Join the Circus

Got a quick start today with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. "The Tale of the Moo-Maids" is the first of three fantasy-based episodes in a row. Daisy is devastated when she loses a string of pearls in Mickey Lake that belonged to her Great Gram-Quacker. The others dive under the lake to find them and help Queen Clarabelle of the Moo-Maids find her lost crown.

It was so late when I was finally ready, I called Uber. Of course, they took 13 minutes to arrive, and I was late to the Acme. Thankfully, not only did they only take 8 minutes going to Thomas Sharp, I called early. It took me a little longer to get a driver home after the first one canceled, but I did find one who came in 6 minutes. 

Thankfully after all that, work was fine. It wasn't really busy until later, and even that could have been worse. It started showering around 11 AM, which probably helped. (I also ended up pretty damp while I did the carts.) Other than I did have to replace the toilet paper in the women's bathroom, there were no problems whatsoever.

After my carb-heavy lunch and dinner yesterday, I opted for something with a lot less cheese. I went to Futomaki in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center behind the Acme for lunch. Had a bento box with salmon and vegetables in teriyaki sauce, California rolls, rice, and scallops. I enjoyed a nice, quiet, serene lunch. The only other person there was an Asian gentleman working on his laptop. Went back to the Acme after that to get granola (which I forgot last Saturday) before calling Uber.

Things largely went better at Thomas Sharp School. For one thing, the rain was long gone by the time I got there. It hasn't rained since about 12:30. For another, I had 8 kids at my table, and they were perfectly fine in the bathroom. There were 27 all together, which meant the cafeteria did get pretty wild. Two of the girls did goof off under the tables again and tried to eat their snacks on the floor. They were kept back for 10 minutes so the head teacher could talk to them while the rest of us took the other kids outside.

Things went better once we did get out. For one thing, by 4 PM, it was cool, cloudy, and windy but perfectly dry, probably in the lower-mid 60's. For another, they were able to get on the swings by 4:30, but didn't stay on long. We have a new teacher, a long, lanky male college student. The kids had a ball chasing him around as they listened to the Taylor Swift songs "Welcome to New York," "Shake It Off," and "Wildest Dreams," the kids' dance number "The Gummy Bears Song," "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, and songs from The Lion King, Moana, and KPop Demon Hunters. Two of the boys left when I did, leaving the one remaining girl to go inside with the two remaining teachers and join the older kids.

Vacuumed and Swiftered my bedroom while watching The Price Is Right. I came in for a heartbreaker of a Three Strikes that ended with the contestant getting the third strike at the last minute. The Showcase Showdown went better. One lady got 95 on her first try that no one else could touch. The Showcases were a generic furniture and trip and one of the Time Capsule sci-fi skits, this one ending with a speed boat. It got really close, but the lady who hit that 95 needs to look into boating lessons...

Stayed at Buzzr for Match Game '91 as I moved to dusting and washing the window. Evidently, they're stopping here for now, or at least until we get into their National Game Show Day all-new episodes marathon next month. Vicki Lawrence, comedian Bob Sarlatte, and Marcia Wallace spent the two episodes watching Jimmie Walker flirt with a very pretty contestant, and then pretty much claiming he's going to marry her after he helps her win big bucks.

Since they switched to the first episode of Match Game '73 after that, I spent the rest of the night after dinner watching The Greatest Show On Earth. This Cecil B. DeMille three-ring melodrama won an Oscar for its glittering costumes and huge spectacle, and while it's been criticized as one of the weaker Best Picture winners, it's hard to rival this one for sheer fun. No-nonsense Brad Braden (Charleton Heston) is the manager of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, the biggest traveling circus in the US. His girlfriend Holly (Betty Hutton) is furious when he takes her out of the center ring and replaces her with The Great Sebastian (Cornel Wilde), who is a bigger draw. 

She and Sebastian spend the next few performances trying to out-perform each other as Holly falls for him and Sebastian flirts with his former girlfriends Angel (Gloria Grahame) and Phyllis (Dorothy Lamour). Holly's devastated when one of Sebastian's tricks go wrong, and it looks like he might be out of the ring for good. The circus has even bigger problems. Angel's jealous ex-boyfriend and former elephant trainer Klaus (Lyle Bettger) and busker Harry (John Kellogg), whom Brad fired when he found him cheating customers, try to steal from the pay car, setting off a disastrous train collision that brings Buttons (James Stewart), a former doctor-turned-clown, out of hiding as well. It's Holly who finally figures out why the circus means so much to Brad when she almost loses him and ends up making the show go on herself.

Like I said, for a comedic soap opera that gets fussed about for being lightweight compared to the other Best Picture competition in 1952 (including High Noon), this is honestly way more fun than it ought to be. The cast mostly delivers, especially Gloria Grahame as sarcastic Angel and Stewart as kindly Buttons, though Lamour could have more to do. Some of the details (including how Brad is eventually saved after he's badly hurt in the train accident) are a little too campy for words...but there's no arguing with the spectacle. You can't get more circus than this movie. The spangles-and-feathers costumes are incredible, and they really pop in my Paramount DVD copy. If you're looking for something fun and thoughtless and feel like joining the circus (and have a spare two and a half hours on your hands), join Holly on the trapeze and check this out.

Crazy World

Started off the morning with breakfast and the 1980 Dr. Seuss special Pontoffel Pock, Where are You? After he's fired from his job at the dill pickle factory for making a simple mistake, Pock, a "schnook" by his own admission, wishes he could get away from it all. His wish is granted by a fairy who gives him a magic piano. Pushing on a button will allow the piano to travel where the button directs him. He first visits an Alps-like town in the mountains, but they don't appreciate his showing off. His second trip to the Middle East introduces him to Eefa Neefa, an "eyeball dancer" he falls in love with at first sight, but he loses her when he leaves. The fairies chase him all over the world, trying to bring him home, but all he wants is to return to his Eefa Neefa.

Headed out to Dollar General briefly after the cartoon ended. Lauren likes Sudoku and crossword puzzle books. I always get a few for her when she visits. Also grabbed yogurt and a Coke Zero Move. I hadn't planned on going out earlier, but it was such a nice day, I had to. At that point, it was sunny and blue, maybe a bit on the humid side, but nothing outrageous, and nicely breezy.

When I got home, I vacuumed and pushed the Swifter in the rooms and on the stairs while watching Match Game '77. Suzanne Somers continued her week as everyone tried to figure out "__ Knot" in the Audience Match. Buzzr skipped the next two episodes, going into the week with Sarah Kennedy, Betty White, and Hans "Captain Hook" Conried. They discuss Betty White's new self-titled show in the opening...which, despite what Gene says, was a major flop that only ran four months. 

Let it continue into Tattletales as I dusted the main room. Totie Fields and George Johnson just couldn't get anything going in these episodes. They got close after coming back from nothing in the first one, but Rita and Jerry Vale took that one. Olavee and Ross Martin took the second.

Switched to the soundtrack for Victor/Victoria while finishing the bedroom and having lunch. The LP puts its best groove forward, starting off with Julie Andrews and Robert Preston's delightful duet "You and Me" that's probably the best number in the film. I also like Andrews' ballad "Crazy World" and her big chorus routine "Le Jazz Hot." 

Put on the first season of Sailor Moon while washing the window and wiping down the TV. "The Summer, the Beach, Youth, and Ghosts" is what it says on the tin. Rei, Ami, and Usagi aren't too happy when their summer vacation starts off in a dilapidated Victorian hotel run by what appears to be Universal monsters and the beach is so private, there's no cute guys. Things take a turn for the strange when Ami befriends a young girl with psychic powers. Her father wants to develop them, but they go out of control after he puts her under hypnosis. 

I was watching Super Password when a friend agreed to help me pick up Lauren. We left around quarter of 4. Surprisingly, considering it was the start of rush hour, we ran into no heavy traffic anywhere, not even in downtown Philadelphia. She circled 30th Street Station a few times before we found a place to park outside the station on 30th Street.

I'd just gotten out of the car to check if Lauren had arrived and was walking in the door to the station when I almost literally ran into Lauren coming out! She'd just gotten in. We had a good laugh, then walked down, loaded her luggage into the trunk, and made our way off again. This time, she avoided any traffic, going over the Walt Whitman Bridge and past Citizen's Bank Park and Xfinity Live! We also went past the Acme, which had a fairly full parking lot (and made me very glad I wasn't there). 

Once we got in and Lauren dropped off her luggage, we went right back out. I'd been inside for several hours, and Lauren had been on trains and in stations since 1:30. Besides, I wanted to show her our new WaWa. She got a coconut-mango drink; I went with a tasty mango-banana smoothie made with fresh fruit.

Spent the next few hours upstairs, watching more Match Game. Match Game '74 brought in Anson Williams from Happy Days for his first week, along with Fannie Flagg and ever-laughing Kaye Stevens. While Brett ranted over how impossibly young Anson looked, the others admired a pinafore made by the first-grade students of one of the contestants. (And they did a wonderful job on it, too!) Things got a little naughtier in the second episode with the answers to "Strip __" in the Audience Match.

Richard Paul, big George Kennedy, and slightly ditzy Judy Landers joined in for Match Game Syndicated. Gene happily gave her Judy a kiss, even though she'd appeared on the show before. Richard Paul has his own way of avoiding the madness over him - the flaps on his fireman's hat. Charles complained about the dinger being off-key in the second episode. Richard Paul has more luck playing the game with the audience in the end of the episode. 

Finished the night on Hulu with more Sailor Moon.  "Shining Summer Days: Ami Under the Sea Breeze" takes all of the girls, Chibi-Usa, and Usagi's little brother Shingo to their local beach for some fun in the sun. Tiger's Eye pursues Ami, to the annoyance of Shingo, who has a crush on her. Ami, however, is not easily persuaded. When Tiger's Eye attacks Shingo, it brings out the other girls...and puts Ami's pure heart at risk.

Oh, and tomorrow, we're taking our usual first day walk around Oaklyn and Audubon. It's a great way to settle in and check out my immediate area. 

Muppet Tales On a Gloomy Day

Slept in this morning, then spent the next few hours finishing The Girls In the Picture. When I did get up, I watched more Muppet Babies during breakfast. The kids are tired of waiting "Six to Eight Weeks" for the package with their new playhouse to arrive. They spend that time imagining what it might be, turning it into spoofs of everything from Beetlejuice to the original Mickey Mouse Club. 

(And yeah, this episode definitely makes me appreciate that most people don't have to wait almost two months for their orders to arrive anymore. Nowadays, the kids' package would probably arrive two days to two weeks at the most.) 

Headed out after that to run a few errands. I realized just yesterday that I forgot my nephew Khai's birthday was almost two weeks ago. I first stopped at Dollar General to get him a card and money. Since I was there, I picked up a Mother's Day card too, before I forget that. 

Strolled across Oaklyn to Rose's house to drop it off. I was glad to see her husband Craig putting metal pieces out on the curb. Seems their old gazebo was getting old and starting to fall apart. I got to say hi to him, and went inside to see Rose, too. Not only have she and her family been busy, they've also been sick a lot, which doesn't surprise me. Rose and her family are constantly sick. They went over to Craig's parents house for an Easter egg hunt and dinner, but otherwise rested that day. 

The kids weren't home from school yet, but I got to talk to Rose and pet Oreo and Cider, who immediately sniffed me and gave me good welcoming licks. Rose also gave me a lot of tea she didn't want - she apparently collects it and had way too many. (She also likes her peppermint tea stronger than I do.)

Made my way back down to West Clinton for a small lunch. I wasn't really up to more than a quiche and frozen hot chocolate at Common Grounds Coffee House, and I hadn't eaten there in ages. It was the perfect time to eat there, too. There was only a pair of older ladies chatting and two college kids doing schoolwork.

It had been cloudy, windy, and chilly all day, but the clouds grew darker as I made my way to Rose's. By the time I bought pretzels at the soft pretzel shop on the White Horse Pike, it was starting to spit a little. It never rained like it did on Sunday, but it was still time to go home. Made a brief stop at the pretzel shop for a soft pretzel; the sweet lady ended up giving me four more, since it was almost closing time.

Did more Muppet Babies while vacuuming and Swiftering the floor. "Eight Flags Over the Nursery" is the series finale, and the last of three episodes in which the Babies build their own amusement park. Here, they're so disappointed that the big new theme park in their area won't open for five years, they claim they could make one faster. Piggy's movie studio is not only a spoof of the then-new Disney Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios Florida, it incorporates the animated segments "Kermit the Frog, Private Eye" and "Pigs In Space" that were created for the short-lived Little Muppet Monsters.

Dusted while listening to my latest K-Tel acquisition, Music Magic. It kicks off strong, with three hits in a row - Andy Gibb's "Love Is Thicker Than Water," Player's "Baby Come Back," and the country smash "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" by Crystal Gale. Many of these songs, like the ballad "Emotion" by Samantha Sang, take me way back to my early childhood, when I felt safe in my mother's house, playing on my grandmother's orange, brown, and black zig zag comforter. Other favorites here include Santa Esmerelda's remake of "Misunderstood," the disco hit "Dance, Dance, Dance" by Chic, and "Peg," my favorite Steely Dan song. 

Printed out everything I'll need for counseling with Karen tomorrow, then worked on writing. Gene already intends to bring the Wild Rider Gang out of hiding and ambush them. Brett isn't crazy about that scheme. What if they're the ones who get ambushed? Gene thinks the rest of the town will help, but Brett's not so sure about that...

Broke for dinner at quarter after 7. Continued with the Muppets while I ate. The babies learn about rules and regulations after a bathtub boat race ends with them quarreling because Piggy made up her own rules. Piggy wants to be queen and have everyone do what she wants, and then Gonzo declares there to be no rules at all. That just leads them to crash into Nanny, who insists they're out of control and gives them a time out on the couch, which makes them feel like they're in jail. She finally brings a book to teach them about government and democracy. "Kermit Goes to Washington" when he's elected...but he still has to deal with Piggy's bossiness. 

I've enjoyed seeing the Muppets again so much, I continued with episodes that can be found on YouTube for the rest of the night. They spread a wide net over pop culture in this show, sometimes coming up with surprising subjects for a Saturday morning cartoon. My first encounter with old-time radio wasn't Remember WENN. The Babies beat WENN to the punch almost a decade before with "The Muppet Broadcasting Company." After the power goes out, Nanny brings the kids some radio shows on a battery-powered cassette player to listen to. They have so much fun with Captain Midnight and Sherlock Holmes, they decide to make their own show...which turns into a dead-on spoof of The Shadow, with Gonzo as Lamont Cranston. (This also has one of my favorite songs from the series, the hilarious big band number "Three Cheers for Your Ears.")

"Fun Park Fantasies" was the first episode where the kids visit an amusement park in their imagination. Here, they're so excited about Nanny taking them to the fun park the next day, they can't sleep. They pass the night telling each other what they think the park will be like instead.

"Raiders of the Lost Muppet" is the first time they go looking for Animal, and the first of many Indiana Jones spoofs. Animal vanishes after playing hide and seek, so the kids search for him all over their house. Piggy, Fozzie, and Kermit's adventure turns their basement into the Temple of Doom. Gonzo, Rolf, and the twins have less dire fun in an imaginary jungle, doing a numberwith the native animals, "Best Friends." 

Piggy's the one causing trouble in "The Muppet Museum of Art." Skeeter accidentally trips on her skate and twists her ankle, but Piggy blames Gonzo. Nanny insists she has to stay home with Skeeter instead of taking them to the art museum, so the kids decide to make their own art museum. Piggy's so desperate to hide her secret, she keeps destroying or hiding Gonzo's art depicting the incident. But Gonzo has one last surprise in store... 

Frankly, Piggy doesn't come off terribly well in these episodes, especially to poor Gonzo. Her insecurity tends to make her into a bossy little brat at times. I always wondered what Gonzo saw in her. Apparently, so did the show's writers. They finally addressed Piggy's rough treatment of Gonzo in a very sweet season five episode, "Beauty and the Schnoz." Piggy doesn't think Gonzo's beautiful. She only likes beautiful things, like birds and butterflies and ballerinas. Gonzo first tries to dress like her favorite things, then gets help from  fellow long-nosed lovers Cyrano De Bergerac (Jose Ferrer) and Steve Martin in Roxanne to finally tell her how he feels. 

Piggy wasn't always treated the best, either. She's the one who gets into trouble in "Pigerella." She tries to put the cupcakes away that the twins snitched for the others and gets caught. Nanny thinks she did it and makes her clean up the kitchen. As she imagines herself to be Cinderella who has to do chores and can't dance with the frog of her dreams, the others eventually feel guilty and help her out.

That was far from the last time Piggy imagined herself in a fairy tale. "The Pig Who Would Be Queen" is a more general fantasy spoof, with Piggy as a peasant girl who has to do many tasks - including turning a mushroom into a handsome frog knight - to become queen and get Skeeter to give up her castle. This is one of the funnier later episodes - look for a lot of references to Monty Python and the Holy Grail here. 

"The Great Muppet Cartoon Show" is sort of a cross between "Muppet Museum of Art" and "Gonzo's Video Show." The kids start by drawing pictures, then note that when they flip them, the pictures move. That leads Nanny to suggest they make their own cartoons with her 8 millimeter camera. Things get downright metaphysical when they start creating their own versions of "Pinocchio," Skeeter creates her own stop-motion clay short, and Gonzo finds himself chasing Koko the Clown from the silent "Out of the Inkwell" series. 

"By the Book" is a three-for-one spoof of famous children's literature. They're bored when their toys are in storage after the nursery is painted, so Nanny gives them books to look at. Skeeter is the only one who thinks they're boring. She ignores their takes on Robin Hood and The Wizard of Oz, but finally decides to help Scooter and Piggy out with Peter Pan...and decides that maybe these old-fashioned stories aren't so bad after all. 

Finished out with "From a Galaxy Far, Far Away," a tribute to ET and other movies about benevolent aliens. The kids are pretending to be aliens when they see a flashing light and hear something in their closet. They think it's an alien and first tries to phone home, then create their own rocket ship to take the creature they dub "Irma" home. 

Spring Cleaning Day

Began a cloudy, gloomy morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. I came in during a pitched battle between a young man and a mother-daughter team. The young man won, and went on to only miss one question on the Gold Run as well. He and a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law team were working on their first round when the episode ended.

Moved to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as I cleaned up from breakfast. There's lots of new episodes in the neighborhood this month, including "Daniel's Rocking Chair." Mrs. Tiger's clearing out some of Daniel's old toys. He has a hard time giving things away, until he sees his friend Jodi's twin brothers happily playing with his old cars and his little sister Margaret settling in a rocking char that's too small. Prince Wednesday has a similar dilemma in "Prince Wednesday Gives Away His Book." He doesn't want to let his book on rock crystals go, until he sees how much O enjoys it.

"Daniel Does It Himself" when he's able to wait to play in the snow without waking up anyone in the family. He's even prouder when "Daniel Learns to Swing" as well as his friend Jodi. 

My stepmother Jodie brought in two packages as I worked, both from eBay. One held You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, one of the Peanuts DVDs I bought to finish out my collection. The other has the early 50's musical cast album Make a Wish, a vehicle for Nanette Fabray. 

Switched to Match Game '75 while cleaning the kitchen. These episodes are probably among my favorites of the entire year. The first opens with Gene getting very into kissing Dolly Martin's hand. Dolly has a really interesting way of describing "loincloth" later in the episode too, as does Betty White! 

The second episode is absolutely hilarious. Allen Ludden constantly chatters about his fancy "tank" gun; Brett Somers later brags that he let her wear it. Later in the Audience Match, Gene jokingly answers with "I've had Betty," which brings her husband down for a chat. The contestant claims she'd belly dance if she won 5,000...and might have, if the music department hadn't played "Stars and Stripes Forever." Brett and Betty had no problems doing their idea of belly dancing, though! 

Continued with Classic Concentration's "Tournament of Champions" as I finished the kitchen. Every contestant in these two episodes were previous big winners who picked up the car in record time. Instead of the time on the clock for the match-the-car bonus round counting down, it counted up. If a contestant could get it in under the previous contestant's record, they could win the car. The women who won these rounds had no trouble doing so, especially the young lady in the second round who got it in 42 seconds!

Switched to Tubi for Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff as I ordered a chicken cheesesteak and fries from Crown Gyros and Steaks for a special lunch. Bellboy Freddy Phillips (Costello) is accused of murdering criminal attorney Amos Strickland (Nicholas Joy) when he's found with the body. Freddy got angry earlier after Strickland ordered him fired for his incompetence, and now the cops all think he did it. Only house detective Casey Edwards (Abbott) believes in his innocence. There's enough strange people wandering around the hotel to pass for suspects, including the odd Swami Talpur (Karloff), black widow Angela Gordon (Lenore Aubert), and Melton the nervous hotel manager (Alan Mowbray). Casey finally decides to use Freddy as bait, claiming he has a certain blood stained handkerchief that could give the murderer away...but Freddy's not so thrilled when the bodies start piling up and the bullets are all aimed in his direction.

Despite the title, Karloff doesn't really have much to do in this bizarre mystery, other than one sequence where he attempts to hypnotize the childish Freddy. The convoluted mystery is frankly a little dull and hard to follow, and we never do find out what the blackmailing is all about. Abbott and Costello have enough good bits to make this worth a look for their fans, especially when Freddy sets up booby traps all over his room, and in the chase around the cavern near the end.

(Oh, and while my cheesesteak was yummy enough to want to eat at Crown Gyros again, I won't be ordering delivery. They called me at least twice to figure out where I lived...when I'm just a couple of streets down and clearly gave the guy the street name.) 

I moved on to making Cinnamon Raisin Bread while Tattletales was on. Pat Harrington and his wife Marjorie were today's big winners, over Juliet Prowse and her husband Jon McCook and long-time married couple Monty and Marilyn Hall. 

Switched to dusting as soon as I put the dough in my on the ledge in my bedroom to rise. Whammies flew all over the place on Press Your Luck, especially in the first round. The previous champ got hit with so many, he was knocked out almost instantly in the second round. The new champ picked up a trip and lots of cash, among other things.

Went into writing as soon as I finished dusting the apartment. Went back and edited a few things, then added Lee launching into six hundred questions, asking Richard about the robbery and how he and Gene stopped the bandits. Debralee just wants to know if he's taken.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had a quick strawberry-pineapple smoothie while watching Match Game '76. Charles' jokes about the lacy poncho Brett wore ended in the last few minutes with Charles spreading it over his desk and pretending it was a tablecloth and he and Brett were opening a restaurant. Comedian Alfie Wise and singer Jack Jones join Patty Duke, Debralee Scott and the regulars to figure out what you need to have to get into the unemployment offices in Beverly Hills and help Alfie figure out "Price ___" in the Head-to-Head in Match Game PM. 

Everyone did well on Sale of the Century. They all won something, but the other man got a 10 dollar Money Card on a Fame Game and jumped ahead in the Speed Round. He just missed the Bonus Round by one, though...

(Oh, and my Cinnamon Raisin Bread loaves came out beautifully, sweet and spicy and moist. I think yeast bread rises better in this apartment, probably because it's a little warmer in here.)

Finished the night online with Hart to Hart. "The Harts Strike Out" in the third season when a friend of Johnathan dies, leaving his wife and son penniless...except his massive and very valuable collection of baseball cards. After the cards are stolen, the Harts track them to a convention, then have to buy a few of their own to play "flip the card" and get the collection back. 

Time for Spring Cleaning

Awoke to a light shower that ended by the time I put down Emily of New Moon and rolled out of bed. Watched the 2009 Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bitty Adventures while I had oatmeal for breakfast. Strawberry and her friends are looking forward to "The Berry Best Vacation" at their new home-made resort...at least, until an obnoxious reporter shows up to do an interview on Cherry Jam for her Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous-style show. The girls do everything they can to get rid of her.

Switched to Match Game '75 while cleaning up from breakfast. Kate Jackson, later Sabrina on the original Charlie's Angels, joins Fannie Flagg, Avery Schriber, and the regulars in the first episode for jokes about Fannie's glittery New York skyline sweater and a contestant's response to where Grandpa found Grandma's false teeth clamped onto. 

The second episode takes us into arguably my favorite week of that year. Sweet and adorable Dolly Reed Martin made her debut, joining husband-and-wife pair Allen Ludden and Betty White. While Richard ogled a lovely contestant, the others made jokes about what Charles is smoking in that pipe of his  ("the socks he never wears") and Allen Ludden holding his card upside-down.

Went for a short bike ride as soon as the episode ended. Wanted to make a quick run to Dollar General. Their shelves are rather bare, probably leftover from the Easter weekend rush. They had no small containers of Liquid Plumber or the Jiff low-salt natural peanut butter I like. I was able to buy sponges, sugar, and a can of mandarin oranges.

When I got home, I put everything away and went straight into scrubbing the bathroom. The bathtub was especially grimy, but the sink's bad, too. Washed the windows and glass front door as well.

Listened to Sweethearts while I worked. The Ohio Light Opera put out a series of live operetta recordings on CD in the mid-2000's, including this one. This 110-year-old Victor Herbert operetta about a lost princess who is raised as a laundress and falls for a prince is likely considered kind of cheesy nowadays. I have a soft spot for old-fashioned tales of romance and action like this, even when the story brings in a local girl who wants her own shop and is mixed up with the laundress and gets hard to follow.

Made chocolate chip cookies while Tattletales was on. Don Galloway and his wife Linda were the big winners today, barely over Jimmie Walker and his then-girlfriend Samantha and Lynda Day and Christopher Stone. Whammies hit everyone hard on Press Your Luck. The eventual winner walked away with one Whammy, money, and a weekend trip to San Francisco. The lady on Card Sharks did well on the Money Cards, only to see her luck run out when she took on a college student in a Hawaiian shirt who looked like an escapee from Revenge of the Nerds.  

Worked on writing for a little while after the show ended. Richard has no trouble flirting with the beautiful female reporter who has arrived on the scene to cover the gold theft. Her name is Lee Merriweather, and she wants to interview him, not date him. Her apprentice Debralee Scott would love to date him...among other things.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Turned the leftover ham and spinach salad into a crustless ham and spinach quiche. Vacuumed while it baked and Match Game '76 ran in the background. No clue why Buzzr skipped two episodes to the week with Gary Burghoff, Joyce Bulifant, and night-time soap star Susan Sullivan. Gene happily kissed "new kid on the block" Susan while the others made jokes about the Audience Match "Buffalo __." 

Jamie Lee Curtis traded machetes for matching in a Match Game PM from 1979. The guys are about ready to join the men's softball team umpired by a pretty contestant. Later in the Audience Match, the wisecracking male contestant has less luck asking Charles and the ladies the answer to "__ Shock."  

Sale of the Century was one of the closest episodes of the year. The woman bought both Instant Bargains; the other man picked up one of the Fame Games. In the end, it came down to a tie between the two guys after the Speed Round. The champ just missed it, losing to the other man. He may have been a little too speedy at the bonus round...

Finished the night on Shout! TV with Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Castle of Fu Manchu is a particularly bad horror-spy movie from 1969. Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee) claimed he wanted to turn all the world's water into ice, but he doesn't really bring that up until the end. Most of the movie has him going through a convoluted plot to kidnap a doctor and his daughter and force him to take care of a scientist who could help him with his scheme. The robots were especially fond of joking about how much Fu Manchu's daughter resembled an Asian Marlo Thomas. Scotland Yard detective Nayland Smith goes after them...and never a blander Englishman existed on this planet.

The movie has two very, very big problems, both of which Joel and the robots joked about extensively. First of all, it's suuuppper slooooowww. Other than a few short fistfights and the opening aboard a sinking ocean liner, all anyone does is talk and threaten...and both are dragged on for way too long. Second, the movie is in the dark in more than its terrible dialog and the racially insensitive casting. More than half the film takes place in dark underground caverns, or literally just in a blanked-out screen with the barest hint of an outline. I know this was probably a cheap B movie, but people do like to actually see what they're trying to watch onscreen. While I found it mildly amusing and fairly campy, Joel and the robots found it so awful, they were almost literally crying at the end. 

Springtime Harvests

Kicked off a sunny morning with breakfast and The Backyardigans. "Sinbad Sails Alone" has Tyrone as the famous seaman of legend off to find the end of the rainbow. Pablo wants to be a sailor too and tags along. Tyrone keeps insisting that he doesn't need any help, especially the bumbling messes that Pablo gets him into. He might need more help than he thinks to defeat the games of Siren Uniqua and Medusa Tasha!

Headed out around quarter of 10 to run errands. First stop of the day was the Collingswood Farm Market, which opened last week. It was packed elbow-to-elbow with people buying produce for Mother's Day dinners, barbecues, and college graduation parties. Strawberries are out, and so are asparagus, green and wax beans, radishes, spinach, and other leafy greens. I picked up mushrooms, scallions, Florida carrots, and spinach for spinach bacon salad.

Spent the next two and a half hours riding around Haddon Township, checking out their town-wide yard sale. Disappointingly, there wasn't much. Most of the stuff on display was either junk, clothes, or toys and other items for very young children. One man was selling books and DVDs. I picked up the 1992 Robert Downey Jr. vehicle Chaplin, on the life of famous movie comedian Charlie Chaplin. Found a lovely Raggedy Ann doll in perfect condition at another sale, along with two notebooks.

Needed a few things I forgot at the Acme yesterday at Target on the way home. The raspberry preserves were even more expensive there than at the Acme. I'll hold off and get them elsewhere. I did pick up brown sugar and cake mix, though. I checked out a few sales in the neighborhoods behind the Ritz Theatre after leaving Target, but didn't find anything else I really wanted and headed home around 1:30.

Had an orange-banana smoothie for lunch while watching more Smallville. "Visage" brings back Whitney Fordman, a former boyfriend of Lana's who joined the Marines and was shipped overseas. He seems a little too eager to start things up with Lana again, to Clark's annoyance. Turns out there's a reason for him to be frustrated. Whitney isn't what he seems. Meanwhile, the woman Lana's newly-discovered dad is married to gently warns her away, worried that her husband won't have time for her and will forget about her.

After lunch, I took the trash and recycling cans downstairs to give them a good scrub. Charlie got the hose working again. I washed them, then used the hose to wash off my dirt-covered bike. I clean the bike and the cans twice a year, in May when it gets warm enough to use the hose, and in October right before it becomes too cold to. The recycling cans aren't big, and it never takes me more than 20 minutes to get it all done.

Worked on writing for a while as the cans dried. Luke picks up flying with a jet pack easily. In fact, flying comes naturally to him, thanks to his air and light powers. Even when he's shot down in the thick of battle, he hears Ben's voice in his head that encourages him to use the remaining light of day to fly on his own.

Broke for dinner at 5:30. Did another Smallville episode while eating leftovers and making very moist Banana-Blueberry Strusel Muffins. "Insurgence" takes us into crime thriller territory. Mrs. Kent is upset when Lionel Luther forces her to work on her anniversary. Things take an even worse turn when they're held hostage at the main LutherCorp building in Metropolis by thieves who want everything in the vaults...and Mrs. Kent finds out why Lionel really hired her.

Moved on to Lego Star Wars while the muffins were in the oven. Completed the very long "Through the Jutland Wastes," including all of the pieces and the red brick. Got the red brick in "Discovery at Kamino," but somehow missed a piece.

Finished the night with Mother Wore Tights in honor of my own mother, who loves this movie. I go into more details on Betty Grable's favorite of her movies at my Musical Dreams Movie Review blog.

Mother Wore Tights

The Guardians and the Superman

Kicked off another rainy morning with breakfast and a first season episode of Sailor Moon. Usagi is thrilled when she's selected to be a finalist in a modeling contest in "Usagi's a Model: The Flash of the Monster Camera." Things get a lot scarier when it turns out that the camera owned by the kid who is running the contest has been possessed by a Negaverse monster...and Usagi will be on her own to fight it.

Went straight to work after the episode ended. Though I did get stuck in the register for a while (we were short on help), I spent most of the morning shelving three full carts of returns. I totally finished two carts, but got disrupted too much to finish the third one.

By the time I got out, the morning rain had vanished, replaced by slowly emerging sunshine. It was so nice, I took the long way home down Nicholson Road. Thankfully, I didn't run into much traffic, not even around the entrance to the shopping center. Probably thanks to the rain, everything is so green now. The leaves on the trees get bigger and greener every day, and the purple irises look like dark purple velvet.

Charlie was just finishing up when I was getting in. He painted the new walls in the living room and kitchen a simple winter white. He'll be putting new tile on the bathroom walls tomorrow.

Spent the next couple of hours after he left finishing the dusting. I do thorough dusting under everything in the house twice a year, in the spring before Lauren visits in April and May, and in October and November before Christmas. The bedroom always takes the longest. Even after all the clearing out I've done over the past few months, I still have a ton of stuff to dust under in there.

Ran episodes of Smallville while I worked. "Nocturne" is actually rather sweet. Someone keeps leaving Lana love poems at her parents' grave. Turns out it's a young man named Byron who is kept n the basement by his well-meaning mother and gruff father, who claim he's dead. Clark and Pete free him...only to discover that he turns into a huge, angry creature with amazing strength in the sunlight. Freed, he goes after Lionel, whose experiments at LuthorCorp caused his condition. Meanwhile, Clark and Johnathan are not happy when Martha takes a job as Lionel's assistant.

"Redux" was also really interesting. Smallville High is getting ready for their Spirit Week, but the discovery of a swimming star who has aged 50 years in 10 seconds in the pool puts a literal damper on their enthusiasm. Chloe, Clark, and Pete discover that a pretty cheerleader saps life from anyone she touches, keeping her young and immortal. Lana has her own problems. She learns from a pile of photos that the man her mother married may not be her father. Lex helps her find the man..

Worked on writing for a while after that. Rudy sets up the tapes with the Death Ray plans and hooks up an intercom, allowing them to speak to the voice of their unknown leader, the White Queen. She thanks Luke and Harris for rescuing Leia before explaining why it's so important that they destroy the ray gun. No one else should be destroyed like Aldera Hills and the Erso Shipyards.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched more Smallville while I ate. Clark starts to wonder about his "Lineage" when a woman (Blair Brown) shows up claiming to be his biological mother. He finally gets his parents to tell him about the day he was adopted...and how Lionel Luther got involved. Meanwhile, Lana tries to see the man who may be her birth father, but he may not be happy to see her.

Did some Lego Star Wars after dinner. I didn't do very well on any of the bonus rounds I tried tonight. The only one I managed to get through was "Anakin's Flight," the Lego version of Anakin destroying the Trade Federation ship in The Phantom Menace. I just couldn't get the original version of "Gunship Calvary" right, and it took me so long to do the "Lego City" round, I finally gave up and went online.

Finished the night with Lovely to Look At. I go into more details on MGM's 1952 remake of Roberta at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Lovely to Look At

Sunny Day With the Petries

You'd never know it poured for a lot of yesterday when I got up this morning. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and it was already in the 60's by 9 AM. Celebrated the improved weather with breakfast and more Dick Van Dyke Show. "The Twizzle" is a new dance sensation Sally discovers in a bowling alley. She thinks the song, the dance, and its handsome teen performer would be a big hit...but the kid has more interest in Paul Anka ballads than Chubby Checker dance routines.

Poor Sally is wondering "Where You Been, Fassbinder?" when she's worried about being alone on her birthday. An old friend of hers from high school calls and says he'll go out with her...but it turns out he's more interested in selling insurance than in romance.

I did some vacuuming after breakfast. It takes me a bit longer to vacuum when I do spring cleaning than normally. I clean under furniture I don't usually bother moving and around all the woodwork.

Continued with Dick Van Dyke while I cleaned. Rob is "One Angry Man" when he's the only one who believes a ditzy blonde dancer didn't steal a bag of jewelry. Her flirting with him during the trial and his obvious kindness to her doesn't help convince the other jurors he's on the level.

Rob wishes it was "The Bad Old Days" when Buddy tells him about an article in a magazine about the decline of the American male. He occasionally helps Laura with housework and wonders if it's too feminine of him. He has another weird dream when he imagines that they're in the early 20th century, and she's a drudge of a housewife who is too tired and unattractive to spend time with him. He comes to the conclusion he'd rather help her and give her time to be pretty than let her get worn down. (Yeah, the Aesop on this one hasn't dated well. It was apparently called out by the cast and writers for the misogynist plot even at the time, and is generally regarded as the series' worst episode.)

Headed to work shortly after the episode ended. Work was more-or-less the same as yesterday, only a bit less busy. I spent most of the first part of the day shelving candy and gathering carts and the outside recycling in the glorious sunshine...but I got stuck in ther register during my last hour when it got busier. I just got out in time.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. That might not have been smart. It was 3:30 by then, and rush hour was just starting. I dodged cars all the way down to Atlantic Avenue. It was much better in Oaklyn. Despite clouds having moved in briefly, the weather still felt nice. The trees are really green now, the leaves almost full-grown. Red and yellow tulips and rich purple flowers grow in gardens.

Spent the next couple of hours writing. Leia brings the guys back to the Rebel League's headquarters in Yavin Park. They have rooms upstairs in a series of older buildings with normal businesses like delis and coffee shops on the first floor. Leia greets and older gentleman, a professor named Dr. Dodonna, and gives him the tapes and blueprints for the laser gun. Luke goes to greet an old friend of his, Brian "Bigs" Darkman.

Broke for leftover tacos for dinner at 6:30. Did more Dick Van Dyke Show as I ate. We meet Rob's brother Stacey (Dick Van Dyke's real-life brother Jerry) in "I Am My Brother's Keeper." Stacey has an unusual problem. When he sleepwalks, he's a hilarious party animal who plays the banjo and livens any room. The trouble is, when he's awake, he's desperately shy. He does manage to impress Mel Cooley as a party...but now he has to audition for Alan Brady while he's awake.

Played Lego Star Wars after dinner. "Speeder Showdown" and "Endor Attack" are two of the longest rounds in the game. "Speeder" has Luke and Leia trying to shoot down stormtroopers on speeder bikes and blow up rods that block your way. After that's done, they head to a bunker to take over an AT-AT and blow up satellites. "Endor Attack" begins at the Ewoks' village as Wicket leads Leia, Han, Chewie, and the droids from the village and across Endor to the bunker, where they blow up the main satellite. I got more pieces on "Speeder Showdown" (all that you can get in the regular mode) than "Endor Attack," but I ran into too many trees and got shot at too many times to earn True Jedi on either round.

Finished the night by finishing off the first season of The Dick Van Dyke Show. Stacey is "The Sleeping Brother" who is a great comedian only when he's sleepwalking. Rob's at wit's end to figure out how to get him to audition for Alan Brady, until he comes up with the idea of recording him.

Rob's surprise to encounter his old mentor Happy, a former radio writer, at a tie store. He hires him to work for The Alan Brady Show, but "The Return of Happy Spangler" doesn't go as well as he hoped. They get nothing done, because Happy keeps reminiscing about his days as a radio writer rather than working...but it's happy who gives Rob the idea for a final skit.

That was fun. No wonder this continues to be one of the most influential of all sitcoms. It was the first show to put as much emphasis on the lead character's unusual job as his home life. Rob and Laura's relatively sexy and intense relationship and Laura's fairly casual wardrobe (including her capris) were also revolutionary at the time. Not every episode has dated well; its treatment of the female characters, whether Rob questioning Laura working or Sally being desperate to get a man, any man, can be a bit sexist at times. There's also Rob working for a variety show, the type that today is generally seen only on late-nights or as a one-off special during holidays.

If you're a fan of the cast or want to check out one of the seminal sitcoms, or just need a laugh, you'll want to get to know the Petries and their friends and families, too.

Dolls In Maytime

It was already in the 70's when I emerged this morning. Had breakfast and opened the windows while watching more Dick Van Dyke Show. "The Curious Thing About Women" is how Laura reacts to her name being used in Rob's sketch about a wife who opens her husband's mail. She doesn't like people thinking she's nosy...although she can't resist opening a certain package for Rob that arrives on their doorstep...

Let the disc run while I made the bed. Rob's wondering "Who Owes Who What?" when he finds a canceled check from Buddy and thinks his friend owes him money. He doesn't know how to ask him for it, until he comes up with the idea of using one of their sketches to do it.

Switched to 50's ballads and Elton John as I dressed the dolls for warmer weather. In the books, Samantha's birthday is in May. She gets to wear her pink striped Birthday Dress and Ruffled Pinafore with the pinkish-lavender pearly boots from her Ice Cream Dress. Jessa is in (Ivy's) terrycloth Rainbow Romper with her purple jelly sandals. Josefina wears one of my favorites of her retired outfits, her colorful red, white, and gold Dress and Vest. Put Molly in a hand-made version of her very hard-to-find Victory Garden Dress.Ariel and Whitney both get Our Generation outfits. Whitney looks cute in the lavender cabbage rose early 60's-style dress with the lavender net petticoat, net stockings, and shiny purple strap shoes. Ariel is one of my few dolls who can fit into the tight lavender sundress with the hot pink pineapple print and crocheted white shrug. (Left Felicity in her pink Birthday Pinner Outfit. I don't really have much to change her into.)

Called Mom after I finished the dolls. I hadn't actually talked to her in a while; she only texted on my birthday and Easter. Turns out there was a reason for that. She put her house on the market...and got several interested buyers almost instantly. I kind of get the feeling she wasn't expecting to her house to sell so fast, probably because of that unfinished room. She has to finish cleaning up her home and find a place to live before the end of the summer, not an easy task in a summer resort and when she's still working at the Ferry, too.

Headed out as soon as I let her go. It was a gorgeous day for a walk. You'd never know it was so cold and gloomy yesterday. Today was hot, humid, and sunny, probably in the lower 80's. There were lots of people out and about, mowing lawns and walking dogs, as I made my way through the neighborhood and down to the Dollar General on the White Horse Pike. I needed cleaner for the sink and counter in the kitchen. I got in around 1:30, and they were still pretty busy with beginning-of-the-month people. Good thing a second person finally opened after I'd been in line for five minutes.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I dropped by Dad and Jodie's house to see how they were doing. I mainly wanted to know if they were going to open the pool this year, given how Dad's been feeling. Got that answer the moment I arrived and saw the two of them clearing debris and mucky water off the pool cover. I was wondering if I needed to buy a new bathing suit this year. Mine is badly stretched out. Looks like I do. They'd just started pumping the dirty water off the pool; they'll be doing this for a few days.

When I got in, I cleaned the kitchen while watching more Dick Van Dyke. "The Boarder Incident" occurs when Rob invites Buddy to stay with them while his wife Pickles is out of town. He brings Larry the dog, a ton of furniture, and his gargling at night and staying up to all hours. Laura and Rob can't figure out how to get rid of him. Rob finally confronts him at work.

Rob wants to "Punch Thy Neighbor" when his buddy next-door Jerry (Jerry Paris) makes jokes about this week's Alan Brady Show not being good. When Jerry comes back from a dinner with Rob with a black eye, rumors start to fly...and they get worse when Rob accidentally hurts Laura, too.

Richie asks "Where Did I Come From" while he and his parents look at old photos one night. Rob launches into the complicated story of how he was so nervous about Laura's pregnancy, he rushed home without his pants and with an (accidental) black eye and ran into several cars. They ended up having to take a laundry truck to the hospital.

Richie's proud to be learning "A Word a Day." His parents are proud of him, too, until one of those new words he brings home turns out to be a dirty one. Rob thinks that the new family on the block might be where his son is picking up his blue vocabulary.

Worked on writing after I finished the kitchen. Luke's horrified when Vader and Ben's duel nearly burns half the building and them with it. Ben finally steps back, letting himself be burned by Vader's fire...and giving the others a chance to escape.

Broke for leftovers at quarter after 6. Ate, and then made chocolate chip muffins while watching the Backyardigans hour-long special "Robot Rampage." Austin the kangaroo is a robot repairman in futuristic Mega City, where robots never break...until Tasha, Uniqua, and Tyrone's personal robots go haywire! Now the kids have to figure out how to wrest control of their robots from the evil Professor Bug (Pablo), before he takes over the whole city!

Played Lego Star Wars for an hour after the muffins were in the oven and while they cooled. Finished New Hope with the Trench Run round, then did the first two rounds of Empire, "Hoth Battle" and "Escape From Echo Base." The only one I did badly on was "Hoth Battle." I can't figure out how to dodge the many walkers and TIE Fighters that come after you, get enough walkers down to get the pieces, and keep from losing studs. I didn't get close to True Jedi and only got a few pieces. While I didn't get too many more pieces on the other two rounds, I did get True Jedi on both. (Just barely on "Escape.")

Finished the night with Maytime. I go more into this romantic vehicle for singers Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Maytime

And a final Wookie roar to the original Chewbacca, towering Peter Mayhew, who passed away today. He was the 7-foot British man in the furry bodysuit in the Original Trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, and The Force Awakens (and supervised his replacements in The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story). A real-life gentle giant who also appeared in Ray Harryhausen movies of the 1960's and 70's, Mayhew was apparently as sweet as Chewie is under all that fur. He and Han Solo were my favorite Star Wars characters during my childhood (along with Leia and Lando), and he will certainly be missed.

Spring Cleaning and Other Day Off Tales

Awoke to a cloudy, cold day, much colder than it has been lately. It actually felt rather cozy as I had breakfast and put on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Mel Cooley is so impressed with Laura after she dances at a party, he lets her fill in for a dancer on The Alan Brady Show. He eventually offers her a contract, to the dismay of Rob, who's been eating frozen meals all week. He has to decide "To Tell or Not To Tell" his wife that she may have a shot at a dancing career.

Charlie had come up shortly after I started breakfast. He started putting the new siding on the house as I was leaving. Despite the gloomy day, I had to get all the paperwork I needed to renew my food stamps. I'd already planned on volunteering there today anyway. I organized the DVDs, then went on the computers to print out my electrical bill, once I finally remembered the password, and made a copy of my rent. (I still haven't figured out how to get my printer at home working.)

Next stop was a quick pop into Five Below. They sell electronics accessories, including ear phones. The only ear phones I have are the small ones I use for my iPod when I travel. I wanted a larger pair that would be more comfortable, so I can watch YouTube and online streaming after 10 PM without bothering the residents downstairs. Found a neat pair with a padded band in bright coral red.

I was mainly there to print out my pay stubs. I direct deposit my paychecks. One of the head managers helped me get onto the computer. From there, it was easy to print everything out. I didn't really need anything else. Bought a pretzel for a snack and headed out.

Ducked around Charlie when I got in, then went right into signing the remaining paperwork. Slid everything into the envelope that came with it, then took it downstairs and put it in the mailbox. I'm now glad that I had these three days off in a row. Unlike last year, when I had to rush to get everything out by the right time, this time I'm pretty proud that I got everything in the mail three days ahead of schedule.

Made a quick chocolate-banana smoothie when I came back upstairs, then started the spring cleaning. Scrubbed the bathroom and drowned out Charlie's potty mouth with more Dick Van Dyke. Laura has to remind Rob and Buddy that "Sally Is a Girl." They tend to treat her like one of the guys and forget she's even female half the time. Rob attempts to be a gentleman and take her out to dinner, which makes Mel and Buddy think they're having an affair.

Buddy's saying "Buddy, Can You Spare a Job" when he gets Mel and the others to write a bad letter of recommendation to get him to leave, only to not get the job. Sally and Rob find someone even more obnoxious to annoy Mel into taking Buddy back.

"Empress Carlotta's Necklace" is huge and gaudy, too much for Laura's taste. She can't bring herself to tell Rob that she loathes it. Rob bought it from a jewelry salesman and is thrilled about it. It takes a visit from Rob's parents to give Laura a way to get rid of the necklace without hurting Rob's feelings.

Did some writing after I finished the bathroom. Luke and Leia are chased to the edge of the unfinished catwalk...but Leia has a better solution for getting across the room than swinging. Her flame allows her to fly. She easily carries Luke to the other side of the room, where they join Chewbacca and Harris behind the Falcon. They're about to leave when Luke sees Ben and Vader burst into the room...and Luke doesn't like how the fight's going...

Broke for dinner at 6. Made macaroni and cheese with broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and the last of the ham and asparagus in the refrigerator. Yum! The white sauce came out a bit clumpy, but it mostly tasted delicious, just the thing to hit the spot on a chilly day.

Did one more Dick Van Dyke episode as I ate. Rod's buddy Sol from the episode where he met Laura turns up at his house one day for a visit. He'd be happier if the sponsor of The Alan Brady Show wasn't coming for dinner. Sol is a loud mouth mechanic and car salesman with questionable taste. Things don't look like they're going well for "Sol and the Sponsor" when he gets into an argument with the man over his taste in cars, only to end up helping him solve a major problem.

Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. The two rounds that have you rescuing Princess Leia are long and involved. Thankfully, I did find a way to build the mosaic in the second without getting shot at. The "power up" ball that you get from one of the explosives in the room lets you move twice as fast...and build twice as fast! I actually managed to get True Jedi on both rounds, though not much in the way of pieces. Both of these rounds will require far more exploring in Free Play.

Getting Ready for Vacation

It was gorgeous when I got up this morning, hot and sunny. It was a wonderful day to tidy up the apartment! After breakfast, I aired out the rag rug in the bedroom and the welcome rug in the kitchen, vacuumed, covered the loveseat cushions with a sheet (Lauren sleeps on the loveseat when she's here), scrubbed the bathroom sink and toilet, and went over everything that showed with a dust rag.

Ran Summer Rental as I worked. Jack Chester (John Candy) is a burnt-out air traffic controller who is pretty much forced to take a month's vacation with his family after causing a mix-up at work. At first, everything seems fine - their house is gorgeous, with a private beach. Things start going wrong even before they realize they're at the wrong address. Jack gets sunburned badly, the actual house is a dilapidated hulk on a noisy party beach, and he gets into a feud with stuck-up local big-shot Al Pellet (Richard Crenna). When Pellet ends up owning the house and tries to throw them out, Jack insists they can beat him at the town's regatta. He turns to his friend Scully (Rip Torn), who has been teaching him the ins and outs of sailing. Scully and his crew own a parked boat/restaurant, the Barnacle, that's perfect for the race. The rest of the family finally joins Jack, Scully, and his renegades in restoring the boat and entering the race, proving that the family that works together, kicks snob rear together.

Very 80's comedy that's evidently based after a real-life bad beach vacation producer Bernie Brillstein had. While not as horrible as critics claimed at the time, it's nothing you haven't seen in countless other comedies about summer adventures or "slobs vs snobs." Necessary if you're a fan of Candy; decent time-waster for anyone else.

Switched to Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA as I moved outside to sweep the porch. The fuzzy seed pods - and the pollen - have been absolutely dreadful this year. I got a big tumbleweed of the things off the porch, then pushed another off the sagging side, climbing around the railing as best I could with the bad hand.

Had lunch and got ready for work while watching an episode of Moonlighting. "Money Talks - Maddie Walks" in the early second season when Maddie finds out that her accountant who stole her money ran off with his ill-gotten gains to Buenos Aires. She follows him to his new casino, hoping to win her money back. David goes after her.

Work was even quieter than yesterday. We weren't even busy at rush hour. For one thing, at that point, it was still a beautiful day, sunny, humid, and really too warm for this time of year, in the upper 80's. For another, we're between holidays. It probably won't get busy again until Memorial Day weekend. I did a few returns when I came in, but I spent the majority of the day outside gathering carts.

Got lucky a few times, too. One of the grocery managers had a birthday today. There was a cake with wonderfully sweet icing for him in the back lounge room that we all got to share. And the woman in charge of the self-checkout registers didn't want the other half of her turkey hoagie and offered it to me, as she'd been eating outside and I was still doing carts. That was perfect. I wouldn't need to cook dinner on a hot day when I was dead tired from being outside for so long.

(The only fly in the ointment today, so to speak, was that pollen. I spent most of the day sneezing, with watery eyes and a runny nose, even after I took allergy medicine.)

Grabbed a box of tissues on the way out, then headed home. Watched Garfield In the Rough while eating the hoagie and two strawberry muffins. Garfield is less than thrilled when Jon announces that they're going camping. Where's his TV and lasagna? He's no sooner gotten used to the idea of communicating with nature when they learn that there's a panther loose in the area...and they could be its next victims if they don't evacuate soon!

Spent a few hours writing after dinner. Everyone separates into different carts. Leia rides on Luke. Wedge and his men lead the groups that will invade Solo Castle. Ahsoka and the Rebels crew will create a distraction in the marketplace to keep the guards from the castle. Lando and his men will fight the guards at the castle's entrance.

Jyn asks Leia about Han. She sadly explains that he was kidnapped by Palpatine and taken to Solo Castle, and that he was the prince they were looking for. Leia can no longer feel Han's energy in the Force, and she and Luke are very worried about him. Chirrut, Baze, Cyril, and Artello (via flute) all agree that they'll help her find the missing prince, no matter what.

Broke at 8 for a shower, and then to watch The Great Muppet Caper while going online. Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo are reporters and a photographer for a big city paper who are sent to cover the story of London fashion designer Lady Holliday (Diana Rigg) whose diamond necklace was stolen. Kermit almost immediately runs into Miss Piggy, who is hoping to become a model. She lies about being Lady Holliday at first to gain Kermit's favor. He takes her out to a fancy nightclub (supper club)...where there's a second jewel robbery. Piggy is framed by Lady Holliday's dastardly brother Nick (Charles Grodin), who has an odd crush on her. It'll take all the Muppets' creativity and ability to work together to save Lady Holliday's "Baseball Diamond" from being stolen by the real thieves!

My personal favorite Muppet movie along with Muppets Take Manhattan is one of their funniest, with enough four walls broken to start a brick store. Grodin's especially having fun as the obvious bad guy with a thing for pigs. If you love the Muppets, comic mysteries, or are just looking for a good family movie, this is one of their better ones.

Thankfully, the dark clouds didn't arrive until almost a half-hour after I got home. It's thunderstormed for most of the evening. Lauren is worried about downed branches on the New York-Albany track. She doesn't leave until 11 - hopefully, they'll have them cleared by then.

Harvests and Yard Sales

It was raining when I got up this morning, but by the time I was eating breakfast, the showers were long gone. Cheered up a morning that was still cold and gloomy with The Backyardigans. Uniqua goes into "The Heart of the Jungle" to find the home of Sherman the Wormen. Tyrone, Pablo, and Austin are a trio of Tarzans, each one representing something Tarzan is famous for (talking to animals, being strong, not saying much). Uniqua is a scientist and has no time for their pulp fiction nonsense...but for all that she teaches them, they have some things to teach her, too.

While it remained cloudy and cool when I headed out around quarter after 9, it was also dry. I figured it was ok to run errands, starting with this week's Collingswood Farm Market. I'm not the only one, either. Despite the chill, they were packed when I arrived. I saw the first strawberries of the season and an adorable baby goat being fed in a pen. They're still a bit low on produce at this point; most booths are selling plants, herbs, and flowers. I just ended up with a hot house tomato and a bag of greens.

Rode around Westmont and Haddon Township for the next three hours, checking out yard sales. While a few families did postpone or cancel due to the weather, most figured they'd wait and see what Mother Nature did. It remained cloudy and windy, but it never rained. There were tons of houses having sales. It was almost as busy as Audubon was a few weeks ago, especially in the "Bluebird" neighborhood on the edge of Collingswood and Westmont and on the streets behind the old Westmont Theater.

While I didn't do as well as I did with the previous town-wide yard sales, I did make some good finds. Picked up a travel-themed journal and a glass beverage jar in Westmont, the book The Silver Crown by Robert O'Brian in the neighborhood behind the Haddon Township High School, and The Last Unicorn on DVD and two records at a sale in the Bluebird neighborhood. The records:

Nat King Cole - Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

Soundtrack from Midnight Cowboy

Finally headed back towards Oaklyn around noon. Stopped at the Oaklyn Library to finally do a quick volunteering session there. The only person there the entire time was the librarian. I reorganized some kids' DVDs, but was otherwise in and out.

One of the reasons the Library was so quiet may have been the Spring Fling fair taking place just down the road on West Clinton. The Oaklyn School PTA holds a small fair, with rides and games for the kids, every year in mid-May. Along with the bounce houses and games and a swing ride for the little guys, I saw several craft booths, a booth for the lady with the chickens, and a food truck. Saw nothing I couldn't live without and moved on.

As soon as I got home, I put most of my finds away. Filled the glass jar with water, raspberries, and chopped strawberries to make berry infused water. Had lunch while watching a couple of episodes of Sailor Moon. "Usagi Vs. Rei: Nightmare In Dreamland" takes the duo, Ami, and Luna to a local amusement park. Ami heard that guests have been disappearing and suspects that the Negaverse is involved. Rei takes her assignment too seriously, while Usagi just wants to have fun on the rides. They have to figure out how to work together when Ami is trapped with other people whose energy is being stolen by a creepy Audio-Animatronic doll.

Continued on to "I Want a Boyfriend: The Luxury Cruise Ship Is a Trap" as I scrubbed the inside of the refrigerator, another job I only do a few times a year. Usagi is upset when Rei wins tickets on an exclusive luxury cruise line and invites Ami but not her. She uses the Luna Pen to stow away...then discovers that the whole thing is a Negaverse trap set up by a watery monster.

Put on Pontoffel Pock, Where are You? as I cleaned up from the refrigerator and made the bed. Pontoffel Pock just lost his job at a pickle factory and wishes he could get away from it all. A fairy grants his wish, giving him a magic piano that can take him anywhere. His first trip to a small mountain town ends in disaster after he shows off a little too much. His second brings him to the girl of his dreams, "eyeball dancers" Eefa Neefa, but he loses her during the take-off. He has to figure out how to get back to his girl...and the fairies have to figure out where he went with that piano!

Put on the records I bought today as I dusted the bedroom. It always takes me a while to thoroughly dust the bedroom. That's where I keep most of my collections, including the 12-inch and 18-inch dolls and the majority of my books. Tried to re-arrange the American Girl books to give them more room, but I just have too many. Thankfully, I was able to lift most books with one hand (though I did leave the heavier books in the crate I use as a bedside table.)

The Acme used to play "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer" during the season in question a few years ago. This is one of Nat King Cole's more fun albums. Along with the delightful title number, we have nicely done standards of the early 20th century like "A Bicycle Built for Two" and "In the Good Old Summertime."

The soundtrack of Midnight Cowboy is best-known for introducing the Harry Nilsson hit "Everybody's Talkin'." John Barry's score isn't bad, either. There's some nice tracks here that ably capture the gritty world of the two New York grifters.

Enjoyed Cowboy so much, I went to the opposite end of the 60's and ran the soundtrack for Breakfast at Tiffany's. This one is also about two lost souls in New York, and it also produced a pop hit, the Oscar winner "Moon River." That's about where the resemblances end. The tale of a call girl and the would-be writer who lives upstairs has a more delicate and wistful flavor, with cha-chas and mambos and gentle horns.

Worked on some writing after finishing the bedroom. Turns out Counselor Mon Mothma's wine cellar is the meeting place for the Rebel underground, here literally underground. The older woman had been friends with Padme Amidala Skywalker when she was on the Royal Council and expressed her sorrow over their deaths. Leia explains about why Luke can't be there before Jyn arrives, telling her friend that Cassian and Kay are spying on Palpatine and they've been working with Mon Mothma since they left Scarif.

Had leftover tacos for dinner around 6:30. Ran an episode of Scooby Doo, Where are You? while I ate. Mystery Inc is asking "Which Witch is Which?" when a wrong turn during a fishing trip lands them at a spooky swamp. The area is supposedly haunted by a witch and a zombie she created, but the gang finds a lot more lost in the bog than voodoo magic.

Went for a walk after Scooby Doo ended. It was still windy and cold and getting darker by the minute, but I'd been inside all afternoon. Besides, the McHughs were having a huge, noisy party at their house next door that included kids screaming around. I figured the rest of the neighborhood would be quieter. Celebrated having finished my spring cleaning with my first treat from Phillies Yummies of the year. Had a cotton candy "Yum Yum," a creamy and gritty water ice. The clouds were getting even darker, and I was worried that the rain would finally arrive. I ate it as I strolled home (passing the kids screaming for the Mr. Softee truck as I did).

Ran The Last Unicorn as I cleaned up and got organized. Amalthea is the title character, the last unicorn left in the world. She sets out to find what happened to the others of her kind and is promptly captured by a nasty old witch with a traveling circus. The kind-hearted but incompetent magician Schemedrick (Alan Arkin) sets her free and joins her on her journey. They're later joined by Molly (Tammy Grimes), the older woman who had been traveling with a man who is often called "Robin Hood" but is nothing of the kind. They run across the evil Fire Bull at the seaside castle of King Haggard (Christopher Lee). Schemedrick transforms Amalthea into a frail but beautiful human to keep her from being captured by the bull. She ends up falling for Haggard's far more gentle son Lir (Jeff Bridges)...but as she falls deeper in love, she starts to forget her magic. She must decide if she wants to fight the Red Bull and restore her kind, or remain with her beloved prince.

Dark fantasy tale was the last theatrical release of Rankin-Bass, best known for their holiday specials and the animated Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. This is a beautiful but bizarre movie, with a meandering plot line and more than a few dark or morbid moments that still freak out kids to this day. While the cast may be one of the best assembled for any 80's animated film, most of them can't sing, making some moments on the soundtrack rather painful. Farrow does do well as the unicorn and transformed beauty when she's not singing; Grimes and Arkin are also excellent as her traveling companions. And it's too bad that some of the songs aren't performed better, as the score is quite good, including the hit title song by America.

If you've got older kids who love fantasy and are ready for some of the darker aspects of the story, they may enjoy this as much as Rose and I did when we were kids in the 80's.

Ended the night with the Disney Tarzan. The House of Mouse offers a slightly different take on the story of the King of the Jungle. We actually do get to see his origins here, including how he was adopted by a gorilla mother (Glenn Close) who just lost her own child, and how he grew up among apes who taunted him for being different. He works hard to prove he's as good as any ape, whether he has a ton of hair or not. The arrival of a group of human scientists, including the intelligent and adorable Jane (Minnie Driver), brings many changes to Tarzan's (Tony Goldywn) life. His friends Terk the gorilla (Rosie O'Donnell) and Tantor the elephant (Wayne Knight) wish he'd stick closer to home, but he's fascinated by these strange "humans"...and he's falling for Jane. Like Amalthea, he now has to decide where he really belongs, before the hunter Clayton (Brian Blessed) attempts to shoot every animal in the African jungle.

As much as I love Goldywn and Driver as a pitch-perfect Tarzan and Jane and Nigel Hawthorne as Jane's eccentric father, the rest of the cast isn't at their level. Knight's all right as the nervous pachyderm, but O'Donnell's Brooklyn bray is totally out of place in the jungle and takes one out of the 1880's setting. Her big number "Trashing the Camp" has nothing to do with the plot besides giving her and some of the other gorillas something to do. Clayton is one of Disney's worst animated villains, too obvious and annoying. They should have stuck with the big cat who preyed on several characters early in the film as a bad guy.

While not Disney's best adventure film, this isn't bad, either. Fun for older kids and young teens who'll be able to handle the mild violence, including several deaths and a lot of gunplay.

And after the clouds lingered all day, they finally burst around 8...sending everyone scurrying downstairs. And when it rained, it thunderstormed. Got pretty loud there for a while, actually. It's long gone now, though it looks like it's going to rain for a lot of the week.

Spring Cleaning Mysteries

It was cloudy and a bit cool when I got up this morning. Ran more Be Cool, Scooby Doo while I ate breakfast and got organized to cheer things up a bit. The gang is "Eating Crow" when they find themselves on a farm that's being terrorized by a moving scarecrow. Fred's attempts to show off for a pretty farmer's daughter, Velma's hay fever, and Daphne's obsession with finding a pet of her own distract them from finding clues. Good thing Shaggy and Scooby are paying attention to the behavior of Beth's father and their neighbor...

Headed out to do the laundry around 11:30. I probably should have left the load in the dryer longer - I was doing towels and a bath mat this week, along with the usual clothes - but I didn't have the money. I had to get quarters off a man there when my dollar bill was too crinkly for the change machines.

As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then headed back out. I wanted to go for a walk, hit the Oaklyn Library, and have lunch. The first part went very well. It sprinkled slightly while I was in the laundromat, but by quarter after 1, the sun was trying to come out. The tulips and daffodils are gone now, replaced by irises, azaleas, and lilacs. Their heady scents perfumed the air as I strolled down Manor, kicking up constant tumbleweeds of fuzzy seed pods from the trees.

The Oaklyn Library was closed when I arrived. Turns out they closed at 11:30 for some senior luncheon. Darn it! I strolled down to WaWa to buy a hoagie for lunch instead. Took my turkey and Swiss sandwich and bottle of lime Bubbly sparkling water to the picnic tables on West Clinton Avenue, where I enjoyed my lunch while enjoying the warmer, windy weather. (And this is the first time I've seen Bubbly in bottles. The Acme only has the cases of cans. It's not bad. The lime flavor comes across pretty well, anyway.)

Spent the next few hours after I got home dusting the living and dining area. Twice a year, in May before Lauren visits and late November before Christmas, I remove everything in the house - books, knick-knacks, CDs, DVDs, records - and thoroughly dust under them. Thanks to my bad thumb, I couldn't move the records, but I did manage to get pretty much everything else one-handed.

Finished the remaining Be Cool, Scooby Doo first season episodes as I worked. "I Scooby Dooby Do" has the gang taking part in the wedding of two friends of theirs. The groom is nervous about the legend of a bride who lost her groom on a cliff. The bride is superstitious about everything that might go wrong. The mothers hate each other. Shaggy's trying to figure out what he's supposed to say for his best man speech. Tomboy Velma hates the ridiculous Disney Princess bridesmaid gowns they're wearing for the ceremony. Shaggy's the one who eventually figures out how to bring the lovers together after the Ghost Bride destroys the wedding and nearly tears them apart.

The gang have their own Coco-esque encounter with the Mexican holiday The Day of the Dead in "El Bandito." The title character is the ghost of a legendary local bandit who supposedly left behind a fortune in gold. While Fred tries to become a legend in his own right, Daphne attempts to communicate with a long-dead relative, and Shaggy and Scooby freak out over there being a holiday celebrating skeletons and the dead.

They enter "In the Mouth of Madcap" while babysitting at a local amusement park. Daphne tries to focus on getting quiet Wayne to enjoy himself, something Shaggy and Scooby have no trouble doing. Fred would rather investigate the rumors of a killer clown operating out of a dilapidated fun house. Velma still has the same problems with clowns that came up in an episode of What's New, Scooby Doo? and tries her best to avoid the mystery.

Mystery Inc is off on a camping trip in "The Norse Case Scenario." Their trip is disrupted by the ghosts of vikings whose remains were found in the area. Fred and the others investigate as Daphne tries to prove her outdoor skills to get her own make-believe nature badge and keep them all out of "forest jail."

"Norse Case Scenario" isn't the last time the group is threatened with prison. The season finale "The People Vs Fred Jones" has Fred on trial for supposedly being the Toxic Mutant, a creature who roams a town that was abandoned in the 50's after it was flooded by sludge from a local factory. The district attorney is determined to prove that Fred is guilty. Too determined, if you ask Fred's lawyer Daphne, who got her "law degree" on a video game. That DA is definitely hiding something...

On one hand, some individual episodes were really interesting. "Norse Case Scenario" and "People Vs. Fred Jones" points out that a lot of the kids' breaking and entering would likely get them jail time in real-life, something fans have called the show on for years. "Sorcerer Snacks Scare" briefly revives the idea of bribing Scooby and Shaggy with Scooby Snacks...and points out how annoying the constant bribery got after a while in the original series. (Despite Fred saying they had something there, they never do it again after that episode.) My favorite episode was "I Scooby Dooby Do," which was surprisingly touching and sweet. And there's some interesting callbacks to other Scooby series, such as Velma's fear of clowns and some of the designs of the monsters resembling earlier shows.

While the show does follow the spirit of the better Scooby entries, it still has problems with tone. It's the opposite of Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated, which tried way too hard to be dark and edgy. This one is trying way too hard to be snarky and goofy, like a kid-oriented version of Family Guy and The Simpsons. Neither tone really suits this franchise. I can kind of understand why it barely made two seasons. They do get Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby right, but Fred comes off as obnoxious and Daphne as much too silly.

If you're already a fan of the Scooby franchise, Be Cool is worth checking out. Younger kids and newcomers will want to try the original Scooby Doo, Where are You? or What's New, Scooby Doo? before they get anywhere near here.

Worked on writing for a few hours after I finished dusting the living room. Sir Wedge Antilles and his fellow guards lead Ahsoka, Leia, and the others to the palatial home of Counselor Mon Mothma. Wedge and his men were once the queen's personal guards, but when she died, Palpatine reassigned them elsewhere. Despite the town being in mourning for the lost royal Solo family, the activities of the Mid-Summer Festival are going to continue...including those revolving around the Great Confluence...

Moved onto Badlands while making tacos and steamed asparagus for dinner. Holly Sargis (Sissy Spacek) is a 15-year-old in a small South Dakota town in 1959 who is tired of her dead-end life and her estranged relationship with her crusty father (Warren Oates). She finds excitement and acceptance when she falls for Kit (Martin Sheen), a young garbage man who is ten years her senior and as charismatic as her favorite actor James Dean. Her father disapproves of her running around with a guy from the wrong side of the tracks...and after Kit learns that the man killed her dog, he shoots him. They burn the house down and go on the run. Their tree house home in Montana provides Holly with a relationship to nature she's never known before, but it ends when they're discovered by bounty hunters, whom Kit kills. A visit with a friend of Kit's named Cato (Ramon Bieri) also ends with Cato and two others dead. The duo take off across Montana, stopping at a rich man's home to gather supplies and steal the man's car. Holly is not only tired of being on the run by this point, she's starting to realize that she no longer has the same feelings about Kit that she once did. He's looking less exciting and more like a sociopath. She wants to give up...but he's ready to keep running for that ever-distant mountain somewhere.

I think I ended up enjoying this one a lot more than Bonnie and Clyde, and not because it's a tad less blood-soaked. There's a gentle, gritty realism to this film that the slicker, slightly more glamorous 60's movie lacks. It was director Terrence Malick's first movie, and he hit it out of the park. The cinematography is beautiful, highlighting the contrast between the spectacle of nature and the down-home darkness of the troubled lovers. Sheen and Spacek have a wonderfully odd tenderness about them that makes it all the harder when their relationship begins to deteriorate towards the end.

This wasn't a hit with audiences or critics when it came out in 1973. Most critics have warmed up to it since then, with many calling it a masterpiece. If you love crime movies, Malick's work, or Sheen and Spacek, the Criterion DVD is absolutely worth looking around for.

Ended my night on a much lighter note with Hot Shots! Part Deux. This one goes for parodying the Rambo movies and other bloody action films of the 80's and early 90's. Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen) is called back into action when several platoons of men go missing in the Persian Gulf, including his old sergeant (Richard Crenna). He finds himself pulled back into the war, and into a relationship with Ramada (Valeria Gollino) who left him after the first movie, despite her being married to a prisoner of war (Rowan Atkinson). Their group has to rescue the hostages and find out who's behind the sabotage on the first missions.

I actually like this one much better than the first movie. The gags are even funnier, and Lloyd Bridges has more fun as the now-President Tug Benson, continuing with his "lost a body part in every major war" gags from the first movie. Some of the cracks at the ridiculously bloody war movies of the 80's are especially funny. (And I loved Sheen family reference to Apocalypse Now.) If you liked the first one, you may enjoy this one even more.

Busy, Busy Spring

I had a lot to do on a busy morning, starting with making a new collage after breakfast. Up until last year, I used to make a collage out of old catalogs once a season, usually once every two or three months. I haven't been shopping as often as I used to...and haven't been getting as many catalogs as I used to, either. Finally got enough (including a few I've had around for as long as five years) to make one.

Ran an episode of Wonder Woman as I clipped and glued pictures. "Skateboard Whiz" takes Diana Prince to a small town in southern California for what she hopes will be a relaxing vacation. Turns out the town is being threatened by a gangster who has already set up an illegal gambling den behind a local arcade. When the daughter of one of her friends accidentally sees the casino and their plans, they go after the kid...and Wonder Woman springs into action and goes after them.

Put on my ABBA Greatest Hits CD as I moved on to more vigorous chores. First on the list was scrubbing the trash canisters and my bike. While I normally do this twice a year, in May after it gets warm and October before it gets cold, I think I'd like to start washing the bike a little more often. I'll see if I can pull off once a month. Charlie didn't have the hose hooked up in the back yard yet. I settled for washing them with water in a bucket.

When the canisters were drying on the porch, I went into heavy vacuuming, at least as much as I could with my sprained thumb. I couldn't lift a lot of furniture one-handed, but I could run the attachment around the baseboards. This is another twice-a-year chore. The apartment doesn't get that dirty very often.

After I vacuumed, I did a little bit of organizing in the back room. I first found a box to unload my recycling in. I'd wanted to clear out Christmas books, but I mostly got rid of holiday picture books. I really don't need the books for little kids.

Broke for lunch around 1. Did a couple of cartoons featuring Mickey, Minnie, and their pets while I ate yogurt, a banana, and blueberry Breakfast Bars. "The Nifty Nineties" is one of my favorite Mickey/Minnie shorts. Mickey and Minnie show us what life was like in the 1890's as they stroll through the park, take in a vaudeville show, and encounter other Disney characters during a wild car ride.

It's "Bath Day" for Figaro. He's embarrassed by Minnie washing him and putting a bow on his neck. He fights with a bunch of alley cats to prove how tough he is, to Minnie's dismay.

Mortimer, a thinner, slicker mouse, is "Mickey's Rival" in a classic late 30's short. Mortimer invades Mickey and Minnie's picnic, showing off for her in a way that makes Mickey and his little jalopy look like a fool. Mortimer is the one feeling foolish when he unleashes a bull and flees...but it's Mickey and his car who end up saving the day.

Headed out around quarter of 2. First stop on the agenda was Dollar Tree. I needed a Mother's Day card for Mom and a friendship/thanks for coming card for Lauren. I also found a nifty striped notebook. My journal is almost done - time to replace it. It was the quietest in there I'd ever seen it, with no line.

The Haddon Township Library was much busier. They had tons of movies - kids, adults, and TV show sets - to shelve and organize. Big stack of audio books, too. I did end up taking out a few films. Thought Legend of Tarzan sounded like good B movie fun. Continued exploring the films of the 60's and 70's with Dog Day Afternoon and Badlands. Warners finally put out the second half of the first season of Be Cool, Scooby Doo! a few months ago. I wasn't that crazy about the first half, but I figured I might as well finish out the season. (Especially since it sounds like it wasn't terribly successful; Warners recently indicated that its truncated second season will be its last.)

Headed home across Newton Lake Park. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for early May in Southern New Jersey. The sky was a brilliant blue. The air was cool and fresh, but not cold. The sun was just warm enough on my back and sparkled like gold dust on the green velvet ribbon of the lake. The breeze whistled through my hair. I wasn't the only one out and about, either. The park was teeming with kids off of school, joggers, dog walkers, fisher-folk, boaters, and sun bathers. I pushed my bike up the path on the hill past the Haddon Township Environmental Center and Museum to avoid them. (Someone cleaned up the path since I last went that way, putting down wood chips on the end that comes out by the Museum and marking the beginning of the path with two large rubber tubes.)

Did some writing when I got in. Ahsoka finally admits to Leia that his killing children and other Jedi was the reason Anakin was always so soft on his own children. He regretted his part in Palpatine's reign of terror for the rest of his life. It was part of the reason he fled Coruscant and the remnants of the Jedi Order.

The group finally arrives at the gate surrounding Coruscant City a few hours later. The head of the guards, Sir Wedge Antilles, is a supporter of Mon Mothma, who runs the Rebel Underground. He also recognizes Ahsoka and Hera and her family and is more than willing to let them in. Luke can't stop eyeing him, even as a unicorn...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers, then made Strawberry-Almond Muffins for work tomorrow. Ran The Sound of Music as I worked on the muffins, then went online. How do you solve a problem like Maria (Julie Andrews), a nun who is too spirited for her Austrian order? Send her to be the governess for Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his eight children. The kids have driven away other governesses, but they take a shine to Maria after she sings to them to calm them during a storm. The Captain banned music after the death of his wife. Maria thinks that's ridiculous and uses her own methods to teach the kids to sing. They do it so well, they soften both their father's views and that of his fiancee the Baroness Elsa (Eleanor Parker) towards music. Their father, however, still refuses to allow them to sing in public...and it's becoming clear that he's falling for Maria. She returns to the convent at first, but her Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood) finally sends her back. Things fall apart quickly after the wedding. It's 1939, and the Germans want Von Trapp in their army. He's against the Nazis and won't work for them. His family finally flees Austria instead, after they give a stirring performance at the Saltzburg Music Festival.

This movie has the reputation for being syrupy and too sweet. I can understand where people got that impression, what with songs like "The Lonely Goatheard" and the holiday standard "My Favorite Things," not to mention all those kids. It's pretty much a romantic drama until the sudden left turn into dark Nazi territory in the last half-hour or so. It's also way beyond too long, almost three hours long, in fact.

Sweet or not, it still holds up as one of the best musicals ever made. As Rick Steves pointed out in his episode on Saltzburg, that's the real Austria the family's singing in. It gives the movie a feel of immediacy that many studio-bound musicals lack. The glowing countryside becomes almost as important of a character as the humans dancing across it. The cinematography was Oscar-nominated; the movie itself, director Robert Wise, and the music, sound, and editing won. Andrews and Wood were also nominated for their fine performances. I like Plummer as the stern father (even if his singing had to be dubbed). He gets my favorite song from this show, the lovely ballad "Edelweiss." Other good songs here include "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" for oldest daughter Lisel and her sweetheart Rolf and "Climb Every Mountain" for Wood.

This is one of the great American film musicals. If you love Andrews, musicals, or composers Rodgers and Hammerstein and have a lot of time on your hands, this one is a must-see.

May the Fourth Be With You!

Began another hot, sunny day with an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures (the second episode of the series, in fact) to celebrate Star Wars Day. Plucky is "A Quack in the Quarks" when he's duck-napped by alien exchange students. They believe his constant bragging and think he can stop Duck Vader from destroying their home planet. Babs, Buster, and Hamton go after him.

Worked on writing for a while after breakfast. Han finally punches Palpatine out and runs into his mother's bedroom. She's dying...and looks far older than her actual age. Palpatine has been stripping her energy. She tries to explain to her son what he's really up to, but she's too weak...and dies in his arms.

Broke at noon to have lunch, then clean the kitchen. Started Revenge of the Sith while I worked. Instead of doing the full trilogies, I thought I'd watch my favorite of the prequel and original trilogies today. (I'm saving The Last Jedi, my current favorite of the two sequels, for when Lauren visits.)

Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan MacGregor) emerge from the Clone Wars as the hottest Jedi team around and the closest of friends. Anakin's having his own problems, however. The Jedi Council senses darkness in him and refuse to grant him the status of Master or a seat with them. They assign him to keep an eye on Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDermid) after he and Obi-Wan rescue him from Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). After he has a vision of his wife Padme (Natalie Portman) dying in childbirth, he's eager to hear Palpatine's suggestions that he may have powers that can make people live forever. Anakin's desperation to save his wife and show everyone that he's the most powerful person in the galaxy has tragic consequences for the Jedi Order, his family, and everyone around him.

This is by far my favorite of the prequel films, though it it still has its problems. Some of the dialogue remains clunky, and there's far too much Clone Wars and too little explanation. Anakin turns way too quickly to the dark side! I would have liked to have seen more of what made him change sides. This also has the same problems with an over-reliance on now-dated CGI as Attack of the Clones.

The movie benefits from a more interesting and less murky plot than the previous prequels and improved performances. While their romantic dialogue is still off, Christensen and Portman have better chemistry and sound more like a couple, especially when she announces that they're going to have a few additions to the family. MacDermid and MacGregor get top honors as the ultimate villain in sheep's clothing and the teacher who doesn't understand why his best friend suddenly turned on him.

If you can only see one prequel movie, make it this one. It's better-acted than the other two, more interesting, has a better plot, and has more bearing on the other films in the series. In fact, I consider this to be the most underrated film in the entire Star Wars franchise to date.

Headed out to work as soon as I finished in the kitchen. I wish I hadn't. While it wasn't bad when I came in, work picked up around 2:30 and stayed busy the rest of the day. I got stuck in the register most of the day, panicking so badly, my stomach was in knots and I was in tears when I got off. No one was really mean, but I just wasn't ready to suddenly be tossed on the register after I've barely been in them for two years. We're just that short-handed. Five people are out on some kind of leave or the other; three of those brand-new cashiers they just hired a week or two couldn't handle the job and quit.

I rushed out as soon as I could. Took the long way home to settle my stomach and calm down. Despite the traffic on Nicholson, it was still a nice day for a ride. At that point, it remained sunny, with a stiff wind despite the dry lower 90's temperatures.

Went for a short but pleasant walk around the neighborhood after I ate. Dark clouds and cooler winds were starting to roll in, even as I strolled down Goff Avenue. The trees are almost fully green now, their leaves growing bigger every day. Tulips and daffodils are giving way to azaleas and geraniums in gardens. Lawns show less and less brown and more emerald. The cooler night encouraged people to share a pint with friends at Tonewood Brewery and buy ice cream with their children at Phillies Yummies.

When I got in, I changed, then had dinner and made chocolate cupcakes for the Acme's spring employee luncheon. Did a few more Star Wars and sci-fi cartoon spoofs as I worked. Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater parodied Star Wars as "Cat Wars." Tuxedo Sam Skywalker has to get Princess Kitty past Darth Catnip to her home planet of Caturn, with the help of Grandpa Catnobi.

Daffy Duck becomes a more typical galactic hero in "Duck Dodgers in the 24th and a Half Century." He and his sidekick Porky go to Planet X to retrieve a precious metal, but Marvin the Martian arrives at the same time. The planet may not be big enough for the two of them...or strong enough to survive their back-and-forth attacks. (For a more obvious Star Wars connection, I've read that many theaters in 1977 showed this before New Hope.)

Finished the night with The Empire Strikes Back after a shower. This is not only my favorite of the original trilogy films, it's my favorite movie, period. Three years after they destroyed the Death Star, the Rebellion has been driven to the frigid planet of Hoth. While Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) receives a message from the late Obi-Wan (Sir Alec Guinness) to train with Yoda (voice of Frank Oz) on Dagobah, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is more interested in pursuing a reluctant Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). Yoda may look like a goofy little green Muppet, but he proves to Luke that size and looks matter not when he puts him through a rigorous training routine. Fleeing the Empire, Leia, Han, Han's co-pilot Chewbacca (Peter Mahew), and perpetually worrying droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) end up in Bespin, run by Han's very smooth buddy Lando (Billy Dee Williams). Evil cyborg Darth Vader (David Prowse), however, is using the others as bait to trap Luke. Luke finds himself set against the darkest villain in the universe...and on the receiving end of a very startling revelation about his parentage...

New Hope may have the whiz-bang fun and Return of the Jedi the happy ending, but this one manages to take the series into far darker corners than anyone expected, including the infamous cliffhanger with Han and Vader's declaration. The performances are excellent across the board, especially James Earl Jones as the voice of the galaxy's worst boss, Oz as the alternately wise and wacky Yoda, and Fisher and Ford (reluctant though he may have been to return) as the lovers. The special effects are even better here, too, especially in Bespin and the Battle of Hoth. (And this is pretty much the only movie that was actually enhanced by the new effects added for the Special Editions.)

Widely considered by many to be a masterpiece today, you owe it to yourself to catch this one, not only for sci-fi fans, but for fans of good movie-making in general.