If At First You Don't Succeed...

First of all...YAY! TCM is finally adding two of my oft-requested MacDonald/Eddy vehicles, Naughty Marietta and Sweethearts, to their Vault Collection line-up. Marietta was their first movie together and remains a favorite of mine. Sweethearts was their first of two Technicolor films and MGM's first full three-strip Technicolor film. Now, could we have the remaining six as soon as possible, please? And while you're at it, how about some of their solo vehicles that MGM owns? Her The Firefly or The Merry Widow, or his Let Freedom Ring or Balalkia? (They already have one he did with Eleanor Powell, Rosalie, in the Vault Collection.)

I was going to sleep in this morning...but a phone call at quarter after 8 ended that idea. Yes, it was the Acme. No, they didn't want me to come in right away. They were asking me if I wanted to stay an extra hour on Friday. Sure. I'll be grocery shopping that night anyway.

I tried to go back to sleep, but I just couldn't do it. Even with the gray weather, I couldn't sleep. I wrote in my journal and read the new Samantha mystery instead. It wasn't raining by the time I got out of bed around 9-ish, but it was still gray and gloomy.

I cheered up a bit with Barbie: A Fairy Secret while I had Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms for breakfast. Fairy Secret picks up almost directly from where last fall's Fashion Fairy Tale left off. Once again, we begin in the real world as Barbie, Ken, and Barbie's fashion stylists confront her snotty rival Raquelle about her behavior at a recent movie premiere. Fantasy quickly intrudes when a group of fairies, lead by the love-besotted Queen Gabriella, kidnap Ken and take off with him to the fairy world, Gloss Angeles! The stylists reveal that they're fairies, too, and lead Barbie and Raquelle into Gloss Angeles to rescue Ken...before he's trapped there forever!

The goofy name of the fairy city aside, I really enjoyed this one. Fairy Secret reminds me a lot of the stories my sisters and I used to concoct as kids that would have all of our Barbies working with She-Ra and riding My Little Ponies to rescue Ken and Luke Skywalker from some nasty queen or witch or warrioress. Though the moral about the power of friendship and forgiveness is still laid on a little thick, it's not quite as bad as the heavy-handed script in Fashion Fairy Tale. The plot's a lot more original, too. And Ken is still wonderful comic relief. He has a hilarious magic duel with a male fairy (with a decidedly non-PC Italian accent) who is in love with Queen Gabriella.

I went for a walk after Fairy Secret ended. It was sprinkling lightly as I left, but otherwise, it wasn't really doing anything major. The clouds remained dun-colored and dull, though, and everything was damp and chilly (though surprisingly not as cold as I figured it would be, probably in the mid-to-upper 40s).

The very light rain continued throughout the afternoon. When I finished my quick lunch of yogurt topped with fruit and Oatmeal Squares, it was barely spitting. I rode to work with only my coat getting mildly damp.

Work was on-and-off busy. There were no major problems, other than the reliefs for me and another college-student cashier were late. Mine came in after a manager had already come in for me. Hers never showed up at all. I spent the down time doing candy.

It was lightly showering when I briefly ran a bag out for a customer. The showers were gone by quarter after 4. I was able to ride home with a few things I needed and stay fairly dry.

Spent the rest of the evening inside, listening to music and experimenting with egg white baking. I was going to make Meringue Cookies again, but some egg yolks got in my batter. No matter. I made some wonderful Chocolate Chip Chiffon Cupcakes instead. I had a fabulous Tilapia In Lemon-White Wine Sauce for dinner with steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

Incidentally, the rain didn't pick up again until about 9:30. There was a small thunderstorm, too. I hope it doesn't continue until morning. I'd like to go to yoga tomorrow.