Tales of a Bad Day

Started off the day with a quick breakfast and the soundtrack of Singin' In the Rain to drown out Charlie as he and Richard were arriving. I have the deluxe CD set with a second disc that includes the original versions of the songs as they were sung in the films they came from. Favorites include Jeanette MacDonald's lovely version of "Would You?" from the disaster drama San Francisco, the iconic title number from the Oscar-winning 1929 Broadway Melody, and Robert Taylor and June Knight performing a breezy "I Got the Feelin' You're Foolin'" from The Broadway Melody of 1936.

Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - boring as heck. It was dead up through around 2:30, and even when it picked up, it was never that horrible. I still ended up staying an extra hour. One of the cashiers called out, and another went home sick. (He looked fine to me. He was probably bored.) I got stuck in the cash register and panicked, when I wasn't bored myself. Not only is it the middle of the week and the middle of the month, but it was sunny and warm, too nice for most people to be shopping.

Rushed straight home after that. I no longer had the time to go to the Haddon Township Library or get the laundry done. Tried to work on writing and ignore Charlie and his potty mouth on the porch. Artie knows Yoda well. They were in the same unit in the military during World War I, Yoda as a chaplain. Yoda's Victorian home is stuffed full of the many, many things he's found on his digs. Luke's more interested in his relationship with Ben, Vader, and the Force.

Finally got so fed up with listening to Charlie's constant F-bombs, I opted for a more peaceful dinner out. Hit The Square Meal and had half of a chicken sandwich and a quinoa-beet salad at their rustic-ish metal and wood tables and chairs. The chatter of the teens eating nachos next to me was far preferable.

Took a quick stroll to WaWa for money, then returned to West Clinton. Phillies Phatties has advertised their own home-made ice cream sandwiches all summer. Oh, yum. While the one I had was fairly small, it was also very tasty, two soft chocolate cookies with a thick slab of rich chocolate ice cream rolled in chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles...and at $1.50, it was the cheapest treat they had. I enjoyed my dessert while watching people walk their dogs and stroll past from Tonewood Brewery on the other end of the block.

It was a lovely evening for a short walk. The weather was just stunning today, mid-80's and dry as a bone, with a wonderfully cool breeze. The neighborhood is looking slightly greener after the heavy rain earlier this week; gardens are laden with late lilies, delphiniums, and daisies. Two little boys attempted to "sweep" their walk, but they were really just pushing dirt around, much to their father's consternation.

Played Lego Clone Wars for a while after I got in. Completed "Grievous Intrigue" and "Destroy the Malevolence" and got one more piece on "Lair of Grievous." Picked up Boba Fett and Wedge Antilles from the finished rounds.

Finished the night after a shower with the pilot movie from Tales of the Gold Monkey. Jake Cutter (Stephan Collins) is having an even worse day than I am. He just lost his dog Jack's sapphire eye in a poker game, and is attacked by stranded singer Sarah White (Catalin O'Heaney) when he thinks he's saving her from what turns out to be her agent. Sarah and Jake both have worse problems. Sarah is really a spy, and her contact turns out to be very dead. Jake lost his wine shipment for bar owner Bon Chance Louie (Ron Mooney) over Boku, an island with a very active volcano. Boku becomes a lot more interesting when Jake hears about a gold monkey statue that may be found on the island. Sarah insists on joining him, his forgetful mechanic Corky (Jeff McKay), and Jack on a trip to find the Monkey and keep it out of the hands of Nazi spies.

I really regret that I was only about three years old when this show was on the air. I would have loved it later in the 80's, when I was a huge fan of Indiana Jones, the Disney cartoon Tail Spin, and other old-fashioned adventures. If you share my hankering for 30's-style action, the DVD set is in print and fairly easy to find on Amazon.