Saturday, January 29, 2022

Winter Wonderlands

Awoke late in the morning to the much-talked-about snowstorm. Fine, delicate flakes continued to fall fast and thick as I looked out into a white world. Everything was covered this time, including the streets. It's a good thing I was already off. If I worked in the morning, I probably would have called out.

Had bulgur and grapes for breakfast while watching Frosty Returns. This 1992 special isn't a follow up to the Rankin-Bass Frosty. It's more like a Peanuts show with Rankin-Bass overtones. (The former is explained by Bill Melendrez being the producer.) Holly DiCarlo wants to perform magic at her town's Winter Carnival. She loses her hat, but gains a friend when it ends up on Frosty's head. Frosty's horrified when he learns the Carnival may not go on, thanks to a grumpy old financier (Brian Doyle Murphy) who has invented a spray that instantly clears snow. Holly, Frosty, and her friend Charles set out to prove to the town why snow and winter can be a lot of fun.

Put on Match Game '74 while I did the dishes. Mike Evans, the first Lionel on The Jeffersons, appeared on this wild week that also included Gary Burghoff sitting in for Charles Nelson Reilly while he directed a play. Gary and Gene scold Brett for eating a lollipop on the air. She gets him back when she and Gene tease him for his rather bad impression of his own character Radar from MASH. Meanwhile, Fannie Flagg shows off her unique snake and apple t-shirt and the others have a hard time figuring out the Audience Match "Point __."

Went online to look up apartments and online jobs. Not a ton of luck with either. There are still not many apartments I can afford out there...and I'm afraid I'll be turned down for anything else until I can make more money. Online jobs are more plentiful, but a lot of them are full-time and need all of your attention. Wish there were more book stores around here, or that the tiny record and book stores in the local towns needed more help. Even the local Barnes & Nobles don't need help. The closest job listed with them is in the Philly stores. 

I go so caught up in my search, it was 3 PM before I had lunch. Made a quick tropical smoothie while watching Match Game '75. This was another wild one. It started with a quick cameo from Orson Bean, who explained he was there because Gary Burghoff's wife Janet was about to have a baby and ended with contestant demonstrating leg wrestling with Gene. In between, the audience went wild over a question about how the Burbank fire department put out a fire. 

Mom as the second show began. She feels bad that she can't take me in...but she's also worried that her older owner may turn her out if she goes against her lease. I'm more understanding about it than Rose is. Frankly, I know how she feels. She has a lease and her rules, and that's that. I just wish everyone would stop trying to dump me on everyone else like an unwanted child. People have done that my whole life when they couldn't deal with me and my problems. 

She's also really for me getting a second retail job for a few months so I can get an apartment. First of all, how would that work? I wouldn't get a paycheck or a pay stub for at least two weeks. Second, I'm already worn out at my current job. And how would I look for an apartment or move if I was working two physical jobs? When would I have the time for anything?

And now I'm kicking myself hard for asking Dad to bail me out so many times, especially when I first moved here. Dad really should have encouraged all of us to be more independent and rely less on his money. Dad bailed Rose and Jessa out, too, and Bill's had to bail out Keefe and Anny. It's been at least five years or more since I needed anyone to pay the rent for me, but there was the to-do with Rose picking up my bike in November, and the time I needed money from Dad when I dropped my air conditioner on the porch and damaged the newly-laid fiberglass flooring.

It was past 4:30 when I finally headed out to run errands at Dollar General, and just to check out the snow. We must have gotten at least 8 to 10 inches. Heard the kids out playing in it earlier. The streets were clogged with frozen snow. Even the White Horse Pike had slushy salted snow shoved up against the curbs. It was cold and windy but brisk, and sunny by that point. 

I only needed Liquid Plumber anyway, which I forgot when I was at Dollar General the other day. The bathroom tub is running slow again. They also had the latest flavor from Mountain Dew, the raspberry lemonade Spark. Unlike some of their other flavors, it did taste like a cross between lemons, raspberry, and Mountain Dew, and other than being as sweet as usual for them, was quite tasty.

Tried going online to write when I got home, but I ended up browsing online instead. I've always had a problem with focusing, and it's just gotten worse over the past few years. I'll be doing something else when I should be writing. I really should at least be typing up some of the fairy tales I've written in my offline journal to post them online or try to sell them, but I'm not. It's so hard to do something when there's so many distractions out there.

Got so caught up, it was 7:30 before I broke for dinner. Had leftovers while watching Frosty's Winter Wonderland. This is the real Rankin-Bass Frosty sequel. Frosty's glad to be with the kids again, but he's lonely when they go home. They build a snow wife to be a companion for him, but she's not "all livin'" like he is at first. Meanwhile, Jack Frost is jealous of Frosty's popularity and will do anything to get rid of him, including stealing his magic hat.

Finished the night online after a shower with Aladdin. I go further into this 1990 Disney Channel production at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

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