Cinnamon Sweet

Began the morning with oatmeal for breakfast and The Pirates of Dark Water. Niddler is frustrated with too many orders from the humans on the Wraith and too few melons. He's thrilled to be declared "King Niddler" on an island inhabited by non-flying colorful monkeys. What he doesn't know is they expect him to kill the monster that has been terrifying them for decades. Niddler learns just how important his friends are to him when they and one of the female monkeys end up helping him beat the monster and get the treasure he was guarding. 

Went online after the cartoon ended and made an appointment with PNC Bank. I need to talk to them about a loan and what I can reasonably afford in a condo. They told me to wait two years last year, but...I can't do that. I need a home of my own. I can't stay in an attic forever. I tried calling Alyssa again, but I still didn't get her. If I don't hear from her by next week, I'm going to assume she's not interested and will start looking for other ways to get loans.

Went downstairs next to make Cinnamon Strusel Muffins. Krusteaz mixes are on a really good sale at the Acme this week. I thought muffins would be easier to store than a coffee cake or loaf and make a nice lunch or snack. I also wanted to use up ingredients leftover from the baking on St. Patrick's Day and Easter. The last of the buttermilk replaced the water the box called for, and I added the last of the white chocolate chips from the Easter lemon cookies. Oh yuuuummm! They came out perfectly. The buttermilk made them super moist, and the little morsels of white chocolate added a sweet, creamy note. Smelled great baking in the oven, too.

Had a quick lunch while watching Sailor Moon. I felt like something goofy, so I went to the second half of the first season for "Love and Chased: Luna's Worst Day Ever." Usagi's cat Luna is having a rough time when she's twice chased by local alley cats. She's rescued both times by a plump cat named Rhett Butler who is sweet on her. The Sailor Guardians think his little girl owner holds the Rainbow Crystal they're looking for, but Mamoru - and nasty Zoycite - know it's much closer than they think.

Headed out to the Thomas Sharp School with plenty of time to park my bike before my shift began. I found the kids and the other teachers in the hall, with the kids and their backpacks leaning against the wall. They couldn't use the cafeteria because the music class was finishing, and they couldn't use the library because of the book fair. The kids weren't complaining too much. Most of them were happily reading, coloring, or playing with their purchases from the Book Fair.

We had quite a crowd today. There were 24 kids all together, 10 in my group. Honestly, they all could have been a lot worse. Mine were mostly fine in the bathrooms. They did get a little noisy in the cafeteria, but the head teacher headed off any attempts at beating each other up by cutting off their play time early and reading to them instead. I did have to pull one of the boys away from another when he tried to grab his toy cars. The kid was so grateful, he sat next to me until we went outside.

Things went much better once we got out to the playground. For one thing, there were far fewer of them by that point. Most of them went home between 4 and 4:30. By 4:30, we figured there was few enough for them to go on the swings. They were so funny! One little boy pretended he was an airplane. A little girl asked to go higher and higher! I did have to tell one of the older boys not to throw mulch while he swung, but I think he liked it when I grabbed a swing and joined him. We listened to "You've Got a Friend In Me" from Toy Story, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, and songs from KPop Demon Hunters before the battery on the speaker finally died. By the time I left at 5:15, they took the remaining two little boys inside to play with the remaining six older kids.

When I got home, I took out the trash, grabbed leftovers for dinner, and finished cleaning up the baking mess. Watched Match Game '91 while I ate. Most of the episodes finished the week with three queens of supreme sarcasm, Marcia Wallace, Pam Stone, and Vicki Lawrence. Deadpan Stone with her dry Southern wit is honestly one of my favorite panelists who is exclusive to Match Game '90. Brad Garrett and Sally Struthers returned to join Charles Nelson Reilly in the last episode.

Switched to The Persuaders! after dinner. Brett's saying "That's Me Over There" when a friend of his is murdered after gathering evidence on a crooked businessman, who then has Brett himself kidnapped. Danny has to play his friend and partner at a big auction in order to get evidence from a pretty female informant (Suzan Farmer).

Finished the night with some Good Eats. Not only was "Top Banana" the last episode from the DVDs I found on vacation last fall I hadn't watched, but I did just have a banana with lunch. Alton shows how sweet, nutrition-packed bananas can replace eggs in ice cream, make terrific Bananas Foster, and how the plaintain differs from your typical Cavendish banana. It kicks off with a hilarious spoof of Raiders of the Lost Ark that makes use of the fact that someone apparently fibbed and told Alton he had a banana plantation, when it was really just a lot of banana trees in his backyard. 

What Could Be Better Than This?

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy have to find six eggs that lead to "Mickey's Springtime Surprise" Mickey and Minnie hid. Funny Bunny Pete is determined to hide the eggs and keep them hopping, but the others figure out how to get around his tricks and pranks.

Stayed at Disney Plus for Zootopia 2. Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) have only been partners on the Zootopia Police Force for a week, but they're already showing signs of fracturing. Judy finds a snake skin during a smuggling raid and is convinced snakes are involved somehow, but reptiles haven't been seen in Zootopia for a hundred years. 

Infiltrating a gala ball celebrating Zootopia's 100th anniversary, they encounter white lynx Pawbert Lynxley (Andy Samberg), the nerdy runt of Zootopia's mafia-like founding family, and pit viper Gary De'Snake (Ke Hu Quan), who uses Pawbert's father Milton (David Straitham) to steal the journal with the notes on the creation of the walls that regular Zootopia's climate zones. Milton threatens to kill Gary to protect the journals, and when Judy won't destroy them, he frames her and Nick. Now Judy and Nick are on the run, searching through the lowest reaches of Zootopia for evidence that the Lynxleys aren't the big founders they claim to be, and that reptiles are more important to Zootopia than anyone wants to believe.

I can see why this was a huge hit last November. For one thing, this corrected some of my problems with the original. The villains are more menacing and not quite so obvious, the characters have more to do, and the story is more interesting and less obvious. Goodwin and Bateman may be even funnier and more touching here, and Quan's Gary is touching and hilarious. The real winner here is Samberg, who manages to make Pawbert both adorably awkward and almost terrifying, especially towards the end. Violence and some surprisingly dark themes make this for older elementary school mystery lovers and those who were huge fans of the first film.

Spent most of the morning doing more research on agencies that might be able to help me get a home. The big one is the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. There's also New Jersey Citizen Action and the Camden County First Time Homebuyer's Program. I'm way, way under the financial limit for all three, I have good credit, and I have two jobs, one of which I've been doing for 27 years. I'll start checking further into these and making phone calls next week.

Went for a short walk to briefly test my knee and enjoy the gorgeous weather. It was sunny, breezy, and ridiculously warm for March, probably in the mid-70's at 1 PM. I got a cheesesteak-filled pretzel, two soft pretzels, and a can of Diet Pepsi from A&A Pretzels for lunch, then headed back on home. 

Had lunch while watching two fruit-based episodes of Good Eats. In "Apple Family Values" (the very first episode to cover fruit back in 2000),  Alton shows how to make yummy baked apples, crisp Waldorf Salad, and how to use the microwave to make perfect applesauce. "Strawberry Sky" gives us a look at one of my favorite fruits, with macerated strawberries, strawberry pudding (which is really more of a strawberry bread pudding), and strawberries and cream.

Called Uber after the strawberry episode ended. Alas, I couldn't get a ride for 13 minutes, which meant I was slightly late to the Thomas Sharp School. I got in almost 8 minutes late.

That was the worst thing that happened all day. We had 24 kids all together, 8 at my table. They cleaned up pretty fast and weren't too bad in the bathrooms...because they wanted to go outside and enjoy this gorgeous weather, too. In fact, we weren't inside for more than 20 minutes after snack time ended. The kids spent the entire rest of the afternoon outside on the playground and had a marvelous time doing so. They chased bubbles and each other, dancing to "Pup Pup Boogie" from Paw Patrol, "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, the themes from PJ Masks and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the kid dance songs "Swab the Decks" and "The Checkout Song," and songs from Moana, Moana 2, and KPop Demon Hunters. 

Once we were down to 6 kids, they were allowed on the swings. I even got to push them, which they loved. I got some good out of hauling all those carts around! The remaining five older kids had just joined the four younger kids that were left when I finished my shift. I even walked home, so I could keep enjoying that lovely weather.

Put on The Unsinkable Molly Brown when I got home. I go further into this 1964 biography of the pioneering Colorado high society lady played by a game Debbie Reynolds at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Finished the night at YouTube with The Bernstein Bears Play Ball in honor of baseball season starting today. I went further into this and the Easter special Peter and the Magic Egg at my musical blog back in late March 2024. 

The Bernstein Bears Play Ball

Spooky Angels

Started off the day with breakfast and Good Eats. Figured the "Breakfast Eats" DVD was more than appropriate. "Oats Culture" is likely more appreciated now than it was when this episode was filmed in the early 2000's. People have since discovered the delights and practicality of oatmeal cooked overnight in the microwave or slow cooker. Steel-cut and whole oats have become more popular too as more people search for healthy grains and alternatives to gluten-heavy wheat products.

Likewise, "Yogurt: Good Milk Gone Bad," which I watched while pulling out the winter clothes, is also better-appreciated today. I still think it's a bit too labor-intensive to make my own, though the yogurt cheese doesn't seem as bad. And I'd love to make my own frozen yogurt!

Dusted the rooms while watching "True Brew II: Mr. Tea." This is where I respectfully disagree with Alton. I generally use tea bags. They're a lot less fussy than playing around with loose-leaf tea. I do agree with his method for making iced tea, though I generally prefer mine without sugar.

Watched Charlie's Angels as I finished up the dusting. In "Of Ghosts and Angels," Tiffany is having nightmares about a dark-haired woman being pushed downstairs. She visits with a good friend of hers from college...and realizes that some malevolent force may be after her friend, and her friend's new husband isn't nearly as perfect as he seems.

Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while putting up the Halloween decorations and having lunch. Daniel and Katarina are over at the Merry-Go-Round Museum while they figure out what to dress as for Dress-Up Day. Daniel is his hero Tigey the Adventure Tiger. Miss Elainia has to make her robot costume. Katarina can't decide what to be...until the other two remind her that you can be more than one thing. "Katarina's Costume" blends elements of everything she loves. O the Owl is upset when his traffic lights costume is damaged during the "Dress Up Day" parade. Daniel has to help O figure out what else he wants to be.

Headed out to school a little early to drop off a bag of clothes in the bins behind Dollar General. When I got into school, I found the kids waiting in the hall with their backpacks, reading books. The school band rehearsal ran overtime, and the kids couldn't use the library due to the Book Fair being set up there. (And lucky kids! I'm so happy they still do book fairs at schools. Those were always among the highlights of the school year for me.)

Not only did we get outside today, but the teachers let them stay out for an extra 10-15 minutes. It was cloudy, windy, and humid, but also cool enough for the kids to run around and not get too hot. It's not supposed to be this nice tomorrow! The kids were fascinated by men setting up a roadblock outside the school and a nondescript cop car with lights flashing. Some of them watched the car until it turned around and went back down the street. And they all love it when I push them on the swings! I get so many requests for that, especially from the littlest ones who can't really push themselves on their own.

Went straight home and worked on a new idea for another WENN fanfic. This is going to be one of my first fairy tales for 2026 along with C.J and the Beanstalk, and it's a cross between two ideas. Betty is feeling overlooked during the 4th season - not to mention, she sees Maple flirting with Victor and realizes she might not have that many problems with it and hears Hilary and Jeff argue over Pavla again. She's supposed to be writing the script for "Cinderella," but why go the usual route? What if Cinderella had another reason for dancing at the ball than getting the prince?

So Betty is now the overlooked scribe who is convinced by Queen Gertie and King Tom (Eldridge) to attend a ball held by Lady Pavla. Lady Pavla seems glamorous on the outside, but there's a lot of red flags with her. She took over the household of Lady Maple and Lord Victor when they just vanished...and shortly before she arrived, dragons began terrorizing the kingdoms, stealing gold and burning buildings. Every knight in the kingdom has disappeared trying to find out what's going on. Lady Hilary, who has quite a bit of fairy magic, gives Betty gowns that will mask her identity, glass slippers that can't be heard, and a cape that will let her slip around unseen. Queen Gertie is worried about her son Scott being at the ball as well, as she fears he may do something rash.

Betty arrives to find Pavla the absolute measure of glamour and sweetness, carrying around a red-furred poodle who does dancing tricks. Something is very off about her, and Betty will learn by midnight that Pavla is far more than she appears at the surface.

Don't look for this one before 2026. I still have too many ideas I want to work on now, including finishing Maplepunzel.

Watched Paramount on Parade while I worked. I go further into this charming revue from 1930 at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Paramount on Parade

Finished the night with Match Game '76. Jimmie Walker was delighted to flirt with a pretty young contestant who made her own stylish clothes and kept winning. Gene just did his best to keep Jimmie from drumming up the crowd for his bad answers. 

Games On a Sunny Day

Started the morning with a late breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Alice always says "Where There's a Whisk, There's a Way," and her statement gets put to the test when one of the glasses-birds from the Tulgey Wood takes off with her beloved whisk. The Queen of Hearts helps her find it, and teaches her more about the delights of Wonderland in the process. Hattie is thrilled when his hats made from fruit leather take off in a big way. Turns out, people are more interested in eating them than wearing them! Hattie is mortified, until his father reminds him that saying "Hats Away!" isn't a bad thing, and the important thing is people like his designs, no matter how impermanent they are.

I had a hard time trying to activate my replacement credit card. First, I couldn't find the page to do it online. Then I had to wait forever to get someone to activate it by phone. At least the lady who took my call was really sweet and helpful when I did get her. At any rate, it has been activated, which is good. My old one hasn't been able to tap in almost two years. 

Switched to Good Eats while vacuuming and Swiftering the floors. "I Pie" is the first of two Alton episodes revolving around making pies. Here, the pie in question is lemon meringue. I'm glad he had more luck with that one than me. I couldn't get the meringue right on my only attempt, and it ended up soupy and gloppy.

Alton's sister Marsha talks him into bringing donuts for her Wilderness Bunnies bake sale. Of course, Alton doesn't buy them. He teaches his sister and the audience about "The Circle of Life," showing how to make yeast cake donuts and vanilla and chocolate glaze. I have made donuts before, but I don't trust frying. I think I'll stick to Mom's recipe and baking them in those donut pans she gave me a few years ago.

Headed out after the donut episode ended to run errands and have lunch. First stop was the bank for late rent money. I stopped at one of the outside ATM machines, got money, and was on my way.

Had lunch at Crust N' Cravings. Given it was almost 2 by the time I arrived, they weren't terribly busy. The only other people there were the guys who make the pizza taking a break in the back. I enjoyed delicious slices of cheese and pepperoni while watching a local talk and food show. I even finished with enough time to enjoy a short ride around the block in front of the school before I headed to Thomas Sharp.

The kids were absolutely delighted to go outside today. It would have been a crime for them not to! The weather was stunning, blue and gold and breezy, if a bit too warm and dry for October. They had a blast chasing each other, playing tag, digging in the mulch under the shady trees, and dancing to "Do the Flamingo," The Wiggle Dance," "Sharks In the Water," and songs from Frozen and KPop Demon Hunters. The kids all wanted hugs, and they loved it when I pushed them on the swings! All that hauling 35-packs of water around was good for something. I found a ladybug climbing on the fence with one of the boys, too. He was really fascinated by how he could climb until he flew away. 

We had a reading session with one of the teachers earlier, too. They love Pete the Cat! She started reading something else, then just opted to let them sing along with the story of a cat and his many-colored sneakers. We did "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" too. It was funny to watch the kids try to keep up with the song!

It was such a beautiful day, I took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. I'm surprised I didn't dodge more people there. I guess everyone was at dinner. Only some of the trees are starting to turn colors here. Unlike up in Pittsfield, most trees here remain green and a bit dry. The grass is already turning brown in spots. We really do need more rain!

When I got home, I worked on Maplepunzel. Maple is looking for Scott and finally finds him in Pittsburgh Village. He's asking the local editor of the village newspaper (I couldn't resist Ed Asner in a cameo as a fantasy Lou Grant) if he has a reporter named Abernathy on his staff. No sir, he does not. Maple manages to drag Scott out before he falls asleep on Lou's block letters. Maple manages to keep Scott awake long enough to give him the scrolls she wrote for the Queen. 

As they head back, they see Abernathy and Brumpton slink into an alley. Pavla's meeting them there. Turns out they're the ones putting the drugs in the coffee...because they work for Pavla and Berlainia. Actually, they work for Philla Kingdom, who wants part of Wennaria for themselves. Scott almost falling over alerts them to their presence. They just barely escape, but Pavla knows that someone is aware of their scheme...

Watched Buzzr while I worked. They've finally moved to the late 80's Price Is Right episodes. Boy, talk about your rush of nostalgia. This is the Price I knew and loved when I was the age of the older kids in the after-school program. Bob has white hair, Rod Roddy is announcing in his glittery jackets, and the Showcases are really, really weird. Here, the "story" showcase had Janice the Astronaut discovering "little known planets" based around a soda fountain machine, a brass bed, and a speedboat.

While Price jumps ahead, Match Game jumps backwards to 1976. Ultimate grouch Joey Bishop made his first appearance this week, and Arlene Francis made her first in several years. As obnoxious as he could be, Joey did have a point that the audience seemed to be extra-ornery in these episodes. Meanwhile, Charles and Brett are happier picking on each other, and Joyce Bulifant is happier picking on Gene.

Finished the night with British game shows that have yet to travel to this side of the pond. The Great Egg Race, for instance, involves groups of guys trying to turn an egg into a powered mini-vehicle. Weird idea, but while slow, it's also fascinating to watch how these guys put these strange contraptions together powered by nothing but ordinary eggs.

We seriously need to get cracking on a US version of Cluedo, because I loved the British one. The first half of the show has all the usual characters from Clue/Cluedo played by actors (some of them surprisingly prestigious) who enact a murder plot. The second half of the show brings out the actors to be questioned by a celebrity panel. The winner is the first one to guess the person, the room, and the weapon, as in the real game. I thought this was a blast. The game play was genuinely interesting, and the mini-plots were their own nifty soap opera mysteries. 

Let's get Have I Got News for You over here, too. This is a lot simpler. Basically, it's Match Game Riffs on Current Events, as the panelists (including one American) identify news stories from silent video clips, identify stories, links through various stories, and identifying publications. The news hasn't been this hilarious in years. The real interest was watching some very funny people spoof current events and have a wonderful time doing so.

Catchword and A Question of Sport drift into quiz territory. Catchword is basically Bumper Stumpers without the car theme. Contestants see a series of letters and have to get words from those letters. Simple but addictive, especially if you love words. A Question of Sport is just that, a very long-running sports quiz show. It went so long, it started in the 70's and only just ended in 2023. 

Ask the Family is a calmer cross between Family Feud and Jeopardy. Two families answer questions and solve mental puzzles, with children and parents working together or separately. Not the most exciting show in the universe, but it did run from 1967 through 1984, with unsuccessful revivals in 1999 and 2005.

Take a trip across the pond without leaving home with these British delights!

Ask the Family (1978)

The Great Egg Race (1979)

A Question of Sport (1985)

Catchword (1989)

Cluedo (1991)

Have I Got News for You (1996)

Dolls In the Sunshine

Began my day with a late breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. Huckle and Billy get caught up trying to be "The Winners" in Busytown's big running race. Huckle learns a lesson in good sportsmanship when Billy's hurt and he stops to help. Mexican boy Manuel has a big imagination and is always goofing off. His mother says "No More Games, Manuel!" after she thinks he's hurt during his latest game. Manuel discovers why real jungle exploring isn't a game when he and two explorers get trapped in crumbling ruins. Pig Will and Pig Won't insist "We Won't Go to the Doctor" after they hear what they think is the doctor working on Scotty Dog. They do every trick in the book to stall their mother before Scotty finally explains what they really heard.

Took the laundry downstairs, then vacuumed and ran the Swifter in my rooms. Listened to the Julie Andrews Rose-Marie record I found yesterday while I worked. I believe this version of the 1924 operetta is from the mid-late 50's, probably around the time she made a splash in My Fair Lady. At the least, she does sound believable as the Canadian singer who falls for a trapper and dodges the attention of a wealthy businessman. Frances Day isn't a bad Lady Jane, but Meier Tzelniker's Hard Boiled Herman is annoying, and Giorgio Tozzi is a bit stiff as Jim. I do commend this for including all but the opening number and a second ballad for Herman and Jane, something that didn't always happen with 50's studio recordings. And yes, "Indian Love Call" does sound beautiful here.

Before I left, I finally called Abilities Solutions. Turns out yes, they'd gotten me another counselor, Bryanna. I called her, but caught her as she was driving. She sounds a lot younger and perkier than my previous two counselors...which may be what I need. I'd love to have someone who knows a bit more about the online job market and more up-to-date jobs, not to mention someone who won't be retiring anytime soon or leave abruptly over expensive insurance rates. At any rate, we'll be getting together at 10 AM on Thursday.

Headed out after I finished my call and moved the laundry to the dryer. It was too nice to hang out inside all day. Though it was still chilly, it wasn't frigid like yesterday. It was sunny and breezy, probably in the lower-mid 40's. I dropped a bag of clothes into the donation bin behind Dollar General, then crossed the White Horse Pike and strolled down Newton Avenue. Grabbed the coffee-table book The Golden Age of Jazz by William P. Gottlieb from the kiosk in front of the former Oaklyn Library. Wawa was busy with kids out of school, but I was still able to order a chicken-bacon ranch wrap (with real chicken, not deli meat), vegetable chips, and a Baja Blast Mountain Dew Zero.

Did two episodes of the Good Eats set I found a while back while eating lunch, making my bed, and bringing the laundry upstairs. "For Whom the Cheese Melts" has Alton explaining cheese in its many forms, showing how it's made and why it's important to choose the right cheese for melting. Things get a little goofy when he uses two football players to explain the war between two religions in Switzerland and how fondue was used as a peace treaty, and when he uses two pans as a sandwich maker for a late-night grilled cheese snack.

"A Bowl of Onion" is one of the earliest episodes from Season 1. It mostly focuses on the many types of onions, especially sweet onions, and how to cook them for the perfect French Onion Soup. (I also like him encouraging the use of an electric skillet for this recipe. My mother had one for years that she loved and used for everything from steak to pancakes.)

Dressed the dolls for early spring and St. Patrick's Day after "Bowl of Onion" ended. Kit wears her Birthday Wrap Dress with the coral pink sweater from her Photographer Outfit and white t-straps. Elizabeth's Summer Gown is a celery green that's really more appropriate for Felicity. Its quilted petticoat makes it more spring than summer. Molly is in the shamrock-print dress I found at a yard sale years ago. Josefina wears her Harvest Outfit with the sage-green print skirt and long-sleeved embroidered camisa. I'm so glad I bought Samantha's Special Day Dress when I did in 2015! It looks so pretty on her, and it costs an arm and a leg on eBay now. 

Ariel wears another hard-to-find retired outfit, Julie's Calico Dress. Whitney is in a yellow, red, and green flower print Queen's Treasures dress with a net petticoat and ruffly Peter Pan collar. Barbara Jean goes daringly mod in a psychedelic-print mini-dress, white fur vest, and soft white go-go boots. Jessa wears the turtleneck from the Girl Scouts outfit with the green print, the pants from the original Blue Jean Basics set, yellow socks, and Springfield Collection sneakers. 

Listened to the remaining two records I picked up from Goodwill the other day while working on the dolls. I believe the copy of Carousel I found is the original cast album release from 1948. The record is heavy, and though it's not in the best of shape, it played just fine. "Billy's Soliloquy" has him going further into what it would be like to have a daughter in a passage that was apparently cut right before opening and can only be found here. John Raitt sounds fine, especially on the soliloquy, but Jan Clayton is a bit on the bland side, and sounds too much like Jean Darling, the girl playing Carrie. 

Mary Martin Sings Richard Rodgers Plays is exactly what it says on the tin. Martin performs songs written by Rodgers with Oscar Hammerstein or Lorenz Hart, sometimes with just him on the piano, sometimes with a full orchestra. Her "Getting to Know You" is so charming, I wish she'd done The King and I. She also does well by some rare Rodgers-Hart material, including "Moon of My Delight" from the 1928 flop Chee-Chee, "Sleepy Head" from the revue Garrick Gaieties, and the delightfully macabre "To Keep My Love Alive" from the 1943 revival of A Connecticut Yankee. 

Put on Match Game Syndicated after the episodes ended. Bart Braverman spent most of the first episode trying to flirt with Debralee Scott and looking a little jealous of the attention tall, handsome blond Jim Staal got from Brett and Charles. Phyllis Diller made her first appearance in the second episode, and wasn't too happy when Gene pulled out his breath spray and aimed for a kiss. Fred Travelena tossed out voices next to her.

Finished the night on YouTube after a shower with some of my favorite female panelists on Match Game. Of course, we must start with Brett Somers. Brett came on the show during its third week in 1973 on the suggestion of her then-husband Jack Klugman, who wanted her to get out the house. I suspect he had no idea she'd get a career out of it. Brett would remain for the entire 1973-1982 run and turned up for three memorable weeks in 1990 at the request of her favorite drinking buddy Charles Nelson Reilly. Her wicked sense of humor, infectious laugh, and banter with Charles, Betty White, and others offset her tendency to hog the spotlight and complain about anything she didn't like, including long questions and women in the 4th seat who were younger than her.

Speaking of the 4th seat, probably my favorite lady who regularly sat there was Lee Merriweather. She initially turned up in 1973 and would appear off and on through 1981. Her offbeat sense of humor and ability to fend off Richard Dawson and Gene Rayburn's advances matched her beauty and intelligence. One of her last appearances saw her doing a kickline with Fannie Flagg to explain the Rockettes to a British contestant that was the hit of the episode!

Fannie Flagg was one of the most popular regulars in the 6th "comedienne" seat. She also turned up in 1973 and would appear straight through to 1981 and was a semi-regular on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour as well. Years before she wrote Fried Green Tomatoes, she was a relatively well-known comedy writer and actress on records and TV. Her acting experience probably explains her fondness for dressing up. The episode I have here has her posing as Brett's nurse in the outfit she wore for her cameo in Grease as the school nurse who insists her caster oil has already gone missing. 

Fannie and Betty White loved to tease Brett and Charles, but they had their own fun as well. Despite her frequently claiming she wasn't fond of sitting in the sixth seat, Betty was probably the best woman who played there. She almost never failed to give the right answer, or at least one that made something like sense. She got along extremely well with Richard and often did jokes with him, like the time they imitated Brett and Charles in this 1977 PM episode.

It's no surprise that acerbic Marcia Wallace became Brett's best female friend in later years. They shared the same salty and pointed sense of humor. Marcia could occasionally get a little too salty, as in this 1977 PM episode where she's censored for giving a naughty answer to where a guy lost a few inches. Marcia first appeared in 1974, but she really came into her own during the syndicated run and later in Match Game-Hollywood Squares and the 1990 show. 

Debralee Scott started out in the ingenue seat, but though she may have been one of the younger semi-regulars, she was too spicy to be an ingenue. When she wasn't flirting with panelists or fighting with Ira over her answer, she was teasing Gene and Brett and getting quite a few right answers. Since her first episode ran in the 1976 marathon yesterday, I went with her second episode, where she got to hear Gene fuss over a smaller microphone.

I really wish Rita Moreno had appeared in more of the series. She was one of the funniest semi-regulars from the syndicated years, sassy and spontaneous. Here, you get to see her briefly host a question when Gene gets fed up with the audience reactions to the panel's answers.

Sweet Joyce Bulifant first turned up in 1974 and was a frequent semi-regular through 1981. She wasn't the best at actually matching the contestant, but her good-natured and child-like demeanor made her a nice contrast to the crustier panelists like Brett. She could also occasionally dig up a rather wicked sense of humor, especially when tossing digs at Gene. By far my favorite of her episodes is the one from early in 1979 where she gets to show off her dance training by joining a contestant for some terrific jitterbugging.

Celebrate Women's History Month with the delightfully off-the-wall antics of the best female panelists on Match Game! 

Match Game (1976) - Debralee Scott

Match Game (1977) - Brett Somers

Match Game PM (1977) - Marcia Wallace

Match Game PM (1977) - Betty White

Match Game (1977) - Fannie Flagg

Match Game (1979) - Joyce Bulifant

Match Game Syndicated (1980) - Rita Moreno

Match Game Syndicated (1981) - Lee Merriweather

Rainy Daze

Awoke to pouring rain...which wouldn't have concerned me as much if they didn't come with blustery 40-mile-an-hour winds. Though the rain slowed down slightly as I ate breakfast, it still wasn't a day for riding bikes. I called Uber; got them in less than ten minutes, not bad for a rainy morning.

Work was, once again, a mess almost the entire afternoon. While no one screamed at me this time, a lot of people are really annoyed about having to buy bags constantly when they forget them. I just wish they'd either be better about bringing them, or do what other folks do and take them outside to bag them. I'm just tired of the grumbling about something we really can't do much about...and maybe should have been doing much sooner. I've been bringing my own bags to the store for years, mainly because it's hard to carry paper and plastic bags on bikes. Didn't help that we had long lines, despite actually having help for most of the day.

Picked up a few things after work. The big one was a 12-pack of Propel. They actually had a pack with a three-flavor variety. Found more salt-free cashews on the clearance shelves in the back...and forgot what I really wanted, which was salads for later in the week.

Despite the rain having taken a temporary leave of absence by quarter of 5, I still had a hard time finding an Uber home. It took over 20 minutes for one to arrive. He was prompt when he did come, though, and even managed to find a quick away around the White Horse Pike being closed off due to an accident.

Went straight upstairs when I got home. Watched Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while changing and getting organized. "Daniel Likes to Be With Dad" when he takes him shell-hunting on the beach and to the Enchanted Garden. Dan Sr. is disappointed when his surprise at the Clock Factory doesn't work the way he wants it to, but his son assures him that he's just happy to be with him. "Daniel Likes to Be With Mom" when they fix her old wagon together.

Took an early shower, then came back upstairs and had leftovers for dinner while watching an early Good Eats episode. He wonders "For Whom the Cheese Melts" when he visits a good cheese shop and sees how gouda is made. This leads into the perfect pot of fondue and a quick method of making grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Finished the night online with My Blue Heaven at Amazon Prime. I go further into the story of a dance team who are desperate to adopt a child at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Happy Mother's Day! - My Blue Heaven (1950)

Incidentally, it's continued to rain and blow, sometimes heavily, off and on for the rest of the night. 

Hard Times Under the Sun

Slept in this morning; started the day with oatmeal and grapes for breakfast while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Feels Two Feelings" when he is happy to play with his baby sister Margaret, but disappointed when she can't join him, O, and Katerina. He's happy when X teaches them to fly a kite, and frustrated when it won't get off the ground. X and Mrs. Tiger insist you can feel two things, and that's ok. He's scared and excited to ride the Ferris Wheel at "The Neighborhood Carnival." Prince Wednesday tosses rings on milk bottles with him until he's ready to ride.

Headed out shortly after the episode ended. Work was a bit of a pain. Three cashiers called out this morning, probably due to the aftereffects of holiday celebrations and the Eagles' big win. The head bagger had to take a register...which meant later in the day, they had to pull me to gather carts. Today is the first day of the month, too, and a lot of people who just got government money are doing their shopping. At least the weather was gorgeous. Sunny, bright, windy and warm, but not overly so for this time of year.

No trouble with Uber either way. The one picking me up arrived in less than five minutes. The one going home took more like fifteen, but it was the start of rush hour. Hit no traffic, and both rides went smoothly.

Tried to write that letter explaining my financial situation when I got home, but I wasn't sure how to begin. What can I say? How do you explain something like this? Nothing seemed right. I should probably call Rose, but she keeps talking about how busy she is. I'll look up a template for this tomorrow.

Finally went into writing instead. Jack and the card guards attempt to attack Brett, but as she points out, they're nothing but a pack of cards. Betty can't reach her to take off her head, either. The Cheshire Catwoman poofs down below to cause even more chaos. Meanwhile, the Red King is still trying to convince Allen and Betty to give up the kingdom...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. I was going to try making an Italian dip with white beans, but it turns out I had no white beans. Just ended up making a black bean stove-top casserole with green peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Not bad, actually. Turned out much better than it should have, given its tossed-together origins. 

Watched Match Game '77 while I tried to figure out what to do about dinner. The panel had an extremely hard time figuring out the answer to the Audience Match "Huey __," especially when one answer was a political figure most of them didn't recognize. They had an even more difficult time dealing with a contestant with a pompadour that made him resemble a 50's rock star. 

Did the dishes during Match Game PM. The Audience Match got kind of crazy here, too. At a loss to figure out a third answer for "Mad as __," Charles Nelson Reilly blurted out "Mad as Sylvia." Bill Daily had an easier time with "Heads __" during the Head to Head. 

Took down the Halloween decorations while watching the original Good Eats. I completely forgot about that set I found at the Collingswood Book Festival last month. Since I'm thinking of making a pie sometime in the near future, I ran "Crust Never Sleeps" from the second season. My pie pastries always come out too heavy or don't come together. Alton claims that the way to make it tender and flaky at once (and avoid being pummeled by boxing puppets) is to use butter and shortening. I don't know. That sounds even heavier to me. 

Finished out the night after a shower with Charlie's Angels on The Roku Channel. Jill becomes a "Mother Angel" in the third season when she has to watch over an 11-year-old girl who witnessed a murder. This poor-little-rich-kid has not only lied before, but she's trying to be older than she is, making the Angels think she's telling tales. Even so, Sabrina poses as an Irish maid and Kelly a snooty society photographer to get the goods on the playboy the kid has a crush on who is far from whom he claims to be.

Nothing Sweeta Than Rita

Began the morning with breakfast and Rio Rita. I just picked this one up on Amazon as part of their Prime Day last month. I've wanted to see it for years, ever since I read about it in the book A Song In the Dark on early talkie musicals. I go further into the early talkie south-of-the-border operetta that introduced Bert Wheeler and Bob Woosley to audiences at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Rio Rita (1929)

Worked on writing for a while after the movie ended. Gene can't seem to keep awake, even as Richard takes Brett over to his bed and binds and gags her with the sheets. He realizes too late that Richard drugged their tea and rum. Charles barges in to confirm his worst fears. The men aren't moving, and the Navy ship is getting closer. Richard pulls a gun on Charles to keep him from telling the men. He'll use him as a human shield to get past the only other people who didn't drink the rum, Jimmie (who's still on watch) and Gary. Gene passes out as Richard drags him on deck. He's the one who directed them to the Navy ship. He wants them to be found. 

Broke for lunch at 1:30. Went to the front porch and grabbed a flat package for me out of the mailbox. I ordered a couple of DVDs on eBay this week, including Happiness Is Peanuts: Snow Days. The main feature, She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown was the last Peanuts special themed around winter or the Yuletide holidays I didn't have. The "she" is Peppermint Patty, who's entered a local skating competition. Snoopy is her demanding coach. She expects Marcie to make her costume, but Marcie can't sew. Snoopy eventually does that, too. He doesn't prove to be as good with the tape recorders on the day of the skating tournament. When the recorder eats Patty's music, it's up to Woodstock to provide accompaniment to her routine.

Switched to Good Eats while eating a quick can of chicken and dumpling soup for lunch. I don't have the Thanksgiving episodes, but I do have a show Alton did about a fruit frequently consumed at Thanksgiving. "Cran Opening" gives us his recipe for cranberry sauce, as well as for cranberry granita and Cosmopolitans.

Clouds had moved in by the time I headed off to work, but it wasn't quite as cold as the last few days. Maybe that's why weren't as busy, either. It was on-and-off steady, not insane, but not dead, either. I forgot to put someone's card in towards the end of the evening and had to redo their order. Other than that, things went very well, and there were no other real problems.

Put on Sale of the Century when I got in. We had our second close game in a row, with no one really ahead and everyone winning or buying something. The younger man got barely ahead in the Speed Round. He did far better in the Bonus Round, getting the money with time to spare.

Finished out the night online, watching the Shirley Temple Babes In Toyland while writing my Rio Rita review. This hour-long version of the holiday operetta is an episode of Shirley Temple Storybook, her TV show from the early 60's that adapted children's books, fairy tales, and novels. No lovers needed here. It's just Uncle Barnaby (Johnathan Winters) and his goofy trio of mooks (including Joe Besser and Jerry Colonna. The mooks kidnap the Babes and leave them stranded on a sinking ship. Even after the kids escape, they have to evade Floretta the fortune teller (Temple) and her gypsies and the nasty citizens of Meantown in order to make it to Toyland and the kind Toymaker. 

Here's the episode, so you can enjoy this adorable version for yourself!

Babes In Toyland 

Clean Sweep at the Riverside

Slept in today and didn't get rolling until past 10:30. Blockbusters was half-way done when I started breakfast. The look-a-like brothers keep winning the regular round, but they choke up on the Gold Rush. I think they only got two answers. They weren't doing much better with a young woman when the episode ended.

Since I had no plans for today, I figured I'd do my first monthly apartment cleaning, starting with the windows. In fact, one of the big reasons I wanted to clean today was I discovered while closing the curtains in the bedroom last night that the small square panels that make up the front window felt sandpapery to the touch. I thought Jodie said she cleaned before I moved in! Maybe she never got to the windows. Scrubbed them down with Pine-Sol, then wiped them with cleaning vinegar to get them sparkling. The windows in the living room were a little dirty, especially on the top halves, but not quite that bad. They came clean easily with ordinary Windex.

Watched Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while I worked. It's "Clean Up Time" when Daniel and O the Owl make a mess in the living room, and then in the bedroom and he has to find his watch. King Friday holds a "Neighborhood Clean Up" after a storm leaves debris all over the playground. Katrina refuses to help, until she realizes just how messy the playground is.

Heard a hedge trimmer going outside that was awful close to the apartment. Stuck my head out the door and saw Craig trimming the edges of the cobblestone path. He'd agreed to do yard work for Jodie while she was visiting friends out of town. Asked him if I could borrow his and Rose's vacuum cleaner. I was going to borrow Jodie's, but she's so odd about sharing, I'm not sure she'd loan it to me. He said it was fine and went home to get it.

While he went to get the vacuum cleaner, I started cleaning in the bathroom. Scrubbed the bathtub first. As I mentioned yesterday, it's long and high, but not wide. Nor was it terribly grungy. I was only here for half of last month.

Craig returned as I was in the bathroom. The vacuum he brought was one of those new slender models, but it was very top-heavy and hard to move. I did manage to get it under the futon on the rug in the living room and around the bed on the striped one in the bedroom, and even took it over the wooden floorboards. (He picked it up a half-hour later.)

(He also brought me a metal box filled with mint plants. I'll have to find a place for them and figure out what to do with it all.)

Switched to Muppet Babies next. Fozzie's excited about the idea of the Babies holding their first slumber party...until he actually realizes he'll have to spend the night away from his mother and his cozy bed. "Rock-a-Bye Fozzie" tries to join the others, but he's too scared by Piggy's haunted cookie jar story to have fun. Nanny assures him that he'll be ready for a slumber party someday. The kids have to clean up their own messes in "Gonzo's Clean Sweep." Gonzo wants to set up a complicated stunt and convinces the others to do his work for him...then finally pitches in when he realizes they won't be ready in time to have snacks.

Moved into the kitchen next. The kitchen itself was easy peasy. Everything just needed to be wiped down with Pine Sol, including the sink and counter tops. Dusted the top of the refrigerator and around the cabinets.

Watched Portrait of Jennie while I worked. Eben Adams (Joseph Cotten) is a painter in New York who isn't as successful selling landscapes as he'd like to be. On a winter's afternoon, he meets an odd little girl (Jennifer Jones) wearing clothing from the turn of the century. She calls herself Jennie Appleton and insists her parents are vaudevillians at Hammerstein's Victoria Theatre, even though it was long closed and torn down by 1948. Eben is fascinated by the girl and does a sketch from memory later. Miss Spinney (Ethel Barrymore), a wealthy art dealer, sees a great deal of promise in him and the sketch and says he should paint her portrait, rather than the landscapes he'd previously focused on.

He sees Jennie several more times. Every time, she's a little bit older and mentions events that are slightly more recent. Obsessed with her after he finally gets to painting her portrait, he follows a trail through several elderly people in New York who remembered her, including her favorite teacher, kindly Sister Mary Mercy (Lillian Gish). She turns up one more time as a grown woman, claiming she'll see him again after she goes away for the summer. It's Sister Mary who reveals that Jennie was never seen again after she left for that trip to Cape Cod. Eben finally leaves for New England, determined to find out what happened to Jennie and how he's able to see and hold her.

This was such a sweet movie. I need to find the book it's based on, too. Producer David O. Selznick went all-out on this one, filming in the real New York and Cape Cod to add authenticity. He even added green and red tints to the climatic storm and filmed the unveiling of Jennie's full portrait in Technicolor. Jones and Cotten were haunting as the lovers separated by time and space; Albert Sharpe and David Wayne were a lot of fun as Eben's Irish buddies at his local pub. If you love unique fantasy or a good bittersweet romance, you'll want to take time out for this one.

Finally finished the bathroom as I ran Good Eats: Reloaded on The Cooking Channel app. The walls in the bathtub were vinyl rather than ceramic tiles. It and the sink and counter also only required wiping with Pine-Sol. I'll scrub the tiled floor another time. I don't think my elbow is quite up to that yet.

"The Dough Also Rises" discusses a quick bread that's near and dear to my heart - biscuits. My mother is a native southerner, and we could count on fresh biscuits on the table at least once a week in the winter months. Alton recalls how he and his late great-grandmother Ma Mee each had their own method of assembling the dough and their own temperature they liked for baking it. I'd make biscuits more often myself if they kept better. As my mother reminded us when we were children, they don't taste as good the next day.

Moved on to Tattletales as I had a chocolate-strawberry-banana smoothie for lunch. Don Galloway and his wife Janet were just barely the big winners today over Jimmie and Samantha. They got all the questions right but one and were really funny with each other, with their matching dry, sarcastic sense of humor. It was a battle between the ladies on Press Your Luck. It took hitting the car on her last turn for one of those ladies to beat the other and become the new champ.

Started dusting after lunch. I'm not going to do really heavy dusting right now. I had a hard enough time getting the books on the shelves with my bad arm when I moved, let alone just to dust under them. It didn't take long to dust around things. Besides the apartment being smaller, I don't own as many things or as much furniture as I used to. Swept the remaining debris that the vacuum cleaner didn't catch after that.

Worked on writing for a couple of hours after I finished. The frog leaps onto the seemingly sweet old peasant woman and licks her face...pulling up the skin and revealing horrifying burns. Brett burned Malade's face when she shoved her into the oven to save the others back at the gingerbread cottage. Malade angrily grabs the frog, which gives Charles enough time to get Brett away from her and bring her to the others. Trouble is, Gene, Richard, and Lee have no idea of how to revive her. Brett's husband is still stone, and they're sure he's the only one who could kiss her awake...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched Match Game while eating leftovers for dinner. They're still in 1977 at the moment. While Brett and Gene make jokes about having fun at that little hotel in Encino, Richard tries to figure out an answer for the Head-to-Head question "Wife ___."

Made Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies while Sale of the Century was on. The woman champion dominated full-stop today. Neither of the other contestants got anywhere near her. She still wouldn't take any Instant Bargains...but she did manage to pick herself up another bonus round briefcase full of money.

Scooped the cookies onto pans while watching It's a Living at Tubi. They've added the third season since the last time I watched. By this point, they'd switched to syndication and added more of the characters I was familiar with from watching this frequently as a kid, with Crystal Bernard as token newcomer Amy and Richard Stahl as grouchy cook Howard.

The third season begins on a rather nasty note...actually, several nasty notes...in "Harassed." Amy keeps getting threatening letters from a stalker who has stolen her comb and locket. The other waitresses insist she go to the police; when they claim there isn't enough evidence to be worried, the women decide to ferret out the stalker at the restaurant themselves. Meanwhile, Nancy squares off with Howard when he refuses to make halibut that comes from a supplier he doesn't like.

Returned to Good Eats: Reloaded, this time live on The Cooking Channel, after I slid the cookies into the refrigerator. "The Icing Man Cometh: The Reload" revises his recipe for cooked and American buttercream frostings and his tutorials on how to frost a cake. The cooked frosting looks like it's a little too fussy for me, but I may try the American sometime. He apparently got a lot of complaints on his recipe for pot roast in "A Chuck For Chuck." He redoes this "chuck" to bring it back to the basics...like actually cooking it in a pot.

Finished the night with MASH on Hulu. "Bulletin Board" from the second season covers the many activities that occur on-base, from Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) giving a lecture on sex (or trying to) to Klinger (Jamie Farr) getting into a fight with a doctor during the Shirley Temple film The Little Rebel. Blake is depressed after losing a patient and almost cancels a picnic to fund a local orphanage, but Hawkeye and Trapper convince him to join in the fun.

The Verdict Is Again...

Thank heavens after yesterday, I awoke to a gorgeous, sunny day. Watched the tail-end of Sale of the Century as I got moving. The champ here beat both of her challengers handily, especially in the speed round. This was a later 1985 episode that had a matching game as the bonus round. She ended up matching diamond earrings...and made the right choice, as they let her wear them and they looked stunning on her, especially with her short hair.

Went on my phone to check the bus schedule and where it drops off while Supermarket Sweep was on. The county offices, including the DMV where I got my non-driver's photo ID updated in 2017, were right across Route 70 from the Crowne Plaza and Cooper Orthopedics; I'd get off there. I was nervous about riding a bus in a pandemic, but I didn't have the money for Uber this time.

By the time I got off, Split Second was on. Yesterday's champ was unseated by a smart lady who also lead all the way through. She ended up taking a trip to Paris instead of the car. The teacher and the brother-sister pair were still battling it out on Blockbusters, and continued to do so even as I headed out the door.

Rushed down to the White Horse Pike and over to Cuthbert to pick up the bus...only to have to wait an hour for it to show. I thought I got there in time, but the first one must have came early. I stood there and stood there, and didn't see any bus at 10:58. It didn't show until almost noon. Thankfully, the bus was one of the newer ones with the easy-care vinyl seats and wasn't close to full. There was no traffic, even on Cuthbert, and they dropped me off at the Executive Offices in less than 10 minutes.

As it turned out, the walk wasn't long, either. Route 70 was right at the end of King Avenue between county office buildings. There was none of the trouble I had with getting lost the last time I got off in the Executive Campus area. Despite the noon lunch rush having just started, I crossed the the highway with no trouble and got in with plenty of time.

My appointment was almost exactly the same as the one I had three weeks ago - and it went even faster. I was in the x-ray room in about five minutes, and in the doctor's office in fifteen. The doctor barely took ten minutes before he came to talk to me. Other than being a little stiff and sore from all the hauling and organizing I've done in the past three weeks, the arm is still healing nicely...enough for me to start riding the bike and working again. He gave me a note for the Acme officially stating I was cleared to go back. I'll have last appointment in about six weeks.

Instead of trying to cross the busy highway again, I strolled to the quieter street behind the hotel and the medical building and past the abandoned mini golf course to the bridge over the Cooper River. Thought I'd compromise, walk to Westmont, and take the bus from there. It was too nice to spend too much time on the bus. The river was peaceful and lovely, rippling green and gold as a family of ducks bobbed on the little waves. The traffic had picked up by this point, though, and the cars behind me were a noisy reminder of civilization.

It took longer to make it into Westmont than I thought. I desperately needed a stop at the small WaWa on the corner of Cuthbert and Haddon Avenues. They were busy, but I was able to buy a chocolate-chocolate chip hot chocolate with no trouble. Gulped it on a bench by Walgreens, then headed a few blocks down Haddon to pick up the bus near Brio Pizza.

This time, the bus was only about ten minutes late, rather than a whole hour. The traffic cleared out after we left Westmont, and there was only one other person on the bus with me. The box riders feed their dollars into broke, so while I lost my quarter, I was allowed to keep the remaining two dollars for my ride (and so was the other guy).

Got off at TD Bank on the edge of Oaklyn and Haddon Township, then went back to the WaWa in Oaklyn. It was past 2:30 by then, and I hadn't had lunch and was thirsty again. Picked up a turkey hoagie and a Lemon-Lime Gatorade and headed home, enjoying the sunny, breezy day. The temperature was much hotter than yesterday, into the upper 80's, but not nearly as bad (or as humid) as it's been for almost a month.

Had lunch while watching Super Password, then made my grocery list as Tattletales ran. Jamie Widdowes and Marcia Wallace continued their week on the former. Marcia didn't have much luck on the Super Password bonus round; she did better with the puzzles. This time, the older and more experienced couples Gene and Helen Rayburn and Frank Gilbert and Amanda Blake were the big winners by a mile over youngsters Janet and Gary Burghoff. (For all his flirting on Match Game, Gene apparently adored Helen and was devastated when she died in 1996. No wonder. They were funny as heck here, joking about his ego and her dreamer nature.)

Rode my bike to the grocery store after Tattletales ended. In addition to dropping off that letter, I did genuinely have shopping to do. Treated myself to another tuna steak. The Acme's generic organic spices in glass bottles were buy one, get one. Thought I'd try pumpkin pie spice and replace the old crumbling bay leaves I tossed before I moved. Found good peach preserves and honey on the clearances shelves. Green's is a new brand of ice cream that debuted in the Acme a few months ago. I'd never heard of Unicorn Confetti ice cream before and thought I'd try it. Restocked vanilla, orange extract, butter, bananas, cucumbers, plums, ground turkey, yogurt, and brown sugar.

It was so late by the time I finally got home, I crocheted for a bit while watching Match Game before eating dinner. Jodie came in during the second episode, the one where Charles gave Richard a furry Russian hat someone in the audience gave him. Jodie admitted she'd been a big Match Game and Family Feud fan as a kid and loved seeing the show again.

We discussed Dad's death and what will happen next. First of all. I'm more than willing to help her go through Dad and Uncle Ken's things. Seems they never got rid of most of Uncle Ken's possessions after he died in 2012. Dad just didn't have the heart. They're cluttering up the basement. She doesn't want Rose to help because she feels it's too private of a matter, and she knows how I feel about privacy.

Second...I probably won't be living here for too long. Jodie's putting the house up for sale in January, after the New Year. I knew she wouldn't keep it. It's way too big for the two of us, with too much work that needs to be done. Dad was the one who cared about the pool. Jodie doesn't enjoy it enough to take care of it alone. Trouble is, that doesn't leave me too many other places I can go, especially during a pandemic.

Maybe after I pay off my remaining student loan (there isn't much left), I'll do what I've wanted to do for years and put the rest of whatever money I get from Dad into saving for a house. I'm tired of living in apartments. I want a nice little cottage of my own, with a small square of yard in the back just big enough for a shed for my bike. I don't need to be near the beach or the river, just in a place access to good internet and public transportation.

I was savoring a delicious dinner of yellowfin tuna steak cooked in lemon sauce with garden-fresh potatoes and leftover Chinese beans with tomatoes when Sale of the Century came on. Varsity Week ended with a football player sprinting past his fellow footballer and a female swimmer to win a pool table. While he didn't win the bonus money, he did end up hitting the highest number to win the major prize, a beautiful red jeep and a trip to the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

(By the way, the "Unicorn Confetti" ice cream was...interesting. Tasted like Fruity Pebbles ice cream laced with Pop Rocks, pink tutti fruiti ice cream with colorful crunchy bits. Not bad. Different. Very sweet.)

Finished the night online with some nonfiction programming. The first episode Alton Brown revisited on Good Eats: Reloaded was "Steak Your Claim." I originally skipped this episode both in its initial run and here because I don't cook big steaks at home. They're too expensive, complicated to cook, and bad for you. Alton's method of baking, then searing in a cast-iron pan didn't help that. I think I'll stick to getting my beef from the professionals at a steak house on the rare occasion I want to eat cow.

Moved to the Cooking Channel for the later-seasons Good Eats episode "Ginger: Rise of the Rizome." Now this is more like it. While I don't often see young ginger with the thin skin, the Acme sells the more mature ginger with the tougher skins. Our customers buy them all the time. I'm tempted to try the ginger snaps and making my own ginger ale.

Finished the night back at Hulu for a trip to Greece on Rick Steves' Europe. Rick Steves joined a cruise bobbing along between the islands of Santorini, Mykos, and Rhodes. Each were ringed with sparkling turquoise waters, dark sandy beaches, beautiful whitewashed seaside towns...and tons of tourists. Ruins of ancient Greece, quaint churches, and tasty-looking seaside restaurants could be found a little further off the track amid the islands' arid interiors. Everything was so lovely and picturesque, and the seafood made my mouth water, even after the tuna earlier.

The Warmth of Springtime

Began a sunny, breezy morning with breakfast and Split Second. Three new contestants graced the stage today after yesterday's champ apparently opted to take a vacation instead of trying for the car. It was another neck-and-neck battle, mostly between the two women. In the end, the lady who won also decided she'd rather go to Miami than try for the car again.

Spent the next few hours trying to sign up for temporary disability money. You'd think the state of New Jersey would have learned to make this easier after all the trouble people have had over the last few months with unemployment. It took me 20 minutes just to find where the application was...and then, after I applied, they told me I had to print out the application and give it to my doctor to approve of! My printer has been acting weird ever since I got it. It never wanted to sync up with my old laptop. Ironically, it synced with my new laptop just fine, but was now almost completely out of ink. I ordered ink from Amazon and decided I'd try again on Saturday (when the ink is supposed to come) or Tuesday.

It was nearly 1:30 when I broke for lunch. Watched two Good Eats: Reloaded episodes while enjoying oranges and banana muffins. Alton originally worked with ground beef in "A Grind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste"...but while I like his idea of frying his burgers instead of baking them, there's still no way I'd do it. His meatloaf is closer to my style, sans some of the hotter peppers. (Incidentally, I only use ground poultry. People complain that ground turkey is too dry, but it and moister ground chicken can be equally tasty as meatloaf, burgers, and in casseroles. Pork gives me indigestion, and beef is bad for you and makes a mess when you cook it.)

As a fellow southerner, "True Grits" is closer to my heart and palate. I love grits and sometimes buy containers at the Acme when they're on sale. I've never tried the Italian cornmeal polenta, though I may have to try it after this episode.

Headed out around 2:30-quarter of 3 to get my laundry done. I really didn't have very much, but I wanted to test a few things. First of all, I did want to clean the last work clothes I'll need for a while. I also wanted to see how doing the laundry one-handed worked out and test the cart I bought years ago for hauling items during walks in the neighborhood.

The walk went very well, even though I ultimately found it to be easier to pull the cart behind me instead of pushing it. Though the laundromat wasn't too busy when I arrived, I still went across the street after the clothes were in the washer to treat myself to a strawberry-banana smoothie from WaWa. It was too nice to be inside the entire time! The sun was out, the sky was a searing blue, and it had risen to the lower 80's despite the gusty winds. WaWa was a little busy with people picking up treats as they went for their daily walks or on their way home from work, but far from overwhelming.

The laundromat was busy when I came back in. I stood outside to finish my smoothie, and it was still busy when I came in. I guess it's gotten too hot for most people to sit in their cars while the laundry is in the washer. I worked on story notes and tried to stay away from people as much as possible.

Did some writing when I got home. Joyce makes Fannie look like a princess in a blue and green ball gown and crystal (not breakable glass) slippers. Richard is enchanted by her and wants to be her escort, but she heads him off. Jo Ann creates an equally lovely purple gown for Elaine.

Tried something different for dinner tonight. I had half of a bag of small sweet red and yellow peppers and a container of leftover chili in the fridge. I was originally going to fill the peppers with cheese and bake them...but why not fill them with chili and cheese? The result was amazing, sweet and savory and slightly spicy all at once. I think I'll do it again tomorrow and get rid of the last of the mini-peppers.

Buck Owens and Gloria DeHaven finished their run on Match Game by helping to break a tie after two episodes. The musician champ continued his run on Sale of the Century. A college student got ahead of him at first, but he jumped ahead by the half-way point and blasted through the speed round. Once again, he opted to return and try for a vacation to the Bahamas.

Finished the night after a shower with The Gang's All Here. I go into the last musical vehicle for Alice Faye, featuring surreal numbers by none other than Busby Berkeley, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Gang's All Here

Cold Matches

Kicked off a sunny and blustery morning with breakfast and Good Eats: The Return. "My Shakshuka" parodies Casablanca to show off a traditional Middle-Eastern dish that features poached eggs simmered in a spicy tomato-pepper paste. Not a bad idea, but Alton uses fancy spices from the internet I'd rather not mess around with and way too much heat for my palate. I think I'll settle for poaching eggs the regular way.

Work was even more of a pain than yesterday. It's the first major holiday weekend since Easter, and despite the windy and ridiculously cold for May morning, everyone wanted to be out and about. We were busy all day, maybe more than we should have been under present circumstances. I got very tired of trying to keep people out of the bathrooms so I could clean them, wipe down all the freezer doors and credit card machines, and do the sweeping. Finally opted to switch off on the latter with the college boy doing the carts.

After all that, I didn't want to be anywhere but home, watching the next Match Game marathon. This one covered the show's most memorable moments from 1977 through the end of its CBS run in mid-1979. Alas, I missed some of the best episodes of 1977, including the "lower tier imitates the upper tier" show and the infamous "School Riot," but I did catch other fun episodes.

1978 brought in the new Star Wheel. Celebrities spun it to choose their partner for the Head-to-Head Match and hopefully double their winnings. It was controversial from the get-go, especially with Richard Dawson, who'd been the king of the Head-to-Head Match until that point. Ironically, the Star Wheel landed on his name the first time it was used, prompting him and most of the other panelists to walk out!

Richard wasn't really happy on Match Game anymore by that point. He'd become more popular on Family Feud, and was tired of appearing on a show where he had little say in anything. The "School Riot," coupled with his equally heated complaint about a "baggie" answer later in the year, spelled the end of his time on the show. He was tired and not really playing along. Gene bizarrely tried to make him smile on the end of one episode. His final appearance on the show was two weeks after the Star Wheel arrived and they changed the set, and nothing was done for it. Despite being a regular for five years, he was there and gone.

The show continued on without him, but the writing was on the wall. Constant time changes and a shift to more-conservative tastes probably spelled doom for the CBS run of the show far more than Richard's departure. It ended in mid-1979, with a rather cute episode that had Gene loaning Bill Daily his navy blazer to wear at his wedding. (Bill apparently kept the suit; he wore it on the syndicated version of the show long after his wedding ceremony ended.)

Here's the entire marathon, so you can check out more of the show's most famous moments! Tomorrow, we celebrate Mother's Day with the next round of technical difficulties on the show, including with the post-1978 set.

Special Milestones on Match Game Marathon 1977 - 1979

Finished out the night with Gypsy, also in honor of Mother's Day. I go further into the 1962 version with Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Mother's Day! - Gypsy (1962)

Spring Romance Matches

Kicked off an absolutely gorgeous morning with breakfast and two episodes of Good Eats: The Return. Most people probably wouldn't think of Chicken Parmesan as an American classic, but it was actually developed by Italian-Americans in New York's Little Italy tenements. Most Chicken Parmesan is usually over-breaded hockey pucks covered in curdled cheese, but Alton reveals how it can be made well, with home-made sauce and potato-chip "breading." "Date Tripper" reveals how to use those sticky-sweet fruits from California in English toffee puddings and three variations on bacon-wrapped date appetizers.

Headed out to the laundromat as soon as the show ended. I'm glad I did. The weather was amazing. The sun was out, the sky was a searing blue, and while not as warm as earlier in the week, it was far from freezing, probably in the upper 60's. I had a very pleasant ride, passing many families and kids on bikes, people out for jogs or strolls, and parents pushing their children in strollers.

The laundromat was a bit busy when I arrived; ended up going across the street to WaWa again to avoid the crowds. Grabbed a roast beef and provolone hoagie, a bottle of WaWa cappuccino for now, a bottle of sparkling water for later, a bag of Good Natured chips, and a string cheese stick for a snack. By the time I got back, most everyone was gone, and I was able to work on story notes largely in peace.

Since I washed towels from the bathroom and kitchen, I packed them when I got home. Loaded the towels into a plastic bag. I'll save the luggage for clothes right before I move. Everything else got put away or in the case of one set of my work clothes, set out for tomorrow.

As soon as I finished that, I went online for the next Match Game marathon. As I mentioned on Valentine's Day, the show is more fun when a married couple plays on the same panel. Dick Gautier and his then-wife Barbara Stuart were the first to appear together in 1973. Later that year brought in happily married dancers Elaine Joyce and Bobby Van and perpetually squabbling Jack Klugman and Brett Somers. By 1978, Jack and Brett had divorced (or separated, or something - no one seems sure what), which didn't stop the other panelists from holding a mock "wedding" for them. Party-loving Dick and Dolly Martin had a ball appearing together on several weeks in 1979 and 1980, including the memorable episode where a contestant got so excited, she practically attacked Gene. He dashed behind the set and read her Head-to-Head question there.

By far the most popular couple to have appeared on the show were Password host Allen Ludden and his wife Betty White. Their genuine affection for one another showed in a classic week from 1975 that began with jokes about Betty's fondness for animals and ended with everyone trying to get a contestant to belly dance and Allen "defending" his wife's honor after Gene makes an off-the-cuff comment about "having Betty." Betty was in the audience in an earlier week from '75 that saw her husband solo. One of his answers was so bad, Gene handed it to her to tear up...and then Fannie gave her answers to her, too!

Here's the entire marathon, so you can play along with some of Hollywood's most famous pairs! Tomorrow's marathon switches gears to showcase the host of Tattletales and Super Password Bert Convy.

Famous Celebrity Couples on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1980

Went through some of the baskets holding first aid and drug items while the show was on. I didn't realize I had six bottles of hand lotion laying around and at least 15 small packs of tissues! The bottles are the many that Amanda's given me over the years; the tissues are leftover from the packs that came in Lauren's Christmas Kleenex boxes. I tossed two older bottles of lotion, put out one to replace them, and put the others aside.

Finished the night with the early talkie Just Imagine on YouTube. I go into more detail on the first science fiction musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Just Imagine

Wild and Woolly Matches

Awoke to pouring rain around 7...and went right back to sleep until 9:30. It was past 10:30 when I finally finished my journal and a few chapters of The Scarlet Pimpernel (my favorite book) and rolled out of bed. The older All-American Women's Baseball League player finished out her run as an undefeated champ on Blockbusters, though she wasn't able to win her final Gold Rush bonus round. They had just enough time to switch to a sister team playing a college student before finishing for the day.

Moved on to cartoons while finishing breakfast and preparing to run to the laundromat. The first episode of the second season of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood brought back a lot of childhood memories. Mrs. Tiger announces that she's going to have a baby very soon in "The Tiger Family Grows," and that Dan can be a big helper. Daniel isn't sure he's ready to be a big brother when he plays Mommy and Daddy with Katrina, but he finally realizes that he enjoys the role. "Daniel Learns About Being a Big Brother" when his parents show him his old baby things, and he realizes how small he once was, and how much his new sibling will need those things now.

The kids and the Cat do some traveling in The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That to learn about "Big Cats" like lions and cheetahs in order to figure out how to sneak up on Nick's mom and scare her. "Finding Flour" is more relevant nowadays. Flour doesn't just grow on trees. The Cat takes the kids to a grain farm in order for the perky farmer to teach them how wheat is harvested, the chaff is removed, and the grain is ground.

Went to The Roku Channel for the original My Little Pony & Friends. My Little Pony generally ran two different types of episodes - two to four-part sword-and-sorcery tales, and one-part shorts. "Return of Tambelon" is an example of the former. Tambelon is a city run by an evil sorcerer that's reappeared after 500 years. Shortly after it's appearance, all of the unicorn ponies vanish. It turns out that they're not the only residents of Ponyville that the sorcerer is after. He's determined that all ponies should end up in the Realm of Darkness forever!

"Mish Mash Melee" is one of the shorts. Fizzy, Shady, Wind Whistler, and Gusty accidentally knock over a barrel that release colorful tiny creatures. These little guys switch personalities, upsetting the balance of nature. Even with their own personalities switched around, the ponies have to figure out how to get the creatures back in the barrel and make things right.

Headed out after "Mish Mash Melee" ended, dropping my rent in the McHughs' mailbox on my way. I couldn't put off doing my laundry. The laundromat was so busy when I came in, I fled after I put my load in the washer and went two blocks down to WaWa. They were a lot less crowded, and I was able to buy a turkey hoagie, baked chips, and double mocha chilled cappuccino for lunch with no trouble. The washer was almost through with its cycle by the time I arrived, and my load was so small, it didn't really need to be in the drier for long.

Dashed home after finishing. Put everything away, then made my favorite Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies while watching Good Eats: Reloaded. Alton's new method for roasting chicken in "A Bird In the Pan" isn't any easier for me to handle than the old one. Even small roasters are still a lot more than I need. "The Turkey Strikes Back...Again" was more relevant. Some of the recipes looked pretty darn good, especially the Turkey Tiki Marsala (though I'll have to dial down the heat on that one), Turkcetta roll, and turkey salad.

Finished the night with perfectly baked cookies and the next Match Game marathon. Wacky comic Avery Schreiber of the bushy mustache and wild curls brought his hilarious facial expressions and unique point of view to the panel starting in 1974. He was a frequent guest in the show's early years, and in fact took part in three of it's most memorable nighttime episodes. Joan Collins also appeared on a hilarious PM episode in 1975 that had Avery as part of an answer to an Audience Match question. A 1978 show brought in two of the least-intelligent contestants ever to play the game. Charles was the only person who matched either of them, and one only moved on to the bonus round because Charles matched him. A year later, the episode got so wild, Avery was dashing out Gene's entrance and Elaine Joyce and Gary Burghoff were making out in the opening.

Here's the link, so you can match wits and facial hair with the wackiest comic on the panel! Tomorrow's marathon turns the attention to the set and crew, as MatchGameProductions highlights the craziest set failures and most epic crew mishaps ever on the show, from broken chairs to the question holder not working correctly to misspelled and mis-timed words on the Audience Match.

The Best of Avery Schreiber on Match Game Marathon 1974 - 1979

Matches In the Rain

Began a gloomy morning with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. Today's contestants were three young men that claimed to be a singer who just won a contest with the Metropolitan Opera. The panelists were divided; Bill Cullen and Peggy Cass preferred handsome number 1, while Nipsey Russell, Anne Meara, and I robust 3. We were all wrong. The aspiring singer was number 2, and he proceeded to prove it with a wonderful aria.

It was showering very lightly when I went to work...so lightly that it stopped by the time I arrived. It continued to shower lightly off and on all morning. I had no problems with that. I spent most of the morning, except for when I had break or used the bathroom, gathering carts. It was actually fairly warm despite the clouds and gale-force wind, and the wind felt just right, not too cold, not too hot. I have no idea how a ton of carts wound up in the middle of the patio; I guess someone didn't tell our new afternoon and evening baggers where they go. I put them out front where they belong, then spent the rest of the day rounding up them and avoiding the ever-present line of people waiting to get in the store.

Changed, then opened a few windows and watched Good Eats: Reloaded while eating lunch. One episode I'm definitely glad Alton returned to is "Use Your Noodle" from the first season. I actually have the original version, but not only did he admit that he used too much water for the pasta, but the episode ended rather anti-climatically with no actual recipes. Here, he included a Parmesan cheese-based pasta sauce dish. Did "I Pie" in the hope that Alton could help me with a dessert I've had a ton of trouble with in the past, Lemon Meringue Pie.

Moved to the next Match Game marathon after I ate. Today's brought in more memorable contestants who appeared from 1976 to the end of the show's CBS run in mid-1979. It kicked off with Darlene London, a gorgeous statuesque blonde who spent the entire week she was on the show flirting with Richard, when she wasn't amassing big bucks. George, a gentle young fellow with a big grin, insisted he'd use his major winnings in 1977 to send his parents on a Hawaiian vacation and give the rest to his church. Elderly Bill Stevens really seemed to enjoy his time on the show in 1979, happily flirting and joking with the contestants. The show ended with a bang as Carolyn Reisner became the Match Game all-time champ with over $30,000 in winnings, including $10,000 on the final day of the CBS run in 1979.

By far my favorite contestant from this run - and possibly my favorite Match Game contestant of all time - was Bertha, a sweet, nervous older woman who appeared on three memorable episodes in 1977. She was shocked she even made it to the Audience Match, and nearly on the floor when she won 500 in that. Gene and the panelists were all so kind to her, bringing her a chair and another one for her feet and fanning her. Johnny Olsen even gave her a cup of water. She ended up going home with over $10,000 too, and deserved every penny.

Here's the full show, so you can watch and play along with Bertha, Carolyn, and other Match Game big winners! Tomorrow at 3 PM, bring your frizzy curls and thick Mario Brothers mustache to a salute to nutty comic Avery Schreiber.

Best Contestants and Biggest Winners on Match Game 1976 - 1979

Stayed on YouTube for tonight's musical review. I've read about the 1956 TV musical High Tor with Julie Andrews as a Dutch ghost who falls for Bing Crosby before, but I never thought I'd see it...until I discovered a copy on YouTube. I go into more details on this rarity at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - High Tor

I was going to do the laundry today, but the wind got even more blustery shortly after I got home from work, and then it started pouring and would continue to do so for the rest of the afternoon. I'll do it first thing tomorrow morning.

Sunny Day Matches

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and Split Second. It was a tight race, but a young woman came back and got it in the speed round. She opted to take a trip to Paris rather than coming back and trying for the car. The former All American Woman's League player continues to dominate Blockbusters. She breezed past a pair of sisters, then just got the 5,000 dollars in the Gold Rush bonus round. The lady may have met her match in a set of brothers from Canada, though.

Called Mrs. Stahl after I cleaned up from breakfast. Obviously, I couldn't do Haddonfield just yet. I'm still not entirely sure I'm up to talking to her anyway. Got her answering machine. I suggested we reschedule for late in June after I moved. (She called back later and did, indeed, reschedule us for June 30th.)

Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while I finished the dishes and got organized. "Daniel's Bicycle" was once his dad's, but Dan Sr. fixed it up for him. He has a hard time going over a hill at first, but his dad helps him. Later, Prince Tuesday helps Wednesday and Daniel go all the way across the rings. (Bless them - I have a hard time with the rings to this day and certainly couldn't manage them when I was a six-year-old!) Dan and his mom watch "Katarina's Magic Trick" at the Enchanted Garden. Henrietta teaches her daughter a new magic trick to try. Katarina has a rough time getting it at first, but with the help of her assistant O, she eventually gets it.

Went outside...and went right back in with my final birthday gift to myself. I needed a new pair of walking sandals. The ones I bought from Amazon a couple of years ago were cheap and starting to crack. Lands' End's been having huge sales on their summer clothes. The walking sandals I picked up were perfect, comfortable as can be, with straps in a gorgeous coral red color with gray trim. They felt so wonderful, I wore them on my outing.

It was too nice of a day not to head out for a walk. The neighborhood is flat-out gorgeous right now. Trees are all lime greens with cotton-candy flowers. Gardens burst with magenta and lavender hyacinths and brilliant wildflowers. Kids toss basketballs and ride bikes in their own yards. Their parents walked their dogs and pushed their baby siblings in strollers, heading down to West Clinton to order lunch.

My first stop was Dad and Jodie's house, dodging road work on the other side of Hillcrest. Well, actually, it was at the apartment. I saw no one around, so I figured no one would mind if I took a peek inside. Peering through the front window revealed a small room painted yellow. It was only slightly larger than my current bedroom...but I could see the hall Jodie described off to one side, and what was likely the large closet she mentioned. No one was anywhere to be seen, and the room was empty. If there was anyone painting anything, they were on break.

My real destination was Dollar General. They're less-stocked than the Acme on most things. They have no toilet paper or hand sanitizer or wipes and haven't for weeks. They did have quite a bit of cleaner left; I grabbed a vinegar-based spray cleaner. Needed underwear too. Their peanut butter is cheaper than the Acme's. The main reason I was there was for plastic bins; grabbed two medium-sized gray ones.

Put everything away when I got home, then made brownies while watching episodes of Good Eats: The Return. I thought "Wild Yeast Risin'" was extremely appropriate at the moment. Yeast has completely disappeared from stores, thanks to people deciding to make bread rather than buy it. I'm glad everyone's discovered how wonderful making bread is...but there's other ways to make it, as Alton reveals here. His starter makes Cheez-It's-style cheese crackers and Belgian waffles.

(And I know Alton likely intended the zombie apocalypse theme in this episode as a joke, but for many viewers right now, it may be a little too on the nose...)

"Every Grain Old Is New Again" introduces two ancient grains that are currently seeing a renaissance. The Latin American grain quinoa is popular in salads and side dishes. Chia comes off clay busts of favorite characters and into baked goods and sauces.

Finished the night back on YouTube with the next Match Game marathon. The panelists and crew aren't the only ones who get pretty wild. The show's had it's fair share of nutty or memorable contestants as well. Dorothy, who appeared on New Year's Day 1974, got so excited, she accidentally hit Gene and the contestant next to her when she cheered after winning! She got so crazy, even Richard was afraid to go near her. Betty Boop-voiced Marlena from a few weeks later lost her shoe after Morey Amsterdam gave her the winning answer.

Good friends and neighbors Janet Finn and Carol Bartos figured into two of the most delightful weeks of the entire series, and between them became some of the biggest winners ever on the show. Sweet Janet waited breathlessly while ever-dramatic Charles Nelson Reilly delivered the news of her major win, while Richard gave Carol big smooches after giving her the winning answer. Another lady in 1975 promised she'd belly dance if she won money. She didn't, because they played the wrong music...not that it bothered Brett and Betty, who came right out and did their own interpretation of belly dancing.

There were a few memorable male contestants, too. Cop CB Farnsworth proved to be funny and charming during a week in 1974. Handsome high school coach Ron Valenti turned quite a few heads during his three-day stint in 1975, including those of Fannie Flagg and Betty White.

Here's the marathon, so you can enjoy some of the wildest people to ever play Match Game, too! And it looks like tomorrow we'll finally get to hit the high seas with the much-delayed Salute to Love Boat marathon.

Best Contestants and Biggest Winners on Match Game 1973 - 1975

I also watched the 1937 comedy musical Double or Nothing this evening. I go further into this vehicle for Bing Crosby at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Double or Nothing (1937)

Oh, and Rose called while the marathon was on. She got Jodie to push the majority of the actual move to early July, but says I can start bringing over anything I won't need for the next two months as soon as they finish painting. I'm tired of being here and was really hoping to go in early June, but I know Rose and Craig are worried about finding someone to watch the kids. Not to mention, I need to figure out how to break the news to the McHughs and get out of that rental agreement.

Good Eating Matches

Began the day with work. I spent the first half of my shift gathering carts. It was a lovely day for it, bright blue and sunny but chilly for this time of the year. I was pulled ten minutes before my break to clean and didn't get my break until almost an hour later. Thankfully, it was a short shift, and one of the other baggers took over doing the bathrooms right before I left.

Did my grocery shopping as soon as I got off. Didn't have a huge order, since I ate out of the fridge for most of the week, but there were some things I needed. My scrub brushes wore out ages ago. I found two on decent sales. Had online coupons for strawberries, sponges, and Parmesan cheese. Never saw The Cheesecake Factory pint ice creams before; thought I'd try their Key Lime flavor. Khai's birthday is on Sunday. I bought him a card and, thanks to the Acme restoring their toy section earlier in the winter, a card game. Restocked milk, buttermilk, honey, whole wheat flour, canned pineapple, and cereal.

Not overly happy with my schedule this week. In good news, three days off and slightly more hours. Trouble is, three of the four days I do work are 8 1/2 hours, and I'm stuck cleaning for two of the four days. They're all early, too. There just isn't enough help in the morning. The days I'm cleaning are the days the head bagger is off or up front cashiering.

After I got home, I changed, put everything away, and ran a few episodes of the new and revised Good Eats. With air fryers now more common, frying has become popular again...but I'm still not willing to try the oil-based variety Alton uses for fish sticks and French fries and fried chicken in "Fry Hard" and "Fry Hard II." Unlike his (fictional) sister Marsha, I'm not concerned about fat. I'm more worried about the mess deep-fat frying makes in your kitchen. On the other hand, the recipes in "Art of Darkness II" using cocoa powder are something I'd actually try, especially the brownies!

Headed out to get the laundry done around quarter of 3. Most people are being encouraged to sit in their cars unless they need to retrieve their loads. I don't have that option...but thankfully, I saw only three people the whole time I was there, and I didn't have a very big load anyway. I worked on story notes and ignored the soap operas and bleating news reports on Channel 6.

Put everything away when I got in, then spent the rest of the night watching the next Match Game marathon. Tough guy comedian Scoey Mitchlll may not have been the best at matching - in fact, he rarely matched the contestants - but he did take part in some of the funniest episodes of the entire series. He switched places with Charles in one 1975 show, and the two spent the games imitating each other. In an episode from 1977, he walked off in the middle of a game to use the bathroom. He and the others encountered a very funny little old man who sounded like Wally Cox and called himself "Tiger" in a PM show from 1979.

Two of his most memorable appearances came from the later syndicated shows. When told to "lay out" after matching a contestant, he literally laid out and took a nap against Gene's entrance! Gene even brought him a pillow. A few weeks later, Gene got angry when he saw him wearing a t-shirt with the logo of a southern California radio station and tore the shirt to shreds (revealing Scoey's muscular body), only to attempt to tape it back together later.

Here's the entire marathon, so you can match wits with the toughest man in game shows! Tomorrow at 4 PM is a "Salute to Happy Days," featuring stars from that beloved sitcom who appeared on Match Game, Look for Tom Bosley, Anton Williams, Pat Moriata, and many others!

The Best of Scoey Mitchlll on Match Game Marathon 1974 - 1982