Blown Away

I stayed up way too late last night. I'd barely gotten into bed when the wind suddenly picked up, and rain began to lash violently against the windows. Good thing the only window left open by that point was the one in the bathroom. I shut it in a hurry, then tried to go back to sleep and ignore the brilliant lightning, driving winds, and house-shaking thunder outside.

By the time I did roll out of bed, the rain was long gone and Charlie was pounding on my door. While it was partly cloudy by that point, it was also too windy and cold for him to get any work done. He'd begin again tomorrow. He was up twice, to deliver the news and get my schedule, and then to check the windows for their model number. I let him in and showed him my schedule, but otherwise ignored him.

Once I got moving, I had breakfast quickly while watching Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-Citement. Daffy finds himself dodging an animator with a strange sense of humor in this spring variation on "Duck Amuck." The first short has him and Sylvester chasing after a golden egg. He's the one chasing Speedy in the second, trying to keep the mouse from taking chocolate bunnies for the children of his village. Daffy's solo in the third as he tries to find an easier way of getting north for the spring.

Went to the mailbox to see if I had anything after I ate. My birthday card and gift from Lauren had arrived! Her parents gave me 20 dollars; she sent me a collection of 20 vintage Columbia Pictures musicals. She asked me what I wanted last week. I told her I'd been eyeing this set for a long time, even before I started my Musical Dreams blog. Out of the 20 movies, the only one I already have is My Sister Eileen with Janet Leigh and Betty Garrett, and that's in a dubbed copy Lauren sent me a while back. It'll be nice to have a legit copy.

(Among the movies you'll be seeing for review on Musical Dreams eventually are My Sister Eileen, You'll Never Get Rich with Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire, Tonight and Every Night with Hayworth and directed by British musical specialist Victor Saville, You Can't Run Away From It with June Allyson and Jack Lemmon, Slightly French with Dorothy Lamour, Time Out for Rhythm with The Three Stooges, and the odd Dr. Seuss-penned The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T with Hans Conried as part of the Family Fun Saturday series.)

Headed out after that. I forgot toilet paper at Wal Mart yesterday, and I badly needed to make change for the laundromat anyway. Grabbed a 4-pack when I couldn't find a single, along with sponges and my favorite pecan log. Dropped by Dad and Jodie's on my way home, but they didn't seem to be in.

As soon as I got home, I loaded the laundry into it's bag, grabbed my notebook, and went right back out. Wild wind or no wild wind, I had a huge load to get done, including those flannel sheets. I picked the right time. It wasn't busy at all when I came in. I worked on story notes and ignored afternoon talk shows on TV.

Made a Banana-Chocolate-Orange Smoothie for lunch while watching the other Looney Tunes Easter special, Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies. The Easter Bunny is sick, so Granny first turns to Bugs to replace him. When he claims he's busy, he encourages her to ask the other Toons. This is less of an Easter special and more "Bugs Bunny's Oscar-Winning Shorts Showcase."Among the shorts seen are bits of "Knighty-Knight Bugs," "For Scent-timental Reasons," "The Rabbit of Seville," "Bully for Bugs," "Hillbilly Hare," "Robin Hood Daffy," "Sahara Hare," and "Birds Anonymous."

Worked on writing for a while after lunch. Harris pulls up at Senator Bail Ortega's Aldera Hills mansion, only to find it a smoking ruin and the senator and his wife dead. Mara Jadeson is there too, snooping for a story. Luke basically tells her to go away and stop pestering these people. They finally get away from her and follow one of the Stingrays to the industrial area near the base of the Naboo Mountains...

Checked out the first episode on my new Rick Steves set while eating leftovers and celery with peanut butter for dinner. I never heard of Italy's gorgeous Cinque Terre region, five beautiful villages nestled on the cliffs alongside the Mediterranean, but now I'd love to visit there. They remind me a bit of Cape May, with their fishermen and charming shops and car-free streets.

Played Kirby's Epic Yarn for a while after dinner. Went back and tried to get an item I missed from Hot Land, but just couldn't find it. I finally went ahead and did the first round of Dream Land instead. I missed the music in the Wispy Woods. I may try to go back and find it tomorrow.

Finished the night with the final episode of disc 4 of Smallville. Clark is turning a "Blank" when a young man who can make people lose their memory causes him to get amnesia. Chloe tries to help him remember his powers and his life. He has no trouble remembering Lana - and falling for her all over again. Lex, meanwhile, intends to take every advantage of Clark's state to find out more about his hideout in the caves. But there's a reason the young man has these powers...and Clark and Lois have to help him find his own memories, before Chloe loses hers.