Began my day with breakfast and Sale of the Century. The woman champ blew the competition away, coming way ahead of everyone else, finding a money card, and getting twice as much money on the speed round. She even got the Irish vacation she'd had her eye on. She made a few bobbles in the "guess the six-word puzzle" bonus round, but ultimately won the money with two seconds to spare. Headed off to work at Supermarket Sweep began.
Once again, I started off the day with gathering carts. It was the perfect weather for it. It was sunny, bright, breezy, and the hottest it's been since September, probably in the mid-80's. I did get called in later to do cleaning and sweeping after the head bagger ended up in a register, but I only worked four hours today. I didn't have to clean and run errands for that long.
Went straight into grocery shopping after work. I really needed vegetables. Bagged spinach and cherries were on a good sale, and I had online coupons. Blueberries were on sale too; we'd finally gotten the first US crop of the year. Cucumbers were also surprisingly cheap. Saw turkey bacon on sale and thought I'd have bacon spinach salad for dinner sometime this week. I also had online coupons for yogurt and Friendly's ice cream. The Duncan Hines premium cake mix flavors were on a rare good sale; thought I'd try making red velvet cookies. Restocked mushrooms, bananas, broccoli, minced garlic, brown and white sugar, lentils, and cereal. Found four pencil boxes on clearance. They weren't much nicer than dollar-store versions, but I thought they'd be useful for stray art supplies at home.
My schedule next week is a lot busier. Once again, I mostly work in the early morning...except for one random late afternoon-early evening day next Friday. Monday and Tuesday off. While I appreciate the money, it's also tiring, especially at a time when most people are supposed to be staying at home. At least I'm not sick, and I have no one sick at my apartment, plus I have the move to focus on.
I was so concentrating on all that, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going as I rode down the sidewalk on the Black Horse Pike. I didn't see the white car turning into Audubon Park until it was too late and I'd already hit the side. Cherries went flying across the road, one cup of yogurt ended up in the grassy meridian, and I landed hard on the street on my left side.
A young woman in blue came flying out in horror and immediately offered to help. I told her it was my fault; she said it was hers. (Looking back later, I think we were both probably not paying attention.) She did put on a mask and helped me round up the cherries (at the proper distance), which I planned on washing when I got home anyway. The yogurt cup was in good shape, not a scratch or crack on it. Only two cherries got squashed, and that because we stepped on them while trying to gather them. I walked the bike until I got into Oaklyn, then rode the rest of the way home.
By the time I made it back to Manor, it was very clear that while the bike was running fine, I was not. My left knee had scrapes and a nasty bruise, but it otherwise moved normally. The left elbow was so sore, I couldn't bend it all the way, and it hurt to move it. I had to carry my grocery bag upstairs and open the door with one hand.
As soon as I got in, I started putting everything away. My colored pencils and glitter fabric pens were kept in an old plastic cup and an extra-large coffee mug. The colored pencils, along with spare pens and mechanical pencils in the bedroom desk, went into the pencil boxes. The glitter fabric pens fit nicely into one of the plastic ice cream pint containers that are so thick, they can double as holders for small items.
Changed, then went online. First order of business was checking to see if Cooper Urgent Care in Audubon, which did a great job checking out my arthritic thumb in 2018, was open and accepting non-virus-related patients. They were, with the usual social distancing restrictions. I'll walk there first thing tomorrow. Audubon isn't far, and other than the scraped-up knee, my legs feel well enough to walk.
Second was ordering dinner. I intended to treat myself to a delivered meal anyway. I figured I needed it, after the last few weeks! Now, I really wasn't up to cooking. While it costs 2 dollars extra, Phillies Phatties does do at-home drop-off. I ordered fries, a chicken gyro, and a can of Pepsi.
Managed a little writing after that. Jo Ann (Pflug), the flower fairy, reveals that she and the other fairies can transform the women's outfits into gowns that will get them into the ball at Password Palace. Trouble is, the only way to get there is through the village of Holly Woods, and the town is heavily guarded by Ira and his men. Big Orson the troll has his own ways of dealing with them...
Went downstairs to pick up my dinner at five minutes of 7. I usually avoid ordering takeout. My apartment is in the back of a house, on the end of a dead-end street, and is next-door to a park. No one can ever find it! I decided to save the poor guy the trouble and waited on the curb for him instead. He was only five or so minutes late; I gave him the money right in his car, and he plesantly handed me the change and food.
Yum! It was worth the wait. The gyro was huge and filled with big, juicy, perfectly seasoned chicken slices and lots of onion, tomato, and Tzatziki sauce. The fries were crispy and salty, but I didn't realize the gyro came with fries, too. I'll see if I can re-heat the larger order tomorrow.
Watched more Sale of the Century before going online to chat with Lauren. For the second day in a row, it was a neck-and-neck race, this time between two men, that came down to a tie after the speed round. The guy who won decided he wanted to wait on other prizes and opted to return the next day.
And...I'm walking to Cooper Urgent Care first thing tomorrow morning. My lower left arm hurts like hell, even after taking aspirin. I even called out of work on Sunday because I knew darn well I wasn't going to be able to clean or push carts with a bum arm.
At the very least, I'm in a better position than I was when I chipped my ankle and had to stay home for two months in the fall of 2012. I have streaming shows and movies to watch and review along with DVDs and plenty of books to read and records and CDs to listen to. I'll finally have the time to build up my courage to look into work-from-home options. At the moment, I have more food stamps than I can use in a month. I just found out tonight that food stamp renewals from the first half of the year were granted six-month extensions, which means I won't have to worry about renewing mine until December.
But most of all...I have money in the bank, and I can walk. And not only that, with the pandemic going on, there aren't too many places I could go anyway. I'll have enough money to pay my rent and bills at least for next month. Plus, I haven't used any of my vacation time yet. I was going to save at least one week for moving in late June-early July, but maybe I'll use it sooner...
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Friday, May 15, 2020
Thursday, May 14, 2020
On a Clear Day...
Began a sunny morning with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. This time, the panel voted on a multi-talented blind man who rescued his toddler daughter from drowning by listening for her air bubbles. Once again, the votes were all over the place. Gene Rayburn and I went for stocky number 3, but it proved to be number 2. (And the guy really did do everything. He went to the Olympics as a wrestler, recorded an album, and golfed and played basketball, among many other things.)
Work's still really crazy. I started in the bathroom, but they pulled me after less than an hour to do carts. At least it was a gorgeous day for it. It was a bit breezy, but also warm, probably into the upper 60's-lower 70's. Ended up inside after lunch to help a customer and return the (many) things she didn't want.
Rushed home as soon as I could get out. Changed and watched Super Password while having a snack and preparing my laundry. Pat Sajak of Wheel of Fortune and cranky Vicki Lawrence of The Carol Burnett Show and Mama's Family helped a gentleman and lady win quite a bit of money...when Vicki wasn't complaining loudly about the "Cashword" toaster that didn't work and often held words that were too hard to describe.
Dashed out to the laundromat after the show ended. I mostly wanted to get work clothes done. It was busy enough when I arrived for me to head two blocks down and across the street to WaWa. Treated myself to a Cookie Dough Smoothie on the way out. It was a vanilla smoothie with cookie bits that were so big, they kept clogging my straw. At least I didn't have that big of a load, and my clothes were in and out of the drier in a flash. Good thing, too. It got cloudy as I was leaving work and has stayed that way the rest of the day (though it hasn't rained yet at press time).
Worked on writing for a little while after I put everything away. How will they get into the palace, asks Fannie. Why, disguise of course, Richard suggests. He'll pose as a prince again, with Gene as his major domo. There's still what to do about Fannie, and clothes for the entire crowd...
Broke for leftovers for dinner and Sale of the Century at 7. The woman champion was once again neck-and-neck with the sole man the entire time. They actually tied in the speed round, and she just barely won the tiebreaker. She decided not to risk another tie and went for a pair of cars instead of returning.
Finished the night with On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, which can currently be found for free on demand at Pluto TV. I go further into this unique musical featuring Barbra Streisand as a woman who has lived multiple lives at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Oh, and while the syndicated premieres will continue, Match Game marathons are on hiatus for a while. The man who makes these and cleans them up just lost his mother to meningitis and understandably isn't up to anything complicated at the moment.
Work's still really crazy. I started in the bathroom, but they pulled me after less than an hour to do carts. At least it was a gorgeous day for it. It was a bit breezy, but also warm, probably into the upper 60's-lower 70's. Ended up inside after lunch to help a customer and return the (many) things she didn't want.
Rushed home as soon as I could get out. Changed and watched Super Password while having a snack and preparing my laundry. Pat Sajak of Wheel of Fortune and cranky Vicki Lawrence of The Carol Burnett Show and Mama's Family helped a gentleman and lady win quite a bit of money...when Vicki wasn't complaining loudly about the "Cashword" toaster that didn't work and often held words that were too hard to describe.
Dashed out to the laundromat after the show ended. I mostly wanted to get work clothes done. It was busy enough when I arrived for me to head two blocks down and across the street to WaWa. Treated myself to a Cookie Dough Smoothie on the way out. It was a vanilla smoothie with cookie bits that were so big, they kept clogging my straw. At least I didn't have that big of a load, and my clothes were in and out of the drier in a flash. Good thing, too. It got cloudy as I was leaving work and has stayed that way the rest of the day (though it hasn't rained yet at press time).
Worked on writing for a little while after I put everything away. How will they get into the palace, asks Fannie. Why, disguise of course, Richard suggests. He'll pose as a prince again, with Gene as his major domo. There's still what to do about Fannie, and clothes for the entire crowd...
Broke for leftovers for dinner and Sale of the Century at 7. The woman champion was once again neck-and-neck with the sole man the entire time. They actually tied in the speed round, and she just barely won the tiebreaker. She decided not to risk another tie and went for a pair of cars instead of returning.
Finished the night with On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, which can currently be found for free on demand at Pluto TV. I go further into this unique musical featuring Barbra Streisand as a woman who has lived multiple lives at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Oh, and while the syndicated premieres will continue, Match Game marathons are on hiatus for a while. The man who makes these and cleans them up just lost his mother to meningitis and understandably isn't up to anything complicated at the moment.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Creating Stories
Began a beautiful, sunny day with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. I got to see the first contestant, a woman who spent 20 years searching for her birth parents and wrote a book about it, The Search for Anna Fisher. The panelists' votes were all over the map; I went for upbeat number 2. Turns it out it was quiet and sensible number 3. She started a company that helps adoptees who want to find their birth parents seek them out and pushes for laws allowing adopted people to know where they come from.
Work was pretty much the same as it has been the past week - I spent it cleaning. It did help that we were quite as busy. The lines were long because we didn't have enough help, not because there were a lot of people around. There's still at least five people on leave who don't want to work during all this, and three others who are on vacation. Thankfully, I was able to avoid a lot of the trouble I had the past few days and at least got some things done, including rounding up overflowing trash in the employee room.
Did a little writing after I got home and took out my own trash. Fannie explains that her contact at the palace gave her information about how to get to Malade and her prisoners at the ball. The others, especially Richard, want to go right away, but not only does Fannie not have an invitation, but she doesn't have a gown. Someone might recognize her as a servant...
Broke for dinner at 7. Watched Sale of the Century while eating leftovers. I think I've seen this before. The woman champ went back and forth with the sole man; both bought Instant Bargains, but the lady got the 25 dollar card on the Fame Game board and blazed through the speed round. She finally decided she wanted a lovely fur and opted to return.
Finished the night after a shower with something a little different on YouTube. From 1943 to 1947, the British Gainsborough Studio made a series of action-filled melodramas most people would regard as big-screen bodice-rippers today. The Wicked Lady was one of the most popular. Scheming Barbara Worth (Margaret Lockwood) married the handsome but dull magistrate Sir Ralph Skelton (Griffith Jones) for his money, stealing him from her doormat friend Caroline (Patricia Roc). Not only did she meet the handsome Kit (Michael Rennie) after that, but she's bored. After a spoiled debutante wins her prized broach, she dresses as a highwayman to get it back. Craving the excitement, she continues posing as a bandit, even after she meets and begins an affair with the real one (James Mason). But when one of the robberies is bungled and Barbara is forced to kill a man, it starts her off in a web of deception and death that makes her realize just how much her craving for something a little spicier in her life has cost her.
Cynical costumer is saved by a sumptuous production and by Mason and Lockwood's searing chemistry as a pair of well-dressed bandits who live for kicks and to use everyone around them. If you love dark romances or costume action movies, you'll want to check around YouTube for this one.
And I now have two more Match Game fanfic ideas. In "Murder Is Blank," Brett imagines that she's the owner of a detective agency, with Richard and Charles as her operatives, Gene as the head of the local cops, Gary Burghoff as Charles' assistant, Marcia Wallace as her secretary, Elaine Joyce as the usual mysterious blonde who asks them to find her husband, and her then-real-life husband Bobby Van as the missing hubby. It'll be played as a full-out film noir spoof, with references to other tough-guy mysteries of the 30's and 40's and to black-and-white.
"Superhero Blank" has Gene and the regulars involved in an accident on-set that leaves them with superpowers. Charles isn't sure about this, but Brett's ecstatic that she now has a great way to stick it to her (kind of) ex-husband. Richard, however, has bigger plans - they can use their powers for good and not only help people win money, but keep them safe, too. Not only is there the concern that someone might find out about their newfound abilities, but while rescuing people, the quartet stumble onto a real-life super villain who is scarier than anything in the comics that Richard and Brett's sons read...and far closer to home.
Work was pretty much the same as it has been the past week - I spent it cleaning. It did help that we were quite as busy. The lines were long because we didn't have enough help, not because there were a lot of people around. There's still at least five people on leave who don't want to work during all this, and three others who are on vacation. Thankfully, I was able to avoid a lot of the trouble I had the past few days and at least got some things done, including rounding up overflowing trash in the employee room.
Did a little writing after I got home and took out my own trash. Fannie explains that her contact at the palace gave her information about how to get to Malade and her prisoners at the ball. The others, especially Richard, want to go right away, but not only does Fannie not have an invitation, but she doesn't have a gown. Someone might recognize her as a servant...
Broke for dinner at 7. Watched Sale of the Century while eating leftovers. I think I've seen this before. The woman champ went back and forth with the sole man; both bought Instant Bargains, but the lady got the 25 dollar card on the Fame Game board and blazed through the speed round. She finally decided she wanted a lovely fur and opted to return.
Finished the night after a shower with something a little different on YouTube. From 1943 to 1947, the British Gainsborough Studio made a series of action-filled melodramas most people would regard as big-screen bodice-rippers today. The Wicked Lady was one of the most popular. Scheming Barbara Worth (Margaret Lockwood) married the handsome but dull magistrate Sir Ralph Skelton (Griffith Jones) for his money, stealing him from her doormat friend Caroline (Patricia Roc). Not only did she meet the handsome Kit (Michael Rennie) after that, but she's bored. After a spoiled debutante wins her prized broach, she dresses as a highwayman to get it back. Craving the excitement, she continues posing as a bandit, even after she meets and begins an affair with the real one (James Mason). But when one of the robberies is bungled and Barbara is forced to kill a man, it starts her off in a web of deception and death that makes her realize just how much her craving for something a little spicier in her life has cost her.
Cynical costumer is saved by a sumptuous production and by Mason and Lockwood's searing chemistry as a pair of well-dressed bandits who live for kicks and to use everyone around them. If you love dark romances or costume action movies, you'll want to check around YouTube for this one.
And I now have two more Match Game fanfic ideas. In "Murder Is Blank," Brett imagines that she's the owner of a detective agency, with Richard and Charles as her operatives, Gene as the head of the local cops, Gary Burghoff as Charles' assistant, Marcia Wallace as her secretary, Elaine Joyce as the usual mysterious blonde who asks them to find her husband, and her then-real-life husband Bobby Van as the missing hubby. It'll be played as a full-out film noir spoof, with references to other tough-guy mysteries of the 30's and 40's and to black-and-white.
"Superhero Blank" has Gene and the regulars involved in an accident on-set that leaves them with superpowers. Charles isn't sure about this, but Brett's ecstatic that she now has a great way to stick it to her (kind of) ex-husband. Richard, however, has bigger plans - they can use their powers for good and not only help people win money, but keep them safe, too. Not only is there the concern that someone might find out about their newfound abilities, but while rescuing people, the quartet stumble onto a real-life super villain who is scarier than anything in the comics that Richard and Brett's sons read...and far closer to home.
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Dolls and Springtime Matches
Kicked off a sunny and beautiful morning with breakfast and Split Second. It was a close race in this one, with the young man and one of the women neck-and-neck during the speed round. In the end, she pulled ahead and won. The lady couldn't find the car on the revolving boards and opted to come back and try again. A mother and her daughter-in-law went up against a handsome young man in Blockbusters. He won the first round, but they won the second. He'd just pulled ahead in the third as the show ended.
Headed out to run a quick errand after Blockbusters finished. I'm almost out of shampoo, and the Acme currently doesn't have the Pantene curl formula I like in stock. I grabbed it at CVS, along with razors and dish washing liquid. The Nature's Valley sandwich cookies were on sale; picked up an Almond Butter box.
At least it was a nice day for a ride. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and while it remained windy, it wasn't anywhere near as chilly as over the weekend. I took the long way down Manheim and Reading over to Beechwood and very much enjoyed all the greenery and Technicolor gardens. I wasn't the only one, either. I saw lots of kids out riding their bikes and playing catch or shooting baskets, and plenty of adults jogging or walking their dogs.
Put everything away when I got in, then watched Roman Scandals on the TV Time Fantasy app while putting together Banana Muffins for work this week. I go into more detail on this ribald fantasy musical with Eddie Cantor and numbers by Busby Berkeley at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Roman Scandals
Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while cleaning up and eating a quick lunch. "Daniel's Blueberry Paws" comes from the frozen fruit bars his mom buys him and Margaret on the beach. He's so enamored by the other choices in the frozen treats cart, he almost lets his bar melt. His mother reminds him to focus on the present and enjoy the "wow" that's happening now. "Wow at the Library" has X reading Daniel and his nephew O a pop-up story. O wants to read more books before they even finish the current one, but his uncle and Dan remind him to finish the story first. Prince Wednesday also has to be reminded to focus on the present when they put on a puppet show and he's easily distracted by other puppets.
Dressed the dolls for warmer weather and more rough-and-tumble holidays next. In the books, Samantha's birthday is in May. She gets her pink-striped birthday dress and lacy pinafore. Jessa wears a modern AG t-shirt with a big purple flower, jean capris, and red clogs. Ariel is also dressed for play in a tie-dye t-shirt, overall shorts, sneakers, and yellow socks. Josefina wears her lovely red, white, and gold Dress and Vest outfit with her gold heirloom shawl. Molly wears a hand-made version of her hard-to-find Victory Garden dress I got on eBay. Whitney's dress is also from eBay. The full-skirted white outfit with the pastel polka dots was listed as being for Molly, but it looks more 50's than 40's to me. Whitney wears it with shiny purple Our Generation shoes and the big pink ribbon headband from Samantha's Spring Dress. (Left Felicity in her pink birthday pinner outfit. I don't really have much to change her into.)
Worked on writing for a little bit after I put away the dolls' things. Betty is so upset by seeing her husband cursed and transformed, she angrily knocks over the barrel Gene cast the spell on before Malade reveals what she turned him into or how to get him out of it. Gene's so worn out from using magic, he can't get the vision back, either. Fannie comes in as they're cleaning up the water to reveal that her contact told her what Malade intends for the ball...and her prisoners...
Finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. Crusty Ed Asner is best-known today for his role as Lou Grant in the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the drama Lou Grant, but he did pop up on the show from time to time. To be honest, he wasn't a very good player, but he was a fun guest, usually being ready with a slightly grouchy quip or joke as he gave his (wrong) answer. Along with being present for the infamous "School Riot," he was also around for possibly the show's most infamous male contestant. Lyle was a go-getting fellow from Las Vegas with a flashy toupee and a wild way with an answer. He didn't win much money, and I think Richard Dawson in particular found him to be more annoying than anything, but he was certainly memorable.
(Asner's last week on Match Game was actually in 1978...but alas, it would seem the other major guest that week, Valerie Bertenelli, hasn't cleared her appearances yet and won't allow the episodes to be seen.)
Here's the entire marathon, so you can try to match wits and answers with Lou Grant, too! Tomorrow's focus switches to a later male semi-regular, jovial and rotund comedian Richard Paul.
The Best of Ed Asner on Match Game Marathon 1975 - 1977
Headed out to run a quick errand after Blockbusters finished. I'm almost out of shampoo, and the Acme currently doesn't have the Pantene curl formula I like in stock. I grabbed it at CVS, along with razors and dish washing liquid. The Nature's Valley sandwich cookies were on sale; picked up an Almond Butter box.
At least it was a nice day for a ride. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and while it remained windy, it wasn't anywhere near as chilly as over the weekend. I took the long way down Manheim and Reading over to Beechwood and very much enjoyed all the greenery and Technicolor gardens. I wasn't the only one, either. I saw lots of kids out riding their bikes and playing catch or shooting baskets, and plenty of adults jogging or walking their dogs.
Put everything away when I got in, then watched Roman Scandals on the TV Time Fantasy app while putting together Banana Muffins for work this week. I go into more detail on this ribald fantasy musical with Eddie Cantor and numbers by Busby Berkeley at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Roman Scandals
Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while cleaning up and eating a quick lunch. "Daniel's Blueberry Paws" comes from the frozen fruit bars his mom buys him and Margaret on the beach. He's so enamored by the other choices in the frozen treats cart, he almost lets his bar melt. His mother reminds him to focus on the present and enjoy the "wow" that's happening now. "Wow at the Library" has X reading Daniel and his nephew O a pop-up story. O wants to read more books before they even finish the current one, but his uncle and Dan remind him to finish the story first. Prince Wednesday also has to be reminded to focus on the present when they put on a puppet show and he's easily distracted by other puppets.
Dressed the dolls for warmer weather and more rough-and-tumble holidays next. In the books, Samantha's birthday is in May. She gets her pink-striped birthday dress and lacy pinafore. Jessa wears a modern AG t-shirt with a big purple flower, jean capris, and red clogs. Ariel is also dressed for play in a tie-dye t-shirt, overall shorts, sneakers, and yellow socks. Josefina wears her lovely red, white, and gold Dress and Vest outfit with her gold heirloom shawl. Molly wears a hand-made version of her hard-to-find Victory Garden dress I got on eBay. Whitney's dress is also from eBay. The full-skirted white outfit with the pastel polka dots was listed as being for Molly, but it looks more 50's than 40's to me. Whitney wears it with shiny purple Our Generation shoes and the big pink ribbon headband from Samantha's Spring Dress. (Left Felicity in her pink birthday pinner outfit. I don't really have much to change her into.)
Worked on writing for a little bit after I put away the dolls' things. Betty is so upset by seeing her husband cursed and transformed, she angrily knocks over the barrel Gene cast the spell on before Malade reveals what she turned him into or how to get him out of it. Gene's so worn out from using magic, he can't get the vision back, either. Fannie comes in as they're cleaning up the water to reveal that her contact told her what Malade intends for the ball...and her prisoners...
Finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. Crusty Ed Asner is best-known today for his role as Lou Grant in the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the drama Lou Grant, but he did pop up on the show from time to time. To be honest, he wasn't a very good player, but he was a fun guest, usually being ready with a slightly grouchy quip or joke as he gave his (wrong) answer. Along with being present for the infamous "School Riot," he was also around for possibly the show's most infamous male contestant. Lyle was a go-getting fellow from Las Vegas with a flashy toupee and a wild way with an answer. He didn't win much money, and I think Richard Dawson in particular found him to be more annoying than anything, but he was certainly memorable.
(Asner's last week on Match Game was actually in 1978...but alas, it would seem the other major guest that week, Valerie Bertenelli, hasn't cleared her appearances yet and won't allow the episodes to be seen.)
Here's the entire marathon, so you can try to match wits and answers with Lou Grant, too! Tomorrow's focus switches to a later male semi-regular, jovial and rotund comedian Richard Paul.
The Best of Ed Asner on Match Game Marathon 1975 - 1977
Monday, May 11, 2020
Glitched Matches
Spent most of the day at work - today was my 8 and 1/2 hour day. Work was as much of a pain in the rear as it has been for almost a week. I keep trying to clean, and I keep getting disrupted. At one point, they even very briefly put me in a register because they simply didn't have enough help. We weren't even really that busy. I was very tired and frustrated when I finally rushed home.
(One good thing about being inside today - I avoided weird weather. Awoke to pouring rain, but it vanished just as I left for work. By the time I finished, the clouds were off and on, and it was much colder. It even spit a little as I headed into Oaklyn.)
Rushed straight home and picked up two DVDs from the mailbox on the way. Rise of Skywalker was cheap on Amazon, and I'd wanted that from the start. To get free shipping, I picked up two more musicals I wanted to review that were cheap, The Gang's All Here with Alice Faye, and Footlight Serenade with Betty Grable. Look for both on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog later this month!
Finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. The new set that debuted in 1978 proved to be no less capricious than the old set. Bill Daily and Bob Barker had problems with their seats breaking on two separate episodes in 1979. The turntable went the wrong way at least twice, then got stuck all together at the start of a 1980 episode. Gene loved his extra-long microphone that could telescope up and down, but it was fragile at best. They finally replaced it with a shorter microphone in one episode.
In a later syndicated show, the eternally malfunctioning "toaster" that held Gene's questions wouldn't work right, and then gave him a shock! Charles joked about taking over his hosting job while he "recovered." On another syndicated episode in 1981, a light popped behind Gene as he asked a question, disrupting the panelists. Charles dug up a giant prop bulb and joked about selling it. At the end of the episode, all of the panelists were seen trying to screw it in.
Here's the entire marathon, so you can see what happens when a popular syndicated game show deals with some really crazy malfunctions! Tune in tomorrow for the next semi-regular in the spotlight, grumpy Ed Asner.
Technical Difficulties on Match Game Marathon 1978 - 1981
(One good thing about being inside today - I avoided weird weather. Awoke to pouring rain, but it vanished just as I left for work. By the time I finished, the clouds were off and on, and it was much colder. It even spit a little as I headed into Oaklyn.)
Rushed straight home and picked up two DVDs from the mailbox on the way. Rise of Skywalker was cheap on Amazon, and I'd wanted that from the start. To get free shipping, I picked up two more musicals I wanted to review that were cheap, The Gang's All Here with Alice Faye, and Footlight Serenade with Betty Grable. Look for both on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog later this month!
Finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. The new set that debuted in 1978 proved to be no less capricious than the old set. Bill Daily and Bob Barker had problems with their seats breaking on two separate episodes in 1979. The turntable went the wrong way at least twice, then got stuck all together at the start of a 1980 episode. Gene loved his extra-long microphone that could telescope up and down, but it was fragile at best. They finally replaced it with a shorter microphone in one episode.
In a later syndicated show, the eternally malfunctioning "toaster" that held Gene's questions wouldn't work right, and then gave him a shock! Charles joked about taking over his hosting job while he "recovered." On another syndicated episode in 1981, a light popped behind Gene as he asked a question, disrupting the panelists. Charles dug up a giant prop bulb and joked about selling it. At the end of the episode, all of the panelists were seen trying to screw it in.
Here's the entire marathon, so you can see what happens when a popular syndicated game show deals with some really crazy malfunctions! Tune in tomorrow for the next semi-regular in the spotlight, grumpy Ed Asner.
Technical Difficulties on Match Game Marathon 1978 - 1981
Sunday, May 10, 2020
Beautiful Day for Mothers
Began a glorious late morning with Colliers Harvest of Holidays stories for Mother's Day. Along with a few poems, Colliers has "The Most Beautiful Mother In the World." When a little Ukrainian girl is lost in the wheat fields, she tells people her mother is "the most beautiful woman in the world." Turns out that her loving, warm mother isn't beautiful to most people, but she is in the eyes of her adoring child.
Slept so late, it was nearly noon before I started breakfast. Made perfect strawberry pancakes with oranges and milk while listening to the original Broadway cast CD of Gypsy. Ethel Merman was the first Mama Rose, and she powers her way through both the big songs like "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and the more charming ballads "Small World" and "You'll Never Get Away From Me."
My favorite song from this score never made it to opening night. "Mama's Talkin' Soft" was intended for June and Louise to sing above Rose and Herbie in counterpoint to "Small World." Alas, one of the girls was afraid of heights, which lead them to cutting the number. Too bad. It's a great song that gives wonderful insight to how the girls have seen their mother act like this with men before, and know they'll likely see it again. It's such a great song, some modern revivals include it and the counterpoint duet. There's also a solo for Herbie that didn't make it into the show, his assessment of Rose, "Nice She Ain't."
Here's Petula Clark's early 60's recording of "Mama's Talkin' Soft" to give you an idea of what the song is like:
Tried calling Mom after brunch, but she was talking to my sister Anny's boyfriend Jay. Oh well. I'd get back to her later.
After I got off with Mom, I grabbed the jump rope and went outside. It was too nice not to! The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and the cold wind from yesterday was replaced by a soft spring breeze. I was surprised to find Veteran's Park empty. I had the park completely to myself. I figured it would be as busy as parks are currently allowed to be. Everyone must have opted to hold their Mother's Day barbecues in their backyards. I jumped two loops around the park, stopping on the first loop to check out the magnificent view of the creek and the houses on its banks from the edge of the peninsula with the gnarled old tree.
Spent the rest of the afternoon writing and looking things up online. Gene manages to make the tall, gnarled towers of the evil Queen Malade's regular castle appear. She's still holding King Allen (Ludden) hostage and tries one last time to force him to marry her. When he still claims he's too much in love with his wife, she turns him into...something. Her back is turned to them, and they can't see what she transformed him into, but they can hear her say that only his wife can break the curse...
Mom called me as I was finishing up for the evening. Other than she's still out of work - the Cape May-Lewes Ferries are only making two runs a day - she's perfectly fine. Like me, she's an introvert who would rather be at home anyway. She's also now on better speaking terms with my sister Anny, whose family helps her take care of her large yard. They were over to wish her a happy Mother's Day and talk about the yard when I called.
Broke for dinner at quarter after 6. I defrosted turkey hot dogs yesterday, but was too tired to make them by the time I got home from work. Had them tonight, along with steamed asparagus and spiral pasta.
After I ate, I opted to try an Alton Brown recipe for flourless peanut butter cookies I saw on YouTube. With flour in such short supply, I thought this was another way to stretch what I had and save my flour to make muffins for work. I forgot the vanilla and salt and burned the first batch a little bit, but for the most part, they still came out really well, full of peanutty flavor! The recipe doesn't make a lot, though, only about 16 cookies. Maybe next time, I'll double the recipe. Here's the Alton Brown YouTube short with the recipe. (And having your kids mix the dough is obviously optional, given I have no kids who can really hold things.)
Finished the night online with Mystery Science Theater 3000. I hadn't checked out one of their episodes in a while. The German fairy tale movies I watched last week put me in the mood for more fantasy stories from Europe. Mike joined the robots for Jack Frost, which turned out to be something of a cross between Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and the Russian fable Baba Yaga. An egotistical young man (Eduard Izotov) wants to impress the gentle beauty Nastenka (Natalya Sedykh) he met in the woods. After he insults an old man in a mushroom hat (Galina Borisova), the fellow turns him into a half-bear, half-man, and tells him he must do a good deed to restore his form. Even when he does, he learns that his Nastenka has been left in the woods by her henpecked father (Pavel Pavlenko) and taken in by Grandfather Frost (Alexander Khvylya). Meanwhile, Baba Yaga wants the boy for her supper, and would do anything to keep him, including forcing his lady love into a curse of her own...
Even with the bad dubbing and the robot's welcome wisecracks, I still found the story to be oddly charming. I used to read books of fairy tales from around the world when I was in high school and now know the stories of several cultures very well, including Russia. It's still obviously cheap and the characters are stock fairy tale archetypes, but the story is interesting, and it ended up being rather fun to watch.
Here's the episode on the free Shout TV channel, so you can enjoy it, too!
Mystery Science 3000 - Jack Frost
Oh, and the Match Game marathons will return tomorrow with the promised second half of the Technical Difficulties marathon!
Here's the episode on the free Shout TV channel, so you can enjoy it, too!
Mystery Science 3000 - Jack Frost
Oh, and the Match Game marathons will return tomorrow with the promised second half of the Technical Difficulties marathon!
Saturday, May 09, 2020
Cold Matches
Kicked off a sunny and blustery morning with breakfast and Good Eats: The Return. "My Shakshuka" parodies Casablanca to show off a traditional Middle-Eastern dish that features poached eggs simmered in a spicy tomato-pepper paste. Not a bad idea, but Alton uses fancy spices from the internet I'd rather not mess around with and way too much heat for my palate. I think I'll settle for poaching eggs the regular way.
Work was even more of a pain than yesterday. It's the first major holiday weekend since Easter, and despite the windy and ridiculously cold for May morning, everyone wanted to be out and about. We were busy all day, maybe more than we should have been under present circumstances. I got very tired of trying to keep people out of the bathrooms so I could clean them, wipe down all the freezer doors and credit card machines, and do the sweeping. Finally opted to switch off on the latter with the college boy doing the carts.
After all that, I didn't want to be anywhere but home, watching the next Match Game marathon. This one covered the show's most memorable moments from 1977 through the end of its CBS run in mid-1979. Alas, I missed some of the best episodes of 1977, including the "lower tier imitates the upper tier" show and the infamous "School Riot," but I did catch other fun episodes.
1978 brought in the new Star Wheel. Celebrities spun it to choose their partner for the Head-to-Head Match and hopefully double their winnings. It was controversial from the get-go, especially with Richard Dawson, who'd been the king of the Head-to-Head Match until that point. Ironically, the Star Wheel landed on his name the first time it was used, prompting him and most of the other panelists to walk out!
Richard wasn't really happy on Match Game anymore by that point. He'd become more popular on Family Feud, and was tired of appearing on a show where he had little say in anything. The "School Riot," coupled with his equally heated complaint about a "baggie" answer later in the year, spelled the end of his time on the show. He was tired and not really playing along. Gene bizarrely tried to make him smile on the end of one episode. His final appearance on the show was two weeks after the Star Wheel arrived and they changed the set, and nothing was done for it. Despite being a regular for five years, he was there and gone.
The show continued on without him, but the writing was on the wall. Constant time changes and a shift to more-conservative tastes probably spelled doom for the CBS run of the show far more than Richard's departure. It ended in mid-1979, with a rather cute episode that had Gene loaning Bill Daily his navy blazer to wear at his wedding. (Bill apparently kept the suit; he wore it on the syndicated version of the show long after his wedding ceremony ended.)
Here's the entire marathon, so you can check out more of the show's most famous moments! Tomorrow, we celebrate Mother's Day with the next round of technical difficulties on the show, including with the post-1978 set.
Special Milestones on Match Game Marathon 1977 - 1979
Finished out the night with Gypsy, also in honor of Mother's Day. I go further into the 1962 version with Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Happy Mother's Day! - Gypsy (1962)
Work was even more of a pain than yesterday. It's the first major holiday weekend since Easter, and despite the windy and ridiculously cold for May morning, everyone wanted to be out and about. We were busy all day, maybe more than we should have been under present circumstances. I got very tired of trying to keep people out of the bathrooms so I could clean them, wipe down all the freezer doors and credit card machines, and do the sweeping. Finally opted to switch off on the latter with the college boy doing the carts.
After all that, I didn't want to be anywhere but home, watching the next Match Game marathon. This one covered the show's most memorable moments from 1977 through the end of its CBS run in mid-1979. Alas, I missed some of the best episodes of 1977, including the "lower tier imitates the upper tier" show and the infamous "School Riot," but I did catch other fun episodes.
1978 brought in the new Star Wheel. Celebrities spun it to choose their partner for the Head-to-Head Match and hopefully double their winnings. It was controversial from the get-go, especially with Richard Dawson, who'd been the king of the Head-to-Head Match until that point. Ironically, the Star Wheel landed on his name the first time it was used, prompting him and most of the other panelists to walk out!
Richard wasn't really happy on Match Game anymore by that point. He'd become more popular on Family Feud, and was tired of appearing on a show where he had little say in anything. The "School Riot," coupled with his equally heated complaint about a "baggie" answer later in the year, spelled the end of his time on the show. He was tired and not really playing along. Gene bizarrely tried to make him smile on the end of one episode. His final appearance on the show was two weeks after the Star Wheel arrived and they changed the set, and nothing was done for it. Despite being a regular for five years, he was there and gone.
The show continued on without him, but the writing was on the wall. Constant time changes and a shift to more-conservative tastes probably spelled doom for the CBS run of the show far more than Richard's departure. It ended in mid-1979, with a rather cute episode that had Gene loaning Bill Daily his navy blazer to wear at his wedding. (Bill apparently kept the suit; he wore it on the syndicated version of the show long after his wedding ceremony ended.)
Here's the entire marathon, so you can check out more of the show's most famous moments! Tomorrow, we celebrate Mother's Day with the next round of technical difficulties on the show, including with the post-1978 set.
Special Milestones on Match Game Marathon 1977 - 1979
Finished out the night with Gypsy, also in honor of Mother's Day. I go further into the 1962 version with Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Happy Mother's Day! - Gypsy (1962)
Friday, May 08, 2020
Tattletale Matches
Began a cloudy, cool day with breakfast and Sale of the Century. They were back to the regular adult version today. The woman champion prudishly bought no Instant Bargains, then killed in the speed round, winning without barely breaking a sweat. They were just starting the Big Sweep in Supermarket Sweep as I dashed out the door for work.
Work was a bit of a pain. I was supposed to be outside with the morning bagger today, and the head bagger was supposed to be cleaning. They tossed her in a register and told me to do the cleaning. We were so busy, nothing got done. I couldn't keep people out of the bathrooms, and it took forever to get them done. The managers kept disrupting me in the middle of doing something. I'd try to wipe down doors, and they'd want me to sweep. The outside bagger said he couldn't keep up with carts, either. It's Mother's Day Weekend, and even if people can't be with all their mothers, they still want to send them cards and flowers, and have picnics with the mothers they can spend time with.
In good news, I have three days off next week, one of them Sunday. I absolutely wasn't expecting Mother's Day off. Unfortunately, two of the four days I do work are 8 1/2 hour shifts. I'm not looking forward to those at all, especially after today. Slightly fewer hours, though still more than I was getting before all this started in mid-March.
Once again, I didn't have a ton of grocery shopping to do. Had online coupons for Acme brand natural jam, peanut butter, and ice cream. Butter was on a good sale, and strawberries were buy one, get one. Found a pack of breaded flounder fillets in the seafood section for a good price. Restocked yogurt, milk, butter, bananas, chocolate chips, yellow cake mix, and cereal.
Threw on Buzzr while I was putting everything away. The second episode I saw was one of the ones from yesterday's couples marathon. Jack Klugman and Brett Somers appeared together on the show in 1978, despite having separated or divorced the year before. They argued constantly throughout the episode, culminating in a short but noisy row over Brett's answer for an Audience Match question.
Ended the night with the next Match Game marathon. Bert Convy appeared on the 70's Match Game from it's inception, usually in the upper-left chair next to Brett. His slightly smarmy appeal was somewhat similar to that of Richard Dawson, and like Richard, he ended up getting his own popular game show, Tattletales. Unlike Richard, he had no problems appearing on the show from time to time afterwards, flirting with contestants and sometimes making some pretty darn good matches, including a big win during his final appearance in 1979.
Bert was originally tapped to host the revival of Match Game in 1990, and did in fact host the pilots. (He died of a brain tumor before the show went to air.) I'm really surprised I never ran into this as a kid. The pilots, at least, were more-or-less the same deal as PM with a different scoring system (final matches got more points - most points after two rounds is the winner) and a very different set. Charles Nelson Reilly was the only regular from the 70's version to carry over, but some of the people they had were still pretty darn funny. Brad Garrett had a few matches that were a riot, and Terri Copley gave one ribald answer that sent everyone in the studio (and the live chat) rolling on the floor in surprised and delighted laughter.
Here's the entire marathon, so you can match wits with the master of Tattletales and Super Password! Tomorrow's marathon returns us to a more general theme, as we discover more milestone moments from the height of the show's popular years.
The Best of Bert Convy on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1990
(Incidentally, I'm glad I worked earlier. It was showering lightly as I rode home. By the time I was online watching the marathon, the rain had turned into a heavy shower...and it sounds like the rain and cold will continue this weekend.)
Work was a bit of a pain. I was supposed to be outside with the morning bagger today, and the head bagger was supposed to be cleaning. They tossed her in a register and told me to do the cleaning. We were so busy, nothing got done. I couldn't keep people out of the bathrooms, and it took forever to get them done. The managers kept disrupting me in the middle of doing something. I'd try to wipe down doors, and they'd want me to sweep. The outside bagger said he couldn't keep up with carts, either. It's Mother's Day Weekend, and even if people can't be with all their mothers, they still want to send them cards and flowers, and have picnics with the mothers they can spend time with.
In good news, I have three days off next week, one of them Sunday. I absolutely wasn't expecting Mother's Day off. Unfortunately, two of the four days I do work are 8 1/2 hour shifts. I'm not looking forward to those at all, especially after today. Slightly fewer hours, though still more than I was getting before all this started in mid-March.
Once again, I didn't have a ton of grocery shopping to do. Had online coupons for Acme brand natural jam, peanut butter, and ice cream. Butter was on a good sale, and strawberries were buy one, get one. Found a pack of breaded flounder fillets in the seafood section for a good price. Restocked yogurt, milk, butter, bananas, chocolate chips, yellow cake mix, and cereal.
Threw on Buzzr while I was putting everything away. The second episode I saw was one of the ones from yesterday's couples marathon. Jack Klugman and Brett Somers appeared together on the show in 1978, despite having separated or divorced the year before. They argued constantly throughout the episode, culminating in a short but noisy row over Brett's answer for an Audience Match question.
Ended the night with the next Match Game marathon. Bert Convy appeared on the 70's Match Game from it's inception, usually in the upper-left chair next to Brett. His slightly smarmy appeal was somewhat similar to that of Richard Dawson, and like Richard, he ended up getting his own popular game show, Tattletales. Unlike Richard, he had no problems appearing on the show from time to time afterwards, flirting with contestants and sometimes making some pretty darn good matches, including a big win during his final appearance in 1979.
Bert was originally tapped to host the revival of Match Game in 1990, and did in fact host the pilots. (He died of a brain tumor before the show went to air.) I'm really surprised I never ran into this as a kid. The pilots, at least, were more-or-less the same deal as PM with a different scoring system (final matches got more points - most points after two rounds is the winner) and a very different set. Charles Nelson Reilly was the only regular from the 70's version to carry over, but some of the people they had were still pretty darn funny. Brad Garrett had a few matches that were a riot, and Terri Copley gave one ribald answer that sent everyone in the studio (and the live chat) rolling on the floor in surprised and delighted laughter.
Here's the entire marathon, so you can match wits with the master of Tattletales and Super Password! Tomorrow's marathon returns us to a more general theme, as we discover more milestone moments from the height of the show's popular years.
The Best of Bert Convy on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1990
(Incidentally, I'm glad I worked earlier. It was showering lightly as I rode home. By the time I was online watching the marathon, the rain had turned into a heavy shower...and it sounds like the rain and cold will continue this weekend.)
Thursday, May 07, 2020
Spring Romance Matches
Kicked off an absolutely gorgeous morning with breakfast and two episodes of Good Eats: The Return. Most people probably wouldn't think of Chicken Parmesan as an American classic, but it was actually developed by Italian-Americans in New York's Little Italy tenements. Most Chicken Parmesan is usually over-breaded hockey pucks covered in curdled cheese, but Alton reveals how it can be made well, with home-made sauce and potato-chip "breading." "Date Tripper" reveals how to use those sticky-sweet fruits from California in English toffee puddings and three variations on bacon-wrapped date appetizers.
Headed out to the laundromat as soon as the show ended. I'm glad I did. The weather was amazing. The sun was out, the sky was a searing blue, and while not as warm as earlier in the week, it was far from freezing, probably in the upper 60's. I had a very pleasant ride, passing many families and kids on bikes, people out for jogs or strolls, and parents pushing their children in strollers.
The laundromat was a bit busy when I arrived; ended up going across the street to WaWa again to avoid the crowds. Grabbed a roast beef and provolone hoagie, a bottle of WaWa cappuccino for now, a bottle of sparkling water for later, a bag of Good Natured chips, and a string cheese stick for a snack. By the time I got back, most everyone was gone, and I was able to work on story notes largely in peace.
Since I washed towels from the bathroom and kitchen, I packed them when I got home. Loaded the towels into a plastic bag. I'll save the luggage for clothes right before I move. Everything else got put away or in the case of one set of my work clothes, set out for tomorrow.
As soon as I finished that, I went online for the next Match Game marathon. As I mentioned on Valentine's Day, the show is more fun when a married couple plays on the same panel. Dick Gautier and his then-wife Barbara Stuart were the first to appear together in 1973. Later that year brought in happily married dancers Elaine Joyce and Bobby Van and perpetually squabbling Jack Klugman and Brett Somers. By 1978, Jack and Brett had divorced (or separated, or something - no one seems sure what), which didn't stop the other panelists from holding a mock "wedding" for them. Party-loving Dick and Dolly Martin had a ball appearing together on several weeks in 1979 and 1980, including the memorable episode where a contestant got so excited, she practically attacked Gene. He dashed behind the set and read her Head-to-Head question there.
By far the most popular couple to have appeared on the show were Password host Allen Ludden and his wife Betty White. Their genuine affection for one another showed in a classic week from 1975 that began with jokes about Betty's fondness for animals and ended with everyone trying to get a contestant to belly dance and Allen "defending" his wife's honor after Gene makes an off-the-cuff comment about "having Betty." Betty was in the audience in an earlier week from '75 that saw her husband solo. One of his answers was so bad, Gene handed it to her to tear up...and then Fannie gave her answers to her, too!
Here's the entire marathon, so you can play along with some of Hollywood's most famous pairs! Tomorrow's marathon switches gears to showcase the host of Tattletales and Super Password Bert Convy.
Famous Celebrity Couples on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1980
Went through some of the baskets holding first aid and drug items while the show was on. I didn't realize I had six bottles of hand lotion laying around and at least 15 small packs of tissues! The bottles are the many that Amanda's given me over the years; the tissues are leftover from the packs that came in Lauren's Christmas Kleenex boxes. I tossed two older bottles of lotion, put out one to replace them, and put the others aside.
Finished the night with the early talkie Just Imagine on YouTube. I go into more detail on the first science fiction musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Cult Flops - Just Imagine
Headed out to the laundromat as soon as the show ended. I'm glad I did. The weather was amazing. The sun was out, the sky was a searing blue, and while not as warm as earlier in the week, it was far from freezing, probably in the upper 60's. I had a very pleasant ride, passing many families and kids on bikes, people out for jogs or strolls, and parents pushing their children in strollers.
The laundromat was a bit busy when I arrived; ended up going across the street to WaWa again to avoid the crowds. Grabbed a roast beef and provolone hoagie, a bottle of WaWa cappuccino for now, a bottle of sparkling water for later, a bag of Good Natured chips, and a string cheese stick for a snack. By the time I got back, most everyone was gone, and I was able to work on story notes largely in peace.
Since I washed towels from the bathroom and kitchen, I packed them when I got home. Loaded the towels into a plastic bag. I'll save the luggage for clothes right before I move. Everything else got put away or in the case of one set of my work clothes, set out for tomorrow.
As soon as I finished that, I went online for the next Match Game marathon. As I mentioned on Valentine's Day, the show is more fun when a married couple plays on the same panel. Dick Gautier and his then-wife Barbara Stuart were the first to appear together in 1973. Later that year brought in happily married dancers Elaine Joyce and Bobby Van and perpetually squabbling Jack Klugman and Brett Somers. By 1978, Jack and Brett had divorced (or separated, or something - no one seems sure what), which didn't stop the other panelists from holding a mock "wedding" for them. Party-loving Dick and Dolly Martin had a ball appearing together on several weeks in 1979 and 1980, including the memorable episode where a contestant got so excited, she practically attacked Gene. He dashed behind the set and read her Head-to-Head question there.
By far the most popular couple to have appeared on the show were Password host Allen Ludden and his wife Betty White. Their genuine affection for one another showed in a classic week from 1975 that began with jokes about Betty's fondness for animals and ended with everyone trying to get a contestant to belly dance and Allen "defending" his wife's honor after Gene makes an off-the-cuff comment about "having Betty." Betty was in the audience in an earlier week from '75 that saw her husband solo. One of his answers was so bad, Gene handed it to her to tear up...and then Fannie gave her answers to her, too!
Here's the entire marathon, so you can play along with some of Hollywood's most famous pairs! Tomorrow's marathon switches gears to showcase the host of Tattletales and Super Password Bert Convy.
Famous Celebrity Couples on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1980
Went through some of the baskets holding first aid and drug items while the show was on. I didn't realize I had six bottles of hand lotion laying around and at least 15 small packs of tissues! The bottles are the many that Amanda's given me over the years; the tissues are leftover from the packs that came in Lauren's Christmas Kleenex boxes. I tossed two older bottles of lotion, put out one to replace them, and put the others aside.
Finished the night with the early talkie Just Imagine on YouTube. I go into more detail on the first science fiction musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Cult Flops - Just Imagine
Wednesday, May 06, 2020
Southern Comfort Matches
Began a gloomy, cold morning with breakfast and more of Varsity Week on Sale of the Century. This time, a pretty cheerleader bought a TV and VCR for her room and still managed to blast through the speed round with a big win. Ironically, she ended up with a larger wide-screen TV for her folks. Like the boy yesterday, she won the money in the bonus round with plenty of time to spare. Supermarket Sweep was just leading into the Big Sweep round as I headed out.
It was just cloudy and chilly when I went to work this morning. Started out rounding up carts, but one of the managers pulled me in to clean around 11:30, and I continued to do so for the rest of the day. They kept calling me away in the morning; thankfully, by 1, I had more help from the new college kids, who took over the outside duties, sweeping, and shelving items. I emerged into rain, though thankfully it wasn't showering too heavily as I headed home.
I had a snack and changed when I got in, then finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. Mary Ann Mobley was another former Miss America-turned-TV actress who frequently appeared on the show in its early years. Like Fannie Flagg, she was a native southerner (she was the first Miss America from Mississippi), but her southern charm was far sweeter and daintier than Flagg's Alabama whimsy. Her answers were often accompanied by a long and involved story as to how she got them. They could get a little too involved at times, to the point where Gene would sit down and rest while she rambled on. Richard Dawson loved getting his share of smooches in, and other male panelists would sometimes try their luck as well..
Like Jo Ann Pflug, she continued making occasional appearances through the syndicated era, including a memorable week with the gentle giant Richard Kiel of the James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker and two classic nighttime episodes from 1980 and 1981 where she helped contestants win $10,000.
Here's the entire marathon, so you can lift a mint julep to one of the fairest daughters of the Deep South! Tomorrow's marathon gets romantic as the focus switch to married couples who played together on Match Game, from happily wedded Allen Ludden and Betty White to the battling Jack Klugman and Brett Somers to party-loving Dick and Dolly Martin!
The Best of Mary Ann Mobley on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1981
It was just cloudy and chilly when I went to work this morning. Started out rounding up carts, but one of the managers pulled me in to clean around 11:30, and I continued to do so for the rest of the day. They kept calling me away in the morning; thankfully, by 1, I had more help from the new college kids, who took over the outside duties, sweeping, and shelving items. I emerged into rain, though thankfully it wasn't showering too heavily as I headed home.
I had a snack and changed when I got in, then finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. Mary Ann Mobley was another former Miss America-turned-TV actress who frequently appeared on the show in its early years. Like Fannie Flagg, she was a native southerner (she was the first Miss America from Mississippi), but her southern charm was far sweeter and daintier than Flagg's Alabama whimsy. Her answers were often accompanied by a long and involved story as to how she got them. They could get a little too involved at times, to the point where Gene would sit down and rest while she rambled on. Richard Dawson loved getting his share of smooches in, and other male panelists would sometimes try their luck as well..
Like Jo Ann Pflug, she continued making occasional appearances through the syndicated era, including a memorable week with the gentle giant Richard Kiel of the James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker and two classic nighttime episodes from 1980 and 1981 where she helped contestants win $10,000.
Here's the entire marathon, so you can lift a mint julep to one of the fairest daughters of the Deep South! Tomorrow's marathon gets romantic as the focus switch to married couples who played together on Match Game, from happily wedded Allen Ludden and Betty White to the battling Jack Klugman and Brett Somers to party-loving Dick and Dolly Martin!
The Best of Mary Ann Mobley on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1981
Tuesday, May 05, 2020
Good Time Matches
Kicked off a sunny morning with breakfast and Buzzr. Split Second had two ladies playing a young man. The woman champ and the guy were tied at the end of the regular rounds, but she killed at the final speed round and opted to return and try for the car again. Blockbusters pitted a man against a mother and a son. The former had finally won his second round when the show ended.
Switched to You Were Never Lovelier on the Roku TV Time Musicals app. I go further into this romantic vehicle for Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
You Were Never Lovelier
Thought I'd try something while the movie was on. With flour in short supply, I thought I'd try making cake mix cookies until supplies are closer to normal. Inspired by a recipe on Pinterest, I turned a butter golden cake mix into Snickerdoodles. They came out quite nicely, very rich and chewy.
Packing for my move was next on the agenda. I managed to squeeze my rock collection CDs into one smaller box. The entertainment books went into one of the largest boxes...and it wound up being much too heavy. I had to take a few out. Also packed up the board games and outdoor toys from the closet in the living room. I likely won't need them until Lauren visits in August.
Watched Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while I worked. "Jodie's Mama Travels for Work" triggered a lot of memories for me. Jodie Platypus' mother, a dentist, has to go away for three days to clean children's teeth in another town. She leaves three paper rings with things to look forward to while she's away. "The Tiger Family Babysits" for Teddy and Leo, Jodie's twin toddler brothers, while their nana is at the market. Dan figures out how to distract them from missing their grandmother with his stuffed animals.
(I know exactly how Jodie felt during that first short. My stepdad was a commercial fisherman who would often be gone for weeks, and sometimes as much as a month at a time. We missed him just as much when he was gone. Yes, Jodie, grown-ups do come back, and you can call them, like Dad used to do with us.)
Ran a bunch of 80's My Little Pony episodes while eating a quick lunch. North Star's curiosity accidentally allows a group of famous fairy tale characters "Through the Door" and into Ponyland. The ponies love their new friends...but Meghan discovers that their stories have vanished without them. Meanwhile, a monster may have escaped from the door as well.
We're introduced to the First Tooth Baby Ponies, who are frustrated that they're stuck babysitting for the Newborn Twins. They take them to get ice cream, only to learn that the ice cream shop is closed. Ponyland's two ice cream manufacturers start "The Ice Cream Wars" when one accuses the other of stealing their recipe. The ponies have to find out what really happened to the recipe and amuse the Newborn Twins.
By the time of "The Prince and the Ponies" near the end of the second season, the First Tooth Babies are quite tired of the attention the Newborns are getting. Matters aren't helped when the older ponies attend a party at the Palace de Branfor in their honor. The older babies crash the party, hoping that something terrible would happen to the twins...but they weren't planning on their wish being granted, nor on helping a young prince escape the dungeon and reclaim his throne.
As soon as I finished lunch, I went outside. I found a jump rope hanging on a hook in my living area closet when I went through things in there. Tested it out with a jump (really more like a skip) around the park. Despite it having clouded up by then, I wasn't the only one out. I saw two little girls on skateboards and an older couple enjoying a stroll. I skipped and admired the gorgeous scenery. Everything is so bright and green and gorgeous here now, like the world was painted with Technicolor. It goes a long way to cheering up a rough time for everyone.
Went straight inside and into writing when I got in. Gene stirs up the water enough to show Queen Betty what happened to King Allen. He's still a prisoner in the wicked Queen Malade's dungeon. She's getting tired of him ignoring her advances and refusing to reveal where his wife is, though...
Finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. Good Times was one of the most successful of the many spin-offs of All In the Family in the 1970's. At least four of its cast members appeared on the show. Esther Rolle, the warm matriarch around whom the show was originally written, appeared on a memorable week in 1975. Johnny Brown, with his jolly grin and killer Carol Channing impression, turned up on an equally fun week later that year. Mike Evans, the original Lionel Jefferson on The Jeffersons, appeared on the show in 1974.
No one on Good Times appeared more on the show than the "Black Prince" himself, Jimmy "J.J" Walker. Like Gary Burghoff, he first turned up in 1974 and continued making appearances through 1981, even after his show was canceled. Jimmy was probably the only person on Match Game who loved attention even more than Brett, often riling the crowd in support of his answers or yelling at them when they booed him. He could be a lot of fun, often running out or making jokes when something fell flat; once, he covered for Charles when he was late to a taping in 1976.
Here's the full marathon, so you can match wits with the Evans family and their friends, too! Tomorrow's marathon focuses on one of the last of the semi-regulars, the lovely and dainty southern belle Mary Anne Mobley.
Salute to Good Times on Match Game 1974 - 1981
Switched to You Were Never Lovelier on the Roku TV Time Musicals app. I go further into this romantic vehicle for Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
You Were Never Lovelier
Thought I'd try something while the movie was on. With flour in short supply, I thought I'd try making cake mix cookies until supplies are closer to normal. Inspired by a recipe on Pinterest, I turned a butter golden cake mix into Snickerdoodles. They came out quite nicely, very rich and chewy.
Packing for my move was next on the agenda. I managed to squeeze my rock collection CDs into one smaller box. The entertainment books went into one of the largest boxes...and it wound up being much too heavy. I had to take a few out. Also packed up the board games and outdoor toys from the closet in the living room. I likely won't need them until Lauren visits in August.
Watched Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while I worked. "Jodie's Mama Travels for Work" triggered a lot of memories for me. Jodie Platypus' mother, a dentist, has to go away for three days to clean children's teeth in another town. She leaves three paper rings with things to look forward to while she's away. "The Tiger Family Babysits" for Teddy and Leo, Jodie's twin toddler brothers, while their nana is at the market. Dan figures out how to distract them from missing their grandmother with his stuffed animals.
(I know exactly how Jodie felt during that first short. My stepdad was a commercial fisherman who would often be gone for weeks, and sometimes as much as a month at a time. We missed him just as much when he was gone. Yes, Jodie, grown-ups do come back, and you can call them, like Dad used to do with us.)
Ran a bunch of 80's My Little Pony episodes while eating a quick lunch. North Star's curiosity accidentally allows a group of famous fairy tale characters "Through the Door" and into Ponyland. The ponies love their new friends...but Meghan discovers that their stories have vanished without them. Meanwhile, a monster may have escaped from the door as well.
We're introduced to the First Tooth Baby Ponies, who are frustrated that they're stuck babysitting for the Newborn Twins. They take them to get ice cream, only to learn that the ice cream shop is closed. Ponyland's two ice cream manufacturers start "The Ice Cream Wars" when one accuses the other of stealing their recipe. The ponies have to find out what really happened to the recipe and amuse the Newborn Twins.
By the time of "The Prince and the Ponies" near the end of the second season, the First Tooth Babies are quite tired of the attention the Newborns are getting. Matters aren't helped when the older ponies attend a party at the Palace de Branfor in their honor. The older babies crash the party, hoping that something terrible would happen to the twins...but they weren't planning on their wish being granted, nor on helping a young prince escape the dungeon and reclaim his throne.
As soon as I finished lunch, I went outside. I found a jump rope hanging on a hook in my living area closet when I went through things in there. Tested it out with a jump (really more like a skip) around the park. Despite it having clouded up by then, I wasn't the only one out. I saw two little girls on skateboards and an older couple enjoying a stroll. I skipped and admired the gorgeous scenery. Everything is so bright and green and gorgeous here now, like the world was painted with Technicolor. It goes a long way to cheering up a rough time for everyone.
Went straight inside and into writing when I got in. Gene stirs up the water enough to show Queen Betty what happened to King Allen. He's still a prisoner in the wicked Queen Malade's dungeon. She's getting tired of him ignoring her advances and refusing to reveal where his wife is, though...
Finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. Good Times was one of the most successful of the many spin-offs of All In the Family in the 1970's. At least four of its cast members appeared on the show. Esther Rolle, the warm matriarch around whom the show was originally written, appeared on a memorable week in 1975. Johnny Brown, with his jolly grin and killer Carol Channing impression, turned up on an equally fun week later that year. Mike Evans, the original Lionel Jefferson on The Jeffersons, appeared on the show in 1974.
No one on Good Times appeared more on the show than the "Black Prince" himself, Jimmy "J.J" Walker. Like Gary Burghoff, he first turned up in 1974 and continued making appearances through 1981, even after his show was canceled. Jimmy was probably the only person on Match Game who loved attention even more than Brett, often riling the crowd in support of his answers or yelling at them when they booed him. He could be a lot of fun, often running out or making jokes when something fell flat; once, he covered for Charles when he was late to a taping in 1976.
Here's the full marathon, so you can match wits with the Evans family and their friends, too! Tomorrow's marathon focuses on one of the last of the semi-regulars, the lovely and dainty southern belle Mary Anne Mobley.
Salute to Good Times on Match Game 1974 - 1981
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