Rain In the Morning

Got a really quick start this morning when I overslept again. I had enough time to write in my journal, change, have breakfast, and call Uber. Alas, they couldn't come for 12 minutes. I arrived one minute late.

As it turned out, I could have been infinitely late. We were quiet all morning. It started raining around 11, getting pretty heavy at one point. The rain and cooler temperatures scared off our customers. It got mildly busy around 11:30-12, then went right back to being quiet again. Other than having to put away a few cold items, there were no problems whatsoever.

Once I changed, I went across the Black Horse Pike to Rexy's Bar. Thought I'd try their flatbread or pizza. Went with "The Italian Job" pizza - mozzarella, tomato sauce, ricotta, peppers, thick sweet sausage slices. I ordered the individual pie. I expected something more like Pizza Hut's individual pan pizza, a little pie that came in a pan. What I got was what would be called a "small" at most pizzerias. It was delicious, especially the sausage, but I ended up taking half of it home.

After lunch, I went back over to the Acme. Got a treat so I could take out money for the Cherry Hill Library book sale tomorrow. Called Uber early. I didn't want to be late this time. They arrived in 8 minutes...too early, as it turned out. I went for a walk around the two blocks nearest to the school until it was time for work. West Collingswood is such a lovely little town, with so many nice older houses and charming gardens, I really should check out more of it.

Good thing I did arrive early. We had 26 kids today, 9 of them at my table. The kids at my table cleaned up well enough and were fine in the bathrooms. Once they all finished snack time, though, they were a mess. The boys playing with magnetic tiles in particular threw so many of them around, there were barely any left on the table by the time we were getting ready to go outside, and everyone who had sat at the table were kept inside for 10 minutes. (Though one girl did sneak out anyway.) The ones coloring weren't much better. They ripped the white paper we taped down for them to stencil on, to the point where I finally threw it away and gave them regular paper.

Things were still crazy, even when we got outside. At least all of the teachers were here this time. I had to meditate between the two squabbling best friends again. Another girl threw an absolute fit when she tried to climb up the slides (which she's not supposed to do anyway) and some of the other kids blocked her. It calmed down a little by 4:30 when more kids started to go home. That's when they were allowed on the swings, too. Everyone wanted me to push them, even the kids who are perfectly capable of swinging on their own.

Thank heavens the weather had much improved by quarter of 5. If there weren't a few fat drops of water left on the slides, you'd never know it rained this morning. The streets weren't even wet anymore. It was sunny, breezy, and much warmer, likely in the lower-mid 60's. It was so nice, the kids never went back inside. The head teacher took the four remaining younger kids to the blacktop in the back to play ball games with the five remaining older kids as I called Uber. It took me two tries, but I did get one that came in 7 minutes, not bad for the height of the dinner rush hour.

Put on Buzzr when I got home. The Price Is Right was already into the Showcases. I think I might have seen this episode before, actually. The first one was a generic "every room in the house" that ended with a piano. The second saluted the then-popular CBS soap Capitol with a trip to Washington DC, a sports car, and an appearance on the show. Two of the hunky leading men even appeared in some segments. Alas, the lady going for the soap went over. The other lady got her piano.

Things went better on Match Game '90. The entire night was devoted to the week with Vicki Lawrence sitting in the second "character actress" seat next to Charles for the first time. She was joined by Jimmie Walker, slightly ditzy soap star Jacklyn Zeman, and stand-up comedian and voice actor Roger Behr. Honestly, Roger was the funniest this week, tossing out a few good quips. No wonder he'd been doing voices on Hanna-Barbara shows since the 70's, and would continue doing them up until his death in 2018. 

Moved to Disney Plus for two animated episodes about respecting plant life, the birth-death cycle, and helping our planet next. In Muppet Babies, Summer Penguin learns why "It's Not Easy Being Greeny" when her beloved daisy Greeny McPlant Plant starts to wilt. The Muppets do everything they can to revive it, but to no avail. Nanny gently explains about the birth-death cycle to them and that it's ok to miss their friend. "Dueling Harmonicas" is a little less dark. Rizzo the Rat stubs his toe and decides to play harmonica in the Muppet Talent Show instead of dance. Fozzie, who is also playing harmonica, tries to get him to do something else.

Usagi and the Guardians also learn a lesson about the importance of plant life and preserving it during the first season of Sailor Moon. Usagi isn't thrilled when Rei manages to snag a date with an unimpressed Mamoru in "Usagi's Panic: Rei's First Date." She grabs nerdy Umino and uses him to keep an eye on the two. Ami is more concerned about the kindly old park manager who is upset that the park may get torn down for an office building. Nephrite of the Dark Kingdom has used his black energy to possess him and the animals in the park, who attack anyone who seemingly abuse nature. It takes the combined effort of all three girls and Tuxedo Mask to get rid of the flowery monster who took over his body.

Finished the night with the first disc from my last birthday/Easter present to myself. The deluxe 4-disc CD edition of Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, and Jones LTD that I ordered from Rhino Records finally turned up today. It's the same as the previous CD box sets, two discs of the original songs on the album with remixes and rarities, another of backing tracks and rarities, a 45 featuring two of those rarities as singles (in this case "Goin' Down" and "Love Is Only Sleeping" in alternate mixes), and a book on how it all went down. Considering there's far fewer rarities here and more remixes of songs already available, I wonder if the well is really going dry here. Actually, the stand-out on the first disc that hadn't already been heard in one form or another is a lovely alternate version of "Riu Chiu," which the Monkees performed on the Christmas episode of their TV show. 

In the Spring Sunshine

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Duck, Babysitter" finds herself taking care of three little ducklings while joining Little Bear, Emily, and the others on a picnic. When one duckling goes missing, Duck's friends help her find him. Grandmother and Grandfather Bear are looking forward to dancing at their 50th anniversary. "Little Bear's Band" provides the music after the record player breaks down. Emily is disappointed that she has to go home for the school year, so the others invite her along for one last adventure at "Hop Frog Pond." They ride down mud slides with otters and go swimming with frogs.

Switched to Aerosmith after the cartoon ended as I went through the drawer in the big side table in the main room I use for small things, like string and various forms of tape. I'm mostly clearing out all of the junk I picked up from those job fairs in 2023 and 2024 that I don't really need. Cleared out a few records I didn't want or were badly scratched. 

As for Aerosmith, Rock In a Hard Place went through a troubled production that saw at least two members of the band depart and Steven Tyler getting into hard drugs. Not to mention, their form of hard rock was considered passe in the early 80's. They still managed to put out some quality songs, including "Lightning Strikes" and a decent version of "Cry Me a River."

Called Uber after the record ended. The two bags of donations were too huge to carry on my bike. The driver, to my shock, arrived in 2 minutes! I got him to take me around the back of the Goodwill building. There was a gentleman going through the donations in the back who helped me get the bags into the boxes. 

I didn't really need anything at Goodwill, but I did need underwear. There was a small problem. I had no idea that sometime between January and late March, Lane Bryant closed. To tell the truth, I didn't often see people in there anyway, but I was hoping they'd hold out. Darn it, and I really needed new underwear. I ended up getting Laura Ashley underwear at Marshalls. I hope they hold up all right. Found a very pretty new offline journal on clearance there too when the Winnie the Pooh-themed one I'm currently using ends.

Walked back to the Acme to get water and call Uber. Of course, this time, it took 12 minutes for them to show up. Of course, I wound up being five minutes late to the Thomas Sharp School.

Definitely not a good thing. The head teacher was reading a book to the younger kids in the library when I arrived. The Tuesday music class had run overtime in the cafeteria. At least the 9 kids who usually are at my table weren't too bad. They were noisy in the bathrooms, and two of the girls took forever, but I did get them lined up afterwards. Which is more than I could say for snack time. There were 22 kids all together today, and they were all noisy and wild. One boy spilled his water bottle. One of the girls spit up her oranges. (I took her to the bathroom later, and she was fine. She ran around with the other kids later on. She must have eaten her snack too fast.) The kids were all screaming, yelling, and tattling.

It didn't help that we're still short-handed. Two teachers called out. One couldn't come until 3:30. One teacher is still out with broken ribs. The head teacher had to go back and forth between the older and the younger kids. At least more than half the kids were picked up in the cafeteria. We didn't take a huge group outside.

The kids were much happier once we got them out. They chased each other and yelled to the Mr. Softee truck down the street, trying to get him to come close to the school. (He didn't.) By 4:30, we were down to about 8 kids, enough that they could go on the swings. They love it when I push them! Hauling all those carts around is good for something. The others happily danced to "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, songs from Moana 2, and "The Big Pink Tiger Hunt." 

At 5, we moved the remaining 4 kids to the blacktop to play ball games with the 7 remaining older children. I gently tossed a yellow Nerf football with one of the youngest girls until it was time for me to go. (In fact, she left as I did. I think there might have been one younger kid left when Uber finally picked me up 12 minutes later.)

At least it was a gorgeous day for all of this! It was really too nice to have them inside. It was sunny and in the lower 50's-upper 60's, still a little on the breezy side but nothing like yesterday. Couldn't have been a nicer day in mid-April, especially after the crazy heat last week.

Jessa picked me up at 6 to eat out. The Westmont finally opened for dinner shortly after Easter, so we ate there. I'm glad Jessa suggested staying close to home this time. She had a tuna melt that was huge, drowning in Swiss cheese. I had a Greek chicken wrap. We both had slender, crispy fries and pepper pot cheese steak egg rolls - enormous fried wraps with spicy cheesesteak filling. My slice of chocolate cake was bigger than some of the younger kids in the after-school program, while her slab of pecan shortbread bar could pass for a life raft if the building sank. Needless to say, we took most of both home. She took home part of the tuna melt and the last cheese steak egg roll, too. 

Finished the night at home with The Love Boat. "Zeke and Zelda" (Milton Berle and Martha Raye) are old vaudevillians who sneak aboard the Pacific Princess rather than face eviction. They pass themselves off as a fussy millionaire (Herb Edleman) and his whiny wife (Elinor Donahue), but Zelda has second thoughts about the deception. Sex Ed teacher Emily Parker (Susan Richardson) says "Teach Me Tonight" when the author of the trashy novel she's reading Michael Scott (Daryl Anderson) asks her to edit his next romantic epic. "He's My Brother" says Doc when he finally manages to connect with his resentful brother (Jack Bannon) and his lovely wife (Elaine Joyce)...but his brother has alternate reasons for wanting to finally talk to him after resenting his going to college. 

Sunny Day Sweeping the Clouds Away

Began the morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. This Hanna-Barbara series debuted around the same time as Pac Man on NBC initially in 1982. I fondly remember watching it and Pac Man on the USA Network Cartoon Express animation block later in the 80's. Five small animals in shirts that change color and light up with phrases escape their caretaker Mr. Dinkel in the park and solve mysteries or rescue each other. Their first mystery is "The Case of the Golden Armor." They have to figure out how a suit of armor walked out of a museum and who has been smuggling gold. They have to rescue one of their own when two ambitious circus owners steal Pammy Panda and force her to star in "Crumbling's Circus Caper."

Took my laundry downstairs, then listened to music while doing paperwork for the Acme's health insurance and online work. The Beach Boys' Party! is unique in their history, and frankly in rock history. The songs, though recorded as a normal album, are presented as a real party, with goofing off and chatting in the background. All of the songs were written by other groups, including four originally recorded by the Beatles. Their vibrant "Barbara Ann" was the big hit here. They also mess around with "Hully Gully," "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow," "I Should Have Known Better," "Alley Oop," and even a bit of their own "I Get Around" and "Little Deuce Coupe."

The 1984 Olympics album, the second half of which I listened to while bringing my laundry upstairs and putting it away, was a little disappointing. The vocal selections are good, not great. "Street Thunder" by Foreigner and "A Chance for Heaven" by Christopher Cross are the best of a so-so lot. The instrumental numbers are generally better. John Williams' "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" sound more like they come from Indiana Jones than the Olympic opening ceremony. "Bugler's Dream" and Bill Conti's "Power" are a little less bombastic. In general, this is more for really rabid fans of these Olympics collections like me or huge fans of the musicians involved.

By the time I was finished, it was past quarter of 2. I didn't have the time to buy lunch out like I had hoped, so I stopped at Speedy Mart for a banana, a cinnamon muffin, and a treat. I ate the muffin on my way to the school...and even with eating on my bike and rushing, I was still five minutes late. (I ate the banana with the kids at snack time.)

Not a good thing. For one thing, there were 26 kids today, 9 at my table. For another, we're once again short-handed. Two teachers called out. The younger woman and a slightly grumpy man a little bit younger than me ended up with the younger kids while the head teacher dealt with the older ones. The kids were just wound up - in the halls outside of the bathroom, in the cafeteria. I kept having to argue with one young lady who was running around all day and not listening, though she did give me a big hug later and held onto me me as we went inside. 

Things went a little better when we got the kids outside and let them run around. Though it was gale-force windy and much chillier, in the mid-50's, it was also frankly a lot easier to deal with than the 80-90 degree temperatures we had last week. One of the littlest boys ran to me upset because the new boy wanted to play monster trucks with another boy and not him. Fortunately, he cheered up with the head teacher found the chalk and brought it to the playground. (In fact, that little boy ended up covered in a lot of chalk dust!) They all chased each other in tune to "I Like To Move It," the themes from Spongebob Squarepants, Bluey, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sesame Street, Paw Patrol, and Hannah Montana, "Try Everything" from Zootopia, and songs from Moana 2, KPop Demon Hunters, and Trolls. 

We took them inside around 4:40, but they weren't inside for more than 20 minutes before most of them decided they'd rather go out on the blacktop and play ball games. I joined them, since I was leaving soon anyway. Went inside to use the bathroom, then headed back down the White Horse Pike. Stopped quickly at Crown Chicken and Gyro to get a tilapia sandwich and fries for dinner.

Ate dinner while watching Match Game '90. Most of tonight's episodes were devoted to the week with Charles, Vicki Lawrence, Dana Fleming, and Brad Garrett showing off his uncanny imitation of Herman Munster. Bill Kirkenbauer and Sally Struthers returned for the last episode, joined by Meredith MacRae (then a morning show hostess) and Rebecca Arthur (Mary Anne on Perfect Strangers) and her cute little white poodle Emmy. 

Finished the night at YouTube reliving more of my childhood with game shows I loved as a kid. Contraption was The Disney Channel's first - and for many years, only - game show. Two teams of kindergarten-age kids answer Disney trivia based on scenes from movies seen at different "stations" - Books, Animals, Heroes and Villains, and in the bonus round, Magic. The more questions the kids answers correctly, the more "Contrap-tiles" they win for their group. In between rounds, they each do a short race on a "contraption" vehicle, a hand-powered "magic carpet," a hamster wheel of "fire," or a "boat" bike, to win even more tiles. Team with most tiles at the end wins the big prize package. This is a lot more fun than it sounds, especially if you're a Disney fan like me and my sisters. Considering this ran for 5 years, I'm surprised Disney has never tried reviving it with updated movie scenes or doing anything like it again.

Double Dare went even further with the "contraptions" starting in 1986. We loved watching the kids toss gunk around in those "physical challenges" and try to get through the grueling bonus round obstacle course! I actually preferred the imitation Fun House from 1989. Basically the same idea without the "dares" on questions and the obstacle course replaced with a run through the slightly less-messy Fun House. I still prefer the Fun House run to the Double Dare obstacle course. With the Fun House run, all but the slowest kids come out with a lot of money or a really big prize, as they do here.

Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego, which ran on PBS in the early-mid 90's, proved that kids' game shows could be entertaining and educational. At a time when world geography and history was changing daily, three kids attempted to help "The Chief" (Broadway actress Lynn Thigpen), host Greg Lee, and the members of rock group Rockapella track down one of Sandiego's bizarre hench-people and the even stranger objects they stole. In the episode here, Wonder Rat has made off with the Walk of Fame, stars in Hollywood with the names of people who have distinguished themselves in TV, radio, or movies. 

Of course, I watched the occasional adult-oriented game show as a kid, too. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of seeing The $25,000 Pyramid on CBS. I thought all those grown ups trying to describe different subjects were absolutely hilarious. It helped that I recognized many of them, too, like Jo Ann Worley (who did cartoon voices in the 80's and 90's) and Michael J. Fox at the height of his original success with Family Ties. 

Like every kid from the 70's onwards, I looked forward to seeing The Price Is Right when I was at home sick or on a rainy summer's day when the weather was too messy for the beach. This episode from 1990 is pretty emblematic of what I remember about Price Is Right in my childhood as a whole - Bob Barker has white hair, Rod Roddy is announcing in a flashy suit, and there's at least one funny Showcase (in this case, different kinds of "rocks," from a jukebox playing rock music to a car to get you over rocks). 

It was even more fun when Family Feud debuted and ran back-to-back with Price. Despite Mom saying I used to watch the Richard Dawson version with her in the early 80's, I don't remember much about it. I did love seeing Ray Combs field crazy answers from all those families as an older kid, though! 

One of the few things my family did together as a family was watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! on ABC after dinner and World News Tonight. Went with a Wheel of Fortune episode from 1987 that was, once again, pretty typical of what I remember the show being like during my childhood. They even use their winnings to go shopping for prizes between rounds, though there is an artwork prize on the Wheel at one point, too.

If you were a kid in the 80's and early 90's too, I hope you equally enjoy this fond trip down memory lane with some of my favorite childhood game shows!

Contraption (1983)

The New $25,000 Pyramid (1984)

Double Dare (1986)

Wheel of Fortune (1987)

Family Feud (1988)

Fun House (1989)

The Price Is Right (1990)

Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego (1992)

Not So Dumb Matches

Got a really quick start today with breakfast and the Bruce Springsteen Greatest Hits CD. I'm going to keep this, but I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I mainly bought it to get the movie songs. "Streets of Philadelphia" from Philadelphia and "Secret Garden" from Jerry Maguire are two of Springsteen's best tracks from the 90's. There's also four songs created directly for the album; "This Hard Land" and "Murder Incorporated" are the best of the newer material. I'm a little disappointed that there's nothing from The Wild, the Innocent, and the E-Street Shuffle or Greetings from Asbury Park. The hit title song from Tunnel of Love is also surprisingly missing. On the other hand, we have favorites like "Born to Run" and "Glory Days," and songs that you might not think of, like "Atlantic City" and "Brilliant Disguise." 

Hurried out the door even before the CD ended. I'd already planned on taking Uber today once I found out what the weather was supposed to be like. I definitely made the right choice. It was cloudy, cold, and windy today, in the lower 50's. I called too late. The ride going to work took 13 minutes to arrive. I ended up being late. The one going home took 12.

The Acme was quiet when I arrived at 9 AM. It didn't pick up until past 11:30, when I was an hour and a half from leaving. They did send out one of the college-age cashiers to help me later in the day when it got busier. Otherwise, I just swept, gathered carts, and avoided the weather when it started. It might also have picked up because it finally started raining around the same time. It would rain off and on for most of the afternoon.

Soon as I got home, I changed, finished Greatest Hits, and had lunch. After I ate, I went down for a much-needed nap. I've had a really long couple of weeks, and I've been up too late a lot this week. I'm dead tired. I went to bed at 3 PM and slept until past 5:30. The rain was long gone by that point. In fact, there was a gorgeous sunset later, and some people online reported seeing a rainbow. 

Took a shower after I got up, had dinner, and finished the night with today's Match Game marathon. Dumb Dora is one of the most famous of the "characters" who turned up in questions. She and her male equivalent Dumb Donald were created to show off what you'd bring instead of the usual thing, or things that a normal person wouldn't attempt. The first Dumb Dora question turned up late in 1973 and were heard pretty much through the entire run of Match Game. There was at least one Dumb Dora question on the Too Close for Comfort week of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, and a few on Match Game '90, notably on the famous Veteran's Day week with Marines playing. 

There was a Dumb Dora question on the first week featuring host Peter Marshall from Hollywood Squares during the syndicated run, and one on the week with Darryl Hickman from Lou Grant and his long putty nose. Shecky Greene got to answer one during his one week in 1976, and comedian Tom Gerson in 1978. There was one on the episode with the cute British contestant with the perky pigtails in 1974 and when Scoey Mitchelll took off for the bathroom later in '76. 

You're no dummy if you check out this hilarious marathon featuring one of the show's most enduring characters!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Dumb Dora Marathon

Let the Good Times Roll

Began the morning with breakfast and the last episode of Pac-Man I'll be doing for now. (The series finale is a Thanksgiving episode I watched last November.) It's "Super-Pac Vs. Pac-Ape" when an organ grinder's monkey eats Super Power Pellets and grows huge. Super-Pac tries to help, but it's Pac Man who has to rescue Pepper when Pac-Ape grabs her and starts destroying Pac Land. Pac Man hopes their new computer will change their lives, but "Computer Packy" bites off more power pellets than he can chew when PJ messes around with it and it sucks in Pac Baby, then the two of them.

Honestly, the first cartoon based after a video game...isn't bad. It's very much of its time, especially in the slightly goofier second season. I definitely like the first season better, where the focus is on Pac Man and his family and the ghosts and he's more of a hero. Neither PJ nor Super Pac add a whole lot in the second season. Super Pac's antics and incompetence are good for a few mild chuckles, but PJ is just obnoxious, a Pac-Fonzie without the charm. Worth checking out if you're a fan of 80's kid action cartoons, Pac Man, or want to see what Pac Man would look like on the small screen.

Did a few things online, then headed out. Collingswood was having its first major outdoor fair of the year. The Green Festival was on the street and parking lot behind the old brick school building on Haddon Avenue. It was booths filled with plants, flowers, local Collingswood information, and information on lawn care, ecology, composting, and indigenous flora. I didn't buy anything, but I did run into one of the little boys from Healthy Kids who sits at my table and his mommy. I waved and told them I was out walking around.

The real reason I was in Collingswood was to hit Innergroove Records for Record Store Day. The small, narrow store was jammed with records, CDs...and record collectors looking for great deals. I managed to dodge the collectors long enough to pick up: 

Theme from Growing Pains - Steve Dorff and Friends (Collection of songs from 80's TV shows - including the title sitcom. I almost bought this on my birthday, then decided to wait for Record Store Day. At $12.99, this was the only Innergroove album that cost more than $2.)

The Official Music of the 23rd Olympiad Los Angeles 1984 (Yes, the 1984 Olympic music collection. I thought it was especially appropriate with the Olympics going back to LA in 2028.)

Gold Rush '79 Volume 2 (K-Tel collection)

The Best-Loved Music of Christmas (I mainly bought this for the nifty pop-up cover.)

Diana Ross - Diana

The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys' Party!

The Cars - The Cars' Greatest Hits

Went down the block and across the street to Haddon Culinary after I got out. I was there for a drink. Picked up a Diet Dr. Pepper, a treat, and a container of their amazing house-made potato chips. 

Had a quick lunch when I got home while watching two episodes of Bluey on Disney Plus. Bluey and Bingo are excited to spend "The Weekend" with their dad Bandit. Bandit gets so into a game he and the girls playing where Bingo is a statue that keeps moving around, he doesn't hear when Bingo points out a bug that resembles a walking leaf. Chili insists that her daughters do "Housework" and clean up their blanket fort, but their way of walking while they put things away is so funny, their parents end up watching them instead.

Hurried off to work after I finished eating and changed. I was slightly late, which was the worst thing that happened all day. They were really busy when I got in. I needed help around 4 PM to gather carts. The later it got, the quieter it got. By the time I left, the store was much quieter. At least it was a gorgeous day for pushing carts, sunny, breezy, and much cooler, a perfect lower 70's. 

Picked up a gift card for my nephew Khai for his birthday tomorrow after I finished. I can't believe he'll be turning 16! I brought his card with me and dropped it off at his mom's house on my way home. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, and I wasn't planning on riding the bike. 

Since it was still open and two blocks away, I stopped at The Score Records on my way home. They're smaller than Innergroove, and I didn't make as many great finds, but I did pick up a few good titles:

Peggy Lee - Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Songs of Cy Coleman

Lena Horne - Nature's Baby

Aerosmith - Rock In a Hard Place (This was the most expensive here at $13.) 

Bruce Springsteen - Greatest Hits (The lone CD I picked up today.)

Changed and had dinner when I got home, then spent the rest of the night watching the Saturday Match Game marathon. With The Lone Ranger in re-runs on TV and radio, questions joking about his relationship with Tonto and what he and Tonto did out there on the plains were heard throughout the entire run of the 1973-1982 series. They weren't always the most politically correct, and several episodes with Native jokes are no longer seen on regular TV. In one episode, Charles tied his tie around his head in his idea of a Native headdress as his answer to a question. (This was also the episode where Gene got mad at the cameraman and attacked him.) Another featured Bertha, the sweet older woman contestant whom the panelists were so kind to. They fanned her, got her a seat, and Johnny Olsen brought her water. There was also the early episode with the charming British contestant who needed the money because he and his wife had gotten into a car accident the day before. His wife was in the audience with a bandage around her head.

Of course, there were occasional questions about the other Indians, the ones from India. They weren't any more politically correct than the Native American jokes. In one episode, Gene and Betty White ended up on the floor to demonstrate how an Indian fakir blows on a horn to charm a snake. There were also more jokes about "Gunga Dingy" than you can shake a snake charmer's basket at.

At any rate, take a trip out west and to the mystical east with these wild wild episodes!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Lone Ranger, Tonto, and Indians

Sunshine Boogie

Began the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. I've heard "Pup Pup Boogie" so often at the Thomas Sharp School, I had to check out the episode where the song originated. It's actually a dance video game that the pups (and Mayor Goodway) love. The much-anticipated second version is coming by train, but a car went off the tracks. Rubble gets hurt trying to fix them, and a nervous Chase tries to figure out how to run his construction vehicle. Ryder sends "Pups In a Fog" to fix the lighthouse when he sees the light go out just as heavy fog is about to roll in. Cap'n Turnbot is lost in the fog, and they have to divert a cruise ship from running around on Seal Island, too.

Worked on the computer for a while before doing this week's grocery shopping. Started at Starbucks for a much-needed treat. Tried an iced Mango Cream Chai Latte. Oooh, very sweet, but nice and cool, with lots of mango flavor and a hint of spice. (Maybe a little more spice would have been nice!) Headed down to Sprouts next. I didn't really need a ton there anyway. Coconut milk is cheaper there. Grabbed golden raisins from the bulk bins. Found white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies with clearance stickers on the bakery racks. Grabbed three sodas that were on clearance for 99 cents each. Blackberries were buy one, get one free. 

Quickly rode past the Haddon Township Library, McDonald's and Burger King, and the high school to the Westmont Acme next. Apples were on sale, as was Choboni yogurt. Bare Naked Granola was buy two, get them for $3.50 each again. Restocked soda, whole wheat tortillas, and Swiss cheese slices. Found birthday cupcakes on the bakery clearance rack. I didn't have a cake on my birthday, so I got those. 

Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. It's definitely spring now. The trees are glowing with soft yellow-green leaves, while sunny yellow wbuttercups line the banks of the lake. I didn't see too many other people around, but did hear some kayaking or canoeing on the river.

Put everything away when I got home and had a very quick lunch while watching Pac Man. Mezmeron has the Ghosts pass his synthetic power pellets off as chocolate-covered ones and give them to Pac Man. The turn him into "Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Pac-Man." He keeps turning into a werewolf, until he ends up at Mezmeron's home and finds a way to turn the tables. Pac-Man goes "Around the World In 80 Chomps" when he follows Mezmeron and the Ghosts around the world on a hot-air balloon to stop him from finding a power pellet tree in another country.

The cartoon hadn't even finished when I hurried to the Thomas Sharp School on my bike. I was slightly late. At least we weren't quite as busy as we have been this week. We had 23 kids, 7 at my table. The two boys at my table were fine, but the girls were a bit giggly in the hallways. It got really wild in the cafeteria. Two kids bumped their head and a girl bumped her elbow with all the running around. 

There were far fewer kids when we finally made it outside. They even got to swing during the second half of our outdoor session, and I had a blast pushing them. No one else got hurt, either. It was too nice to be upset for long anyhow. The weather was gorgeous, sunny, breezy, and warm but not to the degree of the last few days. They chased each other, went down the slides, and danced to "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "The Floor is Quicksand," "The Big Pink Tiger Hunt," "You've Got a Friend In Me" from Toy Story, the theme from PJ Masks, and songs from Moana 2, Trolls, and KPop Demon Hunters. 

We took the remaining six kids inside around 5 PM, but it was too nice for anyone to be inside for very long. We were down to 4 little kids and 3 older ones when we took them back out on the blacktop to play ball games. I went straight home the moment I finished. I was tired, I'd had a very long week, and I didn't like the look of the dark clouds building on the horizon. (Thankfully, they haven't amounted to anything yet but cooling things off a bit.)

Came home just in time for a hilarious Ghostbusters-themed Showcase on The Price Is Right. The models were the "Prizebusters," turning prospector ghost Johnny Olsen's dilapidated vehicles into prizes. I was impressed with the ladies who did the bidding. They both came incredibly close, but one who bid on the Ghostbusters package got slightly closer and won her car.

Got my Acme schedule for next week at this point. In good news, same days off, with only Wednesday as a double-shift day. The weekends are both early this time, and I'll have a 7-hour day next Saturday. More people must be using up vacation days before they start over. 

They skipped the Veteran's Day week on Match Game '90 (once again likely saving it for the holidays) and went straight into General Hospital week. Most people my age probably remember Stuart Damon best as Prince Charming in the Leslie Ann Warren version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. He certainly was charming (and not a bad player) as he was joined by Bill Kirkenbauer, Charles Nelson Reilly, sarcastic Pam Stone, and his then-onscreen wife Lynn Herring. 

Finished the night with Murder She Wrote. It's a "Broadway Malady" when Jessica joins her nephew to see the stage comeback of a popular musical movie star (Vivian Blaine), being joined for the first time by her talented daughter (Lorna Luft). Her daughter is shot during a botched mugging incident. She'll survive, but she won't be in the show for weeks. Jessica spends time trying to prove to the police that this was more than a bad mugging, and the girl was the target...and her case because clearer when the mother almost dies in a gas poisoning. This turns Jessica's eye towards her resentful son (Patrick O'Neal) and the demanding director (Robert Morse) in charge of the show. 

Too Hot for April

Began the morning with breakfast and The Pirates of Dark Water. Ren is tricked into thinking unleashing "The Beat and the Bell" will get rid of the Dark Water. What it does is release the Beast, a massive monster, from the bell. Ren had to set things right and remind everyone that he is a real prince, and he does keep his promises.

Switched to Tin Pan Alley after breakfast. I go further into this "through the years" musical chronicle with Betty Grable, Alice Faye, and John Payne at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Tin Pan Alley

Listened to Stars while working on yesterday's blog entry. This K-Tel entry is one of their better records from the late 70's, with smashes like "The Things We Do for Love" by 10 CC, "Rich Girl," by Hall and Oates, and the dynamic "Devil Woman" by British superstar Cliff Richard. Other favorites here that still frequently turn up on oldies stations and playlists include "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart, "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor, "A Little Bit More" by Dr. Hook, "I'm Your Boogie Man" by K.C and the Sunshine Band, "Slow Dancin' Don't Turn Me On" by the Addrisi Brothers, "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" by Tavares, and "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston. "Theme from Roots" by Quincy Jones is the darker instrumental title number from the epic TV miniseries that was huge in 1977.

Got bored after Stars ended and left a little bit early for the Thomas Sharp School. Stopped at the Crust N' Cravings pizzeria on Collings Avenue on my way. It was too hot to do anything like cooking. I quickly enjoyed a slice of sausage, a slice of tomato-broccoli, and a bottle of Coke Cherry Float Zero while ABC News droned in the background. I wasn't quick enough. I ended up being five minutes late.

That wasn't the worst problem we had this afternoon. Thankfully, the 8 kids at my table generally behaved themselves. They weren't even too bad when I had to line them up in a different place in the bathroom hall to keep them from bothering the custodians while they worked in the boiler room. It was after snack time when things got ridiculous. The kids ran around, screamed, threw pencils, kept tattling on each other, and were frankly an absolute mess.

They weren't much better once we got them outside. One little boy got his knee stuck between the bars of the slide equipment. We had to use Dawn dishwashing liquid to get it out. Thankfully, he was more scared than hurt. When his mother arrived, he was cheerfully pestering one of the older boys to see his Pokemon cards. I had a harder time keeping kids off the swings and talking to two girls who had a fight and had been pinching and yelling at each other. I assured them that yes, best friends do fight, but they also make up, and they would be better once they talked things out.

It was still way too hot to have them outside for long. It remains sunny and breezy but dry, in the lower 90's. We took them inside around 4:30, where they danced to "Zoo" from Zootopia 2 and songs from Moana, Moana 2, and Trolls. I had to talk to another best-friend pair when one young lady was upset when her best friend wouldn't let her be the crab while they danced to "Shiny" from Moana. (Her friend hadn't been behaving all day, including inside before we went out and trying to swing outside when she wasn't supposed to.) 

Once again, we ended the afternoon by taking most of the remaining kids outside to the blacktop to play ball games. I left from there, with five younger kids and four older kids remaining. Stopped at CVS on the way home to use the bathroom and get a drink, Crest gum toothpaste on a good sale, and more of those electric toothbrush heads that I can't seem to find anywhere else. 

Watched Match Game '90 when I got home. The next week was devoted to stars from the then-popular ABC series Loving. Gorgeous Perry Stephans and very funny Lauren-Marie Taylor were a lot more fun than most soap stars and made me understand why my stepfather loved the ABC soaps so much in the late 80's and early 90's. Fred Travelena tossed in a few dozen of his multitude of voices, while Betty White joked with Charles Nelson Reilly.

Finished the night in the California sunshine with one classic Beach Boys album and one that would take almost 50 years to get anything like a release. Smile was meant to be Brian Wilson's magnum opus, but its creation was so fraught with tension and Wilson's paranoia and perfectionism, it was never completed. They would salvage the smash "Good Vibrations" and my favorite Beach Boys song "Heroes and Villains" for other albums. Most of the other songs are more strange than they are songs. I think this is a bootleg release; I'm going to keep it, but I think I'll look around for The Smile Sessions 2-disc vinyl set later this summer for more of the full story.

Part of the reason Wilson wanted so badly to have that "magnum opus" was as a response to the relative success of their Pet Sounds. This is still considered to be by far their best album that actually made it out to the market in its original form. Wilson experimented with everything from orchestral music to exotica in music with darker themes than the norm for their songs. Though the hit was the bouncy "Wouldn't It Be Nice," my favorite songs are the thoughtful ballad "God Only Knows" and the traditional ode to the "Sloop John B." 

Hot In Springtime

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. Father Bear wants to take "A Family Portrait," with Little Bear in a suit like his. It becomes a lot harder when Little Bear messes around with the photos and his friends want to join in. "Little Bear's Friend" is a little lost girl named Emily, who can't find her parents' campsite. Little Bear helps her and her doll Lucy get back to her parents. "Emily's Visit" brings her and Lucy over to play. They pretend to be Father Bear and Mother Bear, and Owl "marries" them.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. I had always intended to use Uber today. This is my double-shift day. It's just easier to take cars than bikes. To my pleasant surprise, the driver going to work arrived in 4 minutes. The one going to Thomas Sharp came in 8 minutes. I got there just in time. The one going home rather surprisingly came in 5 minutes. No trouble anywhere on the road.

The Acme was more of a problem. They just changed how you sign in the sweeping that you're supposed to do every hour, on the hour, no exception. I totally forgot to type it in when I arrived and got scolded, then had to figure out that you only type once now, not three. The rest of the day went fine. It got a little busier around noon, but other than that, I had no trouble with the carts or the sweeping.

After work ended and I changed into regular clothes, I walked up to Market Street in Audubon. Even though it was sunny and hot as heck, in the upper 80's, I wanted something different for lunch. I ate at the Brown Dog Cafe, a coffee shop on Market. They were quiet for 1:30, with one person doing laptop work outside. I had a chicken salad sandwich on a huge, crusty croissant with thick wavy potato chips, a chocolate-banana-peanut butter-almond milk smoothie, and a slice of crumb cake. The chicken salad was delicious, with huge chicken pieces and sweet-tart grapes. The crumb cake wasn't bad, but it was a little more dry than the one at Common Grounds in Oaklyn. I sat on a leather chair at the counter surrounding the windows and watched cars go by.

After lunch, I finally took a brief look at Peak Secondhand two doors down. Their walls are painted in bright neon colors, and the shopkeeper was sweet and friendly, but their wares are mainly clothes, shoes, jewelry, and books. I don't need clothes right now, and I have an enormous pile of books from the last year I'm still trying to put a dent in. I thanks the kind shopkeeper, but moved on with nothing.

Went across the street to Desserts by Design to buy a treat and talk to the baker there. I told her how frustrated I was about not being able to get a loan. She said I would, eventually. It would just take time. Next year would be my year. I just wish it was sooner. 

It was busy when I arrived (on time) at Thomas Sharp School. We had 24 kids today, 10 at my table. They did clean up well when we went to the bathroom first, but they were pretty noisy in the hall. They were even worse in the cafeteria, arguing, tearing paper taped to a table for coloring and stenciling, and running all over. It did get better once we got them outside. We weren't in the playground for long. It was hot and sunny, really too hot for games and dancing. Most of the kids either crowded under the trees around the chain-link fence, looking for ants and new leaves on the ground, or under the roof of the slide equipment. We did have to argue them into their shoes again. (I'm just glad it was too hot for anyone to even consider a jacket!)

It was also too hot for them to stay outside. We took them back inside to the library around 4:30. The ten remaining kids colored on regular paper this time, looked at books, and danced to "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "Pink Pony Club," "The Big Pink Tiger," "The Checkout Song," "The Gummi Bear Song," "Candy Cane Crush," the themes from Hannah Montana and PJ Masks, and songs from Moana 2 and KPop Demon Hunters. After we were down to six kids, we moved them to the cafeteria to play with the remaining nine older kids. 

By the time it clouded over and cooled off enough to take them all out to the blacktop, there were four younger kids and three older kids left. I left just after the last older kid did. There were still four younger kids left as I called Uber.

Watched The Price Is Right after I got in. Came right in time for the last game of the episode, "Cliffhangers." The lady did really well. I think the little man on the incline went ten steps. Usually, people way over-guess on that game. The first Showcase was a generic Department Store that ended with a lovely organ. It reminded me of the organ Uncle Ken had in the 80's and 90's, where the bar ended up from the 2000's onward. The second was summer-themed, ending with a trip to Palm Springs, a small desert car, and a speedboat. Alas, the lady with the speedboat went way over. The other lady got her organ, and likely her own fond family memories. 

Had dinner while watching Match Game '90. Most of today's episodes revolved around the hilarious Halloween week with Vicki Lawrence, Ronn Lucas and Scorch, Brett Somers, and One Life to Live cast members Wally Willey and Jill Larson. Jill wasn't much of a player, but Wally wasn't bad, and was a looker besides. No wonder Brett complained when he didn't sit next to her early in the week. Alas, they didn't show the Halloween episode (they must be saving that for October), but the rest of the week is just as cute, especially once Wally did move next to Brett.

Finished the night after a shower with four of the best episodes of the underrated Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour from 1983-1984. I never even heard of this until Buzzr started showing it; it's been a staple on their channel since 2019. The few things I did hear about it before that were never nice. The panels weren't great, Jon Bauman wasn't suited to be a host, the Hollywood Squares segments were mucked up and not played the same way as the usual show. 

While there are no regulars, the celebrities are still the best thing about this. For one thing, this attracted a lot of comedians who otherwise never appeared on either show, like Arsenio Hall, Michael Winslow of Spaceballs and Police Academy, Jay Leno, Ted Knight, and a young Howie Mandell. A young Brian Stokes Mitchell was hilarious in his two weeks, especially the week he kept wearing increasingly huge boutonnieres on his jacket. Adorable older character actress Nedra Voltz probably got more out of the show than anyone else and became a fan favorite, as did erudite stage and sitcom actor Leonard Frey. 

Along with the now-rare premiere episode, I chose three of my favorite episodes of the entire series. There was the week in December 1983 where McLean Stevenson spent the entire hour complaining about getting ink on his pants. The replacements they give him are way too big, causing him to show the camera way more than anyone needed to see when he goes to hug the contestant after the Super Match! 

The episode with Mitchell and his flower shop also featured one of the funniest technical glitches in game show history. The huge tic-tac-toe board stopped working half-way through Hollywood Squares. Everyone who had been called on had to hold their hands in an X or O position. As you can imagine, no one was happy. Gene Rayburn made "I'm a Little Teapot" jokes, and Jay Leno spent ten minutes whining about calling his lawyer.

A few weeks after the board malfunction incident, Nipsey Russell and his poems made their last appearance on a Match Game episode. He was joined by Tom Poston for the first of two weeks, the hilariously sarcastic Fern Fitzgerald, Alan Thicke when he was doing his own talk show, Thicke's then-wife singer and soap star Gloria Loring, comedian Marty Cohen, and elegant soap star Constant McCashlin. One of the last weeks dove into game show history, featuring Arlene Francis in one of her last appearances and Chuck Woolery to promote the then-upcoming Scrabble, plus McLean joined Jamie Farr for a MASH reunion. 

(Oh, and incidentally, if the theme music sounds familiar to Price Is Right fans, Goodson Productions, and later Freemantle, would use the music as underscoring for the showing of car prizes on Price for years.) 

You won't be square if you match the weirdos of the 80's in this hilarious and underrated delight!

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour Premiere (1983)

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983)

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1984)

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1984)

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1984)

Birthday Lady's Blues

Began my birthday with breakfast and The Yogi Bear Show. Kellogg's wants "Yogi's Birthday Party" to be a huge TV special with all his friends. Ranger Smith tells Yogi it's going to be one of the variety specials that were popular in the 60's and 70's. Yogi takes lessons (from thinly veiled spoofs of then-popular entertainers), but takes off when he discovers he's not more talented than the average bear. It takes a picnic basket to lure him back and reveal it's a show with all the Hanna-Barbara funny animals who had been created up to the early 60's.

Switched to Paw Patrol while making the bed (and removing several blankets it's now too hot for). "The Pups' Great Race" will be all around Adventure Bay. They're sure one of them will win...but when they're called to rescue Mayor Goodway after her hot air balloon flies away, it's Alex on his trike who proves slow and steady does win the race. "The Pups Take the Cake" when they help Mr. Porter replace the cake he burned and make the perfect edible recreation of their Lookout Tower that will beat Mayor Humdinger's entry in the Tall Cake Contest.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. Originally, my first stop was Peak Secondhand, a new thrift shop in Audubon, but I forgot they don't open until noon on Tuesdays. I was there a little after 11. I didn't want to hang around, so I dodged traffic going across Audubon and down Nicholson and Cuthbert to Westmont. At least it was a nice day for a ride. It was sunny, breezy, and humid even at 11:30, already in the upper 70's-lower 80's. 

When I got into Westmont, I first went across the street to Samaritan Thrift, but they didn't have anything that interested me. Stopped at Koupa Espresso Bar for an iced drink when I went back across Haddon Avenue. Had a Chai Cherry Latte. Oooh, spicy and very sweet...and very cherry! I downed that pretty fast. They were pretty busy for almost noon, mainly with people getting drinks and reading their phones.

Phidelity Records down the block had a lot more of interest. In fact, I found two out of four of what I picked up right away in the New Arrivals bins. The others came out of the $2 bins or were in CDs and DVDs: 

Bette Midler - Broken Blossoms (Which it turns out I already have - I'll donate it to Goodwill.)

The 1977 K-Tel collection Stars

A Peter Pan Superman book and record set from 1978 with the stories "The Myzptlk-Up Menace" and "Alien Creatures"

The Who - Hooligans (2-disc greatest hits collection)

The one CD was Carole King's Greatest Hits. (Which I also already have and will also be donated.)

The DVD was the 1959 Lil' Abner, which means yes, I'll be reviewing that on the Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog sometime in the next few months. I've had the original cast album since college, but I haven't seen the movie.

Rode down to Collingwood for lunch. Made up for the line at Sabrina's Cafe on Easter by having them for my birthday...and boy, am I glad I did! The lemon-raspberry poppyseed pancakes off their seasonal menu were incredible, soft and swirled with raspberry lemon cream. The turkey bacon was a little more limp than the Westmont's thick bacon...but probably a lot better for me. I washed it down with a tart (and much-needed) lemonade. They were busy, but not so much that I couldn't get a table in the back.

Walked around in Collingswood for a little while after I ate. I didn't linger too long here. Not only was it past 1 PM, but a lot of Collingswood stores are closed on Tuesday. Collingswood is holding their big Green Festival on Saturday, too, and it's also Record Store Day. I'll hold off on Innergroove until Saturday, but I did pick up a few things from Collingswood Music:

Two vintage children's albums, Strawberry Shortcake's Exercise and Fun Album and Sesame Street Happy Birthday! (Not only did the Sesame Street album have the wrong record in it, but it was badly scratched. It goes in the donation bags.)

Beach Boys - Smile (I think it's a bootleg, but it has two of the Beach Boys' best songs, "Heroes and Villains" and "Good Vibrations.")

I heard my phone go off when I was in Collingswood Music. I called it back when I got outside. It was Allyssa from Camden County, telling me she was having trouble getting me through that loan. They don't count the Healthy Kids job because I've been there slightly less than a year, and I don't make enough at the Acme job to pay for a loan. That really hurt. I assumed that getting a second job, and one that I loved, would be enough. I feel like nothing I do will ever be enough for these people. She said she'd keep trying, but I was bitterly disappointed when I headed across the street and back to my bike. It was late, and I had to dodge kids coming out of Collingswood High School. I ended up being five minutes late to Thomas Sharp.

I felt much better when I arrived and got settled in with the kids. I had many happy birthday greetings, from kids and adults. One cherubic little miss gave me a bag with candy, a fruit bar (which I appreciated - I forgot a snack), rubber bracelets, and a card she drew herself of her and me together. (I think her parents wrote "Happy Birthday." They have very nice printing.) Later on, one of the boys gave me his own artwork. 

We started off in the library due to the music class taking place in the cafeteria. I'm glad I took my 10 kids to the bathroom first. They were all antsy, though they generally weren't that rowdy. They were better once they had their snacks and a lot of water. We waited a little while until the big kids were outside before we took the little ones out. It was beautiful, but so hot! Most of them either looked for ants or people walking dogs under the big shady trees or hung out in the shade of the slide equipment. Those who ventured into the sun danced to "Sharks In the Water," "The Big Pink Tiger," the theme from Bluey, "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "Pink Pony Club," and songs from Moana 2 and KPop Demon Hunters.

Jessa's car has a bike rack, so she said she would pick me and my bike up at the school. What she didn't add was Mike was with her again. I was once again very disappointed. I was hoping we could spend time together on my birthday. Don't get me wrong, Mike is a nice guy. He's funny and he tells good stories...but I was hoping it could be just the two of us. He did pay for dinner at Carraba's Italian Grill in Maple Shade, which was pretty pricey. I had ravioli stuffed with chicken, spinach, and cheese. Jessa had grilled chicken in a wine sauce with broccoli and mashed potatoes. Mike had chicken Parmesan with mashed potatoes. We all had salads. They had Caesar. I had the "house," lettuce, carrots, and red cabbage in a creamy dressing (with olives and banana peppers that I picked out). I had a tasty peach-blackberry fold over tart for dessert.

Finished the night listening to old favorites from my childhood and teen years. I've had The Wild, the Innocent, and the E-Street Shuffle on CD for so long, I forget when I got it now. I think Mom may have had the LP when I was a kid. This and Greetings from Asbury Park always hit the hardest of Bruce Springsteen's albums because...what he's describing was my world, from the time I was born through my college years. "The E-Street Shuffle," "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," "Incident on 57th Street," "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"...that's the Jersey Shore I remember. There's a reason Springsteen is called "the Boss" in his native New Jersey. Even though he's from further north (and I believe still lives up there) and Cape May and Wildwood were in largely better shape than Asbury Park in the 70's and 80's, it still sounds and practically smells like my childhood and adolescent memories.

Elton John's Greatest Hits Vol. III features the John songs I grew up with. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" and "Little Jeannie" used to play constantly on the jukebox at the Ugly Mug in Cape May during the 80's. "Mama Can't Buy You Love," "Sad Song (Say So Much)," "Empty Garden," and "Blue Eyes" were heard constantly on the radio. I think it's hilarious that the kids seem to have fallen in love with Taran Egerton's recording of "I'm Still Standing," given that came out around the time I was their age and I loved it just as much. 

With a Little Help From My Kid Friends

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Happy Birthday, Toodles" gives the mouse-eared flying computer that brings the tools of the day a face and a (slightly annoying) voice. The others want to throw a surprise party for him, but it's not easy to keep something a surprise when you have to call on him constantly!

I did a few things online after breakfast, then called Alyssa at NJ Mortgage and Finance. She was supposed to hear from a woman who could help with the loan, but she went on vacation last week. Now that she was back, she was going to call her. She said she'd call me back later, but I never heard from her. Hopefully, I'll hear from her tomorrow.

Listened to the Beatles while I worked on the computer. The Blue Album and The Red Album were among the records I got in the box of 65 albums my biological father Bruce gave me for my birthday in 2006. They used to belong to my first stepmother Kaye before she died of cancer in 1997. I had enough time to listen to the first disc of The Blue Album. These were collections of the Beatles' greatest hits and any singles that hadn't been released on a regular album by 1973. My first Beatles album was the CD I got for my birthday in 1993 of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I still have that CD. This includes the title song, "With a Little Help From My Friends," "A Day In the Life," and "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds." Other numbers from the late 60's I love heard here include "Hey Jude," "Magical Mystery Tour," and "All You Need Is Love."

Frankly, by that point, I'd gotten bored with sitting inside and feeling a little down. I wish I could get a condo now! Not to mention, Lauren and her parents sent me 20 dollars for my birthday tomorrow. I went for a walk to Dollar General instead. It was warm, into the upper 70's, but the strong wind was still chilly. It spit a tiny bit as I headed down East Bettlewood Avenue. The rain stopped as I arrived at Dollar General, and it didn't really amount to much. It didn't even make anything wet. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since. 

I didn't need much at Dollar General, either. Replaced my old hair bands, which I've had for a while, and got a card for my nephew Khai's birthday on Sunday. It wasn't that busy, and I was in and out with no trouble.

Went across the street to Sakura Japanese Steak House for lunch. For once, their dining area was open. In fact, there was a group eating lunch at a booth when I arrived. I had tasty teriyaki shrimp and vegetables with brown rice. Yum! The vegetables were perfectly cooked, and I'm so glad they used brown rice. It's much better for you. I washed it all down with a Diet Coke.

I wasn't at home for more than 20 minutes before I headed right back out again to the Thomas Sharp School. We had 25 younger kids to start, 9 at my table...which wasn't a good thing. We're short-handed. The older woman who usually helps with the elementary school kids got badly hurt in an accident over spring break. The head teacher took her place, and the sweet young woman and nice older lady went in for her couldn't arrive until 3:30. My group was fine cleaning up and only a little rowdy in the bathrooms. 

Once again, the trouble was in the cafeteria after snack time. One little girl pulled out the books her parents ordered from their book catalogs. I ended up reading Moana 2 by request, even though it belonged to her. The kids at the table with the rubber food kept throwing it around. Most of it ended up under the table. The ones at the table with the magnetic tiles wouldn't share them with their friends, even though there were plenty for all.

Things went much better after we got them outside. Though we did have to remind them not to play tag (the boys tend to turn it into a contact sport), they otherwise had a pretty darn good time. The head teacher brought them chalk to draw on the concrete walkway leading from the school to the steps leading down to the sidewalk. They had a merry, messy time tracing each other's outlines and coloring them in, or drawing hearts or houses. The others all chased each other to the tune of "Sharks In the Water" and songs from Trolls and KPop Demon Hunters. There were six left when we took them inside at 5, and four left when I headed out 15 minutes later.

Stopped briefly for a Propel and a treat at Speedy Mart on the way home. Went straight into dinner and Match Game '90 when I got in. Most of the night finished the week with Ronn Lucas and Fred Travalena and his one-man White House. Though Scorch was around for most of the week, Ronn did bring Chuck Roast for a day, who was only slightly less abrasive than he was on his first appearance. Beverly Garland made her first appearance on Match Game this week since 1973. Brad Garrett and Joe Alaskey (the latter then of Tiny Toon Adventures) appeared on the last episode of the night. 

Finished the night with more animated TV show episodes revolving around birthdays. Returned to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for their second birthday episode. This time, it's "Mickey's Happy Mouske-day!" The others have planned all kinds of fun things to do on his big day, like riding bikes and throwing balls with Pluto. Nothing works out like they planned, but Mickey reminds them that the important thing is he got to have fun with his friends on his big day.

"Birthday Bear's Blues" is the only Care Bears Family episode to revolve around the Bears' party-hearty holiday lover. Birthday's upset that the other Care Bears and Cousins are holding a party to celebrate their defeat of No Heart rather than his birthday. He heads down below to help a wealthy little boy who brags about his toys to his classmates, then wonders why they won't come to his party. Birthday teaches him that you don't need fancy toys to have fun when they help rescue the others from a thorny maze No Heart set up as a trap.

We Have All the Time In the World

Began the morning with a quick breakfast and The Best of James Bond. This is an older CD collection of Bond themes up to License to Kill, plus instrumental music from the films and "We Have All the Time In the World" by Louis Armstrong on a second disc. I only had time for the Sean Connery Bond films - the iconic "Goldfinger," the title ballads from From Russia With Love and Thunderball, the lovely title song from You Only Live Twice by Nancy Sinatra, the searing Shirley Bassey title song from Diamonds are Forever - and the first two Roger Moore movies. The dark hard rock title song from Live and Let Die is one of Wings' best songs, but Lulu's title number for The Man With the Golden Gun is as bland as that movie is strange. 

I got such a late start, I ended up taking Uber to work. I think I made the right choice. It took less than 3 minutes for the morning driver to arrive. The afternoon driver came in 8 minutes. No trouble either way, absolutely no traffic - it was all going in the opposite direction. I got to work with time to spare.

No trouble at work, either. It was off-and-on busy all day again. I did have to shelve some cold items, but I was mostly sweeping or outside pushing carts. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. Once again, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and perfect for April, mid-60's and sunny and breezy as can be. They did send one of the college boys who had been cashiering to help out later. Otherwise, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.

Soon as I got home, I changed and went down for a nap. I'm sooo tired. I'm not used to working five days in a row at the Acme anymore. Passed out a little after 2:30 and didn't get up until 4:30.

Listened to More of the Monkees after I rolled out of bed. I found a double-disc vinyl version of the Monkees' second album at the FYE in Deptford two years ago. The Monkees may not have been fans of their second album, especially the bland cover they had no input in, but you can't argue with the results. Their biggest hit song, "I'm a Believer," came from this album, along with "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" and "Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow." I'm more partial to one of the group's best ballads, the lovely "Sometime In the Morning." The second vinyl disc features rarities that were recorded around the same time like "Apples, Peaches, Bananas, and Pears," "I Never Thought It Peculiar," "I'll Spend My Life With You," and the early versions of "Words" and "Valleri." 

Finished the night with the Sunday Match Game marathon. Plaid seemed to have been extremely popular for suits in the 1970's, especially early in the decade. Richard Dawson made plaid work in two jackets, one purple plaid, one brown, that he wore into 1977. He also seemed fond of a black and white houndstooth jacket. 

Gene Rayburn never seemed to quite figure out plaid. Probably the most infamous suit he ever wore was that green and red plaid monstrosity from late 1973. The panelists wouldn't even look at him when he came out. Jack Carter said he looked like a station break in Poland. (And given what Jack's shirt looked like, he wasn't one to talk.) Brett Somers and Pat Harrington teased him about his gray and white check with the pink shirt and bow-tie later in 1973, too, saying he looked like half of a vaudeville team. Richard thought he looked like a used car salesman.

Check out the checks and plaids in this hilarious and well-dressed marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Best Plaid Suits & Fashions On Match Game