June 2021 Monthly Entry
May was a very warm month overall, very summer-like. Even nighttime wasn't cold anymore. But later in the month until now, more clouds and rain have come in. There were some nights that the temperature returned to its usual spring cold.
The upstairs boys washroom at Montecito hasn't had any "dookie-in-the-urnial" problem for awhile but there is still some kid pissing on the ground on purpose. Jay cleans it up while school is still session, but it leaves my mop reeking of piss smells and puddles of mop water are still left around the small washroom by the time I start cleaning that section. Jay usually locks the door to prevent boys from using the washroom for the rest of the day. He has noticed that this usually happens around lunch time or just before. He got so fed up that he had the principal send a memo to all teachers upstairs to note which boys are going to the washroom and when they are going. I doubt we'll know who it is before the end of the month. If he isn't a 7th grader, then he'll likely strike again in the new school year. But it seems to be working - there hasn't been anything major for a week now. The girls washroom is getting more on my nerves now with their antics.
Speaking of summer: my foreman for Rosser wants me to work there with my sub-foreman and another custodian (7-hour worker) from July 2-12. Clearly, she didn't talk to my other foreman for Montecito about this. Like she screwed me during spring scrub, she is doing it again for summer by taking valuable time away for working at Montecito. There is no schedule for Montecito yet so things could change, or they'll do another stupid move to hinder getting the job done efficiently. Pretty much those who had temporary contracts during this pandemic will NOT be given their minimum work week hours this summer! WTF? So Ben at Rosser will not be helping us and I don't think Frank at Montecito will either. Jay won't be there long because of his 6-week annual vacation he has to use. So who will be cleaning Montecito in July before I come back? Arrrgh!
It's good to finally hear some news about travel re-opening up. I don't know if US travel will be possible in the summer months without strings attached. While I'll be glad those damn covid hotels will be gone, I worry that there will still be rules and requirements, even if fully vaccinated. I'm sure I'll get my second vaccine shot in July and by the time I'm ready to do major travel in August, it should kick in. If crossing the border via my car or even flying down into America is doable, I may do smaller trips and visit some bear buds. If I'm stuck in Canada again, I may just repeat what I did last year but I'm hoping Nova Scotia will allow out-of-province visitors by then. I want to visit slave Blake again and that would be a good opportunity. Maybe things will be more clearer by next month's entry.
It turns out that Netflix's Castlevania series ended in season 4, which I watched earlier in the month. Of all seasons, this final one was probably the best. It was the easiest to get through and wasn't bogged down by too much bullshit. But there isn't much lead-up to anything major and it seems some loose ends are resolved lazily. My past thoughts was that the series was going to integrate Castlevania: Curse of Darkness into the plot since the series has both Hector and Issac in it. Nope, that doesn't happen. It's more about some of the characters getting redeemed and ending on a happier note. I'll admit that despite how depressing and pointless this series has been, it does end nicely. But my overall thoughts on the series hasn't changed. I just don't like it. The animation is choppy - despite interesting action series that would benefit with more fluid animation. There are awkward moments between characters with horrible writing to boot. I'm not a fan of the faux-anime art style and Netflix's SJW-pandering and third-wave feminism check list is forced upon the viewer. It has an unbalanced portrayal of religion that barely goes unchallenged, and the forced "R" rating with unnecessary swearing and overt violence that added no substance. I think being faithful to the games they were basing it upon would have been a good start. The ending will likely set up a sequel series in the future, probably starring Simon Belmont. But I'm sure there will be temptation to do a Symphony of the Night-based series given it is the most popular game. But I don't desire to watch this series again anytime soon.
A direct-to-video film I've been wanting to see for a long time, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seems like a strange crossover you didn't think would exist. But it does and I have to say, it was done quite well. The story focuses on Batman, Robin (Damian Wayne), and Batgirl teaming up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in order to save Gotham City from chaos at the hands of both Shredder and Ra's al Ghul. The art style isn't bad - opting for a classic look that is both serious and comedic at the same time. Batman has his "Silver Age" look -probably to match the tone of the Turtles- of a blue cowl and grey spandex-like material. The film gives great fan service to both franchises that you may recognize some of them if you can catch them fast enough. I hope they make a sequel - perhaps Batman and company going to New York and helping the Turtles out there. I'll defer you to the Nostalgia Critic's review of the movie here or below:
Click to viewAnd Doug Walker's initial review of the film here or below:
Two weekends ago I saw Howl's Moving Castle on Netflix, the 12th Hayao Miyazaki film. Released in 2004, it is loosely based on the 1986 novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones. The story starts with Sophie, a young milliner and eldest of three sisters, encounters a wizard named Howl on her way to visit her sister Lettie. Upon returning home, she meets the Witch of the Waste who transforms her into a ninety-year-old woman. Seeking to break the curse, Sophie leaves home and sets off through the countryside. She meets a living scarecrow, whom she calls "Turnip Head". He leads her to Howl's moving castle where she enters without invitation. She subsequently meets Howl's young apprentice Markl and a fire demon named Calcifer, who is the source of the castle's magic and movement. When Howl appears, Sophie announces that she has "hired herself" as a cleaning lady. In truth, Calcifer made a deal with Sophie to break her curse if she breaks his link with Howl. Meanwhile, Sophie's nation is caught up in a war with a neighboring kingdom, who is searching for their missing prince. The King summons Howl to fight in the war. This film is one of my favourites in the Miyazaki collection. It didn't seem too preachy outside of its anti-war messages (Miyazaki was opposed to the US war in Iraq) and even the feminist messages were better to stomach than some past films. I do like its premise of turning the young main heroine into an older woman and experiencing some of the hardships that aging people go through. I guess for younger audiences, its a message to not count older people out - that while they struggle, they are still useful.
I've been playing a lot of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years and I'm just under halfway done. I didn't think it was this long and seems I may not be able to put up my review of the Collection until next month. If there is a significant amount of content left, I may break away and play Dragon's Curse instead for a bit. But I'll keep at it until the end of June and see where I'm at. I'm almost done Season 2 of Star Trek: Enterprise and that review will be up soon. Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac is also almost completely done and will try to have it reviewed in next month's entry. I've started The Spectacular Spider-Man on Netflix and it seems enjoyable.
Last Movie: Avengers: Endgame (Theatrical), Howl's Moving Castle (Netflix)
Last Book: The C.S. Lewis Signature Classics - The Screwtape Letters
Last Game: The Disney Afternoon Collection (PS4 - PSN)
Current Book: The C.S. Lewis Signature Classics - Miracles
Current Games: Dragon's Curse (Wii Virtual Console - TG-16) & Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection (PSP)