A Little Bit of a Marshmallow World

Began the morning with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. Everyone in Busytown would be saying "Fill'er Up, Scotty!" if Scotty could get gas for his filling station. The tanker bringing it broke down. Huckle and Lowly help Mr. Fix-It find a way to tow it without gas. Cucumber the photographer returns to solve "The Niagara Falls Mystery" and save the falls from a maple syrup-obsessed beaver. Deputy Flo gets more help than she bargained for when a "Helper's Helper" saves her and Sergeant Murphy after they're trapped in a cave by a rock slide.

Since I had a lot of groceries I wanted to get home later, I called Uber. They took 11 minutes to arrive in the morning, maybe because it was almost lunch time. I just got to work on time at the last minute. Despite getting out by 4:30, the height of rush hour, the driver going home arrived in 4 minutes. He did hit a little traffic on Nicholson, but both got me where I was going in five minutes.

Though we were slightly busier than yesterday, we still weren't overwhelmingly busy. The weather may have scared some folks off. We had snow squalls for the entire afternoon. It remains cold, too, though not quite so biting thanks to the wind having died down. I had less help, too. The head bagger either got caught up doing things inside or would get dumped in a register for someone's break. She did get the outside trash, but I did all but one sweeping session and gathered carts. Thankfully, the snow wouldn't actually stick to anything until I was on my way home. 

Had a lot of grocery shopping to do, too. Restocked soda, yogurt, blood oranges, apples, and granola bars. Dug cookies and bagels for cheap off bakery clearance shelves. Picked up orange soda and vanilla cake mix to try making a creamsicle cake later this weekend. Found bags of "sour" dried cranberries and nut butter-stuffed dates at the clearance racks in the back and thought I'd try them. 

(I did try the almond butter dates before the Uber driver came. Oh, yum! Perfectly earthy and chewy, and just sweet enough. I might have to get more of these before they're gone.)

Went straight into I'm Not There while changing and looking for jobs on Indeed. I go further into this unusual biography of Bob Dylan at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - I'm Not There

Watched Match Game Syndicated while I ate dinner. The week with Elaine Joyce, Dick Martin, and George Kennedy continues. Brett and Charles mainly spent it bickering and teasing her about her not-priceless jewelry that was stolen in New York. 

Finished the night with rock albums that were somewhat related to I'm Not There. Dylan's far from the only musician who has tried to make a fresh start several times. One of the first albums I bought on my own was Double Fantasy, John Lennon's massively popular 1980 comeback. I heard the huge hits "Watching the Wheels" and "Just Like Starting Over" all the time on the radio as a kid, but my favorite songs here were his sweet "Beautiful Boy" and bouncy "Dear Yoko."

"I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" was one of the major hits on the Monkees' second album More of the Monkees. The Monkees themselves were't fans of the lousy shot from a JC Penney ad used on the cover or of some of the more bubble gum songs used. "Stepping Stone" and "I'm a Believer" were the big hits here. I also like Davy's "Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow."

Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits was one of the albums that came with the original box of 65 records that Dad gave me back in 2006. I wouldn't have pegged my first stepmother for a Dylan fan, but some of his most famous songs can be found here. In addition to the songs heard in the movie, we get "Rainy Day Woman," "Blowin' In the Wind," "It Ain't Me, Babe," and "Subterranean Homesick Blues." 

Night of the Sailor Guardians

Began my day with breakfast and a quick Disney short. Goofy wants to learn "How to Fish," but he's more likely to catch a tree than anything aquatic. His bait has more luck than he does.

Rushed off to work after the cartoon ended. Work was totally dead. I spent the morning sweeping, putting cold items away, taking the trash in the back, and gathering carts. One of the teen baggers arrived at 1 to take over sweeping. I focused totally on the few carts that needed to be returned. No problems whatsoever. The weather remains sunny but cold, with gale-force winds. 

It took me forever to decide on something to watch after I got home. Finally went with The Wild Wild West. "The Night of the Lord of the Limbo" has Jim pursuing crippled former Confederate captain Noel Vautrain (Ricardo Montalban) to his home in Vicksburg, Mississippi after Artemis disappears during his show. Vautrain is also a magician who has found a way to go back in time at his Vickburg plantation. He intends to take four of his former men and not only regain his legs, but murder Ulysses S. Grant and let the south win the war. 

Switched to doing the Seasonal inventory after the episode ended. Finished the collections with The Perfect Christmas: Holiday Music 2006, then added the CDs of colonial, Dixieland, and early American Christmas music and the Christmas bell and chime music. The Dixieland set goes the furthest back here. I think that was a Christmas present from Mom in the 2000's. I believe the others were all yard sale and thrift shop finds.

Watched Match Game while I worked. It started in 1973, with Lee Merriweather, Bert Convy, and comedienne Gail Fisher. For some reason, about half-way through the night, Buzzr jumped back to the syndicated episodes from 1980. Holly Halstrom and Dick Martin joined in as everyone felt Charles' shirt to see how soft it is. (This episode is also the source of Charles holding up the "boring" sign that's so often used in memes.)

Switched to Sailor Moon S: The Movie after the shows ended. Usagi and her friends have to stop Princess Snow Kaygula from freezing the Earth into one of her ornaments! Meanwhile, Usagi's cat Luna falls for a handsome, if sickly, scientist who has discovered the comet that Princess Kaygula sent. Luna's initially upset because he's already deeply in love with a woman astronaut. Sailor Moon finally finds a way to make both their dreams come true.

Finished the night at YouTube with the original Three Wishes for Cinderella from 1973. This charming Czech-German retelling follows the Grimm's version. Three hazelnuts that Cinderella cracks open to find outfits and gowns replace the fairy godmother. She also meets the prince well before the ball when she stops him and his friends from harming a doe in the woods. One of the outfits is a hunter's costume that allows her to see the prince and his friends again. The second is the famous ball gown. The third holds a wedding costume, so the prince can see his true bride. 

I love European fairy tale movies, and this one was no exception. No wonder this apparently remains popular in Eastern Europe as a Christmas movie. Cinderella was sweet and feisty, and there's some lovely medieval costumes. Well worth checking out for fans of fair tale variations like me who don't mind subtitles. 

Nothing but the Tooth

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Match Game '90. Buzzr's marathon this week is likely to test the waters and see how it'll do as a regular series. I think this version is very underrated. Yes, Ross Schafer is cute and funny but doesn't compare to Gene, and the Match Up tends to slow down game play. It definitely has its fun moments, though, including some really hilarious panelists like Betty White, Charles Nelson Reilly, Joe Alasky, and Vicki Lawrence on today's episode. 

Since the weather continues to hold out and I wanted to take Uber later, I walked to the dentist. It was a beautiful day for a brisk hike down Johnson and Cuthbert. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and while the wind had returned, all those clouds from yesterday disappeared overnight. I should have left earlier, though. Even with no traffic on Cuthbert and moving fast as I could, I still dashed in the dentist's office literally as the technician popped her head out and called my name.

Everything went just fine after that. Cleaning my teeth took 20 minutes. Finding a doctor to check my teeth after that didn't even take a minute. He checked my teeth, declared that I had no cavities, and I moved on in a little over a half-hour. I'm in such good shape, I won't need to see them again until late April.

Stopped briefly for a Diet Pepsi at Dollar Tree, then had lunch at the Bagel Shop. Considering it was 12:30 by that point, they were pretty busy. I still didn't have to wait long for my spinach and feta omelet, chocolate chip bagel, and home fries. Grabbed a chocolate chip cookie on the way out for the movies later.

Walked over to Target, where I picked up Uber. Considering it was the height of the noon rush hour, I was surprised it didn't even take a minute to get a driver. There was no traffic on the back roads of Haddon Township or on the White Horse Pike. After I directed him in front of the theater (I don't know why the GPS keeps sending all the drivers in the back), he dropped me off at the Cinemark within 20 minutes. 

I had just enough time to buy my tickets and slide into my seat, with five minutes to spare before the commercials for Better Man began. I go further into this unique biography of British rock star Robbie Williams that presents him as a CGI ape at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Better Man

And rather disappointingly, not much of interest in the commercials. It was mainly horror that's too scary for me and dour thrillers that looked all the same. The only movie I even liked the look of was the last Mission: Impossible that's set to debut in May. 

Didn't get much out of my trip to Walmart, either. They still don't have much in the way of records, their doll clothes seemed pretty thin, too, and I need to watch the TV show sets I have before I start picking up more. I just bought Propel mix and those Junkless granola bars before picking up the bus home in front of Taco Bell. 

After I took out the trash, I worked on the Seasonal inventory. Added The Ultimate Christmas Album Volumes Five and Six and A Very Special Christmas 2 and 3. Ultimate Christmas Album Volume Five goes back the furthest of this batch. In fact, it goes back so far, I have no idea where it came from anymore. I think it might have been sold in the Wildwood CVS or Acme in the early 2000's, before I moved. Either that, or I got it from FYE around the same time. 

Watched Match Game '73 while I worked and as I ate dinner. After finishing out the week with Robert Q. Lewis and Joyce Bulifant, they moved on to the next week with Judy Carne and Fannie Flagg...for one episode. The episode after that skipped a week and a half to Christmas 1973. Jack Cassidy made his first of three appearances on the show before his untimely death, while June Lockhart was so warm and personable, I wish she came back. 

Finished the night with the soundtrack from The Pirate Movie in honor of a new Broadway revival of The Pirates of Penzance set to debut on Broadway this spring. Yes, I'm aware that this goofy spoof of Penzance has never been popular with the critics, who don't appreciate the jokey tone or weird cast. No, I don't care. While Mabel and Fredrick's pop ballads are bland and silly, the chorus numbers old and new are first-rate. The upbeat "Happy Endings" is more palatable without the slightly salacious choreography in the film's finale, "Modern Major General" has hilarious updated lyrics, and the ensemble songs "We Are the Pirates," "Tarantara," and "Come Friends, Who Plough the Sea" are delights. 

I got lucky and dug this out of the dollar bin at Innergroove years ago, but it's still worth poking around eBay for if you're a fan of the film like me or love 80's action spoofs. 

Front Page Games

Began the morning with breakfast and The Scooby Doo Show. "A Highland Fling With a Monstrous Thing" takes the gang to Scotland. They're supposed to be visiting their friend Aggie McDuff's castle, but it's closed to visitors. Seems the ghost of Aggie's great-grandfather has been sighted in the area, using his bagpipes to lure what appears to be the Loch Ness Monster. The gang head into the deepest, least-explored sections of the castle to solve the mystery.

Got Linda and James' cards and surprise together while watching Garfield and Friends. Garfield's not happy when Jon takes him and Odie on one of their occasional camping trips in "The Bear Facts." He's even less thrilled when they're attacked by Binky the Clown's dancing bear, and the only thing that can make him happy is Jon singing a silly little song he can tap along to. The US Acres farm animals are tired of Wade's constant freak-outs and try to convince him that there's "Nothing to Be Afraid Of." "The Big Talker" is a combative talk show host who insults cats. An offended Garfield finds a way to show him just how useful cats are.

Sent out Linda and James' cards, then headed off to work. Work was no problem whatsoever. Despite a lot more help than usual, we were dead the entire afternoon. The head bagger did the sweeping and the trash, so I pushed carts. The weather was chilly, windy, and cloudy, but it never snowed, rained, or did anything besides be gloomy. 

Took out the recycling and trash when I got home, then changed and brought in my Amazon order. I needed a new bike helmet rather badly. The plastic covering the previous one had become brittle and was breaking of in large sections. Though the one I bought from Amazon wasn't much more expensive than the one I picked up from Target, it was bright white, heavy, and looked and felt more like a motorcycle helmet than a bike helmet. That's exactly what I wanted. It even has lights on the front and back. 

Went upstairs and did some things online, then worked on the inventory briefly. Added Smooth Jazz Christmas and two of the WOGL Ultimate Christmas Album CDs. Smooth Jazz Christmas and Ultimate Christmas Volume 1 came from yard sales in 2010. Ultimate Christmas Volume 4 was an Abbie Road find in 2011. 

Watched Match Game '73 as I worked, and later as I had dinner. That week with McLean Stevenson and Nancy Dussault was pure lunacy, and possibly the best from that year. On one episode, McLean claimed the contestant stole his caps after he helped her get an answer on the Audience Match and they smooched for just a little too long. McLean turned up on the last day of the week naked from the waist up except for a bow tie. He claimed none of the other men would loan him more clothes, then fussed when Gene gave him his jacket. Richard made a crack about having to get McLean to the Largo (a then-popular LA strip club). Joyce Bulifant made her debut the next week, joined by comedian and former host Robert Q. Lewis.

Finished the night at YouTube with game shows revolving around news and headlines. These tended to be either panel shows that had celebrities guessing the news or news makers of the day, or quiz shows. It's News to Me from 1951 is one of the earliest. This early version of Liar's Club has contestants trying to guess if the news story the panelist describes is true or not. Honestly kind of fun, especially watching the panelists interact with each other and hear the stories being told. John Charles Daly of What's My Line? is the host.

Canadians had the similar long-running Front Page Challenge. Here, the panelists had to guess the news event that the contestant was involved in. Canadians really loved their news-based game shows. This one was around for so long, it was on from 1957 to 1995! The game play is almost secondary to the goofy questions and the interview with the subject in question about the news they're involved in (in this 1976 episode, a Canadian senator). 

That wasn't the only Canadian news-based game show to run for years. Headline Hunters ran for a decade on CTV, from 1972 through 1983. Host Jim Perry gives clues to a subject in the form of headlines. Contestants guess the subject from the clues. Simple and addictive, no wonder this one ran for so long. 

Wink Martindale tried his own variation with the syndicated Headline Chasers in 1985. Two couples guess hangman-style headlines, then answer questions about the headline. The "Headline Extra" had the winning couple trying to guess a headline without buying too many clues. Not bad, but probably not enough to stand out in what was an overcrowded field in the mid-80's. I do remember catching this and enjoying it occasionally on USA and local channels.

PBS had their own fun with the news in 1978. We Interrupt This Week was their very first shot at a game show. BBC host Ned Sherrin led a panel of "Home" and "Away" celebrities involved with jazz and classical music or literature through a series of ridiculous or comic questions. It's almost a game show precursor to another British import, Who's Line Is It Anyway. It's a shame the episode seen here seems to be the only one available at the moment. This show was really fun.

Meet the news makers, chase headlines, and interrupt this week with these games that bring new meaning to the words "Action News."

It's News to Me (1951)

Front Page Challenge (1976)

We Interrupt This Week (1978)

Headline Hunters (1981)

Headline Chasers (1985)

The Password Is Eagles

Began the morning with breakfast and Curtains. Kander and Ebb initially wrote the songs for this 50's-set murder mystery that debuted on Broadway in 2007. Rupert Holmes ended up re-writing the book and finishing the songs after Ebb and original playwright Peter Stone died, and...yeah, a lot of this does seem like him. There's a distinctly Remember WENN flavor to the tale of a show business-obsessed cop (David Hyde Pierce) who tries to figure out who in the cast of a Broadway-bound show killed its untalented leading lady on opening night. 

I wasn't a fan of this when I first picked it up, but the show has grown on me over the years. Among the better songs are Pierce's "Coffee Shop Nights," his "A Tough Act to Follow" with Jill Paice as the ingenue who falls for him, the lovely "I Miss the Music" for the show's songwriter (Jason Danielely), and "It's a Business" for the hard-nosed producer (Debra Monk). Monk, Pierce, and the book were nominated for Tonys; Pierce got the show's only win. Honestly, if you're a fan of Pierce, Holmes, or Kander and Ebb, this is worth hearing for the performances and some decent songs.

Headed to work before the CD ended. Work began well. It was steady but not overwhelmingly so until around 3 PM...which is when the morning bagger left, of course. And they had no one to replace him until I left. I fell behind on the carts rather badly for the last hour and a half, not helped by being pulled to put cold items away and clean up dropped sushi. 

At least the weather's improved. It's sunny, with a brilliant blue sky, but the frigid wind vanished overnight, and the clouds had blown away with it. It was a perfectly normal for mid-January lower 40's, making pushing carts a pleasure.

I did have dinner and take a shower later, but I spent most of the night watching the second Password Plus marathon. Allen Ludden was already sick in 1979. By mid-1980, he had been diagnosed with cancer and was resting at home. Bill Cullen took his place for a few weeks in April. He was amiable and funny, but tended to chat too much and really moved too slow for this show. Allen returned after a month, but his health was worsening, and he was gone for good by October. His good friend Tom Kennedy took  his place.

Tom may not have been as affable and warm as Ludden, but he was sure as heck hilarious. Some of the funniest episodes of the entire run took place during his tenure. Dick Martin protested when he gave "France" as a clue for "French" and it wasn't passed. Kennedy had to give him a lesson in phonics to explain why they couldn't use it. Gene Rayburn appeared at least three times, and while he wasn't much of a Password player (he tended toward long-winded explanations), his expressions were a riot. Married couple Patty Duke and John Astin played each other twice, and were incredibly competitive - and very funny - both times.

Some of the lunacy that happened on the show was technical and not the fault of the panelists or contestants. Kennedy had to spend half of an episode with Rayburn and Wink Martindale explaining a puzzle that someone at NBC had inadvertently erased. There were also the times when the panelists got a little too into the show. Betty White really enjoyed playing man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens from The Mary Tyler Moore Show during an all-star week, happily flirting with Robert Pine from CHips and Denver Pyle from The Dukes of Hazard. Betty would turn up again later in 1981 with Pat Sajak to celebrate the latter having just taken over Wheel of Fortune. 

Sajak and Martindale weren't the only hosts who appeared on the show. Bert Convy turned up late in 1981 with Marcia Wallace, who sported a really nice Password Plus jacket. Regis Phillbin did a week with Audrey Landers earlier in 1981 to promote what eventually became Regis and Kathy Lee (now known as Live With Kelly and Mark). Though he was retired by 1982, Kennedy's brother Jack Narz still did a week on the show with soap star Steve Ford. Jack got so upset after an especially grueling Alphabetics bonus round, he switched places with Tom just to show him how it felt to give answers instead of read questions (and honestly did quite well). 

Password Plus survived Fred Silverman canceling NBC game shows in favor of The David Letterman Show (which promptly bombed), but not constant schedule shuffling or ending up in the noon spot. By 1982, NBC affiliates were ignoring the daytime programming all together or running news at noon. It finally ended in March 1982. Audrey Landers and Tom Poston were the last panelists who got to hear Kennedy's heartfelt speech about it really being Allen's show and how Password would return. (And of course, it did return, and on NBC...but that's another story for another time...)

Check out more of the best of Password Plus in this delightful and heartfelt marathon!

Password Plus Classics - Best Episodes (1980 - 1982) with Allen Ludden, Bill Cullen, and Tom Kennedy

Oh, and I checked the scores for the Eagles - Packers playoff game throughout the afternoon and evening. Apparently, the game wasn't terribly good, but the Eagles' defense managed to hold off the Packers long enough to win 22 - 10. The Commanders played a far better and more interesting game, just barely squeaking by the Buccaneers 23 - 20 in the last seconds. 

Winds and Passwords

Started off the morning with breakfast and making my bed while watching The Secret of Anastasia. I go further into this surprisingly decent 1997 imitation of the Don Bluth Anastasia at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Secret of Anastasia

Hurried off to work soon as the cartoon ended. The first thing I did when I got there was get my schedule. I have far more hours and only two days off this time, one of them for a dental appointment on Tuesday. I couldn't figure out why, since there's nothing major going on between the Eagles game and Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. I asked a manager, who said something about "company" coming. She probably means there will be chief executives or head managers coming around to inspect us sometime during the week.

Work was busy when I came in. Good thing there were plenty of cashiers and the head bagger was actually helping me with the sweeping and inside chores. By the time I finished, it had slowed down to the point where we had no trouble keeping up with the carts. I was in and out with no trouble whatsoever. At least the weather was somewhat better. It was still gale-force windy, but slightly warmer, and the sun was in and out of clouds. It snowed a little bit overnight, but every last bit of that new snow was gone when I went home.

Grabbed a few things on my way out. I mainly wanted cards for my friends Linda and James Young, who are having a really rough time. Last time I checked Linda's Facebook page, he was in the hospital. I missed Linda's birthday last month, so she's getting a surprise, too. Also bought more bagels for lunch at work next week.

Spent the rest of the night at home, eating dinner and watching today's game show marathon on YouTube. Password Plus was in the spotlight today as we looked at the episodes from 1979, before Allen Ludden was diagnosed with cancer. Elizabeth Montgomery and Robert Foxworth were the first celebrities on the new series. They both played so well, they'd return several more times during the show's run. Allen's wife Betty White appeared at least three times that year. She twisted her ankle on her first day with Robert Pine and spent the rest of the week having to be carried around. The second week had her teasing Allen by smooching handsome John Phillip Law whenever she could. 

She wasn't the only one who had a good time on the show, either. David Letterman, a protege of Allen's, got some of his earliest TV exposure during a week with Marian Ross. He played very well and showed the snarky wit that would make him a beloved late-night host years later. Mary Tyler Moore made a very rare game show appearance on a week with Bill Cullen. Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence played against each other on another week early in the year. The show ended the year with Brett Somers getting her rear handed to her by Ross Martin.

Of course, not everything on the show worked or has dated well. An episode with the KKK as an answer to a puzzle on the week with Nannette Fabray and John Schuck is now banned from the airwaves. Another one where "mafia" was the answer was censored even when the episode debuted. George Peppard ranted for so long about NBC's rules and regulations, they refused to air the episode and had to film another the next week to make up for it. (Needless to say, he was never invited back to any game show.)

Check out the best of Password Plus with Allen Ludden in this hilarious marathon!

Password Plus Classics - Best of 1979 Episodes With Allen Ludden

Quiet Afternoon at the Library

Began the day with breakfast and the last of the new Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood episodes. "Daniel Does It His Way" when he tries to imitate Prince Wednesday's "bear prints" in the snow and can't keep his balance. His mother reminds him that it's just as much fun to do it in his own way. He and his father are frustrated when they try to make a bird face on their pancakes and keep losing the blueberry "eyes." They end up using other fruits. Katarina has her own frustrations when she realizes she can't read like O in "Katerina and O Go Skating." She can, however, tell the skating story in her own way. Likewise, O is only just learning how to skate. Katerina encourages him to try baby steps and do it his way.

Called Uber soon as the episode was done. It was past 12:30, so they took over 11 minutes to arrive. Once they came, there were no problems, no traffic on the road. They pulled in front of the Camden County Vogelson Branch Library - aka the Voorhees Library - in 20 minutes. 

I'd only been to the Voorhees Library once since they remodeled in 2021. It really did make a dramatic difference. The walls and floors were now dark ash wood rather than darker browns and blacks, and there were blond wavy wood partitions separating the children's and young adults sections from the first floor. Lots of DVD and CD racks, too. Their children section alone, announced by a long banner made to look like colorful blocks, was probably the size of the Haddon Township Library.

The fiction stacks are on the other side of the children's area. Boy, did I hit pay dirt here! They had mystery series I'd been after for ages in full or nearly full (including the first book in the Key West series) and tons of Mercedes Lackey. I ended up with from downstairs: 

The Fairy Godmother and Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey

Charms and Chocolate Chips by Bailey Cates

An Appetite For Murder by Lucy Burdette

The upstairs nonfiction area was so huge, I mainly ended up checking out their extensive collection of film, TV, and theater-related books. Looked over books on demolished New York theaters and lost movies, but I only ended up with a coffee-table book on stage and screen musicals, Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated History. 

Strolled two blocks down and past a sprawling apartment complex for the elderly and three large office buildings to "The Boulevard," the outdoor condo and shops buildings just outside of the largely abandoned Voorhees Town Center. Honestly, the Boulevard isn't doing so hot, either. At least, unlike the Town Center, which has been closed except for the Boscov's store since a fire in the food court last year, there are some open restaurants here. One of them is the very modern orange and ash wood-and-metal Crust n' Fire. A sweet young waitress brought me an absolutely delicious Thai Shrimp Wrap with cucumber, spring greens, shrimp, and almonds smothered in Asian ginger dressing. Sooo yummy! Perfect melding of sweet, tangy, crunchy, and slightly spicy. 

I figured it would be easier to pick up Uber at the library on the main road, rather than making them drive into the Boulevard, so I walked back there. The initial driver was supposed to have taken 16 minutes, but he canceled within barely seconds of taking the job. Thank heavens his replacement didn't even need three minutes to arrive. Considering it was past 4:30 and the height of rush hour, there was surprisingly little traffic going home. 

Did some job searching when I got home. Applied to administrative assistant jobs in Bellmawr and Delran. I'm slightly more interested in the one for Somerset Contractors in Bellmawr. To tell the truth, none of the office jobs really excite me all that much. What I want to do is write, but I don't think I'll ever really make money off that, and certainly not health insurance. For now, the secretarial work is at least closer to what I'm actually good at than being stuck in retail, which I loathe.

Let Match Game '73 run as I searched Indeed. The second episode of the night picked up with the best two weeks of the entire year. Bill Cullen made his debut the first week, along with the only rock star brave enough to try Match Game, "Mama" Cass Elliot. Too bad Cass passed away before she had the chance to return. She was not only a lot of fun and a good player, she was also a good sport. She endured a lot of weight jokes that week, including Richard Dawson threatening to let her flatten the entire first row if they got rowdy. McLean Stevenson appeared for the first time the next week. Broadway star Nancy Dussalt was such a delight in the fourth ingenue seat, I wish she'd come back during the 70's-80's run. (She wouldn't appear again until the Too Close for Comfort week on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour.) 

Finished the night at Hulu and Disney Plus with episodes of MASH, which I haven't watched in a while. In honor of McLean, I did two second season episodes. "Dear Dad...Three" once again has Hawkeye writing to his father about the shenanigans at the 4077th. The surgeons find themselves trying to remove a live grenade from a soldier and teach another who worries about getting the right blood a lesson in prejudice. The attempt at a "monthly" meeting with all the officers (and Radar) isn't terribly productive. Hot Lips and Frank continue their affair. Hawkeye, Radar, and Trapper join Henry in watching his daughter's birthday party on a home movie, along with him and his wife goofing off. (I didn't know McLean had such skinny legs!)

"The Sniper" has everyone on edge and diving for cover. He disrupts Hawkeye's picnic with a pretty nurse (Terri Garr), Frank's attempts to shoot cans off a fence, and Henry and Radar taking showers. (We also get some of the first nudity on TV with glimpses of Gary Burgoff's bare rear as he dashes to the others at the main headquarters.) Between helping victims, Hawkeye and Frank try to insist to whomever is doing the shooting that they have no weapons and are friendly, while Henry and Radar call the real headquarters for more help. 

Speaking of the (Cold) Weather

Began the day with breakfast and more new Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Finds Out What's Fair" when he wants to ride in his baby sister Margaret's stroller, but his father reminds him that he's old enough to walk, and Margaret isn't. Likewise, "O the Owl Learns What's Fair" when he gives up the first seat on Trolley next to Teacher Harriet to a motion-sickness-prone Jodi. Katarina also learns about fairness when gives the baked apples they have on their school trip to Daniel, who is allergic to the peaches all the other kids had. 

Watched a bit of a later Richard Dawson Family Feud episode (I saw the lollipop trees next to the desks) before heading out to do this week's grocery shopping. I mainly needed coconut milk, a roll for lunch, and more of those little apples at Sprouts. They were having a buy one, get one 50 percent sale on many items. I grabbed two boxes of Annie's organic granola bars and two Zevia diet sodas. Loaded up a small bag with dried mango slices from the bulk bins.

The Acme was actually a bit less busy than Sprouts. Had no trouble grabbing blood oranges, Kind and Made Good breakfast bars (the latter was on sale with an online coupon), a Poppi and two Olipop sodas, oatmeal cookies (also on sale with an online coupon), yogurt, bagels, more of the Crest Gum Detoxify Enamel Restore toothpaste that was on clearance, and water for the ride home. Though they weren't on sale, I grabbed a box of spice cake mix and a bottle of Canada Dry ginger ale for an experiment I wanted to do later. 

Had a quick lunch of peanut butter and apple butter on the Sprouts kaiser roll and a clementine, then vacuumed and Swiftered my rooms while watching Gold Diggers of 1937. I go further into this bizarre entry in the Warners series at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Gold Diggers of 1937

Switched to Match Game '73 while doing the dusting and pulling out the stuffed snowmen I have as general winter decorations, and later as I ate dinner. Yes, the second episode we saw tonight featured Gene and that infamously hideous green plaid suit. It was so ugly, the panelists wouldn't even look at him when he came in. Patti Deusch made her debut on the show the next week, joined by Jim "Mr. Magoo" Backus. Patti took offense to Gene's attempt to ask her about her answer by saying "Can we get a little milk from Patti here?"

Went downstairs between shows to try that baking experiment. I've seen many recipes online mention using soda instead of eggs or oil in cake mix to make it fluffy and give it a unique taste. I've been craving something spice, and it seemed to suit today's blustery and chilly (if sunny) weather. Since I couldn't find pans to make cupcakes or a sheet cake, it became a coffee cake with the addition of a struesel topping. Ginger Spice Coffee Cake came out a bit dry but otherwise tasty and smelled amazing in the oven.

Finished the night back upstairs with music while I worked on the review. Hooray for Hollywood is a collection of songs from Berkeley musicals I picked up during one of my trips into Philadelphia last summer. What I like about this one is you don't always get the songs from these movies you expect. The title song is probably the most familiar today. The entry from Gold Diggers of '37 is "All's Fair In Love and War"; we get "The Words are the Music In My Heart" from '35. 42nd Street is represented by Bebe Daniels' playful ballad "You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me." There's also songs from lesser-known entries, like "The Lady In Red" from In Caliente and "Don't Say Goodnight" from Wonder Bar.

I'm not a fan of the mushy 1993 romantic comedy Sleepless In Seattle, but I've loved the soundtrack since it came out. I had the cassette for 20 years before I finally found it on CD. This soundtrack was my first exposure to many classic jazz standards, like "Stardust" (here performed by Nat King Cole) and "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" (a delightful Louis Armstrong). We even get some early country with Gene Autry's "Back In the Saddle" and Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man." The major hit was "When I Fall In Love" with Celine Dion and Clive Griffith, while Harry Connick Jr.'s "A Wink and a Smile" was nominated for an Oscar. If you are a jazz aficionado or also have a budding one in your household, the score here holds many treasures. 

Dolls In the Winter Wind

I awoke...to see the clock said 8:25. I had work at 9 AM! I rushed around, dressed, and gulped breakfast. I'd already planned on taking Uber today. It was supposed to be gale-force windy and cold. Unfortunately, by the time I was ready, I couldn't get a driver, and then one couldn't get here until 15 minutes. Even with all the rushing, I was still 10 minutes late. 

Thankfully, that was the worst that happened all day. I did get pulled to put a cart of cold items away at one point, but that only set me back a little. We got slightly busy around 11-11:30, then went back to being dead again. Between the cold and windy weather and it being between holidays, most people are probably shopping-ed out right now. There isn't even a weather warning this time. We're only supposed to get an inch or two from the snow coming this weekend, if that. No trouble getting home, either. The driver arrived in 9 minutes and got me back in less than 5.

Put on more new Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood when I got home and changed. "Daniel and Dad Say Sorry" when Dan tracks mud through Grandpere's house and his father forgets to put aside a shell Dan wanted to save for Mrs. Tiger. Grandpere reminds them that saying "sorry" is good, but it's even better if you help clean up the mess as well. "O the Owl Says Sorry" when he accidentally breaks Miss Elaina's robot. Elaina gets her own apology after she pushes the telescope they're using off-course, so they can't see the red planet.

Dressed the dolls for chilly January weather next. Felicity is warm and ready to ride the trails in her emerald green Riding Habit and the tri-corn hat with the feather. Whitney's hoping the lake has frozen hard enough for her to glide in her Skating Outfit with the red skirt, blue and red print hoodie sweater, and Springfield Collection skates. Jessa's in her original meet outfit with the black corduroys, yellow fleece jacket with bright teal and magenta pockets, and high-necked striped t-shirt. Molly's also going for comfort and coziness in her plaid shirt and navy corduroys. I haven't found her oxfords for a good price, so she borrows the ones from Kit's School Outfit. 

Ariel is trying on Julie's new School Outfit with the teal skirt, mock-crocheted top, purple turtleneck, and platform strap shoes. Kit's also wearing a school outfit, in this case Rebecca's blue School Outfit with the black and white pleated skirt and blue sweater with black collar. Sam is in her own gray flannel school dress with the black bow and the buttons in the front. Josefina and Barbara Jean both have hand-made dresses from eBay. Barbara Jean's is a yellow with a pleated bodice and huge full sleeves. Josefina wears a blue and red print Empire-waist dress from eBay. 

Listened to more albums I hadn't had on in a while as I worked. I ran the Barbie soundtrack once when I bought it in 2023. For a goofy comedy about dolls who discover how wonderful it is to be human, there's some great songs. "What Was I Made For?" won an Oscar; the infamous "I'm Just Ken" was nominated. There's also the disco-esque jam "Dance the Night" by Dua Lipa and "Angel" by PinkPanthress.

I occasionally listen to American Hot Wax in the summer, but I hadn't put it on in a while. Apparently, this now-rare 1978 biography of early rock DJ Alan Freed wasn't a success, but it sure wasn't the fault of its soundtrack. There's some great songs here, both in the original recordings on disc two and the "live recordings" from a concert Freed sponsored on disc one. The originals on disc two include "Splish Splash" by Bobby Darin, "Sweet Little Sixteen" by Chuck Berry, and "Rave On" by Buddy Holly. Jerry Lee Lewis is one of the few actual performers from the era in the live concert, doing his own "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' 'Goin' On." We also get Screamin' Jay Hawkins living up to his name with "I Put a Spell On You."

Switched to Match Game '73 while working on the Inventory. I caught the tail end of the week with Pat Harrington and Jo Ann Pflug and the beginning of the next week. These were the first two days of the infamous week where Gene wore that horrible green plaid suit. Comedian Jack Carter, Bert Convy a year before Tattletales, and in her first appearance, Fannie Flagg joined in here. Added the original Now That's What I Call Christmas! and Smooth Jazz Christmas to the Seasonal inventory. 

Finished the night with The Undead on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Quintus (Val Dufor) is a psychologist just back from Tibet with an interest in hypnosis. He uses sarcastic prostitute Diana (Pamela Duncan) as his first test subject and discovered she lived a previous life as Helene, a woman in medieval England who was accused of witchcraft. When the voice of her later persona invades her mind and changes history, Quintus goes back in time to assure that his subject will be born.

This was surprisingly interesting, especially for a low-budget Roger Corman movie. Duncan was genuinely moving both as the prostitute and the persecuted beauty, and there's Richard Garland as the knight who loved Helene, Allison Hayes as Livia, a genuine witch, and Billy Barty as no less than the devil. They even manage some decent effects for a low-budget film, especially when Livia and the devil shape-shift into animals. Worth seeing if you want to check out a unique horror film, with or without the robot wisecracks.

In the Winter Sunshine

Began a late morning with breakfast and brand-new episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel and Mom Make a Treat," but they're out of bananas for Mrs. Tiger's famous Banana Whirl frozen sorbet. It tastes equally good substituting fresh coconut as Mrs. Tiger reminds her son that it doesn't matter what they make, she still enjoys being with him. "Jodi Sleeps at Her Dad's House" introduces Jodi Platt's father and his cabin in the woods. She's disappointed when it rains and they can't have a camp out together, but he reminds her that they can spend just as much time together inside.

I had some errands to run before I met Dawn at 1 PM, so I left early. Though the streets and most sidewalks were clear, it was still windy and very cold. I called Uber. They arrived in 8 minutes and didn't take more than three or four minutes to pull up in front of the Target at Westmont Plaza.

Mainly went there for vitamins. Their entire vitamin section was buy one, get one 50 percent off. The sugar-free Vitafusion was slightly more expensive than Target's sugar-free women's multi-vitamin gummies, but also bigger and held more gummies. Also grabbed a soda and a box of Made Good breakfast bars, which are cheaper at Target than they are anywhere else but Walmart. Grabbed a tasty and warming Matcha Vanilla Latte at Starbucks for the short walk to the Haddon Township Library.

Returned that ADHD book, then browsed around the stacks until Dawn arrived. Though we applied for eight jobs, including market coordinator and many office assistant titles, I doubt I'll get any of them. I just don't have enough skills. There's too many other people out there who have far more skills and experience in office settings than I do. She found a Microsoft Office class at the Voorhees Library, but of course, it was on Saturday, one of the few days this week I actually work. I might hit that library this Friday anyway to see if they have any books or programs there that could help me.

It was past 3 when I finally made my way back to the Westmont Plaza for lunch. My original plan for today was the Bagel Shop, but they were closed by then. Ended up at Nick and Joe's Pizza instead. They normally would have been busy with high school kids by 3:30, but a lot of the teens must have gone right home instead of hanging out in the cold. Ate my slice of slightly spicy veggie pizza and slice of tomato-basil pizza in relative silence, other than the really sweet waitress/clerk.

Though it remained chilly by quarter of 4, it was also sunny, and the wind had died down considerably since the early afternoon. I figured I'd be fine walking home. It's only a 20-minute walk from the Westmont Plaza to the White Horse Pike side of Oaklyn. Besides, all of the roads and most of the sidewalks were totally clear. The snow was so light and fluffy, it simply blew away from many yards. 

Put on Gold Diggers of 1935 when I got home. I go further into the fluffy romantic comedy that introduced the anything-but-sweet Oscar-winning Busby Berkeley number "Lullaby of Broadway" at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Gold Diggers of 1935

Switched to Match Game '73 during dinner. Jo Ann Pflug came in for a lot of ribbing that week...or, more specifically, the sequined t-shirts she wore. Richard and Gene happily joked about her Camel shirt on one episode and her Navy-themed one on the next.

Finished the night catching up with Broadway cast albums I've bought and either never listened to, or only listened to once or twice. The Broadway Victor/Victoria is an example of the former. Julie Andrews may have turned down her lone Tony nomination, but really, she was the only great thing about this. Frank Wildhorn's additional songs are only so-so, and nothing like Henry Mancini's original score. Some of the other performances aren't bad, notably Tony Roberts as the gay singer who encourages Victor to become Victoria and Rachel York as the ditzy dancer girlfriend of the gangster who falls for Victoria, but this is mostly for Andrews fans and completeists.

Likewise, Redhead is mainly for huge fans of Gwen Verdon. Neglected Essie Whimple (Verdon) is bored working for her two stern aunts at their wax museum in Victorian London. She thinks life has passed her by, until their display on the murder of chorus girl Ruth LaRue catches the attention of LaRue's former co-workers and Scotland Yard. After she falls for the strong man at the theater where LaRue performed (Richard Kiley), she makes herself over into a fabulous redhead and lies about knowing who the murderer is to get his attention. It works too well, not only getting his attention, but the real murderer's as well.

No wonder this is seldom heard from today. Despite having an intriguing original premise, the songs are dull and about as 50's musical as you can get. There's random chorus numbers that have nothing to do with anything ("The Uncle Sam Rag"), two macho numbers for Kiley ("She's Just Not Enough Woman for Me" and "I'm Back In Circulation") and "I want" songs for Verdon ("The Right Finger of My Left Hand"). Apparently, the best thing about this was Bob Fosse's choreography and direction, including "Essie's Vision" and "The Pick Pocket Tango." Cute if you're a fan of Verdon or 50's musicals, nothing worth going out-of-your-way for otherwise.

The Threepenny Opera is all together sterner stuff. I have the famous 1956 Off-Broadway cast album with Kurt Weill's widow Lotte Lenya in her original role of Pirate Jenny. Other now-familiar performers heard here include Beatrice Arthur as Lucy, Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Peacham, Jo Sullivan as Polly, and John Astin as one of the singers in "The Wedding Song" and "The Army Song." This is probably best-known nowadays for introducing American audiences to Lenya and what became the jaunty standard "Mack the Knife." 

Wheels In the Snow

Began the morning with a big, warming breakfast of eggnog pancakes with butter and real maple syrup, clementines, and hot chocolate while watching Frosty's Winter Wonderland. Frosty's happy to come back and visit his kid friends after the first snowfall of the season, but he's lonely when they go inside. They create a snow-woman for him that he names Crystal, but it takes a little something special to make her "all livin'." Meanwhile, Jack Frost is jealous of Frosty's popularity and will do anything to get his hands on that magic hat!

Yes, we did get snow overnight. It was still coming down at a pretty good clip when I got up at 9:30, but by 11:30, it had begun to slow down. The snow was the fine, powdery stuff that blows around and is easy to clean. It stuck to the sidewalks and the grass, but the roads could have been a lot worse. 

Good thing I already had off and had planned on spending the day at home. I took the laundry downstairs after I cleaned up from breakfast, then spent the next hour-and-a-half or so taking down the Christmas tree. Put the ornaments away, took the lights and garland off, changed the bears who stay out year-round into their regular jackets and neck-bows, put the Christmas stuffed animals and their clothes into the Santa bag, put the Christmas ornament bin and the Santa bag in the closet where I keep the holiday decorations. Put the laundry in the dryer before I did the bears. 

Listened to the soundtrack from Wonka while taking the ornaments down. Though probably not quite as iconic as the 1971 film's music, there are some nice tracks here. The opening "A Hatful of Dreams" as Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) arrives at the European town where he hopes to open his own chocolate shop is lovely and wistful, and there's the sweet ballad for him and the orphan Noodle when he takes her to the zoo, "For a Moment." "A World of Your Own" is Wonka's number as people explore his chocolate shop, reminding everyone why they love fantasy to begin with. We even get Hugh Grant's two very funny versions of "The Oompa Loompa Song" as Lofty, a snooty Oompa Loompa who is trying to regain face after Wonka stole their magic while he was on the job.

Returned to Frosty cartoons during lunch. Frosty Returns is an oddity from 1992 that is pretty much Bill Melendez's attempt to cross the animation style and sarcastic kids of the Peanuts specials with the whimsical, weird plots and characters of Rankin-Bass. Jonathan Winters narrates the story of how budding magician Holly and her science-obsessed best friend Charles helped Frosty (John Goodman) stop a greedy businessman (Brian Doyle-Murphy) and his snow removal spray from destroying Frosty and the town's winter carnival.

Put the tree itself away after lunch, then did the rest of the Christmas decorations. Anything that goes up first - the wreath for the front door, the garlands and bows, the feather-style tree and its ornaments, the nativity and stockings and the red and green coasters I crocheted a while back - went in the last bin. The poinsettia place mats I'd just washed went in here, too. 

Listened to more soundtracks while I worked. Diamonds are Forever from 1971 was the last Sean Connery Bond film for over a decade. It's strange as heck but a guilty pleasure of mine just the same, and one of the reasons is the awesome, cynical title song performed by Shirley Bassey. I like it even better than her better-known theme from Goldfinger. 

I wanted the Deadpool & Wolverine soundtrack partially because I really enjoyed that movie back in July...and partially for the sheer variety of music used. You're not going to see "Angel of the Morning," the Platters version of "Only You," "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC, and "Glamorous" by Fergie in the same place anywhere else...and that's just side one, disc one! You have everything from Green Day's "(Good Riddance) The Time of Your Life" to Jimmy Durante's version of "I'll Be Seeing You" on the second disc. You might not be as interested in this if you're an 80's and 90's rock fan who already has a lot of these songs, but it's still worth getting for the truly eclectic selections.

By 3:30, the snow had long stopped. When I stepped outside, it was cloudy and still really windy, but otherwise not doing anything besides blowing snow around. I shoveled snow for a friend who was working most of the day. Thankfully, I believe we got the advertised 3 to 4 inches. The streets and many sidewalks were totally clear. I had a harder time, since neither the driveway, nor the sidewalk had been salted. At least it was really light snow like I mentioned, and not hard to scrape or lift.

Went back inside for Match Game '73. The first episodes I saw today featured one of my favorite panelists who only did one week...and one of my least-favorites. Comedienne Pat Carroll had a blast on the show and was funny as heck. I really wish she came back. Character actor Bill Culp didn't play well and didn't seem to really get the humor. Brett Somers spent that week arguing with her then-husband Jack Klugman in one of two weeks he sat next to her. The next week had a much better panel, with Charles Nelson Reilly returning and Nipsey Russell, Betty White, and Loretta Swit joining in. 

Finished the night after dinner and a shower with episodes of Wheel of Fortune in honor of its 50th anniversary today. Originally titled Shopper's Bazaar and using an upright wheel, by the time of the pilot seen here with Ed Byrnes from 77 Sunset Strip, it looked and played more-or-less like the show most people are familiar with today. Creator Merv Griffith wasn't happy with how Byrnes was drunk throughout the pilot filming and ended up using Shopper's Bazaar host Chuck Woolery instead. 

Fortune debuted on NBC January 6th, 1975, with Woolery hosting and Susan Stafford turning letters. Alas, between NBC and Griffith reusing tapes into the 1980's, very little of his version exists today. This episode from 1976 is one of the earliest in existence and gives us a good idea of how the show worked in the mid-late 70's. It's played pretty much the same as today, with people spinning a wheel and earning money after calling out letters that appear on a board. If they have enough money, they can buy a vowel. The contestant who figures out the phrase or name and wins the round can shop for prizes with their money between rounds.

Wheel was never a massive hit in daytime, but it had enough fans to narrowly avoid Fred Silverman eliminating most of NBC's games in 1980 to focus on The David Letterman Show. Former weather man Pat Sajak replacing Woolery in 1981 bumped up ratings enough for Griffith to try it in nighttime. That finally put it over. The nightly syndicated show with Sajak and Vanna White began in 1984 and was such a sensation, it continues in syndication to this day. 

Sajak would be replaced in daytime briefly by Rolf Benirschke around 1989, which is also when NBC finally dropped the show. CBS picked it up, but it only lasted there about a year and a half before moving back to NBC for the final eight months of its run. Bob Goen hosted the last season at NBC.

My family loved Wheel of Fortune. We would watch Wheel and Jeopardy together after dinner in the 80's and early 90's, one of the few things we did as a family. In college, I would switch back and forth between Jeopardy and Hollywood Squares, then stay with Wheel after they ended. The regular 90's nighttime episode I have here is one that I might have watched in college while doing schoolwork or having a quick bite to eat.

Wheel was so popular, at one time, there was a children' version. Wheel 2000 debuted on CBS in 1997. It was Wheel crossed with Double Dare. Here, the dreaded bankrupt became "The Creature," with a lot of sound and special effects representing a monster that gobbled up the kids' points. "Lose a Turn" was "Loser." They could land on a wedge that would allow them to play a stunt or answer a question before they asked for a letter. "Lucy," a computer animated hostess, cheered them on. Considering how much my sisters and I loved Wheel as kids, this wasn't a bad idea, but the additional stunts and questions slowed down gameplay, the set looked cheap and has dated badly, and Lucy was more annoying than funny. No wonder it only lasted six months. (Supposedly, there's another kids' version in development. Hopefully, this one sticks closer to the adult version.) 

There's been several changes to Wheel's gameplay over the years. The shopping segments were dropped in syndication around 1987 (though they apparently continued in the daytime until 1989). Griffin replaced them with prizes that now could be won if you hit them on the Wheel and didn't land on Bankrupt before the end of the round. One of the prizes that could be won was a $10,000 space, later replaced by a million-dollar space early in the 2010's. 

There wasn't an actual bonus round until late 1981. Originally, the contestants could choose the five letters and one vowel and chose the prize they wanted before they began. By 1988, they'd started providing the five most common letters and vowel and letting the contestant choose four more. From 1989 to 2001, the prize was chosen from one of five envelopes marked WHEEL. After 2001,  contestants choose their prize from a wheel. 

Sajak and White were the two constants on the nighttime show. They were so associated with the show, they hosted the hour-long prime-time celebrity version that began in 2021. Sajak finally retired last June, to be replaced in the fall by Ryan Seacrest. I have Sajak's last episode here, complete with his heartfelt farewell to the show whose wheel he kept turning for over 40 years. 

Celebrate 50 years of Wheels and prizes with these classic episodes!

Wheel of Fortune Pilot #1 (1974)

Wheel of Fortune (1976)

Wheel of Fortune (1981)

Wheel of Fortune Syndicated Premiere (1983)

Wheel of Fortune CBS Series Finale (1991)

Wheel 2000 (1997)

Wheel of Fortune Syndicated (1999)

Wheel of Fortune Syndicated (2024)