Ain't No Stopping Us Now

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And four books:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Better Shop Around

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Match Game Pilot (1962)

Match Game Syndicated Premiere (1979)

Match Game Syndicated (1981)

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1984)

Match Game '90 Premiere (1990)

Match Game '98 (1998)

We Built This City

Began the morning with breakfast and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. I wanted to introduce Lauren to the show after she bought that Rainbow Dash toy yesterday. Rainbow Applejack compete to see who is the most athletic pony in Equestria, but it comes out a tie. They take part in the "Running of the Leaves," the Ponies' big fall race to see who can knock down the most leaves, but spend the race trying to take out each other. When even Twilight, who has never raced before, comes in before them, they realize that the most important thing is having fun, not who comes in first.

We headed out after that. It was a gorgeous day for a walk to the PATCO. It was hot, hazy, and sunny, more humid than yesterday, but not as bad as it could be. Maybe that's why the train wasn't terribly full when we arrived. (That, and it was quarter of 11. We likely just missed the lunch rush.) We got off at 8th Street and Market at 11 PM.

(Oh, and while we didn't get off there, I must mention that they FINALLY finished the Franklin Square PATCO entrance. The train stopped there, and it's now listed as a stop on the ticket kiosks. And they're now working on the other side of the Collingswood station, which means the escalator is working, but not the elevator.)

I wanted to show Lauren all the great places I found in South Philly last summer and early fall, starting with checking out the vibes at that anarchist bookstore. Repo Records was pretty busy. She didn't get anything here, but I found two records and a CD I'd been looking for. The records were:

Wings - London Town

Peggy Lee and George Shearing - Beauty and the Beat! 

The one CD was:

Jimmy Buffet - Ballads (The missing CD from that 3-disc set Jodie gave me that used to belong to Dad.) 

On our way down 6th Street to the Italian Market, we ran into Philly AIDS Thrift Shop. This is one of those stores that looks small on the outside, but the inside is room after room after room of clothes, books, musical instruments, toys, and furniture. There was some great stuff...that we'd have to carry back with us on the train. I just ended up with two CDs:

1993 London concert recording of On the Town with Tyne Daly and Cleo Laine

A double soundtrack (that I suspect might be a bootleg) of Holiday In Mexico and Weekend In Havana

We did better when we made it to the bustling Italian Market. There was no way we were going to leave Philly without having cheese steaks for lunch. I took her to Lorenzo's Pizza, the place I ate at when I went to the Market last summer. She had just a plain old cheese steak. I had a chicken cheese steak with spinach. Oh, yum! Mine was so good, just the right salty and earthy. We washed them down with Diet Cokes.

Molly's Books and Records proved to be an even bigger hit. This time, there were no interviews being recorded, and we were easily able to check out the stacks of books in the narrow back area. Molly's specialty is cookbooks and classic literature. The last thing I need is more of the former, but we both found something from the latter we wanted. Lauren bought a copy of the Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. I bought two of Andrew Lang's color fairy tale collections, The Blue Fairy Book and The Gray Fairy Book, along with the soundtrack from Ghostbusters II. I've had the soundtrack album from the original film for over a decade, but could never find any of the sequels.

Our last stop in South Philly was another book store that looked deceptively small from the outside. Mostly Books is situated in a slightly dilapidated bright blue row house, but that doesn't stop it from being floor-to-ceiling books, CDs, DVDs, and records inside. At least the records were in bins this time, rather than dropped in an alcove in the very back of the store. Lauren didn't get anything, but I ended up with three records and two books. The records were:

The 1985 studio cast recording for Richard Rodgers' last musical, I Remember Mama (still sealed!), and the original cast for the 1952 revival of Of Thee I Sing.

Secret Love, a 4-disc collection of soft ballads from the 70s and 80s

The books were: 

Spindle's End, by Robin McKinley 

Scarmouche, by Rafael Sabatini 

By this point, it was 4 PM. Not only was rush hour beginning, but we'd done enough walking. I called Uber. The driver arrived in 4 minutes, not bad for the start of rush hour in downtown Philly, and got us to the Primark entrance at the Fashion District Mall in less than 10. 

Lauren loves Primark, the Irish department store, but I'm not as big of a fan. They don't have much in the way of plus sizes, and a lot of their clothes are kind of on the cheap side. She got packs of underwear and pajama bottoms. I headed out early and went to the bathroom.

Our plans got a check when we made it to the top floor. The Round 1 next-door to the AMC Theater was closed. In fact, if the sign on the door from the health inspector was any indication, it had just been forced to close yesterday. Rather suddenly, if the gaggle of disappointed boys who didn't know either were any indication.

Good thing I spotted a mini-golf course downstairs on our way to the PATCO station inside. The theme on this black-lit indoor course was ancient history, from day-glow orange pyramids and tall brown camels to resin columns covered in real grape vines and surrounded by potted olive trees. I think Lauren won (after she took a call from her parents, who wanted to know about a package they just got in the mail), but not by much.

After that, we tried the smallest of the billiards tables in the game room next-door. Lauren's guy buddy has taught her to play. She's probably no pool shark, but at least she could figure out how to hold the stick. I think I got one ball in. She got all the others. At least I can say I tried.

We dashed downstairs to the PATCO concourse just in time to catch the 5:30 train home. Maybe that wasn't such a great idea. The 5:30 was literally elbow-to-elbow with commuters on their way home from work. Even when I found a seat, it was jammed next to a big, huge guy. I was so grateful when we finally got off at Collingswood. Called Uber here, too. They arrived in 9 minutes, and barely needed five to get us home.

As soon as we got in, we put everything upstairs, then went right back out. By 6 PM, it was cloudy and hazy, but also windy and much cooler and more humid. It was too cool to hang out inside. Besides, Lauren wanted to eat at Jalapeno's Bar and Grill, the Mexican restaurant a block from the WaWa. They were surprisingly quiet for the dinner hour when we got in. She had fish tacos that looked amazing. I went with my favorite shrimp quesadilla. 

Since she treated me to Mexican, I treated her to Hispanic ice cream at the Mexican Ice Cream parlor two blocks from Jalapeno's. La Moretense Plus was also busy with people getting a cool respite from the earlier heat, but we did manage to find a seat. She had intensely pink strawberry ice cream with sprinkles. I had a cherry nut milkshake that was also very pink...and very, very cherry!

Finished the night back at my rooms after a shower with The Singing Fool. I go further into the massive hit Al Jolson vehicle that introduced audiences to "Sonny Boy" and truly pushed sound as a viable medium for film at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Singing Fool

Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow

This time, we started out at bit later at 9:30...and we made an extra stop before getting on the highway. Lauren promised her guy friend Rico that he could join us at Six Flags Great Escape today. Rico works with Lauren at the bank in Great Barrington. He proved to be a lot of fun, chatting and making jokes as Lauren drove through Stockbridge and Lee and got on the MassPike.

We first ended up at a rest stop about a half-hour or so outside of Lake George to use the bathroom. Lauren and I were delighted to find sodas we didn't often run into at home in their vending machines. I got a Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar. She found a Wild Cherry Pepsi Zero Sugar. Rico got an Arizona iced tea and an energy drink.

Parking has been greatly simplified since we started coming to Great Escape together. Lauren only had to show the kid a voucher she printed online to get us in. She drove around back, parking us in the Three Musketeers lot near the edge of the woods. (All lots at Great Escape are named for Mars candies.) We followed the crowds over the bridge to the entrance.

Great Escape is a charming cross between Storybook Land in Mays Landing and the New Jersey Six Flags Great Adventure. It was originally a family park in the 50's called Storybook Town USA, but it added coasters and other rides over the years along with the original little fairy tale cottages and western ghost town buildings. We came in time for their Fright Fest. Kids dressed as witches, ghouls, Cinderella, and Mario streamed into haunted "house" rides and mazes. Alas, the spooky mazes and Trick or Treat cost extra, so we stuck to the regular rides.

We walked around first, taking in the lay of the land. Fabric spider's webs covered every single stationary object and ride and food booth that wasn't in use. Foul-smelling smoke drifted from vents and a huge spooky jack-'o-lantern near the Cinderella's Castle. Water in the fountains, including around Cinderella's Castle, was colored red to resemble blood. (Though it really more closely resembled cherry Kool Aid.)

Ended up at the Ghost Town. Lauren showed Rico how she's short enough to easily fit in one of the little houses before we stopped at a building housing games and cranes. These cranes contained stuffed toys that were far nicer and better made than the stuffies one usually found in them. One crane had nothing but Gund toys. Gund is a very good stuffed animal brand, not cheap at all. To my surprise, I got a soft, floppy white and gray cat on my second try! I named her Queensbury, after the town where Great Escape is, Queenie for short.

Our first actual ride took us over a steep bridge and into Hot Rod USA. Thunder Alley lets guests drive over a track decorated with vintage Storybook Town signs in 50's-style cars. It was also the only ride open in Hot Rod USA. Most of the others were down for the season or in the midst of being refurbished, which may account for the very long line. It was fun when we finally got in the cars, though. I rode a police car and giggled at the bright signs describing a ghost family on a Halloween picnic outing. The real-life 50's architecture across the street, including a fried chicken stand with a huge neon chicken sign, added to the ambiance. 

Made our way through the crowds and past many scary statues and busts of jokers, ghouls, and the Phantom of the Opera to the Fest Area. More rides were open here, including the brand-new wooden roller coaster the Bobcat. Lauren and Rico wanted to continue on and ride another wooden coaster, the Comet, but I was hungry and hate coasters. 

They ended up heading to the back of the park while I stepped into the Alpine Haus cafeteria for lunch. It was a dark, simple room that was just benches and a counter. The grilled chicken sandwich was a little dry but not bad. The fries were delicious, perfectly cooked with their skins on. I ate them outside at one of the yellow picnic tables and watched the crowds stroll by. 

Since they still hadn't arrived after I finished eating, I strolled around the area for a bit. There's several smaller carnival-style rides in the Fest Area, including the Cannonball Express. This is another name for the Music Express, which goes around and around on an up and down track and features brightly painted artwork of famous singers. The Music Express was one of my favorite rides in Wildwood, and I missed it. Unlike Thunder Alley, the line here wasn't long at all. I got on right away and even had a seat to myself. I screamed and clutched the bar as the music blared and the seats rocked and rolled over the track.

I met Rico and Lauren outside the Alpine Haus, where they enjoyed burgers and those yummy fries. After they finished, we doubled back to Hot Rod USA after I picked up a soda. We were originally going to ride the Storybook Town Train, but the line was prohibitively long. I talked them into the Grand Carousel instead, since that barely had any line at all. (They later said the Comet didn't, either.) 

The Grand Carousel is unique in one respect. Many of the horses are replaced by beautifully painted and detailed animals. I spotted an orange jack rabbit, a purple dragon, a camel, a black and white cat, and a lion. I ended up on a handsome pale blue horse with a cobalt mane and lovely flowers painted on his bridle. The little kids and their parents all around me rode their fanciful equines in happy awe, and I was delighted with their sweet reactions. 

Though the line at the train was still long when we got there, we figured it was one of the few rides all three of us could do together. In fact, it was so long, we didn't get on the first train that came around and had to wait for the second, and then the girl in charge took another 10 minutes making us wait while she called someone on her walkie-talkie. It was lovely when we finally got on. The Storybook Town Train takes you through the woods, past Popo the Purple Cow (who is really more of a friendly dragon), Hickory Dickory Dock, and slightly dilapidated jungle animal statues taken from the overgrown remains of the Jungleland rope walk-through. 

I spied giant Technicolor flowers from the train that were part of the Alice In Wonderland walk-through, so we headed there next. After getting turned around in the kiddie ride section Timbertown, we finally ducked into the low, narrow cave that took you into a black-light Wonderland. Rico chattered and joked about Alice stuck in the White Rabbit's house, the Mad Tea Party, and the Queen of Hearts looking slightly murderous among her card guards. 

It was past 4 when we got out of Wonderland. Time to head back to the International Village entryway and buy souvenirs. I didn't get anything. Not only am I running out of room, but I already won Queenie. Rico picked up a cool pair of yellow vinyl clogs with rainbows, unicorns, and Captain America shield buttons on them. Lauren bought a Great Escape t-shirt at the main gift shop you pass through on the way out.

The Pirate Adventure Golf Course isn't more than three minutes from Great Escape, so we went there next. This beautifully landscaped mini-golf course lets you choose two different courses, one harder than the other. We went with the tougher Blackbeard course. We all had a great time hitting our balls, chasing them when they bounced off-course, or trying to keep them from rolling into the many gurgling streams and waterfalls. They even had blurbs about the real Blackbeard on wooden signs posted at the start of each course. (I think Rico won this one.)

I hadn't eaten at Golden Corral since ours closed over a decade ago, and Rico called it "my mecca" and was delighted to eat anywhere that would fill his endless appetite. They turned out to be another short five-minute drive. They were also busy as heck, and not just because it's Sunday. We arrived just ahead of two buses filled with elderly tourists.

I'm glad we did end up there. I missed the one that used to be behind the Pep Boys/America's Best building at Audubon Crossings. They had tons of everything, from their amazing sweet potato casserole to what I believe was real whole berry cranberry sauce. I started with the cranberry sauce, cubed tropical fruit, and a greens salad with blue cheese and dried cranberries. My main protein was delicious steak tips straight off the grill. We all tried their yummy creamed spinach and cheese pizza. I had this pasta smothered in mozzarella, provolone, and herbs that was amazing, too. 

By the time we got to dessert, I was too full for more than a slim slice of chocolate cake with a curl of vanilla ice cream, a spoonful of banana pudding, and a brownie square I didn't finish. Lauren had blueberry pie and a watermelon Icee. Rico grabbed cookies and cake. I had a cherry ice with strawberry sauce (and a rogue berry gummy bear) for a chaser.

After that, we practically rolled back to Lauren's car to head home. This time, we went straight back to the Berkshires on the highway, no stopping anywhere besides Rico's house to drop him off. After he gave us big hugs for a great afternoon, we finished our ride through Lee and Lennox to Pittsfield, singing along with the Monkees.

I finished the night with the second of half of today's Match Game marathon. Debralee Scott started off in the ingenue seat in mid-1976. The flirtatious young sitcom star may be best-remembered by game show fans today for joining Richard Dawson in instigating the infamous "school riot" in 1977. She and Rich argued when judge Ira Skutch wouldn't accept their "finishing school" or poor scared Patti Deusch's "night school" as answers to a question about where Dumb Dora takes her cultured pearls to. Gene tried to calm them down, but he couldn't keep order. Charles and Brett jokingly had Charles sprawled on Gene's entrance steps as the victim of the "school riot," but the damage was done. The lower tier kept their responses up in protest for what little remained of the episode.

Debralee's other great early moment was when Bill Anderson performed a song just for her at the end of a 1976 episode. Brett and Charles, dressed as cowpokes, sang along. Deb was flattered that someone came up with a song for her on the spot and gave Bill a very sweet kiss.

Deb did most of her best work in syndication, when she generally sat in the sixth seat. She happily flirted with contestants and panelists alike. Bart Braverman thought she was cute and kept throwing papers at her. She did not think he was cute. She pounded on him until he grabbed her for a kiss! She did better with the Head-to-Head, winning contestants big money at least twice in the nighttime episodes.

Watch Debralee as she flirts and fights with panelists and contestants alike in this very funny marathon!

Match Game Sunday Night Classics - Tribute to Debralee Scott

Oh, and it's a good thing I wasn't down in Philadelphia today. The Eagles got their rears handed to them by the Buccaneers 33-16. 

Rainy Day Women

We awoke to a gloomy day as we had a quick breakfast and headed out. This time, we went in the opposite direction through the villages and hamlets of upstate New York towards Albany. Upstate New York is beautiful country. We passed by the New Lebanon Speedway and past lovely little towns with ancient hotels with wrap-around porches and . The leaves are just starting to turn colors here, radiant shades of gold, green, and red-yellow. 

Our first stop was the Denny's next-door to Cracker Barrel just outside of Albany. They're a pretty standard diner, which is probably why there aren't too many in my area. We have plenty of real diners. I considered the Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes, but finally decided they were too rich and had Hearty 9-Grain Pancakes with sausage, bacon, and a bowl of strawberries, grapes, and bananas. Lauren had a Southwestern Benny (eggs Benedict). Oh, yum. The pancakes were delicious, just the right combination of sweet and flavorful.

We emerged from Denny's in a light shower. It grew heavier as Lauren drove us to the Crossgates Mall down the street from Denny's. Once we parked, she grabbed her umbrella, I pulled up the hood of my blue sweatshirt, and we hurried for the nearest entrance in front of JC Penney's.

Our first stop at Crossgates was their big Old Navy. Lauren bought a really nice tan sweater vest with turquoise and orange stripes running on it for her dad. I found a quilted coral pink metallic holder for my laptop when I travel that only came out to $5, despite being listed for $9.99. This time, neither of us got anything at Hot Topic, and all the Nintendo 64 and Switch games Lauren wanted at Jay St. Video Games were too expensive.

Dave and Buster's is pretty much the same deal as Round 1, with a sports bar instead of a bowling alley. Once again, I spent an hour running from skee ball to the fishing-themed wheels to the giant Centipede and Space Invaders games. Got Yoshi on Mario Kart; came in second. Did better on Cruisin' Blast, coming in first on the Death Valley round with a really sweet vintage red Chrysler. 

I don't have room for another big Care Bear (in my luggage or my bedroom), so I picked up a smaller stuffed panda. Though she came with the name Purdy, I re-named her Tea Blossom. Lauren grabbed one soft blanket with goofy sayings on it for her and another for her guy friend Rico.

There's an indoor mini-golf course directly across from Dave and Buster's. It was a black-lit neon maze with a really nifty space theme. The walls were painted with scenes of alien landscapes, and the obstacles were giant neon alien flowers, Venus Fly Traps, circular and triangular bumper moon "rocks," and astronauts in neon purple. As I said to Lauren, there's some advantages to a golf course being indoors. We didn't have to worry about our balls ending up in a water or sand trap or up a tree. I even got a hole in one at one point on a smaller course with no major obstacles just by making it hug the vinyl edges. (Lauren still won by two strokes over me.)

We walked around for the next few hours after that. Lauren bought cute lounge shirts and shorts at Charlotte Russe. I didn't see anything I really needed or could fit into. She didn't see anything she wanted at FYE; I picked up a 4-disc Thelonius Monk CD set and a better copy of Jetsons: The Movie. She peeked at The Lego Store, but said she has tons of Legos she's barely used. We checked out Newbury Comics, Lollipop Toy Shop, Miniso, QLZ, and the anime-themed Otaku House, but saw nothing of interest at any of them other than some records at Newbury I might pick up somewhere along the line. 

Since it was open by 2:30-3 PM, we tried Apex Entertainment on the other side of the mall from Dave and Buster's. Their focus is on bowling, go-karting, "adventure rooms," and nightly shows, which is likely why their arcade is much smaller than Dave and Buster's or Round 1. I was able to play Yoshi on Mario Kart again - and won this time, and didn't do too badly with skee ball and ring toss. Got really far on Centipede before I finally ran out of credits. I still only amassed a little over 500; Lauren didn't do much better. We decided to save our points for next time. 

Had dinner at Maggie McFly's, an aviatrix-themed sports bar and grill. They have the tastiest bar pizza I've ever eaten. My Hawaiian slices came with tons of mozzarella, ham, red onion, and pineapple and had wonderfully soft crust. Lauren had the potato and rosemary, potatoes and herbs on mozzarella. She had a Caesar salad. I went with basic greens with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and balsamic vinaigrette. 

We finished out the day at the Primark and JC Penney anchors. I didn't see anything else I wanted. I'm really not in desperate need of clothes right now, and Primark doesn't really carry much in my size anyway. Lauren picked up a few good shirts at JC Penney and a Winner the Pooh sleep shirt for her mom from Primark.

By the time we finished at JC Penney, it was past 6:30. If the soaked parking lot and dripping trees were any indication, it had been raining for the better part of the day. It was misting again when we jumped in Lauren's van. We got there just in time. Just as she turned back on the highway, it started raining hard again. Thankfully, the rain slowed down to mist as we arrived at Lauren's house.

When we got in, Lauren showed her parents everything she found and I jumped in the shower. After I got out, we played the US and Canada in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe again. I don't think Lauren ever came in better than ninth. My best showing was 4th on Rainbow Road, thanks to two bullets and two invincibility stars. 

I finished the night with Spenser for Hire at the Roku Channel. It seems like an open-and-shut case when the wife of an oil tycoon hires Spenser to deliver one million in "Blood Money" and rescue her husband. Her husband's company has been indulging in some unsavory practices, including damaging a small country to get their resources...and the oil tycoon's been indulging in some unsavory practices of his own, cheating on his wife with one of his female CEOs. Spenser has to figure out who wanted him dead badly enough to dump him in the river. 

Pleasant Valley Sunday

Thank heavens after yesterday the weather was gorgeous when we started out around 10:30. It was sunny and breezy, with a brilliant blue sky overhead. Lauren drove past farms laden with pumpkins and sunflowers and trees just starting to turn leaves red, gold, and sunshine yellow. It was a gorgeous day for a drive into upstate New York to check out flea markets.

Our first stop of the day was a large flea market in New Lebanon, just over the board. I've visited this place before with Lauren...and to our disappointment, it wasn't nearly as busy as usual. There were some booths selling mostly junk (and political t-shirts), but not as many, and nothing of interest in the main building. I didn't get anything, but Lauren picked up one of those t-shirts for her dad.

We did better at other sales down the road. A smaller flea market was being held about a block away. Once again, I saw nothing of interest, but Lauren picked up Piglet and vintage M&M Christmas ornaments and a small figure of Daffy Duck dressed as the Easter bunny.

We both did much better at a nearby thrift shop. It was a lot like a smaller, one-floor version of the Barrington Antique Center, lots of items in tiny rooms, but far better-organized. Things were arranged by items in nice shelves, rather than thrown in helter-skelter. The first things we found after the main room were two large shelves of DVDs and CDs and two more of books. I didn't see any books I liked, but I did find Greta Garbo's first comedy Ninotchka and the original Time Life Treasury of Christmas set (with an extra bonus CD). Lauren picked up a pile of country-western and classic CDs for herself and her parents and a cute purple vest for herself.

After leaving the thrift shop, Lauren drove us back into Massachusetts to just outside of the Berkshire Mall. There's a mini-golf course and driving range that she and her family have been playing at since she was a kid. It's a lovely little course, with the usual wooden house and windmill, bear statues, and rotating rainbow paddle traps. We had a great time, not only playing, but watching an adorable little boy and his grandparents playing ahead of us. They were so funny! The boy was so enthusiastic. He reminded me of Keefe when we used to play each other at the long-gone mini golf course next to the ice cream parlor in North Cape May in the 90's.

I won the game, incidentally, but only by two points. It was close. We both had problems on some traps. I hit my ball into a bush on the very first course, and Lauren got hers caught in a small water trap twice on a course

We wandered around in a couple of stores for the next hour or so. Target is pretty much the only thing at the Berkshire Mall that's still open, so we went there next. They were just putting out their Halloween things. Shelves were laden with candy, princess and Avengers costumes, Pillsbury Funfetti cake mixes, and stuffed dinosaurs dressed as vampires. They weren't busy, but we didn't end up buying anything.

Lauren took us back towards the area with the shopping centers we checked out yesterday. This time, we went across the street to a smaller center that features the area's only Game Stop. Lauren looked over PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Switch games, and I looked over Wii, but once again, we walked out with nothing. I just bought a Snickers bar at Big Lots.

The Millers were working on dinner when we rolled in. After we showed them our purchases, Lauren played something on her Nintendo Switch, and I gave Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn a shot on her Nintendo DS. The "extra" are hats that Kirby can grab that will give him special abilities, like use a sword or make yarn balls without grabbing an enemy. I got most of the way through Grass Land before dinner was called.

Dinner was a feast! Mrs. Miller made crispy tuna croquettes with tater tots, rolls, and amazing glazed carrots sauteed in real maple syrup. Lauren had cookie dough ice cream for dessert. I've had tons of ice cream lately and opted for a super-sweet watermelon fruit bar. Mrs. Miller did the same, only hers was peach.

We watched a couple of first season episodes of I Love Lucy while we ate. Lucy goes on "The Diet" when she needs to slim down in order to fit into a size 12 costume and do a dance with Ricky. She does everything possible to lose that weight, from running around the building to eating nothing but celery. It does slim her down, but it also leaves her with no energy. She joins the act anyway, to Ricky's surprise.

I'm not the only one who gets into her mystery novels. "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Kill Her" when he jokes about killing her after she loses her murder novel out the window. She takes his joking seriously, especially after she overhears him talking about what she thinks is a plot to murder her and Ethel reads her cards and claims she's going to die. She does everything she can to hold him off.

She enters "The Quiz Show" in order to win money for household expenses. This radio game show makes female contestants do humiliating things on the air...like claiming another man is your first husband. Not only is Ricky understandably upset, but the stranger Lucy says is her first husband isn't who she thinks he is.

We played games after dinner. I won Roll With It! again by a large margin. Mr. Miller won Uno again, though this time Mrs. Miller and Lauren won rounds as well. (I'm really rusty on that one.) I did manage to win Sorry!. Mr. Miller came in second, followed by Lauren.

Lauren and I are now downstairs, chatting and enjoying skating videos and Match Game on YouTube. We were going to go to the Big E tomorrow, but the weather sounds iffy. We're going to stay inside and go to the Holyoke Mall in Springfield instead.

Beautiful Sunday

It was absolutely gorgeous when Lauren and I headed out this morning around 10. Perfect weather to check out a local flea market, just over the border in New York. We went here last year, too. I did pick up peaches here from a small farm stand for the rest of the week. Otherwise, unlike our trip last year, we made no finds.

We first drove to the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough next and spent an hour walking through their huge Target. I considered some more Our Generation Retro outfits, but decided to save my money for later in the week. Otherwise, there wasn't much to see here. The Berkshire Mall is dying hard, a victim of too-high rents and poor management. Even The Garden restaurant that we had dinner at in 2016 is gone.

Next stop was Dalton for lunch. Lauren introduced me to her favorite outpost of a local chain, Hot Harry's Burritos. They were a small hole-in-the-wall fast food Mexican joint that had apparently just been remodeled last year, according to Lauren. She had two soft-shell tacos wrapped around hard-shell tacos. I went simpler with a chicken and black bean burrito. Yum. My burrito was really tasty, with lots of savory chicken pieces and guacamole. We both had house-made tortilla chips with our lunch and sodas.

Hit up two shopping centers across from each other after we ate. Lauren picked up the new Nintendo Switch version of Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker at a Game Stop at Allendale. I saw a sweater I liked at TJ Maxx across the street, but it was white. Considering all the running around I do, white is probably not a good idea for something I wear constantly. Lauren did better, picking up plaid shirt and another good blouse for work.

Thankfully, the mini golf course a few minutes down the street from the mall is still around. We've been playing each other here for years. It's your standard family course, with fiberglass bears to block shots and small wooden houses and mills for balls to get stuck under. Lauren's purple ball wound up in a small pool of water at one point. My red ball got stuck under the metal loop-the-loop in another. I accidentally hit Lauren's ball in the hole once! Lauren ended up winning, but only by a few points, 52 to 56.

Headed back towards downtown Pittsfield around 3. We wanted to eat at Lauren's favorite restaurant the Highland, but they don't open until 4 on Sunday. After a quick stop at a bank to use their ATM machine (we tried using Lauren's branch of the Co-Op earlier, but their ATM doesn't always work well, according to her), we went for a long stroll down North and Suth Streets. It was actually rather pleasant. The streets were relatively quiet, giving us a chance to enjoy being together and play tourist. I even got to take pictures of the stegosaurus statue standing outside of the Berkshire Museum for my nephew and his friends.

Most stores downtown were closed on Sunday, but we did find two to explore. The consignment shop we went to last year was not only open, but had recently expanded into the next building. Lauren picked up an orange and black striped Ralph Lauren polo shirt for her dad and a yellow blouse for her mom. I found a really pretty blouse in brilliant shades of orange, turquoise, red, and black.

Museum Facsimile sells prints of old movie posters, cartoon posters, comics covers, maps, and advertisements for the Berkshires, locally-made crafts, colorful socks, Berkshires merchandise, and soaps and perfumes, among other items. The gentleman who owned the store was trying to hang lights around the windows when we came in; I couldn't help giggling at his efforts. Most things were too expensive for me, but Lauren bought a mug for her dad and socks for her and her mom.

We strolled to the Highland minutes after it opened. The Highland is another hole-in-the-wall, this one a bar serving basic American fare like turkey and mashed potatoes. Lauren had a meatball sandwich; I had a veal cutlet sandwich. Both came on thick white "Viennese" bread. A basket of this bread was also brought to our table. I'd already had a slice of bread, so I took half my sandwich off the bun. Dessert was slices of their tasty coconut custard pie.

Went straight home after dinner. Lauren and I showed her parents our purchases, then went downstairs to play Captain Toad for a half-hour before wrestling started. The Millers are all big WWE fans. Tonight's even was called Hell In a Cell. It began and ended with no-holds-barred matches in a red steel cage, though the other matches were regular ones. I can't really tell you much about the matches, since I don't know the athletes or their personas well. I know Lauren likes "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey, a tough female wrestler who successfully defended her Women's title against the rather bimbo-ish Alex Bliss, a blond in some of the worst eye makeup this side of an 80's model.

(And the guy in the KISS makeup in the beginning tried swinging off the top of the cage and made a 20-foot drop onto a table...but the wrestler he was supposed to be landing on had the sense to move. He ended up doing some major damage to himself instead and had to be carried out in a stretcher.)

Tomorrow, it's back to Springfield, this time to check out New England's version of a state fair, the Big E.

You Spin Me Round and Round

I couldn't believe how gorgeous it was when we headed out this morning. The sky was a searing blue, the clouds were gone, and the breeze felt great. It was just barely in the lower 80's. There couldn't have been a nicer day for a ride around Lauren's area, starting at a near-by Barnes and Noble. This was smaller than the other ones we'd explored, with no toys or electronic media area. Lauren didn't find anything she wanted. I looked at the Star Wars paperbacks, but I ultimately just grabbed a journal.

We had an early lunch at a rustic branch of a local coffee shop chain called Juice and Java. Lauren knows the owners, and she knows they make some of the best sandwiches in the Berkshires. We got there early enough for me to order off the breakfast menu. I had an egg wrap with peppers, cheese, and salsa and a Dasani Mixed Berry Sparkling Water. She had turkey avocado panini and a Dr. Pepper.

It was a glorious day for mini-golf. There's a course just outside the Berkshire Mall. Lauren grabbed a purple ball, I grabbed a red ball, and we played through all 18 holes. The course is small but wonderfully cheesy - Lauren said she played it as a kid. There's all kinds of typical traps that still work, like tiny houses with narrow openings that balls get stuck in (it happened to both of us) and fiberglass bears you have to navigate your ball around. There was a family - a mom, a dad, a pre-teen girl, and a grandma and grandpa - ahead of us. They were taking forever and finally let us skip ahead. The "19th hole" is a pinball-type game that allows you to either get points off your score or a free game. We each got three points off. Even with that, I still beat Lauren by 1 point in a very close game.

Since we were in the area, we swung over to the Berkshire Mall proper, first hitting their Target. This time, we both made scores. They didn't have the new Ever After High signatures (regular characters), but they did have most of the Epic Winter snow-themed dolls. I went with one of only two new characters introduced in that line, the limited edition Crystal Winter. Couldn't resist my favorite toasted coconut-covered marshmallows anymore. Lauren found Christmas presents for her Dad.

Unlike the other malls we've visited this week, the Berkshire Mall is largely dead. It's only half-full, mainly with mall mainstays like Bath and Body Works and Jay Street Video Store. I didn't get anything at the latter. Lauren picked up a Wii U game and a Sega Genesis port of several popular 80's arcade games she could play on her Retron (a machine that can play up to 5 older game systems in some newer versions).

The mall does have one new tenant - Toy Giant, a toy store that mixes in toys from smaller companies with a few selected items from larger corporations. It's a lot like Happy Hippo Toys in Haddonfield, or Toy Genius at the Cherry Hill Mall. I didn't find anything, but Lauren picked up an action figure of popular WWE wrestler "Uncle" Dean Ambrose for her dad.

Started out to Jiminy Peak around 2:30. Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort is mostly a ski lodge...but in the summer, it has a few unique rides. We skipped the swing and the trampoline in favor of our two favorites, the Mountain Coaster and the Alpine Super Slide. The really cool thing about these rides is you control how fast and slow they go via levers in the cars. You have more control over the speed of the slide car, but there's less around you. The slide is a fiberglass course, and it's longer and twistier. Lauren says she's gotten burns several times, and wipe outs have been known to happen.

You have to take a chair lift to get to the start of the slide, which is a nice ride in and of itself. The lifts pass over the slide, giving you a great view of people going down. At least two little kids waved at us as they whooshed away. (The girl with the Afro curls and sweet smile was adorable!) You get an amazing view of the mountainside and hiking trails right before you arrive at the top, too.

Our last chair lift ride of the day was marred by a family with a grade-school age girl who kept bouncing her legs up and down. Every time she bounced, so did the cable...and us with it. Instead of telling her to stop, her mother and her father and older sibling in the car ahead of us egged her on, and even joined in. Please, if the rules say "don't swing your legs on the lift," remember the people behind you and don't swing your legs on the lift...or encourage others to.

The Mountain Coaster is shorter and you can't control the speed as well, but it does have its virtues. It's a sturdy steel track that doesn't feel quite as wild as the slide; the car has a belt and shoulder harness. It can still go fast, though! While it does rattle, it mostly goes around. There's a few up and down hills, but no steep hills (except the first ascent), no huge drops, and no loops. Beats the heck out of the Comet for non-coaster people like Lauren and me.

(It actually reminds me a little of the Flitzer at Morey's Pier in Wildwood. That was one of the only roller coasters I'd ride on the boardwalk as a kid. In fact, it was my first coaster. Mom, who loves roller coasters, talked me onto it and rode with me. While you don't control the ride, the track is very similar, all turns, no dips, hills, or loops.)

(Oh, and incidentally, Lauren and I were both fine when we finished. No burns or wipe outs here today, or even pulled muscles.)

We went around on each ride five times before we finally decided it was time for dinner. Lauren drove us back down to the Berkshire Mall. This time, we hit their one and only sit-down restaurant, The Garden. The Garden is pretty much a smaller, slightly cheaper version of Applebee's, a neighborhood bar and grill. They have great sandwiches and pretty decent Mexcian, too. Lauren had a spinach and mushroom quesadilla. I had a Monte Cristo with raspberry jam and fries. My Monte Cristo was very filling, and very different from the open-faced sandwiches that Monte Cristos usually are in New Jersey. This had the same turkey, ham, and Swiss Cheese filling on French toast, but the sandwiches were fried before being sliced. Wow. They were so decadent and delicious, very yummy with the jam. They were also very thick, too much for me to finish. Lauren finished her quesadilla, though, possibly the first time she ate more than I did!

Full and tired from our rides, we just headed home after dinner. I went in the shower. Lauren watched the Toronto Blue Jays-Cleveland Indians game with her parents. (Cleveland won, BTW, according to Lauren.) When I got out, I had cookies, we both had water, and we went online.

Our last outing will be out and about in the area again to check out a couple of promising yard sales, then up through the wilds of Vermont to visit the Vermont Country Store.

Oh, and meet Crystal Winter! The daughter of the Snow Queen and King is happy with being in charge of the winter, partially because it allows her to play her favorite sport - ice hockey! She's the star of Epic Winter, the newest Ever After High special that has the kids searching for a rose to end eternal winter at the high school.