When my friend, Michael Ross of The Real Reality Show Blog lobbed questions back to me after I nominated him for the “Sunshine Blogger Award”, I really needed to use my noodle. Not only did Michael put a smile on my face with answers to MY questions, but he turned the tables – straight away – and asked some gems of me. I love this one:
Question #5: Are you an Oscar or a Felix? And do you understand the reference or did you have to research it?
I mean…I know some of you may not roll with the reference to “Oscar or Felix” and if so, I won’t hold it against you…but I’m still smiling.
I think it’s because it immediately brought visions of my dad, Sonny, to mind. Among his many talents, he was quite the housekeeper. Far better than my mom, Sue. Sonny was a Felix through-and-through, and I know dashes of his DNA reside within me. Especially his neat and tidy routines.
Sonny was infamous in our house for scooping up the Sunday newspaper before it’d been read. Something about the scattered nature of newsprint on floors, tables, chairs sent him into a spiral. He’d loiter at first, wondering if he could commandeer the ads and flyers; the low hanging fruit in his mind…but they were Sue’s faves. She’d save them for last and whip out her scissors – tucked in the deep drawer of the mid-century modern table that she’d salvaged from the dump. Stripped, painted and stained innumerable times to blend in with the decor every time we moved. It held her Sunday morning tools: extra readers, pens, paper clips and envelopes in an array of sizes so she could clip, clip, clip away and plan her grocery shopping for the week.
When we moved (which occurred often) and she learned that larger towns in the 70’s and 80’s plopped their grocery ads into weekday newspapers or separate “saver” circulars, the whole cadence of her Sunday ritual was thrown off. She became a mid-week Coupon Queen.
But Sonny? He’d stalk her every day of the week to round up errant clippings. She’d get mad and call him “Felix” and he’d snap back and say, “I’m no more of a Felix than you are an Oscar,” and then add, “Oscar, as in Oscar Madison and Oscar the Grouch.” He swore the Sesame Street character was inspired by Sue. I knew what he meant. A sneaky way to fire back at Sue’s and her moods.
If you’re unfamiliar with the “The Odd Couple”, I’m happy to fill you in. The characters – compulsive neatnik Felix and curmudgeonly messy Oscar – were the work of Neil Simon, introduced in his 1965 play. A hilarious romp reminding me that yin and yang exist in many forms, including housekeeping.
If you’d rather pop the popcorn and settle in for a movie, you can enjoy “The Odd Couple” in the 1968 film version, featuring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Slapstick and silly, just like their TV comrades, Tony Randall and Jack Klugman who played Felix and Oscar from 1970-75.
Thank you, Michael, for your question. This might’ve been a longer answer than you’d bargained for, but it sure was fun for me.
Yours truly,
Vicki…but you can call me Felix! 😉
Before you go, let me share one of my all-time favorite posts about my dad. He’s been gone nearly twenty-eight years but he’s nearby when memories come forward – like the rush of mountain magic.
Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press.
Check out this link to learn more about my book “Surviving Sue” – all about resilience and love.
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Victoria Ponders 
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