Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Waiting For the Rain and the Train

I woke up earlier than I planned this morning. I was just too excited to sleep. I had so much to do before Lauren's arrival! I started the day with an early laundry session around quarter after 9. It was quiet when I came in. The managers were the only other ones there, and they were wiping down the washers and dusting off the air conditioner. By the time more people started arriving, I was putting my large load of work clothes and sheets in the dryer.

When I got home, I put everything away, then went right back out again. My next stop was Dollar Tree. I needed Father's Day cards for both dads; bought Lauren a friendship card, too. I found one about friends shopping together I thought was cute. Also picked up a tissues box and bubble bath gel.

Got a quick session in at the Haddon Township Library. I was only there a half-hour, just long enough to shelve and organize the children's DVDs and shelve the adult titles. They suggested the CDs and books-on-CDs, but there wasn't time. I had counseling and needed to get to Haddonfield.

I had lunch at Amino Burritos and Juice in Haddonfield. That may not have been a good idea. I just barely got in ahead of a very long line. They couldn't hear my name and I had to wait because they didn't know whom to give my food to! At any rate, my Quick Chicken petito was delicious as always. The Peaches In Paradise juice - peaches, oranges, mango, and pineapple - was very citrus-y and not too sweet.

Counseling was at 1. We mainly discussed my summer plans after Lauren's visit. I have no idea of what to do next. I want to move forward, but I don't have any ideas of how. For right now, we discussed things I could do for the next few months - concerts in the local parks, mall visits, trips to the shore - that I'd be comfortable doing. I don't mind shows at a theater or a concert band, doing exercise or creative classes, or visiting malls on my own. I have a harder time with groups. Just sitting there discussing with small groups makes me nervous. I wouldn't know what to say.

Mrs. Stahl also complimented some of the things about appearance I do like. I have beautiful, long hands. My nails have been growing out - I don't chew them as often as I used to. I have nice skin, too, not too fair. I don't burn easily, and I rarely get pimples. And I love my curly hair (most of the time).

When I got out, it was hot and sunny, a bit of a surprise given how humid and cloudy it had been the rest of the day. It was too hot for lingering on the bike. I did stop at Primo's Water Ice in Westmont to cool off on the way home. I tried their strawberry cheesecake water ice. Not bad. It had a little bit of a minty flavor; someone may have been scooping mint chocolate chip before they did mine.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at my apartment. I ran One Crazy Summer as I did stuff around the apartment - made my bed, swept the porch, tidied up, pulled out towels for Lauren. Hoops McCann (John Cusack) is just out of high school and trying to learn abou5t love in order to write a romance comic and get into art college. He learns about a lot more than getting a girl when he goes to Nantucket with his friend George and his sister for the summer and falls for a rock singer (Demi Moore) who is trying to earn money to save her grandfather's boarding house. If she can't earn $1,000 for the mortgage, the house reverts to the nasty tycoon owner of a lobster seafood franchise and his obnoxious son. Hoops and his friends spend the rest of their vacation trying to help Cassandra, including winning the Nantucket Regatta. Strange movie, but fun if you can get with the vibe and like other "slobs vs snobs" comedies of the 80s.

I jumped in the bath after One Crazy Summer ended. I'd been soaking in the tub for about a half-hour or so when I heard pattering on the porch. The clouds had been gathering since I got home, and the humidity had gotten worse. It finally burst around 5:30. I was worried about Lauren, who would have been long on her way by that point. Thankfully, a call from Lauren settled my nerves. By the time the rain started, she was having pizza at the 30th Street Station in Philly. Her train wasn't due to start until 7:20. Also got a call from Jodie asking about Lauren and making sure she was still coming on time.

Ran Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird as I got ready to go. In the first of two Sesame Street theatrical films, Big Bird is sent to a new home in Illinois when a social worker thinks he should be with his own kind. "His own kind" turns out to be a family of dodos who live up to their names in more ways than one, including not allowing any of his friends from New York to visit. Big Bird takes off, determined to get home. When word gets out that he's on the move, the rest of the mid-80s Sesame Street gang goes after him. I get a kick out of this, especially the charming music. Enjoyable family story if your kids don't mind the lack of recent characters like Elmo or Abby Cadabba.

Dad and I had no problems picking up Lauren this time. He hit the right turn-off, and there was no traffic going to or from Cherry Hill. Lauren came right on time; she too had a smooth ride, with everything on time and no problems getting anywhere.

When we got in, Lauren gave me some very late birthday presents - American Girl books for Kaya (Kaya's Escape), Caroline (Meet Caroline), and Kit (Danger at the Zoo), along with a nifty-looking Crock Pot cookbook she'd picked up at a book fair at a school near the bank where she works. Right now, we're chatting and watching Moon Madness and Wakko's Wish (Lauren's a big Animaniacs fan). We don't have any big plans for tomorrow - we may just walk around Audubon and Oaklyn.

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