Something In the Air

Awoke to more torrential rain and noisy storms. The rain was so heavy, East Clinton looked more like an extension of Newton Creek. It was just starting to slow down slightly as I ate breakfast. Watched Shirt Tales as I finished and Lauren got organized. Dinkel wants to dance at the cool new nightclub, but the Shirt Tales are more concerned about a DJ who uses his hypnotic music to keep people dancing, so he can rob them. Digger and Kip use Digger's love of classic music to stop these "Saturday Night Shirt Tales" from getting down so they can catch the crooks. "Dinkel's Buddy" is an archaeologist who has disappeared while investigating a supposedly cursed pyramid. Dinkel goes to rescue him...and the Shirt Tales follow to rescue both of them. 

By noon, the rain was just about gone, and the Uber prices were pretty close to normal. I figured it was safe to call for a ride. The driver arrived in 15 minutes, which wasn't bad, considering the weather. Good thing he was a really nice guy, because the roads were a mess. Half of Camden County was underwater. He had to turn around twice when spots on Route 38 was too heavily flooded to pass. He wasn't happy about it, and it took us almost 40 minutes to get to the Silver Diner, but...he may have done us a favor. I got to see a lot more of Cherry Hill, including a Dollar Tree that was set so far off the highway, I had no idea it was there, and a beautiful, green private golf course. 

The rain had long ended by the time we did get to the Silver Diner. I wanted breakfast after I had lunch there last week, so I kept things simple with waffles, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Lauren had a "smashburger" and a salad. The eggs were dry and the bacon was kind of limp, but the waffles were delicious, perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Lauren had "Berry Brave" blueberry lemonade. I had "Strawberry Spangled," which came in a little mason jar with lots of strawberry pieces. I finally got to try that huge "Star Spangled Banner Explosion" mousse dome. Strawberry and blueberry mousse on yellow and chocolate cake covered in white frosting, surrounded by strawberries and whipped cream. Oh wow! So tasty, but sooo decadent. 

We headed over the pedestrian walkway to the Cherry Hill Mall after lunch. Since it's closest to the entrance, Lauren went to check out Nordstrom. I don't like their prices, and I never find my size there. I peeked around Levi's and found nothing. Wanted to check out Soma Intimates, but not only were they having technical problems and closed early, but just a glance told me their prices were outrageous. Bought a tropical iced tea at Nordstrom's eBar instead. Lauren got a pomegranate iced tea and joined me at the wrought-iron tables outside of Nordstrom's, having had no luck either.

Spent the next several hours going in and out of stores. Macy's up escalator was broken. I had such a hard time finding their elevator, I never really did get to look around there. We took quick looks at Go! Calenders and Toys, Hot Topic, FYE, Old Navy, Famous Footwear, and the just-reopened and expanded Spencer's. (Trivia - the Spencer's at the Cherry Hill Mall is their first store, opened in 1963.) I was the only one who bought anything besides food today. I picked up dark Gloria Vanderbilt jean shorts and a long-sleeved burgundy t-shirt. The latter was on the clearance rack, marked down to $4.49. 

After we finished at FYE, we finally returned to the first level and had dinner early. Unfortunately, Saladworks had closed. They're my usual choice when I eat at Cherry Hill's food court. Their replacement, a kebobs booth, had not yet opened. I just ended up joining Lauren at Charley's Cheesesteaks. She had "The Italiano" (looked like vegetables and salami to me), cheese fries, and a Diet Coke. I went with half of a tasty chicken cheese steak, salty regular skin-on fries, and a sweet peach lemonade.

That pretty much exausted our plans for the Cherry Hill Mall. It was time to go home. We had far more luck with Uber. The driver arrived in 8 minutes, not bad for rush hour in Cherry Hill. By 5:30, it was just partly sunny, windy, and cool, barely in the 70's. The floodwaters had long since subsided. We got back to Oaklyn in 20 minutes with no incidents.

When we got in, Lauren went upstairs, changed, and puttered around. We took our laundry downstairs, and I took out the recycling and took a shower. When I got upstairs after switching the laundry to the dryer, I watched the second hour of Match Game '75. Bill Macy was still appearing on Maude as the title character's hubby when these episodes originally ran. I really wish he came back, because this week was hilarious. Brett and Betty White sniped at each other all week, culminating in everyone's hilarious answers on who would play the beast to Betty's beauty. 

Spent the rest of the night after we got the laundry upstairs honoring the 50th anniversary of Family Feud on Sunday. Feud actually began as a spin-off of the Audience Match on Match Game. Mark Goodson still liked the idea of people guessing survey questions, but instead of contestants and celebrity panelists, we have families playing. Richard Dawson was also carried over from Match Game as the show's first host. 

The show was a huge hit right out of the gate on ABC in 1976. Richard Dawson got so invested in it, he brought his older son and his wife on and started his own feud with producer Howard Felscher. We have the one of the pilots here (and a glimpse of how different the set looked before they expanded it) and a typical Dawson episode from 1981. 

The original Dawson daytime and nighttime versions finally succumbed to heavy competition in 1985. The show returned on CBS in 1988, this time with comedian Ray Combs as the host. I used to love the Combs show! I have fond memories of watching it and The Price Is Right back-to-back on Channel 10 in the late 80's and early 90's. I'm actually kind of grateful that Mom had the cable turned off before they started the notoriously weird Family Feud Challenge with the "bullseye" opening. Richard Dawson replaced Combs in 1994, but Richard was noticeably aged, and it just wasn't the same. The network show finally ended in 1994.

Feud shifted permanently to syndication in 1999. Baby-faced comedian Louie Anderson was the first host of the revived Feud. Though he does have his fans, I found him grating and the set of his version butt-ugly. Apparently, so did the producers. He was let go in 2002 and replaced by Richard Karn of Home Improvement. Though Karn had a better set, he otherwise had the opposite problem from Anderson. Where Anderson tried too hard to be funny and hip, Karn tended to fade into the woodwork. He worked out well enough to stay on until 2006. John O'Hurley came in after him, but he got fed up with the sexual nature of many of the questions and left in 2010. Comedian Steve Harvey, whose humor could occasionally border on the crass, had no trouble with entendres of every stripe. He took over the show in 2010 and has hosted it ever since.

Let's see how the Feud began 50 years ago and the men who kept the families feuding in these classic episodes!

Family Feud Pilot (1976)

Richard Dawson (1981)

Ray Combs Premiere (1988)

Richard Dawson Return Premiere (1994)

Louie Anderson (1999)

Richard Karn Premiere (2002)

John O'Hurley Premiere (2006)

Steve Harvey Premiere (2010) 

Riders On the Storm

Got a really quick start today. I got caught up reading Daisy Mae and the Miracle Man and had just enough time to eat, change, and call Uber. The one going there came in 9 minutes and got me to work in plenty of time. Had a hard time getting one going home. They took 15 minutes to arrive.

Work was a pain in the rear...or stomach. I'd been feeling queasy since yesterday. I didn't have a fever, but I did end up spending a lot of time in the bathroom, especially in the morning. (Which did some good - I was able to refill the toilet paper.) Mother Nature didn't help. It was cloudy and insanely humid this morning, but the sun came out around 1 PM and it got hot again. We were off and on busy, and I had a hard time keeping up with the carts until another bagger came in at 2. 

When I got home, I changed into cooler clothes, then listened to The Jack Sheldon Quintet while I took down the 4th of July decorations. I have no idea why they called the record Hollywood Heroes. Only one of the songs, "Lover," comes from a movie musical. (More specifically, Love Me Tonight.) My favorite numbers were lovely versions of Johnny Mercer standards - "Pardon My Southern Accent" and "I Thought About You."

Returned to reading Daisy Mae while resting, making the bed, and listening to The Best of Julie Andrews. As you can probably guess, the majority of these songs are from the original stage casts of My Fair Lady and Camelot and the movies The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. There's a few more obscure titles here as well, like "O the Days of the Kerry Dancing," "We'll Gather the Lilacs In the Spring" from the British musical Perchance to Dream, "If Love Were All" from Bitter Sweet, and a rather odd live version of "Big D" from The Most Happy Fella. 

Switched to tonight's Match Game marathon for a while. Match Game could be as patriotic as the next show, especially in the years surrounding the Bicentennial. There were jokes about the 4th of July the week dancer and model Ruta Lee made her only appearance on the show in 1973 and in one of the episodes with Ron Valenti (and Fannie flirting with him) in 1975. There was one of the episode in 1978 where Craig Morris really got a kick out of his enormous lime-green sunglasses, and the nighttime episode where Fred Grandy sported a bow tie and sweater that netted him a lot of "Little Lord Fauntelroy" jokes. 

Celebrate the holiday weekend with even more fireworks as Gene and his wacky weirdos teach us American history the Match Game way!

Match Game Sunday Classics - 4th of July Marathon

Lauren was originally supposed to arrive at 10 PM. She got nervous and switched to a later train. I called Uber to Philadelphia around 10. To my surprise, the lady arrived in 4 minutes, and she was really sweet about it. There was no traffic at that hour of the night, not even in Philly. I loved getting to see all of the buildings lit up in reds and whites and blues, including one that was striped. She pulled up to 30th Street Station within 20 minutes.

On one hand, I'm glad to see they're almost done remodeling 30th Street Station. The scaffolding is gone, though nothing in the food court is open yet. On the other hand...Lauren was supposed to arrive at 10:45. She didn't finally get in until past 11 PM. I initially read my phone on a booth, but I couldn't sit down and walked around, checking the time until she arrived.

I saw why she was so late the moment we stepped outside. The thunderstorm that had threatened off and on all day chose that moment to finally hit. It was pouring, with noisy thunder and huge streaks of lightning. The Uber going home cost me $75! I was going to wait, but it didn't look like the storm would be ending anytime soon, and we couldn't stand in front of 30th Street all night. It took her over 20 minutes to arrive. She didn't know where the pick up at the 30th Street side of the building was, then she couldn't see us. Thank heavens Lauren knows about cars and spotted her across the way. The rain slowed down slightly by the time she finally pulled up on East Clinton.

I think you can guess that we're going to sleep in tomorrow after all that! The weather isn't going to be appropriate for our usual first-day walking trip to Mt. Ephraim and Audubon, so we're going to move things to the Cherry Hill Mall and Hillview Shopping Center instead. 

Heating Up Independence Day

Began the morning with the 4th of July selections from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. The big pieces here are a chapter from Little Town on the Prairie that has Carrie, Laura, and their pa enjoying lemonade and a pony cart race at their growing little town and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. There was also the first part of the Constitution and several smaller poems on independence and fireworks.

Started Ben & Me during a quick breakfast. The "me" in this case is Amos Mouse, who helped Benjamin Franklin create some of his greatest inventions, from the Franklin Stove to the Pennsylvania Gazette. Amos thinks Ben's gone too far after he has him ride in that famous electrifying kite and leaves. He begs Amos to come back during the American Revolution and help him out again. Their agreement to no more tricks becomes the basis of the Declaration of Independence. 

Thank heavens Oaklyn pushed their parade back to 9 AM today. I wouldn't have seen it if it stayed at 10. Even at 8:50, it was already steamy and in the 90's. I dropped Finley's birthday gift off at Rose's house, then got a free cotton candy water ice from Yummies Palace's cart and free red, white, and blue beads from the Oaklyn Civic Association. A little boy who was already dripping sweat handed me a 250th anniversary America flag. 

Thankfully, the parade was more-or-less on time. The cardboard boat with a Jaws theme won first place. I liked the group dressed as butterflies the best. There was only one other kid next to me, jumping out to gather the tons of candy all of the baseball teams and various groups threw. I gave some of my candy to the little kids in wagons behind me, some of it to him, and still had tons of Mamba, Tootsie Roll Fruit Chews, and Dum Dums lollipops leftover to share with Lauren when she visits. 

Oh, and I ran into Rose and Finley towards the end of the parade. No, they weren't doing anything today. Rose was sending the kids to have a barbecue with their father at his mother's house, and she just wanted to rest. I pointed them towards the Civic Association's booth with Hot dogs, mini bags of chips and Cheetos, and baby pools filled with ice, soda, and water. 

Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee House to get a cool treat. The line for drinks was long, but it moved fast. I got a Peaches and Cream Lemonade. Peach syrup with very tart lemonade topped with foam. Not bad, though that lemonade was very, very puckering!

Finished Ben & Me after I got in, then switched to classic shorts while I got dressed for work. "Patriotic Popeye" tries to keep his nephews from setting off balloons, until they end up being carried into the sky by one, and he needs spinach to intervene. "Donald's Failed Fourth" has Donald trying to set up for a picnic with Daisy in front of the fireworks, but the blanket and chairs won't cooperate.

Called Uber after the cartoons ended. It was just too hot to ride my bike. To my surprise, it only took me 7 minutes to get a ride. I figured it would be much longer on a very hot major holiday. It took me 9 minutes to get a ride home. No problems or traffic either way.

Work could have been a lot worse. It got crazy around noon and was picking up again when I left at 5, but the in between wasn't really that bad. I did spend most of the time outside pushing carts, but I had help from one of the college boys (who did most of the sweeping), and I went in for water when I got too hot. I was in and out with no trouble. 

Listened to A Musical Souvenir of America On Parade when I got home. Yes, this was the music from Disney's big Bicentennial parade at the parks in 1975 and 1976. The songs are mostly instrumental versions of traditional American tunes like "Turkey In the Straw," "O Susannah," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and "I've Been Working On the Railroad," but somehow "Animal Crackers In My Soup" slips in there towards the end...and Disney being Disney couldn't resist including "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." 

Finished the night on YouTube after a shower. The owner of the Match Game Productions channel did something different and showed us how other game shows celebrated the 4th of July. One show actually started on the 4th, the 1988 Family Feud with Ray Combs. Press Your Luck had Whammies setting off fireworks and snatching cash in 1985. Markie Post and Richard Shannon (with hair!) played each other on Super Password in 1986 just prior to Post joining Night Court (and even obliquely mentioned it on the episode). A patriotic episode of Price Is Right from 1975, just a few months before they expanded to an hour, had a Bicentennial salute to George M. Cohen as one of the Showcases. 

Classic Concentration was the only show to decorate for the occasion, offering flags everywhere, a trip to Washington DC, a paper mache George Washington, red, white, and blue cars to choose from, and Canadian Alex Trebek in an American flag tie. Things were more normal on 4th of July episodes of the Richard Dawson Family Feud, other than a few picnic-related questions. Susan Richardson and Wesley Eure did battle on Password Plus. The first 4th of July on Body Language had Betty White simply being outplayed by lanky Ed Begley Jr. Lisa Benet had more luck against Jason Bateman during their teen month the next year, while Kennedy set off sparklers. The Bob Eubanks Card Sharks introduced a new bonus round, while Jim Perry dealt with some pretty unique contestants, including a very funny old man named Ed, in his earlier version from 1979 and 1980. 

Celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary game show style in these hilariously patriotic tributes!

Saturday Game Show Classics - 4th of July Game Show Marathon

Called Mom during the marathon to wish her a happy 4th. She was enjoying hers in pretty much the same way, watching Ken Burns documentaries on PBS with Keefe. Keefe's wife Julia took their children to visit her family, so they were relishing the peace and quiet. They hadn't done much today, but Keefe did take Mom to his favorite restaurant earlier in the week. 

Oh, and there were no fireworks this year. Not only was it too hot, but there were some pretty bad storms later in the evening. That didn't stop people from setting off their own fireworks, including a beautiful display of sparkling green and pink just a few houses down from here on East Clinton.

Here's hoping your 4th of July was just as much fun...and a lot cooler. 

How to Beat the Heat

Began a late morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. "The Outer Space Connection" sends Dinkel, Kip, and Bogey into orbit when they're accidentally trapped in a rocket that takes off. The other Shirt Tales follow in their super-sonic vehicle that can turn into anything. They end up on "The Forbidden Island" when they help a parrot figure out why the "Fire God" is scaring people away from his jungle home.

Worked on my grocery list while watching Supermarket Sweep. This later show (Dave wears a weird tie) is another one where one team, in this case the Team One college ladies, dominated the proceedings. They got the most time and had twice the grocery haul as the other teams. Their youth may have prevented them from figuring out what Good Start is in the bonus round run, though...

Oh, and I got my schedule at this point, too. I do work on Sunday, 9 to 3. Lauren won't arrive until 10 PM. I got the rest of the week off for vacation. Not a moment too soon, either, since it's supposed to rain the first two days anyhow. We can just hit up malls until the weather subsides. 

Called Uber after the show ended. I already decided to cut my shopping down to just the Westmont Acme this week. I'll do Sprouts with Lauren next week when she visits. It's too hot for a lot of running around, and I don't really need much as Sprouts anyway. To my shock, the first driver arrived in less than a minute! She was a really nice lady, too. The second one came in a more normal 9 minutes. No trouble anywhere, not even Cuthbert.

I probably could have done my grocery shopping tomorrow, since I do have work, but I know better than to do major shopping on a holiday. Despite the ongoing heat, it was still really busy. I had to duck around a lot of people to stock up on yogurt, blueberries, apples, cherries (I won't have the time for the farm market tomorrow), chocolate chip bakery cookies, prebiotic soda, Swiss cheese, granola, and Clorox travel-pack wipes for my mini-backpack. Had a good coupon for Tresemme Curls Conditioner. Thought I'd try the strawberry cake roll slices, then forgot I had them. (Oh well, 4th of July dessert tomorrow!) Grabbed a pack with tuna salad, crackers, muenster cheese, and green grapes for lunch. 

Put everything away when I got home, then napped, read, and rested while watching Yankee Doodle Dandy and the 1962 version of The Music Man. I went further into these classic 4th of July favorites at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in June and 4th of July 2019.

Happy 4th of July - Yankee Doodle Dandy

The Music Man

The moment The Music Man ended, I headed out. Even at quarter of 7, it was still hazy-blue, sunny, and steamy. I think it was even hotter than yesterday, into the lower 100's. Surprisingly, WaWa was almost as busy as the Acme had been earlier. I guess I wasn't the only one who decided she'd rather have a hoagie and a mocha mint smoothie than actually cook anything. I used the last of my gift card from one of the kids and their family on the smoothie and a small turkey hoagie on a whole-wheat roll.

Ate dinner while watching the final Match Game '75 episodes of the day. Soap star Brenda Dickson joined Gary Burgoff and Patti Deusch. To be honest, she wasn't really much more than a pretty face and didn't play very well. Even Patti got more creative than she did. 

Finished the night with the eighth and final episode of The Swamp Fox. Marion insists his new recruits deliver those "Horses for Greene" mentioned at the end of the previous episode. The mountain man brothers Mary picked up on the ship would rather be dancing with pretty senoritas at a local inn leftover from Zorro, until they end up in a trap. Marion has to install some discipline into them and make sure those horses get to the right place. 

I ended up really enjoying this. I know Davy Crockett was a bigger hit, but this one is just as much fun in its own right. I loved the emphasis on Mary, including a whole episode, "A Woman's Courage." Shame she suddenly vanishes in the last show. The mountain men are funny but no substitute. The earlier episodes tend to be darker going, especially the death of Francis' nephew in "Tory Vengeance." If you're a fan of American Revolution history or Nielson's days as an action star, or want to check out a different side of history from Disney, this miniseries is well worth your time. 

The Room Where It Happens

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. Mother Bear helps her son plant sunflowers in "Little Bear's Garden." He imagines that the sunflowers grow so big, they lift him and No Feet to the clouds. He's delighted by the vegetables that grow so big there, until they start getting a little too big and crowding him and No Feet out! In order to become "Prince Little Bear" and marry Princess Emily, King Owl declares that he must defeat a dragon...but when he helps his friends instead, he learns that kindness is its own reward. Little Bear makes "A Painting for Emily" of her beloved doll Lucy while he watches her and Emily's dog Tutu. Tutu, however, does everything she can to get in on the painting, too.

Worked a little online, then spent the rest of the afternoon vacuuming and deep-cleaning the attic rooms. I dusted under the books...and spent a little too much time reading them, especially the ones on musicals. I'll dust under the 4th of July decorations on Sunday, after the holiday. The back room was especially bad. I don't know why the bedroom always gets so dusty! Maybe it's because the one and only window is there. It was killer hot up there, too. The air conditioner was full-blast, and it was still hot. The fans did nothing but move hot air around.

Watched 1776 as I worked. I went further into this classic 1972 musical on the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog back in July 2019. 

1776

Had a very quick and belated lunch while watching Hamilton on Disney Plus. (I would finish it much later in the evening.) This could almost be called the flip side of 1776 as we switch our focus from firebrand John Adams to non-stop author and politician Alexander Hamilton. "The ten dollar Founding Father without a father" (Lin-Manuel Miranda) grows up in the Caribbean, but takes a slow boat to New York. He joins other firebrands in pushing for the American Revolution, becomes "Right Hand Man" to General George Washington (Christopher Jackson), and marries sweet and lovely Eliza Schuyler (Phillipa Soo). Her sister Angelica (Renee Elsie Goldsberry) loves him, too, but marries another man for her sister's sake. 

Hamilton continues pushing and writing after the war, eventually clashing with the more conservative Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs). He runs into trouble when he has an affair and a furious Eliza burns his letters. The death of their son Phillip (Anthony Ramos) in a duel brings them back together after news of Hamilton's affair goes public. Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.) is furious with him for backing Jefferson for the presidency and challenges him to his own duel...one that Hamilton won't recover from. It's Eliza, however, who ends up preserving his legacy for generations to come.

First of all, you're probably wondering why I'm not reviewing this for the musical blog. Like Disney's London version of Frozen, this is a recording of a stage show, and it really falls under different strictures. That said, I can see why this is still running on Broadway at press time. The music is incredible (even if you're like me and aren't a fan of rap), the performers are dynamic, the dancing is fabulous. If you know anything about Hamilton and American history, you also know that this is a fairly dark show. The second half gets mired in its endless "Cabinet Battles" and moves about as fast as 1776 at times. Still, if you love Miranda or want to see a more modern take on American history, this is worth checking out for families with older kids and teens and stage aficionados. 

I got so tired of that endless second act of Hamilton, I cut it off early around 6:30 and went out to run errands. (I finished it later in the evening.) Stopped at Dollar Tree first. I mainly needed pads, but given the extreme heat, I picked up a bottle of Propel water, too. They were surprisingly busy for dinner time with mothers and families on their way home from work picking up their own little things.

Headed two blocks down to Crown Chicken and Gyro next for a quick dinner. They too were quiet for 7 PM on a hot day. I guess everyone stayed home in the air conditioning to eat. I enjoyed my tilapia sandwich, fries, and Diet Pepsi listening to classical music and watching glorious images of a green and glowing Canada on the TV over the dining area.

Walked further down to La Mortense Plus to get something sweet to cool off. Despite it being past 7:30, they weren't busy, either. I had no difficulty ordering a chocolate banana milkshake. Slurped it as I headed home. Even that late in the day, it was still sunny, hazy, killer humid, and hot as heck, in the lower 100's-upper 90's. The milkshake could only do so much. I was sweating bullets when I got home.

Which is why I relaxed a little bit, then went right in a much-needed shower. After I got out, I finished the night watching The Fleet's In on YouTube. I go further into this classic Navy musical with William Holden and Dorothy Lamour that introduced "I Remember You" and "Tangerine" at musical blog. 

Happy 4th of July! - The Fleet's In

We're Having a Heat Wave

I overslept and had just enough time to write in my journal, have breakfast, and call Uber...and of course, it took forever to get a ride this morning. It was too hot to ride my bike, even at quarter of 9. The one going to work took 13 minutes, and yes, I was late. The one going home took 9 minutes. No trouble on the road, no traffic anywhere.

The Acme was surprisingly busy this morning. I figured the heat would scare everyone off, but it's the beginning of the month and four days before the biggest holiday of the summer. I spent most of the time sweeping and rounding up carts, but I did have to gather a full outside trash can at one point. And yes, I did carts in the heat. They had to be done. They kept disappearing. I know to go inside and get water when necessary, and I have to go inside every hour on the hour to sweep anyway.

And yes, it was that hot. It was sunny and windless all morning, with a sharp, cloudless pale blue sky and nary a breeze in sight. It was killer hot and humid even by the time I finished at 1 PM. 

When I got home, I changed, then had lunch. To make up for my hasty breakfast, I made buckwheat pancakes. Had them topped with peanut butter and honey, along with cherries for fruit. Oh yum! They came out so perfectly and were great with oat milk and cinnamon.

Watched The Scooby Doo Show on Tubi while I ate. Mystery Inc find themselves stranded in the Smithsonian after hours when they're in Washington DC for the big Bicentennial celebrations. They end up dodging "The Spirits of '76," the ghosts of three notorious traitors who supposedly haunt the museum. Scooby ends up using one of the most famous vehicle exhibits at the Smithsonian to catch those patriotic crooks.

After that, I went down for a much-needed nap. I was up too late last night and was extraordinarily tired this morning. I slept from 2:30 until after 5 PM, and I was still tired when I rolled out of bed. I read the first chapter of Johnny Tremain before I finally got up. 

Watched Match Game '75 during dinner. The first episode finished out the week with Bert Convy and Jo Ann Pflug. Kate Jackson made her first of two appearances on the show when she was still a nurse in the cop show The Rookies the next week. She was joined by wacky Avery Schriberer of the thick mustache and wild curls and Fannie Flagg in a sweater with sequined hands in strategic places. 

Finished the night watching Uncle Sam Magoo on YouTube. I went further into this stirring special featuring Mr. Magoo exploring 200 years of American history at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in July 2023.

Animation Celebration - Uncle Sam Magoo

Dolls On a Hot Summer Day

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. I grew up on the original version of this show, which was one of the hottest things going during my own pre-school years. In honor of the new movie in theaters, and since the entire series is now on Tubi, I thought I'd check it out starting with "Diamond Ray of Disappearance." Skeletor finds a diamond that can make anyone who looks at it vanish into another dimension. His goofy men lure Teela and her guards away from the castle so Skeletor can make the king, queen, Sorceress, and Teela's father Man-at-Arms vanish. Prince Adam, who turns into He-Man thanks to a powerful sword, goes to Castle Grayskull to figure out how to save them.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. I had errands to run, starting with dropping two books at the kiosk down the street. After that, I rode to the Collingswood PNC to get money. I was originally going to use the outside ATM, but a card pulled up. I ended up inside. 

Had brunch at a busy Sabrina's Cafe. Thought I'd try their 1776 Matcha Almond Pancake Stack. Turns out this was two enormous plate-sized pancakes smothered with matcha cream, white chocolate drizzle, whipped topping, almonds, blackberries, and strawberries. Tasty, and I ate most of it...but also way too much cream and drizzle. They always overdo the sauce on their specials. The hibiscus iced tea didn't taste like much besides sugar. 

Strolled down Haddon Avenue next. I was hoping Grooveground finally opened. It hasn't. It's been closed for remodeling since last spring. I did see the door at Collingswood Music open. I wasn't planning on visiting them next week when I'm on vacation. They don't sell CDs, only vinyl, and Lauren can't take records home in her luggage. For a spur-of-the-moment trip, I did really, really well. I dug five albums out of the 2 dollar bin and found a soundtrack and two kids' albums, one of them fairly unique.

Artie Shaw and His Orchestra - Frensesi: Artie Shaw's Greatest Hits

Songs from The Jungle Book and Other Jungle Favorites

The soundtrack from the 1988 Bette Midler melodrama Beaches

The Jack Sheldon Quintet - Hollywood Heroes

Radio Active, a K-Tel collection from 1982

Lena Horne - The Exciting Lena Horne

A Musical Soundtrack to America On Parade is by far my best find today. It's a gorgeous picture disc version with the music from "America On Parade," the Bicentennial parade for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I suspect this may only have been sold in the parks, and probably only in 1975-1976. Here's the link to a page from Yesterland that goes into further detail on "America On Parade" and the doll-like figures seen on the picture disc.

Yesterland: America On Parade

Incidentally, the weather wasn't bad today. It was hot, sunny, and windless, but not hot or as humid to the degree it's supposed to be starting tomorrow. Even so, I was still sweating bullets when I got home, to the point where I needed to towel myself off.

Dressed the dolls for July and Independence Day next. Samantha is in her Middy Dress, tam, and black and white boots. Josefina wears her Indigo Skirt and Camisa. Whitney is ready to dance in Oaklyn's 4th of July Parade in the white American Girl dance dress with the red and blue sequins and ruffled sleeves. She's borrowing Molly's tap shoes. The ones that came with the dress fell apart. Kit wears her original Reporter Dress with the red, blue, and yellow flowers and red shoes with the white stitching. 

Molly's ready for outdoor fun in her Camp Gowanigan uniform and saddle shoes. Ariel celebrates the Bicentennial in the patchwork red, white, and blue peasant blouse Lauren sent a while back and red satin shorts from Julie's original Roller Skating outfit. Felicity is airy and cool in her white Summer Gown with the wide blue and pink flowered sash. Jessa's red t-shirt, shortalls, and splotchy high top sneakers are a bit simpler. Barbara Jean is the only one old enough to pull off the pink, white, and blue terrycloth romper with the brief tube top. 

Listened to records while I worked. Jo Anne Castle and Her Ragtime Piano is actually a combination of two earlier Castle albums, Tiger Rag and Lawrence Welk's Ragtime Gal. Ironically, Tiger Rag has the actual ragtime, including the title song, "Dill Pickle Rag," and "I Want a Girl." Ragtime Gal features slightly newer numbers like "Goofus," "Canadian Sunset," and "Humoresque."

Raggedy Ann & Andy Birthday Party starts out a bit like the odd movie Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. Ann, Andy, and the dolls in the playroom see Marcella having a birthday party in the garden. The Camel With the Wrinkled Knees doesn't know when his birthday is. As in the film, he wanders outside and dreams of his friends giving him a party. When Ann follows him and finds out, she encourages the others to give him the party he so badly desires. 

Despite the title and being put out by Disney itself, Songs from The Jungle Book is actually covers of songs from that film. The Beatles-esque "Bare Necessities" and goofy comic "I Want to Be Like You" aren't bad, but the real stand-outs are the lesser-known material. "That's What Friends are For," a number for a pack of Beatles-imitating vultures in the movie, becomes a charming and adorable Beach Party-esque chorus routine here. The brief "My Own Home" is slower and almost slinky, performed by a smoky-voiced lady who sounds a bit like Julie London. The "other jungle favorites" are a slightly re-written "Abba Dabba Honeymoon" and a really cute "Civilization," with a deep voices singing the "I don't want to leave the jungle"part who sounds a bit like Larry Hooper from Lawrence Welk.

Artie Shaw had his biggest hits in the late 30's and 40's, and that's reflected in Frensni: Artie Shaw's Greatest Hits. His biggest was the title song, but there were others that are still associated with him and his orchestra. He seemed to favor slower, more romantic or robust songs like "Indian Love Call," "Softly As In a Morning Sunrise," "Nightmare," and "Begin the Beguine."

Switched to The Time of Their Lives after I finished with the dolls and got everything put away. Poor tinker Horatio Primm (Lou Costello) wants to buy his sweetheart Nora (Ann Gillis) out of indentured servitude. He even has a letter from General Washington claiming he can get more work. Meanwhile, Tom Danbury (Jess Barker) is engaged to lovely Melody Allen (Marjorie Reynolds), but she overhears him plotting with Benedict Arnold against Washington. She and Horatio ride off to warn Washington, but the American soldiers turn up and, thinking they're the traitors, kill them, dump their bodies in a well, and curse them to never leave the house's grounds. 

Almost two centuries later, Melody and Horatio are still ghosts in the house when they realize how the place has changed. It's been rebuilt, with all the original furniture returned. The new owner is playwright Sheldon Gage (John Shelton), his fiancee June Prescott (Lynn Baggett) and her very sarcastic Aunt Millie (Binnie Barnes). They're eventually joined by Sheldon's therapist, Dr. Ralph Greenway (Bud Abbott)...who happens to be the ancestor of Cuthbert Greenway, the man who had been his rival for Nora. Melody and Horatio are more than happy to drive Greenway crazy, until Sheldon's housekeeper Emily (Gale Sondergaard) holds a seance, and they finally figure out a way to find the proof that they aren't traitors and get their unearthly rewards.

This was...surprisingly sweet, even touching in spots. On one hand, it's not your typical vehicle for these two. They do appear together a few times, but don't really do any routines. Apparently, they'd been having problems at this point. On the other hand, it may be not only their most unique vehicle, but one of the most unique classic comedies I've ever seen. Reynolds makes a spirited Melody, Barnes has more fun than she should as the sarcastic aunt, and the special effects are pretty decent even now. If you like Abbott and Costello and are willing to go down a different path with them, try this one on for size. 

Put on Match Game '75 after I had a quick and small dinner. They're now on the week with Bert Convy, Joyce Bulifant, and a pregnant - and rather testy - Jo Ann Pflug. The end of the week featured one of the most infamous Audience Match answers of the entire run. Richard Dawson, pressed to come up with something for "Trench __," blurted out "trench hand." He joked about getting "trench hand" for the rest of the episode, and there would be references to it again throughout the years. 

Finished the night after a shower with more of The Swamp Fox. "A Woman's Courage" switches the focus almost entirely to Francis Marion's sweetheart Mary Videux. She boards a prison ship filled with rebel prisoners coming from Charleston, including the captain who was captured there. She poses as the sister of four of them, then helps them all escape. Francis, who is considering turning in his commission if he can't get more men, is more than happy for the help. 

Walks and Games

Got a quick start today with breakfast and Shirt Tales. "Taj Mahal Tyg" is kept as a pet by a maharajah and his son while the others search for the prince's real pet tiger. They find a bigger tiger, but it turns out he's known to the maharajah, too. The Shirt Tales head to China in search of the best Chinese food around. After they mistake a magician's home for a restaurant, Bogey ends up insulting the magician. He turns him into "Brass Bogey" while the others figure out how to escape the magician's illusions.

Called Uber after the episode ended. The one going to Cherry Hill took 13 minutes and got me to Cooper Bone and Joint with fifteen minutes to spare. The first one I called to take me to the Chestnut Place Condos (which isn't that close to Cooper) canceled. The second picked me up in 3 minutes. There was a little traffic on Cuthbert Road going to Cooper. Otherwise, no trouble.

Soon as I got to Cooper, I went right upstairs and signed in briefly. I did most of the checking in online, so I didn't talk to the lady for very long. The waiting room was pretty full, but I only had to wait about 10 minutes for them to see me. The kindly Asian doctor checked my knee...and declared it fine. I think it was mostly that super-cold winter that caused the trouble. It gets a little stiff sometimes, but nothing like in January and February. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes. 

Went next-door to Dunkin' Donuts for a treat. I still have that gift card I got from one of the kids. Dodged what looked like remodeling on the back window area to order a cream donut and limeade. Yum! The cream donut was bursting with frosting. The limeade was nicely tart. I enjoyed them and the silence - thankfully, no one was working on the window remodeling at that point.

The Chestnut Place Condos are next on my list of Cherry Hill buildings currently listed as having a condo available. This 60's-era building looks pretty identical to Sussex House, but twice its size and in far better shape on the outside. Nothing but patio furniture on the balconies, too. Like Playa Del Sol, they had a pool (which was quiet at 10:30), along with a small picnic pavilion, and is surrounded by a quiet neighborhood with regular 50's-60's tract homes and what looks like a brand-new Jewish temple. 

Two big red flags on this one, though. There seem to be no sidewalks in the neighborhood. That doesn't make it very walkable. The other is its location. Though the neighborhood itself is peaceful and largely residential, it's just off Kaighns Avenue. That's one of the busiest streets in Cherry Hill, and difficult to cross. I'd have a hard time getting to Wegman's or Shop Rite and the library from there. 

On the other hand, it's not even a five-minute walk from the Hillview Shopping Center. Used the bathroom at Target, then bought popcorn and Coke Zero for the movies. This was also the first time I'd ever seen the new Nature Valley Wafer Bars on sale. Usually, they're expensive and not included in most sales. I had to try strawberry and honey vanilla. 

Had lunch at the Silver Diner next. This chrome eatery perches on the edge of the hill and gives you a splendid view of the Cherry Hill Mall and Cherry Hill Plaza. They specialize in comfort food made with healthy ingredients, like my half of a turkey bacon club sandwich on sourdough and Caesar salad. The club was made with real sliced turkey, crunch bacon, and fresh mozzarella. I ordered a plate of Old Bay fries, too. They were tasty, but a plate of anything covered in eye-watering spices is a little too much for me! The refreshing watermelon-mint lemonade, with its sprig of mint on top and cucumber slices, went a long way towards cooling me off.

Strolled over to Kohl's to kill some time before I went to the movies. Looked for underwear, but I didn't like anything they had. I'll save major shopping for when Lauren visits next week. Ducked around the long line at Customer Service to check out Looney Tunes stuffed animals and kids' books.

It was still pretty early when I went to AMC Cherry Hill 24, which is a bit down the hill from Kohl's and the Silver Diner, next to what used to be T.G.I Friday's. I had no intention of buying food here this time, so I thought I'd try a crane instead...but the crane's money box was so full of tokens, I couldn't get more in! I just found the theater for Supergirl early. 

I was there so early, it was 15 minutes before they even started the commercials. I had almost the whole small theater to myself, too. There was only one other person way in back. Good. That meant I could sit in the row intended for wheelchairs and had plenty of room to spread out. The seats at AMC Cherry Hill are cramped and not that comfortable.

There's some interesting movies coming out during the second half of the year. The Invite is supposed to be a comedy, but the ad made what appears to be the story of a couple who invites another couple who won't leave look more like horror. The End of Oak Street, a horror movie about a family whose street is separated and attacked by what looks like giant dinosaurs, is a bit too dark for my taste. Forgotten Island would be of more interest if it wasn't coming out right when I'm likely going to be on my second vacation in late September. Unless I can talk Lauren into it, I'll probably wait for it to come out on streaming. Despite having played the game as a teen, I have no interest in Street Fighter whatsoever. I could also care less about more Hunger Games. I thought the first three were more than enough. Klara and the Sun looks much sweeter and quieter. That or the stop-motion animated Wildwood might be worth checking out in late October if I have the time the week before Halloween. 

I'm not going to go into heavy details because of spoilers, but I did enjoy Supergirl. Like Super Mario Galaxy Movie earlier in the year, I don't think the critics are giving it a fair shake. It's not what I expected, but it's far from horrible. Milly Alcock is a sassy, sozzled delight as the tough title character, and Jason Momoa makes an even better Lobo than he did Aquaman (even if he doesn't have that much screen time). Also, I give it credit for the brief running time. Most superhero epics tend to push two hours or longer. This one clocks in at a little over an hour and a half. There's no unnecessary padding, and the exposition showing Kara's backstory in Argo City is spread out throughout the film, rather than being lumped in the beginning like the 1978 Superman. 

I think most people were expecting it to be more like the upbeat Superman film from last year and less like a 90's anti-hero comic book movie. This is not a colorful romp. Everything is dusty grays and browns until Kara turns up in her super suit late in the film. For all of Kara's wisecracks, this movie is pretty dark. On the other hand, it has some amazing creature work. I could spend half the movie just checking out all the weird aliens they meet on that interstellar bus. DC really did get creative with the special effects on this one.

In the end, this is highly recommended for older fans of the Woman of Steel or Lobo if they can handle the violence and some heavy themes and aren't expecting this to imitate Superman.

Quickly headed for the pedestrian walkway to the Cherry Hill Mall after the movie ended. I stopped at Old Navy to make change and buy a Diet Coke, then ducked around remodeling on the front entrance to wait for the 4:20 NJ Transit bus to Camden. For once, it was exactly on time. No trouble getting home, not even on Cuthbert. Got off at the right street and walked the rest of the way. At least it had clouded over by then. It had been sunny, humid, and hot for most of the day, though probably neither as hot or as humid as it's supposed to be starting Wednesday.

After I got home, I put on an episode of Justice League Unlimited featuring Supergirl. It's "Fearful Symmetry" when Kara begins having disturbing dreams of destroying a lab, feeling like she was there. The Green Arrow just wants to pound whomever is doing this to the kid, but conspiracy-minded The Question knows there's more going on here than seen on the surface. Kara's shocked to find that the real reason she's having those dreams hits closer to home than she could imagine.

Switched to Match Game '75 during dinner. For some reason, they skipped ahead to the week with Jack Cassidy, Betty White, and Conny Van Dyke. Gene and Richard throw Conny around, while Betty White is disappointed when handsome Ron Valenti finally loses. And speaking of Superman, Jack Cassidy and Charles Nelson Reilly mention Cassidy's role as the villain in the original Broadway cast of It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. (And may I add that the creators of that show missed a marvelous opportunity there? Jack would have made a great Lex Luthor.) 

Finished the night honoring Pride Month at YouTube. Charles Nelson Reilly was told early in his career that a gay man would never work on television. Ironically, he's now best-known for his TV appearances, especially on Match Game. He and his drinking buddy Brett Somers really made the show with their banter and wisecracks. In the episode here, they get to witness the arrival of the new Star Wheel...and join everyone else in walking off when it lands on Richard Dawson, when it was created to give other panelists a chance to play.

What's My Line was never afraid to feature guests of all types. Liberace was still wildly popular when he appeared as the Mystery Guest on this 1962 episode. Buddy Hackett was the one who guessed him easily here. 

Merrill Heater was so enamored with his show Battlestars, he gave it a try twice. The episode we have here is the premiere of the later version from 1983. Jim J. Bullock, then appearing on Too Close for Comfort, is usually subdued on this Hollywood Squares variation that puts all of the panelists in triangles...until Debbie Reynolds practically jumps on him. Alex Trebek was the mildly amused host of both versions.

The 90's-early 2000's Hollywood Squares also had no trouble featuring a wide variety of celebrities. Writer and actor Bruce Villanch was a regular in the late 90's, and one of my favorite regulars on the show. Look for Rosie O'Donnell as well near center square Whoopi Goldberg in the show's premiere episode.

Robert Reed did one of the more interesting episodes of the 1972 syndicated I've Got a Secret. It starts with four young ladies who were caretakers for baby animals at a local safari park. They even brought some with them, and if the baby iguana was not the most adorable, the sweet little leopardess and the tiny baby lioness who roared into the microphone were dolls. Reed helped a courtroom artist show how then-modern technology could make creating artwork of a criminal much faster.

The current version of $100,000 Pyramid also cast a wide net for their contestants. Here, it's a battle of the hosts as Ken Jennings of Jeopardy goes against (and beats the pants off of) Ross Matthews of RuPal's Drag Race, while RuPaul himself battled Carson Kressley of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Carson was the winner there as both groups helped a set of twins win big money. 

Celebrate Pride Month with some of the funniest and most brilliant people around in these hilarious and thought-provoking episodes!

What's My Line (1962)

I've Got a Secret (1972)

Match Game (1978)

The New Battlestars Premiere (1983)

Hollywood Squares Premiere (1998)

$100,000 Pyramid (2023) 

Matching With the Cartoon Stars

Started the morning with breakfast and Yankee Doodle Mickey. This is the original version of Disney's patriotic music collection. A very young Molly Ringwauld leads the children's chorus in "This Is My Country" and "God Bless America." The Disneyland Glee Club has almost as much fun with the rousing "Liberty Tree" from their film version of Johnny Tremain. My favorite number is the Armed Services Medley, with Mickey representing the Air Force and the Marines, Goofy singing for the Army, and Donald, of course, for the Navy.

Ran Moonlight In Vermont as I got ready for work. Finished it when I got home. Stan Getz joins the Johnny Smith Quartet for some lovely, soft jazz standards, like "Stars Fell On Alabama," "Tenderly," "Where or When," and the title song. The piano on "Yesterdays" was especially dreamy and beautiful.

Called Uber to work again. They were talking possible storms later, and it was killer humid. I think I made the right choice. The one going to work got there in 10 minutes. I called him early enough that I arrived in plenty of time. The first one going home didn't take a minute; when he canceled, his replacement took 3 minutes. No trouble either way.

Work was more of a pain. For one thing, the Acme was busy for a lot of the afternoon. They had to pull one of the boys cashiering to help me with the carts. The floor in the back employee area tends to leak when it's really humid. I had to help a security guard clean up the mess during my break when she slipped on it and almost hurt herself. Had to take back a pile of cold items, too. I was very glad when the evening bagger turned up a little early and I could go home on time.

Went straight in the shower when I got home, then made dinner and put on tonight's Match Game marathon. Cartoons were just starting to climb out of the kids' ghetto they'd been in for two decades when the revival began in 1973. In addition to the classic Disney and Warners shorts that turned up in prime-time and on Saturdays, there were scores of new and old characters populating Saturday morning. Bugs Bunny probably got mentioned the most, including a question about what kind of punch Elmer Fudd would serve at Bugs' birthday party. There were jokes about him and Daffy Duck, too. A contestant missed the obvious answer to "__ Gonzalez" in a PM episode Head to Head with Jimmie Walker. 

Other characters turned up in jokes along the line. Felix the Cat in his "Magic Bag of Tricks" mode was mentioned several times, notably on the hilarious 1977 episode where Richard Dawson, Jo Ann Pflug, and Fannie Flagg played Brett Somers, Dick Gautier, and Charles Nelson Reilly respectively. Most of the jokes about Popeye either played on his relationship with Olive Oyl, his love of spinach, or how he really got those famous muscles. Fannie Flagg wore cartoon characters on her famous sequined T-shirts, including a Spider Man shirt. Hanna-Barbara was at the height of its success in syndication and on Saturday mornings. Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and the Flintstones all tuned up frequently in questions or on the Audience Match. 

Match with your favorite cartoon characters of the 70's and 80's in this hilarious marathon! 

Match Game Sunday Classics - Looney Tunes, Popeye, Yogi Bear, and Other Characters

(Oh, and as far as I can tell, it still hasn't rained.) 

Rainy Day Matches

Started the day with breakfast and finishing off The Pirates of Dark Water. The crew of the Wraith finally returns to treasure hunting when Ren's compass gives them the next location...but it keeps moving. They follow it to an island inhabited by Amazons and a rather cute little blue creature. Tula notes that the Amazons aren't at all friendly to her menfolk or the creature and joins them. Niddler, meanwhile, had ended up on a boat filled with minga melons. When the boat is attacked, he flees to the island and isn't too happy to discover the creature also loves his favorite treat. Tula knows there's more to "The Living Treasure" than a big appetite, and she and Nibbler have to rescue it and the guys too.

And that is that. It's a shame this may have been too complicated for an era that preferred endless imitations of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The show was abruptly canceled in spring 1993. The crew of the Wraith would have to wait for comic books to find the remaining treasures and restore Octopon. 

Hanna-Barbara didn't often stretch themselves like this. There's a great cast, with Hector Elizondo, George Newburn, and Brock Peters the stand-outs as roguish Ioz, determined prince Ren, and evil pirate Bloth. Some decent animation for a TV show at the time too, including gorgeous watercolor backgrounds. My major complaint is the second season goes off on some strange tangents. "The Living Treasure" is one of the only times we see them looking for treasure. Even with the truncated second season and lack of an ending, this is still worth watching for fans of fantasy and swashbucklers like me. 

Switched to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the second Go-Getters episode as I got ready for work. "Goofy's Gone," but he's really playing hide-and-seek. Detective Minnie, Captain Clarabelle, and Super Spy Daisy go looking for him. Buzz-Buzz the Bee and Big Pete think they saw a monster, but the Go-Getters know there's a more logical explanation for the huge duck-like footprints and strangely-dressed figure they saw.

It had been showering off and on all day. I called Uber. Thankfully, no trouble getting to work either way. The one going to the Acme arrived in 12 minutes. The one going home took 10 minutes. No traffic anywhere.

Work was surprisingly quiet. The head bagger did the sweeping during the first hour, but after that, she took over for a cashier. I pushed carts and did the sweeping for the rest of my shift. The rain must have scared everyone off. We were a little busy around 4 PM, but after that, it died out again. The worst thing that happened was it showered, sometimes heavily, the entire time I was at work and I kept getting wet. Of course, the rain stopped the moment I finished. Picked up peaches and batteries on the way out. (At least we never got the advertised thunderstorms.) 

Watched a few Hungarian Folk Tales when I got home and changed. "The Prince Who Turned Into Stone" and "Cereruska" feature siblings who end up rescuing each other. "The Prince" must rescue his beloved royal brother from a witch who turned him and his animal companions into stone. "Cereruska" is a variation on "Brother and Sister," with a sister who is turned into a deer instead of a brother. 

Finished the night at YouTube with the Saturday Match Game marathon. British comedienne Dolly Martin may have been past her days as a Playboy centerfold in 1975, but she was still a delight when she debuted on the same week Allen Ludden and Betty White played together. She didn't return to the show until 1979, but she became a semi-regular throughout the entire syndicated run, with and without her husband Dick Martin. 

In fact, she and Dick appeared in some of the most memorable episodes of the late 70's and early 80's. They were there when the excited contestant grabbed Gene's arm and practically dragged him around. Dolly had to answer her Head-to-Head while Gene hid behind the question holder. Nipsey Russell preferred giving her a big squeeze! She saw a contestant teach Gene how to tap dance and another do a noisy hog call that just about blew the roof off the studio. McLean and Gene worked on her Bristol accent (and parodied My Fair Lady) after an English butler with a far more posh way of speaking appeared on the show. 

Dick and Dolly appeared together for the last time in the 1990-1991 version of the show. Dolly saw how a young man who looked a lot like Jimmie Walker dominated his week. She got to join Pam Stone making jokes when Charles and Jo Anne Worley talked about having appeared in The Mikado together and heard Brad Garrett and Fred Travalena's hilarious impersonations. 

Dolly had even more fun in the nighttime episodes. She tried to play matchmaker when it became apparent that Debralee Scott had a crush on a handsome contestant. They got so into their kissing when he thanked her for a Super Match answer that Bill Daily hid them behind his coat. In another episode, Dick joked about her being his "brother" and saw Dick help a young redheaded man with a really big $20,000 Head-to-Head.

This model Brit proves she's no dumb bunny in these hilarious episodes!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Featuring Dolly and Dick Martin

Before the Storms

Began the morning with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel and Margaret Visit the Farm," and Daniel rides Peaches the horse for the first time. He's nervous, but his father holds his hand. Daniel does the same for Margaret when she's too scared to feed the ducks. Daniel's parents take him and Margaret on a 4th of July picnic to watch the "Fireworks and Fireflies." The fireflies make Margaret nervous, so Daniel holds her hand again until she's chasing them...and they both need their parents' hands when the loud fireworks frighten them.

Switched to Super Password briefly while I finished making my grocery list, then headed out. First stop of the day was the Westmont Plaza. My niece Finley will be turning 9 next Friday. I got her a card at Dollar Tree (along with soap) and a gift at Target. I also grabbed more of that tasty, fruity Iced Blue Coconut Matcha Latte from the Target Starbucks. 

Strolled further down the Westmont Plaza to Sprouts next. They were having a buy one, get one half-off sale on their bakery cookies. I loved the oatmeal-cranberry-walnut I got last week, so I went with those and snickerdoodle. The Annie's Homegrown chocolate chip granola bars are still on clearance, and those little bins of dried berries and pineapple are still 99 cents. I got one of the former and two of the latter. Grabbed oat milk and found strawberry fruit spread that was also on clearance. 

Rode down the hill next, past the library and high school and Burger King and McDonald's to the Westmont Acme. The weather isn't supposed to be appropriate for running to the farm market tomorrow, so I got my cherries and blueberries today. Restocked microwavable popcorn, yogurt, Swiss cheese, soda, granola bars (Nature's Valley were buy 2, get them for $1.99 each), low-salt tuna, and granola. Every store I hit up today was busy. It's close to the beginning of the month and a week from the biggest holiday of the summer season. 

Cut across Newton Lake Park going home. Considering it was hot (probably in the mid-upper 80's), thickly humid, and cloudy, the park was busy too when I was there. It's beautiful there now, with the emerald green trees waving in the breeze. I pushed my bike up the path over the hill, enjoying the earthy scents and ducking under a low-hanging branch.

Ran more cartoons when I got home as I put everything away, starting with Shirt Tales. "Kip's Dragon" was fired by a puppet show owner when he couldn't act like a dragon. Kip and the Shirt Tales try to teach Sparky to act like a dragon...but when his former boss captures his new friends and intends to make them the act, Sparky has find the dragon in himself. It's "Double Exposure" when a crooked photographer (who looks amusingly like a taller Gargamel) takes photos that can really capture a subject, including money and jewels. Pammy gets her camera mixed up with his and goes after it. He captures them, but it's Kip who figures out how to really get this guy exposed for good. 

Moved to Paw Patrol during lunch. Cheetah is an equally whiny cousin of Mayor Humdinger's who is still angry that Marshall won a driving trophy instead of her. She steals the PAW Patroller bus, hoping to ram down trees and the Monkey Temple and build her own jungle race track. "Pups Stop the Cheetah" from wrecking more havoc with the help of the new, improved PAW Patroller bus Ryder built.

Watched Meatballs online after I ate. Camp North Star in eastern Canada is shaping up for it's wildest summer on record. Tripper Harrison (Bill Murray), the head counselor who lives to break rules, befriends lonely camper Rudy Gerner (Chris Makepeace) the first day. He also has no trouble chasing the no-nonsense head female counselor Roxanne (Kate Lynch) or encouraging the randy CITs to play pranks on camp owner Morty Melneck (Harvey Atkin). There's also snobbish Camp Mohawk, the camp for wealthy kids across the lake, to contend with. Camp Mohawk has won (or cheated into winning) every Olympiad between the two camps. The kids think they're going to lose again, until Tripper reminds them that it just doesn't matter, and it's only games, after all. Rudy has a chance to redeem himself with the four-mile marathon, if he can get past Camp Mohawk's best runner.

Murray and Makepeace steal the movie wholesale as the wacky head counselor and the camper he ends up mentoring. They had so much chemistry and they worked so well together, more scenes were added of them playing carts to beef up the relationship. Not all of this movie has dated terribly well. Some of the treatment of the ladies, especially Tripper harassing and attacking Roxanne in several scenes, can be uncomfortable to watch nowadays. For the most part, though, this remains a lot of fun to watch if you're a fan of other "slobs vs snobs" comedies of the 70's and 80's.

Oh, and I got my schedule at this point. In good news, pretty much the same hours next week...except for the 4th of July, when I work 11 to 5. Maybe it's just as well. I can just make Oaklyn's parade and will have no trouble seeing the fireworks. I didn't really have a whole lot planned for in between them, and it's supposed to be crazy-hot anyway. 

Walked down to West Clinton Avenue after the movie ended. As I started off, I saw a gaggle of 13-year-old kids on bikes sitting in the middle of the road. One had just dropped his bike and was running in front of two dogs behind fences, trying to make them bark. A neighbor finally came out to tell them they were behaving like obnoxious twits and needed to leave the dog alone and get their bikes out of the street, before they were run over. 

Final Friday wasn't elbow-to-elbow crazy like it would be later in the night, but it was still pretty noisy when I got there. It was mostly families and old couples sitting at Oaklyn Manor Bar and Tonewood Brewery, or on benches and blankets and towels on the street next to the Brewery. There were tons of food trucks, and three different inflatable games for the kids - a ring toss, a basketball throw, and an "ax" toss. I did get to check out Inkwood Books' new Bookmobile and bought a yummy root beer float frozen bar from the Bubba Creamery cart, but there wasn't a whole lot more of interest there. I ultimately just headed home after a half-hour. 

Match Game '75 was just starting when I came up with dinner. This one was all about the week with Avery Schriberer, Gary Burghoff, Trish Stewart, and a radiant Patti Deusch. Patti was pregnant at that point, and it seemed to agree with her. I think she even got more answers right.

Moved to YouTube after a shower for The Swamp Fox. It's "A Case of Treason" when Colonel Tarleton (John Sutton) finally figures out what Mary Videaux and her parents are up to with all those parties. He catches her with Francis after one of those balls and arrests both of them. He escapes and follows her with his men in a hay wagon to Charleston. Not only do they free Mary there and send her to New Orleans, but they get more rebels out of prison, too.

Finished the night with three more Hungarian Folk Tales. "The King Who Did Not Want His Daughter to Marry" loves her so much, he turns her into three different animals so she won't wed the prince she loves. The prince finally figures out how to change her back...but even then, the princess still loves her father and is willing to forgive him. 

The "Dyer's Apprentice" is a variation on the story of a boy who won't tell his dream for anything, not to his master, not to the king, not to the princess he loves. It's not until he helps defeat an army that he finally tells the princess his secret. 

"The Jackdaw Girls" is basically a gender-reversed "The Wild Swans" without the prince and nettles subplot. The young boy must find his sisters, whom his mother accidentally turned into jackdaws when he got tired of their squabbling. He's helped by three ancient old women who call all the animals of the world to find out where his sisters went.