Laughter In the Rain

Began the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. "The Looking Glass Leap" has Alice, Fergie, Cookie, and Hattie accidentally jumping into the Looking Glass World, where chess imagery reins supreme and everything is backwards. Alice has been feeling blocked on creating a new recipe. There's nothing interesting in her pantry. The Silver Queen encourages her to look at ingredients in a new way and try something different. Hattie has his father the Mad Hatter's favorite cake recipe, but he can only remember a few pieces of it. Alice and the kids journey to Looking Glass World, where they discover that sometimes, going backwards may be the best way to figure out a recipe. 

Hurried out after that to run errands. First stop was the outside ATM machine at the Collingswood PNC to get rent money. After that, I rode down to Cuthbert and the Audubon Acme. Restocked yogurt, more of those yummy Cliff Bars, honey, soda, blueberries, granola, and lemon and carrot cake cookie sandwiches off the bakery clearance racks. They were only slightly busier than Sprouts down the street. They still had those cherry shortbread cookies on their bakery clearance racks. Also grabbed a turkey wrap for lunch here, along with more soda, dried mango slices, and small yellow fruits called cherry plums that I'd never heard of before.

Hurried home for lunch and Garfield and Friends. It's a "Skyway Robbery" when Jon and his pets are tricked into riding Al Swindler's super-cheap airlines. Jon learns you get what you pay for when the plane doesn't have a right wing, it's a dilapidated mess, the controls go haywire, and they don't end up anywhere near Miami. Everyone at US Acres is too busy making jokes about the grammar error in the message "The Bunny Rabbits Is Coming" to pay attention to Wade freaking out or the weasel stealing from the chicken coop...until the bunny rabbits do indeed come. It's a "Close Encounters of the Garfield Kind" when a seemingly cute alien crashes in Jon's backyard. Jon is willing to let it stay, but Garfield discovers that this adorable intergalactic critter has something more sinister in mind.

Had just enough time to finish eating, grab my rain coat, and hurry out. It had been cloudy, killer humid, and warm all day. I knew darn well those clouds were going to burst sometime. The thunderstorm thankfully waited until the kids at the summer program and I were working on our artwork during Free Play Time to emerge. Some of the girls were nervous about the noise level. Other kids admitted they were concerned with the possibility of more flooding, especially since many of them are from West Collingswood Heights or Collingswood and had parents coming from further away. 

Thankfully, by the time the teachers switched the kids to "human bowling" on the other side of the gym, the rain was down to regular showers and the pyrotechnics were long gone. "Human bowling" seemed to involve five kids rolling soccer balls at the other kids, trying to hit their legs in a less-damaging variation on dodgeball. The kids jumping away from the balls (and the faces they made while doing so) were utterly hilarious. I hadn't laughed so hard in weeks. I did comfort one diminutive miss who was too short and slow to dodge the balls and got upset over it. Otherwise, the kids had a blast playing, and I had a blast watching them.

Went straight into dinner and Remember WENN when I got home. "The Ghost of WENN" seemed more than appropriate for a day that continued to be spooky and rainy. Betty's delighted to put on a horror play that had been performed the decade before, when the station first started. Mackie's a lot less happy about it. The actor playing his role died of a heart attack while reading their lines on page 13. Meanwhile, there seems to be a ghost stalking Hilary, one who is awfully fond of stuffed albatrosses and canned cranberry jelly.

"Caller I.D" says more about the magic of radio and the imagination than almost any other episode on the show. Mackie's doing a late-night music program when a distraught secretary (Alice Playton) calls in and claims she's a passionate listener. She just realized that none of the shows are real, and she's about to jump off the building unless the cast does one last performance for her. They throw together a massive crossover of most of the WENN fiction programs for her benefit...then become the listeners when she finally gets off that ledge.

Finished the night with Burlesque. I go further into this campy guilty pleasure spectacle with Cher and Christina Aguilera at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Cult Flops - Burlesque 

Oh, and I got yet another WENN fairy tale idea. I'm way backlogged, so lord knows when I'll get to "C.J and the Beanstalk." After C.J admits he's feeling unappreciated in "Ghost of WENN," he imagines himself as the young man who sells his cow to a seemingly doddering old peddler (Mr. Eldridge) and gets magic beans. Neither he nor his mother (Gertie) are sure they're real...until she tosses them out the window, and they grow overnight. C.J climbs it to the clouds, to discover the wicked Giant (Pruitt) has captured the Kingdom of the Clouds and now controls the weather. He has turned Queen Betty into a golden harp that sings for him and is keeping her beloved husband Scott deep within the castle. C.J works with the rest of the enchanted court to rescue their rulers and save his own land below from a drought...and rescue the Land of the Clouds' stolen music, sound, and the harmony of nature. 

In the Heat of the Morning

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. Mickey and the gang are going on a picnic, but Donald accidentally knocks over Spike the Bee's hive. They'll keep chasing him, unless he and the others can figure out how to "Please the Bees" and give them what they want.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. Not only was it way too hot to walk to work, I needed to get there and home quicker. The one going there took 9 minutes. I was almost late to work. Got luckier going home - the afternoon driver didn't even take 3 minutes. No traffic either way.

Work was pretty much the same it's been since the week after the 4th of July. It was quiet all morning. Got slightly busy a little before noon, then went right back to being quiet. I swept the store, put away carts, and ignored the heavy humidity and heat. 

When I got in, I changed, then had lunch while watching What's New, Scooby Doo? It's a "Recipe for Disaster" when Shaggy and Scooby win a contest and immediately want to tour the Scooby Snacks factory. Shaggy and Scooby are in high heaven, or would be, if there weren't concerns about industrial spies and two monsters covered in batter scaring off workers. This is one time Shaggy and Scooby insist on solving the mystery, before the home of their favorite food is shut down for good.

Headed out to the school after lunch. Needless to say, the kids were inside today. It was too hot to be doing anything more than riding four blocks outside! I walked in on the second round of "The Detective Game." After snack time, I built airplanes and attempted to make Maple's tower with the builders at the Lego table and drew Hilary and Jeff's confrontation in his room with the artists at the coloring and drawing table. 

Later on, they requested more help with the little kids, so I went down to the smaller cafeteria and played Candy Land with some of the pre-schoolers. That really brought me back. My sisters and I played Candy Land in one form or another throughout the 1980's, and then played it for another five years in the early-mid 90's after Keefe was born. We used to have so much fun with that one. We'd make up stories about the characters as we scooted our little colored gingerbread men along the path. 

Soon as I got home, I went straight into writing Hilary and the Beasts. No one is happy the next day. The ladies take their meals in Hilary's rooms, Troll and Eagle in their rooms. Maple and Hilary finally go downstairs to the music room to play songs with Miss Organ. That does it. Their music first brings in Betty and Bear, then Eagle, who had been getting his lunch. They're all dancing together when Troll comes rumbling downstairs. Hilary teases him about being too above the others to dance. He grabs her to show her that, yes, he can dance just fine (and he's certainly better at it than the other two). Hilary tries to ask him about Jeff again, but he continues to insist he owns the house...and some of his gestures, his movements, are just a little too familiar for Hilary, who finally runs out in confusion.

Watched Remember WENN while I worked. Hilary is "Courting Disaster" when Jeff's obnoxious lawyer Drake Stanley (Andrew Seear) comes to her claiming Jeff wants a $100,000 lawsuit. Maple and Betty trick him into appear on their "Tell it to the Judge" show. Scott plays lawyer for Hilary to prove that there's something wrong here...but it's Gertie and Betty who finally find a way to bring in Jeff for the last word.

The cast is saying "And How!" when the station is chosen to broadcast the last episode of the network show "The Strange Loner" before its star leaves for a Hollywood role. Trouble is, the star is a womanizing jerk who passes out the moment he gets to the station. The real Native American man who plays his sidekick (real-life Native American activist Russell Means) proves to be far more charming (if a bit stiff on the air). Meanwhile, the others are far more excited about Eugenia's recent discovery - pizza!

Switched to Match Game '76 during dinner. Pat Moriata seems like an unlikely fit for this show, and indeed, this would be his only week. Lee Merriweather and ever-creative Patti Deusch have a lot more fun. 

Finished the night online with the Bowery Boys. Sach is thrilled when he discovers $10,000 in a rolled-up newspaper on the sidewalk. Slip takes control of their cash, literally laundering their money and even offering it to charities in their neighborhood. It turns out to be Jinx Money when they learn it came from an illegal card game. Each of the gamblers who try to steal it from the Boys ends up dead. The cops don't believe Sach's story about a man carrying an umbrella doing it, until one of their molls goes after the boys, and they almost end up being "the Umbrella's" victims. 

Nothing But the Tooth

Began the morning with breakfast and two of the most beloved Mickey Mouse shorts of all time. He's "The Brave Little Tailor" who fights a giant to win the hand of fair Princess Minnie. He goes "Thru the Mirror" and ends up dancing with a Greta Garbo Queen of Hearts card, which the King of Hearts doesn't like one bit!

Hurried off to Nueva Smile at Westmont next for my annual dental checkup. I got a late start and was five minutes late, but they thankfully didn't take long to come for me. Had my x-rays and my teeth checked for cavities along with the usual cleaning. No problems here. For once, my teeth are just fine. Not a sign of cavities or anything else. The doctor didn't even take five minutes to examine them. I was in and out in less than 40 minutes and won't be going back until early November.

Ran a few errands next. Needed a card for my nephew Skylar's 21st (!) birthday on Thursday and more of the Sonic hydrating limeade at Dollar Tree and anti-itch cream at Target. I'd been itching red bumps since the night before. I otherwise felt fine - no fever, coughing, or colds. I suspect it was a heat rash or perimenopause asserting itself, especially since most of the bumps were under where my clothes or socks would have rubbed against my skin. It was still very hot and very humid, with no breeze to relieve the relentless heat.

Had a yummy lunch at the Westmont Bagel Shop. Their avocado tomato mozzarella omelet is one of their most creative, and it's so tasty! The French Toast Blueberry Bagel was pretty good, too. It was the lunch hour, so they were relatively busy. I listened to big group of sweet, cackling older ladies two booths in front of me while I ate.

Hurried home after that to get ready for work. Watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus as I got organized. "Minnie's Tune Train" is a pink train car with a calliope that Minnie can play. She and Mickey take the train to pick up the rest of the gang for a concert, then help Minnie find a replacement part for her organ when one of the pipes gets damaged.

Hurried off to work after the cartoon ended. I came in as the kids were sitting in a circle, playing "The Detective Game." One of the teachers would take a kid into the bathroom. Another kid would ask the others questions to see what they remembered about the first kid. They sure seemed to enjoy it. The ones who weren't chosen were disappointed that they didn't get to go. The teacher promised they would have a chance tomorrow. After snack time, I joined two of the girls to build a fortress with Jenga blocks and drew Maple dancing with Prince Victor in her tower in Maplepunzel with the artists at the drawing table. 

Stopped for a milkshake at Yummies Palace on the way home. Despite it being past 5, there was a line waiting for water ice and home-made ice cream sundaes. Good thing I ended up with a Biscoff Cookie Butter milkshake. The girl behind the counter mentioned they had trouble with their electricity and lost a lot of water ice and ice cream earlier, including their banana cream ice cream.

Put on Remember WENN when I got home. "From the Pen of Gertrude Reece" is one of my favorite episodes of the series, and the episode that made me a fan of this show. Gertie Reece's attempt at a radio action drama turns into a hilarious spoof of Casablanca. Scott is Rick, Betty is Ilsa, Victor is Victor Laszlo, Eugenia is Sam, Hilary is a bitter patron at the bar, Maple is the refugees and club singer, Jeff is the waiter, Mr. Eldridge is Karl, Mackie is Major Peugeot, C.J is the bartender and a German soldier, and Mr. Foley is the German commander (whose dialogue is spoken by Gertie). Trouble is, like the original Casablanca, Gertie doesn't have an ending for her play. She, Betty, and Hilary bounce several ideas off the tops of their heads, but none seem quite right. Betty types who she thinks the version of her in the story should end up with...then doesn't give it to the ladies. Sometimes, it really is best to draw your own conclusions.

"Eugenia Bremer, Master Spy" is the kindly organist who is targeted by a supercilious British agent after he overhears her speaking what sounds like German on the phone. Quist first bans music and sound effects and has the cast paraphrase their roles, to see if codes are still going out through that channel. When nothing is found, he moves to Eugenia...but she has a perfectly decent reason for speaking German and wanting to meet him at German restaurants. 

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts next. Hilary barges into Troll's room, intending to demand to know who really owns the house. He's not there, but his room is a shambles, with broken crockery and slime-crusted furniture. She finds a familiar, heavily mutilated photo on his dresser. She can tell it was a man and a woman in costume, but most of the picture is almost completely obliterated, except the man's eyes. She demands Troll explain it when he arrives. He's angry with her for invading his domain, and even angrier when she accuses him of being "just a monster." They're so loud, they bring the others running. Hilary stomps off with the ladies to have dinner in her room, while the furious Troll orders Eagle back to his work and Bear to help Mrs. Fox with dinner.

Finished the night on YouTube with Glitter. I go further into Mariah Carey's depressing attempt at a musical vehicle at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Cult Flops - Glitter

Truth and Games

Began the day with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. Goofy's tummy is growing so hard, Mickey and the others can hear it when he's upstairs. They agree to make "Goofy's Pizza," hot dog-pickle, to quiet it down. They have the pickles, dough, and the hot dogs, but have to visit Farmer Pete to get cheese, tomatoes for tomato sauce, and onions.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. It was hot and humid...and more to the point, I wanted to get home in a hurry for my second job. The driver going there arrived in 9 minutes, missed the entrance to the Acme, and almost made me late. The one going home said 9 minutes, arrived in 7, and got me home with no trouble.

Work wasn't any trouble, either. I did have to return some cold items someone didn't want. Otherwise, I was mainly sweeping and outside with the carts. We got a little busy around 11:30-12, but otherwise weren't that bad. Most people are still on vacation or are waiting for the beginning of the month next weekend. It was hot, sunny, and killer humid, but thankfully, there wasn't a cloud in the sky this time.

Changed when I got home, then had lunch while watching She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Adora literally falls into the Crystal Castle, where she encounters a hologram of "Light Hope." She tells Adora of the previous She-Ras, including one whose attachments broke her. Adora, fearing her friends being further harmed if she's around, at first agrees to stay. Bow, Glimmer, and Adora's flying horse Swift Wind finally remind her that her friendships don't make her weaker - they make her stronger. Meanwhile, Entraptra has discovered that the entire planet of Eternia is connected via runestones that belong to the princesses. Shadow Weaver is furious when they borrow her black garnet. Catra's able to subdue her, while Entraptra's experiments freeze the Whispering Woods.

Hurried off to the Oaklyn School after the cartoon ended. The kids were still doing art projects when I arrived. I kept an eye on the ones coloring in and cutting out prints of dinosaur bracelets (and sharpened a lot of colored pencils for them). The others pulled red yarn through watercolors, making flowers or rainbows. I wiped down tables after they finished and after their snacks. Spent their free play period keeping an eye on the rambunctious crowd building with Legos. I had no idea what to make. I tried a plane before I attempted Rapunzel's tower from the "Maplepunzel" story I'm developing. I couldn't find enough thick bricks in the three big plastic containers filled with every kind of brick and vehicle but regular ones.

Stopped at Crown Chicken and Gyro on the way home. It was too hot to cook, and I wasn't in the mood for leftovers. Got my favorite tilapia sandwich with fries and a Diet Coke. They were honestly pretty busy with people picking up early dinners, but it didn't really take them that long to finish mine.

I took the laundry downstairs, then had dinner while watching Remember WENN. Mackie lets Betty making him station manager for the day to his head and behaves like a "little dictator," until gangster Palermo Racine (Phillip Bosco) turns up at the station. Mackie had once been his driver, but he inadvertently got caught up in a robbery and ended up in jail. Racine wants to blackmail Mackie, but the others come up with a scheme to use their version of "Listen to Your Life" to give everything away and get Racine out of Mackie's life in "A Star In Stripes Forever."

Maple LaMarsh is tired of being "A Girl Like Maple," every guy's favorite drinking buddy, just because of her Brooklyn accent and being regarded as easy. She uses a far more cultured accent when a handsome governor (Boyd Gaines) appears on a prestigious talk show she's hosting. She really likes him, but now he thinks she talks like that all the time. She's afraid to drop her cultured accent when he's around, wrecking havoc on "The Hands of Time," until she realizes that what's more important than how she talks is staying true to herself.

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts next. A few weeks after her dinner with Troll outside, she finally gets through to Doug Thompson again. He's managed to pull strings with City Hall and reveals that yes, Jeff did buy the house. Hilary points out that Troll claims it belongs to him. She finds Betty helping Bear (Scott) learn to write on the other side of the library. She sends Betty to talk to Doug, then tries to find out more about Jeff owning the house from Bear. Trouble is, those strong mental blocks prevent him from remembering his own name, let alone Jeff's. She shakes him and calls him a moron, bringing Betty over to scold her and comfort him. Does help that, as in the actual series, Bear is jealous of the very human Doug.

Hilary doesn't have much more luck with Newspaper (Gus Kantana). His Eddie Cantor and Al Jolson voices reveal that Troll bought the house for his first wife, but his second wife claimed it - and him. Hilary is fed up with going in circles with all of these enchanted objects and creatures and finally goes to discuss this with Troll himself in his rooms, despite Newspaper's bleating that Troll doesn't allow anyone in his rooms besides him.

Oh, and it's way early, but this year's Christmas story is going to be a total re-write of my fantasy satire The WENN Nutcracker Suite. I want to add it to the Fairy Tale Series and make it deeper, darker, and more of a slow-burn on the line of what I'm doing with Hilary and the Beasts. It'll also be brought somewhat closer to the Hoffman and Dumas stories. Scott will stay a Nutcracker longer, Hilary and Jeff's Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier will be captured by the Mouse King (Pruitt), and we'll get the Pirlipat story with the Mouse Queen (Ruth Geddy). Depending on how long my other stories take, I'll probably start this one around or just after Halloween. 

Watched Match Game '76 while I worked and after I got the laundry back upstairs. Gary Burghoff, Sarah Kennedy, and Fannie Flagg joined in this week. Gary was delighted when one contestant gave him a teddy bear, knowing how much his character on MASH, Radar O'Reilly, loved his. Smart little Sarah reminds Gene that she is perfectly capable of picking him up (as she did the last time she was on the show). 

Finished the night on YouTube honoring producer Ralph Edwards, whose birthday was last month. Edwards got his start on radio, where he hosted his show Truth Or Consequences and announced Fred Allen's show and The Original Amateur Hour. Truth Or Consequences started on TV as early as 1941, but didn't see a regular run until a decade later. This wildly popular stunt show had people answering goofy "truth" questions, but mostly doing the "consequences," like re-naming towns in New Mexico and riding unicycles in the studio. Bob Barker took over from Jack Bailey in 1956, which is the episode I have here.

Truth was far from Edwards' only show. He created About Faces during Truth's long run. This 1960 show has one person trying to guess who someone in a frame was in their past. We also have a Mystery Guest who does the same thing. Xavier Cugat and his beloved Chihuahua were the Mystery Guests in the episode I have here. Place the Face was pretty much an earlier version of the same idea, with Bill Cullen hosting.

Edwards continued producing game shows into the 70's. He did the massive hit syndicated version of Name That Tune with Tom Kennedy and the enjoyable cross between Password Plus and crossword puzzles The Cross-Wits hosted by Jack Clark in syndication. Knockout didn't do nearly as well on NBC in 1977. Arte Johnson was funny, but he was hardly the host to make a game that had contestants guessing what items did or didn't belong on a list exciting. 

Edwards focused on The People's Court and Superior Court for most of the 80's and 90's, but he did make one last crack at a syndicated show in 1996. Bzzz! had a bachelorette choosing between four bachelors, then a bachelor choosing between four bachelorettes. The two couples played each other in a game that tested what they knew about each other. In the end, the bachelorette could go out with her bachelor, or reject him. Annie Wood was the enthusiastic host. I've never been much for dating games, and between Wood being annoying, the butt-ugly (and very 90's) sets, and some of the sillier relationship questions, I can see why this didn't last on syndication (where it ran a year) or in re-runs on Buzzr (where it only lasted five months in 2020). 

At any rate, get to know the man who brought us Miss Shush, re-named a town, and jump-started Bob Barker's career! 

Place the Face (1954)

Truth or Consequences (1956)

About Face (1960)

Knockout (1977)

$100,000 Name That Tune (1978)

The Cross-Wits (1979)

Bzzz! Pilot (1996) 

Storms and Matches

Started off the morning by sleeping in. It was almost 11 by the time I finally had breakfast. Listened to Super Hits of the 70's: Have a Nice Day Vol 2 while I ate. This features some of my favorite songs of the early 70's, and it starts out strong with the charming "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" by Edison Lighthouse. There's also "Spirit In the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum, "My Baby Loves Lovin'" by White Plains, "Hitchin' a Ride" by Vanity Fare, "United We Stand" by The Brotherhood of Man, and "Everything Is Beautiful" by Ray Stevens.

Headed out to work after the CD ended. Work was surprisingly quiet for a Sunday. It got a little busy around 1:30-2, then died again. I spent the entire afternoon pushing carts and gathering outside trash. It was cloudy and humid, but not at all hot, barely in the 80's. Plenty of help from the morning and evening baggers, too. I was in and out quickly.

It had started to rain a bit as I left work. I was hoping Mother Nature would hold off until I got home. Not this time. It poured even before I made it into Oaklyn. I tried stopping under trees, then under an awning at the electrical company next to Common Grounds Coffee House. It didn't do much good. I just got more wet as the rain came down in buckets. I even heard some thunder at one point. The second the rain slowed down a little, I dashed out...but the train bridge was flooded. I attempted to head for Newton, but that was flooded, too. I just ended up on the sidewalks until I could get to the White Horse Pike, which was also flooded around Dunkin' Donuts. I finally just crossed the street when I could and hurried home.

(And incidentally, to my knowledge, it hasn't rained since.)

Put my soaked work clothes in the dryer, then, since I was already wet, hit the shower. Spent the rest of the night after that with dinner and the Sunday Match Game marathon. Bill Daily also started on the show late in 1973. Like Gary Burgoff, he continued straight through the syndicated era to the first year of The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. In fact, he probably appeared even more than Gary. His nervous Nellie persona made him the perfect foil for some of the saltier characters on the show, even though his answers matched Joyce Buillfant in how strange they were. 

Bill probably did his best work during the syndicated run. In one episode, his chair broke, leaving him too low for the desk. When they brought him a director's chair, he was too high. Another time, he sat on the chair's base, leaving him a soprano for a few minutes. He once yelled "I'm gonna be kissed by a man!" after he got a really big double on the Head-to-Head. (Patty Duke actually did the kissing.) He had the habit of taking off, or almost taking off, shoes or his sweater or jacket when he was really excited. He and the panel spent a week dealing with a UCLA college crowd in the audience that was so rowdy, Gene was right that they sounded like the cast of Animal House. He was also around when the young woman who later became talk show hostess Jenny Jones won quite a bit of cash on the syndicated show. 

Come fly the hilarious skies with Bob Newhart's wacky neighbor in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Bill Daily: Best Episodes On Match Game

Hot Time for Matches

Got a quick start this morning with classic Disney Silly Symphonies. "The Pied Piper" is a pretty straightforward retelling of the dark fantasy poem, up to and including the Piper leading the children away in the end. "The Wise Little Hen" introduced Donald Duck, who is one of the two characters that refuse to help the title character plant her corn. He and Peter Pig definitely regret it when it comes time to eat the goodies made from that corn, though!

Called Uber after "Wise Little Hen" ended. It was too late to ride the bike, not to mention too hot. I had grocery shopping to do later, too. No trouble getting anywhere whatsoever. The drive picked me up in 5 minutes. The one going home didn't even take 2 minutes. No traffic either way.

No trouble at work, either. It did get a little busy around 11:30-12, but we were mostly pretty quiet for a Saturday. Though it was sunny and not quite as hot, it remains murderously humid. Most people probably went on vacation or are hiding in their pools or air conditioning. I swept and gathered carts with no problems. 

Did my grocery shopping after work ended. I mainly needed to restock yogurt, peaches, and soda. Peaches in particular are in season and were on a really good sale. Found small strawberry cake rolls on the bakery clearance racks and thought I'd try them. Likewise, the Cliffs kids granola bars were also on a good sale. Grabbed blueberries, too. Bought bagels for lunch this week.

Put everything away and had lunch while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. Professor Ludwig Von Drake has created a camera that can revert the subject to childhood. They do it to turn Pluto into a cute "Puppy Pluto" and let him revisit his puppy years. Unfortunately, before the Professor can change him back, he turns the camera on himself and turns into a baby. Now the others have to figure out how to change them both back.

Spent the rest of the afternoon listening to The Beatles: Live at the BBC. From March 1962 to June 1965, the Beatles appeared quite frequently on BBC radio and TV. They mostly recorded classic rock standards, including ones like "Sweet Little Sixteen," "To Know Her Is to Love Her," "A Taste of Honey," and "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" that never found their way onto their regular records (or wouldn't until many years later). Alas, the Beatles finally became bored with BBC recording after their last session in 1965 was especially difficult. Apparently, the BBC's recording standards were primitive compared with their regular recording studio EMI. Still, this two-disc CD set is worth digging up for major fans, particularly of their early years.

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts as the music ran. Later that evening, Hilary and Troll are enjoying the fish Bear and Betty caught outside. Hilary's not having much luck with him. He says he can't tell her who his first and second wives are, and he continues to ask her to marry him and say he'll provide for her. She turns him down...but then he rubs her hand in a way that reminds her so much of Jeff, it hurts.

She's about to get closer to him when they hear Maple's happy cheer over their heads. When they look up, they see Eagle soaring above them, an utterly thrilled Maple on his back. She's had more luck talking to him in the sky than Hilary did with Troll. He's managed to get across the gist that he needs Troll and Bear's help to decode his papers, so they can be given to the authorities...but neither are thinking well enough to do it. Eagle explains how he'd tried to push the papers and books at Bear after he was attacked, only for him to not recognize either them or his friend. Maple comforts him, assuring him that it's terrible what happened and she'd be devastated if her siblings didn't know her. 

Hilary thinks this is all adorable. Troll is less amused. He wants Eagle to focus on his work, not on flying around with frivolous musicians. That leads into another argument when Hilary continues to insist that she wants her sisters taken care of my more than animals, and Troll angrily argues over her obsession with appearances.

Switched to YouTube next for tonight's Match Game marathon. Gary Burghoff started off on Match Game in late 1973, but he really came into his own when he replaced Charles Nelson Reilly from late 1974 through mid-1975 when Charles was directing a show on Broadway. He may have annoyed Brett, but he proved to be almost as unpredictable as his MASH cast mate McLean Stevenson. He'd chase Gene around, jump around onstage, help tie Gene up, and join Richard Dawson in drooling over pretty girls (despite being married at the time). One audience member even gave him a teddy bear, knowing how much his character on MASH, Radar O'Reilly, loved them. 

Gary continued to be a semi-regular well into the syndicated era, even after he was long gone from MASH. His last appearances were in 1981. (He'd later do a week on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour as well.) He got to see a contestant manage to turn his feet around (which looked gross and painful), and became one of the few men to sit in all three seats when he spent a few weeks in the smart guy seat Richard finally vacated around 1980. 

Raise your own teddy bear to the sweetest private of the 4077th in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Gary Burghoff: Best Episodes on Match Game 

And here's my review for The Smurfs, which I saw on Tuesday.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Smurfs

Hot Day for a Fair

Began the day with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. "Goofy's Sock Hunt" begins with everyone looking for Goofy's lost sock, but eventually spreads to include Minnie's bow, Donald's stuffed lion, and Mickey's barbecue apron. Pluto has spent the episode sneaking around in the background and mostly missing...and it turns out he's the one who knows where the lost things are.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. Not only was it too hot for riding, but I didn't have the time. I'd barely have the time to have lunch before the summer program. No trouble here. It took 8 minutes for the morning driver to arrive; I got to work just in time. It took 4 minutes for the afternoon driver to come. No traffic or trouble coming or going.

No trouble at work, either. It's the end of a month without a lot going on besides the 4th of July. I did have to mop up a leaking meat cooler, but other than that, I was sweeping and pushing carts. No wonder we weren't busy. It was hot, sunny, and beastly humid. I saw heavy traffic going south. Most people were likely heading to the Shore or hiding in their pools or air conditioning.

Oh, and I got my schedule. Still more hours than usual. I work on Monday this time, and Saturday is 9 to 4. The head manager took a lot of time off this week. That'll help with my paycheck, but it'll also mean not a lot of time between my two jobs for a few days. 

When I got home, I changed quickly and ate lunch while watching What's New, Scooby Doo? "Simple Plan and the Invisible Man" is probably the most prominent of the episodes revolving around real-life celebrities of the early 2000's. In this case, Mystery Inc run across popular rock band of the time Simple Plan en route to their concert in Montreal. Their van has been run off the road by an invisible trickster who keeps sabotaging their rides...and then it does the same to the Mystery Machine when they give them a ride. The gang has to learn who did it when it seems like everyone around them...including annoying Gibby Norton, leftover from "The Fast and the Wormious"...has a motive.

Headed back out on my bike this time. The Oaklyn School isn't even a five-minute ride from me. I'll deal with the heat for less than five minutes. I got there just as the kids were sitting in a circle in the cafeteria, playing a game. Once again, I joined them for a snack, then helped clean the tables while they went back into the circle to calm down. I also found out why we were playing games indoors from the young ladies who joined me at the drawing table. Not only was it too hot to play outside, but Canadian geese had left too many droppings on the playground to be able to use it. I drew Eugenia and Foley and all of the princesses and their suitors from the "Four Dancing Princesses" I have planned, then joined some of the noisier boys to build secret bases and boats from Legos.

Oaklyn's Final Friday block party on West Clinton was in full swing by the time summer camp ended for the day. They didn't seem quite as boisterous as usual. There were fewer food trucks, making me wonder if some trucks and booths had been scared off by the hot weather. I was still able to walk around for a little while and buy two pretzels from the pretzel shop's booth. 

Went straight into Remember WENN when I got home. Hilary is having enough trouble dealing with Scott changing her soaps to focus on politics and constantly missing Jeff calling from London when Gertie says there's a woman in the Green Room who wants to meet her. To the horror of "Mr. and Mrs. Singer," it's Jeff's new wife Pavla Nemcova (Karen Travis), who gloats that she has married Jeff in Europe. The others reveal that she cares more about her career and staying in the US than Jeff...but Hilary's still deeply hurt.

Hilary's still feeling that hurt in "Nothing Up My Sleeve." This show was out during the tail-end of Seinfeld's phenomenal run and was probably one of the most-advertised of the entire series. Mentalist Allan Ballinger (Jason Alexander) charms Hilary with his tricks and confessions. Maple, however, remembers him from her burlesque days and worries that he may be tricking Hilary into admitting her deepest secret. Hilary's ready to take him down, but it turns out he's come to respect her too much to hurt her.

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts while the show was on. Hilary finds Betty and Bear (Scott) catching fish in a pond during a hot, sultry August afternoon. They're taking a break from reading lessons as Betty admits Bear has made significant progress. He can now read "Snow White and Rose Red" and most of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," though that "darkness" in his head continues to pain him badly when he does so. She thinks he'll be able to move on to actually writing stories. When he points out that he can't write or hold a pencil with bear paws, she says he can dictate it to her or may be able to use her typewriter. They're enjoying each other's company, to the point where they knock each other into the pond and end up on top of each other at one point.

Put on The Muppet Show next in honor of British jazz chanteuse Cleo Laine, who passed away today. Though Laine mostly sang with the Electric Mayhem (and introduced them by name), Fozzie was the real heart of this episode. He keeps trying to insert himself into every sketch to impress his mother in the audience, including taking Piggy's role in "Pigs In Space."

Moved to Match Game '76 during dinner. Soap ingenue Bennye Gatteys joined in for the first and only time this week, along with Bill Daily and Fannie Flagg. The real news, however, was Gene announcing Richard had gotten a gig in the fall, hosting a brand-new game show called Family Feud...

Finished the night at Paramount Plus with I Love Lucy. I'm not the only one finding her muse right now. "Lucy Writes a Play" for her woman's group and hopes Ricky will star. He's not interested, so Lucy moves the story of a Cuban tobacco-picker in love with a senorita to merry old England when she and Ethel talk Fred into it. Ricky suddenly changes his mind when he learns producers are in the audience, but no one told him about the change in settings. 

Playtime In Oaklyn

Began the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Harried and frustrated after a particularly bad day, Fergie says "Freeze!" when he tosses his watch on top of Alice's freezer. When that freezes time itself, he and Alice have to retrieve the watch and defrost it, so their Wondertag Day can go on. Alice is excited to make a Caramel-Chocolate Bundt Cake for the Mad Hatter and March Hare's "Friend-versary" Tea Party with the King of Hearts. They call themselves "The A-Team," but run into trouble when they decide to make their recipes separately and only end up with cake, rather than cake and caramel sauce.

Hurried off after the cartoon ended. I wanted to get my shopping at Sprouts done before I joined the kids and their caretakers. Didn't need much here anyway, mainly coconut milk, soda, and golden raisins. Found more of those tasty cherry shortbread bakery cookies on clearance. Picked up a turkey sandwich for lunch. I was here and back in less than 40 minutes.

Put everything away when I got home, then worked on Hilary and the Beasts while watching Remember WENN. "Two for the Price Of One" has Pruitt's secretary Miss Cosgrave (Audrie Neenan) has WENN providing shows for another station, WEEP, as well as their own. Gertie's gardening show goes over especially well, but it proves too much to handle...until WEEP's owner Chuck Crowley (Lee Wilkoff) decides he wants not only the shows they created for his station, but WENN's shows, too. It takes a Scott scheme to mix up their programming and bring everyone together singing "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Deuichland Uber Allies" to prove that you can have too much of a good thing.

Betty's delighted when she gets an offer to work at The New Yorker, but not so much when she has to make a decision right away. The staff tries to prove they can get along without her, with Pruitt turning every show into a financial guide. They finally learn "The Importance of Being Betty" when Betty has to rescue her favorite show "This Girl's Kinfolk" from Pruitt's interference. 

In Hilary and the Beasts, Maple and Betty come running when they hear Hilary screaming from her nightmare. They compare notes, discovering just how similar their nightmares were...including all three men being turned into either monstrous slaves or tame pets by the end of 1930. Hilary in particular is convinced that Pavla has everything to do with it, and that Jeff, Victor, and Scott were her next victims. Hilary assigns Maple to translate Eagle's "wing talk" and find out what his research in Europe was about and Betty to continue her reading lessons with Bear and try to unlock whatever painful darkness is blocking his brain. Hilary says she'll have further discussions with Troll about his two wives and who really owns the house.

Put on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus while getting ready for work. Clarabelle is beside herself when she knocks down her chicken coop, and all her chickens get loose. The others not only help repair "Clarabelle's Chicken Coop," they find things for the chickens to do to keep them from running away again, too. 

Headed to the summer camp after the cartoon ended. Fortunately, it's at the Oaklyn School on the other side of town, two blocks from Rose's house in one direction and from the West Clinton Shopping District in another. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to get in. When I did, Miss Mary led me to a much larger cafeteria/gym than the one at Thomas Sharp School. The kids were having snack time when I arrived. After they ate, the younger kids went to the smaller auditorium to play. I stayed with the older kids, playing Bingo, Jenga, and an animal card guessing game with them and drawing Bear Scott, Eagle Victor, and Troll Jeff on large sheets of paper left out on a table for the kids to draw on.

Since it's two blocks away, I grabbed a treat at Common Grounds Coffee House next. Enjoyed an iced Matcha Tea Latte with a huge s'mores cookie - a giant soft chocolate cookie with sticky marshmallow and chocolate in the center. It was ok. There wasn't really all that much marshmallow, and the cookie was too dry.

Went home to continue working on Hilary and the Beasts and watch Gold Diggers In Paris. I go further into the latter at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Gold Diggers In Paris

Put on Match Game '76 during dinner, then finished the night with The Best of Spike Jones and His City Slickers. I was inspired to listen to this one after enjoying The Schnitzel Brothers earlier on Gold Diggers In Paris. "Cocktails for Two" and their hilarious "Der Fuehrer's Face" are probably the big ones here. Of the songs I don't have elsewhere, I think Jones and the guys have the most fun with "Laura," a hilarious "Hawaiian War Chant," and "My Old Flame." 

Summer Dreaming

Began the morning with breakfast and Disney Silly Symphony shorts. "Merbabies" has the tiny infants frolicking among the waves, getting involved with a local circus and thanking them for the show. "The Grasshopper and the Ants" is a charming fable where a grasshopper tries to convince an ant to dance to his fiddle instead of working. The Queen Ant scolds him for playing rather than getting things done and reminds the Grasshopper that winter is coming. It is indeed...and the Grasshopper learns a lesson about when to work, and when to play when he's stuck outside in the snow with no food or shelter.

Hurried off to work after the second cartoon ended. No trouble here whatsoever. We were dead the entire morning. Never even got mildly busy. Though I did have to figure out what to do with a glass a customer broke and bring an abandoned cart up front, I mainly swept the store and gathered carts. The nice weather may have contributed to the quiet, too. It's a bit more humid, but still sunny and otherwise pretty decent for July.

Picked up a turkey hoagie, Orange Cream Coke Zero, and Old Bay bagel chips for lunch, then headed home. Ate and changed while watching the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus on Disney Plus. Evidently, the original Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was so popular on Disney Plus, they just updated the original format with new graphics and a few new additions. One of those additions is "Mickey's New Helper," a mini version of the Helping Hands in the Clubhouse that Professor Ludwig Von Drake built to be helpful for Mickey and the others. Its attempt to stop the Clubhouse Hot Air Balloon ends with it getting carried away in the balloon and the others going after it. 

Switched to Remember WENN after I ate. Betty's wondering "Who's Scott Sherwood?" after she discovers that Scott wasn't exactly aboveboard about how he got his job at the station. Pruitt's wondering the same thing. He slithers into the station spouting a word Scott is terrified to hear - audit. Thanks to his Memorial embezzlement scheme, Scott ends up losing his job. The others rally to his defense and end their shows, but Betty doesn't think he's worth saving when she discovers how badly he lied about knowing Victor Comstock.

Speaking of Victor, Jeff ends up returning to England in "The New Actor" to pick up where he left off in London after that explosion. His departure leaves WENN short an actor. That's fine for Pruitt, who still wants to undermine the station, but Mackie Bloom is now overworked AND underpaid. Help finally comes from a most welcome...and unlikely...source. 

Returned to Disney Plus for Island at the Top of the World. In 1907, Sir Anthony Ross (Donald Sinden) arranges an expedition to find the titular island where whales go to die. His son Donald (David Gwillim) was searching for it when he disappeared. He's joined by archaeologist Professor Ivarsson (David Hartman) and French aviator Captain Breaux (Jacques Martin) and his poodle. Captain Martin gets them up north in his dirigible the Hyperion, despite losing a propeller during the trip. They manage to snare Inuit guide Oomiak (Mako) when he admits he knew Donald before making their way to the island. Turns out yes, it does exist, and Donald is there, along with the farmer's daughter he's fallen for, Freyja (Agneta Eckmeyr)...but they almost end up being put to death by the fanatical Godi (Gunnar Ohlund) before Freyja rescues them.

Strange action film is probably attempting to play off earlier Disney live-action adventures like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Moonspinners, but just ends up being weird. The first half in the Hyperion, with Captain Breaux and his poodle, is honestly fun and even charming. The Hyperion dirigible is so cool, Disney still houses a version of it at Disneyland Paris, and they even use the name Hyperion as their publishing house. It's the second before and during their arrival at the island where this falters. Mako's character is stereotypical and annoying, the frequently untranslated Norwegian even more so. Most of the actors are somewhere between bland and obnoxious, and most of the special effects are painfully obvious, even in the air. Though not the best thing Disney ever did, the enjoyable first half makes this worth seeing for fans of old-fashioned adventure.

The Sandlot is infinitely simpler...and a lot more fun. Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) has just moved to a small California town in 1962 and has an easier time making friends with Erector sets than kids his own age. He finally ends up joining a group of ragtag boys who spend the summer playing baseball on a local field and avoiding "The Beast," a massive junk yard dog who hides their balls when it goes over his fence. Most of their adventures, like chasing girls at the pool and beating a local little league team who taunted them, are fairly harmless. It's not until Scotty inadvertently borrows his stepfather's (Denis Leary) much-loved baseball autographed by Babe Ruth (Art LaFleur) and they lose it over the fence that the kids finally confront "The Beast"...and they learn what separates the legends from the mere heroes.

This was my brother Keefe's favorite movie in the mid-late 90's. He'd watch it constantly during baseball season. Given it's now considered to be a cult film and one of the most underrated comedies of the 90's, he's not the only one. It's pretty simple and not exactly long on plot, but if you're just looking for a fun baseball comedy to watch with your kids or have fond memories of this yourself, you'll want to grab your bat and ball and join the game.

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts throughout the afternoon. Hilary calls C.J to wish him and Mackie a happy 4th of July. He tells her he talked to the FBI men. Pavla has not only seduced two producers and left them listless (and willing to give her parts), they also discovered that other men have gone missing after having relationships with her. Someone was going to give the agents information on the groups Pavla worked with in Europe that would have gotten her deported, but they and their information vanished. 

Hilary has her own solo dream sequence shortly after talking to C.J. She finds Jeff in the rose garden, dressed in his tux from "From the Pen of Gertrude Reece" and "Pratfall." He gives her scarlet roses and tells her in no uncertain terms that no, he doesn't love Pavla. He loves her, but was forced to marry Pavla to save friends. It didn't work - she attacked his friends and stole their voices and humanity anyway. 

Pavla finally turns up, gloating that she married Jeff as her ticket to fame and fortune...and to silence his and his friends' knowledge about her activities. She has that knowledge locked away in the darkness, she claims, and has silenced the voice that broadcasted it to the world. Hilary has absolutely no trouble whatsoever decking Pavla, but her triumph is short-lived. She ends up held back, watching as Pavla gloats that she intends to take Jeff as slave, a monster like the ones that attack them in the dreams, by the end of the year. Hilary is finally knocked out before she can attack again.

Put on Match Game '76 during dinner. Fannie Flagg was hilarious with a funny little older man contestant. Richard insisted that he kiss her after the Head-to-Head, rather than him...and she rather got into it, especially the first time!

Finished the night after a shower with MASH. The actress who played Hilary Booth, Melinda Mullins, played a French nurse who falls in love with Charles Winchester (David Ogden Stiers), only for him to reject her after she admits she wasn't married to her previous lover despite living with him. They're not the only ones dealing with "Foreign Affairs" in the last season. A stuffy PR man (Jeffery Tambour) wants to bring a North Korean flyer back to the US as a hero, but he'd rather stay in his country. Hawkeye and Hunnicut arrange for a South Korean man who acts as translator for them to go in his place. 

A Smurfing Good Time

Got a quick start today with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Adora's a little fed up with the ancient technology not giving her much information beyond "let go." Catra has followed her and steals a data crystal, which unleashes holographs of memories, as the girls recall their childhoods in the Horde. Adora made a "Promise" to always look after Catra, which she broke when she left. Catra finally decides she'd rather be the only one in charge at the Horde and literally leaves Adora hanging on a ledge...after which she really does literally and figuratively let go.

Switched to the Bowery Boys movie Jinx Money next. Slip Mahoney (Leo Gorcey) and his buddies are thrilled when his best friend Sach (Huntz Hall) discovers $50,000 in a rolled-up newspaper. Turns out it originally belonged to gangsters who won it from an illicit poker game. Each gangster from the game tries to retrieve it, only to end up dead, shot or poisoned by a man carrying an umbrella. Sach keeps seeing the umbrella, but no one believes him...until the gorgeous moll (Betty Caldwell) of one of the gangsters goes after them, and they almost wind up as victims of "The Umbrella" too.

Called Uber even before the movie ended. I wanted to see The Smurfs, but I was going to need to eat lunch first. The driver took 8 minutes to arrive, then proceeded to hit almost every light going to Somerdale. At least there was no traffic going there. I got off at Amy's Omelette House in 15 minutes.

Which proved to be a bad idea. I forgot Amy's closes at 2, and it was nearly 2 when I arrived. I went to the pizza parlor across the street and got two not-bad slices of tomato-basil-mozzarella and sausage instead. Washed it down with a Diet Pepsi as I hurried past empty lots and emptier buildings and new dispensaries to the Cinemark 16. 

Thankfully, I was only about 20 minutes late to the movie. I think I missed the first couple of minutes and a Spongebob Squarepants short, but it could have been worse. I'll be going further into The Smurfs at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog this Saturday.

Considered a stop at Wal Mart, but I really don't need anything right now. Just took the bus home instead. It was on time, but I didn't realize the button to make it stop was broken. The bus driver yelled at me for not yelling to her and telling her to stop. I'm not yelling over people's heads. The buttons should have been working. 

At least the weather was gorgeous for all of this. It's still a little humid, but it was also off-and-on cloudy, breezy, and far cooler, probably in the lower 80's. Made the walk to the movie theater and the brief walk home a pleasure.

Went straight into Remember WENN when I got in. Victor Comstock returns "In the WENN Small Hours." Turns out he's really working as a double agent in England and Germany, broadcasting propaganda with a bad Texan accent under the name Johnathan Arnold. No one but Betty can know he's still alive...which proves to be a problem when Eugenia's guest for the Agitato Alert, explorer Cutter Dunlap (Malcom Gets), catches them. Good thing he's been gone for the past three years and Betty can give him some very unique insights into how things have changed...

"Prior to Broadway" switches the focus to Hilary and Jeff. Hilary is tired of Scott's harebrained ideas and wishes she could appear on a real stage play. She gets her chance when a playwright from the Giels Aldrych Academy, Eurpedes Moss (Harry Hamlin), presents them with a play he claimed was written for them. They convince the kindly Sweets (Peggy Cass and Louis Zorich) to sponsor the play as well, but they never can decide whether it should be a comedy or a drama. Meanwhile, Betty re-reads Scott's letter of introduction from Victor and realizes it sounds a bit like Scott wrote it himself...

Moved to Dames after WENN ended. I go further into this Busby Berkeley extravaganza that introduced the standard ballad "I Only Have Eyes for You" at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Dames

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts while Dames was on. Hilary and Troll do watch the fireworks together as the fountain tinkles in the background, but they end up making their own fireworks when Hilary admits that she's not crazy about Eagle and Bear running around with her sisters. She wants them to marry humans, not animals. Troll angrily argues that they weren't always like that, and it's his fault that they got hurt. He didn't want to divorce his first wife, but did it to save his friends, something Hilary sees as absurd. Even after their argument, Hilary still agrees to help him plant more roses. 

Had dinner while watching Match Game '76. We skip ahead to spring 1976, joined by Dick Gautier, Mary Ann Mobley, and Betty White. Mary Ann's just thrilled she's actually getting the right answers for once. Dick's happier making goofy voices. 

Finished the night listening to more new record and CD acquisitions. Dolly Pardon and Burt Reynolds are the stars of The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas and get the lion's share of the songs, including a new one, "Sneaking Around." Pardon sings all of "Hard Candy Christmas" here (the girls sing it with her in the film), and she tossed in her "I Will Always Love You." The real stand-out here, as in the film, is Charles Durning's utterly hilarious "Dance a Little Side Step." It's just as much fun here as it is in the movie.

The Manhattan Transfer brought the 30's and 40's into the 70's and 80's, adapting and interpreting earlier standards like "Tuxedo Junction" and "A Gal In Calico" for modern audiences. Those can be found on The Manhattan Transfer Anthology, but my favorites are the newer ones written in the style of 30's and 40's big-band hits. The live "Heart's Desire," sultry "Mystery," and charming "Sing Joy Spring" are all equally fun. 

Picnics and Games

Began the morning with breakfast and What's New, Scooby Doo? Mystery Inc is in San Francisco to check out the Grind Games, a major skateboarding competition, and meet their friend and real-life skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. Turns out, there may not be a competition at all, if "The San Franpsycho," a legendary Alcatraz prisoner who vanished during his escape, keeps kidnapping skateboarders. The kids have to find out what's going on with this seaweed-covered creep, including getting stranded on Alcatraz Island.

Switched to The Roku Channel for Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater. "Kittylocks and the Three Bears" learns a lesson about entering strangers' homes when she wanders into a house in the woods...that turns out to be owned by three very peculiar bears. The reason I did this episode was for "Paws: The Great White Dog Shark" in honor of the 50th anniversary of Jaws. Kitty and Lifeguard Sam's insistence that there's a shark out there terrorizing the town costs Sam his job, so the two of them and Chip the Scientist head out to the ocean to find out why Paws is attacking.

Headed out after Hello Kitty ended. I had my appointment with PNC Bank today. Though we did look at my finances, I mainly wanted to discuss the possibility of my buying a condo. I badly want a place of my own, but I really don't know what I can reasonably afford, or even where would be a good place for me to live in South Jersey. I have looked at condos online, but after having such a hard time finding and affording a place in 2021 - 2022, I'm not rushing into anything. I want to make sure I buy a home really love, not just one I take because I have to or there's nothing else. He later said their manager in charge of loans and housing would call me and discuss this further with me on Wednesday.

It was such a gorgeous day, sunny and still humid but also a bit cooler, in the lower 80's, I decided to go on a picnic. Stopped at Shamrock Deli for a turkey hoagie, popcorn, and a Coke Zero, then rode across Westmont and Audubon to the Audubon Recreation Center. They were a lot busier than usual! I must have arrived in the middle of their summer camp program. Kids played soccer and basketball at the courts, and ran around inflatable games next to the Recreation Center. I enjoyed my soda, popcorn, and sandwich at a picnic table, chuckling at their antics, and later enjoying the quiet sunshine when their leaders took them inside.

After sitting in the sun and heat, I thought I'd stop and get a drink somewhere. My original thought was the Brown Dog Cafe, but apparently, they're closed on Mondays. I ended up at Common Grounds in Oaklyn by default. They're open all week. They were pretty busy when I arrived. I just barely got my much-needed chai latte with almond milk ahead of the crowd. I took it outside to enjoy that soft, earthy sunlight.

Finished out the second season of Remember WENN when I got home. "Like a Brother" throws the spotlight on Scott, silent sound effects man Mr. Foley (Tom Beckett), and kindly old go-fer Mr. Eldridge (George Hall). The latter is excited when his old friend, former vaudevillian Pepper Carnasie (Eddie Bracken) visits the station. Unfortunately, Pepper's new boss is Blair Foley (Michael Patrick McGrath), a loudmouth salesman for a hearing aid company who uses Carnasie as a shill and never lets his little brother get a word in edgewise. Scott, Foley, Hilary, and Jeff finally use the new laugh track machine Foley developed for Mackie's comedy act to prove that the real joke is Blair's puffed up opinion of himself.

There's "Magic" all over the station when Hilary and Jeff show off their code act for several important Pittsburgh officials, including sponsor Kurt Holstrom (David Leary). Turns out that Pittsburgh's most beloved acting duo aren't the only ones speaking in code. Scott discovers that the strange messages in the Amazon Andy codes are real codes, which piques Holstrom's interest. Mackie's more worried when Hilary claims "someone at this station will pass through the doorways between life and death." She's not wrong...for after a night of revelations, excitement, and danger, Betty discovers that a certain "grandeloquent" deceased former station manager isn't as dead as everyone thinks he is...

The second season is where the show really starts to flourish. Maple's vivacity adds warmth and sparkle to the ensemble, and while Amanda Naughton and Kevin O'Rourke have the most fun playing off Scott and Betty's growing relationship, everyone gets a chance to shine. The sweet hour-long holiday extravaganza "Christmas In the Airwaves" is by far my favorite episode from this season. I'm also fond of "Close Quarters," "Scott Sherwood of the FBI," and "Magic." And if you thought "Magic" got crazy, things get even more complicated from here on in...

Switched to "The Mirror Crack'd" after WENN ended. In this 1980 British adaptation, Miss Jane Marple (Angela Lansbury) is as excited as anybody when a movie production company sets up shop to film a big costume drama about Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I. Delight turns to horror when local matron and devoted fan of star Marina Rudd (Elizabeth Taylor) Heather Babcock (Maureen Bennett) recalls how she went to see Marina perform while sick, then dies of poisoning. Marina insists it was intended for her, but Miss Marple disagrees, especially after Marina's secretary Ella (Geraldine Chaplin) also turns up dead by poisoning. Miss Marple suspects it all goes back to Marina's rivalry with campy Lola Brewster (Kim Novak) and her brain damaged child with her husband and director Jason (Rock Hudson).

All-star cast and lovely shots of small-town England in the 50's anchors this charming and supremely sad mystery. Lansbury is a lovely Miss Marple, sweet and only slightly pushy, while Elizabeth Taylor plays her wounded grande dame to the hilt. Hudson and Chaplin are also excellent as the concerned, loving husband and secretary with her own secrets. 

Spent most of the afternoon working on Hilary and the Beasts. Maple celebrates the 4th of July by teaching Eagle to dance, while Betty and Bear read The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere under the shade of a peach tree. Hilary spends it planting rose bushes with Troll. She admires how well he handles them. He does come with his own gardening equipment in his long, sharp claws. He calls himself stupid and a freak, but she protests, pointing out that he's neither. Troll says Mackie thought he was, which gets them bickering about how he got her there. He finally claimed he was an admirer and it was the only way he could think of to get her to come. They end up making a date to meet under the later fireworks...and his boyish smile, even without lips, leaves Hilary feeling like she's weak in the knees...

Moved to YouTube for Sailor Moon R: Promise of the Rose next. Usagi, Mamoru, and the girls are at a nursery admiring roses when a young man appears, claiming he knew Mamoru when they were children. When Mamoru doesn't remember him, he throws roses in their faces. Turns out he's an alien who befriended Mamoru as a child. He left to find a perfect blossom for him...and came back with the Kisseniem Blossom, a flower that drains the life energy from any planet or being it touches. It has Mamoru's friend under its power, to the point where he kidnaps Mamoru and takes him to a asteroid covered in Kisseniem Blossoms. Sailor Moon and the Guardians have to rescue Mamoru and stop the asteroid, before it hits Earth and the Blossoms absorb everything.

Watched Match Game '76 during dinner. Jimmie Walker and Elaine Joyce joined in here. Marcia Wallace protests Ugly Edna jokes rather vehemently. Brett spends most of the episodes complaining that she doesn't like the questions.

Finished the night after a shower with children's game shows from England. I enjoyed watching Knightmare and The Raven so much a few months ago, I thought I'd look for more shows for kids. The Adventure Game is a forerunner of The Crystal Maze and other shows involving a group solving puzzles in fantasy worlds. Here, five adults solve space-themed puzzles from a group of "dragon" aliens, some who pose as humans. This second series episode also features a contestant from the previous season who acts as a mole and confuses the group. A little slow and low-tech compared to the slightly higher-budget stunt and puzzle shows that came later, but the world-building involving the aliens makes this worth checking out.

Jungle Run from 2005 is basically a cross between this and Legends of the Hidden Temple with a jungle theme. Three kids in "survival gear" have to solve slightly more complicated puzzles in a more lavish jungle set while searching for gold, silver, and ruby monkey statues that will give them more time in the bonus round. Slower-moving than Legends, with less story but equally-interesting puzzles and stunts, and just as much fun to watch. 

Runaround is less fantastic but more colorful. This circus-themed quiz show had two teams of kids answering questions by running to spots on the set. Those still moving or not on the right answer by the end of the time are eliminated. Cute and fast-paced, I can see this was a hit that ran until Southern Television was disbanded. (Apparently, an American version with Paul Winchell didn't do nearly as well in 1972-1973.)

Fun House is another American import that did better in England. This one pretty much plays the same as the American version, with an even more lavish "Fun House" in the end and fewer questions...and the host, Pat Sharp, was just as cute as J.D Roth. Apparently, this was one of the more popular kids' shows on ITV and remains a touchstone with British folks who grew up in the 90's in particular. (And I'm seriously jealous that the British got to watch this show pretty much for the entirety of the 90's, since my sisters and I loved the US version.)

Most English game shows for kids were more like Screen Test or Finders Keepers. Screen Test is pretty dry, but it ran from 1970 through 1984. By the time of the 1984 episode seen here, it was two groups of kids from schools throughout England answering questions about clips from movies. Finders Keepers is a tad more interesting. Basically a cross between Battleship and Junior Jeopardy, the kids have to answer questions or take a hit on their computerized "battleships."

Take a trip to jolly old England and check out the world of children's programming in the 80's and 90's with these unique and adorable shows!

Runaround (1980)

The Adventure Game (1981)

Finders Keepers (1982)

Screen Test (1984)

Fun House (1997)

Jungle Run (2005)

Oh, and I heard from Healthy Kids. Turns out they do have room in their summer program for me after all. I'll be starting with them at the Oaklyn School on Thursday at 2. On one hand, I was hoping for a quiet summer...but to tell the truth, I was also getting bored, and I could use the extra money. It's 2 to 5 again, so I can write in the mornings. 

Country Charm Matches

Started a gloomy morning with breakfast and Taylor Swift's Fearless. The romantic up-tempo ballad "Love Story" and slightly more bitter high school tale "You Belong to Me" were the big hits here. I also grew fond of the title track and "You're Not Sorry."

Headed to work before the CD even ended. No problems here. We were quiet when I arrived in the morning. By the time it picked up around noon, I was an hour from being finished. I mostly just swept the store and gathered carts. The weather may have scared some people off, too. It was hot, killer humid again, and off and on cloudy. The clouds were gathering again as I finished and hurried home.

They finally burst not 20 minutes after I walked in the door. It was coming down at a pretty good clip when I was having lunch and listening to Paul Sills' Story Theatre. This series of "modernized" folk tales has a familiar cast of actors, including Peter Bonerz, Valerie Harper, Hamilton Camp, Melinda Dillon, and Paul Sand, telling folksy versions of mostly Grimm's fairy tales or fables like "Henny Penny." 

(Oh, and the rain disappeared about a half-hour after starting. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since, and in fact got sunny later in the afternoon.)

Some of these come off as more than a little disturbing, including "The Little Peasant" (where all of the townspeople but the title character end up drowning in the end) and "The Robber Bridegroom" (which involves severed fingers and isn't nearly as romantic as the country-flavored Broadway musical of that title). Others, including "The Golden Goose," with its refrain of "Here Comes the Sun," is hilarious. I don't know if I'd recommend this for anyone who isn't a fairy tale fan or a fan of the actors in question, but it does make for a fascinating listen if you know these stories, the actors, or the late 60's-early 70's when this came out.

Chinese Fairy Tales are even more charming. Unlike the largely familiar Story Theatre fables, with the exception of "The Chinese Red Riding Hoods," these aren't nearly as well-known in the US nowadays. "The Sparrow and the Phoenix," "The Faithful One," and "How Some Animals Became As They Are" are all lovely and funny, ripe for rediscovery.

Switched to late 90's - early 2000's alternative rock bands after the records ended. I was a huge fan of Train after their hit "Drops of Jupiter" blew me away in 2001. Their earlier self-titled album wasn't quite at that level, but it did feature "I Am" and "If You Leave." The Killers went darker a decade later with Sawdust, "dedicated to their fans." They went a bit more indie and rougher with "All the Pretty Faces," "Tranquilize" with Lou Reed, and their version of the country hit "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town."

Spent most of the afternoon working on Hilary and the Beasts. The day after Maple's discovery of Eagle's records, she comes downstairs to find Maple isn't eating her waffles at breakfast. Yes, she had a nightmare, too. Hers started in Eagle's office, among the papers and maps. She dreamed of her tall, sweet, slightly balding suitor, who was far more awkward than Betty's charmer in white. He thrust yellow roses in her arms and ended up kissing her arm rather than her hand, but she thought he was adorable. The records with Victor Comstock's voice are heard in the background, but Maple can't make out the words, even as he tries to mouth them or read the papers on Eagle's desk. 

She's about to kiss him when the monsters break in. Unlike Betty, Maple is perfectly capable of helping her suitor fight the monsters off. It ends in the same way, though, with the monsters holding them both down. The monsters destroy the papers and maps, while the largest taunts her "Prince Charming" as cold-hearted and caring more about papers than love. He tightens a collar around his neck until he can barely breathe. When Maple protests, she's knocked out, ending the dream. Now Hilary's worried about both her sisters...and she and Maple are more determined than ever to figure out what these dreams mean.

Had dinner while finishing the night at YouTube with today's Match Game marathon. Tonight put country singer "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson in the spotlight in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Gran' Ol' Opry. Bill started off in 1976, and became one of the most popular semi-regulars of the later episodes. Probably his best-known episode was the one where he composed a song for Debralee Scott on the Friday show, joined by Charles and Brett dressed as cowpokes. Deb was sincerely touched and gave Bill a kiss.

Bill also took part in the wild week in 1978 where Jack Klugman and Brett Somers sat on the same panel after their divorce or separation. He took part in their "wedding" at the end of the week and jokingly asked if he could get his ex-wife on the panel, too. He also helped break them up when they argued over "__ Hall of Fame" on the very first day.

Bill continued appearing well into syndication, including a country-western-themed week in 1982 with Fannie Flagg and Irlene Mandrell. He made his last appearances in Match Game on the Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984. He brought along the latest in musical equipment at that point - a Casio keyboard - to try writing songs for his answers. 

Let's lift a guitar for "Whisperin'" Bill and his country-fried charm in this delightful marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - With Bill Anderson On the Panel

Rainy Day Harvest

Began the morning with a quick breakfast and Garfield and Friends. "Odielocks" is a retelling of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," with Odie as the little girl who breaks in and eats lasagna and knocks over chairs belonging to three cats. "Quack to the Future" has Orson imagining that he and the other animals have invented a time machine, so he can go back and stop an argument between him and Wade. When Garfield's bed goes "Beddy Bye," Jon takes him to buy a new one...but of course, being a cat, Garfield ends up choosing something very different to sleep in at home.

Made a quick run to the farm market next, despite the ongoing light showers. I work too early to make it there next week! Though it's cooler, in the lower 80's, it's still thickly humid. The showers were off and on as I made my way through the surprisingly heavy crowds. I guess they weren't heavy enough to keep people away from buying their produce for barbecues and family get-togethers. The summer harvest is out in full-force now. Cherries and peas are gone, but zucchini. yellow squash, tomatoes, corn, eggplant, blackberries, peaches, plums, blueberries and onions are all out in full force. I settled for peaches, sugar plums, and rather surprisingly for so late in the season, strawberries. Also grabbed two cheesesteak empanadas for lunch.

Ate quickly while watching Paw Patrol. "Pups Save a MerPup" when Skye and Zuma stay awake on the MerPup Moon to see one of the mythical creatures. Turns out, it needs their help in rescuing its baby from a sunken ship. Skye and Zuma are turned into MerPups themselves to help out. Rocky, who hates water, is less happy about it when he needs to get the side off the ship and save Zuma.

Since it was still showering at that point, I took Uber to work. No trouble here whatsoever. The one going to work came in 9 minutes. The one going home arrived in 7. No traffic either way, and I got to work just in time.

Work was really, really dead for a weekend. Most people were probably either avoiding the weather, or down at the Shore. Though I did fall behind with the carts when I had to clean up a broken Stewart's Orange Soda bottle, other than that, I was mainly either sweeping or outside with the carts. The rain finally stopped around 2:30, though it would remain cloudy, cool, and humid for the rest of the afternoon. I grabbed a sandwich and soda for dinner before heading home.

Took a shower, then had that sandwich while watching tonight's Match Game marathon. Dumb Dora and her male counterpart Dumb Donald were two of the most popular "characters" in questions on the show. Dumb Dora was so popular, questions featuring her turned up as late as the Veteran's Day week episodes of Match Game '90. (And one of them prompted answers that were so sexually-charged, two were censored.) Darryl Anderson of Lou Grant and his long nose got to answer one. So did John Forsythe, two years before Charlie's Angels debuted. A sweet British contestant proved she was no dummy by doing well with these questions in 1974. One of Richard's last weeks on the show (and one of the first weeks for the Star Wheel) in 1978 had a Dumb Dora question, too.

You won't be dumb if you check out the best from the wackiest character to appear on the Match Game roster!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Dumb Dora Marathon

Finished the night with a quickie review for the 1995 animated version of The Prince and the Pauper. I go further into this low-budget Golden Films tuner at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Prince and the Pauper (1995)

Out In the Sunshine

Began the morning with breakfast and two fairy-tale Silly Symphonies. "Three Blind Mice" are a trio of mini-musketeers who do their best to avoid the captain of the cats. "Babes In the Woods" retells "Hansel and Gretel." Here, though, Hansel is turned into a spider by the witch, and the kids are rescued by little dwarfs who attack her. 

Hurried out the door for my mammogram appointment as soon as the cartoon ended. Not only was I late getting out, but Cutthbert and Haddon Avenue were messes...more than usual. Cuthbert where the Westmont Acme is was in the middle of being repaired, and I think they were doing some repairs on Haddon, too. Thankfully, I was only about a minute or two late when I arrived at South Jersey Radiology, just over the border of Haddonfield and Westmont.

The mammogram appointment is pretty simple. I got in. I signed some papers. I changed into a wrap. They squeezed my chest for 20 minutes. I got out. It hurt a little bit when I had to turn to the side, but just standing straight on wasn't a problem. At any rate, it took me less than a half-hour before I was on my way again.

Treated myself to brunch at the Haddon Diner, just two blocks down Haddon Avenue from South Jersey Radiology. They're a much smaller and older diner than some of the others around here, with really nifty wood and vinyl booths decorated with painted flags and star stencils. I was pretty hungry and couldn't decide what I wanted, so I went with the breakfast combo. I had two limp pieces of bacon, one delicious, fat sausage, decent but slightly bland scrambled eggs, and two fluffy pancakes with lots of butter. Tossed in a fruit salad so I could get some vitamins in there.

The reason I made the appointment for the mammogram today was I'd already planned on going grocery shopping anyway. Thankfully, they were done with laying the road on Cuthbert by the time I headed to the Westmont Acme. Mainly needed yogurt there. Found a new flavor of Kind Granola Bars on sale. Had online coupons for more of those yummy cookie sandwiches from the bakery; got carrot cake. Grabbed soda and sparkling water. Picked up Pure Silk shaving lotion on a decent sale. Got a gift card for a friend's birthday next week.

Sprouts was only slightly less busy than the Acme had been. Mainly wanted dried fruit here. Found "Pina colada pineapple chunks" on clearance. Got dried cranberries out of the bulk bins. Picked up snickerdoodles on clearance (though I had a hard time ringing them up), soda, sparkling water, and coconut milk.

At least the weather was decent for the running around. It's still sunny and a bit humid, but it was also much cooler. I don't think it got out of the mid-80's today. 

Headed home after that. Watched the 2003 Strawberry Shortcake while I got organized. "Toto's Tale" takes Strawberry and Pupcake to their own version of Oz. Sour Grapes is the witch trying to steal her silver shoes back. Orange Blossom is the Cowardly Lioness, Ginger Snap is the Scarecrow, Peppermint Fizz is the Tin Woodsgirl, Huckleberry Pie is the Wizard, and Plum Pudding is Glinda.

Switched to Remember WENN next. Scott's Aunt Agatha (Jan Miner) causes chaos when she visits the station. Seems he told her he's "Scott Sherwood of the FBI," WENN is a field branch, and the others are agents. Betty and Scott jump through hoops to keep her from finding out the truth...until a seemingly real agent (Tom Tammi) turns up, and Scott and Betty begin to realize Aunt Agatha was ahead of them from the start.

Scott's fibbing really gets Betty into trouble - and him over his head - by the time of "The First Mrs. Bloom." He's been telling the sponsors of their bridal show that they marry real couples on the air...which becomes a problem when said sponsor (Julie Haggarty) turns up to oversee the show. She's also Mackie's former fiancee Penelope whom he left at the altar, and now she thinks he and Betty are getting married on the air. They seemingly go through with it so Scott won't get in trouble, but Penelope knows Mackie better than that.

Spent the rest of the afternoon watching something unique on Tubi. I found a series of low-budget, but spooky and charming retellings of various fairy tales set during periods in American history. "King Thrushbeard" became "Bristlelip," a sweet Regency romance. "The Frog King" had a princess who looked a bit like Samantha, and a king and Prince in Edwardian suits. "Jack and the Dentist's Daughter" was a hilarious retelling of "The Master Thief" with a mostly-black cast set in the South during the early 30's. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel" was a darker Edwardian romance, "Hansel and Gretel" an unsettling Depression-era tale. "The Goose Girl" was a Colonial fantasy with a merchant prince. "Soldier Jack," set in the post-World War II Midwest, had a soldier literally cheat death to gain a free house and win the President's daughter...then regret it when no one can die.

If you're as big of a fairy tale fan as I am, you'll want to look up these at Tub under The Brothers Grimm: American Folktales Part I and Part II. 

Oh, and I got my schedule at this point. In good news, more hours. However, they're all early, and this time, I have a day on Friday. At least I'll be able to get my grocery shopping done then. 

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Hilary brings Betty her breakfast at her typewriter the next morning. Betty's typing because she didn't sleep well the night before. She dreamed of the man in the white tuxedo meeting her in the library. He brings her pink roses and first shows that he can read (or mouth the words of books, as he remains silent), then tries to point out the European news on Newspaper. 

He finally ends up holding her, and they're about to kiss when the troll-like monsters appear. He fights them, but is overwhelmed and held to the ground. The largest monster tells him he's stupid and useless, and will be a tame animal to be petted and paraded on a leash by the end of the year. The creature hits Betty on the head, knocking her out and ending the dream. Hilary can't do much more than offer to bring her sister tea and toast. Betty continues to clack away, Hilary now worrying more than ever about her little sister and the strange Bear who captured her heart.

A few weeks later, she returns to Eagle's rooms. Maple's there, translating his wing gestures again. Hilary finds radio transcripts on records. She plays one, revealing the voice of Victor Comstock delivering a speech on the situation in Europe. Maple is mesmerized by his handsome, stentorian voice...but squawking Eagle is more frustrated than delighted. He ends up knocking the record off with one of his wing swoops. Maple catches it before it's more than scratched. In his fury, he knocks the papers off the desk with his wings, perches on his chair, and finally sobs into his wings. Hilary leaves Maple curled into the hurt and frustrated Eagle, his wings gently folded around her.

Moved to Match Game '76 during dinner. They mainly ran the hilarious week with Price Is Right model Anitra Ford in the ingenue seat and Greg Morris in the first seat. Richard spends the week flirting with attractive blonde contestant Darlene, who calls him "Dickie Doo," and despite her slightly nauseating flirting, ends up being the biggest winner the show had at that point.

Finished the night at YouTube and The Roku Channel with 80's anime versions of fairy tales. The Grimms Fairy Tales retelling of "Rapunzel" is an entirely straight retelling of the story...up to and including Rapunzel regarding the Prince as her husband, and him finding her with a child in the wilderness at the end.

Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater has more fun with "Kitty and the Beast." Here, Hello Kitty is Beauty, and Catnip is her spoiled sister who comes along for the ride because fancy castle. It's Kitty who treats the Beast (Tuxedo Sam) kindly and ends up saving him from Witch Fangora's spell. "Little Red Bunny Hood" has My Melody as a Wild West Little Red Riding Hood, dodging mangy Wolf Grinder and helping cowboy hunter Chip rescue her Grandma from the outlaw Belle Catnip. 

When the Going Gets Tough

Started off the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Minnie becomes "Sleeping Minnie" when she picks one of Clarabelle's sleeping roses. If Mickey, Donald, and Goofy don't find the golden harp in the maze, she'll sleep for a century! They have to remember Clarabelle's song, get over a slippery glass bridge, and solve the mystery of the maze to find that harp.

Called Uber after breakfast. I probably shouldn't have gone to Blackwood during the lunch and 3 PM rush hours. It was expensive both times, and I had to wait 7 minutes both times. In fact, I ended up getting a second driver going there after the first canceled. They was some mild traffic going home, but nothing going there, and nothing really horrible.

I wanted to hit the Blackwood Outlets to find bras, but...it didn't work out anywhere near as well as I hoped. The Hanes and Maidenform stores had closed, and Jockey and Under Armor had more clothes than undergarments. I did get non-underwire bras at Lane Bryant, but the underwire bras without the foam weren't part of the buy one, get the second for 15 sale. That was just for cotton bras. I bought three under wire bras and decided to wait until I can get to a department store to get wired ones.

Had lunch at Friendly's. That didn't go so well, either. I don't know why the waitress didn't think the tuna salad sandwich wasn't part of the 9 dollar deal. It was listed as being so. At least it tasted good, with slim salty fries and savory broccoli and cheese soup. I opted to skip the ice cream this time. There's ice cream at home.

Things went better across the street at Dave & Buster's. Even with a local youth group running around, making noise and lines, and some of the machines not working like they should, I still went from ring toss to Pac Man skee ball to pirate spinning wheel to giant Pac Man and Space Invaders, ultimately racking up over 3,200 points. Came in first in a sweet vintage scarlet Chevrolet on the Death Valley course on Cruisin' Blast and with Princess Peach on the second Peach's Castle course on Mario Kart. Got the last Care Bear they carry I hadn't gotten, Grumpy, and still had 700 points left for when I go on vacation in late September.

Went straight into Remember WENN when I got home. Hilary and Jeff are "Strange Bedfellows" when they both go out for City Council. Scott insists on taking their own survey and holding a debate with the two of them and folksy former baseball player candidate Luke Langly (David Canary). Hilary and Jeff just end up bickering, until Langly reminds them that politics means a lot more commitment than just throwing out pretty speeches.

"Close Quarters" is my second-favorite episode of the second season after the Christmas show. No one is happy when the entire staff ends up quarantined after Mr. Foley comes down with spots and a doctor thinks he has a rare disease. The first night is fun and revealing, with everyone dancing, eating Hilary's spaghetti and ketchup, and Hilary discussing Jeff's nightmares with Betty. However, as the week continues, they all end up sick of each other...until it turns out that Mr. Foley's condition isn't anywhere near as serious as the overwrought doctor thought.

Switched to Lucky Me next. I go further into this rather silly CinemaScope confection for Doris Day at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Lucky Me

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts for the rest of the afternoon. On a rainy day in May, Hilary finds herself fielding a frantic call from Mackie. He's worried for his daughters, but Hilary manages to convince him to talk to his old theatrical contacts and find out more about Pavla and what she's up to now. She doesn't tell Mackie that she and her sisters are still having the dreams of Jeff trying to tell her to listen to her heart and the men being taken away, fearing he'll just worry more.

She goes to talk to Newpaper (Gus Kahana) in the library and finds him snoozing between Betty and Bear (Scott) as Betty teaches Bear to read. He's doing better, but there's still strong mental blocks in his head. Hilary asks him if he knows anything about the papers in Eagle's (Victor's) room and their "gibberish." Bear knows he was once able to figure out "patterns"...but those blocks hurt him so badly, he ends up growling. He doesn't remember what was done to damage his mind, either, other than someone sending dark light into his head. 

After Betty takes him downstairs for honey to soothe his head, Hilary wakes up Newspaper. Newspaper finally admits that Master's second wife was the one who hurt Bear, hoping to suppress his abilities. Newspaper uses his own voice to admonish Hilary to be careful. Master's second wife isn't messing around. Hilary insists she can take care of herself, and her sisters too.

Broke for dinner and Match Game '76 at 7 PM. Though we did get one last episode from the week with Jody Donovan, most of the evening was devoted to the week with Isobel Sanford, and in his only appearance on the show, composer and musician Marvin Hamlisch. Charles and Marvin composed a song for sweet contestant Pharnicia on the spot after she did well at an Audience Match. She was very proud of herself a bit later when she got the right answer on the Audience Match without any help from the panel or anyone else!

Finished the night with newly-acquired CDs. I was 7 when most of the Billboard Top Hits 1986 were on the radio, and I remember them very well. The big hits were mainly up tempo or dynamic numbers like "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer or "Walk Like an Egyptian" by the Bangels. Two of the year's biggest songs came from movies, "Danger Zone" from Top Gun and "When the Going Gets Tough" from The Jewel of the Nile. 

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera was such a world-wide sensation, imitations were likely inevitable. Supposedly, Maury Yeston's Phantom actually goes back to 1983, when actor Geofrey Holder brought the story to Yeston's attention. Unfortunately, by the time they were finished, the Andrew Lloyd Webber show was on Broadway. This version hasn't played New York to this day, but it's been done regionally and was the basis for a mini-series on NBC in 1990. Here, the emphasis is on the Phantom's discovery of his father, with his relationship with Christine taking a slight backseat. It lacks Webber's grandeur, but it's far from bad. Erik's "Where In the World" and "You are Music" are especially lovely.