All In the Golden Afternoon

Began a beautiful morning with breakfast and Mickey and the Roadster Racers. Daisy hopes that Goofy's rubber duck really is a "Goof Luck Charm" that'll help her win a difficult off-road obstacle course. She, Minnie, and Cuckoo Loca are "Teed Off" when they, Donald, and Mickey act as caddies for Hot Dog Hills residents.

Rushed out to work before the episode ended. I needn't hurried. We were not only dead all day, but for once, we had plenty of help. A new college-age bagger was already outside when I arrived; the head bagger arrived later. No wonder I had perfectly normal hours today. Gathered trash and recycling in and outside, swept the patio, rounded up carts, did one inside sweep, and enjoyed glorious 70 degree and breezy May weather. 

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road to enjoy that lovely day further. Nicholson Road wasn't busy either, even around the mall and church. Everyone must have been at work or doing outside chores at home. Admired fat green leaves and gardens filled with sweet pink roses and velvety irises as I rode up the hill to Atlantic.

Changed when I got home, then decided to try something different. Made a recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies from my British baking book while watching game shows. Patricia Klous and Orson Bean were giving out the clues on Super Password. Klous got her contestant through the Super Password bonus round with three seconds to spare; Bean helped his with that tough Ca$shword mini-game. 

Tattletales had a unique guest today. Lorenzo Music, a TV writer best known today as the original voices of Garfield the Cat, Peter Venkman, and Carlton the Doorman on Rhoda. It sounded very strange to hear Garfield's voice toss out double entendres with his wife Henrietta. The big winners by far were slightly ditzy Lynda Day George and her handsome husband Christopher.

Jenny Jones was still the champ going into Press Your Luck. She really had no competition. The other woman and the man would get money, then hit Whammies, especially in the second round. She hit one Whammy and picked up an expensive camper that won her another game.

(By the way, the cookies came out beautifully. I used strawberry jam instead of raspberry jelly because that's all I had, but it tasted just as good. I will absolutely have to try this again sometime.)

Worked on writing for a while after Jones won. Lee doesn't have the chance to as "The Ace" who he is and how he knows where to find The Master Magician. He blends back into the shadows before she barely has the time to turn around. She's frustrated, especially when she realizes she's lost a potential story on this new hero.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had quick leftovers while watching Match Game '76. For some reason, Buzzr skipped way back to the second episode of Bill Anderson's first week on the show. We start off with some interesting jokes about what a guy holding a bird ended up with and ended with everyone coming up with Audience Match answers to "One for the ___."

Match Game PM remains in 1977. We had a memorable contestant, a British woman who sported a Match Game PM t-shirt. Brett showed off her own floral dress on a black background, while the others try to figure out how Snow White is feeling all day.

The ladies dominated Sale of the Century full-stop tonight. Although the man did win a Fame Game, they won the other two Fame Games. The woman challenger bought both Instant Bargains and the Instant Cash, then just barely got ahead in the Speed Round. She didn't do any better with the Bonus Round than anyone else recently, though.

Finished the night online with On an Island With You. I go further into this tropical Esther Williams vehicle at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

On an Island With You

Moved to YouTube for the SyFy miniseries Alice. Here, Alice Hamilton (Caterina Scorscone) is a martial arts teacher living in San Francisco with her mother. She spends her off-hours trying to find her missing father and with her new boyfriend Jack (Philip Winchester). When Jack is kidnapped by a strange being called The White Rabbit (Alan Gray), Alice follows him through a looking glass. Turns out the Queen of Hearts (Kathy Bates) is after the ring Jack gave her that controls the looking glass entrance to San Francisco. She's draining the emotions of "normal" humans and distilling them into drinks she sells to Wonderlanders. Among those trying to stop her are kindly Charlie the White Knight (Matt Frewer), who is the last of his kind, and the roguish Mad Hatter (Andrew-Lee Potts), who plays both sides of the coin. Alice has to figure out whom she can trust - and just how important those emotions are - when she finds out what really happened to her father.

Weirdly charming modern adaptation has some good ideas and nice performances, especially from Potts as the conflicted Hatter, but drags like crazy in the second half. It's still worth checking out if you're a fan of fantasy or Alice. 

Winds of Spring

Began a quick morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Donald's Big Balloon Race" has him in high hopes that he'll win a blue ribbon. He's the only Clubhouse regular who hasn't. Mickey helps him get past Pete, who keeps trying to cheat.

Hurried off to work as soon as the episode ended. Thankfully after yesterday, work was no trouble at all. We were so quiet in the morning, I did the carts in no time and was able to sweep the front patio and gather recycling and trash. Later in the day, along with the carts, I swept the store, gathered inside recycling, and put away many, many cold items people didn't want. The evening bagger arrived by the last hour and took over the sweeping, allowing me to focus on the carts. The weather was good for it, too, still windy, but slightly warmer when you could get in the sun. 

As soon as I got home, I changed, had a snack, and did some writing. Changed it so that "The Ace" and Lee escape the burning fireworks factory via the tunnel he made to get in. His guns give him mastery over the Earth. Lee wants to know whom he is and who the Master Magician is, but he can't really tell her either. 

Broke for tilapia, honey-glazed carrots, and riced cauliflower medley at 6:30. Watched Match Game '79 while I ate. Daryl Anderson of Lou Grant and Donna Pescow of Angie and Even Stevens joins Patti Deustch and the regulars for jokes about Mr. Spock's sister and her ears and where Mary and Joseph wouldn't be able to stay in an updated version of the bible. Match Game PM was an encore of that rare 1977 episode with Eva Gabor and Bill Anderson.

Sale of the Century was the closest game yet. Everyone won or bought something, and no one got very far ahead of anyone else...even in the Speed Round. The other lady won the tiebreaker question, though she too had trouble with the Bonus Round.

Finished out the night online after a shower with more Love Boat. "The Song Has Ended" for a former songwriter (Robert Goulet) who gave up his career to marry his sweetheart (Juliet Mills). His partner (Richard Dawson) went on to greater success without him...but he can't forget that he was in love with the lady, too. Captain Stubing (Gavin McLeod) assures the orphaned daughter of a former lover (Jill Whelan) that there's "A Time for Everything," including love and death. Doc (Bernie Koppel) romances a Russian commissar (Loretta Swit) named "Anoushka" after she requests that Julie make her "slinky." A businessman (Soupy Sales) and his smitten secretary (Jo Anne Worley) go on an "Accidental Cruise" when they get drunk at an office party and end up in the honeymoon suite.

Switched to The Roku Channel for Hart to Hart. Jennifer's cousin is hoping to be "A Lighter Hart" in the fourth season finale, thanks to a pink liquid diet prescribed to her by an exercise guru and his scheming girlfriend (Elaine Joyce). The lady's been adding a few things to the drink that she hopes will make her wealthy clients want to invest in their company, including amphetamines. When Jennifer's cousin ends up in a coma after a near-fatal heart attack, Jennifer and Johnathan spring into action to find out what unhealthy plans these health gurus have in mind. 

Breezy Spring

 Kicked off a quick morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel tries to explain to O the Owl that "You are Special" when he has to figure out what his talent is and show it to the class. Daniel and his dad go for a fall walk in the woods and learn why "Daniel Is Special" while gathering leaves and jumping into leaf piles.

Rushed out shortly after the cartoon ended. My work day began well. It was a glorious morning for gathering carts, bright, sunny, breezy, and probably in the mid-60's. I enjoyed it...until I got called inside shortly after my lunch break. Got stuck cashiering for the rest of the day. At least two more baggers arrived during the afternoon, and they're still having trouble getting cashiers to work in the morning. While some of our workers have returned, many cashiers haven't, or left. Didn't help that there were a lot of people in grumpy or just plain obnoxious moods. I ran out the moment it slowed down enough for me to close.

(By the time I got out, even the sun had vanished, replaced by dark clouds. Thankfully, they just stayed clouds. We never had anything resembling rain, and in fact, they disappeared again by the time I had dinner.)

Went straight into writing after I got home, changed, and had a snack. "The Ace" refuses to answer TV reporter Lee Merriweather's questions, claiming he doesn't know who The Master Magician is or what he really has up his sleeve. He does manage to swing her to safety through an upper story window and into a dumpster after the fireworks cause the place to go up in flames. 

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had fried eggs and broccoli while watching Match Game '79. Paul Williams was a real charmer in this one, giving amusing compliments to the ladies that delighted Brett Somers (who gave him a hug) and Betty White. He was less happy with the Audience Match question "Pint __." Brett insists that Gene shows off his dapper 20's-style shoes in the beginning of Match Game PM while the others contend with a nervous contestant who is barely more than a teenager.

Sale of the Century started out close for the second day in a row. Once again, everyone won a Fame Game, but the champ bought both Instant Bargains and shot ahead at the Speed Round. She continues to have trouble with the Bonus Round, though...

Jodie is still getting rid of furniture and other things in the house. I wish she'd ask me before she dumps all this on the curb. I could use some of the smaller pieces. I found a wonderful wooden table with a magazine rack and cabinet on the trash pile that's perfect as a combination printer stand and file holder. It's now replaced the plastic milk crates next to my desk. It was heavy and a bit hard to carry inside, but very worth the haul.

Finished out the night on the Watch TCM site with This Time for Keeps. I go further into this romantic comedy vehicle for swimmer Esther Williams at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

This Time for Keeps

Love Boats and Neverending Stories

Began the morning with Pineapple Pancakes for breakfast and Blockbusters. I came in as the solo champ tied with a mother-son pair. The solo champ just barely won as the show ended. 

Switched to Disney Plus for the newest Muppet Babies episode while I did the dishes. "It's Not Easy Being Greeny" for Summer's beloved daisy Greeny McPlant Plant. She's noticed he's not blooming the way he used to. The other kids try to help her revive him, but it's not use. In the end, Nanny explains the cycle of life and death to the disappointed kids. Fonzie and Rizzo have "Dueling Harmonicas" when Rizzo decides he'll be playing the harmonica in the talent show...which happens to be what Fozzie's doing. He tries to find him another talent, so he'll be the only harmonica player in the show.

Put Sailor Moon on Hulu as I did a few things around the apartment. Ran "Protect Mom's Dream: Double Moon Attack" in honor of Mother's Day yesterday. Chibi-Usa loves her Earth mom, Usagi's sweet and caring mother Ikuko. When a young man claims Ikuko is his birth mother, Chibi-Usa runs for help...and the girls return to find that this fellow isn't what he claims. 

Went to Cartoon Network for the latest DC Superhero Girls episode while I gathered up the laundry. Diana Prince is thrilled when her Aunt Antiope visits Metropolis in "#AwesomeAuntAntiope." Antiope always let her do things her strict mother, Queen Hippolyta, forbid. Diana learns a lesson in responsibility when Aunt Antiope takes her and her friends out for a wild night on the town that culminates in them being chased by the police and having to stop a rampaging Hydra Antiope forgot to put back in its cage. 

Headed out shortly after that. Had a lot of errands to run, starting with a quick stop at the post office. I finally dropped off my Mother's Day card to Mom and bought stamps at the post office. They couldn't change my five for ones, so I made an earlier stop at Dollar General than planned. Cashed the five for the laundromat and picked up sugar, sponges, and chocolate chips.

The laundromat was busy when I arrived with mothers who likely put off doing their loads yesterday during the holiday. I worked on story notes for my latest idea while my large load was in the washer. Hit WaWa after I stuffed it in a drier. Their big summer drink this year are Refreshers - green tea mixed with berry, passion fruit, or dragon fruit juices. The strawberry passion fruit was so tasty, I may have to try strawberry green tea at home sometime.

Oh, and I have another fanfic idea. This one was inspired by part of my recent Amazon.com order. I've rather enjoyed listening to the unusual Broadway cast album Wonderland on YouTube, about an older Alice who finds herself in a darker Wonderland that seems entirely too familiar. 

Brett Somers wishes she was in Wonderland, or anywhere but a little house just outside of Beverly Hills. It's 1976, and she and Jack Klugman are going through a messy divorce. Richard Dawson understands, having endured a painful separation himself, and wishes he could keep Brett from making the same mistakes he did with his ex-wife. Charles Nelson Reilly comes over for a couple of drinks and a shoulder to cry on. 

Brett swears she sees her boys going down a rather large rabbit hole in her garden...and the white rabbit is just as nervous as jumpy panelist Bill Daily. She follows her boys into the rabbit hole and finds herself in Wonderland, where nothing is as it seems. The White Knight (Richard) insists he'll defend her and keep her from harm. The jumpy White Rabbit (Bill Daily) is the messenger for the Queen (Betty White) and King (Allen Ludden) of Hearts, who aren't as demanding as they sound. The March Hare (Gene) fears the new Mad Hatter (Ira Skutch) may be working for someone who wants to take over Wonderland, while the grinning Cheshire Cat (Lee Merriweather) comes and goes as she pleases and seems to have her own agenda. 

As much as I like this idea, I like the superhero idea, too. I'll see if I can get further on that before I go into this one.

Put the laundry away when I got home, then had a Banana-Strawberry Smoothie for lunch while watching The Neverending Story on The Roku Channel. Bastian Bux (Barret Oliver) is an outcast in his New York school. He's constantly picked on by bullies and misunderstood by a businessman father (Gerald McRaney), who wishes he'd get his head out of the clouds. Ducking into a book store, he finds a leather-bound novel being read by the store's gruff owner (Thomas Hill). He borrows the book and hides in the school attic to read it alone...and ends up getting so caught up in the story of warrior Atreiyu (Noah Hathaway) attempting to save the land of Fantasia from a being called "The Nothing," he remains there all night. He's a bigger part of the story than he realizes. It'll take all his courage and creativity to finally save Atreiyu, The Child Empress (Tami Stronach), and Fantasia from being devoured by the Nothing...and him from losing his own childhood dreams.

The girls and I loved this one when it showed up frequently on cable in the mid-80's. It's a lot darker than I remember. Fantasia is a dying land, and everything is dark and shriveled. There's also scary sequences like Atreiyu losing his horse that may upset some animal-loving adults, let alone kids. Some of the special effects are pretty obvious today, including the use of green screen behind the dragon's flight. Others still work well. The Luck Dragon is an amazing creation, expressive and flowing. Some of the makeup for characters like Fantasia residents Teeny Weeny and Nighthob still look darn good, too.

Despite not really having much in common with the book, I still recommend this for older elementary school kids upwards who are fans of fantasy or fairy tales and have some idea of what's going on in Bastian's mind. 

Moved to the second half of Tattletales while making a Chocolate Chip Bundt Coffee Cake. Mary Ann Mosley and her long-time husband Gary Collins were the last-minute winners today, over Pat and Marge Harrington and Buck Owens and his big-haired lady Lisa. Press Your Luck skipped ahead to the week future talk show host Jenny Jones was a contestant. After a fairly subdued first half, things got a lot wilder in the second round. Jones just barely beat the other lady after she Whammied out on a final passed turn.

My Amazon package showed up around this time. Along with Wonderland, I splurged and picked up the hit Broadway show Come From Away on LP. I've wanted more recent Broadway shows on record. 

Worked on writing for a while after the show ended. Reporter Lee Merrieweather is rescued from falling into a cage filled with firecrackers going off by a mysterious man in a black cape. He shakes the ground, forcing the firecrackers and the Master Magician's men into the fissure, and throws a pool cue to switch off the lights. She's dying to know who he is, but he would prefer to remain anonymous for now.

Oh, and I finally signed up for Paramount Plus. Oh yeah, this is much better. Admittedly, they have a lot of the same sitcoms as Hulu, including I Love Lucy and both versions of The Odd Couple. On the other hand, they have other shows exclusive to them (including the entirety of the original Love Boat), along with almost every show Nickelodeon ever did and every version of Star Trek (including the animated series). Some good movies, too, including most of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin's vehicles. This is absolutely a keeper, and the price is right at $5.99 a month, too. 

It was quarter of 7 before I finally broke for dinner. Made pasta with chicken meatballs, roasted broccoli, and tomato sauce while watching Match Game '79. Real-life Texan Guich Koock got to show off his Grand Ol' Opry charm with his reading of the first question about what big object a cowboy puts in his drink. Charles, meanwhile is happily teasing Brett with "Bad Answer" awards. There's judging trouble on Match Game PM, including a near-riot on the first question. Later, we get some interesting answers to how a senator gets rid of incriminating evidence from a sex scandal. 

Low-scoring game on Sale of the Century. No one really did very well with the questions in the first half, though the champ bought both Instant Bargains and all three contestants won a Fame Game. The champ barely pulled ahead in the Speed Round, but she still couldn't figure the Bonus Round out.

Finished the night on Paramount Plus binging The Love Boat. I've really enjoyed these wonderfully cheesy all-star Aaron Spelling shows lately, partly due to many Match Game panelists appearing on them as guest stars. Began with the second season episode "The Man Who Loved Women." A charming fellow (David Doyle) romances three divorcees (Jo Ann Pflug, Brett Somers, and Cathryn Damon), not knowing they're best friends sharing the same cabin. "Oh, My Aching Brother" has enterprising brothers (Marty Ingels and Sonny Bono) trying to pass off a phony accident as real to get the insurance claim, until one falls for a gorgeous passenger (Judy Landers). Captain Stubbing's godson (Grant Goodeve) discovers he's married "A Different Girl" when the wife he barely knows (Bess Armstrong) claims she wants to wait to start a family.

Since it's mentioned in the Allen Ludden/Betty White biography as one of the last times they appeared on TV together, I did "The Horse Lover" next. Ludden is a horse owner who's so obsessed with the beautiful filly his has entered in a race in Acapulco, he ignores his wife. She ends up spending the night with the man (David Doyle) who wants to buy the horse. "Gopher and Issac Buy a Horse" and try to keep it out of sight before the race...and for some reason, "The Village People Ride Again," as they too have a horse in the race. (And act slightly better here than in Can't Stop the Music.) "Julie's Decision" is whether or not to marry a handsome playboy (Robert Stack), while a "Secretary to the Stars" (Loni Anderson) romances a reporter (Charles Frank), but she's really a Hollywood actress looking for privacy.

Brett turned up again in the third season - and made a surprisingly cute couple with Phil "Baloo the Bear" Harris - in "Y Gotta Have Heart." She's a woman whose husband just had heart surgery and keeps nagging at him to not push himself too hard. Doc wishes he could get that lucky with his current girlfriend (Misty Rowe). She brought her sister (Vicki Lawrence) with her to help her get over a bad break-up, but she's clingy and depressed. He gets a "Rent a Romeo" playboy (Joe Namath) to romance her. Vicki's new guy friend (Mark James) tries to play "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" to his divorced parents (Ja'net DuBois, Cleavon Little). 

Mothers and Matches

Started off a fast Mother's Day with eggs and leftovers from the nachos for breakfast. Listened to the Gypsy original cast album while I ate. Ethel Merman plays her most famous role here as Mama Rose, who pushes and shoves her two daughters into vaudeville. Although her "Everything's Coming Up Roses" is usually sited, I love her hilarious "Mr. Goldstone, I Love You" and her force-of-nature "Some People." Other good numbers here include "All You Need Is the Girl" and "Together Wherever We Go."

Hurried out even before the CD ended. Once again, work wasn't bad when I got in. It didn't get really busy until past 1:30, after everyone got out of church or finished brunch. We did have long lines, but not quite as long - or for as long - as yesterday. Apparently, bad weather in the middle of the day scared a lot of people off. By 4:30, it slowed down enough for me to leave with no relief and no need for one. 

Rushed straight home after work. Changed, grabbed vanilla yogurt with peanut butter and a banana for a very quick dinner, texted Mom a Happy Mother's Day greeting, then sat down to enjoy Match Game on YouTube. Mothers of all kinds - contestants, panelists, and questions and jokes about mothers - was the theme of this one. Jo Ann Pflug and Patti Deutsch appeared several times on Match Game while pregnant. Elaine Joyce's little girl Taylor Van was seen twice during the syndicated run, once in the end to show off her Polish dance costume, and again when she hid under her mother's desk during the show. Brett often spoke of her two sons and introduced her college-age daughter Leslie in one episode. 

My favorite episode involving parents - and the final episode in the marathon - was the one where Gene walks into the studio carrying two toddlers, a boy and a girl. The little boy was Patti's son Max Ross. The mini miss with the heavy grip on Gene's microphone was Gary Burghoff's darling daughter Gina. Max even "helped" his mother with the first question, and there were the occasional admonishments to watch what they said because little ears might hear. 

Here's the marathon, so you can enjoy the show with your own Mom! 

Match Game Mother's Day Marathon

Finished the night on YouTube with the 1985 Alice In Wonderland. I fondly remember seeing this two-part mini-series frequently on cable when I was a kid. Natalie Gregory is Alice, who badly wants to sit at the adult table for tea and prove she's a real adult. Bored after following her sister, she first ends up falling through a rabbit hole and into Wonderland. After she manages to escape Wonderland, she discovers that she's trapped behind the mirror and has to find her way across the checkerboard and become a queen to get home.

This was likely my first live-action Alice. On one hand, I wish a lot of the big-name cast had more to do. Of those stars who actually do something, the three queens - a perfectly demanding Jayne Meadows as the Queen of Hearts, Ann Jillian as the Red Queen, and Carol Channing as the White Queen - come off the best by far, especially when the latter two try to teach poor Alice how to be a queen. 

I don't know if this version is for everyone - the special effects and costuming are a bit dated and weird - but if you watched it on cable as a kid like I did, or you have younger kids who enjoy Alice stories, you may enjoy this as much as I did. 

Saturday Morning Memories

Began a quick morning with Spider Man and His Amazing Friends on Disney Plus. Rose and I loved this Saturday morning show in the early-mid 80's. It's now running on Disney Plus. Nowadays, it looks pretty typical of the time, as in "The Triumph of the Green Goblin." Scientist Norman Osborn is turned into the Green Goblin after a plane crash. Horrified at his transformation, he creates a potion to turn all New York into hideous goblins. Spider Man and his fellow college students Angelica "Firestar" Jones and Bobby "Iceman" Drake follow Osborn from a costume party to make sure he doesn't dump the potion into New York's water supply.

Hurried off to work just as the cartoon ended. Work was steady when I came in...but it picked up quickly around noon and stayed crazy for the rest of the day. Once again, we couldn't keep up with the long lines. People wanted to buy meat and bags of coal for their Mother's Day barbecues, and rose bouquets and cards for their moms. It slowed down just long enough for me to sign off without a relief.

Did all the grocery shopping I could get away with with the lines still long. Made use of online coupons for yogurt, brown sugar, and cereal. Strawberries were buy one, get one, and broccoli was also on a good sale. Restocked vanilla and almond extract, honey, milk, apples, canned pineapple, an onion, and toilet paper. 

Weird schedule next week. In good news, three days off (including next Friday and Saturday), only one cashiering day (tomorrow). Frustratingly, two 8 and 1/2 hour days in a row and the least hours I've had since early in the winter. At least I'll be able to get a lot done and make my first trip to the Collingswood Farm Market this year.

Put on Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as I put things away. Inspired by a letter Grandpere sent Dan Sr, Daniel makes "Something Special for Dad" to make him happy. He and his father say "I Love You, Mom" by going to Baker Aker to make her favorite treat, banana bread.

Worked on writing for a while after the cartoon ended. The Master Magician's men have a prisoner in the fireworks factory - Lee Merriweather, a reporter for Match Up Network who is strung up over a pile of fireworks set to go off! She's determined to show the truth about their activities and find out who their boss is...but first the mysterious Ace has to rescue her...

Made Honey-Pineapple Salmon with pasta and steamed broccoli for dinner, then baked snickerdoodles for dessert. Finished the night with The Muppets Take Manhattan. I go further into my favorite Muppet movie at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - The Muppets Take Manhattan

Dolls and Sisters

Opened my eyes...and saw 10 AM on the alarm clock next to my bed. I was meeting Jessa at 11 for lunch! I guessed it was going to be breakfast. I read the Allen Ludden biography and had just finished writing in my journal when knocking sounded on my door. Yes, it was Jessa, ready to go. I changed quickly and threw on sandals before I joined her.

We had lunch at the Legacy Diner. With capacity restrictions lifting, it was pretty busy in there. They have a new, far less elaborate menu, with simpler baskets and omelets and fewer pancake options. I went with a "Florentine" (spinach-feta cheese) omelet, hash browns, and whole wheat toast that was pretty tasty. Jessa had a pannini sandwich. We chatted about our difficulty finding creative jobs. She wants to illustrate children's books. I want to write, but I'm not really sure what. She suggested what amounts to self-publishing, putting my own book out there. I may consider it. I need to see how much it costs. We also discussed my problems finding an apartment in this area. 

We spent an hour or so after lunch back at my house, watching Match Game '75 and Classic Concentration. We arrived just in time to see the Audience Match with "Gene __." Needless to say, Gene was anxiously awaiting to see if his name was the top answer! We were also introduced to Carol Bartos, who would become one of the show's top winners. In the next episode, she went up against a cheerful teacher with the help of game show legends Bob Barker and Arlene Francis.

Classic Concentration was a 4th of July episode, with an explosive confrontation between a young man and a very excited woman who was obviously thrilled to be there. She eagerly explained her answer and screamed over her win...but she didn't do nearly as well with the match-the-car bonus round. In the next episode, a far more subdued Air Force officer finally beat her, but didn't do much better with the cars.

After Jessa left, I dressed the dolls for the less formal May holidays. In the books, Samantha's birthday is in May. She gets to wear her pink striped birthday dress and lacy pinafore. Felicity's ready to help me with chores in her green-striped Work Gown. I gave her an old apron with lace trim that's the first thing I ever bought for Samantha. I picked it up from a craft show in Cape May probably back in the early-mid 90's, but Sam has her own pinafores. 

Molly sports an eBay recreation of her hard-to-find Victory Garden dress. Whitney also wears an eBay outfit, a pastel polka-dot dress with a full skirt that looks more appropriate for her 50's era than Molly's 40's. Ariel goes groovy 70's in the brief ruffled top and flowered bell-bottoms that were among the outfits in that Amazon bag Lauren gave me at Christmas. Jessa also goes casual in a tie-dye flower t-shirt and short-alls from two different AG outfits. Josefina's in her pretty red and gold Dress and Vest with the black velvet vest. 

Listened to Instrumental Magic while dressing the dolls. This three-disc set of mostly random movie and TV themes seems to be by the same company that made my One Stormy Night album. It's a mixed bag, to say the least. Some songs, like the themes from Star Wars and Airport, sound just right and stirring. Darker tunes, like "Suicide Is Painless" from MASH and "Also Sprach Zathura," best known as the score for 2001: A Space Odyssey, don't fare well with the lighter approach. (And there's at least one song with lyrics, "Walking In Rhythm" by the Blackbyrds.)

Finished in time to watch Tattletales while making a quick chocolate-banana-peanut butter smoothie for lunch. Laid back Grand Ol' Opry performer Buck Jones and his wife Lisa just barely won today over Pat and Marge Harrington. The Press Your Luck episode was that crazy Halloween show Buzzr last showed during the comedy marathon in March that ended with host Peter Tomarken doing a goofy dance in a Frankenstein mask. 

Worked on writing after Peter collapsed on the floor. We're introduced to Richard's shadowy alter ego "The Ace," a Batman/Shadow-like figure who uses sharpened cards and a pool cue, along with various magnetic and earth-shattering weapons to take down a group of goons dressed as magicians stealing crates from a fireworks factory. Richard's still trying to figure out what they're up to, but they only tells him they work for "The Master Magician," but have no idea who their boss really is...

Had a quick leftovers dinner and made Strawberry Almond Muffins while watching Match Game '79. A very tall and handsome contestant from Maine turned a lot of heads in the previous episode, including fellow Maine resident Brett and fellow tall person Barbara Rhodes. He's finally defeated by a cheerful and fun lady with very curly hair who gets help in figuring out "Ain't It __." On Match Game PM, smart ingénue Jo Ann Pflug finishes off a funny episode by helping a contestant win $10,000 with her answer to "Boo __."

Sale of the Century had its closest episode yet. Everyone won or bought something, and no one was ever really far ahead of anyone else. The woman champ won by one question in an intense and rapid-fire Speed Round. She still couldn't figure out the Bonus Round, though.

Finished off the night on Shout Factory TV with a later Mike episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Pumaman is an Italian superhero movie from 1980.  The evil Dr. Kobras (Donald Pleasance) has stolen a mask that can be used to control anyone's mind. He first takes over the mind of the woman who uncovered the mask, Jane Dobson (Sydne Rome). The mask really belongs to an Aztec god created by aliens, whose power now rests in young paleontologist Tony Farms (Walter George Alton). Native priest Vadinho (Miguel Angel Fuentes) must train Tony in his newfound powers and show him how to resist the mind control and stop Kobras from controlling the mind of every leader in the entire world.

Uh, yeah. Boy, was this one goofy. Between bad acting, bad dialogue, and absolutely dreadful and obvious special effects, this really needed the wisecracks from the robots and their human pal. Recommended only for those who love the cheesy sci-fi movies of the 70's and early 80's.  

Super Spring Afternoon

Started off my morning with breakfast and new Muppet Babies on Disney Now. I never expected Disney to dig so far into the Muppet archives for a new character...but I believe Jill, the know-it-all girl frog who debuts in "A Very Sticker Situation," is based after the female frog advertising executive from Muppets Take Manhattan. She claims she's a "big girl" and doesn't need help organizing Nanny's sticker book, but ends up needing the kids anyway when she gets stuck on a cloud. Jill does a "Boo Boo Bamboozle" when she pretends to have a hurt ankle in order to get attention from the others.

Caught a bit of To Tell the Truth before I left. They had to figure out which of three teenagers, two boys and a girl, was mauled by a shark and lived to tell the tale. Alas, I didn't have the time to see who it was before I had to rush off to work.

Work mostly went very well. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, breezy, bright blue, and in the mid 60's. Who wants to go grocery shopping on a perfect spring day? We did get some long lines around noon, and I got stuck doing various little errands while the carts were empty. Thankfully, I managed to get back out and finish them. The head manager was around for most of the morning, too. Headed out before the evening rush hour could get really bad.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road and Atlantic Avenue. It was too nice not to! Everything is so green now. The leaves on the trees grow fatter and greener every day. Gardens overflow with velvety purple irises and pale frilly peonies. Nicholson Road was busy with people out for a pleasant drive after work.

There was a package awaiting me when I got home. I finally got Television Game Show Hosts from eBay. I've enjoyed the game show host biographies so much, I figured I might as well read shorter bios on everyone else I've watched on Buzzr and YouTube. Familiar faces profiled here include Monty Hall (Let's Make a Deal, Split Second), Jack Narz (Concentration), Tom Kennedy (Body Language, Wordplay), Bob Eubanks (Card Sharks '86, The Newlywed Game), Alex Trebek (Classic Concentration, Jeopardy!) and Jim Perry (Card Sharks '78, Sale of the Century). 

(I still have one eBay item I'm waiting on. I ordered Molly's Cooking Studio on my birthday. It was supposed to have arrived last week, and it hasn't appeared yet. The tracking claims it's still in Virginia! I'll call the post office tomorrow or Monday and find out if they lost it. Everything else has arrived.)

Watched Press Your Luck while I changed and had a snack. Everyone won money in a relatively subdued first half, hitting only one Whammy. Things didn't pick up until the second round. It came down to the other man and the one woman. She ended up winning by 2,000 and picked up two trips and a pile of cash.

Worked on writing for a while after the show ended. Revised the opening to start with a short action sequence. We see the terror who attacks the underground literally underground, using weapons that allows him to magnetize anything and pound the ground. The man in the dark hat and cape disappears into the shadows before he can be interviewed...emerging as Richard Dawson...

Put on Match Game '79 while eating a quick leftovers dinner. Charles and Brett spend the entire episode sniping at each other, including jokes about how long they take to write their answers. Charles' "acting" when his answer turns up on the Audience Match prompts Gene to give him the question holder stand as a "trophy."

Let Match Game PM run as I began dusting the apartment. A noisy and enthusiastic audience added a lot of vitality to this episode, cheering on every weird answer. The game was pretty good, too. It eventually came down to a tie breaker. Once they settled that, they could make jokes about Caesar __ and The Devil __ on the Audience Match. 

Finished the cleaning as Buzzr continued into Sale of the Century. We had another close game between two gentlemen and a lady who'd been on the show before, but lost to a technicality. The lady bought both Instant Bargains; the other man won the Instant Cash and the Fame Game. She jumped ahead by one question and won the Speed Round, but just couldn't get the Bonus Round.

Ended the night online. Allen Ludden made a rather strange Perry White in the 1975 TV version of the It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. I reviewed the copy currently on YouTube for my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Musicals on TV - It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman!

I used to love the 1988 Ruby Spears Superman cartoon when I was a 9-year-old. Watched it every Saturday. I'm so glad it's currently on Tubi. I have a lot of fond memories of this show. Did the first episode, "Destroy the Defendroids" relates somewhat to It's a Bird, It's a Plane. Here, it's Lex Luthor's efficient crime-fighting robots that make Superman look obsolete and force him out of town. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen figure out there's more to this than the robots making Lex look good. "The Adoption" reveals how Johnathan and Martha Kent took Clark in after his powers were too rowdy for most of the parents who came to the orphanage. 

Spring Asserts Itself

Started off a gloomy day with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Dan Sr. needs "Calm at the Clock Factory" when he brings Dan Jr, O the Owl, and Katerina to see how clocks are made. Dan sometimes gets too excited, but when he's too jumpy, his father reminds him to take a deep breath and a squeeze. Prince Wednesday needs to be reminded about "Calm at Storytime" when he keeps doing frog hops, even in the library.

Rushed to work shortly after the episode ended. Less than an hour after I arrived, it began to shower lightly. The heavy precipitation didn't arrive until around noon-12:30. I got lucky. By the time it started to pour, I was sweeping the store and on break. We were so busy at that point, I didn't get outside again until well after the rain ended and the sun began to emerge. Once again, we had no help. Lines were long for a lot of the afternoon. Thankfully, the afternoon bagger arrived at 4 and took over the carts when I left.

Went into writing as soon as I got in. Richard's introduced to Brett, the restaurant critic who mostly reviews bars, and Charles, the fussy theatrical and film critic. They also mention gossip host Ira Skutch, the eyes and ears of their boss, Mark Goodson, who owns the network.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched Match Game '79 while eating leftover nachos for dinner. Barbara Rhodes and Gene Rayburn fib about her having been on the show before in the opening so he can get another kiss...and he ends up giving one to Dick Martin next to her as well. He also mentions the Love Boat episode he did with Fannie Flagg, where they played dog lovers who fall for each other.

Match Game PM came on as I started cleaning the kitchen. Gene has to wait longer than he'd like for Charles to finish the first question! Later, Richard helps a man with a pregnant wife answer "__ Pollution." 

Sale of the Century was close for most of the game, with the male contestants going back and forth. They were so close, it came down to a tie in the Speed Round. The champ didn't have as much luck in the Bonus Round.

Finished the night online with Fantasy Island, which is now on Tubi. The Allen Ludden biography mentions he appeared in an episode of the 3rd season as the head judge in "The Skater's Edge." Charlotte (Charlene Tilton) is a Minnesota farm girl who dreams of being a figure skater. O'Rourke (Ricardo Montalban) gives her silver skates that make her perform like a pro, but the older skater who's worked all her life for this (real-life gold medalist Peggy Fleming) is jealous. "The Last Great Race" has two divorcing classic car owners racing their vehicles to see who gets their vintage car museum. "Concerto of Death" is much darker. A lounge pianist (Dennis Cole) claims he wants his late brother's ability to throw himself into his music...but what he really desires is to figure out who killed him. 

It's a Sunshine Day

Began the morning with scrambled eggs, oranges, and Body Language. Roger E. Mobley's softball prowess didn't help him act out clues or guess puzzles. Shelly Smith finally outguessed him on the last puzzle. She had a harder time getting her contestant through the Bonus Round. They did get nine clues to guess, but could only get one Bonus clue.

Blockbusters went a lot better. Bill Cullen witnessed a fierce back-and-forth battle between a woman and a grandmother-grandson pair. The pair just barely won in the end. They had an easier time with the Gold Run round, only missing two questions. They were just starting the first round with a gentleman when the show finished.

Headed out shortly after the episode ended. The laundry had to be done today. I badly need work clothes. Picked the right day to do it. They were dead for the entire hour. Never saw more than one or two people around, other than the one guy painting the exterior siding. 

Had a lot of errands to run, too. I've wanted to try the new Mango Pepsi flavor. WaWa only had the Zero Sugar, but I figured that was enough. Got money to buy a Barnes & Noble gift card for Mother's Day at Family Dollar. Got a card for Mom and pads there as well. Also had the chance to enjoy a gorgeous day, sunny, warm, and breezy, very much in the lower 70's. 

(By the way...the Mango Pepsi isn't bad. You can really taste the mango, anyway.)

Put away the laundry, then watched Match Game '75 while having a Banana-Strawberry Smoothie for lunch. This very goofy episode starts out with a question on what happens when someone falls into the meat grinder at McDonald's and Brett's lengthy answer. (And frankly, I agree with Richard's answer to that question.) Meanwhile, Gene gets a little too frisky with teeny Sarah Kennedy under her desk, to Brett's annoyance!

Put on The Return of Captain Invincible after lunch. I know I said I was going to do this on Thursday, but I really wanted to watch it when I could focus on it...and boy, am I glad I did. I go further into this very, very peculiar Aussie superhero spoof at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - The Return of Captain Invincible

Switched to Super Password as I cleaned the bathroom. Richard Moll and Gloria Loring continue their week. Moll seemed pretty pleased (at least, as much as he ever did) with managing to lead his contestant to the Ca$hword on the first clue! For the second day in a row, the producer and writer divorcees were the big winners on Tattletales, just barely over Patty Duke and John Astin. 

Finally got to scrubbing the bathroom floor during Press Your Luck. Boy, did it need it. It was really grimy, with several ugly spots. There were some ugly spots on the show, too. It wasn't that bad in the first half. Everyone picked up money, with only one Whammy seen. They waited until the second half to really fly. The new champ just barely beat the other man, picking up a trip and a lot of cash.

Switched to writing after the show ended. I decided Richard Dawson is more of a Batman type than a Superman. As we meet him, he's a broke single father looking for a job at the Match-Up Network as a host. The sarcastic receptionist (Marcia Wallace) is about to direct him to auditions when he encounters the argumentative restaurant critic who mainly reviews bars (Brett) and fussy theater and film critic (Charles). 

Also signed up for Netflix while online...for all of ten minutes. It only took me a quick glance at their line-up to realize they aren't for me. I saw some great cartoons, most of which I could easily watch elsewhere. I don't care about their original programming. If I want to see Stranger Things, I'll pick up the nifty DVD releases packed to look like 80's videos. I canceled them almost immediately. I may end up trying Paramount Plus instead. 

Made an early Cinco De Mayo ground turkey nacho dinner while watching Match Game '79. Gene's right that Marcia has the perfect phrase to describe Bill Daily. "He goes through life with perpetual jet lag." Meanwhile, Brett complains about Charles eating on the first tier and Marcia has to help a contestant win $10,000 with "Cookies and __." Things went even better on Match Game PM. The contestants were actually quite good, ending in a fairly intense tie. Richard got to help the contestant with the Head-to-Head this time.

Sale of the Century celebrates Thanksgiving reeeeellly early with holiday-related questions and prizes like a trip to Massachusetts and a big kitchen set. The champ pretty much dominated, buying both Instant Bargains and the Instant Cash and easily getting through the Speed Round. Had a lot more trouble with the Bonus Round, though.

Peeked at the other side of the house while Jodie was out. They've started remodeling the dining room. Either they laid hardwood floor, or there was gorgeous hardwood flooring under all that matted old green rug. The floor looks really nice. 

Finished up the night celebrating Star Wars Day at Disney Plus with something a little different. I'm surprised I don't remember the 1985 Ewoks cartoon. It being on ABC may have had something to do with it. We usually preferred the schedules on CBS, NBC, or cable. It's a pretty typical cartoon of the time, with rough and colorful animation and slightly cutesy stories depicting the magical "primitive" world of the Ewoks in more detail than the live-action films could.

Started with the second episode, "The Haunted Village." Logray, the village wise man, has developed an invisibility soap that can hide the Ewoks magical sunberries from a dragon sent by witch Morag. The Dukocks, a race of skinny creatures that resemble a cross between a monkey and the Grinch, manage to get their hands on the soap and try to clean themselves with it. Wicket and his friends have to get rid of them, then figure out how to spread the soap on the remaining bushes.

Morag's not through with her evil deeds. She kidnaps the baby of the Phlogs, a race of giant creatures, and orders the Dulocks to hold it hostage. They can't handle it, and it keeps escaping. Meanwhile, Wicket thoughtlessly insults Malani when he's tired of her swooning over him. She runs off, and straight to the baby and the Dulocks. Wicket and his friends go after them to stop "The Rampage of the Phlogs" from damaging their village.

Wicket will do anything "To Save Deej" when his father's cut by a razor-sharp poisonous fungus. A strange little creature named Mring-Mring seems like more of a hinderance than a help at first. His antics prove to be a lot more useful than Wicket and his brothers originally suspected when he helps them find the ingredients for the cure.

Latara is fed up with her constant chores and no one listening to her flute playing. She joins "The Traveling Jindas," a troupe of performers, to see what their life on the road is like. Not only does it prove to be even harder than life in the Ewok village, but the Jindas constantly get lost. When they run straight into the Dulocks, the Ewoks go in and try to rescue them.

Comic Book Fantasies

Kicked off a gloomy morning with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. Three women with Slavic accents and high cheekbones claimed to be a Russian refugee whose family was exiled to Siberia for being Jewish in 1939. She escaped as a teen, only to be caught again and sent to prison, only to later be released and write a book about her experiences. Everyone thought it was #2, including me, who certainly looked the part and spoke knowledgeably about Siberia and Russia...and yes, we were all right.

Work was a lot easier to deal with than yesterday. We weren't busy in the morning at all, allowing me to empty the inside recycling and round up carts with no trouble. It picked up quite a bit later...but this time, I was the only bagger. The head bagger was in charge of self check-out today, and most of the other baggers work in the afternoons and evenings or on the weekends. It did get harder to keep up with the carts and the sweeping later in the day, when we got closer to rush hour. Other than that, no trouble whatsoever, nothing compared to yesterday. I suspect a cloudy, humid day with rare light showers may have scared people off, too. 

Changed, then watched Press Your Luck while having a snack. Very close game today, especially in the second half. One of the ladies hit a car tile...but she turned her spins over to the one guy, who kept winning prize after prize. He ended up with a game table, a spa, and a trip to Hong Kong, among others. 

Developed a new Match Game idea at work today. I've struggled with the Western fanfic, and while I still like the idea of a Match Game western, I don't know if I'm really "feeling" it right now. I read in the Allen Ludden biography that he had a brief role as Perry White in the 1975 TV version of It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. I got to thinking how the idea of laid-back Ludden as a crusading newspaper editor was hilarious, and that made me wonder how I'd update or change the musical to make it more relevant to now and the actual Superman franchise. 

And then I remembered that Ludden and Loretta Swit were semi-regulars, and I thought...well, why not make this the Match Game superhero fanfic I planned on doing? It still revolves around the School Riot episode...only now, Richard's reading his sons' comic books instead of western novels, and that leads to the story. 

He's a super-being looking for a job after he comes to Los Angeles with his two sons who ends up as a reporter at The Match-Up Times. Top journalist Lee Merriweather isn't happy with him constantly scooping her on stories about this fascinating new hero in town. As it turns out, he's not the only super-being, or at least genius, at the Match-Up. There's other heroes around too, including the fussy theater critic and restaurant critic who mostly reviews bars and are perpetually at each other's throats. Ira Skutch takes the Max Menken role, a gossip columnist who doesn't trust all these super great people and regularly shills for his boss, Mark Luthor. 

I basically used the same set-up as the Western, with the western references changed to Superman references. Didn't get much further than that. We'll see what I can do tomorrow.

(Oh, and speaking of superheroes, Jodie brought in my latest eBay order. The 1975 It's a Bird, It's a Plane... is on YouTube. It's terrible...but I thought that would make a perfect match with the notoriously campy Australian superhero musical The Return of Captain Invincible from 1983. Look for Superman tomorrow and Captain Invincible on Thursday.)

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had quick leftovers while watching Match Game '79. Brett admires Gene in his new suit, while Gene admires a blonde contestant who loves bodysurfing but doesn't give the best answers. We also get a rare instance where Joe Santos of The Rockford Files, who is an amiable guy but doesn't play the game that well, actually matched the contestant. 

Made chocolate-chip oatmeal cookies while watching Match Game PM. The Audience Match in this one got a little crazy. The question was "Alfred __," and the bottom answer was "Alfred Einstein!" Gene had to call up there to ask the late scientist when he changed his name.

Sale of the Century skipped ahead six months to Thanksgiving week. Once again, it started close, but this time, the only man bought an Instant Bargain, won the Speed Round hands down, and got the Bonus Round at the last minute.

Finished the night online after a shower with an episode of The Amazing Spider Man. Unlike Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk, this live-action Spider Man show just never seemed to get respect or full seasons. It ran as a replacement for other shows for 13 episodes. I vaguely remember catching it in re-runs as a kid. Rose was especially fond of it, but she's been a Spider Man fan for years. 

I can kind of understand why it didn't work. It's a little bland, compared to green guys smashing things and a buxom Amazon who can out-run and out-swim any guy. Take "The Kirkwood Haunting" from Season 2. Peter Parker is sent to help an old friend of his boss J. Jonah Jameson who believes her mansion is haunted. Peter's not so sure and turns to a paranormal psychologist for help. Meanwhile, his fellow reporter Julie Masters desperately wants to get in that mansion and get the story, even after being chased by a bear and saved by Spider Man.