Red, White, and Matches

Began a gloomy Memorial Day with material from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Since Memorial Day began as Decoration Day honoring the soldiers who fought and died during the Civil War, all of the material revolves around that conflict. The most touching is the lone prose piece, "Light Bread and Apple Butter." A starving Union soldier and his dog wins the trust of a mother and her brood with his good manners and his volunteering to chop wood for them in exchange for the title meal. The poems were "Barbara Friechie," "The Sword of Robert E. Lee," and "Sherman's Ride."

Switched to Disney war-related shorts while I ate breakfast. Though Mickey Mouse didn't really figure into the World War II shorts, he did do one short based around World War I in 1929. "The Barnyard Battle" pits scrappy Mickey against huge Hun cats. Mickey uses his wits - and a convenient piano - to take those big cats down.

Goofy and Donald Duck were far more popular by the time the US entered the war in 1941. Goofy managed to get into two war shorts. "How to Be a Sailor" starts off as one of his typical how-to spoofs, with Goofy learning semaphore and trying to tie knots, but it ends with war footage and him being shot at the enemy. "Victory Vehicles" gives us a variety of conveyances, from Pogo sticks to literal golf carts, designed to get Goofys to where they're going without using rationed metal or gasoline. (By the way, I agree with Leonard Maltin in the intro to this cartoon. The song "Hop On Your Pogo Stick" is rather catchy.)

Donald was by far the biggest and most beloved character in Disney shorts by the 1940's, and he had the lion's share of war-related material. "Donald Gets Drafted" when he's swayed by the glamour offered on the recruitment posters. He wants to be a flyer, but Sergeant Pete would rather have him stand attention on an ant hill. He does finally get to fly after a disastrous check-up in "The Sky Trooper," but not in the way he planned. He finally gets the best of Pete in "The Vanishing Private," where he's doused with an invisibility paint while camouflaging a cannon. Pete follows "The Little Man You Can't See" on a Merry chase around the base. 

"Der Furher's Face" won an Oscar in 1943 for its surreal imagery depicting Donald dreaming he's a worker in a Nazi munitions factory. "Fall Out-Fall In" has Donald first trying to set up his tent, then attempting to sleep as the snores of his fellow soldiers keep him awake. "Commando Duck" is sent into the heart of Japan to contact their men. In the end, he's able to wipe...no, wash...out the enemy with the help of a rubber raft and a lot of water.

The Pink Panther was one of the few major animated characters to join the Vietnam War in "G.I Pink." Unlike Donald, he was swayed by the power, but doesn't have an easier time than Disney's irascible duck did 25 years before. Cranky drill sergeants, angry mascots, and land mine-ridden obstacle courses make him wish he'd just stayed at home. 

Headed out after "G.I Pink" ended. I just caught one of the new NJ Transit buses up the White Horse Pike. The lack of stairs is probably intended to make the bus more wheelchair-accessible, but while they're cleaner and smell better, the seats are harder and a lot less comfortable. I had no idea how you asked the driver to get off. There were no buttons, like on the old buses. I originally said Barrington, but Lawnside was closer to where I wanted to start anyway. (I later discovered that you pull on a yellow rope to get off, rather than a button.)

Another Red, White, and Blue Thrift Shop just replaced the long-empty K-Mart in the Lawnside Shopping Center a few days ago. Between the cloudy, warm weather, the new store, and this being one of the few things open on a major holiday, you can guess that they were mobbed. I did manage to dig up a few interesting items. I had no idea Major League had a soundtrack, let alone one on LP! I had even more luck with CDs: 

Journey - Raised On Radio

Diana Ross - Anthology (2-Disc set)

Soundtrack from Prince of Egypt

The Great Ladies of Rock & Roll: The 60's

And one interesting-looking young adult book: 

The League of Secret Heroes: Cape - Book One, by Kate Hannigan

Hiked down to Barrington after I left Red, White, and Blue. Thank heavens the weather held. It hadn't rained since this morning...and to my knowledge, it hasn't rained again since. It was just gloomy, cloudy, humid, and warm as I headed across Clements Bridge Road to the Old Rail Tavern. I had a tasty Italian Chicken Cutlet with provolone cheese and sauteed broccoli rabe and crunchy sweet potato fries with cinnamon cream cheese dip on their covered patio area while listening to a large family chatter on the other side of the room and half-looking at the college men's lacrosse game on TV. (Princeton killed Notre Dame, by the way, 16-9.)

The Barrington Antique Center is two doors down. This rabbit warren of tiny rooms filled with every possible vintage item, from Victorian glassware to relatively recent DVDs and Barbies, is open all week and on most holidays. My best find here was a stuffed version of Rick Raccoon from Shirt Tales. I had no idea there even were stuffed Shirt Tales. Rather appropriate, given I've been watching the show. (I'll have to look around for stuffed versions of Digger and Pammy, too.) Grabbed a bag of buttery sour cherry thumbprint cookies that were really yummy. I also picked up two children's records, The Care Bears' Birthday Party and readings of two original Winnie the Pooh stories. 

I originally wanted to get a drink at Berri Caffeinated, but they were closed by quarter after 3. I just walked down to the White Horse Pike to wait for the bus instead. Once again, it was on time, and there were no problems. I pulled the rope just in time. They let me off at the perfect spot to get home quickly.

Went straight into another Match Game Memorial Day marathon when I got home. In addition to many of the same episodes seen on Saturday, this one expanded to feature soldiers who appeared on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour and Match Game '90 as well. The Match Game '90 episodes were the hilarious Veteran's Day week shows with Marines as contestants and in the audience. The Marines really adored soap stars Karen Wittier and Fiona Hutchinson, cheering everything they said or did. In the case of Karen, their affections were warranted. She proved to be more than a pretty face when she twice won big money for the contestants. Fiona spent most of the week flirting with Ronn Lucas and Scorch.

Match Game Holiday Extra - Memorial Day Celebration 2026

Finished the night with two more wartime shorts, this time from Universal. "21 Day, Once a Month" debuted just weeks before the US joined the war, making it perhaps more timely than Universal planned. Woody Woodpecker has a cameo in this parody of the peacetime draft featuring toy soldiers. He also figured into one of the few wartime shorts Universal did. Like Donald, he wants to be an "Ace In the Hole," but his sergeant has him shaving horses. The Big bulldog definitely regrets it when Woody finally does get into the air!

Animation Salutes the Troops

Started off my Memorial Day with material from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. Began with the stories for Mother's Day, since I forgot to read it that day. The long story here is the charming tale of a little Ukrainian girl who gets lost while falling asleep in the wheat fields. She tells the people who help her that her mother is the most beautiful woman in the world...and to her, she is. There's also a few poems on motherhood, including a very sweet one that has a little boy describing how safe he feels with his mother always starting and ending the day.

Memorial Day began after the Civil War as Decoration Day, so all of the material in Colliers revolved around that conflict. The long prose piece was "Light Bread and Apple Butter." A young Union soldier befriends a southern mother and her children when he helps her with chores, and she gives him apples for his fellow soldiers. The poem was "Barbara Friechie," the old woman in Baltimore who holds out a tattered American flag to the fighting men.

Continued the Looney Tunes shorts during breakfast. Termite Terrace made three types of cartoons during the war years. "The Draft Horse" is an example of a character-based short, in this case a one-off. The title character is badly disappointed when, despite a comic physical, he's unable to join the Army's cavalry corps. He learns just how scary war is - and how everyone has a job to do, even if it isn't on the battlefield - when he gets caught in the middle of war games and ends up fleeing home. We also have "Hollywood Canine Canteen," with its dog caricatures of sailors and soldiers having a good time and of popular celebrities of the era, including ones like radio comedian Ish Kabibble and bandleader Kay Kyser who aren't as well-known today.

The second type of short are sketch comedies revolving around life in the barracks or on the home front. Warners started with these before the US even entered the war; the barracks spoofs "Rookie Revue" and "Meet John Doughboy" came out in October and July 1941 respectively and make fun of the peacetime draft. My favorite is "The Weakly Reporter," on life in the cities and suburbs during the war. I love the woman who fixes a whole factory with her one bobby pin! 

The third type are allegories on how we got into the war, and how we planned on winning it. "The Duckinators" uses barnyard fowl to parody the rise of the Axis dictators and how the US finally got involved with their destruction. "Fifth Column Mouse" uses mice and a cunning cat to depict how many countries were easily duped by the Axis powers and how they fought back.

For once, I made it to work just on time. Good thing, too. We were busy as heck for most of the morning. The carts kept vanishing no matter how often I brought them up front, and I had to sweep and put cold items away, too. I never did get to the trash. Thank heavens the weather was stunning today, breezy, sunny, and warm, without a cloud in the searing blue sky. You'd never know how much it's been raining lately.

Since I wasn't planning on doing anything fancy for dinner, I treated myself to lunch and a treat out. Picked up a slice of mushroom pizza, a slice of sausage, and a Diet Pepsi at Phillies Phatties. Enjoyed them in peace and quiet while listening to Spanish-language news on Telemundo. Everyone must have gone to Common Grounds, which was far busier. Got a slice of rich, buttery crumb cake and a Peach Matcha Sparkling Drink - matcha green tea with peach syrup in soda. Oh, yum. It was all so sweet and tasty.

When I got home, I took the laundry downstairs and I finished out the Looney Tunes, then moved on to the Disney wartime shorts. Donald Duck appeared in far and away the most war-related shorts. His first, "Donald Gets Drafted," has him lured by the Army posters that promise glamour and an easy life. He gets neither when Sargent Pete singles him out as incompetent, then makes him stand to attention on an ant hill! "Sky Trooper" continues Donald's longing for the glamorous life of a pilot. After he fails the physical, Pete sends him up with the paratroopers...then regrets it when they both end up tumbling out of the plane.

My favorite of the Donald wartime shorts is "The Vanishing Private." Donald follows Pete's orders to make a cannon "hard to see" a little too literally when he douses it with an invisibility paint. After he ends up in it too, "the little man you can't see" leads Pete on a wild chase all around the camp! "Fall Out, Fall In" gives us Donald's attempt to pitch his tent among the loud snores of his troop mates. He's "Commando Duck" who is sent to a (heavily caricatured) Japan to wipe...no wash...out the enemy.

Donald's most famous wartime short is "Der Fuher's Face." This surreal nightmare, with Donald as a worker in a heavily stylized Nazi Germany, won an Oscar for its wild, creative, terrifying depiction of Nazi propaganda and abuse. Even the title song was a huge hit for comedy orchestra Spike Jones and His City Slickers. 

Donald wasn't the only Disney character who went to war. "How to Be a Sailor" has Goofy learning about sailing through the years, then about modern sailing, including semaphore. The "modern" segment ends very obviously with Goofy and war footage. "Victory Vehicles" is a World of Goofy short depicting many different alternatives to cars during the war years. (And Leonard Maltin is right - the song "Hop On Your Pogo Stick" is rather catchy.) Like Bosko, Mickey got involved with World War I in "The Barnyard Battle." Unlike Warners' first star, Mickey's fight with Hun cats is portrayed more humorously, including him using piano keys as bullets in a machine gun.

Partially due to the financial trouble they were in during most of the 40's, the Walter Lantz Studio at Universal didn't dive into war propaganda as often as the other studios at the time. Like Donald, Woody Woodpecker wants to be an "Ace In the Hole" and fly a plane, but his bulldog sergeant has him shaving horses. He definitely regrets it when Woody does finally manage to get in the air. The first in a series of jazz-based Swing Symphony shorts was "21 Dollars a Day Once a Month," This one is another spoof of the peacetime draft, featuring a toy army singing about military life. (Ironically, it was released exactly a week before the US entered the war, making it perhaps more timely than Universal intended.)

The Pink Panther would be one of the only major animated characters to join the Vietnam War in "G.I Pink." Unlike Donald, who was swayed into the Army by the glamour of war, Pink is attracted by the power. Cranky drill sergeants, land-mine-riddled obstacle courses, and angry mascot dogs makes him wish he'd stayed home.

Switched to my America the Beautiful record set after "G.I Pink" ended and I finally remembered to put the laundry in the dryer. This two-disc Reader's Digest collection of patriotic music was released in 1986 in conjunction with the reopening of the Statue of Liberty after her multi-year restoration. We get everything from "The Grand Canyon Suite" to "American Patrol" to Kate Smith singing "God Bless America." The most unique is probably a medley of George M. Cohen hits performed by the Boston Pops, with the audience singing along to the most familiar songs.

Worked on my fanfic while the record was on. Edited and updated Mr. Eldridge and Scott discussing how magic was banned in Wennaria and how finding the remaining Guardians may be the key to driving them out of their land. Scott would search for them, but he's busy with many other activities, including being involved with the Rebel Society. Betty finally says she'll do it. Scott is worried that she's not ready, but Mr. Eldridge thinks it'll be good for her to get out and use her powers in the wider world.

I also added a flashback sequence, depicting how Scott got into trouble in the first place. As in the show, he was a sailor and thief who lied about being friends with the late King Victor in order to get a cushy job. Not only does Betty find out and turn him away, but Pruitt figures it out too...and he wants more than just to throw Scott in the dungeon...

Watched Match Game Syndicated during dinner, after I brought my dry clothes back upstairs and put them away. Sweet game show host Bill Cullen and lovely and witty Lee Merriweather joined in this week. Brett and Charles spent the week sniping at each other, while Betty was more reluctant to answer a question that involved flattening a cat.

Finished the night after a shower at YouTube with a later Family Feud Armed Services tournament. With the US entering another war, this time with Iraq, in 2003, Freemantle revived the Armed Services tournament for the Richard Karn Feud in 2004. This wasn't quite as comprehensive of a battle - there was no final game, and the Coast Guard didn't play - but it did produce some memorable episodes. Once again, the Marines just outplayed everyone, though they didn't do as well at the Fast Money.

Salute those men and women who fought and died in the Iraq War with these later Armed Services Feuds!

Army Vs. Navy

Marines Vs. Air Force

Navy Vs. Air Force

Army Vs. Air Force

Marines Vs Army

Marines Vs Navy 

Flowers for Memorial Day

Began my Memorial Day with material from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Started with the stories from Mother's Day, since I forgot to do it then. The primary title here is "My Mother Is the Most Beautiful Woman In the World." A little Ukrainian girl is scared when she loses her peasant mama and papa in the wheat fields. She keeps insisting to others that "my mother is the most beautiful woman in the world!" She may not be in the eyes of others, but she's beautiful to the girl. 

Memorial Day began as a way to honor the dead of the Civil War, which is likely why all of the material for the holiday revolves around that conflict. A young Union solider helps a Confederate mother with her chores and gains her utmost respect in return in "Light Bread and Apple Butter." We also get a lot of poetry on the Civil War, including "Barbara Frietchie," "Sheridan's Ride," and "The Blue and the Gray."

Watched All-Star Laff-a-Lympics while having breakfast and getting ready for work. To celebrate the holiday, I ran the second-season episode that had everyone in Morocco and Washington DC. The Blue Falcon knows something is up with Daisy Mayhem when she hitches a ride during the scooter race through Casablanca. The Rottens don't get away with cheating there, but the Baron does manage to win the desert chariot race. The Great Fondoo doesn't have nearly that much luck in Washington when his magic constantly backfires, turning Yacky Doodle into one big duckling! Octy Octopus does far better in the Marine Corps Obstacle Race...actually allowing the Rottens to win the whole show for a change.

Headed to work after that. It was just cloudy, cooler, and very windy at that point, so I opted to take the bike. Work was busy with holiday shoppers when I came in, but I did manage to gather all the carts this time. I was just about to go on lunch when I was told to do the sweeping. Turns out no one checked the schedule and realized there was someone coming in at noon who had already swept the store. I was not happy about that.

After all that, I was glad the floral department manager said she needed help watering plants and cleaning up her work area. Right now, the focus is on potted plants for barbecues and birthdays. After she left and I swept around the work area, I made two arrangements, a larger chop and drop with tight, ruffly white-green roses, and a smaller bud vase with an orange rose, a white rose, a single lilly, and a lot of greens.

There's another reason I was happy to help in the floral department. It started raining just minutes before she pulled me. It was still showering, though not as heavily, when I rode home. I arrived damp but not soaked. It would shower off and on, sometimes hard, until the clouds finally started breaking up som around 6 PM. (We never did get the advertised thunderstorms, though.)

Switched to The New Scooby Doo Mysteries as I changed into dry clothes and got organized. Velma joins in for "A Night Louse at the White House." She's invited Daphne, Shaggy, Scooby, and Scrappy to a big NASA banquet in honor of a top secret formula they're working on. When the ghosts of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln join the festivities and cause chaos, Mystery Inc is on the case to find out who these all-American spooks are and what they're really after.

Took the laundry downstairs, then rested while watching Caught In the Draft. Movie star Don Bolton (Bob Hope) is horrified when the peacetime draft is announced. He doesn't want to get anywhere near the military. He panics whenever he hears loud noises, even fake gunshots on the sets of his films. 

His assistant Bert Sparks (Eddie Bracken) and agent Steve Riggs (Lynne Overman) try to get him married to general's daughter Toni Fairbanks (Dorothy Lamour) in order to avoid the draft. The scheme backfires, and they end up in the Army anyway. Don is determined to show Toni that he can be the brave soldier she wants, but whether working kitchen duty or losing his uniform, he's constantly in trouble. It takes a genuine act of bravery during a war game to prove that Don and his friends have what it takes to be real soldiers.

It's kind of easy to tell this pre-wartime comedy is from summer 1941, six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. They never leave the US; an enemy is never mentioned. The focus here is on Hope and his wacky brand of cowardly comedy. Lamour also does well as the spirited and intelligent young woman who inspires Don to join the military to begin with. I'm less fond of Bracken and Riggs, who both come off as whiny, annoying, and a bit dumb. Not my favorite of Hope's comedies. This is mainly for big fans of him or war movies.

Moved the laundry to the dryer, then put on classic wartime animated shorts for the rest of the afternoon. Donald Duck turned up in a series of war-related shorts from 1942 through 1944. "Donald Gets Drafted," and like Hope, is lured by the promise of glamor and girls. Unlike Hope, all he gets is Sergeant Pete giving him extra drills on an ant hill. "Sky Trooper" has Pete finally send him in the air as a paratrooper. The last thing that Donald wants is to jump out of the plane, leading to an explosive confrontation between him and Pete. Donald is "The Vanishing Private" after he gets himself and a cannon covered in invisible paint. He leads Pete on a merry chase after "the little man you can't see" all around the base.

"Der Fuehrer's Face" dives further into World War II propaganda. Donald finds himself forced to make bombs in a surreal nightmare of a Nazi factory. "Fall Out, Fall In" is a lot less scary. Donald wants nothing more than a hot meal after a long trek, but first his tent won't cooperate, then his fellow soldiers' snoring keeps him awake. "Commando Duck" is sent into the heart of Japan, where he proceeds to wipe...no, wash...out the enemy.

Mickey Mouse didn't figure heavily into World War II shorts, but he did do a war-themed short during his first flush of popularity in the late 20's. "The Barnyard Battle" pits Mickey and his fellow farm animals against bloodthirsty hun cats. Mickey manages to come out on top, of course, thanks to a piano used as bullets and his own can-do spirit.

The Looney Tunes also found themselves in the middle of World War II. Bugs is a "Super Rabbit" who turns into a superhero when he eats a chemically-enhanced carrot. He dodges a rabbit-hating cowboy and his horse until, when push comes to shove, he turns into a real hero...a Marines officer. Like Don Bolton, "Draftee Daffy" would do anything to avoid that persistent Little Man From the Draft Board, even send them both into the underworld. "Falling Hare" is one of the rare shorts where Bugs deals with an antagonist who gives as good as they get, in this case a Gremlin he catches sabotaging planes. The Gremlin manages to dodge him until they both end up on a plane that's sent into a major free fall!

Watched Match Game Syndicated during dinner. I wasn't going to miss it. It was the infamous show where the very sweet contestant Ginger gave an incredibly odd answer to "Cuckoo __" on the Head-to-Head. Her partner Robert Walden was a bit embarrassed. Everyone else is literally falling over the stage laughing, including Gene. According to Bill Daily over 40 years later, everyone laughed so hard, they had to stop taping. Meanwhile, Joyce Bulifant sports a shiny black pageboy that she insisted made her look like Cher. Gene thought she looked more like Carolyn Jones (from The Addams Family), but I thought she looked like Didi Conn. 

Finished the night after a shower with the Family Feud Armed Forces week from 1989. Every year from 1989 through 1991, the syndicated Feud did a week where all of the branches of the Armed Forces played each other in a week-long tournament. The biggest winners came back the following Monday to see who gets the big pot for their charity. Though the Army and Navy played very well, the Marines had the best answers, the most expert trash-talking, and were just too much fun to watch. I loved how they swung the lone female office off her feet at least twice; I don't think her feet ever touched the ground after the Fast Money in the last episode.

Honor the men and women who fought and died for our country with this week of Armed Forces Feuds!

Army Vs. Navy

Marines Vs. Air Force

Army Vs. Coast Guard

Air Force Vs. Coast Guard

Marines Vs. Navy

Championship - Army Vs. Marines

Living In America

Began a gorgeous morning with the Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Memorial Day began as a way to honor the dead of the Civil War, so all of their material for the holiday revolved around that conflict. "Light Bread and Apple Butter" is the sweet story of a young Union solider and his dog who befriend a southern mother and her children when she helps him out and he chops wood for her. The other stories are all poems, including "The Blue and the Gray" and "Barbara Frieichie." 

Had breakfast while watching more Hogan's Heroes. The second-to-last episode of the series has the Heroes saying "Look at All the Pretty Snowflakes" when they're recruited to shovel out a road so German soldiers can get past. Hogan wants to start an avalanche and block the soldiers, but then a nasty German general chains them together. The Heroes make use of their musical abilities (including Bob Crane's real-life drumming talents) to create enough noise to bring that snow down...with a little help from Klink and his cold!

We headed out just as the episode ended and made our way down Johnson to Cuthbert Road. Not only is the Cherry Hill Mall close enough to take the bus, but I didn't think there would be anyone out to drive us on a major holiday anyway. The bus was about five minutes late, not bad for one of the biggest holidays of the spring. There was no traffic on the road and no trouble. We arrived in Cherry Hill around quarter after 12.

Soon as we got in, we cut through the mall to the exit next to Nordstrom that's right across from the pedestrian bridge over King's Highway. Honestly, someone really needs to repair that bridge. The bridge itself is fine, but the windows in the elevator entrance were boarded up, and the elevator itself doesn't seem to be working. I pushed the button three times, and it never appeared. We just hiked up the steep stairs and across the bridge.

Lauren was the one who noticed the cards and crowds in the parking lot of the SilverDiner. There were almost as many classic cars there than there were at Collingswood on Saturday. It would seem the Silver Dollar Diner sponsored a "breakfast" car show Memorial Day morning. Alas, by the time we got there, they were shutting down. We admired a few cars and moved on.

The Silver Diner is a little chrome-and-neon eatery overlooking the hill across from the Cherry Hill Mall. They're a Maryland franchise who does diner-style food with sustainable ingredients. Lauren had a Ribeye Philly Steak. I went simpler with the Grilled Cheese Classic Combo with bacon. Oh, yum. I think Lauren somehow ended up with my Cranberry Ginger Sauce, but the sandwich tasted fine without it. It was filled with ooey gooey cheese on thick sourdough with just crunchy enough bacon and thin, salty fries. They were out of their fancy flavored sodas, so I went with a definitely different mint-cucumber lemonade and Lauren had raspberry iced tea. 

Made our way across the parking lot to Kohl's next. While they were in better shape than they were the last time I was in there, neither of us found anything. I mainly wanted to go to Target to pick up AAA batteries for that little game system I got from Round 1 on Wednesday. Also grabbed two bags of those yummy doughnut-glazed almonds. We both found Diet Mountain Dew sodas. 

Strolled back over the bridge to the Cherry Hill Mall around 2 PM. We were in and out of stores for the next couple of hours. Browsed in Go! Calendars and Toys, Build-a-Bear, and FYE, but found nothing of interest. I picked up a soft white nightgown with red ribbons and a pretty red and yellow flower print from the Macy's Backstage Area. Lauren hit up the clearance racks and found two pairs of trousers, three blouses, and a sweater for $28. (One of the blouses was a dollar!) I grabbed chinos for work and a green long-sleeved shirt on clearance at JC Penney. She picked up a really nice suit, once again on clearance. She found a nice jacket at Nordstrom, but I just went to the bathroom.

Cherry Hill just opened a tiny shop devoted entirely to Squishmallows, the popular pillow-like stuffed animals with their own names and personalities. We planned to just browse here, too...but then I saw a cute little stuffed dachshund in a hot dog roll I thought was too funny. I thought he'd be great for my niece Finley's sixth birthday in July. Since it was a buy one, get one half-off sale, I bought two cheerful cherries on a key ring hanger to keep on my purse. Lauren got a stuffed purple drink and a reversible black and purple bucket hat. She thought the drink was grape soda, but it turned out to be the cutest cup of bubble tea outside of Japan.

Lauren went back to JC Penney to use the bathroom. I settled down and snacked on almonds until she finished. The exit closest to the bus is right next to the upstairs JC Penney entrance and Old Navy. Our bus was about ten minutes late, once again not bad for the height of rush hour on a major holiday. It hit a little traffic going into Westmont, but nothing horrible. We were back at Johnson Road by quarter after 6.

Soon as we got home, we dropped everything off, then went right back out again. It was too nice of a day to hang out. It's still sunny and bright, but a stiff, cold wind kept it from getting too warm. In fact, it was downright chilly when we made our way up to Crown Chicken and Gyro for dinner. We both ordered the tilapia sandwich, with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and fries. I had a Diet Dr. Pepper; she got a Diet Canada Dry. Oh yum. The sandwiches were crispy and hot, with slender fries so perfectly salted, I had to agree with Lauren that they were even better than McDonald's.

Threw on The Price Is Right: The Barker Era when we got home as we put everything away and Lauren packed to leave tomorrow. Bob found himself dealing with one very strange contestant who kept changing her bid and never seemed to know what she wanted to bid. Not only did she finally make her way onstage, she actually managed to get to the Showcases. She made a bid way higher than the audience approved of, but changed it when they moaned and groaned...and they actually turned out to be right, for a change...

Finished the night on Amazon Prime with Jumping Jacks. I go further into this military comedy featuring Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin as paratroopers at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Memorial Day! - Jumping Jacks

And I hope all of you had an equally fun holiday weekend! Lauren goes home late tomorrow afternoon, but I'm off for another two days after that, including Thursday for several appointments. 

Harts On Vacation

Began the morning with material from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology book. Memorial Day began as a holiday to honor the dead of the Civil War, so all the material revolved around that conflict. "Light Bread and Apple Butter" is the long story, the sweet tale of a young Union solider who helps a Missouri woman with her chores and is rewarded with a pile of apples. The rest consists of poems about the Civil War, including "Barbara Frietche" and "Sheridan's Ride."

Downed a very quick breakfast before making my way out to work. To my surprise, it was totally dead at 9:30 in the morning. Crossed the White Horse Pike and Nicholson without any trouble at all. There was no one on West Clinton, either, though the small park near the schools with the memorials to Oaklyn's fallen soldiers had chairs in front of them and looked like they were preparing for a ceremony. 

Work wasn't any busier. It did get a little busy during the noon rush hour, but otherwise, it wasn't bad at all, especially for a major holiday. I was pulled twice to do carts for a half-hour, which suited me fine. It was hot, breezy, and sunny, maybe a little warm for late May but not as bad as it's supposed to be tomorrow. By the time I finished, it was so dead, I think I had five people come through my line during the last hour. No problems other than a few grouchy people and another lady who couldn't figure out the WIC checks. (Thank goodness the cards are starting to come through!)

Went straight home after work. Changed, then dusted while Match Game '74 was on. A peppy lady with a gigantic hairdo got to hear some very funny answers to what Joshua used to knock down the walls of Jericho when he couldn't use a horn. There was also Amanda Blake trying to figure out what her character Miss Kitty bites on instead of a bullet when she has surgery and the others helping with "The Old __" in the Audience Match. 

Match Game PM was the first episode with the new set in 1978. Brett was the first person chosen by the Star Wheel on a nighttime episode, but she didn't have an easy time with "__ Alcohol," especially after the audience threw in their two cents! Meanwhile, Bonnie Franklin looks nervous to answer what nearsighted Farmer Brown attached his milking machine to, Marcia Wallace reveals she's a bowling champ, and Richard is just in a plain bad mood and won't play along.

Let it run into Sale of the Century while I ate dinner. They continue with "new" 1989 episodes I hadn't seen. It was mostly the champ and the one guy going back and forth the whole night. Everyone won or bought something, but in the end, the guy pulled ahead in the Speed Round. He didn't have as much luck with the Bonus Round, though...

Finished the night on The Roku Channel with Hart to Hart after a shower. Jennifer wonders "What Becomes a Murder Most?" when two high society friends of hers turn up dead after appearing in an ad campaign for a fake fur. Jennifer also appeared in that campaign, and Johnathan orders her photos destroyed before they're run. Someone, however, wants those ads to run...and wants Jennifer out of the picture for good. 

And...yay, I'm on vacation! Actually, to save vacation time, I took tomorrow as a regular day off. I'll mainly be running errands and cleaning before I pick up Lauren, and I have counseling. 

Memorial Day Matches

Began my Memorial Day with a quick breakfast and two more war shorts. The Pink Panther finds himself in Vietnam without a clue in "G.I Pink." Land mines, cranky drill sergeants, and impossible obstacle courses make him wish he'd stayed home. Mickey Mouse didn't figure into many World War II shorts, but he did do one war cartoon in 1929, "The Barnyard Battle." He has to lead his platoon of skinny rubber-hose mice against a whole hoard of big Hun cats!

Headed to work shortly after the cartoon ended. Other than getting stuck in the register for an hour around 11 because we just didn't have enough help and rounding up recycling, I was outside almost the entire day. Both afternoon baggers called out; they were teenage boys who probably wanted to spend their holiday off with their buddies. Thankfully, the evening bagger did come in (early, in fact), and they recruited another guy from stocking to help me with the carts.

At least it was a gorgeous day for doing outside work. It started out cool, windy, and cloudy again. While the wind never really went away, the clouds started breaking up around 10. By the time I finished work, the sun was out, the day was warm, and the sky was clear as a bluebell. The nice day cleared out our customers, too. Though it never died completely, it was far less busy later in the day than it was in early afternoon.

Hurried home, changed, had a quick leftovers dinner, and spent most of the rest of the night icing up my now black-and-blue toe and watching the Match Game Memorial Day Marathon on YouTube. Match Game Productions put together any episodes featuring service men and women as contestants, from the older Army sergeant with the unusual feathered eyebrows to the eager young Air Force officer who was so delighted when Eva Gabor won her money, he accidentally kicked her toe and broke her toenail. There was also the Army officer who went up against a mother with an exceptionally noisy scream and the Marine chief petty officer who kept getting caught in tiebreakers.

Honor those who fought for our country and to keep the world safe for matching with this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Memorial Day Marathon

Saw Rose outside with her crew and the local kids at one point, getting ice cream from the Mr. Softee truck. Limped out to say "hi." Khai slurped noisily at a vanilla cone with sprinkles. Finley apparently loved the Batman sherbet popsicle with gumball eyes. The other kids jokingly said her face looked like a Smurf after consuming the blue and white superheroic treat. The kids chatted about school and whether they intended to go tomorrow; some of their parents (included Rose) wanted to keep the weekend going and take them out to the zoo or park to enjoy the lovely weather. 

Honoring Those Who Fought for Our Country

Began Memorial Day by sleeping in. It was past 11 when I read a couple of pieces from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology book. Memorial Day began as a holiday to honor Civil War soldiers, which is why all of the included material revolves around that conflict. "Light Bread and Apple Butter" is a touching short story about a young Union soldier who convinces a skeptical Confederate housewife and her children to give him a meal when he asks for it, instead of taking it. They also had several poems, including "Barbara Freichie."

Had brunch while watching Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour and Match Game. I came in just as Match Game-Hollywood Squares was on the Super Match. The regular Match Game continued in 1978 with Bob Barker, Loni Anderson, and Robert Pine. Robert showed where his son Chris got his charm by flirting with several contestants, even as Gene and Bob flirted shamelessly with Loni.

Headed out around 1. It was a decent day, partly cloudy and a little breezy but warm. Even if I couldn't do anything else for Memorial Day (and wouldn't be able to anyway because of my arm), I still wanted to may my respects to Oaklyn's fighting men and women at the Memorial Park. Surprisingly, there was no one there when I strolled over, not even people packing beer at Tonewood Brewery across the street. Someone must have come earlier; the pedestal that held the memorials was filled with red, white, and blue wreaths from the mayor and his people and several local military associations. I did a moment of silence and a silent prayer before moving on.

Since I was over there, I strolled down Goff Avenue to the boat launch at the end of the street. No one was there, either, other than a few people working on their gardens. The boat launch is steep, but it's worth walking down there for the spectacular view. If you look to your right as you come down the concrete path, you can see all the way to the Ben Franklin Bridge.

When I got home, I settled down with a simple fruit lunch and relaxed while watching more wartime shorts. Woody Woodpecker only starred in one war-related cartoon, "Ace In the Hole." He joins the Army to become a hot shot pilot, but the sergeant has him shaving horses. He really regrets what happens when Woody does get in the air. "Hysterical High Spots In American History" spoofs everything from Columbus discovering America to the then-recent peacetime draft.

Two of their one-off shorts spoofs that 1940 peacetime draft. "21 Dollars a Day (Once a Month)" depicts a toy army performing the title song, with cameos by Woody and Andy Panda. "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" shows what happens when a popular jazz musician ends up in the military and really gets his barracks hopping with his swinging wake-up call. The African-American stereotypes fly thick and fast here, but this is also one of the only cartoons I know of to depict minorities in the military. "Pigeon Patrol" is the more typical story of a country bumpkin bird who takes over flying important papers to military brass and defeats a Japanese vulture in the process.

Donald Duck also joined the Army in a series of shorts made between 1942 and 1944. Like Woody, he'd hoped to get into the air, but Sergeant Pete has no such plans. He makes Donald stand at attention on an ant hill in "Donald Gets Drafted" and tried to get him to parachute out of a plane in "Sky Trooper." Donald gets Pete back in "The Vanishing Private" when he discovers an invisibility paint and leads Pete on a frantic chase all over the base looking for "the little man you can't see." Pete in turn tries catching an AWOL Donald in the act in "The Old Army Game," but the "old shell game" almost turns deadly for Donald when he thinks he's lost his other half.

"Fall Out, Fall In" has Donald having trouble putting up his tent, then sleeping when his fellow soldiers' snoring keeps him awake. Huey, Dewey, and Louie make their only appearances in a wartime short in "Home Defense." Donald takes their stripes when they play a joke on him when they're supposed to be spotting airplanes...but the joke is on him when he mistakes a bee for a plane. He takes on the Japanese in "Commando Duck" and proceeds to wipe...no, wash...out the enemy.

By far the most famous of the Disney wartime shorts is "Der Fuehrer's Face." This unique short uses surreal images and more caricatures to depict Donald's nightmare about slowly going crazy under the brutal Nazi regime. This won an Oscar for best short in 1943; it did show up occasionally on The Disney Channel when I was a kid, usually on a nighttime show like Mousterpiece Theater where the context could be explained.

Mickey Mouse didn't figure heavily into Disney's World War II shorts, but he did do a short in 1929 that spoofed the previous war, "The Barnyard Battle." Despite his skinny rubber-hose physique, Mickey manages to taken on an entire army of Hun cats one-pawed.  Skipping ahead 50 years, The Pink Panther ends up in Vietnam without a clue in "G.I Pink." He annoys his superior officer so much, he eventually sends him to the Navy!

Worked on writing for a while after Pink ended. I redid the sequence with Charles going to the ball. He's now accompanied by town crier and real-life R&B musician Clifton Davies. As the two pass through Holly Woods, they notice smoke and hear screaming. Turns out there's a troll on the warpath...and Charles knows who he is...

Broke for Tuscan Tuna Bean Salad on a bed of spinach for dinner around 6. Watched more Match Game while I ate. The theme for this week is "misspelled words, either on panelists' cards or the Audience Match board." Brett, Charles, and Anson Williams all spelled "Coconuts" wrong, and I think Fannie (who's dyslexic) may have gotten something wrong, too.

Went for another stroll down the block after work. This time, I just made a quick stop on West Clinton. Phillies Yummies opened on Friday. They're the local ice cream shop, and like most small outdoor ice cream shops, only do take-out business and have outdoor dining. I limited my treat to what my arm could handle, a small cone piled with swirled vanilla and chocolate soft-serve ice cream. Enjoyed my sweet treat as I strolled home.

Finished out the night with tonight's Match Game syndicated premiere on YouTube and a couple of TV shows elsewhere. Started with Charlie's Angels on The Roku Channel again. The third season episode "Angels In Springtime" have the girls investigating a posh women-only spa where a wealthy former stage star just died in an electrical accident in a Jacuzzi. Sabrina poses as a dietitian, Kris as an aerobics instructor, and Kelly as a guest to find out whether the accident was actually murder and what the killer was after.

Hulu currently has all 11 seasons of MASH. I figured there could be no better show to watch on Memorial Day. Went straight down the middle with an episode from season 5, "The Nurses." The nurses are frequently at odds with head nurse Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit), especially Nurse Baker. When Baker wants to spend a night with her new husband, Hawkeye, Radar, and Hunnicut arrange to have them use Hot Lips' tent by claiming there's a sick man who needs it. Hot Lips isn't happy at first, but she and her nurses come to understand why she's so strict with them.

And I salute all real-life soldiers and medical personnel, men and women, who fought and died for our country on this Memorial Day.

Hot Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! I began mine with another early work day. I did do carts for the first two hours or so, but I spent most of the rest of the day inside after the afternoon bagger arrived and took them over. I mainly worked on shelving two full carts of candy, but I did end up in the register during the height of the lunch rush hour. I also kept getting eight different orders from at least three different managers later in the day. It was hard to figure out what I needed to do first.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. The weather was too beautiful not to! It was sunny and hot, in the lower 80's, and neither as humid nor as hazy as yesterday. Surprisingly, the traffic wasn't that bad, not even around the entrance to the shopping center. It was a nice ride into Oaklyn, with the green trees swaying in the breeze.

Worked on writing for a while after I got home and changed. Patricia asks Leia to keep an eye on Luke and his powers. She's very interested in them. What she's hoping is that her daughter will finally find a man who will make her happy. She also agrees that Leia can stay there until she can find a new home and they've held her aunt and uncle's funeral.

Meanwhile, Luke is chatting with Wedge and his buddies at the Rebel League's victory party. He was able to shower at their place and borrow clothes from Harris, but he needs a place to stay. He suggests to Harris that he takes his uncle's furniture-making clients and start a legitimate business. Harris says he'll think about it, then offers Luke a bunk in his van.

Broke for dinner at 6. Made scrambled eggs with spinach, cheese, and mushrooms while watching a couple of Donald Duck in the Army shorts. "Donald Gets Drafted" when he joins the Army, thinking he'll become a glamorous pilot. He actually gets stuck on the ground, dealing with nasty Sargent Pete. He's "The Vanishing Private" after he finds a can of invisibility paint and first covers a cannon in it, then himself. He drives Pete crazy leading him on a merry romp to find "the little man you can't see." He has less luck wrestling with his tent and his army mates snoring in "Fall Out, Fall In."

Played Lego Pirates of the Caribbean after dinner. A video on YouTube showed me what I missed on "The Flying Dutchman" - you have to step on lit squares and jump from square to square to get to Davy Jones. Had more luck with the next round "Isla Cruses," which involved finding six treasures, then chasing Jack Sparrow up a tower and into a moving mill wheel, as in the film. It was a lot of fun, especially going after Jack. I also now had enough gold bricks to explore the next Port area. Picked up one red hat extra, but couldn't afford another.

Finished the night with On the Town. I go further into this tale of three sailors on leave in New York on my Musical Dreams Movie Review blog.

On the Town

Something Even Better

Started off a cloudy, cool day with Memorial Day material from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. Since Memorial Day began as a holiday honoring those who died in the Civil War, the material all revolved around that time. The one story, Light Bread and Apple Butter, revolves around a Union soldier who helps a woman and her children who kindly let him take apples from their orchard. Everything else was poetry, like Barbara Friechie or The Blue and the Grey.

Watched a Three Stooges short that continued the Civil War theme as I had a quick breakfast. They're Union spies in "Uncivil Warriors" who are recruited to find out what a certain Confederate general has planned for the Union army...but they would really rather flirt with his pretty daughter and her friends.

Dashed out at 9, hoping to still make the 9:07. First of all, I forgot the schedule. Second, I also forgot that today was a holiday. The bus came at 9:09, but I was still late. I gave up waiting around 9:20 and went for a walk down to Dunkin' Donuts instead. It was still pretty chilly at that point, about 60 and windy. I ordered a vanilla chai and an apple-filled donut. The chai was too sweet and not spicy enough, but the donut was pretty good. I enjoyed my Memorial Day treat while watching people pick up their coffees.

Finally got on the bus at quarter after 10. It was busy but not full, and there was little traffic. I hopped off across from the Super Wal-Mart in Somerdale in a little under 15 minutes. Once again hurried down the road, this time to the Cinemark Theater in the small shopping center behind the Wal-Mart to catch the 10:30 showing of Solo: A Star Wars Story.

For a movie that people have claimed is a flop, the third Solo showing of the day was packed to capacity. I got in during the previews and gave up trying to find my seat after a few minutes of climbing around raised feet. (The Cinemark is relatively new and has recliner seats.) Finally plopped down in the fourth row after it turned out that a woman and her son had the seat I picked originally.

Thankfully, things picked up from there. I'm not going to reveal plot points in this entry because of spoilers, but I absolutely adored Solo: A Star Wars Story. While I didn't like it as much as Last Jedi or Force Awakens, it was a heck of a lot more fun than the dour and confusing Rogue One. Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover were pitch-perfect as a young Han and Lando, and the guy playing Chewie was awesome. I liked Woody Harrelson as Han's mentor Beckett and Emilia Clarke as his first love Qi'ra, too. The cameo appearance by Qi'ra's real boss in the finale was a flat-out shock. All I wanted from this movie was a fun adventure with Han flying the Kessel Run and cheating at cards with Lando, and I got that and more.

Not that the movie doesn't have its problems. Three of its best characters are knocked off after ten minutes of screen time each in the beginning and middle of the movie. I really would have liked to have seen more of them. Interesting that most critics complained that the beginning was too slow. I thought the first half of the film, up through the Kessel Run, was far more compelling than the finale. Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) was a fairly dull villain, and the movie's end was tad anti-climatic. It also has the same problem as all Star Wars films of being at least 20 minutes too long.

I'm going to say that the current low box-office has less to do with the movie itself and more with intense competition from Deadpool 2 and Avengers: Infinity War. Plus, while I'd be happy with Star Wars content every month for the rest of my life, between the fuss over Last Jedi and the fuss over this, a lot of people may be tired of hearing about this franchise at the moment. As for the "We didn't want this!" whining, I keep thinking of what Uncle Fred said at the end of Arthur's Perfect Christmas: "Sometimes, the things we hope for aren't the things we get. We get something even better."

I wouldn't be surprised if Last Jedi and Solo get reevaluated somewhere down the line after the dust has settled, Episode 9 comes out, and we have a better understanding of where they stand in the scheme of things. For now, if you're a Star Wars fan with an open mind about the characters and where they came from and are just looking to have a good time, disregard the reviews and check this one out.

It was past 1 when I finally rolled out. Made short runs to Game Stop and Wal-Mart, hoping to find that elusive Kylo Ren/Rey set. No luck in either place. Wal-Mart didn't have much in the way of Star Wars merchandise. Game Stop did have some Forces of Destiny dolls, but only the Empire Leia, Force Awakens Rey, and Chewbacca.

Headed over to Pizza Hut for lunch. There's a Taco Bell and a Pizza Hut on the White Horse Pike in front of Wal-Mart. I haven't been to Pizza Hut since the one in Deptford shut down a couple of years ago. This one looked like the same brown 70's building with the peaked roofs on the outside. The inside was fairly stark, with plain brick walls and metal-and vinyl booths. The food was fairly stripped-down as well. I ordered the 3 for 6 lunch deal. Got a rather small personal pan pizza, three huge bread sticks, and a salad from the salad bar. The pizza was doughy but otherwise not very good, with very little cheese. The bread sticks, on the other hand, were amazing, crunchy and savory and seasoned just right.

Picked up the bus around 2:20 in front of Taco Bell. As soon as I got in, I grabbed my clothes and went right back out. I wasn't going to have the time to do laundry later in the week. I'm a bit surprised they weren't busier. There were several people there, but it could have been worse on a holiday. I washed my clothes, worked on story notes, and ignored soap operas.

After I put everything away, I headed out again, this time to Dad and Jodie's. The party was in full swing when I arrived around quarter of 5. My nephew Khai and a couple of his buddies had just been shooed out of the pool to eat dinner.

Jodie had a huge spread. In addition to the tender ribs and steak she mentioned yesterday and the hot dogs and burgers and macaroni salad and potato salad, there was cucumber-sour cream salad, another pasta salad with olives and tri-color noodles, asparagus with garlic, baked beans, two huge bowls of fruit, and a green salad. Jodie had picked up chocolate Enterman's donuts and Hostess baseball-themed cupcakes for dessert. (I love that the chocolate cupcakes were called "Night Games.") I had the fruit, a little steak, ribs, asparagus, and two cupcakes and a donut later.

The kids went back in the pool after they ate, but it was too cold for me to join them. While it was warmer than yesterday, probably in the mid-70's, it still wasn't warm enough for swimming. Some of the kids had blue lips and were shivering when they got out! They warmed up sucking nectar from honeysuckles and playing with Minecraft toys on the grass. Little Miss Finley was happier watching the water fall in Dad's little stone flower planter. I chatted with Emily and a couple of her friends for a while before heading home with a bag of leftover fruit and salads from Jodie.

Played Lego Indiana Jones after I got in. While neither "Free the Slaves" nor "Battle at the Bridge" took very long, they were both a lot more complicated than they looked. I missed two pieces on the first that I couldn't find during the mine cart chase and one in the latter that I missed because I couldn't out-run the rushing water. Moved onto Last Crusade for "Hunt for Sir Richard." That round took so long, I ended it before I got the last piece or True Adventurer.

Ended the night with a few more war-related cartoons. Donald became Disney's number-one short subjects star in the early 40's. His brash personality suited the era far more than good-natured Goofy or laid-back Mickey. It was probably inevitable that he'd make the most war shorts of any character.

"Donald Gets Drafted" kicks things off with him jumping into the army after being swayed by the glamour of the recruiting posters. What he gets is orders from Sargent Pete to stand still, even on an ant hill. He wants to fly in "Sky Trooper," but fails the test...and when he does finally make it into the air, he and Pete both end up seriously regretting it. He's "The Vanishing Private" after finding a new invisibility paint and using his discovery to torment Pete. "Der Fuhrer's Face" takes a left turn into seriously strange territory when Donald finds himself in a surreal Nazi nightmare. "Commando Duck" is sent into Japan to contact and wipe...no, wash...out the enemy.

Superman also fought the Axis in several Famous Studios shorts. "Eleventh Hour" is a mature, shadowy story of Superman fighting off the Japanese while Clark and Lois are stationed in Tokyo. A beautiful "Secret Agent" has plans that must get to Washington quickly. Superman does everything he can to protect her.

And here's hoping that you had just as much fun as I did this Memorial Day!

Barbecues and Cartoons

Kicked off Memorial Day with excerpts from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. All of the material in Colliers reflects it's origins in the Civil War, including the one short story, Light Bread and Apple Butter. A starving Union soldier does work for a woman and her daughter who have been alone on their farm since her husband went to war, even though she said she'd give him apples for free. Most of the other pieces were poems or hymns, like Barbara Fretchie and The Blue and the Gray.

I also did the last couple of chapters from Happy Birthday Addy! After having to deal with some nasty prejudice in Philadelphia, Addy's thrilled to learn that the Civil War has ended. Like many born in slavery, she doesn't know when her birthday really is. Proud of the war's end, she chooses April 9th as her big day.

Today was my second early work morning in a row. While I did check the bathrooms to make sure they were clean (they were) and did a small cart of returns, I was mostly outside with the carts. Maybe it's just as well. We were busy for most of the morning. The one time I ran across a manager, he grouchily ordered me to clean up some litter without so much as a "please," "thank you," or "how do you do." I would have been happier to help him if he wasn't rude about it.

Needless to say, I was very happy to hurry home. It wasn't a day to be lingering outside. Though the heavy rain ended well before I went to work, it sprinkled lightly on and off all morning, and the clouds and cool temperatures would remain for the rest of the day.

Ran a couple of wartime shorts while eating a quick lunch of peanut butter and raspberry jam on a hot dog roll. Donald Duck debuted about five or six years before the war started, but his brash personality proved to be far more in temper with the times than laid-back Mickey's. He starred in eight war-related shorts between 1942 and 1944, six of which I ran today. "Donald Gets Drafted" and "Sky Trooper" has Donald joining the Army, mainly because he thinks being an Air Force flyer would be a great way to meet girls. Sergeant Pete would rather drill him than actually let him in the air...and when he does put him on a plane, the results are explosive for both.

"The Vanishing Private" is my favorite of Donald's Army shorts. It's the only one where he really gets the best of Pete in the end. Donald is a camouflage painter who's covering a new cannon. He takes Pete's orders to make the artillery "hard to see" literally when he stumbles across an invisibility paint. He first uses it on the cannon...and then accidentally on himself when Pete has a fit over the disappearing cannon. The amused duck leads Pete on a merry chase all over the base to catch "the little man you can't see."

"Der Fuehrer's Face" was the Oscar-winning animated short of 1942. Don dreams himself into a surreal Nazi Germany, where he's forced to work making shells for bullets...and almost cracks from the strain. Some stereotypes in the beginning aside, I can see why this one won awards. The imagery and use of color is amazing, especially towards the end, when Don loses it. The catchy theme song was a surprise hit for comic orchestra Spike Jones and His City Slickers.

Worked on my story for a few hours after lunch. I mainly went back and revised and cleaned up a few places. Langdon leads Leia, Charles, and Cedric to the stables, but they're too late. Fettson bursts out of the gates in his armored paddy wagon, Henry imprisoned within. They can't catch him on the ground...but the Falcon might be able to in the air. Langdon insists that the Falcon isn't ready, but Leia goes to get it anyway.

Headed out around 4 for a Memorial Day barbecue at Dad and Jodie's. Rose and her boys and Dana were already there when I arrived. Jessa and Joe and a couple of neighbors, including Khai's buddies Chloe and Bree, came around later. I saw Jodie twice today at the Acme buying groceries. Along with the burgers and hot dogs, she had pasta salad, Bacon-Caesar Salad, corn on the cob, her vinegary cucumber salad, and baked beans and weenies. The neighbors brought a Buffalo chicken dip, a bag of blue and white corn chips, and a vegetable tray with hummus and Triscuits. Rose had lemon cupcakes to go with the mini versions Jodie picked up at the Acme.

I had the pasta salad, lettuce salad, corn, blue corn chips, vegetables, two burgers, and two lemon cupcakes. Tried the Buffalo dip, but it was way too spicy for me! The hummus was more my speed.

I mostly kept an eye on the kids. Chloe, Bree, and Khai first played with Khai's Pokemon miniatures. When they got bored with that, they dumped out the plastic bin of Beanie Babies that used to belong to Jessa. There's so many of them, Chloe was literally able to make a mattress out of them at one point.

Watched the second half of The LEGO Movie while the kids threw stuffed animals around (despite their parents repeatedly telling them not to). This salute to creativity introduces ordinary LEGO construction worker Emmett (Chris Pratt), who has only ever followed the instructions to build normal skyscrapers. When he gets a strange orange cap stuck on his back and a wise old man (Morgan Freeman) declares him to be "The Special" who will save them all. He's doubtful at first. He doesn't seem to have the ideas that all the Master Builders from the various lines have. He does posses one ability they lack - the ability to work with others on a job from start to finish.

Went home around quarter after 6. Played Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars for an hour or so before hitting the shower. Further explored the main ship hub and discovered several more levels, including one for Sith (dark magic users) only, collecting lots of studs on the way. I also discovered at least two more levels and a game are waiting to be discovered, after I've gotten enough bricks.

Went backwards to "Battle of Geonosis." This is a Jedi-only affair, as Mace Windu leads a squadron of knights to blow up machines creating battle droids. Once I found the right vehicles to shoot the buildings down, this one was a lot of fun. (And the first round I got True Jedi on.) Tried the Anakin-Obi-Wan round again, but didn't get far. I finally looked it up online tonight. I'll try again the next time I play.

Finished the night with the remaining wartime shorts from Donald and others. "Fall Out, Fall In" has a weary Don on a long march with the rest of his troupe. First he can't eat because his tent is giving him trouble, then his noisy troop keeps him awake. He's "Commando Duck" when he's sent to contact the (stereotyped) Japanese. He somehow manages to wipe...no, wash...out the enemy.

Mickey Mouse may have been too benign for the 40's, but he did do a war-related short in 1929. "The Barnyard Battle" pits him and his fellow farm animals against a platoon of tough Hun cats. He may be a skinny rubber-hose mouse, but he still manages to take them on and come out on top.

The Pink Panther has less luck in Vietnam in "G.I Pink." Unlike Donald, who was swayed by the glamour of the recruiting posters, Pink was swayed by the power. He proceeds to drive his sergeant crazy with his antics, when they aren't both out-running an angry mascot dog.

And I salute all those who fought and died in all wars on this Memorial Day. I hope yours was as much fun as mine ultimately was.

An Animated Memorial Day

Began a cloudy Memorial Day with breakfast and more wartime shorts. Donald Duck starred in a series of cartoons from 1942 to 1944 that mainly had him dealing with daily life in the army. "Donald Gets Drafted" and "Sky Trooper" show how Don ends up in the army, how he drives Sargent Pete crazy with his desire to become a pilot, and what happens when Pete does get him on a plane. "The Vanishing Private" has Donald using a new invisibility paint first on a new cannon, then on himself. Pete goes crazy trying to find "the little man you can't see."

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon working on my story. I did more later in the evening, after dinner. Leia is being seduced by what she thinks is Han Solo...or is he? Han reveals the truth when he arrives in time to shatter the magic mirror. The moment the mirror's broken, so's the illusion. Palapatine returns to his original skeletal form. Leia and Han try to find out what his plans are for Luke and the Rebels, but he shoots Leia in the shoulder with his magic and vanishes before they can get far. Leia feels well enough to go after him.

Meanwhile, Wedge is just hoping he'll survive the battle at the foot of the Black Crystal Mountain when he hears wings flapping. Luke's friends the Sith Dragons from the first story have arrived! They acknowledge their fellow magic-sensitive beings, the remaining Wookie stallions, before helping the Rebel army get to the drawbridge.

I had enough time to eat and pack after getting off before heading to work. Despite the clouds and the somewhat cooler temperatures, it was killer humid. The clouds did look like they were trying to break up at one point, but they finally returned for good. Though I did end up in the registers for a half-hour when we were overwhelmed with customers, I was mostly outside. There were just as many carts that needed to be gathered. I was actually surprised they didn't put me in the registers more, given how busy they were, but I guess they figured the one other bagger couldn't do it all on his own. At any rate, it went pretty fast, and I was in and out.

When I got home, I watched more wartime shorts, first while having leftovers for dinner, then as I ate the last of the pumpkin bars for dessert. "Der Fuher's Face" is probably the strangest and the most creative of the World War II Donald cartoons. Donald dreams himself into a surreal Nazi Germany, where he has to make more shells for the Third Reich...or else! "Fall Out, Fall In" is more typical. All the poor duck wants after a very long march is dinner. But he can't eat until he sets up his tent...and then he can't sleep because his fellow privates make too much noise. "Commando Duck" has Donald sent to Japan to "wash out" the enemy (and encounter quite a few stereotypes).

Did the last few Looney Tunes wartime shorts I had during dessert. Bugs becomes a "Super Rabbit" when he eats a genetically enhanced carrot. He uses his powers to stop a cowboy from attacking his fellow bunnies. When push comes to shove, he changes into the uniform of a real hero...a Marines officer. Daffy, on the other hand, is having none of this "draft" business in "Draftee Daffy." He does everything he can think of to avoid that annoying Little Man From the Draft Board.

My personal favorite of the Looney Tunes wartime shorts is "Falling Hare." This is one of the rare times Bugs goes up against an antagonist who gives as good as they get. He discovers a gremlin sabotaging planes at an air field. That gremlin may be small, but he has a battery of tricks at his disposal, including sending a plane into a freefall!

And speaking of, we honor all those who fought and died for our country on this Memorial Day.

Memorial Day With Family

First of all, I salute all those who have fought and died for our country on this Memorial Day.

Second, I began a hot, sunny Memorial Day with more wartime shorts. Donald Duck appeared in more war-related cartoons than any Disney character during World War II, including Disney's most famous short of that era, the Oscar-winning "Der Fuehrer's Face." Donald's nightmare takes him into a surreal Nazi Germany, working outrageous hours making bombs. Things get crazy during the end when Donald starts to crack from the stress!

Most of Donald's other World War II adventures were far less dire. "Donald Gets Drafted" kicks off the series with Donald finding himself dealing with grouchy Sargent Pete and a pile of ants who make standing at arms very difficult! Donald's "The Vanishing Private" when he discovers an invisibility paint and uses it to get back at Pete. Poor Donald can't get any sleep after a long hike, thanks to a stubborn tent and his noisy troop, in "Fall Out, Fall In." "Home Defense" has Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie working as civilian air craft spotters. Donald takes the boys' stripes away when they play a prank on him. He's quick to forgive when he thinks there's an invasion. "Commando Duck" takes Donald behind enemy lines to wipe...er, wash out the Japanese (and encounter a few obvious stereotypes).

Work was, as you can imagine, very busy all afternoon. It's a holiday and a Monday. I'm still kind of tired and wasn't always up to dealing with all the fussing. Other than that, there were no major problems, and my relief was right on time.

I hurried straight home. Holiday or no holiday, I had laundry that really couldn't be put off. I needed clean work clothes. Thankfully, it wasn't busy when I arrived, and I didn't have a big load anyway. I was able to get everything done quickly as I read and ignored Dr. Phil and his silly patients.

Headed to Dad's as soon as I put the laundry away. I ran three more shorts as I got organized. "First Aiders" has Minnie Mouse using Pluto to practice her nursing skills. Pluto would be happier about it if Figaro didn't keep teasing him and chasing him. The Pink Panther becomes one of the few major cartoon characters to enter the Vietnam War in "G.I Pink." Between land mines, cranky officers, and crazy obstacle courses, he'll be lucky to make it out of basic training alive! Mickey Mouse is having similar problems in his late 20's vehicle "The Barnyard Battle." World War I has come to the barnyard. Mickey may seem skinny, but he has no problems giving those Hun cats the what-for.

Jodie said she was putting steaks on the grill tonight. This time, it was just her, me, Dad, Craig, Rose, and Khai. Khai spent most of the time in the pool again. He and his mother tossed a translucent plastic ball filled with glittery Mylar shreds into the pool, then raced each other to see who could get it first. I stuck my feet in and laughed when I'd get splashed by their racing around. They were both so funny! When I pulled them out, Rose helped Khai work on his swimming in his froggy float.

We had dinner a little later this time, around 6:30. In addition to the steaks and more macaroni salad, Jodie put out a cucumber salad made with sour cream. It was surprisingly tasty, given I'm not a fan of sour cream. The steaks were delicious too, cooked just right. We had mini-cupcakes from the Acme for dessert. Khai was just going out to chase the Mr. Softee van when I was heading home.

Hot Memorial Day

First of all, I salute all of our fighting men and women on this Memorial Day! Especially my late Uncle Ken (World War II), my biological dad Bruce (Vietnam), and two who are serving in the Navy now, my friend Jen Waters and my brother Keefe Jackman.

It was hot and sunny when I finally climbed out of bed this morning, much hotter than it has been, probably in the 80s. Thankfully, it was also dry. I was able to leave my air conditioner off as I had cereal and a grapefruit for breakfast. There was a stiff wind that kept it from feeling worse.

I ran some of my random remaining wartime shorts as I got ready for work and frosted the Pineapple Cupcakes. While Mickey Mouse was largely dormant during World War II, one of his late 20s shorts did throw him behind the lines. "The Barnyard Battle" has Mickey getting humiliated during his physical, only to prove his prowess on the battlefield when he kicks the rears of every Hun cat around.

Given the patriotic tone of most superhero comics in the early and mid 40s, it was only natural that Superman would fight the Axis in the Paramount cartoons, too. Alas, like the Popeye wartime shorts from Paramount, most of these haven't worn well. "The Eleventh Hour" has some marvelous, shadowy animation and a really interesting plot about Superman sabotaging the Japanese, but is marred by some nasty racial caricatures. "Jungle Drums," on Superman rescuing Lois Lane from a Nazi plot to stir up a jungle tribe, also has racial problems, this time with very stereotypical natives. "Secret Agent," the only short in which Lois Lane is absent, has Superman rescuing a gorgeous counter-spy from an Axis spy ring that wants the papers she filched from them.

The controversy surrounding the Vietnam War, coupled with the younger audience for animation and memories of the flood of patriotic shorts during the 40s, made most studios shy away from war as a subject for shorts. The Pink Panther cartoon "G.I Pink" was an exception. Donald was swayed by the glamour of the recruiting posters; Pink was swayed by the power. He gets neither when he finds himself bumbling around Vietnam and getting in trouble with his sergeant, who would rather blow him up with land mines or send the company mascot after him!

Work was down-the-aisles busy when I came in at 12:30. It gradually slowed as more and more people went to barbecues, but it never really died down. There were still so many people when I was done at 4:30, I barely got out on time.

Rose called me when I was on my way home. I stopped on the Black Horse Pike to tell her I was on my way. When I got home, I changed into regular clothes, grabbed the cupcakes, and headed to Dad's house.

Surprisingly, the party wasn't that busy when I arrived. It was Rose, Craig, Khai, Mark and Vanessa, Dad and Jodie, and a couple of neighbors, including one with a little girl who happily played with Khai. I guess a lot of people had to work or went to the Shore. There was tons of food. Jodie and Dad grilled hot dogs, sausage, and cheeseburgers, and provided green salad, baked beans, and macaroni salad. Vanessa brought heavenly grilled chicken that literally fell off the bone. Everyone and their grandmother brought cupcakes. There were three containers of store-bought cupcakes along with mine and a huge chocolate chip cookie pizza. Rose put together two of her favorite flavors and made delicious "Key Lime Magic Bars" - Key Lime Pie cut into bars and topped with coconut. Rich and sweet and gooey goodness.

Most everyone was eating dinner when I got in, but when the kids returned to the pool, everyone else went with them. The kids were the only ones in the pool by 6:30. I stuck my feet in, and while it wasn't that bad when you got used to it, the initial shock was very cold! Poor Khai was in the pool for so long, he was shaking by the time his mother finally dragged him out. (Although that didn't stop the goofy boy from squirting me with water at one point. Maybe I should have worn my bathing suit after all.) The party finally broke up around quarter of 7. Dad and Jodie sent me home with chicken, macaroni salad, and the remaining cupcakes.

I ran a couple of Three Stooges war shorts while I got organized and settled down after I got home. They're "Boobs In Arms" when they join the Army to dodge a jealous husband...only to discover he's now their commanding officer! "They Stooge To Conga" gets violent even for these guys when they try to fix a doorbell and end up discovering a Nazi spy ring. They also get involved with the Nazis in "Back to the Front." After their boat is sunk, they're rescued by what turns out to be a Nazi war ship and have to work together to bring down the ship's crew. "Higher Than a Kite" takes them airborne when they hide in a bomb to avoid an angry general and get literally dropped into enemy territory. They also take to the air in "Dizzy Pilots." If they can't get their revolutionary Buzzard plane to work, they're going to end up on the draft list!

Animated American Patrol

First of all, I'd like to salute our troops on this Memorial Day, including my biological father Bruce (Vietnam), my late uncle Ken (World War II), and two who are currently in the Navy, my friend Jen Waters and my brother Keefe.

Second, I ran my annual Memorial Day marathon of wartime cartoons all day, starting during my late breakfast. Woody Woodpecker debuted in 1940 and quickly became by far the biggest star at Walter Lantz' studio. The war years were perfect for his wacky, noisy personality. "Ace In the Hole" has him desperate to become a pilot, but he ends up shaving horses. He doesn't exactly make himself popular with his sergeant when he finally does get up in the air! Lanz also made several one-shot wartime shorts. Despite its rather heavy African-American stereotypes, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" features a really swinging version of the title tune and is one of the few wartime shorts to depict minorities in the military. "Pigeon Patrol," the tale of a country bumpkin bird who becomes a hero, is a bit more typical of the era.

I got to the laundromat around 11:30. I assumed a lot of people would want to get their laundry done on their day off, but the place was quiet for almost the entire hour I was there. I had no problem getting my small load done as I listened to President Obama make a speech on the radio, then the French Open.

When I got back in, I put my laundry away, had a quick lunch of leftovers, and ran the "Donald Duck in the Army" shorts. Woody wasn't the only cartoon bird who became a star in the brash early 40s. Donald's popularity had begun in the mid-30s, but the war years made him Disney's number-one animated shorts star. Like Woody, he was desperate to fly - "Donald Gets Drafted" and "Sky Trooper" shows why he wants to get in the air, and what happens when he finally does. My personal favorite, "The Vanishing Private," has Don as a camouflage painter who finds a way to make a gun - and himself - really hard to see! The surreal Oscar-winning "Der Fuherer's Face" puts Donald inside Germany as the Nazis' demands nearly drive him loonier than he already is.

"Commando Duck," the eighth and final Donald army short, takes him into Japan, where he proceeds to "wash out" the enemy. Like the Popeye wartime shorts, the nasty Japanese stereotypes makes this a tough watch today, and it goes without saying that it doesn't turn up that often outside of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets. Audiences weren't all that amused, either. By 1944, many folks on the home front were tiring of the constant reminders of war and just wanted to get away from it all. Walt saw that, too.  Evidently, Disney planned far more wartime shorts than actually made it out, including several more on Donald's Army exploits and "How to be a Commando" for Goofy.

Work was very busy when I got in, quiet as a mouse when I finished. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm-but-not-hot day and a major holiday. Once the traffic on the Black Horse Pike settled down and people got home from the Shore, that was that. I was in and out with no problems other than spending the last two hours or so very bored.

An Animated Memorial Day

First of all, I salute all of our people in the Armed Services, past and present, on this Memorial Day. I'd like to give a special note to my brother Keefe and my good friend Jen Waters, both of whom are currently serving in the Navy.

Second, I spent most of a very hot day continuing the cleaning. The kitchen was really grungy, especially the sink and dish rack. It needed to be done badly. I dusted and washed the windows, too. Didn't have the chance to get to anything else. I did a lot of dusting before Lauren visited and shouldn't need to do much more. I'll get to the vacuuming tomorrow.

I honored the Armed Services by running wartime animated shorts for most of the afternoon. Three of my favorite 40s Looney Tunes are wartime-related. A chemically-enhanced carrot turns Bugs into a superhero in Super Rabbit. When a Yosemite Sam-like villain gets the best of him, he finally decides it's a job for a real hero...a soldier. Daffy tries to dodge the persistent "Little Man from the Draft Board" in Draftee Daffy. And in Fallen Hare, Bugs tangles with a Gremlin who is bound and determined to wreck havoc on airplanes.

The loonies at Termite Terrace were far from the only cartoon studio to put a comic spin on the realities of World War II. The home front audience's fondness for raucous humor made Donald Duck Disney's number one short subject star during and after the war years. (Mickey wasn't even seen between 1943 and 1947.) Donald did a series of cartoons set in the Army that are favorites of mine; these include the surrealistic, Oscar-winning Der Fuherer's Face, the wonderfully silly The Vanishing Private, and the pair that amounts to a two-parter, Donald Gets Drafted and Sky Trooper. Unlike Daffy, go-getting Donald has absolutely no problem with joining the Armed Services. What he really wants is to be in the glamorous Air Force, but he finds himself dropped in the Army without a paddle. Sergeant Pete tries to whip him into shape, but Donald ends up peeling potatoes. When Donald does finally gets into the air, it leads to an explosive confrontation with Pete!

Woody Woodpecker was another beloved character who became a star during the war years. His only really war-related short was Ace In the Hole, a variation on Sky Trooper. Woody, too, wants to join the Air Force, but he ends up shaving horses. Stealing a plane probably doesn't amuse his bulldog sergeant either, or what he does with it when he finally gets in the air.

Walter Lanz also did several one-shot wartime shorts. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B depicts what happens when a black trumpet player is drafted. Yes, the stereotypes come thick and fast and obnoxious, but this short has a really swinging version of the title tune and is one of the few cartoons of the era to depict minorities in the military. (It was also, interestingly, released several months before the war began.) Pigeon Patrol is a more conventional war story. A country bumpkin pigeon is rejected from war duty, but manages to get a message through anyway and impress his sweetheart back home.

The Pink Panther became one of the few 60s animated characters to enlist in the Vietnam War in G.I Pink. Like Donald, he enlists because he thinks it looks glamorous and powerful. He ends up encountering land mines, cranky drill sergeants, and canine mascots who think he's for dinner!

I returned to the Stooges during a quick lunch of a Peanut Butter and Strawberry-Raspberry Wrap and a pear. Conveniently, the shorts in the set I ordered from Amazon.com last week were made between 1943 and 1945, when World War II was at its height. In Back From the Front, the boys are adrift in the ocean and find themselves aboard a Nazi battleship, where they proceed to capture the enemy. They Stooge to Conga gets ugly even for these guys when they accidentally find a Nazi war room...and Moe gets a spike shoe in the ear. No Dough, Boys has them mistaken for spies when they're dressed as Japanese men for a modeling job.

It was still hot outside when I headed to work, but not quite as humid as the past few days. Not surprisingly on a holiday, work was busy up through around 5PM, after which people must have gone off to barbecues and picnics. There were a few annoying people, notably the couple who argued so violently, they just ended up taking off and leaving their order behind - good thing it was small. Otherwise, there were no major problems and I was in and out.

Hot Memorial Day

First of all, Happy Memorial Day to all of our people in the Armed Forces, past and present. Alas, my Memorial Day wasn't nearly as exciting as last year, when Lauren visited for that week. She is visiting here again, but not until the end of next month. I spent the morning going through more data CDs instead. I was able to salvage a bunch of fanfics for Perfect Strangers, two for Sailor Moon, and most of my Remember WENN stories, including the last couple of stories in the "Edge of the Precipice" series and three of my "spoofs."

Work was a total madhouse today. It took me a while to figure out why. Why were people shopping on a holiday, and one that was during a major heat wave to boot? Because we're getting close to the beginning of the month and a lot of folks are just getting their usual money. I didn't get my break until quarter of 4...and I was done at 5!

I bought yogurt and went right home after work. When I got in, I put the yogurt away, changed into regular clothes, put my work uniform and the rest of my laundry in a bag, and rode over to the laundromat. I'd meant to do it this morning, but I slept too late. I'm actually glad I put it off. It was a little bit cooler by 6PM, which meant the laundromat was tolerable...and dead as a doornail. There was one other young lady, the old woman in charge, and two local newscasts (channel 6 and channel 10) talking about various Memorial Day activities. I was in and out in less than an hour, even with extra towels in the mix.

I made beef quesadillas for dinner while watching the Donald Duck In the Army cartoons. From 1942 to 1944, Disney made a series of cartoons depicting Donald's misadventures as a private in the World War II Armed Services. The most famous of these, Der Fuhrer's Face, went beyond the Army misadventures. Donald finds himself in a surreal nightmare when he dreams he's a citizen in Nazi Germany. Freaky and frightening yet bitterly comic, Der Fuhrer is in a class by itself. It earned Disney the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1943. The theme song was a huge hit in its own right, thanks to the gag-filled version by popular comic orchestra Spike Jones and his City Slickers. I actually do remember seeing this from time to time on the Disney Channel in the 80s, usually during a night show like Mouserpiece Theater where the context could be explained.

I ran the first half of the Bowery Boys movie Bowery Battalion while I was cleaning up from dinner. The Bowery Boys join the Army when they see a mock air drill and think New York's being raided. Needless to say, they're not very good soldiers. They're such bad soldiers, they find themselves in jail two times in less than twenty minutes. They get a chance to prove themselves when Louie, the owner of their favorite sweet shop, turns out to be the creator of a ray gun that the Army wants. The Boys are assigned to protect Louie...but can they rescue him from the spy ring that's after his design?

Blackberry Memorial Day

First of all, I forgot to mention this morning that I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day and honored our fighting men, past and present.

I spent a little more time online after I posted on here. Lauren got up around quarter after 11, and we had tea and cereal for breakfast while watching military-oriented cartoons (the Donald Duck in the army series, two Looney Tunes, and one Pink Panther). We let the Pink Panther run while we cleaned up from breakfast and lunch.

We went for a walk around the neighborhood next. I wanted to show Lauren most of Oaklyn that we passed by yesterday on our way here. We stopped at WaWa and bought fountain sodas with those cool syrups. We headed down the White Horse Pike, past 7-11 and Taco Bell and around the corner past CVS.

We ended up at Dad's house. This seems to be pretty par for the course for Memorial Day on either side of the family. "We're not doing anything" turns into "we're inviting the entire neighborhood and their friends for a party." My cousin Amber and her boyfriend and his daughter Ella, Amber's younger sister, and Dolores' grandchildren Mercedes and Blake were all in the pool when we arrived. Their mothers and Jodie were watching them. Dad, Uncle Ken, Dolores, and some more of her grown children were inside, watching the Phillies game. (They eventually lost to the Braves, 9-3.)

I had a turkey sandwich for a late lunch. Lauren just had chips and fruit salad - she had a sandwich at my place. We didn't wear bathing suits and the pool was busy with kids anyway, so we just stuck our legs in the pool. That felt just as nice. The pool was a little chilly going in, but surprisingly warm once you got used to it. It's rarely warm this early.

We headed back to my place around 4. I wanted to show Lauren Veteran's Park next door before we called it a day. It was hot, humid, and hazy, and our walk down the tree-less White Horse Pike left us both sweating buckets. As we entered the park, Lauren pointed to a vine-y bush a few paces away. "Oh, those are blackberries!" she exclaimed. "And they're really ripe!"

And so they were. Lauren had found a bona-fide blackberry bush. We hurried back to my apartment for bowls and loaded them with as much as we could knock in. The berries were amazing. I'd never tasted such huge, sweet blackberries. I used to see blackberry bushes in Cape May growing wild...but even they never tasted as good as this. And I've never seen that bush until Lauren pointed it out! Between the two of us, we (and our very purple fingers) got enough blackberries to snack on, and maybe even make a cobbler or tart if it cools off enough to use the stove later in the week.

We spent the rest of the evening cooling off inside, watching the original Meatballs with Bill Murray and another Bowery Boys movie from their mid-50s Allied Artists days, Calling Las Vegas. (We figured the latter was appropriate for our trip to Atlantic City on Wednesday.)

Speaking of, tomorrow will be our first of two days exploring the neighborhood. We'll do the laundry, then ride over to Westmont (I have books due at the Haddon Township Library) and Collingswood and maybe even take the train into Haddonfield.

Saluting Those Who Served Our Country

I salute veterans of all wars...including the current one...on this Memorial Day. I started off a hot, sunny morning with the Donald Duck Army-themed shorts on the second Chronological Donald Walt Disney Treasures DVD set. Donald appeared in a series of cartoons on life in the World War II army, as well as the famous Oscar-winning propaganda short Der Fuherer's Face, between 1942 and 1944. I watch them every Memorial Day and Veteran's Day - they're pretty much the only war-related items I own.

I worked early today, around 9:45. Don't ask me why it was 9:45 to 3:15 instead of 10 to 4 or something normal like that. I have no idea. Apparently, neither did the Acme. I ended up staying until 4. It wasn't too bad when I came in at quarter of 10, but by quarter after 3, the lines were half-way across the store. We had a couple of call-outs, too.

Jodie came through my line around noon to tell me she and Dad were having a barbecue tonight. Great. I was going to call them and ask them if they were doing anything tonight anyway. When I got home, there was message on my phone for me. Rose had finally called back. She can't do Yogawood this week - something about hurting her leg - but she is willing to get together and chat tomorrow. That's fine. We'll talk over cups of tea.

I changed into a bathing suit and my red-and-white polka-dot sundress, grabbed my pool towel, and headed over to Dad's. He and Jodie had a bunch of their friends over, and they were chatting. I felt a little awkward. I don't know them very well. I was hoping we'd go to Mark and Vanessa's again, like we did last year. I waded around in the pool for a little while, but it was still too cold for me to really go swimming.

At least the food was good. Jodie and Dad made steak, broccoli, sauteed asparagus and mushrooms, Caesar Salad, and ribs so succulent, they literally fell off the bone. I chatted with Uncle Ken, Dolores, Jessa, and Erica, then watched a couple of pre-teen boys goof off in the pool.

The Strawberries and Cream Pudding Pie I brought over was a big success, too. There was only a small wedge remaining in the pan when I left. One of the boys said it was the best thing he'd ever tasted, words that meant more to me than any medal of honor.

Off to the May Fair

Sorry I'm late again. I keep getting caught up reading other things. It was probably just as well that today's Strawberry Shortcake was a repeat, the one about Peppermint Fizz refusing to accept Rainbow Sherbet because she's so different. I was able to get an early start on the usual Saturday errands...a good thing, because today's errands were anything but usual!

After a quick stop at the bank, I headed for Collingswood. Yesterday was their annual May Fair. The May Fair is the big craft show and midway on Haddon Avenue held every year on the Saturday before Memorial Day. There were booths selling hand-maid jewelry, clothes, knit-wear, toys, and furniture. There were tons of food booths - lemonade, soft pretzels, pizza, hot dogs, and "deep fried Oreos" were popular items. One end of the Fair focuses on a classic car show. The other extreme end near Cuthbert Road had small midway-style rides, games, craft booths, and face and hair painting booths themed exclusively towards children. (Unlike Wildwood or Great Adventure, all the rides were kids-sized - no adults unless they rode with kids.) There was even an artist working on a picture of the historic buildings on Haddon Avenue as people passed by.

The Farm Market was on Leeds Road for the day, and that's where I headed. Unlike last year, I'd wanted to get a good early start and beat the crowds...but the booths were still packed as I shopped. I broke down and bought the $5 strawberries. The Acme has them for cheaper, but they aren't nearly as good. I bought mushrooms and dandelion greens...and then went back after I left and bought celery and beets, which I needed and had forgotten.

(Unlike last year, I didn't buy anything at the fair. Most of the crafts were priced way over my budget. I did see a table selling WebKinz, but they didn't have anything this year I hadn't seen elsewhere. I will admit, it's a shame I already have a white poodle, because the Lil'Kinz version is way too cute.)

I rode around a little while longer. Got lemonade at one yard sale. Bought two 80s childrens' books (a hardback Care Bears Parker Brothers picture book and a Muppet Babies book sold by McDonald's in the mid-80s as a promotion) and a Care Bear, Do Your Best Bear (a newer bear with a kite on his tummy). Poor DYB Bear had spots of dirt on him and ended up being tossed in the laundry basket. Looks like he saw some hard play.

It was hot and getting hotter, almost into the 90s, and my shoulders and back were starting to feel the effects of being out in the sun for too long...not to mention, it was quarter of 12 by this point and I had work at 1. I headed home, put my fruits and vegetables away, and had lunch before changing and heading to work.

Work was busy, not exactly big news given the holiday weekend. Thankfully, other than a few bobbles with the big soda coupon sales, there weren't nearly as many problems today as there were earlier this week. I was in and out with little trouble.

Did my own grocery shopping afterwards. Picked up the low-cholesterol eggs on sale and with a coupon. Grabbed apples too, also on sale, and Kashi's Autumn Harvest Shredded Wheat cereal. (The Kashi Shredded Wheat cereals rock.)

And yes...I got rather bad sunburn on my shoulders, face, and back. That's what I get for forgetting my sunscreen. :P