Against the Wind

Got so caught up in the Dear Canada book To Stand On My Own, about a 12-year-old girl dealing with polio during an epidemic in 1937, it was past 11:30 before I finally got moving. The second half of Match Game-Hollywood Squares was on when I started. The episode featured a mini-MASH reunion, with McLean Stevenson and Larry Linville on the panel. Also saw Charles Nelson Reilly, hilarious older lady Nedra Voltz, and sweet dimpled Bonnie Urseth. 

Did the dishes as they went into Match Game '76. Nipsey Russell, Patti Deustch, and Dr. Joyce Brothers joined in for these episodes. In the first episode, we got a lovely view of Gene's back as he read Richard a question about what Dumb Donald wears in the bullring, and we hear a random door-slam off-camera. The second episode featured a pretty contestant with a lovely soft voice like Eartha Kitt who had such a terrible brain freeze over a question, Gene prompted her and prompted her and eventually sat down to do it. Poor girl eventually became one of the only contestants who got buzzed before she could give an answer. 

Went online for a while after that to fire off e-mails to apartment buildings and fire off a few more. The Village at Haddonfield only had two-bedroom apartments available, and Haddon Court had nothing. Applied to the apartment building at 200 Station Avenue in Audubon, looking up how much I make in a month at the Acme's employee website. 

Heard from the Peddler's Shop in Deptford. I know Rose finally took it there earlier in the day. Thankfully, it was nothing serious, just an ordinary tire puncture. Both Rose and the bike repair man mentioned there's been a lot more punctures and flat tires lately. Maybe it has something to do with a lot more people riding bikes during the pandemic. I forgot to put the nuts attaching the back wheel to the frame back on when I attempted to fix it. Rose couldn't come back for it. She and Craig were in Deptford. They'd put it on themselves when I got back.

Oh, and Rose told me she and her family will be visiting Craig's brother and his family in Maine for Christmas week. What?! I thought they would only be there for maybe a few days in early-mid December, not Christmas Day! I was looking forward to seeing them Christmas Day and maybe Christmas Eve, even if only for a few hours. Where does this leave me? I'll still cat-sit, but I'm otherwise not happy about this at all. Now I'm losing my home and my holidays. 

Headed out for a walk after I got off with Rose. One of the few apartments for rent in Audubon didn't have a phone number. I did e-mail them, but since I couldn't call them, I wanted to see the house myself. 

But first, I had a few errands to run. Anny's birthday was the day before Veteran's Day, and Keefe's is Thursday. Got Anny a WaWa gift card, so she can buy coffee whenever she feels the need. Didn't know what to get Keefe or what he has in Virginia, so I just sent him a Visa gift card from Family Dollar. Also bought my nephew Khai who twisted his knee a get-well-soon card. 

The day was cold, windy, and cloudy. I didn't care. I haven't taken a walk or run anywhere besides Dollar General and CVS by myself in ages. I needed to think and get away. At least it's starting to look a lot more like fall now. The trees are absolutely glorious, bursting into brilliant shades of scarlet, lime, gold, and sienna. I pushed against the wind as I made my way down Atlantic Avenue, over the train bridge hill and past Market Street, the back of the Legacy Diner, and Simply Soups. 

Willitts Avenue turned out to be a tiny side street just inches from the White Horse Pike. It didn't take me long to find the house with the apartments. It had "A" and "B" on the front and furniture piled on the curb. Didn't see anyone around to ask questions, but I did note that the stairs leading to the second floor apartment were extremely steep and long. It would take me forever to get up there, and would probably be kind of scary in bad weather. 

Walked as far as the WaWa on the White Horse Pike for a Sugar Cookie Smoothie. Unlike their pumpkin spice items, this did really taste like a vanilla butter milkshake. Very sweet, but very tasty. Grabbed a pretzel to tide over my growling tummy until I got home. 

Dodged a lot of kids cutting across the parking lot on their way home from school while I called Uber. I didn't feel like hiking anymore, and it was getting kind of late. The guy showed up in 7 minutes...but after I told him he was going the wrong way, instead of turning off and going down Atlantic Avenue, he took a sudden and fast U-turn on the White Horse Pike. Not only am I pretty sure it was illegal, but he's lucky no one was coming down the road. At least he was just going straight until we got down to West Clinton. 

Put on Press Your Luck while I got organized and had a quick chocolate banana smoothie for lunch. Whammies flew fast and furious today, especially in the second half. The champ had stiff competition from the other guy for a while. In the end, he finally emerged victorious and went into the Hall of Fame with a trip to Curacao, two Whammies, and the second-biggest haul ever on the show. 

Went into writing after dinner, but I couldn't focus. Marcia drags Bill down the hall after Betty. Orson carries Gary (Burghoff) the Doormouse, claiming they'll be able to help and they want to figure out how to get into Limbo and rescue Charles.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had crispy pan-fried fish and steamed Brussels sprouts while watching Match Game '77. Everyone celebrated the show's 1,000th episode by helping the contestant with "__ Hips" on the Audience Match, a contestant showing off her incredibly long dark red nails, and Gene literally stopping the show. Richard also gives us a glimpse of things to come when Gene announces the panel for next week and he holds up a card that says "Never Finished School"...

(It's also a good indication of why Buzzr's ending the '77 episodes after tomorrow. I don't think they're quite ready to handle the School Riot yet.)

Let the PM run as I got organized, then switched to jazz as I hit the bath. Even that didn't really settle me down or make me feel better. Normally, I love baths, but...right now, I'm just depressed. Everything is going wrong. I'm losing my home, my holidays, and probably my independence, and I won't get to spend Christmas with most of the people I love. Even with money, apartment owners still don't want me because of my low paycheck and credit score. I don't want to be in South Jersey anymore, but I still have no idea who I am or where I want to be.  

Finished the night online with Star of India on Kanopy. Cornel Wilde is Pierre St. Laurent, a soldier in the 17th century who returns home to France and discovers a beautiful young widow named Katrina (Jean Wallace) living on his property. Turns out his lands were confiscated and sold by Narbonne (Herbert Lom), the greedy and calculating governor of the province. Katrina is really a spy, and she wants Pierre to help her steal back the beautiful sapphire "Star of India" that Narbonne stole from the Dutch government. Pierre befriends Narbonne's mistress (Yvonne Sanson), who informs him that Narbonne keeps the jewel on his sword. It'll take several duels and a flight onboard ship for Pierre to reclaim both this priceless jewel and the lady who wanted it.

Standard potboiler enlivened by a lovely Technicolor production and Lom and Sanson's performances as the mincing governor who's more ruthless than he seems and his intelligent and calculating lady. Wilde and Wallace are stiff as boards with some very dull dialogue and aren't nearly as much fun to watch. 

Game for a Laugh

Started off the morning with Chocolate Chip Pancakes and The Will Rogers Follies. I've been looking for this cast album for years. This 1991 musical tells the life of humorist and cowboy Will Rogers, using the Ziegfeld Follies (he starred in at least four of them) as a backdrop and link between incidents in his life. The voice of Ziegfeld (Gregory Peck) "directs" everything, insisting that he and his eventual wife Betty Blake (Dee Hoty) can't get married until the end of the first act and losing his fortune - and sending Will to Hollywood - in the second.

This show won the Tony in 1991, over such candidates as Once On This Island and Miss Saigon...and darned if I could tell you why. Sure, Keith Carradine makes an adorable Bill, Dee Hoty is lovely as Betty, and some of the songs are charming, but on disc, it's all pretty forgettable. I have the feeling this one needed the lavish visuals, the chorus girls with plumed headdresses and dog acts and cowboys doing rope tricks, to distract from how pedestrian it is. 

Headed off to work even before the CD ended. Work was steady, never really overwhelmingly busy, even right before the Eagles-Chiefs game. There were no major problems. A college girl went in for my break, and it slowed down enough for me to shut down without a relief. The Bryers sale was so good, I grabbed a mint chocolate chip container on the way out, along with toilet paper and gift cards for Amanda's birthday (it was Friday) and Lauren's (it's my last day of vacation). 

Went straight home and into regular clothes after that. I grabbed a yogurt and apple and put on the Eagles game. It was actually pretty close at that point, 14-13. One team would get a touchdown, and the other would turn around and get one. Alas, the Chiefs started pulling ahead in the second half when the Eagles got too many penalties and won 43-30.

Went online and sent messages to a few apartments that looked interesting, then worked on writing for a while. Charles is so terribly nervous, he bites into the teacup and tries to drink from his bread and butter. The Red King and Queen Betty demand he produces evidence, which just induces more nerves and whining to Orson the March Hare.

Jodie brought over margarita pizza, so I broke early for dinner. Finished The Will Rogers Follies, then put on Nipper's Greatest Hits of the 60's Vol 1 while cleaning the bathroom. Though this one started out with the depressing "Tell Laura I Love Her," it was uphill from there. "It's Now or Never" by Elvis Presley, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens, "Somebody to Love" by Jefferson Airplane, "These Eyes," by the Guess Who, and "Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet" by Henry Mancini and His Orchestra are all a lot more fun.

Cleaned the bathroom, then took a bath. Boy, did I need that bath. I've been going crazy lately. Everything is going wrong at once. My hours are so crazy, I'm too tired to do the things I need to do, including look for the apartment I badly need. 

Finished the night online with more comedy game shows after I got out. I desperately needed a laugh. Can You Top This? started out on radio, where people would call in their jokes to be told by comedians on the air. Whomever got the most laughter on the laugh meter won. The 50's version isn't easy to find, but I did dig up a short-lived revival from 1970 with Wink Martindale hosting and Richard Dawson and Morey Amsterdam among those dishing out the jokes.

Hollywood Squares, Liar's Club, and Match Game made syndication and daytime safe for double entendre and a lot of partying in the 1970's. Paul Lynde is firmly in command of the jokes and the center square in the 1976 Squares episode I went with; he's joined by Michael Landon, Sandy Duncan, Joan Rivers, and Roddy McDowell, among others, along with host Peter Marshall. Betty White, Larry Hovis, William Conrad, and Dick Gautier try to describe a strange object and hope the contestants will vote for them on Liar's Club. Betty's hubby Allen Ludden tries to figure out who's the fibber. Betty and Richard Dawson return for a hilarious Match Game PM episode from 1977, where they play Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers respectively.

With the revival of You Bet Your Life with Jay Leno currently running in syndication, I thought it was a great time to check out Groucho Marx's version again. Despite what's listed there, this isn't the first episode of the series, but it is funny. Groucho has the best time with a couple of teenagers, one of whom does a nice rendition of "A Woman In Love" from the film version of Guys & Dolls. 

Groucho was far from the only comedian to headline a trivia show. Win Ben Stein's Money was a huge hit for Comedy Central in the late 90's-early 2000's, and it's still well-regarded today. Three contestants try to stump deadpan comedian Stein and win his loot. The questions are funny, and Stein is funnier, especially when someone does prove to smart enough to pick up his cash.

If you need a laugh as much as I do now, check out these side-splitting forays into wild and wacky games! (Look for commercials on Win Ben Stein's Money...and a bad tape on the ultra-rare Liar's Club.)

You Bet Your Life (1954)

Can You Top This? (1970)

Hollywood Squares (1976)

Match Game PM (1977)

Liar's Club (1978)

Win Ben Stein's Money (1998)

The Password Is "Summer"

Started off the morning with blueberry pancakes for breakfast and one of the Verasae Sarabande CDs I finally got around to buying last year. Unsung Musicals III is the last one in the series spotlighting shows that died on the road, had short runs, or were never recorded for one reason or another. My favorite from this one is the charming title song of a musical It's a Wonderful Life and "At the Same Time" from a stage adaptation of Freaky Friday. 

Rushed out to work before the CD even finished. We were insanely busy all day, probably with the last of the beginning-of-the-month people. Thankfully, other than I barely got in on time and had to deal with a few grouchy customers, there were no major problems. I finished one last big load with two pleasant ladies and was able to shut down right on time.

Went straight home the moment I got out. Had leftovers for dinner while listening to another Verasae Sarabande title. The Lost In Boston series focuses on songs cut from musicals that did make Broadway. The third entry kicks off with one of my favorite cut songs, "Mama's Talkin' Soft" from Gypsy, performed by two girls as in the original show. Other good ones here include the sweet "Pink Taffeta Sample Size 10" from Sweet Charity and "Older and Wiser" from Bye Bye Birdie. 

Spent the next hour or so relaxing blissfully in the bath. I badly needed it. Work's been such a mess. If people aren't quitting, they're on vacation. That's why I took those three days off in the middle of the week. I'm tired, frustrated, and frazzled, and I need a chance to sleep in, rest, and actually get some errands done and work on projects.

Finished the night with various incarnations of Password in honor of Buzzr's Password Triple Play starting next Saturday. The show made its debut in 1961 and was an instant sensation for its simple and lightning-paced game play. Two celebrities give clues for a contestant to guess a certain word. The first team to 25 points won the contestant $100 and a chance to play the Lightning Round. Here, the contestant had to guess 10 words in under a minute for up to $250. 

Password was the biggest game show on daytime through the mid-60's. It was so big, it became one of the first daytime shows to jump to nighttime. (The Password board game was such a sensation, versions of it are still being made to this day.) Betty White was a frequent player; she met and married her adored husband, host Allen Ludden, while appearing on this show. The show made the jump to color in 1966 and lasted another year before finally falling to more salacious programs like The Dating Game. 

It was revived by ABC in 1971...but alas, very little of that version survives. That one lasted until 1975; when it returned again in 1979, it was now on NBC as Password Plus. It's still a celebrity and a contestant, but this time, five Passwords add up to a Password Puzzle. If the celebrity or contestant guesses the puzzle, they win the round. The Lightning Round was replaced by Alphabetics. Same deal, only now, the words are in alphabetical order and the round is played for 5,000. 

Ludden still hosted on the 1980 Nipsey Russell-Anne Meara episode seen here, but he was already ill with stomach cancer when this episode filmed. Bill Cullen took over for a few weeks later that year. By the end of the year, Ludden's good friend Tom Kennedy became the show's permanent host and finished out the run.

Bert Convy took over for Super Password. Pretty much the same deal as Plus, only the Lightning Round is now Super Password, and it's played for increasing amounts. There's also the Ca$shword mini-game between rounds. It's supposed to allow contestants to guess a super-hard word for extra money, but the machines frequently didn't work, and most celebrities weren't very fond of it. Chose the episode I have listed in honor of Markie Post from Night Court, who passed away today. She's joined by charming Soul Train comedian Marty Cohen. 

The final version of Password to date was Million Dollar Password in 2008. This one got hit hard by the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire virus, with snazzier, darker sets and graphics and game play that basically crossed the original Password with Millionaire. Regis Philbin hosted this one, too...and to bring everything full circle, Betty White joins radio host and comedian Adam Corolla.

The password is...fun! Enjoy these blasts from the past with one of the simplest and most addictive games ever on TV. (Warning - the Password Plus tape isn't the greatest, but Buzzr only tends to show episodes from 1979 and very early in 1980.) 

Password (1963)

Password (1967)

Password Plus (1980)

Super Password (1985)

Million Dollar Password (2008)

Musical Games

Kicked off the morning with a quick breakfast and the original cast album of Hello Dolly! Carol Channing played the eccentric, determined early 20th century matchmaker for years and won a Tony in the role. Charles Nelson Reilly got a rare romantic role as Cornelius Hackle; Eileen Brennan is his Irene Malloy. Reilly's "It Only Takes a Moment" is so lovely, it would be associated with him for the rest of his life. Brennan introduces "Ribbon Down My Back," while Channing gets to tear into the title song and the opening "I Put My Hand In."

Hurried off to work even before the record ended. Work was more-or-less the same as yesterday. I swept the store and did carts in the morning; once more help arrived, I focused almost entirely on outside. Ran into trouble when I tried to empty the trash can in the employee's lounge during my last hour. It was so full, it broke, spilling a half-full container of orange juice across the floor. One of the kids having lunch helped me clean up some of it, but I mopped the orange juice myself. (I wish people would empty containers before they throw them away, or at least wash them out.)

The weather helped. It was cool and cloudy when I rode to work. By the time I headed home, the sun came out...and the heat and heavy humidity with it. I was sweating buckets when I got in.

Changed and finished Hello Dolly! while having a snack, then worked on writing. Richard insists that he's not there to play, but Betty hands him a flamingo anyway. The Knave of Hearts (producer Ira Skutch) and Bill Daily the White Rabbit finally suggest they have refreshments instead.

Threw on one of my K-Tel albums while adding scrambled eggs to the black bean dip from the other day. Music Express from 1975 definitely has one of their better selections. The Captain and Tenille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" and Frankie Valli's later ballads "Swearin' to God" and "My Eyes Adored You" were the hits here. Other favorites on this album include Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom," the theme from The Rockford Files, "Jackie Blue" by The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, "Sky High" by Jigsaw, "Chevy Van" by Sammy Johns, and "I'm Not In Love" by 10cc.

Took a bath after the record ended. Ahhhh. I badly needed that after my long hours over the past few weeks. Felt so relaxing to just lay back and bask in the wonderfully warm water and listen to jazz. 

Finished the night online with more musical game shows. Musical games go back a long way. Stop the Music started off as a major radio hit in the 40's and became one of the earliest radio game shows to make the jump to TV in 1949. It's what the title says - the contestant will hear a song, stop it, then guess it. If they correctly guess the title, they win prizes. If not, a member of the audience gets to guess. Bert Parks is the genial host here.

There's not much left of What's This Song from 1964-65, the first national game show hosted by Wink Martindale. It's basically "Musical Password." Instead of guessing words, celebrities help contestants guess song lyrics by singing the first few bars of the song for them. Mel Torme and Broadway star Carol Lawrence help out in this 1965 episode.

Name That Tune is something of an expanded version of Stop the Music. People still stop songs and name them, but there's other games, including Melody Roulette (spin a wheel to decide on dollar amounts) and Bid-a-Note (bid on now many notes the other contestant can name). Tom Kennedy hosted this long-running syndicated favorite.

Turn It Up! was MTV's second crack at a game show in 1990. This time, they stuck to their original specialty and had contestants answer music trivia or guess the title or lyrics of a music video. After the low-scoring contestant in the first round is eliminated, two players go on to the bonus round to identify a song as more musical instruments are added to it. Jordan Brady hosted. It may have been a little too much or too knowledge-focused for the channel; unlike their previous game show Remote Control, it barely lasted six months. 

Don't Forget the Lyrics first turned up on Fox in 2007. Two contestants sang a song and filled in the missing lyrics. The more songs they got right, the more money they won, up to a possible million. The episode I watched from 2009 featured Meatloaf and his daughter Pearl having a wonderful time guessing the lyrics to popular songs like "Shout!" by the Everly Brothers and "Piece of Eight" by Janis Joplin. 

Sing along this summer with these song-filled games! (Look for the original commercials on What's That Song, Name That Tune, and Turn It Up.)

Stop the Music (1954)

What's This Song (1965)

$100,000 Name That Tune (1980)

Turn It Up! (1990)

Don't Forget the Lyrics (2009)

Bad Day Rising

Started off a quick morning with breakfast and Hogan's Heroes. Hogan becomes "The Hostage" when Russian spy Marya (Nita Talbot) shows up at the camp with a German general in tow. She's been telling him all kinds of things about their operations. Hogan has to mislead them while his boys make sure a rocket fuel plant for the Allies is built outside their camp.

Rushed off to work even before the episode ended. Things started off relatively well...until the crowds came at noon. Today was considered part of the holiday weekend, and many people had the day off. We were overwhelmed by crowds for the rest of the day. I ended up in a register for ten minutes, and later for more than two hours. There just wasn't enough help up front. Oh, and the afternoon bagger called and said she'd be late, then never appeared at all. Ironically, they finally let me out at 4, just as the evening bagger got in. I had just enough time to do carts and the outside trash before I left.

Changed when I got home, then went into writing. Brett and the boys join the Card Guard in their "Mission: Impossible" of painting the roses red. They actually start to enjoy it...until Brett's younger boy David hears the sound of trumpets and sees the arrival of The Queen of Hearts and her entourage...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. I was going to watch Match Game '76 while eating leftover pizza, but the TV refused to connect to the internet. I have no clue why. The laptop connected just fine. I kept resetting and trying, and it kept not connecting. I finally gave up and watched Richard help a woman with the Head-to-Head question "__ Times" online. 

Match Game PM didn't go quite as well. Gary Burghoff, Dick Martin, Joyce Bulifant, and Holly Halstrom of The Price Is Right joined Gene, Brett, and Charles to help an unhappily married gentleman with a massive Afro try to figure out what island a low-budget game show gave people two weeks to in the Sixth Season opener. The young engaged lady ended up getting help from Charles with the Head-to-Head "__ Hudson."

Desperately needed a bath after the episodes ended. Anything to relax after my difficult day! Read Women Who Run With the Wolves while listening to Jazz for the Quiet Times and enjoying the quiet.

Finished out the night on The Roku Channel with a Charlie's Angels double episode from the fifth season. They're "Love Boat Angels" when they follow a soldier of fortune (Bert Convy) and his buddy who stole millions of dollars in priceless artwork and statuary from Greece and intend to sell it to the highest bidder. The insurance company representative (Dick Sargent) is desperate to get it back. While Bosley stays in LA to tail the woman fence, Kris tails the thief...and ends up falling for him, despite the rather nasty people on his trail. (And disappointingly, this uses very little of the actual Love Boat besides the boat itself, with the characters from that show only making cameos. Most of the episode isn't even set on the boat.)

Hot In Oaklyn

Kicked off a quick morning with breakfast and Sailor Moon R. Esmeraude, the third-in-command of the evil Dark Moon Kingdom with the annoying laugh, takes over their attempts at corrupting the Earth in "Magic of Darkness: Esmeraude's Invasion." Her attempts to blend in lead her to a bakery, where Usagi is also indulging after getting jealous over Chibi-Usa being clingy with Mamoru. When Esmeraude brings in a monster who attacks the Guardians, they have to fight icing with fire to get rid of it. 

Rushed off to work even before the episode ended. Spent the morning alternating between sweeping inside and pushing carts outside. I did do some sweeping later, even after more help arrived, but I mainly spent the afternoon gathering the outside recycling (one of the teens did the trash) and pushing those carts. Dark clouds gathered later in the day, and the wind picked up, but they never burst. It remained killer hot and sticky humid, even as I rode home.

After picking up my new work pants on the way in, I decided I was too hungry to not start with dinner. Watched Match Game '78 while eating leftovers. Hot Lou Grant reporter Robert Walden made his first appearance on the show here, joining Loretta Swit, Mary Wickes, Richard Paul, and the regulars. Brett's happy to be sitting next to him, but not as much when she has to do a 10,000 Head-to-Head for "__ Sale."

Worked on writing for a while after the episode ended. Sir Richard Dawson, the White Knight, rides up to Brett shortly after the Cheshire Catwoman vanishes. He too is on his way to the Mad Tea Party. The Mad Hatter and March Hare are messengers for the Queen and King of Hearts. He's hoping they'll be able to help him convince the royal duo to join his own boss, the White King Gene and Queen Helen, in stopping the Red King from taking over the Wonderlands. 

Broke for a bath around 7:30. I badly needed this. Even after having been home for a couple of hours, I was still sweaty and hot. Not to mention, I've worked 7 days without a break. I needed something to relax. Kicked back, listened to modern jazz singers, and read a book on optimism and the glass being half-full.

Finished the night online with Hart to Hart. It's "One Hart Too Many" in the fourth season when Jennifer spends the weekend at a health farm for women, only to discover the head doctor is murdering socialites and replacing them with look-a-likes to get their inheritances. Jonathan gets his drag on and poses as a rich countess to lend his wife a hand in figuring out what they've done with the bodies. 

(Oh, and by the way...it still hasn't rained, stormed, or done anything besides be windy at press time. And along with my work pants, my new Shark watch also showed up today. I badly needed a new watch. The old one had a scratched face and a non-adjustable strap with worn Velcro that kept coming apart. I splurged and bought a nice Shark watch with an adjustable neon clip strap instead.)

Blowing Into May

Started off a quick morning with breakfast and more Angelina Ballerina. "Angelina the Mouse Detective" uses everything she learned from the "Monty the Mouse Detective" book series to solve the mystery of the disappearing garden gnomes...but there may be a more mundane reason the gnomes went missing. Angelina's hoping her grandmother will repair her damaged tutu in "Angelina and Grandma," but she's too busy setting up a birthday party. Angelina runs out after Grandma blames her for something she didn't do, teaching both a lesson when Grandma tries to find Angelina during a rainstorm.

Headed off to work shortly after the episode ended. Once again, work started out well. It was a gorgeous day for gathering carts and outside trash and recycling. Though the wind continued to blow, it was sunny and warmer, in the upper 60's by noon. Things picked up as early as 10, which is also when more help started to arrive. Once again, we didn't have enough help to deal with beginning-of-the-month crowds. I got stuck in the register for the last hour.

Rushed home as fast as I could. Went into writing after I changed and had a snack. Mayor Allen Ludden officially dubs Richard sheriff of Televisa City and gives him his badge. Ira offers to take him to Los Angeles to see his tailor, but Richard has more important things to do right now, like finding a place to live. Gene wonders why Richard's cozying up to Ira, but he has his own plans...

Broke for leftovers at quarter of 7. Watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while eating. The Clubhouse suddenly loses all its color, prompting "Mickey's Color Adventure" to find objects that'll replace those colors. Mickey, Pluto, and Professor Ludvig Von Drake go in search of ordinary objects in each color of the rainbow that the professor will use to refill the Rainbow Color Machine. 

Took a short but much-needed bath for the next hour or so. Ahhh. That felt so nice and relaxing after running around all afternoon. Looked at a self-help book on women's courage, then just laid back and let myself soak in the nice, hot water.

Finished the night with The Mighty Kong on Tubi. I go further into this animated musical version of King Kong at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Mighty Kong

Laughing Games

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes this morning was the clock...which said 7:38. My work shift began at 8 AM! I almost leaped out of bed and rushed around the apartment, eating and dressing as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I couldn't get an Uber driver that quickly. I ended up being 20 minutes late.

The whole day was really a pain in the rear. Work was quiet when I got in...but by noon, we had long lines down the aisles. Not only was it busy, but we didn't have enough help to deal with the crush. Two people up front called out, and I heard employees say that more folks called out elsewhere in the store. It was a sunny day, and though windy, it was still relatively warm for March. I just got so worried about dealing with all those people! Thank goodness it slowed down enough by 3 for me to shut down without a relief.  No trouble getting home, either. I got a ride in 5 minutes.

Went straight into writing when I got in. Charles hands Richard a whiskey. He asks about a job in the area. Charles tells him to ask Marshal Rayburn and the man from the railroad office. The man is Ira Skutch, who also came in on the train with Richard. Richard moves to ask them what's going on when he hears them argue about a gang of cattle rustlers operating in the area...

Broke for dinner at 6. Made Oatmeal-Raisin Pancakes (which I wasn't able to have this morning) and celery sticks with leftover hummus. Listened to Donnybrook! while I ate. This musical version of The Quiet Man was a flop on Broadway in 1961. The cast, other than Eddy Foy Jr. as the matchmaker, isn't in any way distinguished, and the songs are more 1961 showtune than Ireland in the 20's. That said, the songs for the second couple, "I Wouldn't Bet One Penny" and "Dee-Lightful Is the Word," as well as the opening and closing number "Sez I," are pretty fun.

Switched to The Music of Spring as I got set up to take a bath. This is one of two spring Columbia Special Edition seasonal records I own. Only listened to side one. There's some especially good instrumental pieces here, including the Ray Conniff Orchestra's version of "Younger Than Springtime." 

Took a bath for an hour. I can't remember the last time I took a bath. I haven't had the time. It felt absolutely wonderful. I listened to one of my George Shearing CDs and looked over one of my self-help books before leaning back and just enjoying the music and the water.

Spent the rest of the night watching comedy game shows to cheer me up, and as a prelude to Buzzr's Let's Laugh Marathon on Friday. Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life was a comedy show wrapped around a tiny bit of trivia show. Groucho would riff on his contestants, then ask them a few questions after he's finished with them. In the episode I chose, he's met his match in a very feisty little old lady who knows how to keep young - by telling Groucho what he can do with his trademark cigar!

Ernie Kovacs had a little more luck on Take a Good Look. This spoof of the panel shows popular at the time started the same as I've Got a Secret, with a contestant who has an unusual secret or occupation. We then see a skit that may or may not have much to do with the contestant at hand. The first skit with the Native Americans may be a little offensive to some folks nowadays, but the second with Kovacs as the earliest known classical Greek newscaster is still hilarious to this day.

There's been a few versions of Make Me Laugh. I went with the syndicated show from the late 70's-early 80's that was the last hosting job for Bobby Van before his 1980 death from a brain tumor. Three stand-up comedians try to make three audience members and a celebrity guest laugh. Bill Kirkenbauer, later of several sitcoms, and The Unknown Comic from The Gong Show toss out the schtick in the episode I watched. 

Random Acts of Comedy from 1999 is a short-lived Family Channel variation on Who's Line Is It Anyway? David Alan Grier joins a group of improv comics as they act out a random who, what, and where. Two contestants have to guess what they're acting out. Wish there was more of this around. What's on YouTube is pretty darn funny, especially their first skit with Fabio and the bonus round that has them switching musical genres. 

Liar's Club is an early form of Wordplay. Instead of making up wrong descriptions of obscure words, here, comedians and comic actors make up descriptions of odd objects sent in by viewers. Allen Ludden, better known for Password, is a strange choice for host. The panel - including Larry Hovis, Buddy Hackett, and Ludden's wife Betty White - are more game.

I just had to include an episode of Match Game. There's so many to choose from, but I went with an early syndicated show from 1979. This one is notorious for a contestant giving what may be the craziest answer to a Head-to-Head bonus round in the history of the show. It's so wild, Gene and the entire panel burst into laughter on hearing it. 

Laugh into spring and play along with some of the goofiest people to ever appear on game shows! (Look for the original commercials on You Bet Your Life, Take a Good Look, and Make 'Em Laugh.)

You Bet Your Life (1954)

Take a Good Look (1959)

Liar's Club (1978)

Match Game Synd (1979)

Make Me Laugh (1980)

Random Acts of Comedy (1999)

Back In Business

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and Sale of the Century. This was a really early episode, when people still chose which number they hoped to find the cards under on the Fame Game. It was also another close game, but the champ just pulled ahead in the speed round. He opted to return when he discovered the next prize up was a gorgeous white grand piano.

Worked on writing for a while after the show ended. Gene and Bill Cullen are having a hard time holding off the three smaller demons, until Della and Nipsey come in to help. Gene waves his wand at them, trying to remind them that they were once wizards, too. Gene can hear footsteps in the distance...and sees light coming from Televisa City...

Broke for lunch at 11:30. Watched Mickey Mouse: Mixed Up Adventures while quickly downed yogurt and a banana. We see the origins of the "Mixed Up Adventures" moniker in "Mickey's Mixed-Up Motor Labs." Mickey's new mobile motor lab can add anything to their racers at any race. Chip and Dale mess around with it before a big parade...and they end up with wacky racers that can fly or have duck's feet. Mickey has to figure out how to use their new abilities to retrieve the parade balloons. Daisy and Minnie go looking for work in "Wishy Washy Helpers." They compete to see whether mine's old-fashioned elbow grease and soap or Daisy's mechanical hose can get the windows on a skyscraper clean first.

Headed to work as soon as the cartoon ended. I spent all of two seconds in a register when I first arrived. They sent me in for someone leaving, and a lady came back from break shortly after. To my surprise, I spent the rest of the day sweeping, gathering carts, doing returns, and helping a new teen bagger learn how to clean up a spill and gather trash. The head bagger always has Wednesday off, and the bagger with the next-highest seniority is on vacation. Fine by me. It was too nice to be inside all day anyway. I got to enjoy a sunny, warm, slightly more humid day and teach a really nice kid the ropes. He picked up doing the trash and especially cleaning really well, too. I was impressed.

As soon as I got home, I changed and had roasted broccoli and the last of the leftover lasagna for dinner. Watched Match Game as the food baked. While Fannie joked about her apple-and-snake shirt, the others had fun with a contestant named "Krash Kilgore," and Gary did several spot-on imitations of his former teacher (and the man who previously sat in his seat) Charles Nelson Reilly. 

Unlike the last two days, it was all about the champ today on Sale of the Century. The one woman did get pretty close in the second half, but he left everyone in the dust during the Speed Round. He picked up a diamond ring on the match the prizes board.

Took a nice long bath after the show ended. My heart may have been happy to push carts again, but my legs were protesting. I was too sore for a shower. The soaking felt great as I listened to jazz and read a book on finding the female power within you.

Finished the night online with Hart to Hart. "Murder Takes a Bow" when Johnathan and Jennifer discover the body of a playwright hours after he gave Jennifer a copy of his latest creation. When his copy of the new play and Jennifer's go missing, the duo leap into action to find out if there was something in the play that the murderer wanted, or if it was the play itself - and the fame accorded a new, untried playright - they were interested in. 

When the Sun Came Out

It rained off and on all night. The rain was on when I rolled out of bed this morning. Listened to it fall while eating breakfast and watching an episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel and Katarina play restaurant at school, but he doesn't like Prince Wednesday butting in as a scary bear. He realizes that everyone feels something different in "Friends and Feelings" when Katarina thinks Wednesday is funny, not scary. "Daniel's Day of Many Feelings" takes him from the library to the post office to Music Man Stan's shop, with him noticing how his feelings change at each stop.

Made Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies while switching to The Roku Channel for the original Charlie's Angels. The Angels get their disco on in the fourth season episode "Angels On Skates." Freddy Fortune (Rene Auberjonis) is the slimy owner of a roller disco palace on the boardwalk at Venice Beach. When one of the best roller skaters on the boardwalk is kidnapped in broad daylight, Kris joins Fortune's roller skating chorus line and Bosley, Tiffany, and Kelly pass as reporters doing an article to find out who wants her and why.

The rain slowed by the time I left, but it remained humid and hot. It started showering again about half-way through my ride. I arrived at work wet.

The Acme was pretty quiet when I arrived. Once again, the rain cleared out the customers. Once the rain petered out around noon, the customers arrived. We were on and off busy for the rest of the day, with no really major problems. I picked up brown sugar and milk quickly on the way out.

Checked my cell phone when I got home and discovered Rose tried to call me when I was at work. I called her back after I changed and settled down. I hadn't heard from her this week because she and her family got sick (again). We'll apparently be able to get together and sign those papers on Monday or Tuesday.

Returned to Charlie's Angels, this time at Crackle, while having potato hash with my last leftover ground turkey steak for dinner. "Angel Blues" from the second season is unusually sad for this show. Charlie assigns the Angels to find out how his favorite country singer died of a heroin overdose. While Kelly and Sabrina do research, Kris joins the cab driver who was the last person to see the girl alive...and is the one who discovers just how badly the girl was used by everyone around her, from drug dealers to her agent to an abusive boyfriend.

Took a much-needed bath after the show ended while listening to Jazz for the Quiet Times. Read Women Who Run With the Wolves while I relaxed. I want to be stronger, wilder, and more able to take control of my destiny...but I also want to do what everyone else does. My mind keeps telling me that if I do what everyone else does, if I make everyone happy, if I just do the right thing, act the right way, talk in the right way, I'll finally have a home and friends and a real job and be really, truly real. I wish I knew how to push those fears away so the wild woman can be strong and do what she has to do.

Finished the night with Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam at Disney Plus. I go further into the sequel to the 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie hit at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam

There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This

Kicked off the morning with banana pancakes for breakfast. Listened to Wildcat while I ate. This is the Broadway show Lucile Ball starred in when she appeared on that I've Got a Secret episode yesterday. Ball is Wildcat Jackson, a female prospector hoping to strike oil so she can provide for her disabled sister. She desperately tries everything she can to secure a popular foreman (Keith Andes) to help her find it...even if she has to have him jailed and bail him out. He's leaves after he claims there's no oil on her land and finds out about her lies, but maybe it's not dry after all.

The big song here is the hit march "Hey, Look Me Over!", which Ball and Paula Stewart as her sister belt with gusto in the opening. The rest of the score doesn't come close. There's two good chorus numbers for the oil drillers, "Tall Hope" and "Corduroy Road." Otherwise, the songs are bland and cliched, and Ball is not the world's best singer. She got sick and dropped out after four months, which pretty much doomed the show. Even now, it's really only recommended for fans of her or the songwriters Carolyn Leigh and Cy Coleman.

Wildcat was Coleman's first show. He had far better material to work with five years later in Sweet Charity. Charity Hope Valentine (Gwen Verdon) can never seem to catch a break in love. As the show opens, one boyfriend dumps her in the lake and had used her as a piggy bank. An Italian movie star uses her to make his lover jealous. When she finally meets a genuinely nice guy who likes her (John McMartin), she worries what will happen when he finds out she's a taxi dancer.

My favorite number here is "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This," a spirited trio for Charity and two of her taxi dancer buddies (Helen Gallagher and Thelma Oliver) as they talk about the jobs they wish they could have. Charity also gets the very cute "I'm the Bravest Individual" when she first meets her guy Oliver while being stuck in an elevator, "I'm a Brass Band," and "If My Friends Could See Me Now" when she's gushing over the film star. "The Rhythm of Life" is really an extraneous number spoofing the hippie guru scene of the time, but it's so catchy that you can (mostly) overlook it.

There's been a couple of revivals over the years, including one with Christina Applegate in 2009, and the movie with Shirley MacLaine is good but cuts songs...but for my money, get this one first to appreciate the music and Verdon's performance.

Headed off to my first day back at work in two and a half months. I'm cashiering again until my arm fully heals. I still don't like it. I may be able to balance a till and say "hi" and be nice to people, but it leaves me drained emotionally, and I don't always know what to say or how to answer people's questions. Thankfully, it was on-and-off steady until about an hour before I left, when it picked up considerably, and only one person gave me any trouble.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. While it was cloudy and humid by that point, it also wasn't raining. I spent the last four hours inside and wanted to get out a little. Dodged a lot of Sunday drivers on Nicholson, but by the time I went over the hill and into Oaklyn, things were a lot quieter. Avoided puffing over the big hill by crossing the train tracks and riding down Newton Avenue.

Went straight into writing when I got home. Re-wrote what I did yesterday. Instead of obviously running into Malade, a servant comes up with Brett in her arms, claiming she found her and was looking for him. Charles isn't sure he buys her story...and he's right...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Added the last of the ratatouille to scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and ladled them into two soft tortillas. Listened to Bells are Ringing while I ate. This is another Broadway vehicle for a popular comedienne, and what would be her only musical stage vehicle. The lady in question is Ella Peterson (Judy Holliday), who works taking messages for Susanswerphone. Her boss (Jean Stapleton) wants her to stop getting involved with her clients, but Ella just can't help wanting to make their lives better. Her favorite client is Jeff Moss (Sydney Chaplin), a handsome playwright who is in the midst of writer's block. She's in love with him, but they never see each other until he asks her to help him with his play. He's so enamored by her, he asks her to a party. She feels out of place among his friends and runs off. Now he has to find her...if only she'd given him her real name...

Despite producing standards in "The Party's Over," "Just In Time," and "Long Before I Knew You," this show hasn't dated well. There's an unnecessary gangster subplot, and the fact that the whole thing hangs on a type of company that hasn't been seen since automated answering machines became more common in the 70's and 80's. Holliday, while still not a great singer, could really put emotion into a tune; witness her aching rendition of "The Party's Over." The cast album is mainly if you love her or 50's musicals. Anyone else will want to look for covers of the three big hits.

Finished the night with a desperately-needed bath, my first bath in my new home. The yellow bathtub is narrower than the sage-green one at Manor, but it's also deeper and a tiny bit longer, with a sloped end that allows you to lean back and relax. It took me 20 minutes (and wasted water) to figure out how the stopper worked. Once I got it, it felt absolutely wonderful, so calming, with George Winston's Cast Your Fate to the Wind: The Music of Vince Guaraldi going in the background.

Lazy Afternoon

Began a gloomy morning with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. The grandson of WC Fields wrote a book about him in the early 70's; three young men claimed to be him and have had access to his father and grandmother's papers and reminisces about the famous comedian. The panel was divided, but they turned out to be all wrong. Half went for two and half for three, but it was really handsome, laid-back number one.

I got lucky the rain stopped again just as I went to work. Spent the entire day gathering carts. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. It showered lightly off and on all day, but it didn't really bother me. The only times I went inside were for my break and to use the bathroom. At least we have snacks in the back room again; today, they also had pizza from a local restaurant leftover from a managers' meeting.

Went straight home after work and into a much-needed bath. Ahhh. I desperately needed that. It felt good to kick back and relax, listening to jazz music and poring over old cake book decorating magazines.

My landlady Willa called while I was in the tub. There was a package downstairs. I ordered a new carbon monoxide alarm from Amazon. I know, the McHughs should have ordered it, but I don't think anyone is supposed to be going into anyone else's house right now. It's the same design as the old one, but smaller; it only took two batteries, rather than three.

Did writing for the rest of the afternoon. Gene explains to Betty and the three fairies that he knows where King Allen is - locked away in the evil Queen Malade's stronghold. He orders Charles to bring him a bowl of water. Charles is worried that his powers aren't up to it, but he assures him that they're doing much better, and he should be able to show them what's going on with the king...

Broke for leftovers for dinner at 6:30. The Match Game episode was ironically one of the ones that turned up recently on the Happy Days marathon. Purrfectly witty Lee Merriweather and irascible Pat Moriata joined deadpan Patti Deutsch and the regulars as a sweet gentleman in a bright mustard-colored coat continued to beat all comers. Sale of the Century pitted a pretty young lady against a gentleman and another lady.

I called Rose while Sale was running. Rose finally called back a few minutes later. Turns out Dana and Jesse moved over a week ago. Yes, she has bins and boxes she's willing to lend me. Yes, she can help me move...maybe. Trouble is, if everything doesn't reopen by the time I move, she won't be able to find a babysitter for Khai and Finley. Plus, Jodie's not surprisingly having trouble getting a painter to work on the apartment.

Finished the night switching around streaming channels for a sitcom marathon. The ongoing gloomy weather practically begged for a spooky I Dream of Jeannie episode on the Roku Channel. "My Master, the Ghost Breaker" from the third season takes Jeannie, Tony, and Roger to England after Tony inherits a dilapidated manor house from an uncle. Roger and Jeannie think it's haunted, but Tony believes that the shady real estate agent who told him about it (Jack Carter, who also appeared frequently on Match Game in its early years) may have something to do with it.

Patty and Cathy deal with a less-frightening house guest in the second season Patty Duke Show episode "The Perfect Hostess." The duo are excited to have a third look-alike cousin, breathy blonde Betsy (Duke) staying with them on vacation from boarding school. They're not as happy when she moves in on all the boys, including their boyfriends, and then tries to get between them. The duo are ready to toss her out, but Mrs. Lane knows why Betsy's so desperate to remain with them.

Felix also thinks he's handling a ghost in his and Oscar's apartment in "The Exorcists" from the fourth season of The Odd Couple. He's heard moaning at night, especially after a janitor convinces him that the spirit of the previous tenant is housed in their old air conditioner. A seance only results in Oscar's secretary Myrna (Penny Marshall) finding a pigeon stuck behind a radiator. Felix is still convinced there's something more going on, especially after he hires a flamboyant professional exorcist (Victor Buono) to come in and check things out.

There's already a spirit haunting the lovely seaside cottage in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, albeit the generally friendly Captain Gregg (Edward Mulhare). He's not thrilled when Mrs. Muir (Hope Lange) catches a young man with a camera (Bill Bixby) poking around the cottage. He claims he's interested in architecture, but he's really "The Ghost Hunter" who tells his colleagues there's a ghost living in the house. It'll take the combined efforts of Mrs. Muir and the Captain to convince this young man that the only ghostly presence in the house resides in his imagination.

Blondes and Matches

Began the morning with To Tell the Truth. I came in just as they voted for three male elementary school teachers. They all thought it was number 3...but it turned out to be sturdier number 1. The panel on What's My Line had a far easier time with their contestants. It took almost all the questions, but Arlene Francis did guess that a young woman was one of the few female bricklayers in Ohio. They were far quicker to guess that the machine a young man showed off was an early form of a Breathlyzer test. Soupy Sales got to take a nip and reveal how it worked.

Work was a bit of a pain. They closed the Nicholson Road side entrance and have someone posted at the main door to keep too many people from going in at one time. It turned out to be a moot point. We weren't any more than mildly steady the entire day. Most people are probably waiting for Easter weekend to go shopping. I do wish the manager posted at the front door had left me alone to do my job. She kept giving me orders while I did carts, even though I've done them for years and know darn well how to do them. It got harder to keep up with later when I had to do the sweeping, too. At least it was a nice day, sunny off and on and even warmer, probably in the upper 60's.

Picked up a few things after work. I've been hoping to dig up the film version of Fried Green Tomatoes for a while now; fished it out of the budget DVD bins. Found an adorable book called Teddy & Co, about a teddy bear and his stuffed buddies who have to cope when less-friendly toys join their household, in the half-price book bin. Decided to do some shopping now and some on Saturday to minimize the time I spend in Easter weekend crowds; grabbed coconut, cream cheese, and a carrot cake mix for my birthday/Easter cake, a Cheesecake Jello pudding mix for a fruit salad and and a pie crust for the quiche I intend to have for Easter dinner. I'll pick up fruit and other perishables on Saturday.

Went straight in the bath when I got home. My legs were just too sore to stand for a shower. I haven't had a day off since last Tuesday, and I won't get one until Thursday! Soaked for an hour while looking at cake books and listening to a jazz sampler CD I found at a yard sale.

Moved on to the next Match Game marathon after I got out. Lovable, slightly ditzy blonde Joyce Bulifant is best known today as Murray's sweet wife on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but she was for many years one of the most popular semi-regulars on Match Game. Her answers could be even stranger than Patti Deustch's, and were often accompanied by a weird joke or story barely related to how she got them. One of my favorite episodes of the entire series had her show off her early dance training doing a wonderful jitterbug with a champion contestant.

For all her goofiness, she did just as frequently match the contestant, including at least one 20,000 win on a PM episode. Some of her later episodes had her dressing up in strange wigs to discern her from the other goofy blonde on the show Elaine Joyce, or to match squeaky-voiced sitcom actress Sydney Goldsmith and her feathers and sequins. The latter figured into a memorable episode that had a handsome contestant give his rose boutonniere to Sydney and McLean Stevenson call up his "agent" - a little Chinese boy - onto the stage to help him with his questions.

And speaking of McLean, tomorrow the spotlight falls on everyone's favorite ex-MASH surgeon and nutty, host-chasing goofball. For now, here's Joyce's marathon for your enjoyment!

The Best of Joyce Bulifant on Match Game, 1973-1981

Finished the night with Can-Can. I go further into this 1960 vehicle for Shirley MacLaine and Frank Sinatra at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Can-Can

I Dream of Vacation

I was so happy to actually sleep in a little this morning. Buzzr was on Press Your Luck by the time I had breakfast. This one came down to a young man who won a trip and several prizes, and a woman who got a big trip but several Whammies. The man finally got enough money to pass her and win all together. A woman played a mother-son duo on Blockbusters. She seemed to do well, until the son got a bunch of sports-related questions.

Headed out around quarter of 11 to get my laundry done. Unlike the past two weeks, they were totally dead when I arrived, and I never saw more than two people while I was there. I thought it was a good time to try the new, front-loading larger washers. They took more coins and ran for longer than usual, but they also wrung the clothes out better. They were a little less damp when I took them out, and didn't take quite as long to dry. I worked on story notes and ignored The View and Action News on Channel 6.

Watched an episode of Match Game while putting my clothes away, then went back out again. Wanted to hit the Oaklyn Library before they closed for the day. They were surprisingly busy for them, with a group of people gathered around the main table near the TV. I wonder if they were the board of directors or heads of the library? I think I saw one of the librarians among them. I half-listened to them while organizing DVDs and board books in the kids' area.

Took the long way down Nicholson Road and past WalMart to Tu Se Bella's Pizza for lunch. At least it was a nice day for a ride! It's colder, in the 30's, and still windy, but also sunny and cloudless (and much nicer than it's supposed to be tomorrow). It was almost 2 by the time I arrived, which was reflected in an empty dining area. I had a quick slice of broccoli-shrimp and a slice of cheese with a bottle of Sprite "Lymonade" (lemonade flavor - not bad, tart like lemonade should be).

To my surprise, the Acme wasn't busy, either. I figured they'd be mobbed, thanks to the weather reports for tomorrow. I guess everyone heard we're not really supposed to get much snow. Good thing, because I had a lot of shopping to do. They're having their occasional "buck a bag" vegetable sale. I grabbed celery, oranges, grape tomatoes, and bagged spinach. Treated myself to Mint Fudge Tracks light Acme generic ice cream on clearance. Found another book for Lilah's birthday, this one a "place a sticker and finish the story" picture book. Restocked yogurt, cranberries, canned crushed pineapples, canned mandarin oranges, peanut butter, toilet paper, milk, ground turkey, turkey hot dogs, canned black beans, tuna, and frozen broccoli florets.

My schedule for next week is...vacation! Why take my final vacation week in late January? First of all, there's Lilah's birthday. I loved going to Anny's house for her party last year. Second, it's mid-way between my previous vacation (September) and what will likely be my next vacation (May). Third, I have counseling on Tuesday, and Amanda wanted to get together on Thursday. Fourth...I really, really just need time off after what's been a busy and often frustrating couple of weeks at work. Other than those three days, my only plans are the usual writing and volunteering, and maybe a trip to the movies to either catch Cats for review or see Rise of Skywalker a second time.

Started the last season of The Magic School Bus while putting everything away. The kids are supposed to be watching their principal Mr. Rhule's beloved Rhode Island Red rooster Giblets, but he flies away. They go to a farm to get an egg that's been fertilized by a chicken and a rooster, then try to hatch the egg themselves, but it's slow going. Ms. Frizzle lets the kids, and then Arnold, go inside the egg to see how it's made, and then how a new life forms.

Worked on writing for a while after I finished. Marcia sadly admits that she'd been writing with a man whom she only knew as "Will." She'd fallen for his charming and witty (if badly spelled) letters, but Malade invaded the Summer-Winter Castle before they could go on a date and she presumed he was killed. Bill tries to tell her what happened at the Castle, but once again, something forces him into wolf howls before much comes out.

I also re-wrote a bit earlier. Bill Cullen is going to the next town over and asks Marcia, his friend and best customer, if she wants a gift. She asks for a rose. Most people in town grown vegetables. She hasn't seen a rose since leaving home.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had the turkey hot dogs and a spinach-tomato salad with apple cider dressing while watching more Match Game. Cutie-pie Sarah Kennedy from Laugh In, MGM dancer Bobby Van, and comedienne Ann Elder join Gene and the regulars in an episode from 1975. Gene kept flirting with teeny Sarah, even kissing her rather hard at one point, to the mild amusement of Richard and the frustration of Brett (who went down and gave him a good smack on the shoulders).

Spent the next hour or so taking another nice, relaxing bath. As I mentioned, it's been a long couple of weeks. I brought a book, but I didn't read it. Just sat back, closed my eyes, listened to Jazz For When You're Alone, and breathed. Got so relaxed, I almost passed out at several points.

Finished the night with two episodes of I Dream of Jeannie on Crackle. I saw it when I was switching around the other night. Rose was always more into this show when we were little - I preferred sensible Samantha on Bewitched - but I thought I'd give it another try. Kicked off with the first episode, "The Lady In the Bottle." Captain Tony Nielson (Larry Hagman) is an astronaut who crashes on a desert island. He finds a woman genie (Barbara Eden) in a bottle appropriately named Jeannie and sets her free. She's crazy about him whether she's free or not and follows him in her bottle back to Florida. Now he has to figure out how to explain her to his fiancee Melissa (Karen Sharpe) and her father, Brigadier General Stone (Phillip Ober) that he's not as crazy as he sounds.

Skipped ahead to a second season western spoof, "The Fastest Gun In the East." Tony makes the mistake of wishing he were out west while watching a TV western. Jeannie makes him appear in the real west as the marshal of a small town under fire by land-grabbing cattle rustlers. The duo have to stop a cattle stampede, release an unfairly imprisoned man, and figure out who is the man behind the land grabbing scheme, before the bandits get around Jeannie's magic and take them out.

Dancer's Match

Began the day with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. Three women all claimed to have had an adventure in Trinidad. Peggy Cass got the right lady, who told them all about it with her husband. Soupy Sales on What's My Line also had luck, guessing their contestant was a mattress tester. He even showed off different mattresses afterwards.

Once again, work started out well. I spent most of the morning alternating between shelving items and rounding up carts. It was a gorgeous day for it, too. The rain vanished early this morning, leaving sunny skies, soft breezes, and mid-50 degree temperatures. I'd just finished sweeping the store when one of the managers asked me to stay an hour. One of the cashiers called out. I did to add to my paycheck, but it really wasn't necessary. We weren't that busy. It's the middle of the week, the weather's too nice, and a lot of people are annoyed that they're still rearranging the aisles.

Rushed home as soon as I got out. Changed, had a snack, and went straight into writing. Ira the Sheriff is suspicious that there's something weird going on here, but Marcia managed to toss him out, with Bill jumping in to bare his teeth. Cullen assures him that if he tries closing his shop, he'll sic whatever ghosts live there on him.

Broke for dinner at 6. Had leftovers while watching tonight's two Match Game episodes. Brett and Charles continued to fuss at each other here, including referring to Charles' dislike of wearing socks. Johnny Brown's very proud when he gets a right answer...and Marcia Wallace, who was rather notorious for not matching, was downright thrilled to get four right in a row.

Took a bath after dinner. I badly needed it, after working four days (two of them six hours, all early) in a row. My legs were so sore, and I think I may have twisted a muscle. It felt great to relax to George Shearing's White Satin and Black Satin, and look over a book on positive affirmations for women.

Finished the night with more Sailor Moon Super S as I went online. Brilliant Ami is in the spotlight in "Sparkling Summer Days! Ami at the Beach." Usagi's little brother Shingo has a huge crush on her...but Tiger's Eye is also after her. The Guardians all think he's a dreamy beach bum, but Ami realizes that something's not right here.

"Enter the Prima! Usagi In the Ballet" has the Guardians taking free beginner's ballet classes, hoping to get the lead role in the tragic ballet Giselle. None of them are exactly Misty Copeland quality...except for Fish Eye, who turns out to be excellent. Her teacher is impressed, upsetting his girlfriend, who was in training for the role of unfortunate peasant girl Giselle. Usagi and Chibi-Usa point out that Fish Eye may be good, but he's also cold and unfeeling, and that she should continue to pursue him. But Fish Eye doesn't appreciate being treated as part of the scenery...

Birds of Prey Battle

Began the day with work. It was busy the entire morning. By 10:30, it was so bad, I couldn't keep up with the carts! They just kept vanishing, no matter what I did. I had no help, either. The other bagger was needed inside. At least it was off-and-on sunny, even as gale-force winds made it feel colder than it actually was.

Went straight home through the wind. Had peanut butter-triple chip pancakes for lunch when I got in. I don't know how I managed to burn both of them. They were still edible, just dark.

Listened to Hadestown while I ate and cleaned up afterwards. The Tony-winning musical of 2019 is a retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set during the Great Depression. Orpheus (Damon Dannuo) is the ward of Hermes (Chris Sullivan), who encourages him to pursue pretty Eurydice (Nabiyah Be). Despite her desire for stability and a secure home, Eurydice agrees to marry Orpheus. Persephone (Amber Gray) is delighted...but their happiness is short-lived. She's called back to the Underworld, an underground factory, by her husband Hades (Patrick Page). Seduced by Hades with promises of wealth, Eurydice follows him...until she realizes she can never leave. Orpheus goes after his beloved and Persephone.

This one had a long road to Broadway. It apparently started out on the road in 2007. A concept album was released in 2010. The "cast album" is actually a recording of the off-Broadway production from 2016; apparently, some songs in current Broadway production are a bit different. (A production opened in London the year before the Broadway one did.) I hope not too much. There's some great songs here, including the bickering "Chant" for Persephone and Hades, Eurydice's early song "All I've Ever Known," Hades' seduction number "Hey Little Songbird," and the dynamic opener "Road to Hell."

If you're a fan of blues or R&B music or are looking for a really original musical, you'll want to make the trip way down to Hadestown and check this one out, too.

I'd texted Jodie earlier in the day to find out if she and Dad were doing something for the Eagles-Seahawks game. Nope. Seems Dad wasn't feeling well and needed to rest.

That was all right. I spent the rest of the afternoon writing. Della and Nipsey finally convince Isobel that they need to discuss combining their armies to take on the evil queen Malade. Donald interprets Patti's sign language that says they'll return to Andersen Bay to try to change her back and recruit her family. Everyone else will move on to the small village of Villenvenuve on the border of Columbia Eye and the Summerlands, where Gene's friend Bill Cullen runs a small book shop. He may know something about the location of the next Legendary Princess.

Finished the night listening to the Eagles-Seahawks game, first while eating leftovers for a quick dinner, then as I was in the bath. The game was 3-3 when I came in and seemed to be going pretty well...until the Eagles' quarterback Carson Wentz was hit in the head and taken out with a concussion in the first quarter. It went downhill from there. By the time I'd finished my bath and shower, the Eagles had lost 17-9 and were out of the playoffs. (But honestly....I'm just glad that the Eagles made it as far as they did, considering how many people they lost and all the trouble they had early in the season.)

Live Alone and Like It

Began a cloudy, wet morning with breakfast and What's My Line? I had enough time before I left to catch the first guest of the day, who stumped the panelists...and me, as I'd missed her signing in. She turned out to be a teacher of breathing postures. Soupy Sales was her fairly amused model for her breathing exercises in a very funny sketch.

It was showering very lightly when I arrived at work, and would continue to shower lightly on and off all morning. I alternated between gathering carts and shelving candy; swept the store around noon. By the time crowds started coming, I was on my way out.

Had lunch as soon as I got home. Ate and read my new Match Game 101 book while watching Dick Tracy. Dick (Warren Beatty) is a tough-guy cop in a colorful city under siege by some of the most grotesque gangsters this side of the funny pages. He's really after Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino), the new head of all the rackets in town. His girl Tess Trueheart (Glenn Headly) wishes he'd take a desk job and have more time for her. He chases down an orphan who calls himself the Kid (Charlie Korsmo) and may have witnessed several gangland killings. Big Boy's moll Breathless Mahoney (Madonna) will give them information, if Tracy shows more interest in her than just as a witness. Things come to a head on New Year's Eve, when a faceless entity kills corrupt District Attorney John Fletcher (Dick Van Dyke) and frames Tracy, then kidnaps Tess and leaves her in Big Boy's basement. It's up to Tracy and the Kid to solve the mystery, rescue Tess, and stop this Blank menace, before they both end up in a pair of cement shoes.

The eye candy alone makes this one worth checking out. An all-star cast is decked out in primary colors and running around massive sets straight out of a 1930's comic book. Pacino and Madonna walk away with the movie as the head gangster determined to stick it to Tracy and build his empire and the singer who wishes Tracy would see her as more than a gangster's girl. Great score by Danny Elfman and songs by Stephan Sondheim too, including the Oscar-winning "Sooner or Later" for Madonna. Absolutely worth checking out if you love Tracy, the cast, or the stylized action movies of the early 90's.

Worked on writing for a while after the movie ended...and as the rain ended and the sun came out. Nipsey, Bill, and Charles eventually pass out. When Charles awakens in the morning, he peeks in and assumes the ladies are sleeping. Nipsey goes up to check on them...and gets quite a surprise when he learns that they're awake, and have been all night.

Broke for dinner at 6. Watched episodes of Match Game on Buzzr as I ate leftover ham and macaroni salad with kale-spinach salad. Gary Burgoff of MASH replaces his former acting teacher Charles Nelson Reilly, who was on Broadway directing a play, in these two 1975 episodes. Bubbly blonde Elaine Joyce got her first crack at the Head-to-Head bonus round in the first episode, while Gene fends off more cracks about his fashion sense in the second.

Hit the bath after I ate. Oooh, I so needed that. I looked over cake decorating books for ideas for New Year's cakes while listening to a smooth jazz CD and enjoying the warm water. It was so relaxing after a busy couple of weeks.

Finished the night with The Absent-Minded Professor on Disney Plus. This 1961 comedy was an old favorite that I watched a lot on The Disney Channel as a child. Professor Braniard (Fred MacMurray) of Medfield College accidentally invents "flubber," a high-bouncing rubber that'll allow anyone who wears it or holds it to leap so high, they appear to be flying. He melts it onto the shoes of the college's basketball team and uses it to allow his Model T Ford to fly. He wants to sell it to the US government, but the college's wealthy owner Alonzo Hawk (Keenan Wynn) wants it for his own gain. Braniard's fiancee Betsy (Nancy Olsen) wishes he'd actually remember their weddings - he's forgotten three times. She encourages the attentions of a snooty philosophy professor (Elliott Reid) to make Braniard jealous. Not to mention, Alonzo is upset because Braniard flunked his son Bill (Tommy Kirk) and won't give the college more time to pay back loans. Braniard has to get his discovery to the government, bring prestige to Medfield, and show what flubber can really do...before Hawk gets it out from under him.

If you love the goofy Disney comedies of the 50's, 60's, and 70's, this is one of the better ones. There's some surprisingly decent special effects for the time, especially the boys bouncing off the walls at the basketball game. MacMurrary's having a lot of fun as the forgetful scientist who is so busy thinking of ways to improve mankind, he neglects the woman in his life, and Wynn's equally enjoying himself as the obnoxious businessman who thinks he's found his way to easy riches in Braniard's invention. Definitely worth checking out if you love the Disney family comedies of the era or the cast.

Bread Baking Day

Started off a cloudy morning with early work. Spent it the same way I did yesterday's shift - gathering carts. I never even got to inside sweeping this time. I was alone for almost the entire morning and early afternoon. Another bagger didn't come in until 1:30. Kept up with the carts as best I could. Thankfully, the crowds seemed more off and on then crazy, though I ran into Rose's husband Craig coming out with a bag at one point, and he said it was really busy. While the clouds lingered all day and it got windy later, it was also relatively warm, in the upper 50's, and never rained.

Hurried home as soon as I finished. Changed and had a quick snack, then started the pumpkin bread. For many years, I always brought pumpkin, cranberry, and cinnamon swirl bread to Thanksgiving. I bought Pillsbury bread mixes in college, but after I moved on my own, I started making the pumpkin and cranberry from scratch. The recipe for the pumpkin bread comes from a fall baking pamphlet I picked up at the Acme in Wildwood around 2003. It's a very simple and moist one-bowl recipe I've used for pumpkin bread gifts every year since. It took a little while to bake and did come out a bit dark on the bottom, but it still smelled wonderful in the oven.

Watched Planes, Trains, and Automobiles while I worked. Advertising executive Neil Page (Steve Martin) wants badly to go home to Chicago for his family's big Thanksgiving dinner. He thinks it'll be a simple plane ride, but a terrible blizzard strands the plane in Wichita. Neil ends up partnering with a chatty and occasionally annoying shower curtain salesman, Del Griffth (John Candy), to get him home. Del is a very nice and well-meaning man, but he's also a mass of bad habits who drives him crazy. As the two travel across the frozen Midwestern landscape, Neil gradually begins to understand why Del is on the road...and why he has a real reason to be thankful.

Mostly enjoyable adult comedy with career-best performances by Martin and Candy and a few hilarious set pieces, including their confrontation after Del makes a mess in the hotel and the entire sequence with the car on the highway. Even when it makes a sudden left turn into sentimentality towards the end of the film, it's still a lot of fun to watch.

Worked on writing even before the bread was out of the oven. After Malade leaves King Allen to stew in the dungeon, Gene falls back, his magic spent. Brett and Charles get him out into the sun, where Richard and Nipsey greet them. They spent the time lifting money in the marketplace and intend to give it to the poor in the country where Nipsey's cousins live a few miles away. They go to retrieve Donald and his new friend, who are quite enjoying themselves at lunch, and tell him who she really is.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching Molly's Pilgrim. Molly is the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants in the 1980's who are new to the US. She's not at all happy in her new home. The other kids make fun of her old-fashioned clothes, the borscht she brings to lunch instead of peanut butter and jelly, and her strange accent. Her teacher wants the class to make pilgrim and Indian dolls for a Thanksgiving project, but Molly's mother makes a Russian woman. The kids are puzzled at first, until their teacher explains that Molly and her family came to this country for religious freedom...and that makes them pilgrims, too.

Took a desperately needed bath after Molly ended. My legs hurt like heck after two days of non-stop running back and forth with carts. I listened to Christmas jazz, looked over a book of Christmas cake decorating ideas and another on holiday history in the mid-20th century, and enjoyed the relaxation.

Finished the night with Thanksgiving specials on YouTube. Here's a whole bunch to tide you over until the big dinner tomorrow.

Animated Hero Classics: William Bradford
Rankin-Bass: The Mouse on the Mayflower
Nickelodeon Thanksgiving Fest 1989
Care Bear Family: Grams Bear's Thanksgiving Surprise
Casper the Ghost Classic: Do or Diet - Thanksgiving Special
Calvin and the Colonel: Thanksgiving Dinner (B&W)
Saturday Supercade: QBert - Thanksgiving for the Memories
Tex Avery at MGM: Jerky Turkey
The Bernstein Bears Meet Big Paw

If you can't get online tomorrow, I hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with everyone you love!

Cookies and Comedy for a Rainy Afternoon

Awoke to a gloomy, dark morning. Livened things up with breakfast and "The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case." When Stan gets a note that he stands to inherit money from a relative, he and Ollie travel to their spooky home to meet the rest of the family. Turns out the uncle was murdered, and they all have to stay the night. Stan and Ollie have to figure out how the family members keep vanishing, before they disappear too.

Since it was only cloudy and humid when I left, I figured I'd be ok to ride to work. Needless to say, on a nasty humid day in the middle of the week, we weren't busy. I did round up carts in the morning, but I mainly shelved a cart of loose items, swept the store, and did the inside trash. When I did make it back outside, the rain had finally arrived. It was showering a little at that point, enough that I rode home (after picking up sugar) and just got a little wet.

Had lunch after I changed into dry clothes while finishing "Laurel-Hardy Murder Case." Went right into "Dirty Work" next. Stan and Ollie are chimney sweeps in the home of a mad scientist who is trying to create a formula to reverse aging. The boys wind up inadvertently testing the formula...but not before they destroy the guy's chimney.

I'd started working on Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies for my best friend Lauren's birthday on Saturday by the time "Oliver the Eighth" was on. Ollie is thrilled when a rich widow responds to her letter for him. Turns out she responded because she's killed seven men named Oliver...and he's next in line!

By the time the cookies were out of the oven, the rain had picked up and was now pouring. Needless to say, I went nowhere else and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening writing. Brett and Charles make the other men a supper of dried beef stew and brown bread. After that, Charles plays music for them, and they all dance, including Brett. Only a thoughtful Richard remains aloof from the group.

That night, Brett sleeps on their couch, and Charles agrees to sleep on the floor. She tells him about how the wicked queen had turned her husband to stone and imprisoned her family. He admits that he desperately fears crowds and fire and tries to avoid both.

Broke for dinner at quarter after 6. Had Jodie's Chicken Tortellini Soup and Apple-Pear Crisp while watching two spooky Three Stooges shorts. "If a Body Meets a Body" is a remake of "The Laurel-Hard Murder Case." This time, it's Curly who may stand to inherit a fortune, if he, Moe, and Larry can survive a night in a supposedly haunted mansion!

The trio "Spook Louder" when they once again find themselves in a supposedly haunted house, this time as door-to-door salesmen. They're somehow recruited to find spies operating out of the house, but end up having to avoid whomever keeps throwing pies at everyone.

Took a much-needed bath after dinner. Ahhh. It was so relaxing, with the rain coming down and Jazz For a Rainy Afternoon on my CD player. I went over two of my Christmas books and enjoyed a much-needed soak.

Finished the night with The Halloween Tree. Four kids are all ready for trick-or-treating when they discover that one of their best friends has a burst appendix and was rushed to the hospital. They refuse to celebrate Halloween without him and go to see him at the hospital. The oldest, Tom (Edan Gross), sees what he thinks is Pip (Kevin Michaels) and assumes he's playing a joke. They follow him to the decrepit home of the cranky and mysterious Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud (Leonard Nimoy). Moundshround has a Halloween Tree with the spirits of Halloween past hanging from it...including Pip. He takes the quartet back in time to visit 3,000 years of Halloween history in order to restore their friend, and find out more about the costumes they wear and their significance to the holiday.

This TV special from 1993 is an adaptation of the Ray Bradbury novel written by Bradbury himself (and narrated by him, too). What I like about this one is that it covers Halloween history, something that I've rarely seen in a special for this holiday. Many Christmas specials cover that holiday's history, but most other holidays don't often into their backstory. The animation (and the acting from the kids) is nothing to write home about, but it's still worth seeing if you have older and tween-age kids who love Halloween, horror, or history.

The Pup and the Eagles

Began the morning with early work. It wasn't bad when I arrived, but it did pick up later as we got closer to the Eagles game. I was mostly outside, rounding up carts that kept vanishing. At least it was a decent day for it. While it was hotter and a bit more humid, that nice breeze kept it from feeling too warm. I also gathered the outside trash and recycling, swept the store, and ended up in the register twice when it got too busy.

Changed into shorts, then headed to Dad and Jodie's for the game. It was pretty quiet for them when I came in. My cousin Mark and his girlfriend Joya were the only ones there. Rose's kids were sick and they couldn't come. Jessa arrived shortly before our pepperoni and half-mushroom, half-cheese pizzas did with her new puppy Midnight. He's a cute little black mop, a fluffy black shih tzu-terrier mix with big button eyes. Jessa let him roam around the living room and kitchen and dangled a poofy cat toy for him to play with. He apparently likes toes; kept sniffing at Jodie's open sandals and Dad's flip-flops. He started nosing Finley's dancing toys. Jodie switched them on and let them go, scaring off the little fellow in a hurry!

Wish the game had gone as well. The Eagles were up 10 to 7 over the Lions when I arrived. Everything went downhill from there. The Lions scored a touchdown, and although it was ultimately close, the Eagles lost two wide receivers and dropped the ball at every opportunity. They lost 27-24.

Other teams did better. Mark's other favorite team, the Green Bay Packers, out-ran the Broncos in their vintage yellow and green uniforms 27-16. Dad's other favorite, the Miami Dolphins, didn't have nearly as much luck with the Cowgirls, who flattened them 31 to 6.

Worked on writing when I got home. The group finds themselves on the set for the original Family Feud that was hosted by Richard Dawson...but it's populated by grotesque puppets in clown-like makeup who are strung up to the ceiling by wires. Richard too is wearing grotesque makeup over his badly bruised face; he's hanging by the ceiling like a marionette, being shoved towards a seemingly pretty girl doll. Charles can see that the "doll" is a demon and tries to climb the blue and orange wall with the monitor to get to Richard. He keeps sliding down, but Brett knows another way to save the beleaguered host...

Listened to A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder while having Peach-Brown Sugar Pancakes for a late dinner. The Tony-winning Best Musical of 2014 is a musical spoof of Victorian thrillers. Monty Novarro (Bryce Pinkham) has just discovered he's 9th in line for the Earl of D'Ysquith, but the family had disowned his mother and will have nothing to do with him. On top of that, his beloved Sibilla (Lisa O'Hare) has rejected him due to his poverty. After he accidentally kills off the Reverend D'Ysquith (Jefferson Mays), he gets the idea to one by one kill off the rest of the D'Ysquiths and ascend the earldom. He starts to reconsider when he falls for the lovely Phoebe D'Ysquith (Lauren Worsham) and admires the old Earl Adalbert (Mays). It doesn't help that he's still seeing Sibella, even as his relationship with Phoebe deepens...and then when the lord does do that, he's thrown in jail for the one crime he didn't commit.

If you love mysteries or the similar movie Kind Hearts and Coronets, you'll get a kick out of this one. Mays manages to make every D'Ysquith distinctive, from Lady D'Ysquith the world traveler to the good-natured Lord Adalbert himself. Pinkham has a great time with the two ladies as they (successfully) manages to hide his relationship with both of them. If you love mysteries, satire, or Coronets, you'll want to give this farcical thriller a listen.

Finished the night with a much-needed bath. It felt great after spending most of the morning pushing carts around. I almost fell asleep right there! My feet were so sore. The soaking was wonderful.