Only a Northern Song

I had breakfast quickly, then called Uber. It was getting late by that point, almost quarter of 12. That may be why I had a hard time getting a driver. The first one canceled. Fortunately, the second arrived in 8 minutes. He dropped us off at The Nerd Mall in Woodbury within 15 minutes, with no problems on the road.

Woodbury is a lovely little town in Gloucester County, not far from Deptford. It's one of the oldest towns in the entire area. Some of the buildings date back to the Revolutionary War era. The Nerd Mall is in one of the Victorian buildings downtown. It's shelves and shelves and boxes and boxes of comic books, collectible action figures, board games, vintage video games, role playing games, and stuffed toys related to all of the above. I was hoping to find Match Game or Family Feud among the board games, but I only saw the Feud DVD game. I saw vintage Password games (two of them going back to 1962), but none of the others.

Though there's no longer an arcade in the back game-playing room, they do still have small arcade cabinets there. Some of them are small enough for the pre-school kids from Thomas Sharp to have no trouble reaching the controls! I did mildly well on regular Centipede. At least I got to the second round, which isn't something I could ever pull off as a kid. 

While Lauren finished buying wrestling Nintendo games and a collectible figure at The Nerd Mall, I found a tiny little deli-variety store next door. It was so small and family-owned, it had one of the widest varieties of drinks I'd ever seen in a store. I ended up with Sunkist Zero. Lauren got the limited edition Berry Blue Powerade when she joined me. 

Our next stop was 2nd Chance Thrift Boutique in the next block over. They're always something of a mess. I couldn't find anything I wanted in the jammed-full racks of old clothes and piles and piles of toys, CDs, and DVDs. Lauren had more luck and picked up a few shirts.

We did better at the Woodbury Antiques store on the next block. Situated in what appears to have once been a Woolworth's, this has more in common with a one-story Haddon Heights Antique Center than with 2nd Chance. For one thing, they sell actual antiques. Unfortunately, a lot of what they sell is very expensive. Lauren found three mini Beanie Babies still in their McDonald's Happy Meal bags that were a reasonable price. Their records are way overpriced, but I picked up two CDs:

Elton John - Ice On Fire

Grover Washington Jr. - All My Tomorrows

LC's Family-Style Restaurant was on the next block. They specialize in Latin American cuisine...but I suspect they didn't have a lot of help today. I never saw anyone besides the one girl behind the counter and a woman having lunch with her baby. We watched two and a half episodes of Spongebob Squarepants on the TV in the side room, including "Bubble Boy" (Spongebob's bubble friend annoys everyone in Bikini Bottom), "Something Smells" (Spongebob and Patrick think everyone is running away from them because they're ugly - it's their breath that's the problem), "Big Pink Loser" (Patrick takes a job at the Krabby Patty, then imitates Spongebob to win awards), "Bossy Pants" (Pearl's new ideas for the Krusty Krab are losing her dad money...and Spongebob has to fire her), and "Spongebob BC." (SpongeBob and his crew are cave sea-dwellers.) At least Lauren's Cubano sandwich and my grilled chicken sandwich with thick fries were pretty decent when we did finally get them.

After lunch, we headed across the street to On the Record. This time, Lauren didn't make any finds, but I grabbed two records and two CDs I really wanted after I dodged a couple of music-lovers searching the local band albums. The records were:

Beryl Berney Tells Your Favorite Stories: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Dick Whittington (I have no idea who Beryl Berney is. I do know I've never seen a record retelling of the British folk tale "Dick Whittington.") 

Ben Bagley's Cole Porter Vol. III (Cost me $25, the most of anything today besides lunch, but I love these Ben Bagley collections.)

The CDs were something I've wanted for a while. Yellow Submarine was the last regular Beatles album I didn't have. I've been looking for a good price on it for ages. Not only did they have it on CD for $6, but they had the blue "Songtrack" CD from 1999 for the same price. I bought both. 

The original SNTM Thrift Shop is next-door to On the Record. They're more like 2nd Chance with slightly better merchandise...but apparently, they're moving to better digs in November. They've already moved some things to a charming Victorian building about two blocks down Broad Street. I didn't find anything at either location, but Lauren picked up tank tops for her and shirts for her father. 

We hiked back to The Nerd Mall to pick up Uber. By 4 PM, it was hot, humid, sunny, and hazy, probably in the upper 90's. Thank heavens the driver didn't cancel this time, even if it took a little longer than the listed 13 minutes for him to arrive. We weren't going far, anyway. He dropped us off at the Deptford Goodwill in a little over 5 minutes.

The Woodbury Goodwill moved to The Plaza at Deptford back in March...and no wonder. The store was enormous, easily three times the size of the Woodbury building. It took me 20 minutes just to sift through all of the records piled on a bottom shelf, but I came up with:

Sesame Street Story Time

"Mama" Cass Elliott - Dream a Little Dream of Me

Walt Disney Presents the Story of Robin Hood (Which, ironically, I also saw at On the Record for $10 - a slightly less-pristine copy at Goodwill was $2.49.)

Plato's Closet is on the other side of the Plaza from the Goodwill. It's another local thrift shop chain, this one specializing entirely in clothes and accessories. It's so big, there's two floors. The guys' clothes are on the lower level. Neither of us had any luck here...but I'm glad to know it is there the next time I do need clothes for a decent price.

We finished up at Mt. Fuji Hibachi Restaurant a few doors down from the Goodwill. We didn't go for the hibachi. As Lauren said, we just wanted dinner, not dinner and a show. Lauren was fine with sushi and a large salad. My shrimp with udon noodles, vegetables, and a small salad were yummy, too. We enjoyed them at the quiet, dark-paneled room with the fish swimming around a tank in the lobby. (A mother's tired little boy was utterly fascinated by those goldfish as we were heading out.)

Another thing I like about the Plaza is it has ample seating. We settled down at one of the wide benches as I called Uber. Thank heavens after the last two, there were no problems here. The driver arrived in the advertised 8 minutes and got us home in 15 with no trouble.

Put on Match Game '75 when I got home. This was the last of three weeks to feature Cuban bombshell Louisa Moritz, and the only one with producer and character actor Sheldon Leonard. I'm not sure Leonard entirely got the humor, but at least he took all of the gangster jokes like a good sport.

I finished the night watching News Hounds on Tubi. Sach (Huntz Hall) and Slip (Leo Gorcey) are working for a newspaper again, as a photographer and copy boy respectively. Slip would do anything to have his story in the paper, especially after he turns up evidence of gangster Dapper Dan Greco (Anthony Caruso) fixing boxing matches. Sach gets photos of the gangsters, but loses the camera with the pictures when they figure out who the guys are. Slip never intended for his story to be published, but his friend Gabe (Gabriel Dell), who was working with the gangsters but got thrown out, has it published under the name of the sports reporter John Burks (Tim Ryan) anyway. The gangsters slap the newspaper with a four million dollar lawsuit. Now the guys have to find those pictures, or everyone will lose their jobs...and the paper will get into a heck of a lot of trouble. 

Walking On Sunshine

Got a quick start today with breakfast and What's New, Scooby Doo? It's "Lights, Camera, Mayhem!" when the stunt crew of a troubled spy movie remake walk off the set, claiming the "Phantom" ghost of the original star keeps haunting their shots. Scooby and the star-struck kids become stunt doubles themselves to get to the bottom of this Tinseltown mystery.

It was raining hard when we got up this morning. Thankfully, by the time I called Uber, it was cloudy, damp, and a little cool, but not raining. The driver arrived within 7 minutes and pulled up at the Deptford Mall in a little over 20. 

Since the driver let us off at the outside entrance to Boscov's, we began there. Though we did look around, I finally decided I didn't really need more clothes beyond work pants. Lauren admitted the same, plus she's starting to run out of room in her luggage. Neither of us bought anything there.

Red Robin is right next door to Boscov's, so we had lunch next. Not surprisingly, since it was past noon, they were fairly busy. We ended up in a table next to the bar, watching sports news. She had a Poppin' Purple Pear Lemonade and a Caesar Salad, her favorite. I had an iced tea and a Caesar Salad Wrap. We shared a stack of towering, crispy onion rings.

We peered at a few stores as we made our way down to Round 1 Arcade. Not only did neither of us see anything we wanted at FYE, but they had the air conditioner turned up way beyond even what it was in the mall. It was too frigid in there to think shopping. I didn't see anything I wanted at Hot Topic, but Lauren bought a Captain America t-shirt.

Round 1 is in transition right now. If machines weren't broken, they were being swapped out for new games. More than half their cranes were either being sent out, or just not working. The ski ball machines and Lane Master were down, too. Thankfully, there were plenty of games that still worked. I spent the next hour or so running from Bust-a-Move to the ring toss to the bean bag toss to Hot Wheels and giant Space Invaders and Centipede games. Got Yoshi on Mario Kart Deluxe and barely managed 3rd on Bowser's Castle. Also came in third with a sweet cherry-red Lamborghini on the Desert Valley course in Cruisin' Blast. 

Their prizes seem to be in flux, too. I just didn't see as much that I wanted. I ended up with a cute mini Etch-a-Sketch and a nicer printed fan than I got yesterday in Atlantic City, this one wood and turquoise fabric. Lauren didn't see anything she could carry home and opted to save her points for my visit to her neck of the woods in September.

We spent the next few hours in and out of stores. Neither of us got anything at Macy's, Rainbow, or BoxLunch. We hit paydirt at JC Penney's when we ended up in the men's department. I was looking for the pajamas and stumbled across their sports clothes section. Picked up a long-sleeved Eagles Super Bowl Champs t-shirt for $19. Lauren found a few more Marvel t shirts. I treated myself to a small chai latte while waiting for Lauren to come out of Macy's.

By the time we emerged out of the Boscov's side entrance, it had turned into a gorgeous, sunny, blazing hot day. Only a few fleecy clouds indicated we ever had storms this morning at all. We did manage to dodge rush-hour traffic to get across the street, passing the abandoned former home of Bed Bath and Beyond to the shopping center that houses Barnes & Noble and Old Navy.

Barnes & Noble was really busy, too. The kids were out of school by then, and they were all looking for something to read or listen to. I didn't do as well over there as I have the last couple of times I was in Deptford, but I did manage to pick up a few items I wanted. Found one of the few vintage sci-fi films I like, the original 1951 Day the Earth Stood Still, for $7.99, and the soundtrack albums for Labyrinth and La La Land (the latter was on sale). Also grabbed one book:

Castle Deadly, Castle Deep by Victoria Bond

Met Lauren outside. She admitted not having seen anything she wanted at Old Navy, and I certainly didn't need more clothes. We ended up returning to the Deptford Mall to have dinner at their food court. She enjoyed a broccoli chicken dish from Master Wok. I got a Greek salad and spinach pie (which turned out to be dry spinach and cheese between layers of phyllo pastry) from Pitas and Greens. We both had ice cream from Ginny's. She had chocolate in a waffle cone with Reece's. I had peanut butter in a cup with chocolate sprinkles. Ginny's ice cream was really good (and much fluffier than the dense Kohr's soft serve). 

It was past 7 after we finished our desserts. Time to go home. We came out at Dick's, calling the Uber driver from there. Once again, he arrived in 7 minutes and got us home in a little over 20, with only slightly more traffic.

I finished the night watching Living It Up on Amazon Prime. I go further into the first of two Martin-Lewis vehicles I'll be doing this week at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Living It Up (1954)

Oh, and while tomorrow technically ends my vacation, I'm only working the usual 2:30 to 5:45 at Thomas Sharp School. I'll get to spend time with my best friend and the kids. 

Can't You Hear My Hart Beat

This time, we began a cold, gloomy morning in Lauren's area. It looked like it might have rained the night before. The streets and sidewalks were still quite wet at 9 AM, but any rain had long since ended. We stayed in Lauren's area this time, heading up to the Co-Op bank in Great Barrington, where Lauren works now. Lauren wanted to say "hi" to her co-workers Michael and Rico, and I wanted to exchange two hundred-dollar bills I got out of the ATM machine at PNC Bank in my area. While Lauren exchanged the bills and talked to the guys, I chatted with one of the managers about our record collections.

After we left the guys, we went for a short walk down the street. Great Barrington is one of the many small former industrial towns in the Berkshires whose main industry nowadays is tourism. Though there were many lovely little stores housed in vintage 19th century brick buildings on Main Street, they weren't open yet at 9:30. We ended up walking back to the car and heading out instead. 

Our next stop was the Goodwill up the road. While not huge, it was a good size, maybe a little bit bigger than the one in Audubon. Lauren picked up two shirts. I found two CDs here:

Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad

Barbra Streisand - Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway

We doubled back a little down the road to Marshalls next. Apparently, Lauren's fond of this store and has shopped here before. I didn't do any better here than at the TJMaxx yesterday and just used the bathroom, but Lauren did find a nice shirt and vest for work.

As we headed to the Goodwill, we passed an older blue house with a sign that said the Bookloft. Lauren knows I love books, and we needed to kill some time before lunch, so we stopped here. It was indeed a lovely restored house filled with books of all kinds, from science fiction and poetry to a children's room. I actually found a book here that I hadn't seen at Barnes and Noble yesterday, the newest Shady Hollow cozy mystery Summer's End. 

Doubled back again, this time to Four Brothers Pizza Inn. We ate here the last time we came up to the Great Barrington area about a decade ago. It looked pretty much the same as it did in 2015, with lots of blond wood on the walls, and it still specializes in pizza, Greek food, and diner basics like burgers. Lauren had a Buffalo chicken wrap with curly fries. I had a Four Brothers wrap with regular fries. Both sandwiches came with cole slaw. Oh, yum! The "Four Brothers" turned out to be grilled chicken with Greek salad and dressing. I wasn't crazy about the salad containing olives, and the dressing made it rather messy, but it was otherwise excellent. 

Lauren took us back in the opposite direction, this time to the Lee Outlets. She's been spending a lot of time at this mall recently, walking there with Rico after work. We did some walking of our own as we checked out stores. We struck out at Chico's and Eddie Bauer. I didn't see anything I wanted at J.Crew and Old Navy, but she picked up shirts and vests. I found a nice tank top in a jungle green and white leaf print that came up to $8 on a 70 percent off sale at the Loft. Aeropostale was having a buy one, get one sale on shirts. She bought two polo shirts, as she recently got rid of two worn ones. I bought cute graphic tees with the 80's Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake on them. She got blouses from Ann Taylor. I found a lovely long-sleeved cream blouse with amber-colored flowers on it. We browsed in the little gift shop with the imported knick-knacks and shelves of Beanie Babies. 

The rain that threatened all day finally came down as we headed back to the car around 4:30. Rico was supposed to join us for a non-shopping walk. Lauren checked her phone, while I watched an episode of Match Game '76. They skipped way ahead to the first week of that year, with Dick Martin getting one of his first matches and Richard delighted to have his then-girlfriend Jodie Donovan next to him. 

As it turned out, not only was Rico not eager to walk in even a light shower, but he had to babysit his niece at the last minute. We ended up walking back to the Outlets for dinner at their food court instead. The Outlets food court consists of four very basic booths - Mexican, pizza, Asian, and a sandwich shop. By the time we got there, it was quarter of 6. The Mexican booth had already closed, and we just had sandwiches. We ended up with pizza by default. She had a salad and a big, thick slice of pepperoni. I had a small spinach stromboli. It was a little too brown on top, but the spinach and cheese filling was really good. 

With most of the food court closing, we ignored the tiny arcade in favor of the gumball machines and small crane games in the center of the room. We both got peanut M&Ms for dessert out of the gumball machines. I wasn't able to get anything out of the cranes, but Lauren picked up a cute charm bracelet.

The light mist began to pick up as we returned to Lauren's car. By the time she was driving us home through Lee and Lenox, the rain had become a heavy shower. It continued even as we drove home, though I think it ended shortly after we arrived.

We went straight into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe when we got in. Lauren played her Mii. I tried Wendy O. Koopa for something different. Wendy's one of the Koopalings who serves Bowser, and the only girl. She handled a little rougher than Peach, but not as heavy as her boss or some of her larger brothers. We first played the Banana Cup in 50 cc mode. She came in first. I was third, thanks to a fifth-place showing on the twisty DK Jungle. 

After the Banana Cup ended, we played contestants from around the US and Canada. That worked out a lot less well. On one hand, neither of us did well. Her best showing was 9th. Mine was 8th. On the other hand, we also got to see courses based around Paris, Madrid, and Rome that are exclusive to the online-only Mario Kart Tour. 

Finished the night at the Roku Channel with Hart to Hart. It's a "Solid Gold Murder" when Max is attacked by thieves who steal his nephew Vince's barbells from his new gym. The Harts can't figure out why someone would want Vince's barbells, and they're even more baffled when a Scotland Yard inspector turns up dead. The British cop is able to speak the name of an infamous criminal who steals and collects gold antiquities and bars. Turns out he had gold bars melted into those barbells, and now he wants them back. Jonathan sets up a trap to prove he's behind the thefts and inspector's death.

Calling All Angels

Once again, we began the day with a trip down the Mass Pike. Instead of continuing to Springfield, we turned off at Holyoke to check out the huge mall there. Once again, we had no trouble on the road, no traffic anywhere. It was gorgeous and sunny when we came out, if chilly, but clouds began to move in even as Lauren pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center next-door to the mall. 

Barnes and Noble was the only store open at 9:30, so we started there. I love that store. It's huge, two stories with a mostly-full music and video section. We both found things here. Lauren dug a movie out of the music and video section. I picked up the next book in that teddy bear mystery series, Bear a Wee Grudge, and two CDs: 

Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool

Little Richard - The Very Best of Little Richard

Since my purchase came with a coupon for a dollar off iced tea, I bought a green iced tea while waiting for Lauren and checking out my new book. It was earthy and not sweet at all. Just wet enough after the car ride.

Went across the street next to TJMaxx, the only other store open that interested us. I used the bathroom, but otherwise didn't find anything. When Lauren didn't see anything she wanted either, we headed out.

We were the first ones at the door of Red Robin promptly at 11 AM. Far from the only ones, though. Shortly after we came in, several other couples arrived as well. Lauren had the Red's Double Tavern (smaller) Burger. I had the California Chicken Sandwich. The waitress brought fries out right away, and we had to order the usual towering onion rings. Lauren had a sparkling lemonade. I ordered a mint mojito...before I realized that the waitress hadn't heard my request for it to be non-alcoholic. I took a few sips, tasted rum (yuck), and didn't finish it.

After lunch, we jumped back in the car, and Lauren drove us to the main Holyoke Mall. She parked at the JCPenney entrance, which isn't far from Round 1. We wanted to start there, before we had a lot of packages to carry around and the kids got off of school. I spent the next hour running from Bust-a-Move to giant Pac Man to Nerf Arcade to Lane Master bowling to skee ball. Practiced my pinball skills for the Vermont pinball parlor on Friday with games based on Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars, and Deadpool. Played Mario Kart Deluxe and came in first with Yoshi. 

I eventually amassed over 2,200 points, not bad for an hour. I liked the dragon Kai that I picked up in June so much, I went for a smaller stuffed animal from the same line who was even prettier. Haru is a red and white fox fire spirit ("kitsune") with three tails like Tails the Fox, a bell on her collar, and a mischievous embroidered expression. I think she's an absolute darling, and one of the loveliest from that line. Lauren forgot her original card and didn't have the points, so she just got candy.

We were in and out of stores for the next few hours. Lauren did best at the two Stateline Used Video Games, picking up five Nintendo 64 games to try between the two stores. She also bought a dress that resembled Sally's in The Nightmare Before Christmas from Hot Topic and a Sarah Sanderson from Hocus Pocus costume from Spirit Halloween. (Apparently, she and the women at the bank where she works will be dressing as the Sanderson Sisters this year.) She bought a dress at Macy's. I just used the bathroom. We browsed in Build-a-Bear, but didn't buy anything. She bought pants for her father and for her at JCPenney. I found a sea blue short-sleeved t-shirt on the clearance rack for $6 and Fila sneakers on sale for $44 to replace the Reebox that never really fit right and were already looking shoddy.

I did the best at FYE. The FYE at Holyoke has a far larger selection of CDs and DVDs than most of their stores nowadays. They were having a buy two used items, get a third for $1 sale. I really hit the jackpot with cast albums on CD in particular. I eventually came up with:

The Who - Magic Bus: The Who On Tour

The soundtrack from That Thing You Do! (I have this on cassette, but not only are my cassettes in storage, I'm trying to phase out all cassettes but the ones containing old-time radio shows I've never seen anywhere else.) 

The original cast albums for the Broadway Little Women from a decade ago, Liza Minnelli's first show Flora the Red Menace, Kinky Boots, and the Bette Midler Hello Dolly! revival. (Dolly ended up being the dollar item. I forgot that the Who was a new CD I grabbed from the bin up front.) 

Our plans hit a snag when dinnertime came around. We were going to eat at the 99 Restaurant there, like we did last year...but it would seem that they've closed since then. The only other sit-down restaurant was the expensive 110 Grill. We eventually ended up downstairs at the food court. Lauren had a pepperoni stromboli and salad from Sbarro's that she claimed was excellent. I had two street tacos with cilantro, tomatoes, and taco meat and a Diet Coke from El Burrito. The taco meat was a little dry, but I liked the soft corn tortillas they used. It also came with a bag of chips and container of salsa that were so huge, Lauren and I agreed to have them for a snack later instead.

It was past 5:30 when we made our way back to JCPenney and the parking lot. Once again, no trouble getting home. It had clouded over considerably since this morning, but otherwise wasn't bad. No traffic anywhere, on the Mass Pike or in Lee and Lennox. Lauren's brand-new van allowed her to speak her comic texts to a guy friend on his way back from work and still focus on the road. 

When we got in, we showed our finds to Mr. and Mrs. Miller, and then I took a shower. After my shower, I joined Lauren downstairs to try those new games. The only one we could play together was a WCW Wrestling game...but that honestly ended up being a lot of fun. We did a tag-team (two on two) game. It took forever for us to figure out which buttons did what, let alone pin a guy! It was 9 PM before my Randy Savage managed to get Lauren's Kevin Nash down. (We also had Sting - who wore black and white makeup like a KISS reject - and Booker T.) 

Finished the night with Charlie's Angels at The Roku Channel. "Angels On the Run" help a singer newly hired by a nightclub to find her husband when he doesn't turn up for her show. Turns out the guy was a dump truck driver who left his truck and a pile of dirt with his farmer girlfriend (Elaine Joyce)...along with a fortune in diamonds a group of crooks stashed in his truck. Kelly poses as the singer to get the goods on the thieves...and the other Angels and Bosley go after her when she's kidnapped as well. 

I'm Into Something Good

Started off early this morning after a quick breakfast, heading through Lenox and Lee and down the Mass Pike. Lauren first stopped at a shopping center to get gas and for us to use the bathroom at a Stop and Shop. We used the bathroom again at a travel plaza along the Mass Pike. Otherwise, there were no problems in the small towns or the Mass Pike, no traffic anywhere.

We didn't have any trouble until we got off the highway and closer to Springfield. Lauren retired her GPS in favor of using the maps on her cell phone, since she already uses it for music. She thought it was wrong when it asked her to turn, so she kept on going. We ignored it twice before we finally turned and found ourselves on a leafy, tree-lined street going past the West Springfield Library. That ultimately took us to the Eastern States Exposition...but Lauren had wanted to park in the shopping center parking lot. We just ended up parking at the Big E.

The moment we entered the gates, we were assaulted by pink, blue, and yellow boardwalk-style signs for everything possible that can be fried (and a few things that can but probably shouldn't be, like Kool Aid). There were people milling around, but it wasn't too busy at 10:30 in the morning. We strolled around the grounds first, getting the lay of the land. Checked out one of the many long tents that sold leather goods, but didn't buy anything.

Explored the Avenue of the States next. Each of the New England states touts their wares in a recreation of their original state capitol buildings. Rhode Island started with spooky carved pumpkins from Roger Williams Park and Zoo. We passed by a Del's Lemonade stand, but even at quarter of 11, it was too busy to stop for a drink. People stood in a line for baked potatoes at Maine that went out the door. Connecticut had displays for a science center and Mohegan Sun Casino. Massachusetts pushed wild honey and memorabilia and crafts based on the Red Sox and Patriots. People bought Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream in Vermont and locally made soaps, creams, and jewelry in New Hampshire. 

After we left the state houses, we doubled back to the street running up to it. Lauren said she saw a unique pizza booth on our way up there. I've never seen pizza topped with pickles or Mexican street corn before. We had a slice of each. She got regular Coke. I had Diet Coke. Yum! Both slices were white, meaning without sauce, and drizzled with what I think was ranch dressing. Though the dill flavoring on the pickle pizza was tasty, I liked the corn pizza best. The sweetness of the corn blended well with the Mexican spice and the salty cheese. 

Since we needed to hit the bathroom anyway, we made our way back to the demonstration and sales buildings. We checked out a collection of prize-winning quilts at the New England Center. I wish I could have bought a few, but they were only for display. We walked around in the Better Living Building and the Young Building, but bought nothing in either place. 

The main reason we came to the Big E today was to see one of Lauren's favorite performers, former Herman's Hermits front man Peter Noone, who had a concert at 2 PM at the Court of Honor stage. This is the smaller mostly outdoor arena in front of the Coliseum and across from the back gates. Since there was already a pretty good crowd when we passed by at 1, we decided to get our seats early. We went with the picnic tables on either side of the venue, rather than the yellow seats under the tent covering. 

I didn't know Herman's Hermits still had so many fans in the US. It was literal standing room only...which is why I barely saw any of it. People sat on the other end of the picnic benches and stood all around me. Lauren stood up to get photos and footage for YouTube, but I didn't want to lose my seat. Even Peter commented on the huge crowds when he came over our way and had to climb up on a table to perform for the folks on our side. As he put it, it had been easier to get through Customs coming from his native England than to wade through that huge crowd!

I'll give Peter credit, though. He really can put on a show. Most of his set consisted of oldies from the 60's, including one saluting the three late members of the Monkees, "Daydream Believer." He did start off with a dynamic "I'm Into Something Good" and ended with more Hermits hits, including "Leaning On a Lamp Post" and "There's a Kind of Hush." He really got the crowd singing along to the raucous music hall ditty "I'm Henry the Eighth." 

(Speaking of the Monkees, the last concert Lauren and I saw at the Big E was Micky Dolenz and his sister Coco in mid-September 2008. The Court of Honor stage was totally outdoors then. There were concerns about a thunder storm during Micky's second show, which led him to half-joke about not wanting to get electrocuted. I suspect his complaints and similar comments from other musicians may have been why they ultimately put up that tent.)

After the show, we headed back towards the Midway. We'll be doing rides at Great Escape next week and were wary of games after Lauren spent an hour trying to win a big fish last year, so we just ended up doing the cranes. This time, Lauren did better than me. She won a purple Elmo and a sweet indigo Crayola bear. I tried for 20 minutes and only came up with a Beanie Baby unicorn named Harmonie. She's odd but cute, with her multi-hued blotches, glittery rainbow eyes and hooves, and twisted horn of sparkling gold and blue. 

By the time we finished with the crane games, it was past 4:30. The crowds had increased substantially since Peter's concert. Kids were out of school and were now running around, playing games and chasing each other. It had been in-and-out cloudy and cool all day, but the wind picked up during the concert as well. Not to mention, we'd been there for over 6 hours, and I was just plain tired of crowds. We finally headed back to the parking lot by quarter of 5. 

Had dinner at the same Chipotle we have the past two years. The blocky gray and red building is in an outlying parcel at a shopping center about three minutes or so from the Big E. We both had bowls with rice, tomatoes, cheese, beans, and meat. Lauren had plant-based sofritos, black beans, and white rice. I had spicy steak, pinto beans, and brown rice. We enjoyed our big and tasty meal at a counter along the window overlooking the parking lot.

We had far less trouble getting home. This time, Lauren stuck to the directions and the Mass Pike, passing by downtown Springfield before getting on the highway. We took a slightly longer way back after we got to Lee so Lauren could show me where a close guy friend of hers lives. Once again, no traffic anywhere, not even at the Big E this time.

After we got in, Lauren set up the Nintendo 64 her co-worker sold her last year. I remembered that Mario  Kart 64 has a VS mode where you can play with one or two or three other people, rather than them and the computer. We each chose four rounds, playing eight all together. Lauren beat the pants off me, winning six to 2. Most of the rounds were pretty close, though. I snuck by her in Moo Moo Farms, and she kept running into snowmen at Frappe Snowland.

Lauren tried Donkey Kong 64 briefly, but she couldn't figure out the gameplay in Adventure Mode without a manual. If memory serves me correctly, you have to do a couple of "training" mini-games before you can get started on that one. She finally decided it wasn't worth the effort, and we went online instead. 

Finished the night watching flop game shows from the 1970's. Game shows were in a precarious position on the networks as the 70's began. The few that existed were simple general knowledge quizzes. The Reel Game, for instance, tested people's knowledge of movies. No one won more than $1,000 at any given time. The show itself wasn't all that exciting, but it did bring Jack Barry back into hosting after he and his partner Dan Enright were caught in the quiz show scandals of the 1950's. 

Game shows became bigger and bolder in 1972 thanks to the hits The Price Is Right, Gambit, and The Joker's Wild. Suddenly, big shows with bigger payouts were all the rage. The Magnificent Marble Machine from 1975 let contestants and a celebrity partner play a giant pinball machine after guessing the name of a person, place, or thing from clues provided on what looked like a pinball machine's backbox. I can understand why this one didn't work. Pinball is more fun to play than watch, and the actual game wasn't really all that interesting. Roddy McDowell and Florence Henderson try to get that machine going.

50 Grand Slam brought back the tough quiz shows with people in isolation booths in 1976. Tom Kennedy asked two contestants questions based on their area of expertise. While one heard the question, the other went in an isolation booth. The first contestant would answer the question, then the second would see if they could answer the whole question. For some reason, there's even a golf game demonstrated in the premiere episode seen here.

The Wizard of Odds from 1973 was a variation. Alex Trebek had his first hosting experience in the US with this show that had contestants answering questions based on the law of averages. The second game had contestants choose which phrase didn't match the others. Yeah, not the most thrilling show in the universe, but Alex is as warm and enjoyable as he'd be in later shows.

Masquerade Party was a failed 1974 attempt to revive the 50's show that had a celebrity panel trying to guess who the famous person was under a costume. This one is more significant for giving Richard Dawson his big hosting break than for the goofy gameplay. Look for one of his fellow Match Game panelists in the first costume in the only surviving episode. 

Bill Cullen didn't have much more luck with Pass the Buck from 1978. Bill gives four contestants a topic, like the circus, and they have to give answers to match. If someone gets stuck or gives an answer someone else gave, the next person can give the answer and knock them out. If they miss, the contestant after them can take both out. Honestly, I thought this was cute, and Bill Cullen really seemed to have fun with it. It's too bad it couldn't survive competition from Card Sharks. 

Whew! is another failed 70's game that's a lot more fun than you might think. I wish Buzzr would take another crack at it. Watching people set up blocks on the huge board as the other contestant answers pun-based sentences, then run the "gauntlet" of Hanna Barbara-designed villains, is a lot of fun, and Tom Kennedy clearly enjoys hosting.

See what game shows worked and what didn't in the Me Decade with these truly unique flops!

The Reel Game (1971)

The Wizard of Odds (1974)

Masquerade Party (1974)

The Magnificent Marble Machine (1975) 

50 Grand Slam (1976)

Pass the Buck (1978)

Whew! (1979) 

Here Comes the Rain Again

Got a slightly later start than we have been today. The men who clean out Lauren's fireplace in her basement room were supposed to arrive at 9:30, but they got here early. I read A Fatal Groove and had breakfast while Lauren directed them and showed them what needed to be done. 

It was nearly 10 before we started out. Yesterday's showers returned as we made our way down to the enormous Walmart in North Adams. It's huge, on par with the one in Somerdale, and with the same lovely view of mountains and the surrounding area. Lauren's parents requested some grocery shopping. She asked for help to get down Cream of Wheat boxes that were too far back on the shelf to retrieve and had to go back for medicine. Otherwise, we had no trouble here. She even got cheese danish for her parents' dessert and apple danish for ours.

Pedrin's Dairy Bar is directly across the street from Walmart. This low slung building is a local fast-food eatery that's home to quick and delicious ice cream, burgers, and fried fish. I was more interested in the grilled chicken sandwich, with fresh lettuce and tomatoes and sweet potato fries. Lauren had a cheesesteak with regular fries. Both were enormous, on huge hoagie rolls. They only have outdoor seating. Thankfully, the rain had taken a leave of absence. We enjoyed our meals on their picnic tables, keeping our napkins from being blown away by the heavy winds.

Next stop after lunch was a little further down the road at the North Adams Goodwill. Lauren found two shirts here. I didn't see any clothes, but I did pick up two CDs and a DVD set:

Debbie Gibson - Electric Youth

Thelonius Monk - Straight No Chaser

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Series 3

After that, we went in the other direction back to Pittsfield. There's a larger Goodwill at a shopping center just outside of town, about 15 minutes from Lauren. This time, we both did well with clothes. I found a nice blouse in black, maroon, and white plaid and a simple coral sweater, along with the novel Flipped For Murder by Maddie Day. Lauren picked up blouses. 

By this point, the rain had started up again. It never poured, but it continued as a steady shower for the next few hours. No matter. We still wanted to hit up the Lee Outlets just outside of the entrance to the Mass Pike. 

We spent the next few hours going in and out of stores. Lauren picked up blouses at Chico's, t-shirts at the Gap and Old Navy, and trousers at J.Crew and Ann Taylor. I found a super-soft flannel blouse at J. Crew (I wanted one in blue too, but they didn't have my size) and a much-needed pair of corduroys to replace the ones that have pretty much had their plush rubbed off at the Gap. We struck out at The Loft and Eddie Bauer. I bought two lip balms and two purse-sized bottles of hand lotion buy three, get one free at Bath and Body Works. Lauren bought travel-sized bottles of hand sanitizer that were 5 for $8. 

The rain finally slowed down as we headed back into Pittsfield for dinner at Lauren's local 99 Restaurant. Mr. Miller texted Lauren while we were at the Outlets and said that bacon cheeseburgers are super-cheap there on Mondays. We thought we'd try them. This time, our appetizer was Crispy Cauliflower, cauliflower in tempura batter. Yummy! The spicy mayo was a bit much for me, but the cauliflower was nicely crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. She had cole slaw with her burger. I had fries. The fries were perfectly seasoned; the burger was juicy and flavorful. 

Had cherry vanilla ice cream and apple danish for dessert while playing a few last rounds of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I once again played Princess Peach, and Lauren was her Richard Dawson Mii. This time, we took on the Triforce Cup and the Egg Cup. Rainbow Road did me in on the Triforce Cup. I kept falling off those darn edges and came in dead last. The best I finished on that one was third, and that was on Wario's Gold Mine. I did somewhat better on the Egg Cup. My best showing there was second, but I ended up coming in fifth, thanks to a sixth place finish on the Excitebike Arena.

Finished the night with the Monday night Eagles-Buccaneers game. The Bucs were 2 - 0 before this, but they couldn't outrun the Eagles on a roll. Though they did manage to get one touchdown in during the second half, it wasn't enough to overcome the Eagles' defense. The Eagles are now 3 - 0 again with their 25 - 11 win. 

In a Big Country

We started out at 9 AM again, this time heading north into upstate New York and Vermont. It's beautiful country up there. The leaves are just beginning to turn colors, though most are still green. Pumpkins and corn line roadside stands. Rivers rushed and gurgled under ancient stone bridges. Cows grazed in velvet fields, near stores selling tractors and farm equipment and beautiful old hotels built to look like Tyrolean homes. There was patchy fog when we left, but by the time we arrived at the Vermont Country Store, the sun was out, the breeze was blowing, and it was a perfect early fall day, neither too hot nor too cold.

The Vermont Country Store in Weston prides itself on being a purveyor of practical and unique items. Practical and unique they may be, but their fancy blouses and pajamas, recreations of vintage toys, kitchen gadgets, hand-made soaps, huge bottles of hard-to-find shampoo and lotion, and retro holiday decorations tend to be expensive. I did find something among the clearance items in the rooms upstairs. Dug a pretty pale-blue cotton floral Ella Simone nightgown with long sleeves, satin ribbon trim, and buttons down the front off the clothes racks. Picked up another bottle of leaf-shaped maple syrup like I bought the last time we were here two years ago.

Headed back down the highway to Manchester for lunch. We ran into two problems at this point. First of all. Pastime Pinball just cut their hours two weeks ago. They're now only open on weekends. Second, the Manchester House of Pizza was closed for the entire month of September while their owners were on vacation. (They were closed at this time last year, too.) 

We ended up eating at The Works Cafe, a tiny restaurant down the street from Pastime Pinball. Their specialty is sandwiches and breakfast items made from the freshest and healthiest ingredients. I had a spicy Sunrise Burrito with eggs, bacon, quinoa, avocado, sweet potato, pico de gallo, and cheddar cheese. Yum! Spicy enough to clear my sinuses, but still good and filling. Lauren said her turkey avocado sandwich was really good, too. She had thick, crispy sour cream & onion chips; I had salt and vinegar. We both got sparkling waters.

As we headed down Riverside Heights, I saw a sign on a large blue building that said "The Vermont Flannel Company." As you can guess, this is a local store specializing in hand-made flannel clothes and accessories, along with stuffed animals and clothes for them. They even had rolls of plaid flannel fabric. Almost everything was way too expensive for my budget, including the toys. I did find two plaid flannel scrunchies that were only $5 each. They were a lot like the flannel scrunchies I bought at the Big E's Vermont State House years ago. Those scrunchies are getting kind of stretched out by now. I was glad to have replacements. Lauren bought a pair of purple plaid flannel lounging pants.

Our next stop was the Northshire Bookstore just a block down the street. They sell small selections of every kind of book on the planet. They only had a small cozy mystery selection. I ended up with Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah for Halloween next month. Found the second original Maryellen book, Taking Off, used for a mere $2. 

We spent the next hour or so browsing. Our next find after Northshire was a nifty antique and country store, not unlike a cross between the Barrington Antique Center and the Vermont Country Store. Cool as they were, we found nothing there. Long Ago and Far Away mainly sold crafts made by native artisans as far away as Alaska. Everything there was beautiful, but too expensive or hard to carry home. We strolled through a small war memorial park before ending up at TJ Maxx. I didn't get anything there. Lauren found a nice black floral blouse. 

Headed back down to Massachusetts for dinner. One of my favorite places to eat in Lauren's area is Bob's Country Kitchen in Lanesborough. They're a tiny little rustic cafe that sells basic diner fare. They're very popular with locals. We got there just ahead of two big groups that took up more than half the dining area. I had "Bob's BIG Melt," turkey and bacon on grilled rye with "tangy sauce" (mustard-based, I suspect). Lauren had her favorite ham platter with applesauce and mashed potatoes.

Lauren wanted to bring her parents two slices of apple pie from there, but they were out. We ended up at a near-by Stop & Shop to grab an apple crumble pie. I also finally found the Mountain Dew Voo Dew Zero Halloween flavor. I can never find the Zero sugar version at home! (It was...ok. Mountain Dew claims it's supposed to taste like candy corn. I didn't taste candy corn. I tasted a weird, sweet fruity flavor.)

When we got in, we had our apple crumble pie ala mode with cherry ice cream while playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This time, we just played each other and the computer. We ran through the Leaf Cup and the Banana Cup. No trouble here! Lauren's Richard Dawson Mii came in first every time. My best showing was second on Donut Plains 3 and Royal Raceway.

I finished the night on the Roku Channel with an old favorite of my stepfather's. He loved Spenser For Hire in the mid-80's. I read a few of the books in the early 90's, too. I figured the episode "Autumn Thieves" was especially appropriate, both in honor of fall starting tomorrow and it being set in the Berkshires. After a relic is stolen from a museum while he's pursuing the thief, Spenser finds himself keeping a Berkshires inn owner and the thief, his son, from being hurt by a ring of art collection thieves. 

Our State Fair

Once again, we started off around 9 PM...and this time, we did it on an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun was shining, the sky was a brilliant blue, and it was breezy and not too warm. There couldn't have been a nicer day for a trip to the Eastern State Exposition, New England's state fair in Springfield. There was no traffic on the Mass Pike. There was a line of cars when we got to the fair, but Lauren parked in the back of the same supermarket lot we were in last year, under the shady trees. It's a lot easier to deal with than the Big E's parking lot.

As you arrive through the main gates of the Big E, you're greeted with boardwalk-style signs for just about everything that can be fried, and many things that can but probably shouldn't be, like Kool Aid. We decided we'd walk around and take in the lay of the land before we did anything else. 

Our first stop was a small petting zoo just a few minutes after you enter the gate. Kids leaned over, feeding goats, llamas, alpacas, and a huge camel. We strolled around the crowds and checked out the animals, then moved on. 

Next up was the Avenue of the States, the road where a recreation of each state's capitol building sells wares from the state in question and hands out travel brochures. The capitol buildings are always busy, and today was no exception. We had the hardest time getting through Connecticut, which was wall-to-wall people looking at state-grown flowers and videos on Mohegan Sun Casino. Vermont touted Cabot cheese and Ben & Jerry's. New Hampshire boasted of its herbs and metal and stone jewelry. There was a line going out the door for Maine baked potatoes. Massachusetts showed off its honey and wild blueberry pies. We passed by a display of beautifully carved pumpkins from Roger Williams Park Zoo and Del's Lemonade in Rhode Island.

We thought of eating there, but the Avenue of the States is always too crowded to do much of anything but look. Ended up at the food booths between the Young and Better Living Buildings. Lauren pointed out a booth that sold gyros, the Greek pita sandwich with lamb, vegetables, and tzatziki sauce. We each had a huge one loaded with the sour cream-based sauce and a big cup of Diet Coke. She spotted purple-covered picnic tables near the midway. Had our lunch while watching the Ferris wheel go around.

Strolled through the Young and Better Living Buildings next. They're basically the same deal, huge warehouse-type buildings filled with craft booths and local businesses touting furniture, gadgets, and spas. Lauren and I each picked up a fluffy stuffed toy at the Alpaca booth in the Young Building. She got a purple bear; I found an adorable cream and tan sheep I named Sean. She also picked up a pretty striped sweater in lavender and magenta trimmed with fringe and a little purple Squishmallows bunny. 

Doubled back to the Avenue of the States, but not to hit the capitol buildings. There's a small train ride that leaves from in front of the Massachusetts Building. It's a cute little blue, red, and yellow tram with a big smiling face. This year, they expanded the ride. It doesn't only go around the back of the capitol buildings. It also rides down the row of shops and food booths beyond it. It was so much fun! Everyone waved at us. It was like a parade. 

Took the train's route after that, checking out smaller stores and booths along the back edge of the fairgrounds. We bought iced coffee and tea to cool us off, then ended up back at the Midway. By this point, kids were getting out of school, and the Big E was much busier. Dodged parents and children waiting in line for the Super Cyclone Coaster, the Wave Swinger, and the many fun house variations. 

We're going to hit Six Flags Great Escape on Sunday, so we didn't do the rides. We did play games. Lauren couldn't get a sleek purple bear out of a crane no matter how hard she tried, but I did get a smaller pink bear with glittery sequined paws I named Eva (as in Gabor). Neither of us won the "horse racing" game (though the barker said I got close). She won the water gun game, finally getting a cute rolly-poly husky. 

I spent nearly a half-hour watching Lauren throwing balls into baskets, trying to win a giant stuffed bear. The gentleman with the odd accent from Calgary kept giving her more balls and more free games. He even let me play at one point. I only got one ball in, but it was enough for him to give me a smaller prize. He originally threw an elephant at me, but I knew what I really wanted. I'd had my eye on a sweet scarlet bull with short white horns, black hooves, and a darling smile since we walked up there. When Lauren was ready to give up, he finally gave her a giant pop-eyed blue and yellow fish for playing so much.

(Incidentally, the bull turned out to be part of a line with similar wide-eyed stuffed toys. His name is Romeo. The bull on the tag and the giant version of Romeo hanging over the baskets had a fabric rose in his mouth, but my Romeo and the other smaller Romeos I saw don't.) 

After all that, we figured we'd won and played all we could handle. We went back the way we came, through the front gates and across the street to the supermarket. Lauren had no trouble getting out. The traffic was still going to the fair, not away from it. 

Chipolte is just a block from the supermarket, a separate building in the parking lot of a small shopping center. It's a blocky Mexican restaurant chain that allows you to choose the ingredients for whatever burrito, taco, or bowl you want. We were so hungry after walking for six hours, we both went with bowls. I had lettuce, spicy chicken, cheese, and the last of the brown rice. Lauren had tomatoes, cheese, white rice with herbs, and salsa. Yes, the chicken was a little spicy, but it otherwise tasted pretty good. Lauren seemed to enjoy hers, too. Both bowls vanished fairly quickly. 

Lauren wasn't ready to pack it in yet. Since we weren't far from the Holyoke Mall, we headed back there. The only store we missed yesterday was Burlington Coat Factory in the basement, next to the food court. It's pretty much the same deal as Marshalls and TJ Maxx...and it was a mess. Signs that claimed to sell sportswear sold everything but. Shelves were loaded with anything and everything. Neither of us found anything in that jumble.

Did one last half-hour at Round 1 before we left. I amassed a few more points playing skee ball, Nerf Arcade, and Mario Kart (finally got Princess Peach on the latter), but it wasn't that much more. Lauren and I decided we had enough stuffed animals and once again saved our points for another time.

Took the back way to the Mass Pike, around the mall and through several neighborhoods. Once again, we had no trouble on the road. All the traffic was going towards Springfield. Passed a lovely pink sunset as we made our way down to Lee and back past the Pittsfield Airport.

Lauren bought a Nintendo 64 system from a co-worker last week. She never had one as a child and was dying to try it. She did well with the Mushroom Cup rounds of Mario Kart 64, though I barely made fifth. Neither of us could figure out the Special Cup rounds Yoshi Valley and Donkey Kong Jungle Parkway; Lauren did the best at sixth. I beat her solidly with little Pipi the Mouse on Diddy Kong Racing. We had no idea what was going on with the NASCAR racing game.

Finished the night online with The New Scooby Doo Movies at Tubi. The kids are on a ski trip to Vermont, where they encounter comedians Laurel & Hardy looking for work at the lodge. (Despite the fact that both gentlemen had passed away by the time this show came out in 1972.) "The Ghost of Bigfoot" has scared everyone away from the ski lodge where they're staying but Mr. Crabtree, who hides in his room. While the kids try to figure out what's going on with the lodge, Shaggy and Scooby wonder about the strange ski instructor with the odd accent. 

Pick Yourself Up

Got a late start today. In fact, it was so late, it was noon before I had breakfast. Watched Match Game '75 as I ate. The first episode started with the hilarious week featuring Bill Macy, then of Maude. Charles and Brett really lay into each other in the first episode, teasing each other about their answers even more than usual, while Brett makes an early joke about her and Gene going to Encino. (They didn't.)

For some reason, Buzzr skipped way ahead to more than two weeks later...but the episode was one of the funniest of the year, so I didn't mind too much. For possibly the only time in the entire series, Gene went casual in a blue jacket and turtleneck in this show. Sarah Kennedy and Bobby Van watched as Betty White rolled up Gene's pant legs, revealing nifty argyle socks...and then a lady in the audience wants them. Richard has to get Gene back into his suede shoes. 

Headed out shortly after the episode ended. I wanted to do some Christmas shopping at Audubon Crossings behind the Acme...but I rode by Desserts By Design and saw their window open. I hadn't talked to the lady who works there in ages. I bought a yellow cupcake with pumpkin spice whipped topping while she took customers. After they left, I explained everything that had happened to me for the past two years with trying to find a job and a home, and all the disasters from last fall and winter. She recommended looking for a condo in Voorhees. I don't know. It's expensive, and a lot of it is in the middle of nowhere. Still worth trying, though. I know they have a nice library. 

Spent the next hour and a half in and out of stores. The zipper on my purse broke while I was rooting around for my wallet at Desserts By Design. I bought a new one at Marshalls, a really nice one that's a bit bigger than my old one. It actually looks like the wallet I bought last year, with the same leather woven design, only in dark brown...and it has metal zippers. I just tossed the other one...and hurried on after I witnessed two young adult men being thrown out of Marshalls when they attempted shoplifting. 

Found nothing at Ross, but I did find some small gifts at Marshalls and Five Below for Lauren, Amanda, and the daughter of a friend. Picked up my annual advent calendar with the chocolates at Five Below, too. (I haven't seen them at the Acme this year.) Made two awesome record finds at Goodwill, the soundtrack from the Disney movie Summer Magic and the 9-disc record set Reader's Digest's Treasury of Great Operettas. I have a later version of this on CD from 1994, but this one has some shows that set doesn't, including Die Fledermaus, A Waltz Dream, and Mlle Modiste. (And the records were half-price, thanks to them having green tags. Summer Magic dropped to $1.25, the operetta set to $2.49.)

Went across the parking lot for lunch. Tu Se Bella's has the best pizza in the area. Given it was past 3 PM by that point, they weren't busy at all. An older couple ordered sandwiches and panzarotti (and changed their order at least once), and a family waited for sandwiches. Other than that, I enjoyed my slice of cheese, slice of broccoli and shrimp, and bottle of Diet Coke and ignored the dull and silly talk show on the TV over the coolers.

GameStop is next door to Tu Se Bella's. I wanted to find a gift for my 18-year-old nephew Skylar. He'll need something fun to keep his mind off his damaged foot this winter, poor guy. Bought him a long X-Box game and saw something I thought I might get for Lauren. (Amazon had a better price on it later.)

Went straight home after I got out of GameStop. I didn't like the look of the weather. It had been damp, chilly, and cloudy all day. It rained a little bit while I rooted around in Goodwill, but nothing heavy. Thankfully, the real rain held off until I had long gotten home and had taken my laundry downstairs. It's been raining off and on, sometimes heavily, ever since. (And we're one of the lucky ones. A lot of places got snow, including Pittsfield.)

Did some writing after I got my laundry in the washer. Ira Skutch, the Match Game producer, whines about there being mice seen in the area. It's a male and a female, and he's afraid they'll mate and make a whole army of rodents. Announcer Johnny Olsen gently reminds him that he doesn't have to control everything and encourages him to join the others and open his present.

Debralee is delighted to get the largest gift from Gene Rayburn. It's a beautiful hand-carved nutcracker. Gene explains he found it in an old-world gift shop in Cape Cod and thought someone should have it. He even repaired it to actually crack nuts. Bart calls it ugly, but Debralee loves it. 

Broke at 7 for dinner and Match Game '77. Hans Conried finishes out his only week on the show, which is a bit disappointing given he did very well and seemed to enjoy himself. Richard doesn't do as well with "__ Knight" in the Audience Match. 

Continued on with Match Game as I ate dessert and got my laundry out of the dryer. Dick Martin returns the next week, along with supremely sarcastic Conny Van Dyke. Dick actually gets a match for once with the first question about what's under Billy Carter's mattress. Richard is still out of luck with "__ Pizza" on the Head-to-Head.

Finished up the night with Swing Time at Amazon Prime. I go further into one of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' best films and my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Swing Time (1936)

No Day but Today

This time, we headed through New Lebanon and into the back roads of upstate New York. It's really lovely here at this time of year. Small farms and quaint old villages are dotted with stacks of pumpkins and gourds and baskets of apples. Trees just starting to turn colors shade lovely old farmhouses, whitewashed churches, and stately stone libraries. We hit no traffic anywhere, not even turning off the highway and onto the ramp for the Crossroads Mall just outside of Albany.

Lauren took us a bit further down Wolf Road to the Colonie Center, the other major mall in the area. Remodeling back in the early 2010's made it gorgeous inside and out. The outside includes Art-Deco details around the entrance to Regal Cinema. Inside, there's wrought-iron railings, wide skylights, and soft chairs surrounding a massive fireplace. 

There must be a lot of families with small kids in the Albany area, because we ran into a ton of toy stores today. Our first two stops of the day were Heroes Hideout and Go! Calendars and Toys, which are across from each other at Colonie. Heroes specializes in more collectible toys than Go; otherwise, they're pretty similar. I didn't find anything, but Lauren bought a calendar for work from Go. 

Colonie Center has a lot of big box stores as anchors. I checked out Barnes & Noble while Lauren went across the way to Boscov's. I didn't find anything at Boscov's after I joined her, but I did find the next book in that Key West mystery series, A Deadly Feast. We poked around FYE, but theirs doesn't have a big selection of DVDs and CDs, so we were in and out. They have a very small arcade, but we decided to save our money for later. Their LL Bean is huge, but their wares are still too expensive for my budget. Lauren picked up a lovely black vest for work at Macy's. I got a maroon t-shirt with a pretty fall flower print. 

After we left LL Bean, Lauren took us a little further down Wolf Road for lunch. Ted's Fish Fry is a local fast food franchise that specializes in crispy fried seafood and chicken. They're also extremely popular, even with a remodeled vintage Pizza Hut next door. Lauren helped an older lady inside, and we joined a long line. Lauren got three fish tacos. I had a scallop roll (fried scallops in a hot dog bun), a huge container of cole slaw, and sweet potato fries. It took forever for me to get the fries because the kids behind the counter misheard me and thought I didn't want them. When I did finally get them, I shared them and the cole slaw with Lauren. 

After we got a bit turned around, thanks to a slight miscalculation by Lauren's GPS, we pulled into Crossgates Mall at about 1:30. Crossgates is about two decades younger than Colonie, and while it's not as pretty, it's much bigger. Since we parked at its back entrance, we started at JC Penney. Lauren found two blouses. I picked up a yellow polo shirt for $7 to replace the yellow t-shirt I got bleach on a few weeks ago.

(As we stood in line, we had to listen to an annoying woman pushing a stroller complain about how she wasn't moving fast enough and oh, why did they come to a mall without an elevator, and what was wrong with the store and the lady and why would she pack a dress in a bag and not on a hanger? The cashier said after she left that they were rude, and she was very right. If the woman didn't have the time to shop, or was busy with her baby, neither she nor her mother should have been shopping, period. And they certainly should have been nicer to the cashier. It's not her fault they're dragging a stroller around a major mall.) 

Next up, we strolled across the mall to hit Dave & Buster's. This is pretty much the same thing as Round 1 with no bowling alley and fewer crane games. The games they do have give you more tickets, though, and the cranes are easier to manipulate. We spent the next hour running from giant Pac Man to skee ball to video bowling to huge pirate's wheels you spun yourself to get tickets. 

Not only did we get more tickets, but we both had tickets leftover from last year. Lauren won a big stuffed sloth wearing a purple hoodie. I wanted a llama with rainbow fur, but she wouldn't fit into my luggage. I settled for a glittery unicorn with an electric blue mane I named Celeste and saved the rest of my tickets for next time. I also won a cobalt blue sea horse out of the crane game I named Mermista. (Lauren didn't get anything out of the cranes but a couple of rubber duckies.)

We walked around the mall for a couple of hours after leaving Dave & Buster's. Lauren didn't get anything at their FYE, but I picked up the 1974 The Little Prince musical with Gene Wilder and Bob Fosse and the original 1956 Honeymooners with Jackie Gleason. (Found the latter marked at $24.99; it came up to $19.99.) Lauren bought a pair of half-plaid, half-black pants with a chain on them from Hot Topic. I looked at Sailor Moon t-shirts, but didn't buy any. Lauren saw an awesome set at the Lego Store to recreate an Atari 2600, complete with games and game holder and a little space to build a tiny arcade. She ordered it online on the spot. We were in and out of Rack Room Shoes, DSW Shoes, Spirit of Halloween, Heroes Hideout, and Jay St. Video Games.

Had dinner at 110 Grill, a simple but elegant bar and restaurant. They were pretty expensive, so we stuck to sandwiches. I had a juicy and messy turkey burger with Swiss cheese, avocado, and more sweet potato fries. Lauren went with a "steak and cheese" sandwich with broccoli. Our sandwiches were tasty, and the waitress was a doll. 

Lauren quickly stopped at another Ted's Fish Fry (this one with a bar) to buy her parents more chowder. She took us home after that, past the glittering skyline of downtown Albany and across darkened towns and highways. We noticed it rained a bit around Schodeck. It had been on-and-off cloudy all day, sometimes heavily, but they never burst until it showered a little as we drove across the border into Massachusetts. What little rain we got vanished by the time we pulled into Lauren's garage. 

After we showed Mr. and Mrs. Miller our finds and I hit the shower, we played one final game of Super Mario Party. If you win the first three games in regular Party mode, you unlock Kamek's Tantalizing Tower. This is an all-gold board with a twist. Instead of Toadette moving the star constantly, she stays at the top of the tower. At the beginning of each round, and if you hit a space on the tower, you change how much her two (later in the game, three) stars will cost. 

To my shock, I actually won. Lauren barely came in second. She's still better at the minigames, but I bought three stars on one of my last turns. 

Finished the night on YouTube with a second-season episode of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Captain Gregg worries he's "Medium Well Done" when a touring medium (Shirley Booth) visits Gulf Cottage. Mrs. Muir wants a story, but Claymore wants his ancestor out of the house, so he can raise the rent. He's thrilled when she holds a seance to find out more about the ghost...but the captain isn't going to be pushed out so easily!

And that's the end of my vacation. I go home tomorrow. Oh, and I need to call Jessa on Thursday. Jess texted me earlier about having to change my phone lines. I suspect our shared phone lines are at an end. I should have changed my phone line ages ago. 

Walk Like a Woman

Got quite a surprise as we started out this morning. Someone lay new blacktop over the badly rutted old road. We found the men and the vehicle that poured the gravel half-way down the hill. They tumbled away as Lauren made her way around them, then around a truck carrying gravel further down the way.

Lauren drove through Lee again, taking us back onto the Mass Pike. Thankfully, we ran into no trouble this time, no traffic anywhere. If they were still working on the section of road that slowed traffic on Saturday, it was further down. We pulled in at the smaller Holyoke Commons shopping center next to the main Holyoke Mall around 11:30. 

Hit TJ Maxx first. They do have some great Halloween decorations, most of which I can't carry home. Lauren agrees that their clothes tend to be hit or miss. We walked out with nothing. Did much better at the huge two-story Barnes & Noble. Lauren picked up a set of the Marx Brothers films made at Paramount. I found the next book in the Shady Hollow animal cozy mystery series, Cold Clay. 

Had lunch at Red Robin in between stores. We got in at barely noon. There were only one or two people there, which may be why we got our meals so quickly. We shared a small stack of those delicious onion rings. She had a "Smoke & Pepper" burger with seasoned bacon. I had the California Chicken Sandwich, grilled chicken with guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles. Yum! Their chicken is far less dry with guacamole on it. 

Headed to the main mall at 1 PM and parked across from the back entrance to JC Penney. Hit them first. Lauren got nothing, but I found a lovely cream-colored sweater with sienna flower trim on the clearance rack. Originally $64, according to the tag, it rang up as $15. Sweet. 

We strolled across the mall to Round 1 Entertainment next. This arcade and bowling alley has become a favorite of ours in every mall we've run into it at, and this one is no exception. At least the skee ball machines worked here. We spent the next hour dashing from skee ball machine to the bean bag throw to the basketball games to giant Pac Man and Mario Kart Deluxe. Didn't make enough points to get anything really interesting. I'll try again at Deptford another time.

Running all over Round 1 made us thirsty. I initially suggested Starbucks for a drink, but Lauren didn't like the look of their menu. Went downstairs and checked out a few other booths. Lauren bought a Fruity Bubble tea, a drink with tea, milk, fruit, and tapioca at the bottom that resemble "bubbles." I picked up a nice, cold Chocolate Mocha "Chillatta" from Cinnabon.

We were in and out of a couple of stores for the next few hours. I peeked at the new Alex Bath & Toy, apparently an offshoot of FYE, as Lauren finished her tea. Saw lots of Our Generation items, but nothing I really wanted.  Lauren got nothing at FYE, but I found the  BBC series The Musketeers and Uncle Magoo, a collection of American history-themed Mr. Magoo shorts. Likewise, she picked up a really nice plaid shirt at Macy's, but I just used the bathroom. We looked at DSW Shoes, Build-a-Bear Workshop, and Stateline Video Games, but didn't buy anything. 

Ended up at Uno Bar and Grill for dinner. If we were doing Uno's, I wanted pizza. I had the Farmer's Market individual deep-dish pizza, which I've done before when Lauren and I had lunch here. Lauren managed to eat an entire huge bowl of shrimp and lobster scampi. 

The clouds that lingered off and on all day finally burst while we waited for dinner. By the time the waitress brought us our meals, it poured cats, dogs, and chickens out on the street between the mall and the parking garage. We figured that was a sign that we were done for the day. We did take a peek at the extremely messy shoe section at JC Penney (we both need new shoes for work), but eventually just headed out.

We timed it perfectly. The clouds caught up with us again about 20 minutes from the turn-off to Lee. Mother Nature put on a spectacular show as lightning flashed against the rolling green mountains. As Lauren pointed out, we were very lucky that the storm hit until just as we turned off the ramp and into downtown Lee. By the time Lauren brought down the recycling to their curb and parked the car, the rain had finally vanished. 

Showed Mr. and Mrs. Miller our purchases, then played more Super Mario Party. This time, we did King Bob-Omb's Powderkeg Mine. Lauren once again won, likely due to winning the most minigames, but everyone played well except for poor Rosalina (who never did manage to get any stars). 

Finished the night with a quick episode of Bewitched on The Roku Channel. Went with an early episode of the first season, "It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog." Samantha is fed up with the owner (Jack Warden) of the company Darrin wants to get an account with hitting on her at a party. She turns him into a dog to get him to back off. Darrin doesn't believe he did anything wrong and demands Samantha turns him back. She does, but he tries again. He never does learn his lesson, even after ending up at the vet, but Darrin does learn to trust his wife more. 

Have You Ever Seen the Rain

We headed out around 9:30 this time. Dark clouds lingered overhead as Lauren pulled into the lot behind the Lee Outlets. We started off with the Gap, the closest store to our entrance. Lauren picked up tank tops here. I found a gold henley shirt. I haven't had one of those in ages, and they're always so comfortable. I usually do well with shirts at the Gap. The store seemed quiet other than the employees. We may have been the first ones there. 

We were in and out of stores for the next hour and a half. Neither of us found anything at Ann Taylor, the Loft, or Eddie Bauer. I finally bought new underwire bras at Hainesbrands. They were 25% off instead of 40 because you had to buy three to get the sale and I only needed 2, but I still needed them. My underwire bras are badly stretched out. Peered around a charming little shop called DJ's Gifts that sold toys, wooden carvings and statues, and exotic items from around the world. Lauren confirmed that DJ's and Solomon's Furniture in the building across the way moved from the Berkshire Mall when they closed. 

Old Navy just opened two weeks ago in the former IZOD/Van Heusen store. Their store was a lot simpler than either of those preppy brands, bright white and boxy. I didn't get anything, but Lauren got a few shirts. We did better in another recent addition, Forever 21. Their store was even simpler. They did away with shelves all together and had everything either in cardboard boxes or hanging up along the wall. I really liked a pair of white corduroys with pretty flowered embroidery, but I couldn't find my size. Ended up with black jeans with apples embroidered on them. 

Unlike the Cumberland Outlets, the Lee Outlets has a small food court in the center building near Sketchers. They no longer had a Subway, but the other booths - Mexican, Italian, Asian, and a local sandwich shop - were open. We both went with sandwiches. I had "Thanksgiving," turkey and American cheese with greens, tomatoes, and cranberry mayo. She had a chicken-bacon club. 

The food court has a tiny "Fun Zone" arcade next to the Asian food booth. Though there was an Alien shooting game, everything else was some type of crane. I tried a couple of them in an attempt to get stuffed animals, but had no luck. Lauren didn't do any better. We headed out shortly after she gave up trying on the larger one.

After we left, we hit Famous Footwear, Aeropostale, and Chico's, but found nothing interesting. The dirty gray clouds that threatened all morning finally burst as we left Chico's. The shower got too heavy for further mall exploring. Besides, the remaining stores were all expensive upscale designers like Polo Ralph Lauren and Talbots that we can't really afford and don't usually carry my size anyway.

Since we left the Lee Outlets earlier than planned, we had time to stop at Lauren's local Goodwill. It moved into a larger store earlier this year after Big Lots also upgraded into a larger building. I thought I found a pale-blue Eddie Bauer turtleneck that looked perfect...but I didn't read the tag right, and it turned out to be a medium. I'll give it to Lauren. She came up with a whole pile of shirts. 

Our last stops of the day weren't pleasure shopping. Lauren had a list of things her parents needed at the massive WalMart in Lanesborough. She found all of it but bags of shredded potatoes for fried potatoes with cheese. Picked those up at the Target attached to the now-closed Berkshire Mall. Went to one of her local supermarkets, Stop & Shop, for diced turnip and mouthwash. Drove into Pittsfield so Lauren could pick up the dinner she ordered from the Highland, one of her parents' favorite restaurants. 

We ate with Lauren's parents after we rolled in. Lauren and her folks enjoyed veal Parmesan with spaghetti and salads. I had turkey with an odd orange-y gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes (that were probably a mix but at least were warm), and slightly mushy peas. 

Joined Lauren downstairs for the fudge thumprint cookies and apple strudel we picked up at Walmart and to play Super Mario Party after I took a shower. Once again, Lauren took Mario and I took Peach. We played the jungle-themed Thwomp's Domino Ruins tonight. Even on hard, Lauren still got the most stars and won the most mini-games. I barely came in third to Boo the ghost, though.

Finished the night online with more games from various broadcast networks. Even PBS, the public broadcasting network in the US, got in on the games. Their most famous national game is probably Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego from the early-mid 90's. Three kids compete to follow a strange crook who steals a famous landmark and return it, then run to name every country on a certain continent in the bonus round. How strange was this show? In the episode I chose, Patty Larceny somehow manages to steal Williamsburg, Virginia. Lynne "The Chief" Thigpen, host Greg Lee, and group Rockapella helps the kids with the clues.

Most PBS game shows were local versions of quizzes for high schools or colleges, or educational shows. Even New Jersey had its own high school quiz show at one point in the late 80's on what was then the Camden PBS. North Jersey high schools St. Joseph and Pequannock get put through their paces here with the help of Professor Todd Hunt.

PBS wasn't always America's fourth network. DuMont began life in the early 40's as the first network on the air, and the only one not spun off from radio. They never managed to gather as many affiliates as the Big 3 and, despite developing the now-standard practice of selling commercial time to different advertisers, instead of letting one company control each show, were perpetually in the red. They did put out several popular game shows before finally succumbing to their financial difficulties in 1956. 

The episode of Down You Go seen here may be in poor shape, but it's one of the few DuMont shows still in existence today. This cross between What's My Line and Wheel of Fortune is likely DuMont's answer to the panel shows that were wildly popular on the other networks at the time. Four celebrities try to guess Hangman-style puzzles sent in by viewers. Slow-moving and not that exciting, but just the fact that it exists at all makes it interesting.

 

No one tried to create a real fourth network to rival the Big 3 again until the 90's. Fox Broadcasting became 20th Century Fox's attempt to enter the television market. Most of their early game shows were syndicated programs they picked up, like my old childhood favorite Fun House. They retooled it a little to bring it up-to-date, but it was otherwise pretty much the same Double Dare imitation it had been in syndication. 

Fox didn't get heavily into the game show genre until Who Wants to Be a Millionaire hit it big in 1999. They were the first ones out of the gate with imitations. Greed had six contestants answering numerical questions. The one with the furthest answer is eliminated; the others form a team. They can answer questions for dollar amounts up to two million. The member who gives the lowest scoring answer is eliminated by the next-lowest scorer, and so on. Chuck Woolery keeps things moving and suspenseful.

Tough quiz that's one of the better Millionaire clones of the early-mid 2000's. It actually did fairly well in the ratings and only ended because Fox's new executives didn't like game shows.  I know a lot of people who grew up in the late 90's-early 2000's who have very fond memories of the original run or its later re-runs on Game Show Network.

Warner Bros and Paramount tossed their hats into the ring with new networks in the mid-90's. The WB and UPN had some successful shows before they were merged as The CW in 2006, but their non-scripted programs weren't among them. They mostly focused on cheaper reality show competitions like Dance 360, UPN's updated hip-hop version of Dance Fever. 

The WB did make one short-lived attempt at a Millionaire clone in 2004. Studio 7 crossed the quiz show with reality programming that had college students living together for a week, quizzing each other on the material. Each appeared in six rounds, wearing a ring they gave up if they needed help. The show apparently ran for 7 weeks; I have the intense series finale here. 

Explore TV history with these rare game shows! (And yes, watch out for a bad tape on Down You Go...but as mentioned, it's one of the few DuMont programs to survive today.)

Down You Go (1950's)

New Jersey Bowl (1987)

Fun House (1991)

Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego (1993)

Greed (2000)

Studio 7 (2004)

Dance 360 (2004)

Angels of the Morning

We got an earlier start this time, at 9 instead of 10. Headed into a glorious blue and gold early fall day, this time making our way past Lenox and Lee to the Mass Pike. Everything went fine...until we hit traffic around the exit to West Springfield, thanks to annoying road repair. After that, we managed to get through most of West Springfield again before running across another long line of traffic near the Eastern State Exposition. 

Lauren got so fed up dealing with traffic, when a man announced a good price for parking behind a shopping center close to the fair, we took it. I'm glad we did. She drove into a spot under a row of shady trees not a five-minute walk from the fairgrounds. We decided we'd rather have a slightly longer walk than deal with the Big E's parking lots. 

The Eastern State Exposition is the state fair for the New England region. As you enter, you see colorful boardwalk stands featuring every kind of food that can be fried, including Kool Aid. We passed a petting zoo, a pony ride, and the world's smallest horse, and heard about a pig race taking place at one of the farm buildings. 

We were mainly interested in the two large buildings on either side of the fairgrounds, flanked by rows of food stands and shopping booths. Hit the Young building first. Lauren wanted to find the woman selling stuffed toys, blankets, and other accessories made from fluffy alpaca wool. Usually, her wares are too expensive for me. This year, I had the money to buy a small panda with thick fur. Lauren went with a white bear.

We walked around there and the Better Life Building for a while after that. They have pretty much the same mix of home and garden booths selling window treatments, upgraded gutters, and cheaper internet packages and booths of exotic clothes or toys or local crafts. We didn't buy anything here, though we did look at some of the food booths on the edges of the building for lunch.

In between, we had lunch at a row of food booths and carts in the back of the Young building. I found a rustic wooden booth selling baked sweet potatoes with toppings ranging from bacon to pecans to scallions. I opted for two tacos filled with rice and mashed sweet potatoes. Lauren went to the other side of the row for French fries with cheese and bacon. They gave her so much, she couldn't begin to finish it. I snitched a few to help out.

Hit the Avenue of the States next, a row of buildings made to look like each New England state's historic capitol building. We tried to explore Rhode Island, but the crowds were too heavy. I did get to see the jack o'lanterns carved by Rhode Islanders, but people were too thick around the expanded Del's Lemonade stand to get more than a glimpse of them. 

We decided we'd double back later to take in the remaining state houses and see if the crowds thinned. Besides, Lauren spied something way more fun across the way from the Massachusetts building. She bought us tickets for a little blue and yellow train tootling around the back of the Avenue of the States. It was mainly supposed to be for little kids, but they didn't mind two adult riders. The ride was short, but a lot of fun. The little kids on board were darling. They waved to passers-by and chattered about everything around them. It was more like being on a float at a parade.

Lauren spied a soup stand at the Storrowtown Village living history museum. She wanted to try their broccoli and cheese. I had those vegetarian tacos, so I went with cheeseburger (ground beef and potato) chowder. Salty, but filled with lots of big potato pieces and ground beef. The bowls, however, were much bigger than expected. Neither of us close to finished them.

We walked around in the Young building and Better Life Building again, but the crowds weren't thinning. If anything, they increased as the afternoon went on. Lauren suggested getting something cold and wet and finding shade. We bought very sweet frozen lemonades from a lemonade booth in the Better Life Building and ate them in the shade under the arch of the Food Court as cool fall breezes blew across our sweaty faces.

Trying the Avenue of the States again proved even more fruitless. We tried to elbow our way through crowds buying baked potatoes at the Maine building, raspberries and honey in Massachusetts, and Ben & Jerry's and flannel clothing in Vermont. After we could barely get through the crowds in Vermont, Lauren decided she was tired of dealing with all the people...and I figured she was right. We didn't even finish walking through Vermont before we made our way back out and hiked down to the gate, and then over to the parking lot (after a quick bathroom stop). 

Since we'd gotten out at 2:30, too early for dinner, we explored a few near-by stores. The shopping center in front of the parking lot sported the largest Big Lots I ever saw. They were so big, they even had the room for furniture. A larger center just a few blocks away had a TJ Maxx that was nearly as big. We didn't buy anything at either place, but they did kill time.

Lauren had her phone out and was trying to find a place for an early dinner when I emerged from TJ Maxx. I figured we could go with the obvious and pointed to the blocky red and gray building across the parking lot from us. I noticed the Chipolte coming in. Apparently, Lauren did too, but forgot about it in the mess with the traffic and the parking.

Chipolte, like Shake Shack, is basically a fast food restaurant with blocky contemporary decor and food that's a lot tastier and better for you than anything at Taco Bell. She had three steak tacos, since she didn't get the sweet potato tacos at the Exposition. I had a bowl of chicken, black beans, rice, and salsa. Proved to be a tasty mix of flavors...and way too big. I didn't close to finish it. For once, Lauren ate more than I did. (The kid who took our orders added sour cream when I told him not to...but in his defense, I heard the two other kids behind the counter explaining things to him. I think he was a new trainee.)

This time, we only hit a little traffic around another bit of road repair, nothing like we ran into before! Otherwise, no problems, not even passing through Springfield. We finally pulled into Lauren's parents house around 6:30.

Played video games for a couple of hours downstairs in Lauren's room after we showed Mr. and Mrs. Miller our new bears. I'm getting better at Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. My best showing was 3rd on the second version of Mario Circuit. Lauren hit second on Baby Park. We kicked villain rear with our Street Fighter combo of soldier Cammy and martial artist Chun Li...until we tried Tough mode, then couldn't get near them. Played a tropical fruit-themed Super Mario Party round. Lauren beat me by one star, but just barely. 

Finished the night at the Roku Channel with Charlie's Angels. They're Moonshinin' Angels in the fifth season when Charlie gets a call from the California backwoods. Seems two local moonshining families who are notorious for their feud are starting up again, thanks to a gangster turning them against each other. Kelly joins the Barletts as a driver. Kris offers her chemistry skills to the Catlins as a master distiller. Julie opts to take a job as a waitress and listen for gossip at the local diner. 

Let's Stay Together

Awoke to a cloudy, windy morning. That wasn't entirely a bad thing. It was much cooler as we strolled down the White Horse Pike, and there was a nice, strong wind. It wasn't busy, either. We had no problem stepping into Jalapeno's Bar and Grill by around quarter of noon.

They weren't busy, either. In fact, we were the first ones there. She had a huge salad, filled with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and olives (that she picked off - she doesn't like them either). I had my favorite vegetable quesadilla. They were delicious, and we enjoyed the meal...but we waited more than 10 minutes, and our waiter still didn't show up to get our payment. While it was busier than it had been when we arrived, it still wasn't that bad. We threw down money and his tip and rushed out.

By that point it was nearly 1, too late to take a bus to Barrington. I called for an Uber driver instead. He got us up the Pike to the House of Fun quickly and with a minimum of fuss.

The House of Fun wasn't busy, either. Alas, neither of us found anything there. We did better at in the overstuffed rooms at the Barrington Antique Center. She picked up two vintage scarves, one purple, one red and white polka-dot. I found two records, the original cast of the 1964 Broadway show The Girl Who Came to Supper and a songs-and-story record for the Disney Babes In Toyland. 

Since we got a later start, I texted Jessa and told her to meet us at 2:30, rather than 2. She didn't arrive until nearly quarter of 3. No trouble getting to Deptford after that. I haven't seen her because we've both been busy with work. She has two jobs at local warehouses. I told her about everything going on with me, from my doctor's appointments to Rose and Mom. (And no, Rose hasn't spoken to her, either.)

Pulled into the parking lot of the Deptford Mall around 3:30. We poked around Box Lunch and Go! Calendars and Games, but found nothing of interest. Jessa thought there was a smaller arcade downstairs, but it would seem it was removed or shut down. 

We finally just moved on to the big arcade upstairs, Round 1 Entertainment. We spent an hour running from giant Galaga/Pac Man game to giant Bust a Move to bean bag games to spin the wheel games. The skee ball machines were broken, but I did just as well with the bowling games next to them. Came in first on Mario Kart Deluxe, too, and with Pac Man, a character I've never used before. I kept trying and trying to win characters from the neon cranes in the center of the room, but had no luck whatsoever. Made up for it by finally earning enough points to pick up the cutest pink and tan anime-style kitty named Plum-Chan, with enough leftover for something next time. 

Hiked across the mall to Red Robin for dinner. We just caught them before they got too busy, too. Lauren had a Caesar Salad grilled wrap. I had a grilled chicken sandwich. It was slightly dry, so I added ketchup and mayo sauce from our tower of crispy onion rings. Jessa had a bowl of grilled chicken salad that was bigger than her head! 

Went back to to the other side of the mall to check out FYE and Boscov's. The FYE had slightly more DVDs than it did last time or than Cherry Hill, but still not a ton. No one got anything there. We all did far better in Boscov's. I picked up a new summer purse with a pretty woven rainbow design. Alas, the lining on the one I bought last year from Amazon ripped rather badly. Lauren picked up two shirts. Jessa bought a huge stock pot. 

Jessa drove us home through the back roads of Deptford and Westville, finally pulling in around 7:30. We had dessert while watching The Price Is Right: The Barker Era. We got to see a nearly-perfect win episode, plus a goofy Showcase Showdown skit with Johnny Olsen and the models playing mad scientists who turn themselves into something that represents the prizes in question.

I finished off the night on Amazon Prime with Listen, Darling. I go further into this early Judy Garland musical for the centennial of her birth at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Judy Garland Centennial - Listen, Darling