Witchiepoo Who?

Apparently, in another sign of the aging process, my children's television allusions are becoming less and less effective. Referring to my new pointy-toed black ankle boots as my "Witchiepoo" shoes, two colleagues at separate times responded, "Huh?"

Now, for those of you who missed the 70s, Witchiepoo was a character on the not-at-all drug-induced Saturday morning program H.R. Pufnstuf, in which a boy and his magic gold flute (no Freudian overtones, here) are stranded on an island. Witchiepoo is the nemesis of all good islanders and constantly tries to steal the boy's flute (no, really, no Freudian overtones at all).

My sisters and I enjoyed this program immensely, for its fabulous costuming (this was a live-action/puppetry show) and humorous repartee. The series is now available on DVD. Thanks to the folks at www.tvtome.com, I can now rid my brain of the worst sort of earworm: the kind when you can't remember the lyrics, so you're stuck in an endless loop. For years now, I've sung to myself, "H.R. Pufnstuf, you can't get a little but you can get enough." In fact, the equally illogical lyric actually goes, "H.R. Pufnstuf, can't do a little 'cause you can't do enough."

Actually, mine makes more sense.