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Published June 3, 2010

OLD JOKES

GRANDMA LEE

Just about all grandmas have amusing stories to tell - "You should have seen Uncle Bob take off running buck-naked in the back yard when he was 3!" - but they're no Grandma Lee. Potty-mouthed Frances Lee Strong made a name for herself on America's Got Talent last year zinging raunchy jokes about judge Piers Morgan and has since done standup comedy around the nation. The spunky grandma, 76, once told the Las Vegas Sun that all of her jokes come from real-life people and experiences - like when she said she'd like to have her cremated ashes sprinkled over Kripsy Kreme doughnuts so her fat daughters-in-law would visit her. Ouch! Grandma Lee, who has a home in Jacksonville, does have her boundaries. "I'll be honest, my show is dirty, but not graphic," she told the Sun. "But when I say f---, people laugh." She brings her show to the Pickled Parrot, 5526 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, at 8 p.m. Tuesday. $20. (352) 597-0707. Or catch her at 8 p.m. June 24 at Snappers Grill and Comedy Club, 36657 U.S. 19 N, Palm Harbor. $30. (727) 937-3737.

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SHOW GOES ON ... WITHOUT ROSA RIO

Rosa Rio was amazing, right down to her theme song: Everything's Coming Up Roses.

"That's Rosa, not roses!'' she would correct.

She was a legendary figure among organists, first as an accompanist to silent films in the 1920s, then as "Queen of the Soaps'' during the golden age of radio drama in the 1930s and '40s, playing for shows like The Shadow and The Bob and Ray Show.

Starting in 1996, the brilliant organist performed for more than 30 silent film presentations at the Tampa Theatre, improvising to beat the band on the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ set into the stage floor. She wore shiny sequined shoes.

Rio also had the best line to deflect questions about her age. "Honey, age is just a number, and mine is unlisted,'' she told me when I wrote a story on her in 1999. It was just three years ago that she revealed her true age. On May 13, she died at 107 at her home in Sun City Center.

There is a free tribute to Rosa Rio at 11 a.m. Saturday at Tampa Theatre. Nothing maudlin, more of a show, really, with reminiscences from family and friends, video clips, a sing-along and her favorite Buster Keaton silent short, The Playhouse - with accompaniment on the Mighty Wurlitzer, of course.-John Fleming

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A CLASSIC: PETER FRAMPTON

What is up with all the aging (uh, ageless? classic?) rockers in town this week? James Taylor, 62, and Carole King, 68 (Page 18). Huey Lewis, who turns 60 in July, at Taste of Pinellas (Page 21). And even Peter Frampton is now 60 years old. But do not kid him about his now-missing golden locks. "I've spent 30 years talking about my hair," he told the Times in 2008. "I was the guy and Farrah Fawcett was the girl. We both had the same hairstyle. I just didn't answer to Charlie, that's all." He'll roll out classic '70s hits like Baby, I Love Your Way and Do You Feel Like We Do, along with newer songs from his Grammy-winning Fingerprints. His show with Yes is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall. $49.50-$89.50. (727) 791-7400. www.rutheckerdhall.com.

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FOR THE FAM: SAFETY HARBOR TOUCH A TRUCK

What's better than touching a big honkin' truck with big tires, big horn and big everything? Nothing if you are a part of kid universe. Kids - even old ones - can climb into the cabs of trucks they see on the road every day and honk the horns, try to reach the pedals and take pictures at this annual event. There will be vehicles from several organizations, including the Safety Harbor Public Works Department, the Safety Harbor Fire Department and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Admission and parking are free. It's okay to touch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Safety Harbor City Park, 940 Seventh St. S. (727) 724-1572.

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CLICK IT

Date night tip sheet

Imagine a two-week event that lets you eat at some of the area's best restaurants. And that dinner for each person is only $25. We've found it, and it's called Savor Sarasota. Between now and June 14, the city is showcasing the restaurants and chefs who have helped the area achieve one of the highest concentrations of Zagat-rated restaurants in the country. Our own food critic, Laura Reiley, has dined at many of the places featured, so we've provided a little sampler list of what you can expect if you book reservations at places like MoZaic (above), the Bijou or Michael's On East. Find the list at tampabay.com/things-to-do. (And if you're adventurous enough, check out a hotel or B&B deal while you're down there; the Savor Sarasota site we're linking to lists some specials for as low as $49 a night.)

We're listening

We'd like to take a moment to give a shout-out to the people who have e-mailed us feedback about the new site. Well, everyone, that is, except the guy who began his with "Dear Dillweeds . . ." (Stop sipping from the haterade, Mr. Harvey-Hothead!)

Some of you expressed reservations about not being able to find content that was on our old pages over at tampabay.com. Here are some handy bookmarks:

- For recipes, type in tampabay.com/features/#tab3 (yeah, we wish this was easier, too).

- For entertainment news, type in tampabay.com/features/#tab2.

As always, you can send us your thoughts at thingstodo@tampabay.com. And to sign up for our e-mail so that you can have fun delivered to your in-box, head to enews.tampabay.com.