Cancer Journal #65 Jan 8

 A week or so ago, I sent an email to Jan Carroll, my friend and a loyal reader and commenter of this blog.  I hadn't heard from her for a while and wondered how she was doing.  She was fine but the email prompted some chitchat in which she asked how I do with winter.  I responded that I am not bothered by going out in the cold and the snow but that a childhood in Alaska left me with a residual dread of cars not starting, cars getting stuck, impassable roads.  It's irrational since nowadays, cars start and roads get quickly plowed--at least in Wisconsin.  

Jan reported back that she had recently seen a rerun of Northern Exposure, the TV show set in Alaska in which the doctor, Joel, gets as a gift or inherits a Camel hair overcoat that had belonged to his uncle.  She had also just read about my receiving as a gift a camel hair overcoat that had belonged to Archie Bleyer. 

 Alaska,  a gifted camel hair overcoat?  Coincidence?  Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was but a heck of a one.

Another story.  Back five years ago, I reported to my sisters by email about Archie Bleyer's overcoat, Sheboygan, Carol, The Chordettes,  Mr. Sandman.  The thread of the email took a turn in which we tried to come up with earworms more offensive than Mr. Sandman.  How Much is that Doggie in the Window, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in July, You Light up my Life.  Since things had degenerated, I reported on a little known episode regarding Archie Bleyer's overcoat.  Did they know that Frank Sinatra borrowed it from Archie Bleyer once when he went on a date with Marilyn Monroe?  Marilyn said to Frank. "Oh Frank! I love your coat! It's so soft!"  Frank didn't say anything, leaving the impression that he owned the coat, not Archie Bleyer.  I didn't think that was too good of Frank.  One of my sisters asked if any of Marilyn's lipstick was still on the coat.  I checked and couldn't find any.  I reported back that that darn Frank had taken it to the drycleaners before he returned it to Archie.  Anyway, that coat has seen a lot.

You ask, "Is that true!?"  I say, "It's absolutely true that this email exchange occurred."  I say, " Is it true that Archie loaned the coat to Frank for his date?  Hey! Come on!  Don't ask those questions!  But since you did ask, I say, 'Boy, it sure may have happened!  I'm not ruling it out!'"  

This much is certainly true:  Marilyn Monroe would have loved my coat.