Stormy Matches

Began the morning with a late breakfast and the first disc of my Diana Ross Anthology CD set. This one covered her earliest solo hits, from the late 60's through the mid-70's. Most of her songs at this point were bluesy ballads like "Good Morning Heartache" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand," or heartfelt anthems like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." I have fond memories of hearing these songs on the radio in my very early childhood, especially the theme from the drama Mahogany, "Do You Know Where You're Going To."

Hurried out after it ended. I didn't want to be late for work this time, but I needed lunch. I was just able to stop at Common Grounds Coffee House really quick for a Peach Raspberry Refresher and spinach turnover. Didn't even have enough time to sit and eat. I ate them quickly on the way out, but I did make it to the Acme right on time.

The Acme was a mess when I arrived. It looked like it must have been busier earlier this afternoon. I thought everyone would have gone to the Shore! It was sunny and breezy, but also hot and very humid, probably in the lower 90's. From the many people who asked me where things were, I suspect a lot of our customers were tourists on their way to or from World Cup events. The carts were so bad, they sent out some of the college boys who were cashiering or stocking to help me with the carts. Other than that, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.

When I came home, I went straight in the shower, then grabbed a quick dinner. Finished the night online with the Sunday Match Game marathon. The Love Boat had been a regular show for less than a year when the first of its three cast members turned up on Match Game. Bernie Koppel did two weeks, in mid-1978 shortly before the set changed, and later in 1980. Ted Lange had more fun during his three weeks. He got Fred Grandy to strip and give him the suit he loaned him right on the set (to Brett's delight) on one episode, then dressed McLean Stevenson in a similar white suit and cowboy hat on another. To tell the truth, McLean looked less like a chic gentleman and more like he got lost on his way to the Dallas set. As Brett pointed out several times during that episode, he had no flair for fashion.

Fred Grandy probably got the most out of his time on the show. He was a semi-regular from 1979 through 1981, usually sitting on either side of Brett. He and Bart Braverman spent a week blowing kazoos and ringing cowbells in everyone's ears. There was also the week in 1981 when a noisy, enthusiastic group from UCLA rattled everyone's nerves. He saw Gene Rayburn give Leslie Easterbrook (later of Police Academy) quite a welcoming kiss and on the PM episode where the older gentleman said he was there to negotiate returning the Dodgers to Brooklyn (and won a bundle to boot). 

Fred's last appearance was on a week of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984. McLean Stevenson, who was also on that week, spent most of the episode complaining about marker on his pants. Gene gave him another pair, but they were too big. He ended up showing way more than anyone ever wanted to see of him to the camera when he went to hug the contestant after the Head to Head!

Set sail with the crew of the Pacific Princess as they match wits with wild college kids and Brooklyn gentlemen alike in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Featuring the Cast of The Love Boat On the Panel (Bernie Koppel, Ted Lange, Fred Grandy)

Oh, and it did finally storm around 10:30-11 PM, by which time I was long at home and watching the marathon. It got really noisy at one point, too. There was buckets and buckets of rain off and on for at least an hour. 

Out In the Sunshine

Slept in, then got a quick start with breakfast and Charlie & Lola. Lola and Lotta overhear Charlie and his best friend Marv playing their favorite pirate TV show. The dialogue makes the girls believe that the boys don't like each other. They insist "But Marv Is Absolutely Charlie's Best Friend," especially after they see Marv buying snacks with another boy. Lola hopes leaving a card to Marv from Charlie will make them friends again.

Headed out after that. First stop of the day was The Big Event, the bowling alley and arcade in Cherry Hill. The arcade is much smaller than Round 1 or Dave and Buster's, but they're also less expensive, and the few games use far less points. I spun the pirate wheel, pushed both lever wheels, and played a ton of Nerf Arcade. One little boy no more than 5 joined me at Nerf Arcade at one point. He didn't do great, but he had an absolutely marvelous time and was hilarious to watch. I amassed over 2,100 points. Got a cute stuffed popcorn named Arnel who apparently (and appropriately) is a movie lover, a little stuffed rainbow seal, and two fruit Tootsie Rolls. 

Stopped at Dunkin' Donuts and bought a Diet Pepsi, then headed over to the Ellisburg Shopping Center. I had hoped that book store had reopened. Sadly, no. A Wren Kitchen Store opened in what had been Dollar Tree. The book store now held a martial arts studio. The book store would seem to be gone for good. 

There was no way I could hike down Route 70 to Market Place, like I did last summer. It wasn't the weather. It was a gorgeous and sunny, if chilly and windy, day. There wasn't much of a Route 70 left for me to walk down. The right side as you came from Ponzio's and the Ellisburg Shopping Center was being completely refinished, including the sidewalks. I ended up just taking Uber from the McDonald's on the edge of the shopping center. 

My original thought for lunch was The Cheesecake Factory. I took one look at the long line bunched up in their lobby, even at quarter of 3, and decided to save it for a non-holiday weekday. Brio also had a long line and seemed a bit fancy for lunch. 

I ended up at Shake Shack. That might not have been a good idea. Not only were they busy too, but while they have great crinkle-cut fries, their burgers aren't very good. The Shackburger I had was barely one step up from McDonald's. Their fries are delicious, nice and crisp, and I liked the iced tea. I think if I need to eat there again, I'll just get shakes or snacks.

The other reason I ate there is Trader Joe's is right across the parking lot from them. Needless to say, they were insanely busy, too. I just wanted my favorite snacks. Picked up the chocolate-almond butter cereal bars, the coconut strips, and the dried orange slices. All of their yogurt had a ton of sugar. The Iceland-style seemed to be the least sweet.

It was getting late. I had no time for anywhere else in the mall but Barnes & Noble. I walked around for an hour, but I had a hard time picking things I wanted. I just ended up with a work book for women with ADHD and Twilight Falls, the next book in the Shady Hollow Mystery Series revolving around a Zootopia-like town in the woods whose residents are talking animals. They had long lines, too, that moved slow as molasses in January. There was only one register open. Maybe they're having trouble finding help, too. 

At least I had no trouble with Uber today. The one going to The Big Event came in two minutes! The other two took 6 minutes. There was a little traffic on Route 70 and Cuthbert, but no real trouble getting home. 

Went straight into dinner and tonight's Match Game marathon when I got home. For a show as popular as Match Game, their set seemed to always be breaking down. The turntable would go the wrong way, or not go at all. The question holder was forever sliding out of Gene's reach or not going down when he wanted. Lights went out when they weren't supposed to. Earl, the little guy who slid the answers during the Audience Match, fell asleep on the job at least once. Once, the question holder was so stubborn, Gene had a contestant hold it. Gene tripped while doing his Mr. Perriwinkle impression and landed in Elaine Joyce's lap. Some stagehand dropped an orange background instead of the monitor that showed the $5,000 for the Head to Head.

See how a hit game show deals with some pretty crazy breakdowns in this goofy marathon!

Match Game Sunday Night Classics - Technical Difficulties On Set (1973 - 1977)

Ghosts, Spooks, and Night Courts

Began the morning with breakfast and The Backyardigans on Paramount Plus. Austin wishes his monster friends weren't "Scared of You" when Mad Scientist Tasha tells him to round up Mummy King Tyrone, Pablo the Vampire, and Were-Uniqua for a party. They're so afraid of each other, they keep running off. Austin's more concerned about it being his birthday and no one noticing.

Even swashbucklers get spooky in the wacky historical action show Jack of All Trades. When Jack's alter ego the Daring Dragoon is accused of desecrating sacred burial grounds, his partner Emilia takes a potion that turns her into a "Dead Woman Walking." Unfortunately, her ruse goes over too well with French Governor Croquey, who has her cremated! Even after she and Jack get out of that, they still have to get Croquey back for accusing the Dragoon...

Put on Match Game '77 as I made my grocery list. Today was the infamous episode 1005, aka the School Riot. Things didn't get really crazy until the end of the episode, when producer Ira Skutch wouldn't accept Richard Dawson and Debralee Scott's answer of "finishing school" for the contestant's school. (Or a terrified Patti Deustch's "night school.") Richard and Deb protested loudly, the contestant got the audience in on it, and Gene Rayburn couldn't keep order. Charles turned up on Gene's entrance stairs as "the victim of the school riot," but the damage had been done. The lower tier kept their answers up in protest for what little remained of the episode.

After all that, I figured I was safer on the road. First stop was lunch at a fairly busy Genova Pizza on Cuthbert Road. While cloudy and humid, it also remains fairly warm for the time of year, probably in the lower 70's. I enjoyed my square "grandma" slice, regular cheese slice, and Diet Coke outside on their patio.

Took the long way through Audubon and down Crystal Lake Road to the stores on Haddon Avenue in Westmont. I haven't checked out Salvation Thrift in a while. They close at 3, and I keep missing them. They were open today, and really busy with people looking for bargains and bringing in donations. I eventually ended up with a small pillow printed with a pretty fall scene, a cute felt bat with googly eyes, and a CD as a Christmas present for Lauren's parents. 

Westmont Party is next door. They're one of the few party stores left in Camden County, and as such, were really busy too. I will absolutely be checking them out for Mystery Bag trinkets next year. They had bags of every little Halloween toy you could think of hanging on the walls of their narrow aisles, and lots of paper decorations I never see anywhere else. I did see some costumes, some for as little as 99 cents, but nothing for Red Riding Hood.

Made a brief stop at Walgreens across the street next. They usually have a terrific seasonal section, but while they did have some Halloween items left, they're mainly down to candy. I just moved on. 

I was mainly out to do a grocery store run at the Westmont Acme. I'm not going to get to the farm market tomorrow, so I bought grapes, apples, and strawberries on good sales with online coupons. Restocked my yogurt and bought Kind bars on sale. They were expensive, but a container of small pumpkin-shaped spice sandwich cookies looked so intriguing, I thought I'd try them. 

Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park, up the hill, and past the Haddon Township Environment and Historical Society. The leaves are finally starting to turn colors here. Some of the trees are very pretty shades of rust, scarlet, and gold. The sun had tried to come out, but gloomy clouds would be in and out for the rest of the day.

Went straight home and into Disney's Halloween Treat while I put everything away. Mom originally recorded this special off The Disney Channel around 1988, and I've watched it at least once almost every year since. It's basically a combination of spooky shorts like "Lonesome Ghosts," "The Old Mill," and "Trick or Treat" and segments from the various versions of The Wonderful World of Disney. There's one on the cat's contribution to the horror genre, and another with Hans Conried as the Magic Mirror discussing Disney's most famous villains up to that point. (If you know Disney, it's easy to tell the segment is from 1977. Madam Medusa from The Rescuers, which was released that year, is the most recent villain seen.) 

Worked on writing after Halloween Treat ended. Cora and her parents are greeted on arrival by what appears to be King Stephan and a small platoon of servants. While Stephan vaguely looks like the paragon Cora was promised, he acts like an obnoxious creep, criticizing her plain dress and trying too hard to ingrate himself with her parents. Cora suspects there's something not quite right here...

Oh, and I got my schedule at this point. In good news, not only do I have Halloween off, but I'm off the day before as well. I'll be able to get a lot done for the holiday, give out candy, and take part in Oaklyn's parade. I also have slightly more hours than I did this week. That 12 to 4 shift on Saturday means I'll be able to hit the farm market, too. However, I work the rest week after Tuesday, including another early shift Wednesday.

Broke at 7 for dinner and Match Game '79. The episode began with Daryl Anderson of Lou Grant showing off his long putty nose and ended with him and Charles admitting they swapped glasses. In between, we got a contestant whose very funny quips and bantering with Gene were a lot funnier than her answers.

Speaking of Anderson, I moved to Lou Grant on YouTube after a shower. Reporter Billie Anderson learns more about "Ghosts" than she ever wanted to when a man claims that the ghost in the haunted house they own pushed his wife off the stairs to her death. Her psychic sister holds a seance in the house to prove that the ghost of a girl previously killed there still exists...but a very living little girl is the one who eventually revealed that the real culprit is definitely flesh and blood. 

Moved to Amazon Prime for the first two Night Court Halloween episodes in honor of Richard Moll, who passed away tonight. Bull, the show's towering ballif and strange comic relief, was probably my favorite character on the show along with Harry. We get an idea of why in the third season episode "Halloween, Too." While he has his own method of making a jack o'lantern, Harry is delighted to fall for a beautiful woman who shares his bizarre sense of humor. He's not so thrilled when she's dragged into his courtroom after she was found doing bizarre rituals in Central Park. She's a witch...and he can't handle the existence of any kind of magic.

"Halloween II: The Return of Leon" brings back the orphan Leon whom Harry had taken an interest in. He's worried when the boy is brought in for stealing food, then tries to run away. His fear and desire to help the boy leads him to being more than a little harsh, or so it seems. Meanwhile, Dan Fielding would do anything to get invited to his very short boss' Halloween party.

Finished the night back at YouTube for the other really bizarre Halloween variety show, Boo! This Canadian special from 1980 features various famous Universal monsters in very short blackout sketches ranging from Frankenstein being used as a charger for Dracula's shaver to a hypnotist making the Werewolf go crazy whenever he hears the word "flowers" instead of "moon." Rip Taylor tries to sell gags and props to an uninterested audience of monsters and aliens and turns up in a few super-short skits as one of two prisoners in a dungeon. Dionne Warwick performs a lovely "Deja Vu" in a soft-focus sequence and assures the Frankenstein monster that she loves him "Just the Way You Are." 

Dolls on a Warm Winter's Day

Slept in, then worked on my journal for a while. Got going in time for the second half of Match Game '75. Patty Duke was rather embarrassed when she missed "Sign Language" for "Sign __" in the opening Audience Match. Brett's more interested in a handsome, broad-shouldered Texan whose town has an interesting 4th of July tradition. 

Called Uber shortly after the episode ended. It was just too nice to sit inside today, sunny and breezy and in the mid-60's. Ankle or no ankle, I did need a few things at Target. Took Uber there and back. Took about 7 minutes for the man to arrive this time. We did run into some road repair on Cuthbert, but thankfully, it blocked the traffic going towards Oaklyn. 

Didn't really need that much at Target, but they have a few drug items cheaper than the Acme. They're always out of the OGX curl formula I like, and when they do have it, it's a ridiculous price. Theirs is at least slightly cheaper. Grabbed Crest's Gum Therapy toothpaste for cheaper, too. Wanted to pick up granola bars and a bag of sliced vegetables, but their selection of the former is not great. I'll get them tomorrow. (Forgot something else I needed, which was tissues.)

Managed to make it into the Bagel Shop an hour before closing for lunch. Enjoyed an omelet with tomatoes and tons of stringy mozzarella and topped with sliced avocado, along with a toasted whole wheat bagel. Didn't have room for all of the slightly dry roasted potatoes, though. Had the tasty "diet half and half" iced tea from a bottler in North Jersey. I enjoyed a nice, quiet lunch. The only people who were there were a couple with their toddler, whom they distracted with what sounded like cartoons or online games.

When I got home, I went through the dolls' things and pulled out a few outfits to give to the daughter of a friend who has an AG-sized dolls and organized them, then dressed the dolls for March. Josefina wears her Harvest Outfit with the flowered embroidery and the yellow-green skirt. Whitney's in a flowered Queen's Treasures dress and the matching headband with her own petticoat underneath for more flair. I found Molly's shamrock-print dress with the rickrack trim at a yard sale years ago, which she wears with her white t-straps. Finally got Molly's underwear - her comfy-looking camisole and slip - on eBay to wear under it. 

I'm so glad I bought Samantha's Special Day Dress when it went on sale around 2015 - it's fairly hard to find now. I'm especially fond of the red shoes with the bows that goes with this outfit. Felicity gets what was her friend Elizabeth's Summer Gown. The pale celery color and quilted petticoat really makes it more appropriate for spring than summer. Jessa wears an emerald green wrap top I found at a booth in Deptford in 2009, the tight jeans from the 1996 Blue Jeans Basics set, yellow socks, and the loafers from her Girl Scouts set. Ariel gets Julie's original meet outfit with the multi-colored turtleneck, blue striped jeans, and peasant blouse worn with the boots Whitney came in. 

Found a really awesome Our Generation Retro outfit on eBay that's perfect for Barbara Jean. She's "Feelin' Groovy" in a totally mod orange, tan, and turquoise minidress, white fur vest, hot pink rectangular sunglasses, and white vinyl go-go boots. Most of the 18-inch outfits out now were made for dolls with cloth bodies, not Barbara Jean's slender hard plastic one, so the dress is too big for her. I added a leather-like belt that was still too big, but at least helped somewhat. 

The white fur vest is too short, as she's taller than the AG dolls, but it's not a deal-breaker. The boots being too big worked to her advantage, as her feet are a different shape than the AG and Our Generation dolls. She can't fit into most of their shoes, but these went on just fine. I even found a brown elastic headband with a yellow flower that matched perfectly. 

It was nearly 6 before I finally got to writing. Marcia Wallace is in charge of the Newhart Inn Boarding House. Richard tries to charm her, but she already has a room for him. Bill Daily told her what happened earlier. 

Broke for dinner at 7:30. Ate while watching Match Game Syndicated. Buzzr skips quite a few episodes, finally landing on the end of the next week with Loretta Swit, Dick Martin, Nancy Lane, and in his last appearance on the show until The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, Nipsey Russell. Charles is just nervous to help the contestant with "Milk and __" in the Head-to-Head.

Finished the night with Graffiti Bridge at YouTube. I go further into Prince's last vehicle for himself, a semi-sequel to Purple Rain, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Grafitti Bridge 

Winter Reasserts Itself

I was so worn out, it was noon when I finally rolled out of bed, and past 1:30 when I had brunch and watched Doc McStuffins. Rescue helicopter Ronda breaks a rotor while getting Stuffy down from the roof of Doc's clinic. Ronda can't resist continuing to rescue her friends, even after Doc's pasted her up, but Doc admonishes her to "Rest Your Rotors, Ronda!" Ronda finally finds a way to help her friends in trouble without flying - by being a good leader. Donnie's eager for his new toy truck Tremaine to win a toy car show in the park. He's upset when Tremaine scrapes his snazzy new paint job. Doc tells Donnie she'll fix him...but it's hard to do that with Tremaine constantly zooming around. Doc reminds him that in order to "Keep On Truckin'," he has to hold still.

Watched F-Troop for an hour or so while I tried and tried and tried again to re-crochet my round place mat and get it to lie flat. "The Phantom Major" (Bernard Fox) wants to teach F-Troop how to capture Natives using subterfuge. Of course, his idea of "subterfuge" is everyone hiding in tree and horse costumes. No one wants to become a Native-hunting troop, least of all Agorn and O'Rourke, whose enterprises are threatened by the major's plans. They all work together to find a way to scare him off.

Agorn overhears O'Rourke talking to the fort veterinarian after he's gone to the vet with complaints about an upset stomach. He thinks they're talking about him dying and writes "Corporal Agorn's Farewell to the Troops," which includes a full confession about his and O'Rourke's activities, and sends it to the inspector general. Once he learns the truth, he and O'Roarke pose as mail bandits to get it back...but the real bandits are after the mail, too.

By that point, I just felt depressed. Nothing's going right. I couldn't get my round to do what it was supposed to do. I can't get myself to do what I'm supposed to do, either. I hurt myself for the second time in three years. I don't want to work in a grocery store or live in an attic forever, and I'm tired of not being able to change. It shouldn't take twenty years to make things better...and the harder I try, the worse things get. I'm so frustrated and angry with myself for not doing better.

I didn't care about my stupid ankle. I was tired of sitting inside. Pulled on the boot and went for a walk to the fried chicken and gyro place a block down the street. Besides, it was too nice to sit inside all day. It was cold, yes, in the upper 30's, but sunny and bright and still. Frankly, it felt more like a typical day in mid-February than it has lately.

Needless to say at 4 PM, they were totally empty. I managed to explain to the gentleman behind the counter I wanted a tilapia sandwich with fries and a Cranberry Canada Dry Ginger Ale. I've never tried their flavored ginger ales before. This one wasn't bad, a little sweet but slightly tart. The fries were hot and crispy and not too salty. The fish sandwich was huge, with a bun that took up half the plate, slightly spicy and totally delicious.

Worked on writing when I got home. I can't figure out this story, either. It's going nowhere. I may either re-write it to make everyone already knowing each other when Richard is "the Ace," or switch to the western story I put off. It's moving way too slow and taking too long to introduce everyone.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched Polly while I ate. I go further into this charming TV adaptation of Pollyanna from 1989 with a mostly-black cast at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Polly (1989)

Finished the night on YouTube with The Lawrence Welk Show. I couldn't find any shows on Washington's Birthday, and only the Valentine's Day one for Lincoln. Turned to the other holiday next week, Mardi Gras, instead. For some reason, the 1966 show kicks off with "Brotherhood of Man." "I Dreamed' of dressing in costume at the parade, the Lennon Sisters sing wistfully. Bobby Burgess, Arthur Duncan, and Jack Imel are "Together Wherever We Go" in a lively dance routine. A beautifully costumed Norma Zimmer admits "I Could Have Danced All Night." Bobby Burgess and Barbara Boylen show off their stuff to "High Society," while Jo Ann Castle, Myron Floren, and Kenny King have a blast on their accordions with "Clarinet Polka." 

The episode from 1976 had a similar theme and equally lavish and strange costumes. This time, Bobby and Cissy King got their square dance on with their ode to "Big D." Guy and Ralna stay in Dallas to sing about "The Yellow Rose of Texas." Ralna returns later in a tiara and huge fur collar to ask "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?"  Norma Zimmer's ballad in costume here is the theme from Gone With the Wind, "My Own True Love." Arthur Duncan admits he's "Breezin' Along With the Breeze" in his lively solo. The Semonski Sisters get an adorable "Windy," while Anacani in a frilly sequined and striped dance outfit encourages everyone to "Come to the Mardi Gras." Larry Hooper admits to the chorus "That's What I Like About the South." 

Found a "Riverboat Show" from 1980 with a lot of the same songs and a similar deep-south theme. Bobby and his new partner Elaine Nivenson get "Waitin' For the Robert E. Lee" in this episode, here done as a energetic cakewalk. Arthur Duncan does his own solo version a little earlier in the show. Anacani goes really, really deep south with "South of the Border." Country diva Ava Barber's joined by organist Bob Ralston to sing about those "Southern Nights." Kathie Sullivan gets the lovely ballad "Stars Fell on Alabama," while Guy and Ralna croon about that "Moon Over Miami." Ken Delo shows off another side of his talents with his hand puppet "friend" who helps him out with "Down By the Riverside." 

Join the Mardi Gras parade and ride on a riverboat way down south with Lawrence Welk and his champagne partiers!

Mardi Gras Show - 1966

Songs of the South & Mardi Gras - 1976

Riverboat Show - 1980

The First Day of Winter

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Bugs Bunny's Christmas Tales. The first story in this all-original anthology is a condensed Christmas Carol, with Yosemite Sam as Scrooge, Porky as Cratchit, and Bugs as Nephew Fred and the Ghosts. The second has Wile E. Coyote chasing Road Runner into the snow-covered mountains as he rocket-skates and skies to catch his dinner. Taz ends up in a Santa suit in the last short, with Bugs trying to keep him from completely destroying his house.

Headed off to work just as that ended. Work was a little busier than yesterday. People are starting to come out of the malls and pick up ingredients for baking and Christmas dinner, along with cards and wrapping paper and bags. I spent the first hour doing returns; shelved candy between customers. We had enough help by quarter of 3 for me to shut down without a relief.

Soon as I got home, I changed and loaded fudge into bags and boxes while watching The Year Without a Santa Claus. I went further into my favorite Rankin-Bass special at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog on Christmas Eve 2019.

Christmas Eve Double Feature - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Year Without a Santa Claus

Let the DVD move on to another Rankin-Bass favorite, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, as I tied the bags with curling ribbon and loaded them into my backpack. I went further into this charming Biblical tale of the donkey who carried Mary to Bethlehem in an entry last year.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The First Christmas & Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

Spent the next couple of hours writing. The Nutcracker and chatty Major Mint (Bill Daily) try to push Debralee away, but the Mouse Queen hems her in. She's about to be turned into a doll herself when Gene steps in...

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Since there were things going on at the house, I opted to go out for dinner. Ended up at Crown Chicken and Gyro around the corner. I must have missed the dinner crowd, because they were quiet. I ate my fish gyro and slender fries in silence, listening to the accents on the gentlemen behind the counter.

Wanted to get mouthwash and batteries at Dollar General, which I forgot yesterday. They didn't have the mouthwash I wanted, but I did find batteries. They really didn't have much of anything else, either. They're so cleared out, they're already starting to put out their Valentine's Day candy.

Went for a stroll down by Newton Lake Park before it gets too wet and cold for outdoor activities. Some of the lights that way were pretty nifty, too. I saw houses with elegant wire statues, houses with bushes outlined in soft cobalt blue, and houses with lit menorahs in their windows. Those who didn't go for lights had big wreaths on their front doors. 

Put on Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol when I got in. I went into this early network animated holiday special at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in 2020. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

Finished up the night online with Frosty the Snowman in honor of the first day of winter. The original Rankin-Bass Frosty special begins on a snowy morning right before Christmas. Little Karen and her friends are delighted when a magician's top hat brings their snowy friend (Jackie Vernon) to life. Not only is it getting too warm for Frosty to remain, but the magician (Billy DeWolfe) wants his hat back. He's so desperate, he follows Frosty and Karen to the North Pole, where they hope Santa will have a place for him.

National Night Out

Began a far sunnier morning with breakfast and the earlier Peanuts summer special. Chuck and the other kids recall how It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown when Lucy signed them all up for summer camp. Lucy and the girls beat Charlie Brown and the boys at every sporting event and activity, until the boys get Snoopy to arm wrestle Lucy! 

Worked on writing for a while after that. Brett's alarmed, then annoyed when Richard keeps falling off his horse. He says he's doing fine. All he needs is practice. The others remind him he can't practice if he's fallen under his ride.

Broke to get ready for work at quarter after 12. Today's Match Game '74 is probably my favorite episode from that year. Charles reads his answer to "__ Roulette" for Janet Finn in the slow-moving style of newscaster Walter Cronkite...to the frustration of Janet and the annoyance of the others, who attack him after he finally gets it out!

Headed off to work a little early again so I could have lunch there. Work went pretty much the same as yesterday. Once again, I swept the store and pushed carts...but were a little busier today, too, thanks to this being Senior Discount Day. I also had to put away cold items, clean up a fruit spill in a register, and mop up the leaky floor around the meat department. Every time I tried to do one thing, someone would tell me to do something else, and then another person would tell me to do something while I did that! I wish they'd make up their minds. I can't do 200 things at once. I'm not a machine.

It was hot, sunny, and killer humid for most of the afternoon, even when clouds kept moving in and out. They were long gone by the time I started home. Oaklyn's fire and police department always holds a fair for National Night Out on West Clinton in early August. I arrived there to see huge crowds watching in awe as the fire fighters lifted their ladder high into the pale blue sky. Police officers gave out free water bottles, inflatable balls, and glow-in-the-dark Frisbees. Kids jumped in bounce houses, one a basic rainbow-colored, one candy-themed, got their faces painted, and had mock sword fights with balloon weapons. 

I ended up with a free bag of popcorn and a soft pretzel. Grabbed two quick slices of pizza and a bottle of Diet Pepsi from Phillies Phatties and had them out on the picnic tables. It was too crowded with kids hanging out to eat in there! One of the kids even asked me if he could ride my bike. Uh, no. I need my bike. It's not a toy. I did get to have a quick chat with Brittany, one of my neighbors from Hillcrest, and her kids coming back from getting ice cream.

Watched the tail end of Match Game '77 when I got home. Brett Somers spent the last week of 1977 doing a play, but Fannie Flagg was a more than adequate substitute. As I came in, Gene was delighted to meet an older man with a Yugoslavian last name who spoke Serbo-Croatian like he did. Fannie and Mary Wickes were happier flirting with him.

Finished the night on Tubi with Clambake. I go further into this charming Elvis beach musical from 1967 at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Clambake