June Is Bustin' Out All Over

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel does "Sharing at the Library" when he and O the Owl want to take out the same book, then decide to read it together. Likewise, Dan encourages Katerina to share the puppets rather than doing the whole show herself. "Daniel Shares With Margaret" when his baby sister wants to play with his sticker book. The funny places she puts her stickers leads to him making up some pretty creative stories about them.

Switched to Disney Plus for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while doing the dishes and getting ready for work. The gang is called to help their favorite big guy cat take "Prince Pete's Catnap." He just can't fall asleep, no matter how hard he tries. The others try to find ways for him to fall asleep.

Hurried off to work shortly after Mickey ended. Work was pretty quiet when I arrived. In fact, I spent most of the morning helping shelve piles of candy. I even received a few lovely compliments on my new watch from kindly customers. It picked up after about 1:30, to the point where we were short on help again and had long lines, Thankfully, they died quickly, and I was able to rush out without a relief or the need for one.

No wonder we were so quiet. The weather was gorgeous today. While it remains humid, it was also windy and a bit less warm, probably in the lower 80's. Took the long way home down Nicholson Road to celebrate my being off until Sunday. It was busy until I got into Oaklyn, after which the traffic disappeared. The rain has helped local gardens; everything is so green now. Gardens overflow with lilies, roses, and hydrangeas, Emerald green leaves wave in the breezes. 

Went straight into writing when I got home. Sir Richard Dawson explains why he's there when he gives Brett a lift to the Mad Tea Party. The Red King has attacked Looking Glass Land, where he's from. He's trying to drum up support for his White King Gene and White Queen Helen to rebel against the Red King's strict rules. He took in his three Card Guards (Greg Morris, Bert Convy, and Larry Hovis) after they were exiled by the Queen of Hearts for accidentally planting white roses instead of red.

Broke to have nachos for dinner at 6:30. Watched Match Game '76 while I ate. I'm so glad Buzzr got original Price Is Right model Anitra Ford to allow the week she was on to finally be seen in 2018. It's one of the funniest weeks of the entire year. Richard spends the week flirting with a gorgeous blonde who apparently was his date when they were on The Dating Game together a few years before. She calls him "Dickie Do," to the amusement of the others. 

Match Game PM brings in Foster Brooks next to Brett for a round of drunk jokes (to Charles' annoyance). Charles is happier when answering what game show Charles Manson appeared on, and later with the Audience Match "Cocktail ___."

We had another really close game on Sale of the Century. This time, no one bought any Instant Bargains, but they did buy the Instant Cash. In the end. the champ won the Speed Round by one question and breezed through the Bonus Round.

Finished the night online with Bells are Ringing. I go further into this romantic comedy for Dean Martin and Judy Holliday that proved to be the final film for the latter at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Bells are Ringing

Hot In Oaklyn

Kicked off a quick morning with breakfast and Sailor Moon R. Esmeraude, the third-in-command of the evil Dark Moon Kingdom with the annoying laugh, takes over their attempts at corrupting the Earth in "Magic of Darkness: Esmeraude's Invasion." Her attempts to blend in lead her to a bakery, where Usagi is also indulging after getting jealous over Chibi-Usa being clingy with Mamoru. When Esmeraude brings in a monster who attacks the Guardians, they have to fight icing with fire to get rid of it. 

Rushed off to work even before the episode ended. Spent the morning alternating between sweeping inside and pushing carts outside. I did do some sweeping later, even after more help arrived, but I mainly spent the afternoon gathering the outside recycling (one of the teens did the trash) and pushing those carts. Dark clouds gathered later in the day, and the wind picked up, but they never burst. It remained killer hot and sticky humid, even as I rode home.

After picking up my new work pants on the way in, I decided I was too hungry to not start with dinner. Watched Match Game '78 while eating leftovers. Hot Lou Grant reporter Robert Walden made his first appearance on the show here, joining Loretta Swit, Mary Wickes, Richard Paul, and the regulars. Brett's happy to be sitting next to him, but not as much when she has to do a 10,000 Head-to-Head for "__ Sale."

Worked on writing for a while after the episode ended. Sir Richard Dawson, the White Knight, rides up to Brett shortly after the Cheshire Catwoman vanishes. He too is on his way to the Mad Tea Party. The Mad Hatter and March Hare are messengers for the Queen and King of Hearts. He's hoping they'll be able to help him convince the royal duo to join his own boss, the White King Gene and Queen Helen, in stopping the Red King from taking over the Wonderlands. 

Broke for a bath around 7:30. I badly needed this. Even after having been home for a couple of hours, I was still sweaty and hot. Not to mention, I've worked 7 days without a break. I needed something to relax. Kicked back, listened to modern jazz singers, and read a book on optimism and the glass being half-full.

Finished the night online with Hart to Hart. It's "One Hart Too Many" in the fourth season when Jennifer spends the weekend at a health farm for women, only to discover the head doctor is murdering socialites and replacing them with look-a-likes to get their inheritances. Jonathan gets his drag on and poses as a rich countess to lend his wife a hand in figuring out what they've done with the bodies. 

(Oh, and by the way...it still hasn't rained, stormed, or done anything besides be windy at press time. And along with my work pants, my new Shark watch also showed up today. I badly needed a new watch. The old one had a scratched face and a non-adjustable strap with worn Velcro that kept coming apart. I splurged and bought a nice Shark watch with an adjustable neon clip strap instead.)

Dodging the Storms

Kicked off a quick morning with breakfast and Doc McStuffins. Lambie wants to be "Top Lamb" when Doc gets a shiny new pink kitchen set. She can't resist trying the stove before everyone else, but accidentally rips her paw and breaks the stove using it. Doc explains why it's better to wait for a grown-up's help and not mess around with things like ovens on your own. "Molly Molly Mouthful" loves it when people flip flapjacks into her wide mouth. Unfortunately, she tends to talk quite a bit while she eats. This leads to a flapjack getting stuck in her mouth, and to Doc having to explain why not talking with your mouth full isn't just good manners. It keeps you from choking, too. 

Rushed off to work after that. We weren't bad in the morning, when it was still hot and hazy. Things picked up later in the afternoon as the wind rose and heavy dark clouds moved in. It showered lightly while I gathered carts, but not enough to make me more than a little damp. While I did have more help later, I also ended up in the register at least three times when we didn't have enough people up front. 

Thank heavens I got a lot luckier with the weather this time. When I rode home, it was just cloudy, windy, and much cooler. The heavier thunderstorm didn't arrive until long after I'd changed and gone online. 

Worked on writing while the storm raged outside. Lee Merriweather the Cheshire Catwoman tells Brett her sons Adam and David went to the Mad Tea Party in search of her and their father. She also warns her to be leery of the Red Knight, who was brainwashed into the Red King's loyal servant, and of the Mad Hatter, who isn't himself and hasn't been acting as mad as usual...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched Match Game '76 as I had pan-fried almond-crusted flounder and steamed asparagus. Charles is quite happy when he gets the Audience Match for "Wax ___" and the contestants call on him, rather than Richard. There's also the strange answers to what Michelangelo makes his sculptures out of, especially Patti Deustch's! 

Match Game PM jumped ahead last week to 1979. Comedian Richard Paul, future Even Stevens mom Donna Pescow, and lanky Lou Grant reporter Daryl Anderson join the regulars and Patti to help Gene with an especially jumpy gentleman. Patti's not thrilled when she's the one who has to answer the Head-to-Head "__ Zoo."

Sale of the Century finished out 1988 with another really close game. Everyone won or bought something, and once again, no one was ever far ahead. This time, the one guy jumped ahead in the Speed Round. He too had problems with the Bonus Round, though.

Finished out the night online with Rose Marie. I go into the 1954 version of this venerable operetta featuring Howard Keel as the Mountie who tries to get his woman at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Rose Marie (1954)

Hot Time In the Late Spring

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Katerina Kittycat is upset when Daniel's baby sister Margaret prefers playing with her brother over her. Mrs. Tiger and Katerina's mother Henrietta encourage her to "Find What Makes Your Family Special." She loves the time her mom spends with her, especially dancing! It's "Family Day" at the library. Each kid makes a branch and draws leaves representing their family members and what makes them special. Daniel has to figure out what makes his family special.

Switched to Paramount Plus to try something from Nickelodeon. Went with the first episode of Paw Patrol. I've run into this one while hanging with my niece and nephew, but never on my own. "Pups Make a Splash" when they help Cap'n Turbot get his boat away from rocks and fix the leaking hole, despite Rocky the Recycling Pup's dislike of water. "Pups Save the Fall Festival" when snow threatens and they help a farmer get her crops in before they freeze. Chase the Police Pup isn't sure what he can do, until he realizes the other pups need a little traffic directing.

Hurried out as soon as the cartoon ended. Badly needed to get to the laundromat today. I had work clothes that needed to be done, and the linens and sheets were in there, too. Bought sugar, soap, and dishwashing liquid at Family Dollar, then treated myself to a Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie and a pretzel for lunch at WaWa. I barely had the time when I got home to put almost everything away, change into regular work clothes, grab a snack, and hurry off.

The Acme was busy when I arrived, but it slowed down pretty fast after that. For one thing, it was hot as heck today, sunny and likely in the lower-mid 90's. For another, we're between holidays. Father's Day is late this year, and most local high schools probably won't be doing graduation until next week or the week after. Cleaned up a mess inside and brought in the outside trash and recycling, but I mainly swept the store, gathered carts, and drank a lot of water. 

Changed as soon as I got home and put on Match Game '76 while eating leftovers for dinner. Brett started off by tattling about Charles eating and drinking on the set, something Gene scolded him for doing. Tom Poston (later of Newhart) has more fun actually managing to match, while Charles is pleased to help a contestant with the answer to "__ American." 

Worked on writing for an hour after that. Brett's only slightly surprised to discover the Cheshire Cat in a tree. Not only does she grin, but that grin resembles the one belonging to former Catwoman and Miss America Lee Merriweather. Lee asks Brett about the baby-turned-pig, but Brett's more interested in asking her about the Red King and where her sons are.

Finished the night online after a shower with Aaron Spelling romances, starting with a season one episode of Fantasy Island. Fred Staunton is "The Common Man," who is walked on by his wife Florence (Julie Cobb), his spoiled son Arnold (Kevin King Cooper), and especially his demanding mother-in-law (Nancy Walker). All he wants is peace, quiet, and their respect. Process server Stanley Schenecker (Don Knotts) wants to be a private detective, but runs into "Trouble, My Lovely" when a gorgeous blonde (Lynda Day George) leads him to a case of double-dealing and murder.

The mystery on The Love Boat is less action-packed and more sad. Captain Stubling wants to figure out why his good friend Laura Hayes (Rue McClanahan) has a black eye, and what's going on with her overly jealous husband (Dick Van Patten) in "Let Me Count the Ways." Aunt Sylvia (Carol Channing) and her friend Betsy (Betty White) are back, this time pursuing a handsome book publisher (Caesar Romero) to release "Authoress! Authoress!" Betsy's memoirs. Alan Price (Alan Thicke) wants to pay "No More Alimony" to his ex-wife Sheila (Michelle Phillips) and tries to encourage her marriage to Lou (Fred Willard)...until he realizes what Lou's really like. 

Million Dollar Games

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Johnny Mathis. This Is Love had a few peculiar numbers, including an odd ballad version of "Put On a Happy Face." Better (and more typical) are "More" from the weird documentary Mondo Cane, "Poinciana," and "The End of a Love Affair."

Headed out before the record ended. Today was my first of four bagging days in a row. I was totally on my own for most of the morning, sweeping and trying to keep up with the carts. Thankfully, my help actually showed up this time. The teens took over the sweeping and helped with the carts later. Though I did get stuck in a register twice when the lines were very long, I was also able to finally gather the trash and recycling and drag carts from remote corners. 

We were busy in the morning and early afternoon, and though it never slowed entirely, it calmed down enough by 4 for me to leave with no trouble. Gorgeous and super hot and sunny weather may have contributed to people hurrying home for barbecues and birthday parties, too.

Went straight home and into changing and writing. Duchess Marcia is dressed like royalty in a black Victorian gown and tiara...but she's also carrying a baby and has a bad-tempered cook (Mary Wickes) who thinks pepper cures all ills. Marcia does loan Brett a blue and white dress to wear to the croquet game, but she also literally leaves her holding the baby when Mary starts throwing crockery around. The grinning Cheshire Cat makes itself scarce, and Brett does the same. The baby grunts like crazy as she leaves the house and eventually turns into a pig, which she releases.

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Made scrambled eggs with vegetables for dinner, then put together No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies while listening to the other Music of Broadway set representing 1933-1934 I found at Goodwill a while back. I did skip the second half of the first album covering Roberta, which I already have elsewhere. They also had a lot of songs from the British cast of Anything Goes, including the title song, "Be Like the Bluebird," "I Get a Kick Out of You," and a "You're the Top" with some unique lyrics not found elsewhere. Other good songs here include "Fun to Be Fooled" from Life Begins at 8:40, "Isn't It a Pity?" from Pardon My English, and "You and the Night and the Music" from Revenge With Music.

Finished the night on YouTube with more trivia game shows. Trivia shows made a comeback in prime time in 1999 when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire launched on ABC.  It was such an instant sensation, ABC pushed it to four times a week by mid-2000's. Unfortunately, they milked their million-dollar cash cow dry by the end of 2001. It became so ubiquitous and imitated, it lost its cool factor. It remained popular enough for a long-running syndicated version, first hosted by Meredith Viera in 2002.

By late 1999, I was in college and really not paying much attention to anything besides trying to keep up with my classes. I did occasionally watch Millionaire, but I barely noticed the raft of imitators looking to grab a piece of that big-money pie. The first one to debut in the US after the success of Millionaire was Greed. Fox's big trivia show had a two million dollar prize, with Chuck Woolery leading a team of hopeful millionaires through a line of tough quizzes. The team members all challenge each other; if the challenger loses, they're out. Complicated, but not without its virtues, including some tough questions. This one may have lasted longer if Fox didn't get a new production head who hated game shows.

It's Your Chance of a Lifetime, another Fox show and British import, was both the shortest-lived of the imitators and the closest to Millionaire. Other than a few minor differences - fewer questions, starting off with a question to pay off credit card debt, and making a bet on questions instead of having fixed values - this was played pretty much the same as its parent. Originally a week-long event, this was to have been a series, but ran into trouble with the same game show-hating executive who also took Greed off the air. 

To bring this full-circle, NBC's entry in the Millionaire imitation race was a revival of Twenty One. The isolation booths and tough questions remained, but this time, drama was provided by slick editing and Millionaire-style "lifelines." Maury Povich made a more jovial host than you might suspect, given his trash-TV reputation. I really enjoyed this one, and I'm surprised NBC hasn't attempted another revival in the current "bring back old shows" craze. 

Hope you enjoy this trip down a question-filled memory lane with Millionaire and the millennial trivia shows...and that's my final answer. 

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1999)

Greed (2000)

It's Your Chance of a Lifetime (2000)

Twenty One (2000)

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Synd. (2002) 

Sunny Day Blues

Kicked off a bright, sunny morning with a quick breakfast and Muppet Babies on Disney Plus. "Summer the Great" wants to learn to do awesome stunts like Gonzo. He quickly shows her that the best way to do stunts is your own way. He takes the others to "Planet Gonzo" to find more beings like him, but quickly gets bored with doing the same things over and over. He finally realizes he likes his friends because of their differences.

Worked on writing for a bit after breakfast. Brett finally ducks into the peppery Victorian home of the Duchess Marcia (Wallace) and her pepper-obsessed cook (Mary Wickes). She opens the window to clear out the pepper, but can't get the cook to lay off it, or the Duchess to make her stop or quit shaking her odd little baby. 

Put on Match Game-Hollywood Squares briefly while I got dressed and ready for work. This week's episodes from 1984 apparently featured actors from NBC soaps of the time...which means I recognized absolutely no one but Gene Rayburn and Jon Bauman. At least some of them managed to have a few amusing answers as I dashed out the door.

I left a little early to check out Oaklyn's Town-Wide Yard Sale. You'd never know it poured yesterday. All that remained of the floods were a few deeper-than-usual puddles. The streets were now clogged with people searching for cheap treasures. I hope they did better than me. Disappointingly, I found absolutely nothing of interest besides bins of videos I hardly need. No CDs, DVDs, records, or even interesting books. Headed off to work a tiny bit early instead.

Work was a pain in the rear. We were off-and-on steady...and when we had customers, there weren't nearly enough people to deal with them. Several of the afternoon cashiers called out, and at least one more got sent home. I was frustrated and tired, of dealing with so many people and of people not understanding why I have problems with my job. I barely got through a long line in order to get out on time. At least my last customers were two very funny guys who were fast and quite helpful.

Hurried home as soon as I could get out. Had a quick leftovers dinner while watching Celebrity Name Game. Alas, this favorite from the mid-2010's is the only show from Buzzr's "Birthday Bash" marathon I had the chance to watch. In this variation on Body Language, celebrities and teams of two contestants each act out the name of a person, a place, or a thing. They get $100 for each correct guess on the first round, and $200 on the second. The bonus round has both contestants acting out ten consecutive names for the celebrities. If they both can get them, they'll win $20,000. Host Wayne Brady and announcer Johnathan Mangum of the current Let's Make a Deal help the two women make their way to the big prize. 

Jodie came in while the show was on. She's going away for five days, starting Monday, while the painters are here. I forgot to ask her exactly when she plans on repairing the driveway or putting the house on the market. And no, I can't do the laundry there while she's gone, either. She doesn't want anyone in the house while the painters are working. 

Finished out the night online after a shower with Care Bears Adventures In Wonderland. I go further into the third and final theatrical Care Bears film on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Care Bears Adventures In Wonderland

Caught In the Rain

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. Orson Bean joined Bill, Peggy, and Kitty to figure out which of three Jewish teens sued a state-owned chair lift after it got stuck and she had to go get help. Bill and I went with sarcastic number #1; the others chose shy #3. No one said #2, the funniest and most straightforward of the girls...and yeah, it was her. The second contestant was a man who was captured by a native tribe in Borneo and forced to marry the Chief's daughter. I said sturdy #3; everyone else said #1. This time, they were right. It was handsome, strapping #1.

Headed out shortly after that. Work went pretty well, other than I got mixed up and went in for the wrong cashier for their lunch. The manager wasn't happy, and I was very embarrassed. It was off-and-on steady, though never really that overwhelming. Thankfully, not only did I have a relief this time, but they were a little bit early.

Not happy with my schedule next week at all. I did ask for Friday off due to another dental appointment, and I got Saturday off, too. Friday is also the first day I have off! Not only do I have to work more than a week without a break, but it's mostly 7 and 8 hour shifts, too. I'd be more thrilled with the extra hours if they'd spread out my days off. They did it this week, too. I wish someone understood how tiring it is. 

Heavy dark clouds moved in as I did my grocery shopping. Found jars of raspberry and mango fruit spread, honey, and the low-salt Jif Natural Honey peanut butter on the clearance shelves. Picked up a small bowl of shrimp for dinner tonight and a bag of low-salt chips and ground turkey to make nachos later in the week. Had good online coupons for Edy's Ice Cream and brown sugar. Restocked cereal, mandarin oranges, milk, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and asparagus. 

The rain subsided as I walked out the door. I thought it would be all right for me to ride home. The nice weather lasted for all of three minutes. I hadn't even gotten off the Black Horse Pike when the sky opened up and it poured like crazy. I tried hiding under tiny trees off the ramp into Oaklyn, but they did nothing to shield me from the lashing wind and buckets of rain. I and my groceries ended up getting drenched.

It slowed down briefly...but that was enough to allow me to get into Oaklyn. They weren't doing any better than I was. Rode through a huge puddle turning off the ramp and onto Kendall. The train underpass was so badly flooded, cops had it blocked off and weren't letting anyone go through. Newton Road near the library was flooded, too. I tried to go through there, but first it started raining again and I hid under the overhanging roof on Suburban Lumber, then I realized all the cars were parked too far on the driveways for me to get around them. I had to take the White Horse Pike home.

Thankfully, Hillcrest is on high ground and was perfectly fine. I changed into dry clothes the second I got inside, then hung everything up to dry and put my sodden groceries away. Watched Match Game '78 while having shrimp and asparagus for dinner. Debralee Scott isn't thrilled about having to help a young man with an interesting Afro with "__ Condition" on the Head-to-Head. Later, we see how close David Doyle and Brett Somers were when they happily trade several jokes together.

Went into writing after I ate. Jack Narz the Fish Footman and Tom Kennedy the Frog Footman accept each other's invitations to the Queen of Hearts' croquet game, but they bump heads when they do. Brett thinks they're so funny, she ducks into the bushes to hide her giggles. When she comes out, Jack's the only one left. He steadfastly refuses to go in the house, ignoring the dishes flying out. Brett's not one for ignoring things and she has to find her sons. She ignores Jack and goes in.

Finished the night with a couple of shows on Paramount Plus, starting with a Season 4 episode of The Love Boat. It's "Two for Julie" when the beautiful cruise ship activities organizer is pursued by a pair of toy engineers, to the annoyance of their boss (Don Ameche). Captain Stubling's "Aunt Hilly" (Olivia DeHaviland) and her husband (Joseph Cotten) want to send Vicki to boarding school in Switzerland, to his consternation. Doc ends up in "The Duel" after a master fencer (Alejandro Rey) catches him with his wife (Linda Cristal). 

Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman) is also having relative problems on The Odd Couple. He and Blanche and Felix and his estranged wife Gloria have to become "The Odd Couples" again when Oscar's mother visits. He hasn't told her they've divorced yet, but she finds out during the course of the night anyway. 

Cleaning Day

Started off a gloomy, humid morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel's looking forward to his "Tiger Family Trip" to Grandpere's house. He, his parents, and his baby sister Margaret see many interesting sights along the way, including a dinosaur playground and a butterfly garden. The fun doesn't end when they arrive. Grandpere takes Daniel on a treasure hunt and lets him pilot his ship while making an early morning excursion to a waterfall with a rainbow over it. 

Switched to Match Game '76 while making the bed and changing the sheets and blanket for my summer cotton blankets and summer-weight quilt. The first episode had Charles showing off his "beauty mark" made with his writing marker for a question. The second had tiebreakers that went on for so long, there was no Super Match or Head-to-Head in the episode. 

Spent the next two hours cleaning the apartment. I'm not doing really heavy cleaning again until I have some idea of when I'm moving. I scrubbed the bathroom and the kitchen, vacuumed quickly, and dusted around everything. The last-named was especially important, thanks to all the pollen blown in last month. 

Watched Fame on Watch TCM as I worked and had a banana-chocolate smoothie for lunch. I go further into the original version of this story of the hopes and dreams of the students at the New York High School of the Performing Arts in my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Fame (1980)

Switched to Super Password as the movie ended. Patty Duke and Fred Grandy had a lot of trouble with at least two Password Puzzles...the second of which Bert Convy claimed to have no trouble with at all. The late Helen Reddy came back to win Tattletales today with her then-husband, music producer Jeff Wald, over comedians Totie Fields and George Johnston and former game show host Jan Murray and his wife Toni. Whammies flew like crazy in the second round of Press Your Luck. In the end, the one woman just barely beat the champ and took home a trip and a stereo for her trouble. 

Worked on writing for a while. Brett follows a fish footman who looks an awful lot like Jack Narz to a fancy Victorian home in the middle of the woods. He's greeted by his frog footman brother Tom Kennedy. Brett finds their formal exchanges of invitations to play croquet with Queen Betty of Hearts rather amusing. What isn't funny is all the screaming and noise and pepper and crockery being flung out the door and windows...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had eggs and asparagus while enjoying more Match Game '76. Gene kicks off with a spoof of Ron Pallilo's regular show Welcome Back, Kotter as his panelists announce "welcome back, Rayburn!" Later, the contestant seemed to have real rapport with Charles, choosing him twice for the Head-to-Head. 

Match Game PM returned to 1979 as I mixed a Hot Fudge Pudding Cake. We see Helen Rayburn, Gene's wife of 50 years, cheering her beloved husband on in the opening sequence. Later, there's jokes about what you play at a really strange party, and Charles helps a man win $20,000 with "Plaza __."

Sale of the Century celebrated New Year's week 1988 with another close game. The champ was behind until mid-way through. She just barely won the Speed Round...but this time, she had no trouble at all with the Bonus Round and got the money with time to spare. 

Finished the night online with some random weirdness of the 80's and 90's. "Quest of the Delta Knights" is one of the few 90's movies spoofed on Mystery Science Theater 3000. This obviously low-budget sword and sorcery adventure is so ripe for wisecracks, even evil overlord Pearl insists on getting in on the fun during the first twenty minutes or so.

The Love Boat did some spoofing of its own during its last season. Gopher watches a World War II movie marathon with the captain and Doc and imagines himself into a "Forties Fantasy." The Captain is now in charge of a Naval troop carrier, and the ladies are USO members. Charro is somehow a Nazi spy in league with a very familiar German. (I guess they had to sneak Bernie Koppel's Siegfried accent in there somewhere.) Meanwhile, a USO performer (Erin Moran) keeps trying to spend time with her sailor husband, Vicki is dying to take Charo's place and become a star, and a 4 F friend of Issac's (Nathan Cook) wants to take his place and get into combat. 

(Oh, and the rain didn't finally arrive until during the game shows. It rained hard and made noise while Sale of the Century was on...but to my knowledge, it hasn't rained since.)

Nothing But the Tooth

Started off a fast morning after oversleeping with breakfast and Blockbusters. We had a lady going up against a father-son duo in a close game. The lady won and they were working on their second round when I grabbed my purse and hurried out.

I ended up being five minutes late for my second dental appointment. They were waiting for me when I arrived. For all the plastic the doctor put around my tooth and all the needles used to numb my mouth, he didn't end up actually doing the root canal today. Turns out not only is the one tooth really bad, but the one behind it at the left bottom end may not be savable, either. He did drill and fill one of the teeth; apparently, if the bone heals by the time of my appointment in July, he'll continue with the root canal and not pull anything else.

Went straight home after I left the dentist's office. Watched Match Game '76 as I got organized and had a snack. Didi Conn, best known today as Frenchy in the Grease films, joined for these episodes as a long-time winner was finally defeated in the first episode. In the second, the contestant who replaced her drew a rather embarassing blank on "Arc ___," going with "Arc Rival"...and I think you can guess that Richard didn't say that. 

Headed out as soon as the show ended. Needed to get my laundry done. I would have put it off, but it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow. I had a fairly large load, too. Between the tooth and the toe, I wasn't up to a lot of running around. Besides, there isn't much I need right now. It wasn't that busy and I probably could have sat inside, but...I think I like sitting outside. It's nice to be out in the fresh air, working on story notes and watching the cars go by.

When I got home, I signed my TV up for Paramount Plus, then put on The Love Boat in honor of the late Gavin McLeod while making a Tropical Smoothie for lunch. A wine-tasting contest on a cruise to the Virgin Island brings together a pair of wine connoisseurs (Leslie Uggams, Robert Gulliame) who are "Two Grapes On the Vine." A couple (Tanya Tucker and Michael Goodwin) get a "Deductible Divorce" every year to file their taxes cheaper, but an old friend of hers (Robert Walden) may make her rethink their constant divorce-marriage cycle. Julie's "Aunt Sylvia" (Carol Channing) tries to help her friend Betsy (Betty White) catch the eye of handsome and wealthy Elliot Banning (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), but he's more interested in the vivacious aunt.

Had just enough time for Press Your Luck after the show ended. A Russian immigrant discovers the delights of capitalism when he's the only one in the second round who isn't slammed with Whammies. He eventually picks up over 2,000 dollars for his troubles. (Left the rent on Jodie's side of the house while the show was on, too.)

Worked on writing for a while next. The much-vaunted White Knight turns out to be Richard Dawson; his young squires are his sons Gary and Mark. Sir Richard gallantly pulls out a carrot and hands it to Brett, who does manage to get it into her mouth. She ducks out the back while the others argue over whether or not to burn the house down.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made salmon with maple-vegetable sauce, roasted asparagus, and tri-color pasta while watching more Match Game '76. Ron Pallilo of Welcome Back, Kotter made his first appearance on the show (and must have enjoyed it, as he would return several more times in '76 and '77). This was one of the episodes that turned up on the YouTube Memorial Day Marathon on Monday. An Army officer had a rough time with his questions, including one about an elevator rider complaining about the operator stopping fast and what ended up around her knees.

It was a showcase of beloved game show hosts as Bob Barker joined with Gene, the regulars, and sweetly silly blondes Joyce Bulifant and Eva Gabor on Match Game PM. Bob couldn't resist slipping in a few Price Is Right references, especially in the beginning. While Eva and Joyce proved that they aren't as thick-headed as their reputation suggest, Richard Dawson got to help a contestant with "__ It Away." Made Chocolate Muffins while the show was on. 

Despite her concerns after yesterday's close game and everyone going home with something, the champ dominated most of today's Sale of the Century. They've moved on to celebrating New Year's, with a trip to New York among the prizes. The champ blew everyone away in the Speed Round, but she still had trouble with the Bonus Round.

Finished the night online continuing my Gavin McLeod marathon. McLeod's other famous role would be Murray Slaughter, the good-natured, sarcastic head newsroom writer on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Began with "The Slaughter Affair" from Season 2. Murray took a second job as a cab driver to make money to buy a car for his wife Marie (Joyce Bulifant), but he's not good at hiding it. He's falling asleep at work, and Marie thinks he's having an affair with Mary.

"Murray Faces Life" in Season 3 when a former classmate won an award for writing. Lou and Mary try to get him out of it, but it doesn't work. It takes Mary crying over his bad mood to finally make him realize he's got a lot to live for.

Murray's saying "I Love a Piano" in Season 5 when he meets a charming divorcee (Barbara Barrie) at one of Mary's parties. They hit it off so well, he considers having an affair with her. The others advise against it.

"What Do You Want to Do When You Produce?" Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White) asks Murray in Season 6 when she hires him to be the producer of her show The Happy Homemaker. While the job may make more money, it also entails mostly him being a glorified whipping boy for demanding Sue Ann. Lou (Ed Asner) and Mary take matters into their own hands after Marie comes to them crying because her husband has changed so much.

Returned to The Love Boat for the final show of the night. Doc's family friend Erica Dupont (Jennilee Harrison) works on the cruise ship to pay for her wedding, but is first afraid she'll be caught by her wealthy fiancée's snobbish parents, then by her fiancée himself (Stephan Shortridge) in "Here Comes the Bride - Maybe." A woman with two suitors she thinks are after her fox hound thinks she's being "Sly as a Fox" when she tells them the dog has run off...but they both come back anyway. The crew do everything they can to dissuade "The Captain's Replacement" (McLean Stevenson) from taking command. 

Return of the Sunshine

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. Gene Shallit of the impressively massive mustache joined Bill Cullen, Peggy Cass, and Kitty Carisle to first figure out which of three ladies was a housewife who taught other women how to win at contests. I thought it was gentle #3, but it turned out to be sturdy and sensible number #1. The second gave us a real-life Indiana Jones who backpacked across the Mara animal reserves in Africa and wrote a book about his experiences. Everyone (including me) said #2 but Bill Cullen, who pegged big #3...and smart Bill was right. 

What's My Line's first guest was a man who designed a line of body suits (or as Arlene Francis called them, body stockings) for men. Allen Ludden got close, but Arlene finally got enough for them to pass her. They'd just finished a fashion show of the man's colorful designs and were moving on to the next guest as I hurried out.

Work was off-and-on busy for most of the day, likely due to the one-two combination of the first day of the month and Tuesday being our Senior Discount Day. I alternated between doing the carts and sweeping the floor the entire day; didn't have the time for anything else besides changing the inside trash and taking the inside recycling in the back. The customers cleared out somewhat when the sun came out later in the day and it got warmer, but they never cleared out completely.

Rose and Khai were cleaning the pool when I got in. I'm so tired and frustrated, I was thinking of taking a week off in the middle of June to get organized. Rose suggested cutting it down to a day or two. I'll need to save my weeks off for when Lauren visits in September and when Jodie has the driveway redone and I have to move...whenever that is. I really, really need to talk to Jodie and get exact dates on all this, or at least some ideas. I hate not knowing what's going on, or what I'm doing. I want to know exactly when I should be out of here and what I should do now.

Worked on writing for a while after I got in. Jimmie (Walker) the Dodo finally arrives with the White Knight, the champion of Wonderland, to rid them of this, er, "monster" stuck in Bill (Daily) the White Rabbit's house. Brett's just happy someone with half a brain is around who can help her. She's less delighted when the champion turns out to be the double of Richard Dawson, whom she doesn't get along with well in real-life. Sir Richard's squires are his sons; his men are members of the Queen of Hearts' Card Guard.

Broke for a quick leftovers dinner at 6:30. Ate while watching Match Game '76. Isobel Sanford of The Jeffersons and Patti Deustch's comedy writer husband Donald Ross joined Betty White and the regulars for one of the funnier weeks of the year. Earl, the little fellow who pulls out the answers on the Audience Match, got a rare chance in the spotlight when he had to explain to Gene whom one of the answers to "__ Butler" was.

Made Key Lime Cookies while watching Match Game PM. The female contestant sweetly asked Gene if she could still give Richard a kiss if she lost. Not only did she win, but she did get to give Richard a kiss twice. He got so into it the second time, Gene tried to drag her away. It lead to a tug of war between the two of them on her arms! She joked after they finally let go that her arms were a bit longer now.

Slid the cookies into the oven as Sale of the Century began. The show celebrated its sixth (and as it would turn out, final) Christmas week with one of the tightest games yet. Once again, no one got really far ahead of anyone else, and everyone won or bought something (including the Instant Cash). The woman champ jumped ahead in the Speed Round by one question, but she didn't get to celebrate her holidays by winning the Bonus Round.

Finished out the night on The Roku Channel with Flashdance. I go further into this wildly popular musical melodrama from the 1980's with some of the most iconic dance routines on film at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Flashdance

Memorial Day Matches

Began my Memorial Day with a quick breakfast and two more war shorts. The Pink Panther finds himself in Vietnam without a clue in "G.I Pink." Land mines, cranky drill sergeants, and impossible obstacle courses make him wish he'd stayed home. Mickey Mouse didn't figure into many World War II shorts, but he did do one war cartoon in 1929, "The Barnyard Battle." He has to lead his platoon of skinny rubber-hose mice against a whole hoard of big Hun cats!

Headed to work shortly after the cartoon ended. Other than getting stuck in the register for an hour around 11 because we just didn't have enough help and rounding up recycling, I was outside almost the entire day. Both afternoon baggers called out; they were teenage boys who probably wanted to spend their holiday off with their buddies. Thankfully, the evening bagger did come in (early, in fact), and they recruited another guy from stocking to help me with the carts.

At least it was a gorgeous day for doing outside work. It started out cool, windy, and cloudy again. While the wind never really went away, the clouds started breaking up around 10. By the time I finished work, the sun was out, the day was warm, and the sky was clear as a bluebell. The nice day cleared out our customers, too. Though it never died completely, it was far less busy later in the day than it was in early afternoon.

Hurried home, changed, had a quick leftovers dinner, and spent most of the rest of the night icing up my now black-and-blue toe and watching the Match Game Memorial Day Marathon on YouTube. Match Game Productions put together any episodes featuring service men and women as contestants, from the older Army sergeant with the unusual feathered eyebrows to the eager young Air Force officer who was so delighted when Eva Gabor won her money, he accidentally kicked her toe and broke her toenail. There was also the Army officer who went up against a mother with an exceptionally noisy scream and the Marine chief petty officer who kept getting caught in tiebreakers.

Honor those who fought for our country and to keep the world safe for matching with this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Memorial Day Marathon

Saw Rose outside with her crew and the local kids at one point, getting ice cream from the Mr. Softee truck. Limped out to say "hi." Khai slurped noisily at a vanilla cone with sprinkles. Finley apparently loved the Batman sherbet popsicle with gumball eyes. The other kids jokingly said her face looked like a Smurf after consuming the blue and white superheroic treat. The kids chatted about school and whether they intended to go tomorrow; some of their parents (included Rose) wanted to keep the weekend going and take them out to the zoo or park to enjoy the lovely weather.