Having a Heat Wave

Started off my morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. Came in just as that young man finally won a Gold Run, missing only one question. He'd begun the first round with a father-daughter team as the show ended.

Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while finishing breakfast. "Daniel and Miss Elaina Play Rocket Ship" when Daniel visits the Museum Go-Round. Elaina is upset when first the paper tube she used as a telescope bends, then the wings break off her cardboard spaceship. She almost gives up playing, until Daniel and her mother Lady Elaine remind her that Dan's there to play with her, not her stuff. "Daniel Plays at the Castle" and is disappointed when he can't play with Prince Wednesday's fragile rock collection. They opt to go exploring in the backyard instead.

Went to Mickey Mouse Mixed Up Adventures for a brand-new episode as I did the dishes and tidied up the living room. "Crooner Mickey" enjoys singing his favorite radio song while working in the garden, but he worries he's not as good as Minnie. When it turns out they're both scheduled to perform the song at the local picnic, he panics and hides. Minnie knows how to get him back in the show. In "Once Upon a Lemonade Stand," The Happy Helpers are supposed to be getting lemonade booths together for a school fair. Daisy and Minnie try so hard to one-up each other, they forget to make the girls they're helping happy, too.

Put on Match Game '78 as I made the bed and got my laundry organized. Vega$ star Bart Braverman made his first appearance on the show, along with lovely and sweet soap star Erica Hope and Arte Johnson, in these episodes. Gene laments being stuck using a much smaller microphone than usual. (Diminutive Arte doesn't have any problems with it, though!) Charles wishes his mother a happy birthday in the second, while Bart tells them about his grandmother in the audience. 

Headed out as soon as Match Game ended. Even if I didn't have laundry to do, it was still too nice of a day to hang around inside. Today's the last of our recent heat wave. It was so nice when I went out, I was fine in a short-sleeved blouse and capris. It remains sunny, warm, and breezy; I saw upper 60's-lower 70's on at least two digital signs on the White Horse Pike.

The laundromat was busy when I arrived. Good thing I didn't have a really big load anyway. Threw my clothes into the smallest and cheapest washer, then strolled a block down to Family Dollar. Picked up sugar (which is cheaper there than at the Acme) and cards for my friend Kelly and my mother, both of whom have birthdays this month.

As soon as the clothes were in the drier, I made my way a bit further down to WaWa. Had a hankering for a Snickers Ice Cream Bar. I haven't had one since they first debuted in the 90's; thought I'd try their new brownie flavor. Grabbed a San Pelligrino sparkling water for a drink. 

As soon as I got outside and bit into it, I remembered why I haven't had a Snickers Ice Cream Bar in 20 years. They're too darn sweet and very rich! They're also twice as big as they were when they debuted. I liked it enough that I'm glad I bought it, but it'll definitely be a one-time-only treat. 

Went straight into Super Password when I got home and put everything away. This time, Gary Burghoff was the one who lead his contestant to the bonus round. Jamie Farr had a lot more luck with that difficult Ca$hword mini-game. Had a quick smoothie lunch while Tattletales ran. The winners this time around were comedian Shecky Greene and his then-wife Nelani Kele. 

Press Your Luck got a little wilder. No one seemed to have much luck in the first round. The one lady got three Whammies before she gave up and passed off her remaining spin, and one of the guys got two. The champ only hit one Whammy and finally got a trip to Dallas after having spent two days saying he really wanted a second honeymoon for him and his wife.

My phone trilled while the show was on. The bike finally arrived! Called Rose to tell her it's in as soon as I got off with them. They can't pick it up today, but Rose said they'll try to get it over the weekend or Monday.

Worked on writing shortly after I got off with Rose. Richard offers to buy chatty Robert Walden a drink, but he wants to see his boss Ed Asner at The Match-Up Times right away. He finally heads into The Peacock Saloon alone, hoping to find someone who'll hire him for a job, any job.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching Match Game '76. Surprisingly, Betty White the animal lover does not give the top answer to "Lion __." She is, however, the subject of a question towards the end that wonders what she does with a fly in her soup. A woman studying for the ministry gives a racier answer to what a strange doctor does when he gives calls than most of the contestants are expecting in a much later Match Game PM from 1980. 

Sale of the Century got pretty close, too. The woman won two of the Fame Games and the other man bought all the Instant Bargains and the Instant Cash. Between the two of them, the champ just couldn't get a foothold. The guy beat him handily in the Speed Round, but had no luck with the Bonus Round. 

Finished the night online after a shower with Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier at Disney Plus after a shower. I vaguely remember seeing the Davy Crockett miniseries and movies on The Disney Channel as a child, but they were among their few offerings that really interested Dad more than me in the 80's. Watching the film, I remember why. I did enjoy the first third, when Davy's fighting the Creek Indians and helping them form a treaty. Everything after that, especially Davy's venture to Washington DC to pass a law to help the Natives keep their land, is slow-moving and frankly boring. Fess Parker as Davy and Buddy Ebsen as his buddy George do what they can with the material, and we have memorable turns by Mike Mazurki as Davy's lumbering rival Bigfoot Mason in the first segment and Hans Conried as Thimblerig the gambler in the Alamo finale. 

I've Confessed to the Breeze

Began an early morning with breakfast and The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That on The Roku Channel. Nick and Sally want to learn to paint a rainbow for Sally's mom, but they can't remember the order of the colors. The Cat takes them to visit King Kalidescope, who is "Chasing Rainbows," to learn about rainbows, the order of their colors, and how they're created. They join Cluey Louie to "Follow the Prints" and figure out who stole their last strawberry.

Called for a ride to work shortly after the episodes ended. While I did have to wait slightly longer for rides this time, it still wasn't as bad as it has been. This time, I told the driver going to the Acme he could go straight through Oaklyn and down the White Horse Pike to save time and money. The majority of Uber drivers in this area are from Camden or Philadelphia and know nothing about anywhere beyond those areas. They don't know where everything around here is. 

Work was stone-cold dead through lunch, and even after that, it wasn't incredibly busy. It didn't really start to pick up until right as I was leaving. I had some trouble when I accidentally punched for lunch instead of sweeping. I was upset and embarrassed, but the manager said they'd fix it. Had to have the manager punch my sweep in.

At least it was a beautiful day for pushing carts. While cloudy this morning, by the afternoon, it was sunny and breezy. Still warm, too, probably in the upper 60's-lower 70's. I didn't even need my coat by the time I got off. 

Picked up a few things on the way out. Found a box of green tea on the clearance racks. The Acme's having a good sale on Jiff Peanut Butter. They were out of the low-salt natural variety last week, but they had the crunchy in today. Wanted to make hummus for dinner tonight, so I bought blue corn chips, too.

I was so tired and stressed, I lay down for a rest as soon as I got in. Jamie Farr and Gary Burghoff continue on Super Password. Farr got his contestant to the Super Password bonus round and the Ca$hword, with little success on the latter. Married dancers Bobby Van and Elaine Joyce and performers Greg Mullavey and Meredith MacRae were the big winners on Tattletales today, over old-time comedian Shecky Greene and his exotic wife Lelani.

Settled down with cake decorating books as Press Your Luck came on. This was another game with a ton of Whammies all over the place. The winner just barely came out over the champ with 4,000 in cash.

Worked on writing for a little while after the show ended. Richard is joined by chatty reporter Robert Walden, who just arrived from the East. His former boss Ed Asner offered him a job on his paper, and he's hoping to take him up on that. He says things have been shaky in Televisa City ever since the railroad went through, with a lot of bandits robbing cattle and land speculators picking up ranches dirt-cheap.

Jodie brought me dinner around quarter of 5. I enjoyed baked chicken, peas and corn, and noodles in Knorr bagged Alfredo sauce while I worked.

Broke for a snack at 6:30. Made the hummus anyway; had it with the corn chips while Match Game '76 was on. This one got pretty wild, with Gene reading an Old Man Perriwinkle question, then falling on Elaine Joyce when Fannie Flagg pushes on him. Towards the end of the episode, he yells at one of the cameramen for being late with his cue. Bob Barker's previous stint on the 1950's and 60's Truth or Consequence comes in for some ribbing in a question on Match Game PM. He's especially happy when Eva Gabor insists he was a "sex symbol" on that show.

Sale of the Century started out well, with the champ buying a nice stereo after claiming he's a jazz aficionado. It was another close game, right down to the wire. The other man pulled ahead and just barely won the Speed Round. Didn't have nearly as much luck with the Bonus Round. 

Finished the night with Tea for Two. I go further into this fluffy Roaring 20s-set vehicle for Doris Day at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Tea for Two

Very Warm for Winter

Began the morning with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. The first contestant was a young man who not only survived a parachute jump where his chutes failed and got tangled, but continued to jump afterwards. Nipsey Russell and Bill Cullen went for tough number two. Kitty Carlisle and I went for handsome number three on the end...and we were right. The second guests wrote a book on masks and their place in society. This time, almost everyone went for number three, the lady who said the most on the subject, and yes, we were right.

Caught the first guest on What's My Line? as I got ready for work. Today, the panel (including Melba Moore and Gene Shallit of the mega-mustache) got to talk to a man who was involved in real history. He was the last living member of a group of Army Air Service pilots who flew around the world in 1924. Soupy dropped out early-on - he was old enough to remember when it happened - but the others were younger and had a harder time figuring it out. The footage we saw when they did guess right was absolutely amazing, and so was hearing him talk about it.

No problems at work whatsoever today. The Uber driver going to work took less than ten minutes to get here; the one going home took less than five. I spent almost the entire afternoon pushing carts, and I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. The day was stunning for March, with sunny skies and cool breezes. It had to be in at least the mid-60's. I even had help from two baggers in the afternoon who took over the sweeping and inside duties. 

Went straight into writing when I got home. Richard Dawson arrives in the town of Televisa City in 1877, wearing a fancy city suit and hoping to find a place to raise his two sons after their mother abandoned them to return to England. He gets to observe the town, including the lanky fellow with the square chin pounding horseshoes, the very nervous deputy, and the lady with the fluffy blonde-brown hair who really loves the horses in her livery stable.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched Match Game '76 while eating leftover beef stew. Not for the first time on this show, the toaster thing that's supposed to give Gene the answers wouldn't work. He had to bang on it to get it moving. Meanwhile, Penny lost to a lady who got to hear some interesting answers to the Audience Match "Earl __."

Settled down on the futon with cake decorating magazines as Match Game PM began. We learn how popular Richard Dawson was by 1977 when the female contestant admitted point-blank that she hoped for a kiss from him even if she lost. She got her wish and more when he did, indeed, kiss her in the end...and then he tried to pull her away from Gene when he attempted to break them apart! There was also Richard keeping track of how many answers he and Betty got right or wrong. 

Sale of the Century was even more exciting. All of the contestants bought something or won something, and no one was far ahead until the very end, when the portly pizza-loving gentleman won the Speed Round and a pair of diamond earrings decisively. He didn't do nearly as well with the Bonus Round, though.

Ended the night online after a shower on Shout! Factory's website with another Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode, Last of the Wild Horses. The convoluted story of a rancher who almost starts a range war when he's accused of forcing smaller spreads out of business was far less interesting than the wisecracks from the robots and Mike and Tom Servo trying to figure out how everyone else ended up in an alternative universe.

Almost Springtime

Kicked off my morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. Came in just in time for the young man to defeat a pair of sisters. He didn't do nearly as well at the Gold Run, getting some answers right...but never in a row. They were mid-way through another game when the show ended. 

Let The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour run as I did the dishes and got organized. Phyllis Diller and deadpan comedian and former presidential candidate Pat Paulsen joined Anson Williams, Paula Kelly from the first season of Night Court, and a load of soap opera stars for a nutty week in 1984. Diller always had such a great time with the Match Game portion in particular that I wish she'd been in more of the original 70's run. 

Headed out around 11:30 to make a run to Dollar General...and because it was such a stunning day. The temperature already hit 61. I strolled out in a jean jacket, short-sleeved blouse with no discomfort whatsoever. Warm sun caressed my back as breezes flittered down Beechwood Avenue and the White Horse Pike. Surprisingly, I saw only a few other people out for a walk or taking the dog for a romp. Everyone must have been stuck at work, school, or lessons. 

The nice weather reflected in a quiet Dollar General. They didn't have the low-salt natural Jiff I like, but I was able to pick up chocolate chips and eggs that are cheaper than the Acme's. Needed trash bags (the trash goes out today) and soap, and grabbed roll-on Icy-Hot for sore muscles in my shoulders.

Put everything away when I got home, then made lunch while watching Match Game '78. Arrived in time to see the panel make jokes about what Roger the cue card boy writes in response to a fat question. Johnny Olsen, who announced Match Game and The Price Is Right, had a cameo in the second episode calling out his famous "Come on down!" line from Price in response to a "Come On __" Audience Match. Bob Barker was just annoyed that the contestant didn't call on him first!

Spent the next few hours making Cut-Out Sugar Cookies from that one-bowl cookie cookbook Lauren sent me a while back. The dough wouldn't come together, so I added milk to get it to stick...which made it too sticky to handle, so I added flour. I did finally roll out the dough, but I made a mess doing it. Thank goodness the floor in my kitchen is all hard wood and easily swept! I cut them into spring shapes - bunnies, tulips, hearts, butterflies, shamrocks - and sprinkled them with pastel colored sugar (or green for the shamrocks). I burned the first batch a little, but the rest came out perfectly sweet and crispy.

Watched Golden Girl as I cut the cookies. I go further into this charming musical set during the Civil War era, with Mitzi Gaynor as youthful dancer Lotta Crabtree, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Golden Girl (1951)

Switched to Super Password as I finished up the cookies. Gary Burghoff and Jamie Farr of MASH turned this into a real army battle as they helped their ladies answer some tough puzzles. Farr got his lady to the Super Password round, but he didn't do nearly as well there or with the Ca$hword mini-game. 

We had two big winners on Tattletales. John McCook and Juliet Prowse and Pat and Marge Harrington came from behind and won over long-married Monty and Marilyn Hall. Pat and Marge apparently hadn't gotten a question wrong all week until today.

Press Your Luck began as I pulled the cookies out of the oven. Whammies made a hash out of the first round, leaving only one contestant with any money. Though they flew pretty hard in the second, too, surprisingly, everyone stayed in. The champ just managed to beat the other lady and pick up a San Francisco vacation with two Whammies. 

Went into writing after the show ended. Charles reminds his friend that he's one person. He can't save the world. He can only do what he can. He invites Richard to watch Gary Burghoff play the drums at a local club with him, but he declines. Richard finally picks up the western novel he was reading to pack it...and wishes he were back in the Old West, so he could be in control and dispense his own kind of justice on Ira and his rules...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made chicken cutlets with lemon-wine sauce, steamed green beans, and broccoli with pasta while watching Match Game '76. Sweet contestant Penny continues her run here, playing a young man who bears a striking resemblance to John Ritter. Fannie Flagg and Brett Somers fielded jokes about the differences in their anatomies (i.e, Fannie is well-endowed, Brett was attractive, but...wasn't) and Gary Burghoff got to show off his new mustache on Match Game PM. (Loved how one wiseguy in the audience yelled "Thank you!" when Gene told them they were all fired after giving a lackluster response to one of the questions.)

Settled down with the Gene Rayburn biography while Sale of the Century ran. We had another close match tonight, mainly between the ladies. Each of them bought one Instant Bargain, and the other lady bought (and won) the Instant Cash. The champ won the Speed Round in a tiebreaker, then picked up the Bonus Round money with time to spare.

Finished the night with Charlie's Angels. The Angels are hired by the owner of a dude ranch to find out who killed a guest on his way there. Everyone in the bus claimed they had an alibi and a reason not to do him in. Sabrina poses as a former rodeo rider, Kris as a shy librarian, Kelly as a divorcee, and Bosley as a rich man to find out the truth. 

Harts On a Sunny Day

Started off the day with breakfast and Body Language. I originally saw today's episode, with supreme hams Lucille Ball and Charles Nelson Reilly miming words for the contestants, on Buzzr's "Buzzr Loves Lucy" marathon last August. Charles won this one when his contestant answered the tie breaker puzzle correctly. They didn't have nearly as much luck with the bonus round, only getting three of the amount to go for words and one of the words in the final round.

Worked on a little bit of writing after breakfast. Richard wishes he could dispense justice, like they did in the wild west. He protested the Vietnam War and for civil rights to be able to do something. Charles doesn't like it when Rich reminds him that he and Fannie can't kiss same-sex contestants on the air and many people look askance at Richard because he's an immigrant and his and Brett's single parent status. 

Broke in time to pack up for lunch and head out. It took me a few minutes to get a car, but I did get one...and this time, I gave them directions to get straight to the Acme, instead of winding all the way through Audubon. I have no clue why Google keeps directing the drivers to the Black Horse Pike entrance. There's far quicker ways to get there. The driver was annoyed, too. Thankfully, this time she pulled up at the door just in time. 

Spent the almost the entire afternoon pushing carts. Had to alternate it with sweeping during the first half of my shift. The head bagger ran the self-checkout registers today, and I had no other help until one of the college boys arrived at 4. After he came in, I focused on the carts and rounding up outside trash and recycling.

At least the weather was appropriate for pushing carts. While not crazy-warm, it was much nicer than it has been, with sunshine and a deep-blue sky. No wind, either. No wonder we were on-and-off busy all day. 

It took my driver home a little while to arrive...but when she did, there were no problems. She was pleasant and sweet, even if her car was a little odd, with "hip" sayings written on it. At least, I got home quickly. 

Took out the recycling as soon as I got in, then changed and put on Match Game '76 while enjoying the beef stew Jodie put in my refrigerator for dinner. Richard rarely engenders the hostility of the audience, but they really booed his answer to what Count Dracula has to remember to do to his fangs! Meanwhile, a sweet and pretty Korean woman keeps winning, inspiring a few bad (and non-PC) Asian jokes from Gene.

Made Chocolate Chip-Orange Muffins during Match Game PM. The male contestant's Grizzly Adams-like hair and beard inspired many "get a haircut" jokes and some flirting from Brett, who thought he looked fine the way he was. Meanwhile, Richard tried to help him win 10,000 by answering "Jack the __." 

Slid the muffins in the oven by the time Sale of the Century started. This was another close one. The other lady pushed the champ, who bought an Instant Bargain lounger chair and barely won the Speed Round by one question. She did even better with the Bonus Round tonight, getting it with plenty of time to spare.

Finished the night on The Roku Channel after a shower with a fourth season episode of Hart to Hart. A friend of Johnathan's who owns a bankrupt ghost town and former gold mine wants to sell it to him. It's now a tourist attraction and working western town, including a stagecoach, cowboys, and shootouts. When one of those "shoot outs" turns real and their friend is blamed for the crime, the Harts try to figure out who in the town wants him out of the way and what's really going on in the supposedly abandoned mines. 

Wild and Wacky Games

I'd been up for all of twenty minutes this morning when my cell phone trilled. I did call Rose and tell her I ordered the bike, but she wanted to know if it came in yet. I hadn't heard anything from the bike shop in Deptford, and I doubted I would for a while. Things take a long time to arrive. She asked me to call them anyway. She and Craig would be able to pick the bike up today.

Made Peanut Butter Pancakes for breakfast first while listening to Destry Rides Again. Andy Griffith is the title character, the son of a late lawman who comes to lawless Bottleneck determined to find who killed the previous sheriff without using violence. Dolores Gray plays Frenchy, the bad-girl saloon singer who falls for Destry. This is a pretty typical late 50s musical, with "aw shucks" numbers for Destry ("Tomorrow Morning,") Frenchy's attempt to seduce Destry ("I Know Your Kind"), and her frustration when he brushes her off ("I Hate Him") and big chorus set pieces that don't have much to do with the show ("Rose Lovejoy of Paradise Alley," "Once In a While"). It's probably better-remembered for the temper tantrums Dolores Gray threw during it's production and Michael Kidd's Tony-winning choreography than for any of its songs.

Went online briefly after breakfast to check my account and call the bike shop. It was as I thought. The bike shop clerk said it's coming from Wisconsin and won't be here until the end of this week, if not the week after. I e-mailed Rose the receipt and told her what was going on. 

It took forever to get a ride to work this morning...and when I did, it took them twenty minutes to come. And then they took the long way down Nicholson and across Audubon to behind the Crossings Shopping Center, rather than the much-faster route through Oaklyn and down the Black Horse Pike. Though the lady was nice about it, I was ten minutes late. 

The Acme was very busy for most of the day. Sundays are almost always busy, even outside of football season. This is the only day a lot of people can shop. It's also the first Sunday of the month, which means many people are using beginning of the month and early tax money. Our annual Monopoly game started up towards the end of last week as well. There were a few annoying customers too, including my second-to-last one. Between her and dealing with big orders, I got out ten minutes late.

It took me a while to find a ride home as well. This time, though, when I did find a ride, they arrived within ten minutes. I even had a pleasant chat with the sweet woman driver on the way home.

Worked on writing for a while when I got in. Charles tells Richard that he's a great host and their best panelist. He's not, however, a lawman. He can't just go off and throw fits at the producer. Richard just wants to help the contestants win money and is frustrated that he can't do more. 

Had a quick spinach and scallion omelet for dinner while listening to the soundtrack of Paint Your Wagon. Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood are prospectors Ben and Pardner whose discovery of gold eventually leads to the creation of wild mining town. Ben eventually take Mormon woman Elizabeth (Jean Seaburg) as his bride, and all three of them do live happily for a while, but Elizabeth falls for "Pardner," and then respectable citizens start moving into the town and changing its rowdy ways. 

There's some good music here, including the rip-roaring "Gospel of No Name City" and a gorgeous "They Call the Wind Mariah" from Harve Presnell as a local gambler, but Eastwood and Marvin not being singers works better in the film than on an album. 

Finished the night online with some of the strangest game shows to ever exist on TV. I was inspired to do this theme after watching Whew! and Pitfall when Tom Kennedy and Alex Trebek died last fall. They were definitely not the only ones to make use of a huge mechanical set. The Magnificent Marble Machine has two celebrity-contestant teams guessing the answer to a certain word. If they can't come up with the answer, they spell it until they run out of time. Whomever wins gets to play a huge pinball machine with their celebrity partner and win fabulous prizes. Art James hosts. 

The trouble is...while pinball is fun to play, it's not fun to watch. The biggest pinball machine in the world can't disguise the fact that the game is boring and slow-paced. I can see why this didn't even last a year in 1975, and I believe this is the only episode currently in existence (besides a snippet included in the 1979 film The China Syndrome). 

Game shows could get even wilder in the unrestrained world of cable in the 1980's. Remote Control was MTV's first game show in 1987, and their first non-music video programming. Ken Ober hosted the TV trivia show supposedly from his basement. Three strapped-in college-age contestants answered questions about TV, often given in the form of mini-skits by two actors and the house band. Contestants who were eliminated were pulled through the back "brick" wall. The last contestant standing - or sitting - switched to a bed to guest as many musical artists from brief music video clips as they could in 30 seconds. 

The girls and I loved this in the late 80's, though we were a tad young at the time to really understand the zany humor or why all those props are laying around someone's basement. As odd as it is, it's still pretty fun, especially if you're a fan of TV in the 80's or MTV's early years.

The Money Maze came out the same year as Magnificent Marble Machine and had a lot of the same problems. This time, instead of pinball, a spouse has to guide their significant other through a huge maze to hit a bell and win a prize. To give them credit, they did try to make things slightly more interesting by having a series of mini-games as the main game, rather than one word game. It still comes off as only slightly more interesting than Marble Machine. Even George Clooney, later of American Movie Classics, can't do much with this. (Though I will admit that mink coat seen later in the episode looks like the softest thing in the universe.)

Comedy Central's Win Ben Stein's Money started off with a far simpler premise - stump deadpan comedian Ben Stein and get his loot. Stein was no fool, though, and his trivia show, for all the comic titles and goofy jokes in and out of isolation booths, was actually pretty tough. Like Remote Control, it gradually whittled down three contestants until it came to the bonus round, where the final person standing got to try to ask questions and see if they could stump Stein and win the money. No wonder this show was a six-year hit and is still well-regarded today. The questions are hard, but the game is hilarious. Look for Jimmy Kimmel in the pilot as the co-host.

Get rid of the late winter blahhs with these truly unique blasts from the past! (Look for the original commercials on Win Ben Stein's Money and Remote Control.)

The Money Maze (1975)

The Magnificent Marble Machine (1975)

Whew! (1979)

Pitfall (1982)

Remote Control (1989)

Win Ben Stein's Money (1997)

Little Patch of Heaven

Kicked off a quick morning with breakfast and Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bitty Adventures. It's gotten warm again in Berry Bitty City. Raspberry Torte wants to hold a fashion show around the juice fountain, but Berrykin Bruce has planned a water show for the same time. Strawberry convinces them to put their shows together, but their plans - and that of the Berry Bitty City regatta - are put "On Ice" when winter returns and freezes the lake and the fountain.

Worked on writing for an hour after the cartoon ended. Charles agrees with Richard that Ira was in the wrong about the school incident...but also reminds him that there's not much they can do about it right now. They're not the judges, and they don't run the studio. He finally packs his own things and leaves, letting Richard stew over his western novel and suitcase.

Put on the 50's Price Is Right briefly while I packed and got ready for work. Bill Cullen just put a pair of kids' roller skates up for bid. If 6-dollar children's toys seem like an odd thing to be bidding on, well, it got even stranger when a chimpanzee sailed across the stage in them! Turns out the winner of the skates received a far more adult bonus - a brand new car.

Had trouble getting through to Uber, but I finally got into work with a minute to spare. They have plenty of help bagging during the weekends, so I'm cashiering today and tomorrow. That's fine. For one thing, today was cloudy, cold, and windy, not the best day to be gathering carts. For another, we were on-and-off steady, the same we've been all week. I had a few annoying customers, but nothing horrible. It slowed down enough by 6 that I was able to shut down right on time.

Had a lot of grocery shopping to do tonight. Took advantage of big meat sales to pick up chicken cutlets and boneless thighs and a small pack of ground turkey. Had online coupons for Natural Smuckers jelly, yogurt, and bananas. Found small bags of green beans for a good price and one more box of fruit bars on the clearance rack. Restocked brown sugar, tangerines, apples, frozen fruit (strawberries this time), milk, cocoa, cereal, honey, canned mandarin oranges, and deodorant. 

Got my schedule, too. Definitely one of the best I've had in a long time. My only long 8-hour shift is Wednesday, and that's likely due to it being the head bagger's day off. Otherwise, it's all perfectly normal 6-hour shifts, Tuesday and Friday off again. 

Had a harder time finding a ride home at quarter of 7, and when I did get one, it took 20 minutes to arrive. The lady was also one of those crazy drivers who speeds down the road, even when she's driving in Oaklyn. It was past 7:30 when I finally got home in one piece. 

Watched the mid-80's Card Sharks while putting everything away and eating a quick leftovers dinner. The young man who was champion turned out to not be eligible and lost his big winnings. His replacement was a little old Italian fellow who was so funny and energetic, I far preferred him anyway. I was actually a little disappointed when he lost to a blonde lady. To give her credit, she did come back after a shaky start to pick up 6,000 in the Money Cards.

Finished the night online after a shower with Home On the Range. I go further into this 2004 Disney western comedy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - Home On the Range

Sun In the Wind

Kicked off my morning with breakfast and the second half of Blockbusters. Came in as that young man champ played a pair of sisters. He just won the first round as I sat down with breakfast. They were half-way through the second as the episode ended.

Switched to Doc McStuffins as I cleaned up from breakfast. "Itty Bitty Bess Takes Flight" takes us into Women's History Month. Doc's mom gives her an antique toy version of Bessie "Queen" Coleman, the first African-American and Native American woman to earn her international pilot's license, and her tri-wing plane. Bessie is dismayed she can't do tricks, but it turns out that she and the plane have rusty joints. Even after Doc's dad applies rust remover, they have to loosen Bessie's joints. Doc's new Spanish flamenco dancing doll is "Boxed In." She's so nervous about getting messy, she won't leave her box. The others hold a dance marathon to show her how much fun it can be to leave your comfort zone.

Went into Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood after Doc ended. "Daniel Asks First" when he needs a drumstick and he borrows Margaret's spoon and gets her upset. Later, when he's at Jodi's house, her Nana scolds her for taking her brother's carrot stick without asking. Jodi's even less happy when one of her little brothers snatch her stuffed hedgehog while she and Dan are using him as their audience. Dan and the kids at school learn "Friends Ask First" when Prince Wednesday takes O the Owl's book before he's finished reading it to the class and Dan tries to take Miss Elaina's blocks. 

Buzzr is still in Match Game '78 at noon. The first episode had everyone teasing Betty about the trained elephant she worked with in a Johnny Carson episode. We got a concert in the second, as a choir in the audience performed "Sweet Adeline"...prompting the panelists to do the same towards the end.

Went online while the episodes were on and finally bought my new bike. The sun yellow is listed as "Call for Availability." I'm tired of phone calls and waiting, so I bought the French Blue instead. I'm happy either way, and the blue is nearly as bright as the yellow. Called Rose and told her voice mail, then tried to print out the receipt. Unfortunately, only half of it printed for some reason. I'll try again later this weekend. 

Headed out to the laundromat shortly after getting offline. While it was still cold and very windy, the sun was nice when you could get into it. I settled outside on the concrete barrier and worked on story notes while my large load ran through the washer. After I switched them to the drier, I treated myself to a Macha Mint Smoothie at a busy WaWa. Very sweet and earthy...and very, very green! I'll have to try another Macha Smoothie on or around St. Patrick's Day.

Put on Tattletales as soon as I got home. I made another smoothie, this one Banana-Cherry-Watermelon, while Dick Gautier and his mouthy then-wife Barbara Stuart, Robert Vaughn and his wife Linda, and Arte Johnson and his Swiss model wife Gisele joked about which features of Burt Convy's the guys would want on their bodies. At the last minute, Dick and Barbara were the only ones who got the last question, which allowed them to come from behind and win the game.

Put the laundry away during the first half of Press Your Luck. Money and spins flew fast and furious in this one...but so did Whammies. One of the ladies Whammied out within the first two minutes of the second round. It kept going back and forth between the other two, until the man won a huge payout that got him the game.

Worked on writing for a while after the show ended. Charles catches a western novel when Richard angrily throws it. He's surprised to see Richard reading the original Zorro novel The Curse of Capistrano. Richard admits it's an escape between tapings. He finally goes to talk to Brett, leaving his British friend to finish packing...and to wonder what it would be like if he could give justice old west style...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms while watching Match Game '76. Betty White's mother Tess, whom she adored, was in the audience the audience that night. She usually went to every one of Betty's tapings, but apparently she'd been sick the last time Betty was on the show. 

Snuggled on the futon with Pluto and my biography of Bill Cullen as Match Game PM came on. Appropriately, he was on the panel in this episode, along with feisty redheads Debralee Scott and Fannie Flagg. Gene got very tongue-tied asking a tongue question to a pretty traveling saleswoman (I loved the lilacs in her hair) and a gentleman with a considerable mustache, while everyone jokes about what Fannie's IQ score is the same as.

Sale of the Century was close again, but in a somewhat higher-scoring game. The other guy bought the Instant Cash, but the one lady bought an Instant Bargain and beat the guy by one question. She won the bonus round with two minutes left after missing the first puzzle.

Finished up online with vintage western tales. Annie Oakley, which is currently on The Roku Channel, is the rare female-centered 50's western show. Annie and her little brother Tagg hitch a ride with an elderly train manager whose vehicles have been robbed three times. His manager son, dubbed a "brass collar" by cowpokes Annie, Tagg, and deputy Lofty, comes to the station determined to do things "by the book" and fire his father. Annie and her boys teach him that you don't always have to do things by the book to get the job done when they save him and the gold bullion on the train. I really enjoyed this episode, especially the action and Annie's take-charge character.  I'll definately check out more of this one. 

The 1975 Italian Zorro is also currently at The Roku Channel. Moved from California to Nueva Aragon (New Spain, aka Mexico) during the early 1800's, this dubbed swashbuckler has Don Diego (Alain Delon) taking over for the murdered governor of the colony. From here, the story proceeds more-or-less the same. Don Diego poses as a fop while secretly posing as Zorro, the masked avenger who fights for justice. He leads corrupt Colonel Huerta (Stanley Baker) off his trail first by having Zorro threaten the governor, then by making it appear that he and the governor are killed. He shows up to rescue the lovely Hortensia Pulido (Ottavia Piccolo) from having to marry the dastardly military leader to save her family.

Wish the copy at Roku was in better shape. The print they have is soft, scratchy, and not always the easiest to watch. I figured this would be cheesy as heck, but it was actually a lot of fun. There were some great set pieces, including a brawl at an outdoor market and the incident with the governor's carriage, and Delon makes both a very funny fop and a wonderfully dashing Zorro. Baker makes a great scenery-chewing villain opposite him. It's actually an interesting look at how one country adapts the icons and stories of another. 

Windy Girls

Was thankfully able to sleep in a little bit this morning. Watched Jem on Tubi as I ate a quick breakfast. Jem and the Holograms are invited to perform on "The World Hunger Shindig" by a Texas businesswoman. The Misfits are to perform, too, but there isn't enough room for them to be on the live album. Their sleazy manager Eric Raymond sets up several "accidents" to get Jem and her girls out of the way...and so he can get his own slice of that World Hunger pie.

Worked on writing for an hour after the cartoon ended. Richard storms into the dressing room he shares with Charles and starts throwing things into his suitcase. Charles comes in and reminds Richard not to throw the lesson plans he's working on for his acting classes around. He admits he's frustrated about Ira's decision, too, but reminds Richard that they're going to call the kid back and are doing all they can.

Broke for a quick banana-chocolate-cherry smoothie lunch at 11. Watched a bit of The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour as I drank my smoothie and got dressed. Bob Eubanks (then hosting the 1984 version of Dream House), Erin Moran of Happy Days, and Fred Travelena and his 5,000 voices joined Charles, Gene, and Jon Bauman that week. They'd just switched to the Hollywood Squares half of the show as I headed out. 

No trouble whatsoever with Uber or at work today. Work was on-and-off steady, as it has been all week. I did the carts and helped the head bagger with sweeping the store until the evening bagger arrived and took over that duty. Spent the last two hours with the carts and gathering outside trash and recycling. It did take me a little while to get a ride home, but I got one, and both drivers came on time and got me where I was going.

The only real problem was the weather. The sun kept disappearing behind dark clouds. Heavy winds made the temperature feel much colder than yesterday, too. I had a hard time chasing carts that occasionally blew into the path of cars going to the Black Horse Pike from Nicholson Road. 

Went straight into leftovers and Match Game '76 when I got home. Charles is a bit annoyed when Brett and Richard do goofy imitations of him for the first question, throwing a card at Richard's back. Later, they have more trouble answering "__ Mary" for the Audience Match. Brett has her own trouble on the Head-to-Head.

Snuggled under the knitted emerald green afghan on the futon and cuddled with my comfy stuffed Pluto as Match Game PM began. Big George Kennedy is usually one of the best players, but he couldn't really get anything today, including with the rather easy first question. The audience really booed the panelists when they missed the obvious answer on that one! Charles sports a T-shirt representing the Broadway play he directed the year before, The Belle of Amherst. 

Sale of the Century picked up a little bit tonight with a slight revision to how the champs get the prize of the day. Instead of choosing it from a Winner's Board, Don Morrow announces the prize they're playing for at the beginning of the show. This is also the third day in a row with champion turnover. Yesterday's champ bought the Instand Bargain and the lady bought a trip to Palm Springs, but the other man bought the Instant Cash and beat the lady in the Speed Round by one question. He had no trouble getting the Bonus Round money, either.

Finished out the night online after a shower with Ziegfeld Girl. I go further into this musical backstage drama from 1941 that features Lana Turner, Hedy Lamarr, and Judy Garland as hopeful showgirls at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Ziegfeld Girl

Day In the Sunshine

Got a quick start today with breakfast and the 2009 Strawberry Shortcake. Blueberry Muffin frustrated when "The Big Freeze" means her next Patty Persimmon book is delayed in Berry Big City. She uses an old tennis racket and butterflies to create skates that can fly over ice and get her to the City fast. The other girls are so thrilled with them, they ask her to make them skates. Blueberry even gets an offer from a sports shop in Berry Big City to make the skates and outfits to match. They want a commercial to advertise her creations. Blueberry asks the other girls for ideas...but she ends up rejecting those ideas. The girls are worried, but it turns out Blueberry's better at making commercials than they thought.

Thank heavens after yesterday I had no trouble whatsoever with Uber. The cars that came this morning and tonight came within fifteen minutes of calling them. No traffic either time, either.

Once again, spent most of the day outside, pushing carts and gathering outside trash and recycling. I had no help in the morning and early afternoon, but we were so dead until noon, it wasn't really a problem. Even when it picked up, it was on and off. Had to figure out how to get the front recycling in the baler when they don't want small bits of paper in the baler, and that's mainly what they recycle up front. I couldn't find one big box, so I ended up using four. Also had problems with a customer outside, though he doesn't seem to have taken it inside like I suggested. On the other hand, I did get to help a nice older man haul his groceries outside early-on.

There's also the fact that the weather was gorgeous. The sun was out, the sky was radiant blue, and while it was windy, the wind was neither heavy, nor cold. No wonder one of the college student baggers who came in later insisted on joining me, even though it wasn't that bad. It was simply too nice to be inside.

Rose called me at work. I called her back when I got in. She called the Cherry Hill and Deptford bike shops, and Deptford has the sun yellow and blue Electra bike. I went with sun yellow. Not only do I like the color yellow, but it'll really stand out, especially at night. I need to order it, and she or Craig will pick it up from the store.

Worked on writing for a little while. Richard's still angry at Ira. He can't tell Mr. Goodson his feelings. Mark Goodson is in New York. And anyway, he's even more of a stickler for the rules than Ira. Ira finally dismisses everyone to go home, telling Richard to cool off. Richard storms off to the dressing rooms, with the others on his heels.

Broke for a quick leftovers dinner at 6:30. Watched Match Game '76 while I ate. Gene's not happy when he's stuck with a smaller microphone. He loves his longer, retractable microphone. Though we get to the Audience Match twice, the contestant doesn't do really well with either, striking out in the first and having trouble with the Head-to-Head with Brett in the second. 

Started oatmeal cookies as Match Game PM came on. Cool older lady Mary Wickes, character actor Gary Crosby, and goofy Joyce Bulifant joins the regulars for this 1977 episode. Brett needles Charles until he does a certain answer, just as they answer the question as to where they wish a meteor would land. Joyce is funny when she's answering a question about the hotel sign she'd have on her head, too.

The cookies went into the oven during Sale of the Century. We had yet another close, low-scoring game. The champ did buy both Instant Bargains, but in the end, the other guy beat him at the Speed Round and picked up a large-screen TV. He just barely got the Bonus Round money, too.

I was so tired, I was barely up to spending the rest of the night after the cookies came out with Sheriff Callie's Wild West on Disney Plus. "The Pesky Kangaroo Rat" turns Nice and Friendly Corners upside-down as it chews through just about everything. Callie loses patience chasing it and comes up with crazy contraptions to catch it. Tio Torguga the turtle knows that when it comes to catching hungry critters, it takes patience...and a lot of prairie pickles. Toby and Peck go into "Cattle Overdrive" when they're late driving Farmer Stinky's cattle from the pasture. Toby thinks he has a shortcut, but all it does is lead him, Toby, and the cows into a lot of trouble.

Callie's horse Sparky is convinced she doesn't love him anymore when she admires "Sparky's Rival," the shiny new Iron Horse train. The train conductor claims his train is faster than Sparky, but Sparky gets to show his stuff when Pricilla accidentally sends the train out of control. Peck gets "Jail Crazy" when he's in charge for the day and arrests the entire town over minor infractions. He learns what a real bad guy is like when Callie chases Billy Goat the Kid into town.

"Toby Gets Nosy" when he gets a big red bump on his nose, right before Peck's about to take a picture of everyone in town. Toby does everything he can think of to hide it or get rid of it, but it turns out to be something beautiful after all. "Peck Takes It Back" when he gets upset with Toby over the cactus dropping popcorn on his clean floor and calls him pinecone. Toby goes to find out what a pinecone is, leading Callie and a regretful Toby to go after him and apologize. 

Scrub Away the Winter

Slept in this morning and didn't get up until past 10. It was 11:30 before I was in the kitchen/living room, having breakfast and watching Sheriff Callie's Wild West.  Callie, Peck, and Toby are heading to Junctionville for the big Sheriff's contest when they're attacked by "Train Bandits" who steal the gold star trophy. Callie proves she has the right stuff to be a winner when she figures out how she can stop the bandits and rescue the passengers on the train. Pig brother miners Dirty Dan and Dusty owe each other "A Dirty Dusty Apology" when they fight over where to find iron for Mr. Dillo. Callie tries to get them to make up, but they don't listen...until they get into trouble at the mine.

Switched to Match Game '78 while cleaning up from breakfast. Charles sports a shirt in a brilliant pale blue that, for once, looks smashing on him (it goes great with his eyes), and he still gets teased about it by Brett and Gene. Brett and Mary Wickes have more luck with two very difficult Head-to-Head questions. Charles gets Gene back in the next episode with a reference to Gene's infamous slip of the tongue a few years before with what he called a contestant's dimples, while Richard Paul throws his shoe into the ring...literally. 

Rose finally called me back during the first episode. Now I'm glad I never got around to calling her before this week. The day after the big ice storm last month, Rose slipped on her concrete back steps and went flying, missing the steps and landing hard on her back. She ended up with a huge, hard black lump on her back that was so painful, she went to the hospital. It didn't require surgery, but she did have to stay overnight. Plus, she's been incredibly busy with a ton of work and two kids frequently stuck at home due to bad weather.

She said she was willing to try calling the bike shops after a doctor's appointment. She still hasn't called me back. If I don't hear from her by the time of my next day off on Friday, I'll call her first thing that morning.

Put on Footlight Serenade after Match Game ended. I bought this made-to-order title last spring from Amazon after I made a few really good paychecks, but never got around to watching it until now. I go further into this 1942 black-and-white Betty Grable vehicle at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Footlight Serenade

Spent the next few hours scrubbing the kitchen and bathroom. They both needed it rather badly, especially the sinks and tub. I was home a lot last month, including for almost all of last week. Vacuumed and dust-mopped after I finished in the kitchen. 

Went to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as the movie ended. Daniel shows how he and his family spend time together when they go to the clock factory for "Margaret's First Chime Time." He and his family join Miss Elaina, Lady Elaine, and Music Man Stan for a dinner of pancakes and fruit skewers and some "Tiger Family Fun." 

Switched to a banana-cherry smoothie for lunch as Super Password began. Richard Kline and Constance McCashlin lead their contestants to Super Password bonus rounds, but had far less luck with the Cas$word mini-game this time. The always-hilarious married comedian couple Mitzi McCall and Charlie Brill were the big winners on Tattletales this afternoon. 

Dusted the apartment as Press Your Luck began. Whammies flew all over today. One contestant amassed three Whammies during the first round alone, though oddly, no one was knocked out. The winner picked up a trip to the Canadian Rockies and a catamaran, among other prizes.

Did a little writing after I finished cleaning. Ira's tiredly reminds Richard that he's only following the rules that his bosses set up for the show. He needs to take it up with Goodson, not him. Richard angrily claims this wouldn't have happened if he were in charge, like on Family Feud. Ira curtly reminds him that he isn't. Not on this show, anyway. 

Broke at 6:30 for a delicious dinner of turkey burgers, mashed sweet potato, and green beans with almonds. Watched Match Game '76 as I ate. A young male contestant admitted he hoped to take a bike trip across the US after he finished filming the show. I wonder if he ever did? Gene had more problems with Dick Gautier's imitation of Doc Adams from Gunsmoke. 

Started taking down the winter decorations and putting up what I have for spring and St. Patrick's Day as Match Game PM came on. The delightful Minnie Pearl, whimsical Fannie Flagg, soft-spoken Dick Smothers, and a writer contestant in a cowboy hat really livened up this goofy southern-fried episode. Richard was especially funny as he made jokes about what a baseball player brought on his honeymoon. 

We had yet another close and low-scoring game on Sale of the Century. The champ bought the Instant Cash, the other guy bought both Instant Bargains and won the Fame Games. In the end, the champ called in too fast, and the other guy just got through the Speed Round. He won the Bonus Round with a few minutes to spare.

Finished the night as I ended the decorating with Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby Without a Name online. The Baby is one of the friends visiting Strawberryland with the (suddenly female) Plum Puddin' and southern belle Peach Blush. The Purple Pieman and Sour Grapes are convinced there's a monster in the woods and they can catch it and sell it to the circus. Strawberry and the girls are even more scared...until they discover that what's really hanging out in the woods is hardly scary at all.