We Must Believe In Magic

Started off a gloomy morning with breakfast and Charlie & Lola. Considering what our weather's been like the last few days, I suspect a lot of kids can relate to "It's Raining, It's Boring." Lola's bored when she and Charlie visit his best friend Marv's house. Many of their games are for two players, or are something she can't play. She really wants to take his dog Sizzles to the park. As it turns out, the best game is the simplest...the one that allows Lola to use her considerable imagination.

Puttered around online for a while until it was time for me to head to work. Once again, it was wet when I left, but not raining...but this time, it had dropped back into a more normal mid-40's as well. At least, it wasn't windy or colder than it should have been for the time of year. I got to work right on time.

The Acme was pretty dead for most of the afternoon. I spent too much time standing around bored or desperately trying to find something to do...until the dinner rush hour, and then we ended up with long lines. People are still having a hard time figuring out their government program funds. To my frustration, a couple left behind a $600 order because the woman couldn't get their food basics card to work and said they didn't have enough on the food stamp card. It was almost an hour before we could corral a bagger who could put all that away. And then they said I had a relief, only to tell me I didn't when I went to put something away. Good thing I got out on time.

Ran right home after all that and into dinner and Match Game Syndicated. Eva and Gene briefly swapped seats at one point to figure out a question. Meanwhile, the others try to help the contestant figure out "__ the Car" on the Audience Match...but the top answer ends up being something that may be a little obscure today. 

Finished the night on Disney Plus with fourth season episodes of the The Muppet Show revolving around country music stars. John Denver was no stranger to Muppet lunacy. He'd go on to do two popular Christmas specials with them. He and Kermit hope to go backpacking in Kermit's native swamp, but the others aren't nearly as enthusiastic. Piggy has trouble with a mouthy tree in her version of the poem "Trees," the Swedish Chef can't catch squirrels for dinner, and Gonzo wants to know what one does with a talking garden.

We get our first taste of the popularity of Star Wars on The Muppet Show during the Crystal Gale episode when Darth Nadir (aka Gonzo in Darth Vader mode) and his Storm Chickens invade "Pigs In Space." Gorgeous Gale herself appears in a haunting rendition of her "We Must Believe In Magic," with ghosts and wizards who predate the Ghost of Christmas Past by almost 15 years gliding around her. Meanwhile, the Prairie Dog Glee Club steals anything they can get their paws on, including Kermit's collar (to his embarrassment) and most of Piggy's wardrobe.

Kenny Rogers lands right in the thick of the insanity when stereotyped Arabs drill for oil in his dressing room and Kermit winds up on crutches after breaking bones in a circus act. Kermit does manage to get a good idea for a number out of this, a really surreal version of the famous reggae number "Coconut." Naturally,"Veterinarian's Hospital" also has fun with this, though Piggy chastises them for making jokes about her frog. Rogers manages to squeeze in a surprisingly dark rendition of his "The Gambler." 

Piggy and her fellow hams hog the spotlight in the opening of the Anne Murray episode as literal road hogs riding motorcycles while singing "I Get Around." Anne does the much calmer "Snowbird" as she deflects a dodo's bad bird puns. Scooter's constantly riding a skateboard backstage somehow makes it into Anne's big finale, "Everything Old Is New Again."