You're Not Elected In New Jersey, Charlie Brown

Began the morning with breakfast and Doc McStuffins. "Doc McStuffins Goes to Washington" when she wins a contest to tour the White House, with none other than then-First Lady Michelle Obama (herself) as her guide. She fixes the stuffed otter belonging to another girl on the tour, then has to find the otter when it goes looking for her owner. "Winded Winnie" is a wind-up tiger used to blow up balloons. Doc's brother Donny is upset when Winnie just wheezes instead of blowing out air. Doc discovers she has dust in her lungs from being in the attic for years. Unlike her brother Donny, who needs a doctor visit to clear his asthma, Winnie just needs her air tube dusted and washed.

Switched to Happy Days while I scanned and printed out the final paper (my quarterly notice for John Hancock). Richie learns about "The Not-Making of the President" when he falls for a girl who is campaigning for Adelai Stevenson. Mr. Cunningham is shocked anyone in his family could go against Eisenhower. He's even more horrified when his son speaks for the Democrats at a youth rally, until he sees that Fonzie is speaking for the Republicans.

Mike Nesmith throws his wool hat into the ring on The Monkees when their elderly neighbors are thrown out of their homes to build a parking lot. This "Monkee Mayor" discovers just what a dirty game politics is when he and the others try to get the goods on a corrupt businessman (Monty Landis) who controls the current mayor.

Politics isn't any easier for the cops on Barney Miller. "The Election" gets pretty wild at the precinct when they have to deal with a shoplifter who stole ladies' undergarments and a woman (Brett Somers) who threw a toilet out the window when her husband wouldn't let her vote. There's also the local cop who is running for public office and discovers the hard way that working the beat doesn't automatically make you popular with the voting public.

Headed out after Barney Miller ended. I was originally going to eat out at one of the local diners...but the weather was so gorgeous, I decided on a picnic instead. I bought a turkey and bacon hoagie at the Shamrock Deli (and snitched a small free bag of Halloween pretzels) and took them to the playground in Newton Lake Park where the stone pavilion is. I sat at a brand-new picnic table, enjoying my sandwich in the bright sun. It was in the mid-70's, breezy, sunny, and warm as can be. The light sparkled on the lake and made the flame red and gold trees around me glow like stardust.

Rushed home briefly to use the bathroom, then rushed back out to the school. I just made it on time, and it was a good thing. We had 20 kids at the outset today. They started off in the cafeteria, due to the music class on Tuesdays. My group was a little rowdy in the bathrooms, especially the girls, but I did manage to get them in and out in good time. I colored more pumpkin emotion pictures with them after snack time. 

We're trying to get the kids out a little earlier now that the sun is going down by 5 PM. The line for the swings was long at the outset, but once one of the teachers started a game of "Red Light, Green Light," that ended that. There was still some squabbling over best friends wanting to swing together, but in the end, I think all but maybe two or three kids got on the swings...and the others were having so much fun chasing the teachers around, they didn't really care. There were four boys and one girl left when I headed out to beat the sun home.

By the time I finished my chores and took my shower, Match Game '78 was into its second half-hour. They finished out the week with Helaine Lembeck and moved on to the only week for game show host and baseball great Joe Garagiola. He wasn't too thrilled when Gene leaned in for that "new kid on the block" kiss, but had fewer problems when Brett kissed him. Debralee Scott and Betty White were more interested in the unique camera angles they tested that week. (Charles didn't like how they showed his toupee.)

Put on You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown after Match Game ended. The votes are in at Charlie Brown's school. There's no way he'd get nominated for school president. but Linus might have a shot. Other than a radio interview that doesn't go well, he looks like a lock...until he starts lecturing on his favorite subject, the Great Pumpkin.

Ended the night with Remember WENN. Married acting couple Hilary Booth and Jeff Singer are "Strange Bedfellows" when they join opposing parties in the race for Pittsburgh City Council. Con man station manager Scott Sherwood sees this as the opportunity for a big debate with lots of publicity. Hilary and Jeff spend most of it arguing, until the third candidate, folksy former baseball star Luke Langley (David Canary), remind them that politics is a full-time job that has a lot more going on than just pretty speeches.