Night of the Mall Hospital

Began the morning with breakfast and Doc McStuffins. "The Doctor Will See You Now" takes Doc to her mother's office for her own checkup. She and her toys discover that kids aren't playing with the toys in the waiting room because they're covered in a strange, sticky, colorful substance. She has to explain to a Play Doh head that keeps shaking his clay hair about how easy it is to spread germs and messes around. Stuffed owl Professor Hootenburgh challenges Donny's learning toy Lil' Egghead to see who is the smarter toy, but "Lil' Egghead Fees the Heat" and starts giving wrong answers. Doc gets him out of the sun and reminds him that humans and electronics need to stay cool. 

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. Alas, the first driver going there canceled. By the time the second one got me to Moorestown, I was 10 minutes late. Getting home from Stacks On 38 was a lot easier. The driver arrived in less than a minute! Thank heavens, no traffic either way, not even on Route 38 in Pennsauken.

Oversleeping and being 10 minutes late was the worst thing that happened all day. They called for me about 5 minutes after I checked in, and the doctor came 5 minutes after the nurse checked my blood pressure. Dr. Gouda originally wanted me to wear a boot for three weeks. I can't do that. I called out of work enough in the winter when my knee was so stiff. We finally compromised on wearing a boot to bed and doing physical therapy. 

And if there's one good thing about all of these new hospitals and health care offices that have been opening everywhere, it's getting state-of-the-art health care. Everything in the hospital was new and modern, from the smooth gray wood floor to the comfortable tan, gray, and red furniture in the huge, spacious lobby. Even the chair in the doctor's room was comfortable and had padding instead of just papers laid on the vinyl.

Cooper University Health Care opens up into the Moorestown Mall. The only store open when I finished my appointment around 10 was Boscov's. I did need something there that I hadn't bought on vacation. My underwire bras were all bent out of shape and uncomfortable and needed to be replaced. The problem is, I don't like the padded ones that are more common now. I come with plenty of my own padding, thank you! I chose two from Vanity Fair that looked comfortable and one from Warners, all for 30 percent off.

After I bought them, I made my way around the Mall and across Route 38 to Stacks On 38 (just barely missing the huge lawn mower cutting the grass on the meridian). Stacks On 38 is a breakfast place situated on the edge of the Homegoods/Marshalls shopping center. They were busy when I arrived, not surprising since it was barely past 11, but I did get a table by the windows. Had three delicious crepes filled with apple compote and topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar. The turkey bacon was limp, but edible. Listened to four Cooper Health doctors and nurses doing work on their laptops at the table in front of me.

When I got home, I colored a picture of Strawberry leaving for Big Apple City in my vintage Strawberry Shortcake coloring book and watched Remember WENN. We open the second season with "Radio Silence." Jeff Singer survived the London bombings and is being sent home. Victor Comstock wasn't that lucky. Devastated that she never got to tell him how she felt about him, Betty goes into seclusion, writing scripts where nothing bad happens and insisting on a minute of silence for Victor every hour. Scott tries to tell the distraught young woman that you can't live your life drowning in grief, but it's Jeff who finally gets through to her when he returns.

Hilary's absolutely delighted that Jeff came home to her...maybe a little too much. They've gone from constantly bickering to reciting baby talk on their morning shows and making everyone at the station and in their audience nauseous. They finally say "I Now Pronounce You Man and Wife Again" when they get remarried in Mexico...and instantly regret it. Meanwhile, Scott convinces organist Eugenia Bremer to take over their new late night show. (Which will take her out of the remaining second season.)

Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while I finished coloring. "Daniel Asks Before Touching Someone Else" is one of two brand-new episodes currently on the PBS Kids website. Daniel loves going to the playground with his little sister Margaret, but is baffled when she doesn't want a hug. Mrs. Tiger tells him he has to ask when touching someone, as they might be sensitive about it. Prince Wednesday asks Daniel when he wants a push on the swings. "Jodi Asks Before Touching Someone Else" when she wants to touch Miss Elania's new braids, and she doesn't appreciate that. Likewise, O the Owl isn't big on someone touching his back and asks to be the caboose in their kid train.

Went down for a nap after Daniel ended. I was up way too late last night and had that early appointment this morning. The boot was not the most comfortable thing to sleep in! I know my heel needs to be stretched, but it didn't feel great. Somehow or other, I managed to doze off until 4 PM.

Watched Summer School on Pluto TV after I finished reading a few chapters of Donna Parker: Mystery At Arawak. Physical education teacher Freddie Shoop (Mark Harmon) is not looking forward to teaching remedial English to a disparate group of high school kids, including a whiny geek who is the only underachiever in his family (Richard Horviz), a pregnant girl (Shawnee Smith), a surf-crazy girl who is living with her aunt and uncle (Courtney Thorne-Smith), and two best buddies who are the world's biggest fans of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Gary Riley and Dean Cameron). 

Shoop has no idea what to do with them. He first takes them on field trips, then promises to do things for them if they study. That ends when one of the horror fans ruins his car, their wild party destroys his couch, and the besotted surfer girl tries to move in. He has the obnoxious vice principal (Robin Thomas) breathing down his neck, even as he pursues the attractive history teacher (Kirstie Alley) who is in the room next to his. When the kids try to get more favors, he understandably blows a gasket. The kids bring him back and convince him that he's the only one who can help them show just how much they've learned.

On one hand, a lot of this is very typical of its era and movies of this type. Most of the kids are relatively bland, and a lot of the shenanigans seen here aren't all that different from other teen movies of this era like One Crazy Summer. There's also a few aspects that haven't dated well, notably Shoop's constant pursuit of Robin when she keeps saying "no" and the surfer girl living with Shoop briefly (even Robin calls him on that one). On the other hand, there's some surprisingly realistic touches. The pregnant girl's story is handled in a fairly realistic and sensitive manner. There's also the results of that final test. None of the kids suddenly turn into geniuses, but they do improve. Honestly, if you're a fan of Harmon or of the slobs vs snobs comedies of the 80's, this has enough pluses to be worth checking out on a hot summer day.

I decided to do something different for dinner after my heavy brunch. I dragged my food processor up from the basement, brought down a can of chickpeas and my peanut butter, added olive oil, salt, and pepper, and made hummus. Sliced celery, added a few Cherry tomatoes and PopCorners, and loaded them onto a plate. Not bad, considering I haven't made this in a long time. It was a quick, healthy dinner, anyway.

Ate dinner while watching Match Game '76. Most of the night finished out the week with Scoey Mitchelll and Susan Howard. By the time Gene was helping a woman who ran an egg-based restaurant with the Audience Match, they'd switched to Orson Bean, Betty White, and character actress Pat Delaney.

Finished the night back at Pluto TV with The Wild Wild West. It's "The Night of the Two-Legged Buffalo" when Jim and Artemis are supposed to protect a spoiled prince (Nick Adams) from a remote tropical island whose father wants to make a treaty with the US. The prince only cares about living the good life at fancy spas and lavish hunting lodges. The prince, however, is walking right into a den of assassins who definitely don't want that treaty to go through. Jim has Artie act as a decoy, at least until they realize who's really behind the assassination attempts. 

When You're Hot

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cult Flops - Bitter Sweet (1933)

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

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

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

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

Going Global Games

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Double Your Money (1955)

3-2-1 (1978)

Chain Letters (1987)

Going for Gold (1990)

Small Talk (1994)

Never Mind the Buzzcocks Premiere (1996)

Walks and Games

Got a quick start today with breakfast and Shirt Tales. "Taj Mahal Tyg" is kept as a pet by a maharajah and his son while the others search for the prince's real pet tiger. They find a bigger tiger, but it turns out he's known to the maharajah, too. The Shirt Tales head to China in search of the best Chinese food around. After they mistake a magician's home for a restaurant, Bogey ends up insulting the magician. He turns him into "Brass Bogey" while the others figure out how to escape the magician's illusions.

Called Uber after the episode ended. The one going to Cherry Hill took 13 minutes and got me to Cooper Bone and Joint with fifteen minutes to spare. The first one I called to take me to the Chestnut Place Condos (which isn't that close to Cooper) canceled. The second picked me up in 3 minutes. There was a little traffic on Cuthbert Road going to Cooper. Otherwise, no trouble.

Soon as I got to Cooper, I went right upstairs and signed in briefly. I did most of the checking in online, so I didn't talk to the lady for very long. The waiting room was pretty full, but I only had to wait about 10 minutes for them to see me. The kindly Asian doctor checked my knee...and declared it fine. I think it was mostly that super-cold winter that caused the trouble. It gets a little stiff sometimes, but nothing like in January and February. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes. 

Went next-door to Dunkin' Donuts for a treat. I still have that gift card I got from one of the kids. Dodged what looked like remodeling on the back window area to order a cream donut and limeade. Yum! The cream donut was bursting with frosting. The limeade was nicely tart. I enjoyed them and the silence - thankfully, no one was working on the window remodeling at that point.

The Chestnut Place Condos are next on my list of Cherry Hill buildings currently listed as having a condo available. This 60's-era building looks pretty identical to Sussex House, but twice its size and in far better shape on the outside. Nothing but patio furniture on the balconies, too. Like Playa Del Sol, they had a pool (which was quiet at 10:30), along with a small picnic pavilion, and is surrounded by a quiet neighborhood with regular 50's-60's tract homes and what looks like a brand-new Jewish temple. 

Two big red flags on this one, though. There seem to be no sidewalks in the neighborhood. That doesn't make it very walkable. The other is its location. Though the neighborhood itself is peaceful and largely residential, it's just off Kaighns Avenue. That's one of the busiest streets in Cherry Hill, and difficult to cross. I'd have a hard time getting to Wegman's or Shop Rite and the library from there. 

On the other hand, it's not even a five-minute walk from the Hillview Shopping Center. Used the bathroom at Target, then bought popcorn and Coke Zero for the movies. This was also the first time I'd ever seen the new Nature Valley Wafer Bars on sale. Usually, they're expensive and not included in most sales. I had to try strawberry and honey vanilla. 

Had lunch at the Silver Diner next. This chrome eatery perches on the edge of the hill and gives you a splendid view of the Cherry Hill Mall and Cherry Hill Plaza. They specialize in comfort food made with healthy ingredients, like my half of a turkey bacon club sandwich on sourdough and Caesar salad. The club was made with real sliced turkey, crunch bacon, and fresh mozzarella. I ordered a plate of Old Bay fries, too. They were tasty, but a plate of anything covered in eye-watering spices is a little too much for me! The refreshing watermelon-mint lemonade, with its sprig of mint on top and cucumber slices, went a long way towards cooling me off.

Strolled over to Kohl's to kill some time before I went to the movies. Looked for underwear, but I didn't like anything they had. I'll save major shopping for when Lauren visits next week. Ducked around the long line at Customer Service to check out Looney Tunes stuffed animals and kids' books.

It was still pretty early when I went to AMC Cherry Hill 24, which is a bit down the hill from Kohl's and the Silver Diner, next to what used to be T.G.I Friday's. I had no intention of buying food here this time, so I thought I'd try a crane instead...but the crane's money box was so full of tokens, I couldn't get more in! I just found the theater for Supergirl early. 

I was there so early, it was 15 minutes before they even started the commercials. I had almost the whole small theater to myself, too. There was only one other person way in back. Good. That meant I could sit in the row intended for wheelchairs and had plenty of room to spread out. The seats at AMC Cherry Hill are cramped and not that comfortable.

There's some interesting movies coming out during the second half of the year. The Invite is supposed to be a comedy, but the ad made what appears to be the story of a couple who invites another couple who won't leave look more like horror. The End of Oak Street, a horror movie about a family whose street is separated and attacked by what looks like giant dinosaurs, is a bit too dark for my taste. Forgotten Island would be of more interest if it wasn't coming out right when I'm likely going to be on my second vacation in late September. Unless I can talk Lauren into it, I'll probably wait for it to come out on streaming. Despite having played the game as a teen, I have no interest in Street Fighter whatsoever. I could also care less about more Hunger Games. I thought the first three were more than enough. Klara and the Sun looks much sweeter and quieter. That or the stop-motion animated Wildwood might be worth checking out in late October if I have the time the week before Halloween. 

I'm not going to go into heavy details because of spoilers, but I did enjoy Supergirl. Like Super Mario Galaxy Movie earlier in the year, I don't think the critics are giving it a fair shake. It's not what I expected, but it's far from horrible. Milly Alcock is a sassy, sozzled delight as the tough title character, and Jason Momoa makes an even better Lobo than he did Aquaman (even if he doesn't have that much screen time). Also, I give it credit for the brief running time. Most superhero epics tend to push two hours or longer. This one clocks in at a little over an hour and a half. There's no unnecessary padding, and the exposition showing Kara's backstory in Argo City is spread out throughout the film, rather than being lumped in the beginning like the 1978 Superman. 

I think most people were expecting it to be more like the upbeat Superman film from last year and less like a 90's anti-hero comic book movie. This is not a colorful romp. Everything is dusty grays and browns until Kara turns up in her super suit late in the film. For all of Kara's wisecracks, this movie is pretty dark. On the other hand, it has some amazing creature work. I could spend half the movie just checking out all the weird aliens they meet on that interstellar bus. DC really did get creative with the special effects on this one.

In the end, this is highly recommended for older fans of the Woman of Steel or Lobo if they can handle the violence and some heavy themes and aren't expecting this to imitate Superman.

Quickly headed for the pedestrian walkway to the Cherry Hill Mall after the movie ended. I stopped at Old Navy to make change and buy a Diet Coke, then ducked around remodeling on the front entrance to wait for the 4:20 NJ Transit bus to Camden. For once, it was exactly on time. No trouble getting home, not even on Cuthbert. Got off at the right street and walked the rest of the way. At least it had clouded over by then. It had been sunny, humid, and hot for most of the day, though probably neither as hot or as humid as it's supposed to be starting Wednesday.

After I got home, I put on an episode of Justice League Unlimited featuring Supergirl. It's "Fearful Symmetry" when Kara begins having disturbing dreams of destroying a lab, feeling like she was there. The Green Arrow just wants to pound whomever is doing this to the kid, but conspiracy-minded The Question knows there's more going on here than seen on the surface. Kara's shocked to find that the real reason she's having those dreams hits closer to home than she could imagine.

Switched to Match Game '75 during dinner. For some reason, they skipped ahead to the week with Jack Cassidy, Betty White, and Conny Van Dyke. Gene and Richard throw Conny around, while Betty White is disappointed when handsome Ron Valenti finally loses. And speaking of Superman, Jack Cassidy and Charles Nelson Reilly mention Cassidy's role as the villain in the original Broadway cast of It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. (And may I add that the creators of that show missed a marvelous opportunity there? Jack would have made a great Lex Luthor.) 

Finished the night honoring Pride Month at YouTube. Charles Nelson Reilly was told early in his career that a gay man would never work on television. Ironically, he's now best-known for his TV appearances, especially on Match Game. He and his drinking buddy Brett Somers really made the show with their banter and wisecracks. In the episode here, they get to witness the arrival of the new Star Wheel...and join everyone else in walking off when it lands on Richard Dawson, when it was created to give other panelists a chance to play.

What's My Line was never afraid to feature guests of all types. Liberace was still wildly popular when he appeared as the Mystery Guest on this 1962 episode. Buddy Hackett was the one who guessed him easily here. 

Merrill Heater was so enamored with his show Battlestars, he gave it a try twice. The episode we have here is the premiere of the later version from 1983. Jim J. Bullock, then appearing on Too Close for Comfort, is usually subdued on this Hollywood Squares variation that puts all of the panelists in triangles...until Debbie Reynolds practically jumps on him. Alex Trebek was the mildly amused host of both versions.

The 90's-early 2000's Hollywood Squares also had no trouble featuring a wide variety of celebrities. Writer and actor Bruce Villanch was a regular in the late 90's, and one of my favorite regulars on the show. Look for Rosie O'Donnell as well near center square Whoopi Goldberg in the show's premiere episode.

Robert Reed did one of the more interesting episodes of the 1972 syndicated I've Got a Secret. It starts with four young ladies who were caretakers for baby animals at a local safari park. They even brought some with them, and if the baby iguana was not the most adorable, the sweet little leopardess and the tiny baby lioness who roared into the microphone were dolls. Reed helped a courtroom artist show how then-modern technology could make creating artwork of a criminal much faster.

The current version of $100,000 Pyramid also cast a wide net for their contestants. Here, it's a battle of the hosts as Ken Jennings of Jeopardy goes against (and beats the pants off of) Ross Matthews of RuPal's Drag Race, while RuPaul himself battled Carson Kressley of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Carson was the winner there as both groups helped a set of twins win big money. 

Celebrate Pride Month with some of the funniest and most brilliant people around in these hilarious and thought-provoking episodes!

What's My Line (1962)

I've Got a Secret (1972)

Match Game (1978)

The New Battlestars Premiere (1983)

Hollywood Squares Premiere (1998)

$100,000 Pyramid (2023) 

Busy Time In the Late Spring

Began the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. Ladybird uses powers gained from another meteor fragment to control huge, shiny dog statues in the museum. "Mighty Pups, Super Paws: Pups and the Big Twin Trick" has Ella making use of her ability to become huge to make Ladybird think she's a statue, too. Mayor Humdinger turns into the Incredible Hum-Hulk when he finds a meteor fragment. Having terrified the Kitty Catastrophe Crew, he chases every cat in town, including two big snow tigers. "Mighty Pups, Super Paws: Pups and the Mega Mayor" have to rescue the cats, round up the Kitty Catastrophe Crew, and bring this Hum-Hulk back down to size.

Switched briefly to Password Plus on Buzzr while I made my grocery list. As part of their Game Show Month marathon, they're running the remaining existing episodes with Tom Kennedy hosting from 1981 and 1982. The one I saw before I left was the week with Fred Grandy and Edie McClurg. 

Headed out to run errands next, despite the heavy heat, humidity, and bright sunshine. The reason I took the bike was so I could hit Collingswood Family Practice first. They had paperwork for Healthy Kids I had to sign. Signed the paper, put it in my backpack, and was on my way.

Next up was the Westmont Acme for this week's grocery trip there. Restocked blueberries, yogurt, soda, granola, and granola bars. Had a really good online coupon for sliced Swiss cheese. Since I had time, I headed up the hill to Sprouts after I finished at the Acme. Got dried mango slices, peanut butter cookies that were on clearance, diet sodas that weren't too expensive, and a delicious tuna salad with herbs and cucumbers sandwich on a multi-grain baguette. Thought I'd try oat milk and a bag of buckwheat pancakes mix that was on the clearance rack. I thought about checking out Target, but Haddon Township's schools are already on half-days. The bike rack was filled with kids' bikes. Not to mention, I didn't have the time. I just rode home after I finished at Sprouts.

Put everything away, then had a quick lunch while returning to Password Plus. By the time I got home, they'd moved on to the week with Lucille Ball and Dick Martin. Lucy's a good player. Dick wasn't, but he can be pretty funny and good-natured about it. They were just starting the late 2000's Drew Carey Price Is Right when I called Uber. I nearly sweated to death riding around this morning! Prioritized the one going to Thomas Sharp. It came in 8 minutes. The one going home arrived in 11, not bad for the height of rush hour.

(Got my schedule while at home, too. I had to take four days off for half-days at Thomas Sharp next week. Good thing I made two of those four days vacation days. The only day I actually work next week is Sunday. I'll probably make more money than if I did work.)

Despite starting with no tables in the cafeteria again, things largely went better today than it did yesterday. For one thing, we had 19 kids all together, 8 in my group. They were a little rowdy in the bathroom, but not bad. For another, we never left the cafeteria. The older kids did go outside, but the younger ones didn't. There was no fussing over who colored what. I was able to read one of the little girls Hop On Pop and build colorful Duplo towers with some of the boys. They did bring the older kids in, but they were so noisy, they ended up taking them and the remaining three younger kids back outside. (One boy and his brother left when I did.) The kids were lucky they ended up postponing the Blacktop Bash until next Thursday due to the heat, or they wouldn't have been going out at all.

Put on the Bob Barker Price Is Right when I got home and got organized. I was there in time for the Showcase Showdown, and then the Showcases themselves. One with a crossword puzzle theme came out with trips. The other had a car. The lady with the car ended up getting a whole lot of prizes.

Switched to Match Game '74 next. They finished out the Michael Evans week in the first hour. Richard Dawson spent that week caught between sweetly goofy Joyce Bulifant and Fannie Flagg's whimsical southern witticisms. For some reason, the second hour jumped back to the Arte Johnson-Michelle Lee week that they just ran, so I went elsewhere.

Went to YouTube for more Swamp Fox. As in real life, the American Revolution pits "Brother Against Brother" as those loyal to the king burns the homes and land of residents who want independence. One of the few homes not burned is the stately dwelling belonging to Mary Videux (Joy Page) and her family. Marion's men are ready to burn her home, but her reminds them that two wrongs most definitely do not make a right. Mary assures them that she's on their side, no matter what her parents say, and she can pass information to them. She's the one who tells them that the English will be transferring prisoners, and how to rescue them...

Finished the night at Disney Plus with another type of swashbuckling American hero, Zorro. "Zorro Rides to the Mission" to stop its owner from selling out to the greedy Captain Monastario. Don Diego Vega tries to talk to him...but it's not until he sees him abusing the Native American workers that Zorro swings into action!

The New Doctor Is In

Began the morning with Shirt Tales. The "Nearsighted Bear" is a circus performer who refuses to wear his glasses...until the Shirt Tales rescue him when he tries to run away and bounces all over town. The mysterious villain the Hand has stolen all of the money from popular rock group the Patriots' charity tour. Big fan Rick is excited to lead "The Magical Musical Caper" to recover the money and find the Hand.

I thought I was just on time when I hurried out to my doctor's appointment...but I forgot it was at 10:20, not 10:30. I was five minutes late. They took me almost as soon as I came in. After I got my blood pressure checked (slightly high, but I hadn't taken my medicine - I needed to eat first), I talked to Dr. Lauren, my new physician. She turned out to be a round younger woman who sort of looked like my best friend Lauren. 

She checked all of the usual places, like eyes and ears, then asked me for my history. I told her about everything that had gone on this year and all of the stress I was under between the two jobs, the arthritic knee, and trying to find a condo. Yes, I can now admit to myself that I am under a lot of stress. I'm trying to do a lot, and I'm doing it on my own. She suggested therapy, but...I think I've had enough therapy. I need action and real connection, not just talk. They were busy and I had to wait a while, but they did do my blood work and confirm that I was able to work with children. After they took the needle out of my arm, I was all set to go.

I treated myself to brunch at the Westmont. I hadn't been over there for a while. I had chocolate chip pancakes with a bowl of fruit. They were very quiet, especially for lunch hour, with only one or two other pairs of friends chatting in booths. The pancakes were excellent, even if the chocolate chips were on top of the pancakes, rather than in them. The fruit was sliced pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, and strawberries in a bowl, and as such wasn't bad. Had real unsweetened iced tea to wash it all down.

Went straight home and into The Rockford Files. Rockford is hired by a snobbish young millionaire (James Woods) to find out who killed his father in "The Kirkoff Case." The police think the young man did it. So does the father's gold-digging mistress (Julie Sommars). Even Rockford's beginning to wonder after the head of the local mob (Abe Vigoda) claims he did it, too.

Switched to something different while I ate a quick lunch. I found a channel on YouTube devoted to Hungarian Folk Tales, short fairy tales animated to resemble Hungarian art. They're simple but charming, and I started with one story I know from other cultures - "One Eyed, Two Eyed, Three Eyed." This is a Cinderella variant with a good sister with two eyes. Her one-eyed and three-eyed sisters are ignored by suitors, which makes them jealous. She has a goat that gives her food. When they order the goat killed, she buries the bones. She's the only one who can pick the golden apples on the tree that grows in their place, catching the eye of a handsome prince.

Headed to Thomas Sharp after the cartoon ended. I'm not the only one diving into fairy tales today. Many of the kids were dressed as kings, queens, princesses, and princes themselves. One little boy wore a full king costume, including a crown and plastic scepter. A little miss was a lovely queen in a tiara and a fluffy white and blue dress. There were two little Rapunzels, a mini Elsa in an ice-blue dress, a girl in a sundress with huge poofy sleeves, and one who just settled for a Disney Princess shirt. Some of the boys wore golden paper crowns.

Thank heavens things went much better than they did at the end of last week. For one thing, not only was the head teacher back, but one of the teachers for the older kids who was in a car accident and had been out since spring break had fully recovered, too. We had 22 kids, 11 at my table. I read a Sesame Street board book, a Cars Golden book about Mater and Lightning McQueen, and Emma In Charge, a very cute story about a bossy brown bear cub playing teacher for her toys, to a few of the kids after snack time. 

There were a few problems when we got outside. The two Rapunzels would not let one of the other girls who was dressed normally play with them. The young miss was so disappointed, I turned her towards two of the other girls instead. One of the Rapunzels fibbed about her parents coming to try to get on the swings sooner. Another girl refused to put her shoes back on, then threw a fit when I wouldn't let her have a second ride on the swings until she did. Oh, and having them line up when it's time to swing is working out just fine. I just need to keep the line from getting too close to the kids doing the swinging.

At least the weather was great for all the running around. In fact, it was perfect. Golden sunshine with a soft blue sky and a wonderfully cool breeze. Couldn't be nicer for early June. 

Took out the recycling, took the laundry downstairs, then watched Match Game '74 while eating dinner. Most of tonight finished off the week with Gary Burghoff and Elaine Joyce. The second hour picked up with the first week for Richard Deacon, Nipsey Russell's only appearance in the third seat next to Brett, and Petticoat Junction sister Gunilla Hutton in her first and only time on the show.

Returned to YouTube next for more Hungarian Folk Tales after the laundry was done. "The Fox Princess" is a wily female fox who poses as a princess so a kind young prince can marry the real bride. "Brave Prince Nick" defeats dragons with many heads to restore the sun, moon, and stars to the sky. "The Water Fairy" steals a young man she'd been promised before he was born. His grieving wife brushes her hair and spins until the fairy releases him...and even then, they end up on the opposite sides of the world before they meet again. "The Two Princes With Hair of Gold" are killed by a treacherous witch who wants her daughter to marry the king, but they return to their father in a most unexpected way. "The Hedgehog" is adopted by a poor man and his wife after he helps them, a king, and a merchant out of the woods. The merchant's daughter won't marry him, but the king's kind daughter will. He repays her gentleness by showing his true form.

Here's the channel, so you can see these lovely short fairy tales from Eastern Europe yourself!

Hungarian Folk Tales

Finished the night back at Tubi for Storybook International. "The Blind Beauty" is the daughter of a merchant in Indonesia who had let go of a kind, hard-working young man when his jealous foreman accuses him of stealing. It's the foreman who causes the trouble, scaring away all the merchant's customers, until the merchant has nothing, and his daughter has gone blind. Meanwhile, the young man has made a good name for himself, working for his uncle. He's now ready to help the girl and her father, and she doesn't need eyes to know what true kindness and hard work is. 

The Rains of Spring

My day did not begin well. I awoke to see my alarm clock said 7:42...and I had to be at Cooper Bone and Joint in Cherry Hill at 8! It was showering and gloomy, too. Even rushing breakfast and dressing didn't make things go any faster. I called for an Uber...and they couldn't arrive for 19 minutes. Between all of that and heavy traffic on Cuthbert, I was almost a half-hour late. 

Thankfully, things picked up considerably from there. It was only about 10-15 minutes when they did get me into the x-ray room, and another 5-10 minutes after that when I talked to the kindly older Asian doctor. He confirmed what I'd suspected since my knee first started hurting in January - I have mild arthritis in my left knee. Thankfully, it wasn't bad enough to need anything removed or done surgically, but it would need help. I got an injection and a list of exercises to do when I was up to it and made an appointment to follow-up in late June and see how it was doing. 

Since it was cold and cloudy when I got out but not raining, I treated myself to the Dunkin' Donuts next-door to the Cooper Bone and Joint building. Considering it was almost 10 by that point, I'm surprised they were so quiet and had so many donuts. I went with a simple jelly donut and a Chocolate Strawberry Refresher, which turned to be a very sweet strawberry drink topped with chocolate foam. A little odd, but not bad. 

Called Uber from there. Ironically, considering all the trouble I had getting there, I got a ride back in five minutes. This time, there was no traffic. I was home within 10-15 minutes, even with light rain starting up again. 

Put on Pirates of Dark Water, which I hadn't had time for before I left, when I got in. Ren smells "Victory" when he and Nibbler manage to escape Bloth, and Tula realizes Bloth has no intention of rewarding her for betraying the others. She gets the compass and first treasure back, while Ren confronts Bloth, and Ioz brings The Wraith back. 

Switched to The Moonspinners on Disney Plus after the cartoon ended. Teenager Nikky Ferris (Haley Mills) and her Aunt Frances (Joan Greenwood) arrive on Crete to continue her aunt's work gathering folk songs. They're not exactly welcome at the Moonspinners Inn, where the owner Sophia's (Irene Papas) brother Stratos (Eli Wallach) doesn't want guests beyond a wedding party, but her young son Alexis (Michael Davis) wants them to stay. She encounters young Englishman Mark Camford (Peter McEnery) at the wedding and falls for him. 

She's disappointed when he seems to have checked out the next day, but it turns out there's a lot more here than it appears. Stratos is a jewel thief who intends to sell jewelry Mark was supposed to bring to a client to Madame Habib (silent star Pola Negri in her last role). He first beats Mark, then kidnaps Nikky. After Mark and Alexis rescue her, she and a badly hurt Mark flee to British consul Anthony Gamble (John Le Mesurieir). Gamble, however, has secrets of his own, and after he drugs Mark, Nikky realizes that she's the one who will have to warn the Madame and make her realize that she's taking part in international smuggling.

I remember this turning up quite a bit on The Disney Channel during my childhood. Rose loved it. I thought it was a little weird. I like it slightly better now, but it's not my favorite Disney movie from this era. Wallace and Negri are the stand-outs as the tough fisherman who wants to make more money than he ever could catching seafood and the mysterious lady. In fact, I really wish Negri had more to do. She only appears in the last 20 minutes or so. Though Davis is funny, McEnery is dull as the love interest, and Nikky comes off as a bit naive until she finally takes matters into her own hands. Still worth a peek if you love Mills, jewel capers, or international action movies from the early-mid 60's. 

Spent most of the morning looking up government agencies that might be able to help me buy a house. Most of the ones I found were intended to help people with mental difficulties rent or live in a group home. I did eventually get the general idea of some non-profit and government organizations that might be more helpful, and even get me loans. I'm just doing research this week. I'll go further tomorrow.

Switched back to cartoons for Paw Patrol during lunch.  "Pups Save the Butterflies" when purple monarchs seemingly attack the town. Turns out Mayor Humdinger stole their bush to beat Mayor Goodway at a local flower competition. The pups have to find the scout butterfly and get Humdinger to put the bush back where it belongs. He's the one causing trouble again when he steals a statue of Goodway's beloved pet chicken Chickaletta to melt it down and make a statue of him in "Pups Save an Underground Chicken." The pups chase him through the underground sewer system to catch him.

Called Uber after the pups ended. Thankfully, no trouble here. I had to wait 13 minutes for a ride to the Thomas Sharp School, but I called early enough that I was right on time. Though the rain was long gone by 5:15, it was damp, windy, and cold. I got lucky again here. The Uber driver going home once again took 5 minutes to arrive. I would have walked, but my knee was still sore from the injection and wasn't up to it.

Good thing I got there when I did. We had 24 kids today, 10 at my table, and they couldn't go outside again. This time, they couldn't even use the library for most of the afternoon. There was some kind of school function going on in there. Though it hadn't rained in a while, the playground was still wet, and it was too cold and windy for running around outside. My kids mostly cleaned up fine and weren't that bad in the bathrooms. I had a harder time with the second round of kids going to the bathrooms, including one poor girl who fell down, hurt her knee, got very upset, and needed band aids. Another girl was even angrier when one of the little boys knocked over the magnetic tile house she was working on...but as I tried to explain, knocking over his train wasn't going to make the situation better.

The library didn't clear out until almost 5 PM. Maybe it's just as well. There was plenty of space for 7 kids to dance to "I'm Still Standing," the themes from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Bluey, and "Your Idol" from KPop Demon Hunters. By the time I was done, there were three kids left, and they were moving back to the cafeteria.

When I got home, I took out the recycling, put the laundry downstairs, and grabbed dinner. Watched Match Game Syndicated while I ate. Most of the two hours were devoted to that wild week with Sharon Farrell, Richard Paul, Betty White, and McLean Stevenson. Though they skipped the episode with Betty turning up in that short red dress for some reason, we did get to see more of the contestant with the crazy laugh and see everyone miss the obvious answer on what a samurai baker watches. 

Finished the night and continued Women's History Month honoring the original Price Is Right models and watching other shows they appeared on. Probably the most famous and long-running of the Price Models from the 70's through the 90's would be Janice Pennington. She was on for so long, she debuted with the show in 1972 and didn't leave until 2000. My favorite of her appearances on another game show was the utterly hilarious episode of the 1972 I've Got a Secret where Charles Nelson Reilly "painted" her belly as his secret...and Gene Rayburn sure liked what he was doing! Janice also appeared on Hollywood Squares in 1988, doing their Christmas show with Debbie Reynolds, Joan Rivers, Chris Lemmon, Jm J. Bullock, and Jason Hervey of The Wonder Years, among others. 

Janice was one of three models who appeared on Match Game during its 1973-1982 run. Anitra Ford turned up a few weeks after Janice in 1976, shortly before she left the show. Richard Dawson spent the entire time flirting with a gorgeous blonde contestant who kept on winning. Holly Hallstrom was a semi-regular in her own right from 1979 through 1981. I have one of her later appearances here, where Gene shows off her fashionable (and incredibly short) ruffled blouse and shorts.

Janice, Bob Barker, Rod Roddy, and Dian Parkinson played their fellow CBS daytime stablemates The Young and the Restless on a very funny week of Family Feud in 1991. Gene Wood even called the Price cast to "come on down" instead of having them turn up in a pose in the sampler entrances. (Kathleen Kennedy replaced her when they played each other in syndication.) Not only did they play well, but they won every Fast Money too, making a ton of money for their (animal-related, given who their boss is) charity, too.

Anitra, Janice, Holly, Kathleen, Dian...come on down! Let's honor the ladies who keep the refrigerators and cars humming on America's favorite game show in these hilarious episodes!

I've Got a Secret (1972)

Match Game (1976)

Match Game Syndicated (1981)

Hollywood Squares (1988)

Family Feud (1991)

Family Feud (1991)

Corner of the Sky

Began the morning with breakfast and the 2018 version of Muppet Babies. "The Spoon In the Stone" is really a spoon Nanny stuck in a dry block of clay. The kids imagine it as the mystical spoon that can only be pulled by the greatest knight. Piggy, Gonzo, and Animal all try their luck, but in the end, Summer proves that the greatest knight is the one who helps others. "Gonzonochio" lost his library book, but keeps telling fibs to cover the truth. The kids keep confronting all the shady characters he claims has it, until he has to use his growing nose to fight Bunsen and Beaker's ping-pong playing robot that got out of control.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. Though I can walk on my knee, it's still really sore. It shouldn't still be sore after a month and a half. I figured it would be better once the weather changed. I had to get it checked out. The driver arrived in 7 minutes, and got me to Audubon in three.

I really should have called first. The waiting room at Cooper Health Urgent Care in Audubon was full to capacity when I arrived. The lady at the desk said it would be an hour and a half wait! I didn't have the time for that. I just bought a peppermint mocha hot chocolate from the WaWa next-door and walked home, despite the dreary cold, cloudy day. I already would be paying for the ride to Thomas Sharp School later.

When I got home, I dusted the apartment while watching Pippin. This is a 1981 recording of the Bob Fosse-choreographed 1971 musical with music by Steven Schwartz. William Katt is the title character, the elder son of Charlemagne who spends the show searching for his purpose. The Leading Player (Ben Vereen) and the cast frame it as a musical revue, much like Fosse would do later with Chicago's vaudeville. Chita Rivera is Pippin's scheming mother, Martha Raye is his grandmother who teaches him to enjoy the time he has left on this earth, and Leslie Dennison is the sweet woman who climbs out of the narrative by falling for him. Though this is apparently a shortened version (Pippin's lover is missing her big ballad "I Guess I'll Miss the Man"), it still hits enough beats to show why this was a hit in 1971 and in a popular 2013 revival. The sets and costumes are relatively minimal, but the score is one of Schwartz's best, and Katt and Vereen are terrific as the confused young man who wants to be "Extraordinary" and the player pushing and prodding him into that "Glory."

Pippin finished in time for me to call Uber. I had even less trouble this time. Though it did take 12 minutes for the driver to come going there, it only took 7 going home, surprising during rush hour. No traffic anywhere today.

The kids were crazy when I got in, and we had a lot of them. We had 24 to start, including 10 at my table. Thankfully, the bathrooms weren't that bad. It was later, in the cafeteria and library, where we had trouble. For one thing, we couldn't go to the library until later. The school band was meeting there. I had such a hard time reminding two boys to share all the Duplos, I almost made them clean it up well before their time in the cafeteria was done. I spent what little time we had in the library drawing with several kids while the others danced to the themes from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Bluey, "Ghostbusters," and kids' dance numbers like "The Wiggle Dance."

Put on Match Game Syndicated after I got in, took the laundry downstairs and the recycling outside, and finished Pippin. Most of these episodes covered the week with Diana Sorvino, a friend of Charles Nelson Reilly's and the only opera star to appear on any version of Match Game. Too bad she never came back, as she was a decent player and dodged opera diva jokes like a champ. Former beauty queen Marjorie Wallace was in the 4th ingenue seat the next week. She was joined on the lower tier by Marcia Wallace and Gary Crosby.

Finished the night watching To the Ends of Time on Tub after I finally remembered to bring the laundry upstairsi. This 1996 TV fantasy film has a really interesting premise. Desperate to end war in his kingdom in the clouds, a king (Joss Ackland) has his magician (Michael Silverback) create a machine that can control time itself. The king decides it's too powerful and orders it destroyed, but it ends up in the hands of a furious sorceress (Sarah Douglas) who puts a terrible curse over the kingdom. Every living thing ages a year every day, including the King's daughter (Christine Taylor) and the servant boy who has a crush on her (Tom Schultz). When his brother is killed trying to find the time machine, the young man vows that he'll destroy the machine, before they're all too old to do anything about it.

The movie makes the most of its limited TV budget with fairly impressive miniatures and costumes...but it becomes obvious when we see the flying boats move with strings or against early CGI backgrounds or the really bad aging makeup and gray wigs on almost everyone. Some of the dialogue is a little stiff, too, especially in the second half when the guy is making his quest. And there's plot holes galore, including the kids never going back to their original ages (or getting their childhoods back) in the end. It's still worth watching for fans of fantasy who can deal with some low-budget cheese in their fairy tales. 

O Christmas Matches

Got a quick start today with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. "Mickey and Pluto Go Camping" at Friendship Lake. While they enjoy their time together, they also admit that they miss their friends. Turns out the others had the same idea and eventually join them.

Hurried off to work after that. Work was pretty much the same as yesterday. Surprisingly busy in the morning, slowing down as afternoon hit. The fact that it's still sunny, windy, and cold probably helped scare some people off. By the time I finished, I had no trouble whatsoever with the carts. I stopped on the way home to buy Finley one last Christmas gift. Saw these cookie-tart things filled with icing on the clearance rack and thought I'd try them.

The other important thing I did at work today was get my flu and Covid shots. I'm overdue for both. Since the pharmacist goes on break around 1-1:30, I couldn't get it after work. I scheduled the appointment during my break. It was worth losing the extra time just to get it over with. 

As soon as I got home, I changed, had lunch, and went straight into Standing Ovation. I go further into this cute but heavily cliched teen dance movie from the early 2010's at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - Standing Ovation

After lunch, I dusted my rooms, then started putting up the Christmas decorations. The miscellaneous items always come first. I hung the wreath with the gold foil stars and big red velvet ribbon on my door. The needlepoint magnetic poinsettia I bought from a church bazaar, the red and green coasters I crocheted myself, the poinsettia place mats, the huge old Nativity that once belonged to my grandmother went in the living room. The bows and tinsel Garland got hung up in the bedroom and draped over book shelves. Decorated the feather-style tree I bought from Dollar Tree a few years ago with tiny ornaments and chenille candy canes I found at the Vermont Country Store.

The tree went up next as I put on tonight's YouTube marathon. I'll do the ornaments with Amanda tomorrow, but I put up the tree itself, the lights, the star, and the garlands tonight. Watched tonight's game show marathon while I worked. Match Game is far from the only older game shows to have episodes missing or can no longer be shown on Buzzr. In addition to being sensitive about the word "midget," Buzzr also skips episodes where people use the word "Oriental," which is now reserved for things, not people.

Password Plus and Super Password were both hit with the "oriental" clues. Orson Bean's story about a middle-eastern cab driver he met in New York in one episode probably didn't help things, either. Other episodes have bad tape that can't be seen or replaced. A 1973 episode of Match Game with Nanette Fabray only turned up this year due to tape damage. A nighttime Match Game episode had fringing around the edges of the screen. 

See some of the rarest game show episodes of all in this unique and thought-provoking marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Fully Stuffed Marathon: Skipped Episodes of Family Feud, Match Game, Password, and Password Plus

One Alone

Began the morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Adora is told to create the "Ties That Bind" with her horse Swift Wing as they restore The Watchtower, a First Ones relay station destroyed by the first She-Ra. Swift Wing's constant chatter annoys Adora at first, until she finally admits what she's really afraid of. Meanwhile, Glimmer and Bow capture Catra, then really regret it when all she does is annoy them and tell them that Entrapra is working for the Horde willingly.

Spent the rest of the morning watching the 1955 TV version of The Desert Song. I go further into this retelling of the sword-and-sand operetta with Nelson Eddy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - The Desert Song (1955)

Watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse during lunch. Daisy gets her Indiana Jones on to search for "The Golden Boo Boo" during Adventure Day at the Clubhouse. She and Mickey have to collect puzzle pieces from some very shady characters, including Mysterious Minnie and Safari Pete, before they can find where the golden chicken statue is hidden.

Hurried out for my appointment at South Jersey Radiology after Mickey ended. This time, I left early enough that I was only three minutes late. Checking my lower stomach went a lot better than my visit to the gynecologist did. In fact, the lady rubbing my stomach for the ultrasound, other than her pushing hard in some spots, felt more like she was giving me a really expensive massage. I was in and out in about a half-hour.

Since I was already nearby, I headed to the Westmont Acme after my appointment. I mainly needed yogurt, granola bars, and soda here. Kind was having really good sales. Got two containers of granola this time (Nature Valley was the good sale here). Treated myself to chocolate chip sandwich cookies from the bakery.

I needed even less at Sprouts. Just restocked coconut milk and sparkling water here, along with peanut butter cookies off the clearance rack. Dried cranberries in the bulk section were on a good sale. Everyone must either be on vacation or taking advantage of a cool, gloomy day to be elsewhere. Neither store was remotely busy or had anything resembling lines.

Went straight home and into working on Hilary and the Beasts. Hilary talks to Mackie on Christmas morning while Betty makes breakfast and C.J and Maple exclaim over their gifts. Mackie asks Hilary about the pressed rose bookmark he made her. She tells him about Troll and his love of roses. He's more concerned about her wanting to confront Pavla at the Nixon. He's heard that she's a black witch who uses her magic on those who get in her way. Hilary assures her father that she can take care of herself, and she wants to find out once and for all what happened to Jeff and the guys.

Listened to The Music Man while I worked. I went with the original cast from 1957, with Robert Preston as con-man Professor Harold Hill and Barbara Cook as Marian the Librarian. Though I actually like Preston better in the 1962 film, Cook is a radiant Marian here. In fact, this would finally make her a star after years of her appearing in supporting roles. Her "My White Knight" and "Till There Was You" are especially lovely. 

Switched to Match Game Syndicated during dinner. The episodes I saw is their Game Show Hosts week, where all the panelists but Brett either had been game show hosts (Bill Cullen, Dick Martin, Peter Marshall) or would be eventually (Elaine Joyce, Betty White). This was also the week Elaine and Betty got to admire a handsome young man from Alaska who had worked on the pipelines up there.

Watched more of the Storybook International episodes on Tubi after dinner. "The Solider Who Didn't Wash" is "Bearskin" without the bearskin and transported to Russia. Here, it's a Russian soldier who makes a deal with the devil to get money, and the Czar who offers the dirty soldier his daughter if he'll give him some. "The Well at the World's End" is a Scottish cross between "The Frog Prince" and "Valiska the Fair." The young woman who must gather water from the title well in a sieve gets advice on how to pull it off from a toad who insists on going home with her.

Finished the night with more of The Desert Song. My favorite version I have on record is the British Angel studio album from the 1950's. In addition to Edmund Hockeridge making an especially macho Red Shadow, we get a delightful Bruce Forsyth in two rare recordings of comedy numbers from this show, "It" and "One Good Boy Gone Wrong." 

Had a Bad Day

Began the morning with a phone call. The loan officer finally caught me when I was at home...and he didn't have good news. I'd have to save for two years to be able to buy a condo the way prices are now. I don't want to wait another two years! I've already lived here for three. I was so disappointed. I think I'll focus on finding a better job than the Acme once I get back from vacation next month and see if I can build up a little more money, then check back with PNC in the late winter or early spring.

Cheered myself off by finishing out the second season of What's New, Scooby Doo? on Tubi. "It's All Greek to Scooby" when the gang is on vacation in Athens. Shaggy purchases an amulet, which seemingly brings out a centaur who keeps pursuing him. Velma thinks there's something much deeper going on...but for once, the person under the mask is far from whom she expects.

I hurried out shortly after the episode ended. Took my bike, but I ran into traffic on Cuthbert and ended up being 15 minutes late to my gynecologist appointment. Fortunately, it was in the same building as South Jersey Radiology on the border of Haddonfield and Westmont, just on the second floor over the Radiology offices.

I'm not going to go into details, because it's icky and personal, but...I'm not happy at all. I ended up having to go downstairs to Radiology and make another appointment for Tuesday. I have to get pills from the Acme, too, likely for something caused by my perimenopause. I left the building feeling even worse than I had before.

I needed to try something new. Kismet Bagels and Luncheonette opened in Collingswood a few weeks ago, replacing the juice restaurant. They turned out to be a cross between a bakery and a sandwich shop. I had a turkey and tomato sandwich on a sea-salt rosemary bagel with garlic and herb "schmear" (aka cream cheese spread). Yum! Very messy due to a ton of "schmear," but very tasty. The bagel was perfectly crusty and salty.

Went back to Westmont to try another new restaurant that also comes from Philly. Scoop DeVille replaced the Rita's Water Ice in the cool glass building two blocks from Primo's. The contrast couldn't be more obvious. Everything about Scoop is local, from Philly-based names to frozen yogurt and vegan ice cream joining regular hand-made scoops. I ended up with a PB and J Shake that did, indeed, taste like peanut butter and strawberry jam.

Took the long way home across Westmont and Newton Lake Park. It was too nice not to! It was still cloudy and humid when I headed out, but by the time I was gulping my foamy peanut butter shake at a pastel table in front of Scoop DeVille, the day had turned gorgeous, windy and cool, likely in the 70's. I pushed my bike over the path on the hill in the park, enjoying the quiet and the wind blowing through the deep green leaves.

Headed straight home after that and into Remember WENN to make myself feel better after my bad day. "Scott Sherwood of the FBI" is also having a rough time. Station manager Scott's (Kevin O'Rourke) beloved Aunt Agatha (Jan Miner) turns up at the station, believing her con-artist of a nephew to be the head of the FBI. He and writer Betty Roberts (Amanda Naughton) play along, until what seems like a real agent turns up at the station, and Agatha reveals she knew darn well all along what Scott was up to.

Moved to The Chocolate Soldier after WENN ended. I go further in the 1955 TV version of the Strauss operetta with Eddie Albert as the candy-loving title character and Rise Stevens as the lady whose room he hides in at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - The Chocolate Soldier (1955)

Listened to Steel Pier next. This 1997 musical was a huge deal in South Jersey when it opened. The Press of Atlantic City did extensive articles on its trip to Broadway. There was so much hype around it in the real Atlantic City, I had to hear it. It's...ok. A dancer (Karen Ziemba) partners with a mysterious pilot in an Atlantic City dance marathon in 1933, only to discover he only has two weeks left on this earth. Yeah, the plot is way too much. Either a ghost story or a dance marathon would have been more than enough for any musical. There are some good songs. Ziemba's opening "Willing to Ride" is a great "I Want" number. Debra Monk scores with the ribald "Everyone's Girl," while Kristin Chenowith got some of her earliest exposure with "Two Little Words."

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts for most of the afternoon. Hilary is shocked when Troll turns up in the tuxedo Jeff wore in the Dreamscape. She's about ready to agree to his marriage proposal, especially as they all dance at the party held in the ballroom. It's all going very well...until Hilary gets a phone call from home. Mackie's sick, and C.J doesn't know what to do. Hilary insists on the ladies going home to take care of their father, enraging Troll. Heartbroken Bear gives Betty the story he wrote for her, then defies Troll, insisting on going to the library to write instead of the kitchen. 

Watched Match Game Syndicated during dinner. Sweetly goofy Eva Gabor and snarky Bart Braverman joined in for these episodes. We also got quite a bit of teasing Betty White about a "naughty little kid" question that involved hurting animals.

Finished out the night with another cast album, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, as I finished off Beasts and worked on the Chocolate Soldier review. Rupert Holmes, the creator of Remember WENN, had his biggest Broadway hit to date with this interactive show that debuted in 1985. Played as an English music hall performance, this version of Charles Dickens' unfinished novel allows the audience to choose which ending they want to see. All three endings are included on the original cast album I have. 

Out In the Sunshine

Began the morning with breakfast and two fairy-tale Silly Symphonies. "Three Blind Mice" are a trio of mini-musketeers who do their best to avoid the captain of the cats. "Babes In the Woods" retells "Hansel and Gretel." Here, though, Hansel is turned into a spider by the witch, and the kids are rescued by little dwarfs who attack her. 

Hurried out the door for my mammogram appointment as soon as the cartoon ended. Not only was I late getting out, but Cutthbert and Haddon Avenue were messes...more than usual. Cuthbert where the Westmont Acme is was in the middle of being repaired, and I think they were doing some repairs on Haddon, too. Thankfully, I was only about a minute or two late when I arrived at South Jersey Radiology, just over the border of Haddonfield and Westmont.

The mammogram appointment is pretty simple. I got in. I signed some papers. I changed into a wrap. They squeezed my chest for 20 minutes. I got out. It hurt a little bit when I had to turn to the side, but just standing straight on wasn't a problem. At any rate, it took me less than a half-hour before I was on my way again.

Treated myself to brunch at the Haddon Diner, just two blocks down Haddon Avenue from South Jersey Radiology. They're a much smaller and older diner than some of the others around here, with really nifty wood and vinyl booths decorated with painted flags and star stencils. I was pretty hungry and couldn't decide what I wanted, so I went with the breakfast combo. I had two limp pieces of bacon, one delicious, fat sausage, decent but slightly bland scrambled eggs, and two fluffy pancakes with lots of butter. Tossed in a fruit salad so I could get some vitamins in there.

The reason I made the appointment for the mammogram today was I'd already planned on going grocery shopping anyway. Thankfully, they were done with laying the road on Cuthbert by the time I headed to the Westmont Acme. Mainly needed yogurt there. Found a new flavor of Kind Granola Bars on sale. Had online coupons for more of those yummy cookie sandwiches from the bakery; got carrot cake. Grabbed soda and sparkling water. Picked up Pure Silk shaving lotion on a decent sale. Got a gift card for a friend's birthday next week.

Sprouts was only slightly less busy than the Acme had been. Mainly wanted dried fruit here. Found "Pina colada pineapple chunks" on clearance. Got dried cranberries out of the bulk bins. Picked up snickerdoodles on clearance (though I had a hard time ringing them up), soda, sparkling water, and coconut milk.

At least the weather was decent for the running around. It's still sunny and a bit humid, but it was also much cooler. I don't think it got out of the mid-80's today. 

Headed home after that. Watched the 2003 Strawberry Shortcake while I got organized. "Toto's Tale" takes Strawberry and Pupcake to their own version of Oz. Sour Grapes is the witch trying to steal her silver shoes back. Orange Blossom is the Cowardly Lioness, Ginger Snap is the Scarecrow, Peppermint Fizz is the Tin Woodsgirl, Huckleberry Pie is the Wizard, and Plum Pudding is Glinda.

Switched to Remember WENN next. Scott's Aunt Agatha (Jan Miner) causes chaos when she visits the station. Seems he told her he's "Scott Sherwood of the FBI," WENN is a field branch, and the others are agents. Betty and Scott jump through hoops to keep her from finding out the truth...until a seemingly real agent (Tom Tammi) turns up, and Scott and Betty begin to realize Aunt Agatha was ahead of them from the start.

Scott's fibbing really gets Betty into trouble - and him over his head - by the time of "The First Mrs. Bloom." He's been telling the sponsors of their bridal show that they marry real couples on the air...which becomes a problem when said sponsor (Julie Haggarty) turns up to oversee the show. She's also Mackie's former fiancee Penelope whom he left at the altar, and now she thinks he and Betty are getting married on the air. They seemingly go through with it so Scott won't get in trouble, but Penelope knows Mackie better than that.

Spent the rest of the afternoon watching something unique on Tubi. I found a series of low-budget, but spooky and charming retellings of various fairy tales set during periods in American history. "King Thrushbeard" became "Bristlelip," a sweet Regency romance. "The Frog King" had a princess who looked a bit like Samantha, and a king and Prince in Edwardian suits. "Jack and the Dentist's Daughter" was a hilarious retelling of "The Master Thief" with a mostly-black cast set in the South during the early 30's. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel" was a darker Edwardian romance, "Hansel and Gretel" an unsettling Depression-era tale. "The Goose Girl" was a Colonial fantasy with a merchant prince. "Soldier Jack," set in the post-World War II Midwest, had a soldier literally cheat death to gain a free house and win the President's daughter...then regret it when no one can die.

If you're as big of a fairy tale fan as I am, you'll want to look up these at Tub under The Brothers Grimm: American Folktales Part I and Part II. 

Oh, and I got my schedule at this point. In good news, more hours. However, they're all early, and this time, I have a day on Friday. At least I'll be able to get my grocery shopping done then. 

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Hilary brings Betty her breakfast at her typewriter the next morning. Betty's typing because she didn't sleep well the night before. She dreamed of the man in the white tuxedo meeting her in the library. He brings her pink roses and first shows that he can read (or mouth the words of books, as he remains silent), then tries to point out the European news on Newspaper. 

He finally ends up holding her, and they're about to kiss when the troll-like monsters appear. He fights them, but is overwhelmed and held to the ground. The largest monster tells him he's stupid and useless, and will be a tame animal to be petted and paraded on a leash by the end of the year. The creature hits Betty on the head, knocking her out and ending the dream. Hilary can't do much more than offer to bring her sister tea and toast. Betty continues to clack away, Hilary now worrying more than ever about her little sister and the strange Bear who captured her heart.

A few weeks later, she returns to Eagle's rooms. Maple's there, translating his wing gestures again. Hilary finds radio transcripts on records. She plays one, revealing the voice of Victor Comstock delivering a speech on the situation in Europe. Maple is mesmerized by his handsome, stentorian voice...but squawking Eagle is more frustrated than delighted. He ends up knocking the record off with one of his wing swoops. Maple catches it before it's more than scratched. In his fury, he knocks the papers off the desk with his wings, perches on his chair, and finally sobs into his wings. Hilary leaves Maple curled into the hurt and frustrated Eagle, his wings gently folded around her.

Moved to Match Game '76 during dinner. They mainly ran the hilarious week with Price Is Right model Anitra Ford in the ingenue seat and Greg Morris in the first seat. Richard spends the week flirting with attractive blonde contestant Darlene, who calls him "Dickie Doo," and despite her slightly nauseating flirting, ends up being the biggest winner the show had at that point.

Finished the night at YouTube and The Roku Channel with 80's anime versions of fairy tales. The Grimms Fairy Tales retelling of "Rapunzel" is an entirely straight retelling of the story...up to and including Rapunzel regarding the Prince as her husband, and him finding her with a child in the wilderness at the end.

Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater has more fun with "Kitty and the Beast." Here, Hello Kitty is Beauty, and Catnip is her spoiled sister who comes along for the ride because fancy castle. It's Kitty who treats the Beast (Tuxedo Sam) kindly and ends up saving him from Witch Fangora's spell. "Little Red Bunny Hood" has My Melody as a Wild West Little Red Riding Hood, dodging mangy Wolf Grinder and helping cowboy hunter Chip rescue her Grandma from the outlaw Belle Catnip. 

Life Reimagined

I got caught up finishing Life Reimagined, on thriving in mid-life, this morning, and was late getting moving. Good thing I wasn't supposed to be eating, because I didn't really have the time for breakfast. I had just enough time to write in my journal, get dressed, and rush off to Collingswood Family Medicine for my doctor's appointment.

When I went to check in, the receptionist said I had made my appointment early and wasn't due until next month...but I really needed a physical for work. And yes, that went fine. Not only am I physically fit to deal with kids, but I told Dr. Jessica I felt a lot better. I love taking care of the kids, and even if I don't get on the summer camp program, at least I know that I am capable of finding a job, have new skills, and have made new friends. In fact, I'm not sure I even want to work behind a desk anymore. I need to be around people, to find my purpose helping others. I can spend quiet time behind my desk at home. I did get a needle for blood tests and will be having my mammogram in July, but other than that, I'm in good shape. 

Treated myself to two soft pretzels and a cheesesteak-stuffed pretzel from A&A Pretzel Shop on the White Horse Pike for lunch. Watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I ate. Mickey is surprised to learn that the story of "Mickey and the Enchanted Egg" is unfinished when Goofy and Donald bring said egg to the Clubhouse. The egg hatches into an adorable baby dragon. They try to bring the dragon back to its owner, Wizard Pete, but he thinks they stole her and keeps trying to keep them from his tower.

Switched to I Saw the Light while eating a quick lunch. I go further into this 2015 biopic with Tom Hiddleston as tragic country legend Hank Williams at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

I Saw the Light

Worked on editing before lunch. "The Master" (Seldon Sentry) scolds his three most prominent men - King Charles of Weepla, Mayor Kurt Holstrom of Yorkalia, and Pruitt - for not capturing the King of Thieves and allowing the Rebel Society to find their black crystal factories. Pruitt orders the Black Knight Sir Johnathan Arnold to find out who's been leaking information to the Rebel Society...which Victor Comstock finds rather humorous, considering he's the one who's been doing it.

Meanwhile, Jeff brings Betty and Mackie to the melting pot that is Brooklania, a bustling, slightly seedy section of Yorkalia. Mackie delivers Scott's coded messages to Maple LaMarsh, owner and principal performer at the Buttery Inn. She ignores Jeff's flirting and almost turns them away, until Mackie gives her the book and Betty reveals she's a Guardian-in-training. Betty adds that she intends to hit up the large library nearby to do more research on the Guardians and find out where the remaining Guardians and talismans are hidden.

Thank heavens it was cloudy and cool for most of the day, but never rained. I was able to ride my bike to the Thomas Sharp School. I even saw the kids looking for butterflies with their class outside when I arrived. We had so many kids today, there were too many to take to the playground right away. In fact, we didn't get them outside until the last hour. We had to wait until some had gone home to unleash them on the small playground. I read them Leo the Late Bloomer after snack time, and they watched a simply animated version of The Gingerbread Man and short videos on numbers and the alphabet that encouraged them to move along. Coloring had suddenly become very popular. There were at least 10 kids crowded around the crayons, scribbling masterpieces, before we finally got out.

Finally put on one of the more traumatizing episodes of Remember WENN when I got home. "Who's Scott Sherwood?" Betty would like to know herself...and so would Rollie Pruitt (Johnathan Freeman), the miserly accountant who first darkened WENN's doorstep during the Christmas episode. Turns out he's figured out what Scott's up to with the Memorial Fund and has him fired. The others end their shows in support of Scott. Betty's not sure he's worth their efforts, especially after she catches him in an even more damaging lie about how he arrived and his real relationship with Victor Comstock...

Watched Match Game Syndicated during dinner. I came in just as Bart Braverman briefly took over as host when Gene got tired of the complaints. Honestly, Bart sounded more like a race track tout than a game show host reading a question. The next episode is lost, so alas, we never do get to find out how the nice old man contestant Irv does. 

Finished the night with Remember the Golden Days of Radio Volume 1, one of the two Golden Days of Radio records I picked up from the Mt. Laurel Library earlier this month. It's a collection of some of the great moments of radio in the 30's and 40's, when it was the only at-home entertainment. Jack Benny hosts the wrap-around sequences. I knew about the comedies and sitcoms like Fibber McGee and Molly and The Fred Allen Show already, but other segments were less familiar. Not being a fan of TV soap operas, I'd certainly never heard the radio ones, making the segments of The Romance of Helen Trent and Ma Perkins all the more interesting. Heard familiar commercials, too, including one of the earliest radio jingles for Pepsi. 

Of Doctors and Eagles

Got a quick start today with breakfast and Bluey. Bingo is "The Doctor" when the kids all play hospital at school. Honey, a beagle, wants to see Bingo, but she keeps getting pushed aside for patients with alligators on their heads. She finally gets Bingo's attention when she cheers up the "patients" in the "waiting room" with her goofy routine.

Even with rushing out to Collingswood Family Medicine, I was still three minutes late. No matter. There was no trouble after that. I had a perfectly normal check-up with Dr. Jessica. First of all, the coughing and itchy throat I've had for weeks is allergies, a reaction to this dry and dusty weather. I'd pick up allergy medicine later in the day. I intend to put off the colonoscopy until after the holidays. This is no time to be going on liquid diets and having people stick things in your body. Had no problems with getting a flu shot, though. Otherwise, I'm doing just fine. Won't need another appointment for six months.

Had lunch a few blocks down at Sabrina's Cafe. They were so busy at 11:30, they put me in the back dining area. I had "The Pumpkin King's Spooky Stack" of pancakes, Pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon swirl, streusel topping, and cream cheese drizzle. Oh, yum. Tasty, but so decadent, I couldn't finish a little bit. 

Did my grocery shopping next. I didn't need a ton of food anyway. Restocked yogurt, probiotic soda, bagels, and granola bars at the Westmont Acme. Sugar Bee apples and yogurt were on good sales, so I grabbed those. Grabbed more dried cranberries from the bins, Zevia soda, and grapes at Sprouts. The pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were so good, I bought a box even though they weren't on sale. 

Finished out the first season of The Monkees when I got home. "Monkees at the Movies" are extras in a cheesy Beach Party imitation featuring obnoxious romantic lead Frankie Catalina (real-life teen idol Bobby Sherman). When the Monkees' antics drive Catalina off the production, they push for Davy to be hired in the lead role...at least until his ego gets even bigger than Catalina's. It's up to his friends to bring their diminutive British buddy back down to Earth.

"Monkees On Tour" takes a different route as we get a Bob Rafelson-directed documentary about what the guys do on the day of their concert and the concert itself. I don't mind the cute footage before the concert (especially the guys on horseback and Davy chasing a swan), but I wish he'd shown as much of the concert as he could get away with instead of constantly cutting away to meaningless bits from the guys. The concert looks fabulous, especially Peter going to town on the banjo in "Cripple Creek." (And people still say the guys couldn't play their own instruments?) 

"Monkees In Manhattan" are in the Big Apple to star in a Broadway show. First, however, they learn that the young producer is about to be kicked out of his hotel room and do everything they can to stall the manager and hotel owner. After the backer drops out, they dress as wealthy men and go across the street to a millionaire's club to find a new "angel." 

And that's that. I generally prefer the wilder and more creative second season, but there's certainly no shortage of fun episodes in the first season too. "Monkees On the Line" is probably my favorite, followed by "Monkee Mother," "One Man Shy," "I've Got a Little Song Here," and "Monkees at the Movies." I will say that, in all honesty, a lot of the first season hasn't dated terribly well, including two episodes ("Son of a Gypsy" and "Monkee Chow Mein") with heavy stereotypes that you'll want to discuss with younger kids before and during viewing. On the other hand, this one also has episodes that are more appropriate for little guys like "Don't Look a Gift Horse In the Mouth" and the pilot. 

I'm going to say, for older kids on up, show them the first season initially to give them a good idea of the characters, then dig up their first two albums and Live 1967 online or at your local record store. Either way, this show is still a blast to watch, especially for classic rock fans and real teens and young adults who'll get a kick out of seeing young people controlling their own destinies and taking care of each other.

Switched to South Pacific after The Monkees ended. I go further into this massive 1958 retelling of the Pulitzer-Prize-winning Rodgers and Hammerstein show with Mitzi Gaynor as Nurse Nellie Forbush at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

A Salute to Mitzi Gaynor - South Pacific

Worked on the inventory for a while after that. Added Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, The Producers, and Ragtime. I seem to remember picking up The Producers when it came out on a trip to the Freehold Raceway Mall while visiting my (now-ex) boyfriend in 2002. I also got Ragtime when it came out, way back in 1999.  Rent was a  yard sale find in 2019. The other two came from thrift shops and record stores within the last year.

Broke for dinner and Match Game Syndicated at 7 PM. Some of the funniest episodes of the entire syndicated run came during the week with Phyllis Diller and Fred Grandy, including the one where Charles claims he can stand in for Gene...right before Gene is accidentally "electrocuted" by the faulty question holder! "I'd never take over a part that badly acted," Charles quips into Gene's microphone while the host is still on the floor.

Moved to Amazon for the Thursday night game between the Eagles and the Commanders next. The Commanders were up for most of the first half, leading 10-6 at halftime. The Eagles almost always play better in the third and fourth quarters. They were sensational in the fourth quarter in particular, roaring back to win 26 - 18. 

Finished the night with more music I've acquired lately. Soundtrack and film of A View to a Kill, the last Roger Moore James Bond movie, are very, very 1985. While the dynamic Duran Duran title song would be the biggest hit number from a Bond movie until Skyfall in 2012, John Barry's score is pretty standard stuff. Some of the music from action sequences brings out the best in this weird film, including the climatic "Golden Gate Fight" and "Destroy Silicon Valley."

Listened to Bruce Springsteen's The Ghost of Tom Joad next. This may have been too dark to see the kind of success his 80's and early 90's albums got in the US - it just missed the top 10. It's his first primarily acoustic album in over 15 years...and really, his most depressing. The slow, folksy ballads sound all alike. It was certainly too dark for most people in the mid-90's, but its folksy sound might wear better now. "Straight Time" and "Across the Border" are the best of a very similar lot.