Making Changes

Started off my day with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix for something different. Watched the first half of the two-part pilot "The Sword." This pretty much follows the original show, only here, Glimmer is an adorable hot-tempered spitfire who is far younger than the others (and is treated as such by her mother Angela), and Adora and Catra are buddies. In fact, Adora initially ends up in the Whispering Woods to give Catra something to do after she's not permitted to go on a raid. I really like the animation - the characters look less like muscular 80's models and more like the awkward young people they are, and the anime-esque designs surprisingly work well with them. 

Switched to Remember WENN while making the bed and getting paperwork organized. I enjoyed revisiting The Monkees so much last fall, I thought I'd check out another show that meant a lot to me. WENN debuted in January 1996 as a four-part mini-series, beginning with "On the Air." Betty Roberts (Amanda Naughton) arrives at Pittsburgh radio station WENN in September 1939, having just won a writing contest. Erudite manager Victor Comstock (John Bedford Lloyd) tells her she's an intern who has a lot to learn. He realizes that maybe he could learn a few tricks himself when their writer passes out drunk and Betty has to rush in and save the broadcast with her contest-winning play.

"Klondike 9366" further introduces estranged husband-and-wife acting team Hilary Booth (Melinda Mullins) and Jeffery Singer (Hugh O'Gorman) and brings in perky blond ingenue Celia Mellon (Dina Spybey). Ceila gets a baptism by fire her first day when Victor wants to do a call-in talk show. It's a bust...until they hear from a little boy (Nick Holmes) who is worried about an intruder outside. 

We learn more about Ceila in "A Rock and a Soft Place" as Victor and Betty try to figure out how to keep two very different sponsors happy. Mrs. Mellon of the Pittsburgh Public Library Theater wants more culture and less violence. Mr. Acton of Acton Anthracite Coal wants to ramp up the violence and tone down the mush. This is also the first of several times on the show we meet a character who isn't what they claim to be when Ceila keeps trying to avoid Mrs. Mellon, whom everyone assumes is her mother. 

"There But for Grace" brings in the first of three Broadway divas who would have prominent guest-star roles on the show. Movie star Grace Cavendish (Patti LuPone) makes a stop on a bond tour. Her stage rival Hilary Booth thinks she's there to steal her thunder, but she really came to see her former flame Victor (to Betty's consternation). 

I finally got that interview in while "There But for Grace" finished. I quickly went over my tax sheets with them, then my application. Showed them brand-new ID card and my much-mauled Social Security card, and that was that. I did need to photograph and email the application to them afterwards. I just need to get fingerprinted in Cherry Hill on Thursday, and that will be that.

Took Uber to the Best Buy at the Market Place in Cherry Hill after lunch. I didn't want to go through my laptop overheating again or risk it dying all together like my previous one did. I spent a half-hour looking over the two rows of Chromebooks. Ended up with a Lenovo that cost about $340, more than I spent on my previous laptop. It's my first real wide-screen laptop, though, with great audio and visuals...and really tiny words. I may have to figure out how to make the words on this thing bigger.

Watched Thrill of a Romance while I set up my new computer. I go further into this romantic comedy with music featuring Esther Williams and Van Johnson at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Thrill of a Romance

Jessa picked me up at quarter after 6. She had some great news. She'll be gone next week because she's using part of her inheritance from Dad to take a trip to Europe. She mentioned seeing Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, and Venice, Italy. We celebrated with dinner at Bahama Breeze. She had a bowl of plaintains, chicken, beans, and rice. I had blackened mahi mahi tacos and a bowl of fruit with mango sorbet. Oh, yum! The crispy fish was perfectly seared, and the fruit hit the spot a lot more than fries would have. And for once, the serving was just enough for one sitting without having to take anything home.

The main reason I suggested Bahama Breeze is because a second 2nd Avenue Thrift location had opened at the green-roofed shopping center next-door to the Cherry Hill Mall. That place was huge! It was easily twice the size of the one in Pennsauken, with more racks of clothes than they probably had in the Cherry Hill Mall JC Penney and Macy's. They had so many shelves of books and CDs, I spent almost an hour just going over those. Ended up with 6 CDs: 

Irving Berlin In Hollywood, a TCM collection of Berlin songs from Call Me Madam, Top Hat, Alexander's Ragtime Band, and Easter Parade, among others. 

The Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection, songs from there shows (including their lesser-known work) performed by vocalists of the 40's and 50's

Alabama - Christmas

Air Supply - The Definitive Collection 

Billboard Top Hits 1975 and 1977

And three books: 

Daisy Fae and the Miracle Man and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Dancing to "Almendra" by Maya Montedro

Finished the night after a shower with my new Irving Berlin In Hollywood CD. We get a really nice overview of the songs Berlin wrote for films here, including one used in a non-musical (Clark Gable's rendition of "Puttin' On the Ritz" from the drama Idiot's Delight). I was especially glad to hear the outtakes and songs cut from movies, like Ethel Merman's "Marching Through Time" that was dropped from Alexander's Ragtime Band. Judy Garland was so hilarious singing "Anything You Can Do" with Howard Keel, I almost wish she'd been able to complete Annie Get Your Gun. She had a rather nice "They Say It's Wonderful," too. 

Trouble On a Gloomy Day

The day did not begin well. I had a quick breakfast before doing the New Jersey Child Abuse Record Information paperwork. I was still finishing out the last of the paperwork when Healthy Kids texted me again. Since I wasn't quite done, they pushed back the appointment to 4 PM.

That did give me the time to put my laundry downstairs and run to the Acme. For one thing, I wanted to pick up a gift card for Mother's Day. For another, I forgot to pick up the second letter. Turns out the other manager couldn't write it. I asked the floral department manager to write it instead. (And she still hasn't sent it.) Stopped at the Oaklyn Post Office on the way home to send Mom's card. Her birthday card got there late and in bad shape. I wanted to make sure this one got there on time. 

Got the laundry into the dryer, then had lunch while watching Alice's Wonderland Bakery. "Meet the Tweedles" introduces Tweedle Do and Tweedle Don't, who are supposed to help people make important decisions. Alice can't decide if she wants to accept the Queen's offer to become her royal baker, so she lets the Tweedles decide...with chaotic results! It's "A Very Wonderland Wedding" when a daisy and a dandelion who are getting married want Alice to create a cake for them with very unique ingredients! Alice and the kids can't figure out how to blend them, until Alice discovers they don't have to.

Put on PAW Patrol as I made the bed and cleaned up from lunch. The "Pups Pit Crew" helps Alex retrieve the parts for the "super trike" he made from recycled scrap and help him put it back together. "Pups Fight Fire" when Marshall joins a contest for the World's Fastest Firefighter. He's ready and raring to go, but when he has to fight a real fire on the beach, he realizes that being fast isn't what's important. Real firefighters do their job no matter what.

Listened to recently-acquired jazz records while I finally brought the laundry upstairs and put it away, then started the paperwork. The Maxwell Jazz II Sampler is what it says - a collection of jazz performed by then-popular artists. The oldest number on the album Ella Fitzgerald joining Count Basie for "You've Changed." Most of them are from the 60's onward, like Buddy Rich pounding through "Ya Gotta Try" and Oscar Peterson's "Lil' Darlin'."

Wynton Marsalis dominated the jazz scene in the 80's and early 90's with albums like Think of One. This was one of his biggest hits, topping the jazz albums chart. The Thelonious Monk title song is probably the best-known from this one. I also like "My Ideal" and Marsalis' own "The Bell Ringer" and "Later."

I thought I had everything done, but...she rescheduled again for tomorrow. They hadn't gotten the CARI paperwork, and said I hadn't finished the tax work. I thought I did. Turns out I only did the New Jersey and forgot the Federal. At least I was able to do that and not only finish the CARI, but figure out how to add the many places I've lived and when I lived there when they wanted my addresses since 1980! 

(And it's a good thing I spent the rest of the afternoon at home. It was cloudy, damp, and cool for most of the day. It finally rained around the time was talking to Healthy Kids, which made me feel sorry for the kids and their caretakers who would likely be stuck inside. Thankfully, the rain ended not long afterwards and it went back to just being gloomy.)

Put on The Magic Sword to make myself feel better while I did that Federal tax paperwork. A strapping young man (Gary Lockwood) rescues his princess sweetheart from an evil sorcerer (Basil Rathbone) with the help and hindrance of his witch mother (Estelle Woodward). I have to agree with the guys on Mystery Science Theater 3000 that for a Bert I. Gordon production, this wasn't all that bad. Yeah, Lockwood's character was pretty much a jerk, the knights that came back to life didn't have much to do, and the special effects were terrible (the dragons are obvious puppets). Rathbone and Woodward's hilarious performances make the whole thing worth seeing, both the actual film and the MST3K version.

Had dinner while watching Match Game '76. It's too bad there's an episode of this week with Marcia Rodd currently missing (it was supposedly erased by accident when GSN was upgrading the episodes back in the 2000's). Rodd has some funny moments, and Gary Burghoff gets a few digs in at Brett.

Finished the night watching unique game shows with adventure or fantasy themes. Most shows of this nature usually just have a gimmick to make them stand out. The Money Maze from 1975 had couples searching a maze for the bell to ring that would give them a prize. Host Nick Clooney tries to be amiable, but the whole thing comes off as silly.

Whew! from 1979 is silly done right. Two contestants (including a young Julie Brown, later of MTV, in the first episode) place "blocks" on a board of pun-filled questions. The contestants try to answer the questions, make their way up the board, and avoid the blocks. The creative bonus round is "The Gauntlet." The winner makes their way past a row of Hanna-Barbara-designed "villains" while being asked more pun questions. Energetic Tom Kennedy has a great time as host. It's too bad this didn't last a year on CBS, and I don't think Buzzr knew what to do with it, either. This deserved far better than it got from either network.

Pitfall from 1982 had a lot more challenges than its up-and-down set. In this Canadian show, Alex Trebek asked two contestants to predict how the audience would vote on a certain subject. Winner went through a bonus round similar to "The Gauntlet." Here, they're blocked by a series of mechanical elevators. The "pitfall" is the elevators that go down when stepped on. Right answers get them moving again. Not only is this not all that exciting of a game, but the pitfalls were so expensive to set up, the production company went bankrupt. Neither Alex nor the contestants ever got their prizes or money.

The success of American Gladiators in the mid-90's brought out many extreme sports imitations and variations. Knights and Warriors pits two teams against each other and a group of athletes dressed as 80's-early 90's fantasy stereotypes. I'm not a Gladiators fan, but the medieval theme and the warriors' total devotion to playing their roles to the hilt makes this one quite a lot of fun. (Incidentally, if you also enjoyed the show, the full series can currently be found on Tubi.) 

England also got into adventure fantasy shows in the early 90's. The Crystal Maze takes a team of interpret  explorers through four areas. They play three or four games in each area to win a crystal. The more crystals they get, the more time they earn gathering gold paper in the end. If they get enough gold papers, they can win a trip. This is so much fun to watch, no wonder it ran for five series and would be revived in 2016.

Fight warriors, avoid pitfalls, and run the dreaded "Gauntlet" of Hanna-Barbara baddies in these unique adventures! 

The Money Maze Pilot (1975)

Whew! (1979)

Pitfall (1982)

Knights and Warriors (1992)

The Crystal Maze (1994) 

Dolls and Harts

Began the morning with breakfast and The Adventures of Flash Gordon. "The Monsters of Mongo" include a giant dinosaur-like creature, sea serpents, and trees that reach out and grab victims. Flash, Dale, Zarkov, and King Thun manage to dodge the first, but they're caught by Ming the Merciless' daughter Aura. Ming keeps Dale for himself and wants to make use of Zarkov, but sends Thun and Flash to the mines as slaves. Aura frees them, but they run headlong into the sea serpents and trees before Prince Barin and his men catch them.

I was supposed to have an interview with Healthy Kids Programs, the after-school and summer programs for Collingswood and Oaklyn's elementary schools, at 9:30. I had a hard time figuring out how to get the audio and video working on the first app they wanted to use. I do have an account on Zoom, so I switched to that.

Thankfully, it went very well after that. I explained why I was interested in their program. I may not be a teacher or have worked with kids on a regular basis, but I don't have any problems with them, either.  They only need someone early in the morning or late in the afternoon to help with their before and after school programs, and that would be perfect for my off days at the Acme. I remembered how, in fifth grade, I got so into reading The Lion and the Mouse for my class, the teacher had me repeat the performance for the kindergartners. I spent the rest of the school year helping the teacher out with them, making up stories based after whatever I was into at the time, during what would have been my lunch hour.

(Of course, they partially let me do this to dodge the bullying that had gotten even worse by the late 80's. I would be pulled from Cape May Elementary after that school year and placed in the special ed middle school.)

Went over the Healthy Kids website after I got off with them, then headed to my dental appointment. Got there with five minutes to spare. The waiting room was nearly full to capacity when I arrived. It took almost ten minutes for the dental technician to call me back.

No trouble after that, though. I was just getting a cleaning today. I did admit to the technician that my lower right teeth have been a little sensitive. They chew fine, but I can feel hot and cold with them. She gave me two toothpastes to help with it.

Had lunch at the Westmont Bagel Shop after I got out of my appointment. It was past 12:30, and they were pretty busy, too. I had a tasty avocado, tomato, and mozzarella omelet with fried potatoes (that I didn't finish) and a whole-wheat bagel. Grabbed two more bagels for lunch this week on the way out.

Since Great Clips is right next door to the Bagel Shop, I got my hair cut next. There was only one other person sitting in the salon chairs and no wait. They were able to take me right away. I only got a trim this time, since I went so short last time. It looks cute, but given we're coming up on summer, I kind of wish I'd gotten another inch off.

Went home after that and right into dressing the dolls for May and warmer weather. Samantha's birthday is in May, so she gets to wear her pink striped birthday dress with the frilly pinafore. I bought her new white shoes with pink bows and snaps on eBay a few months ago. Molly's trying on her rainbow striped Tennis Outfit. Josefina is in her lovely Dress and Vest and the gold fringed shawl from her Feast Day Outfit for Cinco Del Mayo next week. Jessa's just in a tye-dye flower print T-shirt and capris. 

Whitney celebrates Memorial Day (or Decoration Day, as it would have been in 1959 when her backstory is set) in Maryellen's red, white, and blue bow-print School Outfit with the blue cardigan and cute red bow-trimmed shoes. Felicity is ready to help me clean the rooms in her green-striped Work Gown. I bought the hand-made pinafore for Samantha to wear in the early 90's, but I never did put it on her that often. It works better as an apron. Kit's ready to get that scoop in her pink, green, and yellow Reporter Outfit with the coral knit cardigan. Ariel gets Julie's current meet outfit with the floral peace sign tank top, yellow crocheted vest, and hip flared floral jeans. Barbara Jean is the queen of Cherry Hill High's prom in her pink fringed dress and stole that were originally a play outfit for Melody.

Listened to The Essential Michael Jackson while I worked. You can't get much more essential than just about every big song Jackson ever had, from his time with the Jackson 5 until his final hit "You Rock My World" from 2001. The majority of Jackson's best-known solo output came out between 1979 and 1991...pretty much the entirety of my childhood. 

Jackson was one of the biggest superstars on the planet for my first ten years of existence. We had his Thriller album and I think Bad on cassette. So many wonderful songs that were such a part of my life then - "Rock With You," "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Thriller," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man In the Mirror," "Smooth Criminal," "Black or White," "Heal the World," "Will You Be There." Now I'm even more looking forward to the Michael Jackson film musical biography that's at this writing scheduled to open in October. 

I checked my email when I got home...and to my delight and shock, Healthy Kids offered me the job. I figured they'd want someone who has more experience with kids, but I guess I really impressed them. I did have to tell them about my vacation with Lauren (I was able to get all but two days - they were going to need help the last two days with the kids getting out of school), and I'll need to change my availability at work. Even if this is only for the late spring and summer, I'll be making two paychecks, and more to the point, will have something to do this summer besides wander around South Jersey buying records and books.

Put on Hart to Hart while I got the deal with the vacation hashed out. "Max In Love" is delighted with the pretty lady (Madelyn Rue) he's dating...at least until he and the Harts come home from an auction house to find their home empty. Max's new sweetheart is helping a crooked auctioneer (Rene Auberjoinis) and his thugs rip off wealthy homes. After Max gets hurt catching the thieves killing one of their own, the Harts take it on themselves to keep the men from making off with the rest of their things. 

Switched to Match Game '78 during dinner. Avery Schriberer and Barbara Rhodes joined in as Richard admitted that for once, his answer to "Whip __" in the Audience Match wasn't very good. Gene spent the next episode trying to figure out who Dayton Anderson was.

Finished the night after a shower with game shows based around numbers or statistics.  The Audience Match on Match Game deals with statistics and surveys to a degree. The most famous survey-based show, of course, is Family Feud. Richard Dawson asks the survey questions in this 1978 episode from the height of the original run's success.

Most other numbers-based shows didn't get anywhere near the long run of Feud. Alex Trebek's first hosting gig in America was The Wizard of Odds in 1974. "The Wizard" asks questions with three answers based on averages. In the second game, they had to guess which phrase or person didn't match with the others. The contestant with the most correct answers got the chance to choose which prizes to play, under locked or open windows. Winners had their names added to Alex's Wheel of Fortune, which he would spin to give a contestant even more prizes.

On one hand, I'm glad this finally turned up in 2022. Until this episode was uploaded, there was nothing of this online but the opening. On the other hand, I can see why it only made a year. The game play is kind of complicated, and the statistics are a bit dry. Alex, however, is charming out of the gate. No wonder NBC would call him back for this show's much-improved replacement High Rollers. 

While most of Trebek's two versions of High Rollers were wiped by NBC, the Wink Martindale syndicated revival from 1987 is still very much around. I loved watching this show on Channel 17 as a kid. It was fun to watch contestants try to roll the right numbers for those big prize packages!

Play the Percentages was somewhat similar to The Wizard of Odds. In this early episode I have here, two couples try to guess a percentage-based question. Whomever got the closest to the answer would earn the number in the question. The original bonus round had the couple choosing a percentage-based answer to a question. Once again, they get the number in question, but getting 0% would end the round. They kept revising this and revising this during the seven months it was on the air in 1980, eventually dropping the couples in favor of solo players and switching the bonus round to being survey-based, more like Feud. Nothing worked, or frankly, made this show a whole lot more interesting. It was gone by fall 1980.

Nipsey Russell had no more luck with Your Number's Up back at NBC in 1985. Here, after Nipsey gives us his poem for the day, three contestants spin a number wheel and try to earn more diamonds. The contestants would select one of two phrases, while Nipsey read the other half. If a car symbol appeared, they'd have to guess the numbers on a car's license plate. Personally, I thought all the spinning and diamonds got to be a bit much. Bringing in audience members to earn money along with the contestants and doing a home game just made things even more complicated. No wonder this didn't last three months.

The British do much better with numbers in their long-running Countdown. The first half has contestants rearranging letters to make words. During the second half, they solve math problems. Admittedly, it is fun to play along with the first half and see what words you can make from the letters yourself. The second half is a little less exciting...but overall I can see why this has been going since 1982 and is one of the longest-running game shows in England. 

Learn about numbers, odds, and statistics with these rare delights!

The Wizard of Odds (1974)

Family Feud (1978)

Play the Percentages (1980)

Your Number's Up (1985)

High Rollers (1987)

Countdown (1991)

Strange Spring Magic

Started off the morning with breakfast and PAW Patrol. The "Pups Save a Super Pup" when Rubble is inspired by his hero Apollo to attempt to move a rock slide on his own. The others have to help out when he ends up trapped too...but then he sees Zuma trying to drive his dump truck and realizes what he's really good at. "Pups Save Ryder's Robot" when the robotic dog that usually acts as their aide gets out of control and runs amok in Adventure Bay. Skye keeps an eye out for him, while Rocky does the repairs.

Let the second half of Supermarket Sweep run while making my grocery list. I came in just as the first team won the Big Sweep (and had a really cute stuffed eagle bonus). They didn't do nearly as well with the bonus round, though, getting caught up on the second question.

It was such a stunning afternoon, I grabbed my push cart and walked to the Westmont Plaza. It's not a long walk, only about ten-fifteen minutes or so. The weather was much too beautiful to be taking Uber. It remains just about perfect for late April, sunny, breezy, and in the mid-70's. I was fine in shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt. There were a lot of people doing the same, jogging, walking their dogs or with friends, or pushing their children in carriages.

Target surprisingly wasn't busy when I arrived. I must have just missed the lunch crowd. I did look at what little remained for Easter to see if they had any half-price decorations, but I ended up with a Cherry Chai Latte at Starbucks. Oooh, other than being a bit sweet, that was tasty, nicely cool with cookie and nut bits on the top.

I was mainly there to do my Sprouts shopping. Restocked soda (Zevia and an inexpensive hydrogen-fused sparkling water), dried fruit (sliced mango was on sale), coconut milk, and granola bars. I've wanted to try golden (cane) sugar again for ages; got it from the bulk bins. The bananas have gone soft too quickly. Grabbed red grapes instead, since they were on sale. I wanted another oat-based cereal I could eat cold, now that it's too hot for cooked oatmeal. Most of the commercial cereals, even the organic Sprouts ones, had too much sugar and/or salt. I ended up with their organic blueberry-lemon granola instead. 

Stopped at the pretzel shop on the way home. I wasn't up to much more than a stuffed cheese steak pretzel and two regular ones. Bought those, headed out. 

Ate them for lunch while watching Hooray for Huckle! I was very disappointed with this follow-up to The Busy World of Richard Scarry. Also known as Busytown Mysteries, Huckle and his friends and sister Sally solve mysteries all over town, learning to use deductive reasoning and solve problems. "The Big Apple Mystery" has the kids following the trajectory of a huge wooden apple rolling across town. "The Missing Pickle Car Mystery" introduces Mr. Frumble, as they help him figure out what happened to his iconic pickle car. Gold Bug the reporter relates the goings on.

Honestly, the mysteries themselves are cute, but the animation is terrible. The characters do look like their book counterparts, but they barely have any facial expression or movement. Those "mysteries" seem kind of weird, too. I don't think I'll be continuing it; it might go over better with the target preschool audience as an introduction to mysteries and problem-solving. 

Switched to Les Girls after that. I go further into this unique dance musical featuring Gene Kelly and the finale movie score for Cole Porter at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Les Girls

When Jessa texted and said she'd be late, I had the time to do a super-short online interview. All they did was flash three questions I had to answer on a camera onscreen. Simple as that. Took me less than eight minutes. I don't know how well I did, and I'm not sure I could get away with all the driving and traveling the job requires, but I did do it. 

Jessa finally picked me up around 6. I've always wanted to try The Cheesecake Factory, but the one time I made it to the Cherry Hill location, the line was prohibitively long. There was no line tonight. We were seated within five minutes. It's a basic burgers-and-dinner restaurant with elegant, colorful floral paintings on the walls and ceiling and shiny wooden panels. Even the bar was lovely. Jessa had chicken Parmesan. I had a turkey burger. Oh, yum! Turkey burgers are usually dry when made by a restaurant, but this one was perfect, juicy and nicely seared. Jessa got three big breaded chicken patties. She let me try part of one, and they really were that good. (She ended up taking the last one home.)

Watched Remember WENN after a shower. Radio station manager Scott Sherwood is "Popping the Question" near the end of the second season when he starts a game show that's fixed in favor of the sponsor's spoiled son. The rest of the staff do their best to teach Scott and the bratty college kid a lesson. Meanwhile, Doug Thompson, the station's sweet lawyer, is waiting (and waiting) for busy Betty Roberts to remember their date.

Finished the night working on the Les Girls review while listening to The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra - All Over the World. Today, ELC is probably best-known for their contributions to Xanadu. Along with "All Over the World," we get their slightly slower version of the title song. Much as I love that movie, I prefer some of their better-known singles, like "Strange Magic," "Evil Woman," "Don't Bring Me Down," and "Mr. Blue Sky." 

Ramblin' Woman

Began a beautiful morning with breakfast and What's New, Scooby Doo? "It's Mean, It's Green, It's the Mystery Machine" turns the gang's beloved ride into the monster when it seemingly glows green and drives on its own. Seems it previously belonged to a kid rock group called the Mystery Kids, whose pushy mother is desperate for them to make a comeback. Shaggy and Scooby worry that the ghost of the group's former pianist is possessing the car, but Velma is certain that there's more likely explanations for its behavior.

Put on Frank Sinatra while doing research on Regus and writing down questions to ask during the interview. All the Way is apparently a collection of his later Capitol singles. I couldn't resist a disc that features some of his most beloved songs, including the title ballad, "High Hopes," and "Witchcraft."

The lady from Regus did indeed call at 1 PM. We talked for five minutes. She asked me if I minded doing cleaning and picking up furniture in addition to office duties. I said it wasn't much different from what I'm doing now. I'd be fine. I also explained about needing to use public transportation if I wanted to cover another office. She sounded impressed enough to invite me for a second interview at their campus in Cherry Hill...but when I checked my e-mail about 15 minutes after she got off, there was one from Regus saying they moved on and I wasn't selected for more interviews. I have no idea why she told me otherwise. Either she changed her mind really fast, or someone went over her head. 

Headed out to run errands after I finished checking my e-mail. My first stop was Dollar General. I needed trash bags sized for smaller trash cans. I also bought chocolate chips and canola oil there for a recipe I plan on doing tomorrow. 

Crossed the White Horse Pike and made my way down West Clinton next for lunch. I settled on a carrot cake muffin, slice of bacon and asparagus quiche, and elderflower chai at Common Grounds Coffee House. They were busy, but I did get a table next to the counter. Everything was excellent. The quiche was tasty, the muffin had a dollop of cream cheese frosting in the middle, and the chai was a little sweet but not bad.

It was just too darn nice of a day not to prolong my walk. Chilly, yes, in the lower 50's, and a bit breezy, but sunny and without a cloud in the brilliant blue sky. I wasn't the only person out for a stroll, either. I saw parents pushing babies in strollers and kids on bikes speeding home as school let out.

Made my bed and did things online while watching O'Dessa. I go further into this dystopian rock opera gender flip of the "Orpheus and Eurydice" myth at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Musicals On Streaming - O'Dessa

Switched to Match Game Syndicated while eating dinner. Fred Travalena lends his many voices (many of them of recent presidents) to this week. Dick Martin was happier to be sitting on the lower tier with Elaine Joyce and Debralee Scott. Brett's less thrilled about the Star Wheel landing in her three times in a row and Charles continually whining for Gene to put Bess Myerson in her place.

Finished the night with more recent music acquisitions as I worked on the O'Dessa review. Made In the Shade is very similar to All the Way, only this time, we get the mid-70's hits from the Rolling Stones. "It's Only Rock and Roll" and "Brown Sugar" were the major hits here, I also like "Dance Little Sister" and "Rip This Joint."

The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, Volume V picks up in the late 50's and early 60's, as jazz became cooler and legends like Miles Davis and John Coltrane pushed the boundaries of the genre. Coltrane's contribution is "Alabama." Davis gives us the more blase "So What?' There's also the Bill Evans Trio with "Blue In Green." The most recent entry is "Steppin'" by the World Saxophone Quartet from 1981. Jazz made something of a comeback in the 80's as a refreshing contrast to the heavy metal and synthesizer pop prevalent elsewhere. I fondly remember listening to several jazz stations as a kid and thinking  how different and elegant it all sounded, reminiscent of smoky clubs in years gone by. 

Spring Is Just Around the Corner

It took longer to finish At the Back of the North Wind than I planned this morning. I had just enough time this morning to throw on a skirt, stockings, and my good black flats, grab breakfast, and call Uber. Even then, it took them 16 minutes to arrive. Thankfully, there was no traffic anywhere on the road to Marlton. I was barely 10 minutes late to my appointment at Innovative Charity Events.

As it turned out, I could have been infinitely late. They wanted me to work for commission and had no health insurance. No and no. I need the health insurance, and I want either a straight job, or one that I create. No commission. I kindly told them thanks anyway, and that I appreciated making it to their second round, even if it wasn't what I was looking for. At the least, they were all really nice about it. I called Uber when I got back downstairs. He arrived within 7 minutes, and got me back in less than 20. I wound up spending less than an hour in Marton.

Called Bryanna and told her what happened at the interview after I got in, then changed into less formal clothes. Looked up volunteer opportunities online. I'd still like to give back to my community, even if it's not actual work. 

Watched Spring for Strawberry Shortcake as I puttered online. The second of four hour-long specials that re-introduced Strawberry and her friends in 2002 operated on a somewhat similar premise as Strawberry Shortcake and the Winter That Would Not End. Once again, Strawberry and her friends have to figure out why winter is lingering. This time, it's not a stolen crystal, but a naughty fairy who would rather play in the snow than do her job. Strawberry, Ginger Snap, and Orange Blossom remind her of how important spring and the warm weather is, that working together can get a lot of things done, and that there's a time for play, and a time to work.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. The gentleman who drove me home mentioned that his favorite local pizzeria is Antonio's in Audubon. I thought I'd try them. Besides, it was too nice of a day to hang out inside. The weather remains gorgeous here. It's a little windier, but it's also sunny and warm. It was so warm, I was fine in my black cardigan when I went out.

Antonio's is next-door to the Speedy Mart and about a block from the main downtown district on Market Street in Audubon. With its chipped tan and green Formica tables and wooden paneled walls, the dining area screamed "70's" at the top of its lungs. It reminded me a bit of Figaro's Pizza, the pizzeria my family frequented in Cape May during the 80's and early 90's. (Figaro's still exists, but it's now known as Mario's Pizza.) 

I had pineapple and ham and plain cheese. The pineapple and ham wasn't bad, but the cheese....oooh. It was perfect. Good and greasy with just enough cheese. Washed them down with a bottle of Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi.

The weather was so gorgeous, I continued down Market Street, then turned down to Haddon Lake Park. Though the trees are only showing the barest signs of leaves, green grass is starting to pop up in lawns, and crocus and the beginnings of daffodils can be seen in gardens. Fountains sparkled and shot water in the air as people relaxed on metal benches around the paths. 

Took the long way home behind Goodwill, Ross, Marshalls, and Walmart, then onto Nicholson. They weren't too bad for 2:30 in the afternoon. I cut through Oaklyn so I could finally stop at Phillies Yummies. This time, they were open. I had a milkshake yesterday, so this time, I had a small coconut water ice. Oh yummy. It was perfect, sweet and tropical. I leaned on the counter outside and enjoyed my ice while watching parents stroll to the school as the kids began to get off class.

I was so tired when I got in, I went upstairs and into The Price Is Right. Bob wasn't too happy when the lady playing the Grand Game only managed to get one high-low price right, which only gave her one chance at finding $10,000. As it turned out, one was all she needed. Bob pulled out the $10,000 on his first try.

Put on One Night of Love after the show ended. I go further into the major hit opera backstage film that turned diva Grace Moore into a star at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

One Night of Love

Returned to Buzzr after the show ended for Match Game Syndicated. We meet a college student studying poetry in the first two episodes. This leads to a round of poetry jokes and attempted poetry from the panel, including Jon "Bowser" Bauman repeating the poem he wrote for the panel in 1978. Brett spends the next week lamenting to Stephanie Edwards, Robert Pine, and Debralee Scott that Charles would be leaving the show for the remainder of the season to appear in a play on Broadway.

Finished the night with disc 6 from my Reader's Digest Treasury of Operetta record set. The Student Prince is the romantic, star-crossed tale of the royal pupil of the title who falls in love with a barmaid, but has to abandon her and marry a princess he doesn't love for political purposes. The big hits here were the prince's duet with his teacher "Golden Days," "The Students' Drinking Song," and his duet with the barmaid, "Deep In My Hear, Dear." 

Victor Herbert's The Red Mill is a lot more fun. In fact, with goofy marches like "Every Day Is Ladies' Day With Me" and sprightly ballads like "Because You're You," this is more of a prototypical musical than a flat-out operetta. This tale of tourists in Denmark who gets involved with an innkeeper, his daughter, and her sweetheart produced standards in "Lady's Day" and the comic tourists' description of their hometown, "The Streets of New York." 

Angels and Tunes

Began the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. The Cheshire Cat requests Alice make his favorite breakfast, "Gallymoggers Granola." Hattie eats so much of it, he starts vanishing like the Cat! Alice and Fergie try to figure out which ingredient makes him disappear, while pointing out that you can have too much of a yummy thing. Princess Rosa of Hearts is feeling "Sour Grapes" when she admits she's never had green grapes, and they're mainly what's on the menu at the Grapes Dinner. Alice makes all of her friends food they've never tried to show Rosa that testing a new dish can lead to great discoveries.

Called Uber at quarter of 11. They were able to pick me up in 7 minutes. Turns out Innovative Charity Events was in a very 70's-looking office building in Marlton. Even though he was there within 20 minutes, once I hiked up three sets of stairs in the brick building, I was 8 minutes late.

Everything went smoothly after that. Innovative Charity Events does marketing for local non-profit firms. Apparently, their current project is events for an animal shelter, which I think sounds kind of cool. I did go to college for communications. I wouldn't mind working at a job where I actually get to help people who enjoy what they do. If I had a dime every time one of my customers complained that they hate grocery shopping and would have more money and be happier if they didn't have to eat, I would be able to afford a condo in Marlton.

The gentleman who interviewed me seemed really impressed, enough to call me back for a second interview at 10 AM tomorrow. I definitely appreciate that. This is the first time I made it past the first interview. Even if I don't get the job, at least they liked me enough to interview me twice. 

Absolutely no trouble getting a ride home. In fact, it was easier for me to get home than it was to get there. The driver took less than a minute to arrive, and less than 20 to get back to Oaklyn. Despite it being 11:30, there was no traffic whatsoever.

Had leftover udon noodles with shrimp and vegetables for lunch while watching The Busy World of Richard Scarry. Sally and her friend Robbie try to convince Sergeant Murphy that they're "Never Too Small" for basketball. He disagrees and leaves them off the team. It's a good thing Bananas helps them practice. They end up being the only ones who can play when Murphy and three of the older kids come down with colds. "Albert, the Belgian Barge Captain" gets help from Peter Pig to get back on his barge and direct it to the Festival of Giants (giant costumes, that is). Lowly, Huckle, and Sally are bored on a "Rainy Day," and all their games seem to just get in their parents' way...until they find something fun to do in the attic.

Bryanna picked me up at 12:30 for my next interview. It took us a few minutes to find Market Group in Camden. Turns out they were housed on the first floor of an old building across from City Hall. Once we found City Hall, we had fewer problems finding them. At least Market Street is one of the nicer parts of Camden, and there was no traffic anywhere, not even on the highway. 

Market Group couldn't have been more different from Innovative Charity. Bryanna and I were greeted by a flowing Buddha fountain on our arrival. The reception area was filled with quirky, colorful furnishings and old rugs. The curly-haired young man who lead me to a back computer room was equally unique. He handed me a paper with paragraphs set up in two columns and asked me to use Microsoft Word to set up an identical page.

Trouble is, I haven't really used Word in a long time. It took me ten minutes just to figure out  how to get the paragraphs into columns, then to undo my mistake when I accidentally erased everything. I tried to insert a block with writing, but the block just wouldn't go the way I wanted it. After almost 40 minutes, I finally admitted to the guy that I hadn't done this in years and didn't really know what I was doing. The young man said he appreciated my honesty and that I at least gave it a try. He told me most people who couldn't do it would just walk out and not even bother trying. 

After Bryanna dropped me off and I finished Busy World, I changed into less-elaborate clothes and went for a walk. It was way too nice of a day to sit inside. Though it remained sunny, the wind had finally vanished, leaving perfect 60-degree temperatures in its wake. I strolled across the White Horse Pike, then dropped a book off at the kiosk in front of the former Oaklyn Library before heading back past the crumbling swimming pool buildings to West Clinton Avenue.

My first thought for a treat was Yummies Palace, which is supposedly open year-round now...but neither it, nor the Puddin' Palace were open. The doors say they're open Tuesday afternoons and evenings. I have no idea what happened there. I did enjoy the cake pop at Common Grounds Coffee House, but even coconut couldn't make their Irish Potato Latte less bitter for me. I took two sips and tossed the rest. Ended up getting a cookies and cream milkshake at WaWa instead.

Watched Charlie's Angels when I got in. The ladies set up an "Angel Trap" to capture a soft-spoken French assassin (Fernando Lamas) bent on killing off the former members of his French Underground team during World War II. Sabrina has no problems protecting the last member, but Jill has a harder time keeping an eye on the killer himself when she sees how kind he is and actually falls for him.

Switched to Match Game Syndicated while eating dinner. The first hour finished off the week with Alfie Wise and Patty Duke. Brett, for once, gets her due when she's the first one to match a contestant after a series of ties and the audience gives her a standing ovation! Gina Hecht and Jon "Bowser" Bauman come along for the next week.

Finished the night on YouTube with episodes of Name That Tune. What's likely the most famous music-based game show go way back to radio in 1952. The TV version played briefly on NBC in 1953 before moving to CBS later that year. The CBS version would continue until 1959. Alas, of the four or so episodes remaining of the 50's series, only an episode showing off past winners is currently online. Handsome George DeWitt helps the contestants to name certain songs, leading them to the big "Golden Medley" that would allow them to win far more money. 

Dennis James would second attempt at a daytime Name That Tune back on NBC in 1974. Here, the Golden Medley is joined by a series of mini-games, including one where contestants challenge each other to "name that tune" in a certain amount of notes. This has pretty much been the format (with different mini-games) used by all subsequent versions. Tom Kennedy helmed a third daytime Tune at NBC, but it didn't make it out of 1977. 

Name That Tune did far better in syndication. Kennedy hosted the nighttime syndicated version beginning in 1974. By the time of the 1978 episode I have here, the show was played as a series of tournaments, with the winner ultimately picking up $100,000 for the next ten years. It was one of the most popular nighttime shows of the 70's, running until it was finally beaten in the ratings by Family Feud and Tic Tac Dough in 1981.

The version I remember best also debuted in syndication. Jim Lange hosted The $100,000 Name That Tune for a year from 1984 through 1985, though it would re-run on USA and the Family Channel for at least another decade after that. The format was pretty much identical to the later Tom Kennedy tournament shows with a few different mini-games. I used to love watching the contestants challenge each other to "name that tune in so many notes" and see if I could guess the tunes myself!

VH1 did a variation in 2001. Name That Video was basically the same idea, with contestants guessing music video medleys instead of music being played by a house band. I guess not everything that can be taped should be. Though hostess Karyn Bryant was game, the show didn't even last two months. 

Despite various attempts over the years, Name That Tune didn't return to TV until 2021. The current Fox show is filmed in Australia, with Jane Krakowski as the hostess and Randy Jackson as her bandleader and announcer. This is pretty much an hour-long version of the 1974-1985 format, with updated mini-games, celebrity contestants, one contestant eliminated after each round, and two games played. No wonder the revival is still going strong after four years. Even after all these years, it's still fun to guess along with the contestants and see how well you know various types of music.

I can name that game show in six versions! Play along and see if you too can solve the Golden Medley.

Name That Tune (1959)

Name That Tune (1974)

Name That Tune Premiere (1977)

Name That Tune Syndicated (1978)

The $100,000 Name That Tune (1984)

Name That Video Premiere (2001)

Name That Tune (2024) 

Winter Is Just Around the Corner

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and the 1983 puppet fable A Thanksgiving Tale at YouTube. A turkey hoping to make it big on Broadway accidentally ends up in Newark instead and finds him caught between warring cats and dogs. The dogs have lots of food, thanks to their jobs guarding a restaurant, but no shelter. The cats have a cozy shack, but no food. The cats kidnap the turkey and the dogs grab him back, but he's the one who finally reminds them of the importance of sharing what you have with others, no matter what species they are.

Dawn picked me up for my interview in Moorestown around quarter after 9. Considering the cold wind and heavy showers, there was a lot of traffic in Cherry Hill and on Route 38. Guess everyone was on their way to work or to get ready for Thanksgiving next week. We finally found Signature Inc. at the end of one of the office buildings a few blocks from the Moorestown Mall. 

Signature Inc is a marketing company with gorgeous, spare, modern offices. The young manager explained that I would be talking to people who were interested in buying Verizon packages, and I would be receiving a commission for each sale made. Uh, no. They were all very sweet, but I need a regular salary, not commissions. He said there would be a second round of interviews after Thanksgiving, but I think I'll politely decline. 

After Dawn and I grabbed coffee and tea from their coffee bar in the reception area, we headed back out. I had grocery shopping to do, and I wasn't going to do it in my good black suede skirt and black flats. Dawn did stop to return three suits that didn't fit right to K&G Fashion in Cherry Hill. Otherwise, we went right back to Oaklyn, dodging the traffic and more heavy showers.

Changed into jeans and made a turkey sandwich for lunch. Watched The Monkees while I ate. After Peter trades his guitar for a treasure map, the guys decide to make the best of it and explore the island. "Monkees Marooned" find themselves dealing with a crazy big game hunter (Monte Landis) and his not-that-stereotypical native accomplice (Rupert Crosse) who are also after the treasure and an aging former jungle movie star whose help is more of a hindrance. 

The prima ballerina (Ondine Vaughn) of the Druvaninan National Ballet is under heavy scrutiny from the ballet master (Leon Askin) and lead male dancer who have placed microfilm in her "Card-Carrying Red Shoes." Having fallen for Peter, she hides in the guys' trunk and flees with them. Her fellow Druvanians kidnap Peter, leading her, Micky, and Davy back to the theater and into tights (and a chicken costume) in order to rescue him. 

(And I would love to know where Mike vanished to during that episode. I know he had his tonsils out during the filming of "I Was a 99 Pound Weakling" and "Monkees Watch Their Feet" and got genuinely seasick during "Hitting the High Seas," but no one has ever really explained why he missed this one.)

Switched to The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold while I got organized. This would be the second-to-last Rankin Bass special, and it remains one of their most peculiar. Young Irish sailor Dinty is stranded on a remote island after he chops down a pine tree that held the banshee, a wailing evil spirit who needs gold to survive past Christmas Day. She's the reason leprechaun Blarney Kilkalarney (Art Carney) has been separated from his wife Faye (Peggy Cass) for centuries after she tricked Faye into believing gold was wicked. After she attacks Dinty too, Blarney and Faye finally admit they were wrong...and discover that love is more precious than any pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

Finally headed out again to run errands. The weather remained cold and rainy by 1:30. I ended up calling Uber, and would have even if my bike was in better shape. They picked me up in less than five minutes and picked me up in seven minutes. Took less than five minutes either way, even with traffic and the second driver missing the turn-off for Johnson Avenue and having to go down the White Horse Pike.

I had a bunch of errands to run that I couldn't put off. Started with Target. I considered replacing my bike helmet there, but I really wanted something better. Just got a tasty Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai Latte at Starbucks. Sprouts is next-door to Target. I picked up grapes, coconut milk, dried orange slices, tiny little pumpkin puff sandwich cookies on sale, and two bundles of the most adorable rounded mini Indian corn I've ever seen. Those are now decorations on one of the shelves in my bedroom and the entertainment center.

Thankfully, the rain had taken a temporary leave of absence when I started down the hill to the Westmont Acme. They were much busier than Sprouts with people getting ready for Thanksgiving or avoiding the weather. I mostly just restocked yogurt here. Bought a muffin tin and papers to make Pumpkin Muffins for work this week. I also picked up canola oil and a container for Rose and her family's Christmas cookies and found huge, soft M&M cookies on the bakery clearance rack.

(Incidentally, the rain returned shortly after I got home. It's rained off and on, sometimes hard, for the rest of the day.) 

After I got home, I did a few chores, put everything away, and watched That Lady In Ermine after I finished A Thanksgiving Tale. I go further into this troubled Betty Grable historical romantic fantasy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - That Lady In Ermine

My other tire had arrived by the time the movie ended. I went downstairs to wrestle with the damn rim again. This time, it took me almost an hour and a half, but I did figure out how to get the tire on. I finally did one side, then pulled in the other. At any rate, the tire is now on the rim, the rim is back on the bike, and I'll be ready to go the next time I need it. (And I have a spare tire and inflated inner tube that might come in handy in case these blow out.)

Watched the second half of Match Game Syndicated while I had leftovers for dinner. They're up to the Game Show Host week where every panelist but Brett Somers either had hosted a game show (Peter Marshall, Dick Martin, Bill Cullen) or would in the future (Elaine Joyce, Betty White). Peter Marshall was surprised when the Star Wheel lands on him for the third time, but considering how different Hollywood Squares is, he wound up doing very well indeed.

Finished the night after a shower with the last of my recent record and CD finds and a holiday record I hadn't really listened to that often. The Fabulous Baker Boys is a 1989 drama about two piano-playing brothers (Beau and Jeff Bridges) who fall for the singer (Michelle Pfeiffer) they hire to spice up their act. I was a little young to really get this movie as a kid, but I've always loved the piano jazz score. Pfeiffer's "Makin' Whoopee" and "My Funny Valentine" sung seductively on a piano were iconic moments that brought those standards back to prominence and became one of the most parodied movie scenes of the late 80's. 

The Pink Panther also has an iconic jazz score. The slinky opening theme is likely more associated with the Pink Panther cartoon character nowadays than the series, but there's a lot more here than just that number. We get a little Italian on side one with "It Had Better Be Tonight" and go Latin on the other side with "Cortina" and "The Lonely Princess." 

Kicked off this year's Christmas music with the soundtrack from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Actually, it's pretty much the entire special, minus some bits of dialogue. "Welcome Christmas" and Thurl Ravenscroft's performance of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" are the best-known numbers, but I always did like the fast-paced "I Must Stop Christmas" that plays as the Grinch and Max take their sleigh down to Whoville. (Also, I'm glad I held off and bought this new. The copy I got from Target has a really cool Grinch-green record.)

A Winter's Solstice is a collection of dreamy winter and Christmas music from jazz and New Age specialist Windham Hill. There's a few traditional hymns like "Greensleeves" and "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," but my favorites were the gentler "New England Morning" and "Northumbrian Lullabye." This would make wonderful quiet background music on a snowy late night in December when everyone else is snoozing and you're winding down.

The One from 1992 was Elton John's biggest hit album since 1976 and signaled his comeback after some disappointing albums in the 80's. The title song and the sad "Last Song" were huge hits, but I prefer the more upbeat "The Simple Life." In fact, that remains one of my all-time favorite John songs. Most of the others are more reflective of the time period they were made in. "Emily" and "On Dark Street" are the best of the remaining songs. 

Monkee-ing Around

Began the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Alice and all her friends are excited about the haunted maze set up in the Rose Garden...except for nervous Fergie the White Rabbit. He pushes himself into the maze when his friends want to go, but learns that it's ok to be scared...and to not do what your friends do - when he's nearly scared to death. "Fergie Turns the Tide" when they accidentally bring baby oysters home from the beach, just as they're holding a fancy tea party for the Queen of Hearts. Fergie's trumpet songs are the only things that can make them behave...and then they have to take them back to the beach when it turns out they're the only thing keeping storms at bay.

Dawn picked me up around quarter after 9. It was too early. There was no traffic out, or much of anything. We pulled into the parking lot at Elkins Chevrolet a block or so down the highway from the big TJ Maxx/Michaels' shopping center in Marlton around 9:30. Sat in the car and looked stuff up on our phone until we were ready to go in.

As it turned out, the Chevrolet dealership was a family car sales lot housed in a very modern steel-and-glass building. The sweet lady who gave the interview said I would be working as a receptionist, doing light account work and using their new AI equipment to handle calls, and that they'd be willing to train. Apparently, it was a small business owned by three brothers who had inherited from their father. They have a casual atmosphere and pride themselves on being a cheery place to work. I wouldn't get a huge salary to start, but there would be chances for advancement. I'd even have a regular Friday and Sunday off. 

There's only one big problem. The hours are mostly late, 12 to 8, and as I know from my trips to Marlton, the highway is in the middle of nowhere. I'd need to take two buses (one coming from Camden) or an expensive Uber ride every night to get there. 

Even if I don't get the job, I now have a better idea of what kind of a job I'd like to look for. I want something like Elkins Chevrolet or the small bank chain where Lauren works in Pittsfield - family-owned businesses or small local chains with a friendlier atmosphere, more time to focus on my work, somewhat less stress, and a chance for advancement. I also need businesses that are more willing to train and take a chance on someone looking to do something new.

Put on The Monkees when I got home and made my grocery lists. For once, it's tough Texan Mike Nesmith who gets conned in "I've Got a Little Song Here." He hocks his beloved blonde guitar to get money for a devious agent who claims he'll sell his song to a star, only to find that the star has no idea what he's talking about. Micky, who knows Hollywood like the back of his hand, poses as a big-shot movie producer to get back at the guy with a con of his own.

Headed out to run errands around 11:30. Stopped at Geneva Pizza for a quick lunch first. The small pizzeria on Cuthbert Road was quiet when I stepped in, though a guy did come in later. I ate a slice of sausage, a slice of square-shaped cheese and basil, and had a water while listening to ESPN talk about last night's game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings (Rams won, BTW, 30-20.)

Rode down Cuthbert, dodging noon rush hour traffic to the Westmont Plaza next. Sprouts was much busier. People must have been shopping on their lunch breaks. I found Nixie sodas with a coupon on them and filled a small bag with dried pineapple pieces. Cascadian Farms granola bars were on sale, as were red grapes. Restocked my coconut milk, too, and dug up vegan oatmeal raisin cookies on clearance.

The lunch traffic was thankfully winding down by the time I left Sprouts and made my way past the Haddon Township Library and High School to the Acme. Mostly needed to restock my yogurt and get bagels for lunch this week. Had online coupons for Too Good yogurt, Breeeze apples, Poppi soda, and Kind granola bars. I earned enough Rewards points to get a freebie. Thought I'd try the pop-can cinnamon rolls for dessert this evening.

Took the long way home through Newton Lake Park. Though it remains sunny and too dry, it's at least cooler here. I don't think it made it out of the 60's. I dodged a few people walking their dogs as I passed the sparkling fountains and glowing gold and scarlet trees. Pushed my bike up the hill, under the golden bowers to the Haddon Township Environmental Center. 

Returned to The Monkees as I put everything away. Sweet bassist Peter Tork is "One Man Shy" when he falls for pretty and smart debutante Valerie whose party the guys are going to play at. Her current suitor Ronnie (playwright George Firth) doesn't like that one bit and tries to sabotage the guys' efforts to bring them together. Not only that, Peter really is very shy and doesn't know what to say. Valerie understands that Peter is at his best when he's being himself.

Got my schedule for next week. An early day on Sunday, and a seven-hour day on Wednesday. Slightly more hours. Otherwise, same days off, including Halloween. I might try to do something for Halloween before the kids come around, since it's supposed to be beautiful that day. Maybe I'll ride up to Barrington if I don't oversleep. 

Took a long nap after I got off the laptop. I barely got three hours' sleep last night. Went down at 3, got up at 5:30, and felt a little better afterwards.

Worked on the inventory next. Added Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Kitty's Kisses, and the Julie Andrews studio version of The King and I. I just found Kitty in Philly this year, but King and I and Joseph were Abbie Road finds years ago. (King and I goes back to 2007!) 

Watched Match Game '77 while eating dinner. Richard was more than happy to help a comely young lady named Chris who had once been a centerfold with "Portland __" on the Audience Match. The others, including David Lansburg and Lee Merriweather, tease Marcia Wallace about her curly mop. In the next episode, Richard and Marcia protest an Ugly Edna question, wondering when they'll hear about Ugly Ed.

Finished the night with Halloween and horror comedies at YouTube. Dracula: Dead and Loving It is Mel Brooks' last parody film to date. It actually follows the plot of Dracula pretty well, with Leslie Nielson as the accident-prone vampire, Amy Yasbeck as his would-be victim, and Harvey Korman as her concerned father. Brooks himself plays a very unlikely Van Helsing. This is far from Brooks' best work, but it does have some fun bits, notably Mina and Dracula dancing in the finale in front of a mirror that reveals that Dracula's not all there. Peter MacNichol puts in one of his best performances as Dracula's groveling slave Renfield. 

Garfield's Halloween Adventure is almost as frightening. I went further into this special and Halloween Is Grinch Night at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog on Halloween 2018.

Garfield's Halloween Adventure

The Paul Lynde Halloween Special is the most 1976 holiday programming in existence. Tired of being annoyed by the Osmonds and their friends on Halloween night, Lynde joins his housekeeper Margaret (Hamilton) at her sister's quiet country home. Of course, her sister is Billie "Witchiepoo" Hayes, their home is a decrepit mansion, and they're both witches. Paul jumps on their offer for three wishes to become a trucker (with Roz Kelly as his girl and Tim Conway as a rival trucker), a sheikh (Florence Henderson is his conquest, Conway is a member of the Foreign Legion), and for the house to become a disco. Betty White turns up at one point as Miss Halloween. KISS plays some of their biggest hits between skits, including "King of the Night Time World," "Beth," and "Detroit Rock City." 

Peachy-Keen Day

Began the morning with breakfast and the 2003 version of Strawberry Shortcake. "Strawberry's Berry Big Journey" takes the fruit-scented miss and her three best friends on a long car trip to visit their friend Tangerina Torta and see a flower that only opens every ten years. They encounter many obstacles on the road, including lonely Banana Candy, who tries to get them to stay in her one-woman town. In the end, even though they miss what they came to see, Strawberry is still thrilled that they saw so many wonderful things and had such great experiences anyway. 

Dawn picked me up for my interview at 10 AM. We ended up at a clean, modern travel plaza on a service road outside of Cherry Hill. Yeah, the job was strictly stocking and handing the register. Absolutely not. I want out of retail, not to work in a slightly fancier version of it. It wasn't a total loss. I mentioned I work at the Audubon Acme to the lady who did the interview...and the face she made and her less-than-enthusiastic response was enough to make Dawn understand why I want to get out of there so badly. 

After I got home, I dragged out the luggage and my backpack to see what I need for my vacation. Packed most of my clothes, my underwear, and the coloring book, crossword book, and pencil bag with crayons and pencils I keep for the train ride. Watched The Scooby Doo Show while I worked. The gang get involved in "The Ozark Witch Switch" when the Mystery Machine breaks down and they're invited to stay with the Hatfields in their cabin. Apparently, a witch who once threatened to turn the family into frogs over 200 years before has appeared and is making good on her promise. The kids try to figure out what she's really after.

Watched the first half of Super Password while getting organized and making a grocery list. Dick Gautier and Constance McCashin headline the "First and a Half Annual Tournament of Losers," contestants who failed to win the big money in their first appearances and returned for another go. The Super Password match here was especially exciting, coming down to the last possible second. After the girl got "tank" in on the very last second, she certainly deserved to move forward in the tournament!

Headed out during the next commercial break. My first stop was PNC Bank to get money for my own trip. I won't have the time tomorrow. The outside ATMs were busy, so I went inside. Got my money quickly and got out. 

The Westmont Plaza was next on my list. Looked for humidifiers at Dollar Tree, but found nothing and moved on. Picked up travel-sized shaving lotion, body wash, and mouth wash at Target. Tried the Pumpkin Spice Frappucchino at Starbucks before they got overrun with teenagers on lunch break. Not bad. At least it did taste like pumpkin. Bought bagged caramelized mixed nuts, lemon raspberry dried mangoes (they were really good!), white-chocolate macadamia nut cookies on clearance, and Olipop and Poppi soda at Sprouts. Went back to Target when I couldn't find any cake mixes on the shelves for a decent price. Their boxes of yellow cake mix looked like Godzilla sat on them, so I went with vanilla.

Found a treat sitting on the steps when I got home. I saw the FedEx truck come down the road even as I went to run errands. Yes, that two-disc special edition Headquarters album I bought from Rhino almost two weeks ago finally arrived! It was supposed to come on Wednesday but apparently got stuck in North Jersey. When I saw on the tracking page this morning that it was in Barrington, I knew it would come today.

But first, I wanted to try a recipe I found in my Taste of Home Baking Book. They had a very simple peach crisp that only called for butter, peaches, cake mix, coconut, and pecans. I wanted some friends to try it and I didn't know if they liked nuts, so I left them out. The original recipe listed canned peaches...but perish the thought! I wouldn't insult my baked goods with canned fruit. I still had a bunch of peaches from the farm market and Acme, so I cut up those (including one with a bad spot). It came out of the oven looking like nothing had been done to it, other than the toasted coconut on top...but when I mixed it and tried it, it was delicious, like a peach dump cake.

Watched Blazing Saddles while the crisp was in the oven. Nefarious attorney general Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) tries to drive settlers out of the town of Rock Ridge when the railroad reroutes through them and he realizes the town will be worth millions. He encourages the Governor (Mel Brooks) to hire Bart (Cleavon Little) to be the town's sheriff. Bart being African-American doesn't sit well with pretty much anyone anywhere in the West but The Waco Kid (Gene Wilder), who draws so fast, no one can see him do it. 

Hedley first sends his henchman Mongo (Alex Karras) to attack Bart, then Lily Von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn) to seduce him. Bart is so darn charming and such a nice guy, Mongo ends up becoming his friend, and Lily falls head-over-heels for him. Hedley still wants that land, but Bart is one step ahead of him. The West...and the Warners lot...aren't big enough for the two of them, even as Bart shows everyone that anyone can be a hero no matter what they look like.

One of Mel Brooks' best spoofs and one of the funniest movies of the 1970's, this one digs hard into western cliches and the treatment of African-Americans and others in action films. The title song was even nominated for an Oscar. If you love Brooks, westerns, or any of the cast, you'll want to whip out that bowl o'beans and make music with this one. 

Worked on updating the inventory after that. Finished the C titles with a collection of the Ethel Merman and Dinah Shore Call Me Madam albums, the original Can-Can and Chicago with Gwen Verdon, A Chorus Line, City of Angels, Company, the full London stage version of Copacabana, and Crazy for You. I've had some of these for decades. Can-Can was a birthday gift to me from Mom in 1993 (along with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band). I bought Copacabana from Vibrations, the now-defunct music store in North Cape May, sometime in the late 90's. City of Angels and Chicago go so far back, I have no clue where they came from anymore.

Broke for dinner and Match Game '74. For some reason, Buzzr jumped way ahead to the end of the next year. By this point, Gary Burghoff had temporarily replaced Charles Nelson Reilly while he was directing a play in New York. He got to have his own fun, like when he took off his shirt after getting a question wrong, or when he shyly read a question about what he smells on Brett.

I was watching the show when, while admiring the red and blue translucent vinyl discs for Headquarters, I had a hard time putting them back in their sleeves and accidentally knocked over my Olipop Banana Cream soda all over my table, my chair, and the rug on the floor! I had to dump everything on the wood floor and wipe down whatever got spilled on. The place mats I use to prevent scratches ended up in the laundry basket.

Finished the night with Headquarters. This is the result of the infamous confrontation between Mike Nesmith and their original producer Don Kirchner to be allowed to play their own music...and sorry Don, but the guys were right. This album is a lot of fun, from the playful spoken-word goofiness of "Zilch" and "Band 6" to Micky's sweet "I'll Spend My Life With You" and two of Mike's best songs, "You Told Me" and "Sunny Girlfriend." There's two songs on there I'd never heard before, a decent Mike version of his own "The Girl That I Knew Somewhere" and a new one from Micky and Mike, "Gotta Give It Time." I'm not as fond of the version of "She Hangs Out" here, though, which is too slow and sappy for such a cute song. 

Night of the No-Show Blues

Began a cloudy, windy morning with breakfast and Laff-a-Lympics. This time, we started off in Florida, where the Really Rottens actually managed to win the swamp buggy race semi-fairly. That was the last time they'd win anything during the entire episode. They played the cartoon physics game and used two Mumblys during the waterskiing contest, but their attempt at sabotaging the car rally backfired. They did even worse in the rickshaw race in Hong Kong when their vehicle fell apart. Grape Ape won gymnastics by a long shot, while the Rottens made use of a magnet and their octopus friend for ping pong. 

Rushed out to hit Sprouts before my interview and the high school kids got out for lunch. I didn't need much anyway. I was mainly there for produce. Strawberry containers were two for four, while mandarin oranges were two pounds for a dollar. Also grabbed coconut milk and vegan chocolate chip cookies on clearance. The Olipop sodas that are supposedly good for digestion come in some really unique flavors. I never saw banana cream or strawberry vanilla soda before. They were also two for four, so I thought I'd try them.

(And while I haven't gotten to the strawberry vanilla yet, I can vouch that the banana cream really does taste like bananas.)

Rushed home and went online to do some research on Bear Paddle Swim School in Marlton. Listened to that Blues record I picked up last Saturday while I worked. Diplomat was a low-budget imprint in the 50's that mainly seemed to specialize in releasing big band covers of popular showtunes, but they aimed slightly higher here. Side one features a nice "I've Got a Date With Rhythm" by Billy Eckstine and Sarah Vaughan's lovely "It Might as Well Be Spring." Side two is given over entirely to Phil Flowers; his best number is "Walkin' at Night."

Karen picked me up at 12:10. After a stop at the Haddon Township Library so she could use the bathroom, we headed up to Marlton. Trouble is, neither of us know the area well, and we had a hard time finding the school. We thought it might have been in one of the shopping centers or industrial parks. By the time we figured it was tucked away just off the main road in its own building, it was five minutes past 1. 

There was one other car in the lot when we finally arrived. She knocked on the windows and I looked around, but there was no one there. I could see child-sized furniture and a really nice pool area inside, but the doors remained locked. We tried to find someone for ten minutes, but no one responded. Disappointed, we finally headed back out. She drove back through Cherry Hill and Haddonfield, dropping me off at home around quarter of 2. 

Went back out again for lunch to make myself feel better after that mess. Had lunch at Jalapeno's Bar and Grill a few blocks down the White Horse Pike. There were only two other groups there when I came in, college students having lunch with their grandparents in a booth and two friends sitting at a table. At least their table service has gotten quicker over the last few years. The huge and tasty shrimp burrito and salad arrived in no time. 

Stopped at WaWa for dessert on the way back. Tried a small chocolate birthday cake smoothie. Disappointing, compared to the strawberry and vanilla birthday cake smoothies. Didn't taste much like chocolate or birthday cake. All I tasted was sugar. The weather as I strolled home wasn't pleasant, either. It was chilly, gray, and windy all day. It showered lightly while Karen and I drove to Marlton and would continue to spit off and on for the rest of the afternoon.

Went straight into Tick...Tick...Boom! on Netflix when I got home. I go further into this semi-biography of Rent creator Johnathan Larson at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On Streaming - Tick...Tick...Boom!

After the movie ended, I switched to job searching while watching The Wild Wild West. In "The Night of the Infernal Machine," Jim West (Robert Conrad) ends up guarding a judge whose life was threatened by a clockmaker who created some extremely effective bombs. His partner Artie dresses as a chef to get the lowdown on who wants to take the judge out and why.

Worked on writing for a while next. Kathleen is shocked when she discovers the earthy older woman is Mother Nature, who knows her by name. She knows everything that goes on in the natural world, including with humans. She also knows the rabbit, who is not what he appears to be...

Broke for dinner at 7 PM. Ate while watching Match Game '78. Gene kicks things off by admiring Brett's simple black shirt and pearls outfit, which leads into a round of racy Encino jokes. Richard has a rougher time with "Divide and ___" in the Head-to-Head. By the time of the final episode of the week, Gene was combating a sore throat that made him sound like he was swallowing gravel. Richard has more fun playing with Jo Ann Pflug's earring.

Finished the night with another record find from Saturday, the two-disc Benny Goodman All Time Greatest Hits set. I couldn't resist this collection of some of the most famous songs associated with the King of Swing. "One O'Clock Jump" and "Sing Sing Sing" may be the most iconic; other good numbers include "Jersey Bounce," "Don't Be That Way," "A String of Pearls," "After You've Gone," and "Why Don't You Do Right?" 

Dolls and Interviews

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Charlie and Lola. "I am Going to Save a Panda" says Lola when her brother explains that they're in danger of going extinct. The kids in their school are going to do stunts to earn money. Lola wants to do it, too, but then she comes down with the chicken pox and can't go. She's badly disappointed, until Charlie comes up with a brilliant idea to use her spots to earn money.

Rushed out with my laptop the second the cartoon ended. Since Karen and I had a session this morning today anyway, we decided to do that online job interview with Camden Housing Authority together, or at least, that she would be there when I did it. The Haddon Township Library opens at 10, and then I had to get online with my laptop. That meant we signed in nearly 10 minutes late. 

At least they were really understanding when we did get there. It was pretty much your standard interview. The gentleman and lady asked me a few questions about my background, why I wanted to work there, and if I'd be willing to brush up my computer skills. I mainly asked them how you got to Camden Housing Authority and what it was like to work there. Karen said I did very well and was extremely calm and focused, considering how agitated I was when we were late. We spent the second half-hour checking Indeed, but there really hasn't been much there lately.

(And even if I don't get the job, at least I know how to use Microsoft Teams, and that I can do well in interviews when people actually give me a chance to get to them.)

When I got home, I messed around on the laptop after I got it set up again, then dressed the dolls for May. Samantha's birthday is in May, so she's in her pink striped birthday dress and white lace pinafore. Kit is in her Photographer Outfit, with its coral, white, and turquoise print skirt, yellow top, and cute crocheted cardigan. Josefina looks lovely in her Dress and Vest for Cinco Del Mayo. It pairs well with her gold wrap from the Feast Day Finery outfit. Molly's in a hand-made recreation of her hard-to-find Victory Garden Dress I found on eBay. Ariel gets to wear her new Julie outfit, Julie's second meet outfit with the "Flower Power" tank top and yellow crocheted vest. 

Felicity is ready to help me clean in her green-striped Work Gown. Her apron is actually the lower half of a pinafore I bought Samantha years ago, but rarely had her wear. Jessa mixes and matches in the magenta T-shirt and white long-sleeved shirt from the original 1995 modern doll meet outfit with Springfield Collection jean capris and the turquoise sneakers and striped socks from the 2003 meet outfits. Whitney loves her pretty purple and white Our Generation Retro rose-print dress and shiny purple shoes. Barbara Jean is the queen of Cherry Hill High East's first prom in the pink fringe-and-sequin dress and fur stole originally intended to be a play outfit for Melody and a pink princess headband "crown." 

Let Buzzr run in the background while I worked on the dolls. Press Your Luck was wild with Whammies today, particularly in the first episode. One of the guys Whammied out early in the second round, leaving the other guy and the one lady to battle it out. The guy just barely won a trip to Japan and cash. A lady hit the big time in the second.

Split Second was even more exciting, especially in the first episode. One of the women came from behind in the Countdown Round to win. I suspected she didn't want to go through that again and went home with cash and a fur coat. The next episode wasn't quite so wild. One woman dominated the entire show through the Countdown Round and opted to return for the car when she didn't choose the right numbers in the Bonus Round.

Continued into Let's Make a Deal as I cleaned up the doll mess and had lunch. I believe I'd seen both of these episodes before. The second one was familiar, at least. A lady dressed as a tourist in mixed plaids and florals and a bucket hat won a trip, then lost $1,000 on the Door 4 Wheel. She and a couple dressed as (and in) garbage bags gave up a fur for the Big Deal of the Day. The couple got gorgeous living room furniture and a TV that I'm sure he appreciated a lot more than a fur coat, and I don't think the tourist was complaining over a refrigerator and a trip to the Caribbean.

I'd seen the Super Password episodes recently, so I headed out next to run errands. I was hoping Dollar General would have Propel mixes, but they haven't in two years. I did get new hair bands, though, and bottles of Coke Zero and Cherry Coke Zero for later. 

It was such a beautiful day, I pretty much had to go for a walk in the park. Took the back paths to avoid kids coming out of school. Thankfully, they've long since dried. Someone put planks over the really muddy parts, too. The weather couldn't have been nicer here, lower 60's, warm, breezy, and sunny as can be. I was disappointed to notice someone cleared trees and brush from a short section in front of the lake. It wasn't in the main part of the park, but still. People come here to enjoy nature. They'd better have done that because the trees were in bad shape. Not the best find on Earth Day.

Speaking of Earth Day, I watched a few cartoons on being kind to our planet when I got in. "Usagi's Panic: Rei's First Date" in the first season of Sailor Moon has the Fire Guardian setting her sights on Mamoru and convincing him to take her on an outing to a local park. Jealous and annoyed, Usagi grabs Umino and follows them. Ami's more worried about the old gardener who is upset over the park being closed and paved over for a new office building. She has every right to be concerned. Nephrite intends to use the old man and every creature in the park to gather energy for his dark mistress.

Switched to YouTube for the original 80's-early 90's Muppet Babies. Gonzo insists that the future will be like something out of Star Wars, with battles and monsters. Piggy thinks it'll be more everyday, like The Jetsons. Rolf's not happy with having to play Astro in the latter, or with Nanny insisting on him taking a bath. He dodges his impending washing to learn that the future may be more like "Muppet Babies: The Next Generation" because he and the others took care of the Earth and its creatures...until the others, and at least three or four other action franchises, inadvertently end up on the Enterprise as well. 

Worked on writing for a while after that. Kathleen is shocked when Lady Jacqueline point-blank states that spring won't be coming this year. Why even bother with spring when everything is fine the way it is? Kathleen tries to stammer that they need the warm weather before the carriage moves along, leaving her sputtering and staring after it.

Broke for dinner and Match Game '74 at 7 PM. For some reason, we skipped way ahead into the next year. The first episode was from after Gary Burghoff took over Charles Nelson Reilly's seat while he directed a show in New York. Poor Gary is so embarrassed when he blurts an answer and they have to start the question over, he goes shirtless for the next question. Avery Schreiber and Phyllis Newman join in for the second episode. Avery is the only one who has to answer the first question, and surprises everyone by doing very well at it.

Finished the night at YouTube with kids' game shows from the 80's and 90's. By the time I was growing up, Saturday mornings were increasingly given over to cartoons or, more rarely, live-action shows. Game shows for kids now mostly showed up in syndication or cable, like The Disney Channel's first game show Contraption. Two teams of young kids, some as young as 5 or 6, watch a clip from a Disney movie revolving around a subject, like "Animals" or "Magic." The one who answers the most questions earns the most "Contrapt-Tiles." After answering questions, the kids ride little cars or hamster wheels in a mini-race. The kids who have the most tiles after the last round wins. 

My sisters and I loved this show when we were little. I'm surprised Disney has never tried anything like this again with updated clips and vehicles. If you're a Disney fan, it's still pretty cute to watch.

The premiere kids' game show of the 1980's also came from cable. Nickelodeon's messy stunt show Double Dare was a massive success, spawning two spin-offs and two revivals to date and providing the basis for almost every other game show on the network. My sisters and I were big fans of this one too, partially because it was filmed for its first four years at WHYY Studios in Philly and kids from South Jersey would frequently appear.

Think Fast is a less-messy variation on Double Dare. The stunts here revolve less around throwing slime and gunk at people and more about using your head and figuring out patterns. The questions would lead to removing pieces of a rebus puzzle, almost making this Junior Concentration. For the bonus round, the winners are given a crazy character popping out of a locker and having to find the identical person or object in another locker. 

Double Dare was so huge, almost every kids' game show from the mid-80's through the late 90's pretty much copied it. My favorite of the imitators was Fun House. It's basically a cross between Double Dare and Contraption, with the Disney trivia replaced by general knowledge questions and no daring. The stunts frequently followed a theme - it's all things related to the sea in the episode I chose from 1988. I actually liked the run through the Fun House better than the Double Dare obstacle course. The obstacle course was so difficult, kids frequently couldn't get more than three or four prizes out of it. Here, kids could roam wherever they wanted, and all but the slowest would walk out with cash or a few good prizes.

I never heard of Treasure Mall, another syndicated Double Dare imitator from the late 80's, until tonight. Here, the kids answer questions, then run through the store in a "mall" with stunts based around the store's theme. The Bonus Round had them going through boxes to collect as many keys to open the big treasure chest as they could. Other than it being the first shopping show for kids, there's nothing really outstanding about this one. In fact, the treasure chest bonus round seems kind of chintzy.

Kids' game shows could be educational, too, and not just from trivia questions. Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego, a PBS show from the early 90's, taught geography and world history at a time when they were changing daily, sometimes seemingly overnight. Lynne "The Chief" Thigpen had a more personal connection to Double Trouble stealing the Tony Awards in "Bad Day On Broadway." She had been nominated for a Tony in the early 80's and would actually win one five years after this. (We even got to see a clip of her in the short-lived revue Tintypes. Host Greg Lee immediately made fun of the feathered hat she wore.) 

Every kids' channel got in on the games in the early-mid 90's. J.D Roth hosted the first season of Masters of the Maze on what was then The Family Channel. Three kids answer questions. The two who do the best gets to lead their partner through a twisty maze that includes a hall of mirrors and honeycombs and a room where the Guardians of the Maze asks them questions. The Bonus Round consists of the kids laser "shooting" TVs; get three prize TVs, and they win a shopping spree. The maze itself is honestly pretty nifty, though the bonus round is lame. (Apparently, Roth and the bonus round were replaced by Mario Lopez and more time in the maze in the second season.)

Nickelodeon did away with the questions all together for Guts. The 90's extreme sports fad is seen here as kids run through huge obstacle courses and tug their way across strong jets of water in a pool on a surfboard. I kind of wish I could have seen this as a young teen. No wonder this was one of Nick's bigger game show hits and would be revived in 2008 as a family competition. The kids are fun to watch, and the stunts are genuinely challenging.

Teenagers got in on the action in the 1997 show Click. This internet-based program was the last game show developed by Merv Griffin. Three pairs of teens run to answer different questions based on sections of the internet - "E- Mail" has them guessing which famous character or person wrote it, "Click Pix" and "Click Video" were photo and video questions, "Sound Bytes" was an audio clue, and "Home Page" had them guessing a topic. The Speed Round had one of each team member running to a board to answer questions. If they couldn't, someone from an opposing team had the chance to try. The Bonus Round was the Speed Round with an even shorter time limit.

The pre-social media internet theme does date this show a bit, but it's still fun to watch the kids run to all those stations and answer trivia, and for those who remember when the internet was just beginning, it's a major blast of nostalgia. 

If you grew up when I did, you'll want to relieve some fond childhood memories too with these enjoyable blasts from the past!

Contraption (1983)

Double Dare (1986)

Treasure Mall (1988)

Fun House (1988)

Think Fast (1989)

Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1992)

Nickelodeon Guts (1992)

Masters of the Maze (1994)

Click (1998)