Happy Birthday, Tootie!

I've been so busy entertaining my gal pal Vanessa who's here in LA celebrating her birthday, that I nearly forgot another important birthday. Kim Fields of Facts of Life fame turns 39 today. Yup, little Tootie is almost 40!

To celebrate, I was watching some of Kim's finer clips on YouTube and let me tell you they did not disappoint. 

First up, was a couple of songs. Who knew in addition to being a roller skating actress, Kim Fields was also an accomplished singer? "Dear Michael" is a syrupy ballad written about Michael Jackson and it's cute in a very 1983 kind of way. But the real gem here is "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not". It's about 4 minutes to long and definitely overstays it's welcome. Still, it has "guilty pleasure" written all over it and definitely worth the listen.

Next, I enjoyed some vintage Facts of Life clips. It's been a long time since I've seen this show and unlike Kim herself ,it did not age well. It's so melodramatic and the acting is hilarious. My favorite has to be this little nugget of goodness where Tootie and Natalie buy a bag full of bongs! It is so funny on so many levels. I totally forgot that the acting stylings of Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Garrett) were such a treasure to behold. The woman is completely over-the-top and seems like she's always on the brink of a mental meltdown (Example: Watch for the way she says the girl's name "Tumpy").  Oh and that writing! It's sheer genius. The kids are cute though and they deliver their lines sufficiently, in a very PSA meets school play kind of way. Plus, Kim looks adorable.

Finally, I suffered through some tedious Living Single clips which showcased Kim's comedic ability  but seriously had me wishing for my own bag full of bongs. Luckily, I found a performance from the Def Poetry Jam that was a tad more inspirational. True, Jill Scott has nothing to worry about but Ms. Fields does a good job and it's nice to see that she's still working.

 In closing, I'd just like to say Happy Birthday to Kim and Vanessa and all of my other strong, Taurus sisters out there. You kids definitely make my life more entertaining.