Return of the Heatwave

Began a late morning with an episode of Good Eats. With blueberries in season, I thought "Kinda Blue" was appropriate. I'm not very good at pies, but I might try the Blueberry Buckle, and possibly the syrup as well.

It was past 11:30 before I finally got move on today's errands. First stop was the laundromat. It was very busy, probably with people on their lunch breaks who also wanted to get errands done. Not a good thing. I had a lot of laundry this week, including the towel I used to mop up the freezer water. It was a while before I got out.

I hurried home, put everything away, then hurried back out. I wanted to catch the Oaklyn Library before it closed. Maybe it's just as well that I arrived at 1:20 and they close at 2. There wasn't much to do. I looked over the DVDs and ignored the fussing about politics on CNN.

Rode back to West Clinton to grab my usual slices of cheese and mushroom pizza at Phillies Phatties, along with a can of Dew SA. While it wasn't nearly as humid as Channel 6 Action News claimed at the laundromat, it was very hot, 95 degrees according to the digital sign at Oaklyn's City Hall. It was too hot to eat outside. I enjoyed my lunch indoors, listening to classic hard rock and a group of older elementary school-age boys chatter. (And waving to one, the grandson of my late uncle's girlfriend. He was always a good kid.)

To my surprise, Studio LuLoo was open next-door. I hadn't seen them open for a while. Sarah, the owner and operator, had a friend visiting from Colorado and was enjoying lunch with her and their children. I watched the kids play and clapped for one little boy who gave spirited (and noisy) renditions of "All Star" and a few other songs.

I didn't stay at home for long after I got in. I changed into my bathing suit, then rode over to Dad's house to go for a swim. I picked the right time. The pool was empty. It was past 3 by that point. The kids must have all gone home for snacks and naps or rest. Dad and Jodie were more interested in their own rest, with Jodie having just gotten out of work. The pool wasn't as warm as it usually is at this time of year, barely in the 80's, probably a result of the cooler weather we had over the weekend. Still, it felt great to float around, swim back and forth, and throw a rubber ball filled with water and translucent Mylar strips someone had left in the pool and swim after it.

Switched to writing for a little while when I got home. The group splits up when they get to the docks. Luke and the nerds are going back to the Cottages to warn the residents about the Imperial Gang's impending arrival. Leia's waiting for an ambulance to take Uncle Ben to the hospital. Hank and Charlie are leaving for a fishing trip, but Hank does tell Luke that he "hopes he catches the big one" on the way out.

Decided I wanted a more substantial and less fattening meal for dinner. Had chicken breasts cooked in a simple mushroom sauce I got out of a low-fat cookbook Mom gave me years ago, along with zucchini sauteed in chicken stock and a blueberry muffin. Yum. Other than I didn't cook the chicken long enough, it came out very well, earthy and savory.

Ran Charlie Chan In London while I ate. Actually, Charlie's at an English estate on behalf of Pamela Gray (Drue Leyton), whose brother Paul (Douglas Walton) was accused of murdering an officer. The occupants of the estate are currently preparing for a fox hunting party, including a nobleman (Alan Mowbray), a spoiled noblewoman (Mona Barrie), a stiff butler (Murray Kinnell), a nervous maid (Elsa Buchanon) who is convinced Charlie is there to kill them all after she catches him coming in through a window, and Pamela's fiancee (Ray Milland), who doesn't believe her brother is innocent, which has put him on the outs with his lover. When Charlie learns that the killer is still on the premises, he sets a trap to make sure he doesn't escape.

One of the earliest currently available Chan movies (most of the silent and early talkie Chan movies are lost at press time), and in fact the first not based after one of the original novels. This is the one that really kicked off the series as we know it, with Charlie tracking down clues in some exotic location. And once again, we get a fairly nice use of that location, including an English fox hunt as part of the plot. Great cast, too, including one of Milland's earlier roles. Worth looking up if you love Chan or the Chan movies.

Ended the night online with East Side of Heaven. All Denny Martin (Bing Crosby) wants to do is get a job and marry his long-time fiancee Mary Wilson (Joan Blondell). He doesn't expect his newest career, that of singing taxi driver, to lead to the discovery of a ten-month-old infant (Baby Sandy). He and his bohemian, Zodiac-obsessed roommate Nicky (Mischa Auer) try their best to take care of the child and fend off Mary. Meanwhile, it turns out that the baby belongs to a wealthy family, and the grandfather (C. Aubrey Smith) will do anything to get him back.

Despite a wonderful cast, I wasn't as fond of this independent production (released by Universal) as Bing's earlier Paramount musicals. There's way too much tomfoolery with Aurer and the baby and not enough of Bing. (Surprising, since he had his own money in this.) The four new songs aren't that great, either, with only "Sing a Song of Sunbeams" mildly registering.

Cute enough if you're a fan of the cast and you run into it online or on TCM, but nothing you need to go out of your way for.

Oh, and I finally remembered to post The Adventures of the Crimson Hawk on my (terribly neglected) writing blog.

The Adventures of the Crimson Hawk at Writer's Desk By the Riverside

Spring Into Summer

Kicked off a beautiful, sunny spring day with the end of Neverwhere (which was weird as heck, but pretty good) and a couple of Arbor Day-themed stories and poems from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. The first involved a little old shoe maker who enjoys admiring a tree in the park across from his shop. When the tree is to be cut down, he goes straight to the mayor. The head of the town doesn't want to listen at first...until he complains that his shoes hurt. The shorter story was simply an old man explaining to a nobleman how important planting trees is.

Ran It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown as I ate breakfast. Mr. Plum and the little old man aren't the only ones who know how important trees are. Sally's been learning about Arbor Day in school and now wants to plant trees of her own. The others agree to help her, but Charlie Brown gets a major shock when it turns out that their garden ended up on the baseball field! He's less upset when it looks like the superfluous flora might actually help them win a game.

Spent the rest of the morning working on writing. Henry watches Luke and Leia practice their fencing. Not only do their styles resemble that of the Jedi (and Sir Kenton and Ahsoka), but they themselves are very much alike. They seem to anticipate each other's every move. Henry won't admit it, but he's a tad bit jealous of how easily Luke gets along with Leia, whom he's starting to fall rather hard for. He invites Leia and her aunt along with them to the Royal Regatta in a few days. She accepts, not only to keep an eye on them, but because she may be starting to have feelings for Henry, too...

Broke around 12:30 for lunch. Did a quick episode of The Backyardigans while I ate and got organized. Uniqua and Tyrone are a pair of galactic police officers in "Cops and Robots" who are after "bad bots" Tasha and Pablo. If they get to the robot factory, they'll turn all the robots in the galaxy bad!

Headed out to run errands as soon as the episode ended. First stop was at the Oaklyn Library. They were relatively busy for such a gorgeous day, with several people reading or on the computer. A family showed up as I was working on the kids' DVDs. Glanced over the adult DVD titles, then shelved books in the kids' area.

It was a glorious afternoon for a ride in Newton Lake Park. The sky was blue, the breeze was cool but not cold, and it was the warmest day yet, into the lower 80's at quarter of 2. I'm actually surprised the park wasn't busier. I mostly saw Canadian geese and ducks, along with a few joggers and fishermen. The park's really beautiful now. The leaves get bigger every time I see them.

The Haddon Township Library wasn't nearly as busy as Oaklyn was when I arrived. I shelved some audio books and non-fiction DVDs and organized the fiction titles, but there wasn't much to do. There weren't even any new releases on the cart.

It took me forever to choose them, but I did take out movies and books this week. I think I might have seen the Fleischer Brothers' Gulliver's Travels as a kid, but it hasn't turned up anywhere but public domain DVDs in years. Kubo and the Two Strings is said to be excellent - it was one of this year's Oscar-nominated animated films. Thought I'd try another film series after having fun with Harry Potter. Star Trek: The Motion Picture isn't highly regarded by fans, but a woman has to start somewhere. Also grabbed the cult 70's sci-fi favorite Westworld. Found an older, non-Amelia Peabody Elizabeth Peters novel I hadn't read, The Love Talker, along with a modern pirate adventure story, We are Pirates. Also grabbed two books on crocheting for beginners and with one skein of yarn.

By the time I finally made it out, it was past 4. I dodged heavy rush-hour traffic on Haddon Avenue and Cuthbert Road to the green field next to what's now Planet Fitness, where Studio LuLoo's CD release party was being held. I hadn't seen on Sarah's busy poster that it was running from 4 to 9. That was too late for me to catch the whole show, but I did see some of the kids sing along with "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "Let It Go."

It was nearly 5 when I rolled into Oaklyn. Phillies Yummies finally opened today. I celebrated Arbor Day, their opening, and the nice weather with a Pina Colada Yum Yum (a creamier, grittier water ice). Had a quick slice of bacon and sweet corn quiche and a Deb's Spicy-Sweet Iced Tea from Common Grounds Coffee House for dinner on their metal tables outside. Enjoyed listening to the band playing on the veranda at the Oaklyn Manor Bar while watching locals go by with their frozen treats.

Finished out the night crocheting while watching Gulliver's Travels. This very loose adaptation of the first half of the famous book has Gulliver washing ashore after a storm wrecks his ship. Turns out he's in Lilliputa, a land of tiny people, including annoying Gabby. The king of the land is about to go to war with the king of a neighboring country over which song to play at the prince and princess' wedding. Gulliver does his best to stop the war, while reuniting the prince and princess.

A lot of animation fans have praised this one, especially the rotoscoped Gulliver, lush backgrounds, a couple of nice gags, and some decent tunes. "Faithful Forever," the combined version of the songs that started all the fuss, was nominated for an Oscar. Gulliver's number as he laments being unable to return home is also lovely.

I just wish they'd figured out a way for it to work together in a cohesive whole. The realistic prince, princess, and Gulliver clash with the cartoony Lilliputians. Gabby and his shrill, high-pitched voice are annoying as heck. (Someone at the Fleischers' studio liked him a lot more than I did. He got his own short-lived spin-off series.) A couple of comic spies don't come off much better. The plot is utterly ridiculous, too. Even Gulliver calls them out for it. It's also just barely an adaptation, lacking the savage wit of the original story. (And actually lacking most of the original story - Gulliver went on a lot more travels after this.)

If you're a fan of classic cartoons, animation history, or the Fleischers' work, or you have young children who won't mind the plot problems and may enjoy the gags and music, this is worth seeing at least once.

Better to Give Than To Receive

It was cloudy and cool when I got up for breakfast. Ran some Easter and spring-themed Max & Ruby while making corn meal mush and canned apricots for breakfast. "Max's Chocolate Chicken" is the prize for collecting the most eggs. Ruby finds all eggs, but thanks to her hungry brother, she doesn't get the prize. Louise and Ruby insist that Max be the first customer at "Ruby's Beauty Shop." Though they enjoy messing around with nail polish and wigs, Max prefers their hair dye in wild colors. Ruby's brother has wandered off in his toy car in "Max Drives Away." Ruby follows him to Grandma's house, where a surprise awaits both.

Spent the rest of the morning dressing the American Girl dolls for Easter. Decided to put Samantha in  her fancy pink and white Tea Dress this year, the one from her original collection with the big removable collar. She also got white tights, the white shoes with the pink ribbons that originally went with Rebecca's Lace Dress, and the flower-and-lace headband from her current accessories set. Josefina is in her turquoise, green, and white Feast Day skirt and ruffled camisa and the gold fringed Heirloom Accessories shawl. Felicity's in her salmon-pink Birthday Dress and floral pinner apron. Molly gets her Polka-Dot Outfit. Whitney's wearing (Kit's) Springtime Dress from a few years ago with the pink and white striped scrunchie ribbon from Samantha's Hair Accessories set. Jessa's back in the purple late 90's Birthday Jumper with the fruit print over the white and purple t-shirt. It's too chilly for the jelly sandals that go with that outfit, so she got to swipe Josefina's black mules.

I also did a little organization. Pulled out their spring clothes; put the winter ones away. Pulled one modern outfit I never put on the dolls anymore to give away later.

Ran more Max & Ruby while I got organized. "Max's Camp Out" will be a lot of fun, if Max would only stop bringing tons of his toys outside. "Ruby's Clubhouse" is a tent that's for her and Louise only. Max wants to join, too...but guess who's the one who has more protection when it rains. Ruby and Louise want to go on "Ruby's Picnic" to find birds. Max just wants to find cupcakes.

It was sprinkling a bit when I headed out around 12:30. First stop on the agenda today was the Oaklyn Library. They were dead as can be. The only human I ever saw was the librarian. I organized the DVD's, took a quick look at the kids' area, and moved on.

Had lunch at Tu Se Bella. They've done quite a bit of remodeling since the last time I was in there. The counter is now stonework instead of Formica. The walls are wood spirals; the tables are weathered wood, except for the metal one I ate my lunch at in the storefront window. Tu Se Bella's has the best gourmet pizza in this area. I had a slice of cheese, a slice of white broccoli-shrimp, and a bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper. It was 1:30 by that point. They were a bit busy, but not overwhelmingly so.

Dodged the showers to head to work for my schedule and to do this week's grocery shopping. I'm a bit disappointed that I lost hours this week. On the other hand, I only have one late day (Monday again) and a lot of early days. Tuesday and Friday off again, Friday to celebrate my birthday.

Didn't need as big of a grocery trip as I did last week. I was mostly grabbing some fruit and vegetables on a really good sale, including green beans, Gala apples, and more of those sweet-tart Mineola oranges. Found tortilla-crusted tilapia fillets with a manager's coupon on them. Restocked yellow cake mix, whole wheat pancake mix, ground turkey, skim milk, canned mandarin oranges and apricots, white cooking wine, bananas, and more of those Chobani "Flip" yogurts (went with Key Lime Crumble, Coffee Brownie Bliss, and Tropical Escape this week). Tried getting whole wheat flour, but I didn't have enough money. I'll get it tomorrow.

When I got home, I put everything away, then headed back out. Studio LuLoo was empty when I arrived there, but that ended when Sarah came in, toting a guitar and her laptop. More kids arrived shortly after she did, including a mother toting an adorable baby boy who was just starting to crawl.

The kids loved the Ever After High dolls and small WebKinz I donated. The four girls split the female Ever After High dolls between them, leaving Courtley Jester and the Google for kids at the studio. They were really good about it, no arguing or complaints. I loved seeing them play with the dolls. It reminded me of my sisters and I when we were late-elementary school age and played with Barbies and Disney princess dolls. The one boy took Dexter and Alistair (when he wasn't bent over Animal Crossing on his Nintendo DS3). I watched them work on two numbers for their upcoming show before heading home to work on some writing.

Went right onto the computer when I got in. Luke manages to swing Leia across the bottom of the Death Star and onto Han's airship the Falcon. The Falcon...is Han's old pirate ship refitted as an airship, with a balloon replacing sails (and likely made from his original sails). The servants are already there; Han and Charles are on their way. As they get on, they notice two men fighting across from the ship...

Finished out the night with Pimpernel Smith while I ate green beans and a leftover chicken leg for dinner and made Apple-Butterscotch Muffins. Leslie Howard produced this modern-day version of his 1934 vehicle The Scarlet Pimpernel. Set in 1939, we have an absent-minded archaeological professor (Howard) taking a group of students, including an annoying American youth, with him on an expedition to Germany to find the possibility of an ancient Aryan civilization. The kids are shocked to discover that their teacher is really the daring man who has been rescuing dozens of unfortunates from concentration camps. They're more than  happy to help out, but their cover may be blown by a Polish spy who is far from what she seems to be.

Howard's last film before his untimely death in 1942 is pure British propaganda. The "Germans" are mostly blustery English character actors who ignore anything that doesn't suit their macho purposes, including the possibility that a meek professor could be a daring rescuer, or that a woman may have figured it out before them. If you love Howard or tales of derring-do in World War II, this one is just on DVD from made-to-order company Olive Films.

A Very Busy Spring

Started off a cloudy day with another Rankin-Bass Easter special. Here Comes Peter Cottontail was also the first of three spring specials they did, and may be the best-remembered today. Peter (Casey Kasem) is in line to become the new Easter Bunny, but he loses the job to nasty Irontail (Vincent Price) when he oversleeps and never delivers any eggs. With the help of peddler Seymour S. Sassafras (Danny Kaye), he goes back in time to try to hand out eggs. Irontail follows him, determined to remain chief Easter bunny.

Made my bed after eating breakfast, while the special was on. The blankets have a habit of sliding off during the night in the winter, probably because I usually sleep under three or four of them. I suspect that trying to organize them during the night may be part of of the "noise" people are complaining about.

Did a quick cartoon while getting organized for errands. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is enjoying a "Springtime Serenade" in a rare Universal color short. A grouchy groundhog is determined to spoil their fun with a snowy weather report. The other animals, including Oswald, don't listen...until the snow arrives and they wonder if he might be right.

Headed to the Acme around 11 to do this week's grocery shopping. Didn't really need a huge order. I've been eating out of the refrigerator all week. Mainly did some restocking - canned chicken, brown sugar, cereal (Kellogg's was on sale - went with basic Cheerios), crushed pineapple, olive oil, pads (needed those badly - I had one left), chocolate cake mix, bananas, eggs, skim milk. Found a $1.99 bag of small oranges to go with breakfast. Bought Italian chicken sausage with a manager's coupon for dinner tonight.

To my annoyance, when I got home, I discovered I had crunched one of the eggs. Most of the food in the bag seemed to be fine, but the container itself and the bottom of the bag were a soppy mess. I cut the bad part of the egg container off, then moved most of the eggs to the previous container that had two eggs left.

Did another Good Eats episode while I cleaned and got ready for more errands. Alton shows how "Milk Made" food can be downright tasty with a yummy-looking recipe for Tres Leche Cake that I may try. I'm less interested in Dulche Du Leche. I'm not a fan of caramel, and I've never been good with candy. May attempt making my own cottage cheese from skim milk sometime, though.

First stop after I went back out was a new restaurant down the street and around the corner on West Clinton Avenue. The Square Meal replaced the departed Viola's International Deli a few weeks ago. Sort of the same idea, but this time, the emphasis is on wholesome, hearty, local food that's good and good for you. I had a Roast Chicken Sandwich with cheddar and greens. The roast chicken was real sliced chicken, just over-seasoned deli chicken or bagged strips. It was on a thick, crusty Ciabatta roll and washed down with free lemon water in mason jars. Yum. Huge, filling, and tasty.

Rode across Newton River Park on my way to Westmont. By this point, the clouds were vanishing, and the sun was coming out. Despite the improving day, Newton River Park was relatively quiet. I only saw two people strolling by and a lot of Canadian geese looking for a late lunch. People were missing out. Spring is just starting to emerge. Bright green tufts of grass are poking their way through the yellow patches. Dandelions and buttercups have begun to sprout along the riverbanks.

The Haddon Township Library wasn't quite as busy as last week, as revealed in a full but not overwhelming return cart. I settled for organizing DVDs and shelving audio books and the few new returns that had come back in. Thought I'd leave the DVDs for the kids after school.

I've heard a lot about the BBC modern TV version of Sherlock Holmes with Benedict Cumberbatch as the famous detective and Martin Freeman as Watson, but I'd never seen it. Haddon Township had Series Three and a TV movie that put the two back in the series' original late 19th Century setting. Also took out Star Trek Beyond, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and a recent retelling of Anne of Green Gables with Martin Sheen as Matthew.

Also grabbed two books this week. I've enjoyed the East of the Sun, West of the Moon story I'm reading so much, I found a book retelling The Twelve Dancing Princesses by the same author, Princess of the Midnight Ball. Mom recommended the BBC series Miss Fisher's Mysteries to me when I called her earlier this week, and I know Linda Young likes that show too, but neither library has it. I thought I'd try the books instead, starting with Blood and Circuses.

To my surprise, Cabana's Water Ice was open on the corner of Cuthbert and the White Horse Pike. It does seem to be a bit early - Phillies Yummies probably won't open for another couple of weeks - but I was thirsty and grateful. I wasn't the only one. Two gaggles of girls and a mother with her kids on the way home from school joined me as I ordered a small orange cream water ice. Too sweet, but at least it did taste something like orange.

Made a short stop at Studio LuLoo next. Though Sarah was out of town doing another project, Roxy and another volunteer were helping kids with more crafts. I cut out stars from silvery cardboard while the little girls turned paper coffee cups into different but equally nifty starts. I helped them paint the inside of the cups gold to hang up for a "shine"-themed party.

Worked on writing for a few hours when I got home. Leia and the droids try hiding from Vader as they flee. As they're attempting to avoid him, two of his men reveal that guests have been robbed and the Wookie native slaves who were working in the cargo hold and boiler room were freed. The Crimson Hawk appears in a puff of smoke...then reappears outside to tell the citizens of Naboo that he'll continue to fight for truth, justice, and the Jedi way.

Leia's wonder just what's going on here. The Crimson Hawk is familiar...but it's not the same Crimson Hawk she saw at the ball. He's shorter and far more slender than the one who kissed her. She and the servants head down the hall to solve at least some of those mysteries.

Broke for Italian sausage with sauteed mushrooms and scallions and steamed green beans for dinner around 7. Ran Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince while I ate. Events are heating up at Hogwarts following the fight in the finale of the previous film. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) has hired former Potions teacher Horace Slugworth (Jim Broadbent) back when Snape (Alan Rickman) finally gets the Defense of the Dark Arts job he's wanted for years. As it turns out, Dumbledore has his reasons for wanting Slugworth at Hogwarts. His memory has a crucial piece of information that he wants Harry (Daniel Ratcliffe) to retrieve. Harry's not so sure this is a great idea. He's having his own problems with his long-time nemesis Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), whom he believes has joined the Death Eaters, the evil jailers first seen in Prisoner of Azbekstan. Meanwhile, Hermione (Emma Watson) is having a hard time getting Ron (Rupert Grint) to see how she feels about him, especially after he's given a love potion by a fellow student and starts drooling all over her.

Slower-moving and less action-packed than the previous film...until the sad and touching finale that features the death of a beloved character at another character's hand. (What, you think Star Wars is the only franchise to do stuff like that?) Once again, you really need to know at least the last two or three books and/or films to understand what goes on here. If you've at least seen Order of the Phoenix or read the books, proceed right to this one.

Something Sort of Grandish

It was a glorious St. Patrick's Day morning when I awoke, earlier than I have been lately. Along with a few chapters of The Darkness Knows, I did some reading on the holiday. The Colliers Harvest of Holidays book  has one long essay on St. Patrick, who he was and why he's now the patron saint of Ireland. The 60's Walt Disney Storybook has a condensed version of how Darby O'Gil first found himself making friends with the King of the Leprechauns, from Darby O'Gil and the Little People.

Ran a couple of Irish themed cartoons while eating breakfast. Woody Woodpecker is delighted to discover a woodpecker-like leprechaun of his own in "His Better Elf." His wish for money proves to be nothing but trouble when it turns out the money belongs to a bank. The wacky bird learns a lesson in earning his bread as he tries to escape a stereotypical Irish cop.

The wee folk in the Porky Pig vehicle "Wearin' of the Grin" are far less benign. Thinking he's after their pot of gold, they sentence him to "the wearin' of the green shoes." These shoes want to dance forever - and now Porky finds himself in a surreal Irish nightmare as he tries to outrun the enchanted footwear.

Did a few more classic Looney Tunes as I got ready to head out. Daffy's hoping his epic swashbuckler "The Scarlet Pumpernickel," a spoof of Scarlet Pimpernel/Zorro tales, will be his big break. What it may end up doing is breaking him as he introduces it to his boss. He almost gets broken by an animator who seems to want nothing more than to wreck havoc on his body in "Duck Amok." "Deduce, You Say" takes us back to Sherlock Holmes territory. Daffy is Holmes and Porky's Watson as the two try to solve the mystery of the Shropshire Slasher. Daffy, however, is no one's Benedict Cumberbatch and has no idea the Slasher doesn't want to run away. He has slightly better luck dealing with Marvin the Martian on Planet X in "Duck Dodgers and the 24th and a Half Century."

Since I got up early anyway, I decided to start off the day with a grocery store run. I was originally going to do it tomorrow, but it's supposed to rain and possible snow a little. I'd rather do it while it's dry and I'm not dead tired. I had a rather big order, too. Along with the cabbage, ham, and potatoes for dinner, I found cake mix, muffin papers, and two containers of Progresso soup on clearance. (One was French Onion. Maybe I'll buy or make bread or croutons and have French Onion Soup with cheese later this week.) Also restocked dried rosemary, skim milk, eggs, yogurt, grapefruit, bananas, chick peas, honey, cooking spray, raspberry jam, and canned apricots.

Went home, put everything away, then went right back out again. Had lunch at Phillies Phatties. They were running the Flyers-Devils game from the night before on Comcast Sports. (They lost big-time, 6-3. I don't know how. This was the Devils' first win in 10 games.) I watched the second half of the game and enjoyed my usual slice of cheese, slice of mushroom, and can of Cherry Vanilla Pepsi.

My next stop was originally going to be the Oaklyn Library. There was a small sign on the front door when I arrived. They were having a staff meeting at noon. It was past 1 at that point, and the place was dark. I guess they all left after the meeting. Rats. I just skipped them and headed across a snow-covered Newton River Park to Westmont, after stopping briefly at the Oaklyn Post Office for stamps. At least it was a nice day for a ride. The sky was brilliant blue, the wind had diminished to a breeze, and it was at least in the upper 40's-lower 50's, not balmy but far warmer than it has been.

The Haddon Township Library was much busier. There were piles and piles of DVDs to return as people finally got out after the storm. There were so many DVDs, audio books, and CDs, it took me over an hour to shelve them all.

Found a few more DVDs while I was putting them away. The Equestria Girls, the human versions of the Friendship Is Magic characters, are back in The Legend of Everfree. Having enjoyed the last three Studio Ghilbi films I've rented, I thought I'd give Princess Monoke a shot. Last summer's X-Men: Apocalypse is one of only three current Marvel films I haven't seen. (The others are last fall's Doctor Strange and the just-released Logan.) Since I did have fun with Now You See Me a few years ago, figured I'd try the sequel as well.

After waiting for over four months, they finally had The Princess Diarist in. Well, just the audio book. The book itself continues to be on hold, and will be for the foreseeable future. Given that Carrie Fisher herself narrates as the older her and her daughter Billie Lourd plays her as a teen, this might actually be even more fun. I still want to read the book, but this will work for now.

My next stop was WaWa for a St. Patrick's Day treat. I did think about getting a Shamrock Shake, but I'm not the biggest fan of McDonald's. A Mint Cream Smoothie is the next best thing, and just as tasty. (And unlike the Shamrock Shake, is available year-round.)

My last stop of a busy day was Studio LuLoo. Poor Sarah was not happy when I arrived. She was supposed to be rehearsing the children's band for their upcoming band night and the CD she's hoping to release. Only two children, two of the girls, had arrived, despite her claiming she and the other parents had decided on Fridays weeks in advance. I did help the girls draw ideas for the CD cover as Sarah tried to get a hold of the other parents.

Got in around 4:30. Spent the next few hours writing. Leia and Han get into one of their famous tiffs as they head to the stage to watch the show. Han can't believe that a pretty, soft-skinned duchess is into things like fencing, shooting, and mechanics. Leia tells him she's never been your typical royalty. Han's determined to get him, his business, and his ward out of the country, before they're caught by Baron Vader and the crime lord Jenkins Huttman. Leia doesn't understand why he won't stay. He thinks she wants him to stay because she's falling for him. Though she flounces off in a huff, she's not entirely sure that isn't true.

Broke for dinner around 6:30. Made boiled cabbage and red potatoes, pan-fried ham, and an Irish soda bread muffin for dinner. I should have boiled the cabbage and potatoes longer. The cabbage was a bit tough and bitter. Otherwise, it came out quite nicely, especially the perfectly-cooked ham.

Ran The Quiet Man while I ate. John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara headline this 1952 comedy/drama as Sean Flannigan, a former boxer just arrived in Ireland, and his strong-willed neighbor Mary Kate Danaher. Sean has moved to Ireland to reclaim his parents' cottage and land. He's trying to forget a bout that ended in a man's death. He falls for pretty, feisty Mary Kate right away, but she needs a lot more persuading. Her brother Will (Victor McLaughlin) is a hulking brute who had wanted Sean's land for himself. He refuses to give Mary Kate her dowry when she and Sean wed. Sean doesn't see the point of the fuss, but for Mary Kate, the dowry - her things, her money - are all she has. It finally comes down to the biggest donnybrook Ireland's ever seen as Mary Kate tries to leave...and Sean gives her and Will what they wanted.

John Ford was 100% Irish-American, and it shows in this love letter to the old country. The Oscar-winning color cinematography alone is worth seeing. Ireland has never glowed like this on screen again, in colors that would make the rainbow leading to the pot of gold look pale. The cast of beloved Irish comedians are having a fine time as the locals cheering Sean on, including Barry Fitzgerald as the local matchmaker (who takes the bets on the donnybrook in the finale). O'Hara and Wayne also do well as the battling lovers. While there's some aspects, especially in the lead-in to the donnybrook and on O'Hara and Wayne's wedding night, that don't come off well today, for the most part, this is a trip to Ireland worth making.

Finished out the night online while watching Finian's Rainbow. We go from a story about Ireland to a story about Irish folk. Fred Astaire is Finian MacLongergan, an Irishman who has immigrated to America to bury his pot of gold near Fort Knox. He figures, if the American's gold can grow, why not his? His daughter Sharon (Petula Clark) just wishes he'd settle down. They find themselves in Rainbow Valley in the Deep South, where a group of mixed-race sharecroppers lead by dreamer Woody are trying to grow a mentholated tobacco. The local sheriff and bigoted Senator Rawkins (Keenan Wynn) want them to pay their back taxes and un-mix, pronto. Meanwhile, a leprechaun named Og (Tommy Steele) has followed Finian in pursuit of his gold. If he doesn't get it back to Ireland, he'll turn human!

Astaire's final turn in a non-documentary film musical is a strange adaptation of an already unusual Broadway musical from 1947. (They tried reviving it a few years ago, without success.) It's worth seeing for Astaire's "When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich" solo and Clark and Steele's adorable "Something Sort of Grandish."

And I hope ye lads and lasses had an equally busy and enjoyable St. Patrick's Day!

Hot Fun In the Wintertime

I couldn't believe how warm it was when I opened the front door this morning. I ended up opening the three windows in the house that are unlocked, too. It was sunny and a bit windier than yesterday, but otherwise more like late May than late February.

Finished off the grits and had a half of a grapefruit while doing more Rick Steves. Most Americans have probably never heard of the countries he visited today, five of the smallest in the world, never mind Europe. Vatican City and San Marino are both in the middle of Italy. Vatican City is the home of the Pope. San Marino is proud of its heritage as one of the oldest known democracies. Monaco is best known for its casino, car races, and expensive living. Lichtenstein and Andorra are nestled in mountains that keep invaders out and shoppers in.

Headed out around 11:30 to the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there. The kids' DVDs were ok, but the adult ones were a mess. The kids' section wasn't much better. There was a huge pile of books dumped in the "return" bucket that hadn't been shelved. I did see a family with a tiny baby in a stroller come in and take out a stack of DVDs and one regular guy who is always there. Otherwise, it's really too nice for most people to be hanging out in libraries.

Since it's about three blocks from the library, I browsed around at the House of Fun next. Needless to say, they weren't any busier. I was the only person in there besides the guy behind the counter. I looked over DVDs and Funko Pops, but ended up with a Lando Calarissian doll to go with my Han and Leia.

(Also, as I was passing the digital sign outside of the Oaklyn City Hall, I happened to notice the time and temperature. It was 80 degrees at almost 1 PM. I didn't believe it at first. That's just crazy.)

Next stop was back to West Clinton Avenue for lunch. Phillies Phatties was just as quiet at 1. I ordered my usual slice of cheese and slice of mushroom and took them outside. I watched people and cars stroll by as I ate my wedges and downed a can of Wild Cherry Pepsi.

Did a quick Three Stooges short while I got organized when I arrived at home. The trio are "Saved By the Belle" when they almost end up in front of a firing squad in a banana republic for treason. They have to help her find a map that'll save their military, and fast, before they find themselves filled with lead.

Spent the next few hours working on my story, and a few more hours after I got home. I keep getting so distracted doing research, I don't get far writing. Mon Mothma's party is mostly for politicians, neighbors, and a few members of the nobility. This includes Lady Ashoka Tano, who now works for Mothma as an advisor, Tarkin, and the formidable Baron Vader. Vader wears full body armor, including a breathing apparatus, and a helmet after an accident left him more machine than man.

Broke to head to Studio LuLoo around 4. I'd been meaning to bring a bag of donations, mainly toys and paper I didn't need, over there for a while. I picked the right day to do it. A couple of the kids were already there, playing store. The AG pieces and dresses I'd dropped in the bag were perfect for the little girls to turn one of the tables into their own mini fashion salon. They reminded me a lot of Ruby and Louise when they played, pretending they were taking orders for big Victorian wedding gowns and fine red velvet dresses.

When I finally ended writing for the day around 7, I broke for a small dinner. They had a bowl of fries at Studio LuLoo. I'd probably noshed on a few too many and now wasn't up to a huge dinner. I settled for finishing the leftover chili.

Tried something from The Vermont Country Store Cookbook after I ate. The only recipe they had that even remotely resembled a muffin was the first one, Buttermilk Doughnut  Puffs. I wanted them for lunch for work next week, so I didn't roll them in cinnamon and sugar. Otherwise, they were similar to Nutmeg Breakfast Puffs from the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook, a moist, chewy cross between a cupcake and a spice muffin.

Watched The Devil's Brother as I worked. This was the third of four operetta adaptations where Laurel and Hardy lent comic support. Here, they're two poor peasants to first take to stealing, then try to imitate the famous Devil's Brother (Dennis King), a Robin Hood-type bandit. The thief catches them easily. He eventually takes them on as his assistants in robbing a rich, bored noblewoman (Thelma Todd) of her jewels. The boys would rather catch their boss and turn him in for the reward the king has on his head.

Dennis King was a Broadway star who specialized in overstuffed operettas like The Vagabond King. He was a bit too florid for Hollywood, and proves why with all his posturing here. Though King has the lion's share of the music, Todd and the boys do better handling some decent comedy bits, including Ollie and Stan trying to be bandits in the opening.

Not their best vehicle; really only recommended for their fans or fans of Todd, operetta, or Broadway.

I've Still Got a Lot of Fight Left In Me

Began a sunny, windy morning with Scooby Doo, Where are You? during breakfast.
"A Tiki Scare Is No Fair" takes us to the second half of the second season. On a trip to Hawaii, Shaggy and Scooby's most recent luau was interrupted by a witch doctor, shortly after a reporter warned them away from an ancient village. The village, however, may be the only way to find the reporter and figure out what the witch doctor is really after.

"Don't Fool With a Phantom" takes the kids backstage at a local TV station. After a wax figure disrupts a dance show and steals the station's cash, the kid go next-door to a wax museum to learn more about the spook. Seems the creepy owner insists he conjured the spirit in revenge...but there may be more to this than an act of vengeance.

Headed out around quarter of 12 for this week's session at the Oaklyn Library. It was chilly and very breezy, though not quite as bad as yesterday. The library was fairly busy, mainly with older people using the computers and looking for books and DVDs. I looked over the DVDs, then reorganized the graphic novels. (Which, at the Oaklyn Library, means "comic books, graphic novels, and anything with a superhero, cartoon character, or Star Wars in it.") Since most of them are paperback and quite a few are actually picture books, they tend to get put in the wrong place or lot in the shuffle easily.

Headed for WaWa after I finished. I wanted to use the ATM machine and get some lunch. Thought I'd do something a little different. Ordered a Roast Beef, Onion, Spinach, and Horseradish Panini. Considered getting candy, but decided I had enough junk at home and held off. Had it really quick for lunch. Whew, does WaWa use some strong horseradish! It cleared my sinuses.

Headed right back out again after I finished eating. I desperately needed to get the laundry done. I kept putting it off and putting it off, either due to the weather or work. Maybe waiting wasn't such a bad idea. It wasn't too busy when I got in, and was completely quiet by the time I left. This was a good thing. It goes without saying that I had a huge load to do, complete with towels. I worked on story notes and half-listened to Steve Harvey and Ellen.

When I got home, I put away my clothes, then once again went right back out. It was too late to hit the Haddon Township Library, but I thought I might lend a hand at Studio LuLoo. Turns out they were having a party later, but otherwise, there wasn't much going on. It was too cold for most people to send their kids to creativity sessions. I watched two little girls play puzzle games on their iPad and drew pictures with a few of the kids.

I went online to look over Pinterest and my e-mail and do some writing. I should have done the writing before the e-mail. I got a comment on my blog that, while not nasty, pretty much said I should give up on becoming a professional writer, my therapist is right and I should seek professional help, and why am I watching cartoons when the world is falling apart? I should grow up.

First, I got upset...but then, I got mad. I'm sick of this. I'm sick and tired of everyone telling me how to live my damn life. You know what? I am going to be a writer. Maybe not a journalist or a novelist, but a business writer or a technical writer or an editor or a copywriter. Or I'll be an archivist or a professional organizer, or a retail merchandiser, or I'll work in a library or doing data entry. I'm tired of everyone in the world telling me what I can and can't do and what I can and can't be. The only person who can decide that is me.

I will see the doctor, but only because it makes Jodie and Dad happy. Besides, they may have some suggestions on how to deal with my anxiety and where to look for other financial options.

And oh yeah, I'm going to keep working on my fanfiction. Maybe it's not perfect. Maybe it's not even good. But you know what? It makes me happy, and that's what matters. I'm writing for me, because I need to write. Maybe I can't sell it. Maybe I'll never be a professional. But at least I'm doing something I love.

I poured my anger into Leia's thoughts after Harry (Han) teases her yet again from the cockpit. She wants to find the Swords of Alderaan to prove that she, a woman, can be an archaeologist and make amazing finds. She wants to prove that her godfather was right...and she can go up against a big facist corporation and win.

Broke for leftovers from last night for dinner around 7:30. Ran Romancing the Stone while I ate. Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is a shy romance novelist who is called to Columbia to rescue her sister, who has been kidnapped by smugglers. They want a map that leads to a fabulous emerald. She gets help along the way from a mercenary (Michael Douglas) with the sea in his heart and his own reasons for going after the treasure. This has long been one of my favorite films, a cracking good adventure with an unusually strong heroine.

Finished the night with another jungle tale. The Road to El Dorado. This time, it's two con men from Spain who have a map to fabulous riches, the golden city of the title. Turns out the city is very much a living, thriving community of natives who think they're gods. One falls for a female thief who wants out. The other grows to love El Dorado and its people and wants to stay. They finally have to decide what's right for them, their relationship, and the citizens when a jealous magician who resents their presence lures Coranado to the city in the hopes of destroying them all. One of Dreamworks' best 2-D animated films, a rousing adventure with a surprisingly touching friendship at its core and one of Elton John's best scores.

Kids and Dolls

Began another gloomy morning with some Backyardigans. Tyrone has to "Follow the Feather" when the Mysterious Lady (Uniqua) insists that it leads to the mythical Flying Polka-Dot Pony. Tasha and Pablo aren't as sure...especially when the trail takes them through a crumbling temple and over a steep mountain.

I dressed the American Girl dolls in pink and/or red outfits for Valentine's Day after lunch. Jessa's wearing the 2014 Sweet Spring Dress and pink wrap shoes with Our Generation stockings. Whitney and Josefina both wear hand-made outfits I bought off eBay - Whitney a pink felt poodle skirt and white blouse (with a pink pearl-trimmed sweater I found at a yard sale) and Molly's Saddle Shoes, Josefina a pretty ruffled Empire-waist dress with a lace wrap. Samantha is in her Talent Show Dress, Molly her plaid School Outfit with white stockings and Samantha's new "meet" Mary Janes, and Felicity herr Laced Jacket and Petticoat.

(By the way, all indications seem to point to Felicity being re-released this year. Her books were just put out in BeForever format, and people have been reporting seeing a new blue meet outfit and underwear for her on eBay. Fine by me. I've been wanting to get Felicity more clothes. Hers are ridiculous on the secondary market.)

I went online for a little while after I finished the dolls. I wanted to sign up for food stamps, which I did, and check my finances. First of all, I forgot that I haven't updated my non-driver's ID in almost 10 years. I haven't needed to. I need to get to Cherry Hill, and fast. Second, I keep forgetting to order checks. I hope they don't take long to come. I need to get my rent next-door.

It was almost 3 before I finally broke for errands...or would have, if my bike hadn't had a flat tire. Again. It was the last straw. I had books and DVDs to return and I had to get to the bank, but I had no desire to spend the rest of the day hiking around Camden County. I finally decided that I needed to eat, and just went around the corner to Common Grounds Coffee House.

I didn't mean to have a nervous breakdown while choosing which quiche I wanted. I'm just feeling incredibly overwhelmed. I don't know how to get a job. You're supposed to tailor your resume to fit the company you want to go after...but what if you don't know which company you want to go after? I have no idea who's hiring writers, and nothing online has helped. I don't even know how to go about getting a writing job. Or, I do, but I don't know where to start. Not a single thing has been going right lately. No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, I make things worse. Nothing seems to be getting better. I don't know how to talk to anyone about it, especially my family. There's no one like me around here to discuss all this with.

I chatted a little with one of the college baristas, who ate her chili with me. (I may have to try that the next time I end up at Common Grounds.) The manager said she was delivering cakes to Westmont. She'd drop my books and DVDs off at the Haddon Township Library.

Studio LuLoo was open for the first time in ages when I went by there. I got to help the kids cover fabric "band bags" with pieces of fabric and colored fabric marker. Sang and danced along with the music they'd recorded with Sara, the lady in charge of the studio, and a friend of hers who was a professional musician. I cut the fabric into strips, then into pieces for the kids to use. We all had pizza and French fries from Phillies Phatties next-door for dinner.

When I got home, I went online. Worked a bit on writing. Leia's getting the girls settled down. This is an all-girl retreat. Rey mentions that Han only complained a little about letting them go for the weekend. Jess said Poe sulked because he wasn't getting an assignment in the country.

Also made two new Pinterest pages. Sorted the Original Trilogy/Rogue One pages further, giving pins for photos that cross media, movies, or that are about the Star Wars fandom or fan humor its own page. Also created a page for Star Wars collectibles, books, and toys, either ones I actually own, have owned, or would like to, or just ones that inspire me.

Star Wars - General Saga and Fandom
Star Wars - Books, Toys, and Collectibles

Made Cinnamon Refrigerator Cookies for work tomorrow while doing more Backyardigans. "Dragon Express" is a service that uses dragons to send mail to out-of-the-way spots in Norway. Austin and his dragon Windy hope to be able to fly as fast and high as Pablo and his dragon Maverick someday. Austin finally shows Pablo that brains and problem-solving count as much as fancy flying when he has to help his friend out of a maze of icy mirrors to find the mail box in the Ice Castle.

Austin is "The Funnyman Boogeyman," a spook who just wants to make people laugh. Trouble is, Uniqua and Pablo want to catch him, not his act. Can he make these two mini-Ghostbusters crack a smile?

Finished the night with another round of wacky comedy from Pat Proft and the Zucker Brothers. Top Secret! spoofs Elvis musicals, the classic rock of the 50's and 60's, and World War II movies. Nick (Val Kilmer), a rock star, finds himself behind enemy lines in East Germany when he's mistaken for a spy by the head of the underground, who wants him to help her rescue her father. Things are further complicated when her former love reappears. Now he has to figure out how to win the girl, while making his own kind of music in a place where making any music at all can land you in front of a firing squad.

Hot Shots moves the spoofs to a more recent target. Top Gun and other gung-ho 80's action flicks get the raspberry here as Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen) tries to prove he has what it takes to return to an elite pilot squadron. He finds himself falling in love with the base psychiatrist (Valeria Gollino), making her boyfriend, a fellow pilot (Cary Elwes), very jealous. Meanwhile, someone is planning on sabotaging the mission, under the nose of the ditzy admiral (Lloyd Bridges) who has had a body part replaced in pretty much every war that ever happened.

While I have fond memories of seeing Hot Shots in the theater, I actually give Top Secret! a slight edge for its fun musical numbers and creative plot. Either way, if you love wacky, joke-a-minute spoofs or Kilmer or Sheen, neither of these are masterpieces, but they have enough good moments to be worth checking out.

Libraries and Chocolate

Began the day with breakfast and one of the few Halloween specials I own that I hadn't yet gotten to. Halloween Is Grinch Night is one of the odder Dr. Seuss specials. A sour-sweet wind sends the Grinch on the prowl with his cart filled with his wild, surreal scares. Young Eukariah Who gets lost in the mountains, and after encountering the Grinch, takes it upon himself to make sure he and that freaky cart never make it to Whoville.

Didn't get to the laundromat until past noon. Though every washer was full when I came in, it soon calmed down. I spent most of the time working on story notes and ignoring soap operas. One woman complained that one of the larger, round-door washers was leaking. I have no idea. I use the smaller, cheaper ones.

As soon as I got home and put everything away, I went right back out again. My first stop was Phillies Phatties for lunch. It was about the only lunch I could afford. I had a slice of cheese pizza, a slice of mushroom pizza, and a can of Mountain Dew Baja Blast. It was such a lovely, warm day, I ate it outside, on the wooden picnic tables on West Clinton.

Studio LuLoo was open for the first time in weeks. The woman who runs it says she's been in California and isn't around much anymore. She's talking to the city of Oaklyn to find someone to take over the spot and continue to run it as a rec center/after school and weekend spot for kids. She had a treat for me - a huge box of sugar-free dark chocolate-sour cherry bars! There were tons of them. They're giving them away for Halloween, she said. Well, sure! I love dark chocolate and cherries, and the no-sugar wouldn't scare me off.

I tried one on the way down West Clinton. Oh, yuumm! I didn't taste the Splenda at all. I tasted dark chocolate and bits of dried cherry and chocolate chips and Krackle pieces. There wasn't even a weird aftertaste. This box was too good (and too big) not to be shared.

Cut across Newton Lake Park on my way to Westmont. It was a glorious day for a ride, breezy, sunny, and maybe a bit too warm for mid-October, probably in the lower 80's. Not surprisingly, they were fairly busy with people going for strolls, walking their dogs, tossing Frisbees, and sunning themselves on the black metal benches.

The Haddon Township Library was busier than I'd ever seen it! Besides the fact that it was almost 3 PM by then and many kids were getting out of school, they were doing a kids' craft class that had them making their own paper for books. It was apparently also Take Photos In the Library Day (or something like that). The head librarian took my picture holding an "I heart Library" laminated sign as I worked on finding items for holds. Shelved the few kids' DVDs, too. This time, they all fit except one J title and two L titles.

Took out a few things. I've been looking for more ideas for my fairy tales, both fanfiction and originals. Found a collection called Around the World In 80 Stories in the kids' area. I've always loved reading fairy tales and folk lore from many different parts of the globe.

The library continues to get more new animated sets in. Jake and the Never Land Pirates was reincarnated earlier this year as Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates. Found the first set I've seen from that today. They also had another Cat In the Hat Knows A Lot About That disc, this one weather-themed.

It was so late by the time I headed out, I just decided to put up with the road repairs on Cuthbert and take the short way home. Wanted to check out something one of the librarians told me as well. It would seem the Thriftway across the street from the Library closed suddenly about two weeks ago. It was empty when I went by there.

I'm disappointed, but not surprised. They were never terribly busy, even during holidays and rush hour. They were originally located in a much smaller building down the street on Crystal Lake Road. I suspect they probably should have stayed there. I don't think they ever really adjusted to the larger building. I did buy a few things there, notably toilet paper, eggs, and whole wheat flour, but neither their prices nor their selection were all that great. There's tons of competition in the area, too, including three Acmes, two Shop Rites, Price Rite and Aldi in Camden, and Wegman's in Cherry Hill.

When I got home, I made scrambled eggs with scallions, mushrooms, green peppers, and cheddar cheese for dinner. Watched a few episodes of Cat In the Hat as I ate. The kids want to know the order of the colors in the rainbow so they can paint rainbows for their moms. The Cat introduces them to a king who wants a rainbow of his own in "Chasing Rainbows." Faced with a "Puddle Puzzle" when the puddle they were playing in vanishes, the Cat takes the kids and the Fish into a cloud to see what happens to water when it vaporizes. Nick and Sally say it's too hot to play, but the Cat has a friend who knows a little about "Fun In the Sun." Helga the Hippo teaches the trio how she cools off in the steamy jungle.

Finished the night with writing. Went back and added a scene with the mysterious, gray-bearded figure Rey saw in the haunted house. He orders his golden robot assistant to not tell his sister he's hoping to reopen the house as a school. He doesn't want anyone to burn this one down.

Poe has more trouble talking to Detective Lor San Tekka. He gives him a clue as to where Luke Waller is hiding...but the First Order Gang attacks them. Poe sends the message along with his dog Baby before he's captured by Kylo Ren.

Things To Do In the Rain

I had just barely opened my eyes when the phone rang. It was Charlie. He would be up by 10 to take a look at my old air conditioner and haul the new one inside. I nodded, shrugged, and went back to sleep for another hour.

Charlie didn't show up by 10. He and his men were still making noise downstairs when I was eating breakfast and watching Speedy Gonzales shorts. Though many people still regard him as a stereotype, really, the most offensive thing about his starring vehicles is how formulaic some of them got in later years. I stuck to the earlier ones like "Tortilla Flaps" and "Tabasco Road" that had him going against local cats and crows and two good ones that pit him against Sylvester, "The Pied Piper of Guadalupe" and "Mexican Borders."

Charlie finally put in an appearance around 11:30. I'd just finished vacuuming and was making the bed when I heard the knock on the door. The new air conditioner is as big as the old one, but a lot newer, and hopefully will use far less energy. I have an air conditioner I brought from Wildwood that I only used for one summer before I moved up here. That one will go in my bedroom. Charlie claims he'll put them both in on Monday. We'll see if he actually sticks to that this time.

It had been raining all morning, sometimes hard. It slowed down enough by 12:30 for me to run some quick errands. My first stop was the Oaklyn Library. The weather and the late hour had likely scared everyone off. It was just me, the librarian, one other person, and CNN when I arrived. I only had time to organize DVDs and take a quick look at the kids' area before they got close to closing time and I moved on.

After a fast stop at WaWa to use the ATM machine, I headed down to West Clinton Avenue for lunch and to see if Studio LuLoo was open. Between the weather and it being almost 2 PM, Phillies Phatties was quiet when I was eating my slice of cheese and slice of mushroom pizza and drinking my can of Mountain Dew Pitch Black soda. (And yes, Matt from Dinosaur Dracula, Pitch Black is on the shelves now. I know he loved that stuff when it was originally out a few years ago.) It was so quiet in Phillies Phatties, the TV wasn't even on. Studio LuLoo wasn't any busier. The woman there couldn't stay - she had to bring food for a school party for her daughter.

I was originally going to go to the Acme to do this week's grocery shopping, but the rain was just coming down too hard. I just spent the rest of the evening working on my story. Vader swoops down on Luke, Leia, and the cart, blocking their way to the Dagobah Swamps. An angry Leia and hopeful Luke go up against him, but he easily defeats both, turning the Enchanted Woods itself against them.

Yoda appears in search of his apprentice. He goes up against Vader in a lightsaber duel, but he's weak from the darkness in the Woods. Vader manages to defeat him, too. The evil demon war lord is about to carry off Luke and Leia when he sees Arthur the Blacksmith...and old memories come flooding back. Arthur had once been his good friend, during the days when he was the blacksmith for the Force Knights during the Seven Kingdoms' War. Arthur even taught him his sign language. Torn between old friendships and his master's wishes, Vader finally flies away. Luke and Leia help Yoda into their carriage to get him to the Dagobah Swamps to heal.

I broke for dinner and baking around 5. Made an absolutely delicious dinner of Shrimp In Tomato Sauce with Pasta (replaced the fresh parsley with spinach, since I didn't have any, and the scallions with chopped onion; added mushrooms for more flavor). Tried Chewy Chocolate Cookies from my British cookie baking book for dessert. It's a very simple recipe, just egg whites, cocoa, confectioner's sugar, a little flour, and a little water. Oh yuuuummm. These were the most chocolate-y cookies I ever tasted. They're so rich, you'd never know they're three-fourths egg froth, sugar, and cocoa.

Ran The Three Amigos while I cooked. Martin Short, Chevy Chase, and Steve Martin are the title characters, three silent movie actors in 1913 Hollywood who play Spanish landowners-turned Mexican Robin Hoods on the big screen. After they're fired from their studio, they get a chance to be heroes for real when a small town in Mexico begs for their help with a bandit and his gang who is plaguing their families.

This is an old favorite of mine, another 80's comedy my family fell in love with thanks to constant cable showings. Short, Martin, and Chase are just having so much fun with this love letter to old Western melodramas, it's hard not to enjoy it along with them. Randy Newman's two songs are really cute, too. Highly recommended for fans of the stars, comic Robin Hood tales, or western comedies.

A Walk In the Spring

I didn't sleep well last night. I was awakened by raccoons or something starting World War III behind my bedroom walls. Specifically, in the walls behind my bed and over my bed. I have no idea how they got there. My guess would be there was an opening downstairs, in the unfinished apartment. They were scratching and biting and shrieking and carrying on like they were blowing up the Death Star. That was around 5 AM. I briefly opened my eyes an hour or so later when I heard my neighbor come up, talking to someone else. That was the last thing I remember until I opened my eyes again and it was quarter after 9.

When I did finally get out of bed, I watched some baseball-themed Peanuts in honor of the start of baseball season tomorrow. Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, since she's by far worst player on Chuck's notoriously error-prone team. Chuck discovers there's even worse players out there when he trades Lucy to Peppermint Patty for Marcie. Marcie is a lot more pleasant, but she can't play worth beans and is only involved with the game because her best friend is.

Though the rain was gone by the time I headed out around 11:30, the clouds lingered. I brought my big orange-and-brown umbrella, just in case. The neighborhood is beautiful now, awash in sweet-smelling flowers and gorgeous spring colors. Everything is bright lemon yellow, pale pea-pod green, soft, dainty lavender, cotton candy pink, or creamy off-white. I felt like Dorothy walking into Oz. The trees are blooming; the dogwoods and magnolias are a riot of pink and white and green.

My first stop was the Oaklyn Library. Despite the still-gloomy day, there was nothing going on there besides talk about the Final Four and political stuff on CNN. A family arrived later to let their kids play with Legos just as I was leaving.

Headed to the border of Oaklyn and Collingswood to run errands at CVS. I've been meaning to buy new hair bands for a while. The bright-colored "lollipop" hair bands I got from the Haddon Township Library last year were stretched out and kind of cheap to begin with. The Scrunci rubber bands I picked up weren't on sale, but they were a better price than at the Acme. They had such a good sale on Secret deodorant, I grabbed some of that, too. Also decided I'd try an M&M promotion that has candy-lovers choosing between three new flavors - honey-nut, coffee-nut, and chili-nut. I went with coffee nut. Not too bad, though you couldn't really taste much coffee in them.

I had lunch at a very busy Viola's Deli. This time, I had a huge roast beef wrap with a can of Diet Pepsi. I was really thirsty after my walk and did drink the soda, but the wrap was so big, I ended up saving half of it for later. There were a lot of people there, getting soup or sandwiches for lunch, or just shooting the breeze.

To my delight, Studio LuLoo was finally open when I peeked in there. They were also a worse mess than usual. From what Sarah says, they're beginning their spring cleaning. I put all the books in the kids' playroom on new shelves and swept the disaster area of a room. A little girl watched Pluto and Donald Duck cartoons on a laptop in the background as I worked.

I spent the next few hours working on my story. The Rebels (including some characters from Star Wars: Rebels) trick a high-level Imperial official into believing they're his own men. They steal the tax money out from under his nose. Luke's going to take it to town to buy money for the poor. Leia's worried about him out in the woods alone, but Han says he'll be fine...

Figured I'd get started on this month's cleaning around 5. Didn't have much to do, at any rate. The guys did do some cleaning when the repaired the plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom a couple of weeks ago. I did do some light scrubbing in the bathroom, and the sink and the top of the stove really needed to be done. Scrubbed (what was left) of the bathroom and hall floors while I was thinking about it, too.

Watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as I worked. Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) is thrilled when he finds a golden ticket that will allow him and four other lucky kids to tour the amazing candy-making world of none other than the world's most eccentric chocolate maker, Mr. Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) himself! With his beloved Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) in tow, Charlie learns that while chocolate may be tasty, there's nothing sweeter - or more appreciated - than a truly loving heart. A long-time favorite of mine, with great music and some fun performances by Albertson and the inspired Wilder.

Moved on to more Peanuts during a leftovers dinner. Charlie Brown's All Stars was the second Peanuts special made and the earliest to deal with the kids' baseball-themed shenanigans. Chuck's loss-prone team is about ready to quit when a sponsor offers to buy them uniforms. Trouble is, he won't sponsor a team featuring several girls and a dog. When Charlie Brown stands up for his team, he learns that he might actually mean something to them after all when they give him a gift for his trouble.

Finished the night in a soothing bath. Yes, the new tub stopper worked perfectly. This time, I was able to read fairy tales and relax with no trouble.

And holy cow! There was a huge storm around 11:30. There was wind, more driving rain...even hail bouncing off the porch. While the rain and hail is long-gone, the wild wind continues to roar outside my windows.

Hittin' the Ceiling

It was pouring this morning when I awoke to cursing and banging downstairs. I finished out Return of the Jedi, then had breakfast while watching The Care Bears' Nutcracker. Funshine and Grumpy go to Earth to help a little girl named Anna who is lonely and wants a friend her own age. She gets her wish in a most unusual way when a nutcracker suddenly appears in her room, followed by a rat and his minions. Anna, the Bears and Care Bear Cousins, and the Nutcracker defend the house, then travel to Toyland to rescue the Sugar Plum Fairy from the evil Vizier. Anna's little brother Michael goes after them in search of adventure. The cubs Hugs and Tugs just want to find a special ornament of their own for Care-a-Lot's Christmas tree.

Did a quick short as I got ready to head out. Raggedy Ann introduces a little blind girl to "The Enchanted Square" in a Famous Studios cartoon from the early 40's. The New York corner where the girl lives appears drab to most passer-by. Raggedy Ann helps her use her imagination to "see" it as a magical place.

The rain had thankfully stopped by the time I headed out around 12:30. I began my day with a quick run to the Oaklyn Library. They were fairly quiet, maybe because of the weather. There was just one man on the computer, and another who was working on their server. I organized DVDs until the kids arrived. I listened to their teacher read stories about autumn and leaves for a while, then decided I wouldn't get to the kids' area and left.

Studio LuLoo was open when I arrived. They were also in a state of total chaos, at least even more than usual. They're apparently in the midst of totally reorganizing the store. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with. The place has always been a bit of a disaster area. I helped shelve and organize "I Really Like NJ" t-shirts into men's, women's, and youth's on cubbyhole shelves. I also set coffee cups with "I Really Like NJ" and "Being Weird Is Cool" printed on them on another shelf.

Went next-door to Phillies Phatties for a nice, cheap lunch after leaving Studio LuLoo. I had my usual slice of cheese pizza, slice of mushroom pizza, and can of Diet Pepsi while listening to ESPN discussing the Russian track and field Olympic drug scandal. A couple of big fellows enjoyed sandwiches and chatted while I ate.

I took Newton River Park to and from the Haddon Township Library. I didn't need to do any shopping in Westmont, and I wanted to avoid the traffic on Cuthbert. Needless to say, on a chilly, windy day that was still cloudy and damp, the park was empty. The only people out enjoying the fall colors were a couple of college kids chatting in the stone pavilion and a huge flock of Canadian geese poking around for a snack.

Unlike the Oaklyn Library, the Haddon Township Library was busy. Everyone must have taken movies out during yesterday's holiday. I not only had a huge pile of kids' movies to shelve, but for the first time since the summer, I was able to get all of them in, even the Scooby Doo titles. (In fact, I had more trouble fitting in the B, C, and G titles.) Was able to shelve all of the adult DVDs but the N titles. Did the audio and music CDs as well.

I actually took two DVDs out. Haddon Township occasionally gets the fancy Criterion Collection sets. I took out the one for the 1928 part-talkie Lonesome. The second disc includes Broadway, another movie by the same director, Paul Fejos, that's heavily discussed in the book A Song In the Dark on early talkie musicals. Found the Irish animated film Song of the Sea among the kids' movies.

Of course, the sun opted to start coming out just as I dodged early rush hour traffic and headed home. I spent the rest of the evening inside writing anyway. Betty, Mackie, and the others put on their show for the Festival-goers and Hilary and Jeff. Hilary is so impressed, she offers to let them move to the stage at their palatial home Bedside Manor...as long as Betty re-writes the story of a woman torn between two very different men for her to play it. Betty's not happy about the re-writing, but the others see it as a great opportunity. Hilary initially says only Betty, a Guardian, can stay at the main manor house. Betty won't go anywhere without the others.

Put on Broadway while making swai fillets with mushrooms, onion, and spinach sauteed in home-made chicken stock and Cranberry Flummery for dinner. This archetypal gangster tale apparently came from the real Broadway stage, where it was a hit play in 1926. Ambitious hoofer Roy Lane (Glenn Tryton) at the hot nightspot the Paradise Club wants to partner with the sweet Billie (Myrna Kennedy), but she's more attracted to a slick gangster (Robert Ellis). Billie accidentally sees the murder of another gangster (Leslie Fenton) but promises she won't talk when he gives her a bracelet. Suddenly, the murders are piling up, and Roy is wondering just how faithful Billie is...and how much she's really seen. Meanwhile, tough moll Pearl is planning some revenge of her own.

None of this mattered a whit to director Paul Fejos, one of the true characters of the late silent and early talkie cinema. Fejos is apparently better known today in archaeological circles. He did practice as a bacteriologist in his native Hungary for a while before coming to the United States. He wanted Broadway to break out of the static early talkie stage-bound formulas and helped devise an enormous camera crane to do just that. Unfortunately, he only employed it for the musical numbers set in an incredible Art Deco night club and for the (now lost) color finale. The opening, with a giant running amok in a detailed miniature Times Square, is nifty to look at but otherwise a pretty strange way to begin a gangster backstage musical.

Of the cast, Evelyn Brent comes off best as the tough chorus dame. Tryton tries hard as the hoofer, but Kennedy's naive everygirl is a little too goody-goody and ditzy, even for the film's designated ingenue. This is mainly only for fans of early gangster movies or musicals or truly dedicated fans of early sound cinema.

Dodging the Rain

So much to do today! I started off with breakfast and another episode of Wonder Woman. Diana and Steve go from Arizona to Palm Beach for international intrigue in "The Queen and the Thief." The two go undercover to make sure a renown thief doesn't make off with the jewels of the newly-crowned queen of a tiny European country. If the jewels disappear, her people, who are already suspicious of her being a gold-digger, may insist on her being abdicated.

After breakfast, I washed the windows, then started packing for my trip. Anything I won't need this weekend, like my camera, the train tickets, or long pants (it's supposed to be warm here tomorrow and Sunday) went in the bags. I'm trying desperately to not bring too much. The last couple of times I went to visit Lauren, I overpacked and ended up dragging a ton of stuff I didn't need around three train stations. (Well, two train stations and a platform.)

That's why I wanted a smaller suitcase. I have two suitcases, but they're both large. One does roll, but not very well. It's made of tweed, old and very heavy. It's really more for longer trips, probably two weeks or more. I found it at a yard sale just days after moving here. The other is a teal nylon L.L Bean case. You can wear it as a backpack as well as carrying it. Great idea if you only need it for a weekend, like I did in college...but it can be a little awkward carrying a week's worth of stuff on your back. Not to mention, my carry-on bag is a shoulder bag. That's too much weight on your top half.

Next up on the list was putting up the Halloween decorations. I've been meaning to do it for a week, but I wanted to dust first. Unlike my sister Anny or Matt at Dinosaur Dracula, I'm not the biggest fan of horror and tend to prefer folksy or cute decorations to gory or flat-out frightening ones.The scariest decoration I have is a wolf Beanie Baby with red eyes.

Ran Halloween specials as I did my chores. Linus keeps insisting that It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. On Halloween, the Great Pumpkin will rise out of a sincere pumpkin patch and give all the good little children treats...or so Linus claims. Sally, who would do anything for her "Sweet Baboo," joins him. Lucy is more skeptical. Charlie Brown has his own problems with trick-or-treating. Snoopy ignores the festivities in favor of fighting the Red Baron.

Piglet has an even rougher trick-or-treat in Boo to You Too. Halloween frankly scares him to death. In deference to his little porcine buddy, Pooh simply insists that they won't have Halloween this year. Tigger, Gopher, and Eeyore cry foul and set out to prove that Halloween is nothing to be afraid of.

Went back to Max & Ruby next. Ruby's having her own problems with her brother Max's costume in "Max's Halloween." She wants Max to be a nice, handsome prince, but he'd rather be a scary vampire! She wants "Ruby's Leaf Collection" to be the best in the class. This doesn't prove easy when Max keeps adding to the pile of leaves and burying her leaf book!

Headed out for my first errand run of the day around 11:30. Considering it was still sunny, breezy, and humid at that point, the Oaklyn Library was surprisingly busy. Even so, there wasn't a ton to do. I organized some adult DVD's and gave the children's area a going-over.

Clouds had begun to build up as I headed out of the library. We were supposed to get rain later in the day, and I realized I left a book I needed to take back to the Oaklyn Library at home. I made a brief stop at my apartment for a bathroom break and to grab the book, my rain jacket, and a bag.

It was past 12:30 when I made my way back out to West Clinton. My first stop this time was Studio LuLoo. I'd peeked there on my way to the library, but they were closed at that point. They mainly just needed a lot of tidying up and organizing for their kids' open mic night. I cleaned up the playroom and put away the many guitars scattered around the main room and music area.

Next on the docket was lunch. Since they were cheap and next-door, I went right to Phillies Phatties for slices of cheese and mushroom pizza and a can of Diet Pepsi. I took advantage of the sun reemerging to eat outside at one of the picnic tables and watch the people (including a mom doing an exercise walk with her little girl) stroll by.

Ran a couple of errands next. I stopped at Rite Aid, mainly for pads, which I badly needed. Also grabbed wet wipes and a small travel bottle of ibuprofen tablets to pack for the trip. Bought sponges, birthday cards for my friends Lauren and Amanda, a thank-you card for Lauren's parents for having me over, a new shower curtain (also badly needed), and two books at Dollar Tree.

The Haddon Township Library wasn't nearly as busy as the one at Oaklyn had been. I did organize the children's DVD's (those S titles still can't fit), but there weren't too many adult titles or audio books to shelve. I was out in less than an hour.

Made a quick stop at the WaWa on the way home for money and a coffee drink, then headed for my apartment. I'm glad I did. Even as I was riding home, the clouds that had been around off and on all day were starting to gather, and it was growing even more humid. Thankfully, I was long at home and writing by the time it started to pour. It's rained off and on for the rest of the evening.

I got a little more done on my story. As Jeff joins Mackie onstage, Betty and Maple arrive back from the library. Maple joins the others to do a dance routine while Betty tries to question Holstrom. She doesn't find out if he has the fire artifacts, but she does learn that he believes the Rebel Society is crazy for going against the Shadow Realm, who are far stronger and better-equipped than they are. She's about to inquire further when the others call for her help onstage. The crowd is getting rowdy. She suggests performing a play from one of her books to settle them down. Holstrom takes advantage of the distraction to hurry out.

I baked Apple-Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins, then threw together the last of the turkey tenderloin, a can of chicken chunks, and most of the vegetables I had in the refrigerator to make Poultry Vegetable Soup for dinner. Watched The Muppet Movie while I worked. This hilarious road-trip tale tells the "origins" of the crew from the original Muppet Show. Encouraged by a big-shot agent (Dom DeLouise), Kermit takes off cross-country to Hollywood to become a star. Along the way, he picks up most of his original pals, including Fozzie and his Studebaker, plumbers Gonzo and Camilla, and a very romantic Miss Piggy. Meanwhile, a frog leg fast food chain magnate (Charles Durning) would do anything to get Kermit to be his spokes-frog, including chase him cross-country.

Though a few of the gags are dated and probably won't mean much to a lot of kids today, this is still a great introduction to the original Muppet Show gang. The songs are memorable ("The Rainbow Connection" was the hit and was nominated for an Oscar), the script is hilarious, and the guest stars are priceless (Steve Martin is especially funny as a very rude waiter).

In the Heat of Late Summer

It remained hot, sunny, and muggy as I had my usual cereal and fruit (a peach, in this case) breakfast. Watched an episode of Remember WENN while I ate. The late first season episode "A Capitol Idea" introduces one of my favorite characters from the show, brash station manager Scott Sherwood. His first idea upon arriving at the station is for Betty to weave commercials into the shows in order to entice more sponsors. His idea works...too well. While he does end up inadvertently inventing infomercials, the shows are also now losing sight of the storylines and are playing more like catalogs than soap operas. The cast finally rebels and makes a mockery of the shows.

Went right on the computer as soon as I finished eating. Betty is beset in the forest by a group of ugly, nasty demons, hungry creatures that will devour anything in their path. She holds them off with a thick branch before finally being rescued by a strong, dark-haired man who carries a woodcutter's ax. He leads her out of the woods, but stays in the shadows and refuses to let her see his face. She knows his voice, but can't quite place it. He does get her home, and even kisses her hand....but the moment Gertie arrives, he vanishes into the shadows again.

Headed out to Studio LuLoo to volunteer around 11:30. I had to work at 1 and didn't really have a lot of time. Turned out to be just as well. The other volunteer there was getting ready to close soon anyway. I had just enough time to sweep the indoor floors and the outdoor sidewalk areas around their picnic tables.

Had a quick lunch at the Common Grounds Coffee House a few doors down. I ate bacon and scallion quiche, a cherry and almond scone, and a cup of iced green tea while listening to two kids complain about their teachers. A college student teacher told them about her life and how hard it was to keep up with her car and Netflix bills and pay her parents rent. (That's why I don't have a car or Netflix. What's the point? We live near everything, and you can take DVDs out of the library for free.)

Went home, changed, packed an apple for a snack, and headed right back out to work. Work was on-and-off busy, not overwhelming but busier than it has been. It's still the beginning of the month, and we still have a lot of annoying customers coming through. Other than that, there were no major problems, and my relief was right on time.

When I got home, I had a quick dinner of leftovers while watching more WENN. Scott's second great idea in "Popping the Question" isn't a whole lot more legit than his first. He wants to rig a big game show so the sponsor's son will win. While the others once again try to foil his plans, Betty's date Doug Thompson keeps waiting...and waiting....for her to remember him.

More Ups and Downs Than a Roller Coaster

Began another hot, humid morning with more Scooby Doo. We move to the 1989 "spinoff babies" spoof A Pup Named Scooby Doo for "Scooby Dude." The (much younger) kids are visiting Velma's Aunt Thelma at her ocean research institute. She wants to find out why her dolphins are disappearing. The kids are more concerned with a Headless Skateboarder whose tricks are definitely not looking like a treat, not to mention avoid Red Herring bullying them.

I ran to Studio LuLoo around 11 for this week's volunteering session there and to donate another bag of stuffed animals. The kids were there again, though not quite as energetic as last week. The heat must have been getting to the poor things. Most of them did muster enough juice to perform a few song and dance routines for me. They loved it when I put the bag of stuffed animals down and let them roam through it. I loved watching them play with their new friends.

Since I got out a little earlier than I planned, I headed to WaWa to pick up a hoagie for lunch. I also grabbed eggs (they're cheaper there than at the Acme), a bag of carrot sticks for a snack this week, and a sweet frozen peach lemonade.

Had lunch at home while continuing the Scooby Doo set. The second season of the Scooby and Scrappy show was fully devoted to the antics of the two dogs and Shaggy. Most stories, like the fairy-tale spoof "Scooby-Noccio," didn't involve mysteries at all. Others have real ghosts and monsters that aren't humans in masks. "Scooby's Roots" introduces Scoob's grandfather, who is having trouble with ghosts in the family plantation. "Lighthouse Keeper Scooby" takes the trio to a deserted lighthouse, where they're chased by a ghost who wants them out - yesterday.

Work was...well, dead again, exactly the same as it was yesterday, last week, and all summer. In good news, I got a 5 dollar gift card from work for a compliment on how I handled a nasty customer. I even got a letter (with a hand-signed note) from an Acme vice president! I treated myself to some decadent mini sandwich cookies I've been wanting to try. They cost five dollars, too expensive for one container of cookies without a sale or a gift card.

I had more trouble with the WIC Checks in the end. First of all, the lady said she was in a hurry. She ran her cart into the register trying to get it out twice - and she was pregnant! I was glad she didn't hurt herself. Second, she was my last customer, and I wanted to leave. Third, she didn't have the checks organized correctly. I had no idea she had those juices there, and she never did find the last one. She complained to a manger, and a manager fussed at me. We're not supposed to rush the WIC Checks. I didn't mean to cause trouble! I was just hurrying, like she said to.

I was so frustrated when I got home. Every time I feel like I go two steps forward with that job, I end up being thrown five hundred feet back. I've said it before, and I'll say it until someone listens - I am not meant to be a cashier. No amount of gift cards can make me a saleswoman. I can't stand that job. I'm only there to make money.

I was going to work on my story, but I realized when I went on my computer that I forgot to do the upgrade to the new Windows 10. I ended up doing that instead while eating leftovers for dinner and watching the rest of the Scooby Doo episodes.

Scrappy, Scooby, and Shaggy are back to shorts with three more stories from their solo show. "Excalibur Scooby" has the trio avoiding a magician who needs their hair and fur to make a potion that'll get the sword from the stone. "Scooby's Escape From Atlantis" pits them against a centaur who is determined they stay in the ruined city of Atlantis forever! "Scooby's Luck of the Irish" moves inland to Ireland, where Scrappy traps a leprechaun, and they encounter a banshee who doesn't want them finding that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

"Cruisin' for a Brusin" is a real oddity, from just about the most bizarre Scooby Doo show ever, Shaggy and Scooby Get a Clue. Scooby and Shaggy are enjoying a vacation on a Mexican cruise ship. Unfortunately, so is their regular villain, Dr. Phibes. He tries to enlist his regular mooks to get rid of them, but all they do is repeatedly knock their boss overboard. He finally has them try to sink the ship instead...right as Shaggy and Scooby are about to help out with hot dog taco night!

"Hang In There Scooby" returns to the shorts format for some antics aboard a glider. Scrappy wants what he thinks will be an easy and fun way to get to the beach. His uncle and his uncle's best pal don't agree - and neither does a huge bird they encounter on the way down.

The next two are episodes from the mid-70's Scooby Doo Show. "The Creepy Case of Old Iron Face" has the crew going undercover underwater to find out what a strange iron-masked man has hidden on the former penitentiary Skull Island. "A Creepy Tangle In the Bermuda Triangle" has the kids stranded on an island that turns out to be the home base of a UFO and the alien, one-eyed skeletons who seem to be hijacking weather planes.

We skip ahead almost three decades to the new millennium and What's New Scooby Doo? for "She Sells Sea Monsters By the Seashore." A trip to a time share in the Pacific is waylaid by locals who are battling for spots for surfing and for sea turtles to lay their eggs. A huge green snake-like sea monster is frightening away locals, not all of whom are unhappy to see them go. The kids do a little underwater hunting of their own to find out what the monster is really after.

(The last two episodes on the disc are both from the the first season of the Scooby and Scrappy Show, which I just watched last week, so I skipped them.)

Children Will Listen

I couldn't believe how nice it was when I got up this morning. It was sunny and warm, but not hot or humid at all. There was a fresh breeze in the air. The sky was a shade of blue that was so brilliant, it hurt the eyes to look at it. This is how the weather should have been all summer.

Watched a couple of Max & Ruby episodes as I ate breakfast. I'm not the only one who likes to have fun with twice-told fairy tales. Ruby is "Little Red Ruby Hood" who tries to avoid the Big Max Wolf and get her cookies to Grandma's house. "Max and the Beanstalk" has Max discovering how cool beans can be when his sister tells him the story of the boy who climbed a beanstalk into the sky. Ruby and Louise want to tell a fairy tale, but Max wants his frog to be in it, too. Ruby doesn't think he can, until she remembers the story of "The Froggy Prince."

Since it's still berry season, I tossed in "Grandma's Berry Patch." Grandma wants Max and Ruby to pick berries for a special recipe. Ruby's excited about all the things Grandma might do with their harvest. Max would be more excited...if he didn't keep trying to swipe the berries from his sister.

I haven't volunteered at Studio LuLoo in a while. I put on my new sandals and strolled down Manor to West Clinton. I picked the right day for it. They had a group of kids, probably between the ages of 4 and 12, enjoying summer day camp. I was the audience for their adorable musical "Charlie and the Tube Band," about a poor boy who makes friends when he teaches the local kids how to have fun with a paper towel roll when the electricity goes out. They were so cute. The oldest girl played the guitar and accompanied the younger kids when they sang and danced. Some of the older kids helped the littlest kids read their lines.

After they finished, we had a question-and-answer session. I told the kids how their play had reminded me of my own childhood. Like Charlie, I was bullied as a kid. We talked about how that made me - and them - feel. They told me about their grandparents, their vacations, and the people who inspired them to be creative. Chatting with the kids was the most fun I've had in months that didn't involve writing.

We even got a mini-concert from Roxy. She could only stay a brief while, but she did perform a knockout version of "Defying Gravity" from Wicked, as well as a song of her own, "Guilty." She and Sarah O'Brian are going to California to play on the set of the new Supergirl show in a day or two. The kids and I were all really impressed.

I headed out around 12:30 when the teacher declared lunch time. Had my own lunch at Common Grounds Coffee House. They were busy too, mostly with bored teenagers looking for a fancy drink in air conditioning. I had my favorite spicy sweet iced tea and a slice of bacon and sweet corn quiche that was savory and sweet and quite yummy.

The Oaklyn Library wasn't nearly as busy. Other than one guy reading the paper and the librarian, it was dead as a doornail. It was too nice of a day to hang around in libraries. I was in and out in about a half-hour.

The House of Fun wasn't any busier. They didn't have the second season Sailor Moon DVD I've been looking for, just Season 1, Volume 1 again. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, the popular wrestler who passed away recently, was one of Lauren's favorites. She asked me to look for an action figure of him. Alas, I didn't see anything there, either. I'll check the loose figures bin the next time I'm in there.

Made a short stop at WaWa on the way home for a treat. I thought I'd try Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie. Yum, not bad. The crumb topping was a little messy, but the creamy strawberry shake was smooth and sweet.

Spent the rest of the afternoon working on my fanfiction. Betty goes to Hilary, a sea witch and former actress, to find out how to become human. Hilary warns her that the price will be her beautiful voice and long, dark hair. She'll be in constant pain when she's on land - splitting a tail into legs hurts terribly. Betty's still willing to make the sacrifice. Hilary uses her hair and a scale as part of the potion. She then takes the mermaid's voice, sealing it in a green glass bottle.

What Hilary doesn't tell Betty or Jeff is she takes Betty's voice for herself after sending the younger mermaid to the surface. She wants a beautiful singing voice to compete with her many acting rivals under the sea. She does feel guilty that Betty was hurt, but...business is business, and it did get her a voice.

Betty is found on land by Scott and Maple, who put a quilt over her and carry her to Scott's home. Betty wants to tell them who she is and ask about Maple, but she no longer can. Her legs hurt too much for her to walk. Scott carries her back...which makes her as happy as a clam.

I got off around 5 PM. Made a Peach-Blackberry Cobbler while watching "Celery Night Fever." One of the more recent Veggitales episodes centers around forgiveness. Laura Carrot wants to save Celery Park from being destroyed by the developer Bob Onion. She's upset when Junior Asparagus forgets the camera to film an old-timer talking about the park and ends their friendship. Turns out Laura's not the only one holding grudges. Her grandpa Larry was a member of the wildly popular 70's band The Groovy Brothers, until they went their separate ways. Now Laura has to help Larry get the band together and learn that grudges can't be held forever, and we're only truly at peace with ourselves when we forgive the past.

Veggitales almost always does right by its musical episodes, and this one is no exception. Cute tunes done in the style of 70's pop, disco, and hard rock tell a sweet tale that almost seems to be a spoof of most musical biopics. If you or your kids are Veggitales and/or classic rock fans, you might have a blast groovin' to the beat of this one.

Appropriately, I made a tuna salad while finishing the night with the Faerie Tale Theatre version of "The Little Mermaid." This was the last adaptation of this tale to stick to the original story before Disney changed the rules of Mermaid tales. Pearl (Pam Dawber) is the title character who gives up her voice to the sea witch (Karen Black) in order to become human. Treat Williams is the prince she loves. Helen Mirren is Amelia, the sensible princess whom the prince is really in love with.

While this was never my favorite Faerie Tale Theatre episode (the aquatic effects look rather cheap today), I do like how the princess who competes with the mermaid for the prince's affections and the sea witch are played more ambiguously than usual, as per the original story. Amelia does like Pearl and really doesn't wish her any harm. The Sea Witch does warn Pearl how badly it'll hurt and how she's crazy to want to make the trade.

Oh, and I heard from Mom tonight. She's fine - better than fine, actually. She's back to work at the Ferry. Seems they were so overwhelmingly busy, they hired her back on the spot...and for good. She's only part-time, but that's enough for her. Dad's back at work as well, his knee having healed enough to handle the sea. He did get it bumped around a lot during a trip to an overflowing Wildwood water park with his grandchildren, but not enough to keep him off the boat. Poor Anny hasn't been as lucky - her brood all has pink eye, and she's had to deal with them alone. Her boyfriend J.J, also a fisherman, is at work as well.