Berry Sweet Afternoon

Began a sunny, bright morning with breakfast and cartoons. I found the most recent version of Strawberry Shortcake while digging around Tubi. Strawberry and the girls are thrilled when their pop star friend Cherry Jam opts to stay in Berry Bitty City for a while longer after her van breaks down. When the Berrykins try to get her to teach them music, she and Strawberry decide to show off everyone's talents in a big show instead. The other girls are excited - none more than Lemon Meringue, who locks herself in her room to work on her animal hair sculptures. She realizes that there's a lot more to putting on a show than doing your own thing when an upset Raspberry Torte comes to her for help in creating a new act after her keyboard goes missing.

Switched to Rolie Polie Olie at the Roku Channel while making gingerbread drop cookies with the Betty Crocker gingerbread mix. I loved this cute CGI cartoon about a robot boy and his family in their mechanical round world when I was in college. It kept me amused and awake early in the morning before work or classes, when I'd catch it on what was then called Playhouse Disney. Rolie and his little sister Zowie make their parents soup out of everything they love for breakfast, but their "Cinnimin' Toast" is the biggest hit. "I Found Rock" says Zowie, who insists a piece of stone she found in the backyard is her new pet. Her parents aren't as amused and insists that rocks belong outside. Olie has to chase his Pappy's dentures all around the house in "Tooth on the Loose!"

It was past 1:30 when I finally headed out to run a few errands. Started at the Oaklyn Library. They were 20 minutes to closing when I arrived. I spent those 20 minutes fixing the very disorganized action and comedy DVD sections and taking a quick look at the kids' area.

Headed to the Acme next to do my grocery shopping and get my schedule. In good news, I'm off tomorrow and next weekend again. I do work New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, but I expected that. The head bagger is normally off Wednesdays anyway. At least I only work in the morning both days. I'll have plenty of time for a late brunch/lunch on New Year's Day. Fewer hours, but working New Year's should make up for it.

Didn't really have a ton of grocery shopping to do - I went out to eat or ate out of the fridge for a lot of this week - but there were a few things I needed. I was almost out of whole wheat flour. King Arthur was still on sale, and I had a paper coupon. Picked up a ham steak and potatoes to make Crock Pot Ham and Potatoes for my New Year's Day dinner. I'll have collard greens along with them. Bags of greens were on sale; I went with a kale-spinach mix. The Acme's generic premium pint ice cream is still on clearance. Thought I'd try their "Cold Columbian Brew" (aka caramel coffee chip). The pears kept getting mushy too fast, so I grabbed bananas for work this week instead. Restocked oranges, eggs, skim milk, tomato sauce, and cereal.

Switched on Buzzr while I put everything away. Caught a couple of episodes of Let's Make a Deal. I saw the second one earlier in the week, but the earlier was new to me. A lady cat and a cowgirl in an adorable costume (complete with drawn-on "freckles") went for the big deal of the day. Neither got it, but they did get some nice stuff, including a washer and dryer and appliances. Continued with Classic Concentration as I did the dishes. A young man came so close to winning a car in the first few minutes of the game. The girl who beat him in the next round got much luckier, winning a car with seconds to spare.

Finally managed to get some writing in after I finished. Isobel wants Della and Patti to prove they're princesses by sleeping all night on 20 mattresses that reach the ceiling, under which there's a tiny pea. If they can feel the pea, they're the real deal. Nipsey and Charles agree to guard the women and make sure they actually sleep; Bill joins them as a watch-wolf.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made a cheese and greens omelet while watching more Classic Concentration. Jumped in the shower after I ate, then watched Newsies on Disney Plus online. I go further into this 1992 musical retelling of the real-life story of a newsboy strike on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Newsies

Finished the night with two episodes of Super Password from 1985 on Buzzr. Burt Convy took over from the late Allen Ludden as the host of this mid-late 80's revival. It's pretty much the same deal as Password Plus with blockier blue-and-neon sets and a new, super-hard "Cashword" mini-game added in the middle of the main rounds. I have no idea who was in the first one, but soap star Gloria Loring joined a hilarious Richard Moll (Bull from Night Court) for the second.