Comedy Tonight

It was still cloudy out when I got up early this morning. Celebrated April Fool's Day with a couple of poems and a story about two boys who find a very stubborn giraffe in their back yard from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Did another brand of comedy while eating a quick breakfast. The original cast of the musical Greek-set farce A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum featured beloved comedians Zero Mostel as the slave who schemes to become free, Jack Gilford as the more dutiful slave who gets tangled in Mostel's lunacy, and David Carradine as Marcus Lycus, purveyor of fine-looking ladies. I figured a show that opens with a number called "Comedy Tonight" was perfect for the holiday.

Work was pin-drop quiet when I arrived. It took me 40 minutes to do the carts, and I didn't have to do them again for the rest of the day. Gathered baskets, bagged, and cleaned the bathroom before break. Alternated between bagging and working on the back of the gift card mall in the afternoon.

The manager wanted to know which cards weren't selling. I finally figured it out as I was hanging credit gift cards at the registers. We were overloaded on the credit gift cards. There was one large box, one small box, and a bag full of them behind the peg boards, and more than half the ones I already hung were credit gift cards. The trouble with these cards is, you have to pay an extra fee when you buy them. Most people prefer cards that can be used either at a general online store like Amazon, or are for a specific company, and only require the amount listed on the card. The only time we really ever sell these is at Christmas. The manager took two bags full to the trash compactor in the back. I didn't get the chance to give him the boxes before I headed out.

Bought toilet paper and eggs and headed home. I forgot toilet paper yesterday. Didn't desperately need eggs, but they're 79 cents this week. That's too good of a sale to pass up. It was cloudy and chilly, barely in the mid-50's, and quite windy. By the time the sun was coming out, I was long at home.

When I got in, I changed into regular clothes, then had a snack and finished the dusting. My bedroom always takes twice as long to dust as the other rooms in the house. Most of my collections are in there, including all of the dolls and action figures. Put up the Easter decorations after I finished. Mylar or cardboard garlands were draped over windows. The small greenery rope with mini carrots and bunnies dangling off went on the kitchen window. Set up Patchy Bunny the rabbit statue I bought from a yard sale and a smaller resin gardener rabbit (along with the book Winnie the Pooh's Easter) on the music area table. The quilted egg table runner I got from Mom went on the table. The smaller Easter basket and my Flora the Bunny and Freddie the Frog rolly-polly toys went in my bedroom. The rabbit candy holder and soft fuzzy chick I got from Mom's stash are on record shelves in the music area. Stuffed Peeps keep Lily the Duck and Sharri the Lamb company.

Ran a couple of TV shows and cartoons about comedy and Easter as I ate and worked. "The Princess Who Never Laughed" was a Russian story adapted for Fairie Tale Theatre. A grieving king (Howard Hesseman) has outlawed all laughter in his land after the death of his wife. His daughter Henrietta (Ellen Barkin) is tired of the tedium of court life and demands a little entertainment. Her father organizes a laugh-off to try to make his frustrated child crack a smile. The last person he expected to do it is Wienerhead Waldo (Howie Mandel), a goofy pig farmer who calls his porcine pal his gag writer and teaches the royals a valuable lesson - we often derive the most pleasure when the joke is about us.

Garfield and the residents of US Acres had their own bouts with comic catastrophes in an episode of Garfield and Friends. The lobster a relative sent Jon is supposed to be the "Maine Course," but he's live and frisky. Even Garfield can't bring himself to eat him. Eventually, they opt to set their friend free instead. It's "No Laughing Matter" when aliens come down to US Acres to steal the world's humor. Orson, Roy, Wade, and the chicks read every joke in Roy's book to get them to laugh...but slapstick proves to be the most potent weapon of all. "Attack of the Mutant Guppies" has Garfield and Nermal on the run from huge fish lurking in the sewers...at least until Garfield decides he wants a seafood lunch.

Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-Citement is the Looney Tunes' second shot at a spring holiday special. Daffy dodges an animator with an odd sense of humor as he introduces three all-original shorts with Easter or spring themes. He and Sylvester chase a golden egg in the first episode. The second has him protecting a chocolate bunny factory from Speedy Gonzoles, who wants to bring chocolate bunnies to the children of his village. Daffy's solo in the third, where he tries to figure out how to get a horse to take him north for the summer.

Worked on writing for a while after I finished with the Easter decorations. Henry may think Duchess Leia is tough and cute, but he doesn't want to get involved with her rescue when he's so close to leaving. Luke reminds him that she's rich and may be able to give him the money he needs to pay off Huttman. He finally agrees to it...just as they see the Death Star Airship take off across the sky. They'll never catch it on the land now. What they need is another airship. Henry leads them to the Falcon, ignoring Charles' protests that it isn't ready yet.

Broke for dinner around quarter of 7. Watched two Three Stooges shorts while I ate steamed broccoli with cheese and pan-fried lobster cakes for dinner. The trio are mistaken for members of the publicity department for a big movie studio in "Studio Stoops." They come up with the idea for a new star to vanish...then have to rescue her when kidnappers like the idea and grab her for real. They're "A Snitch In Time" when they deliver furniture to a pretty lady,  only to discover she's being held captive by jewel thieves.

Finished out the night with another group of classic comedians. The Bowery Boys also dealt with mysteries from time to time. Sach gains the ability to read minds after a little boy accidentally hits him on the head. Slip convinces Louie to buy a detective agency so they can become Private Eyes and put Sach's new abilities to the test. They really get a work-out when a beautiful blond turns up with a fur coat and a secret envelope. Turns out the fur coat was stolen, and it and the envelope are a clue to a fur coat theft racket. Sach and Slip go undercover at a sanitarium to rescue the blond and the little boy who hit Sach over the head when the crooks use him as a hostage.