Spring, Spring, Spring

Started off Friday the 13th with a couple of birthday-related cartoons in honor of my big day tomorrow. Disney did two birthday cartoons for Mickey Mouse, the black-and-white "The Birthday Party" from 1931, and the better-known color semi-remake "Mickey's Birthday Party" from 1942. Another monochrome short from 1931, "The Whoopee Party," is a favorite of mine - who knew Mickey Mouse was one heck of a party animal in the early 30s?

Mickey's not the only animal partying on his big day. The final episode of The Yogi Bear Show had the program's sponsor holding a televised birthday bash for Yogi. They want to keep it a secret, so Ranger Smith just tells him he's gonna be on TV. Yogi thinks he's going to be in a variety show and tries to take lessons, but he's nobody's Bobby Darin or Fred Astaire. The show turns out to be a bigger surprise than Yogi - or anyone - could have guessed.

Two earlier episodes also dealt with birthdays. Yogi holds a smaller - but equally secret - birthday party for a suspicious Ranger Smith in "Slap Happy Birthday." In "Happy Birthdaze," Yakky Doodle the Duckling wants to buy his friend Chopper the Dog the biggest bone he can find...but the biggest bone he can find is a dinosaur bone! When Yakky inadvertently steals it from the museum, a cop is sent after him and helps him find Chopper a better present.

Sailor Moon's birthday doesn't go nearly as well. While the Soldiers are holding her their own surprise party, Serena's upset because her boyfriend Darien seems to have forgotten her big day...or has he? Meanwhile, the evil Kaorinite is after her very pure heart crystal. She turns the glass shoes Serena wants into a monster who encases Darien in glass! And what will Amara and Michelle, the two older Sailor Soldiers, do if Serena has the pure heart they've been looking for?

I'm glad I got up a little earlier than planned. I made it to the gym by 10:30. It was a little busier than last week, but otherwise not bad. I did a good 20 minute run on the stationary bike, then worked on my legs. Got a quick stretch in (had to use the private trainer's area, since there was a small class going on in the exercise area), then headed to the Acme.

It wasn't that bad when I was there this morning. I picked up my paycheck, then did this week's grocery shopping. I was mostly restocking fruit, vegetables, and mousse mix. Needed baking soda and vinegar - the drains are running slow again - eggs, and honey. (I forgot brown sugar and mushrooms, which I grabbed at work later.)

After I got home and put everything away, I made a Spinach, Onion, and Swiss Cheese Omelet for lunch, then went right back out. Stopped at the bank first to deposit my paycheck and a birthday check from Mom, then rode to the Haddon Township Library for a short session there. There were tons of DVDs to return, probably a combination of people returning movies after their week off and people running errands after avoiding the chilly weather earlier this week. Got everything put away and the kids' DVDs organized. Opted not to take anything out - I'll probably end up buying movies for my birthday, and I don't think I'll have the time to watch much this week.

I managed to get home with plenty of time to change into my uniform, pack dinner, pump up my front tire (again), and head to work. Work was quiet when I arrived and when I left, but very busy for most of the night...and it was made worse by the fact that we remain short-handed.

And we'll continue to remain short-handed as people with vacation time take their remaining days before our vacation cycle starts over in May. That's why I only have one day off next week. However, the day is Wednesday, and none of my hours are very early or very long. (And only one - Tuesday - is later than 8:30.) I've come to expect a lot of hours in April, so none of this is a problem.