Larger Than Life Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the soundtrack to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This was Tim Curry's big break, and one of his first major roles for most American audiences. And what a way to debut! He gets one of the big numbers from this, "Sweet Transvestite," as the mad scientist who thinks they've created the perfect man. The chorus numbers are probably even better-known today, including "I Can Make You a Man" for Curry and his hangers-on, "Wild and Untamed Thing," "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me," and of course, "The Time Warp." This is probably more fun at a midnight showing, but the music is good enough to rate a listen around Halloween or whenever you're feeling in the need for some really, really unique dance music.

Called Uber after Side A of the record ended. It was hot, humid, and supposed to rain later. I think I made the right call. The driver going to the Acme arrived in 11 minutes. I called early enough that I got there in plenty of time. The one going home arrived in 10 minutes. No trouble either way.

No trouble at work, either. I swept and pushed carts for the entire six hours. I was on my own during the morning. One of the college boys came out to help me after about 1 PM. Good thing, too. It wasn't busy when I arrived, but it picked up around 11 and stayed busy the rest of the day. We're coming up on the start of September and the school year, and Labor Day is next weekend.

Finished Rocky Horror when I got home while reading Topped Chef by Lucy Burdette, then switched to the original cast CD for the musical version of My Favorite Year. Curry got a Tony nomination in the Peter O'Toole role as the sozzled Errol Flynn-esque swashbuckler star. Lanie Kazan repeated her role as Benjy Stone's (Evan Pappas) mother Belle and also got a Tony nomination; listen for Mary Stout (Eugenia on Remember WENN) also reprising her role as Benjy's aunt in the "Welcome to Brooklyn" number. Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flahtery have an incredible opening number, Benjy's description of live television right before the show starts, "Twenty Million People," but most of the other chorus numbers are just there to give the chorus something to do. Neither Curry's "The Night Is Young" nor "The Gospel According to King" are all that interesting or have much to do with the story. 

The character numbers are better. Belle describes how she fell in love with her scrappy Philippine husband in "Rookie In the Ring," Curry tears into "If Life Were Like the Movies," and Benjy explains why he adores Swann's films in "Larger Than Life." Andrea Martin did get a Tony as the female sketch writer in an expanded role, including her big number "Professional Showbizness Comedy" with King Kaiser (Tom Mardrosian). I love this, but I'm also a big fan of Aherns, Flahtery, and the original movie. If you love Martin, Curry, or the film it's worth checking out just for those character numbers. 

Moved to YouTube for not one, but two marathons. Country singer "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson was just celebrated for being the oldest current member of the Grand Ol' Opry. He was also the only country star to be a semi-regular on Match Game. The self-effacing, down-home charm he brought to the Opry made him unique on Match Game amid the crustier or more urban panelists. He first turned up on Bonnie Franklin's second week in mid-1976, as she reminded Gene that he hadn't been able to kiss her the first time she was there. 

Bill's most famous episode came later in 1976. Brett and Charles dressed as cowpokes to be his back-up singers as he performed his own song for Debralee Scott, who sat under him that week. She was deeply touched, and I thought the whole thing was adorable. He was also on the week in 1978 with Brett and Jack Klugman after their divorce, including the PM episode where Jack said if you asked his ex the time of day, she'd tell you how the clock was made. (He was right.) He brought along a picture of his darling new baby boy in a syndicated episode. He appeared right until the end of the syndicated series in 1982, making his final appearance on a week with another country superstar, Irlene Mandrell. 

His last Match Game appearance was during a week of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984. He brought along a Casio keyboard to work on new songs while helping a man from Manchester, England get to the Hollywood Squares segment. Joining him that week were Edie McClurg in a tiara, Fred Travalena and his one-man White House, Linda Dano, Soupy Sales, and Joe Santos. 

Lift a twangy guitar to the man whose career has spanned six decades in this hilarious and tuneful marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Bill Anderson "Country Star" Special Shows

Jaye P. Morgan is best-known nowadays for her stint on The Gong Show, but she did do Match Game just as it started again in mid-1973. In fact, her one week introduced eventual series regulars Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly and semi-regulars Bert Convy and Betty White. Morgan is the only one that week who wouldn't come back, but she had a lot of fun anyway. She got to hear Brett claim for the first time that Charles wasn't wearing socks and had Bert flirt with her about "turning her on" when she complained that the light on her desk wouldn't turn on.

Bang the gong for this singer, actress, and talent show judge in one of the funniest early weeks of the show!

Match Game Sunday Classics  - Jaye P. Morgan Tribute

Finished the night with the all together quieter Miles Davis rendition of Porgy and Bess. This may have been recorded in anticipation of the 1959 Goldwyn film version of the landmark Gershwin opera, but it honestly came out better than that troubled movie did. In fact, this remains one of Davis' best-selling albums. His "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," "Gone," "Summertime," and "I Loves You, Porgy" capture the tough-tender feel of the opera far better than Goldwyn's overstuffed extravaganza generally does. 

Sweet Cream Summer

Began the morning with breakfast and the third season opener of Little Bear. "Owl's Dilemma" is he can't find a quiet place to sleep. Birds chirp at his treehouse. Frogs croak at the pond. Mother Bear and Little Bear make too much noise moving dishes around. Owl finally settles things with two cupcakes. Emily and Little Bear open their own "School For Otters." The goofy otters don't seem to show much interest in learning, but they reveal just how much they were listening when they show them what they love to learn. Little Bear and Father Bear goof off a little too much while "Spring Cleaning," so they make Mother Bear a picnic.

Finished my grocery list, then headed out to run errands. Made a brief stop at the Oaklyn Post Office to send a bill before dodging noon traffic on Cuthbert and riding down to Haddon Ave. I wanted to find a record I saw listed at Phidelity, but...they were closed for the day. I was really disappointed, but then I looked across the street. Groups of people were gathered around the entrance to what had been McMillan's Bakery before they closed last year. I finally decided to cross Haddon Avenue and check it out.

I crossed even as official-looking men cut a wide scarlet red ribbon. Turns out DiBartolo's Bakery, another recently-closed family bakery, and Mt. Ephraim bakery Del Bueno's bought and heavily remodeled the building. Talk about the best of all possible worlds. I parked my bike and joined the crowds checking out the new digs. It was twice the size of the old McMillan's, taking over the entire first floor of the building. Everything was white and chrome and shiny and clean. Even the floor had a unique satiny silver-gray finish. One door led to bins and bins of rolls and shelves of Del Bueno's Italian butter cookies. I think the famous Del Bueno's machines spitting out fresh rolls may have been in the other I didn't explore. 

I couldn't decide, so I went with a plump cream donut. Oh yuuuuumm! Turns out one of the grandsons of the original McMillan's is working at the bakery. He must have shared his family's recipe for the best darn cream donuts in South Jersey. It was so full of thick, buttery cream, it came out the sides. Totally amazing, and it more than made up for Phidelity's day off. I stopped at WaWa for a Cherry Cream Float Coke Zero to wash it all down.

Doubled back to the Westmont Plaza for lunch. I hadn't eaten at the Westmont Bagel Shop in a while. Kept things simple with my favorite spinach and feta omelette, a toasted everything whole wheat bagel, and home fries. Oh, this was yum, too. I finished everything but half of the home fries. Bought two bagels for lunch this weekend on the way out.

Did my grocery shopping next. I didn't really need a whole lot at either store. Picked up oat milk and dried mango slices. Cookies and soda were buy one, get one 50 percent off. I'm so glad their ginger molasses cookies are out again! I had to get two. One of the Nixie diet sodas came with a coupon, so I got two of those. 

Dodged more traffic and road repair on Cuthbert going down to the Westmont Acme. They were only slightly less busy than Sprouts. Grapes and large containers of blueberries are on really good sales. Restocked yogurt, prebiotic soda, granola, and granola bars. Had good online coupons for the Acme's generic organic blue corn chips and an online rewards coupon. I also got my $60 for the week here, instead of waiting for Sunday.

The road work on Cuthbert was such a pain, I cut across Collingswood to the park instead of going straight there. Newton Lake Park is largely in better shape. I think they're just adding railings to the new fishing piers now. It was a hot, sunny, incredibly humid day. There were only a few people out walking dogs as I made my way past children playing at the playground on my way back to East Clinton.

When I got in, I put everything away while watching Paw Patrol. "Pups Save a MerPup" when Cap'n Turbot insists he saw one during the Mystical Merpup Moon. Chase the cop thinks they're just stories. The others, especially Skye and Zuma, believe the stories. Zuma and Skye stay awake to see a merpup...and get their wish when one not only comes to them for help, but turns them into merpups so they can go under the sea. The Merpup's baby is trapped in a shipwreck that may collapse any minute! They have to call the others to help out, then to help Zuma when he's trapped. 

Got my schedule at this point. It's thankfully back to weekends and early Wednesday. There's enough hours on the weekend that my paycheck shouldn't take too much of a hit, but not so many that I'll be overwhelmed. School starts next Thursday, too. I put in for my late September-early October vacation time with Healthy Kids, too. (I'll put in for the Acme vacation time next week.)

Went down for a nice, long nap at 3:30. I was so tired, I didn't get up until 5:30. Spent an hour finishing Reel Murder by Mary Kennedy, then watched Match Game '76 during dinner. Most of the night finished out the week with Bennye Gattleys and Bill Daily. Fannie Flagg stuck around for the next week, joined by two cute, funny, and diminutive actors, Sarah Kennedy and Gary Burghoff. 

Finished the night with Remember WENN. Hilary is "Courting Disaster" when Jeff's supercilious lawyer Drake Stanley (Andrew Seear) claims his client is suing her for $100,000 in damages. Maple and Betty know something isn't right and get Stanley to appear on their court show Tell It to the Judge. While Scott defends Hilary, Gertie helps the ladies get through to Jeff and find out what's really going on.

The cast says "And How" when they're chosen to broadcast the last episode of the network western The Strange Loner featuring it's original stars. Unfortunately, when the Loner himself turns up drunk and unable to perform, the others have to figure out how to replace him. Betty's more worried about helping Joseph Greyhawk, the kindly Native American man (real Native American activist Russell Means) who plays the Loner's Native sidekick, keep his role. Meanwhile, everyone's thrilled with Eugenia's new discovery, an Italian pie called pizza. 

Listened to the soundtrack from Casablanca after the episodes ended. I pretty much had to after "Pen of Gertrude Reece" yesterday. This Rhino CD includes all of the music and a lot of the dialogue, along with an alternate version of "Knock on Wood," a Dooley Wilson number that was cut from the film ("Dat's What Noah's Done") and the full, gorgeous rendition of "As Time Goes By." 

Beautiful Day In Audubon

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man. Queen Elmora becomes the "She-Demon of Phantos" when Skeletor hypnotizes her and steal the precious metal she gave the Eterniana for weapons. He-Man, Man-At-Arms, Battle Cat, and several others go after her. Teela comes along as well, even though her father is concerned for her safety.

Headed off to the Acme after that. No trouble whatsoever today. I arrived on time. The Acme was quiet as can be. It's the end of a month that's not known for being busy to begin with. If people weren't at work, they were on vacation or getting kids ready for school. Once a college boy came in to handle the carts, there was even less for me to do. I spent the last half-hour putting away unwanted items. No trouble whatsoever.

Changed my shirt after my shift ended, then headed out. It was too nice of a day to sit inside. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and the breeze felt great. I rode across Audubon to Simply Soups and More. I hadn't eaten there in ages. This small cash-only hole in the wall features different soups every day of the week. I went with sweet potato. Oh yum, that was good. It tasted like a liquid sweet potato, thick and sweet and earthy, with caramelized pecan bits and bits of ham. Sat at one of the chrome-trimmed tables in the window, daydreaming as I ate.

I kept getting turned around, so it took me a few minutes to arrive at the Audubon Library after lunch. This tiny 50's-era building is only slightly bigger than the Oaklyn Library before they closed. Their adult non-fiction selection isn't great, but they do have a rather nice children's section. I ended up settling down to read The Secret Garden On 81st Street, a graphic novel modern retelling of The Secret Garden. 

I've seen this around, but had never read the full book until now. Here, Mary Lennox is a video game fan who basically lives online. Her parents work all the time and are too busy for her, until they die in an accident and she's sent to live with her uncle in New York. The unwanted garden is on the roof, there's a cat leading her to it instead of a bird, Molly is her babysitter and she and Dickon are neighbors, the gruff old man is a garden store owner instead of a gardener, and Colin can walk just fine but has horrible panic attacks following the death of his other father. The anime-esque artwork was lovely and colorful, and the entire story was well-done and very charming. (I saw a modern Little Women graphic novel that I might have to take a look at someday as well. Later research revealed a modern Anne of Green Gables set in Philly, and there's apparently a modern Little Princess coming out next spring.)

After I left, I went down the street to the Audubon WaWa. Thought I'd do something I hadn't in a while and mess around with the Coke Freestyle machine. Mixed Tropical, Lime, and Cream Coke Zero. Not bad. I think the cream really came across more than anything tropical or citrus. Returned briefly to the Library after I left when I realized I left the bag with my work shirt there. 

Since the Child Safety and Development certificate hadn't gone through, I just did the entire class over. Listened to the soundtrack from Working Girl while I did the class. Movie and soundtrack are long-time favorites of mine, one of the few romantic comedies I ever liked (and one of the first R-rated movies I watched as a kid). Carly Simon's Oscar-winning "Let the River Run" and Chris de Burgh's "Lady In Red" were the hits here. We also have the Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited" and a few more numbers from Simom, notably the instrumental "In Love." 

Watched Steel Magnolias next in honor of Dolly Parton, who passed away yesterday. Parton plays Truvy, a "glamour technician" whose beauty shop is the epicenter of their small Louisiana town. Her best friend is M'Lynn Eatenton (Sally Field), whose adored daughter Shelby (Julia Roberts) is about to get married when the movie starts. Truvy hires shy Annelle Dupuy (Darryl Hannah), who just arrived in town to escape her criminal husband, to work in her store. There's also Clariee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis), wife of the former mayor, and grumpy Ouiser Bourdreux (Shirley MacLaine), who are both regulars at the shop. Delicate Shelby has Type 1 Diabetes, but she and her husband Jackson (Dylan McDermott) desperately want to have a baby. M'Lynn thinks this is a bad idea...and proves to be right when Jackson Jr. comes out ok, but she has to donate a kidney to Shelby afterwards. When even that doesn't help, M'Lynn's friends are there to comfort her and let her know that she isn't alone in her grief.

This is one of my mother's favorite movies. Sally Field is her favorite actress. Mom grew up in Virginia and West Virginia around women very much like the ones in this movie. Honestly, the best thing about this are MacLaine and Dukaukis. They steal the show as two of the coolest and funniest older southern ladies you'll ever meet. Roberts got an Oscar nomination and early exposure as the youngest of the women who literally gives her life to have a child. The melodrama in the second half can be a little much now, especially for those who have lost a grown child, but for the most part, this remains a lovely and charming look at one small southern town and how six women grow together in the course of a few years.

Switched to Match Game '76 during dinner. They're on to the Joey Bishop-Mary Wickes week that was on the Joey Bishop YouTube marathon a few weeks ago. Mary and Brett had a bit of a crush on a handsome contestant that looked a lot like Allen Ludden. Joey actually gave the guy a kiss at one point, saying he was tired of not getting to kiss somebody.

Watched more Remember WENN next. Betty lets Mackie manage WENN while she's at a convention. It goes to his head, until gangster Palermo Racine (Phillip Bosco) turns up at the station. He was once Racine's driver, until he got him into trouble after he robbed a warehouse and Racine in turn claimed he was in on it. He thinks he'll have to be "A Star In Stripes Forever" and go on the lam after Racine starts asking for favors, but the others know how to expose Racine's ruse without revealing Mackie's secret.

Former stripper Maple LaMarsh is tired of being regarded as "A Girl Like Maple," the station's tomboy and loose woman. She's thrilled when a handsome congressman (Broadway star Boyd Gaines) flirts with her when she takes over temporarily for Hilary on Men In the Headlines. Trouble is, she used a much different voice from her normal Brooklyn accent, and now he thinks she's a cultured lady. The others try to help her preserve the illusion (Hilary reluctantly), until she realizes that the guy is far from what he claims, and she's fine just being herself. 

Finished the night with the CD All My Tomorrows. Grover Washington Jr. was "the most popular saxophonist in jazz" when he made this album in 1994. No wonder, with his gorgeous renditions of "When I Fall In Love," "For Heaven's Sake," and the title song. We also gets some nice vocals on "I'm Glad There Is You" and "Overjoyed." 

Busy Summer Finale

I got a quick start this morning and didn't have time for much of anything but breakfast and calling Uber. The driver going to South Jersey Radiology took 9 minutes. The one going to the Oaklyn School took 7. I was slightly late both times, due to my leaving late for the gynecologist appointment and to heavy road work being done on Cuthbert Road near the Westmont Acme and right in front of the Oaklyn School on Kendall Boulevard. The drivers were really sweet, too, especially the one going to Oaklyn. 

Got a little mixed up and went into South Jersey Radiology downstairs before I remembered the gynecologist is upstairs. Thankfully, I didn't wait more than 5 minutes before they called for me. I'm not going to go too far into the actual procedure because it's kind of personal, but it did go much better than last year's appointment did. Two sweet young interns, probably no older than Betty Roberts on Remember WENN, took my vitals. I was able to tell them about how last year's appointment went, and they must have told the doctor. He did mention he was concerned about my blood sugar levels and suggested injections or weight-reduction drugs. I'd rather just stick to watching my diet and exercise. Since it's downstairs, I even made my mammogram appointment after I finished.

It took me a minute to figure out which door to go into, but I did finally make it to the Healthy Kids orientation. At least it's only one day this year, and not as close to the start of the school year. Everyone was also sitting with their co-workers at their respective schools. I was glad to see we had most of the same teachers as last semester, considering how much turnover we've had at Thomas Sharp in the past year. The head of the program had us write down what we'd get if we could get one thing from Amazon for an entire year, then had to guess who said it. Most of the remaining two hours were spent discussing the basics of the program and meeting the new assistant program manager, a much younger man who looked just out of college. We even had free pizza, salad, and soda for lunch (once the delivery man could find his way around the road repair on Kendall Boulevard).

Since it's only two blocks down West Clinton from Oaklyn School, I stopped at Common Grounds Coffee House next. Just got myself a nice, refreshing matcha latte, oat milk, no sugar. It was too nice of a day to take Uber home! Besides, the school is only a five minute walk from East Clinton. I strolled home with my latte, enjoying the dry, sunny day and fresh breezes.

Next up was renewing my child safety and development certificate. I thought I did this in May, but I guess not. The website for NJCCIS said it would take two hours. It barely took me an hour, especially since I'd done all this before. The certificate won't show up for another 24 hours, so I'll send it to the head of Healthy Kids tomorrow after work.

Went into Match Game '76 while eating dinner. Sweet and smart ingenue Donna Mills made her only appearance this week, and big George Kennedy made his first. No wonder Kennedy became a semi-regular later in the series and during the syndicated run. He got most of the answers right during the entire week. Brett couldn't help pointing out the contrast to Dick Martin, who was on the week before and barely got anything right.

Watched Remember WENN next...and I started with a pivotal episode. By the start of "Mr. and Mrs. Singer," Hilary hasn't heard from Jeff for several weeks, and she's worried. When he does finally get through to her, he tells her he has something important to tell her, then gets cut off. That "something important" turns out to be Mrs. Singer...Czech refugee Pavla Nemcova (Karen Travers), who claims she married Jeff in London. Hilary's devastated, until the others help her expose Pavla for the gold-digger she is.

"Nothing Up My Sleeve" debuted during the tail end of Seinfeld's run and was one of the most heavily advertised episodes of the entire series. Allan Ballinger (Jason Alexander) is a mentalist and magician appearing with Hilary on Magic Time. He charms a vulnerable Hilary, but Maple has her own reasons for thinking Allan's act is more con than illusion. Meanwhile, Mackie keeps trying a magic trick of his own, with less-than-magical results.

Finished the night listening to two classic albums from the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Jazz Impressions of Japan is the third of four Brubeck albums of the late 50's and early 60's revolving around different cities or countries. In all honesty, only the first three songs, "Tokyo Traffic," "Rising Sun," and "Toki's Theme," really sound all that Asian. There's still some good stuff here, notably "The City Is Crying" and the melancholy "Osaka Blues." 

Quiet as the Moon came out much later, in 1991. It's actually the soundtrack for the This Is America, Charlie Brown episode "The NASA Space Station." Now I wish Brubeck had done more Peanuts specials. There's some lovely work here, from his arrangement of "A Bicycle Built for Two" in the opening to the charming title number and the eerie "The Desert and the Parched Lands." 

Dance Into the Matches

I got caught up reading Bayou Book Thief this morning and didn't have much time for anything else. Since it was sunny out this time, with no sign of rain, I wanted to take my bike. Unfortunately, I got too late of a start, which meant I was late to work.

Thank heavens that was the worst thing that happened all day. With the Sunday morning bagger around to sweep and do the trash, I was mainly outside pushing carts. It was a gorgeous day for it, too. Humid, yes, but also sunny, breezy, and searingly blue. I did bring back a few cold items inside, but other than that, I was out with the carts enjoying the weather.

I came up with an idea after work. I grabbed a Roar blueberry lemonade hydration drink and two slightly damaged boxes of chocolate fudge pudding mix off the clearance racks for half-off, mainly so I could take out money for the week. From now on, I'll take out $60 during the weekend, and that's what I have for eating out. If I spend it before the end of the week, I don't eat out anymore. I really need to start saving more money for vacation and to buy a condo.

Also, I've had enough condo-hunting when I can't go in them yet. I was going to check out condos in Voorhees, but first of all, that's further out and even more sprawling than Cherry Hill. Second, these walking jaunts tend to be rough on my bad heel. Third, I'm just getting kind of bored with exploring. I'll trade them with checking out libraries until I have a better idea of what kind of condo I can afford and where.

Stopped at the Yummies Palace in Oaklyn for a cool water ice treat after work. Their coconut water ice was deliciously sweet and creamy. It really hit the spot on a fairly hot day. I got to watch parents with two little girls decide what the young ladies wanted as I ate. The lady at the counter let them try their Fruity Pebbles ice cream flavor. The older girl went with a cone of that. Her little sister stuck to a vanilla cone with sprinkles.

Changed when I got home, then spent the next two hours finishing Bayou Book Thief while listening to Batman soundtracks on CD. The 1989 soundtrack was something of a comeback for Prince after his previous album and a concert film were flops. To be honest, most of the songs are more Prince than Batman and weren't in the movie. "Batdance" in the finale was just as big of a hit in 1989 as the movie, but I prefer his less goofy ballad "Scandalous" and the opening dance song "The Future." 

I actually think Batman Forever has the better songs. U2's hard rock raver "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" and Seal's classic R&B ballad "Kiss From a Rose" were massive hits in mid 1995. Other good ones here include "Where are You Now?" by Brandy, "Smash It Up" by the Offspring, and "Bad Days" by the Flaming Lips.

Finished the night after the CDs ended with today's Match Game YouTube marathon. Dancer Bobby Van was a friend of Richard Dawson's who made occasional appearances on the show from 1973 to 1977, with and without his wife Elaine Joyce. In fact, he and Elaine made their debut on the show together, sitting next to each other in 1973. That week is best-known now for the answer to a question about what Batman and Robin's relationship is that now has it banned from the airwaves.

Van would appear in less controversial episodes later on. One 1976 episode had a question about what he does when he can't get his toes to behave. That was also the one where Brett introduces her lovely grown daughter Leslie in the audience. He saw a very happy lady in 1974 win enough money to buy the piano her daughters had requested. Elaine Joyce sat under him in the ingenue seat for the first of two times that week. In 1975 there was Henry, the funny older man with a slight crush on Brett. Also in 1975, Betty White rolled Gene Rayburn's pants legs down to expose argyle socks. Somehow, a lady in the audience ended up with them. Prince Charming Richard put Gene's shoes back on. 

Several times he was praised for his work hosting Showoffs, the short-lived 1975 charades game show (that, alas, is mostly lost today). There were also several references to the notoriously bad Lost Horizon, where Van's dances were among the few stand-outs. 

Dance your way into the end of summer with these delightful episodes featuring one of the great "Showoffs" of musical film!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Bobby Van, Elaine Joyce's Husband, Marathon

Tropical Adventures at Home

Started off my morning with breakfast and Little Bear. Little Bear's "Picnic On Pudding Hill" gets pretty crazy when No Feet decides to join in, then Emily's hat blows away and everyone chases it. Even after they catch Emily's hat, it turns out No Feet decided to start the picnic without them. "Little Bear's Walkabout" takes him in the woods to find mysterious creatures. He learns about such unusual woodland animals and insects as a month, a tortoise that's so big, it gives him a ride, and a woodpecker. Little Bear's "Secret Friend" is a whale, who tells him all about the sea while he explains land creatures.

Headed out to work after that. No trouble there. We were quiet all morning. There wasn't even the usual mid-morning surge. I spent the entire time sweeping, pushing carts, and enjoying a hot, humid, sunny summer's day. Was in and out with no difficulty whatsoever. I even took the long way down Nicholson, dodging the traffic just to enjoy the weather a little longer.

In fact, when I got home, I decided I wasn't quite ready to go in yet. I changed clothes, then went back out and rode my bike to WaWa to grab lunch. Tried their Chicken Ranch Wrap and Strawberry Passionfruit Smoothie, along with a bottle of watermelon Propel. Yummy! The smoothie was just the right sweet-tart, and the wrap had lots of chicken and bacon and ranch dressing.

Had lunch while watching the last two Remember WENN episodes of the second season. Station go-fer and janitor Mr. Eldridge (George Hall) is excited when his old friend, former vaudevillian Pepper Carnasie (Eddie Bracken), visits the station. Unfortunately, he's working for overbearing hearing aid salesman Blair Foley (Michael Patrick McGrath) and his company, who use him as a shill. Frankly, Pepper and Mr. Eldridge are more "Like a Brother" than obnoxious Blair is with his little brother, silent sound effects master Mr. Foley (Tom Beckett). Scott and Foley finally find a better use for Foley's new laugh track machine than to bolster Mackie's bad jokes...showing the overbearing Blair just how important listening is, at any age.

It's "Magic" time at WENN when sponsor Kurt Holstrom are among those who sit in on the debut of Hilary and Jeff's mind-reading act. Scott and Betty are more concerned about the coded messages on Amazon Andy, the show Holstrom sponsors, not always making sense. Holstrom and the codes turn out to be a lot darker than anyone thinks as the cast works together to stop a spy from sending coded information. Mackie's just hoping Hilary's claim that "someone at this station will pass through the doorway between life and death" doesn't mean him. She's right, but not in the way she thinks. After the others leave for questioning, Betty has a late-night visitor...one she thought perished in the Blitz months ago, whom she never expected to see again...

The second and third seasons of WENN are far and away my favorites. Scott's in his element as the con-man station manager, vivacious Maple is a great addition, and this is the season where Hilary and Jeff function the most like a team and get some of the best lines. "Christmas In the Airwaves" is my favorite episode, but "Scott Sherwood of the FBI," "Close Quarters," "Magic," and "Radio Silence" are all enjoyable, too. And if you thought that cliffhanger on "Magic" was crazy, things get even more complicated from here on in...

Switched to Fire & Ice on Tubi after lunch. Ralph Bakshi of American Pop fame made this Conan the Barbarian-esque animated fantasy in 1983, during the height of the early 80's sword-and-sorcery craze. Evil Queen Julliana (Susan Tyrell) and her spoiled sorcerer son Nekron (Stephen Mendel) use his magic to create a series of glaciers that destroys any village in their path. They send a delegate of their neanderthal-like goons to negotiate with Jerol (Leo Gordon), king of the volcano kingdom Firekeep. They're really there to kidnap his beautiful daughter Teegra (Maggie Roswell) and force her to marry Nekron. 

Teegra manages to escape and runs into Lam (William Ostrander), a warrior from a village that was destroyed by the glaciers. They fall for each other, but he loses her again when she's captured after he fights a giant squid. She ends up at Icepeak, while Lam falls in with masked warrior Darkwolf (Steve Sandor), who has his own bone to pick with Julliana and her bratty son. Lam and Darkwolf are the only ones who can rescue Teegra from Icepeak, before the glacier hits the Firekeep volcano, and the entire country melts away.

He-Man aside, I never was much for those grunt-and-groan barbarian movies from the early 80's. Rose loved Red Sonja and the Conan films, but I thought they were dumb. This doesn't really change my mind. Bakshi's gorgeous animation, with its rotoscoped, barely-dressed figures against lush tropical or icy backgrounds, doesn't offset the heavily cliched story. Teegra being rescued once or twice would have been interesting, but it happens at least four or five times. 

There's the violence, too. There's a lot of blood and stabbing people in this movie. Most of the dialogue, especially in the middle third, consists of grunting and gasping as everyone tries to either avoid or kill everyone else. Even with the cliches and lack of dialogue, if you're like Rose and you're a fan of Conan or Red Sonja, this is worth checking out at least once for that incredible animation.

Moved to Sailor Moon at Hulu next. Usagi desperately wants to go on a couples-only cruise to find a boyfriend, but Rei gets two tickets and invites Ami instead. Usagi sneaks aboard with Luna anyway and discovers that "I Want a Boyfriend: The Luxury Cruise Ship Is a Trap" when she and the girls are attacked by Jedite and a monster who were taking energy from couples in love.

Watched Match Game '76 during dinner. Though the first episode of the night finished the Tom Poston/Barbara Shawma week, most of the night was devoted to the next week with Greg Morris, Betty White, and Price Is Right model Anitra Ford. Richard spent that week flirting with statuesque blonde Darlene, who wound up being the show's biggest winner to that point.

Finished the night listening to the 2008 South Pacific revival recording. This was enormously well-received when it debuted and ran for three years, and it's not hard to tell why here. Kelli O'Hara is a winning and lovely Nellie. Her "Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair" and "Honey Bun" are especially charming. Paulo Szot made such a wonderfully masculine Emille, he picked up one of this show's seven Tonys (still the most for a revival). Loretta Ables Sayres has too much fun with "Happy Talk" and a gorgeous "Bali Hai." This CD also features music that tends to get left off of other recordings of this show, including "My Girl Back Home" (here a solo for Cable), the full Overture and Entre' Acte, and all reprises. 

If you want South Pacific in your collection, this and the exceptional original cast with Mary Martin are probably the best choices. (Though I have heard good things about a 1967 Broadway revival with a well-cast Florence Henderson as Nellie.) 

Laughing Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the 2011 revival cast album of How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. John Larroquette won a Tony playing Biggley, the stuffy president of the World Wide Wickets Company to Daniel Radcliffe's ambitious window-washer J. Pierpont Finch. They're both having a lot of fun here, especially on "Grand Old Ivy" and the big finale number "Brotherhood of Man." Larroquette also does well by the spoof ballad "Love From a Heart of Gold" with Tammy Blanchard. As good as the original cast is, this certainly has its virtues as well, especially if you're a fan of either star.

Called Uber after I finished breakfast and got dressed. No trouble here. The driver going to work came in 9 minutes. The one going home came in 5. No traffic either way, and I got to work in plenty of time.

No trouble at work, either. On one hand, it's still hot and thickly humid, but it was also sunny all day, without a cloud in the sky. I had more help this time, too, and for longer. The Sunday morning bagger is usually pretty reliable. Once he left, I had help from one of the college boys for the last 45 minutes. I spent the entire afternoon pushing carts...but I made sure to pace myself and go inside and get a drink of water from the bottle in my locker or empty trash cans or fill the toilet paper in the women's bathroom every half-hour or so. 

Listened to The Hit List after taking a much-needed shower. This K-Tel 2-disc set features some of the biggest hits from 1982. The first disc has most of the better-known songs today, including "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone, "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon, "Caught Up In You" by 38 Special, "You Better You Bet" by the Who, and the first hit from Huey Lewis and the News, "Do You Believe In Love?" Most of the songs on the second disc are less familiar today, other than "The One That You Love" by Air Supply, "Slow Hand" by the Pointer Sisters, and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police.

Finished the night at YouTube watching the Sunday Match Game marathon while eating dinner. Brett Somers started off on the third week of the show and quickly became the show's second regular. Though she originally sat next to Richard Dawson in the ingenue seat, she was eventually moved upstairs to the second seat and would remain there for the rest of the original run. By the end of 1973, she'd been joined by Charles Nelson Reilly on her right. They became the best of drinking buddies and played hilariously off of her, whether he was making fun of her jewelry or she made fun of his toupee and his never wearing socks.

Brett had a comic feud with the person who handled the buzzer that ran through most of late 1973 and 1974. It got so ubiquitous, there were even questions about what she'd do the buzzer holder if she could get her hands on them, or how she'd stop them from buzzing her. Her complaints would often end up with a joke "buzzer" being used, like a raspberry noise or a cow bell. If Brett wasn't trading quips with Charles, she was doing it with Betty White. The two of them loved teasing each other about their ages and about the hold Betty had on her husband host Allen Ludden.

There were times when Brett could get a little too salty for her own good, like the 1977 episode where her answer about what movie Lassie didn't like making was censored. There was also the time in 1976 when she used her rear end as an answer to a question, or when she flipped off the audience. On the other hand, for all the jokes about her bad answers, she was sometimes the only one to get a question right, like during the syndicated run in 1980 where she was the one who finally got an answer after three tiebreakers and received a deserved standing ovation. 

Brett's then-husband Jack Klugman was the one who recommended her to the show in the first place. They appeared three times together in 1973 and spent all three weeks fighting. They got so bad, comedian Stu Gilliam asked why they put him on the "military level." By the time Jack reappeared on the show in late 1978, they'd been divorced or separated for at least three years. That didn't stop Jack from practically climbing on Brett during a question, or the others holding a mock wedding for them in the finale.

No one had more fun on the show than Brett! Belly laugh your way through the hot summer with these hilarious episodes!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Brett Somers Marathon: Laugh Your BLANK Off & Flip You Off!

When You're Hot

Began the day with breakfast and more He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Skeletor is determined to use the "Creatures From the Tar Swamp" and Beast Man's control over them to take over Castle Greyskull. Meanwhile, Orko wants to impress Lady Edwina, Adam's spoiled cousin, by finding the Magic Medallion he lost in the swamp years ago. He and Edwina just barely manage to escape when the monsters invade the castle, but Orko learns a lesson when he realizes Edwina is more interested in the medallion than him.

Hurried off to work after the cartoon ended. I did get there on time, and riding my bike, too, despite the continuing gas main repairs being done on West Clinton in Oaklyn. At least it wasn't anything resembling busy this time. We're now past the beginning of the month and between holidays. I did have to do the bathroom and some returns, but it wasn't that bad. The weather was the worst of it. It was hot, sunny, and murderously muggy. I was in and out with no problems...

Except for noticing someone left a message on my cell phone. It was Cooper Hospital. Somehow, Cooper Urgent Care set me up for an appointment with the wrong department. They set me up with Bone and Joint, but I should have been with Cooper Surgery-Podiatry. They wanted to cancel the appointment tomorrow and reschedule. 

I was disappointed, to say the least, and I told them so when I got home and called them. They wanted to reschedule for next month! I'm not waiting that long. It's one thing to wait on housing counseling, but my heel has been hurting for weeks. They said they'd call back in 24 hours and see what they could do. I was going to call out tomorrow for the appointment...and I think I'll still call out. If I had my usual 12 to 16 hours, I would be more hesitant (or likely not be working on a Friday at all), but I have 30 hours this week. I need to rest this heel and go grocery shopping before my 8 1/2 hour work day on Saturday.

Watched the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus special while I talked to them and during lunch. Professor Luwig Von Drake gives everyone their own tractors to work on "Mickey's Country Farm." Daisy suggests holding a fair to bring in her idol, Lassoin' Lucy. She loves her purple tractor, but can't figure out how to control it or what the mallet on the end does and just wreaks havoc when she tries to help. She's ready to give up when the gigantic watermelon Pete's been growing comes barreling at them. Not only does she save the day, but it gives her a theme for the fair.

Switched to Tubi for the 1933 version of Bitter Sweet. I go further into the original British version of the brittle Noel Coward operetta at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Bitter Sweet (1933)

Watched Remember WENN next. Betty's wondering "Who's Minding the Aslyum?" when Victor Comstock leaves her with the day's programming on glass records...which Mr. Foley ends up shattering. She and the remaining staff have to figure out what to play and how to appease Mr. Medwick (Bob Dorian, who introduced AMC's programming in the late 90's) and keep him from finding out his show was among those broken.

Victor and the cast return for "Armchair Detectives." Jeff has to prove he's more than just Sherlock Holmes on the radio when a convicted murderer (Joe Grifasi) storms in, demanding that the cast recreate the scene of the crime and let the police hear what really happened. Jeff's not sure they can add much, and Hilary's not thrilled with the casting, until Jeff and the others realize there's a few clues only those in recording and broadcasting would understand.

Watched Match Game '76 next, or tried to. The internet kept going in and out. This one covered the rest of the week with Avery Schriberer and Jo Ann Pflug, including an episode with some pretty wild set glitches. 

After I gave up on the Internet, I finished the night listening to Songs That Got Us Through World War II instead. This is an early Rhino collection of songs that were hits during the war years between 1941 and 1945. The first two, the Andrews Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and Frank Sinatra performing "I'll Be Seeing You" with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra may be the most famous today. There's also Johnny Mercer having fun with his own "Acc-ent-tuate the Positive," Helen Forrest joining Harry James and His Orchestra to insist "I Don't Want to Walk Without You," Jo Stafford's lovely "Long Ago and Far Away," Tommy's brother Jimmy's orchestra doing "The White Cliffs of Dover," and Doris Day introducing "Sentimental Journey" with Les Brown and His Orchestra.

Dolls On National Night Out

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Auntie Hen" is preparing her home for lunch when Little Bear brings her chick nephews and nieces to visit. They wreck so much havoc inside, they end up eating at Hen's picnic table. Little Bear would love to "Play Ball," but he's angry that Emily took his ball without asking. Emily's angry at him for making fun of her baseball uniform. It takes the actual game to patch up their hurt feelings. "Lucy's Okay," even after Duck accidentally sits on her and they hold a mock funeral for the doll.

Had no trouble getting to the Acme on time this morning and on my bike. That's about the only thing that did go right at work. Work was a pain in the rear end from beginning to end. It's the beginning of the month and the day seniors get a discount. I had no help, either. The bagger who was supposed to help ended up in a register again. I kept getting behind on carts. I'd fill them, and they'd vanish again. I was very happy when I finally finished and got out of there.

At least the weather was pleasant. In fact, I think this is supposed to be the nicest weather we have this week. Sunny, breezy, hot, a little humid, but nothing like yesterday! For all the trouble, I did have a pleasant ride home, and it wasn't bad gathering carts when I could get out.

Returned to cartoons during lunch with Paw Patrol "Sea Patrol" episodes. "Pups Save a Water Walker" when Mayor Humdinger steals Francois Turn'bot's new water walking boots, intending to turn Turtle Island into part of Foggy Bottom. Not only did he completely ignore the fact that the island is a turtle habitat, but he can't control the boots. The pups have to go after him. "Pups Save a Windsurfer" when they save an older lady and her friend from an underwater and island volcano that are about to go off.

Switched to the 2002 Strawberry Shortcake as I finished eating. Peppermint Fizz is the only one who refuses to accept newcomer Rainbow Sherbet. She lives on a houseboat, and her life revolves around the water. She's too different for Peppermint. Strawberry holds "The Costume Party" to show why differences are nothing to be afraid of.

Dressed the dolls for August next. Kit, Samantha, and Molly wear their historically-accurate bathing suits I found on eBay. Jessa's purple tropical-print modern bathing suit also came from eBay. Ariel and Whitney's bathing suits were gifts from Lauren. Lauren also gave me the purple sundress with the lace jacket and hot-pink pineapple print. I can't find a historically-accurate bikini for Barbara Jean, so she gets to wear that for a summer date. 

Josefina and Felicity come from time periods where swimming and bathing weren't considered ladylike. Felicity wears her lavender striped Traveling Gown and second "meet" outfit. Josefina is in the pretty beige flowered dress and beige moccasins I found her in.

Listened to CDs while I worked, starting with finally getting all the way through American Musical Theater Vol II. The Cradle Will Rock, an opera about a steel worker who attempts to unionize against a miserly boss, was so politically charged the government tried to shut it down before it opened. Writer Marc Blitzstein ended up playing the piano for the cast while they sang their parts from the audience. Howard DaSylva gets dark title song. They weren't the only show to have trouble, either. Porgy and Bess wasn't a hit in its original 1935 run, though songs like "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" eventually put it over by 1940. Pins and Needles was a very similar revue from around the same time, though far more comic in nature. Ruth Rubenstein sings about being a "Chain Store Daisy" who has to sell to men instead of chase them. 

Two of the big names in this time period couldn't have been more different from another. Kurt Weill specialized in groundbreaking concepts and odd fantasies featuring brittle leading ladies like Gertrude Lawrence, who introduced "Jenny" in Lady In the Dark, and Mary Martin, who joined Kenny Baker to introduce "Speak Low" in One Touch of Venus. He also wrote the wistful "September Song," which was introduced by Walter Huston in Knickerbocker Holiday. "Tchaikovsky" had very little to do with Lady In the Dark, and everything to do with the performer who introduced the wild patter number about Russian composers - Danny Kaye. Cole Porter, on the other hand, went in for goofy shows with sassy belters like Ethel Merman. She introduced the title song of Anything Goes and "Friendship" with Bert Lahr in DuBarry Was a Lady. Mary Martin became a star singing Porter's sexy "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" in Leave It to Me. 

All of that changed when Oklahoma debuted. Rodgers and Hammerstein's romantic comedy-drama led a revolution where stories got meatier and songs and dances now had to have some relevance to the plot. The version of "Soliloquy" heard here is from the original cast album of Carousel and has a passage Hammerstein cut after opening that is heard nowhere else. For some reason, they use the 1966 revival of Annie Get Your Gun with Ethel Merman, Bruce Yarnell, and Jerry Orbach singing "There's No Business Like Show Business" instead of the original. Irving Berlin himself sings his own comic number from This Is the Army, "Oh How I Hate to Get Up In the Morning." St. Louis Woman wasn't a hit, but it did give us the gorgeous ballad "Come Rain or Come Shine."

Put on Diana Krall as I cleaned up the dolls' boxes and shoe hangers. Quiet Nights mean just that, soft ballad and bluesy numbers. There's standards here, too, "Where Or When," "Too Marvelous For Words," "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," and a really lovely version of "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face." Of the newer numbers, I liked the title song and "So Nice" the best.

Rested while watching the first three episodes of Remember WENN. Decided to rewatch my favorite TV show in honor of its 30th anniversary this year. "On the Air" introduces Betty Roberts (Amanda Naughton), who has just arrived at Pittsburgh radio station WENN in 1939. She won a writing contest, but erudite station manager Victor Comstock (John Bedford Lloyd) isn't impressed until her script saves a broadcast.

"Klondike 9366" brings in perky ingenue Ceila Mellon (Dina Spybey) and shows us more of husband-and-wife acting team Jeff Singer (Hugh O'Gorman) and Hilary Booth's (Melinda Mullins) contentious relationship. Celia is tossed into the fray when she and Jeff host Victor's latest radio creation, a late-night call-in talk show. It just ends up with crossed lines, until they help a little boy (Nick Holmes) keep a prowler at bay. 

Victor and Betty are caught between "A Rock and a Hard Place" when wealthy Mr. Action (Barton Heyman) wants to create a slam-bang action show. However, that would mean canceling Pittsburgh Public Library Theater and upsetting another influential sponsor, Mrs. Mellon (Irene Worth). While Victor tries to figure out how to appease both of them, Ceila tries desperately to avoid Mrs. Mellon...and Betty learns she wasn't entirely upfront about how close she was to the Mellon family. Good thing Betty can keep a secret (something she'll be doing a lot more of in the later seasons). 

Headed out after "Rock and a Soft Place" ended. I dropped off a book at the kiosk in front of what used to be the Oaklyn Library, then headed down to West Clinton. The Oaklyn Police Department held their National Night Out at the parking lot between the school and Tonewood Brewery. They were giving out free bags of popcorn, water ice, hot dogs, bottles of water, and very thin slices of pizza. I had two slices of pizza and one of everything else. Ate while watching older kids slide around and jump triumphantly out of a sports-themed bounce house. There was a Mickey Mouse-themed bounce house for the younger kids. 

I had just come back for cherry water ice when the police announced a pie-eating contest. Actually, it turned out to be more of a Reddi-Whip-in-the-pie-pan eating contest. Two cops competed against a line of kids. They were all utterly hilarious to watch, kids and cops alike! I think one of the older boys ended up winning. I finally went home as mothers wiped their children's whipped cream-covered faces and the cops grabbed lots of napkins.

Caught the last Match Game '76 episode of the night when I got in. Jimmie Walker spent a lot of the week enamored with a very pretty contestant who made her own clothes. Richard Dawson was happier to be between Elaine Joyce and Fannie Flagg (and their shapely figures).

Put on more WENN after Match Game ended. Movie and theater star Grace Cavendish (Patti LuPone, the first of three Broadway divas to appear on the show) makes a special appearance at the station in "There But for Grace." Hilary Booth is furious. She never forgave Grace for stealing her part in Razzle Dazzle. Grace is really there to see Victor, whom she once had a relationship with. Betty's not too happy either when she catches them renewing said relationship. Victor, however, is married to the station and the artistic freedom it brings. Meanwhile, Hilary is determined to get rid of this interloper, or at least give her the stomach ache of her life. (Look for LuPone's performance of the title song, the first of two times on the show you'll hear its lyrics.)

Finished the night at PBS Kids with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Strawberry Shortcake and her friends aren't the only ones who learn that it's not so bad for our friends to have different interests. It's "Pizza Day at School." Dan wants to be "pizza buddies" with Prince Wednesday, but doesn't understand why he prefers broccoli over green peppers. Likewise, Miss Elainia tries to get Katarina to try finger painting, but she prefers painting with a brush. "Daniel and Jodi Like Different Things" when they play at the beach. Dan doesn't like to be squirted with a squeezy whale. Jodi's brother doesn't want his feet covered with sand, but he loves to help make sandcastles! 

Quiet Summer

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Bluey. Bandit needs a "Taxi" on a rainy afternoon, but with Bluey driving, Chili as the GPS system, and Bingo as a demanding passenger, it may be a while before he gets to the airport. Bluey discovers the solo delights of "The Beach" when she follows her mother for a walk and explores on her own.

It was so late, I called Uber. That might not have been a bad idea. The driver going there and home both took six minutes. No trouble getting there or back. I got to work just in time.

I could have been infinitely late. We were quiet the entire morning. Not only was there not much to do, but one of the college boys arrived around 11:30 to help me with the carts and took over sweeping for the last hour. The weather was gorgeous too, off-and-only cloudy and relatively cool for July, with an absolutely delicious wind. There was no trouble whatsoever, and I was in and out quickly.

Changed when I got home, then made buckwheat pancakes with cherries for lunch while watching He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Skeletor steals eggs from a mother dragon and accelerates their growth to create "The Dragon Invasion." He thinks this will distract He-Man while he and his minions invade Castle Greyskull and he uses the Dragon Pearl to imprison the Sorceress, but He-Man finds a way to get past Beast Man and gain the dragons' trust.

Listened to the Top TV Hits CD set I found at Abbie Road on vacation while reading the cozy mystery Midnight Snacks are Murder. This is an Entertainment Weekly release from 1995, when every company existing (no matter what else they normally did) released some kind of CD collection. As you can guess from the title, this is a two-disc collection of beloved theme songs from TV shows. Most of them are still recognizable today, like "Hey Hey, We're the Monkees," the "nananana" theme from the 60's Batman, the smash instrumental themes to Mission: Impossible and Hawaii 5-0, another hit from a superhero show "The Greatest American Hero," and Will Smith telling the hip-hop tale of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." 

Others are less well-remembered now. Andy Griffith whistled "The Fishin' Hole" from his own long-running Andy Griffith Show. The instrumental themes from Barney Miller, S.W.A.T, and Hill Street Blues are funky jazz and disco riffs that were hits at a time when vocal music was increasingly dominating the airwaves. "Welcome Back" from Welcome Back Kotter, "Without Us" from Family Ties, and "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" from Cheers are charming soft rock numbers from beloved sitcoms. (I would have preferred the original "Love Boat Theme" to the updated disco version they have here, though.) 

Two of the best songs came from shows that are practically unknown now. Square Pegs is now considered a cult classic teen comedy-drama, but barely lasted a season in 1983. It's certainly not the fault of its very modern New Wave Waitresses title song. The Heights, a drama about a wanna-be rock band, was a flop in 1992...but its theme song "How Do You Talk To an Angel" went to number one and still can be heard on classic rock stations to this day. 

After the CDs ended, I took a much-needed nap. I've been up too late and getting up earlier, and it's taking its toll on me. I was so tired, I went down at 3:30 and didn't get up until almost 6 PM.

Went straight into dinner and Match Game '76 after I rolled out of bed. The first two episodes finished out the week with Isobel Sanford and Marvin Hamlisch. Having created a song for the contestant with Charles earlier in the week, the duo went on to create one for Brett in the last episode. Brett couldn't resist tossing in her foghorn contralto. Elaine Joyce and Jimmie Walker were on the next week, along with lots of Jimmie's signature catchphrase "Dyn-o-mite!"

Finished the night at YouTube with the last three episodes of Daredevils of the Red Circle. I really give Republic credit here. While this lacks the familiar characters of something like Captain Marvel or Spy Smasher, it also has some of the best stunts of any serial, and one of the more creative plots. I also love who the Red Circle turned out to be. Animal fans will enjoy seeing that the Daredevils' collie Tuffie is just as heroic as his masters and is as much a part of the gang as the guys. I wish the same could be said for the black valet Snowflake, who is annoying comic relief at best, a dated stereotype at worst. Thankfully, he's not really on all that much. 

While it seems this is available on Blu-Ray from Kino Lorber, the entire 12-chapter serial can be easily found for free on YouTube. It's well worth your time if you love vintage serials or classic action. 

Sunshine Matches

Started off the morning with breakfast and Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook. Having had success with songs performed by Rosemary Clooney, Midler moved on to the discography of an all-together different performer. Though Lee is probably best known today for performing and writing the songs from Lady and the Tramp, including "He's a Tramp," from the 50's through the 70's, she mostly sang languid ballads like "Is That All There Is?" and "Fever" or uptempo numbers from Broadway and movies like "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe." Midler has a charming duet with her long-time friend and pianist Barry Manilow on "I Love Being Here With You."

Headed out to work after the CD ended. It didn't start well when I ran straight into a slippery puddle of floral-smelling blue goo oozing out of the trash in the back employee room. Someone must have dumped a bottle of dish washing liquid in the trash. Not only did it take forever to clean up, but several large, half-full soda bottles had broken the bag, making it nearly impossible to get out of the container. The frozen food manager had to help me get it out, then put two more bags around it to keep it from leaking. I was not a happy camper after all that. 

Thankfully, I spent the majority of the rest of the day outside, pushing carts and enjoying another gorgeous day. It was once again sunny, though a bit warmer and more humid than yesterday. There were two other baggers helping me as well. At least I had more to do. It was off-and-on steady, a bit busier than earlier in the week, but not overwhelming. I had no problems later in the day.

Though I did have dinner and took a shower later, I mostly spent the rest of the day watching tonight's Match Game marathon. Richard continued wearing his infamous red jacket through about 1976. Probably the most famous episodes he could be seen wearing it that year were the ones featuring the blond beauty Darlene, who definitely had a crush on him. She called him "Dickie Doo" and "The Red Devil." Richard also wore it on the New Year's Eve 1975 episode, when his then-girlfriend Jodie Donovan was on the panel. 

Even after he finally gave it up, Gene came up the slack with a bright red jacket of his own. That jacket was a lot more conspicuous than Richard's. Joey Bishop and Mary Wickes quipped about him looking like a matador in one episode. Richard opened another by wondering if he'd just come from Disneyland. Gene had more luck with a red vest he wore occasionally, notably on the famous 1978 Christmas Day show where Charles dressed as Santa and Brett was a bratty girl on his knee and when he carried Gary Burghoff and Patti Deusch into the studio earlier in 1978 imitating their children. 

Gene and Richard weren't the only ones who wore red on the show. Elaine Joyce wore red outfits on episodes of the syndicated show that looked fabulous on her. She and Eva Gabor wore red, and Gene sported a coat in a more subdued shade of red, on the episode where a young artist showed off his gorgeous renditions of woodland birds and the ladies held them up for all to see.

One of the funniest episodes of the entire nighttime run had Gene showing off a pair of bright red suede shoes he was enormously proud of. Those shoes got tossed around a lot when Charles argued the answer for  "The Eyes of ___" on the Audience Match with him. He, Brett, and Richard Paul sang "The Eyes of Texas" while the contestant ended up in Jamie Lee Curtis' lap and an amused Steve Kanaly (of Dallas) looked on. 

Red is the color of the panel's wardrobes and some of Gene and Richard's most outrageous jackets in this wild marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Richard and Gene's Red Coats & Vests

Night of the Summertime Ride

Started off the late morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. "T.J's Visit" wrecks havoc when Tyg's little nephew turns up and causes trouble. He does bond with Kip and convinces her to join him on a hot air balloon. The others go after them when they have no idea how to bring it back. "The Big Set-Up" is the Shirt Tales' attempt to sign Dinkel up for a pen pal dating service. Dinkel is nervous when the lady he's been writing sends a photo of a gorgeous blonde and wants to meet him. He sent her a picture of a handsome movie star. The Shirt Tales try to tone him up and show him how to be more romantic, but it turns out his girlfriend has been doing some fibbing of her own.

Let Tubi continue with the Shirt Tales as I got organized. "Kip's Toy Caper" gets her and Bogey into a heap of trouble after they discover toy shops have been robbed. She follows a remote control teddy bear and finds a robber intends to make them all robots who will steal money and priceless relics for him. The other Shirt Tales try to follow Bogey's broken signal and rescue them. "Dinkel's Gift" is a briefcase the Shirt Tales bought for his surprise birthday party. When the briefcase gets switched with one that holds a top-secret formula, the others have to switch it back while Digger keeps Dinkel busy.

Headed out after the second episode ended. Dropped a few books at the kiosks down the block, then made my way down to Collingswood. Grabbed a Bodyarmor drink at Haddon Culinary before heading across Collingswood to Cooper River Park, then over the bridge to Route 70, or Marlton Pike. It was too nice of a day to drop my bag of donations at the Audubon Goodwill and ride home again. The weather was stunning for mid-July, breezy, sunny, warm but not too hot, slightly humid but nothing overwhelming. There wasn't a cloud to be seen in the soft blue sky that beamed over the waving green Cooper River waters. Lots of people out on bikes or walking their dogs, too, including a lady in a wheelchair. Besides, I hadn't taken my bike over here since the last time I went to this Goodwill in April 2024. 

This time, I rode through the parking lot for the luxury apartments 202 Park before heading across the Marlton Pike to the Goodwill. After I dropped my bag in one of the boxes outside, I took a look around the main store. It's twice the size of the Goodwill in Audubon, but not even as slightly organized as that one. The books, CDs, and DVDs are all lined up or thrown every which way in a wooden bin as you enter. 

I didn't see any clothes I liked this time, but I did pick up a CD, the DVD for the Alfred Hitchcock comedy thriller Family Plot, and a Squishmallow. I've been wanting a stuffed shark since I started working at Thomas Sharp. Their mascot is a shark. Gordon the Shark is apparently one of the original Squishmallows released in 2019 (though the version I found has a 2021 tag). Ironically, Gordon's tag said he's a friendly fellow who loves to help others and wants to start his own nonprofit. So that's what he was doing at Goodwill. He was doing market research!

Oh, and the CD is:

Diana Krall - Quiet Nights

After that, I figured it was time for lunch. I originally rode a few blocks down to Kaighns Avenue. Not only was there not a whole lot there other than a florist and a liquor store, but I didn't feel like dodging traffic further down looking for the Cherry Hill Mall. Went back to the Marlton Pike and rode two blocks in the other direction, finally coming across a small, slightly dilapidated shopping center. Had enormous slices of cheese and Hawaiian (pineapple-ham) pizza at Gaetano's while watching The George Lopez Show. (George's teen daughter ran away with her boyfriend to San Francisco, and he was having nightmares about what she was doing there.) Gaetano's was a pretty typical hole-in-the-wall with Formica tables and counters, but the guy who worked there was really nice, and the pizza delicious, with giant slices and soft crusts.

Continued riding down to WaWa, until I realized that the highways crossed here and I could go no further on my bike. I just turned around, crossed at Goodwill, and headed past 202 Park and back over the bridge to Collingswood. I got turned around in the back roads of Collingswood, but I finally came out at the small park next to Grooveground. They still haven't finished remodeling (I would love to know what's the hold-up there - they started in April 2025), so I ended up at the Candy Jar after I used the library's bathroom. Bought a small bag of mini fruit slices (I usually get them at Peanut World in Atlantic City, which burned down last year) and a cup of Cherry amaretto gelato. Yum! Sweet, refreshing, and very cherry. Returned briefly to Haddon Culinary for a Diet Coke this time before I finally made my way back to Oaklyn.

Rested while watching Enchantment when I got in. This lovely 1948 romance starts with American ambulance driver Grizel Dane (Evelyn Keyes) coming to live with her great-uncle Rollo (David Niven). She falls in love with a handsome pilot (Farley Granger), but waffles on getting closer when he receives his orders and she worries about losing him. Rollo tells her not to give up on love so easily. Flashbacks reveal how he had fallen in love with his sweet cousin Lark (Teresa Wright) 50 years before, only to lose her when his manipulative and spoiled sister Selina (Jayne Meadows) lies about him taking a position overseas and she ends up marrying a Marchese (Sheppherd Strudwick) instead. Rollo never saw her again, and he wouldn't return home while Selina was there. He encourages Grizel to find her love, before she loses him the way he lost Lark. 

This is such a lovely, sweet movie. Though Niven, Keyes, and Wright are all good as the star-crossed lovers and the ambulance driver dealing with her own romance, Meadows steals the movie as the nasty sister who doesn't want to share her power over the household and her brothers with anyone. If you only know Meadows from her work on TV and cartoons, this will certainly be a revelation. Highly recommended for fans of doomed romances and the other fantasy-oriented romances from the mid-40's like The Enchanted Cottage and Portrait of Jennie. 

Switched to Match Game '75 during dinner. The entire two-hour stretch covered the week with Rona Barrett and Clifton Davies. Sweet single middle-aged aunt Dorothy was the big winner that week. Richard and Charles brought her tissues the first time she won. She also got to hear some of the hilarious answers to whom Richard Dawson wouldn't be happy to marry.

Finished the night with The Wild, Wild West. "The Night of the Watery Death" has James West investigating a "dragon" that somehow managed to blow up the ship he was on, and the mermaid at the bar (Jocelyn Lane) who led him there. Artie is pretty much the only person who believes him. Turns out it's a plot by a crazed sea-loving French nobleman (John van Dreelen) to destroy the US Navy and create his own country under the Pacific Ocean. 

Oh, and here's the review of the live-action Moana that I saw on Tuesday!

Moana

Pride Lands and Matches

Started off the morning with breakfast and Rhythm of the Pride Lands. Originally an independent project by Lebo M, Disney came on board after The Lion King was a massive success. "He Lives In You" would later be reworked as the opening number for The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and "Lea Halalea (Holy Land)" and "Lala" would be rewritten as "Shadowlands" and "Endless Night" in the stage Lion King. "Warthog Rhapsody" had been intended to introduce Timon and Pumba before being replaced with "Hakuna Matata" and would be given new lyrics for Lion King II 1/2 as "That's All I Need." 

As funny as "Warthog Rhapsody" and Lebo M's charming version of "Hakuta Matata" is, my favorite numbers here are ones that haven't shown up in other projects. The stirring "It's Time" and chorus number "One By One" give you a real sense of African rhythms that Elton John and Tim Rice's more rock-ish music from Lion King lacks. I used to love this album when Mom gave it to me for my birthday in 1995. Honestly, if you have Lion King fans around or love world music, this album is worth tracking down.

I didn't even have time to finish the album before rushing off to work. I did get there on time...but I probably could have been indefinitely late. Not only were we dead the entire day, but one of the college boys came in an hour after I did and took over the indoor sweeping chores. There wasn't really much for me to do besides dodge the men upgrading the lighting in aisles 3 and 4 and enjoy the absolutely stunning weather. This was probably the nicest weather we'd had in a week. It was breezy, sunny, and warm without being boiling hot, probably in the lower 80's. The humidity and smoke had likely disappeared with yesterday's storms. 

After work ended, I went straight home, changed...and took a nap. I've had a long couple of weeks, and I really needed sleep badly. I passed out for two hours and was still tired when I rolled out of bed around 5:30.

The Match Game marathon had already started by the time I got up. Character actor and singer Charles Nelson Reilly started on the show early in 1973, on the same week as his friends Bert Convy, Brett Somers and Betty White. His busy schedule meant he was the last of the three regulars to join the show permanently...but he quickly became one of its cornerstones. He was often the funniest thing about it. You never knew what he'd do, like the time he drummed up suspense for a Head-to-Head answer that would make sweet Janet Finn the show's all-time champ in 1974 (and got beat up by half the panel for being such a ham), or changed places with Scoey Mitchelll in 1976, claiming they'd had the world's first "race change" operation. He saw Gene Rayburn pull the strings off Elaine Joyce's halter top in '74 and his boss and one of the show's producers Mark Goodson sit in for him when he was "getting his hair nailed on." 

He went to Broadway from late '74 through mid '75 to direct what would be the hit one-woman show The Belle of Amherst. When he came back, he made one of the most unique entrances in TV history, via wires and a stuffed bird he dubbed Harry, whom he claimed had flown him there. He worked best with Brett Somers, his long-time drinking buddy, like the time they dressed as cowpokes and sang back-up for Bill Anderson when he performed his own song for Debralee Scott in 1976. He even had fun in the nighttime shows, like the one from 1981 where he offered his own toupee to a balding but charming and personable young man. 

It only takes a moment to enjoy the antics of one of the most beloved stars on the entire show! 

Match Game Sunday Classics - Charles Nelson Reilly - Best Episodes on Match Game

There's a Kind of Hush

I had a very quick breakfast, then we went outside and called Uber. Honestly, it was hot and humid, but not any hazier than it had been yesterday evening. I was more concerned about the mid-90's heat than the haze. At least we had no trouble there. The driver picked us up in 8 minutes and pleasantly chatted with us all the way up to Red, White, and Blue Thrift at Lawnside. 

Red, White, and Blue replaced the long-empty K-Mart the week before Memorial Day. I did so well there, I wanted to show it to Lauren. I made even better finds this time! Lauren turned up more workout shorts. I found a pair of jean shorts for work, a pair of brown shorts, two records, two books, and 3 CDs (one a two-disc set). The books were:

The Seventh Sinner by Elizabeth Peters

Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls

The records were:

The Disney Winnie the Pooh retelling of When We Were Very Young

True Value Happy Holidays Vol. III (The earliest True Value Happy Holidays I've found - before that, my earliest Happy Holidays collection was Volume 13.)

The CDs were: 

The 2-disc original cast album for the revue Closer Than Ever

Jack Jones - The Best of Jack Jones

Phil Collins - Dance Into the Light

Since it's two blocks down the White Horse Pike, our next stop was the House of Fun. I sorted through the bins of stuffed toys and looked over the racks and racks of sci-fi, action, and horror DVDs, but saw nothing of interest. Lauren was more interested in the back wall filled with every kind of Funco figure imaginable. She ended up with Captain America poised to attack and Deadpool dressed as Bob Ross. (I am not going to ask there.)

We hiked further down Atlantic Avenue to the Old Rail Tavern for lunch. We ate outside...which might not have been the smartest idea. Flies kept attacking our legs! On the other hand, our sandwiches were really good. Lauren had Southwestern grilled chicken and thick chips. I had fries and the same yummy Italian Chicken Cutlet I had back in May. Very tasty despite the bugs.

After lunch, we headed a block over to the Haddon Heights Antique Center at Barrington. This huge rabbit warren of rooms is filled with everything from antique china to depression glass to recent DVDs and Barbies. Lauren found a few things for her parents. I picked up two older Beanie Babies, Fleece the sweet lamb and Curly the brown bear. 

It may have only been hazy, but it was still really hot. Even the air conditioning at the Antique Center didn't help cool us off. We picked up drinks next-door at the Garnet Grill before heading down Barrington Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, under the 295 overpass and past the baseball field and Haddon Heights Public Works. It took us 20 minutes, but we did get into Haddon Heights, coming out next to Jane's Tea Room on Station Avenue. 

Our next stop was Doc's Finds, a gift shop and record store. Doc's records and CD have more and more begun to dominate. He has tons and tons of great stuff, and I never fail to walk out with something good. He had so much great stuff, I couldn't explore half his dollar bins because they were buried under more records. Lauren bought three CDs. I picked up six records, two of them with multiple discs:

The soundtracks for Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter and Working Girl 

The cast album for the 1970 revival of The Boy Friend with Judy Carne and Sandy Duncan (Still in its original plastic!)

Jefferson Airplane - Bless Its Pointed Little Head

Stage Door Canteen, a 4-disc collection of popular songs from World War II

The Hit List - 1982 2-Disc K-Tel collection

Cabana Water Ice is right across the street from Doc's, so we headed there next. They looked very different from the last time I was in there years ago. They were all white and chrome, with a fill-your-own-frozen yogurt section. I didn't want frozen yogurt. I wanted water ice. Once a family with three boys finally got their ice cream, I ordered a medium chocolate covered strawberry water ice. That turned out to be a very red, very strawberry water ice with chocolate bits. At least it was a lot less grainy than Cabana's water ice used to be! Lauren took longer to decide, but she finally got a gelati - sugar-free lemon water ice layered with vanilla ice cream and pineapple topping. Yum! It was delectably sweet and cool. We watched it while Law & Order: Special Victims Unit played in the background on USA.

By that point, it was past 4:30. We hurried down Station Avenue and across the White Horse Pike to the bus shelter. Thankfully, the 4:42 was slightly late, nothing horrible, and there was no traffic. We got off at Oaklyn and were home within 20 minutes. 

After we put everything away, we went right back out for dinner. This time, we ended up at a very busy Amoto Bros two blocks down the White Horse Pike. This dark-paneled local bar replaced a deli by the same name when that burned down. They were known for their amazing hoagies...and fortunately, both the deli and their sandwiches carried over to the bar. Lauren had a massive triple-decker sandwich that was so good, she ate it all. I couldn't even finish my Pilgrim Turkey Hoagie with stuffing and cranberry sauce. Lauren had sour cream and onion chips. I had regular. We chatted while watching the Phillies-Mets game. (Alas, later research revealed that the Phils lost, 4-1.)

Once we got home, she finished packing and went online. I watched Safety In Numbers. I go further into this 1930 romantic comedy featuring Carole Lombard as one of three ladies showing young millionaire Buddy Rogers how to live at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Safety In Numbers

Only a Northern Song

I had breakfast quickly, then called Uber. It was getting late by that point, almost quarter of 12. That may be why I had a hard time getting a driver. The first one canceled. Fortunately, the second arrived in 8 minutes. He dropped us off at The Nerd Mall in Woodbury within 15 minutes, with no problems on the road.

Woodbury is a lovely little town in Gloucester County, not far from Deptford. It's one of the oldest towns in the entire area. Some of the buildings date back to the Revolutionary War era. The Nerd Mall is in one of the Victorian buildings downtown. It's shelves and shelves and boxes and boxes of comic books, collectible action figures, board games, vintage video games, role playing games, and stuffed toys related to all of the above. I was hoping to find Match Game or Family Feud among the board games, but I only saw the Feud DVD game. I saw vintage Password games (two of them going back to 1962), but none of the others.

Though there's no longer an arcade in the back game-playing room, they do still have small arcade cabinets there. Some of them are small enough for the pre-school kids from Thomas Sharp to have no trouble reaching the controls! I did mildly well on regular Centipede. At least I got to the second round, which isn't something I could ever pull off as a kid. 

While Lauren finished buying wrestling Nintendo games and a collectible figure at The Nerd Mall, I found a tiny little deli-variety store next door. It was so small and family-owned, it had one of the widest varieties of drinks I'd ever seen in a store. I ended up with Sunkist Zero. Lauren got the limited edition Berry Blue Powerade when she joined me. 

Our next stop was 2nd Chance Thrift Boutique in the next block over. They're always something of a mess. I couldn't find anything I wanted in the jammed-full racks of old clothes and piles and piles of toys, CDs, and DVDs. Lauren had more luck and picked up a few shirts.

We did better at the Woodbury Antiques store on the next block. Situated in what appears to have once been a Woolworth's, this has more in common with a one-story Haddon Heights Antique Center than with 2nd Chance. For one thing, they sell actual antiques. Unfortunately, a lot of what they sell is very expensive. Lauren found three mini Beanie Babies still in their McDonald's Happy Meal bags that were a reasonable price. Their records are way overpriced, but I picked up two CDs:

Elton John - Ice On Fire

Grover Washington Jr. - All My Tomorrows

LC's Family-Style Restaurant was on the next block. They specialize in Latin American cuisine...but I suspect they didn't have a lot of help today. I never saw anyone besides the one girl behind the counter and a woman having lunch with her baby. We watched two and a half episodes of Spongebob Squarepants on the TV in the side room, including "Bubble Boy" (Spongebob's bubble friend annoys everyone in Bikini Bottom), "Something Smells" (Spongebob and Patrick think everyone is running away from them because they're ugly - it's their breath that's the problem), "Big Pink Loser" (Patrick takes a job at the Krabby Patty, then imitates Spongebob to win awards), "Bossy Pants" (Pearl's new ideas for the Krusty Krab are losing her dad money...and Spongebob has to fire her), and "Spongebob BC." (SpongeBob and his crew are cave sea-dwellers.) At least Lauren's Cubano sandwich and my grilled chicken sandwich with thick fries were pretty decent when we did finally get them.

After lunch, we headed across the street to On the Record. This time, Lauren didn't make any finds, but I grabbed two records and two CDs I really wanted after I dodged a couple of music-lovers searching the local band albums. The records were:

Beryl Berney Tells Your Favorite Stories: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Dick Whittington (I have no idea who Beryl Berney is. I do know I've never seen a record retelling of the British folk tale "Dick Whittington.") 

Ben Bagley's Cole Porter Vol. III (Cost me $25, the most of anything today besides lunch, but I love these Ben Bagley collections.)

The CDs were something I've wanted for a while. Yellow Submarine was the last regular Beatles album I didn't have. I've been looking for a good price on it for ages. Not only did they have it on CD for $6, but they had the blue "Songtrack" CD from 1999 for the same price. I bought both. 

The original SNTM Thrift Shop is next-door to On the Record. They're more like 2nd Chance with slightly better merchandise...but apparently, they're moving to better digs in November. They've already moved some things to a charming Victorian building about two blocks down Broad Street. I didn't find anything at either location, but Lauren picked up tank tops for her and shirts for her father. 

We hiked back to The Nerd Mall to pick up Uber. By 4 PM, it was hot, humid, sunny, and hazy, probably in the upper 90's. Thank heavens the driver didn't cancel this time, even if it took a little longer than the listed 13 minutes for him to arrive. We weren't going far, anyway. He dropped us off at the Deptford Goodwill in a little over 5 minutes.

The Woodbury Goodwill moved to The Plaza at Deptford back in March...and no wonder. The store was enormous, easily three times the size of the Woodbury building. It took me 20 minutes just to sift through all of the records piled on a bottom shelf, but I came up with:

Sesame Street Story Time

"Mama" Cass Elliott - Dream a Little Dream of Me

Walt Disney Presents the Story of Robin Hood (Which, ironically, I also saw at On the Record for $10 - a slightly less-pristine copy at Goodwill was $2.49.)

Plato's Closet is on the other side of the Plaza from the Goodwill. It's another local thrift shop chain, this one specializing entirely in clothes and accessories. It's so big, there's two floors. The guys' clothes are on the lower level. Neither of us had any luck here...but I'm glad to know it is there the next time I do need clothes for a decent price.

We finished up at Mt. Fuji Hibachi Restaurant a few doors down from the Goodwill. We didn't go for the hibachi. As Lauren said, we just wanted dinner, not dinner and a show. Lauren was fine with sushi and a large salad. My shrimp with udon noodles, vegetables, and a small salad were yummy, too. We enjoyed them at the quiet, dark-paneled room with the fish swimming around a tank in the lobby. (A mother's tired little boy was utterly fascinated by those goldfish as we were heading out.)

Another thing I like about the Plaza is it has ample seating. We settled down at one of the wide benches as I called Uber. Thank heavens after the last two, there were no problems here. The driver arrived in the advertised 8 minutes and got us home in 15 with no trouble.

Put on Match Game '75 when I got home. This was the last of three weeks to feature Cuban bombshell Louisa Moritz, and the only one with producer and character actor Sheldon Leonard. I'm not sure Leonard entirely got the humor, but at least he took all of the gangster jokes like a good sport.

I finished the night watching News Hounds on Tubi. Sach (Huntz Hall) and Slip (Leo Gorcey) are working for a newspaper again, as a photographer and copy boy respectively. Slip would do anything to have his story in the paper, especially after he turns up evidence of gangster Dapper Dan Greco (Anthony Caruso) fixing boxing matches. Sach gets photos of the gangsters, but loses the camera with the pictures when they figure out who the guys are. Slip never intended for his story to be published, but his friend Gabe (Gabriel Dell), who was working with the gangsters but got thrown out, has it published under the name of the sports reporter John Burks (Tim Ryan) anyway. The gangsters slap the newspaper with a four million dollar lawsuit. Now the guys have to find those pictures, or everyone will lose their jobs...and the paper will get into a heck of a lot of trouble. 

Rainy Day Women

Got a quick start today, heading out around quarter of 11. We couldn't cut through Newton Lake Park like we normally would. They're working on a new fishing pier, and the path is blocked by cranes and building materials. At least it was still sunny at that point. It was warm, not hot, but still sticky and very humid. We passed the spraying fountains in the lake's green waters and people walking dogs on their way to Collingswood.

The Collingswood Farm Market was in full swing when we arrived. Peas are gone, but summer produce abounds now. The booths groan with corn, blackberries, watermelons, cucumbers, peppers, green beans, zucchini, and every type of tomato known to man. Surprisingly, strawberries are still out, too. I didn't want to smush strawberries or haul peaches around, so I just bought blueberries and cherries. Lauren considered blackberries, but we just ended up moving on.

We had lunch at Jersey Kabobs. Having had breakfast the last time I was there, we went with brunch and lunch sandwiches. I had the Gyro Bagel - gyro-seasoned chicken and veggies on a bagel. (Sesame seed, in my case.) Lauren had gyro meat and veggies on an enormous hoagie roll. It was so huge and dripping with meat and cheese, she took half of it home. Half of the chicken on my sandwich ended up in the basket. I ate it with a fork. We had the most incredible soft, buttery white rice, too. And of course, we had to share a plate of their amazing baklava. We liked the regular honey-pistachio and the chocolate the best.

Spent the rest of the afternoon in and out of stores in Collingswood and Westmont. Lauren bought Beavis and Butthead figures and a wrestling action figure she wanted at Time Passages. I found a small Care Bear I'd never heard of. Thankful Heart Bear is a pretty orange and lavender girl with a lovely tummy symbol of turquoise paws reaching for hearts. She'll come out at Thanksgiving. I got a birthday card for a friend's teen daughter at Occasionette. Lauren got fruit drink mixes. She didn't get anything from a very busy Innergroove Records. I got three records: 

Soundtrack from High Anxiety (The most expensive record I bought today at $17, and I dropped it and chipped it when I was outside. Hopefully, it'll still play.)

Eric Clapton - Slowhand

Rockin' Easy - Two-disc Warners collection of light rock and ballads from 1975

We started towards Westmont after I got out of Innergroove, making a short stop at Secret Origins Comics. Lauren picked up a couple of Captain America titles. Normally, I have little interest in the comics shops, but the last thing I expected to see was a new DC Superhero Girls comic book! The line ended around 2017-2018, but they just put out another one, High School Reunion, last month. I grabbed it to go with the two I have at home.

Heavy clouds were building on the horizon as we rushed down Haddon Avenue to the WaWa on the corner of Haddon and Cuthbert. She got a soda. I got a Propel water. After we got out, we dashed across Haddon to Phidelity Records as thunder rumbled in the distance. We got inside just in time. Five minutes after Lauren followed me in the door, it started pouring. It rained just long enough for us to search the boxes of dollar CDs and and $2 records without interruption. By the time the rain started slowing down, she found three CDs. I picked up two CDs:

The cast for the 2008 Broadway revival of South Pacific

The one-woman show Elaine Strich at Liberty

And three records: 

George Harrison - Somewhere In England

Bing Crosby - A Bing Crosby Collection Volume 1 (Some of his earliest recordings, new on LP when this was released in 1978.)

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Songbook

The rain vanished all together as we made our way down Cuthbert Road, past the Acme and the fast food restaurants and the Westmont. By the time we made it to Sprouts, it was back to being humid and sunny, though not very hot. We both got prebiotic soda. I got peanut butter cookies, oat milk, yogurt, and  chocolate fudge coconut-covered almonds from the bulk bins.

We were too tired to walk the rest of the way home, and hauling way too much stuff! I tried to call Uber, but it took over 15 minutes just to get a driver, and another 20 for him to arrive. It was 5:30 at that point, the height of rush hour. At least there was no traffic and no trouble getting home when he did arrive.

We put everything away, then went back out for dinner. Lauren's friend Rico got her eating sushi, and now she loves it. I thought she'd enjoy Sakura a few blocks down on the White Horse Pike...and she did. They were quiet as can be when we slid in. She had sushi. I had teriyaki shrimp with brown rice and vegetables. We both had Arizona green tea to wash it down. She loved hers and wants to eat there again while she's here.

Dessert was at La Mortense Plus on the other side of Oaklyn. They have the most unique ice cream flavors. Lauren had chocolate banana with peanut butter, calling it her "ode to Elvis." I had orange cream with cookie pieces that was very citrus-tasting and absolutely delicious. We timed things right, too. There was only a mother and her two sons when we arrived. By the time we were seated at a blue outdoor metal table with our ice cream, the place was swarming with families and college kids and had a long line.

 After we got home, we finished the night on YouTube. Tonight, Match Game Productions honored Family Feud's 50th anniversary with the best episodes of the original Richard Dawson ABC run. Family Feud began in July 1976 as a spin-off of the Audience Match on Match Game. Richard had proved so popular there, he was tapped to host. Two families square off against each other, answering survey questions. The first family to earn 300 (later 500) points goes to the Fast Money bonus round to win $5,000. 

Unlike Match Game, Feud was a smash hit right out of the gate. Audiences loved watching families give strange answers and win big money, not to mention see all the stuff they'd give Richard and how he'd react to the weirdest events. There was the lady who answered "fish" to "vegetable you fried," or the one who said "September" when asked during what trimester a pregnant woman started to show. Rich got some of the most unique gifts, too, including a goofy curly red wig from a redheaded family so he'd "blend in" with them! He looked more like a clown in a three-piece suit. There was also the family who sent in their audition via tape. Everyone was impressed, even though Richard told audiences that they didn't really need to do that. They also did a lot of celebrating on this show, including Richard's birthday, producer Howard Felcher's birthday, and the week of Christmas and New Year's. 

Celebrate 50 years of Feuding with these heartfelt and hilarious episodes!

Family Feud Saturday Classics - 50 Year Celebration Marathon