Began a gorgeous, sunny spring day with two favorite fourth season Sailor Moon episodes. Rei is interviewed by a local magazine in "Flames of Passion: Mars' Raging Super Attack." Her sudden notoriety gives her a big head about where it could all lead...but she's brought down to Earth when a painfully shy girl named Nanako asks to be her assistant. What she really wants is to imitate Rei and her dreams, since her own dreams to have a career went nowhere. It takes an attack by VesVes and her magic-imitating monkey to bring out Rei's newest power - and prove to Nanako that it's best to live out your own dreams, not someone else's.
Living out your own dreams is also a theme of "Don't Lose Sight of Your Dreams: The Mirror of Truth." Usagi and Chibi-Usa encounter a starving artist in the park. He has no money because he only paints what he sees as the truth. Most of the people he paints refuse to believe they look the way he sees them, even when it's a perfect likeness, and won't pay. This includes snobby CereCere, who gives him a sob story about her father, then forces him to draw her the way she wants him to draw. She attacks him after he decides his integrity is too important to him, but the Guardians are a (little) bit more understanding.
My 8 and 1/2 hour day was actually pretty boring. It was quiet for most of the day. Even when it got a little busy during rush hours, it didn't stay that way for long. I did inside and outside trash and returns in the morning, then spent the afternoon cleaning the bathroom, sweeping broken glass in the parking lot, and gathering carts and baskets. I was on my own for most of the day. The only other bagger up until around 4:30 was outside all day, and I was totally alone between 9:30 and noon and 4 and 4:30. I'd start doing one thing, only to get called to do two others.
At least it was a nice day for all this. While it was only in the mid-50's, still cold for this time of year, that's a lot warmer than it has been. The sun was almost hot when you could get out of the wind.
As soon as I got home, I changed, then had leftovers for dinner and made Fudgy Brownies. Watched an episode of Danger Mouse as I baked. "The Day of the Suds" has DM and Penfold in hot pursuit of their runaway washing machine. Baron Greenback has programmed all of the washing machines in London to do his bidding at the sound of his voice. Even after DM cleans up that scheme, the run-off from the broken washers creates a mutated suds monster that threatens to turn all of London into one big soapy mess!
Played Wii Sports while the brownies were in the oven. I rounded up a lot of carts today and wasn't up to anything really heavy. Stuck to mostly working on tennis and golf. I'm getting better at Target Practice on tennis and golf, but I still have problems with timing my swing and making the ball go where I want it to.
Did a little bit of Lego Star Wars after I got the brownies out of the oven. Tried to find the red brick in "Gunship Calvary," but had no luck. Didn't get the red brick on "Falcon Flight," either, but I did find the last piece. Got enough studs from both rounds to finally buy the 6x extra.
Finished the night after a shower with Despicable Me 3. After that detour with the Minions a while back, we return to the world of Gru (Steve Carell), Lucy (Kristen Wiig), and their girls. Gru and Lucy are still working for the Anti-Villain League, but when they fail to capture former 80's child star-turned criminal mastermind Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) and stop him from stealing the world's largest diamond, they're fired. On top of this, Lucy is struggling to help raise the girls, the Minions want Gru to return to villainy, and Gru has just learned that he had an unknown twin brother, Dru (also Carrell). Dru lives in a fabulous mansion in the country of Freedonia, bought with money from their supervillain father. After the brothers bond in his tricked-out car, Dru thinks he's talked Gru into returning to full-time villainy to steal the diamond back. Gru really intends to give it to the Anti-Villain League and get his job back. Elsewhere, Gru's younger daughters Agnes (Nev Scharrel) and Edith (Dana Gaier) search for a real live unicorn, while older girl Margo (Miranda Cosgrove) avoids a love-struck local boy and the Minions end up in jail for trespassing at a talent show.
Not bad, not great. The brothers and the girls and their antics are what works this time around. A lot of people praised Balthazar Bratt and his 80's obsession, but I found him more annoying than anything. Dru and Gru, on the other hand, are pretty funny as the brothers with very different ideas of what it means to be a villain. Loved the younger girls and their search for the unicorn, too.
If you're a fan of this series, this one is worth checking out as well (and is far better than Minions)...but if you're new to Gru's world, by all means, please check out the first two movies before coming anywhere near here.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
You Can Dream at Any Age
Started off a sunny, breezy morning with a couple of episodes of Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater. "Peter Penguin" has Tuxedo Sam as the penguin who won't grow up, My Melody as Tinkerbell, Catnip as Captain Hook, and Kitty and Chip as the kids who fly with him to Never-Say-Never Land on a great adventure. Chip's in the spotlight as Arthur, the boy king, in "Paws of the Round Table." He and Lancelot Sam have to dodge Grinder the Black Knight and Catnip Le Fay to rescue Lady Bunnyvere (Melody) from a not-so-terrible dragon.
Spent the rest of the morning writing. Leia, Luke, and the servants Cyril and Artello manage to get Han to Maz Kantana at her massive inn and tavern. She calls him Henry and confirms what Leia's suspected for some time - that Han Solo is Henry of Naboo, the supposedly dead prince who vanished shortly before her parents died. Han's struggles to recall his past leave him with such blinding headaches, he's screaming with pain when Luke and Leia get him into Maz's room. Maz explains that his mind is being attacked by the demons of his past...and that if he can't get past them, he may lose his mind and his memories all together. She gets Han calmed down, then helps Luke and Leia use their powers to go into Han's head and help him defeat his demons.
Broke for lunch at 11. Ran another fourth season episode of Sailor Moon about childhood vs adulthood as I ate and got read for work. In the Amazon Quartet's introductory episode, they encounter Chibi-Usa, her best friend Momoko, and the older Guardians at the arcade. While the girls are impressed with their gaming skills, they're not as happy with the way they put down Momoko and Chibi-Usa for wishing they were older. They insist that only children can have dreams, and that big dreams fade in adulthood. Though they seem to relent later and give the girls tickets to the circus, this is only to take a look at Momoko's dream mirror. But the Guardians are around to prove that anyone can have a dream, at any age.
Thankfully, my first day back at work since Friday was no sweat. While it did get a little busy around the usual rush hours, we were mostly dead all afternoon. This gave me plenty of time to clean the bathrooms, gather carts and baskets, shelve loose items, and do the indoor and outdoor trash. A beautiful day probably helped. Though it remains chilly and windy, it was also sunny and very warm when the wind was blocked.
Had a quick dinner when I got home. Put on a Rick Steves episode while I ate. Barcelona is a center of culture and business in Spain nowadays. Though the tapas bars and that crazy cathedral that people have been working on for over a hundred years are interesting, my favorite thing in Barcelona itself was its Moderne (aka Art Nouveau) architecture. Outside the city, I loved the little fishing towns and Salvador Dali's crazy home and art.
Played some Wii Sports after dinner. Didn't do any games, but did practice quite a bit. I've gotten much better at hitting short balls in baseball, Hitting the Green and Target Practice in golf, and Target Practice and hitting balls in tennis. For some reason, I just couldn't pick up spares at bowling today. I'm normally much better at it. And I can really wail some punching bags! The rest of boxing, I'm not so good at. I can't move fast enough to dodge, and I tend to hit the trainer instead of his targets.
Switched to Lego Star Wars after a good half-hour workout. Mostly finished off flying rounds I'd put off. Got the last pieces I needed and True Jedi on "Battle Over Coruscant" and "Death Star Attack" and True Jedi on "Betrayal at Bespin" and "Mos Espa Pod Race." (I just can't seem to find the red brick on the latter - I'll have to look it up somewhere.)
Ended the night online with April In Paris. This 1952 musical has Doris Day as chorus girl Ethel "Dynamite" Jackson, who is excited when the government is sending her over to an arts festival in Paris. Turns out it was all a mistake, and government official Winthop Putham (Ray Bolger) sent her the wrong letter. His boss (Paul Harvey) gets so many encouraging letters, they end up sending her to Paris anyway. She and Winthrop get so drunk on the boat ride over, they actually get married...or think they do. They were married by Frenchman Phillipe (Claude Dauphan) on-board ship. He's not the captain, which renders their marriage void, to the relief of Winthrop's sarcastic fiancee Marcia (Eve Miller). Even so, Ethel remains in love with Winthrop, even after a fight with Marcia...but it may take a trip to the nighclubs of Paris for Winthrop to put his feelings ahead of his career.
Not one of Day's better musicals. She has no chemistry with a stiff Bolger, who is completely out of place in a leading man role. Other than one good number on board the ship to France, "We're Gonna Ring the Bell Tonight," the music is equally dull. Ok piece of fluff if you ever run into it on TCM or are a huge fan of Day or Bolger.
Spent the rest of the morning writing. Leia, Luke, and the servants Cyril and Artello manage to get Han to Maz Kantana at her massive inn and tavern. She calls him Henry and confirms what Leia's suspected for some time - that Han Solo is Henry of Naboo, the supposedly dead prince who vanished shortly before her parents died. Han's struggles to recall his past leave him with such blinding headaches, he's screaming with pain when Luke and Leia get him into Maz's room. Maz explains that his mind is being attacked by the demons of his past...and that if he can't get past them, he may lose his mind and his memories all together. She gets Han calmed down, then helps Luke and Leia use their powers to go into Han's head and help him defeat his demons.
Broke for lunch at 11. Ran another fourth season episode of Sailor Moon about childhood vs adulthood as I ate and got read for work. In the Amazon Quartet's introductory episode, they encounter Chibi-Usa, her best friend Momoko, and the older Guardians at the arcade. While the girls are impressed with their gaming skills, they're not as happy with the way they put down Momoko and Chibi-Usa for wishing they were older. They insist that only children can have dreams, and that big dreams fade in adulthood. Though they seem to relent later and give the girls tickets to the circus, this is only to take a look at Momoko's dream mirror. But the Guardians are around to prove that anyone can have a dream, at any age.
Thankfully, my first day back at work since Friday was no sweat. While it did get a little busy around the usual rush hours, we were mostly dead all afternoon. This gave me plenty of time to clean the bathrooms, gather carts and baskets, shelve loose items, and do the indoor and outdoor trash. A beautiful day probably helped. Though it remains chilly and windy, it was also sunny and very warm when the wind was blocked.
Had a quick dinner when I got home. Put on a Rick Steves episode while I ate. Barcelona is a center of culture and business in Spain nowadays. Though the tapas bars and that crazy cathedral that people have been working on for over a hundred years are interesting, my favorite thing in Barcelona itself was its Moderne (aka Art Nouveau) architecture. Outside the city, I loved the little fishing towns and Salvador Dali's crazy home and art.
Played some Wii Sports after dinner. Didn't do any games, but did practice quite a bit. I've gotten much better at hitting short balls in baseball, Hitting the Green and Target Practice in golf, and Target Practice and hitting balls in tennis. For some reason, I just couldn't pick up spares at bowling today. I'm normally much better at it. And I can really wail some punching bags! The rest of boxing, I'm not so good at. I can't move fast enough to dodge, and I tend to hit the trainer instead of his targets.
Switched to Lego Star Wars after a good half-hour workout. Mostly finished off flying rounds I'd put off. Got the last pieces I needed and True Jedi on "Battle Over Coruscant" and "Death Star Attack" and True Jedi on "Betrayal at Bespin" and "Mos Espa Pod Race." (I just can't seem to find the red brick on the latter - I'll have to look it up somewhere.)
Ended the night online with April In Paris. This 1952 musical has Doris Day as chorus girl Ethel "Dynamite" Jackson, who is excited when the government is sending her over to an arts festival in Paris. Turns out it was all a mistake, and government official Winthop Putham (Ray Bolger) sent her the wrong letter. His boss (Paul Harvey) gets so many encouraging letters, they end up sending her to Paris anyway. She and Winthrop get so drunk on the boat ride over, they actually get married...or think they do. They were married by Frenchman Phillipe (Claude Dauphan) on-board ship. He's not the captain, which renders their marriage void, to the relief of Winthrop's sarcastic fiancee Marcia (Eve Miller). Even so, Ethel remains in love with Winthrop, even after a fight with Marcia...but it may take a trip to the nighclubs of Paris for Winthrop to put his feelings ahead of his career.
Not one of Day's better musicals. She has no chemistry with a stiff Bolger, who is completely out of place in a leading man role. Other than one good number on board the ship to France, "We're Gonna Ring the Bell Tonight," the music is equally dull. Ok piece of fluff if you ever run into it on TCM or are a huge fan of Day or Bolger.
Monday, April 09, 2018
Childhood Fantasy
Began a sunny, breezy day with baking Banana-Honey Muffins after breakfast. When those went into the oven, I figured I might as well start the dusting. Managed to get the living area done before it was time to head out.
Ran Jetsons: The Movie while I worked. George Jetson (George O'Hanlon and Jeff Bergman) has just been promoted to vice-president by his miser of a boss Mr. Spacely (Mel Blanc and Jeff Bergman). Nobody in his family is happy about it, especially Judy (Tiffany), who is upset that she'll have to miss her date with a big rock star. They change their views when they settle in at an apartment complex for mixed species and make new friends. Meanwhile, George discovers that he's the head of a mining operation that's been constantly sabotaged. While he and foreman robot Rudy-2 (Ronnie Schell) try to figure out who's doing the sabotage, Judy falls in love with alien teen Apollo Blue (Paul Kreppel) and Elroy (Patric Zimmerman) and his new buddies Teddy-2 (Dana Hill) and Fergie (Russi Taylor) attempt to solve the mystery of the saboteurs on their own.
The girls and I loved this one as kids, especially the pop soundtrack by Tiffany, but it hasn't dated well at all. The CGI was groundbreaking in 1990, but it looks obvious now. The music doesn't really suit the far-future setting; a random music video to "You and Me" around the middle of the movie stops it cold. The environmental message and the characters who are actually committing the sabotage comes off as preachy and way too cutesy.
On the other hand, the nifty designs are consistent with the original show, and it uses most of the original voice actors. (O'Hanlon and Blanc actually passed away during production; Jeff Bergman finished their parts.) The music may be out of place, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. I'm especially fond of the ballad "I Always Thought I'd See You Again" by Tiffany and two numbers by Shane Sutton, the uptempo "Staying Together" and ballad "With You All the Way." We actually had the soundtrack on cassette and listened to it constantly around 1990-1991.
If you have fans of the original show or 80's revival, fans of 80's/early 90's pop, or younger kids who may enjoy the story and characters, this is worth checking out if you can find it.
(Oh, and I called the dentist's office. I won't be able to make it on Wednesday - that's my 8 and 1/2 hour day, of course. I rescheduled for May 1st. Maybe my tooth will feel a little better by then, too.)
Headed out to run errands around 12:30. First stop was the Oaklyn Library. Given the sunny, breezy day at that point, it was just me and the librarian. I organized DVDs and shelved one kids' book on Native American tribes. I was out after a half-hour.
Next stop was the Westmont Bagel Shop for lunch. Surprisingly, considering it was past 1:30 at that point, they weren't busy either. I ate my ham, cheddar cheese, and apple sandwich on sourdough bread in peace.
The Haddon Township Library was a lot busier than the Oaklyn Library had been. There were lots of DVDs to shelve today, especially from the adult titles. There were so many, I didn't get to much else.
Took out a lot this week. Along with Despicable Me 3, I opted for two fantasy films. I did see Hook when it came out in the early 90's, but not since then. Your Highness, a sword-and-sorcery spoof, sounds like fun. Found an audio book on dealing with stress, and a print book on how stress isn't as bad of a thing as we think. Took out the last Mercedes Lackey Elemental Masters book the library had, the Donkeyskin-based Unnatural Issue, I loved the film version of the Neil Gaiman fantasy novel Stardust from a while back and decided to give the book a try. Found a teen novel on what Ashoka Tano was doing between the Clone Wars and Rebels series.
Went straight home after work. It had gotten cloudy while I was in the library, and even colder. I spent the rest of the afternoon writing. Han goes after Boba Fett, but he gets away. Luke uses his magic to create a twister that funnels water over the fire, putting it out. When Han comes back, he suggests staying at the first inn at Takodana they can find. It seems very familiar to him...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. An episode of Sailor Moon from the 4th season has the Guardians volunteering to help prepare for a "coming of age" ceremony for 20-somethings just coming into the world. The Amazon Quartet help too...but they don't understand why anyone would want to get older. Why not stay a child and keep everything the way it is forever? Their arguments become more obvious when the girls discover that they're the ones stealing dream mirrors...and the dreams of these young adults' futures.
Finished the night with Hook. Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a successful lawyer, but he's not doing so well with his wife Moira (Caroline Goodall) or his children Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott). He rarely has time for them and actually misses Jack's big baseball game. One night, while attending the dedication for the children's hospital being named for his grandmother Wendy (Maggie Smith), he comes home to find that his children have been kidnapped by none other than Captain James Hook (Dustin Hoffman) of Neverland. Wendy tells Peter that he's Peter Pan, who has grown up and lost his childhood memories. The appearance of Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) bears this out. She takes him to Neverland, but he embarrasses himself in front of his children when he can't rescue them and upsets the pirates, who just want a good battle. While Mr. Smee (Bob Hoskins) tries to keep his boss from doing harm to himself or the kids, Tink and the Lost Boys teach Peter how to find the child in himself.
I know a lot of people who grew up in the early-mid 90's have fond memories of this one, but...ehh. I wasn't a fan of it as a young teen, and I'm still not all that big on it. (It probably doesn't help that I've never really been into Peter Pan in general.) The sets and costumes are very early 90's, especially on the Lost Boys and their hideout, and Roberts is badly miscast as a pixie. On the other hand, Williams is fine as the man rediscovering his inner child, Hoffman and Hoskins actually turn in some of their best performances as Peter's most famous adversaries, and we have one of John Williams' more underrated scores.
If you're more into Peter Pan lore than I am, are a major fan of the cast, or are looking for something different for younger kids, you may find a lot more in this than I did.
Ran Jetsons: The Movie while I worked. George Jetson (George O'Hanlon and Jeff Bergman) has just been promoted to vice-president by his miser of a boss Mr. Spacely (Mel Blanc and Jeff Bergman). Nobody in his family is happy about it, especially Judy (Tiffany), who is upset that she'll have to miss her date with a big rock star. They change their views when they settle in at an apartment complex for mixed species and make new friends. Meanwhile, George discovers that he's the head of a mining operation that's been constantly sabotaged. While he and foreman robot Rudy-2 (Ronnie Schell) try to figure out who's doing the sabotage, Judy falls in love with alien teen Apollo Blue (Paul Kreppel) and Elroy (Patric Zimmerman) and his new buddies Teddy-2 (Dana Hill) and Fergie (Russi Taylor) attempt to solve the mystery of the saboteurs on their own.
The girls and I loved this one as kids, especially the pop soundtrack by Tiffany, but it hasn't dated well at all. The CGI was groundbreaking in 1990, but it looks obvious now. The music doesn't really suit the far-future setting; a random music video to "You and Me" around the middle of the movie stops it cold. The environmental message and the characters who are actually committing the sabotage comes off as preachy and way too cutesy.
On the other hand, the nifty designs are consistent with the original show, and it uses most of the original voice actors. (O'Hanlon and Blanc actually passed away during production; Jeff Bergman finished their parts.) The music may be out of place, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. I'm especially fond of the ballad "I Always Thought I'd See You Again" by Tiffany and two numbers by Shane Sutton, the uptempo "Staying Together" and ballad "With You All the Way." We actually had the soundtrack on cassette and listened to it constantly around 1990-1991.
If you have fans of the original show or 80's revival, fans of 80's/early 90's pop, or younger kids who may enjoy the story and characters, this is worth checking out if you can find it.
(Oh, and I called the dentist's office. I won't be able to make it on Wednesday - that's my 8 and 1/2 hour day, of course. I rescheduled for May 1st. Maybe my tooth will feel a little better by then, too.)
Headed out to run errands around 12:30. First stop was the Oaklyn Library. Given the sunny, breezy day at that point, it was just me and the librarian. I organized DVDs and shelved one kids' book on Native American tribes. I was out after a half-hour.
Next stop was the Westmont Bagel Shop for lunch. Surprisingly, considering it was past 1:30 at that point, they weren't busy either. I ate my ham, cheddar cheese, and apple sandwich on sourdough bread in peace.
The Haddon Township Library was a lot busier than the Oaklyn Library had been. There were lots of DVDs to shelve today, especially from the adult titles. There were so many, I didn't get to much else.
Took out a lot this week. Along with Despicable Me 3, I opted for two fantasy films. I did see Hook when it came out in the early 90's, but not since then. Your Highness, a sword-and-sorcery spoof, sounds like fun. Found an audio book on dealing with stress, and a print book on how stress isn't as bad of a thing as we think. Took out the last Mercedes Lackey Elemental Masters book the library had, the Donkeyskin-based Unnatural Issue, I loved the film version of the Neil Gaiman fantasy novel Stardust from a while back and decided to give the book a try. Found a teen novel on what Ashoka Tano was doing between the Clone Wars and Rebels series.
Went straight home after work. It had gotten cloudy while I was in the library, and even colder. I spent the rest of the afternoon writing. Han goes after Boba Fett, but he gets away. Luke uses his magic to create a twister that funnels water over the fire, putting it out. When Han comes back, he suggests staying at the first inn at Takodana they can find. It seems very familiar to him...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. An episode of Sailor Moon from the 4th season has the Guardians volunteering to help prepare for a "coming of age" ceremony for 20-somethings just coming into the world. The Amazon Quartet help too...but they don't understand why anyone would want to get older. Why not stay a child and keep everything the way it is forever? Their arguments become more obvious when the girls discover that they're the ones stealing dream mirrors...and the dreams of these young adults' futures.
Finished the night with Hook. Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a successful lawyer, but he's not doing so well with his wife Moira (Caroline Goodall) or his children Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott). He rarely has time for them and actually misses Jack's big baseball game. One night, while attending the dedication for the children's hospital being named for his grandmother Wendy (Maggie Smith), he comes home to find that his children have been kidnapped by none other than Captain James Hook (Dustin Hoffman) of Neverland. Wendy tells Peter that he's Peter Pan, who has grown up and lost his childhood memories. The appearance of Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) bears this out. She takes him to Neverland, but he embarrasses himself in front of his children when he can't rescue them and upsets the pirates, who just want a good battle. While Mr. Smee (Bob Hoskins) tries to keep his boss from doing harm to himself or the kids, Tink and the Lost Boys teach Peter how to find the child in himself.
I know a lot of people who grew up in the early-mid 90's have fond memories of this one, but...ehh. I wasn't a fan of it as a young teen, and I'm still not all that big on it. (It probably doesn't help that I've never really been into Peter Pan in general.) The sets and costumes are very early 90's, especially on the Lost Boys and their hideout, and Roberts is badly miscast as a pixie. On the other hand, Williams is fine as the man rediscovering his inner child, Hoffman and Hoskins actually turn in some of their best performances as Peter's most famous adversaries, and we have one of John Williams' more underrated scores.
If you're more into Peter Pan lore than I am, are a major fan of the cast, or are looking for something different for younger kids, you may find a lot more in this than I did.
Sunday, April 08, 2018
A Family Affair in Philadelphia
I was jolted out of sleep by a phone call. Charlie had the gas inspector here...on a Sunday morning. For some reason, they had to look at my stove now. I opened the door and let them have their look, then went back to bed and read and worked on my journal for an hour or so.
Spent the morning continuing the cleaning. I vacuumed the whole apartment, mainly so I could get up the dust and hair that was under the Disney Toddler dolls' bed. While today was only in the upper 40's, it's supposed to be in the 60's by the end of the week. I figured it was finally time to toss the flannel sheets in the laundry basket and replace them with the spring/fall sheets. Washed the windows, too.
I'd just finished the windows when Jodie arrived on my porch. Apparently, they were picking me up at 12:15, not 12:45. Oops! I hurriedly threw on my boots and coat and grabbed my purse, racing out to their brand-new van.
TJ lives with a few other friends in a beautiful old house in Overbrook Farms, one of the tonier suburbs in West Philadelphia. We took the Schuylkill Expressway, with fabulous views of Fairmount Park, and City Avenue there. City Avenue was an eclectic mix of modern chain stores and shopping centers and fine old brick and stone apartment buildings and churches. A lot of local media seems to have their headquarters here, too. I saw the offices and studio of WPVI 6, our ABC affiliate, on City Avenue; we passed WPHL 17's studio on the way home. (Jodie said she saw the studio for popular radio station B101 on our way down City Avenue as well.)
According to the book I found in the living room, Overbrook Farms was developed in the 1890's as one of Philly's first suburbs for the well-to-do. This seems to still be the case today, if the gorgeous house and it's grounds and the equally lovely homes surrounding it were any indication. It was a three story stone dwelling with one large living room and several smaller rooms, including two small kitchens with whitewashed built-in cabinets and the latest appliances. I admired an apparently haunted mirror in the living room and a huge old Victrola in the dining room.
I spent a lot of the afternoon with the child of a friend of TJ's, Maddie. She was a lively little miss who was probably about 6 or 7, from her size and sheer energy. I chatted with her at the dining room table while we ate fruit, vegetables from a vegetable tray, crumble coffee cake, lemon cake, Jodie's macaroni salad, and an eggy bread pudding.
At one point, TJ took us upstairs to his attic office and sanctuary. He's studying for his masters degree at St. Joseph's University near-by and has a small religious shrine on a colorful couch. Maddie was more interested in scribbling with his colored pencils and playing with the General Leia Hallmark Itty Bitty I use as a stress toy. Inspired by her metallic cape, she kept pretending to make the doll "fly." (Which amused the heck out of me, considering what Leia actually does in the current movie.)
There was a big yard and a sprawling flagstone patio. They owned one sweet elderly terrier named Benny. Their neighbors' two dogs, adorable yellow lab puppy Ranger and big black lab Sonia, came over a few times to see what all the fuss was about. Maddie and a friend's two toddler children loved chasing them and stroking their fur. Ranger in particular was a much-loved little fellow. Even some of the adults didn't want to let the wiggly cutie go. I looked around the all-wood office and watched the dad and toddlers build a "church" from wood scraps.
By quarter of 4, the party was winding down, most of the kids had gone home...and I was starting to get bored. We finally headed out to dodge traffic before the Phillies game let out. The traffic was a little heavy going over the Ben Franklin Bridge; otherwise, we seemed to miss the worst of it. (Oh, and Jodie mentioned she and Dad are going to have a roast for my birthday dinner at their place next Saturday. Fine by me. I was planning on spending most of the day at the movies and one of the local malls.)
Did some writing when I got in. Han is shocked when Boba Fett calls him "Your Majesty." Han doesn't believe it, but it would seem that Fett knows who he really is. Han tries to force him to talk, but they're surrounded by soldiers before he can do it. Fett takes off rather than be questioned.
Since I didn't really do much today besides cleaning and eating, I did an hour on Wii Sports starting around 6:30. I really worked the boxing today, including a match and several rounds of all three mini-games. I did much better with boxing than I did on tennis. I lost both the games I played and still can't figure out how to time my darn swings. I must have worn myself out earlier on boxing, because my bowling game wasn't great, either.
Had Zucchini Pancakes for dinner while listening to the original Broadway cast album It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. This superhero musical debuted in 1966, just as the Batman show was starting to make waves on TV. Here, Superman is derailed by a ten-time Nobel-Prize losing mad scientist seeking revenge and an imitation Walter Winchell reporter who never met a scandal he didn't like. Lois Lane is more interested in marrying Superman and avoiding a persistent co-worker than her career. Uh, yeah. It's dated, silly, and really only a notch above an even more notorious superhero musical, Spider Man Turn Off the Dark. Strouse and Adams provided some decent music, though, including "You've Got Possibilities" for Linda Lavin as the reporter's put-upon secretary.
Finished off the night on YouTube with two rare swashbuckling adventures. The Vagabond King is a remake of both the 1930 operetta and the play If I Were King that also inspired The Beloved Rogue. Tenor Oreste Kirkop is Francois Villion in this colorful retelling, with Kathryn Grayson in one of her last movies as Catherine and Rita Moreno as Hugette. It doesn't really use much of the original music from the 1926 stage operetta, but otherwise, it's a pretty decent movie. I wish we'd seen more of Grayson's stately Catherine and Moreno's fiery tavern wench and less of Kirkop - he was a fine singer, but lacked the presence of Mario Lanza, whom he'd likely been brought to Paramount to compete with. Look for Leslie Nielson in an early role as one of the king's men.
The Magic Sword is a far goofier medieval fantasy from 1962. This odd retelling of St. George and the Dragon has George (Gary Lockwood) steal the title sword and a magical horse and armor from his adopted mother, the sorceress Sybil (Estelle Winwood). He wants to rescue his beloved Helene (Ann Helm) from the evil wizard Dulac (Basil Rathbone) and his maiden-eating dragon. With the help of seven knights and Sir Branton (Liam Sullivan), who was originally going to rescue Helene, he sets forth to deliver his fair lady. But not only do seven curses await the noble knights, but Branton is upset about being replaced and has no intention of letting George be the hero.
Even the robots at Mystery Science Theater 3000 found this to be rather charming, especially for notorious schlock director Bert I. Gordon. Rathbone and Windwood are having a great time hamming it up, and even the bad special effects add to the fun. Worth checking out if you want your sword-and-sorcery tales on the lighter side or have grade-school-age kids with a fondness for fantasy.
The Vagabond King (1956)
The Magic Sword (1962)
Oh yes, and the second commercial for Solo: A Star Wars Story finally dropped today. I don't care what anyone else says. I think this looks like it's going to be a blast, especially Donald Glover as a pitch-perfect Lando. I loved Han's "You look great!" response to Chewie's age, too. And was that Chewie's wife Malla he was hugging briefly?
To paraphrase Han, I have a good feeling about this. ;)
Solo: A Star Wars Story Trailer #2
Spent the morning continuing the cleaning. I vacuumed the whole apartment, mainly so I could get up the dust and hair that was under the Disney Toddler dolls' bed. While today was only in the upper 40's, it's supposed to be in the 60's by the end of the week. I figured it was finally time to toss the flannel sheets in the laundry basket and replace them with the spring/fall sheets. Washed the windows, too.
I'd just finished the windows when Jodie arrived on my porch. Apparently, they were picking me up at 12:15, not 12:45. Oops! I hurriedly threw on my boots and coat and grabbed my purse, racing out to their brand-new van.
TJ lives with a few other friends in a beautiful old house in Overbrook Farms, one of the tonier suburbs in West Philadelphia. We took the Schuylkill Expressway, with fabulous views of Fairmount Park, and City Avenue there. City Avenue was an eclectic mix of modern chain stores and shopping centers and fine old brick and stone apartment buildings and churches. A lot of local media seems to have their headquarters here, too. I saw the offices and studio of WPVI 6, our ABC affiliate, on City Avenue; we passed WPHL 17's studio on the way home. (Jodie said she saw the studio for popular radio station B101 on our way down City Avenue as well.)
According to the book I found in the living room, Overbrook Farms was developed in the 1890's as one of Philly's first suburbs for the well-to-do. This seems to still be the case today, if the gorgeous house and it's grounds and the equally lovely homes surrounding it were any indication. It was a three story stone dwelling with one large living room and several smaller rooms, including two small kitchens with whitewashed built-in cabinets and the latest appliances. I admired an apparently haunted mirror in the living room and a huge old Victrola in the dining room.
I spent a lot of the afternoon with the child of a friend of TJ's, Maddie. She was a lively little miss who was probably about 6 or 7, from her size and sheer energy. I chatted with her at the dining room table while we ate fruit, vegetables from a vegetable tray, crumble coffee cake, lemon cake, Jodie's macaroni salad, and an eggy bread pudding.
At one point, TJ took us upstairs to his attic office and sanctuary. He's studying for his masters degree at St. Joseph's University near-by and has a small religious shrine on a colorful couch. Maddie was more interested in scribbling with his colored pencils and playing with the General Leia Hallmark Itty Bitty I use as a stress toy. Inspired by her metallic cape, she kept pretending to make the doll "fly." (Which amused the heck out of me, considering what Leia actually does in the current movie.)
There was a big yard and a sprawling flagstone patio. They owned one sweet elderly terrier named Benny. Their neighbors' two dogs, adorable yellow lab puppy Ranger and big black lab Sonia, came over a few times to see what all the fuss was about. Maddie and a friend's two toddler children loved chasing them and stroking their fur. Ranger in particular was a much-loved little fellow. Even some of the adults didn't want to let the wiggly cutie go. I looked around the all-wood office and watched the dad and toddlers build a "church" from wood scraps.
By quarter of 4, the party was winding down, most of the kids had gone home...and I was starting to get bored. We finally headed out to dodge traffic before the Phillies game let out. The traffic was a little heavy going over the Ben Franklin Bridge; otherwise, we seemed to miss the worst of it. (Oh, and Jodie mentioned she and Dad are going to have a roast for my birthday dinner at their place next Saturday. Fine by me. I was planning on spending most of the day at the movies and one of the local malls.)
Did some writing when I got in. Han is shocked when Boba Fett calls him "Your Majesty." Han doesn't believe it, but it would seem that Fett knows who he really is. Han tries to force him to talk, but they're surrounded by soldiers before he can do it. Fett takes off rather than be questioned.
Since I didn't really do much today besides cleaning and eating, I did an hour on Wii Sports starting around 6:30. I really worked the boxing today, including a match and several rounds of all three mini-games. I did much better with boxing than I did on tennis. I lost both the games I played and still can't figure out how to time my darn swings. I must have worn myself out earlier on boxing, because my bowling game wasn't great, either.
Had Zucchini Pancakes for dinner while listening to the original Broadway cast album It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. This superhero musical debuted in 1966, just as the Batman show was starting to make waves on TV. Here, Superman is derailed by a ten-time Nobel-Prize losing mad scientist seeking revenge and an imitation Walter Winchell reporter who never met a scandal he didn't like. Lois Lane is more interested in marrying Superman and avoiding a persistent co-worker than her career. Uh, yeah. It's dated, silly, and really only a notch above an even more notorious superhero musical, Spider Man Turn Off the Dark. Strouse and Adams provided some decent music, though, including "You've Got Possibilities" for Linda Lavin as the reporter's put-upon secretary.
Finished off the night on YouTube with two rare swashbuckling adventures. The Vagabond King is a remake of both the 1930 operetta and the play If I Were King that also inspired The Beloved Rogue. Tenor Oreste Kirkop is Francois Villion in this colorful retelling, with Kathryn Grayson in one of her last movies as Catherine and Rita Moreno as Hugette. It doesn't really use much of the original music from the 1926 stage operetta, but otherwise, it's a pretty decent movie. I wish we'd seen more of Grayson's stately Catherine and Moreno's fiery tavern wench and less of Kirkop - he was a fine singer, but lacked the presence of Mario Lanza, whom he'd likely been brought to Paramount to compete with. Look for Leslie Nielson in an early role as one of the king's men.
The Magic Sword is a far goofier medieval fantasy from 1962. This odd retelling of St. George and the Dragon has George (Gary Lockwood) steal the title sword and a magical horse and armor from his adopted mother, the sorceress Sybil (Estelle Winwood). He wants to rescue his beloved Helene (Ann Helm) from the evil wizard Dulac (Basil Rathbone) and his maiden-eating dragon. With the help of seven knights and Sir Branton (Liam Sullivan), who was originally going to rescue Helene, he sets forth to deliver his fair lady. But not only do seven curses await the noble knights, but Branton is upset about being replaced and has no intention of letting George be the hero.
Even the robots at Mystery Science Theater 3000 found this to be rather charming, especially for notorious schlock director Bert I. Gordon. Rathbone and Windwood are having a great time hamming it up, and even the bad special effects add to the fun. Worth checking out if you want your sword-and-sorcery tales on the lighter side or have grade-school-age kids with a fondness for fantasy.
The Vagabond King (1956)
The Magic Sword (1962)
Oh yes, and the second commercial for Solo: A Star Wars Story finally dropped today. I don't care what anyone else says. I think this looks like it's going to be a blast, especially Donald Glover as a pitch-perfect Lando. I loved Han's "You look great!" response to Chewie's age, too. And was that Chewie's wife Malla he was hugging briefly?
To paraphrase Han, I have a good feeling about this. ;)
Solo: A Star Wars Story Trailer #2
Saturday, April 07, 2018
Spring Cleaning and Other Super Tales
I actually spent the morning - and a lot of the day - cleaning the blinds. I've tried once or twice since I moved here to wash them, but there's eight of them, and it takes forever. It took forever even with the blind cleaner tool. In fact, it took me three hours to clean the four blinds in the living area, the one in the bathroom, and one of the three in my bedroom. I finished the other two later, after lunch...and they're all still pretty filthy. They came with the house, but I'm considering replacing them with either bamboo or narrower blinds that would be easier to clean and let more light in, or curtains that would just require being tossed in the wash.
Ran several cartoons while I worked, starting with two episodes of She-Ra. "The Sea Hawk" is a Han Solo-esque pirate who works for the Horde, but claims he doesn't belong to them. Adora makes him reconsider his stance on working with the Great Rebellion. She-Ra gets into a "Duel at Devin" when a little girl brings her to her tiny village. It's been taken over by some bullying Horde soldiers. The townspeople are too afraid to fight back...until She-Ra and one little girl encourage them to stand up for themselves.
Switched to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while continuing to struggle with the blinds. Disney's first full-length animated film tells the tale of a young princess who flees her wicked stepmother and ends up in the house of seven eccentric miners. She's a good cook, a good singer, and not a bad story teller, and they're (mostly) glad to take her in. Her stepmother the Wicked Queen is on her trail though, and she won't rest until she's eliminated the competition.
Once again had this on for the medieval/fantasy aesthetic. It's not my favorite Disney movie, but it is history, and the dwarfs, the music, and animation are all fun.
Headed out for a walk around quarter of 1. First stop was the Oaklyn Library. There was absolutely no one there but me and the librarian. The gloomy, cold, windy day was not exactly encouraging. I organized videos and shelved kids' books and moved on.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I headed a couple of blocks down to Dad and Jodie's house. For once, I caught them both at home, watching endless Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit episodes on Ion Television. Jodie invited me to a late Easter brunch at her son TJ's apartment in South Philadelphia last week. I was able to tell them that I could go. They'll pick me up tomorrow around 12:45.
Went home, watching an episode of Good Eats while having a quick lunch before returning to trying to clean the blinds. Alton has a much easier time with a notoriously fussy dessert in "Hooked on Backlava." As much as I love the Middle Eastern honey-nut-phyllo dessert, it's still too much work for me to make on my own. I'll stick to buying it from bakeries.
Finally finished the blinds around quarter after 4. Did some writing after that. Leia rides to Alderaan Manor, only to find it burned to the ground like her parents' home. She finds two of her aunt and uncle's servants, fussy butler Cyril and his mute blacksmith buddy Artello, amid the wreckage. Boba Fett, who joined the troopers, finds her. But it's Han to the rescue when Fett tells her he intends to take her and the servants back to Palpatine.
Broke at quarter of 7 to make Italian stove-top casserole for dinner, with ground turkey, zucchini, onion, and lots of shredded mozzarella cheese. Ran one of the non-holiday Garfield specials while I cooked. Garfield's imagination works overtime, dreaming himself into parodies of Airport and Jaws, among others. When Jon "saves" him and Odie from the airplane dream, Garfield is convinced they're invincible. He comes up with a spoof of spy capers that has him and Odie searching for the Banana of Bombay to test his theory.
Played a quick half-hour of Wii Sports after dinner. I'm getting a little better at tennis. I can usually get up to a bronze on hitting the ball, and my Target Practice is improving, too. I'm still having trouble timing my swing, though. I also did bowling and some golf Target Practice.
Finished off the night with Supergirl. This 1984 outing is quite different from the current TV show. The title character (Helen Slater) comes to Earth in search of the Omega Headron, an object of great power. It's ended up in the hands of carnival witch Serena (Faye Dunaway), who intends to use it to take over the world. Supergirl goes undercover as prep school kid Linda Lee in order to find out where the Omega Headron landed. She befriends her roommate Lucy Lane (Maureen Teefy), but makes an enemy of her obnoxious math teacher (Peter Cook). Against Nigel's wishes, Serena creates a love potion to make a hunky construction worker (Hart Bochner) fall in love with her...but he falls for Linda instead. Now Supergirl has to figure out how to stop Serena's plot and deal with his love-sick advances, before she ends up in the Phantom Zone with her former mentor Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) for good.
Yes, I know this isn't a great movie. It's not even a good one. I love it anyway. I have no idea what's going on with the Omega Headron, O'Toole and Cook are wasted in thankless roles, the script is the richest form of cheese, Bochner is a block of wood, and the special effects look ridiculous.
What makes the movie is Slater and Dunaway. Slater is totally convincing as the super-powered teen who can go from blond to brunette in a single bound, and it's fun to watch Dunaway chew every inch of scenery in sight as the low-level witch who thinks she's found her way to the big time. Jerry Goldsmith's lovely score is vastly underrated, too.
If you're looking for another strong female superhero or have fond memories of catching this on cable when you were a kid too, it's worth checking out and better than its reputation suggests.
Ran several cartoons while I worked, starting with two episodes of She-Ra. "The Sea Hawk" is a Han Solo-esque pirate who works for the Horde, but claims he doesn't belong to them. Adora makes him reconsider his stance on working with the Great Rebellion. She-Ra gets into a "Duel at Devin" when a little girl brings her to her tiny village. It's been taken over by some bullying Horde soldiers. The townspeople are too afraid to fight back...until She-Ra and one little girl encourage them to stand up for themselves.
Switched to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while continuing to struggle with the blinds. Disney's first full-length animated film tells the tale of a young princess who flees her wicked stepmother and ends up in the house of seven eccentric miners. She's a good cook, a good singer, and not a bad story teller, and they're (mostly) glad to take her in. Her stepmother the Wicked Queen is on her trail though, and she won't rest until she's eliminated the competition.
Once again had this on for the medieval/fantasy aesthetic. It's not my favorite Disney movie, but it is history, and the dwarfs, the music, and animation are all fun.
Headed out for a walk around quarter of 1. First stop was the Oaklyn Library. There was absolutely no one there but me and the librarian. The gloomy, cold, windy day was not exactly encouraging. I organized videos and shelved kids' books and moved on.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I headed a couple of blocks down to Dad and Jodie's house. For once, I caught them both at home, watching endless Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit episodes on Ion Television. Jodie invited me to a late Easter brunch at her son TJ's apartment in South Philadelphia last week. I was able to tell them that I could go. They'll pick me up tomorrow around 12:45.
Went home, watching an episode of Good Eats while having a quick lunch before returning to trying to clean the blinds. Alton has a much easier time with a notoriously fussy dessert in "Hooked on Backlava." As much as I love the Middle Eastern honey-nut-phyllo dessert, it's still too much work for me to make on my own. I'll stick to buying it from bakeries.
Finally finished the blinds around quarter after 4. Did some writing after that. Leia rides to Alderaan Manor, only to find it burned to the ground like her parents' home. She finds two of her aunt and uncle's servants, fussy butler Cyril and his mute blacksmith buddy Artello, amid the wreckage. Boba Fett, who joined the troopers, finds her. But it's Han to the rescue when Fett tells her he intends to take her and the servants back to Palpatine.
Broke at quarter of 7 to make Italian stove-top casserole for dinner, with ground turkey, zucchini, onion, and lots of shredded mozzarella cheese. Ran one of the non-holiday Garfield specials while I cooked. Garfield's imagination works overtime, dreaming himself into parodies of Airport and Jaws, among others. When Jon "saves" him and Odie from the airplane dream, Garfield is convinced they're invincible. He comes up with a spoof of spy capers that has him and Odie searching for the Banana of Bombay to test his theory.
Played a quick half-hour of Wii Sports after dinner. I'm getting a little better at tennis. I can usually get up to a bronze on hitting the ball, and my Target Practice is improving, too. I'm still having trouble timing my swing, though. I also did bowling and some golf Target Practice.
Finished off the night with Supergirl. This 1984 outing is quite different from the current TV show. The title character (Helen Slater) comes to Earth in search of the Omega Headron, an object of great power. It's ended up in the hands of carnival witch Serena (Faye Dunaway), who intends to use it to take over the world. Supergirl goes undercover as prep school kid Linda Lee in order to find out where the Omega Headron landed. She befriends her roommate Lucy Lane (Maureen Teefy), but makes an enemy of her obnoxious math teacher (Peter Cook). Against Nigel's wishes, Serena creates a love potion to make a hunky construction worker (Hart Bochner) fall in love with her...but he falls for Linda instead. Now Supergirl has to figure out how to stop Serena's plot and deal with his love-sick advances, before she ends up in the Phantom Zone with her former mentor Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) for good.
Yes, I know this isn't a great movie. It's not even a good one. I love it anyway. I have no idea what's going on with the Omega Headron, O'Toole and Cook are wasted in thankless roles, the script is the richest form of cheese, Bochner is a block of wood, and the special effects look ridiculous.
What makes the movie is Slater and Dunaway. Slater is totally convincing as the super-powered teen who can go from blond to brunette in a single bound, and it's fun to watch Dunaway chew every inch of scenery in sight as the low-level witch who thinks she's found her way to the big time. Jerry Goldsmith's lovely score is vastly underrated, too.
If you're looking for another strong female superhero or have fond memories of catching this on cable when you were a kid too, it's worth checking out and better than its reputation suggests.
Friday, April 06, 2018
Suddenly Springtime
Started off a cloudy day with breakfast and cartoons. It seemed like the right kind of day for the mystery-themed episode of The Backyardigans, "Whodunnit?" Detective Pablo is invited to the Lady Tasha's manor for tea with her, her butler Tyrone, and their neighbor Austin Frothingslosh. Shortly after Pablo arrives, Uniqua Underhood also shows up, claiming there's going to be a robbery. Sure enough, Lady Tasha's jewels are stolen moments later. Could the thief be Austin, who took off suddenly after the jewelry vanished? Or Tyrone the butler, who was conveniently pushed into a closet during the scuffle that lead to the disappearance of the jewels? Or maybe it's the mysterious figure running around in the moors?
Did some writing after breakfast. Kanan Jarrus is so grateful for Han and Leia rescuing him and his adopted son Ezra, he offers to fix Falcon's shoes and Leia's armor for free. Leia shows Sabine and Ezra Luke the Unicorn, while Kanan chats with Han. He seems to have some idea of who Han is, though he thinks he's incognito and only refers to him as "Solo." He does try to encourage him to return to his mother and to give Leia more of a chance.
Leia, Han, and Luke head along to Alderaan Manor later in the day. They've just come over the hill when they see a plume of smoke...and a streak of red fire in the sky. Leia races down the hill on Luke, hoping they're not too late...
Broke for lunch at 11:30. Switched to Max & Ruby while eating and getting ready for work. "Grandma's Berry Patch" is filled with berries for her special surprise recipe. Ruby loves to pick them, but her brother would rather eat them right away. Ruby and Louise are making a banner for "Ruby's Bunny Scout Parade." Max's toys are annoying at first, until they keep giving the girls ideas for things to draw on the banner. Ruby has her own mystery to solve in "Ruby's Detective Agency." Her stuffed animal Mrs. Quack has disappeared! She's hot on the trail, but Max may know more than he's telling.
By the time I headed to work at noon, the clouds were breaking up, and it was starting to get much warmer. Despite the nice day, I spent the whole time inside. While I did clean the bathrooms and bagged when it got busy, I mostly organized the last of the candy and the gift card kiosk. Got a lot done in both cases. I completely finished the candy, and hung many packs of cards on the card hooks at the registers.
I'm not that happy with my schedule next week. In good news, four days off, including Sunday and Monday (along with next Saturday for my birthday). In annoying news, I'm back to fewer hours, and the hours I do have are bunched into two 6 hours shifts on Tuesday and Friday and another 8 1/2 hour shift on Wednesday. I really wish they'd just go back to spreading my shifts out! (And I'm going to have to call the dentist's office to reschedule that cleaning appointment.)
Grocery shopping went a little better. Ground turkey was on a really good sale; I bought two packs. Decided to try the Belvita chocolate sandwich cookies, since it was on a decent sale and there was an online coupon. Bought a zucchini and shredded cheese for dinner and a small can of tomato sauce that was free with a coupon from the Acme's current Monopoly game. Took advantage of a 4-day sale and another Monopoly coupon to get Goldfish Graham Crackers really cheap, too. Restocked yogurt, mandarin oranges, grapefruit, bananas, peanut butter, skim milk, and chocolate chips. Also picked up a three-pronged cleaner covered in terry cloth that will allow me to dust the blinds without having to try to scrub them or use a rag or duster.
Finished out another Max & Ruby episode while I put everything away. "Ruby's Safari" has her and Louise looking for an "exotic" animal in their backyard for their Bunny Scouts scrapbook. Max's noisy toys keep scaring them away...but one quieter one might be good for attracting them. Ruby and Louise want to play beauty shop again, this time with fruits as "all natural" cosmetics. Ruby's brother prefers the equally natural beauty of "Max's Mud Bath." The girls are taking care of the Bunny Scouts' chameleon in "Max's Lost Lizard." When he escapes, Max enjoys watching him blend in with his surroundings.
By 6 PM, the clouds were long gone, and while it was still windy, the temperatures had soared into the mid-60's. It was now too nice to eat indoors. I went for a walk down to West Clinton Avenue and had dinner at The Square Meal, a sandwich shop that specializes in locally grown, sustainable ingredients. I ate at one of their outdoor wicker tables. It was too nice to eat inside! The roast chicken sandwich - shredded chicken with fresh greens and Vermont cheddar on a chewy ciabatta bun - was incredible. The chicken was so perfectly seasoned!
Went for a short walk down to Kendall Boulevard, then back around to Manor after dinner. Spring has finally sprung here in South Jersey. The trees are starting to show their little white flowers. Daffodils and hyacinths fill every yard. There's almost more green than yellow in lawns now.
Played some video games after I got in, starting with Wii Sports. While I can KO on the lower boxing levels and am doing somewhat better with tennis and baseball swings, I'm having a hard time with other aspects. I can't figure out timing my tennis swings or how to keep my puts low and make small ones in golf. Did better in other games; got a silver metal in the quick batting.
Moved onto Lego Star Wars around 7:30. I was able to get True Jedi on "Jabba's Palace" and "Jedi Destiny," but I had a harder time getting all the pieces on the latter. There's just one piece I can't get on "Destiny." It takes forever for me to run around the panels and light them up fast enough to get the piece.
Finished the night after a shower with another Zucker/Proft spoof, Top Secret! We move from cop satire to a goofy take on Elvis musicals and World War II movies with the tale of Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer), who is representing the US in a big music festival in East Germany. Turns out the festival is a cover for the East Germans' attempts to bring the country back together under Communist rule. He flirts with pretty spy Hilary Flammond (Lucy Gutteridge) at a big dinner, and later at the ballet. She's hoping to find her father, Dr. Paul Flammond (Michael Gough). He finds him after he lands in prison and tries to escape. He manages to get out of execution by performing a concert and escaping with Hilary, who brings him to the local resistance. It's headed by Nigel (Christopher Villers), whom she was once stranded on a deserted island with. But there's a traitor in their midst who is reporting their every move to the Germans. It'll take all of Nick's musical and physical prowess to prove he's not the traitor, get the girl, and get out of Germany with all his parts intact.
Kilmer's having a blast as the twist and shouting Elvis-esque singer in this salute to the B teen fodder of the 1950's and 60's, both spy and rock-related. If nothing else, the musical numbers are actually a lot of fun, especially the big sock hop spoof in a pizza parlor that turns into a rollicking 50's-style ensemble dance. If you love Kilmer or the other Zucker/Proft spoofs, this one is worth checking out as well.
Did some writing after breakfast. Kanan Jarrus is so grateful for Han and Leia rescuing him and his adopted son Ezra, he offers to fix Falcon's shoes and Leia's armor for free. Leia shows Sabine and Ezra Luke the Unicorn, while Kanan chats with Han. He seems to have some idea of who Han is, though he thinks he's incognito and only refers to him as "Solo." He does try to encourage him to return to his mother and to give Leia more of a chance.
Leia, Han, and Luke head along to Alderaan Manor later in the day. They've just come over the hill when they see a plume of smoke...and a streak of red fire in the sky. Leia races down the hill on Luke, hoping they're not too late...
Broke for lunch at 11:30. Switched to Max & Ruby while eating and getting ready for work. "Grandma's Berry Patch" is filled with berries for her special surprise recipe. Ruby loves to pick them, but her brother would rather eat them right away. Ruby and Louise are making a banner for "Ruby's Bunny Scout Parade." Max's toys are annoying at first, until they keep giving the girls ideas for things to draw on the banner. Ruby has her own mystery to solve in "Ruby's Detective Agency." Her stuffed animal Mrs. Quack has disappeared! She's hot on the trail, but Max may know more than he's telling.
By the time I headed to work at noon, the clouds were breaking up, and it was starting to get much warmer. Despite the nice day, I spent the whole time inside. While I did clean the bathrooms and bagged when it got busy, I mostly organized the last of the candy and the gift card kiosk. Got a lot done in both cases. I completely finished the candy, and hung many packs of cards on the card hooks at the registers.
I'm not that happy with my schedule next week. In good news, four days off, including Sunday and Monday (along with next Saturday for my birthday). In annoying news, I'm back to fewer hours, and the hours I do have are bunched into two 6 hours shifts on Tuesday and Friday and another 8 1/2 hour shift on Wednesday. I really wish they'd just go back to spreading my shifts out! (And I'm going to have to call the dentist's office to reschedule that cleaning appointment.)
Grocery shopping went a little better. Ground turkey was on a really good sale; I bought two packs. Decided to try the Belvita chocolate sandwich cookies, since it was on a decent sale and there was an online coupon. Bought a zucchini and shredded cheese for dinner and a small can of tomato sauce that was free with a coupon from the Acme's current Monopoly game. Took advantage of a 4-day sale and another Monopoly coupon to get Goldfish Graham Crackers really cheap, too. Restocked yogurt, mandarin oranges, grapefruit, bananas, peanut butter, skim milk, and chocolate chips. Also picked up a three-pronged cleaner covered in terry cloth that will allow me to dust the blinds without having to try to scrub them or use a rag or duster.
Finished out another Max & Ruby episode while I put everything away. "Ruby's Safari" has her and Louise looking for an "exotic" animal in their backyard for their Bunny Scouts scrapbook. Max's noisy toys keep scaring them away...but one quieter one might be good for attracting them. Ruby and Louise want to play beauty shop again, this time with fruits as "all natural" cosmetics. Ruby's brother prefers the equally natural beauty of "Max's Mud Bath." The girls are taking care of the Bunny Scouts' chameleon in "Max's Lost Lizard." When he escapes, Max enjoys watching him blend in with his surroundings.
By 6 PM, the clouds were long gone, and while it was still windy, the temperatures had soared into the mid-60's. It was now too nice to eat indoors. I went for a walk down to West Clinton Avenue and had dinner at The Square Meal, a sandwich shop that specializes in locally grown, sustainable ingredients. I ate at one of their outdoor wicker tables. It was too nice to eat inside! The roast chicken sandwich - shredded chicken with fresh greens and Vermont cheddar on a chewy ciabatta bun - was incredible. The chicken was so perfectly seasoned!
Went for a short walk down to Kendall Boulevard, then back around to Manor after dinner. Spring has finally sprung here in South Jersey. The trees are starting to show their little white flowers. Daffodils and hyacinths fill every yard. There's almost more green than yellow in lawns now.
Played some video games after I got in, starting with Wii Sports. While I can KO on the lower boxing levels and am doing somewhat better with tennis and baseball swings, I'm having a hard time with other aspects. I can't figure out timing my tennis swings or how to keep my puts low and make small ones in golf. Did better in other games; got a silver metal in the quick batting.
Moved onto Lego Star Wars around 7:30. I was able to get True Jedi on "Jabba's Palace" and "Jedi Destiny," but I had a harder time getting all the pieces on the latter. There's just one piece I can't get on "Destiny." It takes forever for me to run around the panels and light them up fast enough to get the piece.
Finished the night after a shower with another Zucker/Proft spoof, Top Secret! We move from cop satire to a goofy take on Elvis musicals and World War II movies with the tale of Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer), who is representing the US in a big music festival in East Germany. Turns out the festival is a cover for the East Germans' attempts to bring the country back together under Communist rule. He flirts with pretty spy Hilary Flammond (Lucy Gutteridge) at a big dinner, and later at the ballet. She's hoping to find her father, Dr. Paul Flammond (Michael Gough). He finds him after he lands in prison and tries to escape. He manages to get out of execution by performing a concert and escaping with Hilary, who brings him to the local resistance. It's headed by Nigel (Christopher Villers), whom she was once stranded on a deserted island with. But there's a traitor in their midst who is reporting their every move to the Germans. It'll take all of Nick's musical and physical prowess to prove he's not the traitor, get the girl, and get out of Germany with all his parts intact.
Kilmer's having a blast as the twist and shouting Elvis-esque singer in this salute to the B teen fodder of the 1950's and 60's, both spy and rock-related. If nothing else, the musical numbers are actually a lot of fun, especially the big sock hop spoof in a pizza parlor that turns into a rollicking 50's-style ensemble dance. If you love Kilmer or the other Zucker/Proft spoofs, this one is worth checking out as well.
Thursday, April 05, 2018
The Guardians and the Future King
Began a cloudy morning with lemon ginger pancakes and one of the funnier Sailor Moon episodes to cheer me up before a long day at work. When the Sailor Guardians are under the weather, it's Nurse Minako to the rescue in "Venus: Minako's Nurse Mayhem!" Minako's attempts to take care of them just cause chaos rather than making things better. When she and Chibi-Usa go to the hospital to get drugs, they discover that it's all a Dark Moon plot...and that even when they're sick, the Guardians still have each other's backs.
Minako's cat Artemis is tired of Luna teasing him about his clumsiness in "Artemis' Adventure: The Monster Animal Kingdom." Determined to prove that he's able to handle an assignment on his own, he follows a man who has been rounding up stray animals for a local shelter. The man and the animals were targeted by the Dark Moon Kingdom and are attacking everyone in sight, including Artemis.
Today was my eight and a half hour day. I wasn't looking forward to it. On one hand, I managed to get two carts of returns done this morning and did get about half the candy done. I wish I'd had more time to do both. We were on-and-off busy all day, a lot more than I thought we would be. We had a tiny snow shower this morning...but once those clouds vanished, we were sunny and blustery all day. This morning was also the second championship parade in three months in Philadelphia, this time for college basketball champs Villanova. Once the parade ended around noon, a lot of people who were off for the day may have gone shopping. Not to mention, it's still the beginning of the month. I even got stuck in the register a few times because we simply didn't have enough people to deal with the lines. Spent most of the last couple of hours doing carts and the outside trash.
When I got home, I did one last Sailor Moon episode while eating leftovers for dinner and making Chocolate Coconut Almond Bars. Backed up a few episodes for "Magic of Darkness: Esmeraude's Invasion." Esmeraude, with her annoying laugh and vain and spoiled attitude, replaces Rubeus as the main villain for the next couple of episodes. She takes over a pastry shop in the Guardians' neighborhood that's offering free goodies, turning everyone into icing and using cake to bind the Guardians! It takes a little help from Sailor Mercury to freeze her sugary plans.
Did some Wii Sports after the bars were in the oven. Doing carts in heavy wind wore me out too much for boxing. I mainly focused on tennis and golf. I just can't aim the darn ball! It's a problem with baseball too, and bowling to a lesser degree. I can hit...but I can't seem to time my hits or swings right. I do well when I'm just hitting the ball onto the green or a target in golf, or bowling to hit spares or pins. But I just can't seem to aim the ball right in tennis, and I have trouble with timing my swings in baseball.
Switched to Lego Star Wars for a few quick rounds. Finally figured out how to get that one last piece in "Defense of Kashyyak" and got True Jedi on "Escape From Echo Base."
Finished the night with The Sword and the Stone, Disney's retelling of the early days of King Arthur. Arthur, or Wart, as he's known to his guardian Sir Ector, is a page and scullery boy who is hoping to become a squire. He encounters the eccentric wizard Merlin while retrieving his brother Kay's arrow. Merlin knows everything...including Arthur's future. He's determined to teach the boy everything he needs to know to be a good king, including turning him into animals and scaring the living daylights out of Ector with his spells. At one point, they even encounter wacky Madam Mim, a witch who can also turn herself into animals, and get involved in a Wizard's Duel with her. Arthur does finally become a squire, to the disappointment of Merlin, who wants him to focus on his studies. It's his squire job, however, that leads Arthur to the famous sword of the title...and to his future as the rightful king of England.
This is one of Mom's favorite Disney movies, but I'm not as big on it as she is. The plot meanders, and when you get down to it, neither the animal shenanigans nor the entire sequence with Madam Mim have much to do with teaching Arthur what he'll need to know when he's king. The animation is ok for the era but not spectacular.
Separate it from the rest of the movie, though, and that "Wizard's Duel" and Madam Mim herself are by far the best part of the film. Mim is a burst of wacky air in slightly dull surroundings, and the scene itself is one of the funniest in any Disney film. There's also some decent Sherman Brothers songs, including "Higltus Figltus" and "That's What Makes the World Go 'Round." And while it may not have taught Arthur much about ruling a kingdom, the sequence with him and the girl squirrel actually ends up being rather touching.
Not bad if you're looking for an animated movie for older boys or have fond memories of seeing this in the theater or on cable or video like Mom does.
Minako's cat Artemis is tired of Luna teasing him about his clumsiness in "Artemis' Adventure: The Monster Animal Kingdom." Determined to prove that he's able to handle an assignment on his own, he follows a man who has been rounding up stray animals for a local shelter. The man and the animals were targeted by the Dark Moon Kingdom and are attacking everyone in sight, including Artemis.
Today was my eight and a half hour day. I wasn't looking forward to it. On one hand, I managed to get two carts of returns done this morning and did get about half the candy done. I wish I'd had more time to do both. We were on-and-off busy all day, a lot more than I thought we would be. We had a tiny snow shower this morning...but once those clouds vanished, we were sunny and blustery all day. This morning was also the second championship parade in three months in Philadelphia, this time for college basketball champs Villanova. Once the parade ended around noon, a lot of people who were off for the day may have gone shopping. Not to mention, it's still the beginning of the month. I even got stuck in the register a few times because we simply didn't have enough people to deal with the lines. Spent most of the last couple of hours doing carts and the outside trash.
When I got home, I did one last Sailor Moon episode while eating leftovers for dinner and making Chocolate Coconut Almond Bars. Backed up a few episodes for "Magic of Darkness: Esmeraude's Invasion." Esmeraude, with her annoying laugh and vain and spoiled attitude, replaces Rubeus as the main villain for the next couple of episodes. She takes over a pastry shop in the Guardians' neighborhood that's offering free goodies, turning everyone into icing and using cake to bind the Guardians! It takes a little help from Sailor Mercury to freeze her sugary plans.
Did some Wii Sports after the bars were in the oven. Doing carts in heavy wind wore me out too much for boxing. I mainly focused on tennis and golf. I just can't aim the darn ball! It's a problem with baseball too, and bowling to a lesser degree. I can hit...but I can't seem to time my hits or swings right. I do well when I'm just hitting the ball onto the green or a target in golf, or bowling to hit spares or pins. But I just can't seem to aim the ball right in tennis, and I have trouble with timing my swings in baseball.
Switched to Lego Star Wars for a few quick rounds. Finally figured out how to get that one last piece in "Defense of Kashyyak" and got True Jedi on "Escape From Echo Base."
Finished the night with The Sword and the Stone, Disney's retelling of the early days of King Arthur. Arthur, or Wart, as he's known to his guardian Sir Ector, is a page and scullery boy who is hoping to become a squire. He encounters the eccentric wizard Merlin while retrieving his brother Kay's arrow. Merlin knows everything...including Arthur's future. He's determined to teach the boy everything he needs to know to be a good king, including turning him into animals and scaring the living daylights out of Ector with his spells. At one point, they even encounter wacky Madam Mim, a witch who can also turn herself into animals, and get involved in a Wizard's Duel with her. Arthur does finally become a squire, to the disappointment of Merlin, who wants him to focus on his studies. It's his squire job, however, that leads Arthur to the famous sword of the title...and to his future as the rightful king of England.
This is one of Mom's favorite Disney movies, but I'm not as big on it as she is. The plot meanders, and when you get down to it, neither the animal shenanigans nor the entire sequence with Madam Mim have much to do with teaching Arthur what he'll need to know when he's king. The animation is ok for the era but not spectacular.
Separate it from the rest of the movie, though, and that "Wizard's Duel" and Madam Mim herself are by far the best part of the film. Mim is a burst of wacky air in slightly dull surroundings, and the scene itself is one of the funniest in any Disney film. There's also some decent Sherman Brothers songs, including "Higltus Figltus" and "That's What Makes the World Go 'Round." And while it may not have taught Arthur much about ruling a kingdom, the sequence with him and the girl squirrel actually ends up being rather touching.
Not bad if you're looking for an animated movie for older boys or have fond memories of seeing this in the theater or on cable or video like Mom does.
Wednesday, April 04, 2018
Laundry In the Rain
It was late when I finally got moving this morning. The sun was still shining as I had my breakfast while watching the second season Monkees episode "The Wild Monkees." The guys find themselves railroaded into working for peanuts at a sleepy hotel by its rather obnoxious owner. They're happier about their situation when three very tall and lovely motorcycle chicks check in...at least until their vicious biker gang boyfriends appear. Trying to avoid being pounded into the pavement, the Monkees opt to join a local motorcycle race instead.
Headed out to the laundromat as soon as the episode ended. Even as I made my way there, dark clouds were moving in. It was warm and humid for April, and very windy. Thankfully, I was long inside before the storm came. The lights even flickered briefly while they were in the dryer, though they never went out. Of course, by the time the dryer was done, the storm was coming down in full force. Good thing it didn't last long. The moment it slowed down, I rushed home.
After I put everything away, I had a quick lunch, then did some cleaning. Scrubbed the bathroom while listening to a couple of my Have a Nice Day! 70's rarities CDs. Switched to the Broadway cast album of The Drowsy Chaperone while doing the kitchen. A huge musical fan tells the audience about his favorite 20's show, the title show-within-a-show. The title character is the tipsy chaperone of Janet (Sutton Foster), a big stage star who is on the verge of getting married. While ditzy Mrs. Tottenham (Georgina Engel) tries to help the groom's best friend get the wedding on the road, Janet's boss, the head of Feldzig's Follies, wants his star attraction back on the job and tries to get the wedding canceled.
Spent a few hours writing after I finished the kitchen. Leia and Han see troops riding through town leading people in chains. Turns out that they're magicians who are being taken to Coruscant for Palpatine to strip them of their magic. Leia follows them to a small farm, where a group of them try to take away a man and his son who have magic. Leia and Han help the mother, daughter, and their big friend get rid of the troops.
Threw on a Three Stooges short while eating the last of the quiche for dinner. "Grips, Grunts, and Groans" have the trio helping a wrestling promoter get his boy ready for the big show. When they accidentally get the wrestler drunk, Curly replaces him in the ring. He's definitely not John Cena...until he gets a whiff of Wild Hyacinth perfume and starts attacking the opposition and everyone in sight!
Played Wii Sports for an hour. I did a lot of boxing tonight to make up for not having gotten out earlier. Got KOs on all three regular rounds I played and beat my personal best on the bags. I still need to work on Dodging and aiming for targets. I also need to work on my timing on tennis and baseball. I just can't seem to time my swing or my bat properly. The ball goes off to the side instead of where I want it to go.
Finished the night with Singin' In the Rain. It's 1929, and Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are Monumental Pictures' biggest stars. Lina may be attractive, but she has a voice that could curdle yogurt and a diva personality to match. Don's more interested in Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), whom he met when she accidentally "rescued" him after he had to dodge overly adoring fans. Even as Don pursues Kathy, sound is taking Hollywood by storm. Trouble is, between early sound headaches and Lina's screechy voice, their first talkie is a disaster. Don's friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) suggests making it into a musical, with Kathy dubbing Lina. That works fine, until jealous flapper actress Zelda Zanders (Rita Moreno) lets the cat out of the bag. Lina not only wants Kathy to stay her voice, but wouldn't mind getting her hands on the studio, either. Don and Cosmo have to reveal the truth about Lina without doing further damage to Kathy's career.
This is one of the best musicals ever made, and is considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time, period. Certainly, it has some of my favorite numbers from any MGM musical. In addition to Kelly's famous title romp in the rain, we have the joyous trio "Good Morning," O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" that was so wild, he ended up in the hospital for exhaustion, and O'Connor and Kelly's fun duos "Fit as a Fiddle" and "Moses Supposes." If you're a fan of the cast or musicals in general, this beloved charmer is an absolute must-see.
Headed out to the laundromat as soon as the episode ended. Even as I made my way there, dark clouds were moving in. It was warm and humid for April, and very windy. Thankfully, I was long inside before the storm came. The lights even flickered briefly while they were in the dryer, though they never went out. Of course, by the time the dryer was done, the storm was coming down in full force. Good thing it didn't last long. The moment it slowed down, I rushed home.
After I put everything away, I had a quick lunch, then did some cleaning. Scrubbed the bathroom while listening to a couple of my Have a Nice Day! 70's rarities CDs. Switched to the Broadway cast album of The Drowsy Chaperone while doing the kitchen. A huge musical fan tells the audience about his favorite 20's show, the title show-within-a-show. The title character is the tipsy chaperone of Janet (Sutton Foster), a big stage star who is on the verge of getting married. While ditzy Mrs. Tottenham (Georgina Engel) tries to help the groom's best friend get the wedding on the road, Janet's boss, the head of Feldzig's Follies, wants his star attraction back on the job and tries to get the wedding canceled.
Spent a few hours writing after I finished the kitchen. Leia and Han see troops riding through town leading people in chains. Turns out that they're magicians who are being taken to Coruscant for Palpatine to strip them of their magic. Leia follows them to a small farm, where a group of them try to take away a man and his son who have magic. Leia and Han help the mother, daughter, and their big friend get rid of the troops.
Threw on a Three Stooges short while eating the last of the quiche for dinner. "Grips, Grunts, and Groans" have the trio helping a wrestling promoter get his boy ready for the big show. When they accidentally get the wrestler drunk, Curly replaces him in the ring. He's definitely not John Cena...until he gets a whiff of Wild Hyacinth perfume and starts attacking the opposition and everyone in sight!
Played Wii Sports for an hour. I did a lot of boxing tonight to make up for not having gotten out earlier. Got KOs on all three regular rounds I played and beat my personal best on the bags. I still need to work on Dodging and aiming for targets. I also need to work on my timing on tennis and baseball. I just can't seem to time my swing or my bat properly. The ball goes off to the side instead of where I want it to go.
Finished the night with Singin' In the Rain. It's 1929, and Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are Monumental Pictures' biggest stars. Lina may be attractive, but she has a voice that could curdle yogurt and a diva personality to match. Don's more interested in Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), whom he met when she accidentally "rescued" him after he had to dodge overly adoring fans. Even as Don pursues Kathy, sound is taking Hollywood by storm. Trouble is, between early sound headaches and Lina's screechy voice, their first talkie is a disaster. Don's friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) suggests making it into a musical, with Kathy dubbing Lina. That works fine, until jealous flapper actress Zelda Zanders (Rita Moreno) lets the cat out of the bag. Lina not only wants Kathy to stay her voice, but wouldn't mind getting her hands on the studio, either. Don and Cosmo have to reveal the truth about Lina without doing further damage to Kathy's career.
This is one of the best musicals ever made, and is considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time, period. Certainly, it has some of my favorite numbers from any MGM musical. In addition to Kelly's famous title romp in the rain, we have the joyous trio "Good Morning," O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" that was so wild, he ended up in the hospital for exhaustion, and O'Connor and Kelly's fun duos "Fit as a Fiddle" and "Moses Supposes." If you're a fan of the cast or musicals in general, this beloved charmer is an absolute must-see.
Tuesday, April 03, 2018
Mists of Spring
Started off a gloomy morning with The Backyardigans. "Robot Rampage" was the last of their three hour-long specials. Robots in futuristic Mega City never break down, leaving robot repairman Austin and his robot Roscoe with nothing to do...until the day robots all over the city start to go bad! Austin, Roscoe, and the other kids have to figure out what's making them go haywire and stop the nefarious Professor Pablo from taking over the city!
It was showering lightly when rode to work. This time, I spent a lot of the day outside. Did carts and baskets and the bathrooms during the first half of my shift. Cleaned the small bathroom in the pharmacy. (I had no idea the pharmacy had its own bathroom.) I was asked to sweep up around the stack of wood piles that are sold for fireplaces. I not only did that, but swept up cigarette butts, too. Of course, I had to go back out and do the cigarette butts again because I was told that I didn't do a good enough job the first time.
The misty rain continued even as I finished work. It's supposed to be even worse tomorrow, so I just changed, grabbed my DVDs, and headed back out. Took the long way across Newton Lake Park. Needless to say, on a day when the weather was misty, cold, and dreary, the park was empty. Even with the odd weather we've been having, spring is finally starting to creep in. The trees are showing the first signs of flowers, there's new green tufts of grass, and leaves are just budding on the bushes.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't nearly as busy as the Acme had been earlier. There was neither a whole lot going on, no much to shelve. I put away the few DVDs there were. I didn't even see anything I wanted to take out.
Headed across Cuthbert and down Johnson Road to Dollar General. They have the cheapest eggs in the area. I used the last of mine on the quiche. Treated myself to one of those tasty pecan rolls, too. There was a long line when I arrived as the one cashier tried to deal with an old lady who was moving at a glacier pace. Thankfully, a second one opened after about five minutes.
Headed home and spent the next few hours writing. Han and Leia take Han's horse Falcon and Luke the Unicorn down narrow country lanes to the fertile kingdom of Aldra, home of Leia and Luke's Uncle Bail and Aunt Breha. While camping out in a field, Han sees Leia braiding her hair. She talks about her mother...and Han remembers a woman who once took care of him, too. He had a mother, once. He has no idea if he still has...
Had leftovers for dinner while finishing out the Backyardigans set. Conductor Uniqua and Servant Pablo Pablovich have to "Catch That Train!" when the vehicle carrying Czar Tyrone takes off on its own. It's the "Attack of the 50 Foot Wormen" after the creature Uniqua's been observing is accidentally doused with Pablo's growth formula. While Pablo finds an antidote, Uniqua and janitor Tyrone chase the ever-expanding critter across the university.
Went right into Wii Sports after dinner. My arm was sore after all the sweeping and cart-gathering earlier. I limited my work-out to working on my golf putt on "Hitting the Green" and "Target Practice." Did my best ever with hitting balls back in tennis. Did a round of bowling and tried Spin Control. Unfortunately, I just can't control the darn ball. It always wants to go right or left, rather than straight ahead. I need to figure out how to turn my wrist the right way.
Squeezed a little Lego Star Wars in there, too. I just can't reach that last piece in "Retake Theed Palace," though the x2 extra did help me get more studs. That and Invincibility (read - I no longer lose studs when I fall or jump off a ledge or get killed) also helped me get True Jedi on "Death Star Escape."
Finished the night with The Naked Gun as I went online. I needed a few laughs. Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielson) discovers a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth, masterminded by seemingly above reproach executive Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban). His partner Nordberg (O.J Simpson) originally found out about it, before thugs landed him in the hospital. Frank has to prove to everyone that he's not as crazy as he acts, save the queen during a wild Angels-Mariners ball game, all while dealing with his feelings for Ludwig's secretary Jane (Priscilla Prestley).
Hilarious police satire made Nielson a household name in comedy and continued the Proft/Zucker winning streak. If you ever run into the sequels, they're not bad, either.
It was showering lightly when rode to work. This time, I spent a lot of the day outside. Did carts and baskets and the bathrooms during the first half of my shift. Cleaned the small bathroom in the pharmacy. (I had no idea the pharmacy had its own bathroom.) I was asked to sweep up around the stack of wood piles that are sold for fireplaces. I not only did that, but swept up cigarette butts, too. Of course, I had to go back out and do the cigarette butts again because I was told that I didn't do a good enough job the first time.
The misty rain continued even as I finished work. It's supposed to be even worse tomorrow, so I just changed, grabbed my DVDs, and headed back out. Took the long way across Newton Lake Park. Needless to say, on a day when the weather was misty, cold, and dreary, the park was empty. Even with the odd weather we've been having, spring is finally starting to creep in. The trees are showing the first signs of flowers, there's new green tufts of grass, and leaves are just budding on the bushes.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't nearly as busy as the Acme had been earlier. There was neither a whole lot going on, no much to shelve. I put away the few DVDs there were. I didn't even see anything I wanted to take out.
Headed across Cuthbert and down Johnson Road to Dollar General. They have the cheapest eggs in the area. I used the last of mine on the quiche. Treated myself to one of those tasty pecan rolls, too. There was a long line when I arrived as the one cashier tried to deal with an old lady who was moving at a glacier pace. Thankfully, a second one opened after about five minutes.
Headed home and spent the next few hours writing. Han and Leia take Han's horse Falcon and Luke the Unicorn down narrow country lanes to the fertile kingdom of Aldra, home of Leia and Luke's Uncle Bail and Aunt Breha. While camping out in a field, Han sees Leia braiding her hair. She talks about her mother...and Han remembers a woman who once took care of him, too. He had a mother, once. He has no idea if he still has...
Had leftovers for dinner while finishing out the Backyardigans set. Conductor Uniqua and Servant Pablo Pablovich have to "Catch That Train!" when the vehicle carrying Czar Tyrone takes off on its own. It's the "Attack of the 50 Foot Wormen" after the creature Uniqua's been observing is accidentally doused with Pablo's growth formula. While Pablo finds an antidote, Uniqua and janitor Tyrone chase the ever-expanding critter across the university.
Went right into Wii Sports after dinner. My arm was sore after all the sweeping and cart-gathering earlier. I limited my work-out to working on my golf putt on "Hitting the Green" and "Target Practice." Did my best ever with hitting balls back in tennis. Did a round of bowling and tried Spin Control. Unfortunately, I just can't control the darn ball. It always wants to go right or left, rather than straight ahead. I need to figure out how to turn my wrist the right way.
Squeezed a little Lego Star Wars in there, too. I just can't reach that last piece in "Retake Theed Palace," though the x2 extra did help me get more studs. That and Invincibility (read - I no longer lose studs when I fall or jump off a ledge or get killed) also helped me get True Jedi on "Death Star Escape."
Finished the night with The Naked Gun as I went online. I needed a few laughs. Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielson) discovers a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth, masterminded by seemingly above reproach executive Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban). His partner Nordberg (O.J Simpson) originally found out about it, before thugs landed him in the hospital. Frank has to prove to everyone that he's not as crazy as he acts, save the queen during a wild Angels-Mariners ball game, all while dealing with his feelings for Ludwig's secretary Jane (Priscilla Prestley).
Hilarious police satire made Nielson a household name in comedy and continued the Proft/Zucker winning streak. If you ever run into the sequels, they're not bad, either.
Monday, April 02, 2018
Laughter for All Seasons
It was sleeting lightly when I headed off to work for my first of three early work shifts this week. Unlike the last couple of times we got winter precipitation, the sleet only stuck to the grass, not roads and sidewalks. I had no problems getting to work. We were surprisingly quiet for the beginning of the month. Everyone must have either been recovering from yesterday, out of town for spring break, or avoiding the cold weather. I spent most of my shift doing returns. I also gathered baskets and put away some carts before the afternoon bagger arrived.
Though the sleet was long gone and melted by 1, the chilly winds and on-and-off clouds remained. I went straight home. Had leftovers while watching an episode of Garfield and Friends from the first season in honor of April Fool's Day yesterday. "Maine Course" has Jon and the pets befriending a live lobster originally sent as a meal. They finally decide he's not a house pet and take him home to the Atlantic Ocean. It's "No Laughing Matter" when aliens invade US Acres to take the world's humor. Roy, Orson, Wade, and the chicks tell them jokes to get rid of them...but Roy discovers that slapstick is the most potent weapon of all. "Attack of the Mutant Guppies" takes Garfield and Nermal into the sewers to find out if the rumors about giant fish are really true.
Took down the Easter decorations while running another TV show episode about the importance of humor in our lives. "The Princess Who Never Laughed" is one of the last episodes made for the fantasy anthology Fairie Tale Theatre. Ellen Barkin is Princess Henrietta, who has been trained to be a very serious princess by her father (Howard Hesseman), who fears he'll lose her the way he lost her mother. When she demands a little entertainment, he holds a royal laugh-off to see who can make her crack a smile. It's Wienerhead Waldo (Howie Mandel), a pig farmer, who finally teaches the royals a lesson about comedy - we often derive the greatest pleasure when the joke is on us.
Worked on writing for a few hours. The group spends the night chatting about their future plans. Jyn and her boys will take Twilight the horse and the cart to Coruscant, where they plan to meet with other Rebel cells to stall the Mid-Summer Festival. Han and Leia will ride Falcon and Luke to Alderaan Manor to meet with Bail Organa and bring him to Coruscant to help the rebels. They finally separate after holding a small funeral for Obi-Wan on the side of the road.
Had leftover quiche for dinner at 6. No one knows more about making people laugh than the Three Stooges. Larry, Moe, and Curly are hired to cheer up a little girl whose dad is missing in "Nutty but Nice." They finally decide that the best way to help the kid would be to find her father, who was kidnapped by thieves. Good thing he has a distinctive yodel that will help them track him down.
Did about 40 minutes of Wii Sports after the Stooges ended. I had a lot of fun with boxing in this session. Did three games in a row; won all three, two by knock-outs. Also worked on the bag and punches with the "trainer." Also got a bronze medal in Hitting the Green on golf; worked on Target Practice in golfing as well. Didn't do so well on hitting baseballs. Cooled down with a good round of bowling.
Ended the night after a shower with A Man for All Seasons. Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) refuses to sign a letter to the Cardinal (Orson Welles) that would allow King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) to divorce his current wife and marry Anne Boleyn (Vanessa Redgrave) and to become the head of the Church of England. More is a devout Catholic and doesn't want to put pressure on the Church's power in England. He even refuses to allow his daughter Meg (Susannah York) to marry a Lutheran. More is made Lord Chancellor, but it doesn't last long as Henry finally breaks it off with the Catholic Church and he resigns. He won't even take an oath that announces Henry as the head of the Church of England. He's arrested and put on trial, but refuses to reveal why he wouldn't sign the oath. He finally loses his head...but in doing so, is eventually made a saint of the Catholic Church and a true "man for all seasons."
The sumptuous production and some intense performances saves this from being a snorefest. Scofield won an Oscar as More (he'd already won a Tony for the role on Broadway). I also liked Leo McKern as the scheming Thomas Cromwell and Wendy Hiller as More's wife Alice. Hiller and Robert Shaw were also nominated. The movie won Best Picture for 1966 and Best Director for Fred Zimmerman, as well as for its screenplay, cinematography, and costumes.
For all the elaborate staging, this does still feel like a filmed play at times, very talky and dry, often with little going on until the trial. It's not for action junkies, but fans of costume dramas, English history, or the cast may find this dark trial tale quite involving.
Though the sleet was long gone and melted by 1, the chilly winds and on-and-off clouds remained. I went straight home. Had leftovers while watching an episode of Garfield and Friends from the first season in honor of April Fool's Day yesterday. "Maine Course" has Jon and the pets befriending a live lobster originally sent as a meal. They finally decide he's not a house pet and take him home to the Atlantic Ocean. It's "No Laughing Matter" when aliens invade US Acres to take the world's humor. Roy, Orson, Wade, and the chicks tell them jokes to get rid of them...but Roy discovers that slapstick is the most potent weapon of all. "Attack of the Mutant Guppies" takes Garfield and Nermal into the sewers to find out if the rumors about giant fish are really true.
Took down the Easter decorations while running another TV show episode about the importance of humor in our lives. "The Princess Who Never Laughed" is one of the last episodes made for the fantasy anthology Fairie Tale Theatre. Ellen Barkin is Princess Henrietta, who has been trained to be a very serious princess by her father (Howard Hesseman), who fears he'll lose her the way he lost her mother. When she demands a little entertainment, he holds a royal laugh-off to see who can make her crack a smile. It's Wienerhead Waldo (Howie Mandel), a pig farmer, who finally teaches the royals a lesson about comedy - we often derive the greatest pleasure when the joke is on us.
Worked on writing for a few hours. The group spends the night chatting about their future plans. Jyn and her boys will take Twilight the horse and the cart to Coruscant, where they plan to meet with other Rebel cells to stall the Mid-Summer Festival. Han and Leia will ride Falcon and Luke to Alderaan Manor to meet with Bail Organa and bring him to Coruscant to help the rebels. They finally separate after holding a small funeral for Obi-Wan on the side of the road.
Had leftover quiche for dinner at 6. No one knows more about making people laugh than the Three Stooges. Larry, Moe, and Curly are hired to cheer up a little girl whose dad is missing in "Nutty but Nice." They finally decide that the best way to help the kid would be to find her father, who was kidnapped by thieves. Good thing he has a distinctive yodel that will help them track him down.
Did about 40 minutes of Wii Sports after the Stooges ended. I had a lot of fun with boxing in this session. Did three games in a row; won all three, two by knock-outs. Also worked on the bag and punches with the "trainer." Also got a bronze medal in Hitting the Green on golf; worked on Target Practice in golfing as well. Didn't do so well on hitting baseballs. Cooled down with a good round of bowling.
Ended the night after a shower with A Man for All Seasons. Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) refuses to sign a letter to the Cardinal (Orson Welles) that would allow King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) to divorce his current wife and marry Anne Boleyn (Vanessa Redgrave) and to become the head of the Church of England. More is a devout Catholic and doesn't want to put pressure on the Church's power in England. He even refuses to allow his daughter Meg (Susannah York) to marry a Lutheran. More is made Lord Chancellor, but it doesn't last long as Henry finally breaks it off with the Catholic Church and he resigns. He won't even take an oath that announces Henry as the head of the Church of England. He's arrested and put on trial, but refuses to reveal why he wouldn't sign the oath. He finally loses his head...but in doing so, is eventually made a saint of the Catholic Church and a true "man for all seasons."
The sumptuous production and some intense performances saves this from being a snorefest. Scofield won an Oscar as More (he'd already won a Tony for the role on Broadway). I also liked Leo McKern as the scheming Thomas Cromwell and Wendy Hiller as More's wife Alice. Hiller and Robert Shaw were also nominated. The movie won Best Picture for 1966 and Best Director for Fred Zimmerman, as well as for its screenplay, cinematography, and costumes.
For all the elaborate staging, this does still feel like a filmed play at times, very talky and dry, often with little going on until the trial. It's not for action junkies, but fans of costume dramas, English history, or the cast may find this dark trial tale quite involving.
Sunday, April 01, 2018
Easter Parade at Home
I awoke to a cloudy, rather blahh Easter. Brightened my morning with short stories and poems from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Since today is also April Fool's Day, I began with the cute short story for April Fools about two boys who find a giraffe in their backyard and have to keep him there until the zoo arrives. The Easter stories were Nino's Easter, about a little Italian boy's holiday celebration, and The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, the tale of a mother rabbit who gets to join the Easter bunnies and help bring an egg to a sick child. The Disney anthology Storybookland features Grandpa Bunny, a short story about how Great Grandpa Bunny worked to keep the seasons colorful...and how his beloved grandchildren know where his final legacy can be found.
Did The First Easter Rabbit while I got dressed and organized. The second Rankin-Bass Easter special and the only one in regular 2-D animation is basically a cross between Frosty the Snowman and The Velveteen Rabbit. Stuffy was once the beloved toy of little Glinda, until she got scarlet fever and he's thrown away. A sympathetic fairy turns him into the Easter Bunny, symbol of spring and favorite of children everywhere. What he really wants to do is get back to Glinda, but ice-loving Zero may make this very difficult.
Checked my phone and learned that the Legacy Diner was open for business today, so I rode up there for brunch. There was a short line when I pulled in, but being one person, it didn't take that long to seat me. I enjoyed a yummy "Normandy," two crepes filled with Bavarian creme and bananas and covered in whipped cream. It was amazing. Like eating a turned-in banana pudding pie. They were so busy, I ended up borrowing a menu from the table next to me. Since they helped me, I returned the favor by letting them have my rack of jelly for their toast.
When I got home, I put on The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town while starting Glazed Lemon Rolls (which are a yeast recipe). The third and final Rankin-Bass springtime special this time takes us to Kidville, in the remote Big Rock Mountains. Sunny Bunny is hoping to expand their reach into gloomy Town over the mountain. He's first attacked by grouchy Gadzooks the bear, then by snobbish Lady Longtooth, who disapproves of anything that doesn't fall under her strict and dull laws. He finally wins over both by creating Easter traditions that will make Gadzooks more appreciative of himself and get around Lady Longtooth's harsh restrictions.
Put on another special while I cleaned up the bread mess. Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-citement introduces three all-new shorts with a springtime theme. Sylvester and Daffy pursue a golden egg in the first short. The second has Daffy trying to protect a chocolate rabbit factory from Speedy, who wants chocolate bunnies for the kids of his village. The third shows Daffy solo as he tries to find a better way to fly north for the summer.
Bugs offers to help the Easter Bunny deliver his "Technicolor hen fruit" in "Easter Yeggs." He instantly regrets his Good Samaritan impulses when he's attacked by the bratty son of a criminal, then Elmer decides he wants him in his stew pot.
I tried calling Rose as the cartoon was ending to see what she was doing. I called too late. She and her family were already out the door to meet Craig's parents for a fancier Easter brunch.
Cheered myself up with a walk to WaWa for an Easter treat. Springtime is becoming more and more evident here. The dogwoods are in bloom now, and sunny yellow daffodils brighten many gardens. I saw a few kids in Easter finery at a party at the VFW across the street from me, but most folks by that point were probably either watching movies at home or in the theater or out to their own brunches. Grabbed a perfectly sweet Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie at a mildly busy WaWa.
Took a leaf from them and ran a Peanuts special as I formed the rolls and got them in the oven. Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, as she's the worst player on Chuck's notoriously loss-prone team. Peppermint Patty tries to trade for Snoopy at first, but later turns Marcie over to him for Lucy. Chuck quickly finds out that there are even worse players out there. Marcie's a sweetheart, but she's absolutely no good at baseball and only plays because her best friend does.
Did some writing for the next few hours. The little elf's light leads back to the others. Leia discovers that Han collapsed shortly after she took off, his head in terrible pain. Chirruit, the Force-loving monk, explains that an evil force is attacking Han's mind. He may sleep permanently if it isn't expelled. Luke, with his innocent healing powers, manages to get rid of it...just as he turns back into a human, to the shock of the Rogue One crew.
Broke to start dinner around 6. I decided to try a spring variation on the Bacon and Cheese Quiche in Julie's Cooking Studio. The bacon became turkey bacon (pork gives me indigestion, and regular bacon is expensive), the cheese was Parmesan and mozzarella (what I had on hand), replaced the sour cream with Greek yogurt, and added sliced mushrooms and asparagus with the bacon. Oh, wow. It may be the best pie I ever made. Savory and slightly sweet and just the right kind of tart, and it cooked beautifully. Turned the other pie crust into Cinnamon Roll-Ups, crunchy cinnamon buns made by sprinkling a pie crust with cinnamon and sugar and cutting it after it was rolled.
Finished out the Peanuts baseball set while I worked. Charlie Brown's All-Stars are about to give up when a local business offers to buy them uniforms...if they get rid of Snoopy and all the girls on the team. Chuck refuses, and while the kids are mad at him at first, they soften when they understand why he turned them down. It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is pretty much the same story, only this time, the sponsor says they just have to win a game. With Chuck's team, that hardly seems possible. But help may come from an unexpected source - Leland, Frieda's little brother.
Moved on to a brief round with Wii Sports after dinner. Figured I didn't need boxing after my walk earlier, so I stuck to tennis and golf. I'm doing better at putting and Target Practice and can do fairly decent with just hitting balls in tennis (got a bronze medal in that), but I can't hit the targets in tennis to save my life. I just can't aim properly. Had more luck with a decent round of bowling.
Ran one last Peanuts special while I cleaned up from my game and after dinner. It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown shows the Peanuts' Easter preparations. Sally wants new spring shoes, while Peppermint Patty tries in vain to teach Marcie to color eggs and Snoopy looks for a new home for Woodstock. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle will do all that. Sally's skeptical after the incident with the Great Pumpkin, to say the least. Lucy just wants to hide and find her own eggs.
Moved on to Easter Parade when I went online. This 1948 MGM musical takes us to New York in the 1910's, where dancer Don Hewes (Fred Astaire) finds himself choosing a new partner after his previous one, Nadine (Ann Miller) joins the Ziegfeld Follies. He plucks Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) out of the chorus of a bar show and tries to groom her to be another Nadine...until Nadine points out that she's not her. He then lets Hannah be her real, funny self, and they switch successfully from ballroom dancing to comedy. Hannah now finds herself in love with Don, even as his best friend Johnny (Peter Lawford) eyes her, and Nadine eyes Johnny. Matters finally get themselves settled, just in time for the famous parade described in the title song.
Fluffy MGM musical benefits from some terrific Irving Berlin numbers, including the charming "A Fella With an Umbrella" for Garland and Lawford and the hilarious "A Couple of Swells" for her and Astaire. If you love the cast or the MGM spectaculars of the 40's and 50's, this is one of the best and is recommended.
Finished out the night with Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies. The Easter Bunny is sick and can't deliver eggs, so Granny sets out to find a replacement among the Toons. Unlike the Daffy Duck special, this is pretty much just an excuse to showcase bits from some of the most popular shorts ever made at Termite Terrace, including the Oscar-winners "Knighty-Knight Bugs," "For Scent-imental Reasons," and "Birds Anonymous."
And I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and Passover, whether you spent it with your families or were on your own, too.
Did The First Easter Rabbit while I got dressed and organized. The second Rankin-Bass Easter special and the only one in regular 2-D animation is basically a cross between Frosty the Snowman and The Velveteen Rabbit. Stuffy was once the beloved toy of little Glinda, until she got scarlet fever and he's thrown away. A sympathetic fairy turns him into the Easter Bunny, symbol of spring and favorite of children everywhere. What he really wants to do is get back to Glinda, but ice-loving Zero may make this very difficult.
Checked my phone and learned that the Legacy Diner was open for business today, so I rode up there for brunch. There was a short line when I pulled in, but being one person, it didn't take that long to seat me. I enjoyed a yummy "Normandy," two crepes filled with Bavarian creme and bananas and covered in whipped cream. It was amazing. Like eating a turned-in banana pudding pie. They were so busy, I ended up borrowing a menu from the table next to me. Since they helped me, I returned the favor by letting them have my rack of jelly for their toast.
When I got home, I put on The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town while starting Glazed Lemon Rolls (which are a yeast recipe). The third and final Rankin-Bass springtime special this time takes us to Kidville, in the remote Big Rock Mountains. Sunny Bunny is hoping to expand their reach into gloomy Town over the mountain. He's first attacked by grouchy Gadzooks the bear, then by snobbish Lady Longtooth, who disapproves of anything that doesn't fall under her strict and dull laws. He finally wins over both by creating Easter traditions that will make Gadzooks more appreciative of himself and get around Lady Longtooth's harsh restrictions.
Put on another special while I cleaned up the bread mess. Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-citement introduces three all-new shorts with a springtime theme. Sylvester and Daffy pursue a golden egg in the first short. The second has Daffy trying to protect a chocolate rabbit factory from Speedy, who wants chocolate bunnies for the kids of his village. The third shows Daffy solo as he tries to find a better way to fly north for the summer.
Bugs offers to help the Easter Bunny deliver his "Technicolor hen fruit" in "Easter Yeggs." He instantly regrets his Good Samaritan impulses when he's attacked by the bratty son of a criminal, then Elmer decides he wants him in his stew pot.
I tried calling Rose as the cartoon was ending to see what she was doing. I called too late. She and her family were already out the door to meet Craig's parents for a fancier Easter brunch.
Cheered myself up with a walk to WaWa for an Easter treat. Springtime is becoming more and more evident here. The dogwoods are in bloom now, and sunny yellow daffodils brighten many gardens. I saw a few kids in Easter finery at a party at the VFW across the street from me, but most folks by that point were probably either watching movies at home or in the theater or out to their own brunches. Grabbed a perfectly sweet Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie at a mildly busy WaWa.
Took a leaf from them and ran a Peanuts special as I formed the rolls and got them in the oven. Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, as she's the worst player on Chuck's notoriously loss-prone team. Peppermint Patty tries to trade for Snoopy at first, but later turns Marcie over to him for Lucy. Chuck quickly finds out that there are even worse players out there. Marcie's a sweetheart, but she's absolutely no good at baseball and only plays because her best friend does.
Did some writing for the next few hours. The little elf's light leads back to the others. Leia discovers that Han collapsed shortly after she took off, his head in terrible pain. Chirruit, the Force-loving monk, explains that an evil force is attacking Han's mind. He may sleep permanently if it isn't expelled. Luke, with his innocent healing powers, manages to get rid of it...just as he turns back into a human, to the shock of the Rogue One crew.
Broke to start dinner around 6. I decided to try a spring variation on the Bacon and Cheese Quiche in Julie's Cooking Studio. The bacon became turkey bacon (pork gives me indigestion, and regular bacon is expensive), the cheese was Parmesan and mozzarella (what I had on hand), replaced the sour cream with Greek yogurt, and added sliced mushrooms and asparagus with the bacon. Oh, wow. It may be the best pie I ever made. Savory and slightly sweet and just the right kind of tart, and it cooked beautifully. Turned the other pie crust into Cinnamon Roll-Ups, crunchy cinnamon buns made by sprinkling a pie crust with cinnamon and sugar and cutting it after it was rolled.
Finished out the Peanuts baseball set while I worked. Charlie Brown's All-Stars are about to give up when a local business offers to buy them uniforms...if they get rid of Snoopy and all the girls on the team. Chuck refuses, and while the kids are mad at him at first, they soften when they understand why he turned them down. It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is pretty much the same story, only this time, the sponsor says they just have to win a game. With Chuck's team, that hardly seems possible. But help may come from an unexpected source - Leland, Frieda's little brother.
Moved on to a brief round with Wii Sports after dinner. Figured I didn't need boxing after my walk earlier, so I stuck to tennis and golf. I'm doing better at putting and Target Practice and can do fairly decent with just hitting balls in tennis (got a bronze medal in that), but I can't hit the targets in tennis to save my life. I just can't aim properly. Had more luck with a decent round of bowling.
Ran one last Peanuts special while I cleaned up from my game and after dinner. It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown shows the Peanuts' Easter preparations. Sally wants new spring shoes, while Peppermint Patty tries in vain to teach Marcie to color eggs and Snoopy looks for a new home for Woodstock. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle will do all that. Sally's skeptical after the incident with the Great Pumpkin, to say the least. Lucy just wants to hide and find her own eggs.
Moved on to Easter Parade when I went online. This 1948 MGM musical takes us to New York in the 1910's, where dancer Don Hewes (Fred Astaire) finds himself choosing a new partner after his previous one, Nadine (Ann Miller) joins the Ziegfeld Follies. He plucks Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) out of the chorus of a bar show and tries to groom her to be another Nadine...until Nadine points out that she's not her. He then lets Hannah be her real, funny self, and they switch successfully from ballroom dancing to comedy. Hannah now finds herself in love with Don, even as his best friend Johnny (Peter Lawford) eyes her, and Nadine eyes Johnny. Matters finally get themselves settled, just in time for the famous parade described in the title song.
Fluffy MGM musical benefits from some terrific Irving Berlin numbers, including the charming "A Fella With an Umbrella" for Garland and Lawford and the hilarious "A Couple of Swells" for her and Astaire. If you love the cast or the MGM spectaculars of the 40's and 50's, this is one of the best and is recommended.
Finished out the night with Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies. The Easter Bunny is sick and can't deliver eggs, so Granny sets out to find a replacement among the Toons. Unlike the Daffy Duck special, this is pretty much just an excuse to showcase bits from some of the most popular shorts ever made at Termite Terrace, including the Oscar-winners "Knighty-Knight Bugs," "For Scent-imental Reasons," and "Birds Anonymous."
And I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and Passover, whether you spent it with your families or were on your own, too.
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