The weather couldn't have been more perfect when I awoke this morning. I celebrated the fine day with one of my favorite series. Varase Sarabande released their Unsung Musicals and Lost In Boston collections in the mid-90's. I picked up all but the second Lost In Boston and the third Unsung Musicals titles at the wonderful Sun Rose Music and Books (now apparently Sun Rose Words and Music) in Ocean City about 15 years ago.
Did the first Unsung Musicals this morning. As you can tell from the title, this series collects songs from musicals that were major flops or short-lived on Broadway, or never even made it to Broadway, and were never recorded. My favorite song from the first collection is the absolutely ravishing ballad "Starfish," from a musical version of La Strada that closed on opening night in 1969 (despite featuring Bernadette Peters in one of her her earliest roles). Other excellent numbers include the delightfully desperate sales pitch "Postcards" from a show called The Bone Room, "There are Days and There are Days" from a failed stage biopic of Jackie Robinson, "Ragtime Romeo" from the Carol Channing vehicle The Vamp, the hilarious "Sherry!" featuring Christine Baranski and Jonathan Freeman being catty, and three numbers from the flop beauty pageant show Smile - it's title song, the touching anthem "In Our Hands," and "Disneyland," the last performed by none other than "Little Mermaid" Jodi Benson.
Pretty much spent work the same way I did yesterday - outside with the carts. Fine by me. It was a sunny, breezy, gorgeous day, into the mid-70's. Couldn't be more perfect for early September in Southern New Jersey. Probably due to the weather and to most area kids starting school full-time today. the Acme was dead all morning anyway. I did briefly mop the bathroom floors (they were genuinely dirty, for once), gathered trash, and got stuck dealing with that obnoxious head manager again when I was still finishing the bathrooms and couldn't get up front to help clean a spill quick enough. (At least it was just Sprite, nothing as complicated as yesterday!)
Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. It was too nice not to linger, and it's supposed to rain later in the week. Other than slight traffic around the Wal Mart/Marshalls entrance, it was even more quiet than the Acme. Even Nicholson Road wasn't that busy. I enjoyed a quiet ride, admiring the last of the late summer flora.
Went straight into writing when I got home and changed. Leia calls Ben from a phone booth as soon as they get Luke into the hospital and Lance manages to get them rooms at the Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City (now just the Claridge Hotel). He says he's glad they're safe and tells her that, while the police did arrest some members of the Imperial Gang, most are still at large, including Vader. Leia asks him point-blank if Vader is their brother Adam. Yes, Ben says, but he'll explain it when they get back to Ocean View. It's too complicated for pay phones, and he wants Luke to hear, too. Leia tells them that they're going after Hank. Ben doesn't like it, but he knows she's going to do what she wants.
Broke at 6 for dinner. Had leftovers and sweet corn on the cob while listening to more Unsung Musicals. The second entry in the series was the first I bought, and it's been one of my favorite CDs for years. Favorite songs from this one include the title song from Roadside, the ballad "Smashing New York Times" and the witty "Lawyers" from A Broadway Musical, the adorable "Everything In the World I Love" from a musical version of The Yearling, the rousing "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" from the magic show Merlin, and the duet "The Memory of Tonight" from a musical version of Arthur that has yet to play Broadway.
Switched to Lost In Boston as I cleaned the bathroom. This one spotlights songs that were cut from musicals that actually did run in New York. I have all of this series but the third one, which I could never find then (and seems to be equally hard to find now). Favorite numbers from the second disc include the gorgeous "Thousands of Flowers" and jaunty "Guess We May As Well Stay Married Now" from I Do! I Do!, "What am I Doing Here?" from Promises, Promises, "When Messiah Comes" from Fiddler on the Roof, and the devastating anti-war ballad "Just a Map" from The Rothchilds.
Moved on to the fourth and final Lost In Boston CD as I finished the bathroom. Songs cut from little-known flops and forgotten hits are spotlighted here. By far my favorite is the opener, "Thirty Weeks of Heaven," a comic ditty about the perils of being a traveling performer from By the Beautiful Sea. (They should have kept that in. It's funnier than anything on the cast album.) Other good ones here include "A Green and Private World" from the much-loved 60's flop Drat! The Cat, "If I Can't Take It With Me" from Golidlocks, "Hots Michael On the Piano" from Working (written and performed by Remember WENN creator Rupert Holmes), "Marking Time" from Pippin, "Have a Memory On Me" from The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and three emotional character ballads from Ballroom, "The Job Application," "Who Gave You Permission?," and "Suddenly It's You."
Finished the night on a more sober note with The Rising by Bruce Springsteen, which I put on to honor 9/11. As a life-long Bruce Springsteen fan, I picked this one up as soon as I could in 2002, and I've loved it ever since. It's probably my favorite album of his. "Lonesome Day" and the title song were the major hits, but "My City In Ruins" may have meant even more at the time. Springsteen was talking about his beloved Asbury Park, which was still in economic decline in 2001...but it equally applied to a badly shaken and damaged Lower Manhattan. My favorites are the brighter uptempo numbers "Waiting On a Sunny Day" and "Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin)."
And yes, I do remember them the 9/11 attacks. I was beginning my last semester at Richard Stockton College (now University) when the terrorists hit. I go into more detail in this entry from 2015, Memories On a Busy Day.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Monday, September 11, 2017
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Are You Ready For Some Football?
Began a beautiful morning with my Cyndi Lauper She's So Unusual LP and Butterscotch Chip Pancakes. I was hoping these would work better than the cookies did. Other than I burned one side of the first one, they came out pretty well. I don't know if I'll be using the butterscotch chips again, though. Clearance or no clearance, they're really too sweet for me. Had the last of the strawberry soup with them.
Worked on writing after breakfast. Leia gets Luke and Chip on board while Lance heads for the wheel house. Unfortunately, when he tries to start the Falcon, the motor won't turn over, despite Lance claiming he had people fix it. Arturro ends up repairing the engine, getting them out of the marina in the nick of time. Vader can only watch the boat speed towards Atlantic City.
Charlie showed up while I was writing. He said he wanted to store a really big box in the crawl space behind the couch and dry sink in the living room. I never use it. I have the back room. I don't know why he couldn't have called me and told me earlier, instead of ten minutes after. And now I find out that one of his men is living with him. Is there enough room for that? My apartment isn't huge. I can't imagine his is much bigger. Plus he has the dogs.
The first Eagles game of the season against the Washington Redskins began while I was writing. I continued with it as I ate lunch and got ready for work. The Eagles played great right off the bat, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter alone. Unfortunately, they lost one of their better players to a nasty ankle injury and made some major mistakes that briefly put the Redskins ahead as I headed off for work. (Apparently, this turn of affairs didn't last long. They made some major plays in the second half, including turnovers on quarterback Kirk Cousins, and won 30-17.)
I spent the first half of my shift doing returns and the second half outside. I wish the managers would get their acts together. I grabbed a cart and organized the returns, just like the head manager said to. The front end manager that was on when I got in said "no, don't do that, just take the whole cart." I can't win. If I do it one way, the head manager gets upset. If I do it his way, the front end managers aren't happy. Why can't they all leave me alone and let me do my job?
And I'm tired of everyone assuming I know where everything is. The back storage area is so unorganized! There was an olive oil spill on aisle 5 right before my break. It wasn't big, but oil and other viscous liquids require different handling than most messes. You're supposed to pour a powder on it and sweep it away. That would have been great, if anyone told me where the powder was. I had to ask another bagger. They threw me into this job last year with absolutely no explanation or preparation. Just "you're doing this now." No one told me how to do it. I didn't even find out why I was moved to a different job until three weeks after they did it.
Decided to cheer myself up and celebrate the Eagles' win with dinner at Sonic (after picking up brown sugar). It was too nice to eat inside, anyway. Surprisingly, despite the lovely evening, it was quiet when I arrived at the patio. Sonic has new, wider menus to order from, with some new selections. I just went with my favorite grilled chicken sandwich, cherry limeade, and tater tots. The tater tots were yummy, hot and crispy. The sandwich was not. The chicken was tough and dry, and the rest was limp. I think I'll go back to burgers if I eat there again this fall before it gets too cold for fast food picnics.
And of course, as I was checking my cell phone while waiting for dinner, I got a text message from Jodie inviting me over for chili. I had no idea they were even in the area. I thought they were on vacation! Nope, seems they're going later this week. I already had food, but I may try to stop by there on Wednesday to say "hi" before they go.
Worked on writing after breakfast. Leia gets Luke and Chip on board while Lance heads for the wheel house. Unfortunately, when he tries to start the Falcon, the motor won't turn over, despite Lance claiming he had people fix it. Arturro ends up repairing the engine, getting them out of the marina in the nick of time. Vader can only watch the boat speed towards Atlantic City.
Charlie showed up while I was writing. He said he wanted to store a really big box in the crawl space behind the couch and dry sink in the living room. I never use it. I have the back room. I don't know why he couldn't have called me and told me earlier, instead of ten minutes after. And now I find out that one of his men is living with him. Is there enough room for that? My apartment isn't huge. I can't imagine his is much bigger. Plus he has the dogs.
The first Eagles game of the season against the Washington Redskins began while I was writing. I continued with it as I ate lunch and got ready for work. The Eagles played great right off the bat, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter alone. Unfortunately, they lost one of their better players to a nasty ankle injury and made some major mistakes that briefly put the Redskins ahead as I headed off for work. (Apparently, this turn of affairs didn't last long. They made some major plays in the second half, including turnovers on quarterback Kirk Cousins, and won 30-17.)
I spent the first half of my shift doing returns and the second half outside. I wish the managers would get their acts together. I grabbed a cart and organized the returns, just like the head manager said to. The front end manager that was on when I got in said "no, don't do that, just take the whole cart." I can't win. If I do it one way, the head manager gets upset. If I do it his way, the front end managers aren't happy. Why can't they all leave me alone and let me do my job?
And I'm tired of everyone assuming I know where everything is. The back storage area is so unorganized! There was an olive oil spill on aisle 5 right before my break. It wasn't big, but oil and other viscous liquids require different handling than most messes. You're supposed to pour a powder on it and sweep it away. That would have been great, if anyone told me where the powder was. I had to ask another bagger. They threw me into this job last year with absolutely no explanation or preparation. Just "you're doing this now." No one told me how to do it. I didn't even find out why I was moved to a different job until three weeks after they did it.
Decided to cheer myself up and celebrate the Eagles' win with dinner at Sonic (after picking up brown sugar). It was too nice to eat inside, anyway. Surprisingly, despite the lovely evening, it was quiet when I arrived at the patio. Sonic has new, wider menus to order from, with some new selections. I just went with my favorite grilled chicken sandwich, cherry limeade, and tater tots. The tater tots were yummy, hot and crispy. The sandwich was not. The chicken was tough and dry, and the rest was limp. I think I'll go back to burgers if I eat there again this fall before it gets too cold for fast food picnics.
And of course, as I was checking my cell phone while waiting for dinner, I got a text message from Jodie inviting me over for chili. I had no idea they were even in the area. I thought they were on vacation! Nope, seems they're going later this week. I already had food, but I may try to stop by there on Wednesday to say "hi" before they go.
Saturday, September 09, 2017
Late Summer of '17
A cooling breeze blew through my apartment as I awoke to another beautiful late summer day. Listened to the original cast album for 42nd Street as I ate a far more leisurely breakfast than yesterday. Jerry Orbach and Tammy Grimes were the headliners in this 1980 version of the 1933 Warners musical movie, but the real stars were the famous Harry Warren-Al Dubin songs and Gower Champion's energetic staging. My favorite number is "Lullaby of Broadway," cribbed from Gold Diggers of 1935. Orbach leads the cast in persuading former chorus girl Peggy Sawyer (Wanda Riechart) to stay with the show and take over the lead.
Work was a lot easier than yesterday. I spent the entire day outside, doing the trash and rounding up carts. Fine by me. It was too nice to be inside all day, anyway. The sky was blue, and while the sun was warm, the wind had a slight nip of fall. It couldn't have been more than the lower 70's. I'd never seen a nicer day in early September.
Went straight home after work and on the computer. As soon as the group gets Luke in Lance's Lincoln Continental, they rush to his condo to pick up his and the others' things. Lance has decided Bespin Island is a little too hot for him at the moment. As they're leaving, they're chased by Vader and his boys. They manage to give them the slip at the marina, where the Falcon awaits them...if it can get started...
Broke around 6 for dinner and more music. I had leftover chicken legs and made a smaller batch of Cucumber-Tomato Salad. Made Butterscotch Chip Cookies while listening to my The Best of James Bond 30th Anniversary CD. The first disc has all the Bond theme songs up to License to Kill. Along with the title songs from Live and Let Die, View to a Kill, and Goldfinger, "Nobody Does It Better" from The Spy Who Loved Me, and "All Time High" from Octopussy, I was surprised to discover two lesser-known gems. Shirley Bassey's last Bond theme, the title song from Diamonds are Forever, is a stand-out in that strange but fun Connery film. You're more likely to think of space than music when you consider the sci-fi-themed Moonraker, but it has a surprisingly decent theme song.
Finished out the night as I baked the cookies with a couple of orchestral scores. One of the Acme employees had "The Imperial March" as the phone ring on his cell phone this afternoon, inspiring me to put on the full soundtrack from The Empire Strikes Back. Digging around for more orchestral scores, I came up with my LP for Summer of '42. Most of the lovely score is actually from the film The Picasso Summer, but it does have the famous theme song "The Summer Knows." I thought it was a fitting way to end the summer season.
Oh, and I've been enjoying something I've looked up on YouTube. One of my earliest record finds was Satin Affair, by the George Shearling Quintet. I'd never heard of them, but I loved the luxurious, late 50's-early 60's feel of the jazzy music. It's perfect for listening to on a lazy afternoon or evening in late summer. The back listed four other fabric-themed album titles, Velvet Carpet, White Satin, Blue Chiffon, and Black Satin, that I could never seem to find. I tried looking them up on YouTube instead. I've so far found Black Satin and Velvet Carpet. Here's the latter in full:
Velvet Carpet on YouTube
And I'm a little annoyed with myself. I got caught up in a book and wasn't paying attention to my cookies. Some of them are fairly edible, but most got burnt. Darn it. I'll still eat them. I don't like to waste food. I'll just dunk them in tea or something.
Work was a lot easier than yesterday. I spent the entire day outside, doing the trash and rounding up carts. Fine by me. It was too nice to be inside all day, anyway. The sky was blue, and while the sun was warm, the wind had a slight nip of fall. It couldn't have been more than the lower 70's. I'd never seen a nicer day in early September.
Went straight home after work and on the computer. As soon as the group gets Luke in Lance's Lincoln Continental, they rush to his condo to pick up his and the others' things. Lance has decided Bespin Island is a little too hot for him at the moment. As they're leaving, they're chased by Vader and his boys. They manage to give them the slip at the marina, where the Falcon awaits them...if it can get started...
Broke around 6 for dinner and more music. I had leftover chicken legs and made a smaller batch of Cucumber-Tomato Salad. Made Butterscotch Chip Cookies while listening to my The Best of James Bond 30th Anniversary CD. The first disc has all the Bond theme songs up to License to Kill. Along with the title songs from Live and Let Die, View to a Kill, and Goldfinger, "Nobody Does It Better" from The Spy Who Loved Me, and "All Time High" from Octopussy, I was surprised to discover two lesser-known gems. Shirley Bassey's last Bond theme, the title song from Diamonds are Forever, is a stand-out in that strange but fun Connery film. You're more likely to think of space than music when you consider the sci-fi-themed Moonraker, but it has a surprisingly decent theme song.
Finished out the night as I baked the cookies with a couple of orchestral scores. One of the Acme employees had "The Imperial March" as the phone ring on his cell phone this afternoon, inspiring me to put on the full soundtrack from The Empire Strikes Back. Digging around for more orchestral scores, I came up with my LP for Summer of '42. Most of the lovely score is actually from the film The Picasso Summer, but it does have the famous theme song "The Summer Knows." I thought it was a fitting way to end the summer season.
Oh, and I've been enjoying something I've looked up on YouTube. One of my earliest record finds was Satin Affair, by the George Shearling Quintet. I'd never heard of them, but I loved the luxurious, late 50's-early 60's feel of the jazzy music. It's perfect for listening to on a lazy afternoon or evening in late summer. The back listed four other fabric-themed album titles, Velvet Carpet, White Satin, Blue Chiffon, and Black Satin, that I could never seem to find. I tried looking them up on YouTube instead. I've so far found Black Satin and Velvet Carpet. Here's the latter in full:
Velvet Carpet on YouTube
And I'm a little annoyed with myself. I got caught up in a book and wasn't paying attention to my cookies. Some of them are fairly edible, but most got burnt. Darn it. I'll still eat them. I don't like to waste food. I'll just dunk them in tea or something.
Friday, September 08, 2017
Hard Times In Late Summer
I overslept and didn't get as quick of a start as I would have liked, especially since I had relatively early work. Since the DVD player was still acting up, I put on the original cast album for Grease while eating breakfast. There's a lot of music on this one that either didn't make it to the film at all ("All Choked Up") or were only used as background scoring ("Those Magic Changes," "Freddy My Love"). All of the performers sound equally too old for their roles, but it's nice to hear how the original started off (complete with the raunchy lyrics).
Work was a pain. I'd start one thing, only to be ordered to do three other things, and I got scolded over being frustrated about getting stuck in the registers. If they wanted me to be in the registers, they should have left me as a cashier. At least it was a nice day, sunny, breezy, and no more than the lower-mid 70's, and I did enjoy getting carts. (Other than they've somehow lost the mechanism that opens the locked carts. Again.)
My schedule for next week is, except for Monday, all afternoon work. That's fine. I'll get writing and cleaning done here, and I can do all the usual chores. Wish I had more hours, but other than that, no complaints.
Didn't have a huge grocery order this week, but I did need some expensive things. They had buy one, get one strawberries. Thought the second one could go into Strawberry Flummery. There was a good sale on the 18-count eggs and regular Cheerios. Restocked peanut butter, skim milk, yogurt, baking chips (they're still clearing out the butterscotch chips), cooking spray, white flour, apples, and tomatoes. Found a can of organic cream of tomato soup on the clearance racks and two packs of fish fillets with manager's coupons.
As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then went on the computer. Luke dodges Vader, finally climbing out the window of the VIP Lounge and onto a fire escape. Vader, however, corners him there. He smashes Luke's hand with his bat before revealing his true identity - he's Luke's adored, and supposedly dead, older brother Adam. He wants Luke to join the Imperial Gang. Luke jumps onto the hood of Lance's Lincoln Continental before his brother can try anything else.
Broke at 6 for dinner. I started a few Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater cartoons while I was putting things away and continued them before I ate. Tuxedo Sam takes on the title roles in "Peter Penguin" and "Tar-Sam of the Jungle." In the former, he fights Captain Catnip, rescuing My Melody-Bell with the help of normal kids Hello Kitty and Chip. "Tar-Sam" has him as the famous protector of the jungle, saving Hello Kitty and his ape family from poachers Grinder and Catnip. Chip steps up to the lead as the boy king Arthur in "Paws of the Round Table." Sam's his Lancelot who aids him in rescuing Lady Bunnyvere (Melody) from Witch Catnip.
Unfortunately, the DVD player stalled half-way through "Paws of the Round Table" and refuses to start again. I think I've banged on the thing one too many times. Yes, I know electronic equipment is delicate...but that seemed to be the only way to get it working again when it stopped. I'll have to buy a new one next week. I don't have the money this week.
Put on my London cast album for Copacabana instead while making baked salmon with roasted herb and garlic potatoes and sliced tomatoes with oil and vinegar for dinner. This is Barry Manilow's expanded stage version of his 80's TV movie. The show now has a more appropriate happy ending and a wrap-around sequence that depicts the whole thing as coming out of the imagination of a songwriter who's fallen in love with his creation.
While it's probably corny as heck, I have a soft spot for this one. I've had this CD for years, since I found it at the same (now defunct) North Cape May music shop where I picked up By the Beautiful Sea as a teenager. Along with Tony's "Sweet Heaven" and his "Who Needs to Dream/Lola" carried over from the TV film, we have the dynamic opening "Just Arrived," as Lola comes to New York, the stunning ballad "This Can't Be Real," and the hilarious number for the aging stage manager and cigarette girl as she's trying to convince him to take Tony to Havana, "Who am I Kidding?"
While I do like this better than the movie, it's still recommended mainly for fans of Manilow's work.
And...sigh. A frustrating day ended with my Strawberry Flummery coming out badly. It never gelled. I think I added too much water. I couldn't get the strawberries mashed enough, either. It's now more strawberry soup than jelly dessert.
Work was a pain. I'd start one thing, only to be ordered to do three other things, and I got scolded over being frustrated about getting stuck in the registers. If they wanted me to be in the registers, they should have left me as a cashier. At least it was a nice day, sunny, breezy, and no more than the lower-mid 70's, and I did enjoy getting carts. (Other than they've somehow lost the mechanism that opens the locked carts. Again.)
My schedule for next week is, except for Monday, all afternoon work. That's fine. I'll get writing and cleaning done here, and I can do all the usual chores. Wish I had more hours, but other than that, no complaints.
Didn't have a huge grocery order this week, but I did need some expensive things. They had buy one, get one strawberries. Thought the second one could go into Strawberry Flummery. There was a good sale on the 18-count eggs and regular Cheerios. Restocked peanut butter, skim milk, yogurt, baking chips (they're still clearing out the butterscotch chips), cooking spray, white flour, apples, and tomatoes. Found a can of organic cream of tomato soup on the clearance racks and two packs of fish fillets with manager's coupons.
As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then went on the computer. Luke dodges Vader, finally climbing out the window of the VIP Lounge and onto a fire escape. Vader, however, corners him there. He smashes Luke's hand with his bat before revealing his true identity - he's Luke's adored, and supposedly dead, older brother Adam. He wants Luke to join the Imperial Gang. Luke jumps onto the hood of Lance's Lincoln Continental before his brother can try anything else.
Broke at 6 for dinner. I started a few Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater cartoons while I was putting things away and continued them before I ate. Tuxedo Sam takes on the title roles in "Peter Penguin" and "Tar-Sam of the Jungle." In the former, he fights Captain Catnip, rescuing My Melody-Bell with the help of normal kids Hello Kitty and Chip. "Tar-Sam" has him as the famous protector of the jungle, saving Hello Kitty and his ape family from poachers Grinder and Catnip. Chip steps up to the lead as the boy king Arthur in "Paws of the Round Table." Sam's his Lancelot who aids him in rescuing Lady Bunnyvere (Melody) from Witch Catnip.
Unfortunately, the DVD player stalled half-way through "Paws of the Round Table" and refuses to start again. I think I've banged on the thing one too many times. Yes, I know electronic equipment is delicate...but that seemed to be the only way to get it working again when it stopped. I'll have to buy a new one next week. I don't have the money this week.
Put on my London cast album for Copacabana instead while making baked salmon with roasted herb and garlic potatoes and sliced tomatoes with oil and vinegar for dinner. This is Barry Manilow's expanded stage version of his 80's TV movie. The show now has a more appropriate happy ending and a wrap-around sequence that depicts the whole thing as coming out of the imagination of a songwriter who's fallen in love with his creation.
While it's probably corny as heck, I have a soft spot for this one. I've had this CD for years, since I found it at the same (now defunct) North Cape May music shop where I picked up By the Beautiful Sea as a teenager. Along with Tony's "Sweet Heaven" and his "Who Needs to Dream/Lola" carried over from the TV film, we have the dynamic opening "Just Arrived," as Lola comes to New York, the stunning ballad "This Can't Be Real," and the hilarious number for the aging stage manager and cigarette girl as she's trying to convince him to take Tony to Havana, "Who am I Kidding?"
While I do like this better than the movie, it's still recommended mainly for fans of Manilow's work.
And...sigh. A frustrating day ended with my Strawberry Flummery coming out badly. It never gelled. I think I added too much water. I couldn't get the strawberries mashed enough, either. It's now more strawberry soup than jelly dessert.
Thursday, September 07, 2017
Back to School Toons
It was still cloudy and cool when I got up this morning. Had breakfast and wanted to watch cartoons, but the DVD player wasn't behaving. Put on my 1983 Singin' In the Rain LP instead. Tommy Steele starred in this stage version of the famous 1952 movie. On one hand, "Temptation," which was only used as underscoring in the movie, has been added in full here as a number for Lina. More half of the remaining Nacio Herb Brown-Arthur Freed score has been dropped in favor of songs from other movies and shows of the 20's and 30's. I'll pass "Be a Clown," which despite being written in 1948, is the song "Make 'Em Laugh" was modeled on anyway. "Too Marvelous For Words," however, is from a 1937 Warner Bros musical, "Fascinating Rhythm" is a Gershwin number, and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" is from the stage revue Blackbirds of 1928.
Evidently, this did end up on Broadway a few years later, sans Steele but with all its original music intact. It seems to have done well enough but was no world-shaker. This looks like it's more popular in England, where the original film is probably not as well-known. It's been revived there twice in the last fifteen years, including in 2012. They're trying to get a French production on Broadway as I write this, once again with the original music.
Made the bed while the record was on. It's been too chilly at nights for my white cotton summer sheets and thin quilt for at least two weeks. Switched them out for my slightly heavier tan and blue sheets and blue and tan-striped comforter.
Worked on writing for the rest of the morning and early afternoon. Leia, Charlie, Chip, and Lance make their way to the back of the building, only to find that Bobby Fett has escaped with the tank. Remembering that her brother is still in the building, Leia leads the others to rescue him instead.
Meanwhile, Luke is still fighting Vader on the catwalks. He manages to avoid being tossed in the tank, but he may not get around Vader's fighting skills for much longer...
Broke at quarter of 2 for lunch and two more school-themed Tiny Toons Adventures episodes. "Son of Looniversity Daze" has Plucky feeling incredibly guilty for cheating on a test, Hampton dealing with a new mechanical locker that won't give up his lunch, and the duo and Buster trying to get a piano down to Yosemite Sam from the Looniversity Clock Tower. "Test Stressed" goes further into tests, taking them, and types of tests. Plucky wants Shirley to channel Einstein into his brain, but he's not happy with the results. Furball has no better luck trying to catch Little Sneezer as a test for his teacher Sylvester. Fowlmouth wants to ask Shirley on a date. He can't do that without his curses being worse than Charlie's, until Buster comes up with a solution.
Work was actually pretty quiet, and never more than mildly steady. I spent most of the day gathering carts and baskets and doing trash. I did have to help clean up a major spill on the iced tea/powdered drink mix/nuts aisle right before leaving. Someone tried to pull the middle box out of a towering stack of 12-packs of Diet Pepsi. You'd think people would have more sense. I was barely able to do that and the trash and get out on time.
At least it was a nice day for all of this. Even as I was sitting down to write, the clouds were vanishing. By the time I was getting carts, the sun was out, the breeze was blowing, and it was a gorgeous mid-70's.
I wanted to watch movies when I got home, but the DVD player just would not work. It would play the first ten minutes or so, then stop. This has been happening more frequently of late, including when Lauren visited in May. I finally gave up and listened to music and watched YouTube for the rest of the night.
I'm going to have to replace the darn thing as soon as I have the money. I no longer need a DVD recorder, anyway. I dubbed everything I needed to dub ages ago. I can buy the least-expensive decent player on the market.
Evidently, this did end up on Broadway a few years later, sans Steele but with all its original music intact. It seems to have done well enough but was no world-shaker. This looks like it's more popular in England, where the original film is probably not as well-known. It's been revived there twice in the last fifteen years, including in 2012. They're trying to get a French production on Broadway as I write this, once again with the original music.
Made the bed while the record was on. It's been too chilly at nights for my white cotton summer sheets and thin quilt for at least two weeks. Switched them out for my slightly heavier tan and blue sheets and blue and tan-striped comforter.
Worked on writing for the rest of the morning and early afternoon. Leia, Charlie, Chip, and Lance make their way to the back of the building, only to find that Bobby Fett has escaped with the tank. Remembering that her brother is still in the building, Leia leads the others to rescue him instead.
Meanwhile, Luke is still fighting Vader on the catwalks. He manages to avoid being tossed in the tank, but he may not get around Vader's fighting skills for much longer...
Broke at quarter of 2 for lunch and two more school-themed Tiny Toons Adventures episodes. "Son of Looniversity Daze" has Plucky feeling incredibly guilty for cheating on a test, Hampton dealing with a new mechanical locker that won't give up his lunch, and the duo and Buster trying to get a piano down to Yosemite Sam from the Looniversity Clock Tower. "Test Stressed" goes further into tests, taking them, and types of tests. Plucky wants Shirley to channel Einstein into his brain, but he's not happy with the results. Furball has no better luck trying to catch Little Sneezer as a test for his teacher Sylvester. Fowlmouth wants to ask Shirley on a date. He can't do that without his curses being worse than Charlie's, until Buster comes up with a solution.
Work was actually pretty quiet, and never more than mildly steady. I spent most of the day gathering carts and baskets and doing trash. I did have to help clean up a major spill on the iced tea/powdered drink mix/nuts aisle right before leaving. Someone tried to pull the middle box out of a towering stack of 12-packs of Diet Pepsi. You'd think people would have more sense. I was barely able to do that and the trash and get out on time.
At least it was a nice day for all of this. Even as I was sitting down to write, the clouds were vanishing. By the time I was getting carts, the sun was out, the breeze was blowing, and it was a gorgeous mid-70's.
I wanted to watch movies when I got home, but the DVD player just would not work. It would play the first ten minutes or so, then stop. This has been happening more frequently of late, including when Lauren visited in May. I finally gave up and listened to music and watched YouTube for the rest of the night.
I'm going to have to replace the darn thing as soon as I have the money. I no longer need a DVD recorder, anyway. I dubbed everything I needed to dub ages ago. I can buy the least-expensive decent player on the market.
Wednesday, September 06, 2017
Rainy Day at the Libraries
BOOM!
I shot awake at quarter of 6 as thunder rattled my apartment. I hurried around as well as I could without waking up anyone downstairs, closing windows. As soon as I finished, I went right to sleep, listening to the sound of the rain patter on the roof.
It was 8:30 when I got up, but I was so caught up n finishing Rilla of Ingleside and just enjoying being in bed on a rainy morning that it was past 10:30 before I got to breakfast. Did an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures to honor the beginning of the school year as I ate. Babs and Buster, as Acme Looniversity's glee club, takes us from short to short in "Looniversity Daze." The first short has Buster having to face the school's mysterious and fearsome principal. Sweetie the Bird chases Bookworm in the library in the second short. In the third, Plucky gets out of Foghorn Leghorn's pop quiz by pretending to be sick. The cure proves to be far worse than the sickness when the nurse's assistant turns out to be Elmyra.
The rain had slowed down enough by 11:30 for me to head out to run errands. Started out at the Oaklyn Library. They were busy for them, with several people on the computers and a few families in the kids' area. Dodged people long enough to organize DVDs and take a look at the picture books and kids' series books. Took out a few movies here. For some reason, the Oaklyn Library is the only local library to have The Matrix Revolutions. Also grabbed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the animated film Sing.
It had started showering again when I headed out around quarter of 1. Since it's only two blocks from the library, I ended up at Capitol Pizza for lunch. They were really busy for them with kids getting out of school and teens and office workers and shop keepers picking up a quick meal. Watched Action News and The Chew as I ate my slice of cheese, slice of mushroom, and gulped a can of Pepsi.
My next stop was a fast one at Dollar Tree for sponges. Thankfully, for once, they were not busy. I had no problems grabbing what I needed and getting out in less than ten minutes.
The Haddon Township Library, oddly enough, wasn't busy, either. Other than shelve an audio book, there really wasn't a whole lot for me to do. I did find a couple of books, though. Took out The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey (I love fairy tale retellings), Anne of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery (the last Anne of Green Gables book I haven't read), and one of the few Elizabeth Peters books I'd never seen before, The Night of the Four Hundred Rabbits. Also grabbed two beginners' crochet books.
The rain was down to sprinkles by this point. I took the short way down Cuthbert Road and across the White Horse Pike to dodge the weather. This was definitely no day for a ride through the park.
Went right online when I got home. Lance and his employees, including stoic, headset-sporting DJ Larry Botts and excitable Mexican Nino Numez, get unexpected help rounding up the Imperials from the local cops. (They were left an "anonymous tip" by Ben and Yoda.) Lance wants to get Leia, Charlie, and Chip out of there. Charlie's having none of it, grabbing Lance around the neck as soon as the cops are gone. This time, it's Larry who translates for his puffing boss that Bobby Fett is loading the tank with Hank Solokowski into a truck around back and is about to take off. Leia orders Charlie to let Lance go.
Broke for dinner around 6:30. Had leftovers, then made Lemon Bars for dessert. Watched the 1947 Good News while I ate. It's the Roaring 20's, and Tait College is filled with sleek Sheiks and feisty Shebas who are enjoying the era's newfound sexual freedom. Connie (June Allyson) is less interested in flaming youth than in her job at the local library. She's thrilled when football hero Tom (Peter Lawford) asks her to help him with French...until she finds out he's chasing the snooty new girl on campus (Patricia Marshall). Meanwhile, sassy Babe (Joan McCracken) is ardently pursuing bench-warmer Bobby (Ray McDonald), despite already dating a brainless football player (Loren Tindall).
The genesis of everything from Grease to the High School Musical films can be found in this spirited romp. The big thing here are the delightful ensemble numbers, the Oscar-nominated "Pass That Peace Pipe" and the finale "The Varsity Drag." Also look for an early appearance by crooner Mel Torme in "Be a Ladies' Man," "Lucky In Love," and a reprise of "The Best Things In Life are Free." If you like later musical school tales, you may want to visit Tait as well.
Finished out the night with the film version of How to Succeed In Business Without Even Trying while I went online. Robert Morse, Sammy Smith, and Rudy Vallee all reprise their roles from the original Broadway show, with Michele Lee an engaging addition as a far feistier Rosemary. I like how refreshingly modest this is, compared to other big-budget musicals of the mid-60's through the mid-70's. It bears closer resemblance to the sitcoms of this era than a typical musical, and it's all the more enjoyable for it. The director, David Swift, would concentrate on television after this, and it features actors like Maureen Arthur (as sexy bimbo secretary Hedy LaRue) who were better known for their appearances on the small screen.
If you're looking for a classic musical that's more about comedy and less about spectacle, are a fan of 60's and 70's sitcoms, or love the stage How to Succeed, this version is definitely worth looking around for.
And I'm glad I did get in a little earlier than I thought. It started to rain hard again shortly after I got in and has showered off and on for the rest of the night. (Though I haven't seen any more thunder storms like this morning at press time.)
I shot awake at quarter of 6 as thunder rattled my apartment. I hurried around as well as I could without waking up anyone downstairs, closing windows. As soon as I finished, I went right to sleep, listening to the sound of the rain patter on the roof.
It was 8:30 when I got up, but I was so caught up n finishing Rilla of Ingleside and just enjoying being in bed on a rainy morning that it was past 10:30 before I got to breakfast. Did an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures to honor the beginning of the school year as I ate. Babs and Buster, as Acme Looniversity's glee club, takes us from short to short in "Looniversity Daze." The first short has Buster having to face the school's mysterious and fearsome principal. Sweetie the Bird chases Bookworm in the library in the second short. In the third, Plucky gets out of Foghorn Leghorn's pop quiz by pretending to be sick. The cure proves to be far worse than the sickness when the nurse's assistant turns out to be Elmyra.
The rain had slowed down enough by 11:30 for me to head out to run errands. Started out at the Oaklyn Library. They were busy for them, with several people on the computers and a few families in the kids' area. Dodged people long enough to organize DVDs and take a look at the picture books and kids' series books. Took out a few movies here. For some reason, the Oaklyn Library is the only local library to have The Matrix Revolutions. Also grabbed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the animated film Sing.
It had started showering again when I headed out around quarter of 1. Since it's only two blocks from the library, I ended up at Capitol Pizza for lunch. They were really busy for them with kids getting out of school and teens and office workers and shop keepers picking up a quick meal. Watched Action News and The Chew as I ate my slice of cheese, slice of mushroom, and gulped a can of Pepsi.
My next stop was a fast one at Dollar Tree for sponges. Thankfully, for once, they were not busy. I had no problems grabbing what I needed and getting out in less than ten minutes.
The Haddon Township Library, oddly enough, wasn't busy, either. Other than shelve an audio book, there really wasn't a whole lot for me to do. I did find a couple of books, though. Took out The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey (I love fairy tale retellings), Anne of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery (the last Anne of Green Gables book I haven't read), and one of the few Elizabeth Peters books I'd never seen before, The Night of the Four Hundred Rabbits. Also grabbed two beginners' crochet books.
The rain was down to sprinkles by this point. I took the short way down Cuthbert Road and across the White Horse Pike to dodge the weather. This was definitely no day for a ride through the park.
Went right online when I got home. Lance and his employees, including stoic, headset-sporting DJ Larry Botts and excitable Mexican Nino Numez, get unexpected help rounding up the Imperials from the local cops. (They were left an "anonymous tip" by Ben and Yoda.) Lance wants to get Leia, Charlie, and Chip out of there. Charlie's having none of it, grabbing Lance around the neck as soon as the cops are gone. This time, it's Larry who translates for his puffing boss that Bobby Fett is loading the tank with Hank Solokowski into a truck around back and is about to take off. Leia orders Charlie to let Lance go.
Broke for dinner around 6:30. Had leftovers, then made Lemon Bars for dessert. Watched the 1947 Good News while I ate. It's the Roaring 20's, and Tait College is filled with sleek Sheiks and feisty Shebas who are enjoying the era's newfound sexual freedom. Connie (June Allyson) is less interested in flaming youth than in her job at the local library. She's thrilled when football hero Tom (Peter Lawford) asks her to help him with French...until she finds out he's chasing the snooty new girl on campus (Patricia Marshall). Meanwhile, sassy Babe (Joan McCracken) is ardently pursuing bench-warmer Bobby (Ray McDonald), despite already dating a brainless football player (Loren Tindall).
The genesis of everything from Grease to the High School Musical films can be found in this spirited romp. The big thing here are the delightful ensemble numbers, the Oscar-nominated "Pass That Peace Pipe" and the finale "The Varsity Drag." Also look for an early appearance by crooner Mel Torme in "Be a Ladies' Man," "Lucky In Love," and a reprise of "The Best Things In Life are Free." If you like later musical school tales, you may want to visit Tait as well.
Finished out the night with the film version of How to Succeed In Business Without Even Trying while I went online. Robert Morse, Sammy Smith, and Rudy Vallee all reprise their roles from the original Broadway show, with Michele Lee an engaging addition as a far feistier Rosemary. I like how refreshingly modest this is, compared to other big-budget musicals of the mid-60's through the mid-70's. It bears closer resemblance to the sitcoms of this era than a typical musical, and it's all the more enjoyable for it. The director, David Swift, would concentrate on television after this, and it features actors like Maureen Arthur (as sexy bimbo secretary Hedy LaRue) who were better known for their appearances on the small screen.
If you're looking for a classic musical that's more about comedy and less about spectacle, are a fan of 60's and 70's sitcoms, or love the stage How to Succeed, this version is definitely worth looking around for.
And I'm glad I did get in a little earlier than I thought. It started to rain hard again shortly after I got in and has showered off and on for the rest of the night. (Though I haven't seen any more thunder storms like this morning at press time.)
Tuesday, September 05, 2017
Magnificent Late Summer
Slept in a bit again today, though not as much as yesterday. I had things to do. Started off a hot, beautiful morning with breakfast and There's No Time For Love, Charlie Brown. Despite the title and it being included on the Charlie Brown Valentine DVDs, No Time For Love has more to do with school than love. Charlie Brown is worried about having to get an "A" for his report on a school trip to the art museum. Somehow, he, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Marcie, Snoopy, and Woodstock manage to mistake a grocery store for the museum. Meanwhile, Patty's trying to figure out how to tell Chuck she likes him, but she has the frequent habit of stuffing her foot in her mouth.
Hit the laundromat around 11:30. It was pretty quiet when I arrived. By the time it started to pick up, my laundry was in the drier. I didn't have a big load anyway, but I wanted to get it done today. I heard it may rain tomorrow. Spent most of the 40 or so minutes I was there working on story notes and half-listening to The View and Action News.
As soon as I went home, I put everything away, then grabbed two blueberry muffins for lunch and went right back out again. I got caught up listening to the Hairspray movie soundtrack and was later than I'd planned getting out the door for counseling. By quarter after 1, most area kids had just gotten off school. I dodged tons of people on bikes, not to mention lots of newly-released kids out enjoying the sunny day on their way home.
I was just about two minutes late for counseling...which was fine. Mrs. Stahl was ten minutes late. I don't have a ton to discuss, anyway, despite us not having met since June. (It's just as well we didn't get together last month, anyway. The second time we were scheduled, at least, was hot and humid and rainy.)
Most of my news is good news - my baby niece Finley's birth the day before the 4th of July, my vacation to Pittsfield with Lauren, finishing my epic Star Wars swashbuckler novel the day before I left. I'm still broke and still having problems with work, especially with the lack of hours and those annoying managers. Charlie hasn't quite finished with the porch yet, either (and lord only knows when he'll actually get to it). Otherwise, I'm in a pretty good mood. I have ideas for stories of all kinds coming out of my ears, something I couldn't have said three years ago. Mrs. Stahl just said "keep writing"...and I have every intention of doing just that.
Headed down a busy Haddon Avenue, dodging cars and kids on bikes. Stopped at Primo's Water Ice to wet my very dry whistle. I saw a crowd of people, a pair of friends and a grandmother with her children and a mother with hers, sitting outside, enjoying treats, and I thought they'd be busy. To my surprise, there was no line. I got a creamy, very sweet coconut water ice. Also grabbed a bottle of water to save me a stop at Walgreens or CVS on the way home.
Cut through Haddon Lake Park both ways. It was absolutely gorgeous there today, and busier than I've seen it in weeks. There were lots of people pushing baby strollers, young adults sunning on benches, people fishing, kids riding bikes or chatting at the stone pavilion by the play ground. The grass is so green, it nearly glows. The summer flowers are just starting to wither, but you can see the beginnings of the fall foliage.
When I got in, I went right on the computer. Luke catches sight of a light flashing off a familiar black helmet and follows it. Arturro tries to go after him, but the door locks on him. Vader shoves a chair in front of the back door. He wants this confrontation to be between him and Luke alone.
Pan-fried the potato-crusted cod and made Ratatouille and Blueberry Shortcake for dinner. Watched The Magnificent Seven while I enjoyed my tasty late-summer meal. Mining baron Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) wants to clear the people of Rose Creek off their land so he can mine it for gold. After he kills her husband and five others and burns their church, tough-minded Emma (Haley Bennett) assembles a motley collection of legendary sharpshooters, gamblers, and bounty hunters to help take Bogue down. Lead by former US Army officer Chisum (Denzel Washington), these men find themselves going into battle with Bogue's boys...when they're not fighting each other over their prejudices and personal problems.
Was this remake necessary? Not at all. Was it really good? Surprisingly...yes. The cast did really well with all the western cliches, especially Ethan Hawke as a hard-drinking former Confederate soldier, Washington as the haunted Chisum, and Bennett as the widowed woman who wants to avenge her husband. I do wish some of the characters had been more explored, including the native who joins them simply because he wants to and the Hispanic bounty hunter Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo).
I can actually see why this was a surprise hit last year. It's not going to replace the original, but it's worth a look if you're a fan of westerns or the cast.
Hit the laundromat around 11:30. It was pretty quiet when I arrived. By the time it started to pick up, my laundry was in the drier. I didn't have a big load anyway, but I wanted to get it done today. I heard it may rain tomorrow. Spent most of the 40 or so minutes I was there working on story notes and half-listening to The View and Action News.
As soon as I went home, I put everything away, then grabbed two blueberry muffins for lunch and went right back out again. I got caught up listening to the Hairspray movie soundtrack and was later than I'd planned getting out the door for counseling. By quarter after 1, most area kids had just gotten off school. I dodged tons of people on bikes, not to mention lots of newly-released kids out enjoying the sunny day on their way home.
I was just about two minutes late for counseling...which was fine. Mrs. Stahl was ten minutes late. I don't have a ton to discuss, anyway, despite us not having met since June. (It's just as well we didn't get together last month, anyway. The second time we were scheduled, at least, was hot and humid and rainy.)
Most of my news is good news - my baby niece Finley's birth the day before the 4th of July, my vacation to Pittsfield with Lauren, finishing my epic Star Wars swashbuckler novel the day before I left. I'm still broke and still having problems with work, especially with the lack of hours and those annoying managers. Charlie hasn't quite finished with the porch yet, either (and lord only knows when he'll actually get to it). Otherwise, I'm in a pretty good mood. I have ideas for stories of all kinds coming out of my ears, something I couldn't have said three years ago. Mrs. Stahl just said "keep writing"...and I have every intention of doing just that.
Headed down a busy Haddon Avenue, dodging cars and kids on bikes. Stopped at Primo's Water Ice to wet my very dry whistle. I saw a crowd of people, a pair of friends and a grandmother with her children and a mother with hers, sitting outside, enjoying treats, and I thought they'd be busy. To my surprise, there was no line. I got a creamy, very sweet coconut water ice. Also grabbed a bottle of water to save me a stop at Walgreens or CVS on the way home.
Cut through Haddon Lake Park both ways. It was absolutely gorgeous there today, and busier than I've seen it in weeks. There were lots of people pushing baby strollers, young adults sunning on benches, people fishing, kids riding bikes or chatting at the stone pavilion by the play ground. The grass is so green, it nearly glows. The summer flowers are just starting to wither, but you can see the beginnings of the fall foliage.
When I got in, I went right on the computer. Luke catches sight of a light flashing off a familiar black helmet and follows it. Arturro tries to go after him, but the door locks on him. Vader shoves a chair in front of the back door. He wants this confrontation to be between him and Luke alone.
Pan-fried the potato-crusted cod and made Ratatouille and Blueberry Shortcake for dinner. Watched The Magnificent Seven while I enjoyed my tasty late-summer meal. Mining baron Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) wants to clear the people of Rose Creek off their land so he can mine it for gold. After he kills her husband and five others and burns their church, tough-minded Emma (Haley Bennett) assembles a motley collection of legendary sharpshooters, gamblers, and bounty hunters to help take Bogue down. Lead by former US Army officer Chisum (Denzel Washington), these men find themselves going into battle with Bogue's boys...when they're not fighting each other over their prejudices and personal problems.
Was this remake necessary? Not at all. Was it really good? Surprisingly...yes. The cast did really well with all the western cliches, especially Ethan Hawke as a hard-drinking former Confederate soldier, Washington as the haunted Chisum, and Bennett as the widowed woman who wants to avenge her husband. I do wish some of the characters had been more explored, including the native who joins them simply because he wants to and the Hispanic bounty hunter Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo).
I can actually see why this was a surprise hit last year. It's not going to replace the original, but it's worth a look if you're a fan of westerns or the cast.
Monday, September 04, 2017
Labor Day Matrix
Opted to celebrate a gorgeous Labor Day by sleeping in. When I got up, I read an essay on Samuel Gumpters, spearhead of the worker's union movement in the US in the late 1800's, in Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Also did a few poems related to working, including I Heard America Singing by Camden poet Walt Whitman.
Two American Girl books that take place in the early 1900's involve working and labor. Samantha Parkington's best friend Nellie, who once worked in a factory, teaches her that "progress" frequently isn't painless for those doing the work in Samantha Learns a Lesson. Rebecca Rubin speaks out in favor of unions during a Labor Day picnic in Changes for Rebecca.
Ran a Three Stooges short about school and working while eating breakfast. "Violent Is the Word For Curly" when the Stooges are mistaken for professors by the heads of a girl's school. To the principal's shock, their idea of teaching involves "Swinging the Alphabet."
Worked on a little bit of writing after breakfast. Luke and Arturro arrive at the Cloud City Club, both worried about their friends and the meeting. They're admiring the mural when he hears commotion coming from the back room. Several of Vader's men are dragging Leia, Charlie, and Chip out to the parking lot. Luke follows them, but Arturro is lost in the crush of bodies.
Did more Stooges as I broke for lunch and to make Blueberry Muffins. "Tassels In the Air" has them as a trio of maintenance men. They're repairing the office of Omay, an interior decorator. When Moe tries to teach Curly Pig Latin, a woman accidentally thinks he's Omay and hires them to redecorate her house. She definitely regrets it when she sees what their idea of "decorating" entails. In "Termites of 1938," they're exterminators who are mistaken for escorts by society ladies. They try showing off their musical skills, but when mice are found in the bass, they really go to work. Shemp joins in for "All Gummed Up." When their landlord tries to force them out of their drug store, then dumps his wife because she's aged, they try to create a potion to reverse aging. It works beautifully on the wife...but too well on their landlord!
Work was very busy when I arrived, though not quite as bad as it was last Labor Day. I was mainly outside for the first half of my shift gathering carts. I also did some trash and got stuck in the register a few times. Thankfully, the customers were mostly in good moods, including a family with a large WIC Check order. It died quickly around 4-4:30. Everyone must have either gone home to get the kids ready for school or to Labor Day barbecues. The evening was so quiet, I spent almost the entire time shelving items customers didn't want.
Went straight into the bath when I got home. I'm glad I discovered that body wash doubles very well as bubble bath. The mountains of coconut-scented bubbles felt so luxurious! I looked over more Christmas craft books and listened to the Naughty Marietta/Rose Marie/Student Prince disc of my Treasury of Great Operettas CD set.
Finished the night with The Matrix Reloaded. Even as Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) become a couple, they learn that tentacled bomb creatures are on their way to destroy their group. Neo contacts The Oracle (Gloria Foster) for help. She sends him to rescue the kindly old Keymaster (Randall Duk Kim) from a gangster (Lambert Wilson). Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), who can "program" anyone into a copy of him, has taken over one of the rebels and managed to escape the Matrix. He tries to clone Neo, but he's too darn fast and super heroic for his stuff. Trinity and Morpheus escape in a high-speed chase. While Neo, the Keymaker, and Morpheus make their way to the door to the Source of the Matrix, Trinity takes the place of a crew of rebels who were killed in shutting down the power system to the Matrix. Even after Neo finds the Source, he still has to use his powers to save the other rebels...but in the process, he may have sacrificed himself...
To my surprise, this was...not bad, actually. "Complicated" is probably the best word to describe it. They tried a little too hard to pick up the religious threads from the last movie and turn this into a deep discussion on religion, creation, and technology. It really just makes things even more confusing. There were some nice action sequences, though, including the fight with the ghostly "twins" flunkies and that amazing car chase.
While this isn't too horrible, one movie was probably enough for this franchise. I wouldn't come anywhere near here unless you're a really big fan of the cast or the first film.
And I hope all of you had a wonderful Labor Day, whether you had to labor or not.
Two American Girl books that take place in the early 1900's involve working and labor. Samantha Parkington's best friend Nellie, who once worked in a factory, teaches her that "progress" frequently isn't painless for those doing the work in Samantha Learns a Lesson. Rebecca Rubin speaks out in favor of unions during a Labor Day picnic in Changes for Rebecca.
Ran a Three Stooges short about school and working while eating breakfast. "Violent Is the Word For Curly" when the Stooges are mistaken for professors by the heads of a girl's school. To the principal's shock, their idea of teaching involves "Swinging the Alphabet."
Worked on a little bit of writing after breakfast. Luke and Arturro arrive at the Cloud City Club, both worried about their friends and the meeting. They're admiring the mural when he hears commotion coming from the back room. Several of Vader's men are dragging Leia, Charlie, and Chip out to the parking lot. Luke follows them, but Arturro is lost in the crush of bodies.
Did more Stooges as I broke for lunch and to make Blueberry Muffins. "Tassels In the Air" has them as a trio of maintenance men. They're repairing the office of Omay, an interior decorator. When Moe tries to teach Curly Pig Latin, a woman accidentally thinks he's Omay and hires them to redecorate her house. She definitely regrets it when she sees what their idea of "decorating" entails. In "Termites of 1938," they're exterminators who are mistaken for escorts by society ladies. They try showing off their musical skills, but when mice are found in the bass, they really go to work. Shemp joins in for "All Gummed Up." When their landlord tries to force them out of their drug store, then dumps his wife because she's aged, they try to create a potion to reverse aging. It works beautifully on the wife...but too well on their landlord!
Work was very busy when I arrived, though not quite as bad as it was last Labor Day. I was mainly outside for the first half of my shift gathering carts. I also did some trash and got stuck in the register a few times. Thankfully, the customers were mostly in good moods, including a family with a large WIC Check order. It died quickly around 4-4:30. Everyone must have either gone home to get the kids ready for school or to Labor Day barbecues. The evening was so quiet, I spent almost the entire time shelving items customers didn't want.
Went straight into the bath when I got home. I'm glad I discovered that body wash doubles very well as bubble bath. The mountains of coconut-scented bubbles felt so luxurious! I looked over more Christmas craft books and listened to the Naughty Marietta/Rose Marie/Student Prince disc of my Treasury of Great Operettas CD set.
Finished the night with The Matrix Reloaded. Even as Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) become a couple, they learn that tentacled bomb creatures are on their way to destroy their group. Neo contacts The Oracle (Gloria Foster) for help. She sends him to rescue the kindly old Keymaster (Randall Duk Kim) from a gangster (Lambert Wilson). Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), who can "program" anyone into a copy of him, has taken over one of the rebels and managed to escape the Matrix. He tries to clone Neo, but he's too darn fast and super heroic for his stuff. Trinity and Morpheus escape in a high-speed chase. While Neo, the Keymaker, and Morpheus make their way to the door to the Source of the Matrix, Trinity takes the place of a crew of rebels who were killed in shutting down the power system to the Matrix. Even after Neo finds the Source, he still has to use his powers to save the other rebels...but in the process, he may have sacrificed himself...
To my surprise, this was...not bad, actually. "Complicated" is probably the best word to describe it. They tried a little too hard to pick up the religious threads from the last movie and turn this into a deep discussion on religion, creation, and technology. It really just makes things even more confusing. There were some nice action sequences, though, including the fight with the ghostly "twins" flunkies and that amazing car chase.
While this isn't too horrible, one movie was probably enough for this franchise. I wouldn't come anywhere near here unless you're a really big fan of the cast or the first film.
And I hope all of you had a wonderful Labor Day, whether you had to labor or not.
Sunday, September 03, 2017
Brotherhood of Man
It was still cloudy and cool when I got up this morning. Cheered up the gloomy morning with French Toast for breakfast and my original cast album for How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. J.Pierpont Finch (Robert Morse) is determined to climb the corporate ladder the easy way - by buttering up every boss he comes across. He starts off as a window washer who graduates to the mail room, run by long-time mail clerk Mr. Twimble (Sammy Smith), and gradually works his way up until he's the head of the company and has won the admiration of secretary Rosemary (Bonnie Scott).
This spoof of corporate culture was such a huge success in 1961, it won the Pulitzer. It's had two revivals, one in 1995 with Matthew Broderick, the most recent in 2010 with Daniel Ratcliffe, that were almost as popular. Some of the attitudes, especially towards the secretaries, are extremely dated today, though others (such as Bud Frump's nepotism and all the brown-nosing) remain spot-on. My favorite number is the adorable "Been a Long Day," with Rosemary's best friend Smitty (Claudette Sutherland) hilariously explaining just what Finch and her best pal are thinking at the end of the work day. The finale "Brotherhood of Man," as Finch covers a screw-up by singing a rousing revival number to bring together all the vice-presidents, is also fun.
If you like other corporate spoofs such as The Office TV shows or Office Space, you may be willing to believe in Finch, too. (Also look for a delightfully sitcom-esque film version with Morse in his original role and Michelle Lee as Rosemary.)
Worked on writing for a little while after breakfast. Leia tries to jump in the tank after her sweetheart, but Vader grabs her back. When she yells at him for hurting Hank, he hits her with a major bombshell. He's her older brother Adam, and he doesn't like her dating a former drug runner. She's shocked momentarily...then angry as hell. She doesn't revere her brother's memory the way Luke does. She finally tells him that he's no brother of hers before storming downstairs.
Broke around 1 for lunch and another musical. Anne of Green Gables: The Musical was originally a Canadian TV program before debuting on the stage in Canada, then London's West End, in 1965. Though this adaptation of the first half of the book did well enough in England, it was too corny for New York in this era and didn't get further than Off-Broadway. While not great, it's not bad, either. My favorite numbers are the first-act finale "Ice Cream," "Wonderin'" as Gilbert Blythe starts to admit his attraction to Anne, Anne and Diana's sweet "Kindred Spirts," and Matthew's touching title song as he realizes Anne is growing up...and away from Green Gables.
Work was almost as much of a pain as yesterday. On one hand, the clouds that had persisted all morning cleared up by around 4:30, leaving behind a sunny, breezy day. It was very busy when I came in, but this time, the crowds didn't stick around. They called me in twice to do carts. The first time, my register froze. The second time, I stayed for five minutes. Neither time was really all that necessary. Thankfully, I had more help today outside, giving me the chance to gather tons of baskets and round up trash. (I really wish the dentist's office and Rent-a-Center on the other side of the building would start collecting their own trash. The cart I was using to haul the heavy bags locked when I tried to bring it all the way around the building. I had to drag it to the other side, then switch carts.)
Rose called me shortly before break, inviting me over to Dad and Jodie's for an early Labor Day dinner. I went straight home, changed, hit the bathroom, then rode over to their house. By the time I got there, it was quarter of 7. Craig was rocking baby Finley. The mothers were dragging the remaining kids out of the pool. I had a burger, franks and beans, and macaroni and cheese for dinner while the kids dried off. Rose, Dad, and Jodie started talking schools while I was finishing. Bored, I followed Craig, Khai, and some of the other neighborhood moms down the steep hill behind Dad's house to the recently rebuilt deck. Chatted with some of the moms about Star Wars and their jobs while the kids checked out the local wildlife and admired a beautiful pink and gold sunset.
(Oh, and Dad and Jodie had their party today because they'll be closing the pool tomorrow. They're going on vacation later in the week. Not to mention, most of the kids have school the day after tomorrow. And while it's supposed to get hot again on Tuesday, the weather's largely been too cold for swimming for weeks now.)
This spoof of corporate culture was such a huge success in 1961, it won the Pulitzer. It's had two revivals, one in 1995 with Matthew Broderick, the most recent in 2010 with Daniel Ratcliffe, that were almost as popular. Some of the attitudes, especially towards the secretaries, are extremely dated today, though others (such as Bud Frump's nepotism and all the brown-nosing) remain spot-on. My favorite number is the adorable "Been a Long Day," with Rosemary's best friend Smitty (Claudette Sutherland) hilariously explaining just what Finch and her best pal are thinking at the end of the work day. The finale "Brotherhood of Man," as Finch covers a screw-up by singing a rousing revival number to bring together all the vice-presidents, is also fun.
If you like other corporate spoofs such as The Office TV shows or Office Space, you may be willing to believe in Finch, too. (Also look for a delightfully sitcom-esque film version with Morse in his original role and Michelle Lee as Rosemary.)
Worked on writing for a little while after breakfast. Leia tries to jump in the tank after her sweetheart, but Vader grabs her back. When she yells at him for hurting Hank, he hits her with a major bombshell. He's her older brother Adam, and he doesn't like her dating a former drug runner. She's shocked momentarily...then angry as hell. She doesn't revere her brother's memory the way Luke does. She finally tells him that he's no brother of hers before storming downstairs.
Broke around 1 for lunch and another musical. Anne of Green Gables: The Musical was originally a Canadian TV program before debuting on the stage in Canada, then London's West End, in 1965. Though this adaptation of the first half of the book did well enough in England, it was too corny for New York in this era and didn't get further than Off-Broadway. While not great, it's not bad, either. My favorite numbers are the first-act finale "Ice Cream," "Wonderin'" as Gilbert Blythe starts to admit his attraction to Anne, Anne and Diana's sweet "Kindred Spirts," and Matthew's touching title song as he realizes Anne is growing up...and away from Green Gables.
Work was almost as much of a pain as yesterday. On one hand, the clouds that had persisted all morning cleared up by around 4:30, leaving behind a sunny, breezy day. It was very busy when I came in, but this time, the crowds didn't stick around. They called me in twice to do carts. The first time, my register froze. The second time, I stayed for five minutes. Neither time was really all that necessary. Thankfully, I had more help today outside, giving me the chance to gather tons of baskets and round up trash. (I really wish the dentist's office and Rent-a-Center on the other side of the building would start collecting their own trash. The cart I was using to haul the heavy bags locked when I tried to bring it all the way around the building. I had to drag it to the other side, then switch carts.)
Rose called me shortly before break, inviting me over to Dad and Jodie's for an early Labor Day dinner. I went straight home, changed, hit the bathroom, then rode over to their house. By the time I got there, it was quarter of 7. Craig was rocking baby Finley. The mothers were dragging the remaining kids out of the pool. I had a burger, franks and beans, and macaroni and cheese for dinner while the kids dried off. Rose, Dad, and Jodie started talking schools while I was finishing. Bored, I followed Craig, Khai, and some of the other neighborhood moms down the steep hill behind Dad's house to the recently rebuilt deck. Chatted with some of the moms about Star Wars and their jobs while the kids checked out the local wildlife and admired a beautiful pink and gold sunset.
(Oh, and Dad and Jodie had their party today because they'll be closing the pool tomorrow. They're going on vacation later in the week. Not to mention, most of the kids have school the day after tomorrow. And while it's supposed to get hot again on Tuesday, the weather's largely been too cold for swimming for weeks now.)
Saturday, September 02, 2017
Rainy Day Harvest
I awoke to a day that was cloudy, damp, and cold, in the lower 60's. Ran black-and-white Popeye shorts to cheer me up as I ate breakfast. "The Two Alarm Fire" is consuming Olive's house, but Popeye and Bluto are more interested in one-upping each other than putting out the flames. Olive and Bluto take part in "The Dance Contest," but Popeye's no Fred Astaire. It takes spinach to get him going. "We Aim To Please," say Olive and Popeye, at least until the first customers at their diner are mooching Wimpy and demanding Bluto. "Beware of Barnacle Bill" is a through-sung short opera about Popeye fighting the title character (Bluto) for Olive. Popeye and Olive teach Bluto to "Be Kind to Aminals" when they catch him abusing his horse.
It was showering lightly when I headed to the Collingswood Farm Market around quarter after 10. Thankfully, the rain was gone by the time I arrived. They were still pretty busy despite the late hour and the weather. I ducked around quite a few folks in rain gear buying produce for their Labor Day barbecues and for kids' back-to-school lunches. The fall produce is starting to slowly roll out. I saw grapes and some winter squash for the first time today. Just ended up with small peaches and Gala apples, onions from the organic booth (where they're smaller and cheaper), two ears of corn, and a tomato.
Worked on writing after I got home and put everything away. There's a reason Vader wanted to use Lance's club to lure the Walker twins and Hank. It's a former fish warehouse with room for tanks in the back. These tanks once held fish...but now one is going to be used to transport Hank to Jasper Hutt's club in Atlantic City. Charlie tries to fight his way out, but he's subdued. Hank tells him to watch Luke and Leia and Chip to keep an eye on Arturro. Leia rushes to him and kisses him. They barely have the time to exchange "I love you-I know" before Vader shoves Hank into the tank below them.
Broke at 1 for a quick lunch before work and more Popeye. The two sailors aren't "Pleased to Meet 'Cha" when they both end up at Olive's house at the same time and pretty much destroy it with their antics. Bluto is "The Hyp-Nut-Tist," who uses his hypnotic powers to humiliate Olive and Popeye onstage, at least until Popeye can get to a can of spinach. Popeye has to "Choose Yer Weppins" when a criminal who gives Police Officer Wimpy the slip ends up in his and Olive's shop and gets a load of all the swords laying around.
The rain had returned by 1:30, but it was so light, I opted to ride to work. Work was, once again, a pain in the rear. The rain picked up just in time for me to be sent to do carts. I had no help at all this afternoon. Spent most of the time outside and got soaked. The only time anyone helped me was when two managers came outside...and of course, one was the grouchy man who only barked orders instead of asking nicely for help. While I did do trash later in the afternoon, I eventually ended up right back outside. (I never did get to the bathrooms.) It didn't help that we were on-and-off busy all day, thanks to the weather, the holiday weekend, and the beginning-of-the-month traffic. Thankfully, the rain was down to a mist by the time I headed home.
Since I was already wet, I went right in the shower after I got in. Had shrimp and green beans for dinner when I got out. Ran Deep In My Heart while I ate and later as I went online. The final MGM composer biography semi-revue takes a look at Sigmund Romberg. If his name doesn't sound as familiar to many of you today as Rodgers and Hart or Jerome Kern, it's because he mainly specialized in old-fashioned, romantic operettas like The Desert Song or New Moon. Actually, Romberg (Mel Ferrer) did start out like the others, writing jazzy specialty numbers such as "Leg O' Mutton Rag" for the Shubert Brothers' Passing Show revues and goofy Al Jolson vehicles. Playwright Dorothy Donnelly (Merle Oberon) encourages him to get the Shuberts to put on his romantic musical melodrama Maytime. It's a massive hit, but it's not until he falls in love with a society girl (Doe Avedon) a few years later that he has the inspiration to write some of his most popular shows.
Like the other composer "biographies," there's more nifty numbers than real history in this underrated treat. Gene Kelly performs with his brother Fred for the first and only time in "I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin." Cyd Charisse and James Mitchell dance a sensuous "One Alone" that's far sexier than anything in the 1953 Desert Song. Jane Powell and Vic Damone sing a lovely "Road to Paradise" and "Sweetheart, Will You Remember?" The amazing sequence where Ferrer manages to turn the Al Jolson vehicle he's been working on into a wild one-man farce has to be seen to be believed. Also look for the rare numbers "It" performed by Ann Miller and "Your Land and My Land" sung by Howard Keel and the men's chorus.
If you love operetta like I do or the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's, you may find much to enjoy in this one, including some material that just doesn't show up that often anymore.
And I'm glad I got home when I did. The rain has continued off and on, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the night. (It's on - and pouring - as I write this.)
It was showering lightly when I headed to the Collingswood Farm Market around quarter after 10. Thankfully, the rain was gone by the time I arrived. They were still pretty busy despite the late hour and the weather. I ducked around quite a few folks in rain gear buying produce for their Labor Day barbecues and for kids' back-to-school lunches. The fall produce is starting to slowly roll out. I saw grapes and some winter squash for the first time today. Just ended up with small peaches and Gala apples, onions from the organic booth (where they're smaller and cheaper), two ears of corn, and a tomato.
Worked on writing after I got home and put everything away. There's a reason Vader wanted to use Lance's club to lure the Walker twins and Hank. It's a former fish warehouse with room for tanks in the back. These tanks once held fish...but now one is going to be used to transport Hank to Jasper Hutt's club in Atlantic City. Charlie tries to fight his way out, but he's subdued. Hank tells him to watch Luke and Leia and Chip to keep an eye on Arturro. Leia rushes to him and kisses him. They barely have the time to exchange "I love you-I know" before Vader shoves Hank into the tank below them.
Broke at 1 for a quick lunch before work and more Popeye. The two sailors aren't "Pleased to Meet 'Cha" when they both end up at Olive's house at the same time and pretty much destroy it with their antics. Bluto is "The Hyp-Nut-Tist," who uses his hypnotic powers to humiliate Olive and Popeye onstage, at least until Popeye can get to a can of spinach. Popeye has to "Choose Yer Weppins" when a criminal who gives Police Officer Wimpy the slip ends up in his and Olive's shop and gets a load of all the swords laying around.
The rain had returned by 1:30, but it was so light, I opted to ride to work. Work was, once again, a pain in the rear. The rain picked up just in time for me to be sent to do carts. I had no help at all this afternoon. Spent most of the time outside and got soaked. The only time anyone helped me was when two managers came outside...and of course, one was the grouchy man who only barked orders instead of asking nicely for help. While I did do trash later in the afternoon, I eventually ended up right back outside. (I never did get to the bathrooms.) It didn't help that we were on-and-off busy all day, thanks to the weather, the holiday weekend, and the beginning-of-the-month traffic. Thankfully, the rain was down to a mist by the time I headed home.
Since I was already wet, I went right in the shower after I got in. Had shrimp and green beans for dinner when I got out. Ran Deep In My Heart while I ate and later as I went online. The final MGM composer biography semi-revue takes a look at Sigmund Romberg. If his name doesn't sound as familiar to many of you today as Rodgers and Hart or Jerome Kern, it's because he mainly specialized in old-fashioned, romantic operettas like The Desert Song or New Moon. Actually, Romberg (Mel Ferrer) did start out like the others, writing jazzy specialty numbers such as "Leg O' Mutton Rag" for the Shubert Brothers' Passing Show revues and goofy Al Jolson vehicles. Playwright Dorothy Donnelly (Merle Oberon) encourages him to get the Shuberts to put on his romantic musical melodrama Maytime. It's a massive hit, but it's not until he falls in love with a society girl (Doe Avedon) a few years later that he has the inspiration to write some of his most popular shows.
Like the other composer "biographies," there's more nifty numbers than real history in this underrated treat. Gene Kelly performs with his brother Fred for the first and only time in "I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin." Cyd Charisse and James Mitchell dance a sensuous "One Alone" that's far sexier than anything in the 1953 Desert Song. Jane Powell and Vic Damone sing a lovely "Road to Paradise" and "Sweetheart, Will You Remember?" The amazing sequence where Ferrer manages to turn the Al Jolson vehicle he's been working on into a wild one-man farce has to be seen to be believed. Also look for the rare numbers "It" performed by Ann Miller and "Your Land and My Land" sung by Howard Keel and the men's chorus.
If you love operetta like I do or the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's, you may find much to enjoy in this one, including some material that just doesn't show up that often anymore.
And I'm glad I got home when I did. The rain has continued off and on, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the night. (It's on - and pouring - as I write this.)
Friday, September 01, 2017
When the Going Gets Tough
Brrr! I was freezing in my thin summer quilt and cotton sheet when I awoke this morning. It was sunny, but breezy and very cool, probably in the upper 60's, more like fall than late summer. I actually closed a few windows.
Had a warm breakfast of corn meal mush and mandarin oranges while watching The Backyardigans. Austin is a "Robot Repairman" in futuristic Robot City in the last of the show's three hour-long specials. Robots never break down in Robot City, leaving Austin and his robot Roscoe without much to do...until bugs start making all the robots go haywire. Now Austin, Roscoe, and the other kids have to stop Professor Bug (Pablo) from controlling all of the robots and making them do his bidding!
Continued on to "Catch That Train" as I got ready for work. Tyrone is the Czar of Russia, on his way to the Winter Palace in the royal train. Uniqua is the conductor; Pablo is his ridiculously devoted and prepared servant. When Uniqua accidentally releases the breaks, the duo end up chasing the train all the way to Moscow, while Pablo still tries to fulfill Tyrone's needs.
Work was a pain in the rear today. Not only is it the beginning of Labor Day Weekend, but it's also the beginning of the month. We were really busy. I was outside early on, but I mostly bagged and did trash. I got stuck in the registers a few times as well, including for a half-hour right before I finished. That nasty head manager barged outside and demanded that I take the register, despite there being no carts and the head bagger needing help. He didn't say "please" and only gave me a very grudging "thank you." And of course, by the time I came in, there were no lines and it wasn't busy. I opened anyway, just to avoid an argument. (I wish they'd relocate that man, preferably far away from me. I heard Siberia is nice this time of year.)
The schedules were up by the time I finished. Mostly late hours this week, including Labor Day. Of course, one of the early days is Saturday, which means no Collingswood Farm Market next week. I may try to get to the Westmont Farm Market. I'm off on Tuesday and Wednesday, Tuesday for counseling.
Had a really big order this week to take advantage of holiday sales. Found a small container of shrimp and two breaded fish fillets with manager's coupons. Snared sugar and a can of organic vegetable soup from the clearance shelves. Bought strawberries for dessert later. Had good online coupons for the Acme's generic natural ice cream (went with Salted Caramel Butter Pecan) and organic snack food (I love blue corn chips). They no longer sell bubble bath; thought body wash might be more useful, anyway. Restocked skim milk, brown sugar, yogurt, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, grape jam (Smucker's Natural was on clearance), cheese, mandarin oranges, honey, ground turkey, and pasta.
Finished up the Backyardigans disc as I put everything away. "Attack of the 50 Foot Wormen" is the second Tyrone/Uniqua/Pablo story in the set. This time, Pablo and Uniqua are scientists working on a growth formula. They test it on popcorn...that's being eaten by a wormen, one of the cute worm-like critters who appear on the show from time to time. The formula makes the wormen grow and grow, until he nearly destroys the university grounds. While Uniqua and Groundskeeper Tyrone try to catch that wormen, Pablo works on a counter-formula.
Worked on writing for a few hours next. Vader's boys torture Hank by beating him with brass knuckles and whipping him with belts. Charlie gets stuck dealing with a nervous and angry Chip, while Vader forces Leia to watch Hank's beating. They all finally end up in the VIP Lounge, where Lance reveals that Hank's being turned over to bounty hunter Bobby Fett, while the others remain on Bespin Island. Hank tries to attack him, but Vader's boys get him down.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. After having my shrimp with green beans and tomatoes and homemade tartar sauce, I thought I'd try something different for dessert. I love shortcakes, grunts, and cobblers, any simple dessert that'll let you play with fruit. I was originally going to make a berry cobbler, but I saw a recipe for Summer Fruit Shortcake in the Farmer's Market supermarket stand cookbook Lauren sent me last year. It was so easy, I thought I'd try it. The shortcake was made largely the same, baked in a 9-inch cake pan. Strawberries replaced the peaches and raspberries, neither of which I had. Topped it with Salted Caramel Butter Pecan ice cream when it came out.
Oh, yummm! It was so delicious. I did have a hard time getting the shortcake out of the pan, but once I did, it was a perfect crusty base for the sugared strawberries. While the melted ice cream was a nice touch, I think it was a bit too much. I'll just go with the fruit the next time I have this.
Ran Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland while I worked and ate. This adaptation of the comic strip from the early 1900's introduces us to Nemo, a normal kid with an amazing imagination, and his pet flying squirrel Icarus. He dreams that he's been adopted by King Morpheous of Slumberland and his daughter Camille, who want to make him prince and the heir to their powers. Being a prince isn't as exciting as Nemo had hoped, which is why he lets the prankster Flip (Mickey Rooney) convince him to open the door to the Nightmare Kingdom. He seriously regrets what he's done when the Nightmare King kidnaps the kindly Morpheous. Now Nemo has to figure out how to use the king's scepter to rescue the ruler and his new friends, before he awakens for good.
Typical animated fantasy is livened by a few whimsical touches, especially in the Slumberland segment. If you're interested, the current DVD has the original soundtrack and a few extra minutes that were cut from the North American print.
Finished out the night online while watching The Jewel of the Nile. Romance novelist Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is bored with her career and her relationship with Jack Colton (Michael Douglass). Hoping to bolster her portfolio, she accepts an invitation from a charming Middle Eastern ruler (Spiros Focas) who wants her to write about him. Turns out he's a nasty dictator, and very far from the benevolent king he claims to be. When Joan gets photos of his plots, he locks her in jail, along with a rather goofy holy man (Avner Eisenberg). Meanwhile, Jack is on the trail of a fabled "Jewel of the Nile" after his boat is destroyed, along with Ralph (Danny DiVito), one of the criminals from the previous film. But neither the Jewel, nor Omar's intentions, are what they appear to be...
On one hand, they had some good ideas here. The idea of a desert romance story is a sound one, and the plot with the dictator is actually kind of interesting. I also liked Ralph bonding with the Arabic tribe. The poor guy deserved something, after everything he went through. This also features one of my favorite childhood movie songs, the hit "When the Going Gets Tough."
Alas, while the idea of Jack and Joan tramping through the desert, rescuing a jewel from an evil dictator, sounds good on paper, the execution is way off. I don't think Joan would abandon her career to write a biography of some foreign ruler many people probably haven't heard of. The idea of the jewel being a holy man is just plain dumb. It would have made more sense for it to be a real jewel they could have split with Ralph and the tribe. That a lot of it comes off as a rehash of Romancing the Stone, to the point of making Joan a butt monkey again, doesn't help. (Sadly, the woman who wrote Romancing the Stone died in a tragic car crash shortly after this movie went into production.)
Though the movie was actually one of the bigger financial hits of 1985, it was lambasted by critics then and now...and yeah, they're mostly right. An interesting premise and the leads' excellent chemistry is wasted by lazy writing and a plot that's too often a repeat of the first film. Only of interest to major fans of the cast, the first film, or desert adventures.
Had a warm breakfast of corn meal mush and mandarin oranges while watching The Backyardigans. Austin is a "Robot Repairman" in futuristic Robot City in the last of the show's three hour-long specials. Robots never break down in Robot City, leaving Austin and his robot Roscoe without much to do...until bugs start making all the robots go haywire. Now Austin, Roscoe, and the other kids have to stop Professor Bug (Pablo) from controlling all of the robots and making them do his bidding!
Continued on to "Catch That Train" as I got ready for work. Tyrone is the Czar of Russia, on his way to the Winter Palace in the royal train. Uniqua is the conductor; Pablo is his ridiculously devoted and prepared servant. When Uniqua accidentally releases the breaks, the duo end up chasing the train all the way to Moscow, while Pablo still tries to fulfill Tyrone's needs.
Work was a pain in the rear today. Not only is it the beginning of Labor Day Weekend, but it's also the beginning of the month. We were really busy. I was outside early on, but I mostly bagged and did trash. I got stuck in the registers a few times as well, including for a half-hour right before I finished. That nasty head manager barged outside and demanded that I take the register, despite there being no carts and the head bagger needing help. He didn't say "please" and only gave me a very grudging "thank you." And of course, by the time I came in, there were no lines and it wasn't busy. I opened anyway, just to avoid an argument. (I wish they'd relocate that man, preferably far away from me. I heard Siberia is nice this time of year.)
The schedules were up by the time I finished. Mostly late hours this week, including Labor Day. Of course, one of the early days is Saturday, which means no Collingswood Farm Market next week. I may try to get to the Westmont Farm Market. I'm off on Tuesday and Wednesday, Tuesday for counseling.
Had a really big order this week to take advantage of holiday sales. Found a small container of shrimp and two breaded fish fillets with manager's coupons. Snared sugar and a can of organic vegetable soup from the clearance shelves. Bought strawberries for dessert later. Had good online coupons for the Acme's generic natural ice cream (went with Salted Caramel Butter Pecan) and organic snack food (I love blue corn chips). They no longer sell bubble bath; thought body wash might be more useful, anyway. Restocked skim milk, brown sugar, yogurt, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, grape jam (Smucker's Natural was on clearance), cheese, mandarin oranges, honey, ground turkey, and pasta.
Finished up the Backyardigans disc as I put everything away. "Attack of the 50 Foot Wormen" is the second Tyrone/Uniqua/Pablo story in the set. This time, Pablo and Uniqua are scientists working on a growth formula. They test it on popcorn...that's being eaten by a wormen, one of the cute worm-like critters who appear on the show from time to time. The formula makes the wormen grow and grow, until he nearly destroys the university grounds. While Uniqua and Groundskeeper Tyrone try to catch that wormen, Pablo works on a counter-formula.
Worked on writing for a few hours next. Vader's boys torture Hank by beating him with brass knuckles and whipping him with belts. Charlie gets stuck dealing with a nervous and angry Chip, while Vader forces Leia to watch Hank's beating. They all finally end up in the VIP Lounge, where Lance reveals that Hank's being turned over to bounty hunter Bobby Fett, while the others remain on Bespin Island. Hank tries to attack him, but Vader's boys get him down.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. After having my shrimp with green beans and tomatoes and homemade tartar sauce, I thought I'd try something different for dessert. I love shortcakes, grunts, and cobblers, any simple dessert that'll let you play with fruit. I was originally going to make a berry cobbler, but I saw a recipe for Summer Fruit Shortcake in the Farmer's Market supermarket stand cookbook Lauren sent me last year. It was so easy, I thought I'd try it. The shortcake was made largely the same, baked in a 9-inch cake pan. Strawberries replaced the peaches and raspberries, neither of which I had. Topped it with Salted Caramel Butter Pecan ice cream when it came out.
Oh, yummm! It was so delicious. I did have a hard time getting the shortcake out of the pan, but once I did, it was a perfect crusty base for the sugared strawberries. While the melted ice cream was a nice touch, I think it was a bit too much. I'll just go with the fruit the next time I have this.
Ran Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland while I worked and ate. This adaptation of the comic strip from the early 1900's introduces us to Nemo, a normal kid with an amazing imagination, and his pet flying squirrel Icarus. He dreams that he's been adopted by King Morpheous of Slumberland and his daughter Camille, who want to make him prince and the heir to their powers. Being a prince isn't as exciting as Nemo had hoped, which is why he lets the prankster Flip (Mickey Rooney) convince him to open the door to the Nightmare Kingdom. He seriously regrets what he's done when the Nightmare King kidnaps the kindly Morpheous. Now Nemo has to figure out how to use the king's scepter to rescue the ruler and his new friends, before he awakens for good.
Typical animated fantasy is livened by a few whimsical touches, especially in the Slumberland segment. If you're interested, the current DVD has the original soundtrack and a few extra minutes that were cut from the North American print.
Finished out the night online while watching The Jewel of the Nile. Romance novelist Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is bored with her career and her relationship with Jack Colton (Michael Douglass). Hoping to bolster her portfolio, she accepts an invitation from a charming Middle Eastern ruler (Spiros Focas) who wants her to write about him. Turns out he's a nasty dictator, and very far from the benevolent king he claims to be. When Joan gets photos of his plots, he locks her in jail, along with a rather goofy holy man (Avner Eisenberg). Meanwhile, Jack is on the trail of a fabled "Jewel of the Nile" after his boat is destroyed, along with Ralph (Danny DiVito), one of the criminals from the previous film. But neither the Jewel, nor Omar's intentions, are what they appear to be...
On one hand, they had some good ideas here. The idea of a desert romance story is a sound one, and the plot with the dictator is actually kind of interesting. I also liked Ralph bonding with the Arabic tribe. The poor guy deserved something, after everything he went through. This also features one of my favorite childhood movie songs, the hit "When the Going Gets Tough."
Alas, while the idea of Jack and Joan tramping through the desert, rescuing a jewel from an evil dictator, sounds good on paper, the execution is way off. I don't think Joan would abandon her career to write a biography of some foreign ruler many people probably haven't heard of. The idea of the jewel being a holy man is just plain dumb. It would have made more sense for it to be a real jewel they could have split with Ralph and the tribe. That a lot of it comes off as a rehash of Romancing the Stone, to the point of making Joan a butt monkey again, doesn't help. (Sadly, the woman who wrote Romancing the Stone died in a tragic car crash shortly after this movie went into production.)
Though the movie was actually one of the bigger financial hits of 1985, it was lambasted by critics then and now...and yeah, they're mostly right. An interesting premise and the leads' excellent chemistry is wasted by lazy writing and a plot that's too often a repeat of the first film. Only of interest to major fans of the cast, the first film, or desert adventures.
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