Getting Ready for Vacation

It was gloomy and humid when I woke up, but also a bit warmer than it has been, and not raining. Put on two Dr. Seuss specials while I ate breakfast and enjoyed the weather. The Cat In the Hat is the original tale of the six-foot-tall-feline who steps in to the home of two bored kids and proceeds to wreck havoc. Their fish wishes he'd just leave, but the cat does eventually teach the kids that it doesn't take a lot of to have fun, whether you're outside or in.

Pontoffel Pock and His Magic Piano is a more bizarre Seuss special from the early 80's. Pock was just fired from his job at a dill pickle-bottling factory and wishes he could get away from his unemployment and his family's decaying home. Enter a group of fairies who give him a piano that'll take him anywhere whenever he plays a few notes and presses a button. He first goes to an Alpine town, but his showing off upsets the locals. After the fairies give him a second chance, he ends up in the Middle East, where he falls for "eyeball dancer" Eefa Neefa. Now he just has to get back to her, before the fairies find him and his piano!

Switched to one of my 20's CDs for the rest of the morning as I did things around the apartment. First thing on the agenda was making the bed and stripping the sheets. I think the current weather is a good indication that Mother Nature is ready for fall. I put on the spring/fall sheets and my pale blue and tan comforter.

It was time for me to finally start getting ready for vacation. I pulled my carry on bag and rolling luggage out to see what I needed for the trip and what I could pack now. The answer to both questions was not much. The toothbrush and small toothpaste I got from the dentist's office in the spring would fit nicely in the travel bag, but I really couldn't pack anything else until I got the laundry done, and I had other things I wanted to do today. I did slide my Star Wars coloring book and a crossword puzzle book Lauren gave me for Christmas into the carry-on bag to amuse myself on the train.

Spent the rest of the morning taking down the summer decorations and organizing the back room. I loaded my oldest journals from as far back as my childhood into a plastic container, freeing up room for more journals on the book crates. Went through the pamphlets and menus I've collected from various trips (including previous trips to Pittsfield) and loaded most of them into one of the old accordion folders.

Made a quick plum-apple-escarole smoothie with a Jif peanut butter bar for lunch while watching Sailor Moon episodes. Usagi attends an upscale finishing school in the hope of developing manners and poise in "Let's Become a Princess: Usagi's Bizarre Training." The headmistress finds her vitality and clumsiness charming...until her friends join her for a final dance and they all figure out what the teacher is really doing.

"The Legendary Lake Yokai: The Bond of Usagi's Family" has her on vacation with her brother Shingo and their parents at a hot springs resort. Still under the control of the evil Queen Beryl, Endimyon unleashes a monster from the lake who has her own ideas of what she wants to use her magic for. She was sealed in the lake by an angel and her lover, and she thinks Usagi looks like the angel! The other Sailors need Usagi's help, but she can't transform in front of her family.

Headed out to the libraries after the second episode ended. Stopped at the Oaklyn Library first. It was just the morning librarian when I arrived, watching the news reports on Hurricane Florence on The Weather Channel. I mainly organized DVDs. I left as the second librarian and her son arrived.

(Incidentally, the librarian's complaints confirmed something I'd noticed last week. The McDonald's on Cuthbert Road, next to the Wendy's and under the Haddon Township Library, is being torn down and rebuilt. I thought the design of the building looked older. In fact, other than the color of the roof and the additional playground, it very much resembled the McDonald's in North Cape May in the 80's and 90's. It also means the ramp to the Library and apartment buildings that begins at Mickey D's parking lot is closed as well. I'll be taking the short way down Cuthbert to and from Westmont for a couple of months.)

 I was mainly at the Haddon Township Library to return the DVDs from last week. The DVD cart was so overflowing, I ended up returning all of the kids' titles and about a quarter of the adult ones, despite the sign saying they were saving it for another volunteer later. I also organized the DVDs and shelved TV show sets and audio books and CDs. Didn't take anything out this week. I won't be here next week to enjoy them or return them.

Made two quick stops on the way home. The only travel item I was low on was wipes, which I use when I can't wash my hands quickly while at the stations or on the train. Picked up a small travel pack of those, plus brown sugar and those yummy whole-grain fig bars, from Target. Needed sponges at Dollar Tree.

I tried to write when I got home, but I was so tired, I ended up napping for an hour instead. I did get a little bit of writing done later. Admiral Ackbar and Los Angeles Police Chief Madine describe how they'll draw Vader's men away while the others head to the digging site. Laurence will be with those who deal with Vader's people. Harry, to Leia's surprise, volunteers to lead the expedition to the dig site.

Made a decent dinner after I got off. There was a simple recipe for "Saucy Franks" in that vintage Jiffy Cooking book I wanted to try. I updated the recipe with canned tomato sauce instead of tomato soup (I have none of the latter), lemon juice instead of a whole lemon (I also had none), and with red and orange peppers added with the green and the onions. Also made baked hash browns and sauteed escarole. It came out really well, especially the tasty sauce.

Ran the 1945 film version of State Fair as I ate. I cover this one in more detail at my Musical Reviews Blog.

State Fair

Finished out the night with The Great Outdoors. Chester "Chet" Ripley (John Candy) is looking forward to a quiet vacation by a lake in Wisconsin bonding with his sons and his wife Connie (Stephanie Faracy). They're not even there for a day when their trip is crashed by Connie's rich cousin Kate Craig (Annette Benning), her obnoxious investment broker husband Roman (Dan Ackroyd), and their creepy twin daughters. Roman keeps showing Chet up at every turn, whether it's getting him to water-ski on the lake or after Chet eats a massive steak at the local bar. Meanwhile, Chet's older son Buck (Chris Young) is pursuing a local girl, but she dumps him after he has to break their date to watch the steak incident. Matters come to a head on a stormy night, when Roman reveals why he's really there. The dads have to rescue the girls when they try to explore a mine, then save the others from a roving bear...and learn that family helps family, no matter how much they drive them crazy.

I was pleasantly surprised by this John Hughes-penned tale when I picked it up from a yard sale a few years ago. Critics savaged it for it's lack of originality when it came out. Yeah, the plot is cliched, but Ackroyd and Candy ably pick up the slack as the two very different dads with different approaches to having fun while on a trip. It has a bit in common with another Hughes vehicle for Candy, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, including an ending that's occasionally too sentimental for it's britches.

If you're a fan of either leading man or other Hughes adult and family-oriented comedies like Planes and the Vacation series, you'll want to make the trip out to Wisconsin, too.

Oh, and on a more sober note, yes, I do remember the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I discuss this a bit more at an entry I wrote on Patriot Day in 2015.

Memories On a Busy Day

Get Your Cape On

It was raining hard again when I got up this morning. By the time I'd finished breakfast and was baking Ginger Molasses Cookies, the rain was long gone, though the clouds remained. At the very least, the weather was decent enough that I wouldn't have to call Dad for a ride this time.

Cheered up a gloomy morning with Lego DC Superhero Girls: Super Villain High. Lena Luthor (Romi Dames), upset over not making the cut for Super Hero High, vows to create her own Legion of Doom! She makes several of the more villainous members of Super Hero High, including Cheetah (Ashley Eckstein), Catwoman (Cristina Pucelli), and Poison Ivy (Tara Strong) get into trouble and think they aren't wanted at the school. Posing as a teacher, she recruits them for her "Uber High" by promising them more hands-on training. Batgirl discovers that what she's really doing is using them to steal precious gems from various locations. The other girls don't believe them...until Lena and Lashina (Meredith Salenger) brainwashes the Green Lantern (Cristina Milizia) and traps the others. Meanwhile, Kantana (Stephanie Sheh) and Bumblebee (Teala Dunn) are taking competing against each other too far as they search for a priceless necklace for a class. The girls finally learn that, while friendly competition can push you to your highest levels, you can get even further by working together.

I like the regular online DC Superhero Girls shorts, and the LEGO versions are fun, too. If you're already a fan of this franchise, this is worth a look, too.

Headed to work shortly after the cartoon ended. Work was fine when I got in, but it was on-and-off busy for most of the rest of the day. When I wasn't inside in the registers or gathering baskets, I was outside doing the carts. I also did the few returns and bagged.

At least the weather wasn't as bad as yesterday. It sprinkled on and off, but never even enough to make me damp, much less get as wet as yesterday. I think we might have had one, maybe two slightly heavier showers, but nothing really horrible. It was down to a mist by the time I headed home.

Put on Vegas Vacation as I had garden tomatoes and tortilla-crusted tilapia for dinner. Clark Grizwauld (Chevy Chase) just got a big bonus at work and uses it to take his wife Ellen (Beverly DiAngelo) and teen children Russ (Ethan Embry) and Audrey (Marisol Nichols) to Las Vegas. Clark is hoping to bond as a family, but he ends up addicted to a baccarat table run by a snide card dealer (Wallace Shawn). Meanwhile, Audrey ends up pole dancing with her cousin Vicki (Shae D'Lyn), Russ runs around with gangsters who think he's a lot older than he is, and Ellen flirts with singer Wayne Newton (Himself). Clark only has the eternally clueless Eddie (Randy Quaid) to rant to when he loses everything...but it makes him realize just how important his family is.

This is really just ok. There's some nice gags with Russ lying his way through Vegas and Clark at the table, but the whole thing with Ellen and Newton is kind of creepy, and the extended sequence with Clark and his family at Hoover Dam mid-way through the film is filler at best and dull at worst. Recommended only for fans of the cast or people who have seen the other Vacation movies and want to finish the series.

Every Little Nothing

It was pouring when I awoke this morning, and would continue raining in some form another for pretty much the entire day. I brightened the gloomy weather with Zucchini Pancakes for breakfast and the original Broadway cast of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Carol Channing became a star in this adaptation of the Roaring 20's tale of Lorelei Lee, who buys a diamond tiara off of a rich lady with money she got from her husband. Most of the songs didn't make it to the film version, except for "Just a Little Girl From Little Rock" and the show's most famous number, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." They tried reviving it in 1995, but the show barely ran a week. It did better as an Encores concert in 2012.

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon writing. Leia, Laurence, Harry, Charel, and Clarence meet Dr. Mothma three days later at UCLA. Turns out there was a reward for capturing Roberto Fettara. Leia intends to use her part of the reward to fund her exhibition to Guatemala to find the remains of the Alderaanian culture. Harry, Charel, and Laurence all say they'll stay on as well. Dr. Mothma explains that Vader and Chancellor Palpatine of the Empire are already at the site, but they may still have a chance of getting around them.

Broke for a quick lunch at 1. Listened to Little Mary Sunshine as I ate yogurt, plums, and a peanut-chocolate chip muffin. This Off-Broadway operetta spoof was a huge hit in the late 50's-early 60's. Eileen Brennan made her first big splash as the sweet title character, the owner of an inn in the Colorado Rockies. A group of forest rangers after a rogue Indian arrive, along with a group of girls from a finishing school and an aging opera singer and retired corporal. Pretty much everyone pairs off by the end, including Mary with handsome Captain Jim Warrington and her maid Nancy with Corporal Billy Jester. Some folks may be offended by the evil Indian subplot, but this is mostly a cute parody if you know anything about the genre they're making fun of.

It was still raining so hard by 1, Dad ended up driving me to and from work. We were crazy when I came in, even though the Eagles played on Thursday. I bagged for the first half-hour, then spent the rest of the first half of my shift doing returns. I had a harder time during the second half. We're running out of pretty much everything, including toilet paper and plastic trash bags. I used the last two rolls of toilet paper and had to search for more trash bags. I also had to take over the carts for an hour when all the teen baggers went home and got very wet.

(I did see some games today in the back lounge area. Cleveland got it's first non-loss since 2016 with a 21-21 tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cowboys weren't nearly as lucky against the Carolina Panthers, losing 16-8.)

Dad picked me up right after I finished work. He gave me a container of chili Jodie had just made. Since it was still warm, I had it for dinner. Listened to Harry Connick Jr. while I ate, then switched to the appropriate Jazz for a Rainy Afternoon. Took a much-needed bath while the jazz CDs were running.

It's continued to pour, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the evening. It stopped for a little while, but seems to have started again. It's supposed to continue into tomorrow...which is not good, since tomorrow is my extra-long eight and a half hour day.

Dolls, Ducks, and Princesses

It was raining at a pretty good clip when I got up this morning. I cheered up the gloomy day with breakfast and the first two episodes of the current version of Ducktales. "The Beagle Birthday Massacre" introduces Lena, a hip young girl who befriends Webby when she's left behind by the boys. They crash Ma Beagle's birthday party, looking for adventure. The boys show up to help when it turns out to be more action than they can handle. But as cool as Lena is, she's not what she seems...and her true allegiance may be with one of the worst villains Uncle Scrooge ever dealt with.

"The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra" is a bit more typical of the series. Launchpad, Uncle Scrooge, and the kids get lost in an Egyptian pyramid. Louie and Webby end up in the treasure room, but they also discover the angry pharoah Toth-Ra, who isn't happy with anyone taking his treasure. Meanwhile, the others try to gain the support of his followers, including introducing them to Mexican food.

The rain had finally ended by quarter of 11, when I headed out for the Collingswood Farm Market. While not dead, the late hour and bad weather had taken it's toll on the crowds. I had no problems checking out the groaning tables laden with produce. Saw the first winter squash of the year, including butternut and acorn. I settled for Italian plums, small Gala apples, and Chinese beans.

I rode around for about 20 minutes, looking for Collingswood Music. I was hoping they'd have a record needle. They used to be on Haddon Avenue, but they moved a while back. I did find their new location, but it turns out that they don't open until noon. It was only around 11:30 at that point. I had too much that I needed to do to wait, so I moved on.

Took the long way down Collings Avenue, making a short but fruitless stop at CVS before riding over to Dad and Jodie's house. Along with picking up the pan from the peanut butter icebox cake (which they never finished), I had an idea for Friday. Instead of them driving me into Philly, they could drop me off at Collingswood. There are trains that go from the Septa stations neare the PATCO right to 30th Street. (In fact, it only takes five minutes to get there from 8th Street by train.) Dad said he was fine with driving me to the station on Friday (despite construction and street work going on), but I could take the trains home next Friday. I won't be in until 5:30, the height of rush hour.

When I got home, I had a plum-gray squash smoothie for lunch, then made Peanut-Chocolate Chip Muffins while watching the remaining Ducktales episodes. Uncle Scrooge wants to spend his Christmas conquering "The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverest." He tried to climb it years before, but was betrayed by his guide, George Mallardy. Meanwhile, Webby and Dewey try to figure out the best slope to use for sledding, Huey wants to discover all of Neverest's secrets and earn his Junior Woodchuck cartography badge, and Louie helps Launchpad get back at a salesman who sold him a load of gear for his non-existent "ice fever."

Donald replaces Launchpad for "The Spear of Selene." The ducks find themselves stranded on Ithaquack, the home of the Greek gods. Zeus is jealous of Uncle Scrooge, who had bested him at various events when he passed through before. He orders Donald to compete with the legendary Storkules. Dewey and Webby have more serious reasons for exploring as they search a temple for a item that might lead to the location of the boys' missing mother Della.

Dusted the apartment after I put the muffins in the oven. Except for the sawdust-covered window ledges that look out onto the porch, it wasn't really that bad. I pretty much dusted around most things. I'll do more thorough cleaning later in the fall, before the holidays kick in.

Launchpad learns to "Beware of the B.U.D.D.Y System" when he challenges arrogant industrialist Mark Beaks to a race against his new robot car. Not only does he lose the race, but it turns out that the designs originally belonged to Gyro Gearloose, who isn't too happy with his intern Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera for posting them online. Launchpad and Fenton get a chance to prove themselves when the robot car traps Uncle Scrooge, Dewey, Mark, and Gyro. Fenton gets a chance to show off his and Gyro's latest invention - an Iron Man-style suit of armor that turns him into the superhero Gizmo Duck!

"The Missing Links of Moorshire" has Uncle Scrooge playing his rival Flintheart Glomgold in a not-so-friendly game of golf in Scotland. The game turns deadly when they're all spirited away by druids to a magical realm where kelpies take the form of cute ponies and a strange mist drifts around the trees. Dewey wants to learn the game, but his methods are energetic but not exactly keeping with the strict rules of golf, until Scrooge realizes there's a place where they may just save them all. (And the obvious My Little Pony parody here is kind of interesting. Hasbro, who owns My Little Pony, is the manufacturer of Disney toys.)

Finished out the dusting as I moved to two episodes of the original late 80's Ducktales. "Ducky Mountain High" takes Scrooge and the kids out west, where his old girlfriend Glitterin' Goldie has a plot of land filled with gold trees. Trouble is, Glomgold has also learned about Goldie's land and is determined to take those trees for himself.

When Fenton's mother somehow manages to shrink  his GizmoDuck suit in "New Gizmo-Kids On the Block," it ends up in the wings of the boys and Webby. They're the ones who end up saving the day when the Beagle Boys try to steal it.

(And...as much as I still enjoy the original series, the new one is great, too. I love most of the updated characters, especially Webby and Fenton. I may have to look up the rest of the first season to see how the story lines involving Della and Lena's "aunt" pan out.)

Switched to dressing the dolls after I finished the dusting. It's now way too cold for bathing suits. While it is supposed to get warmer next week, it's not going to be nearly as hot as it was. Samantha is in her blue and white windowpane check Play Dress and Pinafore with white Springfield Collection socks and her black strap shoes. Jessa wears her high-necked striped shirt from her original meet outfit and a pair of shorts I bought from a doll clothes seller at a craft show. Ariel gets the American Girl tie-dye t-shirt from the 90's and a pair of Springfield Collection capris and sneakers. Put Whitney in Kit's Scooter Dress with the ruffled skirt and Molly's white t-strap shoes. Josefina sports her orange and red-print Summer Dress with the faux-leather vest and boots. Left Felicity in her lavender Traveling Gown. I really don't have much to change her into.

Worked on writing for a while after I finished the dolls. The Force magic does not like Yasmin trying to take it! It finally dissolves her, leaving her as nothing more than ashes on the stage, to the shock of Leia and Luke. They catch up with Harry knocking Roberto Fettara out as Artie and Yoda arrive with the police. Clarence turned out to be hiding under a table; he'd grabbed Artie's drinks cart and got very drunk.

Broke for leftovers for dinner around quarter of 7. I began the Elena of Avalor DVD while dusting; finished it out during dinner. Elena travels to the magical "Realm of the Jaquins," the bird-leopard guardians of Avalor, to convince the father of one of the jaquins to give him another chance at becoming a guardian. She and her wizard friend Gabe are followed by the thieves Victor and Ciela, who unleash a sprite that wants to destroy all the towns in Avalor and restore the trees and flowers there. Elena seeks the help of the mystical Sunbird Oracle, who can predict the future...including telling her of a dark magic that will challenge everything she believes in.

"Three Jaquins and a Princess" is far less dire. Elena leaves her little sister Isabel in charge of three Jaquin eggs while she judges a castle bake-off. The eggs hatch while they're in Isabel's care. She keeps insisting that she's not a kid and can handle anything, but the trio of baby jaquins prove to be far more of a handful than she expected.

The evil sorceress Shriki is back by the time of "Shapeshifters." The Council wants Elena to stay in the palace and rule the kingdom, but Elena feels that her place is in finding Shriki. She convinces Gabe to change her and a palace guard into jaquins so they can go out and look for her. They use a party for one jaquin as an excuse, and get embroiled in the feud between a chief and his son, who wants to rule the clan himself.

The remaining cartoons are shorts that were shown on Disney Junior. Adventures in Vallestrella had Elena trying to get the jaquin cubs and Isobel to observe various animals, but they can't help getting involved with them. Scepter Training with Zuzo is what it says on the tin - Elena learns to use her magical sceptor with the help of her spirit guide Zuzo.

(And while I did enjoy these episodes, including "Shapeshifters" - which seems to be part of a larger story - with the others was confusing. They really should have included it with the other episodes revolving around Shriki's return and found another jaquin-based episode for this set.)

Finished the night with Summer Magic, a charming Disney live-action musical from the early 60's that I traditionally watch every year between late August and early October as a way to say good-bye to the summer season. I go into it in more detail at my Musical Dreams Reviews blog.

Summer Magic

Oh, and it's rained off and on all day, though never as heavily as it did this morning...or as it's supposed to for the rest of the weekend. We'll see what happens.

Busy Day Before the Storm

It was cloudy and a little bit cooler when I got up this morning. Started off my day with breakfast and some Peanuts. There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown actually has more to do with school than romance. The gang is supposed to be going to the art museum to do a report, but somehow Chuck, Sally, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Snoopy, and Woodstock mistake a grocery store for the museum.

Headed out to the laundromat after the special ended. They were absolutely dead when I arrived. I think I saw maybe two or three people the whole time I was there. Just as well. I had a really big load this week, including towels, and it took me a little bit longer than usual to get it all done. Looked over issues of Country Living and Martha Stewart Living, since I forgot a pen to write notes with.

Went home, put everything away, and went back out again. Next up on my agenda was the Oaklyn Library. They were relatively busy for them, with several people on the computers. I worked on organizing the DVD while the librarian tried to explain why one of the guys lost his work. (He hadn't saved, and the site he was using had gone down.)

Took Nicholson Road to the Audubon Crossings Shopping center for lunch. Though it wasn't raining, and was less hot than it has been lately, it continues to be very humid. I opted for pizza at Tu Se Bella's. Had a slice of cheese and a slice of broccoli and tomato on white with a fruit punch Powerade. They weren't busy at all, a bit of a surprise for 12:30 on a Friday. I still ate at one of the big, rustic tables in the main dining area. (The smaller table in the window was already taken when I came in.)

I had even less grocery shopping to do this week than I did last week. I've been so worn out from my long hours at work, I've just been eating leftovers. I restocked peanut butter, yogurt, skim milk, canned pineapple (I used the can from last week for a pineapple-escarole smoothie this morning), canned chicken, tape, and vanilla and almond extract. Thought I'd try some Jiff "Pick Me Up" bars I had an online coupon for.

My schedule for next week is really strange. I do have Tuesday and Wednesday off, along with next Friday and Saturday for my vacation to visit Lauren up in Pittsfield...but Monday is 8 and 1/2 hours, and Thursday is 7 hours, and I have far fewer hours than I did this week. Our schedules are now done by a computer, rather than a person. I guess they're still working out all the glitches.

As soon as I got home, I put away what little I'd bought. Ran two episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures while I got organized. The Toons are "Test Stressed" during mid-terms at Acme Looniversity. Plucky's so freaked out, he asks Shirley the Loon to channel Einstein into his brain in the first story. The second has a hands - or paws - on test as Furball goes after Lil' Sneezer, as instructed by his mentor Sylvester. Fowlmouth has a different kind of test in the third story as Buster tries to keep him from swearing long enough to ask Shirley on a date.

"Looniversity Daze" is another school-set anthology episode. Buster is sent to the principal's office for goofing off in class in the first story. The kids are all terrified of this flaming spook, but it turns out that he's not what he seems. It's lunch time in the next story, but Sweetie would rather chase Bookwork through the library. The last story has Plucky trying to get out of a test again, this time by faking sick. Turns out he couldn't have picked a worse time. The new student nurse is Elmyra, who isn't what you would call helpful.

Took the long way across Newton Lake Park after the Toons ended. I was really hoping it would rain soon. It's finally starting to look dry here, with brown patches in the grass and brittle tan leaves already falling off some trees. There weren't too many people out and about, probably due to the ongoing clouds and cut-it-with-a-knife humidity.

The Haddon Township Library was a lot busier. I mainly shelved and organized DVDs. All of the families with kids must have returned movies before school started again. The return cart was overflowing, and there were some kids' titles I could fit on the children's area shelves.

There were also a lot of new kids' titles. I took out a few of them today. Grabbed another My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic set spotlighting a member of the Mane Six, this time country girl Applejack. Also found a special for Elena of Avalor, a Lego DC Superhero Girls movie, and more of the current version of Ducktails. There were so many awesome new animated titles in, I'll have to wait to get to the fourth and final season of Star Wars: Rebels and Big Hero 6: Back In Action until after vacation.

Made a quick stop at Target on the way home. They were finally starting to put out the Halloween candy, but that meant their back-to-school aisle was decimated. I couldn't find the dry erase board markers I was looking for (I'm on my last one), but I did pick up the Parmesan cheese I forgot at the Acme earlier.

It started to shower as I rode home. Hurried inside and got on the computer before the rain could get worse. Re-wrote what I did last night. Leia attacks Yasmin more aggressively with the sword. Luke helps her after he gets most of the male dancers off the stage. She sends Harry to find Laurence, who went after Roberto Fettara. Yasmin tries to get the Sword of Wisdom back from Leia, but it doesn't want her...and it's magic throws her offstage, to the audience's amazement.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made a fried egg sandwich with cheese, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Watched the My Little Pony DVD as I ate, and later as I went online. Applejack may be in charge of the Element of Honesty, but she learns just how hard it can be to stay honest in the fourth season episode "Leap of Faith." The Flim Flam Brothers have come to town with a tonic that can supposedly make the elderly young again. Apple doesn't buy it, but her Granny Smith drinks a bottle and suddenly can swim as well as she did when she was a filly. The brothers convince Apple that it's only making her grandmother happy...until Granny nearly gets hurt doing a dangerous stunt, and Apple finally calls them out.

The remaining episodes are all from the sixth season. Rarity just wishes Applejack would leave her chores and join her for some pampering at the spa in "Applejack's "Day" Off." Apple gives Spike and Twilight a list of chores, then finally goes off with Rarity. She can't stop working, even at the spa, when she discovers that their steam bath is broken due to stress from the constant laundry on their plumbing. It isn't until they return to the farm and Twilight complains about all the unnecessary steps in her list that she realizes what happened at the spa. People and ponies sometimes get so used to doing things a certain way, they don't realize when their ways stop working as intended.

Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash put "The Cart Before the Ponies" when they agree to help their sisters Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo build carts for their school's rally, but ignore the girls' suggestions and make them what they want them to be. It takes a crash at the finish line for the older ponies to see how much they got carried away...and pushed their siblings aside.

"P.P.O.V (Pony Point of View)" has an angry Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity telling Spike and Twilight three very different versions of how they capsized their boat. They finally trick the girls into another boat trip in order to show them what really happened.

We end with an extended flashback episode, "Where the Apple Lies." Applejack tells Apple Bloom how she made a rash business deal with Filthy Rich, the owner of the local grocery store, to sell their juice. When Granny Smith says no, she tells Rich that Granny's sick. Her lies get bigger and bigger, until her brother Big McIntosh somehow ends up on an operating table, and Apple's the only one who can stop Granny from opening up his insides.

(And wow. We did finally get that rain. It started as I was writing, and continued until just about an hour ago. It was really noisy, too. Thunder, lightning, torrential downpour, the works. Looks like we're supposed to get quite a bit of rain this weekend, too. We'll see how things go.)

Battle of the Birds

It was cloudy and hazy when I headed to work this morning. By the time the noon rush hour crowds started arriving, the clouds were gone, and it was another hot, sunny, humid day. I did get some returns done, but I mainly spent the morning doing returns. I tried to shelve candy in the afternoon, but it got much busier than it has been lately, probably due to the first Eagles game of the season tonight against the Falcons. I got stuck in the register briefly earlier, but then for an hour and a half later in the day. They ended up pulling a stock girl to come up for me so I could get out on time.

Worked on writing when I got home. While Luke holds off Yasmin's fat goons, Leia gets Yasmin on the floor. The female gangster manages to grab the Sword of Wisdom, but she's knocked out by Charel and Harry. Harry tells her that he's not going to be her boy toy and that he and Charel quit her organization. Leia uses the Sword of Wisdom to erase all knowledge of the Force, the Swords, and Alderaanian culture from her mind.

Broke for dinner at quarter after 6. I had leftovers while watching The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas in honor of Burt Reynolds, who passed away today. This wasn't the musical I was originally going to review tonight, but it's also the only movie I own of his. I go more into depth on this vehicle for him and Dolly Pardon at my Musical Dreams Reviews blog.

I'm finishing the night with the big Eagles-Falcons game. A lightning storm delayed the start until almost 9, which is why it's only in the beginning of the second quarter at press time. The Eagles just got a field goal to tie the game 3-3. I hope they pick things up soon...but they always did play better in the second half...

Hot Day In the Morning

Started off another hot, humid, hazy morning with my second early work day in a row. Though I did end up in the register briefly at one point, we were mostly quiet all day. This gave me the chance to finally finish shelving those three carts of loose items, gather trash inside and out, mop up a leaky cooler, and clean the bathrooms. Once again, I spent most of the day outside. The bagger who came in later was supposed to have taken over, but he didn't really do a whole lot, and I ended up helping him, despite having done the carts for a lot of the day already.

Jumped in the shower as soon as I got in the door. I was hot, sweaty, and sore. When I got out, I worked on writing. Yasmin announces at the ceremony that she intends to "sacrifice" Luke and Leia...but Luke has no desire to let her hypnotize him. The moment she raises the sword and tries to force him and the audience to look at the crystal, Artie tosses him his Sword of Light from under his rolling drinks cart instead. He takes on Yasmin's goons while his sister attacks the female gangster.

Broke for dinner at 7. Ate leftovers while watching Moonrise Kingdom. It's the summer of 1965. Sam, an orphan boy (Jared Gilman), is spending his summer at the Khaki Scouts camp before he moves on to another foster home. He's meeting with his pen pal Suzy (Kara Hayward), who has been neglected by her lawyer parents (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray). They're determined to find a cove they call "Moonrise Kingdom" and get married. Half the island eventually chases after them, including the camp's Scout Master (Edward Norton), the town sheriff (Bruce Willis), and an icy social services worker who is supposed to be taking Sam to a correctional facility (Tilda Swinton) when his foster family doesn't want him. Eventually, the Scouts see things their way and take them to a grumpy old relative of one of the Scouts (Jason Schwartzman), who unofficially "marries" them. But there's a major storm brewing, one that will change the lives of everyone on the island...and finally end Sam and Suzy's trek in a confrontation with Sharp on the roof of the island's church.

This was so sweet. It was one of the most adorable movies about kids growing up I've ever seen. The kids were perfect as the pair of misfits in the midst of their first crushes. I also liked Willis as the genuinely concerned sheriff, Swinton as the frosty government worker, and Schwartzman as the crusty repairman who has a softer heart than you might think. Some great New England cinematography, too, especially once the kids actually make it to "Moonrise Kingdom."

If you're a fan of historical coming-of-age movies or quirky director Wes Anderson's other work, this is one kingdom you'll want to brave a hurricane to explore.

Speaking of Anderson, I finished the night with his most recent project, Isle of Dogs. In Japan in an unspecified future, all dogs have been banished to an island of trash following an outbreak of a canine flu. Atari Kobayashi (Koyu Rankin), the nephew of the conniving mayor (Kunichi Nomura), swipes a plane and flies out to the island to find his beloved bodyguard dog Spots (Liev Schreiber). He doesn't find Spots, but he does encounter a pack of dogs, lead by human-hating Chief (Bryan Cranston), who agree to help him after rescuing him from a vicious robot dog. Chief won't join in at first, until former show dog Nutmeg (Scarlett Johanssen) talks him into it. Meanwhile, the corrupt Mayor suppresses a cure found by a professor (Akira Ito) in the interest of maintaining control over the city. An American teen reporter (Greta Gerwig) discovers her deception and decides to do some snooping on her own. Eventually, both kids remind people and dogs of how they'd once shared a bond...and just how deep that bond runs.

Awesome animation, great Japanese-influenced drum music, and a unique look at Japanese culture is offset by a bizarre storyline that can get kind of dark and depressing at times, especially for dog lovers. I think I'm just not into these dystopian future stories, whether they revolve around an island of dogs or thirteen districts. Worth seeing for the animation if you can get more into the unusual story than I did.

Back to Work Again

Started off a hot and killer humid morning with my first of three early and long work-days in a row. It wasn't really much of a problem. The only trouble I had was I was the only bagger for most of the day. The late morning bagger ended up spending her entire shift in a register. I was on my own until a college kid came in at 2. I spent a lot of the middle of the day trying to do six things at once for everyone up front. Otherwise, I mainly alternated between doing baskets, carts, and shelving loose items. (I also gathered indoor trash when that started to get bad later in the afternoon.)

As soon as I got home, I changed and went on the computer to work on my story. Leia dances in with the chorus girls. Yasmin has Luke in a white tunic and Harry in a collar, chain, and loincloth as her "slave." She announces that Leia and Luke are to be the virgins who are sacrificed as the bride and groom of the gods...but Luke has a plan of his own to show what the "gods" really want...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. I turned leftover chicken pepper stir fry into chicken and sauteed summer vegetables with the addition of a potato and garden tomatoes, with a plum for dessert. Ran Grease while I ate and Grease 2 when I got online in honor of most local schools starting again this week. I review both as a "double feature" at my Musical Dreams Reviews blog.

Back to School Again Double Feature - Grease and Grease 2

All Summer Long

Kicked off an early morning with reading the Labor Day entries from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology book. The big one was a biography on Samuel Gumpters, the spearhead of the union movement in the US for many years. There were also a couple of poems on workers and working, including I Heard America Singing by Walt Whitman.

Did excerpts from two American Girl books that involved labor and working. Samantha Learns a Lesson has Sam working on a speech about the wonders of factories to her private girl's academy. It works fine with the rich girls, but her best friend Nellie knows what it's really like to work in a factory. Her harrowing descriptions of child labor changes Sam's mind about real "progress." Changes for Rebecca lands Becky and her cousin Ana in the middle of a strike that Ana's father and brother are involved in. Becky gets hurt and loses the speech she'd written...but she doesn't lose her resolve to become a great speaker and actress.

After I finished my journal, I moved on to breakfast and a couple of Three Stooges shorts that revolved around their many careers. They hope it's "False Alarms" when they're firefighters whose boss says they have to stop going out every night. Curly's still interested in some fun, especially after he meets a trio of girls who want dates...and accidentally trips an alarm that sends them scrambling for the "fire!" "Slippery Silks" has them as furniture repairmen who inherit a dress shop. Their idea of fashion is even scarier than their repair skills.

Switched to Shemp as I vacuumed the apartment and washed the windows. "Sing a Song of Six Pants" has them as tailors who discover that they're repairing a gangster's pants. They try to detain him so they can collect the reward for him. They're "All Gummed Up" when their de-aging potion turns their landlord's elderly wife into a beauty...but works too well on their landlord!

Went straight to work as soon as "Gummed Up" ended. Work was crazy all day. Today is the last major holiday of the summer, it's the beginning of the month, and a lot of people were shopping for food for their kids' back-to-school bag lunches and Labor Day barbecues. I did manage to get the last of a cart of candy shelved, but that was pretty much the only thing I got done all day. I spent most of the rest of a hot, hazy afternoon returning carts. Even with help, I still couldn't keep the carts full! I had even more problems keeping the baskets full. Ended up in the register for about a half-hour too, when it got really crazy.

Went straight home after that and into the shower. It was so hot, and I was so sweaty, I really couldn't put it off. After I got out, I worked on some writing. Leia is being forced into dancing in the chorus, much to the shock of Clarence. Artie's there as well, serving drinks. He says Luke has everything well under control, but neither Clarence nor Leia are convinced.

Broke at 7 for dinner. Threw together one of the tomatoes from Charlie's garden, the last of the black bean dip, eggs, and mushrooms for Southwestern Scrambled Eggs. Did two more Shemp Stooges shorts while I ate. Oddly, they're not really "Vagabond Loafers," despite the title. They're actually plumbers who are hired to fix the pipes at a huge mansion. Their watery antics nearly destroy the house, but it also stops a pair of burglars from making off with a priceless painting. "Hugs and Mugs" brings in three attractive female jewel thieves who are searching for a pearl necklace, which just happens to be owned by the Stooges...but a gangster is after it, too.

Finished the night with American Graffiti as I went online. It's the last night of summer for four young men in a small California town. Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), who isn't sure he wants to go away to college, spends the night chasing a beautiful blond in a white Thunderbird (Suzanne Sommers). Steve (Ron Howard), once the high school prom king, does want to go to college, but he also doesn't want to leave his steady girl Laurie (Cindy Williams) behind. Their geek buddy Terry (Charles Martin Smith) manages to charm a statuesque blond (Candy Clark), but loses the car he got her in. Long-time greaser John (Paul Le Mat) spends most of the night dealing with chatty 16-year-old Carol (Mackenzie Phillips) after she's dumped on him by her sister. They all end up at the local drag race road at the end of the night after John's challenged to a race by cocky newcomer Bob Alfalfa (Harrison Ford).

The Star Wars films aren't the only George Lucas movies I'm a big fan of. I love this plotless but atmospheric look at the "cruisin'" culture of the 50's and early 60's. It was one of the biggest hits of 1973, kick-started the nostalgia boom of the mid-70's, and made stars out of most of its cast (or adult stars, in Howard's case). If you're a fan of other largely plotless comedies with great classic rock soundtracks set in the late 20th century like Dazed and Confused or Pirate Radio, you'll want to check this one out, too.

And...I hope all of you had a safe and happy Labor Day (and did a little less laboring than me)!

Once a Year Day

Tried to start off the morning with the original Broadway cast of How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying in honor of Labor Day...but the record wouldn't play right. It kept skipping or the sound was wonky, and I know there's no scratches on that record. Turns out that the needle is both dull and loose. I'll order a new one at the end of the week. For now, I'll just be listening to CDs and the internet.

Switched to Legally Blonde: The Musical as I made Plum Ginger Pancakes for breakfast. Elle Woods (Laura Bell Bundy) is  your typical sweet blond bimbo collegiate in Southern California, at least until her boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Richard H Blake) says he's going to study law at Harvard. Determined to prove that she can be as serious as the next girl, Elle follows him cross-country, getting into Harvard through sheer chutzpah (and overwhelming the entrance committee with her personal essay, a cheer routine). She's hopelessly out of place among the dark-dressed snobs at Harvard, and her obsession with Warner is occupying a lot more time than her law studies. Poor law teaching student Emmett (Christian Borle) helps her to understand that if she really wants to be serious, she has to change her priorities and put the focus on her. Not only does she get a coveted internship, but she may be the only one who can help a popular fitness instructor who was accused of killing her husband.

This is such a cute show. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It's not for those who are looking for a more serious or manly, but if you love modern rock-pop, girl-power tales, or the original film, you'll want to check this out.

Cleaned the kitchen while I listened to the show. It was a little bit messier than the bathroom. I've been eating at home a lot, mainly because I can't afford to eat out as often as I used to. (Not to mention, it's been too hot to go out a lot of the time this summer anyway.)

Broke to write for a little while at around 12:30, but I didn't really get far. Leia is forced to dress as a show girl to be one of the ones given as a "bride to the gods" in Yasmin's "ceremony." Luke has a plan to rescue Henry and the Sword, but Leia isn't entirely sure about any of it.

Headed out quickly around 2 for Dad and Jodie's party. I walked there instead of taking my bike. It was a hot and humid day, probably in the upper 80's, but I was carrying the peanut butter icebox cake. It doesn't really fit in my basket. I also had no plans to go anywhere else and didn't really feel like pulling the cover off the bike just to go to Dad's on the next street over.

Dad, Jodie, and Vanessa were the only ones there when I arrived at 2:30. I went swimming on my own for about a half-hour before Dana and Samantha, a friend of her's, joined me. Jesse came in a bit later. I'd gotten out to get a snack just as Rose and her family rolled in.  They were going to come at 2, but little miss Finley had to finish out her nap. Jessa arrived shortly before them. (She said Joe opted to clean their condo.) I went back in, watching Craig lead his daughter around in the water and trying to keep Khai from swiping her My Little Pony toddler toys. Khai's friend Chloe and her mom came over to swim at about 4:30.

Jodie had the barbecue ready around 5. Along with cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and ribs, there was a fruit tray, a Caesar salad, potato and macaroni salads, asparagus sauteed in garlic, and cucumber salad. Rose provided a cookie tray, with massive home-made chocolate chip cookies layered alongside Smores Milanos, Lemon cookies, and Gingerbread Men and sprinkled with blueberries. Jodie also had butter and lemon loaf cakes for dessert with my peanut butter cake. I never did have lunch, so I had two burgers, the salad, macaroni salad, and asparagus, plus lots of fruit from the fruit tray, several cookies, a slice of lemon cake, and two small slices of peanut butter cake.

I rejoined Khai and Chloe in the pool for a while after dinner. Had a nice chat with Chloe about her cheerleading and how I used to play field hockey in high school. She, Khai, and I had a great time splashing each other.

After we got out, Khai and Craig set off fireworks. I stood on the porch and watched while Sam, Dana, Rose, and Finley observed on the grass by the pool. They set off small upright canisters that shot off colorful sparks and made sizzling pops in the air and small circles that created colored smoke. Evidently, they didn't go quite as high or far as they were supposed to. Craig said he'd had the set around since he picked up at Acme on the 4th of July.

We all finally came in for dessert at 6. Finley cuddled up against her mama, while her brother and Chloe played with Jessa's massive Beanie Babies collection and Jessa had a serious conversation with her father. Khai and Chloe were covering each other with Beanies and "popping" out of the container when we were all ready to head home.

Rose and her family drove me to my place. I'd barely gotten out of the car when I noticed a very, very long line of tomatoes sitting on the railing of Charlie's front porch. His garden's output had multiplied again, probably the result of the rain we had last week, and he was once again trying to get rid of the windfall. I took two small tomatoes, a green pepper, and a pile of grape tomatoes.

Spent the rest of the night listening to Broadway cast albums, either about school or work. The second revival of The Pajama Game did fairly well in 2006, likely thanks to the star power of leads Kelli O'Hara and Harry Connick Jr. Connick is Sid, the new foreman at a pajama factory that's preparing to go on strike. He tangles almost immediately with Babe (O'Hara), the head of the grievance committee. The girls on the pajama-making line know there's sparks between them, but Babe needs persuasion. They seem to get on well at the company picnic, but Babe still supports the union strike...and Sid ends up firing her after she damages the machinery. Sid, however, ends up understanding her point of view when he discovers that their boss has been playing fast and loose with the accounts. Meanwhile, efficiency expert Hines (Michael McKean) is constantly jealous of all the flirting his girlfriend Gladys (Megan Laurence) does, especially after he catches her with Sid and comes to the wrong conclusion.

Three new songs were added to this production (one for Connick Jr. to sing in the second act), but my favorites are still the older ones. Connick does well by the standard "Hey There"; he and O'Hara have a blast with "There Once Was a Man." I also like "I Still Get Jealous" for McKean and Roz Ryan (as Sid's secretary Mabel).

Ended the night with the popular 1959 off-Broadway revival of the 1917 college musical Leave It to Jane. Jane (Kathleen Murray) is the daughter of the president of Atwater College, which is trying to set up a football team to defeat rival Bingham. Bessie, another athlete at the school, convinces Jane to lure Bingham's star football player Billy Bolton to Atwater. She does manage to get Billy to Atwater under an assumed name. Billy wins the big Thanksgiving Day game, but his dad catches him. His dad is a big Bingham supporter, and he tells him that Jane only wanted him for the team.  He packs up to leave Atwater, but Jane finally tells him that she loves him and will wait for him until after school.

Charming antique is the grandparent of everything from Good News to High School Musical and is a lot of fun for fans of college tales or Jerome Kern's music.

One Quiet Summer

Though it was still cloudy and humid when I got up this morning, it was at least a bit warmer. Cheered up the dark day with shorts featuring my favorite Disney character, Donald Duck. He checks out a museum filled with "Modern Inventions," but starts to question the machine age when the inventions just drive him crazy. Coached by a radio show, Donald tries to exhibit some "Self Control" while lying in a hammock, but every animal around him constantly disrupts his nap. "Donald's Nephews" introduces Huey, Dewey, and Louie. They play pranks on him even as they arrive at his home. Donald hopes that this newfangled "child psychology" will help him deal with them. The boys return as "Good Scouts" who give Don a hard time on a camping trip and get him involved in a tussle with a bear.

Headed out to the Collingswood Farm Market around quarter of 11. Even at that point, they were still busy with people picking up produce for their Labor Day barbecues and back-to-school dinners. Picked up my first mini-Gala apples of the year. Also grabbed peaches, an onion, a small cantaloupe, carrots, and red and orange peppers. Watched kids dance with their parents and siblings along with a group playing 60's rock hits, including the Beatles' "Things We Said Today."

Took the long way across Newton Lake Park back to Oaklyn. I wasn't the only one who opted for an outing. It was humid, but still not terribly hot. Saw a couple of teen boys chatting together as they went for a run, a solo jogger, and several dog walkers. While most flowers are gone now, the trees are still lush and green, and the grass is mostly still thick, with only a few bare patches.

Stopped at Dollar General quickly on the way back. I was almost out of eggs and sugar, and I wanted to bake later. Both are cheaper there. The line was long, but it moved fast.

Returned to Donald as I put everything away and had a quick lunch. Don's nephews play even more pranks on the putting green in "Donald's Golf Game," including handing him joke clubs and a jumping ball. He's in charge of the dogs during "The Fox Hunt," but can't get the fox to cooperate. "Donald's Lucky Day" has him delivering a ticking package on Friday the 13th while avoiding a playful black cat. "Donald's Cousin Gus" from the comics comes to visit and proceeded to eat him out of house and home. Donald's the one playing pranks on Pluto in "Beach Picnic" when he scares him with a rubber horse flotation raft. A group of Native American ants who invade his lunch give him more trouble. Donald's "The Autograph Hound" who tries to get a name from big-name stars with no luck, at least until famous kid fan Shirley Temple recognizes him. "Officer Duck" dresses as an infant to infiltrate bank robber Pete's hideout.

Began The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as I made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. This an anthology film showcasing the three original Winnie the Pooh featurettes. In the first story, Pooh will do anything to get honey, from pretending to be a "little black rain cloud" to eating so much of it, he gets stuck in Rabbit's front door. Things get a little spookier in the second segment, which introduces Tigger, Piglet, and Owl. The residents of the Hundred Acre Woods find themselves dealing with some wild fall weather, including blustery winds and a flood. Pooh, unnerved by Tigger's talk of honey-eating monsters, has a wild psychedelic nightmare about "Hefalumps and Woozels." The last story is a little more typical. Rabbit, tired of Tigger's insensitive bouncing, tries to get him lost...but it takes him getting stuck in a tree to end his bouncing, at least until he reminds Rabbit how fun it can be.

This is one of Disney's most laid-back and charming films, one I typically watch every year towards the end of the summer. As a big Pooh fan, it's a favorite of mine. It's also the perfect starter Disney movie for very young kids, who'll enjoy Pooh's colorful world and his sweet and (mostly) gentle adventures.

Worked on some writing around 2:30. Luke manages to dodge Yasmin Hutt's monstrous bodyguard long enough to get him out to the garden. He manages to drop a rock over his head, knocking him out, but he's captured by Yasmin's other guards and her second-in-command Barry Fortune. Yasmin tells him she intends to make both the Skylark twins the focus of the next "wedding of the gods" ceremony at the Twin Suns Club...

Didn't break until 5. Cleaned the bathroom, which surprisingly wasn't that bad. The bathtub in particular only needed a little scrubbing; maybe it was all the baths I took this month.

Watched One Crazy Summer as I worked. Hoops McCann (John Cusack) agrees to join his buddy George (Joel Murray) at Nantucket for a couple of weeks after high school graduation. On their way to the ferry, the pick up lovely rock singer Cassandra Eldridge (Demi Moore). She's supposed to be staying at her grandfather's boarding house, but he dies and leaves her in debt. If she can't make money soon, the house will default to rich and nasty Aquilla Beckerstead (Mark Metcalf) and his lazy and spoiled son Ted (Matt Mulhern), who want to tear it down and build condos. After a date with Ted's bimbo girlfriend Cookie (Kimberly Foster) goes south, Hoops proves to Cassandra that he likes her by advertising her big local gig. It's not enough to pay for the house...until their friend Ack-Ack (Curtis Armstrong) suggests entering the local regatta against Ted. Hoops hates the water and is no good at basketball, but he's determined to prove to Cassandra that even an awkward guy like him can win the girl of his dreams.

I have fond memories of watching this one on cable as a kid with my sisters. The typical story is enlivened by some pretty bizarre shenanigans, including a running gag that involves George constantly getting sat on at the beach, George's sister and how protective she is of her scruffy dog, and goofy twin mechanic Egg (Bobcat Golthwait) ending up in a Godzilla suit. If you're a fan of director "Savage" Steve Holland's other comedies, the cast, or other 80's slobs-vs-snobs films, you'll want to dig this one up as well.

Moved to Weekend at Bernie's while making chicken-pepper stir fry for dinner. Richard (Johnathan Silverman) and Larry (Andrew McCarthy) are two normal working stiffs at a New York life insurance company who discover a discrepancy in the books. Their boss Bernie (Terry Kiser) invites him to his house in the Hamptons during Labor Day Weekend to discuss it further. Turns out it was all a ruse. Bernie was the one scamming the company, and he wants them killed...and is killed himself by a mobster's hitman (Don Calfa). Determined to enjoy himself and not end up in the same state as Bernie, Larry suggests that they make it look like Bernie never died. Despite the fun party, Richard ends up seriously regretting it when the girl he has a crush on (Catherine Mary Stewart) thinks he's crazy and the hit man chases them and Bernie all over the islands.

The 80's loved it's strange and slightly macabre comedies, and this one is another long-time favorite. It was a surprise hit in 1989, and the plot has been popping up in goofy sitcoms ever since. McCarthy in particular is having a blast playing against type as horny, party-loving Larry.

Finished off the night with Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Summer Vacation as I went online. The Toons are out of school and ready for a summer of fun, but even they didn't expect some of the crazy stuff that happens. Plucky's eager to join his best buddy Hampton on his family's trip to Happy World Land, until he realizes they're so smiley-happy, they'd give the Brady Bunch cavities. Babs and Buster spend most of their summer on the river, avoiding several creatures who want them to be on the barbecue menu. Fifi follows a handsome skunk movie star around town, trying to get his autograph, but he's not what she thinks he is. Fowlmouth drags Shirley the Loon to the movies, but she'd rather he disappeared into the cosmic either. Elmyra terrorizes the animals at a local safari park.

While the longer stories featuring Plucky and the rabbits work better than the cliched side stories, this is still highly recommended if you're a fan of Tiny Toons and the other reference-filled cartoons of the early-mid 90's.