Almost Spring

First of all, I'm still a little shaken about counseling yesterday. What I want is a better support system than either the Acme or my family can provide. I'm going to try talking to Studio LuLoo and the yarn shop in Collingswood again, and I still haven't gotten to the theaters. They might have volunteer work that can be done during the day, even if I can't always make programs or shows that are at night or on work days. I wish I knew more people my age in this area to ask what they do when they're not working.

I've noticed that religion is a very big deal in this area. There's a church on every other corner. Tiny Oaklyn has at least three. Many of my customers mention church organizations and groups, and I often stop at church festivals or flea markets during the spring and fall. I would like to investigate some religions, even some aspects of paganism. I feel better in nature than in most churches.

I'm still going to call about the neuropsychologist sometime in the next week, if only to rule out the possibility of there being something wrong. I might as well explore all avenues. I'm really hoping there isn't.

I spent most of the morning beginning this month's cleaning. Did the bathroom today. The tub especially needed a good scrubbing. I finished out The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show while I got the bathroom done. If you don't have a lot of the later specials and films, this is still a really cute show. Highlights included how Peppermint Patty finally figures out that Snoopy isn't "that funny-looking kid with the big nose," Snoopy breaking his foot and ending up in a cast, and Charlie Brown somehow managing to roll his bowling ball into the famous "Great Pumpkin" pumpkin patch on Halloween.

When I finished the bathroom, I put on another famous animated sketch comedy from the 80s as I prepared for work. Garfield and Friends had a similar pedigree to Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show - a wildly popular comic strip moved from paper to specials to Saturday morning show. Unlike the Peanuts, whose show was only on for two years, Garfield's venture into Saturday morning proved to be one of the backbones of CBS' Saturday schedule. It was still running well into the 90s.

I did one of the early episodes of season 1 as I had leftover pizza for lunch. "Cabin Fever" has Garfield and Odie snowed in a cabin while Jon desperately tries to bring them food through a blizzard. A rumor about a monster brings "The Return of Power Pig" - Orson's superhero alter ego - to US Acres. When it proves to be fake, Orson reminds the others of the trouble rumors can cause. And Garfield hardly thinks it's a "Fair Exchange" when he and Jon switch bodies and discovers how cats and their humans really live.

It was a beautiful, sunny, windless day when I rode to work. While the air remained a bit chilly, it was warmer than yesterday, and the sun still felt wonderful. Work was surprisingly busy for the middle of the week. The Acme was having a huge seafood sale for Lent. It's still the beginning of the month, too. The nice weather may have brought a lot of people out of the woodwork as well. Thankfully, it slowed down by 7PM, and my relief was on time.

The nice weather was reflected in the state of the roads when I headed home. Sidewalks and streets that were still icy at noon were half-melted by 7. I was able to ride on the sidewalk on the Black Horse Pike with minimal problems.