Wild Is the Wind

Got a quick start today with breakfast and the Mickey Mouse short "Mickey's Rival." We're introduced to Mortimer Mouse, the taller, slicker character who makes a mess of Minnie and Mickey's picnic. Mickey's annoyed and jealous, but Minnie's amused...until Mortimer annoys a bull. When he runs out, Mickey and his car are the ones who have to placate it.

I knew it was supposed to rain later...and even if it wasn't, the wind was howling something fierce, even at quarter of 9 in the morning. I called Uber. Had no trouble getting a ride. The one going to work barely took two minutes. Surprisingly, the one going home only took seven, and that was in a downpour and during the tail end of rush hour. 

My first eight and a half hour day wasn't much fun. It started off with all of our computer systems going down for an hour. No one could use credit or debit cards, and we couldn't even open the self-checkout. Good thing it was still early at that point. By the time things began to pick up around noon, everything was long back online. There were a lot of seafood sales for Ash Wednesday, too, and a lot of people stocking up for Lent, even in bad weather. 

The wind only got worse as the day continued. By 3 PM, the gales had been joined by a heavy downpour. Not only did I have to gather carts in it and get soaked, I tried to clean up a mess in it, too. Someone dropped a hot sauce bottle right outside the store. I started to gather the glass, but not only did I cut myself, I plain ran out of time. A manager finished while I got a band-aid and swept the floor. (Fortunately, the cut was neither wide, nor deep, just a little one on my finger under the nail.) The hot sauce still managed to get all over my jeans and my work shoes, though. 

Needless to say, I was very happy when I finally got home. Changed into dry clothes, had dinner, and watched Match Game Syndicated. Bill Anderson proudly brought a photo of his new baby son to show the panel, while Bart Braverman was equally happy to flirt with the pretty lady contestants. Charles pushed his new gig directing opera star Diana Sorvino in a show. (Sorvino would become the only opera star to appear on Match Game a couple of months later.)

Got finished the night at YouTube with a spooky episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Touch of Satan has Jodie (Michael Berry) falling for beautiful young Melissa (Emby Mellay), who turns out to have more than a few skeletons in the closet. An ancient woman who lives in her family's house and has a face scarred by burns (Jeanne Gerson) first kills a farmer, then a policeman, the latter right in front of Jodie. Melissa told Jodie she's her grandmother, but she's actually her sister Lucinda (Sharon Crabtree) who was burned at the stake as a witch. Melissa gave her soul to Satan in order to save her sister. Now they're cursed...and Jodie may end up being cursed too, if he wants to save Melissa's soul...

Too bad a genuinely scary and interesting story is brought down by amateurish acting and long, arid pauses where no one does anything. Even Mike and the robots made fun of how slow this moves. On the other hand, this does have some effective make up and effects for the time, especially on the homicidal "grandmother." Worth checking out for vintage horror nuts with or without robot wisecracks if you can handle the sluggish pace and bad dialogue. 

Very Nearly Spring

Began the morning with breakfast and The Scooby Doo Show. "The Warlock of Wimbledon" has supposedly cursed tennis star Jimmy Pelton, who bought an enormous old English manor that seemingly came with the warlock and his terrifying "Hell Hound." Scooby and Shaggy would rather dodge the dog's sharp teeth, but Velma suspects there's a lot more going on here than meets the eye when the manor's caretaker and Jimmy's coach disappear, and she finds a certain red clay where they vanished every time....

Spent the next few hours baking. Took advantage of the glass pan I got from Goodwill and having all of my cookbooks in one place again to make my favorite brownie recipe. They came out pretty well, despite my getting some yolk in with the egg whites. Since I'm clearing out food, I also made that banana bran muffin recipe Rose gave me a while back. Added actual banana, vanilla, and the remaining chocolate chips from the brownies, and since the bag was so small, I made it into banana bread instead. Other than I didn't realize the mix had nuts in it, this came out even better, soft and just sweet enough on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

Went back upstairs while the bread was in the oven. I had lunch, then dusted the rooms and took down the winter decorations while watching The Dance of Life. I go further into this early talkie backstage melodrama at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Dance of Life

Took the trash and recycling outside, and then waited for Jessa. And waited, And waited, And waited some more. After a half-hour, I texted her. She was getting her oil changed, then got stuck in traffic. She could have told me a lot earlier. I got so fed up with waiting, I grabbed a cookbook and walked down Johnson to drop it in the larger book kiosk. She was finally there when I arrived.

(At least it was a nice day for all the waiting. It was sunny and breezy, but much warmer. It got into the 60's for the first time this year today. I was fine in a sweater and my jean jacket.) 

Though it was too late for outings by quarter after 6, Jessa did treat me to dinner at the Black Horse Pike Diner. She had chicken Parmesan. I had fish and chips. My "fish and chips" were crunchy breaded flounder fillets on top of fries with two big onion rings, broccoli, a salad, and chicken soup. It was all delicious, even the butter pecan ice cream I had for dessert.

After I got home, I finished The Dance of Life, then switched to Match Game Syndicated while putting up what I have for spring and St. Patrick's Day, including a green tinsel garland, two cute vintage hangings of a panda and raccoon dressed for the holiday, and my Irish-themed pair of Beanie Baby bears. Watched Match Game Syndicated while I worked. Gene and Bill Daily spent this week drooling over a nubile young Charlene Tilton, while Charles and Brett did their best acting to impress Patty Duke. Patty just wished Charlene would actually wear more than halter tops for a change.

Finished the night with the first disc of The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz while I worked on the Dance of Life review. Considering the movie I was reviewing is from 1929, it's rather appropriate that all of the selections here date to the 10's and 20's. We actually start off with two vintage ragtime numbers in Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton's versions of "Maple Leaf Rag" before moving on to Bessie Smith's "St. Louis Blues" and King Oliver's "Dippermouth Blues." Things pick up back with Jelly Roll and hot numbers like "King Porter Stomp." Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven contribute the best and best-known numbers here with "Hotter Than That," "Sweethearts On Parade," and "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues." 

Dolls In the Sunshine

Began my day with a late breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. Huckle and Billy get caught up trying to be "The Winners" in Busytown's big running race. Huckle learns a lesson in good sportsmanship when Billy's hurt and he stops to help. Mexican boy Manuel has a big imagination and is always goofing off. His mother says "No More Games, Manuel!" after she thinks he's hurt during his latest game. Manuel discovers why real jungle exploring isn't a game when he and two explorers get trapped in crumbling ruins. Pig Will and Pig Won't insist "We Won't Go to the Doctor" after they hear what they think is the doctor working on Scotty Dog. They do every trick in the book to stall their mother before Scotty finally explains what they really heard.

Took the laundry downstairs, then vacuumed and ran the Swifter in my rooms. Listened to the Julie Andrews Rose-Marie record I found yesterday while I worked. I believe this version of the 1924 operetta is from the mid-late 50's, probably around the time she made a splash in My Fair Lady. At the least, she does sound believable as the Canadian singer who falls for a trapper and dodges the attention of a wealthy businessman. Frances Day isn't a bad Lady Jane, but Meier Tzelniker's Hard Boiled Herman is annoying, and Giorgio Tozzi is a bit stiff as Jim. I do commend this for including all but the opening number and a second ballad for Herman and Jane, something that didn't always happen with 50's studio recordings. And yes, "Indian Love Call" does sound beautiful here.

Before I left, I finally called Abilities Solutions. Turns out yes, they'd gotten me another counselor, Bryanna. I called her, but caught her as she was driving. She sounds a lot younger and perkier than my previous two counselors...which may be what I need. I'd love to have someone who knows a bit more about the online job market and more up-to-date jobs, not to mention someone who won't be retiring anytime soon or leave abruptly over expensive insurance rates. At any rate, we'll be getting together at 10 AM on Thursday.

Headed out after I finished my call and moved the laundry to the dryer. It was too nice to hang out inside all day. Though it was still chilly, it wasn't frigid like yesterday. It was sunny and breezy, probably in the lower-mid 40's. I dropped a bag of clothes into the donation bin behind Dollar General, then crossed the White Horse Pike and strolled down Newton Avenue. Grabbed the coffee-table book The Golden Age of Jazz by William P. Gottlieb from the kiosk in front of the former Oaklyn Library. Wawa was busy with kids out of school, but I was still able to order a chicken-bacon ranch wrap (with real chicken, not deli meat), vegetable chips, and a Baja Blast Mountain Dew Zero.

Did two episodes of the Good Eats set I found a while back while eating lunch, making my bed, and bringing the laundry upstairs. "For Whom the Cheese Melts" has Alton explaining cheese in its many forms, showing how it's made and why it's important to choose the right cheese for melting. Things get a little goofy when he uses two football players to explain the war between two religions in Switzerland and how fondue was used as a peace treaty, and when he uses two pans as a sandwich maker for a late-night grilled cheese snack.

"A Bowl of Onion" is one of the earliest episodes from Season 1. It mostly focuses on the many types of onions, especially sweet onions, and how to cook them for the perfect French Onion Soup. (I also like him encouraging the use of an electric skillet for this recipe. My mother had one for years that she loved and used for everything from steak to pancakes.)

Dressed the dolls for early spring and St. Patrick's Day after "Bowl of Onion" ended. Kit wears her Birthday Wrap Dress with the coral pink sweater from her Photographer Outfit and white t-straps. Elizabeth's Summer Gown is a celery green that's really more appropriate for Felicity. Its quilted petticoat makes it more spring than summer. Molly is in the shamrock-print dress I found at a yard sale years ago. Josefina wears her Harvest Outfit with the sage-green print skirt and long-sleeved embroidered camisa. I'm so glad I bought Samantha's Special Day Dress when I did in 2015! It looks so pretty on her, and it costs an arm and a leg on eBay now. 

Ariel wears another hard-to-find retired outfit, Julie's Calico Dress. Whitney is in a yellow, red, and green flower print Queen's Treasures dress with a net petticoat and ruffly Peter Pan collar. Barbara Jean goes daringly mod in a psychedelic-print mini-dress, white fur vest, and soft white go-go boots. Jessa wears the turtleneck from the Girl Scouts outfit with the green print, the pants from the original Blue Jean Basics set, yellow socks, and Springfield Collection sneakers. 

Listened to the remaining two records I picked up from Goodwill the other day while working on the dolls. I believe the copy of Carousel I found is the original cast album release from 1948. The record is heavy, and though it's not in the best of shape, it played just fine. "Billy's Soliloquy" has him going further into what it would be like to have a daughter in a passage that was apparently cut right before opening and can only be found here. John Raitt sounds fine, especially on the soliloquy, but Jan Clayton is a bit on the bland side, and sounds too much like Jean Darling, the girl playing Carrie. 

Mary Martin Sings Richard Rodgers Plays is exactly what it says on the tin. Martin performs songs written by Rodgers with Oscar Hammerstein or Lorenz Hart, sometimes with just him on the piano, sometimes with a full orchestra. Her "Getting to Know You" is so charming, I wish she'd done The King and I. She also does well by some rare Rodgers-Hart material, including "Moon of My Delight" from the 1928 flop Chee-Chee, "Sleepy Head" from the revue Garrick Gaieties, and the delightfully macabre "To Keep My Love Alive" from the 1943 revival of A Connecticut Yankee. 

Put on Match Game Syndicated after the episodes ended. Bart Braverman spent most of the first episode trying to flirt with Debralee Scott and looking a little jealous of the attention tall, handsome blond Jim Staal got from Brett and Charles. Phyllis Diller made her first appearance in the second episode, and wasn't too happy when Gene pulled out his breath spray and aimed for a kiss. Fred Travelena tossed out voices next to her.

Finished the night on YouTube after a shower with some of my favorite female panelists on Match Game. Of course, we must start with Brett Somers. Brett came on the show during its third week in 1973 on the suggestion of her then-husband Jack Klugman, who wanted her to get out the house. I suspect he had no idea she'd get a career out of it. Brett would remain for the entire 1973-1982 run and turned up for three memorable weeks in 1990 at the request of her favorite drinking buddy Charles Nelson Reilly. Her wicked sense of humor, infectious laugh, and banter with Charles, Betty White, and others offset her tendency to hog the spotlight and complain about anything she didn't like, including long questions and women in the 4th seat who were younger than her.

Speaking of the 4th seat, probably my favorite lady who regularly sat there was Lee Merriweather. She initially turned up in 1973 and would appear off and on through 1981. Her offbeat sense of humor and ability to fend off Richard Dawson and Gene Rayburn's advances matched her beauty and intelligence. One of her last appearances saw her doing a kickline with Fannie Flagg to explain the Rockettes to a British contestant that was the hit of the episode!

Fannie Flagg was one of the most popular regulars in the 6th "comedienne" seat. She also turned up in 1973 and would appear straight through to 1981 and was a semi-regular on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour as well. Years before she wrote Fried Green Tomatoes, she was a relatively well-known comedy writer and actress on records and TV. Her acting experience probably explains her fondness for dressing up. The episode I have here has her posing as Brett's nurse in the outfit she wore for her cameo in Grease as the school nurse who insists her caster oil has already gone missing. 

Fannie and Betty White loved to tease Brett and Charles, but they had their own fun as well. Despite her frequently claiming she wasn't fond of sitting in the sixth seat, Betty was probably the best woman who played there. She almost never failed to give the right answer, or at least one that made something like sense. She got along extremely well with Richard and often did jokes with him, like the time they imitated Brett and Charles in this 1977 PM episode.

It's no surprise that acerbic Marcia Wallace became Brett's best female friend in later years. They shared the same salty and pointed sense of humor. Marcia could occasionally get a little too salty, as in this 1977 PM episode where she's censored for giving a naughty answer to where a guy lost a few inches. Marcia first appeared in 1974, but she really came into her own during the syndicated run and later in Match Game-Hollywood Squares and the 1990 show. 

Debralee Scott started out in the ingenue seat, but though she may have been one of the younger semi-regulars, she was too spicy to be an ingenue. When she wasn't flirting with panelists or fighting with Ira over her answer, she was teasing Gene and Brett and getting quite a few right answers. Since her first episode ran in the 1976 marathon yesterday, I went with her second episode, where she got to hear Gene fuss over a smaller microphone.

I really wish Rita Moreno had appeared in more of the series. She was one of the funniest semi-regulars from the syndicated years, sassy and spontaneous. Here, you get to see her briefly host a question when Gene gets fed up with the audience reactions to the panel's answers.

Sweet Joyce Bulifant first turned up in 1974 and was a frequent semi-regular through 1981. She wasn't the best at actually matching the contestant, but her good-natured and child-like demeanor made her a nice contrast to the crustier panelists like Brett. She could also occasionally dig up a rather wicked sense of humor, especially when tossing digs at Gene. By far my favorite of her episodes is the one from early in 1979 where she gets to show off her dance training by joining a contestant for some terrific jitterbugging.

Celebrate Women's History Month with the delightfully off-the-wall antics of the best female panelists on Match Game! 

Match Game (1976) - Debralee Scott

Match Game (1977) - Brett Somers

Match Game PM (1977) - Marcia Wallace

Match Game PM (1977) - Betty White

Match Game (1977) - Fannie Flagg

Match Game (1979) - Joyce Bulifant

Match Game Syndicated (1980) - Rita Moreno

Match Game Syndicated (1981) - Lee Merriweather

Sunshine Matches

Began the morning with breakfast while listening to the soundtrack from Toy Story 2. I have fond memories of taking Keefe to see this in the theater when it came out in 1999. We loved it - Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl remains my favorite Toy Story character. I cried at the touching "When She Loved Me," as Jessie recalls how the girl who grew up playing with her abandoned her and Bullseye during her teen years. The "Woody's Roundup" theme is even more charming, a perfect reflection of theme songs from kids' TV shows of the 50's and 60's. 

Headed off to work just as that was ending. I was one minute late...but that was the worst thing that happened all day. Spent the entire day outside pushing carts and gathering trash, and despite the strong winds and chilly weather, I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. For one thing, we were mobbed almost the entire afternoon. The lines were down the aisles when I went inside for my break and to use the bathroom. It's the beginning of the month, and some folks can't shop any other time. 

Went straight home after work. Worked on the early blog entry I wasn't able to get to last night while the cast album from the stage Aladdin was on. This one made a lot of changes in order to make it workable for the stage. Abu the monkey is replaced by Aladdin's three buddies Kassim, Omar, and Babkak, and Jasmine now has three handmaidens who listen to her complaints about being stuck in the castle. Iago is human rather than a very annoying parrot. Aladdin gets himself trapped in the Cave of Wonders, rather than Abu trying to grab something. As far as I can tell, Aladdin and the guys aren't sent away after Jafar takes over - it just goes right into Aladdin tricking Jafar. 

A great cast - Johnathan Freeman reprises his Jafar, Clifton Davies is the Sultan, and James Monroe Iglehart has a blast as the Genie - sings the heck out of both old and new Alan Menken songs. One ballad for Aladdin, "Proud of Your Boy," was written for the original animated film, but cut when they dropped the character of Aladdin's mother. In the stage version, Aladdin sings it as he recalls his promise to his dying mother that he would never steal. A heavily revised "Friend Like Me" parodies other Disney musicals, including the animated Aladdin. 

Though it can come off as something of a pastiche, the music is still good enough that I can understand why this continues to run at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York at press time. One of Disney's better theatrical cast albums is highly recommended for fans of the animated film or the cast.

Finished the night with the second half of that Match Game in 1976 marathon. The show just kept rolling on with great moments as the year drew to a close. Sitcom starlet Debralee Scott, then appearing in the soap opera spoof Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, was a welcome addition near the middle of the year. Country star Bill Anderson also made his first appearance during the second half of 1976. He was so enamored of Debralee during the week they were on together, he wrote a song for her. Charles and Brett provided back-up dressed as cowpokes. Scoey Mitchilll happily flirted with a pretty young woman, while Brett eyed him. The panel went up at arms over the Audience Match "Women's __," with Brett shouting the obvious answer for the time. Gene did a soft-shoe to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on Dodgers pitcher (and later announcer for the Atlanta Braves) Don Sutton's first episode. 

There were even more memorable contestants. Mary was a policeman's wife whose endless energy terrified the panel, especially Gene. She clung to Gene after she won, and kissed Richard even when she didn't win the Head-to-Head. It got so out-of-hand, Gene grabbed Roz Kelly for a kiss, and Betty and Johnny Olsen ended up in each other's arms. A charming young man who resembled John Ritter had no problems discussing his dogs with the panel, but missed the obvious answer to a question involving dogs. An older lady with pinkish hair insisted on a new kid on the block kiss from Gene. 

Brianne Leary, who would later appear on the first season of CHIPs, won enough money during her run to launch her acting career. She became the only former contestant to appear as a panelist when she sat in the 4th "ingenue" seat for two weeks in 1979. Sweet soap star Lynn Deerfield recalled her (now lost, alas) win on the original 60's Match Game, with a then-unknown Bert Reynolds as her captain. 

The year ended with the episodes featuring George, a dear young man with the most gorgeous smile who planned to give his winnings to the church and to his parents for them to have a vacation. At one point on his second episode, Gene attacked a cameraman who missed his cue! George played an adorable twinkly-eyed older lady whom Fannie said looked like Mrs. Claus on New Year's Eve. Match Game celebrated its change to 1977 with a very ugly bird dropping a paper-mache egg into Charles' arms and a heartfelt speech from Mark Goodson honoring everyone who had contributed to making the show the top-rated program in daytime.

Party on in the bicentennial year with some of the show's best moments!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Best Episodes of Match Game '76 Marathon Part 2

Sisters and Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short (and one of only two on Disney Plus), "Trolley Troubles." I've watched the other characters in shorts, so I figured it was time to give Ozzie his due. Ozzie has a full trolley he's supposed to be taking to the station (including his own kids), but a big hill gives him trouble, and then the trolley goes off the track!

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. I was going to meet Jessa later. It didn't even take four minutes for the driver to arrive. Even with a little bit of traffic, I got to work well before my shift started.

Work went just fine. We were steady, but never overwhelmingly busy. I swept and pushed carts for the first hour, but then another bagger came in and took over the sweeping. I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon pushing the carts. It started out cloudy and cold, but warmed up once the sun started coming out around noon. 

The moment I finished, I changed into a regular shirt and sweater, then bought some more spices and went out to wait for Jessa. Turns out she'd already parked to wait for me around the corner. I saw her text and finally joined her. 

We had a late lunch at Tu Se Bella's in back of the Acme. I couldn't believe she'd never been there before. It's my favorite pizza place in Camden County. Given it was almost 2:30 by that point, they weren't terribly busy. We were able to easily get the table by the windows. She had a slice of vegetable and a slice of chicken ranch. I had a slice of mushroom and a slice of shrimp-broccoli and finished her chicken ranch when she couldn't. I grabbed a Diet Pepsi. She'd stopped and gotten a cherry limeade slush at Sonic before she picked up me.

We spent the next two hours checking out the Goodwills in Audubon across from Tu Se Bella's and in Pennsauken. They were both pretty busy, although I think the one in Audubon was slightly less so than the one in Pennsauken. I dug up three records and six CDs at Audubon (although five of the six were part of a set). They still don't have much in the way of records at Pennsauken, but I did pick up a cast album CD I've wanted for a while, a new glass small cake pan to replace the older metal one that got too scratched to keep, and a huge collection of nineteen F. Scott Fitzgerald stories and two of his novels, This Side of Paradise and The Beautiful and the Damned. (Neither of which I've read. I've read The Great Gatsby several times.) The records are:

Original 1948 cast recording of Carousel 

Studio cast recording of Rose Marie with Julie Andrews and Giorgio Tozzi

Mary Martin Sings Richard Rodgers Plays

The CDs are: 

Original cast recording of the Disney stage Aladdin

Mannheim Steamroller - Christmas Extraordinaire 

The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, a 5-CD set of jazz favorites

My new debit card was there when I got home, so I spent a while updating my information online before today's Match Game marathon began. 1976 was the peak year for Match Game. It was the number-one show on daytime throughout the year. Charles, Brett, and Richard were all there, and it's when many of the most popular jokes on the show, like Gene's Old Man Periwinkle imitation and Betty rolling up his pant legs, were solidified. 

The panelists came into their own, too. Fannie Flagg once turned up in a long red wig and Brooklyn accent that made her look and sound like a 70's Maple LaMarsh. Patti Deusch gave a very unique answer to what would make a peg-leg pirate jump in the air. Scoey Mitchilll traded seats with Charles Nelson Reilly, and they stayed "in character" for the entire episode. Richard and Lee Merriweather rolled up Gene's pants legs instead of Betty. Marvin Hamlisch and Charles wrote two songs during Marvin's one week on the show, one for the sweet contestant Pharnicia, and one for Brett. Brett added her foghorn contralto to the latter. 

Speaking of contestants, Pharnicia was far from the only memorable one in '76. There was the older woman with the lovely white hair who hoped to win money for a vacation after working hard at her family's egg restaurant. One very funny lady from Louisiana threw Gene a curve ball by bringing her own breath spray and insisting on a "new kid on the block" kiss. Gorgeous blonde Darlene not only became the top winner the week she was on, she spent that week flirting with Richard. A former teacher was so excited after winning, he did kicks Gene Kelly would have envied. The funny little Puerto Rican detective prompted a round of private eye and Spanish jokes. 

Celebrate the bicentennial year with the best of Match Game!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Best Episodes of Match Game '76 Marathon Part 1

Finished the night with the Golden Films Snow White at Tubi. I go further into one of their earliest hour specials at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - Snow White (1990)

And why didn't I do this last night? I was so tired after that long marathon finally ended and I did that review, I went right to bed.

Out In the Sunshine

Started off the morning with breakfast and a double dose of Paw Patrol. Cap'n Turnbot and Danny are counting polar bears, but Turnbot's ship crashes into the ice. When the ice under two cubs breaks and sends them adrift in the ocean, the "Pups Save the Polar Bears" and get them back safely to their mother. Marshall is "A Pup In Sheep's Clothing" when he dresses as a sheep to find out who has been making holes in the farmer's fence. 

"Pups Save a School Bus" after Adventure Bay's bus gets four flat tires. Ryder volunteers to drive the kids to school in the pups' bus, but then Alex takes off in Chase's car and the pups have to go after him. "Pups Save the Songbirds" when they vanish suddenly, and Mayor Humdinger is involved.

Let Family Feud run while I made my grocery list and got my schedule. In good news, three days off, more hours. In bad news, two 8 1/2 hour days. No idea what's going on there. I don't usually work that long on the head bagger's days off. Maybe one of the college-age baggers who usually work in the afternoons went on vacation.

Headed off to do this week's grocery shopping after I got off the computer. Restocked coconut milk, granola bars, and bananas at Sprouts. Thought I'd try their dried pineapple this week and a buy one, get one free deal on Live, a new probiotic soda. Grabbed chocolate chips for a recipe I never got a chance to make later in the day. Dropped off the remaining Mercedes Lackey books I finally finished before heading down Cuthbert Road to the Acme. 

The Westmont Acme was even less busy than Sprouts was. It's the last day of the month and the weather continues to be beautiful. I was mainly there to pick up yogurt, Kind kids bars on a good sale, and bagels for lunch at work next week. Found a bag of blood oranges for a good price and more of that tasty Slice soda on sale. (I don't remember Slice being that good when I was a kid!) Spices were buy 2, get one free, so I restocked cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Picked up chai tea and provolone cheese for dinner.

Had lunch when I got in, then went through the bin of the random doll clothes and items. The boxes I use for the dolls' clothing are now big enough to fit their pajamas and coats, and I don't need nearly all of the hangers I have. I found a few accessories I'd been looking for too, including Samantha's purse and two scarves I made for the dolls years ago. I moved the tote bags to the big Marshalls bag and switched the dolls' accessories and the Cabbage Patch Dolls' clothing to the bin that held the tote bags. The plastic bag that held my linens and out-of-season quilts was falling apart, so I moved those to the other bin.

Let Buzzr run while I worked, starting with The Price Is Right. Bob asked the ladies in the second episode what they were up to. As it turned out, not a lot. Dian claimed to be seeing someone, Holly had her eye on a guy, and Janice was engaged. The Showcases were a hoot and a half. The big theme on the first episode had "adventures," which mainly meant trips and a boat. The second episode featured a hilarious spoof of Trivial Pursuit, with Holly answering "Texas Ranger" to every question. 

The second episode also featured the rare mini-game "On the Nose." The contestant guesses the prices of four items. However many prices he gets right is the amount of tries he has to play a game, like throwing a baseball or a football. Though the contestant did win (with only one try!), I can see why this game didn't last long. Not everyone has that good of an arm (or gets that lucky), and sports and prices are really kind of an odd mix.

Match Game Syndicated had its own fun. Gene and Charles spent the first episode teasing Arte Johnson and comedian Ronny Graham for bringing purse-like bags onstage. For some reason, Steve Kanaly of Dallas has not cleared his syndicated week (though his PM episode has run), so they skipped straight into the week with Bill Cullen, Lee Merriweather, and Bill Daily. Bill Daily was extra-squirrely that week, especially when someone would have to call on him for the Audience Match and he'd either make faces or hide.

Finished the night honoring the late Gene Hackman with a genuine rarity from 1975. Lucky Lady has Liza Minnelli as blousy widow Claire who hooks up with Walker (Burt Reynolds) in order to wind up her business affairs in Tijuana, Mexico in 1930. After an attempt to smuggle illegal Mexican immigrants doesn't work out, they join rumrunner Kibby (Hackman) and his young captain Billy (Robby Benson) to do a different kind of smuggling. Even with the Coast Guard after them, they make enough money on the liquor shipment to net them a cushy home, repairs on Kibby's boat the Lady Luck, and a wealthy swain for Claire. 

The Coast Guard aren't the only ones on their tail. When Kibby and Walker are ambushed by east coast gangster McTeague (John Hillerman), they lose Billy, their shipment, and the Lady Luck. Horrified, Claire runs out on a dinner party and joins them to round up every rummy on the West coast and show those East Coast crooks they don't know as much about the business as they think.

While not the greatest thing ever, this charming caper does have its good points. The production is gorgeous, with pitch-perfect period gowns for Minnelli and suits for the guys. I actually like that she doesn't decide between the guys and decides to keep both of them. Anyone else would have had her choose one or the other, but they were both so darn likable, I could understand why she wouldn't want to. 

On the other hand, the story is disjointed, especially in the second half. The script was constantly re-written, and they never did really decide on an ending. The dialogue isn't so hot, either. There's some decent songs by Kander and Ebb (including the title number), and Donen is more at home dealing with them than with the big action finale at sea. Apparently, the entire finale was over his head and scared him to death. Donen never did figure out the tone, either. The movie veers from crime caper to violent gangster film (including showing Billy's death) without rhyme or reason. 

Worth checking out once if you're a really big fan of vintage camper comedies, Donen, or the stars involved. YouTube seems to be the only place you can find this at the moment; the Shout TV! DVD is expensive. 

Everything Under One Roof

Began the morning with breakfast and The Scooby Doo Show. The gang is told "Don't Go Near the Fortress of Fear" during a fishing trip to Puerto Rico. Shaggy and Scooby first encounter the ghost of conquistador General Juan Carlos when they visit an old fort, but they try to hide it from the others to avoid having to chase ghosts. Mystery Inc can't stay away from a ghost story for long, though, especially when it seems treasures have gone missing from a local museum and someone  has been randomly setting off a cannon on the fort.

After breakfast, I went downstairs to start sorting through all of those boxes. I was in the basement for about an hour when I realized I'd need somewhere to put everything besides a cardboard box. I don't trust cardboard boxes in a basement. Some smaller things would fit in the dresser drawers and I already had a bin for the pans, but that one bin wouldn't hold everything. I finally grabbed my umbrella and headed out to run errands, ignoring the cloudy day and light showers.

Stopped at WaWa first. I needed money from the ATM machine. Since I was there, I treated myself to a Green Pineapple Smoothie. Oh, yum. Matcha, pineapple, and other tropical fruit. Earthy, fruity, and very green. I'll have to get that again sometime. 

Family Dollar is closer to WaWa than Dollar General. I grabbed the three largest bins they had, plus a smaller narrow rolling bin for the glasses and mugs I wouldn't be using upstairs. Cost me a bundle, but I did get them. Stopped at A&A Pretzels for lunch. They didn't have the regular cheesesteak-stuffed pretzel, but their gluten-free turned out to be even better (and more stuffed) than the originals. Grabbed two regular pretzels as well.

Had lunch upstairs while watching PAW Patrol. "The Pups Save a Snowboarding Competition" when they first help husky miss Everest clear the course during a snowstorm, then rescue the Kitten Catastrophe crew after they go off-course. Cap'n Turnbot and Mayor Goodway are horrified when a cat and her pet chicken Chickaletta get trapped in his computerized diving bell. "The Pups Save the Diving Bell" after they finally get the two to decide if saving the bell or the animals is more important.

Spent the next three hours going through everything in the boxes. Most of it did stay downstairs. In fact, I ended up transferring the box of dishes and bowls and bag of kitchen towels from my closet to the third bin. There were a few things that were moved to my rooms, including my Garfield McDonald's glasses, my old Donald Duck Melody Time jelly jar glass, and my favorite brick-red mug with the pretty gold and brown flower print. I can use that retro strawberry-print colander to hold fruit again, too. (Alas, a few things didn't survive the multiple moves. My Three Caballeros jelly jar glass was the only one that broke, and a big piece broke off the lid of my mini-crock pot.) Cleared out a bunch of old tea bags, spices, and sugar sprinkles, too, and moved the remaining ones into tins or the metal shelves upstairs. 

I was so worn out from running up and down stairs all afternoon, all I was up to after I finished was watching Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story. I go further into the harrowing tale of an R&B diva who survives drug addiction and domestic abuse to make a comeback in the 2000's at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story

Switched to Match Game Syndicated while eating dinner. They're now on the week with Randi Oakes, one of three cast members of the police procedural show CHIPs to appear on Match Game. David Doyle has far less luck with the Head-to-Head for pretty much the whole week.

Finished the night with The Best of Stevie Nicks: Time Space on CD while I worked on my Love Under New Management review. Though I've heard Nicks in one way or another all my life, I didn't recognize a lot of these songs. There are some pretty big hits here, though, including "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," "Talk to Me," "Edge of Seventeen," and "Leather and Lace." 

A Hint of Spring In the Air

Began the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Hattie is initially excited when the Queen of Hearts' daughter Rosa announces a sleepover at Hearts Palace. When the time comes for the actual party, he can't sleep because of how different the Palace is from his home. Alice shows him that there's "No Palace Like Home" when she makes him comfort food that helps him settle down. Rosa wants her heart tarts to be "A Royal Remembrance" when her Abulito comes to visit. Even though her tarts aren't exactly like her Abulita's, she knows how to dress them up so her grandfather knows they were made with love.

Headed to work after that. No problems whatsoever there. We were quiet the entire morning. It was a gorgeous day at the end of the month and the middle of the week, and we're between holidays. I pushed carts, swept the floor, and enjoyed sunny, breezy, unusually warm weather that was already in the lower 60's by 1 PM.

Stopped at the Common Grounds Coffee House in Oakyn for lunch. Some jerk gave the baristas a hard time yesterday because they were busy and had no tables open. You don't make a fuss over that. Thankfully, they did have a table open this time. I bought a chai latte, a slice of mushroom and Swiss quiche, and a huge blueberry muffin and watched the college students and office workers tap busily at their laptops. 

Put on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic while changing and flattening all those boxes I unloaded yesterday to put in recycling later. "The Crystal Empire" is a magical land in the north that has suddenly reappeared after a thousand years. It was attacked by evil unicorn King Sondra, who made the ponies forget how happy they once were. Twilight Sparkle and Spike searches for a Crystal Heart that could protect the city, while the other ponies keep the residents happy at a Crystal Fair and Twilight's friend Princess Cadence and her brother Shining Armor use Cadence's magic to keep Sondra at bay.

Went through all those cookbooks and the stuff I unloaded yesterday while finishing up Roots. Chicken George (Ben Vereen) happily returns to his family a free man in the 1860's. His son Tom (Georg Stanford Brown) is now a blacksmith for man named Sam Harvey (Richard McKenzie) and has two sons and a lovely wife named Irene (Lynne Moody). Tom and his family are glad to see him and love his stories of England, but he can't stay long. If he remains in South Carolina for 60 days, he'll lose his freedom.

Tom is continually harassed by a pair of obnoxious brothers, Evan (Lloyd Bridges) and Jemmy (Doug McClure) Brent. At one point, he does a favor for Jemmy after he deserts the Confederate Army and finds him attacking Irene. He kills him...but no one will tell Evan who did it. Fortunately, not all whites are so unfriendly. George (Brad Davis) and Martha (Lane Binkley) Johnson turn up at the plantation in search of a meal. They end up befriending the community...and unlike Tom Moore or Missy Anne, they know how to be faithful friends, even though Tom's brother Lewis (Hilly Hicks) doesn't trust them at first. 

The postwar period doesn't go well for Tom, George, or their families. Corrupt Senator Arthur Justin (Burl Ives) buys up all the land and forces the black farmers into heavy debt. After raiders attack their farms, Tom figures out a way to find out who the raiders are. The Sheriff, however, is in Justin's pocket and tips him and Evan off. George is told to whip his friend, and only does it to save his life. Good thing Chicken George returns at this point, announcing that he has land in Tennessee...and an idea that will get Evan and his group off their backs once and for all.

Whew! That was quite a saga. Though the story lightened slightly towards the end, this is still really dark territory. As I mentioned last week, the N word is tossed around with abandon, there's strong violence, and honestly, even some of the black characters don't come out smelling like a bed of roses. The well-done drama and all-star cast still makes it worth checking out for those looking to see American history in a less-rosy light and can handle the violence and abuse.

Switched to Match Game Syndicated during dinner. Foster Brooks and Sarah Purcell joined in this week, just in time for the difficult "__ Balsam" Audience Match. After an audience member gets the answer that the rest of the panel can't figure out, the panel walks out!

Finished the night with Murder She Wrote. "The Grand Old Lady" from the sixth season goes for something different. Jessica Fletcher recounts how beloved mystery author Lady Abigail Austin (June Havoc) ran across a murder on the Queen Mary in 1947. She's there when wine merchant Peter Daniken staggers in, beaten and bloody. Turns out the man was hardly what he claimed to be. Aspiring journalist Christie McGinn (Gary Kroger) smells a story and helps her solve the case and bring together a nurse who fell for a wounded soldier onboard, despite him being married. 

Brave New Worlds

Got a quick start with breakfast and "Mr. Duck Steps Out." Donald wants to go on a date with Daisy, but his nephews want to go, too. He tries to distract them with ice cream, but they'd rather send a popping corn cob in his beak. Good thing this makes him a heck of a jitterbugger and Daisy thinks he's just creating a new dance. 

I got up early because a friend was helping me clear out that storage room in Lawnside and bring my remaining things here, and she could only get a truck from the Home Depot across from Extra Storage at 8 in the morning. We went in. I put in the deposit on the truck when they could get me to a card machine that worked. We went outside, climbed into a nice little truck, and drove across the street. 

It was so early, the office wasn't open yet. I'd talk to them later. For now, we removed everything that remained in the room, including the cassettes, the Star Wars action figures and shelf they hung on, my cookbooks and cake decorating books, the old dresser I used to use for storing small items like tape, and my pots and pans. I also finally found the fall wreath I'd been looking for. Clearing the entire room out and bringing it all home took a little over an hour. 

After we dropped off the truck, she drove me to Collingswood so I could take money out of PNC Bank to pay her. At least we could do that quick, too. There was no trouble on the road, no traffic anywhere, even in Lawnside. I was home by quarter of 10.

Spent the next hour shelving cookbooks while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Jodi is upset when her mother goes away in "Jodi's Mama Travels for Work," like my sisters and I were when Dad had to go on long fishing trips in the 80's and 90's. Jodi is reminded that grown-ups will come back to you, just like we were. In this case, her mother left her a paper chain with links that lead to special surprises. "The Tiger Family Babysits" when Nana goes to the store. Jodi's toddler brothers Teddy and Leo are scared, but Daniel knows how to distract them.

Switched to The Busy World of Richard Scarry next. Huckle and Hilda are supposed to be "King and Queen for a Day" in the big parade. Hilda isn't happy with the rocket ship float Mr. Fix It insists on, and Huckle doesn't want to be caught in the middle. When he gets sick, it's Lowly who has to  show them how to compromise. A young pig is determined to show she can be a good cowgirl and lead "The Piggy Express" through rain, sleet, and heat. The hobos who live in town teach the kids that "Practice Makes Perfect" when they dig out their own records and find music they want to rehearse for the school recital.

Headed out shortly after 11. Took Uber to my first stop of the afternoon. I wanted to make sure everything was good at Extra Storage and they knew we were out. The cheerful girl at the counter in the main building said they figured it out when they saw I left the door to the storage room open as requested online and ended my account shortly after. I even got to keep the lock I used for the room. 

Thought it would be easier to let Uber pick me up at the Shop-Rite across the street, especially since I was going that way anyhow. Grabbed two bottles of Pepsi Wild Cherry and Cream Zero, then called the driver. The driver going to Somerdale came in 2 minutes; the one going to Lawnside arrived in 4. Once again, no trouble on the road. We were at Amy's Omlette House in 5 minutes.

They were a little busier, but it didn't take me long to get a seat. I enjoyed the "lite bites" pancakes so much the last time I had them, I tried another type of "lite bites" pancakes. Caramel Apple Pancakes were topped with sliced apples and drizzled with caramel. Think I tasted walnuts in the pancakes. Not bad. The apples were just sweet and tart enough, and their tartness helped make the caramel less overwhelmingly sweet. 

Hurried down the White Horse Pike back towards Magnolia after I ate. I mainly came that way to finally see Captain America: Brave New World. I wanted to last week when it came out, but I just didn't have the time. I slid into a full theater just as the commercials ended. I won't go into spoilers, but I did enjoy it. I always liked the Captain America films, and this one was no exception. Harrison Ford did especially well as the tough-guy president who is trying to make a peace treaty with Japan and get his hands on a new type of alien metal that has fallen to Earth, and he plays well off Anthony Mackie as the new Captain America. The politics may be murky and the plot is overly complicated and smacks of 70's-80's arms race paranoia, but this isn't bad, and is certainly better than the action film I saw last February, Argylle. 

I didn't figure it out until a teacher told me after the movie ended, but the reason the theater was full on a Tuesday afternoon was a middle school were there on a school trip. That was annoying. They talked noisily, left a mess all over, and the boys made inappropriate noises and jokes during quiet times. The kids were so obnoxious, three of the people sitting next to me got up and left with almost a half-hour before the movie ended. (And why the heck were they seeing a Marvel movie on a school day? Black History Month?)

Made a brief stop at Dollar Tree to buy a new comb (and make change for the bus), then went up the hill to Walmart. Didn't find a whole lot there. The TV sets that interested me had security locks on them, and there were almost no records left. I bought probiotic soda, Junkless granola bars, and disinfectant wipes. Went down to the White Horse Pike to pick up the bus after I finished. They were a little over 10 minutes late, not bad for the height of rush hour. I got home within 15 minutes. 

Soon as I got home, I went through more of the boxes, upstairs and down, trying to figure out what worked upstairs and what didn't. Cleared out a lot of stuff, from cassettes I'd since bought on CD or record to now-expired tea and spices. Moved the cassette shelves downstairs when the remaining cassettes and the player worked fine on one of the record crates. Moved pots and pans to a bin and brought the crate they were in upstairs to hold records. 

Watched Double Platinum while I worked. I go further into this TV movie from 1999 featuring Diana Ross and Brandy as an estranged mother and daughter at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Musicals On TV - Double Platinum 

Switched to Match Game Syndicated during dinner. I don't think putting Bob Barker next to Charlene Tilton was a smart move. He and Gene spent most of the week drooling over her. Meanwhile, Richard Deacon is more than happy to throw a little shade at Bob, while everyone else tosses it Gene and Brett's way.

Finished the night testing the cassette player with one of my last finds before I moved. I fished a 12-tape collection of oldies from 1993 out of the trash pile at Jodi's house. I don't know why she was throwing it away. Only the first tape is missing, and the rest work just fine. I went with Tape 7, which features lively dance numbers like "At the Hop" by Danny and the Juniors and sweeter ballads like "Take Good Care of My Baby" by Bobby Vee and "Since I Don't Have You" by the Skyliners. (Oh, and the cassette player works just fine.) 

Some Sunny Day

Began the morning with breakfast and two episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Pluto's Playmate" is Salty the Seal, whom he gets along with much better than in the short "Mickey and the Seal." Mickey and the gang use Mousketools to teach Salty tricks for his circus act. "Mickey's Big Job" is taking care of Willie the Giant's farm while he's visiting his mother. He and the gang figure out how to clean house, water a plant, and feed chickens when everything is six times your size.

Headed out after the second cartoon to run errands. I was hoping CVS would have the Listerine Gum Therapy mouthwash I use in the smaller size. They did...but I didn't see a tag and didn't realize how expensive it was until I bought it. And all the pharmacies wonder why people won't shop there anymore? They're really too expensive. Got a Propel water and brushes for my Oral B electric toothbrush. I really can't find the brush heads anywhere else, but I won't get the mouthwash there again.

I mostly went for a walk to enjoy a gorgeous, sunny day. It was even nicer than yesterday, breezy and much warmer, into the mid-50's. I was hot in the snowflake-print cardigan and heavy coat I wore. No wonder I saw several people chatting on their cell phones or with neighbors on their porches. There's a few houses that still have Valentine's or even Christmas decorations out, but most are fine with a winter vine wreath and their empty gardens. 

Took out the recycling and brought the laundry downstairs when I got home, then went upstairs to have lunch, make the bed, and rearrange the book shelves in the front and back rooms. Watched more Roots while I worked. Kunta's daughter Kizzy (Leslie Uggams) grows up alongside John Reynolds' daughter Missy Anne (Sandy Duncan). They think they're best friends, but despite teaching Kizzy to read and write, Missy doesn't see her as anything but a slave. Kizzy falls for another slave, Noah (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs), who is determined to escape, and helps him forge a traveling pass. 

Noah is caught, and Kizzy is sold to the brutal Tom Moore (Chuck Connors). Moore forces her into bed the moment she gets there. She has a son by him, George (Ben Vereen). George grows up to train roosters to fight one another. He thinks he's friends with Moore, but Moore turns out to be no more trustworthy than Missy Anne when first his wife, and then him turn up frothing at the mouth and threatening their slaves over a slave uprising that had nothing to do with them. He loses George to British trainer Sir Eric Russell (Ian McShane) and sells his family when he needs money.

Worked on updating the inventories after I brought the laundry upstairs, adding the records I've bought over the past few days. Watched The Price Is Right, then Match Game Syndicated during dinner. Comedian Alfie Wise has a great time during the first week. Jack Jones, Patty Duke, Joe Santos, and Donna Pescow are around next week. Patty convinces a physical therapist contestant to help fix her knee...and then Jack suddenly decides that he needs physical therapy, too.

Finished the night on YouTube with game shows featuring British host and entertainer Bruce Forsyth, whose birthday would have been Saturday. Forsyth began his game show career hosting a brief British version of Beat the Clock on the show Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Other than the stunts were a bit messy and one involved math rather than muck, this was pretty similar to the US format at the time. 

Forsyth returned to the stage for the rest of the 60's. His next big hit was The Generation Game in 1973. Two pairs, usually a mother/son and father/daughter (although we have a mother/grandfather here), do stunts that involve guessing what something is - in this case, breed of dogs - and who can make crafts better. The remaining two couples join Bruce at the end to appear in a skit. Whomever is judged better are the winners. The winners get whatever prizes they can remember passing on a conveyor belt.

No wonder this was a long-running hit twice. It would be successfully revived in 1990, with Forsyth hosting the first four years of that as well. I believe it's still considered to be one of his signature shows in England. Even when the opening stunts are moving at a glacier pace, Forsyth is still having a grand time, making jokes and darting around. 

Forsyth's next hit was Play Your Cards Right, the British version of Card Sharks. When it began in 1980, it had two contestants answering high-low questions that allowed them to play cards on a board, like the US version. Where this differs is the goofier high-low questions that are played for comedy and in the bonus round. Forsyth asks a question. If they won, they'd get an extra 50 points to bet with. If they lost, they'd lose 50 points. After that, the Money Cards run the same until the end. If the player makes over 4,000 pounds, they could answer a simple question to win a car.

This is just as much fun (if a bit sillier) than the American version, and just as enjoyable to watch. Forsyth had such a grand time hosting, he did the entire 1980-1987 run, including when they switched to couples playing. 

Forsyth didn't have as much luck on this side of the pond. His only crack at a game show in the US was Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak. Two teams, one of men, one of women, each have to describe a word to their teammate without using words the previous teammate used. If it sounds fun, but really hard...it was. It could be hilarious, but it was also difficult for teams to get more than two or three words without repeating them. That and heavy competition from The Price Is Right and Wheel of Fortune made it a flop here that barely lasted 13 weeks (though it did give announcer Marc Summers some of his first game show exposure). 

Forsyth did better back in England with You Bet. This is another variation on Beat the Clock, only with the a panel of celebrities sponsoring and betting on the outcome of the stunts. All money went to charity. Forsyth only hosted the first two years of this long-running favorite, but he has just as much fun here watching people run around and make a mess as he did at the London Palladium.

One of Forsyth's last major assignments was ITV's third attempt at The Price Is Right. While not as huge of a hit as the daytime version was here, Bruce's Price Is Right did manage a decent six-year-run. It's played more-or-less the same as the 90's half-hour Price Is Right, with the addition of a (rather cheap-looking) wheel and two people doing the Showcases. Forsyth was as beloved over in England as Bob Barker had been here by this point (and unlike Barker, doesn't seem to have had problems with his models), and he has a grand time cracking jokes about people coming on down. 

Celebrate the life and work of one of England's most beloved hosts with these hilarious episodes!

Beat the Clock (Sunday Night at the London Palladium) (1961)

The Generation Game (1975)

Play Your Cards Right Premiere (1980)

Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak (1986)

You Bet Premiere (1988)

Bruce's The Price Is Right (1996)

With a Little Help From My Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and one of my earliest CDs. Mom bought Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band for my 15th birthday in 1994, along with the original cast album for the Cole Porter show Can-Can. I've had both CDs ever since. This was my first real exposure to the Beatles outside of songs on the oldies stations, and it was a revelation. Though the title song, "With a Little Help From My Friends," and "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" occasionally turned up on the radio, this was my first time hearing other classics like "She's Leaving Home" and "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"

Hurried off to work even before the CD ended. No problems here. I spent the entire afternoon pushing carts, and wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. The weather was gorgeous. It was sunny, bright, breezy but not windy like it has been, and much warmer, into the mid-40's. A college age boy and a high school boy did the sweeping and the trash and sometimes helped me with the carts. We were mildly steady, but nowhere near as busy as last weekend. I was in and out with little trouble.

Rushed straight home after that and into the shower. Spent the rest of the evening having dinner and watching tonight's Match Game marathon. Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly weren't the only folks who wore wigs, hair pieces, or hats on the show. Brett and Fannie brought their Easter bonnets to the Easter episode the week Tom Bosley was on in 1975. Lee Merriweather sported a long, wavy red wig later that year. McLean Stevenson wore a curly blonde wig in imitation of Leslie Easterbrook next to him in one syndicated episode. Squeaky-voiced sitcom actress Sydney Goldsmith sported nifty hats and headbands the week she was on the syndicated show. Joyce Bulifant wore wigs during an earlier syndicated week so Gene wouldn't confuse her with Elaine Joyce.

Phyllis Diller was probably best-known for her unique wigs. She sported a beaded wig in one later syndicated episode and a huge poofy cotton-candy wig on an episode of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, complete with pink feathered blouse. She turned up in her most memorable wig on Match Game '90. She went punk rocker in a magenta mohawk that matched the one worn by Ronn Lucas' punk puppet Chuck Roast. I think Chuck had a bit of a crush on her (in so much as he seemed to like anyone). 

Phyllis wasn't the only one on Match Game '90 who wore a wig. Rip Taylor hit Fred Travelena with his toupee during Christmas week for doing a bad impression of him. Bill Kirkenbauer later wore two wigs, a Beatles-like hair cut in one episode and long red locks that made him look like a Sanderson Sister in another. 

Possibly the most memorable wig turned up on a later episode of Match Game PM. A personable, balding young man made such a good impression and was so funny, Charles gave him his toupee. It actually did make him look twenty years younger. Brett even grabbed him for a kiss after that!

Wig out with some of the most memorable hair fashions on the show in these hilarious and heartfelt episodes!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Let's Wig It Out Marathon