Playground Games

Began the late morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Adora arrives at Bright Moon, determined to find her friends and figure out how to close "The Portal" to another dimension. She's surprised to discover Glimmer's long-gone father King Micah there, along with her mother and Bow as a historian. She revives their memories when they question her, then find Entrapra. Entraptra tells Adora that she needs to remove her sword from the portal to close it...but it'll trap her in the portal forever if she does so. She's ready to make the sacrifice after dealing with an increasingly warped Catra, but someone else is even more willing to do it, someone very close to Glimmer...

Switched to Remember WENN while making my bed, bringing the laundry downstairs, and going through old paperwork from last year on the top of my printer. "Hilary Booth, Registered Nurse" is accidentally hit on the head with a microphone boom right before a big nighttime broadcast of one of the station's big soap operas, Valiant Journey. Betty has to figure out how to handle the chaos from Hilary's resulting amnesia, and do it without the help of Victor Comstock, who is leaving the station to broadcast in war-torn London.

Hilary and her (semi) husband Jeff Singer are also at the heart of "Valentino Speaks." Jeff is excited when a director turns up and first wants the cast to dub an old, unfinished Rudolph Valentino movie (actually his last film, Son of the Sheik), then use them and the station's studios to finish it. It turns out to be more exhausting than exciting when the pompous director (Simon Jones) insists on the acting matching the broader style of the silent film, and Jeff wanting to find his character's "truth."

Things are turned upside-down with the arrival of brash Scott Sherwood (Kevin O'Rourke) at the start of "A Capitol Idea." He claims Victor sent him to be the new station manager and has a boatload of new ideas, starting with having Betty weave mentions of the commercial product into the shows. While this actually was common on radio in the 30's and 40's and basically invents informercials, it also turns the shows into barely-disguised commercials. Betty's disgusted and ready to quit, until the others come up with a way to turn the tables. 

Had lunch and put the laundry away while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Mickey's usual "Oh Toodles!" is even more pronounced when he and Goofy search for four tools Professor Ludvig Von Drake needs to complete something he's working on. Toodles is feeling a bit overworked himself, but the others constantly remind him of how important he is to the show, and Von Drake's creation turns out to be something special for him.

Rushed out to the Thomas Sharp School the moment I finished lunch and the cartoon ended. I was slightly late, and thankfully, that was the worst thing that happened all day. We had 22 pre-schoolers and kindergartners today, and they honestly weren't that badly behaved for them. Getting them all out to the playground did help a lot. Even the swings could have been worse. I had to separate two boys who were fighting, told a boy and a girl to stop calling each other names, and one of the girls who usually runs for the swings first had a collision during a really rowdy game of tag and an ice pack on her head and barely touched the swings afterwards, poor kid. Finished the afternoon coloring a picture of the Nutcracker (Scott) rescuing the Sugar Plum Fairy (Hilary) from a fiery furnace with three of the littlest girls while they colored pictures of snowmen and gingerbread houses. 

At least the weather was decent enough for the playground and the ride home! Though the sun was in and out of clouds, it was in the lower 40's, not horrible for early January, without a bit of wind. One of the girls even pointed out the gorgeous red and gold sunset, which I saw more of riding past Newton Lake going home.

Went straight home after that and into dinner and Match Game Syndicated. Buzzr is now showing new-for-them episodes, starting with the week featuring Scoey Mitchilll, former beauty queen Marjorie Wallace, and the debut of character actress Edie McClurg in the sixth comedienne seat. Scoey gets most of the memorable material from this week, including when Gene tore off the t-shirt he wore advertising an LA radio station, exposing his rather well-muscled chest (to the delight of Edie and Brett!). 

Finished the night at YouTube with more game shows, these from Canada. Americans were hardly the only ones to do wacky, boundaries-pushing comic game shows in the 1970's. Canadians had their own rowdy comedy during the Me Decade, the syndicated Party Game. This syndicated show had six members of a comic troupe acting out a subject, usually a goofy pun, and trying to guess what it is. Too bad more of this doesn't exist today. The comedians in the episode are a riot, and they're obviously having a great time with their crazy facial expressions and pratfalls.

I wish more of the truly unique The Mad Dash was around, too. This show had husband-and-wife teams running around a huge board game set. One did the actual moving. The other answered questions and rolled the dice to see how far their partner would go. Hilarious and a lot of fun. Energetic host Pierre Lalonde added to the fun.

Canadian game shows frequently turned up on cable and on independent stations during the 1980's. I have fond memories of watching Bumper Stumpers on USA in the late 80's. Two teams solved license plates with cute puns on them, trying to figure out who or what they related to. They would then uncover the letter of a "Super Stumper" and would have to solve that. The first team to solve two Super Stumpers won the match and the chance to play the bonus round. They'd have to guess what 8 license plates said. However many they got were what they could reveal on 8 monitors. They could keep going until they got the big $500 or hit a Stop sign. 

Kids had just as much fun in Canada in the 80's and 90's as we did down in the US. KidStreet was basically "Junior Newlywed Game crossed with Classic Concentration" with a car theme. Three sibling pairs would have to guess what the other answered to a question or what they thought a unique item was. The bonus round had them guessing a rebus puzzle. Loved the colorful set here, with the kids all sitting in giant "cars."

Uh Oh was just plain wild. Apparently an offshoot of an earlier kid variety show, this cross between Double Dare and Wheel of Fortune had kids spinning a wheel to decide whether they'd answer speed questions, play a stunt, get another turn, or get stuck in the "Uh Oh" box and covered in gunk if their partner didn't answer a question correctly. "The Slime Tour" had them watching more kids playing wacky and gross stunts at another location (the Yukon Territory here, apparently) and guessing who would win. They spun a different wheel with their three colors for the third round. The indicator would show which team got what game or stunt. The winner earned the most points after this round. Wow, was this one nuts! Even the host, Wink Yahoo, was noisy and nutty. This has "Late 90's North America" written all over it, from the loud colors to the angular set to the brash, even edgy, stunts. 

Take a winter trip to Canada and see what games our neighbors in the north were playing with these pun and pratfall-filled episodes!

Party Game (1973)

The Mad Dash (1980)

Bumper Stumpers (1987)

KidStreet (1988)

Uh Oh Premiere (1997) 

Hot for Games

Slept in this morning. Finished Stuart Little and wrote in my journal, then watched an episode of What's New, Scooby Doo while eating breakfast. Scooby's saying "Riva Ras Regas" when he and Shaggy win tickets to see the debut of real-life teen singer Lindsay Pagano at a newly-built Vegas casino. After Lindsay's rehearsal is attacked by the ghost of a magician who died when the previous hotel on the property was imploded, Mystery Inc is on the case to figure out why he doesn't want the show to go on.

Switched to Press Your Luck next after taking the laundry downstairs. Whammies swarmed around the contestants on both episodes. One of the women in the first episode got knocked out in the second round. The champ was defeated by a young man who ended up with a craps game table and money and had the least Whammies. He didn't have nearly that much luck in the next episode. A pretty young model attracted way too many Whammies and was out early in the second round. The other man followed her. The one guy ended up playing the house and finally picked up a trip for his trouble.

Put the laundry in the dryer, then came back up for Split Second. By the time of the current episodes, they switched the bonus round from choosing three screens to choosing one. If it wasn't a car, that one will be blocked off the next time the person wins. They now earn money instead of another prize if they don't win the bonus round, and leaving and taking the other prize is no longer an option. One woman dominated the first round, as she apparently had for the previous four days. Alas, she was beaten on her fifth day by a curly-haired young man. He didn't pick the car, but would return.

Headed out after Split Second ended. I had one last bag of stuff and a cooler I didn't need that went to Goodwill. Rode over there, handed the bag and cooler to a gentleman who was helping another man with his larger donation items, and left. 

Took the back way past the baseball field into Audubon. Had lunch at the Legacy Diner. They were relatively busy, despite it being quarter of 3 at that point. I tried their Waffle Napoleon, which turned out to be sliced strawberries and bananas with whipped cream on top of a waffle. The berry and banana slices were so big, I ate it like a fruit salad. The waffle was incredible, light and tender on the inside, just crispy enough on the outside, and very filling. 

Stopped at the WaWa on the way home to cool off. I wanted to try more of those Olipop sodas. They had root beer along with strawberry vanilla. They were also busy, mainly because their self-checkout screens didn't seem to be working. At least the line wasn't too bad. Picked up assorted sugar-free and oatmeal cookies from Los Amigos Bakery.

It was a gorgeous day to run errands, too. Hot, yes, in the lower 80's, but breezy and sunny as can be, with a bright blue sky overhead. I wasn't the only one out and about, either. I dodged a lot of people out for walks, running their own errands, or heading home from work or school. 

Put on more of The Persuaders! while putting away the laundry and extra blankets I no longer needed and doing job searching. Danny and Britt stop on the road to help a girl who doesn't seem to need help. While Britt deals with her, Danny wanders onto the grounds of a country estate and discovers a dead man. Turns out the estate belongs to an extreme right-wing politician, and the man is a journalist who is supposedly alive. "The Time and the Place" turns out to be a lot more sinister than anyone could guess when they learn that not only is the politician's views extreme to the point where he considers taking over the government, but there's radicals on the opposite side who would love to get rid of him.

Britt's the one in trouble when he's abducted by two figures who want to make an exact double of him. Seems "Someone Like Me" is the only one who can get them through to an infamously reclusive millionaire (Bernard Lee). Danny has to figure out if the real Britt can stand up, and what happened to his friend. 

Worked on writing for a while after the show ended. Mother Nature explains that the rabbit who led Kathleen to her is her son Michael. Lady Jacqueline is the Lady of Winter, who wants winter to last forever so she and her kingdom will never change and she'll always have full control over the seasons. Michael opposed her plan and refused to let her use his resources, so she transformed him into something that wouldn't fight with her.

Broke for dinner and Match Game '78 at 7 PM. For some reason, they skipped to nearly the end of the year, after CBS added the Star Wheel and upgraded the set. Though Richard Dawson had already quit by that point, Nipsey Russell, who sat in his "smart guy" seat that week, still made a rhymed quip about him. (Incidentally, this would be the last time Nipsey sat in that seat. He apparently preferred the first seat and asked to go back there after this taping.) In the second episode, Gene showed how out-of-touch he tended to be when he didn't know that Superman was the "__ of Steel." 

Finished the night with flop game shows from my teen years. Honestly, successful shows were a lot thinner on the ground in the 90's than hits. The rabid popularity of talk shows chased all game shows but The Price Is Right off daytime. Caesar's Challenge, a Greek-themed word game filmed at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and hosted by Ahmad Rashad, lasted six months from 1993 through early 1994 and is the last daytime show to run on NBC to date. 

Even Price had its troubles in this era. Its 1994 syndicated version The New Price Is Right with Doug Davidson didn't do a whole lot better and expired after four months. The half-hour format eliminated the Wheel and replaced bidding for the two Showcases in the end with one Showcase and a bonus round that was similar to The Range Game. While Price has done many nighttime specials since then, this has been its last try at a full nighttime show. 

Price wasn't the only game show revival or syndicated version to flop badly in the 90's. Despite being a worthy successor to the original, the 1990-91 version of To Tell the Truth only lasted eight months on NBC. It's too bad. I've seen a few episodes of this online and on Buzzr, and the guests were as interesting and unique as anything on the original and syndicated program. The very busy Alex Trebek helps Orson Bean, Kitty Carlisle, Dana Hill, and producer David Niven Jr. figure out which game show-addicted older man won a backstage pass to the show and a date with Kitty, and which younger man wrote a book on recovering from drug addiction and gang involvement. 

Match Game had an even rougher time during the decade. The 1990-91 version actually wasn't bad. It had some great moments and a lot of enjoyable panelists, but it didn't last a year on ABC. The syndicated show from 1998 was far worse. It reduced the number of panelists to five and added weird subjects to draw the questions from. The panelists weren't that bad - Nell Carter and Vicki Lawrence could be counted on a quip or two, and even Judy Tenuta could be fun when she wasn't being shrill - but Michael Berger was hardly the host to reign them all in, the pastel set was ugly as heck, and the questions could get a little too heavy on the sexual references.

Nickelodeon's success with their game shows in this decade inspired other networks to try kids' stunt shows. The Family Channel's hour-long Family Challenge debuted in late 1995 and ran through fall 1997. Ray Combs was the original host as two families competed in a series of wacky stunts. One of those stunts, the dads having a kissing contest, seemed kind of risque for a show of this stripe. Otherwise, this was really kind of fun. Apparently, after Combs' death, they moved the taping, replaced him with Michael Burger, and brought in more audience participation stunts. 

Game shows being used as filler during the summer months goes back as far as the 50's and continues today with ABC's "Summer Fun & Games" block. The Hollywood Game from June 1992 would be the last such programming to air on the networks in prime time until the short-lived Big Deal in 1996. Bob Goen asks contestants questions about their knowledge of not only current and vintage movies, but also TV shows and gossip. It's simple, but kind of fun to watch, especially if you're a movie buff like me.

That wouldn't be the last pop culture trivia show to bomb in the 90's. VH1 ran My Generation briefly in 1998. Two pairs of contestants from different eras chose questions about music from the opposing side's era from five categories. A speed round had band names from both eras combined with one word that the contestants had to guess. Winners went on to basically play VH1 Password and give clues about the name of a band. It sort of resembles the 60's show The Generation Gap with music videos instead of live numbers, and once again isn't bad if you're into vintage rock.

The wild success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in late 1999 forever changed what game shows looked like and how they were played. Greed was one of the first imitators to debut in its wake. After five people move on from the qualifying round, their captain has to guess a multiple-choice question. His teammates decide if all of his answers are right. If they are, they move to the next round, and the captain can choose to either quit the game or move to the next round. At one point, a random "terminator" is chosen to challenge one of their teammates. If they win the question, they stay in the game. If their opponent wins, they stay. Chuck Woolery keeps things flowing.

Despite my fondness for trivia, I found the Millionaire imitators to be kind of boring in college. They all looked alike to me then, and the intense play was more depressing than fun. This is actually a little bit more interesting today, thanks to the group play and the ability to pit teammates against each other. Apparently, it did pull in decent ratings, but struggling Fox wanted to focus on scripted programming and ended it after barely seven months. 

Explore how game shows fell out of favor during my teen years with these rare flops!

To Tell the Truth (1991)

The Hollywood Game (1992)

Caesar's Challenge (1993)

The New Price Is Right (1994)

Family Challenge (1995)

My Generation (1998)

Match Game (1998)

Greed (1999)

September Morn

Had my only really early shift this morning. Thankfully, I managed to eat breakfast and get there in plenty of time. Good thing, too. I ended up bagging today. I actually kind of enjoyed it...until the crowds started to pick up at noon. It's the beginning of the month, and a lot of people probably got off early for the holiday weekend. I had to gather inside and outside trash, clean up a broken (and thankfully plastic) container of pickles, sweep, help an older man out to his car, bag for him, and try to get the carts done. It slowed down enough by later in the afternoon for me to finally finish the carts.

At least the weather's gorgeous. Sunshine, blue skies, fresh breezes, and absolutely no humidity. Couldn't ask for a more perfect start to September, or better weather to push carts in. I actually enjoyed it when I wasn't running around, trying to do everything else.

Treated myself to an iced tea at Heartbeat Nutrition, a healthy juice and shake store in Oaklyn, on my way home. They have unsweetened iced tea with flavored aloes. I went with Peach with Mandarin aloe. Oooh, the peach wasn't bad, but that orange came off as very tart! At least, it was also cold and wet, which is all I cared about by 3 PM. 

Went straight upstairs and changed as soon as I got home. Spent the next few hours dusting my rooms and doing some organizing. Cleared off the top of the table in the main room and the printer in the bedroom, then brought some bathroom items downstairs and papers to the recycling. 

Watched Catalina Caper while I worked. I go further into this second season episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 covering one of the many Beach Party imitations of the mid-60's at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Catalina Caper

Worked on writing for a while after that ended. Marcia insists that Brett and her boys must rescue the others before the Red King arrives. They're in the dungeon. However, they're also being guarded by the Red Knight...

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Ate it and had ice cream for dessert while watching Let's Make a Deal. Monty helped a pirate put in $750 to spin the Door #4 wheel...but alas, she ended up with less than she started with. A married couple in togas did better when they declined to keep going for a car and ended up with a furniture package...and missed the price for the items they were guessing by nearly $20 anyway. They ended up trading it in for the Big Deal of the Day, luggage, a camera, watches, and a trip to Europe. 

Stuck around for Match Game '75 after that. I have no idea why Buzzr always skips the week with Alex Karras. Honestly, the most offensive thing that happened that week was Karras clearly didn't enjoy being on the show, played badly, and was bored stiff. At any rate, they picked up with Scoey Mitchill and a pair of Pattys, Duke and Deustch, admiring the newly-repainted set while Richard figured out "__ Tent" in the Head-to-Head.

Finished off the night at HBO Max with The Nitwits. Johnny (Bert Wheeler) wishes his partner Newton (Robert Woosley) would sell one of his inventions, so they can get out of the cigar-store business and he can work on songwriting. They get a lot more adventure than they bargained for when Johnny attempts to sell as song to publishing tycoon Winfield Lake, who later turns up dead. Newton first attempts to accuse Johnny, but then they both accuse Mary, who ends up in jail. Newton finally decides to use his truth machine to find out who really did it, leading to a wild chase all around a costume store when "The Black Widow" figures out what they're doing and is ready to kill again!

Wheeler and Woosley are really an acquired taste at best. Their wiseguy patter doesn't always work today, and there's that Scooby Doo-esque final involving several black men who are fairly questionable gambling stereotypes. That said, a young and perky Grable does help alleviate things somewhat, and even gets a short but charming number with Wheeler, "Music In My Heart." Enjoyable enough time-waster on HBO Max or TCM if you're a fan of theirs. 

Hoping for a Home

Started off the morning with Cornmeal Pancakes and the Follies 1971 original cast album, the latter in honor of Stephen Sondheim's passing on Friday. Follies has been my favorite Sondheim show for years. It's certainly one of his most unique shows. Two middle-aged couples realize just how difficult their marriages have become when they reunite for the first time in 20 years at a reunion of Ziegfeld Follies-type showgirls. It's a fairly dark show that requires knowledge of all the changes going on, in show business and in general, in the early 70's. If you have the patience to figure out all the layers, it features some of Sondheim's best songs, including "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Broadway Baby," "Losing My Mind," "Too Many Mornings," and "The Story of Lucy and Jessie." 

Went on the computer after I did the dishes. Wanted to print out my pay stubs so the lady would know how much I made. Tried to print out my bank statements, but they didn't come out looking like much more than black lines.

Dashed out at 10:40. Turns out Carlisle Road was in the way back, between the White Horse Pike and the Westmont Plaza. It's closer to Haddon Heights than Westmont, about two blocks or so from the Pike. It's a maze back there, and it took me so long to figure it out, I arrived there with two minutes to spare.

Carol met me at the door. She apologized for the disarray in the apartment; apparently, she too is in the midst of packing and moving. The apartment is small but lovely. It's smaller than the Manor Avenue apartment, but larger than what I have now. In fact, it's a lot like a smaller, updated version of the Manor Avenue apartment. There's a really lovely kitchen with heavy, wide countertops and brand-new appliances, a small but clean bathroom, and a storage area in the back. Unlike the storage room in the back of Manor, this room has electricity and is heated. The bedroom is tiny, so I'll probably put my desk, printer, and office supplies back there along with clothes and seasonal decorations. 

Honestly...I really liked it. She we'd wait to discuss anything pertaining to the pay stubs and my pay when her sister gets back. I told her I'd call my sister and get back to them as soon as possible.

I was on cloud nine when I headed out. I finally found a place...and I did it on my own. Rose helped me get organized, but I found the listing on Craigslist. I talked to the lady. I saw the place. The apartment will be available the 15th, likely when Carol moves out.

Called JoAnne the owner when I got home. Got her phone. Called her twice, said I was thinking about it...then called her again and said I'd take it. I don't think I'm going to find anything better, especially in this area and time of the year.

Called Rose next to keep her abreast of what's going on. She's happy I found a place I really like, but not that I want to move so soon. Next month is a busy time for her, and that's without going on vacation Christmas week. We both want me to be out as quickly as I can, but I may have to wait. Her suggestion of transferring to the Westmont or Haddonfield Acmes, on the other hand, is worth considering. One of the college boys already did it. I still want out of the Acme, but until I can find a better job, maybe I should move to a smaller store.

I was pretty depressed when I went out to do my laundry. All I want is to get out. Everyone's driving me crazy. I understand Rose thinks I should have two months, but...I don't need the extra two months. I need to get away from this toxic situation. Trouble is, moving vans cost money, and I only know so many people. 

At least doing the laundry at the laundromat went a lot better than the last time I did it there. I treated myself to a super-sweet Vanilla Sugar Cookie Smoothie from WaWa while the laundry was in the washer; worked on story notes while it was in the dryer. They were a little busy up through 1 PM. Once the Eagles game started, they cleared out.

Two of my next-door neighbors (and their rapidly-growing black lab puppy Gunther) overheard how upset I was when I brought my laundry inside. First of all, I had no idea Jodie found a house at the Shore. She hadn't mentioned this to me at all. Second, they said they'd be willing to help me move out. I told them to bring it up with Rose. I'm not sure how she'll react to it. 

Third, I'll never stop thinking that this is my fault. Maybe I didn't get Rose and Jodie angry at each other, but if I hadn't moved here, they wouldn't be threatening legal action. Or if I'd done what I was supposed to do and look for an apartment last January. Or better yet, started looking for a place the day after Dad died. I shouldn't have stayed or expected whomever bought the house to want me around. 

Speaking of the Eagles game, I put that on my laptop after I got home and folded my clothes, then made a quick banana-chocolate smoothie for lunch and took down the Thanksgiving decorations. The Giants were the only ones who scored during the first half, and that was a field goal. The Eagles did play better in the second half, but it was too little, too late. The Giants won 13-7. 

Made lists next. My Christmas list was first. I can't bake or decorate, but I have shopped for most of the people on my list, and I can send cards. Also started a list of everything in the bedroom I need to pack, and cleared the junk off the top of the printer.

Went into writing after that. I mostly went back and edited parts, but I did get to adding Jimmie (Walker) the Dodo also joined them in an attempt to avoid the guards. Fearing being followed, Richard leads them out into the garden, which seems similar to Queen Betty's, but very different...especially after Brett swears she hears one of the flowers giggling... 

Broke for leftovers at quarter of 7. Ate, then took down the general fall items. Normally, I'd be getting ready to put up the Christmas stuff in their place, but it doesn't look like that'll happen this year. I will clean later this week, and not just because of moving. The kitchen in particular needs to be done.

Listened to the original cast of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as I worked. The trouble with Sondheim is, his shows can get depressing...and I wasn't in the mood for depressing. I went with Sondheim's first solo show to make Broadway instead. A hilarious cast of professional hams - including Zero Mostel as Rome's shiftiest slave and Jack Gilford as it's most nervous - have a blast with adorable comic numbers like "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" and the opening number "Comedy Tonight." 

Finished the night on YouTube with my own post-Black Friday Frenzy Marathon. Shopping shows had their own popularity in the 1950's, with auctioneers allowing people to bid on anything from the badge Ralph Bellamy wore on a cop program to a new refrigerator to a trip to Las Vegas. What's Your Bid? is one of the earlier examples, a messy proto-Price Is Right. Everyone bids on a smaller items; high bidders get to bid on larger items, including something from a celebrity. The show was dull and unorganized, often with many bids going on at once in the beginning. "Liberal Bill" did better handing out prizes later in the show than auctioning them off. 

Let's Make a Deal was far more successful. In fact, as far as I can tell, other than a change of hosts (from Monty Hall to Wayne Brady), Deal has pretty much run the same way for over 50 years. The host plays "pricing games" to get contestants dressed in wild costumes to guess what's behind three doors. It may be big prizes, or a crazy "zonk" prize like an animal or bunk bathtubs. Went with one of the remaining black-and-white Monty Hall episodes from 1969 that's pretty typical of the series as a whole, and even features a "Big Deal of the Day" win.

When Wheel of Fortune began in 1975, instead of having prizes on the Wheel, players could use the money they'd accumulated to that point to buy prizes between rounds. I've never seen it played this way before. In the episode from 1976 I selected, Chuck Woolery oversees a "tournament" of returning champions with some very competitive gameplay.

Bargain Hunters, which ran briefly on ABC in 1987, was more complicated. Three sets of two contestants each played a series of short games mainly revolving around figuring which small prizes were the greater bargain. The winners of each round came on to play the Super Savers bonus round. They had to choose whichever prizes they thought were the greatest bargains. Whomever came closest to the actual prices would get a trip or a car. Peter Tomarken tries to make sense of this complicated and fairly dull game.

I never heard of Shopping Spree, a late 90's Family Channel clone of Shop 'Till You Drop, until tonight. It's still set at a mall, but here, two women have to figure out the visual clues from what two men are wearing to figure out their interests and grab photos from the appropriate "store." The bonus round was even more ludicrous - choosing the gift from a rack on the wall of items celebrities might want for their birthday parties and sliding the presents to cheap black and white sketches of said celebrities. Bubbly host Ron Pearson was not the right person to make any of this interesting. 

Go on your own shopping spree this week with these rare forays into shopping shows past!

What's Your Bid? (1953)

Let's Make a Deal (1969)

Wheel of Fortune (1976)

Bargain Hunters (1987)

Shopping Spree (1996)

Good Time Matches

Kicked off a sunny morning with breakfast and Buzzr. Split Second had two ladies playing a young man. The woman champ and the guy were tied at the end of the regular rounds, but she killed at the final speed round and opted to return and try for the car again. Blockbusters pitted a man against a mother and a son. The former had finally won his second round when the show ended.

Switched to You Were Never Lovelier on the Roku TV Time Musicals app. I go further into this romantic vehicle for Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

You Were Never Lovelier 

Thought I'd try something while the movie was on. With flour in short supply, I thought I'd try making cake mix cookies until supplies are closer to normal. Inspired by a recipe on Pinterest, I turned a butter golden cake mix into Snickerdoodles. They came out quite nicely, very rich and chewy.

Packing for my move was next on the agenda. I managed to squeeze my rock collection CDs into one smaller box. The entertainment books went into one of the largest boxes...and it wound up being much too heavy. I had to take a few out. Also packed up the board games and outdoor toys from the closet in the living room. I likely won't need them until Lauren visits in August.

Watched Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while I worked. "Jodie's Mama Travels for Work" triggered a lot of memories for me. Jodie Platypus' mother, a dentist, has to go away for three days to clean children's teeth in another town. She leaves three paper rings with things to look forward to while she's away. "The Tiger Family Babysits" for Teddy and Leo, Jodie's twin toddler brothers, while their nana is at the market. Dan figures out how to distract them from missing their grandmother with his stuffed animals.

(I know exactly how Jodie felt during that first short. My stepdad was a commercial fisherman who would often be gone for weeks, and sometimes as much as a month at a time. We missed him just as much when he was gone. Yes, Jodie, grown-ups do come back, and you can call them, like Dad used to do with us.)

Ran a bunch of 80's My Little Pony episodes while eating a quick lunch. North Star's curiosity accidentally allows a group of famous fairy tale characters "Through the Door" and into Ponyland. The ponies love their new friends...but Meghan discovers that their stories have vanished without them. Meanwhile, a monster may have escaped from the door as well.

We're introduced to the First Tooth Baby Ponies, who are frustrated that they're stuck babysitting for the Newborn Twins. They take them to get ice cream, only to learn that the ice cream shop is closed. Ponyland's two ice cream manufacturers start "The Ice Cream Wars" when one accuses the other of stealing their recipe. The ponies have to find out what really happened to the recipe and amuse the Newborn Twins.

By the time of "The Prince and the Ponies" near the end of the second season, the First Tooth Babies are quite tired of the attention the Newborns are getting. Matters aren't helped when the older ponies attend a party at the Palace de Branfor in their honor. The older babies crash the party, hoping that something terrible would happen to the twins...but they weren't planning on their wish being granted, nor on helping a young prince escape the dungeon and reclaim his throne.

As soon as I finished lunch, I went outside. I found a jump rope hanging on a hook in my living area closet when I went through things in there. Tested it out with a jump (really more like a skip) around the park. Despite it having clouded up by then, I wasn't the only one out. I saw two little girls on skateboards and an older couple enjoying a stroll. I skipped and admired the gorgeous scenery. Everything is so bright and green and gorgeous here now, like the world was painted with Technicolor. It goes a long way to cheering up a rough time for everyone.

Went straight inside and into writing when I got in. Gene stirs up the water enough to show Queen Betty what happened to King Allen. He's still a prisoner in the wicked Queen Malade's dungeon. She's getting tired of him ignoring her advances and refusing to reveal where his wife is, though...

Finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. Good Times was one of the most successful of the many spin-offs of All In the Family in the 1970's. At least four of its cast members appeared on the show. Esther Rolle, the warm matriarch around whom the show was originally written, appeared on a memorable week in 1975. Johnny Brown, with his jolly grin and killer Carol Channing impression, turned up on an equally fun week later that year. Mike Evans, the original Lionel Jefferson on The Jeffersons, appeared on the show in 1974.

No one on Good Times appeared more on the show than the "Black Prince" himself, Jimmy "J.J" Walker. Like Gary Burghoff, he first turned up in 1974 and continued making appearances through  1981, even after his show was canceled. Jimmy was probably the only person on Match Game who loved attention even more than Brett, often riling the crowd in support of his answers or yelling at them when they booed him. He could be a lot of fun, often running out or making jokes when something fell flat; once, he covered for Charles when he was late to a taping in 1976.

Here's the full marathon, so you can match wits with the Evans family and their friends, too! Tomorrow's marathon focuses on one of the last of the semi-regulars, the lovely and dainty southern belle Mary Anne Mobley.

Salute to Good Times on Match Game 1974 - 1981

Sweet Apple Summer

Began morning with breakfast before I pulled out my luggage to dust it off and see what I need for my trip. My shampoo and conditioner are getting low, and so is the body wash. The wipes dried out, too, and they're especially important when I can't wash my hands right away while traveling. I also moved all the items I usually carry in my shoulder bag into my backpack. Part of the reason I bought a better backpack was so I could use it for travel. That shoulder bag is getting old, and it can be a literal pain to lug around three train stations.

After I'd gotten organized, I thought I'd try something different. I had five apples I wanted to get rid of. Mom used to make us applesauce all the time in the fall and winter. Thought I'd make my own version. I sliced the apples, then cooked them. I didn't have a sieve to press them through like Mom did, so I just pureed them in my food processor. They came out slightly chunky, but still very tasty.

Watched a train-themed episode of Moonlighting while I worked. It's "Next Stop Murder" in the first season when Agnes DiPesto wins a contest to join her favorite mystery author on a special train ride, where there will be a murder among the guests. Dave and Maddie go to see her off, but end up stranded on the train. The game takes a turn for the nasty when the mystery writer is killed off for real, and everyone on the train has a motive. Maddie, Dave, and Agnes have to figure out who did the egotistical author in, before the train comes to the station.

Made a list of everything I'll need to pack, and then had lunch while watching My Sister Eileen. I go into more details on this charming 1955 tale of two sisters in the Big Apple at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

My Sister Eileen (1955)

Headed to work shortly after the movie ended. Work was pretty simple. I did do some sweeping and returned some cold items early in the day, but I was mainly outside with the carts. It was killer humid, but it was also sunny and breezy, at least early on. By the time rush hour was starting, heavy clouds were moving in. Thankfully, they have yet to burst, but they do look ugly.

Grabbed more of those buy two, get two cough drops after work. Decided I needed more ice cream, too. Decided to have a little fun and go with Party Cake flavor.

Went straight home and on the computer. Joyce insists that she needs to use the bathroom, and Brett agrees that a bathroom break might be nice. As the girls are coming out, they hear a man screaming. It's not Charles, but eternally nervous Bill Daily, who hid in the men's bathroom when he saw Ira's goons dragging Richard and Gene around. Alas, he didn't see where he took them. The women pry him off a less-than-amused Charles and try to piece together what he heard.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while returning to animation for Garfield In Paradise. Garfield's not thrilled with Jon's cheap trip to Paradise World, where the sleazy hotel owner spouts Jack Benny jokes. His outlook improves after they rent a gorgeous 50's sports car and take it for a cruise. That car takes a left turn into jungle satire when it lands them among natives who worship 50's culture...and whose volcano is about to go off!

Ended the night with a much-needed bath. It felt sooo good to soak in the warm bubbles while looking over old cake decorating magazines. Soft jazz played in the background. After all the running around I did at work, my legs were crying for it.

Little June Showers

First of all, sorry I'm late with this. The internet went down last night and only just came up about an hour ago.

Spent most of the morning puttering around. I looked up some job ideas online. I liked the idea of making a Facebook page for my writing. I'd really rather push my writing than myself. I might find other ways to get myself on social media that might not be so nerve-wracking. Cleaned up the table with the printer next to my desk, putting various papers in folders. Decided I liked the big basket I got from Mom in January as a holder for small things on the dining area table when I don't have guests.

Finished Chip n' Dale's Rescue Rangers while I worked. Dale wants to be "Double O Chipmunk" in a a James Bond spy spoof. The others dress as gangsters and a moll to make his wish come true...but the game suddenly turns real when they run across spy rats and Dale accidentally mixes up his film canister with their microfilm.

"Gadget Goes Hawaiian" when she meets a female mouse named Lahwinie who is her exact double...on the outside. On the inside, Lahwinie is selfish and spoiled, caring only about becoming queen of a tribe of mice who live just outside a resort hotel. She's rigged the hotel's fiberglass volcano to blow its top on cue, and she'll scorch the others if Gadget doesn't take an obstacle course for her.

Dale goes from Ranger to superhero in "It's a Bird, It's Insane, It's Dale!" He finds a sliver of a meteor that gives him stretching powers like Mr. Fantastic of The Fantastic Four. Unfortunately, so does a slimy travel agent, who uses his powers to steal monuments from around the world and demand ransom for them. Dale gets a big head at first, until he's accused of the crimes and turns to the others for help.

Monterrey Jack and Zipper take over a diner kitchen to make cheese chowder after they blow up the Rangers' pressure cooker. They're not the only ones with an interest in the diner. A couple of "Short Order Crooks" intend to tunnel from there to the bank. The Rangers fight food with food to keep them from getting there.

Monty's told to "Mind Your Cheese and Qs" after his obsession with cheese almost gets the crew killed. His swearing off cheese proves to be easier than he thought when there's a cheese shortage in town. Rat Capone has cornered the market on all the cheese in town...but he didn't reckon with Monty and his cheese attacks!

Chip and Dale are "Out of Scale" when their constant feuding lands them in the mitts of the bratty daughter of a gangster who wants them for pets. Her dad kidnapped Professor Nimnul and is using the reverse of his Gigantic Ray from the previous season to shrink buildings and not only steal their valuables, but turn them over to his daughter for doll houses. The two chipmunks have to figure out a way to work together to evade the spoiled kid and reveal what her father is up to.

Gadget's tired of violence and her menfolk always getting hurt in "Dirty Rotten Diapers." She insists that they find kinder, gentler ways of dealing with their cases. That works until they run up against two women running a phony adoption agency...and "kinder and gentler" doesn't cut it with the midget posing as a baby to rob rich childless couples. It may take a little elbow grease to put this guy behind bars that aren't a crib.

Unfortunately, despite there being at least 20 more episodes, that seems to be all Disney's released on DVD at press time. They did finally put out the rest of Tale Spin and released the last of the original DuckTales on their Movie Club, and there's been rumblings of a live-action version in the works, so maybe that'll happen down the line.

Mixed feelings here. I liked the show a lot. It's well-written and animated for a cartoon from its era, with some of the most enjoyable characters of the entire Disney Afternoon. Gadget in particular is one of Disney's strongest non-princess female characters and retains a considerable fan base to this day.

On the other hand...this show could get really, really weird. There's a couple of episodes I'm not sure they'd even get away with today, notably "The Case of the Cola Cult" and the Asian-stereotype-ridden "Song of Night n' Dale." The occasionally juvenile humor, cliched plots, and rather silly villains will probably go over better with the target audience than someone my age.

Overall, I'm glad I saw it again, but it's not something I'm going to buy or actively seek out. If you're into the furry fandom, have older elementary school or tween-age kids, or have fond memories yourself, you may find a lot more in this one than I did.

Headed out as soon as the cartoons ended and I had my smoothie lunch. First stop on a cloudy and killer humid day was the PNC Bank in Collingswood. I needed to print out checks for my rent. I went in, ordered the checks from the young bearded gentleman behind the counter, and got out.

Rode across Collingswood and Westmont, then up the hill past McDonald's for this week's session at the Haddon Township Library. They weren't a whole lot busier than the bank was, and there really wasn't that much to do. I mainly shelved the few DVDs that were there. Didn't take out any movies - I have plenty to watch, and I don't know when I'll get to the libraries again - but I did find the next Daisy Dalyrumple book, Corpse at the Crystal Palace, and a book about a trio of friends running a jazz club in Roaring 20s Chicago.

Rushed home just as it was starting to shower lightly. Thankfully, unlike the last few weeks, that's all we got. The shower ended shortly after I got in, and to my knowledge, it didn't rain the rest of the night.

Went straight into writing. Harris takes Chewbacca upstairs to tell Rieekian they're leaving. He's not happy, but he does understand. Leia, who just came from contacting the White Queen, is not happy and doesn't understand. She wants Harris to stay. He just wishes she'd actually respond to his flirting.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Started the first season of Clone Wars while eating leftovers. We witness the "Downfall of a Droid" when Anakin loses Artoo during a fierce battle with the Separtists. Anakin's fondness for the little droid isn't the only reason he wants him back. Artoo has a lot of sensitive military information stored in his memory. He and his padawan (student) Ahsoka search half galaxy to find him.

Did really well with Lego Pirates of the Caribbean tonight. Picking up Blackbeard allowed me to use his power to open black and red doors I couldn't before. I totally completed "Port Royal" except for Jack's compass and got more pieces on "The Black Pearl Attacks." Made enough money to buy the x6 red hat extra and more characters.

Finished the night with The Blues Brothers. I go further into this much loved 1980's comedy at my Musical Dreams Musical Reviews blog.

The Blues Brothers

Day In the Sun

Kicked off the morning with a quick breakfast while watching more Flash. "The Man in the Yellow Suit" makes Barry's Christmas less-than-jolly when he attacks the Flash while he's protecting a new technology revolving around faster-than-light particles. To his horror, he realizes that this is the man he saw killing his mother. Meanwhile, Catlin and Cisco make their own discovery when they find out that, not only is Catlin's boyfriend alive, but he's got some smoking hot powers of his own...

Captain Cold is back in "Revenge of the Rogues," this time with his fire-based partner Mick Rory. When they grab Catlin, the guys have to find a way to rescue her and get Barry around their weapons...by pulling a Ghostbusters trick and crossing their streams.

After I made the bed, I spent my remaining hour before work cleaning up in the back room. Stuff was spread out all over the floor in plastic bags and cloth totes. I moved almost everything to boxes except for the stuffed animals, which went into the now-empty tote bags.

Once again, work was as dead as can be. It got a little bit steady around noon-1 PM, but was otherwise no trouble. Not only did baseball season start today (the Phillies murdered the Braves, 10-4), but it's the end of the month, and the weather is just too nice to be inside. It was sunny and still windy, but not nearly as chilly has it has been. I shelved candy when I arrived, but I spent most of the day gathering carts and baskets and sweeping the patio.

Charlie was just finishing up when I got home. He put on the actual walls and covered the rivets. He's talking about putting the window in the bathroom, then returning to the living room to paint the new walls before he moves on to my bedroom.

Finished up in the back room after he left. After everything I wanted to donate was in boxes or bags, I did a little writing. Ben explains the history of the Jedi Knights, telling Luke how they fought alongside the Allied nations in World War II. His father Anthony had been Ben's sidekick Blazing Boy as a child before growing up and becoming known as The Hero With No Fear.

Broke for dinner at 7. Made scrambled eggs with scallions, spinach, and mushrooms while watching Star! I go into more detail on this lavish vehicle for Julie Andrews at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Star!

Little Girl Lost

Began my day with breakfast and Scooby Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost. After the kids catch the wrong villain on one of their usual ghost hunts, the local sheriff points out something fans have been calling them on for years - that normal kids would leave the professionals to their jobs. Shocked and upset, they decide to give up on mystery-solving, including selling the Mystery Machine.

Among the things they find when they sell other items from their cases are the crystal ball that Daphne, Scooby, and Shaggy used to contact Vincent Van Ghoul in the mid-80's show The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo. Ghoul, to their surprise, calls them about having found the final ghost. Velma, as usual, is skeptical about ghosts existing, and Fred is upset that Daphne seems to have usurped his leader role. They head to Tibet, where they learn about a demon who has been attacking the locals. They also encounter the show's con-artist kid character Flim-Flam, who's now an adult and is selling demon merchandise advertising the town as a tourist trap. Velma continues to claim that the ghost isn't real...but there's something that's after the Chest of Demons that holds the ghosts, and this time, even Van Ghoul's magic may not be able to save them from the curse of the demon.

Your enjoyment of this one will depend on how much you know about The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo and the other Daphne/Shaggy/Scooby shows of the early-mid 80's. Even with some explanations, most people will probably be as lost as Fred and Velma. I also think the ending is a bit of a cop-out, since it doesn't really settle anything. Plus, there's only one off-handed mention of Scrappy, who was a major part of this show. (And despite what the movie claims, Fred and Velma did know Scrappy. They appeared in most of the first-season Scooby Doo and Scrappy Show episodes.)

On the other hand, I do like that this movie addresses some long-standing complaints about the franchise, such as the kids interfering with law officers and the changes to Fred and Daphne's characters over the years. I also give Hanna-Barbara props for returning to a series I assumed most people had forgotten about and trying to do something like finishing it. (Heck, I never heard of this series until I read about it online. Research reveals that it was apparently pitted against Alvin and the Chipmunks in the spring of 1986, a big hit that my sisters and I all loved.)

Though there are some interesting ideas, this one is really for major fans of the Scooby franchise or 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo only. I honestly wouldn't come anywhere near here unless you've seen that series or the Daphne/Shaggy/Scooby episodes.

I spent most of the morning while the movie was on taking down the St. Patrick's Day decorations, then doing things around the apartment. I'm continuing to clear out toys and other things I really don't need. I got rid of all of my Effanbee dolls but the Musketeer (I call him D'Artangan), Cinderella, Miss USA (my black cowgirl - I named her Oklahoma Sal), and Miss Russia (Sonia) and all of the Sailor Moon toys. They're all just sitting there, taking up room and being something else for me to dust under. The Effanbees would be better off with a collector who could restore them and treat them properly; the Sailor Moon dolls need a child to play with them. I moved the Star Wars toys up to where they'd been on top of the wardrobes and gave them their doll holders.

That freed up room on the shelf where the Sailor Moon dolls were. I moved the adult hardback novels over there, then shifted the American Girl and children's books over to the shelf where they'd been with the children's hardbacks. Changed the Star Wars books over to the now-empty shelf.

It was so late by the time I finished, I headed straight out to have lunch. It was a gorgeous day for riding. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and while it was still a bit breezy, it wasn't anything near as bad as it has been the past few days. The ride was pretty decent. I even managed to cross Cuthbert quickly.

My original plan was to treat myself to lunch at Friendly's. Turns out they'd closed over a month and a half ago, despite having been there for literally years. I ended up going next-door to Nick and Joe's pizza instead. Ordered what was listed as a mini chicken cutlet sandwich with fries. It ended up being breaded chicken strips with mayo, lettuce, and tomato on a roll with a bag of potato chips. It wasn't bad, just not what I expected. I had it with a Coke. There were a bunch of kids having a late lunch, but it otherwise wasn't that crowded.

Headed along to the Haddon Township Library next. The librarians were literally delighted to see me. The DVD cart was overflowing with pretty much everything possible. There was so much, I never even got to the kids titles. I spent almost an hour and a half just shelving the adult DVDs and TV series. I'm really trying to focus on other things right now and limited my rentals to another Daniel Tiger set and two movies. I loved Ocean's 8 so much in the theater last summer, I thought I'd check it out again on home media. Also grabbed the family fantasy The House With a Clock In Its Walls.

Made a quick stop at Target on the way home. While eggs and sugar aren't as cheap there as they are at Dollar General, they are cheaper than at the Acme. (Especially the eggs, which are currently $1.49 there. The Acme's regular 12-count large eggs are $2.99!) I got lucky that a line opened just as I was looking for a shorter line to get in.

When I got home, I did some research. I can find plenty of entertainment and review blogs that I could write for online. That's not a problem. The problem is getting myself to write a proposal. I don't mind selling my writing. It's harder for me to sell myself. There's a little girl inside me who doesn't think she's worth believing in, who is bullied and belittled by children and adults alike for not being like everyone else. Who believes she should have done better, been better, been a better daughter and a better person. It's hard for me to let that go. I have no idea what I want my future to be like, other than "not this and with more writing."

I cheered myself up with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while making a green salad with romaine lettuce, spinach, grape tomatoes, scallions, and broccoli. Had it with home-made orange dressing. Figured I'd eat healthy after the breaded sandwich this afternoon. It came out quite well, fresh and inviting. Turned Mrs. Tiger's banana whirl into peanut butter banana whirl with the addition of peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon.

Daniel is excited about his first "Tiger Family Trip," a vacation to visit his Grandpere. They take Trolley, stopping at a playground with a dinosaur slide and a butterfly garden. "Visiting Grandpere" is a lot of fun, especially a treasure hunt and a picnic. Eventually, "The Tiger Family Goes Back Home," but not until after Grandpere shows Daniel a special place to watch the sun rise and lets him leave his paw print on his boat.

The little cub is also excited about "The Neighborhood Carnival." He really wants to ride the Ferris Wheel, but it's so high, he's kind of scared about it, too. Mrs. Tiger tells him it's normal to feel more than one thing. He plays ring toss with Prince Wednesday until he's ready to tackle the Ferris Wheel with his mom and Miss Elania.

The Tiger Family celebrates the 4th of July with "Fireflies and Fireworks." Baby Margaret is scared of the fireflies, but her big brother Daniel holds her hand until she's used to them. When the fireworks start up, they're both scared, and not happy with the loud noise. They hold each other's hands until they're done.

(Margaret's not the only one who is scared of bugs. Rose had been stung by a bee as a young child and was deathly afraid of them for years. Once, probably in the early-mid 80's, she thought she saw a bee on a tree in the backyard and got really upset! I went and got Mom, who explained that it was actually a ladybug. They're not only harmless, but are said to be lucky as well. I stayed with her and Mom until she calmed down a little.)

Finished the night with the remaining two episodes after a shower. Daniel and Prince Wednesday are excited to start "The Lemonade Stand" and give away lemonade to their neighbors. They don't always get along in their new business. Prince Wednesday keeps shaking the lemons off the tree before Daniel can count them, and Dan gives people lemonade out of turn, without giving Wednesday the chance to do it. Queen Sara encourages them to talk about their anger and work out their problems.

Discussing anger also helps at "Mad at the Beach." Daniel hits the sand with Elania and his dad, but things don't always work out like they'd hoped. Daniel gets mad at Elaina when she splashes too hard and sea water ends up in his eyes. Neither of them are happy when the waves wash away their sandcastle. Even Daniel Sr. has to learn to talk out his anger with the kids when they go into the water without asking him first. They all discover that talking out anger can lead to finding a solution - like rebuilding your sandcastle in a drier spot, not splashing your guy friend so hard, or taking Dad with you when you need water for your moat.

Finishing the Photos

Started off a cloudy morning with early work. I spent most of the day alternating between doing carts and helping one of the managers to shelve two full carts of candy. Once another bagger came in, I stuck to the candy for most of the rest of the day. I just wish they didn't keep throwing me into a register every time they saw one person on the end of the line. It got a little steady during the noon rush hour; otherwise, it was pretty quiet. I ended up being a little late leaving when the manager wanted me to take back one of the carts of the leftover trash from the candy. Bought myself a pretzel to cheer myself up a bit and because I was a bit hungry from doing the carts earlier.

Went straight home after I finished my snack. Changed and went in the back room to retrieve the Christmas photo albums. I only have three small ones, not nearly as many as the regular photos, and one was literally falling apart. It took me less than an hour and a half to half-fill a shoe box with pictures, weeding out some repeats and photos that were too dark or blurry to tell what they were. At any rate, all of my photos are now in three boxes. Even the regular shoe box I used for the Christmas photos holds more and looks a lot better than those old photo albums! All but the one that fell apart will eventually be donated to Goodwill or the church thrift shop.

Watched more Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as I organized. Learning about the great outdoors is the theme of this set. "Daniel Explores Nature" when his family goes to the park for a picnic. Katerina thinks it looks like so much fun, she joins in. They watch birds make their home in a next and get Daniel Sr. to put the nest back in the tree when it falls out. "Daniel's Nature Walk" has him joining O and X the Owl as they go for a stroll in the park. Even a shower can't deter them from their stroll. The boys love seeing a wiggly worm in the mud.

Katerina rejoins Daniel for day at the beach with his mother. They want to collect shells and find a starfish, but Mrs. Tiger warns them not to go too far, not to run, and not to get into the water without her. The kids can't always remember, but they're mostly pretty good at practicing "Safety at the Beach." It's "Neighborhood Clean Up Time" when a windstorm makes a mess of the playground. Everyone pitches in to help gather the debris...except for Katerina, who'd rather dance. Even she learns how important it is to pick up after ourselves when she falls into a pile of debris.

The final two stories revolve around Prince Tuesday's delight in playing with his brother and the little kids in the neighborhood. "Daniel Plays Ball" when Miss Elania makes up a game called Animal Ball that involves making animal sounds before you catch a ball. Dan just cannot catch it, until Prince Tuesday gives him some tips and encourages him to keep trying. He's less happy with Dan and his little brother Prince Wednesday when they play in "The Royal Sandbox" and use his crown to top one of their sand pies. He appreciates them saying "sorry," then asks them to clean up his crown to show that they mean it.

(Skipped "Fruit Picking Day" and "A Trip to the Enchanted Garden," both of which I've done before.)

And I definitely can relate to Dan's inability to catch that ball. I've never been good at catching balls, especially after one hit me hard in the face when I was in the Special Services School. I'll have to see if I can remember Prince Tuesday's suggestion to "give it a hug" when it comes near.

Moved to writing for a while after I cleaned up my mess from the photos. Han manages to get Boba of Gisbourne in the moat. Lando and Zeb bring over a couple of Merry Rebels to fish him out. That's when Han realizes that his three best friends in the world are missing. He, Yoda, and Zeb manage to strong-arm Lando into telling him where Leia, Luke, and Chewie went.

Had dinner at 6:30. Along with the last leftover chicken sausage, I made the most delicious warm salad of boiled broccoli and cauliflower and pasta over romaine lettuce, with home-made Caesar dressing and cheese. Made Ally's "Snappy" Ginger Snaps from my Beanie Baby handbook/cookbook for dessert.

Watched Sailor Moon Super S: The Movie while I ate. The Sailor Guardians are horrified to learn that strange beings have been kidnapping children all over the world. When Chibi-Usa becomes their next target, they spring into action. Turns out that they're dream fairies who have been ordered by a witch to bring her children to feed her Black Dream Hole in the hopes of swallowing the Earth! Sailor Moon teams up with a dream fairy to befriended Chibi-Usa to stop her and save her daughter.

Finished the night while the cookies cooled with more Angry Birds Star Wars. Returned to Dagobah for the final rounds of "Path of the Jedi." These were really hard. You could only use Luke, Han, Obi-Wan, or occasionally one of the pilot birds that split into threes. More often than not, it involved Han shooting or Luke aiming shots from a round droid just the right way to bring down objects that would make the whole frame collapse. At any rate, I did get the award, and Luke now has a longer and more powerful lightsaber.

Getting Ready for Vacation

It was gloomy and humid when I woke up, but also a bit warmer than it has been, and not raining. Put on two Dr. Seuss specials while I ate breakfast and enjoyed the weather. The Cat In the Hat is the original tale of the six-foot-tall-feline who steps in to the home of two bored kids and proceeds to wreck havoc. Their fish wishes he'd just leave, but the cat does eventually teach the kids that it doesn't take a lot of to have fun, whether you're outside or in.

Pontoffel Pock and His Magic Piano is a more bizarre Seuss special from the early 80's. Pock was just fired from his job at a dill pickle-bottling factory and wishes he could get away from his unemployment and his family's decaying home. Enter a group of fairies who give him a piano that'll take him anywhere whenever he plays a few notes and presses a button. He first goes to an Alpine town, but his showing off upsets the locals. After the fairies give him a second chance, he ends up in the Middle East, where he falls for "eyeball dancer" Eefa Neefa. Now he just has to get back to her, before the fairies find him and his piano!

Switched to one of my 20's CDs for the rest of the morning as I did things around the apartment. First thing on the agenda was making the bed and stripping the sheets. I think the current weather is a good indication that Mother Nature is ready for fall. I put on the spring/fall sheets and my pale blue and tan comforter.

It was time for me to finally start getting ready for vacation. I pulled my carry on bag and rolling luggage out to see what I needed for the trip and what I could pack now. The answer to both questions was not much. The toothbrush and small toothpaste I got from the dentist's office in the spring would fit nicely in the travel bag, but I really couldn't pack anything else until I got the laundry done, and I had other things I wanted to do today. I did slide my Star Wars coloring book and a crossword puzzle book Lauren gave me for Christmas into the carry-on bag to amuse myself on the train.

Spent the rest of the morning taking down the summer decorations and organizing the back room. I loaded my oldest journals from as far back as my childhood into a plastic container, freeing up room for more journals on the book crates. Went through the pamphlets and menus I've collected from various trips (including previous trips to Pittsfield) and loaded most of them into one of the old accordion folders.

Made a quick plum-apple-escarole smoothie with a Jif peanut butter bar for lunch while watching Sailor Moon episodes. Usagi attends an upscale finishing school in the hope of developing manners and poise in "Let's Become a Princess: Usagi's Bizarre Training." The headmistress finds her vitality and clumsiness charming...until her friends join her for a final dance and they all figure out what the teacher is really doing.

"The Legendary Lake Yokai: The Bond of Usagi's Family" has her on vacation with her brother Shingo and their parents at a hot springs resort. Still under the control of the evil Queen Beryl, Endimyon unleashes a monster from the lake who has her own ideas of what she wants to use her magic for. She was sealed in the lake by an angel and her lover, and she thinks Usagi looks like the angel! The other Sailors need Usagi's help, but she can't transform in front of her family.

Headed out to the libraries after the second episode ended. Stopped at the Oaklyn Library first. It was just the morning librarian when I arrived, watching the news reports on Hurricane Florence on The Weather Channel. I mainly organized DVDs. I left as the second librarian and her son arrived.

(Incidentally, the librarian's complaints confirmed something I'd noticed last week. The McDonald's on Cuthbert Road, next to the Wendy's and under the Haddon Township Library, is being torn down and rebuilt. I thought the design of the building looked older. In fact, other than the color of the roof and the additional playground, it very much resembled the McDonald's in North Cape May in the 80's and 90's. It also means the ramp to the Library and apartment buildings that begins at Mickey D's parking lot is closed as well. I'll be taking the short way down Cuthbert to and from Westmont for a couple of months.)

 I was mainly at the Haddon Township Library to return the DVDs from last week. The DVD cart was so overflowing, I ended up returning all of the kids' titles and about a quarter of the adult ones, despite the sign saying they were saving it for another volunteer later. I also organized the DVDs and shelved TV show sets and audio books and CDs. Didn't take anything out this week. I won't be here next week to enjoy them or return them.

Made two quick stops on the way home. The only travel item I was low on was wipes, which I use when I can't wash my hands quickly while at the stations or on the train. Picked up a small travel pack of those, plus brown sugar and those yummy whole-grain fig bars, from Target. Needed sponges at Dollar Tree.

I tried to write when I got home, but I was so tired, I ended up napping for an hour instead. I did get a little bit of writing done later. Admiral Ackbar and Los Angeles Police Chief Madine describe how they'll draw Vader's men away while the others head to the digging site. Laurence will be with those who deal with Vader's people. Harry, to Leia's surprise, volunteers to lead the expedition to the dig site.

Made a decent dinner after I got off. There was a simple recipe for "Saucy Franks" in that vintage Jiffy Cooking book I wanted to try. I updated the recipe with canned tomato sauce instead of tomato soup (I have none of the latter), lemon juice instead of a whole lemon (I also had none), and with red and orange peppers added with the green and the onions. Also made baked hash browns and sauteed escarole. It came out really well, especially the tasty sauce.

Ran the 1945 film version of State Fair as I ate. I cover this one in more detail at my Musical Reviews Blog.

State Fair

Finished out the night with The Great Outdoors. Chester "Chet" Ripley (John Candy) is looking forward to a quiet vacation by a lake in Wisconsin bonding with his sons and his wife Connie (Stephanie Faracy). They're not even there for a day when their trip is crashed by Connie's rich cousin Kate Craig (Annette Benning), her obnoxious investment broker husband Roman (Dan Ackroyd), and their creepy twin daughters. Roman keeps showing Chet up at every turn, whether it's getting him to water-ski on the lake or after Chet eats a massive steak at the local bar. Meanwhile, Chet's older son Buck (Chris Young) is pursuing a local girl, but she dumps him after he has to break their date to watch the steak incident. Matters come to a head on a stormy night, when Roman reveals why he's really there. The dads have to rescue the girls when they try to explore a mine, then save the others from a roving bear...and learn that family helps family, no matter how much they drive them crazy.

I was pleasantly surprised by this John Hughes-penned tale when I picked it up from a yard sale a few years ago. Critics savaged it for it's lack of originality when it came out. Yeah, the plot is cliched, but Ackroyd and Candy ably pick up the slack as the two very different dads with different approaches to having fun while on a trip. It has a bit in common with another Hughes vehicle for Candy, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, including an ending that's occasionally too sentimental for it's britches.

If you're a fan of either leading man or other Hughes adult and family-oriented comedies like Planes and the Vacation series, you'll want to make the trip out to Wisconsin, too.

Oh, and on a more sober note, yes, I do remember the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I discuss this a bit more at an entry I wrote on Patriot Day in 2015.

Memories On a Busy Day

Busy, Busy Spring

I had a lot to do on a busy morning, starting with making a new collage after breakfast. Up until last year, I used to make a collage out of old catalogs once a season, usually once every two or three months. I haven't been shopping as often as I used to...and haven't been getting as many catalogs as I used to, either. Finally got enough (including a few I've had around for as long as five years) to make one.

Ran an episode of Wonder Woman as I clipped and glued pictures. "Skateboard Whiz" takes Diana Prince to a small town in southern California for what she hopes will be a relaxing vacation. Turns out the town is being threatened by a gangster who has already set up an illegal gambling den behind a local arcade. When the daughter of one of her friends accidentally sees the casino and their plans, they go after the kid...and Wonder Woman springs into action and goes after them.

Put on my ABBA Greatest Hits CD as I moved on to more vigorous chores. First on the list was scrubbing the trash canisters and my bike. While I normally do this twice a year, in May after it gets warm and October before it gets cold, I think I'd like to start washing the bike a little more often. I'll see if I can pull off once a month. Charlie didn't have the hose hooked up in the back yard yet. I settled for washing them with water in a bucket.

When the canisters were drying on the porch, I went into heavy vacuuming, at least as much as I could with my sprained thumb. I couldn't lift a lot of furniture one-handed, but I could run the attachment around the baseboards. This is another twice-a-year chore. The apartment doesn't get that dirty very often.

After I vacuumed, I did a little bit of organizing in the back room. I first found a box to unload my recycling in. I'd wanted to clear out Christmas books, but I mostly got rid of holiday picture books. I really don't need the books for little kids.

Broke for lunch around 1. Did a couple of cartoons featuring Mickey, Minnie, and their pets while I ate yogurt, a banana, and blueberry Breakfast Bars. "The Nifty Nineties" is one of my favorite Mickey/Minnie shorts. Mickey and Minnie show us what life was like in the 1890's as they stroll through the park, take in a vaudeville show, and encounter other Disney characters during a wild car ride.

It's "Bath Day" for Figaro. He's embarrassed by Minnie washing him and putting a bow on his neck. He fights with a bunch of alley cats to prove how tough he is, to Minnie's dismay.

Mortimer, a thinner, slicker mouse, is "Mickey's Rival" in a classic late 30's short. Mortimer invades Mickey and Minnie's picnic, showing off for her in a way that makes Mickey and his little jalopy look like a fool. Mortimer is the one feeling foolish when he unleashes a bull and flees...but it's Mickey and his car who end up saving the day.

Headed out around quarter of 2. First stop on the agenda was Dollar Tree. I needed a Mother's Day card for Mom and a friendship/thanks for coming card for Lauren. I also found a nifty striped notebook. My journal is almost done - time to replace it. It was the quietest in there I'd ever seen it, with no line.

The Haddon Township Library was much busier. They had tons of movies - kids, adults, and TV show sets - to shelve and organize. Big stack of audio books, too. I did end up taking out a few films. Thought Legend of Tarzan sounded like good B movie fun. Continued exploring the films of the 60's and 70's with Dog Day Afternoon and Badlands. Warners finally put out the second half of the first season of Be Cool, Scooby Doo! a few months ago. I wasn't that crazy about the first half, but I figured I might as well finish out the season. (Especially since it sounds like it wasn't terribly successful; Warners recently indicated that its truncated second season will be its last.)

Headed home across Newton Lake Park. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for early May in Southern New Jersey. The sky was a brilliant blue. The air was cool and fresh, but not cold. The sun was just warm enough on my back and sparkled like gold dust on the green velvet ribbon of the lake. The breeze whistled through my hair. I wasn't the only one out and about, either. The park was teeming with kids off of school, joggers, dog walkers, fisher-folk, boaters, and sun bathers. I pushed my bike up the path on the hill past the Haddon Township Environmental Center and Museum to avoid them. (Someone cleaned up the path since I last went that way, putting down wood chips on the end that comes out by the Museum and marking the beginning of the path with two large rubber tubes.)

Did some writing when I got in. Ahsoka finally admits to Leia that his killing children and other Jedi was the reason Anakin was always so soft on his own children. He regretted his part in Palpatine's reign of terror for the rest of his life. It was part of the reason he fled Coruscant and the remnants of the Jedi Order.

The group finally arrives at the gate surrounding Coruscant City a few hours later. The head of the guards, Sir Wedge Antilles, is a supporter of Mon Mothma, who runs the Rebel Underground. He also recognizes Ahsoka and Hera and her family and is more than willing to let them in. Luke can't stop eyeing him, even as a unicorn...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers, then made Strawberry-Almond Muffins for work tomorrow. Ran The Sound of Music as I worked on the muffins, then went online. How do you solve a problem like Maria (Julie Andrews), a nun who is too spirited for her Austrian order? Send her to be the governess for Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his eight children. The kids have driven away other governesses, but they take a shine to Maria after she sings to them to calm them during a storm. The Captain banned music after the death of his wife. Maria thinks that's ridiculous and uses her own methods to teach the kids to sing. They do it so well, they soften both their father's views and that of his fiancee the Baroness Elsa (Eleanor Parker) towards music. Their father, however, still refuses to allow them to sing in public...and it's becoming clear that he's falling for Maria. She returns to the convent at first, but her Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood) finally sends her back. Things fall apart quickly after the wedding. It's 1939, and the Germans want Von Trapp in their army. He's against the Nazis and won't work for them. His family finally flees Austria instead, after they give a stirring performance at the Saltzburg Music Festival.

This movie has the reputation for being syrupy and too sweet. I can understand where people got that impression, what with songs like "The Lonely Goatheard" and the holiday standard "My Favorite Things," not to mention all those kids. It's pretty much a romantic drama until the sudden left turn into dark Nazi territory in the last half-hour or so. It's also way beyond too long, almost three hours long, in fact.

Sweet or not, it still holds up as one of the best musicals ever made. As Rick Steves pointed out in his episode on Saltzburg, that's the real Austria the family's singing in. It gives the movie a feel of immediacy that many studio-bound musicals lack. The glowing countryside becomes almost as important of a character as the humans dancing across it. The cinematography was Oscar-nominated; the movie itself, director Robert Wise, and the music, sound, and editing won. Andrews and Wood were also nominated for their fine performances. I like Plummer as the stern father (even if his singing had to be dubbed). He gets my favorite song from this show, the lovely ballad "Edelweiss." Other good songs here include "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" for oldest daughter Lisel and her sweetheart Rolf and "Climb Every Mountain" for Wood.

This is one of the great American film musicals. If you love Andrews, musicals, or composers Rodgers and Hammerstein and have a lot of time on your hands, this one is a must-see.

All the Weather In One Day

I'm glad I worked a little later than I have on Sunday for the past few months, especially after all the trouble last week. It gave me a chance to get a few things done around the apartment. I had some delicious Banana Pancakes while listening to The Pirate Movie soundtrack. I wiped down the dining area table. A snap-top container I originally bought for dried beans now holds crayons, glitter fabric markers, and extra pens. Used to keep the twist ties and the rubber bands in one stoneware container, but they got too tangled. I separated them and dropped the twist ties in the empty Talenti container. Fixed a photo on the wall so it wouldn't keep getting knocked off. Put a block of wood under one record crate to push it against the wall. (Most of the furniture in the household leans in one direction or another. We're on a hill.)

Work was pretty busy most of the day. Not only is it the end of a weekend that included Cinco Del Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, and the beginning of prom season, but as one customer pointed out, the weather wasn't really appropriate for much else. I bagged for a lot of the day. Also gathered baskets, rounded up carts, and did returns.

It must have rained earlier. The entrance to the Acme was still wet when I came out to do carts. The rain started again just as I was heading home...and heavier this time. It was gale-force windy, too. Of course, it stopped as soon as I got in. The clouds and sun played tag with each other for the rest of the evening, but it never rained again.

Did a little bit of writing. The Crimson Hawk, who was dressed as a woman, now appears before Vader. The half-man, half-machine sends his men after him, but they get stuck in a special dark glue the Hawk had lay on the ground. But Palpatine has more soldiers on the way...and they may be more than even the League of the Crimson Hawk can handle...

Had a quick but simple dinner while listening to the Bee Gees and one of my 80's CDs. The breading came off the tortilla-crusted tilapia, and it was really a little spicy for me. The green beans were much better. I just pan-roasted them with the fish. Yum! They caramelized rather nicely, bringing out their sweetness.

Getting Ready for Christmas

Today was my early work today. Not a whole lot going on. I rounded up carts when I arrived, but I was mainly inside. I gathered baskets, emptied the trash cans for the wet wipe containers as you enter the store, and helped a manager with heavy boxes filled with register tape and an old woman with her groceries. Wiped down a new display case in the deli. Spent the last half-hour doing returns. There really wasn't a whole lot to do. We just weren't that busy, and there were two other baggers there when I finished.

Headed straight home after work. I took the long way down Nicholson Road. There was some late lunch traffic in Audubon. Otherwise, the streets weren't much busier than the Acme. It was too nice a day for people to be in a hurry! The sun was out, the sky was blue, and it was unusually warm for mid-November, probably in the upper 60's. 

When I got home, I had lunch while watching Snowed In at the House of Mouse. This "feature length" animated movie tells what happens when pretty much every Disney character in existence in the early 2000's gets stranded at Mickey's club on Christmas Eve. Most everyone takes it pretty well...except for Donald, who's just being grouchy. Mickey plays a series of shorts and sketches to put him in a better frame of mind. 

I normally love House of Mouse, but the only reason to see this is for the utterly hilarious spoof of "The Nutcracker." Mickey is the Nutcracker, Minnie is Marie, Professor Ludvig Von Drake is Herr Drosselmeyer, Donald is the Mouse King (!), and Goofy is the Snow Fairy. John Cleese attempts to narrate. It's pretty wild stuff, feeling more like a Looney Tunes short at times than Disney. Unless you're interested in that or want a copy of Mickey's Christmas Carol (which makes up most of the second half of this "movie"), this is fun but unnecessary for all but major Disney fans. 

Spent the next few hours working on my story. Luke shrinks himself and Rey down to help Han, the Sugar Plum Cavalier, with the mouse army. Rey's shocked when she finds herself small enough to ride her kitten Bee Bee...and even more so when her Nutcracker is leading the charge!

Han finally confronts Kylo Ren, the Mouse Army's greatest warrior. He doesn't look like a mouse to Rey! He looks like a skinny human in a mouse mask. Han calls him his son and tries to shoot magic at him, but Ren deflects it into the older fairy. Han's dazed long enough for the mice to capture him and bind his wings with iron chains. Luke and Rey are surrounded by mice. Many of the toys are taken away as well. 

The Nutcracker jumps in, hoping to stop them. He and Ren duel, but Ren gets the better of him. He's about to run him through when Rey distracts him by throwing her slipper at his wrist. Luke finally knocks him into a mouse hole with his green candy crystal staff. 

Broke around quarter after 5 for dinner and chores. I wanted to get my Christmas lists organized. No, it's not what I want for Christmas. It's what I'm giving. More specifically, it's my Christmas card, baking, and shopping lists. I usually do them about a week before Thanksgiving, so I know who's getting what and what to make whom and who gets presents in the mail and who gets them given out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

Stuck with Disney as I worked, switching to the 1961 Babes In Toyland. This time, Mary Contrary (Annette Funicello) and Tom the Piper's Son (Tommy Sands) are the lovers, the comics are Barnaby's henchmen, and Barnaby (Ray Bolger) is after Mary's inheritance. The "babes" are Mary's siblings, who go into the Forest of No Return to find Mary's sheep, so she won't have to marry Barnaby. They all end up in Toyland, where the Toymaker (Ed Wynn) and his assistant Grumio (Tommy Kirk) are having trouble meeting the big Christmas toy deadline. Tom and Mary nominate themselves and the kids to help. But Barnaby and his men aren't far behind them...

I know this one has it's detractors, but it's my favorite version of this story. The sets are cute and colorful, the costumes are adorable, and Bolger in particular is a delight playing against type as the mustache-and-cape villain. 

Took a quick shower before going online in the living room. Watched The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen as I got settled. The title character (John Neville) is an old man who breaks into a play in an English seaside town about the life of Germany's most famous liar. Trouble is, this little town is ruled by reason and practicality and nothing but, says the town mayor (Johnathan Pryce). Balderdash, says Munchhausen. Everyone needs a little fantasy in their lives, which the Baron proves as he tells the story of how he and little Sally (Sarah Polley) travel to the moon to meet the King whose head detaches from his body (Robin Williams), dance with Venus (Uma Thurman), and get swallowed by a whale. When the Turks really do invade, it's the Baron to the rescue...and who shows the town that it's not so bad to be a little bit extraordinary. 

I've loved this delightful bit of lunacy since it first started turning up on cable in the late 80's and early 90's. Neville in particular is marvelous as the Baron, whose stories may or may not be true, but they're sure as hell entertaining. If you love fantasy or the work of maverick director Terry Gilliam, this is one of his best movies and is highly recommended. 

Went back to YouTube for two rare shorts and TV show episodes. This Hello Kitty version of The Nutcracker is the only other cartoon besides The Nutcracker Prince I've ever seen adapt the original story "The Hard Nut."

Hello Kitty Stories - The Nutcracker

Shirley Temple Storybook Theatre was an anthology of fairy tale, fantasy, and literary adaptations, narrated by and starring an older Temple in the early 60's. Their Christmas offering in their second and last season was Babes In Toyland. This one has Johnathan Winters as Barnaby, Temple as Floretta the Gypsy, and Joe Besser and Jerry Colonna as two of the three comic lackeys. This is probably the closest any screen version of this show has come to the original 1903 stage version, with the emphasis on the kids and comics rather than a pair of lovers.

Shirley Temple Storybook Theatre - Babes In Toyland

As Long As There's Christmas

I was delighted to awaken to a sunny, chilly day, probably in the 40's. It's supposed to get crazy-warm again by Christmas Eve, but for now, I decided to just enjoy the weather. Put on The Snowman during breakfast. This lovely British special from the early 80's tells the simple but touching story of a boy who creates a frosty friend on Christmas Eve and the fun they have, including visiting Father Christmas. This was originally a wordless picture book; the animation not only perfectly captures the book's art, but adds a gorgeous soundtrack, including "Walking In the Air."

Moved onto a couple of holiday animated shorts as I cleaned up from breakfast and made my grocery list. Sylvester thinks Tweety is "Gift Wrapped" just for him. Actually, he's Granny's Christmas gift. She spends her holidays trying to keep Sylvester away from Tweety and the new dog away from both.

Popeye takes Olive skating for the first time in his only Christmas short, "Seasons Greetinks." Olive ends up on thin ice when Bluto tries to show off for her, and she almost ends up going over a waterfall. "I-Ski-Love-Ski-You-Ski" is somewhat similar, only this time, Olive and Popeye are off on a skiing trip that Bluto disrupts.

Did a little bit of writing next. Mother Gloria Goose is brought in when lamb chops are found in Scott's office. Scott protests loudly that he had nothing to do with it. Betty's  not so sure. Neither is Mother Goose, who is too tired and too overwhelmed to listen to him or the kids. Not to mention, there's Barnaby making sure no one can see the evidence up close...

Did a few more shorts before heading out to work, this time concentrating on Disney. "Mickey's Orphans" was their first Oscar winner. Mickey and Minnie take in a group of rambunctious kittens abandoned on their doorstep on Christmas Eve. They may be cute, but they prove to be wilder than their house can handle! "Toy Tinkers" was also an Oscar-nominee. Chip and Dale invade Donald's house on Christmas Eve, looking for nuts. When Donald catches them in his holiday goodies, it turns into a literal war. "Chip & Dale" was the short that named the mischievous chipmunks. Donald chops down their home to put in his fire. They do whatever they can to get it back.

I went to work about a half-hour early to enjoy this year's Employee Christmas Luncheon. It's basically the same thing as the Thanksgiving Luncheon, only with red and green tablecloths. Just as much food, though. When I came in, there was already two platters of small hoagies, meatballs, barbecue shredded pork, Italian sausage. Buffalo chicken dip, turkey and stuffing, taco spaghetti (pasta with ground meat and taco seasoning), two cakes (chocolate and red velvet), a cheesecake, and snickerdoodles. I just had a turkey hoagie, the taco spaghetti (not bad - a little spicy but not horrible), and a little of the Buffalo chicken dip. (Whooa, that stuff was spicy! Steam-out-of-the-ears spicy.) When I got on break, they'd added cheesy hash browns, pasta salad, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, and a huge ham. I tried the eggs, pasta salad, hash browns (very cheesy and yummy!) and a little of the ham.

Work itself was surprisingly not bad. It was on-and-off busy all afternoon. I guess people were taking advantage of the chilly but nice day to finish out their baking or Christmas shopping. (Several people did mention they'd come from the malls, and they were mobbed.) There were once again a few problems with gift cards; otherwise, no really major trouble, and my relief was not only on time, she was early.

Which was a very good thing. I had a LOT of grocery shopping to do. First of all, I picked up salmon, sweet potatoes, and frozen green beans and almonds for my Christmas dinner. If I don't end up getting invited to someone's house or the other, I think I'll make green beans and almonds, poached salmon in lemon wine sauce, ambrosia, and sweet potato casserole. I also needed to stock up for this week's baking - vanilla mousse, Cool Whip, and a shortbread crust for Jodie's pumpkin mousse pie, cream cheese for the frosting for the red velvet cupcakes, and cranberries for bread for my neighbors. Needed to restock yogurt, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, soup (Progresso's vegetable soups were on sale - went with vegetable and barley), grapefruit, apples, vegetables (went with spinach), bananas, and chocolate chips. (They had a mint-dark chocolate bag I wanted to try.) The Acme is currently selling bags based around characters from the original Star Wars trilogy; I couldn't resist one with my favorite characters (Han and Chewie) and another with my favorite movie (The Empire Strikes Back).

When I finally got home, I put my groceries away, then separated my cookie boxes and remaining gifts into two bags. The Disney crew holiday bag is for gifts to be given on or before Christmas Eve, mainly cookies and baked goods for neighbors. Han and Chewie guard the gifts to be given on Christmas Day and afterwards, the presents for my family and anyone who will be at Dad's house for breakfast on Christmas Day morning.

Had leftover soup for dinner while watching Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. Set during the original movie, Belle discovers that the enchanted objects aren't allowed to celebrate Christmas, due to the Beast having lost his humanity then. She becomes determined to show him that Christmas is a time of love and giving to be shared by all. But a nasty organ (Tim Curry) would prefer everyone stay enchanted, so the Beast can continue to need his gloomy melodies. He sends a piccolo whom he's promised a solo to (Paul Reubens) to snitch on Belle's attempts to bring holiday cheer to the castle.

I know most people are down on the Disney sequels from the late 90's and early 2000's, but if you have a fan of the Disney princesses or Beauty and the Beast, this one isn't bad. There's some decent songs (including the oft-reprised "As Long As There's Christmas") and most of the animation (except for the awful CGI done on the organ) is lovely.