Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Of Singing Sailors and Sailor Guardians

Slept in this morning, which I very much needed. It was past 10:30 when I got to breakfast and the next Sailor Moon disc. "Labyrinth of Water: Ami the Targeted" has the Guardians' resident genius wondering if there's something else in her life besides studying to become a doctor. She hits the pool to soothe her rattled nerves and encounters fellow water-lover Micheru. The older girl scolds her after she holds back on a swimming competition between them. Usagi trying to push Ami into studying doesn't help. It takes team work from Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and the cats to get rid of the fishy monster that attacks Ami after a second go-around with Micheru.

Started the next one as I got organized to head out. The new and original Guardians finally start working together in "To Save Our Friends: Moon and Uranus Join Forces." Kaorinite uses a motor cross racer with big dreams to lure Uranus and Neptune into a trap. She captures Neptune...but Sailor Moon, who was riding home with Haruka on her motorcycle, shows up too. Moon and Uranus learn a lot more than they ever thought about each other when the tire-themed monster shackles them together.

Went out for a stroll around 11:30. It was cloudy and cool by that point, in the mid-70's, and very humid. The neighborhood is still fairly green for this time of year, with only a few spots of brown grass seen in uncovered lawns. Brilliantly colored geraniums, asters, lilies, late roses, phlox, and black-eyed Susans brightened gardens and window boxes.

First stop of the day was the Oaklyn Library. Despite the blah weather, they weren't busy. It was just me, the librarian, an older woman on the computer, and CNN fussing about politics the entire time I was there. I organized DVDs and looked over the board books before I got tired of hearing about what Trump did this time and left.

Went across the White Horse Pike to Family Dollar next. I was hoping to find batteries for cheap. Their Energizer packs were about the same price as Dollar General's, and they only came in 4-packs. The larger packs were more expensive. I could get larger packs for cheaper at the Acme.

WaWa is less than a block from Family Dollar. Decided to pick up a quick lunch there. Ordered a simple turkey whole wheat "shorti" hoagie and a black and white milkshake (which were on sale for $1.99). Turns out you can use your food stamps to buy all WaWa foods, including pre-made hoagies and milkshakes (you can't buy pre-made food with food stamps at Acme, but that may just include hot foods).

Headed down Manor Avenue, stopping at the wooden benches on West Clinton for lunch. They were surprisingly quiet for lunch on a summer's day. A lot of people probably went on vacation. I watched cars drive by and owners chat outside their storefronts.

The sun had emerged by the time I left the library...and with it came the heat. It had vanished again as I rounded the corner onto Manor. It even sprinkled a little.

Finished out the Sailor Moon episode I started earlier, then went back out to do the laundry. It was busy when I arrived, but by the time my clothes were in the drier, the crowds had mostly vanished. Good thing, because I had a big load, including clothes from vacation and the towels I used to soak up a wet spot on the dining area carpet. I focused on my story notes and half-listened to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and General Hospital.

Continued with Sailor Moon as I put my clothes away when I got home. Usagi is far from the only lover in Tokyo who gets unnecessarily jealous. Rei's friend Yurichuro is worried about her constant meditating in "A Man's Kindness: Yurichuro Heartbroken by Rei." He thinks she's interested in someone else...and goes absolutely ballistic when he sees Haruka giving Rei a ride home. Thinking Haruka is a man, he decides after challenging her to leave town. Determined to bring them back together, Usagi follows the duo to the trolley car stop...which turns out to be a monster after Yurichuro's pure heart.

Did some writing next. Leia awakens at the Alderaan Country Club on a private island near-by to find herself a prisoner of Peter Tarkin, a sleazy lawyer for Empire Industries. He and Vader want her to tell them where she hid the plans for their huge mall and resort...but she has no intention of telling. She wants to give the plans to her idol, Senator Martha Mothma.

Finished out the Sailor Moon disc as I made turkey hot dogs, roasted broccoli, and Blueberry-Honey Muffins for dinner. (Actually, the Usagi's bad birthday episodes are the last ones on the disc, but I just did them for my birthday in April. I may return to them later.) The normally cheerful Minako is feeling stifled by her calling as a Guardian in "I Want to Quit Being a Guardian: Minako's Dilemma." She wants to go back to playing volleyball, which she'd been good at. When a guy she used to play with that she had a crush on is targeted, she realizes just how important her job is.

Switched to Anchors Aweigh as I did the dishes and went online. Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra headline this 1945 musical extravaganza. Kelly and Sinatra are sailors on leave...but instead of New York (as in the later On the Town), they find themselves in LA. Joe (Kelly) already has a girl. Shy Clarence (Sinatra) is hoping Joe will help him find one of his own. He initially falls for Susie (Kathryn Grayson) after they bring her Navy-loving nephew Donald (Dean Stockwell) home. Joe claims Clarence knows renowned pianist and orchestra leader Jose Iturbi (himself) and can get an audition with him. Even though Clarence is now more interested in a waitress from Brooklyn he met at a cafe on Olvera Street (Pamela Britton), he still tries to help Susie get that audition. Meanwhile, Joe tells the kids of Donald's school the story of a king (Jerry the Mouse) who doesn't like to dance, and how he showed him how much fun dancing can be.

As you may have noticed, the story is barely of consequence. It's the musical numbers that are the thing in this big Technicolor MGM show. While Kelly's "Worry Song" dance with Jerry is by far the most famous routine, there's a lot of other good numbers, including Kelly's Spanish-tinged ballet towards the end and two lovely ballads for Sinatra, "What Makes the Sunset?" and "I Fall In Love Too Easily."

The dull script makes this second-tier MGM, despite it's cast and five Oscar nominations (with one win, for Original Music Score). If you're a major fan of the cast or 40's musicals or run into it on TCM, the routines are worth a look.

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