Thunder On Broadway

Started off a sweltering, humid morning with a quick run to the laundromat. Given that it was 9:30 AM and killer hot, you won't be surprised to hear it wasn't busy. I only saw two other people, plus a couple of managers. It was mostly me and Rachel Ray. I didn't have a big load, anyway. I just wanted to get it done before the weather got bad. I was in and out in less than an hour.

The rest of the morning was spent making the bed, finishing the vacuuming, doing things online, and watching Yankee Doodle Dandy. It's a long-standing family tradition to watch this biographical musical on George M. Cohan on or around the 4th of July. Cohan (James Cagney) was a member of a traveling family of vaudevillians in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. George finally made a name for himself on Broadway with such beloved songs as the title number, "Mary's a Grand Old Name," "You're A Grand Old Flag," "Give My Regards to Broadway," and "Over There." His shows got more and more old-fashioned and fell out of favor in the 20s, but he returned to the stage in the comedy Ah, Wilderness! and the musical I'd Rather Be Right, the latter as then-president Franklin D. Roosevelt. While it's not really much of a biography, this is a loving tribute to Cohan's music and the ultra-patriotic world he lived in. Cagney won an Oscar as the cocky wunderkind. Absolutely recommended for fans of Cagney, musicals, or the time period this is set in.

It was still sunny, hazy, and hot when I rode to work. I took my time and went slow. Work was on-and-off steady through the 4PM rush hour. When the clouds started gathering, so did the customers. Between the weather, the 4th of July being in two days, and the beginning of the month customers, we were swamped through around 8. By that point, the clouds were getting heavier...and were clearing everyone out. Other than some cranky or obnoxious folks, I rushed out with no relief and no major problems.

I saw lightning in the windows on the front of the store as early as 7. An odd, eerie scene met my eyes at 8:30 - the sky was half-dark clouds, half golden sunset. I rushed home as fast as my legs could go. It rained big drops briefly, but nothing that stuck...until two minutes after I got in the door. Then it POURED, and hard! It's poured and thundered off-and-on for the rest of the night, including one particuarly noisy round that knocked out the power and the internet briefly about 20 minutes ago.