Labor Day Games

Started off the morning with the Labor Day material in my Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. The longest piece is a biography of Samuel Gumpters, the long-time head of the labor union movement in the US. We also had poems on working and jobs, including "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman and "The Village Smithy" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 

Switched to Paw Patrol during breakfast in honor of those first-responders who have to work this Labor Day. "Pups Save a Giant Plant" when Mayor Goodway brings a Venus Fly Trap to the swamp and plants it in what she thinks is a nice spot. She's less thrilled when it grows to six times its original size and tries to eat her beloved pet chicken Chickaletta. The Pups have to figure out where it really belongs in the swamp. The "Pups Get Stuck" when Marshall seems to magnetically pick up metal items all over Adventure Bay. The others put the items back and try to figure out what's going on here.

It was so late by the time the episode ended, I just called Uber. Think I did the right thing. The one going to work arrived in 7 minutes and got me there on time with literally no time to spare. The one going home came in 8 minutes. No trouble either way.

Work was a lot busier. I suspect people who would normally shopped when they got their beginning-of-the-month money last week saved it for the holiday weekend instead. Not only did I have a hard time keeping up with the carts, but this time, I was totally alone. Almost every other bagger had the holiday off, including the head bagger. At least the weather remains gorgeous for all the running around. It's still sunny, warm, breezy, and not humid at all. Pushing carts was a pleasure before it got really crazy later in the morning.

Soon as I got home, I went right down for a nap. I was up way too late for the last two evenings. Passed out at 2:30 and didn't get up until almost 4:30. 

I read Sonnet of the Sphinx in bed for a little while, then went out to Dollar General. I had those two boxes of Chocolate Fudge pudding I picked up at the Acme for 70 cents a while back and had been wanting to do something with them. I couldn't remember the last time I made a pudding pie. Bought milk and a graham cracker crust, along with the Nature's Valley wafer bars (they're much cheaper at Dollar General)...but of course, I forgot the Cool Whip. The other reason I went out was, of course, to enjoy the stunning day. It was still beautiful at 5 PM, probably in the lower 80's, not a cloud in the perfect bright blue sky.

Didn't have as much luck with the pie. I added cocoa and topped it with chocolate fudge sauce, but...I didn't have enough milk. It ended up being kind of gloppy. At least it was edible and set up pretty well. 

Watched Remember WENN after I got back upstairs. Considering the holiday, it's rather appropriate that I began with one of my favorite fourth season episodes, "Work Shift." Smarmy self-help guru Arden Sage (Greg Germann) arrives at the station and dares the staff to walk in each other's shoes for a day. That works about as well as can be expected. Hilary can't handle the switchboard, Maple can't type, Betty can't play the organ, and Mr. Eldridge and Gertie aren't actors. They finally all learn that the station works best when everyone does what they do best...like take down obnoxious self-help gurus. (If nothing else, this episode finally ends the running gag with what Mr. Eldridge does at the station. He's the janitor and go-fer who makes the coffee and does all the little chores no one else has the time or inclination to do.)

Betty tells Maple and Scott about her first day at WENN in "Past Tense, Future Imperfect" as she tries to explain her relationship with Victor. Victor did explain to her the rules of radio writing, but his tendency to sound like he swallowed a dictionary made Betty think he was in love with her. The others all think she's after every other man at the station.

Moved to Buzzr for Match Game '76 next. Richard Dawson and Ed Asner were not happy to meet Lyle, a go-getting contestant from Las Vegas with a smarmy attitude and the worst toupee this side of Howard Cossell. Thankfully, Lyle didn't continue too far into the next week with Dick Gautier, Della Reece, and Fannie Flagg.

Finished the night at YouTube with vintage dance shows and talent competitions. Most people think of long, drawn-out reality show competitions like Dance With the Stars when they think of talent shows nowadays, but that wasn't always the case. Judge for Yourself from 1953 was a much simpler affair. Fred Allen (who frankly seems a bit out of place) is the host as three expert judges (one is songwriter Jules Styne) decide which of three acts is worthy of the big prize. First of all, although the dancers here were great, my favorites were the duo who actually made the harmonica sound elegant and beautiful. Second, this early effort would be one of the templates for pretty much every show I mention here with celebrity judges. (Look for the introduction by Orson Bean.)

The Gong Show made fun of such amateur contests in the 70's and early 80's. I actually went with one of the less-outrageous episodes from 1977. The country singers won here, but I thought the guy doing an amazing routine to "Ease On Down the Road" from The Wiz was even better. I can understand why the guy doing the flamenco cape dance got gonged (he was pretty stiff), but not the Elvis impersonators (they were a lot of fun). 

Your All-American College Show from 1968 and Dance 360 from 2004 are two variations on the same theme - young people strutting their stuff and winning money for it. College Show has college students showing off their singing and dancing talents for money. With Dance 360, the focus is on hip-hop dancing. College Show lasted two years, slightly longer than the one-year-wonder Dance 360, but both would produce stars that are still relatively well-known today. Karen Carpenter and her brother Richard got some of their earliest TV exposure as the winners of College Show (I forgot how amazing Karen was on the drums), while dancer Caity Lutz, who would later appear in the Bring It On films, won Dance 360 . 

My sisters and I loved Dance Fever when we were kids. This long-running dance show started out as a disco dance competition, which is evident in this 1981 episode. By the time we were watching around 1985, it had branched into other forms of dance. It's pretty much a prototype Dance With the Stars, only here, the stars are just judges, rather than dancers. Eddie Mecca (himself a dancer in real-life), Scatman Crothers, and Jane Sawyer are the judges, with Danny Terrio as the first host.

Dance and talent competitions aren't limited to long-form shows. Dance Battle America was a one-off special that appeared after the season 21 premier of Dance With the Stars in 2015. Judges Alfonso Ribiera and Jordyn Sparks each picked four groups who danced against each other in goofy choreographed numbers. Personally, I liked the older ladies and admired their moxie for just making it and the hilarious trio who called themselves "Dancing Feet" and included a big guy myself. In fact, the dancers had so much fun, and Riberia and Sparks so clearly enjoyed showing them off, I wish this had made it to a series. Everyone really had a great time here, and the numbers are infectiously adorable. 

Dance your way into the fall with these delightful episodes that showcase the best and worst of five decades of amateur performance on TV!

Judge For Yourself (1953)

Your All-American College Show (1968)

The Gong Show (1977)

Dance Fever (1981)

Dance 360 (2004)

Dance Battle America (2015)

September Songs

Started off this morning with the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology in honor of Labor Day. Their long piece for Labor Day is a biography of Samuel Gumpters, "The Grand Old Man of Labor" who helped spearhead the labor movement in the US. We also had poetry on jobs and the working man, including "The Village Smithy" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman.

Had just enough time for two work-themed Donald Duck cartoons before I left for my own work. "Out On a Limb" had Donald clipping trees...and using the clippers and tar to pick on Chip and Dale, before they figure out what's going on and turn the tables. Donald is "Old MacDonald Duck" who tries to swat a fly away from his cow Clementine, only for the fly to attack the poor cow.

Hurried off to work soon as "Old MacDonald Duck" ended. It wasn't busy when I arrived at 9, but it started picking up early as an hour later. I had a hard time keeping up with the carts until the afternoon bagger arrived at noon. No trouble here whatsoever.

After work, I rushed straight home, changed, and went back out. Treated myself to lunch at Sabrina's Cafe to celebrate Labor Day and the end of the summer season. As one of the few restaurants in Collingswood open on a Monday and a holiday, it goes without saying they were really busy. Fortunately, they were just starting to clear out when I arrived. I enjoyed huge lemon-ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote, lemon syrup, and whipped topping, turkey bacon, and a cute little mason jar mug of iced tea.

The real reason I was in Collingswood was to hit PNC Bank and use the ATM machine. I went inside, used the machine and got out in five minutes. Headed home after that, enjoying the continuing gorgeous (if slightly warmer and more humid) weather. I passed by a lot of kids enjoying their last few days of freedom in Collingswood and in Newton Lake Park, including three teen boys who looked like they just came from fishing.

Once I got in, I pretty much spent the rest of the day finally finishing Hilary and the Beasts. Mackie and Mr. Eldridge go downstairs to find wine to celebrate New Year's. Gertie to follows them to make sure that's all they take and to heat up appetizers. Enid chatters to C.J, telling him about her stories as he admires her bravery. Eugenia and Mr. Foley follow after them to the music room. Betty and Scott say they'll take their wine up to the library and discuss their future, while Victor and Maple say they'll do the same in the kitchen. 

Hilary asks Jeff why he kept begging her to marry him, to the point where it got annoying. The only way he could break the curse was if Hilary agreed to marry him as a Troll and accept him for what he was. She was a spy for several groups in Europe and wanted to keep that knowledge a secret, so she could continue to act in the US. She sent her magic directly into Scott's brain, locking his intelligence away. Victor had tried to run and get help, but had been caught by Pavla's monsters. Mackie claimed he'd known all along. Jeff also revealed that the roses in the hot house were his and Hilary's from their apartment in New York, which was why Hilary had recognized them, too. 

The story finishes up back at the writer's room in WENN in 1941. Hilary had been telling it to Betty and Maple, hoping to bump up her part in their Book at Bedtime version of "Beauty and the Beast." Betty finally says she considers Hilary's story to be too grotesque for the kid-oriented Book at Bedtime...but thinks an Agatha Christie-esque Gothic mystery "Beauty and the Beast" might be perfect for their crime anthology retelling of the classics Vengeance Is Mine. 

That's when the three "Lost Boys" turn up in the reception area, trying to slap ice on Victor's wounded eye. Yes, he now has a black eye, too. No, no one hit him. He was in such a hurry to get to the train station, he ran into a door. He tells Maple he wants to continue their date when he gets back from Washington and says he has enough time to walk her to the trolley. Scott tells Betty that he and Maple are more like siblings than lovers, even when they were lovers, and he wants to make amends. Betty finally agrees to a date at the Buttery.

Hilary isn't as open to making amends. Even if he did it to save Victor, Jeff running off and marrying Pavla still hurt her deeply, not to mention his rather immature behavior with his and Betty's date. Jeff says he thinks of Betty and Maple as more like sisters and did it to get him and Hilary arguing...and falling for each other again. Hilary's not hearing any of it. She runs out before Jeff can even walk her to the trolley, passing Eugenia and Mr. Foley happily returning from their own date as she does.

Wow. That's the longest story I've written since I completed Blank In Wonderland in 2022. I'm really proud of myself, for once. I'll be starting the next story tomorrow, soon as I get in from the first Healthy Kids staff orientation. (We're doing two in a row before school starts.) 

I listened to jazz while I worked. I fell in love with the gentle piano music from George Shearing and his Quintet after I found Satin Affair almost 20 years ago. Songs like "Early Autumn," "The Party's Over," and "Midnight Sun" were tailor-made for background music on real-life quiet early autumn afternoons. I spent years looking for more of his work...and all of a sudden, about five or so years ago, it just kept appearing everywhere, a common sight in record stores and yard sales. I finally turned up two more "fabric" titles a few years ago. "If I Should Lose You" and "One Morning In May" are my favorites from Black Satin. Blue Chiffon goes slinkier, with "Love-Wise," "Kinda Cute," and "I'm Old Fashioned."

Oscar Peterson pays respect to one of the great American composers in Oscar Peterson Plays the Irving Berlin Songbook. "Supper Time," one of the great sad blues laments, is the big one here. We also have "You're Laughing at Me," "I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket," and "Remember."

Switched to Match Game Syndicated during dinner. Fred Grandy, a giggly Dolly Martin, and crusty Mary Wickes joined in this week. Fred and Bart Braverman spent the week playing with kazoos and duck calls, to the point where it got kind of annoying.

Finished the night with quiz shows for kids in honor of schools reopening in New Jersey this week. If there's one thing I've learned from the kids...and remember from my own childhood...it's that kids are curious. They love questions and learning things just as much as adults, maybe more. I loved quiz shows when I was a kid. One of my favorite shows on PBS in the early 90's was Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego. Lynn "Chief" Thigpen and host Craig Lee give three kids the scoop on a bizarre crime committed by one of Carmen's many lackeys - in this episode, the Contessa steals the Ngorongoro Crater, home to one of the most significant wildlife preserves in the world. The kids follow clues from various figures performed by singing group Acapella, teaching geography at a time when seemed to be changing almost daily.

Kids and quizzes go far back. Juvenile Jury from the early 50's was one of the earliest shows created by Barry and Enright. Panels of young kids under ten years of age answer questions helping their peers out with their problems. Ok, normally game shows can't be called "cute," but some of the kids on this show were utterly precious. Barry was wonderfully patient and worked so well with them.

My sisters and I loved watching Jeopardy! with our parents in the late 80's and early 90's. We were far from the only kid fans of the show. Merv Grifftih Productions developed kid versions of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune in the late 90's. Of the two, Jep! was mildly more tolerable and closer to the show it was based on. It's basically played the same as the adult version, only after two wrong answers, the kids get balls or confetti dropped on them, and after three, they're pulled out for a round. The graphics are incredibly late 90's early CGI and look chintzy today, but at least they didn't try to add stunts like they did with Wheel 2000.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader from 2007, based on the video game, let kids show their superior knowledge compared to many adults. Adults and kids answer increasingly difficult school-based questions. The adults have a chance to "peek" (see the answer), "copy" one of the kids' answers, or "save" (skip an answer). It's played something like a funnier school-themed Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, with its winnings ladder and the adults declaring if they lose that they are not, in fact, smarter than a 5th grader. With comedian Jeff Foxworthy as the folksy host, I can understand why this was a two-year hit for Fox and would do well in syndication later. 

See if you're smarter than a kid going back to school with these funny and unique kid quizzes!

Juvenile Jury (1953)

Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego (1991)

Jep! (1997)

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2007)

On a Clear Labor Day

Started my Labor Day with the material for the holiday from the 1962 Colliers anthology Harvest of Holidays. The long piece was a biography of Samuel Gompers, the founder of the American Federation of Labor and one of the founders of the American Labor Movement. Poems included I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman, Those Who Go Forth Before Daylight by Carl Sandburg, and The Village Blacksmith by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Watched The Scooby Doo Show while eating breakfast. It's "A Bum Steer for Scooby" when the gang visits Daphne's Uncle Matt at his ranch, only to be chased by a ghostly bull. Uncle Matt explains that the ghost bull is an ancient spirit who haunts the ranch at night. No sooner do the kids start investigating this mystery than they encounter an equally spooky Native medicine man and Uncle Matt vanishes. The kids have to get to the bottom of this wild western, before Uncle Matt's not the only one who disappears! 

Went to work after Scooby ended. Work was a pain in the rear. Despite a gorgeous, sunny day, people still weren't in good moods. We were mobbed off and on for a lot of the day, too. It's still the beginning of the month, and most local kids start school between tomorrow and Thursday. I started out pushing carts and sweeping outside, but they pulled me to put away four carts filled with items to be returned (including one of cold items). I normally like putting things away, but not when we had such lovely weather. 

Hurried straight home after work. When I got in, I changed and went right back out again. It really was too nice of a Labor Day to waste bent over a computer. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, sunny and brilliant blue, with a nice cool wind and not a bit of humidity in sight. It was the perfect day for a bike ride in Oaklyn.

My first stop was the Hispanic ice cream booth La Morelense Plus for one last cool treat of the summer. I was originally going to get another milkshake like I did in June, but I saw a woman get a chocolate sundae topped with crushed Oreos and cherries that looked divine. Their chocolate banana cried out for crushed peanut butter cups, and I added chocolate syrup, too. Oh, wow. It was incredible, so sweet and chocolaty, with just enough banana and a hint of nuttiness from the peanut butter. I wasn't the only person enjoying ice cream on a perfect late summer day. Their patio was full when I arrived, and there was a long line of people trying to decide what they wanted.

Made a quick stop at WaWa for Olipop soda, then went for a long bike ride around Oaklyn. Rode past Rose's house on Kendall and around the neighborhoods on either side of the school, dodging the road work being done on Goff. Stopped briefly to gaze at the stunning view of the creek between Oaklyn and Audubon Park. The sky was so clear, I could see all the way to the Ben Franklin Bridge. I wasn't the only one admiring the sights, either. Two girls chatted on a bench by the water, while another man talked on his phone in his car.

After I did some more riding in the neighborhood where Dad used to live and over by Dollar General, I made another quick stop at Crown Chicken and Gyro. I really didn't feel like leftovers again, so I ordered a fish sandwich with fries, lettuce, and pickles. They were pretty quiet, but it was also still kind of early for dinner. 

I ate at home while watching Match Game Syndicated. I caught part of Holly Hallstrom's debut on the show, and all of the episode where someone said he'd give Gene a mink if he kissed his aunt. The "mink" turned out to be fuzz on a stick, but Brett ended up with it anyway. The others made "minksicle" jokes all through the show. We also saw Bart Braverman get really booed by the audience, and the first season finale. 

For some reason, they switched back to Match Game '79 after that. I've seen the '79 episodes a thousand times by now, so I took a shower instead. Finished the night with game shows featuring Regis Philbin, whose birthday was last week. Philbin's first shot at hosting a game show was The Neighbors in 1975. Two female neighbors answer gossipy questions about a panel of three real-life neighbors. Yeah, it's about as interesting as it sounds. Regis is good and the homey set was cute, but the gossip was obnoxious, the questions were silly, and frankly, you didn't really care what these catty women thought of each other. It didn't last four months.

It would be the late 90's before Philbin hosted another game show...and this time, the show was a sensation. Philbin was in charge of the US Who Wants to Be a Millionaire from the start. He, the show, and his catchphrase "Is that your final answer?" were ubiquitous from late 1999 through mid-2002. More than the lifelines or the neon set, Philbin was instrumental in knowing when to rack up tension, and when to ease off and joke around. His energy really made the show what it was. I have a random episode from the height of the show's popularity in 2000 that gives you a good example.

Philbin turned over hosting the syndicated show to Meredith Vieira, but he would occasionally turn up as host for his signature show for a decade thereafter. He did the special Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire in 2004 and a series of specials for its 10th anniversary in 2009. In late 2009, he would briefly take over hosting syndication, and did just as well on the truncated version as he did with the longer one back in 2000. 

Philbin occasionally played on other people's game shows. He did Password Plus twice, in 1981 and 1982, both times to promote his then-talk program The Regis Philbin Show. He honestly did pretty well, getting his contestant to Alphabetics at least once in both episodes I have here. Audrey Landers joins him in '81; none other than Betty White was his partner near the end of the show's run in '82. He made a brief cameo at the beginning of a special two-hour episode of Deal Or No Deal in 2006 to help a contestant.

His last appearance on a game show was hosting Million Dollar Password in 2008. Password got hit hard by the Millionaire bug here, with neon sets and consecutive money tiers that did nothing to enhance the game. The celebrities were generally better. Serena Williams and Craig Ferguson play pretty well here and seem to be enjoying themselves well enough. Though the show was relatively popular in the ratings, it was a hit with people who were a lot older than CBS was looking for at the time. It lasted just a little over a year.

Create millionaires, describe Passwords, and get to know your neighbors with one of the most beloved and influential hosts of all time!

The Neighbors (1975)

Password Plus (1981)

Password Plus (1982)

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (2000)

Deal or No Deal (2006)

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Syndicated (2009)

Million Dollar Password (2009)

And I hope you all had a beautifully sunny Labor Day of your own, whether you had to work or not!

Come Monday

Began Labor Day with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. "The Biggest Storm Ever" has flooded out most of the residents of Busy Town. They've all evacuated but Mr. Grumble, who is stranded at his beach house. He's rescued by the three hobo roustabouts from the circus on his property...and takes a far more positive view of them after they help him out. The safari photographer Cucumber is in Canada to take photos of the locals, but ends up stopping a runaway box car when she becomes "Cucumber of the Rockies." "Sally's First Day at School" is disappointing to her. She'd rather be at home, playing puppets with her mother. Mrs. Murphy figures out a way she can do that and enjoy school.

Headed straight out after the cartoon ended. Work once again began and ended quietly, but it was a mess in between. Even when we had four registers open at one point, we still had long lines. In addition to the holiday, the kids returning to school, and people using government money, we were having a big four-day sale. The line was so long, I just couldn't handle it all and panicked for a lot of the afternoon. Thank heavens, it slowed down enough by 5 PM for me to leave with no fuss whatsoever. 

Went straight home and into the shower, then had dinner while finally watching the Bob Barker marathon that MGP had trouble running yesterday. Bob made some of his most memorable appearances on the show in 1979 and 1980. He got to see Brianne Leary do a cartwheel and joke about her newsboy outfit during the last weeks of the CBS run in 1979. In one early syndicated episode, his chair broke and he sunk almost under the desks, to his annoyance...and then they found a director's chair that was too high. In a later week, he was very disappointed when Gene covered the slit skirt of a female crew-member off-stage. 

At any rate, celebrate Labor Day making matches with Bob!

Bob Barker Tribute - Match Game '79, Syndicated, and PMs 

Finished the night with more game shows of the 1970's. The genre was in bad shape when the decade began. Only a few remained on the networks, and none at night. They did a little better in syndication. What's My Line was a surprise hit when Goodson-Todson relaunched it as a syndicated show in 1969. Wally Bruner was the new host. Of the original panelists, only Arlene Francis remained. She was joined by comedian Soupy Sales and a rotating who's who of TV and stage favorites. In this 1971 episode, then-upcoming designer Halsten shows off that new sensation, hot pants. The Mystery Guest was baseball Hall of Fame member Satchel Paige.

Several imitation Jeopardy quiz shows launched in the late 60's and carried over to the 70's. Probably the most popular was The Who, What, or Where Game, which ran before Jeopardy on NBC. Here, everyone bets on whether or not they can answer a question correctly. Easy questions pay even odds; the tougher the question, the higher the odds. If two contestants had the same wager, they could have an auction for the category. "Pot Limit" is more like Final Jeopardy, with everyone betting their winnings on a category and question. It's too bad only two episodes remain of this today. Like its 90's remake The Challengers, it's a fun and challenging game that deserves to be better-known. 

Staid trivia exams like Who, What, or Where were blown off the air by flashier newcomers with larger, more elaborate sets, bigger prizes, and higher payouts. The Joker's Wild on CBS was one of the first of this new breed. Jack Barry and Barry-Enright made a comeback with this slot-machine-based trivia show. Here, the slot machine showed the categories for the questions. Jokers could represent any category. The value was represented by the spin. The bonus round had the contestant spinning the wheel to amass $1,000 dollars. If they hit a devil, they lost what they won. 

I wish this one would come back again, in something close to its original format. The gameplay is enjoyable, and the set is genuinely cool. Jack Barry's rapid-fire style of hosting keeps everything moving at a breathless pace. You barely have the time to applaud one contestant before they're spinning the slots and answering the question.

Joker's Wild wasn't the only game show involving spinning. Merv Griffith debuted Wheel of Fortune on NBC in 1976. Southern country star Chuck Woolery was the original host of this Hangman-style game. Three contestants would spin the wheel; the money they landed on would be the payout when they asked for a letter. In between rounds, contestants could use their accumulated winnings to buy prizes from a turntable. Though this show has always had its fans, it was never a huge hit on NBC, always doing just well enough to be renewed. It would do far better when it hit syndication in the next decade.

The revived Match Game on CBS also took a while to find its groove. This time, a six-celebrity panel wrote answers to questions and tried to see if their answers matched the contestants'. The questions once again started out simple and staid when it began in July 1973. By the end of the year, they were near-epic salacious jokes about Dumb Dora and Old Man Perriwinkle that would often lead to a naughty answer and a lot of rambunctious wisecracking. It made the show a sensation, the biggest hit on daytime TV in the mid-70's, and it remains much-beloved with comedy and game show fans to this day. 

Suave Brit Richard Dawson was on the show from the start. Crusty character actress Brett Somers and fussy Broadway star Charles Nelson Reilly came in during the third week (though busy Reilly wouldn't become a permanent regular until December). They were joined by some of the funniest people on stage and TV in the 1970's and early 80's, including Jack Cassidy and Betty White in this episode from 1975. Hammy host Gene Rayburn asked the questions, often in really bad accents. 

The $10,000 Pyramid also had celebrities matching contestants. In this Bob Stewart show, the celebrities threw out phrases that described a certain topic. The first team to get to 20 made it to the Winner's Circle. There, they would describe six topics in a pyramid shape. If they won, they took home the big prize. The huge success of this show in 1973 made game shows safe not only for one-on-one celebrity-contestant interaction, but enormous payouts. This rare early episode with Barbara Felton and John Schuck gives you a good idea of why this was so popular. 

By 1976, Dawson was tired of answering titillating questions on Match Game and wanted a shot at hosting. He finally got his wish with the ABC show Family Feud, one of the few successful game show spin-offs. In this variation on the Match Game Audience Match bonus round, two families try to guess how many people gave an answer on a certain topic. The winners make it to the Fast Money round, where they have to guess rapid-fire audience survey answers. This one was almost as much of a sensation as Match Game, taking over its spot by 1977 as the top game show in daytime and remaining in that spot for the rest of the decade. 

Goodson-Todman's revival of Password on ABC in 1971 started off well, but once The Joker's Wild and its ilk debuted, it began to feel old-hat. Attempts to jazz it up with all-celebrity tournaments, more celebrity players, and the ability to bet on the celebrity's ability to guess a word didn't really work. It wasn't until they debuted Password Plus on NBC in 1979 that they figured out how to update the show without making it too complicated. Now everyone guesses five words, which are grouped together to revolve around a topic. The pair that guesses the topic wins the round. Winners move on to Alphabetics, where they guess words in alphabetical order. 

This was one of the few shows on NBC in the late 70's that was anything resembling a hit. Allen Ludden returned as host for the first year, joined in this episode by competitive husband-wife pair Patty Duke and John Astin.

Jump into the Me Decade with some of the most beloved game shows to ever hit the airwaves, many of which remain favorites today! (And look for the original commercials on The Joker's Wild.) 

What's My Line (1971)

The $10,000 Pyramid (1973)

The Who, What, or Where Game (1974)

Match Game (1975)

Family Feud (1976)

Wheel of Fortune (1978)

The Joker's Wild Syndicated (1979)

Password Plus (1979)

And here's hoping you got to enjoy your own Labor Day, whether you labored today or not. 

Making a Living

Got an early start today; barely headed out on time after gulping my breakfast. Good thing both Pikes were pretty quiet at 8:30. Managed to duck in under the wire. 

Which proved to be a good thing. We were busy almost the entire day. Not only is it the first major holiday in two months, but a lot of people just got beginning-of-the-month money, and most kids in South Jersey return to school tomorrow. What a mess! I have such a hard time explaining things like how to use their online rewards apps and 

They did pull me at one point about an hour before my break to help with the carts. They were emptying faster than the one bagger could keep up with them. At least the weather remained decent. It's humid, but not really that hot, and the sun was still out at that point.

Those clouds finally came in by the time I got off work. Managed to shut down despite the lines being long and dash home. The traffic still wasn't that bad, and while it remained killer humid, the clouds did damper down the heat.

Went straight upstairs when I got home and changed, Watched one of the new episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood that debuted today while I had a snack. "Daniel Goes to Day Camp," and while he is disappointed he can't be in the same group as his best buddy Prince Wednesday, he does enjoy his nature hike with Amira, her Autistic brother Max, O the Owl, and Katerina. Amira shows her charges how to make tie-dye t-shirts in a tent during a "Rainy Day at Camp."

Went down for a nap again after the cartoon ended. I know I should get to bed earlier, but I enjoy chatting with Lauren, too. I don't have much in the way of support right now. This time, I slept almost an hour and a half, and I still woke up tired.

Tried some writing after that. Re-wrote Brett rescuing the others. Turns out she doesn't need a feat of strength of strategy to do it. She simply needs to command the Red Guards to release her sons and the others. There's one Red Knight missing, though...

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Returned to Daniel Tiger as I ate and had an ice cream soda for dessert. Amira is "Daniel's New Babysitter." He's not sure about her at first, until she shows him how to tell stories on the beach by drawing them in the sand. "Daniel's Sleepover at the Treehouse" goes well for him and Katerina, but O isn't crazy about sleeping away from his cozy nest. The other two let him help put their stuffed animals to bed and read them a story to make him feel better.

Switched to Match Game '75 after dinner. Gene starts off by visiting Earl, the little man who is supposed to slide the Audience Match answers, when he misses his cue. The others have more luck tossing out answers for "__ Wire." 

Finished the night on YouTube with an It's a Living Labor Day marathon. Alas, that seems to be the only place you can catch the show at the moment...but they do have seasons 4 through 6, which never showed up at Tubi. Began with "Cassie's Punctured Romance" from the first season. Cassie (Ann Jillian) can't cook, but she agrees to make dinner to impress a handsome Venezuelan anyway. The other waitresses all come over to help her with the meal. Later, Lois (Susan Sullivan) is there for Cassie to cry on her shoulder when he leaves for his home country.

Broadway star Sheryl Lee Ralph replaced the cancer-stricken Jillian as the resident sexpot in season 4. Ginger St. James is looking forward to meeting a guy at the airport, but she, smarmy lounge singer Sonny (Paul Kreppel) and fellow waitresses Jan (Barrie Longfellow) and Dot (Gail Edwards) end up stuck on the roof when the door locks on them from the inside during "The Roof Show." Hostess Nancy (Marian Mercer), chef Howard (Richard Stahl), and Texas waitress Amy (Crystal Bernard) end up handling customers who aren't too happy with the lack of service.

Maggie McBurney (Louise Lasser) is in shock when a mugger steals her purse in the Bonaventure Hotel's parking lot in the second season episode "Of Mace and Men." The waitresses all learn to use pepper spray to defend themselves. Dot, however, is the one who actually catches the mugger. Not only is she embarrassed by the notoriety, but the mugger actually wants to sue her for damages. 

It's a Living

Began my Labor Day with material from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. The big piece is a long but interesting biography of Samuel Gompers, who spearheaded the labor movement in the US and the creation of the American Federation of Labor. They also had several poems, including "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman and "The Village Smithy" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Had a quick breakfast while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel and Margaret Play School," but she's only about a year old, and she doesn't want to stay still for long. Mrs. Tiger tells Daniel that he's old enough to figure out how to keep her attention. Prince Wednesday wants to play dinosaur, but his older cousin Chrissie wants to have a "Treasure Hunt at the Castle." Queen Sarah encourages them to solve the problem themselves.

Rushed out after that. I walked. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, breezy, and though a bit warmer than it has been, it's neither as hot nor as humid as it was for most of last month. I should have left earlier. Even with rushing as fast as I could walk, I still came in ten minutes late.

Which was not a good thing. It wasn't horrible when I came in at 10, but within an hour, we were mobbed and remained that way for the entire afternoon. It's the beginning of the month, a major holiday, most kids go back to school tomorrow or Wednesday, and we're coming up on the big fall Jewish holidays. Everything just got so crazy. Thankfully, though there were some nasty people towards the end of the night, most customers were in good moods. 

My relief was right on time, allowing me to hurry out after a bathroom break. Walked home, enjoying those fresh breezes and the beautiful greenery waving around me. Sunflowers, phlox, and black-eyed Susans blossom in profusion; marigolds are just beginning to appear in pots on porches.

I did see people by the pool when I got in, but I wanted to change and have a snack quick first. Got to see the last few minutes of the first regular showing of Whew! on Buzzr. An old man ran The Gauntlet through cardboard cut-outs of cartoon villains. Alas, he didn't do any better than the young woman yesterday, only making it through five villains before he got stuck and his time ran out.

Got outside just in time for dinner. Jodie, Rose, and Craig brought food from around the neighborhood. I sampled pasta salad, ribs, grilled chicken, and baked asparagus. They also had steak, potato salad, and Caesar salad. More kids than usual were in the pool, the children of Jodie's friends along with kids from the neighborhood and Khai and Finley. Finley was the last one out; she loves swimming so much, she never wants to leave the pool. Jessa was there, so we had Midnight and Cider chasing and playing with each other, too.

I chatted with Jess, Craig, and his parents about shows we like. Jessa's especially fond of weird comedies and sci-fi; Craig's folks like dramas and are looking for a good comedy to lighten things up a bit. Everyone else played Apples to Oranges on a long card table. Finley, her brother, and his best friend goofed off in a camping tent someone set up in the back of the pool area. 

Jodie mentioned that, first of all, she intends for the sale of the house to finance a move to outside of Ocean City, New Jersey. I wish her luck, but I'm not sure she knows all the realities of living at the Shore. We're still in New Jersey. Property taxes and utilities are just as high down there, if not higher. Doesn't sound like she intends to get a job, either. Oh, and she'll be with friends in Ventnor from Monday the 12th until she puts the house on the Market the 16th, which means she won't be around for the first few days of Lauren's visit. I asked Jessa to help me get Lauren to my place after she arrives.

Went inside around 7 to make Norsk Apple Muffins and watch Match Game PM. Fannie Flagg took Brett Somers' seat while she did a play during the last PM episode of 1977. (And no, she was not in jail, contrary to Fannie's joke in the opening.) She was the one who got to help a gentleman win 5,000 with "Onward __." Meanwhile, Gene strips off his jacket again to pose for the female contestant.

Slid the muffins in the oven during Sale of the Century. This one was closer than it's been in weeks. The one lady kept pushing the champ all night; the other guy got two money cards on the Fame Game. In the end, she won on a tie after the Speed Round. Picked up a Norman Rockwell print on the Match the Prize board.

I was so tired after my long day, I was barely up to The Love Boat after I settled online for the night. A woman who is obsessed with getting married by her 40th birthday (Jo Ann Worley) discovers that "Life Begins at 40," and she can have fun at any age. A college professor (Dick Martin) is hoping to chart "The Stimulation of Stephanie," but doesn't realize that Stephanie (Char Fontaine) is really stimulated by him. Issac tries to help an NFL player cut by his team (Rosy Grier) with "The Next Step" and figure out what he and his wife (Melba Moore) want to do with their lives.

Jo Ann's hardly the only person celebrating a birthday today. It's "Oscar's Birthday" on The Odd Couple. He's adamant that Felix not throw a surprise party for him. Felix being Felix, not only does he throw that party, but he invites so many old friends of Oscar's in a looking back theme that Oscar gets embarrassed. 

Making a Living

Began a quick morning with essays and poems on Labor Day from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays vintage anthology. The longest item was an essay on Samuel Gumpters, the "Grand Old Man of Labor" and one of the biggest names behind the push for labor unions in the US during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Other material included the poems The Village Smithy and I Heard America Singing.

Moved onto breakfast and the Three Stooges after I wrote in my journal. I always do a couple of Three Stooges shorts on Labor Day. Who did more laboring in a wider variety of jobs than the Stooges? "Dizzy Doctors" is one good example. Desperate for work when their wives threaten to throw them out, they take up peddling Brighto. After they figure out it's a medicine, they bring into to a hospital to see what it does...not knowing that the director is the man whose car they ruined the finish on earlier!

Headed out to work shortly after the Stooges ended. It wasn't busy when I came in, but it picked up around noon and continued to be off-and-on steady for the rest of the afternoon. The only major problem I had was when a woman came up with the Coke 12-packs of soda on sale and not only didn't have the online coupon for it, but had no idea she had to sign up for it and tried signing up right then and there, when I had a long line. A manager just took the coupon off for her to move her along. Otherwise, I was in and out.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. It would have been a crime not to. The weather was perfect for Labor Day, sunny, breezy, warm but not humid. Nicholson was a lot less busy than the Acme was. No traffic anywhere, not even around the shopping center entrance. I saw more cars heading off to the last parties of the summer season in Oaklyn.

Worked on writing as soon as I got home and changed. Richard lures Malade outside to keep her from destroying the ballroom. While Betty tries to nurse the frog back to health, Lee reveals to Malade that she was the one who gave the underground spy network their information. She hates her for destroying the royal family and her own family's holdings.

Broke for a tasty dinner of Spicy Chicken Cutlets with tomato sauce and vegetable and sweet potato fries at 6:30. Match Game '74 got pretty wild, what with jokes about what a guy saw on a stripper and Gene and Elaine Joyce practically making out in the opening.

Sale of the Century may have even crazier! Jim Perry lamented how hard his job was when the third Instant Bargain was a trip to Palm Springs...which happens to be where that fast-on-the-draw contestant lives. He desperately switched it to San Francisco and dropped the amount to 10 dollars to convince the contestant to buy. It worked. He bought the trip, won the speed round by a mile, and chose leather luggage to go with his trips in the Match the Prize bonus round.

Jodie knocked on the door while Sale was on. She needed help taking off a necklace...and a shoulder to cry on. She's still very upset about Dad's death. I know this is hard on her. She really, really loved him.

Returned to The Three Stooges while having Cherry Garcia ice cream for dessert and cleaning up from dinner. "Violent Is the Word for Curly" when they're mistaken for professors by a prestigious girls' school. The girls are delighted when they teach them about "Swinging the Alphabet." Their teachers are less amused by their insistence on the importance of athletics. They wanted the girls to focus on their studies.

"Termites of 1938" has them as exterminators mistaken for escorts by a rich woman who needs someone to take her to a fancy party. The guests don't know what to think of them, especially when they try playing the band's instruments in time to a record. It's when a guest finds a mouse at the party that the guys really swing into action...and make a mess of the guests.

Finished online with a marathon of It's a Living at Tubi, which also involves working. "Boys of Summer" from the second season has the waitresses run ragged as they deal with a visiting baseball team. Jan dates the aging third-baseman, while Dot reassures their homesick Costa Rican pitcher that he'll be allowed to return to his village, Cassie dodges the advances of their first baseman, and Maggie (Louise Lasser) pitches a little woo at their coach.

Maggie and Jan are "Horsing Around" when Maggie inadvertently gets a hot tip from a jockey who's supposed to throw a race. They win enough money to encourage the other waitresses, Nancy, and Sonny to throw their own money in. Maggie, however, may throw their bets into jeopardy when Maggie mistakes the menu number the jockey orders for the number of the horse.

Switched to the third season for "From Russia With Love." Sonny's delighted when a Russian track team visits the hotel. All the girls just love his Elvis covers. The waitresses are far more concerned when two smitten track members decide they want to defect - one fell for the freedom the US provides, one fell for Cassie.

"The Prom Show" doesn't start off well when the band ordered for a big prom doesn't arrive, Jan is worried about her fiancee (Richard Kline) wanting children, and Cassie has to reassure a girl who was abandoned by her date. It takes a musical number from Sonny and Dot and Cassie's chat with the girl to bring life to this big night. Meanwhile, Howard just wants someone, anyone, to watch his magic act.

And I hope all of you had a happy Labor Day, whether you labored today yourself or not!

Rainy Labor Day

Began a cloudy Labor Day with work. Work wasn't bad when I got in, but it picked up after lunch when the clouds got thicker. Every time I tried to get carts done, they'd throw me in the register. Thankfully, another bagger had arrived by that point to help out. The on-and-off showers at this point didn't help, either. I'd no sooner gather carts than it would start raining, sometimes heavily (but never for very long).

The main reason I went to work was actually to buy cold supplies. The Acme was having a buy 2, get 2 free sale on a lot of their generic medical products. I stocked up on cough drops; also grabbed Tylenol cold medicine and more of that Acme nut milk ice cream. While my fever's gone, my head is still achy, and my throat remains sore.

Thankfully, it wasn't raining when I went home and put everything away. The clouds had begun to build up again as I started to work on a new story idea. Yes...I've enjoyed Match Game so much, I've started fanfiction for it. Brett has a nightmare where a scuzzy producer spirits away Charles, Richard, and Gene. She has to rescue her fellow regulars from a sadistic game that's a lot scarier than fill-in-the-blank with the help of several of the semi-regulars.

I don't know if I'll go into a lot of detail on this one as I'm writing it, since it falls into the "mature" category. Currently, the only place I've found 70's Match Game fanfiction is on Wattpad, and I'm not a big fan of them. This and any other Match Game fanfics I write will be exclusive to my Writer's Desk at the Riverside blog.

It continued raining off and on the rest of the day, sometimes wrecking havoc with the Internet. A big thunderstorm rolled through around 5:30, though like most of the rain we've had today, it didn't last long. It was gone long before I broke for dinner at 6:30.

Had a quick leftovers meal while watching a Three Stooges short about working and school. "Violent Is the Word for Curly" when they're three gas station owners who end up at a girls' school after they destroy three professors' car. They teach the girls about "Swinging the Alphabet" and try to show them how to play football.

Went on to Lego Star Wars after dinner. Once again, I got barely got to "Into the Death Star" but couldn't finish. I'll keep trying until I go on vacation.

Finished the night with How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. I go into more detail about this office satire at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

All Summer Long

Kicked off an early morning with reading the Labor Day entries from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology book. The big one was a biography on Samuel Gumpters, the spearhead of the union movement in the US for many years. There were also a couple of poems on workers and working, including I Heard America Singing by Walt Whitman.

Did excerpts from two American Girl books that involved labor and working. Samantha Learns a Lesson has Sam working on a speech about the wonders of factories to her private girl's academy. It works fine with the rich girls, but her best friend Nellie knows what it's really like to work in a factory. Her harrowing descriptions of child labor changes Sam's mind about real "progress." Changes for Rebecca lands Becky and her cousin Ana in the middle of a strike that Ana's father and brother are involved in. Becky gets hurt and loses the speech she'd written...but she doesn't lose her resolve to become a great speaker and actress.

After I finished my journal, I moved on to breakfast and a couple of Three Stooges shorts that revolved around their many careers. They hope it's "False Alarms" when they're firefighters whose boss says they have to stop going out every night. Curly's still interested in some fun, especially after he meets a trio of girls who want dates...and accidentally trips an alarm that sends them scrambling for the "fire!" "Slippery Silks" has them as furniture repairmen who inherit a dress shop. Their idea of fashion is even scarier than their repair skills.

Switched to Shemp as I vacuumed the apartment and washed the windows. "Sing a Song of Six Pants" has them as tailors who discover that they're repairing a gangster's pants. They try to detain him so they can collect the reward for him. They're "All Gummed Up" when their de-aging potion turns their landlord's elderly wife into a beauty...but works too well on their landlord!

Went straight to work as soon as "Gummed Up" ended. Work was crazy all day. Today is the last major holiday of the summer, it's the beginning of the month, and a lot of people were shopping for food for their kids' back-to-school bag lunches and Labor Day barbecues. I did manage to get the last of a cart of candy shelved, but that was pretty much the only thing I got done all day. I spent most of the rest of a hot, hazy afternoon returning carts. Even with help, I still couldn't keep the carts full! I had even more problems keeping the baskets full. Ended up in the register for about a half-hour too, when it got really crazy.

Went straight home after that and into the shower. It was so hot, and I was so sweaty, I really couldn't put it off. After I got out, I worked on some writing. Leia is being forced into dancing in the chorus, much to the shock of Clarence. Artie's there as well, serving drinks. He says Luke has everything well under control, but neither Clarence nor Leia are convinced.

Broke at 7 for dinner. Threw together one of the tomatoes from Charlie's garden, the last of the black bean dip, eggs, and mushrooms for Southwestern Scrambled Eggs. Did two more Shemp Stooges shorts while I ate. Oddly, they're not really "Vagabond Loafers," despite the title. They're actually plumbers who are hired to fix the pipes at a huge mansion. Their watery antics nearly destroy the house, but it also stops a pair of burglars from making off with a priceless painting. "Hugs and Mugs" brings in three attractive female jewel thieves who are searching for a pearl necklace, which just happens to be owned by the Stooges...but a gangster is after it, too.

Finished the night with American Graffiti as I went online. It's the last night of summer for four young men in a small California town. Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), who isn't sure he wants to go away to college, spends the night chasing a beautiful blond in a white Thunderbird (Suzanne Sommers). Steve (Ron Howard), once the high school prom king, does want to go to college, but he also doesn't want to leave his steady girl Laurie (Cindy Williams) behind. Their geek buddy Terry (Charles Martin Smith) manages to charm a statuesque blond (Candy Clark), but loses the car he got her in. Long-time greaser John (Paul Le Mat) spends most of the night dealing with chatty 16-year-old Carol (Mackenzie Phillips) after she's dumped on him by her sister. They all end up at the local drag race road at the end of the night after John's challenged to a race by cocky newcomer Bob Alfalfa (Harrison Ford).

The Star Wars films aren't the only George Lucas movies I'm a big fan of. I love this plotless but atmospheric look at the "cruisin'" culture of the 50's and early 60's. It was one of the biggest hits of 1973, kick-started the nostalgia boom of the mid-70's, and made stars out of most of its cast (or adult stars, in Howard's case). If you're a fan of other largely plotless comedies with great classic rock soundtracks set in the late 20th century like Dazed and Confused or Pirate Radio, you'll want to check this one out, too.

And...I hope all of you had a safe and happy Labor Day (and did a little less laboring than me)!

Labor Day Matrix

Opted to celebrate a gorgeous Labor Day by sleeping in. When I got up, I read an essay on Samuel Gumpters, spearhead of the worker's union movement in the US in the late 1800's, in Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Also did a few poems related to working, including I Heard America Singing by Camden poet Walt Whitman.

Two American Girl books that take place in the early 1900's involve working and labor. Samantha Parkington's best friend Nellie, who once worked in a factory, teaches her that "progress" frequently isn't painless for those doing the work in Samantha Learns a Lesson. Rebecca Rubin speaks out in favor of unions during a Labor Day picnic in Changes for Rebecca.

Ran a Three Stooges short about school and working while eating breakfast. "Violent Is the Word For Curly" when the Stooges are mistaken for professors by the heads of a girl's school. To the principal's shock, their idea of teaching involves "Swinging the Alphabet."

Worked on a little bit of writing after breakfast. Luke and Arturro arrive at the Cloud City Club, both worried about their friends and the meeting. They're admiring the mural when he hears commotion coming from the back room. Several of Vader's men are dragging Leia, Charlie, and Chip out to the parking lot. Luke follows them, but Arturro is lost in the crush of bodies.

Did more Stooges as I broke for lunch and to make Blueberry Muffins. "Tassels In the Air" has them as a trio of maintenance men. They're repairing the office of Omay, an interior decorator. When Moe tries to teach Curly Pig Latin, a woman accidentally thinks he's Omay and hires them to redecorate her house. She definitely regrets it when she sees what their idea of "decorating" entails. In "Termites of 1938," they're exterminators who are mistaken for escorts by society ladies. They try showing off their musical skills, but when mice are found in the bass, they really go to work. Shemp joins in for "All Gummed Up." When their landlord tries to force them out of their drug store, then dumps his wife because she's aged, they try to create a potion to reverse aging. It works beautifully on the wife...but too well on their landlord!

Work was very busy when I arrived, though not quite as bad as it was last Labor Day. I was mainly outside for the first half of my shift gathering carts. I also did some trash and got stuck in the register a few times. Thankfully, the customers were mostly in good moods, including a family with a large WIC Check order. It died quickly around 4-4:30. Everyone must have either gone home to get the kids ready for school or to Labor Day barbecues. The evening was so quiet, I spent almost the entire time shelving items customers didn't want.

Went straight into the bath when I got home. I'm glad I discovered that body wash doubles very well as bubble bath. The mountains of coconut-scented bubbles felt so luxurious! I looked over more Christmas craft books and listened to the Naughty Marietta/Rose Marie/Student Prince disc of my Treasury of Great Operettas CD set.

Finished the night with The Matrix Reloaded. Even as Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) become a couple, they learn that tentacled bomb creatures are on their way to destroy their group. Neo contacts The Oracle (Gloria Foster) for help. She sends him to rescue the kindly old Keymaster (Randall Duk Kim) from a gangster (Lambert Wilson).  Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), who can "program" anyone into a copy of him, has taken over one of the rebels and managed to escape the Matrix. He tries to clone Neo, but he's too darn fast and super heroic for his stuff. Trinity and Morpheus escape in a high-speed chase. While Neo, the Keymaker, and Morpheus make their way to the door to the Source of the Matrix, Trinity takes the place of a crew of rebels who were killed in shutting down the power system to the Matrix. Even after Neo finds the Source, he still has to use his powers to save the other rebels...but in the process, he may have sacrificed himself...

To my surprise, this was...not bad, actually. "Complicated" is probably the best word to describe it. They tried a little too hard to pick up the religious threads from the last movie and turn this into a deep discussion on religion, creation, and technology. It really just makes things even more confusing. There were some nice action sequences, though, including the fight with the ghostly "twins" flunkies and that amazing car chase.

While this isn't too horrible, one movie was probably enough for this franchise. I wouldn't come anywhere near here unless you're a really big fan of the cast or the first film.

And I hope all of you had a wonderful Labor Day, whether you had to labor or not.

Labor Day Dolls

Happy Labor Day! Unlike last year, I spent my holiday quietly, mostly at home or work. Started out the morning with an essay on Samuel Gumpers, spearhead of the US labor movement, and a few poems on workers (including I Heard America Singing by Walt Whitman) from the Colliers Book of Holidays.

Also did two segments from American Girl books, both set in the first two decades of the 20th Century. Samantha Parkington's best friend Nellie teaches her friend about child labor, and that "progress" frequently isn't painless for the people doing the work, in Samantha Learns a Lesson. Rebecca Rubin learns a lesson of her own when she speaks out for the rights of workers at a Labor Day picnic in Battery Park during the last chapter of Changes For Rebecca.

Switched to breakfast (including some of that sweet little green watermelon) and a pair of Three Stooges shorts that revolve around working after finishing Rebecca. They're carpenters who accidentally cut a priceless Chinese box in half in "Slippery Silks." A dress shop they just inherited turns out to be the perfect place to hide out...until their clientele gets a load of their idea of fashion. "Violent Is the Word for Curly" when a trio of gas station workers accidentally knock out three professors and take their place. They end up teaching the students of a prestigious girls' school about the importance of "Swinging the Alphabet."

Spent the rest of the morning changing my American Girl dolls into outfits more appropriate for school and early fall. My Samantha wears her blue and white checked Play Dress and white ruffled Pinafore with Springfield Collection socks and the black Mary Janes from her current "meet" outfit. Molly's in Kit's blue floral School Outfit and brown oxfords. Jessa pairs a Springfield Collection pink, white, and black sailor-style top with the gray and pink skirt from Whitney's "meet" outfit and black flats swiped from Josefina. Put Whitney in a yellow floral Queen's Treasures outfit with white socks and the yellow t-strap shoes from Kit's Scooter Outfit. She has her white lace-trimmed crinoline from her eBay poodle skirt outfit under it for more 50's flair. Josefina's in her orange and yellow-print Empire-waisted Summer Dress with the ruffled skirt, fake leather vest, and riding boots. I left Felicity in her Traveling Gown. I really don't have much to change her into.

I was running out of time, anyway. I just barely made it to work. Not surprisingly on a holiday that takes place in the beginning of the month, work was a madhouse all afternoon. I'd return a whole line of carts...then, ten minutes later, they would be empty again. I suspect that a lot of people who would normally have run off to the Shore for the holiday weekend stayed home because of the weather reports...then got stuck amusing their children and families when the worst weather we got all weekend was wind and clouds.

(It didn't rain today, either. At the worst, it was cloudy and a little humid. Mostly, it was sunny and much warmer than it has been.)

Went straight home after I finally got out. Did writing for a few hours. A few weeks have passed. When Leia isn't helping Ben with the cottages, she's in the library or in town, trying to find out more about Empire Industries. Luke's disappointed, but he is happy to be learning more about surfing from Ben. Ben even gives him his late brother Adam's beloved, custom-made blue surfboard.

Luke wants to know what happened to Adam. He and Leia were told that their brother died after returning from Vietnam. Ben says Vader, who had once been a surfing protege of his, killed him when they tried taking over the Jedi Knights, the local surfing gods.

Finished the night with the last of the leftover pork and beans, sliced tomato and white cucumber, and more work-themed Stooges. "Tassels In the Air" has painter Moe mistaken for classy interior decorator named Omay. The boys' ideas of interior decoration are even more outlandish (and destructive) than their fashion sense. Shemp joins them for "Sing a Song of Six Pants." The Stooges are tailors who may lose their shop if they can't make some quick money. A bank robber who uses their store to hide his money may provide the perfect opportunity to earn a big reward...if they can get past his men and his girlfriend first.

No Laboring On Labor Day

Started the day reading poems (including I Heard America Singing by Walt Whitman) and an essay on Samuel Gumpters, long-time spearhead of the labor movement in the US. I tossed in excerpts from two American Girl books for good measure. Samantha Parkington learns from her friend Nellie O'Malley, who once worked in a factory, that "progress" isn't always good for everyone in Samantha Learns a Lesson. Rebecca Rubin discovers just how scary factories were in the early 20th century - and how to stand up for her beliefs - in the final book in her series, Changes For Rebecca.

I spent most of last night and early morning online with Lauren - we rarely get to spend holiday nights together, since I normally work for most of them. I was up so late, it was quarter of 11 before I had breakfast. Ran a pair of Three Stooges shorts on working while I ate. They're "Dizzy Doctors" when they try to sell Brighto, first on the street, then in a hospital. The boys are mistaken for escorts in "Termites of 1938," but they're really exterminators. When mice get into their dates' house, the Stooges go to work...and make a shambles of the party.

Headed to the laundromat around 12:30 to get my small load done. Good thing it was a small load. The place was packed. I was lucky to get one of the last washers available when I came in. Thankfully, the driers were less full by the time my clothes were ready. I worked on my notes and ignored soap operas.

I was a block from my house when the bike stopped moving. I just managed to keep myself from falling off, but I scraped the back of my left thigh pretty good on the tough metal pedals. I wasn't happy when I came home and discovered the chain had come clean off. I really didn't want to take off the guard and try to put it back on. I hadn't gotten to writing yet, and I wasn't going to have time to go out for pizza as I'd planned. My neighbor and landlady Miss Willa said her husband Richard was out fishing, but would be willing to fix it when he got home.

Had the last of the Tex-Mex Bean Dip and grapes for lunch while watching more Remember WENN. Betty Roberts almost becomes "The First Mrs. Bloom" when she and Mackie have to convince the sponsor of their bridal show (Julie Hagerty) that they marry real couples on the air.

Worked on my fanfiction for the next two hours or so. Betty has fled into the forest, but she's being pursued by demons. They overtake her and are about to try worse things...when they hear what sounds like female animals and take off. The noises were being made by Mr. Eldridge and his apprentice, the woodsman who rescued Betty earlier. They take her to their cottage in the woods. The woodsman is charming to Betty, but he still won't let her see his face or let Mr. Eldridge give him away. Betty badly wants to know who he is...and has an idea for how to do it that night...

Rose and Craig picked me up to go to Dad's house around 4:30 for their party. (The bike was fixed by then, as it turned out, but they were already there.) Rose and Craig have a new car - a small dark-blue van. It's really compact and cute, like a dark blue box, but has a surprising amount of room inside. Rose said they fit three bushes for their back yard in the seats with no problem.

I spent most of the party swimming with my nephew Khai and Dad's neighbor Sandy's two little girls Mary and Chloe while the other adults discussed their children going back to school and the new Star Wars movie coming out this fall. I'm so proud of Khai. His swimming has improved tenfold. He can swim easily in the deep end of the pool now, and even go underwater with no problems.

Rose invited me to "Taco Tuesday" at her house tomorrow. Sure! My only plans for dinner tomorrow were leftovers. I do have counseling, but it's supposed to be hot again, so I won't be lingering too long afterwards.

Jodie had plenty of food. There were chicken thighs, burgers, hot dogs, and steak cooked on the grill, a fruit bowl, corn on the cob, a Caesar salad, a macaroni salad, and a plate of various cookies neighbors brought. Had everything but the hot dogs - the pork ones give me indigestion - and the corn on the cob, which was already slathered in butter. I like my corn plain.

Chatted with Dad - as well as he could - right before walking home. Poor Dad. That throat surgery is really hurting him. His voice still doesn't sound right. He did suggest that I look into doing some reading on money management, since I don't think I could handle a second job that's outside of the home. I never really learned money management. I never had much money to manage until the last ten years or so. I've always had a hard time getting a job; what little money I had as a child was earned from chores or given to me by my stepfather.

Walked home after talking to Dad. It was a nice night for it. While it's hotter and a little more humid than it has been this weekend, it's still not overwhelming. It was surprisingly quiet - most people were probably finishing out barbecues or just coming home from their own vacations.

Richard was working on my bike when I got in. The gears have been sticking for a while. He oiled them and got the chain back on, which seems to have fixed the problem for the time being. He says he'll do further work on it when I'm on vacation next month.

And I hope you enjoyed your own Labor Day, whether or not you had to work on it.

Good News On Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! I hope most of you didn't actually have to work. I did, but I cheered myself up this morning with some more My Little Pony. The last Friendship Is Magic episode was "Rainbow Falls." Rainbow wants her team to make it to the Pony Olympics this year, but her other two teammates are flying-phobic Fluttershy and an enormous, hulking male pony who can barely fly. When another team that's filled with genuinely good flyers wants her to join, she has to decide whether to go with the team that may win, or with her friends.

Continued with My Little Pony as I got ready for work. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is a throwback to the original two My Little Pony specials, which were actually quite dark for the early 80s. The first one, Firefly's Adventure (aka Rescue At Midnight Castle) introduces Meghan, the spunky human girl who befriends the ponies (though ironically none of the ponies from this first special would reappear in subsequent cartoons). Firefly brings Meghan to Ponyland to help them defeat the evil Tirak, who has been stealing ponies to turn into dragons. If he can unleash the Rainbow of Darkness, it'll begin a night that never ends! A magician friend of the ponies gives them a magic light rainbow to help, but can they get it to Nightmare Castle in time?

Work was such a pain, I almost would have rather been in Nightmare Castle. It's the beginning of the month, and we were overwhelmed with people using their government money or buying things for back to school. People were not in the best moods despite the holiday, probably thanks to the hot, sticky, humid weather. People screamed at their kids and each other all day. I was so happy that it slowed down enough by 5 for me to leave quickly without a relief.

I went home and changed into my bathing suit, then went straight to Dad's. Jodie came by at work and told me she and Dad were having a small barbecue. And it was small. It was just me, Dad, Jodie, Rose and her family, Jodie's sons, and a couple of their friends. We had Jodie's delicious, oh-so-tender pork ribs and chicken legs, macaroni salad, Caesar salad with sliced ham, roasted asparagus with garlic, and s'mores brownies for dessert. It was yummy; I had a little bit of everything.

Rose and her family went home shortly after dinner. Khai's local friends had left, and he needed sleep. I swam in the pool with some of the college-age kids for a while, but the pool was a little on the chilly side. I ended up chatting with Dad, Jodie, and her sons and their friends.

There's been a lot going on in the past month! First of all, Jodie finally landed a job. She's working for a marketing corporation, searching for companies to be their clients. Other than the company is dealing with a lawsuit, she says she loves her job and is very happy there.

Second, the kindly older woman who lived in the small apartment attached to Dad's house moved out. Jodie's son Jesse, his girlfriend Dana, and their dog Heilio will be moving in. Sounds like they're going to sell Jodie's house and give away or sell any furniture they can't use. It won't be for a while, as the apartment needs to be painted and cleaned, but they should be in within a few weeks.

Third, my poor Dad has a slipped disc and is in pain. He'll be going into surgery in the next few weeks...but will be out in time to do another job on the 10th.

But the biggest news of all is, my landlord Andrew told Dad that he finally sold the house I live in...to my next-door neighbor Richard! And not only that, but Richard wouldn't buy the house unless I stayed put! Not only do they want me to stay, but Richard is a big guy with a large, strapping family. He's the one who often helps me with my bike and shovels the snow for me in the winter. He and his family will probably be able to take far better care of the house than Andrew or Miss Ellie ever could. I knew something was going on downstairs. I've heard lots of moving around in the bottom apartment, and the junk that's cluttered up the porch for as long as I can remember is slowly disappearing.

I hope everyone else had an equally surprising and fun Labor Day and end of their summer!

Storming Into Labor Day

Ugh. I slept in again this morning and awoke to thunderstorms. Not a good start to the last major holiday of the summer. I was going to go to the laundromat this morning. Needless to say, I never made it. I went over old journals and watched Three Stooges shorts about jobs and working. "Ants In the Pantry" has them as exterminators who release pests into a swanky party to save their jobs...and end up being the hit of the party. In "False Alarms," they're firemen who are two steps from being kicked off the force, due to their laziness. While Curly sneaks out to see some ladies, Larry and Moe get locked in a closet, and then race to meet Curly in the chief's new car. They're "Slippery Silks" who inherit a dress shop from their late uncle...but it's their furniture-based designs that really have their customers' attention. In "Dizzy Doctors," when their wives say get a job or else, they become salesmen peddling a new medicine who create chaos in the hospital when they try to sell the stuff to patients.

It was still raining around quarter of noon, and I had to work at 1. I ended up calling for a ride. Jodie took me; she had grocery shopping to do anyway. Ironically, the rain was slowing down even as we drove to the Acme. By the time I finished at 5, it was sunny and hot and the storms were long gone.

I almost wish it had kept on raining. The Acme was a madhouse today. Not only is it the beginning of the month and a major holiday, but most kids return to school this week or early next week. If people weren't buying food for barbecues that were now back on or for their kids' lunches, they were buying what they needed for the month. It was a mob scene. I was glad my relief, one of the college girls, was on time, and Jodie picked me up on time as well.

I went straight back to Dad's house with Jodie. They were having a small Labor Day get-together with some of their neighbors, my sister Rose and her family, and an old friend of Dad's. Bill had known Dad well in college, in the Army, and later when Dad would make business trips up to Alaska. Bill had made the audacious undertaking of riding a big three-wheeled incumbent bike from Seattle to New Jersey, and was now going to take it down to Central Florida to visit his parents. He had some great stories about being a bush pilot in small towns in rugged Alaska.

We had green salad, tomato and mozzarella salad, macaroni salad, spicy hot grilled chicken, Jodie's so-tender-they-fall-off-the-bone ribs, grilled asparagus with lots of garlic, and fancy creme-filled donuts from MacMillan's Bakery in Westmont for dessert. It was all delicious. I tried everything but the chicken. (I've eaten a lot of chicken lately, and from what Jodie said, it was a bit too kickin' for my taste!)

I spent an hour or so watching Spongebob Squarepants with Khai while he played with his cars and ride-on firetruck. In one episode, Spongebob and Patrick do everything they can to keep Sandy the Squirrel from leaving the ocean, even putting on a party to remind her of her beloved Texas. In another, Spongebob and Patrick find a (real-life) pencil that was dropped by a live-action artist. The doodles they create on the ocean floor become real...including a Spongebob clone that's bent on "rubbing out" it's creator! A third story was a bit less dire. Patrick can't afford a vacation, so Spongebob tries to give him one at his home and Squidward's, much to the latter's annoyance.

I finally hitched a ride home with Rose, Craig, and Khai around 7:30, then jumped in the shower after I got in. I hope everyone else who celebrates Labor Day had a great end of the summer season, whether they celebrated it in the rain or not.

"Moonglow" In the Rain

I was up late again with Lauren last night. Once again, I slept in and didn't do much. Spent the remaining morning watching Picnic. William Holden is Hal Cooper, a drifter who finds himself in a small Kansas town on Labor Day Weekend. He hopes to get a job at the grain factory owned by his old college buddy (Cliff Robertson). What he finds is Madge (Kim Novak), the town beauty, who is engaged to his friend because her mother (Betty Field) wants her to move up in society and avoid marrying a man who will run out on her, like her father did. Madge wants a lot more than just to be the pretty, empty wife of the local rich man. Her teen sister Millie (Susan Strasberg), a smart tomboy, wants even more, but her mother largely ignores her to concentrate on Madge.

Things come to a head at the town's Labor Day picnic. Hal only has eyes for Madge...and their raw feelings come out in a lovely dance to the instrumental tune "Moonglow." Trouble is, other women have been eyeing Hal's comely form too, including Millie and Rosemary, the spinster teacher (Rosalind Russell) who rents a room in their house. When a drunk Rosemary rips Hal's shirt and insults him in front of everyone, he takes off again. Madge, however, has seen something awaken inside of her...and she's beginning to realize that neither she nor Millie are really right for their small, smothering town, no matter what their mother wants.

Of the three 50s melodramas I've watched this summer, this was by far my favorite. It started life as a Pulitzer-prize-winning hit play by William Inge. Columbia did it justice. William Holden is simply combustible as the hunky drifter who wants to change his life; Novak matches him as the equally hot beauty who is tired of being seen as just another lovely face. Strasberg is a tad old for her role, but still a riot as the smart teenager who may be too smart for her town. Russell is devastating as the desperate old maid teacher; Arthur O'Connell got an Academy Award nomination as the guy she's after.

The other reason I hung out here was the weather. It poured for most of the morning, and when it wasn't raining, it was stifling humid (though not really hot). I ran cartoons and Three Stooges shorts related to working and to summer while having leftovers for lunch.

Thank heavens the rain ended right in time for me to go to work. Unlike yesterday, work was very busy up until about a half-hour before I left. There were no major problems, and I was in and out.

I finally got a hold of Mom when I came home, before having a quick dinner and hitting the shower. She was fine. Dad tried to drag her out yesterday to do something fun, but when the traffic proved bad and they couldn't decide where to go, they just finally came home. With most people going home today, they were able to take my sister Anny and her son Skylar out to their favorite diner, the Four Seasons, for lunch.

Oh, and Happy Labor Day to all Americans, whether you worked today or not!

Last Day of Work

Happy Labor Day! And yes, today was my last day of work. I have a regular day off tomorrow, and then - vacation! I did get some things done today before work, too. First thing on the agenda was the laundry. It was a very small load that took less than an hour to do. Good thing, because the laundromat was busy with people doing their chores on their holiday off. I'm glad I managed to get a drier and washer.

After I got home and put everything away, I decided to sweep the porch before we get that rain the National Weather Service mentioned. It doesn't look anywhere near as bad out there as it did last month. The nuts that made such a mess a few weeks ago seem to have finally subsided. I have seen the first (huge) acorns of the season, but they haven't reached critical mass yet and probably won't for another month or so.

Ran several Three Stooges shorts about working and jobs as I ate leftovers for lunch. "Termites of 1938" have them playing exterminators who are mistaken for escorts. "Violent Is the Word for Curly" takes them to a girl's college, where they teach them their famous "Swinging the Alphabet" song. "Dizzy Doctors" has them peddling Brighto...but what IS Brighto? When they figure it out, they take their wares to a hospital, where they wreck havoc on the patients. In "Playing the Ponies," they trade their diner for a horse who turns out to be a dud...until he nibbles on Curly's chili peppers! They're janitors who are mistaken for interior decorators in "Tassels In the Air," but the house may need more than redecorating when they're through with it!

Headed for work after the Stooges ended (and after dropping a bag of clothes in the donation bins behind the Acme. Work was busy for most of the night. First of all, it's still the beginning of the month. Second, many local families were shopping for the first day of school. We had long lines and large orders all evening.

It was raining lightly when I got out. It must have just started. I barely got wet. I don't think it's even doing that now.

(And sorry this is so late, but my internet went down for two hours. There must be storms in the area of the signal.)

No Laboring On Labor Day

It was nice to not have to work on Labor Day for the first time in over ten years. If I wasn't working on the Acme, I was working on getting ready for classes! Well, no really major work today. I was off the Acme, and all the libraries are closed.

I slept in and decided, since it was so nice, I'd spend the late morning and early afternoon in Newton River Park. I went for a long walk from CVS to just past the green and yellow playground, and then back around to Greenwood Avenue in Oaklyn. Not surprisingly, given the gorgeous, 80-degree weather, everyone was out in the park. People walked their dogs. They had picnics with their children next to the playground. They fished. They jogged. They strolled in ones and twos and threes. They rode bikes.

Turned the other direction when I got half-way through. I stayed on the path for a while, but then I saw a steep dirt path branching upwards to the houses overlooking the hill. I thought...why not? I'd never tried them before. I felt like an explorer as I hiked up the hill...and ran into the back of several yards. I had to squeeze around construction equipment working on the back roads in Haddon Township and Oaklyn to make it back to Greenwood.

The neighborhoods were busy, too. I saw people mowing their lawns and weeding their gardens. They chatted on their porches, and practiced guitars on their patios. They stopped their cars to talk to friends. Kids walked in groups, relishing their last day of freedom before school starts again.

I had considered Capitol Pizza for lunch, but like most of the small businesses on the White Horse Pike, they were closed for the holiday. I ended up getting a Roast Beef and Swiss Ciabatta Melt, Dark Chocolate Reeses Cups, and a 16 oz Chocolate-Cherry Coke Zero from the fountain for lunch. I headed home to enjoy my treats and another East Side Kids movie, Smart Alecs

Headed for the laundromat after that for my only real "laboring" of the day. It took me a little longer than usual to do the laundry this week. I had piles of linen and the baby blanket I used for the doll story last Tuesday in addition to the usual things. It was busy again, but I was able to get a washer and a dryer with no problems this time. I read Wild Ride in peace while the other customers watched golf.

After I came home, I put the laundry away. When that was done, I made tilapia, steamed green beans, and pan-fried red potatoes with rosemary for dinner, listened to Bruce Springsteen, and watched Journey to the Center of the Earth.

I hope all of my US readers had an equally enjoyable - and restful - Labor Day!

Hard Labor Day

First of all, Happy Labor Day to all Americans! I hope you didn't have to work.

My Labor Day didn't start out so bad. It was still cloudy and cool, but it never rained. Had hot oat bran cereal for breakfast and watched cartoons. Went down to Miss Ellie's side of the house to see how she wanted the sticks done tomorrow. She said to just pile them up and let neighbors take care of the rest. It's a really big job. Thanks to the recent storms, there's huge sticks all over the place. I'll do it tomorrow, while the laundry's in the dryer.

I wish I'd stayed with Miss Ellie. Work was a total zoo. There were lines across the aisles, even with half the registers open. I guess that's what happens when it suddenly drops to 75 degrees on Labor Day. There's nothing for anyone to do but shop! Not to mention, most kids are starting school, if not tomorrow, then sometime this week.

It was a royal pain in the rear end. People were cranky. People were annoying. The lines were so long, I panicked and was hard on myself all day. There's a sale on Coke where you have to buy four 12 packs of soda cans and one 6 packs of bottles...but the coupon for the sale doesn't state this clearly. More than three-quarters of the people who did that sale brought five 12 packs, not bothering to read the slightly smaller print that said "must buy bottles and 12 packs." Many people were not happy with that, either. People get so touchy about their soda.

Balancing Labor and Fun

I began this Labor Day with a Yoga class. Fortunately, the Monday morning class I usually take was the only one still running today...and it was full to capacity, for once with an equal amount of men and women. As Jill said, holidays seem to bring a lot of people out of the woodwork. Could have been the gorgeous, 80 degree day, too, or the fact that many people have off today.

I wasn't one of those people. Actually, I volunteered to work today. I knew darn well the store was going to be busy today. I'm going to have plenty of time off next week, and anyway, in Cape May County, you don't "sign up" to work on summer holidays. You work summer holidays, no questions asked. Even without the sand and sea air, the Acme was packed today, especially when I came in around noon. Not only is it a holiday, but it's the beginning of the month as well. Most public school kids start classes sometime between tomorrow and Thursday, too. (Private school kids start later - Jessa mentioned that her Catholic school doesn't start until next week.) Not to mention, Mondays are usually a busy day for us, anyway. I had no real plans for today other than my yoga class, and I'm going to get plenty of time off next week anyway. The nice weather must have affected my customers; for all the long lines, there were no major problems and no call-outs.

I have to admit, I had a pretty decent summer. It wasn't the most thrilling summer of my life, but I did do some cool stuff. I got new glasses. I went to see a Camden Riversharks game in an Executive Suite, no less. The wonderful weather allowed for a lot of riding around and exploring. I got my older blue bike back on the road. I finally started yoga classes. I spent some time with Jessa. I found that awesome, huge antique store in Barrington that I WILL be returning to. I bought some cool DVDs, including Get Smart and Tiny Toon Adventures. I read some fun books.

There were fewer lowlights - no hurt body parts (knock on wood this continues), more hours at work (and better hours), fewer days of humid weather. My biggest complaint is I didn't get to do EVERYTHING I wanted to do...and I should have done some things (like get my glasses and my ID) sooner.

After The Boys Of Summer Have Gone

Well, that's it, folks. Today's Labor Day, the unofficial end of the summer in the US (and, I believe, Canada). All and all, it wasn't the best summer of my life, but it was better than last year. The knee injury wasn't quite as nasty, we had fewer long stretches of very hot weather, and I mostly had better hours at the Acme.

Best Of Summer: My vacation in New England (still fun even with the rain) and seeing the wonderfully energetic Hairspray with Lauren during that vacation.

My ride to Haddon Heights a couple of weeks ago.

The fat-free, sugar free Only 8 frozen yogurt Leo's Yum-Yums on West Clinton Avenue carried (get the chocolate-peanut butter when it's available before they close in October). Buying ice cream on Memorial Day brought back a lot of memories I detailed in that day's entry.

Swimming in Uncle Ken's pool while my laundry was in the dryer.

My nephew Skylar's third birthday party.

Finally getting a new record player and being able to play records again.

Worst Of Summer: Another damn knee injury. While not as nasty as the one I had last year (and the knee was the only thing seriously hurt this time), it was still a literal pain, severely restricted many of my activities in July and early August, and remains sore.

The Fourth Of July was a literal and figurative washout. Early work kept me away from the parades and other major morning and early afternoon activities, and while the fireworks were nice, getting caught in a downpour going to CVS to watch them and in an even worse one walking home was not.

Though we didn't have as many long stretches of intense heat and humidity this year, they still popped up from time to time, the worst in late July and early August.

The fracas with the phone company in late July.

My knee injury, vacation, lack of funds, and weird hours at the Acme kept me away from volunteering and day trips for much of the summer.

I hope your Labor Day was a great one, folks. I spent the majority of mine working (long day, very busy - lines out to the aisles, otherwise no major problems) and doing the role play with Lauren before she went to watch wrestling. Look for our newest Monkees role-play story sometime next week!

Oh, and my mom's sending me something she found at her house I haven't seen in years - my old high school field hockey jacket. It was one of the few things from her house I didn't take with me when I moved. I thought she was still using it. Oh, well, I'll be happy to take it. It'll be nice for walks and rides to work in fall and spring, when it's too warm for my heavy jackets and too cool to go without some covering.