Sidewalks of Haddonfield

I slept in this morning, then went to the Acme to pick up my paycheck. I browsed in FYE, Fashion Bug, and Avenue after that, but I didn't see anything I really needed. I didn't need a lot of groceries, either. There was a really good sale on chicken breasts, by far the best we've had so far this summer, so I bought two packs. I also stocked up on Acme canned pineapple, which was on clearance. (Perhaps Acme's changing the labels? They've already renamed and/or changed the labels of many of the store's generic brand items.) Also grabbed Jiff Extra Chunky Peanut Butter and a can of diced tomatoes.

I rode home for lunch and to drop off my groceries. Had a tasty turkey wrap with romaine lettuce, then checked the bus schedule. The trip to Clementon Park takes a little over a half-hour...but it was almost 2:30 by then. If I wanted to be home by dark, that wouldn't give me a lot of time in the park. I finally opted for a long random bike ride instead.

I've never ridden all the way up to Haddonfield before. I usually ride over to the Collingswood PATCO and hop on a train. The train ride only takes a few minutes, though. That's fine in the winter. Today, however, the weather was once again slightly hot and humid, but not overwhelmingly so, and it was still windy. I figured, why not?

I'm glad I did. I rode up to Kings' Highway to discover that many of the stores in Haddonfield's main shopping district are having a huge sidewalk sale. Tents, racks, and tables are filled with merchandise marked down as much as 70-80%, a big deal in that expensive town. I still couldn't find any clothes I liked (even on sale, Haddonfield's fancy boutiques are not cheap...and most don't deal in plus sizes). On the other hand, I made a score at one of the salons. They were selling Goody brushes and combs for two dollars and a dollar, respectively, and Scrunci hair bands for $1 each. I got two packs of hair bands, a comb, and a brush. I've been needing them badly.

While I didn't see anything at the Happy Hippo Toy Store's sidewalk sale that I liked, I did find a WebKinz. I've been wanting a Pom Pom Kitty ever since I saw the adorable lavender feline in the WebKinz Music Starz video "Cats and Dogs" last fall. They did have them before, but I opted for John the Ginger Cat then; not this time.

I rode to Haddonfield via the White Horse Pike and King's Highway. I rode home on Westmont Avenue, eventually ending up in the Westmont section of Haddon Avenue. I stopped at a little water ice shop, Primo's, and bought a small Black Cherry Bordeux water ice for $1.50. It was worth the extra 25 cents. It tasted like real cherries and had huge cherry pieces in it. That was some of the best water ice I ever had.

Made my way across the rush-hour traffic on Cuthbert, then just rode straight home. Miss Ellie was home when I got in. I promised her I'd take her bags of newspapers and magazines out to her porch, where a friend would pick them up and take them to recycling. She also gave me a boatload of shoes she couldn't use. Most of them were way too big for me and will be going to the thrift shop in Collingswood. I did net two good pairs of boots and two pairs of good sandals in black and tan. One pair of boots are thigh-high, fur-lined, and water-proof. The others are ankle-high leather. Both will be far more useful - and probably last longer - than those suede Ugg imitations I bought from JCPenny last New Year's Eve. The salt from all that snow last winter completely killed the suede.

Passed the rest of the evening at my place, watching Bowery Boys movies and eating cubed steak, Pan-Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes, and green beans for dinner.

Oh, and meet Violet the Pom-Pom Kitty! Vi is full of vigor and loves lots of activities, including her favorite - cheerleading! She's also a bit of a girlie-girl and will be sharing the new Pink Princess Room with Ursula the Signature Black Bear.