Switched to Supermarket Sweep on Buzzr while making my grocery list. This was one of those episodes when it was pretty obvious one team would dominate the proceedings. Team One got by far the most time, along with more extra money from getting David's bread list right and winning one of the "find the item" games. They didn't do quite as well with the bonus round...but considering no one got two out of three of the movies in the Snack Attack Movie Game, maybe it should have been obvious that they wouldn't have gotten the third question, either.
Hurried out to run errands after the show ended. I would normally have waited to do the grocery shopping until tomorrow, but the last place I want to be on the 4th of July is a grocery store. Grabbed an iced matcha latte at a busy Starbucks in Target before heading to Sprouts. Found granola bars and cherry shortbread cookies on sale. Restocked the soda and coconut milk. Got dried mango slices out of the bulk bins.
It was hot, sunny, and humid (though not quite as hot as last week) when I headed up the hill and past the library and Haddon Township High School to the Westmont Acme. Mainly needed to restock yogurt and soda here. Picked up granola bars with an online coupon, strawberries, and a bag of Kellogg's Extra granola on a really good sale. Neither Sprouts nor the Acme were busy. Everyone must be waiting for tomorrow or intended to go out after work.
Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. It's deep into summer now. The barest breeze ruffled the large, deep green leaves as the waters on the lake sparkled. I took the shortcut over the hill, enjoying the shade, the stillness, and the damp, earthy scent.
Had lunch and put everything away when I got home while watching two episodes of Jem on Tubi. Jerrica runs into "The Presidential Dilemma" when none other than the head of the country invites them to play at the Kennedy Center. The Holograms are thrilled, until they realize they can't get Synergy, the computer who provides the Jem hologram, through the Secret Service. Jerrica is really in a bind when a dashing thief steals all of America's greatest treasures...including the president...and she has to rescue him without Synergy's aid.
I'm not the only one who is fascinated by "Beauty and the Beast" stories. "Beauty and the Rock Promoter" has Jem and the Holograms playing Beauty and the mean sisters in a rock take on the original French "Beast" story. Jem is curious about the actor playing the Beast, too much for her boyfriend Rio's liking. The promoter who came up with the show is working Jem to exhaustion, so much that she collapses and has to rest. The Misfits are eager to take over, and while they might make great bad sisters, Pizzazz isn't much of a Beauty. There's only one Beauty for this show...and she learns where her real Beast is when they have to stop gangsters from harming their Beast.
Switched to YouTube for the 1959 TV version of Meet Me In St. Louis. I go further into this surprisingly charming remake of the beloved 1944 MGM movie for the 4th of July at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Moved back to Tubi for one of the later My Little Pony: Equestria Girls specials. It's a Rollercoaster of Friendship when Internet diva Vignette Valencia hires Rarity as the costume designer for a major amusement park. Rarity is thrilled, until Vignette tries to butt in on her friendships, and she realizes how difficult the job is. Applejack is jealous at first, but then she realizes there's something going on with Vignette's cell phone when their friends disappear one by one because Vignette doesn't think they're perfect enough.
Worked on writing for a while during and after the film. Hilary spends most of afternoon playing phone tag with Pittsburgh City Hall and talking to Doug Thompson. He says he'll pull strings and find out who owns the mansion, because it probably isn't a troll. He also wants to talk to Betty, but is cut off before he can do so.
Hilary goes off in search of her sisters and finds Maple munching on peanuts in front of Eagle's door. She's trying to get him to play in the snow or have lunch with her, but his annoyed squawk basically says he's having none of it...until Maple asks to see his work. That's when he finally lets her and Hilary in. Turns out his "work" is mostly on the situation in Europe and Asia in 1930, which many Americans were deeply concerned about. Maple flirts with him and asks him to explain more about this "political junk" in the best way he can.
Her older sister moves on to the library. She's not too happy to find Betty reading "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" to Bear. He relates deeply to the enchanted white bear in the story and asks Betty if he's a prince. Betty doesn't think he's that, but she does think he is kind and gentle, which is just as important as being smart. She wishes he wouldn't let Troll bully him, but he says that the troll is his friend, he's not usually like that, and he's smarter than he is.
Hilary doesn't approve of this romance at all. She wants Betty to continue her writing career and marry someone more successful like Doug, not a walking throw rug. She reminds Betty that she has a play to work on and that Bear has chores. Bear's so frightened of her, he overturns furniture in his attempt to hurry out. Betty scolds Hilary for her high-handed treatment of her new friend, then says she'll make her own decisions and conduct her own investigation.
Listened to records while I worked. The political satire Of Thee I Sing was revived in 1952. Alas, it would prove to be short-lived, but it did last long enough to throw out this album. Jack Carson has a lot of fun as Wintterbottom, but Paul Hartman's Throttlebottom isn't nearly as interesting. We also get some songs that didn't make it into the TV version, like "Here's a Kiss for Cinderella" and Hello, Good Morning." (Interestingly, "Mine" is interpolated into this version, too.)
My copy of Yankee Doodle Mickey is the original from the early 80's that includes the Disneyland Glee Club's rousing version of "The Liberty Tree" from Johnny Tremain. A very young Molly Ringwauld can be heard on "This Is My Country" and "God Bless America." My favorite number is the Armed Services medley, with Mickey singing for the Marines and the Air Force, Goofy for the Army, and of course, Donald for the Navy.
Charles Ives' Holiday Symphony is actually a series of four classical pieces related to major American holidays. I listened to the ones on side 2. I have no idea what Forefather's Day is, but the piece for Thanksgiving is appropriately choir-like. The other one for the 4th of July is more sizzling, as benefitting a summer holiday.
Switched to Match Game '73 during dinner. They're now on the week with game show host Robert Q. Lewis that also introduced Joyce Bulifant. Morey Amsterdam takes Charles' fussy guy seat here...and he's so funny, I wish he came back after early 1974.
Finished the night after dinner with more patriotic programming and music. I went further into Uncle Sam Magoo, the second and last Mr. Magoo special, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog two years ago.
America the Beautiful is a Reader's Digest collection of patriotic music, apparently released in honor of the Statue of Liberty's big restoration in 1986. I prefer the first disc for the sheer variety. You get everything from Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" to the Guadalcanal March from Victory at Sea to excerpts from "On the Trail" to a medley of George M. Cohen songs.
(Oh, and it finally rained hard but briefly sometime around 9 PM. I don't think it's done anything since then.)
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