Saturday, June 24, 2017

In the Aftermath of the Storm

A windstorm hit around 6:30 this morning, waking me up and roaring like a lion all over the county. I listening to the wind howl and the rain and hail fail like cannonballs over my roof. For all the noise, it didn't last long. By quarter after 7, when I was up and reading in bed, it was gone and the sun was coming out.

Did a couple of Danger Mouse season 6 shorts while eating breakfast. It's a "CATastrophe" when a mechanical cat kidnaps Colonel K. Danger Mouse and Penfold get quite a surprise when they go after him. DM fights with his evil side at Stonehenge in "The Good, the Bad, and the Motionless." When Greenback brings "Statues" to life, Danger Mouse and Penfold have to figure out how to return them to normal. 

While it was sunny and still very windy when I headed to the Collingswod Farm Market at 9, it was also still a bit humid. The fallout from the morning's storm became clearer the moment I walked out the door. Branches, some as thick as my head, were strewn all over not only the back yard and side path, but the street as well. Some roads on the way to Collingswood were blocked from trees that had fallen over and needed to be moved or cut. 

Despite the mess, the Collingswood Farm Market was busier than ever with people buying produce for their graduation parties and barbecues. Asparagus is gone, but eggplants, peaches, nectarines, spring onions, and green beans made their debut today. I just opted for cherries, blueberries, bananas, and cucumbers. 

Took the long way home through Collingswood to dodge a couple of park trees that had fallen on the road at the intersection of Bettlewood, Lakeview, and Linwood. Stopped at CVS, since I had time and I was going in that direction anyhow. Picked up honey, their generic Sparkling Lemon-Lime soda, and a buy one, get one 50% off three-packs of CVS' generic soap sale.

Did more Danger Mouse when I made it home and started getting organized for work. "The Clock Strikes Back" when a time-traveling clock brings a magician who wants to take over the world. DM and Penfold turn his spells on him. The duo's wondering "Have You Fled From Any Good Books Lately?" when the monsters in a book given to Penfold by an alien come to life and the two have to get rid of them. (And this is the first and only episode I've ever seen take place entirely in Danger Mouse and Penfold's home in London.)

While I did clean the bathroom when I got in, did some bagging, and briefly wound up in a register, I was mostly outside gathering carts. The store became more and more busy as the roads cleared and the lights started operating again. The damage from the storm was worse than I'd initially believed. Westmont, Haddon Township, and Mt. Ephram got it the worst, including widespread power outages and tons of trees down. I heard people even mention a tornado touched down in Westmont, leaving a disaster in its wake. 

There was a reason we were busy, and it wasn't entirely the nice day or graduation parties. Apparently, the Westmont Acme was among the buildings that had lost power. Customers could purchase dry items in the store, but not perishables. Many of their regular customers ended up coming to us by default.

My schedule next week is, other than a later day next Saturday, exactly the same as this week's. No major plans besides counseling on Tuesday. I'm saving money for my rent and for vacation. 

Did a little bit of writing when I got home. Everyone's going their separate ways. Langdon, his friend Niem, and Wedge are going to catch up with the Death Star II and take that out. Henry offers his friend the Falcon, the fastest tub in the air. Henry's not too sure about it, but Langdon's happy to accept his offer. Maz Kantana sees them all off, making sure to give her crush Charles a big kiss before he goes (to his embarrassment). 

Broke around 6:30 for dinner. I had no idea what to do with the bay scallops (mini scallops) I bought yesterday, so I improvised. Sauteed carrots, onion, zucchini, and garlic, then added chicken stock, the scallops, and white cooking wine for Scallops with Early Summer Vegetables. Ate it on a bed of tri-color rotini pasta.

Put on two more Danger Mouse episodes as I cooked and ate. London's saying "Ee-Tea!" when all the world's tea goes missing. DM and Penfeld literally go to outer space to find it. They're "Lost, Found, and Spellbound" when they go to China in search of Dr. Squawkencluck and end up against a witch doctor. 

Switched to Meatballs after dinner. Tripper (Bill Murray) is the laid-back head counselor of Camp North Star, a low-budget facility in Canada. While the counselors in training pursue each other, he befriends a lonely camper named Rudy (Chris Makepeace) and chases the head female counselor (Kate Lynch). His early morning jogs with Rudy prove to be more than good bonding when North Star plays Camp Mohawk, it's snotty rich rival, and they need a runner for the marathon.

Murray and Makepeace steal this summer camp tale wholesale as the wackiest counselor in the north and the kid who just wants to be liked. Director Ivan Reitman thought so, too. A lot of the C.I.T's antics were cut in favor of more of them, and it works pretty well. If nothing else, the low-budget production assures that this is as complete a time capsule of its era as you'll get outside of home movies - breathy ballads and disco tunes on the soundtrack, tight shorts and knee-high socks on everybody, Tripper's attack on the female counselor coming off more like harassment and less like him being annoying today. 

If you're a fan of Murray, the 70's and 80's "slobs vs snobs" comedies, or the era, you'll want to check this one out. 

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