Began a gorgeous morning with breakfast and What's New, Scooby Doo? I didn't realize I'd missed "Camp Comeoniwannascareya." Shaggy and Scooby are on their own as counselors at a kids' summer camp. They're having a great time, until one of the kids tells them the story of "The Toxic Terror" and the creature shows up in their cabin. But they may not be the real targets, as the camp is being hounded by an obnoxious businessman who wants to turn it into a resort for adults.
Hurried out as soon as the cartoon ended. Stopped at WaWa long enough to get money and grab their mocha cappuccino before dashing across the White Horse Pike to get my laundry done. There were a few people when I got in, including a mother with a son watching some cartoon on his iPad. I worked on story notes and half-listened to the talk shows on TV and whatever it was that the kid was watching.
Rushed home and put everything away, then watched more Scooby while having a really quick lunch. "Reef Grief" takes the gang to a beach in Australia, where Shaggy and Scooby have entered a sand sculpture contest. The show is put on hold when a strange creature made of coral attacks the beach-goers and the contestants disappear beneath the sand. The gang try to figure out what's going on, before their favorite beatnik and his dog vanish, too.
After all that rushing around this morning, work was actually pretty quiet. Though I did sweep the story twice and return items, I was mainly outside, gathering carts and recycling. I wanted to be. It was much too nice to be inside! Not to mention, it was pretty dead for a Saturday. Everyone must have been on vacation or out for an outing, enjoying the mid-80's temperatures, cool winds, and lack of humidity.
Next week's schedule is actually pretty good. I work early all week, mainly because the head bagger is on vacation. The early Sunday is a little annoying, but that also means I'll get out early. Otherwise, I'm in at 9 every other day, Monday and next Saturday off.
It was so nice, I figured I might as well get my grocery shopping done today instead of tomorrow. Ground turkey was on a decent sale, so I also grabbed tortillas and salsa and decided to have tacos sometime this weekend. Took advantage of a big sale to pick up two boxes of Honey Maid graham crackers and Triscuits. Haagen Daas is on a weekend sale, and I had an online coupon for their new Trio Crispy Layers. Pepperidge Farm Goldfish were on a dollar sale; grabbed the pretzel variety. Fished buckwheat honey and a jar of Smuckers Fruit and Honey jam off the clearance shelves. Had a coupon for Blue Diamond Almonds. Restocked eggs, yogurt, turkey hot dogs, and pudding mix.
Went home and put away my groceries, then did some writing. Yoda insists on Luke running through the frozen swamp every day. When Luke stops to get his breath, he asks the old man about the differences between the darker and lighter powers. Yoda explains that the dark magic is corrupted light magic...like Vader's. Luke, having caught his breath, is about to head to his job at a comics shop when he sees something among the icicles and vines in the mire...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while finishing out What's New, Scooby Doo? "E-scream" puts Velma in the spotlight as the gang heads to a video game convention. She's more interested in her books, until she runs into her old professor who created the popular "Osomons" game and is working on a virtual reality mystery game. As he shows Velma the virtual reality game, his new toy Osomons attack the convention! The gang leaps into action...but they're acting very out of character, and Velma suspects that the attack of the tiny critters aren't the real story here.
And that was that. I skipped a couple of episodes that I'd seen first-run or on other collections. I've always enjoyed this one. It's probably the best 21st century incarnation of Scooby Doo along with Mystery Incorporated. It's considerably lighter than that later show while still trying some different things with the formula. Particularly in the last season, the villain will often be someone who isn't who you expect, a child or young adult who is trying to scare someone into listening to them or promoting an idol, or just someone who is trying to scare someone without actually being a criminal.
My biggest problem is this hasn't always dated well. Some of the celebrities they refer to, either directly or as a thinly-veiled satire, are barely remembered almost twenty years later. This is particularly a problem with the music groups. I had to look up Lindsay Pagiano from "Riva Ros Regas" to confirm that yes, she was a mildly popular singer in the early 2000's. The animation is colorful but otherwise nothing special, especially compared to some of the CGI effects in Mystery Incorporated.
Which Scooby you prefer really depends on what you grew up with or what you're looking for in a cartoon. If you have grade school-age kids who'll enjoy the gang's antics or grew up when this was on Kids' WB in the early 2000's, this is worth checking out.
Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. I got soooo close on the Empire Strikes Back Super Story! I missed it in the last few minutes of "Betrayal at Bespin." I may give it one more shot tomorrow.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Friday, August 09, 2019
Thursday, August 08, 2019
Busy Summertime
Yikes! I overslept this morning and had just enough time to write in my journal, get dressed, have a quick breakfast, and watch another episode of What's New, Scooby Doo? Though I saw it when it was first run, I couldn't resist "A Terrifying Round With a Menacing Metallic Clown." Shaggy takes command for once when a clown obstacle at a mini-golf tournament comes to life and starts abducting golfers. Shaggy's entered in the tournament and is hoping to retain his title. Velma, on the other hand, is terrified of clowns after a childhood incident (shown in the style of the "babyfied" 80's Scooby show A Pup Named Scooby Doo) and hangs around eating with Scooby.
Rushed off to work as soon as the cartoon finished. Thankfully, unlike yesterday, I was mostly able to spend the day outside, gathering carts. I did do a few returns early on and rounded up trash, but the head bagger came in later and did the bathrooms. I swept for her while she was doing something else. Other than running into a few grouchy people, there were no problems whatsoever.
Went straight home after work. Changed and got organized while watching the next Scooby episode. The "Block Long Hong Kong Horror" is a dragon who has stolen a precious candy ring from a toy store. The gang searches for the dragon and the ring, while Shaggy and Scooby look for someone to repair Shaggy's favorite rubber duck and Shaggy becomes interested in a pretty acrobat.
First stop after I went back out was at Phillies Phatties for lunch. It was past 1:30 by then, and there were a couple of people inside, enjoying the tail end of the lunch hour. I had a slice of mushroom pizza, a slice of my favorite "margarita" (basil and mozzarella on tomato), and a can of Cherry Vanilla Pepsi. Enjoyed my meal while watching what I believe to be the Dreamworks cartoon show Trollhunters of Arcadia.
Took the long way to Westmont across Newton Lake Park. While it was killer humid, it was also sunny, breezy, and not ridiculously hot for August, probably in the mid-80's. Surprisingly, despite the nice day and the wind rustling through the dark green leaves, the only folks I ran into at the park were Canadian geese.
The Haddon Township Library was much busier. They finally got new, wider metal shelves for the kids' DVD collection. Those had mostly been shelved, but there were piles of adult titles to put away. I still have movies I haven't watched at home and didn't take any out, but I did take out a young adult fantasy novel about a young girl and her adventures in the desert and the next Bryant and May book, Bryant & May Off the Rails.
It was so late when I got out, I limited my stops on the way home to grabbing a Dasani Sparkling Water at Target. Everyone must be on vacation this week. Despite it being the height of rush hour, the traffic wasn't bad going home, even on Cuthbert.
Worked on writing for a while when I got in. Yoda wants to take Luke out to the swamps for a run. Rudy doesn't think that's a good idea with a storm coming, but Yoda thinks it'll be good for Luke to be out in the fresh air...
Didn't break for dinner until 7, when I had leftovers and watched more Scooby. "Gold Paw" once again reunites the kids with the Secret Six puppies, who are visiting Fort Knox. A monster that seems to be made of gold is running around the place, kidnapping military men and puppies alike. Fred and the girls try to figure out what this golden fiend is after. Shaggy and Scooby are more interested in helping to keep their favorite soda, Goldade, in business.
Played Lego Star Wars after dinner. I got so close to finishing the Super Story for Empire Strikes Back, but I just couldn't get through the last round. I'll either give it another shot tomorrow, or try to do "Hoth Battle."
Finished the night with You Can't Run Away From It. I go into more details on this remake of It Happened One Night at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
You Can't Run Away From It
Rushed off to work as soon as the cartoon finished. Thankfully, unlike yesterday, I was mostly able to spend the day outside, gathering carts. I did do a few returns early on and rounded up trash, but the head bagger came in later and did the bathrooms. I swept for her while she was doing something else. Other than running into a few grouchy people, there were no problems whatsoever.
Went straight home after work. Changed and got organized while watching the next Scooby episode. The "Block Long Hong Kong Horror" is a dragon who has stolen a precious candy ring from a toy store. The gang searches for the dragon and the ring, while Shaggy and Scooby look for someone to repair Shaggy's favorite rubber duck and Shaggy becomes interested in a pretty acrobat.
First stop after I went back out was at Phillies Phatties for lunch. It was past 1:30 by then, and there were a couple of people inside, enjoying the tail end of the lunch hour. I had a slice of mushroom pizza, a slice of my favorite "margarita" (basil and mozzarella on tomato), and a can of Cherry Vanilla Pepsi. Enjoyed my meal while watching what I believe to be the Dreamworks cartoon show Trollhunters of Arcadia.
Took the long way to Westmont across Newton Lake Park. While it was killer humid, it was also sunny, breezy, and not ridiculously hot for August, probably in the mid-80's. Surprisingly, despite the nice day and the wind rustling through the dark green leaves, the only folks I ran into at the park were Canadian geese.
The Haddon Township Library was much busier. They finally got new, wider metal shelves for the kids' DVD collection. Those had mostly been shelved, but there were piles of adult titles to put away. I still have movies I haven't watched at home and didn't take any out, but I did take out a young adult fantasy novel about a young girl and her adventures in the desert and the next Bryant and May book, Bryant & May Off the Rails.
It was so late when I got out, I limited my stops on the way home to grabbing a Dasani Sparkling Water at Target. Everyone must be on vacation this week. Despite it being the height of rush hour, the traffic wasn't bad going home, even on Cuthbert.
Worked on writing for a while when I got in. Yoda wants to take Luke out to the swamps for a run. Rudy doesn't think that's a good idea with a storm coming, but Yoda thinks it'll be good for Luke to be out in the fresh air...
Didn't break for dinner until 7, when I had leftovers and watched more Scooby. "Gold Paw" once again reunites the kids with the Secret Six puppies, who are visiting Fort Knox. A monster that seems to be made of gold is running around the place, kidnapping military men and puppies alike. Fred and the girls try to figure out what this golden fiend is after. Shaggy and Scooby are more interested in helping to keep their favorite soda, Goldade, in business.
Played Lego Star Wars after dinner. I got so close to finishing the Super Story for Empire Strikes Back, but I just couldn't get through the last round. I'll either give it another shot tomorrow, or try to do "Hoth Battle."
Finished the night with You Can't Run Away From It. I go into more details on this remake of It Happened One Night at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
You Can't Run Away From It
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Home Before the Storm
It was still cloudy and hazy when I rolled out of bed this morning. Had a quick breakfast and got ready for work while watching What's New, Scooby Doo? "Ready to Scare" takes the gang to Paris, where they learn that Daphne's cousin Danika, who is up for Model of the Year, was abducted by a moving gargoyle. While Fred and the girls search for clues in the catacombs under the city, Shaggy and Scooby befriend a bell ringer who closely resembles a certain Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Work was a bit of a pain. I did manage to get the carts done, but I wasn't able to really finish much of anything else. I was the only bagger this morning, and I kept getting called away to do this, that, and the other thing. I must have cleaned the bathrooms at least three times, including twice in an hour. They wanted me to stay - there had been call-outs. I did stay an extra half-hour to finish sweeping the store (and because 9 to 3 makes more sense than 9 to 2:30 anyway). Grabbed a Califa almond milk (it was on clearance, and I had a store coupon) and a soft pretzel and hurried out.
Dark clouds were gathering, even as I rushed home. Thankfully, it waited until I was long upstairs and having a snack to start raining. That first storm was brief, but a bigger, even darker one showed up around 5:30. I did a little writing while the dark clouds massed on the horizon and the storms lashed my windows. Luke is standing on his hands while Yoda looks on, making sure his stance is right. Rudy's wondering just what he's doing to the kid, but Yoda has his reasons...
Broke for dinner at quarter after 6. Had leftovers while doing more Scooby. The gang is "Farmed and Dangerous" when they visit a farm owned by the man who also owns the prize-winning puppies from "Homeward Hound." A ghostly scarecrow attacks the farm and seems to be after the puppies...but his real interest may be in the owner's unusual crop.
Real-life hockey star Brett Hull guest stars in "Diamonds are a Ghoul's Best Friend." He's playing as the captain of the American team at a hockey tournament in Russia. Velma is a hockey nut and is thrilled to see him play, she's less happy when he's accused of stealing the winner's cup studded with diamonds. The gang has to dodge a frozen hockey monster to find the real culprit.
Moved on to Lego Star Wars as the storm wound down after dinner. Once again, it took three tries, but I finally completed the very long "Dagobah" round. Now I just need to figure out "Hoth Battle" and do the Super Story, and that'll finish Empire Strikes Back.
Finished the night with Bad Times at the El Royale. The second 60's-set movie I've watched in a row takes place at the title hotel in Reno, once the most swinging resort in town until it lost its gambling license. A motley assortment of humanity find themselves on the run there on a rainy night in 1969. Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Ervio) is a singer whose career is going nowhere. Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has reasons for being there that are hardly religious. Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm) claims he's a salesman, but he's definitely not what he says he is, either. Emily Summersong (Dakota Johnson) is more interested in finding her sister Rose (Cailee Spaeny), who has joined a cult lead by the charismatic but dangerous Billy Lee (Chris Helmsworth). Young clerk Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman) has been keeping an eye on the comings and goings...and he may have seen more than a few things of interest to Flynn, Billy, and even the FBI.
Interesting serio-comic thriller with a great all-star cast having fun with the fairly dark material. It's nothing really heavy, and quick editing can sometimes make things hard to follow, but if you love the cast, historical-set thrillers, or the music of this era, it's worth checking out.
Work was a bit of a pain. I did manage to get the carts done, but I wasn't able to really finish much of anything else. I was the only bagger this morning, and I kept getting called away to do this, that, and the other thing. I must have cleaned the bathrooms at least three times, including twice in an hour. They wanted me to stay - there had been call-outs. I did stay an extra half-hour to finish sweeping the store (and because 9 to 3 makes more sense than 9 to 2:30 anyway). Grabbed a Califa almond milk (it was on clearance, and I had a store coupon) and a soft pretzel and hurried out.
Dark clouds were gathering, even as I rushed home. Thankfully, it waited until I was long upstairs and having a snack to start raining. That first storm was brief, but a bigger, even darker one showed up around 5:30. I did a little writing while the dark clouds massed on the horizon and the storms lashed my windows. Luke is standing on his hands while Yoda looks on, making sure his stance is right. Rudy's wondering just what he's doing to the kid, but Yoda has his reasons...
Broke for dinner at quarter after 6. Had leftovers while doing more Scooby. The gang is "Farmed and Dangerous" when they visit a farm owned by the man who also owns the prize-winning puppies from "Homeward Hound." A ghostly scarecrow attacks the farm and seems to be after the puppies...but his real interest may be in the owner's unusual crop.
Real-life hockey star Brett Hull guest stars in "Diamonds are a Ghoul's Best Friend." He's playing as the captain of the American team at a hockey tournament in Russia. Velma is a hockey nut and is thrilled to see him play, she's less happy when he's accused of stealing the winner's cup studded with diamonds. The gang has to dodge a frozen hockey monster to find the real culprit.
Moved on to Lego Star Wars as the storm wound down after dinner. Once again, it took three tries, but I finally completed the very long "Dagobah" round. Now I just need to figure out "Hoth Battle" and do the Super Story, and that'll finish Empire Strikes Back.
Finished the night with Bad Times at the El Royale. The second 60's-set movie I've watched in a row takes place at the title hotel in Reno, once the most swinging resort in town until it lost its gambling license. A motley assortment of humanity find themselves on the run there on a rainy night in 1969. Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Ervio) is a singer whose career is going nowhere. Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has reasons for being there that are hardly religious. Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm) claims he's a salesman, but he's definitely not what he says he is, either. Emily Summersong (Dakota Johnson) is more interested in finding her sister Rose (Cailee Spaeny), who has joined a cult lead by the charismatic but dangerous Billy Lee (Chris Helmsworth). Young clerk Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman) has been keeping an eye on the comings and goings...and he may have seen more than a few things of interest to Flynn, Billy, and even the FBI.
Interesting serio-comic thriller with a great all-star cast having fun with the fairly dark material. It's nothing really heavy, and quick editing can sometimes make things hard to follow, but if you love the cast, historical-set thrillers, or the music of this era, it's worth checking out.
Tuesday, August 06, 2019
Friends and Lovers and Meddling Kids
It was cloudy and humid when I rolled out of bed this morning. After breakfast, I continued the cleaning. Got the kitchen done. I ate at home a lot last month, so I really needed to be done. The sink was especially grimy. Watched Let's Do It Again while I worked. I go further into this 1953 musical remake of The Awful Truth on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Let's Do It Again (1953)
Rushed to work after eating a quick lunch and dropping my DVDs and donations at the Oaklyn Library. Work was a bit of a pain. I thought it was going to rain, so I spent the first hour rushing around, trying to gather as many carts as I could. I'd just finished that when I was called to mop up the overflowing freezer again. I had barely gotten started there when the head manager wanted me to take a register, despite dealing with the freezer mess at the same time! Thankfully, once the lunch rush hour ended, so did our customers. We weren't busy the rest of the day. I had to take one more customer, but only for a few minutes. I mostly shelved candy after break.
(By the way, it never did rain. By the time I headed home, the clouds were gone, and it was hot, sunny, and killer humid.)
When I got home, I had a snack, then worked on writing. Vedder loses his temper and chokes Ahsoka, until she brings up his ex-wife Patti. He claims she's dead, but they both know better.
Meanwhile, Luke is at the Dagobah YMCA, working on his handstands with Yoda while Rudy paints the walls. Luke's not sure what he's doing there, but Yoda knows where the real strength lies...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched another episode of What's New, Scooby Doo? while eating leftovers. "Wrestle Maniacs" parodies the popularity of WCW and WWE in the early millennium. Fred's thrilled when they go to a huge wrestling show to see his favorite players, and his enthusasim doesn't dull when the show is attacked by mutant ghost of a wrestler who was twisted to death. While Shaggy and Scooby befriend a retired player, the others try to keep this monstrous brawler from attacking the current champ.
Moved on to Lego Star Wars after dinner. Finally got through "Escape from Echo Base," which brings me down to two blue miniki challenges I haven't done in Empire Strikes Back. Tried "Hoth Battle," but couldn't get far. I'll give it another go tomorrow.
Finished the night with Green Book, this year's Oscar-winning Best Picture. Frank "Tony the Lip" Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) is a bouncer from the Bronx who takes a job driving African-American concert pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) around in the Deep South for a tour. The working-class Italian American and wealthy musician learn a great deal about friendship, class and race differences, and working as a team when Frank stands up for his friend when he's discriminated against in clubs and bars in the South, and Don smooths things over with Frank's temper and makes sure he gets home on Christmas Eve.
Aww, I really liked this one. Sweet and tough, this has a lot of interesting things to say about the divides between race and class in the US, even now. Ali won a Supporting Actor Oscar as the musician whose education has cut him off from both white and black lower classes; Mortensen is almost as good as the working stiff who comes to admire and respect him. There were some complaints about other aspects of Shirley's life besides his musical side not being really developed and about Frank coming to Shirley's rescue a little too often, but for the most part, this is a really interesting and touching story about an unusual friendship that gets a major recommendation from me.
Let's Do It Again (1953)
Rushed to work after eating a quick lunch and dropping my DVDs and donations at the Oaklyn Library. Work was a bit of a pain. I thought it was going to rain, so I spent the first hour rushing around, trying to gather as many carts as I could. I'd just finished that when I was called to mop up the overflowing freezer again. I had barely gotten started there when the head manager wanted me to take a register, despite dealing with the freezer mess at the same time! Thankfully, once the lunch rush hour ended, so did our customers. We weren't busy the rest of the day. I had to take one more customer, but only for a few minutes. I mostly shelved candy after break.
(By the way, it never did rain. By the time I headed home, the clouds were gone, and it was hot, sunny, and killer humid.)
When I got home, I had a snack, then worked on writing. Vedder loses his temper and chokes Ahsoka, until she brings up his ex-wife Patti. He claims she's dead, but they both know better.
Meanwhile, Luke is at the Dagobah YMCA, working on his handstands with Yoda while Rudy paints the walls. Luke's not sure what he's doing there, but Yoda knows where the real strength lies...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched another episode of What's New, Scooby Doo? while eating leftovers. "Wrestle Maniacs" parodies the popularity of WCW and WWE in the early millennium. Fred's thrilled when they go to a huge wrestling show to see his favorite players, and his enthusasim doesn't dull when the show is attacked by mutant ghost of a wrestler who was twisted to death. While Shaggy and Scooby befriend a retired player, the others try to keep this monstrous brawler from attacking the current champ.
Moved on to Lego Star Wars after dinner. Finally got through "Escape from Echo Base," which brings me down to two blue miniki challenges I haven't done in Empire Strikes Back. Tried "Hoth Battle," but couldn't get far. I'll give it another go tomorrow.
Finished the night with Green Book, this year's Oscar-winning Best Picture. Frank "Tony the Lip" Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) is a bouncer from the Bronx who takes a job driving African-American concert pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) around in the Deep South for a tour. The working-class Italian American and wealthy musician learn a great deal about friendship, class and race differences, and working as a team when Frank stands up for his friend when he's discriminated against in clubs and bars in the South, and Don smooths things over with Frank's temper and makes sure he gets home on Christmas Eve.
Aww, I really liked this one. Sweet and tough, this has a lot of interesting things to say about the divides between race and class in the US, even now. Ali won a Supporting Actor Oscar as the musician whose education has cut him off from both white and black lower classes; Mortensen is almost as good as the working stiff who comes to admire and respect him. There were some complaints about other aspects of Shirley's life besides his musical side not being really developed and about Frank coming to Shirley's rescue a little too often, but for the most part, this is a really interesting and touching story about an unusual friendship that gets a major recommendation from me.
Monday, August 05, 2019
Dolls On a Hot Day
Started off a sunny morning with breakfast and more What's New, Scooby Doo? The Hex Girls of the movie Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost return in "The Vampire Strikes Back." They're doing a music video in a spooky castle in Transylvania, but a vampire keeps disrupting the shoot and scaring one of the girls. The gang catches the vampire...but it seems there's an identical blood-sucker who doesn't want the singers on his property.
After I ate, I pulled out the remaining box of Christmas photos. It took me over an hour, but I finally chose a picture of me bent over my little bright magenta Casio keyboard for an audience of toys and holiday books. I'm obviously focused on my playing - my tongue is out, and I don't even see the camera. I wish I could throw half that determination into everything I do today!
Continued with Scooby as I organized the photos. He's a "Homeward Hound" when he witnesses the six puppies of a champion golden retriever being stolen and is kidnapped along with them. While the gang tries to figure out who's behind the cat creature terrifying the dog show, Scooby evades the kidnappers and leads the pups back.
Headed out after the cartoon ended. Since I was just going to be in the neighborhood, I left the bike behind and went on foot. It thankfully wasn't as hot as last week, but it was insanely humid and hazy. That could be part of why it was so quiet. There wasn't a soul on Manor as I passed glowing gardens and rustling trees.
The Oaklyn Library wasn't really busy. It was just the librarians and me the entire 40 minutes or so I was there. I shelved and organized the adult DVDs and took a look around the kids' area. Dollar General wasn't any busier. I mainly needed sponges there. Also grabbed a chocolate cheesecake mix, a Bai coconut drink, and my favorite pecan roll to see if my food stamps had been refilled. (They were.)
When I got home, I had a quick lunch, then made the cheesecake....which was really more of a pudding pie. Added cocoa for more chocolate flavor. Did more Scooby while I worked. They head to a skateboarding championship in San Francisco, but "The San Fransycho" makes it more extreme than anyone planned when the ghost of an escaped Alcatraz convict terrorizes the show. The gang joins Fred's friend, real-life skater Ryan Speckler, to figure out what this criminal ghoul is after.
More real-life celebrities of the early 2000's show up in "Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman." Boy band Simple Plan is waylaid at a ghost town after an invisible person attacks their van and the Mystery Machine. The town is populated by some pretty strange characters, including an entrepreneur who want to put the town on the map and the obnoxious know-it-all Gibby Norton, who has a huge crush on Velma (to her general annoyance).
A "Large Dragon Is at Large" when a dragon starts terrorizing a Renaissance fair in Scotland and even kidnaps less-than-amused damsel Velma. The gang has to figure out how to rescue her, and what the former TV show star who plays Lancelot and keeps running to everyone's rescue has to do with it.
Changed the dolls into cooler clothes and bathing suits for mid-summer after the chocolate pie was in the fridge. Whitney, Molly, Samantha, and Jessa all get bathing suits. Molly's thick peach floral suit and Sam's navy jump suit and skirt with white polka-dot trim, black stockings, and white ruffled cap are AG suits for their time periods. Jessa gets the Luau Suit and purple jelly sandles from the modern AG collection. Whitney wears a purple popsickle print Our Generation suit with a ruffle skirt and white Swiss lace Springfield Collecition sandals. I still haven't found a suit for Ariel. She gets a turquoise and orange tropical fish-print tank top and matching shorts that Lauren sent me with turquoise jelly shoes.
Felicity and Josefina come from eras where bathing wasn't considered lady-like. Felicity wears her purple striped Travel (and later "meet") Gown. Josefina gets her pretty floral-print beige Party Dress with the soft beige moccasins.
Cleaned the bathroom after I finished with the dolls. It wasn't that bad, but it did need to be done. The sink was probably the worst of it - it was pretty grimy. Went back to Scooby Doo while I worked. Scooby and the gang want to help a penguin get home in "Uncle Scooby and Antarctica," but they can't find his family in the ice. What they do find in the ice is a professor who went missing after he was attacked by a fish creature...but the professor and his assistant are more involved with this than the kids think.
It's "New Mexico, Old Monster" when the gang visits a Native American buddy of Shaggy's in order to enter Shaggy's sculpture of Scooby into a contest. A giant hawk seems determined to ruin Shaggy's chances at winning when he first steals the bust, then Daphne. The gang heads up the mesa to see what the bird really wants, dodging an annoyingly obsessed bird watcher on the way.
Did some writing around 4:30. Vader nearly chokes Ahsoka when she makes a couple of sarcastic comments that indicates that she knows more about the Empire than she'll admit. He lets her go, but he's not sure about whose side she's on...
Had leftovers for dinner while returning to Scooby. "It's All Greek to Scooby" is a similar story, only this time, the gang is in Greece, the monster is a centaur, and the fanatic is an aging professor who is obsessed with Greek mythology. Shaggy buys an amulet that may be the curse that unleashed the creature...and may be more important than it looks.
The gang is saying "Go West, Young Scoob" when they head to a Westworld-style wild west theme park. Gunslinging robots fight a heroic sheriff daily on the streets of the town, but the robots seem to have run amok. They join the eccentric creator and the robot sheriff to rustle up these evil-doers and find out who's behind the robots' misbehavior.
Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. It took me three frustrating tries, but I finally completed "Falcon Flight." It's hard to see the blue pieces against the black and gray space and asteroid background or find them hidden around the asteroids. I'm now half-done with the blue-piece challenges for Empire Strikes Back. Let's see how long it takes me to do the other three.
I heard thunder as I was playing. I had barely noticed it clouding over while I was writing. By the time I was on my last go-around with "Falcon Flight," it was windy and the rain was coming down in torrents. It's long gone, but I hope that'll bring down the humidity a bit.
After I ate, I pulled out the remaining box of Christmas photos. It took me over an hour, but I finally chose a picture of me bent over my little bright magenta Casio keyboard for an audience of toys and holiday books. I'm obviously focused on my playing - my tongue is out, and I don't even see the camera. I wish I could throw half that determination into everything I do today!
Continued with Scooby as I organized the photos. He's a "Homeward Hound" when he witnesses the six puppies of a champion golden retriever being stolen and is kidnapped along with them. While the gang tries to figure out who's behind the cat creature terrifying the dog show, Scooby evades the kidnappers and leads the pups back.
Headed out after the cartoon ended. Since I was just going to be in the neighborhood, I left the bike behind and went on foot. It thankfully wasn't as hot as last week, but it was insanely humid and hazy. That could be part of why it was so quiet. There wasn't a soul on Manor as I passed glowing gardens and rustling trees.
The Oaklyn Library wasn't really busy. It was just the librarians and me the entire 40 minutes or so I was there. I shelved and organized the adult DVDs and took a look around the kids' area. Dollar General wasn't any busier. I mainly needed sponges there. Also grabbed a chocolate cheesecake mix, a Bai coconut drink, and my favorite pecan roll to see if my food stamps had been refilled. (They were.)
When I got home, I had a quick lunch, then made the cheesecake....which was really more of a pudding pie. Added cocoa for more chocolate flavor. Did more Scooby while I worked. They head to a skateboarding championship in San Francisco, but "The San Fransycho" makes it more extreme than anyone planned when the ghost of an escaped Alcatraz convict terrorizes the show. The gang joins Fred's friend, real-life skater Ryan Speckler, to figure out what this criminal ghoul is after.
More real-life celebrities of the early 2000's show up in "Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman." Boy band Simple Plan is waylaid at a ghost town after an invisible person attacks their van and the Mystery Machine. The town is populated by some pretty strange characters, including an entrepreneur who want to put the town on the map and the obnoxious know-it-all Gibby Norton, who has a huge crush on Velma (to her general annoyance).
A "Large Dragon Is at Large" when a dragon starts terrorizing a Renaissance fair in Scotland and even kidnaps less-than-amused damsel Velma. The gang has to figure out how to rescue her, and what the former TV show star who plays Lancelot and keeps running to everyone's rescue has to do with it.
Changed the dolls into cooler clothes and bathing suits for mid-summer after the chocolate pie was in the fridge. Whitney, Molly, Samantha, and Jessa all get bathing suits. Molly's thick peach floral suit and Sam's navy jump suit and skirt with white polka-dot trim, black stockings, and white ruffled cap are AG suits for their time periods. Jessa gets the Luau Suit and purple jelly sandles from the modern AG collection. Whitney wears a purple popsickle print Our Generation suit with a ruffle skirt and white Swiss lace Springfield Collecition sandals. I still haven't found a suit for Ariel. She gets a turquoise and orange tropical fish-print tank top and matching shorts that Lauren sent me with turquoise jelly shoes.
Felicity and Josefina come from eras where bathing wasn't considered lady-like. Felicity wears her purple striped Travel (and later "meet") Gown. Josefina gets her pretty floral-print beige Party Dress with the soft beige moccasins.
Cleaned the bathroom after I finished with the dolls. It wasn't that bad, but it did need to be done. The sink was probably the worst of it - it was pretty grimy. Went back to Scooby Doo while I worked. Scooby and the gang want to help a penguin get home in "Uncle Scooby and Antarctica," but they can't find his family in the ice. What they do find in the ice is a professor who went missing after he was attacked by a fish creature...but the professor and his assistant are more involved with this than the kids think.
It's "New Mexico, Old Monster" when the gang visits a Native American buddy of Shaggy's in order to enter Shaggy's sculpture of Scooby into a contest. A giant hawk seems determined to ruin Shaggy's chances at winning when he first steals the bust, then Daphne. The gang heads up the mesa to see what the bird really wants, dodging an annoyingly obsessed bird watcher on the way.
Did some writing around 4:30. Vader nearly chokes Ahsoka when she makes a couple of sarcastic comments that indicates that she knows more about the Empire than she'll admit. He lets her go, but he's not sure about whose side she's on...
Had leftovers for dinner while returning to Scooby. "It's All Greek to Scooby" is a similar story, only this time, the gang is in Greece, the monster is a centaur, and the fanatic is an aging professor who is obsessed with Greek mythology. Shaggy buys an amulet that may be the curse that unleashed the creature...and may be more important than it looks.
The gang is saying "Go West, Young Scoob" when they head to a Westworld-style wild west theme park. Gunslinging robots fight a heroic sheriff daily on the streets of the town, but the robots seem to have run amok. They join the eccentric creator and the robot sheriff to rustle up these evil-doers and find out who's behind the robots' misbehavior.
Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. It took me three frustrating tries, but I finally completed "Falcon Flight." It's hard to see the blue pieces against the black and gray space and asteroid background or find them hidden around the asteroids. I'm now half-done with the blue-piece challenges for Empire Strikes Back. Let's see how long it takes me to do the other three.
I heard thunder as I was playing. I had barely noticed it clouding over while I was writing. By the time I was on my last go-around with "Falcon Flight," it was windy and the rain was coming down in torrents. It's long gone, but I hope that'll bring down the humidity a bit.
Sunday, August 04, 2019
Gonna Climb a Mountain
Started off a sunny, hazy morning with chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, a peach, and finally getting around to listening to Stop the World, I Want To Get Off! Littlechap (Anthony Newley) has great hopes to become filthy rich in the future. The last thing he expects is to start by getting Evie, the daughter of his boss (Anna Quayle), pregnant. She has two girls, which annoys him, as he wanted a boy. He keeps pushing further and further up the ladder, eventually going into politics, but his marriage with Evie is less than perfect. While on business trips, he dallies with a Russian officer, a German maid, and an American nightclub singer (all Quayle), but it's not until he loses his Evie and gives up his life does he understand how much he really loved her all along.
On one hand, this is one of Newley and Leslie Bricusse's best scores, including the standards "Gonna Climb a Mountain," "Comes Once In a Lifetime," and "What Kind of Fool am I?," and Newley and especially the multi-accented Quayle put them over with conviction. Trouble is, the dated and misogynistic story can occasionally make this rough going today, as in "I Want to be Rich" and "Nag! Nag! Nag!" The great music makes it worth checking out once for fans of Newley or musicals with unusual concepts.
Switched to the original Broadway cast of Kiss Me, Kate while reading and puttering around after breakfast. Alfred Drake and Patricia Morrison headline the first version of this musical tale of battling lovers. Her "I Hate Men" is especially ribald; he does best with the more robust "I've Come to Wive It Wealthily In Padua." And yes, this includes the classic opening number, "Another Openin', Another Show."
Did some writing around 1:30, but I had a hard time focusing and kept wandering to other things. After Vader lets Palpatine go, Ahsoka turns up at his office. He's disappointed that her road blocks haven't caught The Jedi Knight (Luke) yet via their roadblocks. She sarcastically points out that he hasn't, either. She needs to figure out exactly what he's doing about the Jedi Knight and report it to Patricia, so she asks a few more quesitons...
Jodie called around 4 and asked me if I was going to come over for a swim. I was already changing, even as I talked to her. It was still hot, humid, and sunny, but not anything out of the ordinary for early August. Jodie and Dad were outside on the pool patio, chatting with Jodie's dad and Dana's sister. Dana had been taking a nap. She joined us later after a nice dip for a barbecue dinner. I had grilled burgers with sliced tomatoes; there were also hot dogs and a massive steak. Took home tomatoes, a burger, and buns after we ate.
Did some Lego Star Wars next. To my frustration, I couldn't get far. Couldn't find the last few blue pieces on "Dagobah" or "Escape From Echo Base," no matter how hard I tried. I'll give it another shot tomorrow.
Finished the night by pulling out the boxes with my photos. Several books and sites suggest having photos of you at different stages of your life out where you can see them, so you can remember who you were then. I thought I'd try it. I only have two frames avalible, and of those, I could only dig out a cute shot of me as a toddler, holding up a rose-print tin of crayons to Mom (who is likely taking the photo). I'll go through the Christmas pictures tomorrow and see what I can find.
On one hand, this is one of Newley and Leslie Bricusse's best scores, including the standards "Gonna Climb a Mountain," "Comes Once In a Lifetime," and "What Kind of Fool am I?," and Newley and especially the multi-accented Quayle put them over with conviction. Trouble is, the dated and misogynistic story can occasionally make this rough going today, as in "I Want to be Rich" and "Nag! Nag! Nag!" The great music makes it worth checking out once for fans of Newley or musicals with unusual concepts.
Switched to the original Broadway cast of Kiss Me, Kate while reading and puttering around after breakfast. Alfred Drake and Patricia Morrison headline the first version of this musical tale of battling lovers. Her "I Hate Men" is especially ribald; he does best with the more robust "I've Come to Wive It Wealthily In Padua." And yes, this includes the classic opening number, "Another Openin', Another Show."
Did some writing around 1:30, but I had a hard time focusing and kept wandering to other things. After Vader lets Palpatine go, Ahsoka turns up at his office. He's disappointed that her road blocks haven't caught The Jedi Knight (Luke) yet via their roadblocks. She sarcastically points out that he hasn't, either. She needs to figure out exactly what he's doing about the Jedi Knight and report it to Patricia, so she asks a few more quesitons...
Jodie called around 4 and asked me if I was going to come over for a swim. I was already changing, even as I talked to her. It was still hot, humid, and sunny, but not anything out of the ordinary for early August. Jodie and Dad were outside on the pool patio, chatting with Jodie's dad and Dana's sister. Dana had been taking a nap. She joined us later after a nice dip for a barbecue dinner. I had grilled burgers with sliced tomatoes; there were also hot dogs and a massive steak. Took home tomatoes, a burger, and buns after we ate.
Did some Lego Star Wars next. To my frustration, I couldn't get far. Couldn't find the last few blue pieces on "Dagobah" or "Escape From Echo Base," no matter how hard I tried. I'll give it another shot tomorrow.
Finished the night by pulling out the boxes with my photos. Several books and sites suggest having photos of you at different stages of your life out where you can see them, so you can remember who you were then. I thought I'd try it. I only have two frames avalible, and of those, I could only dig out a cute shot of me as a toddler, holding up a rose-print tin of crayons to Mom (who is likely taking the photo). I'll go through the Christmas pictures tomorrow and see what I can find.
Saturday, August 03, 2019
Afternoon Delight
Began a sunny morning with breakfast and more What's New, Scooby Doo? It's "Safari, So Good" when the gang take a ride down a river in Africa, hoping to film the local wildlife. This proves to be harder than they thought. Many of the animals in the jungle have gone missing, said to be the victims of glowing, shape-shifting creatures. Velma has her own ideas of what's really going on, especially after Scooby disappears with the other critters.
Velma wants to pick up the hottest new action figure for her cousin, but it proves difficult in "Toy Scary Boo" when the figures in a local toy store have come to life and attacked the store. The gang stay in the store and attached mall overnight to figure out what's going on.
Work was pretty much the same as it was yesterday and has been all week - stone-cold quiet. It got a little busy around 11 AM-noon, then died down again. I did gather trash and sweep the outside patio, but I mainly helped another bagger gather carts. Even that wasn't really bad. A beautiful day helped. It was hot and humid, but not nearly to the degree that it has been. A lovely breeze kept things much cooler.
I changed in the bathroom, then headed out for lunch. It was a great day to eat at Sonic, and I wasn't the only person who thought so. A quartet of young women proceeded me outside; three teens came in after me. I got a messy grilled chicken sandwich, tater tots, and a sweet strawberry limeade. Enjoyed my meal while listening to the two groups and watching cars roll in and out.
Went straight home...then right back out again. I really needed to get my laundry done. Good thing I didn't have a big load. They were busy when I arrived. Thankfully, by the time my clothes were almost done in the dryer, they were down to one or two people. I worked on story notes and half-listened to a NASCAR race on TV.
Put everything away when I got home, then did some writing. Palpatine at first claims he wants to kill off the Jedi Knight and his friends. Vader suggests that he might be corrupted and perhaps brought into the Empire. Palpatine loves that idea even more and insists Vader find the boy and impliment it as soon as he can.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Ran Scooby Doo as I ate leftovers and made a cucumber-tomato salad. "Pompeii and Circumstance" sends Mystery Inc on a tour of Italy, where Shaggy and Scooby eat their weight in pasta and the others check out ancient Roman architecture. A Roman gladiator has been scaring people off Mount Vesuvius and possibly dumping trash there. The gang drag Shaggy and Scooby away from the Italian food long enough to check it out.
The gang returns to the States for "The Unnatural." A friend of Fred's is about to break a big home run record...but the ghost of the previous record-holder is determined to scare him off. While the others look into this national pastime mystery, Shaggy and Scooby are more than happy to focus on finding the best ball park goodies.
Didn't get very far on Lego Star Wars this evening. Did better on "Falcon Flight," where I got 7 blue minikit pieces, than the longer "Dagobah," where the most I could manage was 6. I'll try both again tomorrow.
Finished the night with Quest for Camelot. I go into further detail on this animated medieval adventure from the late 90's at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Friday, August 02, 2019
Splendiferous Days
Kicked off a cloudy morning with breakfast and more What's New, Scooby Doo? It's a "Big Scare In the Big Easy" when the gang spend their spring break next to a cemetery in New Orleans. Their friends who own the house and a local history guide claim that the ghosts of two brothers from the Civil War fight a duel there every night. After Daphne disappears, the gang hits the cemetery to find the truth.
Worked online for an hour, looking at some writer's websites as well as just puttering around. I think, before I made a website for my writing, I need more writing. I have my blogs, but I'd like some samples of my work that doesn't revolve around Star Wars and is more recent than the Helium material from 2012.
Made a quick blueberry smoothie for lunch; did another Scooby Doo episode while I ate. The Mystery Machine, the kids' beloved van, becomes the ghost in "It's Mean, It's Green, It's the Mystery Machine." To the kids' shock, the Mystery Machine suddenly starts moving on its own and trying to run them down. Turns out, the van once belonged to a popular kid musical group who broke up after its most popular member disappeared and is said to haunt the vehicle. The kids have to figure out if it's really supernatural, or if the kids' mother or their mechanic is more interested in resurrecting the group, complete with their original ride.
It was still cloudy when I headed to work. I did get tossed in the register almost as soon as I got in, but it was just to go in for a break. Otherwise, I alternated sweeping the store with the head bagger, gathered carts, and shelved three full carts of returns. It was steadier than it has been, but not overwhelmingly busy
My schedule for next week is...not bad, actually. Probably the best I've had in weeks, since at least the week of the 4th of July. All morning and afternoon, Sunday and Monday off. I work early enough on Thursday to hit the Haddon Township Library that day, and late enough on Saturday that I'll be able to do the Collingswood Farm Market.
I'm not going to make it to the Farm Market this week, though, so I had to pick up some produce along with my regular groceries. Grabbed red plums, plum tomatoes, a huge cucumber and even bigger zucchini, and a larger container of blueberries. There's a good weekend sale on Friendly's and Acme generic ice cream. I went with Acme's "slow-churned" (i.e, light) Mint Moose Tracks (mint with fudge and chocolate cups). There's also a good General Mills sale; I took two containers of Multi-Grain Cheerios and two of the Nature's Valley sandwich cookies. Late July chips are on sale this weekend as well; their sweet potato Tortilla chips are divine. Restocked yogurt, brown sugar, tissues, canned pineapple, and hot dogs.
I was so hungry, I just made dinner after I put everything away. Had those turkey hot dogs with zucchini and tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and corn on the cob. Continued with Scooby as I ate and had my very tasty and minty ice cream for dessert. Scooby's saying "Riva Ras Regas" when the gang wins a stay at a huge mega-resort. They're looking forward to seeing a concert for (real-life) young star Lindsay Pagano and the boy band that Daphne loves, but the show may not go on when the stage is haunted by the ghost of an escape artist who supposedly died when the casino that was previously on the property was imploded. The kids explore the underbelly of the Vegas show business scene, including dealing with rivalries between magicians.
Shaggy and Scooby are thrilled when they win a contest to build their own roller coaster, but the "Roller Ghoster Ride" turns out to be a thrill of a different kind when a monkey-like monster keeps disrupting the rides. With the help of their two young women friends, they try to figure out what's going on.
Took more time for Lego Star Wars tonight. I tried getting through The Empire Strikes Back Super Story, but I got stuck in the first couple of rounds and ended on "Cloud City Trap." Had more luck with the blue minikit challenges. Finished "Escape From Echo Base"; tried "Hoth Battle," but couldn't find half of them. I think I'll work on the minikits further before I tackle the Super Story again.
Finished the night with Wonder Park. June (Brianna Denski) and her mother (Jennifer Garner) spend time together creating Wonderland, a fabulous imaginary theme park staffed by June's stuffed animals. Her mother whispers her ideas in the ear of June's favorite stuffed monkey Peanut (Norbert Leo Butz), and he "creates" the rides with a golden marker. June's devastated when her mother becomes very sick and has to spend time in the hospital, losing interest in Wonderland and destroying the blueprints. Her concerned father (Matthew Broderick) sends her to math camp, but she sees a note, worries that he might be in trouble, and takes off for home. On the way, she gets lost in the woods and discovers a rusty roller coaster car that takes her to the Wonderland of her dreams...or what's left of it. The park is now falling apart. It's being destroyed by The Darkness, which has terrified the animals and forced Peanut into hiding. It's up to June to figure out what The Darkness is, how to get rid of it...and how it's connected to her despair over her mother's illness.
This was...ok. The animation was colorful and fun, with truly amazing designs for the park rides and for The Darkness. I just feel like the story could have been so much more. The stakes should have been higher. I understand that her mother was sick, and there was some uncertainty...but she was still alive. June's reaction might have been a little more likely had her mother died. Her animal friends were annoying and obnoxious despite being voiced by an all-star cast, and there really wasn't much to Peanut besides the "whisper in his ear" shtick.
Once again, I liked it enough that I didn't mind the free rental, but very likely won't be buying it (or checking out the Nickelodeon show based on it that's supposed to be debuting later this year). Fun rental for older kids who will understand what June is going through and for animation fans who might like the CGI, not really necessary for anyone else.
Worked online for an hour, looking at some writer's websites as well as just puttering around. I think, before I made a website for my writing, I need more writing. I have my blogs, but I'd like some samples of my work that doesn't revolve around Star Wars and is more recent than the Helium material from 2012.
Made a quick blueberry smoothie for lunch; did another Scooby Doo episode while I ate. The Mystery Machine, the kids' beloved van, becomes the ghost in "It's Mean, It's Green, It's the Mystery Machine." To the kids' shock, the Mystery Machine suddenly starts moving on its own and trying to run them down. Turns out, the van once belonged to a popular kid musical group who broke up after its most popular member disappeared and is said to haunt the vehicle. The kids have to figure out if it's really supernatural, or if the kids' mother or their mechanic is more interested in resurrecting the group, complete with their original ride.
It was still cloudy when I headed to work. I did get tossed in the register almost as soon as I got in, but it was just to go in for a break. Otherwise, I alternated sweeping the store with the head bagger, gathered carts, and shelved three full carts of returns. It was steadier than it has been, but not overwhelmingly busy
My schedule for next week is...not bad, actually. Probably the best I've had in weeks, since at least the week of the 4th of July. All morning and afternoon, Sunday and Monday off. I work early enough on Thursday to hit the Haddon Township Library that day, and late enough on Saturday that I'll be able to do the Collingswood Farm Market.
I'm not going to make it to the Farm Market this week, though, so I had to pick up some produce along with my regular groceries. Grabbed red plums, plum tomatoes, a huge cucumber and even bigger zucchini, and a larger container of blueberries. There's a good weekend sale on Friendly's and Acme generic ice cream. I went with Acme's "slow-churned" (i.e, light) Mint Moose Tracks (mint with fudge and chocolate cups). There's also a good General Mills sale; I took two containers of Multi-Grain Cheerios and two of the Nature's Valley sandwich cookies. Late July chips are on sale this weekend as well; their sweet potato Tortilla chips are divine. Restocked yogurt, brown sugar, tissues, canned pineapple, and hot dogs.
I was so hungry, I just made dinner after I put everything away. Had those turkey hot dogs with zucchini and tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and corn on the cob. Continued with Scooby as I ate and had my very tasty and minty ice cream for dessert. Scooby's saying "Riva Ras Regas" when the gang wins a stay at a huge mega-resort. They're looking forward to seeing a concert for (real-life) young star Lindsay Pagano and the boy band that Daphne loves, but the show may not go on when the stage is haunted by the ghost of an escape artist who supposedly died when the casino that was previously on the property was imploded. The kids explore the underbelly of the Vegas show business scene, including dealing with rivalries between magicians.
Shaggy and Scooby are thrilled when they win a contest to build their own roller coaster, but the "Roller Ghoster Ride" turns out to be a thrill of a different kind when a monkey-like monster keeps disrupting the rides. With the help of their two young women friends, they try to figure out what's going on.
Took more time for Lego Star Wars tonight. I tried getting through The Empire Strikes Back Super Story, but I got stuck in the first couple of rounds and ended on "Cloud City Trap." Had more luck with the blue minikit challenges. Finished "Escape From Echo Base"; tried "Hoth Battle," but couldn't find half of them. I think I'll work on the minikits further before I tackle the Super Story again.
Finished the night with Wonder Park. June (Brianna Denski) and her mother (Jennifer Garner) spend time together creating Wonderland, a fabulous imaginary theme park staffed by June's stuffed animals. Her mother whispers her ideas in the ear of June's favorite stuffed monkey Peanut (Norbert Leo Butz), and he "creates" the rides with a golden marker. June's devastated when her mother becomes very sick and has to spend time in the hospital, losing interest in Wonderland and destroying the blueprints. Her concerned father (Matthew Broderick) sends her to math camp, but she sees a note, worries that he might be in trouble, and takes off for home. On the way, she gets lost in the woods and discovers a rusty roller coaster car that takes her to the Wonderland of her dreams...or what's left of it. The park is now falling apart. It's being destroyed by The Darkness, which has terrified the animals and forced Peanut into hiding. It's up to June to figure out what The Darkness is, how to get rid of it...and how it's connected to her despair over her mother's illness.
This was...ok. The animation was colorful and fun, with truly amazing designs for the park rides and for The Darkness. I just feel like the story could have been so much more. The stakes should have been higher. I understand that her mother was sick, and there was some uncertainty...but she was still alive. June's reaction might have been a little more likely had her mother died. Her animal friends were annoying and obnoxious despite being voiced by an all-star cast, and there really wasn't much to Peanut besides the "whisper in his ear" shtick.
Once again, I liked it enough that I didn't mind the free rental, but very likely won't be buying it (or checking out the Nickelodeon show based on it that's supposed to be debuting later this year). Fun rental for older kids who will understand what June is going through and for animation fans who might like the CGI, not really necessary for anyone else.
Thursday, August 01, 2019
Cleaning Up Summer
The sun was back when I awoke this morning. Had a quick breakfast while listening to my Peter Pan Cinderella LP. This is a kid's adaptation of one of my favorite fairy tales. It pretty much follows the Perrault version, with a fairy godmother and mice and a pumpkin coach. Some of the music isn't bad, including Cindy's introductory number.
Work did not begin well. One of the frozen food coolers is still leaking. I had to pick up the saturated cardboard and water-absorbers that allowed people to get to the frozen vegetables, toss the cardboard, replace the absorbers with dry ones, and clean up the mess. Not fun, and it took over an hour and a half to get that all dry. The rest of the day went better. I spent most of it outside, gathering carts and the outside trash and recycling and enjoying the nice day.
The weather was so nice, I took the long way home down Nicholson Road. While it was hot, probably in the mid-upper 80's, it wasn't nearly as humid as it has been, and there was a nice wind. The Acme hadn't been busy, and Nicholson Road was even less-so. Everyone must have been out and about, enjoying the weather.
Had a snack when I got home, then slid into the bath. Ahhh. I so needed that. I did bring a book, but I mainly lay back and soaked. It felt so relaxing after a long couple of weeks.
Did some writing after I got out. Vader sends off Bob A Fettman and his goons, then talks on the phone with his boss Palpatine, "The Phantom." Palpatine wants to eliminate the Jedi Knight and his friends. Vader, who would rather save his children, suggests that they could be corrupted, like he was.
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had sauteed Chinese beans and tomatoes with the leftover turkey burgers. while watching more What's New, Scooby Doo? "3-D Destruction" takes the gang to the opening of a new dinosaur museum, boasting a just-discovered type of dinosaur found by Fred's hero, Melbourne O'Reilly. When a dinosaur seems to literally jump out of the 3-D movie they watch at the museum, the gang has to figure out where it came from and what it's really after.
It was such a nice night, I strolled down to West Clinton Avenue after dinner. Treated myself to spumoni (pistachio, cherry, and chocolate) ice cream from Phillies Yummies. I'm not normally a fan of pistachio, but this was really good. I suspect it was home-made, with lots of real pistachio and cherry pieces. There were lots of kids out enjoying the weather too, including a couple of pre-teen boys coming out of Phillies Phatties and two boys playing softball in their front yard when I walked back.
Moved on to Lego Star Wars after I got back. Whew! I managed to get through the New Hope Super Story with literally no time to spare. That fully completes New Hope. Tomorrow. I'll work on more of the blue minikit challenges for Empire Strikes Back.
Finished the night with the 1953 film version of Kiss Me Kate. I go further into this backstage adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Kiss Me Kate (1953)
Work did not begin well. One of the frozen food coolers is still leaking. I had to pick up the saturated cardboard and water-absorbers that allowed people to get to the frozen vegetables, toss the cardboard, replace the absorbers with dry ones, and clean up the mess. Not fun, and it took over an hour and a half to get that all dry. The rest of the day went better. I spent most of it outside, gathering carts and the outside trash and recycling and enjoying the nice day.
The weather was so nice, I took the long way home down Nicholson Road. While it was hot, probably in the mid-upper 80's, it wasn't nearly as humid as it has been, and there was a nice wind. The Acme hadn't been busy, and Nicholson Road was even less-so. Everyone must have been out and about, enjoying the weather.
Had a snack when I got home, then slid into the bath. Ahhh. I so needed that. I did bring a book, but I mainly lay back and soaked. It felt so relaxing after a long couple of weeks.
Did some writing after I got out. Vader sends off Bob A Fettman and his goons, then talks on the phone with his boss Palpatine, "The Phantom." Palpatine wants to eliminate the Jedi Knight and his friends. Vader, who would rather save his children, suggests that they could be corrupted, like he was.
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had sauteed Chinese beans and tomatoes with the leftover turkey burgers. while watching more What's New, Scooby Doo? "3-D Destruction" takes the gang to the opening of a new dinosaur museum, boasting a just-discovered type of dinosaur found by Fred's hero, Melbourne O'Reilly. When a dinosaur seems to literally jump out of the 3-D movie they watch at the museum, the gang has to figure out where it came from and what it's really after.
It was such a nice night, I strolled down to West Clinton Avenue after dinner. Treated myself to spumoni (pistachio, cherry, and chocolate) ice cream from Phillies Yummies. I'm not normally a fan of pistachio, but this was really good. I suspect it was home-made, with lots of real pistachio and cherry pieces. There were lots of kids out enjoying the weather too, including a couple of pre-teen boys coming out of Phillies Phatties and two boys playing softball in their front yard when I walked back.
Moved on to Lego Star Wars after I got back. Whew! I managed to get through the New Hope Super Story with literally no time to spare. That fully completes New Hope. Tomorrow. I'll work on more of the blue minikit challenges for Empire Strikes Back.
Finished the night with the 1953 film version of Kiss Me Kate. I go further into this backstage adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Kiss Me Kate (1953)
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Dashing Through the Rain
Overslept and kicked off a quick morning with breakfast and my Story of Star Wars LP. Star Wars: A New Hope was so wildly popular in the late 70's, kids were clamoring for anything they could get that was Star Wars-related. For many kids, this cut-down version of the film, complete with a book with photos and the original voices, was the closest many would get to seeing it over and over until it turned up on video.
It was still sunny, hot, and humid when I got to work. Every time I tried to get the carts or returns done in the morning, I kept getting thrown in a register for someone's break or when they left. It wasn't even that busy. Thankfully, by the time the afternoon bagger arrived, more cashiers had also appeared. I spent the second half of my shift helping him with the carts outside.
Clouds had been gathering for almost an hour when I finished work at 1. Rumbles could be heard over the horizon as I dashed home down the Black Horse Pike. I was just starting to cover my bike when the first big fat raindrops started falling down. I dashed up the stairs as fast as I could before they could fall even harder.
Changed and had a quick lunch while it poured and rumbled outside - twice. Ran a pair of Three Stooges shorts while I ate and got organized. They're "Three Missing Links" when a director claims they're perfect to play natives and a gorilla in the movie he's filming in Africa. They want to tell him where he can take his film when they run afoul of real natives, gorillas, and a lion. "We Want Our Mummy" movies them northward to Egypt, where they have to find a missing professor and the mummy he was looking for to get five thousand dollars.
The weather finally calmed down enough for me to head out around 2:30. I wanted to hit the Haddon Township Library before the next round of storms. They were busy with kids and their parents trying to find something to do in the crazy weather. Their DVD return racks were piled so high, they needed another rack to hold the TV shows. There were so many, I only got the kids' titles and half of the ones for adults done before dark clouds and the lateness of the day sent me out again.
I did take out a few things for myself. Grabbed the recent releases Green Book and Bad Times at the El Royale. They had the full series set for What's New, Scooby Doo? in. There's enough episodes I haven't seen of that one to give it a shot.
It started raining again just as I rushed across the street to the Westmont Plaza. I waited under the overhanging roof at Target until it at least slowed down enough for me to start out. It was still raining, and I did still get pretty wet dodging the rush hour traffic. It didn't stop raining until I'd already walked in the door, of course. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since then.
Tried to work on some writing after that, but I got distracted by this cool blog that talks about vintage Acme architecture. I did manage to get some in later in the evening. Vader tells Bob A Fettman and his motley collection of oddball bounty hunters that he wants them to find Leia, Harris, and Charlie...and no disintegrations. But for now, his own boss is calling him...
Had a quick leftovers dinner around 7. Started What's New, Scooby Doo? as I ate. Since I've seen a lot of episodes of this show on other sets or in re-runs, I'm going to try to only watch the ones I either haven't seen at all, or haven't seen in a long time. Kicked things off with "Space Ape at the Cape." Mystery Inc is at NASA when Velma wins a contest to see her project put on a major shuttle launch. While they're there, an alien egg seems to hatch...and puts out a nasty monster that doesn't want the shuttle launch to go forward!
Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. Finally completed "Rescue the Princess," which fully finishes New Hope except for the Super Story. Had enough time to move on to Empire Strikes Back. Got "Betrayal at Bespin" on the first try, but couldn't get through "Cloud City Trap." I'll try that and the New Hope Super Story again tomorrow.
It was still sunny, hot, and humid when I got to work. Every time I tried to get the carts or returns done in the morning, I kept getting thrown in a register for someone's break or when they left. It wasn't even that busy. Thankfully, by the time the afternoon bagger arrived, more cashiers had also appeared. I spent the second half of my shift helping him with the carts outside.
Clouds had been gathering for almost an hour when I finished work at 1. Rumbles could be heard over the horizon as I dashed home down the Black Horse Pike. I was just starting to cover my bike when the first big fat raindrops started falling down. I dashed up the stairs as fast as I could before they could fall even harder.
Changed and had a quick lunch while it poured and rumbled outside - twice. Ran a pair of Three Stooges shorts while I ate and got organized. They're "Three Missing Links" when a director claims they're perfect to play natives and a gorilla in the movie he's filming in Africa. They want to tell him where he can take his film when they run afoul of real natives, gorillas, and a lion. "We Want Our Mummy" movies them northward to Egypt, where they have to find a missing professor and the mummy he was looking for to get five thousand dollars.
The weather finally calmed down enough for me to head out around 2:30. I wanted to hit the Haddon Township Library before the next round of storms. They were busy with kids and their parents trying to find something to do in the crazy weather. Their DVD return racks were piled so high, they needed another rack to hold the TV shows. There were so many, I only got the kids' titles and half of the ones for adults done before dark clouds and the lateness of the day sent me out again.
I did take out a few things for myself. Grabbed the recent releases Green Book and Bad Times at the El Royale. They had the full series set for What's New, Scooby Doo? in. There's enough episodes I haven't seen of that one to give it a shot.
It started raining again just as I rushed across the street to the Westmont Plaza. I waited under the overhanging roof at Target until it at least slowed down enough for me to start out. It was still raining, and I did still get pretty wet dodging the rush hour traffic. It didn't stop raining until I'd already walked in the door, of course. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since then.
Tried to work on some writing after that, but I got distracted by this cool blog that talks about vintage Acme architecture. I did manage to get some in later in the evening. Vader tells Bob A Fettman and his motley collection of oddball bounty hunters that he wants them to find Leia, Harris, and Charlie...and no disintegrations. But for now, his own boss is calling him...
Had a quick leftovers dinner around 7. Started What's New, Scooby Doo? as I ate. Since I've seen a lot of episodes of this show on other sets or in re-runs, I'm going to try to only watch the ones I either haven't seen at all, or haven't seen in a long time. Kicked things off with "Space Ape at the Cape." Mystery Inc is at NASA when Velma wins a contest to see her project put on a major shuttle launch. While they're there, an alien egg seems to hatch...and puts out a nasty monster that doesn't want the shuttle launch to go forward!
Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. Finally completed "Rescue the Princess," which fully finishes New Hope except for the Super Story. Had enough time to move on to Empire Strikes Back. Got "Betrayal at Bespin" on the first try, but couldn't get through "Cloud City Trap." I'll try that and the New Hope Super Story again tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
A Mighty Heat
Kicked off the morning with breakfast and trying something different. Instead of going straight on the computer, I listed everything I thought I might be able to do for writing, from articles (as long as it's not hard news) to creative writing to poetry. Once again, the trouble is that lack of experience. I think I might try writing samples a bit later in the week, when I have time again.
Watched A Mighty Wind while I worked. The folk music scene of the 1960's is spoofed by Christopher Guest in this affectionate mockumentary. When their former manager dies, three major folk groups come together for one last concert at Town Hall in New York. Mitch (Eugene Levy) and Mickey (Catherine O'Hara) were once "the sweethearts of folk music" with their big hit "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," but Mitch didn't handle their break-up well and is now in a sanitarium. The New Main Street Singers are a smiley-happy group anchored by Terry (John Michael Higgins) and Laurie (Jane Lynch) Bohner. Laurie belongs to a coven of witches who firmly believe that color cures all ills, which is why she insists that her group color-coordinates their costumes. The Folksmen, Mark (Harry Shearer), Alan (Guest), and Jerry (Michael McKean), are equally happy to be together and singing again. While the big concert doesn't go off perfectly, it does manage to show off these three very different groups and folk music itself in all its peace-loving idiosyncrasies.
Far more affectionate about folk music than Guest's previous spoof Best In Show was about dog-lovers, this is mostly a very sweet look at a frequently-overlooked musical genre. Levy and O'Hara were especially impressive as the neurotic nerd and his former partner who wonder if they might be able to find a spark of their old romance in another on-stage kiss. The music, written entirely by the cast, is both accurate and excellent; "Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" was nominated for an Oscar, and the title number won a Grammy.
If you love folk music, Guest's other mocumentaries, or the cast, you'll want to let that might wind blow you on over to Town Hall to check this one out.
Did some Rick Steves as I made a blueberry smoothie and graham crackers spread with peanut butter for lunch. Since I just finished Wings of the Falcon, a Zorro-style swashbuckler set in 1860's Italy, I did one of the Italian episodes on the new set Linda Young sent for my birthday. Having enjoyed Rick's romp through Verona and Padua, I moved westward to Berlin. The Berlin episodes are a little more meaningful for me than most, since they're some of the few shows where I can claim to have lived through some of the history involved. I vividly recall watching the Berlin Wall being torn down on my tiny black-and-white Zenith TV in 1989. Nowadays, the remnants of the Wall are mostly museums or a great place for people to relax in a park or for graffiti artists to show off their work, and Berlin is bustling, popular, and reunited.
Headed out around 12:30 for today's errands, starting with volunteering at the Oaklyn Library. Other than the librarians, there weren't that many people around, but I did have to shelve and organize a lot of books in the kids' section. They frequently get new releases before Haddon Township does. I took out the just-released Wonder Park (on a little girl trying to save her imaginary theme park), along with Quest for Camelot for review on Saturday. Fished Finding Neverland out of the dollar DVD sales boxes (and had to fish it out again when one of the librarians thought I didn't want it and put it back).
Rode across Haddon Township and Haddonfield next for counseling. Arrived just in time dripping with sweat, thanks to it being a sunny, hot, and humid day. Not a whole lot to report, at any rate. I didn't really do much last month. I'm not making a ton of progress with the job hunt. I did make my Facebook page, but couldn't afford ads on it. I still don't know what I'm going to say on my new website, or what I actually have to put there. I need to write samples. Not to mention, work's been a pain when it hasn't been boring, and there's Mom and my sisters feuding.
Everyone says I'm too hard on myself, that I shouldn't label myself so harshly. I say, I wouldn't label myself so harshly if I just did better things, if I had a better job, and was able to fit in better. I've never felt like I fit in here. All of my best friends live elsewhere, and while I appreciate everything my family has done for me, I don't really fit in with them, either. Jessa is the only person in the family I can really relate to. And Rose still hasn't brought over the rest of that furniture or talked to the darn doctor who was supposed to help me. I need to get on her rear about that. I'm also having a hard time focusing on and offline and end up doing research or reading other things when I should be writing or job hunting.
It was so hot, a stop at Primo's in Westmont was mandatory. I sat outside in the shade and enjoyed my super-sweet Oreo Dough water ice on a bench. (Vanilla water ice with crushed Oreos and brownie pieces. The vanilla was too sweet, but the brownie dough bits were huge and so chocolate-y! Also stopped at the Westmont Acme to pick up laundry detergent, a roll for dinner, and ten dollars to send in my nephew Skylar's birthday card.
Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park and down to the White Horse Pike. It was too hot for most people to be out and about. The only folks I saw were a young couple goofing off in the shade. The grass is starting to get a little crunchy, and even the trees seem to be dusty and drooping. The wildflowers by the Environmental Center fared better, glowing like the rainbow in Mitch and Mickey's song.
Tried to work on writing when I got home. Vader rounds up Bob Fettman and his crew of very strange bounty hunters, telling them that he wants them to go after the Millennium Falcon and Force Girl. Fettman has no trouble with that - he has a score to settle with Harris.
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Finished off the turkey bacon with a turkey and tomato sandwich on the Italian roll while watching more Rick Steves. The Paris side trips mostly consisted of ventures into France's royal past, notably a trip to the most lavish palace in Europe, Versailles.
Moved on to Lego Star Wars after I ate. Finally finished off the blue minikit challenges for "Mos Eisley Spaceport" and "Death Star Escape." I tried to figure out "Rescue the Princess," but the Death Star is just too much of a maze! I gave up early for a shower and decided I'd figure it out tomorrow.
Ended the night with the 1976 version of A Star Is Born. I go into more detail on this vehicle for Barbra Streisand - and how it stacks up to other retellings of this story - at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
A Star Is Born (1976)
Watched A Mighty Wind while I worked. The folk music scene of the 1960's is spoofed by Christopher Guest in this affectionate mockumentary. When their former manager dies, three major folk groups come together for one last concert at Town Hall in New York. Mitch (Eugene Levy) and Mickey (Catherine O'Hara) were once "the sweethearts of folk music" with their big hit "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," but Mitch didn't handle their break-up well and is now in a sanitarium. The New Main Street Singers are a smiley-happy group anchored by Terry (John Michael Higgins) and Laurie (Jane Lynch) Bohner. Laurie belongs to a coven of witches who firmly believe that color cures all ills, which is why she insists that her group color-coordinates their costumes. The Folksmen, Mark (Harry Shearer), Alan (Guest), and Jerry (Michael McKean), are equally happy to be together and singing again. While the big concert doesn't go off perfectly, it does manage to show off these three very different groups and folk music itself in all its peace-loving idiosyncrasies.
Far more affectionate about folk music than Guest's previous spoof Best In Show was about dog-lovers, this is mostly a very sweet look at a frequently-overlooked musical genre. Levy and O'Hara were especially impressive as the neurotic nerd and his former partner who wonder if they might be able to find a spark of their old romance in another on-stage kiss. The music, written entirely by the cast, is both accurate and excellent; "Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" was nominated for an Oscar, and the title number won a Grammy.
If you love folk music, Guest's other mocumentaries, or the cast, you'll want to let that might wind blow you on over to Town Hall to check this one out.
Did some Rick Steves as I made a blueberry smoothie and graham crackers spread with peanut butter for lunch. Since I just finished Wings of the Falcon, a Zorro-style swashbuckler set in 1860's Italy, I did one of the Italian episodes on the new set Linda Young sent for my birthday. Having enjoyed Rick's romp through Verona and Padua, I moved westward to Berlin. The Berlin episodes are a little more meaningful for me than most, since they're some of the few shows where I can claim to have lived through some of the history involved. I vividly recall watching the Berlin Wall being torn down on my tiny black-and-white Zenith TV in 1989. Nowadays, the remnants of the Wall are mostly museums or a great place for people to relax in a park or for graffiti artists to show off their work, and Berlin is bustling, popular, and reunited.
Headed out around 12:30 for today's errands, starting with volunteering at the Oaklyn Library. Other than the librarians, there weren't that many people around, but I did have to shelve and organize a lot of books in the kids' section. They frequently get new releases before Haddon Township does. I took out the just-released Wonder Park (on a little girl trying to save her imaginary theme park), along with Quest for Camelot for review on Saturday. Fished Finding Neverland out of the dollar DVD sales boxes (and had to fish it out again when one of the librarians thought I didn't want it and put it back).
Rode across Haddon Township and Haddonfield next for counseling. Arrived just in time dripping with sweat, thanks to it being a sunny, hot, and humid day. Not a whole lot to report, at any rate. I didn't really do much last month. I'm not making a ton of progress with the job hunt. I did make my Facebook page, but couldn't afford ads on it. I still don't know what I'm going to say on my new website, or what I actually have to put there. I need to write samples. Not to mention, work's been a pain when it hasn't been boring, and there's Mom and my sisters feuding.
Everyone says I'm too hard on myself, that I shouldn't label myself so harshly. I say, I wouldn't label myself so harshly if I just did better things, if I had a better job, and was able to fit in better. I've never felt like I fit in here. All of my best friends live elsewhere, and while I appreciate everything my family has done for me, I don't really fit in with them, either. Jessa is the only person in the family I can really relate to. And Rose still hasn't brought over the rest of that furniture or talked to the darn doctor who was supposed to help me. I need to get on her rear about that. I'm also having a hard time focusing on and offline and end up doing research or reading other things when I should be writing or job hunting.
It was so hot, a stop at Primo's in Westmont was mandatory. I sat outside in the shade and enjoyed my super-sweet Oreo Dough water ice on a bench. (Vanilla water ice with crushed Oreos and brownie pieces. The vanilla was too sweet, but the brownie dough bits were huge and so chocolate-y! Also stopped at the Westmont Acme to pick up laundry detergent, a roll for dinner, and ten dollars to send in my nephew Skylar's birthday card.
Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park and down to the White Horse Pike. It was too hot for most people to be out and about. The only folks I saw were a young couple goofing off in the shade. The grass is starting to get a little crunchy, and even the trees seem to be dusty and drooping. The wildflowers by the Environmental Center fared better, glowing like the rainbow in Mitch and Mickey's song.
Tried to work on writing when I got home. Vader rounds up Bob Fettman and his crew of very strange bounty hunters, telling them that he wants them to go after the Millennium Falcon and Force Girl. Fettman has no trouble with that - he has a score to settle with Harris.
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Finished off the turkey bacon with a turkey and tomato sandwich on the Italian roll while watching more Rick Steves. The Paris side trips mostly consisted of ventures into France's royal past, notably a trip to the most lavish palace in Europe, Versailles.
Moved on to Lego Star Wars after I ate. Finally finished off the blue minikit challenges for "Mos Eisley Spaceport" and "Death Star Escape." I tried to figure out "Rescue the Princess," but the Death Star is just too much of a maze! I gave up early for a shower and decided I'd figure it out tomorrow.
Ended the night with the 1976 version of A Star Is Born. I go into more detail on this vehicle for Barbra Streisand - and how it stacks up to other retellings of this story - at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
A Star Is Born (1976)
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