Rainy Afternoon at the Library

Started my day with breakfast and He-Man. The "Song of Celice" is the only thing that can tame a monster named Yog that terrorizes the Kingdom of Tahryn. Skeletor kidnaps the beautiful singer to hypnotize her and have her bring Yog to Castle Greyskull and attack the Sorceress. He-Man and his friends have to break her out of it and remind her that her music is intended to be peaceful.

Headed out on foot after the cartoon ended. I had originally intended to take my bike into Collingswood, but it had already rained. In fact, the rain was just ending as I made my way down East Clinton. This was not a biking day. Collingswood isn't really that far on foot anyway, not more than 10-15 minutes. 

When I got to Haddon Avenue, I made a brief stop to browse in the brand-new housewares store Twelvetrees before making my way down to the Collingswood Library. Other than a couple of kids and their parents in the children's area and the librarians, they were utterly quiet. Everyone must have been at lunch. I spent a pleasant hour and a half relaxing in a plump scarlet chair with a book I haven't read in almost 30 years or more. 

I forget where I first found the original 1978 print of American Musical Theater: A Chronicle by Gerald Boardman. It was either the Cape May Library, the Villas Library, or one of the school libraries. This jumps much further back than most books that cover the history of musical theater, all the way to the 1866 extravaganza The Black Crook. It goes into detail about early musicals in particular that are practically forgotten now, like Harrigan and Hart and their Mulligan Guards' Ball, A Trip to Chinatown that sounds like a trial run for Hello Dolly over 60 years later, the comic opera Robin Hood, the Weber and Fields music hall comedies, and Victor Herbert's beloved operettas. This is how I know about these shows at all. I certainly hadn't heard of them before I read this, other than watching Yankee Doodle Dandy every 4th of July and the Disney Babes In Toyland on the Disney Channel. 

(The entries are less detailed after the 1940's. I don't think Boardman appreciated the musicals of the mid and late 20th century the way he did the late 19th and early 20th century shows. He seemed to find most of them to be too dark and leaned too heavily on rock and newer forms of music.)

I would have lingered longer, but I wanted to have lunch before the weather turned. My original plan was Sabrina's Cafe, but I know how busy they get at lunchtime. Palerma's Restorante was practically empty other than a couple on the other end near the window. I had a lovely and quiet meal, enjoying a slightly spicy breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, black beans, bacon, and avocado and the best darn restaurant home fries I ever tasted while admiring the large, lovely, and very real yellow roses on the table.

Made one last stop at Haddon Culinary to grab a Diet Dr. Pepper for the walk home. I also enjoyed a matcha latte and bought a slice of Lemon-Blueberry Pound Cake with cannoli icing to eat at home later. The matcha latte was ok. It really tasted more of oat milk than green tea. The pound cake was nicely dense and just sweet enough, especially that cannoli icing!

(Oh, and it did finally rain...at 3:30, almost a half-hour after I got in. And when it rained, it monsooned. Lashing winds, heavy downpours, the whole nine yards. Some areas even reported tornadoes, though I don't think that was a concern here. The rain has continued off and on for the rest of the evening.)

Soon as I got home, I went straight into Camp Rock 3. I cover the newest Disney Channel original musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Camp Rock 3

Switched to Remember WENN after the movie ended. "In the WENN Small Hours" kicks off the third season as Victor Comstock explains what he's doing at the station and how he managed to survive the Blitz. Meanwhile, station organist Eugenia Bremer (Mary Stout) interviews explorer Cutter Dunlap (Malcom Gets) for her late-night show, and wonders if it was such a great idea when he starts spouting nonsense Betty and Victor fed him after he caught them together. Victor can't let anyone but Betty know he's alive...including Scott, whom it seems he may not know all that well after all.

Betty's still trying to figure out what's going on with Scott and his arrival at the station in the next episode "Prior to Broadway." His letter of introduction from Victor sounds awfully familiar, including using Scott's familiar "Oh, would you look at the time?" catchphrase. Hilary's more interested in getting her and Jeff back on the stage. They perform a play written by the handsome Euripides Moss (Harry Hamlin), but can't decide if it's a comedy or a drama before it goes on the air in front of their sponsors the Sweets (Peggy Cass and Louis Zorich). 

Went straight into Match Game '76 next. Darlene just kept winning and flirting with Richard, straight into the next week with Jimmie Walker and Fannie Flagg. Jimmie thinks that the person who plays Snow White in a question should look a lot more like him. Richard and Fannie find what they claim to be the key to that infamous Encino motel room that's a running gag between Brett and Gene.

Finished the night with The Polar Bear King on YouTube. I used to see this Norwegian fairy tale fantasy a lot at local video stores throughout the 90's. It's based on the Scandinavian stories "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" and "The White Bear, King Valedmon." A lovely young princess (Maria Bonnevie) marries a polar bear, only to discover he's the King Valemon (Tobias Hoesl), who has been cursed into that form by an evil witch (Anna-Lotta Larson). If she can hold out not seeing his face for seven years, he can avoid marrying the witch. Unfortunately, the princess uses a candle given to her by her silly sisters to look at his face. The witch takes him away, and the princess must find him with the help of Valemon's mother (Monica Nordquist) and her children, whom the queen took away to protect from the witch.

I remember liking but not loving this as a kid. On one hand, the bear was actually created by the Jim Henson Company, and he's pretty realistic-looking and moves really well. The movie's pretty cheap for a romantic fantasy, though, and some of the dubbed dialogue in the English language version is stiff as heck. Still worth checking out if you're a fan of fairy tales like I am (especially considering "White Bear" isn't often adapted in North America). 

Farmstead Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. The Shirt Tales must "Save the Park" from a miserly old man who wants to build a skyscraper there. It turns into a non-holiday Christmas Carol when they show him his past, the present at the park, and his future if he doesn't leave the park alone. Pammy opens "Pam-Dora's Box" when she visits a fellow panda at the zoo who turns out to be a cyborg sent by a foreign government to send secret information. The other Shirt Tales save her when he locks her up at the zoo, then each other after he captures them as well.

Hurried out to the Collingswood Farm Market after the cartoon ended, but I lingered too long. By the time I got there, they had apples, but I couldn't find any strawberries. All of the food booths were starting to close, too. I had hoped to buy a sandwich or empanada, but there weren't any to be found. By 11:30, they'd all stopped cooking. The damage to the spring crops shows in a few of them being missing. They have radishes, asparagus, onions, and hearty greens, but the apples were the only fruit. 

I thought I'd get a sandwich and strawberries in Collingswood, but no luck. Every sandwich shop in town, from Haddon Culinary to Kismet Bagels, had a long line. It took me long enough to find Sara's Produce. They moved to the small building in the back of the new pocket park that used to be a garage. Their only strawberries were moldy and mealy. The lady at the counter said they'd get more around 1 PM, but I wasn't waiting that long. I stopped at A&A Pretzels on the White Horse Pike and got two regular pretzels and a cheesesteak-stuffed pretzel instead.

Had lunch at home while watching Paw Patrol. The pups have found a meteor that gives them super powers...but Mayor Humdinger's bratty nephew Harold Humdinger dug up a fragment of it. Not only does he get the power to create anything, but the Kitty Catastrophe Crew receive their own superpowers. They wreck havoc in Adventure Bay in "Mighty Pups, Super Paws: When Super Kitties Attack." It's a distraction from Harold's real plan - to cut Adventure Bay into his own island for him to rule! The Pups have to use their own powers to stop Harold and distract the kitties, before he cuts Adventure Bay into bits.

Called Uber after lunch. The driver going to Barclay Farmstead took 15 minutes to arrive and cost a bundle. The one going home took 13 minutes and cost slightly less. There was a little traffic going there, but nothing horrible going home.

I read about the Barclay Farmstead Museum online this winter, but I couldn't get to the park area around it until now. The the old brick 1810's-era house is only open for tours on Wednesdays and the first Sunday of every month, but it's surrounded by woodland trails, a large playground, and gardens farmed by local residents. I read about the history of the farm on signs around the perimeter of the house, then strolled through the woods. I first went closer to the main road, past a murky pond and river. I felt like Alice In Wonderland in the dark green woods. I half-expected to see a white rabbit wailing about being late and a mad tea party, or the Queen of Hearts playing croquet on the Barclay Farmstead lawn. It was lovely and peaceful. 

Since I had to go to the bathroom, I strolled out of the park and down less historic suburban streets to Aqua Road. I saw cheery red and white umbrellas and a bit of a bright blue pool peeking out behind the woods when I was walking the trails. Yes, it was the Barclay Farms area's swim club. Thankfully, they didn't mind me using their restrooms. 

I wanted to either see if I could find condos or the Barclay Farms Shopping Center next, but...I couldn't find much of anything. I kept getting lost and turned around. I did stroll over a charming little covered bridge, but that was about the only interesting thing I saw for the next hour and a half. Everything else was typical 60's tract houses with smooth emerald lawns, kids riding bikes, and old folks pushing grandchildren in strollers. I had to look up where I was online, and I still got turned around. I left the Swim Club around 3, and it was past 4:30 when I finally made it to the Barclay Farms Shopping Center.

To be honest, I probably could have picked up Uber somewhere in Barclay Farms, but...not only would I be easier to find on the Marlton Pike, I needed a drink badly. It had been cloudy this morning in Collingswood, but by 4:30, it was sunny, warm, and very windy. Manhattan Bagel was closed by then, but there was a Dollar Tree on the other side of the shopping center. I got more of the puffcorn I had at the movies last month, a bottle of Diet Pepsi, a fan printed with the US flag on it, and 4th of July cardboard cut-outs.

(Ironically, I finally saw condo buildings rising up across the Pike from the shopping center when I made it there, but...wherever I end up in Cherry Hill, it won't be Barclay Farms. The Farmstead is lovely, but the surrounding area is too twisty, confusing, and not really oriented towards singles looking for a condo.) 

Watched Snow White and Rose Red when I got home. This 1955 version of one of my favorite fairy tales comes from West Germany, which seems to have been a great place to make fairy tale films in the mid-20th century. It's honestly a pretty accurate adaptation of the story, only Snow White and Rose Red are older, probably in their 20's, the dwarf is a bit wilder-looking than he usually is in this story, and the princes are accompanied by their loyal knight Knitwit who claims to be a great bear hunter but is really terrified of them. Other than the rather bad bear costume, this one was really sweet and adorable.

Stayed at YouTube to finish the night with today's Match Game marathon. Character actress Mary Wickes was in movies and on TV from the 40's through the early 90's, and is probably best known today for playing the tart-tongued housekeeper in White Christmas and the nun who led the choir before Whoopi Goldberg took over in Sister Act. She was playing a nurse on the short-lived drama Doc when she first turned up on Match Game in 1976. 

Mary appeared sporadically on the show through 1978, always in the 4th or 6th seats. She was always ready with a funny line or quip, as with her assessment of one of Gene's infamous plaid coats - "Somewhere a horse is mighty chilly." There was also the day the Star Wheel debuted. It stopped on Richard Dawson the first time it was spun...when it had been designed to give other celebrities besides Richard a chance to play the Head-to-Head. The entire panel but Scoey Mitchelll walked off (including Richard himself). "Do you know how much that thing cost us?" Mary grumped when the panelists came back. "And it's right back to Richard!" There was also the time she and Joyce Bulifant welcomed new kid on the block Gary Crosby with some very big kisses, or when she gave Gene a strong "new kid on the block" kiss on her first day. 

She had one last blaze of glory on a week in 1990, by which time she was a regular on The Father Dowling Mysteries. Mary was just as dry and funny dealing with Ross Schafer as she was with Tom Bosley or Gene Rayburn. She especially had a field day making jokes about Jimmie Walker's crush on a very pretty young female contestant.

Match wits with one of the coolest old ladies around in this hilarious marathon that you won't want to walk away from.

Match Game Saturday Classics - Mary Wickes (Showcase of Match Game episodes - 70's and 90's)

Funny Bunny Matches

Began the morning with the Easter material in Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. "Nino's Easter" describes the holiday in Italy, as the little boy of the title attends church with his grandfather and enjoys a huge dinner with family and friends. "The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes" is a clever mother rabbit who is brought in by the Easter Bunny when he sees how well she's taken care of her own children. She worries that she won't be able to deliver a special egg to a sick boy on an icy mountain, but the Easter Bunny gives her shoes that allow her to create magic of her own. There's also a hymn and several poems.

Threw in "Grandpa Bunny" from the Disney Storybookland anthology as well. Disney claims this is based after the short "Funny Little Bunnies," but it has nothing in common with it besides hard-working rabbits. Grandpa Bunny teaches all of the younger rabbits how to make the woods where they live truly gorgeous. The adult rabbits are sad when he passes on, but the children know he's left one last legacy to the world.

Watched The Great Easter Egg Hunt at Tubi while getting ready to head out. Peter adores his new stuffed rabbit Whiskers that he got in his Easter basket. Whiskers easily makes friends with the other toys in Peter's room, but has a harder time with school bullies and real rabbits when a dog runs off with him and he's lost in the woods. Shortly after he's found, Peter becomes very sick. Whiskers and his toy friends head off into the woods to find the Magic Egg and use the wish it grants to make their owner better.

Started out to Collingswood shortly afterwards. It wasn't a bad day, a bit cloudy, but breezy and warm, in the mid-60's. I passed at least three families enjoying egg hunts on their front or back yards while on my walk. Many other folks chatted on porches, went for Easter morning jogs, or walked the dog. The scenery couldn't have been prettier, too. Irises are coming up, and the tulips are in full bloom. The trees glow in myriad shades of lime green, pale pink, magenta, and lavender. Lawns are emerald carpets dotted with bursts of dandelions and buttercups.

Jessa was taking a walk around the block when I finally got to Collingswood's Senior Center. We had our Easter brunch at Paloma Restaurant across the street from Nunzio's. This is the Mexican fusion restaurant that replaced Tortilla Press after they shut down. They're...pretty similar to Tortilla Press with more subdued and elegant decorations. Jessa had huevo ranchoes (which turned out to be nachos with guacamole and sausage). I had churros French toast. On one hand, the French toast was nice and sweet and thick, and there was lots of big blueberries and banana and strawberry slices. The middle was soggy due to them drowning it in syrup, but it otherwise tasted pretty good.

We went for a walk after lunch, but there wasn't much open on a holiday Sunday. We browsed in Clutter, Ocasionette, and Secret Origins Comics, but found nothing of interest. Innergroove Records is usually open on Sunday and on Easter, but for some reason, it wasn't when we were there. Grooveground is in the midst of remodeling. Collingswood Music isn't open on Sundays. Phideilty Records and Time Lapse are closed for Easter week. We admired the cute mini-versions of Collingswood services and businesses built by kids at the local elementary schools in the window of local newspaper the Retrospect. Everything from the PATCO station to Roberts Pool was represented. The WaWa even had a "closed" sign across it. 

After Jessa dropped me off at home, I put on It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. The Peanuts prepare for the spring holidays in their own ways. Snoopy buys Woodstock a bird house while Sally looks for new shoes. Peppermint Patty wants to show Marcie how to color eggs, but she keeps doing everything but boiling them. Lucy would rather pester Schroeder for presents and hide and find her own eggs. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does that. Sally's more than a little skeptical after the Great Pumpkin incident at Halloween, but Easter morning brings more than one surprise for the kids!

Switched to Easter Parade while resting. I went further into this classic MGM musical featuring Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, and Ann Miller at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog the day before Easter 2019.

Happy Easter! - Easter Parade 

Watched two vintage Walt Disney World Easter parades while eating a big ham dinner from a friend. The big push for 1988 was the Grand Floridian Hotel, which was two months from opening when this debuted. No idea why they did a huge dance number for it, but at least they're right that it was and remains the most elegant (and expensive) resort at Disney World. Joan Lunden and Alan Thicke are the primary hosts here, while Regis Philbin interviews the crowd. 

Other than the Grand Floridian, there's more focus on the actual parade here, including Clara Cluck in her hen house and dancing chickens singing "9 to 5." The Easter Bunny and Mrs. Bunny are the "Grand Marshalls," though the parade ends with Mickey and Minnie. We also get a super-cute (maybe slightly too cutesy) music video on Mickey and Minnie's relationship to "Mickey, She's Got a Crush On You" from the Disney album Splashdance. 

By the time of the 1996 parade, the Disney Renaissance was in full swing. Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Roger Rabbit, and the original Toy Story all get floats or plugs here. There's a big number based around Mary Poppins, and another around Snow White. This time, the Easter Bunnies begin the parade, while Mickey and Minnie end it. 

The biggest plugs go to the then-new water park Blizzard Beach (which is explored by Joey Lawrence) and to the Disney Institute. This was supposed to provide vacationers with various classes and instruction during their trips, but it closed in 2000 after they realized people would rather spend their vacations on rides than in classes. Lunden remains as the female host. Regis joins her this time, while Brianne Leary and JD Roth take his place with the crowds.

Here's both parades, so you can enjoy a bit of vintage Disney magic too!

1988 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

1996 Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade

Watched Peter and the Magic Egg after dinner. I went further into this unique and charming Pennsylvania Dutch set animated fantasy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog the day before Easter last year.

Easter Short Subject Special - Peter and the Magic Egg

Moved to "Funny Little Bunnies" next before the Sunday Match Game marathon started. This Silly Symphony is Disney's only Easter short to date. It's just bunnies getting ready for the holidays, but some of the details are adorable. I love how every bunny helps out, from the oldest grandfather who paints zig-zags on eggs to the cross-eyed fellows who have such a great time painting eggs to the little bunny checking out the bubbling chocolate. 

Stayed at YouTube to finish the night with Match Game. They only did one flat-out Easter episode. In 1975, Fannie Flagg and Brett Somers sported ugly Easter bonnets early on. The hats eventually migrated to the heads of Tom Bosley and host Gene Rayburn. Match Game '91 did have "Easter __" as an Audience Match question. This was also the episode that introduced Ronn Lucas' rude new punk puppet Chuck Roast. 

Other episodes were just filmed close to Easter, like the time Charles took off his suit in 1974 after he was offended by Brett's bad answer to a question. In 1975, Betty White managed to roll up Gene Rayburn's pants again without him knowing. 1979 brought in vintage puppets Kukla and Ollie in one of the cutest weeks of the later CBS run. Their puppeteer Burr Tillstrom was a friend of Gene's. In 1978, we meet Earl, the little guy who works the Super Match board, when he's late opening the answers. There's also Fannie Flagg and her famous fried egg T-shirt, which turned up several times in 1975 and 1976. 

Celebrate Easter with a basket full of weirdos in this sweet and very funny marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Easter Marathon

And here's hoping you also had a great Easter with all the people you love to match with! 

Night of the Haddon Avenue Excursion

Began the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Hattie is thrilled to share "A Hat-Tastic Hanukkah" with his friends and his father, especially after his dad says all the holiday food will be cooked on the hibachi grill. He's upset when Fergie the White Rabbit is better at cooking vegetables than him, but Alice reminds him there's still other things he can do well. It's "A Snow-Drop Summer" when Alice shares her snow cone Snow-Drops with their caterpillar friend who has never seen snow. The Snow-Drops do their work a little too well, making it snow all over Wonderland! The kids finally admit they got carried away with the snow and figure out a way to melt it.

Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. I wanted to go for a walk in Collingswood before the rain we're supposed to get all weekend arrived. Started at Occasionette. This is a lovely little gift shop filled with fancy stationary, cookbooks, ornaments, and kitchen items. Nice store, but even the sale items tend to be expensive. 

Peeked at Innergroove Records next. They were too busy with record lovers and college students looking for new music for me to prowl the dollar bins, but I found some great stuff in the 2 dollar stacks and elsewhere anyway. One was a spurge, but I've never seen it anywhere else:

The soundtracks from Diamonds are Forever, Bugsy Malone, and the 1972 animated Charlotte's Web. (The last-named has a really cute pop-up cover depicting Zuckerman's farm. It was the splurge at $17, but this is the first I've seen of it, and I do love that film.)

Something Festive, a unique Christmas collection from A&M Records that includes everyone from Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass to Liza Minnelli. Honestly, some of the titles aren't all that Christmas-y, and the cover isn't, either. You'd never know it was a holiday album unless you looked at some of the instrumental numbers. Supposedly, this is pretty rare, and it was one of the two that came out of the 2 dollar bins. (The other was Bugsy Malone.) 

Went across the street to the Collingswood Library next. Dug a book set among both wealthy blacks and poor ones migrating from the South in early 20's Chicago off the for sale shelves: 

The Mayor of Maxwell Street - Avery Cunningham

Since it's only on the next block over from the Library, I had lunch at the Pop Shop. They were very busy with hungry families and kids off for Christmas break, but I still had no trouble getting a booth. Tried their Banana Foster Bettys pancakes. Caramelized bananas and toasted walnuts with powdered sugar. I'm not the biggest walnut fan, but these weren't bad. They were also too big for me to finish in their entirety. 

I was originally going to hit the pop culture thrift shop Time Lapse next, but they were closed for their own Christmas break. I peered briefly around another thrift shop, the more elegant Clutter, before moving on. Hurried down Haddon Avenue to Samaritan Thrift in Westmont. I made it in just ten minutes before closing. I didn't really see a whole lot I wanted there, anyway. Ended up with a bright blue L.L Bean turtleneck in perfect shape.

Westmont Party is next-door to Samaritan Thrift. Though they had birthday party napkins and plates on a table outside, I was really interested in their New Year's decorations and noisemakers. I've had my New Year's accessories for at least a decade now. I found metal and paper horns, two metal twirlers (one of mine broke ages ago), a glittering gold banner, and two tiaras, one trimmed with feathers, one with garland.

Dodged traffic on Cuthbert all the way down to the Westmont Plaza. Wanted to hit up Sprouts to do my grocery shopping there. I didn't need a whole lot. Got two Nixie sodas, two more probiotic sodas, a box of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies on clearance, and a bag of loose dried cranberries. They were busy, too, but I managed to catch one of the self-checkouts when it didn't have a line.

It was almost 4 by the time I finished there. Not only was traffic on Cuthbert getting worse, so were the kids at the Westmont Plaza. Local pre-teens hang out there, probably due to the Target and Dollar Tree, but they also tend to use the parking lot as a skate park and playground...and get into the way of pedestrians, shoppers, and cars. I rushed out in a hurry.

Put on The Wild Wild West while I got organized. James and Artemis realize they've been rooked when the Albanian princess they're supposed to be protecting turns out to be an impostor. Her brother claims he wants to find her. but he really has something more sinister in mind. They must rescue her when she's hidden during a ball that turns into "The Night of the Dancing Death" and keep her brother from letting the criminal organization he belongs to take over.

Worked on the inventory next. Added the four records I found today, plus two CDs Lauren made me for our first Christmas as best friends in 2004. I made her a cassette of my favorite Christmas music, so she sent me two CDs of hers. It's mostly country and rock holiday songs, with a smattering of songs taken directly from cartoons and Christmas TV episodes. 

Checked my schedule after that. In good news, I am indeed off until New Year's Day. Two of those are just plain old days off because I ran out of vacation time, but I still wanted to enjoy my holiday week. At least I work four hours each day for the remainder of the week, and only Thursday is early.

Switched to Match Game Syndicated while I worked. They first finished up the week with Fred Grandy, Marjorie Wallace, and Gary Crosby. After that, Betty Kennedy took over Brett's seat while she was out doing a play, and we get big George Kennedy and Phyllis Diller as a very unlikely ingenue. 

Finished the night at YouTube with more Christmas game show episodes. Christmas 1988 on Card Sharks brought in a very funny older lady and a brand-new bonus round. Here, they hear a question and slide a marker to the right answer. If they're right, they win the car. Awkward and not as much fun as turning over cards, but the lady did win.

Gene Rayburn had his own trouble on Match Game '76. Near the end of the episode, he literally ran over and beat up on a cameraman when he forgot his cue! The panelists for next week are also missing (and apparently are on GSN's airings as well - CBS must have forgotten to edit them in). 

The ladies finished dominating the week on Password Plus with Gina Hecht getting to Alphabetics with Dick Gautier. They missed the big money by literally less than a second! Debralee ended up being the big winner that week, followed by Gina, Dick, and David Doyle.

Family Feud was the biggest game show on TV when the 1981 Christmas episodes debuted. All the families brought Richard Dawson something here, including a T-shirt and a stuffed mouse. The 1982 holiday episodes were lost for 40 years before Buzzr unearthed them last year. At least one family was brought back over the judges mistaking "driftwood" for "shipwreck."

We're ending our Christmas game show week with grand championships, angry hosts, and a double dose of the Feud!

Match Game (1976)

Card Sharks (1978 and 1988)

Password Plus (1980)

Family Feud (1981)

Family Feud (1982) 

The Music of Christmas

Began a sunny, chilly morning with breakfast and The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas. Ted E. Bear (Tom Smothers) is a curious fellow who desperately wants to know what this thing called Christmas is. Trouble is, most bears hibernate through December. Though the other bears think he's crazy, he pushes himself to stay awake long enough to see Christmas. He eventually stumbles into the big city, where he learns that Christmas isn't a place. It's more of a feeling, and one that's best shared with someone you love.

Messed around for a bit online, then headed out. I had a lot to do today, starting with a stop at the post office to deliver the Christmas packages going out of town. I picked the right day and time to send them off. There was no line when I arrived around noon. I handed them to the lady and gentleman behind the counter, and they got them labeled and on their way.

Rode to Collingswood next for a quick peek at Collingswood Music. The teen daughter of a friend is taking guitar and piano lessons, and I wanted to buy sheet music books that would be appropriate for an older beginner. I got one for each instrument and found a unique Christmas album for myself:

Art Garfunkel and Amy Grant - The Animals' Christmas

(Oh, and that completes my Christmas shopping. I'll be focusing on Christmas baking next week before the Acme's employee party on the 21st.) 

Headed down Haddon Avenue to have a small lunch at Koupa Espresso Bar. Unlike GrooveGround down the street, this does have a pretty decent Greek-themed lunch menu along with the usual coffee and tea drinks. I tried the Gingerbread Cold Foam Chai Latte and a slice of their Spanakopita pie. Oh yum. The tea had hints of cherry and spice along with the ginger, while the pie was thick and crusty, with lots of spinach and cheese. No wonder they were so busy when I arrived.

Phidelity Records is a few doors down on the other side of the block. I was there long enough to look over four bins of Christmas album - two for newer albums, two dollar bins for random collections from the 60's and 70's. Ended up with one brand-new album, one used but fairly unique, and one dollar collection:

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (This is the brand-new one, but $15 isn't bad for a new album.)

Two collections from the 70's, the soul and R&B Soulful Christmas and the more general The Wonderful World of Christmas

Headed down Cuthbert to Westmont Plaza next. Target didn't have toothpaste on sale, but I really liked that almond-smelling soy-based shaving gel I got last time, and it wasn't a bad price. Bought a box of acne facial patches as well. I ducked in and out quickly to beat the kids coming out of school.

Wanted to try something different at Sprouts. Rose mentioned at Thanksgiving how useful their bulk bins are when you need just enough of an ingredient for a recipe. I filled small bags with oatmeal and chocolate chips and a larger one with granulated sugar for Christmas baking next week. Got more of those yummy bulk dried mango slices, too. Found Cortland apples on a good sale and vegan oatmeal raisin cookies with a bakery clearance tag. Picked up a bag of organic shredded coconut that was only slightly more expensive than the regular sweetened stuff at the Acme. Wanted to try Poppi's seasonal Cranberry Fizz soda, but it only came in a four-pack. Four sodas aren't that much to carry home, so I bought the four-pack.

At least it was a nice day for all the running around. It was windy and much colder, in the mid-30's, but also sunny and brighter. Not much traffic around, either, except for on Cuthbert Road as I was going home, thanks to the high schools just letting out for the day.

Went straight upstairs soon as I got home. Put everything away while watching She Loves Me on YouTube. I go further into this charming 1979 BBC adaptation of the sweet 1963 stage operetta at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Musicals On TV - She Loves Me

Stayed at YouTube for two classic Muppet specials. A Muppet Family Christmas has Kermit, Fozzie, and all of the Muppet Show cast members descending on Ma Bear's farm for the holidays. Ma's not thrilled - she was going on vacation for Christmas. Doc and Sprocket from Fraggle Rock, who were renting her house, are even less pleased. Kermit is more worried about Ms. Piggy being waylaid in a snowstorm. Meanwhile, the Sesame Street Muppets turn up to put on a Christmas pageant, the Swedish Chef chases a talking turkey, and Kermit takes his nephew Robin down to meet the Fraggles and enjoy their winter holiday with them.

The earlier special John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together is more of a variety show. Piggy schemes to get a big part in one of Denver's massive production numbers and ends up doing a really wild "Christmas Is Coming" with the others. Denver's best moment is the lovely "A Baby Just Like You" and the finale "Silent Night" with the Muppets. Piggy finally gets her wish when Denver leads a group of toy soldiers to war while doll Piggy claims "I Will Wait for You."

Worked on the Seasonal inventory while I watched. Added the remaining Goodyear Great Songs of Christmas albums today, along with the oldest Happy Holidays collections I own. I've had most of the Great Songs of Christmas albums for so long, I have no clue where they came from. I know I got album five from a yard sale in 2007, but that's the only one I can remember. I found Happy Holidays Vol. 16 at the Audubon Goodwill two years ago, but I think Volume 13 came from eBay.

Watched Match Game '78 during dinner and as I started to work on the She Loves Me review. Bob Barker was very offended when the Audience Match was "Come On __" and the young woman contestant didn't call on him first for an answer! The audience was more upset when Brett answered "Dodgers" to "Brooklyn __" a bit later.

Finished the night listening to my new Christmas albums and one of the Goodyear ones. No idea what The Animals' Christmas is, other than a collection of animal-themed Christmas carols and hymns. I suspect this is an attempt to retell the legend about farm animals being able to speak on Christmas Eve. In addition to "The Friendly Beasts," we get some lesser-known holiday animal carols like "Song of the Camels" and "The Creatures of the Field." (I won't ask about "Incredible Phat.")

Soulful Christmas and The Wonderful World of Christmas are collections from probably around the mid-70's, which is about where the resemblance ends. Soulful Christmas, as you can guess from the title, features soul and R&B artists doing holiday tunes, like Brook Benton's "This Time of the Year" and "You're All I Want for Christmas" and Patti LaBelle singing "Winter Wonderland" and "Blue Christmas." Wonderful World is a more general mix. Dinah Shore does a charming "We Need a Little Christmas." I also liked Nat King Cole's "A Cradle In Bethlehem," and one that was a bit of a surprise, Anne Murray's version of the rock hit "Put Your Hand In the Hand."

Ella Fitzgerald is at her sassy best for Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas. I have her version of "Jingle Bells" elsewhere, but the others are all new to me. The surprises here are "Good Morning Blues" and "The Secret of Christmas," one of the only good things about the so-so 1959 movie Say One for Me. 

Henry Mancini Selects Great Songs of Christmas is another mid-70's attempt to bring up-to-date sounds to the traditional collection. The Carpenters' version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" joins the usual orchestras and choirs. Ella Fitzgerald is here too, singing "Sleigh Ride." 

You're Not Elected In New Jersey, Charlie Brown

Began the morning with breakfast and Doc McStuffins. "Doc McStuffins Goes to Washington" when she's one of several kids who are invited on a tour of the White House by then-first lady Michelle Obama. She tries to help a stuffed otter who has gotten damaged, but chases after her instead when she goes looking for her owner. "Winded Winnie" is a toy tiger that's supposed to blow up balloons, but is having a hard time creating wind. Doc discovers she has dust in her tubes after having been in the attic for a long time and teaches her about how asthma works in humans and why it's important to clear out one's lungs.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. First of all, I'm going to say that I intend to keep my voting and my politics private. I don't really think personal politics are something that should be discussed in a public arena. I'd rather listen to people on both sides of the political divide. 

Second, I headed to Collingswood for a stroll, some Christmas shopping, and to enjoy a beautiful day. Stopped at Collingswood Music first. I only had a few minutes to check them out during the Book Festival last month. They and Innergroove are also among the very few stores in Collingswood that are open on Tuesdays. (Collingswood Music only closes on Mondays.) They still have a lot of really good Bond soundtracks, and I dug up an interesting jazz collection, too. I came up with: 

The soundtrack from You Only Live Twice

The Rascals - Time Peace: The Rascals' Greatest Hits

Riverside: The Soul of Jazz - 1961

Headed a few blocks down to Groove Ground Coffee House. I was hoping they'd have pastries or sandwiches, like Starbucks and Common Ground. All they had was an egg sandwich on a bagel, so I took that on a spinach bagel with bacon and a frozen hot chocolate. The frozen hot chocolate was sweet, and the sandwich was filling, at least. They were the quietest I'd ever seen them, even for 1:30 in the afternoon. Two college students and an older couple who seemed to be regulars came in as I ate. I also fished the soundtrack from The Fabulous Baker Boys out of their record racks. 

Made my way across the street next to pick up a drink at WaWa. Ended up with a Mountain Dew Baja Blast Zero. Stopped at the little bath shop a few doors down to look at Christmas gifts. Ended up getting a little something for Lauren and Amanda. 

Made my way down to the Collingswood Library next to look at their books for sale. I found another recent American Girl cookbook, this one revolving around Christmas baking. Trouble was, I forgot I gave my last paper dollar to Groove Ground as a tip. I had to dig out change instead. 

After that, I figured I'd better go home, before I did something else wrong. Opted to take the long way across Newton Lake Park, past the mimosa trees and the field and where the playground used to be. It was too nice to not linger a little bit. The sun was still shining, and it was a little too warm, in the mid-70's, but windy enough to keep me cool.

Went straight upstairs after I got in and put on Hallelujah, I'm a Bum. I go further into this unique political semi-opera from 1933 with Al Jolson as the leader of a group of homeless people in New York who falls for a mysterious young woman at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Election Day Special - Hallelujah, I'm a Bum

Switched to political-themed sitcom episodes while finishing the dusting and wiping down the windows and electronics. Mike runs for "Monkee Mayor" in The Monkees when the current mayor condemns the homes of their neighbors to build a parking lot. The corrupt construction owner Mr. Zecknbush thinks he can buy Mike out, but Mike ends up being the one who really wins when he admits the truth.

Richie learns how politics works when he falls for a girl who is campaigning for Democrat Adelai Stevenson in "The Not-Making of the President" from the second season of Happy Days. Staunch Republican and Eisenhower fan Howard Cunningham is shocked at his son changing sides. He's ready to mock  his attempt at a political rally speech...until he realizes Fonzie is giving the speech for the opposing side.

"The Election" is nothing but a headache for the cops on Barney Miller. They're all trying to get to the polls, but keep getting called back by half the loonies in New York doing the same thing. A shoplifter asks to be released so he can vote, and a housewife (Brett Somers) threw a toilet out the window because her husband wouldn't let her vote Republican.

It's "Carlson for President" on WKRP In Cincinnati when Arthur runs for city council. He looks like a lock, until he accidentally blurts damaging information about one of his competitors on the air during a debate. He's so upset about it, he tries to throw the election.

The Peanuts have their own problems on the campaign trail in You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. Lucy's polls show that Chuck has no chance of becoming school president, so they nominate Linus instead. He's ahead in the polls, until he starts in on his favorite subject, the Great Pumpkin. Even later, he learns that making campaign promises you have no intention of or ability to keep may get you that big title, but they won't make you terribly popular once you're there.

Finished the night after a shower with more of the CDs I've picked up recently. Flora the Red Menace was Liza Minnelli's first big role, along with one of the earliest scores by John Kander and Fred Ebb. All their embryonic talents are on display in the story of an art student in the early 30's who joins the Communist Party after she falls for a guy who's also involved. This is really strange, but Minnelli stands out in two good songs, the lovely "A Quiet Girl" and the big finale "Sing Happy."

I've come to appreciate the genius of jazz pioneer Miles Davis over the past few months, listening to his music late at night on YouTube.  The Best of the Capitol/Blue Notes Years collects some of his most popular early work for the labels. Some of the better numbers here include "Dear Old Stockholm," "Tempus Fugit," "It Never Entered My Mind," and "Somethin' Else." 

Night of the Love Boat

Began the morning with breakfast and PAW Patrol. The "Pups Save Friendship Day" when Mayor Goodway breaks her arm and can't deliver all the cards for Friendship Day. Mayor Humdinger turns it into a competition to see who can be the friendliest town and tries to send his own vegetable candy. What he doesn't count on are rabbits getting into the candy and floating away on balloons, or one of his cats joining them. 

Headed out after that. My first stop was the Haddon Township Library for this week's job counseling session and to return the books I took out last week. Dawn and I ended up applying to a travel office, the Mercedes-Benz in Cherry Hill, and a security firm. All are secretarial and receptionist jobs. None of them sound that overly exciting, but they're jobs, and I need to get out of the Acme.

Left Dawn doing work on her laptop around 12:30 and rode to Collingswood for lunch. I hadn't eaten at the Pop Shop since Lauren visited in June. They were pretty quiet despite it being 1 PM, just after the lunch hour. They're famous in South Jersey for their many variations on grilled cheese, so I tried the one on their fall menu with apples, bacon, and three cheeses. Oh yum. The apples complimented the gooey cheese perfectly, and the bacon was cooked just well enough. Had it with crunchy-salty tater tots. 

Walked around Collingswood for the next few hours. Dug up Huey Lewis and the News' first hit album Picture This and a plush Care Bear at Time Lapse. I'd never heard of Laugh-a-Lot Bear. She must have been created for the most recent version of the show on Cartoon Network. She's a gold cutie with a bright red clown's nose and a goofy star with its tongue out as her tummy symbol. She'll be a great gal pal for the smaller Cheer Bear I picked up a few years ago.

Since it's around the corner anyway, my next stop was Collingswood Music. Once again, I didn't find a lot, but I did dig up some interesting stuff. Actually, my best find was a biography of original Who drummer Keith Moon, Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock Legend, for $8. I also got John Lennon's last posthumous album with Yoko Ono, Milk and Honey.

Did much better at Innergroove Records two blocks down Haddon Avenue. I promised myself I wouldn't spend over 20 on anything today, and I already pushed that with the Care Bear. I managed to dig a whole pile of interesting albums out of the 1 and 2 dollar bins here:

Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House - A Disney vintage spooky sounds album with a great scary cover depicting an old house against a graveyard. I laughed so hard when I found this! My guy friend Matt discussed this at his blog Dinosaur Dracula just yesterday. I mentioned in the comments that I hadn't found it yet...and it turned up less than 24 hours later. 

Frank Sinatra - A Man and His Music

Johnny Mathis - Open Fire, Two Guitars and Warm (a "Deluxe 2-Record Gift Set")

The original cast album for the 1964 Steve Lawrence vehicle What Makes Sammy Run?

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - Going Places (Ehh, everyone probably has at least one Tijuana Brass album laying around in their collection. This one features what's likely their two most iconic numbers, "Tijuana Taxi" and "Spanish Flea.")

Doubled back to Sprouts after that to finish my grocery shopping. Picked up two boxes of Olyra breakfast cookies, four cans of Olipop soda on sale, coconut milk, Hint water for the ride home, and more dried pineapple and cinnamon almonds from the bins. The pineapple and almonds cost a bit more this time...but oh, were they worth it, especially the perfectly sweet-crispy nuts.

Put on an episode of The Wild Wild West when I got home. "The Night of the Tottering Tontine" gets into Murder By Death territory when Jim West and Artemis Gordon discover someone's killing the members of a tontine, group of investors who have their own laws stating that the last remaining member will gain all their assets...including the secret weapon one member is developing. Members have been dying mysteriously even before West, Gordon, and the remaining number are trapped in the secret room of a creepy old mansion.

Got my schedule online at this point. While I didn't get as many hours, I still have more than got earlier in the summer. Three days off this time, but also two early days. It's probably a good thing, as I intend to spend most of next week getting ready for my vacation the week after. 

Worked on the inventory next. Added the two rock albums I bought today, plus Subways are for Sleeping, Sugar (the first Broadway version of Some Like It Hot from the 70's), the burlesque revue Sugar Babies, and Sunday In the Park With George. Subways goes back the furthest here. I bought it from the now-defunct Friends In Deed Thrift Shop in Collingswood around 2009. 

Switched to Match Game '73 during dinner. The first episode was the one with Gene coming out in that infamously ugly green and red plaid suit. He looked so awful, even the panelists wouldn't turn his way. Gene wasn't the only wild thing going on in that episode, either. Towards the end of the episode, after the contestant won the Head-to-Head, most of the panelists just got up, ran off the stage, and randomly hugged and kissed audience members. Fannie Flagg smooched a very lucky guy, while Jack Carter ended up in some lady's lap. Patti Deustch made her debut in the second episode, joined for the first and only time by Jim "Mr. Magoo" Backus.

Finished the night with more classic TV shows on Paramount Plus and Tubi. Captain Steubing is worried on The Love Boat when his gambler buddy (Gene Barry) makes Vicki think she can easily make money without working. His friend takes the pearls he gave Vicki to the casino to teach her a lesson in "Vicki and the Gambler." One lady (Vicki Lawrence) discovers that "Love With a Skinny Stranger" isn't easy when her now-slender fiancee (Charles Siebert) keeps attracting lovely ladies. Two married former crooks (Kaye Ballard and Jesse White) spring a retired safecracker (Jack Gilford) from jail to reunite "That Old Gang of Mine" for one last score. 

In addition to the appearance with his band mates in the third season of Laugh-In, Davy Jones also turned up solo on a mid-second season episode. They especially seemed to like pairing him with noisy, oversized Jo Anne Worley, but Goldie Hawn and Ruth Buzzi got their chance to ogle him, too. Nipsey Russell, Greer Garson, and a pre-Hart to Hart Robert Wagner toss out the short blurbs and bits here. 

Hot Jazz Harvest

Began the morning with breakfast and more Scooby Doo Show. "The Chiller Diller Theater" introduces Scooby's female cousin, Scooby Dee, who is starring in the remake of an older thriller. When she's attacked by the ghost of the original film's late star Milo Booth, the others help the private eye who was assigned as her bodyguard figure out who's after her and why. Things get even scarier when Dee is replaced by an imposter, and the kids find themselves trapped in the mausoleum of Milo Booth himself!

Headed out after that to run errands. The Collingswood Farm Market was busy with people buying produce for their 4th of July Weekend barbecues, despite the overwhelming heat and humidity. The summer harvest continues to roll out. Strawberries are gone, but I saw peppers, eggplant, blackberries, plums, local tomatoes, yellow squash, and corn for the first time this week. Bought cherries, peaches, plums, blueberries, and peas for a snack this week. 

Took a short stroll in Collingswood next. I had no other plans and really wasn't in a hurry. Stopped at WaWa first for a Propel strawberry-kiwi water. Bought a container of toffee cashews, a bag of matcha chocolate-covered almonds, and sliced cheddar cheese for lunch at Haddon Culinary and yummy coconut macaroons at Dulce Artisanal Pastry. Innergroove Records was too busy with young record lovers for me to do a lot of exploring, but I did come up with three jazz records, one a classic: 

Muggsy Spanier & Sidney Bechet - Ragtime Jazz

Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out

Jazz collection with songs by Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, and Wardell Gray

(The Dave Brubeck Quartet was the splurge at $19.99, but that's the cheapest I've ever seen it, and it was in near-mint shape. I found it right at the front of the jazz new arrivals bin. The owner said he put it out just yesterday!)

I did go home after I got my macaroons. It was just too hot to do much more walking. It jumped into the mid-90's here. It was supposed to rain yesterday, and then today. I never saw rain. Not one raindrop. It just keeps getting hotter. I'm surprised at how busy Collingswood was. I was far from the only person milling around Innergroove, and a big group of young people came into Dulce Artisanal Pastry just as I was leaving. 

Went straight into watching Laff-a-Lympics while putting everything away when I got home. The competition in the "Africa" jungle did not begin well. No one won the jungle boat race, either due to the Rottens' cheating, or them not being able to or wanting to go over Victoria Falls. They all ended up back at the start, with the Rottens in the negative. The vine swinging went better. Dread Baron won this one, though Yogi had some pretty impressive moves, too. Orful Octopus didn't need to cheat to use his 8 legs to make first in the roller skating race through "San Francisco," followed by tiny Pixie and Dixie. The Dread Baron, however, got caught cheating by resident skinny hungry dudes Shaggy and Tinker in the fishing contest. Daisy Mayhem only came up with Jabberjaw, but Auggie Doggie and Doggy Daddy really caught the big one!

Switched to Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater while having lunch. Kitty is the sweet sister and Catnip her bratty sibling in "Kitty and the Beast." They stay with a pig-penguin (Tuxedo Sam), but leave him to help their father. Kitty, however, realizes how much he means to her and goes back. "Little Red Riding Bunny" is My Melody, a sweet miss who heads out west to visit her grandmother and ends up dodging a hungry wolf (Grinder) and Belle Catnip and her gang.

The reason I did that episode was as a lead-in to Red Riding Hood. I go further into this unusual live-action fairy tale spoof from 2006 at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - Red Riding Hood (2006)

Did quick cleaning while Red Riding Hood was on. I basically ran the dust cloth over anything that showed. I'm not planning on doing anything major up here for a while. Vacuumed and Swiftered the floors and wiped down the window and electronics.

Switched to records while working on the review for Red Riding Hood. Been wanting to pick up something for Barenaked Ladies for a while. Some of my favorites songs of theirs are on Original Hits, Original Stars, including "Falling For the First Time," "Pinch," "It's All Been Done," "One Week," and the hilarious theme from the long-running sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Ragtime Jazz turned out to be less ragtime and more jazzy versions of songs from the 1910's and 20's. I liked "Sweet Sue, Just You," "Lazy River," and "That's a Plenty."

Finished the night with dinner and the Match Game Saturday Classics marathon on YouTube. Gene Rayburn may have loved his long microphone that could telescope up and down, but it caused him no end of problems. It was perpetually breaking, falling apart, or getting lost. Once, Gene lost the ball off the top. Another time, his regular one wasn't working, and they basically stopped the show so everyone could help him find his spare. It literally broke apart in his hands at the end of a PM episode. 

Gene and the stagehands often came up with creative replacements. There was the episode where Fannie drooled over handsome young schoolteacher Ron Valenti that started with Gene hauling around a huge old radio microphone. Someone handed him a lighter old-time radio mic on another show. Another had a paper lightning bolt on his microphone to keep it from crackling. An audience member made him a glitter-trimmed champagne pink microphone. He complained about having to use a short but sturdier microphone in a syndicated episode...but as short and sturdy Arte Johnson pointed out, some people had to deal with a lot more than a microphone being small!

Check out the ongoing saga of Gene and his favorite piece of equipment onstage in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Saturday Night Classics - Microphone Trouble On Set!

Downtown

Began the morning with Family Feud. They jumped to 1989 and the week where Bob Barker, the show's producer, and three models from The Price Is Right played the cast of The Young and the Restless. Turns out that Bob and his ladies know about more than pricing games. They were winning when we finally headed out.

It was a gorgeous day to walk into Collingswood. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the breeze was deliciously cool, and it was warmer than yesterday without being overly so like it's supposed to be later this week. We strolled through the park, enjoying the shade and giggling at the adorable little chipmunk who ran out to greet us. 

We arrived at the Pop Shop for brunch around quarter after 11. I had the Bananas Foster "Bettys," aka pancakes with caramelized bananas and walnuts. Lauren had the Magill Grilled Cheese with three different kind of cheeses and tater tots. She shared her tater tots with me when she couldn't finish them all. Unlike the Bananas Foster Waffle I had there a few years ago, the bananas and walnuts were actually baked into the pancakes, and not too big to eat in one setting. 

Given the Pop Shop has won awards for its ice cream concoctions, we had to try some ice cream. We both went simple with ice cream sodas. She had a cherry float with Cherry Coke, cherry syrup, and vanilla ice cream. I went with Coke and coffee ice cream. They came in adorable little mason jar mugs topped high with whipped cream that overflowed when they were brought to us. My coffee ice cream and Coke complimented each other nicely. Lauren seemed to enjoy her cherry float, too.

(And we got there at just the right time. Even as we finished our sodas, the Pop Shop had begun to fill up with noisy families and kids who got off of school early.) 

There were two stores we missed in Collingswood and Westmont on Saturday that we still wanted to check out. I thought Lauren would love Secret Comics, a huge comic book store on Haddon Avenue that replaced a gym a few years ago. I didn't buy anything, but she came out with two Nightwing comics she'd been looking for and a Funko Pop Sophia from The Golden Girls for a guy friend. Two adorable little kids buying toys with their dad said they liked my new Pokemon backpack, which was sweet of them.

Samaritan Thrift in Westmont closes at 3, earlier than most of the small stores in South Jersey. They were busy with women on their lunch break looking for bargains. Lauren found a blouse in a nice brown print. I picked up two CDs.

After that, we headed down to the Westmont PATCO train station behind Santander Bank. We got in at the right time. The train arrived quickly, and it was barely half-full when we rumbled into the 9th/10th Street Station in Philadelphia.

Rustic Music is a block from the 10th Street PATCO entrance. I wanted to check out at least one of the Philly music or book stores while we were in town. I hadn't been to this tiny store in over a decade. They may be small, but they have a good selection. Lauren bought three CDs. I walked out with two CDs and six records. We were even treated to an impromptu jam session by a young man trying out one of the guitars and discussing vintage guitar lines with the owner while we were there.

Between Rustic Music and Samaritan Thrift, I came up with four CDs:

Original Broadway cast albums for Avenue Q and the 1999 Bernadette Peters Annie Get Your Gun revival

Frank Sinatra - Come Fly With Me

Bob Marley and the Wailers - Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers

And seven records:

Soundtrack for Give My Regards to Broad Street and a triple Jane Powell MGM soundtrack collection featuring Nancy Goes to Rio, Royal Wedding, and Rich, Young, and Pretty

The K-Tel collection Star Power

Stars of the Silver Screen 1929-1930, a collection of songs from early sound films (some of them now otherwise lost)

Stan Kenton - Encores

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - Greatest Hits Vol. 2

Martha and the Vandellas - Greatest Hits

The reason I wanted to visit Rustic Music is it's only a few blocks down 10th Street from Market Street and the Fashion District. We walked down there, then turned another two blocks to the huge Macy's. The Macy's in downtown Philly is massive, three stories of clothes, shoes, housewares, and toys. They used to be Wanamaker's before Macy's bought the brand. We really wanted to use the bathroom, but you need to ask a salesperson for a combination to open the locks. I bought nothing here, but Lauren picked up some shirts. 

Headed down a very busy Market Street around 4 PM to check out Primark. This Irish department store mostly sells casual t-shirts, shorts, slacks, and blouses, along with a lot of Disney and cartoon branded items. I looked at Disney-print sleep shirts, but ultimately decided I didn't really need them and just went to the bathroom in the main mall. Lauren did pick up a shirt. 

We took the elevator to the third floor to check out their Round 1. It's much smaller than the one in Deptford, but it does have some games they don't. I played the Star Wars pinball machine and tried a game similar to Whack-a-Mole, only you hit buttons and whack an on-screen alligator. The ring toss didn't work and I couldn't find the skee ball, but I did spin the Monster Wheels and the Pirate's Wheel, tried their Wheel of Fortune wheel, shot baskets, and did a different ring toss with larger rubber rings you tried to get on spokes. 

Lauren decided to save her points for when we get together in September, but I found something I've wanted for a while. Cute green-eyed Beanie Baby tiger Tiggy with his teeny little smile has been on the rack with other Beanie Babies at the Acme for ages. I think he's darling. I considered getting another one with Tiggy, but decided I too would otherwise wait for the fall.

We were going to hit Burlington Coat Factory next, but we saw a guy only letting a woman in through a barrier. That wasn't something we wanted to deal with after a security guard almost literally chased us down at Round 1 to check our bags. We just ended up taking a half-full PATCO home instead.

Stopped at WaWa for a drink on the way home. Neither of us were really up to anything fancy this time. I bought a Propel. She walked out with a Coke Spiced Zero. 

After we got in, we had a fancy lobster dinner with a friend and her family. Relaxed before we ate with Match Game Syndicated. Jon Bauman in Bowser greaser mode and sweet Gina Hecht joined in this week. Jon showed off his musical ability by playing the Match Game think music on the toy piano provided to musicians on the show. 

After our long walk, I wasn't up to much more than finishing the night with The New Scooby Doo Movies.  "Guess Who's Knott Coming to Dinner?" The Mystery Inc kids, who are stranded at a mysterious mansion when all they're trying to do is ask for directions. The butler, maid, and several pirates all look familiar...and they learn why when Don Knotts reveals he's been in disguise to ferret out the ghosts who plague a wealthy sea captain who has gone missing. Knotts thinks they're the captain's nephews who are after his loot. The kids and Scooby not only prove otherwise, they help him find the real culprits. 

A Lovely Way to Spend an Afternoon

I slept in so late and got so caught up finishing Rhythm and Clues, it was past noon when I got going. I ate a quick breakfast while watching Press Your Luck. Came in during the second half, just in time to see one guy Whammy out. The lady did too, leaving one guy to play against the house. He eventually won over $2,600, not bad after he hit two Whammies himself. His luck ran out in the next show when a Nebraska law school student managed to be the only one to pick up any cash.

Headed out as the second episode was ending. I had to run a few errands in Collingswood, and it had been a while since I had a nice walk there. Since I've visited Innergroove Records several times over the past few months, I decided to give equal time to the other record store about two blocks away. Collingswood Music is mainly a musical instrument and music lessons store, but it also has a darn good selection of records. I ended up with:

They had a lot of vintage James Bond soundtracks. It was a hard choice, but I finally went with Moonraker (still sealed!), The Spy Who Loved Me, and Octopussy. 

Bernadette Peters - Bernadette Peters (The kid at the desk said he was waiting to see who finally bought this one, considering they had three copies of it in the dollar racks.) 

The Age of Television 

Hooray for Hollywood (Collection of songs and some dialogue from Busby Berkeley Warners movies of the 30's.) 

Ralph Marterie and His Marlboro Men - Music for a Private Eye (themes from 60's detective shows)

Four episodes from The Adventures of Superman old-time radio show

Made my way down Haddon Avenue after I finally made my selection. It was such a lovely day, bright blue, sunny, and still really warm, it made up for a lot of stores in Collingswood being closed on Tuesdays. Thankfully, their library was open. I checked out their shelves and bins of books and DVDs for sale and  ended up with two recent hardback mysteries, Steeped In Malice by Vicky Delany and A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G Herren. 

Backtracked a block to Sabrina's Cafe for lunch. I'm glad I went when I did. I got there around quarter after 2, and they close at 3. They were still surprisingly busy for so late in the afternoon, with several of the long, blocky wooden and metal tables remaining full. I went with one of their seasonal specials, Wheels French Toast, a coconut French toast with blueberry-lemon compote. I was expecting two slices of French toast and some blueberries. What I got was four perfectly-cooked slices of thick coconut French toast swimming in sweet blueberry-lemon compote and topped with whipped cream, toasted coconut, and crunchy coconut streusel. Oh, yum! Sweet, fruity, and just heavenly. 

Had one last stop to make at PNC Bank on the way out. By the time I doubled back two blocks to the banks, there was a line for the outside ATM machines. There was a shorter one inside, too, but I opted to wait there instead. Went in, got my money, and went out.

Headed home after that. I noticed when I locked my bike at the rack behind the Senior Center that it was starting to look grimy. It was time to give it a good scrub. I can't remember the last time I washed my bike. I took it around the back with one of my new washcloths bought from Marshalls and Pine-Sol and gave it as good of a cleaning as I could. It looks a little less dusty, at any rate.

Went upstairs to rest and watch It Ain't Hay. I go further into this Abbott and Costello race track vehicle based on a Damon Runyon story at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

It Ain't Hay

Had no luck with job searching, so I worked on writing instead after the movie ended. Kathleen is surprised when the snow starts. It had been relatively warm just moments before! She hurries off to find shelter as the snow gets worse.

(Oh, and at this point, I saw glimpses of two new Julie outfits at Instagram and on an American Girl blog. One has her in blue shorts and a rainbow pastel heart-print t-shirt that honestly looks more appropriate for 80's girl Courtney. The other, a lavender and teal granny-square crocheted vest and purple skirt, screams 70's as loudly as possible. I might have to get both for Ariel, or at least the granny square one.) 

Broke for dinner and Match Game '77 at 7 PM. The first episode began with Charles joking about Brett's white jacket making her look like a nurse. The others are more interested in commenting on the lady wearing a shirt that said "Baby" with an arrow pointing at her stomach. The second show has everyone singing "On Top of Old Smokey" as an answer to a question about where Ranger Smith ends up when he falls out of his tower.

Finished the night listening to some of my recent record finds as I worked on my It Ain't Hay review. The Johnny Mathis album I Just Found Out About Love would seem to be a special collection of songs with music by Jimmy McHugh intended for the Columbia Music Club. I do have "Sunny Side of the Street" elsewhere, but the other songs are new to me. My favorites were the opening "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" and "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street." 

Hooray for Hollywood brings together many songs and some bits of dialogue from Busby Berkeley/Warner Bros musicals of the 1930's. I was pleased to see that they didn't always go with the obvious choices, here. Among the rarer songs are "Spin a Little Web of Dreams" from the semi-musical Fashions of 1934, "The Lady In Red" from In Caliente, and "I'm Going Shopping With You" and "The Words are the Music In My Heart" from Gold Diggers of 1935. Surprisingly, two major Berkeley films of the period - Gold Diggers of 1933 and my favorite, Footlight Parade - are not represented. Still, it's nice to have songs from movies that don't turn up as often nowadays. 

Falling Into Parades

Began the morning with breakfast and Charlie & Lola. "I Really, Really Need Actual Ice Skates" Lola begs when she sees a friend skating at the local rink. She was supposed to be saving the money her grandparents gave her for a scooter. Turns out skating is a lot harder than it looks...but her guy buddy is having an equally difficult time with his scooter...

Hurried out after that. The Collingswood Christmas Parade starts at 10 AM. It's the big holiday parade in Camden County. They were already packed two and three deep when I finally arrived. I tried to buy a hot chocolate, but they were out at WaWa, and the line at Grooveground Coffee Shop almost went out the door. I ignored the biting cold day and bought three pretzels from the members of Collingswood High's wrestling team instead.

I finally found a space to settle about a block from the corner of Haddon and Collings Avenues, in front of Exit 4 Escape Rooms and across from Marlene's Dress Shop. There weren't as many floats as usual, but some of them got really creative. Oaklyn and Collingswood's preschool had a penguin theme, with kids and adults carrying stuffed or wooden penguins and two people waddling around in penguin costumes. There were two Frozen floats. The Oaklyn Elementary School's version had Olaf enjoying his warm hugs in a tropical getaway of colorful neon crepe paper and paper palm trees.  One of the two karate troops definitely won for most creative float. They were "Santa's Secret Service," with elf ears and red and green karate belts. There were at least four groups of classic cars. The Grinch drove one snazzy sports car; a stuffed Minnie Mouse perched on a reindeer on the roof of another. Collingswood Bike Share rode decorated bikes, while the children of the Zane North Elementary School pushed scooters. 

I counted at least five dance troupes, including Ovations from Oaklyn. Three bands of Mummers strutted their stuff. One had a pirate theme; the others were just bright colors, spangles, and feathers. Camden High School's band really got into their routine. Their high strutting dancers and musicians moved to the music with a dance as vibrant as their purple and gold uniforms. Collingswood High School's flag brigade swung and tossed and caught gossamer translucent flags that more closely resembled fairies' wings. Two stilt walkers, a toy solder and an elf, delighted the kids with their juggling and high-fives. I saw people dressed as Frosty and Crystal, Raggedy Ann and Andy, Sam I Am from Green Eggs and Ham, the Grinch, and another penguin who clearly didn't want to be there.

Collingswood is always a mess after the parade. I rushed back to my bike to hightail it out of there. Even that proved to be difficult. I had to dodge not only cars, but locals walking to their own homes. At least it was a gorgeous day for it. Sunny and breezy, but cold and crisp, not even in the 40's at quarter of noon.

Stopped at Koupa Espresso Bar on Haddon Avenue in Westmont to finally get a warm drink. They're an ultra-modern coffee shop a few doors down from Phidelity Records. I originally wanted a Gingerbread Chai Latte, but they were out of the syrup. Finally settled at the bar by the window with a Maple Chai Latte. Very sweet and VERY spicy, but quite warming on such a cold day.

Phidelity Records was open when I finished my drinks. Didn't pick up a lot, but I did find a Christmas present for Amanda and a few things for me: 

Original Broadway cast album for the 1969 musical vehicle for Katherine Hepburn Coco

K-Tel albums Music Machine and 2 Power Hits Vol. 2

Christmas Jazz - Collection of holiday jazz that includes Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra (This one was a dollar CD.)

Went across the street to Samaritan Thrift after that. I'm not normally a fan of turtlenecks, but I found a really cute red one with a pretty Christmassy-print. Also picked up a cute gift for Amanda. As it turned out, I couldn't afford anything else. They only took cash, and I gave most of my money to the wrestling team.

I was riding along Cuthbert in front of the Acme when I turned...and almost ran into one of the telephone wires next to the phone pole. I missed it, but the bike and I went crashing to the ground. The bike was fine, but I was not. My right big toe hurt like heck, even in my heavy Bearclaw boot. My wrist was sore, and my right knee was a bloody mess. And I had a hole in my brand-new corduroys! I was furious with myself. Some people walking down the street did help me up, but I was able to walk well enough to go on my way. Good thing the hills are so steep on that part of Cuthbert, I'd be walking and pushing the bike up hills anyhow.

Did manage to make it to Cuthbert to do the shopping I'd planned on. Picked up coconut milk and breakfast sandwich cookies at Sprouts. I also found jars of apple cider spread and pumpkin spice spread on clearance for 99 cents that looked intriguing. Cleaned up my knee here, too. Good thing I always carry Band-Aids in my purse. I had debated skipping Target, but my accident made stopping there necessary. I picked up a wrist wrap and cold compresses along with my favorite cinnamon sugar cashews. Grabbed a Diet Pepsi while waiting in a long line.

Thank heavens, my knee held out long enough to get me home on the bike. Needless to say, I went straight upstairs after that. Watched Berry Merry Christmas from the 2003 version of Strawberry Shortcake as I got organized and rested. Strawberry wants to find the perfect presents for all her friends. Honey Pie Pony suggests that they go to Holiday Land, where Santa Claus lives, to find them. Strawberry travels far and wide to find just the right present. Honey Pie keeps pushing saddles, but Strawberry reminds her that she's not shopping for her. When she thinks her presents are ruined, the others tell her they're just happy she's home, but there is a nice surprise waiting at the end!

Switched to Muppet Treasure Island after the cartoon ended. I go further into the Muppet retelling of the classic Robert Lewis Stevenson pirate novel at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - Muppet Treasure Island

Managed to get into my bedroom to do some writing after that. Cora tells the gentle hunchback she wishes he wouldn't let Stephen bully him so much. When she's running the castle, she'll make sure he's treated better. She's about to lean over and kiss his cheek when she hears an angry shout...

Listened to one of my new K-Tel albums while I worked. Music Machine had some really great songs, some of the best I'd seen on these collections. Favorites included "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb, "Don't Give Up On Us" by David Soul, "Gonna Fly Now" by Bill Conti, "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry, "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, "Beth" by KISS, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John, and "You and Me" by Alice Cooper.

Broke for dinner at 7:30. Watched The Love Boat while I ate. In the fifth season, Julie is "Green, but Not Jolly" when Gopher's bottle of hair dye turns her newly platinum locks bright emerald. A man (Bert Convy) who believes in reincarnation thinks he's found his "Past Perfect Love" when he sees a woman (Tanya Roberts) who looks just like the lady he loved 100 years ago. A bachelor football coach (John Phillip Law) finds an "Instant Family" when he falls for a single mother (Lynda Day George) with a mentally disabled son (Corey Feldman). 

Switched to the original 1938 version of The Buccaneer at Kanopy after I ate. The pirate in question is Jean Lafitte (Frederic March), who operated in New Orleans during the War of 1812. He wishes to marry wealthy Annette de Remy (Margot Grahame), but she wants him to give up piracy. Governor Clairbourne (Douglass Dumbrille) has put a price on his head. Jean is furious when his man Captain Brown (Robert Barrat) blows the American ship the Corinthian, despite his order not to touch American ships. The sole survivor is Dutch woman Gretchen (Franciska Gaal), who had to walk the plank. Jean rescues the young lady and lets her work as a maid for him.

The British offer Lafitte money to guide them through the swamps around New Orleans. He would rather offer his aid to General Andrew Jackson (Hugh Sothern), but Jackson doesn't trust him and jails his men. Lafitte releases them and helps Jackson rout the British army. He's now hailed as a hero, but then what happened to the Corinthian comes out at the victory ball when Annette sees Gretchen wearing a cameo that belonged to her sister who was lost with the ship. It'll take all Lefitte's cunning to escape being hanged and get his men and Gretchen out as well.

Cecil B DeMille directed this movie, and it sure does look like it. It's huge in every sense of the word, with giant war battles on land and on sea, massive ships, stunning costumes, and lavish sets. March is fine as Lafitte and Dumbrille does well enough as Clairbourne, but others don't work out as well. Gaal's squeaky little voice and her modern mannerisms make her all wrong for a historical role. Still, it's recommended for fans of DeMille's work or those who love a good pirate yarn like me. 

Last Harvest Day

Began the morning with breakfast and Care Bears Family on Tubi. A little boy has to make a speech for his Thanksgiving town festival, but is shocked when everyone is too grumpy to come out for it. He and Share Bear discovers that Sour Sam has given everyone - including several Care Bears and Cousins - his Crabby Apple Pies that have turned everyone cranky. "Gram Bear's Thanksgiving Surprise" is that she's become quite a bit more hip and youthful...but she can still make her Happy Apple Pies and encourage the boy to make sure that his town remembers the importance of being thankful.

Hurried out after that. It was 11 AM, and I wanted to hit the farm market before they closed for the year. Once again, there were far more craft booths than produce tables, but I still found Asian pears, lovely little gala apples, herb and garlic cheddar cheese, and multi-grain bread. Saw many people buying broccoli, greens, apples, and cauliflower for Thanksgiving and birthday parties. I had a harder time with the bakery booths. Apple cider donuts and pretzel rings were gone, and the multi-grain loaf was the cheapest one they had left. 

Went across the street to WaWa for a treat. Though I'd try their Caramel Apple Smoothie. It was...ok. Too sweet. It did taste like apple, but there was more caramel than apple. Considering how busy they were, I used the self-checkout and got out as quickly as I could.

I completely forgot there's two record stores in Collingswood. Collingswood Music is hidden down a side street. Fortunately, they open earlier on Saturdays. They don't have quite the selection that Innergroove does down the street as they also sell musical instruments and lessons, but I did come up with:

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - the original off-Broadway cast for this 1964 musical adaptation of the James Thurber short story.

Soundtracks for National Lampoon's Animal House and Superman III

The rest of my time in Collingswood didn't go nearly as well. I put my caramel apple smoothie near a door in order to check out the Time Lapse thrift shop. I didn't know anyone lived over it! Just a few minutes later, a college girl came in whining that someone left their "nasty drink" on the door and she cleaned it up. I didn't tell her it was mine. I didn't feel like being yelled at, and I felt bad enough. 

Saw a pile of records at the Dig This 60's furniture shop. Some man told me that they weren't for sale. When I pointed out that they were clearly left on the sale floor. he snapped that he played them in the store. I left quickly after that. Haddon Culinary was too busy to find much and expensive, too. Didn't see anything I wanted at Clutter Thrift Shop, the Occasionette gift shop, another gift shop with a coffee bar that specialized in leather goods. 

I was so upset and frustrated with myself, I wandered into the library. I didn't see anything I wanted on their sale racks, either. Went upstairs to sit down and collect myself while I colored an Indian design with colored pencils at one of the Teen Area tables. 

After that, I felt calm enough to head home. At least it was a nice day for all of this. Windy, yes, and colder than it has been, but sunny and bright, probably in the lower 50's. Just right for this time of year. I considered going to Dollar General, then decided I'd do that on Monday.

When I got home, I had lunch and put everything away while watching Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving. I go further into this anthology of A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving and two New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh shorts at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in an entry from 2021.

Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving 

Switched to the 1973 Filmation version of Treasure Island after I ate. I also go further into their second crack at British literature at the Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - Treasure Island (1973)

Moved to writing after the pirates ended and I took an early shower. Cora tries to stop Harron from harming Stephen, but he throws a leash and collar around the prostrated king and tells him he's nothing more than a servant. He then turns on Cora and is about to attack her when she wakes up screaming. It was a bad dream, but she suspects it was telling her something very important...

Listened to one of my Firestone Christmas albums while I worked. I have all seven of these. I've always loved the covers, with their huge bows and mistletoe against bright-colored backgrounds. They just scream "late 50's-early 60's Christmas" to me. My mother had a couple that used to belong to her mother in the 1980's. We used to listen to them when we decorated our Christmas tree. Rise Stevens and tenor Brian Sullivan are the main performers on numbers like "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Carol of the Bells," and two medleys of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "The First Noel" and "Away In a Manger" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." 

Finished the night on YouTube. Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra didn't get quite as into Thanksgiving as they did some other holidays, but they did do a few really fun episodes devoted to it. The 1973 show opens with everyone on their way "Home for the Holidays." Guy and Ralna insist "Ya'll Come to See Us," while the female singers remind us to "Count Your Blessings." Motherly Normal Zimmer wants to "Bless This House." Arthur Duncan celebrates by tapping away to the "Stealer's Waltz." Bobby Burgess and Cissy King do a waltz to "Somewhere My Love," then finish with a sprightly polka.

I have fond memories of catching the 1978 Thanksgiving episode in college. They open the episode with the rousing "On This Thanksgiving Day." Mary Lou Metzinger thinks Jack Imel is a chef and asks him "What'cha Got Cookin'?" Bobby and Cissy's Native dance in rather ridiculous Indian costumes works a lot less well today.  Guy and Ralna get "Count Your Blessings" here. Ken Delo reminds the older folks in the audience to "Button Up Your Overcoat."Arthur dedicates his number in this episode to "Dear Hearts and Gentle People." Anacani performs a lovely Spanish hymn, "May You Go With God." 

"Home for the Holidays" also opens their final Thanksgiving show in 1981. Guy and Ralna's ballad here is "A House With Love In It." Anacani picks up the pace with a Spanish-language version of "Put Your Hand In the Hand." Close friends and partners Ken Delo and Arthur Duncan go "Back In Your Own Backyard" as they recall why everyone wants so badly to get home for Thanksgiving. Bobby and his new partner Elaine Niverson get their square dance on for "Turkey In the Straw" and "Polly Wolly Doodle." Joe Feeny reminds everyone to "Be Thankful," while country singers Ava Barber and Jim Turner join in for "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma." The show ends with "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You" in honor of its author, Meredith Wilson.

Celebrate Thanksgiving with your family and Lawrence Welk's!

Thanksgiving Show - 1973

Thanksgiving Show - 1978

Thanksgiving Show - 1981

Finished the night with this Saturday's Match Game marathon. Character actor Robert Donner, best-known for his work in Mork & Mindy, made his first appearance on the show late in 1979. He would continue as a semi-regular through syndication and The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. His dour demeanor, no-nonsense sense of humor, and nifty artwork on his cards really livened up some of the later syndicated episodes. Once, his answer was so bad, Gene sent him down to talk to the contestant whose answer had been equally odd. He got to see soap star Heather Thomas show off her tight, backless striped dress and hear Charles and Brett bicker over whether or not he stole her answers. Charles, who had so often been scolded by Brett for not wearing socks, would really hear about it when he walked around on the shag carpeting barefoot. Then there was the time almost everyone on the panel but Marcia Wallace walked off the set due to some bad answer. 

Donner may have had even more fun on Hollywood Squares Hour. On his last week of the show, he decided he wasn't getting enough attention and hired a guy he called Crazy George to play a drum and scream loudly in the crowd whenever he gave his answer. George was so noisy, he unnerved several viewers watching the show online! Needless to say, Robert was the only person in the studio who thought this was a good idea. Gene eventually had to subdue the guy.

Drum up a little out-of-this-world fun with this wild and wacky marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Robert Donner On the Panel

The Music of Fall

Got some much-needed sleep again. Started off the day with a very small breakfast and Match Game '77. The first episode ended with a contestant performing a gospel number onstage. She had such a gorgeous voice, the panelists and audience ended up clapping along. Richard wasn't happy in the second show when producer Bobby Sherman refused to match his "toasted" with "warm buns"...and his frustration with his answer being rejected would explode in the next episode and the coming weeks...

Got organized, then headed out. I had planned on doing shopping in Collingswood, but first of all, I got a late start. It was past quarter after 1 when I locked my bike behind their Community Center. Second, thought it was sunny, windy, and fairly warm at that point, there were dark clouds coming up on the horizon. 

Since I didn't have much of a breakfast, I started with lunch at Sabrina's Cafe. Besides, they close at 3. They were still pretty busy when I walked in the door, but I managed to get a table between a mother and daughter and a couple of college-age gal pals. I had the same meal I did when I came here with Jessa a couple of months ago, half of the Cali-Turkey sandwich, a small cup of tomato bisque, and sweet potato fries. At least, that's what I originally ordered. They brought regular fries, but eventually came out with a bowl of sweet potato fries. Who am I to argue over free fries? Anyway, both the regular and sweet potato versions were so delicious, crispy and crunchy, that I was glad to try both.

Headed to Innergroove Records next. They were also busy for a Tuesday afternoon. I didn't really feel like spending an hour sitting on the floor, bent over their dollar bins. At least I found something good among the regular stacks. I've been looking for the soundtrack to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for years. It cost me $10, more than most of the albums in the store, but not too horrible. 

I did manage to dig something out of the dollar stacks. I figure The Life Treasury of Christmas goes along with The Time Life Book of Christmas I found back in August. There's a lot of older holiday music on this one, including a Gregorian chant, "Masters of This Hall," and "Huron Indian Carol."

Hurried across the street to the Collingswood Library to use the bathroom next. I didn't see anything interesting on the free books cart and moved on. Nothing I wanted at Haddon Culinary on the next block, either. 

Made my way down Atlantic Avenue and across a busy Cuthbert to the Krispy Kreme on the corner of Cuthbert and Haddon Avenues. Normally, on the rare occasion I want a doughnut, I get it from McMillan's Bakery down the street. Krispy Kreme was doing a Scooby Doo promotion, with the characters cut from chocolate and placed on spooky donuts done in purple and orange icing. I tried the cookies and cream-filled with deep purple icing, cookies and cream sprinkles, and a chocolate ghoul on the top. Not bad. Not as sweet as I figured it would be. Still not something I'd do all the time, though.

Headed across Haddon Avenue to Westmont next. Phildelity Records carries DVDs and CDs along with records. I did much better here. After nearly an hour of checking the $2 record crates and DVD shelves, I came up with: 

Son of Paleface on Kino Lorber DVD

Whitney: The Greatest Hits, a two-disc CD set

The original cast albums for the Irving Berlin show Miss Liberty and Jerry Herman's first major Broadway show Milk & Honey

The soundtrack for That's Dancing

Broadway Basie's Way -  Count Basie and His Orchestra

Sophisticated Lady - Music of Duke Ellington and Others

Went straight home and into Scared Stiff after that. I go further into this musical remake of The Ghost Breakers with Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and in her last film, Carmen Miranda at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Scared Stiff (1953)

Broke at 7 PM for dinner and Match Game '79. Bill Daily, Joe Santos of The Rockford Files, and sweet Lorrie Mahaffey of Happy Days joined the regulars and Marcia Wallace here. Marcia spent a lot of the episodes trying to calm her goofy and excitable Bob Newhart Show co-star. In the second episode, Brett comes out to admire and straighten Gene's actually rather attractive gray and blue suit.

Finished the night online after a shower working on my review and watching Halloween specials. Disney Plus released Mickey & Friends: Trick or Treats earlier this month. This nifty stop-motion half-hour short depicts what happens when Donald convinces the rest of the crew to bother Witch Hazel from "Trick or Treat" one too many times. The grouchy witch finally turns them into their costumes. Daisy's not complaining about being a princess and Goofy enjoys floating around as a ghost, but Minnie can't handle her spider legs, Mickey isn't thrilled about his three monstrous eyes, and Don definitely doesn't like being a frog! The equally scary residents of Hazel's household help them gather what they need for the antidote.

Moved to YouTube for The Paul Lynde Halloween Special. This may be the most 70's piece of programming in existence. Lynde joins his housekeeper Margaret (Hamilton) at her sister's house. Turns out her sister is Billie "Witchiepoo" Hayes, Margaret is the Wicked Witch of the West, and the house is haunted. 

After Lynde is rejected by Miss Halloween (Betty White), the witches give him three wishes. He first imagines himself as a macho truck driver courting a waitress (Roz Kelly), with Tim Conway as his rival. His second wish has him as a sheik trying to court a frosty British lady (Florence Henderson). Conway is a member of the French Foreign Legion. The third wish belongs to the witches, who want a disco party right in their own house. In between, KISS plays "Detroit Rock City," "Beth," and "King of the Knight World" and the Osmonds annoy Lynde. 

If you love Lynde, KISS, or any of the above performers, or have been looking for a vintage Halloween variety special like the ones that used to turn up at Christmas, this is highly recommended and is just too wild for words.