Dashing Through the Rain

Overslept and kicked off a quick morning with breakfast and my Story of Star Wars LP. Star Wars: A New Hope was so wildly popular in the late 70's, kids were clamoring for anything they could get that was Star Wars-related. For many kids, this cut-down version of the film, complete with a book with photos and the original voices, was the closest many would get to seeing it over and over until it turned up on video.

It was still sunny, hot, and humid when I got to work. Every time I tried to get the carts or returns done in the morning, I kept getting thrown in a register for someone's break or when they left. It wasn't even that busy. Thankfully, by the time the afternoon bagger arrived, more cashiers had also appeared. I spent the second half of my shift helping him with the carts outside.

Clouds had been gathering for almost an hour when I finished work at 1. Rumbles could be heard over the horizon as I dashed home down the Black Horse Pike. I was just starting to cover my bike when the first big fat raindrops started falling down. I dashed up the stairs as fast as I could before they could fall even harder.

Changed and had a quick lunch while it poured and rumbled outside - twice. Ran a pair of Three Stooges shorts while I ate and got organized. They're "Three Missing Links" when a director claims they're perfect to play natives and a gorilla in the movie he's filming in Africa. They want to tell him where he can take his film when they run afoul of real natives, gorillas, and a lion. "We Want Our Mummy" movies them northward to Egypt, where they have to find a missing professor and the mummy he was looking for to get five thousand dollars.

The weather finally calmed down enough for me to head out around 2:30. I wanted to hit the Haddon Township Library before the next round of storms. They were busy with kids and their parents trying to find something to do in the crazy weather. Their DVD return racks were piled so high, they needed another rack to hold the TV shows. There were so many, I only got the kids' titles and half of the ones for adults done before dark clouds and the lateness of the day sent me out again.

I did take out a few things for myself. Grabbed the recent releases Green Book and Bad Times at the El Royale. They had the full series set for What's New, Scooby Doo? in. There's enough episodes I haven't seen of that one to give it a shot.

It started raining again just as I rushed across the street to the Westmont Plaza. I waited under the overhanging roof at Target until it at least slowed down enough for me to start out. It was still raining, and I did still get pretty wet dodging the rush hour traffic. It didn't stop raining until I'd already walked in the door, of course. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since then.

Tried to work on some writing after that, but I got distracted by this cool blog that talks about vintage Acme architecture. I did manage to get some in later in the evening. Vader tells Bob A Fettman and his motley collection of oddball bounty hunters that he wants them to find Leia, Harris, and Charlie...and no disintegrations. But for now, his own boss is calling him...

Had a quick leftovers dinner around 7. Started What's New, Scooby Doo? as I ate. Since I've seen a lot of episodes of this show on other sets or in re-runs, I'm going to try to only watch the ones I either haven't seen at all, or haven't seen in a long time. Kicked things off with "Space Ape at the Cape." Mystery Inc is at NASA when Velma wins a contest to see her project put on a major shuttle launch. While they're there, an alien egg seems to hatch...and puts out a nasty monster that doesn't want the shuttle launch to go forward!

Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. Finally completed "Rescue the Princess," which fully finishes New Hope except for the Super Story. Had enough time to move on to Empire Strikes Back. Got "Betrayal at Bespin" on the first try, but couldn't get through "Cloud City Trap." I'll try that and the New Hope Super Story again tomorrow.