I Love You a Bushel and Peck

Started off my morning with a quick breakfast and Hogan's Heroes. Hogan has to go "Up In Klink's Room" when they get him sick, and he's the only one who can get to a wounded contact. Failing that, Hogan feigns an Arctic illness and gets him and Newkirk admitted to the hospital themselves.

Switched to a quick Bluey episode as I put on my sandals. Bluey's frustrated when she can't figure out how to ride her "Bike." Her dad points out her sister Bingo and two friends and how they manage to keep trying and figure out how to do something.

Rose called while Hogan was on. Craig would pick me up at 10:15 while she picked up Finley from soccer practice. Craig didn't pick me up at 10:15. Rose drove up to the curb at 10:30 with her family, claiming she hit the driveway as her husband prepared to come get me. 

Thankfully, after that, there was no trouble anywhere. Saw a little traffic on Route 55, but other than that, it was smooth sailing all the way down to Mullica Hill. The country was beautiful here, mainly farms and newly-built tract houses amid sprawling fields of corn and wine grapes. Green oaks towered over red barns and open garages.

Craig pulled into the overflowing parking lot at Hill Creek Farms around 11. It was so full, he parked on the grass. So did our sister Anny, who came up from North Cape May with her six-year-old daughter Lilah and several of her friends and their parents from her dance class. Lilah looked so cute in her apple-print dress and glittery apple hair barrette! There were three other kids as well, a close friend of Lilah's and two toddlers. The little girl had the cutest green unicorn shirt and plaid skirt. (Anny's 17-year-old son Skylar was at work, and her 12-year-old son Collyn slept over a friend's house.)

While the adults got organized, the kids ran to all of the smaller activities in the back. There was a playground with huge tractor tires stacked and filled with sand for kids to play in, a wooden fire engine to slide down and climb around on, two wooden booths filled with old pots and colanders, and a sturdy pile of dirt with slides fastened to it. Khai loved letting a bag of rocks slide down a sluice and seeing what treasures he unearthed, while the other kids pumped water into a maze to race rubber ducks.

After we managed to get all the kids rounded up, we got in line for the tractor ride to the orchards and vegetable garden. A big man gave us bags and admonished us to only take apples from the trees with red or yellow-tipped poles, not the red or blue ones. Frankly, this turned out to be a misnomer. All of the trees were ripe, regardless of what poles they were on. 

The tractor wound us down a dirt lane, past an already-fallow sunflower field, then down to a bumpy barely-there road through the orchards. Passing up Asian pears, we finally got off at the vegetable gardens. First on the list was picking peppers and eggplant. Khai grabbed a few long-hot peppers, but I don't do spicy. I snapped off three little round purple eggplants. Lauren loves Eggplant Parmesan; thought I might make it for her later this week or next week.

While the others gathered sunflowers, I followed Rose and her crew to the apple orchards. The trees were fairly low to the ground, enough for little hands to tug beautiful bright Galas and Gingergolds from the lowest branches. Lilah and her friend Molly wandered through the rows of trees as they lead me to the reddest, largest, and tastiest-looking fruit. When my bag was half-full, I figured that was enough and rounded up a bag of bigger apples for Anny and her family.

Paid for our produce at the store in the main building. In addition to more produce we didn't see like tomatoes, they sold baked goods and condiments made from said produce, like apple butter, apple cider, berry jam, pies, and honey from the many bees buzzing around the sunflowers. I added a tomato and a six-pack of apple cider donuts to my haul...and then went back for a half-gallon of apple cider after the small bottle I bought to wet my whistle proved to be the sweetest and most delicious I ever tasted. Craig took the kids back to the playground and to get water ice from a truck while we were inside. 

We all finally headed out around 12:30, leaving Anny to take her crew on the little rainbow-colored barrel train kiddie ride. Once again, no trouble anywhere. Rose and Craig were a little nervous when their GPS directed them to the New Jersey Turnpike instead of Route 55, but they figured there must have been heavy traffic on 55. Rose bought chicken fingers and fries for the kids. I finished Finley's chicken fingers when she didn't want all of them.

(Oh, and Rose mentioned Jodie is now holding off putting the house on the market until after Lauren leaves.)

Put everything away when I got home, then made a Banana Smoothie while watching Match Game '76. Caught episodes from earlier in the week. One featured Don Sutton and Mary Wickes saying "happy birthday" to Charles' mother. The other returned Loretta Swit to the show for the first time since 1974, allowing Gene to treat her like a "new kid on the block" and give her a welcoming kiss!

Went down for a nap after that. Craig mentioned him and Finley taking them when they got home, and it sounded like a good idea to me. I had no other plans for this afternoon. Got up two hours later feeling at least a little bit better.

Felt good enough to do some writing afterwards. Gary, Sir Richard's oldest son, angrily explains his father's been put on trial for stealing the Queen's tarts. Nonsense, Brett and Duchess Marcia say. People kept sneaking tarts throughout the croquet game, including the boys and Knave Ira. They follow the upset teen to see if they can help.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching the fourth season finale of Hogan's Heroes. "Happy Birthday, Dear Hogan" has the guys putting on a surprise party for their Colonel and trying to figure out what they can get him. They think the information they've found will be a great gift...until it turns out to be part of a Getstopo trap.

Switched to the 2009 Strawberry Shortcake while doing the dishes. Berrikin Bloom creates "The Berry Big Harvest" when his machine shrinks or enlarges the produce as needed and speeds production. Orange Blossom insists she has everything under control at her general store, but the overwhelming stock proves to be more than she can handle. Strawberry is the one who finally convinces her that it's ok to let your friends help you every now and then. 

(And yes, I remember 9/11. I honor the 20th anniversary of that disaster with this entry from 2015 that goes into more detail on that terrible day.)

Memories On a Busy Day

Finished the night online after a shower with The Man Called Flintstone. I go further into the first feature-length outing for everyone's favorite "modern Stone Age family" at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Man Called Flintstone

Heroes and Desert Adventures

Started off a glorious, sunny morning with breakfast and Hogan's Heroes. LeBeau becomes a "Man In a Box" when he's the only one short enough to be smuggled to a research facility in a crate. He's not happy about it, until he realizes the damage he can do in the name of France there.

Dashed off to work shortly after. Work was busy almost the entire afternoon. There were a few annoying customers, and an older man was upset because he had trouble in Hurricane Ida and wanted the 10% off coupon for victims of the storm, but couldn't get it because it's online.

Didn't really need to pick up much after work, either. Found salmon with a manager's coupon and buy one, get one ibuprofen. Had a free coupon for a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer that's already marked down to a quarter. Restocked bananas, milk, butter, and peanut butter.

I have long hours Sunday and Monday, 8 and 1/2 on Monday. After that...vacation! Lauren will be down on Tuesday. I have so much to do, including cleaning the apartment and getting the linens washed on Jodie's side of the house. 

Went online and into writing after I changed and put everything away. The Mock Turtle's song "Beautiful Soup" is a lovely and sorrowful way for Brett and her sons to relax after the Lobster Quadrille. Duchess Marcia and Bill the White Rabbit want him to sing it again, but Sir Richard Dawson's son Gary runs to them with bigger news...

Oh, and Mom sent me a lovely and sweet card. Apparently, she hasn't called or texted because, in addition to summer being her busy season at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, where she takes tickets, she had to replace her cell phone and upgrade her Internet service. She says she'll try to get a hold of me again now that she has her phone. 

Broke to have scrambled eggs with tomatoes and cheese while watching Match Game '76.  For some reason, they skipped the last Bob Barker episode and went straight into the next week. The panel, including Gary Burghoff and night time soap star Susan Sullivan, tries to help a contestant with "Ann __" on the Audience Match and figure out what a woman's doctor husband does when he wears his rubber gloves 24 hours a day.

Did the dishes during Match Game PM. Sullivan sticks around, joined by Nipsey Russell and Marcia Wallace. They got to help a Marine chief figure out why the Snow White balloon at the Macy's parade shocked the announcer and the spelling mistake on "__ Goodman." (Their boss' name is Mark GoodSON.) Charles, meanwhile, tried to get the chief to take Brett for a ride on his submarine. 

Returned to Hogan's Heroes as I lay down for a rest on the futon. "The Return of Major Boncelli" brings back the Italian officer from the first season who became Hogan's contact, this time played by Vito Scotti. When his contact disappears, the guys insist on getting him out of the country. Klink wants to show him a good time, but he'd rather eat LeBeau's closest approximation to pizza than heavy German cooking!

Finished the night on the Watch TCM website with Valley of the Kings. Ann Mercedes (Eleanor Parker) travels to Cairo with her husband Phillip (Carlos Thompson) to fufill her father's life ambition and prove that the biblical Joseph did travel in Egypt. Mark Harmon (Robert Taylor) is skeptical, but he was a pupil of Ann's father and respected him, so he takes the job. The trip is fraught with peril, including a little smuggler (Leon Askin) who doesn't always tell the truth and obnoxious Phillip allying himself with smugglers. Ann's almost ready to give up after they lose their guides in a sandstorm and learns what really happened to her father, but Mark reminds her she's come too far to quit now.

Intriguing bit of Indiana Jones/Amelia Peabody-style blarney, with Parker doing especially well as the strong-willed woman who wants to see her father's work carried on. The on-location shooting may have made the movie hell to film (according to Parker and Taylor), but it does look wonderful in Technicolor, with the rugged desert vistas proving a glowing background to this adventure romance. The ending is frankly dull and anti-climatic, but it's a heck of a lot of fun getting there. 

Have You Got Any Rain Baby?

The rain came down at a pretty good clip when I got up this morning. It slowed down to a steady showe by the time I made it to breakfast. Ran the next few Silly Symphony shorts as I got ready for work. "Egyptian Melodies" is basically the same deal as "The China Plate," with dancing hieroglyphics replacing dancing Willow porcelain. A spider wanders through a niftily-animated 3-D pyramid, only to find spooky mummies and hieroglyphics in the middle of a war. 

"The Cookie Carnival" is another charming love story of anamorphic objects ala "Music Land." This one takes us into Cinderella turf, as a hobo gingerbread man helps design a frosting-and-sprinkles gown for a lonely cookie to make her the belle of the carnival. The other cookies want her to choose a king among cake stereotypes, but she only has one baked good in mind. This is another long-time favorite of mine from The Disney Channel and video rentals in the 80's. I love the parade of treat queens and the varieties of cake who vie for Cinder-Cookie's buttery hand. 

Hurried out after "The Cookie Carnival" ended. The rain was down to a light shower as I raced to the Acme and disappeared all together shortly after I arrived. It would return later, once again not heavily. This time, the morning was more of a pain. I briefly got stuck in a register and couldn't get to the carts for a while. Thankfully, this time, I did have help. The head bagger arrived later, allowing me to focus on the carts and overflowing trash and recycling. 

The rain vanished all together as I headed home. (To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since.) Ran the last two Silly Symphonies while changing and having a snack. "Woodland Cafe" is another "everyone sings and dances" short, this time with bugs in the title night club. A female fly and a male spider spoof apache dances, while a red ant wishes a grouchy old bumble bee would just get up and dance. (Watch out for a few stereotypes among the dancers and the Cab Calloway-like musical group.)

We end with the very first Silly Symphony, "The Skeleton Dance." Like "The Old Mill," this is probably spookier than it has any right to be. Skeletons dance, wiggle, and get extreme and scary close-ups in time to the music. As Leonard Maltin says, it's simple but effective, especially that close-up you can't take your eyes off of. 

Went on the laptop early for some writing. The Mock Turtle and Duchess Marcia teach Brett and her boys the biggest dance under the sea, the Lobster Quadrille. It starts slow, but ends up with everyone swinging around the beach and having a fine time. The Mock Turtle is still interested in music and performs another composition of his, "Beautiful Soup," before Richard's sons Gary and Mark dash down to the beach with news of the castle...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching Match Game '76. For some reason, they skipped the first episode of the week with Bob Barker, Patty Duke, and Fannie Flagg. We get a lot of rowdy Election Day answers to what someone does when they don't like either candidate in office while Richard helps the contestant with "__ Building" on the Head-to-Head.

The panel had a lot less luck on Match Game PM. The contestants just could not match anything. In fact, the main round ended in a 0 - 0 tie. Thankfully, the Sudden Death tie breaker didn't go as badly as Gene feared. Richard got to help the winner with "__ Frame."

Ended the night online after a shower, watching Varsity Show on Amazon Prime. I go further into this Busby Berkeley-choreographed college extravaganza with Dick Powell as a producer who returns to his alma mater to put on a show at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Back to School Again -Varsity Show

Harts and Symphonies

Began a quick morning with breakfast and more Silly Symphonies. "The Busy Beavers" and "Just Dogs" are similar black-and-white shorts from the early 30's. The smallest beaver tries to help his family save their dam, then themselves when a flood rages. In "Just Dogs," the youngest puppy at a pound rescues the other dogs, including Pluto, and helps Pluto find a nice big bone. (Incidentally, "Just Dogs" was Pluto's first solo short.) The color short "Father Noah's Ark" depicts the biblical story of how Noah, his family, and the animals survived that famous 40 days of rain. 

Headed off to work shortly after the cartoon ended. Work began well. It was quiet for most of the morning and early afternoon. I spent the time sweeping and gathering carts. It picked up by 1:30, to the point where I had a harder time keeping up with the carts. Ended up in a register twice for people's breaks, including 15 minutes before I was supposed to leave...and then they sent the girl I went in for to another register and had to call another teen girl to come in for me! 

(At least it was a nice day for pushing carts. The clouds were in and out all day. We were warm, but not overly so for early September, and a bit more humid.)

Needless to say, I wasn't happy when I finally got home. Went straight into writing after I changed to make me feel better. The Lobster Quadrille is a strange kind of twirling group dance. The Mock Turtle will teach it to Brett and the boys...as long as Brett's younger son David avoids mentioning they've eaten lobsters on visits to their mother's family in Maine.

Watched Match Game '76 while eating leftovers from the Labor Day party for dinner. Brianne Leary continues her winning ways in these episodes. She did very well at the Head-to-Heads too, with help from Betty and Brett. 

Game show host and former pro baseball player Joe Gargiola joined Debralee Scott, Betty White, Gene, and the regulars on Match Game PM with a lady with beautiful braided hair and a gentleman who absolutely sounded like he was from the Bronx. The lady said she'd been dying to kiss Richard Dawson...and got her wish, courtesy of "The Kissing Bandit" of Family Feud, of course!

Continued with the Silly Symphonies as I slid my favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in the oven. "Music Land" is a Romeo and Juliet story about a princess violin from the Land of Symphony who loves a young tuba prince from the Land of Jazz. Her mother locks the prince away, which enrages her father enough for a musical attack! The princess, however, would rather settle things and release her sweetheart. This is an old favorite of mine from when it ran on The Disney Channel frequently. I've always loved the gorgeous animation of the two lands and the well-rendered details on the moving musical instruments.

"Farmyard Symphony" (another hidden Easter egg short) takes us from Music Land to a generic barn yard. This one is a lot simpler as we see various farm animals go about their daily activities. The rooster woos a pretty white hen, and a piglet tries to get food...until feeding time, when all the animals become occupied with their handlers.

Another black-and-white short, "The China Plate," veers into stereotypes territory. Here, it's a pair of lovers on a Chinese "Willow" design plate who are attacked. Her father the Emperor doesn't like his daughter spending time with a commoner and chases them with his sword. He's eaten by a dragon, who then tries chasing the kids himself.

Finished the night on The Roku Channel with two Hart to Hart third season episodes. It's all aboard the "Hartland Express" when, thanks to an air traffic controller's strike, Jennifer, Johnathan, and Max find themselves on a two-day train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles. Jennifer's horrified to find the body of a man they met in the dining car (David Doyle) in her closet. Turns out he was an FBI agent trying to protect a witness (Carol Lynley) from hired killers. Jennifer and Johnathan want to protect her, but she has her own idea of justice.

The duo get to "The Hart of the Matter" when a publisher friend of theirs who invited them to a French chateau on a remote island disappears. The staff of the hotel won't even believe he was there. They even claim his room doesn't exist. He seems to reappear again, only to not be so friendly. The two try to figure out what's going on, and why the entire hotel staff is on on it. 

Back to Tooth Again

Heard knocks and giggles from my front door as I worked on the second chapter of The American Agent late in the morning. Craig and Khai needed my new inner tubes to fix the back tire. They came over to clean up the remains from yesterday's party and for Finley to go for a swim. I handed it over to them, then returned to reading and writing for a while. 

After I went to say "hi" to them and see how they were doing, I went back inside for breakfast. Watched more Silly Symphony shorts as I ate. There were only two shorts in the "Leonard's Selections" section I hadn't already watched. "The Grasshopper and the Ants" depicts the famous Aesop's fable of a goofy grasshopper who teases the ants about not wanting to have fun, only to regret it when winter comes and he has no food or shelter. "Wynken, Blinken, and Nod" shows off gorgeous soft color and still-amazing effects animation for the rather cutesy story of three babies who go fishing for "star-fish" on a wooden shoe, only to catch a very fast comet. 

For some reason, several of the shorts are included only as Easter egg "extras" when you highlight a certain part of the menus. "Who Killed Cock Robin?" None of the birds know for certain, not even his sweetheart Jenny Wren. Jenny wants to see justice done, but the owl judge and the parrot lawyer don't have much to go on...until they find out the least-likely culprit shot that arrow.

"Water Babies" is similar to "Wynken," only here, the cutesy babies play in and around a pond, riding frogs like horses and flying on birds. "The Practical Pig" is the fourth and final go-around for the Three Little Pigs and the Big (and Small) Bad Wolves. It pretty much rehashes "Three Little Wolves," only here, Practical's machine that beats up on the Wolf is a lie detector, and the wolves catch his brothers while swimming. 

Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. Thank heavens whatever Craig did for my inner tube held. It got me to the dentist office in Westmont with a few minutes to spare. As it turns out, I was barely there for 15 minutes, anyway. The periodontist poked in my gums and declared them to be much better. I made an appointment for a regular cleaning in late October and was on my way. Made a brief stop at Target for a bathroom break and to buy honey and the Nature's Bakery raspberry fig newtons.

Headed home for a quick smoothie and fig newton lunch and to start the second Silly Symphonies disc. "Mother Pluto" was one of Pluto's earliest vehicles, which is why it's on this set and not his solo Treasures collections. Pluto inadvertently finds himself taking care of a group of chicks when he tries to bury his bone in hay. He actually starts to enjoy mothering them, until the mother hen wants them back and calls in the rooster to help.

What is the scariest of all Disney media? Hocus Pocus? The Nightmare Before Christmas? No, it's "The Old Mill." The simple story of how the animals who live in a decaying grain mill react to a violent storm comes off as spooky, intense, and atmospheric, thanks to the stunning animation and the gradual building of many details, such as the change from sun to rainy weather or the fraying rope on the grain wheel that's the home to a mother bird and her eggs. 

Disney adapted "The Ugly Duckling" as a Silly Symphony twice, in 1931 and as the final short in the series in 1939. Though the 1931 version has some virtues, including a funny opening, the story of how the "duckling" saves his siblings from a waterfall doesn't have much to do with the original. The 1939 version has a cuter cygnet, but otherwise does much better. I especially enjoy a touching sequence where the poor thing is so desperate for love, it swims with a toy duck it believes to be real.

"Peculiar Penguins," the black-and-white "Birds of a Feather," and the Easter short "Funny Little Bunnies" were a lot simpler. Like the earliest Silly Symphonies, they pretty much just depicted animals falling in love and dancing in time to music. "Funny Little Bunnies" does have some adorable details depicting how the title characters create Easter baskets and candy, and how each bunny has a job to do.

Went back out again around 2:30. Had laundry I badly needed to get done. Thankfully, by the time the laundromat got busy, my small load was already in the dryer. I worked on story notes, then treated myself to a tasty Chocolate Chips Ahoy Smoothie at WaWa. 

Put on Press Your Luck as I folded my laundry. It came down to the two ladies today, as the guy barely registered. The champ made the mistake of passing her last spins to the other woman. She barely won with just money and three Whammies.

Went into writing after the show ended. Brett wants to know more about the Lobster Quadrille to get her sons off the idea of the Mock Turtle's lessons "lessoning." The Mock Turtle claims he's too stiff to teach them, unless he gets help from Duchess Marcia and Bill the White Rabbit.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Jodie gave me most of a small pizza she couldn't finish. I had that while watching Match Game '76. Brianne Leary made her first appearance as a contestant towards the end of this episode, and proved to be an excellent and very gracious player. She became the only contestant to return as a panelist when she turned up for a few weeks in 1979. 

Did the dishes during Match Game PM. The first PM episode of 1978 brought in Gary Burghoff and Jo Ann Pflug as Gene makes comments about what the female contestant doesn't wear. Later, Richard tries to help that lady with "__ Boone" on the Head-to-Head.

Finished the night at Paramount Plus with Grease Live. I go further into this excellent remake of the beloved 1978 50's-set musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Back to School Again - Grease Live!

It's a Living

Began my Labor Day with material from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. The big piece is a long but interesting biography of Samuel Gompers, who spearheaded the labor movement in the US and the creation of the American Federation of Labor. They also had several poems, including "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman and "The Village Smithy" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Had a quick breakfast while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel and Margaret Play School," but she's only about a year old, and she doesn't want to stay still for long. Mrs. Tiger tells Daniel that he's old enough to figure out how to keep her attention. Prince Wednesday wants to play dinosaur, but his older cousin Chrissie wants to have a "Treasure Hunt at the Castle." Queen Sarah encourages them to solve the problem themselves.

Rushed out after that. I walked. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, breezy, and though a bit warmer than it has been, it's neither as hot nor as humid as it was for most of last month. I should have left earlier. Even with rushing as fast as I could walk, I still came in ten minutes late.

Which was not a good thing. It wasn't horrible when I came in at 10, but within an hour, we were mobbed and remained that way for the entire afternoon. It's the beginning of the month, a major holiday, most kids go back to school tomorrow or Wednesday, and we're coming up on the big fall Jewish holidays. Everything just got so crazy. Thankfully, though there were some nasty people towards the end of the night, most customers were in good moods. 

My relief was right on time, allowing me to hurry out after a bathroom break. Walked home, enjoying those fresh breezes and the beautiful greenery waving around me. Sunflowers, phlox, and black-eyed Susans blossom in profusion; marigolds are just beginning to appear in pots on porches.

I did see people by the pool when I got in, but I wanted to change and have a snack quick first. Got to see the last few minutes of the first regular showing of Whew! on Buzzr. An old man ran The Gauntlet through cardboard cut-outs of cartoon villains. Alas, he didn't do any better than the young woman yesterday, only making it through five villains before he got stuck and his time ran out.

Got outside just in time for dinner. Jodie, Rose, and Craig brought food from around the neighborhood. I sampled pasta salad, ribs, grilled chicken, and baked asparagus. They also had steak, potato salad, and Caesar salad. More kids than usual were in the pool, the children of Jodie's friends along with kids from the neighborhood and Khai and Finley. Finley was the last one out; she loves swimming so much, she never wants to leave the pool. Jessa was there, so we had Midnight and Cider chasing and playing with each other, too.

I chatted with Jess, Craig, and his parents about shows we like. Jessa's especially fond of weird comedies and sci-fi; Craig's folks like dramas and are looking for a good comedy to lighten things up a bit. Everyone else played Apples to Oranges on a long card table. Finley, her brother, and his best friend goofed off in a camping tent someone set up in the back of the pool area. 

Jodie mentioned that, first of all, she intends for the sale of the house to finance a move to outside of Ocean City, New Jersey. I wish her luck, but I'm not sure she knows all the realities of living at the Shore. We're still in New Jersey. Property taxes and utilities are just as high down there, if not higher. Doesn't sound like she intends to get a job, either. Oh, and she'll be with friends in Ventnor from Monday the 12th until she puts the house on the Market the 16th, which means she won't be around for the first few days of Lauren's visit. I asked Jessa to help me get Lauren to my place after she arrives.

Went inside around 7 to make Norsk Apple Muffins and watch Match Game PM. Fannie Flagg took Brett Somers' seat while she did a play during the last PM episode of 1977. (And no, she was not in jail, contrary to Fannie's joke in the opening.) She was the one who got to help a gentleman win 5,000 with "Onward __." Meanwhile, Gene strips off his jacket again to pose for the female contestant.

Slid the muffins in the oven during Sale of the Century. This one was closer than it's been in weeks. The one lady kept pushing the champ all night; the other guy got two money cards on the Fame Game. In the end, she won on a tie after the Speed Round. Picked up a Norman Rockwell print on the Match the Prize board.

I was so tired after my long day, I was barely up to The Love Boat after I settled online for the night. A woman who is obsessed with getting married by her 40th birthday (Jo Ann Worley) discovers that "Life Begins at 40," and she can have fun at any age. A college professor (Dick Martin) is hoping to chart "The Stimulation of Stephanie," but doesn't realize that Stephanie (Char Fontaine) is really stimulated by him. Issac tries to help an NFL player cut by his team (Rosy Grier) with "The Next Step" and figure out what he and his wife (Melba Moore) want to do with their lives.

Jo Ann's hardly the only person celebrating a birthday today. It's "Oscar's Birthday" on The Odd Couple. He's adamant that Felix not throw a surprise party for him. Felix being Felix, not only does he throw that party, but he invites so many old friends of Oscar's in a looking back theme that Oscar gets embarrassed. 

Games In the Rain

Woke up with barely enough time to finish Donna Parker: Mystery at Arawak, write in my journal, scarf down breakfast, and get dressed. I just began to put on my shoes when my cell phone jangled. Yes, Rose arrived, with Finley chattering in her child seat behind her. Even with me dashing out three minutes late, I still got to work in more than enough time.

Work was on-and-off steady the entire afternoon. It didn't really get that bad until later, when clouds rolled in and most people came out of church and off the beach to buy food for barbecues and lunch boxes. There were no really major problems. Despite it picking up by 4, I managed to get off without a relief.

Ended up walking home. The rain started by then, but it was a light shower that didn't do much more than make me damp. I figured it would be busy everywhere and strolled down the back roads, avoiding West Clinton. At least all of the trees and gardens are busting with color and sweet smells, thanks to the buckets of precipitation we've had. 

Went straight into a snack and Buzzr's Whew! marathon when I got home. Buzzr's ads are right that this is "a hard word to say, but a fun game to play." It's definitely a fun game to watch. Two contestants answer a statement with a blooper on a huge playing board. If they can fix the blooper, they move to the next level. The other contestant plants "blocks" that steal time and keep them from reaching the top. If  the "charger" is running out of time, they can call a long shot and move straight to the top. Fast-moving host Tom Kennedy brings a lot of energy to the proceedings.

The bonus round is "the Gauntlet." Ten "villain" figures keep the contestant from moving. If the contestant can fix blooper statements, the villain will let them pass. If not, they answer bloopers until they get it. The woman who won almost all of the episodes I saw got the actual games by the skin of her teeth, but just couldn't seem to figure out the bonus round. 

I can understand why this didn't do well in 1979. It's very complicated and absolutely nothing like any game show I've ever seen...which is what makes it so fun nowadays. No wonder Buzzr wanted to air it. It's one of those things that sounds strange on a blog, but is a blast when you actually watch it.

Worked on writing between shows. The Mock Turtle laments that he's too stiff to teach Brett and her boys some of the more complicated "writhing" and "reeling" dances. He can show them the Lobster Quadrille, with the help of Duchess Marcia and Bill the White Rabbit.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers as Whew! ended and The Roku Channel stream went into two Family Feud episodes from I believe the early 80's. I wish Buzzr would get over themselves about Richard Dawson kissing ladies and run this and the Ray Combs version more often! Richard's wonderfully charming leading two families through a series of survey questions. No wonder he was such a hit on the show.

Continued with more flop game shows on YouTube after my shower. One of the earliest failed game shows is also one of the most unique. Armchair Detectives from 1949 has the host and a criminal expert call on audience members to solve the mystery in a ten-minute playlet. Too bad the only existing episode is the one on YouTube. I've never seen a game show played like Clue, with people trying to gather evidence to win. 

Dick Enberg hosts 3 for the Money, a really fun game from 1975. Two teams consisting of two contestants and a celebrity captain play an all week tournament. They choose a subject, then guess a person, place, or thing based on clues. A "Catch Up Round" after the first two rounds is played the same way without the category. The Bonus Round had the winning team guessing a subject revealed one letter at a time. Barbara Feldon of Get Smart and game show host Jim McKrell are the celebrity captains here. Too bad there's not much left of this one, either. I really enjoyed it and wish it lasted longer. It was fun to play along, and Feldon and McKrell look like they had a great time.

Country star Bill Anderson and Real People hostess Sarah Purcell are the unlikely and mismatched hosts of The Better Sex from 1977. Teams of men and women ask each other questions, hoping to knock the other team out of the game. The winners then ask 30 audience members of the opposite gender questions until either they or the team are knocked out. Sarah's ladies were the big winners here, though they couldn't quite get the audience down. Sarah seemed to be a bit bored, but Bill was as charming here as he is when he's a panelist on Match Game. 

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour did several theme weeks in an attempt to drum up viewers. The first of these brought together the surviving cast members of the 50's sitcom Leave It to Beaver (and then-popular prop comedian Gallagher). It's a hoot watching Jerry Mathers, Barbara Billingsly, and Match Game veteran Richard Deacon answer naughty questions and give bluffs to contestants. 

The Challengers is a far more serious trivia game from 1990. Based after the late 60's hit The Who What and Where Game, it's here been reworked into a clear imitation of the syndicated Jeopardy!, right down to gambling on Daily Doubles. The difference is in the bonus round is one question from the winning contestant for $10,000. (Evidently, this was eliminated later in the run.) Dick Clark tries to bring some interest to the proceedings. 

Trump Card is the only game show I know of to have been filmed in Atlantic City - in this case, at what was then known as Trump Castle and is now the Golden Nugget in the Marina District. Kind of the same deal as The Challengers, but in this case, contestants have to fill a bingo board answering trivia. Jimmy Cefalo was not the host to add excitement to all this, and indeed, he comes off as a bit too goofy. (Apparently, it was based after the British game show Bob's Full House, which went over much better and ran five years longer.)

If you enjoyed Whew!, here's even more truly unique game show flops! (Look for commercials on The Challengers...and a strange tape on Trump Card that includes half of a second episode.)

Armchair Detectives (1949)

3 for the Money (1975)

The Better Sex (1977)

The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983)

The Challengers (1990)

Trump Card (1991)

Harvest Symphonies

Started off the morning with oatmeal, grapes, and Silly Symphony shorts. The first Silly Symphonies set is organized differently than most of the other Treasures sets. Instead of being listed chronologically, each set has cartoons under two themes and "Leonard (Maltin's) Picks." Unfortunately, the cartoons tend to be repeated between listings, and three of them are only found as Easter eggs when you highlight a picture or letter.

Some of the cartoons I did get to see were among Disney's best. The Oscar-winning "The Tortoise and the Hare" is a very cute retelling of the famous Aesop's Fable. Max Hare races slow Toby Tortoise. He thinks he's a lock to win, but is easily distracted by lunch and pretty girl bunnies. Toby eventually shows him why slow and steady wins the race (by a nose). 

"Elmer Elephant" is a sweet little fellow who attends cute Tillie Tiger's birthday party, only to be made fun of by the other animal kids over his long trunk. They aren't laughing when that trunk is the only thing that can save Tillie from her burning treehouse! "Babes In the Woods" is a retelling of "Hansel and Gretel." Here, the witch has turned all the kids - including Hansel - into scary animals, and the duo are rescued by spry little dwarfs. 

Headed out around quarter of 11 to hit the farm market...but first, I stopped at a yard sale in West Collingswood, a couple of blocks down from the White Horse Pike. The lady in charge said her daughters were grown and they were clearing out their childhood book collection. Wow! They had kids books going as far back as the 50's, possibly the 30's, Golden Books from the 60s through the 90's, recent pre-teen novels, and a lot of 80's and 90's coloring books. I ended up with a Whitman copy of the Louisa May Alcott story Rose In Bloom, an anthology of the original novels of Captain January and The Little Colonel (with pictures from their Shirley Temple versions), an original Strawberry Shortcake coloring book, and a Superstar Barbie Golden Book to give Finley for Christmas. 

Finally got into Collingswood around quarter after 11. They were packed with people buying the freshest possible produce for their Labor Day barbecues and kids' lunch boxes. Peppers, tomatoes, and summer squash in particular abound at this time of year; apples are starting to appear, too. I ended up with Gala apples, plums, lavender, creamy yellow, and sunset orange peppers, a zucchini, a yellow squash, and green grapes. 

Rode across the street to WaWa next. While not nearly as hot as it has been, it was warmer and slightly more humid than yesterday. Thankfully, they weren't busy when I picked up an overly-sweet Pumpkin Spice Cookies n' Cream Smoothie and a pretzel.

I tried to ride around and look for more yard sales, but my bike was riding funny. It kept wobbling and seemed low to the ground. I swear it was fine before I left the house! I kept trying to ride it, and it kept wobbling. I checked it on the White Horse Pike, and it did seem low. I finally walked it home, stopping at CVS for an orange Perrier on the way.

(At least it was a gorgeous day for a walk. The sun shown, and the winds from after the storm died down to soft breezes. Can't get much more perfect than that in early September.)

Pumped up my tire the second I got in, then had lunch while watching more Silly Symphonies. "The Flying Mouse" is the first of several fables Disney did more-or-less around the theme of being yourself. Here, a mouse is given his wish to fly by a butterfly fairy, then regrets it when his bat wings scare the other mice and birds away. "The Robber Kitten" is a similar story, only here, the little fellow of the title is taught he's better off at home by a bulldog thief who's more nasty than dashing. "The Country Cousin" comes to visit his city-dwelling relative, but finds the delights of rich food and liquor offset by getting drunk, almost being eaten by a cat, and all the noises and frights on the roads.

Of course, mice aren't the only ones in Silly Symphonies to run into nightmare fuel. "Lullaby Land" features a baby who dreams himself into a pleasant world of soft and cuddly baby things...and some not-so-pleasant sharp objects he can't resist touching. King Midas begs an elf for "The Golden Touch," only to learn it's more of a curse when everything he wants to eat turns to inedible metal. "Mother Goos Melodies" is a black-and-white short that harkens back to the earliest "sing and dance in time to classical music" cartoons. It's just Mother Goose characters dancing and pulling gags to songs.

"The Three Little Pigs" is probably the best-known of the Silly Symphonies, introducing the first hit song to come from Disney media, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" It was such a hit, it spawned three sequels. "The Big Bad Wolf" added the pigs to "Little Red Riding Hood," while "Three Little Wolves" brings in three naughty (but very cute) wolf cubs to help their dad catch the pigs. 

They weren't the only Symphony sequels done, either. "Toby Tortoise Returns" in a boxing match. He's losing badly, until Max stuffs him with firecrackers that give him the speed needed to put this bunny out to pasture for good. 

Rose called while I had a banana-plum smoothie for lunch. She asked me if I'd like to visit a farm with her and her family to pick apples next Saturday. Sure! I have next Saturday off, and I had no plans besides the usual farm market run. 

Went on the computer after I finished lunch. Printed out DVD covers for my non-holiday Peanuts cartoons, my collections of the original Garfield specials, and my Pink Panther shorts sets, then worked on my story. The Mock Turtle wishes Brett's sons David and Adam wouldn't interrupt his story, but they're more baffled than impressed by his talk of learning reeling and writhing and mystery. They're more interested in how his lessons "lesson," or diminish, throughout the week.

Broke to check my bike. To my frustration, the tire was now completely flat. I was so mad! I wish I knew what happened. I should be more careful. I angrily kicked at it and rolled it over to the garage. Jodie suggested I either call Rose or Uber. I'm trying to avoid Uber after all the bad luck I had with them last winter, so I called Rose. She didn't get back to me until much later, but she will drive me to work early tomorrow.

Finished out the night with flounder stuffed with crabmeat and a salad for dinner while watching Career Girl. I go further into this low-budget musical from 1944 featuring Frances Langford at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Labor Day! - Career Girl

Holiday Weekend In the Neighborhood

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I thought "A Storm In the Neighborhood" was more than appropriate, given we got hit with a nasty one the other day. Dan's family invites Katerina, Henrietta, O, and X to stay with them while bad weather rages outside. Mrs. Tiger shows the kids how to be prepared with bottles of water, a flashlight, and a first-aid kit. The kids learn about the many helpers in their community, from neighbors to police officers and fire people, who help Dan Sr. clear a tree from in front of the Clock Factory "After the Neighborhood Storm."

Switched to Hogan's Heroes as I cleaned up from the cornmeal mush and grapes I had. "The Big Dish" is a radar that allows German ground weapons to easily shoot down Allied fighters. Hogan tries to seduce the British scientist (Karen Steele) who created it, but she's the one who plays him like a bubbling Bunsen burner. While the guys blow up the dish, Hogan comes up with a plan to get her back.

Headed out shortly after the episode ended. Work was busy for most of the afternoon, not surprising on Labor Day Weekend. I had quite a few annoying customers, including several who gave me grief about bagging or the prices...but there was also a very sweet young woman who paid the small order of the lady behind her, because someone did it for her earlier. The lady was so pleased, and I thought it was wonderful.

Thankfully, the teen girl who came in for me is always on time, allowing me to quickly get my own shopping done. Had online coupons for ground turkey, cereal, cocoa, ice cream, and two free cups of yogurt. Found a small container of shrimp I could have for dinner. Restocked milk, oatmeal, and bananas.

Mixed feelings on my schedule next week. In good news, I'm only 10 to 4 on Labor Day...but I work very long and early for almost the entire rest of the week. Tuesday and next Saturday off, Tuesday for a dentist's appointment. 

Jodie rolled in the driveway at the same time I did. She must have been around earlier, as she mentioned I had a package waiting for me in my place. Oh goody, my newest eBay find arrived early! I finally found the first Walt Disney Treasures Silly Symphony set for a good price. I bought the second one when it came out, but I missed the first one, and it's usually pricey online. 

I'll watch the cartoons tomorrow. I absolutely wasn't missing tonight's Match Game '76. The first episode started off with Gene doing his best stripper's walk when asked to show off his nifty tie. The second was one of the funniest of the year. Bill Anderson brought a guitar and performed an impromptu country ballad for a smitten Debralee Scott, with Charles and Brett providing back-up dressed as cowpokes. 

Worked on writing after having shrimp and leftover zucchini and tomatoes for dinner. Brett's sons keep disrupting the Mock Turtle. David goes to school, and Adam's on his way to college. They certainly don't think the Turtle going to school is all that special. Ahh, but they never went to school under the sea, says the Turtle, nor learned the things he did...

Finished the night online with Mystery Science Theater 3000 at Shout! TV's website. Bride of the Monster may be one of the funniest shows of the Joel years. He and the robots have a blast poking fun at a delightfully cheesy Ed Wood horror film with Bela Lugosi having a blast as a mad scientist hoping to create a bride for his monster (Tor Johnson) from atomic energy. They may do even better quipping at "Hired!", about a car dealership owner trying to figure out why his salesmen aren't doing well. 

Return of the Sunshine

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Buzzr. Came in for kind of a strange To Tell the Truth episode as everyone tried to figure out which man had researched turtles for their meat and to conserve them. Alan Alda and Peggy Cass said #2, while Kitty Carilse and Bill Cullen went for more serious #3. Turned out the latter two were right. (Number one said terrapins aren't edible, which they are.) 

What's My Line tried to figure out what a Czech man did with his hair. Turns out he worked for Clairol and sold hair dye. After Arlene Francis got close to figuring it out, three male models showed off the (then) latest in hair colors for men.

Once again, the day began very well. The rain had long disappeared by morning, leaving sunshine, fresh winds, and perfect 75-degree temperatures. Pushing carts was a pleasure in that weather! Later in the day, the head bagger was thrown in a register, once again leaving me to do all of the sweeping and pushing carts. She did get out later, by which time I was tired and frustrated. I even got thrown into a register briefly at one point, despite it not being busy.

Dashed out the second I was able. Once again took the long way home. It was too nice not to! I wasn't the only one, either. I dodged cars on Nicholson Road and even on West Clinton as people went for drives and headed to the Shore.

When I got in, I changed and watched Wabash Avenue while I had a snack and opened the windows. I go further into this Betty Grable vehicle featuring Victor Mature as a con man out to change a honky-tonk singer into a classier performer at my Musical Dreams Movie Review blog.

Wabash Avenue

Heard my cell phone go off shortly after the movie ended. I saw Rose and her family leaving just as I got home. She wanted to know if I would mind doing Labor Day on Monday. Whenever it works for her. I'll probably be working both days anyway. 

We also had long conversations on how strange Jessa's acting and the problems we've had dealing with Jodie's scattershot and unorganized method of clearing out the house. No wonder she keeps giving me hoagies and pizza. She's already packed her kitchen utensils and dishware. Who on earth packs their kitchen items before they've even figured out exactly where they're moving? Not to mention, she keeps asking one of us to help her clear out the house...then doing it herself or asking someone else without letting anyone know she's getting rid of things. Someone besides Goodwill or Veterans of America might have wanted some of Dad's stuff. I rescued a lot of still-useful items from trash piles that could have been donated or given to neighbors.  

Worked on writing for a while after Rose let me go. Mock Turtle Avery Schreiber explains how he went to school when he was a real turtle. Brett's sons aren't impressed, especially her older son Adam who is starting college in a few weeks. (In a running gag, Adam also doesn't appreciate most of the Wonderlanders constantly referring to him as a child when he's nearly full-grown.)

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Tossed leftovers, home-made chicken stock, and a can of diced tomatoes together to make Chicken Vegetable Soup while watching Match Game '76. A woman in the audience gave flowers to most of the panelists except Charles and Bill Anderson, to the former's annoyance. Richard was quite happy to stuff his bouquet in a pocket and show it off.

The 100th episode of Match Game PM got pretty wild as David Doyle was just happy to match someone, Brett Somers made cracks about his role on Charlie's Angels, and Patti Deustch gave her delightfully nutty answers. Richard's the one who helps the contestant with "__ Pollution" in the end.

Slid the Apples Rolled In Autumn Cookies (Apple-Oatmeal Cookies) in the oven while Sale of the Century was on. For the second day in a row there was no contest. Despite the champ's worries and his not buying any Instant Bargains, he still blew everyone away at the Speed Round. Picked up a diamond ring on the Match the Prizes board. 

Rainy Day Blues

I opened my eyes as rain pattered heavily on the roof. It poured as I read Donna Parker at Cherrydale in bed. By the time I switched to breakfast and Hogan's Heroes, the rain slowed to barely a shower. Hogan finds himself "The Witness" when Marya arranges for him to watch the launching of a new rocket...one that his boys have been ordered to destroy. 

Thankfully, the rain ended all together just as I left for work. It wasn't busy when I arrived...but it picked up around 11 and stayed busy for the rest of the day. They kept calling me inside for one reason or another, and it was a pain. I couldn't find a mop to clean up a milk spill and had to use paper towels. They wanted me to take carts of boxes in the back to be recycled. I barely had ten minutes to gather carts or sweep the store.

And of course, when I did finally get to doing the carts for longer than ten or fifteen minutes at a time, it started pouring again. I gathered the trash and recycling, then hid in the cart corral for as long as I could, but that downpour wasn't stopping. I pushed a few carts and got wet.

Got even wetter riding home. Took the long way down Nicholson Road just in case the Black Horse Pike turn-off into Oaklyn flooded. Thankfully, I had no trouble getting around, other than dodging the rush-hour traffic on Nicholson. 

The downpour didn't let up, even as I pulled into the garage and dashed for my apartment. In fact, it picked up and came down even harder, the sky now dark as midnight. Jodie's still out of town; heck, she might not be able to leave the Shore right now. I took advantage of her absence to toss all of my clothes - including my shoes - in the dryer. 

Worked on writing for an hour. The Mock Turtle (Avery Schreiber) tells his story...or at least, what he thinks his story is. Duchess Marcia insists it's all in his head. Brett finds it a little weird, but then again, Avery was always a bit strange. The boys are more interested in learning the Lobster Quadrille...

Broke for barbecue-spiced salmon and sautéed zucchini and tomatoes at 6:30. Match Game '76 brings on country music star Bill Anderson and tough ingenue Debralee Scott. Charles spends the episode throwing out his own spoof country songs, including one done to the tune of the answer for the Audience Match "Electric __." 

Gene Rayburn, the son of Serbo-Croatian parents who spoke the language all his life, is thrilled to met a young woman who also speaks the language on Match Game PM. Meanwhile, the others help her figure out "Do Not __." Richard gets to figure out "Surf _"

Sale of the Century was no contest. Though the other guy got two of the three Fame Games, the champ got the other Fame Game, bought an Instant Bargain, and walloped everyone in the Speed Round. He picked up a nice dining room set on the Match the Prizes board.

Finished the night online after a much-needed shower with Charlie's Angels. "Teen Angels" investigate the death of a student at a prestigious finishing school. Kris looks young enough to pass for a student. Sabrina teaches art, Kelly teaches English, and Bosley works in the stables. Turns out the "alpha bee" of the girls (Audrey Landers) is a malicious brat who gives the mean girls from Heathers a run for their poisoned money. She holds secrets over three other girls and the school janitor, forcing them to do her bidding...but it's Kelly who may be in danger when she figures out that the janitor is a lot closer to the edge than any of them suspect.