Monday, June 08, 2020

Organizing In the Late Spring

Started off another gorgeous day with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Takes His Time" when he and Grandpere make raisin bread at home and choose the ingredients at the store. He wants to rush everything, but his grandfather knows if you take the time, you can do things right. "Sometimes It's Good to Go Slow," like when the kids are on a school nature walk. Miss Elania keeps running past everything and misses the butterfly she wanted badly to see.

Switched to The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That after breakfast. Nick and Sally don't want to leave their tree house and wonder what it would be like to live in a tree. The Cat shows that "Tree's Company" when he takes the kids to the jungle to see how a tree frog, a boa constrictor, and Capuchin monkey live in a tree without falling out. In "Now You See Me," Sally's trying to hide from Nick with little success. The Cat and a gecko teach her ways to camouflage herself and make it harder for someone to find her.

Tried something slightly different during Cat In the Hat. I had one pack of yeast left in the refrigerator, and I wanted to get rid of it before it expired. Thought I'd try making a simple round loaf of Finnish Bread I saw in my 70's bread recipe. Unfortunately, I wasn't reading it right and put the yeast in the hot water instead of the warm! Oh well. I kept making it anyway and finally put it in the bathroom to rise.

Mom suggested yesterday that I should buy CD books to reduce the space my DVDs take in my new, smaller apartment. It was a good idea. I have books that I keep the home-made DVDs that I burned when I had a DVD recorder. Trouble is, those books are also big, heavy, and clunky. Lauren sent me a pile of extra-slim DVD and CD cases a while back when I was making DVDs. I didn't really use most of them, but maybe it was time to change that. (I've packed too many of the CDs to change their cases now. I'll deal with them after I move.)

Ran Charlie's Angels on the Roku Channel as I moved the comedy DVDs into slim or jewel cases. Kris is thrilled to take the "Angels on Vacation" to the small town in Arizona where her uncle lives during the third season. Things take a darker turn when no one in town, including Kris' aunt the mayor (Jeanette Nolan), will welcome them. When they discover that Kris' uncle the Sheriff and the women in the town are being held hostage in an attempt to release a gangster from prison, the girls and Kris' aunt leap into action to rescue them.

Moved to Doc McStuffins next. I'd seen "Awesome Guy's Awesome Arm!" before, but it's another one that seems appropriate now. Having pulled tired muscles quite a few times, I know how Doc's resident superhero feels when he's told he has to rest his damaged arm before he can use it again. He has to find another way to save Lambie's home from the Wicked King. Lambie is a "Lamb In a Jam" when she gets covered with jelly and can't go to school with Doc. Worse, she gets jam on Stuffy and he can't go, either. Hallie has to think of ways to keep the disappointed duo occupied after they're cleaned.

Pulled out the bread dough as the cartoon wound down. It still hadn't risen. Oh well. I kneaded it again and put it in the oven to rise again.

Had lunch while watching a darker episode of The Golden Girls. "The Break-In" during the first season upsets Dorothy when she realizes her fur stole is gone and has Blanche ready to tar and feather the criminals for stealing her mother's jewels. None of the women are more frightened than poor Rose, who stays up every night with a gun and waits for intruders to come. Even seeing a psychiatrist doesn't help (though it does improve Blanche's love life). It takes an encounter in a parking garage for Rose to realize that she's better at taking care of herself than she thinks.

Headed out for a quick walk after the show ended. It was another absolutely glorious day, sunny and breezy and clear, if a little bit warmer than yesterday. I strolled around the park and up to the train bridge, stopping to take in breathtaking views of the creek and the surrounding homes and boat docks. Two teens in socks and jeans sat on the edge of the bridge and enjoyed the stunning afternoon, and I couldn't blame them. This is the way we want the world to stop, not with panic, but with peace on a perfect late spring.

When I got in, I finally just tried baking the bread. The outside came out perfectly, just crusty enough, but the insides were too dense and chewy. Daniel and his friends aren't the only ones who learned a lesson about rushing today! I should have been more careful with the yeast. At least it still tasted pretty decent spread with melting butter.

Continued with the DVDs and kept an eye on the bread while watching Tattletales. Today, the clear winners were laid-back Orson Bean and his snarky wife Carolyn. None of the others got close to them.

Worked on writing for a while after the show ended. Overwhelmed by the crowds (and feeling jealous when Malade dances with Richard), Charles rushes outside to get some air. To his surprised, he's joined by the queen's most intelligent lady-in-waiting, who also claimed she wanted to get some air...but she also says she's looking for someone...

Broke for a quick dinner at 6, then to finish organizing the DVDs. Gary Burhgoff finished off his run on Match Game with episodes that had him giving the top answer to "___ Duck" and Gene collapsing after running down the stairs. In the second episode, Richard got to imitate his character Corporal Newkirk in response to a Hogan's Heroes question, and he and Betty had a little too much fun with each other towards the end!

I'd moved on to crocheting by the time of Sale of the Century. The champ bought two more Instant Bargains...but this time, his spending spree backfired on him. The game was tight for most of the episode, with no one really being very far ahead...until the other man, a drama teacher, blasted through the speed round. He too opted to return tomorrow when they change the prizes and try for something else.

Finished off the night after a shower with two more TV episodes. The Roku Channel currently has the third and fourth seasons of Hart to Hart. Jonathan Hart moonlights as a trumpet player with a jazz band, but he and Jennifer to "Deep In the Hart of Dixieland" when the group's pianist is accused of murdering the beautiful heiress who just broke up with him. Jon swears his friend didn't commit the crime and starts digging around with Jennifer...only to find that the deceased woman's disturbed secretary may be at the real heart of the crime.

Roku also has the first three seasons of I Dream of Jeannie. Went with the third season finale, "Haven't I Seen Me Someplace Before?" Jeannie gives her master Tony's buddy Roger one wish for his birthday. He wishes that he could go on a big mission in place of Tony...which somehow results in the two of them switching bodies. Jeannie has to get the two together and have Roger wish them back, before Major Bellows convinces Colonel Peterson that they're all crazy!

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