Laughing Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the 2011 revival cast album of How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. John Larroquette won a Tony playing Biggley, the stuffy president of the World Wide Wickets Company to Daniel Radcliffe's ambitious window-washer J. Pierpont Finch. They're both having a lot of fun here, especially on "Grand Old Ivy" and the big finale number "Brotherhood of Man." Larroquette also does well by the spoof ballad "Love From a Heart of Gold" with Tammy Blanchard. As good as the original cast is, this certainly has its virtues as well, especially if you're a fan of either star.

Called Uber after I finished breakfast and got dressed. No trouble here. The driver going to work came in 9 minutes. The one going home came in 5. No traffic either way, and I got to work in plenty of time.

No trouble at work, either. On one hand, it's still hot and thickly humid, but it was also sunny all day, without a cloud in the sky. I had more help this time, too, and for longer. The Sunday morning bagger is usually pretty reliable. Once he left, I had help from one of the college boys for the last 45 minutes. I spent the entire afternoon pushing carts...but I made sure to pace myself and go inside and get a drink of water from the bottle in my locker or empty trash cans or fill the toilet paper in the women's bathroom every half-hour or so. 

Listened to The Hit List after taking a much-needed shower. This K-Tel 2-disc set features some of the biggest hits from 1982. The first disc has most of the better-known songs today, including "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone, "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon, "Caught Up In You" by 38 Special, "You Better You Bet" by the Who, and the first hit from Huey Lewis and the News, "Do You Believe In Love?" Most of the songs on the second disc are less familiar today, other than "The One That You Love" by Air Supply, "Slow Hand" by the Pointer Sisters, and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police.

Finished the night at YouTube watching the Sunday Match Game marathon while eating dinner. Brett Somers started off on the third week of the show and quickly became the show's second regular. Though she originally sat next to Richard Dawson in the ingenue seat, she was eventually moved upstairs to the second seat and would remain there for the rest of the original run. By the end of 1973, she'd been joined by Charles Nelson Reilly on her right. They became the best of drinking buddies and played hilariously off of her, whether he was making fun of her jewelry or she made fun of his toupee and his never wearing socks.

Brett had a comic feud with the person who handled the buzzer that ran through most of late 1973 and 1974. It got so ubiquitous, there were even questions about what she'd do the buzzer holder if she could get her hands on them, or how she'd stop them from buzzing her. Her complaints would often end up with a joke "buzzer" being used, like a raspberry noise or a cow bell. If Brett wasn't trading quips with Charles, she was doing it with Betty White. The two of them loved teasing each other about their ages and about the hold Betty had on her husband host Allen Ludden.

There were times when Brett could get a little too salty for her own good, like the 1977 episode where her answer about what movie Lassie didn't like making was censored. There was also the time in 1976 when she used her rear end as an answer to a question, or when she flipped off the audience. On the other hand, for all the jokes about her bad answers, she was sometimes the only one to get a question right, like during the syndicated run in 1980 where she was the one who finally got an answer after three tiebreakers and received a deserved standing ovation. 

Brett's then-husband Jack Klugman was the one who recommended her to the show in the first place. They appeared three times together in 1973 and spent all three weeks fighting. They got so bad, comedian Stu Gilliam asked why they put him on the "military level." By the time Jack reappeared on the show in late 1978, they'd been divorced or separated for at least three years. That didn't stop Jack from practically climbing on Brett during a question, or the others holding a mock wedding for them in the finale.

No one had more fun on the show than Brett! Belly laugh your way through the hot summer with these hilarious episodes!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Brett Somers Marathon: Laugh Your BLANK Off & Flip You Off!

Come On Down and Match!

I got up so late, I had just enough time to eat and call Uber before going to work. At least that went well. The driver took 8 minutes to arrive in the morning. I got to the Acme just in time. I got off at 5 and had a harder time finding a driver. It took 17 minutes for the driver going home to arrive. No trouble either way.

Today was my 8 hour day. I spent most of it sweeping and gathering carts. The older man was around in the morning, and I showed him how to restock the toilet paper in the men's bathroom. After he left, I was on my own. It wasn't busy in the morning, but it did pick up in the afternoon, to the point where I had a hard time keeping up with the carts. The weather didn't help. It was sunny, humid, and really hot for most of the afternoon...except for around 2 PM, when the clouds gathered. I was pushing carts when it started showering. I even saw a bolt of lightning at one point. Needless to say, I hurried in the store after that!

After I got home, I changed, had dinner, and spent the rest of the night watching tonight's Match Game marathon. Announcer Johnny Olsen was a fixture on Match Game since he announced the 60's version. The sweet, slightly pudgy gentleman in the glasses was as much of a regular as Brett and Charles. The episode in 1974 where Burt Reynolds turned up to visit his friend Charles Nelson Reilly had a joke about what Johnny does to his tongue to prepare for his job. 

There was also a crack in 1975 about him saying his famous line from Price Is Right, "Come on down!" in his sleep to his wife Penelope. Sometimes, Gene would just bring him out to tell him what a wonderful job he was doing. In a syndicated episode, Gene brought him to check a question and make sure he was reading it right. Another time in 1974, he ran down to say "Come on down," only for Gary Burghoff to run down jumping up and down in imitation of a typical Price contestant. In 1979, he heard a question about what it would be very strange for Nipsey Russell to sell on TV.

Johnny's last time announcing Match Game was four weeks subbing for Gene Wood on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. The first week, he witnessed the antics with Bill Rafferty (who was still hosting Real People at that point), Marcia Wallace, Charles Nelson Reilly, Alfie Wise, and legendary voice artist and satirist Stan Freberg. Bob Eubanks was on a later week. 

Come on down and match with one of the great game show announcers in this surprising and sweet marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Johnny Olsen: "Come On Down!" Marathon

Dolls On National Night Out

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Auntie Hen" is preparing her home for lunch when Little Bear brings her chick nephews and nieces to visit. They wreck so much havoc inside, they end up eating at Hen's picnic table. Little Bear would love to "Play Ball," but he's angry that Emily took his ball without asking. Emily's angry at him for making fun of her baseball uniform. It takes the actual game to patch up their hurt feelings. "Lucy's Okay," even after Duck accidentally sits on her and they hold a mock funeral for the doll.

Had no trouble getting to the Acme on time this morning and on my bike. That's about the only thing that did go right at work. Work was a pain in the rear end from beginning to end. It's the beginning of the month and the day seniors get a discount. I had no help, either. The bagger who was supposed to help ended up in a register again. I kept getting behind on carts. I'd fill them, and they'd vanish again. I was very happy when I finally finished and got out of there.

At least the weather was pleasant. In fact, I think this is supposed to be the nicest weather we have this week. Sunny, breezy, hot, a little humid, but nothing like yesterday! For all the trouble, I did have a pleasant ride home, and it wasn't bad gathering carts when I could get out.

Returned to cartoons during lunch with Paw Patrol "Sea Patrol" episodes. "Pups Save a Water Walker" when Mayor Humdinger steals Francois Turn'bot's new water walking boots, intending to turn Turtle Island into part of Foggy Bottom. Not only did he completely ignore the fact that the island is a turtle habitat, but he can't control the boots. The pups have to go after him. "Pups Save a Windsurfer" when they save an older lady and her friend from an underwater and island volcano that are about to go off.

Switched to the 2002 Strawberry Shortcake as I finished eating. Peppermint Fizz is the only one who refuses to accept newcomer Rainbow Sherbet. She lives on a houseboat, and her life revolves around the water. She's too different for Peppermint. Strawberry holds "The Costume Party" to show why differences are nothing to be afraid of.

Dressed the dolls for August next. Kit, Samantha, and Molly wear their historically-accurate bathing suits I found on eBay. Jessa's purple tropical-print modern bathing suit also came from eBay. Ariel and Whitney's bathing suits were gifts from Lauren. Lauren also gave me the purple sundress with the lace jacket and hot-pink pineapple print. I can't find a historically-accurate bikini for Barbara Jean, so she gets to wear that for a summer date. 

Josefina and Felicity come from time periods where swimming and bathing weren't considered ladylike. Felicity wears her lavender striped Traveling Gown and second "meet" outfit. Josefina is in the pretty beige flowered dress and beige moccasins I found her in.

Listened to CDs while I worked, starting with finally getting all the way through American Musical Theater Vol II. The Cradle Will Rock, an opera about a steel worker who attempts to unionize against a miserly boss, was so politically charged the government tried to shut it down before it opened. Writer Marc Blitzstein ended up playing the piano for the cast while they sang their parts from the audience. Howard DaSylva gets dark title song. They weren't the only show to have trouble, either. Porgy and Bess wasn't a hit in its original 1935 run, though songs like "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" eventually put it over by 1940. Pins and Needles was a very similar revue from around the same time, though far more comic in nature. Ruth Rubenstein sings about being a "Chain Store Daisy" who has to sell to men instead of chase them. 

Two of the big names in this time period couldn't have been more different from another. Kurt Weill specialized in groundbreaking concepts and odd fantasies featuring brittle leading ladies like Gertrude Lawrence, who introduced "Jenny" in Lady In the Dark, and Mary Martin, who joined Kenny Baker to introduce "Speak Low" in One Touch of Venus. He also wrote the wistful "September Song," which was introduced by Walter Huston in Knickerbocker Holiday. "Tchaikovsky" had very little to do with Lady In the Dark, and everything to do with the performer who introduced the wild patter number about Russian composers - Danny Kaye. Cole Porter, on the other hand, went in for goofy shows with sassy belters like Ethel Merman. She introduced the title song of Anything Goes and "Friendship" with Bert Lahr in DuBarry Was a Lady. Mary Martin became a star singing Porter's sexy "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" in Leave It to Me. 

All of that changed when Oklahoma debuted. Rodgers and Hammerstein's romantic comedy-drama led a revolution where stories got meatier and songs and dances now had to have some relevance to the plot. The version of "Soliloquy" heard here is from the original cast album of Carousel and has a passage Hammerstein cut after opening that is heard nowhere else. For some reason, they use the 1966 revival of Annie Get Your Gun with Ethel Merman, Bruce Yarnell, and Jerry Orbach singing "There's No Business Like Show Business" instead of the original. Irving Berlin himself sings his own comic number from This Is the Army, "Oh How I Hate to Get Up In the Morning." St. Louis Woman wasn't a hit, but it did give us the gorgeous ballad "Come Rain or Come Shine."

Put on Diana Krall as I cleaned up the dolls' boxes and shoe hangers. Quiet Nights mean just that, soft ballad and bluesy numbers. There's standards here, too, "Where Or When," "Too Marvelous For Words," "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," and a really lovely version of "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face." Of the newer numbers, I liked the title song and "So Nice" the best.

Rested while watching the first three episodes of Remember WENN. Decided to rewatch my favorite TV show in honor of its 30th anniversary this year. "On the Air" introduces Betty Roberts (Amanda Naughton), who has just arrived at Pittsburgh radio station WENN in 1939. She won a writing contest, but erudite station manager Victor Comstock (John Bedford Lloyd) isn't impressed until her script saves a broadcast.

"Klondike 9366" brings in perky ingenue Ceila Mellon (Dina Spybey) and shows us more of husband-and-wife acting team Jeff Singer (Hugh O'Gorman) and Hilary Booth's (Melinda Mullins) contentious relationship. Celia is tossed into the fray when she and Jeff host Victor's latest radio creation, a late-night call-in talk show. It just ends up with crossed lines, until they help a little boy (Nick Holmes) keep a prowler at bay. 

Victor and Betty are caught between "A Rock and a Hard Place" when wealthy Mr. Action (Barton Heyman) wants to create a slam-bang action show. However, that would mean canceling Pittsburgh Public Library Theater and upsetting another influential sponsor, Mrs. Mellon (Irene Worth). While Victor tries to figure out how to appease both of them, Ceila tries desperately to avoid Mrs. Mellon...and Betty learns she wasn't entirely upfront about how close she was to the Mellon family. Good thing Betty can keep a secret (something she'll be doing a lot more of in the later seasons). 

Headed out after "Rock and a Soft Place" ended. I dropped off a book at the kiosk in front of what used to be the Oaklyn Library, then headed down to West Clinton. The Oaklyn Police Department held their National Night Out at the parking lot between the school and Tonewood Brewery. They were giving out free bags of popcorn, water ice, hot dogs, bottles of water, and very thin slices of pizza. I had two slices of pizza and one of everything else. Ate while watching older kids slide around and jump triumphantly out of a sports-themed bounce house. There was a Mickey Mouse-themed bounce house for the younger kids. 

I had just come back for cherry water ice when the police announced a pie-eating contest. Actually, it turned out to be more of a Reddi-Whip-in-the-pie-pan eating contest. Two cops competed against a line of kids. They were all utterly hilarious to watch, kids and cops alike! I think one of the older boys ended up winning. I finally went home as mothers wiped their children's whipped cream-covered faces and the cops grabbed lots of napkins.

Caught the last Match Game '76 episode of the night when I got in. Jimmie Walker spent a lot of the week enamored with a very pretty contestant who made her own clothes. Richard Dawson was happier to be between Elaine Joyce and Fannie Flagg (and their shapely figures).

Put on more WENN after Match Game ended. Movie and theater star Grace Cavendish (Patti LuPone, the first of three Broadway divas to appear on the show) makes a special appearance at the station in "There But for Grace." Hilary Booth is furious. She never forgave Grace for stealing her part in Razzle Dazzle. Grace is really there to see Victor, whom she once had a relationship with. Betty's not too happy either when she catches them renewing said relationship. Victor, however, is married to the station and the artistic freedom it brings. Meanwhile, Hilary is determined to get rid of this interloper, or at least give her the stomach ache of her life. (Look for LuPone's performance of the title song, the first of two times on the show you'll hear its lyrics.)

Finished the night at PBS Kids with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Strawberry Shortcake and her friends aren't the only ones who learn that it's not so bad for our friends to have different interests. It's "Pizza Day at School." Dan wants to be "pizza buddies" with Prince Wednesday, but doesn't understand why he prefers broccoli over green peppers. Likewise, Miss Elainia tries to get Katarina to try finger painting, but she prefers painting with a brush. "Daniel and Jodi Like Different Things" when they play at the beach. Dan doesn't like to be squirted with a squeezy whale. Jodi's brother doesn't want his feet covered with sand, but he loves to help make sandcastles! 

Rainy Day Games

Started the day with breakfast and Monchichhis. It's a "Double Play" when the Grumplins create a machine that can turn a Grumplin into a Monchichhi. They target Patchit, the Monchichhis' inventor, repair-monkey, and head of the Happy Works, capturing him when he goes out for a ride on his new helicopter. When the others realize that's not Patchit, they go after him, only for him to rescue them when they're captured and sent to the Grumplins' mines.

It was pouring like crazy when the cartoon ended. I had to call Uber. There was no way I could take the bike...but I called too late. They couldn't arrive for 20 minutes! I ended up being very late, more than 20 minutes. At least there was no such trouble later. The second driver arrived in 9 minutes. No trouble on the road, not even flooding. 

Thank heavens that was the worst thing that happened all day. The rain stopped shortly after I arrived. It started again around 11. As you can imagine, the store wasn't busy. It didn't even pick up a little bit until almost before I was done. Another bagger came in and helped with the carts after around 10 as well. I was in and out with no trouble. Even picked up Bob's Red Mill instant oatmeal on clearance.

Instead of going straight home, I had the Uber driver drop me off at WaWa to use the ATM machine. Grabbed a Caramel Coconut Smoothie, Chicken Teriyaki Wrap, and Miss Vickie's chips there, too. The smoothie was frankly a bit watery, but the sandwich was yummy when I got home. Thankfully, the rain was long gone by the time I was at WaWa, though it remained cloudy and thickly humid. I did get home dry.

Did something different when I got in and watched Sesame Street. The brand-new special "Storm On Sesame Street" has everyone in the neighborhood preparing for a major storm that's supposed to hit New York. Elmo's dad asks him to find three objects that will help make everyone feel better. He's joined by Abby Cadabby, her mom, and her stepbrother Rudy. Rudy's very nervous about the storm, so Elmo tries to distract him. He's helped by Bert and Ernie (who took in animals) and Big Bird (who is lining up stuffed animals for hugs, including his own Radar teddy). Later, after they see the havoc the storm wrecked on Sesame Street, they play superheros to fix everything, but learn that even the smallest help can have the biggest impact.

Switched to records while vacuuming, dusting, Swiftering, and taking the laundry downstairs. Since I just watched Sesame Street, I started off with Sesame Street Story Time. Luis, Maria, and Bob narrate short original fairy tales featuring the Muppets. Most of them, like "The Legend of the Lovely Linda," "Ike and Ilk," "The Story of Ira and Inex," and "The King Banishes the Letter 'P'," teach letters and their sounds. "The King's Picnic," "The King's Nose," and "The King and the Fireman" go more into the roles of kings and what they do. The theme of "The King's Problem" is very similar to "Storm On Sesame Street," showing how you don't have to be big or fast to do something important.

When We Were Very Young is an adaptation of a book of poetry by Winnie the Pooh author A.A Milne, and is in fact where Pooh made his debut. While ironically they don't use the poem that introduced Pooh ("Teddy Bear"), some of the others are lovely. "Daffydowndilly" and "The Mirror" have a sweet edge of melancholy to them, while "Disobedience," with its reverse of a child trying to care for a wayward parent, has an almost macabre ending. 

Salad Days was a long-running hit in London during the mid-50's, and frankly one of the most peculiar hit musicals I've ever heard. College students Timothy and Jane get married secretly, due to his disapproving family wanting him to find work. They eventually agree to watch a homeless man's piano for a month. It seems like an easy assignment, until they realize the piano makes anyone who hears it want to dance. One of Timothy's many uncles is a government official who bans the piano. After it goes missing, another uncle who is a scientist takes them in his flying saucer to find it.

Um, er, yeah. Good thing the music is genuinely charming, because the story is plain bonkers. Eleanor Drew and John Warner get the sweet "We Said We Wouldn't Look Back" and "Oh, Look at Me," while the more lively "Out of Breath" and "We're Looking for a Piano" are the closest this show gets to chorus numbers. Drew gets two solos, "I Sit In the Sun" and "The Time of My Life." This isn't a big show. It's played on the one piano. It is pretty cute, though, and apparently continues to remain popular with amateur groups in England and the UK. If you like British musical comedies, you'll probably want to hear this, but it's not for someone looking for a meatier story or one that makes sense.

I almost passed out listening to Salad Days. Switched to the American Musical Theater CD...and I did pass out there after the third song. I went down at around quarter of 5 and finally got up around 6:30. I'll listen to the rest of it later this week. 

Watched Match Game '76 during dinner and after I brought the clothes upstairs. Most of the episodes covered the week with Scoey Mitchelll and Susan Howard. The last half-hour took us into the next week, with Orson Bean, Betty White, and the only appearance of character actress Pat Delaney.

Finished the night after a shower honoring the 100th anniversary of NBC this year with some of their most memorable game shows. Password, for instance, started on CBS when it began in 1961. Password Plus moved the franchise to NBC in 1979, and it would stay there for Super Password starting in 1984. Although Super with Bert Convy was the bigger hit, Plus introduced the format both shows used that had contestants not only guessing words, but how they were all connected into a word. (And Password has gone back to NBC for its current version after Million Dollar Password ran on CBS in 2008.)

NBC wasn't nearly as good at keeping its shows around as CBS. Most of the Chuck Woolery and the early Pat Sajak daytime episodes of Wheel of Fortune are gone for good. The episode I have here from 1979 is one of the survivors. They're missing a lot of Hollywood Squares, too. We do have this episode from early in its short-lived nighttime run with Buddy Hackett in the center square, when it was one of the funniest and hippest game shows on TV.

You Bet Your Life was more fortunate. Groucho Marx's son was able to save most of his father's show from being junked. He absolutely made the right call. Not only is this one of the few surviving game shows from its era, but Groucho grilling contestants and tossing out quips to wanna-be comedians and inventors is still hilarious over 70 years later. 

By the time Classic Concentration debuted in 1988, NBC had largely begun to drop daytime game shows. It would be one of the last game shows on the network, running until 1991. The success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at ABC in 2001 prompted NBC to bring another popular British game show stateside. The Weakest Link is even darker as stone-cold hostess Anne Robinson presides over a group of people who vote off the worst player or "weakest link" after every round. The show ran into audience fatigue with "big money" game shows and didn't run a year. It did much better in its revival with Jane Lynch starting in 2020.

Celebrate NBC's centennial with some of its most beloved and popular games! 

You Bet Your Life (1950)

Hollywood Squares (1968)

Wheel of Fortune (1979)

Password Plus (1982)

Super Password (1987)

Classic Concentration (1991)

The Weakest Link American Premiere (2001)

Nighttime Matches

Started off a quiet morning with breakfast and records. Dream a Little Dream of Me is actually more of a greatest hits collection, released by Pickwick a few months before Cass's death in 1974. The sweet hit title song is probably the best known number, but she put out a few other good ones. I also thought "Move In a Little Closer, Baby" and her version of the standard "I Can Dream, Can't I?" were lovely.

George Harrison had just as many problems with Somewhere In England. Apparently, Warners thought it wasn't "commercial" enough. The murder of John Lennon during its creation devastated him...but it also resulted in this album's hit and my favorite Harrison solo song, the jaunty tribute "All Those Years Ago." Darker numbers like "Life Itself," "That Which I Have Lost," "Teardrops," and "Writing's On the Wall" also reflect the difficulties Harrison had in the early 80's. 

Headed off to work after Somewhere In England ended. I did get there on time, which was a good thing. We were busy all day. It's the beginning of the month. I had fewer problems when the Sunday morning bagger took the inside work and trash this morning. Turns out the other new bagger had been trained as a cashier and ended up there all day. By 3 PM, the morning bagger went home, and his replacement was the older man who can't push more than 1 to 3 carts at a time. He even complains about having to take a break when he doesn't want to! I had a harder time keeping up with the carts after that. 

The weather didn't help. It was initially sunny, breezy, thickly humid, and very hot, in the upper 80's. Clouds rolled in by the time the older man arrived. It started showering lightly as I rode home. The rain was getting heavier just as I arrived, though I think it's long stopped.

I changed, made a fast dinner, and put on the Match Game YouTube marathon. The nighttime episodes were in the spotlight here with some of their biggest wins, fiercest battles, and most famous episodes. My personal favorite episode of the entire nighttime run was the infamous Admiral __ Audience Match from 1975. Gene bet Richard his answer "Admiral Color TV" wasn't on the board, but...well, Gene learned the hard way that you don't ever bet against Richard in the Audience Match. Brett and especially Betty were really having a great time during that episode too, especially with a question involving what a heavy-breathing caller would say to Betty late at night.

That wasn't the last time Betty had fun in the nighttime shows. In 1976, she and Richard played Charles and Brett when Gene answered the lower tier a question. They had so much fun, they even borrowed their glasses, Brett's "Russian club soda," and Charles' hat and scarf. Richard was probably more accurate than Betty (whose voice was too deep to pull off Charles), but it was still hilarious.

Some later nighttime shows could be blankin' hilarious too. There was the episode in 1979 that started off with Elaine Joyce and Gary Burghoff making out on the bottom tier. Or the one from the week in late 1978 where Jack Klugman and Brett Somers appeared on the show together for the first time since their divorce. There was also the time in 1976 where a lady completely struck out in the Audience Match. Ira was nice enough to let her match the panelists on a question instead. She left with $600 and a smile on her face. Suzanne Sommers objected to the answer "Dumb Bunny" for __ Bunny in the Audience Match on her one nighttime show. Or the one where the panelists on the upper tier saluted a handsome Scottish officer in full parade dress. Bob Barker really loved whispering into Loni Anderson's ear in another 1978 show. 

Bet on the nighttime shows to give you more bang for your TV buck! 

Match Game Sunday Classics - Match Game PM: BLANKOFF Showdown

Rat Pack Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Bluey. After Bandit ignores Bingo's domino heart, "Fairies" suddenly appear and wreck havoc. Bandit has to make it up to Bingo and outsmart the fairies. Bandit is initially the boss of "Work." When Bluey takes over and fires him over dancing, he ends up outside, selling drainpipes with Bingo...until a "ballerina" (Chili) sees them dancing and decides he's her perfect partner.

Not only was it late by the time I got dressed, but my heel is still sore. I called Uber. That might not have been a bad idea. The one going to work came in 6 minutes. It took me a while to get a car going home, but when I did, they arrived in 3 minutes! No trouble going to work. The driver had a few nervous minutes edging around the bus on Nicholson Road, but other than that, there were no problems.

Work didn't begin well. Cleaning up a leaky soda cooler put me behind with the carts, and I never did get to sweeping that hour. Things went better once I had more help and it slowed down after around 1. One college boy arrived around 11 AM. The other came at 2. They took over the sweeping and trash. By 2 PM, it was so quiet, and there were so many carts, I spent the last two hours inside putting away loose items. 

When I got home, I changed, took a shower, made a tuna sandwich and cherries for dinner, then made use of that Cherry Coke Zero I bought the other day to have an ice cream soda for dessert. When I got back upstairs, I watched Paw Patrol. "Rescue Knights: Pups Save a Dozing Dragon" when Claw and the Duke of Flappington steal a cauldron that can create a sleeping mist if a dragon breathes on it. Claw gets Sparks to create the mist, but he doesn't consider what would happen if he fell asleep while in the air...

Spent the rest of the night watching the Saturday Match Game marathon. Joey Bishop was long past his days with the Rat Pack when he made his first Match Game appearance in mid-1976. He was a cranky contrast to some of the snarkier or more upbeat panelists. 

He was there for the New Year's Eve week with Charles' friend Elizabeth Allen and saw sweet George keep winning games. He and Mary Wickes made jokes about Gene's green and yellow plaid coat (Joey was right - it did look like it came off of a car seat) and the infamous red coat mentioned last weekend. To tell the truth, I'm not entirely sure he got the show's humor. He kept trying to kiss contestants, even when they didn't get their answer from him. The ladies were happier with the handsome white-haired contestant who somewhat resembled Allen Ludden. Brett and Mary in particular seemed pretty interested in him. The guys were more interested in the cute woman who wore shirts that said "Glamour" and "Foxy Lady." 

To give Joey credit, he had a point about some of his complaints. There was the time Ira, the show's judge and producer, wouldn't pass "wipe" for clean. He also would call out audiences that were unruly by even the show's standards, claiming there was one guy booing him who kept moving around. I believe he was also the first person to point out that there were three standard answers for Match Game - women's chests, Howard Cosell, or relieving oneself. 

Get to know the mind with the dirty man in these festive and hilarious episodes!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Joey Bishop Marathon

Quiet Summer

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Bluey. Bandit needs a "Taxi" on a rainy afternoon, but with Bluey driving, Chili as the GPS system, and Bingo as a demanding passenger, it may be a while before he gets to the airport. Bluey discovers the solo delights of "The Beach" when she follows her mother for a walk and explores on her own.

It was so late, I called Uber. That might not have been a bad idea. The driver going there and home both took six minutes. No trouble getting there or back. I got to work just in time.

I could have been infinitely late. We were quiet the entire morning. Not only was there not much to do, but one of the college boys arrived around 11:30 to help me with the carts and took over sweeping for the last hour. The weather was gorgeous too, off-and-only cloudy and relatively cool for July, with an absolutely delicious wind. There was no trouble whatsoever, and I was in and out quickly.

Changed when I got home, then made buckwheat pancakes with cherries for lunch while watching He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Skeletor steals eggs from a mother dragon and accelerates their growth to create "The Dragon Invasion." He thinks this will distract He-Man while he and his minions invade Castle Greyskull and he uses the Dragon Pearl to imprison the Sorceress, but He-Man finds a way to get past Beast Man and gain the dragons' trust.

Listened to the Top TV Hits CD set I found at Abbie Road on vacation while reading the cozy mystery Midnight Snacks are Murder. This is an Entertainment Weekly release from 1995, when every company existing (no matter what else they normally did) released some kind of CD collection. As you can guess from the title, this is a two-disc collection of beloved theme songs from TV shows. Most of them are still recognizable today, like "Hey Hey, We're the Monkees," the "nananana" theme from the 60's Batman, the smash instrumental themes to Mission: Impossible and Hawaii 5-0, another hit from a superhero show "The Greatest American Hero," and Will Smith telling the hip-hop tale of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." 

Others are less well-remembered now. Andy Griffith whistled "The Fishin' Hole" from his own long-running Andy Griffith Show. The instrumental themes from Barney Miller, S.W.A.T, and Hill Street Blues are funky jazz and disco riffs that were hits at a time when vocal music was increasingly dominating the airwaves. "Welcome Back" from Welcome Back Kotter, "Without Us" from Family Ties, and "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" from Cheers are charming soft rock numbers from beloved sitcoms. (I would have preferred the original "Love Boat Theme" to the updated disco version they have here, though.) 

Two of the best songs came from shows that are practically unknown now. Square Pegs is now considered a cult classic teen comedy-drama, but barely lasted a season in 1983. It's certainly not the fault of its very modern New Wave Waitresses title song. The Heights, a drama about a wanna-be rock band, was a flop in 1992...but its theme song "How Do You Talk To an Angel" went to number one and still can be heard on classic rock stations to this day. 

After the CDs ended, I took a much-needed nap. I've been up too late and getting up earlier, and it's taking its toll on me. I was so tired, I went down at 3:30 and didn't get up until almost 6 PM.

Went straight into dinner and Match Game '76 after I rolled out of bed. The first two episodes finished out the week with Isobel Sanford and Marvin Hamlisch. Having created a song for the contestant with Charles earlier in the week, the duo went on to create one for Brett in the last episode. Brett couldn't resist tossing in her foghorn contralto. Elaine Joyce and Jimmie Walker were on the next week, along with lots of Jimmie's signature catchphrase "Dyn-o-mite!"

Finished the night at YouTube with the last three episodes of Daredevils of the Red Circle. I really give Republic credit here. While this lacks the familiar characters of something like Captain Marvel or Spy Smasher, it also has some of the best stunts of any serial, and one of the more creative plots. I also love who the Red Circle turned out to be. Animal fans will enjoy seeing that the Daredevils' collie Tuffie is just as heroic as his masters and is as much a part of the gang as the guys. I wish the same could be said for the black valet Snowflake, who is annoying comic relief at best, a dated stereotype at worst. Thankfully, he's not really on all that much. 

While it seems this is available on Blu-Ray from Kino Lorber, the entire 12-chapter serial can be easily found for free on YouTube. It's well worth your time if you love vintage serials or classic action. 

Sunshine Matches

Started off the morning with breakfast and Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook. Having had success with songs performed by Rosemary Clooney, Midler moved on to the discography of an all-together different performer. Though Lee is probably best known today for performing and writing the songs from Lady and the Tramp, including "He's a Tramp," from the 50's through the 70's, she mostly sang languid ballads like "Is That All There Is?" and "Fever" or uptempo numbers from Broadway and movies like "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe." Midler has a charming duet with her long-time friend and pianist Barry Manilow on "I Love Being Here With You."

Headed out to work after the CD ended. It didn't start well when I ran straight into a slippery puddle of floral-smelling blue goo oozing out of the trash in the back employee room. Someone must have dumped a bottle of dish washing liquid in the trash. Not only did it take forever to clean up, but several large, half-full soda bottles had broken the bag, making it nearly impossible to get out of the container. The frozen food manager had to help me get it out, then put two more bags around it to keep it from leaking. I was not a happy camper after all that. 

Thankfully, I spent the majority of the rest of the day outside, pushing carts and enjoying another gorgeous day. It was once again sunny, though a bit warmer and more humid than yesterday. There were two other baggers helping me as well. At least I had more to do. It was off-and-on steady, a bit busier than earlier in the week, but not overwhelming. I had no problems later in the day.

Though I did have dinner and took a shower later, I mostly spent the rest of the day watching tonight's Match Game marathon. Richard continued wearing his infamous red jacket through about 1976. Probably the most famous episodes he could be seen wearing it that year were the ones featuring the blond beauty Darlene, who definitely had a crush on him. She called him "Dickie Doo" and "The Red Devil." Richard also wore it on the New Year's Eve 1975 episode, when his then-girlfriend Jodie Donovan was on the panel. 

Even after he finally gave it up, Gene came up the slack with a bright red jacket of his own. That jacket was a lot more conspicuous than Richard's. Joey Bishop and Mary Wickes quipped about him looking like a matador in one episode. Richard opened another by wondering if he'd just come from Disneyland. Gene had more luck with a red vest he wore occasionally, notably on the famous 1978 Christmas Day show where Charles dressed as Santa and Brett was a bratty girl on his knee and when he carried Gary Burghoff and Patti Deusch into the studio earlier in 1978 imitating their children. 

Gene and Richard weren't the only ones who wore red on the show. Elaine Joyce wore red outfits on episodes of the syndicated show that looked fabulous on her. She and Eva Gabor wore red, and Gene sported a coat in a more subdued shade of red, on the episode where a young artist showed off his gorgeous renditions of woodland birds and the ladies held them up for all to see.

One of the funniest episodes of the entire nighttime run had Gene showing off a pair of bright red suede shoes he was enormously proud of. Those shoes got tossed around a lot when Charles argued the answer for  "The Eyes of ___" on the Audience Match with him. He, Brett, and Richard Paul sang "The Eyes of Texas" while the contestant ended up in Jamie Lee Curtis' lap and an amused Steve Kanaly (of Dallas) looked on. 

Red is the color of the panel's wardrobes and some of Gene and Richard's most outrageous jackets in this wild marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Richard and Gene's Red Coats & Vests

Sleepy Time Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. "Rescue Knights: Pups Break the Ice" after Claw gives Sparks blue marshmallows that allow him to breathe ice. He freezes the clock tower, then Skye's helicopter. The others keep Claw and the bratty Duke of Flapppington busy and defrost the Paw Patrol Castle while Skye finds some very special helpers. Chase thinks in "Rescue Knights: Pups Save Excalibark" that he's pulled a fabled bone from a stone and is now the Royal Knight. He wants to help the others when Claw attacks again, but he ends up being a bigger help than he could know when he's the one who discovers that the so-called magic bone is a scam.

Hurried out to work after that. Thankfully, I did get there on time. The older man who now works as a bagger will only push carts, and only a few at a time. He doesn't do inside work, so I swept the store and helped him with the carts and did returns and gathered the outside trash. I wasn't too happy when I came inside and didn't realize until the security guard kindly pointed out that the trash bag was leaking! At least I didn't get far into the store. She cleaned it up, and doubled the bags. At least the weather was nice for all the running around. It remains warm, sunny, and dry, probably in the mid-80's. 

As soon as I got home, I changed, brought the new sneakers I ordered for work from Amazon upstairs, and went into bed for a nap. I couldn't sleep for more than an hour this time, and it didn't really help. I was still tired when I rolled out of bed and went online to watch tonight's Match Game marathon.

Richard Dawson had several jackets he wore a lot, but he was especially fond of a bright red jacket. He wore this one a lot between 1973 and 1975. It first turned up in a 1973 episode that also featured Pat Harrington and a Naval officer as a contestant. He also wore it on Arte Johnson's first episode, one of the days on the only week to feature football star Rosy Greer, and the first day for one of the biggest winners of 1974, police officer C.B Farnsworth. 

It was most commonly seen in 1975. In fact, Rich wore it in some of the best episodes of the year, like when Gene said "Schnick Snack" instead of "blank" the way the original German version of the show did, or Dick Martin's first episode. He wore it when Gary Burghoff wore a shirt that looked like a tuxedo and when Ron Valenti, the handsome teacher Fannie Flagg seemed to have such a crush on, first appeared. There was also when ingenue Melinda O. Fee got her first right answer, when Brett gave "Racer" as an answer for "Speed __" and she was the only one who knew it was a beloved early anime (she probably watched it with her sons), or when funny older man Bill gave some really hilarious answers. 

He also wore it on nighttime shows, notably the episode where he and Charles wore wide-brimmed straw hats. They claimed they were part of "Your Basic Big Picture Hat Society." Those "basic big picture hats" came in handy when Gene and Richard used them to hid their kissing the winning contestant after the Head-to-Head!

The redcoats are coming...to Television City to kiss behind hats, match policemen, and show off the many lives of one "schnick snacking" bright coat!

Match Game Saturday Classics - The Red Coats of Richard Dawson are Coming!

Dreamers Under the Sun

Started off the morning with the last episode of Shirt Tales. It's "Mayhem On the Orient Express" when the Engineer and his fawning partner who steal trains take off with the engine of the most famous train of all, with Bogey and Kip onboard. The others have to rescue them and keep the passenger cars from falling back. They're in Switzerland for "The Cuckoo Count Caper." The Count De Minuit wants to hypnotize the Shirt Tales and use them to finish his massive cuckoo clocks! Kip catches wise, then breaks Pammy out. It's up to the girls to save their guy friends and stop the Count from turning them into clockwork mechanisms. 

And that's that. Unlike Pac-Man, which started strong in the first season but degenerated into a mass of bizarre stories and useless additional characters in its second, the second season of Shirt Tales mostly improves on the first. The first season isn't bad, but never seems to figure out what it wants the Shirt Tales to be, and there's a little too much focus on Dinkel and outside characters. The writing is sharper in the second season (Pammy in particular gets some hilarious lines), and cheerful Kip is a welcome addition. I genuinely regret that they ended the show by mid-way through the second season. It's not the greatest thing ever, and some episodes (like "Saturday Night Shirt Tales") were dated even when the show came out, but it's charming and funny enough to get a recommend from Hanna Barbara fans and kids who love animal stories. 

Hurried out to work after that. There were at least two other baggers working with me, including the head bagger. I thought she wasn't going into a register until 11, but they put her there early. I had no idea she hadn't swept the store. On the other hand, it was only slightly busier today than it had been on Wednesday. It's the end of a month without a lot going on after the 4th of July. Most people are probably on vacation, or were out enjoying the beautiful, sunny, breezy weather. It was so dead by the end of the morning, and I had so little to do, I spent the last half-hour putting away items people didn't need.

Got my schedule while I was at work. I have fewer hours, which I expected for the reasons I mentioned above. We're well between major holidays, there's not a lot going on besides Phillies games, and most people are on vacation. However, I go in early when I do work, and I have 7 hours for some reason next Saturday. 

Did my grocery shopping after I finished. Restocked granola, yogurt, oat milk, soda, tuna, cherries, and cookies. Blackberries and the Acme's generic small trash bags were buy one, get one. Bought two bagels for lunches at work this weekend and a turkey-cranberry sandwich for lunch today. They had the Sprite Zero + Tea here, too, so I got that and a Coke Cherry Zero. Found tea cakes, little turned-over cupcakes covered in icing, on the bakery clearance rack. 

Changed when I got home, then had lunch while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Taking Turns at Show and Tell" is more complicated when O and Dan want to both use the same apron. Teacher Harriet suggests they take turns, with O using it to play restaurant, then Daniel using it for show and tell. The kids are restless, but they do have to wait their turn when show and tell beings. Daniel has to wait to use the bubbles when Miss Elania already has them. He learns about "Taking Turns at the Pool" when he has just as much fun playing with them as Elainia does blowing them. Likewise, Prince Wednesday has to wait to use a pool noodle. He pretends to be a fast fish with his mother Queen Sarah.

Went back out after the cartoon ended. Acme doesn't have the greatest selection of foot gel pads, and what they do have is overpriced. I've had a lump on the back of my right heel where the Achillies tendon is for weeks now. I hope the heel lifts and covering the back of my foot where the heel gets rubbed with callus cushions will help. 

I was home and finishing Mockingbird Court when the phone rang. It was Clarifi, calling to confirm my desire for housing counseling. On one hand, they're so booked, I won't be able to see them at Cherry Hill until noon on September 17th. That does give me more time to explore Cherry Hill and Voorhees and round up all the paperwork they required. 

Watched The Love Boat after I finished the book and put it away. The captain says "Take a Letter, Vicki" when he makes her his secretary after she complains she never gets to do anything useful. The others realize why when she's a little too good at her job, putting out endless memos and skipping meals to get it all done. A man (Jim Stafford) claims "The Joys of Celibacy" to defrost a frigid young woman (Carlene Watkins), but really ends up falling for her instead. The ladies of "The Floating Bridge Game" try to come between their fourth player (Nanette Fabray) and a charming dentist (Robert Alda), until they realize how much they love each other and play matchmaker instead.

The first half of Match Game '75 finished out the week with Rona Barrett and Clifton Davies and introduced a sweet, charming middle-aged lady named Dorothy. Dorothy, who sobbed whenever she won, became one of the bigger winners of the year. She continued into the week that introduced Ed Asner and brought in shy chanteuse Julie London. Gene gave Julie her welcome to the show kiss, while Brett got to kiss Ed.

Finished the night at Tubi with The Storyteller: Greek Myths. Jim Henson once again experimented with fantasy tales told by a human (in this case, Michael Gambon) to a Muppet dog. Only four were made before Henson's death, one of which was "Perseus and the Gorgon." Perseus (Jeremy Gilley) wants to stop mean King Polydectes (John McEnery) from marrying his mother Danae (Kate Buffery) and travels to find Medusa (Frances Barber) and cut off her head. On his way, he gives an eye to the Graeae to make them give him directions and tells Atlas, who holds up the world, that he'll find a way to make his burden easier. The King doesn't think this boy can do it, but Perseus is nothing if not determined, especially after he finds a way to keep Medusa from turning him to stone. 

Hot In the Summer

Got a quick start today with breakfast and Little Bear. He and his friends play "Follow the Leader" to get to Hop-Frog Pond, with each of them coming up with a different place they pass through. He becomes "Little Scarecrow Bear" with No Feet's help to scare the crows away, until he decides crows need to eat, too. Mother Bear is taking care of a baby raccoon. "Little Bear and the Baby" play with each other, and Little Bear reads stories...until they both end up taking naps.

Hurried out the door after Little Bear ended. I didn't hurry fast enough. I was one minute late, and had to help the dairy manager mop up a leaky orange juice cooler the moment I arrived. Fortunately, that was by far the worst thing that happened today. Not only were we dead again, but I had an older man helping me out with the sweeping and the carts later in the day. He didn't push many carts, and he only checked to see if the store needed to be swept, but he was still there. Neither of us really wanted to be inside on a decent day anyway. It was sunny, hot, and humid, but probably in the upper 80's, nothing like it has been of late. I did end up cleaning another leaky spot, this time by the bowls of sliced and cubed fruit, before I left.

Soon as I got home, I changed, made lunch, checked a few things on my phone, and watched Paw Patrol. In "Rescue Knights: Quest for the Dragon's Tooth," we return to Barkingburg as Marshall guards a very special Dragon's Tooth that will allow anyone who wears it to control a dragon. Ex-knight dog Claw wants to control a dragon and show what a wonderful knight he is, so he steals it. While Ryder and the others fortify Barkingburg castle from dragon attack, Marshall takes it on himself to retrieve the Dragon's Tooth and stop Claw.

After the show ended, I signed up at Clarifi - Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Philadelphia and Delaware Valley. They also serve South Jersey - they have an office in Cherry Hill - and they're probably the closest to my needs. If I don't hear from them by the end of the week, I'll call them.

After I signed up at their website, I went down for a nap. I had early work today, and I was still tired. I passed out around 3:30, got up at quarter of 6, and felt a little better.

Made a delicious dinner of cheesy grits with plums after I rolled out of bed. Watched Match Game '75 while I ate. This week was unique in several respects. For one thing, it was the only one during the entire 1973 - 1982 run to be announced by someone besides Johnny Olsen. Bern Bennett announced for Johnny while he was on vacation. It was also the only week to feature bass-voiced comedian Joe Silver and warm Good Times matriarch Esther Rolle. 

Finished the night, or tried to, with more Mystery Science Theater 3000. Munchie is one of the last relics from the "small ugly-cute creature either frightens kids or helps them out" genre of 80's and 90's family movies that began with E.T. In this 1992 comedy, Munchie (voice of Dom DeLouise) is supposed to be this hilarious monster-like creature who helps Gage (Jamie McEnnan) combat bullies, impress the girl he likes (Jennifer Love Hewitt), and show his mother (Loni Anderson) that the guy she's dating (Andrew Stevens) is a creep. Trouble is, Munchie is not only more annoying and obnoxious than lovable - even Gage calls him out on his antics wrecking havoc - but his design is flat-out hideous, and even terrifying. The evil Gremlins were cuter and less-scary than Munchie. Arte Johnson has some mild fun as Gage's mentor, but he's defeated by his material and lack of screen time. Honestly, don't come within five miles of here unless you're a true lover of bad 80's and 90's cheese and can really handle heavy camp. 

Pride Lands and Matches

Started off the morning with breakfast and Rhythm of the Pride Lands. Originally an independent project by Lebo M, Disney came on board after The Lion King was a massive success. "He Lives In You" would later be reworked as the opening number for The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and "Lea Halalea (Holy Land)" and "Lala" would be rewritten as "Shadowlands" and "Endless Night" in the stage Lion King. "Warthog Rhapsody" had been intended to introduce Timon and Pumba before being replaced with "Hakuna Matata" and would be given new lyrics for Lion King II 1/2 as "That's All I Need." 

As funny as "Warthog Rhapsody" and Lebo M's charming version of "Hakuta Matata" is, my favorite numbers here are ones that haven't shown up in other projects. The stirring "It's Time" and chorus number "One By One" give you a real sense of African rhythms that Elton John and Tim Rice's more rock-ish music from Lion King lacks. I used to love this album when Mom gave it to me for my birthday in 1995. Honestly, if you have Lion King fans around or love world music, this album is worth tracking down.

I didn't even have time to finish the album before rushing off to work. I did get there on time...but I probably could have been indefinitely late. Not only were we dead the entire day, but one of the college boys came in an hour after I did and took over the indoor sweeping chores. There wasn't really much for me to do besides dodge the men upgrading the lighting in aisles 3 and 4 and enjoy the absolutely stunning weather. This was probably the nicest weather we'd had in a week. It was breezy, sunny, and warm without being boiling hot, probably in the lower 80's. The humidity and smoke had likely disappeared with yesterday's storms. 

After work ended, I went straight home, changed...and took a nap. I've had a long couple of weeks, and I really needed sleep badly. I passed out for two hours and was still tired when I rolled out of bed around 5:30.

The Match Game marathon had already started by the time I got up. Character actor and singer Charles Nelson Reilly started on the show early in 1973, on the same week as his friends Bert Convy, Brett Somers and Betty White. His busy schedule meant he was the last of the three regulars to join the show permanently...but he quickly became one of its cornerstones. He was often the funniest thing about it. You never knew what he'd do, like the time he drummed up suspense for a Head-to-Head answer that would make sweet Janet Finn the show's all-time champ in 1974 (and got beat up by half the panel for being such a ham), or changed places with Scoey Mitchelll in 1976, claiming they'd had the world's first "race change" operation. He saw Gene Rayburn pull the strings off Elaine Joyce's halter top in '74 and his boss and one of the show's producers Mark Goodson sit in for him when he was "getting his hair nailed on." 

He went to Broadway from late '74 through mid '75 to direct what would be the hit one-woman show The Belle of Amherst. When he came back, he made one of the most unique entrances in TV history, via wires and a stuffed bird he dubbed Harry, whom he claimed had flown him there. He worked best with Brett Somers, his long-time drinking buddy, like the time they dressed as cowpokes and sang back-up for Bill Anderson when he performed his own song for Debralee Scott in 1976. He even had fun in the nighttime shows, like the one from 1981 where he offered his own toupee to a balding but charming and personable young man. 

It only takes a moment to enjoy the antics of one of the most beloved stars on the entire show! 

Match Game Sunday Classics - Charles Nelson Reilly - Best Episodes on Match Game

Riders On the Storm

Got a really quick start today. I got caught up reading Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man and had just enough time to eat, change, and call Uber. The one going there came in 9 minutes and got me to work in plenty of time. Had a hard time getting one going home. They took 15 minutes to arrive.

Work was a pain in the rear...or stomach. I'd been feeling queasy since yesterday. I didn't have a fever, but I did end up spending a lot of time in the bathroom, especially in the morning. (Which did some good - I was able to refill the toilet paper.) Mother Nature didn't help. It was cloudy and insanely humid this morning, but the sun came out around 1 PM and it got hot again. We were off and on busy, and I had a hard time keeping up with the carts until another bagger came in at 2. 

When I got home, I changed into cooler clothes, then listened to The Jack Sheldon Quintet while I took down the 4th of July decorations. I have no idea why they called the record Hollywood Heroes. Only one of the songs, "Lover," comes from a movie musical. (More specifically, Love Me Tonight.) My favorite numbers were lovely versions of Johnny Mercer standards - "Pardon My Southern Accent" and "I Thought About You."

Returned to reading Daisy Fay while resting, making the bed, and listening to The Best of Julie Andrews. As you can probably guess, the majority of these songs are from the original stage casts of My Fair Lady and Camelot and the movies The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. There's a few more obscure titles here as well, like "O the Days of the Kerry Dancing," "We'll Gather the Lilacs In the Spring" from the British musical Perchance to Dream, "If Love Were All" from Bitter Sweet, and a rather odd live version of "Big D" from The Most Happy Fella. 

Switched to tonight's Match Game marathon for a while. Match Game could be as patriotic as the next show, especially in the years surrounding the Bicentennial. There were jokes about the 4th of July the week dancer and model Ruta Lee made her only appearance on the show in 1973 and in one of the episodes with Ron Valenti (and Fannie flirting with him) in 1975. There was one of the episode in 1978 where Craig Morris really got a kick out of his enormous lime-green sunglasses, and the nighttime episode where Fred Grandy sported a bow tie and sweater that netted him a lot of "Little Lord Fauntelroy" jokes. 

Celebrate the holiday weekend with even more fireworks as Gene and his wacky weirdos teach us American history the Match Game way!

Match Game Sunday Classics - 4th of July Marathon

Lauren was originally supposed to arrive at 10 PM. She got nervous and switched to a later train. I called Uber to Philadelphia around 10. To my surprise, the lady arrived in 4 minutes, and she was really sweet about it. There was no traffic at that hour of the night, not even in Philly. I loved getting to see all of the buildings lit up in reds and whites and blues, including one that was striped. She pulled up to 30th Street Station within 20 minutes.

On one hand, I'm glad to see they're almost done remodeling 30th Street Station. The scaffolding is gone, though nothing in the food court is open yet. On the other hand...Lauren was supposed to arrive at 10:45. She didn't finally get in until past 11 PM. I initially read my phone on a booth, but I couldn't sit down and walked around, checking the time until she arrived.

I saw why she was so late the moment we stepped outside. The thunderstorm that had threatened off and on all day chose that moment to finally hit. It was pouring, with noisy thunder and huge streaks of lightning. The Uber going home cost me $75! I was going to wait, but it didn't look like the storm would be ending anytime soon, and we couldn't stand in front of 30th Street all night. It took her over 20 minutes to arrive. She didn't know where the pick up at the 30th Street side of the building was, then she couldn't see us. Thank heavens Lauren knows about cars and spotted her across the way. The rain slowed down slightly by the time she finally pulled up on East Clinton.

I think you can guess that we're going to sleep in tomorrow after all that! The weather isn't going to be appropriate for our usual first-day walking trip to Mt. Ephraim and Audubon, so we're going to move things to the Cherry Hill Mall and Hillview Shopping Center instead. 

Heating Up Independence Day

Began the morning with the 4th of July selections from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. The big pieces here are a chapter from Little Town on the Prairie that has Carrie, Laura, and their pa enjoying lemonade and a pony cart race at their growing little town and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. There was also the first part of the Constitution and several smaller poems on independence and fireworks.

Started Ben & Me during a quick breakfast. The "me" in this case is Amos Mouse, who helped Benjamin Franklin create some of his greatest inventions, from the Franklin Stove to the Pennsylvania Gazette. Amos thinks Ben's gone too far after he has him ride in that famous electrifying kite and leaves. He begs Amos to come back during the American Revolution and help him out again. Their agreement to no more tricks becomes the basis of the Declaration of Independence. 

Thank heavens Oaklyn pushed their parade back to 9 AM today. I wouldn't have seen it if it stayed at 10. Even at 8:50, it was already steamy and in the 90's. I dropped Finley's birthday gift off at Rose's house, then got a free cotton candy water ice from Yummies Palace's cart and free red, white, and blue beads from the Oaklyn Civic Association. A little boy who was already dripping sweat handed me a 250th anniversary America flag. 

Thankfully, the parade was more-or-less on time. The cardboard boat with a Jaws theme won first place. I liked the group dressed as butterflies the best. There was only one other kid next to me, jumping out to gather the tons of candy all of the baseball teams and various groups threw. I gave some of my candy to the little kids in wagons behind me, some of it to him, and still had tons of Mamba, Tootsie Roll Fruit Chews, and Dum Dums lollipops leftover to share with Lauren when she visits. 

Oh, and I ran into Rose and Finley towards the end of the parade. No, they weren't doing anything today. Rose was sending the kids to have a barbecue with their father at his mother's house, and she just wanted to rest. I pointed them towards the Civic Association's booth with Hot dogs, mini bags of chips and Cheetos, and baby pools filled with ice, soda, and water. 

Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee House to get a cool treat. The line for drinks was long, but it moved fast. I got a Peaches and Cream Lemonade. Peach syrup with very tart lemonade topped with foam. Not bad, though that lemonade was very, very puckering!

Finished Ben & Me after I got in, then switched to classic shorts while I got dressed for work. "Patriotic Popeye" tries to keep his nephews from setting off balloons, until they end up being carried into the sky by one, and he needs spinach to intervene. "Donald's Failed Fourth" has Donald trying to set up for a picnic with Daisy in front of the fireworks, but the blanket and chairs won't cooperate.

Called Uber after the cartoons ended. It was just too hot to ride my bike. To my surprise, it only took me 7 minutes to get a ride. I figured it would be much longer on a very hot major holiday. It took me 9 minutes to get a ride home. No problems or traffic either way.

Work could have been a lot worse. It got crazy around noon and was picking up again when I left at 5, but the in between wasn't really that bad. I did spend most of the time outside pushing carts, but I had help from one of the college boys (who did most of the sweeping), and I went in for water when I got too hot. I was in and out with no trouble. 

Listened to A Musical Souvenir of America On Parade when I got home. Yes, this was the music from Disney's big Bicentennial parade at the parks in 1975 and 1976. The songs are mostly instrumental versions of traditional American tunes like "Turkey In the Straw," "O Susannah," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and "I've Been Working On the Railroad," but somehow "Animal Crackers In My Soup" slips in there towards the end...and Disney being Disney couldn't resist including "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." 

Finished the night on YouTube after a shower. The owner of the Match Game Productions channel did something different and showed us how other game shows celebrated the 4th of July. One show actually started on the 4th, the 1988 Family Feud with Ray Combs. Press Your Luck had Whammies setting off fireworks and snatching cash in 1985. Markie Post and Richard Shannon (with hair!) played each other on Super Password in 1986 just prior to Post joining Night Court (and even obliquely mentioned it on the episode). A patriotic episode of Price Is Right from 1975, just a few months before they expanded to an hour, had a Bicentennial salute to George M. Cohen as one of the Showcases. 

Classic Concentration was the only show to decorate for the occasion, offering flags everywhere, a trip to Washington DC, a paper mache George Washington, red, white, and blue cars to choose from, and Canadian Alex Trebek in an American flag tie. Things were more normal on 4th of July episodes of the Richard Dawson Family Feud, other than a few picnic-related questions. Susan Richardson and Wesley Eure did battle on Password Plus. The first 4th of July on Body Language had Betty White simply being outplayed by lanky Ed Begley Jr. Lisa Benet had more luck against Jason Bateman during their teen month the next year, while Kennedy set off sparklers. The Bob Eubanks Card Sharks introduced a new bonus round, while Jim Perry dealt with some pretty unique contestants, including a very funny old man named Ed, in his earlier version from 1979 and 1980. 

Celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary game show style in these hilariously patriotic tributes!

Saturday Game Show Classics - 4th of July Game Show Marathon

Called Mom during the marathon to wish her a happy 4th. She was enjoying hers in pretty much the same way, watching Ken Burns documentaries on PBS with Keefe. Keefe's wife Julia took their children to visit her family, so they were relishing the peace and quiet. They hadn't done much today, but Keefe did take Mom to his favorite restaurant earlier in the week. 

Oh, and there were no fireworks this year. Not only was it too hot, but there were some pretty bad storms later in the evening. That didn't stop people from setting off their own fireworks, including a beautiful display of sparkling green and pink just a few houses down from here on East Clinton.

Here's hoping your 4th of July was just as much fun...and a lot cooler. 

We're Having a Heat Wave

I overslept and had just enough time to write in my journal, have breakfast, and call Uber...and of course, it took forever to get a ride this morning. It was too hot to ride my bike, even at quarter of 9. The one going to work took 13 minutes, and yes, I was late. The one going home took 9 minutes. No trouble on the road, no traffic anywhere.

The Acme was surprisingly busy this morning. I figured the heat would scare everyone off, but it's the beginning of the month and four days before the biggest holiday of the summer. I spent most of the time sweeping and rounding up carts, but I did have to gather a full outside trash can at one point. And yes, I did carts in the heat. They had to be done. They kept disappearing. I know to go inside and get water when necessary, and I have to go inside every hour on the hour to sweep anyway.

And yes, it was that hot. It was sunny and windless all morning, with a sharp, cloudless pale blue sky and nary a breeze in sight. It was killer hot and humid even by the time I finished at 1 PM. 

When I got home, I changed, then had lunch. To make up for my hasty breakfast, I made buckwheat pancakes. Had them topped with peanut butter and honey, along with cherries for fruit. Oh yum! They came out so perfectly and were great with oat milk and cinnamon.

Watched The Scooby Doo Show on Tubi while I ate. Mystery Inc find themselves stranded in the Smithsonian after hours when they're in Washington DC for the big Bicentennial celebrations. They end up dodging "The Spirits of '76," the ghosts of three notorious traitors who supposedly haunt the museum. Scooby ends up using one of the most famous vehicle exhibits at the Smithsonian to catch those patriotic crooks.

After that, I went down for a much-needed nap. I was up too late last night and was extraordinarily tired this morning. I slept from 2:30 until after 5 PM, and I was still tired when I rolled out of bed. I read the first chapter of Johnny Tremain before I finally got up. 

Watched Match Game '75 during dinner. The first episode finished out the week with Bert Convy and Jo Ann Pflug. Kate Jackson made her first of two appearances on the show when she was still a nurse in the cop show The Rookies the next week. She was joined by wacky Avery Schriberer of the thick mustache and wild curls and Fannie Flagg in a sweater with sequined hands in strategic places. 

Finished the night watching Uncle Sam Magoo on YouTube. I went further into this stirring special featuring Mr. Magoo exploring 200 years of American history at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in July 2023.

Animation Celebration - Uncle Sam Magoo

Matching With the Cartoon Stars

Started the morning with breakfast and Yankee Doodle Mickey. This is the original version of Disney's patriotic music collection. A very young Molly Ringwauld leads the children's chorus in "This Is My Country" and "God Bless America." The Disneyland Glee Club has almost as much fun with the rousing "Liberty Tree" from their film version of Johnny Tremain. My favorite number is the Armed Services Medley, with Mickey representing the Air Force and the Marines, Goofy singing for the Army, and Donald, of course, for the Navy.

Ran Moonlight In Vermont as I got ready for work. Finished it when I got home. Stan Getz joins the Johnny Smith Quartet for some lovely, soft jazz standards, like "Stars Fell On Alabama," "Tenderly," "Where or When," and the title song. The piano on "Yesterdays" was especially dreamy and beautiful.

Called Uber to work again. They were talking possible storms later, and it was killer humid. I think I made the right choice. The one going to work got there in 10 minutes. I called him early enough that I arrived in plenty of time. The first one going home didn't take a minute; when he canceled, his replacement took 3 minutes. No trouble either way.

Work was more of a pain. For one thing, the Acme was busy for a lot of the afternoon. They had to pull one of the boys cashiering to help me with the carts. The floor in the back employee area tends to leak when it's really humid. I had to help a security guard clean up the mess during my break when she slipped on it and almost hurt herself. Had to take back a pile of cold items, too. I was very glad when the evening bagger turned up a little early and I could go home on time.

Went straight in the shower when I got home, then made dinner and put on tonight's Match Game marathon. Cartoons were just starting to climb out of the kids' ghetto they'd been in for two decades when the revival began in 1973. In addition to the classic Disney and Warners shorts that turned up in prime-time and on Saturdays, there were scores of new and old characters populating Saturday morning. Bugs Bunny probably got mentioned the most, including a question about what kind of punch Elmer Fudd would serve at Bugs' birthday party. There were jokes about him and Daffy Duck, too. A contestant missed the obvious answer to "__ Gonzalez" in a PM episode Head to Head with Jimmie Walker. 

Other characters turned up in jokes along the line. Felix the Cat in his "Magic Bag of Tricks" mode was mentioned several times, notably on the hilarious 1977 episode where Richard Dawson, Jo Ann Pflug, and Fannie Flagg played Brett Somers, Dick Gautier, and Charles Nelson Reilly respectively. Most of the jokes about Popeye either played on his relationship with Olive Oyl, his love of spinach, or how he really got those famous muscles. Fannie Flagg wore cartoon characters on her famous sequined T-shirts, including a Spider Man shirt. Hanna-Barbara was at the height of its success in syndication and on Saturday mornings. Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and the Flintstones all tuned up frequently in questions or on the Audience Match. 

Match with your favorite cartoon characters of the 70's and 80's in this hilarious marathon! 

Match Game Sunday Classics - Looney Tunes, Popeye, Yogi Bear, and Other Characters

(Oh, and as far as I can tell, it still hasn't rained.) 

Rainy Day Matches

Started the day with breakfast and finishing off The Pirates of Dark Water. The crew of the Wraith finally returns to treasure hunting when Ren's compass gives them the next location...but it keeps moving. They follow it to an island inhabited by Amazons and a rather cute little blue creature. Tula notes that the Amazons aren't at all friendly to her menfolk or the creature and joins them. Niddler, meanwhile, had ended up on a boat filled with minga melons. When the boat is attacked, he flees to the island and isn't too happy to discover the creature also loves his favorite treat. Tula knows there's more to "The Living Treasure" than a big appetite, and she and Nibbler have to rescue it and the guys too.

And that is that. It's a shame this may have been too complicated for an era that preferred endless imitations of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The show was abruptly canceled in spring 1993. The crew of the Wraith would have to wait for comic books to find the remaining treasures and restore Octopon. 

Hanna-Barbara didn't often stretch themselves like this. There's a great cast, with Hector Elizondo, George Newburn, and Brock Peters the stand-outs as roguish Ioz, determined prince Ren, and evil pirate Bloth. Some decent animation for a TV show at the time too, including gorgeous watercolor backgrounds. My major complaint is the second season goes off on some strange tangents. "The Living Treasure" is one of the only times we see them looking for treasure. Even with the truncated second season and lack of an ending, this is still worth watching for fans of fantasy and swashbucklers like me. 

Switched to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the second Go-Getters episode as I got ready for work. "Goofy's Gone," but he's really playing hide-and-seek. Detective Minnie, Captain Clarabelle, and Super Spy Daisy go looking for him. Buzz-Buzz the Bee and Big Pete think they saw a monster, but the Go-Getters know there's a more logical explanation for the huge duck-like footprints and strangely-dressed figure they saw.

It had been showering off and on all day. I called Uber. Thankfully, no trouble getting to work either way. The one going to the Acme arrived in 12 minutes. The one going home took 10 minutes. No traffic anywhere.

Work was surprisingly quiet. The head bagger did the sweeping during the first hour, but after that, she took over for a cashier. I pushed carts and did the sweeping for the rest of my shift. The rain must have scared everyone off. We were a little busy around 4 PM, but after that, it died out again. The worst thing that happened was it showered, sometimes heavily, the entire time I was at work and I kept getting wet. Of course, the rain stopped the moment I finished. Picked up peaches and batteries on the way out. (At least we never got the advertised thunderstorms.) 

Watched a few Hungarian Folk Tales when I got home and changed. "The Prince Who Turned Into Stone" and "Cereruska" feature siblings who end up rescuing each other. "The Prince" must rescue his beloved royal brother from a witch who turned him and his animal companions into stone. "Cereruska" is a variation on "Brother and Sister," with a sister who is turned into a deer instead of a brother. 

Finished the night at YouTube with the Saturday Match Game marathon. British comedienne Dolly Martin may have been past her days as a Playboy centerfold in 1975, but she was still a delight when she debuted on the same week Allen Ludden and Betty White played together. She didn't return to the show until 1979, but she became a semi-regular throughout the entire syndicated run, with and without her husband Dick Martin. 

In fact, she and Dick appeared in some of the most memorable episodes of the late 70's and early 80's. They were there when the excited contestant grabbed Gene's arm and practically dragged him around. Dolly had to answer her Head-to-Head while Gene hid behind the question holder. Nipsey Russell preferred giving her a big squeeze! She saw a contestant teach Gene how to tap dance and another do a noisy hog call that just about blew the roof off the studio. McLean and Gene worked on her Bristol accent (and parodied My Fair Lady) after an English butler with a far more posh way of speaking appeared on the show. 

Dick and Dolly appeared together for the last time in the 1990-1991 version of the show. Dolly saw how a young man who looked a lot like Jimmie Walker dominated his week. She got to join Pam Stone making jokes when Charles and Jo Anne Worley talked about having appeared in The Mikado together and heard Brad Garrett and Fred Travalena's hilarious impersonations. 

Dolly had even more fun in the nighttime episodes. She tried to play matchmaker when it became apparent that Debralee Scott had a crush on a handsome contestant. They got so into their kissing when he thanked her for a Super Match answer that Bill Daily hid them behind his coat. In another episode, Dick joked about her being his "brother" and saw Dick help a young redheaded man with a really big $20,000 Head-to-Head.

This model Brit proves she's no dumb bunny in these hilarious episodes!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Featuring Dolly and Dick Martin

Walking In History

Began the day with breakfast and The Pirates of Dark Water. Bloth becomes "The Soul Stealer" when a soothsayer claims Ren is the only one who is destined to find the treasures. Morpho creates a potion that'll trade Bloth's soul and that of his first mate for Ren and Niddler's. Bloth thinks he's pulled it off...until the man Ioz stole the Wraith from decides he wants it back, and Niddler wants to fly again...

Got to work right on time, and that was probably the most exciting thing that happened all morning. It got a little busy around 10:30-11 PM, but was otherwise dead quiet. I didn't even have that many carts to gather. For one thing, it was too nice to be shopping. I pushed carts in strong, cool wind, bright blue skies, and warm sunshine. It was probably in the lower 80's, hot, but not overly so for mid-June. I was in and out with no trouble whatsoever.

Soon as I got home, I changed and went downstairs to make lunch. This time, the buckwheat pancake mix just made plain pancakes. I topped them with peanut butter, orange marmalade, and honey. Oh yum! They came out perfectly, and the marmalade and peanut butter complimented them well. 

Watched Paw Patrol while I ate lunch. Mayor Humdinger is beside himself - many times over - when "Mighty Pups, Charged Up: Pups Stop a Humdinger Horde." Humdinger wants his Kitty Catastrophe Crew to have a professional bath, but Katie's animal salon is full. After he accidentally walks into Harold's cloning machine, the Humdingers steal Katie and her animal salon! For once, Harold is more than happy to help the pups stop his wayward uncle...er, uncles...from wrecking more havoc. Harold is still determined to be mayor of somewhere. After he finds another piece of meteor, he insists on being mayor of the moon, and turns the lighthouse into a rocket ship to get him there. He doesn't realize Cap'n Turbot is inside, or that the Patrol is on his tail in "Mighty Pups, Charged Up: Pups Stop a Mighty Lighthouse." 

Called Uber after the cartoon ended and I cleaned up lunch. Not only will I not have the time to explore Cherry Hill on Saturday this week, but the weather is supposed to be lousy that day. I decided to check out the Cherry Parke Condos and Waterford Apartments today and take advantage of that gorgeous weather. The driver going to Cherry Parke and home were both there in 10 minutes. There was a little traffic in Haddonfield, but otherwise no trouble.

Cherry Parke and Waterford, despite one being condos and one being apartments, look pretty much the same. They're two-story brick Colonial-style buildings from the early 50's, with yellow shutters and quaint details like the curving trim and red doors. Both complexes surround green areas connected by sidewalks with common trash areas. Honestly, the place was showing its age. Shutters were missing from some buildings, and the paint was faded on others. There was a lot of old furniture piled up in the back parking lot area, including a vintage organ. I saw dog excrescence on the green, even though people weren't supposed to walk their dogs there. Tons of kids' bikes locked on racks indicated a lot of families living here. I suspect most of the residents are families and health care workers priced out of expensive Haddonfield and east Cherry Hill who needed inexpensive homes to buy or rent. 

On the other hand, the buildings are quite charming, certainly more than the very 60's Playa Del Sol and Sussex House or the high rise across from the Dollar Tree on the Marlton Pike, and they're surrounded by wide green lawns. There's also the lovely Wallworth Park across the street. As I headed down King's Highway, I walked down steep stone steps and stepped into a smooth emerald field. I followed the sound of gurgling and rushing to the stream, where I saw a man fishing next to a small spillway. Apparently, this powered mills, hundreds of years ago. 

I continued down King's Highway to see how long it would take me to make it into Haddonfield. It took about 10 minutes. I passed by many historic buildings, from a gorgeous, sprawling yellow Victorian (which apparently is in danger of being demolished - they'd better not, that building was beautiful), to a red brick Colonial that was in the midst of exterior remodeling. I stopped and read about an older building that's now used as offices but had been a prison house during the American Revolution. 

By the time I made it to the corner of Haddon Avenue and King's Highway, I was hot as heck. I stopped at Starbucks for a treat. The strawberry matcha loaf was amazing, deliciously moist with swirls of green tea and strawberry. I would have liked the Butterfly Drink better if it didn't have those weird gel bubbles at the bottom. They were fruity and very sweet, but I prefer nothing in my drink but my drink and a little ice. 

Continued down Haddon Avenue to Haddonfield's Acme. Haddonfield has the most unique Acme building in the entire chain. Unlike the Acme at Cape May, which was built in the 70's and remodeled to fit in with the rest of the town in the 2000's, the Haddonfield Acme is genuinely old. It was built as a Quaker meetinghouse in the 1851, and rather than knock down history, Acme just built around it. The Haddonfield Acme is tiny, as you can guess from being in a small meetinghouse. I think it was pretty recently remodeled, but that doesn't make it any bigger. I did manage to get pocked-sized suntan lotion (I couldn't find the tube I keep in my backpack purse), a drink, and more Persil before that sale ends. I thought it would be easier to pick up Uber here than on busy King's Highway, too.

Put on The Price Is Right when I got home. I arrived in time for the Showcases. One was a pretty normal no-frills display that ended with a trip to Austria. The other was a lot goofier, and ended with a cherry-red sports car. Though both of the ladies got relatively close, the one who bid on the sports car was, to her delight, closer. 

Watched Match Game '75 while eating dinner. The first hour finished out the week with Bert Convy, Joyce Bulifant, and Betty White. I don't know what got into everyone in those last two episodes. Everyone was jumping on everyone else, from Gene grabbing Mary Ann for kisses to Bert chasing the contestant to the winning contestant ending up in Richard Dawson's lap. The next week, with Dwayne Hickman of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and Broadway star Carol Lawrence, was more subdued by comparison. 

Took a much-needed shower, then finished the night with the rest of Spy Smasher. I like that this serial took chances. At least one hero doesn't make it out alive, which is rare for serials. Other than Spy Smasher picking up a twin brother, it also seems to be relatively accurate to the comic books as well, especially for this era. There were some incredible action set pieces, especially the flaming harbor in the final episode. You might call this the less-florid Batman to Republic's earlier Captain Marvel serial, a hero who relies on his wits and human strength rather than any magical powers. If you're a Batman fan, love the original Spy Smasher comics, or are a serial enthusiast, this is roundly considered to be one of the best. 

Rain Is In, School Is Out

Slept in, then had breakfast while watching Paw Patrol. We find out just how the Pups got their powers in the hour-long special "Mighty Pups." They're the first ones on the scene when a meteor lands on the beach in Adventure Bay. The moment they get close to the meteor, they discover it's granted them all superpowers! Unfortunately, the second people on the scene were whiny Mayor Humdinger and his bratty nephew Harold. Harold now has the ability to build anything...including a giant robot that steals the meteor, kidnaps Ryder, and terrorizes Adventure Bay. Speedy Chase has to step up as leader, before Harold smashes all of the town and their floating base ends up crashing.

During the second half of the special, I went through my rock records. I only cleared out one, and most of them were in pretty good shape organizational-wise. I was hoping to clear out more, but some of these, I've wanted since I was a kid! And some of them I had when I was a kid.

I didn't really trust the weather today. It wasn't raining at quarter of noon, but there were going to be storms later. I called Uber. Thankfully, no trouble there. I got one in 8 minutes going to the Thomas Sharp Elementary School. Only took 5 minutes for the one going home to arrive, and that at the start of rush hour. No trouble either way. 

On one hand, there were 8 younger kids on the last day of school, 3 at my table (one went home within ten minutes of her arrival), and 10 older kids. There were so few younger kids, we condensed it down to two tables and took them all together to the bathroom. Good thing they ate pretty fast. We wanted to get everyone outside to the blacktop before the storms came. It certainly looked like rain as the kids played kickball, drew with chalk, and chatted along the chain link fence under the shady green trees. It was gloomy and warm, with air thick enough to cut it with a sharp piece of chalk. We had them out for about a half-hour before the first tiny drops hit our noses. The drops got fatter and fatter as we grabbed the balls and the Lego bin and dashed inside.

On the other hand, they got pretty crazy once we were inside, and not just because of the loud storm. The head teacher broke out Play Doh, but the older boys kept throwing them around, and one of the younger boys got upset when a younger girl grabbed his color and mixed them. The little girl kept wrapping her Play Doh in paper and coloring her "dumplings," even when we told her not to. Two of the older boys fought and wouldn't listen to anyone all afternoon. The head teacher pulled out the projector and tried to run Rio. No sooner would we get the kids sitting down and watching it than the internet would cut out, or the head teacher would be called somewhere and would take her phone and its power with her. 

(Incidentally, I reviewed Rio at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog back in August 2024. I go further into the film itself there.)

Rio

The storm finally subsided around 3:30, long enough for us to get the kids back on the blacktop again. I was supposed to be done at 3:30, but I stayed a little longer to help with the remaining younger kids. Fortunately, by that point there were only two younger kids left. I watched the boys shoot baskets and the other kids draw with chalk on the rapidly-drying blacktop. When the last two younger boys left with their mothers and older siblings, I left, too.

I was originally going to watch Superman: Doomsday when I got home. When the DVD I bought from Goodwill didn't work, I ended up going with another Bowery Boys movie instead. The guys are Ghost Chasers when Whitey and Sach become interested in spiritualism. Slip makes use of this to convince Louie that his deceased Uncle Jake wants him to give the Boys $100. He then uses the $100 to expose a phony medium who was conning one of the ladies in their neighborhood. The medium ends up pointing the finger at another phony female spiritualist. The guys go after her while Sach gets help from a real ghost (Lloyd Corrigan) whom only he can see.

Switched to Match Game '75 during dinner after the Boys ended. They're well into the New Year now. Cool cat Greg Morris joins Brett and Gary on the top tier. Richard wonders what he's gotten himself into when he finds himself between daffy Joyce Bulifant and whimsical Fannie Flagg on the lower tier.

Finished the night at YouTube after a shower. In honor of Buzzr running a long-lost episode of Password Plus from 1982 with Lucille Ball and Dick Martin, I ran a few other episodes of shows that are mostly lost or not well-known now. Plus isn't the only game show with episodes missing. Before videotape became cheaper in the mid-80's, game shows were among the genres mostly likely to be wiped and reused by networks. NBC wiped the entire run of the original 60's The Match Game, before CBS revamped it to the wacky format that's still in use today. This all-star episode from 1964 featuring Betty White, Bennett Cerf, Robert Q. Lewis, Henry Morgan, Joan Fontaine, and Peggy Cass is one of three surviving shows currently online.

The Richard Dawson Family Feud is missing a lot, too. ABC erased shows into the early 80's. Episodes before 1982 are sort of scattered, including this one from 1981 where Johnny Gilbert does the announcing. Poor Gene Wood had an accident with a chainsaw and was out for several weeks.

Individual producers didn't do so well with keeping their shows around, either. NBC had ended erasing tapes by the time Sale of the Century debuted in 1983...but producer Reg Grundy would erase them until the end of the decade. That's why you're more likely to see a syndicated episode from 1985 or one of the episodes from the show's final year in 1988-1989 on Buzzr than an early episode...and probably why the premiere episode seen here is in such horrible shape.

Some later flops are hard to find as well. Nickelodeon still has most of its older shows around and has re-run them on its channels and on Paramount Plus. Splat! is one of the few that's mostly missing. Between shows in 2004, kids at Nickelodeon Studios in Universal Florida would compete at messy tasks. Winner got slimed. It was cute and the kids look like they're having fun. Too bad the interstiles only lasted five months, and this was the last show to be filmed at the Nick Studios before they shut down. Only two episodes and a lot of fragments exist today. 

Not everything that's lost stays missing. Within the last six months, someone posted almost all of the episodes from the long-vanished 1975 music game show Musical Chairs on YouTube. This one is significant in several ways. It boasted the first black game show host, super-hip singer Adam Wade, and an all-star array of performers on their way up, like country singer Linda Hargrove, or down, like Bobby Rydell and Broadway star Gretchen Wyler, along with an extremely mid-70's geometric set. Too bad it only lasted a few months. The game play is complicated, but there's some great songs here. 

Learn more about our TV history with these long-lost episodes that are finally out of the vault for all to enjoy!

The Match Game (1964)

Musical Chairs (1975)

Family Feud (1981)

Password Plus (1982)

Sale of the Century (1983)

Nickelodeon Splat! (2004)