The Farm Market Is Back In Town

It was gloomy and gray but not raining when I had breakfast this morning. Ran the Care Bears DVD while I ate. The crew searches for "Bearied Treasure" when they find a map that leads to a lost sea-bear's chest. It supposedly gives a bear their fondest wish...but the Bears learn that there's no more important wish than friendship. Tenderheart goes on vacation, but "When the Bear's Away" the Beastlys will make mischief. He convinces the Bears to invite a kid to Care-a-Lot, after Tenderheart said not to. The kid turns out to be an unruly brat who joins Beastly in wrecking havoc and stealing everyone's things. The Bears have to catch him without their leader's help.

(The remaining two episodes on the set were, oddly, episodes from the previous 2-D animated Care Bears incarnation, Adventures In Care-a-Lot. I'd already seen them both, so I skipped them.)

Today was the first day of the season for the Collingswood Farm Market, which takes place in the parking lot behind the block with Serena's Cafe on Haddon Avenue every Saturday from the first weekend in May through the weekend before Thanksgiving. Despite them being very busy, it was still too early in the season for anyone to really be selling much. Almost everyone was selling plant seedlings and flowers. Asparagus was the only going vegetable I saw besides what came from elsewhere on the East Coast. I didn't really need much, anyway. I just came out to celebrate the opening. I bought asparagus and three bananas from the tropical fruit sellers and went home. (It was still kind of wet for yard sales.)

Spent the rest of the morning dusting the living room and watching the 1991 Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. Belle is a very smart cookie, too smart for the likes of obnoxious local idiots like Gaston. She wants out of town and into adventure in the worst way...and gets a lot more than she bargained for when she has to rescue her father from a nasty beast. It turns out that this beast wasn't always a grouchy furry guy, and there's a lot more to his castle than meets the eye. Gaston, however, is jealous. After all, when you look like the hero, you're supposed to get the girl - even when you don't really act like one...

This was one of my family's favorite Disney movies when it came out in the early 90's. It's still a favorite of mine. I think it's my mom's favorite movie, period. We went to see this in the theater when it came out, and I remember it was the first time I'd ever seen a standing ovation outside of concerts on PBS. That's how big this was in 1991. It still holds up really well today, especially wonderful, snarky Belle herself and the gorgeous animation. If you love well-told fairy tales, sweet romances, or Disney princess stories, this is one of the best.

Headed to work after the movie ended and I ate lunch. Work was busy on and off through most of the afternoon. This is a really crazy weekend. Today was the Kentucky Derby. Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Many colleges will be graduating soon, and prom season is coming up, too. Though I did spend a lot of time doing returns, I also ended up cashiering a lot. (I don't know why the manager wanted me to round up carts for the last ten minutes I was there. I did maybe five carts before I was done.)

I had dinner at Arby's. They weren't too busy, despite it being the dinner hour. They're currently selling "gyros," and they're surprisingly cheap for a small meal, too. I had the turkey gyro. Not bad. The bread was a little doughy, and the turkey was sliced too thin, but it was at least fairly flavorful. Watched the Saturday traffic go by on the Black Horse Pike as I ate.

Went back to do what little grocery shopping needed to be done this week after dinner. The Acme is having a 50% off Purdue and their generic brand chicken this week. I picked up drumsticks and thin-sliced breasts. Also needed tomato sauce, grapefruit, pears, plastic bags, trash bags, honey, tissues, and cereal. (The Acme's generic brand was the only one on a good sale - went simple with bran flakes.)

Mostly decent schedule next week. While I have some really early hours (including tomorrow), it's all bagging, and I have more hours than I have had. Two days off, Monday and next Saturday. All pretty normal for this time of year.

When I got home, I got organized and put everything away. The neighbors were having a rather noisy party downstairs (in the unfinished apartment) and next-door. I ran cartoons to try to drown them out until I hit the shower.