As Time Goes By

Got a quick start today with breakfast and Paw Patrol. They're trying to figure out a song for "The Pups' Winter Wonder Show," but there's more immediate problems on hand. They first have to help repair the Winter Wonder Show stage when a girder is accidentally knocked over, then save the dancing penguins from Mayor Humdinger, who wants them to dance for him. Meanwhile, Tracker, who normally lives in the jungle, takes his time getting used to this cold white stuff.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended and I made my grocery list. No trouble with Uber at all today, other than some long waits. I had to wait 10 minutes to get to the Westmont Acme and 11 to get back from the Thomas Sharp School. At least there was no traffic anywhere, and only the ride home from the School took longer than 5 minutes (due to the icy roads in West Collingswood). 

I'm going to continue to shop at only the Westmont Acme until it finally warms up and my knee feels better. Neither my knee nor the weather are up to stops at multiple stores. Thankfully, it wasn't insanely busy this time. There's still a few empty spots on the shelves, but they've mostly restocked after the mess last week. It doesn't sound like we're going to get anything from the next storm, either. I think it's mostly going to hit Cape May and Atlantic Counties. I restocked apples, oranges, yogurt, granola bars, granola, coconut milk, and probiotic soda. Had online coupons for free peanut butter and tissues. Got golden raisins here, since I don't know when I'm going to get back to Sprouts. Grabbed bagels for lunch later this week, and a pack with grapes, pretzel chips, and two turkey and cheese sliders on Hawaiian rolls for lunch today. Found cranberry scones on the bakery clearance rack for a treat. 

When I got home, I went straight into lunch and Remember WENN. "From the Pen of Gertrude Reece" is one of my two favorite episodes of the entire series. Gertie proudly shows Betty her first radio script...which turns out to be a parody of Casablanca, "Rendezvous In Rabat." Scott is Rick, Betty is Ilsa, Victor Comstock is Victor Lazlo, Mr. Eldridge is Carl the waiter, Maple takes the place of the bar singer and the desperate refugees, Mackie is Major Renault, Hilary as Rick's previous girlfriend, C.J as the bartender and a young Nazi officer, Jeff as the waiter/pickpocket, and Mr. Foley, of all people, as a German officer. Like the real Casablanca, Gertie doesn't have an ending to her play. She and Hilary offer up several suggestions, none of which Betty approves of. Betty starts typing which man she thinks her character ought to be with before she finally tells Gertie it's better to draw your own conclusions.

"Eugenia Bremer, Master Spy" also involves espionage. Desmond Quist, a British intelligence officer (Daniel Davis) insists that there are still codes going out over the airwaves. He has the cast paraphrase their scripts, then removes the sound effects. He effortlessly charms sweet middle-aged organist Eugenia (Mary Stout) after having overheard what sounds like conversations in German. Eugenia does have a reason for those conversations, and they're nothing like Quist thinks they are.

Got my schedule for next week at this point as well. In good news, more hours, and I don't think I'll need to call out all weekend this time. In bad news, an extra day on Friday means two days of rushing between jobs instead of one. My knee still isn't feeling right, and it's only going to be slightly warmer next week. 

(I also discovered at this point that my tax return money showed up more than two weeks early. Sweet! Most of it will probably go into my rent.) 

Called Uber at 20 after 2 for a ride to the School. I had a hard time getting a driver and was five minutes late. Once again, we didn't have that many kids. I only had six in my group today, and I think there were 19 younger ones all together. At least they were better-behaved in the bathroom today. It was the library where there were problems. One of the boys grabbed another and knocked him off his chair while they were building with magnetic tiles. Later, one of the littlest girls ran over to me in tears. Another girl wanted to look at books instead of playing with her. I led her to the bristle blocks and built with her instead, assuring her that her friend was just doing something else, and she'd play with her later or tomorrow. 

When I got home, I went straight into dinner and Match Game Syndicated. Most of the episodes finished off the 1980 season opener week. Gene dragged out the guy who was supposed to be in the Audience Match box when he forgot and didn't open the question. Charles spent his first week back dodging jokes about the flop play he'd just appeared in and complaining about sitting "with the other patients."

Finished the night with Murder She Wrote. It's a "Deadline For Murder" when Jessica goes to argue with the nasty owner of a newspaper about a libelous article he printed on her, only to be pushed away. She later witnesses the man's death at a cocktail party when he keels over after drinking liquor. Turns out, the liquor was combined with a certain drug he took for his heart. Jessica's friend who wrote the original, non-libelous interview on her before having a heart attack convinces her to follow-up on his boss' death. 

Winter and Taxes

First of all, I awoke to a white world. Everything was covered with shiny whiteness...but the street. Though the street was cleared here, it's more than likely it hasn't been elsewhere. Oaklyn is the best local town at cleaning up the streets after a major weather disaster. The Collingswood School District was closed today, and I was already off the Acme until Wednesday. I went nowhere but home today.

Started things off with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Millie and Melody want their Aunt Minnie to play with them, but she's too busy setting up "Minnie's Winter Bow Show." They accidentally make a mess of the decorations, then run out. Minnie follows them into the Glove Balloon, which ends up taking them to the top of Mistletoe Mountain. They have to help Snow Fairy Clarabelle find her snowflakes, then retrieve her reindeer to pull a sleigh that will take them back to Minnie's show. On the way, they help a family of yeti get across a frozen pond.

Moved to Remember WENN after breakfast. Betty's left wondering "Who's Scott Sherwood?" after Victor's major revelations during "In the WENN Small Hours." So is Rollie Pruitt, who has caught wind of Scott's memorial scheme and fired him. The others rise to Scott's defense and end their shows. Betty's not sure he's worth defending, especially after Scott finally confesses how he really got his station manager job.

Betty and Mackie are dealing with the fallout in "The New Actor." While Betty tries to negotiate with Pruitt to get Mackie a raise, Jeff insists on returning to London after hearing one of Jonathan Arnold's (Victor) broadcasts. Now WENN is so short on help, Mackie's playing roles with himself. They're desperate to hire anyone...but Betty's not sure the very familiar former con-artist they end up hiring is worth a second chance. 

After breakfast, I moved to Turbo Tax to get that done. This is slightly more complicated with two jobs, but still nothing that takes more than an hour. I still own no property and have no dependents. Thanks to that second job, I'll only be getting about $470 back from Federal and $40 from the state. That's nowhere near what I usually get, but any kind of money is better than none. 

Switched to Tubi for a double feature of two wacky winter comedies from the 80's and early 90's after I took my laundry downstairs. Ski Patrol  is a pretty typical slobs vs snobs teen comedy from 1990. The ski patrollers are in charge of the mountain run at Pop's (Ray Walston) resort. The land is coveted by a smarmy developer (Martin Mull) who wants to build a much larger and more lavish resort. He hires a group of jealous ski instructors to sabotage the ski patrol and make the resort look bad to the local Forest Ranger (Deborah Rose). After they're stretched too thin and the Ranger sees their mistakes, the Forest Service is ready to shut them down...unless they can find a way to prove that they're not the ones wrecking havoc on the mountain. Meanwhile, the patrollers have to deal with a very strange hard rock nut named Suicide (Sean Gregory Sullivan) who wears two masks to represent his dual-sided personality and the short head of the patrol (Leslie Jordan) they're constantly making fun of.

I'm not surprised this came from the creators of the Police Academy franchise. It's basically a less raunchy Police Academy on skis with a great cast. In addition to Walston, Jordan, and Mull, we have comedian T.K Carter as resident singer and karaoke-machine owner Iceman, George Lopez as the Hispanic explosions expert Eddie Martinez, and future director Paul Feig as hapless Stanley, who tried and failed seven times to get on the Ski Patrol. My sisters and I used to love this when it turned up a lot on cable in the early 90's. It's still a lot of fun if you're looking for something goofy and not much else or are a fan of Police Academy-style slapstick ensemble comedies.

Hot Dog - The Movie has a little of the authentic ski bum flavor that Ski Patrol lacks. In this case, the focus switches from the ski patrol to skiing competitions. Harkin Banks (Patrick Houser) is on his way to Squaw Valley, California for a major ski festival when he picks up 17-year-old runaway Sunny (Tracy Smith). They're both disgusted with Rudi Garmisch (John Patrick Reger), a spoiled hot shot European skier who has won all the major awards. Despite excellent performances by Harlin and veteran skier and bar-owner Dan O'Callahan (David Naughton), it looks like he might take this one too...until Dan challenges him and his entourage to a winner-takes-all free-for-all downhill race. Now Dan, Harlin, and their friends have to avoid Rudi and his cheating to prove who the real "hog dogs" on the mountain are.

This movie is way better than it has any right to be. Naughton, Reger, and Shannon Tweed steal the movie as the veteran skier who joins the Championship for one more day in the sun, the spoiled European champ, and the (slightly) older woman who seduces Harlin at first. The Japanese skier (James Saito) is pretty stereotypical, but he's also portrayed as a member of the gang who takes part in most of the same antics as the others. The ladies, especially Smith, don't always come off the best either. Ski culture, on the other hand, is portrayed so authentically, this was a surprise hit in 1984 and remains a favorite of a lot of real skiers to this day. If you're also a skiing fan and can handle more sex than usual for one of these teen comedies, this is definitely worth checking out the competition for.

Switched to Buzzr for Match Game Syndicated next after I finally brought my laundry upstairs and put it away. We had a first for game shows in these episodes as blind contestant Glenn and his beautiful service dog Princess competed. Betty White adored Princess and helped take good care of her. Meanwhile, Eva Gabor was a trooper when she talked about how another contestant had accidentally kicked her toe and taken off her toenail, and she said she now had a cheaper pedicure.

Listened to the Wicked: For Good soundtrack after dinner while working on Once Upon a Time in the Land of WENN. I haven't a single clue as to why this got such horrible reviews. The performances are still fabulous, especially from Ariana Grande as Glinda. The mix of practical and CGI effects still look gorgeous. The show's big ballad, "As Long as You're Mine," can be found here, and we have two decent new songs, "The Girl In the Bubble" and "There's No Place Like Home." I'm wondering if the critics were expecting it be just as lighthearted as the first half...and were shocked to find it most definitely isn't. If you're a fan of the show or of The Wizard of Oz and don't mind the darker take on this franchise, or you loved the first movie, this is absolutely worth checking out too.

I finally got further on Land of WENN. Duchess Hilary Booth's husband Duke Jeffrey Singer just returned to Londchester to help with the war against the Shadow Realm there. Not only does she miss him terribly, but she's upset that Elizabeth (Betty) Roberts and her acting troupe are moving on the Parched Mountains too to find the Earth Talisman and staff. She's even more shocked when a woman dressed in an icing-colored dress arrives at the Bedside Manor stage, claiming she's Pavla Nemcova, Jeff's new wife. Scott Sherwood, the shadowy head of the Rebel Society, knows Pavla is really an evil Candy Witch who may have harmed Jeff, and he knows what she really wants...an audition with a major producer. 

Finished the night at YouTube with spelling and word games after I made the bed. Two of the major champs in this genre remain Password and Match Game. They're simple, addictive, and a lot of fun to play along with. We have three examples here, with Password Plus from 1981 and Super Password from 1987 and one of the funniest episodes from the first year of the revived Match Game in 1973. 

Another word and spelling game champ is Scrabble, and it's another one that's seen a recent revival. Chuck Woolery is the host of the original version from 1986 that had people calling for letters and unscrambling words. The Pyramids are a bit simpler. Celebrities help contestants guess a certain category by naming object or people in that category. I have a rather infamous episode of $100,000 Pyramid from 1991 where soap star Stuart Damon has to figure out what to say for "Things That are Stiff" that won't get them taken off the air. John Davidson is the amiable host here.

Not all word games are massive hits. Smush debuted on USA in 2001 and didn't even last a year. This game is so simple, the contestants play in a set that resembles a living room of the time, and the audience is mostly on the floor or couches. Three contestants have to decide what smushed phrase two clues make, like "Karen Allen Ludden." Ken Ober is certainly no stranger to casual pop-culture based games and has a lot of fun with the material, but it might be a little too casual and low-budget to make much of an impression.

Have fun describing words, guessing phrases, and describing the category with these heart-pounding and hilarious word and spelling games!

Match Game (1973)

Password Plus (1981)

Scrabble (1986)

Super Password (1987)

$100,000 Pyramid (1991)

Smush (2001)

Pink Cookies for a Blue Lady

Began the morning with breakfast and Doc McStuffins. Lambie gets jealous when Doc pays more attention to her new heart toy Val than her on Valentine's Day in "My Huggy Valentine." Doc assures her that she'll always be her favorite girl, no matter how many toys she gets. As a teddy bear collector with allergies, I really appreciate "Dusty Bear." Doc can't figure out why her brother Donnie won't play with his beloved bear Teddy B, until she realizes how dusty he is. A good spin in the wash eliminates the dust and keeps Donnie from sneezing.

Pluto is frustrated when no one at the garage will play with him in Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures. Mickey accidentally tosses his Frisbee into a tree in the park, knocking out a bird's nest. The three baby seagulls become attached to their "Papa Pluto." Pluto quickly learns a lesson in responsibility when  he has to keep the trio from wrecking havoc in the garage, then find their mother. The Happy Helpers are "Happy Valentine Helpers" when they roll out their trailer to make Valentines for everyone. Daisy thinks that a huge order is from Donald and uses the Super Charger to make him something incredible. They both learn it's the thought that counts when he rescues her after her gift goes out of control.

I wanted to make the strawberry-white chocolate chip cookies for Valentine's Day next, but I put too much oil in. They ended up spreading too much and looking more like strawberry pancakes. Oh well. I'd still give them to my niece and nephew, to a neighbor's daughter, and to a friend and her daughter. 

Rounded up my Valentine's cards that go out in the mail and the treat bags for Khai and Finley (along with the pet treats for their dogs and cats I forgot at Christmas) and headed out for a short walk. Dropped the cards in the mail box, then strolled down West Clinton to Common Grounds Coffee House. By 4 PM, they were full to capacity with college students doing homework and friends chatting over lattes. I ended up in a chair by the door. At least I was able to eat my small spinach feta pastry and most of the banana, and the Violet London Fog tea drink wasn't too sweet and did indeed taste of violet. 

Headed back to the White Horse Pike after I dropped the bag of goodies at Rose's front steps. I realized I'd forgotten three cards, so I stopped at Family Dollar. Thankfully, there was no trouble this time, despite it being almost as busy as the coffee house. I went in, got three cards for my neighbor, my friend, and her daughter, and got out.

By the time I was back on the White Horse Pike, snow had begun to drift softly down from the slate-gray sky. Though it wasn't windy, it was very cold, barely in the 30's. Between the weather and the fact that my stomach is still off, this was no day to linger. I went straight home. 

Went online and watched the 1947 movie New Orleans next. I go further into this historical romance about Louis Armstrong and the birth of the blues in the Big Easy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

New Orleans (1947)

Watched Match Game '91 when the movie ended. The first week of 1991 brought Charles Nelson Reilly back from vacation, along with Tom Villard and Pam Stone. Sally Struthers plugs her role as the voice of businesswoman and single mom Rebecca Cunningham in one of my favorite cartoons of the early 90's, the Disney action comedy Tale Spin. 

Got a call while the show was on. It was from the JC Penney at the Cherry Hill Mall. I'd applied for a receptionist job at their hair salon. Apparently, it was already closed, but they were interested in me for a saleswoman job. No. Absolutely not. Nice of them, but I want out of retail period. I don't mind manning their desk, but I'm not selling anything. I told her to keep me in mind if another receptionist job opened. 

Switched to Lost In Boston III while working on the New Orleans review. I love the Lost In Boston CD series, which covers songs that were cut from shows that made Broadway. By far my favorite here is the hilarious "Mama's Talkin' Soft" from Gypsy, performed by two little girls as in the original concept. This fast-paced number basically says Louise and June have seen their mother seduce guys and likely will again, and it's so good, it's since been restored to several productions. Other good numbers include "Travelin' Light" from Guys and Dolls, "Older and Wiser" from Bye Bye Birdie, "Big Fat Heart" from Seesaw, and the touching "Pink Taffeta Sample Size 10" from Sweet Charity. 

Finished the night with The Very Best of Vaughan Monroe. Though Monroe and his band were active well into the 50's, they did most of their best work during and after the war years. Among his hits were his theme "Racing With the Moon," the ballad "Red Roses for a Blue Lady," "Dance, Ballerina, Dance," "Ghost Riders In the Sky," and the later "The Duckworth Chant." Today, he's probably best-known for introducing the holiday standard "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" 

Oh, and as Monroe pointed out, it has indeed continued to snow for most of the evening. I was feeling a bit blue myself about the cookie mess, my upset stomach, the job rejection, and a few other things, which made the arrival of my tax return today very welcome. I probably won't have the time to do much with it until next week, but I do need a new cell phone.

And I have no intention of seeing the Eagles parade in Philly on Friday. I've taken enough time off work lately, the floral department manager will need the help, and I'm not up to wandering around among the crowds. Not to mention, I really have no desire to get crushed, and public transportation will probably be packed to the rafters. 

Sunshine and Taxes

Began the morning with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. "Who's Afraid of the Big Eclipse?" Everyone in town when Billy Dog forgets to give the local paper part of the article his astrologist mother wrote on the coming celestial event. Billy and the other kids in town hand out the other half of the paper to calm the citizens down. Greek sheep Toula and her father discover how to "Hold Your Breath!" when they go treasure hunting underwater in ancient Greece. Huckle, Lowly, and Sprout are "Pumpkin Heads" who have entries in the county fair's pumpkin contest. After their pumpkins get damaged, they have to put their heads together and decide what else they can enter.

Took my laundry downstairs after the cartoon ended, then spent the next 40 minutes doing my taxes. I always try to get my paperwork out the day tax season begins. It doesn't take me long using Turbo Tax. I have one part-time job, own no property, and have no dependents. I'm getting about $880 and $49 from the state after I pay them. That's far less than I got last year, but I made a lot less this past year, too. After I finished my taxes, I went through papers that accumulated on top of my printer and put those away.

Got my laundry in the dryer and took out the trash and recycling, then went for a walk. It was too nice of a day to hang out inside! It jumped into the lower 40's today, with sunny bright blue skies and a nice breeze. Perfectly normal and pleasant weather for South Jersey in late January. There were a lot of people out and about, including three women chatting on a corner while one walked her dog.

Stopped at Dollar General first. I'm almost out of laundry detergent. The Arm & Hammer stain fighting bottle came with slightly more per wash than Tide. Needed granola bars, too. Grabbed chocolate fudge cake mix and cherry pie filling for a recipe I wanted to try later. 

Strolled across town for lunch. I was in the mood for decent food, not greasy or fried. I ended up at Common Grounds Coffee House. Despite it being almost 2 PM when I got there, they were busy with older women chatting in groups and college kids working on laptops. I had a cranberry muffin, the last slice of spinach-feta-pepper quiche, and a "dirty vanilla chai." The last-named turned out to be a coffee chai latte. It was ok, though I'm still not a really big coffee fan. 

I realized as I strolled up West Clinton that I forgot two things at Dollar General, and one was important. I ran out of computer paper while printing my tax return. Headed to Family Dollar a few blocks down the White Horse Pike to pick up the paper and an aluminum pan for my cake project. Treated myself to Red Velvet Reeces Cups while I was there, too. (They weren't bad, but I tasted more chocolate and peanut butter than red velvet.)

Did a few chores when I got home, including taking the recycling down to the curb and bringing my laundry upstairs, then made my cake project. I decided to try a simpler "dump cake" after my orange soda cake didn't come out so well last week. "Dump cakes" are recipes that require dry ingredients to be dropped on the wet ones, rather than mixed in. I did use butter on the cake mix, and I really should have bought two cans of cherry pie filling. Other than that, my Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake came out very well, very chocolatey and just sweet enough.

Spent the next few hours finishing the Children's album inventory. Got in everything from The Rescuers book and record through Yankee Doodle Mickey, along with my only children's CD set, a 2-disc collection of fairy tale readings. Most of these go pretty far back. The Story of Johnny Appleseed book and record is one of the original 65 albums from my late first stepmother Kaye that Dad gave me in 2006. She was a huge fan of Dennis Day, and he sings all the songs there. Yankee Doodle Mickey, Mickey Mouse Splashdance, Robin Hood, and my Sword and the Stone with the cool pop-up book were yard sale finds in 2011. 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. I might start the jazz and vocalists inventory, but I'm more likely to pick up that fairy tale about the young woman who tries to stop the Witch of Winter from ending spring. I've finally been getting some better ideas for it, now that we're getting closer to spring again. She now has a best friend, a half-human fire fairy who joins her. The rabbit who runs to Mother Nature isn't Sir Michael, but a feisty young prince the witch turned into a rabbit. Sir Michael was the prince's tutor, but he was bound to the shadows and stripped of his voice. 

Listened to records while I worked. The Gang's All Here is one of the many, many Sesame Street albums released in the 70's and 80's. I bought this one a while ago because I'd never heard of most of the songs listed here. In fact, the only number I was even a little familiar with is Cookie Monster's "If Moon Was Cookie." Cookie kicks off the album with "Me Gotta Be Blue," a hilarious spoof of bluesy Sinatra-esque anthems. There's also "We are All Monsters," Big Bird's sweet "Next to You," and my favorite, Bert declaring "I'm Square."

The cool thing about that British 40 Walt Disney Originals set I picked up from Innergroove Records two years ago is the inclusion of many older songs you won't find on newer American collections. For instance, there's a jaunty Annette Funicello Sherman Brothers' number, "Dream Boy," I'd never even heard of before I found this set. There's also three songs from the rare animated-live action hybrid So Dear to My Heart, "Stick-It-Tivity," "It's What'cha Do With What'cha Got," and "County Fair," and three from The Rescuers, "The Journey," "Rescue Aid Society," and "Tomorrow Is Another Day." "Maggie's Theme" is actually "For You, For Always" from the original 1961 Parent Trap.

Watched Match Game Syndicated while I finished the inventory and ate dinner. I came in for the week with Scoey Mitchilll, Dolly Martin, and Debralee Scott. The panelists for the next week were all either currently game show hosts (Dick Martin, Bill Cullen, Peter Marshall) or would be in the 80's (Betty White, Elaine Joyce) except for Brett Somers.

Finished the night with more syndicated game shows, these made for the syndicated market. Syndicated shows go way far back to the 50's, when newly-minted independent stations looked to fill airtime with anything they could find. By the late 60's, there were dozens of shows out there filling that market. Most of them, like Win With the Stars, barely lasted a year. Allen Ludden hosted this musical show where celebrities sang standards to contestants and helped them guess the song. If viewers at home had the number of points that the two groups won on a card, they too might win prizes.

Later syndicated shows had way more fun. Celebrity Bowling is what it says on the tin. Two teams of stars play each other in a typical bowling alley to earn prizes for viewers at home. This is way better than you might think, especially if you are a bowling fan. Richard Dawson and Bob Newhart play Gavin McLeod and character actor John Ericson in the 1971 episode I have here. This wound up being a long-running success, going until 1978.

The Crosswits was another long-running hit in syndication, going from 1975 to 1980. Four celebrities help two contestants figure out the subject of a crossword puzzle in what amounts to Crossword Plus. I really think this one is a lot of fun and wish more of it was available online. Jack Clark was the gentlemanly host.

My sisters and I loved Dance Fever as kids. This began in 1979 as a competition for disco dancers, basically an early form of Dancing With the Stars with celebrities as judges rather than performers. The first few years were hosted by choreographer Deney Terrio. By the time of this 1986 episode, Adrien Zmed of Grease 2 was the host, and the dancing had diversified way beyond disco. I personally prefer the 40's jazz dancers here, but Pat Sajak, Joanna Kerns, and Wally Joyner seem more impressed with the country step-dancers. 

Split Second was the 1986-1987 Canadian revival of a game show from 1972. Monty Hall asks contestants a question with three possible answers. The contestants have to give the right answers. I found an episode from early in the run, when it was still largely being shown in Canada. I'm glad Buzzr picked this one up; it's a fun show that deserves more of an audience down here in the US.

Not all syndicated trivia shows went over that well or were as enjoyable as even Split Second. 100% from 1999 is about the driest and cheapest trivia show you can possibly imagine. A narrator (Casey Kasem) reads a series of yes and no or true and false questions. At the end of the episode, whomever has the highest percentage of questions right wins the most money. The contestants are told their score throughout the show, but not which one has what score. Though it did well enough in its native England, it came off as chintzy, silly, and mind-bogglingly dull in the US. No wonder it sold to seven markets and didn't last a year. 

Check out more of the best from syndication with these rare delights!

Win With the Stars (1968)

Celebrity Bowling (1971)

The Cross-Wits (1977)

Dance Fever (1986)

Split Second (1987)

100% (1999) 

Taxes and Games

I had just enough time this morning for breakfast and an episode of Green Eggs and Ham before I left. Having escaped the two officers, Sam and Guy end up working at a carnival to make money for the next leg of their journey. EB and Michellee are also at the carnival after EB accused her mother of not knowing how to have fun. While mother and daughter do learn that even the wildest rides can be enjoyable, Guy accidentally wrecks the ride he was working on, ending with him and Sam getting fired. They barely manage to escape with the Chickagriffe, and thanks to EB's tiny coin, now have the money to mail themselves in a "Box" on the next leg of their journey.

Absolutely no difficulty with Uber today. Both the morning and afternoon drivers arrived in four minutes and got to and from the Acme in five. No traffic anywhere.

Wish work was that easy. I was supposed to be in the floral department, but the store is still getting ready for the arrival of those corporate bigwigs. They brought in managers from other stores to make bouquets and do the organizing. I tried to help, but I mostly felt like I was in the way. One manager would tell me to do something, and then another would tell me to do something else, and then another would want me to do something totally different. I tried to help with the balloons, but I'm still no good at twisting the smaller ones, and I just couldn't seem to put them where anyone wanted them. I was overwhelmed and frustrated the entire four hours. And I stayed a little later to figure out where to put a box of unused animal vases, which meant I was late getting out.

Went straight into doing my taxes when I got home. This is a very simple process for me. I own no property, have no dependents, and work at one part-time job. Turbo Tax did most of the work. I'm getting about $940 back after paying them, a little less than last year. I'm actually getting a little bit more from the state, about $69. The entire process took less than an hour. 

Did some stuff online for a while, then broke for dinner and Match Game '79. Daryl started things off nervously helping the contestant with "__ Fare" on the Head to Head. There's more trouble later when a lot of panelists complain about Ira not matching "baby" and "litters." The second begins with Gene "playing" his microphone like a flute in honor of a high school marching band in the audience and Daryl showing off his long Pinnochio putty nose. Gene spends the rest of the episode playing around with a saw someone left on the set.

Finished the night at YouTube with picture and puzzle game shows. The big winner among puzzle-based shows is Concentration. This one began in 1958 as a cross between Memory and a rebus board. Contestants choose two numbers from the board; if the prizes underneath match, they reveal two more pieces of the rebus. Once they reveal enough, they can guess the rebus and win the prizes. The original show went from 1958 to 1974 and remains one of the longest-running shows on daytime TV. I went with one of the earliest episodes known to exist from around 1959 featuring original host Hugh Downs.

Other puzzle shows from the 60's didn't have nearly that much luck. The Face Is Familiar from 1966 has two celebrities helping their partners unscramble photos in order to guess the famous celebrity or guess whose eyes or nose appears onscreen. Kind of fun to play along if you know the era. Too bad this was only a summer replacement show with four episodes existing today, including the premiere I have here.

Later puzzle shows got a lot wilder. Whew! from 1979 incorporated strategy and trivia into its complicated game that had one person placing blocks on a huge board, and the other having to place the right word in a question as they go up the rows. The strategically-placed blocks make people lose time. Winners go on to the "Gauntlet," a row of 10 Hanna Barbara-designed cardboard villains holding monitors with replace-the-word questions. If a person can run the gauntlet and get the answers, they win $25,000. Despite being a heck of a lot of fun to watch, this doesn't seem to have ever worked, on CBS during its original run or during its brief run on Buzzr. It's a creative game that deserves a lot more than either network gave it.

The syndicated Catch Phrase from 1985 is another puzzle show I wish had gone over better. In this variation on Concentration, people had to guess what a robot was doing on a computer  screen. If they could guess the catch phrase, they'd be able to ask for numbers on a larger screen that would reveal a Super Catch Phrase. The bonus game had them guessing five Catch Phrases in a row on a bingo-type board. This one was a far bigger hit in England. It started there in 1986 and has run off and on ever since.

Kids got in on the puzzles with the Nickelodeon show Get the Picture from 1991. This variation on connect-the-dots had kids guessing trivia in order to connect the dots and guess the photo. "Power Surges" have picture guessing games or physical stunts that are worth extra money. The second round was more like Catch Phrase, with the kids choosing squares. I vaguely remember seeing this one on Nickelodeon when it was new. I liked it, but it wasn't my favorite, and it still comes off as a little dry today despite the goofy stunts.

Pictureka, which aired on what was then known as the Hub in 2010, is a far more fun variation on this. Two kids and a parent chase after pictures hidden among other objects in a stadium. This was so cute. I wish Nickelodeon or someone else would take another crack at it. It was fun to watch the moms and their kids run around that studio, looking for penguin stand-up artwork and other hidden pictures.

Of course, there's other types of puzzles. Win, Lose, or Draw is also based on a board game. It simply had two celebrities and a contestant drawing pictures in order to get those sitting down to guess the subject. This game and its variations were huge in the late 80's, and the game shows also went over well. Original host Bert Convy is in the episode I have here, along with Normal Fell, Jennifer Savidge, actual artist Dick Gautier, and Anne Bloom of Not Necessarily the News. 

Fast Draw was the earliest known celebrity art show from 1968. Here, two celebrities stand behind a drawing board and try to get their contestant partner to guess what they're drawing. Fast paced and fun, I'm surprised this one didn't make it out of '68. Long-time Jeopardy announcer Johnny Gilbert gets a rare shot at hosting here. 

Beat the midwinter blues solving puzzles and figuring out what that drawing represents in these challenging games!

Concentration (1959)

The Face Is Familiar (1966)

Fast Draw (1968)

Whew! (1979)

Catch Phrase (1985)

Win, Lose, or Draw (1987)

Get the Picture (1991)

Pictureaka (2010)

Taxed Out

I was so worn out, I didn't wake up until noon. Finished Blood Orange Brewing in bed and wrote in my journal until almost 1:30. Had brunch while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The gang is looking forward to "Mickey's Art Show" held at the Clubhouse, but Goofy doesn't know what type of art he wants to make. Minnie and Donald try to teach him how to sculpt, Daisy to paint, and Mickey to draw. Goofy's art never seems to come out the way he wants...but it's Clarabelle who finally teaches him that the important thing is to make your own style and have fun with it.

The rain continued to come down, even as I ate breakfast. I finally decided I'd sat inside for way too long. Grabbed my umbrella and my now-dry winter coat and went for a walk. The walk was a good idea. The umbrella...was not. Not only was the rain slowing down even as I took out the trash, but the wind was insane. It kept trying to snatch my umbrella away or blow it inside-out. Thankfully, neither happened. The worst was my hands were cold when I arrived at CVS.

For some reason, CVS is the only store where I can find the brush pick refills I use. I also grabbed a Diet Mountain Dew, since I don't often see those around, either. I hoped they would have Valentine's decorations, but they only had candy-filled hearts, bags of candy, and stuffed animals. They were having good sales on Nature's Valley granola bars, but they were out of the ones I like. 

Considered ordering lunch somewhere, but while the rain ended by the time I got out, it remained cold, cloudy, and windy. It was no day for lingering. I just went home, joining a few groups of children and their parents on their way back from school crossing over the White Horse Pike thanks to a crossing guard. 

Went straight upstairs when I got home and into lunch. After I ate, I did my taxes. I had a little trouble getting into TurboTax. I changed my laptop since I did my taxes last year, and I no longer had the password saved. I had to reset it. After that, it was smooth sailling. Took me an hour. I have no dependents, own no property, and work at one job. I don't even have the interest on my school loans anymore. I paid them off in early 2021. 

Broke for dinner at 7 PM and to finally take the laundry downstairs. Watched one of the best episodes of Match Game Syndicated while I ate. Ginger, the contestant from Friday, gave such a weird answer to "Cuckoo __" in the Head-to-Head, it sent Gene Rayburn spinning the Star Wheel, yelling "Run for your lives!" while the panel fell over each other laughing behind him. Poor Robert Walden, who was supposed to match her, just looked embarrassed. According to Bill Daily in Match Game 101, everyone laughed so hard, they had to stop taping. (And not only did Gene remember the incident for the rest of his life, but Bill recalled it pretty clearly too, even 40 years later.)

Things were only slightly more sane in the second episode. In the opening, they discussed how Robert had been Charles' student in acting class, and how much Charles did for him. (Charles' other students included Lily Tomlin, Gary Burghoff, and Liza Minnelli, whom Robert mentions. And interestingly, research revealed that Walden himself is now a well-regarded acting teacher.) There's also the production assistant who models what a high slit skirt is to the panel, and Elaine Joyce helping the winner with "Give __" in the Head to Head. Joyce Bulifant made a rather nice strawberry blonde here. 

Finished the night with Hollywood Cavalcade after a shower and putting the laundry in the dryer. Mike Connors (Don Ameche) is struck by Molly Adair (Alice Faye) when he sees her in a Broadway play in 1913. He invites her out to Hollywood to make a movie for him. Turns out he's a glorified prop boy, but what he really wants to do is direct. He coerces the producer Lyle P. Stout (Donald Meek) into giving him his chance. The planned action drama turns into comedy when a pie lands in Molly's kisser. Now Mike and Molly are making wacky comedies that end with her being covered in custard.

Mike, however, is full of himself and his talents and hard to deal with. After he gets fired for filming bathing beauties instead of melodrama, he and Molly start their own studio. Now he can film pratfalls and custard pies to his heart's content. Seeing Molly's talent, he finally puts her into a drama. She's in love with him, but is tired of his obsession with films and ends up marrying her leading man Nick Hayden (Alan Curtis) instead. Mike loses both his studio and his talent. After he's fired from every major studio in Hollywood, Molly and Nick insist he direct their latest picture. He's just as impossible there as he was in his own place...until tragedy and the release of The Jazz Singer makes him reassess his relationship with her and with the art form they both love. 

The first half, with the spot-on recreations of Keystone Cops, custard pie fights, and bathing beauties sunning on rocks, is both hilarious and a fairly accurate recreation of the era. The Technicolor production is gorgeous - it even fades into black and white during the Keystone Cops shorts. It's in the second half, when the melodrama comes to the fore, that this loses momentum and interest. 

It's also where it becomes painfully obvious that they're not going for realism. No one's clothes, male or female, reflect the 10's and 20's in any way, and other than some of the background songs from the time, it looks like it could have been set when it was made in 1939. Too bad, because Faye and Ameche are decent as the Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand-esque director and star, and J. Edward Bromberg is excellent as Mike's devoted assistant Dave who later becomes Molly's manager.  We even have Buster Keaton and several real-life Keystone Cops taking part in the comedy sequences and Al Jolson recreating a scene from The Jazz Singer. 

(Oh, and this is not a musical. No one sings a note, not even Faye. I think they lost a major opportunity here. This might have made a rather nice musical, an early Mack and Mabel with a happier ending. The plot isn't that far removed from some of the later Faye and Betty Grable films.)

I'm going to say this is really only for fans of Faye, Ameche's early work, or silent films. Everyone else is better off sticking with the musicals that featured this pair or the action drama In Old Chicago. 

Tax Woman

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and a blast from the past. I haven't watched The Backyardigans in ages. The first two seasons are currently on Paramount Plus. I went with one of the few episodes I never found in DVD form, "Quest for the Flying Rock" from the first season. Tasha, Uniqua, Pablo, and Tyrone find a map that least to a magical rock that'll allow the bearer to fly. They split the map in two, with the girls trekking through the jungle, and the boys making their way across the dusty desert, dodging obstacles along the way.

Went straight into doing my taxes after I finished with breakfast. This is a far easier process for me than for most people. I own no property and have no dependents. I just needed to add the money from the final stimulus check in May and the last of the interest from my now-ended college payments to Turbo Tax. Took me less than an hour. Apparently, the state of New Jersey isn't processing until tomorrow, but the Federal returns are going in now. Looks like I should be getting around 1,000 back, on par with what I got last year and far more than I got in the previous three or four years before that. 

Looked at apartments next. Still nothing. Everything is either too expensive or too far. The only person who has offered me a room is an old high school friend who lives in Cape May. She's a nice woman, and I do remember her aunt and uncle's home in Cape May is lovely, but it's too far, I haven't seen her in years, and I really don't want to live in Cape May County. It would only be if I was desperate. Most government housing assistance is focused on the elderly or those who were impacted by the virus, not single working people like me. 

Tried to concentrate on writing, but I'm having a hard time focusing. There's just too much going on right now. I go back and read what I've written instead of progressing. It's really frustrating. I want to finish Blank In Wonderland and I have plenty of ideas, but it's just not coming out. 

Broke at 12:30 for an banana-orange smoothie for lunch and Match Game '74. Brett's jokes about her and Gene spending time at a motel in Encino dates back to this episode. They weren't, but it made her feel better after her rough divorce/separation from Jack Klugman to say so. Meanwhile, we have dueling Howard Cosell imitations (including from Patti Deutsch) and everyone tries to figure out the Audience Match for "__ Climber." 

Switched to the original My Little Pony on The Roku Channel as I got ready for work. The Ponies are initially delighted to say "Baby, It's Cold Outside!" when it suddenly snows in the middle of summer. They eventually realize this isn't normal, and it's destroying their home. Turns out the source is The Penguin King, who wants to destroy anyone who can't withstand cold weather. It takes his own compassionate son Edgar to make him understand that compassion is far more important for a ruler than a cold heart.

Tossed in an episode of Bluey since I had a little time before work. Bluey sends her little sister Bingo a video while she's in the hospital. "Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound' has Bluey as a little girl who wants a puppy (her cousin Socks). She's devastated when her friend takes ill, but the only way it'll recover is to give up her purple underwear and find someone who has never been sick. The latter is easier said than done...bringing Bluey to the conclusion that everyone gets sick once in a while, and more to the point, they'll recover.

Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. It was chilly and breezy, but sunny, and I was only working for four hours anyway. Figured I'd be fine riding to work. Though I was originally listed as being a bagger, I pushed carts for a half-hour before they pulled me to take customers. Admittedly, we did have long lines until about 5-5:30, after which it died so quickly, I was able to get off without a relief. Picked up cherry pie topping and Cool Whip for a recipe I want to try tomorrow, shampoo and conditioner, and a salmon fillet with a manager's coupon for dinner.

Changed into regular clothes, then put the salmon in the oven with roasted Brussels sprouts for dinner, along with whole wheat bow tie pasta. Watched Match Game '78 while I ate. Gene's thrilled to kiss gorgeous young Judy Landers from Vega$ as a welcome.  Meanwhile, a young officer is defeated by a lady who gets help with "Run and __" from Nipsey in the Head-to-Head, and we have jokes about Betty handling an elephant on The Johnny Carson Show. 

Cleaned up from dinner while Match Game PM was on. Ironically, it was the nighttime episode for the just-seen Raymond Burr week. Gene tries playing matchmaker for the single contestants. Brett's more interested in flirting with the guy. Burr's a good player and has a voice that could read the phone book and make me happy, but he seemed rather confused by all the lunacy around him. Later on, Joyce Bulifant seemed reluctant to give the obvious answer for "Joyce __."

Went on YouTube for another German fairy tale movie after pulling Key Lime Cookies out of the oven. This one was a version of Snow White made for German TV in 1992. Here, Snow White is a bit younger than usual, and her best friend is the king's handsome and sweet court jester. The Huntsman wears armor constantly and won't admit to anyone what he looks like without it, and the Dwarfs knew Snow White's mother and mourn one of their own who wished to be more than he was. The second half sticks more closely to the original story, including the witch attacking Snow White before she brings the apple and her awakening by accident, not a kiss. The queen's ending is a bit lighter than either the original story or Disney's version, though. 

And...I lost two apartments. I was turned down for the Audubon duplex. Once again, I just don't make enough money. I'm not good enough, and I never will be. No matter how hard I try, how hard I work, how much money I put into savings, how much I try to explain what dire straights I'm in and what a good, quiet tenant I am, it just isn't enough. No one wants a good, quiet tenant who doesn't make real money. They want a rich tenant who can pay them. 

The realtor suggested I get Rose as a co-signer. I don't know how willing she'd be to do that. We're trying to make me more independent, not more reliant on her. Plus, she doesn't have a job right now. I'll ask her tomorrow and try to point out it's only temporary. 

Tax Woman

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. The father-daughter-in-law pair were finally upended by a young gentleman. He did very well in the Gold Run round, missing only one question. He'd just started with a father-in-law and son-in-law pair as the show ended.

Rose called just as I was rolling out of bed. I called her back, then went into my taxes. They were a lot more complicated this year! I got a second W2 for the money I inherited from Dad, and there was the temporary disability from the broken arm. Needless to say, it took me a lot longer to finish than usual. I can normally knock my taxes out in 20 minutes to an hour. It took me over an hour and a half to round up all that information. And I ended up paying the state money! At least Federal's giving me over 1,000. That'll help pay the state. 

After I sent it all out, I made a Raspberry-Squash Smoothie for lunch. Watched the tail end of Match Game '75 before switching to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Teacher Harriet tells O the Owl "You are Special" when he tries to imitate the other kids' talents. He does have a talent none of them do, though. Dan Sr. reminds his son that "Daniel Is Special" when they take a walk through the leaves and he collects a pile to make pictures.

Finally dashed to Jodie's side of the house while she was out to do my laundry. While the sun peeked in and out of silver clouds all day, it remained very windy and way to0 cold to hike to the laundromat. I threw the laundry into Jodie's machine and hurried back to my side of the house, before she came home.

Put on Ski Patrol as I returned and started Butterscotch Bread from one of my bread recipe books...and again when Tubi stopped and the Roku reset itself. Jerry Cramer (Roger Rose) is the laid-back head of the Ski Patrol, who operate out of the old ski lodge run by Pops (Ray Walston). His fellow patrollers include Iceman (T.K Cramer), who loves his karaoke machine, explosives expert Eddie Martinez (George Lopez), and lovely Ellen (Yvette Nipar) who teaches the beginner's classes. There's also Stanley (Paul Feig), who has tried out for the Ski Patrol seven years in a row without making it. Real estate magnate Sam Marris (Martin Mull) wants to build a gigantic ski resort in the area where Pops' lodge is. With the help of Cramer's snooty rival Lance (Corbin Timberbrook), he sabotages the Ski Patrol at every turn...until they all figure out what Marris is up to and band together to save the mountain they love. There's also the nutty guy with three personalities (Sean Gregory Sullivan) who has his own one-man rock band and keeps getting into trouble on the mountain. 

This is one of those wacky random comedies that used to show up constantly on cable in the early 90's. My family loved it then, but we were always big on the Police Academy movies, too. This is pretty much the same deal, but with skiing instead of cops. Interestingly, while it's never been on DVD to my knowledge, it does show up for streaming - it's on Amazon Prime for rent and purchase along with being free on Tubi. Not the most outstanding movie ever, but an amusing way to spend an afternoon if you have fond memories of those cable showings or are a big fan of the slobs vs. snobs comedies of the 80's and early 90's.

Jodie came in towards the end of the movie. Rose was calling me on her cell phone...and she wasn't happy. Why did I do my taxes now? They're too complicated for me to do on my own. Um, I've always done them on my own, with Turbo Tax, and no one has ever complained. Why didn't I wait for more paperwork to come in? Why didn't I wait for her, so we could figure it all out? Because I wanted to get it done and out of the way now. Why wait when you can get something done quickly and with a minimum of fuss? I didn't realize they aren't processing claims until February 12th. They usually take mine right away. 

Now she's more convinced then ever that I have something wrong with me. Something about compulsions. I should probably call Mrs. Stahl again. I tried a couple of times last year, but I never heard from her after April. I called her and gave her my cell phone number after I moved in July, and she never called me back. 

I called her back on my own phone. At least we did manage to figure out the bikes. I told her what I'd narrowed it down to, and she asked me to send her text messages with the model numbers and information. She also said she or Craig would drive me to work during the snowstorm we're supposed to get from Sunday night into Tuesday if I had to work on those days. 

By the time I got off with her, finally slid the bread into the oven, and retrieved my laundry, we'd switched to Press Your Luck. It was all about the ladies today - the one guy Whammied out early. They went back and forth in the second round, with one only winning because she hit a Windjammer cruise on her last turn.

Yes, I did text Rose the bike information she wanted after the show finished. I also checked my schedule for next week, which is usually up on the employee website by mid-Friday. Boy, did I get lucky. I've never been so happy to lose hours. I'm off on Monday and Tuesday along with next Friday. I do work 7 and 8 hour shifts all week except for Saturday, but I'll take it to avoid the weather. (And if the weather does get that bad, they may need me for 8 hours on Sunday anyway.) 

Got some writing in after sliding the bread out of the oven. Goodson not only won't lead them to Charles, he's ready to call his men. Gene is ready to throw him overboard...but Richard says there's someone who may be able to help...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. I set up Lentil and Root Vegetable Stew in the crock pot earlier. Enjoyed it while watching Match Game '74. Skipped ahead a bit to the next week with South American hunk Alejandro Rey and sweet Juliet Mills. While Gene sat down as an excited contestant related her life story, everyone else gave their answers to the "antipasto" question that wondered what Frankenstein would do if he were the only man in the world and Brett was the only lady. Foster Brooks' appearance on Match Game PM assured that there would be several drunk jokes...but he did get to try to help a lady win $7,500. 

For some reason, Sale of the Century jumped back to Varsity Week and skipped the first day. They picked up with a volleyball player, a cheerleader, and a football player. The volleyball player bought one of the Instant Bargains and won the Instant Cash and ultimately killed at the Speed Round. Unlike some of the adults the last few nights, he was easily able to pick up the Bonus Round cash.

Finished the night online, cheering myself up with vintage sitcoms from the 90's. I'd noticed earlier that Disney Plus just put Dinosaurs on their site. Used to love that show in the early 90's. Earl Sinclair, his wife Fran, their three children, and his mother may seem like your typical sitcom family, except for one detail. They're all dinosaurs, full body puppets created by the Jim Henson Workshop. Went with the first season episode "The Mating Dance." Fran is feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated after the hatching of her third child, rambunctious Baby. Earl re-learns the Mating Dance to put some spark back into their marriage.

The second season of Parker Lewis Can't Lose kicked off with "Father Knows Less." Parker's best friend Mikey is angry because his mother can't help him with a project to make a toaster and his father left the family six months before. All the other kids in school are working with their parents, including Parker and his sister Shelly. Parker pairs him with a kid having trouble in school, but Mikey's not having an easy time with him. Meanwhile, their principal Musso butters up the industrialist in charge of the show in the hope of getting a better job.

Family Matters began their second season with the creation of "Rachel's Place." Laura's thrilled when she gets a job at Leroy's, the local hangout...but being a waitress loses its luster when she has to work with clumsy Steve Urkel. Urkel's attempt to work the grill ends with the diner burning down. Rachel has been looking for a job and thinks running a diner would be a great idea...if she can get Carl and Harriet to loan her the money...

Rose is also having money problems on The Golden Girls. "Rose Fights Back" in the fifth season when her husband's pension is cut off and she can't find a second job because of her age. She goes to a popular investigative reporter to complain and try to get a job with him. He almost turns her away because of her age as well, but she finally convinces him to give her a chance. Meanwhile, Sophia is buying everything she can get her hands on in bulk after joining a local warehouse market, and it's driving the ladies crazy. 

Tax Woman

Kicked off the day with a quick breakfast and What's My Line? The panel really rolled today. Soupy Sales guessed that a woman was a flag man on a construction crew almost immediately. (And bless her! I hope she did well there.) It took them a little longer with the second man, but Arlene Francis finally figured out that the gentleman created a clam opening that could cut open a clam and get the meat out without switching utensils.

Work was absolutely dead this morning. I did do carts, but I also had plenty of time to clean up a spilled flower container, rounded up the outside trash and recycling, and sweep the store. At least it was nice when I was outside, breezy and chilly, but also sunny, with a lovely blue sky.

Went straight home after I finished. Read The Whole Town's Talking, then put on the first Valentine's Day special of the season while eating yogurt and celery with peanut butter for lunch. Bugs Bunny's Cupid Capers is a series of bits from various shorts tied together in a story that has Bugs insisting that an Elmer-like Cupid is meddling with the Toons' affairs. The DVD also includes two full shorts. "Holiday Highlights" is a spoof of popular holidays in the calendar, including Valentine's Day. "Past Perfumance" has Pepe La Pew pursuing a disguised cat at a movie studio after his scent clears out the director and crew.

Pulled up the seat on my bike, then headed out. Took the long way across Newton Lake Park. It was an absolutely glorious day for it, with the sun shining on the deep green waters and the wind blowing through the dried reeds and plants on the shore. I dodged plenty of people taking themselves or their dogs  out for a stroll and kids on their way home from school.

The Haddon Township Library was fairly busy when I arrived, too. A lot of people must have taken out DVDs earlier this week, because the return carts were overflowing. I shelved more than half the adult titles and couldn't fit in more. I was only there for about 45 minutes, not long enough to finish the cart, though I did get to most of it. The library only had two of Fannie's books in. I grabbed the non-holiday one, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven. Didn't take any movies out. I still haven't gotten through Downton Abbey, and there's other movies and shows I haven't watched yet at home, online and on disc.

Made a quick stop at Target on the way home. All I needed was conditioner. Went in, grabbed Pantene's curl formula, and went out.

My W2 arrived today, allowing me to finally finish my taxes. It takes me less than an hour. I own no property, have no dependents, only have one part-time job, and do it online. It went out and was accepted by the end of the night. I should have 900 dollars coming within the next few weeks.

Worked on writing for a little while after I finished. Marcia loves the dress Jo Ann (Worley) gave her that had been the Queen's. Bill is literally speechless. For once, it takes Charles and Richard's prompting to even get him to talk to her. Of course, once they get him going, he has a tendency to not stop...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching Match Game. Jo Ann Pflug, Betty White, and Bert Convy finished out their run with two episodes where Richard gave "hand" as an answer to the Audience Match "trench ___," leading everyone to spend the remaining show joking about the dangers of "trench hand." The young man on Sale of the Century continued his excellent run, winning the money on the bonus round with one minute to spare.

Finished the night with The Pirate. I go further into this cult swashbuckler, my second Judy Garland-Gene Kelly musical of the week, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - The Pirate

Tax Woman

Got up with enough time to have breakfast and watch a couple of especially action-packed She-Ra episodes. "The Sea Hawk" is a pirate who will work for anyone who will pay him, including the Horde. Adora takes passage aboard his ship and claims that he can't be free if he's working for Hordak. The pirate is forced to turn Adora over to Catra to save his ship...then rethinks his ideas of freedom when his crew claim they've lost self-respect.

Bow is jealous when "The Red Knight" swoops in and saves him and She-Ra from the Horde. The powerful knight can seemingly do anything, including beat Bow at the racing at the Rebels' Fair. Bow's ready to pack it in, until Kowl reminds him that there's a lot he can do too, including rescuing the Great Rebellion.

Work was steady for most of the day. I did do the inside trash to warm up a bit, but otherwise spent the majority of the day outside. Gathered carts and the outside trash and recycling and swept up the front patio. The carts did disappear quite a bit, but it wasn't that hard to round them up again. At least it was a nice day to work outside. While it was a bit breezy and colder, probably in the lower-mid 30's, it was also sunny and bright.

Since my W-2 finally arrived today, I was able to go right into finishing my taxes when I got home. My taxes usually take me about 20 minutes to an hour to file. I have one job, no dependents, and own no property. Thankfully, the e-mail with the code to send them out arrived promptly, allowing me to avoid all the drama I had with e-filing last year.

Broke for dinner at 7:30 after I finished yesterday's blog entry. Had leftover tacos while watching two Three Stooges shorts. Given I just did my own taxes, I figured "Income Tax Sappy" was appropriate. Shemp joins the other two as they create fake deductions to maximize their profits and please their older sister, who wants to buy a house. They're so happy with how things turn out, they do the same for others, at least until the IRS catches up with them. "Musty Musketeers" switches to medieval swashbuckling, as the guys must rescue the princess from a magician in order to be able to wed their sweethearts.

Finished the night with Skyscraper. Will Sawyer (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) was once a US Marine and a member of the FBI Special Forces, but is forced to retire after he loses his leg in an explosion. He's now a security consultant who is married, with a loving wife named Sarah (Neve Campbell) and twin daughter and son. He temporarily moves them to the top floors of an unfinished ultra-high-rise skyscraper in Hong Kong where he's reviewing security. He has total control over security in the building...making him the target of terrorist Kores Botha (Roland Moller) and his organization. They manage to steal the tablet that controls everything and set fire to one of the upper floors of the building. While Sarah and his son do manage to escape, Botha and his people keep his daughter as a hostage. Will has to figure out how to rescue her and get the tablet, before Botha does worse things to the metal monstrosity.

This did all right last year, but it was by no means a record breaker...and despite some nice action sequences, I mostly just thought it was boring. Johnson and Campbell's decent performances can't overcome a bland script and a cliched story that's basically Die Hard redux. I say try Rampage or Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle for better (and more fun) doses of The Rock. This is for hard-core fans of his only.

Taxing Afternoon

I slept in, then did a quick Three Stooges short while eating breakfast. Shemp, Moe, and Larry are "Income Tax Sappy" when their sister suggests taking a ton of loopholes on their tax forms. This nets them millions...until the IRS starts to catch wise and sends guys after them.

Managed to get some writing in before work. Pelleaon, a pale yellow fieldmouse, has taken Leia in. He provides companionship for her; she helps keep his house tidy in exchange for food. One day, he introduces her to his head officer and dear friend, Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn is a wealthy mole with exceptionally sleek blue-black fur and an air of sophistication. He's a retired commander living underground, still studying strategy,  history, and the arts. He's hoping to find a good companion in Leia...but he she has that temper...

Broke at 1 for lunch. Ran an episode of The Backyardigans to cheer me up after the trouble yesterday. What could chase your blues away more quickly than a good-natured clown? Anything, if you ask Ringmaster Tyrone in "The Best Clowns In Town." Clowns Uniqua, Pablo, and Austin have made him miss his train. They do everything they can to help him get to the city in time for the circus to start, including shoving him in a tiny car and shooting him out of a cannon!

It was just gloomy and gray when I headed out to work. Work was actually pretty busy. Though we're mainly supposed to get rain tomorrow, there's also a tiny bit of snow in the forecast. I doubt it'll do anything. Beyond most people saying it's only going to be an inch or less, it's once again too warm for it to stick to the main roads. Most people were still panicking. Today was also the end of a pretty big 4-day sale. While I did some bagging and returns, I was mostly outside doing carts. (Thankfully, with none of the problems I ran into yesterday.)

Walked to work, then walked home. (I'll mess with the bike tomorrow.) I had a good idea for dinner on the way down Manor. Instead of using the leftover taco meat in tortillas again, I decided to do my own version of Mark and Vanessa's taco salad. Replaced the bag of iceberg lettuce salad they likely used with spinach, chopped broccoli and cauliflower, shredded cheese, and cherry tomatoes. Made my own dressing by adding taco sauce, olive oil, and a tiny bit of molasses to the remaining liquid from heating up the taco meat. Oh, yum. It came out so nicely, just the perfect blend of flavors.

Did more Three Stooges while I ate. It's "A Stitch In Time" when they're furniture-makers who deliver their wares to a pretty client. They get the chance to be heroes when they discover that her house has been invaded by thieves. "Merry Mavericks" has them as vagrants who take a job guarding their boss' money. Local outlaws are determined to get that money...even if they have to dress as Native American ghosts and scare it out of the guys.

Played two more rounds of Lego Star Wars after dinner. "Dagobah" is another one of those really complicated rounds that take forever to play. I even got stuck at one point and started over. "Duel at Bespin" went even less well. Got three pieces from that one, but I kept jumping or falling off ledges as I followed Darth Vader and came up with no studs.

Finished the night online doing my taxes. Normally, this takes me about an hour. I work one job, own no property, and have no dependents. For some reason, it kept taking forever for the last e-mail with the code to send it out from TurboTax to arrive. I'd wait 20 minutes, get fed up, and get them to send another one. It did finally go out; while it was a little more than last year, it still wasn't anywhere near as much as previous years. Hopefully, it'll show up within the next two to three weeks.

Ran Forever Female while I worked. Beatrice Page (Ginger Rogers) is a popular Broadway actress whose stardom is on the wane, even as she keeps insisting she's 29. She and her producer ex-husband E.Harry Phillips (Paul Douglas) discover Stanley Crown (William Holden), a former fruit packer who writes in the wee hours, at a bar. They think his intimate play about a mother and her young adult daughter will be perfect for their next project...if he re-writes the daughter to be an older woman. He agrees to it to get it produced. Not everyone is happy with his decision. A young aspiring actress who keeps changing her name (Pat Crowley) has decided that she's perfect for the part of the daughter as it was originally written, and she won't take no for an answer. Meanwhile, she's developing a crush on Phillips, while it's quite obvious that Beatrice may have feelings for Stanley.

Basically All About Eve with a lighter, less biting tone. I like how well Holden, Douglas, and Rogers play off each other as the star who refuses to admit she's no longer an ingenue, her ex-husband who might actually still love her, and the wanna-be playwright who wants to figure out how to hold to both his vision and get the show onstage. Crawley, best known for her TV and stage work, does less well as the young woman desperate for stardom. (She would do far better on TV, where she was a mainstay in the 50's and 60's, and continues to pop up even today.)

Nothing you really need to go out of your way for, but if you're a fan of the cast, All About Eve, or stories about the theater, this is worth checking out on TCM or from made-to-order company Olive Films.

Sunny Day at Home

Began a sunny day with one of two Remember WENN episodes to spoof popular old movies. Radio station WENN's head writer Betty Roberts is coerced to reading a new play "From the Pen of Gertrude Reece," the station's harried receptionist. The play is a take on Casablanca, with Betty as Ilsa, cheerful organist Eugenia as Sam, mercenary actor/manager Scott Sherwood as Rick, former manager Victor Comstock as Victor Lazlo, Maple LaMarsh as the cafe singer, Mackie Bloom as Major Renault, Mr. Eldridge as the German waiter, Jeff as the matre'd, his ex-wife Hilary as a bar customer, C.J the Technician as the bartender, and Mr. Foley as a Nazi. A sponsor has two letters of "transmit" that'll allow free passage from the country. Trouble is...as with the real Casablanca, Gertie can't figure out an ending for her play. She and Hilary suggest a few before Betty decides Gertie would be better off figuring out her own ending.

I ended up spending most of the day on the computer or the phone. I tried calling Camden County again. I still got either hold or voice mail. This is ridiculous. I'm going to try again on Monday, then just let it lapse. Started my birth certificate, but realized I didn't have some of the information. I e-mailed Mom; haven't heard from her yet. I'll call Dad tomorrow.

I've been organizing and adding two a few more Pinterest boards.Since the trio from the Original Trilogy and the current one had boards, I figured it made sense to give Padme, Anakin, and Obi-Wan from the Prequels their own board as well. (Especially since I'm hoping to do my first prequels-based fics sometime this year.) Also started one on children's books, and one for Disney characters spoofing various franchises (including ones from Disney).

Padme, Anakin, & Obi-Wan - The Prequels Trio
Children's Books
Disney Satire and Crossovers

Actually, the biggest news today was my tax refund finally appeared. I put some money in both savings accounts. I may put more in, depending on what I have left after I pay the rent (on time) next month.

Got so caught up working, I didn't break for lunch until around 4! Watched another episode of Rick Steves' Europe while eating. Munich and Bavaria, with its ample beer gardens, massive palaces, imposing Gothic cathedrals, towering Alpine mountains, and fanciful castles, is the perfect aesthetic for Coruscant in my story.

I finally got around to making that list of repairs that need to be done here after I finished eating. We can start with that cracked window in my bedroom (which has been cracked since I first came here) and end with Charlie's attempt at re-cauking the kitchen sink not having stopped it from leaking. Like the sink in the bathroom, I think the faucet needs to be replaced. Some of the heating grates in the living room are falling apart or falling off the wall. (The heat itself works fine.) Charlie never replaced the tiles around the toilet when he did the plumbing last spring. There's wood panels under the bathroom rug that I'm afraid are going to break. I also mentioned the wardrobe and the dresser falling apart. They're cheap pieces and it's not their fault, but they did come with the house. The sink in the bathroom wasn't entire re-attached and pulls out when I lean on it. One of the shelves in the kitchen cabinet is coming loose. Charlie never fixed the light on the porch after his attempt to attach the Christmas lights to it left it unable to work at all. The shelves in the pantry are old, uneven wood.

Began The Pirate Movie while making Ally's "Snappy" Ginger Snaps. Mabel (Kristy MacNichol) is rather nerdy young woman in Australia who's thrilled to attend a pirate festival with her more glamorous girlfriends, where she gets a crush on a hot guy giving sword fighting demonstrations. Her friends take off with him before she gets a chance to really know him. She goes after them on a pontoon...and when she falls off and hits her head, the resulting dream turns into The Pirates of Penzance. Now, while dealing with a Modern Major General of a tipsy father, archaic rules of whom can marry whom, and her love for a handsome pirate bound by duty to his fellow men, Mable discovers that, when we stand up for ourselves and take control of our own dreams, we're all heroes.

Another long-time childhood favorite of mine. This odd cross between Pirates of Penzance, Pirates of the Caribbean, Moulin Rouge, and the Mel Brooks spoof films wasn't a hit when it debuted in 1982, but it's since picked up an audience on cable. With its feisty, action-oriented heroine and ample rock mixed in with more traditional Gilbert and Sullivan, it might actually have been ahead of its time. If you love action-oriented musicals or want to see an action film with a strong female lead (and aren't a Gilbert and Sullivan purist), this one is worth looking around for.

Did some writing as well. Luke and Leia chat in Maz's small gardens and discover they have a lot in common, including having been raised by an aunt and uncle. Luke had lived with his aunt and uncle until they died and he was taken in by businessman Henry "Han" Solo. Luke has nothing but praise for his guardian, gushing about his intelligence, brilliant engineering abilities, and business prowess.

Ben and Maz finally send the two along to dine with Leia's family. Maz tells Ben about a raid on the Coruscant Armory. Spies stole the plans for some secret weapon...but they weren't the Crimson Hawk's men. They were members of a secret society that is also going against Prime Minister Palpatine and his right-hand men Lord Vader and Govenor Tarkin. Ben says they need to find out more about this society and its aims. They have their own plans to restore freedom in Coruscant, including a "secret weapon" of their own.

Had the last of the leftovers for dinner around quarter after 7. Finished out Pirate Movie, then did Mask of Zorro. This slightly more serious swashbuckler is actually something of a reboot. The original Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) teaches a young thief (Antonio Bandares) how to be the dashing man in the black mask in order to regain all he lost when he was arrested, including his daughter (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The wicked Governor has been hoarding gold and keeping it from the people...but he may have something even more sinister in mind for the workers...

I enjoyed this when it came out, and I still do. I will warn you that, being a late-90's movie, this is a lot more violent than the Tyrone Power or Disney versions, including a severed head being kept in a jar. Otherwise, if you're a fan of the cast or of swashbucklers like me, this is still a lot of fun to watch.

And...I found my old ankle brace, which went far in helping it feel better. I think I'll at least be able to go grocery shopping and work tomorrow.

Taxed Out

Had a quick start today with some more Schoolhouse Rock. Science Rock is one of the segments that came out later in the 70's, and I believe was the final round to come out before the Money Rock revival. This one discusses basic science concepts like how electricity, the body, and gravity work, the planets and space in general, and energy conservation. Favorites from this segment include "Interplanet Janet" (the memorable tale of a galactic baseball team traveling in the Milky Way galaxy) and "The Body Machine" (on how your body creates energy).

Work was fairly quiet for most of the day, up through about 1...and even then, it was more busy because we didn't have enough help than because of lots of customers. I returned baskets and items and helped the other bagger with the carts.

To my frustration, when I came outside, I discovered the back tire on my bike had gone flat. I do have a spare inner tube, but it was at home. I had to walk, which was not a good thing. Dark clouds had been building up since about an hour or so after I got to work. I'd just gotten in the door and had changed when it started to snow. It snowed heavily for ten minutes or so...and then the sun came out. To my knowledge, it hasn't snowed again.

I finally got my W-2 and was able to do my taxes. This takes me 20 minutes to an hour. I have one job, own no property, and have no dependents. I was disappointed that I'm getting a far smaller return than usual, barely 900. I really need that money. I was counting on a lot more.

Also got started on my next story. The second Resistance Kids tale, The Resistance Kids Go Camping, has been in the queue since I wrote the last one. Leia has taken Jess, Rey, and Kaydel to her family's cabin in the lightly snowed-on Adirondack Mountains for a girl-bonding weekend. Things begin well...until they start to tell ghost stories...

Made Tuna Casserole for dinner while watching the Lego Star Wars New Yoda Chronicles specials. In these tales set directly after New Hope, Luke is in search of a cache of holocrons that could teach him how to become a great Jedi. When the mission starts to go sour, Yoda calls on an old friend to help out.

For all my love of Star Wars, I'm not sold on these. They're cute, but I don't think the writing is all that great, and some of the jokes don't land. Not to mention, you really need to know at least a little about Star Wars and its fandom to get some of those jokes.

Finished out the night with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry's second year at Hogwarts starts off with a bang when a worried house-elf interferes with his aunt and uncle's luncheon and Harry's picked up by Ron and his brothers in their flying car. Things get hairy from there when it becomes obvious that someone doesn't want Harry to return to the school...or anyone with "mudblood" (half witch, half non-witch) at the school. Shortly after hearing about a "Chamber of Secrets," animals and students are being turned into stone right and left. Harry and his friends become determined to find out who knows the Chamber's secrets...before one of them becomes its next victim.

This is a bit more like it. Slightly better CGI (especially on the Whomping Willow) and a more interesting story make this an improvement on its predecessor.

Cold Cartoons

I awoke to the sound of a chainsaw cutting into wood. I have no idea what Charlie was doing on the porch this morning, other than cutting a long rectangle into it. (He did have it covered by the time I got home.) I ran a Backyardigans episode to drown out the noise. "Cops and Robots" gives us Tyrone and Uniqua as intergalactic police officers in pursuit of "bad 'bots" Tasha and Pablo. If they succeed in getting into the robot factory and flipping the switch, they'll turn all the robots in the galaxy bad!

Work was on-and-off busy, but absolutely nothing like the weekend. It was so quiet early on, I spent most of the morning either working on story ideas or doing returns. It did pick up a little bit later...but by that time, I was getting ready to go. The weather may have scared people off. Despite the sunshine, it was freezing cold today, and is supposed to remain so throughout the weekend.

When I got home, I went right into writing. Kathleen confronts the evil Lady Sylvia. All she wants is Darren back. Lady Sylvia wants the stories she's been writing...and her own "story" and memories. She'll trade Darren, still in his demon form, for them. Kathleen won't do anything until she sees Darren. Sylvia orders him dragged in, bound and still in his demon form. She'll restore him and let him go if Kathleen gives up the stories.

Did a quick Looney Tunes compilation movie while eating leftovers for dinner and making Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread. 1001 Rabbit Tales (mostly) showcases shorts that spoof fairy tales, like the Speedy Gonzoles vehicle "The Pied Piper of Guadaloupe" and the Sylvester short "Goldilocks and the Three Cats," but it may be most famous for using "One Froggy Evening" as its finale. Bugs and Daffy are book sales-toons competing to see who can sell the most kids' books. While Daffy's trying to get north, Bugs ends up getting waylaid by Sultan Sam and his spoiled son, who insist Bugs play Scheherazade and read them some stories. One of the cuter Looney Tunes "movies" of the late 70's and 80's has no full cartoons, but it does showcase bits from some of Termite Terrace's best, including "Gorilla My Dreams" and "Froggy Evening."

Oh, and my tax return showed up last night. I'm not going to do nearly as much with it as I have in previous years. Most of it will be going into savings or my rent. I do want to take another writing class, and I'd like to pick up the Sailor Moon Season 2 DVD sets somewhere along the line.

Sampling an Anniversary

Started off a sunny, breezy morning with two Peanuts specials. A Charlie Brown Valentine is a series of skits on the many unrequited crushes among the kids. Charlie Brown tries to ask the Little Red Haired Girl to a dance, but just can't bring himself to. Linus isn't delighted with Sally's attempts to make a valentine for her Sweet Baboo. Peppermint Patty and Marcie think Chuck is going to ask them to the dance.

Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown is unique among Peanuts stories, one of the few times Chuck is in love with someone besides the Little Red Haired Girl. Here, he falls head over heels for a girl he sees for a few seconds on a football game on TV. He, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock go from city to suburb to country in search of her.

Work was a little less busy than it was yesterday, steady but not overwhelming. I even had the chance to work on some ideas for the Star Wars fairy tale I'm developing, a blend of Cinderella, King Arthur, Rapunzel, and East of the Sun and West of the Moon. When an abused stable boy and his friend, a bold thief, sneak  into a ball held in honor of the feisty daughter of a wicked knight, they set off a chain of events that ends with the vengeful black knight cursing the thief and hiding him away, imprisoning his daughter, and disfiguring the stable boy-turned-wizard. While the stable boy struggles to find out who he is and where he really belongs, the princess seeks her beloved rogue, who may not be rich or powerful, but has far more prince in his heart than the shriveled hag of an Emperor whom her father wishes for her to marry.

There's a lot going on at work this weekend, as I discovered during break. In honor of the Acme's 125th anniversary, we're having an open house this weekend and next weekend. That mostly means samples all over the place - cake, the Acme's fancy organic Italian soda, coffee, bacon, bits of crab cake, the deli-made tortilla chips and guacamole, the new limited edition Cinnamon Bun and Red Velvet Cake Oreos. Plus, it sounds like we're going to be starting that Monopoly board game thing again on Wednesday. (Nice of them to tell us this now, five days before we're going to start it.)

I needed a few things after work. For one thing, I had to get my W-2. I kept forgetting, since my paycheck is direct deposited. I forgot to get tissues and scrub cleaner yesterday, too. I've gone through a lot of tissues lately, and I rather badly need the cleaner to get the kitchen done.

When I got home, I went right into taxes first. I always do my taxes as soon as I get my W-2. It usually takes me about 20 minutes to an hour. I own no property, have no dependents, and have one part-time job. I'll be getting over $1,020 back by next week.

Went right into writing next. Kathleen's not entirely happy about sharing her home with Darren. He's stubborn and demanding, always wanting to get up and move when his leg is in too bad of shape to consider it. Gradually, she begins to realize that she enjoys his company. It's nice to have someone to talk to and tell stories to. One day, he finds one of her newest stories on her desk and reads it. She's angry he went through her desk at first, until he praises her work. Why won't she sell it? She's too shy. She tried, but was turned down. Try again, Darren says. Your work is too good to go unnoticed.

Ran Ferris Bueller's Day Off while making a chicken salad for dinner, then while putting Chocolate-Mint Cupcakes in the oven. The title character is a Chicago teenager (Matthew Broderick), a budding Han Solo who convinces his best friend Cameron (Alan Rudyck) and girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) to join him in a day of playing hooky. While they explore the Windy City, they're pursued by school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), who is determined to catch Ferris in the act, and his sister (Jennifer Gray) who is tired of her brother getting away with everything.

On one hand, this film has some of the funniest moments of any of the 80's John Hughes films. You have to love the kids on the town, especially their appearing in the German parade. There's Rooney's bad day, too. And I'm glad Jeannie got the kid in the police station (Charlie Sheen). She deserved something after everything she went through.

My problem is still with Ferris himself. Frankly...Jeannie, and to a lesser degree Rooney, are right. He's a little jerk. While he does behave better later in the film, when it becomes clear what his day on the town did to Cameron (and Cameron's father's car), he's mostly an obnoxious brat who gets by on sheer luck. Rooney's no better. No, Ferris shouldn't have called out as often as he did, but he's lucky the cops didn't take Jeannie seriously and arrest him for breaking and entering, among other things. And nowadays, I suspect Jeannie's phone call wouldn't be treated like a prank.

This may be the most "your mileage may vary" of any of the 80's John Hughes movies. It can be hilarious just to see what Ferris gets away with, and the treatment of Cameron is surprisingly touching, but many people find Ferris to be more annoying than amusing and wish Jeannie had called him out in the end.

Pink and Red Dolls

I spent a sunny, bitterly cold morning changing the dolls. They all get fancier pink or red outfits for Valentine's Day this month. Jessa wears the just-retired modern Sweet Spring Dress that Lauren gave me for Christmas with the pink tights from the Ballet Outfit and the yellow shoes from Kit's Scooter Outfit. Whitney has now claimed Molly's Skating Outfit. Though the blue-and-red sweater is almost as tight on her as it is on Molly, the skirt is actually a little too big! (Unlike Molly, who can barely squeeze into it.) She's going out to the river in Springfield Collection skates. I put Felicity in her Laced Jacket and Petticoat and Samantha in her lovely pink, white, and black Talent Show Dress. (It's so historically accurate, it's based after a real Edwardian girl's dress seen in a museum.) Josefina gets a hand-made pink and mauve floral Empire-waisted dress I picked up for her last year, along with a lace wrap. Molly's in her plaid School Jumper and Blouse.

It took me so long to get the dolls dressed, I had just enough time for a really quick lunch before rushing out to work. Work was on-and-off busy for most of the afternoon, nothing really out of line for early in the month. One of my co-workers asked me to switch hours with him tomorrow - he had an unexpected doctor's appointment - to 11 to 4. Fine by me. I don't mind 2 to 7 either, but this way, I'll be home before dark. I was going to volunteer at the Oaklyn Library tomorrow, but I'll move it to Thursday.

I was looking for some spring-themed chocolate chips I saw a customer buy after work when I found something else equally interesting. There's a big bin of discounted books in the seasonal section. Among them was a hardback young adult novel called What We Found In the Sofa and How It Saved the World. It's creative kids-foil-evil-rich-guy's-plot sounded a little like the 7 Professors of the Far North books Linda gave me a few years ago. I was willing to give it a try...especially after it only rang up a dollar.

I went straight home after I bought the book and into the bath. Ahhhh. That felt so very nice after a long day. I read What We Found In the Sofa and listened to Jazz For When You're Alone. Outside, a stunning flame-orange-and-hot-pink sunset lit up the sky. It was a really lovely hour or so. I seriously didn't want to get out, but I had to eat sometime.

Started the Care Bears DVD while I added broccoli and taco meat to the last of the pasta and bean soup for dinner. Harmony Bear and performing are in the spotlight, as the Bears teach kids about loving music and how to get out and shine. In "Show of Shyness," Harmony Bear and some of the others are appearing in a talent show. Beastly wants to appear too, but his idea of talent is playing pranks on others. Upset that he wasn't invited, he sets out to sabotage the show. Meanwhile, Harmony loses her voice and can't go on. The little girl who is visiting turns out to have a fine singing voice, but she's shy in front of a crowd. She finally turns to Beastly for help in conquering her feat...and discovering both of their hidden talents.

Oh, and my tax return just arrived! The other big thing I want besides at least one online writing course is a new record player. The arm old the old one tends to stick, and it's starting to sound weird. When I split the record player with Lauren about five or six years ago, we had to buy it from a novelty catalog because there seemed to be none in the store. Now, Amazon and Best Buy are bursting at the seams with models both new and retro, and I imagine there's even more out there. It should be a lot easier to find one this time.