Matching With Mothers

Started off a lovely morning with breakfast and a text from Mom saying how much she loved the card and gift card I sent. Listened to the Cinderella Columbia children's record I found a while back while eating breakfast. The story is pretty typical, but what stands out here are some lovely songs by Jim Timmens. The album opens and closes with the chorus number "Anything Can Happen," and the Fairy Godmother gets the pointed "You've Got to Do It By Yourself." Side two features the sweet ballads "When He Comes My Way" for Cinderella and "Where are You Now?" for the prince.

Hurried out to work before the record even ended. Though I did get the trash at one point and had to clean up the water dripping from dozens of rose bouquets being purchased in the floral department, I was mostly outside with the carts...and I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. The weather couldn't have been nicer for mid-May, breezy, sunny, and in the upper 70's. It did get a little cloudy later, but nothing like last week. 

When I got home, I changed, got dinner, finished Cinderella, and spent the rest of the night watching the Match Game Mother's Day marathon. More mothers turned up than you might think on this show, whether they were moms on TV like Bonnie Franklin of the original One Day at a Time, Hope Lange of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and Esther Rolle of Good Times, or in real-life. Brett Somers proudly pointed out her pretty twentysomething daughter Leslie in the audience (who looked like a redheaded version of her mother). Elaine Joyce's daughter Taylor Van showed off her cute Polish dance costume and hid from Great Uncle Gene under her mother's desk during the syndicated run. During the week Hope appeared, Gene came out carrying two darling children, one of which was Patti Deustch's son Max.

Other mothers appeared on the show, too. Jamie Lee Curtis did two memorable weeks early in the syndicated run, including the one where Kirstie Alley was a contestant and the lady before her complained about a broken chair. Polly Holiday got to see Richard hold a mock funeral when her microphone died. Rita Moreno was utterly thrilled during a PM episode when she got to help a man with a $20,000 Head-to-Head. Patti and Jo Ann Pflug did the show while pregnant, Patti for several weeks. 

Contestants could be mothers, too. In 1978, one contestant had a pregnant wife in the audience who came to the show despite being in labor. They were pretty much the only ones who took it well. Gene and the panel tried to rush the show along so the mother-to-be could get to the hospital, leading to some strange answers, even for this show. They sent a cute movie-themed announcement a few weeks later that said they'd had a boy.

Match along with your mom and some of the most famous mothers ever on television in this very cute marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Happy Mother's Day! Mothers of Match Game

Beautiful Day for a Harvest

Began the morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Adora is shocked in "The Sword, Part II" when she can read the language of the Ancients after she, Glimmer, and Bow flee from the spider in an old temple. Glimmer is afraid to trust Adora and won't let her have the sword again, but Adora may be the only one who can save them and a small town when they're attacked by the Horde.

Headed out to the farm market after the cartoon ended. They were packed elbow-to-elbow with people buying produce for Mother's Day brunches and barbecues. I could barely get around! The spring harvest has finally debuted, including asparagus, strawberries, radishes, and spinach. I picked up strawberries and more apples.

Spent the next three hours riding around in Westmont, looking for yard sales. Today was their town-wide yard sale, and I don't think I did too badly. Maybe it's just as well that I got a late start. I had a hard enough time dodging cars riding around looking for sales and people strolling on the sidewalks, hauling bags and pushing strollers. I wet my whistle with lemonade from two sets of young entrepreneurs. The kids in the Bluebird neighborhood had fresh-squeezed lemonade that wasn't too sweet or tart and brought in customers with their adorable, fluffy black pug. The little miss at the stand in the neighborhood behind Samaritan Thrift had sweet-tart strawberry lemonade made with what looked like real strawberry pulp.

Thank heavens after the off-and-on weather we've had this week, it was the perfect day for checking out yard sales. The skies were perfectly robin's egg blue, without a hint of clouds. Strong, cool breezes kept it from getting too hot. 

I rode all over for three hours, until almost 2 PM. The yard sales were all over, from the Bluebird neighborhood bordering Collingswood to the Haddon Township streets next-door to Oaklyn. My final haul included 3 DVDs, one a set:

3 Movie Lord of the Rings set (3-Disc set)

The original 1933 King Kong

The Blues Brothers

Three records:

The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys In Concert (2-Disc set)

The original cast of New Faces of 1952

Four CDs: 

The original cast of The Book of Mormon

James Ingram - Forever More (Love Songs, Hits, and Duets)

The Pointer Sisters - Greatest Hits

The Killers - Sawdust

And four books: 

The Serpent On the Crown by Elizabeth Peters

The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess

Amelia Peabody's Egypt by Elizabeth Peters and Kristin Whitbread (The very first yard sale I hit just two blocks down was selling most of the Amelia Peabody series. Apparently, the owner's mother had been a fan, but he was not. These were the ones I didn't already have.) 

The Secret of Madam Doll by Frances Cavanah

Had lunch at Capitol Pizza after I picked up the DVDs and big stuffed pink Peep, the latter for free. There was only one other person around besides me, and they were just picking up a pizza. I ate my slice of broccoli and slice of pepperoni in blissful quiet other than the talk show in the background.

Went straight home and into Young People after lunch. I go further into Shirley Temple's last vehicle as a child star at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Happy Mother's Day! - Young People

Spent the next hour trying to figure out how to take the online courses I need to be certified. The NJCCIS website said there was supposed to be a "registry" button that would allow you to take the classes. No matter how much I erased my cache or refreshed the site, that registry button just would not appear. I checked all over the site. It wasn't there. I'll have to call them on Monday and do the classes before my first day of work.

Listened to Judy at Carnegie Hall while trying to find those classes. Wow. No wonder this was a such a huge success in 1961, it made Judy the first woman to win the Grammy for Album of the Year. She sounds better than ever, and the audience is eating up her performances of signature numbers like "You Made Me Love You" and "Over the Rainbow" and lesser-known songs like "If Love Were All" and "Just You, Just Me." If you love Judy or want to hear a really dynamic live album, this is a must-have.

Finished out the first season of Remember WENN while editing my fantasy fanfic Once Upon a Time In the Land of WENN. "Popping the Question" has Scott fixing game shows long before Barry and Enright ever dreamed of doing so. He wants to tilt it in favor of the sponsor's son in order to drum up publicity. Hilary, Jeff, and Betty have no intention of letting him get away with this chicanery. Meanwhile, sweet lawyer Doug Thompson waits (and waits) for Betty to remember their date.

"World of Tomorrow" takes Jeff to war-torn London to broadcast with Victor as the rest of the cast prepares to perform Betty's big fantasy show over the air at the 1939 World's Fair. Hilary misses Jeff horribly, and everyone else is worried about them being caught in the London Blitz. It's none other than Scott Sherwood who finds a way for Jeff to still be a part of the show and end things on a stirring note. The entirety of WENN is riveted to the radio now...until the bomb literally drops, and Jeff and Victor are cut off...

Though I think the second and third seasons are the strongest overall, there are some good episodes to be found during the show's first year on the air. "Armchair Detectives" is probably the best of the episodes from before Victor leaves. Scott's arrival injects much-needed energy into the proceedings, with "A Capitol Idea" and "World of Tomorrow" being highlights. 

Ended the night at YouTube with tonight's Match Game marathon. Former 1955 Miss America Lee Merriweather was no stranger to TV or game shows when she first appeared in late 1973. She was one of the better players in the fourth ingenue seat, lending her dry wit, charm, and feline elegance to the show through late 1981. A contestant showed off her sequined T-shirt with "Match Game CBS" on it during her very first episode. She was indeed there when Mike Douglas turned up in a cameo in 1976 and when Charles claimed he was a taxi service later that year. 

Her best episode was also one of her last. On her last week in 1981, she and Fannie Flagg did a kick line for a contestant to illustrate what the Rockettes were. Their impromptu song and dance routine was definitely the hit of the show!

Match wits with this purrfect detective and Catwoman in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Lee Merriweather Special Episodes On Match Game

Day In the Rain

Started off the morning with a quick breakfast and "The Tortoise and the Hare." This Silly Symphony pits cocky Max Hare against sweet Toby Tortoise in a race to the finish! Max is so sure of himself, he shows off for cute bunny girls instead of racing. Toby, however, keeps going, proving to everyone that staying slow and steady - and being focused on the matter at hand - is what really makes you a winner. 

Though it was only cloudy, windy, and cool at quarter of 9, I wasn't sure what it was going to do later and wasn't willing to take chances. I called Uber. Must not have been the only one, either. The first driver took 9 minutes to arrive. The second took 12 minutes. At least there was no traffic either way. 

Work wasn't bad when I came in, but this time, it picked up around 11 and was off and on busy. The weather didn't help. It started showering lightly as I came out shortly after 10 and would continue to rain in some form, sometimes heavily, until right before I finished at 4. At least I was able to sweep, gather carts, and do the inside trash with no trouble.

Got my schedule during the second half of my shift. In good news, I continue to have more hours. I just wish next Saturday wasn't another early 7 hour day. I'll have to miss the farm market. 

Did a little grocery shopping after work. Siggi yogurt was on sale with an online coupon. Got that and the low-sugar Chobani. Jones Probiotic, Nixie, and Popwell sodas were also on good sales. The two-packs of Secret Gel Deodorant were $3.75 at 75% off. Picked up strawberries on a good sale with an online coupon as well. Decided to try the strawberry vanilla generic Acme granola.

Put on Bullitt when I got home and tried to figure out things online. San Francisco cop Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) and his partners are supposed to be protecting mobster Johnny Ross (Felice Orlandi). After he's killed on their watch, Senator Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) holds them responsible. They dive into the seamy underworld of San Francisco's waterfront and suburbs, dodging hitmen in one of the wildest car chases on record while Bullitt tries to keep his bosses from finding out the guy's dead and him on the case. His devotion to his work is pushing away his girlfriend Cathy (Jaqueline Bissett) too. But Ross wasn't what he seemed, and he may not be quite as dead as originally believed...

This movie oozes cool. It is the definition of cool. It's about as realistic of a cop film as you can get in 1968 and not be a documentary. They use real detective methods and filmed in and around actual San Francisco locations. The dynamic car chase is still considered to be one of the great chases in cinema history. The plot is slightly on the slow side nowadays, but otherwise, if you love McQueen or crime dramas, you'll want to join the chase in the city by the bay, too.

Switched to Match Game '76 after the movie ended. The first episode started with George Kennedy, Lee Merriweather in a "Raggedy Ann" sweater, and Mike Douglas walking in with Gene's microphone. Gene stumbled in afterwards, claiming he'd hit him on the head! The second brought in Clifton Davies, Patty Duke, and a rare strike-out from Richard.

Finished the night back in Pittsburgh with more Remember WENN. A smack on the head from a microphone turns the station's diva into "Hilary Booth, Registered Nurse" right before a big coast-to-coast broadcast of their soap opera Valiant Journey. Hilary thinks she's Jane Timmons, the kindly World War I nurse she plays on their military show. Betty and the others have to get Hilary back to her old self, once again without the help of Victor Comstock, who leaves for war-torn London after this episode.

The spotlight falls on Hilary's (sort of) husband Jeffery Singer when a director turns up at WENN claiming he just found a lost Valentino movie and wants to finish it. "Valentino Speaks!" and Jeff gets a swelled head from all the attention until he realizes how difficult movie acting is. He finally realizes he'd rather have the freedom to play many different roles than stardom.

Things pick up considerably with the arrival of the brash new station manager in "A Capitol Idea." Con-man Scott Sherwood is full of ideas and full of himself, in approximately that order. He gets Betty to weave commercials into the shows. It doubles their revenue (and inadvertently creates infomercials), but now the shows all sound like ads. When Mr. Eldridge walks out and Betty threatens to quit, the others make a mockery of the shows...and Betty and Scott realize that there's more to both of them than meets the eye.

(Incidentally, "A Capitol Idea" was the third episode I saw, once again while babysitting during the summer of 1996. I took to Scott right away. I always did have a soft spot for Han Solo types, and I loved his interactions with Betty and the cast. I went to bed that night dreaming of a budding relationship between Scott and Betty...)

Springtime Adventures

Began the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Fergie is excited when his younger siblings get their first teeth, which they traditionally cut on hard biscuits. He's so harried preparing a party for them, he can't slow down and enjoy it...until he and Cookie get caught in bubbles created by Kiki the Caterpillar. It's Cookie who finally encourages him to calm down, and that "Bubbling Over" isn't a bad thing. "The Card Guard Shuffle" is big dinner made in appreciation of the Queen's card guards. Alice wants to make a dinner that represents all of them, but they all love different foods. She finally decides that a buffet meal with a variety of dishes is better for a group of unique beings who all manage to work in harmony.

Headed out to Sprouts shortly after Alice ended. Wanted to get my grocery shopping done before I had my 3:10 fingerprinting appointment in Cherry Hill. I didn't really need much, anyway. Grabbed coconut milk and two boxes of granola bars that were on sale. Bulk dried cranberries were on sale, too, as were Cove soda and buy-one, get one half-off sparkling water. Dug a box of white chocolate macadamia cookies that had a clearance label out of the bakery.

Put everything away when I got back while watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel writes a letter to make "Something Special for Dad." Mr. McFeely helps him deliver it right to his striped mailbox. Baker Aker is more than happy to help Dan and his father show "I Love You, Mom" with a loaf of heart-shaped banana bread.

Walked out to catch the bus on Cuthbert Road after Daniel ended. At least it was a gorgeous day for a walk! You'd never know rain was predicted for later. At quarter of 1, it was sunny, breezy, and bright, just warm enough for a perfect afternoon in May. The bus was about 10 minutes late, not too bad for the tail end of the noon rush hour. I got off at the Cherry Hill Mall, then made my way to the Macy's entrance and out to Church Road.

Since it's wasn't far from my appointment, I had lunch at IHOP. There were only two other couples eating there when I arrived. I got my "protein power" pancakes, bowl of fruit, and bacon quickly. The pancakes were excellent, full of grains and not too big to eat in one sitting. One piece of bacon was kind of limp, but the other two were crispier, just the way I like them.

I picked up Uber across the street at the At Home building, mainly because I had no idea where the fingerprinting company was. As it turned out...it was two blocks from At Home. I could have walked there and still been on time. Oh, well. At least I was 20 minutes early for my appointment.

Fingerprinting was no problem, either. I expected to roll my fingers in ink, or have them dusted with messy powder. Nope. They rolled my fingers on a scanner. No mess involved anywhere. I was in and out in ten minutes. 

Since I had more time than I anticipated, I browsed around at the Ollie's two blocks from the fingerprinting company. They're an enormous odd lots barn filled with everything you can imagine, including a ton of books. I'll be coming back here with Lauren next month, so I just bought more granola bars, apple butter, and a book: 

Daughter of the Pirate King, by Tricia Levenseller

Had more trouble getting home. Though it only took 9 minutes for them to arrive, not bad for rush hour, the traffic in Cherry Hill and Westmont was horrible. Cuthbert Road between the bridge over Cooper River and Haddon Avenue was a mess. A 10 minute ride took almost a half-hour. 

Put on Million Dollar Mermaid when I got in. I go further into this biography of early 20th century swimming star Annette Kellerman featuring later beloved swimmer Esther Williams at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Million Dollar Mermaid

Switched to Press Your Luck while starting the review. The two ladies started out like gangbusters, but one got slammed with Whammies during the second round, and the other just couldn't get anywhere. The one guy dodged the Whammies long enough to pick up a boat and a trip to New York.

Let Match Game '76 run while eating dinner. Avery Schriberer and Jo Ann Pflug joined in here. Brett spent most of the two episodes picking on Jo Ann...making it all the more satisfying for her when she gets an answer Brett misses.

Took a shower, then put on more Remember WENN. The first episodes of WENN I ever saw were "The Emperor Smith" and "Who's Minding the Asylum," both of which I caught while babysitting in June 1996. At the start of "Asylum," Victor is taking the actors to a convention, where they'll present his latest brainstorm, programming recorded on glass records. Betty is supposed to use those recordings for their programming, but after they're broken in an accident, she, Eugenia the organist, Mr. Foley the sound effects engineer, Mr. Eldridge the go-fer, and Gertie the receptionist have to create their own programming and please finicky Mr. Medwick (Bob Dorian). 

"Armchair Detective" is the first of several mystery-themed WENN episodes. Jeff is Sherlock Holmes and Mackie is Watson cracking both fictional cases based on the Holmes stories and real-life crimes. Things get messy when a butler convicted for murder turns up and insist that he's innocent and the show didn't represent his case fairly. Jeff takes on his case as the cast plays the role of a wealthy man and his dysfunctional family. Even as they replay the evidence, Jeff realizes that there's a few clues those in radio can understand better than the police, and maybe in this case, the butler didn't do it after all.

Finished the night listening to The Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection while working on my review. This CD from the early 90's showcases songs from their shows, often lesser-known or cut numbers, recorded by regular artists during their 40's and 50's hey day. By far my favorite recording here is a surprisingly romantic Al Jolson, who does "Some Enchanted Evening" without a hint of his usual bombast. Judy Garland also gets a lovely "You'll Never Walk Alone." Bing Crosby scores with the best of the lesser-known material, "Loneliness of Evening" (cut from South Pacific - it was eventually used in the 1966 version of Cinderella), "No Other Love" (from Me & Juliet), and "There's Music In You" (from the obscure movie Main Street to Broadway; used in the 1997 Cinderella).  Jack Jones has more fun with "Shall We Dance?" from The King and I. 

(Oh, and though it clouded up later in the afternoon, it still hasn't rained at press time.)

Remembering Angels

Started off a sunny morning with a fast breakfast and "How to Swim." Goofy begins learning basic strokes in his own living room, but he (and those living under him) are more appreciative when he finally hits the water. He has more luck making a mess out of an inner tube than actually swimming.

Rushed off to work after that. No trouble for the entire 8 1/2 hours. We were dead almost the entire day. It was beautiful, sunny, breezy, and just warm enough. Most people are likely waiting for Mother's Day weekend to do their shopping. It did pick up a little bit later around the dinner rush hour, but died shortly after and wasn't at all busy in the morning. They did send one of the college boys to help me with the carts during the last hour. Otherwise, I was in and out with little fuss.

Put on more Remember WENN while trying to figure out how to do something online. Angela Colton (Molly Ringwauld) wants to meet the romantic radio show character The Vagabond "Sight Unseen." Mackie Bloom (Christopher Murney), who plays The Vagabond, is nervous at first. He's short and chubby and doesn't look anything like his idea of a romantic hero. He tries to be the suave, sophisticated leading man he thinks Angela wants when he learns she's blind, but she doesn't care what he looks like, only that he sounds like a man of integrity.

Angela isn't the only visitor to WENN who teaches the staff a lesson in respect. Waiter George Smith (Howard Rollins) becomes "The Emperor Smith" when he's brought on to replace Mackie as Hilary's new love interest in The Hands of Time. George becomes a sensation, but he's also a black man playing a romantic role in an era where segregation was still very much legal. Betty and the others have to keep the determined columnist Walter Snell (Peter Jacobs) from figuring it out without the help of Victor Comstock, who was called to Washington DC. (Oh, and incidentally, Victor's increasingly lengthy absences will become very important towards the end of the first season and throughout the third...)

Switched to Match Game '76 during dinner. Jimmie Walker spent the week having quite the crush on a pretty young contestant who made her own chic clothing. Kate Jackson had more trouble dodging Gene and Richard's advances during her second of two appearances on the show. (Charlie's Angels was mentioned as debuting in a few weeks in the second episode.) 

Speaking of Charlie's Angels, I finished the night with the sixth season episode "Attack Angels" at The Roku Channel. After a young secretary dies murdering the executive of an up-and-coming geothermal company, Kelly and Kris go undercover as junior executives and Julie as a secretary to find out who wants to buy the company so badly, they'll kill for it. One of the company's rivals has hired a man who hypnotizes secretaries and typists into doing his bidding and killing their bosses...and Julie may be his next victim. 

Making Changes

Started off my day with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix for something different. Watched the first half of the two-part pilot "The Sword." This pretty much follows the original show, only here, Glimmer is an adorable hot-tempered spitfire who is far younger than the others (and is treated as such by her mother Angela), and Adora and Catra are buddies. In fact, Adora initially ends up in the Whispering Woods to give Catra something to do after she's not permitted to go on a raid. I really like the animation - the characters look less like muscular 80's models and more like the awkward young people they are, and the anime-esque designs surprisingly work well with them. 

Switched to Remember WENN while making the bed and getting paperwork organized. I enjoyed revisiting The Monkees so much last fall, I thought I'd check out another show that meant a lot to me. WENN debuted in January 1996 as a four-part mini-series, beginning with "On the Air." Betty Roberts (Amanda Naughton) arrives at Pittsburgh radio station WENN in September 1939, having just won a writing contest. Erudite manager Victor Comstock (John Bedford Lloyd) tells her she's an intern who has a lot to learn. He realizes that maybe he could learn a few tricks himself when their writer passes out drunk and Betty has to rush in and save the broadcast with her contest-winning play.

"Klondike 9366" further introduces estranged husband-and-wife acting team Hilary Booth (Melinda Mullins) and Jeffery Singer (Hugh O'Gorman) and brings in perky blond ingenue Celia Mellon (Dina Spybey). Ceila gets a baptism by fire her first day when Victor wants to do a call-in talk show. It's a bust...until they hear from a little boy (Nick Holmes) who is worried about an intruder outside. 

We learn more about Ceila in "A Rock and a Soft Place" as Victor and Betty try to figure out how to keep two very different sponsors happy. Mrs. Mellon of the Pittsburgh Public Library Theater wants more culture and less violence. Mr. Acton of Acton Anthracite Coal wants to ramp up the violence and tone down the mush. This is also the first of several times on the show we meet a character who isn't what they claim to be when Ceila keeps trying to avoid Mrs. Mellon, whom everyone assumes is her mother. 

"There But for Grace" brings in the first of three Broadway divas who would have prominent guest-star roles on the show. Movie star Grace Cavendish (Patti LuPone) makes a stop on a bond tour. Her stage rival Hilary Booth thinks she's there to steal her thunder, but she really came to see her former flame Victor (to Betty's consternation). 

I finally got that interview in while "There But for Grace" finished. I quickly went over my tax sheets with them, then my application. Showed them brand-new ID card and my much-mauled Social Security card, and that was that. I did need to photograph and email the application to them afterwards. I just need to get fingerprinted in Cherry Hill on Thursday, and that will be that.

Took Uber to the Best Buy at the Market Place in Cherry Hill after lunch. I didn't want to go through my laptop overheating again or risk it dying all together like my previous one did. I spent a half-hour looking over the two rows of Chromebooks. Ended up with a Lenovo that cost about $340, more than I spent on my previous laptop. It's my first real wide-screen laptop, though, with great audio and visuals...and really tiny words. I may have to figure out how to make the words on this thing bigger.

Watched Thrill of a Romance while I set up my new computer. I go further into this romantic comedy with music featuring Esther Williams and Van Johnson at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Thrill of a Romance

Jessa picked me up at quarter after 6. She had some great news. She'll be gone next week because she's using part of her inheritance from Dad to take a trip to Europe. She mentioned seeing Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, and Venice, Italy. We celebrated with dinner at Bahama Breeze. She had a bowl of plaintains, chicken, beans, and rice. I had blackened mahi mahi tacos and a bowl of fruit with mango sorbet. Oh, yum! The crispy fish was perfectly seared, and the fruit hit the spot a lot more than fries would have. And for once, the serving was just enough for one sitting without having to take anything home.

The main reason I suggested Bahama Breeze is because a second 2nd Avenue Thrift location had opened at the green-roofed shopping center next-door to the Cherry Hill Mall. That place was huge! It was easily twice the size of the one in Pennsauken, with more racks of clothes than they probably had in the Cherry Hill Mall JC Penney and Macy's. They had so many shelves of books and CDs, I spent almost an hour just going over those. Ended up with 6 CDs: 

Irving Berlin In Hollywood, a TCM collection of Berlin songs from Call Me Madam, Top Hat, Alexander's Ragtime Band, and Easter Parade, among others. 

The Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection, songs from there shows (including their lesser-known work) performed by vocalists of the 40's and 50's

Alabama - Christmas

Air Supply - The Definitive Collection 

Billboard Top Hits 1975 and 1977

And three books: 

Daisy Fae and the Miracle Man and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Dancing to "Almendra" by Maya Montedro

Finished the night after a shower with my new Irving Berlin In Hollywood CD. We get a really nice overview of the songs Berlin wrote for films here, including one used in a non-musical (Clark Gable's rendition of "Puttin' On the Ritz" from the drama Idiot's Delight). I was especially glad to hear the outtakes and songs cut from movies, like Ethel Merman's "Marching Through Time" that was dropped from Alexander's Ragtime Band. Judy Garland was so hilarious singing "Anything You Can Do" with Howard Keel, I almost wish she'd been able to complete Annie Get Your Gun. She had a rather nice "They Say It's Wonderful," too. 

Trouble On a Gloomy Day

The day did not begin well. I had a quick breakfast before doing the New Jersey Child Abuse Record Information paperwork. I was still finishing out the last of the paperwork when Healthy Kids texted me again. Since I wasn't quite done, they pushed back the appointment to 4 PM.

That did give me the time to put my laundry downstairs and run to the Acme. For one thing, I wanted to pick up a gift card for Mother's Day. For another, I forgot to pick up the second letter. Turns out the other manager couldn't write it. I asked the floral department manager to write it instead. (And she still hasn't sent it.) Stopped at the Oaklyn Post Office on the way home to send Mom's card. Her birthday card got there late and in bad shape. I wanted to make sure this one got there on time. 

Got the laundry into the dryer, then had lunch while watching Alice's Wonderland Bakery. "Meet the Tweedles" introduces Tweedle Do and Tweedle Don't, who are supposed to help people make important decisions. Alice can't decide if she wants to accept the Queen's offer to become her royal baker, so she lets the Tweedles decide...with chaotic results! It's "A Very Wonderland Wedding" when a daisy and a dandelion who are getting married want Alice to create a cake for them with very unique ingredients! Alice and the kids can't figure out how to blend them, until Alice discovers they don't have to.

Put on PAW Patrol as I made the bed and cleaned up from lunch. The "Pups Pit Crew" helps Alex retrieve the parts for the "super trike" he made from recycled scrap and help him put it back together. "Pups Fight Fire" when Marshall joins a contest for the World's Fastest Firefighter. He's ready and raring to go, but when he has to fight a real fire on the beach, he realizes that being fast isn't what's important. Real firefighters do their job no matter what.

Listened to recently-acquired jazz records while I finally brought the laundry upstairs and put it away, then started the paperwork. The Maxwell Jazz II Sampler is what it says - a collection of jazz performed by then-popular artists. The oldest number on the album Ella Fitzgerald joining Count Basie for "You've Changed." Most of them are from the 60's onward, like Buddy Rich pounding through "Ya Gotta Try" and Oscar Peterson's "Lil' Darlin'."

Wynton Marsalis dominated the jazz scene in the 80's and early 90's with albums like Think of One. This was one of his biggest hits, topping the jazz albums chart. The Thelonious Monk title song is probably the best-known from this one. I also like "My Ideal" and Marsalis' own "The Bell Ringer" and "Later."

I thought I had everything done, but...she rescheduled again for tomorrow. They hadn't gotten the CARI paperwork, and said I hadn't finished the tax work. I thought I did. Turns out I only did the New Jersey and forgot the Federal. At least I was able to do that and not only finish the CARI, but figure out how to add the many places I've lived and when I lived there when they wanted my addresses since 1980! 

(And it's a good thing I spent the rest of the afternoon at home. It was cloudy, damp, and cool for most of the day. It finally rained around the time was talking to Healthy Kids, which made me feel sorry for the kids and their caretakers who would likely be stuck inside. Thankfully, the rain ended not long afterwards and it went back to just being gloomy.)

Put on The Magic Sword to make myself feel better while I did that Federal tax paperwork. A strapping young man (Gary Lockwood) rescues his princess sweetheart from an evil sorcerer (Basil Rathbone) with the help and hindrance of his witch mother (Estelle Woodward). I have to agree with the guys on Mystery Science Theater 3000 that for a Bert I. Gordon production, this wasn't all that bad. Yeah, Lockwood's character was pretty much a jerk, the knights that came back to life didn't have much to do, and the special effects were terrible (the dragons are obvious puppets). Rathbone and Woodward's hilarious performances make the whole thing worth seeing, both the actual film and the MST3K version.

Had dinner while watching Match Game '76. It's too bad there's an episode of this week with Marcia Rodd currently missing (it was supposedly erased by accident when GSN was upgrading the episodes back in the 2000's). Rodd has some funny moments, and Gary Burghoff gets a few digs in at Brett.

Finished the night watching unique game shows with adventure or fantasy themes. Most shows of this nature usually just have a gimmick to make them stand out. The Money Maze from 1975 had couples searching a maze for the bell to ring that would give them a prize. Host Nick Clooney tries to be amiable, but the whole thing comes off as silly.

Whew! from 1979 is silly done right. Two contestants (including a young Julie Brown, later of MTV, in the first episode) place "blocks" on a board of pun-filled questions. The contestants try to answer the questions, make their way up the board, and avoid the blocks. The creative bonus round is "The Gauntlet." The winner makes their way past a row of Hanna-Barbara-designed "villains" while being asked more pun questions. Energetic Tom Kennedy has a great time as host. It's too bad this didn't last a year on CBS, and I don't think Buzzr knew what to do with it, either. This deserved far better than it got from either network.

Pitfall from 1982 had a lot more challenges than its up-and-down set. In this Canadian show, Alex Trebek asked two contestants to predict how the audience would vote on a certain subject. Winner went through a bonus round similar to "The Gauntlet." Here, they're blocked by a series of mechanical elevators. The "pitfall" is the elevators that go down when stepped on. Right answers get them moving again. Not only is this not all that exciting of a game, but the pitfalls were so expensive to set up, the production company went bankrupt. Neither Alex nor the contestants ever got their prizes or money.

The success of American Gladiators in the mid-90's brought out many extreme sports imitations and variations. Knights and Warriors pits two teams against each other and a group of athletes dressed as 80's-early 90's fantasy stereotypes. I'm not a Gladiators fan, but the medieval theme and the warriors' total devotion to playing their roles to the hilt makes this one quite a lot of fun. (Incidentally, if you also enjoyed the show, the full series can currently be found on Tubi.) 

England also got into adventure fantasy shows in the early 90's. The Crystal Maze takes a team of interpret  explorers through four areas. They play three or four games in each area to win a crystal. The more crystals they get, the more time they earn gathering gold paper in the end. If they get enough gold papers, they can win a trip. This is so much fun to watch, no wonder it ran for five series and would be revived in 2016.

Fight warriors, avoid pitfalls, and run the dreaded "Gauntlet" of Hanna-Barbara baddies in these unique adventures! 

The Money Maze Pilot (1975)

Whew! (1979)

Pitfall (1982)

Knights and Warriors (1992)

The Crystal Maze (1994) 

The Password Is Showers

Started off my morning with a quick breakfast and Long Distance Voyager. The Moody Blues' return to their original dreamy progressive rock in their second album to hit number #1 in the US. "Gemini Dream" was the hit; "The Voice" and "Talking Out of Turn" were also popular. I thought "In My World" and "22,000 Days" were lovely and enjoyed the unique "Veteran Cosmic Rocker." 

I didn't trust the weather. It was supposed to storm later. Called Uber, and frankly am glad I did. The driver picking me up didn't even take a minute. He made a wrong turn and somehow ended up going towards West Collingswood, but got turned around in enough time for me to not be late. The driver going home took 4 minutes. At least there was no traffic (or bad weather) in either case.

It didn't finally start raining until around 11 AM...and when it did, it never stormed. We did get an occasional heavy shower, but it was mostly light rain off and on the entire afternoon. The crowds were off and on, too. It was busy when I arrived, but the heavier rain cleared out our customers. It had gotten busy again by the time I was getting ready to go. I spent the entire day pushing carts. Had plenty of help from the Sunday morning bagger and two more in the late morning and afternoon. They took over sweeping the store and putting most of the cold items away. I did gather trash early in the day, but the evening bagger took over that later on. Got in and out with no trouble other than I was damp from the showers.

When I got home, I took a shower, grabbed dinner, and spent the rest of the night on YouTube watching today's game show marathon. Today, Allen Ludden is best-known for hosting the first three versions of Password, including the original 1961-1967 run that my mother loved watching with her grandparents and the 1971-1975 ABC version. The game was enjoyably simple. A celebrity described a word for a contestant and tried to get them to guess the word. The more clues used, the fewer points they got. Winners moved on to the Lightning Round, where they would describe five words in 60 seconds. 

I don't think any host is more associated with the show than Allen. He met Betty White playing on that show; they announced their marriage on an episode that also featured their good friend Jack Paar. Betty would also be on the final color week of the original show with Frank Gifford (best-known nowadays as the husband of Kathie Lee Gifford).

There's a lot less of the 1971-1975 version kicking around. Alas, ABC erased this years ago (supposedly with Family Feud). Brett Somers plays her then-husband Jack Klugman in the episode from 1971 included here...and had her rear handed to her, according to her several years later on Match Game. 

After the success of shows like The Price Is Right changed the rules for game shows, ABC tried to fancy this up with a big celebrity tournament. Only the last episode of Password All-Stars exists today, but it's hilarious enough to make me wish the entire tournament was available. Betty White, Richard Dawson, Bill Bixby, and Hal Linden have a blast playing each other...especially giving rather loud clues for "hallelujah!" We also got to see where Allen got the Tank watch he mentions in the week he and Betty did on Match Game together later in 1975 in the Password '75 series finale - Mark Goodson gave it to him. 

It wasn't until the debut of Password Plus in 1979 that Goodson-Todman finally figured out how to update the game without making it overly complicated. Now, contestants and celebrities guessed five words that lead to a subject. Guessing the subject would win them the round. Winners went on to the Alphabetics round, where they would guess 10 words in alphabetical order. 

Allen hosted most of the first year, but it was clear he was tiring. He took four weeks off during April 1980, when Bill Cullen took over. Bill was sweet and amiable, but really too slow for this show. Not to mention, he was also hosting Chain Reaction at the time. Allen returned until late October, when he finally left for good. He did see some really fun episodes in his first year, including the hilarious week where Betty kept flirting with handsome John Phillip Law. 

Of course, Allen did host other shows. In fact, he was hosting GE College Bowl when he was offered Password. Two teams of college students face off in increasingly difficult questions. This one started on radio in the 50's, but by the time Allen left in 1962 to focus on Password, it had moved to TV. 

My other favorite Allen series is Liar's Club, which I've featured with comedy shows and panel shows a couple of times on this blog. Four comedians or character actors describe a unique antique object. The contestants have to decide which one is telling the truth. This cross between Wordplay and To Tell the Truth made the most out of its hilarious panels and their wacky descriptions. Betty's joined here by Buddy Hackett, Peter Haskall, and show co-creator Larry Hovis. 

Allen also had his share of failures. Win With the Stars was a syndicated revival of the Wink Martindale guess-the-song show What's That Song? Bob Crane and June Lockheart did their best to help guide contestants into singing the correct lyrics to a familiar standard, sort of a proto-Don't Forget the Lyrics, but the show only lasted a year. The overly-complicated connect-the-word game Stumpers! from 1976 didn't get past three months. 

He also hosted several pilots that never made it to air. Of these, my favorite was The Smart Alecks. Three celebrity panelists judge whether someone's invention is worthy of being marketed. It helped that the panelists were Pat Carroll, Don Meredith, and Allen's own discovery David Letterman. Like I said on the chat, between their wisecracks and some unique inventors, this was more of a one-off comedy special than a failed pilot. 

Talking Pictures was almost as funny. Allen led two contestants in trying to remember which secret belongs to which panel member behind a sliding door, in what amounted to a cross between Concentration, I've Got a Secret, and Laugh-In. Great panel for a one-off pilot too, including Carol Burnett, Ann Miller, Angela Cartwright, Peter Lawford, Lorne Greene, and Stubby Kaye. 

Allen was also the original host of The Joker's Wild in its pilot. The main game is pretty much the same as it would be in the actual version, but the bonus round is very different. Contestants spin for prizes rather than money amounts. By the time CBS finally picked this up, Allen had moved to ABC, and they reluctantly turned it over to its creator Jack Barry. 

The password is...class act! Celebrate the life and career of one of the classiest hosts on TV and the man who won the heart of its favorite comedienne for life!

Allen Ludden Grand Finale Marathon

First Harvest of the Season

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and the Silly Symphony "Elmer Elephant." Elmer is a sweet little fellow with a crush on Tillie Tiger. She appreciates the flowers he brings for her birthday, but the other animal kids make fun of his long nose. His trunk proves to be more useful than they think when it's the only thing that can save Tillie from her burning treehouse!

Made a quick run to Collingswood next for their first farm market of the season. Between the farm market, the holiday weekend, and this being the day of Collingswood's Town-Wide Yard Sale, the farm market was packed elbow-to-elbow. Disappointingly, they didn't really have much in the way of produce. It was mostly leftovers from the winter. I just ended up with some Fuji apples from the orchard booth. Peeked at a few yard sales on the way home, but saw nothing of interest.

Put on Alice's Wonderland Bakery while I put the apples away and got ready for work. Alice and her friends hear a unique voice singing in some part of the garden and try to find it to perform a solo with the flowers. It turns out to be in the last place anyone would look...but it provides the right ingredient for "A Special Blend" that can sing in harmony. Rosa wants the March Hare to help fix her mother's cape after it tears on a windy day. "The Princess and the Hare" incorporate all the things she loves into the design. After it gets caught in the wind again, Alice encourages Rosa to do something different with it. 

Hurried off to work after the cartoon ended. No trouble there. We were busy when I arrived, but by the time I finished, it had only just started picking up again. The weather held, too. It was supposed to have rained later in the day, but we barely had clouds in the evening. It was hot and humid, in the upper 80's, but we never got anything like rain. I even got a free donut and bag of Herr's Mexican Street Corn popcorn with online coupons. (Oh, and I did get both letters for the interview on Monday, too.)

Finished the night back at YouTube with another music-based show. Country singers and country-based stars turned up quite often on Match Game. The most frequently appearing country star was charming "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson, who was a semi-regular in his own right between 1976 and 1982. He was an enjoyable presence and not a bad player who got in on several famous weeks, including the week Jack and Brett were on the same panel after their divorce/separation.

There were other country stars who did fewer weeks on the show. Mel Tillis turned up in 1977 and even got to sing a bit of his best-known hit, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town." Also on in 1977 was a delightful Minnie Pearl. I wish they'd gotten her from the Grand Ol' Opry again. She was warm, funny, and not a bad player. Connie Stevens recorded a few country albums during her long career. She too started late in '77 and would appear through 1981. Irlene Mandrell was adorable with Fannie Flagg in one of the last weeks of the syndicated run in 1982. Guich Kotch provided eye candy and quite a bit of charm (even though he didn't seem to quite get the  humor) in 1978 and 1979.

Bring your twangy gi-tar and join in the sing along with some of the most beloved country stars of the 70's and 80's!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Country Music Showcase

And here's that review of Fiesta with Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban from yesterday!

Celebrating Cinco Del Mayo - Fiesta (1947) 

Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Got a late start this morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Asks What Friends Like" when it's his job to greet the kids coming in and he needs to find out whether they prefer a high five, a hug, or a wave. Later, he has to explain to Prince Wednesday why he prefers being called "Daniel," not "Danny." Katrina is the waitress at "Miss Elaina's Space Restaurant," but she wants to wear her apron as a cape, and Elaina likes it as an apron.

Watched Supermarket Sweep while making my grocery list. The two women in the first team clearly dominated the game. They got by far the most time in the mini games and made the most in the Big Sweep. But when it came time to do the bonus round, they couldn't find the small bottle of Neet hair remover they were looking for.

Went out to run errands after the episode ended. I was a bit surprised to see teens milling around when I arrived at the Westmont Plaza. They were mainly wearing uniforms, so I assume the catholic high school down the street Paul VI got out early. At least the kids aren't interested in Sprouts. I had no trouble picking up granola bars, coconut milk, and dried apricots. It's going to be too hot to bake this week, so I found vegan chocolate chip cookies on clearance. Found a Cove flavor they didn't have at the Acme (raspberry) and decided to try Reed Soda, since it was on sale.

My next stop went less well. I did pick up two of the newest Tea Shop Mysteries books at the Haddon Township Library, Murder In the Tea Leaves and Peach Tea Smash, and a book by the lady who wrote Wintering, Enchantment, on finding the delight in everyday beauty. They weren't willing to write me a letter of recommendation, though. There was no one still working at the library who remembered when I volunteered there. Bryanna wouldn't, either. They weren't a job, only a non-profit organization. I'm going to have to ask the Acme for a second letter tomorrow.

Did better at the Westmont Acme down the street. Found a very pretty Mother's Day card for my mom. Strawberries, Made Good granola bars, and Choboni yogurt were all on sale with online coupons. Thought I'd try Skyr Yogurt's cold brew coffee flavor on a decent sale as well. Fished an adorable little aqua and pink Squishmallow cow named Ysmaris out of the Easter clearance cart. Her tag says she's an Easter muralist, but her coloring is generic enough for her to be out the entire spring season. Popwell and Jones sodas were also on good sales. 

Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. It's really beautiful there now. The leaves on the trees get more and more green by the day. Wildflowers wave in the breeze, and I got a glimpse of the new playground equipment that they finally finished across the lake as I rode by. They also put gravel down at the base of the path going over the hill to the Haddon Township Environmental Center. 

Put on Fiesta when I got home while having lunch and putting everything away. I'll go further into this unique Mexican-set vehicle for Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban tomorrow on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog for Cinco Del Mayo.

Got my schedule at this point. In good news, I did get next Saturday off as I asked for the Haddon Township Town-Wide Yard Sale (since I did so well with that last year), along with Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  Bad news is I work long hours when I am there, including an 8 1/2 hour day on Wednesday. No idea what's going on there. 

I vacuumed and Swiftered during the second half of Fiesta. Continued dusting while watching Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In in honor of Ruth Buzzi, the comedienne who passed away today. She was so associated with the show, she would be one of only four actors to appear in all six seasons (and the others were hosts Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and announcer Gary Owens). I started with the very first episode, featuring guest stars Flip Wilson, Barbara Feldon, and a number from the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Buzzi got to do a hilarious opera spoof with Arte Johnson mid-way through during a "talent show," with them in Wagnerian horned headdresses singing an operatic version of a rock song. Also during the talent show segment, we got to hear Tiny Tim perform his own...unique...version of "On the Good Ship Lollipop." 

Looked up some things online while watching the episode of The Monkees Buzzi appeared in. A few months before Laugh-In began, she played a far more amiable little old lady than frumpy Gladys in the second season episode "A Coffin Too Frequent." The Monkees prove her scheming nephew (George Firth) is a fraud during a goofy seance while dodging his enormous and menacing assistant. 

It had been gorgeous for most of the day, sunny and breezy...but it was also very hot, into the upper 80's. It was too hot for cooking, and I was tired of leftovers. I went down to Crown Chicken and Gyro and bought a chicken gyro and fries for dinner. Ate at home while watching Match Game '76. Bonnie Franklin turned up for the first time in the first episode, which also brought in folksy Bill Anderson. Scoey Mitchilll was happier to finally get an ovation after he got an especially good answer in the second.

Took a shower, then put on Buzzi's episode of The Muppet Show. She was one of the first stars on its very first season, probably because she always seemed like something of a human Muppet anyway. Her big number was "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" as a princess who was really into Sweetums. She also plays a soldier who talks - and talks - after being tortured and did a panel show spoof on whether the human body is obsolete. Kermit has more trouble backstage when Scooter creates a wind-up version of him created by his uncle. After the wind-up Kermit hits on her, Piggy tries slapping him...inadvertently discovering her signature karate chop instead! 

Finished the night back at Tubi with the cut-ups at Laugh-In. Wild and wacky Johnathan Winters was a natural fit for this show in a third season episode that had Arte Johnson's dirty old man flirting with his Maude Frickert, to the dismay of Buzzi's Gladys! Winters also played a cop that had to deal with the infamous Frakas family. Lily Tomilin joins the cast here...and proceeds to talk Dan Rowan's ear off during a segment on travel jokes.

By the fifth season, Tomlin and Buzzi had been joined by Richard Dawson, Alan Sues, Barbara Shawma,  Johnny Brown, and child actor Moosie Drier. With Fannie Flagg and Ann Elder doing blackout gags, this episode almost felt like a warm-up for the new version of Match Game that debuted two years later. Health and exercise advocate Jack LaLane's appearance sparked a round of health and fitness gags and jokes, while Buddy Hackett joined Brown for weight gags. Sally Struthers tosses in commentary on the then-success of her show All In the Family. Buzzi's Gladys dreams of being married to Sigmund Freud, but it's not as sexy as she first believes. 

Travels to the Library

The day did not begin well. I thought that interview with Healthy Kids was tomorrow. Turns out it was today. I had barely enough time to change and eat breakfast before they told me I didn't have everything I needed. Oh, I have the job. They just need more paperwork, including my college transcript and two letters of recommendation. I rescheduled the interview for Monday.

After that, I did the paperwork I could finish now, then called Uber. I have no idea why the Mt. Laurel Library's book sale was so late - it's usually in April - but it is today through Saturday. Fortunately, I had no trouble getting there. The driver going to Mt. Laurel arrived in 7 minutes. The one going home got there in 3. No traffic either way, not even in Cherry Hill.

The Mt. Laurel Library Book Sale was in a slightly bigger room this year, but that still didn't make it more organized or easier to get around all the people looking for bargains. Even when it started to clear out a bit around 1:30, I still had a hard time finding things. I eventually came up with four records, four CDs (two are part of a double set), three books, and a DVD of the 1975 historical action film The Man Who Would Be King. The records are:

Gold - The Best of Sesame Street (2-Disc set)

The Brubeck Laverne Trio - See How It Feels

Remember the Golden Days of Radio Volume 1 and 2

The CDs are: 

The Glenn Miller Orchestra - In the Christmas Mood II (I've had this on cassette for years and have been looking for the CD version.)

The Beatles - Live at the BBC (2-Disc set) 

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall

 The books are: 

The Tempest by William Shakespeare (My favorite of his plays.)

Six Stunning Sirens by Lynn Cahoon

Murder In an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor

The driver passed Stacks on 38 in Moorestown on the way to Mt. Laurel. I originally thought of them for lunch, but I got out at almost 2, and they close then. After I got in, I brought everything upstairs, changed into sneakers, and ate at the Legacy Diner in Audubon instead. Had a short stack of "Chunky Monkey" pancakes, which turned out to be pancakes with chocolate chips and huge slices of banana. Very tasty and big as the plate. Good thing I only ordered the short stack. Tried a tasty linzer cookie that was almost as big.

I was really in Audubon to stop at the Acme and ask the head manager to write me a letter of recommendation. Thank goodness he was still in, and he's a nice guy who had no trouble doing so. I told him I'd pick it up when I came on Saturday. Grabbed a Lemon Perfect drink on sale after that and dodged evening rush hour traffic going home.

At least the weather was gorgeous for all the running around. It was perfectly sunny and dry today, in the upper 70's without a cloud in the sky. Dry and breezy, too. You'd never know it's supposed to rain all weekend.

When I got in, I ordered a copy of my college transcript and had dinner while watching Riding High. I go further into this year's Kentucky Derby horse racing musical featuring Bing Crosby and directed by Frank Capra at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Riding High (1950)

Had dinner while watching Press Your Luck, then Match Game '76. Finished the night listening to two of my recent CD finds while working on the Riding High review. Until I saw The Buddy Holly Story, I hadn't realized just how familiar I was with Buddy Holly and his work. I didn't know he originally wrote and sang "Everyday" and "Rave On." Other songs of his I was more familiar with include "That'll Be the Day," "Oh Boy!" and "Peggy Sue."

Dave Brubeck and his jazz combo took their sound out of the colleges and into Carnegie Hall in February 1963 in The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall. They kick off with an epic "St. Louis Blues" and finish with Brubeck's famous "Take Five," but there's some nice stuff in between as well. I especially enjoyed "For All We Know," "Three to Get Ready," and "It's a Raggy Waltz."