Bring Your Parents To Work Day

There will be times as you raise your child you’ll be thinking homicide… justifiable homicide. Daughters can do that to you. And you’ll wonder, will there be a payoff to these years of blood, sweat and tears?

You’re waiting for days like today! We went to visit Stef at work. Yes, we’re proud… and relieved.

Dear Fathers of Daughters,

IMG_2523_4432There will be times as you raise your child you’ll be thinking homicide… justifiable homicide. Daughters can do that to you. And you’ll wonder, will there be a payoff to these years of blood, sweat and tears?

You’re waiting for days like today! We went to visit Stef at work. Yes, we’re proud… and relieved.

Stef is an associate producer on Family Game Night. It’s a kid oriented game show that runs on Hub, the cable network owned by Hasbro.

IMG_2381_4290FGN is produced at Delfino Studios in Sylmar.

“You go past the Adult Superstore,” Stef included, more to describe the neighborhood than provide landmarks for navigating.

Delfino is one of dozens of small studio complexes in the LA area. An impressive control room truck was parked alongside the sound stage. The studio itself was huge and fully staffed in the Hollywood tradition!

I have never been in a studio which looked bigger in person than on-air… until today. Big studio. Big set. Very impressive.

IMG_2657_4566Delfino may be off the-beaten-path but it’s a pro operation with a large pro crew. The show went smoothly&#185.

The host is Todd Newton who’s won national Emmys for this show. Deserved. He was effortless. More importantly, he exuded empathy for the contestants. There are hosts who don’t get that part of the job.

The games themselves are larger-than-life for-camera adaptions of classic kids games, like Monopoly, Connect4 and Jenga. We saw plenty of cash dispensed and (after we left) a few cars!

IMG_2592_4501We watched Stef carry her clipboard and walkie across the studio, checking on games and staff. She was in her element.

After we left Helaine and I discussed our 140 mile roundtrip journey.

“She’s like an adult,” Helaine said, “when did that happen?”

&#185 – People who work on shows see a more ‘backstage view.’ They know what’s supposed to happen. No show is ever 100% clean to them.

Hey Hasbro. Don’t Change Monopoly… Or Scrabble

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Stef and Roxie joined us from H’wood today. Having Stef nearby is really wonderful. It’s been a long time since we’ve been so convenient for each other.

There was shopping to be done. We headed out.

Roxie is reasonably hyper. She stayed home.

Destination Target… with Doppler.

There are rules or law we’re violating. I know that. Fine. Come and get me.

Doppler is so well behaved no one could possibly mind. She sits in the cart while we walk around. No barking. No fidgeting. She sits quietly and takes it all in.

If a kid wants to pet her, fine. Doppler is 100% docile.

While Helaine and Stef shopped, I headed to the back where the TVs and electronics live, then wandered around.

It didn’t take long to run into two old favorite games–Monopoly and Scrabble. They’ve been changed!

A pox on your house Hasbro!

Back in the seventies I fell in with a crowd of cutthroat Monopoly players. We read strategy books and fought hard, but the truth is buying everything you land on is the only way to go.

Monopoly has been sped up with the “Speed Die.” It’s a third die that picks up the action.

Sacrilege!

Scrabble is a very serious game. There are well established ratings and tournaments. You take risks when you screw with the game.

In Philly, I lived above Neal Axe. We played Scrabble nearly every day and he won nearly every day.

Now Scrabble’s got “Power Tiles” to “Boost your score.”

No!!!

Would these folks put arms on Venus de Milo?

There are certain traditions which should remain untouched, like Monopoly and Scrabble.

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