Friday, September 18, 2020

A Pirate's Life For Me

Started off a sort-of-cloudy morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Given the weather we had yesterday, I thought "A Storm In the Neighborhood" was appropriate. A big storm is about to hit the area. The Tiger family invites treehouse dwellers Katarina, Henrietta, O, and X to stay with them while it blows over. Meanwhile, Mrs. Tiger teaches the kids about following the plan for an emergency and holding a grown-up's hand. There's a lot of cleanup "After the Neighborhood Storm," what with downed branches all over and the huge tree blocking the Clock Factory. Daniel and the other kids learn about neighborhood helpers like police officers and fire fighters who keep us safe and help out.

Switched to Split Second as I cleaned up from breakfast. It was the episode that ran during Buzzr's St. Patrick's Day "Lucky Wins" marathon. A woman who resembled a blonde Annie Potts was slightly trailing behind a young photographer for most of the episode, but came from behind to win the Countdown Round and got the car on her first try. The solo woman beat the duo on Blockbusters, but missed the Gold Rush round. She was starting in on the next pair when they ended.

Season 3 and 4 of Benson are currently on The Roku Channel. I went with an episode from early in Season 3, "The Sit-In," while I got ready for work. The local chamber society holds a concert in Benson's office in protest of losing their funding, just as Benson is trying to hold interviews for a new secretary. His previous secretary, Marcy, is moving to Buffalo. The one he chooses as her successor, Denise (Didi Conn), seems a little ditzy, but she's really a genius with numbers. Meanwhile, Marcy wishes someone would take the time to say "good bye."

Work was on-and-off busy, likely thanks to the weekend and some good sales. Some folks early-on in particular were demanding and frustrating, and I was so annoyed and tired and angry. Things got better later, when it slowed down a little. They said I had a relief, then told me to shut down, which I did just in time.

I'm livid over my schedule this week. In good news, more hours. In frustrating news, my next day off is next Saturday. I hate it when I work 10 days in a row! When am I supposed to get anything done? Couldn't they have given me one little day off in the middle of the week? There's at least three or four people on vacation this week, plus a lot of folks took leave when the virus hit and haven't returned. I would give anything for a solid, consistent schedule that's the same from week to week! 

Did this week's grocery shopping after work. I had a coupon for one box of those tasty peanut butter-oat-fruit bars from the Acme's generic "natural" brand; I bought two boxes. Picked up ricotta to make more lasagna, too. Grabbed Crest's "gum detox" toothpaste while it was on sale and I had an online coupon. Went back for free eggs from the online rewards program. Found a container of small scallops in the seafood department. Restocked yogurt, butter, spinach, apples, brown sugar, bananas, frozen peas, grapes, carrots, broccoli, honey, crushed pineapple, and mandarin oranges.

Went straight home after that. Got organized and had leftovers for dinner while Match Game ran. Bart Braverman, many-voiced Arte Johnson, and adorable soap opera star Erica Hope joined Gene, Brett, Charles, and Fannie Flagg to finish out the week in late 1978 as Gene delights in getting his repaired longer microphone back. 

The 6 PM episodes jumped back to 1974, bringing Richard Dawson in with Mitzi McCall, Gunilla Hutton, and Nipsey Russell for the first episode as they all tried to answer the Audience Match "__ Nun." Jimmie Walker, bombshell Lynda Day George, and noisy Kaye Stevens joined in for the second episode, just in time to see Gene have to ride the set to get past the malfunctioning doors!

Made Norsk Apple Muffins while watching Sale of the Century. It was a tight race for the entire game, with everyone winning or buying something and no one really ahead of anyone else. The younger man just barely won the Speed Round by one question and picked up 10,000 on the match the prize board.

Finished the night after a shower with the 1945 swashbuckler The Spanish Main on the Watch TCM app. Dutch captain Laurent Van Horn (Paul Henried) is tossed in prison by the corrupt Viceroy Don Juan Alvardo after his ship runs aground in Cartagena. He and his remaining crew escape, and he becomes the daring pirate the Barracuda to get back at the Viceroy and his people. He intercepts a ship carrying the viceroy's intended bride, lovely and feisty Countess Francesca Alvardo (Maureen O'Hara), who agrees to marry him to keep him from harming their escort ship. The Viceroy isn't the only one who's after the Barracuda. Laurent's former lover Anne Bonney (Binnie Barnes) and a jealous pirate (Barton MacLane) also want their share of the money from looting ships and agree to help the Spanish capture the dashing Dutch pirate.

Henried did this primarily because he was tired of playing stoic Europeans and wanted to do something fun. He got his wish. He's no Errol Flynn, but he is suitably dashing as the handsome Dutchman who sticks it to the man who hurt him by stealing his bride.  O'Hara more than matches him as the fiery noblewoman who comes to understand why Laurent feels the way he does about the Viceroy when her intended ignores her orders and incarcerates the pirates. Gorgeous Technicolor production, too, with nice villains in Barton MacLane and Walter Sleazak. Great bit of blarney if you're a fan of nautical yarns like me.

No comments: