Lost In the Hills

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and the classic Disney short "Lonesome Ghosts." Donald, Mickey, and Goofy are the original Ghostbusters who chase a trio of bored ghosts around their ancient mansion. It takes a barrel of molasses and a bag of flour for them to turn the tables and spook the spooks.

Raced off to work after the cartoon ended...and was one minute late. Fortunately, I had no more trouble after that. Except for when the head bagger went on the register and I had to sweep, I spent most of the day outside with the carts. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. The weather is still gorgeous here, sunny, breezy, and in the 60's. It wasn't even all that busy. Not only is the weather too nice for shopping, but there's too many things going on this weekend, local craft shows and Halloween parties and school sports.

Changed shirts, then quickly bought a gift card for my nephew Elijah's birthday (he turns one today) before heading off again. One of those events this weekend is Haddon Heights' Fall Fest. I cut through Audubon and across King's Highway...and promptly got lost once I entered Haddon Heights. They're not called that because it sounds pretty. Haddon Heights is on a series of twisty old streets surrounding steep hills. I did read about a historic mill that had once been by the Dell, but that didn't help me find Station Avenue. It took  me another twenty minutes to figure out where I was going.

It was past 3 when I finally locked my bike by the Library. Alas, the Library was closed by then, and the local services advertising on that block were shutting down. The craft fair on the other side of the tracks was still going, though. I strolled down the block by Ralph's Pizza and Anthony's, admiring hand-made jewelry and knitted stuffed animals. I bought two such knitted critters for my best friends Lauren and Amanda to put in their Christmas boxes. Tried a tasty strawberry white chocolate cookie from one of the bakery booths.

Ended up at Doc's Finds next. They were too busy for me to check the dollar bins extensively, and my jazz and rock crates are full to bursting. I did pick up one children's album and a couple of soundtracks and cast albums:

The soundtracks for the film versions of MASH and A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum and a "deluxe" boxed soundtrack for The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. (The Brothers Grimm soundtrack comes with a slim but really nice hardback book telling how the movie was made and featuring condensed versions of the three Brothers Grimm stories depicted in the movie.) 

Stories and Songs About Walt Disney's 3 Little Pigs

The original Broadway cast album for Oh, What a Lovely War!

Hurried straight home across Haddon Heights and Audubon and over the bridge next to the train tracks into Oaklyn, avoiding the busy White Horse Pike. Today's Match Game YouTube marathon had already started when I got in. Nerdocrumbesia was the mythical sleazy country from later episodes that the writers invented when they wanted to joke about a silly country without offending real ones. Questions asked about their national anthem, their minuscule Air Force, how they got their garbage picked up, what their national dance was, and where its citizens put their hands during said anthem.

There was a Nerdocrumbesia question in the 1977 episode that introduced Bertha, a dear old lady who became one of the most beloved contestants ever on the show. There were two during the week in 1978 with Joe Gargiola and another on the week with Tab Hunter and Marilu Henner. Nipsey Russell heard about Nerdocrumbesia on the only week he sat in what had been Richard Dawson's fifth seat in 1979. (He was a friend of Richard's and apparently didn't enjoy taking his place.) Jon "Bowser" Bauman answered one on a 1979 PM episode while Bill Daily panted over young beauty Charlene Tilton next to him.

Let's take a fall trip to the worst country in the world in these wild and wacky episodes!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Let's Visit Nerdocrumbesia & Looneyville

That Old Fall Magic

Started off a gorgeous morning with breakfast and What's New, Scooby Doo? It's "A Scooby Doo Halloween," and Mystery Inc. is heading to the small town of Banning Junction and Velma's uncle and aunt's farm. Banning Junction is known for getting into Halloween, but strange moving scarecrows have been burning spooky symbols into their crops. Velma is determined to find out who's behind this. Daphne is jealous that Velma's beautiful cousin Marcy has been flirting with Fred. Shaggy and Scooby just want to go trick or treating and hear KISS play at the Halloween festival.

Hurried off to Westmont when the cartoon ended. I had a lot of errands to run, starting with Target. They didn't have the gift card I wanted for my nephew or Halloween party supplies, but I did get an Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai at Starbucks that was really good. Did better at Sprouts. They had smaller and cheaper containers of shredded chicken, and I picked up apples, oat milk, soda on sale, and dried pineapple.

Dodged the continuing road and sidewalk work on Cutbert past the high school and down to the Westmont Acme. The Acme is having huge online 99 cent sales this week. I got a ham steak, yogurt, a box of Duncan Hines spice cake mix, and eggs for 99 cents each. Restocked granola, tuna, soda, English muffins (which are still on a good sale), and grapes. Picked up bagels for tomorrow and Sunday. Tried a basic frosted donut topped with Fruity Pebbles. Ehh, not as overwhelmingly sweet as the birthday cake donut, but I don't think donuts work with crunchy bits.

Cut through Newton Lake Park on my way home. It was a gorgeous day for a ride in the park...which is likely why I made my way around a lot of people walking dogs and pushing strollers. It's still sunny, breezy, and in the mid-60's here, and looks like it'll continue to be for the foreseeable future. The trees are just starting to turn colors here, riots of brilliant scarlet and rust and gold. The fountains sparkled in the bright sunshine as I passed them.

When I got home, I put everything away, then finally got that Sony DVD player hooked up the right way. And yes, it did play CBS DVDs, starting with the Halloween episode of Happy Days. Richie Cunningham is worried that the house Ralph rented for his Halloween party is "Haunted" by a ghost who will take off his head. Joanie teases him, but Fonzie reminds him that there's nothing to fear but fear itself. It's Richie who finally figures out what's going on when more than one spooky trick threatens to spoil their treat of a party.

Laverne & Shirley also have to deal with a "Haunted House" in the second season of their show. Carmine mentions that the old Ramsdale Manor is about to be demolished and may be a good place to buy a used couch, but Shirley has heard stories about a "hairy thing" there that snatches people. Laverne is just as convinced that an old house is an old house, and they need cheap furniture. When first Lenny and Squiggy go missing, and then the little man from the city who was supposed to sell them the couch, Laverne begins to wonder if Shirley might have something after all.

I also got my schedule really quick at this point. In good news, I did get next Friday and Saturday off for Halloween, along with Monday. Bad news is, I work two double-shift days in a row, Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm going to be late to Thomas Sharp those days. The Collingswood and Oaklyn elementary schools are on half-days next week for teacher conferences. 

Hurried out to Thomas Sharp even before the episode ended. Good thing I got there in plenty of time. We had 17 kids today, and they were all rowdy as heck, especially the boys. We got them outside a little earlier than usual, and all the boys did was wrestle and kick and grab at each other. I had to separate them twice when they were waiting for the swings. They were all dangerously close to not going on the swings at all. In the end, I think only one or two kids didn't get on before we went back inside. When we got back in the cafeteria, I joined some of the kids who were drawing on a large sheet of paper taped to a table. Others placed leaf and pumpkin-shaped stickers on colored construction paper. 

The reason we had to take the kids early was their teachers started setting up for the school's "Spooktacular" on the blacktop area around 4:30. This is Thomas Sharp's version of "trunk or treat," where kids in costume are given candy and stickers from decorated car trunks. I saw one car that was supposed to be a movie theater. Another was a bubble bath with lots of balloon bubbles. There was a Nintendo car and even a Price Is Right car with a hand-drawn Showcase Showdown big wheel. 

I got two very small slices of cheese pizza and walked around. Almost immediately ran into one of my students, who was dressed as a unicorn princess in a pretty pink and blue dress with gold trim and a flower-and-horn headband. Another girl was a wolf with a painted-on nose who was delighted to practice her howl for me. One of the older girls was a lovely curly-haired sorceress. The youngest boy in class was a bright green racing car. One sweet miss was Elsa with her mother as Anna. An older boy dressed as Po from Kung Fu Panda gave me Twizzlers.

Stopped at CVS on the way home. They didn't have Halloween party supplies. I was going to buy a gift card for my baby nephew Elijah's first birthday, but a lady was fussing about some online coupon not working and holding up the line. I finally decided it wasn't worth the wait and left with nothing. I'll get a gift card at the Audubon Acme tomorrow.

Went straight into dinner and Match Game '77 when I got home. Most of the night was devoted to the week with Nipsey Russell, Betty White, and Real People hostess Sarah Purcell. One of the contestants in the last episode of the night told Brett she saw Jack Klugman at the tracks, flirting with a blonde. I don't think she meant to be rude. She was probably just passing a juicy tidbit. It's likely she didn't know how contentious Brett and Jack's divorce had been, or how much it hurt Brett. Her first answer was honestly pretty good, but I don't think any of the panelists were objecting too much when her second was terrible and she was sent on her way.

Switched to Kanopy for the original The Old Dark House from 1932. Newlyweds Phillip (Raymond Massey) and Margaret Waverton (Gloria Stuart) and their friend Roger Penderel (Melvyn Douglas) are lost in Wales during a massive storm. They seek shelter at an ancient old Manor house that belongs to siblings Rebecca (Eva Moore) and Horace (Ernest Theisiger) Femm. The house is full of secrets, starting with their voiceless, drunk giant of a butler Morgan (Boris Karloff). Sir William Porterhouse (Charles Laughton) and his current interest Gladys DuCane (Lillian Bond) arrive during dinner. Roger finds himself falling for Gladys, even as they learn more about the biggest secret of all, and why some secrets are better off kept behind locked doors...

James Whale directed cinema's first creaky old house story. It's slow-moving and talky, but you can't fault that cast. Douglas, Karloff, and Laughton take top honors as the sophisticated man who meets his match in the independent-minded chorus girl, the silent, scarred butler, and the whiny, slightly pompous nobleman. I like that it's a tight 70 minutes that doesn't overstay its welcome. If you love haunted house stories or pre-code Horror or are looking for a Universal horror film with no monsters involved, try their foray into haunted house tales. 

Finished the night at YouTube with The Paul Lynde Halloween Special. The cast of The Old Dark House aren't the only ones dealing with haunted houses. Hoping to avoid the annoying Osmonds, Lynde opts to spend his Halloween at the creaky old home belonging to his housekeeper Margaret Hamilton...who is, of course, the Wicked Witch of the West. Her cousin is Witchepoo (Billie Hayes) of Sid and Marty Kroft fame. The ladies give Lynde three wishes. His first is to be a glamorous trucker who gets to marry a gorgeous truck stop waitress (Roz Kelly). His second has him as a sheik, Florence Henderson as the British object of his affections, and Tom Conway as a Foreign Legionarre. Lynde uses his last to turn the ladies' home into a Halloween disco, up to and including Henderson singing a disco version of "That Old Black Magic." Somewhere in between all this, Betty White turns up as Miss Halloween, and KISS sings three of their biggest hits, "Detroit Rock City," "Beth," and "King of the Night World." 

Swinging Into Autumn

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man. "A Friend In Need" introduces Ileana, a friend of Teela's who is shy and not strong like her friend. She thinks it's a kindly woman who offers her a potion to make her strong. She keeps needing more and more potion to remain strong, until the woman encourages her to steal a machine that can turn objects, or the very air around them, into something else. Turns out the woman is really a sorcerer who wants to destroy He-Man. When the sorcerer starts shrinking the castle, Ileana finds the courage to stop him...and learns that true strength comes from within, not from any potion.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. I wanted to visit the Bellmawr Library today, and they're too far out for a quick bike ride. The driver going there came in 5 minutes. The one going home took 9 minutes. No trouble either way.

The Bellmawr Library is smaller than it looks from the outside. The right side houses Camden County's health offices. The library is on the left. It's small, bigger than Audubon but smaller than Haddon Township. The adult fiction was all together, but unlike the fiction section in Collingswood, the books were at least labeled with the proper genre. They had some really great material there, including several historical fiction novels that intrigued me and two brand-new books on jukebox and Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals. I strolled briefly through the kids' section, but I could hear the librarian doing story hour with a group of local toddlers. I didn't want to disrupt them, so I headed out. I'll take books out this winter, after I've finally whittled down that pile of books I've bought recently.

Had lunch two blocks down at the Club Diner on the White Horse Pike. I haven't eaten there since Jessa and I got their St. Patrick's Day menu in March. I had three small, but very moist and spicy, pumpkin pancakes, crunchy bacon, and slices of grapefruit. Oh, yum! It was all absolutely delicious. I'll have to do breakfast there again sometime.

Watched Halloween Is Grinch Night while printing out my tax return at home to send with that application. I went further into this very strange Seuss special way back on the very Halloween review in 2018.

Garfield's Halloween Adventure & Halloween Is Grinch Night

Called Nueva Smile during the cartoon. They left a message saying I needed to reschedule my appointment that was originally on November 6th. I'm now doing it at a more reasonable 11 PM on November 19th. That also means that I have November 6th completely off. The schools will be closed for the New Jersey teacher's convention, and I put in for it off from the Acme.

Rushed out to Thomas Sharp after the cartoon ended. Things went more-or-less the same as yesterday. We had 22 kids, and they were all fairly rowdy. After snack time, I used stencils to make a frog and a large sun and admired the colorful lion one of the girls did. When we got outside, I pushed a little too hard on one of the boys, and he fell off! Not only was he not hurt, but he got right back on. He wanted to ride with his best friend. In fact, he rode at least three more times after that. Thank heavens the weather remains gorgeous for them running around all afternoon, sunny, breezy, and in the lower-mid 60's.

The five kids that were left when we went inside had a nifty project to do. They glued white strips of paper to a black background to make a mummy (or an ambulance like one of the older girls). One little girl went heavy on the red and yellow marker, claiming she was making a scary mummy. The other threw a fit and cried almost the entire time she was inside. The head teacher took a charm that fell off of someone's shoe she'd been chewing on. The teacher did wash it and put it away for her, but she was still upset. She hid in a chair until her mother came.

Went straight into The Price Is Right when I got home. The generic Showcase was just furniture and a hot tub. Johnny Olsen had way more fun with the "story" Showcase. He played a private eye looking for a missing heiress (Dian) in San Francisco. With a fancy emerald necklace-and-earrings set and a big car, this was one of the most expensive Showcases made up to that point. Alas, the lady went with an ordinary price that was way under the actual price tag. The guy won his spa and living room furniture. 

The panelists had even more fun on Match Game '77. They finished out the week with Betty White and Nipsey Russell, then went right into the next week. Ironically, Bob Barker turned up here too, along with sweet Eva Gabor and slightly goofy Joyce Bulifant. Eva was delighted when even she got the question making jokes about disgraced government finance officer Bert Lance right. Joyce was happier teasing Gene. 

Took a shower, had dinner, then watched Up In the Air on Tubi. I went further into this B-movie musical thriller set at a radio station at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Up In the Air (1940)

Finished the night at YouTube with the rare Halloween special The Wickedest Witch. The title character is Avarissa (Rue McClanahan), a witch who has been condemned to live underground for 300 years with the Beevils, a group of game show-loving lizard creatures. Only a pure-hearted child can release her from the curse, so she sends one of the Beevils to retrieve a child from Earth. What he finds is Lewis (Raddi Di Blaso), a normal kid who is obsessed with magic. Avarissa insists she can teach him magic, but she didn't count on him making friends with the creatures she overlooks. 

In the Fall Sunshine

Barely had enough time for breakfast and Bluey this morning. The girls are playing "Hairdressers" for Bandit and pretend he has nits. Bingo's having a hard time putting her voice out over her confident older sister, but she finally figures out how to say what she wants to say, while Bluey gives her ideas a chance. Bandit just wishes their ideas didn't involve cold showers and flour.

Rushed off to the Acme after the cartoon ended and arrived just in time. I did get pulled for a half-hour to sweep up the front and back lobby after they moved the cardboard displays with the snack chips away from the sides. The manager claimed the carts weren't bad, but when I went outside again, they were empty. Those guys with the inflatable rat were still protesting the roof being repaired, too. At least they stick to the side of the road. Other than that, it was pretty quiet. We're between holidays, and the weather remains perfect, lower 60's, windy, and sunny. A bit cooler than yesterday, but nothing abnormal for mid-October.

Made a quick stop for pads after work, then changed and headed out. I had lunch at Sakura Japanese Restaurant on the White Horse Pike in Oaklyn. They're a little bit cheaper than Futomaki in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center. They were also very quiet. There was only one other gentleman eating in the booth next to me. I enjoyed my tasty hibachi salmon, salad, sauteed vegetables, and brown rice with only the sound of classical music in the background.

I took the long way cutting through West Collingswood after lunch, and I still arrived at Thomas Sharp almost 15 minutes early. Maybe it's just as well. We had 23 kids today, our most yet. They were surprisingly quiet in the bathroom and during snack time. In fact, things didn't get really wild until we went outside. I had to distract a gaggle of girls from burying the tiny Foosball that belonged to one of them. I didn't think they'd find it again, so I handed them a branch with fall leaves and acorns instead and told them to look for things in nature to bury, instead of someone's toy. After someone threw her ice pack over the fence and I had to retrieve it, I told them to put away the toys all together. 

I had to yell at them again to line up and stop arguing over the swings. They were all still arguing over who would swing with whom until more kids went home. I'm glad we stayed out a little later, until it started getting colder around 5 PM. By that point, the remaining 4 kids had given up on the swings all together and were running around the slides. We had so much help, I was let go 15 minutes early.

Stopped at Dollar General on my way home. I was hoping to find a Disney Halloween tablecloth, or at least an orange one. No luck, but I did get more bags for the Mystery Bags and a card for my nephew Elijah's first birthday.

It was just about time for Match Game '77 when I got in. They moved on to the next week. Nipsey Russell talked about his new movie The Wiz that was just out (he was the Tin Man). Betty White talked about her new sitcom The Betty White Show (which lasted four months). 

Finished the night with The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb at Tubi. In 1900, three Egyptologists, Frenchman Professor Eugene Dubois (Bernard Rebel), Sir Giles Dalyrumple (Jack Gwillim), and the younger John Bray (Ronald Howard), and Dubois' daughter Annette (Jeanne Roland) discover the sarcophagus of long-lost Ra-Antef and all of his funerary goods. American promoter Alexander King (Fred Clark) just wants to show off the mummy at his lurid public exhibit. To the men's shock, there's no mummy when King opens the sarcophagus. Turns out Ra-Antef is on the loose, brought back to life by arts patron and Egyptian artifacts collector Adam Beauchamp (Terrance Morgan). The mummy is after members of the expedition, and if Bray and Annette can't figure out what he's really after, they may be its next victims.

This started out as a relatively lighthearted horror adventure in the Amelia Peabody mode, but once the mummy comes to life, it takes a decidedly terrifying turn. There is blood in this movie, and we do see the Mummy attack the men, somewhat graphically for the time. The last ten minutes or so with Adam revealing who he really is to Annette is pure terror. This may not be one of the better-known Hammer horror films, but it's definitely worth checking out for those who love vintage scares, mummy movies, or Hammer. 

Autumn Harts

Began the morning with breakfast and Richie Rich. "Spring Cleaning" was the Riches short. Irona thinks it's a dirty shame when a villain obsessed with trash spreads his garbage in an attempt to steal the Rich fortune. She and the Professor's inventions help clean up this filthy thief. The first of the "Gems" has Gloria wondering why Richie's "Pillows" make a different sound when he lands on them. The second is how Richie pays for a wish from a "Wishing Well." "Silence Is Golden" on the Treasure Chest short when Irona insists that Richie have total silence to recover from illness, even from squeaky shoes. "The Shocking Lady Strikes Again" when she steals money from the Rich mansion and gold from their mines. Richie, Gloria, and Dollar have to stop her before she strikes at the US Mint in the Zillion Dollar Adventure.

Spent the rest of the morning looking up more housing websites and printing out the pay stubs I need for the Cherry Hill Township Modest Priced Housing application. I also wrote down what little I needed to on the actual application. I'm not a family, and I'm the only person who will be living there. 

I still have some of that buckwheat pancake mix around, so I made that for lunch. The first banana buckwheat pancake came out a bit thin, but the other two were delicious! Topped them with peanut butter and some of that maple syrup I bought from the Weston Village Store in Vermont on vacation. 

Watched the 2018 Muppet Babies while I ate. Fozzie's saying "Happy Hallo-wacka," but he's not happy when he sees his costume isn't scary like everyone else's. His attempts to prove he can be scary too just end with his friends laughing. When he sets up a haunted house in the playground, the others are skeptical, until it looks like an actual ghost has moved in. Summer tells "The Teeth-Chattering Tale of the Haunted Pancakes" to encourage Kermit to try ghost-shaped flapjacks. Kermabod and his monster friends are attacked by ghostly pancakes and have to get rid of them, until he admits he's afraid that they wouldn't be like his mother's.

Hurried off to Thomas Sharp even before the cartoon ended. Good thing I got there just in time. We started out in the library again with 18 kids. My group of 5 moved quickly in the bathroom, even the girls who usually take forever. It was after snack time when things got crazy. The older boys kept pushing each other and running around. The girls kept saying they weren't each other's friends, when most of these kids have literally known each other all their short lives. One little boy hit me on the rear and thought it was hilarious. I angrily told him it wasn't. I did apologize for yelling later, but I also added that hitting anyone, especially a teacher, isn't funny or nice at all. 

They were all just as wound up when we finally got outside. They kept swinging around the poles for the swing set and I'd have to call them back before they got in the way of the swings. At one point, they were all yelling and hitting and complaining much, I yelled and told them to get in line and either on the swings or away from them. I once again apologized once they were on the swings. I shouldn't have yelled, but they need to start listening and keeping their hands off each other. 

Things went better once they all actually got on the swings. I think the only kid who didn't go on said he wasn't interested anyway. It was too nice of a day for all the squabbling. It's still sunny here, but it was a bit warmer and much windier. There were five left when we finally took them inside. I drew fall fruit with marker along with the remaining kids until it was time for me to head out.

My Amazon package was on the porch when I arrived. I ordered the vinyl album for It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown (I can never resist the latest Peanuts soundtrack release) and an HDMI to AV hook so I could get my new Sony DVD player going. Alas, it still didn't work. I didn't realize the adapter needed to be charged. I'll do that tomorrow evening.

Had dinner while watching Match Game '77. Soap star and writer Meg Bennett joined in tonight, along with Gary Burghoff and Fannie Flagg. Bennett proved to be more astute than most of the soap ingenues who sat in the 4th seat, while Fannie dodged jokes from Charles and Brett.

Finished the night at the Roku Channel with Hart to Hart. Jennifer and Johnathan encounter "Night Horrors" when they attend a dinner party held by two friends who just bought a supposedly haunted house. Their friends talk about how the former magician who previously owned the house had hidden his wife's jewels somewhere on the property. Turns out those jewels are more than just a fun Maguffin to find at a party when one guest is killed after stealing a diamond and another vanishes. 

Pre-School Squares

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. Emily's wondering "Where Lucy Went" when she disappears while the others are in a tree. She's eventually found under a rock, but Little Bear is convinced that goblins took her and brought her back. Little Bear makes "Monster Pudding" with Owl and Mitzi when Father Bear is in a bad mood, but they just end up making a mess. Little Bear takes "don't let the bedbugs bite" seriously and won't sleep until they're all gone from "Under the Covers." 

Hurried out to the Acme after the cartoon ended. I took the bike and just barely made it on time. Thank heavens that was the worst thing that happened all day. It was surprisingly busy for Monday morning. I had a hard time keeping up with the carts. Sweeping was a bit of a pain, too. They're still working on the roof, and the debris is dropping on the produce and deli areas. (And they're still protesting the work on the roof, too. There were guys with an inflatable rat standing by the Black Horse Pike. Hey guys, next time, how about you put in a bid for the job instead of throwing a fit? The non-union people were the only ones who wanted the job.)

Decided to keep things simple with lunch at Applebee's. It was quarter after 1 when I got there, and they were quiet as could be. Right now, Applebee's has a lunch special where you can buy a burger, chicken sandwich, or chicken Caesar salad for $10.99 - it includes fries or a bread stick and a soda. I added on tomato basil soup, and I'm glad I did. It was delicious! It came with shaved Parmesan cheese and croutons and tasted like liquid pizza. The basic cheeseburger was nice and juicy, too. 

Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee Shop on my way through Oaklyn for another Rosemary Apple Chai-der. They were a lot busier than Applebee's had been, mainly with college students and office workers typing away on their laptops. I only sat their briefly anyhow, just long enough to finish my drink and head off again.

The kids at Thomas Sharp were in the library when I arrived, due to the music class. Thank heavens they weren't there for long. By the time we were taking them to the bathroom, the class was starting to clear out. I read books to two of the girls, and I colored with them a bit after lunch. I saw these lovely white and greenish butterflies while riding my bike to school, so I drew those. The girls in particular were impressed and drew butterflies of their own.

We had 17 kids to start with, and I think only one had gone home by the time we made it outside. They did have to wait to go on the swings. There was a little squabbling when they got on, but not for long. Like I told one of the mothers, it was too beautiful for fighting! The weather couldn't have been nicer. It was in the lower 60's, a perfect blue and gold autumn day. Not a cloud or a raindrop in sight, nor even a breeze. Most of the kids wanted me to push them, and all but two got on before we finally went back inside. I spent my last 15 minutes coloring with the remaining 5 kids before I finished my shift.

Caught the last few minutes of The Price Is Right when I finally finished my chores and got the laundry downstairs. The generic Showcase featured bedroom furniture, a pretty brass baby bassinet, and a trip to the Greek isles. The "story" Showcase couldn't have been more 80's if it tried. Johnny Olsen wanted to be a rock star, specifically Michael Jackson, from the triangular red-and-black jacket. He got a series of concert-related items, ending with a camper. Although it was close, the lady who bid on the camper may want to take up the concert lifestyle herself...

Let it continue into Match Game '77 as I ate dinner and put the laundry in the dryer. Buzzr skipped ahead again, this time to the week with Dick Martin, Patti Deutsch, and Elaine Joyce with darker blonde hair than usual. One of the contestant was an inspiring singer, leading to him, Gene, and half the panel performing "I Got Plenty O' Nuthin'" from Porgy & Bess.

Brought up the laundry and finished the night with a tribute to Hollywood Squares, which turned 60 on Saturday. Hollywood Squares began as The Celebrity Game in 1964. That didn't last long, but producers Heatter and Quigley kept retooling it. The 9 celebrities were now in a giant tic tac toe board, the contestants were reduced from 3 to 2, and the questions were worded so the celebrities could bluff instead of contestants trying to read their minds. 

Bert Parks was the host in the pilot, but he didn't get the humor and had a hard time reigning in the panelists. Broadway actor Peter Marshall would be the host for the entire original NBC run, from 1966 through 1980. There were two nighttime versions, a summer replacement prime time series in 1968 and a much longer-running syndicated nighttime show that went from 1971 to 1981. 

Unfortunately, unlike CBS, which did save most of rival wacky celebrity panelists show Match Game for posterity, most of the NBC daytime Hollywood Squares and a good chunk of the nighttime episodes are gone. This prime time episode from 1968 and a regular daytime show from 1977 are among the survivors. Look for Roddy McDowell, Kaye Ballard, Abby Dalton, Eva Gabor, Roddy McDowell, Wally Cox, and Adam West with a mustache in the '68 show. Paul Lynde, Joan Rivers, Billy Crystal, Charley Weaver, Jim Nabors, Ed Asner, and Tom Kennedy appear in the daytime '77 show.

Hollywood Squares moved back to syndication in 1986. Amiable singer John Davidson was the host this time, with Shaddoe Stevens as the announcer. This version ran until 1989, with a slightly more lavish set and stars. The episode from 1987 here features Teresa Ganzel, Norm Crosby, Stuart Pankin, Dixie Carter, Tony O'Dell, Weird Al, and an expanded side square so celebrity chef Justin Wilson could do his cooking thing. Alf, of all creatures, was in the center square. 

Whoopi Goldberg brought Squares back in 1999. Basically the same deal, with a glossier neon set and at least three different bonus rounds. Tom Bergenon was the very funny host. I have fond memories of watching this during my college years. I'd switch back and forth between this and Jeopardy and would then stay on Wheel of Fortune. We see the first "choose the celebrities and see what prize they have" bonus round in this episode that includes Goldberg, regulars Bruce Vilanch, Caroline Rhea, and Gilbert Gotfried, Brad Garrett, Alfred Molina, and Betty White.

Hollywood Squares would mostly be consigned to "niche" music-themed versions like Hip-Hop Squares and Nashville Squares for another two decades after the Berganon version ended in 2004. This time, it was Drew Barrymore who was instrumental in bringing the show back to the networks in 2025. The current run is on CBS, with Barrymore in the center square and former football star Nate Burleson as the host. The episode I have from Paramount Plus is "The Legacy Show" from January. Bergenon is joined by Arsenio Hall, Tiffany Haddish, Leslie Jones, and Howie Mandell. Berganon attempts to read a question before being shooed away by Burleson, and he does a really good imitation of Gilbert Gotfried at one point.

Celebrate 60 years of secret squares, wacky celebrity bluffs, and "You Fool!" with these hilarious episodes!

Hollywood Squares Pilot (1965)

Hollywood Squares Prime Time (1968)

Hollywood Squares (1977)

Hollywood Squares Syndicated (1986)

Hollywood Squares Syndicated (1999)

Hollywood Squares: "The Legacy Show" (2026) 

Perfect Fall Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and that Billboard Top Hits 1982 CD I picked up on vacation a few weeks ago. "Gloria" by Laura Brannigan is better-known nowadays for being a number in Flashdance from a year later. We also have two of the biggest ballads from that year, "Open Arms" by Journey and your 1982 Oscar-winner, "Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warren. My favorite songs were the dreamy "Eye In the Sky" by The Alan Parsons Project and catchy "Who Can It Be Now?" by Men at Work.

This time, I took my bike to work. It would have been a crime not to! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was in the upper 50's, sunny and soft blue and slightly breezy. Once again, I spent almost the entire afternoon outside pushing carts and enjoying that wonderful weather. It was insanely busy until around 1 PM...and then the Eagles game began, and the crowds disappeared. No trouble after that. I did have to sweep the store and do the carts for the last hour. Otherwise, everything went fine.

Picked up a few things I missed on Friday after work. I kept putting off buying this year's small pumpkin for my front room. I finally came to the conclusion that I won't be getting to the Farm Market before Halloween...but of course, they were out of pie pumpkins. I ended up buying a bumpy pumpkin that was the right size. They had a good sale on English muffins (I got whole wheat), and apple crisp cookies sounded like too good of a fall treat to pass up. Grabbed another Holiday Creamy Vanilla Coke Zero, too.

When I got home, I took a shower, then had dinner while starting Weird Al's Dare to Be Stupid. Alas, I wasn't able to finish Weird Al before today's Match Game YouTube marathon began. There were a lot of guys named Joe who appeared on the panel. The most prominent was probably Joe Santos, a character actor best-known today as a cop on The Rockford Files. Santos was an easy-going guy who likely kept returning  more because he was a charming contrast to some of the crustier contestants than because of his lousy playing. Even his son coming up to give him an answer didn't really help him a whole lot. Santos appeared from 1978 through 1981, with one final week on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. 

The other prominent Joe was Joe Alasky, who was a semi-regular on the 1990-91 Match Game. He was already doing several voices on Tiny Toon Adventures when the show first started, notably Plucky Duck. He would later specialize in Looney Tunes voices, but they were far from the only voices he could do. He did everyone from Rodney Dangerfield to Jack Lemmon in the episodes seen here.

Other Joes only appeared for one week, but still left an impression. Bass-voiced Joe Silver was a sweetheart on the week in 1975 that also featured the only appearance of Esther Rolle from Good Times. Joe Flynn appeared on a week early in 1974 shortly before his untimely death later that year. Joe Gargiola's week in 1978 coincided with the show experimenting with new camera angles. His PM episode featured a pretty lady with gorgeous braids who really wanted a kiss from Richard Dawson, a bartender with one of the most obvious Brooklyn accents I've ever heard, and a racy answer from Brett that I'm very surprised passed the censors. 

Get to know a lot of guys named Joe in this super-silly, super-sweet marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - The Joe Schmo Marathon

Windy Matches

Started off a gloomy morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. "The Haunted Halloween Hunt" is their first holiday episode. Witch Clarabelle has a big surprise waiting for Mickey and his friends on Magic Island, if they can find a floating pumpkin with triangular eyes, a broom, and a purple witch's hat and bring them to her. Their spooky new friends help them out.

Called Uber right after the cartoon ended. It rained overnight, and it was really windy and cold. I didn't know what the weather would do and decided to stay on the safe side. It wasn't safe enough. The driver took 12 minutes to arrive, and I was late. Thankfully, it only took 9 minutes for the driver going home to arrive. 

I had no other trouble for the rest of the day. The head bagger handled all inside chores, including mopping up two large puddles of water in the back storage area. (I suspect they were leftover leaks from that unfinished roof work.) I spent the entire afternoon pushing carts. It was windy and cold, barely in the 50's, and cloudy until an hour before I finished. Thankfully, it was only busy in the morning. By the time the sun came out, it had slowed down considerably.

Once I got home, I went straight into tonight's Match Game YouTube marathon. Facial hair abounded on this show, in many different forms. Comedian Avery Schriberer was known for his wild curly hair and luxuriously bushy mustache, but he was hardly the only one to sport hair on his lips. Gary Crosby, Bart Braverman, Richard Dawson, Gary Burghoff, Bill Daily, and Orson Bean all grew beards and/or mustaches at one point or another on the show. Some looked more attractive than others. Bill and Gary Burghoff never quite got the hang of it. Orson Bean looked like a skinny mountain man. Bart Braverman was trying for "mountain man" in his cowboy hat, but ended up looking more like a hat-wearing bush. 

Some of the contestants grew pretty nifty facial hair, too. One syndicated contestant had a very luxurious handlebar mustache that came in for quite a few jokes from the panel. There was also the nice little fellow with the cute little mustache who did pretty well on a 1989 PM episode where Bill also sported his beard, and the one with the thick curly hair and mustache to match. Orson Bean sported his beard on the same episode where we met a southern lady named Walter Lee. We had a mustache question on the first day of 1978, when Fannie Flagg was sitting in Brett's spot while the latter was doing a play. 

Celebrate facial hair in all its forms with this wild and wooly marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Beards and Mustaches Attack!

Fairy Tale Fall

Started off a cloudy, windy morning with breakfast and Little Bear. Little Bear's grandparents are "Out of Honey," so he and his mischievous monkey friend Mitzi try to get some. After their encounter with the bees in the hive leave them wet and stung, Grandfather teaches them how to get honey like professional beekeepers. Little Bear finds a "Message In a Bottle," then dreams he and his mermaid friend are searching for seashells on the bottom of the lake and catching a big fish for fish stew. "Little Bear's Sweet Tooth" gets the better of him when he can't resist the tempting treats on the dessert table at the Harvest Day Picnic. He keeps running to the baked goods instead of the lawn games his friends are playing.

Rushed out after the cartoon ended for this week's grocery run. I started at the tiny Target in Westmont. Bought a birthday card and gift card for Lauren, whose birthday is on Monday. Just needed oat milk and soda, the latter on sale, at Sprouts. Dodged the road work again on my way down to the Westmont Acme. Restocked yogurt, shredded chicken, soda (Coke just started making prebiotic versions of its regular sodas - I went with Coke and Fresca), more of those sweet little Gum Drop grapes, granola, granola bars, Swiss cheese slices, and more of those limited edition maple leaf sandwich cookies. Got bagels for work this weekend and tried another new donut flavor. Birthday cake is topped with glaze, sprinkles, and cake bits and has icing and a cherry in the middle. Tasty, but some things are just way too sweet, even for me. My first Holiday Creamy Vanilla Coke Zero of the year was a lot better.

Cut across Newton Lake Park going home. They were surprisingly busy for quarter after one. A lot of people must have been walking their dogs before the weather got worse later in the day. The trees are only just starting to turn colors here. Most, including the ones towering over me as I pushed my bike up the muddy hill to the Haddon Township Environmental Center, are still bright green. Made a quick stop at A&A Pretzels on the White Horse Pike on the way home for a cheese steak stuffed pretzel and two regular soft pretzels for lunch.

It was so late when I got in, I had enough time to eat, put most things away, and watch two episodes of Bluey. It's "Sleepytime," and Bingo wants to sleep in her own bed tonight. As it turns out, she has one of the most vivid imaginations I've ever seen. Her dream of flying around the planets with her stuffed bunny leads to her sleepwalking between everyone's beds. Bandit washes up on "Rug Island" (aka the girls' play mat brought outside as a tent) and finds himself learning how to be a kid from the "natives" (aka Bluey and Bingo).

Hurried out to the school the moment Bluey ended. Got there just in time. We had 17 kids today, and boy, were they noisy! Didn't help that we were down a teacher, too. I took four kids (three boys and a girl) to the bathroom and just barely got them back in time to grab their backpacks and head outside.

I am glad we got out early. The clouds that lingered this morning had been replaced by bright, hot sunshine and rather heavy humidity for October. I had an absolutely marvelous time playing hide and seek with two of the girls and a boy. I'd try to hide, and they'd run after me. Hiding is no easy feat for an adult in a playground intended for children! I ended up running up the slides and going down again when they chased after me.

Yes, the swings were a problem again. They all squabbled over who would swing with whom and kept pushing each other around while in line. One little boy got so tired of the fighting, he laid down on the bench across from the swings and rested instead. I don't care who goes on the swings with whom, I just care that they all get a turn sooner or later. I think all but the boy on the bench and one other boy who prefers his father pushing him got a turn. I finished my session inside, coloring with the remaining 5 kids.

Went straight home and into the last 10 minutes of The Price Is Right. An older gentleman and a young woman were the winners who went to the Showcase. The generic Showcase stuffed a trip to New Orleans in with the furniture. The "story" Showcase was a retelling of "The Frog Prince." Prince Johnny is upset when Princess Dian and Princess Janice demand gold-plated tea sets for their services. Princess Holly just thinks he's cute and is rewarded with a Cadillac for her troubles. This may be the first time I've seen the "story" package cost far less than the generic one. The man was way under on the trip. The lady got her own fairy-tale dream come true car.

Let it continue into Match Game '77 as I finished dinner. George Kennedy showed why he was one of the best male players on the show (and likely the best along with Nipsey Russell to sit in the first seat), while Lee Merriweather wondered what she was doing there. The last episode of the week brought in Fannie Flagg, Bill Cullen, and Debralee Scott. Debralee announced the follow-up to Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Forever Fernwood (which lasted 26 weeks). 

Finished the night after a shower with "Jack O'Lantern" at YouTube. This episode of the Rankin-Bass show Festival of Family Classics is the closest they got to doing a flat-out Halloween special. A grandfather tells his two skeptical grandchildren the story of how their jack o'lantern seemingly came to life and defended their farm and its crops from a witch and her rather effeminate husband who are determined to drive them off. "Jack" is actually a leprechaun living in the pumpkin, and it's his pot of gold the witches are really after. It's up to the animals on the farm, especially the ornery goat, to help Jack save the kids and the farm from being destroyed.

(Oh, and it clouded up again sometime after I got home. It rained hard around the time Match Game '77 was on, but I haven't heard from it in a while.) 

Beautiful Day In Fall

Got a really quick start today with breakfast and Paw Patrol. "Pups Save a Haunted Farm" when Farmer Al and his goat get lost in a corn maze and Farmer Yumi ends up dangling from a fake spiderweb. Rubble has to overcome his fear of spiders to help them and Marshall out. Mayor Goodway is excited about the pumpkin-shaped disco ball she bought for Adventure Bay's Halloween dance party. "Pups Save the Adventure Bay Boogie" when Sid Swashbuckler and his first mate Arrby think it's covered in gems and steal it, not realizing Chicaletta is inside.

Headed out around 10:30-11 AM. I had a lot to do, starting with a stop at Westmont Party on Haddon Avenue. They had a long line of Halloween decorations, from huge cardboard mum hangings and outdoor linen ghosts to dangling hard plastic skeletons and bags of party activities. I bought a big bag of toys for the Mystery Bags, along with Jack 'o lantern stickers. 

Made a quick stop at 7-11 in Haddonfield on my way down Haddon Avenue. I don't think there's many 7-11's left in South Jersey. I may never be able to get a Slurpee again! I got Mountain Dew Confetti Chill (which wasn't bad) and Pina Colada. 

Ran into more road work just a few blocks from 7-11. I wish they'd finish these darn gas lines! All they're doing is getting in everyone's way. One of the men had to lead me pushing my bike around the cones they had blocking the area.

Since I had to rush my trip to the Haddonfield Library the last time I was there, I went back today. The Haddonfield Library is a beautiful building that was just remodeled a few years ago. It's also a maze. I did find they have a surprisingly extensive teen section, with some genuinely interesting books, just off the main lobby. Unfortunately, their adult non-fiction collection is stuffed in the basement and isn't as extensive. I did find a book on the history of dolls that I enjoyed looking at. 

Since it's only about two blocks from the library, I walked to the Bistro on King's Highway. I was rather surprised to run into one of the boys in the after-school program and his family having lunch in the outdoor seating area. According to the boy and his parents, they were taking a special family day for his little brother's first birthday. I left them to enjoy their lunch.

I ate inside, where it was a darker and a little quieter. Had a "New Yorker" - an omelet with ham, bacon, Swiss cheese, and mushrooms on a whole wheat wrap. It was so good! Just the right melding of flavors. Had it with big, crispy fries and ginger peach iced tea.

After spending so much time dodging road work on Haddon Avenue, I took the back way through Haddonfield and down to Cuthbert...forgetting that they're still working on Cuthbert, too. By the time I finally made it to Newton Lake Park, I came to the conclusion that I was never going to get home before the after-school program started, so I just cut across the park and went straight to Thomas Sharp instead. 

I got there just in time, which was a very good thing. We had 20 kids to start, and they were all wild and noisy. They were even crazier once we got them outside. I'm glad we went out early. It was a gorgeous day, as nice as it gets in mid-October. Sunny, breezy, blue, perfect upper 60 degree temperatures. I did talk to two of the girls. One was eagerly waiting for her mother, watching for her over the chain-link fence. The other was upset because a teacher snatched chalk from her. I told her that the teacher shouldn't have done that and they all needed to share. The teacher was drawing fruit with them. She did really well, but she did keep trying to shoo them away so they wouldn't get close to the door or smudge her masterpieces! There were 5 kids when we went inside, and two left by the time I did.

Did a few chores downstairs after I got in, then watched Match Game '77. The first couple of episodes finished out the week with Mary Wickes, Gary Crosby, and Joyce Bulifant. The last episodes brought in big George Kennedy, Lee Merriweather, and Fannie Flagg.

Finished the night with Those Redheads from Seattle. I go further into this robust and surprisingly enjoyable B western musical from 1953 at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Those Redheads from Seattle

A Little Drop of Rain

Started off on a sunny morning with breakfast and He-Man. Beast Man is fed up with being constantly insulted by Skeletor and captures Adam's father King Randor to prove he can do something right. He's not the only one trying to impress people. Adam wants to show his father his own strength and considers giving up his secret identity. He wants to be "Prince Adam No More," but he figures out that his father really cares about him when He-Man rescues him.

Headed off to work after the cartoon ended. On one hand, the Acme wasn't busy today. It's the middle of the week, the middle of the month, and we're between holidays. On the other hand, there was a lot going on around the store. There were contractors working on the roof...and two men with a giant rat on the side of the building protesting the contractors, who aren't union. (They're also apparently the only ones who put in a bid to replace the roof on a 60-year-old building.) An older lady changed the ads on the end of the carts, too. 

The weather may also have scared people off. Dark clouds had scuttled in by 11 PM. It showered lightly off and on for a couple of hours, but never the thunderstorms the weather app on my phone predicted. It was lightly raining again just as my shift ended. I changed into regular clothes and headed into Oaklyn.

Had a slice of tomato-basil-mozzarella and a slice of mushroom pizza at Phillies Phatties. I didn't know the mushroom also had olives. I'm not a fan of olives, but I was hungry, so I ate them anyway. Listened to Telemundo on the TV as I ate. 

After I finished, I went next-door to Phillies Yummies. I'm so glad they're open year-round now. A few years ago, they would have been preparing to close for the season by mid-October, if not already done. Now they have a fall menu. The Spice Cake Sundae was a good price for layered spice cake and vanilla ice cream topped with caramel. Oh, yummy! The cake was so nice and moist, and it paired well with the creamy vanilla and sweet caramel.

Though the rain had stopped by the time I headed to West Collingswood, it was still cloudy and windy. I relaxed at the small park by the train tracks. There's an old clubhouse with a covered porch there. I figured, if it rained, I could wait it out on the porch. Thankfully, it barely spit. I was able to relax on a wooden bench and admire the trees just turning colors and the lovely old homes around me before heading to Thomas Sharp.

We had 20 very wound-up kids today. I had a hard enough time getting them into the bathrooms. They took so long, I just sent most of them back after they were done and waited for the one straggler. Thank goodness we got them out earlier today. By quarter of 4, the rain was long gone, but the fresh, strong wind made it cooler than yesterday. There were still a lot of kids around, so they did have to wait, but yes, they did get on the swings. In fact, I think the only one who didn't get a turn was a girl who was happier running around the slides with her best friend and only got near the swings to give her friend a hug before she went home. I also had to comfort a little boy whose mother hand gone home to change and who thought she wasn't coming back. 

There were just two kids left when we finally took them inside around 5 PM. In fact, the last girl went home with her dad at the same time I left. I waved to her running to the swings as I grabbed my bike and started down Magill Avenue.

Watched The Price Is Right and made the bed when I got home. A lady just barely went over on the Grocery Game, but she did much better on the Showcase Showdown (after two ties with another lady). Neither of the Showcases were especially huge. The story Showcase had bears discovering one of their "Time Capsules," including a camper and a trip to Yellowstone National Park. The generic Showcase ended with a piano. The lady went over. The guy came so close, he barely missed getting both Showcases.

Match Game '77 initially finished out the week with Minnie Pearl, Dick Smothers, and a very pregnant contestant who wore t-shirts that let everyone know what was in her growing stomach. Mary Wickes and Joyce Bulifant were more than happy to give Gary Crosby his new-kid-on-the-block kiss in the first episode of that week.

Finished the night with two vintage 80's Halloween specials on YouTube. I went further into Garfield's Halloween Adventure on the very first Halloween I did reviews for my Musical Dreams Movies blog in 2018.

Happy Halloween! - Garfield's Halloween Adventure & Halloween Is Grinch Night

"All Hallowseve" is the sole Halloween episode for the original 1980's The Smurfs. Jokey loves that his birthday is on Halloween. Gargamel, not so much. He makes it rain on the holiday, which upsets the witch Hagatha whose job it is to fly over the moon and frighten villagers. Mother Nature accidentally turns Lazy red when he sleeps by a bush. Gargamel and Hagatha capture Lazy, but they spend so much time arguing over who should have him, the other Smurfs are easily able to get him back. Meanwhile, Mother Nature plies her husband Father Time with a lot of jam in order to convince him to change Lazy back to blue.

Night of the Indian Summer

Began the morning with breakfast and Richie Rich. "The Rare Scare" is the Riches short. Richie, Dollar, and Gloria chase a very rare and valuable stamp all over the mansion after Irona accidentally sends it to China. The "Gems" sketches have Richie helping kids who need a baseball stadium in his own way and how he gets tan with no sun. Professor Keenbean becomes a "Kitty Sitter" in the Treasure Chest short when he has to figure out how to calm Mrs. Rich's cat Precious. "One of Our Aircraft Carriers Is Missing" is the Zillion Dollar Adventure. Richie, Dollar, and Gloria figure out who is stealing massive tankers and buy a tanker to lure them into revealing themselves.

Spent the rest of the morning trying to figure out waiting lists and local housing programs. I did print out an application for Cherry Hill's moderate priced housing program, but I didn't really get further on - or understand - much of anything else. I'll look up Habitat for Humanity the next time I'm able to sit down at the computer.

Listened to CDs I picked up during my vacations while I worked. Rod McKuen's Greatest Hits 2 leans heavily on his darker side. Even charming ballads like "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" and "Jean" come off as dark and heavy here. "Inside of Me" talks about finding "the dark soul." "Natalie" and "Bring Her a Rose" are slightly lighter in tone. "The Beat Generation" discusses the "Beatniks" of the late 50's and early 60's and their worldview.

The Best of Jack Jones didn't really lighten the mood a whole lot. Although "After Today," "Call Me Irresponsible," and "The Mood I'm In" were rather sweet and the bouncy "Wives and Lovers" was more up tempo, most were heavier ballads of the 60's and 70's like "Dear Heart" and "The Impossible Dream." "My Best Girl" from Mame was far more charming. (Surprisingly, this is missing the song Jones is probably best-known for today. I guess they couldn't license "The Love Boat Theme" from Paramount.)

Had a quick lunch while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel, Miss Elaina, and Katerina are trying to decide what they want to be for Dress Up Day. Daniel finds pieces for his Tigey the Adventure Tiger Costume, while Miss Elaina ends up making her robot costume. Katerina can't decide what "Katerina's Costume" is going to be, until she puts all of her ideas together! O the Owl really wants to be a traffic signal for "Dress Up Day," but when he rips his costume, he has to figure out what else he can be.

Headed out into the gorgeous sunshine after the cartoon ended. I arrived at Thomas Sharp School in plenty of time. The kids started out sitting in the hall. The music class was finishing when they arrived. In fact, we took them to the bathroom while they were still in the hall. The older kids were still on the other side of the cafeteria. The library was being used for a meeting. In fact, we had to keep sending older kids back on their side who tried to play with the dinosaurs and toy sea creatures and the magnetic tiles or stenciled on a huge piece of paper.

It was late before we finally got them outside. We started with 17 pre-schoolers, but there were only 12 left when we got to the playground. They didn't have to wait long to use the swings! There was a lot of squabbling over who would swing with whom again. I kept reminding them that, first of all, name calling isn't nice, and it can really hurt people's feelings. It's also disrespectful to call teachers names. Second, it was too nice for anyone to fight. It was sunny, breezy, and actually hot today, in the upper 70's-lower 80's. In fact, it was too hot for the kids to stay out all day. We took the remaining 4 kids inside by 5, when they let me go early.

After a brief stop at CVS to use the bathroom, I went straight home. Did chores, then made dinner and watched Match Game '77. Most of the two hours were devoted to the delightful week with Dick Smothers and Minnie Pearl. Pearl's down-home humor made her a charming and endearing contrast to some of the more urban-oriented wisecrackers on the show. Brett even wore her own floral hat in tribute on one episode. I really wish they'd gotten Minnie away from the Grand Ol' Opry again! She's one of my favorite contestants to have only appeared for one week. (Minnie also discusses the Opry's move from their long-time historic home at the Ryman Auditorium to the then-modern Grand Ole Opry House. The Opry has mostly been at the Opry House since 1974, though they apparently do some winter runs at Ryman.)

Finished the night at Pluto TV with The Wild Wild West. Jim West thinks he sees a voodoo ceremony that turns into the "Night of the Undead." It turns out that a certain Dr. Articulus (Hurd Hatfield) had received a malpractice suit from two fellow doctors that cost him his practice and his bride on their wedding night. He created a potion that can turn humans into robots and intends to use it to create an army that can mine under his enormous old home and force the daughter of one of the men who turned him (Joan Delaney) in to become his bride. West and Gordon literally bring the house down in an explosive conclusion, but it's the doctor's neglected assistant (Priscilla Morrill) who finally takes him out for good. 

Discovering Games

Began the morning reading about Columbus Day. The big piece in Colliers Harvest of Holidays is a surprisingly honest biography from 1944 that points out he took natives from their island homes, never found the Asian riches he was searching for, and died a broken man. Two poems were funnier, but they still discussed his lack of sailing and leadership abilities and his crew's near-mutiny.

Since I got up so late and the weather was so beautiful, I decided to go out for brunch instead of sitting in front of cartoons at home. Rode up to the Legacy Diner, just dodging a group of girls who just came out. They were so busy, I ended up sitting at the counter. I still enjoyed my broccoli and cheddar omelet, home fries, and whole wheat toast. I spent so much time staring at the desserts in the displays up front, I had to try their pumpkin cheesecake. Ooh, spicy and decadent and very earthy-pumpkin!

Cut across Audubon and past the baseball fields at Green Wave Park, which is directly across from the back of Goodwill. I delivered a bag of donations, then went around to the front store. My best find today was a  bright red Issac Mizrahi sweater with lovely scalloped edges. It was sunny and warm today, but the wind was chilly. I ended up wearing the sweater home. Good thing it's soft and incredibly comfortable. I also picked up a cute rounded stuffed fox decoration made with woven fall-colored plaid fabric I named Locksley, the 1962 Disney version of Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates on DVD, and the two-disc This Is America record from the Longines Symphony for patriotic holidays. (While the Audubon Goodwill has heavily expanded their DVD collection, I was disappointed to see they barely had any CDs left, and not that many records, either.)

Hit up a few more stores after finishing at Goodwill. Found bags of mini-books for trick-or-treaters at Five Below that would be perfect for the Mystery Bags, along with an adorable Squishmallow cat named Cam with bat wings. I wanted to start my Christmas shopping at Marshalls, but they were too busy! I just replaced my curl brush and comb. The fluffy bear ears headband was supposed to be for spa days, but I thought it would be perfect for a bear costume. 

The other reason I was at Audubon Crossings was to get my hair done. There's a Great Clips across the parking lot from Marshalls and Ross. Considering how busy the stores and the Legacy Diner were, they were empty. They were able to seat me right away. That blunt cut that I got in early April didn't really end up looking right or working with my curls. They look more attractive and are more manageable cut chin-length and layered. They felt so much better and bouncier when I headed out!

Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee House on the way home for another delicious Rosemary Apple Cider Chai-der. Had a banana chip muffin for lunch, too. They were also surprisingly quiet. Most people must still be on vacation or are focusing on shopping. 

Once I got home, I relaxed while watching the 1952 version of Ivanhoe on Tubi. Robert Taylor is the title character, who returns home from the Crusades to discover Richard the Lionhearted (Norman Woodland) is being held prisoner by the king of Austria, who demands a huge ransom for his release. Richard's brother John (Guy Rolfe) would rather rule England in his stead and pit Saxons and Normans against one another. Passing himself off as a minstrel, Ivanhoe brings Norman soldiers Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders) and Sir Hugh De Bracey (Robert Douglas) to the home of his father Cedric (Finlay Currie). Cedric wants nothing to do with any Norman, not even Richard, but his ward Rowena (Joan Fontaine) is in love with Ivanhoe and is more supportive. 

Ivanhoe realizes Saxons aren't the only race being persecuted in England when he helps his father's jester Wamba (Emlyn Williams) rescue kindly old rabbi Issac (Felix Aylmer) from soldiers. His daughter Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor) gives up her jewels so Ivanhoe can win a jousting tournament. He does win, but is injured while doing so. None other than Robin Hood (Harold Warrender) brings him to Rebecca to be healed. It's Robin Hood and his Merry Men to the rescue when Cedric is captured and Ivanhoe goes to rescue him, only to be taken as well. When Rebecca is branded a witch and may be burned at the stake, Ivanhoe rushes to King John's castle to stop her trial and prove who the real greatest knight in England is.

Honestly, Robert Taylor's kind of stiff (and a bit overage) as the valiant knight. It's the ladies and villains who walk off with this one. Fontaine and especially Elizabeth Taylor are so luminous, you can understand why Ivanhoe has a hard time choosing between them for a while. Sanders has more fun playing a slightly less sneering villain than he normally did. There's also the gorgeous Technicolor production, with England and some enormous sets blazing across the screen. I also appreciate that the anti-prejudice story is treated with some sensitivity, especially for the time. If you're looking for a good, stirring swashbuckler with slightly more to say than most in the genre, you can't go wrong with two of the loveliest ladies ever in an MGM England.

Switched to Match Game '77 during dinner. The first hour skipped past several weeks that are missing episodes to the tail end of the week with Hans Conried and Sarah Kennedy. Hans seemed a bit dazed, which is likely why this would be his only appearance on the show. Conny Van Dyke and Dick Martin had more fun the next week, especially when Conny complained about not getting a new-kid-on-the-block kiss (despite having been on the show at least twice before).

Finished the night with a salute to Double Dare. This Nickelodeon staple celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. This would be Nick's first foray into game shows. Two teams with two kids answer trivia questions from host Marc Summers. If they don't know the answer, they can toss a dare at the other kids. If those kids don't know, they can throw dares back. Third dare gets a "physical challenge," a messy stunt. Winner goes on to the Obstacle Course, 8 unique slime-filled stunts. Grabbing an orange flag at the end of a stunt nets a prize. Get all 8, and you got the grand prize, which in the 80's was usually a trip to Disney World or Space Camp. 

Double Dare meant a little more to kids like my sisters and me who grew up in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area in the mid-late 80's. From 1986 until they moved to Nickelodeon Studios in 1989, they filmed at WHYY Studios, the PBS station in downtown Philadelphia. You would frequently see kids from Philly, its suburbs, and South Jersey on the show and in the audience. The show's announcer Harvey was even a popular Philly disc jockey at the time.

The show was so popular, it had spin-offs almost immediately. Super Sloppy Double Dare was the weekend edition that debuted in 1987. Double Dare entered syndication, mainly on Fox stations, in 1988. Family Double Dare originally debuted in 1988 as well, but didn't last long in syndication. It did better on Nick from 1990 to 1992.

Double Dare proved so popular in re-runs, it returned to Nick in 2000 as Double Dare 2000. Pretty much the same deal, but the host was now Jason Harris, the contestants remained families, and they added a third Triple Dare Challenge. It didn't really help the show. Double Dare 2000 never found an audience and was gone within 10 months. 

The show's last version to date was in 2018. It pretty much returned to its original format, with more variety in the contestants. Now you never knew who would be playing. It might be just kids, as in the episode I have here from Paramount Plus, or kids and adult guardians, or kids and celebrities, or just celebrities. TV and radio personality Lisa Dishy had a blast hosting, and Marc Summers took over Harvey and Doc Holliday's duties as announcer. While it was never the runaway success that the original was, it did manage a decent two years. 

Celebrate 40 years of the messiest, silliest, wildest stunts on cable and syndicated TV with these delightfully gak-filled episodes! 

Double Dare Premiere (1986)

Double Dare Syndicated (1988)

Family Double Dare (1990)

Double Dare 2000 (2000)

Double Dare (2018)

Sailing Into Matches

Began a gloomy morning with breakfast and more Let's Pretend cassettes. "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" is generally a straightforward rendition of the original Arabian Nights story. While it does use the genie in the ring that many versions tend to drop, it also just had the evil Wizard order the genie to steal the princess, rather than the entire castle. Aladdin ends up using the ring to rescue her and poisoning the wizard.

"The Donkey, the Table, and the Stick" is less well-known today. This version of the Grimm's tale has a young man named Jack working for two older people who give him a donkey that drops coins from its ears and a table that magically makes food appear. He makes the mistake of boasting about them to the head of the inn where he stays and his daughter. They steal them, then claim to Jack's father that he never had them to begin with. It's the third magical item that finally gets the duplicitous trio to confess, so Jack can marry his sweetheart.

Despite the ongoing downpour, I had no trouble with Uber today. The one arriving came in 7 minutes. Good thing, as I wanted to get there early enough to buy a plastic container of turkey cubes, mozzarella cubes, crackers, and grapes for lunch. The one going home came in 6 minutes.

I did do carts for the first hour, when the rain wasn't so bad...but once the downpour picked up around 10 AM, I had no desire to be out in it. I spent the rest of the day sweeping the store and putting unwanted items away. One of the college boys took over the carts after he arrived later. Just as well that I didn't see the Eagles game. They dropped a heartbreaker to the Jaguars in London, just barely losing 19-17. 

Finally got around to putting up the Halloween decorations when I got home. Xiomara the Squishmallow Leopard is far from my only Halloween decoration! I'm not a fan of horror, so most of my decorations are funny or cute, like the Trick-or-Sweet Bear stand-up (yes, there is a Halloween Care Bear) I found at Marshalls a few years ago, the cartoony black cat and skeleton wooden stand-ups I found at Goodwill, the stuffed witch I got from Jodie when Dad died, and the various Halloween Happy Meal toys Mom gave me when she cleared out her Halloween decorations in the late 2000's. I also collect cute stuffed bats - I have Boo the WebKinz Bat, Ophelia the Beanie Baby Bat, Scarem, a much smaller Beanie Baby bat, the adorable Belfry I found at a candy store in 2021, and a bat from the Eckards holiday Beanie Baby-type stuffed toy collection from the late 90's.

Listened to Halloween stories and music while I worked, and later as I went online. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow comes with two stories. The title story is a condensed version of the Ichabod Crane segment from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Rip Van Winkle is more interesting. It sticks to the original story up until Rip wakes up...to discover that he's slept not through 20 years of his life, but 220. He awakens in a typical small upstate New York town of the early 60's to discover that the more things change...the more kids love to hear his stories. 

Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House is honestly a bit scary for Disney. Even they admit this album isn't for young children. The stories on Side A alone lean heavily into spooky horror, even just using sound effects and a few lines of dialogue. The screechy sound effects on side B are just slightly less spooky. 

Autumn is one of George Winston's most relaxing albums. The first song "Colors/Dance" is my favorite from side one, "September." "October" gets appropriately moodier, with "Road," "Sea," and "Stars." 

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown probably has the second best-regarded soundtrack of the Peanuts specials after the one for the first Christmas show. I have the second version, released after they found the master tapes for the special in 2020. "The Great Pumpkin Waltz" is probably the best-known new-to-this-special song here, but I also like the charming "Snoopy and the Leaf" and spooky "Graveyard Theme."

Finished the night with today's Match Game YouTube marathon. Jokes about Christopher Columbus abounded on this show, especially as it became better-known that he was, frankly, a lousy sailor and a worse explorer. They generally either covered what he missed at sea, why his men thought he was crazy, or what his love life was like. (And I have no idea why Gene kept giving him an Italian accent. He was Portuguese.) 

There was a Christopher Columbus reference on the episode where a charming and funny old man who ran a junk yard won the game, and another on the PM episode that had Gene and Brett showing off their dueling push-ups. Lee Meredith of the original 1967 The Producers had a Christopher Columbus question on her first day, and Alejandro Rey on his last. There was one during the week with a very fussy Don Adams, too, and the one where Gene announced that Richard would be hosting a new show called Family Feud in the fall. Charles Nelson Reilly was an avid sailor who counted a captain's hat among his many chapeau worn on the show. 

Discover some truly hilarious episodes with Gene and his wacky panelists! 

Match Game Sunday Classics - Ships Ahoy & Columbus Day Marathon

(And yes, it has continued to rain, sometimes heavily, for the entire day.) 

End of Summer Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Mickey's Treat" is a big Halloween party at Pete's Trick-or-Treat Tower. Mickey and the gang have to get there before the moon is full, or the gates will lock! They have to get over giant candy corns and around hopping frogs to get to the Tower.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. I was working 8 hours today. I was not going to be up for a bike ride. The one in the morning arrived in 7 minutes. I had slightly more trouble getting one going home at rush hour, but they did come in 10 minutes. No traffic or trouble either way, and I got to work in plenty of time.

I am so tired. Other than the 20 minutes I spent putting cold items away this morning, I swept the store and pushed carts for the entire rest of the day. They were so busy, the head bagger ended up in a register, and they pulled another college-boy cashier to help me with the carts! After he left at 4:30, I had more trouble keeping up with them. I'd only just gotten about half of them done when I finally finished at 5:30.

Once I got home, I went straight into a much-needed shower, then made dinner. Finished up with tonight's YouTube Match Game marathon. Some memorable episodes took place after Match Game returned from a summer break or extended hiatus. One of my favorites was Richard Dawson and Gene Rayburn playing tic-tac-toe on the shoulder of an unamused Marcia Wallace after she accidentally got marker on her bare shoulder. There was also the Monday episode from 1975 when Gene not only got to kiss female newcomer Jamie Lynn Bower, Brett happily smooched Robert Urich, too. There was also the PM episode where one of the contestants was a very blase young man who didn't like his life, didn't seem to enjoy playing the game much, and was cheerfully honest about all of it. 

Let's end the summer season with hilarious hi-jinks featuring Gene and his wacky weirdos!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Welcome Back from Summer and Long Breaks In Taping

Love From the Children

Started the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. Little Bear chases "Father Bear's Nightshirt" when the wind blows it off the clothes line. He follows it to the river, where he picks up a nice surprise with it, too. Little Bear learns "How to Scare Ghosts" when he discovers a trio of raccoons making music outside. His parents are the ones whose presence frightens them away. Little Bear, Duck, and Cat corral a reluctant groundhog to help them "Search for Spring."

Hurried to work on the bike after the cartoon ended and just barely got there in time. Thankfully, that was the worst thing that happened all day. The Acme was pin-drop quiet almost the entire morning. In fact, I spent the morning outside, pushing carts and dodging repairs on the roof. The head bagger took over the sweeping and indoor chores. I was in and out with no trouble whatsoever.

Oh, and I got my schedule for next week at work. It's perfectly normal. I do have six-hour days on the weekends, Sunday early due to the morning bagger taking off that day. Wednesday is the only other day, and it's a normal four-hour shift. I'll be able to enjoy a full day off on Monday (the schools are closed that day) and will have plenty of time to put up Halloween decorations and do research on low-income housing options. 

Since I had to get to Thomas Sharp fast as possible, I took the Black Horse Pike. That might not have been the greatest idea. It did get me there in about 20 minutes by bike, but the traffic was iffy and the sidewalks were narrow and filled with obstacles. I was just glad to turn off into West Collingswood, and then onto Collings Avenue.

The moment I walked through the back door into the cafeteria, four of the girls squealed my name and ran right over to give me (or my legs) huge hugs! I never had such a lovely greeting or felt more appreciated. The kids don't know how happy I felt when they hugged me. 

Today was a half-day at Thomas Sharp. They were just finishing lunch when I arrived. I ate my lunch with the few remaining kids who hadn't finished theirs, either. After I ate and the girls put their lunch bags in their backpacks, we got everyone outside. Since there were only 12 kids today, I let them on the swings the moment we hit the playground. There was some arguing, mainly over who would swing with whom, but most of the kids finally got tired of waiting. By the time we went inside at 3, the two remaining girls were playing on the patio with one of the boys, while the other three boys were chasing each other around the slides.

At least it was a gorgeous day for all the running around. It's still sunny, breezy, and warm, probably in the lower-mid 70's. Couldn't be nicer.

When we got them back inside, half of the kids made more bead necklaces. The others settled down to color copier fall pictures with me. I found a picture of a spider and autumn leaves one kid started coloring, then abandoned. That little spider was too adorable to leave with one black leg, so I finished the picture. Other kids colored in beautiful butterflies or scenes of fall flowers and pumpkins, or back-to-school apple artwork. By 4 PM, there were only 3 little boys and 7 older kids left and plenty of help. They let me and another teacher go early.

Stopped at Dollar General on the way home. Healthy Kids is having a Halloween party for our students on the 30th. Each teacher is supposed to decorate their table and provide containers of treats for the kids. I've already decided that I'll give my kids their own Mystery Bags, since I already make them for trick-or-treaters. Bought the bags and vampire teeth.

Went straight into vacuuming and dusting when I got home. Watched The Price Is Right on Buzzr while I worked. The first episode pit a lady against a very big and quiet gentleman. The "story" Showcase was country vs city living, including a truck. The generic showcase had bedroom furniture, luggage, and a trip to Acapulco. The lady didn't bid high enough on that truck. The gentleman ended up getting a beautiful new bed and the trip to Mexico.

Let it continue into the 5 PM Price while I dusted. There were quite a few big winners here. One college-age male flight attendant was thrilled when he became one of the few people I've seen get all four honks on One Away and walk away with the car. An older woman had no trouble with Hit Me, either. Alas, a young woman had far more trouble with Three Strikes, getting all of the numbers but one before she got that final strike. Two men, the flight attendant and a sweet older gentleman who looked like Ernest Borganine, made it to the Showcases. Two stories this time. Janice became "Sherlock Soames," finding clues leading to a trip to Venice. Holly and Dian kept fighting over who was top Girl Scout as they revealed prizes leading to a camper. The older man went over on the Venice trip. The kid got his camper.

Had dinner while watching Match Game '77. The first hour finished out the week with Craig Morris, Roz Kelly, and Joyce Bulifant. Brett was more than happy to pant over Anson Williams during the second hour. Richard was probably questioning a lot of his life choices when he found himself caught between comic southern belles Mary Ann Mobley and Fannie Flagg.

Finished the night back at Paramount Plus with The Love Boat. Who else but Vincent Price would star in the second-season Halloween episode "Ship of Ghouls?" He's a mentalist whose work has gathered quite a few aging groupies, to the annoyance of his fiancee (Joan Blondell), who ends up spending the night in the Captain's cabin. Two parents who recently got back together (Gary Collins and Mary Ann Mobley) have trouble keeping their young son (Charlie Aiken) from lying to everyone he meets. His lies end up saving a model (Barbara Anderson) and friend of Julie's whose face was scarred in an accident. The boy's attention and Gopher and Doc competing for her make her feel beautiful again. 

Autumn Blue and Gold

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. "Pups Save a Ghost" that's been roaming around at night, playing video games and snitching snacks. Rubble thinks they're really haunted, but Ryder knows there's a more likely explanation. "Pups Save a Show" when the set for their "King Arthur" play collapses on Cap'n Turnbot. Marshall's not happy at all when he has to take over as King Arthur from a sick Chase. He takes a while to warm up, but he does finally realize he's worthy to wear King Arthur's crown.

Headed out to do grocery shopping next. I won't have time for it tomorrow! I headed through Newton Lake Park, admiring the just-barely-turning leaves on the still-green trees and the sparkling bottle green waters as I dodged that continuing road work on Cuthbert. I started at the Westmont Acme. Restocked soda (Bloom Pop was buy two, get one free), yogurt, grapes, apples, granola, cookies (got the limited-edition maple leaf sandwich cookies and mini maple shortbread cookies), Swiss cheese slices, and shredded chicken. They didn't have oat milk, so I made a quick stop at Sprouts on the way home for that and one of those kids' lunch bags.

Put everything away when I got home, then had a quick almond butter and grape jelly lunch while watching the first episode of The Monkees in honor of their 60th anniversary. Davy Jones rescues his first of many maidens when he saves a princess from drowning in "Royal Flush." He convinces the other three to help out when they realize her uncle and his chauffeur intend to kill her so her uncle can ascend the throne.

Hurried out to Thomas Sharp School next. Even with a slightly later start, I got there in plenty of time. We once again had 18 kids to start, and they're still pretty wound up from the book fair and them being on a half-day tomorrow. They were especially crazy once we got outside. The boys kept hitting each other and the girls. One of the girls thought her insults were funny. I quickly reminded her that people do have feelings and don't always appreciate the jokes. There was a ton of squabbling over the swings. The kids want to go on before they go home, but their friends don't always want to share. Even after the numbers dwindled, the older boys argued over who would swing with whom. It's probably just as well that the last five kids went inside just as I left. 

At least the weather was still gorgeous. I chased the kids in glorious, blue and gold sunshine. It was a bit warmer, in the lower 70's, a tad more humid, and very windy. Nothing really outrageous for the start of fall. 

Went straight home after all that. The Price Is Right was just going into the Showcases. The generic showcase had kitchen appliances, carpet, and lots of furniture. The story Showcase took Holly on a safari, seeking out wild prizes, including a sports car! It got really close, but in the end, one of the ladies was shocked and delighted to get that car (and just barely miss getting both showcases).

Match Game '77 had even more fun. Patty Duke ended the first week reading a question so Gene could answer it. She had so much fun and was so pleased with herself, I'm surprised Gene never let her read one again. The rest of the night was devoted to the next week with Roz Kelly, Craig Morris, and Joyce Bulifant. At the end of the last episode, Roz kissed a guy in the audience and claimed he was "much better than Fonzie!"

Finished the night at Tubi with Bright Lights. I go further into this creative backstage thriller from the early talkie era with former Ziegfeld dancer Dorothy Mackaill at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Bright Lights

Oh What a Beautiful Day

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man. It's the "Dawn of Dragoon" when pretty Dree Ella begs Orko to return to his home planet of Trolla to help stop the Dragoon from stealing the life energy of every being. On Trolla, everything is backwards, and Orko's magic actually works...but Prince Adam's doesn't. Still, Orko is going to need more help than he thinks to stop the Dragoon from destroying his newfound lady love. 

It was such a gorgeous morning, I took the bike today, even though I had both jobs, and I got to both jobs on time. The Acme wasn't that busy, anyway. Most people are likely waiting for the holiday weekend to do their shopping, and it's too nice to be inside. I did have to stop and put away a pile of cold returns, but it was so dead, it didn't put me that far behind on the carts. Other than that, I was in and out with no trouble.

Dodged road work going into Oaklyn for lunch. I hadn't eaten at Common Grounds Coffee House for a while. Surprisingly for 1:30, they weren't that busy. I had a slice of tomato-onion quiche, an apple cider scone, and an "apple cider chai-der." The last-named turned out to be an apple cider tea drink, and it was amazing. Chai and apple cider blend really well.

Decided I deserved a treat. The Blu Bear Bakery just opened in what used to be the pudding shop two doors down from Common Grounds a few weeks ago. They sell gluten-free and allergen-free baked goods. Their wares are kind of expensive, but I wanted to try something. Since I was still feeling fall, I ended up with a small apple cider cupcake. Enjoyed it at the park next to where I had my bike. Oh yuuum! Very moist and just sweet enough, and the caramel icing was so thick and sweet! It was also 7 dollars, so this isn't something I'll be getting all the time, but I didn't mind trying it once.

I still had tons of time before the after-school program started. Rode my bike around West Collingswood to enjoy the weather, including taking a look at the Champion School on Collings Avenue. This one-room school house was the predecessor to Thomas Sharp in West Collingswood and was preserved in the early 90's. I wish I could see inside! It's a charming little building.

Even with the stop for history, I was still early arriving at Thomas Sharp. Only one other teacher was there before me. As it turned out, it could have been a lot worse. We had 18 kids to start, and several of them left right after snack time. They're all pretty wound up about the book fair, though. We kept trying to tell them to put away their new books and toys until they got home, but they were too excited about them! I told one boy three times not to pull out his new Lego Bionicle figure, but he did anyway...and spent almost ten minutes crying when he lost the wing from the figure. He even pulled his mother back in later on to help him look for it. 

It was so late when we finally got them outside, they didn't wait for long to hit the swings. Besides, there weren't that many left by that point. I did have to comfort two girls. One had been insulted by another girl. I gave her hugs and told her sometimes people say things they don't mean and they hurt our feelings. The other girl had an argument with her best friend over who would play which member of Huntrix from KPop Demon Hunters. I assured her that all friends argue sometimes. I've even argued with Lauren. 

There was some fussing on the swings, mainly over who would swing with whom again. They want to swing with their friends, but other kids get in line ahead of them, and there's the ones who want to get on before they go home. At least the numbers dwindled more rapidly after we hit the playground. There was one younger girl and four older kids left by 5 PM. In fact, I ended up leaving slightly early when they took her inside.

Went straight home and into The Price Is Right after that. Got there just in time to see a lady strike out at the Now and Then Game. She didn't do so well on the Showcase Showdown, either. Neither did the old man with the dear wrinkled face and beautiful white hair (Bob said he was jealous of his hair). The lady who made it saw living room furniture and a "night on the town"-themed story Showcase. The lady doing the story showcase went way over. The other lady got her furniture and hot tub.

Continued on to Match Game '77 during dinner. Dick Martin was proud to get his first right answer of the year in the 6 PM episode. Fannie Flagg explained the history of hush puppies and their name in a later show.

Checked out something different on YouTube next. The hour-long Cinderella from 1990 is a relatively straightforward retelling of the Charles Perrault version of the story. Cinderella's father is alive and keeps trying to push her out with her stepsisters, only to be rebuffed by his nagging wife. The sketchy animation is nothing to write home about and there's a weird subplot with mice playing cowboys and Indians in the background that doesn't really have much to do with anything. On the other hand, the fairy godmother has a few funny moments, as do the stepsisters when they attempt foreign languages to impress the prince...only for him to remind them that he speaks English just fine.

Mystery of the 13th Guest goes back much further to 1943. Marie Morgan (Helen Parrish) returns to her grandfather's house after 13 years to read the contents of his will. Not only is it not what she expected, just "13-13-13," but she seemingly ends up dead. She eventually turns up alive. It was a decoy meant to gain the will who was killed. There were 12 family members in attendance at the dinner where Grandfather Morgan (Lloyd Ingraham) was killed. The 13th seat next to him wasn't filled. Lieutenant Burke (Tim Ryan) and private detective Johnny Smith (Dick Purcell) have to figure out who is killing off the guests at that dinner, before Marie and her brother Bud (Johnny Duncan) become their next victims.