Even with rushing out to Collingswood Family Medicine, I was still three minutes late. No matter. There was no trouble after that. I had a perfectly normal check-up with Dr. Jessica. First of all, the coughing and itchy throat I've had for weeks is allergies, a reaction to this dry and dusty weather. I'd pick up allergy medicine later in the day. I intend to put off the colonoscopy until after the holidays. This is no time to be going on liquid diets and having people stick things in your body. Had no problems with getting a flu shot, though. Otherwise, I'm doing just fine. Won't need another appointment for six months.
Had lunch a few blocks down at Sabrina's Cafe. They were so busy at 11:30, they put me in the back dining area. I had "The Pumpkin King's Spooky Stack" of pancakes, Pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon swirl, streusel topping, and cream cheese drizzle. Oh, yum. Tasty, but so decadent, I couldn't finish a little bit.
Did my grocery shopping next. I didn't need a ton of food anyway. Restocked yogurt, probiotic soda, bagels, and granola bars at the Westmont Acme. Sugar Bee apples and yogurt were on good sales, so I grabbed those. Grabbed more dried cranberries from the bins, Zevia soda, and grapes at Sprouts. The pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were so good, I bought a box even though they weren't on sale.
Finished out the first season of The Monkees when I got home. "Monkees at the Movies" are extras in a cheesy Beach Party imitation featuring obnoxious romantic lead Frankie Catalina (real-life teen idol Bobby Sherman). When the Monkees' antics drive Catalina off the production, they push for Davy to be hired in the lead role...at least until his ego gets even bigger than Catalina's. It's up to his friends to bring their diminutive British buddy back down to Earth.
"Monkees On Tour" takes a different route as we get a Bob Rafelson-directed documentary about what the guys do on the day of their concert and the concert itself. I don't mind the cute footage before the concert (especially the guys on horseback and Davy chasing a swan), but I wish he'd shown as much of the concert as he could get away with instead of constantly cutting away to meaningless bits from the guys. The concert looks fabulous, especially Peter going to town on the banjo in "Cripple Creek." (And people still say the guys couldn't play their own instruments?)
"Monkees In Manhattan" are in the Big Apple to star in a Broadway show. First, however, they learn that the young producer is about to be kicked out of his hotel room and do everything they can to stall the manager and hotel owner. After the backer drops out, they dress as wealthy men and go across the street to a millionaire's club to find a new "angel."
And that's that. I generally prefer the wilder and more creative second season, but there's certainly no shortage of fun episodes in the first season too. "Monkees On the Line" is probably my favorite, followed by "Monkee Mother," "One Man Shy," "I've Got a Little Song Here," and "Monkees at the Movies." I will say that, in all honesty, a lot of the first season hasn't dated terribly well, including two episodes ("Son of a Gypsy" and "Monkee Chow Mein") with heavy stereotypes that you'll want to discuss with younger kids before and during viewing. On the other hand, this one also has episodes that are more appropriate for little guys like "Don't Look a Gift Horse In the Mouth" and the pilot.
I'm going to say, for older kids on up, show them the first season initially to give them a good idea of the characters, then dig up their first two albums and Live 1967 online or at your local record store. Either way, this show is still a blast to watch, especially for classic rock fans and real teens and young adults who'll get a kick out of seeing young people controlling their own destinies and taking care of each other.
Switched to South Pacific after The Monkees ended. I go further into this massive 1958 retelling of the Pulitzer-Prize-winning Rodgers and Hammerstein show with Mitzi Gaynor as Nurse Nellie Forbush at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Worked on the inventory for a while after that. Added Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, The Producers, and Ragtime. I seem to remember picking up The Producers when it came out on a trip to the Freehold Raceway Mall while visiting my (now-ex) boyfriend in 2002. I also got Ragtime when it came out, way back in 1999. Rent was a yard sale find in 2019. The other two came from thrift shops and record stores within the last year.
Broke for dinner and Match Game Syndicated at 7 PM. Some of the funniest episodes of the entire syndicated run came during the week with Phyllis Diller and Fred Grandy, including the one where Charles claims he can stand in for Gene...right before Gene is accidentally "electrocuted" by the faulty question holder! "I'd never take over a part that badly acted," Charles quips into Gene's microphone while the host is still on the floor.
Moved to Amazon for the Thursday night game between the Eagles and the Commanders next. The Commanders were up for most of the first half, leading 10-6 at halftime. The Eagles almost always play better in the third and fourth quarters. They were sensational in the fourth quarter in particular, roaring back to win 26 - 18.
Finished the night with more music I've acquired lately. Soundtrack and film of A View to a Kill, the last Roger Moore James Bond movie, are very, very 1985. While the dynamic Duran Duran title song would be the biggest hit number from a Bond movie until Skyfall in 2012, John Barry's score is pretty standard stuff. Some of the music from action sequences brings out the best in this weird film, including the climatic "Golden Gate Fight" and "Destroy Silicon Valley."
Listened to Bruce Springsteen's The Ghost of Tom Joad next. This may have been too dark to see the kind of success his 80's and early 90's albums got in the US - it just missed the top 10. It's his first primarily acoustic album in over 15 years...and really, his most depressing. The slow, folksy ballads sound all alike. It was certainly too dark for most people in the mid-90's, but its folksy sound might wear better now. "Straight Time" and "Across the Border" are the best of a very similar lot.
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