Change In Plans, Change In Weather

It was still gorgeous when I awoke this morning. I was finishing The Merry Wives of Maggody when I heard a phone call. I was quite happy to hear not yet another spiel for an electric company, but my sister Rose. I haven't seen her since she dropped the fish from my stepdad off at my apartment. She asked me if I wanted to get together with her tomorrow for tea at one of the tea shops in Collingswood, despite the threat of storms. I said "Sure, why not?" I haven't had a good chat with her since the incident at Wegman's in June.

When I finally put the book down, I dressed, had cereal and a nectarine for breakfast, and watched The Penniless Princess one more time before it goes back tomorrow. After the Veggietales story ended, I rounded up my laundry for this week's laundromat run. There were a few people when I came in, but by the time my fairly large load was in the dryer, it was just me and the new Jeff Probst talk show on TV.

Ran the other Angelina Ballerina DVD as I folded and put away my laundry when I got in. This one is a series of episodes that's probably closer to the show's actual format on TV. Every story has the mouselings learning new kinds of dance, from disco to jazz to tap and hip hop. My favorites had Alice learning slinky jazz moves to conquer her "tummy butterflies," Gracie discovering that even the most renown magicians and tap dancers need to practice their basic steps, and Ms. Mimi explaining to the kids that it takes a lot of hard work to get a dance routine down.

I put on two Dr. Seuss specials while I had an omelet with leftover summer vegetables for lunch. Dr. Seuss On the Loose is a collection of three short Seuss tales. Green Eggs and Ham is the best-known, but I prefer The Sneeches. The Sneeches are yellow bird-like creatures who live on the beaches. The Sneeches who have green stars on their stomachs snub those without them...until a con-artist inventor and his machines teaches both groups a lesson in equality.

The Hoober Bloob Highway is an odd one. The theme is simple, but profound - what makes us human? How do we learn to be a human being? Mr. Hoober Bloob, who "trains" infants for their upcoming life, introduces his newest charge to the ins and outs of what makes us who we are. One of the simplest and most creative Seuss specials, with some enjoyable music as well - I like "It's Fun to Be a Human."

Work was surprisingly on-and-off busy for the middle of the month. Maybe this week's Daily Deals - a new big sale every day - had something to do with it. Green Giant canned veggies were the big sale. Yuck! I avoid canned veggies, except for tomatoes to use in sauces. Betty Crocker cake mixes are also on a pretty decent sale. I bought a Spice Cake Mix to replace what I used for the Apple Spice Cake yesterday. Thankfully, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.

And I have come to the conclusion that Mom is right. As much as I enjoy having my parents to myself, I simply cannot afford traveling right now. I'm not going to be able to go down to the Shore when my second vacation starts next week.

I've already been looking around for other things to do. Oaklyn is having its town picnic early this year, on September 30th. It'll be nice to actually be able to enjoy it without rushing to work later. There's a high school marching band concert at the Collingswood High School outdoor stadium that benefits their marching band on the 29th; that might be fun, and the money goes to the kids. 

And while it's not raining now, to my knowledge, there were dark clouds on the horizon when I was riding home...