Day 137: Why Should I Worry?-- Oliver and Company

"Why Should I Worry?" 

sung by Dodger (Billy Joel)

in Oliver and Company

This song happens just after Dodger meets Oliver and they score some hot dogs from the meanest (yet best) hot dog vendor on the street. All throughout the song Oliver tries to catch Dodger who has the long strand of hot dogs wrapped around his neck. The always street-smart artful Dodger stays one step ahead of the little kitten and teaches him his first lesson that it's a dog-eat-dog world in New York City.

I had a hard time picking between "Why Should I Worry?" and "Streets of Gold" to post for today's DisneySongSaturday. Both are my favorite songs. This one edges out "Streets of Gold" by just a squeak. "Why Should I Worry?" is about not caring what others think and having the ability to use your street-smarts to get what you want. The lyrics are further reinforced by the visuals that occur throughout the song. For example, Oliver does not give up on catching Dodger and Dodger proves he's got street smarts as they race through the busy streets of New York City. I also love the cameos of Pongo, Peg, Jock and Trusty during the song. Were you able to spot the cameos watching the video above?

Have you ever worried about what someone was thinking about you? Have you ever been teased for not being as book smart as your friends or someone else? One of the more harder lessons in life is to learn to let go of what others think and just be who you are inside. It's one that I have to remind myself of. I'm not exactly "book-smart" because I have trouble comprehending what I'm reading, but I do have some "street-smarts". I knew someone who flaunted their GPA knowing I would never get as high as her and acted like my less-than-stellar GPA wasn't worth anything while knowing how much I struggled for that 1.95. Yet through our conversations, I realized that I may not have the book smarts like her or others with higher GPAs but I have more practical skills that you can't learn from a book and have been coming in handy since the COVID-Quarantine started back in March. I'm also no Victoria Secret Angel model. I've got a little bit of fluff to me and it's clear I love food and know my way around the kitchen. That lesson is a bit more harder to overcome and will take the longest time because we live in a society that values looks over smarts. I don't always worry what others think, but sometimes I do. When I hear this song, I tend to forget what others think of me and focus more on what I can do with my "street savoir-faire".

So until next time, don't worry and Keep Cooking with Character!

0

Day 136: Wait 'til you taste this. It's a secret recipe I just invented.-- Jenny

 Wait 'til you taste this. It's a secret recipe I just invented.-- Jenny, Oliver and Company

This tasty gem comes to us when Jenny Foxworth, an adorable little girl who lives in the rich part of New York City, makes Oliver a meal. Since she didn't have any kitty kibble, only expensive dog kibble for her pet poodle Georgette, Jenny had to make some kitty kibble for the little kitten. Let's just say, it's not your typical kitty kibble and not the prettiest either.

Have you ever had to make something from a recipe? Perhaps you've had to take what you've got in your fridge and make something fully diffrent than what you had planned? Did it taste better than expected or worse? Have you ever had any kitchen mishaps? Were they easy to clean or hard? When you make a new recipe do you write it down or just remember it? Do you tell someone when they ask how it's made or do you not tell anyone and leave it a "secret recipe"?

I can safely say that I've created more than my fair share of "from recipes", "twisted recipes", "secret recipes" and kitchen mishaps over the years.  I've made some pretty tasty concoctions, some not quite so much. The most recent "twisted recipe" was making the beignets with the recipe Disney recently dropped and had to use baking powder instead of active dry yeast because there was none to be had for over a month! It created a yummy beignet, but not as pillowy soft as I'm used to when I eat them from Sassgagoula's at Port Orleans Riverside. My worst mishap was when I was a teen wanting some Velveeta-Rotel dip. The moral of a long story short: Cut the brick of Velveeta before you put it in the microwave if you don't want it to blow up and seal the microwave from the inside. Yet for all the mishaps and less-than-edible dishes, I've always loved being in the kitchen. It's also the one place where I don't get discouraged because I know that magic tends to happen in the kitchen: happy tummies and happy hearts.

So until next time, don't be afraid to make up "secret recipes" and as always Keep Cooking with Character!

0

Day 135: We gotta clean you up, child, and give you some on-the-job training-- Rita

We gotta clean you up, child, and give you some on-the-job training-- Rita, Oliver and Company

This gem comes to us when Rita realizes that Oliver isn't nearly as street-smart as her and the rest of her friends. It's also the last line before the song "Streets of Gold".

Have you ever had someone tell you you needed some on-the-job training? I'm pretty sure everyone who has ever gotten a job has received training before they were let go into the wilds of their job. What has been some of your favorite things you've done while you were in your training period? Have you ever had to train someone to do a new job?
  I have been both trainer and trainee. I love being both. I love being able to teach those with what knowledge I have and yet I also love to be taught something new. There's always something new to learn. Each new day is a day to learn, even when you may not think it's possible. 

So until next time, Keep Cooking with Character!

0

Day 134: Nah, I ain't lost my sense of humor!-- Roscoe

Nah, I ain't lost my sense of humor!-- Roscoe, Oliver and Company

This quote comes to us when Dodger asks Roscoe if he's lost his sense of humor after Francis insults his intelligence. Once Roscoe says this quote he shows it by kicking in the TV at Fagin's place, destroying Francis's chance to finish watching his play, then says that was funny to him.

Have you ever had someone question your sense of humor? Though a villain, Roscoe's quote is rather fitting. I've never had anyone ask me if I've lost my sense of humor. They have questioned my style because my humor goes from very innocent and child-like to pretty adult-like. I don't always have control of which version of my humor comes out, but it's there. The day or time that I'm not laughing is a day people should worry because I love to laugh and can find the humor in almost anything.

They are not kidding when they say laughter is the best medicine. There's just something about laughing and finding the humor in situations that helps the soul. I cannot tell you how many times I've had to use laughter to work my way through pain. There was one time I slipped and fell at a gas station. We're talking sprained my left ankle, skinned my palms a little and fully skinned my right knee at the same time. Obviously I let out a rather adult "Oh shiznit" when my foot decided to slip off a 2 inch drop in the pavement and my ankle twisted as my right knee and both my hands connected with the pavement. All I could do was just laugh to keep my breathing normal. Here I was didn't even get the chance to eat my chili-cheese dog or pump my gas and I was kissing the pavement. I was more madder than a wet hen I couldn't eat that chili-cheese dog than I was of the uneven pavement I tripped over! Luckily I had my ace wrap in my purse and the station manager when he came out was so apologetic of the whole thing. His reaction to my having an ace wrap in my purse was priceless because it's something not a lot of women carry. He also got my some water to clean up my knee and his not-fully-stocked first aid kit. Luckily my knee wasn't scraped deep enough I needed stitches, but it did cover my entire knee top to bottom. So I looked rather funny going to get the bigger bandaides from Walmart, because my own first aid kit was out and it was too large for my liquid bandaid I always carry. I could have chosen to get mad and frustrated or cried or cussed out the station manager, but didn't. I went with the best medicine I knew of at the time which was laugh. It not only helped diffuse the situation but it also helped me feel better and took my mind off the pain that didn't register until the next day. Yep I'm just that talented. It was one of those funny yet serious moments because one minute I was standing and opening my car door and the next I was dating gravity and kissing the pavement. This was obviously not one of my finer moments, but one of my more hilarious ones.  Have you ever had a moment like this where you couldn't get frustrated and only laugh?

So until next time, keep your humor and Keep Cooking with Character!

0

Day 133: Isn't it rather dangerous to use one's entire vocabulary in a single sentence?-- Francis

Isn't it rather dangerous to use one's entire vocabulary in a single sentence?-- Francis, Oliver and Company

This classy insult comes to us when Sykes's Doberman, Roscoe, tries to flirt with and convince Dodger's Saluki friend, Rita, to join his side instead of stay with Dodger and his crew. Francis, a Shakespeare-and-classical-art-loving bulldog, interjects with this insult to get him to shut up.

Have you ever wanted to tell someone to be quiet in a polite way? This will definitely do it. I'll admit, it's not nice to insult anyone, but the way Francis elegantly does it gives a few good howls.

I must admit, I first picked this one I thought I could easily talk about this one. It turns out I can't, not without going into murky territory. I've always loved this one for its elegance and class. Yet when I think about it, it's not the best ones. It is good for giving someone a second to pause and think about what they've just said, as Roscoe did. Yet it also says that the other person is not very book-smart. So you can see why it's taking me a while to do this post. I know I want to post about it but not much really can be said beyond it's a classy insult.

I'm not sure where Francis got his education because he is part of Dodger's street gang. He loves Shakespeare and is even watching Macbeth on their busted TV when he's first shown, imitating the actor on screen. He also loves Matisse's and Chagall's artworks. He also speaks with a British accent, not a typical New York accent. I am not sure how he became part of Dodger's gang. I can only guess how he did. Since Fagin likes to read to his dogs just before bed, I can assume that's one reason why Francis stays with Fagin. He's also is a lover not a fighter, but will fight if he has to.

Roscoe on the other hand is one of two of Sykes's guard dogs. He's more bark than bite and takes commands a lot better than his partner DeSoto, who's more bite than bark. It's unknown if they are brothers or friends. Roscoe also does not have that large of a vocabulary which is why Francis went after Roscoe's words instead of his brute strength. Sykes is also a man of few words as well, so that is probably where Roscoe learned his words. Where Francis is book-and-street smart, Roscoe is just street smart and it shows in their various encounters, like this one.

So until next time, Keep Cooking with Character.

0

Day 132: I love a story with food in it.-- Einstein

I love a story with food in it.-- Einstein, Oliver and Company

This tasty gem comes to us when Oliver, Dodger and the rest of his band of street dogs settle in with their human, Fagin, for the night at Fagin's makeshift home. One of the dogs, a grey Great Dane, remarks on what story  Fagin would read them that night.

What kind of stories do you like to read? Perhaps you enjoy being read to. When I heard Einstein say this quote it really hit home because I too love a story with food in it. I also love stories with romance and just enough action with little to no death in it. I like to read books, preferably paperback, but I love to be read to more. There's just something about being read to that takes me back to my childhood. Since the invention of audiobooks, it makes for travelling and reading happen a lot easier, though I don't read as much as I used to. Yet the one thing that plagues me is my ability to comprehend things. If things are too wordy or use words I don't know, it makes it a lot harder for me to understand the story or the article, which is probably why I enjoy books with pictures a little bit more than without pictures. The pictures make it easier to understand what the writer is trying to convey, but at the same time without pictures and enough graphic words gives me the chance to make up how things look with my own imagination, which sometimes makes for an interesting read. There is a fine line between just enough pictures and not enough. Do you enjoy books with pictures or no pictures?

Until next time, enjoy your favorite books and Keep Cooking with Character!

0