Summer Magic

Started off the day with hot oat bran cereal and a peach for breakfast, then headed to the Acme for this week's paycheck and grocery shopping. The Acme was busy, but not too bad, considering that we're now officially into Labor Day Weekend. I had a lot of luck with sales (likely also thanks to Labor Day Weekend). Got whole-wheat pasta, Fiber One Yogurt packs and granola bars (had coupons for both), chicken drumsticks, Multi-Grain Cheerios, brown sugar, regular white sugar (the Acme's cheap brand), and a whole-wheat roll for the meatball sandwiches I planned on having tonight.

This time, I went straight home instead of to the mall behind the Acme. Put everything away, then had a quick lunch of yogurt, a granola bar, and a small apple. I've been overstuffing myself lately, and I wasn't really that hungry.

It was still a pretty decent day, a little hotter and more humid than it was this week, but far from unbearable, and cloudy on and off. I decided to go for a long bike ride, my first since before vacation. First stop was the PNC Bank on the White Horse Pike to deposit my paycheck. Not surprisingly, given the nice day, it was dead and I was in and out.

Willie the Woodsman and Wife's, a gift shop in Audubon that carries WebKinz, had mentioned to their e-mail list that they now had the WebKinz Turkey and Lava Dragon. I haven't seen them anywhere else, including the Collingswood Variety Store and FYE. I want a turkey for my Thanksgiving displays...and they're just plain cute besides, with their bright feathers and goofy, endearing expression.

I rode around Audubon a bit after that. Stopped at the Audubon Library to see if it was finally open. The last time I went over there, it was closed for an extended vacation between July 4th and the 19th. Not this time; I had no problems getting in. Like the Oaklyn Library, it's housed in a late 50's-era brick building. It's a little bigger than the Oaklyn Library and generally in better shape, with a brightly painted and fairly extensive children's section. The adult fiction collection is larger than Oaklyn's, but not as large as the Haddon Township Branch Library or the Haddon Heights Library.

Briefly said "hi" to the owner of Desserts By Design, but didn't stick around after that. It was getting hotter by the minute, and I wanted to save some money for the Farm Market tomorrow. I rode over the train bridge and into Oaklyn.

I originally intended to stop at Doria's Deli for a drink, as I was very thirsty by that point, but they were closed for vacation until after Labor Day. Went next-door and got a treat from Leo's Yum-Yum Ice Cream instead. Their signature dish, (called Yum-Yum) is something like a somewhat creamier water ice. I had pina colada. There were no chunks of pineapple and coconut like I was hoping there would be, but it did taste like a real pina colada, up to an including a surprising note of rum. (Likely extract. I hope.)

With not much money left, I just rode home after I finished my Yum-Yum. Spent the rest of the afternoon doing stuff around the apartment, including dusting and doing last month's budget. The dusting didn't take too long. It just wasn't that dusty this month, probably because the windows have been closed for most of it. I had more gunk in the air conditioner than around the house.

I had my dinner of a meatball sandwich on whole-wheat crusty Vienna roll with fried onions and peppers and a salad while watching Summer Magic and enjoying the magic of a soft late-summer evening. A breeze wafted in from the screen door, ruffling my bangs and cooling my forehead.

Mrs. Carey's right. There is something special about a summer's evening. "I feel sorry for city people tonight..."

Oh, and meet my WebKinz Turkey, Plymouth! I may put him outside or start a farm/fall room for him; haven't decided yet.