Some Catching Up to Do

I intend to spend this week catching up on a lot of things I've been wanting to do, but either haven't had the time for or just plain haven't gotten around to. I started a chilly but sunny morning off with this week's run to the laundromat. It was surprisingly busy for early in the day, about 9:30 when I got in. I was just able to get a washer. Driers were easier, though there were still a lot of people when I left.

When I arrived home, I put the laundry away, then went right back out. I normally would have gone to the Haddon Township Library first...and I actually turned onto Newton River Park before I remembered I was going the wrong way. I needed to go to Collingswood first.

One of the things I've had to put off is getting my haircut. I usually get it sometime in mid-late February. I thought about doing it last week, but I got it done on the week of Valentine's Day last year, and I ended up spending several hours running to every salon in town...and almost all of them had a line.

I wanted to go to Haddon Hair Designs, but they were closed again. (I could have sworn I've seen them open...) I ended up back at the Hair Cuttery. This time, a guy did my hair (the girl who did it in August having left in the meantime). I must say, he did a very nice job on it. I had it cut a little shorter than I did last summer, to just below my shoulders. I like it shorter in the spring, since it gets so hot in summer.

After my hair was done, I headed to Rite-Aid next-door to buy some things I needed, then went out to lunch. West Side Gravy is basically a gourmet diner across the street from the Pop Shop, in the same building as a karate school and a dance troupe. Their menu consists of fancier versions of comfort food, like PB & J made with brioche and peanut/cashew butter and Cheesesteak and onions in egg roll wraps.

I ended up with the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup "Big Plate." It was delicious. The sandwich had three different cheeses (I nixed the fourth because I don't like American) on thick brioche slices. The soup was really more of a creamy tomato puree, and while it was a bit too salty, it was certainly thicker and tastier than anything you'd get from a can. That "big plate" wasn't all that big, either. I had no problems finishing it. Though it claims it's for a family audience, this is really for people who want diner-style food without the Pop Shop's perpetual noise and overstimulation for a similar price.

Rode over to the Haddon Township Library next for my volunteer session there. Truthfully, there wasn't much to do. They had plenty of help to shelve children's books and DVDs. For the first time in weeks, though, I had the time to take out DVDs and books. I ended up with the movies In Old Chicago, Kung Fu Panda, and 9 to 5, along with the newest Mickey Mouse Clubhouse set, I Love Minnie. I also took out a book on starting a computer-based at-home business and the newest Daisy Dalyrumple and Maisie Dobbs mysteries.

Made short stops at Super Fresh and Dollar Tree after leaving the library. I didn't see the individual packs of yeast I like at Super Fresh, nor the sticks of Smart Balance spread. (Super Fresh must have stopped carrying them too, or they were discontinued.) I did get things to make a pudding pie. Picked up two packs of sponges at Dollar Tree.

It was cloudy, cold, and windy when I finally made it home. Still feeling tropical, I made a Blood Orange-Coconut-Strawberry Mousse Pie, then ground chicken burgers with roasted Brussels sprouts for dinner while I ran Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. As you can guess, the ladies of the Clubhouse were generally in the spotlight. The cutest was the title episode, as Daisy prepared a surprise party for Minnie while the others tried to keep her busy and away from the Clubhouse. The St. Patrick's Day episode, with Leprechaun Pete trying to keep the "Clubhouse Rainbowers" from chasing his pot of gold, was enjoyable as well.