Watched a little of the early 80's Family Feud while I got organized. Richard Dawson not only kissed the ladies, he charmed the heck out of three teenagers and three young girls. He even did sign language for a deaf fan in the audience.
Headed out to do my grocery shopping at quarter of 11. I started off at the Westmont Plaza. Picked up breakfast cookies and coconut milk at Sprouts. Bags of Lily's seasonal chocolate-pumpkin chips were supposed to be a 99-cent manager's deal, but they came up regular price. I had to get a refund on a gift card and buy them again. I had more luck picking up Christmas presents for a friend's daughter and my niece Lilah at Target. Thanks to an online coupon, Lilah's gift was 25 percent off. Pumpkin was cheaper there than at Sprouts or the Acme, too.
Headed past the Haddon Township Library and down the hill to the Westmont Diner for lunch. I hadn't had pancakes in ages. They were out of the Lemon Yogurt Poppy Seed Pancakes, so I went with their "Banoffee Pancakes," three large pancakes with banana slices, whipped topping, butter cookie bits, and caramel. The caramel was too sweet, but the rest tasted pretty good. It was almost 12 by this point, and they were busy with mainly older groups looking for lunch.
Went straight up the next hill to the Westmont Acme after lunch. I mainly needed yogurt. Had an online coupon for Chobani. Grapes were on sale, too. Finally ran out of popcorn earlier in the week. Also dug up an online coupon for the 20 oz Coke bottles, and they were 2 for 4. I grabbed a regular Zero and a rarer Segrams Ginger Ale Zero. The Westmont Acme was busier than the Audubon Acme's been for the past few days. I barely dodged a long line.
Rode home across Newton Lake Park, passing many children returning to school after lunch and dog walkers and parents with strollers out to enjoy the unusually warm weather. It was 69 degrees, according to the digital sign in front of Haddon Township High School, cloudy and a bit humid for November. Everything is certainly looking like fall now. The leaves are rapidly tumbling from the trees; they so cover the path in the park, it's hard to tell where the path begins and the grass ends. I walked my bike up the dirt path over the hill, enjoying the stillness of the woods and the vibrant yellow and gold trees.
When I got home, I put everything away while watching Tattletales from 1976. It's Price Is Right History week as then-current TPIR host Bob Barker and his very funny wife Dorothy Jo competed against previous TPIR host Bill Cullen and his smart wife Ann and Days of Our Lives star Patty Weaver and her husband Larry Stewart. Amazingly enough, this was the first time the two hosts had met. Bob and Dorothy had been high school sweethearts - they met at an Ella Fitzgerald concert - and were married until her death in 1981. They blew away the others and got every answer right.
Went online and checked my schedule next. In good news, Monday and next Saturday off. I was barely expecting to get one day off. I'll be able to see the Collingswood Christmas Parade again. The bad news is, I work early Thanksgiving. It's only four hours and it's in the morning, so I may not fuss about working it. I'll miss the parade, but not dinner.
Listened to my new records next. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever opened in 1965, and despite not being a runaway hit, it produced standards in the title song and the ballads "Come Back to Me" and "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" While Barbara Harris is adorable as the time-spanning Melinda on the cast album, I can understand why revised versions have failed in revival. The story of a hypnotist who discovers a kooky young woman lived a past life via hypnotism is just too bizarre to stand up today. Several numbers set during Melinda's previoius life in the 18th century exist mainly to give the chorus something to do and probably show off the sets.
Honestly, this is worth getting to hear Harris and big-voiced John Cullum do those three numbers. William Daniels also joins Harris for a sweet "Wait 'Til We're Sixty-Five." Just enjoy the solo performances and "Clear Day" and skip the other chorus numbers.
Did the first disc of the MGM musical soundtrack set next. The Pirate was Cole Porter's last score before his big comeback with Kiss Me Kate. This sexy swashbuckler with Kelly as an actor passing himself as the title swashbuckler to woo Caribbean lass Judy Garland produced the standard "Be a Clown." Garland's passionate "Mack the Black" and Kelly's teasing "Nina" are other stand-outs. Hit the Deck is an underrated tale of sailors on leave and the girls they fall for. "Hallelujah!" is the big one here; other good songs include "Sometimes I'm Happy" and the lovely "More Than You Know."
Moved on to K-Tel's Hit Machine after the musicals ended. The title of this 1976 album couldn't be more accurate. Almost every song here was a hit in its time, and most are still well-known today. Among my favorites here are "When I Will I Be Loved?" by Linda Rondstat, "Right Back Where We Started From" by Maxine Nightingale, "Moonlight Feels Right" by Starbuck, "Evil Woman" by the Electric Light Orchestra, "Island Girl" by Elton John, "Rock and Roll All Nite" by KISS, and the title songs from Welcome Back Kotter and Happy Days.
Did the soundtrack from Scrooged while writing. The big hit here was the Annie Lennox-Al Green "Put a Little Love In Your Heart" that still shows up on the radio frequently during the holiday season. Most of the other songs are the random pop tunes and rap numbers that were common in 1988, but we do get Natalie Cole's version of "The Christmas Song" along with "A Wonderful Life."
Worked on writing while the records were on. Stephen sorrowfully explains to Cora that the man claiming to be him is his cousin Harron. He's an evil sorcerer who considers Stephen's kind and just leadership to be too soft for running a kingdom. Not only does he believe he can do better, but he's after the kingdom's vast treasury as well. He used his hypnotic powers to turn his guards on him and have him imprisoned in the dungeon. He's dodgy about where he is now, though, only that he's close by, but can neither speak to her, nor even write his name.
They're about to kiss when black magic throws them apart. Harron appears, accusing Stephen of giving Cora too many hints about breaking the spell. Stephen angrily insists that Harron already meddled by attempting to put Cora under the same spell as the rest of his kingdom. Harron forces his cousin to his knees, twisting his limbs until he cries out in pain, Cora begs for Harron to let him alone, but he wants to punish his wayward cousin...
Broke for dinner at 7 PM. Watched Match Game '79 while I ate. The first episode opened with Brett playing with balloon animals and ended with Marcia teasing Bill about his long answers. In the second, everyone tried to figure out "__ Turner" in the Audience Match while Bill put his arms around Marcia and Elaine Joyce and claimed they were his girls, to Marcia's very visible disgust.
Finished the night on Tubi with more holiday fantasies. I went further into the Laurel and Hardy March of the Toy Soldiers in November 2018.
The version of Nutcracker On Ice on Tubi is from the mid-90's. Golden-haired Elaine Bobeck looks like a pretty porcelain doll herself as Clara; Todd Eldridge is her Nutcracker Prince. Peggy Fleming makes an especially elegant Sugar Plum Fairy. The sequence in the Land of Sweets is cut down to flowers skating, but we do have most of the Rat King's big fight. Not a bad beginner Nutcracker for young skating fans who won't mind the lack of recent champs.
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