Woke up a little bit early so I could have time to get ready to join Jessa for breakfast. She picked me up around 9 AM. We ended up at the Pop Shop. Jessa had only eaten there once, and I haven't had breakfast there for a while. I've never seen them so quiet. They must have opened right before we arrived. We were probably the first ones there. Jessa had Eggs Benedict; I had Blue Velvet Blueberry "Bettys" (pancakes). (And for once, they weren't the size of the plate and I was able to eat most of them.) We both had hot tea with lemon. (Jessa doesn't like coffee, either.) We chatted about Dad, Rose, movies, our schedules, and the things we both enjoy.
I'd mentioned Mom sending me my baby pictures back in the winter. I got to show them to Jessa for an hour when we went back to my place. She really seemed to enjoy them, especially seeing me as a teeny baby. She's in her mid-20's, so she wasn't around to see me grow up in the 80's. We had so much fun going through the photos, I realized how late it was and ended up having 10 minutes to get ready for work. Got there right on time.
Work was crazy when I first got in. I have no idea what happened, but for some reason, water had leaked into the main office in the back, next to the employee lounge. (I'm wondering if the air conditioning leaked. The store is at least 50 years old or more.) I was the only bagger there at the time and had to mop it up, despite there being no carts and also needing to sweep the store. Doesn't help that I got stuck in the register again when they wanted me to go in for somebody's break. Another guy came in half-way through, giving me the chance to round up the trash and recycling inside, shelve loose items, and return carts.
Went straight home and did some writing. Ahsoka leads Rudy and Luke to a ramshackle convenience store just outside of Dagobah. She doesn't want to lead them into town because she has to report to Vader and...call somebody. That "somebody" turns out to be the White Queen, who calls her Fulcrum and who asks her to keep an eye on Vader and on Luke.
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Finished out the second Goof Troop disc while I ate leftover beef stir fry. The "Leader of the Pack" is the head of the Pharoahs, a teenage gang who has taken over a local Sonic-esque drive in. PJ and Max love their burgers, but can't get past the Pharoahs. They recruit Max's cute older cousin Debbie to help them teach the bullying Pharoahs a lesson.
Worked on Lego Star Wars for a while after dinner. Got through the blue minikit challenges for "Darth Maul" and "Mos Espa Pod Race" tonight. Got very close on "Bounty Hunter Pursuit" and "Discovery at Kamino," but there was one piece in the former and three in the latter I just could not find.
As I was working on "Discovery at Kamino" the second time, the lights dimmed and blinked. They did come back on, but it was a bit of a surprise. It had been sunny, hot, and killer humid all day. I was shocked to turn around and hear crazy wind and see rain lashing at the windows. The storm had begun to pass as I was finishing up "Kamino," and to my knowledge, hasn't been heard from since.
Finished the night with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It's 1957. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is still searching for lost artifacts, but now, it's the Russians who are after him. The nasty Irina Spaldko (Cate Blanchett) wants to find the Crystal Skulls, which could lead her to the ultimate fountains of knowledge. Indy's more interested in helping young Mutt Williams (Shia LaBouf) find his friend Oxley (John Hurt) and his mother, Indy's former flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). What they find is an out-of-this-world adventure when it turns out that the Crystal Skull leads to an amazing treasure...and a race of beings that are not quite of this planet.
People still tend to be hard on this movie to this day. I think a lot of folks just had expectations that were much too high. While it's not as good as Raiders and Last Crusade, I actually like it better than Temple of Doom. There's some great action set pieces, like the motorcycle chase in the beginning, Blanchett is a terrific villain, and Marion and Indy are just as funny here as they were in Raiders. The sci-fi plot really isn't that much stranger than any other story in the franchise.
Casting is a big problem. Shia LaBouf is totally out of place as the tough guy Marlon Brando wannabe. The treacherous Mac is built up to be a close friend of Indy's, but since we've never seen him before this movie, it's hard to care about him like we're supposed to. There's also the obvious CGI that was common in action movies of the early 2000's through mid 2010's. It just looks fake a decade later and clashes with the mid-20th-century setting. And some of the gags with the monkeys and the ants are a bit much, even for this series.
If you're a fan of Indy, by all means, check this one out, too...but I'd recommend catching at least Raiders first to get to know Indy's character and his relationship with Marion better.
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