When You're Hot

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cult Flops - Bitter Sweet (1933)

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

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

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

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

Rainy Day In Cherry Hill

Began the late morning with breakfast and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Skeletor and Tri-Clops use an Infinity Stone to create a "Time Corridor" to go back into the past and assure that Castle Greyskull will never be built. He-Man, Battle Cat, Orko, and Man-at-Arms follow him. Skeletor turned one of the original Eternian clans, the Ape People, against the Snake People. He-Man must rescue the female head of the Snake Clan and prove to Skeletor why it's never a good idea to mess around with time. 

Called Uber after that. I was originally going to take the train and bus down to Church Road, but though it was sunny at that point, it was also thickly humid, sticky, and hot. The first driver canceled, but the second only took 4 minutes to arrive. The driver going home took a normal 7 minutes. There was a little traffic in Pennsauken going there and on the highway going home, but nothing horrible.

I told the driver he could drop me off anywhere in King's Croft and spent the next hour or so wandering around the sidewalks there. King's Croft is a huge, sprawling series of townhouses and condos between King's Highway and Church Road. The whole area is surrounded by lots of green fields and trees and gardens. Parents walked their small huskys and sweet-faced bulldogs with their children. I could see a huge pool and tennis courts as I strolled. Everything seemed to be in good shape, not a speck of trash anywhere. The townhouses were well-kept and maintained, and there was nothing but furniture and plant pots on the patios and balconies. 

That huge, sprawling layout proved to be a problem. I kept getting lost. It took me forever to find my way back to the map at the King's Highway entrance. Most of the buildings are townhouses, and thus, are much bigger than I need. I only need one or two rooms, not something large enough for families. They're also far more expensive, thanks to all that extra room, and thus have a higher Home Owner's Association fee. There's also the fact that many of the loops lack sidewalks, or sidewalks all the way around. The smaller buildings near Church Road looked like condos, though they were still a bit bigger than something like Playa Del Sol.

I finally turned off at Church Road. There were at least two more condo areas I wanted to check out. Crofton Commons looked like smaller versions of the condo buildings at King's Croft. The buildings at Clusters of Lexington were light brown with angular dark roofs and narrow rectangular strip windows. They were so 70's, I expected to see Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers drinking and exchanging quips by the pool. Trouble was, there were heavy black clouds gathering on the horizon, and I didn't especially want to get caught in storms again. I ended up admiring the condo buildings from the sidewalk, opting to hurry past them and Thomas Paine Elementary School instead. 

Just beyond the Robert Mills Apartment Complexes were two small, older-style brick and wood shopping centers. I ducked into Gallo Bakery just in time. I'd barely been there for two minutes when it started pouring buckets. The Gallo Bakery in Cherry Hill is far less lavish than the one in Marlton. It's basically three glass cases filled with cookies, pastries, and cakes and a couple of brass chairs and tables. That was enough for me to enjoy a quiet half-hour nibbling on an apple-filled hamataschen while watching the rain fall heavily and listening to the nice young woman behind the counter take orders. There was even a small rumble of thunder at one point, though I never saw any lightning. 

The rain held off long enough for me to duck down to the next shopping center over. They had a Tony Soprano Pizza, smaller than the stand-alone building in Somerdale, but also a bit nicer. I had some trouble using their self-order kiosk, but I finally managed to get a slice of cheese, a slice of tomato-broccoli, and a can of Coke Zero. Enjoyed lunch while listening to a poor old man talk on his cell phone about a car accident to what was likely (I hope) his sympathetic lawyer.

Hurried down the block to a small WaWa after lunch. I grabbed a small toasted coconut pineapple milkshake and a Wild Cherry Pepsi Zero before calling Uber. I timed it well again. The showers had just started again when the driver pulled up in the parking lot. 

Soon as I got home, I went straight to bed for a nap. Even though I hadn't done a ton of walking, I was still tired. This has been a busier summer than usual for me! I went down at 3 PM and didn't get up until 5:30. 

Watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse after I rolled out of bed. Prince Pete is cranky because he can't get comfortable in his favorite chair. The others help him figure out why his chair is so uncomfortable, so he can get "Prince Pete's Catnap" and finally drift off to dream land. 

Moved to Remember WENN next. "Sight Unseen" is the first of three episodes in the series to deal with minority and disability relations in the late 30's and early 40's. Angela Colton (Molly Ringwald) is a blind young woman who wants to meet her favorite character, the Vagabond. "The Vagabond" is played by short, balding character actor Mackie Bloom (Christopher Murney). He has her dance with Jeff to preserve the illusion, but Angela is disappointed. She doesn't care what he looks like, only that his voice is filled with nobility and integrity. 

Went straight into Match Game '76 after WENN ended. Most of tonight finished up the week with Elaine Joyce, Fannie Flagg, and Jimmie Walker admiring a pretty lady who made her own lovely clothing. She was gone by the next week with goofy Avery Schriberer and acerbic Jo Ann Pflug. 

Finished the night with more WENN. "The Emperor Smith" is George Smith, a black waiter whom Betty recruits to take the role of Lord Branley, Elizabeth's new love interest on The Hands of Time after Mackie gets laryngitis. His deep, resonant voice makes him an absolute sensation. There is one small problem. George is a black man at a time when minorities were still looked down on by most people. Betty has to figure out how to hide him from a particularly persistent reporter without the help of Victor Comstock, who was called away on a top secret mission. 

(And note Victor being called away. His top secret work is a major plot point from the later first season onwards.)

Going Global Games

Began the morning with breakfast and Monchhihis. This is another Hanna-Barbara cartoon I watched as a kid, mostly during its later run on the USA Cartoon Express. I have no idea how they turned Japanese monkey dolls into little monkey-like creatures who live in trees and need Tickle Crystals to run their Happy Works, which makes them happy. The first episode, "Tickle Pickle," seems more like the half-hour specials for characters like Strawberry Shortcake. After the grump gray monkey-monsters the Grumplins attack their treetop kingdom and shatter the tickle crystals, five of the young Monchhihis take it on themselves to find more before the Grumplins do.

Headed out on the bike after the show ended. Ran some brief errands on the White Horse Pike first. My nephew Skylar's 22nd birthday is Friday. I picked up a card for him and a Propel at Dollar General. Neither they nor Family Dollar had much in the way of foot or heel aids. After the fuss in Dollar General the last time I went in there, at least a lady was nice enough to let me go on ahead.

There was no more putting it off. I rode up to Cooper Urgent Care in Audubon to finally get my heel looked at. I've had a bump on my right heel for weeks that's been fairly painful. I was hoping it would go away, but...it hasn't. Thankfully, unlike when I went there in early March, they only had three other people in the waiting area. After signing in and telling them about my heel, they brought me in within five minutes. 

After they took my blood pressure, I watched Lilo & Stich: The Series (a clumsy alien Lilo dubs "Whoops" wrecks havoc on Pleakley's Domino Rally game) and Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (Ladybug deals with her friend Kagumi's frustrations over her mother being strict with her and a pair of mud-flinging villains called "The Dirtifyers") on The Disney Channel before the doctor came in. I explained my problem. My heel has had that lump for weeks, and it gets worse when I use it for a long time or push it hard.

After she felt around my foot, a sweet young woman took me to the x-ray room. I sat on a table so they could take shots of my heel. Returned to the room and to watching Ladybug and her buddies until the doctor returned. Verdict - heel spur and Achilles tendinitis. I'm to get antibiotics, continue to wear the heel lifts in my shoes, and go to Cooper Bone and Joint next week for a follow-up appointment.

After I got out, I went next-door to WaWa. I had considered eating out, but I didn't like the look of the weather. It was sunny when I started, but by quarter of 2, clouds were gathering, and it was humid and much hazier. It's a good thing I did settle for buying a roast beef and provolone wrap, a bag of PopCorners (popped corn chips that taste like a cross between rice cakes and tortilla chips), and a matcha pineapple smoothie. It started showering lightly almost the moment I stepped out of WaWa. I was just heading down East Clinton when I arrived and the showers got heavier.

(Thankfully, they didn't last long after that. There would be some pretty noisy storms later around dinnertime, but they seem to have subsided for the moment.)

Watched rain-themed cartoon episodes during lunch. Minnie and Daisy are dismayed that there's no rain for their flowers in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Professor Ludvig Von Drake gives them the formulas to make clouds the right shape for their gardens that would rain on them, so they can have their flower show. Mickey, Pluto, and Goofy end up saving them when the Glove Balloon gets stranded on a cloud and they need help to create "Minnie and Daisy's Flower Shower."

Switched to PBS Kids for Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Katarina and O and their parents and uncle sleep over the Tiger Family's house when they're evacuated due to "A Storm In the Neighborhood." The loud rain and thunder scares the kids, but their parents assure them that they have a plan to keep them safe. "After the Neighborhood Storm" everyone pitches in to clean up, including the firefighters who help remove a tree from in front of the Clock Factory.

Listened to records while doing the laundry and resting my foot. The Broadway revival of The Boy Friend from 1970 was supposed to be headlined by Judy Carne of Laugh-In as sweet Polly Browne. Sandy Duncan was the one who got the lion's share of good notices as Maisie, the boldest of Polly's friends who sings "Won't You Charleston With Me?" and "Safety In Numbers." Jeanne Beauvais as the girls' teacher Madame Dubonnet also does well by "Fancy Forgetting" and "Poor Little Pirouette." 

Put the laundry in the dryer as I moved on to children's albums. Beryl Berney was apparently a journalist, artist, and puppeteer who worked on children's shows in the 1950's and 60's when she did a series of storytelling albums for kids-based Rocking Horse Records. Snow White and Dick Whittington are pretty much the traditional version of those stories, other than Snow White has a unique ending. The Wicked Queen turns so ugly, she destroys her mirrors when she looks into them, including the magic one. 

The Story of Robin Hood is a condensed retelling of the 1952 live-action Disney movie of the same name. The movie itself is good but not great, and that's reflected here. I do like the build up for Prince John and King Richard's mother Queen Eleanor as Maid Marion's boss, and some of Robin's men can be pretty funny. This is nice to hear if you love Robin Hood stories or Disney's 50's and 60's movies, but far from essential. Dal McKennon narrates here. 

Moved to Match Game '75 as The Story of Robin Hood ended. Richard Dawson's then-girlfriend Jody Donovan was such a doll during the week of New Year's, I wish she had come back, no matter who she was dating. New Year's Eve 1975 was celebrated with noisemakers, balloons dropping, and hats for everyone. (Jody's glittering headband and short hairstyle made her look like she'd just walked out of The Boy Friend.) Charles popped a Match Game '75 balloon to reveal '76...then popped that one to show '77, then showed '78 drawn on his thumb.

Finished the night with game shows from Richard Dawson's native England, starting with the two that have been running on Buzzr this month as part of their "Buzzr Goes Global" marathon. Freemantle, Buzzr's parent company, is British, and thus has no shortage of shows from that country. Going for Gold had seven contestants from across the UK and Europe answering questions and playing against each other to see who would continue in the tournament. The show ran for a decade as people tuned in to see who would be moving on to the next week. The episode I have here from 1990 includes a blind contestant and his seeing eye dog who is not only introduced in the opening, but does quite well, making it to the end of the show.

Small Talk is probably one the most hilariously adorable game shows to come out of Britain. Three adults guess how a panel of 9 kids will answer a certain question in this variation on Child's Play. No wonder this ran for two years on the BBC and Buzzr chose it for their marathon. The kids are a riot, and jovial host Ronnie Corbett is obviously having a ball watching them. 

Double Your Money goes way further back. This hit from 1955 was apparently based on The $64,000 Question, but more closely resembles an early form of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Couples answer questions for escalating amounts, leading to the "1,000 Pound Treasure Hunt." This was an early hit for ITV and is one of the earliest surviving TV game shows in England.

3-2-1, based on a Spanish format, may be one of the most unique game shows ever in England. The first half starts as a straight quiz, with couples answering questions. The second half looks something like a cross between Monty Python, Let's Make a Deal, and Beat the Clock. The winning couple does stunts based on the theme of the day (cartoons, in this case), then watch a series of wacky skits and give answers based on clues given by an actor from the skit, a prop they bring over, and what they can remember from them. The winners from that have to choose between a series of prizes. The bad prize on this show will land them "Dusty Bin," the show's robotic comic mascot and official "klunk." Maybe we ought to try mixing variety shows and game shows more often over here in the US, because this was really fun, especially that wacky second half.

Chain Letters is a far more traditional game show. In this 1987 series, three contestants change letters on a computerized word to make another word. The second round had them trying to predict what word one of the contestants would make. The third round had them changing certain letters from a word on the screen. The winner would see how many words they could form by changing one letter in 60 seconds. This was also lot of fun, and pretty challenging. It was enough of a hit for ITV to pull it out again for two series starting in 1995.

The British get far more into their comedy panel shows than we Americans do. Case in point, the irreverent and utterly hilarious Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Two panels of rock musicians guess what will happen in a music video, facts about other musicians, and try to remember the next line of a song. Celebrity guests will pop in to help answer questions and sing the first bars of a popular rock song. The real attraction was watching all of these musicians make jokes about their fellow performers and be delightfully witty. They had such a good time, this ran for almost two decades on the BBC from 1996 to 2015 and was revived successfully for four years starting in 2021. 

Take a summer trip across the Atlantic to make letter chains, dodge moving trash bins, double your money, and watch some of the funniest kids and musicians on either side of the pond.

Double Your Money (1955)

3-2-1 (1978)

Chain Letters (1987)

Going for Gold (1990)

Small Talk (1994)

Never Mind the Buzzcocks Premiere (1996)

Rainy Day Matches

Started the day with breakfast and finishing off The Pirates of Dark Water. The crew of the Wraith finally returns to treasure hunting when Ren's compass gives them the next location...but it keeps moving. They follow it to an island inhabited by Amazons and a rather cute little blue creature. Tula notes that the Amazons aren't at all friendly to her menfolk or the creature and joins them. Niddler, meanwhile, had ended up on a boat filled with minga melons. When the boat is attacked, he flees to the island and isn't too happy to discover the creature also loves his favorite treat. Tula knows there's more to "The Living Treasure" than a big appetite, and she and Nibbler have to rescue it and the guys too.

And that is that. It's a shame this may have been too complicated for an era that preferred endless imitations of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The show was abruptly canceled in spring 1993. The crew of the Wraith would have to wait for comic books to find the remaining treasures and restore Octopon. 

Hanna-Barbara didn't often stretch themselves like this. There's a great cast, with Hector Elizondo, George Newburn, and Brock Peters the stand-outs as roguish Ioz, determined prince Ren, and evil pirate Bloth. Some decent animation for a TV show at the time too, including gorgeous watercolor backgrounds. My major complaint is the second season goes off on some strange tangents. "The Living Treasure" is one of the only times we see them looking for treasure. Even with the truncated second season and lack of an ending, this is still worth watching for fans of fantasy and swashbucklers like me. 

Switched to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the second Go-Getters episode as I got ready for work. "Goofy's Gone," but he's really playing hide-and-seek. Detective Minnie, Captain Clarabelle, and Super Spy Daisy go looking for him. Buzz-Buzz the Bee and Big Pete think they saw a monster, but the Go-Getters know there's a more logical explanation for the huge duck-like footprints and strangely-dressed figure they saw.

It had been showering off and on all day. I called Uber. Thankfully, no trouble getting to work either way. The one going to the Acme arrived in 12 minutes. The one going home took 10 minutes. No traffic anywhere.

Work was surprisingly quiet. The head bagger did the sweeping during the first hour, but after that, she took over for a cashier. I pushed carts and did the sweeping for the rest of my shift. The rain must have scared everyone off. We were a little busy around 4 PM, but after that, it died out again. The worst thing that happened was it showered, sometimes heavily, the entire time I was at work and I kept getting wet. Of course, the rain stopped the moment I finished. Picked up peaches and batteries on the way out. (At least we never got the advertised thunderstorms.) 

Watched a few Hungarian Folk Tales when I got home and changed. "The Prince Who Turned Into Stone" and "Cereruska" feature siblings who end up rescuing each other. "The Prince" must rescue his beloved royal brother from a witch who turned him and his animal companions into stone. "Cereruska" is a variation on "Brother and Sister," with a sister who is turned into a deer instead of a brother. 

Finished the night at YouTube with the Saturday Match Game marathon. British comedienne Dolly Martin may have been past her days as a Playboy centerfold in 1975, but she was still a delight when she debuted on the same week Allen Ludden and Betty White played together. She didn't return to the show until 1979, but she became a semi-regular throughout the entire syndicated run, with and without her husband Dick Martin. 

In fact, she and Dick appeared in some of the most memorable episodes of the late 70's and early 80's. They were there when the excited contestant grabbed Gene's arm and practically dragged him around. Dolly had to answer her Head-to-Head while Gene hid behind the question holder. Nipsey Russell preferred giving her a big squeeze! She saw a contestant teach Gene how to tap dance and another do a noisy hog call that just about blew the roof off the studio. McLean and Gene worked on her Bristol accent (and parodied My Fair Lady) after an English butler with a far more posh way of speaking appeared on the show. 

Dick and Dolly appeared together for the last time in the 1990-1991 version of the show. Dolly saw how a young man who looked a lot like Jimmie Walker dominated his week. She got to join Pam Stone making jokes when Charles and Jo Anne Worley talked about having appeared in The Mikado together and heard Brad Garrett and Fred Travalena's hilarious impersonations. 

Dolly had even more fun in the nighttime episodes. She tried to play matchmaker when it became apparent that Debralee Scott had a crush on a handsome contestant. They got so into their kissing when he thanked her for a Super Match answer that Bill Daily hid them behind his coat. In another episode, Dick joked about her being his "brother" and saw Dick help a young redheaded man with a really big $20,000 Head-to-Head.

This model Brit proves she's no dumb bunny in these hilarious episodes!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Featuring Dolly and Dick Martin

On the Right Track

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

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

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

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

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

and a children's record:

Raggedy Ann & Andy's Birthday Party

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

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

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

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

The Nifty Nineties

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

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

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

Kids of Tomorrow

Began the morning with Little Bear. We meet Little Bear's Uncle Rusty, a lumberjack, when he joins Father and Grandfather bear in "Building a House for Emily." "Emily Returns" with her globe-trotting Granny, both of whom are delighted with their new home. Little Bear becomes "Little Sherlock Bear" and searches for clues when the cherry pie his mother baked for his father disappears from the window sill.

I decided to try something different for breakfast. I chopped up a peach and added it and some cinnamon to the buckwheat pancake mix I found at Sprouts last week. I don't have syrup, so I had it with honey and yogurt instead. Yum! Not bad at all. Earthy, slightly sweet, and good for you. 

Watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I ate. "Secret Spy Daisy" has her first assignment guarding Clarabelle's secret cookie recipe from Pete. If he gets it, he'll make all the cookies for himself! Minnie, Mickey, and Pluto join Daisy as they ride down a yellow road, climb a tall wall, and find a way across a rushing river, and then distract Pete before he can get to Clarabelle's bakery!

Headed out to the Thomas Sharp School after the cartoon ended. Today was apparently the kids' Water Day. They were all wearing swimsuits and trunks and wrapping themselves in damp towels when we arrived. We had 18 damp kids, 6 at my table. On one hand, they did get pretty wild in the cafeteria early-on, including three of them ending up under the table again. On the other hand, they were thrilled that I brought my Storyland and Richard Scarry anthologies again. I read Bambi to two enthralled animal-loving pre-schoolers and let the kindergartners look at the pictures. The head teacher even read a story she wrote in second grade about a hedgehog's sleepover with his buddy. They liked seeing me draw the Bowery Boys at the drawing table, too (even if some of the girls asked why there were no female members of their group). 

It was sunny, windy, and a little humid when we got outside, but thank heavens it never rained. By the time we were on the playground, there were few enough kids that they were able to get on the swings after 15 minutes. There was a little squabbling, but we had more trouble getting them to keep their shoes on. Many of the kids wore vinyl clogs, sandals, or water shoes. Great for Water Day, not so much for running around a playground. One of the kindergartners threw a fit when we wouldn't let him build a mulch castle in the middle of the slide equipment. The mulch is supposed to stay on the ground.

There were four kids left when we took them inside around quarter of 4. The older kids had already gone back inside and were running around, playing family (which, as far as I could tell, amounted to "let's all pretend we're in college") and building massive castles for Pokemon cards with magnetic tiles. Even as we arrived, two of the kids left...and shortly after they left, another teacher came. I went home around 4.

Made a quick stop at Dollar General on the way home. I got tissues and a soda, but I mainly wanted to get money for tomorrow's Blacktop Bash. (I was hoping they'd have that Listerine Clinical Gum Protection mouthwash I use, but no dice.) Grabbed them, got out. 

Decided to try something different at YouTube after I got in. I've been reading Men of Tomorrow on comic book history and the beginnings of superhero comics for the last couple of days. Since I'm now on the chapters covering the Golden Age of Comic Books, I dug into public domain serials for a genuine Golden Age comic book hero. Spy Smasher, aka Alan Armstrong, was basically a slicker, more spy-oriented variation on Batman, but he was huge during the war years. He was a huge seller for Fawcett Comics along with the character now known as Shazam. 

Spy Smasher is regarded as one of the best Republic Pictures serials, one of the best superhero serials...and one of the best sound serials, period. You can see why from the very first chapter, which starts off with Armstrong (Kane Richmond) being bound and interrogated by Nazis. He's spared by kind Vichy French officer Pierre Durand (Franco Corsaro), who rescues him and returns him to his twin brother Jack (Richmond) in the US. From there, the two take on The Mask (Hans Schumm), a Nazi officer who is very fed up with Spy Smasher's constant interference. 

Switched to Match Game '74 around quarter after 6. Today moved on to the next week, the second and last with Adrienne Barbeau in the fourth female ingenue seat. Gary Burghoff's also back, joined by Fannie Flagg and Bobby Van. At one point in the last episode, Gary gives a bad answer...then the camera shows him sitting there, naked from the waist up. Apparently, he lost his shirt betting with Richard Dawson that he'd give that answer. (He should know better than to bet with Richard on anything.)

Finished the night with more Spy Smasher back at YouTube. I'm continually impressed with the special effects in this one. They're honestly pretty good for 1942. I especially loved the nifty "Bat Plane" with all its special features and some of the cliffhangers, like the one at the end of "Iron Coffin" that had them trapped in a submarine filling with water. This is also somewhat closer to the comics than a lot of adaptations tended to be, other than changing his vehicle from the Gyrosub and adding that twin brother. No wonder it remains a fan favorite. 

Mothers and Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. "Donald's Clubhouse Sleepover" is at his very own boat-shaped home on a lake. Donald loves it and keeps showing off what it can do, even as his friends try to sleep. The others have to figure out how to get him settled down, so they can all get to sleep. 

Though it was only cloudy at that point, I still called Uber. I didn't trust the weather, and I had grocery shopping to do later. They arrived in 9 minutes...but I called too late and was slightly late to work. They took 8 minutes going home.

Other than that and I had to clean up a spill from one of the watermelon chunk bowls, there were no other problems today. We were really busy, especially later in the morning. I could hardly keep up with the carts! There was no help, either. The head bagger was helping in the floral department, and everyone else was needed up front. At least the weather held out. The clouds remained, and it was windy and relatively warm, but it didn't rain.

Went right into grocery shopping after work. Restocked yogurt, chicken, cheese, soda, granola bars, brownie cookies, and strawberries. Had online coupons for Like Air puffcorn and Siggi yogurt. Bumble Bee tuna was buy five cans, get them for 99 cents each. I had to go back and get the right ones when three out of the five cans I picked up were packed in oil instead of water. Got a slice of chocolate cake for a special treat.

When I got home, I had lunch while watching the last episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus currently on Disney Plus. Mickey and Minnie go back to fairy tales with "The Candy Cottage." They're Hansel and Gretel who must find the candy to fix Wizard Pete's cottage after Donald eats part of it and Pete puts him under a sleeping spell. Peppermint Clarabelle, Farmer Goofy and his candy apple trees, and Daisy Bo Peep and her marshmallow-wool sheep may be able to help.

Took a much-needed early shower, then put everything away and got into bed for a nap. I've had a really long week, and I've been up too late a lot recently. I badly needed the rest. I went down at 3 PM and didn't roll out of bed until 5:30.

(Oh, and it did finally rain around 2:30-3 PM, not long after I got home. The rain had long disappeared by the time I finished my nap. It was gorgeous for the rest of the evening, sunny and warm.) 

Put on The Lawrence Welk Show next. Honored Jo Anne Castle, the honky-tonk pianist and comedienne who passed away yesterday, with a spring-themed episode from 1966. Jo Anne is my favorite performer in the 60's episodes. Her joy, talent, big heart, and voluptuous figure proves that you don't need to look like a sweet little Lennon Sister to be a variety show scene-stealer. Jo Anne and her piano "go green" here with her fabulous rendition of the old Al Jolson favorite "Swanee." 

The Lawrence Welk Show - Springtime In the Rockies (1966) 

Finished the night with dinner and today's Match Game marathon. Mothers - those who played them on TV, real-life mothers, and questions about mothers and motherhood - abounded on this show. One of the first mothers to appear on the show in 1973 was also possibly the most unique. Carolyn "Morticia Addams" Jones did a memorable week late in the year. Esther Rolle of Good Times turned up in 1974 along with bass-voiced comedian Joe Silver. Isobel Sanford of The Jeffersons and Bonnie Franklin of One Day at a Time made their first appearances in 1976, Sanford on a hilarious week that also included composer Marvin Hamlisch. Hope Lange of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, who remained friends with Charles even after that show ended its run, turned up in mid-1978. 

Real mothers appeared on the panel and in the audience, too. Producer Mark Goodson's mother Fanny was spotted in the audience at least twice during the syndicated run. Bart Braverman mentioned his grandmother on the same episode that Charles wished his Swedish mother in Connecticut a happy birthday. Towering-yet-boyish Peter Issacson pointed out his mother in the audience during the first day of his week in 1975. During Hope Lange's week, Gene turned up in the opening with two toddlers. One was Patti Deusch's son Max; the other was Gary Burghoff's darling daughter Gina. Elaine Joyce's daughter Taylor was seen twice during the syndicated run; the episode here has her appearing in her adorable Polish dance costume.

Bring your mother along to match with some of the funniest mothers on TV in this hilarious and touching marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Mothers are Beautiful Marathon

Appreciated Harts

Began the day with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. "The Late, Late Show" has nothing to do with Stephen Colbert. Mickey and the others want to stay awake and see a meteor shower, but they keep falling asleep! Donald in particular spends the episode nodding off. They have to find ways to stay awake before the big celestial event hits.

Thankfully, work wasn't really much of a problem today. The head bagger was there, but though she did sweep during my break, she mostly helped the floral department manager. Not that I really needed her much anyway. We were dead the entire morning. There were barely any carts to do. I'm guessing everyone is waiting for Mother's Day weekend.

I'm less happy with my schedule. Other than a later day on Sunday. it's the exact same schedule as this week...up to and including working Wednesday and Friday. The head bagger took Friday and Saturday off.

Soon as I changed and grabbed pads, I headed out. I took my bike today, partially so I could ride up to the Legacy Diner for lunch. After the week I'd had, I needed pancakes rather badly. I had my favorite coconut-pineapple pancakes, bacon, and water. The pancakes were so huge, I'm glad I went with the short stack. The bacon was melt-in-your-mouth crispy. Though the waitress took a little while to get my order, the food came quick after that. I was out fast enough that I got to the Thomas Sharp School a little bit early.

On one hand, we had a lot fewer kids today. Some of the classes went on a school trip, so we only had 18 little ones and 14 older kids today. On the other hand, they got pretty crazy, especially in the bathroom. I had 7 at my table, but there were so few at the other tables, we ended up taking them together. Probably not a good idea, considering how crazy they were. I brought the one straggler back. 

When the kids finished their snacks, we gathered those interested at a table to do an art project. They drew cards for their mothers with colored pencils and the dot markers from the March St. Patrick's Day pot of gold pictures. The head teacher gave them colorful stickers for their cards, most of which ended up on the floor. The boys next to them playing with Hot Wheels cars and magnetic tiles were so noisy, they got lucky they were able to go outside at all. 

We finally were able to get the kids out around 4 PM. The sun had been in and out all day, but by that point, it was sunny, blustery, and maybe even a little humid. I did have to argue with one little girl about getting on the swings while there were still too many kids around. She and her friend wailed because one of the older boys wouldn't play with them. I tried to point out that he wanted to play with boys closer to his own age, but they weren't having any of it. One of them did finally get her way when he was briefly on the swings at the same time as her. The remaining 4 kids happily ran around and asked me to push them on the swings until I finished and the other teachers took them inside to get their things and clean up the remaining stickers and markers mess.

And...those kids and their families are such sweethearts. One little boy and his mother came in today just to hand out boxes of home-made white chocolate-covered strawberries and white chocolate-caramel pretzels and Target gift cards to the teachers. A little girl and her family gave us 5 dollar gift cards to Dunkin' Donuts. They're some of the only people right now who really do make me feel loved and appreciated, even when they drive me crazy.

Watched Match Game '73 when I got home. Most of the episodes were for the early week with Dick Gautier, his then-wife Barbara Stuart, and Oscar-winner Shelley Winters. Gautier and Stuart seemed to do decent enough playing off each other (though one episode from this week is banned due to an offensive answer from Dick and the contestant). I'm not sure Shelley entirely got the humor. Robert Culp didn't do much better next week. Pat Carroll, on the other hand, seemed to have a great time, and it's a shame she never came back.

Finished the night with Hart to Hart. "The Hartbreak Kid" is Reilly, the little girl who gives Max tips on the horses at the stables. She's close with the Harts, their filly J.J Hart, and his trainer. Reilly ends up in big trouble when she accidentally overhears two men who have money on another horse try to get him to throw the race. The Harts bring Reilly home with them for Christmas and to find her grandmother. Even when Granny turns up, she's not what she seems...and the Harts have to rescue Max and Reilly and figure out how they can win the race without anyone getting hurt. 

Dolls on a Perfect Spring Day

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. Mickey is reading "Daisylocks and the Three Bears" to his teddy bear Duffy when Daisylocks herself turns up at his door. She's supposed to be delivering blueberries to the Three Bears, but she got lost. Mickey and the gang help lead her home and wake up Papa Bear when she gets there. 

Switched to Pirates of Dark Water while getting organized. "The Collector" is a wizard who shrinks ships and seals them in bottles to take their treasures. He first steals a ship that Ioz sneaked aboard to get his treasure, then gets the Wraith. It's up to Ren and Niddler to trick the wizard and reverse the spell.

Spent the rest of the morning dressing the dolls for warmer spring weather. Ariel is in a hand-made pink polka dot dress with pearls sewn on the smocking that I bought from a doll dress maker two years ago. She borrowed Samantha's side bow headband. Samantha is dressed for her birthday in her Pink Striped Dress and Lace Pinafore with the white and pink shoes. Molly's also in a hand-made outfit, in this case a recreation of her hard-to-find Victory Garden Dress. Josefina celebrates a late Cinco Del Mayo in her gorgeous Dress and Vest with the lovely red and gold print skirt and black velvet vest. She wears it with her gold embroidered shawl from her Feast Day Finery.

Barbara Jean's hot pink fringed and sequined dress and fur wrap was supposed to be a play outfit for Melody, but I have it as her ultra-chic prom gown. She borrowed a tiara from the Sugar Plum Fairy ballet outfit to make her the queen of the Cherry Hill High East prom. Felicity is ready to help me clean in her green striped Work Gown and the lace-trimmed apron I originally bought from Cold Spring Village years ago as a pinafore for Samantha. Kit's ready to find that scoop in the second version of her Reporter Dress with the polka-dot vest and skirt and the cute rickrack side collar and bow. Whitney goes red, white, and blue for Decoration Day (Memorial Day when her story is set in 1959) in Maryellen's bow-print School Outfit. 

Listened to two of my recent record finds as I worked. Hooligans is one of the many Who greatest hits collections floating around. I have Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy on CD, but that one stops in the early 70's. This one goes up to Who are You and includes songs from that, Quadrophena, Who's Next, and Who By the Numbers. Of the less familiar non-album singles, my favorite is "Join Together." Other later songs on here I love include the dynamic live "Summertime Blues," "The Song Is Over," and the title song from Who are You. 

Diana Ross' self-titled album from 1980 was one of her biggest hits and featured two of her most popular singles, the bouncy "Upside Down" and upbeat "I'm Comin' Out." Other good ones here featured her in a more typical bluesy mode. I especially liked "Now That You're Gone" and the cute "Have Fun (Again)."

Headed out early after Diana Ross ended. Picked up two soft pretzels and a pepperoni-filled pretzel from A&A Pretzel Shop and ate them at the stone bench along the road leading into the Bettlewood entrance to Newton Lake Park. I didn't have much time to enjoy them. I had to hurry along to work. 

I was a minute or two late, nothing horrible...which was a good thing. Despite there only being 23 kids today, they were pretty riled up, even the 8 kids at my table. I had to coax one little girl who decided to hide in the bathroom stall out so she could go back with the others. 

Thankfully, we were able to get them out to the playground early. It was too nice for them to be inside for long, anyway. Like I told one little girl when she finally got on the swings, this was just about the most perfect weather you could imagine. It was golden sunny, warm, and blustery, probably in the upper 60's. If the kids weren't chasing each other, they were playing hide and seek with me and the other teachers, racing Hot Wheels cars down slides, or dancing to Taylor Swift songs, "The Floor Is Quicksand," "Diggin' In the Dirt," and songs from Encanto, The Lion King, Moana, and KPop Demon Hunters. There were four left when we took them briefly back inside to get anything they'd left there, then joined the remaining 8 older kids on the blacktop to let the teachers conduct their meeting in the cafeteria.

Took a shower when I got home, then had dinner while watching Three Daring Daughters. I go further into this charming vehicle for Jane Powell and Jeanette MacDonald at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Mother's Day! - Three Daring Daughters

Finished the night with more Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. "A Dragon Tale" has Mickey and the gang trying to get a fire-breathing dragon away from Queen Clarabelle's front door so she can have her tea party. Turns out the dragon isn't anything like they think he is, and they learn about being a good friend when they help him find something he can drink tea out of and get Dragon Pete unstuck from a narrow bridge.

Join the Circus

Got a quick start today with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. "The Tale of the Moo-Maids" is the first of three fantasy-based episodes in a row. Daisy is devastated when she loses a string of pearls in Mickey Lake that belonged to her Great Gram-Quacker. The others dive under the lake to find them and help Queen Clarabelle of the Moo-Maids find her lost crown.

It was so late when I was finally ready, I called Uber. Of course, they took 13 minutes to arrive, and I was late to the Acme. Thankfully, not only did they only take 8 minutes going to Thomas Sharp, I called early. It took me a little longer to get a driver home after the first one canceled, but I did find one who came in 6 minutes. 

Thankfully after all that, work was fine. It wasn't really busy until later, and even that could have been worse. It started showering around 11 AM, which probably helped. (I also ended up pretty damp while I did the carts.) Other than I did have to replace the toilet paper in the women's bathroom, there were no problems whatsoever.

After my carb-heavy lunch and dinner yesterday, I opted for something with a lot less cheese. I went to Futomaki in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center behind the Acme for lunch. Had a bento box with salmon and vegetables in teriyaki sauce, California rolls, rice, and scallops. I enjoyed a nice, quiet, serene lunch. The only other person there was an Asian gentleman working on his laptop. Went back to the Acme after that to get granola (which I forgot last Saturday) before calling Uber.

Things largely went better at Thomas Sharp School. For one thing, the rain was long gone by the time I got there. It hasn't rained since about 12:30. For another, I had 8 kids at my table, and they were perfectly fine in the bathroom. There were 27 all together, which meant the cafeteria did get pretty wild. Two of the girls did goof off under the tables again and tried to eat their snacks on the floor. They were kept back for 10 minutes so the head teacher could talk to them while the rest of us took the other kids outside.

Things went better once we did get out. For one thing, by 4 PM, it was cool, cloudy, and windy but perfectly dry, probably in the lower-mid 60's. For another, they were able to get on the swings by 4:30, but didn't stay on long. We have a new teacher, a long, lanky male college student. The kids had a ball chasing him around as they listened to the Taylor Swift songs "Welcome to New York," "Shake It Off," and "Wildest Dreams," the kids' dance number "The Gummy Bears Song," "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, and songs from The Lion King, Moana, and KPop Demon Hunters. Two of the boys left when I did, leaving the one remaining girl to go inside with the two remaining teachers and join the older kids.

Vacuumed and Swiftered my bedroom while watching The Price Is Right. I came in for a heartbreaker of a Three Strikes that ended with the contestant getting the third strike at the last minute. The Showcase Showdown went better. One lady got 95 on her first try that no one else could touch. The Showcases were a generic furniture and trip and one of the Time Capsule sci-fi skits, this one ending with a speed boat. It got really close, but the lady who hit that 95 needs to look into boating lessons...

Stayed at Buzzr for Match Game '91 as I moved to dusting and washing the window. Evidently, they're stopping here for now, or at least until we get into their National Game Show Day all-new episodes marathon next month. Vicki Lawrence, comedian Bob Sarlatte, and Marcia Wallace spent the two episodes watching Jimmie Walker flirt with a very pretty contestant, and then pretty much claiming he's going to marry her after he helps her win big bucks.

Since they switched to the first episode of Match Game '73 after that, I spent the rest of the night after dinner watching The Greatest Show On Earth. This Cecil B. DeMille three-ring melodrama won an Oscar for its glittering costumes and huge spectacle, and while it's been criticized as one of the weaker Best Picture winners, it's hard to rival this one for sheer fun. No-nonsense Brad Braden (Charleton Heston) is the manager of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, the biggest traveling circus in the US. His girlfriend Holly (Betty Hutton) is furious when he takes her out of the center ring and replaces her with The Great Sebastian (Cornel Wilde), who is a bigger draw. 

She and Sebastian spend the next few performances trying to out-perform each other as Holly falls for him and Sebastian flirts with his former girlfriends Angel (Gloria Grahame) and Phyllis (Dorothy Lamour). Holly's devastated when one of Sebastian's tricks go wrong, and it looks like he might be out of the ring for good. The circus has even bigger problems. Angel's jealous ex-boyfriend and former elephant trainer Klaus (Lyle Bettger) and busker Harry (John Kellogg), whom Brad fired when he found him cheating customers, try to steal from the pay car, setting off a disastrous train collision that brings Buttons (James Stewart), a former doctor-turned-clown, out of hiding as well. It's Holly who finally figures out why the circus means so much to Brad when she almost loses him and ends up making the show go on herself.

Like I said, for a comedic soap opera that gets fussed about for being lightweight compared to the other Best Picture competition in 1952 (including High Noon), this is honestly way more fun than it ought to be. The cast mostly delivers, especially Gloria Grahame as sarcastic Angel and Stewart as kindly Buttons, though Lamour could have more to do. Some of the details (including how Brad is eventually saved after he's badly hurt in the train accident) are a little too campy for words...but there's no arguing with the spectacle. You can't get more circus than this movie. The spangles-and-feathers costumes are incredible, and they really pop in my Paramount DVD copy. If you're looking for something fun and thoughtless and feel like joining the circus (and have a spare two and a half hours on your hands), join Holly on the trapeze and check this out.

Heartbreak All Over the World

I heard the phone before I could even have breakfast. It was Tony Sanson, the loan officer from PNC Bank. Yes, he was the same man who told me last year my debt-to-ratio income wasn't enough and I should wait two years for the market to cool off...and yes, he said pretty much the same thing today. Even though I work hard, have an almost 800 credit score and no debt, I just don't make enough for their ratios. They would not give me a loan. I've been with PNC for 20 years, since 2006, never had a single problem with them, and they wouldn't give me a loan.

I was furious and heartbroken after that. Put on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus during breakfast to make myself feel better. Everyone is looking forward to the "Clubhouse Carnival," especially the new ride The Mouseke-slide. They're about to get on when Donald realizes he's missing his toy lion Sparky. They end up searching all over the Carnival to find him.

After that, I worked online a little, then called Alyssa at Camden County again. I still hadn't heard from her. I finally got her today...and she said she couldn't help me. Gave me the same jabber about ratios that Tony Sanson did. At least he got back to me within 24 hours and told me that. I've called her three times in three weeks, and this is the first time I actually heard from her. I hung up on her when she gave me "have a nice day." 

Tried to calm down with some Bowery Boys on Tubi. Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) are dealing with Blonde Dynomite when they convince ice cream shop owner Louie Dumbrowski (Bernard Gorcey) to take a vacation in Coney Island with his wife (Jody Gilbert). They open up an escort service with the help of the other Boys, but most of the ladies they end up escorting are demanding older dowagers. They're ready to quit when four gorgeous ladies turn up, asking for dates. They think they're really interested, but they're actually gun molls who are distracting them while their real boyfriends dig from Louie's into the next-door bank. Their friend Gabe (Gabriel Dell) was threatened with revealing he lost $5,000 to one of the molls if he didn't give them the combination. Sach thinks they're digging for uranium...and it turns out they're more likely to find ore than a bank...

I was so frustrated and angry and fed up and bored, I left for the Thomas Sharp School early. My first stop was the Oaklyn post office. I needed to drop off the Mother's Day card and buy stamps. The very sweet lady behind the counter helped me pick some very pretty stamps with sunflowers on them.

Had lunch at Crust N' Cravings on Collings Avenue in West Collingswood. Most people were eating outside on a gorgeous day, but I needed to think. Enjoyed a slice of cheese, a slice of broccoli-tomato, and a Fresca while listening to the NBC News Now channel.

Went straight to the school after lunch. I forgot today was Tuesday. Not only were the kids in the library because the music class was in the cafeteria, but they had been in the library earlier, and all of the tables and chairs were pushed in the back. The 23 kids were sitting on the floor. They were all pretty antsy, including in the bathrooms. One of the 10 kids at my table just walked off without waiting for the rest of us. She's not supposed to do that. Another boy threw a fit during lunch because his best friend was sick and hadn't come today. He walked out, probably to look for him, but I nudged him back. At least I got hugs from two of the girls, and one girl gave me her donut artwork. 

I'm glad we got out early to the playground again. The kids were crazy - in the cafeteria, in the bathrooms. One of the boys walked off from the bathrooms without permission. Several kids kept calling each other names or fighting over the one multi-colored pencil (that I had to throw away anyway because I couldn't sharpen it anymore). When we got out, the kids first gathered around the fence, hoping to get ice cream from the Mr. Softee truck. When it became apparent that Mr. Softee wasn't stopping, they crowded around an older boy eating his snack under the big old tree. Some of them tried to grab their snacks, but they're not really supposed to be eating outside.

They finally got on the swings around 4:30. I had a rather interesting conversation with one of the boys on the swings. He was swinging slowly and lightly, while the girl on the other swing was going high and fast. He wondered why the girl was going so fast. I told him some people go fast, and some people go slow. Some people go high, and some go low, and it's ok. Everyone moves at their own speed. We listened to "Bad," "Uptown Funk," "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride," the theme from PJ Masks, and songs from Trolls, Moana, The Lion King, Aladdin, and KPop Demon Hunters. There were four younger kids left when we took them around to the blacktop to play with the eight older kids. I finished shortly after.

Hurried straight home and had just enough time to take the trash out before Jessa picked me up at a little after 6. We had a small argument over my having lost housing and what I should do next. She suggested getting on the Section 8 waiting list or getting on a waiting list for a retirement community I'll be able to move into when I'm of retirement age. I'm not doing either. I want to get out of the attic as soon as possible, not when some waiting list says I'm ready, and not when I retire, either.

She took us into Merchantville to celebrate Cinco Del Mayo with dinner at Avocado Fiesta Grill, the restaurant next to the little convenience store on Park Avenue. They're a relatively small hole-in-the-wall place with bright striped vinyl tablecloths and a huge, pretty painting of Mexico City on the walls. She had the Al Pastor pork sandwich. I had the Pollo chicken and cheese quesadilla. They were amazing. Her sandwich was huge. My quesadilla was filled with tons of cheese and big chicken pieces, and there was shredded lettuce with crumbled soft, sweet cheese on the side.

They did have desserts, but they got really busy while we were eating. We thought we'd be better off going elsewhere. I suggested Scoop DeVille in Westmont. She had a small blueberry cheesecake frozen yogurt. I had a small pancake shake. They were really busy too, so we sat outside and enjoyed our treats in the gorgeous, warm, sunny, windy weather. She said her frozen yogurt was really tasty, with lots of big graham cracker and cheesecake pieces mixed into the yogurt. The pancake shake did taste like pancake syrup with crunchy bits, which meant it was good, but really sweet.

Finished the night with Murder She Wrote after a shower. Two critics, one known for being sarcastic and bitter, the other for being respectful but honest, get into an argument right before the opening of a Broadway play that is an adaption of one of Jessica's books, written by an old student of hers. Their reviews become a "Deadpan" when one gives the rather bad show an uncharacteristic rave review, only for the other to be found over him, holding the murder weapon. Jessica at first sets out to prove he didn't do it...but when the show's author is accused of being the killer, Jessica begins to wonder if maybe they were right about the killer from the first after all. 

Applesauce for the Teachers

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. They finally debuted more of this show online last month. It's "Mickey's Movie Night," and most of the gang is going to help Picture Pete get his new drive-in theater set up. Chip and Dale help give out magnetic tickets, Daisy and Clarabelle set up the hit-the-pyramid game, and Minnie and Mickey find a way to distract the audience while Pete winds the film. Chip and Dale would like to see the movie, if only Donald would push that big green button in his car...

Hurried out after the cartoon ended. I got out later than I thought and was ten minutes late to PNC for my appointment with them. Everything went fine after that. I talked to the head banker, and he was really nice. He agreed that I can't live in an attic anymore. At this point, I don't care what the housing market is like. I'm not waiting another year and half for it to go down, if it ever does. I need a real home. 

It was such a gorgeous day, it was too nice to eat inside. I bought a "Haddon Sunrise" egg, cheese, and tomato sandwich on whole wheat bread, potato chips, iced chai latte, and dried mango slices and apple rings at Haddon Culinary. Ate my lunch on one of the wooden benches against the side of the building. Yum! The sandwich was delicious, the chai the best I ever tasted. The weather couldn't have been more perfect too, windy, sunny, bright blue, and just warm enough, in the lower 70's.

When I got home, I dug out my food processor and finally decided to make applesauce. I have a pile of apples from the Acme and the farm market that I really can't eat right now. My gums are still a little sensitive from having that tooth pulled last week. There was also the one that was half-going bad. I sliced the good half of that one, cubed the rest, boiled them until they were soft, loaded them into the food processor, added honey, and let the processor go until it was smooth. Ohhhh yummy! It was perfect. I added slightly more honey, but otherwise, it was nice and smooth and just sweet enough.

Watched Shirt Tales after I finished cleaning up the kitchen. It's a "Vacation for Dinkel" when he claims he has "animalitis" and goes on vacation to Hawaii to get away from his charges. The Shirt Tales follow him to help him have a restful vacation...but the cure winds up being worse than the sickness when he wears them out! "Wingman" is a super villain in a crow mask who uses crows to steal from banks. The Shirt Tales track him down and expose his plot.

Headed out to the Thomas Sharp School after the cartoon ended. As I rode along the sidewalk alongside the school, I saw colorful, beautifully-drawn chalk artwork declaring that teachers are the best and thanking the teachers in the school for all they do. There were huge papers on the doors to the library, the custodian's office, and the cafeteria too where kids could write down their appreciation for those teachers and workers who help them with their books, keep their school clean, and make sure they get proper lunches. Apparently, tomorrow is Teacher Appreciation Day. I thought it was so sweet, especially when some of the older kids stopped to write their thanks on the cafeteria paper.

There were 23 kids today, 10 at my table, and they were pretty wild. I had a hard enough time with the ones at my table. It was even worse in the cafeteria after snack. Two of the girls got into a fight. I yanked one away much harder than I should have, and she got upset. I apologized to her and held the girls back to talk to them. As it turns out, they'd been best friends pretty much since birth and talked things out on their own after the one girl calmed down.

Considering the gorgeous day (and the fact that it's supposed to rain later in the week), I am so glad we got the kids out to the playground today! They were utterly hilarious, chasing each other around and dancing to "Sharks In the Water," "The Pink Tiger Hunt," "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, the themes from Bluey, PJ Masks, and Paw Patrol, and songs from Moana, Moana 2, and Trolls. 

They finally got on the swings by 4:30, and they all wanted to be pushed, even the ones who are capable of swinging themselves. One little boy got mad, and I'm pretty sure he kicked one of the girls in the stomach on purpose when he was swinging. Thankfully, she was fine once she got her turn. Other than that and some squabbling, we had a great time out there. There were only 2 girls left by 5 PM, so the head teacher let me go 15 minutes early.

I stopped at CVS on the way home. In addition to needing to use the bathroom, I wanted to pick up a gift card for Mother's Day. I also got corn remover pads. I hope those work better than the bigger callus removers. They didn't get rid of the whole callus - it must have been that bad. It's still sore.

Put on Match Game '91 and had dinner when I got home, after I took the laundry downstairs. Most of tonight was devoted to the week when Fred Travelena, Dolly Martin, Khrystyne Haje of Head of the Class, and comedian Jason Stuart joined Charles. Dolly was as sweet and funny as she was on the 70's-80's Match Game with her husband Dick, while Fred was frankly much funnier than he was in the syndicated Match Game or Match Game-Hollywood Squares.  

Speaking of Match Game, I finished the night at YouTube with episodes that featured either real-life mothers, or women who played mothers on TV after the laundry finished. The second week of the show featured Richard Thomas and his Waltons mama Michael Lerned, the only actors from that show to appear on any version of Match Game. Lerned seemed to enjoy herself that week, but poor Thomas looked like a deer caught in the headlights. (Incidentally, the episode I have here was only available in an incomplete copy for years due to audio issues on the original tape. Buzzr cleaned up the audio as well as they could last year.)

Isobel Sandford was a lot more game in early 1976, just as The Jeffersons was getting started. In fact, she was hilarious, and I wish she'd shown up for more than two weeks. She helps a very sweet and funny young lady with the Head-to-Head in the episode I have here and gets to hear Marvin Hamlisch and Charles Nelson Reilly serenade her. One Day at a Time single mother Bonnie Franklin turned up later in the year and did several weeks through 1979, including the one I have here where Gene questions her sitting position.

Real-life mothers appeared on the show as well. Patti Deusch and Jo Ann Pflug were on the panel while pregnant in 1975. Patty Duke, the mother of five children (including MacKenzie and Sean Astin), gets to admire the blue utilitarian suit Gene Rayburn bought on his trip to China in the 1978 episode I have here. Elaine Joyce anticipated "Take Your Child to Work Day" by bringing along her daughter Taylor Van to an episode in 1981. 

Mothers appeared on other versions of Match Game, too. Barbara Billingsly was among the Leave It to Beaver cast members who appeared during New Year's week on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. (I kept expecting her to speak jive, or at least be trailed by 10 Muppet Babies.) Vicki Lawrence, Mama herself on Mama's Family, was one of the best things about the 90's Match Games. The episode I have here from 1991 features her wild feud with host Ross Schafer when she criticizes his rather ugly tie. 

Match with your mother and some of the best mothers on TV in these delightful shows!

Match Game (1973 - Micheal Lerned)

Match Game (1975 - Patti Deusch) 

Match Game (1975 - Jo Ann Pflug)

Match Game (1976 - Isobel Sanford) 

Match Game (1976 - Bonnie Franklin)

Match Game (1978 - Patty Duke) 

Match Game Syndicated (1981 - Elaine Joyce)

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983 - Barbara Billignsly)

Match Game (1991 - Vicki Lawrence)

With a Little Help From My Kid Friends

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Happy Birthday, Toodles" gives the mouse-eared flying computer that brings the tools of the day a face and a (slightly annoying) voice. The others want to throw a surprise party for him, but it's not easy to keep something a surprise when you have to call on him constantly!

I did a few things online after breakfast, then called Alyssa at NJ Mortgage and Finance. She was supposed to hear from a woman who could help with the loan, but she went on vacation last week. Now that she was back, she was going to call her. She said she'd call me back later, but I never heard from her. Hopefully, I'll hear from her tomorrow.

Listened to the Beatles while I worked on the computer. The Blue Album and The Red Album were among the records I got in the box of 65 albums my biological father Bruce gave me for my birthday in 2006. They used to belong to my first stepmother Kaye before she died of cancer in 1997. I had enough time to listen to the first disc of The Blue Album. These were collections of the Beatles' greatest hits and any singles that hadn't been released on a regular album by 1973. My first Beatles album was the CD I got for my birthday in 1993 of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I still have that CD. This includes the title song, "With a Little Help From My Friends," "A Day In the Life," and "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds." Other numbers from the late 60's I love heard here include "Hey Jude," "Magical Mystery Tour," and "All You Need Is Love."

Frankly, by that point, I'd gotten bored with sitting inside and feeling a little down. I wish I could get a condo now! Not to mention, Lauren and her parents sent me 20 dollars for my birthday tomorrow. I went for a walk to Dollar General instead. It was warm, into the upper 70's, but the strong wind was still chilly. It spit a tiny bit as I headed down East Bettlewood Avenue. The rain stopped as I arrived at Dollar General, and it didn't really amount to much. It didn't even make anything wet. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since. 

I didn't need much at Dollar General, either. Replaced my old hair bands, which I've had for a while, and got a card for my nephew Khai's birthday on Sunday. It wasn't that busy, and I was in and out with no trouble.

Went across the street to Sakura Japanese Steak House for lunch. For once, their dining area was open. In fact, there was a group eating lunch at a booth when I arrived. I had tasty teriyaki shrimp and vegetables with brown rice. Yum! The vegetables were perfectly cooked, and I'm so glad they used brown rice. It's much better for you. I washed it all down with a Diet Coke.

I wasn't at home for more than 20 minutes before I headed right back out again to the Thomas Sharp School. We had 25 younger kids to start, 9 at my table...which wasn't a good thing. We're short-handed. The older woman who usually helps with the elementary school kids got badly hurt in an accident over spring break. The head teacher took her place, and the sweet young woman and nice older lady went in for her couldn't arrive until 3:30. My group was fine cleaning up and only a little rowdy in the bathrooms. 

Once again, the trouble was in the cafeteria after snack time. One little girl pulled out the books her parents ordered from their book catalogs. I ended up reading Moana 2 by request, even though it belonged to her. The kids at the table with the rubber food kept throwing it around. Most of it ended up under the table. The ones at the table with the magnetic tiles wouldn't share them with their friends, even though there were plenty for all.

Things went much better after we got them outside. Though we did have to remind them not to play tag (the boys tend to turn it into a contact sport), they otherwise had a pretty darn good time. The head teacher brought them chalk to draw on the concrete walkway leading from the school to the steps leading down to the sidewalk. They had a merry, messy time tracing each other's outlines and coloring them in, or drawing hearts or houses. The others all chased each other to the tune of "Sharks In the Water" and songs from Trolls and KPop Demon Hunters. There were six left when we took them inside at 5, and four left when I headed out 15 minutes later.

Stopped briefly for a Propel and a treat at Speedy Mart on the way home. Went straight into dinner and Match Game '90 when I got in. Most of the night finished the week with Ronn Lucas and Fred Travalena and his one-man White House. Though Scorch was around for most of the week, Ronn did bring Chuck Roast for a day, who was only slightly less abrasive than he was on his first appearance. Beverly Garland made her first appearance on Match Game this week since 1973. Brad Garrett and Joe Alaskey (the latter then of Tiny Toon Adventures) appeared on the last episode of the night. 

Finished the night with more animated TV show episodes revolving around birthdays. Returned to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for their second birthday episode. This time, it's "Mickey's Happy Mouske-day!" The others have planned all kinds of fun things to do on his big day, like riding bikes and throwing balls with Pluto. Nothing works out like they planned, but Mickey reminds them that the important thing is he got to have fun with his friends on his big day.

"Birthday Bear's Blues" is the only Care Bears Family episode to revolve around the Bears' party-hearty holiday lover. Birthday's upset that the other Care Bears and Cousins are holding a party to celebrate their defeat of No Heart rather than his birthday. He heads down below to help a wealthy little boy who brags about his toys to his classmates, then wonders why they won't come to his party. Birthday teaches him that you don't need fancy toys to have fun when they help rescue the others from a thorny maze No Heart set up as a trap.

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

Springtime Fairy Tales

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The Clubhouse residents are excited when they see "Minnie's Rainbow" and follow it to see where it goes. Donald just wants the pot of gold at the end. Leprechaun Pete would do anything to save his pot of treasure, including take down arrows pointing the right way and hiding the gold in a certain shamrock-shaped bush.

I was tired of hanging out inside and decided to go for a short walk. It was cloudy, windy, and chilly, but not abnormally cold for mid-March, probably in the lower 50's. Dropped off a book I didn't want at the kiosk down the block and a copy of the letter terminating my case with the DVR now that I have a second job at the post office. Picked up toilet paper and a card for Mom's birthday at Dollar General and two regular pretzels and a cheese steak stuffed pretzel for lunch at A&A Pretzels. 

When I got home, I had lunch while watching Lighthouse Island, a Jim Henson special from 1989. Young Zeb (Chris Makepeace) has come to Lighthouse Island to find the perfect wedding gift for the fiancee he's never met. He sees silver slippers in the antique store belonging to Clara Buford (Helen Burns) and decides he must have them. She says she'll give them to him...if he helps her retrieve a pearl belonging to her old rival Fred (Jerry Nelson). The pearl allows its owner to turn into anything. Fred turns up as a sea monster, a flying creature, and a tentacle. Zeb has his own reasons for wanting those slippers so badly he fights off Fred and his many forms...and they're not what Clara thinks. 

Switched to Murder She Wrote after that ended. There's "No Accounting for Murder" when Jessica's nephew Grady gets a new job with a major accounting firm, only to be accused of killing his boss. Jessica is actually encouraged to help solve the mystery for once by an Irish cop who is overwhelmed with the long list of suspects who all seem to have had more than one bone to pick with the man. A security guard was more interested in finding the "phantom" who lived in the building's air ducts, and may be the key witness who actually saw the murder.

Oh, and I got my schedule at this point. To my shock...I have no Acme schedule. They gave me Sunday and next Saturday off, too. I asked for the weekdays off to focus on the kids' half-days. The college kids must be on spring break. Good thing I did use one of my float days to make up for the money I lost on Wednesday. That's the only money I'll make from the Acme this week. 

It was later than it should have been when I called Uber. They took 16 minutes to arrive, which made me 10 minutes late. At least there was no traffic whatsoever. 

Not a good thing, as we had 25 younger kids today, 10 alone at my table. The ones at my table were very good. One girl messed around a bit in the bathrooms, but other than that, they cleaned up when asked and were only a little noisy in the halls. They were even complimented by the head teacher when they all walked back from the bathrooms instead of running. 

Of course they were all good. They wanted to go outside again! By 4 PM, the sun had come out. It was warmer, but not to the ridiculous extent of earlier in the week. Many of the kids still wouldn't wear jackets, or even sweaters in some cases. (At least they kept their shoes on this time.) I had to take a couple to the bathroom, but at least no one wanted drinks. It was too nice for much fussing, anyway. They chased bubbles, ran around the slides, and danced to "Pup Pup Boogie," several children's dance movement songs, the theme from PJ Masks, and "Happy Birthday" for one tiny miss whose big day was Sunday. 

No one was happy when the clouds came back and it got too cold to stay out. Not that any of us were really in the cafeteria for long anyway. Of the ten children we brought back, six (plus three older kids) left as I was getting ready to go. 

It was such a beautiful day, I walked home. Stopped at the Speedy Mart for bagels, then decided to cut across Newton Lake Park. Though green grass is showing in spots now and flowers are just popping up, most of the park is still dry and brown. Surprisingly quiet, too. I guess everyone was home for dinner. I saw two friends out for a stroll, someone walking their dog, and two Canadian geese poking around for their own evening meal.

Put on Match Game Syndicated when I got in. Most of the episodes tonight had an extra-sarcastic Patty Duke sitting in Brett's seat while she was out doing a play. Bubbly Betty Kennedy was the goofy ingenue. Charles tried to step up his acting to impress Oscar-winner Patty, including when the makeup people got stuck in the elevators. The next week features Jimmie Walker and hasn't turned up on GSN yet, so Buzzr skipped to the week after, with Bill Anderson, Bill Daily, and Jonnelle Allen. 

Switched to the last season of Laugh-In after I finished Murder She Wrote. By the sixth season, Patti Deusch, Richard Dawson, and Lily Tomlin had joined the cast, and Sarah Kennedy was the new resident giggly blonde. Henny Youngman and his very annoyed wife were kidnapped by a robber and a comedy fan, Michael Landon did Titanic spoofs with the ladies, Richard Dawson did his WC Fields impression and gave another robber a glass with his money, lawyer Sarah covered financial news and played a very unlikely geisha with an extremely picky husband, Dick and Dan traded bad Irish jokes, and Dick decided he wanted to replace Dan with Lyle Waggoner. 

Finished the night at YouTube with more Shirley Temple Storybook Theater. "Mother Goose" (Elsa Lanchester) would rather be writing comic poetry that makes all of the children laugh instead of gathering her geese. She records everything that goes on at the fair, including Tom the Piper's son (Carleton Carpenter) pursuing Polly (Temple), the daughter of the sneezing baker mayor (Billy Gilbert). When local rowdies cause trouble and accidentally burn down a tent, the Mayor calls for an end to the fair. Polly, Tom, their friends Jack and Jill, and the children know why the fair must go on, and they encourage Mother Goose to write a letter to the prince from all of them about the fair's importance. Turns out the Prince knows too, and he's a lot more open to children's rhymes than the Mayor is. 

Night of the Superstitions

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Mickey makes "A Surprise for Minnie" for Valentine's Day and wants to give it to her at the park. First, they have tire trouble on the car, then have to pay Pete in flower petals. When they do arrive, Minnie loves her gift, but Donald realizes he forgot something for Daisy. Toodles, of course, has the answer.

Called Uber after the episode ended. It took them over 10 minutes to arrive. I just barely got to work on time. It was 7 minutes going home at 1:30. No traffic or trouble either way.

No trouble at work, either. The head bagger said she was going to help the floral department manager with Valentine's Day bouquets, but she ended up doing carts with me instead. It was a little busy, not as overwhelming as you'd think for a holiday weekend. No trouble whatsoever. At least it was a nice day, too, still chilly but nothing like the last few weeks, sunny and with less wind.

Did my weekly grocery shopping after I got off. Restocked oranges, yogurt, coconut milk, probiotic soda, and granola bars. Found my favorite pecan shortbread cookies on the bakery clearance rack. Thought I'd try a small slice of chocolate fudge cake on sale, too. Tried a sample of sushi and liked it so much, I bought California rolls for lunch. Saw the new Coke Cherry Float Zero $2 for 5 and grabbed two of those as well. (And tried one on the way home. Oooh, they are good! They really do taste like cherry cream soda.) Found fabric Band-Aids with watercolor covers on the clearance shelves. Grabbed sliced Swiss for sandwiches next week.

Oh, and I got my schedule at work. In good news, Wednesday is the only double-shift day this week, and I work later in the day on the weekends. I even have President's Day totally off, no Acme or school. In bad news, I'm surprised at the lack of hours. I usually get a lot more in mid-February. I guess not as many employees opted to use their vacation time in February this year. It hasn't exactly been vacation weather unless you're a devoted skier. 

After I got home, I ran The Backyardigans while I put everything away and had my sushi lunch. Uniqua, Pablo, and Tasha, are the roughest, toughest, and nicest biker group you've ever met. They call themselves the Do-Gooders, and they have no desire to make trouble. Mailman Tyrone assumes they're more stereotypical bikers and takes off. The trio go after him with his mail bag, remind him that he has a "Special Delivery" for them.

Switched to the Peanuts next. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown focuses heavily on the Peanuts' (mostly imaginary) romances. Linus has a crush on his teacher Miss Othmar and buys her a huge box of candy. Sally thinks it's for her. Lucy would be glad if Schroder would just acknowledge her and get away from his piano. Snoopy's putting on messy and melodramatic "paw-pet" shows, and poor Charlie Brown is waiting for someone, anyone, to give him a valentine.

A Charlie Brown Valentine was made to fill an hour slot with Be My Valentine, but it has some entertaining material in its own right. Chuck pursues the Little Red Haired Girl, while Peppermint Patty and Marcie pursue him. Lucy demands Snoopy write her something romantic, while Sally tries to tell her Sweet Baboo how much she likes him.

Finished the last three episodes of Remember WENN after the Peanuts ended. Gertie's writing for the brand-new medium of television this time in "The Sunset Also Rises." Hilary becomes Norma Desmond with Scott as Joe Gillis in a satire of Sunset Boulevard. The others keep intruding and re-writing Gertie's script. Hilary wants to play the ingenue, the others want to play Norma, and Victor...somehow gets in there, too. 

"At Cross Purposes" begins with a lady in a dress entering WENN...which is actually Jeff in costume for Charley's Aunt. It becomes more than a costume when a process server turns up with papers from Pavla, and the entire cast ends up in drag to avoid him. It's newsgirl Betty who comes up with far more devastating news by the end of the episode...like the attack on Pearl Harbor...

"All Noisy On the Pittsburgh Front" brings Victor back in, claiming he's now running WENN and a new military station. Betty thinks Scott is making cushy deals, but he's really doing something far more important. Jeff is rejected for military duty, then discovers Hilary is married to someone else, there's a military nut who thinks he's Captain Amazon (J.K Simmons) running around the station, and Eugenia proposes to Mr. Foley...

And that, sadly, is that. AMC ended the show on those cliffhangers, after having mangled the fourth season rather badly due to a new management that didn't respect it. "Sunset Also Rises" is a good example of this. Sunset Boulevard neither fits the show's tone, nor its time period. Rupert Holmes didn't even write it, and it's a mess of overlong and weird gags. Why they rejected Rupert's original suggestion for a spoof, The Maltese Falcon, I will never know. Maybe it wasn't glamorous enough for them. "Cross Purposes" and "All Noisy" are better, two of the best episodes of a troubled season...but they're also hard to watch now, knowing how things ended, or didn't. 

I still adore this show, and I still highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction, Media history, great wordplay, or terrific ensembles...but fair warning on those sudden unresolved endings. At least AMC is actually acknowledging its existence now. The full series is on AMC Plus; the first two seasons are free on Plex. The first three seasons can currently be found on YouTube and (in part) on the Internet Archive.

Put on The Price Is Right while I did research on condos in near-by towns. I'm guessing this one was from 1984 or early '85. Johnny Olsen was the announcer and Bob Barker had gray hair. The "story" Showcase was one of the strangest I've ever seen...and certainly one of the most early-80's-centric. Johnny apparently entered a Boy George Look-a-Like contest...and won. Most of the prizes centered around all things British (including a trip to London) or music-related. The models thought it was just as weird as I did. They bundled Johnny off to a new van by the end!

Let it run into Match Game Syndicated as I had dinner. We started off with the remaining existing episodes of the Louise Sorrel week. The next week, with Charles Siebert and Phyllis Davis, is also missing episodes...but it also has one of the funniest episodes of 1980. Gene and Charles jump a mile when a bulb blows on-stage. Charles carries a prop bulb for the rest of the show...and the panelists are seen climbing on top of Gene to screw it on by the end of the episode.

Moved to The Wild Wild West at Pluto TV next in honor of Valentine's Day and Friday the 13th. Artemis Gordon and Jim West are trying to warn a millionaire industrialist that he's in danger in "Night of the Vicious Valentine," but they're too late. The man dies playing his own piano. Turns out all the victims married pretty young woman who were recommended by a certain matchmaker, Emma Valentine (Agnes Moorehead), shortly before their murders. Valentine wants to use the ladies to take control of the wealth of the entire nation. What she didn't count on was the most recent girl she groomed to actually fall for the industrialist she married, or for Jim and Artemis to interfere with her plans.

Ended the night on YouTube with The Berenstain Bears' Comic Valentine. I went further into this adorable 1983 special at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog back in 2023.

The Berenstain Bears' Comic Valentine