Like millions of others, 4:00 pm found me if front of the television to watch this man at work. Monday through Friday, that is.

Hard to say why but this show had that something that all the other “daytime dramas” did not offer then. Of course, it had all the family dynamics that the others had. Putting the fun back into dysfunctional and all that.

Yet with the appearance of the vampire, the show took a turn for the better the captured audiences. Far better than other had before. Not just housewives, either. All across the geographic. Boys, girls, men and women – all kinds of ages, all around the country.

Much of the credit goes to this man, Jonathan Frid. His character was a reluctant one, cursed neither to find love or peace. He struck a chord that still keeps fans entertained, all these years later. So much so, he is on screen again in a new film of “Dark Shadows” next month by Tim Burton. With Johnny Depp playing the role he created.

Appropriately, it seems, Jonathan passed away last Friday. Friday the 13th.

As vampire, he never sparkled onscreen. Only in our hearts.

Someone asked me the other day what my beverage of choice was.

Oddly enough, the answer was water.

That doesn’t mean that if given the chance that I am not willing to imbibe something stronger. The image above should offer some proof to the contrary.

Being diabetic, I don’t drink as much or as often as I might have in younger days. And having spent a fair amount of time producing beverages for guests on private railcar trips, I have shared more than an occasional cocktail after the day is done.

As one Michaeleen Oog Flynn put it best, “When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey; and when I drink water, I drink water.”

The choice of beverage depends on situations and company. On some days, indeed whiskey. Bourbon (Jim Beam), Tennesee Whiskey (Jack Daniels or Gentleman Jack), Irish Whiskey (Bushmills and now Concannon), Scotch Whisky (Macallan, Johnny Walker Blue Label). Usually neat or on the rocks, again depending on where or when.

On other days, rum. Light rum, dark rum and in between. Fond of Trader Vic’s Dark Rum (especially in the oh so traditional old school Mai Tai’s floated on top), Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum and Bacardi Anejo. Rum just has so many great varieties that go so well in all kinds of cocktails.

And yet on other days, nothing is quite so refreshing as a good old Gin and Tonic or a classic Tom Collins. Anchor Junipero is a popular favorite with some folks on train trips.

But it doesn’t end there. Not by any means. Gran Marnier? A fine accompaniment any time. Port? Sure. a good tawny port and some blue cheese is a treat. Viano Winery in Martinez makes a tasty Zinfandel Port, too.

Beer? You bet! Great German “bier” can’t be beat and Oktoberfest is one great party in Munich that every true beer drinker should experience. (We American’s are such amateurs at beer drinking compared to the Germans. Truly.) And California has many great small breweries with all kinds of beers to enjoy. I’m a fan of a number of them, again different beers for different situations. Although a frosty mug of Fat Tire with a Pinky’s Pizza right from the oven is hard to beat anytime.

Wine? Again, all over the map. So many varietals and so many great wineries around the world. From Germany, the Johanisberg Riesling from Schloss Johanisberg is a favorite. And here in California, Zinfandel from Silverado is another. (Wine is a story all it’s own for another day.)

The answer is that enjoying a beverage truly comes down to the place, the time and the company. And nothing wrong with any of that. As a friend once observed, “It’s always Happy Hour somewhere.”

No, I am not channeling either Mister Peabody or his boy Sherman today. But if you get the reference, you win a cookie.

Over my years (52 and counting so far) there have been a lot of noteworthy events. Some even happening to me. Part of the niceties of the Internet is being allowed to share some of them from time to time. Not that all of them are worth sharing, either…

For example, while this last weekend was the big 100 for the sinking of the Titanic, it also was the 150th for the Great Locomotive Chase and the 40th for the Apollo 13 mission. And coming up later this week, the 106th anniversary of the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. And for buffs of history of that kind, this month also saw some historic dates in the War of Northern Aggression with the firing on Fort Sumter and the Battle of Shiloh.

At the time, many of these events were looked upon as important. As time passes, maybe legends grow which make them seem all the greater in context to their day. For example, the Titanic captured imaginations as the Unsinkable Ship. It’s luxury and technology was the talk of the day, representing a pinnacle in human achievement. Only to be done in by another pinnacle, albeit a submerged one. According to Wikipedia, “The death toll has been put at between 1,490 and 1,635 people.” Yet it was not the worst maritime disaster in history. That may be said to be the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff (a German ship torpedoed by a Soviet submarine) on January 30th, 1945. An estimated loss of life of 9,400 passengers (including 4,00 children) and crew is far less known that the immortalized Titanic.

The role we play in shaping history may escape us on a day to day basis. Yet, years from now, stories from people who lived events such as the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York on September 11th, 2001 will bring those moments to life for the curious future historians. In the case of the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, tales of ordinary people have far more to tell and in far more interesting ways than any crafted fictions about those days.

Indeed, truth is far stranger than fiction. Living in strange times will do that to us all.