Spring Is Here At Last

I finally awoke to a really gorgeous day, lower 50s and sunny. I celebrated it with several spring-themed episodes of The Yogi Bear Show. Yogi is "A Wooin' Bruin" when he competes with another bear for Cindy's affections. They keep bringing her increasingly lavish gifts taken from campers. Ranger Smith finally catches on when Yogi takes his car, but he holds his temper when he discovers romance is involved. Snagglepuss has less luck with his demanding girlfriend Lila in "Spring Has Hit a Snag." She keeps asking him to clean up and get her this and go get berries, please, even though there's hunters out there. "Easter Duck" pits Easter gift Yakky Doodle against a hungry cat who thinks he's a spring dinner.

Headed for today's errand run around 11. Began with a quick stop at Dollar Tree. I realized when I sent out my Easter cards this morning that I forgot to buy one for my brother Keefe in the Navy. I also bought a pack of ice cream-themed bubble liquid for my little nephew for Easter, vinegar, strawberry preserves, and a magnetic shopping list pad (I've needed one for a while).

The Haddon Township Library was busy when I arrived, but it was mostly parents with younger kids looking for DVDs. There actually wasn't much for me to do. I organized the kids' DVDs and shelved DVDs and kids' books. Didn't take anything out this week. I have plenty to watch for Easter and a lot of my to-do list.

Had a nice ride into Haddonfield for lunch. The bridge is still closed. I had to take the twisting and turning back roads in. Since I came out at the PATCO Train and Bus Station, I had lunch at the Italian deli on the next block over. They were very busy with the last of the lunchtime crowd. I managed to find a seat between the older women, kids and their folks, and executives who were enjoying soup and sandwiches. I had my favorite Italian Wedding Soup with a "Mummers' Roast Beef" hoagie (thick-cut roast beef with sharp provolone, spinach, and vinaigrette dressing - mine also had tomatoes). Even in the half size, the hoagie was still so big, I took part of it home for lunch tomorrow.

I had the time to take a peek at the Happy Hippo Toy Shop after lunch. Nope, still no new WebKinz. The store was busy with kids out of school anyway. I moved onto Shelly Stahl and this week's counseling appointment.

We discussed my difficult and stressful couple of weeks. It's hard to try to concentrate on being positive and making things happen when you're getting interrupted or the phone is the first thing you hear. I really have no idea of how to meet people my own age and lifestyle here. I never see single 30-somethings at the libraries or Acme or out and about. I don't know how to meet them. I'm not into bars. I tried that in Wildwood. I ended up spending the night dancing a little, then watching Fraiser re-runs.

It's just hard to feel positive when nothing seems to go right. I have tried for ten years to find a real job, and for even longer to lose weight. Not a single one of my ideas has worked. I don't really know what my skills are, besides reading, writing, organizing, and baking. I get so angry and frightened, the fear just builds up in my head, until I can do nothing at all. It's hard for me to push past that fear. It's just been there for so long.

Mrs. Stahl wants me to ask everyone I know what they think my good points and bad points are. She also wants me to try to brainstorm ideas for hobbies that'll let me meet different people. I haven't really had a chance to over the last few weeks.

I made a quick stop at the CVS in Haddonfield for bath salts after leaving Mrs. Stahl, then went home via the back roads and Newton River Park. (I was going to go down Haddon Avenue, but part of it was closed off by police cars. I have no idea what was going on there.) It was slightly chillier going back, and a bit windier. There were heavy clouds overhead. At one point, it actually sprinkled a bit. Thankfully, the clouds dissipated almost as quickly as I arrived, and I got home with no problems.

I spent a nice, quiet hour and a half in the bath after I got in, listening to the George Winston Vince Guaraldi CD. When I finally got out, I ran another musical biography as I made Flouder in Red Wine Sauce with roasted broccoli and spinach and greens salad for dinner. Look for the Silver Lining supposedly tells the story of Marilyn Miller, the sweetheart of Broadway in the 1910s and 20s...but in real life, Miller was a mouthy flapper with a deep-blue vocabulary and a tragic life that may have been too tragic for Hollywood in the late 40s. Here, she's played by dainty June Haver as a sweet thing who joins her family's vaudeville act, then runs into trouble when she makes Broadway and her first husband (Gordon MacRae) dies.

The biggest reason to see this is Ray Bolger as Miller's friend and mentor. If you only know him from fantasies like The Wizard of Oz or Babes In Toyland, his eccentric, enjoyable tap routines here are a revelation. Otherwise, this is an ok time-waster if you run into it on TCM or the Warner Archives, but nothing anyone besides musical fans need to see.