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

Cherry Hill Park

I slept in...and actually slept this time. I didn't get to calling Uber until past 12:30. The driver going to the Cherry Hill Library arrived within 8 minutes, not bad for rush hour. We did hit a little traffic in Haddonfield, but still arrived at the Cherry Hill Library in less than 20 minutes.

The Cherry Hill Library is the biggest library in the Camden County area, and it has the largest remaining book sale. They didn't have records this time around, but there were plenty of CDs, children's books, adult books, and tons of DVDs! Lauren bought four classical and instrumental CDs for her father. The children's book section was too noisy and busy for me to find anything there, but I had more luck with the other sections. I got the cozy mystery Stranger In the Looking Glass by Jan Fields, Fletch Lives on DVD, and four CDs:

Hot! Hot! Hot! - Pier 1 Imports collection of tropical-themed songs from 2002

Jimmy Durante - As Time Goes By: The Best of Jimmy Durante

The Rolling Stones - Rewind

20 #1 Hits of the 20's (They had CDs for the 30's, 50's, and 60's too, but I figured this had the rarest songs.)

After we finished, we got soda from the vending machine in the cafe area, then went next-door to Casa Puebla. This Mexican restaurant is so local, it's in a normal residential house. It was surprisingly busy for 1:30 when we arrived with families and local workers looking for tacos and burgers. Lauren had fried pork tacos for lunch. I had an enormous and very tasty chicken burrito with tons of Spanish rice. That huge burrito filled me up so much, I barely had room for a cup of pineapple water ice. Lauren went with a non-alcoholic Pina colada. It came in a hollowed-out pineapple, topped with pineapple rings, whipped topping, a cherry, and one of those little paper Japanese umbrellas. And yes, she drank the whole thing and loved it.

It was cloudy, killer humid, and relatively cool as we made our way down King's Highway, probably in the lower 80's. Big fat drops started splashing down when we were less than a block from Lucky Strike. Thankfully, we made it there just as the shower was getting heavier. 

Lucky Strike (formerly The Big Event) has been Cherry Hill's premiere bowling alley for over 60 years. As you can guess on a day with such nasty weather, it was busy with families, college students, and couples on dates. Lauren and I played three games. To be honest, neither of us are very good. Lauren won all of the games and got the highest score at 73...but I'm the only one who got two strikes in the second and third games. (We also got to see more World Cup games on the monitors, along with golf. Research later revealed that Spain beat Belgium 2 to 1.)

Lucky Strike also has a small arcade in the back. It doesn't have as many games as Round 1 or Dave & Buster's, but it's cheaper and the games use far less points. Lauren and I spent the next 40 minutes or so running from Nerf Arcade to Lane Master bowling to the cranes to the basketball games. I came up with over 2,800 points...but there was no one at the prizes counter. I saw a sign that said you had to go get the lady at the front desk if you wanted something. It was already pretty late. I decided to save my points for another time.

Thankfully, the rain was long gone by the time I called Uber. It was slightly sunnier, if still very humid. The driver arrived in 9 minutes and got us to Ollie's in less than 10. I'm glad he took the longer route down Clements Bridge Road. I got to point out Sussex House, the Playa Del Sol, Jefferson Health, the pizza place, and the dessert bar to Lauren.

People who only shop at the Cherry Hill Mall and don't check out the other stores next to it and in back of it on Church Road are really missing something. The Ollie's is huge, stuffed full of all kinds of books, discontinued food, and other great random junk. Lauren bought bags of candy and trail mix. I got The Peanuts Lunch Box Cookbook, recipes intended for lunches and kid-friendly snacks, based on (and showing the) original comic strips.

Led Lauren a block down to the brand-new Red, White, and Thrift that opened in March. This good-sized store used to be a Big Lots, meaning it had plenty of room for clothes, home goods, toys, and media. I found one paperback mystery, Murder of a Snake In the Grass by Denise Swanson, a pair of Faded Glory jean shorts (haven't seen that brand in years), and one CD, the second American Musical Theater Smithsonian collection. My best find here was a fluffy stuffed Share Bear. She looks like the design from the 2002 run - she has lighter lavender fur, her eyes are more like the originals, and she has her original soda with two straws tummy symbol. Lauren came up with more workout shorts.

IHOP is almost directly across from Ollie's, so we went there for dinner next. The only other people in the place when we came in was a dad and his two lively daughters. I had yummy strawberry banana pancakes, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and hash browns I didn't have the room to finish. (Oh, and I appreciate that IHOP's pancakes aren't the size of the plate. They're a lot easier to eat in one sitting.) Lauren had a massive spinach and mushroom omelet topped with cheddar cheese and salsa and said it was amazing. I had an iced tea. Lauren had a vanilla coffee latte that she said was more like a vanilla milkshake with a little coffee flavor. It was just picking up when we headed out. 

Our final stop of the day was 2A Thrift at the Cherry Hill Plaza next-door to the Cherry Hill Mall. Thank heavens they finally finished remodeling the exterior! We had no problems getting inside. I found the movies Enchantment and Buck Privates on DVD (I've been looking for Buck Privates - I have its sequel, Buck Privates Come Home, but I've never been able to find the original), a sleeveless blouse with a beautiful stained glass-like leaf design, a K-Tel record collection Images, and the CD Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook. Lauren picked up a few tank tops for working out.

With the construction ended, we could call Uber right from 2A Thrift. The driver arrived in 15 minutes just as the sun went down. He had to take an alternate route because of an accident on the turn-off to Cuthbert Road, but we still got home in 15 minutes.

I finished the night after a shower with Beauty and the Beast on YouTube. From what little I can gather online, this Ruby-Spears animated special is from 1983 and was made for something called Kenner Family Classics. I never heard of it, but I wish I had. It honestly follows the Perrault version pretty well. It's one of the few animated retellings of the original story I've seen to include Beauty's brothers (who love her and make a misguided attempt to rescue her from the Beast) as well as her spoiled sisters and where her father doesn't mind her being with the Beast as long as it makes her happy. Considering the prince is turned into a Beast for turning a fairy away, I can't help but wonder if someone at Disney saw this version before they made theirs. 

Oh, and I got my schedule while watching YouTube. To my surprise, I have no schedule. I'm off Saturday along with the rest of my second vacation week. I wasn't expecting that! Either the head bagger came back, or they corralled enough college boys to not need me that day. I'll go to the farm market...then probably spend the rest of the day watching movies or napping. 

Shelter From the Storm

I didn't sleep well last night. I spent the entire time tossing and turning. I didn't sleep until 8:30 in the morning, and then for only two hours. I'd already had my breakfast by the time I met Lauren in the front room. I had no trouble getting a ride to the Maple Shade Goodwill. The driver came in 8 minutes and dropped us off in 15 minutes. 

We did start off at the relatively small Goodwill about two blocks from the Moorestown Mall. Lauren didn't get anything here. I finally found something I've been looking for. I wanted a better drink bottle to bring to school and on my bike, but the thinner metal one I was using got dented in my basket, and the heavier ones tend to be ridiculously overpriced. I found a lovely white and green lilac print that was heavy metal and only cost me $3.99.

It was just starting to shower lightly when we made our way down Route 38 to the shopping centers surrounding the Moorestown Mall. We started off at their massive Old Navy. I didn't find anything here, but Lauren got a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt, apparently the last they had in the store. She and a gentleman coming in admired each other's t-shirts as he told us about his class' project that used Mario characters. 

The showers picked up significantly as we put up our umbrellas and headed to Cava for lunch. This is basically "Mediterranean Chipolte." Lauren had a massive pita sandwich. I had a Create Your Own Bowl with "super" greens, grilled chicken, hummus, brown rice, cucumber, sumac slaw, and strawberry vinaigrette. The baked salted pita wedges that came with the meal were delicious, flaky and chewy. Half the fun of coming here is mixing and matching their sodas and juices. I made my own Blueberry Lavender Zero with their diet soda and blueberry lavender lemonade. 

By the time we made our way down the parking lot and across the street to Ross, the storms were out in full force. Our umbrellas were dripping when we finally arrived. I didn't find anything I wanted. Lauren ended up getting two more pairs of shorts. I suggested getting drinks at Shop Rite to wait out the storm, but...as Lauren discovered when she pulled up the radar on her phone, there was no "waiting out the storm." They'd be lingering for several hours. We just hiked back to the Moorestown Mall and got wet.

With construction on the new arcade over there having stalled, there isn't a whole lot to do at the Moorestown Mall proper. The new Cooper Hospital branch doesn't seem to have increased foot traffic or reversed the vacancy rate. We did look at Hot Topic, Go! Calendars and Games, Home Sense, and Boscov's. Lauren found a very pretty pair of workout shorts at Boscov's, but all I did was go to the bathroom. 

We finally decided that we'd just have dinner early. We both got slices from Brooklyn Pizza at the food court. She had pepperoni and mushroom. I had margarita (basil and mozzarella) and mushroom. While she used the bathroom, I got a wonderfully sweet coconut cream water ice from Rita's. 

Our last stop was the huge Barnes and Noble in the East Gate Shopping Center. Thank heavens the rain took a temporary leave of absence when we were walking over there, allowing us to arrive dry. Lauren didn't get anything, but I picked up Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly and three CDs, two on good sales:

The soundtrack from the 1989 Batman film

The Best of Bond...James Bond, a 2-disc collection of title songs up to No Time to Die (I do have a Bond CD set, but it only goes up to License To Kill. Oh, and all soundtrack CDs were 20 percent off.) 

Weird Al Yankovic - Dare to Be Stupid

I joined Lauren up front just as the storms returned in full force. Between the storms and it being 5:30 and rush hour, it took me so long to get an Uber driver, I canceled the first attempt, went to the bathroom, then tried again. It didn't cost me any less, but I did finally get us a ride who turned up in far less than the listed 16 minutes.

After we got in and put everything away, Lauren and I spent the next two hours playing dominoes and Pokemon Yahtzee. The dominoes is a typical black and white dot set I think I bought at a yard sale over a decade ago. Pokemon Yahtzee is an old family favorite. It originally belonged to Keefe. He, Mom, and I played it all the time in the late 90's-early 2000's. I walloped Lauren at dominoes 4 wins to 2. Lauren just beat me at Yahtzee.

Finished the night watching Girls! Girls! Girls! at Paramount Plus. I go further into the Elvis Presley vehicle that introduced "Return to Sender" at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Girls! Girls! Girls!

Sunny Afternoon

We were up so late, I grabbed a really quick breakfast and called Uber the moment we were both ready. The lady arrived in 8 minutes, not bad for quarter after 11. We arrived at Abbie Road in Mt. Ephraim in a little over 5 minutes.

Abbie Road is a wonderful record/CD store on King's Highway in Mt. Ephraim. Lauren and I have been friends with Bob, the kindly, grizzled older owner, for years. He greeted us warmly with hugs and asked us how we'd been. I've been buying media from him since I moved here in 2006 and he was still in Collingswood. He always gives us the best deals. His store is one large room filled to the ceiling with shelves and shelves of CDs, records, and music DVDs. Lauren found five CDs, including a rare Micky Dolenz singles set, the That Was Then, This Is Now Monkees greatest hits collection, and a 2-disc Elvis set. I only got one record, but he was having such good CD sales, especially on jazz titles, I ended up with 13 CDs. The one record was the soundtrack from Murder By Death (another movie I didn't know had a soundtrack). The CDs were:

The cast album for the 2011 Broadway revival of How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying with Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette 

Top TV Hits, a 1995 2-disc Entertainment Weekly collection of TV theme songs 

Soundtracks from Casablanca and Batman Forever

Rhythm of the Pridelands, a 1995 CD of African-style music "inspired by" The Lion King (I've had the cassette version since it came out - I didn't think there was a CD.)

Songs That Got Us Through World War II, collection of hits from the early 40's

Eartha Kitt - "Miss Kitt," To You

Julie London - The Unforgettable Julie London

Miles Davis - Porgy & Bess and Doo-Bop

John Coltrane - Giant Steps

Dave Brubeck - Jazz Impressions of Japan and Quiet As the Moon (The latter is the soundtrack from an episode of the Peanuts series This Is America, Charlie Brown.) 

By 12:30, our stomachs were starting to rumble. It was time for lunch. Neither of us felt like waiting that long, so we just got pizza at Tony Roni's on the corner of King's Highway and the Black Horse Pike a couple of blocks down from Abbie Road. Lauren had pepperoni and a square slice of cheese. I had the regular triangular cheese and a "supreme" - basil, tomato, mozzarella, and very small pepperoni slices. She got a Diet Pepsi. I had an iced tea. We timed things right, too. We'd just started on our pizzas when a line of big men in hard hats and bright yellow road construction vests came in to order lunch. 

Though it was much hotter than it has been, probably in the mid-80's, sunny, and thickly humid, it was still nice enough for a walk down the Black Horse Pike to the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center. We started off at Goodwill. Lauren didn't get anything here, but I found the James Cagney gangster drama White Heat still in its plastic and AM Gold 1969, a collection of hit songs from the year in question that includes "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" by BJ Thomas, "These Eyes" by the Guess Who, "Someday We'll Be Together" by the Supremes, and "Put a Little Love In Your Heart" by Jackie DeShannon. 

We were in and out of stores for the next hour or so. Lauren bought candy at Five Below and Marshalls. I got nice illustration markers and glitter markers for a friend's teen daughter at Five Below and mini coconut patties at Marshalls. I never do well at Ross, but Lauren picked up two pairs of shorts. She got energy drinks that were 2 for 5 at the Acme. I got the Powerade Water that's on sale for 99 cents and had an online coupon for the Xochital blue corn chips. 

Took another long walk after we left Acme, this time down the Black Horse Pike and Kendall Boulevard into Oaklyn. After all that walking, we needed a stop at Common Grounds Coffee Shop. Thankfully, they were less busy than they tend to be earlier in the day. We had no trouble getting a seat while Lauren had a root beer coffee float (she said it was delicious - really tasted like root beer and coffee) and a cannolli (which she also liked). I had a slice of my favorite crumb cake and strawberry shortcake crusher. I didn't realize it had coffee in it. Oh well. I could use the caffeine (even though it did give me heartburn later). 

The Score Records is directly across the street from Common Grounds. I've been dying to show this place to Lauren ever since it opened last August. In addition to records, CDs, and DVDs, it also sells stickers, pins, motel-style keychains with funny sayings, t-shirts, local art, and mini album covers on refrigerator magnets. The owner is also a total sweetheart. Lauren grabbed two pins, three keychains, and a Weird All Even Worse magnet. I found two records and a CD. The CD was Madonna's Something To Remember. The two records were:

Fire Into Music, a jazz/funk collection

The Commodores - Nightshift

After we finally got home, we rested for about an hour and a half before heading back out to get dinner. We weren't up for much more than picking up sandwiches at a quiet Crown Chicken and Gyro. Lauren got a kebobs gyro. I had a chicken sandwich that was amazing, perfectly fried and juicy. We both had their tasty thin greasy-dry fries. She got a Diet Coke. I had a citrus diet green tea that was so good, I wish I asked the girl at the counter where they got it from.

I had Match Game '75 on before and after we went to get dinner. Most of the night finished off the week with Joan Collins and Scoey Mitchelll. Spencer for Hire and Vega$ star Robert Urich and soap sweetheart Jamie Lyn Bauer appeared next week...much to Brett's delight when she got to give Urich his welcome to the show kiss!

Finished the night with Paw Patrol. Snooty Winnie Winnington thinks the jumping contest is for her horse Felicia. She has to drive into the swamp when Mayor Goodway tells her it's a frog jumping contest. "Pups Save a Show Jumper" when Winnie's van and Felicia's truck get stuck in the bog and Chase and Rubble have to pull them out. "Pups Save the Salmon" who can't get around a beaver dam to the ocean. Skye also has to rescue Alex from being stuck in the logs on the dam. 

Riders On the Storm

Got a really quick start today. I got caught up reading Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man and had just enough time to eat, change, and call Uber. The one going there came in 9 minutes and got me to work in plenty of time. Had a hard time getting one going home. They took 15 minutes to arrive.

Work was a pain in the rear...or stomach. I'd been feeling queasy since yesterday. I didn't have a fever, but I did end up spending a lot of time in the bathroom, especially in the morning. (Which did some good - I was able to refill the toilet paper.) Mother Nature didn't help. It was cloudy and insanely humid this morning, but the sun came out around 1 PM and it got hot again. We were off and on busy, and I had a hard time keeping up with the carts until another bagger came in at 2. 

When I got home, I changed into cooler clothes, then listened to The Jack Sheldon Quintet while I took down the 4th of July decorations. I have no idea why they called the record Hollywood Heroes. Only one of the songs, "Lover," comes from a movie musical. (More specifically, Love Me Tonight.) My favorite numbers were lovely versions of Johnny Mercer standards - "Pardon My Southern Accent" and "I Thought About You."

Returned to reading Daisy Fay while resting, making the bed, and listening to The Best of Julie Andrews. As you can probably guess, the majority of these songs are from the original stage casts of My Fair Lady and Camelot and the movies The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. There's a few more obscure titles here as well, like "O the Days of the Kerry Dancing," "We'll Gather the Lilacs In the Spring" from the British musical Perchance to Dream, "If Love Were All" from Bitter Sweet, and a rather odd live version of "Big D" from The Most Happy Fella. 

Switched to tonight's Match Game marathon for a while. Match Game could be as patriotic as the next show, especially in the years surrounding the Bicentennial. There were jokes about the 4th of July the week dancer and model Ruta Lee made her only appearance on the show in 1973 and in one of the episodes with Ron Valenti (and Fannie flirting with him) in 1975. There was one of the episode in 1978 where Craig Morris really got a kick out of his enormous lime-green sunglasses, and the nighttime episode where Fred Grandy sported a bow tie and sweater that netted him a lot of "Little Lord Fauntelroy" jokes. 

Celebrate the holiday weekend with even more fireworks as Gene and his wacky weirdos teach us American history the Match Game way!

Match Game Sunday Classics - 4th of July Marathon

Lauren was originally supposed to arrive at 10 PM. She got nervous and switched to a later train. I called Uber to Philadelphia around 10. To my surprise, the lady arrived in 4 minutes, and she was really sweet about it. There was no traffic at that hour of the night, not even in Philly. I loved getting to see all of the buildings lit up in reds and whites and blues, including one that was striped. She pulled up to 30th Street Station within 20 minutes.

On one hand, I'm glad to see they're almost done remodeling 30th Street Station. The scaffolding is gone, though nothing in the food court is open yet. On the other hand...Lauren was supposed to arrive at 10:45. She didn't finally get in until past 11 PM. I initially read my phone on a booth, but I couldn't sit down and walked around, checking the time until she arrived.

I saw why she was so late the moment we stepped outside. The thunderstorm that had threatened off and on all day chose that moment to finally hit. It was pouring, with noisy thunder and huge streaks of lightning. The Uber going home cost me $75! I was going to wait, but it didn't look like the storm would be ending anytime soon, and we couldn't stand in front of 30th Street all night. It took her over 20 minutes to arrive. She didn't know where the pick up at the 30th Street side of the building was, then she couldn't see us. Thank heavens Lauren knows about cars and spotted her across the way. The rain slowed down slightly by the time she finally pulled up on East Clinton.

I think you can guess that we're going to sleep in tomorrow after all that! The weather isn't going to be appropriate for our usual first-day walking trip to Mt. Ephraim and Audubon, so we're going to move things to the Cherry Hill Mall and Hillview Shopping Center instead. 

On the Right Track

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Little Bear's Tooth" is loose! His friends try every method they can think of to get it out, but it turns out the simplest solution is at dinner. Emily's Granny tells Little Bear, Emily, and their friends "Little Red Riding Hood" when they're stuck inside of a rainy day. Emily is Red, Cat is the wolf, Hen is Red's mother, Granny is Red's grandmother, Little Bear and Owl of the huntsmen, and Duck is supposed to be guarding Granny. Little Bear and Emily are upset when their cupcakes bake hard as rocks and hide them from Mother Bear. She reminds "Little Bear and the Cupcakes" that sometimes, even just adding one ingredient can make a difference...and so can telling the truth.

Threw on a bit of Super Password, the week with Marsha Warfield and Tom Poston from 1987, as I went through most of my remaining records to see if I wanted to get rid of any more. I then split everything into two bags and added the Bissell vacuum I no longer needed. I took the vacuum sections apart so I could fit them in the car.

I had no choice about calling Uber, despite the nice day. There was no way I'd fit those two full and heavy bags on my bike. At least the lady who picked me up 10 minutes later was really nice. She had no trouble driving me around the back of the building so I could drop the bags right off at the Goodwill donations pick-up area.

Goodwill was surprisingly busy for a random June Thursday. I didn't have a ton of luck, but I did find a few interesting things. My best find was a new pair of rolled-cuff jean shorts. My old pair is starting to fray at the rolled-up part. I also picked up a CD:

Julie Andrews - The Best of Julie Andrews (the first and only solo album I've seen for her) 

and a children's record:

Raggedy Ann & Andy's Birthday Party

Made a quick stop at Five Below for a drink before heading out again. This time, I strolled into Audubon on foot. It was too nice to call for a ride again. Though it was a bit warmer and more humid, it also remains sunny, and the wind was enough to keep it from feeling too nasty. I had lunch at a busy Legacy Diner. Their broccoli and cheddar omelet was a bit on the watery side, but I did enjoy my fruit cup with melon and pineapple slices and red grapes. I've never seen apple butter at a diner, either. I love apple butter. It may be my favorite type of fruit spread. It and orange marmalade were wonderful on whole-wheat toast.

Backtracked to Market Street for a treat at Desserts By Design. I had a yummy coconut-frosted cupcake while the lady behind the counter helped a kindly older couple decide what they wanted for their son's birthday. When they left, I told her about exploring Cherry Hill and waiting until after Lauren visits in mid-July to do further house-hunting. She pleasantly said I was on the right track. I feel like I'm on the right track. At least I'm actually doing something after spending so much time in the winter and early spring stuck at home due to the weather. 

Started home after I finished my cupcake...but I couldn't resist a stop at the Calico Cat Cafe on the White Horse Pike. This charming little nook has a room that sells cat art, crafts, and hand-knit beds, along with sodas, baked goods, and for some odd reason, ramen. They're also the first place I've seen make "dirty sodas" - that is, soda with cream and flavoring. I had a Dr. Pepper Zero with brown sugar flavoring and French vanilla cream. The brown sugar wasn't bad, but the French vanilla overpowered the Dr. Pepper. Next time, I'll try it with regular cream. I admired several cats sunning themselves in the big picture windows as I walked past them.

Relaxed at home while watching The Nifty Nineties. I go further into the Abbot and Costello vehicle best-known for introducing the extended version of "Who's On First" to movie audiences at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

The Nifty Nineties

Put on an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse after the movie ended. Detective Minnie, Super Spy Daisy, and Captain Clarabelle are "The Go-Getters" who must round up a trio of giant baby chicks and remove the egg shells they hatched from that are blocking a river. Captain Clarabelle is more than happy to rescue Pete from them, too...but it's Pete who ends up being the biggest help when he's the one who finally gets them in the corral.

Switched to Match Game '75 next. Gary Burghoff was terribly embarrassed in the first episode when they had to redo the Super Match because he blurted an answer. Marcia Wallace received a standing ovation in the second show after she finally got her first right answer. After that, they moved to the next week, with Avery Schiriber, Trish Stewart, and a radiantly pregnant Patti Deusch. 

Finished the night with another classic Republic serial at YouTube. This time, I jumped to before the war for Daredevils of the Red Circle from 1939.  This one may have one of the more unique plots in serials. The title Dardevils are acrobats Gene Towley (Charles Quigley), "Tiny" Dawson (Herman Brix), and Bert Knowles (ace stuntman David Sharpe). The trio volunteer as detectives when Gene's younger brother is killed in a fire at an amusement park where they're performing. The fires all target properties belonging to Horace Granville (Miles Mander) because escaped convict Harry Crowe (Charles Middleton) wanted revenge on him for turning him in. He traps the old man in a recreation of his prison cell in his mansion and poses as him. His granddaughter Blanche (Carole Landis) knows something is up, especially when she becomes one of the next targets. The Daredevils protect her and Granville's properties with the help of a mysterious figure known only as "The Red Circle." 

Sunshine Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the soundtrack from The Prince of Egypt. The hit here was "When You Believe," performed by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. It wound up being one of the biggest songs of 1998 and won the Best Song Oscar that year. My favorite is the gorgeous "Through Heaven's Eyes," the stirring number that introduces Moses to the Israelites performed by Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell. "Playing With the Big Boys," the priest's too-goofy number, doesn't fit in any better here than it does in the film. The sweet "River Lullaby" performed by Amy Grant is far more affecting.

Thank heavens I got to work on time. We were off and on busy. The carts kept vanishing, and it was just me. The regular Sunday morning bagger took the day off. At least there were no problems. It was too gorgeous for anyone to be in a bad mood. Sunny, breezy, and in the upper 70's. Couldn't have had nicer weather.

I needed to buy strawberries anyway, so I grabbed two turkey and ham pretzel roll sliders and rode my bike into Oaklyn. I ate my lunch at the small park around the War Memorial and the parking lot, watching a family with a little boy running around. It was too nice to eat inside! They were setting up for...something...in the parking lot. There was a Camden County trailer there, and they were putting out blocks on the lot. I wonder if they were leftover from Final Friday, or there was something going on with Tonewood Brewery. 

When I got home, I changed, finished The Prince of Egypt, and went down for a much-needed nap. I walked for two and a half hours yesterday, not counting the half-hour ramble though the woods behind the Barclay Homestead, and I've been up way too late recently. I went down at 2:30 and didn't roll out of bed until quarter after 5.

Messed around online and had dinner while listening to Great Ladies of Rock and Roll: The 60's. There's a lot of really great numbers here, from Aretha Franklin's iconic demand for "Respect" to Petuala Clark singing about how much fun it is "Downtown." Lesser-known titles include Barbara Lewis' "Hello Stranger," Patty and the Emblems declaring they're a "Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl," The Toys and their "A Lover's Concerto," The Chiffons saying "He's So Fine," Claudine Clark's "Party Lights," and the Murmaids comparing love to "Popsicles and Icicles." 

Finished the night with dinner, a shower, and tonight's Match Game YouTube marathon. Comedian and character actor Bart Braverman started out as a child actor in the 50's. By the time he made his first appearance on Match Game in late 1978, he had just started appearing in the hit action show Vega$ with Robert Urich and Greg Morris. Bart could get really annoying at times, like when he and Fred Grandy brought cowbells and kazoos and kept playing them all week, or when Gene let him briefly host the show and he sounded more like a race track huckster than a game show host. When he wasn't tossing out quips, he was flirting with every pretty female contestant who appeared on the show.

Debralee Scott wasn't as amused with his idea of flirting. He spent the entire week he sat in Charles' seat throwing cards at her head and picking on her. She finally got fed up with it and stomped up to his chair to give him a good pounding. He responded by grabbing her for a kiss...and she added that she loved it when they made up!

Bart appeared on Match Game from 1978 through 1981. He would be one of the only men to sit in all three of male-designated seats and do equally well at all three of them. Brett usually loved flirting with him, when he wasn't getting on her nerves and acting too goofy. His last time on Match Game would be on the Too Close For Comfort week of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984. He and Arsenio Hall joined the cast of that classic sitcom to hear JM Bullock make fun of Gene Rayburn's propensity for long, dull explanations or his constantly making fun of Lydia Cornell. 

Blow a kazoo and ring a cow bell for the wildest detective in Sin City with these wacky and hilarious episodes!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Best of Bart Braverman