Matches at Home

While I did manage to sleep through the night this time, when I woke up at 7:30, my stomach was still queasy and I had a massive headache. I called out again. I don't think the manager was too happy, since the head bagger apparently called out for a funeral as well, but I wasn't quite up to pushing carts and sweeping floors yet. I'll go in tomorrow to help with the Super Bowl crowds regardless of how my stomach feels.

Went back to sleep, then read The Fairy Godmother and wrote in my journal. Put on the 2018 Muppet Babies when I got moving and had a little Cream of Wheat and sliced bananas for breakfast. Gonzo is upset when he doesn't find any valentines in his cubby, so he becomes Dr. Meanzo and declares it "Happy Villain-tine's Day!" The others try to stop him from destroying their valentines. Gonzo and Summer are the proud parents of the narwhal bride and potato groom in "My Best Toy's Wedding." Summer is ready to call things off when Gonzo insists on doing everything his way, until Nanny and the others remind him that relationships are about compromise.

The original 1984 Muppet Babies also did a Valentine's episode (in fact, their only holiday episode). Nanny gives the kids Valentine's cookies, but Rolf's is missing. When he disappears as well, the other Muppets make valentines in their own ways to cheer him up in "Be My Muppet Valentine."

Went to Tubi next for the Golden Films Beauty and the Beast. I go further into this 1992 take on the French fairy tale at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - Beauty and the Beast (1992) 

Puttered around online until the Match Game marathon began. This show was even more fun when a married or dating couple was on the panel. The first in 1973 was Dick Gautier and his then-wife Barbara Stuart. Brett Somers appeared with her husband Jack Klugman for three weeks in 1973. They spent most of those three weeks fighting, which is one of the many reasons they got divorced (or separated, depending on who you talk to). By 1978, they were no longer together. That didn't stop the others from holding a mock wedding for them, or them from arguing over the existence of Hallmark Hall of Fame. 

Other couples were less combative. Patti Deusch and her writer husband Donald Ross appeared together for a memorable week in 1974 that also included some very funny answers from the all-time winner at that point Janet Finn. Married dancers Elaine Joyce and Bobby Van made occasional appearances together from 1973 through 1975, including the week in 1973 where they sat next to each other on the upper tier. Richard Dawson tried to keep Gene from drooling over his then-girlfriend Jody Donvan when she sat with him on New Year's week 1976. Gene's beloved wife Helen occasionally turned up in the audience, including during one episode where Richard called her his fiancee. 

 No couple got more out of their appearances on the show than Betty White and Allen Ludden. They were already beloved on Password, and they had just as much fun during their first week together in 1975. Dolly Martin joined in to see Allen show off his fancy watch to anyone who would listen and go down for a talk with Gene when he said "I've had Betty" as a response to the Audience Match. The contestant said she'd belly dance if she won. The music department played the Star Spangled Banner instead, but that didn't stop Brett and Betty from demonstrating their own version of belly dancing! Allen and Betty made one final appearance in a nighttime episode in 1981 with Jimmie Walker and Jonnelle Allen. 

Along with Betty and Allen, the couple who appeared the most in syndication were Dolly and Dick Martin. They joined Nipsey Russell and Patti Deusch to witness the hilarious contestant who was so excited, she dragged Gene around the room. He hid behind his question holder after that! Nipsey, on the other hand, had no trouble running out for a squeeze! Even later on, Steve Allen and his wife Jayne Meadows appeared on one of the last weeks of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984.

Make a love match with some of the funniest couples to ever appear on game shows!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Couples Marathon

(Oh, and considering it poured off and on later in the day, I'm glad I called out.)

No Stomach for Viruses

I did not feel better the next morning. I spent the entire night tossing and turning. I just couldn't sleep. My stomach hurt like heck, I had chills, and my head felt worse. Oddly, I didn't feel like I had a fever, and had no problems going to the bathroom. It was mostly just my stomach. I finally decided my stomachache wasn't going to go away as quickly as I'd hoped and called out of work at 9:30. 

Spent most of the day sleeping fitfully off and on, trying to catch up on the sleep I didn't get last night. Read The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey, checked out a few short videos on YouTube I'd been waiting to be posted, and looked up my symptoms on my phone. The manager who picked up the phone when I called work said there was something going around, and I wasn't the only person who called out complaining about stomachaches. I hope it's just that.

The other problem was I just could not eat. My stomach felt too sore to get anything in it. I drank water and Propel, but could barely get down a granola bar. I couldn't eat more than a few spoonfuls of vegetable soup a friend gave me later, either. My friend said she knew family members who also had this stomach virus, a lot worse than I did! As long as I don't end up in the hospital or have to call out the whole week, I'll be fine.

Because I got a LOT of hours next week. The floral department manager needs my help with getting ready for Valentine's Day. I work more than 30 hours, and my only day off is Tuesday. (She did warn me ahead of time that this would be the case, though.) The only days I'm not in the floral department are Sunday and next Saturday.

Got up in time to watch Match Game '90. Brad Garrett and the female contestant showed just how much taller they were compared to everyone else in the first week. They were joined by Dana Fleming, Vicki Lawrence, and a noisy Richard Simmons. Meredith MacRae was doing a talk show when she made her only appearance on the show. Sally Struthers, comedian Bill Kirkenbaur, sweet Tom Villard, and Rebecca Arthur of Perfect Strangers and her beloved poodle Emmy came along here to help celebrate host Ross Shafer's birthday with hats, noisemakers, and a cake. 

Let it run into Tattletales next. I had no idea Darryl Hickman looked so cute with a beard. He was joined by his sweet then-wife Pamela Lincoln. I always love it when Scoey and Claire Mitchelll are on. They were so in tune with each other, they'd be married for over 50 years, until his death in 2022. Didn't recognize the third couple, soap star Bob Welch and his wife Ann Williams. Darryl and Pamela won the first episode. They split it with Scoey and Claire in the second.

Finished the night with The Love Boat on Paramount Plus. Captain Steubing is giddy over "The Captain's Portrait" when the artist turns out to be a beautiful woman (Lee Merriweather) who is very captured by her subject! He begins to regret letting her "paint her feelings" when the painting may be a little more scandalous than he's willing to show. A newly-married law student (Dean Butler) is horrified when he encounters an old man (Henry Jones) who owned the liquor store where, during his years as a drunk, he stole a bottle from. The man thinks he did a lot worse and threatens to ruin his career in "Familiar Faces." A young woman (Arlene Golonka) won't look twice at a man (Sonny Shroyer) who lives in her building, due to her policy against dating guys who live near her. He tries to prove they can be "Good Neighbors." 

Dolls at Home

I didn't feel very well when I rolled out of bed this morning. I had the chills last night, I was achy, and my back was really sore. I slept fitfully off and on until about 8:30. Finished Little Black Book by Kate Carlisle and wrote in my journal, then watched PAW Patrol at Paramount Plus. "Pups Save a Blimp" when they retrieve Cap'n Turnbot's weather-recording blimp after Mayor Humdinger steals it to change the weather in Foggy Bottom. "Pups Save the Chili Cook-Off" after Mr. Porter's oven blows up, spewing chili and making him sneeze uncontrollably. The pups decide to make Mr. Porter's delicious chili recipe outside. Mayor Humdinger thinks that's a great idea, too, but something seems a little off about his chili...

I found the most adorable little rolly-poly stuffed porcupine in a bag of unwanted toys in front of the Lutheran Church preschool yesterday. I'm not going to keep her, but I can give her to a nice family via Goodwill. I washed her, then fixed a hole near the top of her gray fur. Watched The Heat's On while I worked. I go further into the last movie Mae West made for 27 years at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Cult Flops - The Heat's On

Switched to Split Second after the movie ended. I forgot Buzzr pushed this show back to noon. Came in during the second half of the first episode. It was close, but one lady finally forged ahead in what proved to be a very short Countdown Round. I was surprised as her when she chose the car on her very first try! They skipped ahead quite a bit, as they mentioned one of the two women in the next episode was a returning champion. This time, the other lady and the one guy were close for much of the game, but he got ahead on the Countdown Round. Once again, he chose the car on his first try.

After that, I switched to dressing the dolls for June and warmer weather. Samantha is in her tight pink Frilly Frock with the lacy skirt and pearly lilac boots. Josefina looks lovely in her Weaving Outfit with the tan and maroon flowered print on the skirt and maroon trim. Whitney wears the red, white, and blue bow themed Back to School Outfit with the blue cardigan and the adorable red strap shoes with the polka-dot bows. Jessa just wears a pair of jean shorts with the pink and yellow tye-dye flower t-shirt and the leather sandals from Ariel's birthday dress. 

Ariel is trying on the pretty flowered Walmart sundress Lauren sent for Christmas with the turquoise windbreaker. Felicity's in the white gown with the blue cabbage roses I found at a booth in the Deptford Mall years ago. Molly's Birthday Pinafore with the rick-rack trimmed ruffled sleeves is more appropriate for early summer than her April birthday. Kit is in her yellow Floral Print Dress. The white shoes from her birthday dress look better with this than the beige shoes that came with it. Put Barbara Jean in what amounts to her "Meet" outfit, the purple and magenta paisley mini dress she came in. Her original stockings are too fragile to wear, so she's in a pair of bright pink stocking with her own white strap shoes. 

Listened to the remaining two Judy Garland CDs while I worked. The first one was worth the entire four-disc set. Judy joins Bing Crosby for a batch of hilarious numbers I suspect were mainly recorded for his Kraft Music Hall radio show. The duo have a great time singing "Wait 'Till the Sun Shines Nellie," "Connecticut," "Who," and "Sam's Song." Bob Hope joins them for a satirical "Goodnight Irene." The fourth disc featured one of Judy's many appearances at the Palace Theater in New York. I liked her medley of songs from famous vaudeville performers who had headlined at the Palace when it was the hub for variety in New York and a hilarious "Couple of Swells." 

After that, I went down for a nap. I was too tired to do anything else. I had a temperature of 99.7 when I got up this morning! If I'd had work today, I would have called out. At least it cooled off considerably overnight. There was a wonderful, fresh breeze coming in my window that made sleeping a pleasure. I passed out around 2:30 and didn't open my eyes until after 6. 

After I finally rolled out of bed, I checked my temperature. It was now a perfectly normal 97.3. I was still tired, but I felt a lot less woozy, and the chills were gone. It was likely a reaction to the Covid shot I got yesterday. 

I still wasn't up to cooking, so I headed out to find dinner. Besides, it was too nice to be inside the entire day. The bright sunshine and soft blue skies were joined by those wonderful winds and far cooler temperatures, barely in the 70's. Grabbed a fish sandwich and Diet Pepsi at a busy Crown Chicken and Gyro and oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies at Los Amigos Bakery.

Had dinner at home while watching Match Game Syndicated. Foster Brooks, Scoey Mitchilll, and Real People hostess Sarah Purcell joined in here. Gene teased Scoey about actually smiling during the intro. (Which he should have done more often - he had a lovely smile.) The contestant surprisingly had more trouble with "___ Madison" in the Audience Match, considering Brett had been married to the man who played Oscar Madison.

Finished the night with the last of the CDs I've dug up lately. Malt Shop Memories was a series of 2-disc CD sets put out by Time-Life during the mid-2000's. The first disc in the "All I Have to Do Is Dream" set goes for teen drama, with sad ballads like "Teen Angel" and "Raindrops." I prefer more upbeat numbers like "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" and "Little Bitty Pretty One." The second one is all about Motown and 60's R&B and soul, with hits like "Baby Love" by the Supremes, "Dancing In the Street" and "Love Is LIke a Heat Wave," by Martha and the Vandellas and "Twilight Time" by the Platters. 

Rainy Day at Home

While I didn't feel quite as bad as I did yesterday when I got up this morning, I still didn't feel great, either, including a really sore throat. After nearly a half-hour of debate, I finally called out again. Better give myself one more day to rest and not spread germs.

This time, I slept until almost 12:30. Stayed in bed and read and wrote in my journal until nearly 2. When I did get up, I had brunch while watching the 1946 musical mystery Murder at the Music Hall. I go further into this vehicle for Czech figure skater Vera Hruba Ralston at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Murder at the Music Hall

Went online to work on writing after the movie ended. As the sleigh glides through the air, Debralee wonders why the Nutcracker is so devoted to the Princess. He thinks she's the most wonderful girl ever...or at least, he did. As he gazes as her, he wonders if there might not be someone else. Gene's more interested in reminding them that they're about to land at the Gingerbread Castle.

Ran Beat the Clock as I worked. The one Buzzr showed for their Lost & Found marathon is the 1969 - 1974 series mainly shot in Canada. Announcer Gene Wood took over hosting by 1972...and he honestly did a good job, leading couples through wacky stunts ranging from catching Frisbees with limbo sticks to popping balloons with cymbals tied to a couple's hips. This series also included a guest star celebrity who would do stunts with the couples, then do one on their own to win the couples extra money. Singer Gisele McKenzie of Your Hit Parade helped the couples out in these episodes. 

(Buzzr also ran commercials for their next marathon during the later episodes and Match Game. Apparently, next Friday, we'll have a salute to crazy hair and wacky wigs that'll include Match Game Syndicated and episodes of Body Language featuring two celebrities who know a little about strange hairstyles, Richard Simmons and Phyllis Diller.)

Broke for dinner at 7 PM. Watched Match Game Syndicated as I ate. They open the first episode with seeing if Dear Abby's purse matches her lavender ensemble. Bill Daily actually has some pretty decent answers, including one about the best underwater pen. 

For some reason, they skipped the next episode. Which is too bad, because it introduced one of my favorite contestants from the syndicated episodes. Margaret was a hilarious older lady from North Jersey who really seemed to enjoy her time on the show. Bill Daily loved it when she called him "cute" and "intelligent." He was so delighted when she chose his answer for "They'll Be __" in the Audience Match, he grabbed her for a lovely little dance, accompanied by the (alleged) singing of Jack Carter and Gene Rayburn.

Finished the night on YouTube after a shower, figuring out why Buzzr hadn't run that missing episode. It turns out Jack Carter answered "midget" to a question. Buzzr is overly sensitive about that particular word, but they usually bleep it out, not cut the episode. Barbara Rhodes was more nervous helping out Margaret with "Wise Old __" for $10,000. 

(And maybe it's just as well that I did call out. It poured almost the entire day, from when I got up the first time to just a few hours ago. I would have needed an Uber ride.)

Diagonosis Cold-Itis

Woke up around 8:30 this morning...and I felt awful. No fever or chills, and my stomach was fine, but my throat remained sore and my nose is still stuffy. I ended up calling out. I just couldn't face my customers sneezing all over them, even just for four hours. 

Went straight back to bed after that. I really must have been worn out, because when I opened my eyes and checked my bedside clock, it was quarter of 2! I read in bed and did my journal until almost 3. My blankets felt much too warm and cozy to get out of bed right away.

After I did finally get dressed, I grabbed something to eat, then put on Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Goes to the Hospital" to get an ear infection cleared out. He's nervous at first, but the nurse and doctor show him everything that'll happen when he's there, and his parents read a book about hospitals to him beforehand.

Doc McStuffins knows all about helping dolls with illnesses and boo-boos. "Kirby and the King" get stuck together after Doc's brother Donnie brings them upstairs while the glue on his paper monster is still wet. They have to work together to get Doc's attention. Doc brings her friend's bubble blower toy Bubble Monkey over when her brother is sick with a cold. He's not the only one. Bubble Monkey's sneezing all over the place, too, including on the other dolls. Doc tells her "Bubble Monkey, Blow Your Nose!" and get rid of that gunky soap. 

I had something to cheer me up today, too. My last item from my Amazon gift cards arrived. I decided to switch my DVDs to books, rather than binders. The binders are just too flimsy for all the DVDs I have. Moved all of the musical DVDs, including Lady Let's Dance! and another I bought for review next week, to the new book. 

Switched to Buzzr's Lost and Found marathon while I worked. Buzzr returned to black and white for two shows and a pilot from the 1950's. They already ran an episode of the 1955 summer replacement show Make the Connection back in 2021, but they must have come up with another one. This imitation I've Got a Secret shows how different people are connected to one another. Betty White, Gloria DeHaven, Bennett Cerf, and Eddie Bracken try to figure out how a lady can help a group of fathers with expectant wives and what comedian Fred Allen wanted from songwriter and band leader Meredith Wilson. It ends with everyone performing three songwriters' works.

Play for Keeps was a 1955 pilot for a trivia game that was almost identical to Winners Take All. Here, though, they get to choose which subjects to answer. Sonny Fox, later known as the host of the New York kid's show Wonderama, helps two women through their paces. (The champ, a female cab driver, was awesome.) 

Mel Griffith received early game show exposure as the original host of Play Your Hunch in 1958. This was sort of a variation on To Tell the Truth. Here, though, people would have to choose which of three objects or people, labeled x, y, and z, had something different about them or were different from the others. Unlike the bland Play for Keeps, I can see why this was a four-year-hit despite bouncing between networks and hosts. (Gene Rayburn took over when Griffith left to do his talk show; Robert Q Lewis finished the run.)

Moved to writing even before the show ended. Debralee asks if she really does look like the princess. The Nutcracker admits that she does, when the Princess is human. The Princess, however, is sweet and kind, if a bit...demanding...

Broke for dinner at 7. Ate while watching Match Game Syndicated. The last day of the week Kirstie Alley appeared ended with Gene wandering among audience members, finding people who were willing to match with Charles for $50. None other than famous syndicated columnist "Dear Abby" turned up the next week, along with Jack Carter, Barbara Rhodes, and Bill Daily. Bill revealed he'd gotten married in the interim between the end of the CBS show and the start of syndication, and that his pretty new wife was in the audience.

Wasn't up to more than Doc McStuffins after dinner. Doc's brother Donny thinks his fire truck Lenny is broken. Doc reminds him that he needs to constantly replenish his water supply on a hot day, and then he'll be "Engine Nine, Feelin' Fine!" Stuffy has "The Right Stuff" when he rips his tail, but doesn't want to go to Doc to get it fixed. Brave, tough dragons aren't supposed to need help. He learns a lesson in real bravery when his tail goes flat and Lambie finally convinces him to talk to Doc about it.

Doc's doll Dress-Up Daisy is smitten with handsome male fashion doll Dress-Up Declan and his spiffy wardrobe. She can't figure out why he dons scrubs to be "The New Nurse" and help Doc out when Hallie gets hurt, until he reminds her that men can be nurses, too. "Chilly's Loose Button" is hanging by a thread after he crashes with Lambie. He's afraid to tell Doc, but the others finally remind him that he won't get fixed if he doesn't tell her. 

Lost Games

Opened my eyes at 7 AM...and once again called the Acme and told them I wasn't coming in. While I didn't feel as lousy as I did yesterday and my fever was long gone, I still had a sore throat and achy head. I went back to bed until 11 AM, then did my usual reading and writing in my journal.

It was nearly 12:30 before I finally ate brunch. Watched Match Game '75 while I ate. Ed Asner made his first appearance and singer Julie London her only appearance on this classic week. Brett and Fannie had some great cracks at each other and Charles...and Gene and Richard enjoyed admiring the Bicentennial design on Fannie's t-shirt.

Spent most of the remainder of the afternoon online, writing or just doing research. Brett's annoyed when Sir Richard keeps going on and on about "inventions." He can't seem to keep his mind on one thing, and he ignores Charles' attempts to tell them where they're headed next. Brett's worried that he also seems to have forgotten his beloved boys, as he barely mentions them.

Ate an early dinner around quarter of 5 while listening to my original cast album for No, No Nanette. The 1971 revival of this seminal 20's musical was a surprise hit on Broadway that year. Bobby Van, Jack Gilford, Helen Gallagher, Patsy Kelly, and Ruby Keeler were among those who appeared in the sweetly cynical story of a wealthy bible seller, his three proteges, and his carefree ward. "Tea for Two," "I've Confessed to the Breeze," and "I Want to Be Happy" were the big hits. Keeler of course gets the charming chorus routine "Take a Little One Step," while Gallagher tells Van "You Can Dance With Any Girl at All." 

My favorite number was either written for or dug up for the 1971 show and cut, but recorded anyway. Keeler and Gilford recall a gentler New York City and encapsulate what nostalgia means to so many people in the lovely "Only a Moment Ago."

Switched to Steel Pier during dessert. Despite ample coverage in 1997 (including in the Press of Atlantic City), this Kander & Ebb historical fantasy was a major flop on Broadway. A dancer (Karen Ziemba) finds herself pressing a pilot (Daniel MacDonald) into service in a dance marathon in 1933 Atlantic City. Her sleazy promoter husband (Gregory Harrison) tried to make the most of their relationship, including a mock wedding that's more a promotion for his latest discovery (Kristin Chenowith). The pilot, however, isn't what he seems...and by the end of the marathon, he's convinced the dancer that she's ready to fly on her own.

Too bad the story is an overly complicated mess, because there's some good songs here. Debra Monk has a blast as the most ribald of the contestants with the rowdy "Everybody's Girl." Ziemba's best song is the determined "Willing to Ride" in the opening. MacDonald gets three dreamy ballads, "The Last Girl" during the marathon, the chorus routine "Leave the World Behind," and the gentle "First You Dream" near the end. Harrison's best moment is the title song with his girls "Mick's Picks." Chenowith's spoofy "Two Little Words" launched her as a Broadway star. I'm not sure how easy this is to find today, but if you're a fan of Kander & Ebb or know about Atlantic City history, it's worth hearing at least once for some decent songs alone.

Finished the night online after a shower with more bits of 20th century history. As I mentioned last week when discussing the early years of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, game shows are particularly prone to being lost. Even some long-running shows like Wheel have fewer than 20 to 100 episodes left of thousands made prior to the early 80's. Merv Griffin's company kept reusing tapes until 1985! Most of Chuck Woolery's run and Pat Sajak's early years in daytime are gone forever. The 1981 show here is among the survivors.

At least they were recorded. Most early game shows were broadcast live and not recorded, or recorded on kineoscopes - film recordings of TV shows - that were junked. The late 50's smash Dotto had a double hit against it - it was live and one of the shows involved in the infamous 1958 Quiz Scandals, where game shows were accused of being fixed. The episode I have is one of three shows currently available. Likewise, NBC's shopping show Say When! was a four-year hit in the early 60's, but only has one regular episode remaining.

Buzzr running an episode of the early 70's Password next week is what gave me the idea for this theme in the first place. While CBS apparently stopped erasing their tapes in 1972, ABC kept doing it until 1978, and NBC until 1980. Among ABC's victims were the 1971 version of Password, the original 1973 Split Second with Tom Kennedy, and the 1966 The Newlywed Game with Bob Eubanks. (Password was reportedly taped over by Family Feud!) Only two episodes of Split Second and six of Password '71 exist online and a smattering of early Newlywed shows. 

Their competition didn't fare much better. The Who, What, or Where Game from 1969 is a quiz show that's pretty similar to its lead-in Jeopardy. Once again, we have people betting on their answers to questions; this time, they can choose a who, what, or where question, and the money they get depends on the difficulty of the question. This was just as much fun as its sister program; too bad there's only about two or three episodes remaining. 

The early Alex Trebek hit High Rollers had contestants tossing to see who could answer questions and win prize packages off of a board with columns of numbers. While the Wink Martindale syndicated version from 1987 does exist in full, Alex's runs from 1974-1976 and 1978-1980 were largely wiped. Only one episode from the former and twelve of the latter are available now. 

Celebrate TV history with these rare episodes! (And look for the original commercials on several of them!)

Dotto (1958)

Say When! (1961)

The Newlywed Game (1966)

The Who, What or Where Game (1971)

Password (1972)

Split Second (1973)

High Rollers (1978)

Wheel of Fortune (1981)

Day Under the Covers

I awoke at 5:30 AM to chills, a pounding and overheated head, achy muscles, and sore throat. Went back to sleep until 7, when I called the Acme and told them I wasn't coming in. Beyond my aches and throat, I really needed a day to myself after all the trouble yesterday. I just couldn't face that store. 

Went back under the covers after I got off with them, and this time slept until noon. Wrote in my journal while Match Game '75 played in the front room. Went back and ran a few episodes from earlier that week while having a quick and very late breakfast. Rona Barrett and R&B star Clifton Davies joined the crew this week and got to put their two cents in on a question revolving around whom Richard Dawson would marry. Gossip columnist Barrett said Raquel Welch, but the others all had Charles or Brett (including the contestant). The sweet contestant kept weeping with joy every time she won, prompting Charles to run out and hand her the whole box of tissues.

Got back into bed around 3 PM and napped again until quarter of 6. This, time, I woke up sweating like crazy and not quite as achy, though I remained tired and still had that sore throat. The moment I realized I was sick last night, I ordered a Covid test on Amazon. Took it before dinner...and thank heavens, it came out negative. I haven't lost my sense of smell and my appetite is fine. I ate a normal dinner. I don't even have a stuffy nose or a cough. I suspect it's the flu. Lousy though I feel, it's still better than my awful bout with Covid in January. Even my temperature was down to normal.

Watched You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown during dinner. I go further into the animated version of this beloved off-Broadway Peanuts show at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals on TV - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1985)

Finished up the night online with The Cat from Outer Space at Disney Plus. The cat in question is Jake, an alien feline with a collar that allows him to talk and fly, among other amazing abilities. He's taken custody by the US government after an emergency landing. Head man General Stilton (Harry Morgan) doesn't believe the power source is alien, but scientist Frank Wilson (Ken Berry) thinks it's like nothing on this Earth. Jake is impressed by Frank's good heart and how close he actually got to the way the ship works and moves in with him.

Jake needs $120,000 worth of gold to get his ship back in the air. Frank and his scientist girlfriend Liz (Sandy Duncan) hit on using Frank's friend Link's (McLean Stevenson) sports betting to win the money they need. Jake manages to manipulate the horse race, but the football games don't work out so well when a well-meaning vet (Alan Young) knocks him out. They do manage to win the money betting on billiards once Jake comes to, but a goofy industrial spy (Roddy McDowell) has tattled to his evil boss Mr. Olympus (William Prince) about Jake's abilities. Olympus kidnaps Liz, Link, and Liz's pretty white cat Lucybelle, but Jake and Frank have one more ace up their sleeves and fur...

My sisters and I watched this goofy sci-fi comedy on The Disney Channel all the time in the 80's and early 90's, to the point where Mom eventually recorded it. I remember Rose was an especially big fan. I thought it was cute but too silly. Actually, it's not bad. Top sitcom and character actors make the most of the strange material, including MASH commanders Stevenson and Morgan. Berry's clearly enjoying his role as second banana to a handsome talking feline. If you have kids who love talking animal stories or science fiction and are ready for some mild peril, they might get a kick out of this. 

Bad Day Rising

Overslept and got a very quick start to the day. Finally finished Death On the Menu, which didn't give me time for much of anything else. I gulped down my breakfast and dashed out, trying to ignore a sunny, crazy hot and humid day.

I shouldn't have ignored the weather. Work was a royal pain in the rear. I would have been happier to push carts and sweep the store if not only was I called to do six other things when I was busy with them, but if four different managers didn't keep telling me to do jobs I already knew I was supposed to do. I'm not a child. I am perfectly capable of doing my job. And the head bagger ended up in a register, so I had no help. I fell so behind on the carts by 5, a manager ended up helping me with them. Didn't help that we were off-and-on busy, probably due to this being the first weekend of the month. 

My schedule next week is barely a schedule. I asked for two days off to do the counseling work at Goodwill and took a paid day off to have a day at home, plus they gave me Saturday off. Not only that, but I work 8 1/2 hours on two of the three days I do go in. 

Grabbed some snacks and things I needed on the way home. Clementines were on a decent sale, and I had a coupon for the 8-pack of Larabars and brownie cookies. Found a gum protection mouthwash from a fancy company that specializes in environmentally safe products on the clearance rack. Choboni yogurt was a dollar each, plus I had an online coupon that brought them to $.75 each. 

When I finally made it home, I felt absolutely terrible. My body was sore, my throat was sore, and I was beyond tired. I managed to eat dinner and watch Match Game '75. In the first episode, Charles wore a straw cowboy-style hat that later migrated onto Gene's head. In the second, we're introduced to an attractive older woman contestant with the most beautiful head of snow-white hair I ever saw. She said her husband was studying to be a wrestler. That and his name being Bill Bailey (as in the old song "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?") prompted a lot of jokes from the panel.

Finished the night on YouTube and Pluto TV. Managed to squeeze in an episode of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir after a shower. I suspect Topanga and Cory from Boy Meets World would be surprised to see an unusually debonair William Daniels, the owner of a yacht, romancing Carolyn in "Mr. Perfect." Captain Gregg is suspicious at first when the seaman gets seasick, but he finally ends up trying to throw them together. 

Sony launched 24 hour Pluto TV channels for Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune on August 1st. Not only did I finally have the chance to check them out, but I watched them as my family would have when I was little - Jeopardy first, then Wheel. (And if I could find the Pennsylvania Lottery numbers streaming, I would have watched them, too.) 

The episodes on both channels revolved around young people. Arrived at Jeopardy in time for one of the shows from their College Tournament in 2014. The bright girl from UCLA was ahead for most of the first round, but she made a lot of mistakes in the second. The girl from Princeton charged ahead to win one for North Jersey. 

The Wheel episode from 2017 had teen best friend duos playing together. The two girls in the middle cleaned up, getting twice as much money as anyone else and winning a trip to Hawaii. They didn't do quite as well with the bonus round, though. 

And...I still have a headache, sore throat, and a slight stomachache and fever. The achy muscles might be leftover from work, but the rest is going to require calling out tomorrow and taking a COVID test, which I ordered from Amazon tonight. 

A Misty New Year

Began my first day of 2022 with breakfast and a quick episode of Doc McStuffins. Did the very first episode, "Knight Time." Doc borrows Sir Kirby the Knight from her brother to rescue Princess Lambie from Stuffy the Dragon, but he's dirty and keeps getting stuck to everything. After Doc discovers he's covered in jelly and pizza, she takes him in the bath with her...and teaches everyone the importance of good hygiene. Boppy the bopping bag dog gets "A Bad Case of the Pricklethorns" when he springs a leak twice. Doc finally reminds him to stay away from rose thorns and other sharp objects.

Headed off to work after that. They were surprisingly steady to busy for most of the day. I figured, if people weren't getting over last night, they'd be avoiding the weather. It was foggy and rainy even when I went to work at 9, and the rain continued off and on all day. I suspect it's the same deal as with the Christmas Eve crowds...and this time, not only is it the weekend, but it's the beginning of the month, too. 

Rose called during my lunch break around 1:45. Seems she gave Khai a self-test for Covid...and it came up positive, even though the rest of them didn't have it. She thinks he got it from me! Now I feel terrible. How could I have given a child the virus? I didn't have the more extreme symptoms of the virus. Even when I felt really terrible on Wednesday, I never lost my sense of taste or smell, was never nauseous or threw up, didn't have trouble breathing other than a slightly stuffy nose. The worst of it was the fever, and that was gone by Thursday morning. All I have left now is a slightly scratchy throat and a stuffy nose.

I felt absolutely horrible when I got home. Even the neighbors noticed it when I went by them. Even Jodie noticed it and texted me about it. My neighbor gave me a self-test, so I could figure it out for myself.

Thankfully, the test wasn't terribly complicated. It took a minute to set up, but it actually reminded me a of a mad scientist's lab. Kind of cool, really. I did it, then changed and heat up leftovers for dinner. 

By the time they were in the oven, I returned...and yes, it was positive. I should have known this would happen. I have no idea where I got it from. I wear a mask at work - company policy. Probably from one of the apartments I looked at. I'm kicking myself as hard as I can for not getting a booster shot sooner. I was going to make an appointment with the Acme to get one this week! I didn't think I had the time, with looking for an apartment and the holidays and everything. 

I'm not sure what to do now. I did quarantine for three (more like 2 1/2) days, but it's still positive and I do still have the sore throat and stuffy nose. I'll probably call work early tomorrow and see if I can take off the remaining two days for quarantine and if they'll pay me for that. (At least we're only supposed to isolate for 5 and not 14 days now!) 

Cheered myself up with dinner and Get Crazy. I go further into this wacky comedy about a New Year's Eve rock concert at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy New Year! - Get Crazy

Finished the night at YouTube with Lawrence Welk New Year's episodes. New Year's 1966 started off with everyone singing "The Happiest" and ended with them performing "Let's Start the New Year Right" at a party. Jo Ann Castle really gets into "Happy Days are Here Again" on an upright piano covered in streamers, and we have Arthur Duncan, Bobby Burgess, and Jack Sheldon as the world's least-likely tap-dancing football team! (As Lawrence put it, "I guarantee you won't find anything like that in any of the Bowl games.") 

The 1970 show ran even harder with the Bowl game theme. Arthur Duncan lead a merry Rose Parade to "Before the Parade Passes By," and we get Bob Dole and Norma Zimmer as the King and Queen of the Rose Bowl Parade singing "Beautiful Ohio." Later, Lawrence introduces the real Queen of the Rose Bowl Parade and her court, while his daughter-in-law Tanya Falan Welk hopes "May You Always." We also get Bobby Burgess and Cissy King showing off 50 years of American dance crazes, from the Cakewalk to "Land of 1,000 Dances." 

Bobby got to show off an older dance step in the 1981 New Year's show, too, this time the Balboa with Elaine Nivenson. Dick Dale and Kathie Sullivan get a charming "Real Live Girl," while Lawrence waltzes with the real Rose Parade Queen and her court. "Fame" sounded awfully strange performed by Guy and Rawla; Mary Lou Metzger and Jack Imel did far better with their delightful tap routine to "The Hucklebuck." 

Bring in the New Year with Lawrence Welk and his musical family! (The 1981 show is the full original broadcast, complete with commercials.)

New Year's Eve Show (1966)

New Year's Tribute to the Rose Bowl Parade (1970)

Happy New Year's Party (1981)

It Happened In Oaklyn

Though I no longer had a fever when I opened my eyes this morning, my throat was still sore, my head ached, and I was still dead tired. I called the Acme at 6 AM...and then had to wait and call them back to tell the manager at 7:30. I did read some short holiday stories Told Under the Christmas Umbrella, including "Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus," "The Mouse Who Didn't Believe In Christmas," and "December." I especially like the latter, about a father who takes his children to the beach for Christmas. The kids are disappointed there won't be snow, but they eventually enjoy decorating their tree with shells and other objects washed up on the beach. 

(In the 80's and 90's, we did use shells on our tree. Mom tied red ribbon around holes in beautiful white sand dollars. They made such a nice contrast to the green tree! We were all disappointed when they finally became so brittle, Mom had to throw them away.)

This time, I was able to sleep until 11. Wrote in my journal, then emerged for breakfast and Doc McStuffins. Millie the Microphone karaoke machine has "A Good Case of the Hiccups" when she keeps repeating her words. Doc and the stuffed toys try every method to cure hiccups they can think of to stop them, bud Doc eventually learns that the simplest methods are often the best. Donnie's best friend is upset when his favorite toy digger Riggo's arm is "Stuck Up." Doc can't figure out what the problem is, until her brother gets sand in her eye and she realizes there's sand stuck in Riggo, too.

Switched to Match Game as I discovered the lemon Jell-O finally thickened. That sure felt good going down! They jumped back to 1976 as Gene announced Richard Dawson was preparing to host a brand-new game show in the fall, a little entry called Family Feud. At this point, anyway, it didn't effect him playing the game. Bill Daily happily got a kiss for getting the top Audience Match on "Dizzy __," and Richard did equally well with "Vanilla __." In the second episode, Gene gets so annoyed with the audience not being in time with his questions, he tells them to shut up!

Started nodding off over the second episode, so I went down for a nap at 1. I really am feeling a little better. I only slept until 3 this time. 

I desperately need food in the house, but I don't think I'm up to a huge grocery trip right now. Cleared out most of my perishables before I went to Rose's. Figured it was time to try my first online grocery order. Since I already use Uber, I went with Uber Eats. Mostly just restocked items - apples, Brussels sprouts, milk, bananas, yogurt, an onion, canola oil, carrots, mushrooms, canned pineapple, sweet potatoes, cranberries. Bought low-salt Triscuits to go with the cheese spread Mom sent me in that Swiss Colony box and Mucinex for my current illness. 

Felt up to writing after I put in my order. Brett somehow manages to stop the train by pulling on the goat's beard. A none-too-happy Joey (Bishop) the conductor throws them off for knocking everyone around. Richard tells him they were getting off at this stop anyway. Everyone jumps off the train and into a lush forest, where Brett hears a familiar buzzing...

The woman with my Uber order didn't arrive until 6:30...but that was really perfect timing, as I intended to eat then anyway.  Apparently, she couldn't find the cold medicine, and that's what caused her to be a bit late. She got everything else, and she was very sweet about everything. I still prefer to shop in person, but I now know that online grocery shopping does work if you're in a pinch or not up to being there. I'll see if I'm up to picking up cold medicine at Dollar General tomorrow. 

Made French Toast with the last of my Herb Bread; had it with a banana as I watched Match Game '74. They skipped two episodes to the beginning of the next week. Broadway star Robert Morse and TV favorite Adrienne Barbeau join in for one of the best weeks of that year. An especially frisky contestant kept trying to kiss all of the ladies, especially Fannie Flagg! Richard, Gene, and Charles "defended" their women while Charles and Richard make jokes about Fannie's flower t-shirt in the opening. 

Two more lively contestants made Match Game PM a lot of fun, too. A nervous former Marine from Brooklyn and an African-American lady with gorgeous long braids were funny and played very well. Richard happily gave the lady the kiss she wanted, though Gene ended up dragging him back. Though baseball legend Joe Gargiolia was on the panel, Brett and Charles got the best lines and answers to a question about what a sports team held in the locker room. (I'm surprised Brett's answer wasn't censored!)

Finished the night online with Sun Valley Serenade. My final musical review of 2021 takes us to the fabled Idaho ski resort with ice skater Sonja Henie, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, and some great big band numbers. I go further into Henie's last major hit at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Sun Valley Serenade 

Sick at Home

I felt absolutely terrible when I awoke. Fever of 100, chills, sore throat, sniffly. I could smell and breathe and my stomach was fine, but I was otherwise lousy. I called out at 6:30, then tried to go back to sleep. I dozed fitfully until I finally gave up around 9:30. 

Moved to the living room/kitchen area for the rest of the morning. By this point, while I wasn't nauseous, I didn't have a huge appetite, either. Tried to eat shredded wheat while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Miss Elaina Gets Hurt" when she and Dan run around her room, playing astronaut. Later, Dan's more reluctant to admit when he bruises his knee. Lady Elaine tends to both their injuries. "Daniel Feels Better" when his mother takes him to Doctor Anna after he sprains his ankle. Doctor Anna shows him how x-rays work and how to wrap his ankle right.

Of course, I had to watch Doc McStuffins. Ben and Anna are Doc's friend Alma's "huggy monkeys" who hug each other via Velcro patches. "Ben/Anna Split" when Doc's brother accidentally rips the Velcro off Ben. Doc pastes it back on his hand and has to keep him overnight. Anna's upset and nervous, but Doc assures her that they will be fine in the morning. Doc says "That's Just Claw-ful" when Alma's puppy runs off with her toy crab Hermie. She's able to fix his claw, but has to teach him about the importance of physical therapy when it's weaker than before.

The Muppet Babies also dealt with the occasional illness and injuries. "Animal Gets the Sneezies," but he's too scared to see a doctor. The other kids chase him all over the back yard, but it's Nanny who finally convinces him that the doctor isn't so scary and he'll feel better if he sees them. Robin and the kids play "Library Leapfrog" to get his video game back when the girls accidentally make off with it during a Wild West story.

Switched to Family Feud after that...but I was so tired, I kept nodding off. Kept nodding off all through Supermarket Sweep and both Match Game episodes. Finally gave up after Match Game '79 and laid down for a nice long nap.

It was so long, I didn't wake up again until 5 PM. Even then, I read Lois Lenski's Christmas Stories in bed and wrote in my journal, which I wasn't up to earlier. Jodie was yammering to some friend of hers in the den, initially about news stories and gossip. Eventually, she starting ranting and raving about how oh, her daughters were so terrible, and oh, isn't it horrible how badly they treated her, and she's wiping her hands of them, and she'll sue if I'm not out of the house in two months, because oh, she had nothing to do with any of this and none of it is her fault and she's totally not to blame for anything, it's her terrible daughters who did everything to her.

First of all, we're ALL to blame. Rose should have told Jodie her feelings about this back in the summer when she was cleaning the pool, instead of letting them fester. Jodie should have been more professional and drawn up a real lease last year, and maybe even let me help more with household expenses. And yes, I should have started looking for an apartment in June, instead of September. I didn't think I would have this much of a problem finding something. And it would have been nice if Jodie and Rose had been more of a help with finding homes for Jodie and me, instead of automatically assuming the other would take the responsibility. We should have worked together from the start.

Made a fried egg and pineapple for dinner at 6 PM. Watched Match Game '74 while I ate. The first episode featured a bit of banter between Charles and Brett on where babies come from and a Super Match strikeout when everyone missed "__ Stick," including the celebrties. They had more luck with "Tiger __" in the next episode.

Tried making Lemon Jello during Match Game PM, but it wouldn't thicken. Richard got to chat with a gentleman from his native England with an interesting accent. Meanwhile, Gary Burghoff and Jo Ann Pflug found themselves between Fannie and Brett teasing each other, including about what kind of bra a practical joker would give his wife.

Returned to PBS for Arthur. "Arthur's Sleepover" gets a lot more interesting when UFOs are reported in the area. DW is determined to stay outside and photograph them for herself, while the boys are more interested in playing cards and telling ghost stories. Arthur intitially says he won't stay up for "Arthur's New Year's Eve." He changes his mind when his friends tell him about all the cool things that happen on New Year's. Grandma Thora reminds him that the real importance of the holiday is to reflect on memories of the year before and hope for even better ones in the year ahead.

Finished online with more New Year's episodes. Cathy Lane looks for ward to her correspondent father coming home in "The Christmas Present" on the first season of The Patty Duke Show. Not only is he caught up in a revolution and in jail, but his boss just fired him and told Patty's dad he has to tell him. Even when he does make it home, the girls try to find him a job or get him writing his memoirs. "Auld Lang Syne," however, brings more than one surprise for both Lane girls. 

On the first season of The Donna Reed Show, Donna Reed tells her daughter to "Have Fun" on her first date with a handsome and smart classmate. Her daughter runs home in tears, insisting it went badly and her life is over. Donna and her husband Alex recall their first date on New Year's Eve and how awkward they felt...but they remember things very different...

Donna and Alex aren't the only ones with clashing memories of a New Year's party. Blanche and Oscar Madison on The Odd Couple also remember their New Year's party very differently in "A Night to Dismember." They accused each other of jumping into the arms of the guests. Felix, as usual, wasn't as big of a help as he wanted to believe. 

It's "A War For All Seasons" as the members of the 4077th on MASH celebrate a year in the life together, tied together by the theme of a much-mauled Sears-Roebuck catalogue. It lets Father Mulcahy set up a garden and Hawkeye and Hunicutt buy a washtub to make a liver transfer vessel for a sick soldier. Meanwhile, Winchester and Klinger bet on the Dodgers in the World Series, with disastrous results, and there's also Hot Lips's constantly evolving knitting project. 

Long Day's Journey Back to Home

Stared the morning by feeding the cats, then read The Curious World of Christmas in bed. I was about to have breakfast when I heard my cell phone ring. It was Rose. She and her family decided to come home early! Yipes! I just barely dashed into Khai's room and pulled on regular clothes as they pulled in the door. 

I was so embarrassed. I didn't have the chance to take out the recycling or wipe down the kitchen counter better or fold the blankets on the couch or finish packing. Good thing I didn't work until 11:15. At least the kids finally got to open their Christmas presents. Yes, Khai loved his coffee-table book of dinosaur lore and his toy dinosaur in the Santa hat, and Finley loved her unicorn and vintage Barbie Fairy Princess Golden Books and pink plastic bird.

The kids watched Dinosaur Train while I got organized and their parents tried to figure out what to do about lunch. This PBS show is what the title says. A mother pterodactyl adopts a Tyrannosaurus Rex and shows it and her own children how different the many types of dinosaurs are, via the titular train. "Shiny's Sea Shells" are her favorite collection, but she's willing to give up the shell in order to help a crustacean find a  home. "King Crylophosaurus" has the dino-kids and their mother searching for the elusive King, a dinosaur with a bone crest on his head that resembles Elvis' famous hairstyle. He wrote the Dinosaur Train song, but is afraid he won't come up with another just as good. The kids encourage him to keep trying.

(And yes, poor Finley is indeed under the weather. She was quiet and fairly subdued for her. Her mother called the doctor shortly after they got in.)

Headed off to work after Rose said she or Craig would take my things over later. Work was dead almost the entire day. I spend the afternoon mostly shelving candy and working on story notes...until it hit 3:30. Then, all of a sudden, we got slammed and didn't have nearly enough help to deal with everyone. Thank heavens it slowed down considerably by 5:15, enough for me to head out a few minutes early.

And I needed to leave a few minutes early. I didn't feel well. My head hurt, and I was achy and dead tired. Didn't help that I couldn't get in the house when I did finally make it home. I just couldn't get my key in the lock. It wouldn't go in. A neighbor finally helped me in through Jodie's side. 

I was so tired, I could barely unpack my bags. Plopped down with a banana smoothie in front of Match Game '74. Gene's dapper golf shoes come in for a lot of ribbing in the opening, including Richard asking Gene where the carnival was. Later on, an animated contestant keeps worrying about how bad her answers are...and if the audience response is any indication, they're not very good.

Charles got the jokes in the next episode. One of the questions asked what part he'd play in Snow White. Everyone said the lead...except for Jo Anne Worley, who went for something meatier. Richard had far less luck with he Head-to-Head, one of the few times his being British really effected his answer. 

Fannie Flagg was an agreeable replacement for a busy Brett Somers in the Match Game PM episode. Gene's so annoyed when the contestant names him for a question about a lady having a boyfriend with the face of Paul Newman and the body of __, he strips off his jacket to show off a fairly well-toned body for a 60-something. Fannie did much better with "Onward __" in the Head-to-Head.

Finished off the night with The Ice Follies of 1939 on TCM. I go further into this mess of ice-bound kitsch featuring an out-of-their element Joan Crawford and James Stewart at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - The Ice Follies of 1939

Moved to YouTube for a fond childhood memory. I found a copy of The Dance Fever Christmas Special from 1980, and I loved it. Rose and Anny and I were huge fans of this syndicated proto-Dancing With the Stars during the 80's, when it ran on WPIX New York on Saturday evenings. Normally, four amateur dance couples compete to win cash and a big prize like a car or vacation...but here, we have eight, a set of adults and a set of kids, each from a different part of the US. Instead of dancing with the stars, the stars are the judges. Here, joined by their daughters, were Chad Everett, troubled detective star Robert Blake, and singer and actress Connie Stevens. The show also featured magic routines from David Copperfield and a song from The Gap Band. Professional dancer and choreographer Danny Terrio was the original host. 

(Incidentally, my favorite adult routine were the southern pair who somehow managed to mix the Charleston with disco moves and make it genuinely entertaining. The kids were split between the duo in gold from Anaheim who did an awesome number to "Hot Lunch Jam" from Fame and the mini-cowgirl and cowboy from Texas who performed a lively square dance. My favorite group routine was no contest. The kids and adults from New York appeared as the Chipmunks and Dave, doing a hilarious mock-fight to the tune of the Chipmunks' version of "Here Comes Santa Claus." The southern group's patriotic routine to a disco "Yankee Doodle Dandy" was unique for Christmas and had a lot of energy.)

If you're a dance lover or also watched this show in its heyday, here's the link to a piece of genuine early 80's kitsch! 

The Dance Fever Christmas Special

Changes On the Horizon

Spent the night tossing and turning. Even when I wrote last night's entry, I wasn't feeling well. I had a horrible stomach ache, and I was dead tired. I just couldn't get to sleep, even after taking ibuprofen and antacid chews. I finally gave up and called out of work around quarter of 7, then went back to sleep. 

Opened my eyes around 11. Read and wrote in my journal, then watched Match Game '75 while attempting a small bowl of oatmeal. Handsome Robert Urich, later of Vega$ and Spencer for Hire, and sweet soap star Jaime Lynn Bauer were around for these two episodes. Gary Burghoff and Gene Rayburn drool over an attractive contestant who proudly declares herself single and available in the first episode; Gene's dark orange suit makes him blend into the set and prompts some rust jokes from Gary in the second. Gene also does an interesting pose to demonstrate "winged victory" on the hood of a car.

Did some research online after the show ended. Of all the times I'd need to look for housing, this is possibly the worst. Everyone else is trying to do the same thing, and there's nothing available, not even for a single like me. The pandemic made everyone want more room, but more room isn't to be found. I really don't know what to do. 

I also checked my work schedule for next week at this point. Fewer hours, but not so much that my paycheck will be horrible, and the only day with long or very early hours is the head bagger's day off. Tuesday and next Saturday off. 

Settled down to watch TV and cuddle under my green afghan on the futon for a while around 2:30. The second season two-parter "A Tiger Hunt In Paris" was one of two multi-part episodes on Hogan's Heroes. Hogan and LeBeau hitch a ride with Schultz and Klink into Paris to rescue lovely and strong-willed French Underground agent Tiger from the Gestopo. While Hogan convinces the Germans he's a black marketeer, LeBeau falls for gorgeous Russian fortune teller Marya who has a few wild plans of her own.

Long-married Gene and Helen Rayburn and SWAT star Steve Forest and his wife Cris were the big winners on Tattletales today, over Nancy Sinatra and her stoic businessman hubby Hugh Lambert. Made a banana smoothie as Press Your Luck began. The two ladies battled it out today, after the one guy kept hitting Whammies with few spins. The one lady made the mistake of handing her spins over to the champ, who proceeded to win more money with only one Whammy.

Finley knocked on the door as I was cleaning up from dinner. Apparently, she, Khai, and Rose were over helping Jodie go through the tons and tons of junk Dad and Uncle Ken left in the basement. (Jodie's Aunt Colleen was over earlier.) They wanted to know if I'd like some holiday decorations and wanted to order Chinese. Sure to both! I put in for a simple shrimp and vegetable dish. 

Rose ended up taking most of the Halloween decorations. A lot of Dad's Halloween items made noise or move. I don't like decorations that make noise, but Rose's kids love them. Finley particularly adored a cute mummy who danced to "Thriller" Dad bought her when she was a baby. I also claimed a box of Easter bunny statues, along with some paper decorations and a few things I put aside for Jessa. (Jess will be over on Tuesday afternoon.)

Jodie enjoyed meaty spare ribs along with sesame chicken. My stomach wasn't up to ribs, but I did share dumplings, a little bit of egg drop soup, and egg rolls with her and Rose. The kids shared their mother's dinner. 

Went to talk to Rose while the kids swam in the pool. Rose and Jodie say they know how difficult the housing market is right now. Jodie says she'll talk to her realtor and try to find someone who'll let me stay for a year or two, until the market settles down and I have a better idea of what to do next. I was rather surprised when she and Jodie suggest I look into buying a house. I know housing is especially expensive in New Jersey, but it might be better over the long run to invest my money into that instead of constantly renting. I also finally remembered to put the Goodwill stuff out in the garage for Rose to eventually take with her own piles of donations.

Went into Match Game '76 after they left and Jodie returned to the den. Tonight's episode was one of the funniest from that year. First of all, it started with Gene shoving his entrance door open. Then they teased poor cue card boy Roger Dobowitz over not changing his cards. After that, an especially wild contestant was so thrilled she won, she grabbed Gene for a hug and wouldn't let go. He hid behind the set to get away from her. When she won her Audience Match, Richard wouldn't let her go! Roz Kelly grabbed Gene for a huge kiss of her own, while Betty White grabbed announcer Johnny Olsen.

Match Game PM seemed tame by comparison. Charles teases Brett about wearing a black-and-white outfit in color, then joins Gene on the steps to chat over a question. Brett is more nervous about doing "__ Advice" in the head-to-head.

Finished the night at TCM with the bizarre 7 Faces of Dr. Lao. Dr. Lao (Tony Randall) is a mysterious Chinese circus owner who rides into the western town of Abalone to advertise his bizarre attractions. The town's owner Stark (Arthur O'Connell) wants to sell out to the railroad, but newspaper reporter Cunningham (John Ericson) encourages the townspeople to hold out. Lao, who switches between stereotypical broken English and speaking regular English in Randall's own voice, befriends the spunky son (Kevin Tate) of the widowed librarian Angela Benedict (Barbara Eden). There's more than one shock in store for the locals when they come to the circus and realize that his side show, from a stately fortune teller who only reveals the truth to a Medusa who can really turn people to stone and a fish who transforms into a monster out of water, is more than just a collection of oddities. It's a window into their souls, revealing their true desires...and what will happen if they give up on their home so easily.

This would be the last movie directed by George Pal; his involvement is pretty obvious from the use of stop-motion effects, including the sea monster. William Tuttle deserved his honorary Oscar for his makeup work on Randall, who effectively plays everything from a satyr to a snake to Merlin the Magician. If you're a fan of him, Eden, or want to check out a truly bizarre fantasy, you'll want to join the townspeople and take a peek at Lao's circus of wonders, too. 

Tea for Me

Ugh. I awoke feeling tired and stuffed up, with a nasty sore throat. I did manage to find enough room for Apple Cinnamon Pancakes for breakfast. They came out perfectly, too, chunky and just sweet enough and reeking of autumn.

Headed out west while I ate with the musical version of Destry Rides Again. This adaptation of the 1939 film has Andy Griffith as the title character, a lawman who doesn't carry a gun or believe in violence, and Dolores Gray as Frenchy, the dance hall girl who is ordered by her gunman boss to seduce him, but falls for him instead. Alas, the best-received aspect of this production - vigorous choreography by Michael Kidd - can't be seen today. "The Ring on That Finger" was apparently mildly popular at the time, but the score just isn't that memorable. Thankfully, the other notorious aspect of this - the temper tantrums Gray threw during its run - can't be heard, either. She sounds just fine, especially in her vamp number "I Know Your Kind" and "I Hate Him."

I was so tired after breakfast, I went right back to sleep. Despite the noise outside, I passed out until the mid-afternoon. Since it was relatively cool, I decided to make Apple Cinnamon Muffins for lunch at work this week. They came out relatively well, a bit chunky. Should have sliced the apples a bit more.

Switched to No, No, Nanette while I baked. This Roaring 20's tale of shenanigans in Atlantic City and New York gave people a rare later glimpse of Ruby Keeler and brought Helen Gallagher a Tony as a wife who thinks her husband is chasing three women. They're really three woman whom Keeler's husband (Jack Gilford) is giving money to. The score features some of the most definitive, songs of the 1920's, including "Tea for Two" and "I Want to Be Happy." My favorite number was written for the revival. Keeler and Gilford reminisce about how things in New York have changed over the years in "Only a Moment Ago."

Tried doing some writing, but I was just too tired. I ended up watching lots of Match Game and looking up stuff on Pinterest. Called Jodie and telling her I couldn't come over. I just wasn't up to it. I'll drop by their house later in the week, and football season will be starting soon.

It was around 4 PM when I went back to bed...but this time, I just couldn't sleep. My body felt hot and cold. I had a fan on me, and I was too cold. Turn it off, and I was too hot. I put a cold cloth on my head, and it didn't do much. I finally gave up and read Last Shot around 5:30.

I was so tired around 6:30, I could barely get up and have yogurt and grapes for dinner. I nearly passed out eating them. A shower at least somewhat restored my spirits and made me a little less hot and cold.

Finished the night with honey-lemon tea and Match Game. God, this show is fun. I'm too tired to list all the episodes I watched tonight, so here's a classic from 1977. We saw Richard and Betty White imitate Brett and Charles last week. Well, here's Richard and Fannie Flagg doing it....and dare I say, Fannie's interpretation of Charles is even better than Betty's?

Match Game '77

Welcome to the Holiday Weekend

I was so glad that the weather remained stunning. I had a lot to do today, starting with breakfast and a couple of Tom & Jerry cartoons. "Texas Tom" uses a western record wound by Jerry to serenade a pretty cowgirl kitty. Jerry rebels and embarrasses Tom. Jerry helps a lion who escaped the circus in "Jerry and the Lion." Tom's conducting a concert in "Tom & Jerry at the Hollywood Bowl," but an annoyed Jerry comes in and wrecks havoc. Jerry rescues a pet fish from becoming Tom's next meal in "Jerry and the Goldfish."

Headed out as soon as the last-named cartoon ended. I had a lot of errands to run, starting at the Collingswood Farm Market. It was quarter after 11 by that point, and they were starting to wind down. In fact, the orchard booth tossed in three extra small Gala apples just to get rid of them. I dodged people buying produce for their Labor Day barbecues and back-to-school lunches long enough to pick up nectarines, two small eggplants, and lettuce along with the apples.

Made my way across Collingswood and Cuthbert Road to the Haddon Township Library next. I didn't stick around, but I did want to return my DVDs. Dug around in the book sales again and found Melody's first American Girl book and the thriller Sorry, Wrong Number on DVD. Didn't take any movies out - I've been having too much fun with Match Game, plus I still have a few movies I haven't watched.

I was going to stop at the Oaklyn Library next, but they were closed. Turns out they're off for Saturday and Monday. Rats. I'll try them again later next week.

Went home and put everything away and rested a bit before heading back out. There was one more thing I wanted to do today. I had to deliver the snickerdoodles to work. A sweet older lady who works in the deli is retiring, and we had a huge party for her, with her family and lots of pink roses and balloons. There was plenty to eat, mac and cheese and ziti and roast beef for sandwiches, two types of deviled eggs, a vegetable tray, pasta salad and potato salad and meatballs. Desserts included a massive yellow cake with whipped icing, molasses cake, cheesecake, jam butter cookies, white chocolate-dried cranberry cookies, and lots of candy. I enjoyed a roast beef sandwich, slightly dry ziti, two deviled eggs (one with spices, the other with celery and a pimento), pasta salad, a huge slice of cake, and the white-chocolate dried cranberry cookies.

I wasn't feeling well when I got home. My throat had been sore, and I was dead tired. Ignoring the noise Charles and Richard made while working on the new brick walkway out front, I jumped in the bed as soon as I could and had a nice sleep for two hours.

When I got up, I tried to focus on writing. Maz gives Harris food for the road. He hugs her and apologizes for the mess. She says she and her remaining people will cover their escape.

Had leftovers for dinner while watching an episode of The Muppet Show in honor of Valerie Harper, who passed away after a long bout with cancer yesterday. Valerie turns up in the late first season to perform two 70's Broadway favorites, "Broadway Baby" from Follies and "Nobody Does It Like Me" from Seesaw. Statler, one of the balcony hecklers, has a crush on her and is determined to see her, but the plant he brings with him climbs all over the place until it nearly takes over the backstage.

Played Lego Star Wars after dinner. I got so close on the Return of the Jedi Super Story! I actually got past "Battle of Endor" and all the way up to the beginning of "Into the Death Star" this time. I'll make another try tomorrow or Monday.

I still wasn't feeling well by the time I finished the game, so I took my temperature. Ugh. It was 99.5. I took ibuprofen, put a cold cloth on my head, drank lots of water, and watched the 1997 version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella for my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997)

Finished the night with a ton of Match Game, mostly focusing on 1974 and 1976...but I couldn't resist the Star Wars references in one episode from 1978. Hope you're all having as much fun with them as I am!

Match Game '74 (Gene discovers that his microphone telescopes - that is, moves up and down.)
Match Game '74 (Richard somehow manages to dig up a photo of a young and handsome Gene Rayburn knitting.)
Match Game '74 (With a contestant and a panelist being from South America, there's quite a few south-of-the-border jokes.)
Match Game '75 (Fannie Flagg has quite a crush on a handsome contestant.)
Match Game '75 (Major ham Jack Cassidy joins in as that good-looking contestant finally loses.)
Match Game '76 (The contestant is very pregnant...and it's making everyone very nervous.)
Match Game '76 (Richard does his best impersonation of Charles, to the annoyance of the latter.)
Match Game '78 (Lots of Star Wars references when the machine that holds the questions makes strange noises, including a bit of the main Star Wars theme!)

Springtime In Audubon

Sleeping in this morning really helped my cold. While I was still sniffling and coughing up lungs, I wasn't nearly as tired. Ran an episode of Sailor Moon as I ate breakfast. "Usagi Learns Her Lesson: Being a Star Is Hard Work" has her and Naru trying to develop their singing act in order to join a talent show and become big stars. After they quarrel, Usagi considers getting Luna to do tricks before giving up on the idea of being famous. It may be one of the smartest things she ever did. She and Luna discover there's something very disturbing going on behind the scenes...and it may be a Negaverse plot to get energy.

Actually felt up to working on my story for an hour and a half today. Harris leads the Shadow Soldiers' black Thunderbirds on a merry chase down highways and back streets, to the annoyance of his passengers. He knocks them out with oil and simply by outrunning them before turning on his "turbo" engine and speeding off.

Broke for a banana-coffee yogurt smoothie lunch at 12:30. Ami Mizuno, aka Sailor Mercury, is introduced in "The Girl Genius Is a Monster: The Brainwashing Cram School of Horror." Actually, Ami, the smartest girl in Usagi's school, isn't the monster here. She only goes to the school. Usagi and Luna mistake her for the monster when they find a disc with programming that brainwashes people into giving up their energy. But gentle Ami turns out to be more friend than foe...and she's especially helpful with the real Negaverse monster.

Headed out to work shortly after the cartoon ended. It was really boring. There were at least two other baggers on when I arrived; a third came in an hour before I left. Except for the 15 minutes I got stuck going in for a cashier's break, I spent the entire day shelving candy, gathering baskets, and doing what few returns there were. We were mostly dead the entire afternoon, and I had no major problems.

Put on some Backyardigans to liven things up as I ate leftovers for dinner. Uniqua has "Flower Power" when she pricks her finger on a thorn and become's Garden City's newest superhero. Gloom Meister Austin is determined to rain on her parade and keep everything in town dark and dreary.

Spent the next few hours playing Kirby's Epic Yarn. Snow Land is a bit more complicated than the previous worlds. Kirby slides on the icy platforms and is occasionally hard to control. I am terrible at the ability here, snowboarding. I just can't figure out how to jump and turn and keep the momentum going. I must have played that round 30 times before I finally gave up and moved on. I did fine elsewhere, picking up the extra patches and only missing the music disc in the bonus car race round. (Although I did have to do the Christmas-themed bonus round twice to get the music disc there.)

Finished the night with April In Paris. I cover this frothy romantic comedy vehicle for Doris Day and Ray Bolger at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

April In Paris 

Sleepytime Gal

My head only felt slightly better when I woke up this morning. The fever was gone, but it felt like it was stuffed with cotton, my eyes were still heavy, and I couldn't breathe. I just took allergy medicine and hoped for the best, then had breakfast and made Shaker Lemon Muffins while watching more Smallville. Lois accidentally runs into a dog in the rain. He's fine, but Clark and the Kents can't figure out where it came from...until it drags a tractor across the lawn while following Clark. Turns out LuthorCorp had been performing experiments on "Krypto" and other dogs to give them enhanced strength and senses, but Lex nixed the project as inhumane. The other dog is being used to steal from local businesses. Clark is determined to prove that his new pooch really is man's best friend and follows him to the thieves.

Switched to Sailor Moon while getting ready for work. Clark's not the only one having problems with pets. "Scent of a Monster: Chanela Will Steal Your Love" has Usagi trying to get her brother Shingo, who is afraid of animals, to get along better with Luna. She thinks he's found the answer when he buys an adorable, sweet-smelling critter, but it just makes him treat Luna worse. It's not until she buys one for herself that she realizes what the creatures are, and what their creators are after.

Headed out to work as soon as I finished with Usagi. It was not much fun today. The allergy medicine didn't make my head feel any better; I was droopy and tired all day. I spent most of the first half of the morning stuck in a register despite it not really being busy. They just didn't have enough help. Managed to get outside to do carts and round up trash and recycling during the second half of my shift.

I couldn't keep my eyes open another minute. I went straight home and into bed, where I took a nap for two hours. When I got up, I had leftovers for dinner while continuing with Smallville. After Dr. Virgil Swann dies, he leaves Clark a strange disc that matches the artifact in the Native American cave and leads him to the "Sacred" Stone of Knowledge. He follows Lana to China to find them...but when she's tortured, it brings out the spirit of the witch Isobel, who is also after the stones. Clark has to battle her, and figure out what Lex and Jason are doing in China.

Started "Lucy" while I cleaned up from dinner. Lucy Lane has come to visit her sister Lois at the Kents' farm. She claims she's on vacation, but it turns out she has another reason for being there besides seeing Lois. Meanwhile, someone stole the stone from Kara and Jason, and Jason is convinced it's Lionel.

Got bored and opted to play Kirby's Epic Yarn around 7 instead. Water World is a lot of fun. Once you figure out how to control the dolphin, it's one of the more unique creatures you can transform into. I did have to go back and do one round in order to get all the artifacts, but by and large, I had no problems here. I needed a shower, so I ended before I could move on to the bonus rounds. I'll do those tomorrow.

Finished the night with Brigadoon. I go into more detail on this unusual Scottish fantasy featuring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Brigadoon

Windy Afternoon

Yeah, I'm still sick. While my stomach felt better, the rest of me feels like it's been outside in the crazy wind that came up today, battered and bombarded. I once again slept in and read Dashiell Hammett until I felt like I could cope with getting out from under five blankets.

Had breakfast, then curled up on the couch while watching Tangled, Disney's version of the fairy tale "Rapunzel." Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is still locked in a tower by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), who wants to use her very long, golden hair to retain her youth. Instead of a prince, Rapunzel's tower is invaded by snarky thief Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), who has just stolen the crown that belongs to the lost princess of  nearby kingdom. Rapunzel agrees to turn over the crown in return for Flynn taking her to the kingdom to see the floating lights that come out every year on her birthday. Flynn does, reluctantly. During their trip, they make unlikely friends with a group of surprisingly cuddly ruffians and Maximilian, the toughest police horse in the kingdom. Rapunzel and Flynn finally discover that some dreams are worth waiting for...especially when they're dreamed for the ones you care about.

This is one of Disney's cuter movies of the last five or six years. While I heard they changed the prince in the original story to what more-or-less amounts to a fantasy Han Solo to appeal more to boys, it's a move I applaud. I always found the prince in the original "Rapunzel" Grimm story to be especially bland anyway, and Flynn is a riot. Mother Gothel is one of Disney's best female villains, surprisingly subtle and mentally cruel. A hilarious ride with some fun characters - and you'll never look at a frying pan in the same way again.

Worked on a little bit of writing after Tangled ended. It's Alan who finally gets Lisa to admit that she wants to feel like a child...and not like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She gives Mr. Eldridge one more candy cane, the one Scott Sherwood gave her earlier, to finish his creation.

I was on the computer so long, I barely made it out to work on time! Yes, I did go to work. I literally can't afford to call out. I'm short on hours this week as it is. Besides, it was only a late four-hour night. It wasn't bad when I came in, but by rush hour, everyone had arrived to buy tickets for that huge billion-dollar jackpot. Talk of snow and sleet in the forecast didn't help. It was only just starting to slow down when one of the college students came in for me. Thankfully, there were no really major problems, and I was in and out.

Sick Day

Ugh. Yeah, I was sick. I didn't sleep well last night at all. When I went to bed, I was freezing, I had a nasty sore throat, and my head hurt. I slept fitfully until about 9 AM...then tried to go back to sleep until noon. When I finally gave up, I finished Red Harvest and wrote in my journal, at least as well as I could think to.

I didn't eat until nearly 1. I didn't really want to eat, but I figured I needed something in my stomach. Did some Backyardigans while I had vegetable-barley soup. Uniqua, Tasha, and Tyrone are pursuing "The Yeti" across the frozen north. Actually, it's just Pablo being cute, but Uniqua insists that's a Yeti making those tracks. Tasha says there's no such thing.

Since I was already awake and sprawled on the couch (and didn't really feel like moving), I put on Revenge of the Sith. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is chafing under the restraints of the Jedi Council, especially when they won't make him a Master. He's falling under the influence of the manipulative Chancellor Palapatine (Ian McDermid) as well. The Council wants him to spy on Palapatine. Anakin's decision is made easier when his wife Padme (Natalie Portman) announces she's pregnant...and he has a vision about her dying. Palapatine tells Anakin he can cheat death if he comes over to the Dark Side. Anakin's ultimate decisions have explosive and unhappy consequences for him and those he loves, including his teacher and best friend Obi-Wan (Ewan MacGregor).

While I don't love any of the prequel movies, this is by far the best of them, if only for the hilarious beginning (with Anakin and Obi-Wan rescuing the Chancellor) and that stunning duel in the lava in the end. (I've read in a few places that Christensen and MacGregor did so well and were so intense during that duel, some of the staff actually gave them a standing ovation when they finished.) Alas, what's in between is often muddled and rushed. Anakin turns way too quickly to the dark side! One minute, he's listening to opera and folk tales, and the next, he's killing everything in sight. And yes, there's still the problem of clunky dialogue to get around.

If you must see any of the prequels, see this one. There's still problems, but they're not as evident as in the other two movies. (However, be warned that this one isn't really for little kids - by it's very nature, this is one of the darker Star Wars movies. There's a lot of violence and discussions of death, kids are killed, and the ending isn't the happiest.)

I spent half of Revenge nodding off. After it finished, I decided I needed another nap. When I got up, I felt well enough to have oat bran and a half of a grapefruit for dinner and watch Can-Can. Satine Pistache (Shirley MacLaine) owns a cafe in Paris in the 1800's where the scandalous can-can dance is performed. Her boyfriend and lawyer (Frank Sinatra) and a local judge (Maurice Chevalier) don't mind, but another, more uptight, judge (Louis Jordan) has her raided and arrested. Even after he tricks her into almost giving up the list of cops she bribes, Satine still finds herself falling for the judge. Her boyfriend doesn't like that one bit! She has to decide whose world she belongs in, especially after she signs the club over to him and it's raided.

Mom used to rent this one a lot for the girls and Keefe and me in the early-mid 90's. This is fluff, and overlong fluff at that, but there's a decent cast having fun with some of Cole Porter's best songs. Fun for fans of the big 60's-70's musicals or any of the cast.

The Eagles Swash the Buccaneers

I wasn't feeling great when I went to bed last night. My temperature had risen, my head was hot but my legs were cold, and I kept drinking and drinking water. I awoke late this morning sweaty but with less of a fever. My head was still congested and I was still a bit tired, but my throat wasn't as sore, and I wasn't hot.

Pre-empted the Beatles show in favor of the remaining two Backyardigans episodes as I made Pear-Spice Pancakes for breakfast. Uniqua is a librarian in Veja, California who becomes "The Masked Returner" when a book is overdue in a Zorro spoof. When Don Austin, the most important guy in Veja, won't return a book he's borrowed, it's the Masked Returner who makes sure he renews that library book! Tyrone, Uniqua, and Pablo go "To the Center of the Earth" when Tyrone loses his lucky penny and the other two take him into the Earth's core to track it down.

I had work a little earlier than usual for a Sunday, at noon. Given the Eagles played at 1 today, you probably won't be surprised to hear that it was busy when I came in and steady for the rest of the afternoon. I took cold medicine to keep my stuffed-up nose at bay, but otherwise, there were no problems, and I was in and out.

When I got home, I had leftover chicken and tomatoes and Brussels sprouts with spinach, then called Mom...who was eating dinner and said she'd call back. When she did, we had a nice little chat. My sister Rose and her son Khai came down to Cape May County to visit yesterday. Rose wanted to take Khai to the popular (and free) Cape May County Zoo and thought he'd like to see his nana. 

Oh, and as you can guess from the title, the Eagles did finally push past the woebegone Tampa Bay Buccaneers (another team that hasn't won a game this season) to beat them 31-20, thanks to some great throws from emergency quarterback Nick Foles.