It was sunny when I got up this morning, warm but not overly so yet. I wanted to make Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies before it got too hot to do so. I had volunteered them to the Acme's Memorial Day Party almost a week and a half ago, when it was still cool out.
Ran Warner Bros wartime shorts while I baked. Other than one Bosco short saluting World War I, most of these cartoons were propaganda from the early 40's. Some of the more unique ones include "Russian Rhapsody" ("gremlins from the Kremlin" sabotage Hitler's plane), "The Duckinators" (an allegory set in a barnyard, featuring ducks, geese, and doves as the Axis and the US), "Wacky Blackout" (skits on life on the homefront in the country), "The Weakly Reporter" (same idea, but set in the city), and "Hollywood Canine Canteen" (spoof of the Hollywood Canteen with dog caricatures of popular celebrities of the period).
I headed out as soon as the cookies were done, around quarter after 10. Every year on the Saturday before Memorial Day, Collingswood holds a huge fair on the part of Haddon Avenue that runs through town. It was already busy when I arrived, and very hot! I sweat bullets as I admired the classic car show, looked over doll outfits at the craft fair booths (didn't see anything I liked), and watched delighted kids ride ponies and mini-versions of carnival rides in the midway area. There was lots of musical acts, mostly local alternative rock groups, but one group played Beatles covers.
The Farm Market is absorbed into the May Fair for this weekend, held on a side street. Spring lettuce and North Carolina blueberries are now out. I bought a small head of red lettuce from the organic booth and treated myself to their smallest bag of popcorn (the cheapest treat I could get at the Fair). Also picked up an onion, blueberries, and some juicy, jewel-like strawberries.
Walked around for a little while after that, but despite a nice breeze, it was getting very, very hot. The Coke Zero I bought from the Philly Pretzel Factory only helped a little. It was probably just as well that I had to work later, anyway. I headed home around noon.
When I got in, I worked on my story. I worked on it later tonight as well, after work and taking a shower. Lando, Wedge, and Admiral Ackbar are waiting for the drawbridge to open when they're ambushed by the Imperial army and Sith Dragons. It's a trap! While they try to hold off the Imperials, Luke calls his Sith Dragons from the first story in his mind. The head dragon still owes him a debt; Luke tells him he can repay that debt by helping his friends.
Meanwhile, Han's in despair. He can't finish opening the drawbridge, and Luke and Leia both seem to be lost to the villainous Vader and Palapatine. It's the Ewoks, Cecil, Arthur, and Chewie to the rescue, thanks to little Wicket sounding the alarm. They'd run off to get their fellow Ewoks and the horses in the stables. Han grabs Chewie and goes after Boba Fett and Leia while the Ewoks and servants help the Rebels get back to the drawbridge.
Ran a few cartoons while getting ready for work. The Fleischer Brothers actually put Popeye in "The Mighty Navy" three months before the war came to the US. (It's the only Popeye war short where the enemy isn't named.) Popeye mostly alternated between kicking the Axis' rear and more typical fights with Bluto for Olive's hand, as in "Kicking the Conga Around." Popeye wants to impress fair Hispanic senorita Olive, but he can't dance the conga like Bluto...until spinach turns him into a dancing machine!
I left for work a little early. I wanted to enjoy the goodies before I had to start. And there were goodies! It was mostly salad variations. I saw a spaghetti salad with shrimp, a classic macaroni salad, a pasta salad with vegetables and olives, a potato salad with real bacon, and a fruit tray. Protein included hot dogs, thickly glazed chicken legs, and shredded barbecue chicken. My chocolate chip cookies were joined by a carrot cake, a chocolate cake, a very decadent tiramisu cake, apricot-filled thumbprint cookies, a tropical rum cake, and a cheesecake. There was also baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and deviled eggs.
I had the potato salad and the spaghetti-shrimp salad for lunch, and the vegetable pasta salad (I picked out the olives) and fruit for dinner. Also had fruit for a snack during break. Tried the tiramisu cake with lunch. The chocolate-coffee flavor was nice, but I wasn't a big fan of the custard-y icing and filling. Also tried the carrot cake and the buttery, flaky apricot-filled thumbprint cookies. Had shredded chicken sandwiches for lunch and dinner. (The sauce on the chicken legs was spicy, and I'm not a hot dog fan.) I'm not normally a fan of potato salad, but this one was really good, flavorful and with plenty of smoky real bacon pieces.
Though the lines were only steady through most of the afternoon (most people probably went to the Shore), the carts were in perpetual need of gathering. I did get to do a full cart of returns right before break, but otherwise, I was mostly outside. I got dead tired very quickly. It was hot, and despite everything I drank at the party, I was moving slow and sweating bullets. I tried to do more returns later, only to get sent right back outside again. I came home sore and badly sunburned.
No comments:
Post a Comment