Adventures In the Sunshine

Began the day with breakfast and a quick episode of Bluey. While out "Camping" with her family, Bluey befriends a French black lab named Jean-Luc. He doesn't speak English, but they figure out how to communicate well enough to build a shelter of their own and capture the "wild pig" Bandit. 

Hurried off to work soon as the cartoon ended. The Acme was unusually busy for Wednesday morning. Between the crowds and the people working on inventory, I had a hard time keeping up with the carts. There were at least two times I was pulled to return cold items or took too long sweeping and could barely get out to them. Needless to say, I wasn't too unhappy when I finished. I changed, grabbed a container with three pretzel roll roast beef sliders, a small bag of potato chips, oatmeal cookies, and those 70 cent bottles of Mas electrolyte drinks (just went with the lemon-lime this time) and a box of pads on clearance and headed out. 

It was too nice to eat in a restaurant today. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for early June. It was sunny and slightly breezy, with a searingly blue sky and just enough humidity to make it comfortable. Since my picnic at the War Memorial Park in Oaklyn went so well on Sunday, I decided to do it again for lunch. This time, I was the only one eating. The only sounds were the children chasing each other in the playgrounds at the Oaklyn School to my left and the men on ladders painting what will be the Blu Bear Bakery in a few weeks to my right. Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee House for a coconut matcha latte to cool off before moving on.

It was such a nice day, I left for the Thomas Sharp School a bit early and got to explore West Collingswood. I first stopped at the small park on the other side of the railroad tracks. It has a small clubhouse-type building, a playground, and swings. I tried to get on the swings, but they were way too high! I could barely climb on. The local kids would probably need help from their parents, even some of the older ones. 

I next went across the street to read about the Champion School. This tiny 1821 one-room schoolhouse was one of the very first public schools in Camden County. It was a Quaker school, which meant all kids, regardless of race or class, could go there. I didn't look inside, but I did read the sign outside. Apparently, it was in use until 1906, likely until Thomas Sharp was built. I couldn't help wondering what the kids would think of being crammed into that little school! I thought about that as I headed over the tracks and down to Thomas Sharp. I just got there a little early and sat on the swings in the shade until the older kids came out and it was time for me to go in.

It got pretty wild even in the (slightly) newer school today. We had 25 kids, 10 at my table. My group wasn't bad in the bathrooms, but I had a harder time with the groups I took later. The girls end up giggling with each other and not doing what they need to, one of the boys won't stay in the hall, and some of the others kept blocking the door. On the other hand, I did get to read a really cute book about a poor mole who deals with some very noisy supernatural neighbors to two of the boys in the cafeteria.

We're still having trouble with the swings. The kids start begging the moment we get out, despite us saying that we'll tell them when it's ok. We let kids swing before they go home, but they have to be careful because of all the kids running around. One little girl fibbed right to me when she said her mother was there and she wasn't. Ironically, her mother arrived right then...and the kid still wouldn't get off. Her mother had to argue her off, pointing out that the others wanted a turn, too. 

Things went better once I managed to get them all in line. In fact, they were hilarious. Two of them lay on their stomachs and held hands. They were so funny, the head teacher took pictures of them, and two more kids ended up doing it. I hadn't laughed so much in ages. Those who didn't swing or race cars down the slide danced to "I'm Still Standing," "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "The Best of Both Worlds" from Hannah Montana, the themes from PJ Masks, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and songs from Sing and Trolls. 

Watched the Drew Carey Price Is Right when I got home. Alas, I came in just to see losses at the Check Out Game and the Balance Game. The Showcase Showdown went better. Not only did a lady get the dollar, but she got her nature-themed Showcase, too, including camping gear, a trip to San Diego, and an African safari.

Let it run into Match Game '74 while I figured out what to do about dinner. Tonight finished out the week with Charlie Brill. There was a lot of happy kissing when Richard Dawson helped the contestant with the Head-to-Head, including Gene grabbing Joyce Bulifant for a kiss! Scoey Michelll and Elaine Joyce were slightly more subdued the next week.

It took me a while to decide what to watch, but I finally finished the night at YouTube with Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh. I'm so glad someone posted the original 2 1/2 hour miniseries from Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color! The Walt Disney Treasures sets and Disney Movie Club DVD releases are so expensive on eBay. Dr. Syn (Patrick McGoohan) is a vicar in colonial England by day who is beloved by his parish. At night, he and a band of local men and boys are the terrifying Scarecrow and his band of outlaws, smugglers who rob King George's men and give the money and food to the poor. 

I love a good Scarlet Pimpernel/Robin Hood story, and this is one of the most unique. The final chapter, with Dr. Syn rescuing the son of the local squire (Michael Hordern), is by far the most interesting. The second chapter that revolves around the Scarecrow dealing with a traitor in their midst feels like padding, which is likely why it was cut out when it was released as a movie in Europe. Whether you go for the original miniseries or the 90 minute theatrical version, this is a slightly slow-moving but still fascinating historical adventure story. 

Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh

Swinging Harts

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Dan gets into a "Circle Time Squabble" when he and Miss Elania want to be waiters for Chrissy, and then they both want to sit next to her during their circle time. Teacher Harriet helps calm them down and show that no matter how angry they got, there are better ways to work out their problems than hitting. "It's Not Okay to Hurt Someone," especially when that someone is your little sister. Dan gets angry when Margaret crawls through his block farm entrance, and his mom isn't happy when he washes his animals instead of coming to dinner. They both discuss that it's not right to hurt someone and how to calm down before you lash out.

Spent the rest of the late morning and early afternoon vacuuming, Swiftering, and dusting my rooms. Listened to Mean Mothers: Independent Women's Blues, Volume 1 while I worked. These aren't the depressing laments most people think of when they discuss rhythm and blues. These sassy ladies of the 20's, 30's, and 40's were tough women at a time when women were only just starting to fight for their rights and their dignity. Songs like Bessie Brown's "Ain't Much Good In the Best of Men Nowadays," Bernice Edwards' "Long Tall Mama," and Blue Lou Barker's "I Don't Dig You Jack" dig into the bawdy world of strong women who don't put up with foolishness from anyone, let alone their men. We even have two standards, "Why Don't You Do Right?" by Lil Green and "Baby Get Lost" by Billie Holiday.

Switched to the 2001 Nero Wolfe while eating a quick lunch. This stylish A&E series adapted the famous series of mysteries from the 40's and 50's, with Maury Chaykin as the corpulent, orchid-loving private eye of the title and Timothy Hutton as his assistant (and the show's narrator) Archie Goodwin. Kicked off with the series opener "The Doorbell Rang." Wealthy Mrs. Rachel Bruner (Debra Monk) turns to Nero and Archie to get the FBI to stop following her. Turns out there's something more sinister going on than government agents following a rich lady around town when Archie discovers connections to the murder of a journalist investigating illegal FBI practices.

Hurried off to school even before the show ended. I was slightly late...which may have been a moot point. The kids were sitting in the hall when I arrived. This was the music class day, and the library is still being used by the school art show. Not a good thing, since we had 26 kids today, 10 in my group, and they were all wound up. We couldn't get any of them to sit down in the cafeteria. All they did was run around. 

They were wound up outside, too. Two of the boys jumped on the swings before we told them they were allowed to. I had to fight to get them off, and then to get them all in line when we did let them on. I'm tired of them all running at me once with "Me first!" and "Can I go on next?" They need to learn to wait their turn. If they get out of line to run with the others, they lose their turn and go to the back of the line. The other kids danced to "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" from Lilo and Stitch, "The Best of Both Worlds" from Hannah Montana, "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, and songs from Encanto, Moana, Moana 2, and KPop Demon Hunters. 

We finally took the remaining 3 kids back to the blacktop with the older kids around 5 PM. I sat with the one remaining girl inside. She's a bit shy, and I think she was hot after running around in the playground. I stayed with her until the head teacher came in to wipe down tables and said she'd stay with her. I headed out after that, making a quick stop at the Speedy Mart on the way home for a Propel and a treat.

After I got in, I took the trash outside, took a shower, made dinner, and went upstairs. Finished Nero Wolfe, then watched Match Game '74. Charlie Brill, slender husband of Mitzi McCall, made his first of two appearances on the show. He was joined by the delightfully daffy Joyce Bulifant and the delightfully sassy Marcia Wallace.

Finished the night with Hart to Hart. Annoyed that his new suit was switched with a larger one belonging to a mysterious Mr. Sole, Jonathan decides to make the switch himself. The last thing he and Jennifer expect to find in Mr. Sole's room is a dead man in the closet. Turns out the man doesn't exist. He was part of a CIA sting to flush out a member selling information to the highest bidder. It becomes a lot more than "Hart and Sole" when Jonathan offers to help out, and the man ends up kidnapping Jennifer.

Celebrating Games

Began the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. "Mighty Pups, Super Paws: Pups Meet the Mighty Twins" introduces Ladybird, an obnoxious thief who is addicted to all things shiny. When she snitches a bracelet with a bit of meteor from a gold chicken statue downtown, she gains flight and super-strength. Twin golden retrievers Tuck and Ella try to hold her off, then turn to the Paw Patrol to help. When Ryder sees how well they're working with the others, he gives them super powers too...ones that prove very useful in infiltrating Ladybird's steel nest and rescuing Mayor Goodway!

Headed out after that. My first stop was PNC Bank to get rent money. I couldn't get it outside, so I went inside. Couldn't get it there, either...until I realized I was using my credit card. Oops. That did it. Once I used the right card, I took out money with no trouble.

Had lunch at Sabrina's Cafe, partially because it's one of the few restaurants in Collingswood that's open on Monday. As such, they were fairly busy when I sat down at one of the thick blonde wood tables. I tried their sour-sweet hibiscus iced tea, turkey bacon, and Banana Chocolate Chip Pudding Pancakes. The turkey bacon was limp, slightly greasy, and not that great. The pancakes were huge, dripping with banana pudding and whipped cream, and while there weren't a ton of chocolate chips, they were a pretty good size. They were yummy, but proved too big to finish.

I rushed home to turn over the rent money and watch The Pirates of Dark Water. "The Dagron Master" is a little greenish fellow who claims he can help Ren and Niddler find one of the treasures after they wash up on his island during a storm. He gives Ren armor to protect him from the dragon-like dagrons...armor that turns him into one of them. Niddler has to help him remember his humanity, before the Dagron Master sells him to Blarth.

Hurried out to Thomas Sharp School even before the cartoon ended. It was honestly busier than I expected, considering we're now on the last three weeks of the school year. Apparently, from all of the boys in tropical-print shirts and the girls in fabric leis and bright flowered sundresses, today was their Hawaiian Day. We had 26 excited kids all together, 11 at my table counting one from another table who had to use the bathroom right away. 

I'm glad we got them outside when we did. It was way too nice for anyone to be inside for long! Though it clouded over a little while we were on the playground, it was mostly sunny, bright blue, and windy. They're still arguing over the swings. I got so fed up with all the squabbling, I finally told them to make a line next to the swing set. The first two in line would get to use the swings, then the next two. If you get out of line and go run around, you lose your turn and have to get in the back. That worked well enough for most of the kids to get on. At one point, two of the girls were swinging in perfect unison! By the time two boys were seeing who could swing on their stomachs the fastest (and were utterly hilarious doing so), we were down to 6 kids. Two went home just as the head teacher let me off slightly early and took the others around to the blacktop to play with the older kids.

Made a quick stop on the way home. I needed soap and thought it would be cheaper at Dollar General. Bought a new kind of all-natural soap and a Bodyarmor drink. Unfortunately, the line was so long, it had to be split in two. Took me a little while to get out of there.

Watched Match Game '74 after I took out the recycling, took the laundry downstairs, and got dinner. Tonight's episodes let Patti Deusch play on the same panel as her equally wacky comedy writer husband Donald Ross for the first and only time and introduced sweet Janet Finn, the adorable mother of 9 children who eventually went home with over $14,000. Patti was in the middle of controversy when producer and judge Ira Skutch wouldn't match "spot" with "puddle," but matched "stain" and "little yellow spot," claiming they were more specific. 

Continued with more vintage game shows at YouTube after I brought the laundry upstairs. Today begins Buzzr's big Game Show Month marathon celebration. Buzzr started in 2015 as a channel to show vintage game shows after Game Show Network dropped most of them. Match Game was on almost from the beginning (the only re-run they share with GSN). They've shown the Richard Dawson and Ray Combs Family Feud off and on; currently, the Dawson version runs early in the morning. The four existing versions of Password, from the 60's original through Million Dollar Password, have all been on the line-up at one time or another. Currently, Password Plus is a prime-time staple, while the later color episodes of the original 60's Password mainly run late at night.  

They've also run rarer shows, as part of their regular line-up and as filler in marathons. Child's Play, with adults having to guess words from kids' descriptions, and Trivia Trap, a quiz show pitting three "seniors" against younger players, were huge flops in the early-mid 80's that were parts of their early line-up and can still be occasionally seen on the channel (including this month). Black-and-white shows like What's My Line used to be early-morning staples, but they're now mostly seen in marathons. 

Buzzr really loves their shopping shows. The 70's and 80's versions of Let's Make a Deal have been on the schedule off and on (mostly recently earlier this year). They had the Wayne Brady Deal on just a few months ago....for about four weeks before they unceremoniously yanked it from the schedule. Bob Barker Price Is Right episodes from the 1980's and Drew Carey episodes from the late 2000's seem to be far more popular, despite both having separate channels dedicated to them. 

They adore Concentration, too. Classic Concentration with Alex Trebek is one of their most-run shows. The Jack Narz syndicated Concentration from the 70's has been run on the station sporadically. Currently, it's another late-night show. 

Celebrate National Game Show Month and Buzzr's 16th birthday with the best the station has had to offer!

What's My Line (1965)

Concentration (1976)

Match Game (1978)

Family Feud (1981)

Password Plus (1982)

Child's Play (1983)

Trivia Trap (1984)

Let's Make a Deal (1986)

Super Password (1987)

The Price Is Right (1988) 

Sunshine Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the soundtrack from The Prince of Egypt. The hit here was "When You Believe," performed by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. It wound up being one of the biggest songs of 1998 and won the Best Song Oscar that year. My favorite is the gorgeous "Through Heaven's Eyes," the stirring number that introduces Moses to the Israelites performed by Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell. "Playing With the Big Boys," the priest's too-goofy number, doesn't fit in any better here than it does in the film. The sweet "River Lullaby" performed by Amy Grant is far more affecting.

Thank heavens I got to work on time. We were off and on busy. The carts kept vanishing, and it was just me. The regular Sunday morning bagger took the day off. At least there were no problems. It was too gorgeous for anyone to be in a bad mood. Sunny, breezy, and in the upper 70's. Couldn't have had nicer weather.

I needed to buy strawberries anyway, so I grabbed two turkey and ham pretzel roll sliders and rode my bike into Oaklyn. I ate my lunch at the small park around the War Memorial and the parking lot, watching a family with a little boy running around. It was too nice to eat inside! They were setting up for...something...in the parking lot. There was a Camden County trailer there, and they were putting out blocks on the lot. I wonder if they were leftover from Final Friday, or there was something going on with Tonewood Brewery. 

When I got home, I changed, finished The Prince of Egypt, and went down for a much-needed nap. I walked for two and a half hours yesterday, not counting the half-hour ramble though the woods behind the Barclay Homestead, and I've been up way too late recently. I went down at 2:30 and didn't roll out of bed until quarter after 5.

Messed around online and had dinner while listening to Great Ladies of Rock and Roll: The 60's. There's a lot of really great numbers here, from Aretha Franklin's iconic demand for "Respect" to Petuala Clark singing about how much fun it is "Downtown." Lesser-known titles include Barbara Lewis' "Hello Stranger," Patty and the Emblems declaring they're a "Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl," The Toys and their "A Lover's Concerto," The Chiffons saying "He's So Fine," Claudine Clark's "Party Lights," and the Murmaids comparing love to "Popsicles and Icicles." 

Finished the night with dinner, a shower, and tonight's Match Game YouTube marathon. Comedian and character actor Bart Braverman started out as a child actor in the 50's. By the time he made his first appearance on Match Game in late 1978, he had just started appearing in the hit action show Vega$ with Robert Urich and Greg Morris. Bart could get really annoying at times, like when he and Fred Grandy brought cowbells and kazoos and kept playing them all week, or when Gene let him briefly host the show and he sounded more like a race track huckster than a game show host. When he wasn't tossing out quips, he was flirting with every pretty female contestant who appeared on the show.

Debralee Scott wasn't as amused with his idea of flirting. He spent the entire week he sat in Charles' seat throwing cards at her head and picking on her. She finally got fed up with it and stomped up to his chair to give him a good pounding. He responded by grabbing her for a kiss...and she added that she loved it when they made up!

Bart appeared on Match Game from 1978 through 1981. He would be one of the only men to sit in all three of male-designated seats and do equally well at all three of them. Brett usually loved flirting with him, when he wasn't getting on her nerves and acting too goofy. His last time on Match Game would be on the Too Close For Comfort week of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984. He and Arsenio Hall joined the cast of that classic sitcom to hear JM Bullock make fun of Gene Rayburn's propensity for long, dull explanations or his constantly making fun of Lydia Cornell. 

Blow a kazoo and ring a cow bell for the wildest detective in Sin City with these wacky and hilarious episodes!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Best of Bart Braverman

Farmstead Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. The Shirt Tales must "Save the Park" from a miserly old man who wants to build a skyscraper there. It turns into a non-holiday Christmas Carol when they show him his past, the present at the park, and his future if he doesn't leave the park alone. Pammy opens "Pam-Dora's Box" when she visits a fellow panda at the zoo who turns out to be a cyborg sent by a foreign government to send secret information. The other Shirt Tales save her when he locks her up at the zoo, then each other after he captures them as well.

Hurried out to the Collingswood Farm Market after the cartoon ended, but I lingered too long. By the time I got there, they had apples, but I couldn't find any strawberries. All of the food booths were starting to close, too. I had hoped to buy a sandwich or empanada, but there weren't any to be found. By 11:30, they'd all stopped cooking. The damage to the spring crops shows in a few of them being missing. They have radishes, asparagus, onions, and hearty greens, but the apples were the only fruit. 

I thought I'd get a sandwich and strawberries in Collingswood, but no luck. Every sandwich shop in town, from Haddon Culinary to Kismet Bagels, had a long line. It took me long enough to find Sara's Produce. They moved to the small building in the back of the new pocket park that used to be a garage. Their only strawberries were moldy and mealy. The lady at the counter said they'd get more around 1 PM, but I wasn't waiting that long. I stopped at A&A Pretzels on the White Horse Pike and got two regular pretzels and a cheesesteak-stuffed pretzel instead.

Had lunch at home while watching Paw Patrol. The pups have found a meteor that gives them super powers...but Mayor Humdinger's bratty nephew Harold Humdinger dug up a fragment of it. Not only does he get the power to create anything, but the Kitty Catastrophe Crew receive their own superpowers. They wreck havoc in Adventure Bay in "Mighty Pups, Super Paws: When Super Kitties Attack." It's a distraction from Harold's real plan - to cut Adventure Bay into his own island for him to rule! The Pups have to use their own powers to stop Harold and distract the kitties, before he cuts Adventure Bay into bits.

Called Uber after lunch. The driver going to Barclay Farmstead took 15 minutes to arrive and cost a bundle. The one going home took 13 minutes and cost slightly less. There was a little traffic going there, but nothing horrible going home.

I read about the Barclay Farmstead Museum online this winter, but I couldn't get to the park area around it until now. The the old brick 1810's-era house is only open for tours on Wednesdays and the first Sunday of every month, but it's surrounded by woodland trails, a large playground, and gardens farmed by local residents. I read about the history of the farm on signs around the perimeter of the house, then strolled through the woods. I first went closer to the main road, past a murky pond and river. I felt like Alice In Wonderland in the dark green woods. I half-expected to see a white rabbit wailing about being late and a mad tea party, or the Queen of Hearts playing croquet on the Barclay Farmstead lawn. It was lovely and peaceful. 

Since I had to go to the bathroom, I strolled out of the park and down less historic suburban streets to Aqua Road. I saw cheery red and white umbrellas and a bit of a bright blue pool peeking out behind the woods when I was walking the trails. Yes, it was the Barclay Farms area's swim club. Thankfully, they didn't mind me using their restrooms. 

I wanted to either see if I could find condos or the Barclay Farms Shopping Center next, but...I couldn't find much of anything. I kept getting lost and turned around. I did stroll over a charming little covered bridge, but that was about the only interesting thing I saw for the next hour and a half. Everything else was typical 60's tract houses with smooth emerald lawns, kids riding bikes, and old folks pushing grandchildren in strollers. I had to look up where I was online, and I still got turned around. I left the Swim Club around 3, and it was past 4:30 when I finally made it to the Barclay Farms Shopping Center.

To be honest, I probably could have picked up Uber somewhere in Barclay Farms, but...not only would I be easier to find on the Marlton Pike, I needed a drink badly. It had been cloudy this morning in Collingswood, but by 4:30, it was sunny, warm, and very windy. Manhattan Bagel was closed by then, but there was a Dollar Tree on the other side of the shopping center. I got more of the puffcorn I had at the movies last month, a bottle of Diet Pepsi, a fan printed with the US flag on it, and 4th of July cardboard cut-outs.

(Ironically, I finally saw condo buildings rising up across the Pike from the shopping center when I made it there, but...wherever I end up in Cherry Hill, it won't be Barclay Farms. The Farmstead is lovely, but the surrounding area is too twisty, confusing, and not really oriented towards singles looking for a condo.) 

Watched Snow White and Rose Red when I got home. This 1955 version of one of my favorite fairy tales comes from West Germany, which seems to have been a great place to make fairy tale films in the mid-20th century. It's honestly a pretty accurate adaptation of the story, only Snow White and Rose Red are older, probably in their 20's, the dwarf is a bit wilder-looking than he usually is in this story, and the princes are accompanied by their loyal knight Knitwit who claims to be a great bear hunter but is really terrified of them. Other than the rather bad bear costume, this one was really sweet and adorable.

Stayed at YouTube to finish the night with today's Match Game marathon. Character actress Mary Wickes was in movies and on TV from the 40's through the early 90's, and is probably best known today for playing the tart-tongued housekeeper in White Christmas and the nun who led the choir before Whoopi Goldberg took over in Sister Act. She was playing a nurse on the short-lived drama Doc when she first turned up on Match Game in 1976. 

Mary appeared sporadically on the show through 1978, always in the 4th or 6th seats. She was always ready with a funny line or quip, as with her assessment of one of Gene's infamous plaid coats - "Somewhere a horse is mighty chilly." There was also the day the Star Wheel debuted. It stopped on Richard Dawson the first time it was spun...when it had been designed to give other celebrities besides Richard a chance to play the Head-to-Head. The entire panel but Scoey Mitchelll walked off (including Richard himself). "Do you know how much that thing cost us?" Mary grumped when the panelists came back. "And it's right back to Richard!" There was also the time she and Joyce Bulifant welcomed new kid on the block Gary Crosby with some very big kisses, or when she gave Gene a strong "new kid on the block" kiss on her first day. 

She had one last blaze of glory on a week in 1990, by which time she was a regular on The Father Dowling Mysteries. Mary was just as dry and funny dealing with Ross Schafer as she was with Tom Bosley or Gene Rayburn. She especially had a field day making jokes about Jimmie Walker's crush on a very pretty young female contestant.

Match wits with one of the coolest old ladies around in this hilarious marathon that you won't want to walk away from.

Match Game Saturday Classics - Mary Wickes (Showcase of Match Game episodes - 70's and 90's)

Perfectly Spring

Began the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. "Pups Save a Melon Festival" when Mayor Humdinger's giant striped ball (which he insists is a huge melon) ends up bouncing all over town. Rocky's the one who finally finds a way to stop it. "Pups Save a Cow" after two farmers with a sick cow coming back from a county fair are stuck on a jammed drawbridge. Rocky fixes the gears on the bridge, while Marshall and Chase stabilize the bridge and Skye saves the cow when she becomes too agitated. 

Switched to Classic Concentration as I got organized and made my grocery list. At one point, Alex Trebek said "now for the Daily Double" instead of "open the boxes." He laughed when he realized the mistake he made, but he must have been tired as heck at that point. I'm pretty sure the episode was from at least the late 80's. He would have been doing Jeopardy then, too. At least the lady made up with it for winning two difficult puzzles and uncovering a car. Supermarket Sweep just started as I headed out. 

It was a gorgeous day to hit the grocery stores. Started at Sprouts. I mainly needed coconut milk here. Most of the prebiotic sodas were buy one, get one 50 percent off. I bought two of the Olipops, including the seasonal flavor Raspberry Sherbet. Found peanut butter cookies on clearance in the bakery. The seasonal lemon and citrus-flavored products were also buy one, get one 50 percent off. Tried the bags of pink lemonade-flavored dried mango slices.

Hurried down Cuthbert to the Westmont Acme next. Needed to restock soda, sliced chicken, sliced cheese, yogurt, granola bars, granola, and whole wheat wraps. Got a slice of strawberry cake for a treat, and I did find Fresca in the coolers. Picked up a snack pack with grapes, provolone cheese cubes, green grapes, and crackers for lunch. I loved the cheesy grits I had at the Westmont so much last weekend, I bought grits to make my own this week. Both stores were a little busy, though far from overwhelming. It was too nice to be grocery shopping!

Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. It's really spring now. That rain we had last weekend may have washed out Memorial Day festivities, but it really helped the local flora. The trees are so green now, and the leaves are huge. The grass is getting greener, too. It was sunny and breezy, as perfectly spring as one could wish. I saw two Canadian geese pushing a huge herd of goslings in the lake while others lounged nearby. Perhaps Canadian geese have teachers too, and those two were showing the little ones to swim or find lunch while their parents looked for their own meal. 

I was able to walk the bike over the hill this time. It was cool and calm and quiet there...and very, very green. It also wasn't that damp. That's how starved we are for rain. The ground there was relatively dry.

I got home with just enough time to put everything away, eat the snack pack, and watch Little Bear. "Little Bear's Trip to the Stars" his his dream of flying among the stars in the night sky while he's visiting his father on his boat. "Little Bear's Surprise" is something special for Mother Bear he's making from leftover boards. His friends all help him out, but he's the one who finally figures out what the "surprise" actually is. "Little Bear and the North Pole" takes him and Duck on a journey through the snow up north, with the help of a friendly moose. 

Left after the cartoon ended. Got to Thomas Sharp School just in time. We had 22 kids today, 7 at my table. They were all so cute in their pajamas for Pajama Day! I saw girls in Elsa and Anna nightgowns and flowered shorts and shirts and boys in Spider Man and Paw Patrol flannels. They weren't that bad in the bathrooms, but once again, they got noisy in the cafeteria during and after snack time. The coloring table always gets so crowded! One of the girls kept drawing on one of the boys' space, despite his tears and all attempts to move her. She and her friend have been annoying that poor boy for a while now. When we did get outside, I talked to all three of them separately about being a good friend and giving friends their space.

They were really crazy outside, too. They kept pestering and pestering about riding the swings...and when they did get on the swings, all any of them did was argue. I got overwhelmed. One of the little girls wouldn't get off, even when her mother told her to. One of the older girls also stayed on longer than she was supposed to, despite having to go home. One of the older boys kept twisting and throwing mulch when he was told not to. The other kids all danced to "The Pink Tiger Hunt," "I'm the Bravest Star," "Pink Pony Club," the theme songs from Bluey and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, "Pup Pup Boogie" from Paw Patrol, and songs from Sing, Moana, Tangled, Aladdin, and KPop Demon Hunters. Thankfully, they were down to 4 kids by the time I left and they took them over to the blacktop, and two of them went home when I did.

I first stopped at CVS on the way home. I needed to use the bathroom, and there were a few things I hadn't picked up earlier. I couldn't find the mouthwash I use (and I forgot soap), but I did get suntan lotion for a good price. Grabbed a Powerade Zero for the ride home.

Glad I saw Final Friday mentioned on the digital sign outside of Oaklyn's City Hall. I almost forgot today was the first Final Friday block party of the year on West Clinton. Oaklyn's shopping district holds a huge block party on the last Friday of every month from May through September. There's music, inflatable basketball and bean bag games for the kids, booths with freebies from local services like the Oaklyn Civic Association, and tons of food trucks and carts. There were also tons of crowds, mainly families enjoying the gorgeous weather and older couples out with their friends. It was too crowded for me! I bought a key lime cream pop from the Bubba's Creamery cart and went home.

Had a quick dinner while watching Match Game '74. The first hour was devoted to two episodes from Anson Williams' first appearance on the show. Brett spent the week flirting with him, and Charles spent the week making fun of her about it. The rest of the week exists, so I'm not sure why they skipped ahead in the second hour to the week with Alejandro Rey and Juliet Mills.

Finally got my schedule at this point, too. In good news, just as many hours, only one double shift this time. My only complaint is that they're all early shifts. I'm guessing the Sunday bagger took that day off and the head bagger either took next Saturday off or is cashiering or helping in the floral department. 

Finished the night after a shower with Murder She Wrote. "The Way to Dusty Death" is through a hot tub when a tyrannical businessman (Cornel Wilde) is found electrocuted in his just hours after telling his board of directors he has no intention of stepping down. Jessica is a member of the board and finds herself up to her ears in suspects when it seems every man either wanted to be chairman or to sell him out to a competitor, and every woman would literally kill to either succeed him or make sure her husband took his place. 

Blowing In the Wind

Began the day with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The gang goes on a two-part "Super Adventure" when Power Pants Pete seems to be shrinking everything in sight, including the Clubhouse. Professor Ludvig Von Drake gives them all superpowers, but they can't seem to work together. They'll need to learn in a hurry when they find out that Pete's under orders from the real mastermind, an old rival of Mickey's who shrinks the clubhouse and Mickey too. 

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon looking up mortgage brokers and finding out what they do. It seems they do the heavy lifting in house-hunting, dealing with banks and shopping around for the best loans. To be honest, this is all sounding a little complicated. I need to talk to a friend who was a realtor about home buying and Rose about the legal side before hiring anyone. I'd like to explore Cherry Hill further and get to know it beyond the malls and hospitals, too. I'll save talking to the big guns for mid-July, after Lauren visits and the furor over the 4th of July and the World Cup have died down. 

Listened to the Miles Davis album Milestones while I worked and as I cleared and organized papers laying on top of the printer. One of his most popular early albums introduced his own title song (originally "Miles") and "Sid's Ahead," but his best songs here were written by others. "Straight, No Chaser" was written by and is usually associated with Thelonius Monk, but he does a rather nice version of his own on side B, along with the traditional number "Billy Boy."

Left a little bit early to have lunch at Common Grounds Coffee Shop. They were busy, but not enough that I couldn't get a seat on the bench along the wall. Had a delicious slice of spinach-tomato-feta quiche, along with a Peach-Matcha Sparkling Refresher (green tea in sparkling water with peach syrup - not bad, actually, a little sweet) and a deliciously moist slice of banana-chocolate Chip bread. I did enjoy my lunch, but I got out later than I planned and was slightly late to the Thomas Sharp School.

Not a good thing, as we were pretty busy today. There were 23 kids, 9 at my table, and one of the teachers called out. We did borrow one of the college boys to help while the kids were eating snacks and we were in the cafeteria, but we were on our own after snack time and outside. They were pretty wild again today. I had trouble with one of the kindergartners at the bathroom. He would not stay in the hall, running on the steps and climbing on the banisters. I literally had to carry him off and put him down in the hall.

Things went much better when we finally got outside. For one thing, the weather was gorgeous, much nicer than I expected. It was off and on cloudy, and while it did spit very slightly at a few points, it was nothing like yesterday morning. It was also not as hot as the weather forecasts claimed. The strong wind kept it not only cool, but cold. I regretted not having brought a sweater. There was a little bit of arguing over the swings, but by and large, the kids seemed to have a great time outside, sliding cars down sides and dancing to "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "The Pink Tiger Hunt," "I'm the Bravest Star," "Welcome to New York" by Taylor Swift, "Pup Pup Boogie" from Paw Patrol, the themes from Bluey and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and songs from Moana 2, Frozen, and KPop Demon Hunters. 

We had such a great time on the playground, it was past 5 when we took the remaining 4 younger kids to the blacktop to play with the 8 older kids. The kids went briefly inside to put their backpacks away, then went right back out. They were all still playing soccer and basketball when I finally headed out. 

Soon as I got home, I made pancakes for dinner with the last of that gluten-free mix. Oh yuuuum! I made banana-berry pancakes with banana and dried cranberries. Spread them with peanut butter and blueberry preserves and poured honey over them. I hadn't had pancakes that came out that well in years. Threw in some hot chocolate later.

Watched Match Game '74 as I ate. This was the hilarious week with McLean Stevenson in the first male ingenue seat that was probably the best from that year. Betty White, comedy writer Ann Elder, and slightly dazed singer Joanie Sommers watched as McLean complained about Brett never hearing the question, turned up in the contestant's desk, tried to kiss Richard when a contestant won the Head to Head, and chased Gene all over the studio.

Finished the night with The Inspector General as I organized my lotions and beauty supplies, cleared out old ones, and organized my shopping totes. I go further into this classic historical comedy with Danny Kaye as the mistaken title character at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Inspector General (1949) 

The Best of Both Worlds

Began the morning with breakfast and The Pirates of Dark Water. Ioz wants to be a real pirate again, so when he sees a seemingly empty ship with a vast treasure inside, he tries to steal it. He gets a lot more piracy than he bargained for when he's captured by "The Ghost Pirates" who run the ship and want to turn him into a ghost, too. Tula turned Ren into a ghost to save him while they both try to dodge Blarth.

Since it was cloudy and humid and I knew it was supposed to rain later, I called Uber. Alas, I called them too late. They took 16 minutes to arrive, and I was late getting to the Acme. Fortunately, I had no other problems with Uber today. The driver going to the Thomas Sharp School arrived in 10 minutes and got me there just in time. The one going home came in 9 minutes.

The Acme was even quieter today than it was yesterday. It barely got busy at noon. It's the middle of the week and the end of the month, and we're between holidays. The showers did finally start around 10:30, which means I got wet while pushing carts. Other than that and putting a few cold items away, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.

After I got changed, I had lunch at Tu Se Bella's at the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center in the back of the Acme. I had a slice of broccoli and shrimp pizza and a slice of Hawaiian (pineapple and ham) with a bottle of Diet Pepsi. They were only a little more busy, with two other people enjoying a late lunch and others getting take-out. After I ate, I walked back to the Acme. Considered getting a snack, but I just relaxed on a bench until it was time to call Uber.

The rain had begun to let up as I strolled down to Tu Se Bella's. By the time we took the kids out at 4 PM, it was long gone, and the sun was out (though it remained humid). Thank goodness. We had 25 kids, 9 of them at my table. Not only were they wild, running around so much in the cafeteria that 6 of them were held back for a timeout when the rest of us went outside, but we couldn't have taken them to the library if we wanted to. The library is being used for the older students' art show tomorrow and isn't available right now. They were even crazier outside, with the boys wrestling and kids begging to ride swings until they actually got on. Those who didn't race cars down the slides or wrestle or swing danced to "The Best of Both Worlds" from Hannah Montana, "Swipe and Scan (The Checkout Song)," the themes from Bluey and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and songs from Trolls and KPop Demon Hunters. 

There were still 6 kids when we finally took them inside to cool off. Not that they stayed there for very long. It was just too nice and sunny. They almost immediately trooped right back outside to play ball games with the remaining 8 older kids on the blacktop. I had to dissuade two boys from jumping in puddles and two more from trying to use masking tape to make a goal line to play soccer. (It would have never stuck to the blacktop.) There were 4 younger kids left when I called Uber, one leaving with his mother and older brother when I did.

Went straight into The Price Is Right when I got home. I got there in time for the Showcase Showdown. An older gentleman was the only one who didn't go over and made it to the Showcases. The less-expensive one was five different trips in Asia and Europe. The skit Showdown was a film noir spoof, with Johnny Olson as an extremely unlikely private eye searching for a trip to New York and Dian's comely body next to a new motorboat. The older man way, way overbid on the trips, which means the lady got her Big Apple vacation and fun on the water.

Continued into Match Game '74 as I ate dinner. These episodes finished out the week that introduced Scoey Mitchelll. In all honesty, despite him occasionally being charming and funny, Scoey was never the best player. I think he got maybe two answers right that week, though he seemed to do a little bit better as the week went on. He got a standing ovation and a handshake from Gene when he did finally get one right! 

Finished the night at YouTube with The Elusive Pimpernel. This is a relatively accurate British version of The Scarlet Pimpernel, with David Niven as a dashing Sir Percy Blakeny, Cyril Cusack as his main adversary, the French ambassador Chauvelain, and Margaret Leighton as Blakney's wife Marguerite. You'd never know that almost no one wanted to make this, including Niven and director Michael Powell. It's exquisite for a swashbuckler, with gorgeous costumes and stunning color in lovely pastel shades. Too bad they couldn't have left it as a musical. The stage show in 1997, despite having its own troubles, proved there is music to be mined from this story. It's probably not the best version of Pimpernel around, but it's still worth seeing if you're a fan of Niven or 50's swashbucklers, especially from England. 

Day In the Sunshine

Began the morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. It's "Moving Time" for a little girl in a wheelchair who is nervous about moving to another city. She thinks she'll never make any friends. The Shirt Tales stop time and take her to meet other Shirt Tales in the area she's moving to, reminding her that she'll always have friends wherever she goes. Going "Back to Nature" is nothing but a disaster for Dinkel and the Shirt Tales when he attempts to take them on a fishing trip and everything that could go wrong, does.

Hurried off after the cartoon ended. Thankfully, considering I took my bike today, I did get to work on time. To be honest, I could have been infinitely late. We were pin-drop quiet for most of the morning. There were barely any carts to gather. It's the end of the month and the day after the last major holiday of the spring. By the time it started picking up a little, I was done. I was in and out with no trouble whatsoever.

I took the long way down Nicholson Road, over the hill next to the railroad tracks, and down Atlantic Avenue over to the White Horse Pike. I can't remember the last time I ate at Jalapeno's Bar and Grill. They were quiet and dark as can be at 1:30. I think there was one other guy there. I enjoyed the chipotle chicken quesadilla lunch special with their home-made tortilla chips in air-conditioned silence.

Since it was two blocks away, I had dessert at an equally quiet Dunkin' Donuts. I'm surprised at how many donuts they had left. I guess people had enough desserts at their barbecue yesterday. I got the same Marshmallow Vanilla Matcha Latte I did last time (and it was just as good this time), but since they didn't have the fruit punch donut, I went with a nice, simple cruller instead.

Headed to Thomas Sharp after that and got there just in time. We had 23 kids today, 9 at my table. Thankfully, they were in the cafeteria when I arrived. The music class had just finished their annual end of the year concert outside. I had no trouble in the bathroom or with snack time. They were a little unruly in the cafeteria after they ate, mainly because we're almost out of paper to color on and they all wanted to color. The sharpener was unplugged - I had to sharpen colored pencils in the library. 

I'm glad we were able to get outside a little early today. The weather was gorgeous. Humid, breezy, and a little cloudy, but much warmer, in the upper 70's. They all had a blast running around, and swinging later when enough had gone home. It was Hat Day. Most kids had brought some kind of hat, from the boy who brought a paper chef's toque to the younger boy who had a Lake George sunhat and the girl who had a tye-dye baseball cap. I kept telling some of the older boys not to fill their hats with mulch and throw them. Honestly, other than that, we had a great time. Those who weren't throwing hats or swinging danced to "Ghostbusters," "Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, "I Like to Move It" from Madagascar, "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, songs from Trolls and KPop Demon Hunters, and a plethora of Taylor Swift hits. One boy even found a ladybug and hoped for good luck. 

We took them inside around quarter of 5 and settled them down at a table coloring. That lasted for all of 10 minutes before they saw the older kids running around on the blacktop and ran out to join them. There were 4 younger kids and 6 older ones left playing soccer on the blacktop and shooting baskets before I headed home.

Took the trash out when I got home, then went straight into Match Game '74. Most of the night was devoted to the week with Morey Amsterdam and comedian George Kirby, who sat in Charles Nelson Reilly's seat while he was out sick. Admittedly, between Amsterdam's wisecracks and Kirby's imitations, it was one of the funnier weeks of the year. Charles returned the next week, just in time to see Scoey Mitchelll make his debut on the show.

Finished the night and the Memorial Day holiday with the Family Feud Armed Services Week tournament from 1990. Military build-up was just starting in the Middle East when these episodes debuted, making these battles more important and tense than ever. Though the Air Force made a good showing and the Army did well, for the second year in a row, it was the Marines who played the hardest and won the biggest...though ironically, they had more trouble with the last Fast Money...

Honor those who fought and died in the First Gulf War with this intense and very funny week of military Feuds!

Day 1 - Navy Vs Army

Day 2 - Air Force Vs Marines

Day 3 - Coast Guard Vs Army

Day 4 - Coast Guard Vs. Air Force

Day 5 - Marines Vs Navy

Day 6 - Army Vs Marines

Red, White, and Matches

Began a gloomy Memorial Day with material from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Since Memorial Day began as Decoration Day honoring the soldiers who fought and died during the Civil War, all of the material revolves around that conflict. The most touching is the lone prose piece, "Light Bread and Apple Butter." A starving Union soldier and his dog wins the trust of a mother and her brood with his good manners and his volunteering to chop wood for them in exchange for the title meal. The poems were "Barbara Friechie," "The Sword of Robert E. Lee," and "Sherman's Ride."

Switched to Disney war-related shorts while I ate breakfast. Though Mickey Mouse didn't really figure into the World War II shorts, he did do one short based around World War I in 1929. "The Barnyard Battle" pits scrappy Mickey against huge Hun cats. Mickey uses his wits - and a convenient piano - to take those big cats down.

Goofy and Donald Duck were far more popular by the time the US entered the war in 1941. Goofy managed to get into two war shorts. "How to Be a Sailor" starts off as one of his typical how-to spoofs, with Goofy learning semaphore and trying to tie knots, but it ends with war footage and him being shot at the enemy. "Victory Vehicles" gives us a variety of conveyances, from Pogo sticks to literal golf carts, designed to get Goofys to where they're going without using rationed metal or gasoline. (By the way, I agree with Leonard Maltin in the intro to this cartoon. The song "Hop On Your Pogo Stick" is rather catchy.)

Donald was by far the biggest and most beloved character in Disney shorts by the 1940's, and he had the lion's share of war-related material. "Donald Gets Drafted" when he's swayed by the glamour offered on the recruitment posters. He wants to be a flyer, but Sergeant Pete would rather have him stand attention on an ant hill. He does finally get to fly after a disastrous check-up in "The Sky Trooper," but not in the way he planned. He finally gets the best of Pete in "The Vanishing Private," where he's doused with an invisibility paint while camouflaging a cannon. Pete follows "The Little Man You Can't See" on a Merry chase around the base. 

"Der Furher's Face" won an Oscar in 1943 for its surreal imagery depicting Donald dreaming he's a worker in a Nazi munitions factory. "Fall Out-Fall In" has Donald first trying to set up his tent, then attempting to sleep as the snores of his fellow soldiers keep him awake. "Commando Duck" is sent into the heart of Japan to contact their men. In the end, he's able to wipe...no, wash...out the enemy with the help of a rubber raft and a lot of water.

The Pink Panther was one of the few major animated characters to join the Vietnam War in "G.I Pink." Unlike Donald, he was swayed by the power, but doesn't have an easier time than Disney's irascible duck did 25 years before. Cranky drill sergeants, angry mascots, and land mine-ridden obstacle courses make him wish he'd just stayed at home. 

Headed out after "G.I Pink" ended. I just caught one of the new NJ Transit buses up the White Horse Pike. The lack of stairs is probably intended to make the bus more wheelchair-accessible, but while they're cleaner and smell better, the seats are harder and a lot less comfortable. I had no idea how you asked the driver to get off. There were no buttons, like on the old buses. I originally said Barrington, but Lawnside was closer to where I wanted to start anyway. (I later discovered that you pull on a yellow rope to get off, rather than a button.)

Another Red, White, and Blue Thrift Shop just replaced the long-empty K-Mart in the Lawnside Shopping Center a few days ago. Between the cloudy, warm weather, the new store, and this being one of the few things open on a major holiday, you can guess that they were mobbed. I did manage to dig up a few interesting items. I had no idea Major League had a soundtrack, let alone one on LP! I had even more luck with CDs: 

Journey - Raised On Radio

Diana Ross - Anthology (2-Disc set)

Soundtrack from Prince of Egypt

The Great Ladies of Rock & Roll: The 60's

And one interesting-looking young adult book: 

The League of Secret Heroes: Cape - Book One, by Kate Hannigan

Hiked down to Barrington after I left Red, White, and Blue. Thank heavens the weather held. It hadn't rained since this morning...and to my knowledge, it hasn't rained again since. It was just gloomy, cloudy, humid, and warm as I headed across Clements Bridge Road to the Old Rail Tavern. I had a tasty Italian Chicken Cutlet with provolone cheese and sauteed broccoli rabe and crunchy sweet potato fries with cinnamon cream cheese dip on their covered patio area while listening to a large family chatter on the other side of the room and half-looking at the college men's lacrosse game on TV. (Princeton killed Notre Dame, by the way, 16-9.)

The Barrington Antique Center is two doors down. This rabbit warren of tiny rooms filled with every possible vintage item, from Victorian glassware to relatively recent DVDs and Barbies, is open all week and on most holidays. My best find here was a stuffed version of Rick Raccoon from Shirt Tales. I had no idea there even were stuffed Shirt Tales. Rather appropriate, given I've been watching the show. (I'll have to look around for stuffed versions of Digger and Pammy, too.) Grabbed a bag of buttery sour cherry thumbprint cookies that were really yummy. I also picked up two children's records, The Care Bears' Birthday Party and readings of two original Winnie the Pooh stories. 

I originally wanted to get a drink at Berri Caffeinated, but they were closed by quarter after 3. I just walked down to the White Horse Pike to wait for the bus instead. Once again, it was on time, and there were no problems. I pulled the rope just in time. They let me off at the perfect spot to get home quickly.

Went straight into another Match Game Memorial Day marathon when I got home. In addition to many of the same episodes seen on Saturday, this one expanded to feature soldiers who appeared on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour and Match Game '90 as well. The Match Game '90 episodes were the hilarious Veteran's Day week shows with Marines as contestants and in the audience. The Marines really adored soap stars Karen Wittier and Fiona Hutchinson, cheering everything they said or did. In the case of Karen, their affections were warranted. She proved to be more than a pretty face when she twice won big money for the contestants. Fiona spent most of the week flirting with Ronn Lucas and Scorch.

Match Game Holiday Extra - Memorial Day Celebration 2026

Finished the night with two more wartime shorts, this time from Universal. "21 Day, Once a Month" debuted just weeks before the US joined the war, making it perhaps more timely than Universal planned. Woody Woodpecker has a cameo in this parody of the peacetime draft featuring toy soldiers. He also figured into one of the few wartime shorts Universal did. Like Donald, he wants to be an "Ace In the Hole," but his sergeant has him shaving horses. The Big bulldog definitely regrets it when Woody finally does get into the air!

Holiday Symphony

Began a late morning with a pancake breakfast. Added peanut butter, dried cranberries, and strawberry preserves to the gluten-free pancake mix. The peanut butter worked. The dried cranberries kept falling out. I tried swirling the preserves on top of the first - I just ended up making a mess cooking it. The second one came out a bit better. At any rate, they still tasted good while listening to patriotic records.

I found Charles Ives' Holiday Symphony a few years ago. The four moments revolve around the patriotic holidays Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day (then known as Decoration Day), the 4th of July, and Thanksgiving and Forefather's Day. Decoration Day is loud and crashing, a band in a morning parade, and is more fun than you might think.

I've been listening to America the Beautiful on patriotic holidays for almost 20 years. This 2-disc LP set was released in 1986 in honor of the Statue of Liberty's remodel, and you probably won't find a more all-American collection of music anywhere else. The first disc features most of the vocal music, including "This Land Is Your Land" and Kate Smith's famous rendition of "God Bless America." I also love the bouncy "Grand Canyon Suite," stirring "American Patrol," and the medley of George M. Cohen songs performed by the Boston Pops where you can hear people singing along in the background. The second disc has the more traditional numbers, like "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean," and "The Stars and Stripes Forever." "Pride On Parade" has the themes for the Armed Forces - "Anchors Aweigh," "The Caissons Go Rolling Along," "The Marines' Hymn."

It rained earlier in the morning, but it was just cloudy and cold by quarter of 2. Even so, I wasn't taking chances. I called Uber. For once, that might have been the best choice. The one going to work arrived in five minutes and got me there in plenty of time. The one going home came in 8 minutes. 

Work was busy when I came in, but not overwhelming. You'd never know it from the state the carts were in. It must have been busier this morning and in the early afternoon, when people were coming out of church and getting ready for picnics they were suddenly able to hold. At least it was cloudy and a little cool, in the lower 60's, but not rainy or even windy. It hasn't rained since last night. I still had a hard time keeping up with the carts. They remained in bad shape, even as my shift ended.

Bought a container of seafood salad and crackers to have with a bag of baby carrots for dinner, then went home, changed, finished America the Beautiful, and spent the rest of the night listening to today's Match Game marathon. Several now well-known celebrities turned up as contestants on the 70's and early 80's version of the show. Soap star Lynn Deerfield talked about how she won money on the 60's Match Game with Burt Reynolds and Don Meredith as her team captains in a nighttime episode from 1976. (Alas, like most of the 60's run, those episodes are now lost.) 

Also in 1976, struggling actress Brianne Leary won several games that would later allow her to focus on her acting career. She became the only contestant to become a panelist on the 1970's run when she reappeared for two weeks in 1979 after appearing in the first season of CHIps. Later talk show hostess Aphrodite Jones made a brief appearance as a contestant in 1978, though unlike Brianne, she didn't win any money. 

The two most famous celebrities to be contestants on Match Game turned up in memorable syndicated episodes. Kirstie Alley's first episode was hilarious even before she appeared. The woman who played before her spent so long trying to answer a question about sheep, Gene ended up laying on the floor. To tell the truth, Kirstie seemed a little above it all in her first round. She seemed to get more into the spirit of things in the second episode.

Future talk show hostess Jenny Jones had a lot more fun. She really seemed to enjoy herself, and not only played well, but won both her games. Barbara Rhodes had the honor of helping her fund her acting and hosting career. 

Check out several celebrities before they became famous - and one at the height of her fame - in this star-studded marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Contestants as Celebrities and Famous People