Around the World at Home

Began the morning with Farina and strawberries for breakfast and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures on Disney Now. Mickey and the gang hit Japan for their cherry blossom festival, but end up dealing with "Hanami Hijinks!" when a mischievous Japanese critter makes a mess of their picnic. Minnie and Daisy are "Happy Harajuku Helpers!" when they hit Tokyo's fashion district to take part in a big show there. The assistant of a leading Japanese fashion designer doesn't think she has a sense of style. Minnie loans her their Turnstyler gadget in order to bring out her colorful and crazy side...but she walks off with it, and the girls have to chase her through Tokyo to get it back.

Worked on writing for a few hours after the show ended. Malade has turned half the people in the ballroom into stone, but she doesn't realize there's more coming. Lee's friend Lady Dolly (Martin) demands to know where her own missing husband is, while Betty tries to get her frog friend back and Bill Cullen finally makes it up from the kitchen

Broke for a very quick lunch at quarter after 11. Winter and spring of 1984 brought a lot of theme weeks to Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, including one revolving around the sitcom Too Close For Comfort. Ted Knight, Nancy Dussault, their screen daughters Deborah Van Valkenburgh and Lydia Cornell, and wacky neighbor Jim J. Bullock had a lot of fun answering Gene's crazy questions. (The Too Close week makes me wish Knight turned up on the 70's-early 80's Match Game. Dussault appeared on a single week in 1974 that was one of the best from that year.)

Headed off to work as soon as I was dressed and packed. Work was busy for most of the day, much busier than it has been. Tuesday is Senior Discount Day at the Acme, and there's a lot of seniors who live in an senior-care apartment building two blocks from the mall. I really got flustered with a few orders, including one involving a check. Thankfully, it slowed down after the evening rush hour. My last customer grabbed a pack of chicken with no label and nearly made me late getting off; I got out just in time.

Went straight home after that. I wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else, even if things were normal. It may have been sunny, but it was also hot, hazy, and still horribly humid. Things were busy on Nicholson Road, too. Dodged the last of the evening rush hour and quite a fellow bikers and people walking home from work all the way down to Atlantic Avenue.

Put my bike in the garage, then went looking for my I Love a Mystery set. It was supposed to have been delivered today. The plastic package peeked out from behind one of the metal columns on the porch of the main house. The set consisted of all of the three existing or nearly-existing Mystery episodes, plus episodes of the short-lived lead-in to the revival I Love Adventure, a similar Carleton Morse-created serial Adventures by Morse, and a disc of 50's TV detective shows based after radio programs.

Ran Match Game as I changed and took out the trash. The current champ is just as thrilled as Jo Anne Worley when she helps her win money with her answer to "Blank Affair." Alejandro Rey is happier with the next challenger, a pretty woman from his native Buenos Aires who spoke his language fluently.

Had leftovers for dinner while watching Sale of the Century. Three new challengers bought bargains today. The one guy got left in the dust by the two ladies, who battled it out for most of the episode. The Asian woman pulled ahead in the speed round and won a sauna, but she didn't have much luck in the bonus round.

Jodie called while Century was on. She called me earlier while I was at work. Apparently, it was Taco Tuesday, and she was in a Mexican mood. As it turned out, she changed her mind and went elsewhere for dinner. She once again assured me that she intends to do nothing with the house until after the New Year, or even after that, and that she doesn't think me going back to Cape May County is a good idea, either.

Finished the night after a shower with In Caliente on TCM's app. I go further into this romantic comedy vehicle for spicy Mexican actress Dolores Del Rio with Busby Berkeley choreography at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

In Caliente