read any outloud nor does he mention any of the adventures.

+ Uncle Fletcher again confuses Rush with Sade. That's happened at least three times in the series.

+ Uncle Fletcher is going to go over to the courthouse later in the evening. He says Hank Gutstop, Y.I.I.Y. Skeeber and Rishigan Fishigan all hang around the courthouse in the evenings.

To those who don't know, hanging around the courthouse used to be a popular occurrence, especially in the Midwest. Often older gentleman would play checkers, chess or just hang around doing nothing.

+ Uncle Fletcher claims one of the washrags is shammy skin but that it was gotten from a shammy fruit bush!

+ One of the washrags has writing on it that says, "Knitted to the memory of Raymond Belcher Beirman, who expired when an 18 ton railroad bridge fell on him, December 19, 1887."

Neither Mis' Keller nor Uncle Fletcher knew who he was; the washrag was found in a streetcar in Rockford, Illinois years ago.

+ Another of the washrags says "Eastern, Western, Joliette Railroads Please put back on rack."

+ There is a strange washrag with pockets in it.  Five pockets with labels on each telling what they are for: bills, change, keys, tobcco and insurance policies.

The washrag was invented by Caldwell Kline in Buffalo, New Jersey during the Spanish-American War. He could light his cigar by rubbing his feet together.

+ There's a washrag that says, "Property of the Terre Haute, Centralia, Gillespie and Southern Illinois Electric Lines - When through using, kindly return to porter."

+ A reversible washrag that says "George" on one side and "Edna" on the inside. George and Edna Gatsby were from Dixon and later Boston, Connecticut and Little Rock, Oklahoma.

+ A washrag that says, "Property of the Chicago, Downer's Grove, Sycamore and Skulking Indian Diseal Powered Shuttle System - Toss in wicker basket after using."

+ A washrag that turned to stone. {{{HEAR}}}

+ A washrag commemorating the 97th birthday of Albert Broker.

+ A washrag that turned to putty.

+ A washrag made out of heavy material for those living in cold climates and another washrag, this made of light material, for those living in warm climates.

+ A washrag shaped like a hyena.

+ A washrag shaped like a vinegar bottle.

+ Washrag that read, "Property of the Dubuque, Quincey, Davenport and East Moline Railroads - We want this back!"

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41-12-xx Uncle Fletcher's Train Trip to Dixon

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN, BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Uncle Fletcher's just gotten back from Dixon and he tells the family about the trip up and back  and about the people he saw in Dixon.

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Though he mixes a few things up, Uncle Fletcher's stories are legendary.

Trivia:

+ Uncle Fletcher has made it a life-long practice to give railroad conductors something to nibble on as it puts them in a good humor.

+ McClellan was Uncle Fletcher's conductor on the train coming back from Dixon. He ate one and a half chocolate cupcakes Fletcher gave him.

+ People that Uncle Fletcher saw while in Dixon: Cooley Miller, Art Sykes, Vern Adams, Cliff Dirtshirt and his brother Charlie Dirtshirt.

+ Cliff Dirtshirt is planning on moving to Baltimore, Delaware. When he gets there, he plans on marrying a girl 31 years old and they will go into the live bait business. As a sideline, he will take on piano pupils as he plays the piano.

+ Reasons for Cliff Dirtshirt taking up the piano:

• Snow storm 

• Complete stranger came up to him on the street and tried to sell him tennis shoes

• His cousin married a girl 16 and a half years old

• He read in the paper where a fellow lived in Philadelphia, Ohio and took an automobile apart with a hairpin

+ Lathe Montgomery used to be a waterboy for the railroad gang in Dixon. He now lives in Des Moines, Kansas. He married a woman 22 years old. He went into the non-removable varnish business. He was working on an an invention to keep lawnmowers getting clogged up with grass in weather.

+ Uncle Fletcher brought back a leather sofa cushion filled with genuine Missouri sand. It was gathered from the banks of the Mississippi River near Hannibal. It weighs close to 60 pounds.

+ He brought back a leather dresser scarf with, "The big catfish are biting in the slews behind LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Uncle Ted" written on it.

+ He also brought back a horsehair watch fob that was made by Cliff Dirthshirt.

+ Uncle Fletcher refers to Sade twice in this episode when it was actually Rush talking to him.

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42-07-xx Mr Chinbunny Eats Ice Cream

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY,  BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Sade and Rush sit on the front porch swing and watch Mr. Chinbunny over at Freda's old house eating ice cream. He eats it with such delight and exagerration that the family sees it as being fake.

Meanwhile, Vic is on the phone to Rishigan Fishigan and finds out about a publication that lists parades all over the United States. He wants to subscribe to it but Sade and Rush can't see the point in it.

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The funny part of the episode is listening to Vic treat parades as though he is Mr. Chinbunny eating an ice cream. Vic just loves a good parade - and apparently, so does Rishigan Fishigan.

Trivia:

+ Sade mentions Mis' McCall from Dixon. She exaggerates her expression to show how much she likes things.

+ Vic picked this story up from Rishigan Fishigan:  One man marched in 5 parades in 5 cities within a space of 96 hours. Marching along in his 5th parade, he fell exhausted to the pavement and died. The National Parade Lovers intend to erect a statue to him as soon as they raise $10,000. As of now, they only have 85 cents in their treasury.

+ We find that LeRoy Snow plays the violin. 

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41-12-xx Left and Right-handed Stacey Yopp

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Vic relays to the family the fact that Stacey Yopp has had his motor skills reverse on him some 60 or 70 times in life and will often suddenly change from being right-handed to left-handed or vice versa.  On top of that, he loses the predominant motor skills in the hand he was using before.

Yopp wants to see a brain surgeon and it just so happens a noted Montana physician is is town. But Yopp's living quarters (the Bright Kentucky Hotel) is too loud and busy for him to properly have a doctor visit him there.

Yopp asks Vic if he can use his house to conduct the doctor appointment.

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It seems plausible that writer Paul Rhymer took the premise of this episode from a tiny tidbit in 41-12-08 The Bottom Buffet Drawer, where Uncle Fletcher mentions Rupert J. L. Dunsquat from Dixon; was right-handed up to age 29 then turned left-handed overnight.

I don't know why exactly, but if there was a town character that had trouble staying one-handed or the other, it does seem *to me* that person would be Stacey Yopp. The name itself seems to imply the unique frailness of never knowing which-handed you are.

Rhymer's script is very unique but not that funny; however, it's one of those things that once you've hear it, you don't seem to forget it.

Trivia:

+ Rush reads from an unnamed Third Lieutenant Stanley book, this one about "counterfeiting coffee ground fortune tellers."

+ Fowler D. Sockers is the doctor that Yopp wants to consult. He's from Montana and is a brain surgeon, lecturer and polo player. He's in town to deliver a speech to the Better Businessman's Club at the Butler House Hotel.

+ Yopp is now a candidate for membership in the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way.

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41-12-25 North Dakota River Bottom Revel

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND BILL IDELSON

Y.I.I.Y Skeeber calls to inform Vic that they are in line to be a part of the North Dakota River Bottom revel, which consists of eight participants. A revel is like an old-fashioned shivaree/chivaree; that is - a time of loudness and partying, usually reserved for newlyweds of "unnatural" marriages (those with large age differences, for example.) At any rate, they are to be expected at 11:30 pm.

The situation soon changes and Y.I.I.Y Skeeber informs Vic that there's only five participants and it will be about midnight. Those details change again and it's only two participants and they will be there about 12:30 AM. And that too changes later and only Rishigan Fishigan will show up and it will at 1 AM.

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Perhaps a reworking of the 41-09-25 Bright Kentucky Hotel Speaker script that has people backing out left and right on Vic. (It seems that it's just coincidence that mostly the same parties were involved in both scripts -- but who knows?)

Trivia:

+ The original eight man North Dakota River Bottom Revel party were: Y.I.I.Y Skeeber, Alf Musherton, Raymond Beirman, Stacey Yopp, Ben Webster, Cincinnati Dave Kepper, Q.H. Hodewalk and Rishigan Fishigan. All eight men live in the Bright Kentucky Hotel.

+ Yes, Raymond Beirman is mentioned again.

+ No one at Rush's school believes in such a man as Rishigan Fishigan of Sishigan, Michigan.

+ Ben Webster, Cinncinati Dave Kepper and Q.H Hodewalk were all mentioned for the first time.

+ Salted peanuts is all the food a revel party expects, according to Vic.

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41-12-12 Mr. Buller's Christmas Gifts

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY AND BERNARDINE FLYNN

Mr. Buller gave Vic $20 and a list and asked him to ask Sade if she would do his Christmas shopping. The list is filled with 34 odd names but worse, there's no distinction of age or anything else for the people on the list.

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Another funny episode that is sadly hampered by terrible sound.

Trivia:

+ Vic suggests to Sade that she just get them all handkerchiefs.

+ Sade mentions the People's Bank Building is on Center Street!

+ Sade mentions the Dionne quintuplets (although she doesn't mention them by name.)

+ One of the crazy names/address on the list is:

Culver C. Culverson
Culvert Cover Company
2126 Culver Street
Culvert, Kentucky

+ This is the first time that "Rishigan Fishigan of Sishigan Michigan" is mentioned; he will go down in Vic and Sade lore and keep popping up now and again. 

HOWEVER, in this episode, he is named ISHIGAN Fishigan. (I've listened to this numerous times and I am sure the name is ISHIGAN.) We are going to assume this name was slightly changed and these two fellows are really RISHIGAN.

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41-12-08 The Bottom Buffet Drawer

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNADINE FLYNN, BILL IDELSON AND CLARENCE HARTZELL

Sade is appalled to find Vic and Rush have been using the bottom buffet bureau drawer to stash away all kinds of needless items.

It's her drawer for storing table items (napkins and doilies) for special occasions. 

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A funny premise, made even funnier by Uncle Fletcher trying to figure out what's going on. The only hold up in this episode is the horrible sound.

Trivia:

+ This episode took place on Monday December 8, 1941 - the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

+ Items in the drawer: Vic's overshoes, his horseshoe (won 6 games and had 7 ringers in a row with it), a screwdriver, Rush's first baseman's mitt, Rush's easy slippers, an old ice skate Rush had found in the middle of summer on Center Street and old newspapers.

+ Uncle Fletcher is only there for a short visit because he promised Mrs. Keller he'd be home to eat her "special turnip greens."

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Pete Wisher from Sterling, Illinois. All of his clothes from the socks to his tie were all made out of the same material. He later died.  His woman was vexed at him for 27 years...

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Ted Keepers, who was 24 and married a woman of 26. He took violin lessons until he was 57 years old and wasn't able to play a single tune. He liked to play the scales, so he played only scales and he played the scales as good as anyone.

+ Uncle Fletcher tells the story of Rupert J. L. Dunsquat from Dixon; was right-handed up to age 29 then turned left-handed overnight.  He married a woman who was 53 years old; he was 37.

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