Long Day

My Internet is acting up again (and my phone isn't working either - it says "Line In Use" when I'm not using it, even when the Internet is off), so I'm going to try to make my long day brief. I went into Collingswood first thing this morning after breakfast. I dropped a small donations bag at Friends In Deed, then went across the street to look at the WebKinz selection at the Collingswood Variety Store. I was hoping they'd have the new Whimsy Dragon and Samoyed Dog, but no luck. They take forever to get anything new, not to mention they don't carry Lil'Kinz, so they don't have the Lil' Chicken. I spent most of the remaining hour or so before work at the Collingswood Public Library, where I read books on musicals and bought two records, a collection of songs and non-fiction radio broadcasts from the late 40s and 50s and one of the jazz albums Linda Rondstat did in the 80s with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra, Lush Life.

I was mainly in Collingswood for this week's counseling session. Scott and I discussed my upcoming goals - losing more weight, doing at least one Yogawood class, trying to learn how to relax and focus so I can focus on getting a real job. Actually, I'd like to learn to focus, period. I bounce from one idea to the next without finishing any of them. Maybe I could write something if I didn't get an idea, obsess over it, develop it, then drop it like a stone when I get the next hot idea.

I had a brief lunch at the Tree House Cafe a few blocks from Genesis Counseling (a Ham BLT Wrap, cookies, and iced tea) before riding over to Westmont for the day's next errand. I had to return two late books to the Haddon Township Library and do this week's volunteering. I did the Children's DVDs again. I got a bit crowded out over there. The kids from the three or four schools nearby were out by the time I finally got there, and the littlest dragged their mothers over to me to ask for DVDs. I did some creative organizing and re-organizing, but I got everything in and made all the kids happy.

I made a very quick stop at Blockbuster Video across the parking lot from Super Fresh to see if they had the original Indiana Jones DVD set. (The one released this week apparently lacks the extras of the first set.) They didn't, so I headed home. I'll go to FYE tomorrow or Saturday and see if they still have it.

I spent the rest of the afternoon working on my budget and baking bread. The recipes in The Bread Bible seem to be a tad complicated for me, but the ones in Betty Crocker's Bread mostly contain shortening and seem a little fattening. I finally decided I didn't have the time to mess with starters and sponges and just bit the lard bullet and made Pioneer Bread, a cornmeal loaf bread from Betty Crocker. It's still cooling, so I haven't tasted it yet, but it sure smelled good in the oven!

I used the leftover meatballs to make Swedish Meatballs from my 50s Scandinavian Cookbook for dinner. I used plain yogurt instead of cream (I seem to remember Mom used sour cream for Swedish Meatballs when I was a kid) and the vegetable stock leftover from the French Vegetable Soup, and it turned out kinda thin. (The flour kept clumping, too.) I threw in the dandelion greens just because I was tired of having them as a salad. Hopefully, it'll be thicker tomorrow.