The Warmth of Autumn

Started off the morning with breakfast and a mildly spooky episode of Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures. Big Pete claims he saw a monster in Hog Dog Lake. Mr. Digby says it's the Scronchasaurus and offers a reward for whomever takes its picture. "The Legend of Hot Dog Lake" gets everyone out and looking for that critter...but they also get into each other's way and focus more on taking the picture than enjoying the moment. Daisy thinks she's inherited the role of "Phantom Wing," the comic book superhero, when her grandmother leaves her a letter in pieces. She brings Minnie and Cukoo-Loca along for the ride to train them as her sidekicks.

The Peanuts also get into slightly scary turf with It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Linus claims that on Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin will rise out of a sincere pumpkin patch and bring toys to all the good little children. Sally joins him against her better judgement. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown has trouble with trick-or-treating, while Snoopy has his own problems with the infamous Red Baron.

Ran Split Second while I got organized for work. Close race there today, with all the contestants frequently answering questions together and no one really that far ahead. The woman who'd been slightly ahead for the entire game just barely won the Countdown Round and picked up the car on the bonus round boards on her first try.

Headed off to work with plenty of time to spare, for once. Good thing, too. Work wasn't bad when I arrived, but it picked up around 1 and remained steady for the rest of the afternoon. There were some really annoying customers who were demanding and rude, too. Couldn't have been happier when the teen boy coming in for me was right on time, allowing me to leave with no fuss.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road, even though rush hour was just beginning. The weather was too gorgeous not to. It remained sunny and a little warmer than it should be at this time of year, though still very windy. The leaves are just starting to slowly turn colors here; gardens are awash with red roses, purple morning glories, and orange mums. 

Found a package waiting for me when I got home, the first bit from my Amazon Prime Day orders. I started my Christmas shopping with a present for my oldest nephew Skylar. He's 16 and is very hard to shop for. I figured, the sooner I got him done, the better.

Worked on writing for a while after I changed and had a snack. King Allen addresses the rest of the Legendary Princesses and their sweethearts. Marcia and Prince Bill (Daily) just want to return to the Summer-Winter Castle and pick up from where they left off. Bill Cullen says he'll go with them. He misses his book shop. Nipsey and Della intend to return to Columbia Eye and help Queen Isobel out there. Clifton Davies volunteers to help bring the fairies back to their realm. 

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching more Match Game '74. Orson Bean gives a very interesting answer to a question on how one should get a man that I'm extremely surprised passed the censors (on CBS or Buzzr!). Charles returned to Match Game PM as Gene asked the panels what the astronauts got when they requested "120 pounds of recreational equipment" and Dick Martin has to answer a 10,000 Head-to-Head question.

Once again, the lady card sharp dominated Sale of the Century. She picked up two money cards in the Fame Game, bought two Instant Bargains, and won the Speed Round by a wide county mile. To her delight, she picked up a pool table from the Match the Prizes board. Evidently, she could play well and had always wanted one. 

Finished the night on TCM's app with The Opposite Sex. I go further into this 1956 musical remake of The Women at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - The Opposite Sex (1956)

Sunny Days and Spooky Stories

Began a beautiful, sunny morning with breakfast and the Muppet Babies Halloween episode. Fozzie is disappointed that he's the only Muppet Baby not wearing a scary costume. He wants to celebrate "Happy Hallo-wacka" by putting on a super-spooky haunted house, but he comes off as more silly than scary. Animal plays ghost to give the kids something to really be scared of...and prove that Halloween can have its funny side, too. Summer tells "The Teeth-Chattering Tale of the Haunted Pancakes" when Kermit won't try Nanny's ghost-shaped "Boo-Berry Pancakes." Halloween Hollow resident Kermitbod won't eat his ghost pancakes, either, so the Witch of Trying New Things (Summer) turns them into real until he does try them.

Worked on writing for an hour, then switched to a spooky episode of the 2003 Strawberry Shortcake. Huckleberry Pie dares Strawberry to go into the woods. She accepts the dare...but all the kids are scared to death when they run across an old muffin-shaped house that makes a ton of noises! They think they've found "The Blueberry Beast" and all run out. Strawberry is determined to confront her fears and reveal that maybe what they imagine isn't so scary after all.

Headed to work shortly after the cartoon ended. Work was busy. I did just about everything. I went on the register for cashiers going on break. I swept the store. I shelved the few loose items out. I gathered carts. It was a good day to be gathering carts. Sunshine, bright blue skies, warm, breezy but not as windy as the last few days. Perfect fall weather. 

The weather felt so nice, I took the long way home down Nicholson Road, despite it being rush hour by that point. I did have to dodge a lot of traffic, even in Oaklyn. It was worth it. I wasn't the only one out and about, either. I saw people out for walks and kids riding their bikes and playing in their yards in the neighborhood.

Returned to writing when I got home and changed. Sir Jack Narz explains how he and his brother Sir Tom (Kennedy) ended up in Malade's employ. They fought her when she invaded, but she captured them and locked them in the basement. She tried to seduce the younger Narz, but his brother didn't appreciate it. The wicked witch ended up putting both under a spell to control them and destroyed their wands. Sir Peter Marshall remembers even less. All he knows is he was hit over the head and didn't realize what happened until Malade and her magic were gone.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching Match Game '74. Brett's extra-long and rather muddled  answer to a question about what the Lone Ranger and Tonto eat when they're desperate manages to be a winner, and Orson does even better with the Head-to-Head. Things went even better on Match Game PM as Gene got answers to a question about Old Mrs. Periwinkle's honeymoon and former castmates Bill Daily and Marcia Wallace (who were on The Bob Newhart Show together) bantered with each other. 

Sale of the Century wasn't quite as exciting as it's been the past few days. Though everyone ended up with something, the champ dominated from about midway through the episode and came through in the speed round. She ended up with a shopping spree.

Moved online for the original 1931 Dracula, which is currently on the Watch TCM app. Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) is a vampire who's menaced the Transylvanian countryside for centuries. He makes Renfield (Dwight Frye), a solicitor who came to handle his financial affairs, into his willing slave. They head to London, where the Count finds his next victims at the opera. 

The first to go is lovely Lucy Weston (Frances Dade), who finds him fascinating enough to go to him with no coercing. Her friend Mina Seward (Helen Chandler) is next on his list. When she starts having nightmares and Renfield is found raving about vampires and eating insects in a sanitarium, Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) realizes that it's the Count who is behind it all. After Lucy turns up biting children in the park, he becomes determined to save Mina from the same fate.

Though it features Lugosi's iconic performance as one of the seminal vampires in film history, this is also an early talkie. There's a lot of long stretches of talk, and it feels more like a play at times. It's also fairly atmospheric for the time, especially once they hit London. If you can handle some of the early talkie stiffness, you may enjoy the first sound film version of one of filmdom's most famous blood-suckers.

Finished the night on YouTube with "Jack O'Lantern." This episode of the Rankin-Bass animated series Festival of Family Classics is the closest they got to a Halloween special. A grandfather relates the tale of how a leprechaun in a carved pumpkin saved his family's farm from a pair of witches who wanted to destroy their crops and take their land for themselves.

Dolls on a Windy Day

Was up late last night checking out the big deals on Amazon's Prime Day. I slept so long, it was noon before I made my Pineapple Pancakes and put on Match Game. Gene had problems with the toaster-thing that held his answers in the first episode. It refused to stand, and he forgot he grabbed the questions before it fell down again. The set behaved better in the second episode, but Gene didn't. He tried carrying teeny-tiny Sarah Kennedy around. The panel had even less luck with the Audience Match for "Kick ___." 

Opened two packages after lunch. I've wanted more True Value Happy Holidays Christmas CDs and records for quite a while. Mom picked up Happy Holidays Vol. 23 when it debuted in 1988. It was the first time I heard Bing Crosby sing "White Christmas" somewhere other than on the radio. Found it still in its original wrapping on eBay, bundled with Happy Holidays Vol. 22 from 1987. Grabbed the CD for Vol. 27, the one that came out the year before I started collecting, as well. 

Finally hurried out to do the laundry around quarter after one...and had to run home as soon as I got to the laundromat and realized I forgot the money for the machines. On my way back, I noticed a mail box on the White Horse Pike near the former bank and dropped my birthday card for Amanda in there. After I finally got the washer going, I ran to Family Dollar for another binder and a journal (mine ended today), then made a short trip to Family Dollar for a pretzel and a Banana Smoothie. 

Worked on story notes while my clothes were in the dryer. It probably wasn't the best day to be sitting outside, but the laundromat was busy and I didn't feel like being around tons of people. It showered lightly on my way to the laundromat, but by the time I sat down, the rain was long gone. While it still felt a bit warm and humid, the heavy cool wind kept it from feeling a lot worse. Though the sun tried to come out at one point, it remained cloudy and would for most of the day. 

Got in just in time for Tattletales. I believe I saw this episode before. The surprising big winners were notorious tough guy Robert Blake and his (then) wife Sondra, over Nancy Sinatra and her stoic husband Hugh Lambert and Carolyn Jones and goofy Orson Bean. Things got a lot noisier on Press Your Luck. One of the two women Whammied out late in the second round. It came down to the guy and the previous champ; she ended up winning by a bar and game table. 

Spent the next hour and a half dressing the dolls for cooler fall weather. Ariel wears the Our Generation Retro "Ready to Get Preppy" 60's/70's style outfit with the coral knit vest and comfy brown-plaid skirt. Felicity gets her current blue and yellow meet outfit with the "quilted" panel and the brown buckle shoes. (At least she finally has another pair of shoes!) Samantha's in her blue checked Play Outfit and Pinafore with white stockings and high button boots. Molly's borrowed Kit's original meet outfit with the flowered skirt and lavender sweater set. Whitney also gets an Our Generation Retro outfit, the purple checked version of "Sweet Memories" (worn with a white Springfield Collection sweater because I couldn't find the jacket that went with the outfit) and shiny purple strap shoes. Josefina is in her current meet outfit with the bright crimson and blue skirt. Jessa sports a cute Our Generation purple cat-print sweater, a pair of khaki cargo pants, loafers, and Molly's thick bobby socks.

Worked on writing for an hour after I finally finished with the dolls. Allen calls up the seven wizards next. He wants them to remain as his advisers. Bill Cullen says he's retiring. He's happier with his bookshop in Villenveuve. The Narz brothers and Peter Marshall explain how they were lured and attacked by Malade, who drained their magic and controlled their minds. Gene and the remaining wizards pretended to be on Malade's side to save their loved ones and stay at the castle.

Broke for dinner at 7. Gene decided on Match Game PM that he needed to sit on Brianne Leary's lap to read Bill Daily a question, but Brianne didn't think that was such a hot idea! Sale of the Century was even wilder. No one got ahead of each other, and the champ was behind for most of the game. She finally won when the man made a mistake and Jim Perry got flustered with a question in the Speed Round. (The man didn't look happy about it at all.) She finally earned a furniture shopping spree in the Match the Prizes round.

Finished the night with Lili on the Watch TCM app. I go further into this whimsical romantic drama with Leslie Caron, Mel Ferrer, and four charming puppets at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Lili

Legends and Matches

Began a rainy, gloomy Columbus Day morning with readings from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. The essay and mostly comic poems here are surprisingly realistic about what Columbus did and didn't do for the 40's and 50's, even referring to the natives he stole from their homes and discussing how he never did find the wealth of Asia he was looking for. 

The rain slowed to a mild shower as I switched to breakfast and Split Second. This time, one of the women completely dominated both the other woman and the male champ. She had a tougher time with the guy in the Countdown Round, but ultimately pulled ahead. Unlike a lot of folks on this show, she decided once was enough and opted to take a vacation package instead of trying for the car.

Worked on writing for a couple of hours after I ate. Brett, Charles, and Richard's men all step to his side, claiming they too should be arrested, since they also stole from nobles. Far from arresting them, King Allen offers Richard Ira's job as Sheriff and his home Hogan Manor back, which he accepts gratefully. He's also ready to admit he wants to court Lady Lee (Merriweather), who is certainly interested in him.

Broke for a quick lunch at noon. Had it while watching Match Game. Soap star Rosemary Forsyth, poet and comedian Nipsey Russell, and sweet Joyce Bulifant join Gene and the regulars to make jokes about Gene being a little drunk when he stumbles down the stairs. (Actually, he was probably the only person on-stage besides the contestants who was sober. Gene took medication and couldn't drink.)

Thankfully, by the time I went to work, the bad weather was down to cold, blustery wind and dark clouds. The Acme wasn't busy when I got in, but it picked up big-time by the evening rush hour. Good thing my relief was on time. I was in and out with no problems other than getting flustered over a few customers early-on.

Picked up a few things on the way out. Bought a gift card for my friend Amanda's (late) birthday present and cereal. Found a half-price box of Shredded Wheat on the clearance rack. It was banged up, but I don't care about that. It's cheap. Rode home in a misty, chilly shower. 

Put on more Match Game and had leftovers for dinner when I got home. The 5 PM episodes dropped back to 1976. I came in just in time to see George Kennedy get a question right. 

The 6 PM episodes from 1974 got even wilder. It's too bad Gene's former boss Steve Allen never appeared on the show again, and this would be popular comedienne Kaye Ballard's final outing. They both added a great deal to an episode that included making fun of Fannie Flagg's fox fur collar. The second show was a bona-fide classic (it's even included on my DVD set). Everyone walked out after a contestant answered a question with 'boobs." Gene asked Fannie if she could show hers...er, answers. Fannie was embarrassed, but Richard had no problems showing the panel his chest.

Match Game PM was a tad subdued by comparison. Dick Martin made an agreeable replacement for Charles Nelson Reilly (who was on Broadway directing a play), while Orson Bean had fun teasing Brett and Gene and Bill Daily drooled over lovely ChiPs actress Brianne Leary. Things picked up with Sale of the Century. Though everyone won something, a woman challenger who claimed to be a poker sharp showed her willingness to gamble by buying an Instant Bargain and blowing everyone away at the speed round. She picked up a shopping spree for a new leather wardrobe on the Match the Prizes board.

Had three ripe bananas that really needed to go, so I made Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread while the shows ran. Yum! It came out beautifully in my new stove, a little brown but just sweet and moist enough. It tasted wonderful and smelled amazing in the oven.

Finished out the night on YouTube with the first Match Game marathon since the 4th of July. Tom Kennedy appeared in a week of Match Game episodes in 1981, joining Joyce Bulifant and Lawrence Welk singer Gail Farrell, along with regulars Brett, Charles, and McLean Stevenson. Though he was primarily there to advertise his taking over Password Plus, he played very well and seemed to enjoy himself thoroughly. 

Speaking of Password Plus, the operator of the MatchGameProductions channel is going to stretch the shows a bit on Sunday and do a marathon of Tom's appearances on and hosting Password Plus. Join us at 3 PM for a longer marathon honoring this game show legend!

For now, here's Tom's only week on Match Game: 

Tom Kennedy Tribute

Occasional Flights of Fancy

Started off an early morning with a quick breakfast and the original cast CD of Skyscraper. This 1965 Broadway show would be stage star Julie Harris' only appearance in a musical. Harris plays an antique dealer named Georgina who loves three things - her antiques, her New York brownstone, and her vivid daydreams. She's unwilling to sell her home to her neighbors who are building a skyscraper. The owner's idealistic architect brother (Peter Marshall) wants it to be a different type of skyscraper, but Georgina's sweet but fussy assistant (Charles Nelson Reilly) is willing to sell out if it means he can get his movie festival going.

Despite the game cast, this was just ok. A few good songs (including "An Occasional Flight of Fancy" for Harris and "Everybody Has the Right to Be Wrong" for Marshall) don't make up for the dull and dated story and random chorus numbers (like the last-minute addition "Haute Couture") that don't really add much to the show. Recommended only if you love the stars or the shows of the 50's and 60s.

Rushed straight to work just as the CD ended. It wasn't busy when I arrived, but it picked up around 11 and remained busy, or at least steady, for the rest of the day. Besides the Eagles-Steelers game at 1, it's a holiday weekend. I'm not used to getting up very early or working 7 hours anymore. I was frequently frustrated and flustered with many of the more demanding customers.

Thankfully, it died so much by 3 PM, I was able to leave a few minutes early. Went straight to Jodie's side of the house to watch the rest of the Eagles-Steelers game. Jodie had a cheese hoagie and an Italian hoagie ready for me when I arrived, and Rose donated a plate of spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and butterscotch truffles. Rose, Jodie, our older cousin Mark, his girlfriend Joya, and I chatted while keeping an eye on the game. It was 33-29 when I arrived. Despite a few good turnovers, the Steelers hit one last touchdown that won them the game 38-29.

Worked on writing for a while after the game ended. Richard accuses Sheriff Ira of willingly helping Malade to tale his home Hogan Manor from him. Ira protests - he may live there, but he's not the one who killed Richard's father or destroyed his home. Allen orders him arrested as an accessory and sent to jail until he can figure out a proper sentence anyway.

Finley and Rose turned up on my door as I worked on writing. My sister asked me if I'd watch Finley while she chatted with some of the moms across the street. Sure! Finley and I played with the Cabbies and the fake food at their table. Finley even sat Luna at the table at one point. She quickly became bored with the game, though, and started wondering where her mother was. I tried showing her the rest of the apartment, but she wasn't having any of it. Her mother finally showed up around 6 to take her and her brother home.

Had a chocolate banana smoothie for a quick dinner while listening to Carnival!. TCM just ran it's original film version Lili (look for the review later next week!), so I thought I'd do the stage show, too. Anna Maria Alberghetti is Lili, the naïve girl who joins a circus in the French countryside to get close to its handsome magician Marco (James Mitchell). She has a lovely rapport with the puppets in the circus puppet show, which she believes are real. The puppeteer (Jerry Orbach) is a lame dancer who only speaks kindly to Lili through his puppets. Lili is so enchanting with the puppets, she attracts Marco's attention...and Paul's jealousy. Paul has to finally admit his feelings to keep her from leaving the show for good.

What a sweet show! I think this is so underrated. The cast album is long out of print, but it can be found for decent prices used. The big hit was the lovely ballad "Love Makes the World Go 'Round," but I also like two of Paul's numbers, "Her Face" and "She's My Love," the adorable "Beautiful Candy" for Lili, the puppets, and the chorus, and Lili's gorgeous "Mira." 

Finished the night on YouTube with game shows. Legendary host Tom Kennedy passed away on Wednesday, so all the episodes I watched tonight but the Match Game syndicated premieres were in his honor. His first big hit game show was You Don't Say!, a Password clone that had contestants and two celebrities guessing famous names or places instead of words. Kennedy returned for a 1975 revival that became a clone of Match Game. Four celebrities had to describe a name or place for a contestant to guess. 

He did better by a concurrent 1974-1981 syndicated revival of Name That Tune that wasn't terribly different from the version I saw as a child with Jim Lange from a decade later. I've already posted an episode of the wild and wacky Whew!, with its complicated main board and "Gauntlet" bonus round that involved contestants running through ten villain figures by putting the right word into famous names or phrases. Kennedy was a panelist on Password Plus in 1979 before taking over as host from an ailing Allen Ludden in 1980. He was equally charming sporting a dashing mustache while helping a contestant through the Alphabetics round or switching places with his older brother Jack Narz and letting him host (and do it very well, I may add). 

There's been a couple of attempts at a nighttime version of The Price Is Right over the years. Kennedy hosted one such run in 1985 and 1986. Surprisingly, given how much I loved the daytime version, I don't remember seeing this as a kid. Finished off with another episode of the hilarious Wordplay. This time, Kim Fields of The Facts of Life, stand-up comic Marty Cohen, and One Day at a Time handyman Pat Harrington were the ones giving goofy descriptions of weird words. 

Finished out the night on Buzzr with Body Language. Tom always seemed to enjoy hosting this cross between charades and Password, and tonight was no exception. Dr. Joyce Brothers left Brad Garrett in the dust as she twice lead her contestant to victory and big winnings. 

Don't touch that dial! Tomorrow night at 8 PM, Match Game Productions, the YouTube channel that posts the Match Game syndicated premieres with the live chat, will run a marathon of the week in 1980 where Tom Kennedy appeared on the syndicated Match Game to promote Password Plus. He did very well, too! (I wouldn't be surprised if Buzzr did something down the line as well.)

At any rate, here's the best of Tom Kennedy, for your viewing enjoyment!

You Don't Say! (1963)

You Don't Say! (1975)

$100,000 Name That Tune (1978)

Whew! (1979)

Password Plus (1979)

Password Plus (1982)

The Price Is Right PM (1986)

Wordplay (1987)

Incidentally, the rain that's threatened since yesterday finally started coming down - and hard - while Finley was here. It's been coming down ever since. 

Winds of Fall

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel uses all the glitter on his picture at school, leaving none for Miss Elaina's poster. "Daniel Thinks of Others" after Teacher Harriet scolds him, and he remembers to leave purple clay for Katerina's wand and Prince Wednesday's block tower. "Daniel Thinks of What Margaret Needs" when he and Elaina opt to play outside, rather than in the house where his sister is trying to take a nap.

Went straight to work as soon as the cartoon ended. Work was on-and-off steady, not quite as bad as yesterday. The cloudy, humid, windy weather may have scared some people off. Others weren't in great moods, or were demanding or frustrating. Thankfully, it slowed down enough by 4 PM to allow me to get off on time with no trouble.

Spent the next few hours after I changed writing. Ira finally manages to yank down Richard's hood without being interrupted, revealing his true identity to one and all. He explains that he's a nobleman whose lands were taken by the Queen for taxes and given to Ira. He and his men fled and became outlaws, rather than become servants to the demanding Sheriff. 

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had leftovers and made Pineapple Pumpkin Muffins while watching The Road to El Dorado. I go further into this rousing Dreamworks animated musical adventure at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Columbus Day! - The Road to El Dorado

Finished the night online with two Super Password episodes on Buzzr. Blonde bombshell Elaine Joyce and towering Richard Moll made one of the series' most unlikely pairs in these two episodes from 1985. In the first episode, Richard was so happy he got his contestant through the Super Password bonus round with time to spare, he did a very strange little dance before the camera. 

Looney Tunes and Love Boats

Began my morning with a quick breakfast and Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special. Bugs goes head-to-head with Witch Hazel in this collection of bits and pieces of various spooky Looney Tunes shorts. (And unlike the Bugs Easter specials, this one at least features parts of cartoons that are actually set at Halloween and work with the holiday in question.)

Rushed out to work shortly after the special ended. Work wasn't busy when I first arrived. It didn't pick up until around noon, but it stayed busy after that. Customers were a bit of a pain. A few folks were fussy and annoying, and I really didn't know how to handle them. Thankfully, this time it slowed down enough for me to shut down without a relief.

Went straight into grocery shopping after my shift ended. Sugar's on a big sale, and thanks to all the baking I've done this week, I was just about out. The Acme's generic shredded cheese was also on a good sale; picked up a bag of 5-cheese Italian for dinner. Found a Fluttershy My Little Pony for my niece Finley on the clearance rack. Her package is broken and keeps popping open, but I doubt a three-year-old will care. Restocked yogurt, butter, milk, shampoo, spinach, grapes, cooking oil, the "natural" sandwich bars I like, dishwashing liquid, zucchini, mushrooms, and ground turkey.

Mixed feelings on my schedule. On one hand, Tuesday and Friday off, and decent hours most of the week...except Sunday, when I work very early and for 7 hours. I haven't worked that long since the spring. I guess everyone really, really wanted to see the Eagles game.

Went straight home. Put everything away while watching a Match Game episode. Charles took his shoes off to illustrate an answer, to the disgust of his buddy Brett. Towards the end, Gene introduced a camera girl he thought was cute.

Worked on writing after I changed and got organized. While Brett and Jack argue, King Allen announces that he's returned from the dead and lifts all the taxes and unfair rules imposed on the kingdom by Malade. He also catches Ira, now restored to his own human form, trying to sneak out. His men, who aren't too happy about him turning them over to Malade to be transformed into trolls, block his way. Marcia reminds him about how he hit on her in the Summerlands, too.

Broke for dinner at 7. Made Skillet Italian Casserole while watching Match Game PM. Connie Stevens and her strange hairstyle ended up trying to help a college student get 10,000 for her answer to "No ___," but it doesn't work the way she hoped.

For some reason, Sale of the Century skipped an episode. We had a new, slightly younger woman champ tonight. It was once again mainly about the women, who went back and forth all evening. The champ bought an Instant Bargain and started to pull ahead towards the end, winning the Speed Round decisively. She picked up a brass sculpture on the "Match the Prize" board.

Finished the night with one of the few Love Boat episodes on YouTube. I really wish there was another way to see all six seasons of this without having to wait for episodes to show up on MeTV or pay for them on CBS All Access! They only have the first three seasons on DVD and most of the first two on YouTube. I did check out one from the second season. Patty Duke is an unmarried lady with her heart set on handsome schoolteacher Tab Hunter, but her pushy grandmother (Ruth Gordon) wants her to marry rich and shoves Doc (Bernie Kopell) at her. Meanwhile, Julie tries to help a former comedian (Phil Foster) regain his confidence, and a college kid (Robert Hedgyes) pursues every cute girl on the ship but the one who actually has her eyes on him (Maureen McCormick). 

Blue and Gold Autumn

Started off the day with breakfast and more spooky Winnie the Pooh. Piglet wants to make his horror story "The Monster Frankenpooh" into a not-so-scary story, but Tigger ramps up the scares, turning Pooh into a honey-hunting giant! Piglet freaks out again when he hears "Things That Go Bump In the Night" and rushes out of his house. While the others investigate the noises, Tigger helps Eeyore learn to swing. After an accident with popcorn on a campout, Piglet and Pooh think they've landed on "Pooh Moon." The others are convinced they were abducted by the "Grab-Me Gotcha" and must be rescued.

Went into writing even before the episode ended. While Allen nuzzles his wife's neck, the rest of their kingdom revels in Malade's spells dissolving along with the last of her. The two fairies are restored to their actual forms, as are Sir Gautier and Walden. Sir Dick Martin kisses his wife Dolly who was turned to stone, restoring both of them. Gene sends the remaining three wizards into the crowds to kiss their wives. Brett makes the statue of Prince Jack (Klugman) appear and kisses him, only to get yelled at for not doing it sooner. Everyone in the ballroom who was turned to stone joins the others outside, now able to move again.

As soon as I got off, I changed and headed out. Work wasn't bad when I came in, but it was off-and-on busy for the rest of the day.  There were a couple of difficult customers, including one order where there was a lot of trouble with the food stamps and we had to take off half the items and hold up the line. I always end up feeling so guilty after that, even when people say I shouldn't. There were a few times we got really busy and didn't have enough help to deal with crowds, too. Thankfully, it slowed down enough by the time I shut down for me to leave without a relief.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road, dodging traffic around the shopping center. Despite it being rush hour, the weather was too beautiful to rush home. It was an absolutely gorgeous golden fall evening, with the sun throwing a warm glow over the dry leaves and roadside wildflowers. No wonder there were so many people out for walks or riding their bikes in Oaklyn! I passed folks strolling in twos, with friends or children, on Atlantic and Newton as I headed towards my place.

As soon as I got home, I changed and started dinner. Kept things simple with a tasty crusted salmon fillet and sautéed tomatoes and spinach. Watched Match Game '74 while I ate. For some reason, Buzzr jumped back to earlier in the year, when Charles was still on the panel. Raucous Kaye Stevens of the noisy laugh, Elaine Joyce, and Larry Blyden of What's My Line? joins Gene and the regulars for jokes about "Buddy ___" and what Christopher Columbus really is. Bert Convy showed up in a contestant's lap in the second episode to promote the then-just-started Tattletales. 

Match Game PM was almost as noisy, what with a bearded Bill Daily eating his bad answer and shedding most of his suit and Patti Deustch giving her answers sans her usual bangs. Sale of the Century was also pretty exciting. No one was that far ahead for most of the game, and everyone won something...until the older woman champ killed in the Speed Round. She picked up a gift certificate for a big shopping spree on the Match the Prizes board.

Made Pumpkin Cookies while the game shows were on. This is another simple one-bowl recipe from the cookbook Lauren gave me a few years ago. Yum! They came out perfectly, moist and chewy morsels of fall.

Moved on to Talent Scout on the Watch TCM app after I did the dishes. I go further into this rare Warners "B" musical from the 30's at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Talent Scout

Finished out the night on YouTube. I recently discovered someone's been posting episodes of The Love Boat. I thought this show was so cheesy as a kid, but now I enjoy the kitsch...especially since I recognize most of the actors involved, like in this episode from the second season. "Where Is It Written?" has a neglectful publisher (Gene Barry) and his lush of a writer (Richard Mulligan) competing for the publisher's wife (Hope Lange) after her husband spends more time onboard reading a manuscript than with her. Julie, the ship's activities director, would rather not direct the activities for Captain Stubling's amorous uncle (Red Buttons). Gopher the pursuer poses as her aunt to help get rid of him. A businessman (Allen Ludden) wants his daughter (MacKenzie Phillips) to help him make "The Big Deal" and court the businessman  he's after, but her boyfriend is none-too-pleased with the arrangement. 

Mall In the Fall

Began a gorgeous morning with breakfast and Blockbusters.  The former member of the All-American Women's Baseball League just keeps striking out the competition. She easily got through a pair of brothers this morning, then beat the Gold Rush round after missing two in the beginning. Two sisters were her next challengers; she made short work of them as the episode ended.

Ran three cartoons on the Classic Cartoons Roku app as I got organized. "Small Fry" is a little fish who wants to be a big tuna amongst the local tough guys. They say he can be a "big fry" if he survives an initiation in a cave...but the scares among the coral prove to be more than he can handle. Mischievous toddler "Little Lambkins" loves living with his animal buddies in the country. He throws a tantrum when his parents insist on moving to a fancy new city apartment and finds a way to cross the wires and make them leave. "The Cobweb Hotel" is hardly the ideal honeymoon spot for insects. It's really a way for a spider to trap unsuspecting flies in his web. A fly couple have to find their way out, before they end up being his next meal.

Rose and Craig arrived on my doorstep just as I was about to grab my purse. Rose found a dresser for me a few days ago and wanted to bring it while she and Craig had the chance. It's a beauty, too. It's taller and slightly wider than my old one, but not that much. Unlike the plywood-and-plastic dresser I picked up from Manor Avenue, this one is all wood, with heavy metal handles and criss-cross carvings on the top two drawers. Rose and Craig didn't have the time to get it in all the way. They left it in the middle of my bedroom until they could come back and help me get it in on Sunday.

Left for the Cherry Hill Mall shortly after they headed out. As I did last month when I had my doctor's appointment, I opted to take Uber there and the bus back. Uber gets me faster (and likely safer in a pandemic), but the bus is cheaper (especially during rush hour). At any rate, the Uber driver was a pleasant fellow who played New Age music as we drove down the quiet highways, past a shopping center I'd never seen before, going the back way to the mall. He dropped me off near the back entrance to the Express clothing store.

I mainly went to the mall for clothes. More specifically, I went for bras. I didn't want to order them online. JCPenney's having a buy-one, get-one sale on bras. Got the two-for-one, plus a Platex and another brand. Also found a blue-print blouse for less than two dollars and a half-price pair of jean shorts. (My old jean shorts frayed on the underside.)

There wasn't really much I needed in the rest of the mall. Bought a cute flower-print blouse and a black t-shirt for my black cat costume at Old Navy. Found a pair of New Balance sneakers labeled as being 45 dollars at Famous Footwear; to my delight, they rang up $39.99. Peeked at Go! Games, The Disney Store, and GameStop, but found nothing of interest. Build-a-Bear is appointment-only and isn't allowing casual browsing at the moment.

Spent less than three hours at the mall. I arrived around 12:30 and was outside waiting for the bus by 2:30. The bus arrived right on time, and once again, there was no traffic anywhere, not even on Cuthbert or around the Garden State Plaza big-box mall.

Stopped at WaWa to do something for lunch. I probably could have eaten at the mall, but I wanted to be in and out. Not to mention, even if eating in restaurants were recommended at the moment, most of the food sold in malls tends to be of the junk food variety. I picked up a kale salad with sunflower seeds, chicken chunks, and cranberries and a French Toast Smoothie instead. (The latter really did taste like French toast, sweet and cinnamony.)

As soon as I got home, I dropped everything and headed for the garage. I gave up trying to get my bike seat back together yesterday after all the trouble it caused. Ironically, it took me less than ten minutes to get it all together and tightened today. I guess I needed time to calm down.

Had the salad for lunch while watching Tattletales. Gossip queen Rona Barrett and her husband were the big winners this time, despite everyone missing a question about half-way through involving how the women think the guys are like little boys. Press Your Luck was even more exciting. The two ladies dominated the game; in the end, the winner was a woman who had been on the show before, but lost due to technical difficulties. This time, she hit no Whammies and walked away with a stereo.

Rose told me to leave the dresser until Sunday, but...it took up a good chunk of the middle of the bedroom. There was no way I could leave it sitting there for five days. Though it made my bad arm sore and scratched the floor in front of the bedroom closet, I got it in the space and the old dresser outside. It looks so much better, and holds slightly more clothes, too. My dolls aren't bunched up on the top anymore.

Went into writing after that. The light from the princesses' magic and everyone's love not only destroys Malade, it restores the damage she and the others did to Password Palace, too. It also restores people - the trolls and demons are human again, and plants can grow in the courtyard rock garden. 

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had a quick fruit smoothie and peanut butter-stuffed celery sticks while watching Match Game '74. Fannie Flagg, Adrianne Barbeau, and Bobby Van joined the regulars and Gary Burghoff for jokes about Fannie's "Mystery Guest" t-shirt. The Match Game PM episode was one of my favorites of the night-time shows. Puppets Kukla and Ollie became the first non-humans to appear on Match Game. Not only did Brett happily flirt with them, they got to witness a big 20,000 win with Eva Gabor.

Sale of the Century got almost as wild. The champ was ahead for most of the round, until she bought a beautiful amethyst necklace in the last Instant Bargain. It proved to be her undoing. She lost to the older woman challenger by two dollars. The lady won a trip to Jamaica on the prize board. She said she'd been there before, loved it, and would happily go again.

Finished the night after a shower with episodes from three Disney cartoon series of the 90's and early 2000's on Disney Plus. Recess involved the adventures of a band of typical misfits as they tried to make their outdoor activities at school even more fun. Vince, the group jock, claims "I Will Kick No More Forever" after one of the girls from the snobbish "Ashleys" clique out-kick him. His friends do everything they can to try and get his confidence back. The gang is convinced that a little kid eating a peanut butter sandwich and is hanging around them brings bad luck. They do everything they can to shake him, but "The Kid Came Back."

Tale Spin occasionally drifted into Indiana Jones territory, as in "Waiders of the Wost Twesure." Baloo the Bear competes with hippo pilot Plane Jane to see who can find the Wuby...uh, Ruby Wings belonging to Princess Grace of Walla Walla Bing Bang first. She needs to find them to claim her throne from the dastardly Prince Rudolph, who'll do whatever he can to stop the duo!

Darkwing Duck traded Indiana Jones adventures for satires of Batman and other deep-dark superhero stories of the early and mid 90's. Began with the first regular episode, "Beauty and the Beet." Dr. Reginald Bushroot was once a mild-mannered, plant-loving scientist who hoped merging ducks with plant-life would solve all the world's hunger problems. When his colleagues make fun of his theories, he tests them on himself, turning himself into a half-duck, half-plant mutant. Darkwing and Launchpad enter the scene after he attacks his former lab. Darkwing is hoping Bushroot's beautiful colleague will be able to talk some sense into him, but he'd rather try to turn her into a plant as well!

Trouble In the Fall

Kicked off my morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. Came in just as the older former All-American Women's Baseball player beat a brother team. She had a slightly shaky start, but eventually breezed through the Gold Rush round. She was working on beating a pair of sisters when the show ended.

Switched to a couple of mildly spooky episodes of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh while making the bed. Piglet becomes "A Knight to Remember" when he's looking for a chess piece and somehow ends up in a world where his friends are all royalty, and he's expected to fight a very odd dragon. Piglet is so frightened by his nightmare in "Rock-a-Bye Piglet," he refuses to go to sleep. The others try to show him that nightmares aren't real, and are nothing to be afraid of.

I originally intended to head out after Pooh ended. My bike seat got a little loose again. I tried tightening it...but to my horror, the bolt holding the pieces together broke! I tried finding other bolts to use, in my apartment and in the garage, but to no avail. Even Jodie, who turned up after taking a phone call, tried to help. Nothing worked. We just didn't have the right bolt.

She eventually drove me to drop my clothes off at the laundromat, then to the Audubon Hardware a few minutes away. Despite its small size, the store was jam-packed inside and out with every possible thing you could ever need or want from a hardware store. Even when things were normal, I doubt most people could get more than a few steps in the door. They had just the right size bolt, in black and silver. I went with black.

Unfortunately, even when we got home, I couldn't figure out how to the pieces to stay together on the bike seat. I tried to make them stay for almost an hour. Nothing worked. No matter how much I held on or screwed or screamed or yelled, it wouldn't stay. I finally gave up and opted to walk the cart back to the laundromat instead. I'll try again with it tomorrow. At least it was a nice day for a walk, breezy and sunny and warm.

Stopped quickly at Dollar General first. I wanted a gift card for my friend Amanda, but I didn't have the money to pay for it. I'd buy it at the Acme. Had more luck at the House of Fun after I put the laundry in the dryer. Bought a birthday present for Lauren, a Christmas gift for Amanda, and the novelization of the 1980 Flash Gordon movie for me. 

Put on Tattletales when I got home. Today, we had a tie between hilarious comedian couple Mitzi McCall and Charlie Brill and shier musicians Bobby Troupe and Julie London. Press Your Luck was even more exciting. Everyone got money in the first round...but then two of the three contestants were hit hard with Whammies. In the end. the champ got just enough money to win and put her over the top for their "Hall of Fame."

Put the summer clothes away while Luck was on and afterwards. Though it may get into the 70's a few times this week, I think we're really done with summer. It'll likely be May before I need the tank tops or my bathing suit again. Got rid of my old summer purse, too. It's so worn, it's not worth keeping. I'll replace it sometime in the next six months.

Switched to one of my eBay purchases while I worked, and then as I did writing. Lost In Boston III is the last of the Versase Saraband "Lost In Boston" series that I didn't have. These are songs from hit musicals that were cut out of town, like the touching "Pink Taffeta Sample Size 10" from Sweet Charity and bouncy "When I Got Out Walkin' With My Baby" from Oklahoma. Other good numbers here include "Mama's Talkin' Soft" from Gypsy (the first time I heard kid actors sing this song, as per the original number), "Big Fat Heart" from Seesaw, and "Older and Wiser" from Bye Bye Birdie. 

Did manage to get some writing in. King Allen, now restored to his human form, explains to Betty and the others that Malade told him he could only become human again if he ate from his wife's plate, drank from her cup, and kissed her as a frog...without either being pleasant to her, or telling her who he was. Betty admitted she'd suspected it all along, but Malade's magic cast doubt in her mind.

Jodie knocked on the door twice while I was on the computer. She's still clearing out holiday decorations and gave me a pile of Thanksgiving stuffed animals (including a pilgrim teddy bear) and mini-figures. For some reason, there were two of the same floppy rag-doll pilgrim women. I put one in a bag to go to Goodwill, but kept the others. 

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching Match Game '74. Gene gets hot and bothered over Louisa Moritz' fur-covered halter top, then showed off his stage prowess with a little soft-shoe routine. Match Game PM was even wilder. Not only was the audience especially noisy on this one, but when his answer "of Arms" was the 100 dollar selection for "Code ___," Charles ran down and tore his name off the Star Wheel!

Sale of the Century didn't get quite that crazy. The two women went back and forth today, but the one guy did manage to win two prizes on the Fame Board. In the end, the woman champ won the Speed Round decisively and picked up a sweet musical pocket watch from the Match the Prizes Board.

Made Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp while Match Game PM and Sale ran. Should have cut more apples. It tasted like I put in more crumbly topping than apples, though at least the whole thing baked well, without burning. 

Ended the night with Show Girl In Hollywood on the Watch TCM app. I go further into this glimpse behind the scenes at an early talkie musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Show Girl In Hollywood

Autumn Adventures

Began a sunny morning with perfect banana pancakes for breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Since the fall pollen's been getting to my nose for the past few days, I thought I'd do the episode on Daniel's allergy. His allergy is a lot more serious than mine, though. "Daniel's Allergy" is to peaches, which makes him break out in a rash and his stomach hurt. His dad takes him to Dr. Anna, who tells him how to deal with it. Daniel also has to explain his "Allergy at School." His friends agree to help out and keep peaches away from him.

I'd seen the game show episodes before. Split Second brought in a lady who one once, but had run into technical trouble and lost...but she won here big-time, winning the main rounds and just getting the Countdown. She missed the car, though, and opted to come back. The solo older woman (who was once a member of the All-American Women's League) kept throwing strike-outs on Blockbusters. After missing two questions, she breezed through the Gold Rush round and was taking on a sister pair when I had to dash out for work.

Work wasn't bad when I arrived. Other than a few frustrating customers, the first hour or so was quiet. Things picked up around noon and stayed fairly busy for the rest of the afternoon. It continued to be busy when I was done, and of course, my relief never showed. The girl working the self-checkout lines came in for me, and I ended up being late getting out.

Was infinitely cheered by the arrival of two more doll outfits when I got home. Found the dress part of Felicity's Work Gown for a half-way decent price. She can wear an apron/pinafore I've had for Samantha for years and her own knitted shawl with it. Ariel got Julie's Casual Outfit, complete with the awesome brown boots I wish I had a pair of. 

Snuck in a little bit of writing before dinner. Helen Rayburn manages to make her way through the winds created by the black magic explosion to her husband Gene. She and Debralee the Water Fairy brought the townspeople and encouraged them to sing and carry torches to make light. Now, though, no one's sure what's going to happen next...

Broke for scrambled eggs with cheese, spinach, and tomatoes at 6:30. Old-time comic Jack Carter joins Orson Bean, ditzy Louisa Moritz, Betty White, and the regulars on Match Game to watch Gene pass out over the sight of Louisa's "assets" on display in a brief halter top. Match Game PM traded lust for drunk jokes. Foster Brooks has to sober up his act long enough to answer "Goof ___" on the Head-to-Head Round.

Sat down with popcorn as Sale of the Century began. The woman champ had stiff competition from the one guy, who kept going back and forth with her the entire show. She finally ended up getting a money card on the Fame Game that helped her win big time in the Speed Round. To her utter delight, she picked the car from the prize board.

Moved online after I hit the shower. "Samantha Fights City Hall" in season 5 of Bewitched on The Roku Channel. Incensed that a local park is to be torn down for a shopping center, Samantha rallies the mothers in the neighborhood to picket its destruction. Darrin is torn between progress and his wife insisting that the kids need a park, especially after he learns that the owner of the proposed shopping center happens to be his advertising firm's newest client.

Finished off the night on the Kanopy Library streaming site with the rare silent swashbuckler Bardleys the Magnificent. This film was lost for years; the majority of it only turned up in 2006, and even now, there's a segment covered by film stills. Bardelys (John Gilbert) wagers his estate against that of the Comte Chatellerault (Roy D'Arcy) that he can't make Roxalanne de Lavadan (Eleanor Boardman), the daughter of a rebel family, fall in love with him. He poses as a rebel to gain entrance into her family's home. It works, and they fall in love, until Roxalanne discovers that the rebel had a sweetheart and gives Bardelys away to the king's soldiers. He must convince the king he's who he claims to be and keep his sweetheart from marrying the wicked Chatelleraut.

If you want to know more about John Gilbert before his notorious fall during the early talkies era, you'll want to start here or with The Big Parade. Gilbert's having a ball here, swinging on tapestries, romancing all the ladies, and making love with the stunning Boardman. MGM spared no expense on the production, either, even adding blue tint to the daytime scenes when Bardelys finds the dying rebel and meets Roxalanne. Lovers of swashbucklers or silent film will want to check this one out.