Began another hot and humid day with a late breakfast and a rare musical I Had a Ball was one of the last of the musical stage vehicles for popular comedians that stretched as far back as the late 1800's. Buddy Hackett was the star, a Coney Island fortune teller named Garside who is surprised to discover that his crystal ball really works. He uses it to help fellow con-man Stan (Richard Kiley) and Ferris wheel operator Jeannie (Karen Morrow) find mates...but they get mixed signals and end up with the wrong mates. Garside has to figure out how to unmix the couples and avoid the cops. Ok songs, mostly for Kiely, Morrow, and the chorus, otherwise nothing special.
Worked on writing for a while after breakfast. Leia runs into Laurence and the others in his Rolls Royce in the parking lot. They were going after Roberto Fettara and his armored truck, but he escaped with Harry. Leia says she'll need them in a minute anyway...
She finally pursues Vader to the roof. He's holding Luke hostage in exchange for Dr. Bail Organa's maps and notebooks to the Temple of the Swords. It has a rock that, when all three swords are inserted into it, can be used as a powerful weapon. He also mentions how much Leia resembles his late wife Padme...for yes, he is really Dr. Andrew Skylark, discredited archaeologist who gave up the profession for business and politics. Leia is shocked and tries to lash out, but he slashes her hand instead. She's being pushed against the roof when Luke jumps on Vader to save her. There's a convenient fire escape that takes them down to the others.
I got so into writing, it was quarter of 2 before I made my way out to run errands. Started off at Sonic for a lunch treat. I hadn't eaten there in ages. Given it was mid-afternoon, the patio was empty when I arrived. It was just me enjoying tater tots, a strawberry limeade, and a juicy, messy grilled chicken sandwich.
The Acme wasn't much busier. I didn't really need a whole lot, anyway. Ground turkey and turkey hot dogs were on good sales, and I wanted bacon and butter pecan ice cream for recipes. Found condensed milk on the clearance shelves. Restocked skim milk, yogurt, canned tomato sauce, wraps, breakfast cookies, batteries (9 volt and AA), and some much-needed pads.
I'm not happy with my schedule next week at all. While four days off (including Sunday) will allow me time to write and apply for online jobs here, two of the three days I do work are early 7 and 7 and a half hour days. The head bagger went on vacation this week, and there's no one else to take her hours. The only other baggers who have anything resembling her seniority or mine work afternoons and evenings.
As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then made Peach-Pecan Mold. This is another recipe from the Jiffy Cooking book I picked up at a yard sale. While the original recipe called for pecans and vanilla ice cream, I saved money and bought butter pecan. It's just ice cream, pecans, and rum extract topped with sliced peaches and frozen overnight. I made it in my aluminum cake pan, since I don't have a mold. (I must remember that butter pecan ice cream tastes amazing with rum flavoring - like pecan eggnog.)
Watched an episode of Good Eats while I worked. Alton opted for a vegetable that was far better for you than my frozen dessert, the leek. I wish I could try the grilled braised leeks, but not only am I not allowed to have a barbecue, but I'm no good at barbecuing anyway. My dads (and nowadays, Jodie) always did that.
It was past 4:30 when I went out to get my laundry done. I got half-way there when, to my frustration, I discovered that I forgot the money. I had to go all the way back and up the stairs in Charlie's side of the house, then back to the laundromat. It's a good thing that was the worst that happened. They weren't busy when I arrived; by the time they did start getting busier, my small laundry load was in the dryer.
Put on one of my favorite Dr. Seuss specials as I folded my clothes. Dr. Seuss On the Loose is a unique anthology of three cartoons based after Seuss short or easy-reader stories. "The Sneeches" are odd yellow bird creatures who live on the beaches. The ones who have green stars on their bellies snub those without them, until a monkey businessman and his star creating and erasing machines teach both groups a lesson in equality. "The Zax" are two stubborn little fellows who refuse to budge and let the other pass, even as the world continues around them. Sam I Am wants one guy to love his favorite dish "Green Eggs and Ham," and will do anything to make him try it.
Finished the night online with something totally different. While recent live versions of Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wiz, Hairspray, and Grease, among others, have reintroduced audiences to the classic musical format, musicals go back a long way on TV. Indeed, TV began it's meteoric rise just as the Broadway musical was also dominating stages. Musicals were apparently among the most popular productions on the small screen as early as the 1940's.
One lesser-known gem I ran across tonight was this charming 1966 version of Alice Through the Looking Glass. Though it isn't quite faithful to the original story, it certainly does better than the 2016 film. The best thing here is an awesome cast that includes Nanette Fabray as the White Queen, Ricardo Montalban as the White King, Agnes Moorehead as the Red Queen, John Carradine as the Jabberwocky, Jimmy Durante as Humpty Dumpty, and the Smothers Brothers as Tweedledee and Tweedledum. If you're a fan of any of these folks or the Alice books, this a cute and tuneful way to pass an hour or so.
Alice Through the Looking Glass 1966
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Friday, August 10, 2018
Thursday, August 09, 2018
Garden of Delights
Began another hot, sunny morning with breakfast and more Backyardigans. Tyrone, Tasha, and Pablo are explorers who "Follow the Feather" to find the mystical Flying Polka Pony. The feather turns out to be the clue to get the trio through the Temple of the Feather and across a feather-shaped Tibetian valley, with the help of "mysterious lady" Uniqua.
Worked on writing for a few hours. Leia and the group catches sight of Luke, Artie, and Yoda as they arrive at the hotel. Leia tries to warn Luke, but it's too late. He's already gone after Vader in the hotel. Leia follows her wayward brother...only to see Vader drag him upstairs, saying that she'll come if she wants to see the Sword of Light or Luke again. And meanwhile, Fettara is still outside with Harry in the crate, ready to head for the nearest plane to the US...
Broke for lunch and more Backyardigans at noon. Uniqua discovers she has "Flower Power" when pricking her finger on a strange blossom gives her the abilities of plants. She has to save Garden City and its residents from the evil Gloom Meister (Austin), before he destroys all the color in the city!
Tried the other bag of frozen smoothie mix that Rose gave me. Yum! Who knew apples, kale, spinach, mint, cucumber, and bananas could taste so good together? The green color didn't bother me, either. I drank Kool-Aid as a kid. I've seen greener beverages than that!
Charlie had been working on the outside of my path-side window while I was finishing up my writing and drinking my smoothie. I ignored his muttered curses and went downstairs to check out the produce he mentioned yesterday. Not only did he have tomatoes, but his garden along the edge of the area between our property and the park also featured green peppers and odd, flat green beans. The beans in particular were numerous and so heavy, they were ready to fall off the vine. I chose two tomatoes, five beans for a meal later in the week, and a pepper. (Declined the cucumbers, though. I still have half of that monster Charlie gave me last week in the fridge.) Told Charlie what I'd taken, then grabbed my books and DVDs to return and headed out.
First stop was the Oaklyn Library. They were pretty busy for them, with a mother and her son playing Hungry Hungry Hippos in the kids' section and a college student tutoring a teen at the computers. Once again, the adult titles were mostly fine (I did have to remove stickers from one title), but the kids' area was a mess. I did the DVDs, then worked on the board books and juvenile fiction.
Went out again around 1:30, this time to the Haddon Township Library. They were almost as busy with kids and parents hiding from a hot, humid day. Once again, other people were going to shelve the DVDs, which left me with little to do. I put away audio CDs and new releases and organized the adult DVD titles.
I'm hoping to start my musical review blog next week...and some of my first reviews will before for the Audrey Hepburn-Fred Astaire classic Funny Face (I've seen it before, but not in a long time) and two flops based around beloved Broadway and off-Broadway shows, Man of La Mancha and The Fantastics. Continued my occasional explorations of the world of independent animated film with Loving Vincent, an animated biography of Vincent Van Gogh done entirely in oils.
I finally finished the last book in that stack I bought over the spring this morning and was ready to take fiction books out of the library again. Having enjoyed the last couple of mysteries I read, I stuck with those for the time being. Along with two food-focused cozy mysteries (one based around chocolate-makers, the other around a cookie bakery), I ran into one series I hadn't read in years, and another a friend loves.
I loved Stuart M. Kaminsky's Toby Peters series (about a private eye in 40's LA who solves mysteries for real-life celebrities of the time) in the 90's as a teenager, but the books stopped showing up in the Villas Library in the early 2000's, and I haven't seen them since. Now You See It, on Peters' encounter with magician Harry Blackstone, seems to have been his last book in the series before the author's death in 2009. Linda Young is a fan of the Bryant & May Peculiar Crimes Unit series (she frequently reviews them at her Cozy Nook to Read In blog), and I thought I'd give them a shot. The earliest book in the series they had was White Corridor.
Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. The heat and humidity may be too overbearing for humans, but it's done wonders for the plant life. I don't think I've ever seen the trees and grass this green in early August. The rainbow assortment of wildflowers along the banks were almost as big as the ones around the pool in Dad's yard.
Went straight home...before I turned around and decided I needed a treat. I had just enough money left for a chocolate water ice from Phillies Yummies. Sat at the rickety wooden bench and watched three little girls ride by happily on bikes and listened to the laughter of younger children from the day care across the street.
Did some cleaning when I got home. Shook out the rug at the front door and the rag rug in my bedroom, vacuumed quickly (I didn't want to leave the air conditioner off for too long), and dusted the living area. Opted for the other Those Were the Days CD while I worked. This set features songs from earlier in the 30's like "Happy Days are Here Again," "Button Up Your Overcoat," and "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain." Finished the disc while reading over some of the non-fiction I took out of the library.
I found a recipe in the Better Homes & Gardens Jiffy Cooking cookbook that sounded workable, Mexican Skillet. Replaced the pork sausage with ground turkey, the canned tomatoes with home-made chicken stock, water, and the last of the garden tomatoes from last week, and the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. It came out so nicely. I added red and purple peppers along with the green for even more flavor.
Ran Roberta as I ate and looked over the rest of the cookbook for meal ideas for this weekend. This is the original version of the show that became Lovely To Look At. Here, we have band leader Huckleberry Haines (Fred Astaire) and his orchestra and football player John Kent (Randolph Scott) inheriting the dress salon. Stephanie (Irene Dunne) is still designing the gowns, but Aunt Roberta (Helen Westley) is still very much alive for the first half of the film. The Countess Scharwenka (Ginger Rogers) is one of Roberta's best customers...but Huck knows her as an old friend from his home town. She manages to get them a job in the nightclub where she works while they try to play matchmaker with John and Stephanie. But there's a Russian doorman (Victor Varconi) who seems interested in Stephanie, and John has a snobbish girlfriend (Claire Dodd) back home. When they fight over a racy dress, it's up to their good friends to bring them back together in time for Roberta's big fashion show.
This is another rare case where I enjoy the remake far more than the original. Scott is totally at sea in a musical, and Dunne is only slightly better. Though Dunne does get to introduce the Oscar-nominated "Lovely To Look At," it's Astaire and Rogers who dance off with most of the movie. They introduce "I Won't Dance" to film audiences, while Rogers has fun with "I'll Be Hard to Handle."
Flying Down to Rio was the first movie to pair Astaire and Rogers. Fred's once again a band leader, Fred Ayres, who shares duties with composer Roger Bond (Gene Raymond). Bond has fallen head over heels for a stunning senorita (Dolores Del Rio) and takes the band to Brazil to pursue her. Rogers is Honey Hale, the band's singer. Bond and Belinha take off in a private plane and end up on a deserted island...but it turns out that she's already engaged. The plane eventually gives them a way out when it turns out that the hotel where they're working doesn't have an entertainment license - they'll take their show up to the sky!
Don't look for much of Fred and Ginger until the end; they're mostly there for background wisecracks. They're brought for the big Busby Berkley-imitation finale, and while the number on the plane is still pretty darn cool, their "Carioca" was the Oscar-nominee and the number that got all the attention...and set the two up as musical stars.
Neither of these movies are really top-drawer Astaire/Rogers. Roberta has some good songs and costumes and not much else. Rio has a few nifty routines, including the famous "showgirls on the plane" finale, but otherwise hasn't dated that well. Both are worth checking out once for fans of the dancers, the cast, or Busby Berkley imitations.
Worked on writing for a few hours. Leia and the group catches sight of Luke, Artie, and Yoda as they arrive at the hotel. Leia tries to warn Luke, but it's too late. He's already gone after Vader in the hotel. Leia follows her wayward brother...only to see Vader drag him upstairs, saying that she'll come if she wants to see the Sword of Light or Luke again. And meanwhile, Fettara is still outside with Harry in the crate, ready to head for the nearest plane to the US...
Broke for lunch and more Backyardigans at noon. Uniqua discovers she has "Flower Power" when pricking her finger on a strange blossom gives her the abilities of plants. She has to save Garden City and its residents from the evil Gloom Meister (Austin), before he destroys all the color in the city!
Tried the other bag of frozen smoothie mix that Rose gave me. Yum! Who knew apples, kale, spinach, mint, cucumber, and bananas could taste so good together? The green color didn't bother me, either. I drank Kool-Aid as a kid. I've seen greener beverages than that!
Charlie had been working on the outside of my path-side window while I was finishing up my writing and drinking my smoothie. I ignored his muttered curses and went downstairs to check out the produce he mentioned yesterday. Not only did he have tomatoes, but his garden along the edge of the area between our property and the park also featured green peppers and odd, flat green beans. The beans in particular were numerous and so heavy, they were ready to fall off the vine. I chose two tomatoes, five beans for a meal later in the week, and a pepper. (Declined the cucumbers, though. I still have half of that monster Charlie gave me last week in the fridge.) Told Charlie what I'd taken, then grabbed my books and DVDs to return and headed out.
First stop was the Oaklyn Library. They were pretty busy for them, with a mother and her son playing Hungry Hungry Hippos in the kids' section and a college student tutoring a teen at the computers. Once again, the adult titles were mostly fine (I did have to remove stickers from one title), but the kids' area was a mess. I did the DVDs, then worked on the board books and juvenile fiction.
Went out again around 1:30, this time to the Haddon Township Library. They were almost as busy with kids and parents hiding from a hot, humid day. Once again, other people were going to shelve the DVDs, which left me with little to do. I put away audio CDs and new releases and organized the adult DVD titles.
I'm hoping to start my musical review blog next week...and some of my first reviews will before for the Audrey Hepburn-Fred Astaire classic Funny Face (I've seen it before, but not in a long time) and two flops based around beloved Broadway and off-Broadway shows, Man of La Mancha and The Fantastics. Continued my occasional explorations of the world of independent animated film with Loving Vincent, an animated biography of Vincent Van Gogh done entirely in oils.
I finally finished the last book in that stack I bought over the spring this morning and was ready to take fiction books out of the library again. Having enjoyed the last couple of mysteries I read, I stuck with those for the time being. Along with two food-focused cozy mysteries (one based around chocolate-makers, the other around a cookie bakery), I ran into one series I hadn't read in years, and another a friend loves.
I loved Stuart M. Kaminsky's Toby Peters series (about a private eye in 40's LA who solves mysteries for real-life celebrities of the time) in the 90's as a teenager, but the books stopped showing up in the Villas Library in the early 2000's, and I haven't seen them since. Now You See It, on Peters' encounter with magician Harry Blackstone, seems to have been his last book in the series before the author's death in 2009. Linda Young is a fan of the Bryant & May Peculiar Crimes Unit series (she frequently reviews them at her Cozy Nook to Read In blog), and I thought I'd give them a shot. The earliest book in the series they had was White Corridor.
Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. The heat and humidity may be too overbearing for humans, but it's done wonders for the plant life. I don't think I've ever seen the trees and grass this green in early August. The rainbow assortment of wildflowers along the banks were almost as big as the ones around the pool in Dad's yard.
Went straight home...before I turned around and decided I needed a treat. I had just enough money left for a chocolate water ice from Phillies Yummies. Sat at the rickety wooden bench and watched three little girls ride by happily on bikes and listened to the laughter of younger children from the day care across the street.
Did some cleaning when I got home. Shook out the rug at the front door and the rag rug in my bedroom, vacuumed quickly (I didn't want to leave the air conditioner off for too long), and dusted the living area. Opted for the other Those Were the Days CD while I worked. This set features songs from earlier in the 30's like "Happy Days are Here Again," "Button Up Your Overcoat," and "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain." Finished the disc while reading over some of the non-fiction I took out of the library.
I found a recipe in the Better Homes & Gardens Jiffy Cooking cookbook that sounded workable, Mexican Skillet. Replaced the pork sausage with ground turkey, the canned tomatoes with home-made chicken stock, water, and the last of the garden tomatoes from last week, and the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. It came out so nicely. I added red and purple peppers along with the green for even more flavor.
Ran Roberta as I ate and looked over the rest of the cookbook for meal ideas for this weekend. This is the original version of the show that became Lovely To Look At. Here, we have band leader Huckleberry Haines (Fred Astaire) and his orchestra and football player John Kent (Randolph Scott) inheriting the dress salon. Stephanie (Irene Dunne) is still designing the gowns, but Aunt Roberta (Helen Westley) is still very much alive for the first half of the film. The Countess Scharwenka (Ginger Rogers) is one of Roberta's best customers...but Huck knows her as an old friend from his home town. She manages to get them a job in the nightclub where she works while they try to play matchmaker with John and Stephanie. But there's a Russian doorman (Victor Varconi) who seems interested in Stephanie, and John has a snobbish girlfriend (Claire Dodd) back home. When they fight over a racy dress, it's up to their good friends to bring them back together in time for Roberta's big fashion show.
This is another rare case where I enjoy the remake far more than the original. Scott is totally at sea in a musical, and Dunne is only slightly better. Though Dunne does get to introduce the Oscar-nominated "Lovely To Look At," it's Astaire and Rogers who dance off with most of the movie. They introduce "I Won't Dance" to film audiences, while Rogers has fun with "I'll Be Hard to Handle."
Flying Down to Rio was the first movie to pair Astaire and Rogers. Fred's once again a band leader, Fred Ayres, who shares duties with composer Roger Bond (Gene Raymond). Bond has fallen head over heels for a stunning senorita (Dolores Del Rio) and takes the band to Brazil to pursue her. Rogers is Honey Hale, the band's singer. Bond and Belinha take off in a private plane and end up on a deserted island...but it turns out that she's already engaged. The plane eventually gives them a way out when it turns out that the hotel where they're working doesn't have an entertainment license - they'll take their show up to the sky!
Don't look for much of Fred and Ginger until the end; they're mostly there for background wisecracks. They're brought for the big Busby Berkley-imitation finale, and while the number on the plane is still pretty darn cool, their "Carioca" was the Oscar-nominee and the number that got all the attention...and set the two up as musical stars.
Neither of these movies are really top-drawer Astaire/Rogers. Roberta has some good songs and costumes and not much else. Rio has a few nifty routines, including the famous "showgirls on the plane" finale, but otherwise hasn't dated that well. Both are worth checking out once for fans of the dancers, the cast, or Busby Berkley imitations.
Wednesday, August 08, 2018
Here Comes Mr. Beatty
Began the morning with breakfast and writing. Leia is incensed when Vader tells her that they're being held to trap Luke and the Sword of Light. Laurence is even less happy when he's told that Leia, Charel, and Clarence will be taken back to Coruscant. It wasn't a part of the deal they agreed on...and he's starting to realize that the only deal Vader ever makes is the one that benefits him.
Laurence makes his decision even before they get outside. He orders his concierge Maurice (Lobot) to call the local cops, who arrest the goons. Not that anyone but Clarence is grateful. Charel's big hands are around his neck before he can do anything...and the angry Leia isn't about to stop him.
Broke for an early lunch at 11. Did a cute episode of The Backyardigans while I tried that pineapple-ginger smoothie mix Rose gave me on Sunday. Pablo and Uniqua are the manservant of the Czar (Tyrone) and the head conductor on his private train respectively. They find themselves having to "Catch That Train" when it accidentally takes off without them.
(Incidentally, the "mix" is chunks of frozen fruit with herbs and spices. Not bad, but as Rose said, it was very gingery. It didn't really bother me - I love ginger - but it apparently was too much for her kids.)
Work went a lot better than yesterday. It was mostly quiet the entire afternoon. We did get a few small spurts during the rush hours, but they didn't last for long. I did carts during the first hour and the last hour, but I mostly did returns. (A teenager did the carts for most of the second half of the afternoon...but he's new and has no idea where to put anything. I spent 40 minutes getting the carts in the right places.) Also did the inside and outside trash, cleaned the bathrooms, and gathered baskets.
Did a longer Backyardigans episode when I got home and had leftovers and cucumber-tomato salad for dinner. Austin is a robot repairman in futuristic Mega City, where everyone has a robot companion. Trouble is, robots never break...until Tyrone, Uniqua, and Tasha's friends start acting very peculiar. Austin has to stop the evil Professor Bug (Pablo) from controlling the robots and using his screw-like "bugs" to set them on a "Robot Rampage."
Took a bath next. Ahhh. I so badly needed that. Everything has been so crazy lately. My stomach is in a permanent knot. I looked over Peace and Plenty and listened to Linus and Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, by pianist George Winston.
Charlie called while I was in the bath. I called him back before I rinsed off in the shower. His garden is still overflowing. He said I could have a couple of the tomatoes on his front porch railing, and maybe some cucumbers and beans (presumably green beans) too. Good. Not only is it pretty decent of him, but it'll save me a bundle at the farm market.
Finished off the night with Heaven Can Wait. Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty) is a quarterback with the Los Angeles Rams who's mind is mainly on playing in the Super Bowl. He "dies" before he gets the chance. Actually, according to heavenly host Mr. Jordan (James Mason), he wasn't meant to die yet. They return to Earth, only to find that his body's been creamated. He temporarily takes the body of a millionaire whose cheating wife (Dylan Cannon) has been sleeping with his secretary (Charles Grodin). No one knows what to think when the millionaire turns up alive and suddenly wants to buy the Rams and play as their quarterback, least of all Betty Logan (Julie Christie), an environmental activist who had been fighting the millionaire's damaging policies. Joe falls for Betty and does get the Rams to the big game, but he's living on borrowed time. Not only will Jordan have to find him another body soon, but the millionaire's wife and secretary are determined to try again...and make his death stick this time.
As I've mentioned with Star Wars: A New Hope and Annie Hall, the late 70's were a good time for great genre pictures. Where New Hope revived space opera, Heaven Can Wait has fun with screwball comedy, and in fact is a remake of the 1941 comic fantasy Here Comes Mr. Jordan. A nice cast has a lot of fun with the slightly macabre premise. Beatty (who also directed with Buck Henry) did just fine as the poor guy who only wants to play in the big game; also liked Jack Warden as his mentor and trainer (and the only other person who knows is secret). If you're a fan of Beatty, the original film (or it's 2001 Chris Rock remake Down to Earth), or comic fantasy, you'll find this one to be a little bit of heaven, too.
Laurence makes his decision even before they get outside. He orders his concierge Maurice (Lobot) to call the local cops, who arrest the goons. Not that anyone but Clarence is grateful. Charel's big hands are around his neck before he can do anything...and the angry Leia isn't about to stop him.
Broke for an early lunch at 11. Did a cute episode of The Backyardigans while I tried that pineapple-ginger smoothie mix Rose gave me on Sunday. Pablo and Uniqua are the manservant of the Czar (Tyrone) and the head conductor on his private train respectively. They find themselves having to "Catch That Train" when it accidentally takes off without them.
(Incidentally, the "mix" is chunks of frozen fruit with herbs and spices. Not bad, but as Rose said, it was very gingery. It didn't really bother me - I love ginger - but it apparently was too much for her kids.)
Work went a lot better than yesterday. It was mostly quiet the entire afternoon. We did get a few small spurts during the rush hours, but they didn't last for long. I did carts during the first hour and the last hour, but I mostly did returns. (A teenager did the carts for most of the second half of the afternoon...but he's new and has no idea where to put anything. I spent 40 minutes getting the carts in the right places.) Also did the inside and outside trash, cleaned the bathrooms, and gathered baskets.
Did a longer Backyardigans episode when I got home and had leftovers and cucumber-tomato salad for dinner. Austin is a robot repairman in futuristic Mega City, where everyone has a robot companion. Trouble is, robots never break...until Tyrone, Uniqua, and Tasha's friends start acting very peculiar. Austin has to stop the evil Professor Bug (Pablo) from controlling the robots and using his screw-like "bugs" to set them on a "Robot Rampage."
Took a bath next. Ahhh. I so badly needed that. Everything has been so crazy lately. My stomach is in a permanent knot. I looked over Peace and Plenty and listened to Linus and Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, by pianist George Winston.
Charlie called while I was in the bath. I called him back before I rinsed off in the shower. His garden is still overflowing. He said I could have a couple of the tomatoes on his front porch railing, and maybe some cucumbers and beans (presumably green beans) too. Good. Not only is it pretty decent of him, but it'll save me a bundle at the farm market.
Finished off the night with Heaven Can Wait. Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty) is a quarterback with the Los Angeles Rams who's mind is mainly on playing in the Super Bowl. He "dies" before he gets the chance. Actually, according to heavenly host Mr. Jordan (James Mason), he wasn't meant to die yet. They return to Earth, only to find that his body's been creamated. He temporarily takes the body of a millionaire whose cheating wife (Dylan Cannon) has been sleeping with his secretary (Charles Grodin). No one knows what to think when the millionaire turns up alive and suddenly wants to buy the Rams and play as their quarterback, least of all Betty Logan (Julie Christie), an environmental activist who had been fighting the millionaire's damaging policies. Joe falls for Betty and does get the Rams to the big game, but he's living on borrowed time. Not only will Jordan have to find him another body soon, but the millionaire's wife and secretary are determined to try again...and make his death stick this time.
As I've mentioned with Star Wars: A New Hope and Annie Hall, the late 70's were a good time for great genre pictures. Where New Hope revived space opera, Heaven Can Wait has fun with screwball comedy, and in fact is a remake of the 1941 comic fantasy Here Comes Mr. Jordan. A nice cast has a lot of fun with the slightly macabre premise. Beatty (who also directed with Buck Henry) did just fine as the poor guy who only wants to play in the big game; also liked Jack Warden as his mentor and trainer (and the only other person who knows is secret). If you're a fan of Beatty, the original film (or it's 2001 Chris Rock remake Down to Earth), or comic fantasy, you'll find this one to be a little bit of heaven, too.
Tuesday, August 07, 2018
Summertime Blues
Began the morning with breakfast and Those Wonderful Thirties: The Stars of Hollywood's Golden Era. I picked up this two-disc LP set at Abbie Road at least five years ago or so. While there's some familiar tunes in this collection, notably Judy Garland's famous version of "Over the Rainbow," most of the songs featured are more obscure today. My favorites include "September in the Rain" by James Melton, "The Object of My Affection" by Pinky Tomlin, and "It's Raining Sunbeams" by Deanna Durbin. Looked over A Song In the Dark, a great book on the musicals of the early talkies, before I got ready for work.
Work was generally pretty quiet, as it has been since the week after the 4th of July. It was hot, sunny, and murderously humid. I spent a lot of it outside, doing carts. The managers said to only be out for ten or twenty minutes at a time, but that's not realistic. You can't really get anything done outside in that amount of time. Not to mention, there were also men outside repairing pot holes in the parking lot whom I had to avoid. A nice breeze helped somewhat. I also bagged, gathered baskets, cleaned the bathrooms, and shelved returns. Got stuck in the register for the last ten minutes. The manager finally called someone to come in for me...by which time, the lines were gone.
Rushed home after that. Worked on writing for a while when I got in. An angry Harry tries to knock Laurence's blinding white teeth out, but he and Charel are restrained. They're all marched to the office on the main floor, where Vader reveals their fate. He's taking Leia, Charel, Luke, and Clarence back to Coruscant with him. Harry was traded to Yasmin Hutt for the Sword of Wisdom, which she got from an illegal antiquities ring. Roberto Fettara will take him back in a crate to keep him from running off.
Charel attempts to attack the guards, to Clarence's horror. The big Russian is supposed to be helping him to stay on his feet, not getting him even more hurt! Harry gets him calmed down, telling him to look after the twins and the servants. Leia runs to his arms and kisses him passionately. He manages to tell her a certain famous reply before they're torn from each other's arms and he's knocked out and sealed in the crate.
I got so into writing. I didn't break for dinner until 7. I ate quickly, then worked on what I need to figure out to start a commercial blog. My biggest stumbling block is actually selling the blog...and where to sell it to. I avoid a lot of social media. Twitter and Tumblr are often so negative, they seem more "anti-social" to me. I got tired of the constant barrage of negativity in the Star Wars and American Girl fandoms and have largely dropped out of both (other than the fanfiction). I have no idea who the audience for this will be, or how to talk to them.
Finished the night on a relatively somber note with Phantom Thread. It's 1954, and fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is at the top of his profession, creating fabulous gowns for fashionable ladies. He's also a bit of a controlling ass who is still haunted by the death of his mother and who is largely ruled by his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville). Traveling to the country, he stops at a restaurant where he meets Alma, a waitress and aspiring model (Vicky Kreps). She becomes his muse and constant companion, but they argue constantly. She tries to make him dinner, but he say she's not sticking to his routine. Tired of his routine, she finally poisons his tea just to force him to settle down and let her take care of him. But old habits are hard to break...and when he finally tells her to leave, she decides she has to once again weaken him in order to get him to let her in.
Elegant and sumptuous, with excellent performances by an an Oscar-nominated Day-Lewis (in what supposedly will be his final performance) and Kreps. Paul Thomas Anderson keeps things appropriately dreamy, aloof, and even creepy towards the end, where Alma has somehow decided that the only way to keep her man is to poison the heck out of him. The classical-inspired score and appropriately gorgeous period costumes did win Oscars.
While this was a little too creepy to be something I'll seek out all the time, I don't regret having seen it. Worth checking out for fans of Day-Lewis, dark romantic drama, or historical movies with stunning eye candy.
Work was generally pretty quiet, as it has been since the week after the 4th of July. It was hot, sunny, and murderously humid. I spent a lot of it outside, doing carts. The managers said to only be out for ten or twenty minutes at a time, but that's not realistic. You can't really get anything done outside in that amount of time. Not to mention, there were also men outside repairing pot holes in the parking lot whom I had to avoid. A nice breeze helped somewhat. I also bagged, gathered baskets, cleaned the bathrooms, and shelved returns. Got stuck in the register for the last ten minutes. The manager finally called someone to come in for me...by which time, the lines were gone.
Rushed home after that. Worked on writing for a while when I got in. An angry Harry tries to knock Laurence's blinding white teeth out, but he and Charel are restrained. They're all marched to the office on the main floor, where Vader reveals their fate. He's taking Leia, Charel, Luke, and Clarence back to Coruscant with him. Harry was traded to Yasmin Hutt for the Sword of Wisdom, which she got from an illegal antiquities ring. Roberto Fettara will take him back in a crate to keep him from running off.
Charel attempts to attack the guards, to Clarence's horror. The big Russian is supposed to be helping him to stay on his feet, not getting him even more hurt! Harry gets him calmed down, telling him to look after the twins and the servants. Leia runs to his arms and kisses him passionately. He manages to tell her a certain famous reply before they're torn from each other's arms and he's knocked out and sealed in the crate.
I got so into writing. I didn't break for dinner until 7. I ate quickly, then worked on what I need to figure out to start a commercial blog. My biggest stumbling block is actually selling the blog...and where to sell it to. I avoid a lot of social media. Twitter and Tumblr are often so negative, they seem more "anti-social" to me. I got tired of the constant barrage of negativity in the Star Wars and American Girl fandoms and have largely dropped out of both (other than the fanfiction). I have no idea who the audience for this will be, or how to talk to them.
Finished the night on a relatively somber note with Phantom Thread. It's 1954, and fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is at the top of his profession, creating fabulous gowns for fashionable ladies. He's also a bit of a controlling ass who is still haunted by the death of his mother and who is largely ruled by his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville). Traveling to the country, he stops at a restaurant where he meets Alma, a waitress and aspiring model (Vicky Kreps). She becomes his muse and constant companion, but they argue constantly. She tries to make him dinner, but he say she's not sticking to his routine. Tired of his routine, she finally poisons his tea just to force him to settle down and let her take care of him. But old habits are hard to break...and when he finally tells her to leave, she decides she has to once again weaken him in order to get him to let her in.
Elegant and sumptuous, with excellent performances by an an Oscar-nominated Day-Lewis (in what supposedly will be his final performance) and Kreps. Paul Thomas Anderson keeps things appropriately dreamy, aloof, and even creepy towards the end, where Alma has somehow decided that the only way to keep her man is to poison the heck out of him. The classical-inspired score and appropriately gorgeous period costumes did win Oscars.
While this was a little too creepy to be something I'll seek out all the time, I don't regret having seen it. Worth checking out for fans of Day-Lewis, dark romantic drama, or historical movies with stunning eye candy.
Monday, August 06, 2018
The Heat Is On
Began the morning with breakfast and a CD I hadn't listened to in ages. During my last two summers in Wildwood, there was a used CD shop at the very end of the North Wildwood side of the boardwalk. I picked up a few discs there, including Atlantic City USA: The Time Is Now! From the minimalist notes on the back of the cover, my best guess is this was recorded for casino gift shops by a local crooner in the late 80's-early 90's. While the title song intends to be a "New York, New York"-style tribute to AC, it's pretty bland. Some of the medleys of older tunes, like "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" and "Heart of My Heart," are a bit better.
Managed to squeeze an hour of writing in before work. Leia, Harry, Charel, and Clarence do manage to have a decent breakfast before Laurence arrives with Fettara. Harry's going to be sent to his boss Yasmin Hutt, a former showgirl who took over her late husband's criminal endeavors and proved to be even more ruthless. Leia and the other two will remain with Vader, as will Luke when he arrives.
I went into work early for training. It sounds like we're getting new computers, printers, and monitors on the registers by the end of the month. They're going to be touchscreen, with fewer buttons and keystrokes required for most actions. Honestly, it wasn't that hard to figure out. The manager said it would take two and a half hours, but it didn't even take me two. I was worried that it would be a group lecture, but it turned out to be sitting in front of a computer, clicking buttons and letting it lecture. Not enthralling, but probably better than the group lecture would have been. I only missed two or three questions on the final exam, at any rate.
Had a quick salad lunch, then went into my regular work. Though I did gather the baskets and the outside trash and shelved loose items and candy, I was mostly outside with the carts. The poor head bagger had apparently been outside in the 94-degree heat all morning and claimed she was about ready to drop from heat stroke when I came in. It was still that hot early in the afternoon...but luckily for me, clouds rolled in later. It was still very humid around rush hour, but not nearly as hot. There was actually a rather nice breeze.
I was so tired, I just opted to finish the night with leftovers for dinner and an episode of Moonlighting before hitting the shower. "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" from the second season is one of the show's most famous episodes. Orson Welles appears in the opening sequence (just days before his death; the episode is dedicated to him) to explain the premise. Maddie and David hear a story about a murder committed at a 40's nightclub from it's frustrated owner. Maddie instantly thinks the man did it. He obviously coerced her. David points out that women are capable of killing, too. The resulting argument turns into the title dream sequences. Maddie's parodies "wronged woman" dramas; David's makes fun of prison movies and tough-guy noir.
Managed to squeeze an hour of writing in before work. Leia, Harry, Charel, and Clarence do manage to have a decent breakfast before Laurence arrives with Fettara. Harry's going to be sent to his boss Yasmin Hutt, a former showgirl who took over her late husband's criminal endeavors and proved to be even more ruthless. Leia and the other two will remain with Vader, as will Luke when he arrives.
I went into work early for training. It sounds like we're getting new computers, printers, and monitors on the registers by the end of the month. They're going to be touchscreen, with fewer buttons and keystrokes required for most actions. Honestly, it wasn't that hard to figure out. The manager said it would take two and a half hours, but it didn't even take me two. I was worried that it would be a group lecture, but it turned out to be sitting in front of a computer, clicking buttons and letting it lecture. Not enthralling, but probably better than the group lecture would have been. I only missed two or three questions on the final exam, at any rate.
Had a quick salad lunch, then went into my regular work. Though I did gather the baskets and the outside trash and shelved loose items and candy, I was mostly outside with the carts. The poor head bagger had apparently been outside in the 94-degree heat all morning and claimed she was about ready to drop from heat stroke when I came in. It was still that hot early in the afternoon...but luckily for me, clouds rolled in later. It was still very humid around rush hour, but not nearly as hot. There was actually a rather nice breeze.
I was so tired, I just opted to finish the night with leftovers for dinner and an episode of Moonlighting before hitting the shower. "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" from the second season is one of the show's most famous episodes. Orson Welles appears in the opening sequence (just days before his death; the episode is dedicated to him) to explain the premise. Maddie and David hear a story about a murder committed at a 40's nightclub from it's frustrated owner. Maddie instantly thinks the man did it. He obviously coerced her. David points out that women are capable of killing, too. The resulting argument turns into the title dream sequences. Maddie's parodies "wronged woman" dramas; David's makes fun of prison movies and tough-guy noir.
Sunday, August 05, 2018
Champagne Music and Rainy Evenings
Began the morning with Blueberry-Chocolate Chip Pancakes and the soundtrack from New York, New York. This 1977 movie may have been a rather odd soap opera, but it has some terrific music. Along with the popular title song and the musical spoof "Happy Endings" for Liza Minnelli, there were several hot big band numbers like "Hazoy" and "V.J Stomp," a nice "Just You, Just Me" for Minnelli, and "Blue Moon" for Robert DiNiro and Mary Kay Place.
Work wasn't bad when I got in. I spent most of the first hour and the last few hours doing returns and the inside trash. In between, though, people started to come in from church...and it really got bad. I had a hard time keeping up with all the carts! It didn't help that the afternoon bagger was late. Apparently, he thought he was coming in at 2, rather than 1. (Honest mistake - I've done that, too - and he usually arrives early.) Thankfully, it slowed down enough after that for me to spend the remaining time with the returns and mopping up leaky freezers. (They haven't been as bad as they were during the summer of 2016, but there are a few.)
A paper on the bulletin boards for our schedule revealed that all people who work with the registers have to take a class in how to use the new computer system. To my annoyance, mine was tomorrow morning at 10:30. Apparently, we'll get paid for it, but I wasn't supposed to work until 1. I don't know why they couldn't have mentioned this on Friday, or better yet, last week, so people had more time to prepare.
Worked on writing for an hour when I got home. Vader has his men beat Harry with cords, then press him against the steaming boiler to burn him. Roberto Fettara burns him with his cigar as well. He and Leia both loudly protest that they don't know anything...but Vader is really only after one of them. He intends to turn Harry over to Yasmin Hutt, his gangster boss and ex-girlfriend.
Rose called while I was writing to confirm our get-together. She had originally planned on ordering Mexican, but by the time I arrived, this had changed to her making bratwurst with a potato-zucchini hash and cubed watermelon for dinner. Yum. It was delicious (even if Khai wouldn't eat his bratwurst). I should have asked for her recipe for the hash - it was really tasty. (I might have to get potatoes on Saturday and see if I can try something similar.)
She apparently did talk to the family in Cape May, and will be doing so again as soon as she can. They're trying to get their affairs down there settled, especially with Mom and Dad-Bill's house. Mom's not sure they'll be able to sell it for a good price if they have to. I agree with Rose - I don't see why they couldn't. It's a brand new house, about 12 years old. Not only is it still in decent shape, but it's at the Jersey Shore. Even inland, the Shore is pretty expensive.
We finished out the paperwork after dinner. Even after she changed her, poor Finley had diaper rash and was fussy. Rose held her while we went over the paperwork. Actually, most of it was already signed back in February. We went over the entire document, re-did some signatures in pen, and signed and re-dated the remainder. Rose called Jodie and told her to make the doctor's appointment while I was there. (And I still need to remember to get a general doctor and do a check-up.)
It was Jodie who pointed out that it had started raining. Rose's house is bracketed closely by two other houses on either side of her. We hadn't even noticed the rain until she saw that the sage-green shingles on the house next-door were wet. I hung around with her, Khai, and Finley for a while, watching Spongebob Squarepants (Spongebob's pet snail Gary ran away) and a newer show about a trio of bears called We Bare Bears (they went to school - and the grizzly was sent to the principal's office). I might have to check around for DVD sets of the latter. I love anything involving bears, and the episodes I saw were cute.
Finley is in love with a playlist of 10 music videos appropriate for children. Many of them are songs from recent movies, including "Let It Go" from Frozen, "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Can't Stop the Feeling" from Trolls, and "Feel the Light" from Home, along with "Happy" and "Something Big." That got Rose and I chatting about animated movies we liked, both recent and from our childhoods. Finley was really fascinated by the videos. She stood in front of Rose's big TV and just stared.
The rain had stopped by quarter of 8; it was humid and still very wet, but not hot. Even so, I turned the air conditioner on when I got in. I'm finishing the night with episodes of The Lawrence Welk Show on YouTube. I started watching Lawrence Welk when I was in college in the early 2000's. It was one of the few places besides TCM I could see musical performances on TV then, and "champagne music" made great background noise for studying on a Saturday evening. Eventually, my roommates joined me, and we'd all study together while people sang, tap-danced, and played the accordion. Yeah I know the show was corny even when these episodes were filmed in the 60's, 70's, and early 80's, but the dancers and some of the singers are a lot of fun. (If nothing else, you can make fun of the hideous hair and some of the very 60's-70's costumes.)
If you have fond memories of Welk and his "musical family" too, here's a couple of episodes to get you started:
Saturday, August 04, 2018
Pools and Harvests
Began the morning with breakfast and an episode of the 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In "20,000 Leaks Under the Sea," Krang and Shredder want to use the Technidrome to pump enough water into New York and it's sewers to flood the Turtles out. It works too well when the sea water brings in some monster critters, including a shark and a giant squid. The Turtles have to keep the sea life from terrorizing Manhattan and stop Shredder from causing worse damage.
It had been raining on and off since I rolled out of bed. It was still raining when I left for the Collingswood Farm Market. Thankfully, the rain was slowing down even as I crossed the White Horse Pike. By the time I made it to the parking lot behind Haddon Avenue, the sun was out and the rain was long gone (though it remained hot and humid).
Despite the weather and my not arriving until quarter of 11, the Farm Market was packed. The tables groaned with produce. Saw gooseberries and New Jersey potatoes for the first time today. One of the Italian (round) eggplants was as big as a bowling ball! Ended up with carrots, peaches, blueberries, two ears of corn, and mushrooms.
Since it was still sunny, I took the long way across Newton Lake Park, past Collingswood High School and the Parkview Apartments. Instead of crossing at CVS, I continued down the White Horse Pike to Dollar General. Their eggs and cooking spray are much cheaper than the Acme's. Picked up my favorite pecan roll for a treat.
Went straight home after that. Put everything away while watching an episode of The Monkees. "Alias Micky Dolenz" is from later in the first season. Micky is mistaken for Baby Face (also Micky), a gangster who looks exactly like him. The cops pass him off as the gangster to find out where his mob hid the loot from a robbery...but then Baby Face breaks out of jail, and his goons get suspicious.
Spent the next couple of hours cleaning the kitchen and the bathroom. Neither were really that horrible, but they both needed to be done. The tub and the sink in the bathroom in particular needed to be scrubbed. Listened to my AM Gold 1966 and AM Gold 1967 CDs as I worked. The mid-60's were ground-zero for classic pop and rock. Along with the Monkees' two biggest hits, "I'm a Believer" and "Daydream Believer," other favorite hits of mine from this period include "Happy Together" by The Turtles, "I Second That Emotion" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, "Winchester Cathedral" by The New Vaudeville Band, and the title song from Georgy Girl by The Seekers.
Started writing as soon as I finished and put away the cleaning supplies. Luke calls Dr. Martha Mothma and learns that Leia is in the French Riviera with Harry and Charel. Dr. Mothma's learned from FBI contacts that Laurence Carlyle was a smuggler and a gambler, but he was never convicted. She's worried about Leia. She tells Luke where she is on the French Riviera. With this information, Luke and Artie return to the hangar to head to France with Yoda and Wedge.
Meanwhile, Leia and Harry have been taken to the hotel's boiler room. Harry is bound to the boiler; Leia is tied to a chair. Leia angrily tells Vader that they don't know anything...but that's not why Vader has them...
Called Rose around 4:30. Did she want to get together tonight and discuss those papers? No, she couldn't, but we could do dinner tomorrow and discuss them then. Fine by me. I had no plans for after work but writing. I'll be over at 5.
Decided I was bored with sitting around by quarter of 5 and went to Dad's for a swim. This time, Dad and Jodie were there, but no one else at first. I swam laps in the pool while Dad napped, then talked to both of them. I want to sell my old high school prom gown from 1997 and the American Girl Scenes and Settings I got from Jessa (and possibly the bed and bedding as well). I obviously don't need the prom gown anymore, and I prefer using my own apartment as the backdrop when I photograph the dolls. Beyond needing the money, both are taking up space in one of the wardrobes and the back room. They suggested local consignment shops for the prom dress and eBay for the Scenes and Settings.
We also discussed the future. Dad-Bruce isn't going to be around forever...and Dad-Bill likely has even less time left. Rose is helping both sides of the family with their wills.
Rose, Khai, and Finley arrived later, around 7. Khai's friend Chloe and her mom weren't far behind. I went back in the pool with Rose and the kids for a while. Chloe is very good with Finley. She lead her around the pool in her baby float, playing with plastic trucks and making her laugh. Rose tossed Khai around.
(Oh, and I talked to Chloe's mom after we got out. She sounded like she might be interested in the bed and the Scenes and Settings...and if she isn't, there might be other girls in the neighborhood whose parents would buy them. I'd rather sell them locally first.)
Hit the shower when I got home. Didn't get to dinner and the peach cobbler Jodie gave me until past 8:30! Watched Father Goose when I finished eating. Walter Eckland (Cary Grant) is an American beachcomber in 1942 Australia who just wants to fish and live on his boat the Catherine. His idyllic life is interrupted by his friend Commander Frank Houghton (Trevor Howard), who convinces him to become a Japanese aircraft spotter. He goes to another island to find a replacement...but what he finds is Mademoiselle Catherine Freneau (Leslie Caron) and her gaggle of British and French schoolgirls, who are stranded on the island. He takes them back with him, only to have her basically kick him out of his radio room so she and the girls can have a place of their own and destroy his ever-present liquor. The two get used to each other eventually, enough that the girls come to trust him, and he takes care of her after she gets what they think is a snake bite. But the Japanese are still out there...and they may not be willing to leave Walter, Catherine, and the girls alone.
Cute but ultimately disappointing, considering the talent involved. This is basically The African Queen set in the South Seas during World War II, and with a Frenchwoman rather than a Brit and a bunch of little girls playing matchmaker. Caron and Grant didn't have much chemistry, and Grant looked uncomfortable throughout. (This was, in fact, his second-to-last movie.) Not to mention, Catherine is awfully nasty to a man who, no matter how slovenly he is, offered her and her charges shelter and food. Things pick up a bit towards the end, especially during the "snake bite" scene and in the finale.
Though this was a big hit in 1964, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone but major fans of Grant or romantic comedies today. If you're interested, it's currently on DVD from made-to-order company Olive Films.
It had been raining on and off since I rolled out of bed. It was still raining when I left for the Collingswood Farm Market. Thankfully, the rain was slowing down even as I crossed the White Horse Pike. By the time I made it to the parking lot behind Haddon Avenue, the sun was out and the rain was long gone (though it remained hot and humid).
Despite the weather and my not arriving until quarter of 11, the Farm Market was packed. The tables groaned with produce. Saw gooseberries and New Jersey potatoes for the first time today. One of the Italian (round) eggplants was as big as a bowling ball! Ended up with carrots, peaches, blueberries, two ears of corn, and mushrooms.
Since it was still sunny, I took the long way across Newton Lake Park, past Collingswood High School and the Parkview Apartments. Instead of crossing at CVS, I continued down the White Horse Pike to Dollar General. Their eggs and cooking spray are much cheaper than the Acme's. Picked up my favorite pecan roll for a treat.
Went straight home after that. Put everything away while watching an episode of The Monkees. "Alias Micky Dolenz" is from later in the first season. Micky is mistaken for Baby Face (also Micky), a gangster who looks exactly like him. The cops pass him off as the gangster to find out where his mob hid the loot from a robbery...but then Baby Face breaks out of jail, and his goons get suspicious.
Spent the next couple of hours cleaning the kitchen and the bathroom. Neither were really that horrible, but they both needed to be done. The tub and the sink in the bathroom in particular needed to be scrubbed. Listened to my AM Gold 1966 and AM Gold 1967 CDs as I worked. The mid-60's were ground-zero for classic pop and rock. Along with the Monkees' two biggest hits, "I'm a Believer" and "Daydream Believer," other favorite hits of mine from this period include "Happy Together" by The Turtles, "I Second That Emotion" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, "Winchester Cathedral" by The New Vaudeville Band, and the title song from Georgy Girl by The Seekers.
Started writing as soon as I finished and put away the cleaning supplies. Luke calls Dr. Martha Mothma and learns that Leia is in the French Riviera with Harry and Charel. Dr. Mothma's learned from FBI contacts that Laurence Carlyle was a smuggler and a gambler, but he was never convicted. She's worried about Leia. She tells Luke where she is on the French Riviera. With this information, Luke and Artie return to the hangar to head to France with Yoda and Wedge.
Meanwhile, Leia and Harry have been taken to the hotel's boiler room. Harry is bound to the boiler; Leia is tied to a chair. Leia angrily tells Vader that they don't know anything...but that's not why Vader has them...
Called Rose around 4:30. Did she want to get together tonight and discuss those papers? No, she couldn't, but we could do dinner tomorrow and discuss them then. Fine by me. I had no plans for after work but writing. I'll be over at 5.
Decided I was bored with sitting around by quarter of 5 and went to Dad's for a swim. This time, Dad and Jodie were there, but no one else at first. I swam laps in the pool while Dad napped, then talked to both of them. I want to sell my old high school prom gown from 1997 and the American Girl Scenes and Settings I got from Jessa (and possibly the bed and bedding as well). I obviously don't need the prom gown anymore, and I prefer using my own apartment as the backdrop when I photograph the dolls. Beyond needing the money, both are taking up space in one of the wardrobes and the back room. They suggested local consignment shops for the prom dress and eBay for the Scenes and Settings.
We also discussed the future. Dad-Bruce isn't going to be around forever...and Dad-Bill likely has even less time left. Rose is helping both sides of the family with their wills.
Rose, Khai, and Finley arrived later, around 7. Khai's friend Chloe and her mom weren't far behind. I went back in the pool with Rose and the kids for a while. Chloe is very good with Finley. She lead her around the pool in her baby float, playing with plastic trucks and making her laugh. Rose tossed Khai around.
(Oh, and I talked to Chloe's mom after we got out. She sounded like she might be interested in the bed and the Scenes and Settings...and if she isn't, there might be other girls in the neighborhood whose parents would buy them. I'd rather sell them locally first.)
Hit the shower when I got home. Didn't get to dinner and the peach cobbler Jodie gave me until past 8:30! Watched Father Goose when I finished eating. Walter Eckland (Cary Grant) is an American beachcomber in 1942 Australia who just wants to fish and live on his boat the Catherine. His idyllic life is interrupted by his friend Commander Frank Houghton (Trevor Howard), who convinces him to become a Japanese aircraft spotter. He goes to another island to find a replacement...but what he finds is Mademoiselle Catherine Freneau (Leslie Caron) and her gaggle of British and French schoolgirls, who are stranded on the island. He takes them back with him, only to have her basically kick him out of his radio room so she and the girls can have a place of their own and destroy his ever-present liquor. The two get used to each other eventually, enough that the girls come to trust him, and he takes care of her after she gets what they think is a snake bite. But the Japanese are still out there...and they may not be willing to leave Walter, Catherine, and the girls alone.
Cute but ultimately disappointing, considering the talent involved. This is basically The African Queen set in the South Seas during World War II, and with a Frenchwoman rather than a Brit and a bunch of little girls playing matchmaker. Caron and Grant didn't have much chemistry, and Grant looked uncomfortable throughout. (This was, in fact, his second-to-last movie.) Not to mention, Catherine is awfully nasty to a man who, no matter how slovenly he is, offered her and her charges shelter and food. Things pick up a bit towards the end, especially during the "snake bite" scene and in the finale.
Though this was a big hit in 1964, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone but major fans of Grant or romantic comedies today. If you're interested, it's currently on DVD from made-to-order company Olive Films.
Friday, August 03, 2018
Good Times, Bad Weather
Began a sunny, hazy morning with breakfast and more classic rock. I was feeling up for something a bit rougher after the Union Gap's pop and Seeger's slightly country-tinged melodies yesterday and went with Led Zepplin's self-titled debut album. This classic was surprisingly not well-received by many critics in 1969, but audiences loved their harder-edged style. It's difficult to argue with some of their most beloved hits, including "Communication Breakdown," "Good Times, Bad Times," and "Dazed and Confused."
First stop while the weather was still behaving was the laundromat. While they were already busy by quarter of 11, I was able to easily get a washer and a dryer. Ignored the news on channel 10 and worked on story notes.
The clouds were already gathering when I was at the laundromat. They got even darker as I headed home and up into the apartment. The wind went crazy, making the tarp covering the porch flap like crazy. I managed to finish putting everything away (and hang a lot of things up - I should have let them dry longer) and was just sliding the early Bruce Springsteen album The Wild, the Innocent, and the E-Street Shuffle into the CD player when I heard the first rumble of thunder on the horizon.
Rose called as I was finishing putting my clothes away. She was ready to sign the papers for the doctor. Did I want to come over later and sign them? Sure, why not? I had no other plans for the day after a grocery run.
I'd just finished lunch when it started pouring like mad. The storm came down in full-force, pattering on the tarps and pounding on my windows. I read Mom, Inc and listened to old favorite Springsteen songs like "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" and "Rosalita Come Out Tonight" until I got bored waiting for the rain to end and just headed out. Though the thunder was gone by then, it was still raining hard. I was pretty wet by the time I made it to the Acme for this week's grocery shopping.
The big thing for this week was meat. I found catfish fillets in the seafood section and picked up ground turkey. Restocked skim milk, brown sugar, yogurt, cereal (the Acme is having a big "anniversary" sale - I opted to try the new Strawberry Life), canned navy beans, cake mix (chocolate and a strawberry that was on the clearance rack), and lemon juice. The Irwin Spice Wafers (ginger snaps) were cheaper than any of the breakfast bars. Talenti pint ice cream was on sale, and I had a good coupon for the low-sugar variety. Went with Vanilla-Cinnamon.
My schedule for next week is...almost exactly the same as this week. Only difference is an earlier day on Sunday. I do wish I had more hours, but given how quiet we've been for the past few weeks, I'm probably lucky to be getting these.
Though the rain was gone by the time I walked out of the store, there were more dark clouds on the horizon. I finally decided I'd be better off avoiding the storms at home. Worked on writing for a bit when I got in. Harry and Leia are in the middle of kissing when Roberto Fettara bursts in. Leia and Harry manage to get the drop on him, but only briefly. Vader and his goons show up to release Fettara and punch Harry in the stomach. Laurence follows them. Yes, he knew they were there all along. They were going to burn down the hotel if he didn't comply. Harry is shocked and angry at his friend's betrayal...and even more so when they're hustled out of the room and he realizes that Vader has a lot more than questioning in mind.
I called Rose around quarter of 6. I still hadn't heard from her. She had apparently just gotten home from work and sounded exhausted. Could we get together tomorrow or Sunday? Sure. I have no plans for after tomorrow morning or Sunday evening as of right now. (And it's probably just as well that we canceled. It rained off and on, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the night.)
Finished the night with two musicals from the mid-30's as I made chicken breasts in lemon sauce with summer vegetables and corn on the cob for dinner. The Big Broadcast of 1938 was part of Paramount's equivalent of MGM's Broadway Melody and Warners' Gold Diggers series, and in fact was the last one. It changes things up a bit by putting the radio station on a huge ocean liner involved in a race with a second liner. The owner of the Gigantic (WC Fields) sends his younger brother (also Fields) to the competing Colossal to cause trouble. He ends up on the Gigantic instead, where he proceeds to drive everyone crazy. His clumsy and unlucky daughter Martha (Martha Raye) wrecks even more havoc. Meanwhile, radio station announcer Buzz Fielding (Bob Hope) reconnects with Joan (Shirley Ross), one of his several ex-wives, while Buzz's girlfriend Dorothy (Dorothy Lamour) falls for the ship's first officer (Leif Erickson). All the while, Buzz continues to announce specialties (including opera diva Kirsten Flagstad) and keep everyone updated on the progress of the race.
The movie is best-known today for introducing Hope's long-time theme song "Thanks for the Memories." He and Ross introduce it in a simple number that has them reminiscing about their broken marriage in a way that sounds more natural than most musicals. Everything else sort of pales beside that, although Fields has some good moments on the golf course earlier in the movie and with a game of pool, and Raye has an amazing acrobatic number with a group of sailors that has her being tossed around while still singing and must be seen to be believed.
This is the only Big Broadcast movie avalible on home media at this writing, probably because of Hope and "Thanks for the Memories." It's worth a look if you're a fan of Hope, Raye, Fields, or the Busby Berkley imitations of the 30's.
The Broadway Melody of 1936 returns us to New York and a more typical "put on a show" story. Gossip columnist Bert Keeler (Jack Benny, in a parody of famous New York columnist Walter Winchell) is so desperate to find some news for his column, he creates a fictional French dancer he can hype. As it turns out, stage hopeful Irene Foster (Eleanor Powell) needs some hype to catch the eye of producer and former boyfriend Robert Gordon (Robert Taylor), who wants star power for his big show. His current girlfriend, wealthy widow Lillian Brent (June Knight), doesn't give a fig about stars. She's backing the show; she should star in it. Foster passes herself off as the dancer to get a leg up, so to speak, on the role. Lillian, however, isn't willing to give up, and Powell's friends Ted and Sally Burke (Buddy Ebsen and his sister Vilma) and Gordon's secretary Kitty (Una Merkel) are starting to get suspicious...
While the story here is even more piffle than Big Broadcast (and lacks that movie's novel setting), it does have some outstanding numbers. "You are My Lucky Star" was the hit and is promoted several times, including in a huge "imagine spot" for Powell and a platoon of ballerinas. Other standards include "I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'" (performed by Knight, Taylor, and the chorus; Taylor, surprisingly, sings rather well) and the glittering finale "Broadway Rhythm."
Though this was popular at the box office in 1935 and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture that year, the dull book keeps it from being as much fun as some of the other movies in this series. Once again, mainly for fans of the cast and 30's musicals.
First stop while the weather was still behaving was the laundromat. While they were already busy by quarter of 11, I was able to easily get a washer and a dryer. Ignored the news on channel 10 and worked on story notes.
The clouds were already gathering when I was at the laundromat. They got even darker as I headed home and up into the apartment. The wind went crazy, making the tarp covering the porch flap like crazy. I managed to finish putting everything away (and hang a lot of things up - I should have let them dry longer) and was just sliding the early Bruce Springsteen album The Wild, the Innocent, and the E-Street Shuffle into the CD player when I heard the first rumble of thunder on the horizon.
Rose called as I was finishing putting my clothes away. She was ready to sign the papers for the doctor. Did I want to come over later and sign them? Sure, why not? I had no other plans for the day after a grocery run.
I'd just finished lunch when it started pouring like mad. The storm came down in full-force, pattering on the tarps and pounding on my windows. I read Mom, Inc and listened to old favorite Springsteen songs like "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" and "Rosalita Come Out Tonight" until I got bored waiting for the rain to end and just headed out. Though the thunder was gone by then, it was still raining hard. I was pretty wet by the time I made it to the Acme for this week's grocery shopping.
The big thing for this week was meat. I found catfish fillets in the seafood section and picked up ground turkey. Restocked skim milk, brown sugar, yogurt, cereal (the Acme is having a big "anniversary" sale - I opted to try the new Strawberry Life), canned navy beans, cake mix (chocolate and a strawberry that was on the clearance rack), and lemon juice. The Irwin Spice Wafers (ginger snaps) were cheaper than any of the breakfast bars. Talenti pint ice cream was on sale, and I had a good coupon for the low-sugar variety. Went with Vanilla-Cinnamon.
My schedule for next week is...almost exactly the same as this week. Only difference is an earlier day on Sunday. I do wish I had more hours, but given how quiet we've been for the past few weeks, I'm probably lucky to be getting these.
Though the rain was gone by the time I walked out of the store, there were more dark clouds on the horizon. I finally decided I'd be better off avoiding the storms at home. Worked on writing for a bit when I got in. Harry and Leia are in the middle of kissing when Roberto Fettara bursts in. Leia and Harry manage to get the drop on him, but only briefly. Vader and his goons show up to release Fettara and punch Harry in the stomach. Laurence follows them. Yes, he knew they were there all along. They were going to burn down the hotel if he didn't comply. Harry is shocked and angry at his friend's betrayal...and even more so when they're hustled out of the room and he realizes that Vader has a lot more than questioning in mind.
I called Rose around quarter of 6. I still hadn't heard from her. She had apparently just gotten home from work and sounded exhausted. Could we get together tomorrow or Sunday? Sure. I have no plans for after tomorrow morning or Sunday evening as of right now. (And it's probably just as well that we canceled. It rained off and on, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the night.)
Finished the night with two musicals from the mid-30's as I made chicken breasts in lemon sauce with summer vegetables and corn on the cob for dinner. The Big Broadcast of 1938 was part of Paramount's equivalent of MGM's Broadway Melody and Warners' Gold Diggers series, and in fact was the last one. It changes things up a bit by putting the radio station on a huge ocean liner involved in a race with a second liner. The owner of the Gigantic (WC Fields) sends his younger brother (also Fields) to the competing Colossal to cause trouble. He ends up on the Gigantic instead, where he proceeds to drive everyone crazy. His clumsy and unlucky daughter Martha (Martha Raye) wrecks even more havoc. Meanwhile, radio station announcer Buzz Fielding (Bob Hope) reconnects with Joan (Shirley Ross), one of his several ex-wives, while Buzz's girlfriend Dorothy (Dorothy Lamour) falls for the ship's first officer (Leif Erickson). All the while, Buzz continues to announce specialties (including opera diva Kirsten Flagstad) and keep everyone updated on the progress of the race.
The movie is best-known today for introducing Hope's long-time theme song "Thanks for the Memories." He and Ross introduce it in a simple number that has them reminiscing about their broken marriage in a way that sounds more natural than most musicals. Everything else sort of pales beside that, although Fields has some good moments on the golf course earlier in the movie and with a game of pool, and Raye has an amazing acrobatic number with a group of sailors that has her being tossed around while still singing and must be seen to be believed.
This is the only Big Broadcast movie avalible on home media at this writing, probably because of Hope and "Thanks for the Memories." It's worth a look if you're a fan of Hope, Raye, Fields, or the Busby Berkley imitations of the 30's.
The Broadway Melody of 1936 returns us to New York and a more typical "put on a show" story. Gossip columnist Bert Keeler (Jack Benny, in a parody of famous New York columnist Walter Winchell) is so desperate to find some news for his column, he creates a fictional French dancer he can hype. As it turns out, stage hopeful Irene Foster (Eleanor Powell) needs some hype to catch the eye of producer and former boyfriend Robert Gordon (Robert Taylor), who wants star power for his big show. His current girlfriend, wealthy widow Lillian Brent (June Knight), doesn't give a fig about stars. She's backing the show; she should star in it. Foster passes herself off as the dancer to get a leg up, so to speak, on the role. Lillian, however, isn't willing to give up, and Powell's friends Ted and Sally Burke (Buddy Ebsen and his sister Vilma) and Gordon's secretary Kitty (Una Merkel) are starting to get suspicious...
While the story here is even more piffle than Big Broadcast (and lacks that movie's novel setting), it does have some outstanding numbers. "You are My Lucky Star" was the hit and is promoted several times, including in a huge "imagine spot" for Powell and a platoon of ballerinas. Other standards include "I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'" (performed by Knight, Taylor, and the chorus; Taylor, surprisingly, sings rather well) and the glittering finale "Broadway Rhythm."
Though this was popular at the box office in 1935 and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture that year, the dull book keeps it from being as much fun as some of the other movies in this series. Once again, mainly for fans of the cast and 30's musicals.
Thursday, August 02, 2018
Dolls On a Summer Day
Ironically, after sleeping in for two days, I got up early this morning. Listened to a couple of classic rock records while I ate breakfast. Though Young Girl was Gary Puckett and the Union Gap's biggest hit, my favorites on the album of that title were their cover of "The Mighty Quinn" (how many rock songs do you know about an Eskimo?), the ballad "Kiss Me Goodbye," and "Say You Don't Need Me."
Dressed the 18-inch dolls for this hot weather we've been having after I ate. Samantha wears the second version of her dark-blue 1904 Bathing Suit with the ruffled cap. Molly's in her tropical-themed peach 1944 Bathing Suit. This year, Whitney gets the lavender Popsicle-themed bathing suit from Our Generation that Lauren sent me for Christmas. Jessa is in the American Girl Hula Outfit bathing suit and purple jelly sandals from her Birthday Outfit. I didn't have a bathing suit for Ariel, so she wears the 2012 AG Hiking Outfit with the extra-short gray shorts, tie-dye flower t-shirt, and bright yellow socks with Springfield Collection sneakers.
Felicity and Josefina grew up in eras where swimming and bathing weren't considered ladylike. Felicity wears her lavender-striped Traveling Gown (later her second "Meet" outfit) and the saucer-shaped hat from Elizabeth's Summer Gown. Josefina sports her pretty flowered Party Dress and the beige moccasins that were part of her "extra" shoes and socks set.
Did a few more chores around 11:30, then had a quick Peach-Ginger Tea Smoothie lunch. Replaced Gary Puckett with another favorite band from a decade later, Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band. Stranger In Town was Seeger's second album with the Silver Bullet Band and another back up group, and it was just as big of a hit as the first, Night Moves. "Still the Same," "Old Time Rock and Roll," and "We've Got Tonight" are rock standards; other favorites from this LP include "Hollywood Nights" and "Feel Like a Number."
Headed out for volunteering around 12:30 (after dropping the rent next-door). Hit the Oaklyn Library first. While the adult DVDs were fine, the kids' titles were a total mess. Worked on them, the board books, and the young adult novels until a family arrived to find books. Figured I'd leave the kids to the toys.
Since I'm trying to catch up on things I've put off doing, I thought I'd take a look at the new AC Moore that just opened a few weeks ago at the Westmont Plaza, next-door to the upcoming Target. They replace the Jo Ann's that was there until they moved to larger digs in Cherry Hill. For a store that AC Moore calls an "experiment," wow, were they crammed full! You'd never guess how small that store is. They had twice as much stuff as Jo Ann's did.
I easily found the doll section in with the kids' crafts and toys. Their 18-inch doll line is called Penelope and Friends. Most of the clothes basically look like rebranded outfits from the Springfield Collection, though the dolls are a lot cuter. They had some sets on clearance for $9.99. I might have to look into that when I have the money. I also checked out their yarn supplies, their wooden items, and their cake and candy decorating section. (They're also the first store I've seen in the area to have their fall items out.)
Next stop was the Haddon Township Library. They were also busy with people trying to avoid the humidity and off-and-on clouds. Apparently they had people coming in to shelve DVDs later, so I put items on the hold shelves instead. I also put away CDs and audio books and went through the DVDs to make sure everything was in order.
Only took out a few DVDs myself this week. They have two Cary Grant movies featuring him romancing an exotic foreign lady; went with Father Goose with Leslie Caron this week. Phantom Thread is another recent Oscar-nominee I've been wanting to check out. Returned to the 70's with the Warren Beatty comedy Heaven Can Wait. (I'm pretty sure I have seen that one, but not since I was a kid.) Also found a couple of books on money management and Mom, Inc., on online jobs for moms. It was one of only two books they had on starting a commercial blog, and the other one was out.
It showered briefly and lightly on my way to AC Moore. The rain was long-gone by 3:30, but the clouds were starting to build up again. Not to mention, I'd just paid my rent and didn't have much money left. Went straight home. Charlie was on his porch when I arrived. He apparently started a garden in the side yard, and likely thanks to all the rain we've had, it's flourishing. I picked two medium-sized tomatoes and a couple of grape tomatoes, including a yellow one he said was super-sweet. He also gave me a massive cucumber that had been sitting in his fridge. Not only was it decent of him, but I'll save money at the farm market this week.
Worked on writing for a while after I got in. Leia solves the problem of Fettara following them by pointing him out to the night clerk at the desk. Laurence shows up just in time to grab Fettara and assure them that he has the situation well under control. Leia's not so sure. Harry promises to leave the next day...after they've had champagne in their suite and a night of hot sex. But their tete-a-tete is about to be interrupted by unwanted guests...
Finished the night with a vegetable wrap and Tuscan Tuna Bean Salad for dinner while watching a tropical-themed Three Stooges short. The boys are tree surgeons who get "Some More of Somoa" when they head to a jungle island to find a mate for a puckerless persimmon that's dying of loneliness. Curly ends up almost being food for the (ridiculously stereotyped) natives before the guys have to figure out how to retrieve the tree from the mouth of a crocodile.
Dressed the 18-inch dolls for this hot weather we've been having after I ate. Samantha wears the second version of her dark-blue 1904 Bathing Suit with the ruffled cap. Molly's in her tropical-themed peach 1944 Bathing Suit. This year, Whitney gets the lavender Popsicle-themed bathing suit from Our Generation that Lauren sent me for Christmas. Jessa is in the American Girl Hula Outfit bathing suit and purple jelly sandals from her Birthday Outfit. I didn't have a bathing suit for Ariel, so she wears the 2012 AG Hiking Outfit with the extra-short gray shorts, tie-dye flower t-shirt, and bright yellow socks with Springfield Collection sneakers.
Felicity and Josefina grew up in eras where swimming and bathing weren't considered ladylike. Felicity wears her lavender-striped Traveling Gown (later her second "Meet" outfit) and the saucer-shaped hat from Elizabeth's Summer Gown. Josefina sports her pretty flowered Party Dress and the beige moccasins that were part of her "extra" shoes and socks set.
Did a few more chores around 11:30, then had a quick Peach-Ginger Tea Smoothie lunch. Replaced Gary Puckett with another favorite band from a decade later, Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band. Stranger In Town was Seeger's second album with the Silver Bullet Band and another back up group, and it was just as big of a hit as the first, Night Moves. "Still the Same," "Old Time Rock and Roll," and "We've Got Tonight" are rock standards; other favorites from this LP include "Hollywood Nights" and "Feel Like a Number."
Headed out for volunteering around 12:30 (after dropping the rent next-door). Hit the Oaklyn Library first. While the adult DVDs were fine, the kids' titles were a total mess. Worked on them, the board books, and the young adult novels until a family arrived to find books. Figured I'd leave the kids to the toys.
Since I'm trying to catch up on things I've put off doing, I thought I'd take a look at the new AC Moore that just opened a few weeks ago at the Westmont Plaza, next-door to the upcoming Target. They replace the Jo Ann's that was there until they moved to larger digs in Cherry Hill. For a store that AC Moore calls an "experiment," wow, were they crammed full! You'd never guess how small that store is. They had twice as much stuff as Jo Ann's did.
I easily found the doll section in with the kids' crafts and toys. Their 18-inch doll line is called Penelope and Friends. Most of the clothes basically look like rebranded outfits from the Springfield Collection, though the dolls are a lot cuter. They had some sets on clearance for $9.99. I might have to look into that when I have the money. I also checked out their yarn supplies, their wooden items, and their cake and candy decorating section. (They're also the first store I've seen in the area to have their fall items out.)
Next stop was the Haddon Township Library. They were also busy with people trying to avoid the humidity and off-and-on clouds. Apparently they had people coming in to shelve DVDs later, so I put items on the hold shelves instead. I also put away CDs and audio books and went through the DVDs to make sure everything was in order.
Only took out a few DVDs myself this week. They have two Cary Grant movies featuring him romancing an exotic foreign lady; went with Father Goose with Leslie Caron this week. Phantom Thread is another recent Oscar-nominee I've been wanting to check out. Returned to the 70's with the Warren Beatty comedy Heaven Can Wait. (I'm pretty sure I have seen that one, but not since I was a kid.) Also found a couple of books on money management and Mom, Inc., on online jobs for moms. It was one of only two books they had on starting a commercial blog, and the other one was out.
It showered briefly and lightly on my way to AC Moore. The rain was long-gone by 3:30, but the clouds were starting to build up again. Not to mention, I'd just paid my rent and didn't have much money left. Went straight home. Charlie was on his porch when I arrived. He apparently started a garden in the side yard, and likely thanks to all the rain we've had, it's flourishing. I picked two medium-sized tomatoes and a couple of grape tomatoes, including a yellow one he said was super-sweet. He also gave me a massive cucumber that had been sitting in his fridge. Not only was it decent of him, but I'll save money at the farm market this week.
Worked on writing for a while after I got in. Leia solves the problem of Fettara following them by pointing him out to the night clerk at the desk. Laurence shows up just in time to grab Fettara and assure them that he has the situation well under control. Leia's not so sure. Harry promises to leave the next day...after they've had champagne in their suite and a night of hot sex. But their tete-a-tete is about to be interrupted by unwanted guests...
Finished the night with a vegetable wrap and Tuscan Tuna Bean Salad for dinner while watching a tropical-themed Three Stooges short. The boys are tree surgeons who get "Some More of Somoa" when they head to a jungle island to find a mate for a puckerless persimmon that's dying of loneliness. Curly ends up almost being food for the (ridiculously stereotyped) natives before the guys have to figure out how to retrieve the tree from the mouth of a crocodile.
Wednesday, August 01, 2018
Jungle Adventures
Began a sunny, hazy morning with breakfast and more Lost In Boston, this time the first one. Johnathan Freeman kicks things off with the rousing "An English Music Hall," the opening number that was dropped from Rupert Holmes' Mystery of Edwin Drood. Other good ones include "Just Fine," "Sweetriver," and "Flibbertgibbet" from 110 In the Shade, the deliciously cynical "Ten Percent" from Chicago, and the touchingly sad "When I Went Home" from the Mary Martin Peter Pan.
Did a little bit of writing for the rest of the morning. Leia's trying to persuade Harry to join her expedition to Guatemala, but he still needs to pay Yasmin Hutt. As they glide across the parquet floor in the Paradise Club, Harry spots a familiar figure in a green suit, carrying a military-grade pistol. Roberto Fettara found them. The panicked pilot drags Leia out of the club and upstairs to pack.
Broke for a quick and early lunch at 11. Did a random episode of Tiny Toon Adventures while I ate. Since we're now knee-deep in the summer movie season, I thought "Cinemaniacs!" from the first season was appropriate. Babs and Buster "theater hop" to see three "movies," aka shorts that parody various popular franchises. Babs is the Girl of Steel who stops Wex Wuthor (Montana Max) from destroying Acme Acres in "Super Babs." Plucky, Hamton, and Furball have a hairy adventure on the final frontier in "Duck Trek." Monty's back in "Pasadena Jones," this time with Buster as the title character. The two race to find the Secret of Life...which turns out to not be as monumental as Buster expects.
Headed off to work shortly after the episode ended. Work was more-or-less the same as yesterday...which is to say, quiet as can be. A lot of folks thought it would be busier, given that today is the first day of the month. First of all, the weather is still iffy. It showered heavily around 12:30...for all of ten minutes. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since then, but it remains hot and humid. Second, it's the middle of the week. Many folks may be waiting for weekend sales. Third, a lot of people are probably still on vacation. I did end up in the register a few times. Otherwise, I once again finished most everything that needed to be done within two hours and spent the rest of the day bagging, doing a few returns, gathering baskets, and trying to look busy.
Read a few chapters of The Silver Crown when I got home, then ate dinner and did a few things around the apartment. I'd been meaning to replace one of the light bulbs in the ceiling lamp in my bedroom, but I need to stand on a chair to reach it. I finally got around to that, chair and all. Went through all the junk on my desk and rounded up all of my correspondence and leases from Willa that I could find. I even dug out my original lease with Miss Ellie from 2006.
Finished the night with The Lost City of Z, my third biographical movie in a row. Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) is a British officer and cartographer who is initially sent to do some work in Brazil. Joined by fellow explorer Corporal Henry Costlin (Robert Pattison), he ignores admonishments to not explore further into the jungle and does so anyway. While he does make the survey, he discovers something even more interesting. One of his native guides tells him the story of a fantastic city of gold that's still occupied found deep within the jungle. Fawcett doesn't believe this, until he finds advanced pottery shards and a few statues that make him change his mind. He spends the next twenty years of his life searching for the "lost city of Z," as he calls it, but his first expedition is bogged down when biologist James Murray (Angus Macfadyen) gets hurt, has to be sent off with a native, and destroys their supplies. Fawcett is injured in World War I and gives up exploring, but a renewed interest in the Amazon and exploring in the US encourages him and his oldest son Jack (Tom Holland) to give the jungle one more try. Whether they did find the lost city is unknown to this day, as they never came back...but Percy's devoted wife Nina (Sienna Miller) believes they did finally make it.
Slow-moving drama is bogged down by murky cinematography in the jungle sequences and too much talk and not enough action. While Hunnam is a bit stiff as Fawcett, the rest of the cast does much better, including Holland as his estranged son who eventually starts to understand his father's obsession, Miller as his loving wife, and Macfadyen as Murray, who is happier in his labs and is in way over his head in the jungle.
Most critics were more impressed with this than I was, with quite a few putting it on their best of the year lists. I didn't hate this, but I wouldn't go that far, either. If you enjoy real-life adventure stories with less pulp fiction and more actual exploring, you may find more in this jungle tale than I did.
Did a little bit of writing for the rest of the morning. Leia's trying to persuade Harry to join her expedition to Guatemala, but he still needs to pay Yasmin Hutt. As they glide across the parquet floor in the Paradise Club, Harry spots a familiar figure in a green suit, carrying a military-grade pistol. Roberto Fettara found them. The panicked pilot drags Leia out of the club and upstairs to pack.
Broke for a quick and early lunch at 11. Did a random episode of Tiny Toon Adventures while I ate. Since we're now knee-deep in the summer movie season, I thought "Cinemaniacs!" from the first season was appropriate. Babs and Buster "theater hop" to see three "movies," aka shorts that parody various popular franchises. Babs is the Girl of Steel who stops Wex Wuthor (Montana Max) from destroying Acme Acres in "Super Babs." Plucky, Hamton, and Furball have a hairy adventure on the final frontier in "Duck Trek." Monty's back in "Pasadena Jones," this time with Buster as the title character. The two race to find the Secret of Life...which turns out to not be as monumental as Buster expects.
Headed off to work shortly after the episode ended. Work was more-or-less the same as yesterday...which is to say, quiet as can be. A lot of folks thought it would be busier, given that today is the first day of the month. First of all, the weather is still iffy. It showered heavily around 12:30...for all of ten minutes. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since then, but it remains hot and humid. Second, it's the middle of the week. Many folks may be waiting for weekend sales. Third, a lot of people are probably still on vacation. I did end up in the register a few times. Otherwise, I once again finished most everything that needed to be done within two hours and spent the rest of the day bagging, doing a few returns, gathering baskets, and trying to look busy.
Read a few chapters of The Silver Crown when I got home, then ate dinner and did a few things around the apartment. I'd been meaning to replace one of the light bulbs in the ceiling lamp in my bedroom, but I need to stand on a chair to reach it. I finally got around to that, chair and all. Went through all the junk on my desk and rounded up all of my correspondence and leases from Willa that I could find. I even dug out my original lease with Miss Ellie from 2006.
Finished the night with The Lost City of Z, my third biographical movie in a row. Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) is a British officer and cartographer who is initially sent to do some work in Brazil. Joined by fellow explorer Corporal Henry Costlin (Robert Pattison), he ignores admonishments to not explore further into the jungle and does so anyway. While he does make the survey, he discovers something even more interesting. One of his native guides tells him the story of a fantastic city of gold that's still occupied found deep within the jungle. Fawcett doesn't believe this, until he finds advanced pottery shards and a few statues that make him change his mind. He spends the next twenty years of his life searching for the "lost city of Z," as he calls it, but his first expedition is bogged down when biologist James Murray (Angus Macfadyen) gets hurt, has to be sent off with a native, and destroys their supplies. Fawcett is injured in World War I and gives up exploring, but a renewed interest in the Amazon and exploring in the US encourages him and his oldest son Jack (Tom Holland) to give the jungle one more try. Whether they did find the lost city is unknown to this day, as they never came back...but Percy's devoted wife Nina (Sienna Miller) believes they did finally make it.
Slow-moving drama is bogged down by murky cinematography in the jungle sequences and too much talk and not enough action. While Hunnam is a bit stiff as Fawcett, the rest of the cast does much better, including Holland as his estranged son who eventually starts to understand his father's obsession, Miller as his loving wife, and Macfadyen as Murray, who is happier in his labs and is in way over his head in the jungle.
Most critics were more impressed with this than I was, with quite a few putting it on their best of the year lists. I didn't hate this, but I wouldn't go that far, either. If you enjoy real-life adventure stories with less pulp fiction and more actual exploring, you may find more in this jungle tale than I did.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Ice Queens With Broken Crowns
I awoke to a cloudy, damp morning. Started off the day with breakfast and Lost In Boston IV. Another Verase Saraband release, this is the last of four CDs that cover songs cut from shows that made Broadway or off-Broadway. My favorites here include "Thirty Weeks of Heaven," a hilarious number on traveling the vaudeville circuit that's funnier than most of the songs that made it into By the Beautiful Sea, three devastating character numbers from the 1978 show Ballroom, the lovely "A Green and Private World" from the 60's flop Drat! The Cat, and "Hots Michael at the Piano," dropped from the 70's revue Working. (Singer, musician, and writer Rupert Holmes performs the last-named.)
It was still just cloudy, windy, and humid when I headed to work this morning, and has pretty much stayed that way the rest of the day. We were extremely dead the whole time. It never got even close to steady. Almost everything that needed to be done - trash, recycling, returns, carts, bathrooms - was finished by me or the head manager within the first two hours or so of my arrival. I spent most of the rest of the day gathering baskets, bagging, and trying to look busy.
Went straight home after that, hoping to avoid bad weather that never came. Spent the next few hours writing. A jealous Harry joins Laurence and Leia as they discuss Yasmin Hutt owning the Sword of Wisdom. Harry had been the showgirl-turned-gangster's lover until a few months before. She wants him back. He'll work for her, but he's not interested in jumping into bed with her anymore, as he explains to an annoyed Leia as he pulls her out onto the dance floor.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Listened to Sugar Babies as I ate leftover tacos with sliced Jersey tomatoes and cucumbers for dinner. This 1979 revue revived the burlesque tradition of the early 20th century - basically, what we now refer to as the variety show. It's the family-friendly version of the more familiar burlesque from the 30's and 40's with the strippers and low comics. Mickey Rooney was the top banana; Ann Miller was the headlining dancer. (Ann Jillian was apparently the original soubrette, but this recording was made four years later, and she was replaced by Jane Summerhays.) Alas, my LP isn't complete and is missing a lot of the vocal routines and a few numbers, but what is there is a lot of fun, especially the Jimmy McHugh Medley towards the end.
The complete CD recording of this is out of print on Amazon as of this writing, and it doesn't seem to be on YouTube. Your best bet may be to look around for the record and cassette and piece together your own version of the nostalgic crowd-pleaser.
Went into the bath, even as the recording was ending. Ahhh. It's been a long time since I had a real bath. I had enough time to look at vintage Wilton cake decorating magazines while I relaxed.
Finished the night on a far darker note with I, Tonya. Figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) is a fighter. Raised in a broken home in a poverty-stricken town by her abusive and potty-mouthed mother LaVonda (Allison Janney), she's pushed into the rarefied world of professional figure skating at a very young age. She's one of the most technically gifted skaters of the late 80's and early 90's, but her homemade costumes, jangly rock music, and surly attitude grates on many judges who disapprove of her unladylike behavior. She marries Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan) at a young age to get away from her mother's constant abuse, but he ends up abusing her as well.
Despite her troubles. she manages to become the first female skater to hit the difficult triple axel move in competition in 1991...but things quickly fall apart after that. She divorces Jeff and does poorly at the 1992 Winter Olympics, coming in fourth. Her former coach (Julianne Nicholson) convinces her to train for the 1994 Winter Olympics. She moves in with Jeff again...and becomes shaken after receiving a death threat. Hiring Jeff's dumb-as-a-post buddy Shawn (Paul Walter Hauser) as her bodyguard was probably not the smartest move, especially after he and a bunch of his friends attack her rival Nancy Kerrigan (Catalin Carver). She finds herself in the center of a media circus that does more damage to her career and life than the poor placing at the Olympics ever could.
This is one of the rare historical movies I can actually claim to have been around for. I was a big figure skating fan from around 1992 to 1995, to the point where I convinced several sympathetic teachers to record most of the Lillehammer Olympics for me, as well as a few other world and US championships. I remember many of the events discussed here, up to and including the knee incident, very well.
Even as a teenager (I would have been two months shy of turning 15 in February 1994), I thought the whole thing was bizarre and a little sad, and at least some of that is reinforced here. Janney won an Oscar as the foul-mouthed, pushy, and nasty LaVonda, who only cares about her daughter's winning tournaments, not her well-being (no matter what she claims). Robbie and Stan were also excellent as the combative and angry Harding and her controlling hubby, and Hauser gave a great portrait of a basement-dwelling loser who thinks he's the smartest guy in the room.
I will add that this is not an easy movie to watch, especially if you're a survivor of real-life abuse like Harding and me. The abuse scenes are violent and harrowing, as they supposedly were in real-life. While it's hilarious to watch Shawn and his equally dopey buddies try to pull this off, the movie lets you draw your own conclusions as to what actually happened and how involved Tonya was. Some critics thought the movie made her a tad too sympathetic, especially given that she wasn't the most stable person at the time and Kerrigan was the actual victim.
If you're a figure skating fan or a fan of the cast with any memories of Harding and Kerrigan and what happened in 1994 and can handle the violence and heavy swearing, you may find this tale of talent overshadowed by notoriety as fascinating as I did.
It was still just cloudy, windy, and humid when I headed to work this morning, and has pretty much stayed that way the rest of the day. We were extremely dead the whole time. It never got even close to steady. Almost everything that needed to be done - trash, recycling, returns, carts, bathrooms - was finished by me or the head manager within the first two hours or so of my arrival. I spent most of the rest of the day gathering baskets, bagging, and trying to look busy.
Went straight home after that, hoping to avoid bad weather that never came. Spent the next few hours writing. A jealous Harry joins Laurence and Leia as they discuss Yasmin Hutt owning the Sword of Wisdom. Harry had been the showgirl-turned-gangster's lover until a few months before. She wants him back. He'll work for her, but he's not interested in jumping into bed with her anymore, as he explains to an annoyed Leia as he pulls her out onto the dance floor.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Listened to Sugar Babies as I ate leftover tacos with sliced Jersey tomatoes and cucumbers for dinner. This 1979 revue revived the burlesque tradition of the early 20th century - basically, what we now refer to as the variety show. It's the family-friendly version of the more familiar burlesque from the 30's and 40's with the strippers and low comics. Mickey Rooney was the top banana; Ann Miller was the headlining dancer. (Ann Jillian was apparently the original soubrette, but this recording was made four years later, and she was replaced by Jane Summerhays.) Alas, my LP isn't complete and is missing a lot of the vocal routines and a few numbers, but what is there is a lot of fun, especially the Jimmy McHugh Medley towards the end.
The complete CD recording of this is out of print on Amazon as of this writing, and it doesn't seem to be on YouTube. Your best bet may be to look around for the record and cassette and piece together your own version of the nostalgic crowd-pleaser.
Went into the bath, even as the recording was ending. Ahhh. It's been a long time since I had a real bath. I had enough time to look at vintage Wilton cake decorating magazines while I relaxed.
Finished the night on a far darker note with I, Tonya. Figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) is a fighter. Raised in a broken home in a poverty-stricken town by her abusive and potty-mouthed mother LaVonda (Allison Janney), she's pushed into the rarefied world of professional figure skating at a very young age. She's one of the most technically gifted skaters of the late 80's and early 90's, but her homemade costumes, jangly rock music, and surly attitude grates on many judges who disapprove of her unladylike behavior. She marries Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan) at a young age to get away from her mother's constant abuse, but he ends up abusing her as well.
Despite her troubles. she manages to become the first female skater to hit the difficult triple axel move in competition in 1991...but things quickly fall apart after that. She divorces Jeff and does poorly at the 1992 Winter Olympics, coming in fourth. Her former coach (Julianne Nicholson) convinces her to train for the 1994 Winter Olympics. She moves in with Jeff again...and becomes shaken after receiving a death threat. Hiring Jeff's dumb-as-a-post buddy Shawn (Paul Walter Hauser) as her bodyguard was probably not the smartest move, especially after he and a bunch of his friends attack her rival Nancy Kerrigan (Catalin Carver). She finds herself in the center of a media circus that does more damage to her career and life than the poor placing at the Olympics ever could.
This is one of the rare historical movies I can actually claim to have been around for. I was a big figure skating fan from around 1992 to 1995, to the point where I convinced several sympathetic teachers to record most of the Lillehammer Olympics for me, as well as a few other world and US championships. I remember many of the events discussed here, up to and including the knee incident, very well.
Even as a teenager (I would have been two months shy of turning 15 in February 1994), I thought the whole thing was bizarre and a little sad, and at least some of that is reinforced here. Janney won an Oscar as the foul-mouthed, pushy, and nasty LaVonda, who only cares about her daughter's winning tournaments, not her well-being (no matter what she claims). Robbie and Stan were also excellent as the combative and angry Harding and her controlling hubby, and Hauser gave a great portrait of a basement-dwelling loser who thinks he's the smartest guy in the room.
I will add that this is not an easy movie to watch, especially if you're a survivor of real-life abuse like Harding and me. The abuse scenes are violent and harrowing, as they supposedly were in real-life. While it's hilarious to watch Shawn and his equally dopey buddies try to pull this off, the movie lets you draw your own conclusions as to what actually happened and how involved Tonya was. Some critics thought the movie made her a tad too sympathetic, especially given that she wasn't the most stable person at the time and Kerrigan was the actual victim.
If you're a figure skating fan or a fan of the cast with any memories of Harding and Kerrigan and what happened in 1994 and can handle the violence and heavy swearing, you may find this tale of talent overshadowed by notoriety as fascinating as I did.
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