Little April Showers

Began the day with Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes for breakfast and one of my two musical eBay acquisitions this week. I've wanted more of the Decca double-operetta CDs for years; finally found the Roberta/Vagabond King CD for a good price. Listened to Roberta this morning. Kitty Carlisle duets with Alfred Drake on "You're Devastating" and "Lovely to Look At" and performs a gorgeous "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes." Paula Laurence gets to have fun with "I'll Be Hard to Handle," and Drake joins her for a favorite of mine, "Let's Begin." 

Rain poured down, even as I dashed for the garage. I originally planned to ride my bike, but it was getting too late and too wet. I ended up calling Uber. They came in ten minutes, but I already called them later than I should have, and the GPS tried to direct the driver to the long way around Audubon. Even when I turned him back onto Nicholson, he still went through the wrong entrance, and I was 10 minutes late.

Work could have been worse for cashiering. We were steady, not overwhelmingly busy like the past week. The continuing gloomy weather may have scared a lot of people off. We're also between holidays now, and many families likely did their major food shopping last week. It slowed down enough by 3 for me to shut down without a relief.

After what happened this morning, I decided I was better off walking home. By 3, the rain was long gone, leaving gloomy gray skies and a warm, humid day in its wake. Everything is so beautiful out there now. Grass waved in glistening carpets of emeralds and diamond raindrops, surrounding tulips in every color of the rainbow and fresh-smelling lawns. I greeted a former co-worker who was working in her garden (she was transferred to Runnemede) and passed people sitting outside and inside at Tonewood Brewer

Went straight into writing when I got home and changed. Richard admits to the ladies that he's only passing through. Debralee is very impressed. Lee Merriweather keeps trying to find out from him what his intentions are and how he took down the bandits.

Listened to The Vagabond King while I worked.  Roberta's modern setting and musical comedy status are replaced by a more typical operetta, based of the play If I Were King. Drake stays on to play Francois Villion, who becomes King of France for the day and helps them defeat the Burgundians. Mimi Benzell is the lady who falls for him and gets to sing the show's most popular ballads, "Someday" and "Only a Rose."

Jodie came by around quarter of 5 with a pizza box. She bought a small pizza, but couldn't finish it. I was more than happy to do it for her as an early dinner.

Switched to Make a Wish while having dessert around quarter of 7. This 1951 Broadway show was an adaptation of the play and film The Good Fairy. Janette (Nanette Fabray) is tired of being a lonely orphan and leaves her tour for a life of excitement in Paris. She befriends a wealthy millionaire and a handsome but poor lawyer, then tries to get a job for the latter with the former. Most of the best songs go to her friend Poupette (Helen Gallagher) and Texan dancer Ricky (Harold Lang), including "Take Me Back to Texas With You" and "Tonight You are In Paree."

Finished the night on YouTube after a shower. Wacky stunts go back a long time in game shows. One of the earliest hit game shows was Beat the Clock with Bud Collyer. Couples, and sometimes families, from the audience play a stunt. If they get the stunt in a certain amount of time and the lady can organize a saying correctly, they win a prize. It may be simple, but the stunts are still hilarious even 70 years after its original broadcast.

Bob Barker got his start in game shows with Truth or Consequences. Here, the stunts are a bit less messy, usually involving something like the ladies in this episode who guess what the "average" man's height and weight is, then goes to find a man who fits their descriptions and see what he says. It's just as funny to see what people come up with. Some later weirder stunts like people racing in huge gowns almost makes this an early form of reality TV.

By the 80's, most game shows involving stunts were for kid audiences. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, my sisters and I adored every version of Double Dare that came down the pike. I went with an episode of the original show from 1988. It's the same as every other version - kids guess trivia, then dare the other team to answer a question. If they don't know, they have to take a messy physical challenge. The game ends with a wild obstacle course filled with stunts like the giant hamster wheel and a slide into goop. If the kids can grab all 8 flags, they'll win a big prize, usually a trip. Marc Summers is the host for most incarnations of this franchise. 

(Incidentally, the original Double Dare has a local connection. It was filmed at the PBS WHYY studios in Philadelphia before moving to the Nickelodeon Studios in 1989. The show's long-time announcer Harvey was even a former Philly disc jockey.)

We were equally big fans of Fun House in syndication and on Fox. Similar set-up - kids answer trivia and earn points by doing messy stunts. The bonus round involved two kids running through a huge house-like maze with big tags hanging in them. Most of the tags have money, but some have prizes, and one tag has a big trip or a more expensive prize. Energetic redhead J.D Roth kept kids going through the obstacles. 

The show proved so popular with older audiences, it briefly spun off College Mad House in 1989 and 1990. Greg Kinnear lead two teams of college students through raunchier stunts and a house set based on a frat house. Of course, I had to go with the episode that pit local school Penn State against their Keystone State rivals the University of Pittsburgh.

Masters of the Maze from 1994 is a more complicated version of Fun House. It even retained JD Roth in its first season. The kids first have to guess what a distorted picture is as it gradually clears, then answer a related question. In the next round, one kid wears a suit that allows the other to give them commands to lead them around the maze and find Power Sticks. The kids who run through the maze in the fastest time get to go up the Prize Mountain and shoot monitors with "laser" weapons to gain prizes. Very strange game, but fun to watch in an odd way, with darn cool sets for a low-budget Family Channel show. 

Step into spring while watching adults, kids, and families alike brave green slime, maze mirrors, and giant car washes!

Beat the Clock (1950)

Truth or Consequences (1961)

Double Dare (1988)

Fun House (1989)

College Mad House (1989)

Masters of the Maze (1994)

Hot Day In April

Kicked off a sunny morning with breakfast and more brand-new Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Jodi's Asthma" makes it hard for her to play Splatball with the other kids. They find sit-down games to play with her until she's breathing better. "Daniel and Max Play at the Playground" on Daniel's autistic friend Max's xylophone. Daniel is upset when there's no room for him, but their parents find a way for everyone to play.

Dashed off to work when the show ended. Same deal as the last few days - not bad in the morning, insanely busy with long lines from noon onwards. At least I had a lot more help this time. Two of the college students who only work on the weekends were in late in the morning and afternoon to take over the sweeping and push carts with me. Thank goodness they were there. I got stuck in the register at least twice when the lines were around the store again. Only swept once, when the afternoon bagger went on his break, and that was an hour before I finished. At least it was a gorgeous day for pushing carts, sunny, breezy, humid, and very warm, probably in the 70's. 

By the time I got off, the lines were long gone. Got my own grocery shopping done in comparative peace. I didn't really need that much, anyway. I ate leftovers all week. Have had trouble with my bathtub draining slow and bought Liquid Plumber to help. Found bags of mini-Yorks on clearance for a treat (and to make up for missing the egg-shaped Yorks after Easter). The Acme's generic low-fat Butter Pecan ice cream was on clearance, too. Restocked peanut butter, yogurt, milk, cereal, bananas, strawberries, and oranges. 

Mixed feelings on my schedule next week. In good news, far more normal hours, with Wednesday and Friday off (the former for my birthday). I just wish Wednesday wasn't my first day off, and that I wasn't cashiering all week. 

Returned to Daniel Tiger after I got home, changed, and had leftovers for dinner. We're introduced to Teacher Harriet's nephew in "Daniel's New Friend Max." Max is autistic, and the kids have to learn that he likes soft noises and they need to help him play in his own way. Max loves busses and is looking forward to putting his bus clock up with the others at Dan Sr's clock factory. "A New Friend at the Clock Factory" finds Dan's beloved Chime Time to be too noisy and overstimulating. The Tigers and their neighbors figure out a way Max can join in, too. 

Finished the night watching Bambi while having mini-Yorks for dessert. I go further into one of the darkest and most charming classic Disney animated films at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Sunday - Bambi

Spring Cleaning Day

Began a cloudy, gloomy morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. I came in during a pitched battle between a young man and a mother-daughter team. The young man won, and went on to only miss one question on the Gold Run as well. He and a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law team were working on their first round when the episode ended.

Moved to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as I cleaned up from breakfast. There's lots of new episodes in the neighborhood this month, including "Daniel's Rocking Chair." Mrs. Tiger's clearing out some of Daniel's old toys. He has a hard time giving things away, until he sees his friend Jodi's twin brothers happily playing with his old cars and his little sister Margaret settling in a rocking char that's too small. Prince Wednesday has a similar dilemma in "Prince Wednesday Gives Away His Book." He doesn't want to let his book on rock crystals go, until he sees how much O enjoys it.

"Daniel Does It Himself" when he's able to wait to play in the snow without waking up anyone in the family. He's even prouder when "Daniel Learns to Swing" as well as his friend Jodi. 

My stepmother Jodie brought in two packages as I worked, both from eBay. One held You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, one of the Peanuts DVDs I bought to finish out my collection. The other has the early 50's musical cast album Make a Wish, a vehicle for Nanette Fabray. 

Switched to Match Game '75 while cleaning the kitchen. These episodes are probably among my favorites of the entire year. The first opens with Gene getting very into kissing Dolly Martin's hand. Dolly has a really interesting way of describing "loincloth" later in the episode too, as does Betty White! 

The second episode is absolutely hilarious. Allen Ludden constantly chatters about his fancy "tank" gun; Brett Somers later brags that he let her wear it. Later in the Audience Match, Gene jokingly answers with "I've had Betty," which brings her husband down for a chat. The contestant claims she'd belly dance if she won 5,000...and might have, if the music department hadn't played "Stars and Stripes Forever." Brett and Betty had no problems doing their idea of belly dancing, though! 

Continued with Classic Concentration's "Tournament of Champions" as I finished the kitchen. Every contestant in these two episodes were previous big winners who picked up the car in record time. Instead of the time on the clock for the match-the-car bonus round counting down, it counted up. If a contestant could get it in under the previous contestant's record, they could win the car. The women who won these rounds had no trouble doing so, especially the young lady in the second round who got it in 42 seconds!

Switched to Tubi for Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff as I ordered a chicken cheesesteak and fries from Crown Gyros and Steaks for a special lunch. Bellboy Freddy Phillips (Costello) is accused of murdering criminal attorney Amos Strickland (Nicholas Joy) when he's found with the body. Freddy got angry earlier after Strickland ordered him fired for his incompetence, and now the cops all think he did it. Only house detective Casey Edwards (Abbott) believes in his innocence. There's enough strange people wandering around the hotel to pass for suspects, including the odd Swami Talpur (Karloff), black widow Angela Gordon (Lenore Aubert), and Melton the nervous hotel manager (Alan Mowbray). Casey finally decides to use Freddy as bait, claiming he has a certain blood stained handkerchief that could give the murderer away...but Freddy's not so thrilled when the bodies start piling up and the bullets are all aimed in his direction.

Despite the title, Karloff doesn't really have much to do in this bizarre mystery, other than one sequence where he attempts to hypnotize the childish Freddy. The convoluted mystery is frankly a little dull and hard to follow, and we never do find out what the blackmailing is all about. Abbott and Costello have enough good bits to make this worth a look for their fans, especially when Freddy sets up booby traps all over his room, and in the chase around the cavern near the end.

(Oh, and while my cheesesteak was yummy enough to want to eat at Crown Gyros again, I won't be ordering delivery. They called me at least twice to figure out where I lived...when I'm just a couple of streets down and clearly gave the guy the street name.) 

I moved on to making Cinnamon Raisin Bread while Tattletales was on. Pat Harrington and his wife Marjorie were today's big winners, over Juliet Prowse and her husband Jon McCook and long-time married couple Monty and Marilyn Hall. 

Switched to dusting as soon as I put the dough in my on the ledge in my bedroom to rise. Whammies flew all over the place on Press Your Luck, especially in the first round. The previous champ got hit with so many, he was knocked out almost instantly in the second round. The new champ picked up a trip and lots of cash, among other things.

Went into writing as soon as I finished dusting the apartment. Went back and edited a few things, then added Lee launching into six hundred questions, asking Richard about the robbery and how he and Gene stopped the bandits. Debralee just wants to know if he's taken.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had a quick strawberry-pineapple smoothie while watching Match Game '76. Charles' jokes about the lacy poncho Brett wore ended in the last few minutes with Charles spreading it over his desk and pretending it was a tablecloth and he and Brett were opening a restaurant. Comedian Alfie Wise and singer Jack Jones join Patty Duke, Debralee Scott and the regulars to figure out what you need to have to get into the unemployment offices in Beverly Hills and help Alfie figure out "Price ___" in the Head-to-Head in Match Game PM. 

Everyone did well on Sale of the Century. They all won something, but the other man got a 10 dollar Money Card on a Fame Game and jumped ahead in the Speed Round. He just missed the Bonus Round by one, though...

(Oh, and my Cinnamon Raisin Bread loaves came out beautifully, sweet and spicy and moist. I think yeast bread rises better in this apartment, probably because it's a little warmer in here.)

Finished the night online with Hart to Hart. "The Harts Strike Out" in the third season when a friend of Johnathan dies, leaving his wife and son penniless...except his massive and very valuable collection of baseball cards. After the cards are stolen, the Harts track them to a convention, then have to buy a few of their own to play "flip the card" and get the collection back. 

Sunny Day Blues

Awoke to my beeping alarm clock. I opened my eyes, saw the clock said "6:30," and closed them for what I figured would be a few minutes. When I opened them again, the clock said "7:56"...and I had to be at work by 8:30! Jumped out of bed, rushed around, and never got to reading or my journal.

Barely had time for To Tell the Truth while I changed into my work clothes and gulped down a slice of quiche. Maybe it's just as well that I'd seen this segment with the blind man who saved his three-year-old daughter from drowning before. Gene, Kitty, and I all guessed #2, who seemed the most knowledgeable about the many activities the man did...and we were all right.

Rushed out as soon as the segment ended and barely got to work on time. It was a bad start to a frustrating day. I hadn't even been at work for an hour when I tripped over a concrete parking lot barrier that separated the lot from the bench where people wait for the bus while trying to get a cart left over there. Landed hard on my right arm; thankfully, it was protected by a jacket I wore to ward off the morning chill and only ended up with some nasty bumps and bruises. 

We're still badly short of help. As soon as the noon rush hour started, I suddenly had to do everything, including shelve cold items someone didn't want and sweep the store. The lines snaked around the store, not because we were busy, but because we only had two cashiers to handle everything during a busy time. I got stuck in a register twice due to the lines being so long...and every time I tried to take a break or return to the carts, there just seemed like more work to do.

Didn't manage to get outside again until past 4, by which time the afternoon bagger had arrived to help me out. At least it was a gorgeous day to be outside. The weather was sunny, breezy, and even warmer than yesterday, probably hitting the 70's. 

That's why I took the long way home down Nicholson Road, too. I wanted to enjoy the lovely weather while we still have it. Surprisingly, it was only busy around the entrance to the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center. Nicholson Road wasn't bad, Oaklyn even less-so. The towns are really looking beautiful now. Pale green leaves and spicy-scented flowers put in their first appearances earlier in the week. Every garden bursts with daffodils and hyacinths. 

Jodie stopped me on my way in to say "hi" and ask if I'd gotten my vaccination yet. She said she's gotten hers and Craig got his a while back. She also mentioned a package for me arrived - Springtime In the Rockies, a Betty Grable movie I ordered off eBay because I thought it would be perfect for a review this month. (Look for it next week!)

Did a little writing after I changed into regular clothes. Richard flirts with reporter Lee Merriweather, but she's more interested in getting the scoop on the bandits and how he and Marshal Rayburn captured them. Debralee Scott is more than happy to flirt with him, but he thinks she's too young for his taste.

Broke for Match Game '76 at 6:30. Gene really got into a question about the Godfather and his wondering if one of his men drowning was an accident, while Gary almost literally screamed the answer to an earlier question about what a waiter has to spray a chef's food with. Match Game PM returned to the first episode I ever saw on Buzzr. Hot Lou Grant reporter Robert Walden and golden beauty Elaine Joyce joined the group to see Bill Daily nervously answer "__ ing Pretty" in the Head-to-Head.

It was another close game on Sale of the Century. This time, the champ simply couldn't keep up with everyone else. The one woman won a Fame Game; the other guy bought an Instant Bargain. He eventually jumped ahead in the Speed Round and won the Bonus Round with ease.

Finished out the night online with Broadway to Hollywood at Watch TCM. I go further into this through-the-years chronicle at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Broadway to Hollywood

Time for Spring Cleaning

Awoke to a light shower that ended by the time I put down Emily of New Moon and rolled out of bed. Watched the 2009 Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bitty Adventures while I had oatmeal for breakfast. Strawberry and her friends are looking forward to "The Berry Best Vacation" at their new home-made resort...at least, until an obnoxious reporter shows up to do an interview on Cherry Jam for her Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous-style show. The girls do everything they can to get rid of her.

Switched to Match Game '75 while cleaning up from breakfast. Kate Jackson, later Sabrina on the original Charlie's Angels, joins Fannie Flagg, Avery Schriber, and the regulars in the first episode for jokes about Fannie's glittery New York skyline sweater and a contestant's response to where Grandpa found Grandma's false teeth clamped onto. 

The second episode takes us into arguably my favorite week of that year. Sweet and adorable Dolly Reed Martin made her debut, joining husband-and-wife pair Allen Ludden and Betty White. While Richard ogled a lovely contestant, the others made jokes about what Charles is smoking in that pipe of his  ("the socks he never wears") and Allen Ludden holding his card upside-down.

Went for a short bike ride as soon as the episode ended. Wanted to make a quick run to Dollar General. Their shelves are rather bare, probably leftover from the Easter weekend rush. They had no small containers of Liquid Plumber or the Jiff low-salt natural peanut butter I like. I was able to buy sponges, sugar, and a can of mandarin oranges.

When I got home, I put everything away and went straight into scrubbing the bathroom. The bathtub was especially grimy, but the sink's bad, too. Washed the windows and glass front door as well.

Listened to Sweethearts while I worked. The Ohio Light Opera put out a series of live operetta recordings on CD in the mid-2000's, including this one. This 110-year-old Victor Herbert operetta about a lost princess who is raised as a laundress and falls for a prince is likely considered kind of cheesy nowadays. I have a soft spot for old-fashioned tales of romance and action like this, even when the story brings in a local girl who wants her own shop and is mixed up with the laundress and gets hard to follow.

Made chocolate chip cookies while Tattletales was on. Don Galloway and his wife Linda were the big winners today, barely over Jimmie Walker and his then-girlfriend Samantha and Lynda Day and Christopher Stone. Whammies hit everyone hard on Press Your Luck. The eventual winner walked away with one Whammy, money, and a weekend trip to San Francisco. The lady on Card Sharks did well on the Money Cards, only to see her luck run out when she took on a college student in a Hawaiian shirt who looked like an escapee from Revenge of the Nerds.  

Worked on writing for a little while after the show ended. Richard has no trouble flirting with the beautiful female reporter who has arrived on the scene to cover the gold theft. Her name is Lee Merriweather, and she wants to interview him, not date him. Her apprentice Debralee Scott would love to date him...among other things.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Turned the leftover ham and spinach salad into a crustless ham and spinach quiche. Vacuumed while it baked and Match Game '76 ran in the background. No clue why Buzzr skipped two episodes to the week with Gary Burghoff, Joyce Bulifant, and night-time soap star Susan Sullivan. Gene happily kissed "new kid on the block" Susan while the others made jokes about the Audience Match "Buffalo __." 

Jamie Lee Curtis traded machetes for matching in a Match Game PM from 1979. The guys are about ready to join the men's softball team umpired by a pretty contestant. Later in the Audience Match, the wisecracking male contestant has less luck asking Charles and the ladies the answer to "__ Shock."  

Sale of the Century was one of the closest episodes of the year. The woman bought both Instant Bargains; the other man picked up one of the Fame Games. In the end, it came down to a tie between the two guys after the Speed Round. The champ just missed it, losing to the other man. He may have been a little too speedy at the bonus round...

Finished the night on Shout! TV with Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Castle of Fu Manchu is a particularly bad horror-spy movie from 1969. Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee) claimed he wanted to turn all the world's water into ice, but he doesn't really bring that up until the end. Most of the movie has him going through a convoluted plot to kidnap a doctor and his daughter and force him to take care of a scientist who could help him with his scheme. The robots were especially fond of joking about how much Fu Manchu's daughter resembled an Asian Marlo Thomas. Scotland Yard detective Nayland Smith goes after them...and never a blander Englishman existed on this planet.

The movie has two very, very big problems, both of which Joel and the robots joked about extensively. First of all, it's suuuppper slooooowww. Other than a few short fistfights and the opening aboard a sinking ocean liner, all anyone does is talk and threaten...and both are dragged on for way too long. Second, the movie is in the dark in more than its terrible dialog and the racially insensitive casting. More than half the film takes place in dark underground caverns, or literally just in a blanked-out screen with the barest hint of an outline. I know this was probably a cheap B movie, but people do like to actually see what they're trying to watch onscreen. While I found it mildly amusing and fairly campy, Joel and the robots found it so awful, they were almost literally crying at the end. 

Busy, Busy Spring

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures. Mickey invites Pete and his dog Spike to live with him and Pluto after a possum who stole his lunch ends up destroying his junkyard shack. "Mickey's Roommate" turns out to be a less-than-pleasant guest, until he finally sets up a few ground rules. Mr. Doozy, who owns the local hotel, calls the Happy Helpers to get his hotel ready for a huge family reunion. The girls decorate the rooms in "Minnie's Bow-Tel" to reflect the interests of every guest...but there's one secret room they can't figure out what to do with...

Did the first half of To Tell the Truth as I got ready for work. Kitty Carlisle rejoins Gene Rayburn, Peggy Cass, and Bill Cullen to figure out which of three men spent 37 days stranded off the coast of the Galapagos Islands with his family in a small life raft, then a smaller dinghy. Bill knew the family and dropped out early, and Peggy seemed to be more interested in what happened afterwards than how they did it. Gene, Kitty, and I all claimed it was sturdy, rugged #1 with the shaggy beard...and yes, we were all right. 

For the second day in a row, work was no trouble in the morning, when I was outside pushing carts and enjoying glorious, sunny, breezy spring weather. Once the rush hour crowds arrived, so do the problems. I had no help today at all, and the evening bagger called out. I had to do all the sweeping and running errands myself. Cleaned up after two small messes before they tossed me in a register to go in for someone's break. The carts kept vanishing faster than I could keep up with them. 

I wasn't the only one with no help, either. Everyone is either on Easter vacation or on leave, and we have no help at all. The two lines were down the aisles at one point. 

At least one thing went right. The pharmacy dug up a few more doses of the one-shot virus vaccine and offered one to me, since I can't really get too many other places to do it. It took all of five minutes and only pinched a little going in. I have felt a bit woozy and sniffly since then, though nothing worse than that.

Rushed straight home as fast as I could after work ended. Changed quickly, dropped towels and my clothes into the laundry basket, then took the laundry over to Jodie's side of the house. She's away until Wednesday and said I could use her washer and dryer again. Figured I'd get the laundry done tonight and focus on spring cleaning for my remaining two days off this week. 

By the time I came back to my side, Match Game '76 was almost on. Brianne Leary finished out her run as a contestant on the first episode, finally losing to a gentleman from New York. For some reason, Buzzr skipped the next two episodes, going midway into the week with Bob Barker, Patty Duke, and Fannie Flagg. A sweet librarian named Johnny (she's a lady) joined them in figuring out the Audience Match for "___ Nation" and Bob's attempt to ask for the first item up for bids!

Spent the next hour writing. Richard is instantly intrigued by the arrival of two female reporters. The tall, beautiful woman with the bright smile and light-brown hair is elegant and stunning, but also very pushy! She and the younger red-headed girl with her start asking Gene more questions than he's willing to answer.

Finished out the night online with Dancing Lady and folding the laundry. I go further into this 42nd Street-style vehicle for Joan Crawford from 1933 at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.  

Dancing Lady

Windy Spring

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Good Morning, Daniel" shows off his early ritual as he changes his clothes, has breakfast, and brushes his teeth. He learns a lesson about being on time when goofing off with his shoes almost makes him late for school. His parents say "Good Night, Daniel!" when he has his dinner, takes his bath, puts on his pajamas, and insists on a story and song from Mom.

Did the first guest on To Tell the Truth as I got ready for work. Gene Rayburn and Sherrye Henry stick around to decide which handsome young Asian man is a martial arts expert and the technical advisor to the Kung Fu show with David Carradine. I went with attractive number 2. Sherrye and Gene chose sturdy #1 ("because he doesn't look like I could lick 'em" smirked Gene) ...and they were right. (Gene had a very funny entrance in this episode, too, doing what I'm sure was his idea of martial arts, but looked more like he had ants in his pants.) 

Headed along to work as soon as the guests were revealed. Things didn't start out badly. It was too beautiful of a day to be busy this morning. Even the few clouds from yesterday vanished, leaving a bold blue sky, warm sunshine, and the same chilly wind. Had no trouble gathering carts...until noon. Not only did the customers pick up at that point, but the indoor sweeping starts at noon. I had to do that, push carts, bring the recycling from the offices back to the bailer, and return cold items. Thankfully, someone was able to take over sweeping later. On top of all that, I had to go in for a cashier's break at one point because they had no one else.

Needless to say, I was very happy to get out of there. It was too nice not to take the long way home down Nicholson Road, even though it was the height of rush hour. Dodged traffic around Applebee's and the shopping center entrance going down Nicholson Road. As usual, the cars cleared out once I entered Oaklyn. 

Worked on writing after I got home. Gene sends the bandit with the bullet in his hand off with Deputy Bill Daily to Dr. McLean Stevenson across the street to get stitches and lets Gary calm Patti Deustch, the frightened bank teller. Meanwhile, he wants to have a chat with Richard Dawson, who is the greatest marksman he's ever seen...

Broke for at 6:30 to heat up that steak dinner Jodie gave me yesterday and for Match Game '76. Took down the Easter decorations while it cooked. Brianne Leary, later an actress on CHiPs, won a great deal of money in four episodes towards the end of 1976. She went on to become the only contestant on the 70's-80's version who later became a panelist when she turned up for two weeks in 1979. Brett was more interested in Gene opening her bottle of soda for her in the opening.

Match Game PM featured a noisy audience roaring at jokes about what Sir Arthur takes to bed with him and a South Carolina man's long drawl. David Doyle was far less happy about the Star Wheel landing on him. He had to help the contestant win with "__ Stadium."

Sale of the Century got a tad closer tonight. The champ bought the first Instant Bargain, but the other lady won two Fame Games, and the one man was almost neck-and-neck with her by the end. She burst ahead in the Speed Round and won the Bonus Round with seconds to spare.

Finished the night online with vintage TV show episodes. Charlie's Angels don't think a man who owns a secluded resort looks like "The Killing Kind." Looks can be deceiving, as they discover when an enterprising reporter washes up dead on shore. His blind father says she was murdered. The girls investigate the resort and its reclusive owner, then have to find the blind man when he vanishes.

Jeannie encounters "The Second Greatest Con Artist In the World" in the third season when a man (Milton Berle) who claims to be a wealthy industrialist sells her a phony "diamond" beach in Hawaii in exchange for her expensive pin from King Tut. Angry at his behavior, she turns the tables on him. 

A Beautiful Easter In the Neighborhood

Kicked off a cloudy morning with Easter and April Fool's Day stories from the early 60's Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology book. The one April Fool's Day story involved two boys who chase a runaway giraffe around their backyard and eventually end up getting it leaves from a tree. The Easter short stories are some of my favorites in the entire book. "Nino's Easter" is a look at spring festivities in rural Italy through the eyes of one excited young boy. "The Country Bunny and the Gold Shoes" has a mother bunny being made an official Easter bunny and getting a very special assignment...and the magical footwear to carry it out.

Watched The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town while making tasty Lemon Confetti Pancakes for breakfast. I go further into this classic Rankin-Bass springtime special at this Musical Dreams Movie Reviews entry from 2019. 

The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town

Messed around online for a little while after I cleaned up, then packed up the bread in a bag and the bubbles for the kids in an Easter basket and headed out...and then headed out again when I realized I forgot the cards for Rose's birthday and to thank her for having me over. It was an absolutely glorious day for a walk. Tiny violets and sun-yellow dandelions peek among carpets of emerald green grass. Gardens are awash in ruffled daffodils and spicy-scented hyacinths. At quarter of 1, most people were probably in their backyards, starting lunch or setting up egg hunts for their kids, except the boisterous crowd enjoying the lovely weather at Tonewood Brewery on West Clinton.

Everyone else already arrived by then. Along with Rose, her husband Craig, and their three-year-old daughter Finley and almost eleven-year-old son Khai, Jodie and Craig's mother and father chatted under a small event tent in their backyard. Cider the puppy and Kelsey the elderly mini-pincher chased each other as Finley played with her Bluey dollhouse on a fuzzy tiger blanket. Platters of shrimp, cocktail sauce, and crabmeat and crackers, cheese, sausage, golden raisins, nuts, blackberries, and raspberries sat on the table. Rose said she'd slice up my bread to go with the dessert trays later.

After we all had our fill and the dogs were taken beyond the gate around the main yard and to the area bordering the steps to the back door, Rose declared it time for the egg hunt. I volunteered to hide the eggs. I helped Mom hide eggs for Anny and Keefe in the 80's and 90's. Rose came out to help too, but she said I did such a good job hiding them, there wasn't much for her to do!

When the kids came out with their plastic Easter buckets, they roamed around the yard. They did very well, with Khai mostly helping his sister find her share. Each of them found a gold egg that contained two five dollar bills. Four long, thin eggs were filled with Silly Putty. The others all had candy. The kids traded candy for what they liked while the rest of us finished up the appetizers.

Finley and I played on the blanket in the sun while Craig worked on the ham. Rose brought out Finley's Little People Elsa's castle and her bucket of Little People toys, including a train and a platoon of Disney princesses. Cider, however, just had to see what we were doing and wouldn't leave me alone. I scratched her belly, but she still tried to climb all over me and even use my arm for teething! I had to shove her off at least three times before Rose banished her to beyond the small gate.

For a while, the older adults chatted while I messed with my phone. Mom texted at this point, wishing me a Happy Easter. I did the same. Apparently, she opted to spend a quiet Easter at home alone. 

Dinner came out around 3:30. Rose and Craig opted for ham sliders with snowflake rolls from Shop-Rite and real spiral glazed ham. They had macaroni salad, spinach salad, roasted vegetables, and potato salad to go with it. I opted for a ham sandwich with spinach salad and roasted asparagus and yellow squash. I ate a lot off the appetizer trays and wanted to save room for dessert. 

Jodie left before the dessert trays came out, saying she wanted to visit her son Jesse and his wife Dana for a few hours. That left the rest of us to enjoy the bread, a pineapple and strawberry fruit tray, and a tray of mini-tarts and eclairs from Desserts by Design in Audubon. I had pineapple (I have plenty of strawberries at home), two tarts, and two slices of bread. (By the way, the bread came out perfectly, sweet and moist. I'll do that recipe again for Easter next year if I have the time.)

Strolled home minutes after I finished my treats. It was past 4:30, and I wanted to get some writing in. Went right on the computer when I got home. The other bandits take advantage of the remaining smoke from the explosion to duck out the door, but their leader's hand is bleeding too heavily. Gene arrests him while Bill comforts Patti Deustch the frightened bank teller and Richard and Gary go after the thieves.

Jodie knocked on the door to the main house as I worked. She's going away with her friends again for a few days and once again cleared out her fridge. This time, I got a complete steak dinner, including baked potato, in aluminum containers. 

Broke for a very quick dinner at 7. Watched The First Easter Rabbit while I drank a strawberry-banana smoothie. Stuffy the Bunny was once the favorite toy of a little girl named Glinda, until she came down with scarlet fever. Calliope the fairy rescued him from being burned by making him the Easter Bunny, symbol of spring for all children. With the help of three con-bunnies he meets in the woods, he tries to get back to Glinda and avoid Zero, who wants to make April Valley snowy all year round.

The Peanuts have their own holiday preparations going on in It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. Peppermint Patty tries to teach Marcie how to color eggs, but Marcie can't figure out that you have to boil them first. Charlie Brown takes Sally shopping for spring shoes, while Snoopy looks for a new birdhouse for Woodstock. Lucy just wants to color and find her own eggs. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does all that. Sally's skeptical after the no-show with the Great Pumpkin on Halloween, but Easter morning brings more than one surprise to the gang.

Finished out the night watching Easter Parade on TCM. I go into this classic 1948 confection with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland at the 2019 Easter entry for my Musical Dreams blog.

Happy Easter! - Easter Parade

Easter Memories

Got a rare chance to sleep in on a work day, since I didn't go in until later. Watched It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown while having breakfast. This is basically the same idea as Charlie Brown's All-Stars. Chuck found a sponsor who'll give them uniforms...but there's a catch. This time, they actually have to win a game. That seems impossible, until Freida's little brother Leland joins the team, and they start to put forth real effort.

Switched to The Easter Promise while making Portuguese Easter Bread from my 70's bread cookbook. Addie Mills (Lisa Lucas) is thrilled when she learns that Broadway star Constance Payne (Jean Simmons) has returned to her native Clear River, Nebraska. She brags that her dad (Jason Robards) knew her and invites her to dinner and to judge her school's style show. The dinner with her dad and grandmother (Mildred Natwick) becomes awkward quickly when Mr. Mills says he can't understand why Constance wanted to pursue a big dream like acting rather than settle down. Constance keeps asking for wine...and shows up the next day at the style show so drunk, she can't give out the prizes.

Addy's disappointed, but she still manages to convince the despondent Constance to give her and her best friends acting lessons. Everything seems to be going well...until Constance goes on another bender. The girls show up and discover she's gone again and not up to lessons or anything else. Addie's so upset, she's ready to give up on her, but it's Grandma who reminds her that Easter is the time of rebirth and of giving life - and friends - a second chance.

Other than being filmed on a soundstage, rather than the authentic locations of House Without a Christmas Tree, I think I liked this one even more than that movie. Watching Addie and her buddies at the slumber party and decorating eggs reminds me so much of Easter when my sisters and I were 12. We used to giggle in each other's rooms and decorate eggs together, too, usually with Mom supervising. (Only we didn't use blown eggs. We always hard-boiled them.) The style show was an absolute riot before Constance's drunken arrival. Loved Addie in her cute blue and red rickrack dress (especially the hat), and the girl in the cool tulip applique outfit. My favorite was Addie's best friend Cora Sue's (Franny Michael) peach "Hollywood" dress with the feather and ruffle trim. I've always been a sucker for ruffles.

Simmons did very well as Constance, especially in the second half where she warms up to the girls. I also appreciate the message of second chances and Easter being a time for rebirth. Honestly, if you love stories of strong young ladies, the Addie movies, or are looking for a good family movie for Easter (especially for older girls), all of the Addie holiday films are worth checking out.

Worked on writing while the dough rose. Richard blows the gold dust out of the bandit's hand...then blows the gun out of his hand when he tries to shoot Gene. Gene, Gary, and Bill are able to arrest the injured bandit, but the others get away.

Made a Chocolate-Banana-Peanut Butter Smoothie for lunch, then let them rise for a bit again. After the second rise, I rolled the bread into twisted circular shapes. You're supposed to put a dyed egg in the center, but I don't dye eggs anymore. I brushed them with egg wash and sprinkled them with pastel colored sugar instead.

Watched Here Comes Peter Cottontail as I worked. I go further into this Rankin-Bass springtime tale from 1971 at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Dashed out the second the bread came out of the oven. I got really lucky during the first half of my short shift. They only had one bagger who had to gather carts strewn all over the parking lot by himself. I spent three hours of my four-hour shift helping him round them all up again. I did spend the last hour in a register when an early afternoon cashier went home. At least it was a gorgeous day to be outside, sunny, breezy, and warmer than yesterday, probably in the 50's.

Put on Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-citement when I arrived home as I got organized and had a snack. Daffy's the host and star of the second Looney Tunes springtime show, but he'd be happier about it if the animator didn't keep giving him a hard time. He and Sylvester spend the first short chasing a gold egg. In the second short, Daffy's the security guard at a chocolate Easter bunny factory trying to keep Speedy Gonzoles from stealing their product for the kids of his village. The final short has Daffy solo as he tries to figure out how to get north without flying.

Took a shower, then went to Amazon Prime for the Doris Day musical My Dream Is Yours. I go further into this tale of a singer and the agent who believes she has what it takes to be a star at my Musical Dreams blog.

Happy Easter! - My Dream Is Yours

Finished the night on YouTube. The Lawrence Welk Show did annual Easter programs every year, always kicking off with some version of "Easter Parade" and everyone in pastel Edwardian spring outfits. "A Tisket, A Tasket" turned up a few times (including a really swinging version on piano by JoAnn Castle in '68 and Arthur Duncan tap-dancing to it in '82). My favorite "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" had Anacani as a little girl in a fluffy ruffled dress, singing and looking for the elusive Peter while Ken Delo as Peter in a goofy bunny suit hid eggs behind her. All three shows ended with a medley of religious hymns; the 80's shows put this in a church set with everyone as an actual choir. There were also two adorable versions of "Tip Toe Through the Tulips" in 1980 and 1982, with dance teams clopping in wooden shoes. 

Easter Show - 1968

Easter Show - 1980

Easter Show - 1982

And here's even more vintage Easter shows to enjoy while you await the arrival of the Easter Bunny!

Silly Symphonies: Funny Little Bunnies

Fabulous Fleischer Folio: Bunny Mooning

A Family Circus Easter

The Smurfs: The Smurfs' Springtime

Easter Egg Mornin'

Thumpkin and the Easter Bunny

Buttons and Rusty Meet the Easter Bunny (A Chucklewood Easter)

Peter and the Magic Egg

The Tale of the Bunny Picnic

In Spring, the Easter Bunny Never Sleeps

Got a fast start with breakfast and The Bernstein Bears' Easter Surprise on YouTube. Young Brother Bear is looking forward to Easter treats and a big surprise Mama Bear says is coming in the spring. Winter, however, is lingering way too long, making Papa Bear believe that the seasons got stuck. Turns out Boss Bunny, the head Easter Bunny, got tired of dealing with workers' demands and his aches and pains and quit. Papa first tries to be the Easter Bunny himself, but that turns into a disaster. Brother Bear finally takes it on himself and his friend Bill Bunny to remind Boss how important spring and the rebirth of life are. 

Tried to sign up for immunizations at work after the cartoon ended. They're open for employees only at the moment. I thought I went on the right site, but it said "no" and that everything was filled. At 10 in the morning? I finally gave up and decided I'd ask what was going on at work.

Broke for a quick banana-strawberry smoothie lunch at 11. In honor of the start of baseball season yesterday, I put on Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown. Chuck wants his drop-prone right fielder off the team. He tries to trade her with Peppermint Patty, but she wants Snoopy. Even after he does manage to make the trade, he ends up with Marcie. She's a sweet girl who is also a terrible baseball player. She's only on the team because her best friend manages it.

Headed off shortly after the cartoon ended. We were a mess all afternoon. It's Easter Weekend and the beginning of the month. Many families just got their state and government money; others may be spending stimulus checks. The lines literally went down the aisles. We didn't have nearly enough help to deal with it all. I was barely able to shut down and get off on time. 

Had some grocery shopping of my own to do. Found a bowl of shrimp with a good price for dinner, since it was now too late to order takeout. I don't desperately need butter, asparagus, or Cool Whip, but they were on really good sales. Had online coupons for honey and Celestial Seasonings tea. Bought small containers of bubble solution and wands for Finley and Khai for Easter and a gift card for Rose's birthday on Wednesday. Restocked bananas, apples, milk, yogurt, white flour, and strawberries.

Mixed feelings on my schedule next week. In good news, three days off, including Easter, and bagging all week. Trouble is, that also means I have 8 1/2 hours on the days when I do work. The head bagger always takes the week after major holidays off. With her gone and the other morning bagger still on medical leave, I'm the only one who can work in the mornings. 

Hurried straight home after I got out. Made it in the door just in time for the last 10 minutes of Match Game PM. They were already on the Audience Match by that point. Everyone made their jokes about what she chose for Duncan __. Bill Daily didn't have as much luck with "__ to Earth" in the Head-to-Head.

The game started out closer in Sale of the Century. The champ did buy an Instant Bargain early-on, but she also hit two money cards on the Fame Game. Those cards put her over the top to win the Speed Round. This time, she had no trouble with the Bonus Round, either.

Switched to more Peanuts while finishing my shrimp and celery with hummus dinner. Charlie Brown's All-Stars are tired of playing. They've never won a game in the 999 times they've tried. Chuck coaxes them back with the promise of uniforms, only to discover the league won't allow a team with girls and a dog on. They're angry at first, until Linus tells them how Charlie went to bat for them. 

Finished off the night watching something a little different on YouTube. I enjoyed the vintage Disney parade I watched last 4th of July so much, I thought I'd check out one for another holiday. Jumped ahead to Easter 1990. I don't remember this specific parade, but many of the characters and shows mentioned brought back a ton of memories. The Mousketeers from The Disney Channel version of The Mickey Mouse Club performed the Janet Jackson hit "Escapade" at the parade and did a number running around then-new Typhoon Lagoon. My sisters and I absolutely loved the 90's Mickey Mouse Club and never missed it. Rose even had the cassette of the group a few members of the show formed, The Party.

The Disney Afternoon had two prominent floats late in the parade. We were big on DuckTales, Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers, and the Gummi Bears, and would be equally fond of Tale Spin when it debuted that fall. Host Alan Thicke did an old-Hollywood style dance routine with performers in tuxes and white gowns at another new park, what's now known as Disney's Hollywood Studios. Howie Mandel wandered around Disney's Hollywood too, doing on-the-spot random goofiness and checking out the original, now long-gone Backstage Tour. The Little Mermaid smashed records the fall before, and it was THE big Disney thing that spring. Of course, there was a Little Mermaid float, complete with Ariel, a huge Sebastian, and "Under the Sea." 

Found an earlier Disney World parade from 1986 that paired it with New York's big Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue. No wonder they apparently dropped the New York segments in later years. Other than seeing the incredibly creative Easter bonnets and wild mid-80's fashions, they were deadly dull. Definitely no match for the dancing chickens and butterflies and ladies in huge pastel gowns at Disney World. (Ironically, Robby Benson, who would later voice Belle's Beast in the animated version, is one of the hosts of the Disney segments...and says he'd never want to be a cartoon character...)

Here's both parades, so you can enjoy some vintage Disney springtime magic (with a little New York flair tossed in for good measure)!

CBS Easter Parade 1986

Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade 1990

No Foolin'

Started off a rapidly clearing morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. Came in just as the former All-American Girls' League player did her last Gold Run. Alas, she didn't win, but she did take home over 40,000 dollars and got a kiss and hug from her husband afterwards. With her retiring, the show finished with three new contestants, a lady and a son and father-in-law pair. 

Watched The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Town as I finished eating and did the dishes. I go further into the third and last Rankin-Bass Easter special at this Musical Dreams Movie Reviews entry from April 2019.

The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Town

Switched to Match Game '75 as I got organized and went through a few things in my room. Jo Ann Pflug makes her first appearance on the show in quite a while...and is quite pregnant with her first child by songwriter and host Chuck Woolery, leading to several mother jokes. Charles writes the first couple of questions without his glasses in the second.

Headed out to do the laundry as soon as the credits on the second episode rolled. The laundromat was a lot busier than it has been, probably because it's the first of the month. Thankfully, I had a small enough load to shove it in the front-loading washer with the least time. Bought cards for Rose and Khai's birthdays later this month and to thank Rose for having me at Easter at Family Dollar. Treated myself to a maccha smoothie at WaWa. It was basically a very sweet, very tea-tasting smoothie. I love tea, so I enjoyed it. 

(Thankfully, by the time I made my way out, the sun came out. It was windy and chilly, but otherwise not quite as cold as I thought it would be, probably in the lower 50's.)

While I was preparing to head home, a young boy handed me a flyer. It was actually a menu for the newest business on the White Horse Pike, Crown Chicken and Gyros. Paging through the flyer revealed they had good prices on not only gyros, but seafood and rice meals and baskets of fried shrimp and chicken. Maybe I'd give them a try and order from them tomorrow for dinner as a special treat. 

Put on The Cocoanuts in honor of April Fool's Day as soon as I got home and got organized. I also go into further details on the first Marx Brothers sound vehicle at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy April Fool's Day! - The Cocoanuts 

Caught the second half of Press Your Luck after the movie ended. Wow, did this one get crazy. The man didn't get knocked out, but he did lose a lot of money. One of the women ultimately hit a long stream of prizes that won her the game, including a camping trailer, a game table, and a car.

Pulled out the summer clothes after the show. Yes, I know it's supposed to be cold tomorrow, but it'll be warm again by Easter. Not only are we done with very cold weather for longer than a day or two at a time, but my apartment gets so warm, I've barely needed warm clothes all winter. I'd wear pants outside, only to change into capris when I got home. 

Worked on writing for a while after I finished. Richard manages to not only out-shoot the head bandit, he reveals they're stealing gold dust and shoots the bandit in the hand to keep him from shooting him down. Gene's able to arrest them, but the bandits aren't too thrilled...

Did Match Game '76 while eating pan-fried fish, riced cauliflower and peas, and honey-glazed carrots. With the final episode of the Debralee Scott/Bill Anderson week having aired during Buzzr's Let's Laugh Marathon two weeks ago, they skipped to the first episode of the next week. The late Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves announcer Don Sutton made his debut on this show, joining Mary Wickes, Fannie Flagg, and the regulars to see Gene have to practically force his door open as he entered.

Foster Brooks returns for Match Game PM, this time sitting next to Brett and Charles. While Charles vents his frustrations with his Broadway play Break a Leg flopping, Foster gives us a few drunk jokes and others answer jokes about Farmer Brown's new perfume. Robert Pine has even less luck helping a contestant with the Head-to-Head "Saturday Evening __." 

Finished the night off before a shower with Sale of the Century. The pretty female champ bought two more Instant Bargains...but her impulsive shopping proved to be her undoing. She lost the Speed Round decisively to the other woman. The lady didn't do as well in the bonus round, just barely missing.