Day at the Library

Began the morning with breakfast and the series finale of Monchichhis. The Monchichhis are searching for the lost treasure of the Pyramid's Eye. The Grumplins are just searching for the bad-luck charm that belonged to their leader Horgg. Tootoo found it...but it seems to give her nothing but good luck. It turns into a "Charm Alarm" when groups are caught by a group of Pack Rats who want them to run on a treadmill that crushes objects for scrap...and may crush a frozen Horgg if they can't find a way to distract the Rats and revive him!

And that's that. This was part of one of the numerous Hanna-Barbara anthology series kicking around in the 70's and early 80's. I believe it was also one of their five attempts to recreate their runaway success with The Smurfs. On one hand, like Shirt Tales, the series does get better as it goes along, particularly later episodes that focus on unique characters or aspects of their world like "Jingle Pods" and "Cloud City." The goofy reggae-esque theme music grows on you, too. Some of the villains, including the Sand Witch of "Moncho's Gift" and red-eyed Horgg, can get pretty scary, too (and they're all generally more effective than Gargamel).,

Trouble is, divorced from the jungle setting, this is pretty cutesy stuff. The Monchichhis themselves are either bland (Moncho, Kyla) or annoying (Tootoo, Thumbkii) or both (Wizzar). They talk about the Monchichhis meaning happiness in the opening, then do almost nothing with the all-important Happy Works after the first few episodes. Despite the all-star cast that includes Peter Cullen as two of the Grumplins, Frank Nelson as Wizzar, and Robert Morse as Moncho, none of the characters are really all that distinguished or interesting. The animation is even less so, with stilted movement and poor continuity. 

If you can get them past some mild cartoon violence and fairly scary villains, younger elementary school-age kids who will enjoy the Monchichhis' antics and those who remember when this show used to re-run frequently on USA in the 80's like me are probably the best audience for this nowadays.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. Since the schools are out for Yom Kippur, I had extra time today to focus on my library trip. Went across the street to pick up the bus to the Voorhees Library. No trouble going there, other than dodging some road work in Oaklyn. I got off around 11:30.

The Voorhees Library is one of the largest libraries in Camden County along with the Cherry Hill Library and the Bellmawr Library. I explored the vast children's area first, looking at fairy tale picture books and admiring the view of the stand of trees and water outside the wide windows and the cute wooden kitchen playset in the play area. It was pretty busy, though, so I didn't stick around. I peered at the adult fiction stacks briefly before heading upstairs.

The second floor is entirely given over to the adult non-fiction and to meeting rooms. I found a couple of really interesting books on musicals. I've been reading some version of the Stanley Green Broadway Musicals Year By Year series since I found one of the earlier editions at the Villas Library years ago. The one I read went up to 2010 (American Idiot and Million Dollar Quartet are the latest shows profiled), but I was more interested in less-discussed shows of the 1910's, 20's, and 30's that are almost never revived in their original forms today like Maytime, Sally, Tip Toes, and DuBarry Was a Lady. I also found The Movie Musical! by Jeanine Basinger, who wrote that wonderful book on silent stars in the late 90's and a book on demolished Broadway theaters.

By quarter after 1, I was dodging more adults looking for books upstairs. Time for lunch. I went across the street and past the Voorhees Town Center to Restaurant Row. Well, it's supposed to be Restaurant Row. There aren't that many restaurants left. There's an Indian restaurant, a fancy Brazilian steakhouse, a Chinese restaurant, and Crust n' Fire, a fancy pizza place. I originally wanted pizza, but they don't sell slices. As it turned out, their wraps may be even better. I had a Caprese chicken wrap - chicken with arugula, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette on a whole wheat wrap. Yum! The wrap was too thin to hold all of that, but it still tasted delicious. Their crispy "Jersey Shore" fries were even better. I washed it down with a Diet Pepsi.

Went to Boscov's next. Boscov's is the only store that's still open at the Voorhees Town Center. Some Voorhees government offices have reopened, but most of the other stores closed even before the Town Center's food court had a nasty fire in 2024. Luxury condos, a beauty school, and a couple of restaurants do not make a "Town Center." Boscov's wasn't much, either. They seem a bit smaller than the other Boscov's in Deptford. There wasn't much in their shoe department. I didn't see any sneakers I could use for running errands and headed out. It didn't help that it was really busy too, including families with children and strollers that blocked aisles. 

I was going to take the bus home after that. I assumed the bus would pick up on the Voorhees Library side of the road, but...the 403 never came that way. There was some excitement while I was waiting. I couldn't see what happened - a sign and bushes blocked my view - but an older lady apparently had a nasty fall in the parking lot of the senior housing next to the library. On one hand, the poor older lady did not want to go. She kept yelling that she was fine, she didn't need help, she wanted to be left alone...even though if someone called cops and paramedics, she was obviously anything but fine! On the other hand, the police and paramedics were just trying to help an older lady and do their jobs. They did finally take her away on a stretcher. 

After all that, I gave up on waiting and went back into the library. This time, I checked out the adult fiction section downstairs. Their science fiction isn't much, but they have a wonderful mystery section! I saw all or most of the books in some of my favorite series and many individual historical thrillers. I didn't take anything out because I'm going on vacation and won't have the time to read them, but I will be coming back here later in the fall or winter.

I did finally catch the 4:03 bus home, on the right side this time. I should have been more careful and caught the earlier one. The bus stopped at every block to pick up workers on their way home from the stores and offices on the White Horse Pike. Between that and the traffic, a 15 minute trip turned into almost 40. 

When I did get home, I finished The Train to Impossible Places by P.G Bell while The Price Is Right played before switching to Match Game '76 during dinner. I have no idea why Buzzr kept skipping ahead. The first episode introduced George Kennedy to the show. The next two featured Bob Barker and Patty Duke. The last featured Gary Burghoff and debuted elegant Susan Sullivan.

Finished the night with game shows on PBS and Public broadcasting. The US Public Broadcasting System was late to game shows. They didn't really have the money, and they seemed to be contrary to their mission to educate and entertain. It wasn't until 1978 that they finally jumped into the fray with We Interrupt This Week. It's too bad they didn't start sooner and that there isn't more of this show existing. This hilarious panel show spoofs current events, and despite only lasting three months in two runs, what little is currently available is hilarious.

Before that, most local stations had their own quiz bowls for  high schools and colleges based on GE College Bowl. Some of them were so popular, they started in the 70's and continue to this day! One of those long-running quiz shows is Scholastic Scrimmage. High Schools from the Lehigh Valley area have been competing against each other on Pennsylvania PBS WPSU for 50 years. In fact, I have a recent episode from earlier this year.

One of the major events on PBS in 1982 was Top of the World. This British show featured Australian, American, and British competitors playing in England. The show played in all three countries via satellite. Despite it being a huge undertaking, and host Eamonn Andrews' promise that it would return, the show only lasted 4 months, and PBS never tried anything this ambitious with a game show ever again. Only the big finale exists today.

In fact, they wouldn't run another national game show until Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego in 1991. Greg Lee was the enthusiastic host as three "gumshoes" tried to figure out where Carmen's oddball assortment of criminals took this week's improbable landmark. Actually, "The Purloined Pooch" is, for once, something someone could reasonably steal. In the pilot episode, seemingly sweet Patty Larceny made off with a lapso apsu from the East African Kennel Club's big dog show. As the Chief (Lynne Thigpen) points out in the beginning, the scoring may have been different, but it's still the same game...and still gives us the same wonderful lessons in geography at a time when the map of the globe was changing daily.

World was such a smash hit, Thigpen went right into a follow-up in 1997. Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego, alas, only lasted a year. I think it's too bad. Learning about history is just as fun as learning about countries of the world, and the space theme is really fun and even scary. In the premiere, Jacqueline Hyde, who jumps rapidly between a sweet school girl and an insane criminal, stole P.T Barnum's famous "Greatest Show on Earth" slogan. This leads to questions on the history of advertising, from Barnum's ballyhoo in the 1870's to the debut of the Home Shopping Network in the 1980's. 

This was far from the last time PBS did game shows for children. Design Squad was a two-year hit on PBS Kids Go! in the late 2000's. It's very similar to Destroy Build Destroy on Cartoon Network, only here, the kids don't destroy their design. It's something that has to help their fellow kids or a local business. In this case, they help kids who love their pool make a water pump that will allow their pool slide to be wet and slippery. 

There were game shows for adults in the 90's, too. Think Twice from 1994 was PBS' first attempt at a quiz show since Top of the World. Two pairs answered questions, used their imaginations to create a story from words, and guessed a question from a list of answers ala Family Feud. Honestly, this was really fun, especially using worlds to make up a story, and I'm surprised it didn't last longer than 6 months.

This is PBS. Celebrate America's public broadcasting system with wacky criminals, tough-lady Chiefs, hopeful kid designers, and hilarious panelists!

We Interrupt This Week (1978)

Top of the World (1982)

Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego Pilot (1992)

Think Twice (1994)

Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego Premiere (1997)

Design Squad (2007)

Scholastic Scrimmage (2026)

Eye On Harvests

Began the morning with breakfast and the Monchicchis. Snog, the second-in-command grumplin, gets a hand on his boss' grumpstaff and a big head when his boss is focusing on a machine to turn the Monchicchis into stone in "Grumpstaff Grief." He proceeds to use so much of the magic, he drains the Wizzar's magic staff. The Monchicchis have to go to the Grumplins' world to recharge it. 

Headed out after the cartoon ended to Collingswood for this week's Farm Market. The booths groan with the late summer-early fall harvest. There are piles and piles of eggplant, peppers, plums, apples, beans, pears, tomatoes, corn, pumpkins, grapes, and winter squash. I ducked through the crowds buying produce for their late summer barbecues and the Jewish New Year holidays to pick up tiny Honeycrisp apples and black table grapes.

Went down the street for brunch next. I was originally going to eat at Sabrina's Cafe, but they always have a long line on Saturdays. I ended up going across the street to Palmona Restaurante instead. I made the right choice. Not only was the Mexican restaurant a lot quieter, with only one large group enjoying their meals across the room, but the food was delicious. I had a huge, fluffy waffle topped with sliced strawberries and a blueberry-blackberry compote and turkey bacon. The waffles were incredible, so soft and moist, and the compote was wonderfully tangy and sweet.

Since the Farm Market was still going on, I went back that way for a cream pop from the Bubba's Creamery cart. Went with chocolate mint this week. Whew, was that minty! Tasted like the purest mint chocolate chip ice cream you could imagine. I enjoyed it while listening to a really good accordion group play "Sunrise, Sunset."

After that, I got on my bike and rode down Haddon Avenue to Kresloff's Eye Associates. Even with lunch and the cream pop, I was still 20 minutes early. Thankfully, I had no trouble here. Signed the paperwork, went in the back for the exam. My eyes are no better or worse than they were last year. I did pay for drops that would make them less diluted sooner. 

I did that because I still had grocery shopping to do. Walked my bike to the Westmont Acme next. Did really well there. There were a lot of sales, and I had a 10 percent off coupon from my vaccination last week. Had online coupons for Swiss cheese, yogurt, shredded chicken, granola, granola bars, and more of those yummy Popcorners chips. They had Fresca in the 20 ounce bottles, too. Didn't really need much at Sprouts. I only bought oat milk, chocolate chip cookies, and more of that Nektar Pop (which is still buy one, get one). 

After all that, I went straight home. Put everything away, then went down for a nap. I've had an extremely long and busy week. Went to sleep at quarter after 3, didn't get up until almost 5. 

Watched The Sword of Monte Cristo next. In 1858 France, Lady Christiane (Rita Corday) dresses as a masked cavalier to lead the peasants against the Emperor Louis Napoelon (David Bond). The real power behind the throne is his corrupt minister Charles LaRoche (Barry Kroger). He orders Captain Renault (George Montgomery) to arrest Christiane's uncle the Marquise De Montableu (Robert Warwick), the only man who can read the symbols on the Sword of Monte Cristo and unlock a fabulous treasure. Christiane tries to regain the sword, only to be found out by Renault. Renault, however, is loyal to the Emperor, not to LaRoche, and the treacherous minister shows his true colors when he has Renault jailed and forces the Emperor and Marquise to help him find the treasure. It's up to Renault and Christiane to join forces and assure the fabulous untold riches go right into France, where they belong.

Montgomery is out of place in this generally enjoyable bit of blarney, too modern to be believable as a swordsman of the 1800's. Corday is better as the woman determined to see justice for her people. Look for William Conrad as LaRoche's equally smarmy second in command Major Nichoret. 

Finished the night with dinner and the Saturday Match Game marathon. Jokes about Adam and Eve abounded on a show that loved nothing more than a good, mildly titillating sex joke. There was an Adam and Eve joke from a young man in a rather ugly tweed jacket who impressed Phyllis Newman during her one week late in 1974, and one the week with Ed Asner and Marcia Dodd in 1976. Foster Brooks heard on one his first week in 1979. Jack Albertson accidentally gave an answer away in an episode in 1975. Fannie Flagg had a snake-and-apple-themed sequined t-shirt that she wore several times, notably during a nighttime episode in 1975 that also featured Asner and Julie London.

Step into the garden of Eden to find out just how Adam and Eve lost their blank in this hilarious and thought-provoking marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Adam and Eve Marathon

Out In the Sunshine

Got a really quick start this morning with breakfast and a classic Mickey Mouse short. "Mickey's Rival" introduces Mortimer Mouse, a long-nosed rival for Minnie's affection. Minnie thinks he's adorable, but Mickey doesn't appreciate being made fun of. Then a bull attacks, and Minnie sees the vast difference between someone who is "a perfect scream" and someone she can rely on.

Thankfully, Uber worked out just fine today. I called the one going to the Acme late, but they came in 10 minutes and got me there just in time. The one going to Thomas Sharp also took 10 minutes. I got there slightly late, nothing to worry about. It took me a few minutes to find one going home at rush hour, but when I did, they came in 5 minutes.

No trouble anywhere else, either. The Acme was dead as a doornail. I spent the entire time outside, pushing what carts there were. The head bagger did the sweeping and the trash. It was cloudy and breezy when I went to work, but the sun started coming out towards the end of my shift. By the time I was walking to the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center in the back of the Acme, it was sunny and gorgeous, in the lower 80's.

My schedule is a lot more workable, too. I only work at the Acme on Sunday and Wednesday, and Wednesday is the only double shift next week. Six hours on Sunday does mean I'll miss the Eagles game, but I also have Monday fully off - the Collingswood School District is closed for Yom Kippur - and leave for Pittsfield a week from tomorrow.

Had a quiet, calm bento box lunch at Futomaki Japanese Restaurant in Audubon Crossings. There was no one there but me and an old man in the back. Some people did come and pick up food, but they didn't stay. I enjoyed my California Rolls, fried scallops, rice, vegetables, salad, soup, and crispy salmon in peace. Stopped at Sonic for a banana milkshake afterwards and to enjoy the gorgeous weather. Went back to the Acme to buy more maple leaf sandwich cookies and get 60 dollars for the week before calling Uber.

The after-school program could have been a lot worse, too. We only had 13 kids all together, 5 in my group. I got my kids in and out of the bathroom pretty quickly, with a minimum of fuss. The moment they finished snack time, we took them outside. It was really too nice to stay inside! With fewer kids, I let them on the swings a little earlier, too. There was some squabbling over who would swing with whom, but almost all of them eventually got a turn. Since there were two kids left by 5 PM and two teachers, I got to leave early. 

Got to see more The Price Is Right when I arrived at home. One nervous, sweet lady from Texas did the Grocery Game like a champ. She wasn't the only person who was nervous. Dian had to take the register at the Grocery Game over from Janice, who was out sick, and she was just as scared! Another lady didn't have as much luck with the Squeeze Game. A pregnant woman managed to get the first two prizes on the Range Game, but took too long on the second prize and didn't get the car. The first showcase was a generic dining room. The second Showcase was about as early-mid 80's as you could get. Johnny Olsen found himself caught between models with weird hair who show him what happens on a "punk rock" airline. 

Let it continue into Match Game '76. The first episode introduced a very pretty young student who took so long to answer a question, Gene ended up sitting down and spent five minutes prodding her. Maggie Smith beat her handily. She was finally beaten the next week by a gentleman named Ed Sullivan. Bill Anderson's presence on the panel made for lots of country music jokes. He was joined by Debralee Scott and Fannie Flagg.

Finished the night at Tubi with Manhunt of Mystery Island. This 1945 serial features Linda Stirling as Claire Forrest, the daughter of a professor (Forrest Taylor) whose scientific device could revolutionize energy use, if he and his colleague can be found. She and private eye Lance Reardon (Richard Bailey) follow the trail to remote Mystery Island, where a group of men who are the ancestors of the infamous pirate Captain Mephisto intend to use Forrest's machine for their own gain. Worse than that, they have their own "transformation Ray" that can turn one of them into Captain Mephisto (Roy Barcroft) himself. 

Strange plot, even for a serial, but the mix of pirate lore and science fiction proves to be more potent than you might think. Yes, Claire is constantly rescued, but she also has her own heroic moments, including being the one who actually takes down Captain Mephisto in the end. There's some great set pieces, too. Bailey is a dull stick of wood as Reardon, but Barcroft is obviously having way too much fun as the great pirate captain come to life, and Stirling shows why she was the most popular female serial star of the 40's. One of the last great Republic Picutres serials is a must-see for fans of the genre or unique sci-fi stories. 

They Seek Him Here

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man. Adam's sword does a "Disappearing Act" when Orko accidentally sends it back in time while cleaning his room. Orko and Cringer have to go back in time to retrieve it after Skeletor kidnaps Adam and uses him as ransom to bring He-Man out of hiding. Man-at-Arms creates a He-Man robot to use as a decoy while they rescue the real thing.

Called Uber after that. No trouble here today at all. The first driver arrived in 9 minutes. I got to the Acme just in time. I called the second driver early. They arrived in 8 minutes and got me to Thomas Sharp School more than 20 minutes before my shift started. The one going home, to my surprise, came in 5 minutes during the height of rush hour.

The Acme wasn't much of a problem, either. It's the middle of the week and the middle of a relatively calm month. We were quiet until around noon, by which time a college boy was sent out to help me with the carts and trash. I mostly spent the morning sweeping and pushing carts with no trouble whatsoever.

I hadn't had lunch at Rexy's in ages, so I went across the street next. They too have a new fixed price lunch menu, $20 for an entree, dessert, a drink, and soup or salad. I went with an enormous fried cod sandwich with Asian slaw, huge but slightly bland onion rings, iced tea, and the most delicious bowl of broccoli cheddar soup I'd ever tasted. It was topped with sour cream, croutons, and more shaved cheddar. Thick, rich, and decadent. The tiramisu was more disappointing. They said it was homemade, but the middle tasted frozen. It must have been in the freezer with the scoop of orange sorbet before they brought it to me and they didn't give it time to defrost all the way.

After I got to Thomas Sharp, I relaxed at the curved stone wall surrounding a tree and a small garden before going inside to start my shift. The kids were in the hall again when I came in, but at least they weren't out there for long. We had 19 kids today, 7 at my table. There was no trouble in the bathroom - in fact, they got in and out pretty fast. They did get noisy in the cafeteria, but they weren't there for very long. Soon as they all finished eating, we took them outside. 

That didn't work out the way it has the past two days. Though it remains sunny, it was a little warmer and slightly more humid, in the lower 80's, with barely any wind. The kids gathered under the shady trees, looking for ladybugs and digging into its bark to find more bugs. I waited a half-hour to let them on the swings. It didn't help much. All they did the entire time was fight over who got to swing with whom. At least they all had their turns by 4:30, when we finally took them inside to color pictures of unicorns and the Avengers. I finished the picture of Joker-Pruitt, Shadow Man Scott, Lunar Lady Maple, and Power Girl Betty fighting against an urban landscape, then did one of Mr. Eldridge, Gertie, Lady Voltage Hilary, and Magnetic Boy C.J.

Went straight into The Price Is Right when I got home after I took out the recycling. Once again, the Showcases were a tad on the chintzy side for this show. The regular Showcase was just a game table, dining room furniture, and china. The "story" Showcase had a prize for each of the four seasons. Dian's summer dune buggy was the big prize there. 

Let it continue into Match Game '76 after dinner. Eager Jimmie Walker and sassy Roz Kelly joined Betty White and the others for one of the funnier weeks of the year. Brett spent one episode teasing Betty about her lime-green peasant blouse, calling her a Swiss Miss. Roz wasn't too happy about a question that said what she'd do when Fonzie called for her. (One of the reasons she left the show was she most definitely wasn't the type of girl who came when called.) There was also the hilariously effervescent contestant who clung so hard to Gene when she won, he had to reach around her to shake the other contestant's hand. Richard got a little too into kissing her after she won the Audience Match. Roz grabbed Gene for a kiss, and Betty somehow ended up with announcer Johnny Olsen.

Finished the night at Tubi with The Scarlet Pimpernel. The version I watched is from the anthology DuPont Show of the Month from 1960. Maureen O'Hara is Marguerite, Michael Rennie is Sir Percy Blakney, Reginald Denny is Chauvelain, and a young William Shatner is Sir Andrew. The first half honestly sticks to the original story very well, slightly revising how Marguerite finds out what her husband is up to. The second half is more condensed, ending with Percy tricking Chauvelain and replacing his men with the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel at the Inn rather than following him in disguise. 

I wish the copy here was in better shape, because this wasn't bad. Rennie was a tad stiff, but Shatner was charming and O'Hara was a wonderful, fiery Marguerite. I don't know if this is the first version of this story I'd seek out, but if you love O'Hara or secret identity swashbucklers or want to see a different side of Shatner, it's worth checking out once. 

Night of the Soaring Children

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. Uncle Rusty is "The Big Bear Sitter" when Mother and Father Bear go out and he looks after Little Bear. Little Bear and his friends show him how to be a good babysitter. Father Bear and Uncle Rusty take Little Bear to "The Top of the World," or at least on a surprising journey hiking up a mountain. "The Campfire Tale" involves a certain little bear who wanted to bring his mother the moon and tried to carry it in a bucket.

By the time the cartoon ended, it was so late, I called Uber. Not that it helped going to work. Even with the driver taking less than the advertised 13 minutes, I ended up being three minutes late to work anyway. I did better later. The driver going to Thomas Sharp arrived in 7 minutes, and I called them early. The one going home took 8 minutes. Thankfully, no dodging road work this time (though the drivers going to the Acme and Thomas Sharp did report having to deal with it elsewhere, including on the highway). 

That was really the worst thing that happened all day. Work was so quiet, I helped the floral department manager reload the racks that hold plastic bags for the bouquets for an hour when there wasn't much else to do. The head bagger was there, too. Apparently, Acme wants more baggers on duty, even when they aren't really necessary. It did pick up enough by noon that we needed more help, but even that could have been worse. I was in and out with no major problems whatsoever.

Headed in the back next to have lunch at Tu Se Bella's. Even at quarter after 1, they had a long line of ladies deciding on what slices of pizza they were going to take home. I ended up with shrimp and broccoli and tomato-mozzarella-basil and a bottle of Diet Pepsi. Ate while watching Chopped on the TV over the soda cooler. The younger girl seemed to do the best on the smallest budget with the strangest ingredients. One of the guys who restarted his pasta dish three times when he realized how brittle the pasta was looked like he was on the verge of getting cut when I headed out. (The other guy's ground camel and vegetables bowl honestly didn't sound that bad.)

I stopped briefly at Sonic to check something on my phone, but decided I'd have something totally different for a treat instead. Chick Fil'A was still mobbed and still had a long take-out line even at 2 PM. Good thing I just decided to try their Dragonfruit Pineapple Frozen Lemonade. Oh, yum! Just what I needed. Lighter than ice cream, but heavier than Sonic's slushes, with a nice, sweet tropical flavor. Finished it while walking over to the Acme, where I used the bathroom and called Uber early. 

Thomas Sharp was actually a bit less crazy. We had 19 kids, 7 at my table. Good thing, too. We started out in the hall. The music class ran over again. This time, I avoided fuss over snacks by taking the kids to the bathroom right away. When we did get back into the cafeteria for snack time, we were there just long enough for me to read Steam Train, Dream Train and Angelina and the Princess to two enraptured girls before we got them packed up to go outside. 

The weather remains too gorgeous for anyone of any age to be inside for long. It's still sunny and dry, if a bit less windy than yesterday. They were all happy to run around on the slides and check the mulch and the tree for ladybugs, except for the three-year-old twin girls who kept trying to get on the swings no matter what we said. There was also the group that kept running over to a spider web attached to the chain link fence and running away screaming, even though no spider was in evidence. 

There was slightly less fighting over the swings today, maybe because one of the boys who insisted on staying on the whole time wasn't here today. Two of the boys and two of the girls spent most of the time switching off, but they did share. I think only one of the kids didn't get a turn, and he was the only one who was more interested in slides and drawing with chalk on the patio leading to the steps than the swings. 

It was quarter of 5 when we got the remaining 7 kids back inside. The kids colored artwork from Avengers and K-Pop Demon Hunters coloring books, while I worked on artwork of Joker Pruitt, Shadow Man Scott, and Lunar Lady Maple from one of my in-development WENN fanfics, Captain Victor, Shadow of Power (and got to tell the kids what I could about the story). By the time I left at 5:15, there was one younger kid and maybe five older ones left.

Took the trash out, then watched Match Game '76 and had dinner. Nancy Kulp of The Beverly Hillbillies made her only appearance this week...but while she played well, I think her brand of humor may have been a little too dry for this show. Avery Schriberer and Joyce Bulifant seemed more at home with the comedy, especially on a question asking what a lady did to a guy's mustache when she was feeling amorous.

Finished the night at Pluto TV with The Wild Wild West. "Night of the Druid's Blood" has James West on the warpath when he sees a professor friend of his burned to death after he warns him about a certain woman (Ann Elder) who had charmed him. James and his partner Artemis Gordon think they've stumbled onto a druid cult when they see the lady leading what seems to be a full-on druid ceremony. James finally discovers after he's attacked by a phony magician (Don Rickles) that there's more mad science than magic involved here, and that the lady has something more sinister in mind for the senator she's lured into her clutches. 

Perfect Indian Summer

Started off a busy morning with breakfast and the Monchichhis. Moncho is thrilled when they inadvertently awaken his hero, the Mighty Manfred. He's really more of a "Helpless Hero" who would rather eat pies and brag than face danger. The others let him take the glory when they're the ones who stop the Grumplins from chasing them, but he really learns a lesson in bravery when they go on a quest to find a banshee's treasure.

Hurried out the moment the cartoon ended, but it wasn't fast enough. I had to dodge a lot of road work I forgot about, not to mention the traffic on Haddon Avenue. Considering the road work, I'm probably lucky I was only about 5 minutes late at SJRA Radiology on the border of Haddonfield and Westmont. Thankfully, it didn't take long to sign in and get my mammogram done. I went in, changed into my wrap, they squeezed my chest, and I left. 

Continued down Haddon Avenue next to the Haddonfield Library. On one hand, heavy remodeling a few years ago left this as one of the largest, most modern, and best-looking of the local libraries. It also left it a maze. There's more tiny rooms in that building than there is in your average haunted house. I had to ask where the non-fiction was. Turns out it was in the basement. 

Once I got down there, I spent a pleasant 40 minutes or so looking at a guide to Disneyland. Why Disneyland? Well, for one thing, I've never been there. I've never been to California, period. Closest I've gotten is a brief stop over in Salt Lake City. I've been to Walt Disney World, but not since 1990. For another thing, I used to like looking at Disney World guides at the Haddon Township Library when I first moved here 20 years ago. Thought I'd give the other coast a try.

I was originally going to eat at the Bistro, but it was getting kind of late when I finally got out of the library. Opted for the Haddon Diner instead, which is on the way home. I had two very large, fluffy banana pecan pancakes. Yum! They were huge, full of thick banana and pecan pieces. I did manage to eat most of them and drink half of a glass of iced tea. 

There wasn't much time when I finally got home, so I read a chapter of Cookies and Clairvoyance by Bailey Cates while listening to the soundtrack from K-Pop Demon Hunters. This was a huge hit on Netflix last year, and the music is a big part of why. "Golden" was the hit and won the Oscar, but my favorite is the dynamic "Takedown" as Huntrix challenges their male rivals. The boys respond with the moody "Your Idol" and almost annoyingly catchy "Soda Pop."

Went back out to the Thomas Sharp School, and yes, I made it on time. The kids were all standing in the hall when I arrived. The music classes expanded to Monday and Tuesday. We did get them into the library for some coloring. I joined a few of the kids at my table to draw a rainbow. 

Once we got back into the cafeteria, there was some confusion. They started eating their snacks, but most of them hadn't used the bathroom yet. One boy refused to leave his snack for anything, but I did get the rest of my group down the hall to the bathrooms. Thankfully, no trouble there. They all got in and out relatively fast.

We weren't inside for very long after snack time anyway. It was just too darn nice to spend the day inside! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny and dry, with a nice, cool wind. It wasn't too hot for them to run around the slides and draw with chalk this time. Maybe it's just as well that there were fewer kids who wanted to ride the swings, because I had trouble with some of the ones who did. A few of them just would not get off once they were on, even with a five minute limit and other kids who wanted to ride. One girl threw a fit when she couldn't ride with her friend and hid behind a tree, and that was after she'd already been on the swings three times. Thankfully, by 5PM, there were two left, and we'd moved them around to the blacktop to play with the three remaining older kids.

Made a short stop at CVS on the White Horse Pike to use the bathroom and buy Ibuprofen. I didn't realize I was out yesterday, or I would have gotten it at the Acme. At least CVS wasn't busy, and I was able to get what I needed quickly.

Went right into Match Game '76 and dinner when I got home. Didi Conn, later of Grease, made her first of two appearances on the show this week. She was joined by the ever-creative Patti Deusch and by lovably nutty Dick Martin. 

Finished the night at YouTube with some of the most unique game shows ever created. Unfortunately, unique ideas don't always translate to big ratings. Canadian show Pitfall from 1981 started out like Family Feud, with two contestants guessing how the audience will vote on four answers in a certain category. Winner goes on to face the dreaded bridge. They have to guess questions on a hydraulic lift set. The set might go up and down randomly. If it does go down, they lose time to answer. Not only was this awkward to watch, the lavish up and down set proved to be so cumbersome to sustain, it bankrupted its producers. Neither the contestants nor host Alex Trebek ever got their money or prizes. 

Not all creative flops had fates that were that dire. Most of them were more like The Money Maze from 1974 and The Magnificent Marble Machine from 1975. Money Maze had two couples answering questions, with the husband guiding the wife through the title labyrinth to prizes. Magnificent Marble Machine was a giant pinball machine that contestants played to win prizes and cash with the help of a celebrity teammate, in this case Florence Henderson and Roddy McDowell. A young Nick Clooney hosted Money Maze. Art James was in charge of the Marble Machine. 

Both shows ran into the same set problems as Pitfall, though in this case everyone did get their cash and prizes in the end. That lavish Money Maze was difficult to set up, cost ABC a bundle, and the show ultimately did badly in the ratings. The Marble Machine was cool to look at, but cumbersome to play and not all that exciting to watch. 

Whew! from 1979 may be the ultimate big-set crazy idea. One person sets up blocks on a board filled with goofy puns surrounding a topic. The other contestant is the "charger" who answers the puns and figures out what the real word that belongs there is. Winner answered questions while running through a "gauntlet" of Hanna-Barbara-designed baddies. It's too bad this doesn't ever seem to have worked, on CBS in 1979 or when it re-ran on Buzzr a few years ago. Buzzr's commercials were right that it is as fun to watch as it is to say.

Not every big set or unique idea went over that badly. Press Your Luck and The Joker's Wild are two beloved shows that find ways to make their big sets work without getting dull or cumbersome. Press Your Luck has people answering questions to earn spins, then going around on that famous board in the hope that the animated Whammies don't steal their cash and prizes. Joker's Wild does something similar, but this time it's answering questions on a huge slot machine. 

Game Show Network had its own problems with big concepts in 2002. Russian Roulette has six contestants standing on trapdoors. One contestant asks another a question. If they answer correctly, they earn money. If they don't, they may end up sliding through that trapdoor and out of the game. Though this one did manage two seasons and is fondly remembered by Game Show Network fans, it proved to be a little too unworkable (host Mark L. Walhberg and several crew members accidentally fell in those trapdoors too) to keep around beyond a year. 

See which big idea worked and which didn't with these creative explorations into some of the most imaginative game shows of all time!

The Money Maze (1974)

The Joker's Wild (1974)

The Magnificent Marble Machine (1975) 

Whew! (1979)

Pitfall (1981)

Press Your Luck (1984)

Russian Roulette Pilot (2002)

Hot Weather Harts

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Little Bear Sing a Song" has Little Bear and all of his friends singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." After they exhaust that, they make up their own song with very silly lyrics until Mother Bear calls Little Bear to bed. They want to build "A House For Mitzi" in the treetops, but Mitzi would rather sleep in the branches. "Up a Tree" has monkey Mitzi teaching Little Bear the fine art of tree-climbing and jumping into fall leaves.

Called Uber next. Today was my first double shift of the school year, and my heel simply wasn't up to three long rides. Fortunately, no trouble with my rides. The one going to work came in 10 minutes and got me there literally with no time to spare. The one going to Thomas Sharp came in 8 minutes. I had a harder time getting a ride home from Thomas Sharp at rush hour, but they eventually came in 10 minutes as well.

The Acme was dead as a doornail for almost the entire morning. Once we get past Labor Day and the kids go back to school, the only thing going on until mid-October is Eagles football on Sundays. One of the managers did fuss at me to try to figure out how to make the women's bathroom smell better. This may be nearly impossible. It's a bathroom with no ventilation in a 60's era building. I sprayed it with Glade and hoped for the best. Otherwise, I spent the day just sweeping and putting cold items away and gathering the few carts. It was finally starting to pick up just as I left.

Changed shirts quickly, then went around the corner to Applebee's. I hadn't eaten at the one near the Acme in ages. They were even quieter than the Acme when I arrived, despite it being just past 1. I think I saw a few people eating on the other side of the room, closer to the bar. I got a cheeseburger, salty fries, and Diet Pepsi as part of a $10.99 lunch offer where you could buy certain items with fries or bread sticks and a soda for a fixed price. 

After lunch, I quickly returned to the Acme. Needed to use the bathroom, and I forgot to bring a snack to eat with the kids. Grabbed mouthwash, too. Perodontax was on sale. Called Uber a little early. I just sat at the tiny circle garden outside of the school before it was time to join them.

On one hand, we were a lot busier. There were 20 younger kids all together, 7 at my table. I only had trouble in the bathroom with that one pokey girl again. We didn't give them much chance to misbehave in the cafeteria after snack time. We ended up taking them out early, but...that might have been a mistake. It was dry and sunny but much hotter, in the upper 80's. They spent most of the time looking for ladybugs under the shady tree and begging to ride the swings, then arguing when they got on them. It's probably just as well that we decided it was too hot to keep them out and brought them in early.

I think they actually had more fun inside. The head teacher cut out apples, leaves, and stems. They glued the leaves and stems on the apples, then colored them any way they wanted. There was even cut-out shapes and feathers to decorate them with. Some kids just colored a red apple. Some made rainbow apples. Some forwent the coloring and covered them in bits of tissue paper and cut-out hearts and stars and feathers. Even I got to join in. My apple was a rainbow of fall colors - red, red-orange, orange, yellow. I glued the little heart and star cut-outs on the border.

When I got home, I went right into The Price Is Right. A young lady and a sailor had made it to some peculiar Showcases. The "regular" showcase started off with the usual furniture, but ended with a car, rare for the non-story Showcases. The models as "Prize Busters" turning Johnny Olsen's ugly old furniture into a lavish TV and couch and his house into a brand-new trailer puts this episode firmly in late '84-early 85. 

Match Game '76 got even goofier. Scoey Mitchelll spent the week encouraging and ogling a pretty, plump contestant. At one point, he even got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of a round. He returned riding on the turntable before the Audience Match! He also pointed out to the audience when they booed him that he could be doing much worse things with his time. 

Switched to Hart to Hart after dinner. Jennifer gets caught up in "The Shooting" when a very particular British commercials director insists on her being the perfect model for his latest opus. She objects at first, but enjoys being the center of attention...until the casting director is killed and a model who resembled Jennifer is nearly run over. Jonathan is the one who discovers that a man Jennifer put in prison is out for blood, and isn't adverse to blowing up the entire production if it'll take out Jennifer, too. 

Moved to Let's Pretend next. "The Six Swans" is pretty much a standard retelling of the Hans Christian Anderson story. "Thumbelina" gets slightly more creative. The frogs and beetles who find her in the story are replaced by bumblebees in the version on the cassette - I guess bees come across better on radio than frogs or beetles. The rest of the story goes as usual. (Although I never did like how quick Thumbelina is to throw off her name or the woman who raised her.) 

Finished the night with a few Hungarian Folk Tales at YouTube. A young girl will buy "The Cursed Castle" if she can make enough money after a year. She gets help from a friendly black cat who is definitely not what he seems. "Martin and the Cursed Princess" is "The Enchanted Frog or Cat" elsewhere, up to and including him working for the frog for three years and her giving him beautiful clothes and embroidery. "A Talking Vine, a Smiling Apple, and a Jingling, Tingling Peach" is a variation on "The Singing, Springing Lark." This time, it's the title objects that a father cannot find for his daughter and a pig who insists on marrying her. As with "The Cursed Castle," this little piggy is a lot more pleasant than what he seems.

All Quiet On the Oaklyn Front

Started off the morning with breakfast and Monchhichis. Moncho and the others visit "Cloud City" when it arrives over Monchia and won't stop raining. An old magician friend of Wizzar's was accused of stealing the magical key that drives Cloudy City and produces its weather. The real thief is the owl king's buzzard prime minister, but he keeps saying everyone else did it. The Monchhichis have to rescue their magician friend, then find the key and convince the king that they're no thieves.

Headed out on my bike after Monchhichis ended. It was a gorgeous day for a ride up to Haddon Heights. I did have to dodge some sidewalk and street repair in between Audubon and Haddon Heights, but otherwise, it was a lovely ride. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It remains sunny, breezy, and dry, probably in the lower 80's. 

My first stop was the Haddon Heights Library. I've been there a few times, but I've never really explored them for very long. Their non-fiction books are in a loft-like area upstairs. I found a book written in 1991 on the Broadway musicals of the previous decade, including long-forgotten flops like Tintypes, Rags, and Dance a Little Closer. 

I dug up another Images of America book in the history section that proved to be even more interesting. I didn't know the Coast Guard base at Cape May went so far back. It started as a Naval base during World War I and would be one again in World War II. In between, the Coast Guard used it to catch rum runners and train recruits. In fact, Cape May is the recruit training ground for new Coast Guard trainees. No wonder I have fond childhood memories of seeing young guys in Coast Guard sweatsuits jogging down Ocean Avenue, past the Beach Theater, chanting sea shanties as they followed their sergeant. (The houses where most of my friends on the base in the 80's lived are brand new, though. In fact, they'd just been built when my friends moved into them.) 

I had lunch a block down the street at Ralph's Pizza. I made it there just in time. I no sooner ordered a brownie, an unsweetened iced tea, and two mini stromboli (pepperoni and cheese steak), than a pack of elementary school-age boys came barreling in behind me. All six of them managed to slide into one booth with their pizza while I enjoyed my meal at a smaller one. Honestly, far from being offensive, they were really funny (other than they did block the sidewalk with their bikes as I was trying to leave).

Stopped at the big CVS down the White Horse Pike on my way home. They didn't have the Listerine Gum Protection mouth wash that I wanted. I had more luck buying those Nature's Valley vitamins buy one, get one, and bags of small toys for my Trick-or-Treat Mystery Bags next month. 

There was a package waiting for me when I got home. I ordered one of those Radio Spirits clamshell sets of a specific old-time radio show from the 90's on eBay, in this case Let's Pretend. I know it's a kids' show, but it does retell fairy tales that don't often turn up elsewhere, like "The Yellow Dwarf," "Princess Moonbeam," and "The Donkey, the Table, and the Stick." I started off with something better-known. Their version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" starts off pretty normal, with a slightly older Jack climbing that stalk and taking his father's hen and gold back from the giant. Where this one diverges is in the end. Jack has to rescue kid cousins of his who were taken by the giant, too. 

Headed off to Thomas Sharp after "Jack" ended. We all started off in the library, due to the first music class of the year in the cafeteria. This time, we had 19 younger kids, 6 at what would normally have been my table. Other than one young lady being pokey, I had no trouble with them in the bathroom. In fact, it ended up being a rather pleasant afternoon. They drew on a paper taped to a table and played with Barbies and magnetic tiles after lunch, then went outside. I was able to get them to wait long enough this time that there was less arguing about the swings. They all took their turns while running around and dancing to "Zoo" from Zootopia 2 and songs from The Lion King, Encanto, Trolls, Moana, and Frozen 2. 

When we got back inside, the remaining five kids had new toys to play with. The older kids came in from the blacktop as they set up atom-shaped building toys and plastic farm animals with a fenced enclosure, a tractor, and hay. There were only two younger kids and five older kids left by the time I went home, and one of the younger kids headed out at the same time I did.

Took a shower when I got home, then had dinner while watching Match Game '76. Tonight finished out the week with Dick Gautier, Fannie Flagg, and Della Reece. There was a lot of joking about Dick's artwork on his cards, including a really nice caricature of the champ he gave to her. Fannie's attempt at artwork wasn't quite that...developed. There was also Richard hugging another contestant after she won and refusing to let go, even when Gene tried to separate them.

Moved to the final three episodes of Remember WENN next. Gertie's writing again in "The Sunset Also Rises." This time, it's a TV script about a fading radio star (Hilary) who wants a writer (Scott) to create one last big show for her...but the others butt in with their own ideas. Hilary would rather play the ingenue, Eugenia and Mr. Eldridge think they'd make great divas, and Victor...is there, too.

"At Cross Purposes" starts with a woman walking in...who turns out to be Jeff in costume for Charley's Aunt. Jeff's outfit ends up inspiring everyone at the station to jump into drag in order to avoid process server Cribby Menlow (Ray Ianncelli), who has marriage papers for Jeff and is familiar with Scott and Maple, too. It's newsgirl Betty, however, who runs in with the real "big, big news" - Pearl Harbor was bombed. The US has just entered World War II.

Which takes us into the series finale "All Noisy On the Pittsburgh Front." Victor claims there's a "captain" coming to take care of military business at WENN, but it's not likely to be the lunatic in camouflage gear (J.K Simmons) who thinks he's Amazon Andy. Scott, who has enlisted, and Victor get Betty up against the wall about who she really loves, Eugenia asks Mr. Foley to marry her, and Hilary claims she's married to someone else...

And that, sadly, is that. The show was supposed to get a fifth and final season, but was canceled instead when the new head of AMC wanted to focus on movies instead. The abrupt ending of the series still hurts, even after 30 years. At least AMC is acknowledging its existence now. It can be found in full on AMC Plus. The first two seasons are free on Plex, and most of the first two seasons and a few scattered episodes of the fourth are currently on the Internet Archive. Even with the truncated ending and off-and-on 4th season, I still recommend this for fans of period shows or sitcoms that go way outside the box. 

Finished the night with I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat. Surprisingly, the Looney Tunes songs are actually really good. The title song, as you can guess, is on Sylvester and Tweety's relationship. "Daffy's Rhapsody" shows how he feels about being the resident miser and oddball. "Yosemite Sam" tells us why he loves his guns and chasing after Bugs. "That's All Folks" is a charming ballad for Petunia Pig as she wishes Porky would pay more attention to her. Too bad the other side is given over to songs about Bozo the Clown, whom I have no interest in whatsoever, and frankly gets annoying. The Tunes' numbers are honestly pretty fun, especially Porky and Petunia's sweet "That's All" number. 

Ring-a-Ding-Ding Matches

Started the morning with breakfast and Doo-Bop. This jazz-hip-hop-R&B fusion would be the last Davis album released during his lifetime. In fact, "Fantasy" and "High Speed Chase" were recorded with unused trumpet solos after he died. Davis wanted to capture the sounds of the streets he heard from his New York apartment. This must have mostly been electronica and rap, since these songs definitely have rap beats to them. This album is very, very 1991, and to be fully honest, it hasn't aged that well. Some of the songs aren't bad - I liked "Chocolate Chip" and "The Doo Bop Song" - but mostly, they just sound alike.

Didn't even finish the album before I headed to work. Work was...kind of boring. There were two other college-age baggers there who did everything inside and a lot outside. That didn't leave me with a lot of cars to push. At least it was a gorgeous day for it. It was even nicer than yesterday, sunny, bright, breezy, and dry as can be. It had been busy off and on all day and was just starting to pick up when I finished.

Changed into a regular shirt, then headed across Audubon to the Legacy Diner. It was almost 2 PM at this point, and they surprisingly weren't that busy. I enjoyed my three enormous coconut-pineapple pancakes and crispy bacon. In fact, the pancakes, tasty though they were, were also a little too big. I didn't end up finishing them.

Stopped at the Oaklyn WaWa on the way home. They just rolled out their fall flavors, including their basic pumpkin spice smoothie. In all honesty, it tasted more like spices than pumpkin. It was also cold and wet, which is what I really cared about after riding across Audubon and down the White Horse Pike.

The Match Game marathon had just begun when I got home. I spent the rest of the evening having dinner and watching Jerry Lewis and the Rat Pack on various game shows, Match Game included. Jerry Lewis' famous Labor Day Weekend telethon wasn't the only TV show he appeared on. He turned up on an early episode of What's My Line as a member of the panel...and needless to say, that episode was hilarious and especially wild for that show. Frank Sinatra was the first of two guests on a Line episode from a decade later...because the other Mystery Guest was his then-wife Mia Farrow, just after making Rosemary's Baby from her super-short hair. 

That wasn't the only game show the Rat Pack turned up on. Password was so wildly popular in the early 60's, even members of the Rat Pack wanted to play. Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr. played Polly Bergen and Janet Blair in a black and white episode...and to the ladies' chagrin, the boys mopped the floor with them. Lawford proved to be such a great player, he joined the equally good Carol Burnett for a "Tournament of Champions" in a later color episode from 1966. 

Richard Dawson was friendly with several members of the Rat Pack, especially Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy appeared at the start of a classic 1978 episode of Family Feud, and even got to host a question. I don't know who had more fun, the contestants, Sammy asking the questions, or Richard laughing hard as he watched his friend's antics.

Cranky Joey Bishop was the only member of the Rat Pack to appear on Match Game. I'm not entirely sure how much he understood the humor, but he did seem to play well enough. He was less appreciative of the audience and their perpetual booing. He claimed one guy in the audience booing him kept moving around. Most of the Rat Pack references on Match Game involved Dean Martin and his perpetual drinking spree. Even Foster Brooks made a comment on it during his first episode. Charles Nelson Reilly, who worked with him for years, was quick to point out that he'd cut down by the time of the late 70's. 

Celebrate Labor Day playing games with the members of the Rat Pack and remembering Jerry Lewis and his long-running telethon in these classic episodes!

Game Show Sunday Classics - Jerry Lewis & the Rat Pack Marathon

Be True to Your Pre-School

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. It's "A Whale of a Tale" when Father Bear tells Little Bear how he helped Mighty the Whale when he was trapped on the beach years before. Mighty and his own baby get to return the favor when Father Bear's fishing ship is caught in a storm. "Mitzi Arrives"...bubbly Mitzi the Money, that is. She wants to fit in with the others, but Emily and Duck don't appreciate her jump rope rhymes that make fun of them. Mitzi finally makes it up to them with a rhyme that admits she was wrong. "Granny's Old Flying Rug" can seemingly take Little Bear, Emily, and Tutu the dog anywhere, until they're stranded on a deserted island. Little Bear's mermaid friend helps them out.

Listened to CDs while I worked online and made the bed. Hot! Hot! Hot! is a collection of tropical-themed songs put out by Pier 1 Imports, of all places, in 2002. There's a lot of familiar songs here, from the infectious title number by Buster Poindexter to Elton John's hit "Island Girl" to the darker "Caribbean Queen" by Billy Ocean. Of the more recent songs and covers, I liked Baha Men's spicy version of "Kokomo" and the appropriately titled "Feel Good Island Music" by Ho'omu'a.

Rewind is one of the many, many Rolling Stones greatest hits collections. I believe I have the original US CD version that starts off with "Miss You" and includes "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" and "Hang Fire." I bought it mainly because it has two of my favorite Stones songs, "It's Only Rock and Roll" and "Brown Sugar.

Didn't even finish the Stones before I headed out. I wanted to have lunch before the after-school program started. Since it's down the street from the school anyway, I ate at Crust N' Cravings on Collings Avenue. Had two slices of cheese pizza and a can of Diet Dr. Pepper outside at the picnic tables on their patio. It wasn't really that bad of a day. It was hot, yes, and killer humid, but there was a really nice wind that helped cool things off considerably.

As it turned out, there wasn't much to worry about at Thomas Sharp, at least not today. We had 12 kids all together, 9 pre-school and kindergarten, three older. I suspect most of the kids went home with their parents or are still on vacation. Two older kids and two younger ones left within a half-hour of their arrival. We had to start in the library, due to a gym class running late. By the time we moved the kids to the cafeteria for lunch, we were down to one older kid and 8 pre-schoolers. They played with magnetic tiles and bristle blocks and brand-new Barbies for about an hour and a half while listening to "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" from Lilo & Stitch and songs from K-Pop Demon Hunters and Encanto. 

There were six kids left when we took them out to the playground. Since they all ran to the swings anyway and there were so few of them, we let them use the swings from the outset. In fact, there were so few kids, there wasn't even much arguing over them. One girl was initially upset when she couldn't go on right away, then probably had more fun finding bugs in the mulch anyway. She found what I believe to be a bug's outer exoskeleton and chased one of the boys with it. The head teacher came out around 3, by which time we were down to three kids, two younger girls and the one remaining older boy, and his dad was on his way. They let me and the head teacher for the older kids go early. 

Since I got out earlier than expected, I decided I deserved a treat. I thought of riding to WaWa for a smoothie, but it really was getting hotter and a lot more humid by that point. Stopped at Dunkin' Donuts instead for a Berry Daydream Refresher. Turns out that basically meant "mixed berry drink topped with marshmallow foam." As such, it was a little sweet, but not that bad. 

Put on Remember WENN after I got home while writing down all of the qualities I wanted in a friend. "Hilary's Agent" is looking for a new job after he fails to realize she's gunning for one of the title roles in a Broadway production of Caesar and Cleopatra that's trying out in Pittsburgh. Hilary poses as her own fictional agent to get said role, then drives everyone crazy with her demands, even producer Rex Noble (Daniel Benzali).

"The Birth of a Station" was considered controversial in the WENN fandom when it first debuted. Cora (Debra Wiseman), a very hungry expectant mother, turns up at the station looking for Dr. Talbot. Trouble is, he's a character on their medical drama Young Dr. Talbot. Jeff poses as the doctor for her, while the others try to figure out how they can get her to the hospital during a transportation strike.

Finished Rewind next, then switched to records. Fire Into Music is a unique collection of instrumental jazz/R&B fusion tracks. Fun, funky numbers like "Supership" by George Benson and "Such a Night" by Esther Phillips sounded like nothing else I ever heard. Deodato turned out a truly epic jazz version of "Also Sprach Zathura," while Stanley Turrentine's "I Told Jesus" has mild gospel overtones.

Watched Match Game '76 during dinner. We finished out the Ron Pallilo/Mary Wickes week tonight. A cheerful contestant with a mile-high Afro didn't end up getting his money (rumor has it he may have been related to a CBS employee). Richard was far happier to help a very pretty and very pregnant young woman.

Moved to Wake Up and Live on YouTube next for Labor Day Weekend. I go further into this adorable Fox comedy with Alice Faye and Jack Haley at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Labor Day! - Wake Up and Live

Finished the night with more records I picked up during my July vacation with Lauren. Dave Grusin did the atmospheric score for Murder By Death. To hear atmospheric, moody pieces like "Broken Bridge" and "Gather at Table," you'd think this wasn't a hilarious parody of mid-20th century murder mysteries. The farce is clearer when the music picks up in the Main Title or at "I'll Park the Car/Cobwebs" and "Lockin' It Up/Twain Tango." Probably not the most necessary thing in the universe, but if you love this movie like I do, the score is worth having.

No one does the classic American songbook like Ella Fitzgerald. Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Songbook kicks off with a gorgeous, bluesy "But Not for Me." Her "The Man I Love" and "He Loves and She Loves" are also lovely. She has more fun with "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "Clap Yo' Hands," and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."

Sleepy Day In the Rain

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Visits School" and worries that they won't have the things he loves, so he brings his drum, a book, and his favorite block along with his stuffed tiger Tigey. As it turns out, Teacher Harriet shows him that yes, they have musical instruments, blocks, and books for him to read...but he's still welcome to bring Tigey. "Daniel Visits the Doctor" for a check-up and a shot. Doctor Anna and his mother talk him through each step, making sure he knows what's going on and that, other than a little pinch on the shot, it won't hurt him.

Headed out to work after the cartoon ended. No problems here. I arrived on time. It was quiet all morning, despite it being the beginning of the month. Everyone must be waiting for Labor Day Weekend. It didn't start picking up until noon, and I was almost done by then anyway. The weather didn't help. It was cool, cloudy, and thickly humid. 

I originally wanted to pick up a stuffed pretzel for lunch, but it turns out that A&A Pretzel Shop on the White Horse Pike is closed for their own summer break. I doubled back and had lunch at Common Grounds Coffee House instead. Enjoyed a chai latte (slightly spicier and less sweet this time, slice of crumb cake, and slice of spinach-feta-tomato quiche while watching a mother and her three children try to decide what treats they wanted. 

Maybe I shouldn't have doubled back. It started to shower heavily the moment I stepped out of Common Grounds. Good thing I wasn't that far from home. I just rode back across Oaklyn and got wet.

Dried off when I got home, changed, and went down for a much-needed nap. I won't have time for many naps after school starts tomorrow! Settled down in bed at 2 PM and didn't get up until almost 5. 

Watched Remember WENN after I finally rolled out of bed. "You've Met Your Match" is WENN's proto-Love Connection dating game. Hilary wants to get a date on the show and make Jeff jealous, but her plans backfire when Maple suggests they all go on the show. Jeff uses Betty to make Hilary jealous, only to upset her even more, while Scott has to explain to Betty that his relationship with Maple is long done. The other dates go much smoother. Mr. Eldridge and Gertie always enjoy each other's company. Maple's delighted to be in the arms of a slightly bemused Victor. Mr. Foley and Eugenia have so much fun on their date, they're the last to come back!

"And If I Die Before I Sleep" is my favorite episode of the entire show. Victor turns Betty's enormous blending of Shakespeare's Italian-set plays into a mammoth 52-hour, three-day marathon to beat the record set by a station in Philadelphia. Scott's suspicious of Charles Abernathy (John Ratzenberger) and Nurse Brumpton (Marceline Hugot) when the coffee they keep drinking does nothing to stay awake. The others do everything they can to keep from falling asleep, including Betty somehow passing out horizontal on a chair. It's Victor, Mr. Eldridge, Gertie, and a sick Maple who finally catch them in the act...and figure out who they're really working for.

Switched to Match Game '76 after dinner. They finished out the week with Soupy Sales and Madelyn Rhue as Brett complained about there being two men on the upper tier not wearing socks. (Apparently, Soupy didn't wear them, either.) Ron Pallio of Welcome Back, Kotter joined in the next week, along with sweet Joyce Bulifant and crusty Mary Wickes.

Watched Paw Patrol at Paramount Plus next. "Pups Save the School Day" when they all help Alex find his lost red backpack and who snitched his tuna fish sandwich. "Pups Turn Off the Lights" when they're setting up for Chase's birthday party and one of the wind turbines outside of Adventure Bay breaks. While Chase directs traffic and Marshal and Rocky help Ryder fix the turbine, the others find party games they can play in the dark.

Stayed at Paramount Plus to finish the night with The Love Boat. A couple celebrating their 20th anniversary (Lynn Redgrave and Robert Mandan) argue when "The Anniversary Gift" turns out to be her desire for a baby. Gopher's not saying "Honey Bee Mine" when Julie claims he's her boyfriend to keep her from chasing her current boyfriend, a ship officer (Richard Bergman). Captain Steubling is "Bewigged, Bothered, and Bewildered" and wears a toupee around his old high school classmate (Phyllis Diller). He finally finds the best way to be himself at a movie star-costume party where he shows up as one of the coolest bald men ever, Yul Brunner. 

(Oh, and I'm guessing the rain must have slowed down shortly after I got home. It was long gone by the time I finished my nap. It only just started pouring again.)

Making Lemonade From Looney Tunes

Began a late morning with breakfast and He-Man. "Reign of the Monster" is unique to the series. It's the only episode where He-Man remains in that form for the entire episode and never once becomes Prince Adam. He's visiting his friend Stratos at his country Avion to watch him use the Staff of Avion for a festival. Skeletor kidnaps Stratos and steals the Staff to awaken a powerful monster and take over Castle Greyskull. He-Man, Teela, and Stratos' sister rescue him, then find a way to seal the monster before the Staff completely destroys Eternia.

It was late when I finished my previous blog entry and headed out on my bike, dodging tons of road work around Newton Lake Park as I made my way down to Collingswood. I quickly took money out of the ATM machine at the PNC Bank and continued on my way. 

Next stop was Phidelity Records. In good news, it was open this time. Unfortunately, the owner said he sold the soundtrack to The Muppets Take Manhattan I was interested in on Saturday. He says any kind of Muppet material tends to go fast nowadays. I did pick up two albums: 

I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat - Looney Tunes songs on Capitol Records' Wonderland Records children's line

Guys and Dolls - Listed as a "Musical Repertory Theater," this studio recording lists Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Alan Sherman, and Dinah Shore among its performers. (And I got this one out of the $2 bins!)

I had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Westmont. Que Ricas is a small hole-in-the-wall in a shopping center specializing in Venezuelan sandwiches and burritos. I had my favorite, the Curvy Queen chicken salad sandwich with a tamarind Mexican soda. Yum! It came in two thick round corn bread slices with sauteed plantains. Best kind of comfort food there is.

Carefully made my way around more road repairs on Cuthbert heading down to the Haddon Township Library for this week's library session. Like Audubon, the Haddon Township Library is small, and there's not a whole lot there. I did find a bunch of the Images of America books on many local towns, including Haddon Township. The one on Merchantville confirmed that yes, most of the buildings in that town do date to between the 1880's and the 1940's, and they're a lot more respectful of their history than Cherry Hill. Cherry Hill's lost much of its history, either to fires or simply changing tastes. Frankly, I'd rather have the nifty Cherry Hill Inn than the bland Doubletree and Holiday Inn. I'm not much for concerts, but just knowing headliners were 20 minutes from me at the Latin Casino would have been cool enough. I really wish I could have tried a real farm dairy bar at the Holly Ravine Farm, too.

Rushed home after I left the library, then called Uber. There wasn't time to take the bus to the Cinemark in Somerdale. The movie I wanted to see, Coyote Vs. Acme, was almost about to start. And of course, it took 15 minutes for the driver to arrive. I wound up being more than 20 minutes late, especially after I bought a soda. I don't think I missed more than the first ten minutes or so of the film, though.

I'm not going to give details because of spoilers, but I did enjoy it. At the least, I'm glad they finally were able to release it. That alone makes this a win, no matter how much money it does or doesn't make at the box office. It's a shame I don't think Warners quite knows what to do with the Looney Tunes, or anything remotely family-friendly right now. This is basically "what if Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a spoof legal drama with the Looney Tunes instead of a spoof film noir mystery with every cartoon character available in 1988?" It does get a little message-heavy near the end of the movie, but for all that, it ended up being surprisingly sweet. Highly recommended for fans of the Looney Tunes, classic animation, or those who just want to see a good corporate satire.

It was almost 6 PM by the time I got out of the theater. This was no time to mess around. I was worried that it would take forever to get an Uber driver with the evening rush hour traffic, so I did take the bus. Thankfully, it was on time, and there were no problems whatsoever. The bus dropped me off on the White Horse Pike around 6:30.

Had a quick dinner while watching Match Game '76. They were just finishing out the week with Robert Hedgyes and Ethel Merman when I got in. The next week featured Betty White, character actress Madelyn Rhue, and in his only appearance on the 1970's version of the show, comedian Soupy Sales of What's My Line. 

Finished the night with the first two episodes of Remember WENN's fourth season. "Some Time, Some Station" starts with the stand-off between Victor, Pruitt, Scott, Betty, and two guns. After Pruitt ends up on the ground, Victor comes out of his brainwashing thinking it's the start of the broadcasting day. Betty has to explain to Scott about what's going on, while Maple happily flirts with Victor, Hilary tries to ignore Jeff, and the others react to Victor's sudden emergence from the dead.

Mr. Eldridge is saying "Thanks a Lottery!" when those tickets Scott tried to sell off in "Happy Homecomings" turn out to be winners. He's no sooner gotten used to the idea when the others discover that WENN has been shunted into another corporation that cuts even more of their budget and has a mandatory age for retirement, one that Mr. Eldridge is long past. Even after the others think Hilary has accidentally burned his tickets with her love letters, Mr. Eldridge finds a way to make sure that no one will ever buy the station or push anyone out ever again. 

Dolls Rock On

Began the morning with breakfast and Monchichhis. Melmot is a "Misfit Grumplin" who is too gentle and friendly to fit in with his fellow nasty Grumplins. He helps Thumkii escape from Grumplor, only for the other Grumpkins to follow him and in an attempt to invade Monchia and make it look like he did it. Thumkii knows better. Melmot finally reminds them that it doesn't matter what you look like if you're a good guy at heart.

Ran a few errands after the show ended. I was hoping to find more moisture eliminators at Dollar General. Nope, but I did pick up the smaller yellow bottle of Tide there. Wanted to see if they had my gum toothpaste at CVS, but they were too expensive. Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee House for a sweet chai latte instead. I just barely got there in time. I had no sooner sat down with my drink than hordes of college kids came in and the line was nearly out the door.

It was too hot and humid to linger outside for long. Besides, it kept saying it was supposed to rain. (It still hasn't at press time.) I headed home for lunch. Ate while watching Paw Patrol. "Pups Save an Elephant Family" when Marshall spies a lone baby elephant near their camp on a jungle safari, then it strands Cap'n Turnbot and Francois in their tree house. After they rescue them, they have to get the elephant back to its mother. "Pups and the Mischievous Kittens" introduces the Kitten Catastrophe Crew, Mayor Humdinger's spoiled kittens whom he's dressed like the Paw Patrol. They help him wreak havoc on Adventure Bay when Mayor Goodway is competing for a Cleanest Town award. Chase's allergies help him figure out what they're doing...and stop the naughty mayor and his kitty friends from causing more trouble.

Dressed the dolls for school and lessons next. Molly wears Kit's School Skirt Outfit, which is really too pink for Kit. She prefers her original blue School Outfit with the plaid jumper. Samantha is in her 2015 BeForever "meet" outfit, the pink Swiss-dotted dress with the wide lace collar and burgundy velvet sash. Felicity will take tea in her yellow Tea Lesson Gown with the embroidered roses. Jess is dressed for after Catholic school her original striped "meet" outfit shirt with jean capris and teal jelly strap shoes. Ariel is in the pale blue Swiss lace sundress with the crocheted vest I found her in. Josefina is ready for the end of summer in her orange and yellow striped Summer Dress. (Unfortunately, the boots that went with it fell apart last year.) Whitney looks chic and ready for class in her "Sweet Memories" purple checked poodle skirt and turquoise scarf. Barbara Jean's nubby pink and gold minidress came from eBay.

Listened to records while I worked. Bless Its Pointed Little Head was the first live album from Jefferson Airplane in 1969...and boy, did they get into this! They really push some of their best-known songs, especially "Plastic Fantastic Lover" and "Somebody to Love," to their absolute limits at the time, going nearly into hard rock. "Fat Angel" and "It's No Secret" also benefit from the harder approach. Apparently, this did well at the time despite critics not knowing what to make of it. Definitely worth looking for if you're into the band's early sound.

Eric Clapton did even better by Slowhand in 1977. The first three songs on this album are among his biggest hits, the hard driving "Cocaine," sweet "Wonderful Tonight," and rollicking "Lay Down Sally." "Next Time You See Her" is a darker bluesy number, while "May You Never" and "Peaches and Diesel" lighten things up a little on side B. One of Clapton's definitive albums is a must if you're a fan of his. 

Moved from Eric Clapton and the blues to the Commodores and R&B for their 1985 album Nightshift. This was their second album after original lead singer Lionel Richie went solo, and it featured what would be their biggest hit after he left. The driving title song was a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, both of whom had died the year before. I remember it being on the radio a lot during the mid-80's, and it still turns up fairly frequently on oldies and 80's radio stations to this day. I vaguely remember "Janet" being fairly popular at the time as well. Most of the other songs aren't at their levels. This album is extremely of its time, with electronic dance riffs like "Animal Instinct" and "Play This Record Twice." You may be better off looking for "Nightshift" and "Janet" on 80's playlists unless you're a huge fan of the band.

Switched to Remember WENN while vacuuming and Swiftering the floors and dusting the rooms. "The Ghost of WENN" seems to be walking the halls of the station when Hilary hears a mysterious voice during a late-night horror broadcast. Betty joins her in trying to figure out what's going on, and why this ghost has a thing for cranberry jelly. Meanwhile, Mackie is more nervous about the broadcast and the old story that an actor died when reading his lines on page 13.

"Caller I.D" distills the magic of radio better than any other episode of the series. Mackie's running records for a late-night music show when a secretary named Jane Smith (voice of Alice Playten) calls in and says she's sitting on the edge of a building, ready to jump. Seems she's tired of her humdrum job and is convinced that if her life can't be like the glamorous radio shows she listens to, she doesn't want to live. The WENN staff throw together some of their most popular show to talk her down...then realize that they're now the "passionate listeners" who care as much about Jane as she does them.

The third season ends with the literal bang that is "Happy Homecomings." Betty worries about Victor's safety when she hears another voice performing Jonathan Arnold on the shortwave and spends the episode trying to open that strongbox. When she finally does, Victor's contact isn't who she expects...and Victor isn't what he seems to be, either. Meanwhile, Jeff comes home as well, but Hilary is still furious about the Pavla mess and refuses to work with him, and Scott has discovered that yes, there are still codes going out over the airwaves, but not in what they've been performing. He's about to tell Betty when he walks into the Green Room and ends up with a gun in his face...held by Victor Comstock...

Hoooo boy. This is the cliffhanger that left the entire WENN fandom, including me, screaming for six months straight. Longest six months of my life until the housing fracas in 2021-2022. All I wanted from December 1997 to June 1998 was to pass my college classes and find out the endings to those blasted cliffhangers! This is why the third season is far and away my favorite. On one hand, Jeff is missed, and this is a lot darker than the seasons that came before it or after it. That's why I like it. This is where the show dares to go places that sitcoms don't often explore even now, from betrayal to death to the importance of the imagination. "Who's Scott Sherwood," "Happy Homecoming," "Caller I.D," and "From the Pen of Gertrude Reece" are my favorite episodes here, though I also love "Mr. and Mrs. Singer," "In the WENN Small Hours," and "A Girl Like Maple." Those cliffhangers signal a lot of changes for the fourth season, not all of them welcome...

Moved to Match Game '76 after I took a shower. By the time I got to there and dinner, they were finishing out the Pat Moriata week. Robert Hedyges of Welcome Back Kotter made his only appearance on the show the next week, joined by Fannie Flagg and Broadway legend Ethel Merman. Richard was more interested in kissing and hugging the contestant, whether she won the Head-to-Head or not.

Finished the night with quiz shows for children, teens and college kids. Quiz shows for kids go back way further than you might imagine. One of the most popular game shows on radio in the 40's and 50's was Quiz Kids. A panel of five children answered questions sent to host jovial Joe Kelly by listeners. The kids were chosen for their high IQs, personalities, and poise in front of a mic, or later camera. It wound up being one of the most popular game shows on radio in the 1940's, endlessly parodied and praised. Though it was one of the earliest game shows moved to TV, it never did as well here. I have an episode here from 1949, one of the earliest surviving episodes of a TV game show. I can see why this was so beloved. The kids are genuinely funny and smart, and substitute host Fran Allison seems to genuinely enjoy listening to their answers.

GE College Bowl was almost as much of an institution in the 50's and 60's. This is about as simple of a quiz show as you can get. Teams from two colleges play answer tough questions in a heated battle of the minds. It's a battle to prove size doesn't matter in the colorized episode I have, as small private New York University squares off against big state college University of Oklahoma.

College Bowl became the standard against which every high school bowl game was set. Practically every local public broadcasting station in the 70's and 80's ran some variation on College Bowl with local high school teams pit against one another. Many of those shows proved to be so popular, they're still running to this day. The version I have here, High School Challenge, started in 1984 on the Flint, Michigan PBS station and has apparently been running there ever since. 

Producers Barry and Enright noticed how popular their kids' weeks were on their The Joker's Wild and created the kids's-only Joker! Joker! Joker! in 1979. Kids get to spin the famous wheel and answer questions from subjects like "Disney Characters" or "Superheroes" tailored to them. I really wish the current owners of the show would do something like this again. The kids are hilarious, and host Jack Barry really seems to enjoy guiding them and their parents through the show.

Jeopardy would do something similar for Game Show Network almost two decades later. Jep! from 1998 had kids tossing out the questions to the answer. However, two wrong answers, and they get something dropped on them, like colorful balls or socks. Three wrong answers, and they're pulled out of the game for a turn. This pretty much screams "late 90's." I will say that, while not great, it is better and a lot more fun than Merv Griffith's too-cheesy attempt to make a kid's Wheel of Fortune around the same time. 

Nickelodeon did better by Make the Grade in 1989 and 1990. Though there are stunts in the form of "Fire Drills" that allow them to switch seats and get more squares, most of the emphasis here is on what the kids know. Three kids answer questions from school related topics like math, science, English, phys ed (sports), and current events. There's also one random "elective" topic usually revolving around Pop culture (in the episode I have here, famous redheads). The kids have to answer one question from each topic and from grades (difficulty levels) 1 through 12 to win. This is one of my favorite game shows Nick did in the late 80's along with Double Dare. It's almost refreshing to see a show on Nick put emphasis on what the kids know, rather than how well they can throw a gunk-filled balloon. 

Teens had their own fun in syndication in 2000 with Pressure 1. An offshoot of an earlier syndicated show for teens Peer Pressure, this one emphasized questions rather than stunts. Four kids answer questions. Those who answer two right move on. The one who don't has to relate their most embarrassing moment. In the next round, the first winner gets to choose a subject with a punny title from which to answer questions. The winner gets to pick the next topic. Two move on to the final round, where they have to answer the most questions correctly in 60 minutes. Interesting idea, but a bit on the cheap side - you can tell this was intended for syndication. The kids do seem to get into it, though, especially in the lightning round. 

Go back to school with these hilarious quiz kids as they try to make the grade under pressure and show they have what it takes to really rule the airwaves!

Quiz Kids (1949)

GE College Bowl (Colorized) (1960)

Joker! Joker! Joker! (1979)

Make the Grade (1990)

High School Challenge (1996)

Jep! (1998)

Pressure 1 (2000)

Sweet Cream Summer

Began the morning with breakfast and the third season opener of Little Bear. "Owl's Dilemma" is he can't find a quiet place to sleep. Birds chirp at his treehouse. Frogs croak at the pond. Mother Bear and Little Bear make too much noise moving dishes around. Owl finally settles things with two cupcakes. Emily and Little Bear open their own "School For Otters." The goofy otters don't seem to show much interest in learning, but they reveal just how much they were listening when they show them what they love to learn. Little Bear and Father Bear goof off a little too much while "Spring Cleaning," so they make Mother Bear a picnic.

Finished my grocery list, then headed out to run errands. Made a brief stop at the Oaklyn Post Office to send a bill before dodging noon traffic on Cuthbert and riding down to Haddon Ave. I wanted to find a record I saw listed at Phidelity, but...they were closed for the day. I was really disappointed, but then I looked across the street. Groups of people were gathered around the entrance to what had been McMillan's Bakery before they closed last year. I finally decided to cross Haddon Avenue and check it out.

I crossed even as official-looking men cut a wide scarlet red ribbon. Turns out DiBartolo's Bakery, another recently-closed family bakery, and Mt. Ephraim bakery Del Bueno's bought and heavily remodeled the building. Talk about the best of all possible worlds. I parked my bike and joined the crowds checking out the new digs. It was twice the size of the old McMillan's, taking over the entire first floor of the building. Everything was white and chrome and shiny and clean. Even the floor had a unique satiny silver-gray finish. One door led to bins and bins of rolls and shelves of Del Bueno's Italian butter cookies. I think the famous Del Bueno's machines spitting out fresh rolls may have been in the other I didn't explore. 

I couldn't decide, so I went with a plump cream donut. Oh yuuuuumm! Turns out one of the grandsons of the original McMillan's is working at the bakery. He must have shared his family's recipe for the best darn cream donuts in South Jersey. It was so full of thick, buttery cream, it came out the sides. Totally amazing, and it more than made up for Phidelity's day off. I stopped at WaWa for a Cherry Cream Float Coke Zero to wash it all down.

Doubled back to the Westmont Plaza for lunch. I hadn't eaten at the Westmont Bagel Shop in a while. Kept things simple with my favorite spinach and feta omelette, a toasted everything whole wheat bagel, and home fries. Oh, this was yum, too. I finished everything but half of the home fries. Bought two bagels for lunch this weekend on the way out.

Did my grocery shopping next. I didn't really need a whole lot at either store. Picked up oat milk and dried mango slices. Cookies and soda were buy one, get one 50 percent off. I'm so glad their ginger molasses cookies are out again! I had to get two. One of the Nixie diet sodas came with a coupon, so I got two of those. 

Dodged more traffic and road repair on Cuthbert going down to the Westmont Acme. They were only slightly less busy than Sprouts. Grapes and large containers of blueberries are on really good sales. Restocked yogurt, prebiotic soda, granola, and granola bars. Had good online coupons for the Acme's generic organic blue corn chips and an online rewards coupon. I also got my $60 for the week here, instead of waiting for Sunday.

The road work on Cuthbert was such a pain, I cut across Collingswood to the park instead of going straight there. Newton Lake Park is largely in better shape. I think they're just adding railings to the new fishing piers now. It was a hot, sunny, incredibly humid day. There were only a few people out walking dogs as I made my way past children playing at the playground on my way back to East Clinton.

When I got in, I put everything away while watching Paw Patrol. "Pups Save a MerPup" when Cap'n Turbot insists he saw one during the Mystical Merpup Moon. Chase the cop thinks they're just stories. The others, especially Skye and Zuma, believe the stories. Zuma and Skye stay awake to see a merpup...and get their wish when one not only comes to them for help, but turns them into merpups so they can go under the sea. The Merpup's baby is trapped in a shipwreck that may collapse any minute! They have to call the others to help out, then to help Zuma when he's trapped. 

Got my schedule at this point. It's thankfully back to weekends and early Wednesday. There's enough hours on the weekend that my paycheck shouldn't take too much of a hit, but not so many that I'll be overwhelmed. School starts next Thursday, too. I put in for my late September-early October vacation time with Healthy Kids, too. (I'll put in for the Acme vacation time next week.)

Went down for a nice, long nap at 3:30. I was so tired, I didn't get up until 5:30. Spent an hour finishing Reel Murder by Mary Kennedy, then watched Match Game '76 during dinner. Most of the night finished out the week with Bennye Gattleys and Bill Daily. Fannie Flagg stuck around for the next week, joined by two cute, funny, and diminutive actors, Sarah Kennedy and Gary Burghoff. 

Finished the night with Remember WENN. Hilary is "Courting Disaster" when Jeff's supercilious lawyer Drake Stanley (Andrew Seear) claims his client is suing her for $100,000 in damages. Maple and Betty know something isn't right and get Stanley to appear on their court show Tell It to the Judge. While Scott defends Hilary, Gertie helps the ladies get through to Jeff and find out what's really going on.

The cast says "And How" when they're chosen to broadcast the last episode of the network western The Strange Loner featuring it's original stars. Unfortunately, when the Loner himself turns up drunk and unable to perform, the others have to figure out how to replace him. Betty's more worried about helping Joseph Greyhawk, the kindly Native American man (real Native American activist Russell Means) who plays the Loner's Native sidekick, keep his role. Meanwhile, everyone's thrilled with Eugenia's new discovery, an Italian pie called pizza. 

Listened to the soundtrack from Casablanca after the episodes ended. I pretty much had to after "Pen of Gertrude Reece" yesterday. This Rhino CD includes all of the music and a lot of the dialogue, along with an alternate version of "Knock on Wood," a Dooley Wilson number that was cut from the film ("Dat's What Noah's Done") and the full, gorgeous rendition of "As Time Goes By."