MARK MY WORD: `I LOVE LUCH' RERUNS AND EAR TUBES

Life is full of reruns, whether it is old sitcoms or ear tubes.

I never expected to watch "I Love Lucy" reruns.

But the other day, I was doing just that. It's my oldest daughter's fault.

Becca has discovered black-and-white television. Forget Cinderella. It's Lucy she loves.

Becca says she loves "I Love Lucy" because the show's star always gets in trouble.

When you're 4 years old, you can relate to trouble. It has a way of sticking to you like a Lucille Ball prank.

I grew up with black-and-white television. I remember when color came to television in our family. I was overjoyed.

I didn't expect to return to TV's shadowy past.

But then along came cable television with its overwhelming need to find programming -- any programming -- to put on the air.

"Nick-at-Night" has introduced a whole new generation to the sitcoms of the 1950s and 1960s.

It runs three hours of nonstop "I Love Lucy" shows on Tuesday nights. That's six episodes in one night.

You can go crazy watching all those shenanigans.

From 1951 to 1957, 179 "Lucy" episodes aired.

It was the first program to retain a weekly audience of over 10 million people. It occurred at a time when nationwide there were only 15 million TV sets and no remote controls, which meant men couldn't change the channel.

Lately, the reruns have appealed to a younger audience.

It includes people like Corey Haney, a 6-year-old girl who has her own web page shrine to "I Love Lucy."

What was the best episode? Corey says it was the one where Lucy stuffed her mouth with candy at the chocolate factory.

Becca probably would agree. Chocolate and Lucy would be a winning combination for her.

While Becca was captivated by "Lucy," Joni and I were focused on surgery for our 8-month-old daughter, Bailey.

Bailey had tubes put in her ears Wednesday.

Tiny straws are inserted into the patient's ears. This allows fluids and chocolate milk to drain from the ears so you don't get a stomach ache or an ear infection.

Straws in the nose just don't work as well, although you can't always convince kids of that.

At any rate, tube surgery is common with children who have a history of ear infections.

Becca has had three sets of tubes and plenty of chocolate milk.

Tubes don't go flat. They just pop out. This means that you have to go back to the doctor and have another tiny set installed.

It's not like tires. There are no warranties with tubes. You can't rotate them or patch them up.

Parents sometimes wish the doctor would install a hearing aid at the same time. This would allow the child to hear you when say: "Don't climb on the back of the couch."

Joni and I were a nervous wreck, but Bailey came through the surgery just fine.

Becca wanted to see the tubes in her sister's ears.

"You can't see the tubes. They are inside her ears," I explained.

I think Becca was disappointed. She would have preferred nose tubes, or at least some soda straws.

Still, life is pretty good when your 4-year-old can laugh at a 40-year-old sitcom as if it was created yesterday -- which, to her, it was.

I just hope Becca doesn't expect me to sing "Babalu."

~Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.