Rainy Day Matches

I was up so late last night, I slept until 11 today. Put on CDs during breakfast. By the Beautiful Sea is a 1954 stage vehicle for comedienne Shirley Booth. The story of a vaudeville performer who saves her father's boarding house and falls for a Shakespearean actor (Wilbur Evans) was no great shakes then, let alone now. The actor's daughter, a teenager who is put in children's clothes to keep her playing child roles, is supposed to object to their relationship. I don't think they ever figured out what to do with her, She doesn't even get a song. 

Of the songs, Booth's comic lament "I'd Rather Wake Up By Myself" is my favorite. I also like "Happy Habit" for her maid (Mae Barnes) and the lovely ballad "Alone Too Long" for Evans. Most of the chorus numbers really have nothing to do with the story, but the lovely "Sea Song" and "Coney Island Boat," both featuring Booth, are fun. I've had this CD for almost 25 years, since I bought it from a (now defunct) music store in North Cape May around 1996. CD and original cast LP are pretty rare now; if you want to hear this, you'd likely be better off looking for it online.

Took a quick walk after breakfast. Wanted to drop off a bunch of books at the kiosk on the other end of the block. The book kiosks are brightly painted wooden cabinets on poles that function as mini-libraries and free book centers. You can donate books, or take them to keep, or take them and bring them back. There's a lot of these scattered throughout Oaklyn, including four less than a five-minute walk from me. 

Went home and tried to concentrate online while listening to Hello Dolly! Pearl Bailey's all-black cast from 1968 is by far my favorite version of this beloved show. Bailey's a hilarious Dolly; her "I Put My Hand In" and "Before the Parade Passes By" are especially strong. Cab Calloway apparently wasn't in the show for long, but he did manage to record the cast album, including one of my favorite versions of "It Takes a Woman."

Though the ground and road were largely dry and it wasn't raining by 2:30, the weather reports weren't promising. I called Uber to get me to work again. The one taking me to work arrived in three minutes; the one going home got there in 8, not bad for 7 PM on an evening with nasty weather. 

Work was off-and-on steady for most of the afternoon. We're still getting some pretty grouchy folks. People, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do about inflation or bad weather, or if your cards don't work. It continued to be steady even after dark clouds moved in and it started showering heavily. The rain finally cleared everyone out around 6 PM. I spent the last half-hour shelving unwanted items.

(Incidentally, it continued to rain when I called Uber going home, though not quite as hard. It ended shortly after I got in, and I don't think it's done anything since.)

Took a shower, then grabbed dinner and finished off the night with the other Match Game Leading Lady marathon on YouTube. I missed the first two leading ladies, Michael Lerned of The Waltons and Lynda Day George. Arrived in time for war drama darling Denise DuBarry. Other leading ladies this go-around included Roz Kelly from Happy Days, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jennilee Harrison and Suzanne Sommers from Three's Company, Eva Gabor, Loni Anderson, Helaine Lembeck and Debralee Scott from Welcome Back Kotter, Dolly Martin, Jonnelle Allen, and Barbara Rhodes. 

Come out and meet some of the brightest stars to ever make a match in this delightful marathon!

Match Game Sunday Night Classics: Leadies Ladies from 1977-1982