Began another hot and humid day with a late breakfast and a rare musical I Had a Ball was one of the last of the musical stage vehicles for popular comedians that stretched as far back as the late 1800's. Buddy Hackett was the star, a Coney Island fortune teller named Garside who is surprised to discover that his crystal ball really works. He uses it to help fellow con-man Stan (Richard Kiley) and Ferris wheel operator Jeannie (Karen Morrow) find mates...but they get mixed signals and end up with the wrong mates. Garside has to figure out how to unmix the couples and avoid the cops. Ok songs, mostly for Kiely, Morrow, and the chorus, otherwise nothing special.
Worked on writing for a while after breakfast. Leia runs into Laurence and the others in his Rolls Royce in the parking lot. They were going after Roberto Fettara and his armored truck, but he escaped with Harry. Leia says she'll need them in a minute anyway...
She finally pursues Vader to the roof. He's holding Luke hostage in exchange for Dr. Bail Organa's maps and notebooks to the Temple of the Swords. It has a rock that, when all three swords are inserted into it, can be used as a powerful weapon. He also mentions how much Leia resembles his late wife Padme...for yes, he is really Dr. Andrew Skylark, discredited archaeologist who gave up the profession for business and politics. Leia is shocked and tries to lash out, but he slashes her hand instead. She's being pushed against the roof when Luke jumps on Vader to save her. There's a convenient fire escape that takes them down to the others.
I got so into writing, it was quarter of 2 before I made my way out to run errands. Started off at Sonic for a lunch treat. I hadn't eaten there in ages. Given it was mid-afternoon, the patio was empty when I arrived. It was just me enjoying tater tots, a strawberry limeade, and a juicy, messy grilled chicken sandwich.
The Acme wasn't much busier. I didn't really need a whole lot, anyway. Ground turkey and turkey hot dogs were on good sales, and I wanted bacon and butter pecan ice cream for recipes. Found condensed milk on the clearance shelves. Restocked skim milk, yogurt, canned tomato sauce, wraps, breakfast cookies, batteries (9 volt and AA), and some much-needed pads.
I'm not happy with my schedule next week at all. While four days off (including Sunday) will allow me time to write and apply for online jobs here, two of the three days I do work are early 7 and 7 and a half hour days. The head bagger went on vacation this week, and there's no one else to take her hours. The only other baggers who have anything resembling her seniority or mine work afternoons and evenings.
As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then made Peach-Pecan Mold. This is another recipe from the Jiffy Cooking book I picked up at a yard sale. While the original recipe called for pecans and vanilla ice cream, I saved money and bought butter pecan. It's just ice cream, pecans, and rum extract topped with sliced peaches and frozen overnight. I made it in my aluminum cake pan, since I don't have a mold. (I must remember that butter pecan ice cream tastes amazing with rum flavoring - like pecan eggnog.)
Watched an episode of Good Eats while I worked. Alton opted for a vegetable that was far better for you than my frozen dessert, the leek. I wish I could try the grilled braised leeks, but not only am I not allowed to have a barbecue, but I'm no good at barbecuing anyway. My dads (and nowadays, Jodie) always did that.
It was past 4:30 when I went out to get my laundry done. I got half-way there when, to my frustration, I discovered that I forgot the money. I had to go all the way back and up the stairs in Charlie's side of the house, then back to the laundromat. It's a good thing that was the worst that happened. They weren't busy when I arrived; by the time they did start getting busier, my small laundry load was in the dryer.
Put on one of my favorite Dr. Seuss specials as I folded my clothes. Dr. Seuss On the Loose is a unique anthology of three cartoons based after Seuss short or easy-reader stories. "The Sneeches" are odd yellow bird creatures who live on the beaches. The ones who have green stars on their bellies snub those without them, until a monkey businessman and his star creating and erasing machines teach both groups a lesson in equality. "The Zax" are two stubborn little fellows who refuse to budge and let the other pass, even as the world continues around them. Sam I Am wants one guy to love his favorite dish "Green Eggs and Ham," and will do anything to make him try it.
Finished the night online with something totally different. While recent live versions of Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wiz, Hairspray, and Grease, among others, have reintroduced audiences to the classic musical format, musicals go back a long way on TV. Indeed, TV began it's meteoric rise just as the Broadway musical was also dominating stages. Musicals were apparently among the most popular productions on the small screen as early as the 1940's.
One lesser-known gem I ran across tonight was this charming 1966 version of Alice Through the Looking Glass. Though it isn't quite faithful to the original story, it certainly does better than the 2016 film. The best thing here is an awesome cast that includes Nanette Fabray as the White Queen, Ricardo Montalban as the White King, Agnes Moorehead as the Red Queen, John Carradine as the Jabberwocky, Jimmy Durante as Humpty Dumpty, and the Smothers Brothers as Tweedledee and Tweedledum. If you're a fan of any of these folks or the Alice books, this a cute and tuneful way to pass an hour or so.
Alice Through the Looking Glass 1966
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