My Cats Were On Birds Like Pomade Was On James Dean's Hair

            On Monday morning during song practice a sparrow flew in my window and landed just inside. It looked confused, like it had taken a wrong turn and was considering asking me for directions. I kept on playing and singing and after a few seconds it flew back out again. It’s fortunate that I don’t have cats anymore because they would have been on it like pomade on James Dean’s hair.

            It was a very humid day and I felt clammy and uncomfortable while playing and singing. It was also hot earlier in the day and I was in the apartment with my shirt off, the fan on and made ice tea twice.

            Around noon I roasted a chicken that had reached its best before date on Sunday.

            It was scheduled to rain during the time I would normally take my bike ride and so I was looking forward to an extra two hours writing time, which I got, because it did rain and I did get caught up on my journal. The rain broke the heat too, which was nice.

            I had a piece of the chicken with a potato, some steamed cauliflower and gravy while watching two episodes of Dobie Gillis.

            The first story begins with Dobie and Maynard being about to get on the army bus to training camp with Dobie’s father, Zelda and Chatsworth seeing them off. But at the last minute Maynard remembers that he left the water on at his house and his parents are away celebrating him going away. When the sergeant calls for Maynard G Krebs to board the bus he hasn’t gotten back yet and so to keep Maynard out of trouble Dobie grabs Chatsworth and tells the sergeant that he is Maynard and so Chatsworth is grabbed and taken away. Sometime later Maynard gets back to find Herbert and Zelda there but the bus, Dobie and Chatsworth gone. Herbert drives him to the camp but for some reason it takes long enough for all kinds of things to happen at the camp. Chatsworth, still denying he is Maynard is tested along with all the other recruits and when the army discovers that he speaks, French, Italian, German and Chinese, knows Morse code from his great grandfather, Morse, is a family friend of several renowned psychiatrists, when assignments are given they want to ship Maynard off for officer training. But Maynard arrives and switches clothes with Chatsworth and Dobie tells the sergeant that Maynard grew a beard overnight and it changed him completely.

            Chatsworth Osborn Jr. who replaced Warren Beatty's character, Milton Armitage as the snooty rich kid, was played by Steve Franken, who was comedy writer and former senator Al Franken's second cousin. He was also very funny as the increasingly drunk butler that keeps finishing everyone’s drinks in The Party.

            In the second story, Debbie, the waitress at the PX won’t date Dobie unless he finds a date for her unattractive roommate, Susie. Fortunately Maynard looks at Susie’s picture and thinks she’s a doll. But unfortunately they can only get passes if Maynard passes rifle shooting and inspection. They decide to cheat on rifle shooting since Dobie is keeping score but Dobie has an attack of honour and gives the real scores. The captain is impressed with Dobie and makes him an acting corporal in charge of inspection. Dobie plans to cheat on Maynard’s behalf again but once again is overwhelmed by army mentality and fails Maynard. But the captain comes in and tells him that he has to also be compassionate so he passes Maynard and Dobie gets guard duty on the night of the date. Maynard has a good time with Susie.

            Betsy was played by Diane Jergens who already appeared as a different character in an earlier episode.