My eyes blinked open. The clock's blue face showed 6:55. Good. I was awake ahead of schedule. There would be no repeat of Sunday's mess - that was the last time I had early work. (Even if I did oversleep, Charlie and his men were outside for most of the day, working on the back yard.) I began Star Wars Day with the soundtrack from my favorite movie in the franchise (and of all time), The Empire Strikes Back. Though most people think of this one as "the soundtrack with the Imperial March, aka Darth Vader Music," there's several other lovely tracks as well, notably "Han Solo and the Princess," "The Battle In the Snow," and "Yoda and the Force."
Work was no problem whatsoever. I rounded up carts for the first 20 minutes of my shift. The rest of the day was devoted to taking care of four carts filled with returns. It didn't start getting busy until around noon-1 PM...which is about when I was leaving. I did have to wait in a rather long line to use my Monopoly coupon and get a free bagel.
When I did make it home, I ran Tiny Toon Adventures while eating a quick lunch and changing into regular clothes. The second episode of the series was a Star Wars parody, "A Quack in the Quarks." Plucky's bragging gets him into big trouble when two aliens take him at his word and make him their leader. They think he'll be perfect to take on Duck Vader and save Planet X. Buster, Babs, and Hampton grab the spaceship from Duck Dodgers and go after him.
Spent the next few hours cleaning and organizing. I was able to use the new Talenti container to clear out and organize some of the boxes of pads and band aids sitting in my medicine cabinet and back room. Threw out more expired medicine, too. Scrubbed the kitchen and the bathroom. The bathroom was especially bad, probably because I waited so long.
Put on the first Star Wars movie while I worked. Since I was going to show Lauren the prequels and The Force Awakens on vacation, I opted to run the Original Trilogy for May Fourth this year. Besides, today is the 40th anniversary of its US premiere. New Hope introduces us to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), a sweet every-nerd farmer who desperately wants to get away from his dry desert home. He gets a lot more adventure than he bargained for when he's recruited by an old former Jedi (Sir Alec Guinness) to bring the plans for a planet-destroying weapon to the Rebellion and rescue one of the galaxy's feistiest princesses (Carrie Fisher). The pirate (Harrison Ford) and his furry buddy (Peter Mahew) with whom they hitch a ride off-planet end up caught up in the adventure as well.
Did a quick short while finishing the kitchen. Even Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater got in on the Star Wars satire. "Cat Wars" has Princess Kitty and Tuxedo Sam Skywalker coming home to Catern, only to be attacked by Darth Catnip. While Sam learns about "the powers of the fur" from Grandpa Catnobi, Catnip plots to take over Catern and the galaxy.
Broke around quarter after 4 to work on fanfiction. Revised the Regatta somewhat. Instead of using ordinary sharp metal, Hux on the ship and Vader on the shore use khyber crystal lasers and the Force to take the other boats out. Luke manages to get around Vader's messing with everyone's heads. He gets closer to winning, but still can't beat Vader.
Henry storms off as well as he can to give Vader and Hux a piece of his mind. Leia's ready to give Henry a piece of hers. She's not happy with him making deals with the enemy. Henry tells her he can make deals with anyone he darn well pleases. Unlike her, he actually has to make a living. Leia finally stomps away, getting lost in the crowds.
It was past 6:30 when I made leftover tacos for dinner, then made Dark Chocolate Fudgy Brownies from the back of the Dark Chocolate Hershey's Chocolate Chips bag. I don't know if I'll make this one again. They taste ok, but they're a little too-cake like for me, and they weirdly puffed up in the middle.
Did The Empire Strikes Back as I ate and baked. Vader's had enough messing around as we rejoin the Rebellion three years after New Hope. He's now determined to find Luke, no matter what it takes, chasing him and the others to the snowy planet of Hoth. After everyone evades Vader's grasp, Luke heads to Dagobah to continue his Jedi training with wise master Yoda (voice of Frank Oz). Meanwhile, Han and Leia are fleeing Vader in Han's beloved but dilapidated ship the Millennium Falcon. They think they can find refuge and a place to continue their blossoming romance with Han's pal Lando Calarissian (Billy Dee Williams) in Cloud City, but Vader's one step ahead of them. Luke comes to Cloud City in pursuit of his friends, only to find Vader, who has a very startling revelation about his heritage...
Finished out the night and the series with Return of the Jedi. Picking up six months after Empire, Luke is now a fully-fledged Jedi knight. He uses his talents to help Leia, Chewbacca, and Lando rescue Han Solo from the vile crime lord Jabba the Hutt. After they finish off Jabba, it's back to the Rebellion to help them eliminate a second, even larger Death Star. While Lando and Luke's pilot friend Wedge Antilles (Dennis Lawson) lead the assault in the sky, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids have an encounter in the woods with the small and cute but very tenacious and savage Ewoks. Luke is determined to have it out with Vader and the Emperor (Ian McDermid). The fate of the galaxy is in his hands...if he can convince his father that there's still good in him somewhere...
Yes, I'm still fond this series, and I probably always will be. Empire remains my favorite of the Original Trilogy, but they all have things to love. If you're a fan of sci-fi, old-fashioned adventure, or any of the cast, grab one of the many versions of these available (creator George Lucas has tinkered with them since they came out) and enjoy.
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