It's (Almost) the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown

Started the day...with a phone call. Apparently, Acme's night crew neglected to leave a note for the day crew that I was working at 4. One of the managers wanted me in at 9:30...and she called me at 8:30! I was still in bed! I told her she was too late; the night crew got there first, and I had things to do in the morning anyway.

Switched on the American Top 40 as I worked on today's journal entry. I caught the last half-hour of the program for early February 1984. The 80s were in full swing, as we saw in such hits as "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes, "Talking In Your Sleep" by the Romantics, "Joanna" by Kool & the Gang, and the bouncy "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder. The energetic "Kharma Chameleon," by Culture Club, was that week's #1 song.

Spent an hour or so having multi-grain square cereal and a blood orange for breakfast and crocheting while running various football-themed cartoons and shorts. The Three Stooges are mistaken for college football heroes by three gangsters' girlfriends (including a very blond Lucile Ball) in Three Little Pigskins. Hello Kitty proves that a girl can play football, be a cheerleader, and catch the eye of the penguin prince in the Furry Tale Theater episode "Cinderkitty." Charlie Brown doesn't have nearly as much luck with the big homecoming game in It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown. While Peppermint Patty tries to rally her team and Lucy is determined that Chuck will miss every kick, Chuck's more worried about being the escort for the Little Red Haired Girl at the homecoming dance than the score of the game. Mickey Mouse is one of the world's most unlikely star quarterbacks in the black and white short "Touchdown Mickey"; Goofy is the team's announcer who does more laughing than relaying plays.

I headed out to run errands after Mickey ended. The morning was very cold, just barely in the 30s, and windy again, but sunny and bright. I strolled down to Dad's to tell him that Lauren and I have decided on a week for our shared vacation (mid-June) and to pick up my laundry detergent, which I left there on Monday. Jodie was at home; Dad was out running his own errands. I said "hi" and gave her the news. She mentioned that they may be having a college graduation party for my stepsister Jessa during that time. That's ok; we'll swing by for a little while.

My next stop was the bank. I was delighted to discover that my checking account was far fuller than I had expected. My tax return must have gone through! I promised myself I'd check it online when I got home.

Celebrated the good news with a trip to the Oaklyn Library. It was surprisingly busy for a cold day, with several families with children looking for books and DVDs to amuse them and a couple of people online. I was able to do the adult DVDs, but there were too many kids in the children's area to get much done there. Made a quick stop at WaWa for milk, a pretzel, and more of that Winter Spice Cappuccino after leaving the library.

I continued my football theme as I made a leftover chicken leg with sauteed winter vegetables for lunch. In Hold That Line, a bet between patrons of a blue-blooded university pushes the decidedly academia-challenged Bowery Boys into the world of college football. Sach becomes a sensation when his "vitamin" concoction brewed in the school labs gives him super strength and makes him unbeatable on the football field. His heroics makes the school's former star quarterback very jealous...and attracts the attention of gangsters who have bet on the big game between Ivy and State College. When Sach disappears, Slip and the others have to find him, then win the game, with or without chemistry.

A school rivalry is also at the heart of the Tiny Toon Adventures episode "The Acme Bowl." Though Acme Looniversity's football team hasn't won a game all season, they still intend to come out on top over the unbeaten (and perpetually cheating) Perfecto Prep. Plucky adds to their troubles when he gives Perfecto Buster's playbook in exchange for becoming a student there. Buster has more than one surprise in store for the snobs from Perfecto, including what Plucky's really up to.

I did go online briefly during the afternoon, long enough to check my account. My tax return had just gone through last night. It must have been deposited into my account this morning, right before I arrived at the bank! I had enough to transfer my paycheck into my savings account and pay my rent and my Comcast bill with plenty left over.

For all the fussing earlier, when I arrived, work was pretty much the same as yesterday - very busy in the afternoon, dead by the time I left at 9. I'm glad I did get called in. Beyond adding to my paycheck, the Acme was having its annual Chili Cook-Off in the back room. Five different people brought in crock pots of chili recipes for the other employees to try and vote on. There were other goodies, too, like pretzels and tortilla chips and butter pound cake and corn bread. The voting had ended by the time I made it in, but there was enough chili and goodies left for me to have a nice dinner on the Acme.

A few of my customers mentioned towards the end of the night that it had started snowing again. It was still coming down when I finished my shift. The snow was finer and more powdery than earlier in the week. It was like walking into someone sprinkling sugar on the ground. It was so pretty riding home. There was a about an inch on the ground at that point; most roads were clear, and there wasn't enough to impede progress. As far as I can tell, an inch or so more has fallen since then, though I think it's stopped now.

It's funny. They said this morning that the Groundhog saw his shadow, which is supposed to mean spring is coming soon. Maybe Phil needs glasses.