Cast Your Fate to the Wind

Thank goodness after the rain we've had the last two weekends, I awoke to sunshine and blustery blue skies. Listened to the American Top 40 as I prepared for my Saturday errand run. I was 8 years old in mid-October 1987, when this episode debuted. It wasn't a happy time in my life. I was constantly tormented at school, my body was just starting to change in ways I didn't understand and wasn't ready for, and my parents were having major marital problems. The music I heard on the radio was one of the only constants in my life then. Hits from the fall of that year included "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake, "Commotion" by Madonna, "I Heard a Rumor" by Bananarama, "Little Lies" by Fleetwood Mac, "Who Will You Run To?" by Heart, "Paper On Fire" by John (Cougar) Melloncamp, "Bad" by Michael Jackson, "U Got the Look" by Prince and Sheena Easton, and two remakes of 60s numbers, "I Think I'm Alone Now" by Tiffany and a live version of "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol.

Pop stars Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam had their second #1 hit of the year that week, "Lost In Emotion."

I headed out as soon as the show ended. I made a few quick stops in Oaklyn to look at yard sales, but found nothing interesting. My trip to the Collingswood Farm Market was also short. I didn't really need much today. The Farm Market is on it's last month. Corn and tomatoes are gone, and with them went the booth in the very front of the Market that sells corn out of a truck bed. They were replaced by the yarn booth with live alpacas in a pen. All I needed were cranberries, apples, and broccoli.

I went straight home after that. I put my Farm Market finds away, grabbed the pumpkin bread I made last night, and rode to the Acme. I was off, but there was an Oktoberfest party in the back room. I promised I'd bring bread a month ago, long before I got this week's schedule. There was plenty of food there, but I mostly just nibbled on small things like deviled eggs. It was too early for lunch. I bought contact lens cases (which I forgot yesterday) and moved on.

I took the back way out of the mall, past America's Best and Golden Corral and onto the side road with the baseball park and into Audubon. Audubon and Haddon Heights were having their fall town-wide yard sales this week. I spent the next two and a half hours riding around both towns, dodging traffic and checking out sales.

My finds were small, but interesting. I picked up the book Sesame Street Unpaved (with lots of details on the various characters and the backstage doings) from a family with two little girls. (Gave them a dollar - they wanted 25 cents, but I was out of quarters and the book is a hardback in really nice condition.)

The nostalgia factor was high at another Audubon sale. I found the second-to-last Donna Parker story, Mystery At Arawack, along with three videos I loved during my childhood - the 1949 version of Little Women with June Allyson and Elizabeth Taylor, the Leslie Ann Warren Rogers' and Hammerstein's Cinderella, and Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer.

By 1:30, I was tired of hiking up and down the hilly streets of Haddon Heights, and many yard sales were starting to close down anyway. It was time to head to Simply Soups for lunch. It was very quiet, allowing me to read my new book and give me a chance to think as I ate my corn bread, Diet Coke, and creamy turkey-pumpkin-rice soup for lunch.

After I quick stop at WaWa, I headed home. Went right in the bathtub as soon as I got in and put everything away. That felt absolutely wonderful after all the running around the last few days. I listened to George Winston's Cast Your Fate to the Wind CD (recordings of Vince Guaraldi music, including music from Peanuts specials) and read The Woman's Comfort Book.

I spent the rest of the evening baking, cooking, and watching The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Bilbo Baggins and his dwarf friends have many adventures on their way to Smaug's treasure cabin, from hiding in the home of a man who can change into a bear to a none-too-pleasant encounter with giant spiders to a run-in with the elves, who aren't terribly happy to have them there. Even after they arrive at the town near the lake, trouble - in the form of orcs and nasty local bueracrats - follows. When Bilbo finally goes nose-to-scaly-nose with Smaug, he learns that the beast is more terrifying than anything he could imagine...and that he plans on destruction on a massive scale.

Just as beautifully done as the first one. Basically, if you enjoyed the original, you'll probably love this, too...but catch the original film first to have a better understanding of what's going on.

Toy Story of Terror was Pixar's Halloween special last year. When the toys stay at a creepy hotel, each of them seem to disappear mysteriously. Jessie is the last one left. When she's captured too, she and the others discover a plot to sell them off. Jessie will have to rescue Woody from being sent away...if she can get over being trapped in a box...

Basically a shorter rehash of Toy Story 2, but enjoyable enough for what it is. Combat Carl (and his mini version) is especially funny. It doesn't have much to do with Halloween, but it's still worth a peek if you or your kids love Toy Story or are looking for something new to watch at Halloween.