Autumn Blue and Gold

Began the day with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Katerina and O and their mother and uncle stay with Daniel and his family when they're hit by "A Storm In the Neighborhood." The kids are nervous about the weather, but their parents encourage them to follow the plan and stay with the adults so they'll be safe. The entire community gathers to remove a tree that fell in front of the Clock Factory "After the Neighborhood Storm."

Dawn hit traffic coming up here and was about 10 minutes late arriving. We finally started out at quarter of 9. Thankfully, the traffic wasn't as bad going to Westville. She stopped at Abilities Solutions for a few minutes to talk to someone and make copies of my resume before we went on our way.

It was past 9 when Dawn pulled in at the big parking lot at Rowan University next to their Engineering Hall. Dawn caught the little jitney going to the job fair just in time. He even had two seats left for us. I shivered as the jitney picked up speed and I held on. It was a beautiful day, sunny and windy, but also much cooler than it has been. It wasn't even in the 50's at 9 AM!

At least it was warmer in the gym. It was the same job fair I went to at Rowan last spring and fall. They were equally busy, and nearly impossible to get around in. To my disappointment, I saw almost nothing of interest. The Emerson Group wanted office workers with more experience. I don't know anything about Word or Excel or anything that costs extra to use, and I haven't done a real job in years. I did see Shop Rite, Goodwill, and a lot of police and safety tables, but that was it. Everything else was either industrial or health care. 

I wish New Jersey wasn't so obsessed with health care! No Comcast, no newspapers, not even Walgreens. It was extremely disappointing. Dawn talked to the Jewish Federation of Cherry Hill and even said we could apply there, but I checked their site later, and their jobs were all teaching or placing families. I don't know anything about that. I'll put in the application, but I don't think anything will come of it.

We finally took the jitney back around 11. Dawn returned briefly to give someone her business card, then we were on our way. The traffic was much worse going home than it had been going to Rowan, especially on the highway. Everyone must have been heading home for lunch. It was past 11:30 when she finally pulled up at the curb.

Put on The Monkees when I got home and had the two muffins I snitched from the refreshment tables for lunch. In addition to doing the four horror-themed episodes for Halloween, I'm going to re-watch the show from the beginning, starting with "Royal Flush." Davy saves a pretty girl from drowning, but she turns out to be far more important than he believes when her Uncle Otto reveals her to be the Princess of Harmonica and threatens them both. He recruits the other three to help him find out what Uncle Otto's plot is and save the princess from certain doom at the hands of her greedy uncle and his chauffeur henchman.

Switched to mildly bizarre episodes of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as I made my grocery list. Pooh and his friends wander up to the attic on a stormy afternoon, looking for something to do. They want to play chess, but some of the pieces are missing. Terrified Piglet becomes "A Knight to Remember" when he imagines himself as a chess knight who has to fight a not-so-scary dragon. It's "Rock-a-Bye Pooh Bear" when Piglet has a nightmare about losing his friends in a storm. The others try to prove that nightmares don't come true and aren't anything to be afraid of.

Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. I had grocery shopping to do today, starting with Sprouts. Had online coupons for Cascadian Farms granola bars and Nixie probiotic soda. Found bakery chocolate chip cookies with clearance tags. Scooped dried cranberries into one bag, salted vegetable chips into another.

After Sprouts, I ducked past the library and Haddon Township High School to the Acme. Mainly needed to restock yogurt, apples, Kind bars, and bagels (and I almost forgot the last-named). Had online coupons for Choboni yogurt, the Kind bars, Poppi soda, and Always pads. In fact, I found ultra-thin pads that were already half-off and got them for even cheaper. Grabbed a Propel Peach for the ride home.

And the ride home was gorgeous. Newton Lake sparkled like a million jade stones as I rode past. The fountains shot tiny diamonds into the radiant blue sky. The trees here are just starting to turn shades of scarlet, gold, and yellow that makes the rainbow look pale. I dodged people out for leisurely strolls, finally pushing my bike over the hill and past the Environmental Center.

Let The Price Is Right run in the background as I went through my records and books to see if there was anything I wanted to get rid of. Truth be told...not really. I've been better about thinning out my collection since I moved. I do need to clear out some stuffed animals, and I definitely have too many clothes.

Finally switched to adding my newest finds to the inventories. Television's Greatest Hits Vol. II went with the soundtracks. Kinky Boots, the Hugh Jackman Music Man, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Little Women were added to the cast albums. Magic Bus: The Who On Tour and The Ballad of Tom Joad went in with the rock and pop albums. 

I also got my schedule online at this point. In good news, not quite so many hours on Wednesday...or at all. They dropped me right back to the four days off I had during the summer. I'm glad that I won't have to deal with more 8 1/2 hour days and will have the chance to rest this week, but I could have used a few more hours than this. We are coming up on the holidays.

Watched Match Game '77 while eating dinner. Dick Martin, Fannie Flagg, and Conny Van Dyke joined in for these episodes. Conny argues for Gene kissing her, while the others try to figure out "__ Cooper" in the Audience Match.

Finished the night with Who's That Girl. Tax attorney Loudon Trott (Grififth Dunne) has be tasked with bringing a rare cougar to an animal fan, and then he has to get recently-paroled Nikki Finn (Madonna) on the bus home to Philadelphia after a stint in jail. Nikki has absolutely no desire to go home. She wants to find out who killed her previous boyfriend (as depicted in the opening cartoon sequence), handed her a key, and sent her up the river. Believing her innocent, Loudon ends up joining her as she runs all over New York looking for the real murders, even though he's getting married to Wendy Worthington (Haviland Morris) the next day and her father Simon (John McMartin) is his boss and the one who wanted Nikki out of town in the first place. 

Though the movie was a flop in 1987, I have fond memories of it anyway. The title song and "Causing a Commotion" were huge hits in late summer and early fall that year. When the movie hit home video and cable, it became the choice for pre-teen and young teen girls like me and my friends to watch at slumber parties and girl get-togethers. On one hand, Madonna always was pretty funny, Dunne does his best as the bamboozled lawyer caught up in her schemes, and yeah, the soundtrack is good. 

The movie is also very much of its time. The plot is likely supposed to be the 80's idea of a screwball comedy, but it's really all over the place. Nikki is an annoying idiot whose idea of fun is swiping cassettes from a music store. Some of the gags - like what happens to the bridesmaids and who Wendy eventually ends up with - are just too dumb. 

I'm going to say this is cute, but unless you're a massive Madonna fan or you share my fond memories of watching this with your own friends at slumber parties, you're better off digging up the soundtrack album and skipping the film. 

A Fair Day for a School Trip

Starting Hitty: Her First Hundred Years this morning didn't leave me time for much else. I read, wrote in my journal, grabbed a very quick breakfast, and hurried out to the porch. Karen was already there when I got out. There was no traffic anywhere, not on the highway or when we picked up Jasmine in Westville. We arrived at Rowan University a little after 10. 

The little jitneys weren't there when we arrived, so we walked to the gym where the job fair was held. And we got lost looking for it. Long sidewalks wound around tan stone buildings, the vast majority of them built within the last five to ten years...and all those buildings looked the same. We cut through the Student Center, passing its Gallery and landscapes, before going outside, down a ramp, and finally over to the gym.

It might have been even busier in that gym than it was in March. Almost every table was occupied by a business, and there were hopeful job-seekers two-deep at some booths. Alas, there was absolutely nothing of interest. I didn't see Comcast or a single newspaper group this time. Goodwill, Walgreens, and the Gloucester County Library were the only businesses that came close to interesting me. I did see Amazon, an online casino, glass makers, a window installation company, a steel mill, a sign-making company, a food distribution company, the Army and Navy, Pepsi and Coke bottling facilities, Rowan advertising itself, and many local government agencies...but the majority of the businesses were either health companies or assisted living facilities. 

Truth be told, it was a washout, for me and Jasmine. We're not into industry, warehouses, pharmacies, or health care. We weren't even there for an hour before we headed back around those winding paths to the full parking lot. I was home by 11 AM.

Soon as I got home, I organized everything, then put on The New Scooby Doo Mysteries as I ate lunch. While "A Halloween Hassle at Dracula's Castle" does bring back Fred and Velma, the rest of this episode is bizarre even by the standards of Scooby's shows. Dracula, his lady, and many of the great monsters of filmdom lure Mystery Inc to Dracula's castle to find out why the ghost of Van Helsing has been plaguing them. 

Switched to Match Game '77 next. Arte Johnson of Laugh-In and long tall beauty Barbara Rhodes get to admire a really neat sign a fan made Brett Somers in the first episode. The second episode introduced Earl, the little fellow who pulls the tabs on the Audience Match to reveal the answers.

Spent the rest of the afternoon writing. Richard admits his ax finally split him in two. The munchkin scientist was able to fit him with all the latest cybernetics, but not a real heart. He misses his sons and wants to return to them - and love them again.

Broke to head off to work. Spent most of the afternoon pushing carts and sweeping the store. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. The weather was perfect for October, breezy, sunny, and warm but not too hot or cold, probably in the upper 60's. I did do the trash in the women's bathroom and tried to unclog a toilet, but other than that, I was mainly outside. 

(Oh, and I have a somewhat better schedule next week. In good news, I'm bagging, I have Monday and Tuesday off, and my hours have gone up a bit. However, working 12 to 6 on Sunday means I'll miss a good chunk of the Eagles game, and I'll likely end up working at least five to seven days straight after Tuesday.)

Went straight into leftovers for dinner and Match Game '79 when I got home. I walked right into a stalemate. Neither contestant was especially good. The champ only won because Charles matched her once, and her challenger never matched at all. (Not the first or last time that'll happen.) She did better with Gary Burghoff and "Bless Your __" in the Head-to-Head.

Finished the night on Flex with The Ghost Breakers. Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard) takes a slow boat to Cuba when she inherits a mansion and a plantation. She discovers a stowaway in her luggage when radio journalist Larry Lawrence (Bob Hope) admits he was hiding from the mob. He thinks he killed a gangster, but it was really someone else. He and his friend and valet Alex (Willie Best) end up helping Mary when they arrive at the island with the mansion and learn that it's run by an older woman (Virginia Brissac) and her shambling son (Noble Johnson), who are believed to be zombies. Someone - or something - wants them off the island, before they discover the treasure hidden within the castle.

Based after a hit play and two (now lost) silent horror comedies, this is one of Bob Hope's most popular films. On one hand, it's nice to see Hope not playing a coward for a change, and the spooky atmosphere once they get to Cuba is handled very well. The gangster subplot does get confusing about who is killing whom, and Best's silly valet role hasn't dated well at all. Still, this is worth seeing if you love Hope or are a fan of old-dark-house horror. 

School Daze

Awoke to a gray, dreary morning, with pouring rain out my window. Maybe it's just as well that Karen texted me and said she had to do something at home and would be late arriving. It gave me the chance to eat breakfast and watch Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel is excited for his baby sister to experience "Margaret's First Chime Time" and see all the timepieces in the Clock Factory go off at once. On the way, they learn about what other families do together. They share their "Tiger Family Fun" with Lady Elaine, Miss Elaina, and Music Man Stan when they encounter them picking fruit at the Enchanted Garden. 

Karen didn't pick me up until 9:30, but maybe it's just as well. The rain had gentled down to a shower by then. We mainly took the highway past Deptford and Woodbury. With this being just after the morning rush hour, this was pretty busy. We arrived at the very full parking lot of Rowan University's gym around a little after 10 AM. The parking lot was so full, we took a cute little golf cart-like jitney to the main building. 

Turns out I was right that this was primarily for healthcare. The majority of the businesses were either local hospitals or local assisted living companies. That doesn't mean this was a washout (pardon the pun with the weather). We walked around together for nearly an hour. Karen spied the owner of several county newspapers; I saw the owner of NJ.com. I read the latter on a fairly regular basis, mainly for their coverage of newly-opening local businesses. Talked to both and learned that they do need freelance writers. Might consider it as a side business. I also saw several local banks, Walgreens, Shop Rite, Goodwill, two construction companies, three steel mills, and four warehouse businesses. 

After Karen wandered around to talk to businesses for other clients, I looked around on my own. It was so busy, and there were just so many people and so many booths! It took me over a half-hour to build up the confidence, but I did talk to the Gloucester County Library and Comcast. The former said there were only assistant librarian jobs open to people without library masters degrees; the latter nicely said to check their website for openings. 

Almost every booth gave away a little something. Most of them at least had pens, tote bags, and jars or baskets of candy. Others had string backpacks, small foam balls, snacks, pencils, travel chargers, water bottles, and note pads. I must have grabbed at least one thing from nearly every booth. Karen says they want to give all this away; it beats having to carry it back to headquarters. 

Karen took over the Abilities Solutions booth for a while around 11 AM, so I sat down in a narrow opening near the entrance to the men's locker room to sip a cup of hot tea and get organized. I ended up with twenty pens (counting a pack with three pens and a box with two), ten tote bags of various sizes, a large chip clip and a jar opener pad from Citizen's Bank, a foam ball from Comcast, a foam green light, a soft pretzel from a local snack food company, two granola bars, three note pads, a note book, a folder from Abilities Solutions with information on their programs, three mini-bottles of water (four if you count the one I drank earlier), a bag of microwaveable popcorn, a gel compress for tired eyes, a Chapstick, and a flyer for a newspaper job fair at the Cherry Hill Mall on May 10th. Grabbed two muffins from the refreshment stand for lunch later and a beautiful selection of purple and pink carnations for Karen and a friend from a florist who gave away samples of her wares.

They finally started to wind down around noon. We stepped outside to discover the rain had slowed, too. It still fell, but not heavily. The jitney was nowhere in sight, but it turns out we probably didn't need it, anyway. We got back to Karen's car in less than ten minutes and were barely damp. 

Karen did stop at BJ's next to the Target in Deptford on the way home to get gas. Otherwise, we went back the way we came, on an even-busier highway. She finally pulled up around 12:30; I gave my friend the carnations, then headed for my rooms.

(And I'll be honest - right now, I'm more and more considering going back to school. I need to get a better job, not only to make money, but to boost my confidence. I don't belong in retail. It isn't appropriate for my personality or what I want to do. It does seem that what I want to do requires more training...but I'm worried about the cost and how long it'll take. I need to do more research.)

Had the muffins and a blood orange for lunch while watching Match Game '76. Isobel Sanford and songwriter Marvin Hamlisch joined in for the first week of the new year. Richard fusses at Gene over his tie being over his vest in the opening. The others have more trouble with "__ Port" in the Head-to-Head. Hal "Barnaby Miller" Linden and his wife Fran won Tattletales, over songwriter Sammy Cahn and his wife Tita and Scoey and Claire Mitchelll. 

I got an early start this morning, so I went down for a nap around 1:30. Tried to, anyway. I was too excited to do much more than doze. I got up around 3:30 and was still tired. 

Checked out Comcast and NJ.com briefly, then worked on writing for a while. Richard looks over the maps, which turn out to be of the entire area. They detail the mines in particular, showing where all of the local strikes were; they also outline the local ranches. He ends up following his horse through an opening in the cliff, coming out of a cave on the other side near several ranches.

Broke for dinner at 7 PM. Watched Match Game Syndicated while I ate. They're back up to the first of two weeks to feature Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis, along with Robert Pine, Dick Martin, and Betty White. Gene has to fix the contestant's chair in the first episode, In the second, Gene passes out when a contestant takes too long answering in the second episode, then they all welcome a young Kirstie Alley, long before her stardom on Cheers, to the show. 

Took a shower, then finished the night with The Love Boat at Paramount Plus. In the seventh season, it's "Long Time, No See" for the owner of a carnival Julie's putting on for the cruise (Howard Keel) and the pretty girl who has caught his eye (Jan Smithens). But there's a lot more to this young lady than he thinks. A comedy team (Michael Lembeck and Dean Butler) learn about the "Bear Essance" when they nearly let a pretty girl (Randi Oakes) come between them, and the bear in their act gets loose. The carnival's fortune teller (Crystal Bernard) is worried that it's all "Kisses and Makeup" when her new husband (Christopher Meyer) is shocked by what she looks like without tons of makeup and a wig. They both finally realize that she's much happier dressing like herself. 

Doin' Laundry On Planet Earth

Today was even nicer than yesterday. It was a mere 75 degrees in my living room when I got up this morning. I couldn't believe it. That never happens in early August. I celebrated the comfortable weather with the last movie I took out of the Oaklyn Library last week, the animated sci-fi adventure Titan A.E.

Don Bluth's last animated film to date takes place in the distant future. Earth was destroyed by the alien Drej race. Humans now live as workers for aliens or in wandering colonies living on space junk. Cale is a young human living on an alien scrap-collection colony. He's found by a group of humans and aliens who are searching for the Titan, the mysterious vessel which may be able to save humanity. The Drej don't want humans threatening them and will do anything to find the Titan before they do...and some members of the group may not be entirely loyal.

In one of the most infamous cases of movies trying to beat each other to the punch ever, Titan A.E came out around the same time as Disney's boy-oriented sci-fi tale Treasure Planet in 2002...and both wound up losing. They actually got pretty decent reviews at the time (and continue to do so), but they were too violent for audiences who were still used to animation being for families. Titan failed so badly, Fox closed its animation unit, and Don Bluth hasn't done anything on the big screen since. (Disney had its own repercussions - it would only release two more traditionally animated films after that, sticking to computer animation until 2009.)

The ultimate irony is...Titan A.E and Treasure Planet are actually quite good. I really like both, and I don't think either remotely deserved what they got at the box office. Titan ran into major executive meddling problems. Fox wanted to rush it to beat Treasure Planet. Bluth wanted his usual quality, and apparently considers the film's visuals unfinished. I'm not sure why. The visuals are incredible, even the obviously CGI Drej. Some of the explosions alone, including the opening destruction of Earth, are amazing. The story is another thing all together - it had more writers than most libraries (including Joss Wheadon), and the tinkering and confusion does show, especially if you're not heavily into dark end-of-the-world sci-fi.

For all its problems, both this and Planet have become cult favorites since their releases. I highly recommend this one for Bluth fans, animation fans, sci-fi nuts, and older boys who normally scoff at "kids" animated films.

Headed out to do the laundry after the movie ended and I had flounder in white wine sauce with mushrooms for lunch. I dropped my nephew Skylar's birthday card and money in a mail box on the way. It was a glorious day for a walk. The sky was a rich blue. The sun was bright and warm, but not overwhelming. The wind felt wonderful. Needless to say, the Oaklyn Lions Pool was busy and there were lots of people out and about, including packs of kids.

The laundromat was surprisingly busy too for late in the day. Almost every washer was taken but the one at the end when I came in. I ended up with that one. It did clear out a bit after that, and I had no problems getting a drier. Thankfully, I had a very small load anyway and was in and out in a little less than an hour.

I quickly put my things away, then went online to get some stuff there, including finally sending that e-mail to Stockton. I just as quickly changed into my uniform, got dinner together, and rushed off to work. Work was crazy, not helped by me coming in during the second half of rush hour. It was busy until at least 8:30-9, calming down just in time for me to head out with no relief.

So This Is Stockton

I am so tired. I had a very long day that began at 9AM, when I headed for Collingswood to pick up the PATCO to Lindenwauld, where I would pick up the train to Atlantic City. I missed it by one second. The train was just pulling out as I puffed upstairs.

I knew I'd never make the 9:37 train to Atlantic City, and the next one wouldn't leave until noon. I wouldn't be able to spend time shopping, but I would make it to Stockton. I remembered the 554 bus from Lindenwauld to Atlantic City stops on the corner of the White Horse Pike and Pomona Road, which is also a stop for the (only) bus to Stockton. I took that bus when I went to The Nutcracker at Stockton with my friend Amanda in December 2008. It also came in handy for Lauren and me when the train had to be abandoned and we ended up taking the bus to Atlantic City in June 2010.

Thankfully, unlike in 2008, I remembered to get off at the right stop. There really isn't much at Pomona Road - a small pizzeria, a Chinese restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a massage therapy office, Pomona's post office, a bank (now Wells Fargo), a groceria, a very charming little old-fashioned pharmacy/convenience store. I have especially fond memories of the groceria. I used to make short shopping trips there when I lived in the Housing IV apartments at Stockton. Their prices aren't great and their produce is lousy, but they're closer than the Shop Rite in Absecon.

I considered taking a bus to the Hamilton Mall, which is about 15 minutes from Pomona Road, but the bus was so late, I finally just went across the street. (And of course, as soon as I did, I saw the bus come.) I ultimately just took a 2PM bus to Stockton and arrived there early.

I'm really glad I did. So much has changed there since my visit with Amanda in 2008. As I wandered across the main buildings, I noticed many additional lounge areas and heavily revised offices and classrooms. The old swimming pool near the theater had been filled in and turned into an art gallery. The theater had a new box office. The little quick-service food booth between A and B Wings was an Au Bon Pain. The newspaper and radio stations that were in G Wing were gone all together, replaced by more offices. The second cafeteria was a smaller coffee shop.

I assumed the Career Center was still in the same offices as the Counseling Services, as they were in 2008. Counseling Services told me otherwise when I arrived there. It seems that the Career Center, along with Financial Aid, the newspaper office, the radio and TV stations, the campus bookstore, and a food court, moved to the brand-new Campus Center building two years ago. Thankfully, it was only a few minutes from J-Wing. Even with all the confusion, travel problems, and fuss, I still found the Career Center with 10 minutes to spare.

Dayna, my counselor, was very helpful. She said she was very impressed with my resume and how organized I was (I brought along the list of job ideas I made a few years ago, along with the personality tests I took online for Mrs. Stahl in February, in addition to my resume), and what I need to do now is go through job openings for companies that interest me - libraries, publishing, media - and see what job descriptions there are. She said I need to focus on just beginning and not jumping ahead and worrying about things like interviews and relocating that comes later. I need to figure out what jobs I'm really interested in and how to tailor my resume to a specific job before I can go after that job. I was happy to hear that my resume was well-written and that I had plenty of experience. It was just a tad too long, and not tailored to specific fields well enough. I told her I'd work on looking up job descriptions and would e-mail her next week.

I had enough time to explore Stockton's changes a bit before heading home. The Campus Center is amazing. All of the group offices that were once squashed into the second floor F, G, and N Wings are now here, including Stockton's student newspaper Argo, the TV station SSTV, the Student Senate, and the Events office, along with Financial Aid, the Career Center, and an expanded Bookstore. There's a beautiful lobby with a massive fireplace (unlit at this time of the year, but still impressive) and a large Duncan Donuts and food court.

Wandered across Lake Fred to the apartments. Lake Fred was as beautiful as ever. The pathway going across the lake had been widened. The old causeway was now a lovely bridge. Housing I, the oldest student apartments on campus, had been remodeled. The Housing I Student Center was now more rustically known as The Lodge at Lakeside. While Housing IV (where I lived in 2000 and 2001; it opened in 1999) looked pretty much the same, there was now a series of smaller apartments in what had once been parking lots and an empty grassy area where students used to sunbathe and play ball games.

I dashed back around Lake Fred to catch the 5:04 bus to Pomona. I needn't have hurried. It was late again. It didn't arrive until 5:15. That was the worst thing that happened going home. Once I got to Pomona, things went more smoothly. The bus to Lindenwauld arrived on time (although I did get scolded for standing on the wrong part of the road); the PATCO to Collingswood came and went with no problems. I was so tired when I got in, I just stopped at WaWa and bought a quesadilla for dinner going home.

In addition to Dayna's advice, I learned a few things about making business trips. First of all, from now on, no more mixing business with pleasure. When I'm making a long trip for a business purpose or some kind of an appointment, the appointment comes first. I probably could have left a lot later than I did and saved me time and money if I hadn't wanted to get time at Atlantic City or Hamilton Mall in, too.

Second, always have a back-up plan. I'm glad I remembered about the 554 going past Pomona. The NJ Transit train schedules are so darn erratic, there are times when it might actually be easier to just bite the bullet and take the bus to Atlantic City. (And some places, like Atco and Pomona, where you don't have much choice in the matter.)

Third, always be prepared. While I was ready for my appointment and my bus ride, I neglected to prepare for the weather. It was cloudy, dry, and very cool all day, probably no warmer than the lower-mid 70s. That did make for a much nicer trip, but I didn't bring a sweater or coat because I didn't want to carry it around. I probably would have been wearing it instead; I spent the day freezing. From now on, I'll bring some kind of light covering, even on hot days (buses and other public buildings and transportation are notoriously over-air-conditioned).

Cowabunga Stockton

I slept in this morning, finishing You Call It Madness. Technically a biography of Russ Columbo and the younger years of his  early 30s crooning competitors Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee, this ambitious and lengthy novel brings to life not only those three singers, but the world of the late 20s and early 30s - smoky nightclubs, sassy Broadway shows, the new world of jazz, silents giving way to talkies. Though I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the rat-tat-tat writing, it tried to cram too much information into one novel and way too plot. All three of these men have had more straightforward biographies written on them; try one of those first before you head here, and only come here if you love the era or like atmosphere with your biography.

I had just enough time before work to call Stockton College and set up an appointment with their Career Center on Thursday at 3:30. They'll look at my resume and hopefully give me some ideas as to what direction to take next. I really have no idea. It seems like every avenue I've taken towards getting a job has ended at yet another brick wall. The trip will take a while - a PATCO train, then the NJ Transit train from Lindenwauld, then a longer bus ride from Atlantic City to Stockton's campus in the Jersey Pinelands - but it'll be worth it.

Work was...very boring. It was dead for most of the afternoon. There was some rain early on, but it vanished quickly, and the rest of the day alternated between cloudy and sunny and humid but not nearly as hot as last week. It did pick up during the usual 4 to 6 rush hour, but not enough for me have problems leaving without a relief.

When I got home, I made leftover Chicken Parmesan and veggies for dinner while finishing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 4 disc. Casey Jones, the hockey mask-wearing vigilante, was a popular character in the movies and the later 2003 show, but he made scant few appearances in the 80s incarnation, the first being "Casey Jones - Outlaw Hero." Baxter Stockman emerges to get his revenge on the Turtles and Shredder and Krang for allowing him to transform into an insect in "Return of the Fly." Donatello has to deal with his three besotted brothers, who fell for Irma after ingesting a love potion in "Green With Jealousy." And the westerns-obsessed Turtles find themselves dealing with the world's biggest bull when spilled chemicals cause a steer to turn into a "Mutagen Monster."

Yes, I Am Collegiate

Started today out with a run to the gym (with a quick stop by the charity clothes boxes in the back of the Acme building to drop off a bag of donations). This time, I upped the resistance on the bike and finally got a good, solid workout. Concentrated on my legs, rear, and stomach on the machines. It wasn't busy this morning at all. I timed it right; a bunch of women came on the machines just as I was finishing them, and then they went to the bike as I finished that.

Stopped at the Acme to pick up my paycheck and do this week's grocery shopping. I mostly needed chicken and to restock fruit and vegetables. Also needed cereal (Mom's Best was on sale; got the non-frosted shredded wheat), marshmallows, buttermilk, eggs, soup (grabbed Progresso's Light Chicken, Vegetable, & Rotini on sale), and paper towels. One of the managers tried to get me to come in early, but I turned her down. It was bad enough I was going to have to deal with people panicking over the mere one inch of snow we were supposed to get later in the day. Besides, I had something I really wanted to do.

There was a package waiting for me when I got in. I ordered the second Woody Woodpecker and Friends set last week. Alas, Universal doesn't seem to be in any hurry to release the rest of Woody's shorts, so this is the last Walter Lanz collection we'll be seeing for a while. I ran Woody while eating leftover beef stew for lunch and putting away my groceries.

The other reason I turned down the extra hours today was...to sign up for online, non-credit business courses. Yesterday was the last straw. I am sick and tired of this job controlling my life. I was going to sign up last night, but it was too late by the time I got home and online. I was originally going to do a course on freelance writing, but the requirements (including seeking out a writing group to show my work to) seemed daunting. I decided to try some more business-oriented courses first. I went with one on setting up an online business, and another on finding and choosing a legitimate at-home business. The second one is pretty short, which is why it was also cheap - both courses cost me $158.

Work was a pain. If people weren't panicking over this so-called storm we're supposed to get, they were fussing over the huge 3-day sale we're having. And something happened at customer service with the managers and we were short on help in that department for a while. Thank goodness I got off on time with no relief.

My schedule isn't bad. One late day, Friday, and one long day, Monday. I also have Tuesday off, which is Valentine's Day. I don't think I've had Valentine's Day off since I began working at the store.

The ground was damp when I got out, but it wasn't raining, snowing, or even blowing. It was just wet, and has stayed so up to press time.

Balance and the Groundhog's Prediction

I awoke to the radio announcing that Puxatawny Phil, the local groundhog, had seen his shadow. They may have had something about that six weeks of winter. It was gloomy and windy this morning, not to mention colder than yesterday. It was probably in the mid-40s, still  not what it should be at this time of year, but at least closer than in the 60s.

I overslept and almost didn't make it to yoga! I worked too late to do the night class this time, and I wanted to get cleaning done here yesterday. I think I really prefer the afternoon class. It's a lot less high-maintenance...and quieter. The morning class was almost capacity-full! I ended up in the back, near the stereo, which may have been just as well. I was probably the only one who had room to work on hip openers and balance moves. I'm getting good at walking up the wall...but I still can't lift myself with my arms or do squat poses.

As much as I like Karin, I think I'm going to try to get to the easier Wednesday and Thursday afternoon classes whenever possible from  now on. It's simpler for me...and it makes me feel better to see others like myself who aren't perfect at the poses or all that fast.

Went straight to the Collingswood Library after class. Unlike at Haddon Township yesterday, there was plenty for me to do. I shelved two large stacks of DVDs, then went upstairs and put away a small pile of non-fiction books.

Got in around quarter of 1 and had lunch, then went online to look at Stockton's business courses. I need to call them badly. Their website says that alumni get 20% off non-credit courses, but I wonder if that applies to all alumni. I haven't exactly kept up with Stockton for the past 10 years. I wasn't happy with them when I left. I've spent a lot of the last decade feeling like everything I learned there was worthless. It was partially my fault. I may love movies, but I don't want to be a public relations person. I'm not much of a saleswoman. Communications was the wrong major for me. I really should have taken something practical, like business or computer sciences...and now is the time to correct that.

I was on the computer for so long, I got out with just enough time to make it to work with no fuss! Work was steady when I came in, busy when I left. There were a few mildly annoying beginning-of-the-month customers, but otherwise no major problems.

The Christmas Blues

Generally, this was not a good day. First of all, I overslept. That barely gave enough time to do what I planned this morning, which is call Stockton again for information about their online programs. The woman I talked to at Stockton said that Continuing Learning doesn't handle the online courses and gave me the number for the company that does. They weren't in, of course. I left a message on their answering machine and have yet to hear from them. I couldn't even find the number for the company that shares Camden County College and Temple University's online courses on the site. I may just call CCC's Continuing Learning office on Friday and see what they say.

I had an even less welcome surprise awaiting me at Yahoo!Mail. Someone had left a less-than-flattering remark about me being selfish and not knowing how to put others first at my blog. I moderate comments and deleted it, but it still irked me. Why do people do that? Yes, I know, everyone says to ignore them. Why do that in the first place? How can you know someone just by reading their blog? I just don't understand it. 

On top of that, I couldn't get a ride to work. Dad's still on a job, and it was too late to get anyone else. I rode to work in the rain. I did get wet, but it could have been worse. The rain was still hard when I left, but by the time I arrived at work, it had stopped.

Customers were nasty today, too, especially early in the afternoon. I don't know if it's the weather, or just beginning-of-the-month people. I had several of those annoying folks who give five hundred orders on how to bag but won't help themselves in a row. Managers kept telling me not to call for the card or the key to unlock my register on the intercom...then another one would say to use the intercom, because people didn't like it when I called for them without it. Make up your darn minds and get the rules STRAIGHT!

The last straw came shortly before my break. I asked the woman if she had anything under the cart. I don't do this to be mean. Customers sometimes forget that they have things there. The woman snapped at me that I was being nasty and accusing! I wasn't accusing her of anything. It's just a simple question. I couldn't help my tears as I helped her with her bags.

Another woman who was behind me talked to her. Apparently, the woman was once her boss and had been very ill-tempered with her as well, until she gave her a piece of her own mind. She didn't throw a fit after that, but I still felt bad. Thank goodness I went on break about twenty minutes later.

After I came back, I asked to do returns for a while until another cashier had to leave. I just wasn't up to handling anyone else in a foul mood. By the time the other cashier went home, it was steady, but not as busy as earlier, and there were no more problems.

Work wasn't all bad. We had several classes of kindergarteners pass through today. One actually sang the cutest fight song to thank both Acme and Janice, the manager who usually works with the elementary school classes, that was utterly adorable.

Once again, I just rode home in the rain. I discovered something in the mail that really cheered me up when I got home. In the early 2000s, American Girl created several outfits that were exclusive to their American Girl Place stores that corresponded with the theater shows they were putting on at the time. When the shows ended in 2008, so did the costumes. I scored two from the AG Circle of Friends show that were perfect for Molly. One was a purple pleated one-piece outfit that was originally the show's jitterbug costume. The other is a white 40s-style dress trimmed with red and blue sequins that screams "Molly" all over it. It even comes with shiny red tap shoes with real metal taps on them.

I made sauteed spinach and mashed sweet potatoes to go with my leftover chicken leg for dinner. As I ate, I dubbed A Walt Disney Christmas for Lauren (the last dubbing of any kind I want to do for a long time - I think I kind of burned myself out there), then switched to two sweet specials about the possible story behind the donkey who carried Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.  

The Small One is a touching Disney featurette from the late 70s-early 80s in which the donkey is an older, kind creature who was once owned by a little boy. The boy had to sell him because of his age, but he couldn't find anyone who would take the scrawny animal...until he looked up and saw a pair of gentle eyes that belonged to Joseph. Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey is one of my favorite Rankin-Bass specials. Nestor is taunted by other barnyard critters because of his unusually long ears, but they end up coming to good use when he uses them to lead Mary and Joseph to their fabled destination.

Time for Mistletoe and Holly

I spent most of the morning putting up my Christmas garlands. Mom gave me these ropes of artificial greenery trimmed with ribbons, beads, bows, and small trinkets several years ago. She'd gotten fed up with putting them up all over their house. I can see her point. I do still use tacks on the heavy garland around the two windows in the dining area and the one wrapped with gold ribbon on the window behind the tree, but most of the others are now twist-tied to unused curtain rods. I also have a white and gold tinsel garland that is wrapped around the top of the baker's rack and a long, plush gold tinsel garland that goes around the DVD racks.

Putting up the garlands didn't take as long as I thought it would. I had the time to call Stockton and get some more information on classes. I think I should have said I was looking for Distance Learning (online classes), not Continuing Education (certificate courses). They called back later and said they had none of the courses I was looking for...even though their website clearly says that they do! I'll call them again later in the week and clarify what I meant.

Work was very quiet for a lot of the day. It was much chillier, windy, and on-and-off sunny. With kids back in school and people back in work, most folks had probably returned to their normal schedules this week. Even some regular beginning-of-the-month people may have done their shopping last weekend. I did have some annoying customers, but nothing horrible. It was so quiet at 6PM, I was able to get off and buy things for a Pumpkin Mousse Cream Pie with no relief. (My relief was the new cashier...who apparently was suspended.)

When I got home, I ran Santa Claus Is Coming to Town while making the pie and having leftovers for dinner. One of Rankin-Bass' most famous specials is their interpretation of how the Santa Claus legend got started. Mickey Rooney makes a fine Santa; Keenan Wynn is fun as the Winter Warlock. ("Winter, if you please.")

Cleaning Up for the Holidays

It rained on and off for most of the morning. I decided I was much safer and dryer staying home. I spent the morning baking Cranberry Bread, cleaning the kitchen, and watching various specials. Did Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving first, then Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and the Angelina Ballerina Christmas special The Show Must Go On.

I started making bread at Thanksgiving during my college years. Bread was often the only thing I had the time to make that I could bring home for Thanksgiving, and the Pilsbury Quick Bread mixes weren't expensive. As it turned out, Mom had plenty of food for dinner and dessert...but my bread was perfect for a quick breakfast the next morning! They were such a hit, I've brought two loaves of quick bread, one Cinnamon Strusel and one pumpkin or cranberry, to Thanksgiving dinner ever since.

I jotted off a quick e-mail to Stockton College after I finished with the kitchen. I'm hoping they'll call me or send me more information on their non-credit program. The Art Institute called, but I finally said thanks a lot, you were very kind, but you're not really quite what I'm looking for. I'll keep you in mind. They only had one class I was really interested in, and it was expensive.

Thank goodness the rain was long gone by the time I headed to work. Work was on-and-off busy all night, actually not as bad as I figured it would be, given that tomorrow is the biggest food holiday of the year. There was plenty of help, no problems whatsoever, and the time went quickly.

For my American readers who won't be able to get online tomorrow, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!

Raining In the Holidays

I had a lot to do today. It was showering when I got up this morning, but as I headed out around quarter of ten, the rain had seemed to putter to a sprinkle. I'm probably not going to have the time (or decent weather) the rest of the week for library volunteering, so I made two stops today. Did the Oaklyn Library first. I organized the DVDs, rearranged the young adult series, checked the kids' picture books, and pulled any remaining books on Thanksgiving for displays.

Thankfully, the weather held out as I made my way to the Haddon Township Library. Needless to say, the only people out in the dripping wet Newton River Park were Canadian geese poking around for an early lunch and a lone jogger ignoring the weather. It was just starting to rain again as I pulled up to the library and locked my bike at the thick u-shaped bike rack near the back door.

There was a bit more to do at Haddon Township than there was last week. I had a nice stack of both kids' and adults' DVDs to return, and there were some non-fiction DVDs that needed to go back, too. I went through all of the adult DVDs, removing children's and foreign titles that were shelved improperly. I put away a good-sized pile of children's picture books. Took out four titles for myself - Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure (I don't normally rent Dora the Explorer, but how can I resist her version of A Christmas Carol?), the Angelina Ballerina Christmas special that I rented last November, the musical biography With a Song In My Heart, and Catch Me If You Can again (I didn't get to it last week).

My next stop was the Dollar Tree across the street. I needed rubber bands (I discovered last week that mine had become brittle and hard), sponges, and a card for my sister Rose to congratulate her for passing the Bar. I also ended up buying three board books for Rose's 1 1/2-year-old son Khai for Christmas.

I had lunch at the Westmont Bagel Shoppe. Kept things simple with a toasted whole wheat bagel with nothing on it and a bowl of spicy beef chili. It was 1:30 by the time I was eating my chili. The high school kids and nurses were long gone. It was just me, The Chew on ABC, my bowl and bagel, and one other person enjoying their meal.

My luck ran out with the weather. The rain was coming down at a pretty fair clip as I left the Bagel Shop. I just shrugged and rode home. There wasn't much I could do about the weather. I wanted to get things done, and I couldn't put them off. I got a bit damp, but not soaked.

My timing was perfect. Less than 20 minutes after I got in, it started raining harder, and has continued raining hard for the rest of the day. I changed into dry clothes and worked on things for Thanksgiving and around the apartment.

First on the to-do list was the Cinnamon Strusel Bread to bring to my parents' house for Thanksgiving. Keefe loves that bread. It's just the Pilsbury Cinnamon Strusel bread mix made the way the box says, except I exchange the water for buttermilk for some extra tang and moistness. I started making Pilsbury bread mixes back in college, when I wanted to bring something home for Thanksgiving, but didn't have the time or the room in the stove in Stockton's dorms for anything elaborate. I now make the Cranberry Bread from scratch, but the Cinnamon Bread continues to be a mix.

I ran Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure as I finished the bread and started cleaning the bathroom. Dora and her pals are gearing up for their Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) Party when Swiper the Fox does what he usually does...swipe their gifts. Santa's not thrilled with him doing this on Christmas and puts him on his "naughty" list. For once, Dora feels bad for Swiper and offers to help him change his ways by showing him how he acted in the past...and what may happen to her, him, and their friends in the future if he doesn't learn to share.

As fond as I am of the Dora characters (especially big blue Benny the Bull), the show itself can be dull for adults without kids to watch, since it's an interactive program that involves endless repetition. This one, however, was a bit different. For one thing, I don't believe Dora has ever attempted anything quite like time travel before. For another, Map (and his annoying voice) comes into play only briefly at the end, and Backpack is never seen at all. The repetition is downplayed as well. It doesn't really have much to do with Christmas Carol, but it is a nice recent Dora special and an interesting way to discuss a child's stages of growth, from baby through pre-teen, with very young kids.

I put off finishing the bathroom to go online for my appointment with representatives of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Though I did end up applying, I really don't think I'll be taking classes there. They didn't understand that I'm not interested in becoming a student. I just want to take a few small non-credit classes to learn about business and web writing and upgrade my web design skills. All three of the people who talked to me were very nice and extremely helpful, but I think they're more interested in serious art students. They're also expensive. The one class that looked useful, Internet Marketing, cost at least 3 to 5,000 dollars more than similar classes at Stockton and Temple/Camden County College.

When I did finally finish the bathroom, I started Chicken Legs Poached in Lemon-Wine Sauce and steamed Brussels sprouts and cauliflower for dinner and watched the first half of Babes In Toyland. I always watch the Disney live-action version of this venerable musical fantasy in mid-late November, as it's probably the closest I'll get to seeing a British pantomime without leaving this side of the pond.

Unlike the 1986 TV movie, this is straight fantasy. Mary Quite Contrary (Annette Funicello) is engaged to marry Tom Piper (Tom Sands), but wicked Barnaby (Ray Bolger, having a grand time) wants her money...and is determined to get Tom out of the way. He hires lackeys to get Tom out of the way. Tom finds his way back, and he, Mary, and Mary's siblings end up in Toyland when they get lost in the Forest of No Return. They end up helping the bumbling Toymaker (Ed Wynn) and his nerdy assistant Grumio (Tommy Kirk) with making the toys for Christmas...but the toys themselves may help in another way when Barnaby follows them.

A lot of people prefer the Laurel and Hardy Babes, but I think this one is just as much fun. If nothing else, we get some nice numbers, including Bolger's solo "Castle In Spain" dance, the villains' hilarious "And We Won't Be Happy 'Til We Get It," and Funicello's imaginative "I Can't Do the Sum."

Christmas Carols

Started off the day with A Christmas Carol: The Musical and Multi-Grain Cheerios and fruit for breakfast. Kelsey Grammar is Scrooge and Jason Alexander Marley in this adaptation of the long-running Madison Square Garden version of the beloved Charles Dickens story. Alas, this might have worked better onstage. Grammar wasn't a bad Scrooge, but the music was unmemorable, and the story moved so quickly that it seemed much too rushed. The Ghost of Christmas Present's big number, "Abundance and Charity," seemed to exist simply to give the Rockettes something to do.

Went to the laundromat right after the movie ended. It was very busy with people getting their clothes done before the holiday. I was fortunately able to find a washer and a dryer with no wait.

It was so late when I got home, the minute I finished putting the laundry away, I started getting ready for work. As I made my dinner, I got several phone calls in a row. Turns out it was the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia trying to get through to me. The person I talked to last week would like to meet me online tomorrow afternoon to discuss possibilities of doing online courses and finding financial aid.

It had been cloudy and cool (though still a little too warm for this time of year) when I was at the laundromat, and it remained so at work. Work was on-and-off busy, still a lot but not as bad as the weekend. People were generally in a better mood, too. Maybe they just finished their shopping. There was more food leftover from Saturday in the back, too, so I got dinner on the Acme for the second time in three days.

It slowed down a bit towards the end of the night, and I figured out why when I finally made it outside (after a mix-up regarding who was supposed to leave when). It was quite damp outside. Not soaking wet, but wet enough to make me realize we must have gotten some light rain earlier in the evening. Anything we'd had was gone by 9, though. I was perfectly dry going home.

Loose In Oaklyn

First of all, happy birthday to my brother Keefe, who is 19 today!

It was a gorgeous day when I awoke around 8AM. Sunny, breezy but not windy, and chilly like it's supposed to be in mid November in southern New Jersey. It was a perfect day to run a pile of errands, starting with a ride to the Acme for my paycheck and groceries.

The Acme wasn't too busy when I arrived around 11. I didn't need a lot, anyway. Found cooked and seasoned shrimp with a manager's coupon that was already on a good sale. Had a coupon for three free Shopper's Value (Acme low-cost brand) Spices with ten dollar purchase sale. All I needed of what they had was the Cayenne Pepper; I donated the Meat Tenderizer and Soul Seasoning to the box near the self-checkout lanes for a local soup kitchen. Needed to restock eggs, batteries, and yogurt, and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter was on sale and I had a coupon. Since Cool Whip and Jello Pudding were on sale, I bought things to make a pudding pie. Thanks to Cool Whip's new limited edition Sweet Cinnamon Flavor, I decided to make it a Spiced Vanilla Cream Pie.

When I got home, I made the pie and had a short lunch of muffins and Cranberry Flummery, then went out for a walk. My first stop was the Oaklyn Library. I couldn't stay there for too long. I arrived at 1:30, and they close on Fridays at 2. I did manage to drop another bag of videos off, quickly organize DVDs and some kids' books, and check out Cranberry Thanksgiving. (Which, for some reason, was listed under the title of the movie Good Will Hunting in their computer system. It took a minute for the librarian to figure everything out.)

After I left the library, I headed down the White Horse Pike. Made an in-and-out stop at PNC Bank to deposit my paycheck, then hiked a few blocks down the Pike to CVS. I mostly needed milk there, but I ended up grabbing a few Christmas presents, too.

Dropped by Dad and Uncle Ken's on the way back to my place. Dad and Jodie were at home, doing things on their laptops and watching the endless Law & Order re-runs on USA. I talked about my course options with both of them. The problem now is finding grants. There was so much information online about grants and funding, I was overwhelmed. Jodie and I checked a few sites and discovered that the Art Institute of Philadelphia, the school my sister Jessa is currently attending, seems to be the only local school offering grant money for people who want to learn web design. We sent an e-mail asking for more information.

(They were nice and called me back a bit later in the afternoon. I told them I was still browsing, but they're definitely worth considering and I would love any information on grants and on their non-credit online courses that they could provide.)

When I got home, I went right into sweeping the porch. It needed it badly. The rain and wind from yesterday and Wednesday left more piles of leaves that were getting into the house again. The leaves seem to be gone from most of the large trees now. Some of the smaller ones still have a lot of leaves, but by and large, I can see all the way to the water again...which means that should be the last time I'll need to do a lot of porch sweeping for a while.

Spent the rest of the day inside, watching Bowery Boys movies, editing fanfiction, and baking pumpkin bread for the Acme's Thanksgiving Luncheon tomorrow. I ran a couple of my favorite Bowery Boys episodes from the early 50s. Loose In London takes the Boys and soda shop proprietor Louie Dumbrowski overseas when Sach Jones is named heir to a British earl. No Holds Barred and Jalopy take us into the fast-paced worlds of wrestling and car racing respectively. Both films have more-or-less the same plot - Sach develops a special power or formula that makes the Boys successful at sports. When crooked managers start to notice their overnight stardom, they first send a woman after them who invites them to a party, then send goons after them. Naturally, the Boys wind up on top. I had a tasty dinner of Flounder in Lemon and Wine Sauce With Mushrooms and Onions, roasted Brussels sprouts, and the last of the baked pumpkin pudding for dinner as I ran Jalopy.

Saluting Our Veterans

First of all, hats off to all our service people, past, present, and future, including my friend Jen Waters, who is in the Navy.

Started today with some more classic theatrical shorts devoted to the Armed Services and wartime. (And those of you who are offended by my saluting our fighting men with cartoons...well, you're in the wrong place.) Finished the remaining war-related Looney Tunes shorts. Bugs Bunny eats a super-charged carrot and becomes Super Rabbit. He flies out to Texas to stop a nasty cowboy (with Yosemite Sam's voice) from clearing out all rabbits! But when the going gets tough, Bugs changes into the uniform of a real hero...an Army officer. Daffy has far less interest in joining the services in Draftee Daffy, as he tries to escape that pesky little man from the Draft Board. Bugs trades super-heroics for a different kind of fantasy when he tangles with a plane-sabotaging gremlin in Falling Hare.

I started the Donald Duck in the Army series before I headed out. I always watch Disney's famous cartoons revolving around Donald's wartime misadventures on Armed Services-related holidays. Brash, noisy Donald was the perfect character for 40s audiences, who liked their comedy in-your-face, according to Leonard Maltin. My favorite is The Vanishing Private. Donald gets a little too into camoflage when he uses a new invisibility paint on a cannon, and then on himself. Sergent Pete nearly ends up going crazy trying to catch "the little man that you can't see."

My first errand of the day was running to the Acme to pick up my paycheck. Though the manager at the customer service desk said it had been busy, it didn't look too bad at that point. I next made brief stops at America's Best to order contacts and Fashion Bug for a quick look at their khakis (I need work pants that fit).

Went back to the Acme to do my grocery shopping. It still wasn't that busy. The lines seemed fine. I needed to restock after last week's baking and take advantage of some sales. I ended up with Hershey's Special Dark Chips (good sale), packs of fish, a pack of skinless chicken thighs and a pack of chicken tenders (40% off all Perdue chicken), brown sugar, regular white sugar, whole brown eggs, liquid egg whites, and frozen green peas (to replace what I used in the curried cauliflower last week).

After I got home, I enjoyed a delicious lunch of leftover shrimp and spinach and apple salad while finishing the Donald Duck cartoons. When they ended, I went back out for a stroll to the bank and CVS.

Yes, I know the bank was closed today. I used the ATM machine to deposit my paycheck. After I left there, I headed to CVS. I wanted dish washing liquid and mouth wash, but they were out of the sale items. I ended up cruising the Christmas decorations aisle instead. I love the Peanuts characters in nativity costumes. Snoopy the Sheep is so cute.

It had been cold and windy all day long, probably no more than the lower 50s. It was sunny when I was at the Acme, but clouds appeared as I headed to CVS. The clouds just made everything colder. I decided I'd be better off at home.

When I got in, I ran several more shorts and a Bowery Boys movie while making Cranberry-Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins. Warners and Disney weren't the only studios who made theatrical shorts that revolved around war. Walter Lantz at Universal did one for Woody Woodpecker that spoofed the strict rationing of gasoline in the US, Ration Bored. He had better luck with non-character wartime shorts. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B depicts an African-American jazz trumpeter's introduction to the Army and how he gets his outfit going with his swinging reveille. In Pigeon Patrol, a country bumpkin who was rejected for wartime carrier pigeon duty still manages to get an important message across, kick the Axis in the rear, and impress his girl back home.

The Pink Panther found himself in the Vietnam War in G.I Pink, his only full war-themed cartoon. Pink proceeds to make a mess of this man's Army. Between misplaced land mines and cranky canine mascots, his commanding officer just wishes he'd get drafted by the Navy instead!

The Bowery Boys made four Armed Services-related movies between 1951 and 1953. I ran two today. They join the Army after thinking New York's being invaded in Bowery Battalion and find themselves protecting their friend Louie Dumbrowski from spies after plays for a hydrogen ray. And they're hardly saying Let's Go, Navy! when they hit the open seas to find the sailors who stole their money for a Bowery charity!

Between Bowery Boys movies, I looked up all of the local colleges to take a look at their non-credit online courses. I narrowed it down to Stockton College near Atlantic City (where I got my undergraduate degree from) and Temple/Camden County Community College (who use the same company for their online non-credit courses).

I'll ask for information about the medical billing as back-up, but I'm not really interested. No offense to real medical billing workers and transcriptionists, but it doesn't sound like thrilling work. I want to do something creative and interesting that actually uses some of my college learning. Stockton has courses in writing for websites and freelance writing. Temple/Camden County have web design and multimedia design courses that are expensive, but might be useful for what I have in mind.

I'd like to have my own at-home company writing for local publications and helping small businesses in the area design and compose newsletters, announcements, flyers, brochures, and memos. I'd also like to take some creative writing workshops and classes and try to revive that part of me, too. I haven't been able to do any writing beyond the fanfiction Lauren and I do together in ages. I just haven't had any ideas, nor have I been able to make myself sit down to write.

The Right or Wrong Thing to Do

I was called into work just as I had finished getting dressed this morning. They wanted me to work from 10:30 to 3:30. I shouldn't have done it, but I turned them down. First of all, it was almost quarter of 10 when they called me and I hadn't even had breakfast! Second, I'd promised my friend Erica I'd volunteer at the thrift shop today.

I feel really stupid about it. How could I have turned down money? I could have hurried. Erica later said I shouldn't have done it, either, even though she appreciated the help. I really felt bad. It was dumb and very immature. Jobs should come first.

After I arrived, I flattened boxes and polished a silver serving set. Erica gave me a jar of tarnish remover and asked me to work on a huge bowl, a larger serving tray, a two-tiered tray, and a gravy boat. Took me a little while and a lot of elbow grease, and they never did come out quite perfectly, but they were at least de-tarnished when I was through. The big serving tray in particular needed it. You'd never know the thing was silver before I rubbed at it. When it was done, the silver gleamed under the few remaining dark patches.

Erica asked me to buy lunch at WaWa. She originally mentioned pretzels, but WaWa's soft pretzels are terrible; I suggested sandwiches instead. I got a turkey and provolone and a bottle of water and she had a BLT and a WaWa Lemon Iced Tea. We chatted with customers as we ate. There were a few people this morning and early afternoon, but the store wasn't too busy.

It sure wasn't the weather keeping the customers away. It was hot, breezy, and mostly sunny, well into the 80s. I rode around a little after buying a pair of jean shorts and a pair of work pants. I stopped at the Collingswood Book Trader to see if they had something I was looking for (they didn't), then rode up to Newton River Park and into Oaklyn.

I spent the rest of the afternoon doing research and answering the pile of friend invites that had accumulated in my Facebook account...which I totally forgot I had.

I was looking up colleges that offer Library Science courses. There's two in this area, Rowan University and Drexel University, along with several others elsewhere in New Jersey, including Seton Hall and Montclair.

I really want to be a librarian, or at least to do something I love that will get me out of the Acme, but...this whole going back to college thing is scaring the living daylights out of me. How can I apply? Who will I ask for recommendations? I don't know anyone! I'll never pass the GRE. My math is terrible. I just barely made it out of 5 years of college. I'll never be able to afford it, especially uber-expensive Drexel. I got through college on grants and loans; never did anything special enough to warrant scholarships.

And my sister Rose is in Rutgers Law School and is going crazy. I have enough stress in my life without losing my mind over classes and grades, too.

On the other hand, I really do want to get out of the Acme and do something real with my life. Libraries are what I know. I know writing. I know reading. I know organizing. I may look into a track that incorporates children as well, Youth Services or School Media Specialist. I don't want to be a cashier for the rest of my life. I want to really have a life.

Just Checking

Did some research online this morning on colleges. Drexel and Rutgers are both online, and Drexel is only slightly more expensive than Rutgers. Rutgers, however, requires orientation and once-a-semester meetings, and their Library Sciences campus is in New Brunswick in North Jersey.

In addition to it's School Media Specialist program, Drexel also offers a "Youth Services Specialization" - in other words, a non-school children's librarian. I wouldn't mind that one, either, but I'm afraid it would limit it me to larger libraries or children's libraries in cities. Most small libraries can barely afford a staff of people to help adults, much less kids! On the other hand, it would take less time (3 years part-time, according to Drexel's site) and probably less money.

Spent the rest of the day at work. Work was on-and-off steady. There were some cranky people, and my register froze when I tried to close it towards the end of the day and I had to move...and I had a long line. I hate it when that happens. I just want to get the line moving.

Oh, and my stomach is feeling somewhat better. I drank a lot of chamomile tea and bought Tums and peppermint Lifesavers at work. I'm hoping it'll be good enough tomorrow to do my library volunteering; if not, I'll do it before or after counseling on Thursday. (The weather's looking iffy tomorrow too, rainy and windy.)

Frozen

What an annoying day. I woke up late and didn't get much done, I had to get a ride to and from work due to the 20-degree temperatures and lingering high winds, and work was a pain in the rear. We had long lines for most of the day, and we weren't even short-handed. We just didn't have enough help assigned. I got two of the WIC Checks wrong twice! The WIC Checks are are part of the state program used by mothers with babies and young toddlers to buy milk, cereal, juice, formula, and a few other essentials. The details of those "few other essentials," however, are constantly changing, far more than I or anyone can keep up with. I was told for over a year that mothers were only supposed to buy one 16-ounce block of cheese, not two 8-ounce blocks, and that they couldn't be the individually-wrapped processes stuff. A woman threw a fit when I pointed that out, then the manager let her take out the individually-wrapped ones anyway! Later, a woman bought two 8 ounce packages. I tried to tell her otherwise, but the (different) manager said she could have them. At least she was far more amiable about the whole thing.

(However, they haven't allowed Kellogg's Rice Krispies on the WIC Checks for years. Some generic brands, but not Kellogg's. I don't know why people keep insisting on bringing it to the counter.)

I called Mom and Dad this morning to wish the latter a Happy 52nd birthday. Dad was on his way out to work, but I did get to wish him well. I chatted a bit more with Mom. She wants me to seek out more financial aid, and says the only way I'll be able to pay for college is to be a college librarian because they make more money.

But I don't WANT to work for college libraries! I don't CARE about the money! I'll figure something out. I want to work with kids! I'll get a job in a college media center if possible because I have precious little experience doing anything else, but isn't there a way to do what I enjoy and pay to learn how to do it, too?

Year of the Collie

First of all, Happy Chinese New Year! Abundant luck to all today!

Second, I certainly had abundant luck today. After Cherry-Banana Pancakes for breakfast, I went to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering. I did the biographies, which weren't TOO bad. I got out with plenty of time to ride over to Collingswood to browse in the thrift shop and the Collingswood Variety Store. Lunch was at the Pop Shop, a pastel 50's-themed diner situated in one half of Collingswood's old Acme. (A much fancier restaurant, Word of Mouth, is on the other half.) I had a wonderful "Farm Market Omelet" with roast veggies and swiss cheese, half of a gigantic slice of rye toast, and hash browns.

(Oh, and the Collingswood Variety Store has not only restocked their supply of WebKinz, but they now have clothes, too. I was VERY close to getting a Black Poodle; I also considered a husky.)

I told Scott about my heavy work-schedule over the past few weeks, Mom and Dad's move, the arrival of Mom's box, and my job research. Now that I know I want to go back to school, I have to figure out how to finance it. I'm far from rich, and I don't want to go as heavily into debt as Rose is.

After I left Scott, I took the Speedline into Philadelphia. For once, I knew what I wanted to get, and after a wrong turn or two, made my way to my favorite FYE on Broad Street to use the last of the $50 gift card Mom and Dad gave me for Christmas.

While their downstairs CD section was the same as always, the DVD section upstairs was a disaster area. The kids' DVDs, TV DVD sets, and war and western movies lay in messy stacks on the floor. From what I gathered from the employees, that particular FYE had just gotten a big stock of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs and had to rearrange everything to fit them in. It didn't make for easy shopping. I never found what I was looking for, which was the newly-released Perfect Strangers: The Complete First and Second Season, but I did take advantage of a buy 2 used items, get one half-off sale. I bought two classic musical "biopics," the MGM mega-musical 'Till The Clouds Roll By and the Betty Grable vehicle The Dolly Sisters. I picked up the new Bruce Springsteen CD Magic downstairs. (And it ended up being the half-off item, too - I got it for $4.99!)

I did manage to find Perfect Strangers during a brief visit to the Borders across the street. It was 20% off, too! Perfect Strangers is (other than one random Honeymooners tape I picked up in the thrift shop last year) the last TV show I have completely on video. Once we (finally) get all 8 seasons of PS, I will have cleared out my pre-recorded videos to the point where I'll hopefully be able to move a few to the other shelves and make room for DVDs!

I went in search of Locust Street to head for home, but I got turned around again and wound up on Chestnut. I wound up at the Chestnut Street entrance to the Liberty One Mall and, since that mall is very posh (lots of fancy dress shops; no toy stores or noisy electronics stores), I thought I'd see if they had a Lane Bryant so I could use the $100 gift card I got for Christmas.

I didn't see Lane Bryant, but I did find a lovely little card shop called Messages on a side hallway near Au Bon Pain. The store was an explosion of red and pink - so much, I almost missed the tall display of WebKinz as I walked in! I'm glad I didn't, though. They had many WebKinz I'd never seen anywhere in New Jersey - Lil'Kinz Horses, Basset Hounds, Polar Bears, and St. Bernards, Velvety Elephants, Ducks, Gray and White Cats, Yorkies, and...COLLIES! I'd been wanting to find a collie for ages, because I knew exactly what name I would give it. I bought a collie and a pack of Trading Cards and headed for Chestnut.

I got turned around one more time after that. I stopped at a Starbucks to get my bearings and a cup of Vanilla Latte, then made my way across Chestnut to Walnut, then Locust. By this point it was about 5; the rush hour was well at hand. Car honked, sirens blared, and people in heavy coats pushed their way through the crowds. Thankfully, the 16th and Locust PATCO stop was on a relatively quiet, largely residential block. I made it to the train and to Collingswood without incident (and even managed to find a seat on a stuffed-full rush hour train).

Since I went past their neighborhood going home, I dropped by Uncle Ken and Dad's on my way back to say "hi" and show them my new find. I ended up staying for a tasty dinner of chicken, creamed spinach, and mashed potatoes. I chatted a bit with Jodie, her teen son TJ, and Dad afterwards. Jodie and Dad are mostly concerned about my finances; going back to school is expensive, and they're worried I'll end up in debt. I really need to do more research on the cost before anyone worries further.

Oh yes, and...meet Linda the Collie! Yes, she's named after my friend Linda Young, who got me interested in WebKinz in the first place and loves all things collie! This means that naturally, she had to have a bookcase in her room. Her bio says she's a musician; perhaps I'll give her the piano, too.

Finding A Way Out Of The Black Hole

Most of my day was devoted to cleaning, calling, and research. I called Rose this morning; she was in a class, so I did my first cleaning of the month instead. I got the kitchen and the bathroom done. The kitchen wasn't horrible, but the bathroom was pretty bad, and I'd like to get the Valentine's Day decorations up soon. Janice from the Acme called as I finished. Could I work tomorrow from 10:30AM to 3:30AM? Fine, I didn't have anything major planned for tomorrow.

Rose called back as I finished up the kitchen. First of all, between her law school classes and her broken car, we won't be going anywhere together for a while. Second, she reminded me that I need to take the Graduate Record Examinations, and that such things are expensive. Her similar test for Law School apparently cost $1,500! That scared me to death. Going to school is expensive enough. I'm not paying that much for one class.

I went online and checked the GRE's website. I tried to tell Rose that law school is something entirely different from regular graduate school, and this proves it. The general test was $140 minus fees. (And even with the fees only added up to a little over $500.) Either way, it's not a thousand. There's a testing center in Philadelphia on Chestnut Street and another in Deptford, near the mall.

I wonder if I could find someone who's been to graduate school recently for library sciences and find out how much it cost, how long it took, and whether or not it's even worth it? I am NOT going into further debt for an education that will get me nowhere. If Rose wants to be buried in debt for the rest of her life, that's on her.

Work was steady-to-busy until after the 4PM rush hour, when it died down to nothing.