Started off a sunny, breezy morning with two Peanuts specials. A Charlie Brown Valentine is a series of skits on the many unrequited crushes among the kids. Charlie Brown tries to ask the Little Red Haired Girl to a dance, but just can't bring himself to. Linus isn't delighted with Sally's attempts to make a valentine for her Sweet Baboo. Peppermint Patty and Marcie think Chuck is going to ask them to the dance.
Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown is unique among Peanuts stories, one of the few times Chuck is in love with someone besides the Little Red Haired Girl. Here, he falls head over heels for a girl he sees for a few seconds on a football game on TV. He, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock go from city to suburb to country in search of her.
Work was a little less busy than it was yesterday, steady but not overwhelming. I even had the chance to work on some ideas for the Star Wars fairy tale I'm developing, a blend of Cinderella, King Arthur, Rapunzel, and East of the Sun and West of the Moon. When an abused stable boy and his friend, a bold thief, sneak into a ball held in honor of the feisty daughter of a wicked knight, they set off a chain of events that ends with the vengeful black knight cursing the thief and hiding him away, imprisoning his daughter, and disfiguring the stable boy-turned-wizard. While the stable boy struggles to find out who he is and where he really belongs, the princess seeks her beloved rogue, who may not be rich or powerful, but has far more prince in his heart than the shriveled hag of an Emperor whom her father wishes for her to marry.
There's a lot going on at work this weekend, as I discovered during break. In honor of the Acme's 125th anniversary, we're having an open house this weekend and next weekend. That mostly means samples all over the place - cake, the Acme's fancy organic Italian soda, coffee, bacon, bits of crab cake, the deli-made tortilla chips and guacamole, the new limited edition Cinnamon Bun and Red Velvet Cake Oreos. Plus, it sounds like we're going to be starting that Monopoly board game thing again on Wednesday. (Nice of them to tell us this now, five days before we're going to start it.)
I needed a few things after work. For one thing, I had to get my W-2. I kept forgetting, since my paycheck is direct deposited. I forgot to get tissues and scrub cleaner yesterday, too. I've gone through a lot of tissues lately, and I rather badly need the cleaner to get the kitchen done.
When I got home, I went right into taxes first. I always do my taxes as soon as I get my W-2. It usually takes me about 20 minutes to an hour. I own no property, have no dependents, and have one part-time job. I'll be getting over $1,020 back by next week.
Went right into writing next. Kathleen's not entirely happy about sharing her home with Darren. He's stubborn and demanding, always wanting to get up and move when his leg is in too bad of shape to consider it. Gradually, she begins to realize that she enjoys his company. It's nice to have someone to talk to and tell stories to. One day, he finds one of her newest stories on her desk and reads it. She's angry he went through her desk at first, until he praises her work. Why won't she sell it? She's too shy. She tried, but was turned down. Try again, Darren says. Your work is too good to go unnoticed.
Ran Ferris Bueller's Day Off while making a chicken salad for dinner, then while putting Chocolate-Mint Cupcakes in the oven. The title character is a Chicago teenager (Matthew Broderick), a budding Han Solo who convinces his best friend Cameron (Alan Rudyck) and girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) to join him in a day of playing hooky. While they explore the Windy City, they're pursued by school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), who is determined to catch Ferris in the act, and his sister (Jennifer Gray) who is tired of her brother getting away with everything.
On one hand, this film has some of the funniest moments of any of the 80's John Hughes films. You have to love the kids on the town, especially their appearing in the German parade. There's Rooney's bad day, too. And I'm glad Jeannie got the kid in the police station (Charlie Sheen). She deserved something after everything she went through.
My problem is still with Ferris himself. Frankly...Jeannie, and to a lesser degree Rooney, are right. He's a little jerk. While he does behave better later in the film, when it becomes clear what his day on the town did to Cameron (and Cameron's father's car), he's mostly an obnoxious brat who gets by on sheer luck. Rooney's no better. No, Ferris shouldn't have called out as often as he did, but he's lucky the cops didn't take Jeannie seriously and arrest him for breaking and entering, among other things. And nowadays, I suspect Jeannie's phone call wouldn't be treated like a prank.
This may be the most "your mileage may vary" of any of the 80's John Hughes movies. It can be hilarious just to see what Ferris gets away with, and the treatment of Cameron is surprisingly touching, but many people find Ferris to be more annoying than amusing and wish Jeannie had called him out in the end.
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