Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Chilled Spring

Cheered up a cloudy, blahh day with breakfast. Made Apple-Cinnamon Muffins after I finished. Started the second disc of Tiny Toon Adventures as I ate and worked. "Playtime Toons" parodies toys and how kids play with them. "Happy Birthday Hampton" has Buster, Babs, and Plucky buying cool new toys for Hampton's big day...but they love them so much, they opt to keep them and give Hampton their old toys. They switch old for new when they remember how much they liked their old things. After he destroys his toys, Montana Max learns about the importance of the imagination when his father gives him nothing but a paddle ball to play with in "Fit to Be Toyed." Furball has a different type of toy in "Strung Along Kitty" - a ribbon he likes to chase.

Orson Whales narrates "Toon Physics," pointing out how impossible things that don't happen in nature occur in animation. Elmyra wishes her Babette doll was real in "Once Upon a Star." She instantly regrets it when Babette's attitude and vanity gets on her nerves. Furball chases Li'l Sneezer outdoors in "A Cub for Grub," but Li'l Sneezer's knowledge of camping manages to get him out of trouble. Plucky and Babs compete to be "The Year Book Star" and see who can be in the most photos in the Looniversity year book.

Buster and Babs are home sick with the flu. Instead of doing the planned show, they watch "Acme Cable TV." TV show parodies include The Adventures of Rocky and BullwinkleHollywood SquaresThe Cosby ShowRoseanneWalt Disney PresentsLassie, and the Bugle Boy jeans commercials of the early 90's, among others.

"Buster and Babs Go Hawaiian" was partially written by three teen fans of the show for a big contest. They also appear in animated cameos in the early part of the episode as Buster tries to explain that he's afraid of flying, including the airplane that'll take them to Hawaii. Things don't go much better after they arrive. They're targeted by pickpockets, Dizzy eats their luggage, and Buster's coconut tossed into an active volcano brings an explosive end to their vacation.

Headed out as soon as the episode was over and the muffins were out of the oven. We were even quieter than we were yesterday. The most that happened all day two more groups of adorable preschoolers came through, and I got frustrated when the managers kept telling me to do things I'd already done a half-hour before. Otherwise, there were no real problems. I spent the morning doing trash, cleaning the bathrooms, and putting away the very few returns and most of the afternoon outside with the carts, despite the weather being a cold, blustery, cloudy mess all day.

The worst thing that happened all day had nothing to do with work. Lauren texted me during my break. She had to move our vacation up a week. Her train going to Albany had been moved to Grand Central Station due to the ongoing remodeling and track work at Penn Station. She's never taken a taxi or a subway and is afraid to walk in New York on her own. I put in a request that explained the change. We'll now be be getting together from the 16th to the 24th. This also means that I'll have to find some new things for us to do, since some of my plans revolved around Memorial Day weekend activities.

Worked on a little bit of writing when I got home. Han - Prince Henry - explains everything the next morning. He was engaged to Princess Amilyn Holdo in the hopes that their kingdoms would unite after his father died mysteriously. Afraid of commitment and uninterested in the flighty princess, he ran away rather than marry her.

Returned to Tiny Toons while eating leftovers for dinner. A fowl caricature of Catskills comedian Henny Youngman narrates "Henny Youngman Day." He's a substitute teacher whose corny lines annoy the whole class, except Hamton. The shorts go over far better. Babs takes center stage as a stand-up comic in "Stand Up and Deliver." She's frustrated when she follows wildly popular comedian Red Robin Gilliams (a parody of Robin Williams) and almost bombs, untiil Gilliams lends a wing. "The Potty Years" has toddler Plucky flushing pretty much everything he owns down the toilet. Buster's only joke literally dies in "Lame Joke," until his friends finally get it.

Did some Wii Sports after dinner. Focused on bowling, tennis, and baseball tonight. Did my best ever on hitting short balls - got 21 and a silver medal - and actually managed to get two home runs. Got a bronze on returning tennis balls and am doing better at Target Practice. Did my best bowling game too, including three strikes in a row.

Finished the night after a shower with Octopussy. After a British agent is killed in the line of duty, James Bond (Sir Roger Moore) is brought in to bid on a Faberge egg that happens to be linked to a smuggling ring. The other bidder was Prince Kamal Khan (Louis Jordan), whom he follows to India. With help from a local agent (Viljay Amitraj), he manages to infiltrate Khan's hideout, thanks to listening devices in the real egg. The head of the smugglers is a woman named Octopussy (Maud Adams) who runs an all-female crime organization that uses a circus as a cover. General Orlov (Stephan Berkoff) has his own plans for the organization, using it to replace fake Russian treasures with real ones...and to plant a bomb that will destroy the circus and half the East German government. Now Bond has to stop that bomb and the smuggling, before Orlov and Khan get away with their schemes.

I believe this was the first James Bond movie I ever saw as a child. As such, I have a soft spot for it. It's overlong, with about three climaxes too many, and the East German circus trip is just ridiculous. The first half, with its Indiana Jones in India feel and broader comedy, is a lot more fun. Adams is a bit stiff as the sexy thief; Jordan is better as the prince who is determined to keep every treasure for himself...including Octopussy. Great music too, including the hit ballad sung over the credits, "All Time High." Fun for fans of Moore's Bond run if you have time on your  hands.

No comments: