Mary.

The main reason I don't write here every day is that unless I can bring something unique to the conversation, I leave it to others to be repetitive.
You don't need me to tell you how great the "Chuckles the Clown" episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show" was, or how seeing Mary in those Capri Pants on the Dick Van Dyke Show first stirred my loins.
I have my own contributions to make.
I loved and admired Mary Tyler Moore as much as anybody else, but I had two up close-up encounters with her.
And it was neither of our finest moments. 
The first was a day that Jay Sandrich, who directed quite a few episodes of "the Odd Couple", and many, many episodes of the "Mary Tyler Moore Show, asked me if I'd like to come and visit their set.
They were shooting that week.
I wouldn't have missed that opportunity for the world.
It was a Wednesday afternoon, just after lunchtime, I got onto the set, and there everybody was.
I guess I figured Jay would at least introduce me to Mary.
He didn't introduce me to anybody.
Mary was seated at the long writers table, reading the paper.
And I was this stranger who was peering over her shoulder, probably making her more than uncomfortable.  There was no reason to blame her.
I'm sure I seemed like an interloper, someone who didn't belong there.
And that was that.
I loitered for about fifteen minutes, then secure in the knowledge that Jay was never going to introduce me to her, I skulked away, back to my car, feeling like I had intruded.

Our second and last encounter took place at the Lyceum Theatre, a Broadway house, in 2010.
Valerie Harper was appearing in previews in a very good play called "Looped" in which she portrayed Tallulah Bankhead brilliantly.
I had good seats in the orchestra
About ten minutes before curtain on this Wednesday Matinee, a commotion began stirring in the house.
It was Mary Tyler Moore being led down the aisle by her husband.
I was seated two rows behind her.
Everybody was thinking "gee, isn't it nice that one old friend is out there supporting another.
And I was thinking "My  God! This woman is blind!  Or at least very close to it.  The diabetes has
really taken it's toll."  That's the way it looked to me.
And she was really there to just listen to the play, which was still pretty courageous.
Shortly after this, Valerie Harper revealed that she ad cancer,
The kind that you die from.
She's still here.  I guess some sort of major remission has taken place.
Mary and Valerie appeared together after that on an episode of "Hot In Cleveland" where it was quite apparent that Mary, if not totally blind, could just barely see.
This was certainly not the way I wanted to remember her.
R.I.P.  Mary,

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My books, "Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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