Friday, September 24, 2021

Night Adventures

Started off the morning with a quick breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel and O's Road Trip" on their cardboard Trolley is almost washed out by a thunderstorm. X encourages the boys to make a plan and figure out how to recreate landmarks indoors. X also convinces the duo and Miss Elaina to make "Daniel's Puppet Plan" to craft their own puppets and put on a show.

Switched to Hogan's Heroes while I made the bed. Klink has to "Get Fit or Go Fight" when Burkhalter insists that he pass a physical exam or take the next train to the Russian Front. Klink hasn't done anything more physical than chasing after the guys in years. Hogan and the others do their best to get him back into something mildly resembling fighting shape. 

Dashed out as the episode ended. Work was a pain in the rear. I was in a register all day. Most customers were fairly pleasant, probably due to the gorgeous, sunny weather, and it was off-and-on busy. There were some obnoxious older women who wouldn't help out, and one yelled at me because I put the money near her hand instead of on it. No one else complains about that. Does she think I'm going to steal it? I really got upset. Thank goodness it slowed down enough by 7 for me to leave without a relief. 

My schedule next week is even worse. I don't have off until next Friday. That's eight days in a row! Not only are we having the same staffing problems as everyone else, but ten employees are on leave right now. I know at least two went back to college. Everyone else is out for surgery or non-Covid-related health reasons. I don't know why they couldn't have given me at least Tuesday instead of Friday off. (I asked for Saturday to attend the Collingswood Book Festival.)

Rushed home just as twilight melded from soft purple into indigo dusk. I slammed in, mad as heck. I'm fed up with my job and my family right about now. I'm tired of the ridiculous hours at the Acme and of my family all being at each other's throats. I wish Jodie, Rose, and Jessa would just talk to each other about a lot of things, including related to Dad's death and Jodie inheriting the house. 

Finally changed, grabbed my jean jacket and purse, opened the windows, and slammed back out. I heard loud music on West Clinton as I rode home. A neighbor confirmed it was the Final Fridays block party that happen on the last Friday of every month in the summer, and suggested that mingling and enjoying the show might make me feel better. I waved to her and her puppy, then strolled down the road on a starry night under an inky sky.

West Clinton was a madhouse when I arrived, thick with kids showing off on their bikes and scooters, and parents drinking home-brew beer from Tonewood Brewery. As tempting as some of the food trucks looked, they were also very expensive. I just spent a lot on meals for over a week. I dodged hungry kids at Phillies Phatties long enough to pick up a slice of Alfredo, a slice of bacon and something green, and a can of Mango Pepsi. The "something green" turned out to be pickles, of all things. It was way too salty; I only ate half of that one before tossing it.

Went online after I got home (and closed the windows - Jodie was home and had turned on the air conditioning). Finally decided on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode Manos - The Hands of Fate. But first, I got to see the second half of that "Hired!" short I caught a few weeks ago, in which the head of a car dealership learns how to be a better leader with his salesmen. The main attraction was a poorly-made, ultra-low-budget 1966 shocker in which a family lost on the highway ends up in the home of a reclusive man known as Manos (Tom Neyman). He's the leader of a cult, with several wives and a strange hillbilly follower named Torgo (John Reynolds). He wants to add the wife to his collection of wives, but his current wives aren't too keen on the idea.

Oh wow. Apparently, this was made by locals in El Paso, Texas on a bet...and boy, does it look it, from long, arid shots of the Texas countryside to the horrendous acting and dialogue, to several scenes that don't make sense (including catfights between the wives). It remained the domain of Texas drive-ins until MST3K revived it in 1993 and it became one of their most popular episodes. (Mike Nelson played Torgo in the host segments; the character was so well-received there, he turned up in several more Mike-based episodes.) It above and beyond needs the wisecracks to make even the remotest sense of anything. 

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