Goin' Home

We slept for the last time today and didn't get out until past 11:30. Instead of eating at a restaurant, we opted to take advantage of the continuing good weather and get lunch from WaWa instead. I bought half of a turkey hoagie on a wheat roll and a bananas foster smoothie; Lauren bought a roast beef panini and a Starlight Coke. We each tossed in a bag of baked chips.

Stopped at Comicrypt on the way home. Lauren loves this little comics shop around the corner, at least when it's not mobbed. Local comics nuts and eBay sellers stop there when they first open at noon...and it was ten minutes past noon. I couldn't even get to the white and black and white kitties who were hiding in boxes. We shoved our way out with nothing.

After that, we decided it was safer to spend Lauren's last hour and a half in my rooms. Charles seemed to have a hard time hearing a question towards the end of Match Game '77. Gene used the bottom of Richard's chair as a "trumpet" to get the message across. There's also all goofy "old fashioned" answers to what Moses wears when he doesn't trust the parting of the Red Sea.

We took the mattress downstairs, then returned to Classic Concentration. An older woman from down south just seemed to have so much fun playing. She kept amassing prizes for her grandchildren, but couldn't get the puzzle. The girl who beat her did much better, going on to win a jeep. In the next episode, it was the guy who beat all comers, though he didn't have as much luck with matching the car.

Called for Uber around 2 PM. Lauren didn't leave until 3:25, but I know what traffic can be like in Philly. I was right about leaving early. There was heavy traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway going in. A trip that should have taken a little over 20 minutes ended up taking 40. Lauren and I got off at 30th Street, I hugged her good-bye, and I called another Uber driver to get me home. He also got stuck in traffic, but thankfully, wasn't more than three or so minutes late. By the time he took me home, the traffic had diminished, and this time I really did get back in a little over 20 minutes.

Soon as I got home, I grabbed the blankets Lauren laid on all week and took them down to the laundromat to get washed. Realized I forgot to get something for lunch tomorrow, so I made a second stop at WaWa, too. Got a sandwich for tomorrow and a Perrier and a pretzel for now. Tried to sit outside when my clothes were in the dryer, but not only was it hot and humid, but I nearly got attacked by a bee! I dashed inside in a hurry.

Put the regular laundry downstairs, then came up and messed around on the computer. Broke for dinner and Match Game '74. Burt Reynolds made a surprise appearance on this episode, not as a contestant or a panelist, but just to drop in. Apparently, he appeared on the original 60's Match Game during his years on TV westerns. He remained good friends with Gene, and Charles Nelson Reilly would be one of his best pals for years. Kaye Stevens barely left his side, and the female contestant just glowed when he gave her a kiss!

Tab Hunter and Marilu Henner joined in for Match Game PM. Brett got to toss out a few quips about how Fannie's __ are full of grits in the first question. Charles got to pretend to be upset over the made-up vaudevillians he created for "Austin __" in the Audience Match. He was far happier to help the contestant with "__ of the Morning" in the Head-to-Head.

Finished the night online with Mystery Science Theater 3000 as I finally remembered to bring up my laundry. The episode began with the sobering Last Clear Chance, a high school safety film about what happens when teens don't pay attention around railroad crossings. The robots may have found it hilarious, but given there are plenty of railroad crossings and reckless teens with cars around here, I take this one a little more seriously.

Radar Secret Service wasn't sobering, just dull. It's about as 1950 as you can get. Gangsters try to steal a shipment of uranium, but one gets caught. He leads them to the waitress moll of another gangster and convinces her to inform on her boyfriend. Frankly, their search for the uranium is one big ad for radar, which was a new technology then. The characters talk about it as much as possible, including when they're supposed to be doing other things. Other than a big shoot-out in the end, it's all talk and very little action. 

(Oh, and it's a good thing Lauren left when she did. She was long at home by the time it finally started pouring and thundering here. She's fine. No trouble on any train or anywhere on the road, according to her.)

Let's Stay Together

Awoke to a cloudy, windy morning. That wasn't entirely a bad thing. It was much cooler as we strolled down the White Horse Pike, and there was a nice, strong wind. It wasn't busy, either. We had no problem stepping into Jalapeno's Bar and Grill by around quarter of noon.

They weren't busy, either. In fact, we were the first ones there. She had a huge salad, filled with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and olives (that she picked off - she doesn't like them either). I had my favorite vegetable quesadilla. They were delicious, and we enjoyed the meal...but we waited more than 10 minutes, and our waiter still didn't show up to get our payment. While it was busier than it had been when we arrived, it still wasn't that bad. We threw down money and his tip and rushed out.

By that point it was nearly 1, too late to take a bus to Barrington. I called for an Uber driver instead. He got us up the Pike to the House of Fun quickly and with a minimum of fuss.

The House of Fun wasn't busy, either. Alas, neither of us found anything there. We did better at in the overstuffed rooms at the Barrington Antique Center. She picked up two vintage scarves, one purple, one red and white polka-dot. I found two records, the original cast of the 1964 Broadway show The Girl Who Came to Supper and a songs-and-story record for the Disney Babes In Toyland. 

Since we got a later start, I texted Jessa and told her to meet us at 2:30, rather than 2. She didn't arrive until nearly quarter of 3. No trouble getting to Deptford after that. I haven't seen her because we've both been busy with work. She has two jobs at local warehouses. I told her about everything going on with me, from my doctor's appointments to Rose and Mom. (And no, Rose hasn't spoken to her, either.)

Pulled into the parking lot of the Deptford Mall around 3:30. We poked around Box Lunch and Go! Calendars and Games, but found nothing of interest. Jessa thought there was a smaller arcade downstairs, but it would seem it was removed or shut down. 

We finally just moved on to the big arcade upstairs, Round 1 Entertainment. We spent an hour running from giant Galaga/Pac Man game to giant Bust a Move to bean bag games to spin the wheel games. The skee ball machines were broken, but I did just as well with the bowling games next to them. Came in first on Mario Kart Deluxe, too, and with Pac Man, a character I've never used before. I kept trying and trying to win characters from the neon cranes in the center of the room, but had no luck whatsoever. Made up for it by finally earning enough points to pick up the cutest pink and tan anime-style kitty named Plum-Chan, with enough leftover for something next time. 

Hiked across the mall to Red Robin for dinner. We just caught them before they got too busy, too. Lauren had a Caesar Salad grilled wrap. I had a grilled chicken sandwich. It was slightly dry, so I added ketchup and mayo sauce from our tower of crispy onion rings. Jessa had a bowl of grilled chicken salad that was bigger than her head! 

Went back to to the other side of the mall to check out FYE and Boscov's. The FYE had slightly more DVDs than it did last time or than Cherry Hill, but still not a ton. No one got anything there. We all did far better in Boscov's. I picked up a new summer purse with a pretty woven rainbow design. Alas, the lining on the one I bought last year from Amazon ripped rather badly. Lauren picked up two shirts. Jessa bought a huge stock pot. 

Jessa drove us home through the back roads of Deptford and Westville, finally pulling in around 7:30. We had dessert while watching The Price Is Right: The Barker Era. We got to see a nearly-perfect win episode, plus a goofy Showcase Showdown skit with Johnny Olsen and the models playing mad scientists who turn themselves into something that represents the prizes in question.

I finished off the night on Amazon Prime with Listen, Darling. I go further into this early Judy Garland musical for the centennial of her birth at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Judy Garland Centennial - Listen, Darling

Walking On Sunshine

Got a quick start today around 11. We were originally going to take the bus to Market Place at the Garden State Park, but Lauren was wary of a long walk after what happened on Saturday. We finally decided better safe than sorry and took Uber. A pleasant older gentleman picked us up and dropped us off at Land's End within 20 minutes.

Land's End was our first stop of the day. I was a little disappointed. They didn't have good sales on tank tops, like they have the last few times I was there. In fact, most of the plus size section was taken over by bathing suits. Neither of us picked up anything here.

We strolled to the other side of the complex to have lunch at Chick Fil'A. While their indoor seating has reopened, it was still too nice to eat inside. Lauren had a Spicy Chicken Deluxe and I had a Grilled Chicken Sandwich with a "Cloudberry Sunjoy," a sweet iced tea-lemonade drink. She texted her managers back and forth, teasing them about getting to eat Chick Fil'A, while I enjoyed the gorgeous sunshine, fresh breezes, and dry lower-80's temperatures. 

We were in and out of stores for the next few hours. She bought vitamin C drops to suck on at Christmas Tree Shoppes. I bought a roll of Tums after my heartburn returned. Neither of us found anything at Dick's Sporting Goods or Best Buy. I bought a pretty floral blouse at TJ Maxx's, the first book in a mystery series about a witch working at her aunt and uncle's bakery I found at the Haddon Township Library at Barnes and Noble, and underwear at Nordstrom's Rack. She bought a magazine at Barnes & Noble and shirts at the Gap and Nordstrom's Rack. 

Lauren had never seen a Trader Joe's, and I'd only been in there once. They're a small grocery store based around sustainable, healthy food...and from what I could see, good prices. Their salt-free peanut butter was far cheaper than even the now-verboten Jiff at the Acme. I also picked up a container of coconut macaroons and the first real sugar-covered orange slices I've ever seen. Lauren bought dried cherries and candied ginger. 

Shake Shack is an outlying gray blocky building in the parking lot. They're a small streamlined burgers-and-shakes joint with a nifty food ordering system. You chose what you want on what amounts to an iPad. It took me a few minutes, but I finally went with a Purple Cow Float - grape soda and frozen vanilla custard. Lauren had an iced tea and a hot dog, and we shared crinkle fries with flaky salt. The fries were amazing, perfectly crispy. The float was...very sweet and very purple. The vanilla custard was delicious, though, creamy and cool. I may just get a dish of that next time.

Quickly stopped at Cardhartt on our way back to Land's End. They mostly sell men's clothing, but they did have almost-all-cotton socks. I bought a 3-pack for work.

Picked up the Uber going home back at Land's End. The driver took one look at the traffic on Cuthbert and turned to Cooper River Park, passing through the small neighborhoods of Haddon Township and Collingswood and down through Newton Lake Park. It would have been more pleasant if he didn't keep stopping and starting every few minutes, including where he didn't need to.

We went straight upstairs and got organized after we got in. Put on Match Game '74 while we worked. Perky little Jackie Joseph sported a flowered headband and dress from her trip to Hawaii as everyone gave strange (but then-faddish) answers to what Methuselah does when he's given sneakers. The others help a mountain-man like contestant with a bushy blonde beard and long hair figure out "End of the __" in the Audience Match.

Had dinner during Match Game PM. Lovely Lee Merriweather, Robert Mandan of Soap, and comedian Richard Paul got to see Gene ask a contestant questions about the strange crest on his jacket. They tried to figure out what Dumb Dora needed a recipe to make and wondered about "__ and I" in the Audience Match. Richard was more nervous helping the contestant with "Tokyo __" in the Head-to-Head.

Finished the night with Hart to Hart on The Roku Channel. They're "Bahama-Bound Harts" in the fourth season when they're invited to the home of a notorious recluse. Johnathan thinks it's odd that a man who hasn't been seen in years has suddenly become so friendly. He has reason to be concerned. His greedy assistant has her own plans for his boss...and for his considerable fortune. 

Beautiful Sunday

I must have been really worn out after all the trouble yesterday. I didn't get up until almost 11 AM! It was closer to 11:30 when I finished with my journal and joined Lauren in the main room. Grabbed a pineapple date bar and blueberries, then lead Lauren downstairs. 

Got an Uber to Gloucester Premium Outlets within 10 minutes. When we told the cheerful young man driving that we were on vacation, he revealed he'd just gotten off vacation, due to his wife having a baby. That lead to a round of happy congratulations! Considering he took the expressway through Bellmawr and past Deptford, we ran into no traffic anywhere and were there within 20 minutes.

The Gloucester Premium Outlets are in Blackwood, just outside of Deptford...and they're gorgeous. Unlike the outlet malls in Atlantic City and Lenox, they're designed as a fully pedestrian mall. In fact, they remind me a lot of the Washington Street Mall in Cape May. Wide sidewalks with lots of seating connect the stores, rather than streets. The entrance sports a beautiful fountain that gurgled and splashed as we entered. Hardtop roofs provided shade and protection from bad weather on the narrower side alleys. 

We started at Go!Toys & Games to make up for the one that closed at the Cherry Hill Mall. They weren't as big as that one, but they did still have some interesting items. I didn't buy anything, but Lauren found a stuffed alligator who somehow managed to be adorable and menacing at the same time. 

There's only two restaurants in the mall, a Friendly's and a just-opened Caribbean place. While Caribbean sounds intriguing, Lauren's only Friendly's is hard to get to, and the other Friendly's in South Jersey have vanished in the last three or four years. This may be the last chance either of us have to enjoy Friendly's. 

It was past 12:30 at that point, and there was a long line of families waiting to get burgers and ice cream. We had to wait 10 minutes before being seated at a booth all the way in the back near the kitchen. It was worth it. We kept things simple and had the soup and salad combo with a plate of mozzarella sticks for each of us. Lauren had olive oil vinaigrette and chicken soup. I had honey mustard dressing and tomato soup. Oh yum! The salad was basic garden, but the tomato soup was rich, creamy, and so thick, it was more like marinara sauce soup. Those mozzarella sticks were fat and crispy and perfectly fried, with two containers of marinara sauce for dipping. 

Even after all that, we had room for dessert. I went with the root beer float I didn't have on Friday. Lauren had a scoop of her favorite black raspberry topped with her dad's favorite Swiss Chocolate Sauce. The float came in a glass taller than some children. I'm glad I only opted for one scoop of vanilla. It would have taken the whole carton to fill that glass!

We had even more luck in the claw game as you left the building. I wanted a red Beanie Baby bear, but ended up with a fat, cute little duck I named Ducky. Lauren got the bear, who turned out to represent Italy.

We were in and out of stores for the next two and a half hours. Lauren bought two shirts at The Loft; I saw nothing I wanted. She also got a plaid button-down shirt at Brooks Brothers for a good price. I found an adorable "Sun Day" yellow t-shirt at the Gap. Picked up three t-shirts, two short-sleeved, one long, at Eddie Bauer. 

I found buy one, get one 70% off wireless bras at Lane Bryant. (And later discovered one is the wrong size. I'll have to take a trip back here, possibly later in the week.) Likewise, Lauren picked up two cute gingham shirts at J.Crew, but they don't really carry my size. We peeked at Jockey, but didn't get anything. Lauren found a They Live Funco Pop at the comic book store Adventureland, but I saw nothing interesting. 

Didn't find any clothes at Columbia, but I did buy my own version of Lauren's string backpack. She's carried around a Hot Rod backpack with string straps for clothes finds all week. My blue planet Land's End backpack works for a grocery store run, but it's too bulky for mall runs. The red bag with pink markings is a lot less conspicuous. We also stopped in a hall to use the bathroom and the nifty Coke vending machine that had the sodas dropping down a chute into a plastic container. She got Sprite; I had a Diet Coke (since I had the sugary root beer earlier). 

Settled down on benches at the entrance as I called Uber. That took about 13 minutes, so we had time to sit back and enjoy an absolutely perfect day. The sun was out, the sky was blue, the breezes were cool and fresh, and it wasn't even as hot as yesterday, barely in the 80's. The Uber driver did hit some traffic on the expressway going home, but it could have been a lot worse on a Sunday. It was likely people heading home from the Shore.

Headed right upstairs after we got in. I put on a couple of early Match Game PM episodes that haven't turned up on Buzzr yet as we got organized and had dinner. Showed her the one with Richard's unexpected "Burns and Cuts" answer on the Audience Match. We did watch the similar episode with Richard's Admiral Color TV answer last year when she visited, but it went along so well with the other that I did it again. Ed Asner, Fannie Flagg, and soft-spoken singer Julie London joined in see Richard struggle with "Tony __" in the Head-to-Head. Lauren chose the hilarious show where Richard imitates Brett for a question and Betty White does Charles. 

Finished up the night online with more game show episodes on YouTube. I enjoyed those Canadian game show episodes two weeks ago so much, I did a full tribute to Jim Perry. Perry is actually a South Jersey native, having been born in Camden. He began his career up north as a popular host in Canada. His first show, the original It's Your Move charades series, seems to be missing, but I did find an episode of Bingo at Home, also known as The Money Makers, from 1969. Perry looks impossibly young and skinny as he leads contestants through a series of trivia questions to fill a bingo board.

He had his first major hit in 1974 when he took over the Hangman-style word show Definition, which proceeded to run until 1989. Alas, most of the early episodes, including all of the ones Jim announced before he took over hosting, aren't online. I went with another episode from 1986. Headline Hunters was a news-related quiz show that had Jim hosting for the full long run this time, from 1972 to 1983. He also had a long run hosting the Miss Canada pageant from 1967 to 1990. 

His first major hit in the States was the original Card Sharks. I don't know why Buzzr only runs the first two and a half years of the 1978-1981 show. The entire series does exist. I went with a later episode from close to the end of the run in 1981. Likewise, they only show the last two years and the syndicated version of Perry's other major US hit, Sale of the Century. I dug up a very early episode from 1983 that still has the original "use your points for shopping" bonus round. 

With his busy back-and-forth schedule jumping between Canada and the US, Perry didn't have time to appear on too many other game shows. He did turn up on Tom Kennedy's first week as host of Password Plus as part of an all-celebrity special with Nancy Walker, Greg Morris, and Judy Norton-Taylor. He had the funniest moment of the whole week when he and Kennedy argued over whether the Pyrenees Mountains are in South America or Afghanistan. Tom brought out an encyclopedia right before an Alphabetics round to reveal they're actually in France and Italy. Jim came out, grabbed the book, threw it offstage, and stomped away in annoyance. 

Check out the Canadian and American sides of this local boy makes good! (Watch out for an edited tape on Headline Hunters that's missing the first few minutes and a bad tape on Sale of the Century.) 

Bingo at Home (1969)

Headline Hunters (1979)

Password Plus (1980)

Password Plus (1980)

Card Sharks (1981)

Sale of the Century (1983)

Definition (1986)

Oh, and I finally remembered to check my schedule. My only work day this week coming up is Thursday. The bad news is, it's 8 1/2 hours of cashiering. I'm glad I asked for Friday off for a dental appointment and just got lucky with Saturday. 

Tired Eyes

Got a really quick and early start today. We were out by 9:30 after I had breakfast to check out not one, but two town-wide yard sales. To tell the truth, we didn't really have much luck. Lauren wanted clothes for work; I wanted DVDs, records, and books. She found nothing. I bought the original cast album for Lost In the Stars in Collingswood and a packet of lemonade from an enterprising young lady in Oaklyn. (The lemonade was too sweet, but it did come in a neat clear plastic pouch that was kind of like an easier-to-open version of Capri Sun.)

At least it was a gorgeous day for a walk. Hot and sunny, under a brilliant blue sky, but there was a wonderful breeze and it wasn't humid at all. We finally made it to the Collingswood Farm Market by 10:30. She sat under a tree in the shade while I had a look around. 

They were already packed to the gills with people seeking food for their weekend barbecues and birthday parties. I could barely move around in some places. Snap peas are out, along with green beans. I picked up the former, along with more blueberries. (Even if I had seen strawberries, I learned the hard way last week that they don't travel well or last long upstairs.)

Tortilla Press is two blocks from the Farm Market on Haddon Avenue. They open at 11; we arrived 10 minutes early and sat under the shade on a bench while we waited. When they were ready, we were the first ones in. They even gave us the best table in the house, right in front of the wide picture window that opens all the way, allowing for soft breezes and excellent views of the people strolling up and down Haddon. We waved to the cutest two-year-old girl who stared up at us with wide eyes and a big smile before her daddy chased her to the steps next to the window. 

Tortilla Press is a Mexican fusion place that makes one of the best brunches in town. Lauren had shrimp tacos with spicy sauce. I had pan perdita, Mexican French toast, with fresh berry topping. Yum. The berries were nice and tart and not too sweet, making a nice compliment to the cinnamon-y bread. Lauren said her tacos were excellent, too - that spicy sauce cleared her sinuses!

I wanted to show Lauren a new store a block down Haddon from Tortilla Press. Time Lapse apparently opened last November. I tried to check it out during May Fair, but it was mobbed then. There was no one inside when we went in. It's basically a mini-version of The House of Fun that has records along with vintage toys, DVDs, videos, comics, kids' books, and knick-knacks. There's even old arcade games and working pinball machines. We both did well here. I found the soundtrack for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Lauren picked up a nifty keychain and a Roddy Piper stretch toy she didn't have. 

Strolled down Haddon next to check out that comic book store I found the day I got my new glasses. Like Time Lapse, they were empty when we got in. We both flipped through boxes and racks of books, but found nothing and headed out.

As it turned out, Lauren wasn't feeling well. She's had a cold and has been sniffling and sneezing for days. She settled under a tree next to the comics shop until she felt better. We tried to walk a few blocks to Westmont, but got no further than a bench in front of Say It With Clay, two blocks from Krispy Kreme. She was just too tired to go any further. I ended up calling an Uber to take us home.

We rested over cold drinks and episodes of Match Game '74...but, truth be told, I wasn't much more awake than Lauren. By the time Classic Concentration had Alex Trebek dressed as the late 80's idea of a hippie, we were both in bed and taking long naps. 

It was nearly 5 when we both felt up to dinner. Had it upstairs while watching more Price Is Right: The Barker Era. Some of the Showcase Showdowns in this era could get so strange. There was the one where Johnny Olsen played a gypsy with a passel of model daughters who were tired of his old-fashioned, stereotypical ways and wanted something new, represented by the prizes. There's also those time capsule episodes, with prizes hidden in a trip location. Or Johnny the Reporter's on-the-spot interviews with the models dressed as quirky 80's types like punk rocker and yuppie, whose wishes for what they want in life are represented by the prizes. 

Mom called shortly after I rolled out of bed. She's doing fine. She's still packing to move in with Keefe and Julia. They just moved into a larger apartment today. Apparently, Rose is going to take her brood down to Cape May County to see Lilah's dance recital...but she refuses to sit next to Mom. Anny finally scolded her, and she apparently said "oh, well, I can be civil to her."

That's it. I've had just about enough of Rose's childish, selfish behavior. Our mother is 66 years old. She's in good shape for her age, but how much longer does Rose think she has on this Earth? We're already down two parents (three, if you count Dad-Bruce's first wife Kaye), and one basically isn't speaking to us. She'd better be a lot more than civil. She'd better start apologizing for the way she's acted, because I've had it up to here with her. She's ragged at me about behaving like a child for years, and now who's the one who's acting like a baby? The one who is getting things done, or the one who's shutting everyone out because they won't do what she wants? 

Finished the night online. Watched The Last Unicorn on Tubi. I go further into this dreamy, dark 80's Rankin-Bass fantasy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Last Unicorn 

Even Lawrence Welk and his musical family enjoyed the occasional vacation. Despite being labeled "vacation songs," the 1967 episode was a trip of a different kind, with Jo Anne Castle dressed as "Minnie the Mermaid" playing her piano lying down while Larry Hooper attempted to dance with her in an old-fashioned diving suit. (Jo Anne later reported that neither costume was especially comfortable.) Cissy King also made her first appearance with Bobby Burgess, performing a lively Charleston to "Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me." 

Later vacation shows had Tanya Falen Welk bring her baby son on to visit his grandpa during a salute to vacation resorts. Bobby and Cissy this time went Mexican, dancing to "In Acapulco," while everyone wore old-fashioned bathing suits while singing about "On the Boardwalk In Atlantic City" and start off singing about "Fabulous Faraway Places." In 1980, Kathie Sullivan wonders "Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?" while Tom Netherton is joined by a bevy wahinis for "This Is the Moment" in Hawaiian shirts and leis and hobo Ken Delo declares he's "King of the Road."

Let The Lawrence Welk Show take you on wonderful vacations without leaving home!

1967 - Vacation Songs

1972 - Vacation Resorts

1980 - A Vacation Show

(Oh, and Lauren is feeling a lot better and says she's up to checking out the Gloucester Outlet Mall tomorrow.)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Kicked off a cloudy morning with Match Game '73. I wanted to show Lauren episode #11, the first one to feature Brett, Betty, and Charles. It's also the first time Brett insists Charles isn't wearing any socks, and Betty's first try at the Head-to-Head in the regular show. 

We headed out around 11. This time, I lead Lauren down the street and to the stone steps that lead to Newton Lake Park. The clouds were starting to clear by then, and it was turning into a lovely, if somewhat humid day. We passed by two young men fishing across from the steps as two blackberries dropped off a tree and hit me in the shoulder!

Got into Collingswood by 11:30 and hit the Pop Shop for lunch. The Pop Shop is one of the most popular restaurants in town, a 50's style chrome-and-tile storefront situated in a former early 20th century Acme. We timed it well. It wasn't busy at all when we arrived. Lauren had a huge breakfast burrito stuffed with sausage, cheese, and vegetables and topped with more cheese. I had a tasty vegetable omelet with lots of mozzarella, bland hash browns, and barely-toasted whole wheat toast with no butter.  

We had to wait a little longer for our milkshakes. By 12:30, the main dining room was filled with parents and their young children who didn't attend school yet. The little kids were so funny to watch! They ran around, laughed with their parents, and played quietly at the tables. As Lauren pointed out, they were certainly better-behaved than the high school boys who slung around F words at Sonic on Wednesday! 

Our treats were worth the wait. The Pop Shop makes the best milkshakes in the area. I had a coffee shake to wake me up a bit. Lauren went with a more decadent peanut butter cup shake. My coffee shake was perfect, thick and rich and just coffee-tasting enough. Lauren's shake had so many peanut butter cup pieces, she ended up spooning them out with her straw.

After lunch, we headed down Haddon Avenue and past PNC Bank and Bank of America to the PATCO Train Station. The train to Philadelphia arrived just five minutes later and was barely half-full. We got off at the 13th Street stop. Lauren, who is far better with directions than I am, lead us upstairs, around a few corners, and down the street to the Philadelphia Macy's. 

I love this store. It's the historic former Wanamaker's, and it's what every department store should aspire to be. It's big and beautiful, three stories of clothes, accessories, toys, and every home item you could imagine. Signs scattered throughout the store claimed they were in the midst of remodeling. Thankfully, that mostly seemed to be confined to a few areas on the third floor. They even had all the escalators working for once. (One did stop while we were there, though thankfully after we used it.) 

Other than using the bathroom, we spent most of our time on the second floor, where the women's clothes are. Usually the Plus Size section at the Wanamaker Macy's is really picked over, but I did manage to find a pair of gold cargo shorts to replace my similar light brown pair for about $18. Lauren bought a few shirts and looked for something her dad wanted (and couldn't find it). 

Our next stop was Primark down the street at the Fashion District. They're an Irish department store that sells fairly cheap clothing and accessories. Trouble is, they only just started carrying plus sizes about three years ago. I did look at their shoes, but ultimately just went out into the main mall. Lauren had far more luck, picking up a cute linen cap, shorts, and shirts. (At least they weren't blasting their music like they did when we went there last year! In fact, they had no music on at all. Wonder if other stores in the mall or on Market Street complained.)

Headed to the other side of the Fashion District next to check out Burlington Coat Factory. It was the biggest Burlington I ever saw, two ocean-sized stories of clothes and accessories. I considered a tank top, but the line was so long, I finally decided I didn't need it. Lauren also found nothing.

We didn't do well in the rest of the mall, either. Peeked at a small GameStop, but Lauren saw nothing she wanted. She was going to check out the new Shopper's World that replaced the now-defunct Century 21, but said it wasn't open yet. Besides, by quarter of 4, they were starting to fill up with noisy teenagers who were just let out of school and looking for something to do on a Friday evening. After getting turned around, we finally hurried to the 8th Street PATCO station near the Burlington entrance as fast as we could. 

Had dinner at Cafe Antonio's, a pizza parlor that's only three blocks from the Collingswood PATCO station. It was only about 4:30 at that point; we were the only people there besides the workers. Lauren had a slice of pepperoni and sausage and a slice of cheese. I had a slice of broccoli, tomato, and ricotta and a slice of cheese. We enjoyed them at a nifty wooden table by the window with cute wooden bench-like seats with heart cutouts in the backs.

Went straight into Match Game '79 when we got home. Started off the episode with Brett having a tough time figuring out "__ Exchange" on the Head-to-Head. She was so upset, she held up her sign fro the opening rather than her answer! There were a few iffy answers on what a weird man tried to do to his TV dinners as well.

Match Game '74 began with Avery Schreiber's first episode and Phyllis Newman's only week. Richard had more fun doing his best Tony Bennett to answer "I left my __ in San Francisco." Meanwhile, a sweet camera girl ran out to bring one of the contestants tissues, and got quite embarrassed when she was caught on camera!

For some unknown reason, they skipped way ahead to New Year's Eve '74 episode. Singer and prolific TV director James Darren and magic-loving Juliet Mills got to hear Nipsey Russell's poem on prosperity in the New Year and Betty White discuss her long-time stint hosting the Rose Bowl Parade with Gene. The episode ended with streamers and balloons falling on the audience and hats for the panelists as everyone celebrated the start of 1975. 

The PM episode was the first without Richard Dawson. Bob Barker got to make a few Price Is Right jokes in his old seat, including wondering why Johnny Olsen hadn't called anyone to "come on down!" Richard Deacon did far better figuring out "Lois __" in the Audience Match.

Took a shower, then finished the night before and after checking out the new Strawberry Shortcake show on YouTube. The full show is apparently on Netflix, but there's bits and pieces on YouTube. I got enough to piece together that the show is about country girl Strawberry moving to the big city with her Aunt Praline and working on a food cart with sporty Orange Marmalade. 

Mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, they restore some details from the 80's and 2000's shows that were left out of the more cutesy Berry Bitty Adventures. Most of the girls have their original pets from the 80's (except for Huckleberry Pie, who has a ferret, and Orange, who has Pupcake), the raspberry character is back to being Raspberry Tart, and the city is Big Apple City and retains several of the jokes from Strawberry Shortcake In Big Apple City. 

Strawberry is the only one who doesn't have an entirely changed personality. Lime Chiffon is a sweet-natured know-it-all Hispanic girl, Blueberry Muffin is a mellow Asian ice cream seller with a gift for exotic flavors, Orange Marmalade is sporty and sensible, Raspberry is a tart-tongued brat who doesn't like Strawberry outselling her, and Sour Grapes is her goth buddy. The biggest change is to Lemon Meringue. She's always been played as a bit of a ditz throughout the entire franchise. This is the first time she's ever been the resident tomboy, mechanic, and science lover. Huckleberry Pie is closer to his lazy 80's character as a laid-back street musician. 

Strawberry also has an aunt, Aunt Praline, one of the few non-villainous adults in the franchise. Her aunt encourages her baking, even giving her a strawberry spoon that's a family heirloom. Most of the stories seem to go back to Berry Bitty Adventures territory without the Berrykins and bugs - they compete against each other for a Golden trophy, they get Raspberry Tart off their backs. 

While I'm not entirely sold on the changes, it's cute enough that I'm hoping more of it turns up on YouTube and other places besides Netflix eventually. 

Rhythm of the Rain

We kicked off the morning while getting organized watching Match Game '77 on YouTube. Star pitcher Don Sutton of the Los Angels Dodgers watches Gene order the stagehands to turn off the fan over Richard so he won't be too cold. Meanwhile, the others have the devil of a time figuring out "Acid __" in the Audience Match. 

Headed out shortly after the episode ended. It was sunny, breezy, and humid at that point, but I still decided to save us a walk to the bus stop and just take Uber. The driver was there in less than five minutes and pulled up in front of Nordstrom at 10. Instead of heading straight into the mall, we made our way over the pedestrian bridge to the Hillview Shopping Center across the way to start there before the weather got to bad to walk in.

First stop was lunch at the Silver Diner. This charming little chrome Maryland-based restaurant sits on the edge of the hill, across the way from Kohl's. Lauren and I enjoyed the view of the mall as she had fish tacos and a fruit and spinach salad and I had the same tarragon crab cake, slender fries dusted with Old Bay, and tasty cole slaw I've gotten there the last two years Lauren visited. That crab cake is always yummy, and this year's was no exception. Lauren really enjoyed her fish tacos, too, and she loved the fruit and spinach salad!

Though it remained sunny, dark clouds had already begun to build up behind the One Cherry Hill office building next to the mall. We kept our runs to Kohl's and Target fairly brief. Lauren bought shirts at Kohl's, but they were such a mess, I couldn't find anything. (I heard one worker say they were severely short on help, which explained a lot.) Lauren didn't get anything at Target, but I found a stuffed unicorn for Finley's birthday next month, a bag of blueberry trail mix, and boxes of date bars in flavors they didn't have at the smaller Target in Westmont. Went with Blueberry Muffin and Banana Chocolate Chip, plus the Larabar Pineapple Upside Down Cake flavor was on clearance for about the same price.

Those heavy, threatening clouds finally rumbled overhead as we hurried back to the Mall. We didn't get lucky this time. The elevator on the pedestrian walkway took too long coming back for us. Just as we started down the steep concrete steps, the rain finally broke. We dashed back to the Mall as fast as we could go and got inside rather damp.

Were in and out of several stores for the next couple of hours. Lauren bought a few shirts at Macy's. I didn't see anything I wanted and used the bathroom there instead. Found nothing we wanted at Build-a-Bear or Bath and Body Works. The toy store is gone, but their FYE finally re-opened. They have a slightly better selection of DVDs and records than the smaller store in Deptford, but it's still mainly pop culture knick-knacks. Lauren picked up two t-shirts and a Funko Pop of Gruffi Gummi from The Adventures of the Gummi Bears. I found a new set of headphones and the DVD of Brighton Beach Memoirs for $7 (I already have the soundtrack on record). 

I made my best finds at JC Penney. They're always good to me. All of my shorts but my jean shorts are worn out, too big for me, or both. Found a pair of black Bermudas and brown cargo shorts, the latter not far removed from my old brown cargo shorts. Listed as $22 each, they came up to $14 each. Lauren had no luck. They were remodeling the upstairs, and not only were the regular women's clothes closed off, but the bathroom was, too.

Decided to check out one more store. Nordstrom is the third anchor. It's between JC Penney and Macy's on the side across from the pedestrian bridge. They're supposed to be really high-end clothing...but not only were they a bit too high-end and expensive for our budgets, but their clothes weren't all that different from what we saw at Macy's and JC Penney. We considered eating at their in-store café, but it was already 4:30 by that point, and they close at 5. 

Ended up back at the food court next-door to JC Penney's instead. Lauren had two huge slices of pepperoni and mushroom pizza. I figured I did my junk food yesterday and will probably have the Pop Shop tomorrow. I went with a tasty, earthy Market Salad and half of a cranberry and pecan chicken salad from Saladworks.

We were originally going to take the bus home, but the clouds rapidly returned as we ate. I figured we'd be safer calling Uber. Faster too, as it turned out. Took the gentleman less than two minutes to pick us up at the entrance across from the food court. He did get stuck in some traffic going over the Cooper River Bridge and into Westmont, but other than that, it was a fairly fast ride. 

(And I'm glad we did take Uber home. It started raining again even as he inched along with the traffic on Cuthbert. The rain stopped temporarily as he pulled up at home, but it returned again, this time in full-on thunder storm, not more than a half-hour after we got in. It's been off and on ever since.)

Threw on Match Game '79 as we put away our finds. We came in just as the panel helped the contestant with "It Ain't __" in the Audience Match. Her challenger was a nervous lady with a big smile who had a hard time figuring out what Harry uses to wash his tiny economy car. 

Relaxed and had a small dinner as Match Game '74 ran. Everyone wishes Charles Nelson Reilly luck on the opening of the Broadway play God's Favorite in the opening. Later, they helped a young man figure out "Smith __" in the Audience Match. 

The next episode brought in dancer and musician Bobby Van, Gary Burghoff, and Adrienne Barbeau to make jokes about Fannie Flagg's "Mystery Guest" t-shirt. Considering we plan on going into Philly tomorrow, it's rather interesting that the Audience Match was "Philadelphia __." (Hint - the top answer was a brand you often see in your dairy section at the grocery store, but bless the contestant, he said "Eagles.") 

The Match Game PM episode was Richard Dawson's last. It's no wonder. He obviously wasn't happy to be there, barely doing much more than holding up the card. Even so, it's fitting that one of his final Super Match answers was for "Thanks for the __." 

Finished the night online. Watched Junior Prom on Tubi. I go further into the first entry in the Monogram Pictures B-movie series The Teen-Agers at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Junior Prom

Moved to The Roku Channel for a first season episode of Charlie's Angels. They get involved in "The Big Tap-Out" to lure in a gambler and thief who is suspected of stealing loot from a security company. The ladies and Bosley trick him into gambling away his money, so he'll have to rob a bank...and they can catch him in the act. 

You're My Best Friend

We slept in on our first full day of vacation. It was nearly 11:30 by the time we headed out. First stop was WaWa. Lauren brought water, but I didn't. I got a pretzel, too, since I didn't have much of a breakfast.

Next up, we headed to Abbie Road, the used media store on Market Street in Audubon. Talked to Bob the owner and sorted through his considerable stock of DVDs, CDs, and records. We both made really good finds for good prices here, after nearly two hours of searching. He had huge stacks of TV sets on DVD. Lauren ended up with the first season of McCloud with Dennis Weaver and the sets for Match Game and the All-Star Family Feud specials (the same Match Game set I bought off eBay a few years ago), among others. 

It was nearly 2 PM when we finally made our way past Wal Mart to Sonic for lunch. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and breezy and not nearly as warm as yesterday, if still pretty humid. We thought it was still perfect for a fast-food picnic. So did what looked like a group of teen boys and their teachers from a near-by boys' school or Catholic high school, from their uniforms. I suspected they were likely on their way back from some school trip or the other. We watched them chatter and listened to an older lady pushing her luggage rant as we waited for our orders.

I had a burger, tater tots, and a strawberry limeade. Lauren had a hot dog, iced tea, and fries. The burger wasn't bad, but it was eclipsed by the limeade made with real crushed strawberries and the perfectly salty and crispy tater tots. Lauren seemed to enjoy her hot dog, too. And the boys sure looked like they had a good time! Everyone but the older lady left at the same time. The kids went to the parking lot; we doubled back to the mall.

Checked out GameStop next. I may pick up a Nintendo Switch somewhere along the line, but right now, I don't really have the time for video games. We walked out with nothing. Lauren bought a few shirts at Marshalls and Ross, but I only sometimes find clothes there. We both did much better at Goodwill. Lauren picked up a few shirts; I found a pair of drawstring jean shorts with elastic waists. Most of my shorts are either worn to nearly falling apart, way too big, or both. 

Oh, and in addition to the shorts, between Abbie Road and Goodwill, I picked up:

F-Troop: The Complete First Season

The deluxe Warners set for the Dr. Seuss special Horton Hears a Who! that also includes the TNT Seuss specials Daisy-Head Mayzie and The Butter Battle Book and the short Horton Hatches the Egg

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: Series 1

Happy Days: The Complete Fourth Season

The Best of the Andrews Sisters 

Happy Holidays Vol. 16

Shearing On Stage

The original Broadway cast album for Silk Stockings

The Time Life Treasury of Christmas Vol 2 Disc A & B 

Soul of the 70's - another Time-Life 2-disc set

(And the records were half-price at Goodwill, to my surprise and delight.)

Our last stop of the day was the Acme. Lauren had all the snacks she needed, but I wanted nuts and more of those yummy fudge-topped shortbread cookies. She did end up getting a Pepsi Zero. 

No wonder I got this week off without question. They were dead when we got in around 4 PM. I saw a manager walking  home when we were going to Sonic, but there weren't too many other people around. The only reason we had to wait in the express line was a lady wanted a turkey ham that had no label, and the kid had to go get one. 

By that point, it was getting hotter and even more humid, and we were both tired. Not to mention, the walk home from the Acme is longer than it used to be when I lived on the other side of Oaklyn. I called Uber for a ride home. It did take him almost 20 minutes to arrive, and we hit some traffic on Nicholson, but he was very sweet and got us home fast after he went through the tunnel under the train bridge.

Put on Match Game '79 as we got organized. Hunky Lou Grant reporter Robert Walden and lovely Audrey Landers joined Bert Convy (who was appearing on the show for the first time since at least 1975), Patty Duke, and the regulars to figure out the obvious answer to "Patty __" in the Audience Match. They also got to help a lady who returned after Gene made a mistake and blurted out an answer in a previous episode. The second episode brought more jokes about "__ of the North." 

We were going to watch some of the All-Star Family Feud episodes, but for some reason, we couldn't get it to work in my DVD player. Switched to McCloud instead as we ate dinner. As it turned out, Richard Dawson appeared in an early episode of the second longest-running (after Columbo) NBC Sunday Mystery Movie series. McCloud (Dennis Weaver), a Texas sheriff on assignment in New York City. Dawson is temperamental British director Ted Callender, whose controversial productions have half of Broadway up in arms. Someone's been taking pot shots at him, and McCloud has to figure out who has it in for the womanizing theater maven in "Manhattan Manhunt."

Returned to Buzzr in time for Match Game PM. Richard clearly wasn't happy to be there by this point. He barely interacted at all, except to make a crack in the beginning about the very attractive female contestant. The male contestant said he was studying to be a lawyer, but that didn't help him with the game. He never got a single match, not even from Charles. Charles had more luck helping the winner with "Moth __" in the Head-to-Head.

Lauren threw on The Price Is Right: The Barker Era Roku channel while I was in the shower, so we finished the night with that. Sometime in the mid-80's, The Price Is Right did a week of episodes with prizes introduced by and revolving around popular CBS soap operas of the time. I recognized Guiding Light, which ran for over 70 years on radio and TV, and The Young and the Restless continues to run on CBS to this day. Capitol was a new one on me, though. The prizes all revolved around the shows and their storylines, ranging from a handsome archeologist giving away gold bars to lunch with one of those handsome Young and Restless gentlemen. 

It's a Most Unusual Day

Kicked off a sunny, hot morning with a quick errand run. Needed to stop at the bank for money first. Headed down Cuthbert after I left, dodging the lunch rush hour traffic, then pushed up the hill past McDonald's (and their long take-out line) to the Haddon Township Library. Dropped off a pile of books, then headed home. Not only did I have too much to do today to linger, it was too hot. It jumped into the mid-90's, and though it was a bit breezy as well, it still wasn't a day to be doing much running around.

Had a quick lunch while watching Match Game '77. Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while I resumed dusting. Daniel and O the Owl are disappointed when a shower disrupts their trip in the cardboard trolley they made. They take it inside, but can't figure out where they should go. X encourages them to plan "Daniel and O's Road Trip" together. "Daniel's Puppet Plan" is to set up a show for his mother and X at the library. With a lot of creative planning, he can get Miss Elaina and Prince Wednesday to join in, too.

Moved on to The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That next. I thought "Be Cool" was certainly appropriate for our current weather! I'm not the only one sweating in the heat. Nick and Sally are playing badminton in the backyard, but now they're way too hot. The Cat takes the kids to the desert to show them how animals who live in constant heat cool off. They go on an "Elephant Walk" in the African savannah to see how an elephant uses its trunk. 

Had counseling at 2 PM. Not a whole lot to report, under any circumstances. I'm waiting to hear from the counselor who is supposed to help me job-hunt. My next appointment is my long-put-off dental cleaning, which I'll be doing next week. I'll try to get to the gynecologist sometime this summer, but I was hoping to find something closer to home. Rose still isn't speaking to me or Mom, and I still think she's being silly about the whole thing. She fusses at me about not behaving like an adult, and here she is, shutting people out just because they won't do what she wants. That's not adult behavior, either. 

I'm looking forward, not only to Lauren's visit, but to a nice, quiet summer. I may try to take a day trip to Atlantic City or maybe a weekend in the Poconos later in July or in August, but...like so many of my plans, I come up with ideas, then never end up doing them. I make lists, I do research, but in the end, I don't have the money or the time or just never get around to it. 

Returned to dusting after I got off the computer. Watched A Date With Judy while I worked, and later as I finally dragged the mattress I borrowed upstairs. I go further into this adorable teen comedy featuring Jane Powell and Elizabeth Taylor on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

 

A Date With Judy

It took longer than expected to find an Uber driver who would take me into Philly at quarter of 5. In fact, it took nearly a half-hour for him to arrive, and then we hit traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway. Thankfully, I was only about ten minutes late arriving at 30th Street Station. Met Lauren at the departures sign. She was fine with my being late, too. It gave her a chance to use the bathroom.

Thankfully, it didn't take nearly as long to find a driver to take us home. It probably took longer for us to find her amid all the cars picking up passengers outside than for her to drive us into New Jersey. She went through South Philly and Camden, past Lincoln Financial Stadium, Citizens Bank Park, and XFinity Live, avoiding all the traffic on the highways. 

After Lauren took her stuff upstairs, we decided we wanted a walk and went down the street to Crown Gyro & Chicken, the same place I ate at on Sunday. Since it was past 6:30, they were a little busier with older men picking up their orders. We both had rice dishes. She had shrimp, vegetables, and rice; I had fish. The fish was good, anyway, perfectly fried and crispy, but the rice was far too spicy for me! I gulped down my Diet Coke in a hurry. 

Took a short stroll down the White Horse Pike and back around to Johnson to walk off our meals. Besides, by 7 PM, the sun wasn't nearly as strong, and the breeze felt wonderful. Everyone must have still been eating or avoiding the heat. We saw no one but a few people walking dogs out and about. 

I put on more Daniel Tiger when we got in. "Daniel's Bicycle" belonged to his father, but he repaired it just for him. Daniel's nervous about riding at first, but his father encourages him to keep trying. Likewise, "Katerina's Magic Trick" doesn't come out perfectly at first, but she keeps working at it until she gets it right. 

Finished the night online with more Match Game; went with nighttime episode this time. Started with the one I missed when we were having dinner. Two of the most hapless contestants to ever play the game turned out rotten answer after rotten answer. Once again, one only made it to the Super Match because Charles matched each of them once, then matched them again in a tie. Charles wasn't really happy when he didn't choose him for the Audience Match, though!

I wish Buzzr would show the earlier nighttime episodes. Some of my favorite shows from the entire series were made for prime time. There's the two incidents where Gene thought Richard had a crazy answer on the Audience Match, only to see them turn up on the board. The episode after the Admiral Television answer was just as wild, with Charles and Richard showing of "your basic big picture hat society." A question from an episode a few weeks later prompted lots of "Raid" jokes. There was also the time Orson got so excited after the contestant won the Head-to-Head, he ran down and kissed everybody, and the twinkly-eyed older man who kept flirting with Brett, to her delight. 

Harts On Vacation

Began the morning with material from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology book. Memorial Day began as a holiday to honor the dead of the Civil War, so all the material revolved around that conflict. "Light Bread and Apple Butter" is the long story, the sweet tale of a young Union solider who helps a Missouri woman with her chores and is rewarded with a pile of apples. The rest consists of poems about the Civil War, including "Barbara Frietche" and "Sheridan's Ride."

Downed a very quick breakfast before making my way out to work. To my surprise, it was totally dead at 9:30 in the morning. Crossed the White Horse Pike and Nicholson without any trouble at all. There was no one on West Clinton, either, though the small park near the schools with the memorials to Oaklyn's fallen soldiers had chairs in front of them and looked like they were preparing for a ceremony. 

Work wasn't any busier. It did get a little busy during the noon rush hour, but otherwise, it wasn't bad at all, especially for a major holiday. I was pulled twice to do carts for a half-hour, which suited me fine. It was hot, breezy, and sunny, maybe a little warm for late May but not as bad as it's supposed to be tomorrow. By the time I finished, it was so dead, I think I had five people come through my line during the last hour. No problems other than a few grouchy people and another lady who couldn't figure out the WIC checks. (Thank goodness the cards are starting to come through!)

Went straight home after work. Changed, then dusted while Match Game '74 was on. A peppy lady with a gigantic hairdo got to hear some very funny answers to what Joshua used to knock down the walls of Jericho when he couldn't use a horn. There was also Amanda Blake trying to figure out what her character Miss Kitty bites on instead of a bullet when she has surgery and the others helping with "The Old __" in the Audience Match. 

Match Game PM was the first episode with the new set in 1978. Brett was the first person chosen by the Star Wheel on a nighttime episode, but she didn't have an easy time with "__ Alcohol," especially after the audience threw in their two cents! Meanwhile, Bonnie Franklin looks nervous to answer what nearsighted Farmer Brown attached his milking machine to, Marcia Wallace reveals she's a bowling champ, and Richard is just in a plain bad mood and won't play along.

Let it run into Sale of the Century while I ate dinner. They continue with "new" 1989 episodes I hadn't seen. It was mostly the champ and the one guy going back and forth the whole night. Everyone won or bought something, but in the end, the guy pulled ahead in the Speed Round. He didn't have as much luck with the Bonus Round, though...

Finished the night on The Roku Channel with Hart to Hart after a shower. Jennifer wonders "What Becomes a Murder Most?" when two high society friends of hers turn up dead after appearing in an ad campaign for a fake fur. Jennifer also appeared in that campaign, and Johnathan orders her photos destroyed before they're run. Someone, however, wants those ads to run...and wants Jennifer out of the picture for good. 

And...yay, I'm on vacation! Actually, to save vacation time, I took tomorrow as a regular day off. I'll mainly be running errands and cleaning before I pick up Lauren, and I have counseling. 

In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening

Began an absolutely gorgeous morning with a quick breakfast before heading out. The weather was perfect for a ride to work. Sunny, with a bright blue sky, soft breeze, and just warm enough. Had no trouble anywhere and got there just in time. 

Work could have been a lot worse, too, especially for a major holiday weekend. We were off-and-on steady all afternoon. It would get busy, only to suddenly die out, and I'd be standing around again. I suspect a lot of people may be waiting for their day off tomorrow or the beginning of the month next week to do their shopping. Plus, holiday or not, it was too nice to be shopping. In and out with no trouble besides a few customers who are still grumpy over having to remember their bags and bag their own groceries. 

It was so lovely, I took the long way home down Nicholson. It wasn't busy there, either. Everyone must have been out enjoying the bright roses blossoming in gardens as the sweet scent of honeysuckles drift in from backyards. The leaves are so big and green now, waving to me in the winds as I passed them.

Went straight upstairs and changed, then had a snack. Vacuumed and began the dusting while watching the Talk About marathon on Buzzr. It's debuting tomorrow at 8 PM, replacing Classic Concentration in their prime-time line-up. Got to see the last two two episodes of the marathon, as two young men defeated a pair of ladies to become retired champions. (To give you an idea of when this was filmed, one of the topics they had to describe was the notorious 1987 flop Ishtar.)

Switched to the remaining Looney Tunes wartime shorts as I did some quick dusting in the bedroom. Termite Terrace basically did three types of shorts during World War II along with their regular non-war programming. There were one-off character shorts and shorts featuring the regular characters, like "Herr Meets Hare" with Bugs Bunny tackling real-life German leader Hermann Goring and "Daffy the Commando" taking on the Nazis in Europe. There were also shorts with one-off characters like "The Draft Horse" and the gremlins from the Kremlin damaging Hitler's plane to a "Russian Rhapsody." 

Most of the shorts weren't quite so specific. Sketch comedy shorts depicted life at home and in the barracks during wartime; they included "Weakly Reporter" on life in the city and suburbs, "Wacky Blackout" happening in the country, and "Meet John Doughboy," which came out even before the US entered the war. Allegories like "Fifth Column Mouse" and "The Duckinators" revealed how we got involved in the war and how we hoped to finish it.

Worked on writing for a while as the cartoons wound down. Brett and Charles finally find the Jabberwock amid the smoke. It seems like a fearsome beast guarding its treasure, but Brett suspects there's something else wrong with it...

There was something going on at the house, so I figured I'd clear out and eat dinner elsewhere. Finally decided I wasn't up to much more than a lamb gyro at the Gyro & Chicken place two blocks down. They weren't busy either at almost 7 PM. The lamb gyro was salty and messy; the fries were especially crispy. Enjoyed them in a small, quiet storefront with exposed stone walls and a couple of plain chairs and tables. A couple of kids came in to chat with the Middle Eastern owners as I ate.

Went for a walk to enjoy that nice evening after I left. Thought of getting a treat at WaWa, but finally decided I was too full and just used the bathroom there instead. I wasn't the only person out and about, either. Kids played with an old wicker chair at the apartments over the Ritz Theater; adults chatted over their porches and gardens. 

Finished the night on YouTube with one of the Family Feud Armed Services Weeks in honor of Memorial Day. Went with the one from 1990 that showed on Buzzr the Sunday before Veteran's Day two years ago. Each branch of the Armed Services play each other; the top winners play for a trophy on the final day. The Army put in a good showing in the championship, but for the second year in a row, they were trounced by the Marines. They had the best answers, the funniest lines, and the most expert trash-talking. 

Here's the entire week, so you can see how the Armed Services did competing against each other for yourself!

Day 1 - Army Vs Navy

Day 2 - Air Force Vs Marines

Day 3 - Coast Guard Vs Army

Day 4 - Coast Guard Vs Air Force

Day 5 - Marines Vs Navy

Day 6 - Championship: Marines Vs Army