All Quiet On the Oaklyn Front

Started off the morning with breakfast and Monchhichis. Moncho and the others visit "Cloud City" when it arrives over Monchia and won't stop raining. An old magician friend of Wizzar's was accused of stealing the magical key that drives Cloudy City and produces its weather. The real thief is the owl king's buzzard prime minister, but he keeps saying everyone else did it. The Monchhichis have to rescue their magician friend, then find the key and convince the king that they're no thieves.

Headed out on my bike after Monchhichis ended. It was a gorgeous day for a ride up to Haddon Heights. I did have to dodge some sidewalk and street repair in between Audubon and Haddon Heights, but otherwise, it was a lovely ride. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It remains sunny, breezy, and dry, probably in the lower 80's. 

My first stop was the Haddon Heights Library. I've been there a few times, but I've never really explored them for very long. Their non-fiction books are in a loft-like area upstairs. I found a book written in 1991 on the Broadway musicals of the previous decade, including long-forgotten flops like Tintypes, Rags, and Dance a Little Closer. 

I dug up another Images of America book in the history section that proved to be even more interesting. I didn't know the Coast Guard base at Cape May went so far back. It started as a Naval base during World War I and would be one again in World War II. In between, the Coast Guard used it to catch rum runners and train recruits. In fact, Cape May is the recruit training ground for new Coast Guard trainees. No wonder I have fond childhood memories of seeing young guys in Coast Guard sweatsuits jogging down Ocean Avenue, past the Beach Theater, chanting sea shanties as they followed their sergeant. (The houses where most of my friends on the base in the 80's lived are brand new, though. In fact, they'd just been built when my friends moved into them.) 

I had lunch a block down the street at Ralph's Pizza. I made it there just in time. I no sooner ordered a brownie, an unsweetened iced tea, and two mini stromboli (pepperoni and cheese steak), than a pack of elementary school-age boys came barreling in behind me. All six of them managed to slide into one booth with their pizza while I enjoyed my meal at a smaller one. Honestly, far from being offensive, they were really funny (other than they did block the sidewalk with their bikes as I was trying to leave).

Stopped at the big CVS down the White Horse Pike on my way home. They didn't have the Listerine Gum Protection mouth wash that I wanted. I had more luck buying those Nature's Valley vitamins buy one, get one, and bags of small toys for my Trick-or-Treat Mystery Bags next month. 

There was a package waiting for me when I got home. I ordered one of those Radio Spirits clamshell sets of a specific old-time radio show from the 90's on eBay, in this case Let's Pretend. I know it's a kids' show, but it does retell fairy tales that don't often turn up elsewhere, like "The Yellow Dwarf," "Princess Moonbeam," and "The Donkey, the Table, and the Stick." I started off with something better-known. Their version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" starts off pretty normal, with a slightly older Jack climbing that stalk and taking his father's hen and gold back from the giant. Where this one diverges is in the end. Jack has to rescue kid cousins of his who were taken by the giant, too. 

Headed off to Thomas Sharp after "Jack" ended. We all started off in the library, due to the first music class of the year in the cafeteria. This time, we had 19 younger kids, 6 at what would normally have been my table. Other than one young lady being pokey, I had no trouble with them in the bathroom. In fact, it ended up being a rather pleasant afternoon. They drew on a paper taped to a table and played with Barbies and magnetic tiles after lunch, then went outside. I was able to get them to wait long enough this time that there was less arguing about the swings. They all took their turns while running around and dancing to "Zoo" from Zootopia 2 and songs from The Lion King, Encanto, Trolls, Moana, and Frozen 2. 

When we got back inside, the remaining five kids had new toys to play with. The older kids came in from the blacktop as they set up atom-shaped building toys and plastic farm animals with a fenced enclosure, a tractor, and hay. There were only two younger kids and five older kids left by the time I went home, and one of the younger kids headed out at the same time I did.

Took a shower when I got home, then had dinner while watching Match Game '76. Tonight finished out the week with Dick Gautier, Fannie Flagg, and Della Reece. There was a lot of joking about Dick's artwork on his cards, including a really nice caricature of the champ he gave to her. Fannie's attempt at artwork wasn't quite that...developed. There was also Richard hugging another contestant after she won and refusing to let go, even when Gene tried to separate them.

Moved to the final three episodes of Remember WENN next. Gertie's writing again in "The Sunset Also Rises." This time, it's a TV script about a fading radio star (Hilary) who wants a writer (Scott) to create one last big show for her...but the others butt in with their own ideas. Hilary would rather play the ingenue, Eugenia and Mr. Eldridge think they'd make great divas, and Victor...is there, too.

"At Cross Purposes" starts with a woman walking in...who turns out to be Jeff in costume for Charley's Aunt. Jeff's outfit ends up inspiring everyone at the station to jump into drag in order to avoid process server Cribby Menlow (Ray Ianncelli), who has marriage papers for Jeff and is familiar with Scott and Maple, too. It's newsgirl Betty, however, who runs in with the real "big, big news" - Pearl Harbor was bombed. The US has just entered World War II.

Which takes us into the series finale "All Noisy On the Pittsburgh Front." Victor claims there's a "captain" coming to take care of military business at WENN, but it's not likely to be the lunatic in camouflage gear (J.K Simmons) who thinks he's Amazon Andy. Scott, who has enlisted, and Victor get Betty up against the wall about who she really loves, Eugenia asks Mr. Foley to marry her, and Hilary claims she's married to someone else...

And that, sadly, is that. The show was supposed to get a fifth and final season, but was canceled instead when the new head of AMC wanted to focus on movies instead. The abrupt ending of the series still hurts, even after 30 years. At least AMC is acknowledging its existence now. It can be found in full on AMC Plus. The first two seasons are free on Plex, and most of the first two seasons and a few scattered episodes of the fourth are currently on the Internet Archive. Even with the truncated ending and off-and-on 4th season, I still recommend this for fans of period shows or sitcoms that go way outside the box. 

Finished the night with I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat. Surprisingly, the Looney Tunes songs are actually really good. The title song, as you can guess, is on Sylvester and Tweety's relationship. "Daffy's Rhapsody" shows how he feels about being the resident miser and oddball. "Yosemite Sam" tells us why he loves his guns and chasing after Bugs. "That's All Folks" is a charming ballad for Petunia Pig as she wishes Porky would pay more attention to her. Too bad the other side is given over to songs about Bozo the Clown, whom I have no interest in whatsoever, and frankly gets annoying. The Tunes' numbers are honestly pretty fun, especially Porky and Petunia's sweet "That's All" number. 

Labor Day Games

Started off the morning with the Labor Day material in my Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. The longest piece is a biography of Samuel Gumpters, the long-time head of the labor union movement in the US. We also had poems on working and jobs, including "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman and "The Village Smithy" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 

Switched to Paw Patrol during breakfast in honor of those first-responders who have to work this Labor Day. "Pups Save a Giant Plant" when Mayor Goodway brings a Venus Fly Trap to the swamp and plants it in what she thinks is a nice spot. She's less thrilled when it grows to six times its original size and tries to eat her beloved pet chicken Chickaletta. The Pups have to figure out where it really belongs in the swamp. The "Pups Get Stuck" when Marshall seems to magnetically pick up metal items all over Adventure Bay. The others put the items back and try to figure out what's going on here.

It was so late by the time the episode ended, I just called Uber. Think I did the right thing. The one going to work arrived in 7 minutes and got me there on time with literally no time to spare. The one going home came in 8 minutes. No trouble either way.

Work was a lot busier. I suspect people who would normally shopped when they got their beginning-of-the-month money last week saved it for the holiday weekend instead. Not only did I have a hard time keeping up with the carts, but this time, I was totally alone. Almost every other bagger had the holiday off, including the head bagger. At least the weather remains gorgeous for all the running around. It's still sunny, warm, breezy, and not humid at all. Pushing carts was a pleasure before it got really crazy later in the morning.

Soon as I got home, I went right down for a nap. I was up way too late for the last two evenings. Passed out at 2:30 and didn't get up until almost 4:30. 

I read Sonnet of the Sphinx in bed for a little while, then went out to Dollar General. I had those two boxes of Chocolate Fudge pudding I picked up at the Acme for 70 cents a while back and had been wanting to do something with them. I couldn't remember the last time I made a pudding pie. Bought milk and a graham cracker crust, along with the Nature's Valley wafer bars (they're much cheaper at Dollar General)...but of course, I forgot the Cool Whip. The other reason I went out was, of course, to enjoy the stunning day. It was still beautiful at 5 PM, probably in the lower 80's, not a cloud in the perfect bright blue sky.

Didn't have as much luck with the pie. I added cocoa and topped it with chocolate fudge sauce, but...I didn't have enough milk. It ended up being kind of gloppy. At least it was edible and set up pretty well. 

Watched Remember WENN after I got back upstairs. Considering the holiday, it's rather appropriate that I began with one of my favorite fourth season episodes, "Work Shift." Smarmy self-help guru Arden Sage (Greg Germann) arrives at the station and dares the staff to walk in each other's shoes for a day. That works about as well as can be expected. Hilary can't handle the switchboard, Maple can't type, Betty can't play the organ, and Mr. Eldridge and Gertie aren't actors. They finally all learn that the station works best when everyone does what they do best...like take down obnoxious self-help gurus. (If nothing else, this episode finally ends the running gag with what Mr. Eldridge does at the station. He's the janitor and go-fer who makes the coffee and does all the little chores no one else has the time or inclination to do.)

Betty tells Maple and Scott about her first day at WENN in "Past Tense, Future Imperfect" as she tries to explain her relationship with Victor. Victor did explain to her the rules of radio writing, but his tendency to sound like he swallowed a dictionary made Betty think he was in love with her. The others all think she's after every other man at the station.

Moved to Buzzr for Match Game '76 next. Richard Dawson and Ed Asner were not happy to meet Lyle, a go-getting contestant from Las Vegas with a smarmy attitude and the worst toupee this side of Howard Cossell. Thankfully, Lyle didn't continue too far into the next week with Dick Gautier, Della Reece, and Fannie Flagg.

Finished the night at YouTube with vintage dance shows and talent competitions. Most people think of long, drawn-out reality show competitions like Dance With the Stars when they think of talent shows nowadays, but that wasn't always the case. Judge for Yourself from 1953 was a much simpler affair. Fred Allen (who frankly seems a bit out of place) is the host as three expert judges (one is songwriter Jules Styne) decide which of three acts is worthy of the big prize. First of all, although the dancers here were great, my favorites were the duo who actually made the harmonica sound elegant and beautiful. Second, this early effort would be one of the templates for pretty much every show I mention here with celebrity judges. (Look for the introduction by Orson Bean.)

The Gong Show made fun of such amateur contests in the 70's and early 80's. I actually went with one of the less-outrageous episodes from 1977. The country singers won here, but I thought the guy doing an amazing routine to "Ease On Down the Road" from The Wiz was even better. I can understand why the guy doing the flamenco cape dance got gonged (he was pretty stiff), but not the Elvis impersonators (they were a lot of fun). 

Your All-American College Show from 1968 and Dance 360 from 2004 are two variations on the same theme - young people strutting their stuff and winning money for it. College Show has college students showing off their singing and dancing talents for money. With Dance 360, the focus is on hip-hop dancing. College Show lasted two years, slightly longer than the one-year-wonder Dance 360, but both would produce stars that are still relatively well-known today. Karen Carpenter and her brother Richard got some of their earliest TV exposure as the winners of College Show (I forgot how amazing Karen was on the drums), while dancer Caity Lutz, who would later appear in the Bring It On films, won Dance 360 . 

My sisters and I loved Dance Fever when we were kids. This long-running dance show started out as a disco dance competition, which is evident in this 1981 episode. By the time we were watching around 1985, it had branched into other forms of dance. It's pretty much a prototype Dance With the Stars, only here, the stars are just judges, rather than dancers. Eddie Mecca (himself a dancer in real-life), Scatman Crothers, and Jane Sawyer are the judges, with Danny Terrio as the first host.

Dance and talent competitions aren't limited to long-form shows. Dance Battle America was a one-off special that appeared after the season 21 premier of Dance With the Stars in 2015. Judges Alfonso Ribiera and Jordyn Sparks each picked four groups who danced against each other in goofy choreographed numbers. Personally, I liked the older ladies and admired their moxie for just making it and the hilarious trio who called themselves "Dancing Feet" and included a big guy myself. In fact, the dancers had so much fun, and Riberia and Sparks so clearly enjoyed showing them off, I wish this had made it to a series. Everyone really had a great time here, and the numbers are infectiously adorable. 

Dance your way into the fall with these delightful episodes that showcase the best and worst of five decades of amateur performance on TV!

Judge For Yourself (1953)

Your All-American College Show (1968)

The Gong Show (1977)

Dance Fever (1981)

Dance 360 (2004)

Dance Battle America (2015)

Ring-a-Ding-Ding Matches

Started the morning with breakfast and Doo-Bop. This jazz-hip-hop-R&B fusion would be the last Davis album released during his lifetime. In fact, "Fantasy" and "High Speed Chase" were recorded with unused trumpet solos after he died. Davis wanted to capture the sounds of the streets he heard from his New York apartment. This must have mostly been electronica and rap, since these songs definitely have rap beats to them. This album is very, very 1991, and to be fully honest, it hasn't aged that well. Some of the songs aren't bad - I liked "Chocolate Chip" and "The Doo Bop Song" - but mostly, they just sound alike.

Didn't even finish the album before I headed to work. Work was...kind of boring. There were two other college-age baggers there who did everything inside and a lot outside. That didn't leave me with a lot of cars to push. At least it was a gorgeous day for it. It was even nicer than yesterday, sunny, bright, breezy, and dry as can be. It had been busy off and on all day and was just starting to pick up when I finished.

Changed into a regular shirt, then headed across Audubon to the Legacy Diner. It was almost 2 PM at this point, and they surprisingly weren't that busy. I enjoyed my three enormous coconut-pineapple pancakes and crispy bacon. In fact, the pancakes, tasty though they were, were also a little too big. I didn't end up finishing them.

Stopped at the Oaklyn WaWa on the way home. They just rolled out their fall flavors, including their basic pumpkin spice smoothie. In all honesty, it tasted more like spices than pumpkin. It was also cold and wet, which is what I really cared about after riding across Audubon and down the White Horse Pike.

The Match Game marathon had just begun when I got home. I spent the rest of the evening having dinner and watching Jerry Lewis and the Rat Pack on various game shows, Match Game included. Jerry Lewis' famous Labor Day Weekend telethon wasn't the only TV show he appeared on. He turned up on an early episode of What's My Line as a member of the panel...and needless to say, that episode was hilarious and especially wild for that show. Frank Sinatra was the first of two guests on a Line episode from a decade later...because the other Mystery Guest was his then-wife Mia Farrow, just after making Rosemary's Baby from her super-short hair. 

That wasn't the only game show the Rat Pack turned up on. Password was so wildly popular in the early 60's, even members of the Rat Pack wanted to play. Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr. played Polly Bergen and Janet Blair in a black and white episode...and to the ladies' chagrin, the boys mopped the floor with them. Lawford proved to be such a great player, he joined the equally good Carol Burnett for a "Tournament of Champions" in a later color episode from 1966. 

Richard Dawson was friendly with several members of the Rat Pack, especially Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy appeared at the start of a classic 1978 episode of Family Feud, and even got to host a question. I don't know who had more fun, the contestants, Sammy asking the questions, or Richard laughing hard as he watched his friend's antics.

Cranky Joey Bishop was the only member of the Rat Pack to appear on Match Game. I'm not entirely sure how much he understood the humor, but he did seem to play well enough. He was less appreciative of the audience and their perpetual booing. He claimed one guy in the audience booing him kept moving around. Most of the Rat Pack references on Match Game involved Dean Martin and his perpetual drinking spree. Even Foster Brooks made a comment on it during his first episode. Charles Nelson Reilly, who worked with him for years, was quick to point out that he'd cut down by the time of the late 70's. 

Celebrate Labor Day playing games with the members of the Rat Pack and remembering Jerry Lewis and his long-running telethon in these classic episodes!

Game Show Sunday Classics - Jerry Lewis & the Rat Pack Marathon

The Password Is "Legend"

Started the morning with breakfast and Mckey Mouse Clubhouse. The gang is excited about a "Masquerade Party" being held at the club house. Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, and Donald have to find what happened to knight Goofy's boot, then help Pete decide on a costume.

Called Uber after that. No trouble here! In fact, the one going to work arrived in 4 minutes. The one going home came in 8. I got to work on time, and there was no trouble whatsoever.

No major trouble at work, either. I spent most of the day pushing carts, except for the one hour I was supposed to be cleaning the women's bathroom. Trouble is, that room isn't ventilated. It's never going to smell like roses, no matter how hard you scrub. They wanted me to mop the floor, but then everyone walks on it and leaves dirty footprints, and it ends up messy anyway. I did better outside. It was too nice to be inside, anyway. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for early September. It was sunny, breezy, and in the upper 70's, not a hint of humidity in sight.

Went straight home after work. Today's game show marathon started on YouTube shortly after I arrived and changed. (Had dinner later in the evening.) Though Dolly Parton was really only mentioned once on Password Plus as the subject of a Password, Match Game Productions dug around for references to other things associated with her, like butterflies, pink, and charity work. For Password Plus, there were references on one of the episodes from the 1979 holiday week featuring Bert Convy and Carol Burnett (when the latter wiped the floor with the former) and in at least three different weeks featuring Dick Gautier. There was one during the hilarious week where Betty White played Sue Ann Nivens around Richard Pine's CHIps cop and Denver Pyle's Uncle Jesse from Dukes of Hazzard and the episode where Betty White proudly got to model the very first Password Plus jacket. 

Super Password had somewhat fewer references. One did turn up on the very first day of the show, with Pat Sajak and Gloria Loring. There was the time when for once, it was a technical problem with the board and not Bert that inadvertently gave the answer away. There was also one during the only week Charles Nelson Reilly played, joining Abby Dalton. They also had references on all-star weeks, notably the one with Harry Anderson, John Ratzenberger, and soap stars Emma Samms and Jack Coleman. 

The password is...Dolly! Say the word and celebrate everything about one of the most beloved country stars of all time in these all-stars, all-hilarious episodes!

Password Saturday Classics - Dolly Pardon- Password Plus and Super Password

Oh, and I bought my train tickets tonight. I'll be on vacation from September 26th through October 4th. Yes, I'll bring my laptop and will be updating the blog then (though I will take a break from the Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog). 

Hot Day On the Swings

Started the morning with breakfast and more of the Monchhichis. Thumkii accidentally cracks one of the "Jingle Pods" used in the Happy Works after he gets caught in the pipes. Moncho and Kyla have been arguing over who is in charge after Wizzar goes on vacation, and it does them no favors when they use his magic to retrieve a pod, only to be captured by moving musical notes who are the land's guards. Moncho and Kyla finally figure out how to work together when they have to save Thumkii and the prince of Harmony.

Spent the rest of the morning listening to A Bing Crosby Collection, Volume 1. According to the back of the album, these are songs recorded from 1928 through 1932 that either hadn't been released at all or were wildly out of print by the time this record came out in 1978. It's interesting how often the liner notes complain about pretty songs like "With Summer Coming On" and "Rose of Mandalay" being old-fashioned and banal. Maybe they were in the disco era, but nowadays, they sound charming. Some of these songs, like "Lazy Day," "I Found You," and an otherwise-lovely "Love Me Tonight" have major sound problems that are acknowledged on the back of the album. "Waiting at the End of the Road" and "You're Still In My Heart" sound better. We even get what amounts to comedy recording, Bing laughing in the background of one of those "smile and go on" numbers of the early Depression, "We're a Couple of Soldiers."

Rushed out at noon. It was too late to eat lunch out, so I stopped at Speedy Mart and bought an enormous blueberry muffin and an apple. Got bagels for lunch this weekend there, too. I just made it there in time. I was grabbing my apple just as a big group of teenagers out of Collingswood High School down the street arrived looking for snacks. I bought my lunch and the bagels and rushed out, arriving at Thomas Sharp just in time.

We had the same amount of kids today, 12, but this time, we started with 7 older kids and five younger ones. I spent a lot of the afternoon reading books in the after-school program's book bins and the Muppet Babies fairy tale book I bought in Philadelphia during vacation to two enthralled little misses. One of the girls did request we skip "Little Red Riding Hood" because the wolf scared her, even though I showed her that Piggy and her granny were ok in the end. Otherwise, they both loved it.

We still had all 12 kids when we went outside this time. On one hand, I could understand why the wanted to take the kids out earlier. It was a gorgeous day. Sunny, hot, and humid, but not to the degree of yesterday. On the other hand, there were too many of them to go on the swings right away...and most of them weren't happy about that. They asked us "can we go on?" every five minutes until we let them on. And then, all they did was argue. There's only two swings, and they're very popular. At least they all got on at least once before we all went back in. I drew with one of the little girls on a sheet of paper taped to a table in the cafeteria. By the time they let me go at quarter after 3, there was one younger kid left and five older ones.

I rode across Newton Lake Park, down Lees Lane and across Cuthbert to Westmont Plaza. Started this week's grocery shopping at Sprouts. In all honesty, I didn't really need much there or at the Westmont Acme. Picked up oat milk, buy-one, get-one soda, and half-price bakery vegan chocolate chip caramel cookies at Sprouts. I didn't like the price on their shredded chicken, so I thought I'd try sliced turkey steaks instead. Restocked yogurt, tuna, granola bars, and granola at the Acme. I had online coupons for grapes and apples, and Olipop soda was on a really good sale. They still have slices of that "patriotic" red, white, and blue cake left from the big 4th of July celebrations on clearance, too. 

Cut through Newton Lake Park going home. Everything is so fresh and green! The path over the hill to the Haddon Township Environmental Center smells so wonderfully earthy. The woods were dark, with cool breezes rustling through the deep green leaves. The rain has really done the grass and trees some good. I was just glad it wasn't so dry anymore, even if the ground under me was a bit muddy.

Ran the second half of The Price Is Right on Buzzr while I put everything away. Started off with a college girl who claimed she didn't know anything about The Clock Game, but won her two prizes in excellent time anyway. Likewise, the lady after her kept getting the rules wrong in The Race Game, but she still won all four prizes on her second try. The third lady didn't have nearly as much luck with Plinko. She only managed 100 dollars. The generic Showcase had trips to England, India, and Japan and a fancy globe. The "story" Showcase let Professor Johnny Olsen go back in time to show flapper Janice how a stereo was an improvement on a Victrola, and a sports car could outrun any gangster! Janice must have really gotten into being a flapper. She kept doing the Charleston to the Dixieland music, even as the credits ran.

Got my schedule at this point, too. In good news, slightly more hours next week. Bad news, I work on Labor Day...and I work more hours than I should be. I'm supposed to only work 9 to 1 on weekdays. They have me at 9 to 2. I need to remind them that I can't always do that. 

Let it continue into Match Game '76. Bert Convy, Patty Duke Astin, and Fannie Flagg joined in for the entire two hours. Charles brought the pregnant contestant a suitcase after she won the Head-to-Head a third time, "just in case something happened." Bert kept trying to kiss and hug the contestants, even when he wasn't the one giving answers on the Audience Match.

Finished the night with more fourth season Remember WENN. "The Follies of WENN" is the burlesque show Scott puts on when a friend of his offers him $1,000 to stage a girlie show on a Sunday. The station intends to use the money to save Mr. Winthrop's (the nervous sponsor from the first season) school. Meanwhile, Betty and Maple want rooms in the new wing of the boarding house where Betty lives, but they're both afraid that the people who run it won't approve of their jobs...until the head chairman (Mickey Rooney) claims he wants to take the show to Broadway!

The station may be heading for a "Pratfall" when they're nominated for 16 Golden Lobe Awards, Pittsburgh's prestigious radio award. Eugenia tries for truth in radio and actually work out during her exercise program, while Scott looks for a letter from Victor and Hilary tries to butter up the others when she finds out someone at the station is in charge of the nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Trophy.

Be True to Your Pre-School

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. It's "A Whale of a Tale" when Father Bear tells Little Bear how he helped Mighty the Whale when he was trapped on the beach years before. Mighty and his own baby get to return the favor when Father Bear's fishing ship is caught in a storm. "Mitzi Arrives"...bubbly Mitzi the Money, that is. She wants to fit in with the others, but Emily and Duck don't appreciate her jump rope rhymes that make fun of them. Mitzi finally makes it up to them with a rhyme that admits she was wrong. "Granny's Old Flying Rug" can seemingly take Little Bear, Emily, and Tutu the dog anywhere, until they're stranded on a deserted island. Little Bear's mermaid friend helps them out.

Listened to CDs while I worked online and made the bed. Hot! Hot! Hot! is a collection of tropical-themed songs put out by Pier 1 Imports, of all places, in 2002. There's a lot of familiar songs here, from the infectious title number by Buster Poindexter to Elton John's hit "Island Girl" to the darker "Caribbean Queen" by Billy Ocean. Of the more recent songs and covers, I liked Baha Men's spicy version of "Kokomo" and the appropriately titled "Feel Good Island Music" by Ho'omu'a.

Rewind is one of the many, many Rolling Stones greatest hits collections. I believe I have the original US CD version that starts off with "Miss You" and includes "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" and "Hang Fire." I bought it mainly because it has two of my favorite Stones songs, "It's Only Rock and Roll" and "Brown Sugar.

Didn't even finish the Stones before I headed out. I wanted to have lunch before the after-school program started. Since it's down the street from the school anyway, I ate at Crust N' Cravings on Collings Avenue. Had two slices of cheese pizza and a can of Diet Dr. Pepper outside at the picnic tables on their patio. It wasn't really that bad of a day. It was hot, yes, and killer humid, but there was a really nice wind that helped cool things off considerably.

As it turned out, there wasn't much to worry about at Thomas Sharp, at least not today. We had 12 kids all together, 9 pre-school and kindergarten, three older. I suspect most of the kids went home with their parents or are still on vacation. Two older kids and two younger ones left within a half-hour of their arrival. We had to start in the library, due to a gym class running late. By the time we moved the kids to the cafeteria for lunch, we were down to one older kid and 8 pre-schoolers. They played with magnetic tiles and bristle blocks and brand-new Barbies for about an hour and a half while listening to "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" from Lilo & Stitch and songs from K-Pop Demon Hunters and Encanto. 

There were six kids left when we took them out to the playground. Since they all ran to the swings anyway and there were so few of them, we let them use the swings from the outset. In fact, there were so few kids, there wasn't even much arguing over them. One girl was initially upset when she couldn't go on right away, then probably had more fun finding bugs in the mulch anyway. She found what I believe to be a bug's outer exoskeleton and chased one of the boys with it. The head teacher came out around 3, by which time we were down to three kids, two younger girls and the one remaining older boy, and his dad was on his way. They let me and the head teacher for the older kids go early. 

Since I got out earlier than expected, I decided I deserved a treat. I thought of riding to WaWa for a smoothie, but it really was getting hotter and a lot more humid by that point. Stopped at Dunkin' Donuts instead for a Berry Daydream Refresher. Turns out that basically meant "mixed berry drink topped with marshmallow foam." As such, it was a little sweet, but not that bad. 

Put on Remember WENN after I got home while writing down all of the qualities I wanted in a friend. "Hilary's Agent" is looking for a new job after he fails to realize she's gunning for one of the title roles in a Broadway production of Caesar and Cleopatra that's trying out in Pittsburgh. Hilary poses as her own fictional agent to get said role, then drives everyone crazy with her demands, even producer Rex Noble (Daniel Benzali).

"The Birth of a Station" was considered controversial in the WENN fandom when it first debuted. Cora (Debra Wiseman), a very hungry expectant mother, turns up at the station looking for Dr. Talbot. Trouble is, he's a character on their medical drama Young Dr. Talbot. Jeff poses as the doctor for her, while the others try to figure out how they can get her to the hospital during a transportation strike.

Finished Rewind next, then switched to records. Fire Into Music is a unique collection of instrumental jazz/R&B fusion tracks. Fun, funky numbers like "Supership" by George Benson and "Such a Night" by Esther Phillips sounded like nothing else I ever heard. Deodato turned out a truly epic jazz version of "Also Sprach Zathura," while Stanley Turrentine's "I Told Jesus" has mild gospel overtones.

Watched Match Game '76 during dinner. We finished out the Ron Pallilo/Mary Wickes week tonight. A cheerful contestant with a mile-high Afro didn't end up getting his money (rumor has it he may have been related to a CBS employee). Richard was far happier to help a very pretty and very pregnant young woman.

Moved to Wake Up and Live on YouTube next for Labor Day Weekend. I go further into this adorable Fox comedy with Alice Faye and Jack Haley at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Labor Day! - Wake Up and Live

Finished the night with more records I picked up during my July vacation with Lauren. Dave Grusin did the atmospheric score for Murder By Death. To hear atmospheric, moody pieces like "Broken Bridge" and "Gather at Table," you'd think this wasn't a hilarious parody of mid-20th century murder mysteries. The farce is clearer when the music picks up in the Main Title or at "I'll Park the Car/Cobwebs" and "Lockin' It Up/Twain Tango." Probably not the most necessary thing in the universe, but if you love this movie like I do, the score is worth having.

No one does the classic American songbook like Ella Fitzgerald. Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Songbook kicks off with a gorgeous, bluesy "But Not for Me." Her "The Man I Love" and "He Loves and She Loves" are also lovely. She has more fun with "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "Clap Yo' Hands," and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."

Sleepy Day In the Rain

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Visits School" and worries that they won't have the things he loves, so he brings his drum, a book, and his favorite block along with his stuffed tiger Tigey. As it turns out, Teacher Harriet shows him that yes, they have musical instruments, blocks, and books for him to read...but he's still welcome to bring Tigey. "Daniel Visits the Doctor" for a check-up and a shot. Doctor Anna and his mother talk him through each step, making sure he knows what's going on and that, other than a little pinch on the shot, it won't hurt him.

Headed out to work after the cartoon ended. No problems here. I arrived on time. It was quiet all morning, despite it being the beginning of the month. Everyone must be waiting for Labor Day Weekend. It didn't start picking up until noon, and I was almost done by then anyway. The weather didn't help. It was cool, cloudy, and thickly humid. 

I originally wanted to pick up a stuffed pretzel for lunch, but it turns out that A&A Pretzel Shop on the White Horse Pike is closed for their own summer break. I doubled back and had lunch at Common Grounds Coffee House instead. Enjoyed a chai latte (slightly spicier and less sweet this time, slice of crumb cake, and slice of spinach-feta-tomato quiche while watching a mother and her three children try to decide what treats they wanted. 

Maybe I shouldn't have doubled back. It started to shower heavily the moment I stepped out of Common Grounds. Good thing I wasn't that far from home. I just rode back across Oaklyn and got wet.

Dried off when I got home, changed, and went down for a much-needed nap. I won't have time for many naps after school starts tomorrow! Settled down in bed at 2 PM and didn't get up until almost 5. 

Watched Remember WENN after I finally rolled out of bed. "You've Met Your Match" is WENN's proto-Love Connection dating game. Hilary wants to get a date on the show and make Jeff jealous, but her plans backfire when Maple suggests they all go on the show. Jeff uses Betty to make Hilary jealous, only to upset her even more, while Scott has to explain to Betty that his relationship with Maple is long done. The other dates go much smoother. Mr. Eldridge and Gertie always enjoy each other's company. Maple's delighted to be in the arms of a slightly bemused Victor. Mr. Foley and Eugenia have so much fun on their date, they're the last to come back!

"And If I Die Before I Sleep" is my favorite episode of the entire show. Victor turns Betty's enormous blending of Shakespeare's Italian-set plays into a mammoth 52-hour, three-day marathon to beat the record set by a station in Philadelphia. Scott's suspicious of Charles Abernathy (John Ratzenberger) and Nurse Brumpton (Marceline Hugot) when the coffee they keep drinking does nothing to stay awake. The others do everything they can to keep from falling asleep, including Betty somehow passing out horizontal on a chair. It's Victor, Mr. Eldridge, Gertie, and a sick Maple who finally catch them in the act...and figure out who they're really working for.

Switched to Match Game '76 after dinner. They finished out the week with Soupy Sales and Madelyn Rhue as Brett complained about there being two men on the upper tier not wearing socks. (Apparently, Soupy didn't wear them, either.) Ron Pallio of Welcome Back, Kotter joined in the next week, along with sweet Joyce Bulifant and crusty Mary Wickes.

Watched Paw Patrol at Paramount Plus next. "Pups Save the School Day" when they all help Alex find his lost red backpack and who snitched his tuna fish sandwich. "Pups Turn Off the Lights" when they're setting up for Chase's birthday party and one of the wind turbines outside of Adventure Bay breaks. While Chase directs traffic and Marshal and Rocky help Ryder fix the turbine, the others find party games they can play in the dark.

Stayed at Paramount Plus to finish the night with The Love Boat. A couple celebrating their 20th anniversary (Lynn Redgrave and Robert Mandan) argue when "The Anniversary Gift" turns out to be her desire for a baby. Gopher's not saying "Honey Bee Mine" when Julie claims he's her boyfriend to keep her from chasing her current boyfriend, a ship officer (Richard Bergman). Captain Steubling is "Bewigged, Bothered, and Bewildered" and wears a toupee around his old high school classmate (Phyllis Diller). He finally finds the best way to be himself at a movie star-costume party where he shows up as one of the coolest bald men ever, Yul Brunner. 

(Oh, and I'm guessing the rain must have slowed down shortly after I got home. It was long gone by the time I finished my nap. It only just started pouring again.)

Making Lemonade From Looney Tunes

Began a late morning with breakfast and He-Man. "Reign of the Monster" is unique to the series. It's the only episode where He-Man remains in that form for the entire episode and never once becomes Prince Adam. He's visiting his friend Stratos at his country Avion to watch him use the Staff of Avion for a festival. Skeletor kidnaps Stratos and steals the Staff to awaken a powerful monster and take over Castle Greyskull. He-Man, Teela, and Stratos' sister rescue him, then find a way to seal the monster before the Staff completely destroys Eternia.

It was late when I finished my previous blog entry and headed out on my bike, dodging tons of road work around Newton Lake Park as I made my way down to Collingswood. I quickly took money out of the ATM machine at the PNC Bank and continued on my way. 

Next stop was Phidelity Records. In good news, it was open this time. Unfortunately, the owner said he sold the soundtrack to The Muppets Take Manhattan I was interested in on Saturday. He says any kind of Muppet material tends to go fast nowadays. I did pick up two albums: 

I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat - Looney Tunes songs on Capitol Records' Wonderland Records children's line

Guys and Dolls - Listed as a "Musical Repertory Theater," this studio recording lists Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Alan Sherman, and Dinah Shore among its performers. (And I got this one out of the $2 bins!)

I had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Westmont. Que Ricas is a small hole-in-the-wall in a shopping center specializing in Venezuelan sandwiches and burritos. I had my favorite, the Curvy Queen chicken salad sandwich with a tamarind Mexican soda. Yum! It came in two thick round corn bread slices with sauteed plantains. Best kind of comfort food there is.

Carefully made my way around more road repairs on Cuthbert heading down to the Haddon Township Library for this week's library session. Like Audubon, the Haddon Township Library is small, and there's not a whole lot there. I did find a bunch of the Images of America books on many local towns, including Haddon Township. The one on Merchantville confirmed that yes, most of the buildings in that town do date to between the 1880's and the 1940's, and they're a lot more respectful of their history than Cherry Hill. Cherry Hill's lost much of its history, either to fires or simply changing tastes. Frankly, I'd rather have the nifty Cherry Hill Inn than the bland Doubletree and Holiday Inn. I'm not much for concerts, but just knowing headliners were 20 minutes from me at the Latin Casino would have been cool enough. I really wish I could have tried a real farm dairy bar at the Holly Ravine Farm, too.

Rushed home after I left the library, then called Uber. There wasn't time to take the bus to the Cinemark in Somerdale. The movie I wanted to see, Coyote Vs. Acme, was almost about to start. And of course, it took 15 minutes for the driver to arrive. I wound up being more than 20 minutes late, especially after I bought a soda. I don't think I missed more than the first ten minutes or so of the film, though.

I'm not going to give details because of spoilers, but I did enjoy it. At the least, I'm glad they finally were able to release it. That alone makes this a win, no matter how much money it does or doesn't make at the box office. It's a shame I don't think Warners quite knows what to do with the Looney Tunes, or anything remotely family-friendly right now. This is basically "what if Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a spoof legal drama with the Looney Tunes instead of a spoof film noir mystery with every cartoon character available in 1988?" It does get a little message-heavy near the end of the movie, but for all that, it ended up being surprisingly sweet. Highly recommended for fans of the Looney Tunes, classic animation, or those who just want to see a good corporate satire.

It was almost 6 PM by the time I got out of the theater. This was no time to mess around. I was worried that it would take forever to get an Uber driver with the evening rush hour traffic, so I did take the bus. Thankfully, it was on time, and there were no problems whatsoever. The bus dropped me off on the White Horse Pike around 6:30.

Had a quick dinner while watching Match Game '76. They were just finishing out the week with Robert Hedgyes and Ethel Merman when I got in. The next week featured Betty White, character actress Madelyn Rhue, and in his only appearance on the 1970's version of the show, comedian Soupy Sales of What's My Line. 

Finished the night with the first two episodes of Remember WENN's fourth season. "Some Time, Some Station" starts with the stand-off between Victor, Pruitt, Scott, Betty, and two guns. After Pruitt ends up on the ground, Victor comes out of his brainwashing thinking it's the start of the broadcasting day. Betty has to explain to Scott about what's going on, while Maple happily flirts with Victor, Hilary tries to ignore Jeff, and the others react to Victor's sudden emergence from the dead.

Mr. Eldridge is saying "Thanks a Lottery!" when those tickets Scott tried to sell off in "Happy Homecomings" turn out to be winners. He's no sooner gotten used to the idea when the others discover that WENN has been shunted into another corporation that cuts even more of their budget and has a mandatory age for retirement, one that Mr. Eldridge is long past. Even after the others think Hilary has accidentally burned his tickets with her love letters, Mr. Eldridge finds a way to make sure that no one will ever buy the station or push anyone out ever again. 

Dolls Rock On

Began the morning with breakfast and Monchichhis. Melmot is a "Misfit Grumplin" who is too gentle and friendly to fit in with his fellow nasty Grumplins. He helps Thumkii escape from Grumplor, only for the other Grumpkins to follow him and in an attempt to invade Monchia and make it look like he did it. Thumkii knows better. Melmot finally reminds them that it doesn't matter what you look like if you're a good guy at heart.

Ran a few errands after the show ended. I was hoping to find more moisture eliminators at Dollar General. Nope, but I did pick up the smaller yellow bottle of Tide there. Wanted to see if they had my gum toothpaste at CVS, but they were too expensive. Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee House for a sweet chai latte instead. I just barely got there in time. I had no sooner sat down with my drink than hordes of college kids came in and the line was nearly out the door.

It was too hot and humid to linger outside for long. Besides, it kept saying it was supposed to rain. (It still hasn't at press time.) I headed home for lunch. Ate while watching Paw Patrol. "Pups Save an Elephant Family" when Marshall spies a lone baby elephant near their camp on a jungle safari, then it strands Cap'n Turnbot and Francois in their tree house. After they rescue them, they have to get the elephant back to its mother. "Pups and the Mischievous Kittens" introduces the Kitten Catastrophe Crew, Mayor Humdinger's spoiled kittens whom he's dressed like the Paw Patrol. They help him wreak havoc on Adventure Bay when Mayor Goodway is competing for a Cleanest Town award. Chase's allergies help him figure out what they're doing...and stop the naughty mayor and his kitty friends from causing more trouble.

Dressed the dolls for school and lessons next. Molly wears Kit's School Skirt Outfit, which is really too pink for Kit. She prefers her original blue School Outfit with the plaid jumper. Samantha is in her 2015 BeForever "meet" outfit, the pink Swiss-dotted dress with the wide lace collar and burgundy velvet sash. Felicity will take tea in her yellow Tea Lesson Gown with the embroidered roses. Jess is dressed for after Catholic school her original striped "meet" outfit shirt with jean capris and teal jelly strap shoes. Ariel is in the pale blue Swiss lace sundress with the crocheted vest I found her in. Josefina is ready for the end of summer in her orange and yellow striped Summer Dress. (Unfortunately, the boots that went with it fell apart last year.) Whitney looks chic and ready for class in her "Sweet Memories" purple checked poodle skirt and turquoise scarf. Barbara Jean's nubby pink and gold minidress came from eBay.

Listened to records while I worked. Bless Its Pointed Little Head was the first live album from Jefferson Airplane in 1969...and boy, did they get into this! They really push some of their best-known songs, especially "Plastic Fantastic Lover" and "Somebody to Love," to their absolute limits at the time, going nearly into hard rock. "Fat Angel" and "It's No Secret" also benefit from the harder approach. Apparently, this did well at the time despite critics not knowing what to make of it. Definitely worth looking for if you're into the band's early sound.

Eric Clapton did even better by Slowhand in 1977. The first three songs on this album are among his biggest hits, the hard driving "Cocaine," sweet "Wonderful Tonight," and rollicking "Lay Down Sally." "Next Time You See Her" is a darker bluesy number, while "May You Never" and "Peaches and Diesel" lighten things up a little on side B. One of Clapton's definitive albums is a must if you're a fan of his. 

Moved from Eric Clapton and the blues to the Commodores and R&B for their 1985 album Nightshift. This was their second album after original lead singer Lionel Richie went solo, and it featured what would be their biggest hit after he left. The driving title song was a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, both of whom had died the year before. I remember it being on the radio a lot during the mid-80's, and it still turns up fairly frequently on oldies and 80's radio stations to this day. I vaguely remember "Janet" being fairly popular at the time as well. Most of the other songs aren't at their levels. This album is extremely of its time, with electronic dance riffs like "Animal Instinct" and "Play This Record Twice." You may be better off looking for "Nightshift" and "Janet" on 80's playlists unless you're a huge fan of the band.

Switched to Remember WENN while vacuuming and Swiftering the floors and dusting the rooms. "The Ghost of WENN" seems to be walking the halls of the station when Hilary hears a mysterious voice during a late-night horror broadcast. Betty joins her in trying to figure out what's going on, and why this ghost has a thing for cranberry jelly. Meanwhile, Mackie is more nervous about the broadcast and the old story that an actor died when reading his lines on page 13.

"Caller I.D" distills the magic of radio better than any other episode of the series. Mackie's running records for a late-night music show when a secretary named Jane Smith (voice of Alice Playten) calls in and says she's sitting on the edge of a building, ready to jump. Seems she's tired of her humdrum job and is convinced that if her life can't be like the glamorous radio shows she listens to, she doesn't want to live. The WENN staff throw together some of their most popular show to talk her down...then realize that they're now the "passionate listeners" who care as much about Jane as she does them.

The third season ends with the literal bang that is "Happy Homecomings." Betty worries about Victor's safety when she hears another voice performing Jonathan Arnold on the shortwave and spends the episode trying to open that strongbox. When she finally does, Victor's contact isn't who she expects...and Victor isn't what he seems to be, either. Meanwhile, Jeff comes home as well, but Hilary is still furious about the Pavla mess and refuses to work with him, and Scott has discovered that yes, there are still codes going out over the airwaves, but not in what they've been performing. He's about to tell Betty when he walks into the Green Room and ends up with a gun in his face...held by Victor Comstock...

Hoooo boy. This is the cliffhanger that left the entire WENN fandom, including me, screaming for six months straight. Longest six months of my life until the housing fracas in 2021-2022. All I wanted from December 1997 to June 1998 was to pass my college classes and find out the endings to those blasted cliffhangers! This is why the third season is far and away my favorite. On one hand, Jeff is missed, and this is a lot darker than the seasons that came before it or after it. That's why I like it. This is where the show dares to go places that sitcoms don't often explore even now, from betrayal to death to the importance of the imagination. "Who's Scott Sherwood," "Happy Homecoming," "Caller I.D," and "From the Pen of Gertrude Reece" are my favorite episodes here, though I also love "Mr. and Mrs. Singer," "In the WENN Small Hours," and "A Girl Like Maple." Those cliffhangers signal a lot of changes for the fourth season, not all of them welcome...

Moved to Match Game '76 after I took a shower. By the time I got to there and dinner, they were finishing out the Pat Moriata week. Robert Hedyges of Welcome Back Kotter made his only appearance on the show the next week, joined by Fannie Flagg and Broadway legend Ethel Merman. Richard was more interested in kissing and hugging the contestant, whether she won the Head-to-Head or not.

Finished the night with quiz shows for children, teens and college kids. Quiz shows for kids go back way further than you might imagine. One of the most popular game shows on radio in the 40's and 50's was Quiz Kids. A panel of five children answered questions sent to host jovial Joe Kelly by listeners. The kids were chosen for their high IQs, personalities, and poise in front of a mic, or later camera. It wound up being one of the most popular game shows on radio in the 1940's, endlessly parodied and praised. Though it was one of the earliest game shows moved to TV, it never did as well here. I have an episode here from 1949, one of the earliest surviving episodes of a TV game show. I can see why this was so beloved. The kids are genuinely funny and smart, and substitute host Fran Allison seems to genuinely enjoy listening to their answers.

GE College Bowl was almost as much of an institution in the 50's and 60's. This is about as simple of a quiz show as you can get. Teams from two colleges play answer tough questions in a heated battle of the minds. It's a battle to prove size doesn't matter in the colorized episode I have, as small private New York University squares off against big state college University of Oklahoma.

College Bowl became the standard against which every high school bowl game was set. Practically every local public broadcasting station in the 70's and 80's ran some variation on College Bowl with local high school teams pit against one another. Many of those shows proved to be so popular, they're still running to this day. The version I have here, High School Challenge, started in 1984 on the Flint, Michigan PBS station and has apparently been running there ever since. 

Producers Barry and Enright noticed how popular their kids' weeks were on their The Joker's Wild and created the kids's-only Joker! Joker! Joker! in 1979. Kids get to spin the famous wheel and answer questions from subjects like "Disney Characters" or "Superheroes" tailored to them. I really wish the current owners of the show would do something like this again. The kids are hilarious, and host Jack Barry really seems to enjoy guiding them and their parents through the show.

Jeopardy would do something similar for Game Show Network almost two decades later. Jep! from 1998 had kids tossing out the questions to the answer. However, two wrong answers, and they get something dropped on them, like colorful balls or socks. Three wrong answers, and they're pulled out of the game for a turn. This pretty much screams "late 90's." I will say that, while not great, it is better and a lot more fun than Merv Griffith's too-cheesy attempt to make a kid's Wheel of Fortune around the same time. 

Nickelodeon did better by Make the Grade in 1989 and 1990. Though there are stunts in the form of "Fire Drills" that allow them to switch seats and get more squares, most of the emphasis here is on what the kids know. Three kids answer questions from school related topics like math, science, English, phys ed (sports), and current events. There's also one random "elective" topic usually revolving around Pop culture (in the episode I have here, famous redheads). The kids have to answer one question from each topic and from grades (difficulty levels) 1 through 12 to win. This is one of my favorite game shows Nick did in the late 80's along with Double Dare. It's almost refreshing to see a show on Nick put emphasis on what the kids know, rather than how well they can throw a gunk-filled balloon. 

Teens had their own fun in syndication in 2000 with Pressure 1. An offshoot of an earlier syndicated show for teens Peer Pressure, this one emphasized questions rather than stunts. Four kids answer questions. Those who answer two right move on. The one who don't has to relate their most embarrassing moment. In the next round, the first winner gets to choose a subject with a punny title from which to answer questions. The winner gets to pick the next topic. Two move on to the final round, where they have to answer the most questions correctly in 60 minutes. Interesting idea, but a bit on the cheap side - you can tell this was intended for syndication. The kids do seem to get into it, though, especially in the lightning round. 

Go back to school with these hilarious quiz kids as they try to make the grade under pressure and show they have what it takes to really rule the airwaves!

Quiz Kids (1949)

GE College Bowl (Colorized) (1960)

Joker! Joker! Joker! (1979)

Make the Grade (1990)

High School Challenge (1996)

Jep! (1998)

Pressure 1 (2000)

Larger Than Life Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the soundtrack to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This was Tim Curry's big break, and one of his first major roles for most American audiences. And what a way to debut! He gets one of the big numbers from this, "Sweet Transvestite," as the mad scientist who thinks they've created the perfect man. The chorus numbers are probably even better-known today, including "I Can Make You a Man" for Curry and his hangers-on, "Wild and Untamed Thing," "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me," and of course, "The Time Warp." This is probably more fun at a midnight showing, but the music is good enough to rate a listen around Halloween or whenever you're feeling in the need for some really, really unique dance music.

Called Uber after Side A of the record ended. It was hot, humid, and supposed to rain later. I think I made the right call. The driver going to the Acme arrived in 11 minutes. I called early enough that I got there in plenty of time. The one going home arrived in 10 minutes. No trouble either way.

No trouble at work, either. I swept and pushed carts for the entire six hours. I was on my own during the morning. One of the college boys came out to help me after about 1 PM. Good thing, too. It wasn't busy when I arrived, but it picked up around 11 and stayed busy the rest of the day. We're coming up on the start of September and the school year, and Labor Day is next weekend.

Finished Rocky Horror when I got home while reading Topped Chef by Lucy Burdette, then switched to the original cast CD for the musical version of My Favorite Year. Curry got a Tony nomination in the Peter O'Toole role as the sozzled Errol Flynn-esque swashbuckler star. Lanie Kazan repeated her role as Benjy Stone's (Evan Pappas) mother Belle and also got a Tony nomination; listen for Mary Stout (Eugenia on Remember WENN) also reprising her role as Benjy's aunt in the "Welcome to Brooklyn" number. Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flahtery have an incredible opening number, Benjy's description of live television right before the show starts, "Twenty Million People," but most of the other chorus numbers are just there to give the chorus something to do. Neither Curry's "The Night Is Young" nor "The Gospel According to King" are all that interesting or have much to do with the story. 

The character numbers are better. Belle describes how she fell in love with her scrappy Philippine husband in "Rookie In the Ring," Curry tears into "If Life Were Like the Movies," and Benjy explains why he adores Swann's films in "Larger Than Life." Andrea Martin did get a Tony as the female sketch writer in an expanded role, including her big number "Professional Showbizness Comedy" with King Kaiser (Tom Mardrosian). I love this, but I'm also a big fan of Aherns, Flahtery, and the original movie. If you love Martin, Curry, or the film it's worth checking out just for those character numbers. 

Moved to YouTube for not one, but two marathons. Country singer "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson was just celebrated for being the oldest current member of the Grand Ol' Opry. He was also the only country star to be a semi-regular on Match Game. The self-effacing, down-home charm he brought to the Opry made him unique on Match Game amid the crustier or more urban panelists. He first turned up on Bonnie Franklin's second week in mid-1976, as she reminded Gene that he hadn't been able to kiss her the first time she was there. 

Bill's most famous episode came later in 1976. Brett and Charles dressed as cowpokes to be his back-up singers as he performed his own song for Debralee Scott, who sat under him that week. She was deeply touched, and I thought the whole thing was adorable. He was also on the week in 1978 with Brett and Jack Klugman after their divorce, including the PM episode where Jack said if you asked his ex the time of day, she'd tell you how the clock was made. (He was right.) He brought along a picture of his darling new baby boy in a syndicated episode. He appeared right until the end of the syndicated series in 1982, making his final appearance on a week with another country superstar, Irlene Mandrell. 

His last Match Game appearance was during a week of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984. He brought along a Casio keyboard to work on new songs while helping a man from Manchester, England get to the Hollywood Squares segment. Joining him that week were Edie McClurg in a tiara, Fred Travalena and his one-man White House, Linda Dano, Soupy Sales, and Joe Santos. 

Lift a twangy guitar to the man whose career has spanned six decades in this hilarious and tuneful marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Bill Anderson "Country Star" Special Shows

Jaye P. Morgan is best-known nowadays for her stint on The Gong Show, but she did do Match Game just as it started again in mid-1973. In fact, her one week introduced eventual series regulars Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly and semi-regulars Bert Convy and Betty White. Morgan is the only one that week who wouldn't come back, but she had a lot of fun anyway. She got to hear Brett claim for the first time that Charles wasn't wearing socks and had Bert flirt with her about "turning her on" when she complained that the light on her desk wouldn't turn on.

Bang the gong for this singer, actress, and talent show judge in one of the funniest early weeks of the show!

Match Game Sunday Classics  - Jaye P. Morgan Tribute

Finished the night with the all together quieter Miles Davis rendition of Porgy and Bess. This may have been recorded in anticipation of the 1959 Goldwyn film version of the landmark Gershwin opera, but it honestly came out better than that troubled movie did. In fact, this remains one of Davis' best-selling albums. His "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," "Gone," "Summertime," and "I Loves You, Porgy" capture the tough-tender feel of the opera far better than Goldwyn's overstuffed extravaganza generally does. 

Hard Candy Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Donald Hatches an Egg" when Goofy mistakes a unique long, slender egg for a rock and it gets attached to Donald. Mickey, Goofy, Daisy, and Don talk to birds and chickens in an attempt to find its mother, but it's really closer to a type of lizard egg.

Called Uber after that to get me to work quickly. It sure did the trick. The one going to work came in 7 minutes, and I actually arrived early for a change. The one going home was more of a problem. It kept fluctuating, but I think it finally took about 8 minutes. No problems on the road.

No problems at work, either. I spent the entire day scrubbing the shelves filled with Acme generic soda and chips that are the first things you see when you enter the store. Whatever was on there before made them grimy and sticky, especially under the soda! It was so bad, I needed Easy Off spray and at least five boxes of eraser sponges, and the last two shelves never did come fully clean. At least the head manager seemed to think it came out well. I ran a feather duster over end cap shelves in the back for the last half-hour.

Grabbed a few things after work that I forgot yesterday. The Westmont Acme didn't have the pulled rotisserie chicken from the deli, and I totally forgot that I needed Swiss cheese slices. Grabbed coconut macaroons off the bakery clearance racks.

Went straight in the shower to wash off all that grime when I got home, then put on the soundtrack from The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. Honestly, it's a shame Dolly Parton didn't do more musicals. I've loved this version of the hit 1979 Broadway show since I was too young to understand what was really going on at the Chicken Ranch. It used to turn up a lot on cable in the early and mid-80's. Charles Durning, as a politician denying he was using the Chicken Ranch's services, has so much fun with his one number "Side Step," he got an Oscar nomination. Dolly does better by the one standard to come from this score, "Hard Candy Christmas," and her own additional "I Will Always Love You."

Speaking of Dolly, tonight's Match Game YouTube marathon honored Dolly with episodes featuring mentions of her or questions where she was an answer. By 1978, she'd replaced Raquel Welch as the du jour performer to make chest area jokes about. Almost every question where she was an answer got a chest joke in there somewhere. Some of the best episodes of the later series and syndicated run had Dolly references. There was a reference in the infamous episode where a contestant answered "Friend and Ollie" to "Cuckoo ___" and another during the Game Show Host Week with panelists who either were game show hosts (Bill Cullen, Peter Marshall) or would be in the future (Betty White, Elaine Joyce). There were references to Dolly as late as the first week of Match Game '90 with Joe Alasky and Sally Struthers. 

Celebrate the life and legacy of this beloved lady with this hilarious marathon you'll go "Cuckoo" for!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Dolly Parton Tribute

Finished the night with The Exciting Lena Horne. This one looks like it goes way back, probably to the early-mid 50's. For all the "exciting" claim, most of the songs here are pretty dark, from "Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen" to "Little Girl Blue." I prefer the slightly more upbeat "At Long Last Love" and "More Than You Know."