Sunday, March 27, 2022

Chilled Spring

Got a late start this morning. Barely shoveled down breakfast and headed out the door before I was slammed by heavy gusts of wind. They didn't help with my already-running way behind. I was fifteen minutes late arriving at work. 

Although it wasn't bad when I got in, it picked up less than an hour after my arrival and stayed busy for the rest of the day. Once again, we had no help, with lines of Sunday shoppers down the aisles. Most people were really good about it. There was at least one couple who forgot their WIC books and walked off...and couldn't have been happy when they took so long to get back, the managers put their cart away. Another WIC Check order had the wrong bread, although that went better once we got that and a mix-up with the Canada Dry sale figured out. Thank goodness my relief was on time, and I was able to dash off with no trouble.

Oh, and I finally remembered to get my schedule this week. Not happy about three 8 1/2 hour bagging days, including two in a row. I did get two days off, though, plus I have more hours than I did this week. 

Grabbed more snacks, including blackberries on sale for 99 cents, then headed home. Took the long way home down Nicholson Road despite the blustery gales and frigid clouds. Surprisingly for Sunday, it wasn't that busy. Everyone must have already gone to their March Madness, Oscar, and birthday parties by 5 PM. The trees here are starting to bloom; the magnolias are a glorious pink and magentas, and I've seen the first hyacinths in local yards, too. It made for a lovely ride down Atlantic and past WaWa and the Ritz Theater. 

Relaxed a bit when I got home and wrote down what I need to do this week. Listened to Classic Disney III while I worked. This is part of a series of five collections of Disney music that debuted in the late 90's. I had IV on cassette since I lived in Wildwood; picked up the others as part of a box set over a decade ago. What I like about the Classic Disney CDs is their rare and unusual material. You expect to hear "Colors of the Wind," "Jack's Lament," and "You've Got a Friend In Me"...but we also get rarer material from TV ("I'm Professor Ludwig Von Drake" and "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"), live-action musicals ("Are We Dancing?" from The Happiest Millionaire), and lesser-known Disney features (two numbers from James and the Giant Peach, "Family" and "My Name Is James"). 

Worked on writing for a while after I got off. The Red King pursues the group to the edge of the forest. Patti and Don are more scared of the giant raven and jub-jub birds, with their razor-sharp feathers, he's riding. Richard tries to take him on there, but the others finally drag him along with them.

Finally broke to have a fried egg wrap and broccoli at 7:30. Spent the rest of the night with episodes honoring several former Match Game panelists who passed away in the last few weeks. Scoey Mitchill was a comedian and character actor whose dead-pan, race-fueled wit brought a lot to game show panels in the 70's. Scoey admitted in Match Game 101 that he actually preferred playing Tattletales with his long-time wife Claire...and I don't blame him. They're one of my favorite couples on the show. They usually played well...although in these two episodes, they can't match another couple who was great at this, John Astin and Patty Duke.

Scoey wasn't the best at matching on Match Game - in fact, he seldom matched - but his deadpan delivery and tough-guy attitude that nicely contrasted with suave Richard Dawson and fussy Charles Nelson Reilly more than made up for it. He could get away with doing gags that none of the others would even contemplate, like getting up to take a nap after he'd already matched a question or kissing a guy after giving him a good answer on the Audience Match. 

Jolly and round Johnny Brown of Good Times seemed to really have a good time on his one and only Match Game week. He was such a doll and so good-natured, I really wish he'd turned up again. (Especially given how often his Good Times castmate Jimmie Walker appeared!) His week was funny in general. We saw one yesterday with Richard's Hogan's Heroes impression. The episode before that gave us Charles' hilarious reaction to "Charles __" on the Audience Match.

He proved to be equally good at stunts on the 1979 Beat the Clock. Patti Deustch also showed she was far better at stunts than matching as she and Johnny became the big winners for Christmas week on the show. Monty Hall celebrated by cheering them on. 

Conrad Janis is best known today for playing Mindy's conservative father in Mork & Mindy. He was one of several supporting actors from that show to appear on the syndicated Match Game in 1982. Charles Nelson Reilly was directing a play during his week. Paul Williams adequately substituted.

Honor these three comedy and sitcom favorites with some of their best game show appearances! (Look for intros from Betty White and the original Game Show Network commercials on Beat the Clock!) 

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