Something Wonderful

First of all, I've started a new blog for my writing, The Writer's Desk at the Riverside! The Adventures of the Crimson Blade is the inaugural story. For those of you who didn't read it at my WENN fanfiction site or Fanfiction.net, here's another place to find my writing!

Writer's Desk at the Riverside

Today was my early work day. It was still cloudy and cold when I headed to work. It poured sometime during the morning - I heard some of my customers complaining about it. Otherwise, it was the same as yesterday, on-and-off busy with some annoying people, but otherwise no major problems.

My schedule is a late afternoon Sunday, then a normal 11 AM on Monday, and then...vacation! Lauren will be visiting starting late on Tuesday. We more-or-less have the same plans we did last year - mall visits, long walks, maybe an excursion to the furthest reaches of Goodwill with Jessa and Joe. I'm very much looking forward to it, as I always do, and Lauren is, too. Besides, after two weeks of practically non-stop work, I could use the time off, with or without a best friend by my side.

I didn't have a lot of grocery shopping to do. Unfortunately, the chicken sale was for the huge packs of cutlets. I couldn't fit them in my freezer! I settled on Italian chicken sausage that came to $1.99 with a manger's coupon and a pack of chicken tenderloins. I restocked chocolate chips, yellow cake mix, honey, mandarin oranges, and bananas. I had coupons for Dannon Activa Yogurt (went with the light vanilla), Oral B toothbrushes, and Gatorade. I needed the latter rather badly. It took me so long to figure out Fanfiction.net last night, I didn't go to bed until nearly 3!

By the time I got out, the rain was long gone, and the sun was emerging. I made a quick stop at America's Best to pick up my contacts, then headed out the back way around the former Golden Corral and down Merchant Street in Audubon to avoid as much of the Friday traffic as I could going home. The line going to the shore on the Black Horse Pike stretched for miles!

When I got in, I spent the rest of the evening dusting the entertainment area, then making chicken legs poached in lemon-wine sauce and honey-glazed carrots with the last of the lettuce for dinner. Ran The King and I while I worked. I've been meaning to watch the 1955 film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show for a while now, and with the show currently in revival on Broadway, I thought there was no time like the present. Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) has come to Siam (now Thailand) to teach the children of the King (Yul Brunner) in western ways. She and the King clash over many things, but especially over the house that the King promised Anna, but now refuses to build. Meanwhile, Tup Tim, a pretty young slave (Rita Moreno) is in love with the man who brought her to the country. Anna tries to encourage them, but the King sees her as property. Anna and the King do finally come to an understanding...but when Tup Tim and her lover try to escape, they discover just how much authority Anna has come to exert over the King and his country.

Kerr and Brunner are the thing in one of the best of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. Along with their strong acting, we get some incredible sets and costumes. Kerr's huge hoopskirts are so historically accurate, she actually lost weight wearing them during filming. Brunner won an Oscar as the stubborn King - the role was associated with him for the rest of his life.

This is a personal favorite of mine, tragic ending and all. If you love tragic romances or historical dramas, give this musical trip to Asia a spin.