Monday, October 17, 2022

Surprise Storms

Started off the morning with a phone call from PNC. No, I haven't gotten the death certificate yet. Turns out Jodie doesn't have it after all. I need to call the funeral home that dealt with Dad's remains tomorrow. 

Read Caramel Pecan Roll Murder and wrote in my journal, then had a quick breakfast while watching Charlie & Lola. Charlie's able to tell Lola "Boo! Made You Jump!", but Lola can never seem to scare Charlie. She finally gets him during a night when Marv and Lotta sleep over, and they all tell scary stories.

Worked on writing briefly after the show ended. Bill tells Gene he admires his ability to get into a role. He prefers to toss out off-the-cuff puns and isn't a fan of learning a script. Gene thinks Bill is one of the best hosts ever and certainly one of the best panelists. He's won big money for people on Match Game and is frequently right on To Tell the Truth

Barely had time to change and pack lunch before I rushed out for work. The hurry turned out to be unnecessary. We were dead almost the entire day. It did get a little busy during rush hour, but was otherwise fairly quiet. Really the only thing going on right now is sports. We're between major food holidays. It's still a tad too early to prepare for Thanksgiving, and most people buy candy and party trays for Halloween, not big meals. 

We were so quiet, they finally pulled me to help the head bagger gather carts around 5 PM. It became apparent why they wanted me out there when I noticed thick, menacing dark clouds on the horizon. I rushed around, gathering all the carts I could find, including on either side of the store, in the back near the Kid's Gym and dentist's office, and at the bus stop. 

No sooner did I push the last four carts to the patio than I felt big raindrops on my shoulders. It just started pouring as I turned around. Lightning flashed on the horizon, and thunder purred in the background. Needless to say, I spent my remaining hour inside returning unwanted items and cleaning the bathrooms. 

Though the rain slowed down by the time I finished, it wasn't done. It finally ended as I headed across Oaklyn. I arrived home damp and with wet knees, but not nearly as soaked as I would have been if I finished earlier. It picked up just as I got in, and has been off and on since. (The pyrotechnics are long gone, though.)

Had dinner while watching Match Game '77. The last of the Barbara Rhodes week features a question with some very awkwardly un-PC answers and is usually skipped by Buzzr. We pick up with Avery Schriber, Jo Ann Harris, and Fannie Flagg answering questions about whom Carter shouldn't have sent to Cuba as goodwill ambassador. One contestant takes nearly ten minutes to answer a question; another shows off a fine singing voice performing a rousing gospel number near the end of the show.

Finished the night online at Paramount Plus. "Ship of Ghouls" is the first Halloween episode of The Love Boat from season 2. Gopher and Doc compete for a pretty former model friend (Barbara Anderson) of Julie's, not knowing she wears veils to hide facial scarring and her fear of not being attractive. A little boy tells lies when he assumes that his father (Gary Collins), who left his mother (Mary Ann Mobley) but returned to her, is lying, too. The Amazing Alonzo (Vincent Price) is the ship's illusionist who is wildly popular with all the older women on board, but his own girlfriend (Joan Blondell) wishes he'd pay more attention to her.

Richie Cunningham's fifties Halloween is less complicated on the second season Happy Days episode "Haunted." His buddy Ralph Malph hopes to avoid the local gang by holding his annual Halloween costume party in a reportedly haunted local house. Joanie insists that the ghost who resides there will chop off everyone's heads. Richie goes to the party with Fonzie and his friends to prove there's nothing to fear but fear itself...and some of Ralph's bad jokes. 

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