We slept in again. Lauren wasn't up until 10. It was past 11:30 when we headed out for a short stroll in Oaklyn. Our first stop was the Oaklyn Library. We didn't buy any of the DVDs for sale, but I did get to introduce Lauren to the morning librarian.
Next up, we returned to the House of Fun and Comicrypt. I didn't buy anything at either place. Lauren did better, picking up several vintage wrestling magazines and the large, rubbery LJN version of Roddy Piper from the mid-80's. Lauren browsed at the comics store (which wasn't nearly as busy as it was last Wednesday). I settled for petting the cats.
Headed a couple of blocks down and across the street to WaWa. Lauren wanted soda for her trip home tomorrow. Since we were there, I suggested getting sandwiches for lunch instead of eating out. I got a roast beef and provolone hoagie on a whole wheat Shorti roll, a bag of multi-grain chips, and discovered Coke released a Sprite Cherry Zero. Lauren got that roast beef and horseradish panini I tried a while back, honey barbecue chips, and the Sprite Cherry and a Wild Cherry Pepsi.
We ate at the benches on West Clinton. Lauren took a quick side trip into Phillies Phatties to grab something called Pepsi Fire, a cinnamon-flavored soda that's apparently only out for a few weeks this summer. She also discovered the same thing I did when I had that sandwich - WaWa's got some potent horseradish. That stuff makes your eyes water!
Our last stop was a little consignment shop across the street from Phillies Phatties, Deja Vu. The lady who owns the shop is a very enthusiastic clothes collector and fashion designer. She only buys the best...which means that even the cheapest item in the store was still beyond my budget. It was mostly good clothes, suit jackets and dresses and high-heeled shoes and fancy purses and silk sweaters. Lauren bought a sweater for herself for work and a blouse for her mother. Even if I'd had the money, most of those high-end designers don't do plus sizes. I found very few things that would actually fit.
Spent the next couple of hours at home, playing Kirby's Epic Yarn and Lego Indiana Jones 2. We finished Hot Land (including the extra rounds) and got through the first two rounds of Treat World in the former and completed Part II and most of Part III in Indy. By 6, we were getting really bored. It had been cloudy, chilly, and damp all day. We were supposed to get rain later in the afternoon, but it never happened. We finally said "the heck with it" and went back out.
Ended up and Phillies Yummies for a treat (after Lauren shooed one of Charlie's dogs back into the front yard). She got a strawberry lemonade water ice. I got a mint-chocolate Yum Yum (creamier, grittier water ice). Oooh, it was soo minty! The flavor was really strong with this one. We ignored the cool evening (and the Mr. Softee truck coming down the street) and headed home, water ice and Yum Yum in hand.
Lauren packed and I combined the leftover dip and Sloppy Joe mixes for dinner. Did a Dreamworks Animation double feature while we ate and got organized, starting with How to Train Your Dragon. Hiccup is not your typical viking. He's skinny and sarcastic, preferring to create weapons to fighting fire-breathing lizards, like his father the chief and the rest of the village. When they think he's killed a dragon, he's recruited with other young people (including his crush, the very intense Astrid) to become the next generation of dragon-killers. Hiccup really doesn't want to kill dragons. He finally makes friends with one of the most fearsome...who shows him the reason the dragons are attacking the villagers in the first place. Now Hiccup and Astrid have to convince the vikings that the dragons aren't evil, before there's more casualties on both sides.
We were online and Lauren was finishing the chips and dip by the time we'd switched to The Croods. They're the not-so-modern, very-much-stone-age family who live in fear of the many things outside their cave that can kill them, especially dad Grug. Daughter Eep is less fearful. After finally venturing outside the cave, she encounters a handsome non-Neanderthol named Guy. Guy is perpetually creating wonderful things, like fire and puppets...and he's on the run. He insists that the end of the world is coming. An earthquake that destroys the Croods' cave bears this out. Grug is upset when everyone elects to follow Guy and discover what's beyond the mountains...but even he eventually discovers that stepping out of our caves and into the light may help us evolve, and that change isn't always such a horrible thing.
How to Train Your Dragon is one of Dreamworks' most beloved franchises, spawning a TV series and a second, equally-good film. The Croods is an underrated exploration of family, curiosity, and taking risks that got lost in the cracks between Dreamworks owners and deserves to be better-known.
Today was our last full day together. Lauren goes home at 12:20 tomorrow. I'll go to the Acme and get my schedule, then see how I feel.
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