Saturday, June 08, 2024

I Get Around

This time, we watched a little Family Feud before we started out. I had to stop quick at the kiosk two blocks down to drop off a book there. Cut through the park after that on our way to Collingswood. It remains gorgeous here, sunny, dry, and breezy. We stopped to watch a turtle poke his head out of the green water to enjoy the warmth, and then saw his baby do the same, before moving on down Beechwood.

I needed money, so our next stop was WaWa. I got cash and a Grape Propel. Lauren got two bags of snacks and an iced coffee with milk and vanilla she claimed was like drinking a coffee milkshake. They were pretty busy, so we ducked out fast as we could.

Headed across the street to the farm market after leaving WaWa. Needless to say, they were also busy on such a perfect June day. Lauren initially said she didn't want anything, until I spied a table selling the first cherries, raspberries, and New Jersey blueberries of the season. I bought cherries and blueberries for me and raspberries for her, along with a pretzel ring for my own treat.

Next up was Time Lapse, the collectibles store a couple of blocks down on Haddon Avenue. They're basically a smaller version of The House of Fun, with books and records along with the vintage toys and games. I found two Hello Kitty Happy Meal toys and a genuine vintage She Ra (missing her accessories) in two bins featuring loose action figures 3 for $9.99. I'll give them to the daughter of a friend of mine. Lauren picked up a Cabbage Patch figure, an Inspector Gadget figure, and a GoBot, a bagged wrestling figure, a copy of Cracked for her dad, and two tins of Golden Girls mints. 

Went a few doors down after that to Clutter, which specializes in more elegant antiques, but we found nothing there. I didn't buy anything at Haddon Culinary, but Lauren picked up a container of cocoa-dusted pecans. She didn't find anything at the Library's book sales, but I got Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends: The Complete Season 1 and Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin. 

We decided to move on after that. Since we weren't far from the PATCO, we opted to take that to Haddonfield. They were surprisingly full for noon on Saturday. I guess a lot of people were going out to lunch in the small towns along Haddon Avenue.

After we got off the train, we made our way straight down King's Highway to The British Chip Shop. Thankfully, unlike last year, it was open when we arrived. In fact, it too was busy. We had to briefly wait for a table. I was surprised to see the Phillies playing the Mets on their TV...until I remembered they were in London. We celebrated Bryce Harper's and Edumundo Sosa's home runs while she had a Beef and Cheddar Melt with "chips" (fries) and French onion soup to dip them in, and I had a cold sliced chicken sandwich with lettuce, crisp apples, mustard, and Irish cheddar and a salad. 

(And the Phillies jolly well flattened the wayward Mets 7-2.)

I hadn't checked out Happy Hippo Toys in a while...and remembered why when I saw the prices. They had some great stuff, including a lot of Care Bears merchandise, but most of it was overpriced. Haddonfield shops tend to be expensive. Not to mention, there were a lot of families in the small store, checking out the rows of dolls, books, games, and stuffed animals. We bought nothing here and moved on.

RAM Arcade is three blocks down Haddon Avenue from Happy Hippo. They're pretty much the same deal as the arcade at the Nerd Mall yesterday, slightly larger and with pinball machines replacing the Japanese cabinets. The pinball machines weren't working and a few of the games were down as well, but there was enough that did work for us to spend an enjoyable hour. I got Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to myself this time. Also tried Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Rampage, Space Invaders, Carnival King, Area 51Tron, Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Dig Dug, Centipede, and Frogger. Did best at Ms. Pac Man, getting to the fifth level. I always did play better with the faster Ms. than her pokier hubby. 

Since it was such a nice day, we decided to just walk down Haddon Avenue to Westmont. Cooled off when we got in with Primo's Water Ice. Surprisingly, they weren't busy when we finally made it down there. Lauren had a root beer soft serve cone. I went with chocolate peanut butter water ice. The water ice wasn't all that chocolatey, but it sure had a lot of thick peanut butter. Lauren seemed to enjoy her root beer cone a lot more.

Phidelity Records is on the next block over from Primo's. Like Abbie Road, they carry CDs and DVDs in addition to records. Lauren said she mostly found instrumental CDs for her parents, but she did get a copy of the Goo Goo Dolls for herself and The Sunshine Boys on DVD for all of them. I didn't find any DVDs this time, but I did get two CDs:

Miles Davis - Nefertiti

The soundtrack from the Disney fireworks/light show Fantasmic!

And five records: 

The Care Bears - Adventures In Care-a-Lot (We had this one when we were kids in the 80's.)

Strawberry Shortcake - Sweet Songs

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Dave Digs Disney

The George Shearing Quintet - Touch Me Softly

The original London cast album for Robert and Elizabeth, a hit West End operetta on the life of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. (And don't ask me how I keep finding British cast albums on this side of the Atlantic.) 

By the time we went across the street to WaWa for a Mocha Brownie Smoothie and another vanilla iced coffee, we were hot, tired, and sore from a lot of walking. Not to mention, it was past 5:30. Rush hour on Cuthbert Road and Haddon Avenue aren't fun at any time of the week, but it's especially crazy on the weekends. I ended up calling Uber for a ride home. The girl came in 10 minutes and got us back in less than 5. 

When we got home, we got organized, then had dinner while watching Dr. Seuss On the Loose and Pontoffel Pock, Where are You? I go further into these two classic Seuss specials at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 


I took a shower, then joined Lauren for Match Game '76. These episodes were from the hilarious week featuring Isobel Sanford and Martin Hamlisch. The latter managed to play the show's theme on his toy piano and wrote songs about Brett and the sweet contestant Farnicia. Charles joined him to put over the latter two.

Watched The Lawrence Welk Show next. Welk and his musical family did at least two episodes themed around vacations. The first went way back to 1967. Cissy King is introduced here, dancing the Charleston with Bobby Burgess to the tune of "Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me." Lynn Anderson also makes her debut with "If I Kiss You." Jo Ann Castle is a piano-playing mermaid and Larry Hooper is the deep-sea diver looking for her while singing "Many of the Mermaid." (Jo Ann later reported that neither costume was especially comfortable.) Jo Ann also joins a trio of flappers and two tapping sheiks for "Thoroughly Modern Millie," complete with fringed piano. The show ends with everyone singing about "Cruising Down the River."

Their 1980 Vacation Show stuck closer to the theme. Guy and Ralna sang "Leaving On a Jet Plane," while Bobby Burgess and his then-partner Elaine Niverson dance "Come to the Mardi Gras." Kathie Sullivan wonders "Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?" Jimmy Roberts croons about going "Around the World." Arthur Duncan taps up a storm in "San Francisco." Anacani is more interested in heading to her native Mexico to visit "Acapulco." 

Go on under the sea and around the world without leaving home with Lawrence Welk and his orchestra!


(I also finally remembered to get my schedule at this point. Not only am I off, but they gave me Saturday off, the one day I didn't ask for. I guess they figured they had plenty of help without calling me in for one day. Good. I can do a farm market run and relax before going back to work.)

Finished the night with a short, late marathon revolving around big wins on Match Game PM. Indeed, some of the show's biggest wins could be found in the nighttime. There was the time David Doyle had to help the contestant with "__ Mountains" for $20,000 after he hit him on the Star Wheel in late 1978. Or when Richard was more than happy to answer "__ Richard" on the Audience Match, then help a contestant win $10,000 in 1976. Ken Olflson was extremely nervous in 1978 when had to help a contestant win $20,000. Gene wasn't too thrilled with the answer most of his panelists gave in 1980 as to what show would make its viewers sick! 

Let's keep winning in the wee hours with this short but sweet marathon!

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