City In the Snow

Between my long week and the messy weather, I just slept in again this morning. When I finally opened my eyes around 8:30 - quarter of 9, the sun was shining, and my landlord Andrew was shoveling my porch steps. I measured the snow left on the porch after he went downstairs and discovered that storm dropped 8 inches on us! Well, snow or no snow, I had things I wanted to do today.

I needed a good breakfast before I headed out. Ran two cartoons involving snow as I ate. The Backyardigans are on the trail of what they think is a monster living in the frozen north (but is really Pablo being cute) in the first season episode "The Yeti." Though everyone's favorite snowman is happy to be back from the North Pole in Frosty's Winter Wonderland, he's also lonely. His friends the kids make him a sweet "snow wife" named Crystal, but they can't figure out how to make her "all livin'." Meanwhile, Jack Frost is jealous that Frosty is getting all the winter attention instead of him and will do anything to keep from being second best!

Went online briefly to check my e-mail and my checking account after breakfast. Much to my disappointment, the Camden County Library System was now closed all day, rather than opening at noon as previously announced. Oh well. Those DVDs would just have to wait to go back again. I'd just spend all day in Philly.

I realized why the libraries were closed when I went downstairs. My porch and path were practically the only things that were plowed. The streets must not have been salted, because they were packed snow. It was so cold, any snow anyone shoveled just froze. I was going to ride my bike, but I ended up walking it instead. It just wasn't possible to ride anywhere. The streets were all covered with snow. I was far from the only one ignoring the literally freezing temperatures, though (it didn't get above the 20s here today). There were many people shoveling walkways or using snow blowers. I saw a group of kids and their parents happily riding down a hill on inner tubes on Bettlewood Avenue. Men were salting the sidewalks even as I arrived at the PATCO station in Collingswood.

Since the trains were running (and only slightly behind time), I figured I'd get my shopping done anyway, cold or no cold. Much to my surprise, there were quite a few other people with me on the train, especially going to 8th and Market. I got off at 16th and Locust, same as I did last month.

Much to my annoyance, most of the streets in Philly hadn't been plowed, either. They were even messier with slushy, dirty snow. The sidewalks were generally in better shape, though, making for easier walking than in New Jersey.

I once again began my trip at Barnes & Noble. It was past 1:30 by then. I started with lunch at their Starbucks. I wanted soup and a sandwich, but they said they'd opened late and hadn't gotten the soup going. I ended up with two Turkey wraps, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, and a too-crumbly blueberry muffin I didn't finish.

There were several things I wouldn't have minded buying at Barnes and Noble, but I didn't feel like hauling them around. I finally ended up with a book of crochet patterns for 18 inch doll clothes and the first book for American Girl's Girl of the Year for 2014, Isabelle. (I may see if I can pick up Tomorrow-Land on the 1964-1965 World's Fair with tax return money or for my birthday.)

My next stop was the big FYE on Broad Street. I didn't get any DVDs for Christmas beyond what I bought myself, so I had some catching up to do. I took advantage of their buy 1, get 1 for a dollar used sale to grab the third season of Laverne & Shirley, the fourth season of Moonlighting (the last season I needed for that show), and the soundtracks for A Hard Day's Night and Tangled. (Tangled and Moonlighting were the dollar items.) Made use of a massive 50% off sale to grab the more recent media I wanted, Man of Steel and the Frozen soundtrack.

I had more problems at Macy's. On one hand, they were having a buy 1 bra, get the second 75% off sale. The gift card from Lauren knocked two good bras down to 22 dollars. On the other hand, it took me over an hour to find the plus size women's section, which was shoved into a corner on the second floor. Their selection was lousy, and I just ended up grabbing a pair of JM khakis for that weren't as rugged as I would have liked - I hope they'll get me through the winter.

I was much later leaving than I'd planned. I hurried down 13th Street as well as I could to the 13th and Locust PATCO station. The 4:30 train going to Collingswood (when it finally showed up after being 10 minutes late) was surprisingly jammed full. People who would have normally taken cars or buses to work may have found themselves seeking alternate transportation when the roads proved impassible and their cars were snowed in.

Alas, the roads were still a mess when I got back in, and the sidewalks were now icy, too. I just ended up walking home, trying to stick to the main roads this time. At least the wind, which had been blasting for most of the day, wasn't as bad when I was walking home, and there was a lovely, orange-y sunset.

When I got in, I ran a couple of Laverne & Shirley episodes as I made scrambled eggs with zucchini, cheddar cheese, and ham for a quick dinner. Figured "New Year's Eve - 1960" on the second disc was an appropriate place to start. Neither woman has a New Year's for the record books when Shirley catches a cold on the big night and Laverne is heartbroken after her date ditches her. They find themselves dealing with FBI agents in their apartment who think Shirley's guy friend Carmine is a counterfeiter in "The Stakeout." And both women get the shock of their lives when they have to fly an airplane after the pilot passes out in the season opener "Airport '59."

I've spent the rest of the night online, running my many Disney soundtracks. In addition to Frozen and Tangled, I've gone chronologically and have heard The Princess & the Frog and Brother Bear. I decided to stick to Phil Collins and moved onto his Oscar-winning work for Tarzan.