I awoke to a white world. The entire neighborhood was painted with white and gray as snow fell softly outside the front windows. It provided a lovely backdrop as I made Gingerbread Pancakes for breakfast and watched Blockbusters. The young solo champ and father-in-law-son-in-law pair went at it during the entire episode. They were only just finishing the second round when the show ended.
Switched to snow-themed specials as I did the dishes. Frosty Returns isn't a sequel to the Rankin-Bass special. Frosty comes to a snow-bound town and befriends a little girl who loves magic, but has trouble standing up for herself. He teaches her how to deal with the obnoxious executive in charge of the spray that can make snow vanish.
Frosty's Winter Wonderland is the actual Rankin-Bass sequel. The kids realize that Frosty is lonely and build a snow wife for him. He names her Crystal, but is devastated when she's not "all-livin'" like him. Meanwhile, winter-making sprite Jack Frost is jealous of Frosty and will do anything to get rid of his magic, so he's the only snow friend around!
Switched to Match Game '75 while putting a few things away. Comedian Joe Silver and warm matriarch Esther Rolle of Good Times join announcer Bern Bennett (replacing a vacationing Johnny Olsen) this week. Gene gave Rolle a kiss after having forgotten to during the episode before, and there's an interesting jokes about then-president Gerald Ford falling off his skis and going down the mountain on his ___.
Dressed the dolls for February for the next few hours as snow and sleet fell outside. Samantha wears her pink Talent Show Dress. It's so authentic, it's based after a real Edwardian girl's dress in a museum. Molly is in her plaid School Dress and the black strap shoes from Sam's meet outfit. Whitney gets a pink felt poodle skirt and white blouse from eBay and Molly's saddle shoes. Josefina's pink and red flower-patterned empire-waisted dress and lace wrap also came from eBay. Felicity's in her Laced Jacket and Petticoat lessons outfit. Though it doesn't really fit her well, Jessa still wears (Ivy's) Chinese New Year's Dress with white socks and Josefina's black mules. (The shoes that actually came with the outfit don't fit Jessa's big older-doll feet.) Ariel's in the cream and gold-knitted Sweet Spring Dress, Molly's white t-straps, and pink tights from one of the ballet costumes.
Had a late Tropical Berry Smoothie lunch while watching winter-themed Scooby Doo episodes. "There's No Creature Like Snow Creature" from What's New, Scooby Doo takes the gang to a snow boarding contest at a Colorado resort. When Fred breaks his knee chasing a monster who's been attacking snow boarders and Velma gets a cold, it's up to Shaggy to join the contest and find out what the Creature really wants.
"That's Snow Ghost" is from the original Scooby Doo, Where are You? Once again, the gang deals with a snow creature terrorizing a ski resort. This time, an old man from Tibet claims that the ghost of a snow monster followed him there. The kids think there's a more likely explanation, especially after Shaggy and Velma vanish...
By 3:30, the kids were out of school (or off lessons) and outside, playing in the snow. The hill just beyond the house leading down to the lake is steep enough for sledding. Uncle Ken and Dad always allowed the local kids to sled there, and from their screams and laughter, Jodie was fine with it, too. I thought they were so funny, I finally put on my winter gear and new snow boots and joined them.
By the time I finally got out, the older kids had fled inside. It was down to my next-door neighbors Savannah and Ryan and their mother. They took advantage of the other kids leaving their sleds and snow boards behind to enjoy a wide variety of rides. Ryan went further, nearly going down to the lake at one point. He finally dug in his heels and rolled off to stop himself before he went in. Savannah insisted on riding her neon green saucer sled belly-down and letting her feet drag, which stopped her from going far.
Went back to my place in time for the second half of Press Your Luck. Everyone got slammed hard with Whammies during the second half. The eventual champ had no money and won because she was the only person who didn't Whammy out.
Worked on writing after the show ended. Jack finally takes advantage of the situation to demand that Goodson take them upstairs. Reporter Robert Walden is more interested in asking Goodson questions about his corrupt empire.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Jodie made breaded porch chops with broccoli and alfredo noodles and decided to share her big meal with me. I don't normally eat porch chops (pork gives me indigestion), but this wasn't bad. The breading kept it from getting too dry. The noodles were the packaged type that get way too salty.
Ate while watching Match Game '74. Alejandro Rey and Juliet Mills joins Gene, goofy Jo Ann Worley, and the regulars here. Rey especially got to have fun answering a question about his previous show The Flying Nun. Charles got a lot of ribbing about giving a contestant in blue the answer "Arms" to the Audience Match "Code of ___" on Match Game PM. After it turned out to be the 100 dollar answer, he went down to the stage and ripped his name off the Star Wheel!
Varsity Week continues on Sale of the Century. A swimmer, a football players with shoulders broader than Jim Perry's, and a track high jumper were within a question or two of each other for most of the game. The boy eventually bought both Instant Bargains and the Instant Cash and killed at the Speed Round. He put the adults in recent episodes to shame and won the Bonus Round with time to spare, too.
Finished the night with The Day the Earth Froze on Mystery Science Theater 3000. This early Joel episode actually begins with a simple short explaining the circus and its many acts. The main feature is a badly-chopped-up Finnish epic from 1959. A young Finn logger and a blacksmith travel to a dark land to rescue the blacksmith's sister from an evil witch. Angry when they steal the precious object the smith made for her, she releases her bags of wind to destroy the young man. He manages to return to land and marry his sweetheart...but then the witch steals the sun, prompting the entire kingdom to attack hers.
The robots were in rare form with this super-serious fairy tale, featuring more Scandinavian jokes than you can shake a smorgasbord at. They had even more fun with the "dark" jokes on the simple circus short.
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