Out of the Rain

Kicked off a hazy, sunny morning with breakfast and The Hoober Bloob Highway. This Dr. Seuss special takes us into the far reaches of space, where Mr. Hoober Bloob and his walking mandolin assistant "dispatch" newborn babies to Earth. We follow them as they teach one particular infant all the ins and outs of what makes us human.

Headed to work shortly after the cartoon ended. Work was a bit of a pain. It went well enough in the morning, but then things picked up after lunch. I would try to do one thing, only to be told to do something else, including cleaning the bathrooms twice in an hour and a half. I did manage to gather carts, do the trash and recycling inside and out, shelve some candy, and sweep the store.

Rushed home as soon as possible. Beyond my rough day, I didn't like the look of the weather. It was sunny, hot, and humid in the morning. By the time I got out, the wind had picked up, and dark clouds loomed on the horizon, though it remained sunny. Thank heavens it didn't start raining until I'd long been at home and on the computer. It rained off and on for the rest of the night, including a deluge while I was making dinner.

Spent the rest of the afternoon writing. Wandering in the darkened, empty corridors of Television City, Brett and Joyce discover another semi-regular locked in a closet. Fannie Flagg had been on her way to the studio when someone shoved her in. She'd heard them mention the men, but had no idea where they might have been taken.

Tired and frustrated, Brett can't remember the clue Ira gave her earlier...but Joyce, who also heard it, can. He'd mentioned "blanks of the past." The three women finally decide he meant "ghosts." The moment Brett writes it down and calls out her answer, all three disappear.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had turkey hot dogs, corn on the cob, and Chinese beans while watching American Graffiti. I usually watch this one on or before Labor Day, but I just missed it this year. Four young men living in a small town in California in 1962 spend their final day of summer having adventures that may decide their futures. Steve (Ron Howard) is supposed to go to college, but is reluctant to leave behind his long-time girlfriend Laurie (Cindy Williams) behind. Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) spends the night looking for a gorgeous blond (Suzanne Summers) he saw in a Thunderbird. Nerdy Terry "The Toad" Fields (Charles Martin Smith) falls for a statuesque blond (Candy Clark), but loses the car he got her in. Their older greaser buddy John Milner (Paul Le Mat) spends the night stuck looking after a chatty young teen (Mackenzie Phillips) while fending off a cocky hot-rodder (Harrison Ford).

Star Wars isn't the only George Lucas movie I love. An up-and-coming cast, backed by some of the best rock music of the early 60's, have a great time with the coming of age story. If you love tales of the mid-20th century or are a major classic rock fan or fan of anyone in the cast, you'll want to check this one out.

Finished the night with another Bowery Boys movie. Hold That Line is one of the later ones that focus mostly on Sach and Slip. The boys find themselves in higher education when the heads of an elite college makes a bet that they can't last a semester. The students don't know what to make of them, other than to make them wear dresses for their fraternity initiation...until Sach creates a formula that gives him amazing athletic ability. He becomes a football star and the darling of the campus, but he also attracts the attention of gangsters who want Ivy's rival to win the big game. When they kidnap and drug Sach, the Boys have to rescue him and figure out how to use their brains, rather than brawn, to win the day.