Writing In the Rain

I awoke to a damp, gray morning. It didn't get much better throughout the day. It was just starting to rain when I was riding to work around 11. Work was on-and-off busy, pretty much the same as yesterday...with the same occasionally cranky customers. I was happy when one of the college kids came in for me and I was able to get out right on time.

The rain was coming down in a steady shower when I got out of work. I didn't want to wait around, and I have no idea who I would call for a ride anymore. I just rode home and got wet. I did take the shorter way home, road repairs be darned. This was no day for a pleasure ride or for dealing with rush hour traffic.

Started work on my story as soon as I got in. I'm basically crossing "And If I Die Before I Sleep" with "At Cross Purposes." Cribby Menlow shows up late on the second day of the multi-day play the Inn is putting on. Jeff is awake enough to switch costumes with Hilary...which works about as well as can be expected. Eugenia claims she and Mr. Foley are Jeff and Hilary! Cribby accidentally drinks some of the drugged tea and is now sleeping it off. While the others try to figure out how to get rid of him, Victor Comstock and an ailing Maple Martienne arrive to find thugs turning their audience away and a certain female pirate plotting even more mischief...including delivering the Crimson Blade to Cribby and their employer...

Ran wartime shorts during the morning and while I had leftover chicken and vegetable soup for dinner. Some of my favorite Warner Bros World War II-era shorts were one-off revues like "Wacky Blackout" (on home front life in the country) and "The Weakly Reporter" (same idea, but this time, it's home front life in the city and in color). "The Duckinators" uses barnyard fowl to show how the Axis took over Europe and Asia, and how the US finally stepped in. "Hollywood Canine Canteen" spoofs the hang-outs for servicemen run by celebrities, with dog caricatures of famous movie and radio stars of the era. A scrawny plow horse wants to become "The Draft Horse," but the Army turns him down. He learns how scary war can be when he lands right in the middle of a training area!

Switched to the Paramount Superman shorts while making that Spring Velvets Cake mix. Superheroes were all the rage during World War II, and none moreso than the one who inspired most of them. My favorite Superman wartime short is the shadowy "The Eleventh Hour." Superman is doing his best to sabotage every bit of war equipment in Japan. The Japanese threaten to execute Lois Lane if Superman doesn't end his campaign. "Jungle Drums" has Lois almost being burned at the stake by (stereotyped) African natives and Nazis who want a certain paper she has. Superman has to rescue a "Secret Agent" who needs to bring special papers to Washington.