Today was my early shift. I'm glad I left a few minutes early. It was getting cloudier by the minute, even as I rushed off to work. By the time I was walking out the door to do the first round of carts, the road was wet. It rained off and on for the next hour; I stood in the door and waited for the worst to pass, so I could get the carts without being completely drenched. Thankfully, it slowed down around 10 and was long gone by the time I got out.
Otherwise, it was just as quiet today as it has been all week. It picked up a tiny bit around 11:30-noon, and I did end up going into the registers briefly twice to cover for breaks. Otherwise, I spent the morning shelving items and mopping the freezer leaks.
When I did get home, I went right into a writing session. The standoff at the beach is getting ugly. Luke and Leia get involved when the head of the Imperial Gang, who calls himself Vader, gets into a fight with one of Luke's friends. Luke tries to attack, but he just gets knocked off his feet. Leia and one of the lifeguards, a tough young brunette named Jyn Erso, finally get Vader down. Vader is intrigued by Leia's spirit. He tries flirting with her, but she turns him down cold. He manages to escape the beach in his black Honda bike before the cops arrive.
Finished the dusting after I got off the computer. I wasn't going to do any really major cleaning this month. I have other things on my mind. I dusted around most things in my bedroom, except the Ever After High dolls. I have too many to dust around anymore.
Ran The Way Way Back while I cleaned, and later as I had leftovers for dinner. 14-year-old Duncan (Liam James) does not want to be on his family vacation. His mother (Toni Collette) wants him to try to get along with her new boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell). Frankly, the guy is a jerk, and Duncan would rather be anywhere on the planet but around him. He stumbles across a little kid's bike in the garage and uses it to wander around the island. Among the places he discovers on his ramblings is Water Wizz, an ancient but beloved water park managed by Owen (Sam Rockwell). Owen is a snarky doofus who leaves most of the actual managing to his second-in-command girlfriend Catalin (Maya Rudolph), but takes Duncan under his wing when he finds him wandering around the employees' entrance to the park. Duncan spends more and more time at the park and with girl-next-door Susanna as matters deteriorate at home. He finally comes to realize that sometimes, the family we create for ourselves can be as comforting and important as our own family.
I've rented this a couple of times in the last few years, but just never got to it until now. I'm glad I did. I was really impressed with this one. Very sweet coming-of-age tale with a slightly dark-ish side. James and Rockwell did especially well as the man-child and the know-it-all kid who bond over their father issues; loved Randolph's super-responsible, super-snarky girlfriend, too. My biggest problem with this is I don't understand why the kid kept his job such a secret. Maybe it comes from growing up at the Jersey Shore, where kids often work under-the-counter as early as 10 with no shame. A lot of this movie would have been a bit easier if he'd gotten over himself and told at least his mother where he was going.
The film's slow pace and the issues discussed (along with some brief drug use and underage drinking) makes this for kids Duncan's age on up who enjoy coming-of-age stories or summer comedies.
Ended with an episode of Happy Days. Richie, Potsie, and Ralph are "Goin' to Chicago" in the second season finale as part of a school choir program that's going to appear on television. They get into trouble when they sneak out to a nightclub and forget their money, and then a blousy waitress goes with them to help them find it. The choir director isn't amused, but Richie finds a way to turn the tables.
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