Sunday, March 10, 2024

Sudden Storms

Started off the morning with breakfast and Working on a Dream. This was Bruce Springsteen's big hit album from a decade ago, spawning a #1 hit in the title song of the movie The Wrestler. I also like the album's title number, "My Lucky Day," and the lovely "What Love Can Do."

Headed off to work before the album was finished. Despite gale-force winds and biting chill, it was sunny enough when I left for me to take the bike. Besides, I'm tired of spending a ton of money on Uber. I'd rather save it for occasional trips out of town. Though my toe remains sore, my wrist does feel a lot better. 

Spent most of the afternoon dodging those winds and pushing carts. At least two other guys were there as well, allowing me to spend an hour inside putting away items people didn't want. Less than twenty minutes after I got back outside, the wind increased to near-hurricane levels, and the clouds that had been building on the horizon suddenly turned into a fierce snow squall. I didn't want to go back inside because I hadn't finished with the carts. Besides, I could tell that, even as the clouds arrived, they were already starting to break apart. By the time I rode home, it was back to being a sunny, windy day. 

Went straight into the Match Game Sunday Classics marathon when I got home. (Took a shower and had dinner a little later in the evening.) Some of the most memorable contestants of the entire CBS run came in its later years. Statuesque blonde Darlene spent the week she became the show's biggest winner up until that time flirting with Richard Dawson. There was also George, the sweet young man in the glasses who won big during New Year's week 1976 and into early '77. He said he intended to use some of his winnings to send his parents on a Hawaiian vacation. I hope they had a great time! 

The big winner of mid '77 was Bertha, a dear little old lady who just couldn't believe she'd gotten on the show. Everyone treated her like a queen, giving her a seat when she got to the Audience Match and bringing her water. She was such an absolute doll, she remains an viewer favorite. Bertha wasn't the only older champ who was a sweetheart, either. Down-to-Earth older man Bill was the first person to win big on the new Star Wheel in mid-1978 and the first to play on the new blue and orange set. 

The biggest winner ever on the show was Carolyn in 1979, who ironically won after she returned on a technicality. She went home with over $30,000 on the second-to-last week of the CBS run. Bill Daily was so excited to help her, he almost took his clothes off! Brett was thrilled when she helped her become the all-time champ, too. 

Some one-off contestants were pretty memorable as well. There was the poor nervous older lady who slipped and said she was retarded when she meant retired. Marge was a very cute lady, but her family tree was so large and unwieldy, Betty White took notes just to figure out who was married to whom. One of the contestants who came in after Carolyn had these really awesome Groucho Marx faces painted on her nails that must have taken forever to dry.

Come check out the big winners of the later CBS run in this thrilling marathon!

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