Sunny Day at Home

Began a sunny day with one of two Remember WENN episodes to spoof popular old movies. Radio station WENN's head writer Betty Roberts is coerced to reading a new play "From the Pen of Gertrude Reece," the station's harried receptionist. The play is a take on Casablanca, with Betty as Ilsa, cheerful organist Eugenia as Sam, mercenary actor/manager Scott Sherwood as Rick, former manager Victor Comstock as Victor Lazlo, Maple LaMarsh as the cafe singer, Mackie Bloom as Major Renault, Mr. Eldridge as the German waiter, Jeff as the matre'd, his ex-wife Hilary as a bar customer, C.J the Technician as the bartender, and Mr. Foley as a Nazi. A sponsor has two letters of "transmit" that'll allow free passage from the country. Trouble is...as with the real Casablanca, Gertie can't figure out an ending for her play. She and Hilary suggest a few before Betty decides Gertie would be better off figuring out her own ending.

I ended up spending most of the day on the computer or the phone. I tried calling Camden County again. I still got either hold or voice mail. This is ridiculous. I'm going to try again on Monday, then just let it lapse. Started my birth certificate, but realized I didn't have some of the information. I e-mailed Mom; haven't heard from her yet. I'll call Dad tomorrow.

I've been organizing and adding two a few more Pinterest boards.Since the trio from the Original Trilogy and the current one had boards, I figured it made sense to give Padme, Anakin, and Obi-Wan from the Prequels their own board as well. (Especially since I'm hoping to do my first prequels-based fics sometime this year.) Also started one on children's books, and one for Disney characters spoofing various franchises (including ones from Disney).

Padme, Anakin, & Obi-Wan - The Prequels Trio
Children's Books
Disney Satire and Crossovers

Actually, the biggest news today was my tax refund finally appeared. I put some money in both savings accounts. I may put more in, depending on what I have left after I pay the rent (on time) next month.

Got so caught up working, I didn't break for lunch until around 4! Watched another episode of Rick Steves' Europe while eating. Munich and Bavaria, with its ample beer gardens, massive palaces, imposing Gothic cathedrals, towering Alpine mountains, and fanciful castles, is the perfect aesthetic for Coruscant in my story.

I finally got around to making that list of repairs that need to be done here after I finished eating. We can start with that cracked window in my bedroom (which has been cracked since I first came here) and end with Charlie's attempt at re-cauking the kitchen sink not having stopped it from leaking. Like the sink in the bathroom, I think the faucet needs to be replaced. Some of the heating grates in the living room are falling apart or falling off the wall. (The heat itself works fine.) Charlie never replaced the tiles around the toilet when he did the plumbing last spring. There's wood panels under the bathroom rug that I'm afraid are going to break. I also mentioned the wardrobe and the dresser falling apart. They're cheap pieces and it's not their fault, but they did come with the house. The sink in the bathroom wasn't entire re-attached and pulls out when I lean on it. One of the shelves in the kitchen cabinet is coming loose. Charlie never fixed the light on the porch after his attempt to attach the Christmas lights to it left it unable to work at all. The shelves in the pantry are old, uneven wood.

Began The Pirate Movie while making Ally's "Snappy" Ginger Snaps. Mabel (Kristy MacNichol) is rather nerdy young woman in Australia who's thrilled to attend a pirate festival with her more glamorous girlfriends, where she gets a crush on a hot guy giving sword fighting demonstrations. Her friends take off with him before she gets a chance to really know him. She goes after them on a pontoon...and when she falls off and hits her head, the resulting dream turns into The Pirates of Penzance. Now, while dealing with a Modern Major General of a tipsy father, archaic rules of whom can marry whom, and her love for a handsome pirate bound by duty to his fellow men, Mable discovers that, when we stand up for ourselves and take control of our own dreams, we're all heroes.

Another long-time childhood favorite of mine. This odd cross between Pirates of Penzance, Pirates of the Caribbean, Moulin Rouge, and the Mel Brooks spoof films wasn't a hit when it debuted in 1982, but it's since picked up an audience on cable. With its feisty, action-oriented heroine and ample rock mixed in with more traditional Gilbert and Sullivan, it might actually have been ahead of its time. If you love action-oriented musicals or want to see an action film with a strong female lead (and aren't a Gilbert and Sullivan purist), this one is worth looking around for.

Did some writing as well. Luke and Leia chat in Maz's small gardens and discover they have a lot in common, including having been raised by an aunt and uncle. Luke had lived with his aunt and uncle until they died and he was taken in by businessman Henry "Han" Solo. Luke has nothing but praise for his guardian, gushing about his intelligence, brilliant engineering abilities, and business prowess.

Ben and Maz finally send the two along to dine with Leia's family. Maz tells Ben about a raid on the Coruscant Armory. Spies stole the plans for some secret weapon...but they weren't the Crimson Hawk's men. They were members of a secret society that is also going against Prime Minister Palpatine and his right-hand men Lord Vader and Govenor Tarkin. Ben says they need to find out more about this society and its aims. They have their own plans to restore freedom in Coruscant, including a "secret weapon" of their own.

Had the last of the leftovers for dinner around quarter after 7. Finished out Pirate Movie, then did Mask of Zorro. This slightly more serious swashbuckler is actually something of a reboot. The original Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) teaches a young thief (Antonio Bandares) how to be the dashing man in the black mask in order to regain all he lost when he was arrested, including his daughter (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The wicked Governor has been hoarding gold and keeping it from the people...but he may have something even more sinister in mind for the workers...

I enjoyed this when it came out, and I still do. I will warn you that, being a late-90's movie, this is a lot more violent than the Tyrone Power or Disney versions, including a severed head being kept in a jar. Otherwise, if you're a fan of the cast or of swashbucklers like me, this is still a lot of fun to watch.

And...I found my old ankle brace, which went far in helping it feel better. I think I'll at least be able to go grocery shopping and work tomorrow.