Once Before He Goes

The last episode of Jeopardy aired last night.

It was just like any other episode.  Alex Trebek was still lively, using every ounce of his remaining strength to do what he loved - host a game show, an institution, that has been on Ameican TV with him MCing for 37 years.

As it turned out, Alex Trebek had intended to tape a farewell message for his final show, but, at the time this last show taped, he didn't realize it would be his last - that's how sudden his final days were.

So we got this instead.  In a way, I was happy.

Because otherwise, I would have cried all night.

The song this clip is set to is called "Once Before I Go", written by the late Peter Allen. 

This is the backstory of the Broadway show this is from, The Boy from OZ, about the life of Peter Allen.

Prepare to cry to the song that was the background to Alex Trebek's goodbye montage, sung by Hugh Jackman.

One last coincidence.  I've blogged that I went to high school and college with a woman who became a Jeopardy champion. We remain friends.  Yesterday, in the Memories feature of Facebook, her picture taken with Alex Trebek showed up.   Coincidence?

Farewell, Alex.

The Kinder Gentler Society of Alex Trebek

If we, existing one year ago today, had a machine that allowed us to see one year into the future, none of us would have understood much that is going on today.

Not understanding the pandemic, we would still be saddened seeing that the iconic game show Jeopardy was showing the last week of shows hosted by the late Alex Trebek.  

This week's five shows were supposed to be shown the week ending in Christmas Day, but a decision was made to postpone the showing until the holidays were over. 

I fear I will totally lose it on Friday evening, when I see the last show, taped 10 days before he passed away.  I will cry and cry when I hear the farewell message Alex Trebek taped for his final TV appearance.

Last night we saw what was intended to be his pre-Christmas message.  This was not long after he had surgery for the last time.

In this short message, Alex Trebek mentions COVID-19 and then says "We're trying to build a gentler, kinder society. and if we all pitch in, just a little bit, we're gonna get there."

Take a look at this man. Does he look like he was 10 days away from death?

He was running on pure grit and courage when he taped this message, and his final week of shows. This was pure strength of will.  He looks so dignified.

I am in awe.  And, Jeopardy champion Cindy Stowell, who was dying from colon cancer when she competed and never got to see her show aired, would have been so proud. 

Why not honor Alex Trebek by working towards building that gentler, kinder society?  Can we do any less for the man who gave us so much?

 

Farewell to Alex

"I'll take 'My Heart is Broken' for $2,000, Alex."

Except that I can't ask Alex.  I can't, because Alex is gone.  It seemed so quick.  Wasn't I just watching season 37 of Jeopardy with Alex still hosting the show?  That's because he didn't want to stop.  He didn't walk away.  He was still taping shows until about 10 days before he passed away on Sunday.

Jeopardy, a game show whose most recent incarnation has been on the air for 36 years,  has become an institution here in the United States.   For all this time, its host was Alex Trebek.  We saw him age from a young, fast speaking man, to a sage 80 year old with grey hair and great wit.  

For example, in a July interview, he said he'd want his successor to be Betty White.

 

We bonded with the contestants, especially this one.

When Alex's pancreatic cancer diagnosis was announced in March of 2019, and several months later into 2019, I blogged these words:

Jeopardy has become an institution.  When I heard the news, I went right to Facebook - as it happens, I went to high school and college with a future Jeopardy champion, and she had already posted. (On the day Alex died, she posted the picture taken with him when she won.)

Pancreatic cancer is personal for me  It killed an aunt, an uncle and a great aunt (both sides of my family have been touched).  Someone I walked with at lunch for years lost her brother in law to it.  A former boss lost her sister to it.  And on and on.

In the past several months, pancreatic cancer has taken the mother of someone I know, and someone I knew of as a great advocate for eldercare issues in our community.  I got to meet her less than a year before her death. 

Alex Trebek gives much of the credit for his cancer shrinking to the millions of people who have been praying and thinking of him.  But prayer is not enough.  We must help ourselves.

Pancreatic cancer, and other "rare" cancers needs to be "brought up to speed".  This cancer needs to have some type of early detection, the way breast cancer and cervical cancer have.  It needs  publicity.  It needs marathons.  All cancers need funding.  It is true that pancreatic cancer is only about 3% of cancer diagnoses in our country.  But isn't it strange that, for its 3% rate, so many of us seem to know someone who has had it.

Yes, having had three relatives die from this cancer (my late aunt was the youngest), makes it personal.  While the survival rates for some cancers have (thankfully) increased, the rates for pancreatic cancer have not.

I do wish recovery for all patients with this dread cancer, whether or not they have extensive support systems. 

I was cautiously optimistic about Alex Trebek, but was also realistic.  It was the speed that took us by surprise.  Quoting again from previous blog posts with an updated last paragraph:

The sad but true fact is that it is the loss of celebrities (or the famous) that call people to action.  Although, as this article points out, there aren't too many "famous" spokepeople for this illness-they don't survive long enough.

If a cause isn't (excuse the expression) "sexy", it doesn't get the money.

Pancreatic cancer certainly doesn't get money for research the way some other cancers do.  Not to take away the importance of any cancer, but I believe funding must become more even between types of cancer.

That would be such a wonderful way to honor our beloved Alex Trebek.  My thoughts are with his family, as are the thoughts of millions of Americans. 

For World Pancreatic Cancer Day, November 21, 2019, Alex made this PSA.

Today, I also honor my mother, who passed 55 years ago today.

I have to believe that when Alex passed through the Pearly Gates, the Jeopardy theme played, and he was met by Larry Martin (Jeopardy champion who died from pancreatic cancer), Art Fleming (first Jeopardy host, who also died from pancreatic cancer) and Cindy Stowell (Jeopardy champion who was terminally ill from colon cancer at the time she became a six game champion and died before her shows could be broadcast.)

May Alex, my Mom, and also all those who have passed away since the beginning of 2020 forever rest in peace. 

Musicians of November and An RiP #MusicMovesMe

Guess what?  It's Monday and time for music!

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy Uncorked   and, finally, me.  

One more note:  This is a music blog only - please post at least one You Tube or Vimeo video so we can dance with you.  No music, no dance!   

Each month we have a guest conductor. This great month of November our guest conductor is Songbird from Songbird's Crazy World.  

Songbird's theme for today is: "In honor of my daughter, whose birthday is in November, make a playlist from singers/musicians who were born in November."

Here are some November musicians for you.  

Let's get started with Petula Clark, born November 15, 1932 (so, later this week, she turns 88.  Happy 88th, Petula!)  In this 12 odd minute video, you'll find something you like, including, perhaps a song written for Petula by Charlie Chaplin back in 1966. (Yes, I briefly discussed Charlie Chaplin as a music writer the other week.)

Jimi Hendrix, born November 27, 1942, is perhaps most famous for his cover of The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock in 1969.

Jay Black of Jay and the Americans, born November 2, 1938 singing their 1963 hit, Only in America.

Art Garfunkel of Simon and Garfunkel, born November 5, 1941.  This is a live performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" from 2019, noting the first minute or so is Art talking and the song is missing the "Sail On" verse.

Neil Young, born November 12, 1945, is known for his protest songs.  This one, "This Note's For You", is a song about the commercialization of songs.  You will have to click through to You Tube (and watch an ad, probably!) to listen to this song. What irony!

And now, my blog must take a sad turn.  As I was at a produce stand yesterday, discussing apples with my spouse, my manager (a big Jeopardy fan) texted me with the news that Alex Trebek had passed away at the age of 80.

My heart is broken.  A life cut short by pancreatic cancer.   May he forever RIP.

A tribute probably tomorrow.  For now, I'll leave you with this.  Alex didn't do much singing but he read a lot of answers about music.  Here he recites...well, it's kind of funny.

Join me again next week for another edition of #MusicMovesMe.

If Only Jeopardy Could Cure Cancer

Today, millions of people face, in shock, the news announced by beloved 78 year old Jeopardy host Alex Trebek that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.


Jeopardy has become an institution.  When I heard the news, I went right to Facebook - as it happens, I went to high school and college with a future Jeopardy champion, and she had already posted.
Pancreatic cancer is personal for me, as I blogged back in August of 2018 (and most of that post follows).  It killed an aunt, an uncle and a great aunt (both sides of my family have been touched).  Someone I walked with at lunch for years lost her brother in law to it.  A former boss lost her sister to it.  And on and on.

Pancreatic cancer is personal to the purveyor of the best fried fish in the universe, too, and to many others.  Perhaps this is why the news about Alex Trebek shocked so many.


I wrote most of the following post in November of 2009.  To me, it is shameful that pancreatic cancer remains one of the most deadly, if not most deadly, of cancers.  It's hard to detect early, which would be a key to early treatment.

One day pancreatic cancer will be as easy to diagnose as breast cancer, or cervical cancer.  We can always dream.  And pray.  At one of the fundraisers back in 2009, we saw an information plaque which gave various facts about pancreatic cancer.  One of them was pretty sobering:  it said that the state of pancreatic cancer research is approximately where breast cancer research was in the 1930's.

Well, we who were alive in the 1970's know how much the fight against breast cancer has advanced since then.

Circa 1960's, if a woman was suspected of having breast cancer, she went under the knife.  Many times they did something called a frozen section biopsy while the woman was under.  If this biopsy was positive for cancer, the mastectomy was done then and there.  No counseling, no opportunity for the woman to make a treatment decision, no warning, no nothing.  The woman woke up minus a breast.  Who cared about her feelings?

How grateful we women (and men, as men get breast cancer, too - did you know that?) should be for the amount of progress made since then.

Now it is time to apply that same can-do spirit to pancreatic cancer.  Why?
1.  There was no early detection method for pancreatic cancer (as of 2009, and I believe that is still true).
2.  (partially as a result of #1) this is one of the most deadly forms of cancer there is.  We were talking an approximately 4% survival rate after five years in 2009.  Now it's up to 7%, according to the American Cancer Society.

It is not unknown for people to die less than a month after diagnosis.  That is devastating to the family, never mind the person with the cancer.

3.   Not that celebrities should be more important than the rest of us but do you remember:  Michael Landon?  Jack Benny?  Donna Reed?  Rex Harrison?  Joan Crawford?  Fred Gwynne? Luciano Pavarotti?  (some of these are more baby boomer icon names). How about Sally Ride? Patrick Swayze? Steve Jobs? Bonnie Franklin? Pernell Roberts? Aretha Franklin?

The sad but true fact is that it is the loss of celebrities (or the famous) that call people to action.  Although, as this article points out, there aren't too many "famous" spokepeople for this illness-they don't survive long enough.

If a cause isn't (excuse the expression) "sexy", it doesn't get the money.

Pancreatic cancer certainly doesn't get money for research the way some other cancers do.  Not to take away the importance of any cancer, but I believe funding must become more even between types of cancer.

That would be such a wonderful way to honor our beloved Alex Trebek.  My thoughts are with him, as are the thoughts of millions of Americans.  Alex, we are pulling for you, and, indirectly, for all those, perhaps not so famous, in this fight.

(Written in memory of my aunt Trudy, who died from pancreatic cancer in August of 1974).

She Won on Jeopardy

I was going to ask my readers today: what would you do if you were in a certain life situation?

There are times in life where we are given the opportunity to step up, to do something greater than ourselves, and show true courage.  Will we answer the call?

I'm still going to ask you, but not in the way I had expected to.

Cindy Stowell, a woman from Austin, Texas, was an experienced trivia player whose lifelong dream was to appear on an American game show called Jeopardy.  Jeopardy has been on the air, in its latest version, since 1984, all with the same host, Alex Trebek.

She made the show, a feat that few who apply accomplish. One of my childhood friends is a former Jeopardy champion, so I know a tiny bit about the process.  This will give you a small glimpse into Jeopardy, if you aren't familiar with it.

This week, Cindy's first show aired and she won.  Then Cindy won again. And won still again.

But there was something different about Cindy.  Her voice was hoarse, weak.  And there was something not quite...right, as much as she showed her quick thinking and competitive spirit.  I mentioned it to my spouse and he agreed.

I didn't know the rest of the story until yesterday, when I looked her up online.

Cindy Stowell competed on Jeopardy, on shows taped this summer, knowing that she was terminally ill. She had been diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2015.  She had told the producers of Jeopardy, when she was called to audition, that the doctors had just told her they were running out of options - she had, perhaps, six months to live.   If they could fit her into their taping schedule, she still wanted to compete, and donate her winnings to cancer research.

They fit her in.   Cindy competed.  She was feverish, fighting a blood infection when she competed, and was on painkillers.  But she reached into herself for every ounce of strength.  Her fellow competitors didn't know of her situation, but Alex Trebek did.

Cindy Stowell died on December 5, a week before her first show aired.  She was 41.

She was able to watch her the video of first episode from her bed before she died.

In winnings, she may not be the #1 champion the show ever had.  But, in spirit, she is at the top of the champion list.  She showed us what every one of us is capable of.

As of today, she is still competing in the taped episodes.  As one columnist wrote:
"I sit in awe of a brilliant woman earning every last dollar she can for the causes dearest to her; building a sum of infinite potential in the face of her own finality. I have never rooted harder for anyone to win anything."

 Jeopardy keeps the results of shows a closely guarded secret (my friend couldn't even tell her closest family or friends) and we don't know, when the show airs again on Monday, if she will win still again.  But I will be watching.

And thinking about how I can put the lesson she is teaching into action.