Around Camden County In Five Hours

The American Top 40 was on when I got up this morning. We discoed our way into early March 1977 as bubblegum pop, dance music, and vocalists ruled the charts. Hits from this era include "The Things We Do For Love" by 10cc, "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor, "Weekend In New England" by Barry Manilow, "Night Moves" by Bob Seeger, "New Kid In Town" by the Eagles, the live version of "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney, and "Don't Give Up on Us" by David Soul (of Starsky and Hutch fame).

Barbara Streisand had the #1 hit that week, one of the biggest hits of her career, in fact. Her version of A Star Is Born usually suffers by comparison to the Janet Gaynor and Judy Garland movies...but the soundtrack was one of that year's blockbuster records and spawned the smash ballad "Evergreen."

I had a lot of errands to run this morning, starting with my last trip to the Logan Presbyterian Church's thrift shop for what I hope will be a while. I had two more bags to deliver, a large one filled with no-longer-needed or threadbare linens, the other with containers and random knick-knacks. I didn't see anything I wanted and just headed out after a few minutes.

Went straight to the bank next to deposit my paycheck. One of the tellers mentioned a new thrift shop on the White Horse Pike, on the edge of Oaklyn and Audubon next-door to TD Bank. They really didn't have much more than clothes and DVDs, but they might be a better place to take any clothes I want to donate than the collection boxes in the back of the Acme.

Made a quick stop at the Oaklyn Library after that, where I organized DVDs and did what I could with the children's books. Several people were showing a new volunteer how the library worked, and I didn't want to get in their way. I left early.

Rode over to Audubon next to hit the gym. Wasn't in there too long, either. I got a decent workout on the elliptical machine. Next time, though, I think I'll up the resistance and the time. I concentrated on the arm weight machines. Since there aren't as many weight machines for the arms as there are for the legs, I did free weights as well before cooling down and stretching.

Made a few more short runs, since I was in the area and off work. Went in Staples really quick for a new mouse pad. I've had the old one for probably about three years. Had a nice lunch of French Onion Soup and a Chicken Fajita Wrap at Applebee's, then bought new rugs for the bathroom, kitchen, and outside the main door. All four of those rugs are also about three or four years old and definitely needed to be replaced. The one in the kitchen has a charming red-and-white strawberry print; the one for outside is a simple, heavy woven twine. The bathroom rugs are plush sage-and-off-white. One has stripes; the other has a leaf print.

I worked on the computer for a little while. I was going to start a web site for today and finally get that assignment done. The next assignment requires me to send my URL to search engines. Trouble is, that pesky lack of experience is getting in the way again. What am I going to say on my web site? How will I make people trust me? I'm beginning to wish I'd taken copy editing classes before taking this business course. It doesn't even teach you how to make a business plan! It just says to make your web site "one that sells," advertise, get with local groups for your product, and voila! I don't think the teacher considered what one does when one lacks experience in everything, or when one's product isn't really physical. This class was a mistake.

I got so frustrated, I finally went outside for a walk around quarter after 4. It was a lovely day, chilly and still a bit windy, but sunny and fresh. I went back into the park again, this time being more careful in our backyard. The sunlight glistened across Newton River, showing through the tangle of bright green, thorny vines around the trees. I even caught sight of a train going over the near-by bridge, and two men fishing on a small motorboat on the river. Leaves can just be seen on the bushes now, and the daffodils have blossomed in Miss Ellie's garden.

When I got in, I dusted the apartment, put up the spring and St. Patrick's Day decorations, and made a simple chili for dinner. Ran Around the World In 80 Days as I worked. This is the 1989 miniseries version of the Jules Verne novella. Mysterious British gentleman Phineas Fogg (Pierce Bronsonan) wagers that he can get around the world in 80 days. Today, this feat could be done in a matter of hours, but in the late 1880s, it was still an arduous undertaking. Fogg and his servant Passepartout (Eric Idle) run into everything from a student revolution in France to cowboys, Indians, and bandits in the American West. Trailing Fogg from one corner of the globe to the other is Inspector Fix (Peter Ustinov), who is determined to land Fogg on a charge of stealing thousands of pounds from the Bank of England. A trip to Bombay throws an Indian princess into the mix as well. Will the quartet win the bet and finally make it back to England...and how many star cameos can you count in this massive undertaking?

Like the 50s Around the World movie with David Niven, this is a star-laden travelogue that relies heavily on pretty scenery and a bevy of character actors popping up in odd places. Unlike the 50s version, there's a lot more adventure...and at the very least, the Indian princess looks Indian, instead of like Shirley MacLaine. Recommended for fans of Bronsonan, Idle, star gazing, or epic 70s and 80s miniseries.