Let's Go to the Mall

Got a quick start this morning. I grabbed breakfast, then called Uber. I had a longer trip planned for us today. Fortunately, I had no trouble whatsoever getting a driver. The woman taking us to the Deptford Mall arrived in 10 minutes. The man going home came in 3! There was no traffic either way, not even on the highways. Everyone must be at the Shore. We got to the Round 1 at Deptford within 15 minutes

Wanted to get Round 1 in before we were hauling around a lot of packages. I had even more fun today than in Philly yesterday! I spent almost an hour and a half running from Bust-a-Move to skee ball to Centipede Chaos to giant Pac Man to ring toss. Got Princess Peach on Mario Kart and came in second on the Bowser's Castle course. No luck on the big cranes, but I did get a mini Pooh Tsum Tsum (cylindrical Disney character stuffed animal) from one of the small cranes. I got over 3,500 points, enough for a well-made denim tote bag with a smiling plush strawberry on the front pocket and another Beanie Baby, a fluffy pink cat named Lady. Lauren had more luck with the cranes and managed to get two (one for a co-worker), plus her own mini Tigger Tsum Tsum.

We briefly peeked at FYE on our way across the mall. Lauren didn't get anything this time. I grabbed a used copy of the complete series for the short-lived Bird of Prey TV show from 2002 for $5.99. I figured, I have the first two seasons of the Supergirl show. Why not give Batgirl equal time? 

Red Robin isn't far from FYE, so we had lunch there. They were pretty busy for just after 1 PM when we arrived. I had their new Crispy Fish Sandwich with pickles and cabbage slaw, fries, and a dirty coconut soda. Lauren had a berry lemonade with their new crispy chicken sandwich with hot sauce and broccoli. She said the chicken sandwich was really good, and the hot sauce added just the right zing. My fish sandwich was yummy. The fish was huge, and the cabbage slaw complimented it nicely. The coconut soda was really good, too, and I love their big salty steak fries.

We were in and out of stores for the next two hours. Lauren didn't find anything at Boscov's. I finally got a pair of Clarks' "Cloudsteppers" walking sandals there for $44. The pair I bought last year were falling apart (wearing them in torrential downpours twice last week didn't help). I got the exact same pair in beige, and they're just as comfortable this year. We both looked around Toys R' Us but didn't get anything. Lauren found a Harmony Bear Care Bear with her original triple-heart tummy symbol at Miniso. 

She got shirts at Macy's and used the bathroom at JC Penney. I didn't bother with Macy's (I rarely find anything there) and went to the bathroom at JC Penney's, then picked up a coral t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts to replace the pair that's starting to go in the thighs. Lauren got three shirts and sweaters off BoxLunch's clearance rack, including a Garfield sweater I couldn't find in my size. I did get a cute Strawberry Shortcake/My Melody t-shirt and a Hello Kitty and Friends computer pad (my blue computer pad had drink rings and was curling at the edges) from the clearance rack for buy one, get one half-off, along with a Sailor Jupiter pen. 

After we finished at BoxLunch, we figured it was time to warm up a bit and headed across the street to Barnes and Noble, past Aldi's, the Tractor Supply Company, and the new breakfast restaurant. (They're still working on Nordstrom Rack.) Lauren went to Old Navy, but had no luck. I finally found the new Shady Hollow mystery Mockingbird Court by Juneau Black (I've been waiting for more Shady Hollow mysteries!) and two Disney soundtracks on record, Cars (in a nifty picture disc) and the brand-new live-action Moana. (I also picked up an adult version of Wizard of Oz called West of Wicked, but...um...paging through it later in the evening revealed that it's overly violent and a bit too adult for me. It'll go to Goodwill or one of the kiosks. Considering this is the second time in six months I grabbed what sounded like a romantic adult retelling of a classic story that got too adult, I really need to take a better look at these books before I buy them if I'm not familiar with the author.) 

I met Lauren around quarter of 6, and we went across the street to Red Lobster for dinner. I'm so glad the Red Lobsters in my area are still open! We had an absolutely delicious seafood dinner. I had shrimp scampi, shrimp Alfredo, and broccoli...and there was so much, I didn't finish the Alfredo. Lauren had scampi, Alfredo, fried popcorn shrimp, and fries, and she ate everything but the fries! Even with us having two cheddar biscuits each, we still had three to bring home for later in the week.

Took out the trash when I got home, then went straight in the shower. I finished the night watching American game shows that were adopted in Canada in honor of Family Feud Canada running on Buzzr. To be fair, most Canadian adaptations of American shows are pretty close to the originals. Those who are offended by the Steve Harvey Feud here in the US may prefer the Canadian version hosted by comedian Gary Dee, which has an identical set and somewhat less naughty questions. The 90's Canadian Supermarket Sweep also resembled its American counterpart, with a slightly different set, different-colored sweaters for the teams, and a much cuter host, Tino Monte (who also wore ugly ties). 

For some reason, the English-language Canadian version of Match Game in 2012 used the 1990-91 version, up to and including the Match-Up round (only one per show here) and Star Wheel, as its basis. Otherwise, it's just as funny as its American counterpart later in the decade, and only slightly less raunchy. Darrin Rose was the host. Caroline Rhea, who anchors the panel here, would later turn up in the 2016-2029 ABC show as well.

The Canadians have been adapting our shows since at least the 60's. Their Beat the Clock from 1970 originally featured American Jack Narz as the host, until he got tired of communing. Announcer Gene Wood took over from him, the only time he'd get to host a show. This is also the only version of Beat the Clock to have celebrities helping out with the stunts (rather than playing the game). Narz's little brother Tom Kennedy is the celebrity in the episode I have here. 

They occasionally adapted shows that didn't go over well north of the border. Pay Cards ran on syndication in 1968 and 1969, but it was never wildly popular. Canada tried it twice on their own version of syndication. It went over better in its original version from 1973 to 1975 than as the revamped Super Pay Cards! from 1981, which is what I have here. 

Monty Hall, himself Canadian, struck out with game shows in his native land. His 1980-1981 version of Let's Make a Deal ran into the same problem that the more lavish Pitfall with Alex Trebek did around the same time. The production company went belly up after a year, and he never did get paid. He did slightly better with a revival of Split Second. It too only ran a year, but at least there was no chicanery and everyone got their money and prizes. 

Take a summertime trip to visit our neighbors in the north with these delights from the land of hockey, comedy, and some pretty funny Feuds!

Beat the Clock (1970)

Let's Make a Deal (1981)

Super Pay Cards! (1981)

Split Second (1986)

Supermarket Sweep (1992)

Match Game (2012)

Family Feud Canada (2024)

Ain't No Stopping Us Now

Had breakfast around 11, then Lauren and I strolled down to the Collingswood PATCO. It wasn't a bad day for a walk around Old City Philadelphia. It remains sunny, breezy, and bright blue, if warmer and slightly more humid than yesterday. The PATCO is a far more efficient beast than the NJ Transit. The train to Philly arrived within two minutes of us buying tickets and hurrying upstairs. (Oh, and the remodeling is now focused outside. They've long finished the escalator and elevator.)

We got off at the Franklin Square station and went straight around the corner to Franklin Square. I've been wanting to show Lauren this beautiful park since I visited here last August. The Chinese Lantern Festival was even more beautiful this year than it was last year! Flowers were the theme. We were greeted by towering daisies, sunflowers, lily pads, and gorgeous purple fabric blooms. I saw a soccer and baseball-themed "Philly" display near one of the entrances, and fabric horses who looked real enough to jump over the fence.

The fountain wasn't running and none of the food booths were open at quarter of 12, but everything else was ready to go. We played the mini-golf course. It was a lot of fun! The obstacles are all based on Philadelphia landmarks, like Elfreth's Alley, the Ben Franklin Bridge, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (they even have Rocky's footprints next to the course). Lauren got two holes in one, one of them right through the Chinatown Friendship Arch. There's even one with "records" representing hits from Philadelphia International Records, like "Me and Mrs. Jones" and "Ain't No Stopping Us Now." The last course has the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Lauren won, but only by a few points. We were flanked on one side by two middle-aged gentlemen who gallantly allowed us to go on ahead of them, and three college students who laughed a lot and seemed to really enjoy themselves.

After we finished, we headed down Race Street to the Race Street Cafe for lunch. Despite its name, this small brick-and-wood-paneling watering hole is really more of a local bar. Lauren had tilapia tacos she said were delicious. I tried them when I ate there last year and found them to be too spicy for me. I went with a nice, simple grilled chicken sandwich and slender, salty fries.

The Race Street Cafe is just steps away from 2nd Street. Our first stop here was A Four Foot Prune, which specializes in Muppet memorabilia, character toys and media from the 50's through the 90's, and anything Liza Minnelli ever did. Lauren found two cute bags - one with Snoopy, one with a scene from The Monster at the End of This Book that matches a shirt she has - and some pins and patches. I found a small Dakin Bear dressed as a pilgrim girl, with a turkey on a ribbon, for only $2. I think the kids will love Jim Henson's Muppet Babies Big Book of Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales, with its adorable illustrations depicting Rolf as Humpty Dumpty, Skeeter and Scooter as Jack and Jill, Kermit as Wee Willie Winkie, and Piggy as Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. I only dug up one record, but it was one of the Tale Spinners for Children series from England, Sinbad the Sailor.

We crossed 2nd Street to check out Brave New Worlds, a popular local comics book shop. This is a lot more organized than the book stores, a long, dark room with shelves and shelves of comic books, manga, and toys. I didn't get anything here. Lauren got a figure for a friend and Marvel Meow, with Marvel characters hilariously interacting with cats and other pets.

The Book Trader is two blocks down from Brave New Worlds. It's a wonderful used book store, with rickety shelves filled from floor to ceiling with books, records, CDs, DVDs, and videos. This time, Lauren didn't find anything. She spent the time relaxing by the fiction and foreign language sections on the second floor. I did dig out two cast album LPs:

The original Broadway cast of Little Me with Sid Caesar playing the seven loves of a Hollywood starlet

The original London cast of Salad Days...which I was kind of shocked to find. Though this charming small-scale musical was a huge hit on the West End in 1954, it played off-Broadway in 1958, didn't do well, and hasn't tried the US since. 

And four books:

Standing In the Rainbow and The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg

Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies by Ted Chapin

The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey (I did take this one out of the Haddon Township Library about 15 years ago, but that copy is long gone.) 

Last year, I wandered around in Old City until I found my way back to Franklin Square...but that wasn't going to fly this time. For one thing, we were both carrying heavy bags with books, records, toys, and other items. For another, Lauren wanted to hit up Fashion District Mall. Not to mention, while not killer humid like it's supposed to be later in the week, it was much hotter than yesterday. I called an Uber driver, who arrived within 7 minutes and got us to Primark in less than 5.

Lauren briefly explored Primark, an Irish department store, when we arrived. They don't really carry my size, so I just waited in the main mall until she came out and admitted she didn't find anything she wanted. We walked around a bit and got sodas before going upstairs to Round 1 on the third floor. Even newer spaces in Philly can be deceptively small on the outside. Though this doesn't have some of the games seen at other arcades in South Jersey - no skee ball, no ring toss - it does have pinball. I ran from Star Wars pinball to The Munsters pinball (did really well with that one) to Bust-a-Move to Space Invaders. Came in second with a sweet cherry-red Lamborghini on Crusin' Blast. I earned over 2,500, but just decided to save most of it for when we go to Deptford tomorrow. I went with a darling white Beanie Baby kitten named Amelia. 

By that point, we were tired, hungry, and sore. Time to take the PATCO home. I got us turned around a bit, but we did manage to make it to the 8th Street Station by 5:30. We took a jammed-full rush hour train back to South Jersey, getting off at Westmont.

I thought we'd try something different for dinner. The Haddon Diner is just two blocks from the Westmont PATCO Station. I figured it would be less busy and closer to the station than the Collingswood restaurants. (Not to mention, a lot of them aren't open on Mondays.) They were busy, but not so much that we didn't quickly get one of the sweet stenciled wooden booths. Lauren had a BLT and a Yankee Bean Soup she loved. I had banana and pecan pancakes that were so fluffy and tasty and fat turkey sausages. 

I also thought it would be easier to pick up Uber here than in Collingswood...and I was right. It took me a while, but I finally got a driver who came in 15 minutes and got us home in less than 5. No traffic here or, thank heavens, in Philadelphia.

I took the recycling out and we put our laundry in the washing machine, then put on Match Game '75. I came in time for the first day of Carol Bartos' run. Dr. Joyce Brothers and Bill Daily got to match one of her more peculiar answers, one that had Gene wanting to drag Dr. Brothers to her own couch! The next week was Game Show Host Week, with Bob Barker, Arlene Francis, and (ironically) Fannie Flagg. 

Moved to Tubi for Hard Boiled Mahoney. Slip and Sach are at a private eye's office, trying to get the money he owes Sach, when Salina Webster (Betty Compson) comes in and mistakes them for the detective. She offers them $50 to find her lost sister. Slip trails the sister, only to see a man shot. Turns out the two women in question aren't related. Phony medium Armand (Dan Seymour) has incriminating letters that are blackmailing them. Slip, Sach, and their buddies have to dodge the police (who think Slip did it) to bring Armand to justice...but first, they have to get off Professor Quizard's (Bryan Foulger) radio show by driving him crazy!

Finished the night with more of Daredevils of the Red Circle. By the time of chapter 5, "The Ray of Death," former prisoner Harry Crowel (Charles Middleton) has gotten the idea that there's someone tipping off the trio of Daredevils. He intends to kill off anyone in the household he talks to regularly, starting with Granville's granddaughter Blanche (Carole Landis). The boys have to restore the electricity on an old mine and get Blanche and several workers out of there before it's flooded...and before Crowel's goons electrocute the entire lot of them. 

Summer Breeze

We got a really quick start this morning because we were leaving a bit earlier than we have. I called Uber at 9:50. It picked us up within 8 minutes. Even with hitting every red light from here to Lindenwald, we still made it to the train station there by 10:15. That left us plenty of time to buy tickets for the 10:34 NJ Transit train to Atlantic City. 

Thank heavens the train was right on time, because it was also full. We managed to get a seat in the back of the first car, near the door. At least the ride is only a little over an hour. I spent the time listening to music on my YouTube account. We pulled in on time, too, around 11:30.

We absolutely picked the right day to walk on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny and breezy, but not hot or humid at all, probably in the upper 70's. The boardwalk was busy at quarter of 12, but not overwhelming. We headed straight down, passing Bally's and the Central Pier. (I also noticed that part of Peanut World, most of which burned down last winter, was opened, but not all of it. Several of the stores next to Peanut World were closed too, including the one Lauren bought her Atlantic City shirt from last year.)

Landshark Bar and Grill is on the beach near Steel Pier and across from Resorts and the Hard Rock Casino. I got to see what they were building on the beach when I visited Atlantic City on my own last August. It was a new Tiki bar intended to be an extension of Margaritaville across the way at Resorts. We had an absolutely wonderful lunch outside, watching the people on the beach under blue and yellow umbrellas. Lauren had a massive bacon barbecue burger. I had a basic cheeseburger. We both had salads - I had a house salad, she had Caesar. We were surprised when someone brought us a plate of fried pickles. We forgot to order them! Turns out the waiter was new and brought it to the wrong place...but we'd already started in on them. He got more for the other people, and we got free fried pickles.

Lauren and I split up briefly after lunch. She checked out the small arcade next to Steel Pier and bought a lemonade. I had to ride the giant Ferris Wheel on Steel Pier. That's my favorite ride in Atlantic City. I love seeing the world through those air-conditioned gondolas. It's like seeing a Little People version of Atlantic City. The beaches were so busy today! I'm surprised I saw a lot of people swimming. After all the storms, I would have thought the undertow was too strong for swimming. 

After I got back on the ground and found Lauren, we headed back towards the Central Pier Arcade. The main interest here is their two long rows of cranes. Lauren had no luck with the cranes whatsoever. I didn't, either, but I did better with the other games. I hit big jackpots on the Monopoly spin-the-dice game and the pirate wheel that netted me over 820 tickets, plus I had 140 tickets leftover from my solo trip last August. I finally chose a really cute small Funshine Bear dressed as a bee with glittery wings and a paper fan with a pretty yellow and red rose and bluebird print. 

By the time we left Central Pier, it was past 3 PM. The boardwalk was getting a lot more crowded and hot. Not to mention, we wanted to explore the Outlet Mall a bit before we caught our train home. We headed back down Michigan Avenue, past Bally's and the AtlantiCare Hospital to Arctic Avenue. We started at the Toy Company, a jammed full shop with stuffed animals, knock-off toys, and Atlantic City sweatshirts. After we got nothing there, I got a drink at Starbucks...but the line was so long and the three baristas were so busy (the girl who was supposed to be taking customers had to run and get ice), the iced blue coconut matcha latte wasn't worth it.

I met Lauren across the street at Old Navy and a small leggings-and-shorts store called Cozy. We poked around American Eagle next-door, then decided we'd try something different. Bambu specializes in dessert drinks with odd Asian ingredients. Lauren tried one with ice cream and said it was delicious. I stuck to tart passion fruit iced tea and three macarons (vanilla, strawberry shortcake, and mixed berry). 

It was time to head back to the train station. We had plenty of time to use the bathroom, buy tickets, and get in line. And then...we waited. And waited. And waited. The train didn't leave at 5:21. It still hadn't left at 6 PM. I was frantic and in tears when they finally canceled it. There was no way we were taking the bus back to Lindenwauld. It takes forever and runs through some really sketchy territory. We just waited at the station for the 7:13 to arrive. Thankfully, that was right on time. Other than slowing down for a train coming in the opposite direction, we had no problems. We were back in Lindenwald by quarter after 8. 

We were going to eat at the Stratford Diner, but it was closed by then. Tim Horton's was opened until 10, so we tried them. It was such a lovely evening, we even ate outside on their patio. I wish there were more of these in South Jersey! This Canadian franchise specializes in donuts, coffee and lemonade drinks, and sandwiches. I had a strawberry drink with coconut water and a turkey club sandwich. Lauren had a beef and cheese panini and a Diet Coke. Yum! They were so good with thick potato chips that tasted like movie popcorn. It was so nice to talk to Lauren while watching the sun set on the White Horse Pike!

When we finally got home, I took a shower, then watched the second Family Feud 50th anniversary marathon on YouTube. I came in just as the show's producer Mark Goodson crowned Richard King of daytime game shows. The show was at its height of popularity as the number-one daytime show in the late 70's. It was so popular, it not only moved into syndication, ABC also did a series of nighttime specials with some of the most popular shows of the time playing each other. This made for some strange bedfellows, like when the cops of Barney Miller played the wholesome Eight Is Enough cast, or nighttime soaps Knots Landing and Dynasty and daytime soaps All My Children and General Hospital played each other. Some of the celebrities could be even more nervous than regular contestants, even when they were right, like Connie Francis and Michelle Lee. Richard was happier when the Dallas Cowboys played their cheerleaders, and former Miss USA winners played former Miss Universes.

Let's keep playing the Feud with these classic looks back at some of its best moments!

Family Feud Sunday Classics - 50 Years Celebration Marathon Part 2 (Including Pilot and Final Episode)

Cherry Hill Park

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

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

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

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

The Rolling Stones - Rewind

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Straight from the Hart

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. "Teela's Quest" takes her to the Crystal Mountains in order to speak with an oracle who may know what happened to her real mother. He-Man follows her, and discovers he has good reason to be worried when Mer-Man attempts to use her as a sacrifice for an infamous sea creature. 

Called Uber around quarter of 11, soon as the show ended. Thankfully after the last few days, we had no trouble here whatsoever. The first driver, to my surprise, arrived in 4 minutes. The one going home came in 5. There was no difficulty on the road, no traffic anywhere.

We got off at the Gloucester Premium Outlets. Unlike the outlet mall in Atlantic City, which is spread out across busy streets, the one in Blackwood is entirely food traffic. It's more like the Washington Street Mall in Cape May. Hit pay dirt at our very first stop of the day. Go! Calendars and Toys had selected Beanie Babies and Squishmallows on deep discount. Lauren got a cute turquoise and pink mouse clip to hang on her backpack. I found a darling little ball-like hedgehog Beanie Baby named Hazel for $3 and a smaller orange and yellow striped Squishmallow fish named Lucienne for $5. After that, we both peeked at Famous Footwear and It's All Leggings, but didn't find anything.

Since Friendly's is around the corner from It's All Leggings and it was noon by that point, we had lunch. Friendly's was surprisingly not that busy. It was mainly families and older couples just coming in for lunch. Usually, Friendly's is packed at lunchtime. They're the only sit-down restaurant at the mall. Lauren had a burger, fries, and a Diet Coke. I had a tasty grilled chicken wrap, fries, and a Coconut Cream Soda - basically, a soda with coconut syrup and topped with cream. That was really good. Really tasted like coconut. You can't leave Friendly's without getting ice cream. Lauren had her favorite, black raspberry with peanut butter sauce. I had fluffernutter with Swiss chocolate sauce. They wound up being a perfect combination.

We were in and out of stores for the next two hours. Neither of us found anything at Express, Old Navy, the Gap, or Under Armour. I hit the jackpot at Lane Bryant. They were having a buy 3 items, get them 60 percent off sale. Picked up a pair of drawstring jean shorts and two shirts, one Peanuts, one Care Bears, two soft bras (their underwire bras all have padding, which I don't need), and five pairs of underwear. I got more underwear at Jockey. Lauren got underwear and leggings there.

After we finished at Jockey, we figured we'd done enough shopping. It was time to make our way across the street to Dave & Buster's. This huge arcade is basically the same idea as Round 1, with a sports bar instead of a bowling alley. I spent the next hour running from Centipede to giant Space Invaders to Lane Bowling to ring toss to Monopoly to Pac Man-themed skee ball. Got a sweet vintage red Corvette on Cruisin' Blast and came in second on the Death Valley course. Came in first with Princess Peach on the Princess Castle course in Mario Kart by a wide margin. Good wins on the pirate-themed wheel and the "gone fishing" spinning wheel brought me to over 6,500 points. I got a magnetic chess/checkers/backgammon board game and a fruit-scented stuffed Panda named Purdy.

When we got back in Oaklyn, we put everything away, then went right back out. Lauren loves Mexican food, so we had dinner at Jalapeno's. They were a little busier than usual, especially with South and Latin Americans watching the World Cup game between Columbia and Switzerland. I had my favorite shrimp quesadilla. Lauren had the fish tacos I tried two weeks ago, grilled plantains with raspberry sauce (she loves anything with raspberry), and a mojito in a small, thin glass. For once, I was too full for dessert! (Oh, and to the disappointment of the bar patrons, Switzerland won, 4-3. The Swiss apparently went absolutely bonkers over it. According to Fox, this is the first time they've been to the World Cup quarterfinals since 1954.) 

The other reason we ate at Jalapeno's is it's a block from WaWa. I just got money there, but Lauren bought a Wild Cherry Pepsi Zero and several bags of mixed nuts. We wanted to play with the kitties at the Calico Cat Cafe, but they wouldn't be available for an hour. I just got another dirty soda instead. (Oh, and the regular creamer did work better with the Dr. Pepper Zero. I had sprinkles in there this time, too.) 

At least the weather was decent for all the running around we did. It remains humid, but it's also cool, cloudy, and breezy. It was probably in the upper 70's, a little bit warmer than yesterday, but nowhere close to the 100 degree heat from last week!

I went straight into Match Game '75 when I got home while Lauren watched wrestling. I came in just in time for one of the episodes from the infamous week with Joan Collins. I don't think Collins was really all that happy about being there. Scoey Mitchelll would be happier if he could match the contestant a little more often.

Finished the night with Hart to Hart. It's a "Love Game" when Jonathan and Jennifer learn a tennis pro has been romancing wives of businessmen and funneling that information to a duplicitous stockbroker. When they learn he plans on doing the same to Jennifer, she gives him false information. Johnathan has to stall his game with real-life tennis pro Martina Navratilova until the stockbroker finds out that the information they planted is phony...but the stockbroker doesn't take it well and goes after Johnathan. 

Here Comes the Sun

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Watched the episodes that introduced Daniel's autistic friend Max in honor of Autism Awareness Month. "Daniel Meets a New Friend" and learns there's things he can do to understand him better, like waiting for him to join in or not yelling around him. It's too loud for Max, but Daniel wants him to see his father's new clock. They find a way for "A New Friend at the Clock Factory" to join in. 

Switched to Pac Man while getting organized. Pac-Man becomes "Public Pac-Enemy No. 1" when he's mistaken for the gangster Pretty Boy Pac and sent to prison. Pretty Boy thinks he can take Pac Man's place, until Chomp Chomp and Sour Puss attack him. "The Old Pac-Man and the Sea" ends up sinking with the captain of the barge when the Ghosts attack their garbage barge carrying Power Pellets. They end up fighting the Ghosts in Paclantis for the amusement of the Pac-Queen.

Spent the next few hours getting ready for spring. I took my laundry downstairs, then took down the Easter decorations. Stripped the bed, put on the spring/fall sheets, and brought the winter sheets and blankets downstairs to be washed. When I finally brought my laundry upstairs, I pulled out my warm-weather clothes and put the cold weather ones away. It's supposed to be chilly tomorrow and Wednesday, but it'll get warm again after that. I don't think I'll need the turtlenecks, heavy jeans, or flannel nightgowns until fall returns. I also traded my fall-colored Pikachu and Eevee backpack with the spring-colored white and sage green one. 

Listened to The George Benson Collection while I worked. Pretty much every hit Benson ever had is here, from 80's radio staples "Turn Your Love Around" and "Give Me the Night" to the instrumental smash "Breezin'" to covers of "Here Comes the Sun," "White Rabbit," and "The Greatest Love of All." I remember hearing these on the radio and thinking how wonderfully sophisticated and sexy this sounded, how, well, breezy it was. 

After I finished with the clothes, I called Uber. It was late, past 2:15, but there were a few things I wanted to do in Cherry Hill. Good thing I wasn't in a hurry. It took 15 minutes for the driver to arrive going to Cherry Hill. Thankfully, it only took 7 for the one going home to find me. 

Started at Honeygrow. After a lot of carb-heavy lunches and brunches this weekend, I thought I'd try their salad bowl. I did a make-your-own with baby spinach, spring mix, broccoli, spring peas, feta cheese, toasted chickpeas, shrimp, grape tomatoes, and crunchy onions. Washed it down with their dark cherry punch. Oh yum. A nice mix of flavors, and I really liked those tasty chickpeas! 

The other reason I ate at Honeygrow is it's a block from Lucky Strike, formerly The Big Event. I'll save bowling for when Lauren visits in July, but I did spend 40 minutes running around the arcade area, spinning the pirate wheel and the monster wheels, throwing rubber axes at a target, dropping balls, making basketball shots, dropping ping pong balls in cups, and playing a lot of Nerf Arcade. I made over 1,500. Ended up getting a really cute stuffed animal that's a unicorn on one side and a pink dragon when you reverse it. I gave her the German name Eldelgard, which means "noble guard" in German, Eldie for short.

Another Uber driver took me to Red, White, and Blue Thrift in Cherry Hill, behind the mall and next-door to At Home. It's basically the same thing as Second Avenue Thrift, with all-cash payment instead of cash and card. I didn't get a lot here, as I don't really need a ton of clothes here, but I did find a nice copper cake/casserole pan, along with a book, a CD, and a record: 

The Commitments, Vol. 2 (the CD)

The record is The MGM Treasury of Bedtime Stories, a children's retelling of four fairy-tales

The Train to Impossible Places by P.G Bell (the book)

Made my way across the street to Second Avenue Thrift next. They're still working on the exterior of that shopping center. I had to walk into the store under a plywood entrance. It was normal inside, though. My best finds here were two gorgeous heavy cookie sheets, one in red, one in purple. No interesting records or CDs, but I did also find two books: 

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Paws and Effect by Sofia Kelly

Took out the recycling when I got home, then got dinner and went straight into Match Game '90. I came just in time for Chuck Roast's first episode. The punk puppet was supposed to be Ronn Lucas' temporary replacement for Scorch, who supposedly was trying out for a movie. (He didn't get the part.) Despite Chuck getting on everyone's nerves (including Deborah next to him, who stuffed his arm into his mouth), he would be back several times in 1990. Scorch thankfully was back by the next episode and got to flirt with Brett Somers, doing her first of three weeks on the show next to her old drinking buddy Charlies Nelson Reilly.

Finished the night at YouTube with game shows revolving around drawing and art. Art-themed shows go back further than you might think. Picture This was a CBS summer replacement series in 1963. A celebrity - William Bendix and Alan Young in the one existing episode - chooses an object, and the other celebrity tells the contestant how to draw it. If the contestant can identify the object, they get the point. If not, the other team gets the point. In the bonus round, the celebrity drew up to six objects for the contestant to guess. Interesting idea, and while it wasn't all that exciting, the basic idea would be refined for drawing games to come.

Fast Draw from 1968 was the same idea, but now the contestant would draw a person, place, or object, and the celebrity would have to guess what it is. Basically, it's Picture Password, with drawing instead of descriptions. Anita Gillette wiped the floor with stage star Robert Alda here.

Win, Lose, or Draw and Pictionary were hit board games before they were hit game shows. Win was the creation of Bert Convy, who hosted the syndicated version until 1989, and Burt Reynolds. Reynolds appears in the episode I have here, with Betty White, Annie Potts, and his good friend Dom DeLouise. Basically, one team draws a subject and tries to guess it, then the other team does it. The bonus round had the winning team drawing as many words and phrases as they could in 90 seconds. My siblings and I loved the teen version on The Disney Channel, and I really wish I'd seen more of the adult show, too. What's on YouTube is a lot of fun.

There were four attempts to turn Pictionary into a game show. The first one was a kid's show from 1989 that had heavy Double Dare influences and only lasted a few months. The most famous version was hosted by Alan Thicke in 1997. It's the same idea as Win, Lose, or Draw, only they're just drawing phrases, and each celebrity has to draw the same word. If the contestant playing with them gets the word, they get the money. This is just as fast-paced and fun, and it's a shame that it only lasted a few months. GSN tried reviving it in 2000, but it never got past the pilot stage. It did much better on Fox in 2021 and in syndication from 2022 to 2025. 

Not all art-themed game shows involved contestants making art. What In the World was a Philadelphia panel show filmed at the University of Pennsylvania that had a panel of experts (including Vincent Price in this 1955 episode) guessing and appraising art works from around the world, mainly African statues and masks here. Kind of dry if you're not an art fan yourself, but this ran from 1951 to 1955 and would continue on Philly public television stations until 1965.

Explore the world of art and make some artworks yourself with these hilarious and informative shows!

What In the World (1955)

Picture This (1963)

Fast Draw (1967)

Win, Lose, or Draw (1987)

Pictionary (1997)

Malls and Games

Began President's Day with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. There's "Fractures" in the Rebellion as they argue over how to use the Heart of Etheria super weapon. Adora and Bow think it's best to let sleeping weapons lie before they destroy the planet, while Glimmer thinks it could be harnessed to defeat the Horde. They're all shocked when Scorpia suddenly turns up to tell them that Entraptra is on Beast Island, but they don't trust her...until they admit that they're all misfits in one way or another, and she wonders if she's found a place where she can finally fit in. Meanwhile, Glimmer tries to get the truth from flippant Double Trouble, while Adora, Bow, and Swift Wing sneak out the rescue Entraptra.

Called Uber after the show ended. To my surprise, I got a driver in 3 minutes at quarter after 11. He came in a snazzy orange Jeep, too. No trouble getting to the Deptford Mall at all. There was no traffic anywhere, not even around the mall or on the highway.

Started off at Round 1 Arcade. There were a lot of games down, including Lane Master and Ring Toss. Thankfully, plenty of others were still going. I spent the next hour going from Tetris to giant Pac Man to giant Space Invaders to Bust a Move to skee ball to a Wizard of Oz wheel to Centipede Chaos. Couldn't get anything out of the cranes, but I did earn enough points for a cute little Beanie Baby French bulldog named Portia. 

After a quick peek at FYE, I headed to Red Robin for lunch. Considering it was 12:30 by the time I got there, I'm surprised they weren't busier. I didn't have to wait at all. I went with one of their big promotions, where you could get certain sandwiches with a side and a drink for a fixed price. I got a Red Robin Double Burger, steak fries, and an unsweetened iced tea for $10.50 (including tax but not tip). The burger wasn't bad, juicy if a bit flat. I always love their steak fries, though, nice and hot and perfectly seasoned.

Unfortunately, I also got a text from Jessa while I was there saying that she had to cancel this week, but we could do next week. Bummer. I look forward to our dinners together. I don't really have too many adults I talk to on a regular basis. Plus, her birthday is this week, and I have a Valentine's card for her, too.

I was in and out of stores after lunch. I looked at t-shirts in the Junior Plus section at Boscov's, but I just ended up getting Jessa a birthday present. Browsed at Toys R' Us, but didn't see anything I needed. Hit the jackpot at Box Lunch. They were having a buy one, get two for free sale on clearance items. I picked up a cute Wicked t-shirt, a Wicked pocket insert for mini backpacks, and Jacken the Squishmallow Sea Slug. (He's cute, but I can understand why he was only $3.99. And the pockets and Jacken were the freebies.) 

Headed across the street around 2:30. On one hand, it was cloudy, gloomy, and breezy. Though it's colder than it has been, probably in the upper 30's-lower 40's, that's still nowhere near the Antarctic temperatures we've been getting lately. It was actually a rather pleasant walk across the street, made even more so by the fact that it looks like they're finally moving something into the former Christmas Tree Shoppes building next to Aldi's. (Later research revealed it'll actually be three buildings, a Nordstrom Rack, a restaurant, and Blinds To Go.) 

Barnes and Noble was even busier than the mall. I didn't see any books I desperately needed, and I still have tons to read at home, but I did find two records for relatively decent prices. Until today, the only Beatles albums I was missing were Please Please Me and Yellow Submarine. I finally found Please Please Me today, along with A Boy Named Charlie Brown. (Later research reveals it's not the actual soundtrack. It's a reprint of an earlier Vince Guaraldi album that was originally titled Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Oh well. I'll put it in with the jazz albums and keep looking for the actual soundtrack.)

Since I got a dollar off tea or coffee coupon with the records, I went to Starbucks for a snack. Had a chai latte and an Oreo brownie. The Oreo brownie was thick and fudgy, filled with crumbly Oreo pieces and vanilla cream. The chai latte was sweet and slightly spicy. 

The Uber going home picked me up at Barnes and Noble in 10 minutes, not bad considering it was past 4 PM by then. There was traffic going over the still-under-repair ramp into Collingswood and Mt. Ephraim, but it moved faster than I thought it would. I was home by almost 5.

Took my laundry downstairs, put everything away, and did a few chores, then put on the first episode of Good Times in honor of Black History Month. I have at least 25 TV DVD sets I haven't gotten around to watching yet, many of them full series. Instead of trying to binge-watch all of them (many of them being very long-running sitcoms), I'm going to rotate seasons with the longer shows. In this case, Good Times kicks off with "Getting Up the Rent." Florida (Esther Rolle) and James (John Amos) Evans are shocked when they get eviction notices. Their children J.J (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis), and Michael (Ralph Carter) try to help in their own way. Florida doesn't approve of James playing pool for the cash and goes to get it in her own way.

Switched to Match Game Syndicated next. Fred Travalena figured into two of the weeks, sitting next to Brett during the one with Betty Kennedy and Robert Donner and in the fifth "smart guy" seat next to Fannie Flagg. Fred's many voices prompted several jokes, including Brett wondering how his wife felt about sleeping with so many different voices at night.

Finished the night at YouTube covering the career of Geoff Edwards. Edwards had been a TV and radio host who did several unsold pilots before he finally landed Hollywood's Talking in 1973. Jack Barry's revival of the short-lived Everybody's Talking from 1967 had three contestants trying to guess who or what celebrities seen in short filmed segments were discussing. The segments were cute, but the game play was rough - it wasn't easy to figure out what they were talking about just from the segments. The show ran three months, ultimately being replaced by the far more successful Match Game revival. 

Edwards hadn't gotten along with Jack Barry, but found the wacky Chuck Barris to be more congenital. He hosted The New Treasure Hunt for Barris from 1973 through 1977. Ladies were called onstage to open up colorful boxes. They initially chose a box, then a card with money attached to the box. They could keep the money, or go for the contents of the box. The contents might lead to a big car or prize...or lead to a silly skit and much cheaper prizes called "klunks." Alas, both ladies hit "klunks" in the episode I saw. Edwards finally left when he thought his boss was getting a little too sadistic with the ladies on the "klunks." He'd briefly host a revival in the early 80's.

He also had trouble with Jackpot! in 1974. This Bob Stewart show had a group of people reading riddles for a contestant. If the contestant could guess the riddle, they would remain queen or king of the "hill." If they got it wrong, they'd have to step down, and the person who read the riddle would have their turn. The more the riddles were answered correctly, the higher the Jackpot got. There was also a Super Jackpot...and that was won in the only episode currently existing with audio and video intact. Apparently, the format was changed to a more typical question-and-answer show later in its run. The original NBC show only ran a year and a half. It would do far better on USA and in syndication in the late 80's. Edwards hosted the final, syndicated season of that run.

When the word-based Bob Stewart show Shoot for the Stars didn't fare any better in 1977, Edwards returned to syndication for Play the Percentages. This one had so much format trouble, it ran through three different versions of its format during the show's eight-month run. The format seen in this pilot episode would be slightly tweaked for the actual series. By March, the couples were replaced by solo players, and it would be more of a straight quiz. Nothing worked. Edwards was charming, but the rotating formats were confusing in any version.

Edwards was much happier taking over Starcade from Mark Richards in 1983. Unlike Richards, he was willing to study and learn about video games and those who played them. In fact, he did his homework so well, he became a gamer himself for the rest of his life. Two contestants answer questions about video games, then play a then-popular video arcade console. Whomever has the highest score gets to win prizes on a "guess the video game" mini-game, then plays one of the remaining games and tries to beat the game's average score. No wonder Edwards fell in love with video games after this. This show is really fun to watch even now, especially if you're a vintage video game nut.

Edwards' last non-lottery game show would be The New Chain Reaction. He took over from the blase Blake Emmons after a few weeks in 1986 and would host for the rest of its run. I used to love playing along with the contestants and watching them make word chains and seeing who could get all the letters first. This was Edwards' other Canadian/US cable show along with the Jackpot revival. I fondly remember seeing both on USA as a child and thinking how much fun they looked.

Avoid klunks, make word chains, hit the Starcade, and play the percentages with this jack of all trades charmer!

Hollywood's Talking Premiere (1973)

The New Treasure Hunt (1974)

Jackpot! (1975)

Play the Percentages Pilot (1980)

Starcade (1984)

The New Chain Reaction (1987)

Jackpot! (1989)

Winds and Games

Began the morning with breakfast and Pac Man at Tubi. I have such fond memories of watching this as a kid, first on ABC, then on USA on the Cartoon Express. Pac Man and his wife Pepper are the heads of the Power Pellet Forest. They're in charge of keeping the ghosts and their evil boss Mezmeron from finding out the forest's location.  In fact, Pac Man has to rescue the President from "Presidential Pac-Nappers" who hold him to force Pac Man to reveal the power pellets' location. "Picnic In Pac Land" starts more like a typical sitcom as Pac Man deals with the antics of his dog Chomp Chomp and cat Sour Puss during a family barbecue. Things get messier when it turns out the Ghosts are having their own picnic...but wouldn't mind sticking Pac Man on the grill instead.

I wanted to wait for the rain to slow down before I left for the Deptford Mall, but the light showers that began last night continued unabated. I just called Uber anyway. Fortunately, considering it was past 12:30 at that point, they only took 6 minutes to arrive. In fact, the rain was already disappearing when the driver pulled up in front of the outside entrance to Round 1 Arcade 20 minutes later.

Round 1 was fairly busy when I came up the escalators to the main room. Several families and groups of teens were likely looking for something to do on a day with nasty weather during a vacation week. Thankfully, almost everything but half of the Lane Master bowling game was working this time. I spent a pleasant hour running from skee ball to Bust a Move to Centipede to ring toss to extra-large Pac Man. Got Princess Peach on Mario Kart and came in first. Didn't have nearly that much luck with Hot Wheels, where I had a hard time seeing the screen due to glare and ended up in third. Hit 750 tickets on the carnival wheel...which may be why I had over 5,030 points when I finished! I got two Beanie Babies, Buff the Husky and Austin the Owl, a "beer pretzel" chip clip/bottle opener, and two Cow Tales cream-filled caramel sticks.

Headed to the food court next for a quick lunch. I love the Greek booth there! I had a lamb Gyro with hot out of the oil fries and a Coke Zero. Oh yum. It was messy, but so good, and seasoned just right. I ate and sat near the escalators, watching people coming and going to JC Penney.

Spent the next two hours walking around the main mall. I poked around Box Lunch, JC Penney, FYE, and  Boscov's, but I didn't see anything I really needed. I'm not in desperate need of clothes right now. I was happy to see what I suspect was a pop-up Toys R Us, even if I only bought a vintage Strawberry Shortcake calendar. I missed Geoffrey and the wonderful chaos of those stores.

By the time I made my way across the street, the clouds were rapidly vanishing and the sun was emerging...but brrr! It remained gale-force windy, and that wind was cold! It didn't help that it was past quarter of 4, and rush hour. I hurried across the street the moment the light turned red.

Sometime between last June and now, a small Aldi's and a slightly larger Tractor Supply Company had replaced the abandoned Bed, Bath, and Beyond store. (The Christmas Tree Shoppes and Face Value stores remain empty at this writing.) I'd never been inside an Aldi's before. They usually end up on major highways I can't ride my bike to. Since I had a little extra time, I thought I'd check it out. It was...basically a cheaper Trader Joe's with no bakery and a limited selection of national brands. I stuck to their brands. Grabbed blueberry granola and decided to try their probiotic soda. I haven't had a probiotic soda with a good Dr. Pepper-esque flavor yet, and Olipop is the only one with an apple flavor, so I grabbed their Dr. Popz and Spiced Apple Cider. 

(I haven't tried the Cider yet, but the Dr. Popz...wasn't very good. It did not taste like Dr. Pepper, more like "generic cola." The probiotic sodas tend to do better with fruit flavors. Hopefully, the apple cider is better.)

Spent the next two hours at Barnes and Noble. They were almost as busy as Round 1, but I did really well there. Picked up the soundtracks to the live-action Disney Snow White and Little Mermaid on vinyl, the latter for 40 percent off. Also grabbed two hardback books, one of which I'd been waiting for:

A Curse of Shadow and Ice by Catharina Maura (I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast-type stories.)

The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey (The next Elemental Masters fairy tale, this one based on The Wild Swans. I've been waiting for this to come out. It wasn't supposed to be out until tomorrow. No wonder I only saw the one copy.)

Spent the next half-hour in the Starbucks area, sipping a Gingerbread Chai Latte (not bad, more sweet than spicy), writing some notes, and waiting for Jessa to arrive. In fact, I saw The Cyprian right before she walked in the door. I picked that up, and we headed back out in the wind. 

Jessa and and I ended up at the Deptford Red Lobster across from the Barnes and Noble. We're so glad the two Red Lobsters in our area haven't closed! I've missed their cheddar biscuits. We had iced tea and the Monday special, shrimp scampi and lobster tail. She had mashed potatoes. I had braised Brussels sprouts. Oh yum! It was so good, nice and buttery. Our meals were so filling, we declined dessert this time. (Not to mention, I still have a ton of goodies at home.)

Finished the night online, watching game shows played around New Year's. New Year's goes way back on game shows. What's My Line celebrated its first New Year in 1950 by bringing in Guy Lombardo as a Mystery Guest. He and his orchestra were probably the ones who were the most associated with the holiday until Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve began in 1972. 

By the late 1970's, quiet panel guessing games had given way to noisy New Year's stunt parties. New Year's Eve on the 1979 version of Beat the Clock has Ellen Travolta and Louis Nye competing with Jack Carter and soap star Eileen Barnett to see who could fill champagne and have them overflow into glasses. One of the few episodes of the 1979 Alex Trebek High Rollers that's still around is their New Year's Eve show. A twinkly-eyed old lady seems to be happy to be there and rolling for huge prize packages, even when she loses. 

The party was even wilder on a 1977 episode of The Price Is Right. For one thing, all but one contestant won their Pricing Games. For another, this is the infamous show where Janice ran the car in the first "floors in the house" Showcase into the set (off-camera, sadly). The second had a safer "ways to celebrate New Year's at home" theme. 

New Year's Eve Whammies abounded on Press Your Luck in 1984. Peter Tomarken and Rod Roddy dressed for the occasion in tuxes, while the Whammies rode popping champagne bottles. The champ got hit with three Whammies, but still managed to pick up a car and retire as one of their biggest winners.

Dick Clark passed the time on New Year's 1990 before his Rockin' New Year's Eve with the more cerebral The Challengers. Basically, this was an imitation Jeopardy, with people answering questions on a video wall and wagering on the Final Challenge. No fancy decorations here, but they did ask a few questions about the holiday. 

Celebrate the New Year with these rockin' game show get-togethers!

What's My Line (1950)

The Price Is Right (1977)

Beat the Clock (1979)

High Rollers (1979)

Press Your Luck (1984)

The Challengers (1990)

Going Mobile

The day began very well, with a drive through the upstate New York countryside to Denny's for one final breakfast today. Lauren had the French Toast Slam this time. I made my own slam. Went with buttermilk pancakes, scrambled egg whites, turkey bacon, and since I didn't eat most of the hash browns on Friday, a cute little crock of strawberries, bananas, and grapes. Yum! Just as good this time around. Denny's makes really good pancakes. They must make good French toast, too. Lauren's vanished just as quickly.

We started out early and didn't want to spend all morning sitting around at the train station, so Lauren drove us over to Crossgates for one last go at Dave & Buster's instead. I ran around a surprisingly busy arcade for a little under 50 minutes. Got Peach on Mario Kart again; this time, I came in first. I had over 3,200 points...and was also totally out of room in my luggage. I had to struggle to fit everything in! I'll save it for the next time I hit the Dave & Buster's in my area, which will likely be during my Christmas vacation week.

Lauren finally pulled into the parking lot at the Albany-Renesslauer Train Station around quarter after 12. Even then, there was still plenty of time for me to pick up a turkey club wrap for lunch and to chat with Lauren before they started boarding the train. I gave Lauren a big hug and joined the line. I had a lot of fun this week, and I always miss Lauren badly afterwards. She's my best friend, no matter how many guys she falls for. 

The only other thing that went right today was the trains all ran on time. Everything left on time and arrived on time. Even the Keystone train was on time. They were also both very, very full. I was next to a college student going to New York who spent most of the trip sleeping. An older woman who spoke a language I didn't recognize sat next to me on the train to Philadelphia...and held me up when she didn't realize I wanted to get off there and wouldn't move. 

At least the weather continues to be nice. It remains sunny, warm, and breezy. The view going to New York was absolutely gorgeous. It looked like a fairyland of bobbing sail boats, shining white mansions, crumbling factories, and squat protective Victorian lighthouses. Honestly, that train ride is one of the best parts of the trip.

Moynihan Train Hall was busy with weekend travelers on their way home when I arrived. After a bathroom trip, I spent most of the time there just walking around. I did buy a bagel tuna sandwich from the bagel shop for dinner, since I figured it would be fairly late when I got in and I'd just want to get home.

That's where I ran into trouble. First of all, when I got in, I went to the wrong side of 30th Street again. Second, I couldn't find any of the drivers in the dark! I had no idea where the first one ended up, and they canceled. The second and third ones were for some reason directed to the Edgewater Apartments near-by, and then I couldn't find the black vehicle on the third one in the dark and missed him. I was frantic by the time I called the fourth one. Some nice people suggested how to use the Uber app. I already knew, but at least they were kind, and they praised my Pokemon backpacks. This time, I stayed put and did catch the fourth one...who got caught in traffic. I didn't get home until well after 8:30, more than two hours after I got in.

(The Eagles didn't even do well. They somehow lost to the Broncos 21-17 after being ahead for most of the game. No idea what happened there.)

Checked my schedule after I got organized and took a shower. As I'd suspected, I don't work at the Acme again until Wednesday, and it's the usual 9 to 1. I do have a 10 to 5 on Saturday that I'm dreading. And yes, I'm back to Thomas Sharp School tomorrow. I did miss the kids. 

Finished the night with the second half of tonight's Match Game marathon. Comedy writer and comedienne Ann Elder was one of the earliest semi-regulars in the 6th "comedienne" seat. She appeared fairly frequently from 1973 through 1975. Like Fannie Flagg, she was inclined towards wearing elaborate t-shirts to show off her decolletage, including one covered in sequins that said "Hollywood" a friend made for her. Another time, she wanted to show everyone the Emmy-shaped charm Richard Dawson got for her charm bracelet...which turned out to likely be her actual Emmy. She was around that crazy week where McLean Stevenson kept running out and kissing Gene or Richard, too. 

See how one of Laugh-In's best writers handled things on the other side of the divide in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Ann Elder - Best Episodes on Match Game (w/Awards Trophy)

Berkshire Roller Coaster Ride

We started off today with finally getting to eat at Bob's Country Kitchen in Lanesborough. Boy, were they busy! It was hard to find a place to park at quarter of 10. It was worth it when we got in, though. They make great breakfasts. They're a lovely little blonde wood building with photos of sunsets on the lake, local history, gingham curtains on the windows, and for some reason, artwork of the Disney Snow White and the seven dwarfs on the wall near the entrance. Lauren had white toast, a bacon omelette, and hash browns. I had fluffy berry pancakes with perfectly crispy bacon.

It was only about a 20 minute drive from there to Jiminy Peak Resorts. Their Adventure Park features a twisty fiberglass Alpine Slide and a roller coaster you can control how fast or slow the ride is. After we bought our tickets and signed a waiver, we passed the main buildings and went straight for the roller coaster. You sit on a gray vehicle and push heavy levers to control the speed. It takes a while to get all the way up the mountain...but when you do, whoosh! You go around and around and over small hills down the track. It's too much fun. 

After two runs, we took a ski lift further up the hill. The view from the lift was genuinely stunning. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for early October. Radiant blue sky peeked through green and gold trees; rusts and browns could be seen on the horizon. Ferns waving under us in the breeze, silvery green pine trees and falling gold leaves gave off a wonderful, earthy scent.

The Alpine Slide is a bit less complicated than the roller coaster. You get a slide from the conveyor belt near the ski lift, you drag it to the slide's starting point, you start down when you're given the go. There's an expert's lane for those who want to go fast, and a beginner's lane for newcomers, younger kids, and people who aren't up to it. I took the beginner's lane because it's been a while, but I think I should have gone on the expert's. I loved the feeling of whooshing down the hill, skidding around turns, slowing for hills...but I'd also have to slow down for people who really were scared, or who wanted to chat with their friends or enjoy the scenery. (They can do that on the ski lift!)

We spent the next two hours riding both rides. I have to admit, I enjoyed the slide slightly more. It's more nerve-wracking, and accidents and scraped arms and legs have been known to happen. The ride is also longer, and it's exhilarating, flying down that hill! The roller coaster is fun too, but it's a shorter ride, and you don't control it to quite the level that you do the slide. 

It was quarter after 1 when we finally decided we'd had enough and broke for lunch. We ate at Christiansen's Tavern, a beautiful dark wood building with hand-made 19th century farming implements hanging on the walls. I watched pre-season hockey in the lobby while we were waiting to be seated. (Bruins killed the Rangers 4-1. Flyers beat the Devils too, 4-3.) 

We ate outside on the patio...which, despite the gorgeous day, may not have been the brightest idea. Two remarkably persistent yellow and black wasps kept attacking our Diet Cokes! We had to cover them with the plates for our fried green beans to keep them away, and even then, they buzzed around. It's a shame, because the food was delicious. In addition to the crispy, unique green beans, Lauren had grilled cheese with tomato and avocado, and I had a mile-high turkey club sandwich. I suspect the thick chips that came with them were hand-made.

After lunch, we drove back into Vermont. This time, we ended up at Pastime Pinball in Manchester. This is one of my favorite places we go when I visit. This working pinball arcade and museum features more than 60 pinball machines ranging from the 1947 Humpty Dumpty (which is so old, the balls don't even fall down a slot; they just drop below) to an Elton John Superstar-themed console with a massive LED screen from two years ago. There's a lot of rarities you don't expect to see at a pinball museum too, like The Shadow, a pinball version of the flop 1994 film version of the pulp and radio character, a older Elton John console released after the success of Tommy, Captain Fantastic, the first of three consoles made around Elvira, and one for World Cup Soccer from 1994.

I played for an hour, including grabbing a Sparkling Ice from the snack stand upstairs, before moving on. Lauren remained with the pinball machines while I headed to the Northshire Bookstore across the street. This gorgeous old independent store is housed in an old restored inn...and as such, is something of a maze. It took me a while, but I finally found the section with the used and rare books. Picked up two books here, one from a series that I'd hoped had more titles, one I've wanted for a while:

Dangerous Rhythm: Why Movie Musicals Matter by Richard Barrios (who also wrote the wonderful book on early talkie musicals A Song In the Dark)

Reel Murder by Mary Kennedy

We met back again at Pasttime Pinball. Lauren led me down the street to a small shopping center. Sushi Boat is a charming little hole-in-the wall that sells sushi and Japanese food. I'm not a fan of sushi, but I was willing to try something lighter after two carb-heavy meals earlier. I had a tasty miso soup, a salad made with real greens, California rolls with seafood, and cucumber rolls. Sushi's still not my favorite thing in the universe, but I did like the California rolls better than the cucumber rolls. Lauren had a sampler plate of sushi. She ate the whole thing and one of my cucumber rolls. 

Headed home after that. Lauren did get turned around a bit in the dark, but at least we ran into no traffic anywhere tonight. We got in by 8, and I got organized. Finished the night with tonight's Match Game marathon. Tonight's episodes were random ones that are favorites of the channel's owner, like the one from 1976 with the pretty Asian contestant and the one who was extremely tan, to the point where she may have been a little too brown. Gene discusses a magical musical moment in the short-lived Broadway musical version of Charley and Algernon in a syndicated episode. Johnny Brown of Good Times was an adorable delight during his one week in 1975.

You'll never know what you'll see next in this random medley of delights!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Match Game Randomized - Featuring Specialty Episodes & 'Frozen Bananas'

And I spent a good chunk of the time when I got back getting my luggage organized...because tomorrow, I'm going home. But first, Lauren and I will be doing one last breakfast together. 

Follow You Down

Started out today with something different and wholly welcome. We headed towards Albany, but Lauren took us off a side road to Chatham to visit a friend of hers. Sarah used to work with Lauren, but she moved and now works for a different bank. The branch she works in took over a beautifully remodeled former train station in the late 90's. They really did a remarkable job restoring it. You can see polished pine beams, the soaring ceiling, and the original train ticket booth. Sara even took us downstairs to the cavernous (and, as she pointed out, creepy) stone basement. It's so big, they keep all the records for every branch in 100 miles! Sara and everyone at the bank were real sweethearts. Sara gave us big hugs, when we arrived and when we left! I was glad to meet her and her co-workers.

Our first stop when we got closer to Albany was the Denny's just up the hill from Cracker Barrel. We timed it pretty well. It wasn't that busy. We must have missed the lunch and breakfast crowds. Lauren had the All-American Slam - basic white toast, eggs, sausage, hash browns, and bacon. I had the Berry Banana Pancakes Slam - hash browns, bacon, and scrambled eggs with plate-sized blueberry pancakes topped with bananas and strawberries. Lauren ate all of hers. I ate all of mine but half of the hash browns. Both were delicious. I especially loved the gigantic, fluffy pancakes! (Even if the syrup was a pain to get out of the bottle.)

I had never seen a two-story Wal Mart before. We stopped there next, about 15 minutes from the Denny's. The place really was huge. The first story was clothes, electronics, toys, and furniture. Anything related to groceries, including food, health and beauty aids, and cleaning supplies, were on the second floor. Lauren got a really cute fluffy teddy bear print sweater here and boxes of tea for her parents. I just used the bathroom.

Colonie Center was only a five minute drive from Wal Mart. This is the oldest and smallest of the three malls we visit during my trip up north. On one hand, remodeling a decade ago left it attractive inside and out. Trouble is, it's had a hard time keeping tenants lately. Christmas Tree Shoppe died with that franchise in 2023, and Nordstrom Rack and FYE both closed earlier this year. 

The only entertainment option, besides an indoor playground for little kids, is the small Pier Arcade. It's one room of skee ball, a lot of Pac Man, and a Scooby Doo-themed wheel. I played Cruisin' Blast here. Got a sweet cherry-red Lamborghini, but could only make third on the dinosaur-themed Madagascar track. I made over 1,800 points, but didn't see anything I really wanted. Just got a box of Sweet Tarts. Lauren was more interested in trying to win a Playstation 5 (she didn't, but it wasn't for lack of trying). 

With Nordstrom Rack gone, there wasn't a whole lot else to look at upstairs. We headed to the first floor. Our first stop here was L.L Bean. This is one of three large stores at Colonie that's unique to the Albany area. Lauren didn't see anything she really wanted, but I got two pairs of nice, thick cotton socks in red and white. (I would have gotten the green pair too, if they weren't expensive, and if those socks I bought at Jockey the other day weren't green, too.) 

After a quick peek at Go! Toys and Games, we split up to check out the other two stores that are unique to Colonie in the area. Lauren went to Boscov's. I needed to go there too, but I started at Barnes and Noble. While this store isn't anything near as big as the one in Holyoke, it's still a fair size. It once again took me a few minutes to find the cozy mysteries. I had less trouble exploring the music and DVD area, which was half-given over to educational toys. In addition to a chai latte and an Oreo brownie, I bought:

The cast album for Six: The Musical (I've heard such good things about it that I thought I'd try it.)

Cookies and Clairvoyance by Bailey Cates

Went across the way to Boscov's after I finished my snack. I needed new sneakers to run errands in. I checked JC Penney twice and DSW Shoes, but never found either the Fija pair I bought last year...or if I did, I couldn't find my size. I couldn't at Boscov's, either. I broke down and bought a pair of Easy Spirits that were the same price and just as comfortable. Lauren told me she picked up a few more lounging pants and leggings there and at the super cheap LA 7. We walked around Macy's next, but neither of us bought anything.

Trader Joe's was barely a three-minute drive down Wolf Road. I was shocked at how busy they were when we arrived! The entire parking lot was full. I forgot it was not only Friday, but past 4:30 and rush hour. We ended up parking in the back, well behind the store. The store was busy, but Trader Joe's knows how to keep lines flowing, and they were short. I just picked up my favorite dried orange slices and coconut strips. Lauren got dried ginger pieces and peanut butter and jelly bars.

Our last stop was dinner at Ted's Fish Fry, one of our favorite local franchises. It's a fast food chain specializing in huge "fish fries," massive fish sticks in hot dog rolls that are nowhere near big enough for them. I had the tasty, hot fish fry. Lauren had a bacon cheeseburger that looked pretty darn yummy, too. We both had sweet potato fries. 

It was past 5:30 when Lauren started home. Despite the hour, there wasn't much traffic. Neither the mall nor Wal Mart were busy, either. I guess it just remains too nice for shopping. The weather has been gorgeous all week. It was warmer today, in the 70's, but it's still breezy and perfectly sunny.

Lauren pulled in an hour later. After we showed everything to Lauren's parents and gave them their tea, I hit the shower. Tomorrow, we're going to finally have breakfast at Bob's Country Kitchen, then spend our last day at Jiminy Peak, a mountain resort with a twisty slide down the mountain and a roller coaster you control yourself. 

Hey Soul Sister

We started out on a beautiful, clear fall morning, this time past Lenox and Lee and onto the Mass Pike. It was the perfect day for a ride. Everything was calm, and there was no traffic anywhere, not even around the entrance to the Mass Pike in Lee. Lauren pulled into the shopping center just outside the Holyoke Mall around 10:30.

Our first stop of the day was the massive Barnes and Noble. It's huge, two stories, with a fully-stocked music and DVD section. It took me a while to find what I wanted. For some reason, the smaller mass-market cozy mysteries aren't in the same place as the larger cozy mysteries. After asking a sweet employee, I found the mysteries, then went downstairs and explored the music section. Lauren told me when I got outside that she found comic books she'd been looking for. I found:

Synchronized Sorcery by Juliet Blackwell

The Greatest Show On Earth, the Oscar-winning circus spectacle with Charleton Heston, Betty Hutton, and James Stewart, on DVD. (It was $4.99. If anyone knows how to do spectacle, it's Cecil B. DeMille.)

After I got out, we went next-door to Red Robin for lunch. They were already bustling, even at 11:30. We both took advantage of a $9.99 burger deal and added smothered mushrooms. She had a salad and a lemonade. I had fries and a Diet Coke. The burgers were a little flat, but the steak fries were yummy, and Lauren said hers was really tasty, too.

Headed across the parking lot next to TJ Maxx. Lauren bought clothes here. I finally found a brush intended for curls...and unlike the one I bought at Marshalls a few years ago, this one has softer bristles that should be a lot easier on my head. When I got out, Lauren was already in the car, texting Rico. Apparently, the poor guy was still so sick, he was sent home from work. Lauren promised to win a stuffed animal at Round 1 in his honor.

And on that note, that was the first place we went after we parked at JC Penney in the main mall, dodging the construction work on the sidewalk outside. Round 1 is pretty much the same deal as Dave & Buster's, with a bowling alley replacing the sports bar and more of an Asian/Japanese theme. I ran from Pac Man to Bust a Move to skee ball and Mario Kart (came in first with Princess Peach) for the next hour. I made over 3,500 points, but opted to save the majority of them for my week off at Christmas. I just got a cute Beanie Baby panda named Baboo. Lauren didn't get anything, but she did win a huge teddy bear wearing a lemon hat out of a crane.

Unlike Crossgates, the only other entertainment option at Holyoke is a trampoline park that's really more for families. We spent the rest of the afternoon in and out of stores. Lauren picked up a Marvel Lego Superhero game for the Wii U at Stateline Games and found superhero figures for Rico and herself at one of the Sports Zones. I bought a really nice, cute mini-backpack like the one I have now with Pikachu and Eevee on it, only in fall colors as my cold weather purse. 

I made my other really awesome finds at FYE. The one at Holyoke seems to be the only one that's still big enough to have a significant DVD and CD collection. I ended up with the original Broadway casts of Young Frankenstein (which I've wanted for ages - I've turned up the London cast, but not Broadway) and the short-lived Nice Work If You Can Get It and another collection of vintage Broadway music, this one from the Smithsonian. We poked around the Spirit Halloween that had temporarily replaced Burlington Coat Factory in the basement (they moved to the shopping center outside the mall), but saw nothing of interest.

Since the food court is also in the basement, we had an early dinner next. Lauren got fries and a cheese steak from Charley's. I went to Terra Nova, a Brazilian booth, and got a chicken sandwich, fries, and a cherry soda. Oh yum! We seriously need this place at one of the malls in my area. The chicken sandwich was bursting with flavor and loaded with mozzarella cheese, ham, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and avocado. The fries were the crispiest I'd ever had. Even the cherry soda tasted like real cherries. 

Since we were going out that way, we finished at JC Penney. I didn't get anything here. I'm trying not to buy more clothes. I don't really need much else, and I'm seriously running out of room. Lauren picked up some utterly adorable soft hoodies, including one that looked like Snoopy and another that resembled a teddy bear. We got turned around finding our way out before we remembered we entered through the upstairs.

The sun was going down when we finally found Lauren's car. Took the same way going home, admiring a soft golden sunset on the way. Once again, no traffic, and no trouble getting in.

Tomorrow will be our last mall visit, this time to the smaller Colonie Center in Albany. 

Better Shop Around

Began the morning with an early start out to Albany. I love our drives through the countryside! Upstate New York is beautiful, especially at this time of year, when the trees are just starting to turn colors. It was a gorgeous day for a ride, too. Sunlight poured down on lovely old farmhouses, rushing rivers, and charming little villages with Victorian libraries and hotels. The sky was bright blue, and the air was fresh, clear, and dry.

We had breakfast at Cracker Barrel, just 20 minutes from the Crossgates Mall. It was only 9 AM, so they were pretty quiet. I kept things simple with blueberry pancakes and syrup, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Oh yum! The pancakes were a litte dry, but still pretty tasty. Lauren had a hash browns casserole with eggs and vegetables and a biscuit.

The gift shop on the way out has a lot of country-related items, along with candy and many things Peanuts. I found the cutest little Peanuts advice book, Be Thankful, and dark chocolate cherry gel sticks.  Lauren bought It's the Great Pumpkin t-shirts for her parents and a stuffed Woodstock that could be placed in the microwave and warmed to give you a very warm hug!

The Crossgates Mall is one of the largest in the Albany area, and probably the biggest of the three malls we visit. Since Lauren parked by JC Penney, we started there. I'm really trying not to buy too much in the way of clothing, but they did have plain t-shirts on sale. I got an olive-colored t-shirt for $6.29.

We next hiked across the mall to Dave & Buster's. This is basically the same deal as Round 1 with a sports bar instead of a bowling alley, a big, modern arcade. I spent the next hour or so running from giant Pac Man to ring toss to Centipede to skee ball. I amassed over 3,000 points. Settled for a small stuffed Pikachu, since he was pretty much the only thing I could fit in my luggage. Lauren was there a little longer - she was trying a new unlimited plays for 90 minutes deal - but couldn't decide what she wanted and opted to save her points.

Next up, we went upstairs to try another arcade. This one was much smaller, only one room...but it had a wall of vintage games. I played Burger Time, Donkey Kong, and for the first time in over 40 years, Defender. I'm still not much good at Defender, but I actually got past the first board on Burger Time and almost did on Donkey Kong. Also finally got a prize from a crane here, Share Bear dressed as a skunk. Lauren got Cheer Bear as a unicorn and a very funny Grumpy as a duck.

Headed to the food court next for lunch and to use the bathroom. I got a stromboli and bread sticks from Sbarro. Oooh, not bad. The spinach stromboli was nice and crispy, and the bread sticks were huge! Sbarro doesn't have the best reputation, but I didn't think that was bad. Lauren got orange chicken, corn, and rice from the Chinese booth.

After lunch, we went back downstairs to play mini golf. The theme of the indoor blacklight course at Crossgates is outer space. There's an astronaut, giant Venus fly trap aliens, and "rock formations" to get your ball around. Though I got a hole in one on the 15th hole, I also had a hard time getting my ball through several obstacles. Lauren won by three points (though she claimed it was close).

We walked around for a while after that. I got two CDs at FYE, a collection of three Harry Connick Jr. albums and the music from the closing ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics that were super-cheap at FYE and a Sailor Moon manga (Japanese comic) at Newberry Comics. Lauren bought Rico a Captain America mug from Newberry Comics and a t-shirt from FYE. I didn't get anything at Primark, Charlotte Russe, Miniso, DSW Shoes, or Old Navy, but she got lounging pants and t-shirts from the first two. 

Tried somewhere new for dinner. Aloha Crab opened a few months ago. It's a small seafood restaurant with crab and shellfish dishes that are so fresh, they put paper on the table and tin buckets for the remains. We just got fried pickles and baskets of fried shrimp and sweet potato fries. Oh yum! The shrimp melted in your mouth, and the hearty waffle-cut fries were amazing. 

Headed home after that. We left around 6:30, just in time to witness a gorgeous pink and orange sunset on the horizon. There was no more trouble getting home than there had been driving to Albany, no traffic anywhere. 

I finished the night watching versions of Match Game that many people might not be familiar with on YouTube. Match Game began as The Match Game on NBC in 1962. Host Gene Rayburn asks a simple question like "Name a flavor of pudding." Two celebrities try to match their answers with the contestant's. It was actually too simple, and not very exciting. Apparently, it didn't start working until they made the questions slightly racier (though not to the degree of the 70's version). Alas, very little of the original 60's Match Game survives. NBC wasn't nearly as good about keeping their shows around as CBS would be later. The premiere episode seen here is one of the few survivors.

Though Match Game ended its run on CBS in 1979, there was enough interest left for them to debut in syndication. This would run for another three years, until early 1982. I think the early 80's syndicated Match Game is highly underrated, as is the attempt to fuse it with Hollywood Squares in 1983. They both have their share of fun celebrities. 

There would be two attempts to revive Match Game in the 90s. The 1990 one is generally the better-regarded of the two. It does have some of the fun of the earlier episodes and some hilarious banter, but the Match-Up mini-game tends to slow down game play and is a bit controversial. 

The 1998 version didn't do nearly as well. It reduced the celebrities to 5, and while Ross Shaffer could be a tiny bit stiff, Michael Berger was all wrong for a fun-filled comedy show. The show had its virtues, including Vicki Lawrence, Nell Carter, and an occasionally hilarious Judy Tenuta.

Check out some Match Game you may not have heard of with these hilarious episodes!

The Match Game Pilot (1962)

Match Game Syndicated Premiere (1979)

Match Game Syndicated (1981)

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1984)

Match Game '90 Premiere (1990)

Match Game '98 (1998)

On the Boardwalk In Atlantic City

Started the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Mickey tells "Pluto's Tale." Pluto pulls a golden ball out of a tree. Good Fairy Clarabelle declares him to be the prince who can rescue her beloved puppy Princess Bella from the sneaky Wizard Pete's castle. Pluto has to help King Donald and Queen Daisy in their orchard and get help from Woods-mouse Minnie to find his way to Pete, who wants to trade Bella for the Golden Ball.

Called Uber after that. This time, I came out at around 11 to give myself more time. The driver took 7 minutes to get there. Thankfully, there was also no traffic on the White Horse Pike. We arrived at Lindenwauld with 15-20 minutes, and I still had 15 minutes to buy train tickets. No trouble with the train to Atlantic City this time, either. It was right on time both ways, going to and from Atlantic City. Surprisingly, considering we're coming up on Labor Day Weekend, it wasn't full going there. The train going home was a bit more full, likely with communters on their way home before the holiday weekend.

The moment I got off, I headed straight for the boardwalk and down to the Landshark Bar and Grill (after a brief bathroom break). This blonde wooden structure about a block from Steel Pier is right on the beach. Normally, it offers splendid views of the beach, but today, it was partially blocked by construction workers building some kind of light wooden structures near the boardwalk. From what I could see, I suspected they may have been smaller beach-front bars for Hard Rock Hotel guests or beach-side extensions of the Landshark.

Oh, well, at least my fried cod sandwich was really yummy. I think the chips were house-made, too. Like the ones from Haddon Culinary in Collingswood, they were thick and crunchy, but not too greasy or flimsy like the ones in bags. And actually, it was fascinating to watch the men put together what I presumed to be the wooden deck or patio for the new bars, wooden piece by wooden piece.

Headed a few doors down to Steel Pier after lunch. Steel Pier isn't really the "Showplace of the Nation" anymore, but it is the only major outdoor amusement park in Atlantic City. I debated buying tickets for the rides, then passed. I'll be doing a better amusement park and a huge multi-states fair on vacation next month. My only real interest in Steel Pier was the Observation Wheel. It's a huge Ferris wheel that looms over the Pier and beaches like a massive steering wheel. 

I love the Ferris Wheel. The view from the gondola was spectacular. It was cloudy when I left Oaklyn, but it started clearing up during lunch at the Landshark. By the time I was gazing out the windows of the gondola, it was a perfect, clear, dry afternoon, without a cloud in sight. The bright green Atlantic matched the burnished gold of the Borgota in its shine and sparkle. It was too windy for the beach to be really busy, but there were quite a lot of people around and umbrellas dotting the sand for a day that wasn't even in the 80's. It was like looking down on a Lego version of an amusement park. Everything was so tiny from above, even the people. 

Several small food booths hug the entrance to Steel Pier, along with six games. I ignored the games in favor of getting a milkshake. They were out of my first choice, Nutella and Banana, so I went with Mint Chocolate Chip. Ooooh, sooo minty, with lots of big chocolate pieces. Expensive, but very sweet and tasty.

Doubled back down the boardwalk to Central Pier. Not only was the arcade fully operational after their big fire last year, but the go-karts were open, too. I was mainly interest in the arcade. It's smaller than Dave and Buster's downtown, but it does have two long rows of cranes with every type of cool stuffed animal available. Alas, I had no luck with the cranes this time, so I focused on skee ball, catch-the-ball games, and something called Doodle Bug, where you made a little doodle guy jump upwards onto sketched platforms. 

I did even better than in June, earning 629 tickets. That was enough for a really cute Atlantic City metal tray with a red "peace" van on the beach, another paper fan (red with a rose print this time), and red ear buds. I was hoping they would be wireless and fit my new phone, but alas, they weren't. Oh well, I'll donate them the next time I bring a bag to Goodwill.

Made my way further back down the boardwalk to my favorite souvenir store on the boardwalk. Peanut World has every bit of junk you can imagine, and probably a lot you can't. I don't think a lot of their inventory in the back has likely been refreshed since the 90's, maybe earlier. More to the point, they're also the only store in Atlantic City that carries my favorite fruit jel slices. They're really good, too, sweet and thick. I got two slices of each flavor they had, plus a Diet Dr. Pepper and, since I had no luck with the cranes, a cute stuffed brown bear on all fours whom I named Cinnamon.

By that point, it was past 4 PM. Time to start back down Michigan Avenue and head towards the Atlantic City Convention Center. Stopped at the Starbucks about two blocks down from the train station for a quick drink before I left. They were busy with college students taking a break with shopping, but I did get to try a sweet iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Latte. Even with waiting in a long line for a drink, I still got to the train station next to the convention center with more than 20 minutes to buy tickets and wait for the train. Once again, the train was on time, and there was no problem with either the bus or getting the Uber home.

When I got in, I went straight into dinner and Match Game Syndicated. Came in to see Jon "Bowser" Bauman pull plastic chains and a comb out of a giant high-top sneaker-shaped bag. Arte Johnson had more problems being the smart guy between two decidedly unique blondes, Eva Gabor and Joyce Bulifant. 

Finished the night after a shower with When the Boys Meet the Girls. I go further into this strange MGM attempt to meld the Beach Party series with the Gershwin musical Girl Crazy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Cult Flops - When the Boys Meet the Girls