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Not only do I have to ponder what to get my dad on Father’s Day but I have to think about what to get for my husband. These are two separate tasks. My dad is fairly simple when it comes to gifts. I could get him a salami-cheese box, a 6 pack of MGD, cigars, a new shirt for summer, a trip to a steakhouse. I could probably even get away with a big hug and a homemade card.
Getting something for Mr. HIH is tricky.

He already has most of the things he loves like video games, movies on Blu-Ray, and upgrades to computer devices. So instead of finding favorite things to gift wrap it’s time to get creative. I’m not talking homemade gift cards I’m talking creative thinking.

The gift I’ll give Mr. HIH is the Silent Treatment. Here’s how to give your husband the Silent Treatment so he’ll really appreciate it.

The night before you should find out what he wants to do on Father’s Day. Maybe he wants to have a nice lunch out with the family or take the kids to the park. If that is the answer then the Silent Treatment option isn’t for you. If he’s like my hubby he probably said something like, “I don’t know. Maybe play video games. Watch a movie, relax.”

Perfect!

First off bring him some coffee, tea or whatever hot beverage he likes in the morning with a subtle yet seductive kiss. Then just leave the room and don’t come back. That’s right don’t come back for the morning conversation. Do not come back to ask about the bills, the trash cans, the sprinklers, the next family event that your mother-in-law emailed you about. Do not come back just wait for him to come out for breakfast.

Keeping yourself busy is key to the Silent Treatment gift. This way he won’t think you’re pissed at him and you won’t break down and start nagging about that closet door that falls off the hinges.

Next, make yourself scarce for most of the day. Take the kiddos and let dad have the house for awhile because peace and quiet in a house is a very special gift indeed.

Alright, so you’re back from the outing and Dad’s still in his underwear dancing around the sofa… oh wait that was the retro movie Risky Business. He might be busy watching a movie, playing a video game, tinkering around the garage, sleeping or eating leftover pizza.

Now’s the time to just let him be, go about your day as if he isn’t even there. This might sound harsh but it’s a great gift.

Don’t ask questions while he’s playing the video game. Don’t add to the Honey-Do list. Don’t complain about your hair, your toe nails, the living room, your recent weight gain. Don’t send the kiddos in for information like what he wants for dinner. Just let the guy relax.

So that’s the Silent Treatment. It’s not for every husband on Father’s Day but if you have one like mine he’ll have one of the happiest days of the year.

According to my stat analyzer the average viewer has been staying on my site for 24 seconds. If that’s not enough to make me throw in the dish towel I don’t know what is.

Having a blog/site is a tricky thing. This got me thinking about the theme song to H. R. Pufnstuf:

“H.R. Pufnstuf, whose your friend when things get rough. H.R. Pufnstuf, can’t do a little cause he can’t do enough”

When I first started this site it was a bit like Jimmy sailing away:

“Once upon a summertime
Just a dream from yesterday
A boy and his magic golden flute
Heard a boat from off the bay
“Come and play with me, Jimmy
Come and play with me.
And I will take you on a trip
Far across the sea.”

It’s been almost 2 years now posting my ideas that originate from the pop culture synapses in my brain. I’ve had a great time sailing away into cyberspace. I’m still sailing even if I only get a 24 second viewing most times. For those of you that like to stay awhile how about watching the 1st episode of H.R. Pufnstuf with me. You know who you are.

Here’s a HIH Rerun and 5 on Friday combo to say Happy Easter 2010!

Because my brother is 9 years younger than I am, the Easter Bunny left me treats even when I was a teenager. It was great fun helping him search under the sofa, behind the combo record player/television set, in the backyard and all over the dining room.

Easter morning was a bit like Christmas morning for us. We never did a traditional egg hunt but we didn’t think we were missing anything. For whatever reason, the Easter Bunny didn’t like hiding plastic eggs at our house. He preferred to hide toys, books, art supplies, and of course candy. By the time I was in my teens he was leaving me pop band pins, makeup and even music tapes. This didn’t include The Basket of special goodies either.

The Easter Bunny spoiled us lovingly. Many might think such lavishness would create kids as rotten as left over Easter eggs but those moments teaching my little brother the ways of the Easter Bunny are memories I’ll cherish forever. No matter how silly or full of sugar your holiday traditions may be they can also be rich with the love of family.

I’m going to hop down my own personal Easter lane for this 5 on Friday.

Here are my 5 Favorite Easter Treats:

Macadamia Nuts

The Easter Bunny always left us Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts. I’m not sure why he had a fondness for these decadent Hawaiian treats but I’m glad he did.

Speaking of Macadamia and nuts, how about a little dance with Dot from the Animaniacs, click here.

Almond Roca

The name Almond Roca, the intense flavor of the chocolate toffee fusion, and the candy’s golden wrapper made me think the Easter Bunny was a high class dude.

Let’s watch this video of Rosco T. Raccoon at the Brown & Haley Almond Roca Factory and see how this classy candy is made:

Cadbury Eggs

This is one of my brother’s favorite Easter treats. I like them too but a little goes a long way with that sugary yolk confection.

How serious are you about your love for Cadbury Eggs?

Marshmallow Peeps

These bright and colorful treats are more for decoration than eating in my point of view but without your peeps it’s not very festive. Do you like the taste of Marshmallow Peeps or do you just like looking at them?

Let’s watch as this Microwave Specialist performs this Peeps experiment:

Music by Prince

So I mentioned that when I was a teenager, the Easter Bunny was still hippity hopping to my house with a basket of goodies for my younger brother. Not only is the Easter Bunny a jet setter with high class Almond Roca taste he’s also a music lover. One of my favorite memories was finding the tape by Prince called Sign o’ the Times during my Easter hunt for treats in 1987.

I’ve been a Prince and The Revolution fan since seeing Prince climb out of the tub in his When Doves Cry video. I was a bit sad about the departure of Prince from The Revolution but I rolled with the changes once I heard the album Sign o’ the Times.

Wikipedia says “Time magazine listed Sign o’ the Times as the greatest album of the 1980s, and 29th greatest album of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 93 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

For a great review and sample tracks click here.

I hope this weekend brings you lots of family fun and sweet treats! Happy Easter!

There’s one YouTube channel I visit the most. It’s the Official Soul Train channel on YouTube. If I’m feeling funky I search for some Funk and Get Down with Don Cornelius and the Soul Train dancers in my living room.

I was groovin’ and movin’ with the line dancers the first time I saw the show. I must have been about 5 years old. A blond haired, blue eyed kiddo who knew she liked Soul Train way better than American Bandstand.

My dad loved The Temptations, The O’Jays, and anything R&B. He showed me my first dance moves and I caught on right away. So if you’re ever feeling a little bit funky, take the Love Train to the Soul Train station. You’ll feel groovy in no time.

Do you have a favorite Soul Train memory?

When I was growing up Winter holiday decorations and Christmas music weren’t seen or heard until the day after Thanksgiving. Between Halloween and Turkey Day there was a calm before the holiday season that created a feeling of excitement when the first fake snowflake was spotted on the local store window.

These days we can see department store workers putting up their holiday displays the same day they’re moving the Halloween items to Clearance. This makes perfect sense from a marketing perspective but from what I’ve gathered from family and friends it’s a bit annoying to the consumer.

Back in the day before DVD, YouTube, Hulu and Netflix we actually had to wait until the appropriate season to see holiday specials. These specials aren’t so special anymore because we can watch The Grinch at Halloween or The Great Pumpkin on Christmas Day.

The latest pop culture tradition might be holding out to put up the tinsel until after we’ve cleaned off the Thanksgiving table, or waiting until the week before Christmas to watch Rudolph. I’m going to break tradition with my HIH holiday image above because I’m going on a holiday hiatus. I need some time to hibernate offline.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season with or without decorations. It’s a time to get ready for the New Year, to reflect on memories, and spread love in the form of hugs, gifts and even a dollop of Cool Whip.

Happy Holidays!

Click here to learn more about one of my holiday favorites, The Snowman.

For classic Christmas specials on DVD click here.

My grandfather served in World War II and he received a purple heart. My father served in Vietnam and he went on to the National Guard as a First Sergeant of a tank division.

Dad in Vietnam

I grew up listening to stories about my dad’s time in Vietnam. How he couldn’t stand The Beatles because Yellow Submarine  played over the speakers while he was on his way to war and how his life was threatened by another soldier. He’s talked about the weather, the people, and music the soldiers listened to when they had a chance. I’ve seen pictures of him and his platoon goofing around in old photos. But my dad didn’t go off to college or tour Europe after high school. He didn’t have a choice; he was drafted.  He didn’t bring back a scrapbook, or signed photo album. It wasn’t a vacation and it wasn’t just a character building experience. It was the Vietnam War.

When he did come back from Vietnam he wasn’t called a hero or offered the best jobs in town. He had to prove himself. He had to prove his sanity to potential employers. They wanted to know the details. Did the war make him crazy? Had he killed anyone? These were the interview questions he had to answer. The things he probably thought about on his way to and from the meetings, the questions that still might come up every now and then.

When I was little and my mom would tell me to wake dad up for dinner it was a tricky task. He would jump or jolt sometimes ready for a fight when I tried to wake him up if I didn’t do it right. I learned to wake him up slowly, sort of coax him out of sleep in case he was dreaming from some foreign place away from our suburban California apartment. Decades have changed this and he wakes up slow and steady these days but I remember wondering as kid why he was so jumpy just from waking up from a nap. So many veterans that came back from wars, so many that had to answer tough questions, relive moments and carry around unpleasant memories. They were the fortunate ones, they came back.

Here’s a video I found on YouTube the other night.

I am thankful for every veteran but I like to imagine what a wonderful era it will be when we don’t have to fight. I’m not sure what my dad thinks about this song. I might ask him today.

Click here for an Interactive Vietnam Veterans Memorial, leave a tribute, a story or photograph about any of the 58,256 veterans killed or missing in the Vietnam War.

We went to the library the other day, and the kiddo recognized many great Americans honored in the children’s section for Black History Month.

She said, “Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington Carver, the lady that made the Underground Railroad, and my Aunt Virginia.”

Her Great Aunt Virginia is my husband’s father’s sister. She was also an award-winning author of children’s books.

Virginia Hamilton won numerous awards for literature including the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, the Coretta Scott King Award, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her book Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush was awarded a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.

Check out this retro Snipet from fuzzymemoriestv.TV

Many of her stories went from the printed page to other media such as her novel The House of Dies Drear  made into a film starring Moses Gunn, and Shavar Ross in 1984. She collaborated with James Earl Jones to narrate her book The People Could Fly on CD.

Newbery Medalist Virginia Hamilton tells 24 stories that kept her ancestors’ culture alive during slavery, from spirited animal trickster tales and robust tall tales to spine-chilling tales of the supernatural and moving narratives of slaves in search of freedom. Twelve of these tales are on the 78-minute CD, including the hauntingly beautiful title story, “The People Could Fly,” Booklist praised the recording as “an outstanding and most welcome production that both complements and extends the original work.”—from her official website www.virginiahamilton.com

Her stories inspire young and old to read, write and share their own stories with future generations. Virginia’s love of storytelling and the arts have been passed down to her own children. Her son Jamie Adoff is a writer, and her daughter Leigh Adoff  is an opera singer.

Virginia Hamilton left this earth on February 19th, 2002 but her stories can be found in libraries, bookstores, and inside our minds and hearts, thank you Virginia.

“The past moves me and with me, although I remove myself from it. It’s light often shines on this night traveler: and when it does, I scribble it down. Whatever pleasure is in it I need pass on. That’s happiness. That is who I am.”—Virginia Hamilton

I have to say that 2008 has been a pretty good year for Housewife in Hollywood.com

I started this zany idea in May with a birthday trip to The La Jolla Comedy Store. Since that time I’ve met many interesting people. I’ve interviewed musicians, actors, an artist, a writer, a director, a pirate queen, and the legendary Jack LaLanne.

2009 will bring extra excitement to Housewife in Hollywood.com! More interviews with talented individuals! More trivial small talk about all things pop culture! More cute videos of Chihuahuas!

Thank you to all the visitors. Thanks to all my MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter friends for your wonderful comments, support, and friendship.

Thank you to my family, friend’s offline, and the “man behind the green curtain” who is there to help when I’m clueless about techy internet stuff.

It’s time to celebrate! Hang up that disco ball, turn on the strobe lights and turn up the volume on your MP3 list! Here’s one of my favorite celebration songs from the fabulous Daft Punk.

Don’t forget to watch Dick Clark  ring in the New Year with his traditional countdown on ABC.

I’m taking a holiday break but I’ll be back soon with lots more HIH fun. Grab a hot cocoa, take a peek in my archives, and browse through my interview section.

I hope you get what’s on your holiday list, have some fun, relax a bit, laugh and share special moments with family and friends.

Happy Holidays!

With Talk Like a Pirate Day  just around the corner I’ve been feeling very “piratey” lately. Last night I took my brother, and my sister-in-law to a Pirates Press Gang Rhythm and Rum Party in Long Beach, CA at The Blue Cafe.

I usually get to bed by 10:00 and a couple of the bands I wanted to see didn’t get on stage till 11:00. This housewife is dragging a bit today but it was well worth the lack of sleep.

The evening was full of authentic looking pirates, tribal dancers, unique pirate rock music, and even some retro swing tunes thrown into the mix. Stay tuned for more about the two great bands I danced the night away with. Now I need to get back to dusting and cleaning the kitchen. Well, maybe after a little afternoon nap.