Headed out to run errands after the cartoon ended. I had a bag of donations for Goodwill, and I needed to return the too-small underwear I picked up on vacation to Lane Bryant. I accidentally took the labels off one before I realized it was the wrong size, so I wasn't able to return that (I'll just drop it in the Dollar General clothes bin with a bag of other clothes I don't want), but I did return the other four.
Not only was I feeling hungry enough for a decent lunch (I hadn't had a big breakfast), but for the first time in over a week, the weather was decent. It was windy, sunny, and killer humid, but while hot, it was only slightly above where it should be for late June, probably in the mid-80's. Rode across Audubon to the Legacy Diner. Had three huge, tasty Chunky Monkey pancakes with chocolate chips and bananas, a bowl of fruit, and unsweetened iced tea. Filling and tasty.
Made a quick stop at WaWa on the way home for drinks. They were having a 2 for $4 sale on Pepsi. Grabbed Pepsi Zero and Mountain Dew Zero, used the last of my gift card, and rode home.
Went straight into Remember WENN after I got home. Everyone at WENN is taking a "Pratfall" when they're nominated for 16 Golden Lobes, Pittsburgh's prestigious radio awards. Scott and Jeff are competing with each other, both in the lead role of Young Doctor Talbot, while Hilary tries hard to campaign for an all-around excellence award and Eugenia attempts to put truth into her exercise program.
It's a "Work Shift" when Mr. Eldridge's mistake with the scripts leaves everyone frustrated. Motivational speaker Arden Sage (Greg Germann) encourages the others to "walk in another's shoes" for a day...which teaches the cast a lesson in appreciating their own jobs when Scott fetches everyone coffee, Hilary is stuck behind the switchboard, Gertie and Mr. Eldridge are acting, and Maple attempts writing. (If nothing else, besides being one of the better episodes from the 4th season, this episode finally ends the running gag about what Mr. Eldridge does at the station. He's the go-fer and janitor who does all the little chores no one else has any time or inclination to do.)
Switched to I Dream of Jeanie while writing Hilary and the Beasts. I go further into this charming B-movie biography of Stephen Foster at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Spent the rest of the evening working on Hilary and the Beasts. Hilary, Betty, Maple (and Hilary's considerable stack of luggage) take a cab past Pittsburgh's Millionaire's Row to an enormous, stunning stone manor house on the end of the street. They're greeted at the door by a twitching human rabbit who doesn't talk (Mr. Foley) but does carry Hilary's bags. They manage to get everything to the living room before they finally meet the master of the manor...a roaring, hideous troll-man (Jeff) who immediately yells that Hilary was late and her sisters are going home. Hilary counters with he could stop acting like a baby and if her sisters go, she goes. Betty is terrified. Maple is thrilled - this is her first movie monster up close!
The ladies find an unlikely defender in a timid, lumbering half-human black bear (Scott). He stumbles slowly out to haltingly protest the Troll making them leave. The Troll calls him an idiot, tells him to help Mr. Rabbit with the luggage, and shoves him. Betty tends to him when he trips over the luggage and tells him she doesn't think he's stupid.
Maple's absolutely ecstatic to be in what amounts to a moving zoo...and she's even more so when a handsome half-human bald eagle (Victor) swoops down to lend his own wings. The Troll yells at him for hiding in his rooms, but he ignores him. Maple is utterly smitten with a giant human eagle who can fly and even strokes his wings. Betty wonders why he's the only creature who's silent. The Troll growls that his bird tongue doesn't allow for human speech. All three of the ladies recognize the men's brown eyes, but none of them can quite place them...
Watched Match Game '73 and Match Game '74 during dinner. The first episode brought in Bert Convy and a wisecracking Jack Carter in the episode thankfully before the one where Gene wore that hideous plaid suit. Pat Harrington and Betty White turned up in the '74 episode, which also brings us one of the biggest winners on the show, sweet Janet Finn (and the fact that her vest matched Gene's checked vaudeville suit).
Finished the night honoring a female rock legend. Pearl was Janis Joplin's final studio album, her biggest hit, and her most influential album. "Me and Bobby McGee," her declaration of freedom, is the big one here. I also liked "Mercedes Benz" and the all-too-prophetically titled "Buried Alive In the Blues." Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits tosses "Piece of My Heart," "Summertime," and "Ball and Chain" into the mix.
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