The Trouble With Managers

By the time I rolled out of bed this morning, the clouds and humidity were long gone. I opened the window to enjoy the breeze while eating Blueberry Pancakes. Listened to the soundtrack to Footloose while I ate. There's some classic numbers in this very 80's tale of kids fighting to dance in a conservative mid-western town, including "Let's Here It for the Boy," "Holding Out For a Hero," "Almost Paradise," and the title song.

Worked on writing for a little while after breakfast. While Leia and Hank dodge Bobby Fett, Luke's spending time with Ben in the hospital. The youth admits he hasn't had much luck practicing for the surfing competition with Vader on his own, thanks to all the distractions. Ben suggests he looks up his friend Yoda Yamagachi. Once one of the oldest members of the Jedi Knights, he's now living in Dagobah Creek, just outside of Dantoonie by the bay. He also admits that he knows Ahsoka "Fulcrum" Tano, the mysterious DJ at Luke's favorite local station, and may be able to convince her to appear at their block party.

Broke for lunch at 12:30. Put on my Tina Turner greatest hits CD Simply the Best while eating a quick lunch. Turner was one of my favorite singers in my early childhood, and is in fact, the inspiration for Ahsoka Tano in my story.

Work was an absolute pain. One of the managers told me to go outside and do carts as soon as I came in. Which I did...and was pulled back in after ten minutes by the actual head front end manger, who wanted me to take a register. It happened after I came in from my break, too. She saw me coming back and sent me out to do carts again. Not only did they not need to be done, but the actual head manager told me to do the trash when I came back. I did gather carts for about an hour eventually, but one of the teen boys took that over later. 

I hurried home after all that. Listened to Plain & Fancy in honor of Barbara Cook, who passed away a few days ago, while eating leftovers for dinner. This is a very typical 50's musical with an unusual setting - among the Amish in the real-life Pennsylvania town of Bird-In-the-Hand. A sophisticated couple from New York have inherited a farm in the Pennsylvania Dutch country and want to inspect it. Hilda, one of the Amish girls (Cook), falls for the male half. Meanwhile, a young woman is promised to one boy, but loves his brother. When the boy is "shunned" (thrown out) by the community, she can no longer see him. Now the couple has to bring the two together, help the community repair their barn, and fend off Hilda without hurting her feelings.

If you like Cook or the musicals of the 50's and 60's or are interested in Amish culture, you may want to look up this one.

Moved on to Lego Star Wars: Clone Wars after dinner. Tried exploring the main hub for a while. Couldn't get any more red bricks, but I did open a new mission...that I couldn't find on the mission map. Finally went back and re-did "Innocents of Ryloth." Having a wider variety of characters at your disposal was a huge help with this round. The clones could blast through piles of gold rock that hid minikit pieces. C-3PO opened a mini-game that had you trying to make the right number on the blackboard in a school of frightened Twi'leck children in order to get the piece. Jar Jar could jump to high places where studs hid. I was able to get seven pieces and more than three million studs. Started "Weapons Factory," but ran out of time before I wanted to meet Lauren online. 

Tried something different tonight. I've encountered the cast album for Happy Days: The Musical in stores before, but not anywhere else until I found it on YouTube. Yes, this is a musical version of the TV show, taking place around Season 4-5. Richie and the guys (and Chachi) are trying to earn money to save Arnold's. Mr. Cunningham wants Fonzie to wrestle a couple of local hoods, but he chickens out, trying to avoid his ex-girlfriend Pinky. Meanwhile, Mrs. Cunningham is looking for some meaning in her life. Joanie just wants a car and Chachi, in approximately that order.

This is too cheesy for Broadway, but it has been performed in several major regional theaters, including New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse, and seems to fairly popular with high schools. Appropriately, it sounds like a typical 50's musical, with "I want" numbers for Mrs. Cunningham, Joanie, and the boys, plot numbers, and big dance numbers that have nothing to do with the rest of the show. 

Despite the blurbs on Wikipedia, this has more in common with Bye, Bye Birdie than Grease. If you're a fan of the show or musicals of the era it's set in, you may find this a pleasant listen.

Happy Days: The Musical

Fantasy Under the Clouds

While the porch was wet when I finally rolled out of bed this morning, it was merely cloudy when I got to breakfast. Ran She-Ra as I ate. "Enchanted Castle" is probably my favorite episode on the Season 1, Volume 1 set I have. Adora and Bow get into major trouble when a wicked witch imprisons them in her sorcery-filled castle. They have to put out the magic blue fire that gives the witch her power. An old woman they rescued on the road proves to be more of a help than she looks.

"He Ain't Heavy" brings He-Man in for his second crossover with his sister after the pilot movie. Hordak uses a Moon Mirror stolen from an elderly wizard to kidnap Prince Adam and hold him as bait to trap Adora. She-Ra has other ideas. She enters Hordak's home the Fright Zone to rescue him.

It was quarter after 11 before I made it out to the Collingswood Farm Market. Neither the late hour nor the clouds and heavy humidity could stop the crowds. Despite the crazy weather we've been having lately, the summer produce is at its height. Saw winter squash for the first time today as well. Ended up with mushrooms, scallions, blueberries (which seem to have returned this week), tiny apples, two ears of corn, a small eggplant, a tomato, a cucumber, and two onions. Checked out Rite Aid and CVS to find something; never saw it. 

When I got in, I put away my purchases and made Cucumber-Tomato Salad while watching more She-Ra. "Return of The Sea Hawk" brings back Etheria's own roguish pirate and his crew. He lends She-Ra and her horse Swift Wing a hand when they're captured by the Horde while trying to help a village of elves.

"King Miro's Journey" takes He-Man and his grandfather to Etheria. Miro wants to meet his granddaughter...but he ends up encountering Hordak, who is using a crystal dome to trap the Rebels.

It remained cloudy and sticky humid as I headed out to work. We were very busy, especially early-on. I suspect people may have been trying to avoid the rain that never came. The weather wasn't exactly conductive to a weekend trip to the Shore, either. While I did bag and gather trash, I was mainly outside doing carts. I did have help from a college-age and a teen boy early on. Thankfully, by the time I was on my own, the crowds had subsided somewhat. They were having a really good sale on Pepperidge Farm Cookies. I wanted to try the Caramel Apple Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake. 

As soon as I got home, I changed, then made a swordfish steak in garlic butter sauce and the Cucumber-Tomato Salad for dinner. Did another She-Ra episode as I ate. "The Peril of the Whispering Woods" is the poison the Horde's using to destroy the forest. Unfortunately, it's also hurting the elves who are a part of its magic. She-Ra manages to convince the young son of Horde Prime, Prince Zed, to understand the other side while Madame Razz works on an antidote.

Moved to the fifth season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles while having Ben & Jerry's for dessert. Thought I'd cool down a bit with "The Ice Mutant Cometh." BeBop and Rocksteady accidentally drop mutagen on the ice blocking the Technodrome, creating a 100-foot tall ice monster that responds only to BeBop. The Turtles have to figure out how to defrost this menace without flooding New York City in the process.

After enjoying She-Ra earlier in the day, I thought I'd watch another Filmation girl-power tale as I went online. Happily Ever After is supposed to be the sequel to Snow White. When the Prince is kidnapped by the evil Lord Maliss, the brother of the Evil Queen, Snow White goes to Mother Nature for help. She sends the girl and the Dwarfelles, the nature-controlling sisters of the Dwarfs, to Maliss' home to rescue him. 

Surprisingly fun cult animated fairy tale. The music's lousy and Maliss' hench-animals are useless, but the Dwarfells are pretty funny, and Snow White is slightly more pro-active than in most versions of this story. 

Finished out the night with another lesser-known animated film from my childhood, The Gnomes' Great Adventure. A fantasy writer (Christopher Plummer) narrates the tale of how David the Gnome (Tom Bosley) was called on to retrieve the Gnome King's stolen gold from a group of hungry trolls. He's aided by a shape-shifting wizard (Tony Randall), an odd Tibetan monk, and a group of mischievous flower fairies. 

Too bad the lovely World of David the Gnome cartoon is currently out of print and expensive on DVD, and I'm not sure if this was ever released on home video. It's an episodic but fun tale, especially if you're a fan of Bosley or Scandinavian fantasy. 

(And at press time...it STILL hasn't rained! A farmer said earlier today it was supposed to rain from 11 last night to 12 this morning. It may have rained last night, but I haven't seen any rain today yet.)

Cloudy Day Dolls

Began a hazy late morning with more Laverne & Shirley. In "Shirley's Operation," the girls and their friends are rehearsing for a performance of Alice In Wonderland when Shirley faints. The others get her to the hospital, where they discover that her appendix is about to burst and she needs an operation. Shirley is having none of this and tries to run away.

After the show ended, I finally got around to changing the American Girl dolls into bathing suits and summer frocks. Molly's in her peach suit with the thick green towel. Whitney wears a navy blue and white polka-dot suit with a tiny red towel and white Swiss lace espadrilles, all from the Springfield Collection. Jessa's in the early 2000's American Girl modern line tropical-themed Island Luau suit, the adorable pineapple-shaped ukulele that came with it, and the purple jelly sandals from the 90's Birthday Outfit. Samantha's more covered in her dark blue 1904 Bathing Costume, black tights, and her ruffled cap with the polka-dot bow.

Felicity and Josefina represent time periods where swimming and bathing weren't considered ladylike. I put Felicity in her lavender-striped Traveling Gown (and her later meet outfit) and the hat with the pink and celery-green trim from (Elizabeth's) Summer Gown. Josefina sports her pretty floral Party Dress and the beige moccasins she came in with her rebozo.

Headed out as soon as I finished with the girls. I didn't have as much grocery shopping to do this week as I have the last couple of weeks, but I did need a few things. Ground turkey was on such a good sale, I bought two containers. The Acme had a good sale on Ben & Jerry's and an online coupon; thought I'd try their Strawberry Shortcake. Restocked skim milk, yogurt (had online coupons for the Oiko's and the Yoplait Custard), peaches, mandarin oranges, diced tomatoes, cereal (Quaker was on sale again and I had another online coupon - went with Cinnamon Life), and two cans of tuna.

My schedule is quite a bit different than it has been the past few weeks. The head bagger went on vacation (along with at least 8 or 9 other people), which means I have earlier and slightly more hours. Tuesday and Wednesday are the off days this time, Tuesday for counseling.

Ran more Laverne & Shirley as I got organized at home. Shirley sets them up in the plant selling business after they lose their jobs at Shotz Brewery. While they are somewhat better plant saleswomen than Fonzie was an encyclopedia salesman, they're still saying "Take My Plants, Please" when they can't make a sale at a big apartment building.

Went out again just as the episode was finishing. Had a slice of bacon-corn quiche, my favorite Deb's Spicy-Sweet Iced Tea, and a carrot cake pop for lunch at Common Grounds Coffee House down the street. Listened to the owner and some locals discuss the wars between the local food trucks at the Final Friday Festival and the Philadelphia vendors.

After a quick peek at Rite Aid to see if they had something I wanted (they didn't), headed over to Westmont for this week's volunteering session at the Haddon Township Library. Even the librarians were complaining about how quiet they were. There wasn't a lot for me to do, especially since they were saving the DVDs for other people. I organized the shelved DVDs and put away audio books, CDs, and new releases. Looked for new Star Wars books, but I guess the new items for The Last Jedi aren't ready for ordering yet.

As soon as I got home and went on the computer, I called my sister Rose. She called last night, but it was dinner time by the time I got in. Thought I'd wait until she was out of work to get back to her. Turns out she was taking the kids over to Dad and Jodie's house for dinner and a swim. Did I want to join them? Sure, why not? I worked on writing and rested for an hour before heading over.

Khai and Mary, one of the neighborhood kids, were swimming when I arrived. Not only was it too late for me to want to swim, it was a bit too chilly. The clouds and the wind had picked up by then, dropping it back into the 70's. I went inside and held tiny Finley Rose while Jodie put my stuffed pepper in a bowl. My new niece is such a little cutie, but I was nervous holding her. I really don't know much about babies. I did what her grandma told me to and rocked her a bit when she got fussy. When she fussed too much, I turned her back over to Jodie and ate my (delicious) dinner.

Sat outside at the pool with Rose, Dana, Jodie, and Emily's mom Sandy while Dana held Finley and Jesse swam with the kids. Rose and Dana were both talking about possible vacations. Dana and Jesse are leaving for a cabin in the Adirondack Mountains tomorrow. Dad and Jodie will be visiting friends down south next month. Rose mentioned wanting to go skiing in the winter with her family again.

When I got home, I finished out the writing I started before I left for Dad's. Hank gets Bodhi to show him and Leia out the back way. They dodge Bobby Fett in the parking lot, then take Hank's fishing boat the Millennium Falcon out for a cruise around the harbor and wetlands near Ord Mantell. Fett manages to catch up with them again, this time in his boat the Slave I. Hank loses him in the wetlands....but now he thinks it really is time for him to go, before Leia or someone else gets hurt because of him.

Finished off the night chatting with Lauren online while watching Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly), the daughter of a Caribbean governor, finds herself up to her perfectly primped hair in pirates when she's captured by a reckless band of buccaneers. Turns out these rogues are actually cursed ghosts who need to return the treasure they stole to its final resting place...and she has the last piece. Meanwhile, her childhood sweetheart Will (Orlando Bloom) enlists wily (and perpetually drunk) Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) to help rescue her and get Jack his ship the Black Pearl back.

I love pirate tales, and this one is no exception. No wonder Sparrow proved so popular, most of the rest of the series was built around him. He's still the best part of this funny and action-packed adventure.

If you're also a fan of rousing sea tales, this will probably prove to be your mug of rum, too. (Watch out for some of the scarier sequences with the undead pirates and some of the darker action sequences, though. This is definitely for older elementary school pirates on up.)

Let the Good Times Roll

Started off the morning with breakfast and one of my two Barbara Cook solo albums in honor of her passing the other day. The Disney Album is from the late 80's, which is why it features nothing from the Disney Renaissance era. On the other hand, it does feature a few rarities that don't turn up much anymore, notably the original "Sooner or Later" from the not-often-seen live action-animation hybrid So Dear to My Heart.

Worked on writing for the rest of the morning. Hank takes Leia out to Chirrut and Baze's Chinese restaurant. They get an update on Cassian Andor's condition from Bodhi Rook, a sweet Arabic youth who works as a waiter there. Though he doesn't live at the Cottages, he does agree to help Leia with her case against Empire Industries. He and Kris Taylor, a friend of Chip and Arturro, once worked for them..until they quit over their unethical business practices and their dislike of the new resort project and what it would do to the town.

Everything is going well until Hank happens to look out the window and see a familiar figure..that of Bobby Fett, the bounty hunter who is working with Empire Industries and is after him. He tells Bodhi to make their meal to go and drags Leia out as quickly as he can through the back door.

Had time for some Laverne & Shirley during lunch. "Laverne's Arranged Marriage" is to a wealthy mozzarella manufacturer who doesn't interest Laverne at all. She tells her dad she doesn't want to go through with it. Shirley has to get them talking again when he gets upset.

Work was pretty much the same as yesterday. I did round up baskets and trash and did a little baggging, but I was mainly outside. It was still fairly nice, much warmer, but still dry. Grabbed peanut butter and cake mix on the way out while they were still on good sales.

Did another episode of Laverne & Shirley while eating leftovers for dinner. "Laverne & Shirley Meet Fabian" is what it says on the title. After they fail to get tickets to see Shirley's idol in concert, they lie to snobby Rosie Greenbaum and insist that they can see him in person. They dress as maids to try to get into his hotel room, but almost end up falling off a ledge when they end up hiding outside.

Hit the bath after dinner. Ahhh. I so badly needed that. It was nice to just lay back with Big Magic, a book on exciting creativity, relax, and let my poor sore legs soak.

Finished out the night online while watching Everybody Wants Some!!! Jake (Blake Jenner) has moved in with the rest of his baseball team in a college in Texas in 1980. The guys are all looking forward to their last weekend before school starts. Even after the coach says "no girls upstairs" and "no liquor," they manage to set up a place to meet girls downstairs and sneak liquor in anyway. They get kicked out of the disco they were hanging out in when one of the guys (Justin Street) starts a fight. They eventually end up at a country-western bar, then try out a punk rock club. While the other guys are all chasing women, Jake is making a meaningful connection with the sweet and adorable drama student Beverly (Zoey Deutch).

Not great, not horrible. Sweet story of guys just having fun before school starts. Heavy swearing, some sex, and that fight in the disco make this one for older teenagers on up. If you enjoyed director Richard Linklatter's other excursion into late 20th century nostalgia Dazed and Confused, or similar ensemble films like Pirate Radio, you may want to give this one a try as well.

Dark Times Out West

Began a lovely, sunny day with breakfast and Laverne & Shirley. I still haven't gotten around to watching more than half of the third season episodes. Having enjoyed running through Happy Days, I figured it was finally time to finish these off, starting with "Tag Team Wrestling." Laverne's more than happy to do a wrestling event for charity with a friend of hers...but when the friend doesn't show, Shirley takes over. And then, Laverne realizes they're wrestling the woman she'd insulted when she cut her off on the road earlier...

Spent most of the morning writing. The residents of the Cottage have begun preparing for their Block Party and the end-of-the-summer surfing contest. Sabine designs posters. Those who own businesses, or know business owners, display them in their windows. Luke and the Rogues make "stop motion" commercials for the community bulletin board and the local drive-in with Poe's toys and a borrowed camera. Ezra and his Ewok kid buddies from the Endor Estates development hand out flyers. Hank and Charlie work on their idea for the Boat Pageant.

Leia is busy leading all this and pestering the City Council into looking at Empire Industries' plans. Hank finally corrals her as he and Charlie help her repair the damages the Imperial Gang did on Jyn and Cassian's cottage. He wants to take her out to dinner. She tries to turn him down. She doesn't have the time. He wears her down by suggesting they discuss the Boat Pageant. All right, she says...as long as it's just business.

Broke at 1 for lunch and to get ready for work. Laverne's in a bind when the handsome, rich man who is dating Shirley also asks her out. She turns him down flat, but doesn't know how to explain he's a rover. When Shirley sees him trying again, she jumps to the wrong conclusion. They have an argument, before Shirley finally realizes what a sleaze the guy is. They make "The Pact" to never let a man come between them again.

Work was absolutely no problem whatsoever. I briefly took a look at the bathroom when I got in and gathered baskets, but I was mainly outside. Just as well. It was too nice to be inside. The weather was sunny, warm, and dry, probably in the lower-mid 80's, with a nice breeze. Actually slightly cool for this time of year. It was on-and-off steady all day, though never really overwhelming. I dodged the guy painting the yellow stripes on the curbs around the store and rounded up carts. Went home via Audubon Park, the development across the street, just to enjoy the day.

When I got in, I changed and had leftovers for dinner while continuing with Laverne & Shirley. A dubious lawyer encourages Laverne to put out a "Robot Lawsuit" on a toy company when their new robot attacks her and hurts her neck. Her neck recovers in time for the trial, but the lawyer wants her to ask for $100,000 anyway. The toy company ends up counter-suing.

Played more Lego Star Wars: Clone Wars after dinner. Redid "Defenders of the Peace" first. Held out long enough to pick up a ton more studs and a minikit piece. Did even better with "Storm Over Ryloth." I was able to get two more minikit pieces and more than a hundred million studs!

Finished the night with The Searchers. Ethan Edwards (John Wayne), just home from the Civil War, is living with his brother and his family. He helps his neighbor Lars Jorgenson (John Qualen) search for cattle, only to discover that the theft was a ruse. A Comanche tribe has burned his brother's home, killed most of his family, and kidnapped the two girls. He, the girls' adopted brother Martin (Jeffery Hunter) and Jorgenson's son Brad (Harry Carey Jr.) go after the Indians, only to find Lucy dead. Brad tries riding into the Indian camp and gets killed as well. They follow the trail for several years, discovering that a now-grown Debbie (Natalie Wood) has been taken into the Nawyecka band by its chief Scar. She's one of his wives, and to Ethan's horror, she'd rather stay with them. Martin protects her from Ethan's rage. Ethan's determined to bring Debbie home, whether she wants to go or not.

Whoa. An intense and beautifully shot western. One of John Wayne's finest performances. Despite my stepfather's love of Wayne, I don't remember seeing this one as a kid. He generally preferred Wayne's knockabout 60's comedies to his darker western dramas from the 50's. The treatment of the Native Americans here is interesting. They do terrible things...but so do the white men, and they have a dignity that makes it entirely easy to understand why Debbie wants to stay. Amazing cinematography, too. The stark desert vistas really stand out in the VistaVision widescreen format.

If you're a fan of Wayne or classic westerns, or only know Wayne from those later comedies like Dad, you owe yourself to see this one. Very highly recommended.

Summertime Fairy Stories

It was a lovely day when I rolled out of bed this morning. Started off the day with breakfast and the fourth Happy Days disc. Fonzie and Mr. Cunningham are "Two Angry Men" when the roof over Fonzie's apartment breaks, thanks to a blizzard and his new pigeon coop. Their fight over who should pay for the damage ends up in court.

Cleaned the bathroom for an hour or so after I ate. I shouldn't have put it off so long. It was really, really grungy, especially the bathtub and around the sink. I did it as quickly as I could get away with. I don't do heavy cleaning in the summer.

Continued with Happy Days as I worked. Bored with their usual dates, Richie, Potsie, and Ralph hold a "Beauty Contest" at Arnold's. In order to entice more sophisticated girls, they claim the first prize is a trip to Hollywood. Fonzie is supposed to bring a girl who'll win...but when she doesn't show, the boys have to figure out how they'll explain to the contestants that the prize is a fake.

Fonzie's having problems with his younger cousin in "Bringing Up Spike." He thinks he can help raise the kid without the rules Mr. Cunningham suggests. Spike makes that difficult when he's caught trying to steal from the cash register at Arnold's. Now Fonzie may have to lay down the law, whether Spike likes it or not.

"A Sight for Sore Eyes" has Fonzie visiting Ralph's eye doctor dad to try to figure out why he's been getting terrible headaches. Turns out he has an astigmatism and needs glasses...to his horror. Glasses are not cool! But he quickly learns it's even less cool to drive your motorcycle into Lake Michigan because you can't see the road, or avoid reading the results of a "Biggest Fool" contest onstage at Arnold's because they're blurry.

Headed out around quarter of 1 to hit the Oaklyn Library. Given the lovely, relatively cool day, they were quiet when I arrived. I listened to the librarian and the one older woman on the computers chat while CNN droned on about North Korea's new missiles in the background. Mainly worked on organizing the DVDs, especially the adult ones. There were a lot of new ones that needed their stickers removed or to be shelved in the right place.

I finally found out why the Oaklyn Library has such a great collection of DVDs - including ones for sale - for a two-room building. The morning librarian volunteers at Samaritan Thrift in Westmont in the afternoons. She picks up their overflow DVDs for use at the Library, to rent or sell. Her son is also a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean...which is why they have all four of the movies currently available on DVD. I've seen the first two, The Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest, but not since they came out. With a new one in theaters, I thought this might be a great time to give the whole series a shot. Also found a Barbie movie I'd never seen, Mariposa and her Butterfly Fairy Friends. Grabbed a double-set of Men In Black and Men In Black II from the "For Sale" rack.

Made a quick run to WaWa for a snack on the way home. I love their Chocolate Banana Smoothies. They use real bananas, making it sweet, creamy, and very banana-tasting! Didn't get anything else. I had plenty of food at home.

Returned to Happy Days while having a quick lunch at my place. "Arnold's Wedding" has the owner of the kids' favorite local hang-out getting married to his traditional Japanese pen pal. He wants Fonzie to be his best man. Fonzie says "no" at first. He's convinced he's cursed after the last two weddings he attended broke up quickly, and he's not crazy about the traditional kimono he's expected to wear. Richie begins to wonder if he's right when the bride gets upset over her non-traditional bride groom.

Hit the laundromat to get my load done around 2:30. They were crowded for the middle of the afternoon! I worked on story notes and tried to ignore a family with very unruly and spoiled children. The eldest daughter was especially obnoxious, sitting on her brother when he wouldn't behave and whining and crying ridiculously for sodas from the machine. Her father did give in to her begging for soda, but not for requests for snacks, no matter how hard her brother threw himself against the machine. They were long-gone by the time I was finally finished, managing to dodge another noisy family as I left.

Finished out the third season of Happy Days as I folded and put away my clothes and towels. Though "The Second Anniversary Special" was originally presented as a regular episode in a normal time slot, I'm actually glad CBS-Paramount opted to move it to the end of the set as a bonus feature. This clip show episode revolving around Fonzie's birthday made more sense as a season finale that "Arnold's Wedding," especially as it featured clips from episodes that hadn't aired yet when it was originally run. (I do wish they'd cleaned it up, though. The copy they included looked terrible, especially compared to the other episodes.)

(Incidentally...for all Fonzie's popularity and pop culture osmosis, he was never my favorite character on this show. Ralph was the one who made me laugh the most, followed by the delightfully down-to-Earth Cunningham parents. Though there were sporadic later episodes featuring Chachi and Roger I liked, frankly, once Donny Most and Ron Howard left the show, it pretty much lost my interest. If Paramount ever releases past the sixth season, I will probably pick up through season eight. There's still some good material there, including a musical episode. After that, there were too many cast changes and turnovers for my taste.

I do intend to eventually buy the entire Laverne & Shirley series, though. Not only do I like that one slightly more, but Carrie Fisher, a close friend of Penny Marshall's, appeared in an episode of the Shirley-less final season as a waitress who joins Laverne in becoming a Playboy bunny.)

Worked a little bit on writing after I finished folding the clothes. Luke suggests turning Kanan's yard sale into a block party, complete with music from the mysterious DJ Fulcrum. Hank adds that he and Charlie will enter the Falcon into Ocean View's Boat Pageant (based after the one Ocean City has every year) to represent the Cottages. He also insists that this doesn't mean they're staying for good, just for the summer.

Meanwhile, Vader reports to "The Big Man" at Alderaan Manor, the corrupt CEO of Empire Enterprises, Simon Palpatine. Palpatine isn't happy with the recent loss of Tarkin and wants to eliminate the residents of the Cottages By the Sea...until Vader suggests they hire Luke and Leia instead of killing them. Palpatine thinks this is a sound idea. Leia's brilliant enough to work in his offices; Luke could join the Imperial Gang.

It was past 7 when I finally broke for dinner. Made a tasty ground turkey-noodle casserole while watching Mariposa and Her Butterfly Fairy Friends. This earlier Barbie movie is more interesting than the cutesy title sounds. Elina of the Fairytopia series tells the story of Mariposa, a shy butterfly fairy who prefers reading and searching the sky for constellations to parties and dancing. She feels out of place among the more outgoing, less thoughtful fairies, like her friend Willa. Her demanding fairy sister employers are desperate to go to a ball and meet the handsome Prince Carlos. This Cinderella-esque story turns into a quest when the Queen of the Butterfly Fairies is poisoned. She created the magical lights that keep their fairy-eating enemies the Skeezites away from their land. If she dies, the lights will die, too. While Mariposa and the sisters search outside the kingdom's limits for the antidote, Willa rescues Carlos and attempts to figure out who is behind the poisoning.

This one really hit me in a sore spot. As a fellow introvert who prefers reading to parties, I know exactly how poor Mariposa feels, especially early-on. I like that the Cinderella story that's originally presented is turned on its head. The sisters Rayna and Rayla have a surprisingly amount of character development, starting out as spoiled stepsister-types and ending up as Mariposa's friends who understand her worth. Not only does the Prince end up being the damsel in distress, but there's no romance presented, either (a rare thing in these early Barbie specials).

I remember liking the follow up Mariposa and the Fairy Princess, and I have to admit, I enjoyed this one, too. If you're a fan of the Fairytopia series or the earlier, more princess-y Barbie tales, you may find this one to be just as enjoyable.

Finished out the night on YouTube with another Barbie movie I hadn't seen, Barbie In Swan Lake. The third movie in the series also has Barbie telling a tale, this time to a nervous camper who feels scared of her new environment. She relates the story of Odette, a baker's daughter who follows a runaway unicorn into an enchanted cave in the woods. Here, she meets the Fairy Queen and a group of elves who were turned into animals during the day by the evil Rothbart. Angry at her invasion of the woods, Rothbart and his his obnoxious daughter Odile turns Odette into a swan. The Fairy Queen softens the spell to make her human at night. While a troll scholar named Erasmus searches for the solution, Odette falls for the handsome hunter Prince Daniel. Daniel wants Odette to come to a ball, where he'll declare her his wife...but Rothbart has other plans.

This one has a lot in common with another 90's-early 2000's Swan Lake retelling, The Swan Princess, including additional cute sidekicks, plotlines, and a happy ending. One one hand, it does have its charms, including some of the funny material for the "elves" and the use of the real music from the ballet. Alas, it's plagued with the same waxy animation that was a problem in Barbie In the Nutcracker and didn't really start to change until around the time Mariposa came out. Ok if you're a fan of the earlier Barbie stories or princess tales.

And a final send-off to two legendary musical performers, country star Glen Campbell, best known for his hit "Rhinestone Cowboy," and stage and cabaret legend Barbara Cook, who appeared in the original casts of The Music Man (as Marian the Librarian) and She Loves Me and had a second career as a much-loved cabaret and concert performer.

Wet Cold New Jersey Summer

I awoke to a gloomy downpour that would continue on and off for most of the day. Brightened the gloom with the next Happy Days disc. "They Call It Potsie Love" when Potsie practices his performance of "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" on Joanie, and she becomes infatuated with him. Taking Fonzie's advice, she writes him notes, insisting she's his "secret love." He's thrilled when this mystery girl wants to meet him...but not as much when he discovers who she is.

Ralph has less luck with the ladies in "Tell It to the Marines." He's shot down by a girl who isn't amused by his jokes and antics. Hoping to become more macho, he claims he's going to join the Marines. Richie and Potsie drag Fonzie from his Christmas photo shoot to talk him out of it.

Spent the rest of the morning writing and doing research online. The residents of the Cottages brainstorm ideas for earning money. Along with a yard sale, Luke comes up with a fair and dancing on the beach, music provided by mysterious local DJ Fulcrum.

There was no way around it. The showers showed no signs of abating by quarter of 1. I learned my lesson last Wednesday about taking the bike to work in bad weather. Called Dad for a ride this time. Thankfully, he was at home. He claimed he'd had no plans for today anyway and would be glad to bring me there.

Broke at 1 for lunch and a few more Happy Days episodes. The 50's really show on "Dance Contest." Most husbands probably wouldn't mind their wives joining a dance show today, even if they laughed about it, like Mr. Cunningham did.  Mr. Cunningham doesn't understand why his wife is bored with her chores. She partners with Fonzie when he won't take the dance contest seriously...but her family ends up convinced they're having an affair.

Fonzie becomes "Fonzie the Salesman" after a snooty rich man buys the garage he works for and makes too many changes for his taste. Trouble is, Fonzie can't find any other jobs that suits him. Richie tries to help him sell encyclopedias door-to-door. The women may be attractive, but sucking up to people and pushing merchandise (that has nothing to do with him) are some of the few things Fonzie isn't good at.

Dad picked me up for work at 10 of 2. It was pretty much steady on and off all day. The showers continued, sometimes heavily, through about 4. I did have to help the head bagger with carts when I got in, though the showers had lightened enough by then that my shoes and jacket were the only things that really got wet. By the time I went back out there around 4:30, the rain was gone, and it was just humid, damp, and chilly for this time of year, probably in the mid-60's. When I wasn't outside, I did returns, bagged, gathered baskets, and cleaned up the puddles of water left by dripping customers.

Dad picked me up slightly after 6. After I took out the recycling and changed into regular clothes, I had leftovers for dinner while finishing out the Happy Days disc. The Bears-Lions game is coming, and Richie, Potsie, and Ralph have no money for tickets. Ralph comes up with a babysitting service to earn money, but the little boy Laverne and Shirley leave in their charge proves to be too much to handle...at least until Fonzie and his cousin Spike arrive on the scene.

The girls also appear in "Fonzie the Superstar." Fonzie takes over for Potsie to sing at the Saturday Dance at Arnold's, to the delight of every female in Milwaukee. Unfortunately, he gets hit with a rather nasty case of stage fright right before he's scheduled to appear. Richie has to remind him that the show must go on. Laverne and Shirley are his back-up singers.

Played a little Lego Star Wars: Clone Wars around 7. "Lair of Grievous" was only slightly more complicated than some of the previous rounds. Still no minikit pieces, but I did get a pile of studs.

Finished out "Fonzie the Superstar," then switched to Snow White and the Three Stooges as I went online. This musical adaptation of the famous fairy tale features the Stooges as the "dwarfs" to Snow White (Olympic figure skating gold medalist Carol Heiss) when she takes refuge in their cottage. Their adopted son Quatro falls for her, but she's engaged to the missing Prince Charming. Meanwhile, her jealous stepmother the evil queen and her assistant are determined to find her and eliminate her, no matter what the cost. Then they learn that the Prince may still be alive, and things really get interesting. Charming fantasy music is fun for fans of the later-day Stooges or Technicolor whimsy.

In the Summertime

It was still sunny but cool when I finally rolled out of bed this morning (after staying up late with Lauren last night). Ran Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 on LP while eating Peach Brown Sugar Pancakes for breakfast. Along with her two singles from Xanadu and "You're the One That I Want" and "Hopelessly Devoted To You" from Grease, we get three of her most popular songs from the 80's, "Make a Move On Me," "A Little More Love," and "Physical." Other than slightly burning one side, the pancakes came out very well, moist and just sweet enough.

Worked on writing for a little while after breakfast. The residents of the Cottages meet in a picnic a few days later to celebrate expelling Empire Industries from their property. In good news, Leia says that she got Officer Madine to slap an injunction that'll keep the Imperial Gang away from them. Tarkin has been put in jail for a long line of infractions, though most of the Gang got away, including Vader. On the other hand, Luke admits that not only is the mortgage due, but they now need to make money for Uncle Ben's hospital stay.

Broke around 1 for a quick lunch. Ran the soundtrack to Streets of Fire while I ate. I haven't seen the movie, apparently a "rock and roll fable" about a guy who rescues his singer girlfriend from local hoods, but the music is fabulous. "I Can Dream About You" was the hit, but my favorite song is the epic dance number "Tonight Was Made for the Young."

Work was very busy with the tail-end of the beginning of the month folks and college kids preparing to return to school. I gathered baskets and indoor trash and did some returns, but I was mainly outside. I had help from a college-age boy and a teen boy early on, but for some reason, they kept them both inside later in the day. At the very least, it did slow down a bit later on, possibly due to the lovely day. It remained sunny and cool, and not nearly as windy as it was yesterday.

It was such a nice day, I once again took the long way home down Nicholson Road. This time, it was pretty quiet everywhere. There wasn't even the usual traffic around Wal Mart. Everyone must have gone to dinner.

(By the way, when Lauren and I were shopping in the Audubon Crossings Shopping mall behind the Acme in May, we noticed three empty stores, including the former Lucille Roberts, were being combined into what appeared to be one big store. It seems it was actually two big stores. I saw a Marshall's the last time I cut through there, and Ross Dress for Less has joined Wal Mart and Marshall's on the sign for the Wal Mart side of the property. I'm absolutely thrilled. The closest Marshall's to here is in Deptford; the closest Ross is the one Lauren and I visited in Moorestown. We could really use both, and quite frankly I prefer them for inexpensive clothes to Wal Mart.

I'm a little worried that they might end up taking out Avenue, though. I like them, too. My bathing suit and two of my favorite pairs of shorts came from that Avenue. Oh, and the mall did end up getting another gym in the former Staples building.)

Made a quick dinner of Tuna-Chinese Beans Salad when I got home. Switched to CDs for my favorite Billy Joel album, An Innocent Man. If you grew up in the early-mid 80's like I did, this is probably the album you most associate him with. "This Night," "Uptown Girl," "Easy Money," and "Tell Her About It" are some of my favorite songs by him.

Farm Market Summer

Though the porch was wet when I finally rolled out of bed this morning, the sky was sunny and bright. I must have just missed the rain. Celebrated the lovely weather with more Happy Days. Richie and the guys want to protest the new 10 PM curfew imposed by a super-strict cop. Fonzie thinks seeing the train Elvis is taking to join the Army would be a perfect way to protest it. But it turns into a lot more "Jailhouse Rock" than Richie planned when he and his buddies wind up in prison after getting stuck in Arnold's and being accused of breaking and entering.

I couldn't believe how gorgeous it was when I finally headed to the Collingswood Farm Market around quarter after 11. Though it remained a bit humid, it was also windy and much cooler, in the mid-70's. Even that late, the Farm Market was bustling with people enjoying the late summer produce. Blueberries and raspberries are gone, but I saw the first Chinese Beans, apples, and melons of the year. I bought a small cantaloupe, Chinese beans, tiny yellow apples, a tomato, and blackberries.

It was such a beautiful day, I rode home across Newton Lake Park. Despite the rain last night, the park is starting to show signs of the usual late summer dryness, with quite a few brown patches in the grass and more than a few yellow leaves, although it's not as pronounced as usual for this time in the summer. Stopped at the CVS on the border of Oaklyn and Collingswood for a drink and to pick up Dawn dish washing liquid on sale.

Continued with Happy Days while making Blackberry Flummery and having the last of the shrimp salad on a bed of red lettuce for lunch. Mr. Cunningham's birthday turns into "Howard's 45th Fiasco" when Richie, in an attempt to cheer his father up, reminds him of just how old he is when he turns his birthday party into a riff on This Is Your Life. He claims he's going to run off to Tahiti to be an artist, until Fonzie reminds him of how much his family loves him.

Everyone's favorite greaser is "Fonzie the Flatfoot" when the local cops recruit him to stop a rumble between his old gang the Falcons and a rival group, the Dragons. Fonzie recruits Richie and the boys to help him encourage them to try sharing the territory or doing other activities.

"A Date With Fonzie" launched Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) into their own show. They're the sophisticated women Fonzie brings over to jolt Richie out of a dating slump. That would be great...if Richie's parents weren't out of town and didn't suddenly show up just in time to see a "sophisticated woman" with their son.

Headed to work as soon as the girls went home. Work was on-and-off busy, when I came in, a bit surprising for a nice day. It slowed down considerably as the afternoon went on. I cleaned the bathroom, gathered baskets and the indoor trash, and did carts. Had plenty of help, too. A college boy did the carts when I arrived. A teenager helped me out later. The head bagger was around as well.

I went home down Nicholson Road and Atlantic Avenue, just to be able to enjoy the weather a bit longer. Though there was a little traffic around Wal Mart, it wasn't bad. Nicholson and Atlantic were practically empty. Guess everyone went to the shore once it was clear that the nice weather was here to stay.

Finished out the second disc of Happy Days when I got in. Richie, Potsie, and Ralph are "Three On a Porch" when they rent a cabin at a popular lake resort and discover they've only rented the porch. Their protests lessen when their neighbors turn out to be three cute girls. The trio pose as rich businessmen from Tunsia to impress them.

The racial climate of the 50's and the 70's is addressed for the second time in the series in "Fonzie's New Friend." Fonzie's enlisted his new buddy to play drums at Richie's Hawaiian-themed party. Everyone but Fonzie, Richie's family, and his two best buddies bail out when the drummer turns out to be black. Richie's determined to have his party, no matter what the guests look like.

Had swordfish fillet, sauteed Chinese beans, and corn on the cob for dinner while watching Mannequin. This 1987 comedy-fantasy takes us back to Philadelphia, where Jonathan Switcher (Andrew McCarthy) has been fired from a series of low-level jobs. He lucks into a position at a grand old department store when he helps out it's kindly owner (Estelle Getty). He's initially just a stock boy alongside the flamboyant Hollywood (Meshatch Taylor) when he encounters the mannequin he'd made during one of his other jobs. The "mannequin" is actually Emmy (Kim Catrall), an Egyptian princess fleeing an arranged marriage across time and space. They create windows that are the talk of Market Street...and attract the attention of the store's rivals, including Jonathan's jealous ex-girlfriend Roxy (Carole Davis) and her sleazy boss (Steve Vinovich).

Critics have always savaged this one, ever since it came out...and I've never understood why. I think this is a charming and creative romantic comedy, with a fine cast of character actors having a marvelous time on the big screen. Nice music too, including the massive hit "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." If you love high-concept romantic comedy, the cast, or the late 80's, you may have just as much fun with this one as I always do.

A very different McCarthy returns for Weekend at Bernie's. We skip ahead two years to 1989 and head an hour north to New York City. Here, McCarthy is Larry, the more party-hearty of a pair of normal guys working for an insurance company. The other is Richard (Johnathan Silverman), who insists they work overtime to discover who's been scamming the company. They bring their findings to the head of the company, Bernie (Terry Kiser), who invites them to his expensive house by the beach. Turns out it's all a ruse. Bernie's the one doing the scamming and wants to have him killed...but the mob boss he's really working for (Louis Giambalvo) orders him killed instead. When Larry and Rich show up at the Hamptons, they find Bernie stone-dead and a hitman on their trail. In order to avoid ending up in the same state as Bernie, they pretend he's still alive as they try to figure out how to escape the killer and convince the girl Richard has his eye on (Catherine Mary Stewart) that Bernie is dead and they're not crazy.

Like Mannequin, this is another old favorite of mine. McCarthy in particular is having a ball playing against type as the goofier of the two. If you like black comedy or the cast, you may have a lot of fun with this one.

These Happy Days are Yours and Mine

Began a hot, sunny day with breakfast and the first episode of the Happy Days Season 3 set. "Fonzie Moves In" after Mr. Cunningham has to deal with a competitor and puts up the room over their garage for rent. He's not thrilled with Richie offering it to Fonzie on a whim and does what he can to get him out. (Not that it works. If memory serves me correctly, Fonzie remained there for the rest of the series.)

Spent the rest of the morning writing. Luke chases Vader and his men out to the water on his surfboard. He and Vader promise to meet in a surfing competition at the end of the summer. Vader's impressed when he see how well Luke does on his board...and is even more-so when Bobby Fett, who's driving their motor boat, tells him who the kid really is. One of Vader's men is about to shoot Luke when their boat is in turn shot at by Hank on the Millennium Falcon. They get out quickly after that. Hank and Charlie bring Luke back to shore, where they reunite with a delighted Leia.

Got so into my writing, it was past 12:30 before I headed to the Acme to run errands. Had a fair-sized load this week. Found two packages of swordfish fillets for really cheap. Restocked peaches, cereal (Quaker products were on a really good sale - went with Honey Nut Oatmeal Squares), white and brown sugar, yogurt for baking and for lunch, honey, skim milk, olive oil, and more of that yummy Talenti Gelato on sale. (Banana Chocolate Swirl this time.)

My schedule for next week is...exactly the same as this week. Same hours, same days off. On one hand, more (and maybe earlier) hours would have been nice. On the other hand, I'll get some cleaning and a lot more writing done. 

Did more Happy Days when I got home, got organized, and had part of a container of shrimp salad for lunch. Fonzie's livid when someone runs over "The Motorcycle," his real love, and starts searching the neighborhood for tell-tale tire tracks. The guys try to help him, but Ralph seems awfully nervous about something. 

Fonzie thinks he's losing his cool in "Fearless Fonzerelli." He agrees to jump over 14 garbage cans to break a record for the show You Wanted to See It. Everyone else thinks he's crazy, including the Cunninghams. Arnold (Pat Moriata) just wants to sell chicken.

Headed out around quarter of 3 to run some errands. Made a quick stop at Rite Aid and Dollar Tree (after dropping the rent at Richard and Willa's house). Bought cards for Dad-Bruce and Skylar's birthdays (which were last week and this week respectively) at the latter. At least it was easy to cross Cuthbert, which was blocked off. They just laid a spanking new blacktop down.

Next was a late volunteering session at the Haddon Township Library. Considering they were closing in about an hour and a half when I got in, they were really busy. I shelved audio books, CDs, and new releases and organized the DVDs, returning a few foreign films to the correct rack. Just took out Everybody Wants Some! (an ensemble comedy set in 1980) and The Searchers with John Wayne. 

The reason I went to Rite Aid earlier was for pads. I didn't like the prices there or at CVS. I finally bought them from the Westmont Acme. Also grabbed a shortbread cookie for a snack and the Acme's generic sparkling lemonade there. It was hot, humid, and sunny, in the mid-90's, and I was sweating bullets after all the riding around.

Finished out the first Happy Days disc while eating leftover chicken breasts with honey-glazed carrots for dinner. The second half of "Fearless Fonzerelli" has Fonzie getting surgery for torn cartilage in his knee. (I can relate, Fonz.) He rests at the Cunninghams' house...for too long, because hobbling and screaming in pain definitely doesn't look cool.

Potsie is "The Other Richie Cunningham" when Mr. Cunningham wants his son to take the daughter of a man who may work with him on a date, but Richie's busy. Turns out the girl is cute and Richie's jealous...until the fake Richie pushes her too far and gets both guys into trouble.

"Richie Fights Back" after being bullied by a local gang, but even Joanie is better at martial arts than he is. Fonzie tries to show him ways to scare the gang off without fighting. 

Moved on to another Bing Crosby musical from my other set after a shower, We're Not Dressing. Bing's Stephan, a sailor working on a yacht populated by snooty heiress Doris (Carole Lombard), her princely suitors (Jay Henry and Ray Milland), her best friend Edith (Ethel Merman), and her drunk Uncle Hubert. When they're all stranded on a tropical island, the entire group has no idea of how to cook or fend for themselves...except for Stephan, who ends up cooking for the entire crew. When Doris encounters two kooky scientists (George Burns and Gracie Allen), she borrows their tools and "floats" them along Stephan. He's thrilled to be able to build a house...but isn't as happy when rescue ships appear and he discovers her deception.

Fairly bizarre musical with another decent score, including "Love Thy Neighbor" and "Good Night, Lovely Little Lady." 

Once Upon a Trek Time Slip

Began the morning with more Betty Boop. She's wondering "Is My Palm Read?" when she goes to her dog boyfriend Bimbo's tent. He predicts that she'll be stranded on a desert island and rescued by none other than him. Betty doesn't mind the trick...until a group of ghosts from his "vision" appear and chase them. She's "Betty In Blunderland" when she dreams herself into an Alice In Wonderland puzzle. It's all music and dancing, until the Jabberwocky appears and takes her away. "Wiffle Piffle: The Hot Air Salesman" is almost as annoying as the Gadget fellow on Danger Mouse, and not nearly as useful. He tries selling Betty a vacuum cleaner, but all it does is destroy the furniture.

Did some writing for a while. When the Imperial Gang arrives, they discover that the residents of the Cottages By the Sea are more ready for their invasion than they thought. Vader tries to break down the door of the first house he sees, but first Ezra won't let him in, claiming he's not supposed to talk to strangers, then Sabine spray paints him. Kanan tells him not to curse around his kids, and Ezra shuts the back window on his fingers.

The rest of the gang's not doing much better. One was attacked by the lobster who got away after the Rogues' party a few weeks before. Three more were caught in a net. Chirrut and Baze from Rogue One, who own a Chinese restaurant here, actually invite them in to test their newest creation...a very spicy Szechuan sauce.

Broke around 1 for lunch and to get ready for work. Did a few more Betty Boop and Popeye shorts. "Judge for a Day" may be my favorite public domain Betty short. Legal stenographer Betty is fed up with people who read over her shoulder, let their second-hand smoke choke her, and splash mud all over her. She imagines what she'd do if she could pass sentence on all these rude pests. (Having dealt with many of these pests myself, I can certainly relate to her sentiments!) Betty insists that Pudgy go out and socialize in "Making Friends," but she didn't expect him to bring half the wild animals in the woods home to play.

Popeye and his friends go on a bigger adventure in "Popeye Meets Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," the second of three 20-minute Popeye "featurettes." Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Wimpy are in North Africa, going after Ali Baba (Bluto) and his famous thieves for the Coast Guard. They crash-land in the desert and get lost, finally ending up in the very town Ali Baba is about to raid. After he takes off with Olive, Wimpy, and half the town's valuables, Popeye follows the thieves to their cave hideout to rescue them.

It was sunny, hot, and humid when I headed out for work. This time, the weather wasn't the problem. I wasn't even half-way to work when the chain came off my bike. I had no time to call for a ride or go back to fix it. I half-ran, half-walked fast and just made it in on time at the last second.

After all that, work was steady, fairly busy for a Thursday, actually, probably thanks to this being the beginning of the month. Though I briefly gathered baskets and trash and did a small cart of returns, I was mainly outside, rounding up carts. It was supposed to have rained around four. Though dark clouds did amass on the horizon, the rains never came. It was still just cloudy, windy, and cooler when I headed home.

I had just rounded onto Kendall when I encountered a father and his three children, a baby in a stroller, and two older kids on scooters. The father kindly offered to fix my chain for me. It held up well enough for me to get home.

When I finally got in, I changed, then rested and read over some fairy tale books. Made scrambled eggs with vegetables for dinner while watching Star Trek: Generations. The Star Trek: The Next Generations cast is introduced in the seventh film in the series (and the last I'll be doing). The now-retired Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) is overseeing the maiden voyage of the new Enterprise when they receive a distress call from two ships caught in a band of energy. Though they are able to rescue some of the crew, Kirk is presumed dead after saving most of the Enterprise. Skip ahead over 70 years, and we're now on the Enterprise-D with Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew. Data, an android (Brent Spiner) and Georgi, the ship's engineer, discover an unusual metal in the observatory of a ship that belongs to Soran (Malcom McDowell), a scientist they rescued. But Soran has more nefarious plans for the ship than previously believed, involving an exploding star, the band of energy called "The Nexus," and a lot of time traveling.

Maybe it's because I never got into Next Generation, but I was totally at sea here (pardon the pun, given the sequence with the Enterprise as a sailing ship). There was way too much story, too much science talk I didn't understand a word of, and just too much going on. The much-vaunted meeting between Enterprise captains lasted 20 minutes and mostly featured Kirk going at Soran. I had more fun with a subplot that involved Data learning about emotions than any of Soran's convoluted plot.

One thing that did improve between movies - the special effects. The computer effects used for the Nexus are especially well-done, as are some of the practical effects with the ship battles.

If you're a fan of Next Generation, you may get far more out of this than I did. Don't come within a hundred miles of here unless you've seen that show and possibly Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock.

(Incidentally, Undiscovered Country is now my favorite of the Star Trek films by a wide county mile. Wrath of Khan is the only one that comes close, though Search for Spock and Voyage Home are unique changes of pace. This series is still too science-oriented to be a favorite of mine, but I think I can appreciate it a little bit more now that I've seen all of the original films.)