Maytime Matches

Began an absolutely gorgeous, sunny, breezy morning with work. I was hoping I'd be outside doing the carts today, but after a half-hour, they pulled me in to clean. They wanted the head bagger to be free in case they needed her to take a register. (To my knowledge, they never did.) I wish I could do the bathrooms faster, but it's hard to tell people to get out of your way so you can clean or mop the floor. Everyone has to go, and they can never wait.

Got my schedule when I came in. For possibly the first time ever, I have the same hours all week - 10 to 4, with Tuesday and Thursday off. Perfect. Not too early, not too late. I was going to focus on cleaning, writing, and starting to figure out what to pack at my place and didn't have too much else planned for this week anyway.

Went straight into grocery shopping after work. Unfortunately, the Collingswood Farm Market is currently drive-through only, and I've been working too early on Saturdays to go there anyway. I bought escarole for leafy greens, a potato for a stew next week, tangerines, bananas, and a big container of strawberries. The chicken isn't too expensive...but it is too big, in cuts and packages that are way too much for one person with a fairly small freezer. They must think everyone is buying meat for huge quarantined families. I opted for turkey hot dogs and two packs of ground turkey instead. Talenti ice cream is buy one, get one; went with Madagascar Vanilla Bean and Mediterranean Mint. Restocked pads, soap (hand and bar), yogurt, canola oil, milk, and eggs. Picked up a Red Baron cheese pizza for dinner.

As soon as I got home and put everything away, I turned Alton Brown's Old School Muffins into Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Muffins with the addition of chocolate chips and the remaining strawberries from last week's shopping trip. I haven't tried them yet - they're for work next week - but at least they smelled good coming out of the oven.

Put the next Match Game marathon on while I made the muffins, and then on my laptop so I could join the live chat. Despite being the number-one show on daytime from 1974 to 1976 and remaining fairly popular thereafter, Match Game's capricious sets had their fair share of glitches, breakdowns, and major problems.

In at least two episodes in 1973 and 1977, the turntable that brought out the Audience Match and the contestants' desks failed to go in the right direction. The "magic toaster" that held Gene's questions was forever breaking down or sliding out of reach when Gene needed the right ones. Once in 1976, Charles and a contestant had to help him hold it up while he pulled the questions out. Other times Earl, the little fellow who slid out the panels in the Audience Match, missed his cue or fell asleep. Not to mention all the times Gene chased after or chided cameramen for missing their cues or not pulling off a certain performer and onto him or the contestants.

Here's the entire marathon, so you can see just how badly a number one game show can go off the rails! Tomorrow's marathon sticks to a more general theme as we see "Milestone moments" from the show's first couple of years.

Technical Difficulties on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1977

Finished the night with Curly Top after eating my pizza dinner. I go further into this romantic comedy vehicle for Shirley Temple at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - Curly Top