Friday, July 29, 2022

Dolls on Main Street

Started off my morning with breakfast and The New Scooby Doo Mysteries. This is the mid-80's version of the show with Daphne, Shaggy, and the two dogs. By 1984, the gang was back to solving mysteries, though not always men in masks. We meet two of Scooby's cousins in this one, starting with "The Dooby Dooby Do Ado." Dooby Dooby Doo is playing Vegas when he's attacked by a chorus girl who is after the jeweled collar he wears. His cousins, Daphne, and Shaggy have to figure out who wants that collar and why, and who the reporter hanging around Dooby is. "Showboat Scooby" ends up helping another cousin, Dixie Doo, when her river boat is haunted by the ghost of a Southern general whose beloved thought he stole her necklace and ended their wedding.

Headed out when the show ended. First stop was the mailbox on the White Horse Pike to send off my nephew Skylar's birthday card and money. His 18th birthday is on Sunday. Since I was there, I called Uber and had them pick me up next-door to the closed bank. I was at Marlton within a half-hour. 

Yes, I did make it to the Cottage Resale Shoppe this time, after the older man who owned the store pointed me towards the side door entrance. The three rooms were jammed full of all kinds of older American Girl merchandise, and even some off-brand and generic 18 inch doll outfits. Dolls greeted me from the top shelves, while tables held the larger playsets. One set of shelves was devoted to pets; another to the mini-dolls and accessories. 

He didn't have as much in the way of historical clothes as I hoped, but I did make some good finds. Molly's Tennis Outfit was one of the five outdoor-themed "limited edition" outfits released for the Historicals in 1997. It's missing the racket, ball, sneakers, and socks...but it was also only $20, a steal when I've seen it go for anything from $40 to $60 complete on eBay. Found Julie's Calico Dress for Ariel. It was $45 with the boots, bandanna, and tights, but that one usually goes for upwards to $70 complete on eBay. 

Two 50's-style outfits, a red and white flower-print dress with an attached cardigan and a black-and-white houndstooth coat with a velvet collar, were $10 and $6 each. They'll be perfect for Whitney, who has no coat of her own. The older man even threw in a vintage 1994 American Girl Magazine for free, since I came such a long way.

Last week, when I strolled on Main Street, I noticed a deli at the modern apartment building a couple of blocks from Cottage Resale. Went across the street to try it out. They were a small industrial room with sleek modern coolers and displays and heavy wooden block tables under thick black pipes. I had a can of Fresca and an overstuffed turkey BLT that was so big, I couldn't even finish it.  

I saw a Barnes and Noble while the Uber drove down Highway 70 earlier. It was close enough to walk...but not only did I not want to cross the busy highway, but I didn't like the look of the clouds. They were getting heavier by the minute. I just called an Uber again. He took a while to arrive, but got me there in five minutes.

Though not two stories like the stores in Philadelphia and Springfield, it was still big enough for a music and video area and a kids' area large enough to house the bathrooms. I wandered around for almost two hours, just exploring. Found the next story in that Key West food critic mystery series I picked up last fall, Death On the Menu, the 2nd and final season of F-Troop, and Homicidal Jungle Cat, one of two Calvin and Hobbes comics collections I didn't have. 

I got a coupon for a dollar off a Frappuccino at the Starbucks Cafe area, so I figured I'd use it. Bought a vanilla bean Grande and a brownie. Enjoyed the brownie at a small table near the back of the area. Tried to slurp the drink while waiting for my Uber ride, but paper straws weren't meant for frozen drinks. I ended up practically eating it once it got low enough.

It took almost 20 minutes for the Uber driver to arrive at the height of rush hour. Fortunately, the traffic could have been a lot worse. I climbed out of the car just in time. Not more than a half-hour after I made it in the door, it started raining hard. It's been showering off-and-on ever since.

Worked on writing for a little while after I got in. Richard absently asks Brett if her hair's fastened on tightly. Seems the wind in the area is very strong. He says he's working on a way to keep it from coming off...which, of course, leads to Brett joking that Charles could certainly use that for his hair...

Broke for dinner at 7. Watched the last episode of Match Game PM Buzzr will run for a while as I ate. A handsome young college student turned many heads on this episode, especially when he called on everyone in the Audience Match. Crusty Mary Wickes and deadpan Gary Crosby looked on as Charles gets a rare chance to figure out "Amateur __" in the Head-to-Head. 

Finished the night with Star of India at Kanopy. Pierre St. Laurent (Cornel Wilde) returns from his service to learn his lands and mansion were confiscated and sold off by Narbonne (Herbert Lom), the governor of the province, without his knowledge. The current owner, the Dutch widow Katrina (Jean Wallace), tells him she'll return his lands if he helps her find the fabled sapphire the Star of India. He goes to Narbonne's castle and flirts with his mistress (Yvonne Sansom), who tells him the jewel is in his sword. Now he has to figure out how to get the jewel from Norbonne and get him and Katrina out to sea, before Norbonne figures out what's going on.

Preposterous swashbuckler has its moments of fun, especially during some delightful duels near the middle and end of the film. Wilde and Wallace make a decent couple, but Lom walks off with the film as the despicable nobleman. Not the best action movie ever, but worth a look if you're into costume pictures or old-fashioned action like me. 

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