In re-watching the entire “Northern Exposure” series, there were of course many episodes we did not see originally and others I only vaguely recalled. One of the main characters, Chris Stevens, played by John Corbett, is the town DJ, philosopher,  and minister mostly for events as he obtained his “license” after  answering an ad in the magazine Rolling Stones. Growing up in what was in essence a lawless family in West Virginia, he spent part of a sentence for grand theft auto (really more a joy ride) and discovered literature leading him to determine to never break the law again. Leaving was the logical thing to do and with little money and a used Harley, he eventually made his way to Cicely, Alaska where he was by no means the only individual seeking a new life. Unlike some, he did shed his considerable baggage and often is able to bring a perspective when someone is faced with angst. At other times, he delves too deeply into certain sensations or metaphysical wondering and is pulled out by those around him. The other day an episode was about a close friend of his who died and shipped his body to Chris for final burial. Go along with the improbability because that’s part of the charm of the show.

Chris and his friend Tulley had promised to do this for each other, but hadn’t been specific about final choice. Although no one in town knew Tulley, they all gathered at the church in support of Chris and as he attempted to do a more-or-less traditional service, he halted in the middle, realizing this wasn’t right for the kind of man his friend had been. There were multiple discussions after as to cremation, etc., with Chris unable to decide. Naturally, there were “conversations” with the dead friend as well. Dr. Fleischman did finally point out having a dead body in a casket, even embalmed, hanging around for multiple days was problematic. In the end, another town character sat alone with Chris as he was lying in the grave he’d dug, trying to “evoke a sense” of what was the right thing. The other friend was able to get Chris to see that letting go was his real reluctance. In the end, the town gathered again, this time at the edge of the river. Chris had the coffin rigged to a trebuchet  (type of catapult) he built for another quirky episode and he launched it high aloft to land in the river where his friend would have one final adventure courtesy of Chris.

Again, not that dumping dead bodies in a river is advised, but it was a fitting way to say good-bye.

As I think I’ve mentioned, Hubby and I do most  of our workouts on the stationary recumbent bike. He uses his tablet to watch webinars, podcasts, etc., and I watch DVDs. Since I generally work out 6 days a week, that’s lots of CDs. I ran across the complete set of the 1990s TV series Northern Exposure and ordered it. We didn’t see the first season, and it ran back in the days before recording was available. We watched most of the episodes though although it took me longer to become comfortable with the quirkiness than it did Hubby. For those too young to remember, Cicely, Alaska has around 800 people, a mix of whites and natives. Basic amenities are available and the setting is beautiful. It is, however, in the proverbial middle of nowhere. Dr. Joel Fleischman, a graduate of Columbia Medical and a thorough New Yorker, did not come from a family who could afford medical school. In accepting funding from the state of Alaska, he arrives to learn his four-year commitment to the state will not be in Anchorage as he’d been promised, but in Cicely. The culture shock is the basic premise of the series which ran for six seasons. There is a range of characters and frequent mingling of native beliefs and practices to add to what are humorous, poignant, or philosophical/metaphysical aspects depending on the episode.

Not surprisingly, while Joel is the one most often taken aback by things he encounters and usually comes to view “ridiculousness and oddities” from a different perspective, at other times he is the one who helps steer people into a better decision or resolution of an issue. There were two episodes (haven’t gotten to them yet) that have stayed with me all these years. They dealt with different approaches to one’s view of death, and the powerful pull of external validation.  Like many series though,  you either have to watch it from the beginning or have some kind of primer to give you enough understanding to enjoy it to the fullest.

Musing alert. I think I have posted previously about having to work most of the time while I was in college. One summer I actually worked my regular part time job then another part time job and then had a third, temporary one for a little while that same summer. That was when my regular part time job was behind the soda fountain of the Rexall Drug Store although we didn’t actually sell much in the way of ice cream creations. It was more coffee/drinks, sandwiches, and cones. There were a few men who routinely came in for morning coffee and one day one of them stopped in for an afternoon cup. He had a nice box of candy he was obviously planning to check out so I naturally inquired as to if it was his wife’s birthday or other special occasion. He replied that no, no reason; he just liked to surprise her now and then. It was a habit he recommended. That leads me to the subject of Valentine’s Day. (Yes, I know it can be difficult when one has no Valentine and I have posted about that before.) There was a time when I was in all for the appropriate gestures of dinner out, flowers, and so forth. I can’t even say for certain when we decided that going out in the crowds could give way instead to a nice dinner and champagne at home. We do usually add in a dessert as well. No gifts or extra flower arrangements are needed even though I do always get Hubby some kind of Valentine themed candy, but like Snickers in heart-decorated wrapping.

What it comes down to, is it’s a bit like the gentleman I was talking about. We haven’t lost the romance; we simply don’t focus on Valentine’s Day as a time to show it.

It really is a coincidence this post is also about Ford. I can’t really if it was Jan or Feb when the movie “Ford vs Ferrari” was released. I was supposed to go with Hubby to see it, but was caught up in one of the obligations I had and he went alone. He loved it and I knew it would make it to cable before too long. I finally had a chance to watch it the other night with him and quite frankly I’m glad he had previously seen it. There is a pivotal scene early in the movie that takes place in a diner. There are in fact two components to that scene and if you don’t know to pay close attention to the whole part of it, you focus only on the most obvious. This is another instance where Hollywood allegedly doesn’t stray far from what actually occurred throughout the time depicted. On the other hand, if you don’t care about cars, this will be a boring movie. If you don’t know a little about car history, you will need someone to give a few pointers. With that said, it’s a great movie.

The casting is superb although I don’t care for John Lucas playing a somewhat slimeball. He does it quite well, however. For those of a certain age, seeing Lee Iacocca at Ford brings a chuckle. I must admit quite some time ago, there was a discussion about his role in creating the Mustang that I had completely forgotten. The portrayal of Carroll Shelby is terrific although Hubby was a little disappointed they never mentioned his chili expertise. (That’s the mix Hubby always uses). Scenes with Henry Ford II are allegedly close to accurate and anyone who has dealt with corporate America can see the back-and-forth between “sticking with what works” and risky innovation. As I said, not the movie for everyone, but an absolute jewel for those who are the target audience.