Sunny Day Matches

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Between Friends" is the name of the book Emily gives Little Bear when he has the mumps. He returns the favor when she has it and brings the book to her. (Which turns this episode into something of a clip show.) Before "The Blueberry Picnic" begins, Little Bear and his friends put on a play about a troll (who looks rather familiar if you know Maurice Sendak's artwork) who terrorizes those who cross his bridge. When Emily pays more attention to Lucy on a camping trip, Little Bear decides "Lucy Needs a Friend." He and Mother Bear sew a bear buddy for Lucy.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. I didn't think my feet would be up to biking after a 7 and a 1/2 hour day. I think I made the right choice. No trouble here whatsoever. The driver going to work arrived in 8 minutes, and I got there right on time. The one going home came in 7 minutes.

I spent most of the day sweeping and pushing carts. The head bagger was recruited to clean the main entrance. Apparently, headquarters wants the store to be cleaned. I think I got the better job. The weather was gorgeous today, sunny and hot, but not at all humid, without a cloud in the searing bright blue sky. If there had been a breeze, it would have been perfect.

I was in and out all day and didn't really pay much attention to it, but there had been a bad smell in the back of the store since early in the morning. It got so bad by 4 PM, they evacuated the store, right as I was about to sweep. I managed to sign the sweep, put the broom away, and grab my bag before everyone got out. We were only out for about a half-hour, and whatever the bad smell was, it wasn't gas...but that was enough time to skip the sweeping and just do carts for the remaining time.

When I got home, I took a shower, had a chicken, tomato, and broccoli salad for dinner, and spent the rest of the night watching today's Match Game marathon. Most of Match Game ran just as local children's shows were starting to fall out of favor. Some iconic shows like Captain Kangaroo would be on the air until the 1980's. Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood ran on PBS off and on from the late 60's until Fred Rodgers retired in 2001. Both were frequently referenced on the show, including Gene insisting that they should do a "Good morning, Captain!" commercial. (They finally did during the William Shatner/Julie Harris week in 1975, and yes, the commercials exist.) Sesame Street also got an occasional shout-out as the height of its original success as one of the most beloved shows on PBS. 

Puppets were rarer as panelists on Match Game than they were on Hollywood Squares (where the Muppets made occasional appearances), but they did appear. The first non-human panelists on the show were vintage puppet favorites Kukla and Ollie in 1979. They were long past their days as beloved children's show icons by then, but Gene Rayburn was a friend of their puppeteer Burr Tillstrom. I wish they came back. That week was adorable. Brett spent it flirting with Ollie the dragon, while everyone marched around the desks at one point. The PM episode was so sweet, with Ollie in his little black bow tie.

Willie Tyler and his puppet Lester of Laugh-In turned up on the show twice, late in the syndicated run in 1981 and later in Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1983. Probably the most popular puppet-ventriloquist duo to turn up on Match Game were Ronn Lucas and his teenage dragon Scorch in the 1990-1991 run. In fact, they were one of the best things about the 1990 series. The two of them were always ready with a quip or a funny answer. (Brett wasn't as enamored with the idea of flirting with Stitch as she had been with Ollie over a decade before when she came, though.) 

Won't you be our neighbor and celebrate some of the most beloved children's shows and icons of all time in this charming marathon. 

Match Game Saturday Classics - Match Game With Mister Rogers, Captain Kangaroo, Sesame Street, and Other Kids' Program Stars