Rest Is Best

Started off my day with breakfast and dashing off to work. Today was my only bagging day this week, and it was just for four hours, until the afternoon bagger came in. Mostly swept the store and gathered carts, but I also took recycling and trash from the offices up front to the compactors in the back. The afternoon bagger took over sweeping for the last hour, allowing me to focus on carts. We also got to say goodbye to our long-time grocery stock manager, who's retiring today after 40 years. 

Did a little grocery shopping after work. They were expensive, but the closest the I could find to Target's date bars at the Acme was the Larabars; went with Apple Pie. Bought more blood oranges, but I won't be doing that again. They went up in price at the Audubon Acme, too. Looks like they're finally out of season. Picked up oatmeal cookies and muffins for work from the bakery clearance racks and shrimp for lunch today. 

Had said lunch as soon as I got home and changed. Watched Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as I ate. Dan and his parents go on "A Trip to the Enchanted Garden" to pick strawberries for strawberry pancakes. Daniel has to look a little closer to learn about how strawberries grow and where they end up in his pancakes. Daniel, Katarina, and Miss Elaina are excited about "A Trip to the Crayon Factory," but poor O the Owl has a cold and can't go. Dan Sr. takes pictures of the machinery so he can get a closer look, and little Daniel makes sure to get him a fresh yellow crayon.

Switched to The Roku Channel for The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That. The Cat takes the kids on an "Incredible Journey" up the river and a waterfall to see where Salmon Samantha goes to lay her eggs. The kids are "Bamboozled" about what to give Sally's stuffed panda for a birthday present. They visit Zhu Zhu, a real panda, to find out what she loves best, and why bamboo is so important to her.

After the show ended, I went down for a nap. I am totally wiped. I've been busy for months, and it looks like there's no sign of slowing down. I know I should be excited about making money, but...I'm exhausted. I haven't had more than a day off at a time since I took those three weeks off in December to find an apartment (which didn't end up helping), and I haven't called out since the day I moved. The only time I've had off has been for doctor's appointments or days I asked to have off. There have been weeks when I only had one day off, and I've worked as much as 7 to 10 days in a row without a break. I'm not a nurse or a police officer who is used that kind of a schedule. 

Went down around quarter after 3 and didn't get up until 5:30. Tried to work on writing for a while. The Red Knights force Orson the March Hare, Gary (Burghoff) the Doormouse, and Bill (Daily) the White Rabbit into cages. Marcia's dragged away; the boys are taken to the Red King's tower. Richard tries to challenge Jack (Klugman) the Red Knight, but he has more opposition than he thinks...

Broke for dinner at 7. Watched Match Game PM as I ate. Bob Barker is thrilled when not only is there a question about his days on the original TV version of Truth and Consequences, but Eva Gabor calls him a sex symbol. Joyce Bulifant was equally delighted to get not one, but two kisses for her winning answer to "__ Tigers" on the Audience Match.  Richard has to figure out "__ It Away" on the Head to Head.

Finished the night online after a shower with one of the Joel episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Hercules Unchained. Early on, Joel and the robots covered a series of cheesy Italian epics featuring muscle men as the famously strong Greek warrior Hercules (Steve Reeves). Here, he's traveling home with his wife Iola (Sylvia Koscina) when he's asked to intervene between two brothers who wish to rule Thebes. Before he can deliver messages from one brother to another, he drinks from he "Spring of Forgetfulness" and loses his memory. Queen Omphale (Sylvia Lopez) takes advantage of his state to convince him he's her man. Meanwhile, Eteocoles (Sergio Fantoni) wants to throw Iole to the animals in his stadium. It'll take intervention from young and impetuous Ulysses (Gabriele Antonini) to restore Hercules' memory and send him after his beloved.

I...actually enjoyed this one, with or without robot wisecracks. The story about Hercules losing his memory was fairly interesting. Lopez actually did quite well as the treacherous queen, and Fantoni wasn't bad as the nastier of the two brothers. It's surprisingly fun to watch if you love the sword-and-sandal epics of the 50's and 60's.