Balance Cools Off

Yes, it was still very humid but far cooler when I got up this morning, thanks to the heavy cloud cover. I really wish it would just rain, though. We need it so badly. We'd already had at least one monsoon by this time last year.

The morning yoga class was surprisingly quiet today. In fact, I hadn't seen so few people in the morning classes in months. It was just five other women, Karin, and me working on heart-openers and back bends. Fine by me. My lower left-hand back has been rather sore (probably been sitting in front of the computer too much). I could use the stretching. The smaller class made it feel more like the cozy afternoon courses than the usual frantic morning ones.

There was even less going on at the Collingswood Library. I organized the DVDs, helped some kids coming out of their Storybook Hour find movies, and that was that. There was nothing to shelve upstairs or downstairs. I left earlier than usual.

I made a quick stop at the Collingswood Used Book Trader a block down. I hadn't been there in a while. Alas, this time, they had nothing of interest. I headed out quickly and returned to my bike. I was home before noon.

I had a fast lunch of leftovers, then went back out again to browse and run some errands. Since I was heading in that direction anyway, I made the Oaklyn Library my first stop. There was even less going on there than at Collingswood. I pulled a few new DVDs that ended up with the old ones, and organized a few kids' books, mainly the board books. Didn't see anything to buy at their sale this time.

The main reason for this trip was to find out what the hold-up was at the Foot & Ankle Center. My orthopedics STILL hadn't arrived! I had to wait ten minutes before a secretary finally told me we forgot to sign two measly places on the back of the sheet last month! The damn insurance company wouldn't process it until they did. And everyone wonders why it took me so long to bother getting an insurance card? These companies are obnoxious.

I was only a few blocks from Station Avenue, Haddon Heights' main drag, so I rode up that way next to have a look around. Wound up at their library. Like the Collingswood Library, it's a two-story, 70s-era building that features a small but thorough DVD collection, a decent fiction collection, and a very nice non-fiction section. They actually had some very nice older books on movies I hadn't seen since I lived in Cape May, including ones on short subjects (the Stooges were profiled) and movie series up through the 70s (a nice discussion and filmography of the Bowery Boys was included, along with Andy Hardy and James Bond, among others).

I didn't find any books in their book sale shelves, but I did pick up a very interesting video, and I ran that when I finally headed home. Broadway: The Lost Treasures is a collection of performances of classic musical numbers from the Tonys. I absolutely adored it. If you're any kind of a musical fan, you must find these. Even though some of the singers were apparently lip-synced, that doesn't detract from the experience. My favorite numbers included Jerry Orbach singing the wonderful "Lullaby of Broadway" from the original 1980 42nd Street, Carol Channing's "Before the Parade Passes By" from Hello Dolly, Yul Brunner and Broadway favorite Patricia Morrison gliding through "Shall We Dance?" from The King and I, Paul Lynde's hilarious "Kids" from Bye Bye Birdie, Barbara Harris' touching "Movie Star Gorgeous" from the three-part show The Apple Tree, two fabulous dance numbers from the 1980s Tommy Tune/Twiggy vehicle My One and Only and the early 70s hit Applause (the latter featuring an energetic Bonnie Franklin, the mom from One Day at a Time), and two medleys of songs from the original 1977 cast of Annie.

Switched to a quieter The Thin Man Goes Home as I baked Blueberry-Peach-Chocolate Chip Cake and made summer vegetables, leftover chicken stir-fry, and mashed sweet potatoes for dinner. Nick and Nora are visiting his parents for his birthday. Even during what's supposed to be a quiet vacation, Nick can't help meddling, especially when a dead man turns up on his parents' front stoop! Turns out the young man was a painter with a secret past that involves a local crazy woman (Anne Revere) and a crook (Leon Ames) who wants the paintings, and will do anything necessary to get them. Fun if you enjoy seeing MGM's many classic character actors in action, but do start with the original three Thin Man movies first before coming here.

And oh boy, did my cake come out nice, soft and just sweet enough. I'm glad I was actually almost out of brown sugar; I replaced part of it with apple juice concentrate, and it tastes wonderful.