"A Fun Girl"

Remember the episode of The Andy Griffith Show where Andy and Barney take out "the Fun Girls?" Those two dishy, ditzy blondes who got them into so much hot water with Helen Crump and Thelma Lou? I especially liked the one with the deep, dark-chocolate voice who liked to say, "Hel-lo, doll!"

Well, one of my resolutions for the New Year is to have more fun this year. Last year wasn't much fun at all: I got laid-off by the company I worked for, my dad passed away, and there was a lot of stress over money and legal hassles. In 2006, I'm going to be a Fun Girl. Hel-lo, doll!

I prefer old movies to new ones, and most of the TV shows I watch are ancient re-runs. I almost never miss Perry Mason on weeknights, and of course Star Trek, Voyager's another viewing must (it's not as old as most of my favorites, but it's about the "newest" show I watch). Probably my number one fave, though, is Andy Griffith. Those of us who love the show long to be citizens of Mayberry. But the good thing about the series is that every true fan IS a citizen of Mayberry -- at least in the honorary sense.

I always thought people who joined online groups needed to get a life. But when I saw that there is an online group of re-run watchers devoted to my favorite show, I couldn't resist joining it. At first, I was rather embarrassed; it seemed sort of a frivolous thing to do. But it's turning out to be terrific fun. Now I catch every episode I can, and get to share my Andy experiences with dozens of people who don't think I'm nuts for asking if Juanita at the diner ever actually appeared on the screen, or if anybody knew in which season the Haunted House episode first aired.

And when I say I want to be one of the "Fun Girls," these folks know exactly what I'm talking about.