The Rhythm of Life

Had another early work day this morning. Though it was sunny when I got out, it was also cold. The streets were still pretty icy. I had to dodge the mess on my bike and was almost late. The remaining ice may be why we were fairly quiet for most of the morning. It didn't pick up until the noon rush hour and was steady but never overwhelmingly busy thereafter. The college boy who was my relief was late getting in - I just got out on time.

I'd gotten my schedule during my break. Other than slightly fewer hours and two early days in a row, there's nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year. I have Monday and Tuesday off again. The weather looks like it's going to be much nicer next week, into the 40's and 50's. I may try for some sort of a trip, even just a long bike ride. I imagine most of this snow should be gone by this time next week.

I didn't have nearly as big of a grocery order as I had last week. I stocked up on several items that were part of a "buy 6, get $3 off" deal, including cake mix (pink velvet sounded spring-y), tuna, the Goldfish Graham Crackers, and the 18-count pack of eggs. Needed to restock I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, grapefruit, apples, bananas, conditioner, and white cooking wine. Cooking spray was on sale. Quaker cereals still were, too. This time, I went with another favorite, Cinnamon Life.

By the time I got out of work, the sun had gotten warm enough to melt the ice and snow remaining on the streets. In fact, it ended up being a rather nice, windless day. I had no problems getting home this time, not even on Manor.

When I got in, I changed, put everything away, then started putting all those little stickers from the Monopoly game onto the game board. We're doing the same game as last year with somewhat different prizes. The associates have a similar but slightly different game than the customers. I kept forgetting to pick up a board, so I had a lot of pieces to stick on.

Ran Sweet Charity while I worked and as I had leftovers for dinner. The title character is Charity Hope Valentine (Shirley MacLaine), a very optimistic taxi dancer in decidedly pessimistic late 60's New York. All she wants is to be loved and to get out of the dive where she works. Alas, she never seems to quite manage either. The first guy we see her with pushes her in a river. The second, an Italian movie star (Ricardo Montalban), does like her, but ultimately decides he likes his diva actress girlfriend more. The sweet accountant she gets stuck with in an elevator seems to be more her speed - he even enjoys his trip to the outlandish church run by Big Daddy (Sammy Davis Jr). She's afraid to tell him what she does for a living, though...

Sweet Charity has a lot in common with Funny Girl. They both feature popular "kooky" comediennes-with-a-serious-side, were both huge adaptations of mid-60's stage hits, have excellent supporting casts, and in both cases, the leading lady loses the guy in the end. Charity was some of Bob Fosse's first major directing work (he also did the stage version). His knock-kneed dancing style is everywhere, especially in major set pieces like the taxi dancers' "Big Spender." I also love the vibrant trio "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This," with MacLaine joined by dancer Paula Kelly and Broadway legend Chita Rivera.

If you're a fan of MacLaine, Fosse, or the big musicals of the 60's and 70's, this one might be fun for adults who have been through their own romantic misadventures (the subject matter and Charity's occupation puts this out of the reach of younger kids).