Just a Big Girl From Oaklyn

Began a cloudy, cool day with a late-morning run to the Haddon Township Library. Alas, they had plenty of help, and there wasn't really much to do there. I organized kids' DVDs and shelved some children's books. I also did something I'd been meaning to do for a while. I went through the adult DVDs and removed any G-rated movies or cartoons that had been dropped there by mistake. Considering that the adult DVD section is overflowing as it is, you'd think people would be more careful.

I ended up with the Rugrats Halloween special, the Max & Ruby set "Rainy Day Play," and three movies, The Social Network (which I never did get to last week), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

My favorite finds were also the only books I took out this week. The Haddon Township Library finally got the new American Girl historical books in! I checked out Meet Cecile, Meet Marie-Grace, and Cecile's Gift. Cecile and Marie-Grace are two young ladies growing up in New Orleans in 1853 during a horrible yellow fever epidemic. Cecile is a free person of color and wealthy; Marie-Grace is white and less well-off, not to mention a relative newcomer to the city, having lived in New England for many years after her mother died. Despite their differences, the girls learn a precious lesson in compassion and understanding when they volunteer in orphanages that have been overtaxed by the epidemic.

Stopped at the Bagel Shoppe for lunch. I haven't been there in ages. I had a tasty vegetable and cheese quesdilla while reading the AG books. Though the time period isn't really my thing and the plots didn't seem all that realistic, I found myself enjoying them. Both girls are well-written, and their stories show an interesting side of the oft-battered but always fascinating Big Easy.

There was nothing else I needed to pick up this afternoon, so I just headed home. Went right into doing my outdoor cleaning. I normally only do it in the spring, but I've been having a flying insect problem in my kitchen, and I thought cleaner waste canisters might help.

Scrubbed the deck chairs first. I think they're on their last years. I've had them since I lived in Wildwood, and they're both starting to look more than a little messy. I could barely scrub the dirt smears and bird droppings off! What I need is a real small patio set, but I don't know if I could afford one or how I'd get it home if I could afford it.

After that, I took the trash can, paper recycling can, and tin/plastic/glass recycling can downstairs. I use the hose under the porch to wash these. It's easier than using a bucket. I also gave my bike a quick wash. Despite the cool, gloomy day, I was constantly getting bitten by mosquitoes. (I was hoping they'd be long-gone by now.)

Did a few things online, then did some baking. I got rid of the last three slices of the Acme bakery whole-wheat bread and the last three cornmeal muffins by making them into bread pudding. I ran Max & Ruby while I baked. I'd already seen about half of the episodes. Of the new ones, my favorite was "Max's Mud Bath." Ruby and Louise want to use Max as their first customer at their all-natural spa, with beauty products made from fresh fruit and vegetables. Problem is, Max thinks their treatments are for lunch, not his pores! It's Grandma who reminds the girls that Max's mud bath is one of the most natural of all spa treatments.

(And...yeah, this is one I can very much relate to. My sisters and I used to use Keefe as a model/spa client quite frequently. Anny in particular loved to practice new hair styles on him or try new brands of nail polish. To his credit, he took it much better than Max did - I don't remember him ever attempting to eat our beauty products.)

Switched to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes as I made Broccoli, Chicken, and Brown Rice in a skillet for a quick dinner. This is the most famous of several musicals made by 50s blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe. She's a sweet-natured gold-digger chasing a nerdy millionaire. Jane Russell is her sensible best friend who would rather go after lookers than men with money. When Monroe becomes determined to follow her moneyed man on a cruise to France, Russell joins her in the hope of catching the eye of the US Olympic team. Things get more complicated when they're pursued by a private eye and Monroe chases an elderly millionaire (Charles Coburn) whose wife has a tiara Monroe wouldn't mind having for her best friend...

I was actually a little disappointed that beyond Monroe's famous "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" number (and Russell's hilarious reprise of it in court later), this isn't really much of a musical. Despite the lack of music, this is a fun comedy with both leading ladies in fine form. Coburn may be even funnier as the dirty old man with one eye on Monroe's shapely form and the other on his African safari stories.