Take Me Out to the Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Uses His Words" when he's angry because his mother moved his farm animals and Miss Elaina threw his beloved stuffed animal Tigey. He's growling angry at first, until his mother insists that he can't tell people what's bothering him if he doesn't talk. Dan and Katerina say "All Aboard!" when they pretend to play train at school. Dan growls when he wants to be the conductor, and Katerina meows angrily when Dan puts other animals besides monkeys in the cars. Teacher Harriet reminds them to use their words and actually talk to one another.

Worked on writing for an hour or so after the cartoon ended. Goodson taunts Jack, telling him that he has Richard Dawson under his thumb. He also claims he has his brother and his crew, which Jack doesn't believe. Tom wants to throw Goodson out a window right then and there, but Richard has a better idea...

Broke with just enough time to change, pack muffins and a banana for lunch, and call Uber. Got to work on time, thankfully. I was outside the entire day. Other than it being freezing cold (barely in the 30's) and gale-force windy, there were no problems whatsoever. I was on my own outside until around 4, when more baggers arrived and joined me to help push and wipe down the few carts that needed to be done. No problems whatsoever. Called Uber and got home without a fuss.

Called Rose as soon as I got in, changed, and put on leftovers for dinner. Yes, she's still in quarantine, but they're almost done. She wants me to order a bike from a company or a shop and send it to the shop to put together. She says I'll have more choices that way. 

Whether we buy it from the shop or order it online, I really do need to figure out what I want. The trouble is, unlike with the cell phone, I have no idea what I want, other than a simple women's cruiser for between 250 and 400. The brand of bike I had before is not only expensive, but they don't make that line anymore. While I'm not getting something super-cheap from WalMart, I do want something decent. I just can't decide what that is. I have a couple of ideas. Rose suggested I take until Wednesday morning to figure it out.

Switched to YouTube while eating dinner. Hall of fame Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and long-time announcer for the Atlanta Braves Don Sutton passed away earlier this week. Sutton was by far the best of the few professional athletes who occasionally appeared on the 1970's-80's Match Game. He was charming, funny, and not bad at the game. He first turned up in 1977 and proved to be so popular, he made occasionally appearances through the show's second syndicated season in 1980. 

Here's the marathon, so you can honor this fastball favorite!

Don Sutton - Match Game Tribute 1977-1980

Finished the night on Amazon Prime with Happy Feet 2. I go further into this sequel to the 2006 animated hit at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - Happy Feet 2

High Seas Adventure

Slept in a little and got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. The solo gentleman was finally defeated by a mother-daughter team, who also had no trouble with a younger woman. Like the man, they couldn't figure out the Gold Run, though. The mother got three questions in a row, then missed at least five.

Worked on writing for the rest of the morning. Gene and Tom are ready to storm down to the hold and free Jack on the spot. Richard convinces them that this would just make things worse. Goodson tells Jack his brother is on ship and that he intends to take him and the others hostage until he relents and reveals where his treasure is.

Broke with enough time to get dressed, pack up my backpack for later, and call Uber...and I was still late to work. At least that's the worst thing that happened all day. Spent almost the entire afternoon outside, enjoying a sunny, windy day and a glorious flame orange sunset. I also swept the store early on before it got busy, gathered trash when those got a little too full, and grabbed the recycling later after it slowed down.

Did my grocery shopping after I finished. Made use of a few online coupons to pick up cereal, eggs, and broccoli. Tried the new Mocha-Chocolate Kit-Kat Duo bar, which was very coffee-tasting and sweet. Picked up shrimp for dinner. Restocked oranges, sponges, garlic, bananas, a can of mandarin oranges, whole wheat flour, butter, milk, and yogurt. 

Not thrilled with my schedule this week. Lots of 7-hour days...which is a bit of a surprise, since we're not usually that busy in late January. Good thing Tuesday is one of my two days off. (Friday is the other.) Looks like we may get hit with some nasty snow and sleet Monday night. 

Put on Match Game PM as soon as I got home. Put things away as Gene introduced his beloved wife Helen in the audience. Bill Daily almost ate his answer a few times as Gene tried to explain what matzo balls look like to a contestant. 

Had shrimp and peas for dinner as Sale of the Century began. This wound up being another close race, with everyone winning or buying something and no one being too far ahead. The champ barely one it by two questions. She still couldn't get close to the Bonus Round money, though.

Finished the night at Tubi with the 1952 swashbuckler Blackbeard the Pirate. British Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard (Keith Andes) is determined to prove that privateer Henry Morgan (Torin Thatcher) has returned to his old pirate ways. He claims to be a surgeon on a certain Captain Bellamy's ship in order to find out of he's Morgan's partner. Whether he is or not becomes a moot point when they find Bellamy swinging from a sail and ruthless Blackbeard the Pirate (Robert Newton) in charge. Also on board is pirate's daughter Edwina Mansfield (Linda Darnell) and her lady-in-waiting Alvina (Irene Ryan). Edwina is carrying two mysterious chests that she won't let anyone touch. She was supposed to have married Bellamy, but really only agreed to it in order to avoid Morgan, whom she stole treasure from. Maynard steals Bellamy's captain log in order to find out the truth about him and Morgan...but Blackbeard is more interested in that treasure and the beauty hiding it.

Typical nautical yarn with Newton in fine fettle as one of the most famous buccaneers ever to sail the Jolly Roger. I do like that Edwina is the daughter of a pirate, rather than your typical noblewoman, even if Andes and Darnell are fairly bland. Ryan, William Bendix, and Alan Mowbray have more fun as the silly lady-in-waiting and members of Blackbeard's crew. Fun way to pass an hour and a half if you love swashbucklers or are a fan of Newton. 

Food and History

Kicked off a sort-of-cloudy morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. The champ made short work of that sister team, but still couldn't make it through the Gold Run bonus round. He was having less luck with another pair when the show ended.

Switched back to My Little Pony while making chocolate chip cookies. The babies are frightened by a spirit they think is "The Ghost of Paradise Estate." It's really a bird-like shapeshifter who was sent by an evil squid creature to find a magical stone that'll restore his watery home and allow him to once more be in charge of Dream Valley. She doesn't want to do it, but the creature's holding her grandfather hostage. Megan, her siblings, and the Ponies do their best to help her find the pieces and stop the evil squid.

Returned briefly to Buzzr for Match Game '75 while pulling out the cookies, then got organized and headed out. I really just needed to do laundry. At least the laundromat wasn't busy when I got in, and I really only had a small load anyway. Worked on story notes while the laundry was in the washer, then treated myself to the new Mountain Dew Major Melon (watermelon-flavored) and a soft pretzel from WaWa. At least the weather wasn't bad. While it continues to be off-and-on cloudy, it was neither as cold, nor as windy as yesterday.

Let Super Password go in the background as I put away my laundry when I got home. Jo Ann Worley and Jack Jones were the celebrity word-guessers here. Jo Ann got her contestant to the Super Password bonus round, but they struck out there and in the Ca$shword mini-game. I also set up the Susan Branch calendar I ordered off Amazon. 

Finished organizing Dad and Uncle Ken's photos while half-watching Buzzr. Sweet Juliet Mills and her husband Michael Miklenda were the big winners on Tattletales, over George Hamilton and his smart wife Alania and Peter Haskell and his tough wife Cricket. The Whammies flew fast and furious during the second half of Press Your Luck. The champ managed to avoid most of them and picked up a Denver vacation, among other prizes. 

Made a few more good finds as I finished going through the bin. My favorite was a vintage cookbook, The College Cookery, from Burlington County College. I'm guessing it's from between 1965 and 1985, from the simple plastic binder design and sepia-toned print. I have no clue why Uncle Ken had that in the bin. I saw no familiar names among those who contributed recipes, and I'm pretty sure neither he nor Dad attended Burlington County College. Some of the recipes looked pretty decent, though. It was the only thing I kept for myself. Put everything else back in the box. I'll call or text my sisters and cousins later this weekend or next week and see what they say about it. 

Worked on writing after I dropped the bin in the den next to my entrance. Richard finally leads past a couple of sailors who try to feel up the ladies and down into the hold. Goodson taunts a very-much-alive Jack Nartz about the loss of his ship The Concentration and tries to persuade him to reveal the location of his buried treasure. Jack refuses - he intends the treasure for his family and crew. 

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Tried a recipe for "One-Pot-Spaghetti" from Uncle Ken's cookbook while I watched Match Game '74. It was pasta, tomato sauce, and water cooked with sautéed onions and ground beef in oil. I made it olive oil and added a little white cooking wine along with dried parsley. Oh, yum. Whomever complied this book knew what they were doing. Tasty and savory.

Gene literally rolled into Match Game, leaving Richard to joke about him falling down drunk. (Which wasn't true. Neither Gene nor Richard were drinkers.) Meanwhile, Scoey Mitchilll, who was notorious for never matching the contestant, actually got his first two matches towards the end. Bob Barker turned up in Match Game PM, but it was Charles who had to try to help the contestant win 20,000 in the end.

Sale of the Century was a nail-biter tonight. The ladies were neck-and-neck, buying no Instant Bargains or Cash. The one guy was behind almost the entire game, until he picked up a number card on the Fame Game that caught him up in a hurry. In the end, the other lady beat the champ by one question in the Speed Round. She didn't do any better on the Bonus Round, though.

Finished the night on Pluto TV with Lost Horizon. I go further into this long and peculiar epic 1973 musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Cult Flops - Lost Horizon (1973)

Changes Blow In

Began the morning with silvery clouds, breakfast, and Blockbusters. The champ made short work of a pair of sisters in the beginning and a mother-daughter team in the end, but he still struck out in the Gold Run bonus round. I think he got two answers there.

Switched to original My Little Pony on The Roku Channel as I made Orange-Chocolate Chip Muffins for lunch at work this week. "Crunch the Rockdog" mercilessly turns everything he touches into stone. The ponies discover from a living mountain he was made to be a guard dog without feelings. They have to bring him the mountain's Heartstone to make him understand how others feel about his actions. Meanwhile, romantic Truly can't understand how logical Wind Whistler can be so seemingly frigid...but sometimes Wind Whistler reveals how logic can be helpful in dealing with a problem.

Paradise and Fizzy would rather be reading and playing than repairing Paradise Estate. They think they've found the answer when a sorcerer sells them magic paint that will make anything easier to repair. What it does is make the furniture come to life and repair itself, then decide it doesn't like how the ponies handle them and chase them out. Only Baby Cuddles' motherly buggy remains faithful to her pony. It's Cuddles who finally ends "The Revolt of Paradise Estate" when she helps the furniture see that the sorcerer treats them even worse.

As the cartoons ran, I happened to look at the window and notice snow coming down, and hard. It didn't stick, or amount to more than very pretty frozen rain. It was gone by the time I called Uber...and of course, started again more heavily by the time the car arrived. At least the guy was a good sport about it, even switching to music from the Inauguration when we both came to the conclusion that neither of us really wanted to hear about politics. 

Thankfully, the snow was slowing down when I arrived and was gone by the time I went out to gather carts. The squalls did leave behind some nasty cold gales, blowing carts around and making it hard to push them. There was also a mix-up with the sweeping early in the day, and I got stuck in a register for a few minutes later to go in for a manager's break. (Apparently a lot of people called out or didn't show, I'm guessing because of the Inauguration.) At least it wasn't busy. In fact, we were dead almost the entire afternoon. It got a little busy at rush hour, then went right back to being dead. More help arrived later to take over the cleaning and sweeping.

Went straight into Match Game PM when I got home. Brian Billick, future Super Bowl-winning coach of the Baltimore Ravens, was a contestant in this episode. He's definitely a better coach than a game show player. He lost rather badly and didn't really seem to understand the game that well. The champ had a far easier time on Sale of the Century. She was ahead by the second half and killed at the Speed Round, winning a trip to Aruba. Still couldn't get that Bonus Round, though.

Finished the night after a shower watching the 1940 Thief of Baghdad at TCM's on-demand site. I'm in the mood for a good romantic adventure. Sabu is the title character Abu, who first encounters King Ahmad (John Justin) in prison. Ahmad was tricked by his Grand Vizier Jaffar (Conrad Veidt) into going among his people as a poor man. The two do manage to escape, only for Ahmad to fall for the Princess (June Duprez) of a neighboring city. Jaffar wants her (and her kingdom) too. He plies her father the Sultan (Miles Malleson) with mechanical toys in order to gain her hand, but she's in love with Ahmad. Jaffar angrily blinds Ahmed and turns Abu into a dog. He also tricks the Princess, letting Ahmed awaken her, only to force her onto a ship so he can get her to hold him. 

That restores the guys, but Jaffar shipwrecks them when they chase their vessel. Abu finds himself alone with a bottle and a genie (Rex Ingram) who gives him three wishes. It may take a lot more than even a genie's magic to help Abu find the All-Seeing Eye and keep his friend from ending up losing his love and his head!

Oooh, this was fun, and worth all the trouble they had filming it. (It started in England, but had to move to the US when World War II broke out and went through at least five directors.) The special effects still look pretty darn good, especially on the genie. Sabu and Ingram have the most fun as the young thief caught up in adventure and the genie who sees Abu as his ticket to freedom. I love the gorgeous pastel colors too, straight out of an Arabian Knight storybook. Honestly, if you love Arabian Knights tales or are also looking for a good adventure, you'll want to check this out on TCM or dig up the recent Criterion Collection release. 

Discovering History

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. The solo man quickly defeated a sister team...but this time, he didn't do nearly as well on the Gold Run round. In fact, I think he got two answers right. He was doing better with another sister team when the episode ended.

Let Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour run briefly while I did the dishes, then switched to My Little Pony as I made the bed. "Somnubula" is one of the stranger episodes from later in the original series. The  Big Brother Ponies return to Paradise Estate to find all of the female ponies missing. The babies and Spike reveal they were lured by a voice heard from a carnival. Turns out this is a circus of horrors, as the owner is draining the ponies of their youth...and may do the same to the Big Brothers.

(We only had one of the Big Brother Ponies...ironically, one of the ones who came out the year after this episode debuted in the second and last release and didn't appear in this episode. His name was Barnacles, Between his pirate hat and Cutie Mark and his bright red ringlet mane and tail, I had to have him.)

Moved to Match Game '75 briefly, but I ended up in my bedroom. Wanted to text Rose about getting a bike with Jessa, but I accidentally ended up calling her. She wasn't happy. She said she's too busy right now in quarantine for dealing with anything...and that I need to take all of this up with Jessa. Which I did. I texted her, then spent the next hour or so doing research on bikes online.

Broke for lunch at quarter of 2. Made a chocolate-banana-coffee smoothie while watching Hart to Hart on The Roku Channel. They once again only have season 1 and 2 available. Went with "The Latest Fashion In Murder" from season 2. Jennifer is flattered when she and Johnathan are asked to pose for a fashion shoot. Her delight turns to fear when she finds a major model murdered at a fashion party, and then the owner of the magazine dead at the shoot...and she and Johnathan suspect she may have been the intended victim of the latter.

Took a nap for a while after the episode ended. Between chatting late with Lauren while she's off work (she's back working for another two weeks) and the increased hours pushing carts, I'm really bushed. In fact, I only got up because I heard dinging on my phone.

It was Jessa, but she wasn't texting me. She needed to ask Jodie about how her driver's license. I texted her and told her I needed to talk to her, too. She said she'd be around at 5:30.

That gave me time to work on some writing. Robert Walden and Dolly Martin make sure renegade former pirate Richard Dawson actually helps them free the other women. Lorrie McCaffery is upset that she can't see her husband. Marcia Wallace just wants to kick someone's rear. Richard tells them he knows where the crews are hidden in the hold. Gene agrees to let him lead them down there, as long as they all dress as sailors and look like they're just out for a stroll with him...

Broke at 5:30, but I didn't hear voices on Jodie's side of the house until quarter of 6. Not only was Jessa there, but Jodie's Aunt Colleen was visiting too. Jodie revealed that she finally got an actual job - she's working for her uncle in his tax office. Second, Jodie's been going through a LOT of stuff. Boxes are piled here, there, and everywhere. Among the boxes and bins were one filled with old family photos of Dad and Uncle Ken. Jodie initially gave it to Jessa, but I told her I'd go through it. I'm good at organizing things. 

(She also gave me a hoagie, but it was Italian with salami and bologna. I ate half, then tossed it. Too salty for me now, and I'm not a big fan of salami or bologna to begin with.)

After dinner, I went through the bin. I couldn't believe my luck. It was filled with photos and memorabilia going back a century. The oldest photos were of Uncle Ken and Dad's father Albert when he was young, likely in the early 1900's. The most recent were of Uncle Ken's daughter Samantha and her husband Dave, I'm guessing from between 2005 and 2007. There were even Polaroids of a teeny me with young Samantha and her brother Guy during what was likely my first Christmas in 1979, and two more of Rose and me in the early 90's. 

The vast majority of the photos came from between the 1930's and the 1970's, from the cars, clothes, and hair styles. Dad showed me a few pictures of my grandmother, Pop Pop Al's wife, before, but nothing like this. There were photos of Dad's graduation and what was likely his prom, with him handsome and beaming behind girls in pastel dresses. Uncle Ken was in World War II and Dad was in Vietnam; I got to see them in their sailor and army uniforms before they left. There were photos of Uncle Ken and Aunt Jayne's wedding in the 1960's, and them with baby Samantha and Guy. Lots of photos of what I suspect were family trips to Wildwood in the 50's and 60's, including Wildwood torn to shreds in what were likely photos of the major storm that rained devastation on the South Jersey Shore in 1962. 

And that's just the photos. Boxes and a full scrap book held articles on Uncle Ken's career in high school athletics, both as a player in football, baseball, and swimming and as a coach. I found the announcement for his and Aunt Jayne's wedding, a wedding card from his family, and piles of programs from Uncle Ken's football games in the 40's and 50's. There was even a copy of local newspaper The Retrospect from 1995 with a lengthy article discussing Uncle Ken and his many athletic achievements. 

I'll go through it, but I really need to get a hold of Jessa, Rose, and especially Samantha. Sam will probably want Uncle Ken's things, and I know the other two will really want to see this, too.

Watched Match Game '74 as I worked. Morey Amsterdam and George Kirby replaced Charles in this episode, and they both did very well, too. Richard had more fun tossing Brett's shoe away, while everyone else tried to figure out what's huge, covered with feathers, and called Moby ___ and Richard tries to figure out who stole his seat. Match Game PM had its own fun as Ron Pallilo joined for jokes about what a guy's wife says whenever she walks into a department store and Richard's reminder that the lady should have listened to him in the Audience Match. 

The champ dominated on Sale of the Century. The one guy couldn't get anything going. The other lady did better, but the champ killed at the Speed round. She still couldn't get the Bonus Round money, though. 

Finished the night online with No Maps On My Taps at Watch TCM. I go further into this documentary on three great black tap dancers at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musical Documentaries - No Maps On My Taps

A Fair World for All

Began the morning with readings in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology came out while King was still alive, but the material listed for United Nations Day works just as well. King and the United Nations both worked and work for peace. We had part of the book "A Fair World for All" by Dorothy Canfield Fisher and several poems. 

Quickly moved on to breakfast and My Little Pony. Mimic the unicorn is fading out, and only "The Golden Horseshoes" can save her. After the Moochick reveals that the four horseshoes were scattered across several countries, he tries to help Mimic while Megan and the other ponies search for the horseshoes.

Worked on writing after the cartoon ended. Brett lets all of the women out of the next room. Lorrie is upset that they've kept her away from her husband Anson. Marcia Wallace is just angry, period, and is ready and raring to kick rear. Richard says he's willing to take the others into the hold where Jack and the crews are being kept, but Robert Walden and Marcia are to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't betray anyone else.

Broke quickly at 11:30 to get ready for work. No problems whatsoever today. Both Uber trips went smoothly. Spent most of a partly cloudy and very windy day pushing carts. Also taught a new bagger how to gather carts and round up the trash and recycling. The only time it got busy was around 4, when we hit rush hour and anyone who went to work came home. Once rush hour ended, so did our customers. It was dead when left.

Arrived home in time for the second half of Match Game PM. We jumped way back to 1977 for this episode - I came in just as everyone was making jokes about what a mummy was holding when she was buried. They eventually answered "Octo __" on the Audience Match, and Richard tried to help a contestant win 10,000 on "__ Dream." 

Sale of the Century was a close one tonight. The one man did get a Fame Game, but it was really between the two women all night. The champ was ahead until the Bonus Round, when the other lady got ahead of her. She didn't get close on the Bonus Round, though. (And incidentally, if the new champ looks familiar, she won money nine years before on Password Plus as well.)

Moved to Ruby Bridges on Disney Plus after a shower. Ruby (Chaz Monet) is an extremely bright 6-year-old living in New Orleans in 1960. She's so smart, she's encouraged to attend a white elementary school by a Dr. Broyard (Peter Francis James). Her mother Lucy (Lela Rochon) thinks it's a wonderful idea and wants her children to have better educations. Her father Abon (Michael Beach), who ran headlong into prejudice during the Korean War, isn't so sure. 

Indeed, not only are there crowds protesting around the school when she arrives, but parents and most teachers pull out. Barbara Henry (Penelope Ann Miller), a woman from Boston who taught many different types of children on military bases, is her caring and supportive teacher. Not everyone agrees with Mrs. Henry's kind treatment of her student. Frosty Miss Woodmere (Diana Scarwid), the school's principal, wouldn't have allowed this at all if it wasn't for the new law integrating schools. As the year goes on, it proves to be hard for the entire Bridges clan, especially Abon, who loses his job and doesn't understand his wife's desire to move up in social classes. Child psychiatrist Dr. Robert Coles (Kevin Pollack) not only helps Ruby see how special and intelligent she is, but helps her family understand it, too. 

Wow. Hard to believe this one debuted on The Wonderful World of Disney in 1998. In fact, I remember the night it came out. ABC made a pretty big deal about it, and no wonder. This is one of Disney's best TV movies, far above anything they've done for The Disney Channel. Not only is the cast perfect, but the script pulls no punches. You hear the terrible insults the protestors call this six-year-old child who just wants to learn. You see how much this hurt her family, especially her skeptical father, and how it divided her neighborhood and her community. The performances are amazing, especially from Rochon and Beach as Ruby's parents with very different ideas on the importance of learning. 

Mom worked for one of the elementary schools in Lower Township as a graphic artist during the late 90's. She did a lot of research for a project several classes did on Ruby's story. She did see this movie when it came out and raved about it to me...especially since she lived in the south when all this happened and remembered Ruby's story well. If anything, this is even more relevant nowadays, with racial tension once more in the news. It can also be found on Amazon Prime, and I believe it's on DVD. If you haven't seen it yet, do so, especially if you have any interest in the history of the Civil Rights Movement or the changes the US went through in the early and mid-60's, or you remember them like Mom. 

Wild Is the Wind

Began the morning with breakfast and Anne of Green Gables: The Musical. I'm currently re-reading the book, so I thought I'd give this another listen. Apparently, this is Canada's longest-running musical, beginning as a TV musical and continuing in some form or another from 1965 until last year. It proved to be too old-fashioned for the US and barely made off-Broadway in 1971, but did better on the West End in 1969. It's the West End production that this recording is based on. 

Some of the songs are only middling, but there's a few gems here. I like "Humble Pie" as Matthew tries to teach Anne how to apologize to Mrs. Lynde, Anne and Diana's charming "Kindred Spirits" as they rhapsodize about their friendship, and Miss Stacy encouraging her students to "Open the Window" and let learning in. The ensemble numbers are where this falters. They're far too generic, especially the opening with nosy townspeople wonder where Matthew is off to and "Ice Cream," after Anne attends her first ice cream social. 

I'm a bit surprised I found this LP for practically nothing at the (now defunct) FYE in Philly. I don't think it's that common on this side of the Atlantic. Not the greatest musical, but enjoyable enough for fans of Anne Shirley and her world.

Headed off to work even before the album ended. Work was incredibly busy all day. Between the crowds and the wild wind, I had a hard time keeping up with the carts on my own. Thankfully, there were at least two other baggers there all day. (There was supposed to be a third after noon, but she never appeared.) One or the other came out to help me when things got too overwhelming. I was very glad when the clock hit 4 and one of the baggers and I were able to go home.

As soon as I got in, I fell into bed and took a nap. I've been so worn out lately. Jodie had guests in the den - I think the next-door neighbors - and I still slept for an hour and a half. 

Read some Anne of Green Gables after that, then listened to the soundtrack from Dreamgirls in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day tomorrow while eating leftovers for dinner. Of the additional material written for the film, my favorite number is the upbeat ballad "Love You I Do," which Jennifer Hudson performs at Rainbow Records after they just got started in Detroit. Other songs I love on this album include "Steppin to the Bad Side," Hudson's roof-blowing "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," and the Dreams' energetic disco version of "One Night Only."

Finished the night online with vintage game shows on YouTube. Most people assume game shows skewer older, but there have been many kids' versions made of favorite adult shows. Since I couldn't find footage of Video Village Saturday morning spin-off Video Village Jr., I went with the similar Shenanigans from 1964. It plays like a kid-oriented version of Family Game Night from 40 years later. Kids play mini-games based around Milton Bradley board games, some of which (like Operation) are still being made today. 

Boy, do I wish NBC hadn't erased most of Storybook Squares. This 1969 Saturday morning show had Hollywood Squares celebrities dressed as characters from fairy tales (Abby Dalton was Miss Muffet), history (Wally Cox as Paul Revere), favorite stories (Paul Winchell and one of his dummies as Romeo and Juliet!), or characters from shows the celebrity appeared in (Carolyn Jones as Morticia Addams). Other than that and slightly smaller prizes for the kiddies, it plays pretty much the same as the regular show. It proved too expensive to sustain, but everyone loved doing it so much, they'd do occasional "Storybook Squares" weeks in the mid 70's. (And I don't blame them. The episode I saw was too adorable.)

Joker's Wild and The 25,000 Pyramid also did kids' versions. Joker! Joker! Joker! seemed to do a little better, running for two years. Junior Pyramid only went for a few months and a prime-time special. Adult version hosts Jack Barry and Dick Clark were in charge of these as well. They too were similar to their originals, only with easier categories and, in the case of Pyramid, encyclopedias and scholarships as top prizes. 

I remember being a huge fan of Teen Win Lose or Draw as a kid in the late 80's-early 90's. It's kind of like Pictionary or Body Language with drawing instead of acting out. In the first round, two kids and a popular young celebrity of the time try to draw words that form a puzzle. The kids guess the puzzle from the words the celebrity draws. For the second round, one of the kids draws their interpretation of a tongue twister, and the kid and celebrity have to guess that. The last round involves guessing what the final contestant is drawing as fast as you can. Wil Wheaton of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Josie Davis of Charles In Charge were the celebrities trying to guess what the artwork means here. 

King's World debuted two kid versions of it's wildly popular syndicated games Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune on CBS around the same time in the late 90's-early 2000's. With their bright colors, wild and bold set designs, and then-cutting-edge computer graphics, Jep! and Wheel 2000 look and sound utterly and totally of their time. 

I found Jep!, despite the odd set design, to be slightly more fun. The big change here is, if the kids get two wrong, they get something dumped on them - in this case, the kid got balls dropped on his head. Watching the kids think of the answers was actually pretty cute.

Wheel 2000 doesn't come off quite as well. The wheel itself looks cheap, the mini-games add nothing to the show, and the set design has dated even less well. Lucy is supposed to be the animated, ultra-hip version of Vanna White, but the CGI used on her looks awful nowadays, and she's far more annoying than she is cool or funny. 

See if you and your kids can play along with these vintage finds! 

Shenanigans (1964)

Storybook Squares (1969)

Joker! Joker! Joker! (1979)

Junior Pyramid (1979)

Teen Win Lose or Draw (1989)

Wheel 2000 (1997)

Jep! (1998)

Muppet and Matches Entertainment

Slept in this morning; didn't start Muppet Babies until past 10:30, after the rain had already passed. Razzie is "The Copy Cub" when she repeats everything her big brother Fozzie says and does. It's driving him crazy and keeping him from practicing for his big Joke Show. Bunsen and Beaker try to make two of Fozzie, so she'll copy the copy...but they end up making three Razzies instead! Now Fozzie has to figure out how to evade all three of them. "Animal Loses It" when he's fed up with losing every game he plays. Scooter and Skeeter invite the gang to play the jungle-themed board game they made. Animal has high hopes that he'll finally be a winner...but Nanny and Piggy help him learn that it's more important to have fun playing with your friends.

While I had no trouble calling Uber today, they were late, which meant I was late for work. Thankfully, that was the worst that happened all night. The Acme was busy when I came in, but they slowed down around 2 PM and never really got busy again. Once again, I was on my own until around 4, when more help arrived. Spent the last hour wiping down cooler handles and registers. No trouble whatsoever. 

Had some grocery shopping to do after work. Took advantage of an online coupon for Turkey Hill Ice Cream to treat myself to their Tin Roof Sundae (aka chocolate-covered peanuts in vanilla with fudge swirl). Found glass bottles of Chinese Five Spice and Herbs de Provenance in a cart filled with clearance spices and condiments. Thought I'd try frozen raspberries in my smoothies this week, since most fruit is expensive at this time of year. The Acme is having their occasional "Buck-a-Bag" produce sale; grabbed scallions, a bag of collard greens, cherry tomatoes, mini-cucumbers, baked rice pea snacks, and oranges. Restocked milk, yogurt, jam, ground turkey, a salad bowl for dinner at work this week, and chocolate chips. 

While I have slightly fewer hours next week, my schedule is otherwise an improvement. I still work pretty long on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday, but next weekend isn't as bad. Sunday is the only early day. Tuesday and Thursday off. I should still have time to call Jessa and ask her about the phone line and getting a new bike in Deptford.

(Oh, and my cell phone works beautifully. My old phone would have been down to 60 or lower by the end of the night and probably would have reset before I could use Uber. The new phone only dropped to 97 by the end of the night.)

Let Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour run in the background while I put everything away. Poor Gene Rayburn had laryngitis during this episode and sounded terrible; several panelists expressed their concern for him, including Marcia Wallace and Charles Nelson Reilly. Other notable panelists that week including Pat Sajak (who just began hosting Wheel of Fortune at that point),  Larry Manetti of Magnum PI, and the late Helen Reddy. 

Finished the night online after a shower with That's Entertainment III. I go further into the final That's Entertainment documentary at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Musical Documentaries - That's Entertainment III

Princess and Pony Tales

Began a dark and cool morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. The current solo champ played a pair of twin gentlemen, then went on to kill at the Gold Run bonus round. He was having a harder time with a perky mother-daughter pair when the show ended. 

Switched to the 80's My Little Pony on The Roku Channel while cleaning up from breakfast and getting organized. The second season kicked off with "The Quest of the Princess Ponies." The Princess Ponies are supposed to be the guardians of the magic wands that protect the balance of magic in Ponyland. Truth be told, they're spoiled and silly creatures who spend their time arguing over who should be queen. They learn a quick lesson in leadership and working together when an evil lava monster called Lavan kidnaps them and steals their wands. While Spike and the Bushwoolies rescue them, the other Ponies try to figure out how to rebalance the magic in Ponyland when Lavan's attempts to use the wands throws it into chaos.

Headed out as soon as the cartoon finished. Needed to run some errands, starting with a quick stop at Dollar General. Mainly stopped there to grab a cord for my cell phone. It did say that it was for an older release of the Samsung...but why would they have cords for phones that haven't been sold in years? I bought it anyway. I have too many cast album CDs to fit into one binder anymore. Grabbed a second one in yellow. Ran out of shaving lotion last week. My niece Lilah's sixth birthday is this weekend. I did send her birthday gift in her mother's Christmas package, but I forgot her card. 

Next stop was the laundromat. They weren't that busy, but the managers were installing new big front-loading washers for oversized loads and I didn't want to get in their way. I dumped my load into the smallest front-loader with the least time, then worked on story notes outside. 

After my load went into the dryer, I strolled to WaWa to get a Chocolate Chocolate Chip frozen hot chocolate. While windy and cloudy, it wasn't really cold or raining, probably in the lower 50's. It actually wasn't a half-bad day for mid-January. There were a lot of people out and about, especially around Elsie's, a deli and sandwich shop across from WaWa.

I got home and tried to slide the cord into my new cell phone...but it didn't work. It was just too big. Put on Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood to cheer me up while making a quick banana-cherry smoothie lunch. "Daniel Plays Ball" with the other kids and Prince Tuesday, but he's not very good at catching it. (Me too, kid. I can't catch a ball to save my life.) Prince Tuesday shows him how to catch and encourages him to keep trying. Daniel likewise helps "O Build a Block Tower." It keeps falling down, but they look for ways to keep it standing. 

The show just ended when Jodie came in. Apparently, I got a package in the mail. My Christmas presents from Linda and James Young finally arrived! She sent them over a month ago, but wrote the zip code wrong. They somehow ended up in Hartford, Connecticut, then everything was so crazy with the post office over the holidays, they didn't get here until now. I'm glad they did get here. She gave me a charming and folksy anthology of Lois Lenski Christmas stories and the TCM book Must-See Musicals. The latter is among the books frequently advertised on TCM before their movies start. I've almost ordered it a dozen times, but had put it off...and now I'm glad I did! They also sent a gorgeous gold-embossed reindeer card.

Shelved the books and my laundry, then went online briefly and ordered a cell phone cord that did say it fit my specific phone as a rush order from Amazon. After that, I took a nap for an hour and a half. I've had a very long week, had a long couple of months before that, and had no other plans for today. Even with the kids playing outside my window, I still had a nice rest.

Woke up around 5. Read Anne of Green Gables for a while, then went on my laptop and did some writing. Understandably, Gene doesn't trust Richard a bit after he threw him over in favor of Goodson. Robert Walden agrees to watch over him, mainly because he wants to ask Richard about Goodson and his corrupt government. 

Broke for dinner at 6:30. For some reason, Match Game '74 skipped way, way ahead. Jack Carter, dizzy blonde Louisa Moritz, and Orson Bean joined in as Jack stuck markers in his teeth and pretended to be a walrus and then ran off the set, Richard Dawson's chair somehow disappeared, and Betty White got tied up in electrical tape. Match Game PM went in the opposite direction to 1977. Sarah Kennedy and Dick Martin of Laugh-In joined in for jokes about what the senator gave to his secretary and "Beverly ___."

Made Coffee-Cinnamon Brownies while watching Sale of the Century. The young lady champ had a lot of stiff competition today, despite buying both Instant Bargains and the Instant Cash. She barely won the Speed Round by a question; had far more luck with the Bonus Round.

Jodie brought in the cord I bought on Amazon earlier while the brownies were in the oven. Yes, this one worked just fine. Took a look at my new phone while watching Jack Frost. I go further into this unique Rankin-Bass stop-motion fairy tale at an entry from my Musical Dreams Movie reviews from last February. 

Jack Frost

Finished the night online. Jeannie tries to help Tony and Roger after they're pushed to their limits by a nutrition expert (Paul Lynde) in "Please Don't Feed the Astronauts." The expert sees all the energy Jeannie gave them and thinks they're up to his grueling trek across Skull Island. Still trying to help, Jeannie creates a "Friendly Native Village" of Arabians and makes the expert think he's having hallucinations.

Switched to TCM for The Little Princess. Shirley Temple's first color vehicle is supposedly an adaption of the Frances Hodgeson Burnett book. Here, her father goes away to the Boer War, Mrs. Minchin's silly sister becomes a shy brother (Arthur Treacher), her French maid becomes a friendly teacher (Anita Louise), and she has a handsome riding teacher beau (Richard Greene) whose grouchy grandfather (Miles Mander) disapproves of their relationship. Miss Minchin not only forces Sarah to become a servant after her father dies, she fires her two teachers in love after they marry. Here, Sarah doesn't believe her father is dead. With the help of Miss Minchin's brother, she dilligently searches the veteran's hospital for him. Ram Dass (Caesar Romero) still gives her beautiful things, but Miss Minchin finds out, and Sarah has to flee.

This one is a lot of fun in the first half, when Sarah is trying to play matchmaker, and then during her adorable dream sequence where she's a real princess, Bertie is her jester, Miss Minchin is a witch, and the teachers are peasant lovers. The last twenty minutes veer uncomfortably into melodramatic territory as Sarah desperately searches for her father; this would be done much better and more realistically in the 90's version. Enjoyable and cute if you're a Temple fan and pretty easy to find (it's in the public domain). 

I'll Walk Alone

Began a cloudy morning with breakfast and Muppet Babies. Gonzo and Fozzie accidentally turn a painting Summer made for Nanny into "Summer's Disaster-Piece" when they splash it with paint. Gonzo distracts the others while Fozzie tries to fix the artwork, but he just makes it worse instead of better. It takes Summer's creative eye to find beauty in their mess. Fozzie thinks he has to say "Farewell, Statler and Waldorf" when he hears him say they're packing to leave. He tries to hide their suitcase while the kids find games to keep them at home.

Did a little bit of writing after I ate. Brett releases the other women, who are raring to go. Richard knows where they have Jack Narz and Gene's crew, but not Charles, who is being kept separately. He says he'll lead them to the hold, but Gene doesn't trust him after he betrayed him on the Marauder...

Broke to change and get ready for work around 11 and called Uber shortly after. I wanted to leave early to buy a new cell phone from the T-Mobile store in the shopping center behind the Acme. I know exactly what I wanted - a new Samsung phone that's basically an updated version of my old one. Thankfully, they'd just gotten a new batch of the smaller one in the day before. Buying that and a cover took longer than expected. I didn't have the chance to let him transfer all of my data to the new phone from the old one.

Work was pretty much the same as it's been the past week - mostly dead except during rush hours, when it picks up slightly. The sun came out around 2 and turned it into a beautiful, sunny day in the upper 40's, too nice for grocery shopping. Besides, most people are likely waiting for the holiday weekend to shop. I spent the entire day outside this time, gathering carts and what little trash needed to be done. I'm sore as all get out, but at least there were no major problems. Once again, I had plenty of help by the end of the night. 

I really should have let the guy switch my data over and just been a little late for work. I hadn't realized the man who set up my new phone threw away the ancient SIM card for the old phone. I had to get the password for Uber off my old phone so I could download it on the new one, and it took me longer than I care to admit to figure that out. And the old phone died again and I had to reset that. 

When I walked in the door at home, I realized I left the pink bag with the receipt and the box that held the instructions and charger at work. Now I couldn't charge a phone that was getting low or put it away. I was so angry with myself, Jodie ended up coming in when she heard me yelling. She did finally admit that she has no intention of selling the house anytime soon. According to her, it'll take anywhere from six months to a year to get her side of the house painted and re-carpeted enough to be presentable.  

She also told me Rose and her family are under quarantine. Her husband Craig started a second job with Amazon and came home with the virus. Thankfully, they caught it before it could spread to the rest of the family and he recovered quickly and well, but it means they can't go anywhere. Jodie's delivering food for them, too. 

Had a snack while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Waits for Show and Tell," but he really wants to show off the photo album he and his dad made. Teacher Harriet distracts him and the other kids by singing songs and playing games while they wait for their duck egg to hatch. Daniel and Katerina also use their imaginations to pass the time during "A Night Out at the Restaurant." 

Finished the night online with That's Entertainment, Part 2. I go further into the second documentary, this time featuring Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly dancing and hosting, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musical Documentaries - That's Entertainment, Part 2

Morning With My Sister

Had a quick start this morning with breakfast and What's My Line? Turned the TV on just as they were going into the second guest. No one got close to figuring out the lady was the first female high school football referee in the state of Michigan. Soupy Sales, on the other hand, guessed in a few questions that the Mystery Guest was one of his favorite actresses, the lovely and multi-talented Joan Bennett. The third was a man who made a new type of coffee cup holder.

I just got online when Jessa arrived. We looked over all the phone lines and various companies...and came to the conclusion that the lines are fine the way they are for now. She and Joe are ok taking over Dad's payment for my extra line while I figure things out. For now, I think I will go to the T-Mobile behind the Acme tomorrow and pick up a new phone. As I was reminded last night, my cell phone really is done for. I'm worried it'll die completely one of these days. 

Even after we finished online, we continued chatting. She's now working for Amazon packing boxes for shipping. She only works during the weekend and one or two days during the week, but it's not much money or insurance, and it's very stressful. She did get the chance to give me sleep socks for Christmas, and I finally got around to giving her the last bag of Christmas cookies I made. We watched The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour while looking at old photos of Dad, her mother and my first stepmother Kaye, and Uncle Ken when we were little.

Jessa dropped me off at work. Thankfully, no problems today. I pushed carts and gathered trash and recycling almost the entire afternoon, except for the 15 minutes I ended up going in for a cashier so they could go on their break. By the end of the night, I had another bagger out with me and not a whole lot to do. Thankfully, there were no mistakes with Uber this time, and I went straight home. 

In fact, I got home so fast, I arrived in time for the second half of Match Game PM. This was the very last episode of the nighttime show in 1980. This time, it's Bart Braverman's turn to flirt with an especially cute contestant, while Betty White sat in for her friend Brett and made jokes. We skipped way ahead in 1988 on Sale of the Century. The champ had a hard battle with a smart lady who bought a fax machine, but he just barely got ahead in the Speed Round and won the bonus round puzzles with one second left.

Finished the night online, watching Idiot's Delight on demand at TCM. I enjoyed Clark Gable's goofy girlie dance routine from That's Entertainment so much, I thought I'd look up the movie it came from. Harry Van (Gable) meets Irene (Norma Shearer) in Omaha in 1919 when she debunks the drunk mentalist he's working for. She thinks he could be so much more; he thinks her claims about being Russian and her dreaming are as phony as a three-dollar bill. Twenty years later, he's taking a group of girl dancers through Europe when they're stranded at a hotel in a country about to go to war. Among the other guests stranded there are an arms dealer (Edward Arnold), an agitated pacifist who is convinced the arms dealer's weapons started the war (Burgess Meredith), and a young couple on their honeymoon (Pat Paterson and Peter Willes). There's also a blonde countess with a fake Russian accent who seems awfully familiar to Harry...

Honestly, the dance number is the best thing about this. While Shearer and Gable do have chemistry, the movie was based after a play and comes off as wordy, static, and preachy, and the anti-war plot has dated very badly. The movie uses two endings, one based after the original play for international audiences, one ignoring the bombings for US audiences. Neither ending works very well or makes a shred of sense. If you love Gable or Shearer, are familiar with the Pulitzer-winning play of the same name, or know what was going on in 1939, you may want to check this out at least once. Everyone else is better off catching Gable's vaudeville number on That's Entertainment or online.