Started off another sunny day with breakfast, then doing more organizing. I figured I might as well put up the rest of the winter decorations, at least until I decide what I'm doing about moving. Put out two of the three stuffed snowmen - kept the folksy angel snowman and the one with the red-and-white scarf and wooden spool legs, but got rid of the dancing Frosty that no longer worked. Taped up the cardboard hangings depicting snowmen participating in winter sports like skating and skiing.
After I finished that, I went through the American Girl books. I finally decided to split the difference and keep a little over half of the original picture stories, the ones for either the characters I actually have (Molly, Samantha, Felicity, Josefina) or time periods I'm interested in (Rebecca, Kit, Julie). Cleared out a few History Mysteries I wasn't interested in as well.
Ran The Adventures of Robin Hood while I worked. Errol Flynn solidified his stardom as the definitive rogue who robs from the rich to give to the poor in this much-loved 1938 adaptation. Once again, the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper) is downplayed in favor of stuffy Prince John (Claude Rains) and nasty Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone). Sir Robin of Locksley (Flynn) is the only man who defends the commoners against the corrupt taxes of the Normans after King Richard (Ian Hunter) is taken prisoner in Austria.
John eventually outlaws him and his friend Will Scarlet (Patrick Knowles) after they invade his banquet. They recruit others, including Much the Miller's Son (Herbert Mundin), Little John (Alan Hale Sr.) and Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette) to help them rob Prince John's tax money and from Norman nobles who abuse others. Lovely Maid Marion (Olivia De Haviliand) is contemptuous of him at first, but gradually comes to understand why he's an outlaw when they take her party prisoner. She even helps them at a tournament, where Robin wins a golden arrow. Robin convinces her to spy for them...but when she's caught, it'll take all of the ingenuity and cunning of Robin Hood and his Merry Men to rescue her from being burned at the stake.
Almost everyone loves this colorful Technicolor version of one of England's most famous folk tales, and I'm no exception. It was one of the bigger hits of 1938. James Cagney, of all people, was originally supposed to be Robin Hood, but he walked out of his contract, and Flynn took over. I doubt anyone else at the time could have done it better. For many people, Flynn just is the dashing rogue who romances reluctant ladies and firmly believes in his own brand of justice. Rathbone and Rains make smashing villains, and Pallatte's Friar Tuck is hilarious. Check out the famous duel between Rathbone and Flynn in the finale. There's also Erich Wolfgang Korngold's sweeping score. It's symphonic sound would inspire many similar later epic soundtracks, including John Williams' work for the Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies.
If you love swashbucklers like I do or are a big fan of Flynn or classic action, you absolutely must see this one.
Switched to a more comic rendition of the folk tale while having a quick yogurt and Cranberry Flummery lunch. One of the stranger shorts from Seasons 5 and 6 of the original Danger Mouse was "Once Upon a Time Slip." A slip of the tongue from the narrator somehow transports Danger Mouse and Penfold to medieval times and turns DM into Robin Hood, Penfold into Little John, Baron Greenback in the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Colonel K into King Richard.
"Hear Hear" has Greenback devising a machine that will hypnotize anyone with the sound of his voice. Good thing Penfold's having a hard time hearing. "It's All White, White Wonder" when an experimental enzyme that turns things white gets into the sewer system and turns everything it touches white. DM and Penfold try to figure out where they can ditch him. DM's not saying "What a 3-Point Turn Up for the Book" when his car somehow develops a mind of his own and won't let him in. This time, it's Greenback who's messing around with time in "Tampering With Time Tickles." He devises bombs that turns DM into a cute little boy mouse and Penfold into a very old rodent. They have to try to get around their current ages and stop Greenback from doing further damage.
Headed off to the Acme to do my grocery shopping and get my schedule as soon as the last cartoon ended. While I didn't need a lot of stuff, I did have to pick up some expensive things, including butter, beef sausages for dinner tonight, and more of those crusted fish fillets. There were good sales on rice vinegar and peanut butter. Restocked skim milk, yogurt, apples, bananas, cereal, mushrooms, the bag of winter vegetables (in this case broccoli and cauliflower florets), canola oil, and a sweet potato. (Oh, and the bagged cranberries seem to be done for the season. Darn it. Hopefully, the Flummery will last for a little while.)
My schedule for next week is...vacation! Mid-January may seem like an odd time to take a week off, especially given that I'm not much for skiing and won't be going further than Cape May County. First of all, it's the mid-point between my previous vacation (September), and what will likely be my next one (May). Second, I'd like a little time away from the cold after the weather was terrible last January. Third, considering how bad my hours have been over the last few weeks, I'd probably get more money from my vacation paycheck than from actually working.
My only really major plans are going down to Cape May County with Rose and her family on Sunday (I hope - the snow is supposed to be worse there than here, though still not horrible) and counseling on Tuesday. Otherwise, things are pretty open. Along with the usual chores and volunteering, there's two fun things I'd like to do. I want to go to the movies at Somerdale to see Aquaman, probably either Wednesday or Thursday morning to avoid weekend crowds. Since the bus leaves from the Acme and I'll need to do my grocery shopping on Friday anyway, I'd like to check out the Gloucester Outlets in Blackwood. I had so much fun with Lauren at the outlets near her in Lee and found such good deals, I thought I'd finally check out our local version.
Started putting things away as soon as I got home. Ran another winter-themed first season episode of Sailor Moon while I got organized. "Paired With a Monster: Mako the Ice Skating Queen" puts the girls on ice as they receive skating lessons from Russian gold-medalists. The male half seems interested in Makoto, who is an athletic and graceful skater. Not only does that make his partner jealous, but it turns out they're both working for the Negaverse, and the free lessons are a plot to trap the Sailors.
Went right back out to the laundromat next. I picked the right time to get it done. It was dead when I arrived. By the time it started getting busier, my very big load was in the dryer. I had towels and a pair of jeans I hadn't washed in a while in there. Said "hi" to a co-worker who was also doing the laundry (she said she worked earlier in the day) and worked on notes, ignoring talk shows on NBC.
Put my clothes away while listening to the Dreamgirls soundtrack to drown out Charlie and his buddies gabbing noisily downstairs, then went into writing. Han has a close encounter with "Greedy" Green, the ugly bounty hunter who works for Baron Jasper Du Hutt. The baron has taken control of Han's family's lands via taxes. Han's hoping to buy them back, but he had to jettison his cargo. Greedy insists that Jasper may take his beloved horse Falcon as payment instead if he doesn't pay. Han shows him what he thinks about that on the sharp end of an arrow.
Broke at 6:30 to make dinner. Pan-fried the rest of the stir fry vegetables and some of the cauliflower and broccoli, then added beef sausage, rice vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, basil, oregano, pasta, and some of the water from the pasta to make Italian Sausage with Vegetables. Topped it with the last of the mozzarella cheese from the pizza. Oh yum. Savory and cheesy with just enough bite from the vinegar.
Finished the night with I Feel Pretty. Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer) does not feel pretty. She's cute and plump, but she lacks self-esteem and feels that she could never look like the models in the magazines and websites she devours. She works on the website for Lily LeClaire, a high-end cosmetic company, but what she really wants to do is be a receptionist at their headquarters. Desperate, she wishes on a fountain to be pretty, but doesn't get her wish until she falls off her bike at the gym. When she comes to, though she looks the same, she believes herself to be gorgeous. Her new confidence shines like a beacon, allowing her to not only land the LeClaire job, but attract the nice guy she meets at the dry cleaners, Ethan (Rory Scovel). She's able to help Lily (Lauren Hutton) and soft-voiced Avery (Michelle Williams) understand their new department-store clientele better, too.
Not everyone is impressed with her sudden changes. Her two best friends are annoyed with her ditching them for a fancier party and resent her attempts to make them seem sexier. Avery's hot brother Grant (Tom Hopper) goes after her, but she realizes that he's not really that interested in her. It's here that she hits her head again and thinks she's gone back to her old, plain self. It finally takes a chat with a friend at the gym whom she thinks of as prettier (Emily Ratajowski) to understand that it doesn't matter if you're what the media perceives as "pretty." What really counts is a beautiful attitude to life and how you treat others.
It's too bad the movie gets really annoying about half-way through, because as someone who also suffers from low self-esteem, I think the message of this film is really important. Listening to Renee go on and on about how pretty she is now and how great it is gets very wearying after a while, to the point where you wonder why no one pointed it out well before her illusion ended. I liked Williams and Scovel better as the squeaky-voiced beauty and the kind-hearted guy with self-esteem issues of his own. The girl-power ending means well, but kind of comes out of nowhere and gets a little too heavy on the messages.
This was a minor flop last spring, and while I appreciate the message, I think they tried too hard in the end. Ok if you're a fan of Schumer or any of the cast or are looking for a cute rental for girl's night in.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Friday, January 11, 2019
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Windy Winter
Started off a chilly, very windy morning with a nice, warm bowl of oatmeal and Cranberry Flummery breakfast. Finished the dusting in the bedroom after I ate. The bedroom normally takes a while to clean. That's where I keep most of my books and collections. I just went around most things this time, though. I've got a lot of other things I want to do, too.
Ran more Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater episodes as I cleaned. Tuxedo Sam is "Robin Penguin," who robs gum from rich Princess Catnip to give to the poor people of Knottypine. Kitty plays detective when "Hello Mother Goose" has to figure out who stole a series of famous items from several nursery rhyme characters. "The Ugly Quackling" (Chip) may look different than his sisters and mother Fangora, but he can still save them from the hungry fox (Grinder). "Pinocchio Penguin" learns a lesson in honesty when the wooden penguin and his friend Chip have to evade the wicked gypsy Catnip and her partner Grinder to get back to Grandpapetto. My Melody's in the spotlight in an Old West version of "Little Red Bunny Hood." She, Deputy Chip, and the wolf Grinder rescue her grandma from notorious outlaw Belle Catnip.
The cartoons ended just in time for me to head to work. Today generally went better than yesterday did. I did end up in the register once, but I was there for less than five minutes before they pulled me to clean up a spill. (Which was actually an especially large dirt clod that someone mistook for a spill.) Though I spent most of the day shelving candy and gathering baskets, I did go outside to do carts during the first half-hour and the last 40 minutes. While it was still sunny, it was also still insanely windy and much colder, probably in the mid-upper 30's.
Went straight home and on the computer. I ended up re-writing the opening sequence to get to the plot at hand a bit more quickly. Luke Scarlet and Friar Kenobi address Han of Locksley and his moor friend Chewbacca at a run-down tavern near Nottingham. They want to hire him as a guide to Aldran Manor, on the edge of Nottingham Forest. Han agrees to it, for an outrageous sum. The old monk tells him that they will pay. Han sends Chewbacca to tend to the horses after they leave, but there's someone else watching him...
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had scrambled eggs and vegetables, then made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies while watching Robin and the 7 Hoods. I go into more detail about this 30's gangster-themed vehicle for Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Robin and the 7 Hoods
(Oh, and I would have gotten this up faster, but my internet went down for a couple of hours this evening...right as I was trying to get on, of course.)
Ran more Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater episodes as I cleaned. Tuxedo Sam is "Robin Penguin," who robs gum from rich Princess Catnip to give to the poor people of Knottypine. Kitty plays detective when "Hello Mother Goose" has to figure out who stole a series of famous items from several nursery rhyme characters. "The Ugly Quackling" (Chip) may look different than his sisters and mother Fangora, but he can still save them from the hungry fox (Grinder). "Pinocchio Penguin" learns a lesson in honesty when the wooden penguin and his friend Chip have to evade the wicked gypsy Catnip and her partner Grinder to get back to Grandpapetto. My Melody's in the spotlight in an Old West version of "Little Red Bunny Hood." She, Deputy Chip, and the wolf Grinder rescue her grandma from notorious outlaw Belle Catnip.
The cartoons ended just in time for me to head to work. Today generally went better than yesterday did. I did end up in the register once, but I was there for less than five minutes before they pulled me to clean up a spill. (Which was actually an especially large dirt clod that someone mistook for a spill.) Though I spent most of the day shelving candy and gathering baskets, I did go outside to do carts during the first half-hour and the last 40 minutes. While it was still sunny, it was also still insanely windy and much colder, probably in the mid-upper 30's.
Went straight home and on the computer. I ended up re-writing the opening sequence to get to the plot at hand a bit more quickly. Luke Scarlet and Friar Kenobi address Han of Locksley and his moor friend Chewbacca at a run-down tavern near Nottingham. They want to hire him as a guide to Aldran Manor, on the edge of Nottingham Forest. Han agrees to it, for an outrageous sum. The old monk tells him that they will pay. Han sends Chewbacca to tend to the horses after they leave, but there's someone else watching him...
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had scrambled eggs and vegetables, then made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies while watching Robin and the 7 Hoods. I go into more detail about this 30's gangster-themed vehicle for Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Robin and the 7 Hoods
(Oh, and I would have gotten this up faster, but my internet went down for a couple of hours this evening...right as I was trying to get on, of course.)
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
Winds of Adventure
Began the day with breakfast and a little Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Dan, Katerina, and Elania take "A Trip to the Crayon Factory" with Daniel's dad to see how crayons are made. Poor O the Owl has a bad cold and can't join them. Daniel suggests that his father take pictures, so O can still see the factory.
Work was a bit of a pain in the rear today. We didn't have enough help to handle even what little business there was. The woman behind the customer service counter went home sick, and a manager took her place...and that computer just plain didn't schedule enough help. I was stuck in a register for over an hour before they finally sent me back out to do carts.
Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. While it was gale-force windy, it was also sunny and not nearly as cold as it's supposed to get later in the week. It was only around 2 at that point. There wasn't much traffic, not even near the mall entrance. The wind whipped across the stark black trees and the dried golden reeds along the road on the hill into Oaklyn. Oaklyn too was quiet. Most people were probably still at work or school at that point.
Spent the next few hours dusting the living area and making popcorn for a snack while watching the rest of Daniel Tiger. Dan is disappointed when he's assigned to be the one who gathers lunches, rather than the line leader, in "Line Leader Daniel." He realizes just how important everyone's jobs are when he forgets to bring the kids their lunch boxes and they complain about being hungry.
The kids also learn how to deal with disappointment in "The Class Votes." Teacher Harriet lets them choose whether they want a rabbit or a turtle as their class pet. Daniel and Elania are upset when they're voted down, but Teacher Harriet encourages them to find something good in the other choice.
"O Builds a Tower" using all the blocks at school. He's frustrated when it doesn't stay up, but Teacher Harriet and Daniel tells him to keep trying. He gets the inspiration he needs from a book to try again...and make his tower much sturdier.
Teacher Harriet brings the kids something special for playtime...a cardboard box. She lets them "Play Pretend" and imagine it as anything they want it to be. O only sees it as a box...until he's finally encouraged to use his own imagination.
Prince Tuesday takes the class on a "Safety Patrol" to learn about the traffic signs in the neighborhood. The kids find out what the "Stop" sign and traffic signals mean, and why it's important to obey traffic laws to keep us safe. ("Be a Vegetable Taster!" was also included in this set, but I've done that one before.)
Worked on writing for a while after the cartoons ended. Started Robin Hood today. Han is the famous outlaw, who here meets up with a moor named Chewbacca in Jerusalem when he's thrown into his cell. They trick the guards into thinking Chewbacca is hurting Han, then escape when they open the cell door.
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had leftovers while watching Ready Player One. This is technically another teen dark future story, this time with a twist. In 2045, most people spend their lives escaping into an Internet role-playing game called The Oasis. It was developed by the owners of Gregarious Games, James Halliday (Mark Rylance) and Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg). When Halliday dies, he sets up a contest to find an "Easter egg" in the Oasis in the form of three keys. The people who find the keys will get his fortune and control of the Oasis. Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) is hoping that the money will get him out of "the Stacks," the stacked pile of metal that most people live in, and away from his aunt (Susan Lynch) and her abusive boyfriend (Ralph Ineson).
Wade's not the only one after the egg, both in and out of the Oasis. Innovative Online Industries is the number two Internet company in the world. Its CEO, Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), wants control of the entire gaming industry, and will do anything to get that Easter egg, including using slave labor to attack Wade's avatar Parzival and his friends Aech (Lena Waithe) and Art3ms (Olivia Cooke). The latter is the head of a rebellion that wants to stop Sorrento from taking over the Oasis. It'll take finally emerging into the real world, and Wade's discovery of the importance of real-life connection, to give him the strength to push past Sorrento and find what Halladay was hiding.
I've been running into some incredibly strange movies lately. I'm going to add that I've never read the book this is based on; supposedly, there were a lot of changes from the source material. Most of the performances are all right. I especially like Waithe as the player who looks the least like her avatar, and Pegg as Morrow, who signed away his friendship, then stuck around after his friend's death to oversee his legacy. There were some amazing special effects, especially in "The Oasis." You will never see the Iron Giant fighting Mechagodzilla ever again (except in fanfiction).
I do wish the movie's Aesop about living in the real world and how we can only rely on escapism for so long before we have to make actual connections hadn't been so heavy-handed. It's forced across with all the subtlety of the aforementioned Mechagodzilla. This is also another in the long line of teen "dark futures" novels, and while it has a better pedigree than most (Steven Spielburg directed this), it's still dark and filled with some rather bland characters (both on and offline). Plus, if you don't recognize a lot of the pop culture the movie refers to, you may be even more lost than I was at times.
Recommended for young teens who love dark young adult sci-fi and major pop culture or Spielburg nuts.
Finished the night on YouTube with the first of several Robin Hood movies I'm hoping to watch for inspiration this week. Douglas Fairbanks Sr. made his version of Robin Hood in 1922...and it's huge. Everything about it is huge. The castles and forests are huge (and reportedly cost 1 million to build). The literal cast of thousands is huge. It ended up being a huge hit, too, one of the biggest hits of 1922. Honestly, I think it's a little too huge. It spends over an hour on Robin in the Crusades with King Richard (Wallace Beery) and his courting Maid Marion (Enid Bennett) before they even get to Sherwood Forest. In fact, there isn't a lot of the traditional robbing antics at all. As awesome as those massive sets are, they overwhelm a story that really feels a little too big at times. Not one of my favorite Fairbanks swashbucklers - he did better when he got more involved in the action later in the 20's.
Robin Hood (1922 silent)
Work was a bit of a pain in the rear today. We didn't have enough help to handle even what little business there was. The woman behind the customer service counter went home sick, and a manager took her place...and that computer just plain didn't schedule enough help. I was stuck in a register for over an hour before they finally sent me back out to do carts.
Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. While it was gale-force windy, it was also sunny and not nearly as cold as it's supposed to get later in the week. It was only around 2 at that point. There wasn't much traffic, not even near the mall entrance. The wind whipped across the stark black trees and the dried golden reeds along the road on the hill into Oaklyn. Oaklyn too was quiet. Most people were probably still at work or school at that point.
Spent the next few hours dusting the living area and making popcorn for a snack while watching the rest of Daniel Tiger. Dan is disappointed when he's assigned to be the one who gathers lunches, rather than the line leader, in "Line Leader Daniel." He realizes just how important everyone's jobs are when he forgets to bring the kids their lunch boxes and they complain about being hungry.
The kids also learn how to deal with disappointment in "The Class Votes." Teacher Harriet lets them choose whether they want a rabbit or a turtle as their class pet. Daniel and Elania are upset when they're voted down, but Teacher Harriet encourages them to find something good in the other choice.
"O Builds a Tower" using all the blocks at school. He's frustrated when it doesn't stay up, but Teacher Harriet and Daniel tells him to keep trying. He gets the inspiration he needs from a book to try again...and make his tower much sturdier.
Teacher Harriet brings the kids something special for playtime...a cardboard box. She lets them "Play Pretend" and imagine it as anything they want it to be. O only sees it as a box...until he's finally encouraged to use his own imagination.
Prince Tuesday takes the class on a "Safety Patrol" to learn about the traffic signs in the neighborhood. The kids find out what the "Stop" sign and traffic signals mean, and why it's important to obey traffic laws to keep us safe. ("Be a Vegetable Taster!" was also included in this set, but I've done that one before.)
Worked on writing for a while after the cartoons ended. Started Robin Hood today. Han is the famous outlaw, who here meets up with a moor named Chewbacca in Jerusalem when he's thrown into his cell. They trick the guards into thinking Chewbacca is hurting Han, then escape when they open the cell door.
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had leftovers while watching Ready Player One. This is technically another teen dark future story, this time with a twist. In 2045, most people spend their lives escaping into an Internet role-playing game called The Oasis. It was developed by the owners of Gregarious Games, James Halliday (Mark Rylance) and Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg). When Halliday dies, he sets up a contest to find an "Easter egg" in the Oasis in the form of three keys. The people who find the keys will get his fortune and control of the Oasis. Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) is hoping that the money will get him out of "the Stacks," the stacked pile of metal that most people live in, and away from his aunt (Susan Lynch) and her abusive boyfriend (Ralph Ineson).
Wade's not the only one after the egg, both in and out of the Oasis. Innovative Online Industries is the number two Internet company in the world. Its CEO, Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), wants control of the entire gaming industry, and will do anything to get that Easter egg, including using slave labor to attack Wade's avatar Parzival and his friends Aech (Lena Waithe) and Art3ms (Olivia Cooke). The latter is the head of a rebellion that wants to stop Sorrento from taking over the Oasis. It'll take finally emerging into the real world, and Wade's discovery of the importance of real-life connection, to give him the strength to push past Sorrento and find what Halladay was hiding.
I've been running into some incredibly strange movies lately. I'm going to add that I've never read the book this is based on; supposedly, there were a lot of changes from the source material. Most of the performances are all right. I especially like Waithe as the player who looks the least like her avatar, and Pegg as Morrow, who signed away his friendship, then stuck around after his friend's death to oversee his legacy. There were some amazing special effects, especially in "The Oasis." You will never see the Iron Giant fighting Mechagodzilla ever again (except in fanfiction).
I do wish the movie's Aesop about living in the real world and how we can only rely on escapism for so long before we have to make actual connections hadn't been so heavy-handed. It's forced across with all the subtlety of the aforementioned Mechagodzilla. This is also another in the long line of teen "dark futures" novels, and while it has a better pedigree than most (Steven Spielburg directed this), it's still dark and filled with some rather bland characters (both on and offline). Plus, if you don't recognize a lot of the pop culture the movie refers to, you may be even more lost than I was at times.
Recommended for young teens who love dark young adult sci-fi and major pop culture or Spielburg nuts.
Finished the night on YouTube with the first of several Robin Hood movies I'm hoping to watch for inspiration this week. Douglas Fairbanks Sr. made his version of Robin Hood in 1922...and it's huge. Everything about it is huge. The castles and forests are huge (and reportedly cost 1 million to build). The literal cast of thousands is huge. It ended up being a huge hit, too, one of the biggest hits of 1922. Honestly, I think it's a little too huge. It spends over an hour on Robin in the Crusades with King Richard (Wallace Beery) and his courting Maid Marion (Enid Bennett) before they even get to Sherwood Forest. In fact, there isn't a lot of the traditional robbing antics at all. As awesome as those massive sets are, they overwhelm a story that really feels a little too big at times. Not one of my favorite Fairbanks swashbucklers - he did better when he got more involved in the action later in the 20's.
Robin Hood (1922 silent)
Tuesday, January 08, 2019
Laughter In the Winter
I began a cloudy morning with a quick breakfast before going into today's chores. The kitchen needed to be scrubbed rather badly. I spent a lot of time there last month, due to all the baking and candy-making for Christmas. I also vacuumed the apartment and aired out my rag rug in the bedroom and the welcome mat in the kitchen. After I finished the cleaning, I made Coconut Muffins for lunch at work for the next few days.
The gloomy weather made it the perfect time to break out some comedy; went with the first two movies in the Police Academy series. Police Academy introduces the original premise - the new woman mayor abolishes all requirements for becoming a cop and opens the force to anyone who wants to join. The initial recruits include massive florist Hightower (Bubba Smith), timid Laverne Hooks (Marion Ramsey), gung-ho gun nut Tackleberry (David Graf), clumsy Fackler (Bruce Mahler), noise-spouting Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow), gorgeous rich girl Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall), and shy Leslie Barbara (Donovan Scott). Laid-back Mahoney (Steve Gutenberg) only joined to avoid jail and keeps trying to get himself thrown out, but nasty Captain Harris (G.W Bailey) won't let him leave. They all manage to pass Harris' rigorous tests (despite some pranks on the obnoxious officer), but Hightower and Mahoney are expelled after Harris picks on Hooks during a driving test. Everyone, including Hightower and Mahoney, get a chance to show their stuff when Fackler accidentally starts a riot that spreads through the city.
Most of the recruits are transferred to an even more troubled district in Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment. Commandant Lassard's (George Gaynes) brother Pete (Howard Hesseman) begs his older sibling for some new recruits to help him stop an obnoxious gang that's causing trouble in his district. Mahoney, Jones, Tackleberry, Fackler, and Hightower are paired with veteran cops who know the precinct. Hooks is less happy that she's stuck behind a desk as the radio operator. Each of the new recruits are paired with veterans from the force. Mahoney makes friends with the slobbish Vinnie (Peter Van Norden) and his dog Duke, while Tackleberry falls head over heels for sexy and equally gun-addicted Kathleen Kirkland (Colleen Camp). This time, it's obnoxious Sargent Mauser (Art Metrano) and his toady Proctor (Lance Kinsey) who wants to see the recruits fail, even going so far as to drop the group's arrest and expel Mahoney. He, Vinnie, and Lassard finally infiltrate the gang to meet the head man, goofy nutball Zed (Bobcat Golthwait) and end the crime spree for good.
Maybe it's because I grew up watching these movies constantly on cable, but I have a soft spot for the entire Police Academy series. The first one is actually pretty good, and is likely the best of the series. Bailey and Gutenberg in particular do well playing off each other, something that's very much missed in Their First Assignment. The second one isn't bad, but Metrano is no replacement for Bailey (and wouldn't be in the third movie, either).
This is one series that, if you love one, you'll probably love them all. If you're a fan of raunchy comedy or the slobs-vs-snobs movies of the 1980's, this is one police raid you're going to want to be in on.
Made a quick Banana-Peanut Butter Smoothie lunch while watching a winter-themed first season episode of Sailor Moon. "The Snow, the Mountains, Friendship, and Monsters" is pretty much what it says on the tin. Usagi convinces the girls to hit a ski resort so she and Rei can join a skiing contest and be crowned the Moon Princess. They hit a lot more than a rough course when it turns out that the Negaverse is behind the contest.
Made a quick run to the Haddon Township Library around 1:30. It was cloudy and damp at that point, but not rainy. The porch was a little wet earlier, so I'm going to assume it rained early in the morning or overnight, but I was fine going to the library. There wasn't even any traffic on Cuthbert.
Not much going on at the Haddon Township Library, either. I just shelved DVDs. They were quiet as can be. I took longer taking out movies and books than shelving them. Grabbed Neptune's Daughter with Esther Williams for tonight's musical review, along with more Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Caught up on movies from last year I'd wanted to see with I Feel Pretty, Ready Player One, and Teen Titans Go to the Movies.
Went straight home after that and finished The Snow Queen. Queen Frostra arrives just as Han, Leia, and Luke finish the puzzle and Luke cries the sliver of enchanted glass out of his eye. Frostra tells Luke that he's free to go, and that it was the trolls who caused the trouble. She talked to both her sisters, and not only does she promise to join the Rebel Alliance, but she and Zoma are going to try to work out their differences and spend more time with their people and less in their own worlds. Frostra sends her own guards to arrest the robbers, then returns with the others and blows the trolls so far away from the mountain, they'll never bother any humans ever again.
I'm actually pretty happy with how this one turned out. This is the fastest I've gotten a chapter story done in a long time, especially given this is one of my older ideas. Next up - an Original Trilogy version of Robin Hood, with Han as the famous outlaw and the members of the Rebel Alliance as his Merry Rebels.
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I took so long to finish and post everything, it was past 7 by the time I broke for dinner. First, I called Mom, which I meant to do yesterday but forgot. Mom's just trying to figure out how she can handle the situation with her house. She wants to sell it, but isn't sure how to go about it with Dad's IRS problems. She's hoping to find a lawyer to help her unload it and figure out where to go next.
She also confirmed my suspicions about Cape May County - housing is even more expensive and hard to find than it is here. She's hoping to get on the waiting list for at least two relatively inexpensive senior centers in the Lower Township area, including one in Cape May, but both have long waiting lists.
Had that ham hoagie Jodie gave me on Sunday for dinner with shredded vegetables from the stir-fry bag while watching Neptune's Daughter. I go further into this vehicle for swimmer Esther Williams at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Neptune's Daughter
The gloomy weather made it the perfect time to break out some comedy; went with the first two movies in the Police Academy series. Police Academy introduces the original premise - the new woman mayor abolishes all requirements for becoming a cop and opens the force to anyone who wants to join. The initial recruits include massive florist Hightower (Bubba Smith), timid Laverne Hooks (Marion Ramsey), gung-ho gun nut Tackleberry (David Graf), clumsy Fackler (Bruce Mahler), noise-spouting Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow), gorgeous rich girl Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall), and shy Leslie Barbara (Donovan Scott). Laid-back Mahoney (Steve Gutenberg) only joined to avoid jail and keeps trying to get himself thrown out, but nasty Captain Harris (G.W Bailey) won't let him leave. They all manage to pass Harris' rigorous tests (despite some pranks on the obnoxious officer), but Hightower and Mahoney are expelled after Harris picks on Hooks during a driving test. Everyone, including Hightower and Mahoney, get a chance to show their stuff when Fackler accidentally starts a riot that spreads through the city.
Most of the recruits are transferred to an even more troubled district in Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment. Commandant Lassard's (George Gaynes) brother Pete (Howard Hesseman) begs his older sibling for some new recruits to help him stop an obnoxious gang that's causing trouble in his district. Mahoney, Jones, Tackleberry, Fackler, and Hightower are paired with veteran cops who know the precinct. Hooks is less happy that she's stuck behind a desk as the radio operator. Each of the new recruits are paired with veterans from the force. Mahoney makes friends with the slobbish Vinnie (Peter Van Norden) and his dog Duke, while Tackleberry falls head over heels for sexy and equally gun-addicted Kathleen Kirkland (Colleen Camp). This time, it's obnoxious Sargent Mauser (Art Metrano) and his toady Proctor (Lance Kinsey) who wants to see the recruits fail, even going so far as to drop the group's arrest and expel Mahoney. He, Vinnie, and Lassard finally infiltrate the gang to meet the head man, goofy nutball Zed (Bobcat Golthwait) and end the crime spree for good.
Maybe it's because I grew up watching these movies constantly on cable, but I have a soft spot for the entire Police Academy series. The first one is actually pretty good, and is likely the best of the series. Bailey and Gutenberg in particular do well playing off each other, something that's very much missed in Their First Assignment. The second one isn't bad, but Metrano is no replacement for Bailey (and wouldn't be in the third movie, either).
This is one series that, if you love one, you'll probably love them all. If you're a fan of raunchy comedy or the slobs-vs-snobs movies of the 1980's, this is one police raid you're going to want to be in on.
Made a quick Banana-Peanut Butter Smoothie lunch while watching a winter-themed first season episode of Sailor Moon. "The Snow, the Mountains, Friendship, and Monsters" is pretty much what it says on the tin. Usagi convinces the girls to hit a ski resort so she and Rei can join a skiing contest and be crowned the Moon Princess. They hit a lot more than a rough course when it turns out that the Negaverse is behind the contest.
Made a quick run to the Haddon Township Library around 1:30. It was cloudy and damp at that point, but not rainy. The porch was a little wet earlier, so I'm going to assume it rained early in the morning or overnight, but I was fine going to the library. There wasn't even any traffic on Cuthbert.
Not much going on at the Haddon Township Library, either. I just shelved DVDs. They were quiet as can be. I took longer taking out movies and books than shelving them. Grabbed Neptune's Daughter with Esther Williams for tonight's musical review, along with more Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Caught up on movies from last year I'd wanted to see with I Feel Pretty, Ready Player One, and Teen Titans Go to the Movies.
Went straight home after that and finished The Snow Queen. Queen Frostra arrives just as Han, Leia, and Luke finish the puzzle and Luke cries the sliver of enchanted glass out of his eye. Frostra tells Luke that he's free to go, and that it was the trolls who caused the trouble. She talked to both her sisters, and not only does she promise to join the Rebel Alliance, but she and Zoma are going to try to work out their differences and spend more time with their people and less in their own worlds. Frostra sends her own guards to arrest the robbers, then returns with the others and blows the trolls so far away from the mountain, they'll never bother any humans ever again.
I'm actually pretty happy with how this one turned out. This is the fastest I've gotten a chapter story done in a long time, especially given this is one of my older ideas. Next up - an Original Trilogy version of Robin Hood, with Han as the famous outlaw and the members of the Rebel Alliance as his Merry Rebels.
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I took so long to finish and post everything, it was past 7 by the time I broke for dinner. First, I called Mom, which I meant to do yesterday but forgot. Mom's just trying to figure out how she can handle the situation with her house. She wants to sell it, but isn't sure how to go about it with Dad's IRS problems. She's hoping to find a lawyer to help her unload it and figure out where to go next.
She also confirmed my suspicions about Cape May County - housing is even more expensive and hard to find than it is here. She's hoping to get on the waiting list for at least two relatively inexpensive senior centers in the Lower Township area, including one in Cape May, but both have long waiting lists.
Had that ham hoagie Jodie gave me on Sunday for dinner with shredded vegetables from the stir-fry bag while watching Neptune's Daughter. I go further into this vehicle for swimmer Esther Williams at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Neptune's Daughter
Monday, January 07, 2019
The Games Grown Boys Play
Began the morning after breakfast with a couple of chores and some crafting I've been wanting to do. The bed needed to be made. I hadn't done it since the day Amanda visited early last month. I finally had enough catalogs to make a winter-themed collage. It took me a while, since most of them were actually from the late fall-Christmas season and didn't have a lot that was specifically winter-themed, but I think it came out well enough.
Watched Solo: A Star Wars Story while I worked. The second anthology film reveals the origins of everyone's favorite scoundrel, smuggler, and princess-lover. Growing up on the mean streets of industrial Corellia, all Han (Alden Ehrenreich) wants is to escape the filth-clogged streets with his girl Qi'da (Emilia Clarke). He does manage to get off-planet, but has to leave Qi'da behind. He joins the Empire in the hope of becoming a pilot, but ends up in the trenches. He's thrown to "The Beast" for insubordination...who turns out to be Chewbacca (Joonas Sutamo), a wookie who was captured and taken from his tribe. Han can speak his language and is able to help him escape. They join up with Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and his crew to steal a precious fuel from a train. It all goes south when they're invaded by Enfys Nest (Erin Kellyman) and her Marauders chase them down. The fuel is destroyed, along with Beckett's wife and friend.
The remaining trio head to explain things to mob boss Drydan Vos (Paul Bettany). Turns out that Qi'da has taken up with him as well. Han insists that they can get another source of fuel on the mine of Kessel. She suggests getting a ship from smooth smuggler Lando Calarissian (Donald Glover) and his rebellious female droid L3 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). They take The Millennium Falcon to Kessel, where L3 proceeds to instigate a slave uprising. The group barely escapes with their lives through the infamous "Kessel Run." Now they just have to get the fuel processed...and make sure it lands in the right hands.
I actually love this movie. I think it's the most fun Star Wars has had in ages, and is a huge improvement on the dour Rogue One. Ehrenreich and Glover are pitch-perfect as Han and Lando, and Harrelson isn't bad as Han's mentor in crime Beckett. It does have some problems - the cinematography is way too murky in the first half, the second half is confusing, Vos is a boring villain, and it kills off three of it's best characters after about 10-20 minutes of screen time each.
This movie didn't deserve anything resembling what it got at the box office last Memorial Day. I still maintain it's a good movie released at a bad time. If you're open to knowing about your favorite characters and where they came from, you may have just as much fun with this one as I have.
Switched to Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater as I had a quick yogurt-and-banana lunch and got ready to head out. Kitty is "K.T: The Kitty Terrestrial," who has to phone home in order to avoid scientists Catnip and Grinder. Hello Dorothy has to join several unusual friends to find "The Wizard of Paws" and get home to Catfish. "Kitty and the Kong" has her as a sailor who makes friends with giant dog-creature Grinder on a tropical island. Catnip wants to take him to New York and show him off. but he doesn't belong in the Big Apple and wrecks havoc. "Cat Wars" has Tuxedo Sam Skywalker trying to get Princess Kitty home to Catern, only to be thrown off-course. It takes a chat from Grandpa Cat-nobi and "The Power of the Fur" to boost his confidence.
The sun was out when I got up this morning, but by the time I strolled out my door, it was cloudy and much colder than it has been, probably in the 30's. I still had a few things I wanted to do, starting with a quick run to the Oaklyn Library. They're still in the midst of re-organizing the DVDs. Other than ESPN talking about the Eagles' win yesterday and the college football championship tonight, there wasn't much going on there.
Made my way a couple of blocks down to Dollar General. I've wanted to buy a plastic container for my Christmas tree for years now. I've kept it in its original box for fifteen years, and the box is now falling apart. Finally found one that was long enough and deep enough to hold the whole tree. Also grabbed multi-purpose cleaner, sponges for the dry erase board, and eggs. (Theirs are only $1.50, much cheaper than the $2.99 they cost at the Acme.)
As soon as I got home, I made sure the tree fit in the box. I chose wisely. The tree and all its parts fit perfectly. I even managed to find room for the vintage cardboard Santa hanging that was too long to slide in the other Christmas containers. I also found something to do with the plastic three-drawer set I bought a while back. It's now too small to use for the dolls' clothes, but it works great to organize the cookie cutters Jessa gave me years ago and either clear out the plastic container I used for them or find another use for that.
Watched the second half of "Cat Wars" and the remaining Furry Tale Theater short on the disc while I worked. "Paws - The Great White Dog Shark" is chewing everything wooden on the beach, including Mayor Fangora's Catamonica Pier. Lifeguard Sam, Surfer Kitty, and Professor Chip try to figure out why Paws has gone bad.
Switched to listening to Led Zepplin II on LP while I cleaned the bathroom. It really needed to be done. The sink was especially covered in gunk. Washed some of the dirtier slats in the window blinds, too.
Worked on writing for a while after I finished the bathroom. Leia, Han, and Chewie find their way to the Snow Queen's palace in the barren Frozen North. They find Luke huddled in her throne chamber, leaning over a pile of colorful tiles. He doesn't recognize them and tries to push them away, but they help him figure out the puzzle.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made shrimp stir-fry and later chatted with Lauren while watching Tag. Five men play a game of Tag one month a year. The game has been going on for 30 years, and it shows no signs of stopping. Whomever was tagged "it" at the end of the game the year before is "it" until the next game. This year, Hoagie (Ed Helms) is "it." He's determined to finally tag the elusive Jerry (Jeremy Renner), who has never been touched in the entire three decades they've been playing. Jerry is getting married to lovely Susan (Leslie Bibb), and the guys and Hoagie's mouthy wife Anna (Isla Fisher) think this is the perfect opportunity to finally catch him. He and Susan are onto them, though, and make them sign a "no Tag during the wedding" clause on their invitations. That doesn't mean that the time between the wedding preparations aren't fair game, though...
And people say there are no original ideas in Hollywood anymore. What's more, this one seems to actually be based on real-life. If the credits are any indication, there really are 10 guys who play a game of tag that's gone on for over two decades, and a reporter really did do a major article on them. In some ways, it reminds me a bit of Game Night, which also commented on suburban aggressiveness and obsession with playing childhood games. The guys play because it keeps them close as friends...which makes Jerry's elusiveness all the more humiliating. They aren't sure they even really know him, because they can't catch him.
This is another one that I'm not sure critics knew what to make of. Audiences weren't sure, either. It did well enough at the box-office last year, but was by no means a huge hit. If you can get around how plain strange the premise and some of the performances are, you might be able to have fun with this odd look at just how much competing in even a simple game of tag can turn men into real boys.
Watched Solo: A Star Wars Story while I worked. The second anthology film reveals the origins of everyone's favorite scoundrel, smuggler, and princess-lover. Growing up on the mean streets of industrial Corellia, all Han (Alden Ehrenreich) wants is to escape the filth-clogged streets with his girl Qi'da (Emilia Clarke). He does manage to get off-planet, but has to leave Qi'da behind. He joins the Empire in the hope of becoming a pilot, but ends up in the trenches. He's thrown to "The Beast" for insubordination...who turns out to be Chewbacca (Joonas Sutamo), a wookie who was captured and taken from his tribe. Han can speak his language and is able to help him escape. They join up with Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and his crew to steal a precious fuel from a train. It all goes south when they're invaded by Enfys Nest (Erin Kellyman) and her Marauders chase them down. The fuel is destroyed, along with Beckett's wife and friend.
The remaining trio head to explain things to mob boss Drydan Vos (Paul Bettany). Turns out that Qi'da has taken up with him as well. Han insists that they can get another source of fuel on the mine of Kessel. She suggests getting a ship from smooth smuggler Lando Calarissian (Donald Glover) and his rebellious female droid L3 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). They take The Millennium Falcon to Kessel, where L3 proceeds to instigate a slave uprising. The group barely escapes with their lives through the infamous "Kessel Run." Now they just have to get the fuel processed...and make sure it lands in the right hands.
I actually love this movie. I think it's the most fun Star Wars has had in ages, and is a huge improvement on the dour Rogue One. Ehrenreich and Glover are pitch-perfect as Han and Lando, and Harrelson isn't bad as Han's mentor in crime Beckett. It does have some problems - the cinematography is way too murky in the first half, the second half is confusing, Vos is a boring villain, and it kills off three of it's best characters after about 10-20 minutes of screen time each.
This movie didn't deserve anything resembling what it got at the box office last Memorial Day. I still maintain it's a good movie released at a bad time. If you're open to knowing about your favorite characters and where they came from, you may have just as much fun with this one as I have.
Switched to Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater as I had a quick yogurt-and-banana lunch and got ready to head out. Kitty is "K.T: The Kitty Terrestrial," who has to phone home in order to avoid scientists Catnip and Grinder. Hello Dorothy has to join several unusual friends to find "The Wizard of Paws" and get home to Catfish. "Kitty and the Kong" has her as a sailor who makes friends with giant dog-creature Grinder on a tropical island. Catnip wants to take him to New York and show him off. but he doesn't belong in the Big Apple and wrecks havoc. "Cat Wars" has Tuxedo Sam Skywalker trying to get Princess Kitty home to Catern, only to be thrown off-course. It takes a chat from Grandpa Cat-nobi and "The Power of the Fur" to boost his confidence.
The sun was out when I got up this morning, but by the time I strolled out my door, it was cloudy and much colder than it has been, probably in the 30's. I still had a few things I wanted to do, starting with a quick run to the Oaklyn Library. They're still in the midst of re-organizing the DVDs. Other than ESPN talking about the Eagles' win yesterday and the college football championship tonight, there wasn't much going on there.
Made my way a couple of blocks down to Dollar General. I've wanted to buy a plastic container for my Christmas tree for years now. I've kept it in its original box for fifteen years, and the box is now falling apart. Finally found one that was long enough and deep enough to hold the whole tree. Also grabbed multi-purpose cleaner, sponges for the dry erase board, and eggs. (Theirs are only $1.50, much cheaper than the $2.99 they cost at the Acme.)
As soon as I got home, I made sure the tree fit in the box. I chose wisely. The tree and all its parts fit perfectly. I even managed to find room for the vintage cardboard Santa hanging that was too long to slide in the other Christmas containers. I also found something to do with the plastic three-drawer set I bought a while back. It's now too small to use for the dolls' clothes, but it works great to organize the cookie cutters Jessa gave me years ago and either clear out the plastic container I used for them or find another use for that.
Watched the second half of "Cat Wars" and the remaining Furry Tale Theater short on the disc while I worked. "Paws - The Great White Dog Shark" is chewing everything wooden on the beach, including Mayor Fangora's Catamonica Pier. Lifeguard Sam, Surfer Kitty, and Professor Chip try to figure out why Paws has gone bad.
Switched to listening to Led Zepplin II on LP while I cleaned the bathroom. It really needed to be done. The sink was especially covered in gunk. Washed some of the dirtier slats in the window blinds, too.
Worked on writing for a while after I finished the bathroom. Leia, Han, and Chewie find their way to the Snow Queen's palace in the barren Frozen North. They find Luke huddled in her throne chamber, leaning over a pile of colorful tiles. He doesn't recognize them and tries to push them away, but they help him figure out the puzzle.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made shrimp stir-fry and later chatted with Lauren while watching Tag. Five men play a game of Tag one month a year. The game has been going on for 30 years, and it shows no signs of stopping. Whomever was tagged "it" at the end of the game the year before is "it" until the next game. This year, Hoagie (Ed Helms) is "it." He's determined to finally tag the elusive Jerry (Jeremy Renner), who has never been touched in the entire three decades they've been playing. Jerry is getting married to lovely Susan (Leslie Bibb), and the guys and Hoagie's mouthy wife Anna (Isla Fisher) think this is the perfect opportunity to finally catch him. He and Susan are onto them, though, and make them sign a "no Tag during the wedding" clause on their invitations. That doesn't mean that the time between the wedding preparations aren't fair game, though...
And people say there are no original ideas in Hollywood anymore. What's more, this one seems to actually be based on real-life. If the credits are any indication, there really are 10 guys who play a game of tag that's gone on for over two decades, and a reporter really did do a major article on them. In some ways, it reminds me a bit of Game Night, which also commented on suburban aggressiveness and obsession with playing childhood games. The guys play because it keeps them close as friends...which makes Jerry's elusiveness all the more humiliating. They aren't sure they even really know him, because they can't catch him.
This is another one that I'm not sure critics knew what to make of. Audiences weren't sure, either. It did well enough at the box-office last year, but was by no means a huge hit. If you can get around how plain strange the premise and some of the performances are, you might be able to have fun with this odd look at just how much competing in even a simple game of tag can turn men into real boys.
Sunday, January 06, 2019
Shining Stars
Started off the morning with my first pancake breakfast of 2019. I had a pear that was getting soft, so I made Pear Spice Pancakes. They came out very well, soft and sweet...and I didn't burn them this time. Had them with the last of the Cranberry Flummery.
Rose called me shortly before breakfast. First of all, she pretty much confirmed what she said before and what Lauren said. She'll try to fight the raised rent...but I'd be better off just finding another place. Willa is not going to stop raising the rent. It isn't worth it for three rooms (one unheated) and a bathroom. That sliver of a kitchen is so small, it doesn't qualify as it's own room.
The trouble is, I only got this place last time because I rented it from a friend of my uncle's. The friend and my uncle passed away in 2012. I was really hoping I'd be able to find another little studio or one-bedroom place attached to someone's house. I have no friends or family I can move in with. Dad-Bruce isn't going to last much longer, and I suspect Jodie may not be able to afford to keep the house, whether Jesse and Dana stay or not.
Shortly after I talked to Rose, I headed off to the laundromat to finally get that done. They were busier than they were on Sunday last week, but still not so bad that I couldn't get my small load done quickly. I was in and out in less than an hour.
When I got home, I went right into putting everything away. There wasn't enough time left to work on fanfic, but I did go through a few more things in the back room and dressed the Cabbage Patch dolls in their regular clothes. Carrie got her yellow dress with the pink and green ribbon trim; Dulcie went in her original blue and white gingham dress. Had a quick yogurt-and-banana lunch after I finished there. Listened to that Reader's Digest Lerner & Loewe CD Lauren gave me last September while I worked. Most of the songs are instrumental orchestra recordings or singers with an orchestra. Though Richard Harris' Camelot numbers are in this vein, he has the advantage of actually having starred in that show, both in it's 1967 film version and in a short-lived Broadway revival in the 1980's.
Switched to the Mary Martin Peter Pan Broadway cast album. while having yogurt and a banana for lunch. Since I did the Disney Peter Pan yesterday, I figured it made sense to run this one, too. (In fact, it debuted on Broadway less than a year after the Disney movie came out.) It has the advantage of sticking more closely to the book and play than the cartoon did, including the Lost Boys building Wendy a house, the kids being given poisoned cake by Hook (which Wendy throws away), and all of the kids but Peter going home to the Darling house, not just Wendy, John, and Michael. "I Won't Grow Up" and "Never Never Land" are probably the best-known numbers here. Other good songs include Peter's manifesto "I Gotta Crow" and his sad lullaby "Distant Melody."
Work was crazy when I arrived. I went outside to do carts immediately. The carts kept vanishing, no matter how many the other bagger and I brought to the patio. It slowed down enough by the second half of my shift for me to do the overloaded outside trash and recycling canisters, but it never died out completely, even after the game started. A lot of people are probably restocking after the holidays, and they may have been out to enjoy the nice day. By 2 PM, the sun was out, and while it was gale-force windy, it was also in the lower 50's, relatively warm for this time of year.
Went straight to Dad and Jodie's from work. The Eagles and Bears didn't really do a whole lot during the first half of the game. The Bears were up slightly 6-3 when I arrived. Jodie gave me rolls and let me set up my own ham and Italian hoagies, along with chips, chocolate donuts, and chocolate chip cookies Rose made. This time, it was just her, me, Dad, Mark, and Jessa. Rose had been around with Finley earlier, but she had to pick up Khai from a friend's house, and he has school tomorrow.
Things started turning around shortly after I rolled in. The Eagles finally got a touchdown that pulled them ahead. The Bears turned around and got another one, but they missed the two-point conversion. The Eagles did the same after their touchdown. The Bears managed to get close enough for a field goal in the final seconds of the game...but their kicker missed the goal! It hit the goal post! The Eagles won by one point, 16-15. Talk about your nail-biter games. I don't think I breathed in those final moments.
Hit the shower as soon as I got home. When I finished, I celebrated online with two dance albums. Earth, Wind, and Fire's Greatest Hits Vol. 1 features some of my favorite numbers from them, including "Singasong," "September," "Shining Star," and their version of "Got to Get You Into My Life." Moved to another greatest hits collection, Donna Summer's On the Radio. Good ones from this two-disc set include the title number, "I Remember Yesterday," "Bad Girls," "Hot Stuff," "Last Dance," and "MacArthur Park."
Saturday, January 05, 2019
Dolls In the Rain
The rain had been stopping even as I posted last night's entry. By the time I opened my eyes this morning, it was coming down hard again. I cheered myself up with breakfast and Rick Steves' Europe. Since the culture and folklore of Scandinavia is providing much of the inspiration for my current fanfic, I opted for the episode about Norway. As lovely as the cities Oslo and Bergen are, nothing matches the majesty of it's fjords and lush green forests and shining waters.
Dressed the dolls for the winter weather for the next few hours. While the weather hasn't been as bad as it was at this time last year (when the lows were in single digits), it's not exactly warm, either. Felicity's snuggled into her green Riding Habit with the tri-corn hat. Samantha wears her gray Buster Brown School Dress with black tights and the black boots from Rebecca's School Outfit. Josefina is in a blue striped Regency dress I picked up on eBay a while back. Molly's ready for fun in her Play Outfit - the navy corduroys with the plaid flannel shirt and the oxfords from Kit's School Outfit. Ariel keeps things toasty in a thick navy turtleneck and white corduroys, both from yard sales. Whitney got Molly's Skating Outfit (she fits into it better than Molly does) and wishes there was ice on Peter Creek this year to skate on. Jessa wears most of her original "meet" outfit, black corduroys with a striped short-sleeved turtleneck shirt, a colorful yellow fleece sweater with magenta, purple, and turquoise trim, and black high-tops from another mid-90's modern outfit.
Headed out for a short walk after I finished with the dolls. The rain was still coming down, but my legs were cramped from sitting for so long, and I was tired of hanging around inside. I grabbed my umbrella to avoid the heavy showers.
The Oaklyn Library wasn't busy when I arrived. They're in the midst of rearranging the DVDs again. The adult titles are being reorganized now. (They did the kids' titles last week.) While there wasn't much for me to do, I did pick up some books from their book sale. The librarian there said they got so many donations over the holidays, I could take whatever I wanted for free. I ended up with ex-library copies of Kidnapped and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other Washington Irving short stories, a vintage Betty Crocker Cook book, and Daily Candy A to Z, a self-help book based on posts from the now-defunct e-mail newsletter website.
I also grabbed a Princess Pets-based picture book to give to my niece Lilah for her birthday in two weeks. It'll go nicely with the other book I already sent to her mother. It's missing the stickers that originally came with it, but I'm hoping she'll still like it.
It was still raining pretty heavily when I headed out around quarter of 2. Ended up at Common Ground Coffee House on West Clinton for lunch. So did a lot of people. I'd no sooner ordered my sausage breakfast bake, white chocolate chip-macadamia nut cookie, and hot chocolate than a long line formed behind me. I was joined by a grandmother and her older granddaughter, a mother and her younger daughter, and a trio of chattering college students. I sat at a table by the window and ate and looked over my new books while the rain continued to patter on West Clinton.
(Incidentally, the "sausage breakfast bake" consisted of hot crumbled sausage, chopped orange and green pepper, and shredded frozen hash brown potatoes. It was only ok. They could have heated it up a little more, the potatoes were flavorless, and the sausage was too spicy for me. Think I'll stick to their muffins and quiche from now on. The hot chocolate was amazing, though. It was thick and rich and very chocolate-y; was probably made from real melted chocolate.)
Strolled home under the umbrella. The rain was slowing down, even as I jumped around huge puddles, but the wind had begun to pick up, and it was getting colder. It was no day to be running around.
Worked on writing for the next couple of hours. Leia has a dream about Luke in the Snow Queen's palace. He's turned blue and is currently working on a puzzle made from colorful tiles. Queen Frostra tells him he'll be his own man when he finishes it. While she wishes she could keep Luke, unlike her sister, she understands why she can't. She fears Luke will freeze to death if he stays much longer, but the still-peckish boy refuses to leave her side.
When Leia awakes, she steals the vibro-knife from the sleeping thief and gets her to tell them where the Snow Queen is. Turns out her tauntaun has been to the Frozen North and knows where the Queen lives. Leia and Chewie tie up Diefa and release her animals, including the tauntaun. Han has already escaped Diefa's drunk mother and dodged her even more inebriated brothers. They hitch the tauntun to their repulsor-sleigh and take off.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had the rest of the pizza for dinner while watching The Angry Birds Movie. Hoo boy, is this a weird one. Red (Jason Sudeikis) is not popular among his fellow flightless birds on Bird Island. His anger has caused numerous problems, including accidentally hatching another bird's egg. He's sentenced to an anger management class with other birds, including super-fast, hyperactive Chuck (Josh Gad) and laid-back Bomb (Danny McBride), who explodes when he gets angry or scared. Pink bird Matilda (Maya Rudolph) tries to get sarcastic Red to calm down, but he remains aloof from the others. He's even more fed up when a boat lands on their island, destroying his home. It's driven by green pigs, including bearded Leonard (Bill Hader). The pigs seem friendly at first, but Red doesn't trust them...and it turns out that he has good reason not to. The pigs are really after the birds' eggs. Red and his friends try to recruit Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage), the only bird on the island who can fly, to help them. When that doesn't work, they have to convince their fellow Island residents to unleash their own anger if they want to save their unborn children.
Um...yeah. Seriously, is the game half this strange? I've never played it. It's not really bad, per se. There's actually some fairly interesting discussions on the importance of anger and not holding it back, along with some nice animation, especially when they're launching the birds in the second half.
The padding is more obvious in the first half. They feel like they're desperately trying to be hip, referencing everything and anything that was hot in 2016. The first half also feels a little too hip for little kids, with quite a few jokes that'll fly way over their heads (pun intended). The score of classic rock and country mostly covered by other artists is also more than a little strange, especially in the dance-party finale.
While I don't regret having seen it, it's definitely not something I'm going to actively seek out again. There's a second movie coming out this summer...and yeah, I may wait another two and a half years before I check that one out, too. If you've ever played the game or are more into the kind of humor on display here, you might find a lot more in this one than I did.
Finished the night with the Disney animated version of Peter Pan. I go more into this one at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Peter Pan (Disney animated)
Dressed the dolls for the winter weather for the next few hours. While the weather hasn't been as bad as it was at this time last year (when the lows were in single digits), it's not exactly warm, either. Felicity's snuggled into her green Riding Habit with the tri-corn hat. Samantha wears her gray Buster Brown School Dress with black tights and the black boots from Rebecca's School Outfit. Josefina is in a blue striped Regency dress I picked up on eBay a while back. Molly's ready for fun in her Play Outfit - the navy corduroys with the plaid flannel shirt and the oxfords from Kit's School Outfit. Ariel keeps things toasty in a thick navy turtleneck and white corduroys, both from yard sales. Whitney got Molly's Skating Outfit (she fits into it better than Molly does) and wishes there was ice on Peter Creek this year to skate on. Jessa wears most of her original "meet" outfit, black corduroys with a striped short-sleeved turtleneck shirt, a colorful yellow fleece sweater with magenta, purple, and turquoise trim, and black high-tops from another mid-90's modern outfit.
Headed out for a short walk after I finished with the dolls. The rain was still coming down, but my legs were cramped from sitting for so long, and I was tired of hanging around inside. I grabbed my umbrella to avoid the heavy showers.
The Oaklyn Library wasn't busy when I arrived. They're in the midst of rearranging the DVDs again. The adult titles are being reorganized now. (They did the kids' titles last week.) While there wasn't much for me to do, I did pick up some books from their book sale. The librarian there said they got so many donations over the holidays, I could take whatever I wanted for free. I ended up with ex-library copies of Kidnapped and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other Washington Irving short stories, a vintage Betty Crocker Cook book, and Daily Candy A to Z, a self-help book based on posts from the now-defunct e-mail newsletter website.
I also grabbed a Princess Pets-based picture book to give to my niece Lilah for her birthday in two weeks. It'll go nicely with the other book I already sent to her mother. It's missing the stickers that originally came with it, but I'm hoping she'll still like it.
It was still raining pretty heavily when I headed out around quarter of 2. Ended up at Common Ground Coffee House on West Clinton for lunch. So did a lot of people. I'd no sooner ordered my sausage breakfast bake, white chocolate chip-macadamia nut cookie, and hot chocolate than a long line formed behind me. I was joined by a grandmother and her older granddaughter, a mother and her younger daughter, and a trio of chattering college students. I sat at a table by the window and ate and looked over my new books while the rain continued to patter on West Clinton.
(Incidentally, the "sausage breakfast bake" consisted of hot crumbled sausage, chopped orange and green pepper, and shredded frozen hash brown potatoes. It was only ok. They could have heated it up a little more, the potatoes were flavorless, and the sausage was too spicy for me. Think I'll stick to their muffins and quiche from now on. The hot chocolate was amazing, though. It was thick and rich and very chocolate-y; was probably made from real melted chocolate.)
Strolled home under the umbrella. The rain was slowing down, even as I jumped around huge puddles, but the wind had begun to pick up, and it was getting colder. It was no day to be running around.
Worked on writing for the next couple of hours. Leia has a dream about Luke in the Snow Queen's palace. He's turned blue and is currently working on a puzzle made from colorful tiles. Queen Frostra tells him he'll be his own man when he finishes it. While she wishes she could keep Luke, unlike her sister, she understands why she can't. She fears Luke will freeze to death if he stays much longer, but the still-peckish boy refuses to leave her side.
When Leia awakes, she steals the vibro-knife from the sleeping thief and gets her to tell them where the Snow Queen is. Turns out her tauntaun has been to the Frozen North and knows where the Queen lives. Leia and Chewie tie up Diefa and release her animals, including the tauntaun. Han has already escaped Diefa's drunk mother and dodged her even more inebriated brothers. They hitch the tauntun to their repulsor-sleigh and take off.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had the rest of the pizza for dinner while watching The Angry Birds Movie. Hoo boy, is this a weird one. Red (Jason Sudeikis) is not popular among his fellow flightless birds on Bird Island. His anger has caused numerous problems, including accidentally hatching another bird's egg. He's sentenced to an anger management class with other birds, including super-fast, hyperactive Chuck (Josh Gad) and laid-back Bomb (Danny McBride), who explodes when he gets angry or scared. Pink bird Matilda (Maya Rudolph) tries to get sarcastic Red to calm down, but he remains aloof from the others. He's even more fed up when a boat lands on their island, destroying his home. It's driven by green pigs, including bearded Leonard (Bill Hader). The pigs seem friendly at first, but Red doesn't trust them...and it turns out that he has good reason not to. The pigs are really after the birds' eggs. Red and his friends try to recruit Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage), the only bird on the island who can fly, to help them. When that doesn't work, they have to convince their fellow Island residents to unleash their own anger if they want to save their unborn children.
Um...yeah. Seriously, is the game half this strange? I've never played it. It's not really bad, per se. There's actually some fairly interesting discussions on the importance of anger and not holding it back, along with some nice animation, especially when they're launching the birds in the second half.
The padding is more obvious in the first half. They feel like they're desperately trying to be hip, referencing everything and anything that was hot in 2016. The first half also feels a little too hip for little kids, with quite a few jokes that'll fly way over their heads (pun intended). The score of classic rock and country mostly covered by other artists is also more than a little strange, especially in the dance-party finale.
While I don't regret having seen it, it's definitely not something I'm going to actively seek out again. There's a second movie coming out this summer...and yeah, I may wait another two and a half years before I check that one out, too. If you've ever played the game or are more into the kind of humor on display here, you might find a lot more in this one than I did.
Finished the night with the Disney animated version of Peter Pan. I go more into this one at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Peter Pan (Disney animated)
Friday, January 04, 2019
One Angry Woman
Began a slightly cloudy morning with breakfast and Garfield's Feline Fantasies. As Jon points out, Garfield has quite an active imagination for a fat, lazy kitty. His daydreams take him and Odie everywhere from on a plane about to crash-land to the jungle in search of the Banana of Bombay, the banana that was first used in the banana-peel-on-the-floor gag.
Work was a bit of a pain. I spent the first hour doing carts, but I got stuck in the registers for the rest of the day. We weren't even really that busy, especially early on. We just didn't have enough help. At least most everyone I talked to were in good moods. (It probably helped that I was mostly in the express line.)
I'm not really happy with my schedule next week, either. I have the same amount of hours next week that I originally did this week - which is to say, not nearly enough. And this time, there's no holiday to make up for it. That's the other reason I wanted to take time off in January this year, besides it being mid-way between my trips with Lauren. I figured I'd probably make a bigger paycheck on vacation than if I were actually at work.
I did get some grocery shopping done. I found two containers of small shrimp intended for shrimp scampi for super-cheap in the seafood section. Decided that one container would become shrimp and vegetable pizza tonight, and the other would be shrimp stir-fry next week. Bought a can of pizza dough and shredded mozzarella cheese to go with the former. Restocked skim milk, honey, apples, bananas, cranberries, cheddar cheese, yogurt, aluminum foil, sponges, toilet paper, cream of mushroom soup, white and brown sugar, and mandarin oranges. Grabbed more of those wonderful pumpkin creame cookies off the clearance shelves, along with a box of pumpkin bread mix.
Did another Garfield special when I got home. Garfield's daydreaming again in Babes and Bullets. This time, he imagines himself as Sam Spayed, a private eye who is on the trail of the man who murdered a handsome young history professor. What I like about this one is, for all the comic elements, there's a surprisingly believable mystery at it's core. It feels more realistic than some of the cozy mysteries I read.
The special actually gave me a story idea. I've been wanting to do a fanfic with Han Solo as a private detective for a while now, but I only had the story title. I didn't know if I wanted it to be in the regular Star Wars universe, or real life, or when in real-life...but I think I have it now. I love film noir, but my last attempt at it in the Remember WENN fandom was colored by the action-packed third season finale.
Hank Solomon is a private detective in Philadelphia in 1948. Gorgeous rich girl Leia Ortez hires him and his big foreign buddy Chuck to find out who murdered her parents, Bail and Breha Ortez, and why. It turns out that Leia and her family made some powerful enemies, including Darren Vedder, the city's corrupt Chief of Police. Leia turned information on Vedder's activities over to a nervous Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, Cyril Thomas, and his excitable photographer buddy Arlo Detton. He has to work with them, ex-cop Benjamin MacKennon, and rookie cop Luke Walters to find out what Vedder and his boss Mayor Simon Palpatine has in mind, before they take over the city.
No clue when this one's going to come out. Possibly later this year, if I can work out all the details. I really want to finish off as many Original Trilogy ideas as possible before they start advertising for Episode 9 and I switch gears to the Sequels.
Did a few major things online before I started writing. I e-mailed two of the listings I'd seen on Craigslist and Trulia and called a third. The call did not go well. She said I didn't make enough money to rent from her. I never really thought of that. Miss Ellie didn't ask how much money I made when I moved down here in 2006 - and I probably made even less then. And the other Craigslist listing vanished hours after I e-mailed them. I hope they still respond.
Finally got to writing around 5 PM. After they pull up in the crumbling castle owned by the thieves, Diefa, the younger female thief, drags Leia and Chewie to her room. She keeps her "collection" - birds and a tauntaun she has in cages and on a leash - there. She intends to make Chewie part of her menagerie and hold Leia as a slave.
Broke to make my pizza at 6:30. Watched an episode of Fairie Tale Theatre while I enjoyed my meal. The Star Wars fanfic I'm currently working on was inspired by the original Hans Christian Anderson version of "The Snow Queen." Gerda (Melissa Gilbert) wants to find her friend Kai (Lance Kerwin), whose heart was soured by a troll's evil magic. The beautiful Snow Queen (Lee Remick) takes him in and teaches him patience. Meanwhile, Gerda gets help from the Lady of Summer (Lauren Hutton), a talking tree, a sassy thief (Linda Manz), and a reindeer (David Hemmings).
Finished the night after a shower with 12 Angry Men. This 1957 Sidney Lumet film is simplicity in itself. It's a hot day in a New York courtroom. Twelve ordinary guys would love to be anywhere but a stuffy room with no air conditioning, but one of the jurors (Henry Fonda) insists that the teenager who is on trial for murdering his abusive father is not guilty. Another juror (Lee J. Cobb) just as passionately points out that all the evidence indicates that the kid did the deed. The other jurors, ranging from a meek banker (John Fielder) to a huge baseball fan (Jack Warden) to a man who managed to get out of a situation not unlike the kid's (Jack Klugman), hear both sides of the arguement over the course of a long afternoon. Ultimately, all the men learn a lesson about justice...and getting all the facts straight before presenting your case.
I'm not normally a fan of courtroom dramas, but this one was really compelling. You wouldn't think that twelve guys arguing in one room for a hour and a half could be so riveting, but twelve of the best character actors in Hollywood in the late 50's throwing out passionate speeches left and right make it truly memorable. (Like Marty, it's pretty obvious from the intimate settings that this was based after a TV play - and it was later made into a stage play as well.)
Not for those who are looking for more action, but if you love compelling character-driven stories or courtroom dramas, this is one of the most unique.
And...it started raining about an hour ago. Sounds like it's coming down pretty good, too. I hope it doesn't linger too long into tomorrow. I have a lot that I want to do, including laundry. (I'll still take downpours over the icy weather we had in early January last year, though! At least I can go outside, even if I get wet doing so.)
Work was a bit of a pain. I spent the first hour doing carts, but I got stuck in the registers for the rest of the day. We weren't even really that busy, especially early on. We just didn't have enough help. At least most everyone I talked to were in good moods. (It probably helped that I was mostly in the express line.)
I'm not really happy with my schedule next week, either. I have the same amount of hours next week that I originally did this week - which is to say, not nearly enough. And this time, there's no holiday to make up for it. That's the other reason I wanted to take time off in January this year, besides it being mid-way between my trips with Lauren. I figured I'd probably make a bigger paycheck on vacation than if I were actually at work.
I did get some grocery shopping done. I found two containers of small shrimp intended for shrimp scampi for super-cheap in the seafood section. Decided that one container would become shrimp and vegetable pizza tonight, and the other would be shrimp stir-fry next week. Bought a can of pizza dough and shredded mozzarella cheese to go with the former. Restocked skim milk, honey, apples, bananas, cranberries, cheddar cheese, yogurt, aluminum foil, sponges, toilet paper, cream of mushroom soup, white and brown sugar, and mandarin oranges. Grabbed more of those wonderful pumpkin creame cookies off the clearance shelves, along with a box of pumpkin bread mix.
Did another Garfield special when I got home. Garfield's daydreaming again in Babes and Bullets. This time, he imagines himself as Sam Spayed, a private eye who is on the trail of the man who murdered a handsome young history professor. What I like about this one is, for all the comic elements, there's a surprisingly believable mystery at it's core. It feels more realistic than some of the cozy mysteries I read.
The special actually gave me a story idea. I've been wanting to do a fanfic with Han Solo as a private detective for a while now, but I only had the story title. I didn't know if I wanted it to be in the regular Star Wars universe, or real life, or when in real-life...but I think I have it now. I love film noir, but my last attempt at it in the Remember WENN fandom was colored by the action-packed third season finale.
Hank Solomon is a private detective in Philadelphia in 1948. Gorgeous rich girl Leia Ortez hires him and his big foreign buddy Chuck to find out who murdered her parents, Bail and Breha Ortez, and why. It turns out that Leia and her family made some powerful enemies, including Darren Vedder, the city's corrupt Chief of Police. Leia turned information on Vedder's activities over to a nervous Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, Cyril Thomas, and his excitable photographer buddy Arlo Detton. He has to work with them, ex-cop Benjamin MacKennon, and rookie cop Luke Walters to find out what Vedder and his boss Mayor Simon Palpatine has in mind, before they take over the city.
No clue when this one's going to come out. Possibly later this year, if I can work out all the details. I really want to finish off as many Original Trilogy ideas as possible before they start advertising for Episode 9 and I switch gears to the Sequels.
Did a few major things online before I started writing. I e-mailed two of the listings I'd seen on Craigslist and Trulia and called a third. The call did not go well. She said I didn't make enough money to rent from her. I never really thought of that. Miss Ellie didn't ask how much money I made when I moved down here in 2006 - and I probably made even less then. And the other Craigslist listing vanished hours after I e-mailed them. I hope they still respond.
Finally got to writing around 5 PM. After they pull up in the crumbling castle owned by the thieves, Diefa, the younger female thief, drags Leia and Chewie to her room. She keeps her "collection" - birds and a tauntaun she has in cages and on a leash - there. She intends to make Chewie part of her menagerie and hold Leia as a slave.
Broke to make my pizza at 6:30. Watched an episode of Fairie Tale Theatre while I enjoyed my meal. The Star Wars fanfic I'm currently working on was inspired by the original Hans Christian Anderson version of "The Snow Queen." Gerda (Melissa Gilbert) wants to find her friend Kai (Lance Kerwin), whose heart was soured by a troll's evil magic. The beautiful Snow Queen (Lee Remick) takes him in and teaches him patience. Meanwhile, Gerda gets help from the Lady of Summer (Lauren Hutton), a talking tree, a sassy thief (Linda Manz), and a reindeer (David Hemmings).
Finished the night after a shower with 12 Angry Men. This 1957 Sidney Lumet film is simplicity in itself. It's a hot day in a New York courtroom. Twelve ordinary guys would love to be anywhere but a stuffy room with no air conditioning, but one of the jurors (Henry Fonda) insists that the teenager who is on trial for murdering his abusive father is not guilty. Another juror (Lee J. Cobb) just as passionately points out that all the evidence indicates that the kid did the deed. The other jurors, ranging from a meek banker (John Fielder) to a huge baseball fan (Jack Warden) to a man who managed to get out of a situation not unlike the kid's (Jack Klugman), hear both sides of the arguement over the course of a long afternoon. Ultimately, all the men learn a lesson about justice...and getting all the facts straight before presenting your case.
I'm not normally a fan of courtroom dramas, but this one was really compelling. You wouldn't think that twelve guys arguing in one room for a hour and a half could be so riveting, but twelve of the best character actors in Hollywood in the late 50's throwing out passionate speeches left and right make it truly memorable. (Like Marty, it's pretty obvious from the intimate settings that this was based after a TV play - and it was later made into a stage play as well.)
Not for those who are looking for more action, but if you love compelling character-driven stories or courtroom dramas, this is one of the most unique.
And...it started raining about an hour ago. Sounds like it's coming down pretty good, too. I hope it doesn't linger too long into tomorrow. I have a lot that I want to do, including laundry. (I'll still take downpours over the icy weather we had in early January last year, though! At least I can go outside, even if I get wet doing so.)
Thursday, January 03, 2019
Making Changes
After a quick breakfast, I spent most of the morning taking down the remaining Christmas decorations. This took a little bit longer than usual. I really want to find a better box for my Christmas tree - the one it's currently in is falling apart - but nothing I had fit. I did manage to get the nativity and bag with the garlands into the largest box, though. The mistletoe, linens, New Year's noisemakers, coasters, and other small items that I put out first went in one of those Kimberly Clark boxes I get from Lauren every year. The wreath remained in the Santa bag.
Finished out the Sailor Moon S season as I worked. Hotoru finally awakens long enough to give Chibi-Usa a gift of a flower that a young woman gave her for free. Unfortunately, it sucks energy and pure hearts from everything around it, including humans. "A Bewitching Flower That Steals Hearts; Tellu, the Third Witch" introduces the botany-minded member of the Witches 5. She thinks she can use her plants against Sailor Moon, Chibi-Moon, and Tuxedo Mask, but Sailor Pluto won't let her do it.
Viluy, the fourth witch, has a similar plan in "Believe In Love: Ami, the Kindhearted Guardian." Instead of using plants to gather multiple pure hearts, she uses computers, which are controlled by cuffs on her wrists. She insists to Ami that science is a matter of logic, not emotion. Ami proves otherwise while helping the others to further investigate the shadowy Mugen School.
Things really heat up in "Shadows of Destruction: The Messiah of Silence Awakens." The Sailor Guardians confront the last of the witches, Cyprine, and her alter ego Ptilol, before finally making their way into the Witches' hideout. Meanwhile, Chibi-Moon is kidnapped by the resurrected Kaolinite. It turns out that Hotaru is possessed by an evil entity known as Mistress 9, and it's Chibi-Moon's heart that allows her to fully awaken as the Messiah of Silence.
"The Coming Terror of Darkness: The Struggle of the Eight Guardians" loses Sailor Pluto when she stops time so Neptune and Uranus can avoid an explosion. The younger Guardians aren't as lucky. They can't get past a barrier created by leftover demon eggs with Sailor Moon and end up using their powers to keep it from pushing further into Tokyo. The remaining trio of Guardians do manage to get past Professor Tomoe, but the have a harder time with Mistress 9...
Which takes us into "The Shining Shooting Star: Saturn and the Messiah." Mistress 9 tricks Sailor Moon into giving her the Holy Grail, which she uses to bring the real head villain of this season, the entity Pharaoh 90, to Earth. Hotoru manages to fight back, with the help of the love of Sailor Moon and her father, and fully becomes Sailor Saturn. She returns Chibi-Moon's pure heart crystal and throws herself to Pharaoh 90 as the sacrifice...but Sailor Moon won't let anyone die if she can help it...
Michiru and Haruka still have a problem with that in "A New Life: Parting of the Stars of Destiny." They think Usagi is too softhearted to be a leader. She fights them both to show otherwise. Meanwhile, Chibi-Usa learns that Hotaru has been reborn as a baby and now lives with her recovering father.
The season ends with Chibi-Usa trying to decide whether or not to return to the future in the season finale "A Guardian's Realization: Strength Lies Within a Pure Heart." She doesn't really want to go, but when the crew holds a farewell party for her, she figures she has to. But there's still one last demon out there...and the Guardians may need a little bit of extra kid help to eliminate the Death Busters and their plans once and for all.
Headed out around 1:30 after a quick lunch and dropping the rent check in the McHughs' mailbox. I didn't have the time for the Oaklyn Library, but I was able to find the address of the apartment in Audubon this time. It's just a few blocks from Audubon's downtown, across the tracks from the Legacy Diner. The house is a rather dull, blue-gray specimen that looked like it was built somewhere between the 10's and the 30's. The entrance to the apartment in question is right out front - it even had a rather pretty wreath on it.
Celebrated the end of the holiday season with a stop at the WaWa on the White Horse Pike in Audubon. I decided to try a Sugar and Spice Smoothie. Oooh, yum. Tasted like cinnamon eggnog, with actual cinnamon sprinkled on top.
Rode on to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering session there. Not a whole lot to do. I mainly shelved and organized DVDs. (And I couldn't even fit all the kids' titles on the shelves.) Took out movies for the first time in weeks. There's going to be a sequel to The Angry Birds Movie later this year; thought it was finally time to check that out. Grabbed another Daniel Tiger title, You are Special, Daniel Tiger. Picked up the Disney Peter Pan and Victor/Victoria for reviews this week. Also grabbed Tag and the original 12 Angry Men.
Since it was late when I got out of the library, I went straight home. Worked on writing for a little while. Han, Leia, and Chewbacca are attacked by bandits while riding through the woods. The elderly mother takes a shine to Han and claims she'll keep him. Her savage daughter tries to attack Leia, with slightly less success.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Ran Daniel Tiger while I ate and did more research on moving online. In "You are Special," O feels like he lacks the obvious talents that the other kids in his class have, until he remembers he can do one thing they can't do - fly. Daniel and his dad go for a walk in the park in the fall in "Daniel is Special." They discuss all the ways Daniel is special to his dad while gathering leaves to make a picture.
There's "No Red Sweater for Daniel" when his is in the wash, but he learns that clothes don't make the tiger cub when he has to wear a blue one. He's not sure how he feels about "Teacher Harriet's New Hairdo." Prince Wednesday's cousin Chrissie helps him see that just because we change our hairstyle doesn't mean we've changed.
The schoolroom is also the setting for "Daniel Thinks of Others." Miss Elania is upset when he uses all the glitter for his picture, and she has none for her poster for her store. He tries to remember to be more thoughtful when he makes a clay statue for her. "Daniel Thinks of What Margaret Needs" when he and Elania go outside to play and let his sister nap.
Katerina wants it to be "Tutu All the Time" when she wears her favorite dance skirt to school. She discovers that there's a time for dancing, and a time to wear other things, when she gets paint on her skirt and can't get it into the "cave" she built with Daniel and Wednesday. In "Same and Different," Daniel realizes that he and Katerina have tails, and most of the other kids don't. Teacher Harriet makes him realize that everyone is different, and that's ok, but we all have some things in common, too.
While the kids learned about each other, I learned a bit more about the questions I need to ask when I move in...and probably should have asked when I moved here. I never even thought to ask what would happen to the house and my rent if/when Miss Ellie passed away. I also discovered another listing in Audubon. While this one is a mere $410 with utilities, it also didn't list an address. I'm going to have to call them.
Finished the night with my second musical review of the year, the Julie Andrews farce Victor/Victoria, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews site.
Victor/Victoria
Finished out the Sailor Moon S season as I worked. Hotoru finally awakens long enough to give Chibi-Usa a gift of a flower that a young woman gave her for free. Unfortunately, it sucks energy and pure hearts from everything around it, including humans. "A Bewitching Flower That Steals Hearts; Tellu, the Third Witch" introduces the botany-minded member of the Witches 5. She thinks she can use her plants against Sailor Moon, Chibi-Moon, and Tuxedo Mask, but Sailor Pluto won't let her do it.
Viluy, the fourth witch, has a similar plan in "Believe In Love: Ami, the Kindhearted Guardian." Instead of using plants to gather multiple pure hearts, she uses computers, which are controlled by cuffs on her wrists. She insists to Ami that science is a matter of logic, not emotion. Ami proves otherwise while helping the others to further investigate the shadowy Mugen School.
Things really heat up in "Shadows of Destruction: The Messiah of Silence Awakens." The Sailor Guardians confront the last of the witches, Cyprine, and her alter ego Ptilol, before finally making their way into the Witches' hideout. Meanwhile, Chibi-Moon is kidnapped by the resurrected Kaolinite. It turns out that Hotaru is possessed by an evil entity known as Mistress 9, and it's Chibi-Moon's heart that allows her to fully awaken as the Messiah of Silence.
"The Coming Terror of Darkness: The Struggle of the Eight Guardians" loses Sailor Pluto when she stops time so Neptune and Uranus can avoid an explosion. The younger Guardians aren't as lucky. They can't get past a barrier created by leftover demon eggs with Sailor Moon and end up using their powers to keep it from pushing further into Tokyo. The remaining trio of Guardians do manage to get past Professor Tomoe, but the have a harder time with Mistress 9...
Which takes us into "The Shining Shooting Star: Saturn and the Messiah." Mistress 9 tricks Sailor Moon into giving her the Holy Grail, which she uses to bring the real head villain of this season, the entity Pharaoh 90, to Earth. Hotoru manages to fight back, with the help of the love of Sailor Moon and her father, and fully becomes Sailor Saturn. She returns Chibi-Moon's pure heart crystal and throws herself to Pharaoh 90 as the sacrifice...but Sailor Moon won't let anyone die if she can help it...
Michiru and Haruka still have a problem with that in "A New Life: Parting of the Stars of Destiny." They think Usagi is too softhearted to be a leader. She fights them both to show otherwise. Meanwhile, Chibi-Usa learns that Hotaru has been reborn as a baby and now lives with her recovering father.
The season ends with Chibi-Usa trying to decide whether or not to return to the future in the season finale "A Guardian's Realization: Strength Lies Within a Pure Heart." She doesn't really want to go, but when the crew holds a farewell party for her, she figures she has to. But there's still one last demon out there...and the Guardians may need a little bit of extra kid help to eliminate the Death Busters and their plans once and for all.
Headed out around 1:30 after a quick lunch and dropping the rent check in the McHughs' mailbox. I didn't have the time for the Oaklyn Library, but I was able to find the address of the apartment in Audubon this time. It's just a few blocks from Audubon's downtown, across the tracks from the Legacy Diner. The house is a rather dull, blue-gray specimen that looked like it was built somewhere between the 10's and the 30's. The entrance to the apartment in question is right out front - it even had a rather pretty wreath on it.
Celebrated the end of the holiday season with a stop at the WaWa on the White Horse Pike in Audubon. I decided to try a Sugar and Spice Smoothie. Oooh, yum. Tasted like cinnamon eggnog, with actual cinnamon sprinkled on top.
Rode on to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering session there. Not a whole lot to do. I mainly shelved and organized DVDs. (And I couldn't even fit all the kids' titles on the shelves.) Took out movies for the first time in weeks. There's going to be a sequel to The Angry Birds Movie later this year; thought it was finally time to check that out. Grabbed another Daniel Tiger title, You are Special, Daniel Tiger. Picked up the Disney Peter Pan and Victor/Victoria for reviews this week. Also grabbed Tag and the original 12 Angry Men.
Since it was late when I got out of the library, I went straight home. Worked on writing for a little while. Han, Leia, and Chewbacca are attacked by bandits while riding through the woods. The elderly mother takes a shine to Han and claims she'll keep him. Her savage daughter tries to attack Leia, with slightly less success.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Ran Daniel Tiger while I ate and did more research on moving online. In "You are Special," O feels like he lacks the obvious talents that the other kids in his class have, until he remembers he can do one thing they can't do - fly. Daniel and his dad go for a walk in the park in the fall in "Daniel is Special." They discuss all the ways Daniel is special to his dad while gathering leaves to make a picture.
There's "No Red Sweater for Daniel" when his is in the wash, but he learns that clothes don't make the tiger cub when he has to wear a blue one. He's not sure how he feels about "Teacher Harriet's New Hairdo." Prince Wednesday's cousin Chrissie helps him see that just because we change our hairstyle doesn't mean we've changed.
The schoolroom is also the setting for "Daniel Thinks of Others." Miss Elania is upset when he uses all the glitter for his picture, and she has none for her poster for her store. He tries to remember to be more thoughtful when he makes a clay statue for her. "Daniel Thinks of What Margaret Needs" when he and Elania go outside to play and let his sister nap.
Katerina wants it to be "Tutu All the Time" when she wears her favorite dance skirt to school. She discovers that there's a time for dancing, and a time to wear other things, when she gets paint on her skirt and can't get it into the "cave" she built with Daniel and Wednesday. In "Same and Different," Daniel realizes that he and Katerina have tails, and most of the other kids don't. Teacher Harriet makes him realize that everyone is different, and that's ok, but we all have some things in common, too.
While the kids learned about each other, I learned a bit more about the questions I need to ask when I move in...and probably should have asked when I moved here. I never even thought to ask what would happen to the house and my rent if/when Miss Ellie passed away. I also discovered another listing in Audubon. While this one is a mere $410 with utilities, it also didn't list an address. I'm going to have to call them.
Finished the night with my second musical review of the year, the Julie Andrews farce Victor/Victoria, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews site.
Victor/Victoria
Wednesday, January 02, 2019
The Guardians and the Spaceballs
Started off a cloudy morning with breakfast and Sailor Moon S. "Who Is the New Messiah? Chaos of Light and Darkness" introduces a new villain - Mimtete, the next member of the Witches 5, a spoiled and vain creature who only cares about hogging the spotlight and throws a fit when every guy she drools over doesn't share her feelings. Case in point is the movie star she sends her monster after while he's filming a western. The Sailor Guardians are also there to watch the shooting, along with Chibi-Usa. She makes a new friend - Hotaru, a frail, shy girl with a big heart. But Hotaru is not what she seems...
This time, my early work day went just fine. I alternated between gathering carts and shelving items for most of my four hour shift, only stopping to bag when a manager had a long line and to empty one overflowing recycling container. It was breezy and chilly, a bit colder than yesterday...but given we're now in January, things could have been a lot worse.
Took a ride into Audubon to check out the house with the studio apartment I'm currently considering. I didn't realize there were two Atlantic Avenues on either side of the train tracks. I rode down the wrong one and couldn't find the house. I'll try again tomorrow or this weekend.
There was a pink post office slip waiting for me at the mailbox. It was from the McHughs. I had to ride all the way over to the Oaklyn Post Office to sign for the envelope...which contained the same rental notice about her raising the rent to $765 and my paying the heat. I don't know why she couldn't have brought it up to my place, like she did the last one. If she thinks I'm going to sign it in hurry like last year, she has another thing coming.
Spent the next few hours taking down the Christmas decorations. I had cleared out enough that I was able to get everything in the plastic bin with no trouble this time. (Other than I forgot to take down two of the cardboard hangings and had to open up the bin again.) That took less than an hour, giving me the chance to put the bears and their things away, too. I was too tired to do the tree. I'll start with that tomorrow.
Ran Sailor Moon S episodes as I worked. Mimtete is the worst type of fangirl. She obsesses over any guy who looks cute, then goes into rages when they don't return her affections. This is most obvious in "I Love Idols: Mimtete's Dilemma." Mimtete and Minako join a beauty pageant to win a coveted acting role alongside their singing hunk du jour. Mimtete is seriously considering leaving the Witches 5 after she and Mina make the final five. When neither of them win, Mimtete flies into a rage and unleashes her latest demon.
"Shadow of Silence: The Pale Glimmer of a Firefly" starts with Hotoru ending up in the hospital for exhaustion, to the horror of her best friend Chibi-Usa. They're heading home when they encounter Mimtete attacking a soap opera star whom she accuses of leaving her (she got way too into the show). When the demon goes after Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon, it's Hotoru who ends up taking her down...showing off some awesome powers that worry Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
Though Setsuna and the other two warn Chibi-Usa away from Hotoru, she can't help but want to spend time with her kind but frail friend anyway. "Sunny Skies After a Storm: A Friendship Dedicated to Hotoru" allows the girl to show her awesome powers again when Usagi, Chibi-Usa, and Mamoru are attacked during a trip to a rose-breeding hothouse.
Hotoru gets the fangirl bug in "Higher and Higher: A Cheer From Usagi." Unlike Mimtete, she doesn't have the courage to send her letter to an athlete who was once sickly like her, but is now breaking records all over Japan. Usagi and Chibi-Usa take her over to the stadium where he trains so she can give him the letter in person...but Mimtete gets there first.
Things get seriously weird in "The Battle Inside the Demonic Space: The Sailor Guardians' Gamble." Mimtete's accident in her boss' laboratory traps Chibi-Usa and Hotoru in multiple dimensions in his home. The Guardians jump in to rescue them, only to have the little girls save them from a card game-based demon with a flair for cheating.
Broke to do a little bit of writing after I got everything put away. Leia and Han explain their mission to Princess Herfa and Prince Delent. They tell them that the Snow Queen may be keeping Luke as a companion, much like Zoma kept Leia. They let them sleep at their castle overnight, then outfits them with warm winter clothes and lots of food and an elaborate repulsor-sleigh for the journey. Herfa warns them that the woods are full of thieves, but Han insists that he can handle them.
Did two more Sailor Moon episodes while making scrambled eggs with vegetables and turkey bacon for dinner. The girls make a visit to a planetarium, mainly to watch the handsome narrator, in "The Messiah of Silence Awakens? Stars of Destiny." Mimtete attacks again, but this time, it reveals Hotoru's true power, and the reason that the older Sailor Guardians didn't want it to be awakened.
Mimtete's run ends with "An Invasion From Another Dimension: Mystery of Infinity Academy." Hotoru has disappeared, and so has everyone and everything in her home. After learning that Hotoru's father Professor Tomoe is a teacher at the Mugen School, the girls head there to check it out, and to hear a handsome Russian speaker discuss theories of alternate dimensions. Mimtete becomes larger than life to stop them. One of her co-workers isn't so crazy about her stealing her job and literally pulls the plug on her.
Finished the night after a shower with Spaceballs. (I wasn't up for the Sequels or the anthology films tonight; maybe later this week or next week.) Lone Star (Bill Pullman) and his half-man, half-dog buddy Barf (John Candy) are hired to rescue Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) from the evil Spaceballs. These goofy-yet-menacing evil-doers are lead by Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis), his right-hand-idiot, Colonel Sanders (George Wyner) and their incompetent boss, President Skroob (Mel Brooks). They somehow manage to grab the princess and her droid Dot Matrix (voice of Joan Rivers) while they're staying with wise sage Yogurt (Brooks). Lone Star has to learn how to trust in his own abilities to use the Schwartz in order to save the princess and learn the truth behind his own identity.
A long-time family favorite, and one of Mel Brooks' best spoofs. Star Wars fans will probably have the most fun with it, but those who are into sci-fi in general will recognize references to everything from Alien to the original Planet of the Apes.
This time, my early work day went just fine. I alternated between gathering carts and shelving items for most of my four hour shift, only stopping to bag when a manager had a long line and to empty one overflowing recycling container. It was breezy and chilly, a bit colder than yesterday...but given we're now in January, things could have been a lot worse.
Took a ride into Audubon to check out the house with the studio apartment I'm currently considering. I didn't realize there were two Atlantic Avenues on either side of the train tracks. I rode down the wrong one and couldn't find the house. I'll try again tomorrow or this weekend.
There was a pink post office slip waiting for me at the mailbox. It was from the McHughs. I had to ride all the way over to the Oaklyn Post Office to sign for the envelope...which contained the same rental notice about her raising the rent to $765 and my paying the heat. I don't know why she couldn't have brought it up to my place, like she did the last one. If she thinks I'm going to sign it in hurry like last year, she has another thing coming.
Spent the next few hours taking down the Christmas decorations. I had cleared out enough that I was able to get everything in the plastic bin with no trouble this time. (Other than I forgot to take down two of the cardboard hangings and had to open up the bin again.) That took less than an hour, giving me the chance to put the bears and their things away, too. I was too tired to do the tree. I'll start with that tomorrow.
Ran Sailor Moon S episodes as I worked. Mimtete is the worst type of fangirl. She obsesses over any guy who looks cute, then goes into rages when they don't return her affections. This is most obvious in "I Love Idols: Mimtete's Dilemma." Mimtete and Minako join a beauty pageant to win a coveted acting role alongside their singing hunk du jour. Mimtete is seriously considering leaving the Witches 5 after she and Mina make the final five. When neither of them win, Mimtete flies into a rage and unleashes her latest demon.
"Shadow of Silence: The Pale Glimmer of a Firefly" starts with Hotoru ending up in the hospital for exhaustion, to the horror of her best friend Chibi-Usa. They're heading home when they encounter Mimtete attacking a soap opera star whom she accuses of leaving her (she got way too into the show). When the demon goes after Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon, it's Hotoru who ends up taking her down...showing off some awesome powers that worry Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
Though Setsuna and the other two warn Chibi-Usa away from Hotoru, she can't help but want to spend time with her kind but frail friend anyway. "Sunny Skies After a Storm: A Friendship Dedicated to Hotoru" allows the girl to show her awesome powers again when Usagi, Chibi-Usa, and Mamoru are attacked during a trip to a rose-breeding hothouse.
Hotoru gets the fangirl bug in "Higher and Higher: A Cheer From Usagi." Unlike Mimtete, she doesn't have the courage to send her letter to an athlete who was once sickly like her, but is now breaking records all over Japan. Usagi and Chibi-Usa take her over to the stadium where he trains so she can give him the letter in person...but Mimtete gets there first.
Things get seriously weird in "The Battle Inside the Demonic Space: The Sailor Guardians' Gamble." Mimtete's accident in her boss' laboratory traps Chibi-Usa and Hotoru in multiple dimensions in his home. The Guardians jump in to rescue them, only to have the little girls save them from a card game-based demon with a flair for cheating.
Broke to do a little bit of writing after I got everything put away. Leia and Han explain their mission to Princess Herfa and Prince Delent. They tell them that the Snow Queen may be keeping Luke as a companion, much like Zoma kept Leia. They let them sleep at their castle overnight, then outfits them with warm winter clothes and lots of food and an elaborate repulsor-sleigh for the journey. Herfa warns them that the woods are full of thieves, but Han insists that he can handle them.
Did two more Sailor Moon episodes while making scrambled eggs with vegetables and turkey bacon for dinner. The girls make a visit to a planetarium, mainly to watch the handsome narrator, in "The Messiah of Silence Awakens? Stars of Destiny." Mimtete attacks again, but this time, it reveals Hotoru's true power, and the reason that the older Sailor Guardians didn't want it to be awakened.
Mimtete's run ends with "An Invasion From Another Dimension: Mystery of Infinity Academy." Hotoru has disappeared, and so has everyone and everything in her home. After learning that Hotoru's father Professor Tomoe is a teacher at the Mugen School, the girls head there to check it out, and to hear a handsome Russian speaker discuss theories of alternate dimensions. Mimtete becomes larger than life to stop them. One of her co-workers isn't so crazy about her stealing her job and literally pulls the plug on her.
Finished the night after a shower with Spaceballs. (I wasn't up for the Sequels or the anthology films tonight; maybe later this week or next week.) Lone Star (Bill Pullman) and his half-man, half-dog buddy Barf (John Candy) are hired to rescue Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) from the evil Spaceballs. These goofy-yet-menacing evil-doers are lead by Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis), his right-hand-idiot, Colonel Sanders (George Wyner) and their incompetent boss, President Skroob (Mel Brooks). They somehow manage to grab the princess and her droid Dot Matrix (voice of Joan Rivers) while they're staying with wise sage Yogurt (Brooks). Lone Star has to learn how to trust in his own abilities to use the Schwartz in order to save the princess and learn the truth behind his own identity.
A long-time family favorite, and one of Mel Brooks' best spoofs. Star Wars fans will probably have the most fun with it, but those who are into sci-fi in general will recognize references to everything from Alien to the original Planet of the Apes.
Tuesday, January 01, 2019
Let's Start the New Year Right
Began 2019 with stories from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays. My favorite was the one about the kids in a small New Hampshire town who bring firewood to an elderly couple on New Year's Eve, then ring the bell for the man when he can't get out in the snow. I also like the story about the doll who is stolen from her wealthy young owner by hooligans, only to end up being given to the sister of one of them.
Headed to work after breakfast...and had more work than I planned. I stayed an extra two hours because, for some reason, that computer scheduled the head bagger to work New Year's, when she never, ever works holidays. Not that there was a whole lot for me to do. We were dead the entire day. I did do some returns early-on, but I was mainly outside with the carts. I had no problems with this. It was still cloudy when I went to work at 8:30. By noon, the clouds had cleared, and though it remained windy, it was otherwise a gorgeous, sunny day, probably in the upper 50's. (I'll take upper 50's and gale-force windy over the upper 10's and icy weather we had on New Year's Day last year.)
Picked up a few things from the after-Christmas-sales during my break. Found another pack of cards, this one with a really nice folk city design. Also found more tags (including the ones you tie on - I used up all of mine) and cardboard boxes for baked goods. (I need more for the cupcakes and bread next year.)
Went straight to the Legacy Diner after work for a now-late lunch/brunch. By 3 PM, they were steady, but not really crazy. I got my Chunky Monkey (banana and chocolate chip) Pancakes in less than 10 minutes. The waitress said they're her favorite pancakes, and I don't blame her. They were delicious - and nearly the size of the plate. I'm glad I went with the short stack. Watched the Mummers Parade from earlier on the TV in the back as I ate.
After I got home, I started going through things in the living area closet and my room. I need to clear out some of my Christmas decorations - they don't fit in the bin I have them in anymore - and a lot of the stuff in the back room and closets. I go through the books and other media fairly frequently and didn't need to get rid of much there...except the American Girl books. I still love American Girl, but I don't really read the books that often. I may keep the mysteries and get rid of the picture books. We'll see. I just don't have that much room, and if/when I move, I'll likely have even less room.
Worked on writing for a while around 4:30, but I was tired and didn't get far. Leia, Chewie, and Han are introduced to Princess Herfa and her husband, Prince Delent. While the prince does someone resemble Luke, he's not him. They were informed of their coming by Lady Gerda and are willing to help them get north to find Luke.
Broke at 6:30 to have leftovers for dinner. Continued to go through things after that, pulling some games, toys, and puzzles that I don't use from the living area closet. Watched Holiday Inn while I worked before and after writing. I go into more detail on this vehicle for Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Holiday Inn
Finished the night with Return of the Jedi. We begin with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and his friends rescuing Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from the clutches of the disgusting crime lord Jabba the Hutt. After they manage to get out of that adventure intact, Han, Leia, and Lando (Billy Dee Williams) return to the Rebellion to learn that Darth Vader (voice of James Earl Jones) and the Emperor (Ian McDermid) are building a bigger, better Death Star. Luke has a talk with Yoda (voice of Frank Oz), who confirms that revelation about Vader from Empire and insists that Luke confront him. While Luke goes to the Death Star to deal with Vader, the cackling Emperor, and the truth about his family heritage, Leia, Han, and the Rebels find useful allies in the furry, cute, and extremely tenacious Ewoks.
This one starts off well, with the action-packed opening at Jabba's Palace that's by far my favorite part of the movie. I love the confrontation between Vader, Luke, and the Emperor, and I actually like the Ewoks...but the movie is too slow, with too much talk and dry exposition, and it goes on for about 20 minutes too long. Not my favorite Star Wars movie, but it was my first Star Wars movie (Mom says she took Rose and me to see it when it came out in 1983), and I still have a little bit of a soft spot for it.
Headed to work after breakfast...and had more work than I planned. I stayed an extra two hours because, for some reason, that computer scheduled the head bagger to work New Year's, when she never, ever works holidays. Not that there was a whole lot for me to do. We were dead the entire day. I did do some returns early-on, but I was mainly outside with the carts. I had no problems with this. It was still cloudy when I went to work at 8:30. By noon, the clouds had cleared, and though it remained windy, it was otherwise a gorgeous, sunny day, probably in the upper 50's. (I'll take upper 50's and gale-force windy over the upper 10's and icy weather we had on New Year's Day last year.)
Picked up a few things from the after-Christmas-sales during my break. Found another pack of cards, this one with a really nice folk city design. Also found more tags (including the ones you tie on - I used up all of mine) and cardboard boxes for baked goods. (I need more for the cupcakes and bread next year.)
Went straight to the Legacy Diner after work for a now-late lunch/brunch. By 3 PM, they were steady, but not really crazy. I got my Chunky Monkey (banana and chocolate chip) Pancakes in less than 10 minutes. The waitress said they're her favorite pancakes, and I don't blame her. They were delicious - and nearly the size of the plate. I'm glad I went with the short stack. Watched the Mummers Parade from earlier on the TV in the back as I ate.
After I got home, I started going through things in the living area closet and my room. I need to clear out some of my Christmas decorations - they don't fit in the bin I have them in anymore - and a lot of the stuff in the back room and closets. I go through the books and other media fairly frequently and didn't need to get rid of much there...except the American Girl books. I still love American Girl, but I don't really read the books that often. I may keep the mysteries and get rid of the picture books. We'll see. I just don't have that much room, and if/when I move, I'll likely have even less room.
Worked on writing for a while around 4:30, but I was tired and didn't get far. Leia, Chewie, and Han are introduced to Princess Herfa and her husband, Prince Delent. While the prince does someone resemble Luke, he's not him. They were informed of their coming by Lady Gerda and are willing to help them get north to find Luke.
Broke at 6:30 to have leftovers for dinner. Continued to go through things after that, pulling some games, toys, and puzzles that I don't use from the living area closet. Watched Holiday Inn while I worked before and after writing. I go into more detail on this vehicle for Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Holiday Inn
Finished the night with Return of the Jedi. We begin with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and his friends rescuing Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from the clutches of the disgusting crime lord Jabba the Hutt. After they manage to get out of that adventure intact, Han, Leia, and Lando (Billy Dee Williams) return to the Rebellion to learn that Darth Vader (voice of James Earl Jones) and the Emperor (Ian McDermid) are building a bigger, better Death Star. Luke has a talk with Yoda (voice of Frank Oz), who confirms that revelation about Vader from Empire and insists that Luke confront him. While Luke goes to the Death Star to deal with Vader, the cackling Emperor, and the truth about his family heritage, Leia, Han, and the Rebels find useful allies in the furry, cute, and extremely tenacious Ewoks.
This one starts off well, with the action-packed opening at Jabba's Palace that's by far my favorite part of the movie. I love the confrontation between Vader, Luke, and the Emperor, and I actually like the Ewoks...but the movie is too slow, with too much talk and dry exposition, and it goes on for about 20 minutes too long. Not my favorite Star Wars movie, but it was my first Star Wars movie (Mom says she took Rose and me to see it when it came out in 1983), and I still have a little bit of a soft spot for it.
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