Began a sunny, busy morning with Speedy Gonzales shorts in honor of Cinco Del Mayo. "Speedy Gonzales" debuted the character as he's usually seen today and won the Academy Award in 1955. Speedy has to bring cheese to his village from a factory over the border that's guarded by Sylvester. In "Tabasco Road," he has to save two drunk buddies who keep picking a fight with an alley cat. Sylvester is "The Pied Piper of Guadeloupe" who can charm any mouse into a bottle...except for Speedy. Sylvester encounters some "Chili Weather" while guarding a chili processing plant from Speedy and his friends.
Headed out around 10 to run errands. Checked out a yard sale on Kendall, then headed to WaWa to take out money. In between, I rode past a small fair on the block of West Clinton between the school and the main downtown district. Considering all the beer for sale, it seemed to be an expanded version of the beer-making block party they held there last fall. Rode down East Clinton to look at their street-wide yard sale, but didn't see anything interesting.
The Collingswood Farm Market opened for the season this morning. They were already packed when I arrived around quarter after 10. The crowds were elbow-to-elbow, despite most of the booths only selling seedlings and flowers at this time of year. No fruit yet, but I did see spinach, asparagus, greens, carrots, mushrooms, onions, and hot-house tomatoes. The orchard booth was selling firewood. I ended up just buying the asparagus and spinach and moved on.
Stopped at the Oaklyn Library on the way back for this week's volunteering session. Needless to say on a decent day in the lower 70's, they were totally empty. It was just me and the librarian. Too bad. Today was apparently Free Comics Day. Thin magazines were stacked on a table in the kids' area. I grabbed DC Superhero Girls and Star Wars Adventures (the latter is promoting Solo: A Star Wars Story) for me and another title for Lauren.
Headed home after that. Made Peanut Butter Frosting for the chocolate cupcakes I made last night while watching more Speedy Gonzales. Speedy's buddies are feeling "Cannery Woe" when they're caught by Sylvester. Speedy goes after them. He has to get a "Message to Gracias" past the vigilante cat. Speedy saves his cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez from two hungry cats in "Mexican Shmoes" and Sylvester in "Mexican Borders." He goes "West of the Pesos" to once again rescue his buddies, this time from being experiments in a laboratory guarded by Sylvester. A crow chases him in "Tortilla Flaps."
The Acme was holding it's Spring Fling Employee Luncheon today to celebrate the Kentucky Derby, Cinco Del Mayo, and the Sixers' current playoff run. The only other dessert around were mini cookies n' cream cheesecakes, but there was plenty of other food! Along with a fruit tray, I saw soft pretzel bits, deviled eggs, sausage, buffalo chicken dip, two types of pasta salad, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, baked ziti, shredded chicken, and meatballs. I settled for the ziti, the macaroni salad (the other one had olives in it - I don't like olives), a cheesecake, fruit, two deviled eggs, and a meatball sandwich.
Had a lot of shopping to do today. Grabbed peanut butter, mayonnaise, Yoplait and Choboni yogurt, ground turkey, butter, turkey bacon, tortillas, Bryers' new pint ice creams, and a big container of strawberries on good sales. Had an online coupon for Crest toothpaste. They had at least two that were specifically made to target gums; I went with the larger, slightly less expensive one. Restocked chocolate pudding mix, brown and powdered sugar, honey, grapefruit, and bananas. Quaker items were still on sale; thought I'd try their "Breakfast Flats" bars.
When I got home, I put everything away, then made my way to the back room to start getting the 18-inch dolls dressed for the current warmer weather. According to Samantha's books, her birthday is in May. She gets to wear her pink striped Birthday Dress and lace-trimmed pinafore. Molly is in a hand-made version of her hard-to-find Victory Garden Dress. Went 90's with Jessa, who got the tie dye "Earth Day" t-shirt and shortalls from the original mid-90's modern collection. Whitney and Ariel both wear OG outfits. Whitney gets a purple floral retro dress with a net petticoat and shiny purple shoes. Ariel is one of my only dolls who can fit into the purple sundress with the hot-pink pineapple print. Josefina sports her Dress and Vest with the lovely red-print skirt and black velvet vest. (Left Felicity in her pink birthday dress. I don't have that much to change her into.)
Ran the Donald Duck in South America movies as I worked. Saludos Amigos is a series of shorts based around the Disney animators' trip to South America and the local color they soaked up there. Most of the segments (Goofy as a gaucho, Donald at Lake Titicaca, the tale of a baby plane delivering mail over the Andes) are pretty typical, but the last one does introduce smooth-talking parrot Jose Carioca.
All bets are off with The Three Caballeros. After a few more shorts in the first 20 minutes (including one about a penguin who sails northward to get warmer and a boy and a flying donkey), we get Donald dancing in live action with a pretty cookie seller...and go into some seriously weird turf once Mexican rooster Panchito shows up and introduces Donald to his home country. After he chases pretty girls at Acapulco, Donald's libido lands him in some of the most surreal animation to ever grace the silver screen.
While I prefer the more creative Caballeros, Amigos might be better for families with younger children who will enjoy the mail plane story and the more familiar faces. Either way, both are a lot of fun for fans of Donald, the anthology movies Disney put out in the 40's, or our neighbors south of of the border.
Worked on writing for a little while after Caballeros ended. Han confronts Palpatine after his mother dies. He knows he had something to do with her death and how frail she looked beforehand. Palpatine did, indeed, drain her so thoroughly, she looked like an old woman. He indicates that he may have been involved with the death of King Josiah as well. When Han threatens to have him arrested, he snares the young man with his magic and drags him to a pedestal, insisting that Sultan Du Hutt wanted him as a "decoration."
Leia's vision ends after that. She jumps up, upset and shocked at what she saw. Ahsoka agrees that they have to get to Coruscant to rescue Henry and stop the Mid-Summer Festival. They finally all say they'll go as a gypsy troupe when Kanan pops in, telling Leia that her new hand is ready.
I didn't break for dinner until quarter of 7. Made Spinach Salad with Turkey Bacon and yogurt dressing while watching two 60's sitcoms with Mexican-themed episodes. Max and 99 aren't exactly saying "Viva Smart" in a third season Get Smart episode when they pose as flamenco dancers in a corrupt South American country and end up in jail. The Monkees don't have much better luck in their second season opener "It's a Nice Place to Visit." They find themselves having to rescue Davy after he eyes the girlfriend of a bandit by posing as bandits themselves, then taking part in a showdown to save the town.
Went for a short walk after dinner. It was chilly but pleasant, with a stiff wind blowing around Veteran's Park next-door. It was too late to do anything but explore around back there. I noticed tents set up at a house across the river - a Kentucky Derby party, perhaps?
Put on The Three Amigos after I got in. Three former silent movie stars (Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short) find themselves in a real version of one of their "Robin Hood in Mexico" films when they're called on to save a small town from bandits. They not only have to learn to be real heroes, but teach the town how to call on their own talents to drive the bandits off.
Underrated 80's comedy benefits from hilarious performances by all three leads and some really funny gags involving western and Mexican cliches. I also love the three songs by Randy Newman. Rose and Anny used to love imitating the "My Little Buttercup" number, up to and including them landing on each other's backs.
Ended the night with the Marx Brothers movie A Day at the Races in honor of the Kentucky Derby today. Judy (Maureen O'Sullivan) faces losing her sanitarium if rich Mrs. Upjohn (Margaret Dumont) leaves. She brings in Dr. Hugo Hackenbush (Groucho) to keep her happy. Sanitarium employee Tony (Chico) and jockey Stuffy (Harpo) discover that Hackenbush is far from what he claims - he's really an animal doctor. They ultimately pin all their hopes on the horse that belongs to singer Gil (Allan Jones) winning the steeplechase. Morgan (Douglas Dumbrile) is after the sanitarium and will do anything to get it, including keep the horse from the track. Now the Marxes have to stall the race...and then make sure the right horse comes in first.
While not quite as funny as the previous Marx film A Night at the Opera, this movie still has its share of classic bits - Groucho and Chico's "Tootsie Frootsie Ice Cream," them trying to hide a woman in Groucho's room, and the finale at the race among them. Unfortunately, the musical numbers aren't nearly as successful. A ballet mid-way through the film stops it cold, and while the "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" number features some truly amazing jitterbugging, it's also awash in stereotypes. (Including the Marxes ending up in blackface.)
Fine for fans of the Marxes, or even just those who want to give their brand of lunacy a try if they can get around the dull and dated songs.
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