Springing Into Spring

Began a gorgeous Saturday with cartoons. Strawberry Shortcake was a repeat, the episode about the kids having a pet show and Peppermint Fizz cheats, but the Adventures In Care-A-Lot was new to me. The first half in particular really struck a nerve. True Heart Bear does a major slapstick trip all over Care-A-Lot, prompting Tenderheart and Harmony Bear to tease her and call her "Stumbles." This upsets her badly, and she runs off. Oopsy Bear cheers her up by reminding her of all the times he's had major klutz moments. He finally convinces True Heart to tell the others that she doesn't appreciate the jokes, which she does. Harmony and Tenderheart realize what they did was really kind of mean, and they do apologize...until they learn exactly how Oopsy and True Heart felt when they have their own major klutz moment!

I've spent most of my life going through just what True Heart did. Teasing isn't always funny to the one who is on the receiving end. It really does hurt. Make sure the person (or bear) in question is laughing with you, not being laughed AT.

I ran a few short errands after Care Bears ended. Wal-Mart was a nut house, with incredibly long lines. I wanted a larger wrench to fix the chain on my blue stationary bike, but the individually packaged ones were TOO big, and the smaller ones only came in sets. I really need to find a Home Depot or a Lowes or larger hardware store.

After a brief stop at Staples, I headed to Fat Jack's, a local barbecue franchise, for lunch. One of this location's owners stopped in the Acme once and gave me and the bagger helping him coupons for a free sandwich. I decided to take him up on that offer. I got a free Pulled Pork Barbecue Sandwich and paid for a side of collard greens and a Diet Coke. The Collards were really salty, but otherwise, it was delicious. The Pulled Pork Sandwich was big, but not so much that I couldn't eat it in one sitting. They also didn't overload the barbecue sauce or the pork, and it all managed to stay on the bun and off my lap.

I made another quick stop, this time at the Acme for a small grocery trip (needed to restock oranges, grapefruit, bananas, and yogurt, and I was almost out of whole wheat flour), before heading home. I put everything away, then went right back out again. It was too nice of a day to hang around inside. Though it was cloudy, it was also incredibly warm, about 73 according to the sign outside the Beneficial Bank in Audubon. I went to the bank to deposit my paycheck, then just kept going down the White Horse Pike.

I ended up at some of my favorite Audubon shops. I didn't find anything I liked at Act Two Collectibles, but I did get the new WebKinz Robin from Willie the Woodsman and Wife and a used copy of the Beatles album Revolver from Bob at Abbie Road. I also treated myself to a smoothie at the Tree House Cafe and had a nice chat with the owner of Desserts By Design.

By this point, I was not only tired, but it was getting a bit cloudier and cooler. I was going to head home after I left Desserts By Design, but I realized half-way over the bridge going into Oaklyn that I'd left my sunglasses at the Tree House Cafe! Thank goodness the place was deserted and still open when I came back. The girl behind the counter was mopping the floor and hadn't even noticed them there.

When I finally did make it home, I finished up Kiss Me Kate and ran another Cole Porter MGM musical while I was eating dinner, The Pirate. One of the few musical swashbucklers, this one wasn't a success when first released in 1948 but is now considered to be something of a cult favorite. Judy Garland is a very romantic young lady in a Caribbean island in 1848 who longs for adventure and travel but finds herself engaged to her small town's fat and dull mayor. She dreams of being swept away by the Dread Pirate Maccoco, apparently a legend on the island. Gene Kelly is a traveling player who discovers her interest in the famous pirate and uses it to get her interested in HIM.

While I think it's cute, I can understand why it baffled audiences in 1948. It has an unusual quota of sex for an MGM musical, from Garland's slightly risque "Mack the Black" number to her desire for Maccoco to basically come and ravish her. This film, like Kiss Me Kate, also plays with the notion of theatrical artifice - what we really are versus what we appear to be.

The movie's probably best known today for the only standard to come from this score, "Be A Clown," which is used for not one, but two great numbers. The first showcases Kelly and the Nicholas Brothers doing some genuinely amazing acrobatic and dance tricks. The second ends the film on an odd - but very funny - note, as Kelly and Garland dress as clowns and entertain their new public...and the film viewers as well.

Ahh, and meet my new WebKinz Robin! I don't know what to call her yet. I don't think I'm going to adopt her tonight. They've apparently been having problems with adoptions at WebKinz World. She'll be the first to get the new Tree Top Room when I do!