Hard Times In Late Summer

I overslept and didn't get as quick of a start as I would have liked, especially since I had relatively early work. Since the DVD player was still acting up, I put on the original cast album for Grease while eating breakfast. There's a lot of music on this one that either didn't make it to the film at all ("All Choked Up") or were only used as background scoring ("Those Magic Changes," "Freddy My Love"). All of the performers sound equally too old for their roles, but it's nice to hear how the original started off (complete with the raunchy lyrics).

Work was a pain. I'd start one thing, only to be ordered to do three other things, and I got scolded over being frustrated about getting stuck in the registers. If they wanted me to be in the registers, they should have left me as a cashier. At least it was a nice day, sunny, breezy, and no more than the lower-mid 70's, and I did enjoy getting carts. (Other than they've somehow lost the mechanism that opens the locked carts. Again.)

My schedule for next week is, except for Monday, all afternoon work. That's fine. I'll get writing and cleaning done here, and I can do all the usual chores. Wish I had more hours, but other than that, no complaints.

Didn't have a huge grocery order this week, but I did need some expensive things. They had buy one, get one strawberries. Thought the second one could go into Strawberry Flummery. There was a good sale on the 18-count eggs and regular Cheerios. Restocked peanut butter, skim milk, yogurt, baking chips (they're still clearing out the butterscotch chips), cooking spray, white flour, apples, and tomatoes. Found a can of organic cream of tomato soup on the clearance racks and two packs of fish fillets with manager's coupons.

As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then went on the computer. Luke dodges Vader, finally climbing out the window of the VIP Lounge and onto a fire escape. Vader, however, corners him there. He smashes Luke's hand with his bat before revealing his true identity - he's Luke's adored, and supposedly dead, older brother Adam. He wants Luke to join the Imperial Gang. Luke jumps onto the hood of Lance's Lincoln Continental before his brother can try anything else.

Broke at 6 for dinner. I started a few Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater cartoons while I was putting things away and continued them before I ate. Tuxedo Sam takes on the title roles in "Peter Penguin" and "Tar-Sam of the Jungle." In the former, he fights Captain Catnip, rescuing My Melody-Bell with the help of normal kids Hello Kitty and Chip. "Tar-Sam" has him as the famous protector of the jungle, saving Hello Kitty and his ape family from poachers Grinder and Catnip. Chip steps up to the lead as the boy king Arthur in "Paws of the Round Table." Sam's his Lancelot who aids him in rescuing Lady Bunnyvere (Melody) from Witch Catnip.

Unfortunately, the DVD player stalled half-way through "Paws of the Round Table" and refuses to start again. I think I've banged on the thing one too many times. Yes, I know electronic equipment is delicate...but that seemed to be the only way to get it working again when it stopped. I'll have to buy a new one next week. I don't have the money this week.

Put on my London cast album for Copacabana instead while making baked salmon with roasted herb and garlic potatoes and sliced tomatoes with oil and vinegar for dinner. This is Barry Manilow's expanded stage version of his 80's TV movie. The show now has a more appropriate happy ending and a wrap-around sequence that depicts the whole thing as coming out of the imagination of a songwriter who's fallen in love with his creation.

While it's probably corny as heck, I have a soft spot for this one. I've had this CD for years, since I found it at the same (now defunct) North Cape May music shop where I picked up By the Beautiful Sea as a teenager. Along with Tony's "Sweet Heaven" and his "Who Needs to Dream/Lola" carried over from the TV film, we have the dynamic opening "Just Arrived," as Lola comes to New York, the stunning ballad "This Can't Be Real," and the hilarious number for the aging stage manager and cigarette girl as she's trying to convince him to take Tony to Havana, "Who am I Kidding?"

While I do like this better than the movie, it's still recommended mainly for fans of Manilow's work.

And...sigh. A frustrating day ended with my Strawberry Flummery coming out badly. It never gelled. I think I added too much water. I couldn't get the strawberries mashed enough, either. It's now more strawberry soup than jelly dessert.