Dance Party On Ice

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Pac-Man. It's an "Invasion of the Pac Pups" when six little Chomp Chomp pups wreck havoc on Pac Man's home and his life. Mezmeron and the Ghosts make a "Journey to the Center of Pac Land" when they dig under what they think is the Power Forest. They do manage to get Pac Man at first, but Pepper knows how to handle them.

Switched to Super Password while making my grocery list. Got to see a bit of Marsha Warfield and Marty Cohen chatting with Bert Convy before I called Uber. My knee is still really sore. I think it doesn't like this cold weather. Besides, I wasn't getting a ton of groceries, but I did have a lot of heavy ones I wanted to get. Thankfully, they only took 7 minutes to pick me up and about 5 to arrive.

If you've seen the weather reports for the East Coast, I think you can guess that the Acme was mobbed today. It's not supposed to snow until early Sunday morning, but the temperatures are going to drop into the teens tomorrow. No one wants to be out when it's gale-force windy and literally freezing. I restocked oranges, apples, yogurt, granola, granola bars, and probiotic soda. Had online coupons for bakery cookies and Propel drink mixes. No 20 ounce Fresca, but I did get two of the Diet Coke With Lime. Thankfully, there were enough lines open that the 15 items or less checkout line was short. 

Once I got home and put everything away, I switched to a more dramatic 80's cartoon while eating a quick lunch. In the first season of Jem, Jem and the Holograms are on vacation at a Colorado ski resort owned by a friend. They're shocked to discover the resort is in serious trouble. The Misfits and their sleazy manager Eric Raymond have been sabotaging it to help a friend of Eric's and his competing resort. The Holograms agree to a ski race with the Misfits to decide ownership of the resort. It becomes their "Last Resorts" when the Misfits sabotage that too, and Jem is trapped in a cave after an avalanche. That cave, however, contains something that could be more of a help to the resort than any concert ever could.

Took Uber to the school, too. I can sit at the school, but I'm not up to a bike ride, and it's gale-force windy anyway. Thankfully, unlike yesterday, the Uber going to the school arrived in 10 minutes and got me there right on time. The one I initially got going home canceled...but their replacement took a mere 5 minutes to arrive.

Things were definitely better today. For one thing, I had a small group, only 6 kids plus one boy I agreed to take because he was so enamored with playing daddy to one of the girls' American Girl modern line dolls, he didn't get up and run around quite as much as usual. The kids loved it when I showed them pictures of my American Girl doll collection. I even showed them my wrapped-up knee to explain why I couldn't chase after them like usual today. It helped that we only had about 20 younger kids all together. It was the head teacher's birthday. All of the older kids sang "Happy Birthday" for her during snack time. It was so sweet of them! 

The head teacher had a surprise when we went to the library. Our Friday dance party turned into a disco dance party when she handed around glow stick bracelets for everyone. I did wiggle a bit when I went to sharpen colored pencils, but I mostly stuck with the kids in the back of the library who were coloring on a wide piece of paper, building with magnetic tiles, or looking at books. Like I told the two boys who were back there for most of the time, a quiet party can be just as much fun as a big, noisy one! I finished my picture of Betty, Eugenia, Hilary, and Maple from The Four Dancing Princesses and did stencil pictures of a butterfly and a pig. (Really more of a boar - we're out of pink colored pencils.) One of the boys did an amazing picture of a roaring rocket in his favorite colors. (He's going to be a great engineer someday, that one.) The other colored a picture of Spongebob Squarepants' pineapple house.

Watched The Price Is Right and Match Game Syndicated when I got home. Mary Ann Mobley's host hubby Gary Collins was the male ingenue this week, joining Debralee Scott, Betty White, an antsy Bill Daily, and in Charles' seat, Dick Martin. Debralee spent a good part of the week flirting with a handsome young man from New York with the accent to match. (Debralee herself had been born in North Jersey.) 

Finally got my schedule at this point, too. It's...pretty much the same as this week with slightly more hours next Saturday. To be honest, I'd already planned on taking Sunday off. There's no way I'm going to get an Uber driver in the middle of a major snow and ice storm. The way my knee's feeling, I'll likely call out tomorrow, too. 

Finished the night starting season 3 of Remember WENN. Victor explains to Betty where he's been "In the WENN Small Hours" and why he's turned up so suddenly. He's doing important government work, and she can't let anyone know he's alive...which proves to be a problem when first the rest of the cast starts trickling in from talking to the police, then sponsor Mr. Medwick turns up with explorer Cutter Dunlap (Malcom Gets). Betty and Victor do manage to head him off after they tell him the, er, strange things that have gone on while he's been out of the US, but Victor can't stay...and then drops a bombshell about just how well Scott Sherwood actually knew him.

Hilary Booth, meanwhile, is frustrated with her recent lack of roles that suit her considerable dramatic talents. She thinks she's found the perfect vehicle for her and Jeff when a budding playwright (Harry Hamlin) comes to her with his magnum opus. They convince their sponsors the Sweets (Louis Zorich and Peggy Cass) to fund their show "Prior to Broadway," but can't decide if it's a comedy or a drama. Betty's more interested in re-reading the letter of introduction Victor sent along with Scott, noticing that it sounds an awful lot like one of Scott's pet catchphrases...

Heaven Help the Fighting Woman

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. Little Bear wants to stay "Up All Night" and see the sunrise, but he ends up dreaming about it instead. After he gets muddy, "Little Bear's Bath" turns into an adventure where he meets a mermaid caught in a net. "Father Bear Comes Home," and Little Bear and all of his friends are excited about the surprise he's bringing them. They think it might be a mermaid, but he has something that's even more fun.

Spent the next couple of hours checking the schedule for adult programs at the Cherry Hill Library and watching the 2011 remake of Footloose, which I go further into at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Footloose (2011)

Watched Remember WENN during lunch. Elderly janitor Mr. Eldridge (George Hall) is excited when his old friend and former vaudevillian Pepper Carnasie (Eddie Bracken) visits the station. Unfortunately, he's there with Blair Foley (Michael Patrick McGrath), an overbearing hearing aid salesman who uses Pepper as a shill. They're more "Like a Brother" than Blair is with his younger brother, the silent sound effects man Mr. Foley (Tom Beckett). It's Scott and Foley who use the laugh track machine Foley made to bolster Mackie's comedy act on the real joke - Blair's puffed-up opinion of himself.

There's "Magic" in the air at the station when sponsor Kurt Holstrom (David Leary) comes to see Hilary and Jeff's mind-reading act on their show Magic Time. Scott's more concerned about the decoded messages on their Amazon Andy kid's show not making sense. As it turns out, those codes are a lot more than just "be sure to drink your Ovaltine," and Holstrom is more than just a sponsor. It's a night of mayhem, memories, Scott revealing a hidden talent, and Mackie being nervous when Hilary says "someone at this station will pass through the doorway between life and death." She's right, but not in the way she thinks when, alone late at night, Betty has a visitor she never expected to see again...one who supposedly died in London months ago...

The second and third season are by far my favorite of the show. Scott's in his element as the fast-talking station manager, and this is probably the season where Hilary and Jeff get along the best and have some of their wittiest lines. The classic hour-long Christmas episode is far and way my favorite of the season, along with "Scott Sherwood of the FBI," "Close Quarters," and the touching "Radio Silence." Take note of the events of "Magic" and the return of a certain supposedly dead former station manager, though, because things will be getting very messy from here on in...

Called Uber soon as "Magic" ended. Yes, I know it was much warmer today, but my knee has been really sore, to the point where I put a wrap on it. I have no idea why it would have been so busy at 2:30, but I couldn't get a ride for 17 minutes! I was 15 minutes late to work. I had a hard time getting a driver going home, too. At least the second driver arrived in a mere 2 minutes after the first canceled.

And my being late was not a good thing. Though we only had 20 younger kids today, they're all rowdy from being cooped up all week. I didn't have any really major problems with my group at the bathrooms. I enjoyed reading to a few of the kids while the others finished their snacks. The real trouble didn't start until we moved the kids to the library. They wouldn't listen to the head teacher read them stories. One girl threw a tantrum when another grabbed rubber ducks from her and just would not stop crying, for nearly ten minutes. When I scolded the other girl, she lay on the floor and ignored me. (After I talked to her yesterday about using her words.)

The same girl begged me to read a book about wolves and grizzlies attacking their prey that was really for older kids. I read it...until the very end, when I refused to read the last few paragraphs about the wolves overwhelming the grizzly or show her the blood. I kept asking her if she really wanted to read it and pointing out that it wasn't appropriate for her, but she kept insisting on it. The boys just kept running around and crawling on the floor when they explicitly told not to. It was a major relief when we finally moved the kids back to the cafeteria shortly before I left.

When I got home, I went straight into dinner and Match Game Syndicated. We finished off the week with Stephanie Edwards, Fannie Flagg, and Robert Pine. Brett spent the week alternatively mourning Charles going away to Broadway for a role the next week and being glad him and his poky writing were going.

Finished the night working on my Footloose review while listening to the 2-disc Starburst set. The title sounds like something K-Tel put out in the late 70's, but it's actually from 1969...and boy, is it from 1969. This is one of the most eclectic assortment of songs I've ever seen on two records. You get rock numbers like "God Bless the Child" by Blood, Sweat, and Tears and "This Girl Is a Woman Now" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, vocalists like Tony Bennett singing "I've Gotta Be Me" and Johnny Mathis's version of the "Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet," instrumental covers of rock numbers ("Up, Up, and Away" by Terry Baxter and His Orchestra, "Spinning Wheel" by Moog Machine), and even country numbers from Tammy Wynette ("Stand By Your Man") and Johnny Cash ("Daddy Sang Bass"). If you want to hear a little bit of pretty much everything the late 60's had to offer, this is worth digging up for the variety alone. 

I'm Still Standing

Started the morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Season 4 kicks off with "The Coronation." Poor Glimmer is grieving her mother Angela's death and is being driven crazy by Bow and all of the princesses trying to help with the ceremony. In order to become queen, she, Adora, and Bow have to take a lantern beneath Bright Moon to find a magical cave. They also run across a crystal slug...but it takes Glimmer admitting how much she misses her mother to calm it. Meanwhile, Catra forces Hordak's hand by stealing his crystal and claiming she knows how to end the Rebellion.

Though it was a bit warmer today and sunny, not only was it not that warm, today's my double work day. I called for Uber. The morning driver thankfully only took 4 minutes. I arrived right at work right on time.

We were a lot busier than I thought we would be for a Wednesday morning. Everyone's panicking over the snow we may be getting Saturday night. People, the snow is coming Saturday night, not tomorrow! At least I manged to stay outside and push carts when I wasn't sweeping. After I finished, I quickly changed shirts and hurried out.

Walked behind the Acme and had lunch at Futomaki, the Japanese restaurant. They were dead quiet when I arrived at quarter after 1. I had a bento box - four pieces of California Roll (vegetable) sushi, two fried scallops, white rice, and in this case, shrimp teriyaki. Yum! Everything was so tasty, even the sushi. Oh, and white rice tastes great with shaved ginger. 

When I went back to the Acme, I still had more than a half-hour before I had to be at the school. I bought bread and Head and Shoulders' curl formula. I don't have dandruff, but I do have an itchy scalp, and have for a while. I thought this might help. Called Uber after I finished. They arrived in 7 minutes. The driver took a wrong turn onto the next street over from Thomas Sharp School, but it didn't take him long to get turned around.

I still arrived slightly early, which was a very good thing. We had 26 younger kids and 20 older ones today. I have to admit, taking them in smaller batches does help relieve the bathroom problems. I had to change one of the littlest misses after an accident...but we had such a wonderful conversation about The Lion King and how it's her favorite Disney movie (even though the wildebeest stampede scares her), and she was so good about it, I recommended her getting a sticker for listening and using her words well to the head teacher. 

Otherwise, things went the same as they did yesterday. We once again ended up in the library after snack time. Some of the kids worked with stencils in the back. Others drew on construction paper or built tall towers with magnetic tiles or looked at books. Most of them danced and froze in poses while listening to "ABC" by the Jackson Five, Elvis songs from the soundtrack of Lilo and Stitch (you've never lived until you've seen a roomful of 5-year-olds wiggling to "Burning Love"), and Taron Egerton's version of "I'm Still Standing" from Rocketman. The artists were fascinated by my artwork of C.J, Mackie, and the angry giant Pruitt from C.J and the Beanstalk. They loved hearing about a giant who could smash them, if they didn't knock down the beanstalk first!

This time, I finished at the normal quarter after 5. Got a ride in 10 minutes, not bad for rush hour. Once again, no trouble picking me up, and no traffic whatsoever.

Watched Remember WENN when I got home. The normally unflappable station manager Scott Sherwood is very nervous when his Aunt Agatha (Jan Miner) visits WENN. Seems he's fibbed to her that the station is a branch of the FBI and he's the head of it. Betty joins "Scott Sherwood of the FBI" in pulling the wool over his aunt's eyes, until it becomes clear that she was ahead of the game before they even began...but there's a real FBI agent who may not appreciate the deception.

Scott's perpetual lies catch up with him in the next episode when he admits to Betty he's been telling the sponsor of their bridal show they marry real couples, so he can pocket the change and use it to build a memorial for Victor. Not only is Penelope Cominger (Julie Hagarty) the wealthy sponsor, but she's also Mackie's former flame whom he left at the alter. Betty's ready to become "The First Mrs. Bloom" when they have to keep up the deception, but it's Scott and Penelope who figure out what Mackie really wants. 

Switched to Match Game Syndicated during dinner. They finished off the week with Jon Bauman and Patty Duke and went into the next week with Stephanie Edwards appearing for the first time since 1973. The other key event from this week was Charles leaving at the end of it to appear in a (short-lived, as it would turn out) play on Broadway. Brett alternated between saying how much she'd miss him and declaring how happy she'd be when he was gone.

Switched to YouTube for the other Goofy driving short. Freeway Troubles is basically the same idea as Freewayphobia, but this time, they focus on what not to do on the highway...like pack too much in your back seat or trailer, drink and drive, not get a lot of rest before driving, or not take good care of your car. Honestly, as a kid, I thought these were absolutely hilarious when they turned up between shows on the Disney Channel, even though I'd barely seen a freeway at that point. Nowadays, it's almost scary how accurate they still are...and as all the trouble with people using smartphones while driving proves, the more things change, the less likely people are to be paying attention. 

Finished the night at Paramount Plus with The Love Boat. Gopher's aunt (Jane Powell) discover that she and a handsome passenger (Howard Keel) were "Maid for Each Other," but she's afraid to admit she's no longer wealthy and is working as a maid for an eccentric older woman (Mary Wickes). One best friend (Joe Namath) hires an old female friend (Karen Grassle) to say "Then There Were Two" and make his buddy (Fred Willard) fall in love so he can earn a big pile of cash...but she really loves the other guy. An abandoned baby is "Lost and Found" when it needs a blood transfusion and only one man can help him...the nervous father (Gary Burghoff) who abandoned him. 

Kids, It's Cold Outside!

Began the day with breakfast and The Producers. I go further into the 2005 musical remake of the 1967 Mel Brooks black comedy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - The Producers (2005)

I did some research online before having a quick lunch. I've narrowed down where I want to find a condo or townhouse to either Cherry Hill or Deptford. I did research on Cherry Hill today. On one hand, Cherry Hill probably has the most infrastructure in this area outside of Camden, with tons of shopping, restaurants, and transportation options (including the NJ Transit train) within easy reach. Though it is popular with families, it's also big with professionals of all ages looking for something more single-oriented and with shopping and dining options than the small towns. 

On the other hand, first of all, it's huge, likely the largest town in this area besides Camden, with tons of neighborhoods with their own characters. Second, it's not the most pedestrian or bike-friendly. Cherry Hill was designed for the 60's-70's car culture and, unlike the smaller towns closer to Camden, has no real downtown. The Cherry Hill Mall and the area surrounding it are about as close as they get. It's criss-crossed by three of the busiest roads in South Jersey, Route 70, Crescent Road, and Haddonfield Road. 

I had just finished lunch when I realized it was time to call Uber for a ride to the Thomas Sharp School. It was way too cold for bike riding today! Despite the sunshine and lack of wind, the high was 22. Thankfully, the one getting me there turned up much earlier than the 13 minutes indicated on Uber, and I arrived only slightly late. It took me two tries to get a driver going home, but when he did arrive, it took him about 10 minutes. No traffic or trouble either way.

We're trying some new things with the kids this week. Instead of all of them running from table to table when they first arrive, we assign a teacher to a group of kids at a cafeteria table, 8 to 9 per teacher. We then rotate toys, so all the kids will get a chance to use them without getting up from their seats. My group had the magnetic tiles first, then built with Duplos and played with plastic dinosaurs and animals, then colored on construction paper. They were all so good! They helped clean up and didn't fuss when they lined up for the bathroom. I'm so proud of them. (It also helped that there were fewer little ones today, only about 20 when we started.) 

We moved them to the library after snack time. There was no way they were going outside in temperatures that weren't even above freezing. A few kids joined me at the coloring table or looked at books, but most of them danced to songs from Trolls and KPop Demon Hunters blasting from a speaker one of the teachers brought. (One young aspiring ballerina danced on her toes in her golden strap shoes. I admire her for being able to do that. My toes hurt just watching her.) I cleaned up the library after they moved the remaining kids to the cafeteria around quarter after 5.

After the last kid went home, we had a staff meeting with the head teacher. He mostly praised the job we were doing, but there were a few things we needed to discuss. For one thing, no more tag on the playground. The older boys in particular are too inclined to turn it into a contact sport. No more swings, either. As much as I enjoy pushing them, not only do they cause too much arguing (there's only two), but several kids have already gotten hurt or kicked on or around them. I suspect some of the girls in particular are going to throw fits, but they're just too dangerous for pre-schoolers. 

The other problem is keeping them calm when we're transitioning from playing to the bathrooms, and from the bathrooms to snacks, and from the snacks to the library or playground. That's when they tend to get the most injuries from running around. We're going to play games with them in the bathroom halls while they wait to see if they can imitate our poses and call on them in smaller groups for the bathrooms and to get their coats and backpacks when we go outside. 

Watched Match Game Syndicated when I finally got home and had dinner. I have no reason why they jumped back to much earlier in the run. I came in for the week with Alfie Wise, Betty White, and Patty Duke (in a luxurious fur coat). In the next week, Jon "Bowser" Bauman showed off his sneaker-shaped bag and everything in it, while Brett objected to Jon's rubber rat and Charles giving her weird "awards."

Finished the night listening to recent record and CD acquisitions while working on The Producers review, starting with two classic rock albums from England. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust is considered to be one of, if not David Bowie's best album. It's certainly his most famous. Despite the gritty cover, Bowie gives us a taste of glam rock with "Moonage Daydream," "Lady Stardust," and "Hang On to Yourself."

As it turns out, Flowers is a Rolling Stones collection, which explains some of the terrific material here. The opening number "Ruby Tuesday" and "Let's Spend the Night" are by far my favorite tracks. We also have "Standing In the Shadow?", "Back Street Girl," and a surprisingly good cover of "My Girl." 

The Essential Rosemary Clooney also gives us some of her best-known hits. "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" comes from White Christmas, and she does another movie number associated with Bing Crosby, "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." Her best-known hit is probably "Hey There" from The Pajama Game, which allows her to perform a duet with herself. Other familiar standards here include "Come On-A My House," "Half as Much," "You Make Me Feel So Young," "This Ole House," and "Tenderly."

The Bobby Darin Story goes the unique route of having Darin narrate the story of his career via some of his biggest hit songs. The narration is genuinely funny, especially the hilarious end of what would have been side 1 on a record going into side 2. "Splish Splash," "Dream Lover," and "Mack the Knife" are probably the best-known numbers here. We also have "Artificial Flowers" from the Broadway show Tenderloin and the French ballad "Beyond the Sea." 

Someone to Watch Over Me

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. We're not the only ones getting hit with winter weather. "The Neighborhood Snowstorm" is so bad, the children at school are sent home early. Daniel is upset when the heat dies and a pipe breaks, flooding his room and ruining his Tigey the Adventure Tiger books. He and Margaret stay with Jodie and her family and have hot soup until the Tiger parents come back for them.

Switched to Remember WENN while making the bed and doing chores. Hilary and Jeff are "Strange Bedfellows" when Scott encourages them to join opposite parties in the race for Pittsburgh's city council. They spend Scott's big debate arguing until Betty brings in a third candidate, a folksy former baseball player who reminds them that politics takes more than pretty speeches or claims. It requires real dedication to local needs, no matter how seemingly trivial.

The staff learns more about each other than they probably wanted to when they're quarantined after sound effects man Mr. Foley (Tom Beckett) comes down with a mysterious rash. The "Close Quarters" is fun at first, with Hilary's attempt at dinner, dancing afterwards, and Hilary revealing that Jeff didn't handle his time in England as well as it appears. As the weeks drag on, the cast begins to get on each other's nerves...until the doctor reveals he was totally wrong about his diagnosis.

Hurried out even before the second episode ended to bring out the recycling. Jessa picked me up 10 minutes later. I would have been happier about her boyfriend Mike tagging along if she'd told me he was coming. I had no idea. She hadn't mentioned him when I texted her and asked her to eat out on Monday instead of Tuesday. I felt like the third wheel all day.

At least he paid for our brunch at the Turning Point. This small but popular breakfast eatery on Haddonfield Road in Cherry Hill was so busy when we arrived, we had to wait for 25 minutes for a table to be ready. At least we got a rather nice corner table when we did get seated. I kept things simple with their "breakfast combo," two eggs, two pieces of meat (I went with bacon), two pancakes, and greens with citrus dressing. I really liked the option of the greens instead of potatoes. It made a large, heavy meal much lighter. Mike had a mushroom omelet. Jessa had eggs in a spicy tomato sauce with vegetables. 

My original thoughts for today were the American History museum in Deptford or one of the libraries, but it's a holiday, and the museum is only open on weekends. Jessa loves thrift shops, and I hadn't been to the Moorestown Mall last month when I was off, so I suggested the Goodwill and Barnes and Noble there. I don't think they were very interested in either. I did find five DVDs from Kino Video on the earliest movies, including The Great Train Robbery and the fantasy films of Georges Melies, The Essential Rosemary Clooney on CD (still in its original plastic!), and a cute Hershey's Special Dark coffee mug. 

They mostly just wandered around the busy Barnes and Noble. I hit the jackpot. Selected hardbacks were half-price. I picked up The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst. Found Bewitched and Betrothed by Sarah Blackwell with the mass-market mysteries. The three-disc CD Legacy Collection of music from the Disney Parks over the years was 40 percent off. Dug two records out of their large and extensive music and DVD area:

The Rolling Stones - Flowers 

Blossom Dearie - Great Women of Song (Fabulous collection that includes my favorite song from her, "They Say It's Spring," plus several songs in French. Amazon indicates there's a lot more of these collections for ladies like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Shirley Horn, Peggy Lee, and Helen Merrill - I'll have to look for them.)

I was hoping we could hit the Moorestown Mall proper after that, but it was getting late, and they hadn't been all that interested in Barnes and Noble, so we just went home. I don't know why Mike didn't go back the same way he came. He took the traffic-laden highway, then somehow ended up in the Fairview section of Camden. That was nerve-wracking. He claims it's been cleaned up since he worked there in the early 2000's, but still, it's Camden. 

Finished out "Close Quarters" when I got home, then had dinner and watched Match Game Syndicated. I picked up with the week with lovely Lee Merriweather and Fannie Flagg sitting up front. One of the contestants came back because, cute as their kick line to explain the Rockettes to the other contestant was, the producers thought it did give her and unfair advantage. Fannie stuck around for the next week, this time joined by Dolly Martin and Robert Pine.

Listened to the Blossom Dearie LP after a shower. Dearie is best-known to my generation for introducing several songs in Schoolhouse Rock, including "Unpack Your Adjectives" and the lovely "Figure Eight." She was a popular jazz vocalist long before she did that series. In addition to "They Say It's Spring," we had her charming covers of the standards "'Deed I Do," "Tea for Two," "Someone to Watch Over Me," and "If I Were a Bell."

Finished the night at YouTube for mystery game shows. Some of the earliest game shows on TV were based around crime solving. Armchair Detective from 1949 is one of the earliest surviving TV game shows. The host and a contestant watch two short murder mystery skits and try to figure out "who done it" from the clues given. Sounds simple, but honestly, it's rather interesting, and the skits were well-acted.

Mysteries seemed to go over better in England, the land of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, than here in the US. Whodunnit was a long-running ITV show that basically ran on the same premise, with one full, layered mystery and a celebrity panel trying to solve it. "Happy New Year" from the end of the first season has an elderly millionaire in 1899 bitten by a snake in his safe and given a half-hour to let his family find out who had it in for him. No wonder this was a six-year hit in the 70's and is one of the few British game shows of its era to exist in full. The mysteries are twisty and interesting to watch, and it's fun to see the panel try to figure them out.

Cluedo from the early 90's is almost exactly the same deal with Clue characters instead of historical ones. Once again, a celebrity panel tries to solve a mystery seen as a series of skits. It's played like the board game, with the weapon, the room, and the suspect showing up in computer-generated "cards" onscreen. I'm absolutely going to have to check out more from both of these series. They're a heck of a lot of fun to watch. (I'm surprised they haven't tried something similar over here. We do have Clue in the US too.)

Modern mystery games come closer to police procedural programs like NCIS. Murder In Small Town X from 2001 has ten contestants playing detectives searching for clues to a murder in a fictional small town. At the end of the episode, two contestants are led to two different locations. One finds another clue. The other "dies" and is off the show. Fascinating if you're a fan of police shows and can handle the graphic nature of of the "killings." (Incidentally, the guy who won was a Bronx firefighter who died responding to the Twin Towers collapse later in 2001. There's a statue dedicated to his memory in the town where this was filmed.)

Streaming has gotten in on the murder mystery games, too. Escape the Night was one of the most popular shows on YouTube TV from 2016 to 2019. "The Savant" Joey Graceffa invites ten internet personalities to play types from the historical era of a house he supposedly inherited (in this case, the 20's) to see if they can find the objects needed to banish dark forces from the estate. If the end of the first episode is any indication, this one tips into horror turf, with dark rituals and demonic monsters. It was popular enough for Scarfetta to move it to Tubi and continue it as a miniseries last year.

Solve crimes in the US and England in these delightfully twisty and macabre murder games! 

Armchair Detectives (1949)

Whodunnit? (1973)

Cluedo (1992)

Murder In Small Town X (2001)

Escape the Night (2016) 

It's a Marshmallow World In the Winter

Didn't have the time this morning to start with anything but breakfast! I overslept. It was 20 after 8 when I woke up, and I had work at 9. Thank heavens I was able to get an Uber driver in 4 minutes and arrived at work right on time. It was snowing hard, but the snow was only sticking to the grass. The roads and sidewalks were clear. The driver going home only took 7 minutes to come. There were no problems or traffic either way, and I got where I was going in the usual 5 minutes.

Maybe that's why it was so busy today. The morning Uber driver said it would probably be dead, due to the weather and the holiday weekend, but he couldn't have been more wrong. We were off and on crazy for a lot of the day. Everyone must have come out once they saw that the snow wasn't sticking to the streets. I was alone during the morning, but by the time I went on break around 11:30, one of the college-age boys had taken over sweeping and helped me with carts. 

Unlike yesterday, however, the snow only stopped briefly once before it started up again. It never stuck to the street or sidewalks while I was at work, or even the parking lot. Like I told one of the managers who also waited for an Uber driver later, it amounted to not much more than very pretty rain. I did help figure out what to do about a ceiling leak in the women's bathroom. I remembered the purple bins used when the back storage area had a leak in the ceiling and grabbed one of those. 

After I got home, I changed and did a few quick chores, then decided it was the perfect day for cooking and baking. I still had that Scone Goddess scone mix Amanda gave me in late November that I hadn't used and a bag of fresh cranberries waiting to be made into sauce. I bought the heavy cream for the scones, but didn't have the chance to make them until today. Oh yum! I added a little too much cream to the chocolate chocolate chip scones and made them into drop scones instead of rolling them out, but they still came out tasty. The cranberry sauce was edible, if too soupy. 

And...for some reason, there were a couple of guys playing football outside as I worked on the scones. This despite East Clinton being a block from the White Horse Pike and the snow continuing to come down. It finally started to stick to the road later in the afternoon, too. Thankfully, they'd finally fled by the time the cranberry sauce was as done as it was going to get.

Listened to recently-acquired records while I worked on yesterday's blog entry. The live-action Disney Little Mermaid has its good points (Melissa McCarthy was a hilarious Ursula, Eric had a lot more spirit, Ariel was somewhat more proactive), but its songs are a mixed bag, to say the least. I actually like the slower tempo on "Under the Sea." I can finally catch all the words to that one! "Kiss the Girl" is just as much fun here as it is in the original, and McCarthy has a blast with "Poor Unfortunate Souls." Of the new songs, my favorite is Eric's "Wild Uncharted Waters," which perfectly outlines his adventurous personality and desire to find that elusive voice that rescued him. "The Scuttlebutt," a rather ridiculous rap for comedienne Awkwafina as Scuttle, works far less well. Ariel's "For the First Time," as she describes the wonders of the land in her head, is a bit better. 

Ehh, the original animated Little Mermaid was never my favorite Disney movie either, and this one isn't going to change my mind. Fine if your kids loved the movie. Everyone else is better off looking for "Wild Uncharted Waters" as a single somewhere. 

The Spinners were at the top of their careers when their self-titled album debuted in 1973. As the album cover mentions, "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" and "I'll Be Around" were the million-selling hits here. We also have one of my favorites of their songs, the charming "One of Kind Love Affair," along with "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You" and "We Belong Together." 

Finished the night with more classic Betty White episodes. Betty appeared on pretty much the entire run of Match Game, on every version from 1961 through 1991 except Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. She joined Charles Nelson Reilly in the character actress seat in 1990 and got to hear Vicki Lawrence answer a question in her "Mama" voice and Joe Alasky do Porky Pig in front of Ross's "That's All, Folks!" entrance. She strutted her stuff in 1981, wearing a gorgeous red dress a friend of Sharon Farrell's made, then watched Sharon land on Richard Paul during a question about mud wrestling. Betty loved strutting her stuff. She stripped earlier in 1980 (or at least, took off her jacket) and in 1978, too. 

She could be even funnier on nighttime episodes. She appeared on one of my personal favorite PM episodes of all time when she saw Richard Dawson bet Gene Rayburn that "Color TV" wouldn't be on the "Admiral ___" Audience Match. Gene should know better than to ever bet against Richard, who always knew. Betty spent the episode tossing out quips with an on-fire Brett. Her last appearance on the show with Allen Ludden was a few months before his death in 1981. Though the full week with them sitting next to each other in the bottom row is currently unavailable, the PM is in circulation. Jimmie Walker and Jonnelle Allen look on as Betty appreciates that her beloved hubby is still thinking about sexual matters and teaches him a lesson in comedy sounds. 

Betty's love of animals also turned up on syndication. Gene brought along his daughter's dog Trotter for an episode and a PM in 1980. Betty adored the dear old mutt and took good care of her. Charles kept calling her a vicious dog, but she was really a sweetheart who was probably prettier, smarter, and better-behaved than most of the panelists that week. There was also the time in 1977 when she "borrowed" Charles' glasses and pipe and imitated him in his seat next to Brett. (And regretted it later, complaining about how awful Charles' pipe tobacco tasted.) 

There's lots more Betty in this hilarious and heartfelt tribute to the Queen of Game Shows!

Match Game Sunday Classics - A Celebration of Life: Betty White "Best Episodes on Match Game" (Part 2)

Golden Girl Matches

Began the late morning with breakfast and Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll. I go further into this 1987 documentary covering the life and career of Chuck Berry on his 60th birthday at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musical Documentaries - Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll

By the time the movie ended, it was cloudy and chilly, but not snowing. It was supposed to snow later, and I wasn't taking chances. I called Uber. The driver going there took only five minutes, despite the snow starting even as he pulled up to the curb. The one going home took 10 minutes, but it was also 6 PM, after dark, and much colder.

Actually, work could have been a lot worse. We were busy, but nothing abnormal for a Saturday. It stopped snowing about an hour after I arrived and never started again. The snow never stuck to the street, or anything but the grass. In fact, by the time I finished, the clouds were taking a brief leave of absence. In fact, I spent most of the day pushing carts. The head bagger did the sweeping and indoor chores before she'd come out and help me with the carts. There were no problems whatsoever other than long lines. 

I spent the rest of the night after a much-needed shower eating dinner and watching tonight's Match Game marathon. Match Game Productions is celebrating what would have been Betty White's birthday this weekend with two marathons totally devoted to her. Betty was already a seasoned panelist on game shows when she appeared on the Match Game '73 pilot episode. She first appeared on the show proper in the third week, making her debut along with Charles, Brett, and Bert Convy. Her reaction to Brett's insistence that Charles wasn't wearing socks - "I didn't know Brett Somers was an ankle man!" was a hint of things to come. She, Charles, and Brett would become close friends over the years, tossing out quips and teasing each other in the ways that only the closest of drinking buddies can. 

There were other people she loved teasing on the show. Her other gag was to roll down host Gene Rayburn's socks and roll up his pants legs when he lingered in front of Charles. (Sometimes, Richard Dawson and the ingenue in the 4th chair - Lee Merriweather one week - would help out.) She loved stripping routines, shaking her stuff to David Rose's "The Stripper" and removing scarves and jackets, to the delight of the audience (and some folks on the panel). She also adored animals up until the very end, and would noisily protest whenever a joke suggesting harm to an animal - especially dogs - came up in the rotation.

The other person she adored was her husband Allen. She did manage to get into the right spirit when a question joked about what she'd do if he was on fire (she has plenty of chicken), but she usually looked painted whenever the questions teased how staid he was. She was happier on the famous week in 1975 when they appeared together. Oh, and Allen...yes, Betty rolls down Gene's pants legs when you're not there. 

Celebrate the life of the Queen of Game Shows with this hilarious and heartfelt marathon! (And look for the second half tomorrow night!)

Match Game Saturday Classics - A Celebration of Life: Betty White "Best Episodes On Match Game" (Part 1)

Wild Times In the Library

Began the morning with breakfast and Pac Man. The Ghosts are given super powers that make them "Super Ghosts," letting them wreck havoc around Pac Land. Pepper and Pac have no idea how to stop them, until they figure out how to get super powers too. Pac becomes "The Pac-Man In the Moon" when the Ghosts steal the space shuttle and he and Pepper make their own intergalactic trip to rescue it.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. It was getting late, and I needed to make a very grocery run. Uber picked me up within 6 minutes at home and 10 at the Acme, not bad for between 1 and 2 PM. There wasn't any bulk dried fruit on sale this week, but I hadn't had golden raisins in a while, and they weren't that expensive. Probiotic soda and sparkling water were on sale, though. Restocked coconut milk and found peanut butter cookies and one of those bags of almond butter and jelly sandwiches with chips, water, applesauce, and a cookie on clearance. 

I walked the five or so minutes from Sprouts, past the Haddon Township Library, McDonald's, and the high school to the Westmont Acme. It was sunny, but cold and blustery, with a blistering blue sky that was so intense, it almost hurt to look at it. I hurried along as fast as I can, pushing at the still fairly strong wind.

The Acme wasn't much busier than Sprouts had been. I was mainly restocking apples, oranges, granola, and yogurt here. Made Good granola bars and Cove probiotic soda were on too good of a sale to resist. Found a clearance container of gingerbread cake, too. I still have 10 percent off coupons from when I got my vaccinations back in November, and had online coupons for the yogurt. Grabbed Fresca and Diet Coke With Lime from the coolers.

Had a quick lunch when I got home while watching the Disney Muppet Babies. Gonzo is so addicted to racing and winning, he insists on "The Great Gonzo's Desert Grand Prix" to prove he's the best. He keeps cheating, until Statler and Waldorf remind him that it's no fun to win a race of one. "Animal Kong" throws a fit when he can't play the drums during quiet time. The others think of every possible way to calm him down, but it's Summer who figures out what he really needs.

Hurried off to the school even before the episode ended. Once again, we were pretty busy, with 26 pre-schoolers and kindergartners running around. Despite the sunny day, it was still too cold for them to go outside. I did read them a Thomas the Tank Engine book and a book about a boy who deals with a dragon that moved into his sandcastle while they finished their snacks, and two of them played with my Timex watch (while it was on my wrist) and gave me hugs. Two more hugged my legs as we got organized to spend the rest of the day in the library.

Which got really wild. The kids doing the drawing were fascinated by my Hilary and the Beasts artwork of Eagle (Victor), Maple, Puppy (Enid), and Mrs. Fox (Gertie), but the ones playing with rubber food and bristle blocks kept throwing everything around. Three girls argued over one of the sheets of paper on the back tables intended for stenciling. Several kids built an enormous tower of magnetic tiles...right where the head teacher wanted to set up a dance party. We basically had to scold them to clean up that mess, then the toys and books that had been thrown all over the small room. It was rather a relief when we finally moved those that remained to the cafeteria around quarter of 5 to join the older kids. 

Made a quick stop at Speedy Mart on the way home for bagels, then went straight upstairs to finish putting my groceries away, have dinner, and watch Match Game Syndicated. The first week showcased McLean Stevenson between two lovely comediennes, Dolly Martin and Elaine Joyce. (And I'd love to know how they talked Elaine into the sixth "comedienne" seat. I did hear she wasn't fond of sitting on the end.) The last hour brought in character actress Sharon Farrell, impressionist Richard Paul, and Betty White for the second half of that wild week with the guy whose laugh supposedly woke up his children in the morning and Sharon's array of somewhat revealing fashions.

Finally got my schedule at this point as well. It's...identical to this week, with slightly later and fewer hours next Saturday, and earlier hours on Sunday. The Sunday morning bagger must have taken the day off. I have Monday off, and since school is also closed that day and I have an after-school program meeting on Tuesday evening, I texted Jessa to see if she wanted to do lunch on Monday. 

Finished the night with more Remember WENN. Hilary is convinced by Dusty Foxx (Rue McClanahan), the wife of the owner of Midas Hand Lotions, to sponsor a gossip show. The show is quickly canceled when all the gossip is about Hilary. She's even more devastated when she learns that Dusty wants her off the soap The Hands of Time. With Maple's encouragement, she becomes "The Diva Who Wouldn't Die," doing anything she can to stave off fictional death and keep her character on the air!

"Behind Every Great Woman" brings in another Broadway diva and rival to Hilary. Ruth Geddy (Donna Murphy) isn't nearly as pleasant as Grace Cavendish mostly was, either. Betty hears Hilary and Jeff talk about Hilary having been in a musical and decides to do a musical show around her talents. Hilary, however, freezes on the air, and Betty has to sing for her. Hilary is fine with letting this state of affairs continue, until the others discover the deception and bring down the curtain on Hilary's lies. 

Winds of Winter

Began the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. "Pups On Ice" rescue Jake and Alex when they're stranded on the side of a cliff after Alex's sled goes out of control. "Pups and the Snow Monster" have to figure out what the strange creature that's scaring off the skiers and that Alex filmed is.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. Not only did I have a large, heavy bag of donations I wanted to drop at Goodwill, but despite it being sunny outside, it was also cold and gale-force windy. It was no day for a bike ride, even if I could fit the bag on my bike. They took 12 minutes to arrive, but at least there was no traffic anywhere, not even around the entrance to Wal Mart. I even got the driver to drop me off around back, so I could bring the bag right to the donation center.

Was in and out of stores for the next hour. Goodwill was surprisingly quiet for them. The cold day must have scared people off. I bought The Gourmet Cookie Book, which collected the best cookie recipe from Gourmet Magazine from every year of its publication, and Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook in peace. Got a card and a gift card to Five Below for my niece Lilah, who turns 9 on Monday. Went across the street and picked up new underwear at Lane Bryant. Between good sales and their rewards program, I got six pairs for 30 dollars. 

I hadn't had lunch at Tu Se Bella's in ages. It was almost 2 PM by the time I got there, and there were only a few people enjoying pasta and sandwiches in booths. I had a slice of Hawaiian (Canadian bacon and pineapple) and a slice of broccoli-shrimp pizza with a bottle of Diet Pepsi while half-listening to a talk show on the TV on top of the soda cooler. Walked back to the Acme, where I picked up the Uber to Thomas Sharp School. They only took 5 minutes to arrive and got me there in a little over 5.

I think you can guess that the little kids didn't go outside today. It was just too cold. We tried to separate them into groups when they arrived, but I'm not sure it took. They're used to being able to sit wherever they want and play with whatever they want. We spent most of the time after lunch in the library. I colored with some of the kids. Three girls used stencils to make colorful leaves and animals on paper taped to a table. Others built with magnetic tiles or bristle blocks. Another teacher read to kids at the front table. I sat with the kids who were coloring pictures or drawing their own. They were fascinated when I drew Betty, Hilary, Bear Scott, Eagle Victor, Troll Jeff, and Puppy Enid from Hilary and the Beasts. We'd just moved the remaining kids, including my last diligent artist (who creatively turned a Pokemon picture into a nifty robot) when I finished.

It was still so cold, I took Uber home, too. This time, they took 10 minutes to arrive, not bad at the height of rush hour. There was a little traffic on the White Horse Pike around the corner of the Pike and Collings, but it could have been worse. I was home in five minutes again.

Got organized when I got home, then took a shower, had dinner, and watched The Vagabond King. I go further into the 1956 version of the operetta that would be the last film of soprano Kathryn Grayson at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - The Vagabond King (1956)

Switched to the soundtrack from the Disney Sleeping Beauty while working on the Vagabond King review. This is the original 1959 release, with the lush orchestrations by George Bruns. Unlike most soundtracks of this time period, we get the full songs as heard in the film, even the fathers' comic "Scrumps." Apparently, it was the first true-stereo soundtrack, and it still sounds good to this day, even on the slightly scratched copy I picked up from Innergroove Records last month. 

Finished the night with Remember WENN. Scott's latest scheme is an all-news day, but his attempt to turn WENN into CNN goes sideways when they can find absolutely nothing earthshaking to report. It turns out to be "Some Good News, Some Bad News" when they first attempt to find news on the street, then Scott makes his own drama. Meanwhile, Eugenia the organist, worn out from her all-night program, is replaced for the rest of the season by bubbly former stripper Maple LaMarsh.

"Don't Act Like That" introduces Giels Aldrych (Roddy McDowell), Hilary's former mentor who now runs an acting school. He first attempts to teach the WENN actors about stage projection, but they discover stage acting and acting on the radio are two entirely different things. When two interns, sweet and wordy teen Enid Farleigh (Melissa Dye) and celebrity imitator Gus Kahana (real-life cartoon voice artist Jeff Bergman), are brought in, the actors go on strike, until they realize how much Enid and Gus have to learn about radio. 

Night of the Warm Winter

I overslept this morning and had just enough time to write in my offline journal, eat breakfast, and call Uber for a quick ride to work. No trouble there. The one going to work arrived within 7 minutes. The one going home came in 4. There was no traffic either way, and I made it to work with no time to spare.

To be honest, I could have been infinitely late. We were quiet the entire morning. Most people are probably waiting for Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend to do their shopping. I was in and out with no trouble whatsoever. I even had the chance to grab more cough drops, a two-pack of snickerdoodle cookies on the bakery clearance rack, and a lunch pack with a turkey-pretzel roll slider, pretzel chips, and grapes. 

Changed when I got home, then had lunch while watching more Remember WENN. Betty Roberts is devastated when they learn that, though Jeff Singer survived the bombing of the building they were broadcasting from, Victor Comstock didn't. She drowns herself in writing scripts where nothing remotely bad happens to keep from thinking of why she never admitted her feelings for him. She even insists on "Radio Silence" every hour. It takes a frustrated Scott and a returning Jeff to remind the grieving woman that the best way to honor someone is to live your life. 

Hilary and Jeff are thrilled to be together again, and their baby-talk is starting to bleed onto the airwaves in "I Now Pronounce You Man and Wife...Again." Betty's about ready to throttle both of them, and the sponsor isn't much happier. They insist on getting re-married, but it doesn't go as well as they hoped. Meanwhile, we learn that Ceila got big movie role and has left the station for good (this is last time we see her, though she's mentioned a few times), and Scott recruits sweet organist Eugenia for his new late-night Agitato Alert program.

Oh, and the last of my Christmas presents to myself from Amazon arrived around this point as well. I used the kids' Amazon gift cards to get the soundtrack from Wicked: For Good on CD and the Mercedes Lackey Elemental Masters Sherlock Holmes story The Case of the Spellbound Child. The first two Sherlock Holmes Elemental Masters books are now the only ones I haven't read, mainly because I can't seem to find them anywhere. I might end up getting those online, too. 

Headed out to the Thomas Sharp School after the second episode ended. Good thing I got there slightly early, because we were swamped today. We had 28 pre-schoolers and kindergartners, and some of the older boys joined us on the playground as well. Even in the cafeteria during snack, when I was just reading kids who had finished eating a book about spiders, it was rowdy. 

The playground was a recipe for insanity. Despite the cloudy day, it was warm for January, in the mid-50's. I could understand why the kids took off their jackets. Many of them already wore heavy sweaters or thick long-sleeved dresses. They kept trying to take off their shoes or boots, too. It wasn't THAT warm! They kept throwing mulch and putting it on the slides when they know they're not supposed to and arguing over the swings. That game of tag got so wild, one of the teachers had to end it. And we even let them stay out a little longer than usual, due to the warm weather.

They weren't even able to calm down in the library. One of the teachers spread paper out on two tables, only for the older boys to rip it, press too hard on colored pencils I just sharpened, and draw death faces and scary figures that the little kids should not have been seeing. Other kids annoyed those who were reading or playing quietly. I was honestly not unhappy when I finally finished. 

Went straight home after that. Had dinner while watching Match Game Syndicated. The new-to-Buzzr episodes continue with the only week to feature game show host Tom Kennedy, during his tenure hosting Password Plus. It was also the second of two appearances for Gail Farrell, the only member of The Lawrence Welk Show brave enough to join the lunacy. Considering Tom Kennedy played really well and Gail Farrell wasn't bad, I wish they both had come back. McLean Stevenson had become the third regular by this point, too, taking over as resident sarcastic smart guy.

Finished the night with The Wild Wild West. "The Night of the Howling Light" takes James West to a remote lighthouse, where a mad scientist (Sam Wanamaker) attempts to condition him into assassinating a Native chief who is trying to gain peace for his people. Artemis Gordon knows there's something else going on here, especially when school-educated Native speaker Ahkeema (Scott Marlowe) pressures him into getting a response from President Grant on what will happen to his people.

Finding History

I began a late morning with breakfast and The Vagabond King. I go further into the original 1930 version of the swashbuckling operetta with Jeanette MacDonald and original stage star Dennis King at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - The Vagabond King (1930) 

Spent most of the early afternoon looking up local museums in South Jersey. It's occurred to me that I've lived here for 20 years next month, and I don't really know that much about the area. I had heard about the Barclay Farm Museum in Cherry Hill, but not the American History Museum in Deptford. I'm not all that interested in 19th century farms, but the grounds at Barclay might be worth a walk in the spring. The American History Museum, on the other hand, sounds like it would be something great to do in the winter when I'd like to check out something besides a mall.

Stayed at YouTube while eating lunch for the Goofy cartoon Freewayphobia. The first of two looks at driving on those then-new highways from 1965 featuring Goofy has him showing off three types of drivers - the nervous Nellie who isn't used to big highways, the impatient guy who just wants to get where he's going and isn't thinking of anything else, and the careless guy who is doing anything but paying attention to the road. Goofy representing these drivers is not only both hilarious and kind of scary...but if the comments on YouTube are any indication, not much has changed on America's freeways in 60 years. In fact, from what they say, this was apparently a common sight in driver's Ed courses in the 60's and 70's. I remember both Goofy driving shorts turning up frequently between programs on The Disney Channel in the 80's. 

Hurried off to the Thomas Sharp School just as the cartoon ended. I'm so glad we were able to get the kids outside again today! They were really rowdy, with several running into each other and other objects while running around. Thankfully, I had an easier time with the swings. I only had to argue one little girl off and try to distract another from teasing a boy she liked. Most of them turned the swings over to their friends when they saw the game of tag going. I drew with them when I got inside. The little girls in particular were fascinated by the picture of Scott, Betty, Hilary, and Jeff I drew as I tried to explain old-time radio and Remember WENN to them. We were down to only 3 when I headed out.

Got home in time to take the trash out before Jessa picked me up for dinner. We stayed closer to home to try Jersey Kabobs, who just took over the old Pop Shop/Stardust Cafe spot in Collingswood. They kept the gold, white, and black remodel leftover from the Stardust Cafe, adding many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean knick-knacks. They were also busy as heck, and no wonder. My gyro was incredible, with flavorful, perfectly-roasted chicken and yogurt-cucumber sauce. Jessa had a plate of shaved beef, cubed tomato and cucumber, and rice that was even yummier. (And bigger - she took most of the beef and rice home.) We shared plates of various kinds of baklava. I had the variety (including pistachio and chocolate), she had chocolate-filled. They even gave me free baklava for the road (and Jessa kept most of hers). Our Turkish tea was free, too.

Finished the night at home after a shower with Remember WENN. Scott is "Popping the Question" when he comes up with a quiz show on the night Betty has a date with the station's sweet lawyer Doug Thompson. Scott wants to fix it in favor of the sponsor's obnoxious son, but a frustrated Betty and the cast end up teaching him a lesson in ethics and honesty. 

"World of Tomorrow" brings Ceila back in for the first season finale. Scott's once again excited about his latest idea, this time a huge Wizard of Oz-style show that coordinates with the end of the 1940 World's Fair in New York. Hilary is more concerned about Victor calling Jeff to broadcast in war-torn London. Scott shows Betty he really does care about more than his own interests when he finds a way to make Jeff's touching London broadcast a part of their World's Fair show...and then Jeff's voice is cut off by static...

Though I prefer the second and third seasons, there's still no shortage of good episodes to be found in WENN's initial outing. "Rock and a Soft Place" and "Armchair Detectives" are my favorites of the episodes from before Victor left...but I think the show really picked up with Scott's introduction. Cheerfully amoral Scott is frankly a more interesting character than the frequently distracted and rather wordy Victor, and he really gives those last three episodes a shot in the arm. Note that static in "World of Tomorrow," however. This show thrives on cliffhangers, and Jeff and Victor getting cut off is a mere portent of what's to come...