Going Green

Once again began the day with work. This time, we weren't even mildly busy. I ended up in the register briefly for someone's break. Otherwise, I was mostly doing carts, gathering baskets, or cleaning up two spills in a row.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road and Atlantic Avenue. Not because it was a nice day. Actually, by that point, clouds had moved in, and while it wasn't freezing, the wind was chilly. Charlie started working on the bedroom windows today, and I wanted to give him time to finish. At least the neighborhood looks lovely. The leaves get larger and greener every day. The dogwood tree in one yard on the other end of Manor is in full bloom, and the yellow starbursts of dandelions dot every lawn.

Charlie was just starting to finish when I got in. The new air conditioner is an upright model, attached to the window by a thick tube. The two window models I have no longer work with the windows in the house. Other than I'll have to figure out how to duck around it when I need to plug something in on the wall overlooking the park, it works pretty much the same as the one Dad and Jodie bought last year.

He also replaced the window next to my desk in the bedroom with the same cranking windows used in the living area and bathroom. Though it sounds like he will remove and cover the other window tomorrow, he won't get to expanding the closet until late next month, after Lauren visits. Probably just as well. Besides Lauren visiting, I need to do my heavy spring cleaning starting next week.

Ran a couple of cartoons related to Earth Day and environmental concerns as I changed, had lunch, and let Charlie finish. The Lorax is a little orange fellow who speaks for the Truffula trees and the animals they support, but the greedy Onceler only cares about cutting them down to make his faddish Thneeds. He continually ignores the fellow's pleas, even as the pollution from the factory drives away the animals in the area...until he and the Lorax learn a sad lesson in the damage unchecked "progress" can do.

The Sailor Guardians go up against Mother Nature in "Usagi's Panic: Rei's First Date" from the first season of Sailor Moon. Rei wants to go on a date with Mamoru to a park that's about to be demolished for an office building. A jealous Usagi grabs Umino and uses him as her date to follow them. Meanwhile, Ami is concerned about the park's kindly old caretaker, who has been acting very strange. It turns out that the Negaverse is after his energy and that of the animals in the park...and use it to turn the animals against the Guardians.

Headed out as soon as the cartoon ended and I finished lunch. Despite the dark clouds building up overhead, I really needed to get the laundry done. I didn't have that big of a load, but I needed to get my work clothes done. They weren't busy, especially when I came in. I worked on story notes and half-listened to Ellen on TV. It was wet when I got out, but not raining. I must have just missed the worst of the weather. Indeed, almost as soon as I got home, the sun came out. It hasn't rained since.

Hurried home and spent the next few hours writing after I got everything put away. Ben says he'll go and turn off the main power generator. Luke wants to go with him, but he says he'll do it better alone. He also suggests that if he doesn't make it, Luke should talk to Yoda Yamada, the former Grand Master of the Jedi. Shortly after he leaves, Rudy discovers that Leia is there as well...and she's in the midst of being executed, even as they stand there...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. I had quick leftovers, then took down the Easter decorations. I moved the plastic egg bag to the bag with the baskets to make more room in the container for the other items. Wrapped up some of the items in heavier plastic or paper.

Watched an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures from the late first season as I worked. Spring fairy Babs hopes she has a "Pollution Solution" via three shorts. "No Deposit, No Return of the Trash Bag Dispenser" has Plucky trying to teach a clueless Elmyra how to recycle. It's a "Jungle Bungle" when Babs and Buster stop a rich businessman from destroying the rain forests to make a bigger front lawn. Go-Go is "Waste Deep In Wackyland" when Monty pipes the backwash from his new factory into Go-Go's home. Go-Go and the other citizens of Wackyland put Monty on a kooky trial to teach him a lesson.

Switched to The Dark Knight as I finished taking down the Easter decorations. Batman, aka Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has his gloved hands full with Gotham's biggest mob bosses and a new criminal, the insane Joker (Heath Ledger). Bruce is hoping that crusading lawyer Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) will be the hero that Gotham needs when, with Batman's help, he manages to arrest the entire mob. He's still interested in Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) as well, despite her dating Dent.

Meanwhile, the Joker has taken over the crime syndicate. He wants nothing more than to kill Batman and expose his dual identity. Bruce is about to do the same before the Joker goes on a killing spree, taking out the Police Commissioner and almost assassinating the mayor before Gordon (Gary Oldman) saves him. The Joker still has killing on the brain...and Rachel and Dent are his next victims. Bruce is devastated when he can't save Rachel, but a disfigured Harvey is even moreso, joining with the Joker to seek revenge. Now Batman has to deal with the Joker's insane plans and show Harvey that revenge is not a dish best served at all, never mind cold.

Honestly, this one might have been a little dark for my taste. That's why I've put off seeing it for so long. That, and Batman has never been my favorite character. I never was much for the rich playboy superheroes. (I'm not a fan of Iron Man/Tony Stark, either.) There are some really great performances here. Ledger's freakish Joker won him a posthumous supporting actor Oscar. Bale's not bad as Batman. Eckhart makes for a rather strange Two-Face, but Gyllenhaal is appropriately spunky as Rachel, the woman both men are after. (She was certainly better than Katie Holmes in the role.) Great makeup for the Joker and Two-Face, too.

For all the great action, it's just too darn dark for me, with everyone in dull colors and even the Joker's men not really standing out all that much. I also wish they spent less time with the rather boring mobsters and more with the Joker and Batman. The mobsters were mostly not much different than the types who show up in any generic crime thriller.

While I'm not into it, I can understand why it went over so well in 2008. If you're a fan of Bale, Ledger, or Batman or like your superhero movies darker and more adult, you'll probably enjoy this a lot more than I did.