A winter movie line, a black Buick dream, and a donut-shop corner that still feels like home.

Evening, friend. Jack Reynolds checking in.

December 19 always makes me think of a cold sidewalk, a bright marquee, and folks lining up for a good laugh before Christmas week hit full speed.

Stick around for that sharp little movie moment, and for the black Buick that looked quiet until it proved itself. And wait till you see that donut shop corner, I can almost smell the coffee.

Brings it all back, doesn’t it?

On December 19, 1980, “9 to 5” opened in theaters and had folks laughing and nodding along. Made for about $10 million, it hauled in over $100 million and topped the box office for weeks. My wife still quotes it. Click to see how it struck a nerve and ruled the charts.

This 1987 Buick GNX in Black looked like a quiet bruiser, then it lit up the street. Sticker was about $29,900 new, and clean ones now can bring around $200,000 or more. With a turbo V6 rated at 276 horsepower, it ran hard. Click for the backstory and the numbered details.

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That bright Mister Donut sign on Route 201 in Waterville, Maine, is pure 1984, coffee, sugar, and a warm windshield. The Library of Congress logged it as a John Margolies roadside photo, and by 1990 many Mister Donut shops were converted into Dunkin’ Donuts. I can almost taste the glaze. Click for the big scan and the catalog notes, then see what sits on that corner now.

“I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” was the kind of line you heard once and carried for years. This Alka-Seltzer spot ran as a tight 30 seconds, and it even landed in the CLIO Hall of Fame. I have said it after more than one big supper. Click to watch it and see why it stuck.

Brooke Shields was one of those young faces you could not miss in the early ’80s, and it felt like she grew up right on our TV sets. In 2024 she was elected to lead Actors’ Equity, a union founded in 1913 with over 51,000 members. Click to read how she stepped into that job and what it says about her next chapter.

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Tonight’s ‘Your Memory’ comes from Calvin in Vermont, thinking back to a 1962 snow day, and I picked it because it feels like December in every good home. He remembers doughnuts warming on the radiator while the AM radio called school off. The kids ran outside in wool caps, then came back red cheeked and smiling. That is plain happiness, isn’t it?

Tonight’s Quote comes from Norman Vincent Peale, who reminded us that “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” I have found that true on long workdays, when the house is loud and you still want to do right by your people. My dad always said attitude is a choice. You can learn more about him here. Click in and see what shaped that steady voice.

See you tomorrow. Same time, same station.

– Jack

Images are AI-generated or sourced from public-domain archives. Reader photos used with permission.