Dodging the Spring Rain

Began the morning with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. All the kids in Busytown say "Count On Us!" when they get pledges for a bikeathon. After Billy Dog's mother accidentally runs over his bike, he tries to get a second-hand replacement. Even working hard, he comes up short, but the other kids in town lend their paws. After a Bavarian family is rescued by their king, they vow to give him a special gift. Nothing seems right until the little girl hits on giving him "The First Easter Egg Ever." Hilda says "Be My Valentine" to Lowly Worm when she thinks he's giving her something...and is upset when he gives all his friends, including her, a cookie and she makes the biggest Valentine she can think of.

It was only cloudy, cool, and a bit breezy at that point. I figured I was fine riding to work. Dropped Easter cards in the mail box on the way there and just made it in time. It was a little busier today than it was on Monday, maybe because we're starting to get closer to Easter. I had to return another Walmart electric cart, too. Found this over by the traffic light, well away from any parking lot. Someone mentioned they drove home the old woman who tried to steal it. According to them, she had a lot of things and was angry when it stalled. It stalled because it wasn't supposed to be off Walmart property! What she did was really stealing. Other than that, I swept the store, gathered carts, and shelved cold items.

Oh, and I texted Mom. She called me yesterday to ask if there's anything I wanted for my birthday. I finally found the perfect thing. My record player is nine years old, and was a cheap turntable I bought from Amazon to begin with. I'm shocked it lasted this long, including through two moves. I fell in love with a really cute retro-style portable player that was only fifty dollars on Amazon. It even came in red. She sent me a gift card to buy it. 

I rushed out the second my shift ended. The clouds had darkened during the course of the morning, and though it was actually a little warmer, the wind had picked up, too. I had been home for 20 minutes when it started pouring. It's poured off and on ever since.

Started watching Let's Make a Deal, but decided to put on F-Troop instead while I finished The Kitchen Front. Agarn says "That's Show Biz" when he retires from the Army yet again, this time to manage a music group called The Bedbugs that has a very odd new sound. The troop's attempt to bring him back somehow ends with Parameter and Jane posing as a hippie-esque group and singing for the Hikawis.

We learn how 'The Day They Shot Agarn" began from a balladeer (John Mitchum). Agarn was supposed to be keeping track of a prisoner, but they escaped. Since he lost the prisoner, he has to carry out his sentence, which puts him in front of a firing squad. Good thing none of the men at Fort Courage can shoot straight to save their lives...

Jane's thrilled to announce "Only One Russian Is Coming! Only One Russian Is Coming!" when yet another foreign relative of Agarn's visits Fort Courage. She's truly impressed with Russian cossack Dimitri Agarnoff's trick riding and claims she'll marry him, which makes Parameter quite jealous for once. O'Rourke and Agarn, however, know he has a weakness for gypsies.

Parameter and an inspector general wonder "Guns, Guns, Who's Got the Guns?" when someone at Fort Courage is suspected of selling guns to the Apaches. Suddenly, everyone's pointing fingers at each other, even O'Rourke and Agarn. Parameter, however, isn't sure it's even one of their men.

It's "Marriage, Fort Courage Style" when Jane gets desperate for Parameter to notice her and calls in a matchmaker (Mary Wickes) to put them together. "Marrying Sam," however, keeps pairing off other troopers at Fort Courage, including Agarn.

Fort Courage itself is in trouble when a greedy land developer buys up the town. The troops say "Carpetbagging, Anyone?" when they have to trick the guy to get their land and O'Rourke Enterprises back.

Worked on writing next. Kathleen's frustrated. She wishes badly to buy a home of her own, but she has little money and knows no one else she can stay with. Mrs. Rowland has many older friends, but she feels awkward among them.

Broke for dinner and Match Game Syndicated at 7 PM. Charles sported a white ten-gallon cowboy hat in the first episode that he claimed to have borrowed from Marc Breslow, the show's director. After he joked about how silly it was, Breslow ended up pointing the camera over his head, only showing the top of the hat! Things got really wild in the second show with Bill Daily, Dolly Martin, and Scoey Mitchilll. Dolly comes up with "Armstrong" as an answer to "Bess __" on the Audience Match. No one believes her...until it actually comes up...

Returned to F-Troop to finish off that show. Parameter has a nasty cold that may interfere with his test to become a major. The others give him so many alcohol-based cold medications, he ends up drunk. Even then, "The Majority of Wilton" may not be as exciting if he really does move up and have to leave the fort.

Chief Wild Eagle becomes "Our Brave In F-Troop" when the guys sneak  him in to have a tooth pulled. All the officers think he's a real trooper, and he quickly rises through the ranks. Crazy Cat works with the guys to get him back with his tribe where he belongs.

Everyone's worried that an officer (Charles Drake) who is notorious for closing unnecessary forts may wonder "Is This Fort Really Necessary?" when he arrives to marry his attractive fiancee (Patrice Wymore). The Hikaris try to distract him by kidnapping the lady and her less-than-lovely sister, but O'Rourke wonders if it's a good idea when he falls for her himself.

And that's that. I am going to say that I really enjoy the black-and-white first season more than the goofier second season in color. While this is pretty much a spoof through and through, the first season feels a little more like a western and a little less like they're trying to throw every 60's cliche and available guest star they can get their hands on into the script. Oh, and this is not a show for the easily offended. The Natives are Jewish comedians in bad red makeup, and every guy in the show, regardless of their skin color, is shifty, dumb, greedy, or just too nice for their own good. 

On the other hand, the women are treated surprisingly well. Wrangler Jane is the only one who can shoot straight, even if she does try to chase Parameter a little too much. Other smart ladies who turn up during the course of the series include O'Reilly who ran the saloon, the black widow who went after Agarn, tall, strong Yellow Bird, that officer's fiancee in the series finale, and the strong-willed mothers of Parameter and Flaming Arrow. Even the Native women were clearly more intelligent than the men in their tribe. 

Once again, this is not for the easily offended. If you're expecting real Natives and a real exploration of the actual west, you're in the wrong show. If you're looking for a frequently funny satire of western cliches and 60's sitcom tropes, grab the first season set and ride on down to Fort Courage for a rollicking good time.

Finished the night at Disney Plus with the Easter episode of Muppet Babies. Kermit and Fozzie are thrilled to team up for the egg hunt, but Fozzie keeps rushing ahead, and the others get there first. Kermit has to remind them that on "Kermit and Fozzie's Egg-cellent Adventure," it's best to go slow and plan your moves first. Animal is so excited about seeing Ratlantis, he refuses to go to the bathroom. He's embarrassed when he has "Animal's Little Accident," but the others admit that they've had accidents when they wouldn't stop playing to use the bathroom, too.