Awoke to a gloomy, dark morning. Livened things up with breakfast and "The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case." When Stan gets a note that he stands to inherit money from a relative, he and Ollie travel to their spooky home to meet the rest of the family. Turns out the uncle was murdered, and they all have to stay the night. Stan and Ollie have to figure out how the family members keep vanishing, before they disappear too.
Since it was only cloudy and humid when I left, I figured I'd be ok to ride to work. Needless to say, on a nasty humid day in the middle of the week, we weren't busy. I did round up carts in the morning, but I mainly shelved a cart of loose items, swept the store, and did the inside trash. When I did make it back outside, the rain had finally arrived. It was showering a little at that point, enough that I rode home (after picking up sugar) and just got a little wet.
Had lunch after I changed into dry clothes while finishing "Laurel-Hardy Murder Case." Went right into "Dirty Work" next. Stan and Ollie are chimney sweeps in the home of a mad scientist who is trying to create a formula to reverse aging. The boys wind up inadvertently testing the formula...but not before they destroy the guy's chimney.
I'd started working on Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies for my best friend Lauren's birthday on Saturday by the time "Oliver the Eighth" was on. Ollie is thrilled when a rich widow responds to her letter for him. Turns out she responded because she's killed seven men named Oliver...and he's next in line!
By the time the cookies were out of the oven, the rain had picked up and was now pouring. Needless to say, I went nowhere else and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening writing. Brett and Charles make the other men a supper of dried beef stew and brown bread. After that, Charles plays music for them, and they all dance, including Brett. Only a thoughtful Richard remains aloof from the group.
That night, Brett sleeps on their couch, and Charles agrees to sleep on the floor. She tells him about how the wicked queen had turned her husband to stone and imprisoned her family. He admits that he desperately fears crowds and fire and tries to avoid both.
Broke for dinner at quarter after 6. Had Jodie's Chicken Tortellini Soup and Apple-Pear Crisp while watching two spooky Three Stooges shorts. "If a Body Meets a Body" is a remake of "The Laurel-Hard Murder Case." This time, it's Curly who may stand to inherit a fortune, if he, Moe, and Larry can survive a night in a supposedly haunted mansion!
The trio "Spook Louder" when they once again find themselves in a supposedly haunted house, this time as door-to-door salesmen. They're somehow recruited to find spies operating out of the house, but end up having to avoid whomever keeps throwing pies at everyone.
Took a much-needed bath after dinner. Ahhh. It was so relaxing, with the rain coming down and Jazz For a Rainy Afternoon on my CD player. I went over two of my Christmas books and enjoyed a much-needed soak.
Finished the night with The Halloween Tree. Four kids are all ready for trick-or-treating when they discover that one of their best friends has a burst appendix and was rushed to the hospital. They refuse to celebrate Halloween without him and go to see him at the hospital. The oldest, Tom (Edan Gross), sees what he thinks is Pip (Kevin Michaels) and assumes he's playing a joke. They follow him to the decrepit home of the cranky and mysterious Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud (Leonard Nimoy). Moundshround has a Halloween Tree with the spirits of Halloween past hanging from it...including Pip. He takes the quartet back in time to visit 3,000 years of Halloween history in order to restore their friend, and find out more about the costumes they wear and their significance to the holiday.
This TV special from 1993 is an adaptation of the Ray Bradbury novel written by Bradbury himself (and narrated by him, too). What I like about this one is that it covers Halloween history, something that I've rarely seen in a special for this holiday. Many Christmas specials cover that holiday's history, but most other holidays don't often into their backstory. The animation (and the acting from the kids) is nothing to write home about, but it's still worth seeing if you have older and tween-age kids who love Halloween, horror, or history.
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