Began today with my short morning work session. It was once again on-and-off steady, though a little busier than yesterday. The lunch rush hour got pretty bad, though it was starting to subside by the time I was finished. My relief was right on time.
I had almost no grocery shopping to do. I got so many leftovers this week, I really don't need much. Whole wheat flour and peanut butter were the big things. Treated myself to the soft chocolate chip cookies from the Acme's bakery, which are $1.99 this weekend.
My schedule for next week is far more typical of the time of year. The late day is Wednesday this time, which is fine. It'll give me a chance to write and volunteer for Studio LuLoo. Monday and Tuesday off again. I still wish I had a few more hours (though I have more than I did this week).
It was cloudy, cool, and a little humid when I left for work. By the time I got out at quarter after 1, the slight humidity and cool air remained, but the clouds were in and out. It was a great day to eat outside at Sonic. I had a cheeseburger, tater tots, and my favorite cherry limeade. (For some reason, they originally gave me fries. I had to go to the small kitchen and exchange them.) I'm surprised more people didn't opt for lunch outside. I only saw one other couple, and they left long before I finished eating.
As soon as I got home, I changed into regular clothes, put everything away, then headed back out. I wanted to get in a session at the Haddon Township Library, since I worked so early today.Took a relatively quiet Cuthbert Road there, cutting across the Westmont Plaza. Though they weren't that busy (the kids were only just getting out of school), they had a lot of CD's, audio books, and DVDs to shelve.
I actually had fewer problems with the kids' titles, for once. They'd just cleared a lot of the kids' titles into their book sale area, including all of the Pokemon discs but the movies. Most of the Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids titles were gone, too. I don't think anyone ever really took them out but me. Shame - they were rather sweet. (Now if they'd only thin out some of the other overloaded series, like Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street and Scooby Doo...) At any rate, everything fit, including the "S" discs. I took out new discs for Strawberry Shortcake (fairy-tale themed this time) and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (ponies on quests).
Oh, and the librarians gave me a small bag of goodies for helping them faithfully all summer. I got a "lollipop" that was really a lollipop-shaped cardboard covered in sherbet-covered hair rubber bands, a pack of tissue paper, a Hello Kitty shamrock-themed rubber wristband, a tiny container of anti-bacterial gel, and a bag of Goldfish Pretzels. I'll give the wristband and gel to friends. Everything else I can use. I've been meaning to get new hair ties anyway (haven't seen them on sale anywhere), I love Goldfish Pretzels, and with my allergies, I can always use more tissues.
Headed home around 3:30...which is apparently when the Haddon Township High School lets out. I had a wait a while for all the cars and buses to got their way on Cuthbert before I could cross to Newton River Park. The torrential downpour we had last night and the night before did its job. The park looked a bit better than it had, though there was still some algae on the lake. I passed anglers and kids on the playground as I made my way to Oaklyn.
Spent the rest of the afternoon working on my story. As Betty and Mr. Eldridge work on healing his many wounds, Scott explains what happened. He and his men were attacked by Sir Johnathan Arnold, the traitor who heads the Shadow Realm's army. Arnold is determined to capture him and bring him to justice. Betty does her best to repair the deeper cuts with her still-growing magic.
When Mr. Eldridge goes to get more water, Betty asks Scott just what he's doing in the forest. He finally takes her to their pantry to show her the food, gold, and jewels they've stolen. They're giving gold and food to the poor in Wennaria and are selling the jewels to buy more things the people need. Betty praises the idea....but points out it's still stealing. Scott explains that he's been a thief all his life. He doesn't know another way. He does finally convince her to join him to see how they're getting that money...
Watched another Robin Hood story, The Court Jester, while eating leftovers for dinner. Danny Kaye is the title character, a former performer who now works for the Robin Hood figure the Black Fox to restore the infant heir to the throne of England. He's in love with the very pretty Maid Jean (Glyns Johns), but she wants to get the baby back safely before they do any lovey stuff. She convinces him to take the place of the new court jester. Meanwhile, the King's right-hand man (Basil Rathbone) is plotting to get rid of his competition in the court...and intends for the jester to do the killing. And the king's lovely daughter (Angela Landsbury) is desperately looking for romance and is hoping her sorceress nursemaid (Mildred Natwick) will fix her up with that good-looking new court jester....
Along with Hans Christian Anderson, this is probably Danny Kaye's best and best-known vehicle, if only for the famous tongue-twisting orders at the end. Yes, you'll probably be going on about the chalice in the palace for days after watching this, too. Highly recommended for fans of Kaye or comic swashbucklers.
And...yes, I do remember September 11th, 2001. It was my first day of my final semester at what was then Richard Stockton College. The morning went normally at first. I got up, watched Rollie Pollie Ollie and Get Smart, ate, got dressed, and went to my first class of the day, History 1917-Present. I had work at Stockton's Media Center as a secretary after class. I borrowed a few books to read (one was about silent movie stars) and went downstairs to the library basement, where the Media Center is housed.
One of the secretaries met me at the door. "They bombed the World Trade Center," she said to me, wide-eyed with horror. "What?!" I replied. I really hadn't heard. I hurried in the main room, where a group of technicians ran Stockton's announcement channel. Their eyes were all glued on their TV screens. A small room off the main area was open for anyone who wanted to watch what was happening on TV.
I was worried. I had friends in New York. Between e-mailing them, I worked on a fanfic for my Remember WENN series On the Edge of the Precipice. I finished it later that night. Maple LaMarsh Comstock has just learned her husband Victor is missing in action and has taken a second job and is partying hard to forget him. Hilary Booth reminds her that Victor's "died" before...and that life does go on, even after extreme trauma. Even if she misses him horribly. It wasn't the story I intended to write that day, but...I guess I needed it.
On the Edge of the Precipice: Everything's Fine
(And incidentally, all of my friends in New York and Washington were luckily fine. One woman was upset her husband's flight was delayed and it would be days before he could get home. Otherwise, no one was anywhere near the World Trade Center or the Pentagon and no one was hurt.)
I don't remember much else about that day. School closed early, at 2 PM, before I could go to my next class. I went home instead. My roommates were doing homework. No one said anything. There wasn't much that needed to be said. I baked a lot of chocolate cookies and went for a walk. Later that night, I chatted with my friends, making sure everyone was ok.
It wasn't until I got home from the computer labs that it really hit me. One of my roommates left the TV on. Peter Jennings was reporting from Ground Zero. I saw all the firefighters and rubble behind him....and for the first time that day, I broke down crying. I was really scared. Even though everyone I knew was ok, other people weren't, and I didn't entirely understand what was happening.
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