Started another gloomy morning with the most recent episode I've heard turn up on the American Top 40. 1988 was a difficult year for me, as my body began changing in ways I wasn't ready for and I was having heavy problems in school and at home. The music I heard on the radio seemed to be one the only constants in my life at that time. Hits I would have listened to (probably while reading my novelization of Return of the Jedi) during early August of that year included "Monkey" by George Michael, "Hands to Heaven" by Breathe, "One, Two, Three, Four" by Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leopard, and "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" by Elton John. That week's number one hit was one of my favorite Steve Winwood songs, the Motown-esque "Roll With It."
Headed to the farm market after the show ended. It had already started showering briefly while I was riding, and one of the farmers confirmed that it had rained earlier. The farm market was busy, but not quite as bad as usual. I was still able to buy bok choy, a tomato, blueberries, tiny, tart green apples, white peaches, mushrooms, and one of those small, all-green "Sugar Baby" watermelons. I admired the entrants in the market's annual Peach Pie Contest as I made my way back to the bike. Stopped at a yard sale on Oaklawn Avenue in Oaklyn and didn't find anything interesting; stopped at the Oaklyn Library to return the Universal 100th Anniversary Classic Comedy Collection (which was two days late).
Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon doing things online, having a quick lunch (including some of that delicious watermelon), and finishing Girl Crazy. The final Mickey/Judy movie is a fairly straightforward adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name, this time with almost its entire original Gershwin score. Playboy Danny Churchill (Rooney) would rather be chasing chorus girls like June Allyson (who sings "Treat Me Rough" in the opening number) than studying. His father sends him to an all-boy college out west...but of course, he manages to fall for the only girl nearby, post-mistress Ginger Gray (Garland). Danny has a rough time of it at first, and almost quits the college twice...until he and Ginger overhear that the college may have to close. Once again, the two plan a big show, this time a rodeo that ends in an amazing version of "I Got Rhythm" directed by none-other than Busby Berkley.
If you want to get to know these two and their "put on a show" vehicles, start here. This is the most fun, has the best music, and is the most cohesive of the four. It's also nice to see Rooney have to chase Garland, for once. In the other movies, she has to patiently wait for him to come to her. Here, he's going after her, but for once, she's not buying. Mickey has to work a bit harder to get her attention here than he does in the other movies, and it's refreshing. Also look for an early appearance by a young Nancy Walker; shame she and Allyson didn't have much to do. (MGM was still figuring out what to do with Allyson at that point, and it never did decide how to handle the idiosyncratic Walker.)
Work was just as much of a pain in the rear as yesterday, if not quite as busy. It was a bit more on-and-off...but when it was on, it was frustrating. Customers were once again cranky and rude, and the ongoing spotty showers did nothing to help anyone's mood. I rushed out as soon as one of the teenage boys was sent in for me.
A big black rain cloud followed me from the Acme down the Black Horse Pike. It finally started showering again as I headed down Kendall....sort of. It was raining, but the clouds were only half-there. When I looked up to see how close they were...I saw a beautiful rainbow clear as day. I haven't seen a rainbow in years, and certainly not one as distinct and pretty as this one! I kept an eye on it until I got to Manor and it disappeared behind some trees.
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