Began a windy, sunny morning with some goofy Backyardigans. Austin, Uniqua, and Pablo are "The Best Clowns In Town." Ringmaster Tyrone doesn't agree. He hates clowns and won't have them in his circus. When the trio's showing off makes him miss his train to Big City, he only ends up angrier. Can these three clowns make him crack a smile as they use every means known to clown-dom, from tiny cars to unicycles, to get him to his destination?
Just made it to work on time. This was a good thing. We were on and off busy the whole day. I spent it outside, rounding up carts. I was glad to. For most of the afternoon, it was sunny, still warm, and very windy. I had some help later in the afternoon, but I was on my own in the morning. Heavy clouds drifted in and out, but they never seemed to amount to much.
I have a rather strange schedule. Still three days off and one long day, but the hours are different, including an early day next Saturday. One less hour, for some strange reason, too. At the very least, I'll have the chance to get to Cherry Hill to update my non-driver's ID, work on the story, and start cleaning the apartment.
Didn't have as much shopping to do as in past weeks. I really needed produce. Red and golden delicious apples were on sale for 99 cents a pound. I hate red delicious apples. They're mealy and have no flavor. Got three golden delicious, along with grapefruit, broccoli, mushrooms, bananas, and an onion. Restocked baking powder, chick peas, red kidney beans, canned chicken, peanut butter (Skippy's on another 99 cent sale - I bought 2), tomato sauce, mandarin oranges, and chicken legs. Found a small container of various bits and pieces of seafood - (fake) crab rolls, pieces of fish, popcorn shrimp, mussels - with a manager's coupon for a decent price. Bought two potatoes and decided I'd have Seafood Chowder for dinner.
Tossed on some Three Stooges while I put things away and got organized. The boys are "Fuelin' Around" when Larry is mistaken for a scientist who has created a new rocket fuel by a dictatorship that wants the formula. They kidnap the boys and take them to their country. While they don't create the formula, what they do come up with has its own uses, including eating through metal!
Did some writing for a few hours. Baron Vader, the head of Coruscant, has arrived. He's a hulking brute of a man in black body armor with a grotesque mask and breathing apparatus. He's hoping to open a new factory to process khyber crystals, but it's been plagued with accidents. Leia accuses him of conscripting unwilling workers and compromising their safety.
Suddenly, the lights switch off. Leia feels a breath over her shoulders as light fingers in leather gloves remove her jewelry. A soft voice in her ear says that he's the Crimson Hawk, he's in love with her, and he wants to meet her at the cherry tree in the garden at midnight. The Golden Eagle is more apologetic for taking her parents' jewelry.
And boy, am I glad I got home when I did. Clouds, darker and less fluffy than the ones I'd seen earlier, had begun to creep across the horizon as early as 3 PM. By 5, we were in the midst of a full-fledged thunderstorm, complete with wild wind, torrential rain, and noisy thunder. While the thunderstorm is long gone, the gale-force winds remain at press time.
Broke around quarter of 8 to make that chowder. I sauteed broccoli and onion in olive oil in a pot, then water and the last of the home-made chicken broth. Sliced up the potatoes and put them in to simmer next. The seafood and seasoning came in last, long with a can of cream of mushroom soup. Yuuuummm. Oh boy, did this turn out nicely. Other than I think I overcooked it a little and the crab rolls got too soft, it came out perfectly salty and savory.
Finished the night with dinner and An American Tail. This 1986 animated drama tells the story of little Fivel Mouskawitz, a mouse immigrating from Russia with his Jewish family in the 1880's. Fivel is swept overboard in a storm and is separated from his family. He searches all over New York, encountering a cocky young street mouse, a tiger cat who doesn't eat meat, and a gangster cat who claims he's a rat in order to get the mice's confidence. Fivel gives the mice the idea to that may be able to get the cats out of Manhattan for good...but all he wants is his family.
I thought this one was a bit strange, even as a kid. I honestly wonder what audience Don Bluth intended this for. The melodramatic story is too intense for young kids and runs at least 15 minutes longer than it should, but the music and the cutesy mice lean towards it being family fare. While not masterpiece, it still has some nice music and gorgeous animation, and may be a great way to spark discussions about immigration (a subject even more in the news now) in your home.
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