Carol Burnett

            After midnight on Friday I did my usual search for bedbugs and found none. So that's eight days since I found the last one. If I don't see any by the end of next week I'm going to stop checking as often, move my guitar back into the bedroom and put the books back on the shelf. 

            It was quite cold overnight and so when I got up to pee at around 3:00 I turned the oven on. My comforter would have kept me warm but I want to keep it in the kitchen for now just in case the bedbugs are still around because it's so difficult to wash. 

            I was able to fully extend my sprained arm straight up several times while stretching a bicycle tube attached to my foot. 

            I worked out the chords to the chorus of "U.S.S.R. / U.S.A." by Serge Gainsbourg. 

            I weighed 89.3 kilos before breakfast. 

            Around midday I finished cleaning my steamer basket and started working on the fryer basket. It's tedious work because I'm trying to scrape the dirt from every wire in the netting. I'll work on it some more on Sunday. 

            I weighed 89 kilos before lunch. 

            In the afternoon I took a bike ride to Yonge and Bloor. It was almost cool enough to wear my leather jacket but once I got going the open long sleeved shirt was enough. I noticed a few days ago that the authorities have torn down the tent city at Dufferin and Queen and put up a fence. I don't see why they cared since it wasn't in a part of the park anyone used. There's very little about it online even though it was there for a year. I weighed 88.9 kilos when I got home. 

            I read Henry David Thoreau's "Resistance to Civil Government." He mostly didn't want to pay taxes. He thought there should be little or no government. He touches on the importance of Abolition. 

            I grilled pork chops coated with olive oil, salt, paprika, garlic and herbs, chopped garlic, honey and vinegar. I had one with a potato and gravy while watching Gomer Pyle. 

            In this story a very aggressive and dominant female corporal named Carol collides with Gomer just after he leaves a phone call with his girlfriend. Lou Ann has just returned after having been away for a few weeks and Gomer is smiling because he's happy about meeting her tonight. Carol asks why he's grinning and he starts talking about hearing that one girl's voice and how his long wait is over but doesn't mention Lou Ann. Carol thinks he is talking about her and declaring love at first sight. Since Carol is new on the base he recommends the Blue Bird Café which happens to be where he's meeting Lou Ann that night. Carol thinks he is inviting her. Later Gomer is early to meet Lou Ann but Carol shows up. She is so forceful and Gomer is too polite to turn her down when she drags him off to a drive-in movie. He calls Lou Ann from the theatre and tells her that he met a very lonely corporal but he doesn't mention she is female. They reschedule but the next night as Gomer is approaching Lou Ann's booth Carol intercepts him. When Lou Ann hears Carol mention the drive in the night before she leaves. After two days Gomer gets through to Lou Ann by phone and convinces her to let him explain. On the way there he meets Carol but tells her he has to meet Lou Ann to tell her about her. Carol offers to help Gomer explain but he doesn't know that she thinks Gomer means he's going to tell Lou Ann that he's chosen Carol over her. When the three meet before Gomer can speak Lou Ann is told that the best woman won and that Gomer has chosen Carol. Lou Ann leaves and doesn't want to see him again. Finally Gomer explains to Carol that he's not in love with her. Now that she understands Carol offers to really help and this time they knock on Lou Ann's door. Carol uses her Marine ability to force Lou Ann to let them in, to sit on the couch close to Gomer and to put her head on his shoulder. Then Carol turns out the light and leaves. The next day Gomer gives Carol some fucked up advice on how to catch a man. He tells her she should let the man take control. A minute later she takes his advice and pretends to be helpless, thus catching two men at once. 

            Carol was played by Carol Burnett, who was the child of alcoholic parents who left her in the care of her grandmother. They moved to California where Carol studied theatre. She made appearances on Jack Paar, Ed Sullivan and Walter Winchell. She co-starred with Buddy Hackett in the short lived sitcom "Stanley" and was a regular on the game show "Stump the Stars." She was nominated for a Tony for her performance in "Once Upon A Mattress" and reprised the role on TV. She became a very popular regular on the Garry Moore Show. She starred with Julie Andrews in the Emmy winning special "Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall." She started "The Carol Burnett Show" in 1967. It ran for eleven years and earned 22 Emmy Awards. It was the last successful variety show on television.