And that was about it. Thinking back on what had happened, that was about enough to recapitulate most of the notable things that happened during that excursion to Mexico.
Of course, some things happened here and there but that was hardly of any other relevance.
Filming, filming, filming. With the usual gawks and curiosities he gets at that.
Conversing with his grandfather about business matters and conversing with the other grandfather to sort of catch up.
It's all a process, to say the least.
Then there was exploring what could be explored of Mismaloya, even going on those hikes with the girls into the woodlands.
However, all of that had passed as Alexander bid farewell to November, welcomed December, and back home in his living room...
Watching Babes in Toyland.
-------
It's not anything shady.
It was just a movie about Lisa Piper, an eleven-year-old girl from Cincinnati, Ohio.
A young girl who takes care of her siblings and cooks for her family because her father's passing has made her grow up too fast. Too mature even.
She has no time for toys and refuses to be treated as a child. Quite resonating to certain "kids" who were watching?
Anyways, Lisa's older sister Mary works in a toy store run by Barnie, a man who sexually harasses her and the type of boss who wants to keep his subordinate working despite the anticipated blizzard coming on Christmas Eve.
In a turn of events, Mary and her boyfriend Jack are taking little Lisa and their friend George home.
It's just that the snowy roads and singing the Cincinnati song while driving were not a good combo, so an accident happened where poor Lisa is shockingly thrown out of the car...
To her death.
One would think so... but she actually just got thrown out into a place called Toyland.
Apparently, a destination that every child dreams of. Where fantasy, joy, hope, teddy bear guards, and toy-esque citizens come to life.
In a twist, characters from Lisa's life are sort of here as well. But as mentioned... with a twist.
Mary is now Mary Contrary, set to marry Barnabie Barnacle who looks to be a much evil Barnie.
Jack in this scenario is Jack Nimble, the one who Mary truly loves but also happens to be Barnabie's nephew.
A love triangle explained to newcomer Lisa by Georgie Porgie or the George of this land.
Knowing the full picture, Lisa puts a stop to the wedding and it became a full-on drama in Toyland from there on out.
With the reveal of evil Barnabie's plot to take over the land... Lisa, Mary, Jack, and Georgie Porgie go to the kindly Toymaster for help.
Only spurring for more craziness like flasks containing distilled evil, vulture-like monsters called Trollogs, an army of Trolls, a Troll Princess, and so on and so forth.
Lisa, the main character, would obviously have a pivotal role in all of this.
As for her power, well... it's her renewed belief in toys and finding the child in her.
Long story short, after awakening an army of toy soldiers to beat an army of trolls... Lisa and her friends banish Barnaby from Toyland.
Mary and Jack then get married and it was all just resolutions from there.
With Lisa finally heading home.
Toymaster, who is revealed to be Santa Claus this whole time, takes her home in his sleigh with wooden reindeer.
They travel across the Milky Way until she wakes up at home, as though it has all been a dream.
With how psychotic the whole thing was... it really should be a dream.
It really looked all normal... with her mom at home, normal Mary, Jack, and Georgie looking over worried... and all that.
Until a toy soldier a Christmas Tree saluted, that is.
------
Well, it was a typical 80s movie that's a remake of something from the 60s. The whole story's also derivative of The Wizard of Oz.
Although it had Keanu Reeves and Pat "Mr. Miyagi" Morita, it was admittedly bland.
Still, Alexander felt like he had to say something nice... but Milica beat him to it.
"You looked fat there." Her words are not too nice though. "TV is not a flattering look for you, Drew. The small screens just can't hide your ugly baby fat as well as big cinema screens did."
"Geh!" Drew, who actually played Lisa, really got smacked there but she took it and smacked back.
"What do you know? You're probably just jealous that I have a movie and you don't. And even though it's just a TV movie, it's around my 9th one already."
"How many do you have again?"
"Erm... well... I'm a singer and voice actor!" Milla said sheepishly. "And I'll also be in Back to the Future... somehow..."
"I may not be a singer but I did voice acting in Star Fairies too." Drew went smug there. "Clearly, you've got nothing to be proud about."
Referencing that scene where "Lisa" briefly exposed her underwear around that Asian Santa, Milica rebutted. "Hmmph, at least I didn't show my panties off on national television."
"I didn't want that to happen!" Drew defended but Milica just said. "It was pretty incident if you ask me."
"I think the word you were going for there is indecent." Alexander can't help but correct.
"Yeah... yeah... that's it. You get me, Alex." Milla rode that correction up. "She was really in-decent showing her panties to everyone that will watch this thing... so, you should probably break up with her!"
"Wha... That was not my fault!" Drew stammered. "It was probably the director or the editor being perverts for not using a decent shot for it. You won't break up with me over that, right?!"
"I won't. Just don't let her words get to you, Drew." Alexander stepped in in that regard.
As that kind of guy, he really stepped in as he went for a hug, a kiss on the cheek, and said. "Congratulations on the movie, by the way."
"Hehe! You're too good to me, prince charming." Drew went giddy with that but it also didn't stop her from sneakily mocking her rival with a stuck-out tongue.
Milla could only pout at that. "Yeah... you're too good to her, Alex."
Acting cutely and hugging him tightly, Drew said. "I just know how to be spoiled, is that so bad?"
"Err... I know how to act spoiled, too." With that verbally conveyed, Milla made good word on it as she latched unto Alex for a hug as well.
Alexander, stuck in the middle, could only sigh at the situation.
It was too hot.
In a literal sense.
-------
-------
-------
Of course, after watching Babes in Toyland, it didn't take long for that to become literally true as well.
Not the silly movie premise coming to life but with a promise to accompany the secretive girls to the go to the mall.
The acting spoiled thing kind of evolved into this interest to buy stuff... and Alexander had no choice but to go with it.
It's one of those woes. Thankfully, he was rich.
What drained him the most was the rush of holiday shoppers and just the usual strain that shopping with girlfriends does to most men.
Granted, with all their effort to not be recognized and how excited the girls were at the prospect of experiencing Christmas shopping normalcy... it's really a stark reminder...
Of what fame trades off and how girls, famous or not, just want to have fun.
That Cyndi Lauper song even sounded in the background.
And so... it would seem that Mr. Driver, the snitchy tail and placeholder guardian, had his work cut out for him to look out for paparazzo.
As for how things got literal... well... eventually their spree reach the mall's local toy hotspot... and there... the girls sort of were Babes in Toyland.