Stranger Than Science Fiction

Started off the morning with a quick breakfast and PAW Patrol. Cap'n Turnbot is counting whales when he spies an oil tanker hitting a rock. The "Pups Save a Bay" when Zuma and Ryder find a way to contain and clean up the oil. Marshall uses his new fire hose to help wash oil off a baby whale. Mayor Goodway is horrified when Turnbot accidentally knocks her great-grandfather's statue into the bay while bringing it back from being cleaned. It'll take a little thinking outside the box to bring the statue to the surface when the "Pups Save a Goodway."

Headed out after that to run errands and test the bike. My first stop was the Haddon Township Library. The books I took out last month were overdue. I have plenty of fiction to read right now, but I did take out a few non-fiction books. I really need to cut down on sugar. I found a book on cooking with less sugar or more natural honey or cane sugar. I've had so much happen to me in the past four years or so, I'm still trying to process it all. I took out a book on grief, and another on fallow periods of "wintering," when we're overwhelmed and are trying to figure everything out.

Had lunch at the Bagel Shop next. It was 1:30 by the time I got out of the library, and they close at 3. I had a vegetable and egg white omelet and a diet iced tea with a chocolate chip bagel and hash browns. The omelet was delicious, with lots of vegetable pieces and stringy cheese. The bagel wasn't really all that chocolatey, but it tasted pretty decent. The potatoes were crisp, but the others filled me up so much that I didn't finish them. There were a few other people there, but I mainly had a nice, quiet lunch.

Headed to Sprouts next. I hadn't been there in a while. I just haven't needed anything, and their prices on most things aren't any better or worse than the Acme. They did have a pack of 4 organic Cara Cara oranges for 98 cents. Grabbed Cascadian Farms granola bars and coconut milk on sale, too, along with more Zevia in grape, creamy root beer, and cherry cola. 

Headed home and upstairs after that. Spent the rest of the afternoon watching The Phantom Empire. In this unique 1935 western-sci-fi hybrid serial, Gene Autry (himself) runs Radio Ranch, where he has his radio broadcasts. He's joined by brother-sister duo Frankie (Darro) and Betsy (King Ross), who have their own group "The Thunder Riders" who do good deeds. Their club is based on the "Thunder Riders" who mysteriously appear from the underground kingdom Murania. Queen Tika of Murania (Dorothy Christy), and a group of professors who want the uranium under the ranch would do anything to get rid of Autry, including frame him for murder and kill him. Meanwhile, there's a splinter faction of soldiers Tika has tried to have killed who want to overthrow the demanding queen and end her reign of terror on their advanced civilization for good.

Uh, yeah. They don't come much stranger than this one. This may be one of the most unusual action films ever created. You have the modern western that looks more like one of Autry's later films for the first half, complete with musical numbers. The second half actually gets into Murania, showing off some impressive futuristic models and costumes for the time. The kids coming to the adults' rescue give it the feelings of a 90's family comedy at times as well. If you like serials or Autry, you'll want to give this a try...but be warned, it's most definitely not your typical cliffhanger!

Worked on writing for a while after the first disc ended. (I'll do the last two chapters tomorrow.) Joyce and her friends head down the hill and through the snow-covered poppies to the Emerald City. They're thrilled when they arrive, but not that the gates seem to be closed...

Broke for dinner and Match Game Syndicated at 7 PM. The first season of syndication ended with jokes about native Texan Holly's cowgirl hat and Debralee not having much luck with "__ the USA" in the Audience Match. For some reason, the second show jumped back to Match Game '79. Gary has more luck with "__ Comb" than the others do with "__ Too Soon" on the Audience Match.

Ended the night back at Paramount Plus after a shower with The Love Boat. A model who is desperate to have the perfect body learns that you can be "Too Rich and Too Thin" when Doc and Captain Stubing discover she  has anorexia. "A Rose Is Not a Rose" when she is a guy (Rich Little) who is impersonating her. Julie falls for him out of a dress, but another man (Arte Johnson) falls for his "Rose" persona. A "Novelties" salesman can't stop pushing his wares on a catalogue executive (Audrey Meadows), even as he falls for her.