Night of the Summertime Ride

Started off the late morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. "T.J's Visit" wrecks havoc when Tyg's little nephew turns up and causes trouble. He does bond with Kip and convinces her to join him on a hot air balloon. The others go after them when they have no idea how to bring it back. "The Big Set-Up" is the Shirt Tales' attempt to sign Dinkel up for a pen pal dating service. Dinkel is nervous when the lady he's been writing sends a photo of a gorgeous blonde and wants to meet him. He sent her a picture of a handsome movie star. The Shirt Tales try to tone him up and show him how to be more romantic, but it turns out his girlfriend has been doing some fibbing of her own.

Let Tubi continue with the Shirt Tales as I got organized. "Kip's Toy Caper" gets her and Bogey into a heap of trouble after they discover toy shops have been robbed. She follows a remote control teddy bear and finds a robber intends to make them all robots who will steal money and priceless relics for him. The other Shirt Tales try to follow Bogey's broken signal and rescue them. "Dinkel's Gift" is a briefcase the Shirt Tales bought for his surprise birthday party. When the briefcase gets switched with one that holds a top-secret formula, the others have to switch it back while Digger keeps Dinkel busy.

Headed out after the second episode ended. Dropped a few books at the kiosks down the block, then made my way down to Collingswood. Grabbed a Bodyarmor drink at Haddon Culinary before heading across Collingswood to Cooper River Park, then over the bridge to Route 70, or Marlton Pike. It was too nice of a day to drop my bag of donations at the Audubon Goodwill and ride home again. The weather was stunning for mid-July, breezy, sunny, warm but not too hot, slightly humid but nothing overwhelming. There wasn't a cloud to be seen in the soft blue sky that beamed over the waving green Cooper River waters. Lots of people out on bikes or walking their dogs, too, including a lady in a wheelchair. Besides, I hadn't taken my bike over here since the last time I went to this Goodwill in April 2024. 

This time, I rode through the parking lot for the luxury apartments 202 Park before heading across the Marlton Pike to the Goodwill. After I dropped my bag in one of the boxes outside, I took a look around the main store. It's twice the size of the Goodwill in Audubon, but not even as slightly organized as that one. The books, CDs, and DVDs are all lined up or thrown every which way in a wooden bin as you enter. 

I didn't see any clothes I liked this time, but I did pick up a CD, the DVD for the Alfred Hitchcock comedy thriller Family Plot, and a Squishmallow. I've been wanting a stuffed shark since I started working at Thomas Sharp. Their mascot is a shark. Gordon the Shark is apparently one of the original Squishmallows released in 2019 (though the version I found has a 2021 tag). Ironically, Gordon's tag said he's a friendly fellow who loves to help others and wants to start his own nonprofit. So that's what he was doing at Goodwill. He was doing market research!

Oh, and the CD is:

Diana Krall - Quiet Nights

After that, I figured it was time for lunch. I originally rode a few blocks down to Kaighns Avenue. Not only was there not a whole lot there other than a florist and a liquor store, but I didn't feel like dodging traffic further down looking for the Cherry Hill Mall. Went back to the Marlton Pike and rode two blocks in the other direction, finally coming across a small, slightly dilapidated shopping center. Had enormous slices of cheese and Hawaiian (pineapple-ham) pizza at Gaetano's while watching The George Lopez Show. (George's teen daughter ran away with her boyfriend to San Francisco, and he was having nightmares about what she was doing there.) Gaetano's was a pretty typical hole-in-the-wall with Formica tables and counters, but the guy who worked there was really nice, and the pizza delicious, with giant slices and soft crusts.

Continued riding down to WaWa, until I realized that the highways crossed here and I could go no further on my bike. I just turned around, crossed at Goodwill, and headed past 202 Park and back over the bridge to Collingswood. I got turned around in the back roads of Collingswood, but I finally came out at the small park next to Grooveground. They still haven't finished remodeling (I would love to know what's the hold-up there - they started in April 2025), so I ended up at the Candy Jar after I used the library's bathroom. Bought a small bag of mini fruit slices (I usually get them at Peanut World in Atlantic City, which burned down last year) and a cup of Cherry amaretto gelato. Yum! Sweet, refreshing, and very cherry. Returned briefly to Haddon Culinary for a Diet Coke this time before I finally made my way back to Oaklyn.

Rested while watching Enchantment when I got in. This lovely 1948 romance starts with American ambulance driver Grizel Dane (Evelyn Keyes) coming to live with her great-uncle Rollo (David Niven). She falls in love with a handsome pilot (Farley Granger), but waffles on getting closer when he receives his orders and she worries about losing him. Rollo tells her not to give up on love so easily. Flashbacks reveal how he had fallen in love with his sweet cousin Lark (Teresa Wright) 50 years before, only to lose her when his manipulative and spoiled sister Selina (Jayne Meadows) lies about him taking a position overseas and she ends up marrying a Marchese (Sheppherd Strudwick) instead. Rollo never saw her again, and he wouldn't return home while Selina was there. He encourages Grizel to find her love, before she loses him the way he lost Lark. 

This is such a lovely, sweet movie. Though Niven, Keyes, and Wright are all good as the star-crossed lovers and the ambulance driver dealing with her own romance, Meadows steals the movie as the nasty sister who doesn't want to share her power over the household and her brothers with anyone. If you only know Meadows from her work on TV and cartoons, this will certainly be a revelation. Highly recommended for fans of doomed romances and the other fantasy-oriented romances from the mid-40's like The Enchanted Cottage and Portrait of Jennie. 

Switched to Match Game '75 during dinner. The entire two-hour stretch covered the week with Rona Barrett and Clifton Davies. Sweet single middle-aged aunt Dorothy was the big winner that week. Richard and Charles brought her tissues the first time she won. She also got to hear some of the hilarious answers to whom Richard Dawson wouldn't be happy to marry.

Finished the night with The Wild, Wild West. "The Night of the Watery Death" has James West investigating a "dragon" that somehow managed to blow up the ship he was on, and the mermaid at the bar (Jocelyn Lane) who led him there. Artie is pretty much the only person who believes him. Turns out it's a plot by a crazed sea-loving French nobleman (John van Dreelen) to destroy the US Navy and create his own country under the Pacific Ocean. 

Oh, and here's the review of the live-action Moana that I saw on Tuesday!

Moana

Life Is a Highway

Started off today early as I had breakfast and Lauren finished packing to go home. We had some nervous moments when the first Uber driver canceled and the second took 8 minutes to arrive, then we ran into traffic in Pennsauken. Thankfully, the cars vanished long before the gentleman pulled up to the 30th Street Station. They were just lining up for Lauren's train when we arrived. I gave her a hug, told her to text me when she got to New York and to home, and left her to board the train.

(Oh, and other than her bus from Albany to Pittsfield being a bit late, Lauren apparently had no trouble whatsoever today on the road. She's now long at home, having had dinner out with her parents when she got in.)

After I let Lauren go, I went to the NJ Transit ticket kiosk I spied there when Lauren arrived and bought tickets, then got a donut and a matcha latte from Dunkin' Donuts. I have never heard of an ice cream cake-flavored donut. It...wasn't bad. A little dry. It was filled with very sweet chocolate cream. I walked around a little bit after I finished my treat until they announced the 9:14 NJ Transit train to Atlantic City.

Thank heavens, the train actually made it out of the station this time. It was busy with mostly people going to Atlantic City on a day that remained hazy, if not as hot. Other than going a bit slow after leaving 30th Street, I had no trouble on the train whatsoever this time. I got off at the Cherry Hill Train Pavilion around quarter of 10.

Since the train station is behind the big Shop Rite, I thought I'd save myself a trip and do my shopping there. That store is enormous, twice the size of even the Audubon Acme. It took me a while to find everything I needed. Restocked yogurt, soda, deodorant (they had Secret for a good price), and granola. I couldn't decide which cookies to get, so I got a variety pack with M&M, chocolate chip, brownie, and sugar. They had the Nature's Valley wafer bars on a decent sale, too. 

The reason I took the train to Cherry Hill is I figured it would be a lot easier (and cheaper) to catch an Uber home from there. The last three times I called for a ride home from 30th Street Station, the driver missed me or almost missed me. I was right. The driver arrived in 9 minutes and got me home in less than 10. 

Once I got home, I put everything away, changed shoes, made up a check for a bill, grabbed a book I wanted to drop in a kiosk, and headed out again on my bike. I had a lot of errands to run. Dropped the bill in the mail box outside of the post office and the book in a kiosk. It was much sunnier by the time I was out and about and slightly less hazy. At least it didn't smell like smoke anymore.

I had lunch at the Legacy Diner in Audubon. I needed pineapple coconut pancakes and a bowl of melon chunks and grapes. Yum! The pancakes were so huge and fluffy, I couldn't finish them. Surprisingly, given it was past noon by then, it wasn't really that busy. Maybe everyone was avoiding the haze.

Stopped at WaWa on the way home. I wanted to pick up money for the Collingswood Farm Market tomorrow. Tried a small banana bread smoothie. Yum! Brown sugar syrup, graham cracker crumbs, and real banana. It really did taste like banana bread milk. 

Soon as I got home, I went down for a nap. I've had a long couple of weeks! I went down at quarter of 1 and slept until past 2:30.

After I got up and got moving, I made the bed, then pulled out more things I didn't want or need or had replaced over the last two weeks for another bag that'll go to Goodwill. Listened to some of the many records I bought over the past two weeks while I worked. Although the jaunty Rascal Flatts version of "Life Is a Highway" was the hit from the original Cars, my favorite number is the sadder and more downbeat "Our Town" by James Taylor on the rise and fall of Radiator Springs. I also like "Find Yourself" by Brad Paisley and the Chuck Berry version of "Route 66." 

Thank heavens that chip on the High Anxiety soundtrack from when I bought the disc didn't impede it being able to play. We not only get the theme song and "If You Love Me, Baby, Tell Me Loud" from High Anxiety, but songs from every Mel Brooks movie made up until 1978. Which means, yes, we also get "Springtime for Hitler" and "Prisoner of Love" from the original Producers, "Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst" from the rarely-seen The Twelve Chairs, "The Ballad of Blazing Saddles," "I'm Tired," and the brief "The French Mistake" from Blazing Saddles, and "Puttin' On the Ritz" from Young Frankenstein. There's even a bit of the score from Silent Movie.

Radio Active and Images are K-Tel collections from the early 1980's. Radio Active from 1982 leans on harder rock like "You Better You Bet" by the Who, "Take It On the Run" by REO Speedwagon, and "Super Freak" by Rick James. Ballads are the theme on the quieter Images from 1980, including "Should've Never Let You Go" by the late Neil Sedaka and his daughter Dara, "Do That To Me One More Time" by the Captain & Tenille, and "Too Hot" by Kool & the Gang.

Switched to Match Game '75 next. The first hour was the second half of the week featuring Barbara McNair and Alex Karras. I think Alex had a bit of a crush on Lola Kiss, the lady wrestler from Transylvania, after she managed to pin him! He sure turned red when she kissed him for giving her a right answer on the Audience Match. The second hour brought in Scoey Mitchelll and a pair of goofy Pattys, Duke and Deustch.

I also got my schedule at this point. Good news, more hours. Bad news, they're all early. I was hoping they'd ease me back into work, but the head bagger and Sunday bagger must have taken time off again. 

Finished the night at YouTube with Mystery Science Theater 3000. Wizards of the Lost Kingdom is a more recent episode from 2017 diving into another low-budget 80's sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Young wizard Simon (Vidal Peterson) must find his way back to the castle to rescue the princess from the evil sorcerer Shurka (Thom Christopher) with the help of lone wolf warrior Kor (Bo Svenson). Ok, yeah, it's pretty obvious this one is a Roger Corman cheapie from his "made in Argentina" phase. There's ample stock footage from his other 80's fantasy films, the special effects are just light shows, Simon is an obnoxious little jerk, and most of the "monsters" are off-the-rack puppet suits. There are a few effective moments, though, notably when Simon is lured by a beautiful woman who turns into a genuinely scary giant insect! Otherwise, this one is for true lovers of cheesy 80's fantasy only. 

Dolls On a Hot Summer Day

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. I grew up on the original version of this show, which was one of the hottest things going during my own pre-school years. In honor of the new movie in theaters, and since the entire series is now on Tubi, I thought I'd check it out starting with "Diamond Ray of Disappearance." Skeletor finds a diamond that can make anyone who looks at it vanish into another dimension. His goofy men lure Teela and her guards away from the castle so Skeletor can make the king, queen, Sorceress, and Teela's father Man-at-Arms vanish. Prince Adam, who turns into He-Man thanks to a powerful sword, goes to Castle Grayskull to figure out how to save them.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. I had errands to run, starting with dropping two books at the kiosk down the street. After that, I rode to the Collingswood PNC to get money. I was originally going to use the outside ATM, but a card pulled up. I ended up inside. 

Had brunch at a busy Sabrina's Cafe. Thought I'd try their 1776 Matcha Almond Pancake Stack. Turns out this was two enormous plate-sized pancakes smothered with matcha cream, white chocolate drizzle, whipped topping, almonds, blackberries, and strawberries. Tasty, and I ate most of it...but also way too much cream and drizzle. They always overdo the sauce on their specials. The hibiscus iced tea didn't taste like much besides sugar. 

Strolled down Haddon Avenue next. I was hoping Grooveground finally opened. It hasn't. It's been closed for remodeling since last spring. I did see the door at Collingswood Music open. I wasn't planning on visiting them next week when I'm on vacation. They don't sell CDs, only vinyl, and Lauren can't take records home in her luggage. For a spur-of-the-moment trip, I did really, really well. I dug five albums out of the 2 dollar bin and found a soundtrack and two kids' albums, one of them fairly unique.

Artie Shaw and His Orchestra - Frensesi: Artie Shaw's Greatest Hits

Songs from The Jungle Book and Other Jungle Favorites

The soundtrack from the 1988 Bette Midler melodrama Beaches

The Jack Sheldon Quintet - Hollywood Heroes

Radio Active, a K-Tel collection from 1982

Lena Horne - The Exciting Lena Horne

A Musical Soundtrack to America On Parade is by far my best find today. It's a gorgeous picture disc version with the music from "America On Parade," the Bicentennial parade for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I suspect this may only have been sold in the parks, and probably only in 1975-1976. Here's the link to a page from Yesterland that goes into further detail on "America On Parade" and the doll-like figures seen on the picture disc.

Yesterland: America On Parade

Incidentally, the weather wasn't bad today. It was hot, sunny, and windless, but not hot or as humid to the degree it's supposed to be starting tomorrow. Even so, I was still sweating bullets when I got home, to the point where I needed to towel myself off.

Dressed the dolls for July and Independence Day next. Samantha is in her Middy Dress, tam, and black and white boots. Josefina wears her Indigo Skirt and Camisa. Whitney is ready to dance in Oaklyn's 4th of July Parade in the white American Girl dance dress with the red and blue sequins and ruffled sleeves. She's borrowing Molly's tap shoes. The ones that came with the dress fell apart. Kit wears her original Reporter Dress with the red, blue, and yellow flowers and red shoes with the white stitching. 

Molly's ready for outdoor fun in her Camp Gowanigan uniform and saddle shoes. Ariel celebrates the Bicentennial in the patchwork red, white, and blue peasant blouse Lauren sent a while back and red satin shorts from Julie's original Roller Skating outfit. Felicity is airy and cool in her white Summer Gown with the wide blue and pink flowered sash. Jessa's red t-shirt, shortalls, and splotchy high top sneakers are a bit simpler. Barbara Jean is the only one old enough to pull off the pink, white, and blue terrycloth romper with the brief tube top. 

Listened to records while I worked. Jo Anne Castle and Her Ragtime Piano is actually a combination of two earlier Castle albums, Tiger Rag and Lawrence Welk's Ragtime Gal. Ironically, Tiger Rag has the actual ragtime, including the title song, "Dill Pickle Rag," and "I Want a Girl." Ragtime Gal features slightly newer numbers like "Goofus," "Canadian Sunset," and "Humoresque."

Raggedy Ann & Andy Birthday Party starts out a bit like the odd movie Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. Ann, Andy, and the dolls in the playroom see Marcella having a birthday party in the garden. The Camel With the Wrinkled Knees doesn't know when his birthday is. As in the film, he wanders outside and dreams of his friends giving him a party. When Ann follows him and finds out, she encourages the others to give him the party he so badly desires. 

Despite the title and being put out by Disney itself, Songs from The Jungle Book is actually covers of songs from that film. The Beatles-esque "Bare Necessities" and goofy comic "I Want to Be Like You" aren't bad, but the real stand-outs are the lesser-known material. "That's What Friends are For," a number for a pack of Beatles-imitating vultures in the movie, becomes a charming and adorable Beach Party-esque chorus routine here. The brief "My Own Home" is slower and almost slinky, performed by a smoky-voiced lady who sounds a bit like Julie London. The "other jungle favorites" are a slightly re-written "Abba Dabba Honeymoon" and a really cute "Civilization," with a deep voices singing the "I don't want to leave the jungle"part who sounds a bit like Larry Hooper from Lawrence Welk.

Artie Shaw had his biggest hits in the late 30's and 40's, and that's reflected in Frensni: Artie Shaw's Greatest Hits. His biggest was the title song, but there were others that are still associated with him and his orchestra. He seemed to favor slower, more romantic or robust songs like "Indian Love Call," "Softly As In a Morning Sunrise," "Nightmare," and "Begin the Beguine."

Switched to The Time of Their Lives after I finished with the dolls and got everything put away. Poor tinker Horatio Primm (Lou Costello) wants to buy his sweetheart Nora (Ann Gillis) out of indentured servitude. He even has a letter from General Washington claiming he can get more work. Meanwhile, Tom Danbury (Jess Barker) is engaged to lovely Melody Allen (Marjorie Reynolds), but she overhears him plotting with Benedict Arnold against Washington. She and Horatio ride off to warn Washington, but the American soldiers turn up and, thinking they're the traitors, kill them, dump their bodies in a well, and curse them to never leave the house's grounds. 

Almost two centuries later, Melody and Horatio are still ghosts in the house when they realize how the place has changed. It's been rebuilt, with all the original furniture returned. The new owner is playwright Sheldon Gage (John Shelton), his fiancee June Prescott (Lynn Baggett) and her very sarcastic Aunt Millie (Binnie Barnes). They're eventually joined by Sheldon's therapist, Dr. Ralph Greenway (Bud Abbott)...who happens to be the ancestor of Cuthbert Greenway, the man who had been his rival for Nora. Melody and Horatio are more than happy to drive Greenway crazy, until Sheldon's housekeeper Emily (Gale Sondergaard) holds a seance, and they finally figure out a way to find the proof that they aren't traitors and get their unearthly rewards.

This was...surprisingly sweet, even touching in spots. On one hand, it's not your typical vehicle for these two. They do appear together a few times, but don't really do any routines. Apparently, they'd been having problems at this point. On the other hand, it may be not only their most unique vehicle, but one of the most unique classic comedies I've ever seen. Reynolds makes a spirited Melody, Barnes has more fun than she should as the sarcastic aunt, and the special effects are pretty decent even now. If you like Abbott and Costello and are willing to go down a different path with them, try this one on for size. 

Put on Match Game '75 after I had a quick and small dinner. They're now on the week with Bert Convy, Joyce Bulifant, and a pregnant - and rather testy - Jo Ann Pflug. The end of the week featured one of the most infamous Audience Match answers of the entire run. Richard Dawson, pressed to come up with something for "Trench __," blurted out "trench hand." He joked about getting "trench hand" for the rest of the episode, and there would be references to it again throughout the years. 

Finished the night after a shower with more of The Swamp Fox. "A Woman's Courage" switches the focus almost entirely to Francis Marion's sweetheart Mary Videux. She boards a prison ship filled with rebel prisoners coming from Charleston, including the captain who was captured there. She poses as the sister of four of them, then helps them all escape. Francis, who is considering turning in his commission if he can't get more men, is more than happy for the help. 

On the Right Track

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

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

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

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

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

and a children's record:

Raggedy Ann & Andy's Birthday Party

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

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

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

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

The Nifty Nineties

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

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

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

It's a Most Unusual Day

Began the morning with breakfast and The Pirates of Dark Water. "Sister of the Sword" introduces Ioz' pickpocket sister Solia. She steals gold from her brother and the compass from Ren, figuring she can sell it. She ends up selling Bloth's mate Konk on finding the treasure instead. The crew of the Wraith follow the duo to Arakna Island, the most dangerous island on Mer, to keep her out of trouble.

Switched to Paw Patrol while organizing my clothes and pulling out ones to donate. "Mighty Pups, Charged Up: Pups Stop a Big Bad Bot" when Harold finds another piece of meteor and creates an even bigger robot to steal buildings and make his own Haroldville. The Mighty Pups follow him, before he takes off with Mayor Goodway and City Hall! "Mighty Pups, Charged Up: Pups Vs. the Dome" brings back Copycat, who creates an energy dome around Adventure Bay to keep the Pups out. It also keeps many of the residents away from their loved ones, including Chickaletta and Wally the Walrus. The Pups find a way to crack the dome and stop Copycat from wrecking more havoc on the town.

Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. I arrived at Thomas Sharp School just in time...which was a moot point. We had four pre-schoolers and kindergartners today, and two of those left relatively early. The other kids went home with their parents after the pre-school "step up" graduation ceremony. 

Once the kids ate, we didn't even try to separate the younger ones from their older peers. Everyone went outside on the blacktop together. It was sunny, bright blue, and breezy, but not too hot, the perfect day to run around and play ball games. I spent most of the time on the blacktop refereeing a kickball game. I hadn't laughed so much in ages. I cheered on both teams until the only girl playing (who set up the game in the first place) complained that the boy rolling the ball wouldn't let her do it and dropped out. Most of the boys followed. 

I ended up taking a group over to the playground instead. The older kids were even more eager to swing than their younger counterparts...and thankfully, most of them didn't object to standing in line. I had more trouble keeping them away from in front or back of the swings while kids were going really high. The others tossed a ball around that belonged to one of the boys while dancing to "Ghostbusters," several songs by Taylor Swift, and music from Moana, Trolls, Sing, Shrek 2, and KPop Demon Hunters. By 3:15, we were down to one younger kid and 10 older ones. When another teacher arrived to help with the older kids, they let me go early.

Since I had more time to relax, I came home, took out the trash, and watched Bowery Buckaroos. The last Bowery Boys movie to feature Bobby Jordan takes the goofballs from the Lower East Side out west, where they hope to clear sweet shop owner Louie Dumbrowski's (Bernard Gorcey) name. Louie was accused of killing his partner Pete Briggs to get his share of their gold mine, but the real killer was Blackjack McCoy (Jack Norman). Turns out Louie has the map to the mine tattooed on his back. Whitey (Billy Benedict) draws the map on Sach's (Huntz Hall) back, but it washes off. Meanwhile, the Boys' friend Gabe (Gabriel Dell) was sent to scout ahead...and scouts himself cowgirl Catherine Briggs (Julie Gibson), a tough-shooting lady who knows more about Pete Briggs than the Boys could guess.

Went back out after the movie ended. It was too nice to sit inside all evening. I dropped the bag of clothes in the donation box behind Dollar General, then went across the street to the White Horse Pub for dinner. They were pretty quiet when I arrived. Most of the barflies were watching the Pirates-Athletics game (Pirates won, 6-5) or analysis on the Knicks' big win the other day. I enjoyed a turkey bacon wrap with very yummy, thick, crispy bacon and very crunchy tater tots, along with a pitcher of Diet Coke.

Rode across Oaklyn to the Yummy Palace on West Clinton Avenue next. Treated myself to a cookie butter ice cream milkshake. Oh, yum! Cold and sweet, with plenty of ground Biscoff cookie pieces. I sipped it outside, then rode home.

Took a shower right when I got in, then watched Match Game '74. I came in just to see the last episode of the Jack Carter/Louisa Moritz week. I really like Jack. He was hilarious, and not a bad player. Wish he'd been on the show more often. 

Since I enjoyed Bowery Buckaroos so much, I finished the night with one of the older Boys movies that's currently on Tubi. Bowery Bombshell is the third movie in the series, and the first to establish many of the running gags that would be prevalent in them for the next decade, from them hanging out at Louie's to them owning a dilapidated jalopy to Slip being the leader. Louie needs $300, so the boys try to sell their jalopy Lucy. When that doesn't work, they go to the bank to get a loan. Of course, the bank is robbed just as they try to go in. Cathy (Teala Loring), a local on-the-street photographer who is a friend of theirs, takes Sach's picture...just as he hands money to the real bank robber. While Sach hides from the cops who think he did it, Slip, Cathy, and the others dress as a rival mob to scare the bank robbers into confessing. 

Animation Goes to War

Began the morning with something different for breakfast. I found a bag of Birch Benders gluten-free pancake mix on the clearance shelves for $2 at the Westmont Acme yesterday. For that price, I'd gladly try them. They fried up golden brown and were mostly nice and fluffy, especially for gluten free. Tasted great with strawberries, yogurt, and some of that real maple syrup I picked up at the Vermont Country Store when I visited Lauren last fall. 

Watched Looney Tunes World War II propaganda shorts while I ate. From 1941 through 1945, Warners released a series of cartoons that were intended to boost morale for both soldiers overseas and those on the home front like Molly who needed laughter along with their newsreel headlines. They seemed to mainly fall into three categories. Bugs Bunny's last propaganda short was "Herr Meets Hare." Bugs outwitting real-life German military commander Hermann Goring has gags that are almost precursors to "What's Opera Doc?", including one of Bugs on horseback. Daffy fought the Nazis two years earlier in "Daffy the Commando." There were also shorts with one-off characters, like "The Draft Horse" who was rejected for war, then learned how scary battle is when he's caught in war games. 

Sketch comedies like "The Weakly Reporter" and "Wacky Blackout" parody the experience on the home front in the city and country, while "Meet Johnny Doughboy" and "Rookie Revue" parodied the pre-war draft in 1940 and 1941. "Hollywood Canine Canteen" was a spoof of entertainers who performed in canteens devoted to servicemen, some of whom, like Ish Kabbible and bandleader Kay Kyser, are fairly obscure today. "Fifth Column Mouse" and "The Duckinators" were fables on how the US got into the war, and how it intended to win it. 

I headed out before the cartoons finished. I had something I something to do at Thomas Sharp School I'd been meaning to do for a while now. Dropped a book of fairy tales and a book of Irish folk tales in the book kiosk next to the school's main entrance when I arrived. Since there was no one on the playground, I sat on the swings for a few minutes after locking my bike until it was time for my shift.

Today was a half-day for the kids. It's also the start of the last major holiday weekend of the school year. There were only 13 younger kids today (counting the boy whose mother picked him up 10 minutes after he arrived), and not that many more older kids. We had so few kids, we just took them in two groups to the bathroom instead of taking our tables. The kids started right away with the bathrooms and lunch. After they ate, they played with magnetic tiles and plastic dinosaurs and stenciled animals onto paper taped to a table for about an hour before we took the remaining 8 kids outside.

I'm glad it was just cloudy, cool, and very windy when the kids were there. We were able to keep them outside for the rest of the afternoon. Other than some squabbling over the swings and the boys wrestling on the mulch when their running games got out of hand, things went just fine. I had a rather nice chat with one young miss on the swings about her very intelligent cat, and she competed with one of the boys to see who could swing higher. When she left, two of the boys took the swings for almost an hour. One of the mothers who used to be a teacher ran around with them for a while, too. The kids danced to "Swipe and Scan (The Checkout Song)," "The Pink Tiger Hunt," the theme from Bluey, and songs from Sing, Moana, and KPop Demon Hunters. 

By the time two of the older kids came over to swing, it was past 3:30. We just took the older kids and the remaining 3 younger kids over to the blacktop with the others to shoot baskets and play soccer. There were only six older kids and more than enough teachers. They let me go around 3:30. The last younger girl went home at the same time I did. 

The kids were the first ones to report the raindrops. It had spit lightly off and on since the middle of the afternoon. We figured it wouldn't melt anyone, and I decided I was fine for a bike ride to WaWa. I deserved a Caramel Coconut Smoothie and a soft pretzel after a long couple of weeks. That felt good, even on a slightly chilly day. At least it tasted like caramel and coconut.

(Incidentally, the rain picked up about a half-hour after I got home. It's been showering off and on ever since.)

Finished the Looney Tunes shorts when I got home, then switched to Popeye. Like Termite Terrace, the Fleischer Brothers tossed Popeye into World War II a few months before the US formally entered the war. The enemy in "The Mighty Navy" isn't even named. By the time "Blunder Below" and "Fleets of Stren'th" came out, Popeye was definitely fighting the Japanese in the Pacific...making a few of these shorts extremely uncomfortable to watch today. Popeye evading the Nazis in "Spinach Fer Britain" is slightly easier to take. 

Popeye and Bluto didn't let anything as trivial as war hinder their pursuit of Olive Oyl. "Kicking the Conga Around" had them learning exotic dance steps to impress Senorita Olive. They compete to see who can do better showing her around their battleship, but quickly learn that "Olive Oyl and Water Don't Mix." Popeye's not saying "Many Tanks" when Army-bound Bluto trades uniforms with him in order to go out with Olive. Popeye leads the entire tank corps on a merry chase around town as he hurries to his date. Olive leaves Swee'pea with Popeye, who thinks it'll be easy to take care of the tyke...but "Baby Wants a Battleship," and won't settle for crawling around anything smaller than the destroyer Popeye's been assigned to.

Moved to Match Game '74 after the cartoons ended. Tonight was entirely devoted to the only week featuring game show host Jack Narz, now best known as the host for the original Now You See It and the 70's syndicated Concentration. Elaine Joyce got the best joke of the night when she gave the best answer regarding what one needed to get out of a punch bowl after a party. Jack and Gene didn't appreciate a game show host gag from Brett earlier. 

(I also got my schedule at this point. In good news, slightly more hours, next Friday and Saturday off again. Bad news, two double-shift days in a row. The head bagger must have wanted Tuesday off along with her usual Wednesday.) 

Finished the night with more classic World War II shorts from the Fleischers and Famous Studios, this time featuring Superman. Given the tenor of the comic books of the time, it was a given that Paramount would get Superman involved in the war sooner or later. "Japoteurs" has Superman stopping Japanese spies from stealing an experimental plane...and Lois Lane, who stowed away onboard. "The Eleventh Hour" is a wonderfully shadowy short with a mature story that has Superman committing acts of sabotage while he and Lois are prisoners of war in Yokohama. "Jungle Drums" has him helping Lois rescue secret plans from a Nazi who leads African natives in destroying planes. "Secret Agent" is the only short to not feature Lois. Superman rescues a beautiful female agent from Nazi saboteurs and makes sure the information she carries gets to Washington safely. 

Bad Tooth Rising

Began the morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. "The Big Foot Incident" has a Sasquatch-like creature stealing gold and cash from banks all over the city. Pammy points out that the creatures are usually gentle and couldn't possibly be doing this on their own. As it turns out, she's right. It's being controlled by a magician who is hypnotizing it for their own gain. The creature chases them all over the magician's castle, but Pammy's the one who finally breaks him out of it. There's an "Elephant On the Loose" (Joe Besser), but he just wants to go home to the walk-around safari. The Shirt Tales help him get where he belongs, before Mr. Dinkel catches him for a reward.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. I didn't think I'd be up to a bike ride after my tooth was pulled. The first driver arrived in 8 minutes; got there just in time. The second came in 5 minutes. 

As it turned out, my being on time was a moot point. I sat in the waiting room for a half-hour before they came for me. Honestly, though pulling the tooth was no picnic, the needles used to numb my gums hurt even worse. Not to mention, it cost a bundle, and may cost even more. The doctor gave me prescriptions for antibiotics to help with the infected gums and stronger pain killer to help with the swelling. At least I can eat real food this time. They just have to be soft and not too hot. 

I took that second Uber trip to the Acme to get them filled. Walked around, then sat for a few minutes while the pharmacy filled them. After I paid for them, I bought one of those new Powerade waters that are really on sale right now (99 cents!).

It was such a gorgeous day, I decided to walk home. Besides, I wanted to stop at Common Grounds Coffee Shop for lunch. I figured you can't get much softer than a blueberry muffin and a slice of mushroom and caramelized onion quiche. Tried their Strawberry Meadow Matcha off their seasonal menu. Not bad. Strawberry foam on top of green tea. Not sweet at all. The muffin was nice and moist, but it could have done with more blueberries. The quiche was much better, filled with soft veggie pieces and lots of cheese. They were really busy - they had to pull out a separate table so I could eat.

After I dodged road work on Newton Avenue long enough to get home, I went straight into The Persuaders! I hadn't watched this British action show about two wealthy playboys who solve crimes for a while. A "Chain of Events" leads Danny (Tony Curtis) to being accidentally chained to a briefcase intended for British Secret Service agents. While his partner Brett (Roger Moore) figures out what's in the case, Danny dodges Russian agents who will literally kill for its contents.

Left slightly early to drop the bag with my old winter coat in the clothes bin behind Dollar General. Even with that and dodging traffic on the White Horse Pike, I was still right on time for the after-school program. This time, they couldn't get a teacher to help with the older kids. They needed more than one, so the head teacher stayed with them. The 10 kids at my table left two of them and myself to do all the cleaning up, and they were pretty noisy in the bathrooms, too. The kids were worse in the cafeteria after snack time, running around, hitting each other, and tattling on it. Maybe they were all excited about the Book Fair this week. I'm just glad they still have book fairs. Several of them had new books they were more than happy to show me.

I'm glad we were able to get them outside slightly early. Like I told one of the girls later, it was too nice to stay inside for long. The weather couldn't have been nicer for late April, breezy, sunny, and in the upper 60's. Just warm enough to take off your jacket without boiling to death. One poor little girl nearly got run over by a boy who was too eager to go on a slide when she was trying to get her boot back on. I had to break up at least two fights, too. At least they all got to go on the swings this time. There were three teachers by quarter of 5, enough to keep an eye on the remaining kids and keep them from getting kicked.

We took them back inside around 5...which lasted for all of 5 minutes before the kids voted to go on the blacktop and play ball games. I was almost done at that point, anyway. I kept an eye on a couple of boys playing soccer and one poor younger boy who had smacked his back earlier and now had an ice pack on it. They were down to six older kids and two younger ones when I finished.

Took out the recycling, took my laundry downstairs, and took a shower when I got home, then had dinner while watching Match Game '91. Most of the episodes finished the week with Bill Kirchenbauer, Pat Musick, Jo Anne Worley, Charles, Bruce Baum, and soap star and singer Gloria Loring. Bill got the lion's share of the good lines that week, especially his reaction to a question about Vidal Sassoon! Vicki Lawrence and another soap star, Walt Willey, returned the next week, along with Ronn Lucas and Scorch and the hilariously sarcastic Pam Stone.

Brought my laundry upstairs as I watched episodes from various versions of Scrabble. This may be by far the best board game to have become a game show. It debuted on NBC in 1984 with Chuck Woolery hosting, and became a cornerstone of their daytime schedule. Two contestants play what is essentially Scrabble Crosswords. They choose numbered tiles that bring up two letters. If the letter is in the word, it'll appear. If it doesn't, it's considered a "stopper." Three stoppers, and the contestants now had to guess the word as letters appeared. The "Scrabble Sprint" was the bonus round. The winner has to guess words as quickly as they can. That determines the length of time they have to play the champ. 

Despite the slightly complicated game play, I can see why this was a hit right out of the gate and would be a mainstay of NBC's daytime schedule for five years. This is one of the fastest-moving game shows I've ever seen. They usually have room for at least two games. Woolery is just as charming her as he was on Love Connection around the same time. I have the debut episode here and the 200th episode from 1985.

Scrabble briefly returned to NBC in 1993. It was more-or-less the same format, but even with a snazzier set and Woolery returning, the life seemed to have gone out of the show. This version lasted six months. A pilot for a syndicated version in 1990 didn't sell.

Scrabble wasn't seen on TV again until 2010 as part of Family Game Night. This hit on the Hub (and later Discovery Kids) had four games an episode based on popular Hasbro board games. Scrabble Flash had families rearranging giant letter tiles to make words. The bigger the word, the more points they got. 

Scrabble Flash was dropped after the first season in favor of a full Hub show, Scrabble Showdown. This time, a parent and their child plays. Once again, we have a series of mini-games, this time all based on Scrabble. In "Scrabble Knockout," one contestant plays Vanna White and eliminates the letters on a huge board that the other contestant calls out. "Scrabble Babble" is basically "Scrabble Password." The adults get a three-letter word with a missing letter. They have to put a tile in and describe the word. "Scrabble Scream" is unscrambling words. Scrabble Slam has them replacing a letter in a four-letter word with another letter to make a new word. Scrabble Flash is retained for the bonus round. Really fun show, especially if you love words, and it's too bad it didn't last more than six months in 2011-2012. 

It wouldn't be until 2024 when Scrabble would return in something like its original form and for adults, this time on the CW. The game still revolves around crosswords, but this time, they're on a computer-generated Scrabble board. The current and returning champs once again play each other and guess words quickly in the bonus round. Raven-Symone hosted the first season of the show. Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson took over last fall, and he's the host in the episode from the CW's website I have here. 

Calling all word lovers! Challenge your brains and stump your reading skills with these fast-paced, heart stopping spelling extravaganzas based on one of the most beloved board games of all time!

Scrabble Premiere (1984)

Scrabble (1985)

Scrabble (1993)

Family Game Night (2010)

Scrabble Showdown (2011)

Scrabble (2026)

In the Spring Sunshine

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Duck, Babysitter" finds herself taking care of three little ducklings while joining Little Bear, Emily, and the others on a picnic. When one duckling goes missing, Duck's friends help her find him. Grandmother and Grandfather Bear are looking forward to dancing at their 50th anniversary. "Little Bear's Band" provides the music after the record player breaks down. Emily is disappointed that she has to go home for the school year, so the others invite her along for one last adventure at "Hop Frog Pond." They ride down mud slides with otters and go swimming with frogs.

Switched to Aerosmith after the cartoon ended as I went through the drawer in the big side table in the main room I use for small things, like string and various forms of tape. I'm mostly clearing out all of the junk I picked up from those job fairs in 2023 and 2024 that I don't really need. Cleared out a few records I didn't want or were badly scratched. 

As for Aerosmith, Rock In a Hard Place went through a troubled production that saw at least two members of the band depart and Steven Tyler getting into hard drugs. Not to mention, their form of hard rock was considered passe in the early 80's. They still managed to put out some quality songs, including "Lightning Strikes" and a decent version of "Cry Me a River."

Called Uber after the record ended. The two bags of donations were too huge to carry on my bike. The driver, to my shock, arrived in 2 minutes! I got him to take me around the back of the Goodwill building. There was a gentleman going through the donations in the back who helped me get the bags into the boxes. 

I didn't really need anything at Goodwill, but I did need underwear. There was a small problem. I had no idea that sometime between January and late March, Lane Bryant closed. To tell the truth, I didn't often see people in there anyway, but I was hoping they'd hold out. Darn it, and I really needed new underwear. I ended up getting Laura Ashley underwear at Marshalls. I hope they hold up all right. Found a very pretty new offline journal on clearance there too when the Winnie the Pooh-themed one I'm currently using ends.

Walked back to the Acme to get water and call Uber. Of course, this time, it took 12 minutes for them to show up. Of course, I wound up being five minutes late to the Thomas Sharp School.

Definitely not a good thing. The head teacher was reading a book to the younger kids in the library when I arrived. The Tuesday music class had run overtime in the cafeteria. At least the 9 kids who usually are at my table weren't too bad. They were noisy in the bathrooms, and two of the girls took forever, but I did get them lined up afterwards. Which is more than I could say for snack time. There were 22 kids all together today, and they were all noisy and wild. One boy spilled his water bottle. One of the girls spit up her oranges. (I took her to the bathroom later, and she was fine. She ran around with the other kids later on. She must have eaten her snack too fast.) The kids were all screaming, yelling, and tattling.

It didn't help that we're still short-handed. Two teachers called out. One couldn't come until 3:30. One teacher is still out with broken ribs. The head teacher had to go back and forth between the older and the younger kids. At least more than half the kids were picked up in the cafeteria. We didn't take a huge group outside.

The kids were much happier once we got them out. They chased each other and yelled to the Mr. Softee truck down the street, trying to get him to come close to the school. (He didn't.) By 4:30, we were down to about 8 kids, enough that they could go on the swings. They love it when I push them! Hauling all those carts around is good for something. The others happily danced to "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, songs from Moana 2, and "The Big Pink Tiger Hunt." 

At 5, we moved the remaining 4 kids to the blacktop to play ball games with the 7 remaining older children. I gently tossed a yellow Nerf football with one of the youngest girls until it was time for me to go. (In fact, she left as I did. I think there might have been one younger kid left when Uber finally picked me up 12 minutes later.)

At least it was a gorgeous day for all of this! It was really too nice to have them inside. It was sunny and in the lower 50's-upper 60's, still a little on the breezy side but nothing like yesterday. Couldn't have been a nicer day in mid-April, especially after the crazy heat last week.

Jessa picked me up at 6 to eat out. The Westmont finally opened for dinner shortly after Easter, so we ate there. I'm glad Jessa suggested staying close to home this time. She had a tuna melt that was huge, drowning in Swiss cheese. I had a Greek chicken wrap. We both had slender, crispy fries and pepper pot cheese steak egg rolls - enormous fried wraps with spicy cheesesteak filling. My slice of chocolate cake was bigger than some of the younger kids in the after-school program, while her slab of pecan shortbread bar could pass for a life raft if the building sank. Needless to say, we took most of both home. She took home part of the tuna melt and the last cheese steak egg roll, too. 

Finished the night at home with The Love Boat. "Zeke and Zelda" (Milton Berle and Martha Raye) are old vaudevillians who sneak aboard the Pacific Princess rather than face eviction. They pass themselves off as a fussy millionaire (Herb Edleman) and his whiny wife (Elinor Donahue), but Zelda has second thoughts about the deception. Sex Ed teacher Emily Parker (Susan Richardson) says "Teach Me Tonight" when the author of the trashy novel she's reading Michael Scott (Daryl Anderson) asks her to edit his next romantic epic. "He's My Brother" says Doc when he finally manages to connect with his resentful brother (Jack Bannon) and his lovely wife (Elaine Joyce)...but his brother has alternate reasons for wanting to finally talk to him after resenting his going to college. 

Wild and Crazy Kids

Got a quick start today with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. "Mer-Mysteries" begins as a spoof of film noir when the Rebellion return to Bright Moon from a failed attempt to retake one of their previous strongholds. Mermista comes to the conclusion that there must be a spy in their midst, which leads to accusations flying wildly all over Bright Moon and clues being found in black and white. As it turns out, Mermista is right. There is a spy at Bright Moon...but it turns out to be a distraction when Double Trouble reveals that Mermista's kingdom is in grave danger.

Dusted the rooms, filled a bag with clothes I didn't want, and got the Valentine's Day cards together while watching Scott Joplin. I go further into this 1977 biography with Billy Dee Williams as the "King of Ragtime" at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Scott Joplin

Headed out to have lunch and run errands on the White Horse Pike after the movie ended, starting with dropping all the cards in the mail box. Thank heavens it wasn't freezing anymore. It was cloudy, windless, and in the 40's, perfectly normal mid-February weather. I don't know why I thought the clothes donation bin was behind the Family Dollar. It's behind Dollar General. Since I was down that way, I had a quick lunch at Dunkin' Donuts to finish that gift card one of the kids gave me for Christmas. The turkey sausage and egg sandwich and mini-hash browns weren't bad, and the brownie batter donut was a bit dry, and the "brownie batter" thin and messy. The hot chocolate was really sweet and creamy, though.

I went home to take out the trash and wait for Uber. No trouble there today. The driver to work didn't even take four minutes to arrive. The one going home took 10 during rush hour. No traffic, no trouble getting there.

The kids were a lot wilder. If they weren't battling colds and sniffling, they were battling cabin fever. I don't think any of them have been outside to play since the middle of last month. Two of the littlest girls got so crazy after lunch, throwing rubber food everywhere and running all over, they were kept in the cafeteria instead of joining the rest of us in the library. Two older boys were even worse in the library, arguing, yelling, pointing fingers, breaking magnetic tiles, and building too-tall skyscrapers and letting them fall and make a mess. Two more girls ripped the paper one of the teachers taped to a table for stenciling so badly, we finally gave up, removed the paper, and gave everyone regular sheets of paper to color on instead. At least we managed to get them together enough to help clean up and get everything back to the cafeteria before I left.

On the other hand, I had 10 kids at my table, and they did clean up quickly when we went to the bathroom early. They were a little crazy in the bathrooms, but I got them back with no trouble. Two of the girls even gave me (or my arms) a big hug. 

I read inside for a little while when I got home, then went out to dinner with Jessa around quarter after 6. We ate at the Philly Diner in Runnemede. This is the huge chrome diner and sports bar with the massive panels on top that the bus passes on the way to the Deptford Mall. Their food was pretty tasty, too. Jessa had a gyro. I had a crab cake sandwich. We both had fries, cole slaw, pickles, and chicken orzo soup. My sandwich was so gigantic, half the crab cake ended up on the plate, but it was really tasty. The coconut cake I had for dessert was even better.

Since we were in Runnemede, Jess drove us to the shopping center next to the Acme. She wanted to show me a store that sold closeouts and overstocks, but it was closed by 7:30. We ended up a few doors down at Dollar Tree instead. I just got a birthday card for Jess, freeze-dried strawberries for a recipe I wanted to make later this week, and a Zootopia bag. Jessa got notebooks and cards. 

Finished the night after a shower with the third CDs from two of my favorite series. Unsung Musicals covers shows that closed on the road or had such short runs on Broadway they were never recorded. On the third volume, the second is represented by two lovely songs from short-lived musical versions of popular plays and books, "Reveille Sun" from Here's Where I Belong (musical East of Eden) and "Simple Words" from Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen (musical Teahouse of the August Moon). We also have "Nothing To Do With Love" from a show called Personals that definitely sounds like it was written by the creators of Friends, the hilarious teen lament "At the Same Time" that was from the first attempt at a musical Freaky Friday, and two songs from a musical version of It's a Wonderful Life that has yet to play Broadway, its title number and "In a State." 

Lost In Boston gives us numbers cut from hit shows, or ones that at least made it to Broadway. The third album kicks off in high style with one of my favorite cut numbers, the hilarious "Mama's Talkin' Soft" from Gypsy. There's also another funny teen lament, "You Don't Have to Kiss Me Good Night" from The Music Man, the touching soliloquy "Pink Taffeta Sample Size 10" from Sweet Charity, "Travelin' Light" from Guys and Dolls, and two dropped songs from the troubled Seesaw, "Big Fat Heart" and "Pick Up the Pieces."

Winds of Winter

Began the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. "Pups On Ice" rescue Jake and Alex when they're stranded on the side of a cliff after Alex's sled goes out of control. "Pups and the Snow Monster" have to figure out what the strange creature that's scaring off the skiers and that Alex filmed is.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. Not only did I have a large, heavy bag of donations I wanted to drop at Goodwill, but despite it being sunny outside, it was also cold and gale-force windy. It was no day for a bike ride, even if I could fit the bag on my bike. They took 12 minutes to arrive, but at least there was no traffic anywhere, not even around the entrance to Wal Mart. I even got the driver to drop me off around back, so I could bring the bag right to the donation center.

Was in and out of stores for the next hour. Goodwill was surprisingly quiet for them. The cold day must have scared people off. I bought The Gourmet Cookie Book, which collected the best cookie recipe from Gourmet Magazine from every year of its publication, and Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook in peace. Got a card and a gift card to Five Below for my niece Lilah, who turns 9 on Monday. Went across the street and picked up new underwear at Lane Bryant. Between good sales and their rewards program, I got six pairs for 30 dollars. 

I hadn't had lunch at Tu Se Bella's in ages. It was almost 2 PM by the time I got there, and there were only a few people enjoying pasta and sandwiches in booths. I had a slice of Hawaiian (Canadian bacon and pineapple) and a slice of broccoli-shrimp pizza with a bottle of Diet Pepsi while half-listening to a talk show on the TV on top of the soda cooler. Walked back to the Acme, where I picked up the Uber to Thomas Sharp School. They only took 5 minutes to arrive and got me there in a little over 5.

I think you can guess that the little kids didn't go outside today. It was just too cold. We tried to separate them into groups when they arrived, but I'm not sure it took. They're used to being able to sit wherever they want and play with whatever they want. We spent most of the time after lunch in the library. I colored with some of the kids. Three girls used stencils to make colorful leaves and animals on paper taped to a table. Others built with magnetic tiles or bristle blocks. Another teacher read to kids at the front table. I sat with the kids who were coloring pictures or drawing their own. They were fascinated when I drew Betty, Hilary, Bear Scott, Eagle Victor, Troll Jeff, and Puppy Enid from Hilary and the Beasts. We'd just moved the remaining kids, including my last diligent artist (who creatively turned a Pokemon picture into a nifty robot) when I finished.

It was still so cold, I took Uber home, too. This time, they took 10 minutes to arrive, not bad at the height of rush hour. There was a little traffic on the White Horse Pike around the corner of the Pike and Collings, but it could have been worse. I was home in five minutes again.

Got organized when I got home, then took a shower, had dinner, and watched The Vagabond King. I go further into the 1956 version of the operetta that would be the last film of soprano Kathryn Grayson at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - The Vagabond King (1956)

Switched to the soundtrack from the Disney Sleeping Beauty while working on the Vagabond King review. This is the original 1959 release, with the lush orchestrations by George Bruns. Unlike most soundtracks of this time period, we get the full songs as heard in the film, even the fathers' comic "Scrumps." Apparently, it was the first true-stereo soundtrack, and it still sounds good to this day, even on the slightly scratched copy I picked up from Innergroove Records last month. 

Finished the night with Remember WENN. Scott's latest scheme is an all-news day, but his attempt to turn WENN into CNN goes sideways when they can find absolutely nothing earthshaking to report. It turns out to be "Some Good News, Some Bad News" when they first attempt to find news on the street, then Scott makes his own drama. Meanwhile, Eugenia the organist, worn out from her all-night program, is replaced for the rest of the season by bubbly former stripper Maple LaMarsh.

"Don't Act Like That" introduces Giels Aldrych (Roddy McDowell), Hilary's former mentor who now runs an acting school. He first attempts to teach the WENN actors about stage projection, but they discover stage acting and acting on the radio are two entirely different things. When two interns, sweet and wordy teen Enid Farleigh (Melissa Dye) and celebrity imitator Gus Kahana (real-life cartoon voice artist Jeff Bergman), are brought in, the actors go on strike, until they realize how much Enid and Gus have to learn about radio. 

Autumn Blue and Gold

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and a spooky episode of the 2002 version of Strawberry Shortcake. After getting scared in the woods during a hike, the kids are convinced "The Blueberry Beast" lives in that spooky old house. Strawberry is determined to prove that their imaginations are running away with them, and just because the house is in bad shape doesn't mean the owner isn't nice.

Headed out to run errands next. I had donations to drop at Goodwill, then went around front. Found a brown cowboy hat that was better than the one I picked up a few years ago, a disc with the Lord Peter Wimsey episodes Clouds of Witness and The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, the first season of Boardwalk Empire, and two CDs: 

Barenaked Ladies - Snack Time

The Brian Setzer Orchestra - Boogie Woogie Christmas

Had lunch at Antonio's Pizza on Market Street. They're a pretty typical hole-in-the wall in a small shopping center that likely hasn't been remodeled since 1972, if the blonde wood paneling and Formica booths are any indication. They do make great pizza, though. The tomato-basil-mozzarella and mushroom were excellent. Washed them down with a Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. Stopped quickly at Desserts By Design a few blocks down and got a chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream icing and fall sprinkles. I said hi to the lady working there, but she was busy dealing with customers and didn't have time for talk.

Took the longer way home down Market Street and across the border of Audubon and Westmont. It was too nice to not be out and enjoy the weather! The sun was shining, and although it remains windy, it was also warmer, probably in the upper 60's-lower 70's. Couldn't have been a nicer day in October. The leaves are finally starting to change colors here, too, turning shades of burnished gold and russet that glowed in the mid-afternoon sun.

Put on spooky-themed episodes of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at home while I got organized. Tigger convinces Piglet to tell a scary story of "The Monster Frankenpooh," but Piglet (and Pooh) get a little too caught up in it. "Things That Go Piglet In the Night" has Piglet running off when he hears scary noises in the night, and the rest of the Hundred Acre Woods residents chasing after him. It's a "Pooh Moon" when the group is camping and Pooh thinks the moon is made of honey. While he and Piglet try to find if this is true, the others think they were abducted by the Grab-Me-Gotcha.

Went to work even before the cartoon ended. The kids were really antsy today, not helped by the younger ones ending up having snacks in the library due to the school's music class running late. I had trouble taking five of the girls to the bathroom. The two smallest took forever to come out. The three older ones wouldn't stop running, laying on the floor, and yelling in the halls. They fooled around so much, they accidentally knocked down a banner hanging on the walls. I wasn't happy with any of them.

It's a good thing we ended up spending the rest of the session outside. The kids got to let out that pent-up energy and enjoy the gorgeous day. Frankly, it was too beautiful to have them play inside. I did have to argue over the swings with some of the kids, but I also had a nice chat with two of the younger girls later in the afternoon, and the one boy who needed to use the bathroom was a perfect gentleman. It was so gorgeous, we just turned the few remaining younger kids loose with the older kids playing ball games on the black top when I left.

It was too nice to go straight home after work. I rode around in West Collingswood for a little while instead. West Collingswood Heights is the neighborhood between Newton Creek, Route 70, and the two Pikes. Though there's a few newer houses and condo rental buildings, most of the houses date to between the late 1800's and the 1930's. Some of them are actually quite lovely, with their turrets and wide porches.

I watched Studio 666 when I got in. This was originally going to be my musical review for tonight, but...this spoof of slasher flicks featuring the Foo Fighters wasn't really a musical. Though it did have some amusing moments, it was mostly way too bloody for my taste. Doesn't help that I'm not that big of a fan of the Foo Fighters, either. The Foo Fighters rent a house where another hard rock band supposedly died in the 90's, only to be stalked by the same killer who eliminated the band. This is strictly for fans of the Foo Fighters, hard rock, or cheep, bloody horror.

My actual review ended up being Murder In the Blue Room. I go further into this equally cheap but far more palatable horror murder mystery at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Murder In the Blue Room

Spooky Angels

Started off the day with breakfast and Good Eats. Figured the "Breakfast Eats" DVD was more than appropriate. "Oats Culture" is likely more appreciated now than it was when this episode was filmed in the early 2000's. People have since discovered the delights and practicality of oatmeal cooked overnight in the microwave or slow cooker. Steel-cut and whole oats have become more popular too as more people search for healthy grains and alternatives to gluten-heavy wheat products.

Likewise, "Yogurt: Good Milk Gone Bad," which I watched while pulling out the winter clothes, is also better-appreciated today. I still think it's a bit too labor-intensive to make my own, though the yogurt cheese doesn't seem as bad. And I'd love to make my own frozen yogurt!

Dusted the rooms while watching "True Brew II: Mr. Tea." This is where I respectfully disagree with Alton. I generally use tea bags. They're a lot less fussy than playing around with loose-leaf tea. I do agree with his method for making iced tea, though I generally prefer mine without sugar.

Watched Charlie's Angels as I finished up the dusting. In "Of Ghosts and Angels," Tiffany is having nightmares about a dark-haired woman being pushed downstairs. She visits with a good friend of hers from college...and realizes that some malevolent force may be after her friend, and her friend's new husband isn't nearly as perfect as he seems.

Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while putting up the Halloween decorations and having lunch. Daniel and Katarina are over at the Merry-Go-Round Museum while they figure out what to dress as for Dress-Up Day. Daniel is his hero Tigey the Adventure Tiger. Miss Elainia has to make her robot costume. Katarina can't decide what to be...until the other two remind her that you can be more than one thing. "Katarina's Costume" blends elements of everything she loves. O the Owl is upset when his traffic lights costume is damaged during the "Dress Up Day" parade. Daniel has to help O figure out what else he wants to be.

Headed out to school a little early to drop off a bag of clothes in the bins behind Dollar General. When I got into school, I found the kids waiting in the hall with their backpacks, reading books. The school band rehearsal ran overtime, and the kids couldn't use the library due to the Book Fair being set up there. (And lucky kids! I'm so happy they still do book fairs at schools. Those were always among the highlights of the school year for me.)

Not only did we get outside today, but the teachers let them stay out for an extra 10-15 minutes. It was cloudy, windy, and humid, but also cool enough for the kids to run around and not get too hot. It's not supposed to be this nice tomorrow! The kids were fascinated by men setting up a roadblock outside the school and a nondescript cop car with lights flashing. Some of them watched the car until it turned around and went back down the street. And they all love it when I push them on the swings! I get so many requests for that, especially from the littlest ones who can't really push themselves on their own.

Went straight home and worked on a new idea for another WENN fanfic. This is going to be one of my first fairy tales for 2026 along with C.J and the Beanstalk, and it's a cross between two ideas. Betty is feeling overlooked during the 4th season - not to mention, she sees Maple flirting with Victor and realizes she might not have that many problems with it and hears Hilary and Jeff argue over Pavla again. She's supposed to be writing the script for "Cinderella," but why go the usual route? What if Cinderella had another reason for dancing at the ball than getting the prince?

So Betty is now the overlooked scribe who is convinced by Queen Gertie and King Tom (Eldridge) to attend a ball held by Lady Pavla. Lady Pavla seems glamorous on the outside, but there's a lot of red flags with her. She took over the household of Lady Maple and Lord Victor when they just vanished...and shortly before she arrived, dragons began terrorizing the kingdoms, stealing gold and burning buildings. Every knight in the kingdom has disappeared trying to find out what's going on. Lady Hilary, who has quite a bit of fairy magic, gives Betty gowns that will mask her identity, glass slippers that can't be heard, and a cape that will let her slip around unseen. Queen Gertie is worried about her son Scott being at the ball as well, as she fears he may do something rash.

Betty arrives to find Pavla the absolute measure of glamour and sweetness, carrying around a red-furred poodle who does dancing tricks. Something is very off about her, and Betty will learn by midnight that Pavla is far more than she appears at the surface.

Don't look for this one before 2026. I still have too many ideas I want to work on now, including finishing Maplepunzel.

Watched Paramount on Parade while I worked. I go further into this charming revue from 1930 at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Paramount on Parade

Finished the night with Match Game '76. Jimmie Walker was delighted to flirt with a pretty young contestant who made her own stylish clothes and kept winning. Gene just did his best to keep Jimmie from drumming up the crowd for his bad answers. 

Hot In Autumn

Slept in and spent most of the morning reading and writing. It was almost noon before I got going with a very small breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Minnie-rella" is tired of her friends giving her tons of chores to do. She dreams that Fairy Godmother Clarabelle and Goofy give her a gown, glass slippers, and a tomato carriage so she can attend Prince Mickey's ball. They fall in love, but after Minnie flees, Goofy is the one who has to help Mickey find whose foot fits that glass shoe.

Headed out next. My first stop was brief. I dropped off that huge collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald short stories and his novels This Side of Paradise and The Beautiful and the Damned at the book kiosk on Johnson Avenue. Not only do I not have the room for it anywhere, but I suspect I could probably find most of Fitzgerald's short stories online, and I didn't like the novels enough to keep them.

Headed down to Collingswood next for lunch. The Stardust Cafe was still pretty busy when I arrived. They gradually cleared out as I enjoyed my three massive pancakes topped with strawberries, syrup, and butter. The "strawberry sauce" I also ordered was so thick and full of huge strawberry pieces, I ate it with a spoon. Tried an Arnold Palmer Slushie, lemonade iced tea with lemon foam on top. Not bad. Tart and not too sweet...and cooling, which is really what I cared about.

It was too nice of a day off to spend it wandering around in stores. Besides, I want to save what little shopping I need to do for vacation next week. I rode around in Collingswood and Westmont for a while, enjoying the warm sunshine. It was a bit humid, more than it has been, but not to the killer degree that it was last summer. 

Made my way down to La Morense Plus on the corner of Cuthbert and the White Horse Pike. It was too hot to not get some kind of cooling treat! Decided to try horschata water ice. It did indeed taste like rice and cinnamon drink water ice, almost like rice pudding water ice. Very sweet and very needed on that hot afternoon. I wasn't the only one there. A dad and his son enjoyed treats next to me.

I did make a stop at Family Dollar on the way home. My friend Amanda and my niece Aurora's birthdays will be while I'm on vacation. I wanted to get their cards and gift cards out now. Got Lauren and Amanda gift cards and Amanda a card here. Lauren's birthday isn't until the 19th, but I wanted to celebrate it with her early next week. Also grabbed a much-needed Propel.

Headed home and put on The Price Is Right while I took down the summer decorations and put up what I have for fall. It may not have felt like fall today, but today is the first full day of the season. I put out a stuffed squirrel holding a nut, an orange owl in glasses reading a book, and patchwork apples and pumpkins. There were tiny baskets of foliage and short Indian corn for my shelves, two small pillows from Jo Ann's and a yard sale respectively to hang on doors, and a lovely beaded wreath from another yard sale on my walls. The huge straw and fall foliage bow-shaped wreath is from a yard sale, too. The thick wooden standing rustic wood pumpkin is from Goodwill. 

Watched one episode of Match Game Syndicated while I put everything away. I wasn't going to miss McLean trying on Gene's jackets. He ends up in a pale blue one for most of the episode. He even does an imitation of a lounge singer near the end of the show. As Brett constantly said, he had no flair for fashion (though his comedy sense was pretty sound).

Switched to It's a Great Life after that. I go further into this 1929 backstage melodrama featuring genuine vaudeville headliners the Duncan Sisters at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - It's a Great Life

Worked on Maplepunzel while the movie was on. Maple and Scott settle into their roles as maid and gardener at the castle. Maple proves to be excellent at her job, enough for the king and queen to commend her. She most loves to hear the butler Mackie Bloom tell stories of his days as an actor and his beautiful late wife, Penelope, and the daughter they lost...

Went back to Match Game Syndicated after the movie ended. This time, McLean found himself caught between the considerable assets of glamorous blondes Eva Gabor and Elaine Joyce. Eva, Elaine, and Brett helped Gene show off the gorgeous bird-based artwork one of the contestants had done.

Finished the night with the original cast album for On the Twentieth Century. Madeline Kahn was movie star Lily Garland, arguing with her director ex-husband Oscar Jaffee (John Cullum) on this original cast album. Imogene Coca has a hilarious number near the end, "Repent!", as a religious nut who annoys everyone on board. Kahn wasn't in the show all that long (and was said to be difficult when she was), but she sounds great singing "Veronique" and joining Cullum for "Our Private World" and "I've Got It All."

Take a Little One Step

Started off the day with Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Poor Rosa gets involved with "Two Many Teas" when she's invited to a wacky tea party with Hattie, the Mad Hatter, and the March Hare and a formal tea party with her mother and the Silver Queen. She tries to attend both, only to leave the cream she needs for the formal tea at the Hatter's home. She eventually realizes she should have discussed the whole thing with her mother and explained the problem. Alice loves making surprise goodies for her friends' Favorite Things Seaside Tea, but when the fashion designer March Hare joins in, Alice has a harder time figuring out "A Tailored Treat" for him.

After I called the housing loan broker and left a message, I went to head out...and stepped right back in when I realized rain was coming down in a steady clip. Spent the next hour doing things online and listening to the original cast album for No, No Nanette. The 1971 revival of the seminal 1925 musical was a blockbuster hit in its own right, bringing 20's fashions and fads back into the limelight and giving Ruby Keeler one last chance at glory. 

In fact, for all the fun dance routines like "Tea for Two" and Keeler's adorable "Take a Little One Step," my favorite number is a song for Keeler and Jack Gilford as her husband with three ladies on the side. "Only a Moment Ago" was either written for the show and dropped, or pulled out of the trunk and cut right before opening. Either way, though it likely did slow down the first act, on disc it's a charming reminiscence that reminds us why nostalgia is so important for many people. 

The rain finally ended by 12:30, giving me the chance to head out on my bike. My first stop was the Audubon Goodwill. I had another bag of donations to drop off in the back. After that, I went around the front to the store. I considered records, but ultimately ended up with two books. My family owned Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever for years. For all I know, Mom or one of my sisters may still have our old copy somewhere. And this copy was brand-new and in perfect condition, with the only difference from Mom's copy being a glossy yellow cover instead of a rough pink one. I also found The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna. 

Headed up the Black Horse Pike to the Black Horse Diner for lunch. I wasn't in the mood for Asian or stuffing myself on a buffet, I just had pizza not long ago, and I try to stay away from fast food. Ended up having a very tasty, if very messy, roast beef panini with Swiss cheese, tomatoes, and horseradish. Whew! That horseradish was strong stuff. It cleared my sinuses. The cakes in the display looked so tempting, I had a slice of carrot cake, too. It was wonderful, but too rich to finish.

I took the long way home across Audubon to avoid the traffic on the Pike and work off that cake. At least it wasn't a bad day for a long ride. While still gloomy and killer humid, it was at least much cooler, probably in the mid-70's. I went past Haddon Lake Park and Audubon High School to the train bridge, then went into a quiet Oaklyn. I saw kids riding around on their bike, but not much of anyone else. Most small local businesses are closed on Monday (which is why I did Goodwill today to begin with). 

When I got home, I went straight into Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. Here, the two are newly-minted private eyes whose first case is finding out who set up boxer Tommy Nelson (Arthur Franz) and got him sent to prison for killing his manager. He insists on being injected with an invisibility serum to help the guys figure out who did it...but him getting drunk and the effects of the serum on his mind don't help the situation. Tommy insists that he wouldn't throw a fight between him and Rocky Hanlon (John Daheim), and Morgan (Sheldon Leonard) had his manager beaten to death and him framed. He helps Lou knock out Hanlon and arranges a fight. Lou might not live to get in the ring when Morgan and his goons go after him and Bud, and then when he tries to buy him off.

This was surprisingly fun, more on the lines of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The invisibility made for a lot of great gags, and Lou in particular had a great time with the boxing satire. Look for Leonard as the head gangster who cause the trouble and Adele Jergens as his tough-as-nails girlfriend Boots Malone, too.

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts for most of the afternoon after I got in. Puppy (Enid) help Hilary, Maple, and Betty find gowns in the mansion's attic. They emerge in lacy Victorian splendor, a riot of velvet, silk, and high ruffled collars. They even find a black velvet maid's gown for Mrs. Fox (Gertie) and a cranberry red girl's dress for Enid (based on the first Christmas dress American Girl made for Samantha). Hilary borrows a cape and bonnet for her and Troll's (Jeff's) reading of A Christmas Carol. It's a big success with the others...and Hilary can't help but notice how well they act together. She's almost considering saying "yes" to Troll's constant proposals of marriage.

Switched to Match Game Syndicated during dinner. David Doyle was a good friend and drinking buddy of Brett Somers, which is why he turned up so often during the late 70's and early 80's. He had the most fun this week, explaining his trademark gravelly voice and attempting imitations of Sydney Greenstreet. Gary Crosby and Rita Moreno were a blast, too. I wish Rita appeared on the show more often. She really livened things up whenever she was there.

Finished the night with British versions of American game shows. Game show formats have been traveling around the globe since the radio era. By the 1970's, England was even more likely to adapt our formats than we were theirs. Their version of Hollywood Squares, Celebrity Squares, has turned up three times on what's now ITV Central. I have the first episode of the 1993-1997 version, the longest-running to date, here. Bob Monkhouse was the "Master of the Boxes" in the original 70's run and the 90's version. Play is almost identical to the US version, but the bonus round with the cars is closer to the one for the 1999-2003 Whoopi Goldberg show. 

They also had fun with Match Game on the BBC. Known as Blankety Blank in England, I have the first episode of the original 1979-1990 run hosted by Terry Wogan here. While the main game is played largely the same as in the US, instead of ongoing contestants, we have two sets of main games and Super Matches played per show, with the bigger winner coming back at the end for a second Head to Head. The BBC's low-budget prizes apparently became a running gag on the show, including the consolation prize checkbooks and pen. 

Even the wild world of Chuck Barris found its way across the pond. Blind Date is the ITV version of The Dating Game. It's played pretty much identical to how it is in the US, with a bacheorette asking three bachelors questions, then choosing one for a date, and then a guy asking ladies questions. Singer Cilla Black is the knowing hostess. This couldn't be more 80's if it tried, from some of the questions to the huge hair on one of the guys. 

Play Your Cards Right is the ITV version of Card Sharks. Bruce Forsyth hosted all three of its runs, from 1980 to 1987, 1994 to 1999, and a short-lived 2002-2003 version. In fact, Forsyth was so associated with the show, the 80's run was known as Bruce Forsyth's Play Your Cards Right. By the time of this 1987 episode, the contestants were all newlyweds, turning this into something of a cross between Card Sharks and The Newlywed Game. The front game is identical to the original US shows, but the bonus round involves asking more questions and then turning over cards to win points. 

Even Nickelodeon shows traveled to England...and often did better there than they did here. Finders Keepers lasted 7 months on Nick in 1987-1988, but it ran from 1991 to 1996 on ITV's kids morning block and got a brief revival in 2002. Here, the bonus round, with the kids searching the entire huge weird stuff-filled house, was identical, but the main round was different. There was no looking for pictures, no questions, just kids searching the rooms. 

Take a summer vacation to jolly old England and see how some American shows were translated across the pond!

Blankety Blanks (1979)

Blind Date (1986)

Bruce Forsyth's Play Your Cards Right (1987)

Celebrity Squares (1993)

Finders Keepers (1995)

Dolls On a Stormy Day

Began the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. "Hattie Wishes Upon a Star" during their Japanese tea festival, and is upset when the stars are covered with clouds and the wishes blow away. Alice, Rosa, and Fergie chase the slips of paper that hold their wishes, and get help from a very unlikely source! It's "Season's Eatings" when the Queen of Hearts insists that Alice's "pumpkin pizzels" should be a year-round treat. Everyone keeps buying them and buying them, until they're not popular anymore, and Alice and her friends have to think of another way to entice eaters to the store.

I gathered clothes to donate at the bin in the back of Dollar General while watching the 2003 Strawberry Shortcake. They did two fairy tales late in the series that weren't plays or dream sequences. "Sleeping Beauty" was the first. Strawberry is the Sleeping Beauty, cursed by Brambleberry Fairy because she thought they forgot to invite her to the christening. She's jealous of how all of the other fairies work together to try to lift the curse, until Prince Huckleberry reminds her that her thorns - both around her house and her heart - are keeping her from seeing the truth or accepting apologies. 

Went for a walk after the cartoon ended. I dumped the clothes bag in the bin, and then went in Dollar General for a drink...only to dash back out when I heard a loud argument between a customer who wanted her coupon back and two cashiers who couldn't give it to her. I bought 2 for $5 Gatorade at CVS instead before heading into Newton Lake Park. At least they've finally finished the playground, a green and orange melange of spiral slides and twisty monkey bars. The swing set is now yellow, and the baby swing is basically a baby seat with a restraining bolt on metal links.

I originally planned on going for a longer walk, but it was hot and killer humid, and there were dark clouds rumbling on the horizon. I dodged Canadian geese hogging the road and finally got off at the stone staircase leading up to Clinton Avenue. Rushed home as quickly as I possibly could.

(Thankfully, the clouds didn't finally burst until over an hour after I got in. We had a pretty good thunderstorm going too, with loud pyrotechnics and buckets of water. Even after the thunder finally passed, it would continue showering off and on for the rest of the afternoon.)

Had lunch after I got in while watching Care Bears Family. Cheer is excited about the "Care Bear Town Parade," even buying a fancy new outfit for it...and neglecting to help Bright Heart, Treat Heart, and Champ with their float. She spends her money on a barrette instead of giving the others her share for a new car. When a certain strange car seller (Beastly) turns up with a snazzy pink and purple limo for all the money they have, she thinks she's found the perfect vehicle for them...until it turns out it's a trap by Beastly to destroy the parade and Care Bear Town. 

Spent the next few hours dressing the dolls for the 4th of July. Whitney's ready to show her new dance moves in the 4th of July Parade in the AG Dance Dress and tap shoes borrowed from Molly. (The red shoes that go with the dress are coming apart.) Samantha is ship-shape in her Middy Dress and black and white boots. Jessa sports a more laid-back red t-shirt from the original Blue Jean Basics and the shortalls from the Earth Day Outfit. Molly's ready for camp in her Camp Gowanigan uniform and saddle shoes. 

Josefina's in her Indigo Skirt and Camisa, while Ariel gets a patriotic peasant shirt Lauren sent a while ago and red satin shorts from Julie's original Skating Outfit. Felicity is light and airy in her white cotton Summer Gown with the wide blue and white sash. Barbara Jean is the only one old enough to pull of a brief pink and blue Terry cloth romper with her own white shoes.

Listened to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella while I worked. Known as Bad Cinderella when it played Broadway, Cinderella is "bad" because she's a realistically unattractive and spunky young woman in a kingdom that is completely obsessed with appearances. Her friend Sebastian is the prince whose mother insists on him having a ball to find a bride after his brother dies. Cinderella insists on changing herself to attend, but learns a lesson in being yourself when it's her...the dirty, spunky her...that Sebastian really wants. 

This is...ok. It plays its parodies of cultures obsessed with conformity and superficial beauty as broadly as possible...which, to be honest, gets kind of annoying. Cinderella is less "bad" than she is "generic misunderstood." Though her "I Know I Have a Heart" isn't bad, Sebastian gets the lion's share of the the decent material, including "Man's Man" and "I Know You." Ok if you love Webber's other work or Cinderella stories like me, but nothing you need to go out of your way for.

Switched to writing after I finished the dolls. The ladies all wake up the next morning to discover massive headaches...and that they all had the same dream. Hilary is more worried about Jeff and what Pavla did to him than she'll admit. Betty wonders about the protective larger man, why she recognized him, and why they were attacked first. Maple's mind is mostly still tied up in ribbons, roses, and cute intellectuals with lovely whiskey eyes, but even she'll admit she was afraid when she couldn't rescue the guy or Betty.

Betty is only slightly surprised to see a kindly old cat-man (Mr. Eldridge) turn up at their door to fetch them for breakfast. They try to question him, but he either dodges them, or doesn't seem to understand. He'll only tell them that they have to figure it out for themselves.

Watched Our Town as I worked. I go further into this poignant musical version of the play where Frank Sinatra introduced the standard "Love and Marriage" at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Our Town (1955)

Watched Match Game '73 as I ate dinner. Yes, they jumped back to the beginning again, but this time, they're at some of the most delightful episodes of the first year. Jim Backus made his only appearance and Patti Desuch her first in the first week. "Mama" Cass Elliott became one of only two rock stars to appear on the 70's-80's Match Game in the second. 

Finished the night with game shows for the whole family. Families go way back in game shows. The Parents Game from 1972 was a Chuck Barris attempt to recapture that Newywed Game magic. Here, couples who either have children or are expecting them answer questions about how to raise them. Yeah, pretty generic. It wasn't enough to keep it around for more than a year.

The undisputed family game show champ was and remains Family Feud. The episode I have here is from early in Richard Dawon's run, right after he gave up on Match Game. Watching the two groups of families work together to get the answer and some of their funner mishaps can be a lot of fun.

Nowadays, families are more likely to be competing in stunt shows. Family Game Night and The Game of Life are two early game shows on the Hub before it became Discovery Kids. I can see why Family Game Night was the bigger hit of the two. Watching two families playing games based on beloved Habro board games is delightful. The Game of Life asks its questions on a CGI playing field that hasn't dated well. The stunts played at the end are a little to perfunctory, too.

Family Double Dare did far better with stunts in 1990. It's the same Double Dare, with daring and Physical Challenges, but here, we have families playing, rather than just kids. The big prize at the end of the Obstacle Course isn't a trip, but a car. This would be just as popular as it's other spin-offs, and remains just as much fun to watch.

Celebrate the 4th of July with your family in these hilarious showcases of family dynamics and parenting!

The Parents Game (1972)

Family Feud (1979)

Family Double Dare (1990)

Family Game Night (2010)

The Game of Life (2012)