At Loose Ends

I was originally going to do the Haddon Township Library this morning and early afternoon. I slept in, then rode over to Westmont around 11:30. It was another beautiful day, 70 and sunny (though a bit windier than yesterday), and Newton River Park was packed with joggers, walkers, parents pushing children in strollers, and ducks and geese. I tried to dodge a mother and her college-age daughter walking down the path, but I wasn't looking where I was going and my bike struck a small hole. I found myself, the bike, and the bag with my books and DVDs to return landing straight in the grass! I got really lucky. The bike and things in the basket were fine, and I didn't get hurt beyond a few bruises. The two ladies I tried to get around helped me round up my things.

I should have known that after all of that, the library still wouldn't be open. I rode up to two large dumpsters in the parking spaces in the back. There were closed signs on both front and back doors, and the library was dark. There wasn't even anyone working on cleaning things up this time.

That was frustrating. I should have known it would take a lot longer than a week to fix a busted boiler pipe that flooded half the library. And after I rode all the way over to Westmont AND got hurt doing so! I wasn't happy at all. I made short stops at a very quiet Super Fresh for Hodgeson Mill single-pack yeast, then treated myself to a bagel at the Bagel Shop. The lady who works there confirmed that yes, the library remained dark. Several people had come to the Bagel Shop upset because they hadn't known about the busted pipe or the library's closing.

Since I couldn't volunteer at one library, I figured I'd do another. I rode over to the Oaklyn Library after leaving the Bagel Shop. I organized the DVDs, took a good look at the kids' books, and pulled more young adult books that needed to be shelved. I also took out one of my favorite young adult novels, Miranda and the Movies, about a little girl who literally falls into the production of a silent movie in the early 1910s and finds herself joining the cast.

Went straight online after I got home. The Camden County Library's home page said it all - yes, the library is not only closed this week, but for at least the next three weeks. The damage was far more extensive than originally believed, especially in the boiler room and around the circulation desk and children's area. On one hand, at least they're upfront about what's going on, unlike the brouhaha surrounding the Oaklyn Library's closing in November and December. And everything I have out is now renewed until June 1st. Doesn't make it any less disappointing. The Haddon Township Library is my favorite of the three libraries I volunteer at. I really like it there. The ladies are nice to me, and they have a decent selection of books and DVDs.

While I was online, I ordered Naughty Marietta and Sweethearts. The first Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy movie and the first they did in color were supposed to be released two weeks ago, but TCM held them back, supposedly to add extras. I'm going to try not to buy anything else online after these, though, unless I use that Barnes and Noble gift card. I'm only getting these because I've been waiting for years for them to come to DVD.

Still feeling depressed after ordering the movies, I decided to go for a walk. I stopped by Phillies Phatties and had a slice of cheese pizza and a can of Diet Pepsi for lunch. Strolled by the Oaklyn School as it let out, then down to Uncle Ken's. No one was home there. The only car in the driveway was Jessa's, and she's probably either at work or just finishing school.

After that, I headed for CVS to see if they had a nicer fan than the one with the plastic cover I bought last year. They didn't, but I did run into my friend Erica's mother Miss Helen and had a pleasant chat with her. She'd had an enjoyable Mother's Day with Erica, her sister (who lives in Collingswood), and several grandchildren, some of whom are in the Armed Services. She also confirmed that Uncle Ken, Dolores, Dad, and Jodie are still having problems with each other. Dad apparently wasn't home because he went right back out to another job.

Went straight home after that. I baked Peanut Crunch Cookies from one of my British baking cookbooks and watched Yolanda and the Thief. I really like this stylish 1946 fantasy musical. Fred Astaire is the thief of the title, and Lucile Bremer (the older sister in Meet Me In St Louis) is Yolanda, a naive South American heiress who prays for a guardian angel. What she thinks she gets is Astaire, a con artist who wants to bilk her out of her money. Love, however, has strange ways of winning out...including some real heavenly assistance.

Vincent Minellei went to town with the amazing color and fanciful touches here. My favorite number is Bremer and Astaire's delightful "Coffee Time." The most elaborate is Astaire's Technicolor, surreal nightmare with Bremer asking the perpetual batchelor "Will You Marry Me?"