In Our Home Town

It was hazy and sunny when I got up this morning. Started my day with breakfast and Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater shorts based around favorite movies and beloved blockbusters. "Paws: The Great White Dog Shark" is wrecking havoc, including destroying Catalina Pier. Lifeguard Sam, Surfer Kitty, and Professor Chip head into the open ocean to figure out what made him go bad.

Hello Dorothy is off to see "The Wizard of Paws" when she's swept from her home in Catfish to a land over the rainbow. The Tin Penguin, Scarecrow Chip, and Cowardly Melody Rabbit try to help her get to Anchovy City and avoid the Wicked Witchie Catnip.

"Kitty and the Kong" has Grinder as the famous big ape and Kitty as the girl he has in his paw. Catnip brings him to New York as a major attraction, but he's too big for the Big Apple and ends up wrecking havoc.

Kitty is "K.T: The Kitty Terrestrial" who has been accidentally left behind on Earth. Sam, Chip, and My Melody help her phone home and avoid scientists Catnip and Grinder.

Dressed the American Girl dolls for the 4th of July and early summer after breakfast. Samantha wears her Middy Dress and Tam and the black tights and black-and-white boots from her Flower-Picking Dress. Molly's in her sailor-style Camp Gowanigan Uniform and Saddle Shoes. Josefina sports her Indigo Skirt and Camisa and her meet outfit moccasins. Whitney's ready to dance in the red and blue-sequined dance costume that was sold when AG had shows on during the early-mid 2000's and the glittery red tap shoes. Jessa's got the peasant blouse made with "antique-look" American flag fabric Lauren sent for Christmas a few years ago, a pair of jean shorts I found at a craft show about 4 years ago, and the blue Springfield Collection sneakers with no socks. Left Felicity in her blue and white floral gown. It suits the holiday, and I really don't have much else to put her in.

After I finished, I made my grocery list, then headed out to the Acme for this week's grocery trip. Found ground turkey with a manager's coupon. Cherries were 99 cents a pound with a coupon in this week's flyer, and blueberries were buy-one, get-one. Raspberries were cheap, too. There was an online coupon for free Acme generic napkins. Restocked canned mandarin oranges, brown sugar, skim milk, eggs, honey, bananas, canola oil. cereal (went with generic Bran Flakes), Coconut gelato (ice cream), and yogurt for lunch this week.

The new schedule was up by the time I arrived. For once, I don't mind not having off again until next Friday or working on the 4th of July. I only work four hours on the 4th, and they're early hours. First of all, I need the money. The extra hours last week were a huge help. Second, I haven't really been doing much on Tuesdays outside of counseling. Third, the weather is supposed to be between hot and lousy this week. I'm probably better off moving around at work. Fourth, I wasn't really expecting to get the 4th off, anyway. It looks like a LOT of people went on vacation, and I'm used to working this holiday from living at the Jersey Shore.

Got in around quarter after 1. Ran an episode of Max & Ruby while having lunch, putting everything away, and getting organized. "Ruby's Loose Tooth" has vanished! She won't let Max have more of Grandma's Triple Coconut-Nut Crunch Muffins until they find it. Ruby's trying to get a soccer goal against older boy Roger in "Ruby Scores!", but Max's robots keep getting in the way. Max just wants to go in the water in "Max's Sandcastle," but Ruby would rather work on her creation and send him to get more items for it.

Headed out around 2 to run errands. First stop was Dollar Tree. I forgot to get sponges here on Tuesday. Bought a much-needed bottle of water, too. It was hazy and hot today, though not really that humid. This time, the nice wind didn't help much. A second line opened a minute after I got in, and once again, I was in and out.

The Haddon Township Library was bustling today, and their DVD cart was overflowing. I had piles of DVDs, in the kids' and adults' section, to shelve. It took me so long, I had just enough time to rent Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Doctor Strange, the newest Scooby Doo collection Scooby Doo and the Creepy Carnival, and the final Penderwicks book to date, The Penderwicks In the Spring, before heading out.

I took the short way home down Cuthbert Road and across the White Horse Pike so I had plenty of time to enjoy Oakyn's Final Friday Food and Farm Festival. This started last year on the block of West Clinton Avenue where Studio LuLoo and the restaurants are. It proved to be so popular, it was brought back this year. They were packed when I arrived, even after having only been open for an hour. Food trucks mainly dominate this town block party, but there were also craft sellers, a small farm stand, Studio LuLoo doing chalk drawings and airbrush tattoos for the kids, and a booth for the Oaklyn Library manned by the morning librarians. I chatted with them briefly before checking out the food trucks. They were so expensive, I just bought two slices of pizza and a can of Dew SA from Phillies Phatties and ate it outside.

Did a little bit of writing when I got home. Vader has returned to Nabarrie Palace in preparation for the Diamond Jubilee Ball. Palpatine is there, too. He wants to take Luke as his second apprentice and leave Vader on the Death Star. Vader's not happy about not being able to teach his son the ways of the darkness...and is beginning to wonder if his boss really has his best interests at heart.

Broke at 7 to play Lego Clone Wars. Went back and did "Battle of Geonosis," this time with the Minikit Detector on. I did find three minikits and got True Jedi, neither of which I'd done the first time out. A fourth minikit required the dark Sith magic to retrieve. I did find the x6 red brick at the main spaceship hub, but it costs waaay more than I could afford at the moment.

Finished the night online while watching Summer Holiday. Mickey Rooney, Gloria DeHaven, and Walter Huston headline this 1948 nostalgic musical. Based after the play Ah Wilderness, Rooney is Richard Miller, a teenager just out of high school with a lot of idealistic notions about the rights of the common man. DeHaven is Muriel, his girlfriend who is nervous about all his affection, including kissing. His newspaper owner father Nat (Huston) mostly supports his son, standing up for him when Murial's father gets upset over Richard spouting all his common man talk to her. Heartbroken, Richard tries to prove he's ready for love by getting drunk with a dance hall girl (Marilyn Maxwell)...and figures out that maybe he's not as ready as he thinks. Meanwhile, Aunt Lilly (Agnes Moorehead) is waiting and waiting for Uncle Sid (Frank Morgan) to sober up and propose.

It's a shame this sweet musical sat on the shelf for two years and was a flop in the late 40's. I think it's mostly adorable. (Although Lilly does have a point about the family treating Sid's alcohol problem like a joke - I doubt any of them would be laughing today.) This was one of director Rouben Mamoulien's last musicals. I love his trademark dialogue flowing easily into the music, especially in the opening number. Rooney and DeHaven are way too old for their roles; Huston, Moorehead, and Morgan are much better as their elders.

If you're a fan of other excursions into musical Americana such as Meet Me In St. Louis or On Moonlight Bay, this is one Summer Holiday you may enjoy as much as I do.