Rainy Day Games

Started the day with breakfast and Monchichhis. It's a "Double Play" when the Grumplins create a machine that can turn a Grumplin into a Monchichhi. They target Patchit, the Monchichhis' inventor, repair-monkey, and head of the Happy Works, capturing him when he goes out for a ride on his new helicopter. When the others realize that's not Patchit, they go after him, only for him to rescue them when they're captured and sent to the Grumplins' mines.

It was pouring like crazy when the cartoon ended. I had to call Uber. There was no way I could take the bike...but I called too late. They couldn't arrive for 20 minutes! I ended up being very late, more than 20 minutes. At least there was no such trouble later. The second driver arrived in 9 minutes. No trouble on the road, not even flooding. 

Thank heavens that was the worst thing that happened all day. The rain stopped shortly after I arrived. It started again around 11. As you can imagine, the store wasn't busy. It didn't even pick up a little bit until almost before I was done. Another bagger came in and helped with the carts after around 10 as well. I was in and out with no trouble. Even picked up Bob's Red Mill instant oatmeal on clearance.

Instead of going straight home, I had the Uber driver drop me off at WaWa to use the ATM machine. Grabbed a Caramel Coconut Smoothie, Chicken Teriyaki Wrap, and Miss Vickie's chips there, too. The smoothie was frankly a bit watery, but the sandwich was yummy when I got home. Thankfully, the rain was long gone by the time I was at WaWa, though it remained cloudy and thickly humid. I did get home dry.

Did something different when I got in and watched Sesame Street. The brand-new special "Storm On Sesame Street" has everyone in the neighborhood preparing for a major storm that's supposed to hit New York. Elmo's dad asks him to find three objects that will help make everyone feel better. He's joined by Abby Cadabby, her mom, and her stepbrother Rudy. Rudy's very nervous about the storm, so Elmo tries to distract him. He's helped by Bert and Ernie (who took in animals) and Big Bird (who is lining up stuffed animals for hugs, including his own Radar teddy). Later, after they see the havoc the storm wrecked on Sesame Street, they play superheros to fix everything, but learn that even the smallest help can have the biggest impact.

Switched to records while vacuuming, dusting, Swiftering, and taking the laundry downstairs. Since I just watched Sesame Street, I started off with Sesame Street Story Time. Luis, Maria, and Bob narrate short original fairy tales featuring the Muppets. Most of them, like "The Legend of the Lovely Linda," "Ike and Ilk," "The Story of Ira and Inex," and "The King Banishes the Letter 'P'," teach letters and their sounds. "The King's Picnic," "The King's Nose," and "The King and the Fireman" go more into the roles of kings and what they do. The theme of "The King's Problem" is very similar to "Storm On Sesame Street," showing how you don't have to be big or fast to do something important.

When We Were Very Young is an adaptation of a book of poetry by Winnie the Pooh author A.A Milne, and is in fact where Pooh made his debut. While ironically they don't use the poem that introduced Pooh ("Teddy Bear"), some of the others are lovely. "Daffydowndilly" and "The Mirror" have a sweet edge of melancholy to them, while "Disobedience," with its reverse of a child trying to care for a wayward parent, has an almost macabre ending. 

Salad Days was a long-running hit in London during the mid-50's, and frankly one of the most peculiar hit musicals I've ever heard. College students Timothy and Jane get married secretly, due to his disapproving family wanting him to find work. They eventually agree to watch a homeless man's piano for a month. It seems like an easy assignment, until they realize the piano makes anyone who hears it want to dance. One of Timothy's many uncles is a government official who bans the piano. After it goes missing, another uncle who is a scientist takes them in his flying saucer to find it.

Um, er, yeah. Good thing the music is genuinely charming, because the story is plain bonkers. Eleanor Drew and John Warner get the sweet "We Said We Wouldn't Look Back" and "Oh, Look at Me," while the more lively "Out of Breath" and "We're Looking for a Piano" are the closest this show gets to chorus numbers. Drew gets two solos, "I Sit In the Sun" and "The Time of My Life." This isn't a big show. It's played on the one piano. It is pretty cute, though, and apparently continues to remain popular with amateur groups in England and the UK. If you like British musical comedies, you'll probably want to hear this, but it's not for someone looking for a meatier story or one that makes sense.

I almost passed out listening to Salad Days. Switched to the American Musical Theater CD...and I did pass out there after the third song. I went down at around quarter of 5 and finally got up around 6:30. I'll listen to the rest of it later this week. 

Watched Match Game '76 during dinner and after I brought the clothes upstairs. Most of the episodes covered the week with Scoey Mitchelll and Susan Howard. The last half-hour took us into the next week, with Orson Bean, Betty White, and the only appearance of character actress Pat Delaney.

Finished the night after a shower honoring the 100th anniversary of NBC this year with some of their most memorable game shows. Password, for instance, started on CBS when it began in 1961. Password Plus moved the franchise to NBC in 1979, and it would stay there for Super Password starting in 1984. Although Super with Bert Convy was the bigger hit, Plus introduced the format both shows used that had contestants not only guessing words, but how they were all connected into a word. (And Password has gone back to NBC for its current version after Million Dollar Password ran on CBS in 2008.)

NBC wasn't nearly as good at keeping its shows around as CBS. Most of the Chuck Woolery and the early Pat Sajak daytime episodes of Wheel of Fortune are gone for good. The episode I have here from 1979 is one of the survivors. They're missing a lot of Hollywood Squares, too. We do have this episode from early in its short-lived nighttime run with Buddy Hackett in the center square, when it was one of the funniest and hippest game shows on TV.

You Bet Your Life was more fortunate. Groucho Marx's son was able to save most of his father's show from being junked. He absolutely made the right call. Not only is this one of the few surviving game shows from its era, but Groucho grilling contestants and tossing out quips to wanna-be comedians and inventors is still hilarious over 70 years later. 

By the time Classic Concentration debuted in 1988, NBC had largely begun to drop daytime game shows. It would be one of the last game shows on the network, running until 1991. The success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at ABC in 2001 prompted NBC to bring another popular British game show stateside. The Weakest Link is even darker as stone-cold hostess Anne Robinson presides over a group of people who vote off the worst player or "weakest link" after every round. The show ran into audience fatigue with "big money" game shows and didn't run a year. It did much better in its revival with Jane Lynch starting in 2020.

Celebrate NBC's centennial with some of its most beloved and popular games! 

You Bet Your Life (1950)

Hollywood Squares (1968)

Wheel of Fortune (1979)

Password Plus (1982)

Super Password (1987)

Classic Concentration (1991)

The Weakest Link American Premiere (2001)

Birthday Lady's Blues

Began my birthday with breakfast and The Yogi Bear Show. Kellogg's wants "Yogi's Birthday Party" to be a huge TV special with all his friends. Ranger Smith tells Yogi it's going to be one of the variety specials that were popular in the 60's and 70's. Yogi takes lessons (from thinly veiled spoofs of then-popular entertainers), but takes off when he discovers he's not more talented than the average bear. It takes a picnic basket to lure him back and reveal it's a show with all the Hanna-Barbara funny animals who had been created up to the early 60's.

Switched to Paw Patrol while making the bed (and removing several blankets it's now too hot for). "The Pups' Great Race" will be all around Adventure Bay. They're sure one of them will win...but when they're called to rescue Mayor Goodway after her hot air balloon flies away, it's Alex on his trike who proves slow and steady does win the race. "The Pups Take the Cake" when they help Mr. Porter replace the cake he burned and make the perfect edible recreation of their Lookout Tower that will beat Mayor Humdinger's entry in the Tall Cake Contest.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. Originally, my first stop was Peak Secondhand, a new thrift shop in Audubon, but I forgot they don't open until noon on Tuesdays. I was there a little after 11. I didn't want to hang around, so I dodged traffic going across Audubon and down Nicholson and Cuthbert to Westmont. At least it was a nice day for a ride. It was sunny, breezy, and humid even at 11:30, already in the upper 70's-lower 80's. 

When I got into Westmont, I first went across the street to Samaritan Thrift, but they didn't have anything that interested me. Stopped at Koupa Espresso Bar for an iced drink when I went back across Haddon Avenue. Had a Chai Cherry Latte. Oooh, spicy and very sweet...and very cherry! I downed that pretty fast. They were pretty busy for almost noon, mainly with people getting drinks and reading their phones.

Phidelity Records down the block had a lot more of interest. In fact, I found two out of four of what I picked up right away in the New Arrivals bins. The others came out of the $2 bins or were in CDs and DVDs: 

Bette Midler - Broken Blossoms (Which it turns out I already have - I'll donate it to Goodwill.)

The 1977 K-Tel collection Stars

A Peter Pan Superman book and record set from 1978 with the stories "The Myzptlk-Up Menace" and "Alien Creatures"

The Who - Hooligans (2-disc greatest hits collection)

The one CD was Carole King's Greatest Hits. (Which I also already have and will also be donated.)

The DVD was the 1959 Lil' Abner, which means yes, I'll be reviewing that on the Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog sometime in the next few months. I've had the original cast album since college, but I haven't seen the movie.

Rode down to Collingwood for lunch. Made up for the line at Sabrina's Cafe on Easter by having them for my birthday...and boy, am I glad I did! The lemon-raspberry poppyseed pancakes off their seasonal menu were incredible, soft and swirled with raspberry lemon cream. The turkey bacon was a little more limp than the Westmont's thick bacon...but probably a lot better for me. I washed it down with a tart (and much-needed) lemonade. They were busy, but not so much that I couldn't get a table in the back.

Walked around in Collingswood for a little while after I ate. I didn't linger too long here. Not only was it past 1 PM, but a lot of Collingswood stores are closed on Tuesday. Collingswood is holding their big Green Festival on Saturday, too, and it's also Record Store Day. I'll hold off on Innergroove until Saturday, but I did pick up a few things from Collingswood Music:

Two vintage children's albums, Strawberry Shortcake's Exercise and Fun Album and Sesame Street Happy Birthday! (Not only did the Sesame Street album have the wrong record in it, but it was badly scratched. It goes in the donation bags.)

Beach Boys - Smile (I think it's a bootleg, but it has two of the Beach Boys' best songs, "Heroes and Villains" and "Good Vibrations.")

I heard my phone go off when I was in Collingswood Music. I called it back when I got outside. It was Allyssa from Camden County, telling me she was having trouble getting me through that loan. They don't count the Healthy Kids job because I've been there slightly less than a year, and I don't make enough at the Acme job to pay for a loan. That really hurt. I assumed that getting a second job, and one that I loved, would be enough. I feel like nothing I do will ever be enough for these people. She said she'd keep trying, but I was bitterly disappointed when I headed across the street and back to my bike. It was late, and I had to dodge kids coming out of Collingswood High School. I ended up being five minutes late to Thomas Sharp.

I felt much better when I arrived and got settled in with the kids. I had many happy birthday greetings, from kids and adults. One cherubic little miss gave me a bag with candy, a fruit bar (which I appreciated - I forgot a snack), rubber bracelets, and a card she drew herself of her and me together. (I think her parents wrote "Happy Birthday." They have very nice printing.) Later on, one of the boys gave me his own artwork. 

We started off in the library due to the music class taking place in the cafeteria. I'm glad I took my 10 kids to the bathroom first. They were all antsy, though they generally weren't that rowdy. They were better once they had their snacks and a lot of water. We waited a little while until the big kids were outside before we took the little ones out. It was beautiful, but so hot! Most of them either looked for ants or people walking dogs under the big shady trees or hung out in the shade of the slide equipment. Those who ventured into the sun danced to "Sharks In the Water," "The Big Pink Tiger," the theme from Bluey, "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "Pink Pony Club," and songs from Moana 2 and KPop Demon Hunters.

Jessa's car has a bike rack, so she said she would pick me and my bike up at the school. What she didn't add was Mike was with her again. I was once again very disappointed. I was hoping we could spend time together on my birthday. Don't get me wrong, Mike is a nice guy. He's funny and he tells good stories...but I was hoping it could be just the two of us. He did pay for dinner at Carraba's Italian Grill in Maple Shade, which was pretty pricey. I had ravioli stuffed with chicken, spinach, and cheese. Jessa had grilled chicken in a wine sauce with broccoli and mashed potatoes. Mike had chicken Parmesan with mashed potatoes. We all had salads. They had Caesar. I had the "house," lettuce, carrots, and red cabbage in a creamy dressing (with olives and banana peppers that I picked out). I had a tasty peach-blackberry fold over tart for dessert.

Finished the night listening to old favorites from my childhood and teen years. I've had The Wild, the Innocent, and the E-Street Shuffle on CD for so long, I forget when I got it now. I think Mom may have had the LP when I was a kid. This and Greetings from Asbury Park always hit the hardest of Bruce Springsteen's albums because...what he's describing was my world, from the time I was born through my college years. "The E-Street Shuffle," "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," "Incident on 57th Street," "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"...that's the Jersey Shore I remember. There's a reason Springsteen is called "the Boss" in his native New Jersey. Even though he's from further north (and I believe still lives up there) and Cape May and Wildwood were in largely better shape than Asbury Park in the 70's and 80's, it still sounds and practically smells like my childhood and adolescent memories.

Elton John's Greatest Hits Vol. III features the John songs I grew up with. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" and "Little Jeannie" used to play constantly on the jukebox at the Ugly Mug in Cape May during the 80's. "Mama Can't Buy You Love," "Sad Song (Say So Much)," "Empty Garden," and "Blue Eyes" were heard constantly on the radio. I think it's hilarious that the kids seem to have fallen in love with Taran Egerton's recording of "I'm Still Standing," given that came out around the time I was their age and I loved it just as much. 

Of Mummers and Muppets

Began the first day of 2026 with stories from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays. My favorite is the charming tale of a group of kids in a small town who ring the church bell for an elderly neighbor to celebrate the New Year. "A Disastrous New Year" from Hitty: Her First Hundred Years depicts how wooden doll Hitty was stolen on New Year's Day by a group of New York street toughs who attacked her child owner. "Dobry's New Year" focuses on Bulgarian New Year's customs, including reading the buds on a dram bush to see how your year will go. There's also several poems on New Year's festivities and changes in the New Year.

I thought I was running late when I ate a quick breakfast and waited for Jessa outside just after 10 AM. She didn't turn up until past 10:30 with her boyfriend Mike. He's a cheerful fellow, a bit on the chatty side. To my surprise, it snowed a little bit last night, enough that the ground was frosted white like a New Year's cake. Unfortunately, while the roads in Oaklyn had been cleared, the ones in Collingswood had not. Jessa skidded a few times before she finally pulled into the PATCO parking lot. 

We took a barely-full PATCO into Philly and made it to Broad Street by 11:30. It was a beautiful, if fridgid, day for a parade. The sky was a full-bodied, brilliant blue that almost hurt to look at, without a cloud in it. The wind, however, remained icy and so strong, some of the fancier string bands had to leave behind their props. It didn't dampen anyone's spirits. The Mummers strutted just as wildly as ever, and the crowds were even more enthusiastic, cheering, dancing along, and calling out the Eagles victory cheer.

The first group I saw as we made our way through the crowds were one of the Wench Brigades, this one wearing candy-print outfits and pulling a small "gingerbread house." The next group in red and blue were pirates, complete with a huge wooden "ship." Another had black and white outfits with an eye test print of large and small letters. Freddy Kruger wenches had red and green striped dress outfits, wore green tinsel garlands and Freddy's hat, and had clawed gloves. There were at least two Revolutionary War wench brigades in honor of America's 250th anniversary this year. A local used car dealership tossed its bear mascot in with characters representing Philly sports mascots and the Liberty Bell. Magician wenches wore red, black, and white and sported cards and long scarves. A yellow and black wench group were bees pulling cardboard hives.

I loved the comic Toy Story group, with a dad and mom Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, a male Little Bo Peep, Buzz Lightyear, teen aliens, and the most adorable kid Trixie and Rex. A group of animals included eagles "soaring" on roller blades who got quite a reaction from the crowd! The first fancy brigade had a garden theme, with massive pink and green flowers and enormous Venus fly traps fluttering in the wind. The next was an amusement park. There were kids dressed as a roller coaster, a ticket booth, and even a giant ice cream swirl cone. Guys and girls twirled in fluffy cotton candy dresses. 

During a gap in the program, I got cold and bored standing there and headed down Broad Street to see what else was there. The wind and cold had scared off many people. There weren't quite as many people watching the parade live as there usually is. It was still fun to watch all of the drunk college kids screaming and (trying to) dance and the kids handing their parents beads while their parents taught them the Mummers Strut.

There's a Dunkin' Donuts further up Broad Street near the Sprouts Market and the Philadelphia High School for the Performing and Creative Arts. Though it was busy inside, the line surprisingly wasn't long. I made use of those gift cards from the kids to get a medium hot chocolate and a blueberry donut. There wasn't as much going on down by the school, so after I finished my donut, I followed the crowds back to Locust Street.

We finally decided by quarter of 12 that we'd seen enough and were too cold to stick around for the rest of the fancy groups. We took a largely empty PATCO (except for one really loud and drunk guy in a pink bunny outfit who thankfully got off at Broadway in Camden) back to Collingswood, getting in by just after 1. 

I usually have my first meal out of the year at the Westmont Diner. With the Westmont Diner still under renovations, I suggested the Haddon Diner on the border of Westmont and Haddonfield instead. Jessa had a hard time parking in the tiny, full lot, but they weren't that busy when we got in. The Haddon Diner is a lovely little spot with hand-stenciled wooden booths and reasonable prices. Mike had a huge chicken wrap. Jessa's turkey club sandwich was so big, she could only finish half of it. She and Mike both had chicken soup. Mike ordered mozzarella sticks and chicken quesadillas with curly fries. I had apple-raisin pancakes that were smaller, more moist, and more manageable than the ones at the Silver Diner on Tuesday, along with bacon and hot tea. Everything was so tasty, and the other two seemed to really enjoy theirs.

After they dropped me off at home, I went straight into Holiday Inn. I went further into this classic 1942 musical that introduced "White Christmas," "Happy Holiday," and "Let's Start the New Year Right" at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog back on New Year's Day 2019.

Happy New Year! - Holiday Inn

Moved on to Sesame Street Stays Up Late after the movie ended. I also go further into this charming special on how different cultures celebrate the New Year at my musical review blog.

Happy New Year! - Sesame Street Stays Up Late 

Switched to the Match Game New Year's Day Celebration Party marathon after dinner and a shower. The first episode of 1974 began with the arrival of Dorothy Zinni, an overly enthusiastic contestant who was so excited, she accidentally hit the laid-back guy next to her and scared the panelists to death. Even Richard was too terrified of her to kiss her! Richard's girlfriend Jodie proved to be far more palatable for him in 1976. Dick Martin kicked off 1976 by getting an answer right for the first time. Fannie Flagg enjoyed sitting in Brett's seat while she was out doing a play on the first day of 1978. Gene stumbled into the first day of 1979 draped with streamers from the previous episode and looking more than a little bleary-eyed. Jon "Bowser" Bauman played with rubber chains on the first episode of 1980, while McLean Stevenson had permanently taken over Richard's spot by 1981.

Dick Martin carried over to The Match Game-Hollywood Square Hour's first episode of 1984. Alison Arngrin showed off her stylish black dress and hat, Vic Dunlop dodged fat jokes, Arsenio Hall tossed out quips, and we have a young David Ruprecht when he was hosting Real People. Brad Garrett continued to imitate the on-vacation Charles Nelson Reilly on the first Match Game episode of 1991. Bruce Baum showed he could do more than create goofy and slightly disturbing "inventions" by actually doing pretty darn well at Match Up. 

Party on in the new year with Match Game in these hilarious episodes!

Match Game New Year's Celebration Party

Wait, there's more! We also have bonus episodes of Family Feud, Password Plus, Super Password, and a repeat of the Match Game '77 New Year's Eve episode. It's more bang for your game show buck in the New Year!

Family Feud (1980)

Family Feud (1980)

Match Game (1977)

Password Plus (1981)

Super Password (1987)

Finished the night working on the Sesame Street review while listening to My Favorite Things. John Coltrane digs into songs by three masters of American standards, starting with the Rodgers and Hammerstein title song. There's two gorgeous renditions of Gershwin brothers numbers, "But Not for Me" and "Summertime," and a darker Cole Porter "Every Time We Say Goodbye." 

A Merry Bear-y Christmas

Began the morning with breakfast and Sheriff Callie's Wild West. Toby wishes he could have an animal to ride, like Sheriff Callie and Deputy Peck. After he gets carried away by animal rustlers who steal Santa's reindeer and gifts, he gets help escaping from one of the reindeer. He thinks Comet is "Toby's Christmas Critter," but there's an even cuter (and equally horned) critter waiting for him at home. It's "A Very Tricky Christmas" when Tricky Travis and Oswald the Bear set up a marching band for the town, then steal their tree. They think it'll make them happy, but their hearts grow three sizes when they see that what really makes the citizens of Nice and Friendly Corners happy is being together for the holidays.

Hurried out as soon as the cartoon ended. The Acme surprisingly wasn't busy early-on, though it picked up at noon. The head bagger took the sweeping for the first half of my shift. By the time my break rolled around, it had picked up enough for her to take a register. I swept and gathered carts for the rest of my shift.

Went straight into grocery shopping after work. I'm hoping this will be my last big trip before Christmas. There was a buy two, get two sale on Nature's Valley granola bars. Tried a slightly more expensive brand of granola that had made a Christmas cranberry pecan flavor. Bought bagels for lunch this week and restocked clementines, apples, and yogurt. Grabbed that White Cranberry Spiced Sprite Zero, along with Orange Cream Coke Zero. Picked up treats for Rose's dogs Oreo and Cider, which were the last Christmas gifts I needed to buy. 

Hurried home, then changed and watched Yogi's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper while putting everything away and getting organized. Yogi and Boo Boo head off to the big city to see all their Hanna-Barbara funny animal friends, not realizing their friends had gone to Jellystone to see them. While they're in the city, they dodge animal control officers by playing Santa in a department store. When a little girl thinks Yogi really is Santa, they do their best to give her a nice Christmas...until her wealthy father sends cops to find her.

Headed back out around 3. My first stop was the Dunkin' Donuts on the White Horse Pike. This isn't normally the first place I'd go out for lunch, but I did get that $25 gift card from one of the kids in the after-school program. Not surprisingly for quarter after 3, the place was pretty quiet when I came in. It was just me, the workers, and two teens getting snacks. I had a hot chocolate, a chicken wrap, and a green-frosted donut drizzled with vanilla glaze. Yum. The chicken wrap was small, but surprisingly tasty, hot and dripping with cheese and red peppers. I enjoyed my donut so much, I got a cream-filled one on the way out, too.

I was on the other side of Oaklyn to deliver Christmas presents to my old neighbors on Hillcrest. Brought cookies to two older single women with small families and a larger family whose mother just died of cancer a few months ago. They live next-door to what was Dad's house, and the mother was supportive and very helpful during the trouble I had finding a home in late 2021 and early 2022. Delivered cards to a single mom and her son and a female couple a little further down Hillcrest.

Besides, it was too nice to be sitting inside all day. Yesterday's in and out clouds and strong winds had been replaced by radiant blue skies, fresh breezes, and normal lower 40's December temperatures. Even most of the puddles had disappeared by 3:30. If it wasn't for a few puddles and the saturated ground, there would be no indication we had huge rain and snow storms at all this week.

Went straight into Santa and the Three Bears when I got home. I go further into this charming short animated movie from the early 70's at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - Santa and the Three Bears

Switched to Christmas Eve On Sesame Street while working on the Three Bears review. I went further into the first Sesame Street holiday special on Christmas Eve last year.

Merry Christmas Eve! - Christmas Eve On Sesame Street

Finished the night with something different on YouTube. Instead of Match Game, we looked at Password and Password Plus Christmas and New Year's episodes. The only 60's Password holiday episode had Peter Lawford and Lee Remick playing with a revolving door of stars, including director Otto Preminger and songwriter Stephen Sondheim. 

Password Plus got somewhat more into the holidays. They really did it up right the first year in 1979 for two weeks, starting with Barbara Rhodes and Bill Anderson. The lavish decorations and beautifully decorated tree continued into a hilarious week with Bert Convy and Carol Burnett. Burnett in particular is a great Password player, and Convy certainly wasn't bad. They both won their contestants quite a bit of money that week. Brett Somers played her only Password Plus week at New Year's 1979 with Ross Martin...and showed why she would never do Password again when Martin wiped the floor with her. 

After the ailing Allen Ludden was replaced with his friend Tom Kennedy, fancy decorations were replaced by star power. Christmas week 1980 was dominated by the all-star quartet David Doyle, Debralee Scott, Gina Hecht, and Dick Gautier. The ladies did far better than the guys did. Debralee, in fact, just won the week over Gina. Susan Richardson and Bill Cullen joined in for the rare New Year's 1980 week. Betty White and Pat Sajak visited for Christmas 1981 and got nifty Password Plus jackets, while Tom Poston and Edie McClurg saw the New Year's out with streamers and party hats.

The Password is...holidays! Celebrate the holiday season with these classic guess-the-word games!

Game Show Saturday Classics - A Very Password Plus Christmas

Oh, and the Eagles started slow, but they eventually out-ran the wayward Washington Commanders 29-18.

Star Wheel Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the rest of the Brian Setzer Orchestra Boogie Woogie Christmas CD. Switched to Merry Christmas From Sesame Street after that ended. As far as I can tell, this is the very first Sesame Street holiday album from 1975. A lot of what's here would be adapted for Christmas Eve On Sesame Street three years later, including Oscar's "I Hate Christmas," the cast number "Keep Christmas With You," and the entire Bert/Ernie/Mr. Hooper "Gift of the Magi" segment, complete with Bert and Ernie singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." 

Most of the other songs exclusive to this album are covers, but we do have a few unique items. "A Christmas Pageant" for some reason involves Bert posing as a Christmas tree and the other Muppets "planting" him. "The Night Before Christmas On Sesame Street" is David's solo, and it reads more as "a mid 70's New York hipster's version of 'The Night Before Christmas.'" Hispanic neighbors Luis and Maria sing two untranslated Spanish numbers, "Saludo" and "Arrurru." The Count gives us his...unusual...rendition of "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth."

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon wrapping presents. I managed to get through half of them, including all of the gifts for Mom, Keefe, and Keefe's family, all of Lauren and her parents' gifts, one of Finley's gifts, and one of Khai's gifts. I'll finish the rest tomorrow.

Listened to two more Christmas children's albums while I worked. My family had 4 of the 6 Little Golden Book Christmas Stories when I was a kid in the 80's. For all I know, Mom or Rose may still have "Jingle Bells," "Frosty the Snowman," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "The Night Before Christmas." Of the two books narrated on the LP I don't recognize, "How Lovely Is Christmas" is the more interesting one. A young boy who wants an ax that's his size to clear trees for his pioneer parents dreams that American tall tale icons Johnny Appleseed, Daniel Boone, and Paul Bunyon give him gifts to help his family. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" isn't nearly as effective when the lyrics are recited rather than sung.

Dickens' A Christmas Carol from 1974 is the original version of what would become Mickey's Christmas Carol almost a decade later. There were quite a few changes from the LP to the big screen. Merlin from Sword and the Stone was the Ghost of Christmas Past. The Wicked Queen in hag mode from Snow White was Christmas Future. Gideon and Foulfellow from Pinocchio were the men collecting for the poor. The biggest change is the addition of six songs, none of which would make it to the animated version. To be honest, I suspect the reason for that is they're not that memorable, although I do like the delicious march "Money" as Scrooge explains what he loves most to Mickey Cratchit. 

I was just having lunch when I looked at my watch...and realized it was quarter after 2. I was supposed to have been at work at 2! I was thinking of the after-school program's schedule, not the Acme's. I usually work there in the mornings. I raced around like crazy after that. Took Uber because I thought it would be faster, and because I would be at work after dark. Even with Uber only taking 6 minutes to arrive, I was still a half-hour late.

It was really busy when I got in, much more than it has been. Good thing the Eagles aren't playing until tomorrow night, or it might have been even worse. I ended up getting help with the carts from one of the guys who were supposed to be cashiering. Thankfully, it slowed down enough by the end of the night that I was able to get the carts done on my own, though I never did get to the trash or the side by the pharmacy. Uber took 11 minutes to get me home, not bad for the height of rush hour.

Spent the rest of the night after dinner watching the Sunday Match Game marathon. The addition of the Star Wheel in mid-1978 was controversial from the outset. Admittedly, it did allow contestants to win more money, up to $10,000 on the daytime show and $20,000 on the nighttime syndicated run. It was also supposed to give panelists other than Richard Dawson a chance to play the Head-to-Head. Richard was furious, to the point where he only lasted two weeks after they changed the set to work better with the Star Wheel.

While the idea of giving everyone a chance to play may have been nice, it didn't always work. Some of the panelists weren't that crazy about doing the Head-to-Head, even the ones like Brett who were actually good at it. Sometimes, the Wheel would land on someone multiple times in a row, like it ironically did with Richard the first couple of times it was used. (In fact, the moment it landed on Richard the first time, most of the panel, including Richard himself, walked out!) I know it landed on David Doyle at least four or five times in a row one week during the syndicated era, too. 

Contestants had fewer problems with it, other than some of them weren't all that great at spinning it. It did allow them to win a ton of money. This was particularly true in the nighttime syndicated show. Joyce Bulifant got the chance to help a man dressed all in blue win $20,000. Charles made him his "code of arms" to remind him of a slip-up on the Audience Match and of his big win.

Spin that Star Wheel to get big bucks the Match Game way in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Star Wheel "Special Moments" (1978 - 1982)

Adventures In Old City

Began the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. "Hats and Hares" brings in the Mad Hatter and March Hare to design a hat for the Hearts Family portrait. Hattie worries that their design might be too over-the-top, but in Wonderland, over-the-top is more than enough. After Alice hears a flower sing a "Forget-Me-Now" song, she can't remember her recipes! The other kids, and eventually, everyone in Wonderland, do their best to help her remember.

Hurried out around 11:20. I thought that would be more than enough time to catch the 11:46 to Atlantic City, especially since the Uber driver took less than a minute to arrive. I forgot today is Friday, and everyone would be going to the Shore. Traffic was terrible on the White Horse Pike. It was 11:45 when he let me out at Lindenwauld...and just as I dashed for the train platform, a very disgruntled older woman told me the train had been canceled.

Well, that changed things. Now I didn't have to rush quite so much. I'd originally planned on going to Atlantic City this week and going into Philly next week. Since I was at Lindenwauld and the PATCO was also there, I'd just reverse the plan and do Philly today. Besides, it was too nice of a day to go right home. It was sunny, breezy, and blue, lower 80's without the slightest hint of humidity. It would have been a crime not to do something special in such glorious weather!

I originally wanted to check out some record stores in the northern Philly suburbs, but I came to the conclusion the trip would have been too long for the time I had. Got off at the new, very clean Franklin Square station. I've been gazing into the tiled hole that is the Franklin Square station since I moved here and wondered what it was like. Well, it's...cool, really. Maybe they should install tiles on all the underground train stations. It gives Franklin Square a retro vibe that's really neat. The entrance is glassed-in and huge, a far cry from the red wrought-iron entrances or 8th Street being buried under the Fashion District Mall.

Since the entrance was less than a block from the station, I decided to check out Franklin Square itself. It was awesome. The sparkling, merrily leaping fountain and gorgeous old carousel more than made up for not getting to Atlantic City. Everything was surrounded by enormous Technicolor Chinese lantern-statues in brilliant sky blue, vibrant grass green, and sun yellow. The Square's website says you need a ticket to get in at night, but apparently during the day, you can just walk right in. I felt like I'd climbed into the Kingdom of the Clouds in C.J and the Beanstalk. Passed by a mini-golf course, a stage, and a full playground.

The carousel is really cool. In addition to the usual horses trimmed with flowers, there's two racehorses named for famous race horses from Philly and all sorts of animals. I saw a little boy near me riding a dragon, and inspecting the carousel later revealed a cat holding a fish in its mouth, a seal, a zebra, a lion, and a bald eagle. I could only get on a horse, but the ride was still really fun. There were even pictures of Philly's skyline painted on the tent.

Considered eating lunch there, but ultimately decided to move on. Followed Race Street into the heart of Old City, past the offices and studios for the Philly PBS station WHYY and the African American Museum. Stopped and had lunch at the Race Street Cafe. They're actually more of a local bar, with brick walls and windows opening to the sidewalk and street. I had a delicious, if spicy, fried tilapia wrap with ketchup, Chipolte mayo, and guacamole, along with long, slender, salty fries. Crunchy, spicy and very yummy.

Turned the corner to 2nd Street, heading to the Book Trader...but I couldn't resist a window with giant paper-mache Muppets. The creatively named A Four Foot Prune was an antique store specializing in toy collectibles and housewares, and yes, that includes Muppet collectibles. I didn't have the money or room for more toys, but I did find two records.

Merry Christmas From Sesame Street (Includes "Keep Christmas With You")

Judy Garland - Collector's Items (1936 - 1945)

My next stop was just a few blocks down 2nd Avenue on Quarry Street. The Book Trader is one of two used book store in downtown Philly that I absolutely adore. Like Mostly Books on Bainbridge Street, it looks deceptively small from the outside...but the inside is nothing but rows and more narrow rows of books on every topic imaginable. CDs, DVDs, and videos are displayed up front, but records have their own room upstairs. Despite them being incredibly busy, I actually did much better here than I did in mid-March. Found nine records: 

Joan Morris and William Bolcom - Vaudeville: Songs of the Great Ladies of the Musical Stage (I believe the Stockton College Media Center had this for some reason in the late 90's-early 2000's. Used to listen to it all the time there.)

British cast albums for Pickwick and The Prince and the Pauper

Soundtrack for The Night They Raided Minksy's

Off-Broadway revival cast for Leave It to Jane

Original Broadway cast for High Button Shoes (I have this, but the copy I found at Goodwill two years ago is in dreadful shape, heavily scratched and with a disintegrating cover.) 

Dennis King - Selections from Rudolf Friml's The Three Musketeers (There's songs from The Vagabond King and Rose Marie here, too, but...while those two do turn up from time to time, I have never, ever seen a recording of anything from Friml's Three Musketeers anywhere.) 

One CD:

Bette Midler - It's the Girls

And four books: 

Mercedes Lackey - Phoenix and Ashes (In hardcover!) I've looked for this one for ages, but the only place I ever saw it was the Haddon Township Library and Amazon.

Nekesa Afria - Harlem Sunset

Angela M. Sanders - Seven Year Witch and Bait and Witch

After I left the Book Trader, I headed down 2nd Street and turned down an alley. I saw a sign for a coffee shop. Found it just a few doors down. They were whitewashed and more modern, but their oat milk matcha latte wasn't bad. Actually, I was really there to use the bathroom (the Race Street Cafe didn't have a public one). Explored the outside of the Christ Church too. Their bell dates back to 1704, before even the Liberty Bell.

I'd been checking Google Maps all day to keep on track. I did get turned around here...but unlike when I got lost in March, I ended up in an attractive neighborhood of lovely old brick homes, more square parks, and newer apartment buildings shaded by sun-dappled trees. By the time I finally got back to Race Street, I was tired and carrying heavy records. Besides, I couldn't have gone back to Franklin Square, even if I wanted to. There were now security guards at the door, and I didn't have tickets for the Lantern Festival. I headed for the station instead and took a surprisingly empty train back to Collingswood.

I was so tired when I got in, I decided I wasn't up to walking home and called Uber. Unfortunately, I didn't read the app right about where to pick up my ride. I thought they'd see me on the corner across from the station. They picked up in front of it, and I totally missed the first driver. Thankfully, the second came in four minutes, and I got the idea this time. Ran over to catch him and got home in less than five.

Got my schedule when I came in. It's...pretty much the same as this week, with earlier hours on Sunday. The only surprise is I didn't get more hours next Saturday. In fact, I work later again, which means I'll be able to go to the Collingswood Farm Market again.

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts next. The day after Christmas, Doug Thompson arrives with gifts. His present to Hilary? Tickets to The Rivals. Not only is Pavla laying claim to the mansion, but she's about to blow town. She got a role in New York and is leaving the show. It's now or never if Hilary wants to confront her about Jeff vanishing. C.J will be backstage with her. Betty and Doug will be in the audience; Maple will stay home to take care of Mackie. Mackie's worried about his daughter, but Hilary assures him she can take care of herself.

Listened to The Night They Raided Minsky's while I worked. This goofy comedy about the invention of the striptease is a semi-musical with songs by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams. Although Rudy Vallee has fun with "Take 10 Terrific Girls," the real highlight is Norman Wisdom and Jason Robards attempting to be "Perfect Gentlemen." 

Switched to Match Game Syndicated during dinner. Comedienne Louise Sorrel joined in for a truncated week (one episode is missing). They had more trouble dealing with contestants who just couldn't match and Bill Daily's strange answers.

Finished the night after a shower with Vaudeville: Songs of the Great Ladies of the Musical Stage. Morris performs songs from some of the earliest female vaudeville headliners. The oldest was "In the Baggage Coach Ahead," one of the earliest hits by a black composer. The most recent was "Smiles," a signature song of Elsie Janis, the Sweetheart of the RAF, during World War I. Others included "I Don't Care," "Shine On Harvest Moon," "The Yama Yama Man," and "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now." 

On the Sunny Side of the Playground

Kicked off the morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. "Flowers for She-Ra" takes Glimmer, Adora, and Bow to Plumeria in order to recruit its Princess Perfuma to help revive the Princess Alliance. Trouble is, Perfuma and her people are basically peace-loving, flower-wearing hippies. Not only do they want no part in the fighting, they think She-Ra can solve all their problems. She-Ra may be all-powerful, but Adora is not. She does have a quick mind and enough sense to figure out how to stop the Horde from poisoning their land.

Worked on updating Once Upon a Time In the Land of WENN for the next few hours. The day after the demon attack, Gertie shows Betty a golden sword inlaid with crystal, which once belonged to her mother Nora before she was killed by the Shadow Realm. Nora was the Light Guardian, who could manipulate light waves and sunlight with her magic. The older woman had trained Betty's mother, and now intends to train Betty herself.

Unfortunately, the mind-controlled guards of the Shadow Realm turn up in Pittsburgh Village just two weeks later, banging on the women's door and demanding they give up their magical artifacts. Not only is Betty shocked by their appearance, she's even more on the floor when she realizes that the Black Knight, Sir Johnathan Arnold, is really the supposedly dead King Victor. Victor quickly explains that he was recruited by Brittanica to spy on Pruitt and the Shadow Realm's clandestine activities. Betty is able to use her magic to flee, but Gertie isn't so lucky...

Ran The Stork Club while I worked. I go further into this tuneful vehicle for brash comedienne Betty Hutton as a hat-check girl at the elegant New York nightclub at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Stork Club

Put on PAW Patrol while eating lunch. Marshall is ready to adopt an adorable gosling who got separated from his mother in "Pup Pup Goose," but he learns how hard it is to care for a little one when the gosling wanders off in Adventure Bay. The pups search try to reunite him with his flock, before they fly south for the winter. Mayor Humdinger makes his debut on the show in "Pup Pup and Away." The pups first have to fix Mayor Goodway's hot air balloon, then get Ryder into the basket after she accidentally take off, so (for the first of many, many times) they can beat Humdinger at his own game.

Headed to the school after the cartoon ended. The school band was still meeting in the gym when we arrived, so they had to crowd the kids into the small library for a half-hour or so. I'm so proud of the trio who sat at the table with me. They played with a car one of the boys brought, and when the head teacher said for them to play The Quiet Game, they did so. They didn't get up and tattle on those who did talk either, like so many of the kids did, and were able to help choose the game they all took part in later on the playground. (I did have to confiscate the toy car briefly to calm them down, though I returned it to its owner after we were in the cafeteria.)

I'm so glad the kids were able to get outside! They all had a ball pretending to be crabs and chasing each other around the playground, and I had a ball watching them. They were so funny. It was a beautiful day, too, sunny and just warm enough, probably in the lower 70's. When we went inside, the remaining kids played with magnetic blocks, and then played Guess the Animal (basically animal charades) until they all went home. 

Made a really quick stop at the CVS on the border of Collingswood and Oaklyn on the way home. I picked up vitamins buy one, get one half-off. Got a drink for the ride home, too.

When I got in, I watched Remember WENN while getting organized. "Scott Sherwood of the FBI" has told his Aunt Agatha (Jan Miner) that he's the head of their organization. He and Betty almost literally jump through hoops to keep Scott's only real family from finding out his deception, at least until an actual agent shows up and seems to think it's all real. 

Had dinner while watching Match Game '76. Tom Poston made his only appearance on the 70's run of the show, and Barbara Shawma her only appearance period this week. Patti Deustch joins in with her unique answers, while Charles Nelson Reilly is just glad the contestants are picking people other than Richard for the Head-to-Head for a change.

Finished the night listening to Sesame Street Gold while working on the Stork Club review. Pretty much all of the most beloved songs recorded for the show before 1977 can be found here, from Ernie's "Rubber Duckie" to "The People In Your Neighborhood" to the kids singing the theme. Some of the songs that aren't as well-remembered today were worth noting, too. My favorite was "I've Got Two," as Big Bird, Oscar, Mr. Hooper, and their neighbors acknowledge that, despite our differences, we all have two eyes, two ears, two arms and legs, and a loving heart. 

Sunshine and Taxes

Began the morning with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. "Who's Afraid of the Big Eclipse?" Everyone in town when Billy Dog forgets to give the local paper part of the article his astrologist mother wrote on the coming celestial event. Billy and the other kids in town hand out the other half of the paper to calm the citizens down. Greek sheep Toula and her father discover how to "Hold Your Breath!" when they go treasure hunting underwater in ancient Greece. Huckle, Lowly, and Sprout are "Pumpkin Heads" who have entries in the county fair's pumpkin contest. After their pumpkins get damaged, they have to put their heads together and decide what else they can enter.

Took my laundry downstairs after the cartoon ended, then spent the next 40 minutes doing my taxes. I always try to get my paperwork out the day tax season begins. It doesn't take me long using Turbo Tax. I have one part-time job, own no property, and have no dependents. I'm getting about $880 and $49 from the state after I pay them. That's far less than I got last year, but I made a lot less this past year, too. After I finished my taxes, I went through papers that accumulated on top of my printer and put those away.

Got my laundry in the dryer and took out the trash and recycling, then went for a walk. It was too nice of a day to hang out inside! It jumped into the lower 40's today, with sunny bright blue skies and a nice breeze. Perfectly normal and pleasant weather for South Jersey in late January. There were a lot of people out and about, including three women chatting on a corner while one walked her dog.

Stopped at Dollar General first. I'm almost out of laundry detergent. The Arm & Hammer stain fighting bottle came with slightly more per wash than Tide. Needed granola bars, too. Grabbed chocolate fudge cake mix and cherry pie filling for a recipe I wanted to try later. 

Strolled across town for lunch. I was in the mood for decent food, not greasy or fried. I ended up at Common Grounds Coffee House. Despite it being almost 2 PM when I got there, they were busy with older women chatting in groups and college kids working on laptops. I had a cranberry muffin, the last slice of spinach-feta-pepper quiche, and a "dirty vanilla chai." The last-named turned out to be a coffee chai latte. It was ok, though I'm still not a really big coffee fan. 

I realized as I strolled up West Clinton that I forgot two things at Dollar General, and one was important. I ran out of computer paper while printing my tax return. Headed to Family Dollar a few blocks down the White Horse Pike to pick up the paper and an aluminum pan for my cake project. Treated myself to Red Velvet Reeces Cups while I was there, too. (They weren't bad, but I tasted more chocolate and peanut butter than red velvet.)

Did a few chores when I got home, including taking the recycling down to the curb and bringing my laundry upstairs, then made my cake project. I decided to try a simpler "dump cake" after my orange soda cake didn't come out so well last week. "Dump cakes" are recipes that require dry ingredients to be dropped on the wet ones, rather than mixed in. I did use butter on the cake mix, and I really should have bought two cans of cherry pie filling. Other than that, my Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake came out very well, very chocolatey and just sweet enough.

Spent the next few hours finishing the Children's album inventory. Got in everything from The Rescuers book and record through Yankee Doodle Mickey, along with my only children's CD set, a 2-disc collection of fairy tale readings. Most of these go pretty far back. The Story of Johnny Appleseed book and record is one of the original 65 albums from my late first stepmother Kaye that Dad gave me in 2006. She was a huge fan of Dennis Day, and he sings all the songs there. Yankee Doodle Mickey, Mickey Mouse Splashdance, Robin Hood, and my Sword and the Stone with the cool pop-up book were yard sale finds in 2011. 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. I might start the jazz and vocalists inventory, but I'm more likely to pick up that fairy tale about the young woman who tries to stop the Witch of Winter from ending spring. I've finally been getting some better ideas for it, now that we're getting closer to spring again. She now has a best friend, a half-human fire fairy who joins her. The rabbit who runs to Mother Nature isn't Sir Michael, but a feisty young prince the witch turned into a rabbit. Sir Michael was the prince's tutor, but he was bound to the shadows and stripped of his voice. 

Listened to records while I worked. The Gang's All Here is one of the many, many Sesame Street albums released in the 70's and 80's. I bought this one a while ago because I'd never heard of most of the songs listed here. In fact, the only number I was even a little familiar with is Cookie Monster's "If Moon Was Cookie." Cookie kicks off the album with "Me Gotta Be Blue," a hilarious spoof of bluesy Sinatra-esque anthems. There's also "We are All Monsters," Big Bird's sweet "Next to You," and my favorite, Bert declaring "I'm Square."

The cool thing about that British 40 Walt Disney Originals set I picked up from Innergroove Records two years ago is the inclusion of many older songs you won't find on newer American collections. For instance, there's a jaunty Annette Funicello Sherman Brothers' number, "Dream Boy," I'd never even heard of before I found this set. There's also three songs from the rare animated-live action hybrid So Dear to My Heart, "Stick-It-Tivity," "It's What'cha Do With What'cha Got," and "County Fair," and three from The Rescuers, "The Journey," "Rescue Aid Society," and "Tomorrow Is Another Day." "Maggie's Theme" is actually "For You, For Always" from the original 1961 Parent Trap.

Watched Match Game Syndicated while I finished the inventory and ate dinner. I came in for the week with Scoey Mitchilll, Dolly Martin, and Debralee Scott. The panelists for the next week were all either currently game show hosts (Dick Martin, Bill Cullen, Peter Marshall) or would be in the 80's (Betty White, Elaine Joyce) except for Brett Somers.

Finished the night with more syndicated game shows, these made for the syndicated market. Syndicated shows go way far back to the 50's, when newly-minted independent stations looked to fill airtime with anything they could find. By the late 60's, there were dozens of shows out there filling that market. Most of them, like Win With the Stars, barely lasted a year. Allen Ludden hosted this musical show where celebrities sang standards to contestants and helped them guess the song. If viewers at home had the number of points that the two groups won on a card, they too might win prizes.

Later syndicated shows had way more fun. Celebrity Bowling is what it says on the tin. Two teams of stars play each other in a typical bowling alley to earn prizes for viewers at home. This is way better than you might think, especially if you are a bowling fan. Richard Dawson and Bob Newhart play Gavin McLeod and character actor John Ericson in the 1971 episode I have here. This wound up being a long-running success, going until 1978.

The Crosswits was another long-running hit in syndication, going from 1975 to 1980. Four celebrities help two contestants figure out the subject of a crossword puzzle in what amounts to Crossword Plus. I really think this one is a lot of fun and wish more of it was available online. Jack Clark was the gentlemanly host.

My sisters and I loved Dance Fever as kids. This began in 1979 as a competition for disco dancers, basically an early form of Dancing With the Stars with celebrities as judges rather than performers. The first few years were hosted by choreographer Deney Terrio. By the time of this 1986 episode, Adrien Zmed of Grease 2 was the host, and the dancing had diversified way beyond disco. I personally prefer the 40's jazz dancers here, but Pat Sajak, Joanna Kerns, and Wally Joyner seem more impressed with the country step-dancers. 

Split Second was the 1986-1987 Canadian revival of a game show from 1972. Monty Hall asks contestants a question with three possible answers. The contestants have to give the right answers. I found an episode from early in the run, when it was still largely being shown in Canada. I'm glad Buzzr picked this one up; it's a fun show that deserves more of an audience down here in the US.

Not all syndicated trivia shows went over that well or were as enjoyable as even Split Second. 100% from 1999 is about the driest and cheapest trivia show you can possibly imagine. A narrator (Casey Kasem) reads a series of yes and no or true and false questions. At the end of the episode, whomever has the highest percentage of questions right wins the most money. The contestants are told their score throughout the show, but not which one has what score. Though it did well enough in its native England, it came off as chintzy, silly, and mind-bogglingly dull in the US. No wonder it sold to seven markets and didn't last a year. 

Check out more of the best from syndication with these rare delights!

Win With the Stars (1968)

Celebrity Bowling (1971)

The Cross-Wits (1977)

Dance Fever (1986)

Split Second (1987)

100% (1999) 

Keep Christmas With You

Started the morning with breakfast, work at the computer, and Garfield's Christmas Special. Garfield's not happy about visiting Jon's parents on the farm, until he bonds with tough Grandma. Grandma misses her late husband badly, but Garfield finds a way to make her holidays a little merrier. 

Headed out to work shortly after I got off my laptop. Work went back-and-forth between insane with long lines and totally dead. Thankfully, most people were in decent moods, except for the one Door Dash delivery guy who threw a fit because he had to sign a tax removal form and buy his own bags. All of the delivery services have to buy their own bags and sign that form, so I don't know where he got the idea he didn't. And of course, my last customers were one of those big, noisy families with two carts who spend most of the time yelling at each other. Thank goodness they sent one of the teens in and he took over half-way through, or I would have been late getting out.

Stopped on my way out to pick up fudge-topped shortbread cookies, then headed home. Part of the reason for the off-and-on crowds may have been the off-and-on weather. It spit when I headed to work, but didn't rain hard. By the time I finished, a dense fog bank had settled over the area. I tried to be careful as possible heading home across Oaklyn.

When I got home, I changed and did a little writing. Gene appears at the top of the clock and says Debralee is the only one who can help the Nutcracker and the princess. How, she asks? She's bigger than any of them. Gene can fix that...

Broke at quarter of 7 to work on cards. Match Game '74 was already in progress when I started. Brett showed off a flowing pink batik dress a friend made for her, prompting Richard to joke about her going hang gliding. Meanwhile, Brett tries to help Charles with "Toll __" in the Head-to-Head, and Scoey Mitchilll admires the very elegant and pretty champion.

Had dinner with friends before coming back upstairs for Match Game '79. Gene's not too happy when Patti Deustch sneezes on him after he has to read a question to her alone. The others have their own opinions on the Audience Match "Do As I __."

Ended the night online honoring recently-passed TV actors Kirstie Alley and Bob McGrath. I was a bit young for Cheers during its heyday in the 80's-early 90's and didn't really get into it until I caught re-runs in college. Having grown up with one parent who worked as a cook in a bar and another who hung out in them, I was very familiar with grouchy waitresses, sage bartenders, and all manner of barflies. By the early 2000's, Cheers felt as much home to me as it did them. 

Alley took over as Rebecca, the new bar manager and love interest for Sam Malone (Ted Danson), in the sixth season after Diane (Shelley Long) left. "Christmas Cheers" has her keeping the crew late on Christmas Eve. Sam's angry he can't go out with his girlfriend, and then desperately tries to find Rebecca a gift. A pretty young stewardess provides the answer, but it's a bit much, even for Rebecca. Carla just wants to be home before midnight, Woody's more interested in the children's play going on in his native Indiana, Cliff's competing with another mailman to win a trip to Florida, and Norm's playing department store Santa.

Sam says "Love Me, Love My Car" when he convinces the widow of the man who bought his car (Dana Delaney) to sell it back to him during the show's last Christmas episode in season 11. He regrets it when he realizes that the woman feels betrayed and used. Rebecca's also going through an unlikely romance...with the pig Woody's parents sent for Christmas dinner. Her attempt to rescue her new porcine pal doesn't work out the way she hoped.

Bob McGrath was a fixture on Sesame Street from its inception in 1969 until just a few years ago, finally retiring in 2017. His warm presence is certainly felt on their first holiday special, Christmas Eve On Sesame Street from 1978. He introduces "Keep Christmas With You" with the help of kids signing for his deaf girlfriend. Big Bird just wants to find out how Santa gets down those skinny New York chimneys. Oscar told him if he can't figure it out, no one will get any presents! Mr. Hooper helps Ernie and Bert when they give up the things that mean the most to them to buy presents. Cookie Monster wants to contact Santa, but he keeps eating the writing utensils. 

The Man With the Bag

Began a lovely day with breakfast and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. Everyone in the neighborhood is excited for the big holiday...except Big Bird. Oscar the Grouch told him if they can't figure out how Santa gets down those skinny New York chimneys, no one will get any presents! Big Bird, Kermit, Snuffleupagus, and one of the kids spend their day trying to figure out how he does it. Meanwhile, Bert and Ernie give away the things they love most to get gifts from Mr. Hooper and Cookie Monster attempts to write Santa, only to eat his writing utensils.

Headed out shortly after the show ended. I left a little bit early to buy parchment paper at work before I started. Needless to say, the Acme was very busy two days before one of the biggest holidays of the year. People are starting to think of what they're eating for Christmas dinner now, even if it's not going to be like usual. I did do some sweeping inside and gathered recycling towards the end of the night, but I was mainly outside, rounding up carts and enjoying a sunny, breezy, fairly warm day.

Ran into trouble with Uber going home. I think I took the wrong car. No wonder the guy didn't recognize my name when I got in. It took me at least five minutes or more to get a car at all by rush hour. I should have realized it when he didn't know which way to go. It was dark by then, I was dead tired, and I can never tell one car from another. At least I did eventually get where I was going. 

When I got in, I went straight into writing. Tom Kennedy's crew wears sheets to pass as ghosts. Bart Braverman complains that they look more like sheets than ghosts, which leads ship's doctor McLean Stevenson to joke about someone accidentally dumping them in the laundry. Sharon Farrell shushes them, reminding them that they need the disguises. 

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Tonight's Match Game '74 episodes is one of my favorites from that year. Charles Nelson Reilly was late from getting a new toupee (or "getting his hair nailed on," as the others joked), so their boss Mark Goodson sat in for him during the first question. (And did very well, too!) They also had questions about what Charles dresses as for Halloween (and a couple of ribald answers from those who knew him well!) and an Audience Match that was Betty ___. (And no, the contestant didn't go for the obvious answer that was sitting right in front of her.)

Switched to Ernest Saves Christmas as I made Chocolate-Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge. Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) loves Christmas in his native Orlando, Florida. He's surprised, then thrilled when a man climbs into his cab claiming to be Santa Claus (Douglas Seale). Santa is in Orlando to find Joe Carruthers (Oliver Clark), a former children's show host he believes will be the perfect replacement for him. Trouble is, a smarmy movie agent (Robert Lesser) got to Joe first and is trying to push him into doing a holiday slasher movie. There's also Harmony Starr (Noelle Parker), a runaway teen who perpetually lies to pretty much everyone. Even after Ernest rescues Santa from prison, they still have to convince Joe to take over the role and retrieve the reindeer and sleigh with the help of two sarcastic elves.

This is a long-time holiday guilty pleasure of mine, and by far my favorite Ernest movie. My sisters and I watched it a lot in the late 80's-early 90's during December. If you love Ernest too, or also remember those frequent cable showings, you'll want to give it a try. It's one Ernest's best vehicles.

(And we'll see how the fudge came out tomorrow. It was still a little soupy when I put it in the fridge to set. Oh well, if it doesn't come out, I have plenty of other things to give.)

Watched the original 1947 Miracle on 34th Street on Disney Plus when I went online. We move from warm Orlando back to chilly New York City for another story on the existence of Santa. Macy's manager Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) discovers Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) when he volunteers to replace her drunk Santa in Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. He goes over so well, he becomes the Santa at Macy's store as well. Kris really does believe he's Santa Claus. Most people think this is just a harmless fantasy, but Doris, who has taught her daughter Susie (Natalie Wood) to believe only in facts and what she can see, and obnoxious store psychiatrist Sawyer (Porter Hall), are more concerned. Kris eventually moves in with Doris' neighbor, lawyer Fred Gailey (John Payne). When Kris ends up on trial for lunacy, Fred is the one who defends him...and sets out to prove to Doris, Susie, and all of New York that there's a little holiday magic in everyone at this time of the year.

Gwenn won a supporting actor Oscar as one of film's most memorable Santas. His chemistry with deadpan little Wood is a delight to see. I also love the supporting cast, including Thelma Ritter as a frazzled mother in Macy's, Gene Lockhart as the judge covering the trial, Jerome Cowan as the district attorney opposing Fred, and William Frawley as the judge's political advisor. Their cynicism balances the more idealistic aspects of the script and keep the proceedings from getting too sugary.

I enjoyed the I've Got a Secret Christmas episode I watched Sunday night so much, I did another one after the movie ended. This episode from 1964 was the first with new host Steve Allen. Though we do have kids here (including an all-kid musical group with unusual instruments), my favorite guests were the Salvation Army choir who did an awesome number with tambourines. 

I've Got a Secret (1964)

Ran "The Monkees Christmas Show" after tonight's Match Game '90 YouTube premiere. This was one of the less-strange episodes of the Monkees' wild second season. The groovy quartet thinks they're being hired by a wealthy lady to play for a party. They end up watching over her nephew, a spoiled and neglected boy who claims Christmas is little more than tinsel and commercialism. Their attempts to prove otherwise prove disastrous to their heads and wallets...until Mike Nesmith figures out what he really needs. 

Here's more groovy vintage Christmas specials to tide you over until the big day!

The Spirit of Christmas - Vintage Philadelphia Special with the Mabel Beaton Marionettes

The Night Before Christmas

The Smurfs' Christmas

The Bears Who Saved Christmas

Christmas Short Subjects: The Christmas Visitor

Hardrock and Coco and Joe

Raggedy Ann and Andy In The Christmas Caper

Paramount Noveltoon: Santa's Surprise

Ziggy's Gift

The Christmas Tree Train (A Chucklewood Christmas)

The He-Man She-Ra Christmas Special

The Cabbage Patch Kids' First Christmas

The Glo Friends Save Christmas

Rainy Holidays

Slept in this morning. I didn't mean to. I just opened my eyes at 10:30. Had breakfast while watching one of the two Christmas episodes of Laverne & Shirley. "Oh Hear the Angel Voices" from the second season has the cast putting on a show for the patients at a mental hospital. Shirley's terrified. She's heard a few too many stories about family members who ended up in mental hospitals. Laverne's too busy flirting with a wealthy patient to worry much.

Rain or no rain, I really didn't feel like sitting inside all day. Besides, I work the rest of the week. I wanted to get to the Oaklyn Library while I had the time. The weather must have scared everyone off. It was just the librarians, the Weather Channel bleating about snow in the Midwest, and me the entire half-hour I was there. I organized the DVDs on both sides, took a look at the picture and board books, and shelved young adult novels.

Since it's only a few blocks from the Library and the rain had slowed somewhat, I strolled over to WaWa for a holiday treat. Decided to try their Eggnog Cream Smoothie. It's not bad. It does taste like eggnog, but it's also a bit watery. I still enjoyed it as I strolled home in the rapidly increasing rain under my umbrella.

Had a quick lunch when I got home, then made my first batch of Christmas cookies of the year. Lauren requested Peanut Butter Cookies instead of chocolate chip in her Christmas box. That's fine by me. I used the same New Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies recipe I have since 2012. I'd just come off breaking my ankle earlier in the fall and had even less money than usual. The cake mix-based peanut butter cookie recipe I found on the Betty Crocker website was my way of cutting a few corners. The resulting cookie was so delicious, it's been my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe ever since.

Unfortunately, these didn't work out quite as well. They were wonderfully chewy and soft, but the first batch burned on the bottom. At least the second batch turned out all right. I kept the worst ones for myself and will send the rest to Lauren and her parents later this week.

Ran Christmas Eve On Sesame Street while I ate and started the cookies in honor of Caroll Spinney, the long-time voice and puppeteer for Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, who passed away yesterday. Big Bird is upset when Oscar asks him how Santa's able to get down all those skinny New York chimneys in one night and enlists Kermit, Snuffleupagus, and one of the kids to help him figure it out. Meanwhile, Ernie and Bert give up the things that mean the most of them to buy presents for each other, but it's Mr. Hooper who has the biggest surprise of all. Cookie Monster would love to tell Santa what he wants for Christmas, but he keeps eating the writing utensils.

Moved on to another PBS staple, The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas, as I pulled out the cookies and started writing my Christmas cards. Nick and Sally are having fun at the Cat's big Christmas Eve party, but when it's time to go home, Ralph the Reindeer accidentally mistakes Sally's backyard for Freeze-Your-Knees Snowland and gets off at the wrong stop. The Cat, the fish, and the kids try to bring him home, but the Thing-a-Ma-Jigger keeps breaking down. As they make their way across the globe, they learn about the migration patterns of elephants, dolphins, red crabs, and reindeer, and how each group gets together with their families during the winter.

I was still finishing up the cards as The Cat ended and did a quick Rankin Bass special while I rounded up the last of them. The First Christmas Snow is the slightly melodramatic tale of a little shepherd named Lucas who is blinded in a lightning accident. He, his dog, and his sheep are taken in by the kindly nuns of a local parish, including Sister Theresa (Angela Landsbury). The fussy priest (Cyril Ritchard) wants to send him to an orphanage, but the nuns and the kids of the parish have become attached to him. His fondest wish is to at least feel snow on Christmas...and it isn't until the night of the parish Christmas play that he not only gets his wish, but the rest of the parish realize just how important he's become to them.

Worked on writing for several hours after I finished the cards. An old woman emerges from the gingerbread house, offering the trio of weary travelers dinner and a place to sleep for the night. The guys are all for it, but Brett can see that her house is made of black magic and doesn't trust her for an instant. She turns out to be right. She's really her evil stepmother, who locks up the two men in cages, then binds Brett with iron chains and forces her to work as a slave. She wants to fatten Charles for her trolls and marry Richard, but Brett has a plan...

Broke for dinner at quarter after 7. Ran two episodes of Good Eats on fruit often consumed during the Christmas season as I ate roasted broccoli and the last of the hot dogs and leftover Chinese rice for dinner. Cranberries were just beginning to be considered a nutritional powerhouse when these episodes came out in the mid-2000's. Alton shows how they can be turned into home-made cranberry sauce, granita, and Cosmopolitans. Oranges are a lot more than juice when he makes them into Orange Juilius drinks, marmalade, and sherbet.

Finished the night after a shower with X-Men: Dark Phoenix. It's the early 90's, and the X-Men are still riding high after having saved the world from Apocalypse. Jean Gray (Sophie Turner) accidentally absorbs the power from a sun flare while helping the others save astronauts from a stricken space shuttle. The blast amplifies her psychic powers, but it also makes them go out of control. Professor Xavier (James McAvoy) had put blocks on her powers to help her forget the trauma from a childhood accident, but they're released after her power is amplified, and it all comes roaring back.

After accidentally killing Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), she flees to the island of Genosha and seeks out Xavier's old partner Magneto (Michael Fassbinder), but he won't help her, either. She finally gets that help from the head of a race of aliens who reveals that she was possessed by a cosmic force...but that force intends to use her to snare both Magneto and Xavier's mutants and take over the Earth. Jean, however, has no desire to allow this to happen...even if she has to sacrifice herself to save those who have become her family.

This wasn't really bad, but it wasn't great either. McAvoy and Fassbinder are still excellent as the two heads of the different Mutant factions, but there wasn't enough of Lawrence's tough Mystique or Nicholas Holt as the intelligent Beast, and the bland Tucker wasn't really up to the task of portraying the possessed Gray. This is the second time 20th Century Fox struck out with this story on the big screen after the even-worse X-Men: The Last Stand. Maybe it's better off on the printed page, where you can imagine all of this happening in your mind with your own voices and special effects. At least those special effects are quite lovely, and it has a moving score by Hans Zimmer.

For the most part, yeah, I can understand why this was a major flop last summer. Ok if you're a fan of the second run of X-Man films or are a major superhero nut; not really necessary for anyone else.

And I'm glad I got in when I did. It's continued raining, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the day and into the evening.

Getting Ready for Christmas

Though it was cloudy when I rolled out of bed, by the time I was eating breakfast, the sun was coming out. I spent most of the morning getting my cookies organized. Most of the cookies going to various family groups were in small, festive bags from Dollar Tree. Instead of holding them down with tabs, I pulled the tabs off and tied them with curling ribbon. (I tried the tabs last year. They don't really hold the thin plastic bags down well.) A couple of groups had cookies in boxes I got at Target, mostly people who were getting cookies in the mail. The gifts, cards, and and cookies for Anny and her family and Mom and Dad went in the red BB-8 bag. All the remaining cookies and cards went in the Rudolph and Clarice bag.

Watched Christmas Eve on Sesame Street as I worked. The first of five (to date) Sesame Street holiday specials begins with Oscar the Grouch telling Big Bird and one of the kids that if Santa can't fit down those skinny New York chimneys, no one will get any presents! Big Bird recruits Kermit, Grover, and Snuffleupagus to help him find out how he does it. Meanwhile, Ernie and Bert sell the things that mean the most of them to get gifts for their best buddy, only to receive surprises in turn from Mr. Hooper. Cookie Monster tries to get in touch with Santa and tell him he wants cookies for Christmas, but he keeps eating the writing utensils.

Headed out around quarter of 12 to run errands, starting at the Oaklyn Library. They were relatively busy for them, with a mother reading to her child in the kids' area and several people on the computers. I mainly stuck to organizing DVDs.

I realized at the library that I'd forgotten to bring my wallet and coupons with me. Stopped back at my apartment to pick them up, then went back out again. It had turned into a beautiful and sunny, if windy, day. It was much warmer than it has been. Most of the roads were still slushy at 12:30, but were rapidly clearing, even as I headed towards the Acme. By the time I was heading home, half the snow was already gone, and the rest was on its way.

First order of business was dropping off my cookies for the Acme's Christmas Employee Luncheon. It was a much better lunch than eating at the fast food restaurants in the back of the mall. There were meatballs, sausage, shredded pork, collard greens, turkey, ham, Buffalo chicken dip, pasta salad, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, and macaroni and cheese for lunch. A cherry cheesecake, bowl of bread pudding, bowl of mini-Snickers, and another plate of cookies and candy joined my cookies for dessert. I had turkey, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese on my first round, meatballs, pasta salad, deviled eggs, and more greens on the second, and bread pudding, Snickers, and cookies for dessert.

It's a good thing I switched my shopping to today. I would never have been able to get everything I needed in yesterday's crazy weather...and I needed a ton! Took advantage of sales and online coupons to grab conditioner, chocolate chips, peanut butter, tuna, and another bag of clementines. Needed condensed milk, cupcake papers, and marshmallow fluff for the candy recipes I hope to make later in the week. Restocked cream of mushroom soup, yogurt (for baking and lunch), skim milk, eggs, butter, chicken breasts, ground turkey, and apples. Escarole was relatively inexpensive compared to some other fresh vegetables - thought I'd have that this week.

Ran a couple of second season episodes of Perfect Strangers when I got home, and then as I made Cranberry Bread for my landlords and next-door neighbors. In "A Christmas Story," Balki and especially Larry are looking forward to spending Christmas with Larry's family in Wisconsin. Larry's devastated when a storm makes it impossible to get there, until Balki reminds him of what the holiday is really about.

It's "Snow Way to Treat a Lady" in a two-part tale when the duo head off for a skiing trip with their girlfriends Jennifer and Mary Anne. There's only one small problem. Larry is a terrible skier, but he's lied to Jennifer about being a champion skier to impress her. He ends up going the wrong way down a mountain, then gets them trapped in a cabin that's been buried under an avalanche. Larry and Balki attempt to dig their way out.

Spent the rest of the evening writing. Leia introduces BB to the massive Toy Factory and it's head foreman, Poe the Piper's Son. To BB's surprise, he looks a lot like her brother, right down to the glossy curls and charming smile. He's in charge of the factory's operations, but he's worried that they may not be able to meet Santa's deadline if they don't figure out how to make more toys by the next day. Plus, nasty Barnaby Snoke, who owns pretty much everything else in Toyland, is meeting with Toymaker Luke about possibly shutting the factory down and selling out to him.

Had leftovers for dinner around 6:30. Watched Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas as I ate. Set during Belle's time at the castle, she's hoping that holding a Christmas Eve celebration will make the Beast less gloomy. The Beast has his own reasons for not wanting to have Christmas, and he's determined to stick to them. The castle's organ (Tim Curry) wants the Beast to stay the way he is. As long as he's living in anger, he'll pay attention to him and his dreary songs. When the organ realizes Belle and her Christmas party is a threat, he convinces a piccolo (Paul Reubens) to help him turn the Beast against her.

I know most people aren't fond of the flood of direct-to-video movies Disney churned out in the 90's and early 2000's, but I consider this one to be a guilty pleasure of mine. While the animation isn't that great, the music is lovely, including the oft-reprised "As Long As There's Christmas."

Ended the night with The Bishop's Wife. The bishop (David Niven) is in charge of raising funds to build a massive cathedral. He's spending so much time buttering up older women like Mrs. Hamilton (Gladys Cooper), he's neglecting his sweet wife Julia (Loretta Young), his daughter Debbie (Karolyn Grimes), and their eccentric family friend Professor Wutheridge (Monty Wooley). When he prays for guidance, he gets the impossibly handsome angel Dudley. This spiritual figure proceeds to charm everyone around him, including Julia. When the bishop realizes his wife seems to be falling for Dudley, he finally realizes just how much she means to him.

Sweet tale of faith, enlivened by the glowing performances of its three stars. Grand makes an especially suave angel - check out his quick method of decorating Christmas trees!

Rain For Christmas

It was pouring when I got up this morning. I thought it was a good day for the quiet story and subdued colors of Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas. This Jim Henson special from the late 70's was one of the first they did with realistic animals. Emmett and his ma are poor residents in a small riverside town. They face a bare Christmas, until friends tell them about a talent show on Christmas Eve. They both sacrifice the items that give them their livelihoods to acquire what they need to enter the contest. Ma sings a folk ballad; Emmett joins the title jug band. The winner of the show turns out to be a surprise...and what happens when Ma and the boys bring their music together is even more so.

Made Cream Cheese Icing after breakfast. This was pretty much just cream cheese, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. I got the recipe out of that mini edition of Holiday Cake Decorating and Cookie Baking for Dummies Linda and James sent me a few years ago. I don't think I mixed it well enough. It was a bit lumpy. Otherwise, it seemed to spread well enough on the cupcakes.

That finishes out my holiday baking. The cupcakes will be split between Dad-Bruce and Charlie and his men. I'll deliver them tomorrow or Christmas Eve. I do need to make a Pumpkin Mousse Pie for Dad and Jodie's Christmas Eve party, but that requires no baking and can be made in ten minutes tomorrow or Tuesday morning.

Switched to I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown as I got ready for work. One of the few hour-long Peanuts specials has less to do with Christmas and more with Lucy and Linus' little brother Re-Run badly wanting a pooch of his own. He keeps trying to invite Snoopy to play, but he doesn't always have the time. The kids finally invite Spike up from the desert...and Re-Run discovers just how hard it can be to take care of a pet.

The rain had been off and on all morning. It was just starting to pick up again when I left. And, of course, it stopped just in time for me to arrive at work wet.

Work wasn't bad when I got in, but it was busy the rest of the afternoon. People were finally starting to come out of the malls and think of their Christmas dinners and parties. There were a few annoying people who wouldn't help bag, otherwise, there were no major problems. My relief was right on time. Thankfully, the rain had ended by the time I headed home.

Did some writing when I got in. Scott, Floretta (Eugenia), and the kids arrive at the camp to find that the others - Maple, Gil, Betty, Jack (Jeff), Jill (Hilary), and Wee Mackie Winkie - have been captured by the other gypsies, who think they're spies for Barnaby. Scott, himself part-gypsy, explains otherwise. He and Betty also scold the kids for going off into the woods on their own.

I finished the night with turkey burgers and sauteed spinach and mushrooms while watching Christmas Eve On Sesame Street. The first Sesame Street holiday special has Big Bird upset because Oscar the Grouch told him if Santa couldn't find a way to come down those skinny New York chimneys, no one would get any presents! Big Bird, Kermit, Snuffy, and the kids try to figure out how he does it. Meanwhile, Bert and Ernie sell the things that mean the most to them, only to get a big surprise from Mr. Hooper. And Cookie Monster would love to write or call Santa and ask for cookies, but he keeps eating the writing utensils.

Beauty and the Little Red Monster

Began a cloudy, warm-ish day with Emily Climbs (the second Emily of New Moon story), Honey Nut Oatmeal Squares, half of a grapefruit, and the first unofficial holiday special of the year. Sailor Moon: Hearts In Ice is the hour-long "movie" made around the third season of the original show. Sailor Moon's cat Luna falls in love with a handsome, seemingly ill scientist who has found an odd meteor. The meteor turns out to be belong to Princess Snow Kaguya, who wants to freeze the Earth and turn it into her personal ornament!

I finally headed out to the laundromat around 11:30. I had a huge load to do. I meant to do it yesterday, but I just never got around to it. There were a few people around when I got in, but it wasn't close to busy. It had emptied out by the time my things were in the drier. Good. That large load included towels that really needed to be done.

When I got home, I put my clothes away, then went right back out again. I stopped at Jalepeno's Grill across from WaWa for lunch. It was 1:30 by then. They were dead as a doornail, except for one old woman who always seemed to be there and the young son of an employee. This time, I went with the tasty Mexican Avocado BLT Chicken Wrap, which was just what the name implies, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and bacon bits with chicken and spicy mayo. The small container of black bean soup was yummy, but the Spanish rice was probably cheap stuff from a mix.

Went straight to the Haddon Township Library after lunch. I pretty much did what I did last week - organized the kids' DVDs, shelved the small stack of adult titles, then worked on getting the romance novels in some semblance of order. I only got from E to G this time before it got late and I decided it was time to move on.

This time, I also took out some DVDs. Since I have plenty of live-action programming at home that I still need to dub, I went with children's or animated titles. That Sesame Street Unpaved book I found a few weeks ago has rekindled my interest in that series. I took out Fairy Tale Fun, which featured the late 90s special CinderElmo as a bonus. The most recent Veggietales story, Beauty and the Beet, was a musical tale that looked like it had potential. Also grabbed the recent animated films The LEGO Movie and Rio 2.

I rode across a very busy Newton Lake Park on my way home. Took a shortcut over some barely-seen stone steps...which I won't do again, since they terminated behind someone's house. It was past 4 PM by then, and rush hour was in full swing. The park was busy with joggers, dog walkers, parents pushing children in strollers, and teenagers chatting at picnic tables. I guess everyone wants to get out before the rain we're supposed to have tomorrow.

When I got in, I did a few small chores around the apartment. The big one was sweeping the part of the porch that's still accessible. The half of the porch overlooking the path is roped off and has no railings; that's where it's sagging. The half overlooking the garden desperately needed to be cleared of leaves. I put it off, but the recent winds made a real mess. I was tired of the leaves ending up on my kitchen floor. I also took out the trash, including the rusted remains of Miss Ellie's push cart.

(Incidentally, Andrew and Richard have finally cleared off the front porch. All of the junk that was on there is gone, including the toilet and the large old trunks that Miss Ellie used for yard supplies. All that remains is the lawn mower, a rake, a push broom, a small red picnic bench, a tarp, and two buckets of paint.)

I baked brownies while watching Beauty and the Beet. Beauty in this case is Mirabelle, a gentle sweet potato from a family musical group that calls itself the Veggietones. Larry the Cucumber is the dad; the French peas are her brothers. When the group is stranded at a run-down ski resort, Mirabelle suggests they work for their rooms while they figure out how to get to Vegetable Square Garden for a big concert. They're at first put off by the grumpy beet owner, until Mirabelle gives him singing lessons, and discovers his real reason for being a grouch.

I have a mixed track record with Veggietales in general (I've found some of their specials to be hilarious and others too preachy), but they seem to do well by their musicals. This modern Beauty and the Beast story was really quite lovely. I liked how they stayed true to the original story (Beauty has two selfish sisters and three brothers along with her dad) and still did the updated setting well.

Moved to another fairy tale as I cleaned up from the brownies. CinderElmo lives in the kingdom of Sesame. The princess (Keri Russell) must marry by midnight, or lose the kingdom! Being 3 years old, Elmo cares less about marrying anybody and more about just getting to dance at the princess' birthday ball with his buddy Zoe. He's so dirty that his stepmother (Kathy Najimy) won't let him, Zoe, or their dog Prince go. Their fairy godperson (Oliver Platt) arrives, but he insists that the kids "Do Something" in order to earn the trip to the ball. After cleaning them up and turning the dog into a  human (French Stewart), they finally arrive at the ball. Elmo does get his wish, but he has to run out just as the clock strikes midnight! Will the princess ever find him and keep her kingdom?

I know Elmo bothers a lot of people who don't like how newer characters like him, Zoe, Rosita, and Abby have taken over the show. He's not my favorite character, but he doesn't get on my nerves the way he does other people my age. I thought this special was rather sweet. Platt was especially funny as the new-on-the-job fairy (and who knew he was such a good singer?). This is available both on its own and as a bonus on the DVD Fairy Tale Fun if your kids love Elmo or fairy tales.

Finished the night quietly with scrambled eggs and fall vegetables and this year's first showing of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Chuck is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his grandmother when Peppermint Patty calls, inviting herself, Marcie, and Franklin to a big dinner at his house. Chuck, Linus, and Snoopy compromise by making a smaller dinner of toast, popcorn, ice cream, pretzels, and jelly beans. Peppermint Patty is incensed...until Marcie and Linus remind their friends of the real reason behind the holiday.