I spent most of a sunny morning and early afternoon continuing my fanfiction. Han drives the carriage through the Enchanted Woods to the Kingdom of Kashyakk. This is the home of the wild Wookie Stallions, wild horses that roam free in the grasslands and forests. The gypsy thief was more-or-less raised by the Stallions and the local bandits after his own parents abandoned him. He's hoping they can stay there, with Chewbacca's herd and his old friend Maz, until the Imperials lay off their search and Han can finish fixing the Falcon.
Ran the last few episodes of the second season of Sailor Moon while eating leftovers for lunch and getting ready for work. I noticed some really interesting parallels between Rini's storyline in the end of the series and The Force Awakens. Rini, like Ben, was seduced by a creepy, supposedly "wise" creature who was really using them for their own agenda. She was turned against her parents and friends and did try to kill them...and actually did kill one person (though he wasn't related). Both Ben and Rini are more-or-less brainwashed into believing their family doesn't love them, though I believe the effect was far more prolonged in Ben's case. Rini was, like Ben/Kylo, turned into a different person after she was brainwashed - she's even a different age. The fact that Sailor Moon was eventually able to get through to Rini leaves me hope that Ben will see the light eventually in a movie or two, though it'll probably be a far more tortured process. (And maybe serve time for patricide.)
It was an absolutely, positively gorgeous day when I headed to work. The cold of the weekend had been replaced by warm sun, a stiff breeze, and nice lower-60's temperatures. No wonder we were on-and-off steady for most of the evening, and just barely that. There were one or two annoying people, but most folks seemed to be in pretty good moods. It was short and painless, and my relief was right on time. I was in and out with no problems.
(Oh, and I got a lovely birthday card from Lauren today, a pretty spring-ish one with nice colors. She and her parents gave me a 20 dollar bill. Cool. That'll buy me tickets to Zootopia or Batman Vs. Superman on Thursday and a bag of popcorn.)
I was in a really good mood after work and writing went so well, so I went with a comedy as I ate dessert. The Great Muppet Caper is probably my favorite of the 80's Muppet films. Reporters Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo are off to London to investigate a jewel robbery. What they find is Miss Piggy, an aspiring model who works for the fashion designer whose gems were stolen (Diana Rigg) and her less-than-trustworthy brother (Charles Grodin). With the dubious help of the other Muppets, who live and work in the dilapidated Happiness Hotel, our fuzzy trio set out to discover who's behind the thefts...and break more fourth walls than previously thought possible. Not as iconic as Muppet Movie, but the plot is better, and there's some great gags, including Miss Piggy's water ballet sequence.
And as of tomorrow...I'm off work. My actual vacation doesn't begin until Wednesday. Still, a day off is a day off. It sounds like it's just as well. It's supposed to rain for part of tomorrow, anyway. I'll get the laundry done and work on writing.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Sunday, April 10, 2016
A Disney Kind of Day
Started out a beautiful spring morning with Pear Spice Pancakes. One of the juicy pears I bought on Friday got bruised on the way home. I cut it up, threw it into the pancake mix, and added cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. Oooh, so yummy! Didn't cook very fast (I didn't cut up the chunks enough), but tasted nice.
I loved riding to work. The weather was glorious today. It was still a little chilly and windy for the time of year, probably in the mid-upper 50's, but nothing like yesterday. This may be why work was on-and-off busy, and actually not as bad as I figured it would be. There were a few problems, especially with a buy-one-watermelon-get-one sale that wouldn't work, but the time otherwise went quickly, and my relief was there when she was supposed to be.
It was so nice, I took the long way home down Nicholson Road and Atlantic Avenue. The day was too beautiful to be rushing anywhere. There was quite a bit of traffic on Nicholson, more than likely a lot of Sunday drivers also enjoying the weather.
Spent the rest of the afternoon working on my writing. While Han and Leia head towards the Kingdom of Kashaykk and Vader prepares to go after his children, Luke has returned to the Dagobah Swamps. He's hoping to find a great Force sage. What he finds is a little green goblin who gets into his things and seems to know (and annoy) Arthur the Mute Blacksmith. The last thing Luke is expecting is for this strange little fellow to be Yoda, the sage he's seeking...or for Yoda to almost turn him down for training. It takes the ghost of Sir Ben Kenobi, Luke's late previous teacher, to convince him.
I'd been listening to my Disney music collections all day, including during breakfast and while making leftovers for dinner. I bought this collection with a birthday gift card from Lauren about five or six years ago. It's too bad it's probably wildly out of print today. I like that it includes songs not only from the usual animated musicals, but numbers from older live-action films (Kirk Douglas surprisingly doing well with "Whale of a Tale" from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Haley Mills' adorable "Let's Get Together" from the original Parent Trap, several songs from Summer Magic and Pete's Dragon, the very early 60's title song from The Monkey's Uncle performed by the Beach Boys and Annette Funicello), TV shows ("The Ballad of Davy Crocket" from the original Disneyland show, two Ludvig Von Drake ditties and "Stop, Look, and Listen" from Disney's Wonderful World of Color, "The Mickey Mouse Club March"), and theme songs from the Disney parks ("It's a Small World," "The Tiki Room," the original "Pirates of the Caribbean").
Saturday, April 09, 2016
April Showers Bring Snow Days
I had enough time for a couple of cartoons today before heading off to work. "Springtime Serenade" introduces us to a later, cuter Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald and his fellow farm and forest critters are delighted by the return of warmer weather and start spring cleaning. A grouchy groundhog is determined to spoil their fun with his cold weather predictions. "Slide, Donald, Slide" pits the irascible duck against Spike the Bee in a battle to see whether they'll be listening to baseball or a classical music concert on the radio.
Oswald wasn't the only one baffled by today's weather. It was snowing and raining a little when I headed to work, but not heavily. According to my customers, it started to pick up by 10:30 and continued with larger, fatter flakes through 2:30. I never saw any of it. I was at the register all day, dealing with customers who were annoyed by the weather that just didn't feel very spring-like to them. I don't know what they were fussing about. The snow here never stuck the ground and mostly amounted to very pretty rain.
It was down to heavy showers when my relief came in for me at 4. Even as I was riding home, the snow returned. It didn't last long, though. The rain continued through the evening before finally stopping somewhere during dinner.
I went right into writing when I got in. King Palapatine addresses his demon slave for the first time. He can see the merits of turning Luke to the Dark magic. He also reminds Vader that he'd made a bargain with him years before - in exchange for power, Vader would give Palapatine his daughter. Vader has yet to fulfill that bargain. The half-demon swears he's sending men after his wayward child and he will have her, her strong magic, and the prosperous Kingdom of Aldran.
Watched most of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang while having turkey meatloaf and sauteed escarole and mushrooms for dinner. The Millennium Falcon is far from the only vehicle to have "more than a few surprises" in her in fantastic cinema. Chitty was once a turn-of-the-20th-century race car. She's rescued from the junkyard by an eccentric inventor (Dick Van Dyke) and his two children. On a trip to the seaside, he spins a very strange tale for his kids and his friend Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes). It seems Chitty is wanted by the nasty Baron Bombhurst (Gert Frobe), who desires a flying car and to off his annoying wife (Anna Quayle), in approximately that order. A kindly toymaker (Benny Hill) helps the family bring justice to Vulgaria and rescue the inventor's father.
Overlong but generally enjoyable late 60's fantasy has too many slow minutes and some pretty strange ones. This is offset by the charming performances of Howes and Van Dyke and the Sherman Brothers' lovely score, including "Truly Scrumptious," "Hushabye Mountain," and the Oscar-nominated title tune.
Oswald wasn't the only one baffled by today's weather. It was snowing and raining a little when I headed to work, but not heavily. According to my customers, it started to pick up by 10:30 and continued with larger, fatter flakes through 2:30. I never saw any of it. I was at the register all day, dealing with customers who were annoyed by the weather that just didn't feel very spring-like to them. I don't know what they were fussing about. The snow here never stuck the ground and mostly amounted to very pretty rain.
It was down to heavy showers when my relief came in for me at 4. Even as I was riding home, the snow returned. It didn't last long, though. The rain continued through the evening before finally stopping somewhere during dinner.
I went right into writing when I got in. King Palapatine addresses his demon slave for the first time. He can see the merits of turning Luke to the Dark magic. He also reminds Vader that he'd made a bargain with him years before - in exchange for power, Vader would give Palapatine his daughter. Vader has yet to fulfill that bargain. The half-demon swears he's sending men after his wayward child and he will have her, her strong magic, and the prosperous Kingdom of Aldran.
Watched most of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang while having turkey meatloaf and sauteed escarole and mushrooms for dinner. The Millennium Falcon is far from the only vehicle to have "more than a few surprises" in her in fantastic cinema. Chitty was once a turn-of-the-20th-century race car. She's rescued from the junkyard by an eccentric inventor (Dick Van Dyke) and his two children. On a trip to the seaside, he spins a very strange tale for his kids and his friend Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes). It seems Chitty is wanted by the nasty Baron Bombhurst (Gert Frobe), who desires a flying car and to off his annoying wife (Anna Quayle), in approximately that order. A kindly toymaker (Benny Hill) helps the family bring justice to Vulgaria and rescue the inventor's father.
Overlong but generally enjoyable late 60's fantasy has too many slow minutes and some pretty strange ones. This is offset by the charming performances of Howes and Van Dyke and the Sherman Brothers' lovely score, including "Truly Scrumptious," "Hushabye Mountain," and the Oscar-nominated title tune.
Friday, April 08, 2016
V for Philly Victory
Started a sunny but very windy morning with a little bit of Tiny Toon Adventures after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ended. "Cinemaniacs" from the first season has Babs and Buster doing some (literal) theater-hopping as they check out three shorts spoofing popular movie franchises. "SuperBabs" has fun with the DC Universe as superheroine Babs saves Acme Acres from being inked out. Plucky, Hampton, and a rare speaking Furball go on a "Duck Trek" to avoid Gossamer Monster on a very hairy planet. "Pasadena Jones and the Secret of Life" has Buster channeling Indiana Jones as he dodges Montana Max and searches for that all-important artifact.
Work was busier than it has been the rest of this week. Though many people probably went to the big parade honoring college basketball national champs Villanova in Philly, others opted to take advantage of the sun before the rains come to get their shopping done. I mostly did returns, but I did have to duck into the register a few times.
Got my schedule during break. I'm working short shifts on Sunday and Monday, then I have a regular day off Tuesday, and then...vacation! It's running through the 19th. I'm not doing anything major besides a mall run, the usual chores, a lot of writing, counseling, and enjoying my birthday on Thursday. I was so busy through most of March, between work and everything going on here, I desperately need the week off.
I had a ton of grocery shopping to do today! They were running a lot of really good sales. Jenny-O Lean Ground Turkey was only $1.99! I couldn't resist that, even though I have ground turkey in the fridge. Chicken drumsticks were on sale, too. Took advantage of the continuing clearance of the older Acme generic brands to pick up a 12-pack of AA batteries at a good price. Had a ton of restocking to do, especially baking items - sugar, chocolate chips, bubble bath, tissues (I was almost out), pears (the ones I had last week were so darn juicy!), grapefruit, bananas, condensed Acme/Safeway generic Cream of Chicken and Tomato soups, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, aluminum foil, muffin cups, and peanut butter. Since I'd gotten a coupon for Wheat Thins Chips in one of the Monopoly game pieces, I thought I'd give them a shot.
When I got home and finally got everything put away, I did a quick writing session. Vader doesn't exactly take his daughter and a lowly criminal out-foxing his men well. He uses his magic to choke the man responsible to death. Another officer tell him the huntsmen he's called (the equivalent of bounty hunters in this universe) has arrived. They're scum, but as Vader points out, they're useful scum. They know Han better than the Imperial Army does. Meanwhile, Vader's master, King Palapatine, has arrived to talk about young Skywalker...
Finished the night with a quick leftovers dinner and an episode of Good Eats. The Wheat Thins are a rare treat for me. I almost never buy crackers in a box. Alton Brown provides three alternatives in "Going Crackers." The graham crackers look especially tasty. I need to look around for graham flour the next time I'm shopping for baking items.
Work was busier than it has been the rest of this week. Though many people probably went to the big parade honoring college basketball national champs Villanova in Philly, others opted to take advantage of the sun before the rains come to get their shopping done. I mostly did returns, but I did have to duck into the register a few times.
Got my schedule during break. I'm working short shifts on Sunday and Monday, then I have a regular day off Tuesday, and then...vacation! It's running through the 19th. I'm not doing anything major besides a mall run, the usual chores, a lot of writing, counseling, and enjoying my birthday on Thursday. I was so busy through most of March, between work and everything going on here, I desperately need the week off.
I had a ton of grocery shopping to do today! They were running a lot of really good sales. Jenny-O Lean Ground Turkey was only $1.99! I couldn't resist that, even though I have ground turkey in the fridge. Chicken drumsticks were on sale, too. Took advantage of the continuing clearance of the older Acme generic brands to pick up a 12-pack of AA batteries at a good price. Had a ton of restocking to do, especially baking items - sugar, chocolate chips, bubble bath, tissues (I was almost out), pears (the ones I had last week were so darn juicy!), grapefruit, bananas, condensed Acme/Safeway generic Cream of Chicken and Tomato soups, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, aluminum foil, muffin cups, and peanut butter. Since I'd gotten a coupon for Wheat Thins Chips in one of the Monopoly game pieces, I thought I'd give them a shot.
When I got home and finally got everything put away, I did a quick writing session. Vader doesn't exactly take his daughter and a lowly criminal out-foxing his men well. He uses his magic to choke the man responsible to death. Another officer tell him the huntsmen he's called (the equivalent of bounty hunters in this universe) has arrived. They're scum, but as Vader points out, they're useful scum. They know Han better than the Imperial Army does. Meanwhile, Vader's master, King Palapatine, has arrived to talk about young Skywalker...
Finished the night with a quick leftovers dinner and an episode of Good Eats. The Wheat Thins are a rare treat for me. I almost never buy crackers in a box. Alton Brown provides three alternatives in "Going Crackers." The graham crackers look especially tasty. I need to look around for graham flour the next time I'm shopping for baking items.
Thursday, April 07, 2016
Rainy Day Woman
It was just cloudy, windy, and humid when I rode to work this morning for my second early day in a row. It was even less interesting than yesterday. We were pin-drop quiet the entire morning. I rounded up carts right when I arrived, then spent the rest of the day doing returns and bringing cardboard to the recycling compactor. Also helped an old woman out to her car and briefly took a customer for one of the cashiers when she went to stop a shoplifter.
By the time I got out, the clouds that had been hanging around all morning had finally burst. I enjoyed a pretzel for a snack while watching the weather. After about ten minutes, I finally got bored and just rode home and got wet. And of course, as I was getting home, the rain was slowing down. It stopped shortly after I came in the door.
I ate lunch really fast, then spent the next hour and a half dusting. The dusting really needed to be done badly this month. While the men who fixed the plumbing did vacuum and wipe some things down, all the moving things around scattered dust everywhere. The entertainment (TV) area of the living room was especially bad. And my bedroom always gets really dusty, probably because of all the stuff I have in there.
Spent the rest of the afternoon writing. Even as Han, Leia, and Cecil (Threepio) flee in the snowy Enchanted Woods, they're still being pursued by the Imperial Army and their Battle Carriages. Leia uses her Force magic to outwit them, turning a comb into brambles, a mirror into a pond, and a stick into a heavy grove of trees. Alas, they've no sooner evaded them than Han accidentally runs over a rock and dents his wheels. He says he knows a place where he can have them fixed...
I had a quick dinner of leftovers and made a Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake for dinner while watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It's 1957, and Indy (Harrison Ford) has gotten into big trouble with the FBI for helping the Russians, including their scary female commander (Cate Blanchett), find a valuable artifact. Just as he's leaving town, he's flagged down by a young Marlon Brando wanna-be (Shia LaBouf) who wants his help finding an artifact that his former mentor had been seeking. Indy once again finds himself caught up in danger...but this time, the path leads him not only to a truly amazing find, but his long-lost former love Marion (Karen Allen).
Most critics were rough on this one when it came out in 2007. Too jokey, too hokey, the sci-fi elements are out-of-place, and LaBouf doesn't belong. While I agree that LaBouf is rather out-of-place as the greaser kid, I kind of enjoyed the rest of this. Considering the 50's setting, the sci-fi finale seems rather appropriate. Allen's just as much fun as she was in Raiders, and Blanchett isn't a bad villain. The plot isn't really that much goofier than any of the others in the series.
While not the best entry in this series, it's far from the worst. If you're an Indy fan, jump right in. This isn't nearly as bad as many people make it out to be. (Those who are new to Indy's swashbuckling world will want to start with one of the 80's entries first, especially Raiders.)
And after it was sunny for most of the afternoon, the rain returned this evening. It's been raining on-and-off ever since, though it seems to be off for the moment.
By the time I got out, the clouds that had been hanging around all morning had finally burst. I enjoyed a pretzel for a snack while watching the weather. After about ten minutes, I finally got bored and just rode home and got wet. And of course, as I was getting home, the rain was slowing down. It stopped shortly after I came in the door.
I ate lunch really fast, then spent the next hour and a half dusting. The dusting really needed to be done badly this month. While the men who fixed the plumbing did vacuum and wipe some things down, all the moving things around scattered dust everywhere. The entertainment (TV) area of the living room was especially bad. And my bedroom always gets really dusty, probably because of all the stuff I have in there.
Spent the rest of the afternoon writing. Even as Han, Leia, and Cecil (Threepio) flee in the snowy Enchanted Woods, they're still being pursued by the Imperial Army and their Battle Carriages. Leia uses her Force magic to outwit them, turning a comb into brambles, a mirror into a pond, and a stick into a heavy grove of trees. Alas, they've no sooner evaded them than Han accidentally runs over a rock and dents his wheels. He says he knows a place where he can have them fixed...
I had a quick dinner of leftovers and made a Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake for dinner while watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It's 1957, and Indy (Harrison Ford) has gotten into big trouble with the FBI for helping the Russians, including their scary female commander (Cate Blanchett), find a valuable artifact. Just as he's leaving town, he's flagged down by a young Marlon Brando wanna-be (Shia LaBouf) who wants his help finding an artifact that his former mentor had been seeking. Indy once again finds himself caught up in danger...but this time, the path leads him not only to a truly amazing find, but his long-lost former love Marion (Karen Allen).
Most critics were rough on this one when it came out in 2007. Too jokey, too hokey, the sci-fi elements are out-of-place, and LaBouf doesn't belong. While I agree that LaBouf is rather out-of-place as the greaser kid, I kind of enjoyed the rest of this. Considering the 50's setting, the sci-fi finale seems rather appropriate. Allen's just as much fun as she was in Raiders, and Blanchett isn't a bad villain. The plot isn't really that much goofier than any of the others in the series.
While not the best entry in this series, it's far from the worst. If you're an Indy fan, jump right in. This isn't nearly as bad as many people make it out to be. (Those who are new to Indy's swashbuckling world will want to start with one of the 80's entries first, especially Raiders.)
And after it was sunny for most of the afternoon, the rain returned this evening. It's been raining on-and-off ever since, though it seems to be off for the moment.
Wednesday, April 06, 2016
How the Force Works
Today was my first of two early work days in a row. It was on-and-off busy. The managers complained about my making faces when I had to help a customer and that she was upset. I talked to her when I helped her...and no, she wasn't. She was upset that the managers had rushed her! I mostly did returns, though I did round up carts early-on and got stuck in the registers a few times, including right before I had to leave.
When I got home, I did a couple of chores, starting with making my bed. I only make my bed about once a month unless there's company or I'm changing the sheets. Who's going to see it? Actually, I made it so I could vacuum under it. I also did the vacuuming today (which was a lot worse than I thought it would be, given the guys vacuumed in the kitchen and dining area after they worked a few weeks ago) and washed the windows.
Went right into writing after I finished. Luke, Leia, and the Enchanted Woods itself can hear the Imperials invade the Rebel base. Luke says good-bye to Han and Chewie, who are still trying to get to Tatoon to pay off Jabba the Ogre King. They don't get out before the Imperials invade. Han ends up taking Leia and Cecil (Threepio) with him as the cart flees the base...just before Vader descends.
Speaking of Star Wars, I finally got to The Force Awakens while making tuna casserole from Julie's Cooking Studio for dinner. (No potato-chip topping, though. I don't like regular potato chips. And I didn't have any cheddar soup, so I used cream of chicken. Also added carrots for color and a little more vitamins.) Rey (Daisy Ridley) is a young scavenger who lives on a desert planet, picking through the remains of old warships while waiting for her family to come back for her. She finds herself plunging headlong into adventure when she encounters a runaway former Stormtrooper who calls himself Finn (John Boyega) and an adorable rolly-poly droid named BB-8 who has information that could lead to the long-lost Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil). Han Solo (Harrison Ford) just wants his ship the Millennium Falcon back, but he finds himself caught up in war again when his wife General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) asks for his help. But the new villain (Adam Driver) has a connection to both Leia and Han that may have dire consequences for Rey, her new friends, and the galaxy...
Yeah, I still love this. I loved it in the theater, and I loved it on DVD. I know a lot of people have problems with it, calling it too much of a rehash of New Hope. To be honest, that's part of what I like about it. It's acknowledging that, yes, the Original Trilogy is history now, legends, and sometimes, history can and will repeat itself. And I'm just in love with BB-8, who is the cutest thing ever.
My biggest problems is...while I loved the heroes, especially the wonderfully feisty Ridley, I just couldn't get into the villains. Driver's whiny Kylo Ren comes off as more of a spoiled brat than a credible villain until the heart-rendering final confrontation on the Starkiller Base. Phasma would have been cooler if we'd seen more of her. And the assault on Starkiller Base does reek a little too much of "eau de New Hope" - even the characters complain about it.
Honestly, if you're a fan of this series, you've probably already bought this. If you're new to the Star Wars universe, I'd recommend you go for the Original Trilogy first before coming here to get a better sense of the characters and overall storyline.
Oh, and they're still trying to catch squirrels and raccoons on my porch. We caught two squirrels today. I did hear some squeaking earlier, but it seems to be gone now. We'll see how things go.
When I got home, I did a couple of chores, starting with making my bed. I only make my bed about once a month unless there's company or I'm changing the sheets. Who's going to see it? Actually, I made it so I could vacuum under it. I also did the vacuuming today (which was a lot worse than I thought it would be, given the guys vacuumed in the kitchen and dining area after they worked a few weeks ago) and washed the windows.
Went right into writing after I finished. Luke, Leia, and the Enchanted Woods itself can hear the Imperials invade the Rebel base. Luke says good-bye to Han and Chewie, who are still trying to get to Tatoon to pay off Jabba the Ogre King. They don't get out before the Imperials invade. Han ends up taking Leia and Cecil (Threepio) with him as the cart flees the base...just before Vader descends.
Speaking of Star Wars, I finally got to The Force Awakens while making tuna casserole from Julie's Cooking Studio for dinner. (No potato-chip topping, though. I don't like regular potato chips. And I didn't have any cheddar soup, so I used cream of chicken. Also added carrots for color and a little more vitamins.) Rey (Daisy Ridley) is a young scavenger who lives on a desert planet, picking through the remains of old warships while waiting for her family to come back for her. She finds herself plunging headlong into adventure when she encounters a runaway former Stormtrooper who calls himself Finn (John Boyega) and an adorable rolly-poly droid named BB-8 who has information that could lead to the long-lost Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil). Han Solo (Harrison Ford) just wants his ship the Millennium Falcon back, but he finds himself caught up in war again when his wife General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) asks for his help. But the new villain (Adam Driver) has a connection to both Leia and Han that may have dire consequences for Rey, her new friends, and the galaxy...
Yeah, I still love this. I loved it in the theater, and I loved it on DVD. I know a lot of people have problems with it, calling it too much of a rehash of New Hope. To be honest, that's part of what I like about it. It's acknowledging that, yes, the Original Trilogy is history now, legends, and sometimes, history can and will repeat itself. And I'm just in love with BB-8, who is the cutest thing ever.
My biggest problems is...while I loved the heroes, especially the wonderfully feisty Ridley, I just couldn't get into the villains. Driver's whiny Kylo Ren comes off as more of a spoiled brat than a credible villain until the heart-rendering final confrontation on the Starkiller Base. Phasma would have been cooler if we'd seen more of her. And the assault on Starkiller Base does reek a little too much of "eau de New Hope" - even the characters complain about it.
Honestly, if you're a fan of this series, you've probably already bought this. If you're new to the Star Wars universe, I'd recommend you go for the Original Trilogy first before coming here to get a better sense of the characters and overall storyline.
Oh, and they're still trying to catch squirrels and raccoons on my porch. We caught two squirrels today. I did hear some squeaking earlier, but it seems to be gone now. We'll see how things go.
Tuesday, April 05, 2016
The Spring Awakens
I slept in again. Had a late breakfast while watching a couple of swashbuckling Backyardigans episodes. Pablo is "Robin Hood the Clean," who comes to Filthingham to save the villagers from from the very dirty Mayor Stinkypants (Austin) and teach him how much fun bathing can be. Pablo and Tyrone are "The Two Musketeers," making balloon animals and running from the Queen's Guards (Austin and Uniqua), but who is that hippo girl who wants to join them?
The laundromat was busy when I arrived around 12:30, with at least two or three families doing their laundry. Thankfully, they mostly seemed to be using the dryers at that point. I did get a washer with no problems. I had a very big pile of laundry to do, including towels. Listened to the news gush about Villanova's big win in the National Championships yesterday before The Chew came on.
As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then went right back out. It was really a rather nice day, very windy and rather chilly for April, but sunny and bright and actually not as bad as I thought it would be. (It could have been a lot worse. Lauren told me Western Massachusetts got three inches of snow over the weekend.) It was pretty late by the time I finally got going, past 2:30. I dodged traffic on Cuthbert and headed for Westmont.
First stop was Friendly's for lunch. They have a couple of specials going, among them a $9.99 meal that includes free ice cream. I had the basic All-American Burger (cheap fake patty on a brioche bun with lots of mayo, cheese, and veggies) and very hot fries. Decided I'd try something unusual for dessert. Friendly's ice cream specials this month have a candy bar theme. I couldn't resist the Candy Bar Ice Cream Sandwich, caramel-candy ice cream between two Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts, rolled in flaked Take 5 bars. Wow. Can we say "decadent?" Very, very sweet and rich. Brilliant idea, though. I might try it sometime, maybe with lighter-tasting fruit-based Pop Tarts and vanilla or fruity ice cream.
There was nothing going on at the Haddon Township Library when I arrived. They must have gotten those new shelves in. The kids' DVD spinning racks were stacked on top of one another. They were out of order, and I couldn't find the CDs at all. I organized them as best I could. There were no new releases to shelve, and only one audio book. I didn't take anything out this week. I want to concentrate on cleaning and writing.
Ran to a couple of different places next after leaving the Library. The Westmont Acme was insanely busy with rush-hour customers when I got in at 4. I just grabbed toilet paper and batteries there. (Also got to say hello to a manager who once worked at the Aububon Acme.) CVS and Rite Aid were a lot less busy. I grabbed Dawn dish washing liquid on sale at CVS. Stopped at Rite Aid for a new Minute Maid Mixed Berry Sparkling Juice and what I really wanted, the DVD copy of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which debuted today. It was their last copy, and at $19,99, it was a little pricey but not horrible. I probably could have gotten it cheaper at Amazon, but this was Star Wars. I didn't want to wait.
Spent the rest of the evening at home, working on fanfiction. I even ate dinner while working. Vader interviews the snooty Hux in his own fashion about the Rebels who attacked him (i.e, he nearly throttles him to death). Hux tells him about the group who robbed him and how close they were while begging Vader to spare him - his wife is with child. Vader does, but only because he wants him to order a trap be laid for the Rebels In the Woods. He has sensed Luke's strong Force magic and is determined to train him and Leia in the Dark Force Arts...but first, he has to get that meddling Han Solo that they're so close to out of the way...
The laundromat was busy when I arrived around 12:30, with at least two or three families doing their laundry. Thankfully, they mostly seemed to be using the dryers at that point. I did get a washer with no problems. I had a very big pile of laundry to do, including towels. Listened to the news gush about Villanova's big win in the National Championships yesterday before The Chew came on.
As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then went right back out. It was really a rather nice day, very windy and rather chilly for April, but sunny and bright and actually not as bad as I thought it would be. (It could have been a lot worse. Lauren told me Western Massachusetts got three inches of snow over the weekend.) It was pretty late by the time I finally got going, past 2:30. I dodged traffic on Cuthbert and headed for Westmont.
First stop was Friendly's for lunch. They have a couple of specials going, among them a $9.99 meal that includes free ice cream. I had the basic All-American Burger (cheap fake patty on a brioche bun with lots of mayo, cheese, and veggies) and very hot fries. Decided I'd try something unusual for dessert. Friendly's ice cream specials this month have a candy bar theme. I couldn't resist the Candy Bar Ice Cream Sandwich, caramel-candy ice cream between two Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts, rolled in flaked Take 5 bars. Wow. Can we say "decadent?" Very, very sweet and rich. Brilliant idea, though. I might try it sometime, maybe with lighter-tasting fruit-based Pop Tarts and vanilla or fruity ice cream.
There was nothing going on at the Haddon Township Library when I arrived. They must have gotten those new shelves in. The kids' DVD spinning racks were stacked on top of one another. They were out of order, and I couldn't find the CDs at all. I organized them as best I could. There were no new releases to shelve, and only one audio book. I didn't take anything out this week. I want to concentrate on cleaning and writing.
Ran to a couple of different places next after leaving the Library. The Westmont Acme was insanely busy with rush-hour customers when I got in at 4. I just grabbed toilet paper and batteries there. (Also got to say hello to a manager who once worked at the Aububon Acme.) CVS and Rite Aid were a lot less busy. I grabbed Dawn dish washing liquid on sale at CVS. Stopped at Rite Aid for a new Minute Maid Mixed Berry Sparkling Juice and what I really wanted, the DVD copy of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which debuted today. It was their last copy, and at $19,99, it was a little pricey but not horrible. I probably could have gotten it cheaper at Amazon, but this was Star Wars. I didn't want to wait.
Spent the rest of the evening at home, working on fanfiction. I even ate dinner while working. Vader interviews the snooty Hux in his own fashion about the Rebels who attacked him (i.e, he nearly throttles him to death). Hux tells him about the group who robbed him and how close they were while begging Vader to spare him - his wife is with child. Vader does, but only because he wants him to order a trap be laid for the Rebels In the Woods. He has sensed Luke's strong Force magic and is determined to train him and Leia in the Dark Force Arts...but first, he has to get that meddling Han Solo that they're so close to out of the way...
Monday, April 04, 2016
Downtown In Oaklyn
I slept so late, it was almost 11 before I had breakfast! Watched the final Peanuts baseball special as I ate. It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is more-or-less a replay of Charlie Brown's All-Stars. Once again, Chuck can only keep his team from quitting by promising new uniforms. The same sponsor says they'll do it, but this time, the catch is they have to win their first game. Freida's little brother Leland may be more of a help than they realize.
Did my errands that were in walking distance today, since the weather was iffy. It was already cloudy and not cold but cool when I headed out around 12:30. The Oaklyn Library had a couple of people there, mainly working on the computers. I did organize the DVDs, but I mainly focused on the kids' books. The board books were a disaster area, all out of order. It took me a while to get them right.
Since it's a few blocks from the Library and I wasn't hungry just yet, I headed over to the House of Fun, hoping they'd be open on a Monday. While the Comicrypt store next-door was closed, their neighbor was not only open, but hopping. I had to dodge at least five or six action figure fanatics and pop culture lovers as I checked out their wares.
For once, it didn't take me too long to find something interesting. Two somethings, actually. I added to my vintage Star Wars kids' book collection with two cute titles. The Mystery of the Rebellious Robot is an original story set between New Hope and Empire. Han and Chewie have to figure out why Artoo went haywire during a routine trip on the Falcon, and how it relates to a big project to bring water to a parched Tatoonie. The sketchy illustrations are uber-70's, but they look pretty decent - Han and Chewie come off especially well.
The Ewoks Join the Fight is just what it says on the tin, a retelling of how the Ewoks helped the Rebels during the second half of Return of the Jedi. I had this book as a kid in the late 80's. I got it for Halloween. Most year-round residents in Cape May are elderly people and rich people, neither of whom are frequently aware it's even a holiday, never mind one where you give out candy. My sisters and I used to get everything from change to regular-sized chocolate bars in our trick-or-treat bags. One memorable year, a woman gave out old kids' books. She had quite a few Star Wars books among them, but I was getting a lot of flack for my obsession at the time and only picked this one.
It wasn't hard to remember why I specifically chose this one. First of all, I loved the lush illustrations. The sketchy, comic-y style of Rebellious Robot has here been replaced by fairly realistic interpretations of the characters. This especially suits Leia - the illustrations look almost exactly like Carrie Fisher. It doesn't work quite as well with her men (Han looks really off), but anything that has fur comes out nicely. Chewie's not bad, and the Ewoks are utterly adorable. I love Wicket hiding his eyes behind his paws, not once, but twice. (First when Luke lifts Threepio's throne into the air, and later when the Imperials are raiding the bunker.) It is a little odd that Leia is drawn wearing her long hair and Ewok-made dress during the bunker raid when she'd switched back to her green poncho by that point in the actual film. (And I would love to know if there were any other paperback Jedi picture books with this art style, especially from the first half of the movie in Jabba's palace. Or better yet, books from the other two movies.)
I had lunch at Capitol Pizza, which is only a block away from the House of Fun. It was nearly 2:30 by then. They were pretty dead except the two guys putting together pizza boxes. I had my usual slice of cheese and slice of mushroom with a can of Diet Pepsi while a talk show did a fashion show inspired by "Americana" and the beginning of baseball season on TV. (The mushroom pizza was a bit different today - they added cheese on top of the mushrooms, along with under it. Very yummy.)
Made a very quick stop at WaWa for skim milk before heading back to West Clinton Avenue. All the kids were out of school by this point. It was more like a street fair than a line of school kids, with many of the older children lingering to get a slice of pizza at Phillies Phatties, pop in to visit friends at Studio LuLoo, or grabbing an iced tea at Common Grounds. Phillies Yummies opened for the season last week. I couldn't resist joining the kiddies and getting myself a small cup of ice cream, my first of the year. The Birthday Cake was very, very sweet, with orange and turquoise "icing" pieces in with the blue swirl.
When I got in, I called Mom. I hadn't heard from her in a while, including on Easter Day. Turns out there was a good reason for that. She worked at the Ferry all of Easter Day. She's apparently been working long hours on the weekends so she can free up weekdays to take care of Dad. (And because, this being the off season, there really isn't much need of her during the weekdays.)
Spent the next few hours writing. Han and Leia finish their argument with Han storming off to leave. He doesn't get far when he finds Luke stumbling in the cold. Luke had gone to buy food and clothing for the poor families of a near-by village, but he got lost in a blizzard while coming back and was attacked by a snow monster. Han brings him back in the Falcon, where Luke heals and he and Han continue to annoy Leia. She just doesn't want to admit her feelings for Han or anyone - she has a rebellion to run, darn it!
Meanwhile, Vader has figured out just who got the Sith Dragons to turn on him. He's determined to get Luke's strong Force powers and will do anything necessary to find him.
Ran Lover Come Back while turning the last of the turkey ham and sweet potatoes into Ham and Vegetable Soup and making Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies for dessert. Doris Day is an advertising executive who is thoroughly disgusted when one of the heads of a rival firm (Rock Hudson) throws a crazy party, complete with half-naked women, to grab a major client. She goes on the warpath, getting him thrown in front of the Advertising Council. They dismiss the charges, but the girl he more-or-less paid to lie to them wants to know when she's going to get on TV. He makes a series of phony commercials to placate her, but his buddy (Tony Randall) accidentally lets them slip on the airwaves. Day sees their success and decides she wants a piece of the pie. Her rival creates a phony good-guy scientist character to throw her off the scent, but has second thoughts about his lying when he actually falls for her.
Unfortunately, time has not been kind to this candy-colored piece of fluff. While Hudson, Day, and Randall do what they can to keep the proceedings charming and fun, Hudson's character comes off as an even bigger jerk than he did in Pillow Talk. Really, you wonder why Day believes his blatant fibs and doesn't throw him off long before they're in her bedroom together, or why anyone believes him. The ending probably would have been risque in the early 60's; nowadays, it's more obnoxious than anything.
If you're a fan of Day, Hudson, or Randall or more into romantic comedies than I am, you might get more out of this romp than I did.
And after it being cloudy for most of the day (and raining once for about ten seconds on my way between the House of Fun and Capitol Pizza), it finally poured earlier tonight. I don't think it's doing anything out there now.
Did my errands that were in walking distance today, since the weather was iffy. It was already cloudy and not cold but cool when I headed out around 12:30. The Oaklyn Library had a couple of people there, mainly working on the computers. I did organize the DVDs, but I mainly focused on the kids' books. The board books were a disaster area, all out of order. It took me a while to get them right.
Since it's a few blocks from the Library and I wasn't hungry just yet, I headed over to the House of Fun, hoping they'd be open on a Monday. While the Comicrypt store next-door was closed, their neighbor was not only open, but hopping. I had to dodge at least five or six action figure fanatics and pop culture lovers as I checked out their wares.
For once, it didn't take me too long to find something interesting. Two somethings, actually. I added to my vintage Star Wars kids' book collection with two cute titles. The Mystery of the Rebellious Robot is an original story set between New Hope and Empire. Han and Chewie have to figure out why Artoo went haywire during a routine trip on the Falcon, and how it relates to a big project to bring water to a parched Tatoonie. The sketchy illustrations are uber-70's, but they look pretty decent - Han and Chewie come off especially well.
The Ewoks Join the Fight is just what it says on the tin, a retelling of how the Ewoks helped the Rebels during the second half of Return of the Jedi. I had this book as a kid in the late 80's. I got it for Halloween. Most year-round residents in Cape May are elderly people and rich people, neither of whom are frequently aware it's even a holiday, never mind one where you give out candy. My sisters and I used to get everything from change to regular-sized chocolate bars in our trick-or-treat bags. One memorable year, a woman gave out old kids' books. She had quite a few Star Wars books among them, but I was getting a lot of flack for my obsession at the time and only picked this one.
It wasn't hard to remember why I specifically chose this one. First of all, I loved the lush illustrations. The sketchy, comic-y style of Rebellious Robot has here been replaced by fairly realistic interpretations of the characters. This especially suits Leia - the illustrations look almost exactly like Carrie Fisher. It doesn't work quite as well with her men (Han looks really off), but anything that has fur comes out nicely. Chewie's not bad, and the Ewoks are utterly adorable. I love Wicket hiding his eyes behind his paws, not once, but twice. (First when Luke lifts Threepio's throne into the air, and later when the Imperials are raiding the bunker.) It is a little odd that Leia is drawn wearing her long hair and Ewok-made dress during the bunker raid when she'd switched back to her green poncho by that point in the actual film. (And I would love to know if there were any other paperback Jedi picture books with this art style, especially from the first half of the movie in Jabba's palace. Or better yet, books from the other two movies.)
I had lunch at Capitol Pizza, which is only a block away from the House of Fun. It was nearly 2:30 by then. They were pretty dead except the two guys putting together pizza boxes. I had my usual slice of cheese and slice of mushroom with a can of Diet Pepsi while a talk show did a fashion show inspired by "Americana" and the beginning of baseball season on TV. (The mushroom pizza was a bit different today - they added cheese on top of the mushrooms, along with under it. Very yummy.)
Made a very quick stop at WaWa for skim milk before heading back to West Clinton Avenue. All the kids were out of school by this point. It was more like a street fair than a line of school kids, with many of the older children lingering to get a slice of pizza at Phillies Phatties, pop in to visit friends at Studio LuLoo, or grabbing an iced tea at Common Grounds. Phillies Yummies opened for the season last week. I couldn't resist joining the kiddies and getting myself a small cup of ice cream, my first of the year. The Birthday Cake was very, very sweet, with orange and turquoise "icing" pieces in with the blue swirl.
When I got in, I called Mom. I hadn't heard from her in a while, including on Easter Day. Turns out there was a good reason for that. She worked at the Ferry all of Easter Day. She's apparently been working long hours on the weekends so she can free up weekdays to take care of Dad. (And because, this being the off season, there really isn't much need of her during the weekdays.)
Spent the next few hours writing. Han and Leia finish their argument with Han storming off to leave. He doesn't get far when he finds Luke stumbling in the cold. Luke had gone to buy food and clothing for the poor families of a near-by village, but he got lost in a blizzard while coming back and was attacked by a snow monster. Han brings him back in the Falcon, where Luke heals and he and Han continue to annoy Leia. She just doesn't want to admit her feelings for Han or anyone - she has a rebellion to run, darn it!
Meanwhile, Vader has figured out just who got the Sith Dragons to turn on him. He's determined to get Luke's strong Force powers and will do anything necessary to find him.
Ran Lover Come Back while turning the last of the turkey ham and sweet potatoes into Ham and Vegetable Soup and making Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies for dessert. Doris Day is an advertising executive who is thoroughly disgusted when one of the heads of a rival firm (Rock Hudson) throws a crazy party, complete with half-naked women, to grab a major client. She goes on the warpath, getting him thrown in front of the Advertising Council. They dismiss the charges, but the girl he more-or-less paid to lie to them wants to know when she's going to get on TV. He makes a series of phony commercials to placate her, but his buddy (Tony Randall) accidentally lets them slip on the airwaves. Day sees their success and decides she wants a piece of the pie. Her rival creates a phony good-guy scientist character to throw her off the scent, but has second thoughts about his lying when he actually falls for her.
Unfortunately, time has not been kind to this candy-colored piece of fluff. While Hudson, Day, and Randall do what they can to keep the proceedings charming and fun, Hudson's character comes off as an even bigger jerk than he did in Pillow Talk. Really, you wonder why Day believes his blatant fibs and doesn't throw him off long before they're in her bedroom together, or why anyone believes him. The ending probably would have been risque in the early 60's; nowadays, it's more obnoxious than anything.
If you're a fan of Day, Hudson, or Randall or more into romantic comedies than I am, you might get more out of this romp than I did.
And after it being cloudy for most of the day (and raining once for about ten seconds on my way between the House of Fun and Capitol Pizza), it finally poured earlier tonight. I don't think it's doing anything out there now.
Sunday, April 03, 2016
Winds of Spring
Began a sunny morning with Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes and two original cast albums of lesser-known musicals from the 1950's. Destry Rides Again was a musical version of a western that had twice been made into a movie (most memorably in 1939 with James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich). Here, Andy Griffith, fresh off his success in No Time For Sergeants, was the soft-spoken title character who refuses to carry a gun or resort to violence. Dolores Gray was Frenchy, the dance hall girl who woos and (eventually) falls for him. This was ok, not anything spectacular, but with some nice numbers, especially for belter Gray.
Plain and Fancy has a bit of a local connection. A typical 50's city couple has inherited a farm in the real-life Lancaster town of Bird-In-the-Hand and wants to see it. They find themselves involved in a love triangle between two Amish boys and the girl one is supposed to marry and the other wants to marry. Another Amish girl (Barbara Cook) falls for the male half of the city couple, but he just thinks she's a nice kid. Unique look at a culture that doesn't frequently turn up in musicals. This is also one of the earliest roles for long-time stage and caberet favorite Barbara Cook. She plays the Amish girl who falls for the city guy. Someone in the show recognized her talent - her character has a lot to do for one that barely figures into the plot.
Work was on-and-off busy, actually not as bad as I thought it would be. A lot of folks may be just on their way back from vacation. It should get a little busier once everyone settles in from Easter break. There were no major problems, and my relief was actually early.
When I got home from work, I went right into writing. Han and Leia, along with the Ghost crew, bring their remaining spoils back to the Rebels' camp. Han tells General Rieekian he has to pay off King Jabba, before he takes the money out of his hide. Leia wants him to stay. So does he, but he can't get her to admit she might have feelings for him.
Finished the night with leftovers for dinner while listening to that Johnny Mathis The Hollywood Musicals cassette I bought a while back. There's some interesting numbers from fairly obscure musicals on that one, including "Time After Time" from the little-known MGM movie It Happened In Brooklyn and two songs from Julie Andrews musicals, "Whistling In the Dark" from Darling Lili and Crazy World from Victor/Victoria.
Plain and Fancy has a bit of a local connection. A typical 50's city couple has inherited a farm in the real-life Lancaster town of Bird-In-the-Hand and wants to see it. They find themselves involved in a love triangle between two Amish boys and the girl one is supposed to marry and the other wants to marry. Another Amish girl (Barbara Cook) falls for the male half of the city couple, but he just thinks she's a nice kid. Unique look at a culture that doesn't frequently turn up in musicals. This is also one of the earliest roles for long-time stage and caberet favorite Barbara Cook. She plays the Amish girl who falls for the city guy. Someone in the show recognized her talent - her character has a lot to do for one that barely figures into the plot.
Work was on-and-off busy, actually not as bad as I thought it would be. A lot of folks may be just on their way back from vacation. It should get a little busier once everyone settles in from Easter break. There were no major problems, and my relief was actually early.
When I got home from work, I went right into writing. Han and Leia, along with the Ghost crew, bring their remaining spoils back to the Rebels' camp. Han tells General Rieekian he has to pay off King Jabba, before he takes the money out of his hide. Leia wants him to stay. So does he, but he can't get her to admit she might have feelings for him.
Finished the night with leftovers for dinner while listening to that Johnny Mathis The Hollywood Musicals cassette I bought a while back. There's some interesting numbers from fairly obscure musicals on that one, including "Time After Time" from the little-known MGM movie It Happened In Brooklyn and two songs from Julie Andrews musicals, "Whistling In the Dark" from Darling Lili and Crazy World from Victor/Victoria.
Saturday, April 02, 2016
A Walk In the Spring
I didn't sleep well last night. I was awakened by raccoons or something starting World War III behind my bedroom walls. Specifically, in the walls behind my bed and over my bed. I have no idea how they got there. My guess would be there was an opening downstairs, in the unfinished apartment. They were scratching and biting and shrieking and carrying on like they were blowing up the Death Star. That was around 5 AM. I briefly opened my eyes an hour or so later when I heard my neighbor come up, talking to someone else. That was the last thing I remember until I opened my eyes again and it was quarter after 9.
When I did finally get out of bed, I watched some baseball-themed Peanuts in honor of the start of baseball season tomorrow. Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, since she's by far worst player on Chuck's notoriously error-prone team. Chuck discovers there's even worse players out there when he trades Lucy to Peppermint Patty for Marcie. Marcie is a lot more pleasant, but she can't play worth beans and is only involved with the game because her best friend is.
Though the rain was gone by the time I headed out around 11:30, the clouds lingered. I brought my big orange-and-brown umbrella, just in case. The neighborhood is beautiful now, awash in sweet-smelling flowers and gorgeous spring colors. Everything is bright lemon yellow, pale pea-pod green, soft, dainty lavender, cotton candy pink, or creamy off-white. I felt like Dorothy walking into Oz. The trees are blooming; the dogwoods and magnolias are a riot of pink and white and green.
My first stop was the Oaklyn Library. Despite the still-gloomy day, there was nothing going on there besides talk about the Final Four and political stuff on CNN. A family arrived later to let their kids play with Legos just as I was leaving.
Headed to the border of Oaklyn and Collingswood to run errands at CVS. I've been meaning to buy new hair bands for a while. The bright-colored "lollipop" hair bands I got from the Haddon Township Library last year were stretched out and kind of cheap to begin with. The Scrunci rubber bands I picked up weren't on sale, but they were a better price than at the Acme. They had such a good sale on Secret deodorant, I grabbed some of that, too. Also decided I'd try an M&M promotion that has candy-lovers choosing between three new flavors - honey-nut, coffee-nut, and chili-nut. I went with coffee nut. Not too bad, though you couldn't really taste much coffee in them.
I had lunch at a very busy Viola's Deli. This time, I had a huge roast beef wrap with a can of Diet Pepsi. I was really thirsty after my walk and did drink the soda, but the wrap was so big, I ended up saving half of it for later. There were a lot of people there, getting soup or sandwiches for lunch, or just shooting the breeze.
To my delight, Studio LuLoo was finally open when I peeked in there. They were also a worse mess than usual. From what Sarah says, they're beginning their spring cleaning. I put all the books in the kids' playroom on new shelves and swept the disaster area of a room. A little girl watched Pluto and Donald Duck cartoons on a laptop in the background as I worked.
I spent the next few hours working on my story. The Rebels (including some characters from Star Wars: Rebels) trick a high-level Imperial official into believing they're his own men. They steal the tax money out from under his nose. Luke's going to take it to town to buy money for the poor. Leia's worried about him out in the woods alone, but Han says he'll be fine...
Figured I'd get started on this month's cleaning around 5. Didn't have much to do, at any rate. The guys did do some cleaning when the repaired the plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom a couple of weeks ago. I did do some light scrubbing in the bathroom, and the sink and the top of the stove really needed to be done. Scrubbed (what was left) of the bathroom and hall floors while I was thinking about it, too.
Watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as I worked. Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) is thrilled when he finds a golden ticket that will allow him and four other lucky kids to tour the amazing candy-making world of none other than the world's most eccentric chocolate maker, Mr. Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) himself! With his beloved Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) in tow, Charlie learns that while chocolate may be tasty, there's nothing sweeter - or more appreciated - than a truly loving heart. A long-time favorite of mine, with great music and some fun performances by Albertson and the inspired Wilder.
Moved on to more Peanuts during a leftovers dinner. Charlie Brown's All Stars was the second Peanuts special made and the earliest to deal with the kids' baseball-themed shenanigans. Chuck's loss-prone team is about ready to quit when a sponsor offers to buy them uniforms. Trouble is, he won't sponsor a team featuring several girls and a dog. When Charlie Brown stands up for his team, he learns that he might actually mean something to them after all when they give him a gift for his trouble.
Finished the night in a soothing bath. Yes, the new tub stopper worked perfectly. This time, I was able to read fairy tales and relax with no trouble.
And holy cow! There was a huge storm around 11:30. There was wind, more driving rain...even hail bouncing off the porch. While the rain and hail is long-gone, the wild wind continues to roar outside my windows.
When I did finally get out of bed, I watched some baseball-themed Peanuts in honor of the start of baseball season tomorrow. Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, since she's by far worst player on Chuck's notoriously error-prone team. Chuck discovers there's even worse players out there when he trades Lucy to Peppermint Patty for Marcie. Marcie is a lot more pleasant, but she can't play worth beans and is only involved with the game because her best friend is.
Though the rain was gone by the time I headed out around 11:30, the clouds lingered. I brought my big orange-and-brown umbrella, just in case. The neighborhood is beautiful now, awash in sweet-smelling flowers and gorgeous spring colors. Everything is bright lemon yellow, pale pea-pod green, soft, dainty lavender, cotton candy pink, or creamy off-white. I felt like Dorothy walking into Oz. The trees are blooming; the dogwoods and magnolias are a riot of pink and white and green.
My first stop was the Oaklyn Library. Despite the still-gloomy day, there was nothing going on there besides talk about the Final Four and political stuff on CNN. A family arrived later to let their kids play with Legos just as I was leaving.
Headed to the border of Oaklyn and Collingswood to run errands at CVS. I've been meaning to buy new hair bands for a while. The bright-colored "lollipop" hair bands I got from the Haddon Township Library last year were stretched out and kind of cheap to begin with. The Scrunci rubber bands I picked up weren't on sale, but they were a better price than at the Acme. They had such a good sale on Secret deodorant, I grabbed some of that, too. Also decided I'd try an M&M promotion that has candy-lovers choosing between three new flavors - honey-nut, coffee-nut, and chili-nut. I went with coffee nut. Not too bad, though you couldn't really taste much coffee in them.
I had lunch at a very busy Viola's Deli. This time, I had a huge roast beef wrap with a can of Diet Pepsi. I was really thirsty after my walk and did drink the soda, but the wrap was so big, I ended up saving half of it for later. There were a lot of people there, getting soup or sandwiches for lunch, or just shooting the breeze.
To my delight, Studio LuLoo was finally open when I peeked in there. They were also a worse mess than usual. From what Sarah says, they're beginning their spring cleaning. I put all the books in the kids' playroom on new shelves and swept the disaster area of a room. A little girl watched Pluto and Donald Duck cartoons on a laptop in the background as I worked.
I spent the next few hours working on my story. The Rebels (including some characters from Star Wars: Rebels) trick a high-level Imperial official into believing they're his own men. They steal the tax money out from under his nose. Luke's going to take it to town to buy money for the poor. Leia's worried about him out in the woods alone, but Han says he'll be fine...
Figured I'd get started on this month's cleaning around 5. Didn't have much to do, at any rate. The guys did do some cleaning when the repaired the plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom a couple of weeks ago. I did do some light scrubbing in the bathroom, and the sink and the top of the stove really needed to be done. Scrubbed (what was left) of the bathroom and hall floors while I was thinking about it, too.
Watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as I worked. Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) is thrilled when he finds a golden ticket that will allow him and four other lucky kids to tour the amazing candy-making world of none other than the world's most eccentric chocolate maker, Mr. Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) himself! With his beloved Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) in tow, Charlie learns that while chocolate may be tasty, there's nothing sweeter - or more appreciated - than a truly loving heart. A long-time favorite of mine, with great music and some fun performances by Albertson and the inspired Wilder.
Moved on to more Peanuts during a leftovers dinner. Charlie Brown's All Stars was the second Peanuts special made and the earliest to deal with the kids' baseball-themed shenanigans. Chuck's loss-prone team is about ready to quit when a sponsor offers to buy them uniforms. Trouble is, he won't sponsor a team featuring several girls and a dog. When Charlie Brown stands up for his team, he learns that he might actually mean something to them after all when they give him a gift for his trouble.
Finished the night in a soothing bath. Yes, the new tub stopper worked perfectly. This time, I was able to read fairy tales and relax with no trouble.
And holy cow! There was a huge storm around 11:30. There was wind, more driving rain...even hail bouncing off the porch. While the rain and hail is long-gone, the wild wind continues to roar outside my windows.
Friday, April 01, 2016
Laughter In the Rain
It was no joke - it was cloudy and ridiculously humid for this time of year when I got up this morning, even at 7 AM. I cheered myself up with a first-season episode of Garfield and Friends. "Mane Course" serves up a fresh lobster who is a tad too fresh to eat. John turns him into a pet instead, but he and the animals finally come to the conclusion that a house is no place for shellfish and take him home. It's "No Laughing Matter" when aliens land at U.S Acres and threatens to strip the world of its humor. Orson and the chicks tell all the jokes they know to get rid of them, but Roy discovers that slapstick is the most potent weapon of all. The fresh seafood isn't quite as pleasant in "Attack of the Mutant Guppies." Garfield's story to scare Nermal turns out to be a lot more real than either of them would prefer...and now they have to figure out how to get rid of these scaly creeps!
Work was a little busier, but still not overwhelming. Though today was the first day of the month, many people are likely still on vacation. By the time I was doing returns with one of the younger girls, the clouds had been replaced by sun (though the humidity remained). It was so nice, neither of us really wanted to go inside, despite all the carts having been returned. I did end up doing returns at a few points, hanging vinyl bags where people can purchase them, and taking customers. Thankfully, it slowed down enough by 3 that I was able to shut down with no problems.
I even got to work on a new story idea. I know I said I didn't want to do any fanfiction for the Star Wars movie that came out a few months ago until we see the remaining two films in the trilogy. Well...frankly, I kept thinking as I watched it in the theater that "this is The Wizard of Oz in space, even more than New Hope."
Rachel "Rey" Gale lives with her Aunt Leah and Uncle Harry and their two farmhands on a farm outside of Jakkuson, Kansas in 1939. She feels like her life is as gray as the world around her, especially after the nasty man who runs the First Order Manor near-by threatens to take her beloved Westie Terrier BeeBee to the pound and her grouchy cousin demands his share of the farm.
A tornado whisks Rey and BeeBee over the rainbow and into the land of Oz. Oz is under the tyrannical rule of the Warlock of the West and his apprentice. Queen Leia was imprisoned in her own magic bubble and banished to the lands of the South, where she amasses an army to stop him. She once ruled with her husband and her wizard brother, but her husband vanished after he was attacked by her son, and her brother is hiding in the Emerald City. Rey has to go to the Emerald City to find the Wizard Skywalker, with the help of a cowardly lion-soldier, a scarecrow who had once worked for the queen, and the Tin Smuggler, who seems to know a lot more about the queen and the Warlock of the West and his apprentice than he'll let on...
I updated the ideas page on my writing blog:
Upcoming Stories and New Ideas
Got my schedule during break. While I have far fewer hours than I have in the last few weeks, I also have two days off in a row, Monday and Tuesday, and a lot of early hours. This is less devastating financially than it was in January. I also have vacation coming up, and we get extra money for that. I'll have plenty of time to clean my apartment and before said vacation.
I didn't have a ton of shopping to do, thankfully. It was mostly restocking produce - pears and clementines were on sale. I needed apples, grapefruit, carrots, and leafy greens - went with escarole. I had coupons for Grain Berry Cereal and Pancake Mix, and both were on really good sales, so I grabbed them. The Acme (Lucerne) brand cheese was on a great sale, too. Also picked up ground turkey, peanut butter, strawberry fruit spread, honey, cooking spray, crushed pineapple, and the new Chocolate Mint Graham Cracker/Pretzel Goldfish mix.
As soon as I got home, I went on the computer to work on writing. I re-wrote the theft scene. The Rebels are now stealing tax money from a snobbish Imperial nobleman who was transporting it to Bast Castle. Han and Leia argue the entire time, of course.
I had some distraction this afternoon as I wrote. My neighbors are still trying to catch the raccoon that's living in my roof. We did catch something...a squirrel. The animal removal guy didn't show up to take him to a new home until around 7-ish. He was just resetting the trap when the rain started.
The skies were getting darker and darker, even as I worked on my story. I was heating up leftover cheeseburger casserole for dinner when the animal guy showed up and the clouds burst. And when it rained...it was wild. I hadn't seen rain like that in ages! It rained so hard, for about ten or twenty minutes, I couldn't see the backyard. We had lightning and thunder, too. I'm so glad I worked early today! I don't even want to think of what it would have been like to have been caught in that.
Ran an episode of Fairie Tale Theatre as I ate and watched the crazy weather. "The Princess Who Never Laughed" is Henrietta, who has been raised as a very serious-minded young lady by her overprotective father. When she demands a little fun, the King holds a royal laugh-off. Whomever can make his unhappy daughter smile will have her hand in marriage. He never expected that person to be Wienerhead Waldo, a farmer who calls his pig his gag writer...and his daughter never expected to learn that the funniest jokes are often the ones with the most truth to them.
And I hope you all had a hilarious (and far drier) April Fool's Day and first day of April!
Work was a little busier, but still not overwhelming. Though today was the first day of the month, many people are likely still on vacation. By the time I was doing returns with one of the younger girls, the clouds had been replaced by sun (though the humidity remained). It was so nice, neither of us really wanted to go inside, despite all the carts having been returned. I did end up doing returns at a few points, hanging vinyl bags where people can purchase them, and taking customers. Thankfully, it slowed down enough by 3 that I was able to shut down with no problems.
I even got to work on a new story idea. I know I said I didn't want to do any fanfiction for the Star Wars movie that came out a few months ago until we see the remaining two films in the trilogy. Well...frankly, I kept thinking as I watched it in the theater that "this is The Wizard of Oz in space, even more than New Hope."
Rachel "Rey" Gale lives with her Aunt Leah and Uncle Harry and their two farmhands on a farm outside of Jakkuson, Kansas in 1939. She feels like her life is as gray as the world around her, especially after the nasty man who runs the First Order Manor near-by threatens to take her beloved Westie Terrier BeeBee to the pound and her grouchy cousin demands his share of the farm.
A tornado whisks Rey and BeeBee over the rainbow and into the land of Oz. Oz is under the tyrannical rule of the Warlock of the West and his apprentice. Queen Leia was imprisoned in her own magic bubble and banished to the lands of the South, where she amasses an army to stop him. She once ruled with her husband and her wizard brother, but her husband vanished after he was attacked by her son, and her brother is hiding in the Emerald City. Rey has to go to the Emerald City to find the Wizard Skywalker, with the help of a cowardly lion-soldier, a scarecrow who had once worked for the queen, and the Tin Smuggler, who seems to know a lot more about the queen and the Warlock of the West and his apprentice than he'll let on...
I updated the ideas page on my writing blog:
Upcoming Stories and New Ideas
Got my schedule during break. While I have far fewer hours than I have in the last few weeks, I also have two days off in a row, Monday and Tuesday, and a lot of early hours. This is less devastating financially than it was in January. I also have vacation coming up, and we get extra money for that. I'll have plenty of time to clean my apartment and before said vacation.
I didn't have a ton of shopping to do, thankfully. It was mostly restocking produce - pears and clementines were on sale. I needed apples, grapefruit, carrots, and leafy greens - went with escarole. I had coupons for Grain Berry Cereal and Pancake Mix, and both were on really good sales, so I grabbed them. The Acme (Lucerne) brand cheese was on a great sale, too. Also picked up ground turkey, peanut butter, strawberry fruit spread, honey, cooking spray, crushed pineapple, and the new Chocolate Mint Graham Cracker/Pretzel Goldfish mix.
As soon as I got home, I went on the computer to work on writing. I re-wrote the theft scene. The Rebels are now stealing tax money from a snobbish Imperial nobleman who was transporting it to Bast Castle. Han and Leia argue the entire time, of course.
I had some distraction this afternoon as I wrote. My neighbors are still trying to catch the raccoon that's living in my roof. We did catch something...a squirrel. The animal removal guy didn't show up to take him to a new home until around 7-ish. He was just resetting the trap when the rain started.
The skies were getting darker and darker, even as I worked on my story. I was heating up leftover cheeseburger casserole for dinner when the animal guy showed up and the clouds burst. And when it rained...it was wild. I hadn't seen rain like that in ages! It rained so hard, for about ten or twenty minutes, I couldn't see the backyard. We had lightning and thunder, too. I'm so glad I worked early today! I don't even want to think of what it would have been like to have been caught in that.
Ran an episode of Fairie Tale Theatre as I ate and watched the crazy weather. "The Princess Who Never Laughed" is Henrietta, who has been raised as a very serious-minded young lady by her overprotective father. When she demands a little fun, the King holds a royal laugh-off. Whomever can make his unhappy daughter smile will have her hand in marriage. He never expected that person to be Wienerhead Waldo, a farmer who calls his pig his gag writer...and his daughter never expected to learn that the funniest jokes are often the ones with the most truth to them.
And I hope you all had a hilarious (and far drier) April Fool's Day and first day of April!
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