We started a hot, sunny morning with more WENN. There's "Magic" in the air when the staff discovers sabotage in on their own airwaves and Betty finds that Victor Comstock is closer than she thinks. It's a busy late night in the third season opener "In the WENN Small Hours." Betty is trying to find out what's going on with Victor Comstock while waiting for the others to return. When Eugenia's explorer guest catches them together, they have to think fast to keep Victor's survival a secret.
We finally headed for Collingswood out around quarter of 11. It was already hot and killer humid, at least into the 90's. At the very least, it was also sunny and breezy, an improvement considering it rained the last two years we did our Collingswood/Philly trip. We had lunch at Tortilla Press. They'd been open a half-hour by the time we got there, and we only saw a few groups in the dining room, including parents with an adorable little boy. Lauren had steak tacos and an iced tea. I had strawberry, bacon, and brie quesadillas with strawberry-jalapeno glaze. We shared a plate of sweet potato fries. Mine was messy but absolutely delicious, and not as hot as I thought it would be with the jalapeno glaze.
We took the 12:28 train into Philadelphia, getting off at 12th Street and Locust. We were just going to keep things simple, due to the heat (and several of our favorite smaller Philly stores having closed in the last few years). We headed straight to the big FYE on Broad Street, exploring them for about an hour and a half. I picked up the original Barry Manilow TV version of Copacabana, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles In Time, and something I've been looking for, the first and second season set for the original 1969 Scooby Doo, Where are You? (I did the buy two, get one for a dollar used sale again. The Turtles were the dollar movie.) Lauren bought A Letter to Four Wives for her parents and a lot of wrestling DVD sets for her.
We headed through City Hall and over to the Market Street Macy's after we made our purchases. They were a bit less busy than FYE, for once. Lauren found two blouses for work in a style her local Macy's no longer sells. I picked up a nice floral blouse that was on sale for $12.98.
We retraced our steps and took a very, very full 3:30 train back to Collingswood. We were hot, sweaty, and tired, and Lauren was hungry. Stopping at the Pop Shop was practically a requirement. I took advantage of their Milkshake of the Month and had a delicious German Chocolate Shake, with lots of big chocolate cake pieces. She had sliders and an Orange Cow ice cream soda (orange soda, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup).
We were even hotter and sweatier when we finally made it back to my place. We spent the rest of the day indoors. We first played Pac Man Party. Lauren won the Spooky Hallow game; she kept getting my haunted houses. Played a few rounds of Kirby's Epic Yarn after that.
I made a very simple dinner of Tuscan Tuna Bean Salad (tuna and white beans in a vinegar-based dressing) on a bed of spinach for dinner. We listened to the soundtrack from Three Little Words (I think it's the only record I have with Red Skelton on it) as we ate.
I put on Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach after dinner. Commander Lassard is retiring. Captain Harris is hoping to take over his job, but first, he has to help Lassard take the Academy graduates to Miami Beach for a convention. What they find are beach gags, Lassard's laid-back nephew, and a trio of jewel thieves. The thieves take Lassard hostage during a party. While the others try to get him back, Harris and his yes-man Proctor go off on their on after Lassard in the hope of getting promotions.
Despite the loss of Steve Gutenburg, I've always liked this one. Maybe because it showed up frequently on cable in the late 80's - early 90's. At the very least, the Miami Beach setting is unique, and it has slightly more of a plot than some of the previous entries. If you love the series, or just the snobs-vs-slobs comedies of the 80's, this one is worth checking out.
Ran more WENN next. We've made it up to the early third season and some of my favorite episodes, including the funny and suspenseful season opener "In the WENN Small Hours," the hearbreaking "Who's Scott Sherwood?', and the hilarious "Two For the Price of One."
We finished the night with DuBarry Was a Lady. Lauren and I both love this cute musical that has Red Skelton dreaming he's Louie the Eighth, Lucile Ball is the scandalous lady of the title, and Gene Kelly is a dashing revolutionary.
Tomorrow, Lauren and I will be taking a bus this time to the Voorhees Library to check out the County Library Book Sale and take a walk around the Voorhees Town Center. I need to go grocery shopping, too.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
I'm Into Something Good
I slept until about 8:30-9 AM. I let Lauren sleep about an hour longer before having breakfast. We ran one more Tiny Toon Adventures travel episode while she got dressed and organized and I ate. It's "High Toon" when Buster and Babs make a wrong turn and find themselves in a Wild West town that's being attacked by outlaws. They corral Plucky and Hampton to first help them find the outlaws, then save the town.
There couldn't have been a nicer day for a walk. When we headed out around 11, it was sunny and breezy, without a hint of humidity. June is busting out all over the neighborhood. The trees are shades of green that would make emeralds jealous. The pansies and roses are up now; the tiger lilies look like they'll be out in a week or two.
Our first stop was the House of Fun. Things were a little more organized than they were the last time I visited. They even had all the arcade games turned on. Alas, we didn't have any luck this time around. We both walked out empty-handed. The comic book store next-door wouldn't open for another 20 minutes. We moved on.
We hiked past the noon traffic on the White Horse Pike to Abbie Road on Market Street. We spent a half-hour or so browsing around Bob's store. Lauren chatted with Bob about New England sports. We both did much better here. Lauren bought a couple of rock albums for her and some country and gospel albums for her dad, including The Elvis Prestley Gospel Album. I ended up with:
Patti LaBelle - Greatest Hits
Rupert Holmes - Greatest Hits (I had to, despite it being 10 dollars - the first track is the theme from Remember WENN)
Wilson Phillips - Wilson Phillips (I loved my cassette copy of this as a kid.)
Rosemary Clooney - 16 Most Requested Songs
Tina Turner - Simply the Best
We hiked down to the Audubon Crossings Shopping center after leaving Abbie Road. It was 1:30 by then. We were both hungry, and Lauren doesn't eat in the mornings. We had lunch at Sonic. It was too nice to eat indoors! We had the Ciabatta Grilled Chicken Sandwich with tater tots. She had a Raspberry Sonic Splash. I had my favorite Cherry Limeaide. We enjoyed lunch and the music. The patio was surprisingly quiet for a nice day. I think more people were using the drive-in window.
We did a little more shopping next. We had more luck with that small Game Stop in the mall. Lauren found something called The Blob 2. I picked up Super Smash Bros Brawl (for 25 dollars - that's the cheapest I've ever seen that one) and Kirby's Epic Yarn for $17.99. I did pretty well at Avenue, too. They've always been good to me. I got a turquoise tank top on sale for about 6 dollars and a pair of black shorts for 30.
It was getting hotter and hotter by 2:30, and the wind was starting to die down a bit. We decided to avoid the rush hour traffic on the Black Horse Pike and head home. We spent the next few hours after we got in playing video games. We started with Super Smash Bros Brawl. Lauren played Kirby; I was Princess Peach. I think we were pretty evenly matched. We played until we got tired of smashing buttons. We switched to Kirby's Epic Yarn after that, picking up items we missed when we played last year.
Lauren played The Blob 2 while I made dinner. I pan-fried onions and mushrooms with the chicken sausages with cheese and garlic I bought on Friday and steamed snap peas. Tore up spinach and sliced a massive radish for vegetables. Our dinner was delicious...but it was even nicer to share it with a good friend, while listening to Herman's Hermits (Lauren is a fan of their lead singer Peter Noone).
We went for a quick walk after dinner. I needed money and milk at WaWa, and we both wanted snacks. It had cooled off a little by then, and the breeze had picked up again. Lauren got a soda and a bag of Funyuns. I got a Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake Smoothie and a bag of pretzels. WaWa was busy; there was a pretty good line, not surprising, given it was quarter of 7 when we were there.
After a shower, I joined Lauren online. We watched Meatballs first. The first movie in a long line of summer-camp based films has Bill Murray as the wacky head counselor of a small summer camp in Canada. While Murray befriends a lonely camper, the junior counselors chase each other and compete with the obnoxious rich kids from Camp Mohawk in various sports. If you're a fan of Murray, teen comedies, or summer camp movies, this one is still pretty enjoyable.
I put on more WENN after the movie ended. Right now, we're on "Strange Bedfellows." I'm going to run through the second season for Lauren. She requested more of the comedy-based episodes, and the second season has some of the funniest.
Tomorrow, we're going to explore Philadelphia and Collingswood as well as we can in what's supposed to be a very hot day.
There couldn't have been a nicer day for a walk. When we headed out around 11, it was sunny and breezy, without a hint of humidity. June is busting out all over the neighborhood. The trees are shades of green that would make emeralds jealous. The pansies and roses are up now; the tiger lilies look like they'll be out in a week or two.
Our first stop was the House of Fun. Things were a little more organized than they were the last time I visited. They even had all the arcade games turned on. Alas, we didn't have any luck this time around. We both walked out empty-handed. The comic book store next-door wouldn't open for another 20 minutes. We moved on.
We hiked past the noon traffic on the White Horse Pike to Abbie Road on Market Street. We spent a half-hour or so browsing around Bob's store. Lauren chatted with Bob about New England sports. We both did much better here. Lauren bought a couple of rock albums for her and some country and gospel albums for her dad, including The Elvis Prestley Gospel Album. I ended up with:
Patti LaBelle - Greatest Hits
Rupert Holmes - Greatest Hits (I had to, despite it being 10 dollars - the first track is the theme from Remember WENN)
Wilson Phillips - Wilson Phillips (I loved my cassette copy of this as a kid.)
Rosemary Clooney - 16 Most Requested Songs
Tina Turner - Simply the Best
We hiked down to the Audubon Crossings Shopping center after leaving Abbie Road. It was 1:30 by then. We were both hungry, and Lauren doesn't eat in the mornings. We had lunch at Sonic. It was too nice to eat indoors! We had the Ciabatta Grilled Chicken Sandwich with tater tots. She had a Raspberry Sonic Splash. I had my favorite Cherry Limeaide. We enjoyed lunch and the music. The patio was surprisingly quiet for a nice day. I think more people were using the drive-in window.
We did a little more shopping next. We had more luck with that small Game Stop in the mall. Lauren found something called The Blob 2. I picked up Super Smash Bros Brawl (for 25 dollars - that's the cheapest I've ever seen that one) and Kirby's Epic Yarn for $17.99. I did pretty well at Avenue, too. They've always been good to me. I got a turquoise tank top on sale for about 6 dollars and a pair of black shorts for 30.
It was getting hotter and hotter by 2:30, and the wind was starting to die down a bit. We decided to avoid the rush hour traffic on the Black Horse Pike and head home. We spent the next few hours after we got in playing video games. We started with Super Smash Bros Brawl. Lauren played Kirby; I was Princess Peach. I think we were pretty evenly matched. We played until we got tired of smashing buttons. We switched to Kirby's Epic Yarn after that, picking up items we missed when we played last year.
Lauren played The Blob 2 while I made dinner. I pan-fried onions and mushrooms with the chicken sausages with cheese and garlic I bought on Friday and steamed snap peas. Tore up spinach and sliced a massive radish for vegetables. Our dinner was delicious...but it was even nicer to share it with a good friend, while listening to Herman's Hermits (Lauren is a fan of their lead singer Peter Noone).
We went for a quick walk after dinner. I needed money and milk at WaWa, and we both wanted snacks. It had cooled off a little by then, and the breeze had picked up again. Lauren got a soda and a bag of Funyuns. I got a Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake Smoothie and a bag of pretzels. WaWa was busy; there was a pretty good line, not surprising, given it was quarter of 7 when we were there.
After a shower, I joined Lauren online. We watched Meatballs first. The first movie in a long line of summer-camp based films has Bill Murray as the wacky head counselor of a small summer camp in Canada. While Murray befriends a lonely camper, the junior counselors chase each other and compete with the obnoxious rich kids from Camp Mohawk in various sports. If you're a fan of Murray, teen comedies, or summer camp movies, this one is still pretty enjoyable.
I put on more WENN after the movie ended. Right now, we're on "Strange Bedfellows." I'm going to run through the second season for Lauren. She requested more of the comedy-based episodes, and the second season has some of the funniest.
Tomorrow, we're going to explore Philadelphia and Collingswood as well as we can in what's supposed to be a very hot day.
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
So Happy Together
Got a fast, early start this morning with an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures that involved vacations and travel. The Toons go "Around Europe In 30 Minutes" when Plucky wins a trip in a contest. Their tour is a big bust at first, at least until they make it to England and discover a plot to kidnap the royals! Buster and Babs try to thwart the kidnappers, while Hampton and Plucky avoid a chef who wants them for that night's dinner.
Moved to Strawberry Shortcake In Big Apple City while finishing breakfast. Strawberry doesn't have much more luck with her trip. She's on her way to the title city to take part in big bake off that's going to be on TV. The Peculiar Purple Pieman is also in the contest. He'll do anything to win the Gazebo that's the big prize. Strawberry meets friends in the city who help her along the way, including artist Orange Blossom and model Lemon Meringue.
I headed out to the laundromat around 9:30. I had a really big load to do, including sheets, and I just couldn't put it off until later in the week. I timed it right. There were only a few people when I came in (including a few managers cleaning washers), and no one when I left. I listened to talk shows and Let's Make a Deal and read one of the Samantha American Girl mysteries, The Stolen Sapphire.
When I got in, I ran another Tiny Toons episode as I put away my laundry and got organized. "No Toon Is an Island" when they discover a map that leads to buried treasure. They learn a lesson in jealousy when the treasure sets them all quarreling, and then it disappears...
I headed out for my long errand run around 11 AM, starting with a stop at the Oaklyn Library. Though there were plenty of people on the computers when I got in, there really wasn't much to do. I organized some books in the kids' area, then moved on. Made a quick stop at WaWa for water and a pretzel.
Headed to Haddonfield next for lunch. It rained hard last night, but the clouds had begun breaking up as early as my trip to the laundromat. It was already getting hot and humid, even as I arrived on King's Highway. I had a quick lunch at Amino Burritos and Juice. They were pretty busy - it was quarter after 12 when I got in - but the line went fast, and I did get a table pretty quickly. My Chicken & Guacamole Petito (small) Burrito was tasty, but very mess. The Glow Juice - carrot, orange, and cantaloupe - was tasty, sweet, and such a bright shade of neon orange, it was aptly named.
I had counseling next. I told her about how happy I was to finish my story, be on vacation, and that my best friend was going to visit later...and how frustrated I am with work. We pretended I was greeting my co-workers. I do say "hello" to them. I just don't fit in with them. It's not that I dislike them. It's just that I have nothing in common with them. Most of them don't understand how badly I want to change things, and how much I don't fit in. I want to work somewhere small and quiet, not filled with customers. I want to handle a few people a day, not five hundred. I'm just so scared about dealing with people, especially ones I don't know.
After I got out of Mrs. Stahl's office, I headed down to Westmont for some much-needed Primo's Water Ice. There was a line when I got there, but the chocolate-peanut butter water ice was worth the wait. There was plenty of peanut butter and a hint of cherry. I watched cars go by and enjoyed my treat.
The Haddon Township Library was next on the to-do list. They were even quieter than the Oaklyn Library. I shelved kids' DVDs, audio books, and a few new novels, but they had people around to do the adult DVDs. I was in and out of there in a half-hour. Made a quick run to Dollar Tree for some things for Lauren and a new shower curtain.
This time, I finally did make it back to my apartment. I put on One Crazy Summer while sweeping the porch, putting up the shower curtain, and doing chores in the living area and bedroom. Hoops McCann (John Cusack) joins his best buddy in Nantucket for a summer of sun, fun, and learning about love. He learns a lot more than he ever bargained for when he falls for a singer (Demi Moore) who has a week to earn 3,000 dollars to pay for her father's home. A nasty seafood restaurant chain owner wants to buy it and tear it down to build his new residential homes. Their attempts to help her lead them to the Nantucket Regatta, where they discover the importance of teamwork while going up against the owner's spoiled son. Strange but fun if you love the "slobs vs snobs" comedies of the 1980's and early 90's.
Switched to Recess: School's Out as I made a quick dinner of scrambled eggs with spring vegetables and farm-fresh cheddar cheese. The kids of the Third Street School are on vacation and hitting summer camp, except for T.J Detwiller. T.J's convinced it's going to be a boring 12 weeks, but then he sees a laser being fired at the school, and the school's principal Mr. Prickley vanishes. He brings his friends back to help...and they discover a conspiracy to end summer vacation forever! If you love the animated show Recess, you'll get a kick out of this cute ode to time off.
I called Lauren around 6:50. Lauren was at the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia by that point. She'd had no problems on any of the trains or the stations. Jodie and Dad picked me up at quarter after 7. There was no traffic anywhere. Lauren arrived right on time.
When we got home, I showed Lauren the Ever After High dolls and my new stuffed animals (including Hee Haw the Donkey and Pluto the Tsum Tsum). We exchanged gifts. She gave me a pile of AG books and copies of movies she'd made. I gave her the items I bought her at Dollar Tree.
Lauren had been sitting on trains all day. We decided to go for a short walk down to Phillies Phatties after we'd gotten organized and stretch our legs. I forgot tonight is Studio LuLoo's kids' open mic night. West Clinton was awash in pre-teens and young teenagers. It looked like a block party. Lauren got a large lemon water ice, I got a small cinnamon roll ice cream, and we both ate them at my quiet apartment instead of listening to the kids.
Tomorrow, we're just going to go for a walk in Oaklyn and Audubon and sleep in. The weather is supposed to be the nicest it'll be all week, perfect for a walk. Meanwhile, I'm showing lots of Remember WENN to Lauren, currently "Popping the Question" from the late first season.
Moved to Strawberry Shortcake In Big Apple City while finishing breakfast. Strawberry doesn't have much more luck with her trip. She's on her way to the title city to take part in big bake off that's going to be on TV. The Peculiar Purple Pieman is also in the contest. He'll do anything to win the Gazebo that's the big prize. Strawberry meets friends in the city who help her along the way, including artist Orange Blossom and model Lemon Meringue.
I headed out to the laundromat around 9:30. I had a really big load to do, including sheets, and I just couldn't put it off until later in the week. I timed it right. There were only a few people when I came in (including a few managers cleaning washers), and no one when I left. I listened to talk shows and Let's Make a Deal and read one of the Samantha American Girl mysteries, The Stolen Sapphire.
When I got in, I ran another Tiny Toons episode as I put away my laundry and got organized. "No Toon Is an Island" when they discover a map that leads to buried treasure. They learn a lesson in jealousy when the treasure sets them all quarreling, and then it disappears...
I headed out for my long errand run around 11 AM, starting with a stop at the Oaklyn Library. Though there were plenty of people on the computers when I got in, there really wasn't much to do. I organized some books in the kids' area, then moved on. Made a quick stop at WaWa for water and a pretzel.
Headed to Haddonfield next for lunch. It rained hard last night, but the clouds had begun breaking up as early as my trip to the laundromat. It was already getting hot and humid, even as I arrived on King's Highway. I had a quick lunch at Amino Burritos and Juice. They were pretty busy - it was quarter after 12 when I got in - but the line went fast, and I did get a table pretty quickly. My Chicken & Guacamole Petito (small) Burrito was tasty, but very mess. The Glow Juice - carrot, orange, and cantaloupe - was tasty, sweet, and such a bright shade of neon orange, it was aptly named.
I had counseling next. I told her about how happy I was to finish my story, be on vacation, and that my best friend was going to visit later...and how frustrated I am with work. We pretended I was greeting my co-workers. I do say "hello" to them. I just don't fit in with them. It's not that I dislike them. It's just that I have nothing in common with them. Most of them don't understand how badly I want to change things, and how much I don't fit in. I want to work somewhere small and quiet, not filled with customers. I want to handle a few people a day, not five hundred. I'm just so scared about dealing with people, especially ones I don't know.
After I got out of Mrs. Stahl's office, I headed down to Westmont for some much-needed Primo's Water Ice. There was a line when I got there, but the chocolate-peanut butter water ice was worth the wait. There was plenty of peanut butter and a hint of cherry. I watched cars go by and enjoyed my treat.
The Haddon Township Library was next on the to-do list. They were even quieter than the Oaklyn Library. I shelved kids' DVDs, audio books, and a few new novels, but they had people around to do the adult DVDs. I was in and out of there in a half-hour. Made a quick run to Dollar Tree for some things for Lauren and a new shower curtain.
This time, I finally did make it back to my apartment. I put on One Crazy Summer while sweeping the porch, putting up the shower curtain, and doing chores in the living area and bedroom. Hoops McCann (John Cusack) joins his best buddy in Nantucket for a summer of sun, fun, and learning about love. He learns a lot more than he ever bargained for when he falls for a singer (Demi Moore) who has a week to earn 3,000 dollars to pay for her father's home. A nasty seafood restaurant chain owner wants to buy it and tear it down to build his new residential homes. Their attempts to help her lead them to the Nantucket Regatta, where they discover the importance of teamwork while going up against the owner's spoiled son. Strange but fun if you love the "slobs vs snobs" comedies of the 1980's and early 90's.
Switched to Recess: School's Out as I made a quick dinner of scrambled eggs with spring vegetables and farm-fresh cheddar cheese. The kids of the Third Street School are on vacation and hitting summer camp, except for T.J Detwiller. T.J's convinced it's going to be a boring 12 weeks, but then he sees a laser being fired at the school, and the school's principal Mr. Prickley vanishes. He brings his friends back to help...and they discover a conspiracy to end summer vacation forever! If you love the animated show Recess, you'll get a kick out of this cute ode to time off.
I called Lauren around 6:50. Lauren was at the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia by that point. She'd had no problems on any of the trains or the stations. Jodie and Dad picked me up at quarter after 7. There was no traffic anywhere. Lauren arrived right on time.
When we got home, I showed Lauren the Ever After High dolls and my new stuffed animals (including Hee Haw the Donkey and Pluto the Tsum Tsum). We exchanged gifts. She gave me a pile of AG books and copies of movies she'd made. I gave her the items I bought her at Dollar Tree.
Lauren had been sitting on trains all day. We decided to go for a short walk down to Phillies Phatties after we'd gotten organized and stretch our legs. I forgot tonight is Studio LuLoo's kids' open mic night. West Clinton was awash in pre-teens and young teenagers. It looked like a block party. Lauren got a large lemon water ice, I got a small cinnamon roll ice cream, and we both ate them at my quiet apartment instead of listening to the kids.
Tomorrow, we're just going to go for a walk in Oaklyn and Audubon and sleep in. The weather is supposed to be the nicest it'll be all week, perfect for a walk. Meanwhile, I'm showing lots of Remember WENN to Lauren, currently "Popping the Question" from the late first season.
Monday, June 08, 2015
I Wanna Go On Vacation!
Started a windy, slightly cloudy morning early with breakfast and chores. I turned the mattress, stripped the sheets off the bed, put on the light summer sheets and the summer quilt. and made the bed. Tidied up around the apartment, too. Cleaned and fixed up the Disney Princess Toddler dolls, who got messed up from sitting next to the bed.
Ran The Great Mouse Detective while I worked. Since I just finished the Sherlock Holmes novels A Study In Scarlet and The Sign of Four, I figured it was appropriate. The Holmes in this case is Basil of Baker Street, mousedom's most famous detective. Dr. Dawson arrives at Baker Street with little Olivia Flaversham, who is determined to see Basil. Her father, a toymaker, was kidnapped by a bat...a bat with ties to Ratigan (Vincent Price), the most famous rodent criminal. An altercation in a toy shop costs them the kid as well. Now they have to rescue not only the girl and her father, but Queen Mousetoria herself from Ratigan's scheme to take over the British Empire!
This was overshadowed by American Tail when it came out in 1986, but it ended up being a decent-sized hit on its own, enough to convince Disney to give animation another chance after The Black Cauldron flopped. Today, it's something of a cult classic, thanks to the nifty animation (including that intense showdown at Big Ben in the finale), suspenseful mystery, and wonderfully hammy characters. Price had apparently wanted to do a Disney movie for years. He took to the role of Ratigan with a relish usually reserved for flesh-and-blood villains and later said it was his favorite role. I have fond memories of seeing this in the theater with Rose when I was barely older than Olivia.
If you love mysteries, Sherlock Holmes stories, or are looking for a more action-oriented Disney movie, this is still as much fun as it was when I was a kid and is highly recommended.
Ran Max & Ruby as I got ready for work. "Grandma's Berry Patch" is a great place for Ruby to pick berries for Grandma's special surprise recipe...and for Max to eat them. Ruby and Louise want to make "Ruby's Bunny Scout Banner" the best their troop ever had, but Max's running around doesn't make that easy. When Mrs. Quack, one of Ruby's favorite toys, vanishes, it's "Ruby's Detective Agency" to the rescue!
Work was mostly dead, though we did start getting busier during the evening rush hour. There were some annoying customers. One woman threw a fit when I asked to look at the pamphlet in her WIC Check holder, after she'd gotten at least three items wrong and held up the line. We don't have any other way of finding out what's part of the WIC program and what isn't. They got rid of the pamphlets we had up front after they revamped the program in January and never replaced them. And nobody bothered telling me my relief came in early and I was supposed to shut down on my own - I figured that out for myself.
I had a few things to pick up on my way out. I don't drink a lot of soda, but Lauren does. I picked up a 1-liter dollar bottle of Pepsi and a couple of bottles of Sparkling Ice and the Acme's generic version of it for her when she arrives tomorrow. They were also having a good sale on my favorite jam, the Smucker's Orchard's Finest. I went with Triple Berry Preserves.
When I got home, I ran more Max & Ruby while getting organized. Ruby and Louise go on "Ruby's Safari" to find exotic creatures, but they keep finding Max's toys instead. The girls make their spa cleaning products from all-natural fruits and vegetables, but "Max's Mud Bath" proves to be the most natural beauty ritual of all. "Max's Lost Lizard" is a chameleon who gets loose while the girls are preparing his terrarium, much to Max's delight.
Switched to Moonlighting as I had sauteed spinach and mushrooms and the last leftover chicken leg for dinner. "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" for Maddie and David in this classic second season episode. The two are bringing photos to a husband who wants to catch his wife cheating. He may be buying a famous old nightclub...one that saw a murder in the later 40's. A woman and a man killed the woman's husband and went to their graves claiming the other did it. Maddie thinks the man did it; David thinks it was the woman. Their argument turns into two black-and-white spoofs of 40's movie cliches. Maddie's pokes fun at wronged woman melodramas like Mildred Pierce and Humoresque. David's is a satire of film noir and prison dramas.
While David and Maddie never did decide who was at fault, they gave me an excellent idea for my own Remember WENN film noir spoof. I was never quite satisfied with my first fanfiction venture into 40's mystery. From what I've heard, Rupert Holmes had originally planned a spoof of The Maltese Falcon for the fourth season, but it was dropped, for some reason. I always wondered what that would have been like...
It's set during the late third or early fourth season. Hilary and Scott hear the story of a woman who was arrested for her role in a smuggling ring or some similar crime and who had been involved with a private detective who was also implicated on the news or in the paper. Hilary instantly takes the woman's side - the detective probably betrayed her. Scott takes the detective's side - he got into trouble for doing his job.
As with Maddie and David, we'll see each of their sides of the story. Hilary is the woman who got involved with the thieves through no fault of her own. She's ultimately thrown over by both the detective (Scott) and her ex-husband (Jeff), who is always chasing other women. Scott's the private eye whom Hilary drags into the case and into bed, losing him the love of the sweet girl he really cares for (Betty). Pruitt will probably be the Sydney Greenstreet who is in charge of the smuggling operation. I want this to be a little darker and more adult than my first mystery spoof and The Adventures of the Crimson Blade, closer to what I had in mind for the first mystery I did.
And...as of tomorrow, I'm on vacation! I'm kind of glad Lauren doesn't arrive until late. There's a lot I have to get done tomorrow, including laundry, counseling, and library trips.
Ran The Great Mouse Detective while I worked. Since I just finished the Sherlock Holmes novels A Study In Scarlet and The Sign of Four, I figured it was appropriate. The Holmes in this case is Basil of Baker Street, mousedom's most famous detective. Dr. Dawson arrives at Baker Street with little Olivia Flaversham, who is determined to see Basil. Her father, a toymaker, was kidnapped by a bat...a bat with ties to Ratigan (Vincent Price), the most famous rodent criminal. An altercation in a toy shop costs them the kid as well. Now they have to rescue not only the girl and her father, but Queen Mousetoria herself from Ratigan's scheme to take over the British Empire!
This was overshadowed by American Tail when it came out in 1986, but it ended up being a decent-sized hit on its own, enough to convince Disney to give animation another chance after The Black Cauldron flopped. Today, it's something of a cult classic, thanks to the nifty animation (including that intense showdown at Big Ben in the finale), suspenseful mystery, and wonderfully hammy characters. Price had apparently wanted to do a Disney movie for years. He took to the role of Ratigan with a relish usually reserved for flesh-and-blood villains and later said it was his favorite role. I have fond memories of seeing this in the theater with Rose when I was barely older than Olivia.
If you love mysteries, Sherlock Holmes stories, or are looking for a more action-oriented Disney movie, this is still as much fun as it was when I was a kid and is highly recommended.
Ran Max & Ruby as I got ready for work. "Grandma's Berry Patch" is a great place for Ruby to pick berries for Grandma's special surprise recipe...and for Max to eat them. Ruby and Louise want to make "Ruby's Bunny Scout Banner" the best their troop ever had, but Max's running around doesn't make that easy. When Mrs. Quack, one of Ruby's favorite toys, vanishes, it's "Ruby's Detective Agency" to the rescue!
Work was mostly dead, though we did start getting busier during the evening rush hour. There were some annoying customers. One woman threw a fit when I asked to look at the pamphlet in her WIC Check holder, after she'd gotten at least three items wrong and held up the line. We don't have any other way of finding out what's part of the WIC program and what isn't. They got rid of the pamphlets we had up front after they revamped the program in January and never replaced them. And nobody bothered telling me my relief came in early and I was supposed to shut down on my own - I figured that out for myself.
I had a few things to pick up on my way out. I don't drink a lot of soda, but Lauren does. I picked up a 1-liter dollar bottle of Pepsi and a couple of bottles of Sparkling Ice and the Acme's generic version of it for her when she arrives tomorrow. They were also having a good sale on my favorite jam, the Smucker's Orchard's Finest. I went with Triple Berry Preserves.
When I got home, I ran more Max & Ruby while getting organized. Ruby and Louise go on "Ruby's Safari" to find exotic creatures, but they keep finding Max's toys instead. The girls make their spa cleaning products from all-natural fruits and vegetables, but "Max's Mud Bath" proves to be the most natural beauty ritual of all. "Max's Lost Lizard" is a chameleon who gets loose while the girls are preparing his terrarium, much to Max's delight.
Switched to Moonlighting as I had sauteed spinach and mushrooms and the last leftover chicken leg for dinner. "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" for Maddie and David in this classic second season episode. The two are bringing photos to a husband who wants to catch his wife cheating. He may be buying a famous old nightclub...one that saw a murder in the later 40's. A woman and a man killed the woman's husband and went to their graves claiming the other did it. Maddie thinks the man did it; David thinks it was the woman. Their argument turns into two black-and-white spoofs of 40's movie cliches. Maddie's pokes fun at wronged woman melodramas like Mildred Pierce and Humoresque. David's is a satire of film noir and prison dramas.
While David and Maddie never did decide who was at fault, they gave me an excellent idea for my own Remember WENN film noir spoof. I was never quite satisfied with my first fanfiction venture into 40's mystery. From what I've heard, Rupert Holmes had originally planned a spoof of The Maltese Falcon for the fourth season, but it was dropped, for some reason. I always wondered what that would have been like...
It's set during the late third or early fourth season. Hilary and Scott hear the story of a woman who was arrested for her role in a smuggling ring or some similar crime and who had been involved with a private detective who was also implicated on the news or in the paper. Hilary instantly takes the woman's side - the detective probably betrayed her. Scott takes the detective's side - he got into trouble for doing his job.
As with Maddie and David, we'll see each of their sides of the story. Hilary is the woman who got involved with the thieves through no fault of her own. She's ultimately thrown over by both the detective (Scott) and her ex-husband (Jeff), who is always chasing other women. Scott's the private eye whom Hilary drags into the case and into bed, losing him the love of the sweet girl he really cares for (Betty). Pruitt will probably be the Sydney Greenstreet who is in charge of the smuggling operation. I want this to be a little darker and more adult than my first mystery spoof and The Adventures of the Crimson Blade, closer to what I had in mind for the first mystery I did.
And...as of tomorrow, I'm on vacation! I'm kind of glad Lauren doesn't arrive until late. There's a lot I have to get done tomorrow, including laundry, counseling, and library trips.
Sunday, June 07, 2015
Musical Dolls
Since I didn't have to work until 2 today, I thought I'd get some things done I've been meaning to do, starting with the most leisurely Sunday breakfast I've had in weeks. It was nice to enjoy Blueberry Cinnamon Pancakes without rushing. I listened to the cast album It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman while I ate. Yes, there was a Superman musical in 1962...and alas, it's only a step above Spider Man Turn Off the Dark. Some good songs (including "You've Got Possibilities" for Linda Lavin) are overshadowed by a dated plot that has Superman brought down by a mad scientist and a Walter Winchell-like news columnist. For major Superman collectors or fans of the shows of the 60's only.
Switched to Curtains while I dressed the American Girl dolls. Curtains was the last show done by Kander and Ebb, with an assistance by Remember WENN's creator and writer Rupert Holmes. The star of a big show in the 50's dies while the show is trying out in Boston. Her death isn't exactly mourned by the cast - she was a terrible actress and was really dragging the show down. The police officer who covers the case (David Hyde Pierce) is show-struck and absolutely thrilled to be among show business folk. He helps them figure out the problems with the show while solving the crimes. Too bad this show didn't do well in the early 2000's - it's not the best that Holmes or Kander & Ebb did, but there's some nice music, including "A Tough Act to Follow" for Hyde-Pierce and the star's understudy and Hyde-Pierce's "Coffee Shop Nights."
The AG dolls were changed into lighter outfits for summer. Samantha wears the pink Frilly Frock Lauren sent for Christmas. Jessa wears the Rainbow Romper that was originally part of Julie's friend Ivy's collection with the jelly sandals from the Birthday Outfit. Josefina looks very pretty in her Weaving Outfit and beige moccasins. I had Whitney and Molly switch the outfits they wore last summer. Whitney got Kit's Yellow Floral Dress and turquoise flower hair clip with the knee socks from the School Outfit. Molly's wearing Kit's rare Scooter Dress with the yellow shoes and cloche hat. Felicity wears a blue and white floral gown I bought for her from a doll clothes booth at the Deptford Mall several years ago.
Since it was still relatively cool, I baked chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies while listening to Crazy For You. This 90's reworking of the 1930 Gershwin musical Girl Crazy only slightly revises the story of a playboy who goes out west and falls for the postmistress of a small town. This time, instead of joining a boys' college, he's posing as a well-known producer and putting on a show that happens to include a slew of great Gershwin songs, both well-known and just re-discovered at that point, including my favorite, the hilarious comic lament "What Causes That?"
When the cookies were in the oven, I took down the general spring decorations and put up the summer items. It didn't take very long. I don't do a lot of decorating for summer. I'll put up the patriotic decorations for the Fourth of July after Lauren visits.
Work was busy through about 6 PM, after which it died quickly. Nothing out of the ordinary for a Sunday. We're usually busy on Sundays, even outside of football season. Some people can't shop any day but a Sunday. The beginning of the month crowd is just winding down, too. It was slow enough by 7 for me to shut down without a relief.
And I made a really interesting discovery on YouTube tonight. I remember seeing this lively musical version of Puss N' Boots on cable when I was little. It's a live-action play set in New Orleans during the early 1900's, from the costumes. I haven't seen it since the late 80's, and it's just as much fun as I remember.
Puss N' Boots musical
Switched to Curtains while I dressed the American Girl dolls. Curtains was the last show done by Kander and Ebb, with an assistance by Remember WENN's creator and writer Rupert Holmes. The star of a big show in the 50's dies while the show is trying out in Boston. Her death isn't exactly mourned by the cast - she was a terrible actress and was really dragging the show down. The police officer who covers the case (David Hyde Pierce) is show-struck and absolutely thrilled to be among show business folk. He helps them figure out the problems with the show while solving the crimes. Too bad this show didn't do well in the early 2000's - it's not the best that Holmes or Kander & Ebb did, but there's some nice music, including "A Tough Act to Follow" for Hyde-Pierce and the star's understudy and Hyde-Pierce's "Coffee Shop Nights."
The AG dolls were changed into lighter outfits for summer. Samantha wears the pink Frilly Frock Lauren sent for Christmas. Jessa wears the Rainbow Romper that was originally part of Julie's friend Ivy's collection with the jelly sandals from the Birthday Outfit. Josefina looks very pretty in her Weaving Outfit and beige moccasins. I had Whitney and Molly switch the outfits they wore last summer. Whitney got Kit's Yellow Floral Dress and turquoise flower hair clip with the knee socks from the School Outfit. Molly's wearing Kit's rare Scooter Dress with the yellow shoes and cloche hat. Felicity wears a blue and white floral gown I bought for her from a doll clothes booth at the Deptford Mall several years ago.
Since it was still relatively cool, I baked chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies while listening to Crazy For You. This 90's reworking of the 1930 Gershwin musical Girl Crazy only slightly revises the story of a playboy who goes out west and falls for the postmistress of a small town. This time, instead of joining a boys' college, he's posing as a well-known producer and putting on a show that happens to include a slew of great Gershwin songs, both well-known and just re-discovered at that point, including my favorite, the hilarious comic lament "What Causes That?"
When the cookies were in the oven, I took down the general spring decorations and put up the summer items. It didn't take very long. I don't do a lot of decorating for summer. I'll put up the patriotic decorations for the Fourth of July after Lauren visits.
Work was busy through about 6 PM, after which it died quickly. Nothing out of the ordinary for a Sunday. We're usually busy on Sundays, even outside of football season. Some people can't shop any day but a Sunday. The beginning of the month crowd is just winding down, too. It was slow enough by 7 for me to shut down without a relief.
And I made a really interesting discovery on YouTube tonight. I remember seeing this lively musical version of Puss N' Boots on cable when I was little. It's a live-action play set in New Orleans during the early 1900's, from the costumes. I haven't seen it since the late 80's, and it's just as much fun as I remember.
Puss N' Boots musical
Saturday, June 06, 2015
Fast Farm Market Food
Started off a fast morning with more Garfield travel specials. Garfield and John are off to a tropical vacation in Garfield In Paradise. Jon the cheap traveler books them into a dingy hotel where the con artist owner spouts Jack Benny jokes. Things are looking up when they rent a snazzy 50's car and hit the beach. Their tropical heaven turns into a bungle in the jungle when the car takes them to a doo-wop-worshiping natives...and a volcano about to explode!
I made a quick errand run this morning. I went out later than I'd planned, but I still managed to check out a few yard sales in Collingswood's town-wide yard sale and hit the farm market. The market was thick with people in town for yard sales who were buying produce for barbecues. Snap peas are back out, and I saw the first New Jersey blueberries, turnips, and green beans of the season. I ended up with asparagus, strawberries, blueberries, snap peas, and spinach. Didn't have as much luck with the yard sales - saw nothing of interest in the few I stopped at.
After I got home, I did another Garfield special while quickly getting ready for work. Jon and the pets are packing up for a trip to Tinseltown after they win a pet contest in Garfield In Hollywood. Jon originally organized the number, but Garfield and Odie don't think much of his ideas and cut him out. Garfield's convinced they'll win, but Jon worries that they may leave him behind.
Work was pretty much the same as it has been, off-and-on busy. Once again, other than some annoying customers, there were no major problems. My relief was late, but it slowed down enough by 4 PM that I was able to shut down. I picked up Acme's generic Multi-Grain Cheerios on sale and muffin papers (which I forgot yesterday), then headed home.
Spent the rest of the evening doing a deep-dusting under everything in my bedroom (which took two hours!) and watching cartoons. The animated version of Alice In Wonderland is one of my favorite Disney movies. Little Alice is a pretty normal Victorian kid who finds herself falling down a rabbit hole and into a crazy, mixed-up world where cats disappear and appear at random, walruses and carpenters chase oysters, dodos hold Caucus Races, and one never knows what size one will be next! Alice finally finds her way to the Heart Garden and the Queen of Hearts, but the Queen is a bad-tempered biddy who screams at everyone. When Alice ends up on trial, she has to think fast - and eat mushrooms faster - in order to find her way home.
Creative and fun, this is one of the more unusual Disney films. It may have been too unusual for its creator (Disney himself was said to be disappointed with it), but the animation is colorful and almost psychedelic at times, and there's always something new and unusual on the screen. If you're a fan of other versions of Alice or want to try some different Disney, give Alice a shot.
Finished the night with leftovers for dinner and some Backardigans episodes on travel. Spoiled Egyptian Princess Tasha discovers "The Secret of the Nile" when she and her three pages have to find presents to convince Spinx Uniqua to tell them why the Nile has disappeared. Adventurers Tyrone, Pablo, and Tasha "Follow the Feather" to find the Flying Polka-Dotted Pony, an amazing creature no one has ever seen. They brave the perils of a booby-trapped temple and a steep feather-shaped mountain with the help of Uniqua, the Mysterious Lady.
I made a quick errand run this morning. I went out later than I'd planned, but I still managed to check out a few yard sales in Collingswood's town-wide yard sale and hit the farm market. The market was thick with people in town for yard sales who were buying produce for barbecues. Snap peas are back out, and I saw the first New Jersey blueberries, turnips, and green beans of the season. I ended up with asparagus, strawberries, blueberries, snap peas, and spinach. Didn't have as much luck with the yard sales - saw nothing of interest in the few I stopped at.
After I got home, I did another Garfield special while quickly getting ready for work. Jon and the pets are packing up for a trip to Tinseltown after they win a pet contest in Garfield In Hollywood. Jon originally organized the number, but Garfield and Odie don't think much of his ideas and cut him out. Garfield's convinced they'll win, but Jon worries that they may leave him behind.
Work was pretty much the same as it has been, off-and-on busy. Once again, other than some annoying customers, there were no major problems. My relief was late, but it slowed down enough by 4 PM that I was able to shut down. I picked up Acme's generic Multi-Grain Cheerios on sale and muffin papers (which I forgot yesterday), then headed home.
Spent the rest of the evening doing a deep-dusting under everything in my bedroom (which took two hours!) and watching cartoons. The animated version of Alice In Wonderland is one of my favorite Disney movies. Little Alice is a pretty normal Victorian kid who finds herself falling down a rabbit hole and into a crazy, mixed-up world where cats disappear and appear at random, walruses and carpenters chase oysters, dodos hold Caucus Races, and one never knows what size one will be next! Alice finally finds her way to the Heart Garden and the Queen of Hearts, but the Queen is a bad-tempered biddy who screams at everyone. When Alice ends up on trial, she has to think fast - and eat mushrooms faster - in order to find her way home.
Creative and fun, this is one of the more unusual Disney films. It may have been too unusual for its creator (Disney himself was said to be disappointed with it), but the animation is colorful and almost psychedelic at times, and there's always something new and unusual on the screen. If you're a fan of other versions of Alice or want to try some different Disney, give Alice a shot.
Finished the night with leftovers for dinner and some Backardigans episodes on travel. Spoiled Egyptian Princess Tasha discovers "The Secret of the Nile" when she and her three pages have to find presents to convince Spinx Uniqua to tell them why the Nile has disappeared. Adventurers Tyrone, Pablo, and Tasha "Follow the Feather" to find the Flying Polka-Dotted Pony, an amazing creature no one has ever seen. They brave the perils of a booby-trapped temple and a steep feather-shaped mountain with the help of Uniqua, the Mysterious Lady.
Friday, June 05, 2015
Something Wonderful
First of all, I've started a new blog for my writing, The Writer's Desk at the Riverside! The Adventures of the Crimson Blade is the inaugural story. For those of you who didn't read it at my WENN fanfiction site or Fanfiction.net, here's another place to find my writing!
Writer's Desk at the Riverside
Today was my early work day. It was still cloudy and cold when I headed to work. It poured sometime during the morning - I heard some of my customers complaining about it. Otherwise, it was the same as yesterday, on-and-off busy with some annoying people, but otherwise no major problems.
My schedule is a late afternoon Sunday, then a normal 11 AM on Monday, and then...vacation! Lauren will be visiting starting late on Tuesday. We more-or-less have the same plans we did last year - mall visits, long walks, maybe an excursion to the furthest reaches of Goodwill with Jessa and Joe. I'm very much looking forward to it, as I always do, and Lauren is, too. Besides, after two weeks of practically non-stop work, I could use the time off, with or without a best friend by my side.
I didn't have a lot of grocery shopping to do. Unfortunately, the chicken sale was for the huge packs of cutlets. I couldn't fit them in my freezer! I settled on Italian chicken sausage that came to $1.99 with a manger's coupon and a pack of chicken tenderloins. I restocked chocolate chips, yellow cake mix, honey, mandarin oranges, and bananas. I had coupons for Dannon Activa Yogurt (went with the light vanilla), Oral B toothbrushes, and Gatorade. I needed the latter rather badly. It took me so long to figure out Fanfiction.net last night, I didn't go to bed until nearly 3!
By the time I got out, the rain was long gone, and the sun was emerging. I made a quick stop at America's Best to pick up my contacts, then headed out the back way around the former Golden Corral and down Merchant Street in Audubon to avoid as much of the Friday traffic as I could going home. The line going to the shore on the Black Horse Pike stretched for miles!
When I got in, I spent the rest of the evening dusting the entertainment area, then making chicken legs poached in lemon-wine sauce and honey-glazed carrots with the last of the lettuce for dinner. Ran The King and I while I worked. I've been meaning to watch the 1955 film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show for a while now, and with the show currently in revival on Broadway, I thought there was no time like the present. Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) has come to Siam (now Thailand) to teach the children of the King (Yul Brunner) in western ways. She and the King clash over many things, but especially over the house that the King promised Anna, but now refuses to build. Meanwhile, Tup Tim, a pretty young slave (Rita Moreno) is in love with the man who brought her to the country. Anna tries to encourage them, but the King sees her as property. Anna and the King do finally come to an understanding...but when Tup Tim and her lover try to escape, they discover just how much authority Anna has come to exert over the King and his country.
Kerr and Brunner are the thing in one of the best of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. Along with their strong acting, we get some incredible sets and costumes. Kerr's huge hoopskirts are so historically accurate, she actually lost weight wearing them during filming. Brunner won an Oscar as the stubborn King - the role was associated with him for the rest of his life.
This is a personal favorite of mine, tragic ending and all. If you love tragic romances or historical dramas, give this musical trip to Asia a spin.
Writer's Desk at the Riverside
Today was my early work day. It was still cloudy and cold when I headed to work. It poured sometime during the morning - I heard some of my customers complaining about it. Otherwise, it was the same as yesterday, on-and-off busy with some annoying people, but otherwise no major problems.
My schedule is a late afternoon Sunday, then a normal 11 AM on Monday, and then...vacation! Lauren will be visiting starting late on Tuesday. We more-or-less have the same plans we did last year - mall visits, long walks, maybe an excursion to the furthest reaches of Goodwill with Jessa and Joe. I'm very much looking forward to it, as I always do, and Lauren is, too. Besides, after two weeks of practically non-stop work, I could use the time off, with or without a best friend by my side.
I didn't have a lot of grocery shopping to do. Unfortunately, the chicken sale was for the huge packs of cutlets. I couldn't fit them in my freezer! I settled on Italian chicken sausage that came to $1.99 with a manger's coupon and a pack of chicken tenderloins. I restocked chocolate chips, yellow cake mix, honey, mandarin oranges, and bananas. I had coupons for Dannon Activa Yogurt (went with the light vanilla), Oral B toothbrushes, and Gatorade. I needed the latter rather badly. It took me so long to figure out Fanfiction.net last night, I didn't go to bed until nearly 3!
By the time I got out, the rain was long gone, and the sun was emerging. I made a quick stop at America's Best to pick up my contacts, then headed out the back way around the former Golden Corral and down Merchant Street in Audubon to avoid as much of the Friday traffic as I could going home. The line going to the shore on the Black Horse Pike stretched for miles!
When I got in, I spent the rest of the evening dusting the entertainment area, then making chicken legs poached in lemon-wine sauce and honey-glazed carrots with the last of the lettuce for dinner. Ran The King and I while I worked. I've been meaning to watch the 1955 film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show for a while now, and with the show currently in revival on Broadway, I thought there was no time like the present. Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) has come to Siam (now Thailand) to teach the children of the King (Yul Brunner) in western ways. She and the King clash over many things, but especially over the house that the King promised Anna, but now refuses to build. Meanwhile, Tup Tim, a pretty young slave (Rita Moreno) is in love with the man who brought her to the country. Anna tries to encourage them, but the King sees her as property. Anna and the King do finally come to an understanding...but when Tup Tim and her lover try to escape, they discover just how much authority Anna has come to exert over the King and his country.
Kerr and Brunner are the thing in one of the best of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. Along with their strong acting, we get some incredible sets and costumes. Kerr's huge hoopskirts are so historically accurate, she actually lost weight wearing them during filming. Brunner won an Oscar as the stubborn King - the role was associated with him for the rest of his life.
This is a personal favorite of mine, tragic ending and all. If you love tragic romances or historical dramas, give this musical trip to Asia a spin.
Thursday, June 04, 2015
Late Night Cartoons
It was still gloomy and cold this morning when the construction workers downstairs jolted me awake. They're now working under my bedroom, of course. I drowned them out with some Backyardigans. Uniqua's a "Fly Girl" who delivers singing telegrams in her pink bi-plane. Grumpy pirate Pablo, silence-obsessed Asian Indian queen Tasha, and abominable snowman Tyrone don't seem to appreciate her songs...or do they?
I made a quick run to the Oaklyn Library before work. There wasn't a whole lot going on over there, though there were quite a few people on the computers. I mainly shelved picture books and organized the board books in the kids' section.
Hurried home in time to change, eat a quick lunch, and do more Backyardigans. Uniqua and Tasha are pizza delivery girls in the Mexican jungle, bringing "Chitchen Itza Pizza" to Mexican Emperor Tyrone. The route through the jungle is fraught with peril, and Tasha tries to give up at several points. The girls finally learn the importance of perseverance...and bringing a king a good slice of pizza.
Work was a little busier than yesterday, otherwise same deal - on and off, with some annoying customers, including lots of people wouldn't bag. Other than that, there were no major problems. It was off enough by 6 PM for me to leave with no relief and no need for one. I bought a Caesar salad for dinner.
I spent the rest of the evening enjoying my salad and watching Wonder Woman. It's a commotion in the ocean when "The Deadly Dolphin" is stolen from an LA marine park. A greedy local millionaire wants to use the dolphin to get his hands on some prime seafront property. Diana Prince has to figure out his plans...and keep the dolphin from being harmed.
Oh, and it took me a while to figure out how to upload everything, but "The Adventures of the Crimson Blade" is up at Fanfiction.net, in their TV Shows/Remember WENN section.
The Adventures of the Crimson Blade at Fanfiction.net
I made a quick run to the Oaklyn Library before work. There wasn't a whole lot going on over there, though there were quite a few people on the computers. I mainly shelved picture books and organized the board books in the kids' section.
Hurried home in time to change, eat a quick lunch, and do more Backyardigans. Uniqua and Tasha are pizza delivery girls in the Mexican jungle, bringing "Chitchen Itza Pizza" to Mexican Emperor Tyrone. The route through the jungle is fraught with peril, and Tasha tries to give up at several points. The girls finally learn the importance of perseverance...and bringing a king a good slice of pizza.
Work was a little busier than yesterday, otherwise same deal - on and off, with some annoying customers, including lots of people wouldn't bag. Other than that, there were no major problems. It was off enough by 6 PM for me to leave with no relief and no need for one. I bought a Caesar salad for dinner.
I spent the rest of the evening enjoying my salad and watching Wonder Woman. It's a commotion in the ocean when "The Deadly Dolphin" is stolen from an LA marine park. A greedy local millionaire wants to use the dolphin to get his hands on some prime seafront property. Diana Prince has to figure out his plans...and keep the dolphin from being harmed.
Oh, and it took me a while to figure out how to upload everything, but "The Adventures of the Crimson Blade" is up at Fanfiction.net, in their TV Shows/Remember WENN section.
The Adventures of the Crimson Blade at Fanfiction.net
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
It's All Over But the Shouting at Work
First of all, The Adventures of the Crimson Blade, the story I've been working on for the past month and a half, is now complete at my Remember WENN fanfiction site! I hope you're all in the mood for some reading. It wound up being 29 chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue set after the episode "All Noisy On the Pittsburgh Front." I'll be posting it at a new blog and Fanfiction.net in the coming days.
The Adventures of the Crimson Blade at the WENN Fanfiction Library
The weather continued to be gloomy. I ran more Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater to brighten the morning as I ate breakfast. "Cinderkitty" would rather throw forward passes than be a cheerleader. She gets to do both with the help of her fairy godmother. A cursed TV set turns Princess Kitty into "Sleeping Kitty." Can Prince Tuxedo Sam break the spell? Hello Kitty learns that it's not a good idea to enter the house of a stranger, especially a strange family of pizza-loving bears, in "Kittylocks and the Three Bears." Kitty gets to save Sam in "Kitty and the Beast." Nasty witch Fangora has turned Sam into a pig-like beast. Catnip is more interested in his castle than his heart, but Kitty knows he's really a softie underneath. "Snow Kitty and the One Dwarf" has Kitty on the run from a jealous Evil Queen Catnip. Grinder the dwarf does his best to keep her safe.
Work was no fun at all. Between the beginning of the month crowd and the gloomy weather, people were not in the best of moods. One woman even had a screaming fit when a man told her she had too many groceries for the express lane. She was hollering curse words at the top of her lungs, even to our head manager! Supposedly, the man with her later said she hadn't taken her medication. She was lucky they didn't call the cops on her - there's a police station a block from the shopping center. My relief was late, too. I barely got out on time.
When I did finally got home, I called Mom. She, on the other hand, was in a great mood. She's working on a small rag doll for my sister Anny's baby daughter Lilah, a mini version of the larger rag dolls she made for Rose and me as kids. Mom's still working at the Ferry, but her hours limit there will be running out soon, and she'll have some time off. Oh, and she finally heard from Keefe. He's still in the Navy. He was on the Lincoln for a while. He's apparently renting a nice high-rise apartment with friends and is looking for a house near the base.
I made Blueberry-Honey Muffins, then had leftovers for dinner while watching an old favorite of mine, The Pirate Movie. In this version of The Pirates of Penzance, Mabel is a nerdy Australian girl who meets the guy of her dreams, only to lose him to her spoiled friends. When she goes after them, she falls off her boat...and into a dream that turns her into the spirited daughter of a major general, the object of her affections into a former pirate, her friends into her prim sisters, and the people she met earlier that day into a raucous group of goofy buccaneers. When the dream gets out of hand, Mabel finally learns that she can stand up for herself and others and take control of her dreams and her life.
Yes, I'm aware that this is not a straight version of Penzance, that the additional music is dated, and it's all a lot goofier than many people (and critics) would prefer. I don't care. My sisters and I loved this movie as kids, and I still enjoy it. If you like other odd 80's musicals like Xanadu, pirate tales, Mel Brooks-type spoof, or just want to see a rare movie with an action heroine, this is highly recommended if you can find it and really cute to watch.
The Adventures of the Crimson Blade at the WENN Fanfiction Library
The weather continued to be gloomy. I ran more Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater to brighten the morning as I ate breakfast. "Cinderkitty" would rather throw forward passes than be a cheerleader. She gets to do both with the help of her fairy godmother. A cursed TV set turns Princess Kitty into "Sleeping Kitty." Can Prince Tuxedo Sam break the spell? Hello Kitty learns that it's not a good idea to enter the house of a stranger, especially a strange family of pizza-loving bears, in "Kittylocks and the Three Bears." Kitty gets to save Sam in "Kitty and the Beast." Nasty witch Fangora has turned Sam into a pig-like beast. Catnip is more interested in his castle than his heart, but Kitty knows he's really a softie underneath. "Snow Kitty and the One Dwarf" has Kitty on the run from a jealous Evil Queen Catnip. Grinder the dwarf does his best to keep her safe.
Work was no fun at all. Between the beginning of the month crowd and the gloomy weather, people were not in the best of moods. One woman even had a screaming fit when a man told her she had too many groceries for the express lane. She was hollering curse words at the top of her lungs, even to our head manager! Supposedly, the man with her later said she hadn't taken her medication. She was lucky they didn't call the cops on her - there's a police station a block from the shopping center. My relief was late, too. I barely got out on time.
When I did finally got home, I called Mom. She, on the other hand, was in a great mood. She's working on a small rag doll for my sister Anny's baby daughter Lilah, a mini version of the larger rag dolls she made for Rose and me as kids. Mom's still working at the Ferry, but her hours limit there will be running out soon, and she'll have some time off. Oh, and she finally heard from Keefe. He's still in the Navy. He was on the Lincoln for a while. He's apparently renting a nice high-rise apartment with friends and is looking for a house near the base.
I made Blueberry-Honey Muffins, then had leftovers for dinner while watching an old favorite of mine, The Pirate Movie. In this version of The Pirates of Penzance, Mabel is a nerdy Australian girl who meets the guy of her dreams, only to lose him to her spoiled friends. When she goes after them, she falls off her boat...and into a dream that turns her into the spirited daughter of a major general, the object of her affections into a former pirate, her friends into her prim sisters, and the people she met earlier that day into a raucous group of goofy buccaneers. When the dream gets out of hand, Mabel finally learns that she can stand up for herself and others and take control of her dreams and her life.
Yes, I'm aware that this is not a straight version of Penzance, that the additional music is dated, and it's all a lot goofier than many people (and critics) would prefer. I don't care. My sisters and I loved this movie as kids, and I still enjoy it. If you like other odd 80's musicals like Xanadu, pirate tales, Mel Brooks-type spoof, or just want to see a rare movie with an action heroine, this is highly recommended if you can find it and really cute to watch.
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
The Road to Westmont
I awoke to another gloomy, unseasonably cold morning. Ran the Tom and Jerry cartoons Chuck Jones did as I worked. My favorite is "The Cat Above and the Mouse Below." In a variation on "Long Haired Hare," Tom is an opera singer performing a solo. Jerry, who lives under the stage, just wants peace and quiet...and no more "Figaro!"
Got the laundry done around 11. I had a lot to do this week, too, including towels. It's probably just as well that it was fairly quiet. The weather likely scared a lot of people off. I watched a dad and his adorable toddler daughter and listened to The Price Is Right and the local news.
After I put everything away, I headed right back out. Alas, it was raining by that point, I ignored the weather and decided to have lunch at the Legacy Diner to celebrate finally finishing my epic WENN fanfiction last night. I had Coconut Pineapple Pancakes. I very rarely have pancakes when I'm out at any time besides New Year's Day. After writing a story that turned out to be 133 pages, I thought I deserved them. They were yummy too, sweet and tangy.
(Oh, and here's the page at my website for The Adventures of the Crimson Blade. And there will be more coming tomorrow!
http://www.angelfire.com/nj/homewenn/crimsonblademain.html )
Headed to the Haddon Township Library next, taking the long way down Merchant Avenue, across Audubon. Surprisingly, despite the weather, they weren't busy. This time, I mainly concentrated on the kids' DVDs. There was quite a bit that needed to be organized, though this time only a small stack of S titles didn't fit. I guess more people wanted to read - there were lots of new release books to shelve.
Made a brief stop at Rite Aid for conditioner, milk, and Sparkling Ice Cherry Limeade (it had a coupon on it) before heading home. I went nowhere else today. It's rained on and off, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the night.
I really needed to continue my spring cleaning. I put it off while I was working on my story. I vacuumed under and around everything I could, washed the windows, and dusted in the dining and music areas.
Ran The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen while I cleaned. This crazy piece of whimsy involves the title German folk hero (John Neville) in his dotage, telling stories of his many adventures to an acting troupe putting on a play about him. The city where the troupe is performing is under assault by the Turks. The Baron claims he caused the war by taking all of the Sultan's treasury. No one believes him except for Sally (Sarah Polley), the pugnacious daughter of the head of the troupe. As Sally and the Baron travel from the moon to the belly of a whale looking for his friends, they learn that people can stand together and fight, no matter what age they are, that it's ok for everyone to be a little bit exceptional, and that fantasy can sometimes be the greatest weapon anyone can have.
One of the most famous of Terry Gilliam's nutty fantasies, this is an old late-childhood favorite of mine. As a storyteller myself, I especially appreciate the many layers surrounding the Baron's fantastic tales. If you love fantasy or Gilliam, this is very recommended.
I moved on to less to a less elaborate fantasy during dinner. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are off on The Road to Morocco, one of the most famous of their Road To series movies. This time, they're shipwrecked in North Africa without a dime to their names. Bing sells Bob into slavery...not that Bob's complaining when native princess Dorothy Lamour is the buyer. The princess wants to marry Bob, but it turns out she has alternative motives besides being interested in him, and then she falls for Bing. Sheikh Mulay Cassim was her original intended...and let's just say he doesn't take it well when she decides she'd rather be with the crooner instead.
Got the laundry done around 11. I had a lot to do this week, too, including towels. It's probably just as well that it was fairly quiet. The weather likely scared a lot of people off. I watched a dad and his adorable toddler daughter and listened to The Price Is Right and the local news.
After I put everything away, I headed right back out. Alas, it was raining by that point, I ignored the weather and decided to have lunch at the Legacy Diner to celebrate finally finishing my epic WENN fanfiction last night. I had Coconut Pineapple Pancakes. I very rarely have pancakes when I'm out at any time besides New Year's Day. After writing a story that turned out to be 133 pages, I thought I deserved them. They were yummy too, sweet and tangy.
(Oh, and here's the page at my website for The Adventures of the Crimson Blade. And there will be more coming tomorrow!
http://www.angelfire.com/nj/homewenn/crimsonblademain.html )
Headed to the Haddon Township Library next, taking the long way down Merchant Avenue, across Audubon. Surprisingly, despite the weather, they weren't busy. This time, I mainly concentrated on the kids' DVDs. There was quite a bit that needed to be organized, though this time only a small stack of S titles didn't fit. I guess more people wanted to read - there were lots of new release books to shelve.
Made a brief stop at Rite Aid for conditioner, milk, and Sparkling Ice Cherry Limeade (it had a coupon on it) before heading home. I went nowhere else today. It's rained on and off, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the night.
I really needed to continue my spring cleaning. I put it off while I was working on my story. I vacuumed under and around everything I could, washed the windows, and dusted in the dining and music areas.
Ran The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen while I cleaned. This crazy piece of whimsy involves the title German folk hero (John Neville) in his dotage, telling stories of his many adventures to an acting troupe putting on a play about him. The city where the troupe is performing is under assault by the Turks. The Baron claims he caused the war by taking all of the Sultan's treasury. No one believes him except for Sally (Sarah Polley), the pugnacious daughter of the head of the troupe. As Sally and the Baron travel from the moon to the belly of a whale looking for his friends, they learn that people can stand together and fight, no matter what age they are, that it's ok for everyone to be a little bit exceptional, and that fantasy can sometimes be the greatest weapon anyone can have.
One of the most famous of Terry Gilliam's nutty fantasies, this is an old late-childhood favorite of mine. As a storyteller myself, I especially appreciate the many layers surrounding the Baron's fantastic tales. If you love fantasy or Gilliam, this is very recommended.
I moved on to less to a less elaborate fantasy during dinner. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are off on The Road to Morocco, one of the most famous of their Road To series movies. This time, they're shipwrecked in North Africa without a dime to their names. Bing sells Bob into slavery...not that Bob's complaining when native princess Dorothy Lamour is the buyer. The princess wants to marry Bob, but it turns out she has alternative motives besides being interested in him, and then she falls for Bing. Sheikh Mulay Cassim was her original intended...and let's just say he doesn't take it well when she decides she'd rather be with the crooner instead.
Monday, June 01, 2015
June Is Raining All Over
I cheered myself up on a dark, dreary first day of June with summer-related specials. Bugs Bunny's Bustin' Out All Over is a trio of Chuck Jones-directed shorts with mild late spring/early summer themes. Bugs recalls his childhood days being chased by a pop gun-wielding Elmer in the first short. In the second, Bugs has to escape Marvin the Martian and his new pet, Hugo the Abominable Snowman. Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner are spotlighted in the third, as they enjoy the first chase of June in the desert.
Garfield's having less luck in the wilderness in Garfield In the Rough. Jon is taking him and Odie camping, much to the pampered puss' annoyance. He's more of a hotel-and-room-service kind of cat. Things get really hairy in the woods when they hear that a black panther is loose in the area, and they could end up being its next victim!
Work was surprisingly quiet for the first day of the month. It was steady, but nowhere near as bad as it could have been. I think the weather scared a lot of people off. It was wet this morning, but by 11 AM, it was just cloudy and unusually chilly for early June. Certainly an improvement over hot and humid, but not very seasonal.
The clouds were starting to build as I rode home. Thankfully, they waited until I was long in the bathtub to burst. I needed a bath rather badly, especially after yesterday. It felt absolutely marvelous, listening to an Anne Murray standards CD while laughing over Calvin & Hobbes comic books as the rain pitter-pattered on the roof.
I was in the mood for something light and fun after my refreshing bath. I went with the Marx Brothers movie At the Circus as I made a spring vegetables omelet for dinner and a banana-chocolate chip cake for dessert. Harpo and Chico work for a small circus whose owner (Kenny Baker) loses the 10,000 dollars he needs to pay the bills. Chico hires lawyer Groucho to find the money. While Chico and Harpo chase the circus strongman, Groucho attempts to get the money from the bosom of the circus' acrobat (Eve Arden). Groucho finally tricks the owner's haughty aunt (Margaret Dumont) into having the circus at her big party for the cream of the Newport crop. But when the goons who stole the money let a gorilla loose on the show, they quickly learn that no one monkeys around with the Marx Brothers and gets away with it!
Not one of the better Marx Brothers efforts. Some nice routines (including Harpo and Chico destroying the strongman's room) and Groucho's classic "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" number makes up for the cardboard young lovers and their dull songs.
And I'm hoping to finish out my epic fanfiction either tonight or tomorrow night. The rest of the staff of the Monongahela Inn arrives in the nick of time to distract Pruitt into falling off the roof and into the arms of the military. Turns out he would have been out of office anyway. The Revolutionary War has begun. While most of the men are rejected for being too old or injured, Scott has refitted Pavla's ship as a battle cruiser and joined the war, with C.J and the rest of the Crimson Blade's men as his crew. Victor plans on turning the inn into a rest home for soldiers looking for a room and entertainment on their way to and from the front. Elizabeth watches as Scott and Victor ride off to Fort Pitt, wondering when she'll ever see them again...
And we fade into 1942. Hilary has joined Maple and Betty in telling this lengthy story. Betty wishes the story were true...and then we discover that Scott, Victor, and Jeff were listening in, too. Scott has been re-assigned to co-manage the stations with Victor. The story ends as each of the ladies walk off with their prospective partners.
I guess, like Linda Young said in her story Redemption, this is my way of giving a more positive ending to a story that deserved much, much better than it got. For one thing, I realized watching "And If I Die Before I Sleep" that I really wish Scott and Victor got to work together more often. No wonder the actors who played them are friends in real life - they're hilarious together. This is sort of my attempt to address some things I wish had happened....and just have a lot of fun with the characters.
Garfield's having less luck in the wilderness in Garfield In the Rough. Jon is taking him and Odie camping, much to the pampered puss' annoyance. He's more of a hotel-and-room-service kind of cat. Things get really hairy in the woods when they hear that a black panther is loose in the area, and they could end up being its next victim!
Work was surprisingly quiet for the first day of the month. It was steady, but nowhere near as bad as it could have been. I think the weather scared a lot of people off. It was wet this morning, but by 11 AM, it was just cloudy and unusually chilly for early June. Certainly an improvement over hot and humid, but not very seasonal.
The clouds were starting to build as I rode home. Thankfully, they waited until I was long in the bathtub to burst. I needed a bath rather badly, especially after yesterday. It felt absolutely marvelous, listening to an Anne Murray standards CD while laughing over Calvin & Hobbes comic books as the rain pitter-pattered on the roof.
I was in the mood for something light and fun after my refreshing bath. I went with the Marx Brothers movie At the Circus as I made a spring vegetables omelet for dinner and a banana-chocolate chip cake for dessert. Harpo and Chico work for a small circus whose owner (Kenny Baker) loses the 10,000 dollars he needs to pay the bills. Chico hires lawyer Groucho to find the money. While Chico and Harpo chase the circus strongman, Groucho attempts to get the money from the bosom of the circus' acrobat (Eve Arden). Groucho finally tricks the owner's haughty aunt (Margaret Dumont) into having the circus at her big party for the cream of the Newport crop. But when the goons who stole the money let a gorilla loose on the show, they quickly learn that no one monkeys around with the Marx Brothers and gets away with it!
Not one of the better Marx Brothers efforts. Some nice routines (including Harpo and Chico destroying the strongman's room) and Groucho's classic "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" number makes up for the cardboard young lovers and their dull songs.
And I'm hoping to finish out my epic fanfiction either tonight or tomorrow night. The rest of the staff of the Monongahela Inn arrives in the nick of time to distract Pruitt into falling off the roof and into the arms of the military. Turns out he would have been out of office anyway. The Revolutionary War has begun. While most of the men are rejected for being too old or injured, Scott has refitted Pavla's ship as a battle cruiser and joined the war, with C.J and the rest of the Crimson Blade's men as his crew. Victor plans on turning the inn into a rest home for soldiers looking for a room and entertainment on their way to and from the front. Elizabeth watches as Scott and Victor ride off to Fort Pitt, wondering when she'll ever see them again...
And we fade into 1942. Hilary has joined Maple and Betty in telling this lengthy story. Betty wishes the story were true...and then we discover that Scott, Victor, and Jeff were listening in, too. Scott has been re-assigned to co-manage the stations with Victor. The story ends as each of the ladies walk off with their prospective partners.
I guess, like Linda Young said in her story Redemption, this is my way of giving a more positive ending to a story that deserved much, much better than it got. For one thing, I realized watching "And If I Die Before I Sleep" that I really wish Scott and Victor got to work together more often. No wonder the actors who played them are friends in real life - they're hilarious together. This is sort of my attempt to address some things I wish had happened....and just have a lot of fun with the characters.
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