Don't recognize the name? He was ensign Chekov on the first StarTrek...and many movies afterward. (Yes, his parents really were Russian Jewish immigrants. He came by the accent naturally.)
Unlike most of his fellow actors in the Star Trek universe, Koenig never seemed to take himself quite as seriously, He was refreshingly fun. He didn't seem to mind teasing, or looking a little foolish. He may not have been the tallest member in the cast -- but more than held his weight against bigger ego-driven stars, literally and figuratively.
Koenig wasn't even sure he'd gotten the part of Chekov at first. After he tried out, he was told to wait in a sideroom. A few hours later, a wardrobe assistant came in:
“He drops on his knees in front of me,” Koenig recalled. “[He] takes my crotch in his hand, and I’m saying, ‘What are you doing?!’ I didn’t see the tape-measuring ruler in his other hand, and he was measuring from my crotch to my cuff to decide how long my pants should be. He says, ‘You do have to have a costume, don’t you?'”
“And that’s the auspicious way I learned I was on “Star Trek” and it was going to change my life,” Koenig continued.
In case you're wondering: we have had a BOATLOAD of rain in the past few weeks. As our Shepherd at church said -- we've been praying for rain all summer. Now we've got it, God can feel free to stop!
The dirt roads around our place are rutted and slippery -- they don't look too bad, but you can slide all over at a moment's notice. And there are unpleasant dropoffs. (Ask me how I know. Even better, don't.) If you can make it to the paved roads, you're generally ok.
We are fortunate in that our house sits up on a plaeau. The Brick put a lot of effort in reinforcing the roof last year, which has really paid off -- we haven't had one leak. And he put weathersealing around the garage doors, which also leaked the past few years. Some friends have 'dry' creeks that are roaring. No problems that can't be dealt with...providing you can stay on the road.
We're snug. But plenty of people in the San Luis Valley have struggled with leaks and flooding. And out of the Valley, it's even worse, especially in Durango and Pagosa Springs, a few hours away. The passes have largely been closed -- the mountains got a huge amount of snow. Our Blancas have had their fair share, too.
So far for us, though, it's just rain.
(Not that I'm not grateful -- we needed it so badly.)
Oh, and by the way -- both Michigan and the CU Buffs lost their games on Saturday. (sigh)
Meanwhile:
Our cousin Ken Cumings died. He was one of the oldest, and I did not grow up knowing him well. But The Mama was very fond of him...and he served the same King that she -- and we -- do. Rest well, Cuz. See you soon.
Cheapskate meal prep:
Classic tv stars who bankrupted themselves -- generally out of stupidity. (But not always.)
Another batch of same:
Lucky finds that made people rich:
The story of the locomotive lost in a Colorado creek - this is mentioned in my Ghosts & Legends book, by the way...
