Bad Weather Day

I'd been up for ten minutes when Mom called. She told me she'd replaced the L.L Bean jacket I got for Christmas that didn't fit and it was on its way. All I needed to do was wrap it up with the appropriate labels and bags and send it via UPS...which was a problem. I've never used UPS before. The closest store is in Haddonfield. Mom finally found a drop box in Collingswood; I'll go there tomorrow.

Ran some of the public domain shorts as I had breakfast. Surprisingly, of the shorts I watched today, the only ones I'd seen before were the Felix the Cat 30s Van Beuren shorts and the silent "Astronomeous" - and their copy of the latter was in the original black-and-white. For some reason, my copy from that public domain video my parents had for years was tinted bright pink. I don't know if this was actual tint, or a really deteriorated print. I also got to see my first Little Lulu short, a slightly surreal romp that started as a Disney-esque "good angel-bad angel" plot and ended as a music video for "Swinging On a Star."

My favorites of the shorts I watched this morning were both adaptations of fairy tales. Aladdin seemed to be a limited animation version from the 60s. It retains Aladdin's mother and the original Chinese setting, but drops the second genie in the ring. A Coach For Cinderella replaced the usual fairy godmother with a passel of elves and forest critters who make a gown and pumpkin car "coach" for the poor young maid.

It was just cloudy and cold when I rode out this morning. Stopped briefly at the bank to deposit my Christmas money. Half went in savings; the other half went in the checking account. The bank wasn't busy at all...which may be why it's closing in February, to be consolidated with the Collingswood branch. That settles it. From now on, I direct deposit all checks whenever possible, including my paycheck. No more dealing with banks or having to run to a bank to get money in my account.

There were a surprising amount of people out about in Newton River Park for such a gloomy morning. I rode past a whole flock of Canadian geese enjoying Boxing Day, several joggers, and a dog-walker. The wind was starting to pick up as I arrived at Cuthbert Road.

Despite the weather, the Haddon Township Library wasn't that busy. I organized the children's DVDs and shelved the few adult titles that had been returned. Took out a lot of DVDs, since I didn't get DVDs for Christmas - the newest titles for the 2009 Strawberry Shortcake (Jammin' With Cherry Jam) and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Mickey & Donald Have a Farm), a recent collection of Scooby Doo winter and holiday-themed episodes, the Christmas episode of The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, and two sequels (Ice Age: The Meltdown and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows). I also grabbed the first two Caroline books and took out a self-help book on overcoming negative stories.

Stopped at JoAnn's on my way home. Stores around here are dropping like flies. Like its neighbor Super Fresh, JoAnn's is shutting down. Unlike Super Fresh, it's just moving to a larger location in Cherry Hill. That does leave the immediate area without a hobby store. The yarn shop in Collingswood is expensive for regular yarn; the tiny Walmart in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center has a lousy selection. There was a reporter for a local newspaper doing an article on the closings when I was there. He actually interviewed me.

Thank goodness for sales. I bought a plastic box for my crocheting notions and a big book of crocheting projects that was on clearance. It only cost me 11 dollars, even after I dropped my 50% off coupon somewhere and couldn't find it, no matter how hard I looked.

It started sleeting while I was in the library. By the time I got out of JoAnn's, rain had joined the mix, too. It was getting late by that point. I rode home and got wet. I did, however, end up calling Dad for a ride to work.

Put on Strawberry Shortcake while I had leftovers for lunch. Cherry Jam is the newest girl in the group. As in The Princess and the Pop Star, she's a singer who is desperate to get away from her publicity machine and be treated like a normal Strawberry Land citizen. She thinks she's found her opportunity in Berry Bitty City...but between talent shows, the girls being excited over her arrival, and the discovery of hidden talents by several members of the group, it proves to be anything but a relaxing trip!

Dad picked me up for work around quarter of 4. Needless to say, due to the weather and the lateness of the hour, we were steady when I came in, stone-cold-dead when I left. Dad dropped me off at home as well.

I found a surprise when I got in. The second item in my Barnes & Noble online order, Julie's Cooking Studio, had arrived! Another American Girl cookbook, this one emphasizes 70s cuisine. The world then was apparently split between cheaper fast options that could stretch longer for busy families, and healthier options that were good for the Earth and for the people on it.