Monday, August 31, 2020

Dolls In the Rain

Kicked off a gloomy morning with blueberry pancakes and Split Second. The college student champ and one of the ladies dominated the competition today; they finished within 50 dollars of each other. She just barely got ahead and won the Countdown Round...and then chose the right flip boards for the car on her first try!

Big winners on Blockbusters this morning, too. A father-daughter pair easily defeated a cheerful young man with a mustache. The dad went on to get every single answer right on the Gold Rush bonus round. They were taking on a lady when the episode ended.

Spent the next hour or so dressing the 18-inch dolls. Samantha wears her current pink Swiss-dotted "meet" dress with the maroon velvet sash, socks borrowed from Molly, and her black strap shoes. Molly's in Kit's blue School Outfit and her saddle shoes. The print on Kit's Flower-Print Dress are the perfect colors for Ariel; she wears it with knee-high socks and Molly's white t-strap shoes. Whitney wears her yellow and red floral print Queen's Treasures dress with the red strap shoes from Samantha's Sunny Day Dress and a crinoline from eBay. Josefina is ready for summer's end in her orange and yellow-print Summer Dress, with its faux-leather vest and high boots. Jessa's more laid-back in a long jean skirt and magenta t-shirt. Left Felicity in her lavender Travel Gown. I really don't have much else to change her into.

Listened to I Love Adventure while I worked on the dolls. Jack Packard and Reggie York return for a short-lived series that initially revolved around them going on cases of "international intrigue" for the 21 Old Men of Gramercy Park. "The Finishing School Kidnapping" is actually kind of sweet. The Old Man representing Italy is frantic when his granddaughter is among the teen girls kidnapped from a distinguished finishing school. Jack and Reggie's trail somehow takes them from Italy to a Tibetan monastery, where the last person anyone would think of taking care of teen girls is keeping them safe.

After that...I'm not sure what happened. I guess show creator Carleton Morse got tired of doing James Bond stuff. The next episode was supposed to have been an Indian adventure, from the announcement at the end, but instead, we returned to LA, Doc, and the guys being private eyes. All 13 episodes of this show exist, so I don't think there's anything missing. Reggie encounters a little boy who tries to pick his pocket in "But Grandma, What Big Eyes You Have." Turns out the kid also snatched a purse, and may have shot a man in the night. He's also scared to death of his grandmother, who is his guardian. Reggie and Jack think she's just a typical old lady at first...until they listen to her and to the kid, and realize where his nightmares came from...

Finished with the dolls in time for most of the noon showings of Match Game. Baked Chocolate Chip-Orange Muffins while I watched. Comedian Joe Silver and Esther Rolle, the warm matriarch from Good Times, appeared in two fun episodes from late 1975. (And if the announcer sounds different, it's Bern Bennett. Johnny Olsen was on vacation.)

Pulled the muffins out of the oven, then had lunch. Watched an episode of Elena of Avalor while I ate and they cooled. With the series finale having played last week, it's past time I caught up with the adventures of Disney's first Latina princess. Went with "The Curse of El Guapo" from season 2. Elena's friend Gabe has the chance to become the Captain of the Guard after the previous captain retires. He's nervous because most of the other guards come from good families and have fancy swords, and he's a baker's son with nothing. He "borrows" a sword he's supposed to deliver to a museum. Turns out it's cursed with the spirit of a handsome and arrogant general. It makes Gabe a fabulous fighter, but also arrogant and uncaring. He finally goes to young wizard Mateo for a potion that may help.

Headed out for a walk after the episode ended. I had a few errands I wanted to run. By the time I made it out around 1:30, a soft, steady shower fell. No matter. I took my umbrella instead of the bike and had a very pleasant stroll, waving to my friend Erica as she headed out in her car. My first stop was Dollar General. I wanted to get bath rugs, but they didn't have any I liked. I did replace the yellow mitten pot holder I've had since college with one that has a pretty flower print and picked up Jiff Natural Peanut Butter (less salt than most major brands).

After I briefly ducked into the post office to finally get Skylar's birthday card out, I went down the White Horse Pike to WaWa. They were pretty busy, despite it being past 2:30 at that point. I treated myself to one of the new fall smoothie flavors, Maple Pumpkin. Not bad. More maple syrup flavor than pumpkin.

Dug a letter out of the mail box when I got home. To my dismay, it was from the main office of the company that owns Acme. They claimed I hadn't sent in my paperwork for my leave...but the letter was dated a month ago. Phone calls to the Acme and the Albertsons office revealed that they'd gotten my paperwork in ages ago, and there were no problems. I hadn't gotten to updating my address with them until recently, and the letter took longer to get here because of the changed address.

After that was settled, I finally got to finishing Press Your Luck. Came in half-way through the second round, just as the one woman Whammied out. The slightly older of the two men just got a Bahamas cruise and a little money, but the other guy was hit with Whammies, and he ended up winning.

Worked on writing for a while after the show ended. The evil witch queen Malade is thrilled that midnight nears. All light magic - including that of the fairies, the wizards, and the princesses - dulls at midnight. While Fannie tries to keep her gown from vanishing, Richard holds his bow on Malade to remind her that not everyone at the ball has magic, or will be heavily effected by her spells.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. After checking a few recipes and what I had in my refrigerator, I ended up making a tuna pasta salad with home-made ranch dressing while Match Game was on. Janet Finn keeps on winning, with a little help from Charles; meanwhile, Brett teases him and complains about Donald Ross' loud shirts, while Richard wants to be the Mickey to Fannie Flagg's Minnie (or at least her Minnie Mouse t-shirt).

For some reason, Sale of the Century jumped way back to 1986. The young man contestant dominated the game full-stop, with him buying two of the three Instant Bargains and getting a big money card on the Fame Game. This was when the "bonus round" was the "match the prize" game. It took the guy a few minutes, but he did finally manage to match the car with this show's equivalent of the "Wild Card" from Concentration.

Returned to I Love Adventure while turning two mealy peaches and old blueberries in Blueberry-Peach Crisp. "The Man With the Third Green Eye" gets closer to the tone of the original I Love a Mystery. This time, Doc joins in as the trio take on the case of a mysterious man who murders their actual contact on a train, and the exotic woman connected to him.

Finished up online after my shower with the first episode of Parker Lewis Can't Lose on Crackle. Parker (Corin Nemec) and his buddies Mikey (Billy Jayne) and nerdy freshman Jerry (Troy Staden) do their bet to navigate the ins and outs of high school in 1990. The trio generally spend their time trying to avoid ending up in the office of strict Principal Musso (Melanie Chartoff), who would love to catch them in the act. Things get a little hairy when Parker falls for the beautiful girl (a young Milla Jovovich, so you really can't blame them) that Mikey also likes, and she kisses him. Mikey stops speaking to him, and it takes fending off gigantic school bully Kubiac (Abraham Benrubi) to bring them back together.

You can't get much more 1990 than this show. It's already a riff on Ferris Bueller's Day Off, with Parker dodging teachers and sisters alike and reveling in everything that seemed cool then. Ironically, it went on to do far better than an actual Ferris Bueller show in the ratings, mainly due to the surreal and occasionally twisted sense of humor. I remember hearing about this show when I was 11, but I just never got around to it then. I don't know how actual teens would react to it now, but for anyone who grew up when I did, this is a really unique blast from the past.

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Songs and Sounds of Summer

Slept longer than I planned this morning. Had a quick cereal and blueberries breakfast while listening to the original cast of Bye Bye Birdie. In this spoof of suburban teen life and culture, songwriter Albert Peterson (Dick Van Dyke) and his girlfriend Rosie Alverez (Chita Rivera) come up with the idea of writing the song "One Last Kiss" for teen idol Conrad Birdie (Dick Gautier), who was just drafted into the Army, to sing on The Ed Sullivan Show. A teen girl chosen randomly from his fan club will be selected to give him that final kiss.

The lucky girl is Kim MacAfee (Susan Watson), who is absolutely thrilled. Her parents and boyfriend Hugo (Michael J. Pollard) are not. Her father Harry (Paul Lynde) loudly protests, until he learns it'll be on television. Albert's clingy mother Mae (Kay Medford) wants her son to continue to be her meal ticket and shoves a tap dancer at him, prompting jealous Rosie to sabotage the show.

Granted, there's a lot of songs here I love, including the hit "Put On a Happy Face," Rosie and Kim's "What Did I Ever See In Him," "A Lot of Livin' to Do" for Conrad and the suburban kids after they've gone out for a night on the town, and the sweet "One Boy" for the girls and Rosie as they discuss their feelings for their men. The problem is, teens may still shriek over their favorite idols and parents may not understand why, but other details have dated rather badly. There's a song revolving around The Ed Sullivan Show, once a staple of family viewing that most families probably don't remember existed nowadays, and Rose's attempt to make Albert do something he doesn't want to do comes off as shallow instead of well-meaning.

This apparently is still a favorite of high schools and colleges to this day...but send the kids online or show them episodes of the real Ed Sullivan to help them understand what a lot of the fuss is about.

Had just enough time to sneak in a little bit of writing before work. Gene's delighted to introduce the six Legendary Princesses, together for the first time in decades. Malade's happy he did her work for her - now she can take them out in one blow, especially since its getting close to midnight...

Rushed off to work less than fifteen minutes after I got off the computer. Work was off-and-on busy all day, surprising considering the gorgeous weather. We're getting pretty close to the beginning of the month; some folks may have already gotten their money. I was tired and flustered and not really up to dealing with some of the more difficult customers. Couldn't have been happier when it slowed down enough by 5:30 for me to dash off without a relief.

It was the perfect day for dinner at Sonic. Evidently, a lot of other people thought so, too. A couple and a large family were already sitting down by the time I arrived. The mother in the family complained gently but firmly that the teens working the kitchen got their orders wrong, even as I gave them mine. They'd fixed the mix-up by the time my chicken sandwich, tater tots, and cherry limeade arrived. Actually, they made a mistake with my order, too. I asked for a cherry limeade slush, not an ordinary cherry limeade. No big deal. It's all liquid.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. The weather was too nice not to! It was sunny and breezy, with a deep blue sky, fat fleecy clouds, and no humidity. Not surprisingly, Nicholson Road was just as busy with people going out to order dinner or for Sunday drives. I dodged cars all the way down to Atlantic and Newton Avenue in Oaklyn.

I was so tired, I changed, had peanut butter-no bake cookies for dessert, and settled for listening to my Bold Venture album for an hour. This Humphrey Bogart-Lauren Bacall radio show is one of several Bogart-related old time radio albums that came with the original collection from my late stepmother Kaye. Bogart is Slate Shannon, who owns a Cuban hotel and a boat named Bold Venture. Bacall is Sailor, his equally tough sweetheart. Their adventures range from treasure hunting to dealing with smugglers to battling pirates.

The first story, "The Star of Sheba," has Slate and Sailor delivering jewels that may have lead to the death of a friend of his. "The Blue Moon" involves smuggling intrigue. Both have a lot in common with To Have and Have Not (Bogart-Bacall, he runs a boat, tropical locale with colorful cast), and to a lesser degree, Casablanca (he owns a place where shady types congregate). Evidently, this syndicated show survived better than I Love a Mystery, with 57 out of 78 shows existing. Look them up if you love Bogart, Bacall, or tropical-flavored intrigue.

Finished the night poking around online. Watched the second half of the Flyers-Islanders game after tonight's Match Game premiere on YouTube. Darn it, despite putting up a good stand in the last few minutes, the Flyers lost, 3-2. They'd better get their rears in gear if they want to stay in the playoffs!

Saturday, August 29, 2020

When the Sun Came Out

It rained off and on all night. The rain was on when I rolled out of bed this morning. Listened to it fall while eating breakfast and watching an episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel and Katarina play restaurant at school, but he doesn't like Prince Wednesday butting in as a scary bear. He realizes that everyone feels something different in "Friends and Feelings" when Katarina thinks Wednesday is funny, not scary. "Daniel's Day of Many Feelings" takes him from the library to the post office to Music Man Stan's shop, with him noticing how his feelings change at each stop.

Made Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies while switching to The Roku Channel for the original Charlie's Angels. The Angels get their disco on in the fourth season episode "Angels On Skates." Freddy Fortune (Rene Auberjonis) is the slimy owner of a roller disco palace on the boardwalk at Venice Beach. When one of the best roller skaters on the boardwalk is kidnapped in broad daylight, Kris joins Fortune's roller skating chorus line and Bosley, Tiffany, and Kelly pass as reporters doing an article to find out who wants her and why.

The rain slowed by the time I left, but it remained humid and hot. It started showering again about half-way through my ride. I arrived at work wet.

The Acme was pretty quiet when I arrived. Once again, the rain cleared out the customers. Once the rain petered out around noon, the customers arrived. We were on and off busy for the rest of the day, with no really major problems. I picked up brown sugar and milk quickly on the way out.

Checked my cell phone when I got home and discovered Rose tried to call me when I was at work. I called her back after I changed and settled down. I hadn't heard from her this week because she and her family got sick (again). We'll apparently be able to get together and sign those papers on Monday or Tuesday.

Returned to Charlie's Angels, this time at Crackle, while having potato hash with my last leftover ground turkey steak for dinner. "Angel Blues" from the second season is unusually sad for this show. Charlie assigns the Angels to find out how his favorite country singer died of a heroin overdose. While Kelly and Sabrina do research, Kris joins the cab driver who was the last person to see the girl alive...and is the one who discovers just how badly the girl was used by everyone around her, from drug dealers to her agent to an abusive boyfriend.

Took a much-needed bath after the show ended while listening to Jazz for the Quiet Times. Read Women Who Run With the Wolves while I relaxed. I want to be stronger, wilder, and more able to take control of my destiny...but I also want to do what everyone else does. My mind keeps telling me that if I do what everyone else does, if I make everyone happy, if I just do the right thing, act the right way, talk in the right way, I'll finally have a home and friends and a real job and be really, truly real. I wish I knew how to push those fears away so the wild woman can be strong and do what she has to do.

Finished the night with Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam at Disney Plus. I go further into the sequel to the 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie hit at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam

Friday, August 28, 2020

Rainy Daze

Began another hot, sunny morning with breakfast and The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That. He and the kids go on a "Stripey Safari" to find which stripes are right for him. They chat with a chipmunk, a bee, zebras, and a coral snake, but the Cat eventually decides that the stripes on his hat are the best of all. Nick needs "Wool" to learn to knit a scarf like Sally. The Cat takes them to their friend Finola's farm to show them how wool is spun from sheep.

Went into writing for the next hour or so. Princess Della and Nipsey are accompanied by Richard's cohort Donald (Ross) and Princess Patti (Deustch), who used to be a mermaid. She uses her water magic to douse Malade's trolls, but Malade herself reminds her that it's getting close to midnight...and at midnight, her magic increases and Gene and the fairies' magic fades...

Watched the tail end of Blockbusters as I got ready to head for work. A father-daughter pair played a young woman. They'd just started the next game as I shut it off and went out the door.

Work was on-and-off busy for most of the day. People were likely dodging the weather. The sun was out when I went to work, but the clouds moved in around noon. By 4:30, it was dark and pouring. That cleared us out pretty fast. We were dead when I shut down a little early to sign into our computer system and take an employee survey. It took me a few minutes to get onto the right page for the survey, but at least I was able to update my personal information like my address.

My schedule next week isn't quite as good as this week's was, but it's far from horrible. Slightly fewer hours, Monday and Friday off this time. With my rent due, all I had planned for the week was working on writing and doing things at home. I need to figure out where to go next and how to do it.

It continued to shower as I headed out. Those dark, gloomy gray clouds weren't going to stop any time soon, and indeed, it would continue for another few hours. I just rode home and got wet.

Put on Match Game as soon as I got in. I arrived in time to see the last episode of Orson Bean and Dr. Joyce Brothers' run. Dr. Joyce had a lot to take notes on when Richard and Betty got very into their kissing after Betty gave Janet the right answer in the Audience Match! I made a jelly and cheese omelet and a salad as we switched out for kooky married pair Donald Ross and Patti Deustch. Brett kept complaining about Donald's very bright pink matching shirt and tie, which Donald claimed his wife chose for him.

For some reason, Sale of the Century skipped way ahead to Christmas 1988. I worked on a list of everything I need to do next month while I watched. All of the skits, questions, and prizes were Christmas-themed, Summer Bartholomew and the models wore holiday colors, and the studio was decorated with real wreaths and tree. The young man champion was just barely unseated in the Speed Round by a lady who came back after missing a question to win the Bonus Round money.

Finished the night with the classic 1952 pirate tale Against All Flags, which is currently free on Amazon Prime with a subscription. Brian Hawke (Errol Flynn) of the British Navy volunteers to infiltrate a pirate gang in Madagascar. He tells pirate captain Roc Brasilliano (Anthony Quinn), the head of the Coast Captains, that he's a deserter . Brasilliano doesn't buy it and pits him against one of his largest men with a pike. He defeats the pirate and catches the eye of Spitfire Stevens (Maureen O'Hara), the only female captain in the group. She wants Hawke with her, but he ends up joining Brasilliano's crew. Spitfire and Roc are suspicious when Hawke saves the Mogul Princess Patma (Alice Kelley) and her nurse Molivina MacGregor (Mildred Natwick). Now Spitfire is jealous and Roc angry, as he wants the ladies for himself. Hawke has to figure out how he can disarm the cannons in the harbor and let a British Royal Navy ship in safely, without giving himself away to the pirates...or losing Spitfire's trust.

Dashing and enjoyable pirate romp was a return to form for Errol Flynn after too many years of debauchery and a chance for Maureen O'Hara that she could be as good of a swashbuckler as any of the guys. Anthony Quinn makes an equally roguish villain amid the color and spectacle of Madagascar in the early 1700's, when it was one of the biggest pirate ports in the world. Highly recommended for fans of the stars, swashbucklers, or pirate yarns.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Sunny Day Adventures

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and more Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures. Went backwards to the crew's first adventures in Japan. "Goofasaur" is a dinosaur robot a young Japanese inventor created to look like Goofy. When the real Goofy breaks the controls and it goes on a rampage, Mickey borrows her Pacific Rim-style mechanical suit to catch up with it. Minnie, Daisy, and Cukoo Loca become "Teahouse Helpers" when a friend who runs a traditional Japanese tea house can't serve the tea. Daisy has to find that tea, before an ink artist who is a local celebrity leaves!

Switched to Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour while I finished my Farina and a very hard and mealy peach and got ready to run errands. This time, Elyse Knight joined her father Ted Knight and a pre-talk show Arsenio Hall to answer goofy questions. I listened to their antics while gathering my laundry. Headed out just as the regular Match Game started.

The laundromat was pretty busy when I arrived. Almost every regular washer was in use, so I took one of the larger ones that ran for a half-hour. The other reason I used the big washer was I wanted to hit Family Dollar. I needed sugar and sponges and wanted plastic containers for my journals to get them out of the way and make room for more. Sat outside while the clothes were in the dryer and worked on story notes. I didn't care that it was hot and humid. It was also bright and sunny, something it won't be in the next few days, and the wind felt wonderful.

Put my laundry away as soon as I got home. Listened to I Love Adventure as I shelved everything and loaded the journals in containers. This short-lived re-introduction to I Love a Mystery from 1948 has Jack, and later Reggie, working for the mysterious 21 Old Men at London in cases of international intrigue. The first has Jack retrieving microfilm in China. The second brings Reggie back in to help stop airmail thieves. Both seem more like an attempt to cross the pulp nuttiness of Mystery with more typical James Bond-esque spy tales. It's kind of an awkward mix, especially when Jack is on his own in the first story. (At the very least, unlike Mystery, the entire run of the series does exist.)

Watched Super Password and Tattletales while making a summer fruit and yogurt smoothie for lunch. Lydia Cornell turned up again on Super, answering Password Puzzles with Patrick Wayne. I saw the Tattletales episode a couple of months ago. Glenn Ford and his then-girlfriend Cynthia, Milton Berle and his equally witty wife Ruth, and perfectly kooky pair Donald Ross and Patti Deustch each won two questions and missed two questions, winning money for everyone in the studio.

Made my bed and went through the pile of paperwork and bills accumulating on the crates next to my desk while Press Your Luck was on. Everyone got hit hard with Whammies today, and no one really made much money. The younger of the two guys picked up just enough money to win.

Worked on writing for a while after the show ended. Bill Cullen's entrance is a distraction for the real "secret weapon" - the arrival of Princess Della (Reece) and Richard's buddy Nipsey (Russell) and his ax. Malade not as angry about having another Legendary Princess there as you'd think she would be, though, since it's getting awfully close to midnight. Midnight increases her powers, and ends that of the fairies...

Broke for dinner at 6:30 for chicken soup made from leftovers and Match Game. Janet Finn, who would become one of the show's biggest winners, made her first appearance in this 1974 episode. She won money right out of the starting gate when Betty White matched her "Three Musketeers" answer, prompting much kissing from Richard Dawson and Orson Bean!

Sale of the Century didn't go nearly as well. While everyone bought something, they all kept getting the questions wrong. No one was terribly ahead of anyone else going into the Speed Round. The champ did win the Speed Round decisively, but this time, he had more trouble with the Bonus Round.

My Frozen Banana Whirl came out much better. I tossed three mushy bananas in the refrigerator a few days ago, then cut them up and put them in the food processor with honey, coconut milk, and the last tiny bit of mango sorbet from a while back. Oh, yum! Sweet, fruity, and so very tropical. Who needs cow's milk, anyway? Healthy and chilling, with plenty left for tomorrow.

Finished the night with I Live for Love on TCM's website. I go further into this 1935 romantic comedy with Dolores Del Rio and Everett Marshall at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

I Live for Love

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Quiet at Work

Began the morning with breakfast and more new Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood episodes. Daniel and Miss Elaina want to finish setting up their train track, but it's "Quiet Time at School." They have to settle down for naps or reading, and then they'll be ready to play. It's "Naptime In Blanket City," the blanket fort Jodie and Daniel set up at her house. Jodie's toddler twin brothers are ready for their naps...and then Daniel goes home for his.

Rose called as I was finishing. Yes, we do need to sign the papers, but it's a lot more complicated than just signing. I need to name my beneficiaries, who will get the money if I pass away. It'll probably be her, Jessa, and Anny. Rose and Anny have children, and Jessa could certainly use the extra cash.

Worked on writing for a while after I got off with her. Malade taunts Bill Cullen, reminding him that he, Gene, and Bert Convy are the last of their kind. She killed the other wizards or turned them into part of her elite demon guard. Gene's ready to defend his friend, but Bill knows how to fight this menace...

Broke for a very quick lunch and Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour at quarter after 11. Caught a couple of familiar faces during the beginning of the Hollywood Squares segment, including Erin Moran of Happy Days, Fred Travalena and his 600 voices, Bob Eubanks two years before the Card Sharks revival, and a salty-as-ever Charles Nelson Reilly. Bob was just finishing his answer to a question when I dashed out.

Really, I needn't have rushed. The Acme was dead almost the entire afternoon. It got slightly steady around 1:30, and again during the evening rush hour, but I otherwise spent most of the day shelving candy and helping a teen cashier who just moved to the area with where things are in the store. Other than a bobble with putting in the store's online coupon program for a customer towards the end, there were no major problems. The weather was sunny, bright, and much drier than yesterday. It was just too nice for most people to be shopping.

Including me. I didn't need much in the way of groceries this week. Found bottled water and a box of oat bran on the clearance rack and a bag of Brownie Cookies (soft, fudgy chocolate cookies with chocolate chips) among the bags of cookies on the bakery manager's special shelves. Fished packs of breaded flounder out of the seafood section for dinner. Picked up a floppy turquoise binder on clearance I intend to use for my old time radio CDs. Restocked yogurt, blueberries, peaches, bananas, mushrooms, cereal (went with Kashi's Island Vanilla shredded wheat), and apple cider vinegar.

Match Game was half-way through its first 1974 episode when I got home. Alejandro Rey and Juliet Mills finish their week on the show with Brett walking out in protest to Jo Anne Worley's obscure answer to the Audience Match and she and Charles making jokes about their answers to what a lady bullfighter would shake at a bull. The next episode brought in Orson Bean and Betty White and introduced psychiatrist Dr. Joyce Brothers to the panel. Dr. Brothers got to witness Gene sleeping in his intro and Brett trying to be on her best behavior to avoid the doctor's couch.

Finished out the breaded flounder with a salad for dinner while watching Sale of the Century. No one really dominated the proceedings tonight...but the one man bought one Instant Bargain, won the Instant Cash, and just beat the ladies in the speed round. He won the bonus round money with time to spare.

Ended the night with Sinbad the Sailor from 1947 on the Watch TCM app.  Sinbad (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) tells the rousing story of his eighth voyage to a group of disbelieving adventurers. He and his friend Abbu (George Tobias) find the map that leads to the treasure of Alexander the Great on a ship whose crew died. He doesn't get to keep the ship for long after he sails to the nearest port. Local custom decrees that the ship must be put to auction. He manages to buy it, but nearly loses it to Shireen (Maureen O'Hara), the spirited head of the harem of the Emir of Daibul (Anthony Quinn). Shireen tells Sinbad that a mysterious and evil person named Jamal (Walter Sleazak) is also after the treasure. Sinbad passes himself off as the Prince of the unknown island of Darybar in order to grab Shireen, but the Emir tracks them down, imprisons his crew, and tries to steal the map. It'll take all of Sinbad's cunning and intelligence to convince the aged head of the island (Alan Napier) that he's the Prince...and even more to turn Jamal and the Emir against each other.

Delightful bit of Technicolor Arabian Knights tomfoolery is lifted by terrific performances by feisty O'Hara and energetic Fairbanks, who play off each other nicely. If you love other Arabian Nights tales and can get past the Arabic and Asian stereotypes and the fact that all of the actors are playing Arabs and Asians in bad makeup, you'll enjoy this seafaring swashbuckler.

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Around the World at Home

Began the morning with Farina and strawberries for breakfast and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures on Disney Now. Mickey and the gang hit Japan for their cherry blossom festival, but end up dealing with "Hanami Hijinks!" when a mischievous Japanese critter makes a mess of their picnic. Minnie and Daisy are "Happy Harajuku Helpers!" when they hit Tokyo's fashion district to take part in a big show there. The assistant of a leading Japanese fashion designer doesn't think she has a sense of style. Minnie loans her their Turnstyler gadget in order to bring out her colorful and crazy side...but she walks off with it, and the girls have to chase her through Tokyo to get it back.

Worked on writing for a few hours after the show ended. Malade has turned half the people in the ballroom into stone, but she doesn't realize there's more coming. Lee's friend Lady Dolly (Martin) demands to know where her own missing husband is, while Betty tries to get her frog friend back and Bill Cullen finally makes it up from the kitchen

Broke for a very quick lunch at quarter after 11. Winter and spring of 1984 brought a lot of theme weeks to Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, including one revolving around the sitcom Too Close For Comfort. Ted Knight, Nancy Dussault, their screen daughters Deborah Van Valkenburgh and Lydia Cornell, and wacky neighbor Jim J. Bullock had a lot of fun answering Gene's crazy questions. (The Too Close week makes me wish Knight turned up on the 70's-early 80's Match Game. Dussault appeared on a single week in 1974 that was one of the best from that year.)

Headed off to work as soon as I was dressed and packed. Work was busy for most of the day, much busier than it has been. Tuesday is Senior Discount Day at the Acme, and there's a lot of seniors who live in an senior-care apartment building two blocks from the mall. I really got flustered with a few orders, including one involving a check. Thankfully, it slowed down after the evening rush hour. My last customer grabbed a pack of chicken with no label and nearly made me late getting off; I got out just in time.

Went straight home after that. I wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else, even if things were normal. It may have been sunny, but it was also hot, hazy, and still horribly humid. Things were busy on Nicholson Road, too. Dodged the last of the evening rush hour and quite a fellow bikers and people walking home from work all the way down to Atlantic Avenue.

Put my bike in the garage, then went looking for my I Love a Mystery set. It was supposed to have been delivered today. The plastic package peeked out from behind one of the metal columns on the porch of the main house. The set consisted of all of the three existing or nearly-existing Mystery episodes, plus episodes of the short-lived lead-in to the revival I Love Adventure, a similar Carleton Morse-created serial Adventures by Morse, and a disc of 50's TV detective shows based after radio programs.

Ran Match Game as I changed and took out the trash. The current champ is just as thrilled as Jo Anne Worley when she helps her win money with her answer to "Blank Affair." Alejandro Rey is happier with the next challenger, a pretty woman from his native Buenos Aires who spoke his language fluently.

Had leftovers for dinner while watching Sale of the Century. Three new challengers bought bargains today. The one guy got left in the dust by the two ladies, who battled it out for most of the episode. The Asian woman pulled ahead in the speed round and won a sauna, but she didn't have much luck in the bonus round.

Jodie called while Century was on. She called me earlier while I was at work. Apparently, it was Taco Tuesday, and she was in a Mexican mood. As it turned out, she changed her mind and went elsewhere for dinner. She once again assured me that she intends to do nothing with the house until after the New Year, or even after that, and that she doesn't think me going back to Cape May County is a good idea, either.

Finished the night after a shower with In Caliente on TCM's app. I go further into this romantic comedy vehicle for spicy Mexican actress Dolores Del Rio with Busby Berkeley choreography at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

In Caliente

Monday, August 24, 2020

Where to Go Next

My eyes had scarcely opened when my cell phone rang. Mom called. I've been meaning to call her and thank her for the masks, anyway. She said for me to consider all my options, but what she really meant was "move back to Cape May County. It's safer." Not any safer than here. I can't really talk to her, either. I've never known what to say to her or Rose. I love them, but I've spent most of my life caught between their arguments and opinions.

Called Rose after I got off with Mom. I agreed with her about putting the money into two accounts I can take small amounts out of. I got annoyed with her when she started talking about me getting a credit card. What do I need a credit card for? It's just another bill I don't want. She said I was interrupting her. I didn't realize I was. I just wanted to explain my feelings. I guess I should have waited. I really don't know how to talk to people. She got off before we could arrange to sign those papers.

Didn't make my blueberry pancakes until almost 11. Had them while watching one of the new Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood episodes. Dan and his friends are talked through "The Fire Drill" at school by Teacher Harriet. After they get out of the building, volunteer fire fighters Doctor Anna and Music Man Stan tell the kids when they can return and how to stay safe during a fire. "Daniel and Mom Go to the Market" after she has to clean up broken glass. Dan gets lost in the store, but he knows to ask stock boy Prince Tuesday for help. He makes sure Daniel listens for his worried mother and gets back to her.

Switched to Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That as I cleaned up from breakfast. Sally and Nick decide that they want to be like their parents "When I Grow Up." Not all animals look like their parents when they're older, though. The Cat takes the kids to meet Puggle, a strange-looking billed, web-footed mammal. The kids try to figure out what she'll grow up to be. Sally is frustrated she lost her class guinea pig and can't find him. The Cat introduces the kids to an ostrich that runs instead of flies, an ocelot who loves to swim, and a mudskipper fish who finds food on land to show them how "Doing Things Differently" may help them find Sally's pet.

Headed out shortly after The Cat In the Hat ended. Waved to Jodie and her friend Margaret on the porch. Jodie mentioned two boxes had arrived for me. One was very big - the trash can arrived! The second was much smaller. It was The Wings of Eagles, the paperback I bought last week. It was delayed slightly from yesterday to today. I put Wings on the to-read pile and decided to leave the trash can for later.

Finally did make it out around 12:30. I hadn't hit the shopping center behind the Acme in a while. Ross and Marshalls are next-door to each other back there, along with Five Below and Goodwill. The department stores were very good to me. Got a shower caddy from Ross to replace the one I've had since college. Found another very soft, if slightly more pebbly, gray bath rug and a Swifter-style dust mop with a gray-printed handle at Marshalls. Dug through the back-to-school bins at Five Below and came up with a box of glittery mechanical pencils, along with a birthday card for my nephew Skylar (his birthday was at the end of July, but I was broke then) and a Zagnut bar. Picked up two short-sleeved blouses (one on sale), the CD version of Manheim Steamroller's Christmas In the Aire (replacing a cassette copy I've had for ages), and a CD collection of summer-themed light rock and instrumental pieces at Goodwill.

The rides to and from Audubon Crossings was hot and sticky. While it was sunny, it was also hot as heck and killer humid. Surprisingly, it was also fairly busy. Ross and Marshalls' weren't bad, but Goodwill and Five Below were crawling with people looking for back-to-school deals. Dodged a bit of traffic on Nicholson Road going home, too.

Put on Tattletales when I got in as I put the trash can (which was smaller than I expected) under the sink and organized everything else. I caught the Tattletales episode a couple of months ago. Gary Crosby and his then-wife Barbara easily beat songwriter Sammy Cahn and his wife Tita and comedian Milt Kamen and his wife Margot. Press Your Luck started off well, with no one hitting any Whammies in the first round and everyone getting something. That ended in the second round, when the two male contestants got slammed with Whammies. The one woman hit no Whammies and picked up a diamond pendant, a cruise to the Bahamas, and a bicycle.

Went into writing after the show ended. Charles is horrified when his former student Gary (Burghoff) is turned to stone right before his eyes...and worse, Malade finds his hiding place with Brett and Betty. She once again threatens Betty's frog friend, and threatens to take the fairies' powers, too.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Sweet Brit Juliet Mills and stoic South American Alejandro Rey joined in for hi-jinks on Match Game involving what Maxwell Smart dresses as on the farm (including Gene and Richard's dueling Don Adams imitations). The woman champ finally finished her run on Sale of the Century. She was behind the other woman for the first half of the show, but picked up in the second half and won the speed round by a mile. Couldn't get the car in the bonus round, though.

Spent the next half-hour at the living room table, listening to my Hooked on Swing LP and writing all the pros and cons of renting a house and an apartment and owning a house. I thought I wanted the responsibility of owning something, but now I'm not sure. Doing anything in New Jersey is expensive, but the pandemic makes it hard to move out of state. And I have no desire to return to Cape May County. That would be a backwards step, and I'd lose everything I have here, the closeness to public transportation and work. I don't want to live with Mom, either.

I was letting off steam about Mom and Rose and crashing around the bathroom when Jodie came in to see if I was ok. I was more ok than she was. She's understandably still choked up about Dad's death. She really did love him. She repeated what she said about not putting the house on the market until after the New Year. (Knowing her, it'll probably be well into spring - or even summer - before it goes on the market.) We talked, and I allowed her to get off her own steam and grieve for Dad. It felt good to be the one counseling someone else for a change!

Finished the night on Hulu with ThunderCats. In honor of the new version currently running on Cartoon Network, Hulu now has the original 1986 show and its 2011 remake. I went with the first two episodes of the 1986 original. "Exodus" introduces us to the ThunderCats, a race of cat-human creatures who escaped their planet just before its destruction and are now looking for a new home. Young Lion-O is the designated head of the ThunderCats, but he's still a kid. After their ship is damaged by an invasion of mutant creatures, his elderly mentor Jaga gives his life to pilot their ship to Third Earth. Lion-O grows into manhood during suspended animation, but he has a lot to learn about being a man, as he discovers when the Mutants attack again.

The Mutants form "The Unholy Alliance" with Mumm-Ra, a shape-shifting demon in ragged bandages who badly wants Lion-O's Sword of Omens. Lion-O may now be a man in body, but he's still a boy in mind and heart. He impetuously goes off alone, only to regret it when Mumm-Ra attacks and he gets tar stuck on the Sword of Omens.

Rose and I loved this show when we were kids. It was a long-time favorite of ours. We loved the unusual villains and surprisingly serious stories for an 80's fantasy action show. I think the corresponding toy line may have been expensive at the time. The only ThunderCats figures we had were Lion-O and Mutant Vulture Man, and they belonged to me. We used to use Lion-O as a love interest for our She-Ra dolls and Vulture Man as a lackey to more interesting villains like Emperor Palpatine.

I don't know about the figures, but the show is sort of corny now, with it's over-serious plots, bad dialogue, and colorful-but-stiff animation. It's fun for fans of He-Man or similar shows, but those looking for better writing or animation might want to skip ahead to the 2011 and 2019 versions.

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Where I Belong

Started off a cloudy, humid morning with breakfast and the last half-hour of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Didn't really have the time for pancakes, so I just had cereal and strawberries. To my frustration, the Coconut-Caramel No-Bake Cookies didn't set and fell apart when I pulled them off. They're more like coconut-caramel granola. I think I added way too much milk.

Left for work shortly after the movie ended. Work wasn't too bad when I got in, but it picked up and was on-and-off steady for most of the afternoon. There were times I just couldn't get things right, but most people seemed to take it pretty well. I managed to get out without too much trouble.

Part of the reason we slowed down so quickly was the weather. It was cloudy and humid when I rode to work this morning. By the time I was on break, it had started pouring. Thankfully, the rain had slowed to spitting by the time I headed out. The showers just started again as I made it home.

Changed and went online when I got in. I'd been on the computer for about an hour or so when Rose called. She wanted to know when I could get together with her to sign those papers about my inheritance from Dad. I suggested my days off, then told her about wanting a house.

She told me the same thing Lauren said the other night. Owning a house is a lot of work. There's a lot of bills to pay for, and a lot of taxes, and it requires upkeep I'm not sure I could do on my own.

I just...I don't know what I want. I spent an hour and a half trying to explain that to Rose. I thought I wanted a house. I want a place where I can write in peace and quiet with no more dealing with landlords and anyone's rules besides my own. I just can't talk to her. When she asks me questions, I go blank and don't know what to say. I feel bad about not doing better with finding jobs, too. I should have pushed for a better job ages ago. Every time I think I've found something, it's not right, or I'm not sure I can do it, or I get nervous and realize what a stupid idea it is. Rose says I should ask for help, but I feel bad about not doing better about being independent.

I'm so scared. Where will I go after Jodie puts the main house on the market in January? I'm not going back to Cape May, like Rose seems convinced I should. I lived there for 24 years. I don't want to live there again. I don't belong there. Trouble is, I can't afford to live here, either. Where can I go? What's the right place for me? Where do I belong? I have no clue.

I finally told her around 6:30 that we could call tomorrow to try to figure out when to sign those papers. She just let me off. I still felt horrible. I never even got to writing. Made scrambled eggs with black bean dip, spinach, and cheese just to have something for dinner. I wasn't really that hungry.

Listened to my British Desert Song Angel record. I desperately needed a shot of "Romance." Pierre Birabeau is the son of a French general in North Morocco in the mid-1920's. He's branded a spineless coward and dandy after he refuses to attack a remote outpost. Spirited Margot Bonvalet doesn't think much of him, and her fiancee Captain Paul Fontaine thinks even less. Pierre is in reality the Red Shadow, who leads the Riffs against the French in North Africa. Reporter Benny Kidd  smells a story, but he's too busy trying to dodge Margot's amorous friend Susan to do a lot of investigating.

Yes, it's corny, but it's the kind of corny I love. There's some classic ballads here, including the title song and "Then You'll Know" for Pierre and Margot, "One Alone" for the Red Shadow, and "One Flower Grows Alone In Your Garden" for his lieutenant Sid El Kar. This recording also includes Bruce Forsyth singing two comedy numbers from the show that are almost never heard today, "It" and "One Good Boy Gone Wrong."

Finished the night online with Match Game PM at Buzzr before tonight's syndicated Match Game premiere at YouTube. These two episodes were enjoyable ones from 1980, after the show already went into syndication. The first pit a handsome Navy officer against an eager Middle Eastern woman. The lady didn't seem to grasp the matching concept that well, resulting in several jokes about bad answers. Brett and Rita Moreno happily flirted with an older nutritionist who taught exercise classes in Waikiki in the second.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

They Seek Him Here

Kicked off a sunny, hazy morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel and Prince Wednesday are making a backdrop for the school's beach party when "Prince Wednesday's Accident" results in him spilling yellow paint on himself and the floor. Teacher Harriett helps him clean up and reminds him that accidents happen. Music Man Stan is delighted to let Daniel and his daughter Miss Elaina play with his childhood kite, but "Daniel and Miss Elaina's Kite Accident" ends with it getting ripped in a bush. Stan finally helps the kids make a new one that'll really fly.

Switched to The Adventures of Paddington Bear at Hulu while getting ready for work. "Paddington Hits Out" when he's the caddy for grumpy Mr. Curry at the golf course. He does even better when he ends up having to replace him. "Ranger Paddington" is on the lookout for poachers who might want to steal his breakfast eggs, but an ostrich sends him on the track of actual poachers. "Paddington's Puzzle" is made from the painting Mr. Curry left on the sidewalk. When it turns out to be one of Mr. Curry's favorite paintings, Paddington tries to make amends.

Headed off to work shortly after the cartoon ended. The Acme got pretty busy around noon, but before and after that, it was the same on-and-off steady it's been all week. Maybe it's just as well. There were three carts loaded to the brims with candy that needed to be shelved. Shelved packs and plastic containers of gum that I could carry between customers.

Went straight home after work and into writing. Malade's stone spell has turned almost everyone into a statue, including Sir (Bert) Convy, Orson (Bean) the troll, Little Sarah (Kennedy) Riding Hood, and Gary (Burghoff) Scarlet. Charles, Brett, Betty, Richard, and Lee dodged the spell by hiding under a table...but they can't stay there forever....

Broke for leftovers for dinner at 6:30. Made Coconut-Caramel No-Bake Cookies and Poohberry Muffins (blueberry muffin recipe from The Winnie the Pooh Cookbook) while watching the 1982 British version of The Scarlet Pimpernel, my favorite movie retelling of my favorite novel.

French actress Margurite St. Just (Jane Seymour) marries Sir Percy Blakeny (Anthony Andrews), a handsome but seemingly foolish young British aristocrat, finding him to be fascinating under his foppish persona. He's really the Scarlet Pimpernel, the leader of a band of daring young Englishmen who rescued doomed French nobles from the guillotine. Paul Chauvelain (Ian McKellen), a spy for the Committee of Public Safety, has made it his personal goal to track down and eliminate this menace from across the English Channel. Margurite wishes her lazy husband would show half that man's daring and bravery...until she discovers his secret, and learns what her brother Armand (Malcom Jamieson) is up to in Paris. Now it's a race against time, as the Scarlet Pimpernel and his men try to rescue the little son of Marie Antoinette from his jailers, and Margurite tries to warn her husband of Chauvelain's treachery.

I can't believe this sumptuous film was made for British television. Seymour and Andrews make a wonderfully witty and charming couple, and McKellen has a great deal of fun as the villain determined to track "that damned elusive Pimpernel" down. The stunning, period-accurate costumes won an Emmy in 1982. Highly recommended if you're a fan of the Pimpernel novels too, or just love a good swashbuckler.

Finished the night online with Camp Rock. I go into further detail on this 2008 Disney Channel vehicle for Demi Lovato and The Jonas Brothers at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Camp Rock

Friday, August 21, 2020

Blue Dogs and Orange Tigers

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Waits With Dad" while he goes to the dentist. Dan wants to hit the library to get the new Tigey the Adventure Tiger book, but playing with his father and a stuffed dinosaur in the dentist's office helps pass the time. He has to pass the time with Jodie when there's a long line at the library. Daniel wants to go to the park, but Margaret's shoes are too small for her. Dan, his sister, and his mother have to wait while Prince Tuesday gets "Margaret's New Shoes."

Switched to Split Second after Daniel Tiger ended. The young man was slightly ahead the entire night. The Coundown Round came down to him and one of the women. He won by a question, and finally got the car outright. The sister pair beat the background singer on Blockbusters, and finally won the Gold Rush bonus round, too. They were playing a male college student when the show ended.

Switched to Muppet Babies as I got ready for work. It's "Meatball Mayhem" when the kids do everything they can to get rid of the Swedish Chef's terrible meatballs. When Bunsen Honeydew's latest invention turns the meatballs into a monster, the kids have to figure out how to make the creature more friendly. Bunsen is upset when Beaker is recruited by Piggy to join the kids' rock band. "Bunsen Honeydew, Show Stopper" does everything he can do delay the concert and bring his best friend back.

Got to work slightly late. Maybe it was just as well. Once again, we weren't busy. It got a little steady for a while, then would die out. No major problems the whole day.

I mainly work in the afternoon next week. Same days off, Monday and Thursday. Slightly more work hours will mean a great paycheck going into Labor Day Weekend.

Needed milk when I finished. I really like the coconut milk I've been buying these past few months. Tastes better than ordinary cow's milk, with a lot less salt. Dug a slightly dented box of cake flour and two cans of salt-free finely diced tomatoes out of a cart filled with clearance items.

Went straight home after that. Did some writing after that. The nobles and servants alike are turned to stone, but Brett, Charles, and Betty manage to avoid it under the remains of the dessert cart. Betty wants to retrieve her familiar frog friend, but it's hard when Malade's carrying him in a sack...

Broke for Chicken Therese (chicken breast with a sauce of onion, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, mustard, and chicken broth) and sauteed summer squash and tomatoes at 6:30. For some reason, Match Game skipped ahead a bit to the classic week featuring comedienne Kaye Ballard and Gene Rayburn's old boss from The Today's Show Steve Allen. Brett and Charles were more interested in teasing Fannie about her fox fur collar.

Heard a knock on my door as Sale of the Century started. To my surprise, Rose and Finley were on the other side of my door. They and Khai were visiting Jodie at her place and thought I might like to join them. Finley played with my fruit (and dropped a squishy plum) while I talked to her mother. She wants Jess and me to sign those papers sometime this week.

Finished eating while Sale of the Century was on. This time, the champion lady was clearly ahead the entire time. Though everyone got something, she killed everyone at the Speed Round...and this time, she won the Bonus Round with time to spare, too.

Knocked on Jodie's side of the house as soon as the show ended. Khai was playing games on his phone, while Finley watched her current favorite TV show, the sweet cartoon Bluey. Bluey is an blue heeler pup living with her parents and sister Bingo outside of Brisbane, Australia. Bluey's adventures are funny and pretty realistic for a show about talking dogs down under.

The pups' dad Bandit is frantically trying to get the kids to school on time in "Daddy Dropoff," but the kids have their own way of doing things. Bingo tosses her "Sticky Gecko" on the ceiling and insists her mother try to catch it, but Chilli is just trying to get her children out the door to the park. Khai likes "Army." Jack, a Jack Russell terrier who has a hard time remembering things and staying still, befriends Rusty, who helps him with his memory and directions by playing drill sergeant with him. The pups are shocked when their parents drop them off at their grandmother's house to get some alone time. They pretend they're trying to "Escape" and get their parents...and then their parents turn it around and chase them!

Finished the night with two earlier Bluey episodes at my place. Bluey is a doctor and Bingo a sympathetic nurse who play "Hospital" and pretend to get a cat out of their father's stomach. "The Adventure" reminds me of the stories my sisters and I made up when we played dress-up at home at Bluey and Chloe the Dalmatian's ages. They pretend to be a princess who must dodge an evil queen and find food for her own poor queen.

Thursday, August 20, 2020

I Love a Summer's Day

Kicked off a lovely morning with Split Second. The male champion had stiff competition from the two ladies, but he came on strong in the Countdown Round and just barely won. He missed the car by one board and opted to return for his last attempt at getting it.

Finally got to Farina and a plum for breakfast by the time Blockbusters was on. A gentleman played two ladies, who finally beat him in their third go-around. They didn't do nearly as well at the Gold Rush round, only getting three questions right. The second contestant was a very funny lady who claimed she was a backup singer in Hollywood and even performed a little bit of a song very well.

Headed out around quarter after 11 to hit the laundromat. This time, I chose the right time to do it. They were quiet as can be when I came in. Went to Family Dollar while the laundry was in the washer, but they had nothing I needed. Treated myself to an Oreo Most Stuff Smoothie. It was a vanilla smoothie with tons of chocolate syrup on the bottom and pieces of Oreo on top, topped with an Oreo cookie. Yum! It was really, really sweet, but I'm not going to quibble with a smoothie that comes with an Oreo cookie. 

Sat on the concrete barrier between houses outside to work on story notes while my clothes were in the dryer. Even with it being quiet, it was too nice to sit inside. While it was hot, likely in the mid-80's, it was also dry as a bone and clear as can be, without a hint of the humidity and haze that stifled South Jersey last month.

Two boxes awaited me on my front stoop when I got home. Most of my Amazon order had arrived! The smaller box held The Merry Rise of Skywalker, the final Shakespeare Star Wars spoof. I have the others for the original and sequel films and of course had get this, too. I'll read it later this weekend.

I was so excited to get my new vacuum cleaner! I love the current design of appliances. They're so rounded and cute. My Bissell vacuum is admittedly cheap plastic, but it's a slim design that works on small rugs and hardwood floors. It even worked on the narrow rag rug that my big old Dirt Devil would have sucked up easily. I'll buy a dust mop or Swifter for the hardwood floors eventually to pick up anything the Bissell misses, but for now, the Bissell worked very well. It was a lot quieter than the Dirt Devil, too. My only complaint is I wish the cord was longer, but this apartment isn't that big anyway. 

Watched Bitter Sweet while vacuuming and putting everything away. I go unto further details on this tragic Technicolor romance featuring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.


Went out again around 2:30. My original thought for lunch was The Square Meal on West Clinton, which specializes in healthy and organic food. Oddly, despite it being the middle of the afternoon, they weren't open. I wonder if they're gone? Most of the smaller restaurants are closed on Mondays, not Thursdays. 

Ended up taking a slice of cheese and a slice of tomato-basil-mozzarella pizza and a can of Pepsi from Phillies Phatties out to the sidewalks instead. I would have eaten at the picnic tables out there, even if things were normal. The only other person out there at this time of day was a kid noshing on a paper container of fries, but people started lining up for Phillies Yummies as I rode down West Clinton. 

I've been wanting to get over to the Target at Westmont for a while now. They're not big, but they suited my purposes. Thanks to back-to-school sales, they had plenty of dish pans and hangers for pictures and the calendar. My old dish pan was dirty and dingy, and I would have replaced it under any circumstances. The shampoo I use was slightly cheaper, too. The didn't have apple cider vinegar either, but I was able to get olive oil and blueberries. Like the Acme this week, they were steady, but not overwhelmingly busy. 

Didn't have luck anywhere else at Westmont Plaza. Jo Ann's is now gone, and despite what I heard, they weren't replaced by Michaels. Tuesday Morning is also closing. They have 4 days left, according to the sign on their windows. Looked it, too. Other than a few toys and bags of Frozen II Jelly Bellys and tins of cookies, they had nothing. Dollar Tree's windows were covered in black tarp. A sign said they just started remodeling and will be closed through late next month. 

Finally opted to go straight home. Went into writing as soon as I got in and put everything away. Did a lot of re-writing. Malade's fed up with just about everything and attacks the guests, turning almost everyone in the ballroom into stone statues. The princesses and Gene use their magic to deflect it and protect anyone who can't...but not everyone is so lucky...

Broke at 6:30 to hang the calendar and Linda's Home Sweet Home picture. Used the other hanger for the artwork of Princess Leia Linda and James sent me a few years ago. Leia went over the shelf with the Star Wars hardbacks and 12-inch dolls. The Mary Englebret calendar went in the hall, across from the front door. 

We had a bit of a Match Game/What's My Line? crossover today as Buzzr jumped back to earlier in 1974 and host Larry Blyden joined Kaye Stevens of the noisy laugh, bombshell Elaine Joyce, and the regulars for jokes about Christopher Columbus. Sale of the Century was a close race between all three contestants. In the end, the woman contestant made too many mistakes in the Speed Round, and the champ pulled ahead. She still didn't get that bonus round, though...

Watched Hart to Hart on The Roku Channel after writing my Bitter Sweet review. It's "A Question of Innocence" during the first season when the funny older woman who runs Johnathan Hart's favorite newsstand comes to him for money. Turns out she's being blackmailed by a member of her late grandson's fencing team, who saw her kill the professor that provided the young man with the drugs that killed him. The youth wants to stiff her for more money. Johnathan and Jennifer talk to a college girl and the owner of the professor's house and find out who the real murderer was.

Finished the night on YouTube with an old-time radio show I've wanted to hear for years. I Love a Mystery is the atmospheric tales of a trio of unusual private eyes - stoic Midwesterner Jack, girl-crazy Texan Doc, and cultured Brit Reggie - who get involved in some of the wildest adventures this side of Indiana Jones. The show was so popular, there were two different runs; the few episodes that exist today mainly come from the second run in the early 50's. 

I listened to "The Thing That Cries In the Night" from the later Mutual run. In this tense old dark house mystery about an elderly woman who wants the guys to find out who is trying to kill off her comely but difficult granddaughters, Jack was played by Jim Bannon, Doc by Jim Boles, and Reggie by a very young Tony Randall. It wasn't one of the more action-packed stories, but it was an enjoyable mystery, though Jack solved everything way before I (or his partners) did.

Here's "The Thing That Cried In the Night" in full on YouTube. I loved it so much, I ordered a set featuring the existing episodes, plus other adventure stories by the show's creator Carleton Morse, from Amazon. 

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Comedy Tonight

Began the morning with breakfast and the second half of What's My Line. I came in as they chatted with a woman who performed in an automobile show. She and another woman hung off the end of cars that dragged them along. (It looked painful on the rear.) The Mystery Guest was in the middle of the show today, instead of the end; Sherrye easily guessed it was Patty Duke. I suspect the Mystery Guest was in the middle because the last guest was a man who sold Santa Claus suits. Once Anne Francis guessed what he did, everyone donned a Santa Claus suit, ending what I suspect was the show's Christmas episode.

Once again, I headed online as Sale of the Century began. Wanted to do at least a little writing before I went to work. Gene has a "secret weapon" - the Palace is surrounded. Della and Nipsey arrive with reinforcements from Columbia Eye, and Patti's mer-folk are in Andersen Bay. Malade reminds them that she holds the bag - namely, the bag with the frog who befriended Betty (White) and seems very familiar to her...

Dashed off to work about ten minutes after I shut off the computer. Just barely made it on time. As it turned out, once again, we were quiet for most of the afternoon. A light shower as I headed to work may have scared a lot of people off early-on. By the time the rain ended, it was later in the day, and most people were at work. I did have some very annoying customers towards the end who almost made me late, but other than that, there were no real problems.

Had a lot of grocery shopping I needed to do. Unfortunately, the Acme was out of stock on apple cider vinegar and low-salt diced tomatoes. I'll see if I can get them when I'm out and about tomorrow.

Did better with other sales. Bryers products are buy one, get one. I went with easier-to-carry Talenti. Chicken's on a big 40 percent off sale. Grabbed two inexpensive packs of breasts that were among the few packs they had left. Had an online coupon from the reward program for free 18-count eggs. The Acme's having their big dollar vegetable sale. I picked up spinach and grape tomatoes. Found a book about a girl who controls a wardrobe of magical dresses in the bargain books bin; got a fifty-cent notebook from the back-to-school sales. Restocked yeast, sandwich bags, parchment paper, canned black beans, whole wheat flour, chocolate chips, and yogurt.

Caught a little bit of Match Game when I got in. Anson Williams of Happy Days made his first appearance on the show in 1974, in an episode where an answer of Tinkerbell prompted jokes from Brett and Charles. Made scrambled eggs with cheese, tomatoes, and spinach as I watched Sale of the Century. The champ had some competition from the other woman early on, but then she hit a two number cards on the Fame Game board and jumped way ahead and once again blew them away in the Speed Round. Still no luck with the Bonus Round...though

Finished the night with a couple of sitcom episodes. Did The Patty Duke Show while cleaning up the dishes. "The Con Artist" sells Cathy a vacuum that costs way more than she can afford. Patty tries to get her out of it, and only ends up buying more attachments. The girls try to offload the vacuum, using the tactics the fellow used on them, only to learn from Patty's dad that the man is part of a counterfeit group selling phony vacuums and now he thinks they're members of the gang.

Moved onto MASH on Hulu after my shower. "The General Flipped at Dawn" is the first episode of the third season. Henry Blake is worried that the new general (Henry Morgan, a year before he became  General Potter) will crack down on them. Frankly, the general turns out to be just plain cracked. He tries to court-martial Hawkeye and threatens to move them closer to the front.

The Golden Girls help their local police out in the Season 2 episode "To Catch a Neighbor." Their new neighbors are jewel thieves whom the police are hoping to trap. Sophia is hoping to push Dorothy towards the older officer (Joseph Campanella), while Blanche flirts with the younger (George Clooney).

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Golden Days of Summer

Began the morning with breakfast and What's My Line? I came in just as the panel learned about the man who created a skiing speedometer. They didn't have as much luck figuring out that the female contestant was not only a roofer, but a foreman as well. They did much better with the Mystery Guest. Soupy Sales caught on that it was Frank Gifford, who was then best known as a sportscaster. I knew him as the husband of Kathie Lee Gifford whom she often spoke of during my late childhood and teen years.

Didn't have the chance to finish the morning Sale of the Century episode. Now that my security deposit check went through, I could finally pay off the last of my bills from the Manor Avenue apartment. The bills for Comcast and PS&G were way higher than I expected them to be; frankly, I'm glad to be done with both. (When I get internet again after I move, I may stay with Verizon and deal with their frequent outages. Comcast is expensive, and their modems are cumbersome and clunky.) On the other hand, my bill from Cooper Orthopedics was a lot less than I expected, probably just the co-pay from my last appointment.

After that, I was able to hit Amazon for a little shopping. The big thing I wanted there was a vacuum cleaner. My old red Dirt Devil was cheap, noisy, too big for this small apartment, and really made to clean carpets, not rugs and wood floors. The slim bright blue Bissell I picked up was admittedly only 30 dollars, but it was top-ranked and could be pulled apart and used as a hand-held vacuum, too. That might work well to clean up dirt and dust from the futon and the cushions on the kitchen chairs.

Also grabbed two books. The newest Star Wars Shakespeare spoof, The Merry Rise of Skywalker, just came out a few weeks ago. I had to have it. (I'll go back and see if I can pick up the prequel Shakespeare spoofs at Christmas.) Wings of the Pirate looks like an intriguing Indiana Jones-style adventure, just the kind of thing I love.

Dashed off to work shortly after getting off the laptop. The rush turned out to be unnecessary. It was too lovely of a day for the Acme to be busy. We were on-and-off steady all day. I worked on story notes during the downtime. Other than a few annoying customers, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.

It wasn't even busy on Nicholson Road when I got out. Everyone must have been down at the Shore or swimming in their backyard pools. I encountered no traffic whatsoever, not even around the mall entrance. No wonder no one was around. The weather was lovely, hot and slightly humid, but not nearly as bad as last month, and clear as a bell.

Went straight into writing when I got home. Malade doesn't appreciate Brett healing Charles' burned back and reveals she has Queen Betty (White)'s frog friend in a burlap sack. She'll hurt him if the others don't do what she wants...but Betty and Brett are tired of listening to her...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Ate leftovers while watching one of the wildest Match Game episodes of 1974. McLean Stevenson kicked off the episode by showing up in the contestant's seat. Towards the end of the episode, after Richard helped the contestant won money, McLean chased Gene behind the audience and around the studio!

Sale of the Century got just as wild. Everyone ended up with something. The one male contestant got a trip to Las Vegas and finally won the 16,000 Instant Cash, but the champ came on strong in the Speed Round and emerged victorious. She still didn't have much luck with the bonus round, though.

Finished out the night online with The Student Prince. I go further into this bittersweet operetta romance at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Student Prince

Monday, August 17, 2020

Doing Things a Different Way

Slept in this morning and didn't roll out of bed until nearly 10:30. Blockbusters was on by the time I had breakfast. The father-daughter pair took on a young woman. They played off each other nicely and won a game apiece, but the pair finally won the tiebreaker just as the episode ended.

Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while cleaning up from eating. "Daniel's Substitute Teacher" is a brand-new episode. Daniel and his friends are initially upset when a cheerful male teacher comes in for an ailing Teacher Harriet on the day of their big springtime choir program. They start to warm up to him when he does a round robin for Storytime and lets them eat outside. His dances for the show prove to be an equally big hit with kids and parents alike.

Finished the dishes while The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That was on. Sally loves her fancy silk princess dress she's donned for "Dress Up Day" and is horrified when it's torn and her mother has no silk thread. The Cat takes them to get silk from a friend of his who is a thread-producing silk worm. When the kids get muddy, The Cat whisks them off to the savanna to show how lions, hippos, and sparrows keep clean and have their "Bathtime."

Spent the next few hours online and on the phone. First, I looked for the USB stick with my lists of goals and things I want to do. Unfortunately, most USB sticks don't have labels. It took me several tries to find it.

The big thing right now is...as soon as I can afford it, I want a house. A real house. Just a small, one-room cottage, nothing fancy. I'm tired of living in apartments and dealing with landlords, even ones I know. I'm not a young adult anymore. I'm 41, and it's time I started living like a 41-year-old. I'd also like to look beyond New Jersey once the pandemic subsides long enough to allow for travel. New Jersey may be where I grew up, but it's also overpriced and overcrowded.

There's still a lot that I need to get rid of, upgrade, and replace here, too. Been meaning to paint the two black shelves that are now in the hallway a more cheerful color for years. The black looks so gloomy, especially in the dark hall. Need a bed frame, a dish pan, and a vacuum. The dresser and kitchen table and chairs are cheap, rickety Walmart furniture and are starting to fall apart. The TV, Roku, and printer all need to be upgraded. Plus, I need clothes, blouses and snow boots and a summer purse and winter dress.

Called PNC Bank after I made my list. The check still hadn't gone through! Of course, it wouldn't go through until Tuesday. I thought the next business day was today. No, apparently deposits on Saturday count as Monday deposits and don't turn up in your account until the day after.

Not only that, but they hadn't taken the overdraft fee off, either. I talked the lady into removing it - they made the mistake, not me - but they said they wouldn't be doing it again. I just care that they did it now. It's not like I did it on purpose!

Had a very quick lunch while watching Password Plus. Nancy Lane of Rhoda and goofy Sha-Na-Na singer Jon "Bowzer" Bauman guided two previous champions through several tough puzzles. Bowzer and his contestant just barely made it to the Alphabetics bonus round...which they then missed by one word.

Headed out even before the episode was over. I had enough money to buy at least a few things. CVS had nothing I needed. They were out of most of the smaller dishwashing liquid bottles, and I couldn't even find the hand soap. Besides, everything is so expensive there. Did much better at Dollar General, where I picked up the dish washing liquid, hand soap, and ant spray. I've had trouble with ants since I moved in. They're everywhere! They had an odorless spray that said it would get rid of the ants for 7 months...by which time we'll be in winter and they'll all be dormant anyway.

Besides, I'm tired of sitting around inside. It was such a nice day, I had to get out, if only for an hour or so. While it remained a bit humid, the temperatures were down to a far more normal lower 80's. I saw a couple of folks working on their gardens, and some kids out on bikes.

Tattletales was on when I got in. It was an episode I'd seen before, with shy Julie London and her equally quiet songwriter husband Bobby Troupe coming out the big winners. Sprayed around the baseboards and outside around the side of the house as best I could while Press Your Luck ran. The Whammies once again slammed the contestants, knocking the champ out early in the second round. It came down to the woman and the other man; the guy finally hit a Hawaiian vacation and golf clubs in quick succession that won him the game.

(Spraying seems to have done the trick. I've seen two ants since then, and none tonight.)

Worked on writing after the show ended. Charles is able to give Brett her energy back and restore her to her normal cranky, witty self. She's able to do the same for him when she sees his burned back and uses her powers of nature to heal him. Her stepmother's not happy about being ignored, though...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Tonight's Match Game episode was one of the wilder ones of 1974. McLean Stevenson got so carried away celebrating a contestant's big Head-to-Head win, he kissed everyone around him...including Gene and Richard! Sale of the Century was a real nail-biter this evening. Both of the women bought something, and no one was too far ahead the entire game. Friday's champ just barely pulled ahead in the speed round. She didn't do nearly as well with the bonus round, though.

Returned to PBS Kids for the Daniel Tiger special Won't You Sing Along With Me? that was created to help kids and families deal with the pandemic. Poor Dan is confused and upset when the town carnival is canceled, he can't invite his friends over, and his father is working at home and can't play with him. Songs from other episodes with on-screen sing-along lyrics show him that it's ok to feel confused, frustrated, and upset right now. Everyone else is, too, including adults.

(And I really wish they'd done more with this special. I would have liked to have seen how the other families in the Neighborhood dealt with the pandemic; this seemed kind of thrown-together, especially given the pandemic has been raging in North America since at least March.)

Finished the night online after a shower with a second-season episode of Charlie's Angels on Crackle. The girls join a "Circus of Terror" to find out who's behind the accidents that threaten to shut it down. Sabrina falls for the handsome son of the owner (James Darren) and enjoys working as the assistant to the show's clown. Kris is less happy about being an assistant to the mysterious knife-thrower. Kelly passes herself off as a motorcycle stunt rider, while Bosley is pursued by a very tiny lady with a big interest in him. After someone tries to burn their tent with them in it, the girls realize they're getting close...but it'll take some research from Charlie to reveal who really wants the circus to close and why.

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Look For a Sky of Blue

Started off a rainy, gloomy morning with buttermilk pancakes, cantaloupe slices, and my Varase Sarabande Cinderella CD. This is a collection of songs from various musical versions of the famous fairy tale, from Into the Woods to the Rogers and Hammerstein TV incarnation to the animated Disney movie. There's some more obscure material from England as well. "Spread a Little Happiness" is a charming cheer-up ditty from the British 20's hit Mr. Cinders, featuring a male Cinderella. "Raise a Ruckus" apparently comes from the southeastern-US-set Cindy-Ella. Research reveals the score mostly featured African-American spirituals. This delightful roof-raiser was one of the few originals.

As soon as I finished breakfast, I dashed out to work. Rain continued to fall, but it wasn't heavy, and I arrived damp but not soaked. That was the worst that happened all day. The crowds were off-and-on steady, likely trying to avoid the rain. Once the rain stopped, the crowds started coming in. Once again, I was in and out with no trouble. One of the managers even said she'd talk to the head managers about getting me extra money for the day of and the day after Dad died, though we won't be having the actual funeral until next year.

Headed straight home after work. Surprisingly, despite the Acme being busy, Nicholson Road wasn't. There were some stragglers around the shopping center entrance and the Hispanic church. Otherwise, it was clear sailing all the way over the bridge and down to Hillcrest. It remained cloudy, cool, and humid, but the rain was long gone at that point. It wasn't even really wet.

Went straight into writing when I got home. Charles ignores the terrible burns on his back to let Brett drink her energy. It covers her, eventually restoring her and giving her the energy to stand up to her stepmother. There's her friend to thank for saving her, too...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made Parmesan eggplant and yellow squash to go with my last chicken leg. Listened to my double CD of The Desert Song and New Moon while I ate. These are both truncated versions made for Decca in the 1940's. I prefer The Desert Song, with Kitty Carisle and Wilbur Evens doing an enjoyable "Romance," "Then You Will Know," and "One Alone," to the so-so New Moon.

It was cool enough to bake again. The last farm market apple was starting to go bad, so I used it and one Acme apple to make Apples Rolled In Autumn (Apple-Spice-Oatmeal) Cookies from that one-bowl cookie cookbook Lauren sent me a few years ago. Stuck with operetta, this time going with the off-Broadway satire Little Mary Sunshine. Mary (Eileen Brennan) is the owner and operator of a lodge in Colorado that houses a group of finishing-school girls and a band of forest rangers who are after a thieving Indian. While Mary's maid Nancy chases the guy, Mary pines for her handsome head of the rangers...but their quarry is closer at hand than they think...

If you know anything about operetta and other types of musicals from the first thirty or so years of the 20th century, you'll get a big kick out of this. The ladies' numbers are especially fun; Nancy gets the adorable duet "Once In a Blue Moon" with her doubtful sweetheart, and she sings about "Mata Hari" to cheer up the other women while they await their swains. Brennan makes fun of wistful Cinderella heroines with "Look For a Sky of Blue" and joins her Ranger for a "Colorado Love Call" and a retired opera singer for "Every Little Nothing."

Finished the night online with the Flyers-Canadiens game live in Toronto. The Flyers scored early in the first half...which was the last time anyone scored anything. They'd get so close, only to just miss the net or have it pushed away. In the end, that one point was enough to win. They're now 2 - 1 over the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Alas, they play in the afternoon tomorrow. I was hoping to run errands once my check cleared.

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Had a Bad Day

Had early work today; got up with just enough time for breakfast and cartoons. Got through one short in The Adventures of Paddington Bear before the Roku reset on me for some reason. Paddington makes "A Visit to the Bank" after he learns the bank was robbed and he wants to take his money out. The police think he's the thief, but the five pound note he wants back - and the marmalade smeared on it - inadvertently help them catch the real robbers.

Didn't have enough time to finish Paddington before work, so I settled on a Looney Tune short from the Classic Cartoons TV app. Bugs wants to deliver a "Rabbit Punch" to the obnoxious champ The Crusher in the ring. Crusher, however, is three times his size. It may take a lot more than even Bugs' ingenuity to keep him from getting smashed to atoms.

Work is about the only thing that actually went well today. It was on-and-off steady, not overwhelmingly busy - especially later - but not dead, either. There were no problems whatsoever, and I was in and out.

Called PNC Bank during my break. The man who answered the phone eventually said the check was cashed on the 3rd and it was too late for them to do anything. I'd have to call Customer Service when I got home.

Which I did, after I took the long way down a busy Nicholson home and got dressed. Thankfully, Customer Service picked up after a few minutes. They fully admitted that the mistake was on their part, and that they would be able to fix it...but it wouldn't go through until Wednesday.

Watched Match Game while eating a quick snack before heading out. I wanted to deposit the check from Willa and get money for the laundry. Deposited the check easily...but I really should have cashed the check, then deposited the money. I couldn't take any money out of my account until Monday!

I was livid. I desperately needed to do the laundry. I had two dollars, but I needed two more. Got lucky that Jodie spent the day cleaning at home and had a jar full of change, including lots of quarters. I borrowed the remaining two from her, then dashed out.

Should have dug up the money earlier in the week. The laundromat was crowded when I arrived. This did allow me to borrow detergent from a sweet college student doing her laundry, but it also meant I was sitting outside again to avoid people. It rained slightly on the way there and when I first arrived, but it returned to just being cloudy, cool, and incredibly humid shortly after, and to my knowledge remained that way for the rest of the day.

Went straight into a little writing after I finally got home and put everything away or hung it up to dry. Gary, Sarah, and Orson wait as Charles stumbles over with Brett's magic. Gary even put his scarlet cloak under her head. Charles hopes that her magic will be able to restore his friend...

I was so worn out, it was past quarter after 7 before I broke for dinner. Watched episodes of Muppet Babies while eating leftovers and a crab cake. Piggy is jealous when the Muppets like new nursery resident The Swedish Chef's cookies more than hers. She insists on holding "The Great Muppet Cook-Off" to find out whose baking is best. Piggy learns how important directions are when she refuses to follow recipes and her creations end up being less-than-fabulous. Noisy Animal has to learn how to slow down when he catches an egg that fell from its nest. "Animal and the Egg" have to figure out how to get it back without breaking it.

Had dessert as I switched to "Starship Piggy." When the other kids admire Kermit's model of a rocket ship more than Piggy's hand-drawn picture, Piggy takes credit for the model. She can't figure out how to work the ship, which turns into a big problem when the kids have to dodge Meatball Meteors and avoid the (literal) Vacuum of Space! Animal loves "My Buddy," his favorite stuffed bunny. He lets Fozzie borrow Buddy once to feel better...but isn't thrilled when Fozzie keeps borrowing and borrowing his toy.

Finished the night with The Thief and the Cobbler on YouTube. I go further into the theatrically-released Miramax cut of this long-in-production, much-maligned animated film at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Thief and the Cobbler (Arabian Knight)

Friday, August 14, 2020

Blues In Late Summer

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Makes a Mistake" when he accidentally knocks the basket of small items he and Miss Elaina were inspecting off the table. Katarina is equally upset when she splashes pink paint on her piggy picture. The kids figure out how to fix their mistakes and learn from them. I know a bit about "Baking Mistakes." Baker Aker, Daniel, and Prince Wednesday make their share while making trolley-shaped sugar cookies. Baker Aker teaches them how their mistakes may make the cookies even better.

Speaking of mistakes, I called the PNC Bank in Collingswood as soon as I finished breakfast. They made a big mistake with that check I gave Jodie for the rent. They said they'd call back by noon, but I still haven't heard from them. I'll call them again tomorrow morning before I go to work. Haven't heard from Disability, either. I really need to get my last payment from them.

Managed to get some writing in before I headed off. Charles is hurting so badly, the others pick up his song. He stumbles over to Malade and knows what he has to do. He puts up a hand and lets Brett's energy flow into his cupped hands. Now he can give it back to his good friend.

Left for work quickly around 11:30. The first half of work was a lot busier than it has been. There were tons of big orders and people trying to shop before the rain returns over the weekend. Everyone cleared out by 3:30. I guess they all left work early for the Shore. It did pick up again, but not until I was nearly finished. I was slightly late getting out after helping a lady and her children with a large order.

My schedule next week isn't all that different from this week's. Slightly more hours, all late morning-afternoon, same days off. Fine by me. I only have writing and job-hunting planned for next week anyway. Not only is there more rain in the forecast, but I don't do a lot of running around in August at normal times. Not to mention, my elbow is still healing. I probably shouldn't be doing a lot of running around.

Took the long way home again. The traffic wasn't quite as bad this time. Dodged a little around the entrance to the shopping center. Otherwise, even Nicholson was fairly quiet. I got off at 6. Everyone must have been at home, eating dinner. The greenery is still gorgeous, thick and jungle-like around the train bridge into Oaklyn. Huge leaves wave in the breeze; the gardens sport late summer roses, rainbows of geraniums, and dainty columbines.

As soon as I changed, I put on Match Game and had leftovers for dinner. In a 1974 episode, Gene tried to explain a joke about what Tom Thumb uses as an inner tube to the panel. Marcia Wallace seems to be the only one he got through to.

The champion on Sale of the Century did buy a set of beautiful leather chairs and finally took a crack at the Instant Cash, but she otherwise didn't dominate this game like she had previously. In fact, no one dominated the game, including the one man who was another champ brought back after a technical mishap. They were both unseated by the other woman, who handily won the speed round and got the money on the bonus round with time to spare.

Jodie texted me and asked to see me earlier in the day. I didn't have the chance to get over there until almost 8:30. She had a lot of mail for me. Along with bills and more hand-made masks from Mom, there was a check for the money from Manor Avenue apartment security deposit and a surprisingly sweet letter from Willa. Evidently, she too approved of how well I cleaned the apartment. Considering all the trouble we had with her, I appreciate her note.

Finished the night on The Roku Channel with more Charlie's Angels. Went with "Angels on Campus" from the fourth season. When two co-eds from Tiffany's old sorority go missing, Tiffany rejoins Kappa Omega Psi as a big sister, while Kris claims to be a reporter and Bosley flirts with the librarian. A handsome professor (Gary Collins) is turning all of his female students' heads, but Tiffany suspects the fact that both of the missing girls came from his class may not be coincidental.

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Summer Showers

Began the morning with Split Second as I got dressed. The woman champion finally met her match in a young doctor. They were tied at the end of the regular round, but he came on strong during the Countdown Round and ended up winning. He too missed the car and wanted to return.

By the time I sat down with my Farina and apple, Buzzr had moved on to Blockbusters. It was a back-and-forth battle between a father-daughter pair and an unemployed airline pilot. The father and daughter won the first round, only to see the pilot sweep the next. They were on the tie breaker round when the show ended.

Spent the next hour and a half crocheting and watching Carefree. I go into more detail on this 1938 screwball comedy featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Carefree

Switched to the original 1980's My Little Pony while making a Blueberry-Plum Smoothie for lunch. The Sea Ponies bring back "The Magic Coins" in a chest while the Ponies are on a picnic. They're delighted to discover that the coins can grant wishes, until Baby Lickety-Split thoughtlessly wishes it would never rain again and spoil their outings. Now there's a terrible drought in Ponyland that threatens to destroy it, unless Meghan and the ponies can figure out what the grouchy ogre who owns the coins really wants.

It wasn't until I'd finished lunch that I noticed the little hook that came with the other things in Linda Young's package. I thought it was a bookmark (Linda and James love books), but it turned out to be a metal Command hook. Unfortunately, in my zeal to get the plastic covering it off, I pulled off the sticky part, too. It just wouldn't stick to the wall after that. I'll see if I can get the plastic hooks this weekend.

Moved on to Match Game as I messed with the hook. While the panelists tried to figure out who they wanted as "___ for President" in the Audience Match, Brett showed off her flowing jungle-print dress.

Went for a walk after lunch. The rain started sometime around 1, but it wasn't heavy rain like earlier in the week, just a light shower. I was able to stroll to Dollar General with my umbrella and only arrive a little damp. Mainly went for tortilla chips. I planned on having Southwestern Black Bean Dip tonight and forgot it at the Acme yesterday. Checked their first aid supplies to see if they had any bandages that closed with Velcro. Nope. All they had was the sticky kind of bandage that sticks to itself and you and never lasts for very long.

While it remained humid, it also cooled off considerably. I was able to make Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins when I got home. There's another beloved game show host and his long-long time wife on Tattletales this week. This time, the happily married couple is Monty Hall and his wife Marilyn. They only came in second, behind birthday boy Pat Harrington and his wife Marjorie. I think Juliet Prowse and Jon McCook got one answer right.

I was dishing out the batter into cups as Press Your Luck started. The Whammies flew fast and furious today, knocking one guy out of the second round before he'd barely gotten through two turns. It came down to the champ and the one woman. The champ finally got enough money to pass her and win again.

Worked on writing as the muffins cooked and after I got them out of the oven. The fairies gently chide Charles when he says he's not a warrior or a champion. Nonsense, insists Joyce. He cares about his friend. That's enough. Malade angrily throws a flame to harm Charles and Brett. He protects her, letting it singe his back and give him some nasty burns. Joyce tells him he's the only one who can give Brett her power and her life back while the music continues to drain Malade...

Broke to make the black bean dip at 6:30. Charles returned for today's 1974 Match Game episode. (Apparently, he was sick the week before.) He came in time to see Gene roll down the stairs in the opening and try to figure out the Audience Match answers for "____ Crab."

The woman champ on Sale of the Century had no problems with today's contestant. She remained ahead the entire game, and even bought a cute folding bicycle Instant Bargain. In a thrilling bonus round, she came back at the last second to win the money, getting "Frank Sinatra" on two clues after missing one of the previous puzzles.

Moved onto It's a Living on Tubi as I did the dishes. The waitresses frequently had to deal with some pretty scary goings-on at the restaurant on the top of the Hotel Bonventure. "Desperate Hours" from the third season had them all hostages as a group of terrorists use them to try to for the ambassador of their small island nation to give in to their demands. The women are frightened at first, but they gradually become more angry and take more control of the situation.

Finished the night with more It's a Living after a shower. Stayed in the third season for a "Jewel Heist." The princess of an Asian country is visiting the restaurant. The waitresses are all beside themselves, especially once they see the size of the diamond necklace she's wearing. When the giant gem becomes the target of robbers, only a drugged Dot figures out what's going on.

Jumped back to the first season for "Up on the Roof." Nancy, Sonny, and the waitresses get hot under the collar when there's a fire in the hotel and they can't get down the stairs. After helping out a couple and listening to an evangelist's spiel, they finally get the customers downstairs...but there's the little matter of finding someone to rescue them.

Moved ahead to the second season for "Strange Bedfellows." Poor Dot just lost her boyfriend and is now in the hospital with ruptured nose. She lashes out at her overly cheerful roommate, until she finds out why the young woman is in the hospital. Meanwhile, the other waitresses try to reconcile two elderly brothers at a convention for World War I veterans.