How the Force Works

Today was my first of two early work days in a row. It was on-and-off busy. The managers complained about my making faces when I had to help a customer and that she was upset. I talked to her when I helped her...and no, she wasn't. She was upset that the managers had rushed her! I mostly did returns, though I did round up carts early-on and got stuck in the registers a few times, including right before I had to leave.

When I got home, I did a couple of chores, starting with making my bed. I only make my bed about once a month unless there's company or I'm changing the sheets. Who's going to see it? Actually, I made it so I could vacuum under it. I also did the vacuuming today (which was a lot worse than I thought it would be, given the guys vacuumed in the kitchen and dining area after they worked a few weeks ago) and washed the windows.

Went right into writing after I finished. Luke, Leia, and the Enchanted Woods itself can hear the Imperials invade the Rebel base. Luke says good-bye to Han and Chewie, who are still trying to get to Tatoon to pay off Jabba the Ogre King. They don't get out before the Imperials invade. Han ends up taking Leia and Cecil (Threepio) with him as the cart flees the base...just before Vader descends.

Speaking of Star Wars, I finally got to The Force Awakens while making tuna casserole from Julie's Cooking Studio for dinner. (No potato-chip topping, though. I don't like regular potato chips. And I didn't have any cheddar soup, so I used cream of chicken. Also added carrots for color and a little more vitamins.) Rey (Daisy Ridley) is a young scavenger who lives on a desert planet, picking through the remains of old warships while waiting for her family to come back for her. She finds herself plunging headlong into adventure when she encounters a runaway former Stormtrooper who calls himself Finn (John Boyega) and an adorable rolly-poly droid named BB-8 who has information that could lead to the long-lost Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil). Han Solo (Harrison Ford) just wants his ship the Millennium Falcon back, but he finds himself caught up in war again when his wife General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) asks for his help. But the new villain (Adam Driver) has a connection to both Leia and Han that may have dire consequences for Rey, her new friends, and the galaxy...

Yeah, I still love this. I loved it in the theater, and I loved it on DVD. I know a lot of people have problems with it, calling it too much of a rehash of New Hope. To be honest, that's part of what I like about it. It's acknowledging that, yes, the Original Trilogy is history now, legends, and sometimes, history can and will repeat itself. And I'm just in love with BB-8, who is the cutest thing ever.

My biggest problems is...while I loved the heroes, especially the wonderfully feisty Ridley, I just couldn't get into the villains. Driver's whiny Kylo Ren comes off as more of a spoiled brat than a credible villain until the heart-rendering final confrontation on the Starkiller Base. Phasma would have been cooler if we'd seen more of her. And the assault on Starkiller Base does reek a little too much of "eau de New Hope" - even the characters complain about it.

Honestly, if you're a fan of this series, you've probably already bought this. If you're new to the Star Wars universe, I'd recommend you go for the Original Trilogy first before coming here to get a better sense of the characters and overall storyline.

Oh, and they're still trying to catch squirrels and raccoons on my porch. We caught two squirrels today. I did hear some squeaking earlier, but it seems to be gone now. We'll see how things go.