Homemade: Ernie and Cookie

It's fun to see what other folks do with their love of Sesame Street and our favorite best friends, so I have decided to devote the next few Fridays to homemade Sesame Street. A quick perusal of YouTube shows that many people like to take scenes, songs, and characters to make their own little videos. Many of these videos (while funny) are not really appropriate for the tone of this blog, but there are several that are simply fun little homages to childhood.

Many of us have favorite songs from the Sesame Street records, but we have not been able to match them up with clips from the actual show. Here Joe gives us one of his illustrations as a backdrop for a favorite song. It's a simple but sweet visual way to capture a recording.

Happy Birthday, Ernie!!!

Today is Ernie's birthday. I spent a bit of time thinking about what I might get Ernie for his birthday if I had the chance. I don't think a guy like Ernie needs much for several reasons: (1) he lives in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City and has very little room for stuff, (2) he's an active type who seems as if he would appreciate experiences more than material things, (3) he kind of looks like he has everything he needs--Rosie the bathtub, a good drum set, and his rubber duckie.

I suppose if I were to get Ernie a gift, I might go along the lines of duckie-themed items. Perhaps a nice birthday cake.

He might feel weird, however, devouring his naked self, so maybe just one with a duckie.

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Maybe he's looking for a duckie moo moo.

He might be interested in a river full of duckies.

Or the world's largest duckie.

On the other hand, and in keeping with the idea that he might prefer a birthday "experience," I say maybe we go for Ernie-Bert 2016, as the people at this website suggested.

Probably, however, the best birthday gift I could get for Ernie is the one he already has.

Therapy

After a particularly frustrating couple of days in the real world, I am tempted to find a clip in which Bert gets so angry at Ernie that his head explodes. I feel like a Bert whose head could explode at any moment. I have realized, however, that I should not take out my frustration on Ernie, who is my favorite. Besides, Bert gets frustrated at Ernie because Ernie is exuberant and messy, not because he is incompetent and lazy.

With this enlightenment circling my nearly exploded head, I have instead chosen to embrace something that makes me feel good. This song is one of my favorites. It captures Ernie's most endearing qualities: his desire for adventure and his love of his own life and the people in it. It makes me happy, and happy is what I need.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Florence from Above

Sadly, we're going to have to move on from the Florence pictures after this week, but I think it has become apparent that Teeny Tiny would live in Florence if he could. Before he left town, Teeny Tiny made sure to climb both Giotto's Campanile and the Duomo so that he could get one last look from above at his favorite Italian city. Halfway up the big tower, he found a big bell.

The Campanile provided great views.



Santa Croce.



It also offered a nice view of the big dome.



Next on the climbing agenda was the big dome itself.






During his climb to the lantern of the Duomo, Teeny Tiny checked the walls to see if he knew any of the names illicitly Sharpied on them in defiance of the multitude of signs.



He also made sure to get a good look at the interior of the cathedral before finishing the climb.



He was pleased by his proximity to the Last Judgment.



Cerberus gave him a bit of a fright.



Almost at the top, he sneaked a look out the window at the Campanile.



The long climb was worth it for the views of the Badia and Bargello.



The Palazzo Vecchio.



The Medici Palace.



San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel.



Before he left Florence, Teeny Tiny saw almost all the great pieces of art in the city, but he wasn't allowed to take pictures with all of them. Don't doubt that he went to San Marco, the Medici Chapel, 756 churches, and the Uffizi.



He also made sure to hit the Academy and see Michelangelo's Prigioni and David.



Of course, he had to recreate that experience with a stand-in.

Bert Mondays: He's Not Asheep Yet

Bert really likes the idea of having the place to himself. With Ernie at the Count's for the night, Bert relishes the idea of a night of uninterrupted sleep. Unfortunately, the boogie woogie sheep have different plans. Poor Bert can't catch a break. The best thing about Bert, though, is that he quickly adapts to and embraces the educational interlude and doesn't even seem perturbed when Rancher Ernie makes a fantasy appearance.





I've always wondered if Bert were part sheep.