I couldn't believe how warm it already was by 8 AM! I flung open all the windows, even before I had breakfast. Celebrated my birthday with two of the American Girl birthday books. Happy Birthday, Kirsten! opens with the Swedish pioneer getting ready to help her mother with a new baby. Once the baby comes, Kirsten is too busy for much of anything, including school and helping her friends with sewing a quilt for their teacher. Her friends and family finally come through with a barn-raising birthday party and a big surprise.
Kit also gets to share her party with family. In Happy Birthday, Kit!, we're introduced to her thrifty Aunt Millie from Kentucky. Kit loves most of her great ideas to save money, from gathering dandelion greens to raising chickens and selling the eggs. Some of them, though, like buying damaged goods from the grocery or making bloomers from a feed sack, seem more embarrassing to Kit than fun. She gets upset when it seems like the kids in her class are laughing at her aunt...but when she sees the beautiful dress she made from a feed sack, she understands just how useful her aunt's money-saving tips can be.
Ate a quick breakfast while watching The World of Strawberry Shortcake. The original 1981 Strawberry Shortcake special is set on the title character's sixth birthday. She's upset when she thinks the rest of the residents of Strawberry Land have abandoned her. What they're really doing is setting up a surprise party. The Peculiar Purple Pie Man is determined to spoil their fun and steal their berries for his own wares. When his watering can gift wrecks havoc on their home, it's up to the kids and an army of kids to steal back the berries and rescue resident toddler Apple Dumplin'.
Did a quick Disney short as I got ready to head out. A second "Mickey's Birthday Party," this time in color, came out in 1942. Once again, the entire gang joins Minnie and Mickey for the latter's big day. While we do get Mickey trying to play the organ and having fun dancing along, the focus is mainly on Donald rumba-ing with well-endowed Clara Cluck and Goofy's failed attempts to bake a birthday cake.
It was already in the 70's when I headed out around ten after 9. First stop was the Haddon Township Library. I wanted to return The World of Tomorrow (which I finished last week but forgot to bring back on Monday) and the DVDs. Thought they opened at 9 AM, but it would seem that the don't open until 10. I stuck the book and DVDs in the book drop, went for a short walk to watch the progress on the sign for the new Target that's replacing the shuttered Thriftway, and sat on the curb across the library and waited for the bus. Figured I'd pick up the bus at the library since I had to bring the books and DVDs back anyway.
To my surprise, the bus was almost ten minutes early! In fact, they had to honk their horn to get my attention and me off the curb. That was the worst that happened. The bus was busy but not full, and there was no traffic whatsoever.
The Cherry Hill Mall was also relatively quiet when I arrived. Decided to check out a few smaller toy and game stores first. Didn't find anything at Game Stop or Jay Street Video Games, but I did pick up something for Lauren and the cutest little stuffed chick off the discount rack at Build-a-Bear. The chick is actually a game. He "chirps" when you squeeze him, and will keep chirping until you "find" him and squeeze him again. Though The Lego Store had Solo: A Star Wars Story merchandise (including an awesome Millennium Falcon with Han, Chewie, Q'ida, and Lando), The Disney Store ironically didn't. (Despite the nice lady who greeted me when I came in claiming they did. Nope, just the barest leftovers from Last Jedi. They're gearing up for Avengers: Infinity War and The Incredibles 2 in Disney-dom right now.)
It was around 11 when I struck out across the street for the Hillview Shopping Center. The main reason I wanted to go to the Cherry Hill Mall was I got a 10 dollar-off coupon for Kohl's yesterday. There's a Kohl's at Hillview. After much hemming and hawing over blouses and pants, I finally decided to buy a new white t-shirt (my old white t-shirt got so grungy, I eventually cut it up into dust rags) and a jean jacket. I've been wanting to pick up a light jacket for cool-but-not-cold days in spring and fall for a while now.
Had lunch at the Silver Dollar Diner, overlooking the hill across from the Cherry Hill Mall. They were so busy by noon, I ended up at the counter. I had a tasty "western" omelet (omelet with green peppers, onions, and ham), a drop biscuit, and hash browns. The omelet was the perfect size, the biscuit was nicely flaky, and while the hash browns weren't as good as my stepdad's, they weren't bad, either.
Next stop was the small Target at the end of the mall. Though I looked at blouses and underwear here, I ended up with a Pokemon Raichu (the larger, more evolved form of Pikachu) for Khai's birthday next week, a "Rowdy" Roddy Piper figure that can talk to other wrestling figures for Lauren, and The Greatest Showman on DVD for me. I wanted to see that when it came out...but it came out right after The Last Jedi, and my Star Wars obsession won out at the time. The cashier who rang my order really praised it and Hugh Jackman. She and the lady behind me also gave me warm birthday greetings when I told them why I was there.
I was starting to get more than a little worn out by quarter of 2. Not to mention, it had soared into the lower 80's by that point, ridiculously hot for April in New Jersey (though a stiff, cool wind made things a little more bearable). I returned to the Cherry Hill Mall. Stopped by the Dairy Queen/Orange Julius booth for a cooling treat. I'd never had a Julius before; went with the Pina Colada. Yum. It was basically a creamy coconut-pineapple smoothie, with lots of pineapple pulp and coconut bits.
Since JC Penney is only two stores down from the food court, I ended up there next. Finally found a white lace-trimmed blouse to go with my good skirt for the wedding here, along with two three-packs of socks on sale and a pair of brown capris on the clearance rack. Also took a brief peek at Payless Shoes to find a pair of good flats, but had no luck.
Saturday may not have been the best time to hit up a popular local mall. The place was packed when I left Payless. Since I was tired anyway, I just ended up taking the 3:07 bus home. Once again, I had no trouble getting home whatsover. Traffic was sparse, even around Haddon Avenue and Cuthbert Road.
Of course, as soon as I got in, I realized I'd forgotten to buy one of the most important things - a gift card for Rose's birthday, which was last Saturday. Pulled in at the Rite Aid across from the Westmont Plaza to grab a Duncan Donuts card for her. They also had the last Tiny Toon Adventures DVD set I didn't have, Volume 3. Bought an orange Perrier to combat that heat.
Did a little bit of writing when I got home. Encouraged by Leia, Han/Prince Henry manages to escape the rack, but he's still not quite sure of himself. Leia and Luke hold off the demons while he confronts the cloaked magician who haunts his nightmares.
It was so hot in my apartment (and Charlie was being so noisy with the dogs), I just left for Dad and Jodie's a little early. Jodie made a pot roast for my birthday dinner. We also had a spinach salad with bacon, sliced French bread and butter, carrots and potatoes, and corn. The roast was a little dry; otherwise, everything was delicious. Jessa and Joe were already there when I arrived. Rose came around with Finley a bit later. She'd gone to Khai's first baseball game of the season that morning and had completely forgotten about the dinner. (Khai was at a roller skating party in Cherry Hill; Craig had work.) Chubby, cute little Finley is starting to walk with help now. I played with some of the toys Dad and Jodie had for her.
Rose gave me a tarp to cover my new bike. She loved the gift card. Apparently, she stops at the Duncan Donuts down the street a lot and buys treats for Khai from there.
Put on The Greatest Showman as soon as I got home. Tired of a series of dead-end jobs, P.T Barnum (Hugh Jackman) comes up with the idea of starting a wax museum and cultural center to delight his two daughters. When one of his girls points out how dull the waxworks are, he adds unique acts - "freaks" like bearded lady Lettie Lutz (Keala Settle), dwarf Tom Thumb (Sam Humphery), and trapeze artist siblings Anne (Zendaya) and W.D Wheeler (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) - to bring in the crowds. It becomes so colorful and outrageous, he eventually titles it Barnum's Circus. Though the museum/circus is making money, it's not delighting New York's elite, including the editor of the New York Herold James Gordon Bennett (Paul Sparks). Casting around for something more upscale, Barnum hires bored young playwright Philip Carlyle (Zac Efron) to help him out. A tour of Europe turns up gorgeous, refined Swedish soprano Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson). While Barnum conducts an affair with Lind, Carlyle goes after Anne, despite their differences in race and class. Barnum's personal and private lives come crashing down when protesters burn the museum and his wife Charity (Michelle Williams), who has heard about the affair, leaves him. But a true showman never gives up...and as the Barnum Circus rises from the ashes, P.T and Philip learn that while show business may be make-believe, true love and friendship are as genuine as it comes.
The music and performances are the thing here. The plot is a storm of biographical cliches (and most of them are fictional), but Jackman, Williams, Zendaya, and Efron all play the heck out of them. My only real complaint is, fond though I am of Jackman, I really wish we'd seen less of Barnum and Carlyle and more of the actual "freaks." The movie talks about diversity, but it still focuses on the handsome white guys. In all honesty, the real P.T Barnum's career was far more interesting than this.
The music is a lot more fun. "This Is Me," Lettie's anthem at a fancy party, won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar, but my favorites are the duet "Rewrite the Stars" for Phillip and Anne and "Come Alive" for Barnum and his family as they recruit the "freaks." Ironically, the movie's fate was much like that of Barnum's Circus - critics didn't know what to make of it, but it went on to become a word-of-mouth hit.
If you think of it in the same way as the Danny Kaye Hans Christian Anderson movie, another "biographical" musical that's "a fairy tale about a spinner of fairy tales," you may find a lot to enjoy in this fanciful tale. Highly recommended.
Finished the night with a two-part Sailor Moon birthday tale from the third season. Usagi thinks she's not having a great birthday when her friends would rather study and Mamoru doesn't seem to remember. Like the residents of Strawberry Land, her friends are really having a surprise party...and she never told Mamoru when it was in the first place. Even when he buys her the glass slippers she wants, they turn into a monster who is bent on getting her pure heart crystal...and nasty witch Kaorinite finds out who she really is! And then there's the mysterious Sailors Uranus and Neptune, who seem to be determined to find pure heart crystals, at any cost...
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Friday, April 13, 2018
Spring Is Here for Good
Started off an amazingly sunny, breezy morning with breakfast and a birthday-themed episode of Max & Ruby. Ruby's waiting for her friends to give her a surprise birthday party in "Surprise Ruby." Max grabs her birthday tiara and leads her on a merry chase to a real surprise. "Ruby's Birthday Party" is full of laughter and typical party games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Max just wants to eat cake. He has no idea what to give his sister in "Ruby's Birthday Present," but her wrapping paper gives him a very creative idea.
Spent the next few hours writing. Leia quickly joins Luke as the two try to fight off the demons abusing Han. The cloaked man attacks them with familiar purple lightning, claiming that they can't release Han's memories. Only he can do that. Finally angry enough to stand up for the duo who had been so kind to him. Han breaks free of the rack he was bound to and goes after the demons himself.
Got off at 10:20 to get ready for work. Ran one more short as I packed my lunch and changed into work clothes. "Mickey's Birthday Party" is the first of three birthday cartoons Disney did for their top mouse, and the only one in black and white. Mickey's delighted with his big party, even when his new xylophone takes on a life of it's own. (If you ever catch this one, it's worth seeing for Mickey and Minnie's adorable rendition of "I Can't Give You Anything but Love.")
Work wasn't really much of a problem. In fact, I spent a lot of it bored. We once again were only busy during rush hours. I mopped the bathrooms (twice), shelved items, did inside and outside trash, gathered baskets, and bagged a lot. We had plenty of help inside and out and no need for me to do carts. (And one of my co-workers gave me a wonderful compliment when she said I looked like I'd lost some weight. All the walking and Wii Sports is paying off.)
My schedule next week is really strange. While there's no 8 and 1/2 hour days this time, I work two 7 hour days in a row and one that's 6 and 1/2. Not to mention, my first day off isn't until Thursday, though I do have Thursday, Friday, and next Saturday off. That may be just as well. I have a telephone appointment with Camden County to check up on my food stamps on Thursday morning, and Audubon's spring town-wide yard sale is next Saturday.
Once again, I didn't have a really huge grocery load. I was mostly picking up produce. Grapefruit were fairly expensive, and they were still cheaper than the bags of oranges. Also got broccoli, a red potato, and bananas. Restocked cereal (Acme generic brand was on sale - got their generic Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds), whole-wheat pancake mix, eggs (the regular Acme eggs were so expensive, I just ended up buying good cage-free eggs for the same price), skim milk, mandarin oranges, honey, cheddar cheese, peanut butter, and tissues. Grabbed a slice of ham for dinner.
As soon as I got home, I changed into regular clothes, then put everything away. Returned to Yogi Bear while I got organized and made Bourbon BBQ ham with sauteed red potatoes and boiled cabbage for dinner. The series finale of The Yogi Bear Show was a special that revolved around Yogi's birthday. Kellogg's (the show's real-life sponsor) tells Ranger Smith that they want Yogi to have a surprise birthday party on TV. To keep it a surprise, Smith tells Yogi he's going to be on a variety show. Yogi tries to avoid it when it turns out he has no musical talents...but it's really a reunion of him with all the Hanna-Barbara funny animals that had been created at that point.
It was such a nice day, I went outside for a walk after dinner. I was originally going to get dessert at Common Grounds Coffee House down the street from me. They were so packed when I arrived, I could barely get in the door! Turns out they had a local folk trio playing tonight. I strolled further down Manor to a less-busy WaWa instead for a tasty Peach Cream Smoothie.
The weather was absolutely amazing for it. It's hard to believe now that it was sleeting and in the 40's the day after Easter. We were in the lower 80's, even with the stiff breeze, and dry as a bone. And even when it drops into the 50's next week, it doesn't sound like it's going to stay there. Spring is here for good.
As soon as I got home, I jumped in the shower, then finished off the night with some spooky Bowery Boys in honor of Friday the 13th. They're Spook Busters when they're called to exterminate a scary old mansion that used to belong to a magician. Not only did he leave many of his tricks behind, but the house is now occupied by a mad scientist. He wants to exchange a human brain for that of a gorilla...and decides that Sach is the perfect vessel for his experiments! While Slip makes sure his buddy doesn't lose what little brainpower he has, the others try to help a newly-arrived Gabe find his French bride, who has also vanished.
Spent the next few hours writing. Leia quickly joins Luke as the two try to fight off the demons abusing Han. The cloaked man attacks them with familiar purple lightning, claiming that they can't release Han's memories. Only he can do that. Finally angry enough to stand up for the duo who had been so kind to him. Han breaks free of the rack he was bound to and goes after the demons himself.
Got off at 10:20 to get ready for work. Ran one more short as I packed my lunch and changed into work clothes. "Mickey's Birthday Party" is the first of three birthday cartoons Disney did for their top mouse, and the only one in black and white. Mickey's delighted with his big party, even when his new xylophone takes on a life of it's own. (If you ever catch this one, it's worth seeing for Mickey and Minnie's adorable rendition of "I Can't Give You Anything but Love.")
Work wasn't really much of a problem. In fact, I spent a lot of it bored. We once again were only busy during rush hours. I mopped the bathrooms (twice), shelved items, did inside and outside trash, gathered baskets, and bagged a lot. We had plenty of help inside and out and no need for me to do carts. (And one of my co-workers gave me a wonderful compliment when she said I looked like I'd lost some weight. All the walking and Wii Sports is paying off.)
My schedule next week is really strange. While there's no 8 and 1/2 hour days this time, I work two 7 hour days in a row and one that's 6 and 1/2. Not to mention, my first day off isn't until Thursday, though I do have Thursday, Friday, and next Saturday off. That may be just as well. I have a telephone appointment with Camden County to check up on my food stamps on Thursday morning, and Audubon's spring town-wide yard sale is next Saturday.
Once again, I didn't have a really huge grocery load. I was mostly picking up produce. Grapefruit were fairly expensive, and they were still cheaper than the bags of oranges. Also got broccoli, a red potato, and bananas. Restocked cereal (Acme generic brand was on sale - got their generic Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds), whole-wheat pancake mix, eggs (the regular Acme eggs were so expensive, I just ended up buying good cage-free eggs for the same price), skim milk, mandarin oranges, honey, cheddar cheese, peanut butter, and tissues. Grabbed a slice of ham for dinner.
As soon as I got home, I changed into regular clothes, then put everything away. Returned to Yogi Bear while I got organized and made Bourbon BBQ ham with sauteed red potatoes and boiled cabbage for dinner. The series finale of The Yogi Bear Show was a special that revolved around Yogi's birthday. Kellogg's (the show's real-life sponsor) tells Ranger Smith that they want Yogi to have a surprise birthday party on TV. To keep it a surprise, Smith tells Yogi he's going to be on a variety show. Yogi tries to avoid it when it turns out he has no musical talents...but it's really a reunion of him with all the Hanna-Barbara funny animals that had been created at that point.
It was such a nice day, I went outside for a walk after dinner. I was originally going to get dessert at Common Grounds Coffee House down the street from me. They were so packed when I arrived, I could barely get in the door! Turns out they had a local folk trio playing tonight. I strolled further down Manor to a less-busy WaWa instead for a tasty Peach Cream Smoothie.
The weather was absolutely amazing for it. It's hard to believe now that it was sleeting and in the 40's the day after Easter. We were in the lower 80's, even with the stiff breeze, and dry as a bone. And even when it drops into the 50's next week, it doesn't sound like it's going to stay there. Spring is here for good.
As soon as I got home, I jumped in the shower, then finished off the night with some spooky Bowery Boys in honor of Friday the 13th. They're Spook Busters when they're called to exterminate a scary old mansion that used to belong to a magician. Not only did he leave many of his tricks behind, but the house is now occupied by a mad scientist. He wants to exchange a human brain for that of a gorilla...and decides that Sach is the perfect vessel for his experiments! While Slip makes sure his buddy doesn't lose what little brainpower he has, the others try to help a newly-arrived Gabe find his French bride, who has also vanished.
Thursday, April 12, 2018
April In Oaklyn
Began a beautiful, sunny day with breakfast. After I finished eating, I made the bed to give me room to organize my clothes later. Ran a couple of Yogi Bear Show shorts while I ate. "Happy Birthdaze" has Yakky Doodle wanting to buy a bone for his bulldog buddy Chopper's birthday. He thinks he's bought a huge bone...but it's really a dinosaur bone, and the Irish security guard wants it back. In "Slap Happy Birthday," Yogi organizes a surprise birthday party for Ranger Smith, but he thinks Yogi's up to no good and threatens to send him to the St. Louis Zoo. Snagglepuss says "Remember Your Lions" when he replaces a recalcitrant Shakespearean actor on a variety show, and the Major still chases him.
I started out to get the laundry done around 10:30...then went right back inside after checking the mail. Among the bills and a schedule for another telephone appointment with Camden County on the 19th was a flat package from Mom. It was my birthday present for her - a beautiful purse with navy floral print and polka-dot vinyl lining and a Visa gift card for $35. I have no idea what I'm going to do with the purse, but that $35 will really come in handy for my mall trip on Friday.
Finally got to the laundromat around 20 minutes later. It was really busy too, which wasn't a good thing. I had a huge load of laundry, including sheets and towels. Half-listened to The View and Action News while looking at a copy of O Magazine from 2016 laying around and working on story notes.
The reason I wanted to get all those done was I pulled out the spring clothes today. I normally do it in early April, but it's been so cold lately. It was already in the 60's by quarter after 1, and it's going to be in the 80's by my birthday. It's finally time. Put away all the heavy sweaters and blouses, turtlenecks, the black knit pants and brown corduroys, two shawls (one woven, one crocheted that Mom made), a checked flannel shirt, and my navy blue corduroy vest and black skirt. Dad and Amanda keep giving me sleep socks; I cleared out most of the bigger ones Dad gave me. Swapped out my leather-like purse for my lighter woven one.
I was originally going to buy a new spring dress for Dana and Jesse's wedding on the 28th...but I forgot I picked up a really nice navy, white, and aqua-print skirt from Lane Bryant last year. I don't need a new dress. I just need a nice blouse to go with that skirt, and maybe a pair of good shoes. Otherwise, I'm actually pretty good on summer clothes. I could use a pair of rain boots for work, and a few t-shirts need to be replaced (including my Flyers shirt, which never really fit right).
Had lunch around 1:40. Watched Good Eats while I ate. Alton makes a mystery staple in "Popover Sometime." Popovers were a family favorite for breakfast in the 80's and 90's. I still love them, but as we discovered when I was a kid, they don't taste great cold, or after a few days in the fridge. Alton also showed how the same recipe can be used to make Yorkshire Pudding (same thing made with meat drippings) and Dutch Babies (the oven-baked pancake version).
Went for a walk after lunch, just to get out for a little while. Strolled down to the boat landing at the end of Goff Avenue. By this point, it was on-and-off sunny and in the upper 60's. Though it was still windy, the wind wasn't anywhere near as cold as it has been the past few weeks. School was just letting out; I passed many kids walking home, going slowly to enjoy the lovely day. The neighborhood is full of color now, with golden daffodils and sweet-smelling pastel hyacinths in every garden, tufts of emerald green grass in crunchy beige lawns, and sunny dandelions popping up everywhere.
Worked on writing for a while after I got in. Leia and Luke enter Han's mind...and find themselves in stifling darkness. They use their swords to light their way, revealing a circle of hideous demons abusing a huddled mass in a tiny cage. Han...or Prince Henry....is chained to the cage bars. The monsters torment him, cutting off his hair and slashing his face. They tauntingly remind him that he's a worthless scoundrel who abandoned his mother and country and committed countless crimes. They bring the cage to a figure in a black cloak, who claims the cursed prince is now his mute slave.
Leia steps up to the cloaked figure and calls herself Henry's champion. She tries to free him from the cage, but the frightened man shrinks from her touch. He's Henry before and during his captivity at the Death Star Fortress, and he doesn't recognize her. Luke holds off the demons, but he doesn't know for how much longer, since his powers don't seem to be working well here...
Broke for dinner around 6:30. Had scrambled eggs with cheese, asparagus, and mushrooms while doing another Good Eats episode. Alton makes more common snacks in "Flat Is Good: Going Crackers." While I might be able to pull off the butter crackers and the Arabic crisps, graham flour tends to be pricey when I do see it.
Played some Wii Sports for about a half-hour after dinner. While I've improved on most events, including Target Practice and hitting balls on tennis and hitting the green on golf, others remain a work in progress. I'm still having trouble timing my swing, whether it's on tennis, baseball, or bowling. And as good as I've gotten with hitting the bag at boxing, I'm still having a hard time with dodging and hitting the trainer's targets.
Switched to Lego Star Wars after a while. Did something a little different tonight and worked on the remaining bonus rounds. The original version of "Gunship Calvary" is actually pretty simple, in fact a lot easier than the original. The original Pod Race is the opposite - it's so hard it's nearly impossible. You can't so much as touch a rock without coming apart, and if you don't reach the end of the segment by the end of the time on the screen, you have to start that segment over. Had trouble with "New Hope" too. It's basically "Secret Plans" from Darth Vader's point of view. The part where you run over the buttons to release C-3PO gave me so much trouble, I finally gave up and ended for the night. (At least I got a lot of studs from all the rounds.)
Finished off the night with Your Highness. Lazy Prince Thaddeus (Danny McBride) is tired of always being second fiddle to his more dashing and handsome brother Prince Fabious (James Franco). Fabious is preparing to marry the lovely Belladonna (Zoey Deschanal), whom he rescued from a tower, when they're attacked by the wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux). The evil wizard steals Belladonna back, intending to use her in a bizarre sexual plot that will allow him to take over the kingdom. Even when the brothers go after her, they're dogged by the betrayal of Fabious' slave Julie (Toby Jones) and that their knights are serving Leezar. The brothers now only have each other, Thaddeus' servant Courtney (Rasmus Hardiker), and the mysterious woman archer Isabel (Natalie Portman), who has her own score to settle with Leezar. Can they find the mystical Blade of Unicorn and get to the princess in time?
Portman's tough-minded archer and Deschanal's princess are the only interesting things about this. While a few gags land, most are either gross or juvenile. Franco is passable as a prince, but McBride and Hardiker seem to have walked out of one of the Judd Apatow comedies of the early 2000's and would probably be happier there. Ok if you're into gross-out humor, the cast, or sword-and-sorcery fantasy; a little much for anyone else.
I started out to get the laundry done around 10:30...then went right back inside after checking the mail. Among the bills and a schedule for another telephone appointment with Camden County on the 19th was a flat package from Mom. It was my birthday present for her - a beautiful purse with navy floral print and polka-dot vinyl lining and a Visa gift card for $35. I have no idea what I'm going to do with the purse, but that $35 will really come in handy for my mall trip on Friday.
Finally got to the laundromat around 20 minutes later. It was really busy too, which wasn't a good thing. I had a huge load of laundry, including sheets and towels. Half-listened to The View and Action News while looking at a copy of O Magazine from 2016 laying around and working on story notes.
The reason I wanted to get all those done was I pulled out the spring clothes today. I normally do it in early April, but it's been so cold lately. It was already in the 60's by quarter after 1, and it's going to be in the 80's by my birthday. It's finally time. Put away all the heavy sweaters and blouses, turtlenecks, the black knit pants and brown corduroys, two shawls (one woven, one crocheted that Mom made), a checked flannel shirt, and my navy blue corduroy vest and black skirt. Dad and Amanda keep giving me sleep socks; I cleared out most of the bigger ones Dad gave me. Swapped out my leather-like purse for my lighter woven one.
I was originally going to buy a new spring dress for Dana and Jesse's wedding on the 28th...but I forgot I picked up a really nice navy, white, and aqua-print skirt from Lane Bryant last year. I don't need a new dress. I just need a nice blouse to go with that skirt, and maybe a pair of good shoes. Otherwise, I'm actually pretty good on summer clothes. I could use a pair of rain boots for work, and a few t-shirts need to be replaced (including my Flyers shirt, which never really fit right).
Had lunch around 1:40. Watched Good Eats while I ate. Alton makes a mystery staple in "Popover Sometime." Popovers were a family favorite for breakfast in the 80's and 90's. I still love them, but as we discovered when I was a kid, they don't taste great cold, or after a few days in the fridge. Alton also showed how the same recipe can be used to make Yorkshire Pudding (same thing made with meat drippings) and Dutch Babies (the oven-baked pancake version).
Went for a walk after lunch, just to get out for a little while. Strolled down to the boat landing at the end of Goff Avenue. By this point, it was on-and-off sunny and in the upper 60's. Though it was still windy, the wind wasn't anywhere near as cold as it has been the past few weeks. School was just letting out; I passed many kids walking home, going slowly to enjoy the lovely day. The neighborhood is full of color now, with golden daffodils and sweet-smelling pastel hyacinths in every garden, tufts of emerald green grass in crunchy beige lawns, and sunny dandelions popping up everywhere.
Worked on writing for a while after I got in. Leia and Luke enter Han's mind...and find themselves in stifling darkness. They use their swords to light their way, revealing a circle of hideous demons abusing a huddled mass in a tiny cage. Han...or Prince Henry....is chained to the cage bars. The monsters torment him, cutting off his hair and slashing his face. They tauntingly remind him that he's a worthless scoundrel who abandoned his mother and country and committed countless crimes. They bring the cage to a figure in a black cloak, who claims the cursed prince is now his mute slave.
Leia steps up to the cloaked figure and calls herself Henry's champion. She tries to free him from the cage, but the frightened man shrinks from her touch. He's Henry before and during his captivity at the Death Star Fortress, and he doesn't recognize her. Luke holds off the demons, but he doesn't know for how much longer, since his powers don't seem to be working well here...
Broke for dinner around 6:30. Had scrambled eggs with cheese, asparagus, and mushrooms while doing another Good Eats episode. Alton makes more common snacks in "Flat Is Good: Going Crackers." While I might be able to pull off the butter crackers and the Arabic crisps, graham flour tends to be pricey when I do see it.
Played some Wii Sports for about a half-hour after dinner. While I've improved on most events, including Target Practice and hitting balls on tennis and hitting the green on golf, others remain a work in progress. I'm still having trouble timing my swing, whether it's on tennis, baseball, or bowling. And as good as I've gotten with hitting the bag at boxing, I'm still having a hard time with dodging and hitting the trainer's targets.
Switched to Lego Star Wars after a while. Did something a little different tonight and worked on the remaining bonus rounds. The original version of "Gunship Calvary" is actually pretty simple, in fact a lot easier than the original. The original Pod Race is the opposite - it's so hard it's nearly impossible. You can't so much as touch a rock without coming apart, and if you don't reach the end of the segment by the end of the time on the screen, you have to start that segment over. Had trouble with "New Hope" too. It's basically "Secret Plans" from Darth Vader's point of view. The part where you run over the buttons to release C-3PO gave me so much trouble, I finally gave up and ended for the night. (At least I got a lot of studs from all the rounds.)
Finished off the night with Your Highness. Lazy Prince Thaddeus (Danny McBride) is tired of always being second fiddle to his more dashing and handsome brother Prince Fabious (James Franco). Fabious is preparing to marry the lovely Belladonna (Zoey Deschanal), whom he rescued from a tower, when they're attacked by the wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux). The evil wizard steals Belladonna back, intending to use her in a bizarre sexual plot that will allow him to take over the kingdom. Even when the brothers go after her, they're dogged by the betrayal of Fabious' slave Julie (Toby Jones) and that their knights are serving Leezar. The brothers now only have each other, Thaddeus' servant Courtney (Rasmus Hardiker), and the mysterious woman archer Isabel (Natalie Portman), who has her own score to settle with Leezar. Can they find the mystical Blade of Unicorn and get to the princess in time?
Portman's tough-minded archer and Deschanal's princess are the only interesting things about this. While a few gags land, most are either gross or juvenile. Franco is passable as a prince, but McBride and Hardiker seem to have walked out of one of the Judd Apatow comedies of the early 2000's and would probably be happier there. Ok if you're into gross-out humor, the cast, or sword-and-sorcery fantasy; a little much for anyone else.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
All Kinds of Dreamers
Began a gorgeous, sunny spring day with two favorite fourth season Sailor Moon episodes. Rei is interviewed by a local magazine in "Flames of Passion: Mars' Raging Super Attack." Her sudden notoriety gives her a big head about where it could all lead...but she's brought down to Earth when a painfully shy girl named Nanako asks to be her assistant. What she really wants is to imitate Rei and her dreams, since her own dreams to have a career went nowhere. It takes an attack by VesVes and her magic-imitating monkey to bring out Rei's newest power - and prove to Nanako that it's best to live out your own dreams, not someone else's.
Living out your own dreams is also a theme of "Don't Lose Sight of Your Dreams: The Mirror of Truth." Usagi and Chibi-Usa encounter a starving artist in the park. He has no money because he only paints what he sees as the truth. Most of the people he paints refuse to believe they look the way he sees them, even when it's a perfect likeness, and won't pay. This includes snobby CereCere, who gives him a sob story about her father, then forces him to draw her the way she wants him to draw. She attacks him after he decides his integrity is too important to him, but the Guardians are a (little) bit more understanding.
My 8 and 1/2 hour day was actually pretty boring. It was quiet for most of the day. Even when it got a little busy during rush hours, it didn't stay that way for long. I did inside and outside trash and returns in the morning, then spent the afternoon cleaning the bathroom, sweeping broken glass in the parking lot, and gathering carts and baskets. I was on my own for most of the day. The only other bagger up until around 4:30 was outside all day, and I was totally alone between 9:30 and noon and 4 and 4:30. I'd start doing one thing, only to get called to do two others.
At least it was a nice day for all this. While it was only in the mid-50's, still cold for this time of year, that's a lot warmer than it has been. The sun was almost hot when you could get out of the wind.
As soon as I got home, I changed, then had leftovers for dinner and made Fudgy Brownies. Watched an episode of Danger Mouse as I baked. "The Day of the Suds" has DM and Penfold in hot pursuit of their runaway washing machine. Baron Greenback has programmed all of the washing machines in London to do his bidding at the sound of his voice. Even after DM cleans up that scheme, the run-off from the broken washers creates a mutated suds monster that threatens to turn all of London into one big soapy mess!
Played Wii Sports while the brownies were in the oven. I rounded up a lot of carts today and wasn't up to anything really heavy. Stuck to mostly working on tennis and golf. I'm getting better at Target Practice on tennis and golf, but I still have problems with timing my swing and making the ball go where I want it to.
Did a little bit of Lego Star Wars after I got the brownies out of the oven. Tried to find the red brick in "Gunship Calvary," but had no luck. Didn't get the red brick on "Falcon Flight," either, but I did find the last piece. Got enough studs from both rounds to finally buy the 6x extra.
Finished the night after a shower with Despicable Me 3. After that detour with the Minions a while back, we return to the world of Gru (Steve Carell), Lucy (Kristen Wiig), and their girls. Gru and Lucy are still working for the Anti-Villain League, but when they fail to capture former 80's child star-turned criminal mastermind Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) and stop him from stealing the world's largest diamond, they're fired. On top of this, Lucy is struggling to help raise the girls, the Minions want Gru to return to villainy, and Gru has just learned that he had an unknown twin brother, Dru (also Carrell). Dru lives in a fabulous mansion in the country of Freedonia, bought with money from their supervillain father. After the brothers bond in his tricked-out car, Dru thinks he's talked Gru into returning to full-time villainy to steal the diamond back. Gru really intends to give it to the Anti-Villain League and get his job back. Elsewhere, Gru's younger daughters Agnes (Nev Scharrel) and Edith (Dana Gaier) search for a real live unicorn, while older girl Margo (Miranda Cosgrove) avoids a love-struck local boy and the Minions end up in jail for trespassing at a talent show.
Not bad, not great. The brothers and the girls and their antics are what works this time around. A lot of people praised Balthazar Bratt and his 80's obsession, but I found him more annoying than anything. Dru and Gru, on the other hand, are pretty funny as the brothers with very different ideas of what it means to be a villain. Loved the younger girls and their search for the unicorn, too.
If you're a fan of this series, this one is worth checking out as well (and is far better than Minions)...but if you're new to Gru's world, by all means, please check out the first two movies before coming anywhere near here.
Living out your own dreams is also a theme of "Don't Lose Sight of Your Dreams: The Mirror of Truth." Usagi and Chibi-Usa encounter a starving artist in the park. He has no money because he only paints what he sees as the truth. Most of the people he paints refuse to believe they look the way he sees them, even when it's a perfect likeness, and won't pay. This includes snobby CereCere, who gives him a sob story about her father, then forces him to draw her the way she wants him to draw. She attacks him after he decides his integrity is too important to him, but the Guardians are a (little) bit more understanding.
My 8 and 1/2 hour day was actually pretty boring. It was quiet for most of the day. Even when it got a little busy during rush hours, it didn't stay that way for long. I did inside and outside trash and returns in the morning, then spent the afternoon cleaning the bathroom, sweeping broken glass in the parking lot, and gathering carts and baskets. I was on my own for most of the day. The only other bagger up until around 4:30 was outside all day, and I was totally alone between 9:30 and noon and 4 and 4:30. I'd start doing one thing, only to get called to do two others.
At least it was a nice day for all this. While it was only in the mid-50's, still cold for this time of year, that's a lot warmer than it has been. The sun was almost hot when you could get out of the wind.
As soon as I got home, I changed, then had leftovers for dinner and made Fudgy Brownies. Watched an episode of Danger Mouse as I baked. "The Day of the Suds" has DM and Penfold in hot pursuit of their runaway washing machine. Baron Greenback has programmed all of the washing machines in London to do his bidding at the sound of his voice. Even after DM cleans up that scheme, the run-off from the broken washers creates a mutated suds monster that threatens to turn all of London into one big soapy mess!
Played Wii Sports while the brownies were in the oven. I rounded up a lot of carts today and wasn't up to anything really heavy. Stuck to mostly working on tennis and golf. I'm getting better at Target Practice on tennis and golf, but I still have problems with timing my swing and making the ball go where I want it to.
Did a little bit of Lego Star Wars after I got the brownies out of the oven. Tried to find the red brick in "Gunship Calvary," but had no luck. Didn't get the red brick on "Falcon Flight," either, but I did find the last piece. Got enough studs from both rounds to finally buy the 6x extra.
Finished the night after a shower with Despicable Me 3. After that detour with the Minions a while back, we return to the world of Gru (Steve Carell), Lucy (Kristen Wiig), and their girls. Gru and Lucy are still working for the Anti-Villain League, but when they fail to capture former 80's child star-turned criminal mastermind Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) and stop him from stealing the world's largest diamond, they're fired. On top of this, Lucy is struggling to help raise the girls, the Minions want Gru to return to villainy, and Gru has just learned that he had an unknown twin brother, Dru (also Carrell). Dru lives in a fabulous mansion in the country of Freedonia, bought with money from their supervillain father. After the brothers bond in his tricked-out car, Dru thinks he's talked Gru into returning to full-time villainy to steal the diamond back. Gru really intends to give it to the Anti-Villain League and get his job back. Elsewhere, Gru's younger daughters Agnes (Nev Scharrel) and Edith (Dana Gaier) search for a real live unicorn, while older girl Margo (Miranda Cosgrove) avoids a love-struck local boy and the Minions end up in jail for trespassing at a talent show.
Not bad, not great. The brothers and the girls and their antics are what works this time around. A lot of people praised Balthazar Bratt and his 80's obsession, but I found him more annoying than anything. Dru and Gru, on the other hand, are pretty funny as the brothers with very different ideas of what it means to be a villain. Loved the younger girls and their search for the unicorn, too.
If you're a fan of this series, this one is worth checking out as well (and is far better than Minions)...but if you're new to Gru's world, by all means, please check out the first two movies before coming anywhere near here.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
You Can Dream at Any Age
Started off a sunny, breezy morning with a couple of episodes of Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater. "Peter Penguin" has Tuxedo Sam as the penguin who won't grow up, My Melody as Tinkerbell, Catnip as Captain Hook, and Kitty and Chip as the kids who fly with him to Never-Say-Never Land on a great adventure. Chip's in the spotlight as Arthur, the boy king, in "Paws of the Round Table." He and Lancelot Sam have to dodge Grinder the Black Knight and Catnip Le Fay to rescue Lady Bunnyvere (Melody) from a not-so-terrible dragon.
Spent the rest of the morning writing. Leia, Luke, and the servants Cyril and Artello manage to get Han to Maz Kantana at her massive inn and tavern. She calls him Henry and confirms what Leia's suspected for some time - that Han Solo is Henry of Naboo, the supposedly dead prince who vanished shortly before her parents died. Han's struggles to recall his past leave him with such blinding headaches, he's screaming with pain when Luke and Leia get him into Maz's room. Maz explains that his mind is being attacked by the demons of his past...and that if he can't get past them, he may lose his mind and his memories all together. She gets Han calmed down, then helps Luke and Leia use their powers to go into Han's head and help him defeat his demons.
Broke for lunch at 11. Ran another fourth season episode of Sailor Moon about childhood vs adulthood as I ate and got read for work. In the Amazon Quartet's introductory episode, they encounter Chibi-Usa, her best friend Momoko, and the older Guardians at the arcade. While the girls are impressed with their gaming skills, they're not as happy with the way they put down Momoko and Chibi-Usa for wishing they were older. They insist that only children can have dreams, and that big dreams fade in adulthood. Though they seem to relent later and give the girls tickets to the circus, this is only to take a look at Momoko's dream mirror. But the Guardians are around to prove that anyone can have a dream, at any age.
Thankfully, my first day back at work since Friday was no sweat. While it did get a little busy around the usual rush hours, we were mostly dead all afternoon. This gave me plenty of time to clean the bathrooms, gather carts and baskets, shelve loose items, and do the indoor and outdoor trash. A beautiful day probably helped. Though it remains chilly and windy, it was also sunny and very warm when the wind was blocked.
Had a quick dinner when I got home. Put on a Rick Steves episode while I ate. Barcelona is a center of culture and business in Spain nowadays. Though the tapas bars and that crazy cathedral that people have been working on for over a hundred years are interesting, my favorite thing in Barcelona itself was its Moderne (aka Art Nouveau) architecture. Outside the city, I loved the little fishing towns and Salvador Dali's crazy home and art.
Played some Wii Sports after dinner. Didn't do any games, but did practice quite a bit. I've gotten much better at hitting short balls in baseball, Hitting the Green and Target Practice in golf, and Target Practice and hitting balls in tennis. For some reason, I just couldn't pick up spares at bowling today. I'm normally much better at it. And I can really wail some punching bags! The rest of boxing, I'm not so good at. I can't move fast enough to dodge, and I tend to hit the trainer instead of his targets.
Switched to Lego Star Wars after a good half-hour workout. Mostly finished off flying rounds I'd put off. Got the last pieces I needed and True Jedi on "Battle Over Coruscant" and "Death Star Attack" and True Jedi on "Betrayal at Bespin" and "Mos Espa Pod Race." (I just can't seem to find the red brick on the latter - I'll have to look it up somewhere.)
Ended the night online with April In Paris. This 1952 musical has Doris Day as chorus girl Ethel "Dynamite" Jackson, who is excited when the government is sending her over to an arts festival in Paris. Turns out it was all a mistake, and government official Winthop Putham (Ray Bolger) sent her the wrong letter. His boss (Paul Harvey) gets so many encouraging letters, they end up sending her to Paris anyway. She and Winthrop get so drunk on the boat ride over, they actually get married...or think they do. They were married by Frenchman Phillipe (Claude Dauphan) on-board ship. He's not the captain, which renders their marriage void, to the relief of Winthrop's sarcastic fiancee Marcia (Eve Miller). Even so, Ethel remains in love with Winthrop, even after a fight with Marcia...but it may take a trip to the nighclubs of Paris for Winthrop to put his feelings ahead of his career.
Not one of Day's better musicals. She has no chemistry with a stiff Bolger, who is completely out of place in a leading man role. Other than one good number on board the ship to France, "We're Gonna Ring the Bell Tonight," the music is equally dull. Ok piece of fluff if you ever run into it on TCM or are a huge fan of Day or Bolger.
Spent the rest of the morning writing. Leia, Luke, and the servants Cyril and Artello manage to get Han to Maz Kantana at her massive inn and tavern. She calls him Henry and confirms what Leia's suspected for some time - that Han Solo is Henry of Naboo, the supposedly dead prince who vanished shortly before her parents died. Han's struggles to recall his past leave him with such blinding headaches, he's screaming with pain when Luke and Leia get him into Maz's room. Maz explains that his mind is being attacked by the demons of his past...and that if he can't get past them, he may lose his mind and his memories all together. She gets Han calmed down, then helps Luke and Leia use their powers to go into Han's head and help him defeat his demons.
Broke for lunch at 11. Ran another fourth season episode of Sailor Moon about childhood vs adulthood as I ate and got read for work. In the Amazon Quartet's introductory episode, they encounter Chibi-Usa, her best friend Momoko, and the older Guardians at the arcade. While the girls are impressed with their gaming skills, they're not as happy with the way they put down Momoko and Chibi-Usa for wishing they were older. They insist that only children can have dreams, and that big dreams fade in adulthood. Though they seem to relent later and give the girls tickets to the circus, this is only to take a look at Momoko's dream mirror. But the Guardians are around to prove that anyone can have a dream, at any age.
Thankfully, my first day back at work since Friday was no sweat. While it did get a little busy around the usual rush hours, we were mostly dead all afternoon. This gave me plenty of time to clean the bathrooms, gather carts and baskets, shelve loose items, and do the indoor and outdoor trash. A beautiful day probably helped. Though it remains chilly and windy, it was also sunny and very warm when the wind was blocked.
Had a quick dinner when I got home. Put on a Rick Steves episode while I ate. Barcelona is a center of culture and business in Spain nowadays. Though the tapas bars and that crazy cathedral that people have been working on for over a hundred years are interesting, my favorite thing in Barcelona itself was its Moderne (aka Art Nouveau) architecture. Outside the city, I loved the little fishing towns and Salvador Dali's crazy home and art.
Played some Wii Sports after dinner. Didn't do any games, but did practice quite a bit. I've gotten much better at hitting short balls in baseball, Hitting the Green and Target Practice in golf, and Target Practice and hitting balls in tennis. For some reason, I just couldn't pick up spares at bowling today. I'm normally much better at it. And I can really wail some punching bags! The rest of boxing, I'm not so good at. I can't move fast enough to dodge, and I tend to hit the trainer instead of his targets.
Switched to Lego Star Wars after a good half-hour workout. Mostly finished off flying rounds I'd put off. Got the last pieces I needed and True Jedi on "Battle Over Coruscant" and "Death Star Attack" and True Jedi on "Betrayal at Bespin" and "Mos Espa Pod Race." (I just can't seem to find the red brick on the latter - I'll have to look it up somewhere.)
Ended the night online with April In Paris. This 1952 musical has Doris Day as chorus girl Ethel "Dynamite" Jackson, who is excited when the government is sending her over to an arts festival in Paris. Turns out it was all a mistake, and government official Winthop Putham (Ray Bolger) sent her the wrong letter. His boss (Paul Harvey) gets so many encouraging letters, they end up sending her to Paris anyway. She and Winthrop get so drunk on the boat ride over, they actually get married...or think they do. They were married by Frenchman Phillipe (Claude Dauphan) on-board ship. He's not the captain, which renders their marriage void, to the relief of Winthrop's sarcastic fiancee Marcia (Eve Miller). Even so, Ethel remains in love with Winthrop, even after a fight with Marcia...but it may take a trip to the nighclubs of Paris for Winthrop to put his feelings ahead of his career.
Not one of Day's better musicals. She has no chemistry with a stiff Bolger, who is completely out of place in a leading man role. Other than one good number on board the ship to France, "We're Gonna Ring the Bell Tonight," the music is equally dull. Ok piece of fluff if you ever run into it on TCM or are a huge fan of Day or Bolger.
Monday, April 09, 2018
Childhood Fantasy
Began a sunny, breezy day with baking Banana-Honey Muffins after breakfast. When those went into the oven, I figured I might as well start the dusting. Managed to get the living area done before it was time to head out.
Ran Jetsons: The Movie while I worked. George Jetson (George O'Hanlon and Jeff Bergman) has just been promoted to vice-president by his miser of a boss Mr. Spacely (Mel Blanc and Jeff Bergman). Nobody in his family is happy about it, especially Judy (Tiffany), who is upset that she'll have to miss her date with a big rock star. They change their views when they settle in at an apartment complex for mixed species and make new friends. Meanwhile, George discovers that he's the head of a mining operation that's been constantly sabotaged. While he and foreman robot Rudy-2 (Ronnie Schell) try to figure out who's doing the sabotage, Judy falls in love with alien teen Apollo Blue (Paul Kreppel) and Elroy (Patric Zimmerman) and his new buddies Teddy-2 (Dana Hill) and Fergie (Russi Taylor) attempt to solve the mystery of the saboteurs on their own.
The girls and I loved this one as kids, especially the pop soundtrack by Tiffany, but it hasn't dated well at all. The CGI was groundbreaking in 1990, but it looks obvious now. The music doesn't really suit the far-future setting; a random music video to "You and Me" around the middle of the movie stops it cold. The environmental message and the characters who are actually committing the sabotage comes off as preachy and way too cutesy.
On the other hand, the nifty designs are consistent with the original show, and it uses most of the original voice actors. (O'Hanlon and Blanc actually passed away during production; Jeff Bergman finished their parts.) The music may be out of place, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. I'm especially fond of the ballad "I Always Thought I'd See You Again" by Tiffany and two numbers by Shane Sutton, the uptempo "Staying Together" and ballad "With You All the Way." We actually had the soundtrack on cassette and listened to it constantly around 1990-1991.
If you have fans of the original show or 80's revival, fans of 80's/early 90's pop, or younger kids who may enjoy the story and characters, this is worth checking out if you can find it.
(Oh, and I called the dentist's office. I won't be able to make it on Wednesday - that's my 8 and 1/2 hour day, of course. I rescheduled for May 1st. Maybe my tooth will feel a little better by then, too.)
Headed out to run errands around 12:30. First stop was the Oaklyn Library. Given the sunny, breezy day at that point, it was just me and the librarian. I organized DVDs and shelved one kids' book on Native American tribes. I was out after a half-hour.
Next stop was the Westmont Bagel Shop for lunch. Surprisingly, considering it was past 1:30 at that point, they weren't busy either. I ate my ham, cheddar cheese, and apple sandwich on sourdough bread in peace.
The Haddon Township Library was a lot busier than the Oaklyn Library had been. There were lots of DVDs to shelve today, especially from the adult titles. There were so many, I didn't get to much else.
Took out a lot this week. Along with Despicable Me 3, I opted for two fantasy films. I did see Hook when it came out in the early 90's, but not since then. Your Highness, a sword-and-sorcery spoof, sounds like fun. Found an audio book on dealing with stress, and a print book on how stress isn't as bad of a thing as we think. Took out the last Mercedes Lackey Elemental Masters book the library had, the Donkeyskin-based Unnatural Issue, I loved the film version of the Neil Gaiman fantasy novel Stardust from a while back and decided to give the book a try. Found a teen novel on what Ashoka Tano was doing between the Clone Wars and Rebels series.
Went straight home after work. It had gotten cloudy while I was in the library, and even colder. I spent the rest of the afternoon writing. Han goes after Boba Fett, but he gets away. Luke uses his magic to create a twister that funnels water over the fire, putting it out. When Han comes back, he suggests staying at the first inn at Takodana they can find. It seems very familiar to him...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. An episode of Sailor Moon from the 4th season has the Guardians volunteering to help prepare for a "coming of age" ceremony for 20-somethings just coming into the world. The Amazon Quartet help too...but they don't understand why anyone would want to get older. Why not stay a child and keep everything the way it is forever? Their arguments become more obvious when the girls discover that they're the ones stealing dream mirrors...and the dreams of these young adults' futures.
Finished the night with Hook. Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a successful lawyer, but he's not doing so well with his wife Moira (Caroline Goodall) or his children Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott). He rarely has time for them and actually misses Jack's big baseball game. One night, while attending the dedication for the children's hospital being named for his grandmother Wendy (Maggie Smith), he comes home to find that his children have been kidnapped by none other than Captain James Hook (Dustin Hoffman) of Neverland. Wendy tells Peter that he's Peter Pan, who has grown up and lost his childhood memories. The appearance of Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) bears this out. She takes him to Neverland, but he embarrasses himself in front of his children when he can't rescue them and upsets the pirates, who just want a good battle. While Mr. Smee (Bob Hoskins) tries to keep his boss from doing harm to himself or the kids, Tink and the Lost Boys teach Peter how to find the child in himself.
I know a lot of people who grew up in the early-mid 90's have fond memories of this one, but...ehh. I wasn't a fan of it as a young teen, and I'm still not all that big on it. (It probably doesn't help that I've never really been into Peter Pan in general.) The sets and costumes are very early 90's, especially on the Lost Boys and their hideout, and Roberts is badly miscast as a pixie. On the other hand, Williams is fine as the man rediscovering his inner child, Hoffman and Hoskins actually turn in some of their best performances as Peter's most famous adversaries, and we have one of John Williams' more underrated scores.
If you're more into Peter Pan lore than I am, are a major fan of the cast, or are looking for something different for younger kids, you may find a lot more in this than I did.
Ran Jetsons: The Movie while I worked. George Jetson (George O'Hanlon and Jeff Bergman) has just been promoted to vice-president by his miser of a boss Mr. Spacely (Mel Blanc and Jeff Bergman). Nobody in his family is happy about it, especially Judy (Tiffany), who is upset that she'll have to miss her date with a big rock star. They change their views when they settle in at an apartment complex for mixed species and make new friends. Meanwhile, George discovers that he's the head of a mining operation that's been constantly sabotaged. While he and foreman robot Rudy-2 (Ronnie Schell) try to figure out who's doing the sabotage, Judy falls in love with alien teen Apollo Blue (Paul Kreppel) and Elroy (Patric Zimmerman) and his new buddies Teddy-2 (Dana Hill) and Fergie (Russi Taylor) attempt to solve the mystery of the saboteurs on their own.
The girls and I loved this one as kids, especially the pop soundtrack by Tiffany, but it hasn't dated well at all. The CGI was groundbreaking in 1990, but it looks obvious now. The music doesn't really suit the far-future setting; a random music video to "You and Me" around the middle of the movie stops it cold. The environmental message and the characters who are actually committing the sabotage comes off as preachy and way too cutesy.
On the other hand, the nifty designs are consistent with the original show, and it uses most of the original voice actors. (O'Hanlon and Blanc actually passed away during production; Jeff Bergman finished their parts.) The music may be out of place, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. I'm especially fond of the ballad "I Always Thought I'd See You Again" by Tiffany and two numbers by Shane Sutton, the uptempo "Staying Together" and ballad "With You All the Way." We actually had the soundtrack on cassette and listened to it constantly around 1990-1991.
If you have fans of the original show or 80's revival, fans of 80's/early 90's pop, or younger kids who may enjoy the story and characters, this is worth checking out if you can find it.
(Oh, and I called the dentist's office. I won't be able to make it on Wednesday - that's my 8 and 1/2 hour day, of course. I rescheduled for May 1st. Maybe my tooth will feel a little better by then, too.)
Headed out to run errands around 12:30. First stop was the Oaklyn Library. Given the sunny, breezy day at that point, it was just me and the librarian. I organized DVDs and shelved one kids' book on Native American tribes. I was out after a half-hour.
Next stop was the Westmont Bagel Shop for lunch. Surprisingly, considering it was past 1:30 at that point, they weren't busy either. I ate my ham, cheddar cheese, and apple sandwich on sourdough bread in peace.
The Haddon Township Library was a lot busier than the Oaklyn Library had been. There were lots of DVDs to shelve today, especially from the adult titles. There were so many, I didn't get to much else.
Took out a lot this week. Along with Despicable Me 3, I opted for two fantasy films. I did see Hook when it came out in the early 90's, but not since then. Your Highness, a sword-and-sorcery spoof, sounds like fun. Found an audio book on dealing with stress, and a print book on how stress isn't as bad of a thing as we think. Took out the last Mercedes Lackey Elemental Masters book the library had, the Donkeyskin-based Unnatural Issue, I loved the film version of the Neil Gaiman fantasy novel Stardust from a while back and decided to give the book a try. Found a teen novel on what Ashoka Tano was doing between the Clone Wars and Rebels series.
Went straight home after work. It had gotten cloudy while I was in the library, and even colder. I spent the rest of the afternoon writing. Han goes after Boba Fett, but he gets away. Luke uses his magic to create a twister that funnels water over the fire, putting it out. When Han comes back, he suggests staying at the first inn at Takodana they can find. It seems very familiar to him...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. An episode of Sailor Moon from the 4th season has the Guardians volunteering to help prepare for a "coming of age" ceremony for 20-somethings just coming into the world. The Amazon Quartet help too...but they don't understand why anyone would want to get older. Why not stay a child and keep everything the way it is forever? Their arguments become more obvious when the girls discover that they're the ones stealing dream mirrors...and the dreams of these young adults' futures.
Finished the night with Hook. Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a successful lawyer, but he's not doing so well with his wife Moira (Caroline Goodall) or his children Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott). He rarely has time for them and actually misses Jack's big baseball game. One night, while attending the dedication for the children's hospital being named for his grandmother Wendy (Maggie Smith), he comes home to find that his children have been kidnapped by none other than Captain James Hook (Dustin Hoffman) of Neverland. Wendy tells Peter that he's Peter Pan, who has grown up and lost his childhood memories. The appearance of Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) bears this out. She takes him to Neverland, but he embarrasses himself in front of his children when he can't rescue them and upsets the pirates, who just want a good battle. While Mr. Smee (Bob Hoskins) tries to keep his boss from doing harm to himself or the kids, Tink and the Lost Boys teach Peter how to find the child in himself.
I know a lot of people who grew up in the early-mid 90's have fond memories of this one, but...ehh. I wasn't a fan of it as a young teen, and I'm still not all that big on it. (It probably doesn't help that I've never really been into Peter Pan in general.) The sets and costumes are very early 90's, especially on the Lost Boys and their hideout, and Roberts is badly miscast as a pixie. On the other hand, Williams is fine as the man rediscovering his inner child, Hoffman and Hoskins actually turn in some of their best performances as Peter's most famous adversaries, and we have one of John Williams' more underrated scores.
If you're more into Peter Pan lore than I am, are a major fan of the cast, or are looking for something different for younger kids, you may find a lot more in this than I did.
Sunday, April 08, 2018
A Family Affair in Philadelphia
I was jolted out of sleep by a phone call. Charlie had the gas inspector here...on a Sunday morning. For some reason, they had to look at my stove now. I opened the door and let them have their look, then went back to bed and read and worked on my journal for an hour or so.
Spent the morning continuing the cleaning. I vacuumed the whole apartment, mainly so I could get up the dust and hair that was under the Disney Toddler dolls' bed. While today was only in the upper 40's, it's supposed to be in the 60's by the end of the week. I figured it was finally time to toss the flannel sheets in the laundry basket and replace them with the spring/fall sheets. Washed the windows, too.
I'd just finished the windows when Jodie arrived on my porch. Apparently, they were picking me up at 12:15, not 12:45. Oops! I hurriedly threw on my boots and coat and grabbed my purse, racing out to their brand-new van.
TJ lives with a few other friends in a beautiful old house in Overbrook Farms, one of the tonier suburbs in West Philadelphia. We took the Schuylkill Expressway, with fabulous views of Fairmount Park, and City Avenue there. City Avenue was an eclectic mix of modern chain stores and shopping centers and fine old brick and stone apartment buildings and churches. A lot of local media seems to have their headquarters here, too. I saw the offices and studio of WPVI 6, our ABC affiliate, on City Avenue; we passed WPHL 17's studio on the way home. (Jodie said she saw the studio for popular radio station B101 on our way down City Avenue as well.)
According to the book I found in the living room, Overbrook Farms was developed in the 1890's as one of Philly's first suburbs for the well-to-do. This seems to still be the case today, if the gorgeous house and it's grounds and the equally lovely homes surrounding it were any indication. It was a three story stone dwelling with one large living room and several smaller rooms, including two small kitchens with whitewashed built-in cabinets and the latest appliances. I admired an apparently haunted mirror in the living room and a huge old Victrola in the dining room.
I spent a lot of the afternoon with the child of a friend of TJ's, Maddie. She was a lively little miss who was probably about 6 or 7, from her size and sheer energy. I chatted with her at the dining room table while we ate fruit, vegetables from a vegetable tray, crumble coffee cake, lemon cake, Jodie's macaroni salad, and an eggy bread pudding.
At one point, TJ took us upstairs to his attic office and sanctuary. He's studying for his masters degree at St. Joseph's University near-by and has a small religious shrine on a colorful couch. Maddie was more interested in scribbling with his colored pencils and playing with the General Leia Hallmark Itty Bitty I use as a stress toy. Inspired by her metallic cape, she kept pretending to make the doll "fly." (Which amused the heck out of me, considering what Leia actually does in the current movie.)
There was a big yard and a sprawling flagstone patio. They owned one sweet elderly terrier named Benny. Their neighbors' two dogs, adorable yellow lab puppy Ranger and big black lab Sonia, came over a few times to see what all the fuss was about. Maddie and a friend's two toddler children loved chasing them and stroking their fur. Ranger in particular was a much-loved little fellow. Even some of the adults didn't want to let the wiggly cutie go. I looked around the all-wood office and watched the dad and toddlers build a "church" from wood scraps.
By quarter of 4, the party was winding down, most of the kids had gone home...and I was starting to get bored. We finally headed out to dodge traffic before the Phillies game let out. The traffic was a little heavy going over the Ben Franklin Bridge; otherwise, we seemed to miss the worst of it. (Oh, and Jodie mentioned she and Dad are going to have a roast for my birthday dinner at their place next Saturday. Fine by me. I was planning on spending most of the day at the movies and one of the local malls.)
Did some writing when I got in. Han is shocked when Boba Fett calls him "Your Majesty." Han doesn't believe it, but it would seem that Fett knows who he really is. Han tries to force him to talk, but they're surrounded by soldiers before he can do it. Fett takes off rather than be questioned.
Since I didn't really do much today besides cleaning and eating, I did an hour on Wii Sports starting around 6:30. I really worked the boxing today, including a match and several rounds of all three mini-games. I did much better with boxing than I did on tennis. I lost both the games I played and still can't figure out how to time my darn swings. I must have worn myself out earlier on boxing, because my bowling game wasn't great, either.
Had Zucchini Pancakes for dinner while listening to the original Broadway cast album It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. This superhero musical debuted in 1966, just as the Batman show was starting to make waves on TV. Here, Superman is derailed by a ten-time Nobel-Prize losing mad scientist seeking revenge and an imitation Walter Winchell reporter who never met a scandal he didn't like. Lois Lane is more interested in marrying Superman and avoiding a persistent co-worker than her career. Uh, yeah. It's dated, silly, and really only a notch above an even more notorious superhero musical, Spider Man Turn Off the Dark. Strouse and Adams provided some decent music, though, including "You've Got Possibilities" for Linda Lavin as the reporter's put-upon secretary.
Finished off the night on YouTube with two rare swashbuckling adventures. The Vagabond King is a remake of both the 1930 operetta and the play If I Were King that also inspired The Beloved Rogue. Tenor Oreste Kirkop is Francois Villion in this colorful retelling, with Kathryn Grayson in one of her last movies as Catherine and Rita Moreno as Hugette. It doesn't really use much of the original music from the 1926 stage operetta, but otherwise, it's a pretty decent movie. I wish we'd seen more of Grayson's stately Catherine and Moreno's fiery tavern wench and less of Kirkop - he was a fine singer, but lacked the presence of Mario Lanza, whom he'd likely been brought to Paramount to compete with. Look for Leslie Nielson in an early role as one of the king's men.
The Magic Sword is a far goofier medieval fantasy from 1962. This odd retelling of St. George and the Dragon has George (Gary Lockwood) steal the title sword and a magical horse and armor from his adopted mother, the sorceress Sybil (Estelle Winwood). He wants to rescue his beloved Helene (Ann Helm) from the evil wizard Dulac (Basil Rathbone) and his maiden-eating dragon. With the help of seven knights and Sir Branton (Liam Sullivan), who was originally going to rescue Helene, he sets forth to deliver his fair lady. But not only do seven curses await the noble knights, but Branton is upset about being replaced and has no intention of letting George be the hero.
Even the robots at Mystery Science Theater 3000 found this to be rather charming, especially for notorious schlock director Bert I. Gordon. Rathbone and Windwood are having a great time hamming it up, and even the bad special effects add to the fun. Worth checking out if you want your sword-and-sorcery tales on the lighter side or have grade-school-age kids with a fondness for fantasy.
The Vagabond King (1956)
The Magic Sword (1962)
Oh yes, and the second commercial for Solo: A Star Wars Story finally dropped today. I don't care what anyone else says. I think this looks like it's going to be a blast, especially Donald Glover as a pitch-perfect Lando. I loved Han's "You look great!" response to Chewie's age, too. And was that Chewie's wife Malla he was hugging briefly?
To paraphrase Han, I have a good feeling about this. ;)
Solo: A Star Wars Story Trailer #2
Spent the morning continuing the cleaning. I vacuumed the whole apartment, mainly so I could get up the dust and hair that was under the Disney Toddler dolls' bed. While today was only in the upper 40's, it's supposed to be in the 60's by the end of the week. I figured it was finally time to toss the flannel sheets in the laundry basket and replace them with the spring/fall sheets. Washed the windows, too.
I'd just finished the windows when Jodie arrived on my porch. Apparently, they were picking me up at 12:15, not 12:45. Oops! I hurriedly threw on my boots and coat and grabbed my purse, racing out to their brand-new van.
TJ lives with a few other friends in a beautiful old house in Overbrook Farms, one of the tonier suburbs in West Philadelphia. We took the Schuylkill Expressway, with fabulous views of Fairmount Park, and City Avenue there. City Avenue was an eclectic mix of modern chain stores and shopping centers and fine old brick and stone apartment buildings and churches. A lot of local media seems to have their headquarters here, too. I saw the offices and studio of WPVI 6, our ABC affiliate, on City Avenue; we passed WPHL 17's studio on the way home. (Jodie said she saw the studio for popular radio station B101 on our way down City Avenue as well.)
According to the book I found in the living room, Overbrook Farms was developed in the 1890's as one of Philly's first suburbs for the well-to-do. This seems to still be the case today, if the gorgeous house and it's grounds and the equally lovely homes surrounding it were any indication. It was a three story stone dwelling with one large living room and several smaller rooms, including two small kitchens with whitewashed built-in cabinets and the latest appliances. I admired an apparently haunted mirror in the living room and a huge old Victrola in the dining room.
I spent a lot of the afternoon with the child of a friend of TJ's, Maddie. She was a lively little miss who was probably about 6 or 7, from her size and sheer energy. I chatted with her at the dining room table while we ate fruit, vegetables from a vegetable tray, crumble coffee cake, lemon cake, Jodie's macaroni salad, and an eggy bread pudding.
At one point, TJ took us upstairs to his attic office and sanctuary. He's studying for his masters degree at St. Joseph's University near-by and has a small religious shrine on a colorful couch. Maddie was more interested in scribbling with his colored pencils and playing with the General Leia Hallmark Itty Bitty I use as a stress toy. Inspired by her metallic cape, she kept pretending to make the doll "fly." (Which amused the heck out of me, considering what Leia actually does in the current movie.)
There was a big yard and a sprawling flagstone patio. They owned one sweet elderly terrier named Benny. Their neighbors' two dogs, adorable yellow lab puppy Ranger and big black lab Sonia, came over a few times to see what all the fuss was about. Maddie and a friend's two toddler children loved chasing them and stroking their fur. Ranger in particular was a much-loved little fellow. Even some of the adults didn't want to let the wiggly cutie go. I looked around the all-wood office and watched the dad and toddlers build a "church" from wood scraps.
By quarter of 4, the party was winding down, most of the kids had gone home...and I was starting to get bored. We finally headed out to dodge traffic before the Phillies game let out. The traffic was a little heavy going over the Ben Franklin Bridge; otherwise, we seemed to miss the worst of it. (Oh, and Jodie mentioned she and Dad are going to have a roast for my birthday dinner at their place next Saturday. Fine by me. I was planning on spending most of the day at the movies and one of the local malls.)
Did some writing when I got in. Han is shocked when Boba Fett calls him "Your Majesty." Han doesn't believe it, but it would seem that Fett knows who he really is. Han tries to force him to talk, but they're surrounded by soldiers before he can do it. Fett takes off rather than be questioned.
Since I didn't really do much today besides cleaning and eating, I did an hour on Wii Sports starting around 6:30. I really worked the boxing today, including a match and several rounds of all three mini-games. I did much better with boxing than I did on tennis. I lost both the games I played and still can't figure out how to time my darn swings. I must have worn myself out earlier on boxing, because my bowling game wasn't great, either.
Had Zucchini Pancakes for dinner while listening to the original Broadway cast album It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. This superhero musical debuted in 1966, just as the Batman show was starting to make waves on TV. Here, Superman is derailed by a ten-time Nobel-Prize losing mad scientist seeking revenge and an imitation Walter Winchell reporter who never met a scandal he didn't like. Lois Lane is more interested in marrying Superman and avoiding a persistent co-worker than her career. Uh, yeah. It's dated, silly, and really only a notch above an even more notorious superhero musical, Spider Man Turn Off the Dark. Strouse and Adams provided some decent music, though, including "You've Got Possibilities" for Linda Lavin as the reporter's put-upon secretary.
Finished off the night on YouTube with two rare swashbuckling adventures. The Vagabond King is a remake of both the 1930 operetta and the play If I Were King that also inspired The Beloved Rogue. Tenor Oreste Kirkop is Francois Villion in this colorful retelling, with Kathryn Grayson in one of her last movies as Catherine and Rita Moreno as Hugette. It doesn't really use much of the original music from the 1926 stage operetta, but otherwise, it's a pretty decent movie. I wish we'd seen more of Grayson's stately Catherine and Moreno's fiery tavern wench and less of Kirkop - he was a fine singer, but lacked the presence of Mario Lanza, whom he'd likely been brought to Paramount to compete with. Look for Leslie Nielson in an early role as one of the king's men.
The Magic Sword is a far goofier medieval fantasy from 1962. This odd retelling of St. George and the Dragon has George (Gary Lockwood) steal the title sword and a magical horse and armor from his adopted mother, the sorceress Sybil (Estelle Winwood). He wants to rescue his beloved Helene (Ann Helm) from the evil wizard Dulac (Basil Rathbone) and his maiden-eating dragon. With the help of seven knights and Sir Branton (Liam Sullivan), who was originally going to rescue Helene, he sets forth to deliver his fair lady. But not only do seven curses await the noble knights, but Branton is upset about being replaced and has no intention of letting George be the hero.
Even the robots at Mystery Science Theater 3000 found this to be rather charming, especially for notorious schlock director Bert I. Gordon. Rathbone and Windwood are having a great time hamming it up, and even the bad special effects add to the fun. Worth checking out if you want your sword-and-sorcery tales on the lighter side or have grade-school-age kids with a fondness for fantasy.
The Vagabond King (1956)
The Magic Sword (1962)
Oh yes, and the second commercial for Solo: A Star Wars Story finally dropped today. I don't care what anyone else says. I think this looks like it's going to be a blast, especially Donald Glover as a pitch-perfect Lando. I loved Han's "You look great!" response to Chewie's age, too. And was that Chewie's wife Malla he was hugging briefly?
To paraphrase Han, I have a good feeling about this. ;)
Solo: A Star Wars Story Trailer #2
Saturday, April 07, 2018
Spring Cleaning and Other Super Tales
I actually spent the morning - and a lot of the day - cleaning the blinds. I've tried once or twice since I moved here to wash them, but there's eight of them, and it takes forever. It took forever even with the blind cleaner tool. In fact, it took me three hours to clean the four blinds in the living area, the one in the bathroom, and one of the three in my bedroom. I finished the other two later, after lunch...and they're all still pretty filthy. They came with the house, but I'm considering replacing them with either bamboo or narrower blinds that would be easier to clean and let more light in, or curtains that would just require being tossed in the wash.
Ran several cartoons while I worked, starting with two episodes of She-Ra. "The Sea Hawk" is a Han Solo-esque pirate who works for the Horde, but claims he doesn't belong to them. Adora makes him reconsider his stance on working with the Great Rebellion. She-Ra gets into a "Duel at Devin" when a little girl brings her to her tiny village. It's been taken over by some bullying Horde soldiers. The townspeople are too afraid to fight back...until She-Ra and one little girl encourage them to stand up for themselves.
Switched to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while continuing to struggle with the blinds. Disney's first full-length animated film tells the tale of a young princess who flees her wicked stepmother and ends up in the house of seven eccentric miners. She's a good cook, a good singer, and not a bad story teller, and they're (mostly) glad to take her in. Her stepmother the Wicked Queen is on her trail though, and she won't rest until she's eliminated the competition.
Once again had this on for the medieval/fantasy aesthetic. It's not my favorite Disney movie, but it is history, and the dwarfs, the music, and animation are all fun.
Headed out for a walk around quarter of 1. First stop was the Oaklyn Library. There was absolutely no one there but me and the librarian. The gloomy, cold, windy day was not exactly encouraging. I organized videos and shelved kids' books and moved on.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I headed a couple of blocks down to Dad and Jodie's house. For once, I caught them both at home, watching endless Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit episodes on Ion Television. Jodie invited me to a late Easter brunch at her son TJ's apartment in South Philadelphia last week. I was able to tell them that I could go. They'll pick me up tomorrow around 12:45.
Went home, watching an episode of Good Eats while having a quick lunch before returning to trying to clean the blinds. Alton has a much easier time with a notoriously fussy dessert in "Hooked on Backlava." As much as I love the Middle Eastern honey-nut-phyllo dessert, it's still too much work for me to make on my own. I'll stick to buying it from bakeries.
Finally finished the blinds around quarter after 4. Did some writing after that. Leia rides to Alderaan Manor, only to find it burned to the ground like her parents' home. She finds two of her aunt and uncle's servants, fussy butler Cyril and his mute blacksmith buddy Artello, amid the wreckage. Boba Fett, who joined the troopers, finds her. But it's Han to the rescue when Fett tells her he intends to take her and the servants back to Palpatine.
Broke at quarter of 7 to make Italian stove-top casserole for dinner, with ground turkey, zucchini, onion, and lots of shredded mozzarella cheese. Ran one of the non-holiday Garfield specials while I cooked. Garfield's imagination works overtime, dreaming himself into parodies of Airport and Jaws, among others. When Jon "saves" him and Odie from the airplane dream, Garfield is convinced they're invincible. He comes up with a spoof of spy capers that has him and Odie searching for the Banana of Bombay to test his theory.
Played a quick half-hour of Wii Sports after dinner. I'm getting a little better at tennis. I can usually get up to a bronze on hitting the ball, and my Target Practice is improving, too. I'm still having trouble timing my swing, though. I also did bowling and some golf Target Practice.
Finished off the night with Supergirl. This 1984 outing is quite different from the current TV show. The title character (Helen Slater) comes to Earth in search of the Omega Headron, an object of great power. It's ended up in the hands of carnival witch Serena (Faye Dunaway), who intends to use it to take over the world. Supergirl goes undercover as prep school kid Linda Lee in order to find out where the Omega Headron landed. She befriends her roommate Lucy Lane (Maureen Teefy), but makes an enemy of her obnoxious math teacher (Peter Cook). Against Nigel's wishes, Serena creates a love potion to make a hunky construction worker (Hart Bochner) fall in love with her...but he falls for Linda instead. Now Supergirl has to figure out how to stop Serena's plot and deal with his love-sick advances, before she ends up in the Phantom Zone with her former mentor Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) for good.
Yes, I know this isn't a great movie. It's not even a good one. I love it anyway. I have no idea what's going on with the Omega Headron, O'Toole and Cook are wasted in thankless roles, the script is the richest form of cheese, Bochner is a block of wood, and the special effects look ridiculous.
What makes the movie is Slater and Dunaway. Slater is totally convincing as the super-powered teen who can go from blond to brunette in a single bound, and it's fun to watch Dunaway chew every inch of scenery in sight as the low-level witch who thinks she's found her way to the big time. Jerry Goldsmith's lovely score is vastly underrated, too.
If you're looking for another strong female superhero or have fond memories of catching this on cable when you were a kid too, it's worth checking out and better than its reputation suggests.
Ran several cartoons while I worked, starting with two episodes of She-Ra. "The Sea Hawk" is a Han Solo-esque pirate who works for the Horde, but claims he doesn't belong to them. Adora makes him reconsider his stance on working with the Great Rebellion. She-Ra gets into a "Duel at Devin" when a little girl brings her to her tiny village. It's been taken over by some bullying Horde soldiers. The townspeople are too afraid to fight back...until She-Ra and one little girl encourage them to stand up for themselves.
Switched to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while continuing to struggle with the blinds. Disney's first full-length animated film tells the tale of a young princess who flees her wicked stepmother and ends up in the house of seven eccentric miners. She's a good cook, a good singer, and not a bad story teller, and they're (mostly) glad to take her in. Her stepmother the Wicked Queen is on her trail though, and she won't rest until she's eliminated the competition.
Once again had this on for the medieval/fantasy aesthetic. It's not my favorite Disney movie, but it is history, and the dwarfs, the music, and animation are all fun.
Headed out for a walk around quarter of 1. First stop was the Oaklyn Library. There was absolutely no one there but me and the librarian. The gloomy, cold, windy day was not exactly encouraging. I organized videos and shelved kids' books and moved on.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I headed a couple of blocks down to Dad and Jodie's house. For once, I caught them both at home, watching endless Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit episodes on Ion Television. Jodie invited me to a late Easter brunch at her son TJ's apartment in South Philadelphia last week. I was able to tell them that I could go. They'll pick me up tomorrow around 12:45.
Went home, watching an episode of Good Eats while having a quick lunch before returning to trying to clean the blinds. Alton has a much easier time with a notoriously fussy dessert in "Hooked on Backlava." As much as I love the Middle Eastern honey-nut-phyllo dessert, it's still too much work for me to make on my own. I'll stick to buying it from bakeries.
Finally finished the blinds around quarter after 4. Did some writing after that. Leia rides to Alderaan Manor, only to find it burned to the ground like her parents' home. She finds two of her aunt and uncle's servants, fussy butler Cyril and his mute blacksmith buddy Artello, amid the wreckage. Boba Fett, who joined the troopers, finds her. But it's Han to the rescue when Fett tells her he intends to take her and the servants back to Palpatine.
Broke at quarter of 7 to make Italian stove-top casserole for dinner, with ground turkey, zucchini, onion, and lots of shredded mozzarella cheese. Ran one of the non-holiday Garfield specials while I cooked. Garfield's imagination works overtime, dreaming himself into parodies of Airport and Jaws, among others. When Jon "saves" him and Odie from the airplane dream, Garfield is convinced they're invincible. He comes up with a spoof of spy capers that has him and Odie searching for the Banana of Bombay to test his theory.
Played a quick half-hour of Wii Sports after dinner. I'm getting a little better at tennis. I can usually get up to a bronze on hitting the ball, and my Target Practice is improving, too. I'm still having trouble timing my swing, though. I also did bowling and some golf Target Practice.
Finished off the night with Supergirl. This 1984 outing is quite different from the current TV show. The title character (Helen Slater) comes to Earth in search of the Omega Headron, an object of great power. It's ended up in the hands of carnival witch Serena (Faye Dunaway), who intends to use it to take over the world. Supergirl goes undercover as prep school kid Linda Lee in order to find out where the Omega Headron landed. She befriends her roommate Lucy Lane (Maureen Teefy), but makes an enemy of her obnoxious math teacher (Peter Cook). Against Nigel's wishes, Serena creates a love potion to make a hunky construction worker (Hart Bochner) fall in love with her...but he falls for Linda instead. Now Supergirl has to figure out how to stop Serena's plot and deal with his love-sick advances, before she ends up in the Phantom Zone with her former mentor Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) for good.
Yes, I know this isn't a great movie. It's not even a good one. I love it anyway. I have no idea what's going on with the Omega Headron, O'Toole and Cook are wasted in thankless roles, the script is the richest form of cheese, Bochner is a block of wood, and the special effects look ridiculous.
What makes the movie is Slater and Dunaway. Slater is totally convincing as the super-powered teen who can go from blond to brunette in a single bound, and it's fun to watch Dunaway chew every inch of scenery in sight as the low-level witch who thinks she's found her way to the big time. Jerry Goldsmith's lovely score is vastly underrated, too.
If you're looking for another strong female superhero or have fond memories of catching this on cable when you were a kid too, it's worth checking out and better than its reputation suggests.
Friday, April 06, 2018
Suddenly Springtime
Started off a cloudy day with breakfast and cartoons. It seemed like the right kind of day for the mystery-themed episode of The Backyardigans, "Whodunnit?" Detective Pablo is invited to the Lady Tasha's manor for tea with her, her butler Tyrone, and their neighbor Austin Frothingslosh. Shortly after Pablo arrives, Uniqua Underhood also shows up, claiming there's going to be a robbery. Sure enough, Lady Tasha's jewels are stolen moments later. Could the thief be Austin, who took off suddenly after the jewelry vanished? Or Tyrone the butler, who was conveniently pushed into a closet during the scuffle that lead to the disappearance of the jewels? Or maybe it's the mysterious figure running around in the moors?
Did some writing after breakfast. Kanan Jarrus is so grateful for Han and Leia rescuing him and his adopted son Ezra, he offers to fix Falcon's shoes and Leia's armor for free. Leia shows Sabine and Ezra Luke the Unicorn, while Kanan chats with Han. He seems to have some idea of who Han is, though he thinks he's incognito and only refers to him as "Solo." He does try to encourage him to return to his mother and to give Leia more of a chance.
Leia, Han, and Luke head along to Alderaan Manor later in the day. They've just come over the hill when they see a plume of smoke...and a streak of red fire in the sky. Leia races down the hill on Luke, hoping they're not too late...
Broke for lunch at 11:30. Switched to Max & Ruby while eating and getting ready for work. "Grandma's Berry Patch" is filled with berries for her special surprise recipe. Ruby loves to pick them, but her brother would rather eat them right away. Ruby and Louise are making a banner for "Ruby's Bunny Scout Parade." Max's toys are annoying at first, until they keep giving the girls ideas for things to draw on the banner. Ruby has her own mystery to solve in "Ruby's Detective Agency." Her stuffed animal Mrs. Quack has disappeared! She's hot on the trail, but Max may know more than he's telling.
By the time I headed to work at noon, the clouds were breaking up, and it was starting to get much warmer. Despite the nice day, I spent the whole time inside. While I did clean the bathrooms and bagged when it got busy, I mostly organized the last of the candy and the gift card kiosk. Got a lot done in both cases. I completely finished the candy, and hung many packs of cards on the card hooks at the registers.
I'm not that happy with my schedule next week. In good news, four days off, including Sunday and Monday (along with next Saturday for my birthday). In annoying news, I'm back to fewer hours, and the hours I do have are bunched into two 6 hours shifts on Tuesday and Friday and another 8 1/2 hour shift on Wednesday. I really wish they'd just go back to spreading my shifts out! (And I'm going to have to call the dentist's office to reschedule that cleaning appointment.)
Grocery shopping went a little better. Ground turkey was on a really good sale; I bought two packs. Decided to try the Belvita chocolate sandwich cookies, since it was on a decent sale and there was an online coupon. Bought a zucchini and shredded cheese for dinner and a small can of tomato sauce that was free with a coupon from the Acme's current Monopoly game. Took advantage of a 4-day sale and another Monopoly coupon to get Goldfish Graham Crackers really cheap, too. Restocked yogurt, mandarin oranges, grapefruit, bananas, peanut butter, skim milk, and chocolate chips. Also picked up a three-pronged cleaner covered in terry cloth that will allow me to dust the blinds without having to try to scrub them or use a rag or duster.
Finished out another Max & Ruby episode while I put everything away. "Ruby's Safari" has her and Louise looking for an "exotic" animal in their backyard for their Bunny Scouts scrapbook. Max's noisy toys keep scaring them away...but one quieter one might be good for attracting them. Ruby and Louise want to play beauty shop again, this time with fruits as "all natural" cosmetics. Ruby's brother prefers the equally natural beauty of "Max's Mud Bath." The girls are taking care of the Bunny Scouts' chameleon in "Max's Lost Lizard." When he escapes, Max enjoys watching him blend in with his surroundings.
By 6 PM, the clouds were long gone, and while it was still windy, the temperatures had soared into the mid-60's. It was now too nice to eat indoors. I went for a walk down to West Clinton Avenue and had dinner at The Square Meal, a sandwich shop that specializes in locally grown, sustainable ingredients. I ate at one of their outdoor wicker tables. It was too nice to eat inside! The roast chicken sandwich - shredded chicken with fresh greens and Vermont cheddar on a chewy ciabatta bun - was incredible. The chicken was so perfectly seasoned!
Went for a short walk down to Kendall Boulevard, then back around to Manor after dinner. Spring has finally sprung here in South Jersey. The trees are starting to show their little white flowers. Daffodils and hyacinths fill every yard. There's almost more green than yellow in lawns now.
Played some video games after I got in, starting with Wii Sports. While I can KO on the lower boxing levels and am doing somewhat better with tennis and baseball swings, I'm having a hard time with other aspects. I can't figure out timing my tennis swings or how to keep my puts low and make small ones in golf. Did better in other games; got a silver metal in the quick batting.
Moved onto Lego Star Wars around 7:30. I was able to get True Jedi on "Jabba's Palace" and "Jedi Destiny," but I had a harder time getting all the pieces on the latter. There's just one piece I can't get on "Destiny." It takes forever for me to run around the panels and light them up fast enough to get the piece.
Finished the night after a shower with another Zucker/Proft spoof, Top Secret! We move from cop satire to a goofy take on Elvis musicals and World War II movies with the tale of Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer), who is representing the US in a big music festival in East Germany. Turns out the festival is a cover for the East Germans' attempts to bring the country back together under Communist rule. He flirts with pretty spy Hilary Flammond (Lucy Gutteridge) at a big dinner, and later at the ballet. She's hoping to find her father, Dr. Paul Flammond (Michael Gough). He finds him after he lands in prison and tries to escape. He manages to get out of execution by performing a concert and escaping with Hilary, who brings him to the local resistance. It's headed by Nigel (Christopher Villers), whom she was once stranded on a deserted island with. But there's a traitor in their midst who is reporting their every move to the Germans. It'll take all of Nick's musical and physical prowess to prove he's not the traitor, get the girl, and get out of Germany with all his parts intact.
Kilmer's having a blast as the twist and shouting Elvis-esque singer in this salute to the B teen fodder of the 1950's and 60's, both spy and rock-related. If nothing else, the musical numbers are actually a lot of fun, especially the big sock hop spoof in a pizza parlor that turns into a rollicking 50's-style ensemble dance. If you love Kilmer or the other Zucker/Proft spoofs, this one is worth checking out as well.
Did some writing after breakfast. Kanan Jarrus is so grateful for Han and Leia rescuing him and his adopted son Ezra, he offers to fix Falcon's shoes and Leia's armor for free. Leia shows Sabine and Ezra Luke the Unicorn, while Kanan chats with Han. He seems to have some idea of who Han is, though he thinks he's incognito and only refers to him as "Solo." He does try to encourage him to return to his mother and to give Leia more of a chance.
Leia, Han, and Luke head along to Alderaan Manor later in the day. They've just come over the hill when they see a plume of smoke...and a streak of red fire in the sky. Leia races down the hill on Luke, hoping they're not too late...
Broke for lunch at 11:30. Switched to Max & Ruby while eating and getting ready for work. "Grandma's Berry Patch" is filled with berries for her special surprise recipe. Ruby loves to pick them, but her brother would rather eat them right away. Ruby and Louise are making a banner for "Ruby's Bunny Scout Parade." Max's toys are annoying at first, until they keep giving the girls ideas for things to draw on the banner. Ruby has her own mystery to solve in "Ruby's Detective Agency." Her stuffed animal Mrs. Quack has disappeared! She's hot on the trail, but Max may know more than he's telling.
By the time I headed to work at noon, the clouds were breaking up, and it was starting to get much warmer. Despite the nice day, I spent the whole time inside. While I did clean the bathrooms and bagged when it got busy, I mostly organized the last of the candy and the gift card kiosk. Got a lot done in both cases. I completely finished the candy, and hung many packs of cards on the card hooks at the registers.
I'm not that happy with my schedule next week. In good news, four days off, including Sunday and Monday (along with next Saturday for my birthday). In annoying news, I'm back to fewer hours, and the hours I do have are bunched into two 6 hours shifts on Tuesday and Friday and another 8 1/2 hour shift on Wednesday. I really wish they'd just go back to spreading my shifts out! (And I'm going to have to call the dentist's office to reschedule that cleaning appointment.)
Grocery shopping went a little better. Ground turkey was on a really good sale; I bought two packs. Decided to try the Belvita chocolate sandwich cookies, since it was on a decent sale and there was an online coupon. Bought a zucchini and shredded cheese for dinner and a small can of tomato sauce that was free with a coupon from the Acme's current Monopoly game. Took advantage of a 4-day sale and another Monopoly coupon to get Goldfish Graham Crackers really cheap, too. Restocked yogurt, mandarin oranges, grapefruit, bananas, peanut butter, skim milk, and chocolate chips. Also picked up a three-pronged cleaner covered in terry cloth that will allow me to dust the blinds without having to try to scrub them or use a rag or duster.
Finished out another Max & Ruby episode while I put everything away. "Ruby's Safari" has her and Louise looking for an "exotic" animal in their backyard for their Bunny Scouts scrapbook. Max's noisy toys keep scaring them away...but one quieter one might be good for attracting them. Ruby and Louise want to play beauty shop again, this time with fruits as "all natural" cosmetics. Ruby's brother prefers the equally natural beauty of "Max's Mud Bath." The girls are taking care of the Bunny Scouts' chameleon in "Max's Lost Lizard." When he escapes, Max enjoys watching him blend in with his surroundings.
By 6 PM, the clouds were long gone, and while it was still windy, the temperatures had soared into the mid-60's. It was now too nice to eat indoors. I went for a walk down to West Clinton Avenue and had dinner at The Square Meal, a sandwich shop that specializes in locally grown, sustainable ingredients. I ate at one of their outdoor wicker tables. It was too nice to eat inside! The roast chicken sandwich - shredded chicken with fresh greens and Vermont cheddar on a chewy ciabatta bun - was incredible. The chicken was so perfectly seasoned!
Went for a short walk down to Kendall Boulevard, then back around to Manor after dinner. Spring has finally sprung here in South Jersey. The trees are starting to show their little white flowers. Daffodils and hyacinths fill every yard. There's almost more green than yellow in lawns now.
Played some video games after I got in, starting with Wii Sports. While I can KO on the lower boxing levels and am doing somewhat better with tennis and baseball swings, I'm having a hard time with other aspects. I can't figure out timing my tennis swings or how to keep my puts low and make small ones in golf. Did better in other games; got a silver metal in the quick batting.
Moved onto Lego Star Wars around 7:30. I was able to get True Jedi on "Jabba's Palace" and "Jedi Destiny," but I had a harder time getting all the pieces on the latter. There's just one piece I can't get on "Destiny." It takes forever for me to run around the panels and light them up fast enough to get the piece.
Finished the night after a shower with another Zucker/Proft spoof, Top Secret! We move from cop satire to a goofy take on Elvis musicals and World War II movies with the tale of Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer), who is representing the US in a big music festival in East Germany. Turns out the festival is a cover for the East Germans' attempts to bring the country back together under Communist rule. He flirts with pretty spy Hilary Flammond (Lucy Gutteridge) at a big dinner, and later at the ballet. She's hoping to find her father, Dr. Paul Flammond (Michael Gough). He finds him after he lands in prison and tries to escape. He manages to get out of execution by performing a concert and escaping with Hilary, who brings him to the local resistance. It's headed by Nigel (Christopher Villers), whom she was once stranded on a deserted island with. But there's a traitor in their midst who is reporting their every move to the Germans. It'll take all of Nick's musical and physical prowess to prove he's not the traitor, get the girl, and get out of Germany with all his parts intact.
Kilmer's having a blast as the twist and shouting Elvis-esque singer in this salute to the B teen fodder of the 1950's and 60's, both spy and rock-related. If nothing else, the musical numbers are actually a lot of fun, especially the big sock hop spoof in a pizza parlor that turns into a rollicking 50's-style ensemble dance. If you love Kilmer or the other Zucker/Proft spoofs, this one is worth checking out as well.
Thursday, April 05, 2018
The Guardians and the Future King
Began a cloudy morning with lemon ginger pancakes and one of the funnier Sailor Moon episodes to cheer me up before a long day at work. When the Sailor Guardians are under the weather, it's Nurse Minako to the rescue in "Venus: Minako's Nurse Mayhem!" Minako's attempts to take care of them just cause chaos rather than making things better. When she and Chibi-Usa go to the hospital to get drugs, they discover that it's all a Dark Moon plot...and that even when they're sick, the Guardians still have each other's backs.
Minako's cat Artemis is tired of Luna teasing him about his clumsiness in "Artemis' Adventure: The Monster Animal Kingdom." Determined to prove that he's able to handle an assignment on his own, he follows a man who has been rounding up stray animals for a local shelter. The man and the animals were targeted by the Dark Moon Kingdom and are attacking everyone in sight, including Artemis.
Today was my eight and a half hour day. I wasn't looking forward to it. On one hand, I managed to get two carts of returns done this morning and did get about half the candy done. I wish I'd had more time to do both. We were on-and-off busy all day, a lot more than I thought we would be. We had a tiny snow shower this morning...but once those clouds vanished, we were sunny and blustery all day. This morning was also the second championship parade in three months in Philadelphia, this time for college basketball champs Villanova. Once the parade ended around noon, a lot of people who were off for the day may have gone shopping. Not to mention, it's still the beginning of the month. I even got stuck in the register a few times because we simply didn't have enough people to deal with the lines. Spent most of the last couple of hours doing carts and the outside trash.
When I got home, I did one last Sailor Moon episode while eating leftovers for dinner and making Chocolate Coconut Almond Bars. Backed up a few episodes for "Magic of Darkness: Esmeraude's Invasion." Esmeraude, with her annoying laugh and vain and spoiled attitude, replaces Rubeus as the main villain for the next couple of episodes. She takes over a pastry shop in the Guardians' neighborhood that's offering free goodies, turning everyone into icing and using cake to bind the Guardians! It takes a little help from Sailor Mercury to freeze her sugary plans.
Did some Wii Sports after the bars were in the oven. Doing carts in heavy wind wore me out too much for boxing. I mainly focused on tennis and golf. I just can't aim the darn ball! It's a problem with baseball too, and bowling to a lesser degree. I can hit...but I can't seem to time my hits or swings right. I do well when I'm just hitting the ball onto the green or a target in golf, or bowling to hit spares or pins. But I just can't seem to aim the ball right in tennis, and I have trouble with timing my swings in baseball.
Switched to Lego Star Wars for a few quick rounds. Finally figured out how to get that one last piece in "Defense of Kashyyak" and got True Jedi on "Escape From Echo Base."
Finished the night with The Sword and the Stone, Disney's retelling of the early days of King Arthur. Arthur, or Wart, as he's known to his guardian Sir Ector, is a page and scullery boy who is hoping to become a squire. He encounters the eccentric wizard Merlin while retrieving his brother Kay's arrow. Merlin knows everything...including Arthur's future. He's determined to teach the boy everything he needs to know to be a good king, including turning him into animals and scaring the living daylights out of Ector with his spells. At one point, they even encounter wacky Madam Mim, a witch who can also turn herself into animals, and get involved in a Wizard's Duel with her. Arthur does finally become a squire, to the disappointment of Merlin, who wants him to focus on his studies. It's his squire job, however, that leads Arthur to the famous sword of the title...and to his future as the rightful king of England.
This is one of Mom's favorite Disney movies, but I'm not as big on it as she is. The plot meanders, and when you get down to it, neither the animal shenanigans nor the entire sequence with Madam Mim have much to do with teaching Arthur what he'll need to know when he's king. The animation is ok for the era but not spectacular.
Separate it from the rest of the movie, though, and that "Wizard's Duel" and Madam Mim herself are by far the best part of the film. Mim is a burst of wacky air in slightly dull surroundings, and the scene itself is one of the funniest in any Disney film. There's also some decent Sherman Brothers songs, including "Higltus Figltus" and "That's What Makes the World Go 'Round." And while it may not have taught Arthur much about ruling a kingdom, the sequence with him and the girl squirrel actually ends up being rather touching.
Not bad if you're looking for an animated movie for older boys or have fond memories of seeing this in the theater or on cable or video like Mom does.
Minako's cat Artemis is tired of Luna teasing him about his clumsiness in "Artemis' Adventure: The Monster Animal Kingdom." Determined to prove that he's able to handle an assignment on his own, he follows a man who has been rounding up stray animals for a local shelter. The man and the animals were targeted by the Dark Moon Kingdom and are attacking everyone in sight, including Artemis.
Today was my eight and a half hour day. I wasn't looking forward to it. On one hand, I managed to get two carts of returns done this morning and did get about half the candy done. I wish I'd had more time to do both. We were on-and-off busy all day, a lot more than I thought we would be. We had a tiny snow shower this morning...but once those clouds vanished, we were sunny and blustery all day. This morning was also the second championship parade in three months in Philadelphia, this time for college basketball champs Villanova. Once the parade ended around noon, a lot of people who were off for the day may have gone shopping. Not to mention, it's still the beginning of the month. I even got stuck in the register a few times because we simply didn't have enough people to deal with the lines. Spent most of the last couple of hours doing carts and the outside trash.
When I got home, I did one last Sailor Moon episode while eating leftovers for dinner and making Chocolate Coconut Almond Bars. Backed up a few episodes for "Magic of Darkness: Esmeraude's Invasion." Esmeraude, with her annoying laugh and vain and spoiled attitude, replaces Rubeus as the main villain for the next couple of episodes. She takes over a pastry shop in the Guardians' neighborhood that's offering free goodies, turning everyone into icing and using cake to bind the Guardians! It takes a little help from Sailor Mercury to freeze her sugary plans.
Did some Wii Sports after the bars were in the oven. Doing carts in heavy wind wore me out too much for boxing. I mainly focused on tennis and golf. I just can't aim the darn ball! It's a problem with baseball too, and bowling to a lesser degree. I can hit...but I can't seem to time my hits or swings right. I do well when I'm just hitting the ball onto the green or a target in golf, or bowling to hit spares or pins. But I just can't seem to aim the ball right in tennis, and I have trouble with timing my swings in baseball.
Switched to Lego Star Wars for a few quick rounds. Finally figured out how to get that one last piece in "Defense of Kashyyak" and got True Jedi on "Escape From Echo Base."
Finished the night with The Sword and the Stone, Disney's retelling of the early days of King Arthur. Arthur, or Wart, as he's known to his guardian Sir Ector, is a page and scullery boy who is hoping to become a squire. He encounters the eccentric wizard Merlin while retrieving his brother Kay's arrow. Merlin knows everything...including Arthur's future. He's determined to teach the boy everything he needs to know to be a good king, including turning him into animals and scaring the living daylights out of Ector with his spells. At one point, they even encounter wacky Madam Mim, a witch who can also turn herself into animals, and get involved in a Wizard's Duel with her. Arthur does finally become a squire, to the disappointment of Merlin, who wants him to focus on his studies. It's his squire job, however, that leads Arthur to the famous sword of the title...and to his future as the rightful king of England.
This is one of Mom's favorite Disney movies, but I'm not as big on it as she is. The plot meanders, and when you get down to it, neither the animal shenanigans nor the entire sequence with Madam Mim have much to do with teaching Arthur what he'll need to know when he's king. The animation is ok for the era but not spectacular.
Separate it from the rest of the movie, though, and that "Wizard's Duel" and Madam Mim herself are by far the best part of the film. Mim is a burst of wacky air in slightly dull surroundings, and the scene itself is one of the funniest in any Disney film. There's also some decent Sherman Brothers songs, including "Higltus Figltus" and "That's What Makes the World Go 'Round." And while it may not have taught Arthur much about ruling a kingdom, the sequence with him and the girl squirrel actually ends up being rather touching.
Not bad if you're looking for an animated movie for older boys or have fond memories of seeing this in the theater or on cable or video like Mom does.
Wednesday, April 04, 2018
Laundry In the Rain
It was late when I finally got moving this morning. The sun was still shining as I had my breakfast while watching the second season Monkees episode "The Wild Monkees." The guys find themselves railroaded into working for peanuts at a sleepy hotel by its rather obnoxious owner. They're happier about their situation when three very tall and lovely motorcycle chicks check in...at least until their vicious biker gang boyfriends appear. Trying to avoid being pounded into the pavement, the Monkees opt to join a local motorcycle race instead.
Headed out to the laundromat as soon as the episode ended. Even as I made my way there, dark clouds were moving in. It was warm and humid for April, and very windy. Thankfully, I was long inside before the storm came. The lights even flickered briefly while they were in the dryer, though they never went out. Of course, by the time the dryer was done, the storm was coming down in full force. Good thing it didn't last long. The moment it slowed down, I rushed home.
After I put everything away, I had a quick lunch, then did some cleaning. Scrubbed the bathroom while listening to a couple of my Have a Nice Day! 70's rarities CDs. Switched to the Broadway cast album of The Drowsy Chaperone while doing the kitchen. A huge musical fan tells the audience about his favorite 20's show, the title show-within-a-show. The title character is the tipsy chaperone of Janet (Sutton Foster), a big stage star who is on the verge of getting married. While ditzy Mrs. Tottenham (Georgina Engel) tries to help the groom's best friend get the wedding on the road, Janet's boss, the head of Feldzig's Follies, wants his star attraction back on the job and tries to get the wedding canceled.
Spent a few hours writing after I finished the kitchen. Leia and Han see troops riding through town leading people in chains. Turns out that they're magicians who are being taken to Coruscant for Palpatine to strip them of their magic. Leia follows them to a small farm, where a group of them try to take away a man and his son who have magic. Leia and Han help the mother, daughter, and their big friend get rid of the troops.
Threw on a Three Stooges short while eating the last of the quiche for dinner. "Grips, Grunts, and Groans" have the trio helping a wrestling promoter get his boy ready for the big show. When they accidentally get the wrestler drunk, Curly replaces him in the ring. He's definitely not John Cena...until he gets a whiff of Wild Hyacinth perfume and starts attacking the opposition and everyone in sight!
Played Wii Sports for an hour. I did a lot of boxing tonight to make up for not having gotten out earlier. Got KOs on all three regular rounds I played and beat my personal best on the bags. I still need to work on Dodging and aiming for targets. I also need to work on my timing on tennis and baseball. I just can't seem to time my swing or my bat properly. The ball goes off to the side instead of where I want it to go.
Finished the night with Singin' In the Rain. It's 1929, and Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are Monumental Pictures' biggest stars. Lina may be attractive, but she has a voice that could curdle yogurt and a diva personality to match. Don's more interested in Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), whom he met when she accidentally "rescued" him after he had to dodge overly adoring fans. Even as Don pursues Kathy, sound is taking Hollywood by storm. Trouble is, between early sound headaches and Lina's screechy voice, their first talkie is a disaster. Don's friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) suggests making it into a musical, with Kathy dubbing Lina. That works fine, until jealous flapper actress Zelda Zanders (Rita Moreno) lets the cat out of the bag. Lina not only wants Kathy to stay her voice, but wouldn't mind getting her hands on the studio, either. Don and Cosmo have to reveal the truth about Lina without doing further damage to Kathy's career.
This is one of the best musicals ever made, and is considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time, period. Certainly, it has some of my favorite numbers from any MGM musical. In addition to Kelly's famous title romp in the rain, we have the joyous trio "Good Morning," O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" that was so wild, he ended up in the hospital for exhaustion, and O'Connor and Kelly's fun duos "Fit as a Fiddle" and "Moses Supposes." If you're a fan of the cast or musicals in general, this beloved charmer is an absolute must-see.
Headed out to the laundromat as soon as the episode ended. Even as I made my way there, dark clouds were moving in. It was warm and humid for April, and very windy. Thankfully, I was long inside before the storm came. The lights even flickered briefly while they were in the dryer, though they never went out. Of course, by the time the dryer was done, the storm was coming down in full force. Good thing it didn't last long. The moment it slowed down, I rushed home.
After I put everything away, I had a quick lunch, then did some cleaning. Scrubbed the bathroom while listening to a couple of my Have a Nice Day! 70's rarities CDs. Switched to the Broadway cast album of The Drowsy Chaperone while doing the kitchen. A huge musical fan tells the audience about his favorite 20's show, the title show-within-a-show. The title character is the tipsy chaperone of Janet (Sutton Foster), a big stage star who is on the verge of getting married. While ditzy Mrs. Tottenham (Georgina Engel) tries to help the groom's best friend get the wedding on the road, Janet's boss, the head of Feldzig's Follies, wants his star attraction back on the job and tries to get the wedding canceled.
Spent a few hours writing after I finished the kitchen. Leia and Han see troops riding through town leading people in chains. Turns out that they're magicians who are being taken to Coruscant for Palpatine to strip them of their magic. Leia follows them to a small farm, where a group of them try to take away a man and his son who have magic. Leia and Han help the mother, daughter, and their big friend get rid of the troops.
Threw on a Three Stooges short while eating the last of the quiche for dinner. "Grips, Grunts, and Groans" have the trio helping a wrestling promoter get his boy ready for the big show. When they accidentally get the wrestler drunk, Curly replaces him in the ring. He's definitely not John Cena...until he gets a whiff of Wild Hyacinth perfume and starts attacking the opposition and everyone in sight!
Played Wii Sports for an hour. I did a lot of boxing tonight to make up for not having gotten out earlier. Got KOs on all three regular rounds I played and beat my personal best on the bags. I still need to work on Dodging and aiming for targets. I also need to work on my timing on tennis and baseball. I just can't seem to time my swing or my bat properly. The ball goes off to the side instead of where I want it to go.
Finished the night with Singin' In the Rain. It's 1929, and Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are Monumental Pictures' biggest stars. Lina may be attractive, but she has a voice that could curdle yogurt and a diva personality to match. Don's more interested in Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), whom he met when she accidentally "rescued" him after he had to dodge overly adoring fans. Even as Don pursues Kathy, sound is taking Hollywood by storm. Trouble is, between early sound headaches and Lina's screechy voice, their first talkie is a disaster. Don's friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) suggests making it into a musical, with Kathy dubbing Lina. That works fine, until jealous flapper actress Zelda Zanders (Rita Moreno) lets the cat out of the bag. Lina not only wants Kathy to stay her voice, but wouldn't mind getting her hands on the studio, either. Don and Cosmo have to reveal the truth about Lina without doing further damage to Kathy's career.
This is one of the best musicals ever made, and is considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time, period. Certainly, it has some of my favorite numbers from any MGM musical. In addition to Kelly's famous title romp in the rain, we have the joyous trio "Good Morning," O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" that was so wild, he ended up in the hospital for exhaustion, and O'Connor and Kelly's fun duos "Fit as a Fiddle" and "Moses Supposes." If you're a fan of the cast or musicals in general, this beloved charmer is an absolute must-see.
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