Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Goodbye, Regis. I'm Going to Miss You



Putting off the third section of my Okanagan wine series for another week for a couple of reasons. First of all, I bent over the other day to pick something up and out went my back. I knew immediately I’d done the wrong thing when I heard a little “snap” and immediately felt the pain as I straightened up. So with this painful situation, it’s difficult for me to concentrate on my writing this week.

I’ve done this before and go regularly for Shiatsu treatments to keep it in check. However, this time, I forgot to bend from the knees and now I’m paying the price. It will take a few visits to the chiropractor as well as few ice packs to get it right again. I guess you can truly say it was a “senior moment,” although some of my younger friends tell me they have the same problem.

The other thing on my mind this week is that I’m saying “Good bye” to an old friend. I’ve spent time with him almost every week for more than twenty years, but he is now “moving on.” Of course, I’m talking about the one and only Regis Philbin—King of the morning talk show hosts. I discovered his entertaining show shortly after the death of my mother, at a time when I was experiencing a great deal of depression. I had quit my job to look after her in her last stage of pancreatic cancer, and had not yet gone back to work. Having my morning cup of coffee with Regis and Kathie Lee (his co-host at the time), gave me a great many laughs and got me through the day.

Even when I went back to work, I was usually able to catch the first twenty minutes of the show that Regis called the “Host Chat.” They were always funny together and I was sorry when Kathie Lee decided to call it quits. But along came the delightful Kelly Rippa who brought a completely new edginess to the show.
Over the past ten years, the two of them together have helped me survive two bouts of cancer, my husband’s heart attack, and a move away from the city I lived in for over sixty-five years. Even though Regis is a bit of a curmudgeon, one could always count on them for a great deal of fun and some entertaining stories about their lives in New York City.

One of the stories Regis would never tell, but often hinted at, was something that happened to himself and his wife, Joy on their wedding night. Kelly would frequently bring up the subject and he would say, “No, no. I can’t talk about that here.” Now, he has promised that, this coming Friday—on his very last show-- he is going to tell us the story of his wedding night. Regis has always been extremely skilled as a storyteller, and it looks like he will finish with a great finale.

Kelly has just been given a 5-year contract with ABC and I’m certain they will come up with an impressive co-host for her. But I’m also sure that it will be different. Regis always steered the show back to satisfy the people in my age group. It was as much about the stars of yesteryear as the introduction of new kids on the block. There isn’t much entertainment directed to us older folks anymore. And that’s an element of the show that I will be sad to see gone.

Come Friday morning, I will probably shed a tear or two. I’m really going to miss my morning coffee with Regis Philbin.



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