Always a Silver Lining

Began the morning with my first day back at work. Thankfully, it was no problem. I did shelve gum at one point, but I spent most of the time outside with the carts. It was a nice day for it, too. Though the sun was in and out, it was windless and relatively warm for the time of year, in the mid 40's. The vanishing sun gave the broken clouds a silvery, almost eerie glow. By the time I was having a harder time keeping up with the carts, I was just about done.

Got my schedule right after work. In good news, pretty normal hours, two later and two earlier days along with today. In frustrating news, next day off is Friday. We'll have to see when I can get anything done, including getting to the bike shop.

Had quite a bit of grocery shopping to do today. I was at home for most of last week and ate there quite a bit. Had an online coupon for sugar. Friendly's Ice Cream is on a four day sale; went with one of my favorite flavors, cherry vanilla. Bought stir-fry seasoning and frozen vegetables for dinner later. Restocked brown sugar, butter, milk, cranberries, cereal, honey, oranges, bananas, Parmesan cheese, ground turkey, and cake mix.

Went straight home after that. Put everything away, changed, and made banana pancakes for lunch. They didn't come out well. Burned at least one side of each. In the end, I couldn't finish them.

Listened to the soundtrack of the original 1967 Doctor Dolittle in honor of the version of Dr. Dolittle with Robert Downey Jr. currently in theaters. The tale of a doctor who works better with animals than people may have delighted children for decades, but they don't seem to do well as films. The 1967 version was an overproduced mess with an obnoxious Rex Harrison miscast as the famous veterinarian, but it does have some good songs. "Talk to the Animals" was the hit and won the Oscar, but the ballads are better, including one for Anthony Newley that didn't make it into the movie, "Where are the Words?"

Worked on writing for the rest of the evening. Marcia finally tells Bill the wolf that she'll take Bill Cullen's place there. The others also opt to remain. Gene sends Cullen off to get help, while the wolf explains that the servants in the castle aren't ghosts. They're invisible, thanks to the curse he can't talk about. He sends the women off to one suite and the men to another, but Charles has his own suspicions about the diminutive, nervous canine...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Added chicken breasts cut into strips to oil, the stir fry mix, and frozen vegetables and made a very simple chicken stir fry. Unlike lunch, it came out quite nicely, very saucy and filling.

Moved backwards in the 60's to finish the night before a shower with the original 1960 cast of Bye Bye Birdie. While Dick Van Dyke and Paul Lynde are still Albert and Mr. McAffee, dancer Chita Rivera is a far zestier Rose, Kay Medford is Albert's meddling mother, and Susan Watson and Michael J. Pollard are somewhat more age-appropriate teenagers. Some of the show's best songs didn't make it into the movie. I like "What Did I Ever See In Him?" for a frustrated Watson and Rivera after they get fed up with their menfolk, "Baby Talk to Me" as Albert tries to explain his problems with his mother to Rose, and the sweet "One Boy" for the teenage girls as they gush over their boyfriends.