The snow started last night and continued to fall this morning. It was fluffy, soft, and looked quite pretty on my porch. In honor of the weather, I ran an episode of The Backyardigans, "The Secret of Snow," while I ate breakfast. Uniqua is desperate for it to snow and goes to Ice Lady Tasha and her bored and lonely assistant Austin to find out the secret of making it snow. Tasha has no time for her questions and sends her first to the desert, then the jungle. Uniqua comes back with Cowboy Pablo and Tyrone of the Jungle in tow. When Tasha assigns them to join Austin in making ice, they finally show Tasha that all work and no play makes for an overworked hippo...and that friendship is more important than any "secret of snow."
I've been wanting to call Rose to ask her about the doctor and dealing with Willa for a while now. I hate making phone calls. I never know what to say, especially with Rose, a lawyer who can be intimidating at the best of times. I first wrote down a list of everything I want to ask her or comment on, including calling the doctor and talking to Willa. Second, I did a list of what I need to do now - namely, look up movie and entertainment blogs that might be willing to use a new writer and see what I can do to get my writing out there, without panicking about it.
Did another episode of Buck Rogers while I worked. "Unchained Woman" is a cross between a prison melodrama and a western. Buck gets himself tossed in prison on Zeta Minor to free a woman named Jen Burton (Jamie Lee Curtis) who is supposed to testify against her space pirate boyfriend (Michael Delano). Turns out her man has friends in really high places, including the head of the Zetan government. They have to dodge goons and an android guard (shades of Westworld) that's bent on destroying them. Meanwhile, Wilma tries to meet them, only to be stopped at every turn.
The snow had finally stopped by the time I went to work. It stuck to the grass and my porch and not much else. Streets and sidewalks remained perfectly clear, and I had no problems getting to work or gathering carts. Good thing, too. Other than a brief period doing the trash in the back room and a few returns, I was outside for most of the day. It was actually not as cold as I thought it would be, probably in the lower-mid 40's. It did start snowing later in the afternoon, a little harder than this morning, though it never became anything more than a shower.
Went right to the computer when I got home. Han hasn't left for Baron Du Hutt yet, though he's considering it. There's posters all over Sherwood, but he comments to Zeb that they'll do no good. They've given money to every poor person in town, and the rich people they steal from don't need the money. Leia mentions a cart coming through. She and Han shimmy into a tree together and proceed to do a bit of flirting that ends with a kiss...before well-meaning Thomas reminds them that they're there to steal, not snog.
(Incidentally, it continued to snow after I got home, but I think it started raining while I was writing, and has been a rain and snow mix for the rest of the evening.)
Made a hearty and tasty Cincinatti Chili from Kit's Cooking Studio for dinner. That's become one of my favorite recipes from any of the American Girl historical cook books. It's easy to make, the sweet spices make it unique, and you can pretty much add anything you want. (Beans are a variation - I prefer it without beans, but with cheese.)
Continued Buck Rogers while I ate. The "Planet of the Amazon Women" is Xantia, where men are lured and sold at auction. Buck answers what he thinks is a distress call, only to end up on the auction block when he's captured by the trader Thorne (Jay Robinson). He's purchased by the Prime Minister to give to her daughter Ariela (Anne Dusenberry). Turns out Ariela is against the slave auctions. Their men were captured or killed years ago in a war, leaving them defenseless.They return to Earth to reveal the truth about the slavery and the loss of their warriors, even as Wilma comes to the planet to find Buck and talk to the Prime Minister about keeping Earth out of any wars.
"Cosmic Whiz Kid," which was on while I did the dishes, may be one of the strangest episodes of the entire series. Hieronymous Fox (Gary Coleman) may look and sound like a wisecracking kid genius, but is actually the centuries-old president of the Genesia colony. He's kidnapped by terrorist Roderick Zale (Ray Walston) who holds him for ransom. Fox's bodyguard Lieutenant Dia Cyrton (Melody Rogers) goes to a vacationing Buck to help her save him.
Finished the night and the disc after a shower with "Escape from Wedding Bliss." Buck would question the episode title as he's forced into an almost literal shotgun wedding with Princess Ardala of the pilot movie, or she'll use her huge weapon to blow up every city on Earth. While he keeps Ardala busy, Wilma and Dr. Huer question a Draconian defector who knows the layout of Ardala's starship.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Monday, February 11, 2019
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Sleepytime Gal
Began a sunny and cold day at work. Though I did do some returns, I spent most of it outside. It wasn't bad when I arrived, but as early as 10 AM, it started to pick up quite a bit. By the time I was done, I think it was actually busier than it was when the Super Bowl was on last Sunday. Spent the last 20 minutes bagging and helping the cashiers get some long lines down.
Went straight home after work. There wasn't time to make banana pancakes for breakfast this morning, so I had them for lunch while watching more Buck Rogers. "Vegas In Space" takes Buck to Sinloa, a Vegas-like gambling resort, with Major Maria Landers (Juanin Clay) to rescue the daughter of a smuggler (Caesar Romero). She was kidnapped by his competitor, crime lord Velosi (Richard Lynch), when she found a computer code that could reveal most of her father's current operations. Buck and Maria go undercover as gamblers to find out just what Velosi wants with the girl.
I was so tired from spending most of the morning doing carts, I laid down and took a nap for two hours. Woke up around 4 and read The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy for a while before going on the computer. Sir. Rieekian swears he'll pay Han and his people back. Leia says for him to pay them when he can and consider it a donation to the fund to rescue King Bail. They all eventually escape out the window, with Han giving one last parting quip to Sir Boba of Gisbourne before he ducks out.
Had leftovers for dinner at 7. Watched the two-part "The Plot to Kill a City" while I ate. Buck assumes the identity of an assassin who is meeting with a group of terrorists who call themselves The Legion of Death. Each member has a superpower that they'll use in their plan to blow up New Chicago by taking over its power plant. Buck and Wilma infiltrate the group, then with the help of the assassin's former girlfriend Joelle (Markie Post) return to New Chicago to make sure they don't go through with their plan.
Finished up the night and the second disc with "Return of the Fighting 69th." Dr. Huer requests that Wilma bring her old mentor Major Noah Cooper (Peter Graves) and his "Fighting 69th" squadron out of retirement to help stop another group of terrorists from unleashing a nerve gas on the Earth. Wilma is nervous about asking them. She was the one who retired them when they failed their health examinations. While they try to prove that they still have what it takes to be heroes, Wilma and Buck escape from the the terrorists with the help of a deaf-mute slave girl whom Buck spoke to in sign language.
Went straight home after work. There wasn't time to make banana pancakes for breakfast this morning, so I had them for lunch while watching more Buck Rogers. "Vegas In Space" takes Buck to Sinloa, a Vegas-like gambling resort, with Major Maria Landers (Juanin Clay) to rescue the daughter of a smuggler (Caesar Romero). She was kidnapped by his competitor, crime lord Velosi (Richard Lynch), when she found a computer code that could reveal most of her father's current operations. Buck and Maria go undercover as gamblers to find out just what Velosi wants with the girl.
I was so tired from spending most of the morning doing carts, I laid down and took a nap for two hours. Woke up around 4 and read The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy for a while before going on the computer. Sir. Rieekian swears he'll pay Han and his people back. Leia says for him to pay them when he can and consider it a donation to the fund to rescue King Bail. They all eventually escape out the window, with Han giving one last parting quip to Sir Boba of Gisbourne before he ducks out.
Had leftovers for dinner at 7. Watched the two-part "The Plot to Kill a City" while I ate. Buck assumes the identity of an assassin who is meeting with a group of terrorists who call themselves The Legion of Death. Each member has a superpower that they'll use in their plan to blow up New Chicago by taking over its power plant. Buck and Wilma infiltrate the group, then with the help of the assassin's former girlfriend Joelle (Markie Post) return to New Chicago to make sure they don't go through with their plan.
Finished up the night and the second disc with "Return of the Fighting 69th." Dr. Huer requests that Wilma bring her old mentor Major Noah Cooper (Peter Graves) and his "Fighting 69th" squadron out of retirement to help stop another group of terrorists from unleashing a nerve gas on the Earth. Wilma is nervous about asking them. She was the one who retired them when they failed their health examinations. While they try to prove that they still have what it takes to be heroes, Wilma and Buck escape from the the terrorists with the help of a deaf-mute slave girl whom Buck spoke to in sign language.
Saturday, February 09, 2019
Intergalactic Adventures
Began a sunny, windy morning with the last of the three hour-long Backyardigans specials done during the show's run. Austin and his robot Roscoe are robot repair men in futuristic Mega City. Robots never break...until Tasha, Tyrone, and Uniqua report that their robots have gone crazy! The kids and Roscoe have to stop the evil Professor Bug (Pablo) from igniting a "Robot Rampage" and taking over all the robots in the city!
First thing on the agenda for the day was the laundry. I picked just the right time. It was empty when I arrived. Less than twenty minutes later, the place was full. Thanks to the lighter clothes I've worn for most of the week due to the warm temperatures, I didn't really have a huge or heavy load to wash anyway. I worked on story notes and ignored whatever was on the TV.
Went home to put everything away, then went right back out to run a few more errands in Oaklyn. It was so windy, I left the bike at home and went on foot. The recent warm snap has given most folks a chance to change their outside decor. Almost everyone's finally gotten their Christmas decorations down. A few homes have Valentine's decorations or winter-themed wreaths or banners outside, but most settle for bare, sodden lawns. (At least the grass is a little greener and not quite as crunchy as it usually is at this time of the year.)
My first stop was the Common Grounds Coffee House around the corner for lunch. Despite it being about 1:30, it was pretty quiet. The only other person besides me, the barista, and a girl having a chat with him was an older man sitting at a table. I enjoyed my hot chocolate and slightly greasy piece of spinach and sun-dried tomato quiche at a table near the window, watching leaves blow by.
After lunch, I strolled up the road to the House of Fun. I considered buying an older Obi-Wan doll...but to tell the truth, I'm trying to get rid of junk right now, not add more. I'd rather save what little money I have to spare for movies to review on my blog. I've promised myself that I wouldn't get too caught up in toy collecting again, especially after my last two collections (Ever After High and Webkinz) came and went within the space of two to three years and cost me a bundle.
My next trips were quicker. Dollar General was pretty busy when I arrived. Picked up powdered sugar and condensed milk to make candy for Valentine's Day next week, along with plastic sandwich bags. CVS was much quieter. I realized that I forgot toilet paper at Dollar General; got it there, along with their generic dish washing liquid (no sale this time, I'm afraid).
Since Dad and Jodie only live a few streets down from there, I went to their house next. They were once again sitting in front of the TV, watching shows and working on their laptops. Not much to report here. Dad still isn't feeling well (and I'm getting worried about him). Rose hasn't called me because her son Khai had a really bad bout of the flu; he was out of school for almost the whole week. And they still can't help me. They don't know anyone who has an apartment or a job, and Jodie said she turned her paperwork for that darn doctor over to Rose.
Went right into dressing the 18-inch dolls for Valentine's Day when I got home. I put Ariel back into the white and gold knitted Sweet Spring Dress. I liked her in it, just not for Christmas. Samantha wears her dusky pink Talent Show Dress (which is so authentic, it was based after a real Edwardian girl's outfit in a museum). Although it's a bit late, I still have Jessa in Ivy's Chinese New Year's Dress. It's red and formal. Josefina wears a pretty pink and red flowered Regency dress with a lace wrap I bought from eBay a while back. Whitney's also in an eBay find, a poodle skirt made from a thick pink felt and white blouse, with a pink knitted sweater with pearl trim from a yard sale. Molly's in her plaid School Outfit jumper and blouse. Felicity also wears her school outfit, her Laced Jacket and Petticoat, with a cream-colored wrap Mom knitted around her shoulders.
I tried to look up jobs after I finished with the dolls. A little research finally revealed part of my problem. Upwork wasn't a bad idea, but their scope is too broad. I'm not interested in writing for medical or legal journals. I want to write for blogs on film history or movies or that review films or home media. I need to look up blogs for that niche I could write for and try to figure out how to overcome my nerves to advertise my own blogs.
Worked on writing for a while after I finished. Sir Boba of Gisbourne comes in, claiming that he's been sent by his master Baron Du Hutt to bring Han to him. Han shoots him; he dodges, but the Sheriff's man Ozzel isn't as lucky. He gets hit in the shoulder, just as the group escapes.
Broke for dinner at 7. Watched the first regular episode of Buck Rogers while making pan-fried Parmesan-crusted tilapia and steamed broccoli with cheese for dinner. There were a lot of big names in "Planet of the Slave Girls." Buck and Wilma are concerned when their pilots start coming down with food poisoning. The contaminated food turns out to have come from the planet Vistula, where Governor Toban (Roddy McDowell) holds court. The real leader on planet is Kaeel (Jack Palance), who has powers that can turn people into his willing slaves. Rima, one of the slaves, goes to Buck and Wilma for help, but she's captured before she can reveal Kaeel's true plans. The duo and Wilma's ex-boyfriend (David Groh) have to figure out where the poison is coming from and what Kaeel intends to do to the Earth.
(And I will add that the theme song sounds much better and more majestic without the lyrics.)
Finished the night with the 1982 version of Annie in honor of the late Albert Finney, who died yesterday. I go into more detail at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Annie (1982)
First thing on the agenda for the day was the laundry. I picked just the right time. It was empty when I arrived. Less than twenty minutes later, the place was full. Thanks to the lighter clothes I've worn for most of the week due to the warm temperatures, I didn't really have a huge or heavy load to wash anyway. I worked on story notes and ignored whatever was on the TV.
Went home to put everything away, then went right back out to run a few more errands in Oaklyn. It was so windy, I left the bike at home and went on foot. The recent warm snap has given most folks a chance to change their outside decor. Almost everyone's finally gotten their Christmas decorations down. A few homes have Valentine's decorations or winter-themed wreaths or banners outside, but most settle for bare, sodden lawns. (At least the grass is a little greener and not quite as crunchy as it usually is at this time of the year.)
My first stop was the Common Grounds Coffee House around the corner for lunch. Despite it being about 1:30, it was pretty quiet. The only other person besides me, the barista, and a girl having a chat with him was an older man sitting at a table. I enjoyed my hot chocolate and slightly greasy piece of spinach and sun-dried tomato quiche at a table near the window, watching leaves blow by.
After lunch, I strolled up the road to the House of Fun. I considered buying an older Obi-Wan doll...but to tell the truth, I'm trying to get rid of junk right now, not add more. I'd rather save what little money I have to spare for movies to review on my blog. I've promised myself that I wouldn't get too caught up in toy collecting again, especially after my last two collections (Ever After High and Webkinz) came and went within the space of two to three years and cost me a bundle.
My next trips were quicker. Dollar General was pretty busy when I arrived. Picked up powdered sugar and condensed milk to make candy for Valentine's Day next week, along with plastic sandwich bags. CVS was much quieter. I realized that I forgot toilet paper at Dollar General; got it there, along with their generic dish washing liquid (no sale this time, I'm afraid).
Since Dad and Jodie only live a few streets down from there, I went to their house next. They were once again sitting in front of the TV, watching shows and working on their laptops. Not much to report here. Dad still isn't feeling well (and I'm getting worried about him). Rose hasn't called me because her son Khai had a really bad bout of the flu; he was out of school for almost the whole week. And they still can't help me. They don't know anyone who has an apartment or a job, and Jodie said she turned her paperwork for that darn doctor over to Rose.
Went right into dressing the 18-inch dolls for Valentine's Day when I got home. I put Ariel back into the white and gold knitted Sweet Spring Dress. I liked her in it, just not for Christmas. Samantha wears her dusky pink Talent Show Dress (which is so authentic, it was based after a real Edwardian girl's outfit in a museum). Although it's a bit late, I still have Jessa in Ivy's Chinese New Year's Dress. It's red and formal. Josefina wears a pretty pink and red flowered Regency dress with a lace wrap I bought from eBay a while back. Whitney's also in an eBay find, a poodle skirt made from a thick pink felt and white blouse, with a pink knitted sweater with pearl trim from a yard sale. Molly's in her plaid School Outfit jumper and blouse. Felicity also wears her school outfit, her Laced Jacket and Petticoat, with a cream-colored wrap Mom knitted around her shoulders.
I tried to look up jobs after I finished with the dolls. A little research finally revealed part of my problem. Upwork wasn't a bad idea, but their scope is too broad. I'm not interested in writing for medical or legal journals. I want to write for blogs on film history or movies or that review films or home media. I need to look up blogs for that niche I could write for and try to figure out how to overcome my nerves to advertise my own blogs.
Worked on writing for a while after I finished. Sir Boba of Gisbourne comes in, claiming that he's been sent by his master Baron Du Hutt to bring Han to him. Han shoots him; he dodges, but the Sheriff's man Ozzel isn't as lucky. He gets hit in the shoulder, just as the group escapes.
Broke for dinner at 7. Watched the first regular episode of Buck Rogers while making pan-fried Parmesan-crusted tilapia and steamed broccoli with cheese for dinner. There were a lot of big names in "Planet of the Slave Girls." Buck and Wilma are concerned when their pilots start coming down with food poisoning. The contaminated food turns out to have come from the planet Vistula, where Governor Toban (Roddy McDowell) holds court. The real leader on planet is Kaeel (Jack Palance), who has powers that can turn people into his willing slaves. Rima, one of the slaves, goes to Buck and Wilma for help, but she's captured before she can reveal Kaeel's true plans. The duo and Wilma's ex-boyfriend (David Groh) have to figure out where the poison is coming from and what Kaeel intends to do to the Earth.
(And I will add that the theme song sounds much better and more majestic without the lyrics.)
Finished the night with the 1982 version of Annie in honor of the late Albert Finney, who died yesterday. I go into more detail at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Annie (1982)
Friday, February 08, 2019
Magnolias and Men Out of Time
It had rained earlier, but by the time I was up and about, the precipitation was gone, and it was just cloudy and damp. Ran two space-themed Danger Mouse episodes while I had breakfast and got organized. DM and Penfold have a "Close Encounter of the Absurd Kind" during the second season when they're captured by aliens while chasing Baron Greenback. The aliens want to experiment on them, but the duo know someone else who might work even better. The first season short "The Martian Misfit" have them chasing after a mechanical alien who is supposedly taking over downtown London...but turns out to be covering something more sinister.
Headed out to run errands around 11:30. My first stop of the day was the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there. The only other people around besides me were the two morning librarians, who were decorating a shelf with yellow corrugated paper trim. I told them about my frustrating week at work and organized the DVD shelves, but there wasn't much else going on. There weren't even any people on the computers. I was out within a half-hour.
Next stop was Goodwill. I wanted to see if they had any other movies in their DVD collection I could review. Nope, no musicals, but I did make a few finds. The only DVD I dug up was The Tigger Movie. I rented this one about a decade ago from the Haddon Township Library, but their copy is long gone, and I think it's out of print. Found Angry Birds Star Wars for Wii on the other side of the shelf. Unearthed a really nice Lands End periwinkle blue t-shirt with short sleeves from the racks. It turned out to be on sale - a $2.99 shirt came to $1.50.
No luck anywhere else. I didn't see a winter dress or a skirt I liked in Marshalls, Ross, or Goodwill. It was 1:30 when I emerged from Marshalls. By that point, the clouds had been blown away, revealing gorgeous sunshine, blustery winds, and much warmer temperatures in the upper 40's. I was going to eat at Sonic, but it was way too windy for a picnic. I ended up going to Chick Fil'A behind them.
Chick Fil'A was still busy with the last of the lunch crowd, but not so much that the line was really long. I ordered a basic grilled chicken sandwich with very hot and salty waffle fries and their yummy frozen lemonade. Enjoyed my meal at a booth across from a group of women laughing and cooing over the child in the arms of one, and near another large family group laughing over burgers.
The Acme was next on my list. I had a lot of grocery shopping to do this week! Good thing it was as dead as it's been since before the Super Bowl. This time, the cereal on sale was Post Honey Bunches of Oats - went with the almond version. There were good online coupons for cheese, peanut butter, and bags of romaine lettuce. Found ground turkey with a manager's coupon. Restocked apples, bananas, oranges, yogurt, skim milk, cake mix, brown sugar, mandarin oranges, canned black beans, diced tomatoes, and frozen peas and green beans with almonds.
My schedule for next week is a lot better than it was this week. This time, I have Tuesday off along with Friday and Saturday. I'll gladly work early 6-hour days in order to not go almost 10 days without a day off again.
Went straight home after shopping. Continued with Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe while putting everything away, then spent a half-hour writing in the Me Journal. There are still some things that I can't answer. Favorite songs? I have so many! Same thing with favorite movies. I love Star Wars, but I love so many others, too. I guess you might say I love more than I hate. It takes something really, really horrible for me to hate it, and even then, I'll often find something I enjoy.
Worked on writing for a few hours after that. Leia presents the money they stole from the Norman nobleman Hux that morning to Sir Rieekian, but Thrawn knows she's been missing ever since her Uncle Bail was abducted and is suspected to be consorting with outlaws. He reveals his men, including Lord Ozzel of the Sheriff's guards, and orders them to arrest Leia. But Leia's "servants" won't let her be taken by this blue snake-in-the-grass...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Charlie called me while I was writing and said that most of my Amazon order had arrived. I'll review Carmen Jones on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog next week, but I definitely wanted to check out Buck Rogers right away. Ran the pilot movie, Awakening, while I was eating a spinach pancake (spinach and cheese in eggs) for dinner and "New-fangled" (i.e, cake mix) Peanut Butter Cookies for dessert.
Captain William "Buck" Rogers (Gil Gerard) wakes up in the year 2491 to discover that he was frozen for over a thousand years. The Earth is now a radioactive wasteland. Most of the remaining residents live in the domed city of New Chicago. They're trying to drum up trade with the Draconians because space pirates keep attacking their shipping fleet. Princess Ardala (Pamela Hensley) thinks he's hot, but her second-in-command, Kane (Henry Silva), isn't nearly as amused. They send him back to Earth, where Colonel Wilma Deering (Erin Gray) and the heads of New Chicago think he's a spy. His robot friends Twiki (voice of Mel Blanc) and Dr. Theopolis (voice of Howard F. Flynn) believe in him. Buck has to figure out what happened to his family, then stop Ardala from destroying the New Chicago colony.
Yes, this was cheesy as heck, but it was also a lot of fun. I love all the strong women here. Wilma and Ardala are different versions of the type of lady who take no guff from anyone, including their superiors and their menfolk. Gerard wasn't bad as the fish-out-of-frozen-water astronaut, and I always did like Mel Blanc's hilarious Twiki. (I figured that's what R2-D2 would sound like if he could talk.)
There's no denying, however, that this is both a Star Wars imitation and very much a product of its time. Buck was supposed to have launched in 1987, but the "rock" he encourages Ardala's band to play at one point sounds more like disco, and he makes a lot of references to things from 1979. Ardala is the really interesting villain here. Kane is supposed to be the Vader, but he's bland and dull, especially compared to his sexually charged boss. And what was with the opening credits? The weird, cutesy song and soft-focus photography looks more like a soft-porn movie from 1979 than a sci-fi movie.
I think this movie had its only solo releases on video, but you can find it on both the original full series set on DVD and the current Season One set that I have.
Finished out the evening with the far more down-to-Earth Steel Magnolias. Annelle (Daryl Hannah) comes to Truvy's (Dolly Pardon) hair salon in a small town in Louisiana for a fresh start in life after her husband leaves her. She couldn't have picked a better time to arrive. Shelby (Julia Roberts), the daughter of Truvy's good friend and frequent customer M'lynn (Sally Field) is getting married that day. She's introduced to the wealthy wife of the former mayor Clairee (Olympia Dukakis) and her grouchy and equally rich best friend Ouiser (Shirley MacLaine), also frequent customers. Kind-hearted Shelby wants to start a family, but M'Lynn is worried about it because of her type-1 diabetes. While the birth does go smoothly, her kidneys show sign of failure soon after. M'lynn donates one of her kidneys. This seems to work for a while...until Shelby contracts an infection and ends up in the hospital. Meanwhile, Annelle is having her own problems. Her obsession with prayer and religion is scaring off the boyfriend (Kevin J. O'Connor) she met at Shelby's wedding. M'lynn is devastated when she loses her daughter...but she still has her grandchild. Her friends finally help her understand that life goes on, and those we love are still with us in so many small ways.
This was - and probably still is - one of Mom's favorite movies. She grew up in Virginia around "steel magnolias" like these ladies, and Sally Field was always one of her favorite actresses. We used to watch it a lot in the late 80's and early 90's. As a kid, I laughed at Ouiser and Clairee's one-liners, but hated the mood whiplash in the end. Now that I've lost several people I loved, including my stepfather, I think I understand the message about life going on a lot more.
While Tom Skerrit and Sam Shepard aren't bad as M'Lynn and Truvy's husbands, it's the ladies' show, and they really run with it. All six are wonderful; check out Field's scene at the funeral in the end, where she lashes out in rage in front of the others about losing her daughter. Dukakis and MacLaine steal the movie as the funniest and saltiest rich older women in the South.
I heard there was an all-black remake a few years ago with Queen Latifa as M'Lynn. If it's half as much fun as the original, I might have to look around for that, too. If you're a real life "steel magnolia," grew up around them like my mother and me, or love quieter movies about women going through real-life problems, you'll want to take a trip down to Louisiana to spend time with these six very memorable ladies.
Headed out to run errands around 11:30. My first stop of the day was the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there. The only other people around besides me were the two morning librarians, who were decorating a shelf with yellow corrugated paper trim. I told them about my frustrating week at work and organized the DVD shelves, but there wasn't much else going on. There weren't even any people on the computers. I was out within a half-hour.
Next stop was Goodwill. I wanted to see if they had any other movies in their DVD collection I could review. Nope, no musicals, but I did make a few finds. The only DVD I dug up was The Tigger Movie. I rented this one about a decade ago from the Haddon Township Library, but their copy is long gone, and I think it's out of print. Found Angry Birds Star Wars for Wii on the other side of the shelf. Unearthed a really nice Lands End periwinkle blue t-shirt with short sleeves from the racks. It turned out to be on sale - a $2.99 shirt came to $1.50.
No luck anywhere else. I didn't see a winter dress or a skirt I liked in Marshalls, Ross, or Goodwill. It was 1:30 when I emerged from Marshalls. By that point, the clouds had been blown away, revealing gorgeous sunshine, blustery winds, and much warmer temperatures in the upper 40's. I was going to eat at Sonic, but it was way too windy for a picnic. I ended up going to Chick Fil'A behind them.
Chick Fil'A was still busy with the last of the lunch crowd, but not so much that the line was really long. I ordered a basic grilled chicken sandwich with very hot and salty waffle fries and their yummy frozen lemonade. Enjoyed my meal at a booth across from a group of women laughing and cooing over the child in the arms of one, and near another large family group laughing over burgers.
The Acme was next on my list. I had a lot of grocery shopping to do this week! Good thing it was as dead as it's been since before the Super Bowl. This time, the cereal on sale was Post Honey Bunches of Oats - went with the almond version. There were good online coupons for cheese, peanut butter, and bags of romaine lettuce. Found ground turkey with a manager's coupon. Restocked apples, bananas, oranges, yogurt, skim milk, cake mix, brown sugar, mandarin oranges, canned black beans, diced tomatoes, and frozen peas and green beans with almonds.
My schedule for next week is a lot better than it was this week. This time, I have Tuesday off along with Friday and Saturday. I'll gladly work early 6-hour days in order to not go almost 10 days without a day off again.
Went straight home after shopping. Continued with Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe while putting everything away, then spent a half-hour writing in the Me Journal. There are still some things that I can't answer. Favorite songs? I have so many! Same thing with favorite movies. I love Star Wars, but I love so many others, too. I guess you might say I love more than I hate. It takes something really, really horrible for me to hate it, and even then, I'll often find something I enjoy.
Worked on writing for a few hours after that. Leia presents the money they stole from the Norman nobleman Hux that morning to Sir Rieekian, but Thrawn knows she's been missing ever since her Uncle Bail was abducted and is suspected to be consorting with outlaws. He reveals his men, including Lord Ozzel of the Sheriff's guards, and orders them to arrest Leia. But Leia's "servants" won't let her be taken by this blue snake-in-the-grass...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Charlie called me while I was writing and said that most of my Amazon order had arrived. I'll review Carmen Jones on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog next week, but I definitely wanted to check out Buck Rogers right away. Ran the pilot movie, Awakening, while I was eating a spinach pancake (spinach and cheese in eggs) for dinner and "New-fangled" (i.e, cake mix) Peanut Butter Cookies for dessert.
Captain William "Buck" Rogers (Gil Gerard) wakes up in the year 2491 to discover that he was frozen for over a thousand years. The Earth is now a radioactive wasteland. Most of the remaining residents live in the domed city of New Chicago. They're trying to drum up trade with the Draconians because space pirates keep attacking their shipping fleet. Princess Ardala (Pamela Hensley) thinks he's hot, but her second-in-command, Kane (Henry Silva), isn't nearly as amused. They send him back to Earth, where Colonel Wilma Deering (Erin Gray) and the heads of New Chicago think he's a spy. His robot friends Twiki (voice of Mel Blanc) and Dr. Theopolis (voice of Howard F. Flynn) believe in him. Buck has to figure out what happened to his family, then stop Ardala from destroying the New Chicago colony.
Yes, this was cheesy as heck, but it was also a lot of fun. I love all the strong women here. Wilma and Ardala are different versions of the type of lady who take no guff from anyone, including their superiors and their menfolk. Gerard wasn't bad as the fish-out-of-frozen-water astronaut, and I always did like Mel Blanc's hilarious Twiki. (I figured that's what R2-D2 would sound like if he could talk.)
There's no denying, however, that this is both a Star Wars imitation and very much a product of its time. Buck was supposed to have launched in 1987, but the "rock" he encourages Ardala's band to play at one point sounds more like disco, and he makes a lot of references to things from 1979. Ardala is the really interesting villain here. Kane is supposed to be the Vader, but he's bland and dull, especially compared to his sexually charged boss. And what was with the opening credits? The weird, cutesy song and soft-focus photography looks more like a soft-porn movie from 1979 than a sci-fi movie.
I think this movie had its only solo releases on video, but you can find it on both the original full series set on DVD and the current Season One set that I have.
Finished out the evening with the far more down-to-Earth Steel Magnolias. Annelle (Daryl Hannah) comes to Truvy's (Dolly Pardon) hair salon in a small town in Louisiana for a fresh start in life after her husband leaves her. She couldn't have picked a better time to arrive. Shelby (Julia Roberts), the daughter of Truvy's good friend and frequent customer M'lynn (Sally Field) is getting married that day. She's introduced to the wealthy wife of the former mayor Clairee (Olympia Dukakis) and her grouchy and equally rich best friend Ouiser (Shirley MacLaine), also frequent customers. Kind-hearted Shelby wants to start a family, but M'Lynn is worried about it because of her type-1 diabetes. While the birth does go smoothly, her kidneys show sign of failure soon after. M'lynn donates one of her kidneys. This seems to work for a while...until Shelby contracts an infection and ends up in the hospital. Meanwhile, Annelle is having her own problems. Her obsession with prayer and religion is scaring off the boyfriend (Kevin J. O'Connor) she met at Shelby's wedding. M'lynn is devastated when she loses her daughter...but she still has her grandchild. Her friends finally help her understand that life goes on, and those we love are still with us in so many small ways.
This was - and probably still is - one of Mom's favorite movies. She grew up in Virginia around "steel magnolias" like these ladies, and Sally Field was always one of her favorite actresses. We used to watch it a lot in the late 80's and early 90's. As a kid, I laughed at Ouiser and Clairee's one-liners, but hated the mood whiplash in the end. Now that I've lost several people I loved, including my stepfather, I think I understand the message about life going on a lot more.
While Tom Skerrit and Sam Shepard aren't bad as M'Lynn and Truvy's husbands, it's the ladies' show, and they really run with it. All six are wonderful; check out Field's scene at the funeral in the end, where she lashes out in rage in front of the others about losing her daughter. Dukakis and MacLaine steal the movie as the funniest and saltiest rich older women in the South.
I heard there was an all-black remake a few years ago with Queen Latifa as M'Lynn. If it's half as much fun as the original, I might have to look around for that, too. If you're a real life "steel magnolia," grew up around them like my mother and me, or love quieter movies about women going through real-life problems, you'll want to take a trip down to Louisiana to spend time with these six very memorable ladies.
Thursday, February 07, 2019
Finding Myself
Kicked off a gray and cloudy morning with some first season Sailor Moon as I had breakfast and got ready for work. The Negaverse is capturing the holders of the Rainbow Crystals again in "I Won't Run Away From Love Anymore: Ami vs. Mamoru." Ryu, Ami's psychic boyfriend who was also previously targeted, is worried he'll be next. Ami takes it on herself to finally overcome her shyness and protect him from a brainwashed Mamoru.
The Sailor Guardians are ready for their final showdown in "Usagi's Awakening: A Message From the Distant Past." The girls and cats are seeking the Negaverse's hideout when they're attacked by the last remaining Negaverse general, Kunzite. They're sent back into the past on the moon to rediscover their memories and their identities as the Princess of the Moon and her court...and how the peaceful Kingdom of the Moon and the relationship between Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion was destroyed by Queen Beryl.
Headed to work even before the "Past" episode ended. Work was as quiet as it's been all week. I don't know why it's been so dead. It's not usually this quiet in February. It wasn't even that busy last weekend before the Super Bowl. Either people have been out enjoying the weather, or couples and singles without kids are out of town, or last week's frigid weather scared them off.
While I did end up in the register once, I was mostly either doing carts, shelving returns, gathering recycling, or organizing shelves. One of the managers asked me to reorganize the clearance shelves. They'd gotten cluttered, with all the clearance items scattered everywhere. I set the items up so you could see everything clearly, moved last year's leftover Phillies merchandise and spring banners to the bottom shelf, and added bags of Christmas Smash Mallows that were dropped in a cart.
Decided to try something different when I got home. I changed, sat in bed, and cracked open that "Me Journal" Linda Young gave me a while back. I want a real life and a real career, but my fears keep overwhelming me, and I don't know who to talk to. I've spent so much of my life being told what's right and wrong to be and what I should and shouldn't love, I'm afraid to admit I like or hate anything at all.
I realized while writing that there's so many things I love, I often couldn't list them or think of them right away. I like so may different shows and songs and performers. I don't have five favorite movies (besides The Empire Strikes Back) - I love so many! I'm hard-pressed to name many things I truly dislike, either. (Lima beans. I don't like those. They taste weird.) I'm almost afraid to know who I am. I'm afraid of doing the wrong thing and saying the wrong thing. My head is just so full of "what ifs?" that I get scared to move.
Went online to do some writing at 4. Leia convinces the guys to pose as her servants and the others to hide around Rieekian's and make sure Thrawn and the Sheriff don't try anything funny. Han only goes to make money, but even he's moved when he realizes how dire of a situation Rieekian is in. He'll lose everything if he doesn't pay off Thrawn. Leia brings the money from their last robbery to pay off the Sheriff, but he wants to know where she got it from...
Broke for dinner at quarter after 6. Had quick leftovers, then vacuumed and washed the windows. The vacuuming especially needed to be done. I still see leftover bits from the Christmas tree and garlands, and some of my fleece sleep socks have the tendency to shed.
Watched the first four episodes of the serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe as I worked as a lead-in to the arrival of Buck Rodgers. This is the last of the three Flash serials Universal made in the 1930's and early 40's. Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) has sent a plague known as The Black Death to Earth. Flash (Buster Crabbe), Dale Arden (Carol Hughes), and Dr. Zarkov (Frank Shannon) head to Mongo to find a cure. They eventually end up in the Hoth-like Kingdom of Frigia in search of Polarite, the only known antidote. Ming's not about to let them end his reign of terror and sends his henchmen, including Captain Torch (Don Rowan) to do anything they can to stop the Earthlings.
Cheesy but fun. I've heard the first serial is better, but this isn't too bad. The of-their-time special effects and some of the most outlandish costumes I've ever seen are (mostly) overcome by the goofy dialogue and a few spirited performances. Fine if you love Flash or old-fashioned space opera.
Ended the night with the 2012 remake of Sparkle, which I cover at my Musical Dreams Reviews Blog.
Sparkle (2012)
The Sailor Guardians are ready for their final showdown in "Usagi's Awakening: A Message From the Distant Past." The girls and cats are seeking the Negaverse's hideout when they're attacked by the last remaining Negaverse general, Kunzite. They're sent back into the past on the moon to rediscover their memories and their identities as the Princess of the Moon and her court...and how the peaceful Kingdom of the Moon and the relationship between Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion was destroyed by Queen Beryl.
Headed to work even before the "Past" episode ended. Work was as quiet as it's been all week. I don't know why it's been so dead. It's not usually this quiet in February. It wasn't even that busy last weekend before the Super Bowl. Either people have been out enjoying the weather, or couples and singles without kids are out of town, or last week's frigid weather scared them off.
While I did end up in the register once, I was mostly either doing carts, shelving returns, gathering recycling, or organizing shelves. One of the managers asked me to reorganize the clearance shelves. They'd gotten cluttered, with all the clearance items scattered everywhere. I set the items up so you could see everything clearly, moved last year's leftover Phillies merchandise and spring banners to the bottom shelf, and added bags of Christmas Smash Mallows that were dropped in a cart.
Decided to try something different when I got home. I changed, sat in bed, and cracked open that "Me Journal" Linda Young gave me a while back. I want a real life and a real career, but my fears keep overwhelming me, and I don't know who to talk to. I've spent so much of my life being told what's right and wrong to be and what I should and shouldn't love, I'm afraid to admit I like or hate anything at all.
I realized while writing that there's so many things I love, I often couldn't list them or think of them right away. I like so may different shows and songs and performers. I don't have five favorite movies (besides The Empire Strikes Back) - I love so many! I'm hard-pressed to name many things I truly dislike, either. (Lima beans. I don't like those. They taste weird.) I'm almost afraid to know who I am. I'm afraid of doing the wrong thing and saying the wrong thing. My head is just so full of "what ifs?" that I get scared to move.
Went online to do some writing at 4. Leia convinces the guys to pose as her servants and the others to hide around Rieekian's and make sure Thrawn and the Sheriff don't try anything funny. Han only goes to make money, but even he's moved when he realizes how dire of a situation Rieekian is in. He'll lose everything if he doesn't pay off Thrawn. Leia brings the money from their last robbery to pay off the Sheriff, but he wants to know where she got it from...
Broke for dinner at quarter after 6. Had quick leftovers, then vacuumed and washed the windows. The vacuuming especially needed to be done. I still see leftover bits from the Christmas tree and garlands, and some of my fleece sleep socks have the tendency to shed.
Watched the first four episodes of the serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe as I worked as a lead-in to the arrival of Buck Rodgers. This is the last of the three Flash serials Universal made in the 1930's and early 40's. Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) has sent a plague known as The Black Death to Earth. Flash (Buster Crabbe), Dale Arden (Carol Hughes), and Dr. Zarkov (Frank Shannon) head to Mongo to find a cure. They eventually end up in the Hoth-like Kingdom of Frigia in search of Polarite, the only known antidote. Ming's not about to let them end his reign of terror and sends his henchmen, including Captain Torch (Don Rowan) to do anything they can to stop the Earthlings.
Cheesy but fun. I've heard the first serial is better, but this isn't too bad. The of-their-time special effects and some of the most outlandish costumes I've ever seen are (mostly) overcome by the goofy dialogue and a few spirited performances. Fine if you love Flash or old-fashioned space opera.
Ended the night with the 2012 remake of Sparkle, which I cover at my Musical Dreams Reviews Blog.
Sparkle (2012)
Wednesday, February 06, 2019
When the Rains Came
Kicked off another sunny morning with the second Peanuts Valentine's Day special, A Charlie Brown Valentine. Charlie Brown wants to give the Little Red Haired Girl a valentine and ask her to the school dance. He's too shy to approach her, and when he calls her, he accidentally ends up asking Peppermint Patty and Marcie out instead. The other kids aren't doing much better. Sally insists on making valentines for her "Sweet Baboo" Linus, who loudly points out that he has no interest in her, while Lucy hangs around Schroder and his piano in the hope of getting Valentine's Day gifts.
Work was a pain in the rear end this morning. Today was my third early day of the week. Despite it being dead, I spent almost half the day in the register, including when I was the only bagger there. One manager would tell me to do one thing, then another would turn around a minute later and tell me to get in a register, there were lines. I was ready to scream by the end of my shift. I barely got outside to do carts, do the returns, and round up baskets and outside trash.
It had been cold this morning, but by the time I got out of work, it was a bit warmer. Not as warm as yesterday, probably in the upper 40's. It was also cloudier and very damp. I'd heard rumblings of rain later in the day. I went straight home this time.
Changed and had a snack when I got in. Watched more Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That while I ate. Nick wants to learn to ride a bike like Sally, but he doesn't seem to have a "Talent for Balance" yet. The Cat takes him to supposedly meet two people who will help him find his balance...but first, they have to balance various objects to get through the gates on their way to them. (And I definitely know how Nick feels here. It took me several years to develop my "talent for balance" and learn how to ride a bike as well as Rose and some of the other kids in the neighborhood.)
They go on a "Search for String" when the kids need string to pull their cardboard train. The Thing-a-Ma-Doodle breaks down and shrinks them so small, they can fit in Nick and Sally's craft box and see their art supplies from a different point of view...including their string. "Who Can See the Wind?" The Cat and the kids can when they head to the Wind-naysium to learn how to see the wind and get Sally's kite in the air.
Spent the next few hours writing and doing a few things online. My tax return showed up yesterday. I was able to pay the electric and internet bill with no trouble. Also made one splurge on Amazon. One of my favorite shows during my early childhood was Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Rose and I watched it constantly in re-runs throughout the early and mid-80's. Wilma Deerling was one of my earliest heroines. I've heard it's kind of cheesy now, but I like cheesy. Since I'm out of Star Wars live-action movies that are easily available until Episode 9 shows up in December, I thought I'd fill in the gap with some fond memories. I also picked up Carmen Jones and Oliver! for reviews on my Musical Dreams Reviews blog in honor of Black History Month and this year's Oscars respectively.
Got a little writing done. Han, Luke, Leia, and Yoda hear a carriage coming through the woods. Han and Leia compete to see who can land on it first, then stake out the occupants. Turns out it's one of the Sheriff's men attempting a trap. But Han knows how to evade that...
Broke for dinner at 5:30. Ate leftovers while finishing out Cat In the Hat. Nick's favorite airplane (and a stick) are stuck in a tree. The group goes to a low-lying valley between mountains and tall trees to see how a "Gravity Drop" will get the plane on the ground, and why we stay on the ground and don't fly away.
"Nick's Cricket" needs a better home than a glass jar with dollhouse toys. The Cat tries to take them to a model town to teach them about design, but they end up stranded on a deserted island when the Thing-a-Ma-Jigger literally runs out of juice. The kids come up with a little house to give them shade while they're there and learn how to constantly refine their designs. They learn to "Go With the Flow" when the Cat brings them to a huge water slide to show them how water flows and created a puddle on Nick's front walkway.
It's "Design Time" when Sally has trouble making a vase for her mother and the Cat takes them to the land of BluePrintia. Turns out they're in "Duck Amuck" territory as the whole background is just one big blue print for them to draw ideas on. When the robot Nick drew goes haywire and starts knocking over other designs, Sally learns to keep working on her designs until she has what she needs. They get "A Prize Surprise" in our second magnet-themed story. This time, they're at Arcade Island and shrunk inside a crane game that uses a magnet instead of a crane. They have to figure out what the magnet will attract and what it won't in order to get out.
The kids want to move a big rock, but it's hard doing it with even three sets of hands. The Cat shows them how another kind of simple machine, "Clever Levers," can help them. They're "Going, Going, Gong" when the Cat takes them to the land of gongs to figure out the last note Sally needs to finish her song played on glasses.
Switched to cleaning the kitchen while the cartoons ended. It needed to be done badly, especially the stove and counter top. When I ran out of Soft Scrub, I made my own cleaner out of Comet cleaner, vinegar, and dish washing liquid. Worked quite well, actually. I even scrubbed the inside of the stove.
Finished out the night with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Our story opens in Shanghai, about a year before Raiders. Indy (Harrison Ford) ends up outrunning gangsters who wanted an artifact, picking up Willie, a spoiled singer (Kate Capshaw) and his kid buddy Short Round (Key Hu Quan) on the way. They crash-land in India and find themselves in a starving village. The citizens believe that their magic rock and their children were stolen by the evil Thuggee cult. Indy and his two friends head to the mysterious Pankot Palace to find out more about the lost rocks, and maybe gain some "fortune and glory" in the process...if they can avoid their hearts being ripped out by the Kali-worshiping cult members!
While there's a lot that I like about Temple of Doom, it's not my favorite entry. Short Round makes for a fun sidekick, and there's some great set pieces and ideas, including the famous mine cart ride and the scene in the finale on the rope bridge. Willie, however, is annoying and useless as heck, and the entire backstory with the cult seems more than a little racist today.
If you love Indy, see this one too...but I'd start with Raiders or Last Crusade first if you're new to Indy's world.
Oh, and it did finally start raining while I was online. It wasn't hard at first, but it started to pick up around the time I was watching cartoons and has been coming down at a good clip ever since.
Work was a pain in the rear end this morning. Today was my third early day of the week. Despite it being dead, I spent almost half the day in the register, including when I was the only bagger there. One manager would tell me to do one thing, then another would turn around a minute later and tell me to get in a register, there were lines. I was ready to scream by the end of my shift. I barely got outside to do carts, do the returns, and round up baskets and outside trash.
It had been cold this morning, but by the time I got out of work, it was a bit warmer. Not as warm as yesterday, probably in the upper 40's. It was also cloudier and very damp. I'd heard rumblings of rain later in the day. I went straight home this time.
Changed and had a snack when I got in. Watched more Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That while I ate. Nick wants to learn to ride a bike like Sally, but he doesn't seem to have a "Talent for Balance" yet. The Cat takes him to supposedly meet two people who will help him find his balance...but first, they have to balance various objects to get through the gates on their way to them. (And I definitely know how Nick feels here. It took me several years to develop my "talent for balance" and learn how to ride a bike as well as Rose and some of the other kids in the neighborhood.)
They go on a "Search for String" when the kids need string to pull their cardboard train. The Thing-a-Ma-Doodle breaks down and shrinks them so small, they can fit in Nick and Sally's craft box and see their art supplies from a different point of view...including their string. "Who Can See the Wind?" The Cat and the kids can when they head to the Wind-naysium to learn how to see the wind and get Sally's kite in the air.
Spent the next few hours writing and doing a few things online. My tax return showed up yesterday. I was able to pay the electric and internet bill with no trouble. Also made one splurge on Amazon. One of my favorite shows during my early childhood was Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Rose and I watched it constantly in re-runs throughout the early and mid-80's. Wilma Deerling was one of my earliest heroines. I've heard it's kind of cheesy now, but I like cheesy. Since I'm out of Star Wars live-action movies that are easily available until Episode 9 shows up in December, I thought I'd fill in the gap with some fond memories. I also picked up Carmen Jones and Oliver! for reviews on my Musical Dreams Reviews blog in honor of Black History Month and this year's Oscars respectively.
Got a little writing done. Han, Luke, Leia, and Yoda hear a carriage coming through the woods. Han and Leia compete to see who can land on it first, then stake out the occupants. Turns out it's one of the Sheriff's men attempting a trap. But Han knows how to evade that...
Broke for dinner at 5:30. Ate leftovers while finishing out Cat In the Hat. Nick's favorite airplane (and a stick) are stuck in a tree. The group goes to a low-lying valley between mountains and tall trees to see how a "Gravity Drop" will get the plane on the ground, and why we stay on the ground and don't fly away.
"Nick's Cricket" needs a better home than a glass jar with dollhouse toys. The Cat tries to take them to a model town to teach them about design, but they end up stranded on a deserted island when the Thing-a-Ma-Jigger literally runs out of juice. The kids come up with a little house to give them shade while they're there and learn how to constantly refine their designs. They learn to "Go With the Flow" when the Cat brings them to a huge water slide to show them how water flows and created a puddle on Nick's front walkway.
It's "Design Time" when Sally has trouble making a vase for her mother and the Cat takes them to the land of BluePrintia. Turns out they're in "Duck Amuck" territory as the whole background is just one big blue print for them to draw ideas on. When the robot Nick drew goes haywire and starts knocking over other designs, Sally learns to keep working on her designs until she has what she needs. They get "A Prize Surprise" in our second magnet-themed story. This time, they're at Arcade Island and shrunk inside a crane game that uses a magnet instead of a crane. They have to figure out what the magnet will attract and what it won't in order to get out.
The kids want to move a big rock, but it's hard doing it with even three sets of hands. The Cat shows them how another kind of simple machine, "Clever Levers," can help them. They're "Going, Going, Gong" when the Cat takes them to the land of gongs to figure out the last note Sally needs to finish her song played on glasses.
Switched to cleaning the kitchen while the cartoons ended. It needed to be done badly, especially the stove and counter top. When I ran out of Soft Scrub, I made my own cleaner out of Comet cleaner, vinegar, and dish washing liquid. Worked quite well, actually. I even scrubbed the inside of the stove.
Finished out the night with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Our story opens in Shanghai, about a year before Raiders. Indy (Harrison Ford) ends up outrunning gangsters who wanted an artifact, picking up Willie, a spoiled singer (Kate Capshaw) and his kid buddy Short Round (Key Hu Quan) on the way. They crash-land in India and find themselves in a starving village. The citizens believe that their magic rock and their children were stolen by the evil Thuggee cult. Indy and his two friends head to the mysterious Pankot Palace to find out more about the lost rocks, and maybe gain some "fortune and glory" in the process...if they can avoid their hearts being ripped out by the Kali-worshiping cult members!
While there's a lot that I like about Temple of Doom, it's not my favorite entry. Short Round makes for a fun sidekick, and there's some great set pieces and ideas, including the famous mine cart ride and the scene in the finale on the rope bridge. Willie, however, is annoying and useless as heck, and the entire backstory with the cult seems more than a little racist today.
If you love Indy, see this one too...but I'd start with Raiders or Last Crusade first if you're new to Indy's world.
Oh, and it did finally start raining while I was online. It wasn't hard at first, but it started to pick up around the time I was watching cartoons and has been coming down at a good clip ever since.
Tuesday, February 05, 2019
A Little Bit of Spring
Kicked off a sunny morning after breakfast with finally putting up my Valentine's Day decorations. I have more for this holiday than I thought I did, including a cute pink bear tin, a small vine wreath heart Mom gave me in college, two tinsel garlands in white and red, and a ruffly heart-shaped box I thought was too pretty to throw away after I ate the candy. The majority of my Valentine's decorations are cardboard hangings. Two large cardboard and Mylar hearts went on the windows on either side of the house. The smaller hearts were taped onto the kitchen window and front door. Two vintage cardboard cut-outs, a teddy bear holding a heart and a Holly Hobbie-style pioneer girl and her kitten, also went in the kitchen.
Ran episodes of The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That as I worked. Having pretty much exhausted their knowledge of the animal world in the first two seasons, the Cat moves on to teaching Nick, Sally, and the Fish basic science concepts in season 3. Fish is upset when the boat Nick and Sally built him sinks. The Cat takes them to a floating island to teach them how to make a boat that'll float in "Whatever Floats Your Boat."
The kids want to make a drawbridge, but they have no idea about "Building Bridges." This time, the Cat takes them to a mountainous land filled with bridges to learn more about their construction. They have to figure things out in a hurry when a dragon starts chasing them.
They're trying to get Sally's dress-up trunk into their tree house, but it's too heavy for them to lift up the stairs. "Pulling Together" gives them the answer when the Cat teaches them about simple machines...including pulleys. It's "Fact and Friction" when Sally can't make it down the previously-fast slide. This time, they head to a mountainside covered in slides to learn about friction and figure out what happened.
Nick and Sally are having their first sleepover in the tree house, but they're spooked by shadows in the night. The Cat takes them to a shadowy valley to show that "Shadow Play" is nothing to be afraid of. Nick gets angry at Sally when she her yo-yo tricks end up with her putting a hole in the top of his mountain and spilling his green paint. The Cat settles their quarrel by taking them to Sara of Sarandip, an experimenter who believes that "Accidents Happen...If We're Lucky."
Headed to work around quarter of 11. I couldn't believe how warm it was! I didn't even need the fleece jacket I wore this morning. I barely needed a long-sleeved shirt. Despite the fact that it was even more quiet than yesterday, I ended up in the registers for half the day. We simply didn't have enough help. I did manage to get out and help the head bagger with the carts towards the end of the day; also gathered baskets and the plastic bag recycling.
It was so beautiful, I took the long way home. As soon as I got home, I changed, dodged Charlie working on the dormer roof, and went right back out for a walk. It was too nice to be inside all day. I strolled to WaWa to treat myself to a cherry-blood orange Icee. I was fine in a sweater and capris! The marquee at Oaklyn's City Hall said it was 66 at 4 PM. Passed by groups of kids on bikes or scooters or out chatting with their buddies and people out for their own walk or finally taking down the last of their outdoor Christmas decorations.
Did research on partial unemployment when I got in and a little writing. Friar Yoda reveals that Sir Carlist Rieekian, a friend of King Bail's, is in debt to Sheriff Vader. If he doesn't pay, his home and lands will be repossessed, and he'll lose everything. Leia is also friendly with Rieekian and convinces Han and Luke to help him.
Finished out The Cat In the Hat while making broccoli and chicken stir-fry for dinner in honor of Chinese New Year. "Opposites Attract"...but not the two magnetic ends of Nick's engine and coal car, which won't stick together. They head to the Magnetic Fields to figure out how they work and why some magnets don't attract one another. The group's off to Ballaballoo to "Play Ball" and find the perfect bouncy ball to replace Sally's lost basketball.
Sally and Nick want to play their instruments together, but they can't hear one another when their windows are closed. The Cat takes them on a trip to the Soundy Sea, where "Making Waves" teaches them how sound waves work. The kids want to see how a mother robin builds her nest, but they keep scaring her off. The Cat takes them to the Hall of Mirrors to see how to make reflections and bend them to their needs in "Mirror Mirror."
Ended the night after a shower with Flower Drum Song, the first (and to my knowledge, only) American movie musical with a mostly-Asian cast. I cover this Rodgers and Hammerstein show more thoroughly at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Flower Drum Song
Ran episodes of The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That as I worked. Having pretty much exhausted their knowledge of the animal world in the first two seasons, the Cat moves on to teaching Nick, Sally, and the Fish basic science concepts in season 3. Fish is upset when the boat Nick and Sally built him sinks. The Cat takes them to a floating island to teach them how to make a boat that'll float in "Whatever Floats Your Boat."
The kids want to make a drawbridge, but they have no idea about "Building Bridges." This time, the Cat takes them to a mountainous land filled with bridges to learn more about their construction. They have to figure things out in a hurry when a dragon starts chasing them.
They're trying to get Sally's dress-up trunk into their tree house, but it's too heavy for them to lift up the stairs. "Pulling Together" gives them the answer when the Cat teaches them about simple machines...including pulleys. It's "Fact and Friction" when Sally can't make it down the previously-fast slide. This time, they head to a mountainside covered in slides to learn about friction and figure out what happened.
Nick and Sally are having their first sleepover in the tree house, but they're spooked by shadows in the night. The Cat takes them to a shadowy valley to show that "Shadow Play" is nothing to be afraid of. Nick gets angry at Sally when she her yo-yo tricks end up with her putting a hole in the top of his mountain and spilling his green paint. The Cat settles their quarrel by taking them to Sara of Sarandip, an experimenter who believes that "Accidents Happen...If We're Lucky."
Headed to work around quarter of 11. I couldn't believe how warm it was! I didn't even need the fleece jacket I wore this morning. I barely needed a long-sleeved shirt. Despite the fact that it was even more quiet than yesterday, I ended up in the registers for half the day. We simply didn't have enough help. I did manage to get out and help the head bagger with the carts towards the end of the day; also gathered baskets and the plastic bag recycling.
It was so beautiful, I took the long way home. As soon as I got home, I changed, dodged Charlie working on the dormer roof, and went right back out for a walk. It was too nice to be inside all day. I strolled to WaWa to treat myself to a cherry-blood orange Icee. I was fine in a sweater and capris! The marquee at Oaklyn's City Hall said it was 66 at 4 PM. Passed by groups of kids on bikes or scooters or out chatting with their buddies and people out for their own walk or finally taking down the last of their outdoor Christmas decorations.
Did research on partial unemployment when I got in and a little writing. Friar Yoda reveals that Sir Carlist Rieekian, a friend of King Bail's, is in debt to Sheriff Vader. If he doesn't pay, his home and lands will be repossessed, and he'll lose everything. Leia is also friendly with Rieekian and convinces Han and Luke to help him.
Finished out The Cat In the Hat while making broccoli and chicken stir-fry for dinner in honor of Chinese New Year. "Opposites Attract"...but not the two magnetic ends of Nick's engine and coal car, which won't stick together. They head to the Magnetic Fields to figure out how they work and why some magnets don't attract one another. The group's off to Ballaballoo to "Play Ball" and find the perfect bouncy ball to replace Sally's lost basketball.
Sally and Nick want to play their instruments together, but they can't hear one another when their windows are closed. The Cat takes them on a trip to the Soundy Sea, where "Making Waves" teaches them how sound waves work. The kids want to see how a mother robin builds her nest, but they keep scaring her off. The Cat takes them to the Hall of Mirrors to see how to make reflections and bend them to their needs in "Mirror Mirror."
Ended the night after a shower with Flower Drum Song, the first (and to my knowledge, only) American movie musical with a mostly-Asian cast. I cover this Rodgers and Hammerstein show more thoroughly at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Flower Drum Song
Monday, February 04, 2019
Jazz on a Winter's Day
Began the day with my second early work shift in a row. If anything, it was even quieter than yesterday. It was pea-soup foggy when I awoke this morning, but by the time I was gathering carts and doing the outside trash and recycling, the fog had long burned off. The day was once again sunny, bright, and far warmer than it has been, in the mid-50's. I also did some bagging, returned cold items, and rounded up baskets. I ran out of laundry detergent yesterday; good thing there's a big sale on the smaller bottles of Arm&Hammer. Grabbed a pretzel, too.
Charlie was outside, cursing at the dormer roof, when I got in. Evidently, he decided to take advantage of Mother Nature's unusually good mood and continue his work on the porch. I changed, grabbed the DVDs that needed to go back to the Haddon Township Library, and left him to do what he needed to do.
First stop on my long to-do list was the PNC Bank in Collingswood. I needed to deposit the money from the American Girl bed sale and get a check for the rent. Ended up getting a whole bunch of them when I made a mistake on the first one.
Since it's a few blocks down Haddon Avenue, I parked my bike at the Collingswood Library and walked over to the Pop Shop for lunch. Given it was past 2 by that point, they were very dead. I only saw two families with small children out enjoying the afternoon. I had a huge chicken sandwich smothered in provolone cheese on ciabatta bread with lettuce, tomato, and a pickle. I admired the glittering pink and magenta hearts hung around the room.
Taking the bike over to the Haddon Township Library was a lot more complicated than usual. I ran into road work on Cuthbert. I had to go around it and the long line of cars being diverted around it. They're still building the new McDonald's, too. The building is up, but they're not finished with the grounds yet. I shoved the bike up the hill between the liquor store and Crystal Lake Diner instead.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't any busier than the bank and Pop Shop were, but it must have been busy earlier. The DVD return cart was literally overflowing with discs. There were so many, I only had the time to do the kids' titles, and I had a hard time fitting half of those on the shelves.
Speaking of, they finally got in The Incredibles 2. The Incredibles is one of my favorite Pixar movies, so I had to catch this one. Dug another new Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That season set and more Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood out of the kids' section. Went with Steel Magnolias (the original movie from the late 80's was a favorite of my real-life Steel Magnolia mother) and the recent remake of the all-black musical Sparkle for review this week. Renewed All Night Long.
Charlie had just finished when I went upstairs to get an envelope for the rent check, then dropped it in the mail box. We chatted a bit about the frozen lake and how much we wish we could skate on it before he went back downstairs.
Spent the next hour looking up writing jobs. I didn't know they'd want you to write proposals before they'd hire you! I have no idea what I'd say in one. How can I explain my lack of experience, or my lack of knowledge? I don't know anything about writing for medical tombs or academic research. What would I say? I got so nervous, I gave up and moved on to writing instead.
Yoda decides that Han should give him a ride across the river for being rude. Han gets tired of being hit with his walking stick and his odd laughter and ends up dumping him in the river. Luke fishes him out. Turns out that the old monk has news of a friend of Leia's who may be in trouble...
Broke for dinner at 7. I'd had a big lunch, so I settled for making a Banana-Carrot-Oat Smoothie while watching Daniel Tiger. I ended up skipping some of the episodes I'd seen on other collections, but some of the ones I did watch were so cute. "Daniel and Miss Elania Play Rocket Ship" when he visits the curly-locked miss and her mom Lady Elaine at the Museum Go-Round. Elania is upset when first her cardboard telescope breaks, then her cardboard box rocket ship, and won't play outer space. Lady Elaine and Dan remind the little girl that Dan is there to play with her, not her toys.
We have a similar situation in "Daniel Plays at the Castle," only this time it's Prince Wednesday who is upset. Dan wants to play with his rock collection, but some of his rocks are fragile. They go on a treasure hunt to find more rocks instead.
Katerina has her own problems with a tea party for her favorite toy monkey she set up herself in "Friends Help Each Other." She's devastated when she knocks the tea cups on the floor and spills the water. Dan insists that he doesn't mind helping her gather the cups or wipe up the mess.
Daniel and Miss Elania meet Prince Wednesday's cousin Chrissie for the first time in "Daniel's New Friend." Chrissie is on crutches and has braces on her legs. While she can't move fast or do some the things the kids can do, she can do other things...like play knights. Daniel realizes how much they have in common when she tells him that red is her favorite color, too.
"It's Love Day," or as we know it in the real world, Valentine's Day. Daniel has made all his friends and Teacher Harriet hearts to show how much he cares. Someone gives him a mysterious sailor-themed valentine in his cubby at school. He asks the other kids if they did it, and find out what they do to show their love for one another.
It's "Prince Wednesday's Happy Birthday." The kids all have a great time playing pin the tail on the bunny and looking for treasure in the Royal Garden. Daniel just hopes his friend is happy with the wooden case and rainbow rock he made him.
Finished the night with All Night Long. This modernization of the Shakespearean tragedy Othello resets it in London's underground jazz scene in the early 60's. Musician Aurelius Rex (Paul Harris) and former singer Delia Lane (Marti Stevens) are happily married, despite their different races, and are enjoying an anniversary party. Drummer Johnny Cousin (Patrick McGoohan) stirs up trouble when he tries to convince Delia to come out of retirement so he can start his own band. He won't take "no" for an answer, starting gossip about Delia having an affair with the band's manager Cass (Keith Michell). Not only does Rex take this badly, but Cass already has a relationship with black female singer Benny (Maria Velasco). Cass loses his job and Rex attacks his wife before promoter Rod Hamilton (Richard Attenborough) and Johnny's wife Emily (Betsy Blair) reveal what a liar he is.
If you love hot mid-20th-century jazz played by real-life greats like Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus or are interested in Shakespeare adaptations or tight little melodramas, this is really interesting. If nothing else. it's a rare glimpse of not one, but two (mostly) loving interracial couples. McGoohan in particular gets to show off his dramatic chops as the drummer who cares about his own talent and not much else, including his wife and other people's feelings.
Currently only available as part of a Criterion set here in the US with other movies set in the London underground by British director Basil Dearden. It's worth looking for if you like jazz or dark romances.
Charlie was outside, cursing at the dormer roof, when I got in. Evidently, he decided to take advantage of Mother Nature's unusually good mood and continue his work on the porch. I changed, grabbed the DVDs that needed to go back to the Haddon Township Library, and left him to do what he needed to do.
First stop on my long to-do list was the PNC Bank in Collingswood. I needed to deposit the money from the American Girl bed sale and get a check for the rent. Ended up getting a whole bunch of them when I made a mistake on the first one.
Since it's a few blocks down Haddon Avenue, I parked my bike at the Collingswood Library and walked over to the Pop Shop for lunch. Given it was past 2 by that point, they were very dead. I only saw two families with small children out enjoying the afternoon. I had a huge chicken sandwich smothered in provolone cheese on ciabatta bread with lettuce, tomato, and a pickle. I admired the glittering pink and magenta hearts hung around the room.
Taking the bike over to the Haddon Township Library was a lot more complicated than usual. I ran into road work on Cuthbert. I had to go around it and the long line of cars being diverted around it. They're still building the new McDonald's, too. The building is up, but they're not finished with the grounds yet. I shoved the bike up the hill between the liquor store and Crystal Lake Diner instead.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't any busier than the bank and Pop Shop were, but it must have been busy earlier. The DVD return cart was literally overflowing with discs. There were so many, I only had the time to do the kids' titles, and I had a hard time fitting half of those on the shelves.
Speaking of, they finally got in The Incredibles 2. The Incredibles is one of my favorite Pixar movies, so I had to catch this one. Dug another new Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That season set and more Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood out of the kids' section. Went with Steel Magnolias (the original movie from the late 80's was a favorite of my real-life Steel Magnolia mother) and the recent remake of the all-black musical Sparkle for review this week. Renewed All Night Long.
Charlie had just finished when I went upstairs to get an envelope for the rent check, then dropped it in the mail box. We chatted a bit about the frozen lake and how much we wish we could skate on it before he went back downstairs.
Spent the next hour looking up writing jobs. I didn't know they'd want you to write proposals before they'd hire you! I have no idea what I'd say in one. How can I explain my lack of experience, or my lack of knowledge? I don't know anything about writing for medical tombs or academic research. What would I say? I got so nervous, I gave up and moved on to writing instead.
Yoda decides that Han should give him a ride across the river for being rude. Han gets tired of being hit with his walking stick and his odd laughter and ends up dumping him in the river. Luke fishes him out. Turns out that the old monk has news of a friend of Leia's who may be in trouble...
Broke for dinner at 7. I'd had a big lunch, so I settled for making a Banana-Carrot-Oat Smoothie while watching Daniel Tiger. I ended up skipping some of the episodes I'd seen on other collections, but some of the ones I did watch were so cute. "Daniel and Miss Elania Play Rocket Ship" when he visits the curly-locked miss and her mom Lady Elaine at the Museum Go-Round. Elania is upset when first her cardboard telescope breaks, then her cardboard box rocket ship, and won't play outer space. Lady Elaine and Dan remind the little girl that Dan is there to play with her, not her toys.
We have a similar situation in "Daniel Plays at the Castle," only this time it's Prince Wednesday who is upset. Dan wants to play with his rock collection, but some of his rocks are fragile. They go on a treasure hunt to find more rocks instead.
Katerina has her own problems with a tea party for her favorite toy monkey she set up herself in "Friends Help Each Other." She's devastated when she knocks the tea cups on the floor and spills the water. Dan insists that he doesn't mind helping her gather the cups or wipe up the mess.
Daniel and Miss Elania meet Prince Wednesday's cousin Chrissie for the first time in "Daniel's New Friend." Chrissie is on crutches and has braces on her legs. While she can't move fast or do some the things the kids can do, she can do other things...like play knights. Daniel realizes how much they have in common when she tells him that red is her favorite color, too.
"It's Love Day," or as we know it in the real world, Valentine's Day. Daniel has made all his friends and Teacher Harriet hearts to show how much he cares. Someone gives him a mysterious sailor-themed valentine in his cubby at school. He asks the other kids if they did it, and find out what they do to show their love for one another.
It's "Prince Wednesday's Happy Birthday." The kids all have a great time playing pin the tail on the bunny and looking for treasure in the Royal Garden. Daniel just hopes his friend is happy with the wooden case and rainbow rock he made him.
Finished the night with All Night Long. This modernization of the Shakespearean tragedy Othello resets it in London's underground jazz scene in the early 60's. Musician Aurelius Rex (Paul Harris) and former singer Delia Lane (Marti Stevens) are happily married, despite their different races, and are enjoying an anniversary party. Drummer Johnny Cousin (Patrick McGoohan) stirs up trouble when he tries to convince Delia to come out of retirement so he can start his own band. He won't take "no" for an answer, starting gossip about Delia having an affair with the band's manager Cass (Keith Michell). Not only does Rex take this badly, but Cass already has a relationship with black female singer Benny (Maria Velasco). Cass loses his job and Rex attacks his wife before promoter Rod Hamilton (Richard Attenborough) and Johnny's wife Emily (Betsy Blair) reveal what a liar he is.
If you love hot mid-20th-century jazz played by real-life greats like Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus or are interested in Shakespeare adaptations or tight little melodramas, this is really interesting. If nothing else. it's a rare glimpse of not one, but two (mostly) loving interracial couples. McGoohan in particular gets to show off his dramatic chops as the drummer who cares about his own talent and not much else, including his wife and other people's feelings.
Currently only available as part of a Criterion set here in the US with other movies set in the London underground by British director Basil Dearden. It's worth looking for if you like jazz or dark romances.
Sunday, February 03, 2019
Showdown In Atlanta
Started off the day with my first of two early work shifts in a row. To my surprise, it was once again on-and-off steady. Everyone must have been waiting to shop until right before the big game. Not to mention, it was simply too nice for shopping. It was sunny, bright, breezy, and far warmer than it has been, probably in the mid-40's. I did the outside trash and recycling and occasionally gathered baskets or bagged, but I mostly alternated between shelving loose items and helping the guys outside with the carts.
Went straight home, changed, and had a nice, simple lunch of yogurt, peanut butter, honey, a banana, and Breakfast Squares while listening to my Queen's Greatest Hits Vol 1 CD. Keefe got into 70's hard rock in the late 90's-early 2000's, thanks to his love of the soundtrack from A Knight's Tale and a teacher in elementary school who was as big of a fan of Led Zepplin as him. He called the Greatest Hits CD his "pump-up music." He used to listen to it right before a football or basketball game. I've taken to thinking of them that way, too. Songs like "Another One Bites the Dust" and "We are the Champions" sure get your heart moving, anyway.
Headed out to the laundromat as the CD was ending. To my surprise, they weren't bad, either. They were just starting to clear out as I arrived. Just as well. I had a huge load that included towels. I half-worked on notes and half-listened to the Boston Bruins-Washington Capitals game that was on. (Bruins won, 1-0.) By the time they'd switched to golf, my laundry was in the dryer.
As soon as I got home, I finished Queen, put everything away, and got some writing done. Luke arrive just as Han and Leia finish arguing, with a strange little monk on his back. Han can't figure out why Luke brought this ancient short guy. The monk's name is Friar Yoda, and he demonstrates his skills by leaping onto Han's back and riding him across the bridge, to Han's general annoyance.
Broke to take a fast shower at 6. The Super Bowl was at 6:30. The game was just starting as I got out and got dinner together. I was going to make my favorite Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip...but I was out of black beans. It became Southwestern Shredded Chicken Dip, replacing the beans with canned chicken and the fresh oregano with spinach and dried oregano. Had it with blue corn chips. Not bad. The mellow flavor of the chicken actually paired pretty well with the tangy dip. Made the pumpkin bread from the Acme mix for dessert, which wasn't bad, either.
Wish the game had been as good as the food I made. It was the dullest, most spectacularly boring Super Bowl I have ever seen in my entire life! It's probably just as well that Dad got sick and he and Jodie couldn't have a party. This was nothing to celebrate. The Rams and Patriots just would not let each other score. There were constant penalties. One team would get close, only to lose the ball to the other team. The Patriots did manage to score a field goal in the first half, making it 3-0. They got a touchdown by the end of the second half and finally won, 14-3.
I streamed the game on the CBS All Access channel...which means there weren't even that many good commercials. If it wasn't uplifting, it was advertising a show for CBS or Amazon Prime. The best thing I saw all night, besides Maroon 5's decent half-time concert, was a hilarious commercial for the NFL's 100th anniversary that had 50 active or retired star players chasing a ball all over a fancy party and wrecking total havoc. It was vastly more entertaining than the actual game, which was a huge-let down, especially after the genuinely exciting Eagles-Patriots game last year.
Went straight home, changed, and had a nice, simple lunch of yogurt, peanut butter, honey, a banana, and Breakfast Squares while listening to my Queen's Greatest Hits Vol 1 CD. Keefe got into 70's hard rock in the late 90's-early 2000's, thanks to his love of the soundtrack from A Knight's Tale and a teacher in elementary school who was as big of a fan of Led Zepplin as him. He called the Greatest Hits CD his "pump-up music." He used to listen to it right before a football or basketball game. I've taken to thinking of them that way, too. Songs like "Another One Bites the Dust" and "We are the Champions" sure get your heart moving, anyway.
Headed out to the laundromat as the CD was ending. To my surprise, they weren't bad, either. They were just starting to clear out as I arrived. Just as well. I had a huge load that included towels. I half-worked on notes and half-listened to the Boston Bruins-Washington Capitals game that was on. (Bruins won, 1-0.) By the time they'd switched to golf, my laundry was in the dryer.
As soon as I got home, I finished Queen, put everything away, and got some writing done. Luke arrive just as Han and Leia finish arguing, with a strange little monk on his back. Han can't figure out why Luke brought this ancient short guy. The monk's name is Friar Yoda, and he demonstrates his skills by leaping onto Han's back and riding him across the bridge, to Han's general annoyance.
Broke to take a fast shower at 6. The Super Bowl was at 6:30. The game was just starting as I got out and got dinner together. I was going to make my favorite Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip...but I was out of black beans. It became Southwestern Shredded Chicken Dip, replacing the beans with canned chicken and the fresh oregano with spinach and dried oregano. Had it with blue corn chips. Not bad. The mellow flavor of the chicken actually paired pretty well with the tangy dip. Made the pumpkin bread from the Acme mix for dessert, which wasn't bad, either.
Wish the game had been as good as the food I made. It was the dullest, most spectacularly boring Super Bowl I have ever seen in my entire life! It's probably just as well that Dad got sick and he and Jodie couldn't have a party. This was nothing to celebrate. The Rams and Patriots just would not let each other score. There were constant penalties. One team would get close, only to lose the ball to the other team. The Patriots did manage to score a field goal in the first half, making it 3-0. They got a touchdown by the end of the second half and finally won, 14-3.
I streamed the game on the CBS All Access channel...which means there weren't even that many good commercials. If it wasn't uplifting, it was advertising a show for CBS or Amazon Prime. The best thing I saw all night, besides Maroon 5's decent half-time concert, was a hilarious commercial for the NFL's 100th anniversary that had 50 active or retired star players chasing a ball all over a fancy party and wrecking total havoc. It was vastly more entertaining than the actual game, which was a huge-let down, especially after the genuinely exciting Eagles-Patriots game last year.
Saturday, February 02, 2019
No Shadow for the Groundhog
Kicked off a sunny morning with breakfast, making the bed, and football-related shorts in honor of the Super Bowl tomorrow. The black and white short "Touchdown Mickey" has Disney's favorite mouse as the world's least-likely Jared Goff, trying to impress Minnie and Clarabelle in the stands. Goofy's announcing leaves even more to be desired.
Popeye appeared in not one, but two football-related shorts during his black-and-white Fleicher Brothers years. "You Gotta Be a Football Hero," says Olive as she ogles quarterback Bluto. A jealous Popeye joins the opposing team, and proceeds to take on Bluto and his huge teammates himself. He's "The Football Toucher-Downer" in a story he tells Sweet Pea about how he used spinach to win a football game as a child.
Hello Kitty strikes a blow for feminism and female football fans in "Cinderkitty." This little Cinderella would rather be catching forward passes than being a cheerleader. She finally shows her stepsister Catnip and stepmother Fangora that a girl can do both, and get the penguin prince quarterback in the deal.
Ran a Three Stooges football short as I got ready for work. They're "Three Little Pigskins" who are mistaken for college football stars hired by gangsters to play for his pro team. They're more interested in flirting with the gangsters' lovely molls, including a blonde and sarcastic Lucile Ball.
Rushed off to work a bit early. First of all, I wanted to avoid the mess in the streets leftover from yesterday. While it's still fairly cold, it's not nearly as cold as it has been. The streets were already melting, even as I arrived at work. Despite tomorrow being the Super Bowl, we were only off-and-on steady. A lot of people may have been scared off by the snow that was left on the ground or are waiting for tomorrow. I bagged for a while and did the recycling and a few returns, but I was mostly outside, helping another bagger with the continually disappearing carts. I had no problem with this. Along with being a little warmer, the wind had died down to a stiff breeze, and it was sunny with a brilliant blue sky.
(Interestingly, despite the nice day, Phil the Groundhog supposedly didn't see his shadow. Considering I'm hearing upper 50's for here by the end of next week, I'll believe that early spring prediction.)
The other reason I came early was to set up my mini-donuts for the Acme's annual pre-Super Bowl Chili Cook Off. I can't carry a crock pot on my bike, so I always bring a dessert. Along with six chili entries (the most we've ever had), other main dishes included meatballs, macaroni salad, potato salad, pulled pork, and tasty macaroni and cheese brought in by one of the managers who retired last summer. Desserts included cheesecake, jam thumbprint cookies, an extraordinarily moist chocolate mayonnaise cake, a basket of dark chocolate Hershey's Miniatures, and boxes of Irish potatoes.
Went straight home after I got off. As soon as I got in, I changed and straightened the apartment. The woman who was interested in my American Girl bed and bedding was supposed to be around at 3:30. As it turned out, she was late leaving Haddonfield and didn't arrive until nearly 4:30. She was a young woman with a sweet smile who arrived in a car driven by an older woman, possibly her grandmother. I lead her upstairs - my apartment is hard for most people to find - and showed her the items. She gathered them in her arms, happily handed me the 50 dollars, and headed right out.
Worked on writing as soon as she left. Han gets into an argument with Leia over her throwing herself into their stealing enterprises, especially after he tells her that he really needs to get that money to Baron Du Hutt. He's not happy either when she tells him that Luke's bringing around another older monk for "spiritual guidance."
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made banana pancakes, since I work too early to get to them tomorrow. Ran a few more football cartoons while I ate. "The Acme Bowl" from the first season of Tiny Toon Adventures pits Acme Looniversity's squad against the team from Perfecto Prep, which has never lost a game. Buster has his own plans to lead his team to victory, but Plucky's defection to Perfecto may send his plans for a fumble.
The Peanuts did two specials centered around football. It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown is the better-known and easier-to-find of the two. The gang may have a chance to win the big homecoming game, if only Lucy would stop pulling away that football so Charlie can kick it! He's more concerned about escorting the Little Red Haired Girl to the homecoming dancing and having to kiss her.
You're In the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown has the kids entering a big Punt n' Pass contest. The winner will get a new bike and will go to the Super Bowl. Charlie Brown and Linus both get a crush on another cute red-headed girl, this one named Melody. They think she's at the contest to cheer them on, but the event has a very surprising conclusion. Meanwhile, Snoopy leads his all-bird Eagles squad to victory over several teams of rougher, tougher animals, despite Lucy's meddling.
Finished the night with the original 1978 version of The Wiz, which I go into further detail on at my Musical Dreams Reviews Blog.
The Wiz (1978)
And here's even more football cartoons to tide you over while you wait for the big game tomorrow:
Goofy - How to Play Football
Looney Tunes - Peace Time Football
Disney Classics - Football Then and Now
Mickey Mouse - Touchdown and Out
Popeye appeared in not one, but two football-related shorts during his black-and-white Fleicher Brothers years. "You Gotta Be a Football Hero," says Olive as she ogles quarterback Bluto. A jealous Popeye joins the opposing team, and proceeds to take on Bluto and his huge teammates himself. He's "The Football Toucher-Downer" in a story he tells Sweet Pea about how he used spinach to win a football game as a child.
Hello Kitty strikes a blow for feminism and female football fans in "Cinderkitty." This little Cinderella would rather be catching forward passes than being a cheerleader. She finally shows her stepsister Catnip and stepmother Fangora that a girl can do both, and get the penguin prince quarterback in the deal.
Ran a Three Stooges football short as I got ready for work. They're "Three Little Pigskins" who are mistaken for college football stars hired by gangsters to play for his pro team. They're more interested in flirting with the gangsters' lovely molls, including a blonde and sarcastic Lucile Ball.
Rushed off to work a bit early. First of all, I wanted to avoid the mess in the streets leftover from yesterday. While it's still fairly cold, it's not nearly as cold as it has been. The streets were already melting, even as I arrived at work. Despite tomorrow being the Super Bowl, we were only off-and-on steady. A lot of people may have been scared off by the snow that was left on the ground or are waiting for tomorrow. I bagged for a while and did the recycling and a few returns, but I was mostly outside, helping another bagger with the continually disappearing carts. I had no problem with this. Along with being a little warmer, the wind had died down to a stiff breeze, and it was sunny with a brilliant blue sky.
(Interestingly, despite the nice day, Phil the Groundhog supposedly didn't see his shadow. Considering I'm hearing upper 50's for here by the end of next week, I'll believe that early spring prediction.)
The other reason I came early was to set up my mini-donuts for the Acme's annual pre-Super Bowl Chili Cook Off. I can't carry a crock pot on my bike, so I always bring a dessert. Along with six chili entries (the most we've ever had), other main dishes included meatballs, macaroni salad, potato salad, pulled pork, and tasty macaroni and cheese brought in by one of the managers who retired last summer. Desserts included cheesecake, jam thumbprint cookies, an extraordinarily moist chocolate mayonnaise cake, a basket of dark chocolate Hershey's Miniatures, and boxes of Irish potatoes.
Went straight home after I got off. As soon as I got in, I changed and straightened the apartment. The woman who was interested in my American Girl bed and bedding was supposed to be around at 3:30. As it turned out, she was late leaving Haddonfield and didn't arrive until nearly 4:30. She was a young woman with a sweet smile who arrived in a car driven by an older woman, possibly her grandmother. I lead her upstairs - my apartment is hard for most people to find - and showed her the items. She gathered them in her arms, happily handed me the 50 dollars, and headed right out.
Worked on writing as soon as she left. Han gets into an argument with Leia over her throwing herself into their stealing enterprises, especially after he tells her that he really needs to get that money to Baron Du Hutt. He's not happy either when she tells him that Luke's bringing around another older monk for "spiritual guidance."
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made banana pancakes, since I work too early to get to them tomorrow. Ran a few more football cartoons while I ate. "The Acme Bowl" from the first season of Tiny Toon Adventures pits Acme Looniversity's squad against the team from Perfecto Prep, which has never lost a game. Buster has his own plans to lead his team to victory, but Plucky's defection to Perfecto may send his plans for a fumble.
The Peanuts did two specials centered around football. It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown is the better-known and easier-to-find of the two. The gang may have a chance to win the big homecoming game, if only Lucy would stop pulling away that football so Charlie can kick it! He's more concerned about escorting the Little Red Haired Girl to the homecoming dancing and having to kiss her.
You're In the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown has the kids entering a big Punt n' Pass contest. The winner will get a new bike and will go to the Super Bowl. Charlie Brown and Linus both get a crush on another cute red-headed girl, this one named Melody. They think she's at the contest to cheer them on, but the event has a very surprising conclusion. Meanwhile, Snoopy leads his all-bird Eagles squad to victory over several teams of rougher, tougher animals, despite Lucy's meddling.
Finished the night with the original 1978 version of The Wiz, which I go into further detail on at my Musical Dreams Reviews Blog.
The Wiz (1978)
And here's even more football cartoons to tide you over while you wait for the big game tomorrow:
Goofy - How to Play Football
Looney Tunes - Peace Time Football
Disney Classics - Football Then and Now
Mickey Mouse - Touchdown and Out
Friday, February 01, 2019
Turn On the Heartlight
Kicked off a cold and silvery-gray morning with The Backyardigans. Pablo, Austin, and Uniqua go on a "Mission to Mars" to find out what that strange "boinga boinga" sound is. Tasha and Tyrone acts as their Mission Control on Earth.
Headed to work even before the cartoon ended. It was snowing when I went out, but not heavily, and it wasn't sticking to the streets. I figured I'd be all right riding to work. Besides, I had grocery shopping to do later.
It wasn't busy when I arrived. I did have to gather carts for the first hour, but there was only a dusting of snow on the ground at that point. Despite the head bagger saying she'd been slipping on the parking lot, I had little trouble. When another bagger came in who prefers outdoor work, I spent the rest of the day doing returns and shelving what little candy was left. I did end up in the register a few times when the lines got a little long. I also had to take a very short test on my knowledge of produce codes. (For some reason, we all have to take that test once a month now. I guess it's to keep us updated on the produce codes.)
Got my schedule during break. In good news, same amount of hours, all morning work, sometimes as early as 8. In bad news, I don't have another day off until Friday! At least working so early will mean I'll have the afternoon to get chores and errands done, including looking for writing work.
There were a lot of good sales this weekend, probably in honor of the Super Bowl. Quaker was having a big online coupon sale; I picked up the golden raisin Breakfast Squares and their crunchy cinnamon Oatmeal Squares. Broccoli crowns were also on a good sale, as were chicken sausages. Found two of those crusted fish fillet packs with managers coupons. Picked up the Acme's generic organic blue corn chips (another good sale) to go with Sunday's dinner. Found canned chicken on the clearance racks. Had a coupon for free eggs from the Acme's online rewards program. Restocked apples, bananas, grapefruit, skim milk, cheese, cooking oil, and mandarin oranges.
The snow continued to fall lightly all afternoon. By the time I finished shopping, it was still coming down...and now, it was sticking to the streets. I think we got maybe three or four inches or so in all, not a lot as snow goes, but more than we have been getting. Even the main roads were a mess. I half-walked, half-rode my bike home.
Ran more Backyardigans as I put everything away when I got home. Tyrone the master "Samurai Pie" maker instructs young novice Austin in the creation of the Great Pie for a very hungry Empress Tasha. The duo have to figure out how to please the picky hippo ruler and keep their creation out of the hands and flippers of pie-snitching ninjas Uniqua and Pablo!
Worked on writing for a little bit after I finished. Han's first robbery is of Brendol Hux, an obnoxious Norman nobleman on his way to give the high taxes collected from his peasants to Sheriff Vader. Han charms his wife (and steals her jewels) while the rest of his group pose as a performing troupe. Stealthy Ezra the Miller's Son even manages to steal the gold hubcaps right off their carriage!
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Turned one of the fillets I bought earlier into fish tacos, using the remaining tortillas from last week, with steamed broccoli for extra vegetables. Continued with The Backyardigans while I ate. Assistant Austin is upset when Mad Scientist Tasha sends him to gather all the monsters of filmdom for a secret assignment on his birthday. It's harder than it looks. Mummy King Tyrone, Vampire Pablo, and Werewolf Uniqua are terrified of each other! Austin points out that being "Scared of You" is kind of silly, especially when they're all more cute than frightening.
Sherlock Pablo is asking "Whodunit?" when Lady Tasha's jewels are stolen during a blackout at her mansion. He has quite a few suspects to choose from. Butler Tyrone has been seen wandering suspiciously around the grounds. Austin Frothingslosh nervously claimed he had to go home to his cat right after the theft took place. Uniqua Underhood shows up claiming that there's going to be a theft...right before it happens.
Worked on my first mini-donuts while "Whodunit?" ran. The donut pan set Mom gave me a few weeks ago included pans for smaller donuts, the kind Tastycakes sells in bags covered in powdered sugar or chocolate. I used Mom's modified recipe and dipped them in plain glaze to keep things simple. The Acme always holds a chili cook-off the day before the Super Bowl. I can't bring in chili on my bike, but desserts are a lot easier to carry. I figured the mini-donuts would make more. I might have to make them more often. They came out much better than my larger donuts, with only one falling apart after I took it out. (And yes, I remembered to add everything this time.)
Finished the night after a shower with E.T: The Extra Terrestrial. 10-year-old Lucas (Henry Thomas) has just returned from picking up a pizza for his rather obnoxious older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) when he sees something in the tool shed. That "something" turns out to be a lost alien. He and his sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) befriend the little fellow, taking him into their home under the nose of their busy single mother Mary (Dee Wallace). Gertie even manages to teach it English, thanks to episodes of Sesame Street. Elliot dubs it "E.T" and tries to help it make a machine from a Speak & Spell that will allow it to "phone home." E.T, however, is growing weaker...and thanks to having bonded with Elliot, he's getting sick, too. They do manage to call E.T's planet, but not before Mary and the government find them. While the scientists have good intentions, Elliot insists that he knows what E.T really needs.
This is another movie from my childhood that a lot of people love, but I really only kind of like. (Once again, the fact that it rarely appeared on cable and didn't make it to home video until late in the 80's may have been part of the problem.) The first half, with the kids and their creative insults and Gertie's method of hiding E.T in plain sight, is hilarious. There's a major mood whiplash after E.T starts to get sick, with the second half going into action-melodrama turf. (Although the scene where Michael has to drive the van carrying E.T when he's barely driven their family car is pretty darn funny.) And I am glad to see that most of the special effects have dated well, including the famous scene of the Elliot riding by the full moon with E.T in his basket.
This still isn't my favorite childhood movie, but I think I like it a lot more now that I've seen it again as an adult. If you have kids who love sci-fi stories, have fond memories of it from childhood or it's 20th anniversary re-release, or are a fan of director Steven Spielburg, you'll want to blast off with this touching story of a boy and his alien pal, too.
Headed to work even before the cartoon ended. It was snowing when I went out, but not heavily, and it wasn't sticking to the streets. I figured I'd be all right riding to work. Besides, I had grocery shopping to do later.
It wasn't busy when I arrived. I did have to gather carts for the first hour, but there was only a dusting of snow on the ground at that point. Despite the head bagger saying she'd been slipping on the parking lot, I had little trouble. When another bagger came in who prefers outdoor work, I spent the rest of the day doing returns and shelving what little candy was left. I did end up in the register a few times when the lines got a little long. I also had to take a very short test on my knowledge of produce codes. (For some reason, we all have to take that test once a month now. I guess it's to keep us updated on the produce codes.)
Got my schedule during break. In good news, same amount of hours, all morning work, sometimes as early as 8. In bad news, I don't have another day off until Friday! At least working so early will mean I'll have the afternoon to get chores and errands done, including looking for writing work.
There were a lot of good sales this weekend, probably in honor of the Super Bowl. Quaker was having a big online coupon sale; I picked up the golden raisin Breakfast Squares and their crunchy cinnamon Oatmeal Squares. Broccoli crowns were also on a good sale, as were chicken sausages. Found two of those crusted fish fillet packs with managers coupons. Picked up the Acme's generic organic blue corn chips (another good sale) to go with Sunday's dinner. Found canned chicken on the clearance racks. Had a coupon for free eggs from the Acme's online rewards program. Restocked apples, bananas, grapefruit, skim milk, cheese, cooking oil, and mandarin oranges.
The snow continued to fall lightly all afternoon. By the time I finished shopping, it was still coming down...and now, it was sticking to the streets. I think we got maybe three or four inches or so in all, not a lot as snow goes, but more than we have been getting. Even the main roads were a mess. I half-walked, half-rode my bike home.
Ran more Backyardigans as I put everything away when I got home. Tyrone the master "Samurai Pie" maker instructs young novice Austin in the creation of the Great Pie for a very hungry Empress Tasha. The duo have to figure out how to please the picky hippo ruler and keep their creation out of the hands and flippers of pie-snitching ninjas Uniqua and Pablo!
Worked on writing for a little bit after I finished. Han's first robbery is of Brendol Hux, an obnoxious Norman nobleman on his way to give the high taxes collected from his peasants to Sheriff Vader. Han charms his wife (and steals her jewels) while the rest of his group pose as a performing troupe. Stealthy Ezra the Miller's Son even manages to steal the gold hubcaps right off their carriage!
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Turned one of the fillets I bought earlier into fish tacos, using the remaining tortillas from last week, with steamed broccoli for extra vegetables. Continued with The Backyardigans while I ate. Assistant Austin is upset when Mad Scientist Tasha sends him to gather all the monsters of filmdom for a secret assignment on his birthday. It's harder than it looks. Mummy King Tyrone, Vampire Pablo, and Werewolf Uniqua are terrified of each other! Austin points out that being "Scared of You" is kind of silly, especially when they're all more cute than frightening.
Sherlock Pablo is asking "Whodunit?" when Lady Tasha's jewels are stolen during a blackout at her mansion. He has quite a few suspects to choose from. Butler Tyrone has been seen wandering suspiciously around the grounds. Austin Frothingslosh nervously claimed he had to go home to his cat right after the theft took place. Uniqua Underhood shows up claiming that there's going to be a theft...right before it happens.
Worked on my first mini-donuts while "Whodunit?" ran. The donut pan set Mom gave me a few weeks ago included pans for smaller donuts, the kind Tastycakes sells in bags covered in powdered sugar or chocolate. I used Mom's modified recipe and dipped them in plain glaze to keep things simple. The Acme always holds a chili cook-off the day before the Super Bowl. I can't bring in chili on my bike, but desserts are a lot easier to carry. I figured the mini-donuts would make more. I might have to make them more often. They came out much better than my larger donuts, with only one falling apart after I took it out. (And yes, I remembered to add everything this time.)
Finished the night after a shower with E.T: The Extra Terrestrial. 10-year-old Lucas (Henry Thomas) has just returned from picking up a pizza for his rather obnoxious older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) when he sees something in the tool shed. That "something" turns out to be a lost alien. He and his sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) befriend the little fellow, taking him into their home under the nose of their busy single mother Mary (Dee Wallace). Gertie even manages to teach it English, thanks to episodes of Sesame Street. Elliot dubs it "E.T" and tries to help it make a machine from a Speak & Spell that will allow it to "phone home." E.T, however, is growing weaker...and thanks to having bonded with Elliot, he's getting sick, too. They do manage to call E.T's planet, but not before Mary and the government find them. While the scientists have good intentions, Elliot insists that he knows what E.T really needs.
This is another movie from my childhood that a lot of people love, but I really only kind of like. (Once again, the fact that it rarely appeared on cable and didn't make it to home video until late in the 80's may have been part of the problem.) The first half, with the kids and their creative insults and Gertie's method of hiding E.T in plain sight, is hilarious. There's a major mood whiplash after E.T starts to get sick, with the second half going into action-melodrama turf. (Although the scene where Michael has to drive the van carrying E.T when he's barely driven their family car is pretty darn funny.) And I am glad to see that most of the special effects have dated well, including the famous scene of the Elliot riding by the full moon with E.T in his basket.
This still isn't my favorite childhood movie, but I think I like it a lot more now that I've seen it again as an adult. If you have kids who love sci-fi stories, have fond memories of it from childhood or it's 20th anniversary re-release, or are a fan of director Steven Spielburg, you'll want to blast off with this touching story of a boy and his alien pal, too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)