Bike Ride Across Oaklyn

Started the day by sleeping in. It was nearly 11 before I got moving. Did one last birthday-themed short during breakfast. "Pluto's Party" gets pretty crazy when the mini-mice Mickey invited treat the birthday pup like a horse, then eat his party food. Mickey does have one last surprise waiting for his best friend, though!

Headed out around 12:30 to run errands and enjoy another absolutely glorious, perfectly sunny mid-60's day. I was originally going to start it with volunteering at the Oaklyn Library. Though the door was unlocked, it turned out the small staff was having a meeting. Oh well. I'll go back tomorrow.

Since it's near-by, I hit the House of Fun next. It was surprisingly busy for the middle of the day. The games were even on. Alas, I didn't run into anything really interesting this time, not even books. Maybe it's just as well. I saw signs advertising Audubon's Town-Wide Yard Sale tomorrow.

Next stop was Desserts By Design. I felt like a treat. Everyone must have gone shopping, because they weren't busy at all. I bought a nice, moist chocolate cupcake with coconut frosting from the young lady behind the counter. Enjoyed it outside, on a bench in front of the dance studio.

Rode down Market Street next and over to the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center. I explored a few stores. Didn't see any work pants I liked at Avenue. Briefly looked at Rue 21's accessories as well. Considered a few pairs of boots, but they were kind of cheap.

Went to the Acme next for my schedule and what very few groceries I needed. I really don't have much of a schedule next week. I'm only working Wednesday and Saturday and only a few hours on Wednesday. On one hand, I really could have used the hours and the money. On the other hand, I could probably still use the rest, and I want to work on my story.

Actually, the only groceries I really needed were fruit - pears, bananas, and grapefruit. I was out of unbleached flour, too. I found a box of whole-wheat pasta shells on the clearance shelves for 69 cents. I was almost out of pasta, and there's no arguing with that price. Not to mention, I haven't had pasta shells for years.

When I got home, I put everything away, then continued My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (which I began this morning) while eating the last of the tuna casserole for lunch. The Mane Five continue to spread friendship throughout Equestria in these stories. The most interesting was "Slice of Life," the series' 100th episode. This was a massive "day in the limelight" tale for Equestria's many supporting characters, tied together by the wedding of two donkeys happening the same day the Mane Five deals with a huge bug-bear monster. (Look for the hilarious spoof of The Big Lebowski in this episode, complete with a pony version of Jeff Daniels.)

Twilight Sparkle is "Amending Fences" when she's realized she's neglected her old friends from Canterlot. While she's able to get back in touch with most of them, bookish Moondancer refuses to talk to her. Twilight Sparkle tries to figure out where she went wrong.

Rarity and Applejack are "Made In Manehattan" as they travel to the big city on a friendship mission. They're not sure what they can do at first, especially down-home country girl Applejack. When a friend of Rarity's explains she's having a hard time getting a big Shakespeare In the Park-style outdoor show together, Rarity offers to help with the costumes, while Applejack says she'll clean up the park and the stage. Applejack finally discovers that she can't do everything...but that doing even just one small thing can make a big difference.

Applejack's good friend RaRa is now Colorata Coloratura, "The Mane Attraction" at the Ponyville Music Festival. Applejack is disappointed with how much her once laid-back friend has become a diva. Is it really Colorata, though, or her sleazy agent who's making the demands and causing trouble?

I worked on writing after lunch. Vader has just addressed the biggest scum in the Alliance of the Kingdoms - huntsmen. Especially one huntsman, the personal one for King Jabba of Tatoon, Boba Fett. He's put out a reward for the man who brings back his runaway daughter and the thief and his horse who have her - alive. And while Vader himself can't go to Kashyakk - the witch who lives there has strong magic that protects the woods - he does know he can do some investigating on his own and find out where Luke and his magic may have gone...

 I had leftovers for dinner and made Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins while finishing out the Ponies and watching Barbie: Spy Squad. The most recent Barbie Is/As tale introduces us to a trio of gymnasts who are recruited as spies by the aunt of one of them. She wants them to stop a very flexible cat burglar who has been stealing jewels for an organization that got its hands on a super weapon. If the jewels are put in a certain case, the weapon will be activated...and it could possibly destroy the world. Though the girls enjoy their training (and one is having fun flirting with the awkward guy who makes their gadgets), Barbie is having trouble focusing. Aunt Zoe teaches her how to visualize what she wants and go for it...which turns out to be very useful when they discover that the cat burglar is a familiar face, and the villain is closer than any of them know...

Not bad. The Barbie series doesn't often do pure action without fantasy elements, making this one a little bit different. (Also refreshing to see the guy fall for someone besides Barbie.) If your little girl is more into action than princesses, she'll probably find a lot to love in this one.