The Doctor Is In for Matches

Began the day with breakfast and the Growing Pains album. These are all songs produced, written, and/or performed by Steven Dorff. The version of the Growing Pains theme "As Long as We've Got Each Other" included here is the slightly more rock-ish version performed by B.J Thomas and Dusty Springfield from the 4th season. (He performs it solo or with Jennifer Warrens for the rest of the series.) The other memorable theme here is the lovely "Room Enough for Two" from My Sister Sam. We even get instrumental themes for the mystery Spencer for Hire and for the comedy-drama Murphy Brown. There's even two rarities. According to Wikipedia, the cop comedy The Oldest Rookie lasted four months from September 1987 through January 1988. Whattley By the Bay never made it past the pilot stage. The pilot ended up being shown as part of the CBS Summer Playhouse in August 1988. 

Springtime Favorites is Disney's second try at an Easter album after their Peter Cottontail from the 70's. This CD from 1998 is much better. It kicks off with a re-written, spring-related "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" is here, too, and we have a charming "Easter Parade." The early 20th century hits "When You Wore a Tulip" and "When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along" are performed in the style they would have been when they debuted, the latter by what sounds like a barbershop quartet. "It's a Sunny, Sunny Day" is a weird one - an upbeat number performed by a man with a bass voice that sounds like it should be singing dirges.

Took off on the bike after the CD ended. Alas, I got a later start than I should have and was late to work. Not a good thing. I don't know what the Sunday morning bagger was doing, but the carts were empty on both sides when I arrived. It was busy enough that I never managed to catch up with them, either. I didn't get to the pharmacy door side until the end of the day. We were short on help, too. One of the cashiers called out. They got one of the college boys to help me around 3:30, then pulled him when they needed cashiers. I was just happy when I headed home. 

At least the weather wasn't bad. It started out cold and gloomy again. If it rained, it did it early in the morning. By the time I finished, it was sunny, breezy, and in the lower 60's. 

Changed, had dinner, and spent the rest of the night watching today's Match Game marathon. Colds and getting sick turned up a lot in questions, usual as a joke about what doctors do that causes people to undress, even if it's for a small reason like a hangnail. Gene at least twice during the 70's run played when he had a cold or was sick. In fact, he was so sick on the first day Bonnie Franklin of One Day at a Time played, he couldn't give her a welcoming kiss. It was the only time during the series Richard got to kiss the "new kid on the block" ingenue. 

There was a question about colds in the hilarious nighttime episode where Gene stripped off his jacket and vest and showed off his body when a contestant answered a question about weak bodies with him. In an episode from 1974, McLean Stevenson started off sitting at the contestant's desk, complaining about Brett not hearing the question all week, and ended by chasing Gene Rayburn around the studio. Fannie Flagg heard two of them the week she sat in for Brett in late '77-early '78, including the nighttime episode. Questions about illnesses turned up as late as 1990 on the week with Sally Struthers, Bill Kirkenbauer, and Rebecca Arthur and her cute little poodle Emmy.

Let Match Game help you through the springtime sniffles with these hilariously funny cures for the April blues!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Catch a Cold Marathon

The Thin Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Bluey. "Calypso" is Bluey's Afghan Hound teacher. She encourages her students to play together by finding  a way they can all help each other, from Bluey offering Indy a job in her fish and chip shop to the Terrier Brothers defending Honey's gnome village. Speaking of Honey, she's been waiting...and waiting...for "The Doctor" Bingo to notice her in the waiting room. Bingo keeps finding other injuries more interesting, until Honey finally makes up her own weird disease.

Called Uber after I ate. I was running late, and I didn't like the sound of the weather later. The driver going to the Acme came in 8 minutes. I arrived just in time. The one going home came in 10, not bad for 4:30 on a Saturday. No traffic either way.

Work wasn't terribly busy when I arrived. In fact, it didn't get really bad until the rain finally arrived at 2 PM. It had been cold, blustery, and cloudy all day. By the time it finally started to shower, we had picked up a little. I had to clean up a small soda spill and fell behind on the carts. Thankfully, it slowed down slightly by the time I finished work. I grabbed callus remover - I have one on my left pinky toe that really hurts - vitamins, and water. 

(And I'm glad I got home when I did. The rain picked up while I was shopping, becoming a much heavier shower. It's continued to shower off and on for the rest of the evening.)

Watched Angels In Disguise on Tubi when I got in. This unusually dark Bowery Boys movie starts off with Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall), copy boys at the New York Chronicle, hearing their cop friend Gabe Moreno (Gabriel Dell) has been shot. Gabe survived, but another long-time policeman, Officer Murphy, wasn't so lucky. Horrified, Sach and Slip take it on themselves to find the group responsible for the raid - the Loop Gang from Chicago. They get friendly with a pool-playing tough guy (Joseph Turkel) and convince him to take them to his boss. Turns out the head of the Loop Gang is young, brilliant, well-read Carver (Edward Ryan), who has been using an outside man to get information on where their next job should be. Slip and Sach realize they're in over their heads when they bring the rest of the Boys, including soda shop owner Louie Dumbrowski (Bernard Gorcey) in to infiltrate the gang and send Gabe information about the next robbery.

Finished the night with dinner, a shower, and tonight's Match Game marathon. For every joke on the show about chests and curvy figures, there were two about stick-straight ones. Slender British model and actress Twiggy was just coming off the height of her popularity when the show began in 1973. Most of the jokes tended to compare her boyish figure to more voluptuous ones belonging to Raquel Welch, and later in the run, Dolly Pardon. If it wasn't Twiggy who was the butt of skinny jokes, it was Skinny Minnie, who was compared to everything from a string bean to a blade of grass.

There was a skinny joke in the hilarious episode in 1978 that introduced the Star Wheel and saw most of the panel but Scoey Mitchelll walk out when it landed on Richard Dawson. Brett Somers wasn't too happy when her own boyish figure came in for jokes on at least two separate occasions, one of which compared her to her chesty friend Fannie Flagg. A handsome, slender young gentleman from Maine turned Brett and Barbara Rhodes' heads in another episode from 1979. There were two skinny jokes on the week featuring game show host and comedian Robert Q. Lewis in late 1973 that also introduced Joyce Bulifant. Morey Amsterdam made a funny but slightly macabre skinny joke in an episode from early 1974.

Folks of any weight can enjoy these hilarious episodes with Gene and his wacky weirdos, no matter how big the peaks and valleys on your shirt may be.

Match Game Saturday Classics - Twiggy and Skinny Minnie Marathon

Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

Got a late start today with breakfast and It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. Linus and Lucy's little brother Rerun makes his debut in the last Peanuts special with music by Vince Guaraldi (who died just hours after he completed the soundtrack). Sally turns the baseball field into a garden and orchard as part of an Arbor Day project. Her older brother is understandably furious, until it looks like the foliage might help them actually win a game.

Headed out after I made the grocery list. I didn't really need that much this week and I left late, so I limited the grocery shopping to just the Westmont Acme this week. I had online coupons for coconut milk, cookies, strawberries, and yogurt. Nature's Valley granola bars were two for $6. Restocked sliced chicken, soda, and apples. Thankfully, the store wasn't busy at all. I was able to get in and out with no trouble. 

Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. It's really spring in the park now. The grass is mostly green with a few dry patches. The leaves are a bright yellow green. Sunny yellow buttercups and dandelions line the banks of the lake. Canadian geese cropped grass with their adorable brand-new goslings. It was much busier in the park at quarter after 1. I dodged dog walkers, older folks and college kids out for a stroll, and parents pushing strollers before turning on the path over the hill to the Haddon Township Environmental Center. 

Put everything away and had a quick lunch while watching Shirt Tales. The animals think they're "The Game Masters" when they sneak out to play consoles at a local arcade. They think they're getting a bargain when a game claims they can play for free, only to find them trapped in a bumper-car game. Tired of having to clean up the park for Mr. Dinkel, they don't object to being "Shirt Napped" by aliens, until it turns out the aliens just want them to clean up their planet. They finally swipe a flying saucer to get them back to the aliens' ship and get them home.

Called Alyssa at Camden County right before I left. I didn't get her, so I left a message. I hope I can get her on Monday. If she can't help me, I'm going to start looking for loan programs that might be more willing to help. 

Hurried out after the cartoon ended. Got there on time...to find the kids and their Thomas Sharp teachers, but no one from Healthy Kids. One of the heads of the program showed up shortly after I did. Turned out the head teacher had called out, and another couldn't come in. We were severely short-handed. Not a good thing, since we had 26 kids today, 11 at my table. They were crazy in the bathroom, especially the girls. I spent most of the twenty minutes or so after snack time cleaning up a little boy who had had an accident. By the time we got back, they were lining up the kids to go outside.

It was much too nice for them to stay inside. It was sunny and in the lower 70's when we first went out. Even after it clouded over and got windy later, it was still a lovely day. I did have to argue them off the swings, especially after they were all allowed on yesterday. There were too many of them and not enough teachers to keep an eye on them. Most of them were happy to draw with chalk, hug a tree, or dance along with "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "Pink Pony Club," "I Like to Move It," the theme from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and songs from Moana, Moana 2, Trolls, and KPop Demon Hunters. 

I stayed a little later after the head teacher had to go home at 5. We were down to six kids when we moved them with the older kids on the blacktop. The weather remained cloudy and a little chillier but still too decent to take them back inside. Most of the kids kicked balls around, but I did have to argue with two boys to stop throwing around bottles of glitter-filled water they made in class (the bottles were really kind of flimsy), then stop playing around a car that did not belong to them. 

Went straight home after all that and into Match Game '90. This was the wild week where Fred Travalena dressed as Elvis Presley, complete with sequined jump suit. The Star Wheel kept landing on him, too. To give him credit, he got it right two out of three times. Pam Stone was really hilarious this week too, tossing out several British and southern gothic jokes.

Got my schedule at this point, too. In good news, slightly more hours and no long shifts. Unfortunately, I have two double-shift days this time, Thursday and Friday. No idea when I'll get to the grocery store. The head bagger must have taken those days off again. 

Finished the night with three of my newly-acquired records and CDs. The Superman book and record from Peter Pan runs with the continuity in the comic books when it debuted in 1978, which means Clark and Lois works for Galaxy Broadcasting and Jimmy is a full-fledged reporter. "The Mxyzptlk Menace" makes everyone speak without vowels, which means they can't really communicate at all, until Superman finds a way for him to say his name backwards. "Alien Creatures" is a much darker and stranger story. After aliens appear, it suddenly starts raining silver bullets that dissolve anything in their path. Superman has to convince them telepathically that Earth is not a good place for them to make their home.

The Cars were one of the most popular rock groups of the late 70's and early 80's. Their Greatest Hits include "Just What I Needed," "Good Times Roll," "Drive," and "My Best Friend's Girl." Other favorites on this 1985 album include "Since You're Gone," "Touch and Go," "Let's Go," "Shake It Up," and "Magic."

James Taylor's music was an all together quieter version of rock. His Greatest Hits include mellow ballads like "Fire and Rain," "Sweet Baby James," and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight." "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," "Mexico," and "Walking Man" show Taylor in a slightly more uptempo mode.

Spring at the Library

Began the day with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Explores Nature" when he and his family have a picnic outside and see cardinals building their nest. "Daniel's Nature Walk" shows Dan, O the Owl, and his uncle X all the wonders of nature in the rain as they go for a stroll outside.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. To my surprise, the car going to the Cherry Hill Library arrived in 5 minutes. It only took 7 minutes going home. There was a little traffic on Cuthbert going home, but otherwise, it wasn't bad.

Today was the start of the first Cherry Hill Library book sale of the year. The basement level was bursting with boxes of DVDs, CDs, and records, the meeting room had humor books and children's literature, and the larger meeting room had the adult literature and non-fiction. No record finds this time around, but I did pick up four books, five CDs (one a two-disc set), and two DVD sets. The DVD sets were:

The Adventures of Superman: Seasons 3 and 4

The Best of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Volume 2

The CDs were:

Springtime Favorites - A Disney Easter and spring-themed kids' album from 1999 

James Taylor - The Best of James Taylor

Hall & Oates - Greatest Hits: Rock N' Soul Part I

The original Broadway cast albums for The Color Purple and Sunset Boulevard (I had Boulevard on cassette in the early 90's, but I got rid of it ages ago.) 

The books were:

The White Lady by Jacqueline Windspear

Miracle On 34th Street by Valentine Davies 

Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book by Gerald Jones (I think I've taken this one out of the Haddon Township Library before, but it's been a while.)

American Cooking: The Eastern Heartland (They had all of the early 70's Time-Life cookbooks, including the ones for French, Japanese, and Chinese cooking. I went with the one closest to home, so to speak.)

(At least I didn't argue over whether they could just buy CD cases, like one guy did. If my haul seems big, there were people buying dozens of CDs to sell on line and piles and piles of books for their friends who owned a store to sell.)

Put on The Pirates of Dark Water and had a quick leftover pizza lunch after I got home. "Panacea" is the land where the next treasure can be found, but it's guarded by an enormous crustacean. There's a certain flower that can heal most people, but kill the monster. A shady "bio-transmuter" who combines animals into new species offers a small half-fish, half-mammal to be their guide to finding the flower. The little fellow is annoying, sarcastic, and offends everyone, until Ren figures out what he really wants.

Headed to the Thomas Sharp School after the cartoon ended. I forgot that today is also Take Your Child to Work Day. Most of the kids went to work with their parents. We had 16 younger children, 5 at my table. The kids wouldn't help clean up, and they were noisy in the bathroom...and noisier in the cafeteria after snack! The head teacher finally put on a video about making a "cake" from rainbow slime to distract them from the daughter of one of those working mothers who was watching movies on her iPad.

By the time we got them outside, we were down to 10 kids. Those that remained were allowed to go on the swings from the outset. Despite some squabbling, I did enjoy pushing them. As I pointed out, Moana and her crew couldn't have been more right. What could be better than a perfectly sunny, gorgeous, breezy April day in the lower 70's, not too hot or cold? The kids danced to "I Like to Move It," "Pink Pony Club," "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "Pup Pup Boogie" from Paw Patrol, the theme from Bluey, and songs from Moana and Moana 2 when they weren't drawing with chalk or arguing over the swings. The head teacher was just moving the remaining 3 kids to the blacktop to play with the 6 remaining older kids as I left. 

Made a quick stop at CVS on the way home. In addition to a pit stop, the Native shampoo and conditioner I bought still isn't helping my itchy perimenopause scalp. I hope the CereVe works better.

Had dinner and watched Daddy Long Legs when I got in. I go further into this charming 1955 dance musical with Leslie Caron and Fred Astaire at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Daddy Long Legs (1955)

Finished the night with the second disc from the Pisces, Aquarius Monkees set. Truth be told, there's far less of interest here. There's a few songs on the original mono album that sound slightly different from their stereo counterparts, notably the addition of Mike's patter on "Salesman." Most of the other songs are remixes of ones that are already on the album or been heard elsewhere. We do get the unedited version of "Goin' Down" used on the TV show and some alternate vocals for "Door Into Summer." 

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."