Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain

Got a fast start on a gloomy morning with breakfast and Strawberry Shortcake. Strawberry Shortcake In Big Apple City takes her to the title city for the Big Bake Off. She's pitted against the Purple Pieman, who is determined to win that fancy gazebo. Good thing Strawberry makes a lot of new friends in Spinach Village, including eventual series regulars Lemon Meringue and Orange Blossom, who help her out.

It was just showering lightly when I headed out to the laundromat. They were surprisingly busy for 10:30 in the middle of the week, though I was able to get a washer and dryer fairly quick. I read The Women's Book of Courage and half-listened to Rachel Ray and The View. I didn't have much to do, anyway. I was out in 40 minutes.

When I got home, I put everything away, then watched two quick Disney shorts while having lunch. Chip and Dale's home tree is "Out of Scale" in Donald's model railroad. They initially settle in a miniature house on the set before finally coming to a compromise. They're "Two Chips and a Miss" when they compete for the affection of lovely chipmunk Clarice at a swank rodent nightclub.

Headed back out around quarter after 12. First stop was the Haddon Township Library. I was mainly there to return DVDs and Fortune's Fool, but I did do some volunteering. I put away one CD and as many DVDs as I could. The kids' and especially the adult titles were overloaded. They must have just gotten a ton back. I couldn't get half of them in.

Next up was counseling in Haddonfield. I pulled in to Mrs. Stahl's office just in time. I'd just sat down in her waiting room when her previous clients were on their way out. We mainly discussed my busy couple of months. I showed her the photos from the wedding and told her about what Lauren and I plan on doing during our vacation. I also explained that while some of the problematic managers at work are on extended leave or were moved elsewhere, I now have other problems. I panic badly when I'm just thrown into a register or pulled away from something I'm concentrating on.

Mrs. Stahl says to try to focus on breathing and trying to calm down when I get into the register, before I get crazy.

The rain showers, which had been falling lightly pretty much all day, were starting to pick up as I left Haddonfield, and the day was cold and gloomy. This was no day to linger. Instead of stopping for a water ice, I bought one of those tasty pecan logs at Dollar General instead. Lauren likes Pepsi - she says it helps with her digestion. I bought her a six-pack there. (They're cheaper there than at the Acme.)

When I got in, I made the bed, tidied around the apartment, and grabbed towels for Lauren. Tried some writing. Leia and the others head out to the busy Coruscant Marketplace. While riding by a booth filled with pets, Leia happens to notice cages holding furry-bear like creatures in leather head coverings that seem more like warriors than pets...

Gave up around 6 and ate tuna salad on a bed of greens and tomato for dinner. Watched One Crazy Summer while I ate and put a few things out for Lauren. Hoops McCann (John Cusack) is hoping to learn about life and love when he goes to Nantucket with his best friend. He falls for Cassandra (Demi Moore) on the way. Her grandfather's home may be lost to a snotty seafood restaurant owner and his spoiled son if they can't come up with enough money to pay them off within two weeks. With the help of the son of a military supply shop owner (Curtis Armstrong) and a pair of unalike twins, they do whatever they can to beat these jerks at their own game, including winning the local regatta.

While the finale is similar to the boat race in Summer Rental, this is otherwise a totally different movie, far wackier and more over-the-top. Fun 80's "slobs vs snobs" comedy if you're into director "Savage" Steve Holland's surreal brand of humor.

The rain was back to a light shower when Jessa picked me up at 7:30. I was late getting down, and we were slightly late picking up Lauren. No problems after that, though. She was right there when we picked her up, and there was no traffic anywhere. I'd kept up with Lauren via texting throughout the day. Despite the weather, she said she had no problems anywhere; the tracks were cleared by 6 AM.

Lauren settled down and I showed her the changes at my place (including my new doll Ariel), before we ended the night online with National Lampoon's Vacation. Clark Grizwold (Chevy Chase) is looking forward to a fun two-week car trip with his wife Ellen (Beverly Di Angelo) and two teen kids to Wally World, a theme park in California. Absolutely nothing goes the way Clark planned. Even before they leave, the car Clark ordered doesn't come in, and they're stuck with a clunker. They get lost in the bad part of St. Louis. Ellen's hillbilly cousins hit him up for money. A cranky aunt (Imogene Coca) hitches a ride to Phoenix. Clark keeps seeing a beautiful woman in a red sport car (Christie Brinkley) everywhere. He can only take so much before he snaps...and finally discovers that while no vacation is perfect, that doesn't mean they can't be memorable.

While this classic comedy is a bit dated, with some gross gags and the scene in St. Louis that don't come off well today, most of it still plays pretty well, including the ultimate fate of that cranky aunt.

Tomorrow, Lauren and I are likely going to go for a nice stroll in Oaklyn and Audubon, checking out favorite stores like Abbie Road Music and The House of Fun.

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