After that, I was pulled for the next few hours to do carts. It mostly went well. It was another gorgeous day, sunny, dry, and even warmer, into the 80's. I wasn't thrilled when I had to chase a cart all the way across the shopping center, though. I was told someone abandoned one of the electric carts by the building with America's Best and Pep Boys. It wasn't there. It was behind that building, between the former Golden Corral building and the back exit, closer to the Pizza Hut/Taco Bell. That's all the way over at the very end of the mall area! It took me forever to get that poky thing back; I was late with my break by the time I did. And I ended up back in the express line because another bagger arrived.
Had some grocery shopping to do after work. Berries are on sale; went with blueberries. Grabbed some coconut milk, too. It's been a long time since I bought any. Got a bag of vegetables to snack on and lemon shortbread cookies, along with a fruit parfait for a treat. I'll have muffins for lunch at work.
My schedule for next week is...almost exactly the same as this one. Three days off, Tuesday and Saturday paid vacation days, Tuesday for counseling and my ultrasound appointment. One late day, and next Friday is 7 hours again.
At least I got my last big birthday order. I bought a mini fridge for my room online. The vegetables I buy for snacks keep going bad, and I'd like to keep cold drinks up here, too. That's why I bought the coconut milk today - I now have a place to keep it.
Watched Match Game '73 while I worked. Buzzr jumped way, way back for Nipsey Russell and Mary Ann Mobley's second appearance on the show and Bert Convy's first appearance in weeks. Even at this early point in the series, Richard was the choice for "Soft __" on the Head-to-Head in the first episode. The episode ended with a young contestant with a considerable Afro who claimed he wanted to be a game show host himself someday.
For some reason, they skipped the next episode and went on to the one after. Gene began the episode by honoring one of the great announcers, Johnny Olsen. He announced the entire run of Match Game 70's-80's, along with the 60's Match Game, both runs of Tattletales, and The Price Is Right until his death in 1985. (And I give Johnny credit for being a good sport. Not many announcers would put up with some of the crazier stuff that happened on Match Game, or the weirder Showcase skits.)
Buzzr went from the beginning of the show's CBS run to its end for Match Game '79. Charles wore a captain's cap, prompting a lot of nautical jokes and referring to him as "captain" or "sailor." It didn't help that a contestant who was a retired sea captain turned up at the end of the episode. Robert Pine didn't have as much luck with "Older __" on the Head-to-Head.
Finished the night at Kanopy with Little Annie Rooney. Since I just read the chapter in that silent movie stars book on Mary Pickford, I thought I'd do one of her vehicles. Annie (Pickford) spends her days running around the New York slums with her gang, starting fights and making mischief. Annie's brother Tim (Gordon Griffith) belongs to a far more threatening gang, led by Joe Kelly (William Haines). They're trying to make money by selling tickets to a dance. They're not the only ones who need to come up with money. After they scare a fruit seller's horse away, Annie and her crew put on a western play to get junk to sell for cash. The horse nearly runs away with her, but she's grateful when Joe not only saves her, but convinces the fruit seller to take tickets to the dance.
Annie adores her cop father Officer Rooney (Walter James), and she's horrified when another officer tells him he was shot on his birthday. Seems he tried to break up a fight at the dance and was killed accidentally for his troubles. Gang members Tony (Carlo Schipa) and Spider (Hugh Fay) put the rap on Joe, whom Tim seeks out to kill. Annie and her friends think otherwise...but even after they get the evidence to the police, they may still be too late to save Joe...
Given Pickford was 33 when she made this and playing probably about 13-14, you'd think she would be a bit creepy in the title role. Far from it. I wouldn't want to make that woman mad! She can fight just as ferociously as the boys, maybe even more so. She's equally at home in the kitchen and is adorable around burly James. Almost everyone else pales beside her, although her diverse "gang," who rather resemble tougher Our Gang kids, are obviously having a great time throwing everything in sight and putting on their idea of a western.
If you love Pickford, this is highly recommended; look around for the restored copy from 2015 with yellow tints for fights and indoor scenes.
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